SC READY Reading Prep - "A Starring Role"

Which sentence from the passage best supports the inference that Nora has confidence in her abilities as an actor?

• It was the final dress rehearsal for our middle school play, Cinderella, and I had the leading role.

• It was the final dress rehearsal for our middle school play, Cinderella, and I had the leading role.

• The audience gasped, and then rewarded my nimble dodge with applause and chuckles, but this was not supposed to be a comedy!

• Somehow, I had let my years of experience erase the memory of that mortifying moment.

This question has two parts.

First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Part A Which sentence best expresses a theme of the passage?

• Friendship must involve personal sacrifice.

• Overcoming fears is an important part of growing up.

• Small actions of one person can affect the success of an entire group.

• Talent is needed more than hard work when trying to achieve goals.

Part B: How is this theme developed over the course of the passage?

• through the use of figurative language

• through Nora’s dialogue with herself

• through Nora’s dialogue with herself

• through Nora’s dialogue with the director

How does Nora’s memory of her kindergarten performance help to propel the action in the story?

• It encourages Nora when she is feeling bad about herself.

• It encourages Nora when she is feeling bad about herself.

• It gives Nora a funny story to tell Samuel and the cast so that they can laugh.

• It gives Nora a funny story to tell Samuel and the cast so that they can laugh.

How do phrases like “mutely frozen,” “jumbled his lines,” “stampeded onstage,” “frantic rush,” and “collided with” in the first part of the story contribute to the meaning of the passage?

• The phrases indicate that Samuel has a leading role in the play.

• The phrases convey the anxiety that Samuel feels while performing.

• The phrases reveal the interest that Samuel has in being an actor.

• The phrases suggest that Samuel gets along well with his castmates.

Which sentence best demonstrates two different perspectives toward the school play?

• Which sentence best demonstrates two different perspectives toward the school play?

• Taking a deep, calming breath, I focused on becoming Cinderella—tragic, wistful, kind, and virtuous.

• The audience gasped, and then rewarded my nimble dodge with applause and chuckles, but this was not supposed to be a comedy!

• That evening I marched into my bedroom and planted myself at my desk.

Read the paragraph from the passage.

As I joined my parents in the auditorium, my encounter with Samuel kept replaying in my mind. Why hadn’t I volunteered my help sooner? If I wanted our play to be incredible, I needed to start giving my cast the same generous support they continually showered on me.

How do the italicized words impact the meaning?

• by revealing the exact words that Nora thinks to herself

• by conveying the questions that Nora asks her fellow actors

• by indicating the general thoughts that Nora expresses to Samuel

• by emphasizing the memories that Nora has of performing with Samuel