STAAR Prep Eng 1-2

Read the following dictionary entry

What is the definition of arrest as it is used in paragraph 3?

• Definition 1

• Definition 2

• Definition 3

• Definition 4

Answer explanation

EXPLANATION: The word but sets up a contrast in meaning between arrest and arrived. Moving day arrives, even though the author wants to stop it from coming. B is correct.

A and D are incorrect. These meanings are unrelated to the ideas in the essay.

C is incorrect. The author does not want to hold anyone’s attention; instead, she wants to hold back time.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

The author would most likely describe Aunt

Josie as —

• witty and unadventurous

• hospitable and wise

• happy and carefree

• hard-working and artistic

Answer explanation

EXPLANATION: The author gives examples from her personal experience that reveal her perspective on her aunt. Aunt Josie provides a warm welcome and a delicious meal for the author and her family, showing her hospitable nature. She also gives the author helpful advice, revealing her wisdom. G is correct.

• F, H, and J are incorrect. They are not thoroughly supported by details in the essay.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

What is the primary purpose of the first and last paragraphs?

• To describe the author as an adult

• To show similarities between the author

  and her aunt Josie

• To reveal the author’s love for Santa Fe

• To explain where the author lives

Answer explanation

EXPLANATION: The first paragraph describes the author’s longing to return to Santa Fe and her discomfort with the congestion and urban nature of Houston. The last paragraph reveals her happiness at having chosen to give Santa Fe a chance. The details in both paragraphs reinforce the idea that she loves Santa Fe. C is correct.

A is incorrect. The paragraphs do not convey specific details about the author’s adult character, other than the fact that she prefers Santa Fe to Houston.

B is incorrect. Readers can draw conclusions about the author and her aunt Josie, such as the fact that both dislike big cities and love Santa Fe, but that is not the primary purpose of these two paragraphs.

D is incorrect. The paragraphs establish that the author lives in Santa Fe, but they bring out much more than this fact alone.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.3

CCSS.RI.6.3

CCSS.RI.7.3

CCSS.RI.8.3

CCSS.RI.9-10.3

In paragraph 9, the author uses the word lullaby because —

• the coyotes howl only at night

• she finds the coyotes’ sounds reassuring

• the howling and yapping keep her awake

• the coyotes’ sounds are soft and gentle

Answer explanation

EXPLANATION: A lullaby is sung to help a baby fall asleep. Therefore, it suggests the qualities of being soothing and reassuring. The author uses this word deliberately to show that, for her, the sounds made by the coyotes have become comforting. G is correct.

F is incorrect. Lullabies are not necessarily sung only at night.

H is incorrect. The purpose of a lullaby is to induce sleep, not prevent it.

J is incorrect. The words howling and yapping imply shrill and harsh sounds, rather than soft and gentle ones.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

The statement “I often got lost because the city was too small” in paragraph 7 is an example of —

• irony

• sensory language

• personification

• hyperbole

Answer explanation

EXPLANATION: Irony means that the outcome is different from what is expected. A person would not be expected to get lost in a small city. Therefore, the statement shows irony. A is correct.

B is incorrect. The statement contains no

vivid imagery to appeal to readers’ senses.

C is incorrect. The statement does not

describe the city as having human qualities.

D is incorrect. The statement is factual; it

does not exaggerate anything for emphasis or humor.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

In paragraph 5, the phrase “a beacon to guide us through the darkness” reveals the author’s feeling of —

• dismay

• anger

• relief

• excitement

Answer explanation

EXPLANATION: This phrase compares the light from Aunt Josie’s front door to the beam of a lighthouse, used to bring lost sailors safely into harbor. Using this comparison suggests that the author felt that she was approaching a place of safety or security in the midst of all that was strange and dark. Therefore, this comparison reveals her sense of relief. H is correct.

F and G are incorrect. Neither the phrase nor its context suggests that the author feels upset or angry at the sight of her aunt’s house.

J is incorrect. Although the author is glad to see her aunt’s house, excitement is too strong a word for what she feels.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

How do you think the author’s adult perspective on her move to Santa Fe is similar to or different from the way she viewed the event as a thirteen-year-old? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.

Answer explanation

EXPLANATION Rubric, high-scoring response:

Reflects a perceptive awareness of text meaning and complexities; makes meaningful connections

across the text

Uses specific, well-chosen evidence from the text, supporting validity of response

Shows deep understanding of the text through ideas and supporting text evidence

Sample Response: As a thirteen-year-old, the author felt the move was the most catastrophic event in her life. She says that “Santa Fe seemed as foreign as the moon,” and she dreaded having to live there. As an adult, she can see that the relocation truly changed her life. Ironically, she finds Houston too crowded and fast-paced now. She revels in the uniqueness of Santa Fe, where she can see deer from her kitchen window and breathe fresh air. From an adult perspective, she would most likely say that the move was the best thing to happen to her, since she appears to have found happiness.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RI.8.9

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6