Selection: G-7

G-7

Grade level: 7

Word count: 1961 words

Author: Karen Berman

Synopsis: Ruby Bridges was the first and only African American student in her school.

Excerpt: As Ruby's first day of school approached, Judge Wright began to fear that white segregationists might try to harm the children. He also knew they could not depend on city police, because they often sided with white people, no matter what. Judge Wright requested federal marshals, who were police officers from the U.S. government, to keep the children from being harmed. They drove Ruby to school that first day and for most of the following year.

Question: You can tell that ending segregation was dangerous mostly because

1. federal marshals were brought in to enforce the court ruling.
2. all students rode buses to their newly integrated schools.
3. Ruby's mother had to stay with her all day in the classroom.
4. Ruby had to eat her lunch alone in the school cafeteria.

Selection: G-47

G-47

Grade level: 7

Word count: 1891 words

Author: Anonymous

Synopsis: A woman describes the many daily challenges and few pleasures she experienced as a farmer's wife in the early 20th century.

Excerpt: No excerpt is available for this question.

Question: This selection is mainly about a

1. woman's quest for personal fulfillment.
2. family's struggles in the early 1900s.
3. farmer's excessive demands on his wife.
4. writer's gratitude to her minister.
5. woman's quest for personal fulfillment.
6. family's struggles in the early 1900s.
7. farmer's excessive demands on his wife.
8. writer's gratitude to her minister.

Selection: G-11

G-11

Grade level: 7

Word count: 1630 words

Author: Ben Robinson

Synopsis: It's a real talent to be able to replicate the sound of musical instruments with the human voice.

Excerpt: Expert practitioners would draw huge crowds as they traveled the countryside.

But then vocal percussion disappeared for a time. As the centuries progressed, European music shifted from that played by small groups to symphonies performed by massive orchestras.

But then, toward the end of the 1980s, beatboxing fell off the map a bit once again. As hip hop's mainstream popularity waned after a hot start, beatboxing was seen as something of a parlor trick.

But beatboxing refused to up and die.

Question: What can you say about the popularity of beatboxing over the years?

1. It went through a number of ups and downs.
2. It was always at the top of the charts.
3. It was popular only in urban areas.
4. It never made it into the mainstream.