RI.8.1-8.6 Little Visits with Great Americans

How do paragraphs 2 and 3 contribute to the development of a central idea?

• A They show a contrast between Sullivan and Keller.

• B They provide an example of Keller’s remarkable intelligence.

• C They explain a solution to a problem Keller was attempting to solve.

• D They convey the chronological events of Keller’s typical day.

Read the sentence from paragraph 4.

Some of the best blood of both the north and the south flows in her veins, and it is

probable that her uncommon mental powers are in no small degree due to heredity.

What does the sentence indicate about the author’s point of view?

• A The author believes Keller and her family are naturally intelligent.

• B The author believes Keller’s parents should take credit for her intelligence.

• C The author believes Keller’s illnesses were genetic.

• D The author believes Keller and her abilities were appreciated around the world.

Which inference can be made based on the information in the passage?

• A Keller may have been a mischievous child because she was frustrated with her inability to

  communicate.

• B Keller desired to become famous for her impressive abilities after graduating from college.

• C Due to the sheer volume of material, Sullivan was often overwhelmed by the amount of work

  required to teach Keller.

• D Keller was one of the first students to master concepts in Braille.

Which inference can be made based on the information in the passage?

• A E Sullivan’s love for Keller helped make Keller’s successes possible.

• B Keller desired to become famous for her impressive abilities after graduating from college.

• C Due to the sheer volume of material, Sullivan was often overwhelmed by the amount of work

  required to teach Keller.

• D Keller was one of the first students to master concepts in Braille.

The author of the passage implies that Keller’s desire to learn was unquenchable.

How does the author develop this central idea over the course of the passage?

• A by illustrating the ways in which Keller was able to be taught languages

• B by including Keller’s direct quotation explaining her stance on learning

• C by explaining Keller’s various achievements in adulthood

• D by describing the ways in which Keller surpassed academic expectations

Read the excerpts from paragraphs 7 and 8.

At first, Helen violently resisted the teacher’s efforts to instruct her. So determined

was Helen’s opposition that Miss Sullivan declared that if she had not exercised

physical force and a determination even more strenuous than that of her student,

she would never have succeeded in teaching her anything. (paragraph 7)

Instead of resisting instruction, her eagerness to learn was so great that it had to be

restrained. So rapid was her progress that, in a few weeks, anyone who knew the

manual alphabet could easily communicate with her. (paragraph 8)

Which sentence describes the connection between the two excerpts?

• A Both excerpts emphasize Keller’s inability to work collaboratively with teachers.

• B The first excerpt describes the difficult situation caused by general instruction as evidenced in

  the second excerpt.

• C The second excerpt provides an example of a problem described in the first excerpt.

• D Both excerpts illustrate how Keller’s fierce determination was transformed from an obstacle to

  an asset.

Which quotation from the passage supports the claim that both Keller and Sullivan

are noteworthy women?

• A “How well this noble and devoted teacher has succeeded in her work is fully evidenced by the

  brilliancy and thoroughness of her student’s achievements.” (paragraph 6)

• B “In September, 1896, accompanied by her teacher, Miss Keller entered the Cambridge School

  for Girls to prepare for Radcliffe College.” (paragraph 9)

• C “‘No other, man or woman,’ he adds, ‘has ever, in my experience, got ready for those

  examinations in so brief a time.’” (paragraph 9)

• D “‘In study hours, Miss Sullivan’s labors were even more arduous, for she was required to read

  everything that Helen had to learn, except what was prepared in Braille...’” (paragraph 11)