STAAR Test Reading

Read this quotation from paragraph 1.

I'd seen the lines of dirt in the black shoe-creases, the worn-down heels, the shine on the jacket sleeves, the glint of desperation in his eyes.

This description of the salesperson shows that the narrator feels —

• appreciation for the salesperson

• pity for the salesperson

• frustration toward the salesperson

• suspicious of the salesperson

The point of view used by the author gives the reader insight into the —

• narrator’s thoughts

• salesperson’s feelings

• salesperson’s behaviors

• narrator’s fears

The author establishes conflict in paragraph 1 by describing the —

• obvious weight of the salesperson’s case

• narrator’s observations of the neighborhood

• narrator’s thoughts as he allows the salesperson into the house

• salesperson’s movements as he brings out his product

Which sentence shows that the narrator has been affected by the encounter with the salesperson?

• I understood that I was having these thoughts only because of the stranger with the bony fingers and the worn-down heels, and as I went down to the hutch I felt a burst of irritation as I heard him say: “This is your lucky day.”

• Then he clicked his case shut and hurried out the door as if afraid I’d change my mind.

• When he tried to sell me a second bottle, he understood from my look that it was time to go.

• Two things struck me: the case must be very heavy, and he must not have sold anything in alongtime.

Read this sentence from paragraph 5.

Now I was standing before a man who resembled my old reflection almost exactly but who had been changed in some manner, the way a lawn under a cloudy sky changes when the sun comes out.

In this sentence, the author uses a metaphor to describe the —

• improvements to the mirror

• confusion felt by the narrator

• transformation of the narrator

• weather outside

Which phrase best describes the shift in tone from the beginning to the end of the excerpt?

• From defiant to sympathetic

• From distrustful to optimistic

• From fatigued to energetic

• From uncooperative to concerned

The narrator’s polishing of the mirror suggests a theme of —

• the opportunity for renewal

• the importance of self-care

• the inaccuracies found in images

• the rewards of honest work