Toward a Modern School Calendar

Which statement from the passage is an opinion?

• Students put down their books and worked in the fields gathering crops.

  
  

• About twenty years ago, the federal government funded a study that has yet to change the way school districts structure vacation days.

  
  

• It is time for our society to bring the antiquated school calendar into the twenty-first century.

• Eliminating a long summer vacation and distributing student breaks throughout the year is one option.

  
  

Which claim from the passage is not supported by evidence?

• As the population of the United States migrated from rural areas to cities, the economy depended more on manufacturing and less on agriculture.

  
  

• Urban parents working as engineers, nurses, or merchants no longer needed children to contribute labor.

  
  

• Anyone would agree that it is better to complete a lesson all at once than to keep returning to it over and over again.

  
  

• Further studies should consider how to create a calendar most likely to enhance student learning.

  
  

According to the author, what is one problem with relying on summer camps to support instruction?

• The cost of such camps creates a disadvantage for some students.

  
  

• These camps typically offer classes that fail to challenge students.

  
  

• These camps distract students from subjects that are studied during the school year.

  
  

• The narrow focus of such camps on one subject means that a range of material is neglected.

  
  

Which sentence from the passage most supports the idea that the traditional school calendar is an obstacle for students and teachers?

• The current lengthy summer break interrupts learning.

  
  

• These students will become tomorrow’s innovators, leaders, and workers.

  
  

• This slight increase in class time could result in learning gains.

  
  

• It creates the mistaken impression that school is held every day of the year.

  
  

Which statement expresses the main idea of the passage?

• Students who want to improve in school should spend more time in class.

  
  

• Most students no longer need to miss school in order to work for their families.

  
  

• The traditional school calendar no longer serves a purpose and should be replaced.

  
  

• There are many different ways to distribute vacation days throughout the school year.

  
  

What is the main idea of Paragraph 4?

• There are several possible ways to change the school system for the better.

  
  

• Young people who are students today will someday hold powerful positions.

  
  

• Modern students face more intense academic competition than students of the past did.

  
  

• Students need more time in school in order to keep up with a quickly changing society.

  
  

Which information should be omitted from a summary of the passage?

• the original purpose of extended summer breaks

  
  

• the results of government studies on the school calendar

  
  

• the wide variety of options for educational summer camp

  
  

• the specific changes being proposed for the school calendar

  
  

According to the author, which event most diminished the need for students to have summer breaks from school?

• the rise in popularity of educational programs

  
  

• the increase of parents working outside the home

  
  

• the publication of a study conducted by the federal government

  
  

• the shift from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy

  
  

According to the author, what is one way a revised calendar would help students?

• Students could spend more time with school friends.

  
  

• Less class time would be spent in reviewing lessons.

  
  

• Teachers could provide more assistance with difficult lessons.

  
  

• More class time would be spent on assisting students with career plans.

  
  

Read this sentence from Paragraph 2.

"It also forces teachers to spend precious time at the beginning of each school year reviewing lessons that had been forgotten over the summer."

Which pair of words best describes the tone created by the author’s use of language in the sentence?

• nervous and fearful

  
  

• annoyed and critical

  
  

• infuriated and offended

  
  

• distressed and bewildered