Question 5 • CMS 2026-2027 English III CREDIT RECOVERY
Read the excerpt from Cristina Garcia’s Dreaming in Cuban . The sunset flares behind a row of brownstones, linking them as if by a flaming ribbon. Lourdes massages her eyes and begins walking with legs that feel held by splints. “I’m glad to see you, Lourdes. Thank you for everything, hija , the hat, the cigars. You buried me like an Egyptian king, with all my valuables!” Jorge del Pino laughs. Lourdes perceives the faint scent of her father’s cigar . . . “Where are you, Papi?” The street is vacant, as if a force has absorbed all living things. Even the trees seem more shadow than substance. “Nearby,” her father says, serious now. The author uses magic realism by
Answer
A
describing the support for Lourdes’s unstable legs as she walks.
B
using words such as “flares,” “faint,” “vacant,” and “shadow.”
C
comparing the description of the setting sun with a flaming ribbon.
D
revealing Jorge’s appreciation for his valued burial gifts.
Explanation
Magic realism blends ordinary life with supernatural events presented as if they are real. Jorge is dead, yet he appears to Lourdes and speaks to her, thanking her for the gifts buried with him. His conversation with Lourdes is the magical element, so the best choice is “revealing Jorge’s appreciation for his valued burial gifts.”
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