Edge Level A Unit 2 Cluster 3 Only Daughter 1. Read the sentence from the memoir. I was/am the only daughter and only a daughter. Why did the author use italics in this sentence? A. Sandra was saying that she is merely a girl, not important like a boy. B. Sandra was the only girl in her family. C. Sandra was considered by her parents and grandparents as the seventh son. D. Sandra was her parents only child. 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 in the first part of the sentence Sandra is stating that she is the only girl in her family. In the second part of the sentence italics are used when Sandra is saying that she is just a daughter only a mere girl and not a valued boy which is not as important in her father s eyes as being a son. Option B is incorrect because although it is true that she was the only daughter in her family this not an explanation for the use of italics in the sentence. Option C is incorrect because this is not an explanation for the use of italics in the sentence. Option D is incorrect because she was not the only child in her family so this is not an explanation for the use of italics in the sentence. 2. Why was Sandra Cisneros s father glad to spend the money to send her to college? F. He hoped she would learn to speak and write better in English. G. He wanted her to find a suitable husband. H. He thought she could learn to be a great writer. I. He planned for her to become a doctor. LA.910.1.7.3 The correct answer is G. Options F, H, and I are incorrect because they represent incorrect inferences or conclusions based on details found in the text. Option F is incorrect because her father did not wish her to be more proficient in English; he wanted her to...become someone s wife. As Sandra Cisneros says on page 139, In retrospect, I m lucky my father believed daughters were meant for husbands. It meant it didn t matter if I majored in something silly like English. Option G is correct because as the reader learns on page 139 What I didn t realize was that my father thought college was good for girls for finding a husband. Option H is incorrect because he didn t want her to be a writer; he wanted 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.
her to be someone s wife. As she says on page 139, In a sense, everything I have ever written has been for him, to win his approval even though I know my father can t read English words Option I is incorrect because he did not want her to become a doctor; in fact, as the reader learns on page 142, it was her oldest brother who graduated from medical school. 3. What do the illustrations on pages 137, 138, and 142 tell the reader about Sandra Cisneros? A. She works hard at writing. B. She spends a lot of time alone. C. She likes to wear clothes that reflect her Mexican culture. D. She studied very hard for long hours when she was in college. LA.910.2.2.1 The correct answer is B. Options A, C, and D are incorrect because they represent plausible but incorrect distractors based on text features. Option A is incorrect because only the illustration on page 142 shows her writing. Option B is correct because all three illustrations show her alone, either thinking or writing by herself. Option C is incorrect because the reader cannot tell what outfit she is wearing in the picture on page 137 except for the turquoise earrings, the reader can see her entire outfit on page 138 and, except for her footwear, it is not very ethnic in its appearance, and in the picture on page 142 the reader cannot really see the outfit due to the darkness of the image. Option D is incorrect because the illustrations do not reflect her studying nor do you know if she was in college when the pictures were taken. 4. Using what you have learned about Sandra Cisneros from reading the author profile The Writer and Her Experiences and Only Daughter, with which statement made by another author would Sandra Cisneros NOT agree? F. Willa Cather: Most of the basic material a writer works with is acquired before the age of fifteen. G. Marianne Williamson: Only write from your own passion, your own truth. That's the only thing you really know about, and anything else leads you away from the pulse. H. William Wordsworth: Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. I. Van Wyck Brooks: No man should ever publish a book until he has first read it to a woman. LA.910.1.7.2 The correct answer is I. Options F, G, and H are incorrect because they represent incorrect interpretations of the author s purpose or perspective. Three of the options will contain statements that are in agreement with what readers have learned about Sandra Cisneros. The answer will be the option that is contrary to what readers have learned about her. Option F is incorrect because Sandra Cisneros would agree with this statement because as the reader learns in the author profile on page 136, It wasn t long after this, however, that she began to appreciate what set her apart from the other students. In her writing, she started to reveal her background, the people she knew, and the places where she had 2 of 6
grown up. Option G is incorrect because Sandra Cisneros writes about her life. As the reader learns on page 136, Cisneros grew up in crowded houses in poor neighborhoods in Chicago In 1984 she published The House on Mango Street, which captured life in inner-city Chicago neighborhoods. The book has been hugely successful. Option H is incorrect because as the reader learns on page 136, Cisneros may have had a difficult start at the workshop in Iowa, but she learned the most important lesson for a writer: Write what is true to your heart and your soul. Option I is correct because Sandra Cisneros would not approve of this statement because it appears to ignore the fact that women can have books published, and she may also connect this type of thinking to the values of her father toward her, his only daughter. 5. Read this sentence from the memoir. This allowed me the liberty to putter about embroidering my little poems and stories without my father interrupting with so much as a What s that you re writing? Which of the following best restates the meaning of the sentence above? A. I was alone so I could fix things and sew while reading my finished poems and stories. B. I was free to write and rewrite without my father breaking my train of thought. C. My father s curiosity about my poems and stories made me feel good. D. My father felt free to express his opinion of my writing and to suggest that I edit it to make it better. LA.910.1.6.8 The correct answer is B. Options A, C, and D are incorrect because they represent incorrect meanings of assessed phrases found within the excerpted text. The sentence is found on page 139. Wordwizard.scholastic.com defines embroider as it is used in this sentence as to add made up details to a story. Option A is incorrect because Sandra Cisneros does not mean that she is literally embroidering (definition is to make or decorate with needlework) or sewing, but that she is continuing to write. Option B is correct because the liberty to putter about embroidering my little poems and stories means that she was free to write and rewrite. Interrupt is defined as to cause to stop; break off. If her father interrupted her, then her train of thought could have been broken. Option C is incorrect because her father was not interested in what she was doing. As the reader learns on page 139, Sandra says But the truth is, I wanted him to interrupt. I wanted my father to understand what it was I was scribbling Option D is incorrect because he never showed any interest in what she was writing nor could he read English so he couldn t have made any editing suggestions. 3 of 6
Edge Level A Unit 2 Cluster 3 Calling a Foul 6. If this news commentary was rewritten as a newspaper article, which title would be most accurate? F. Helping Your Child Athlete Be a Good Sport G. Balanced Diets Make Good Young Athletes H. Volunteer Coaches Are the Backbone of Youth Sports I. Youth Sports and Parental Rage A Bad Mix LA.910.1.7.3 The correct answer is I. Options F, G, and H are incorrect because they represent incorrect interpretations of the main idea. Option F is incorrect because the news commentary is about bad parental behavior, not the sportsmanship of the youth athletes. As the reader learns on page 147, Bad-behaving parents at sports events have become a painful reality. Option G is incorrect because the news commentary is about adult behavior, not about young athlete s diets. Option H is incorrect because the news commentary is about parental behavior, not volunteer coaches. In fact as the reader learns on page 147, State high school athletic directors say it is more difficult than ever to attract coaches and game officials. They re not willing to put up with abusive parents. Option I is correct because the author feels that the behavior of parents at youth sporting events is shocking, and he wants parents to sign an agreement to control their bad behavior. As the reader learns on page 148, The small percentage of overzealous parents out there has become an unwelcome part of youth athletics The parents embarrass themselves and their kids with their angry performances. 7. Which statement about Sandra Cisneros and Stan Simpson is NOT true? A. Cisneros wanted her parents to be involved in her desire to be an author and Simpson writes of parents that are too involved in their children s sporting events. B. Cisneros is of Mexican-American heritage and Simpson is an African-American. C. Cisneros is a nonfiction writer and Simpson is a writer of fiction. D. Cisneros earns her living by writing books and Simpson earns his living by a newspaper column. LA.910.1.7.7 The correct answer is C. Options A, B, and D are incorrect because they represent incorrect comparisons. Option A is incorrect because this statement is true. Cisneros wanted her father to care about her writing and Simpson writes about parents who are too involved and overzealous. Simpson says on page 148, Parents and all adults have to stop living vicariously through their children and their sports activities. Option B is incorrect because this statement is true. As the reader 4 of 6
learns about Cisneros on page 138, I am the only daughter of a Mexican father and a Mexican- American mother. The picture on page 147 shows the reader that Simpson is African- American. Option C is correct because this statement is not true. Sandra Cisneros writes fiction based on her life and Stan Simpson writes nonfiction commentary. Option D is incorrect because this statement is true. Cisneros talks about writing stories and poems which are fiction, and the author profile mentions The House on Mango Street which is a very successful book she authored. Simpson authored a news commentary which appeared in a newspaper. 8. Which best defines Stan Simpson s writing style as a columnist? F. He writes emotional and sometimes humorous observations of life around him. G. He summarizes the week s sporting events in his area. H. He collects and communicates information about current events, people, and issues. I. He gathers and relates facts, and then he writes opinions based on those facts. LA.910.1.7.5 The correct answer is I. Options F, G, and H are incorrect because they represent incorrect text structures/organizational patterns. Option F is incorrect because as the reader learns from reading Calling a Foul Simpson writes in a factual manner, not an emotional manner. Humor is not a part of this news commentary. Option G is incorrect because Simpson is not a sports news columnist whose job it is to summarize the sports scores or stories for the area instead he writes commentary expressing his personal opinions based on facts. Option H is incorrect because he does more that collect and communicate information he gives his opinion and any recommendations he may have regarding the issue. Option I is correct because as the reader learns from reading Calling a Foul Simpson gathered and related facts to back up his opinion statements. 9. Read the sentence from the news commentary. And it s not unusual for parents to be banned from a game until they can control their emotions. Which statement is most similar in meaning to the excerpt above? A. Parents are emotionally involved in the welfare of their children, and sometimes they cheer loudly for their child s team. B. All too often young athletes misbehave during a game, and their parents must take them home until they can control their behavior. C. Usually parents are welcomed to attend their child s sporting events in order to support the young athletes and their hard-working coaches. D. It is common for parents to be officially forbidden to attend their child s sporting activity until they can behave properly. LA.910.1.6.8 The correct answer is D. Options A, B, and C are incorrect because they represent incorrect meanings of assessed phrases found within the excerpted text. 5 of 6
The sentence is found on page 147. Wordwizard.scholastic.com defines banned as to forbid or have an official rule against; prohibit. Option A is incorrect because this statement is unrelated to the meaning of the excerpt. Both address the zealousness of parents, but in one case the overzealousness can result in banning due to unacceptable behavior while in the other case the cheering on of a team is an example of socially acceptable behavior. Option B is incorrect because this statement is unrelated to the meaning of the excerpt. The excerpt is about unruly parents, not misbehaving young athletes. Option C is incorrect because this statement is not related to the meaning of the excerpt. Parents are welcome to attend their children s sporting events as long as the parents control their own behavior. Option D is correct because this statement is most similar in meaning to the excerpt. Both address unacceptable parental behavior resulting in the parents being removed from the sporting event. 10. Why do Sandra Cisneros and Stan Simpson write? F. Cisneros writes to entertain readers while Simpson writes to inform readers. G. Cisneros writes to please her father while Simpson writes to please the newspaper subscribers. H. Cisneros writes to tell about the Mexican-American culture while Simpson writes to address issues of importance to the African-American community. I. Cisneros writes on topics assigned by her college professors while Simpson writes about topics assigned by his sports editor. LA.910.1.7.2 The correct answer is F. Options G, H, and I are incorrect because they represent incorrect interpretations of the author s purpose or perspective. Option F is correct because as a fiction writer, Cisneros is writing to entertain her readers while as a writer of news commentaries Simpson writes to inform his readers about issues that interest him. Option G is incorrect because as Cisneros says on page 140, My father represents, then, the public majority. A public who is disinterested in reading, and yet one whom I am writing about and for, and privately trying to woo. She is writing for the general public not just for her father. Simpson writes to expresses his own opinions, not solely to please the newspaper subscribers. Option H is incorrect because Cisneros writes about what she knows which is the Mexican-American culture; however, Simpson writes about issues that concern him which may or may not reflect the African-American community. Option I is incorrect because the reader is not told that either author is given writing assignments; it is implied that the authors select their own topics. 6 of 6