WE WILL PASS THE DCCAS

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WE WILL PASS THE DCCAS

Name:__________

Date:__________

Period:_________

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TESt GRADE:_____

Instructions for the DCCAS review packet:

You are to complete ALL parts of this packet. This packet will be counted as a test grade. While it will be partially graded on correct answers, this packet will also be graded on evidence of the process (i.e. jot dots, highlighting, underlining, annotating, etc.) Please realize that if you neglect to mark up the packet for whatever reason, your test grade will be severely affected. When completing the BCRs you must use TIQAC format. If you do not I will not give you full credit. A TIQAC template is

attached for your reference on page 31 of the packet. Also, there are some key notes on page 32 of the packet.

There is absolutely no reason for this packet to not be completed and counted as a test grade. We have been practicing this material all year. Some of you believe that it is not necessary to mark up the text and it is just a time waster. These are, in fact, strategies that I use to help me comprehend a text and to ensure that I am

completing my task accurately.

If you complete this entire packet I guarantee that you will do extremely well on this year’s DCCAS. You will not only make me proud, but your parents, your school community, and most importantly yourself. All of you have made tremendous growth with these skills over the course of the year and this year’s DCCAS is just another opportunity to show it.

Please do not loose this packet. I will be collecting it when I return to school.

No packet= a zero for a test grade

Please take your time as you INDIVIDUALLY complete this in class over the course of the week April 10

^th

– April 13

^th

.

NO GROUP WORK ALLOWED

Excellence for All. No Excuses!!!

Ms. Gabbai

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DCCAS PACKET CHECKLIST

Task Complete /Incomplete

Place a check if task is completed

1. Breaking down the question

2. Practice DCCAS test

3. DCCAS practice test: Did I mark up the text (underline, highlight, jot dot, identifying who, what, when, where ,why)?

4. Are my BCRs in TIQAC format?

5. Did I work individually?

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6. Did I complete the packet?

PART I: BREAKING DOWN THE QUESTION

Directions: There are different types of questions on the DCCAS. If you are able to break down the question and understand what it is asking you will be more successful in reaching the correct answer. Use you knowledge of each type of question to read the passage and find the right answer to the

question. Remember to read the question first and then read the passage!!!

The Question Says: You Think:

1. What would be an appropriate title… 1. What is the main idea of this article?

What has the author focused on when talking about the article?

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger.

We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.

3 Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But we've never lost an astronaut in flight. We've never had a tragedy like this.

And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the

Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, overcame them, and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.

4 To the families of the seven: We cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge, and I'll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its

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truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us. We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us, but for twenty- five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.

5 And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.

6 I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute. We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here. Our hopes and our journeys continue. I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them, "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades, and we know of your anguish. We share it."

7 There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and an historian later said, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it."

Well today we can say of the Challenger crew. Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.

8 The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."

If this speech was delivered as an editorial in a newspaper, which of the following would be an appropriate title?

A. The Cost of Exploration: Why Our Government Should Stop Funding NASA Space Exploration

B. View from the Oval Office: President Reagan and space exploration C. A Nation Mourns: Paying Respect to the Lives of Seven Fallen Heroes D. NASA in Hot Water: The Consequences of a Failed Launch

The Question Says: You Think:

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2. Which definition from the dictionary

fits this word the best? 2. Think of the following steps to answer the problem:

 Read the whole sentence that the word is in.

 Think of what you think the definition is based on context clues…what else could this mean?

 Re-read the sentence, replacing the word with the first definition.

 Continue until you have read the sentence replacing the word with all of the definitions.

 Pick the one that works the best!

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as

they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."

Which definition of “bond” from the dictionary entry below best fits its meaning in the last sentence of paragraph 8? 1: verb: To join securely, as with glue or cement.

2: noun: A uniting force or tie; a link: the familial bond.

3. noun: A written and sealed obligation, especially one requiring payment of a stipulated amount of money on or before a given day.

A. Definition #1 B. Definition #2 C. Definition #3 D. None of the above

The Question Says: You Think:

3. Which of these statements would the

author most likely agree with?) 3. What is the main idea of this article?

What side is the author on? How does

he/she feel about what they are talking

about?

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Excerpt from “The Wasteland” by Al Gore

One of the clearest signs that our relationship to the global environment is in severe crisis is the floodtide of garbage spilling out of our cities and factories. What some have called the “throwaway society” has been based on the assumptions that endless resources will allow us to produce an endless supply of goods and that bottomless receptacles (i.e., landfills and ocean dumping sites) will allow us to dispose of an endless stream of waste. But now we are beginning to drown in that stream. Having relied for too long on the old strategy of “out of sight, out of mind,” we are now running out of ways to dispose of our waste in a manner that keeps it out of either sight or mind. (1)

In an earlier era, when the human population and the quantities of waste generated were much smaller and when highly toxic forms of waste were uncommon, it was possible to believe that the world’s absorption of our waste meant that we need not think about it again. Now, however, all that has changed. Suddenly, we are disconcerted—even offended—when the huge quantities of waste we thought we had thrown away suddenly demand our attention as landfills overflow, incinerators foul the air, and neighboring communities and states attempt to dump their overflow problems on us. (2) The American people have, in recent years, become embroiled in debates about the relative merits of various waste disposal schemes, from dumping it in the ocean to burying it in a landfill to burning it or taking it elsewhere, anywhere, as long as it is somewhere else. Now, however, we must confront a strategic threat to our capacity to dispose of—or even recycle—the enormous quantities of waste now being produced. Simply put, the way we think about waste is leading to the production of so much of it that no method for handling it can escape being completely overwhelmed. There is only one way out:

we have to change our production processes and dramatically reduce the amount of waste we create in the first place and ensure that we consider thoroughly, ahead of time, just how we intend to recycle or isolate that which unavoidably remains. (3)

Based on this excerpt, which of the following statements do you think the author would most likely agree with?

A. Earlier generations truly cared about the environment and treated it well B. The government should tax individuals and companies who litter

C. Our nation should do whatever it can to get rid of waste, even if it means dumping it in the ocean.

D. American must reduce the amount of waste produced.

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The Question Says: You Think:

4. Any question that is based on finding

key ideas and supporting evidence 4. Re-read the article…these questions have answers that can be found

directly in the article…

In an earlier era, when the human population and the quantities of waste generated were much smaller and when highly toxic forms of waste were uncommon, it was possible to believe that the world’s absorption of our waste meant that we need not think about it again. Now, however, all that has changed. Suddenly, we are disconcerted—even offended—when the huge quantities of waste we thought we had thrown away suddenly demand our attention as landfills overflow, incinerators foul the air, and neighboring communities and states attempt to dump their overflow problems on us. (2)

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The American people have, in recent years, become embroiled in debates about the relative merits of various waste disposal schemes, from dumping it in the ocean to burying it in a landfill to burning it or taking it elsewhere, anywhere, as long as it is somewhere else. Now, however, we must confront a strategic threat to our capacity to dispose of—or even recycle—the enormous quantities of waste now being produced. Simply put, the way we think about waste is leading to the production of so much of it that no method for handling it can escape being completely overwhelmed. There is only one way out:

we have to change our production processes and dramatically reduce the amount of waste we create in the first place and ensure that we consider thoroughly, ahead of time, just how we intend to recycle or isolate that which unavoidably remains. (3)

Why didn’t earlier generations have to worry about their waste as much as the current generation?

A. They were cleaner than people today.

B. They disposed of their toxic waste properly.

C. They were unconcerned with the waste they produced.

D. They produced less waste because the population

The Question Says: You Think:

5. Any question that is based on

characterization: 5. Remember how we determine what character traits are: USE THE STEAL CHART!:

 S – Speech (What does the character’s words tell us about who the are)

 T – Thoughts (What can we tell about the character from what they say?)

 E – Effects on others: (How do other characters react to the main character?)

 A – Actions: (Actions speak louder than words!)

 L – Looks: (How does a character’s look tell us about them?)

EARLY AUTUMN

by Langston Hughes (1902-1967)

When Bill was very young, they had been in love. Many nights

they had spent walking, talking together. Then something not

very important had come between them, and they didn’t speak.

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Impulsively, she had married a man she thought she loved. Bill went away, bitter about women.

Yesterday, walking across Washington Square, she saw him for the first time in years.

“Bill Walker,” she said.

He stopped. At first he did not recognize her, to him she looked so old. “Mary! Where did you come from?”

Unconsciously, she lifted her face as though wanting a kiss, but he held out his hand. She took it.

“I live in New York now,” she said.

“Oh” — smiling politely. Then a little frown came quickly between his eyes.

“Always wondered what happened to you, Bill.”

“I’m a lawyer. Nice firm, way downtown.”

“Married yet?”

“Sure. Two kids.”

“Oh,” she said.

A great many people went past them through the park. People they didn’t know. It was late afternoon. Nearly sunset. Cold.

“And your husband?” he asked her.

“We have three children. I work in the bursar’s office at Columbia.”

“You’re looking very . . .” (he wanted to say old) “. . . well,” he said.

She understood. Under the trees in Washington Square, she found herself desperately reaching back into the past. She had been older than he then in Ohio. Now she was not young at all. Bill was still young.

“We live on Central Park West,” she said. “Come and see us sometime.”

“Sure,” he replied. “You and your husband must have dinner with my family some night. Any night. Lucille and I’d love to have you.”

The leaves fell slowly from the trees in the Square. Fell without wind. Autumn dusk. She felt a little sick.

“We’d love it,” she answered.

“You ought to see my kids.” He grinned.

Suddenly the lights came on up the whole length of Fifth Avenue, chains of misty brilliance in the blue air.

“There’s my bus,” she said.

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He held out his hand. “Good-bye.”

“When . . .” she wanted to say, but the bus was ready to pull off.

The lights on the avenue blurred, twinkled, blurred. And she was afraid to open her mouth as she entered the bus. Afraid it would be impossible to utter a word.

Suddenly she shrieked very loudly. “Good-bye!” But the bus door had closed.

The bus started. People came between them outside, people crossing the street, people they didn’t know. Space and people.

She lost sight of Bill. Then she remembered she had forgotten to give him her address — or to ask him for his — or tell him that her youngest boy was named Bill too.

Based on the tone of the conversation and what each character shares about him/herself, we can tell they are feeling:

A. confused.

B. strained.

C. angry.

D. relaxed.

The Question Says: You Think:

6. Point of View Questions: 6. The three main points of view are:

 First Person: The narrator is telling the story. Key Words: I, Me, We, Us Benefits: Get to understand one person really well. Negatives: The story is one sided!

 Second Person: Someone is writing to you as if you are in the story. Key Words: You, Your

Benefits: Helps reader get into the story Negatives: rarely ever used

 Third Person: The narrator is

not in the story. Key words: he,

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she, they Benefits: Can see what is going on with multiple

characters; no bias. Negatives:

Don’t get close to any one character.

EARLY AUTUMN

by Langston Hughes (1902-1967)

When Bill was very young, they had been in love. Many nights they had spent walking, talking together. Then something not very important had come between them, and they didn’t speak.

Impulsively, she had married a man she thought she loved. Bill went away, bitter about women.

Yesterday, walking across Washington Square, she saw him for the first time in years.

“Bill Walker,” she said.

He stopped. At first he did not recognize her, to him she looked so old.

“Mary! Where did you come from?”

Unconsciously, she lifted her face as though wanting a kiss, but he held out his hand. She took it.

“I live in New York now,” she said.

“Oh” — smiling politely. Then a little frown came quickly between his eyes.

“Always wondered what happened to you, Bill.”

“I’m a lawyer. Nice firm, way downtown.”

“Married yet?”

“Sure. Two kids.”

“Oh,” she said.

A great many people went past them through the park. People they didn’t know. It was late afternoon. Nearly sunset. Cold.

“And your husband?” he asked her.

“We have three children. I work in the bursar’s office at Columbia.”

“You’re looking very . . .” (he wanted to say old) “. . . well,” he said.

She understood. Under the trees in Washington Square, she found

herself desperately reaching back into the past. She had been

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older than he then in Ohio. Now she was not young at all. Bill was still young.

“We live on Central Park West,” she said. “Come and see us sometime.”

“Sure,” he replied. “You and your husband must have dinner with my family some night. Any night. Lucille and I’d love to have you.”

The leaves fell slowly from the trees in the Square. Fell without wind. Autumn dusk. She felt a little sick.

“We’d love it,” she answered.

“You ought to see my kids.” He grinned.

Suddenly the lights came on up the whole length of Fifth Avenue, chains of misty brilliance in the blue air.

“There’s my bus,” she said.

He held out his hand. “Good-bye.”

“When . . .” she wanted to say, but the bus was ready to pull off.

The lights on the avenue blurred, twinkled, blurred. And she was afraid to open her mouth as she entered the bus. Afraid it would be impossible to utter a word.

Suddenly she shrieked very loudly. “Good-bye!” But the bus door had closed.

The bus started. People came between them outside, people crossing the street, people they didn’t know. Space and people.

She lost sight of Bill. Then she remembered she had forgotten to give him her address — or to ask him for his — or tell him that her youngest boy was named Bill too.

If Bill had told the story from first person point of view, instead of Langston Hughes narrating it from third person omniscient point of view, then the reader…

A. would not know he thought Mary looked old B. would not know that Bill’s wife’s name is Lucille.

C. would not know that Mary works in the bursar’s office at Columbia.

D. would not know that Mary’s youngest son is named Bill.

PART II: DCCAS PRACTICE TEST

DIRECTIONS: Please carefully read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

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In this famous speech given on January 28, 1986, President Ronald Reagan addresses a nation that has just witnessed the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. Read the introduction and the speech, and answer the questions that follow.

President Ronald Reagan Honors the Memory of the

Seven Astronauts Killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger Explosion.

1 Officially, it was "Shuttle Mission 51-L," but every American knew it as "the flight with the teacher" because one of the crew members was a thirty-seven-year-old teacher named Christa McAuliffe. The first civilian to venture into space, McAuliffe had been chosen out of 11,000 volunteers to join six astronauts on the space shuttle Challenger.

Promising "the ultimate field trip," NASA heavily promoted the launch, and tens of millions of Americans—many of them schoolchildren—tuned in to witness the historic event live on January 28, 1986. At 11:39 A.M., cheers erupted at Cape Canaveral and at McAuliffe's school back in Concord, New Hampshire, as the Challenger soared skyward into a picture-perfect, cloudless sky. And then suddenly, inconceivably, the shuttle disappeared into a massive fireball as the two booster rockets sailed on, leaving behind a billowy pitchfork of smoke. Shock immediately turned to grief as the realization sank in: The shuttle had exploded, killing everyone on board. President Reagan was

scheduled to give the State of the Union address before Congress that evening, but instead focused solely on the seven crew members who lost their lives—the first American astronauts ever to die in flight.

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* * *

2 Ladies and gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.

3 Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But we've never lost an astronaut in flight. We've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, overcame them, and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.

4 To the families of the seven: We cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge, and I'll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us. We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us, but for twenty- five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the

members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.

5 And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.

6 I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute. We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here. Our hopes and our journeys continue. I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them, "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades, and we know of your anguish. We share it."

7 There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and an historian later said, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." Well today we can say of the Challenger crew. Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.

8 The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."

1. Which of the following alternate opening lines would best support the author’s purpose?

A. As an organization, NASA's technical deficiencies are disappointing and have

contributed to our great loss.

B. I am here tonight to discuss with you an issue of particular importance: The state of our great union.

C. I'm here tonight to brief you on the progress of the investigation of the Challenger’s explosion.

D. Tonight, we mourn together as a nation the loss of seven brave astronauts.

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2. If this speech was delivered as an editorial in a newspaper, which of the following would be an appropriate title?

E. The Cost of Exploration: Why Our Government Should Stop Funding NASA Space Exploration

F. View from the Oval Office: President Reagan and space exploration G. A Nation Mourns: Paying Respect to the Lives of Seven Fallen Heroes H. NASA in Hot Water: The Consequences of a Failed Launch

3. Why are Sir Francis Drake and his death mentioned in this speech?

A. The President thinks we should commemorate both the Challenger flight crew’s deaths and also Sir Francis Drake’s on this day in the future.

B. The President wants to emphasize the fact that exploring unknown places is uncalculated and dangerous.

C. The President is trying to tell his audience that the astronauts, like Sir Francis Drake, died doing their life’s work: expanding man’s horizons.

D. The President wants to point out how far we’ve come from the days of sea exploration.

4. Why does President Regan use this speech as an opportunity to discuss future plans for Space Exploration?

A. He wants to communicate to other countries with space-exploration programs, such as Russia and China, that we will still be competitive in this area

B. He wants to make America aware of the need to increase funding to improve the safety of NASA’s missions and equipment

C. He wants to restore America’s faith in space-exploration despite the tragedy.

D. He wants to make sure the schoolchildren who were watching know they have another launch to look forward to in the future.

5. Which definition of “bond” from the dictionary entry below best fits its meaning in the last sentence of paragraph 8?

1: verb: To join securely, as with glue or cement.

2: noun: A uniting force or tie; a link: the familial bond.

3. noun: A written and sealed obligation, especially one requiring payment of a stipulated amount of money on or before a given day.

A. Definition #1 B. Definition #2 C. Definition #3 D. None of the above

DIRECTIONS: Please carefully read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

Children and Cold Medicines

Anyone who doubts the power of drug company advertising to overcome a lack of scientific evidence needs only ponder the disturbing matter of cold medicines used to treat children and infants. (1)

Over the past several decades, tens of millions of parents anxious to quell the ailments of their children have turned to a variety of over-the-counter cold remedies. Now they are being told by an expert advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration that there is no evidence that

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the commonly used cold remedies actually ease the symptoms in children. In fact, there have been rare reports of these medicines causing death or serious harm. (2)

These products have not been tested thoroughly in young people, even though a child’s physiological response to a drug often differs from that of an adult. The few clinical trials that were conducted found no proof that these medicines work any better than a placebo (a pill that has no effect on purpose, in order to compare it to other pills). A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that at least 1,500 children younger than 2 developed serious health problems in 2004 and 2005 after being treated with common cold medicines.

Three died. (3)

The major manufacturers tried to defuse that finding by voluntarily withdrawing more than a dozen cold products labeled for infants and babies. The F.D.A.’s expert adviser said that was not nearly enough. (4)

The advisory panel voted with only one dissent to impose a ban on marketing the drugs to children under 2. It also voted, by a modest margin, for a ban for children ages 2 to 5. Some experts and consumer advocates believe the ban on advertising should go up to 12, but the panel decided to allow continued marketing for children 6 and older. Many panelists clearly felt that parents and doctors need something to turn to even if there is no proof that the medicines work. (5)

The F.D.A. is now pondering whether to accept the panel’s decision or enhance the warnings to let parents know how problematic these products are. Whatever the verdict, it is emphatically clear that medicines used in children need to be tested in children. (6)

6. Which of the following could be another appropriate title for this article?

A. “Cold Medicines May Harm Children”

B. “Cold Medicine Companies sell new cough remedy to children”

C. “Government bans cold medicines marketed for children under 12”

D. “Government plans to study effects of cough medicine on infants”

7. What has the Food and Drug Administration found about over-the-counter children’s medications?

A. They are helpful in curing only colds.

B. There is no evidence that they work.

C. There is evidence that they work only on some children.

D. They are harmful to children above the age of 12.

8. Which of the following statements best displays the dangers of children’s medicines?

A. “The F.D.A. is now pondering whether to accept the panel’s decision or enhance the warnings to let parents know how problematic these products are.”

B. “A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that at least 1,500 children younger than 2 developed serious health problems in 2004 and 2005 after being treated with common cold medicines.”

C. “Over the past several decades, tens of millions of parents anxious to quell the ailments of their children have turned to a variety of over-the-counter cold remedies.”

D. “The F.D.A.’s expert adviser said that was not nearly enough.”

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9. Which of the following clearly states the author’s opinion?

A. “Anyone who doubts the power of drug company marketing to overcome a dearth of scientific evidence need only ponder the disturbing matter of cold medicines used to treat children and infants.”

B. ‘The major manufacturers tried to defuse that finding by voluntarily withdrawing more than a dozen cold products labeled for infants and babies.”

C. “There have been rare reports of these medicines causing death or serious harm”.

D. “Some experts and consumer advocates believe the ban should go up to 12, but the panel decided to allow continued marketing for children 6 and older.”

10. What effect does including the F.D.A expert’s advice have on this article?

A. The author accomplishes nothing by using the expert’s advice

B. The author makes the article more believable by using the expert’s advice C. The author brings a new opinion to light by using the expert’s advice D. The author negates what he previously said by using the expert’s advice

11. Based on this excerpt, which of the following statements do you think the author would most likely agree?

A. Drug company’s advertisements have the power to persuade public opinion.

B. Scientific evidence is the most powerful tool for persuading public opinion.

C. When faced with new evidence, drug companies have worked hard to ensure the safety of children’s cold medicines.

D. The FDA should have authority over all drug companies in order to ensure safety of the American public.

12. Which of the following is most likely the author’s purpose for writing this article?

A. To provide an example of how drug companies often sell drugs that are unsafe.

B. To persuade parents to take their children to the doctor before they give them an over-the-counter cold remedy.

C. To inform the reader about a troubling trend in cold medicine sales.

D. To warn the reader about the government’s failure to regulate prescription drugs.

DIRECTIONS: Please carefully read the article below and answer the questions that follow.

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In an earlier era, when the human population and the quantities of waste generated were much smaller and when highly toxic forms of waste were uncommon, it was possible to believe that the world’s absorption of our waste meant that we need not think about it again. Now, however, all that has changed. Suddenly, we are disconcerted—even offended—when the huge quantities of waste we thought we had thrown away suddenly demand our attention as landfills overflow, incinerators foul the air, and neighboring communities and states attempt to dump their overflow problems on us. (2)

The American people have, in recent years, become embroiled in debates about the relative merits of various waste disposal schemes, from dumping it in the ocean to burying it in a landfill to burning it or taking it

elsewhere, anywhere, as long as it is somewhere else. Now, however, we must confront a strategic threat to our capacity to dispose of—or even recycle—the enormous quantities of waste now being produced. Simply put, the way we think about waste is leading to the production of so much of it that no method for handling it can escape being completely overwhelmed. There is only one way out: we have to change our production processes and dramatically reduce the amount of waste we create in the first place and ensure that we

consider thoroughly, ahead of time, just how we intend to recycle or isolate that which unavoidably remains. (3) 13. Based on this excerpt, which of the following statements do you think the author

would most likely agree with?

D. Earlier generations truly cared about the environment and treated it well E. The government should tax individuals and companies who litter

F. Our nation should do whatever it can to get rid of waste, even if it means dumping it in the ocean.

D. American must reduce the amount of waste produced.

14. Why didn’t earlier generations have to worry about their waste as much as the current generation?

A. They were cleaner than people today.

B. They disposed of their toxic waste properly.

C. They were unconcerned with the waste they produced.

D. They produced less waste because the population was smaller.

15. Which quotation best allows the reader to understand most Americans’ reaction to waste today?

A. “Having relied for too long on the old strategy of ‘out of sight, out of mind,’ we are now running out of ways to dispose of our waste in a manner that keeps it out of either sight or mind.”

B. “In an earlier era, when the human population and the quantities of waste generated were much smaller and when highly toxic forms of waste were uncommon, it was possible to believe that the world’s absorption of our waste meant that we need not think about it again.”

C. “Now, however, all that has changed.”

D. “Suddenly, we are disconcerted—even offended—when the huge quantities of waste we thought we had thrown away suddenly demand our attention as landfills overflow, incinerators foul the air, and neighboring communities and states attempt to dump their overflow problems on us.”

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16. Which phrase best shows the emotional element of persuasion used in the passage?

A. “but now we are beginning to drown in that (endless) stream (of waste)”

B. “endless resources will allow us to produce an endless supply of goods”

C. “it was possible to believe that the world’s absorption of our waste meant that we need not think about it again”

D. “the American people have, in recent years, become embroiled in debates…”

17. Please use the following thesaurus entry to answer the question that follows.

Main Entry: embroil Part of Speech: verb

Synonyms: cause trouble, compromise, confound, disunite, encumber, enmesh, ensnare, entangle, implicate, involve, mire, mix up, muddle, tangle,

Antonyms: exclude, uncomplicate

In the first line of the last paragraph, the word “embroiled” most closely means which of the following?

A. Angered B. Caught up C. Deadened D. Cooked

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DIRECTIONS: Please carefully read the following excerpt from an owner’s manual for a car then answer questions 18-21 that follow:

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18. The author of this text includes a diagram of an oil tank because…

A. The diagram makes the text more interesting and entertaining.

B. The diagram will help the reader find the correct parts of their engine to check or add the oil.

C. The diagram gives new information that isn’t included elsewhere in the text.

D. The diagram illustrates why it is best to get a professional to check or add oil to your vehicle.

19. Based on the way this text is written, its audience is likely…

A. A professional car repairman familiar with foreign cars.

B. A car salesperson who is familiar with the parts of the car.

C. A car owner or renter who is unfamiliar with the process of oil checking.

D. A driver’s education instructor who is responsible for car maintenance.

20. The author urges the reader to be careful by doing all of the following EXCEPT…

A. making sure the “oil filler cap is correctly replaced before starting the engine.

B. “Use only a premium quality detergent oil labeled SG grade.”

C. Examine the label on the oil container they purchase to be used in their engine.

D. Avoid putting their face close to the engine while checking the oil.

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DIRECTIONS: Please carefully read the short story below and answer the questions that follow.

Powder By Tobias Wolff

Just before Christmas my father took me skiing at Mount Baker. He’d had to fight for the privilege of my company, because my mother was still angry with him for sneaking me into a nightclub during our last visit, to see Thelonius Monk.

He wouldn’t give up. He promised, hand on heart, to take good care of me and have me home for dinner on Christmas Eve, and she relented. But as we were checking out of the lodge that morning it began to snow, and in this snow he observed some quality that made it necessary for us to get in one last run. We got in several last runs. He was indifferent to my fretting. Snow whirled around us in bitter, blinding gusts of wind, and still we skied. As the lift bore us to the peak yet again, my father looked at his watch and said,

“Criminey. This’ll have to be a fast one.”

By now I couldn’t see the trail. There was no point in trying. I stuck to him like white on rice and did what he did and somehow made it to the bottom without sailing off a cliff. We returned our skis and my father put chains on the tires of the car while I swayed from foot to food, clapping my mittens and wishing I were home. I could see everything. The green tablecloth, the plates with the holly pattern, the red candles waiting to be lit.

We passed a diner on our way. “You want some soup?” My father asked. I shook my head. “Buck up,” he said “I’ll get you there. Right, doctor?”

A state trooper waved us down outside the resort. A pair of sawhorses were blocking the road. The trooper came up to our car and bent down to my father’s window. His face was bleached by the cold.

Snowflakes clung to his eyebrows and to the fur trim of his jacket and cap.

“Don’t tell me,” my father said.

The trooper told him. The road was closed. It might get cleared, it might not. Storm took everyone by surprise. So much, so fast. Hard to get people moving. Christmas Eve. What can you do?

My father said, “Look. We’re talking about four, five inches. I’ve taken this car through worse than that.”

The trooper straightened up, boots creaking. His face was out of sight but I could hear him. “The road is closed.”

My father sat with both hands on the wheel, rubbing the wood with his thumbs. He looked at the barricade for a long time. He seemed to be trying to master the idea of it. Then he thanked the trooper, and with a weird, old maidy show of caution turned the car around. “Your mother will never forgive me for this,” he said.

“We should have left before,” I said.

He didn’t speak to me again until we were both in a booth at the diner, waiting for our burgers. “She won’t forgive me,” he said. “Do you understand? Never.”

“I guess,” I said, but no guesswork was required; she wouldn’t forgive him.

“I can’t let that happen.” He bent toward me. “I’ll tell you what I want. I want us to be together again. Is that what you want?”

I wasn’t sure, but I said, “Yes, sir.”

He bumped my chin with his knuckles. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

When we finished eating he went to the pay phone in the back of the diner, then joined me in the booth. I

figured he’d called my mother, but he didn’t give a report,. He sipped at his coffee and stared out the

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window at the empty road. “Come on!” When the trooper’s car went past, lights flashing, he got up and dropped some money on the check. “Okay.Vamanos.”

The wind had died. The snow was falling straight down, less of it now; lighter. We drove away from the resort, right up to the barricade. “Move it,” my father told me. When I looked at him he said, “What are you waiting for?” I got out and dragged one of the sawhorses aside, then pushed it back after he drove

through. When I got inside the car, he said, “Now you’re an accomplice. We go down together.” He put the car in gear and looked at me. “Joke, doctor.”

“Funny, doctor.”

Down the first long stretch I watched the road behind us, to see if the trooper was on our tail. The barricade vanished. Then there was nothing but snow: snow on the road, snow kicking up from the chains, snow on the trees, snow in the sky; and our trail in the snow. I faced around and had a shock.

The lie of the road behind us had been marked by our own tracks, but there were no tracks ahead of us.

My father was breaking virgin snow between a line of tall trees. He was humming “Stars Fell on Alabama.”

I felt snow brush along the floorboards under my feet. To keep my hands from shaking I clamped them between my knees.

My father grunted in a thoughtful way and said, ‘Don’t ever try this yourself.”

“I won’t.”

“That’s what you say now, but someday you’ll get your license and then you’ll think you can do anything.

Only you won’t be able to do this. You need, I don’t know – a certain instinct.” “Maybe I have it.”

“You don’t.You have your strong points, but not…you know. I only mentioned it because I don’t want you to get the idea this is something just anybody can do. I’m a great driver. That’s not a virtue, okay? It’s just a fact, and one you should be aware of. Of course you have to give the old heap some credit, too – there aren’t many cars I’d try this with. Listen!”

I listened. I heard the slap of the chains, the stiff, jerky rasp of the wipers, the purr of the engine. It really did purr. The car was almost new. My father couldn’t afford it, and kept promising to sell it, but here it was.

I said, “Where do you think that policeman went to?”

“Are you warm enough?” He reached over and cranked up the blower. Then he turned off the wipers. We didn’t need them. The clouds had brightened. We left the trees and entered a broad field of snow that ran level for a while and then tilted sharply downward. Orange stakes had been planted at intervals in two parallel lines and my father ran a course between them, though they were far enough apart to leave considerable doubt in my mind as to where exactly the road lay. He was humming again.

“Okay then. What are my strong points?”

“Don’t get started,” he said. “It’d take all day.”

“Oh, right. Name one.”

“You always think ahead.”

True. I always thought ahead. I was a boy who kept his clothes on numbered hangers to ensure proper rotation. I bothered my teachers for homework assignments far ahead of their due dates so I could make up schedules. I thought ahead, and that was why I knew that there would be other troopers waiting for us at the end of our ride, if we got there. What I did not know was that my father would plead his way past them and get me home for dinner, buying a little more time before my mother decided to make the split final. I knew we’d get caught; I was resigned to it. And maybe for this reason I stopped moping and began to enjoy myself.

Why not? This was one for the books. Like being in a speedboat, only better. You can’t go downhill in a

boat. And it was all ours. And it kept coming, the laden trees, the unbroken surfaces of snow, the sudden

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white vistas. Here and there I saw hints of the road, ditches, fences, stakes, but not so many that I could have found my way. But then I didn’t have to. My father in his forty-eighth year, rumpled, kind, bankrupt of honor, flushed with certainty. He was a great driver. All persuasion, no coercion. Such subtlety at the wheel, such tactful pedal work. I actually trusted him. And the best was yet to come – the difficult turns and maneuvers on the road were impossible to describe. Except maybe to say this: If you haven’t driven fresh powder, you haven’t driven.

21. Which of the following meanings does the multiple-meaning word “bore” have as it is used in the sentence below:

“As the lift bore us to the peak yet again, my father looked at his watch and said, ‘Criminey.

This’ll have to be a fast one.’”

A. to pierce with a turning or twisting movement of a tool B. to make one’s way steadily especially against resistance C. to cause to feel boredom

D. a tiresome person

22. Which of the following phrases includes the use of figurative language?

A. “He was humming again”

B. “He reached over and cranked up the blower”

C. “I heard the slap of the chains, the stiff, jerky rasp of the wipers”

D. “…at intervals in two parallel lines”

23. Which of the following is the best synonym for the word “tactful” as it is used in the following sentence:

“such subtlety at the wheel, such tactful pedal work”

A. sensitive B. diplomatic C. negligent D. skillful

24. What is the meaning of the word “master” as it is used in the following sentence?

“He seemed to be trying to master the idea of it.”

A. a victor or conqueror B. to conquer or overcome C. to keep going

D. a chief or principal

25. The dialogue in the story between father and son reveals the father’s A. need to be serious.

B. lack of self-confidence.

C. lack of humor.

D. admiration for his son

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26. If this story was told in third person point of view instead of first, the reader would know less about A. the interaction between the father and the police officer.

B. the boy’s feelings during the car ride through the snow.

C. the scenery at the ski resort.

D. the boy and father’s conversation in the car.

27. The clothes on numbered hangers symbolize the boy’s A. forgetfulness.

B. orderliness C. lightheartedness.

D. foolishness.

28. From the narrator’s description of himself, the reader can conclude that he A. is a lot like his father.

B. is overly self-confident.

C. worries a lot about life.

D. enjoys breaking the rules.

29. The father tells his son, “You won’t be able to do this…I’m a great driver” in order to A. brag about himself to his son.

B. point out his son’s flaws.

C. convince his son that he is more fun than his son’s mother.

D. keep his son from doing something dangerous to hurt himself in the future.

30. The son’s description of his father as “rumpled, kind, bankrupt of honor, flushed with certainty”

implies that the son

A. is proud of his father B. hates his father.

C. is afraid of his father.

D. is entertained by his father

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In this poem, the poet recalls a childhood memory of the day his grandfather asked him to clean the well where they got their drinking water. Read the poem and answer the questions that follow.

Cleaning the Well

Each spring there was the well to be cleaned.

On a day my grandfather would say,

“It’s got to be done. Let’s go.” This time

I dropped bat and glove, submitted to the rope, 5 and he lowered me into the dark and cold

water of the well. The sun slid off at a crazy cant* and I

was there, thirty feet down, waist deep in icy water, grappling for whatever 10 was not pure and wet and cold.

The sky hovered like some pale moon above, eclipsed by his heavy red face bellowing down to me not to dally, to feel deep and load the bucket.

15 My feet rasped against cold stone, toes selecting unnatural shapes, curling and gripping, raising them to my ﬁngers, then into the bucket and up to him:

a rubber ball, pine cones, leather glove, 20 beer can, fruit jars, an indeﬁnable bone.

It was a time of fears: suppose he should die or forget me, the rope break, the water rise, a snake strike, the

bottom give way, the slick sides crumble?

25 The last bucket ﬁlled, my grandfather assured, the rope loop dropped to me and I was delivered by him who sent me down, drawn slowly to sun

and sky and his ﬁercely grinning face.

30 “There was something else down there:

a cat or possum skeleton, but it broke up, I couldn’t pick it up.”

He dropped his yellow hand on my head.

“There’s always something down there 35 you can’t quite get in your hands.

You’d know that if it wasn’t your ﬁrst trip down. You’ll know from now on.”

“But what about the water?

Can we keep on drinking it?”

40 “You’ve drunk all that cat you’re likely to drink. Forget it and don’t tell the others. It’s just one more secret you got to live with.”

—Paul Rufﬁn

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31. By using the simile “The sky hovered like some pale moon above,” the poet helps the reader…

A. imagine the boy’s feelings of loneliness at the bottom of the well B. imagine what the boy sees when he looks up at the top of the well

C. realize that the boy has to stay at the bottom until the job is done, even if it turns into night.

D. draw the connection between the boy’s fear of what lies at the bottom of the well to his fear of the dark of night.

32. What is one theme that the story “Powder” and the poem “Cleaning the Well” have in common?

A. Adults try to teach kids life lessons through shared experiences.

B. Adults are not to be trusted because sometimes they act like kids.

C. Adults do not have the same fears that kids do.

D. Adults use children to do their chores for them.

33. What is the meaning of “delivered” as it is used in line 27 of “Cleaning the Well”? (9.LD-V.8) A. tricked

B. rescued C. lowered D. pushed

34. Which line from the poem most clearly shows that it is written in first person point of view? ( A. “But what about the water? Can we keep on drinking it?”

B. “Each spring there was the well to be cleaned.”

C. “I was there, thirty feet down, waist deep in icy water, grappling for whatever was not pure”

D. ““There’s always something down there you can’t quite get in your hands.”

35. What do lines 33–43 (below) best suggest about the grandfather?

He dropped his yellow hand on my head.

“There’s always something down there 35 you can’t quite get in your hands.

You’d know that if it wasn’t your ﬁrst trip down. You’ll know from now on.”

“But what about the water?

Can we keep on drinking it?”

40 “You’ve drunk all that cat you’re likely to drink. Forget it and don’t tell the others. It’s just one more secret you got to live with.”

A. He is protective.

B. He is unrealistic.

C. He is experienced.

D. He is unaffectionate.

36. In lines 9-10, what does the speaker mean by “whatever was not pure and wet and cold”?

A. whatever was not alive B. whatever was not water C. whatever was not visible D. whatever was not cold stones

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37. The word choice in the passage as a whole portrays the theme of “with age comes wisdom”

by emphasizing

A. the grandfather’s annoyance at the boy’s ignorance B. how scared the boy felt at the bottom of the well

C. the knowledge and patience the grandfather shows in his explanation about the water at the end

D. the boy’s relief when he makes it back up to the top

38. At first glance, “Powder” and “Cleaning the Well” are two very different texts. Yet, the two still share certain commonalities. How are these two texts different from one another, and how are they similar? Be sure to include two similarities and two differences in the

structure/organization or theme of the two texts.

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DIRECTIONS: Please carefully read the short story below by Langston Hughes. As you read the story, note the relationship between the two characters. When you have finished reading, answer the questions that follow.

EARLY AUTUMN

by Langston Hughes (1902-1967)

When Bill was very young, they had been in love. Many nights they had spent walking, talking together. Then something not very important had come between them, and they didn’t speak.

Impulsively, she had married a man she thought she loved. Bill went away, bitter about women.

Yesterday, walking across Washington Square, she saw him for the first time in years.

“Bill Walker,” she said.

He stopped. At first he did not recognize her, to him she looked so old.

“Mary! Where did you come from?”

Unconsciously, she lifted her face as though wanting a kiss, but he held out his hand. She took it.

“I live in New York now,” she said.

“Oh” — smiling politely. Then a little frown came quickly between his eyes.

“Always wondered what happened to you, Bill.”

“I’m a lawyer. Nice firm, way downtown.”

“Married yet?”

“Sure. Two kids.”

“Oh,” she said.

A great many people went past them through the park. People they didn’t know. It was late afternoon. Nearly sunset. Cold.

“And your husband?” he asked her.

“We have three children. I work in the bursar’s office at Columbia.”

“You’re looking very . . .” (he wanted to say old) “. . . well,” he said.

She understood. Under the trees in Washington Square, she found herself desperately reaching back into the past. She had been older than he then in Ohio. Now she was not young at all. Bill was still young.

“We live on Central Park West,” she said. “Come and see us sometime.”

“Sure,” he replied. “You and your husband must have dinner with

my family some night. Any night. Lucille and I’d love to have

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you.”

The leaves fell slowly from the trees in the Square. Fell without wind. Autumn dusk. She felt a little sick.

“We’d love it,” she answered.

“You ought to see my kids.” He grinned.

Suddenly the lights came on up the whole length of Fifth Avenue, chains of misty brilliance in the blue air

“There’s my bus,” she said.

He held out his hand. “Good-bye.”

“When . . .” she wanted to say, but the bus was ready to pull off.

The lights on the avenue blurred, twinkled, blurred. And she was afraid to open her mouth as she entered the bus. Afraid it would be impossible to utter a word.

Suddenly she shrieked very loudly. “Good-bye!” But the bus door had closed.

The bus started. People came between them outside, people crossing the street, people they didn’t know. Space and people.

She lost sight of Bill. Then she remembered she had forgotten to give him her address — or to ask him for his — or tell him that her youngest boy was named Bill too.

39. In the story above, what does the author’s choice of words throughout the story emphasize?

A. the former couple’s deep romantic passion they still feel for one another B. the former couple’s resentment they still feel over their break up

C. the former couple’s feeling of surprise at running into someone they thought they would never see or speak to again.

D. the former couple’s embarrassment for each having married someone else.

40. This story is told mostly through A. flashbacks

B. foreshadowing C. dialogue D. description

41. What significance does the sentence “Then a little frown came quickly between his eyes” have to the development of this story?

A. It contributes to the physical description of Bill.

B. It establishes that Bill is concerned for Mary’s safety because she lives in the city.

C. It emphasizes the coldness of the weather.

D. It hints that Bill is uneasy that Mary lives in the same city where he lives.

42 Based on the tone of the conversation and what each character shares about him/herself, we can tell they are feeling:

A. confused.

B. strained.

C. angry.

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D. relaxed.

43. If Bill had told the story from first person point of view, instead of Langston Hughes narrating it from third person omniscient, then the reader….

A. would not know he thought Mary looked old B. would not know that Bill’s wife’s name is Lucille.

C. would not know that Mary works in the bursar’s office at Columbia.

D. would not know that Mary’s youngest son is named Bill.

44. In the last paragraph of the story, what is the purpose of including the lines “People came between them outside, people crossing the street, people they didn’t know. Space and people.”

A. to explain why Mary couldn’t see Bill from the bus.

B. to show the reader why it would be embarrassing to call out to Bill from the bus.

C. to symbolize the distance that has come between Bill and Mary over the years.

D. to symbolize how people can feel lonely even when they are surrounded by other human beings.

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T—Topic Sentence—What is your idea? What are you trying to prove?

I—Information that sets up and introduces the first quotation/example

Q—Quotation/Example—What are you going to use to prove your point? Literary essays use quotations, but your evidence can be any specific evidence that proves your idea is a good one.

A—Analysis—Please explain and comment on

your evidence. How does this evidence

support your topic sentence? (This should be the longest part!)

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C – Conclusion Sentence

TONE and MOOD Notes

Literary

Term Definition

TONE

The writer’s attitude, stated or implied, toward something or someone. Some possible attitudes are serious, depressing, pessimistic, angry, optimistic, earnest, playful, bitter, humorous, and joyful. An author’s tone can be revealed through choice of words and details. TONE = THEM (how the author wants you to feel.

MOOD

The climate or atmosphere of feeling in a literary work. The choice of setting, objects, details, images, and words all contribute towards creating a specific mood. For example, an author may create a mood of mystery around a character or setting but may treat that character or setting in an ironic, serious, or humorous tone. Mood words: Romantic,

Mysterious, Gloomy, Realistic, Fictional, Imaginary . MOOD = ME (how you feel after reading.