Curse of the Hope Diamond

The Curse of the Hope Diamond

Informational Text with key ideas and details (R.1), central ideas (R.2), vocabulary (R.4), text structure (R.5), and finding text evidence (R.10)

​Recall details from the text.

• Read the question and ALL answers carefully.

• Check your answer by looking for the answer back in the text.

Multiple Choice

Consider this line: "Yet given how many people have owned the stunning jewel over the years, it's only logical that some would experience tragedy." This line supports the argument that _____.

• the Hope Diamond should be returned to India.

• the curse of the Hope Diamond is not real.

• the Hope Diamond is worth a lot of money today.

• the curse of the Hope Diamond is real.

Multiple Choice

What is the truth about how Jean-Baptiste Tavernier acquired the gem later known as the Hope Diamond?

• He stole it off a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita.

• He bought it from a French jeweler named Pierre Cartier.

• He bought it somewhere in India.

• He got it from English noble Lord Francis Hope.

​Identify the central idea.

• a main point the author is making (main idea)

  • What is the article about?

  • mini summary

• All statements are likely to be true, but they may be too narrow or too broad to be the main idea. Think of the three little bears.

• If it asks for something about just a paragraph or just a section, go back and review that section.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence best expresses the central idea of the section "Just a Story?"

• Evalyn and Ned McLean bought the Hope Diamond for $180,000.

• The Hope Diamond has brought bad luck to many of its owners.

• The idea that the Hope Diamond is cursed is based on false information.

• Stories about cursed diamonds were popular in the early 1900s.

Multiple Choice

Which statement best expresses a central idea of the article?

• According to legend, the Hope Diamond is cursed and brings bad luck to those who interact with it.

• The Hope Diamond is one of our country's most valuable treasures.

• Stories about cursed diamonds were popular in the early 1900s.

• Naturally, some people who have owned the diamond have experienced tragedy.

Vocabulary in context

1. Go back and read the words and sentences surrounding the unknown word.

2. Think about the meaning in this situation.

3. Create an educated guess on what a synonym or meaning would be for that word.

4. Check all options with your understanding of the word in the sentence. Does the option make sense?

Multiple Choice

At the end of the first paragraph, the author Jennifer Dignan writes, "The gem's dazzling beauty was irresistible." Irresistible most closely means _____.

• unique

• expensive

• surprising

• tempting

Multiple Choice

Read the last sentence from paragraph 7 of the text.

What does the author communicate to the reader with the use of the word fabrications?

• The articles were about sewing.

• The articles were meant to be funny.

• The articles were deceptive.

• The articles were based on true facts.

​ Not too narrow or detailed

​Focused on question

Good Text Evidence

Multiple Choice

Which text evidence supports the idea that the curse of the Hope Diamond is a legend? (Not true)

• "After he returned to Europe, Tavernier sold the gem to the King of France for a hefty price" (Par. 2).

• "In the coming centuries, the magnificent blue diamond passed from owner to owner. Wherever it went, it seemed to bring misfortune" (Par. 3)

• "There was just one problem with the story: Cartier had made the whole thing up!" (Par. 5).

• "Stories about cursed diamonds were popular at the time" (Par. 7).

Multiple Choice

Which text evidence supports the idea that the curse of the Hope Diamond is a legend? (Not true)

• "Soon other newspapers repeated the story, with many writers adding new and more fantastical details" (Par. 7).

• "King Louis XVI of France and his wife, Marie Antoinette, who possessed the jewel during the French Revolution, were beheaded" (Par. 9).

• "Today the Hope Diamond is on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C." (Par. 11).

• "'If the Smithsonian accepts the Hope Diamond,' one person warned, 'the whole country will suffer'" (Par. 12).