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Grade 7 Unit 6 Reading Comprehension Practice

Question

Number

Code Standard Student Mastery

1 RI.7.1.

W.7.1.

W.7.9.

Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

_________/ 2 points2 RI.7.4.

W.7.1.

W.7.9.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.



_________/ 2 points

3 RI.7.1.

W.7.1.

W.7.9.

Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.



_________/ 4 points

1

Portrait of a Journalist

Used with permission by ReadWorks.org

Read the passage. Then answer question 1 the space provided.

1 Peter Smith is a science journalist in Brooklyn, New York. He travels the country to report stories for national newspapers and magazines. Since he doesn’t work for a single publication, however, he does not have an office. He works out of his apartment, coffee shops, and the local library. Being a journalist is his dream job. He only wishes it paid a bit more money.

2 “That’s the one big downside of working as a journalist these days,” Smith says. “There are so many stories out there, and so many people to write about. But fewer places are willing to give you money to write about them.”

3 Smith was sitting in a coffee shop in Red Hook, the neighborhood in Brooklyn where he lives. Last year, he and his girlfriend moved there from Portland, Maine. The two of them loved the summers in Maine and the lobster that came with it. But the winters were simply too cold to bear.

4 “I couldn’t believe how cold it got in Maine during the winter!” he says, shivering at the thought. “Being from upstate New York, I thought I knew what cold meant. But I had no idea.”

5 New York winters are not exactly mild, he admits. But they’re warmer than Maine. More importantly, New York was a place where Smith could meet other writers. Being a journalist can be a solitary profession. To succeed, it is important to make friends in the field.

6 “It was much quieter in Maine,” he says with a laugh. “It was definitely easier to concentrate. But I didn’t have many other journalists to talk to and share ideas with. After a while, it got pretty lonely.”

7 New York City, he says, is the opposite of lonely. “I can’t walk from my apartment to the subway without bumping into another journalist.”

8 Smith grew up near Beacon, New York and graduated from Hampshire College in Western Massachusetts. From age 20, he knew he wanted to be a writer. The question was: What kind of writer?

9 He got his first job as an intern at the Christian Science Monitor, a national newspaper. A few years later, he started writing a column for a magazine that focused on health and the environment. It was that experience—writing about science on a weekly basis—that inspired him to become a science journalist.

10 Asked why he liked to write about science, Smith said it offered the best way to satisfy his endless curiosity. “To me, science is the best possible subject for a journalist,” he says. “Scientists make major discoveries every day. And unlike music or art, these discoveries often have the potential to save hundreds, thousands, even millions of lives. It’s a pretty great feeling to study and write about research that will affect so many people.”

11 To find his stories, Smith often spends days digging through scientific journals and blogs on the Internet. He reads at least two newspapers every morning: the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. On occasion, he

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will call up a scientist he knows and ask what she or he has been working on lately. When he finds what looks like a story, that’s when the real work begins.

12 “I spend a lot of my time doing research to see what other people have written about the subject I’m interested in,” he says. “Then I start contacting sources to see if they will agree to an interview. If they say yes, we usually talk over the phone. If necessary, and if I think they’re a good character, I will travel to meet them in person.”

13 “In person reporting,” he adds, “is my favorite part of the job. If I have the chance to meet someone I’m writing ‐about face to face, it always improves the story. And it’s fun, too.”‐ ‐

14 For Smith, working as a “freelancer”—as opposed to a “staff writer,” or someone who writes for a single publication—has both benefits and drawbacks. He doesn’t have a boss, for one. This means he can write about whatever he wants. And he is not expected to show up to an office every day at a certain time. He wakes up when he wants to, and sets his own schedule each day.

15 Not reporting to a boss, however, means there is no one there to help him. At newspapers, editors will often assign story ideas to a writer. As a freelancer, Smith has to come up with all his own ideas. This can be exhausting, he admits.

16 “There are weeks when I just can’t seem to find anything to write about,” he says. “It’s at those times I wish I had a nice cozy desk somewhere and an editor looking over my shoulder, giving me ideas.”

17 For the most part, though, he likes the freedom that freelance journalism entails.

18 “I’m the kind of person who likes to do things my way,” he says with a smile. “I have a bit of a problem with authority. If someone tells me what to do—even if it’s in my best interest—I tend to ignore him. At an early age, I knew that working at a desk job was probably not for me.”

19 As a boy, Smith was always examining bugs and asking his mother questions like how ocean waves form. His parents figured he would grow up to be a scientist. For someone with his background, I ask, what made him choose writing about science instead of conducting actual scientific research?

20 Smith laughs at the question. “I didn’t want to take organic chemistry in college,” he says. “That prevented me from applying to medical school.” But more than that, he adds, writing about science instead of practicing it allows him to learn about a wider range of subjects.

21 “Had I gone to medicine and become a doctor, I probably would have wound up studying the same thing for ten, fifteen, or even twenty years,” he says. “As a journalist who writes about science, I can write about dozens of different things every year. Sure, it doesn’t pay as well as being a doctor and doesn’t have the same prestige. But I’m satisfying my curiosity about the world. For me, that’s what really matters.”

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Score Response Features2 • Valid inferences and/or claims from the text where required by the prompt

• Evidence of analysis of the text where required by the prompt• Relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the requirements of the prompt• Sufficient number of facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text as required by the prompt• Complete sentences where errors do not impact readability

1 • A mostly literal recounting of events or details from the text as required by the prompt• Some relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the requirements of the prompt• Incomplete sentences or bullets

0 • A response that does not address any of the requirements of the prompt or is totally inaccurate• A response that is not written in English• A response that is unintelligible or indecipherable

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1. What motivates Smith to be a science journalist? Support your answer using at least two details from the text.

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Karate Teacher Rocks

Used with permission by ReadWorks.org

Read the passage. Then answer question 2 the space provided.

1 The boys in Manhattan Youth’s Martial Arts class in New York City want to be just like their teacher; and the girls want the boys to be like him too. Their teacher, James Clifford, is also the bass player in The Energy, a pop/rock band.

2 Every Friday afternoon, The Energy gets ready to spend the weekend traveling to perform in cities all along the East Coast. The band just released a new album, and has already made two others. They have been an opening act for bands such as Vertical Horizon, Fastball and the Click Five.

3 Between his band’s busy tour schedule and full-time job teaching music at Bay Ridge Preparatory School, Clifford still makes time to commute into Lower Manhattan every Monday and Wednesday to teach Manhattan Youth’s Martial Arts after-school programs.

4 Clifford may be a born-and-bred Brooklyn boy, but his heart has always been in Lower Manhattan. He took the train from Bay Ridge every weekend to play football in Battery Park, and remembers spending most of his free time around Chambers and Greenwich Streets, hanging out with friends and frequenting his favorite diner.

5 “When I began teaching, I’d go to Gee Whiz, the diner, on my breaks between classes to have a cup of tea,” he said.

6 But Clifford’s favorite Downtown destination was always J&R, a music store where he stopped in every Tuesday to buy new music as he walked from P.S. 89 to Southbridge Towers.

7 Clifford first began going to classes in the neighborhood when he was eight years old. His uncle, Manhattan Youth Martial Arts Program Director Dr. Charlie Fasano, brought him to his very first karate class.

8 When Clifford turned 17, Bob Townley, Director at Manhattan Youth, hired him as a martial arts instructor. He went on to become the program’s Assistant Director.

9 “Bob took a chance and gave me a lot of responsibility at a very young age,” said Clifford. “It made me feel confident.”

10 Clifford played bass and guitar throughout high school, where several of his music teachers played in bands outside of school. After seeing it was possible to become a teacher while still pursuing dreams of musical stardom, he joined the Bay Ridge Prep faculty, along with two fellow band members.

11 He has since spent over a decade showing students that even though he’s a member of a popular band, he’s also grounded.

12 In fact, he said, it’s his students who help keep it that way.

13 “The industry is an emotional roller coaster. The kids I teach are so innocent and real,” said Clifford. “They keep me grounded and help me take a step back.”

14 Fellow band member Adam Wolfsdorf said teaching karate has kept Clifford “rooted,” because the kids are exciting, original and haven’t been “turned off” the way many adults have.

15 “We’ve toured with some pretty huge artists who think the world should revolve around them,” said Wolfsdorf. “But we know that we’re part of a whole. It’s like you’re Clark Kent during the day and Superman at night. We’re living two lives, but those two lives are yin and yang, and you need both.”

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16 Clifford said his teaching gigs provide him with a sense of balance that most other successful artists don’t have, noting that many groups quick to make it big are also quick to fall apart. In order to maintain this balance, he must establish a clear set of boundaries in the classroom.

17 “The kids see that we have lives, that we aren’t just boring teachers, so they want to know more about what happens on the road,” said Clifford. “But we don’t actually tell them. We usually just give ’em a funny answer.”

18 Students often go to their teachers’ shows with their parents, who are grateful for the opportunity to go and do something with their kids.

19 When a student, who was an aspiring musician, expressed some doubts about becoming a musician, the band let her perform at one of their shows.

20 Clifford still receives phone calls from students who have graduated and gone on to pursue careers in music, who thank him for their success, his encouragement and leadership by example.

21 Clifford believes it is important to show his students that with hard work and ambition, anything is possible.

22 Dean Bevilacqua, Clifford’s mentor and fellow teacher at Bay Ridge prep, says that he is just plain great with kids.

23 “He’s a pied piper. If you see him at the school or on Field Day, all the little kids gather around him like little geese,” said Bevilacqua.

24 Bevilacqua has always been a brother-figure to Clifford and began bringing him to shows when he was just nine years old. Clifford now opens for bands they went to see perform years ago.

25 The Energy’s sound is heavily influenced by early 1990s rock, and ideas for songs come to Clifford in snippets, which he hands off to Wolfsdorf to shape into lyrics. Of the 2,000 CDs lining the walls of his room are bands like R.E.M. and Radiohead, which Clifford values for their ability to make listeners feel like they are part of a whole.

26 He makes a strong distinction between this music and his favorite “ear candy,” bands like Weezer and All Time Low.

27 Clifford met the band’s vocalist, Adam Wolfsdorf, in the Manhattan Youth Martial Arts program back in 2000, and the two began attending open-mic nights together.

28 Soon, more musicians joined in, and an early ‘90s cover band was formed, playing local bars in Bay Ridge for two years. Clifford and Wolfsdorf wanted to start writing original tunes, and sought out a permanent drummer and guitar player in 2005. By early 2006, The Energy became regulars at Clifford’s home away from home, Tribeca’s Knitting Factory.

29 The band, whose other two permanent members include Ian VanderMuelen on guitar and Chris Flanigan on drums, has yet to sign with an actual label, but continues to run their own “mini-label.”

30 They work closely with Wavelength Entertainment and renowned industry publicist Tracey Miller; and their manager, Beth Bogdan, is Senior Director of Artist Relations at Universal. Their booking agency, Supreme Entertainment Artists, is based out of Boston, and represents bands like Maroon 5 and Eve 6. Since all four band members work full-time, it took almost a year of traveling to Boston and back, every weekend, to cut the new album.

31 Clifford has no plans to give up either of his teaching jobs, and will soon be adding yet another responsibility to the list.

32 “I have an 18-month-old girl, Rafaela, and when she doesn’t think I’m cool anymore, I’m gonna call on him to take her to concerts—like I did for him,” said Bevilacqua. “He’s already said he’s got it covered.”

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Score Response Features2 • Valid inferences and/or claims from the text where required by the prompt

• Evidence of analysis of the text where required by the prompt• Relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the requirements of the prompt• Sufficient number of facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text as required by the prompt• Complete sentences where errors do not impact readability



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2. What does Clifford mean when he says “those two lives are yin and yang, and you need both,” in paragraph 15? Use at least two details from the text to support your answer.

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The following question refers to both passages. Reread them and answer question 3 in the space provided below.

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3. Compare and contrast Smith’s career as a journalist to Clifford’s work as the bass player in The Energy. Use details from both passages to support your response.

In your response, be sure to:

Identify the ways in which Smith’s career as a journalist and Clifford’s work as the bass player in The Energy are similar.

Describe differences between Smith’s career as a journalist and Clifford’s work as the bass player in The Energy.

Use details from the passage to support your response.

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ANSWER KEY

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1. What motivates Smith to be a science journalist? Support your answer using at least two details from the text.

Answers will vary. Use the enclosed rubric as a guideline for scoring.

Example of a 2-level answer:

Smith’s desire to satisfy his curiosity motivates him to be a science journalist. He enjoys learning

about the different discoveries scientists make and sharing them with others. He likes the fact that he can

learn about new things all of the time instead of focusing on the same thing for years, like doctors do. He also

likes the flexibility that being a freelance writer gives him.

Suggestions for class review:

This question requires students to determine what motivates Smith to be a science journalist. There are

many details that support the answer to this question, but they are sprinkled throughout the text. Encourage

students to annotate the text for details that reveal why Smith is a science journalist. If students are

struggling, focus their attention on paragraphs 9, 10, 18, 19, 20, and 21. All of these paragraphs offer

information that shows that Smith likes to satisfy his curiosity as a science journalist and enjoys the

flexibility his career affords him.

Score Response Features2 • Valid inferences and/or claims from the text where required by

the prompt• Evidence of analysis of the text where required by the prompt• Relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the requirements of the prompt• Sufficient number of facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text as required by the prompt• Complete sentences where errors do not impact readability



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2. What does Clifford mean when he says “those two lives are yin and yang, and you need both,” in paragraph 15? Use at least two details from the text to support your answer.



When Clifford says “those two lives are yin and yang, and you need both,” he means that his life as a

karate teacher and his life as a touring guitarist balance each other out. When he teaches karate, it keeps

grounded because the kids he teaches are “so innocent and real.”When he tours with his band, he is around

people who “think the world should revolve around them.”By teaching karate to normal kids, he is able to

keep things in perspective and not get caught up in the fame of being a musician.


This question requires students to determine what Clifford means when he says “those two live are yin and

yang, and you need both.”Students will need to be familiar with the term “yin and yang” and understand that

Clifford is using it figuratively to fully understand what Clifford means. Reread paragraphs 13-15 with

students. Ask students what Clifford is describing in these paragraphs. Tell students to annotate the

paragraphs for details that help clarify what Clifford means in the indicated phrase. Point out to students

that even if they did not understand the term “yin and yang” they can use context clues to understand the

intent of the phrase.

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3. Compare and contrast Smith’s career as a journalist to Clifford’s work as the bass player in The Energy. Use details from both passages to support your response.

In your response, be sure to:

Identify the ways in which Smith’s career as a journalist and Clifford’s work as the bass player in The Energy are similar.

Describe differences between Smith’s career as a journalist and Clifford’s work as the bass player in The Energy.

Use details from the passage to support your response.



Smith’s career as a journalist is similar to Clifford’s work as a bass player in The Energy because

both jobs are “freelance.”Smith writes about whatever he wants for different newspapers and

publications. Similarly, Clifford’s band has not signed with an actual label and run their own mini-label.

These jobs are also similar because they do not follow traditional hours. Smith works when he wants

and Clifford’s band performs on weekends.

The two jobs are different because journalism is Smith’s career as a journalist is full-time, while

Clifford plays in his band on the side. Clifford’s main job is to teach music, and he performs in the band

for fun. The jobs are also different because Smith writes articles by himself, while Clifford composes

music with others.


This question requires students to compare and contrast Smith’s career as a journalist to Clifford’s

work as a bass player in The Energy. This requires students to make inferences about the similarities

and differences. Help scaffold this question for students by first making a T-chart about each job. Then

engage students in a conversation about similarities and differences. If students are struggling to make

connections, point them to basic questions like Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? This

should help them begin to make inferences about similarities and differences.

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