(1) I remember when we first looked at the house. Mom and Dad had let me come house hunting, and I didn’t like any of the houses very much. The last one we looked at was an old green house with a big, empty yard. There were no trees to climb or bushes to hide in, so right off the bat I was against it. Inside were dusty old chairs that didn’t look very comfortable and pictures on the wall of a bunch of strangers. The kids’ bedroom didn’t have any of the cool music posters or other decorations that I had in my room. I couldn’t imagine living in this strange place, but for some reason my parents liked it. (2) About a month later we were moving out of our old home. My older sister Jessica and I felt sad watching the movers pack up all our clothes and toys. I felt like I was betraying my room by taking down all my posters and leaving its walls bare. We knew that nothing could replace our home, but we had no choice. A day later, after spending the night at Aunt Mary’s, Jessica and I finally made our way to that old green house.

(3) It looked different than I remembered it. Of course all that dusty old furniture was gone, as were all those pictures of strangers. I found the recliner I had liked to read in at the old house, and sat down in it. It was just as comfy as ever, and I could see myself getting lost in a book here. But Jessica was headed upstairs, and I raced up behind her. There was my old bed and lamp, and someone had even hung up one of my music posters. It actually looked okay. And with Jessica sitting there on her bed, smiling at me with her usual goofy smile, it was just like old times.

(4) Downstairs, we heard music playing. Jessica and I gave each other a look—we knew what that was. Sometimes at the old house, Mom would put in a Jackson Five CD and play it at full blast, and we would dance like a bunch of fools. Sure enough, there were Mom and Dad in the living room of the new house, dancing and grinning. Jessica and I couldn’t help but join in. All of us dancing together was when the old green house really started to feel like home.

The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

Part A Which statement best describes the central idea of the passage?

a. How you decorate a house is more important than the size of the house.

b. Having the support of family can help someone face great problems.

c. A sense of home is created by people and memories, not the house itself.

d. Finding the perfect house is an important but difficult task.

Now, read part B of question 9 and choose the correct answer. Part B Which piece of evidence from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
a. I felt like I was betraying my room by taking down all my posters and leaving its walls bare. (paragraph 2)

b. Of course, all that dusty old furniture was gone, as were all those pictures of strangers. (paragraph 3)

c. There was my old bed and lamp, and someone had even hung up one of my music posters. (paragraph 3)

d. All of us dancing together was when the old green house really started to feel like home. (paragraph 4)