Which statement best describes the value of reading
this text aloud more than once to improve fluency?
What tells the reader that the passage includes
dialogue?
How can your reading show the characters' different
voices?
"It's not the way it used to be," Old Man Warner said
clearly. "People ain't the way they used to be." "All right,"
Mr. Summers said. "Open the papers. Harry, you open
little Dave's." Mr. Graves opened the slip of paper and
there was a general sigh through the crowd as he held it
up and everyone could see that it was blank. Nancy and
Bill, Jr., opened theirs at the same time, and both
beamed and laughed, turning around to the crowd and
holding their slips of paper above their heads, "Tessie,"
Mr. Summers said. There was a pause, and then Mr.
Summers looked at Bill Hutchinson, and Bill unfolded his
paper and showed it. It was blank. "It's Tessie," Mr.
Summers said, and his voice was hushed. "Show us her
paper, Bill." Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and
forced the slip of paper out of her hand. It had a black
spot on it, the black spot Mr. Summers had made the
night before with the heavy pencil in the coal-company
office. Bill Hutchinson held it up, and there was a stir in
What affects the tone as you read this excerpt?