Reading Plus State Standards Alignment: Exemplars

4A: Interpreting Word Meaning

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: HiE-36

Excerpt: The next day, as the ship drew near the Cape of Good Hope, the captain walked the deck with Otto. As they talked, they were grabbed from behind. Members of the crew tightly bound the captain and Otto. At the same instant, other sailors grabbed the ship's two officers and they too were bound. Now the ship was in the hands of the crew.

These wicked men made short work. They threw the captain, Otto, and the two mates into the sea. "Dead men tell no tales," said the man at the wheel.

Question: Read this excerpt. The man at the ship's wheel said, "Dead men tell no tales." What does this mean?

Those who are no longer living cannot tell others what really happened.
Those who help others will always receive help themselves.
Those who spend many years on the sea often have lonely lives.
Those who work only for money will not find true love or happiness.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Find examples in five selections of words that describe things you can hear, see, or touch.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

6A: Recognizing Author's Intent

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: HiE-58

Excerpt: As she reached to shake the hand of the American president, there was a sudden click, click, click of photographers' cameras.

Question: Read this part from the selection. Why does the author include the words "click, click, click"?

to demonstrate that there were many cameras taking pictures
to prove that the president liked to have his picture taken
to explain why Margarita was afraid to meet the president
to show that cameras make a sound when they are working properly

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Write a letter to the author of a selection you really enjoyed. Suggests ideas for similar selections the the author should write.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: HiE-69

Excerpt: Dyami's chest rose rapidly as he struggled to calm his frustration and fear. Aystan would not allow his dream to happen! His responsibilities to the tribe and fear for his son's safety were too strong. "But will the Creator be satisfied with Aystan, instead of me?" Dyami whispered.

Question: The mood in this excerpt can best be described as

worried and nervous.
excited and joyous.
lonely and afraid.
tired and uninterested.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Give examples of words from a selection that made the selection seem funny. Explain how these words help you know the selection is meant to be funny.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

4A: Interpreting Word Meaning

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: HiE-4

Excerpt: In 1849, Barnum made a trip to England. While he was there, he went to a concert where he heard Jenny Lind, a beautiful singer from Sweden. Jenny had a lovely voice and was the toast of all of Europe. Yet she was nearly unknown in the United States. Barnum asked her to come to America and do a series of concerts. She accepted, and Barnum named her the "Swedish Nightingale."

Question: In this excerpt, what does the phrase "the toast of all of Europe" mean?

to be popular all over Europe.
to have toast while visiting Europe.
to be laughed at all over Europe.
to drink a toast to Europe.

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

4B: Interpreting Analogies

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: HiE-25

Excerpt: Not all entries in William's diary were descriptions. He also included letters to and from other members of the Underground Railroad. Many letters told of slaves who had made it to safety. Others asked what to do if things didn't go as arranged. In the event that the mail might end up in the wrong hands, the letters were written in code:

"MR. STILL: I suppose you are somewhat uneasy because the goods did not come safe to hand on Monday evening, as you expected. The train only was from Harrisburg to Reading, and as it happened, the goods had to stay all night with us. We thought it expedient and wise to detain them until we could hear from you. There are two small boxes and two large ones. We have them all secure. What had better be done? Let us know."

Question: Read this excerpt. As part of the code, what are the "goods" in the second paragraph?

runaway slaves
slave catchers
newspaper articles
major cities

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Find examples in five selections of words that describe things you can hear, see, or touch.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

4C: Visualizing

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: HiE-20

Excerpt: Every December in Oaxaca, Spain, there's the Night of the Radishes, which features animals, dancers, kings, and just about everything else you can think of, all carved from the small red vegetable. Before the event, each radish artist will spend three days at work on the vegetables, and all the vegetable art will compete for the top prize.

Question: Based on this excerpt, which of the following best describes the Night of the Radishes festival?

creative and artistic
loud and energetic
chaotic and exhausting
serious and intense

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: List words and phrases in a selection that helped you form a picture of a place, object, or event in a selection.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: HiE-8

Excerpt: Dr. Mae Jemison is an African American woman who was born during a time of segregation. However, she never let that hold her back from having very high goals. Dr. Jemison excelled at everything she set out to do. She became a doctor, a scientist, a businesswoman, and an astronaut. She not only reached for the stars, but also got to visit them.

Question: By the end, what is the overall tone, or "feeling," of this selection?

confident
unsure
dreamy
bossy

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: What words does an author use to create an excited or adventurous mood? Use details from a selection you have read to support and explain your answer.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

5R4

Exemplars

4A: Interpreting Word Meaning

4A: Interpreting Word Meaning

SeeReader ✓ standard met

HiE-36

Writing ✓ standard met

Evaluator

6A: Recognizing Author's Intent

6A: Recognizing Author's Intent

SeeReader ✓ standard met

HiE-58

Writing ✓ standard met

Evaluator

6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone

6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone

SeeReader ✓ standard met

HiE-69

Writing ✓ standard met

Evaluator

4A: Interpreting Word Meaning

4A: Interpreting Word Meaning

SeeReader ✓ standard met

HiE-4

Writing ✓ standard met

Evaluator

4B: Interpreting Analogies

4B: Interpreting Analogies

SeeReader ✓ standard met

HiE-25

Writing ✓ standard met

Evaluator

4C: Visualizing

4C: Visualizing

SeeReader ✓ standard met

HiE-20

Writing ✓ standard met

Evaluator

6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone

6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone

SeeReader ✓ standard met

HiE-8

Writing ✓ standard met

Evaluator

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Writing
✓ standard met

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Writing
✓ standard met

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Writing
✓ standard met

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Writing
✓ standard met

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Writing
✓ standard met

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Writing
✓ standard met

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Writing
✓ standard met