Gr 8 Term One Benchmark - ECR

The Antique Shop

1 Jesse walks the short distance from school to the front door of Tío Roland and Tía
Gloria’s small antique business, just as he does every Monday and Wednesday
afternoon. He passes by the neighborhood café where his friends sit in booths, 
talking and laughing. He wishes he could join them, but “helping family is important. “
Or at least that’s what Papa tells him every time he complains about working for his
uncle for free. 

2 As he approaches the shop, Jesse sees his uncle through the large window, chatting
happily with a customer. Pausing to glance at all the junk set out in the window
display, Jesse remembers Papa bringing him here when he was little. The shop had
seemed magical then, packed with tiny instruments, diverse decorations, and some
strangely shaped furniture. 

3 One Summer Morning, Papa had released Jesse’s tiny hand to open the door, 
inviting him to enter this wonderland. Jesse’s eyes shot from one end of the wide
room to the other, taking in its treasures. 

4 “Mi hijo,” Papa said, “come see what is back here. “ 

5 At the back of the shop, behind the glass counter was a shelf displaying a cowboy
hat like Jesse had seen in those old movies Papa liked to watch. 

6 “This is the first item you’re abuelo displayed when he opened the shop over 40
years ago, “ Papa explained. “It’s a nineteenth-century charro cowboy sombrero, 
given to him by his own grandfather back in Mexico. “

7 Jesse’s young mind tried to grasp this information. His abuelo had an abuelo, and the
hat was that old! 

8 “Is Tío Roland going to sell it? “ Jesse asked. 

9 “Oh no, “ Papa had replied. “This is a family heirloom. We just keep it here for
customers to admire. “ 

10The Bell on the door rings as a customer leaves., and Jesse snaps out of his
thoughts. 

11He enters the shop and joins his uncle behind the counter, letting his backpack fall
to the floor. The store no longer fills Jesse with awe. Although the sombrero still sits
in its stately place, everything else seems like old junk. 

12Jesse sits on a tall wooden stool and watches people come and go. Not everyone
who comes into the store buys something, but those who do often find that one
perfect item in the sea of clutter and always seem to have silly grins on their faces
when they leave, like children exiting a candy store. 

13“Why do people like all this junk?“ Jesse wonders out loud as he looks around the
store. “It’s old, and some of it doesn’t even work anymore.”

14Tío Roland sighs and shakes his head. “When people come here, they’re not just
buying a rusted trombone or an old bicycle. Customers are taking a piece of history
with them, something that brings back a happy memory or sparks their imagination."

15Jesse can tell that Tío Roland is tired of trying to explain this to him, so when Tía
Gloria walks in carrying a large brown box, Jesse welcomes the diversion. 

16“Here, “ Tía Gloria grins as the box lands on the counter with a heavy thud. “This is
what I got from that garage sale yesterday.“ 

17“What’s this? “ Tío Roland asks as he reaches into the box. Inside, in perfect
condition, is an action figure from one of Jesse’s favorite film sagas, and it is still in
the original packaging. 

18“Oh wow! How cool! “ Jesse gasps as he grabs for the action figure. 

19“Ha!” Tío Roland exclaims, pointing to Jesse with a huge grin on his face. “You feel
that? That’s what customers feel when they come here, like they have found just the
thing they needed.” 

20Jessie nods as if to tell his uncle that he understands. He turns the item over,
squinting to read the print on the package and wiping the dust off on his shirt. “Can I
keep it?” Jesse asks quietly, feeling a little sheepish. Tío Roland and Tía Gloria look at
each other, and after a brief moment, they both nod. Jesse waves the action figure
triumphantly in the air. 

21“Thank you! “ Jesse exclaims as he slips the item into his backpack. Maybe this shop
is a place of great discoveries and history, he thinks, glancing back at the
sombrero. 

Read "The Antique Shop". Based on the information from the selection, write a
response to the following:
Explain how Jessie's attitude towards the antique shop changes.

Write a well-organized essay that uses specific evidence from the selection to support
your answer.

Remember to —
• clearly state your thesis
• organize your writing
• develop your ideas in detail
• use evidence from the selection in your response
• use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar

Manage your time carefully so that you can —
• review the selection
• plan your response
• write your response
• revise and edit your response