Informational Unit Pre-Assessment

Which of the following is NOT a strategy for writing a hook?

• Writing a quick story

• Starting with an interesting statistic or fact

• Rephrasing the question you are answering.

• Stating a famous quote that relates to the topic.

What is the best topic sentence for the following paragraph about favorite vacation spots?    
     To start, one of the reasons why I like to vacation there is that they have a lot of cool places to eat, such as Bimini’s and Hard Rock Café. Not only do they have great food here, but they also play cool music. Another reason why I really enjoy the hotel is the fact that the hotel has a swim-up bar. You swim in the giant pool, and if you’re thirsty, you can get a Coke or a Pepsi for free at the bar. Last, but not least, the hotel has a really cool game room. Here you can play ping pong and arcade games like Pac Man. Overall, the Historic Hotel on Marco Island, Florida has a lot of kid-friendly resources, and I hope to go back on vacation there soon.

• Marco Island is a great vacation spot because of all the incredible food you can eat there.
• The Historic Hotel is a great place because you can do lots of things like play ping pong or drink all the soda you want.
• My favorite vacation spot is the Historic Hotel on Marco Island, Florida.
• My family goes on lots of vacations, so I know a good spot when I see it.

The paragraph below is missing transitions. Please select the group of transitions that would best fit this paragraph.     
  ^{Camels are among the most interesting animals on the planet. ___________, camels are called the "ships of the desert" because they are used to carrying people and loads from one place to another. ____________, they have a huge hump on their body where they store their fat, which enables them to survive famines and drought. ______________, they are very passive animals and get along well with humans and other animals alike. In conclusion, it would be hard to find an animal much cooler than a camel.}

• First of all, In addition, Furthermore
• First, Although, And
• First, Moreover, Then
• First of all, Next of all, According to

Tags

CCSS.L.1.1G

CCSS.L.3.1H

CCSS.L.5.1A

CCSS.L.5.1E

A student has written a topic sentence and now needs to write his first supporting detail. Read his topic sentence. Then determine which answer contains the best TLQ setup for the student’s supporting detail.

Topic Sentence: Pangolins have many qualities that make them interesting to study.

• “Pangolins look like reptiles because they have scales, but they are actually mammals,” according to Dr. Jerry Formosa.

• First of all, one interesting detail the text states about pangolins is that “pangolins look like reptiles because they have scales, but they are actually mammals."

• What makes pangolins interesting is “pangolins look like reptiles because they have scales, but they are actually mammals."

• To begin, “pangolins look like reptiles because they have scales, but they are actually mammals."

A student is writing a paragraph about how cats are great pets. Which of the following is the most factual supporting detail the student could use?

•  Cats are cuddly and cute and make great pets. 
• Even though dogs are considered man's best friend, cats are also loving and protective companions.
• To start, all cats are smaller than dogs, so they don't take up as much room. 
• First, cats are able to use litter boxes and don't have to be walked or let out like dogs.

A student has chosen to use the following sentence as her second supporting detail for her paragraph about cats being great pets.

^{Supporting detail #2: Cats do not bark or make other loud noises.}

Which of the following choices would be the best explanation of how the detail supports the topic sentence?

• I love watching hilarious cat clips on YouTube.

• Cats generally lead a pretty quiet existence, which makes them peaceful companions to live with.

• This is why cats are great.

• No one wants a loud, barking dog waking them up all the time. Cats are quiet, but they sometimes do make loud noises from time to time, which can also get very irritating but still not as loud as a dog bark.

Tags

CCSS.W.7.1A

CCSS.W.7.1B

CCSS.W.7.2B

A student wants to paraphrase a quote she found for her research paper about cats.
Quote: Most cats are natural hunters and will help if you have problems with mice. For some cats, this instinct has, sadly, been bred out of them. 
Which of the following answer choices best paraphrases the quote?

• According to the article, all cats are experts at hunting mice. 
• The author claims that cats can no longer effectively hunt mice because it has been bred out of them.
• While cats are instinctively able to hunt mice, there are some breeds who no longer can because breeding has caused them to lose this ability.
• Most cats are natural hunters and will help if you have problems with mice. For some cats, this instinct has, sadly, been bred out of them.

Read the following paragraph below. Then choose the best closing sentence to end the paragraph.    
Canada is one of the best countries in the world to live in. First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well‐trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live. 

• These are the reasons Canada is great. 
• Which country do you think is the best? 
• Canada also has great winter weather for activities like skiing and hockey. 
• As a result, Canada is a desirable place to live. 

What is the purpose of a closing sentence or conclusion?

• To summarize the main idea of the topic and leave the reader thinking more deeply about the issues presented.
• To introduce one final idea about the topic. 
• To hook the reader and make them interested in the topic. 
• Closing sentences and conclusions do not really have a purpose; they just make the writing sound better.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.W.7.1E

CCSS.W.7.2F

Read the student’s supporting detail and explanation. Choose the answer that contains the best revision for sentence variety.

The first reason why I like eating in the Student Center Cafeteria is the food. It is excellent. It tastes delicious. There are many different kinds of food. Hamburgers and fries, tacos, and pizza are all on the menu.

• The first reason why I like eating in the Student Center Cafeteria is the food. It is excellent. There are many different kinds of food. There are hamburgers and fries, tacos, and pizza.

• Eating in the Student Center Cafeteria is excellent because of the food; there are many different kinds of delicious foods on the menu, such as hamburgers, fries, tacos, and pizza.

• The first reason why I like eating in the Student Center Cafeteria is the excellent food it tastes delicious there are many different kinds of food, and they all taste delicious.

• The first reason why I like eating in the Student Center Cafeteria is the food! It is excellent! It tastes delicious! There are many different kinds of food, too!