PAIREDREADPoetryRealisticFictionTheTheFinalFinalTheFinalbyPaulMasonillustratedbySGBrooksSTRATEGIES&SKILLSComprehensionStrategy:AskandAnswerQuestionsSkill:ThemeVocabularyStrategyConnotationandDenotationVocabularyattain,dangling,hovering,triumphWordCount:2,404ACopyright©TheMcGraw-HillCompanies,Inc.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedordistributedinanyformorbyanymeans,orstoredinadatabaseorretrievalsystem,withoutthepriorwrittenconsentofTheMcGraw-HillCompanies,Inc.,including,butnotlimitedto,networkstorageortransmission,orbroadcastfordistancelearning.Sendallinquiriesto:McGraw-HillEducationTwoPennPlazaNewYork,NewYork10121ISBN:978-0-02-118914-4MHID:0-02-118914-5PrintedintheUnitedStates.123456789QLM171615141312PAIREDREADChapter1ANewForward..............................2Chapter2RealityCheck................................5Chapter3Determination................................8Chapter4TheCobrasBite............................12RespondtoReading........................16TalentShow.......................17FocusonLiteraryElements.................20EssentialQuestionHowdowriterslookatsuccessindifferentways?TheTheFinalFinalTheFinalbyPaulMasonillustratedbySGBrooksOnlyfiveminutesremainedofthegame—fiveshortminutesbetweenmakingthedizzyingheightsofthefinalstournamentorfinishinganotherseasonwithawhimper.Thescorewastiedat1–1.Elisa,watchingherteamfromthebench,couldhardlybreathe.Shecouldn’tbeartowatchthePumaslose,eventhoughshehadn’thadmuchofachancetocomeoffthebenchandplaythisseason.Justthen,adefenderslammedintothebackofTia,thePumas’forward,whohadtheballatherfeet.Therefereeblastedhiswhistleandcalledfoul.HegaveafreekicktothePumas—itwouldprobablybethelastkickofthegame.Jennylineduptotakeit,thenranforward,kickingtheballhightowardthegoal,hopingsomeonewouldriseuptomeetit.Sureenough,therewasTia.Amassiveleap,headandshouldersabovetheothers,almostasifshewerehoveringinmidair.Thump!Tiaconnected,sendingaheaderblastingpastthegoalkeeperintothebackofthenet.Tiahittheground,herbodyr...
