Reading Plus State Standards Alignment: Exemplars

3A: Predicting Outcomes

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: I-5

Excerpt: Two years after arriving in America, Livan had now achieved status as a genuine baseball star. As Livan celebrated and sprayed champagne over his jubilant teammates, his brother Orlando was still in Cuba, with no salary and no championship ring. However, that was about to change.

Question: What could have happened to El Duque if Livan had never left Cuba?

He might not have sought an opportunity to play baseball in America.
He might have signed a million-dollar contract with a Cuban team.
He might have been arrested as a potential risk to flee his homeland.
He might have lost interest in baseball and retired at a young age.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Use a selection you have read to finish this statement: "If only (a character) had done (this action) instead of (this action), then (make a prediction about what might have happened)." Use details from the selection to illustrate and support your prediction.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

3B: Analyzing Plot/Character

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: I-22

Excerpt: Regardless of her affliction, she was a fearless tomboy, furthering her closeness to her father. Together they practiced soccer and engaged in various athletic activities to build strength in her weakened leg. They went on nature walks, collecting specimens to view under his microscope, and shared intellectual and creative pursuits, including painting.

Question: The relationship between Frida and her father can be described as

nurturing and spirited.
competitive and strained.
formal and unemotional.
passive and reserved.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Describe a character with whom you empathize, and explain why you feel this way.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

5B: Examining Sequence

SeeReader
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Selection: I-44

Excerpt: After landing in Minneapolis, we took a lengthy bus ride to Star Lake Wilderness Camp, located near small-town Brainerd. Once we arrived at our campsite, we unloaded our equipment: tents, sleeping bags, water jugs, cleaning supplies, and coolers of food.

After attending night school, I slept with my sparse belongings on a bench in Jefferson Park, a dangerous area across from the Drop-In Center, a place that helps find shelter and food for homeless people. Occasionally, a volunteer at the Drop-In Center would find a bed for me, but only for a few nights--competition was really stiff.

His agent loved my work, and a year later my creations were winning the respect of artists, journalists, photographers, and celebrities alike. I became a full-time artist and traveled often to Atlanta for photo shoots, much to the delight of my parents.

Then one night in Port-au-Prince, a random band performed "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," and my days spent in Sam's Gym drifted back to me. At that particular moment, I felt empty and purposeless.

Question: Put the following settings in order from first to last as they appear in the selection.

Star Lake Wilderness Camp
Drop-In Center at Jefferson Park
parents' home in Atlanta, Georgia
band concert in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Writing
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Writing prompt: Create a timeline of the sequence of events in a selection. Use the Internet or other research tools to find other historical events that occurred during the same timeframe and incorporate the dates on your timeline.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

6B: Recognizing Persuasion

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: I-41

Excerpt: "Music does more than nourish the human spirit," he adds. "Its very practice instills focus and discipline, respect for others, a spirit of collaboration, and many other positive values that make us better citizens of the world."

Dudamel is convinced that classical music can be a powerful force for social change. "When a little boy or girl, especially from a disadvantaged community, goes to [play in] the orchestra, it can change the life of a family and a community," he explains.

Question: The author of this selection is most likely to agree with which of the following statements?

Music instills values that can be a powerful force for making people and the world a better place.
Classical music is an elite art form that holds no interest for today's young people.
A conductor of an orchestra has a responsibility to follow the musical score as the composer intended.
A more mature conductor usually can generate more excitement than a younger one.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Write a summary of a selection from a perspective that is opposite from the selection.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

1A: Recalling Explicit Details

SeeReader
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Selection: I-1

Excerpt: The idea of building a bridge between San Francisco and Oakland had been discussed since the California Gold Rush in the 1840s, but because the water separating the two cities was so wide (more than four miles) and so deep (more than 100 feet in some places), many people thought it would be too challenging and too costly to build. Finally, in 1926, the state of California set up a special commission to plan and build a bridge connecting the two cities. The commission decided that the most suitable solution was to build two separate bridges linked by Yerba Buena Island.

Question: Why did people think it would be too difficult to build the original Bay Bridge?

The water at the building site was so wide and deep.
Steel would have to be shipped from the East Coast.
No suitable locations could be found on each shore.
A special commission said there was no money to pay for it.

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

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: I-6

Excerpt: As for my own business, even that kind of surveying which I could do with most satisfaction, my employers do not want. They would prefer that I should do my work coarsely and not too well. When I observe that there are different ways of surveying, my employer commonly asks which will give him the most land, not which is most correct.

Question: At the time this essay was written, how did Thoreau make his living?

as a surveyor
as a banker
as a teacher
as a lawmaker

Writing
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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

SeeReader
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Selection: I-4

Excerpt: Henry's speech had stirred up the patriotism of the people, and George Mason, one of the "Founding Fathers" of the United States, was very impressed with the young lawyer's skill as a public speaker. He said about Henry, "He is by far the most powerful speaker I ever heard. Every word he says not only engages but commands the attention, and your passions are no longer your own when he addresses them."

Question: In this excerpt, what is Mason really saying about Henry?

His words aroused feelings that inspired people to take action.
His words commanded people to do something they didn't want to do.
His words were too powerful for the people to understand.
His words angered those people who did not agree with him.

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

3A: Predicting Outcomes

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: I-1

Excerpt: The state of California has designated the bridge a "lifeline" structure. What that means is that just surviving a major earthquake without tumbling into the bay is not sufficient. Within a few hours of a big quake, the bridge should be usable by emergency vehicles rushing to provide aid to stricken residents. "There will be damage (in a major quake)," said Nader, "but the damage will be repairable, and the bridge should be quickly returned to service."

Question: If an earthquake were to hit San Francisco, the new Bay Bridge probably

would have minor damage.
would be irreparably damaged.
would have major damage.
would have no damage.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Use a selection you have read to finish this statement: "If only (a character) had done (this action) instead of (this action), then (make a prediction about what might have happened)." Use details from the selection to illustrate and support your prediction.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

3B: Analyzing Plot/Character

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: I-12

Excerpt: Without that avatar, the user could not enter these fantasy worlds because they are artificial and digitally enhanced environments that can be observed only through a gaming console or computer.

Like the gods in Hindu mythology who cannot visit Earth unless in avatar form, so too users cannot enter the fantasy worlds of their favorite video game without creating an avatar to represent them.

Question: How are Hindu avatars and video game avatars similar?

both allow interaction with an otherwise unreachable world
both have bodies that are subject to the laws of nature
both lack freedom and are destined to a life of struggle
both take the form of monsters to show their power

Writing
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Writing prompt: Think about the characters in a selection. What motivates these characters to act the way they do?

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

4C: Visualizing

SeeReader
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Selection: I-12

Excerpt: The prophecy continues with Vishnu incarnating as Kalki, a warrior similar in appearance to the Rama avatar. Kalki is supposed to enter India bearing weapons and riding on a white horse. This final avatar is considered god-like, possessing unlimited power and singlehandedly defeating the invaders in India.

Question: According to the prophecy, what will the people expect to see when the avatar Kalki arrives in India to defeat the foreign invaders?

a warrior bearing weapons on a white horse
a gold-skinned god descending from heaven
a wild animal carrying a demon in its teeth
a monster ascending from the seafloor

Writing
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Writing prompt: Describe an example of a particularly vivid scene from a selection. Explain what technique the author used to create such a clear picture of the setting or event you found memorable.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

5B: Examining Sequence

SeeReader
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Selection: I-19

Excerpt: In 2002, he started a restaurant in London called Fifteen. At the restaurant, he arranged to train 15 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds each year so they could get jobs in the restaurant industry.

Oliver instituted his campaign for better lunches in London's Kidbrooke School, and took his camera crew along to film a TV show.

Soon afterward, Oliver founded a group called Feed Me Better. After drafting an online petition for better school food, he received more than 271,000 signatures.

He began with a show in which he traveled around the country eating different kinds of food. He chose as his target a community in Huntington, West Virginia, a small town known for its poor health statistics.

He called this program "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution," using techniques he had developed for "Jamie's School Dinners" and "Jamie's Ministry of Food."

Question: Put the four social activist projects Oliver created in the order in which they occurred, starting with the earliest.

He started a restaurant called Fifteen.
He instituted a campaign for better lunches at Kidbrooke School.
He founded a group called Feed Me Better.
He went to West Virgina to start Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.

Writing
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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

6A: Recognizing Author's Intent

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: I-43

Excerpt: These human towers, called castells, are a longstanding and beloved tradition of Catalonia, a region in easternmost Spain. The art and craft of assembling (and instantly disassembling) castells dates back to the early 1700s, but has grown enormously in popularity in recent years. Castells are featured at special festivals, most of which are held in the vicinity of Barcelona, the largest city in Catalonia.

Question: What is the author's purpose in describing other towers in the beginning of this selection?

to highlight the cultural significance of the castells
to demonstrate how much more difficult it is to build physical towers than castells
to suggest that the castelliers should invest their energy and talent in more permanent structures
to show that large cities have erected significant structures

Writing
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Writing prompt: Describe how the author of an argument tries to prove that he or she is right.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone

SeeReader
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Selection: I-9

Excerpt: She founded her own organization called Envirocare, a business dedicated to the empowerment and independence of women through the planting of trees. This opportunity gave many women the confidence and agency to direct not only their own lives but also the future of their country. Envirocare unfortunately ran into many financial problems and ultimately failed. But Wangari knew she had created an important model and was determined to find new solutions.

Question: The primary tone in this part of the selection is one of

persistence.
jubilation.
hesitation.
impatience.

Writing
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Writing prompt: What kinds of language or other text structure elements (tone) are used to create an excited or adventurous mood? Use details from a selection you have read to illustrate and explain your answer.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

7C: Interpreting Images

SeeReader
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Selection: I-11

Image:

Question: What does the graph of a sound wave of a human heart, as shown in this image, have to do with a fractal pattern?

The graph is so similar to a fractal pattern that medical researchers can use it to check a heart's health.
The graph, like a fractal pattern, rotates around an axis and therefore always looks the same when it spins.
The graph is so different from a fractal pattern that it have no scientific value.
Once the graph or a fractal pattern is magnified, the repetition of geometric shapes can no longer be seen.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Choose an image from a nonfiction selection you have read. Use the image as inspiration to write a new fictional piece on the same topic.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

8A: Judging Validity

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: I-45

Excerpt: Davis is the first African-American girl, the fourth American girl, and the 18th girl overall to play in the Little League World Series. Those are splendid feats, especially when you consider that more than 9,000 boys have participated in the tournament since it was established in 1947. Her triumphs on the diamond have made her a media darling and a household name in many American homes. Like Brazilian soccer star Pele, Mo'ne requires only one name to be recognized.

Question: Choose the sentence in this excerpt that provides important details that support the main idea that Davis is breaking down gender barriers.

Writing
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Writing prompt: Think about how an author's bias affects the validity of a claim. Choose a selection you have read and explain whether or not the author's bias has caused him or her to make a false claim.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

8B: Reasoning

SeeReader
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Selection: I-43

Excerpt: After Franco's death in 1975, the Catalan people began to make their voices heard again, and Catalan cultural pride resurged. Catalans have continued to assert their determination to be an independent sovereign country, no longer part of Spain. This movement has become particularly strong since the turn of the 21st century. Catalans have tried to work with the Spanish government to claim their right to independence and their pride in their distinct culture and traditions, as well as to seek recognition for their contributions to the economy of Spain.

Question: Why did the death of Francisco Franco lead to a resurgence in the popularity of castell building?

The lifting of restrictions that Franco had imposed allowed for greater expression of the Catalan culture.
The end of the Franco regime made people see that working hard was not that important.
After Franco's death parents were no longer reluctant to permit their young children to participate in physical activities.
After Franco died, the Spanish government was eager to erect buildings in his honor.

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

9A: Comparing/Contrasting

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: I-46

Excerpt: Greenland is known for its extreme seasons and the bizarre effects of being positioned so close to the North Pole. Notable among these is the daylight, with the summertime sun never fully disappearing, setting upon the horizon only to rise again a few hours later. The viewer's perception of this is a continuous transition between sunset and sunrise, causing brilliant swathes of color dancing over the sky for hours.

The extreme seasons' flip side is the impenetrable darkness of winter, lasting all day and night with only soft dusk for a few daytime hours. But this harsh period of perpetual night provides an utterly awe-inspiring experience: watching the Northern Lights sweep and spiral across the sky like a celestial ballet of greens and purples. The lights arc from horizon to horizon, bending and swirling around one another at alarming speeds. The motion of the spiraling lights in the center of the arc gives one the perception of a living sky, breathing and pulsing.

Question: How do these two paragraphs work together?

They both illustrate contrasting examples of the uniqueness of Greenland's extreme climate.
They both illustrate similar climatic phenomena and how they effect Greenland's environment.
They both illustrate how Greenland's environment affects its economy and cultural arts.
They both illustrate the aesthetic influence Greenland's environment has on Nive's songwriting.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Use a Venn diagram to compare two non-fiction selections on the same topic.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

R.9.5.b

Exemplars

3A: Predicting Outcomes

3A: Predicting Outcomes

SeeReader ✓ standard met

I-5

Writing ✓ standard met

Evaluator

3B: Analyzing Plot/Character

3B: Analyzing Plot/Character

SeeReader ✓ standard met

I-22

Writing ✓ standard met

Evaluator

5B: Examining Sequence

5B: Examining Sequence

SeeReader ✓ standard met

I-44

Writing ✓ standard met

Evaluator

6B: Recognizing Persuasion

6B: Recognizing Persuasion

SeeReader ✓ standard met

I-41

Writing ✓ standard met

Evaluator

1A: Recalling Explicit Details

1A: Recalling Explicit Details

SeeReader ✓ standard met

I-1

Writing ✓ standard met

Evaluator

1B: Analyzing Implicit Details

1B: Analyzing Implicit Details

SeeReader ✓ standard met

I-6

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Evaluator

2C: Summarizing

2C: Summarizing

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I-4

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Evaluator

3A: Predicting Outcomes

3A: Predicting Outcomes

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I-1

Writing ✓ standard met

Evaluator

3B: Analyzing Plot/Character

3B: Analyzing Plot/Character

SeeReader ✓ standard met

I-12

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Evaluator

4C: Visualizing

4C: Visualizing

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I-12

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Evaluator

5B: Examining Sequence

5B: Examining Sequence

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I-19

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Evaluator

6A: Recognizing Author's Intent

6A: Recognizing Author's Intent

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I-43

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Evaluator

6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone

6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone

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I-9

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