R.1
Description:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Maps to Reading Plus skills:
1A, 1A, 1B, 1B, 2B, 2C, 3B, 4C, 5B, 8A, 8B, 8B, 9A
Exemplars
1A: Recalling Explicit Details
1A: Recalling Explicit Details
Description:
Identifying explicit details including character, time, setting and speaker
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:
"Okay, ladies and gents," Mr. Crawford began, "in our last class we discussed some of Henry David Thoreau's ideas about nature as expressed in his book, 'Walden,' particularly the notion Thoreau had of Walden pond as an eye -- 'intermediate in its nature between land and sky.' As you might recall, Thoreau's self-built one-room cabin was on his good friend Ralph Waldo Emerson's land, where he experimented in living independently as he sought self-fulfillment and closure over his brother's death."
Question:
According to Mr. Crawford, for which two reasons did Thoreau conduct his "experiment" at Walden Pond?
- to seek self-fulfillment
- to find closure over his brother's death
- to spend time with his friend Emerson
- to understand more about nature
- to learn how to build a cabin
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
The setting of a selection includes not only place but also time. Describe a selection you have read in which the historical time period was critical to the plot. For example, Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities.'
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
1B: Analyzing Implicit Details
1B: Analyzing Implicit Details
Description:
Drawing Conclusions, Making Inferences from information in text
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:
Jokers would make him tell the story of "the piece of string" to amuse them, just as you make a soldier who has been on a campaign tell his story of the battle. His mind kept growing weaker and about the end of December he took to his bed.
He passed away early in January, and, in the ravings of death agony, he protested his innocence, repeating, "A little bit of string -- a little bit of string. See, here it is, M'sieu le Mayor."
He passed away early in January, and, in the ravings of death agony, he protested his innocence, repeating, "A little bit of string -- a little bit of string. See, here it is, M'sieu le Mayor."
Question:
What happens to Hauchecorne at the end of this selection?
- He is driven to insanity and eventually death due to the false charges brought against him.
- He is vindicated in court and regains his reputation as an honest man.
- He is granted revenge when he becomes mayor and jails Malandain for making false accusations.
- He is found guilty by a jury of his peers and is sentenced to jail even though he is innocent.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Describe how you arrived at conclusions about a selection's main idea and characters if information about these text elements was not directly stated.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
2B: Analyzing Relative Importance
2B: Analyzing Relative Importance
Description:
Determining Relative Importance
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-37
J-37
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2283 words
Author: Diane Lang
Synopsis: A mentee turns his life around and eventually becomes a mentor to help others find their passion in life.
Excerpt:
Before I embarrassed myself further, the musician directed me into a small conference room. "Son, I get you, cuz I was you once. Jazz saved my life, and it's going to save yours, so talk to me, dude."
For some inarticulate reason, I opened up to this jive-talking songster. I told this hep artiste about my momma and my fears about her death; I described my aunt and uncle and their struggles; I related my fears of getting caught up in neighborhood violence, and I expressed how hard it was to find any joy or hope in my present situation.
For some inarticulate reason, I opened up to this jive-talking songster. I told this hep artiste about my momma and my fears about her death; I described my aunt and uncle and their struggles; I related my fears of getting caught up in neighborhood violence, and I expressed how hard it was to find any joy or hope in my present situation.
Question:
What is the most important aspect of mentoring?
- open communication
- quality time
- consistent feedback
- shared interests
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Imagine you are an attorney cross-examining the characters in a selection. What questions would you ask them to elicit the most important details about the plot?
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
3B: Analyzing Plot/Character
3B: Analyzing Plot/Character
Description:
Analyzing setting, plot, and character
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:
Monsieur Hauchecorne, of Breaute, had just arrived at Goderville and was making his way toward the square when he perceived on the ground a little piece of string. Monsieur Hauchecorne, economical as are all true Normans, reflected that everything was worth picking up which could be of any use, and he stooped down, but painfully, because he suffered from rheumatism. He took the bit of thin string from the ground and was carefully preparing to roll it up when he saw Monsieur Malandain, the harness maker, on his doorstep staring at him. They had once had a quarrel about a halter, and they had borne each other malice ever since.
Question:
Before he picked up the piece of string, Hauchecorne's relationship with Malandain can best be described as
- confrontational.
- respectful.
- cordial.
- neighborly.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Imagine you are the main character in a selection you read. Would your emotional reactions to events in the selection be the same as those of the actual character? Explain why or why not.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
4C: Visualizing
4C: Visualizing
Description:
Visualizing
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:
The peasants examined the cows, went off, came back, well acquainted with the workings of the market and always in doubt for fear of being cheated, never quite daring to decide, looking the seller square in the eye in the effort to discover the tricks of the man and the defect in the beast.
Question:
Reread this excerpt. What is the underlying mood of the people in the marketplace?
- distrustful
- industrious
- optimistic
- exhausted
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Describe how you relate scenes you visualize from reading with real life scenes. Give examples.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
8A: Judging Validity
8A: Judging Validity
Description:
Judge Validity
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-31
J-31
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2321 words
Author: Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Synopsis: Harald, son of Viking explorer Erik the Red, led a life full of great adventure, excitement, and danger. This tale mixes fact and fantasy.
Excerpt:
Harald was going to the new western world called the Wonderstrands, which his brothers had discovered but left without sufficient exploration. The name implied it was an unusual land. First, however, he was to stop at Greenland, which his father had first discovered.
Erik the Red had chosen the name "Greenland" because, as he said, it was inevitable that people would be attracted there if it had a good name.
Erik the Red had chosen the name "Greenland" because, as he said, it was inevitable that people would be attracted there if it had a good name.
Question:
Which is correct?
- Vikings used descriptive names for the lands they discovered and explored.
- Harald was the only son of Viking explorer Erik the Red.
- The Viking who conquered Wonderstrands has never been identified.
- Vikings were small, malnourished people but they were fiercely brave.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Imagine you are developing a new app to determine if a text is true or not true. What text clues would the app need to search for to judge validity? Provide examples.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
8B: Reasoning
8B: Reasoning
Description:
Reasoning
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-31
J-31
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2321 words
Author: Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Synopsis: Harald, son of Viking explorer Erik the Red, led a life full of great adventure, excitement, and danger. This tale mixes fact and fantasy.
Excerpt:
The myths and classic tales of Vikings portray these people as aggressive warriors who left destruction wherever they landed, pillaging whatever goods they found.
So Harald left his home with his father, Erik the Red, in a gigantic galley called the "Sea-serpent." They sailed through the Mediterranean Sea.
The oars were 20 feet long, and were put through oar holes, and the rudder, shaped like a large oar, was not at the end, but was attached to a projecting beam on the starboard side. The ship was to be called a "Dragon," and was painted to look like one, having a gilded dragon's head at the bow and a gilded tail on the stern. The moving oars would look like legs; and the row of red and white shields, hung along the side of the boat, would resemble the scales of a dragon; and the great square sails, red and blue, would look like wings.
So Harald left his home with his father, Erik the Red, in a gigantic galley called the "Sea-serpent." They sailed through the Mediterranean Sea.
The oars were 20 feet long, and were put through oar holes, and the rudder, shaped like a large oar, was not at the end, but was attached to a projecting beam on the starboard side. The ship was to be called a "Dragon," and was painted to look like one, having a gilded dragon's head at the bow and a gilded tail on the stern. The moving oars would look like legs; and the row of red and white shields, hung along the side of the boat, would resemble the scales of a dragon; and the great square sails, red and blue, would look like wings.
Question:
Based on what you have read about Vikings, what is the main reason they designed their boats to look like dragons?
- to intimidate enemies
- to entertain themselves
- to honor their gods
- to imitate competitors
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
What motivates people? Use details from a selection you have read, as well as your reasoning skills, to support your answer.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
9A: Comparing/Contrasting
9A: Comparing/Contrasting
Description:
Compare, Contrast, and/or Integrate
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-31
J-31
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2321 words
Author: Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Synopsis: Harald, son of Viking explorer Erik the Red, led a life full of great adventure, excitement, and danger. This tale mixes fact and fantasy.
Excerpt:
The Vikings discovered and settled lands far from their Scandinavian home. Most experts agree that the Vikings landed in North America long before Columbus set sail for the New World.
The myths and classic tales of Vikings portray these people as aggressive warriors who left destruction wherever they landed, pillaging whatever goods they found. Some of this is true, but there was far more complexity to the Viking culture. For example, most men living in Scandinavia at that time were farmers, fishermen, or craftsmen, not warriors.
When the youth returned to his father, he found Erik the Red directing the construction of one of the great Viking galleys, nearly 80 feet long and 17 feet wide and only six feet deep. The boat had 20 ribs, and the frame was fastened together by ropes made of roots. The oaken planks were held by iron rivets.
The oars were 20 feet long, and were put through oar holes, and the rudder, shaped like a large oar, was not at the end, but was attached to a projecting beam on the starboard side. The ship was to be called a "Dragon," and was painted to look like one, having a gilded dragon's head at the bow and a gilded tail on the stern. The moving oars would look like legs; and the row of red and white shields, hung along the side of the boat, would resemble the scales of a dragon; and the great square sails, red and blue, would look like wings.
The myths and classic tales of Vikings portray these people as aggressive warriors who left destruction wherever they landed, pillaging whatever goods they found. Some of this is true, but there was far more complexity to the Viking culture. For example, most men living in Scandinavia at that time were farmers, fishermen, or craftsmen, not warriors.
When the youth returned to his father, he found Erik the Red directing the construction of one of the great Viking galleys, nearly 80 feet long and 17 feet wide and only six feet deep. The boat had 20 ribs, and the frame was fastened together by ropes made of roots. The oaken planks were held by iron rivets.
The oars were 20 feet long, and were put through oar holes, and the rudder, shaped like a large oar, was not at the end, but was attached to a projecting beam on the starboard side. The ship was to be called a "Dragon," and was painted to look like one, having a gilded dragon's head at the bow and a gilded tail on the stern. The moving oars would look like legs; and the row of red and white shields, hung along the side of the boat, would resemble the scales of a dragon; and the great square sails, red and blue, would look like wings.
Question:
The first excerpt is from the website of a history program on TV, and the second is from the selection you just read. Based on the information provided in them, what conclusion can be drawn?
- Much of the success of Viking explorers can be attributed to the skill of craftsman who never left their home country.
- Viking ship-building was inferior to ship-building in other countries.
- The strength and agility of Viking sailing vessels described in myths is baseless.
- Viking ships were beautiful to look at, but failed miserably when on the open sea.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Describe how the world today compares and contrasts with the setting of a selection that takes place in the past. Include at least three examples.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
1A: Recalling Explicit Details
1A: Recalling Explicit Details
Description:
Identifying explicit details including character, time, setting and speaker
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-34
J-34
Grade level: 10
Word count: 1806 words
Author: Peter Brassai
Synopsis: Hitchcock made dozens of thrillers that demonstrated his mastery of suspense, shock, and menace.
Excerpt:
Hitchcock had a distinctive and decidedly visual style, always emphasizing imagery over dialogue. Critics praised his ability to generate suspense through innovative visual effects, such as montage, oblique camera angles, and cross-cutting between objective shots of a scene and subjective views from an actor's perspective.
Question:
According to the selection, Hitchcock's filmmaking style could be considered "distinctive and decidedly visual" due to his use of which two of the following visual effects?
- montage
- cross-cutting
- fish-eye
- perspective
- zoom
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Create a website for a non-fiction selection you read. Include the main idea and supporting details. Include images that would help viewers of your website better understand the topic.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
1B: Analyzing Implicit Details
1B: Analyzing Implicit Details
Description:
Drawing Conclusions, Making Inferences from information in text
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-1
J-1
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2216 words
Author: Randi Bender
Synopsis: Accurate information is crucial during wartime, but disinformation may be just as important.
Excerpt:
In 1943 the Allies were fighting in North Africa and had a heavy troop commitment there. It was clear that the time and cost of regrouping and transporting troops to Northern Europe for an invasion were impossible. An invasion would have to take place across the Mediterranean, from North Africa, where troops were amassed, to the southern shores of the European continent. British Intelligence assessed possible penetration points in France, Greece, and Italy.
Question:
Based on this excerpt, British Intelligence identified France, Greece, and Italy as possible European invasion points because
- these countries were in the proximity of North Africa.
- these countries were sympathetic to the Germans.
- none of these countries had an army of its own.
- there were few German troops stationed in these countries.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Write a question about one additional fact you would have liked to learn from a selection you read. Answer the question by using the Internet or other research tools to find the necessary information.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
2C: Summarizing
2C: Summarizing
Description:
Summarizing
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-14
J-14
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2066 words
Author: Suzanne Schmaeling
Synopsis: The search for alternative fuels heats up as sources of fossil fuels dwindle.
Excerpt:
Americans were greatly affected by the oil embargo of the 1970s, when a group of oil-exporting countries agreed to curtail oil production and shipment. Prices at American gas pumps jumped, which had a dramatically negative effect on the U.S. economy.
Question:
America's dependence on foreign energy sources
- is potentially devastating to the U.S. economy.
- helps foster positive diplomatic relations between nations.
- was a problem, but no longer threatens U.S. industries.
- has insignificant implications for growing businesses.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Create a news report based on a selection you have read. Report facts from the selection as well as additional facts you researched from reputable sources.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
5B: Examining Sequence
5B: Examining Sequence
Description:
Examining Sequence of Ideas and Events
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-38
J-38
Grade level: 10
Word count: 1999 words
Author: Adapted from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
Synopsis: If you're someone who loves numbers and equations, consider pursuing one of these mathematics-related vocations.
Excerpt:
If you pursued a career as a mathematician you would need to have at least a bachelor's degree, although a master's degree or doctorate are almost always essential for more advanced positions. The median salary for this career is just above $100,000 per year.
The typical statistician can expect to earn about $75,000 per year.
The median yearly salary for this career is about $95,000, and the U.S. Department of Labor predicts employment of actuaries will grow much faster than the average for all occupations.
If you are interested in pursuing electrical engineering, you will need to take courses in physics and mathematics, including algebra, trigonometry, and calculus. Entry-level jobs in this field require a bachelor's degree, and median salaries for this vocation are about $88,000.
The typical statistician can expect to earn about $75,000 per year.
The median yearly salary for this career is about $95,000, and the U.S. Department of Labor predicts employment of actuaries will grow much faster than the average for all occupations.
If you are interested in pursuing electrical engineering, you will need to take courses in physics and mathematics, including algebra, trigonometry, and calculus. Entry-level jobs in this field require a bachelor's degree, and median salaries for this vocation are about $88,000.
Question:
Place the following careers in order according to their salaries, with the highest-paying career first.
- mathematician
- actuary
- electrical engineer
- statistician
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Think about the selections you have read that explain how something happens or is done. Explain the process in complete detail in your own words, so that people reading your instructions are able to understand or perform the entire process successfully on their own.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
8B: Reasoning
8B: Reasoning
Description:
Reasoning
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-24
J-24
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2056 words
Author: Erica Cirino
Synopsis: This and many other urban legends are believable because they contain partial truths and scrambled facts.
Excerpt:
No excerpt is available for this question.
Question:
Why do many people feel compelled to tell cautionary types of urban legends like that of "Pop Rocks and Soda Pop"?
- to inform others about a potentially dangerous condition
- to show their knowledge of common facts of life
- to demonstrate that they have a good sense of humor
- to describe something surprising that happened to a friend
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Do people learn by studying the past? Use details from a selection you have read, as well as your reasoning skills, to support your answer.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions