STAAR English I - Info Txt, Zingers 1

Read:

(1) Everything, from grocery bags to diapers to cell phones, is now made to be disposable. (2) This means they are used one time or have a short lifespan and are meant to be replaced often. (3) This “disposable” culture has a negative effect on our planet’s resources. (4) Natural resources are dwindling, and landfills are overflowing. (5) People need to do better.

Jesse’s paragraph needs a stronger position statement. Which of the following could best replace sentence 5 and more effectively state the position Jesse is taking in this paper?

• People need to buy only the disposable products that are made with recycled materials.

• People need to buy products that use resources wisely and are meant to last for a long time.

Read:

(1) The future is now! (2) With driverless cars, teens can practice driving on side streets but let the car drive on the highway. (3) Driverless cars help teens practice good road habits, like not driving while texting.

Jesse has not provided a position statement. Which of these sentences could come before sentence 2 and state the position Jesse is taking?

• Driverless cars are a good option for teens learning how to drive.

• Less responsibility might mean more freedom for teens.

Read:

(1) Our ancestors did not have the machines we have today to make difficult ordinary tasks easier. (2) Washing clothes, carrying wood, and shoveling coal all required a great deal of physical labor. (3) People had to be in good physical shape. (4) Without elevators, cars, and computerized robots, people had to climb stairs, walk to work, and perform backbreaking labor. (5) Almost every chore they needed to get done required a workout.

Mary’s paragraph needs a position statement. Which of these sentences could best follow sentence 4 and state the position that Mary is taking in this paper?

• It’s time to build a machine that makes us stronger and in better shape so we don’t really have to work hard.

• The cost of labor-saving devices continues to decline, making us do even less work in the future.

• We need to go back to doing activities that would make us fit even if they take more time and effort.

Read:

(1) In the modern world, we want to make everything easy to do. (2) We would never think of making our own clothes and growing all our food. (3) It would take strength and countless hours to perform these tasks, and our economy provides these necessities for us.

Mary did not write an effective position statement for her paragraph. She would like to replace sentence 3 with a sentence that better articulates her position. Which of the following should she use?

• Perhaps it’s time to go back to the past - we might be better for it.

• We wouldn’t want to saddle up horses because that is a hard way to get around.

• But we didn’t have modern medicines either, and people died a lot younger.

Read:

(1) Cars today are designed to endure damaging road conditions like potholes and salt corrosion. (2) Cell phones could last for years but many people want to get the latest cell phone. (3) They just upgrade but they are satisfied with keeping their cars for a decade. (40 On the other hand, houses built today are made of materials that will last much past ten years. (5) Not by accident, that is the average time consumers spend in their homes these days before selling and moving.

Marco has not provided a thesis statement. Which of the following should come after sentence 5 to serve as a thesis statement for this paragraph?

• Consumers expect their products to be well built so they can sell them.

• Used houses, cars, and phones might not be the value that they seem.

• Consumers want something new every year or two except when it comes to cars.

• Cars last because consumers keep them, but houses and phones are disposable.

Read:

For many, the idea of bungee jumping is an extraneous risk and thus not worth taking. When everyday life has its own pitfalls and challenges, why would someone risk injury doing something unnecessary? A war more pragmatic point of view is to take risks only when you have something tangible to gain from them.

In the first sentence, the word extraneous means --

• Extreme

• Unnecessary

Read:

For many, the idea of bungee jumping is an extraneous risk and thus not worth taking. When everyday life has its own pitfalls and challenges, why would someone risk injury doing something unnecessary? A far more pragmatic point of view is to take risks only when you have something tangible to gain from them.

Which word in the third sentence has the same meaning as “real”?

• Pragmatic

• tangible

Read:

The pink granite dome that is the hallmark of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area tantalizes daring rock climbers and dreamy hikers alike. The park features eleven miles of hiking trails ranging from easy to laborious. Regardless of how you get to the pinnacle, the result is the same - a phenomenal view of the sublime Hill Country.

In the first sentence, the word tantalizes means --

• Beckons

• Teases

• Frustrates

Read:

The pink granite dome that is the hallmark of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area tantalizes daring rock climbers and dreamy hikers alike. The park features eleven miles of hiking trails ranging from easy to laborious. Regardless of how you get to the pinnacle, the result is the same - a phenomenal view of the sublime Hill Country.

In the last sentence, which word has the same meaning as “beautiful”?

• Pinnacle

• Phenomenal

• Sublime

Read:

The ranch hand unrolled his belongings from the back of his horse. The pillow, which he had coveted above all else, had already deteriorated into a lumpy mess that was saturated with mildew. His indispensable item, it turned out, was the cast iron skillet he used to cook supper each night. Regardless of how rough the trail had been that day, a hot meal did more to soothe than the finest pillow he could imagine.

In the first two sentences, which word has the same meaning as “came apart”?

• Unrolled

• Coveted

• Deteriorated

• Saturated