2025 STAAR review part 1 "Sports and Society"

What is the controlling idea of the article?

• People often become interested in participating in modern sports while at school.

• Athletic competition is the most important aspect of modern sports.

• Many factors contributed to the development and spread of modern sports.

• Modern sports were established in Britain before gaining popularity in other countries.

Which statement best explains the organizational pattern used in the article?

• The similarities and differences between sports from the past and newer sports from today are explained.

• The chronological order of events is used to describe how a particular sport developed over many years.

• The advantages of leagues are presented to show how modern sports have improved on past disadvantages.

• The classification of the features of modern sports emphasizes the influence society has had on sports.

Based on paragraph 3, what inference can be made about sports leagues?

• Sports leagues require that athletes perform at physically demanding levels.

• Sports league managers are responsible for finding players and coaches.

• Sports leagues ensure that games are consistent and fair.

• Sports league managers often create new rules to add to a sport.

Which key idea about sports is supported by the details in the section “Records”?

• People who judge competitions are usually former athletes.

• Modern sports include the ability to compare the performance of athletes.

• Many athletes compete because they enjoy a particular sport.

• Athletes train for many years in order to compete at an elite level.

Read this sentence from paragraph 5.

This aspect of sports culture is a reflection of modern culture, which favors measurable progress and winning.

The author refers to sports culture as “a reflection of modern culture” most likely to —

• suggest that sports records from the past are unreliable

• emphasize that the human desire for achievement goes beyond sports

• explain that athletes must train for many years to break a record

• reveal that many people want to be successful athletes

Read the sentences from paragraph 8.

As more young men began to seriously compete in sports, athletics became an important element of social status. Games also began to attract more spectators and to spread to other countries.

In these sentences, the word _____ has a root word that means "to watch" in Latin.

What is most likely the author’s purpose for presenting the information in paragraphs 1 through 3 in logical order?

• To explain how new technology affected the rules of modern sports

• To show how modern sports became more organized over time

• To explain how modern sports are played differently across the world

• To show how experts study the many types of modern sports

How does the author’s use of language in paragraphs 3 and 5 contribute to the voice of the article?

• By revealing that the author has played sports for a long time

• By avoiding details about the aspects of sports culture the author dislikes

• By using specific sports terms that are unfamiliar to the reader

• By choosing words that help the reader connect to the foundation of many sports