STAAR Reading Poetry

The poet mentions the speaker’s eraser at the beginning of the poem to convey —

• A that the major events of the poem take place in a classroom

• B why the teacher is upset by the speaker’s actions

• C the speaker’s struggle to solve the problems on the math test

• D that the teacher expects all the speaker’s answers to be correct

The italicized section (slanted type) of the poem serves to —

• A express how students in the class are feeling

• B distinguish the speaker’s daydream from the rest of the poem

• C highlight how the daydream changes the speaker’s feelings

• D emphasize the most important ideas in the poem

What do lines 63 through 69 tell the reader?

• A Although the speaker has had daydreams in class before, he is unable to recall a daydream similar to this one.

• B The speaker is confused by some of the events in the daydream.

• C The speaker wishes he could share his daydream with his classmates.

• D The speaker enjoyed his daydream even though it interfered with his ability to complete the test on time.

Which line indicates that the speaker does not think he is doing well on his test?

• A Which is a mess of numbers,

• B The teacher frowned

• C This test could stop,

• D All would freeze,

Which statement best describes the contrast (difference) between the speaker’s experiences in the two settings of the poem?

• A The speaker feels enthusiastic in the classroom but indifferent on the playground.

• B The speaker feels restless in the classroom but relaxed on the playground.

• C The speaker feels unsuccessful in the classroom but confident on the playground.

• D The speaker feels tired in the classroom but energetic on the playground.

What does the dream reveal to the reader?

• A What the speaker would like to be doing rather than taking a math test

• B How the speaker feels about some of the staff members at school

• C How slowly time seems to pass while the speaker is at school

• D What the speaker plans to do when he finishes his math test