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TEKS ALIGNED MIDDLE SCHOOL SET#1

Practice Test

The following reading practice includes:

- 5 reading passages- 38 Total Multiple choice questions

- Answer Key

The five reading passages are short excerpts

from the following popular novels:

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – 10 Questions

The Giver by Lois Lowry – Comparing two excerpts with 14 questions

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan – 7 questions Divergent by Veronica Roth – 7 questions

STAAR Concepts included:

The passages are aligned with STAAR Test questions seen across 4-8th grade.

1. Inference2. Central message

3. Analyzing Text events, setting, and characters4. Meaning of words

5. Point of view6. Integrated ideas and topics

7. Author’s claim8. Compare and contrast

9. Tone and mood10. Making connections

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Readtheselectionandchoosethebestanswertoeachquestion.

ExcerptfromMockingjayChapter1

bySuzanneCollins

1 Istaredownatmyshoes,watchingasafinelayerofashsettlesonthewornleather.ThisiswherethebedIsharedwithmysister,Prim,stood.Overtherewasthekitchentable.Thebricksofthechimney,whichcollapsedinacharredheap,provideapointofreferencefortherestofthehouse.HowelsecouldIorientmyselfinthisseaofgray?

2 AlmostnothingremainsofDistrict12.Amonthago,theCapitol’sfirebombsobliteratedthepoorcoalminer’shouseintheseam,theshopsinthetown,eventheJusticeBuilding.TheonlyareathatescapedincinerationwastheVictor’sVillage.Idon’tknowwhyexactly.Perhapssoanyoneforcedtocomehereoncapitalbusinesswouldhavesomewheredecenttostay.Theoddreporter.Acommitteeassessingtheconditionofthecoalmines.Asquadofpeacekeeperscheckingforreturningrefugees.

3 Butnooneisreturningexceptme.Andthat’sonlyforabriefvisit.TheauthoritiesinDistrict13wereagainstmycomingback.Theyvieweditasacostlyandpointlessventuregiventhatatleastadozenhovercraftsarecirclingoverheadformyprotectionandthere’snointelligencetobegained.Ihadtoseeit,though.SomuchsothatImadeitaconditionofmycooperatingwithanyoftheirplans.

4 Finally,PlutarchHeavensbee,theHeadGamemakerwhohadorganizedtherebelsintheCapital,threwuphishands.“Lethergo.Bettertowasteadaythananothermonth.MaybealittletourofTwelveisjustwhatsheneedstoconvinceherwe’reonthesameside.”

5 Thesameside.ApainstabsmylefttempleandIpressmyhandagainstit.RightonthespotwhereJohannaMasonhitmewithacoilofwire.ThememoriesswirlasItrytosortoutwhatistrueandwhatisfalse.Whatseriesofeventsledmetobestandingintheruinsofmycity?Thisishardbecausetheeffectsoftheconcussionshegavemehaven’tcompletelysubsidedandmythoughtsstillhaveatendencytojumbletogether.Also,thedrugsusedtocontrolmypainandmoodsometimesmakemeseethings.Iguess.I’mstillnotentirelyconvincedthatIwashallucinatingthenightthefloorofmyhospitalroomtransformedintoacarpetofwrithingsnakes.

6 Iuseatechniqueoneofthedoctorssuggested.IstartwiththesimplestthingsIknowtobetrueandworktowardthemorecomplicated.Thelistbeginstorollinmyhead….

7 MynameisKatnissEverdeen.Iamseventeenyearsold.MyhomeisDistrict12.IwasintheHungerGames.Iescaped.TheCapitalhatesme.Peetawastakenprisoner.

ExcerptedfromMOCKINGJAY©Copyright2010bySuzanneCollins

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1Whatdoesthewordseammeaninparagraph2?

AAlineinwhichtwolinesoffabricaresewntogether

BAnundergroundlayerofcoal

CTheshopsinthetown

DThehousewherethecharacterslive

2Fromwhatpointofviewisthestoryabovetold?

AFirstperson

BSecondPerson

CThirdPersonlimited

DThirdPersonOmniscient

3Accordingtotheexcerptabove,whathappenedtothenarrator’shome?

AItwasknockeddown

BItwasbombedandlayinrubble

CItwasstillthereandshecamebacktoseeit

DItwasburned

4Inparagraph5,whichwordsdoestheauthorusetoshowthenarrator’sconfusion?

Aconcussion,hallucinating

Bpain,ruin

Cevents,control

Dmemories,hospital

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STAAR�

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TEKS ALIGNED MIDDLE SCHOOL SET#2

Practice Test w

The following reading practice includes: - 4 reading passages

- 40 Total Multiple choice questions- Answer Key

“The Flying Tomato” Shaun White – 10 Questions “The Working Man” Barack Obama – 10 Questions

“Killer Whales” – 10 questions “Let’s Move” Michelle Obama – 10 questions

STAAR Concepts included: All four non-fiction passages are aligned with STAAR Test questions.

They include 10 multiple-choice questions that focus on the following TEKS seen across 4-8th Grade.

Main Idea Inference

Context Clues Theme

Author’s Purpose Summary

Fact / Opinion Claim /support

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“TheFlyingTomato”ShaunWhite

1 ShaunWhiteisoneofthemostrecognizedsportsstarsintheUnitedStates.Hewonback-to-backgoldmedalsinthehalf-pipecompetition.Hisfirstgoldwasinthe2006WinterOlympicsandsecondin2010.Inadditiontohismanyawards,healsobecamewellknownforhisredhair.Asaresult,peopleoftenrefertohimasthe“FlyingTomato.”

2 “Youknowthebestthingaboutcompetition?There'sthiswholestrategygame,andwhenitallworksoutit’slikesolvingthathardmathequation.Youfinallygettheanswerandyou'resohappy.”

– ShaunWhite

3 Shaunovercamemanyadversitiestogetwhereheistoday.Beforeagefivehehadtwocardiacsurgeriesduetoacongenitalheartdefect.Hebeganskateboardingsoonafter,followinginhisolderbrother’sfootsteps.Shaunworkedextremelyhardtrainingformanyyears.Thenhiscareerbegantotakeoff.Inthe2002WinterX-Gameshewoneightmedals.

4 Shaunrecentlycompetedinthe2014SochiWinterOlympicgames.Afterwinninggoldthepasttwoyears,Shaunhadallthepressureandeyesonhim.ShauncameupjustshortofmedalinginSochi.Thistoughlosstaughtusallavaluablelesson.Youcan’talwayswin.However,Shaundidnothanghishead.HesimplyremindedushowamazingitistomakeittotheOlympicgamesandnomatterhowhardyouworksometimesit’sjustnotyourday.Allyoucandoiskeepworkingandfightingforyournextopportunity.

Choosethebestanswertoeachquestion.

1. Thefactsinparagraph3-4contributetotheauthor’smainideaby–

a. describinghowShaunWhitedidintheSochigamesb. explaininghowShaunWhitehadaheartdefectc. comparingShaunWhitetohisbrotherd. highlightingallofShaunWhite’saccomplishments

2. Readthequoteinparagraph2.Basedonthequotationwecanconcludethat–

a. Shaunishappytocompeteb. Shaunisnotjusttalentedbutstrategicc. Shaunlikestosolvehardmathproblemsd. Shaunsolvespuzzles

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STAAR Reading Comprehension practice

Great for introducing topics as well as end of year review before STAAR Testing!

Includes: 4 week outline with 20 short practice passages, with answer key.

STAAR Concepts: Plot (Problem, Setting, rising action, turning point, falling action, and resolution), Theme, Author’s purpose, Detail vs. Main idea, Summary, Point of view, Inference, and Fact vs. Opinion.

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Week State Standard &

Focus Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

1 Plot Development 6.6A, 7.6B, 8.6A

Day 1 Beginning: Characters responses,

motivation - internal and external, and setting, and

Conflict

Day 2 Middle: Main Events, rising action, and

climax Day 3 Theme

Day 4 End: Falling action and Resolution

Day 5 Main idea and Summary of the text

STAAR Vocabulary Problem, Plot, setting Rising Action, Turning Point, internal Conflict,

main conflict

Author's Purpose, Central Message,

Message, most likely Resolution Main idea and detail

2 Summarizing 6.10A, 7.10C, 8.10A

Day 6 Summarizing: Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then (Main idea vs.

Detail support)

Day 7 Text Organization Day 8 Point of View Day 9 Non-fiction

5 w's Day 10 Main idea and

detail

STAAR Vocabulary Summary, mainly about Selection, paragraph, excerpt, statement,

phrase

Point of view, 1st, 2nd, 3rd omniscient/limited

Support, evidence, influence, italicized

conversation, quotation, dialogue

3 Inference and Drawing Conclusions 6.7, 6.9, 7.4-

10, 8.11

Day 11 Fiction: Drawing a conclusion

Day 12 Non-Fiction: Drawing a conclusion

Day 13 Poetry: Drawing a conclusion

Day 14 Persuasive Writing: Drawing a

conclusion

Day 15 Author's Purpose: Drawing a conclusion

STAAR Vocabulary Conclude, Assumption,

Infer, ironic, insight emphasizes, significant,

important Imagery, Metaphor, simile, stanza, line

Claim, Argument, Fact vs. Opinion, repetition

speaker, narrator,

4 Review and practice Strategies

Day 16 NF Practice Review Main Idea

Day 17 Fiction Practice Review Theme

Day 18 Poem: Practice Review metaphor and

simile

Day 19 NF: Practice Review inference

Day 20 NF Practice Review Author’s Purpose

STAAR Vocabulary Show: convey, reveal,

explain, describe, identify

Show: expressed, communicates, indicates,

include

Show: highlight, represent, illustrate

Question: suggests, effect, understand

Play: Playwright, stage direction, scene

Questions: intends to, according to, mostly to

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Name ________________________________

Day 1 – Plot diagram

Brianna did not like many of her roommate’s habits. Tory regularly dropped dirty clothes on the floor. Once she even left the front door unlocked when she went for a run in the neighborhood! Brianna even thought about looking for a new roommate. However, Tory had been one of her best friends for the past 5 years. Brianna decided tomorrow, she would just talk to Tory about it.

1. What is Brianna’s main problem?a. Tory is her best friendb. Tory dropped dirty clothes on the floorc. Tory had habits that were bothering herd. Tory would not change

2. The setting of the paragraph is most likelyat….

a. Brianna and Tory’s apartmentb. the school Brianna and Tory attendc. their parent’s housed. in the neighborhood

Name ________________________________

Day 2 – Plot diagram

Zack loved running on the trail near his house. One morning he noticed a dog without a collar. Zach slowly walked over to the dog to see if the owner was around. As he approached the animal it turned and began to growl, showing its teeth. Zach stopped suddenly so he wouldn’t startle the dog. Just when the dog looked as though he was going to lunge at Zach, someone shouted, “Trey, come!” The dog relaxed and followed the man who called.

3. What is the rising action in the story?a. Zack’s run on the trail was ruined by a

dogb. Zach slowly approached the dogc. The dog almost lunged at Zachd. The owner called the dog away

4. What is the turning point in the story?a. The dog relaxed and follow its ownerb. Zach suddenly stoppedc. Zach went for a rund. Someone shouted, “Trey, come!”

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After reviewing the state standards and 6th-8th grade STAAR reading released tests, we came up with a

list of common vocabulary.

Categories:

- Persuade

–Figurative Language/poetry

– Story Plot

- Comprehension

- Compare

- Show

- Play

The point of greatest interest in the story.

A struggle between two forces. External: with another character or force on the outside. Internal: within the character, on the inside.

StAAR Test Taking Strategy :!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 Scan the Questions Whole Part

2 Target Text: Fiction Non-Fiction

Setting Character!

Solution Problem!5w’s

Who? What? When? Where?

Why?

3 Respond to QuestionsFind and prove your answer!

Character

Problem