Jackie Robinson Commonlit

Which of the following identifies a central idea?

• Once Jackie Robinson left baseball, the impact he had on the sport dwindled, and the racial diversity present on teams decreased.

• Jackie Robinson’s undeniable talent made it easy for coaches and team members to accept him, despite the racial tension of the era.

• While Jackie Robinson faced racial discrimination early on in his life, this stopped once he became the first African-American Major League Baseball player.

• As the first African-American Major League Baseball player, Jackie Robinson was significant in the increased racial diversity that followed in baseball and in other aspects of American culture.

Tags

RI.2

Which section from the text best supports the central idea that Jackie Robinson was a major influence on racial diversity in baseball and other American culture?

• “The racism from other teams only united the Dodgers, however, and the team grew more accepting of him.” (Paragraph 11)

• “African-American fans flooded to Dodgers games, and even the general public and the press had a mostly positive view of the team’s newest addition.” (Paragraph 10)

• “Robinson was 36 and starting to feel the effects of his age. In 1956 he did not dominate the league as much as he used to, partially because of side effects he suffered from diabetes.” (Paragraph 13)

• “Robinson also made important racial breakthroughs in the sports world. The first baseball player to break the color barrier in 60 years, he paved the way for many future African-American and minority athletes.” (Paragraph 15)

Tags

RI.1

How does paragraph 8 contribute to the development of ideas in the text?

• It reveals Rickey’s doubts about Jackie Robinson’s skills as a baseball player.

• It reveals the specific trials Jackie Robinson would face as a player in the Major Leagues.

• It reveals Jackie Robinson’s willingness to enter a sport in which he knew he would suffer discrimination.

• It reveals Jackie Robinson’s doubts about his ability to play well under the stress of discrimination as a Negro player in the Major Leagues.

Tags

RI.5

What evidence from the text best supports paragraph 8 contributes to the idea that Jackie was willing to enter a sport when he knew he would be discriminated against.

• “At the time, a few Major League teams were recruiting from the Negro Leagues, and Robinson struck up a relationship with the General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey.” (Paragraph 7)

• “Rickey liked the potential he saw in Robinson... He knew Robinson would face racial discrimination and injustice if he joined the Major Leagues.” (Paragraph 8)

• “After just one season, he transferred to the Brooklyn Dodgers.” (Paragraph 8)

• “He was 28 years old.” (Paragraph 9)

Tags

RI.1

What is the meaning of “combative” in paragraph 5?

• reckless

• ineffective

• compliant

• ready to fight

Tags

RI.4

Which detail from the text best supports combative means ready to fight as it is used in the text?

• “Even early in his life, Robinson confronted racism head on.” (Paragraph 5)

• “When the U.S. entered World War II, Robinson enlisted in the army.” (Paragraph 6)

• “He never saw direct combat, but his military career was marred by racial problems.” (Paragraph 6)

• “Robinson boarded a non-segregated bus, but he was instructed to sit in the back anyway.” (Paragraph 6)

Tags

RI.1

Which phrase gives clues to the meaning of the word insubordination?

• He refused

• Military police

• Took him

• Into custody

Tags

RI.4

According to the dictionary definition below, which meaning of the word letter is used in paragraph 4 of the article?

noun 1. A character representing one or more sounds used in speech.2. A written communication

verb 3. Inscribe letters or writing on. 4. Given a school or college initial as a mark of proficiency in sports.

• Definition 1

• Definition 2

• Definition 3

• Definition 4

Tags

RI.4

Which sentence from the article supports the idea that Jackie Robinson took a stand against racism and helped promote civil rights?

• Robinson joined the professional Negro League to play baseball in early 1945.

• Other teams also disliked Robinson’s admittance into the league.

• He managed to escape a long jail sentence, but this and other run-ins with police earned him a reputation of being very combative against racial oppression.

• Rickey liked the potential he saw in Robinson, but he had one question.

Tags

RI.1

What is the purpose of the dashes that are used in paragraph 11?

• One speaker interrupts another.

• The speaker reached the end of the line.

• They offset a definition or elaborate on a previous term.

• The speaker used it in place of punctuation.

Tags

L.1