Passage 1 adapted from The Fox and the Goat A fox one day fell into a deep well and could find no means of escape. A goat, overcome with thirst, came to the same well, and seeing the fox, inquired if the water was good. Concealing his sad plight the fox praised the water, saying it was excellent beyond measure, and encouraged the goat to descend to the well. The goat thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as he drank, the fox informed him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested a scheme for their common escape. "If," said he, "you will place your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run up your back and escape, and will help you out afterward." The goat readily agreed, and the fox leaped upon his back. Steadying himself with the goat's horns, he safely reached the mouth of the well and made off as fast as he could. He then turned around and cried out, "You foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your head as you have hairs in your beard, you would never have gone down before you had inspected the way up, nor have exposed yourself to dangers from which you had no means of escape." Passage 2 Woes of Taking a Shortcut Bianca was very popular in school and had many friends. Everyone had something good to say about her, but Bianca had one trait that always landed her in trouble: She was always in a hurry and did things on impulse. Her parents had often advised her to spare a minute to think before acting, but Bianca did not heed their advice. It was a pleasant evening, and Susan had organized a small gathering at her place to introduce her cousin Alan to her friends. Bianca loved parties and was looking forward to having a good time at Susan's house. She spent a couple of hours dressing up in her finest dress, doing her hair, putting on makeup, and finally coating her nails a bright red color. "Mom, I'm leaving!" called out Bianca, as she hurriedly took her purse and stepped out of the house. She had hardly reached the next lane when she noticed the thick, dark clouds looming in the sky. She knew it would start raining soon. Her friend Mini had joined her as well, and the duo quickened their pace to avoid getting caught in the rain. "I know a shorter route, and we'll save 10 minutes," panted Bianca. "You know that means crossing the field with the barbed wire," muttered Mini, looking frowningly at Bianca. "Don't you want to get there sooner?" coaxed Bianca. Before Mini could respond, Bianca had already steered away from the street and taken the slushy sidewalk to the field. "Oh no!" she cried as the muddy water splashed on her party dress. She tried to wipe it with a tissue, and together the girls carefully moved toward the field. Bianca ducked as Mini held the wire to make space for Bianca to crawl through the horizontal wires. Her heart stopped when she realized that the hem of her dress had caught in the barbed wire, and as she tried to pull herself free, she could feel her dress tearing. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she realized the folly of her thoughtless decision. 6 How is the goat from “The Fox and the Goat” different from Bianca in “Woes of Taking a Shortcut”? A. The goat makes a decision to try to make a friend, and Bianca makes a decision to help a friend. B. The goat’s decision is meant to be tricky, and Bianca’s decision is meant to be helpful. C. The goat makes careless decisions, and Bianca makes careful decisions. D. The goat’s decision results in him being tricked, and Bianca’s decision almost results in an injury.