Two weeks after the hurricane crossed our part of the Gulf, the gym at Paloma Middle School became a supply hub. Stacks of bottled water lined the bleachers, and volunteers sorted diapers beside bags of rice. I came after class, thinking I'd just do my part and leave. But when Mrs. Ochoa paired me with Mr. Tran to deliver meals, I learned how our small tasks linked together. He knew which roads still flooded at high tide; I kept track of which houses had insulin. By dusk, we'd covered three neighborhoods. Later, I saw my neighbor, who'd spent the day clearing his own yard, still wrestling a fallen limb. We brought over a handsaw, and four more volunteers joined. The branch came free in minutes. Standing there, sweat salty and clothes muddy, I realized recovery wasn't a solo race; it was a relay with hundreds of hands passing hope forward. On my bike home, porch lights flickered on, and it felt like the whole town exhaled the same determined breath.

Claim: The narrator believes collective action is more effective than individual effort after the storm.

Which quotation from the passage best supports the claim?

Every fall, we look up from the soccer field and watch monarchs drift south like scraps of orange paper. Last year, our science club mapped the butterflies' layovers around town. We learned that monarchs don't just need big wildlife refuges; they also depend on tiny stepping-stones, patches of milkweed and late-blooming flowers in ordinary yards. At first, the idea felt too small to matter. Then Ms. Patel showed us the caterpillars chewing through a single potted milkweed by her stoop. She said three had already formed chrysalises on her mailbox. Inspired, we handed out seed packets at the farmers market and asked neighbors to skip pesticides for a month. By October, our map showed a dotted green chain running from the library to the creek. We didn't save every butterfly, but we helped more of them ride the wind to Mexico. What surprised me most was how quickly the dots appeared. One block planted milkweed in window boxes, and suddenly the path between two parks became visible on our clipboard map.

Claim: Small changes in backyard gardens can meaningfully help monarch butterflies migrate.

Which quotation from the passage best supports the claim?

The robotics team finally had an opening, and Coach Rivera looked straight at me. I heard the buzz of the workshop, the 3D printer ticking, the metal saw whining, and felt my yes rising. But tomorrow evening, I was supposed to watch Maya's little brother while her mom worked a double. We'd planned it a week ago, and I'd promised. I stared at the calendar on my phone, like the squares could stretch. "We really need you," Coach said. "Qualifiers are next month." I imagined the robot gliding over the mat, the team cheering, my name announced. Then I pictured Eli waiting by the window with his backpack. He trusts my knock at the door. My mouth wouldn't decide. I told Coach I'd let him know by lunch. All morning, the machines' hum followed me into class, but so did Maya's text: "Thanks again. You're saving us." The truth pressed at my ribs: choosing the team would mean dropping a promise. The thought made my hands cold on the cafeteria tray today.

Claim: The narrator feels guilty about abandoning a commitment to Maya.

Which quotation from the passage best supports the claim?

By July, the stock tanks behind our town had shrunk to cracked bowls, and dust lifted off the caliche roads like breath. At Tuesday's meeting, the council voted for stricter watering limits: lawns twice a month, car washes closed on weekends, fines for waste. Grandpa frowned at the list, thinking of his tomatoes, the ones he planted after moving from the Valley. "They remind me of home," he said. I felt the same tug. But the hydrologist's chart showed the aquifer line falling, a red slope that didn't care about memories. Our science teacher explained that one storm wouldn't fix a three-year deficit. When I turned our porch spigot, I could hear the pipes click like an empty can. We pulled up the tomatoes and spread mulch, leaving Grandpa two pots by the steps. It hurt, but the thought of taps sputtering in September felt worse than a bare garden. Neighbors hauled rain barrels from their garages, forming a line like turtles, slow but sure, toward the lone spigot downtown.

Claim: The narrator accepts that sacrifices are necessary to protect the community's water supply.

Which quotation from the passage best supports the claim?

On the bus ride home, Maya scrolled through her messages and sighed. The group project was due Friday, but only two of the five members had shared any slides. She had carried teams before, staying up late to fix fonts and rewrite messy sections. This time, Maya wanted to wait and let the consequences teach a lesson. Then she remembered how the grade counted for everyone, including quiet Luis, who always helped but rarely bragged. At dinner, her dad said, "Leadership isn't rescuing people; it's setting clear expectations." The next morning, Maya posted a checklist and deadlines in the chat, tagging each person. She also told the teacher the plan so no one would be surprised. By Thursday, the slides were almost done, and Luis sent a careful bibliography. Maya reviewed only for consistency, resisting the urge to redo everything. When the group presented, they acknowledged each person's contribution, and Maya felt relief instead of resentment. She realized boundaries could be kind and still move the work forward for everyone.

Which quotation from the passage best supports the claim?

After the hurricane pushed inland, our middle school became a shelter. The hallways smelled like bleach and wet cardboard, and the gym echoed with quiet. I signed up to help, expecting to carry boxes wherever anyone pointed. Instead, Ms. Ortega handed me a clipboard and a map. "We track every cot and meal," she said, "so families don't get missed." Volunteers marked arrivals in pencil and moved sticky notes as spaces opened. A man with a small dog waited by the door until someone found a kennel and a calm corner. When a truck brought bottled water, we counted cases before stacking them in labeled rows. Later, a neighbor arrived with a bag of baby clothes. Ms. Ortega didn't shout instructions; she asked questions and listened, then matched donations to needs. By evening, people were tired but less afraid. I had barely lifted a box, yet the shelter ran like a careful heartbeat. Organization, not muscle, kept supplies moving and made frightened families feel seen. It mattered more than speed.

Which quotation from the passage best supports the claim?

Coach Ramirez started an experiment after students complained the courtyard felt like a stovetop during lunch. He gave the eco-club permission to map sunny and shady spots and to suggest small changes the school could afford. By August, the club rolled out planters with young live oaks and asked custodians to move picnic tables under their reach. They also painted a section of asphalt a lighter color and installed a misting hose along the fence. During the first hot week, the science class used infrared thermometers to compare surfaces. The painted area was cooler, but the biggest difference came under the trees: the blacktop there stayed much lower than the open lane. Students lingered, and someone even practiced violin without squinting. Teachers noticed fewer complaints and shorter lines at the nurse's office for heat headaches. The campus did not feel like a park, yet the changes gave everyone places to breathe. Planting shade, it turned out, worked better than anything else they tried that month. Data convinced even skeptical coaches.

Which quotation from the passage best supports the claim?

On Saturdays, I help my grandmother sell pan dulce at the East End market in Houston. The air smells like cinnamon and roasted corn, and music drifts from a nearby booth. At first I worried my Spanish sounded clumsy, but Abuela squeezed my shoulder and said, "Cada palabra es un puente." When customers approached, some asked for conchas in English, some in Spanish, and many mixed both without thinking. I switched with them, answering questions about ingredients and pointing out the fresas we had just glazed. A teacher from my school stopped by with her toddler and laughed when he said gracias and thank you in the same breath. Later, a vendor asked me to translate a delivery problem, and the driver's frown softened once he understood. Walking home, I realized our city runs on layered voices, like a song with harmony. Knowing two languages didn't split me; it made me stronger where I stand. Here, bilingual isn't extra; it is the bridge people cross every day. In Houston, especially.

Which quotation from the passage best supports the claim?