AS.L.4
Description:
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
Maps to Reading Plus skills:
2C, 2C, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4B, 4B
Exemplars
4A: Interpreting Word Meaning
4A: Interpreting Word Meaning
Description:
Interpreting Word Meaning
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
C-6
C-6
Grade level: 3
Word count: 1273 words
Author: Madeline Arroyo
Synopsis: Baseball is known as an American game, but it got its start on the other side of the world.
Excerpt:
In the 1920s and 1930s, power players like Ruth were hugely popular with the fans. They made the sport even more of a hit.
Question:
Read this part of the selection. Based on how it is used, what does the word "hit" mean?
- big success
- score a point
- knock something over
- home run
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Choose a selection that included some unfamiliar vocabulary. Replace the unfamiliar words with synonyms that are easier to understand yet still convey the same meaning.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
2C: Summarizing
2C: Summarizing
Description:
Summarizing
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
F-51
F-51
Grade level: 6
Word count: 1334 words
Author: Barbara D. Krasner
Synopsis: Immigrants to the United States had to pass physical examinations, and a chalk mark on the shoulder indicated their result.
Excerpt:
After several hours, the Palmieris approached the inspectors' desks at the back of the Great Hall. A man checked their tags and spoke to Mama in Italian.
The inspector checked her responses against the information on the ship's manifest. He seemed to be satisfied. One official handed "landing cards" to Mama, Angelina, and her sisters. Feeling relief and excitement, they made their way back downstairs and collected their bags.
The inspector checked her responses against the information on the ship's manifest. He seemed to be satisfied. One official handed "landing cards" to Mama, Angelina, and her sisters. Feeling relief and excitement, they made their way back downstairs and collected their bags.
Question:
According to this part in the selection, what is a "landing card"?
- a document permitting entry into the United States
- a notation in the passenger list of a ship's manifest
- a ticket needed to board the ferry to Ellis Island
- an indication that an immigrant was in good health
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Imagine you are an attorney. Prepare a summation of a selection you have read to present to a jury for deliberation.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
4A: Interpreting Word Meaning
4A: Interpreting Word Meaning
Description:
Interpreting Word Meaning
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
F-12
F-12
Grade level: 6
Word count: 1756 words
Author: Mike Buchanan and Diane Lang
Synopsis: A lost pet uses every ounce of his energy to find his way home.
Excerpt:
I read that some experts believe dogs have their own kind of system to find their way home again. It's like a map in their heads and kind of works like the Global Positioning System, or GPS, that's used to direct satellites in space. It's believed the dogs use not only their senses of smell but also their memories of home and comfort to help them return, which is why it was nicknamed "emotional GPS."
Question:
Based on this excerpt, why is the word "emotional" used in the nickname "emotional GPS"?
- to show that dogs use their feelings rather than their knowledge
- to demonstrate that dogs cannot be trusted with their navigation skills
- to contrast it with scientific GPS systems that use satellites
- to describe the sensitivity of a dog's sense of smell
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Explain how a character's actions or attitude can change the meaning of a word or phrase.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
4A: Interpreting Word Meaning
4A: Interpreting Word Meaning
Description:
Interpreting Word Meaning
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
F-17
F-17
Grade level: 6
Word count: 1710 words
Author: Randi Bender
Synopsis: At the U.S. Space Camp, campers find out what it is like to work and travel in space.
Excerpt:
The sky is not the limit for the thousands of people who go to space camps. At space camp, children, teenagers, and adults can experience the closest thing to space travel on Earth. A week at space camp can be the first small step in a longer journey that may well take campers into deep space.
Question:
In this excerpt, what does the author mean by, "The sky is not the limit for thousands of people who go to space camp"?
- Space campers have many opportunities to learn about different aspects of space.
- Space campers are limited in what they can learn about space.
- Space campers become qualified to travel on a real space mission.
- Space campers leave Earth's atmosphere during their week at camp.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Describe how the knowledge of another language can help you understand a new word or phrase you read in English.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
4A: Interpreting Word Meaning
4A: Interpreting Word Meaning
Description:
Interpreting Word Meaning
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-17
J-17
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2251 words
Author: Guy de Maupassant
Synopsis: Simple actions may sometimes lead to unexpected, dire consequences.
Excerpt:
He passed on, buttonholed by everyone, himself buttonholing his acquaintances, beginning over and over again his tale and his protestations, showing his pockets turned inside out to prove that he had nothing in them.
Question:
What do the terms "buttonholed" and "buttonholing" mean in this part of the selection?
- hold for comment or conversation
- work in a hasty or impatient manner
- inadequate in quantity or volume
- substitute for a lesser quality
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Explain how a character's actions or attitude can change the meaning of a word or phrase.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
4B: Interpreting Analogies
4B: Interpreting Analogies
Description:
Interpreting Analogies
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-11
J-11
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2199 words
Author: Diane Lang
Synopsis: Skylar and Jason's relationship is already strained when they're paired together for a class project. Will their "no-technology" challenge make them, or break them?
Excerpt:
"But getting back to this notion of living independently," he continued, "there's a little Walden-inspired experiment you'll be conducting over the next few weeks."
Ignoring the grumblings, Mr. Crawford continued, "Working in pairs, you'll each choose a meaningful passage to absorb, understand, and live by. I don't care which quotation you choose -- use the 'close your eyes and open the book' method if you want -- but I expect you to discuss it with your partner, live your life accordingly for two weeks, and we'll check-in periodically."
Ignoring the grumblings, Mr. Crawford continued, "Working in pairs, you'll each choose a meaningful passage to absorb, understand, and live by. I don't care which quotation you choose -- use the 'close your eyes and open the book' method if you want -- but I expect you to discuss it with your partner, live your life accordingly for two weeks, and we'll check-in periodically."
Question:
Mr. Crawford uses the phrase "Walden-inspired experiment" to mean an activity in which the students
- focus on living in thoughtful and significant ways.
- work toward improving individual literacy goals.
- research endangered plant and animal life.
- develop ecologically based community programs.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Describe how an author can use figurative language to create suspense and give an example from a selection.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
2C: Summarizing
2C: Summarizing
Description:
Summarizing
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
C-33
C-33
Grade level: 3
Word count: 1352 words
Author: Caroline Mays Brevard
Synopsis: A young girl has an unexpected visit.
Excerpt:
No excerpt is available for this question.
Question:
The meeting between Betsy and General Washington happened "by chance." This means it was
- a bit of good luck.
- carefully planned.
- a risky thing to do.
- not good timing.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Write one paragraph that describes the main information about a selection you read.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
4B: Interpreting Analogies
4B: Interpreting Analogies
Description:
Interpreting Analogies
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
C-24
C-24
Grade level: 3
Word count: 1323 words
Author: Michael H. Levitt
Synopsis: Was the stranger telling the truth? Did he even EXIST?
Excerpt:
The darkness seemed to close around me like a big, black glove. I thought, "I'm sure glad I'm not outside this evening. I had better make sure the light is working, because this would be the worst time for it to fail."
Question:
What does the boy mean when he says, "The darkness seemed to close around me like a big, black glove"?
- It was so dark that the boy could not see anything.
- The boy thought he could touch the darkness with his hand.
- The darkness warmed the boy's hands.
- The darkness made the boy feel safe and happy.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
List five words in a selection that helped you form a picture in your mind. Do additional research to find a synonym and antonym for each word, and use the word in a sentence.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions