1. In what way are Hilary and Jane Yolen alike? A. Both live in a house built in the 1800s. B. Both love to read. C. Both have twins in their families. D. Both are stubborn. Edge Level B Unit 5 Cluster 2 The Baby-Sitter LA.910.1.7.7 The correct answer is B. Options A, C, and D are incorrect because they represent incorrect comparisons. The reader learns on page 424 that the Mitchell s house is an old, creaky Victorian house. The Web site www.victorianstation.com/vicarch.html states that The Victorian architectural period mostly spans the period of roughly 1825-1900. Option A is incorrect because the reader is not told about the houses of either Hilary or Jane. As the reader is told on page 424 Hilary baby-sits in the Mitchell s house which dates from the 1800s. On page 422 in The Writer and Her Influences it is suggested that the reader go online to Jane Yolen s Web site. On that Web site, in the biography section, the reader learns that I live in Western Massachusetts I also have a house in Scotland where I live about four months of the year. (http://janeyolen.com/biography/); however, no information is given about the age of either of her houses. Actually, the Web site http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=1415 in an August 20, 2008 blog interview states: We had a rambling Victorian framhouse with fifteen rooms (still do), so we can fill up one room and move on to the next. Option B is correct because both like to read. On page 426, the reader learns about Hilary, Luckily she was a great reader. On page 422 in The Writer and Her Influences, the reader learns that Jane loved to read, My earliest readings were the folk tales and fairy stories I took home from the library by the dozens. Option C is incorrect because the reader is not told of any twins in either Hilary s or Jane s families. Hilary baby-sits for the Mitchell twins, and, on Jane Yolen s Web site the reader can discover that she is the grandmother of twin girls. Option D is incorrect because the reader learns only of Hilary s stubbornness. As the reader learns on page 427, Hilary was a stubborn girl But when she thought someone was treating her badly or trying to threaten her, she always dug in and made a fuss. The reader does not know if Jane is also a stubborn person. 2. Read the sentence from the short story. Snap. The sound of the closing trap. Well, they are shorter than any miniskirt, she said. And when we do cartwheels, our bloomers show! Brenda never does cartwheels. She d smiled then, but there was a deep challenge in her eyes. Mr. Golden rescinded the ban the next day. Copyright 2010 The Hampton-Brown Company, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The National Geographic Society, publishing under the imprints National Geographic School Publishing and Hampton-Brown. Teachers are authorized to reproduce this material in limited quantities and solely for use in their own classrooms.
Which word is most similar in meaning to rescind? F. allow G. cancel H. approve I. permit LA.910.1.6.8 The correct answer is G. Options F, H, and I are incorrect because they represent incorrect meanings of assessed words/phrases found in within the excerpted text. The excerpt is found on page 427. Definitions are from www.macmillandictionary.com. Rescind is defined as to state officially that something such as a law or an agreement has ended and no longer has legal authority. Option F is incorrect because it is opposite in meaning to the word being assessed. Allow is defined as to give someone permission to do or have something. Option G is correct because it is most similar in meaning to the word being assessed. Cancel is defined as to say that a legal agreement or obligation is now ended. Option H is incorrect because it is opposite in meaning to the word being assessed. Approve is defined as to give official agreement or permission to something. Option I is incorrect because it is opposite in meaning to the word being assessed. Permit is defined as to allow someone to do something, or to allow something to happen. 3. Which excerpt from The Baby-Sitter could be used to describe the illustration on page 425? A. After she smoothed the covers over the sleeping boys, Hilary always drew in a deep breath before heading down the long, uncarpeted hall. B. The house was one of those old, creaky Victorian horrors, with a dozen rooms and two sets of stairs. C. He touched one door with his right hand, the next with his left, spun around twice on his right leg, then kissed his fingers one after another. He repeated this ritual three times down the hall to the room he shared with his brother, Andrew. D. The Mitchells lived down a long driveway, and it was about a quarter mile to the next home. And dark. And wet. And she didn t know how many someones were in the house. Or outside. LA.910.2.2.1 The correct answer is A. Options B, C, and D are incorrect because they represent incorrect analysis and interpretation of text features. Option A is correct because it is supported by details in the illustration. The illustration shows a long, uncarpeted hall as it would look if one s eyes were at floor level. The excerpt is found on page 426. Option B is incorrect because it is not supported by the details in the illustration. The excerpt is found on page 424. Option C is incorrect because it is not supported by details in the illustration. The excerpt implies that there are many doors down the hallway, and the illustration does not clearly show many doors; nor does it show a child in the hallway. The excerpt is found on page 424. Option D is incorrect because it is not supported by the details in the illustration. The excerpt is found on page 432. Hampton Brown Edge Level B, Unit 5, Cluster 2 2 of 7
4. Which quotation from Jane Yolen supports what Hilary feels at the end of the short story? F. I generally do not think out plots or characters ahead of time. I let things roll along. Organic is the word I use for this. But actually I do it because I am a reader before I am a writer. I want my own writing to surprise me, the way someone else s book does. If I think out everything ahead of time, I am in Truman Capote s words Not a writer but a typewriter. G. Characters. In a short story less is more. Fewer characters. A novel often has a large cast. Or at least a larger cast than the short story, and more of those characters have to be fleshed out, given back-stories, voices, other small plots or arcs of their own. H. "In fantasy stories we learn to understand the differences of others, we learn compassion for those things we cannot fathom, we learn the importance of keeping our sense of wonder. The strange worlds that exist in the pages of fantastic literature teach us a tolerance of other people and places and engender an openness toward new experience I. I love writing, and when a piece comes right, I am absolutely delighted. It really doesn t matter to me if it s a poem or a story or a novel. (Though I write a lot of speeches/essays, I have to say they are not as high on my Happy Index.) So the distinction for me is not the satisfaction per genre but rather when something surprises me, or catches in my throat, or makes me laugh/cry/gasp/sigh. I am, after all, the first reader of anything I write. LA.910.1.7.3 The correct answer is H. Options F, G, and I are incorrect because they represent incorrect inferences or conclusions based on details found in the text. Option F is incorrect because the quotation does not address Hilary s feelings at the end of the short story. The quotation is found at http://janeyolen.com/for-writers/. Option G is incorrect because the quotation does not address Hilary s feelings at the end of the short story. It is about how Jane Yolen feels about character development in a short story. The quotation is found at http://janeyolen.com/telling-the-true-a-writers-journal. Option H is correct because at the end of the short story, Hilary believes in Them and feels grateful to Them. The quotation is found at http://6goldfish.blogspot.com/2007/07/quote-on-fantasy-by-jane-yolen. Option I is incorrect because the quotation does not address Hilary s feelings at the end of the short story. The quotation is found at http://speceditor666.livejournal.com/9115.html. 5. Read the sentences from the short story. He touched one door with his right hand, the next with his left, spun around twice on his right leg, then kissed his fingers one after another. He repeated this ritual three times down the hall to the room he shared with his brother, Andrew. Which word is most opposite in meaning to ritual? A. ceremony B. tradition C. novelty D. routine Hampton Brown Edge Level B, Unit 5, Cluster 2 3 of 7
LA.910.1.6.8 The correct answer is C. Options A, B, and D are incorrect because they represent incorrect meanings (synonyms) of the word being assessed. The excerpt is found on page 424. Definitions are from www.macmillandictionary.com. Ritual is defined as something that you do regularly and always in the same way. Option A is incorrect because it is similar in meaning to the word being assessed. Ceremony is defined as a formal public event with special traditions, actions, or words. The Mitchell twins always performed the same actions as they traversed the hallway to their bedroom. Option B is incorrect because it is similar in meaning to the word being assessed. Tradition is defined as a very old custom, beliefs, or story. As the reader learns on page 424, Grandma showed us how. This was her house first. And her grandmother s before her. Option C is correct because it is most opposite in meaning to the word being assessed. Novelty is defined as something new and unusual. According to the Mitchell twins, these actions are many generations old. Option D is incorrect because it is similar in meaning to the word being assessed. Routine is defined as your usual way of doing things, especially when you do them in a fixed order at the same time. The Mitchell twins performed the actions in the same order as they made their way down the hallway to their room. Edge Level B Unit 5 Cluster 2 Beware: Do Not Read This Poem 6. In writing Beware: Do Not Read This Poem, Ishmael Reed uses literary techniques EXCEPT F. repetition G. metaphor H. description I. suspense LA.910.2.1.7 The correct answer is H. Options F, G, and I are incorrect because they represent inaccurate interpretations of descriptive language or figurative language. Option F is incorrect because the poem contains an example of repetition in lines 37-41. Repetition is the repeating of individual vowels and consonants, syllables, words, phrases, lines, or groups of lines. Repetition can be used because it sounds pleasant, to emphasize the words in which it occurs, or to help tie the parts of a text into one structure. It is especially important in creating the musical quality of poetry, where it can take such forms as alliteration, assonance, consonance, rhyme, and refrain (page 849, Literary Terms). Option G is incorrect because the poem contains an example of metaphor. Metaphor is a type of figurative language that compares two unlike things by saying that one thing is the other thing (page 847, Literary Terms). Option H is correct because the poem does not contain an example of description. Description is writing Hampton Brown Edge Level B, Unit 5, Cluster 2 4 of 7
that creates a picture of a person, place, or thing often using language that appeals to the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste (page 843, Literary Terms). Option I is incorrect because the poem contains an example of suspense. Suspense is a feeling of curiosity, tension, or excitement a narrative creates in the reader about what will happen next (page 851, Literary Terms). 7. The author may have selected the illustration used on page 437 to appear behind the title of his poem for many reasons EXCEPT A. the illustration shows shards of a broken mirror and the faces of those who disappeared into the mirror. B. the illustration reflects the fear engendered in those people who dared to read this poem. C. the illustration depicts the different ways people s faces show fear: wide-open eyes and a screaming mouth. D. the illustration serves as a warning to anyone who wants to read anything written by Ishmael Reed. LA.910.6.1.1 The correct answer is D. Options A, B, and C are incorrect because they represent incorrect analysis and interpretation of text features. Option A is incorrect because it is an accurate description of the illustration and its relationship to the content of the poem. Option B is incorrect because it is an accurate description of the illustration and its relationship to the title of the poem. Option C is incorrect because it is an accurate description of the illustration and its relationship to the content of the poem. Option D is correct because it is not an accurate description of the purpose of the illustration. The illustration relates specifically to this poem and not to all of the works of Ishmael Reed. 8. In what way are the short story The Baby-Sitter and the poem Beware: Do Not Read This Poem alike? F. Both are about a mysterious force in a house that makes individuals disappear. G. Both contain innocent children who know about and are threatened by a scary force present in their house. H. Both have similar settings large, old, haunted houses. I. Both houses are in neighborhoods with near-by neighbors. LA.910.1.7.7 The correct answer is F. Options G, H, and I are incorrect because they represent incorrect comparisons. Option F is correct because both the short story and the poem contain a mysterious force. In The Baby-Sitter Jane Yolen calls the mysterious force Them while in Beware: Do Not Read This Poem Ishmael Reed s mysterious force is the ol woman in the mirror. Option G is incorrect because only The Baby-Sitter specifically contains children, and they are aware of Them and have been taught the warding spell. They are innocent children who know about Them and how to protect themselves from Them. Beware: Do Not Read This Poem in line 16 says that first a little girl disappeared into the mirror. The assumption must be that since this Hampton Brown Edge Level B, Unit 5, Cluster 2 5 of 7
little girl was the first victim of the ol woman, she did not know about the ol woman in the mirror. Option H is incorrect because the setting of the short story and the poem are not fully explained. The reader knows that the Mitchell s house is a large, old Victorian house as shown in the illustration on page 423; however, the reader does not know about the features of the ol woman s house except that it contains many mirrors. Option I is incorrect because the reader is told about the setting of the Mitchell house, but not about the ol woman s house. The reader learns on page 432, The Mitchell s lived down a long driveway, and it was about a quarter mile to the next home. All that the reader learns about the ol woman s house is in lines 9 and 10, one day the villagers broke into her house 9. Read the lines from the poem. statistic: the us bureau of missing persons reports that in 1968 over 100,000 people disappeared leaving no solid clues nor trace Which word is most opposite in meaning to statistic? A. figure B. estimate C. record D. data LA.910.1.6.8 The correct answer is B. Options A, C, and D are incorrect because they represent incorrect meanings (synonyms) of the word being assessed. The lines are found on page 439. Definitions are from www.macmillandictionary.com which defines statistic as a number that represents a fact or describes a situation. Option A is incorrect because it is similar in meaning to the word being assessed. Figure is defined as an official number that has been counted or calculated. Option B is correct because it is most opposite in meaning to the word being assessed. Estimate is defined as to say what you think an amount or value will be. Option C is incorrect because it is similar in meaning to the word being assessed. Record is defined as information kept about something that has happened. Option D is incorrect because it is similar in meaning to the word being assessed. Data is defined as facts or information used for making calculations or decisions. 10. Dictionary.reference.com defines hunger as a strong or compelling desire or craving. Hunger is openly expressed in the story The Baby-Sitter and the poem Beware: Do Not Read This Poem in many ways EXCEPT F. Hilary and the twins encounter freshly-baked cookies. G. The ol woman wants to take the nosy villagers into the mirror. H. The masked man s desire for cookies and the girl, Hilary. I. The poem wants to devour the reader. Hampton Brown Edge Level B, Unit 5, Cluster 2 6 of 7
LA.910.1.7.7 The correct answer is G. Options F, H, and I are incorrect because they represent inaccurate incorrect comparisons. Option F is incorrect because Hilary and the twins were hungry to eat Mrs. Mitchell s cookies. As the reader learns on pages 428 and 429, They (Hilary and the twins) raced to the kitchen and each had one of the fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies, the kind with the real runny chocolate She scraped around the dish for the crumbs They turned on the TV and settled down to watch the show, sharing the handful of crumbs Option G is correct because the ol woman did not face the villagers, but developed a hunger for one member of each family who subsequently bought the house. As the reader learns on page 437, one day the villager s broke / into her house, but she was too / swift for them, she disappeared / into a mirror / each tenant who bought the house / after that, lost a loved one to / that ol woman in the mirror. Option H is incorrect because the masked man not only ate several cookies, he then wanted to get Hilary. As the reader learns on pages 431-433, the masked man had two kinds of hunger, The plate of cookies was sitting on the counter, next to the stove. Hilary looked at it strangely. There were no longer thirteen cookies. She counted quickly. Seven no, eight. Someone had eaten five Then she slowly opened the door to the back stairs and the man hiding there leaped at her. His face was hidden behind a gorilla mask. Calling, Girly, girls, girly, come here, the man ran after her. Option I is incorrect because Ishmael Reed changes from talking about the ol woman taking people into the mirror to talking about the poem. As the reader learns on page 437, the hunger of this poem is legendary / it has taken many victims. Hampton Brown Edge Level B, Unit 5, Cluster 2 7 of 7