ENGLISH I - Reading Diagnostic

A Guide to Plastics in the Ocean

adapted from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

 

Table of Contents

I.

     

Introduction

II.

     

The problem with plastic

III.

     

What are microplastics?

IV.

     

How do we affect marine life?

V.

     

What can you do?

VI.

     

Conclusion

 

Introduction
Plastic is everywhere: In your home, your office, your school — and your ocean. Among the top 10 kinds of trash picked up during the 2017 International Coastal Cleanup were food wrappers, beverage bottles, grocery bags, straws, and take out containers, all made of plastic. How did it all get there, why is it a problem, and what can we do?

 

The problem with plastic
While it's tough to say exactly how much plastic is in the ocean, scientists think about 8 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010. That's the weight of nearly 90 aircraft carriers, and the problem continues to grow. These plastics come in many different forms. Just think about all the plastic items you use daily: the toothbrush you grab first thing in the morning, the container your lunch comes in, or the bottle you drink water from after your workout. All these things get used and, eventually, thrown out. Many plastic products are single-use items that are designed to be thrown out, like water bottles or take out containers. These are used and discarded quickly. If this waste isn't properly disposed of or managed, it can end up in the ocean. Unlike some other kinds of waste, plastic doesn't decompose. That means plastic can stick around indefinitely, wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems. Some plastics float once they enter the ocean, though not all do. As the plastic is tossed around, much of it breaks into tiny pieces, called microplastics.

 

What are microplastics?
The first thing that comes to mind for many people when they think of microplastics are the small beads found in some soaps and other personal care products. But microplastics also include bits of what were once larger items. Microfibers, shed from clothing or fishing nets, are another problematic form of microplastic. These fibers, beads, and microplastic fragments can all absorb harmful pollutants like pesticides, dyes, and flame retardants, only to later release them in the ocean.

 

How do we affect marine life?
Oftentimes, fishing gear such as nets from boats can become marine debris when it is lost or abandoned. Furthermore, when people intentionally litter or improperly dispose of trash, rain and wind can sweep the debris into nearby waterbodies. Streams and storm drains can carry this debris directly into the ocean or Great Lakes. As a result, marine life can get entangled in fishing nets and other plastic waste, and some animals can easily mistake this debris as food. This in turn can severely harm the marine animals.

 

What can you do?
There are many ways to keep plastic out of the ocean! Here are two strategies:

·         Reduce plastic use.

Think about all the plastic items you use every day. Can you count them all? Look around you. How many plastic things can you see? Being more aware of how and why you use the plastics that you do is the first step to reducing plastic use. Commit to changing your habits by reducing your use of disposable and single-use plastic items, reusing items and/or recycling them.

·         Participate in a cleanup.

Volunteer to pick up marine litter in your local community. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Debris Program (MDP) works to understand how plastics — and other marine debris — get into our ocean, how they can be removed, and how they can be kept from polluting our marine environment in the future.

Conclusion
Commonly found plastics include food wrappers, beverage bottles, straws, cups and plates, bottle caps, and single-use bags. How to help? Reduce, reuse, recycle. Dispose of waste properly no matter where you are. Get involved and participate in local cleanups in your area. Remember that our land and sea are connected.

After reading the article, which of the following describes how the author might feel about plastic in the ocean?

• The author wants people to rethink how they discard plastic since it threatens marine life.

• The author is relieved that the amount of plastic in the ocean has declined in recent years.

• The author blames fishermen for the majority of the plastic debris found in the ocean.

• The author thinks that plastic is a large reason why some marine animals are near extinction.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RI.8.9

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

The Attic Adventure
by Sharoon Sunny

     Muffled voices seemed to be coming from the upstairs attic. Sage, not knowing what to expect at the top, walked slowly up the stairs. Her brain seemed to be making some very complex calculations as she inched slowly towards it. The house was supposed to be empty except for her cat, Perky. Perky would normally run up the stairs, but today he seemed rather reluctant. This made her more nervous. The evening sun made the shadows appear larger than life. The lights were yet to be turned on, and in that muted light, she had the feeling of being transported into a nightmare.
     Sage felt her heart beat with an accelerated intensity; intensity she hadn't felt in years. The last time she was this close to any kind of nervous excitement was six years ago, when she went bungee jumping in South Africa. Africa was a memory Sage wanted to cherish for the rest of her life. The safari tours, visiting the Zulu tribes, dancing in the night around a bonfire, eating with her fingers, and saying "ja" instead of "yeah" were things Sage knew she would never experience again. She left Africa having made some excellent friends and invited several of them to visit her in the United States. It was in Africa she learned that some friends are meant to be keepers. Her life went in directions she had not expected. A job, a house, and a family kept her eternally busy. As Sage walked up the stairs, she realized she had failed to stop and smell the roses.
     As Sage got closer to the attic, the voices seemed to almost disappear. She strained her ears to listen to them. She sat down on the stairs with the phone in her hands and began debating whether to call the police or her husband. Deciding against both, she set out to face this on her own. She got up and began climbing the stairs, all along clutching the phone so hard that her nerves seemed on the verge of bursting through her pale white skin.
     The attic was located up a small flight of stairs, next to a large open room that the family used for activities like reading, playing games, and sometimes just relaxing. It had large windows, which were open all the time. Sunlight and fresh air created a personality and character, quite unique to the room. There was no other space quite like it in the house. The wind pushed open the entrance to the attic, and as the door opened, it creaked. Perky jumped up in the hope of being carried, and this scared the life out of Sage. She regained her composure and walked up. The door was slightly ajar.
     She initially peeked through a small gap in the attic door and could see nothing. Then, she moved closer to the attic door and pushed it open completely. The attic was dark, except for the light that streamed in through the small window above it. As the light streamed in, it made a small pool on the floor and dust particles rose, moving magically towards the sun. The right side of the room was mostly empty, with just a few boxes piled up in the corner. The view to the left was blocked by a giant bookshelf. She moved slowly towards what lay behind the shelf. Finally, as she walked past the shelf, she was astonished at what met her eyes. The muffled voices came from her Zulu friends from Africa.

How does the setting of this passage add to the suspense?

• The setting does nothing for the story.

• The cat's attitude changes the temperament of the story.

• The dark attic adds to the suspense by making it spooky.

• The setting makes the story long and boring.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Which resource would be best to use for writing a research paper on the effect of sunlight on plant growth?

• a thesaurus

• an art database

• a science encyclopedia

• a dictionary of math terms

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

     (1) Ever since Lisa heard that announcement on the radio she hadn't been able to think straight: Her favorite actor of all time was going to be here. (2) Lisa lived in the smallest town imaginable. (3) There were two stop lights and one Piggly Wiggly super market. (4) No one ever came to visit. (5) Unless it was an accident and they were lost. (6) Now T.J. Harper was coming here to film his new movie. (7) Lisa was convinced shed died and gone to heaven! (8) T.J. was so . . . PERFECT! (9) He was handsome—those beautiful hazel eyes and dark brown hair. (10) And he was smart too: T.J. went to college at Yale and law school at Harvard. (11) Lisa immediately called her girlfriends. (12) They began plotting ways to get next to him.

Which of these is the best combination of sentences from the passage?

• No one ever came to visit unless it was an accident and they were lost.

• Lisa immediately called her girlfriends after they began plotting ways to get next to him.

• Lisa lived in the smallest town imaginable, but there were two stop lights and one Piggly Wiggly super market.

• Lisa was convinced she died and gone to heaven; so T.J. was so . . . PERFECT!

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

A Guide to Plastics in the Ocean

adapted from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

 

Table of Contents

I.

     

Introduction

II.

     

The problem with plastic

III.

     

What are microplastics?

IV.

     

How do we affect marine life?

V.

     

What can you do?

VI.

     

Conclusion

 

Introduction
Plastic is everywhere: In your home, your office, your school — and your ocean. Among the top 10 kinds of trash picked up during the 2017 International Coastal Cleanup were food wrappers, beverage bottles, grocery bags, straws, and take out containers, all made of plastic. How did it all get there, why is it a problem, and what can we do?

 

The problem with plastic
While it's tough to say exactly how much plastic is in the ocean, scientists think about 8 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010. That's the weight of nearly 90 aircraft carriers, and the problem continues to grow. These plastics come in many different forms. Just think about all the plastic items you use daily: the toothbrush you grab first thing in the morning, the container your lunch comes in, or the bottle you drink water from after your workout. All these things get used and, eventually, thrown out. Many plastic products are single-use items that are designed to be thrown out, like water bottles or take out containers. These are used and discarded quickly. If this waste isn't properly disposed of or managed, it can end up in the ocean. Unlike some other kinds of waste, plastic doesn't decompose. That means plastic can stick around indefinitely, wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems. Some plastics float once they enter the ocean, though not all do. As the plastic is tossed around, much of it breaks into tiny pieces, called microplastics.

 

What are microplastics?
The first thing that comes to mind for many people when they think of microplastics are the small beads found in some soaps and other personal care products. But microplastics also include bits of what were once larger items. Microfibers, shed from clothing or fishing nets, are another problematic form of microplastic. These fibers, beads, and microplastic fragments can all absorb harmful pollutants like pesticides, dyes, and flame retardants, only to later release them in the ocean.

 

How do we affect marine life?
Oftentimes, fishing gear such as nets from boats can become marine debris when it is lost or abandoned. Furthermore, when people intentionally litter or improperly dispose of trash, rain and wind can sweep the debris into nearby waterbodies. Streams and storm drains can carry this debris directly into the ocean or Great Lakes. As a result, marine life can get entangled in fishing nets and other plastic waste, and some animals can easily mistake this debris as food. This in turn can severely harm the marine animals.

 

What can you do?
There are many ways to keep plastic out of the ocean! Here are two strategies:

·         Reduce plastic use.

Think about all the plastic items you use every day. Can you count them all? Look around you. How many plastic things can you see? Being more aware of how and why you use the plastics that you do is the first step to reducing plastic use. Commit to changing your habits by reducing your use of disposable and single-use plastic items, reusing items and/or recycling them.

·         Participate in a cleanup.

Volunteer to pick up marine litter in your local community. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Debris Program (MDP) works to understand how plastics — and other marine debris — get into our ocean, how they can be removed, and how they can be kept from polluting our marine environment in the future.

Conclusion
Commonly found plastics include food wrappers, beverage bottles, straws, cups and plates, bottle caps, and single-use bags. How to help? Reduce, reuse, recycle. Dispose of waste properly no matter where you are. Get involved and participate in local cleanups in your area. Remember that our land and sea are connected.

Based on the context, the best definition for the underlined phrase “wreaking havoc” in section II is

• spreading rapidly

• causing destruction

• dissolving quickly

• disposing often

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

The Attic Adventure
by Sharoon Sunny

     Muffled voices seemed to be coming from the upstairs attic. Sage, not knowing what to expect at the top, walked slowly up the stairs. Her brain seemed to be making some very complex calculations as she inched slowly towards it. The house was supposed to be empty except for her cat, Perky. Perky would normally run up the stairs, but today he seemed rather reluctant. This made her more nervous. The evening sun made the shadows appear larger than life. The lights were yet to be turned on, and in that muted light, she had the feeling of being transported into a nightmare.
     Sage felt her heart beat with an accelerated intensity; intensity she hadn't felt in years. The last time she was this close to any kind of nervous excitement was six years ago, when she went bungee jumping in South Africa. Africa was a memory Sage wanted to cherish for the rest of her life. The safari tours, visiting the Zulu tribes, dancing in the night around a bonfire, eating with her fingers, and saying "ja" instead of "yeah" were things Sage knew she would never experience again. She left Africa having made some excellent friends and invited several of them to visit her in the United States. It was in Africa she learned that some friends are meant to be keepers. Her life went in directions she had not expected. A job, a house, and a family kept her eternally busy. As Sage walked up the stairs, she realized she had failed to stop and smell the roses.
     As Sage got closer to the attic, the voices seemed to almost disappear. She strained her ears to listen to them. She sat down on the stairs with the phone in her hands and began debating whether to call the police or her husband. Deciding against both, she set out to face this on her own. She got up and began climbing the stairs, all along clutching the phone so hard that her nerves seemed on the verge of bursting through her pale white skin.
     The attic was located up a small flight of stairs, next to a large open room that the family used for activities like reading, playing games, and sometimes just relaxing. It had large windows, which were open all the time. Sunlight and fresh air created a personality and character, quite unique to the room. There was no other space quite like it in the house. The wind pushed open the entrance to the attic, and as the door opened, it creaked. Perky jumped up in the hope of being carried, and this scared the life out of Sage. She regained her composure and walked up. The door was slightly ajar.
     She initially peeked through a small gap in the attic door and could see nothing. Then, she moved closer to the attic door and pushed it open completely. The attic was dark, except for the light that streamed in through the small window above it. As the light streamed in, it made a small pool on the floor and dust particles rose, moving magically towards the sun. The right side of the room was mostly empty, with just a few boxes piled up in the corner. The view to the left was blocked by a giant bookshelf. She moved slowly towards what lay behind the shelf. Finally, as she walked past the shelf, she was astonished at what met her eyes. The muffled voices came from her Zulu friends from Africa.

How does the author portray the character of Sage?

• The author talks only about her failures and does not focus on her successes.

• The author describes her various adventures and her travels in Africa.

• The author never talks about her character. He instead talks about her cat.

• The author leaves characterization out of the story and focuses entirely on setting.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

What kind of technique does the author use in the story?

• The author uses similes and metaphors at various places.

• The author uses science to explain how things work.

• The author adds a twist towards the end of the story.

• The author includes a lot of dialogue in the story.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

 

     Students today are not getting an education that prepares them for the real world. To be productive citizens as adults, kids need to have a well-rounded education based in academics and the arts. The best way of ensuring this is to mandate music lessons for every student. Learning to play an instrument is a great tool for real-life instruction. It is in the best interest of students everywhere for school districts to make music education mandatory.

      Learning an instrument requires a student to exercise discipline. In order to learn an instrument, a student must spend time practicing that instrument outside of the assigned class hour. This requires that the student prioritize time to practice. In many cases, the result is that students will spend less time as couch potatoes so that they can engage in the art of music. Certainly, every child could stand to be more productive.

     Learning an instrument encourages memory development. Music students are required to memorize notes, scales, and different finger positions. The constant memorization involved in music not only helps students learn their prospective instruments, it also helps expand their memory in other subjects. Research has shown that students who are learning an instrument often do well in their other classes, particularly math and science courses. This proves that classical music increases intelligence.

     Additionally, music education boosts self-esteem levels. Everyone knows that learning an instrument can enhance a student's sense of achievement. Although it may take years to flourish on an instrument, the challenges students face help to shape their character. After a student overcomes a challenge, he or she has something to be proud of. This process of overcoming challenges and reaping rewards can be seen in orchestra and band classes around the world. With better self-esteem, students are usually more motivated to do well in their academic subjects.

      Learning an instrument encourages discipline, memory, and it boosts self-esteem. Mandatory music education would not only help students throughout their academic career, but prepare them for adulthood. The benefits of a music program far outweigh any risks that may be associated with it. The best thing that anyone could do to help this generation of students prepare for the future is to check with his or her local school district and inquire whether a music education program is in place.

The author of the editorial would most likely agree with which statement?

• Requiring children to take music lessons strengthens their social skills.

• Forcing a child to learn an instrument puts too much pressure on him or her.

• There is insufficient proof that art programs enhance a child's education.

• Real-life instruction should not be a concern of the public school system.

How is the conflict resolved?

• Sage walks up the stairs.

• Sage waits till she calls her husband.

• Sage lets Perky solve the mystery.

• Sage waits for the police.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.2.3

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.4

     (1) Ever since Lisa heard that announcement on the radio she hadn't been able to think straight: Her favorite actor of all time was going to be here. (2) Lisa lived in the smallest town imaginable. (3) There were two stop lights and one Piggly Wiggly super market. (4) No one ever came to visit. (5) Unless it was an accident and they were lost. (6) Now T.J. Harper was coming here to film his new movie. (7) Lisa was convinced shed died and gone to heaven! (8) T.J. was so . . . PERFECT! (9) He was handsome—those beautiful hazel eyes and dark brown hair. (10) And he was smart too: T.J. went to college at Yale and law school at Harvard. (11) Lisa immediately called her girlfriends. (12) They began plotting ways to get next to him.

Which of these sentences supports why Lisa says T.J. is "perfect"?

• A. sentence 9 and sentence 10

• B. sentence 2 and sentence 4

• C. sentence 1 and sentence 5

• D. sentence 11 and sentence 3

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.3