STAAR Reading Passage

The author most likely chose the title "Opossum" to-

• frighten and excite readers

• stress the danger of an opossum

• prevent the readers from picking up an opossum

• present the main idea of the selection

This selection would most likely be found in a book titled-

• Hibernation Poetry

• Biographies about Turtles

• Tall Tales in the Muddy Pond

• Turtle Facts

foreshadowing

• the lines spoken between characters, when someone is talking

• overreact, dramatic

• when the writer gives a hint of what will happen later in the story

Michael kicked the pile of leaves he had just finished raking in frustration. “Aw man, I’m never going to make it to the movies tonight,” he whined. As he started to tear up from anger, he looked over to his neighbor’s house. Teresa, a girl from school, happened to be outside, planting flowers. “Hey Teresa, what are you up to?” Michael asked, walking over to her yard. “Ugh, trying to plant these flowers as quickly as possible so I can go to the dance tonight.” Michael laughed and said, “I feel your pain. My uncle said that if I can’t rake up the leaves in the yard, then I can’t go to the movies.” They both shook their heads in annoyance. “Hey! Why don’t you finish helping me plant the flowers, and I’ll help you rake the leaves! That way, we can get our work done twice as fast and surely make it to our destination tonight.” Michael pondered this idea for a short period of time and then said, “My uncle always says, ‘Two heads are better than one!’ Great thinking, Teresa!” Together, the two of them planted many flowers in the garden, then jetted over to Michael’s yard and raked up the leaves in record time. “Thank you so much for your help,” Michael yelled as he made his way inside to grab his wallet and head out the door. Which sentence from the passage supports the theme?

• They raked up the leaves in record time!

• Thank you so much for your help!

• Two heads are better than one!

• Together, the two of them planted many flowers in the garden.

A dark, lonely country road on a brisk night is an example of...

• setting

• timeline

• historical event

When the author is trying to make something more clear, they are trying to...

• infer

• predict

• conclude

• emphasize

The author is suggesting that it is now Spring. The word suggesting also means...

• assuming

• implying

• predicting

• imagining

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

• Reading Passage

• Paired Passages

• Editing Passage

• Revising Passage

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

Catalina and her father, who she calls Papá, live near the Cerro Tololo observatory located on the top of two mountains near La Serena, Chile. The observatory is home to a group of very large and powerful telescopes. Because the instruments on the telescopes are so delicate, the telescopes are kept in dome structures for protection.

• Reading Passage

• Paired Passage

• Editing Passage

• Revising Passage

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

The narrator no longer wants to share a room with his younger brother.

• Reading Passage

• Paired Passage

• Editing Passage

• Revising Passage