STAAR Review

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag

What type of figurative language is being used?

• personification

• imagery

• simile

• metaphor

Answer explanation

if a comparison uses the words like or as, it is a simile

Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?

What type of figurative language is used in this sentence?

• alliteration

• simile

• metaphor

• onomatopoeia

Answer explanation

wind wanting is an example of an alliteration

alliteration--words beginning with the same sound

Do you ever feel already buried deep?

Six feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there's still a chance for you'

Cause there's a spark in you?

• the person is giving up

• the person is still hoping things will get better

• the person is feeling sad

• the person is happy

Answer explanation

still a spark in you would mean that you still want a chance at it

You don't have to feel like a waste of space

You're original, cannot be replaced

If you only knew what the future holds

After a hurricane comes a rainbow

What is not the controlling idea of this stanza?

• you need to give up

• Be yourself

• know the value of your self worth

• Don't let others put you down

Answer explanation

the message in this stanza is to be proud of the person you are and know your own worth,

don't believe what others say about you

The tone of Katy Perry's song "Firework" is

• happy

• hopeful

• depressed

• sad

Answer explanation

The tone of the song is giving encouragement to fight for yourself and things will get better if you try

it leave the person as feeling hopeful

I had never been away from Houston, and New York seemed so far away. I imagined skyscrapers and subways and taxis barreling down the street and people who would not understand a Texan like me.

The word skyscraper comes from the Old Norse skrapa meaning “to scrape.

“What does skyscrapers mean in this paragraph?

• buildings that scrape against each other

• buildings that make a loud scraping noise

• planes that scrape the sky

• tall buildings that seem to scrape the sky

Answer explanation

skyscraper is a very tall building of many stories.

I had never been away from Houston, and New York seemed so far away. I imagined skyscrapers and subways and taxis barreling down the street and people who would not understand a Texan like me.

What does the word barreling mean in the paragragh?

• wide

• speeding

• rumbling

• screaming

Answer explanation

barreling-- to drive or move in a way that is so fast as to almost be out of control

My father’s apartment was minute— about the size of our living room in Houston. I wouldn’t even get to sleep in my own room.

Read the dictionary entry. Minute (mī-no͞ot′, -nyo͞ot′, mĭ-)

1. Exceptionally small; tiny. 2. So tiny as to not be seen with the naked eye. 3. Not worthy of notice; insignificant 4. Characterized by careful scrutiny and close examination Which definition best matches the meaning of minute as it is used in paragraph 1?

• Definition 1

• Definition 2

• Definition 3

• Definition 4

Answer explanation

small, tiny--apartment is referenced as the size of her living room in Texas

[1] Georges Suerat is a French postImpressionist painter best known for creating the technique of pointillism. [2] Pointillism is a style of painting where small dots of paint, instead of brushstrokes, are used to create an image. Though the painting is made up of thousands of tiny dots, the observer sees distinct colors and images when viewing the piece from a suitable distance. This process is called optical blending. [3] Suerat’s most famous work is called A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte . The work shows families and children from different French social classes as they enjoy a beautiful day at a park.

The author wrote this selection most likely to--

• explain the difficulties in painting in the style of pointillism.

• persuade the reader to try this innovative painting style.

• inform the reader about Georges Suerat and pointillism.

• provide evidence for the process of optical blending.

Answer explanation

The passage did not discuss the difficulties of painting,

did not ask us to try painting, and did not give evidence for the process of optical blending.

The word “doughnut” first appeared in 1808 in a short story by Washington Irving called “History of New York.” These doughnuts are described by Irving as small balls fried in hog’s fat. They were probably more of what we would now call doughnut holes. However, they are the first recorded example of the dessert pastry now enjoyed by millions worldwide.

How does the organization of paragraph 2 contribute to the selection?

• It explains the historical period in which Washington Irving wrote about doughnuts and then what doughnuts are.

• It explains doughnuts in general and then explains the types of doughnuts Washington Irving wrote about.

• It explains the first use of the word “doughnut” and then how Washington Irving described doughnuts.

• It explains who Washington Irving was and then describes his contributions to doughnuts.

Answer explanation

It does not explain a historical time period, it did not talk about a variety of doughnuts, it did not explain the author's contribution to doughnuts.

It tells you that he wrote an article and described the doughnut hole.