Editorial Development: Bonnie Brook Communications

SKILL PRACTICE
Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.
 1. Lee Strasberg felt that acting 
.
A 
required natural talent that could not be taught
B 
was the only truly important profession
C 
should be developed in a supportive setting
D 
is more difficult on stage than in films
 2. Strasberg most likely felt that Constantin 
Stanislavsky 
.
A 
was wrong about many of his acting theories
B 
did not know how to teach American actors
C 
pioneered effective training methods for actors
D 
was solely responsible for The Group Theater’s 
success
 3. Tennessee Williams felt that actors trained by
The Actors Studio were more 
.
A 
physical than other actors
B 
dramatic than other actors
C 
trusting than other actors
D 
believable than other actors
 4. What is the concept behind the acting technique 
called The Method?
A 
Actors should draw from their emotional 
experience.
B 
To be popular, an actor must show a lot of 
emotion.
C 
Actors should be thoroughly trained before 
ever appearing on a stage.
D 
There are specific steps actors should follow.
STRATEGY PRACTICE
How did underlining help you understand the passage’s theme?
 
Theme
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© Evan-Moor Corp. • EMC 3458 • Daily Reading Comprehension 
69
Name: 
WEEK 10
DAY 5
READ THE PASSAGE
Think about how the main character reflects the theme throughout the passage.
The Perfect Gift
Abuela Lena’s birthday was coming up, and Mirta knew exactly where to look for a great present: 
the flea market. Mirta had often gazed at Abuela Lena’s collection of china plates that were displayed 
so lovingly along a narrow ledge in her dining room. Unfortunately, the morning’s hunt for an affordable 
treasure had been disappointing, and Mirta was quickly losing her patience. She was about to give up 
when she saw a reasonably priced plate that was simply perfect: a deep royal blue edged with delicate 
gold lines. She grabbed the plate and headed toward the dealer to pay for it when the plate slipped out 
of her hands, hit the ground, and smashed into half a dozen pieces.
“You don’t have to say it,” Mirta said to the dealer with a weary smile. “I broke it, I bought it.” Mirta paid 
the full price and picked up the pieces, which she noticed were still quite pretty, even though they were 
now not particularly useful for display purposes.
The dealer smiled sympathetically. “I know how you feel. I was rather clumsy myself this morning. 
I broke two plates while putting these out.” He gestured to a box of scraps. An idea suddenly popped into 
Mirta’s head as she glanced at the shards in the box. One dish had been white with colorful flowers and 
the other was bright yellow with a red, geometric border.
“Can I buy these, too?” she asked.
“You can have them!” the dealer responded in surprise.
Mirta gave the pieces to Abuela Lena in a decorative bag with a note: “You always taught me to 
appreciate the beauty in everything. This may look like junk, but we can turn it into a beautiful mosaic 
bench for your garden.” She thought Abuela Lena might like the gift even more than a perfect plate.