The Desk by Donald Graves Mother buys
a cheap, wooden desk
painted bright orange
with two flimsy drawers
5. that rattle
when I pull them open.
There are two open shelves on the side
which can hold
10. about twenty books.
Mother says, “
You can have
this desk in your room
if you want it.”
Before the desk came,
15. I only slept in my room,
made my bed,
picked up my dirty clothes,
and kept only my Sunday clothes
on a hanger in the closet.
20. I sit at the desk,
rub my hands over the surface,
pull open the top drawer,
and put a box of Crayolas
and a few pencils inside.
25. I shut the drawer
and I like the sound of the thunk
that says the desk is mine.
I stand up beside the desk
30. and feel the silence of the empty shelves.
I pick up the four books I own,
run my fingers down the bindings,
and shelve them in alphabetical order.
Now I have a library in my room.
35. I sit down, pull open
the next drawer,
bigger and deeper
than the first.
There, I place my maps
40. of Europe, Asia, the United States,
and my stamp book with stamps from the whole world.
Now, any place on earth is in my room.

1. The poet begins the last three stanzas with the word “I” in order to —
A. suggest that the speaker does not like people coming into his room
B. develop the idea that the speaker’s desk has a special purpose
C. emphasize how the speaker connects with the desk
D. show that the speaker spends most of his free time in his room

2. Which line from the poem best suggests that the speaker feels a sense of happiness about having the desk?
F. painted bright orange
G. rub my hands over the surface,
H. bigger and deeper
J. and a few pencils inside.

3. From the speaker’s experience, the reader can learn that —
A. people with their own room feel more independent
B. something that doesn’t seem promising can turn out to be a welcome surprise
C. collecting stamps can help people acquire more knowledge about the world
D. mothers always know what is best for their children

4. The poet’s use of sensory language in line 27 is intended to help the reader —
F. realize that the speaker did not expect the drawer to make a sound
G. understand why the speaker puts drawing supplies in the drawer H. imagine the sound made by the shutting of the desk drawer
J. know that the desk drawer now has something in it

5. The poet uses the last line of the poem to —
A. suggest that the only place the speaker would like to be is in his room
B. explain that the speaker likes to collect maps and stamps
C. emphasize that the speaker thinks that the desk has dramatically changed his room D. show that the desk drawer is large enough to hold the speaker’s maps and stamps