When Answering Questions in This Test Booklet

7th Grade Reading

J. Turner/ March 2010

WHEN ANSWERING QUESTIONS IN THIS TEST BOOKLET

CORRECT MARK / INCORRECT MARKS
·  Use only soft black lead pencil (No. 2).
·  Do NOT use ink or ball point pen.
·  When marking your answers to multiple-choice questions, mark heavy, dark marks that completely fill the circle. Mark one answer for each question.
·  Erase completely any marks you wish to change.
·  Make NO STRAY marks on any page of your test booklet.
·  For the open-response questions, be sure you write your answers on the lines and spaces provided. Answers or parts of answers written outside the boxed areas cannot be scored.

The following is the guide that will be used to evaluate your responses to the open-response questions in this test.

READING

This test section contains total of twenty multiple-choice and one open-response question. Please bubble your answer for each multiple-choice question in the space provided on your answer sheet.

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8

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to fly? In the following story, a father and son attempt a daring prison escape. Read the story, then answer the questions that follow.

Daedalus & Icarus

Adapted from Ovid’s Metamorphoses

O

nce there was a famous inventor named Daedalus, who was imprisoned with his young son, Icarus, on the island of Crete. The ruler of Crete, King Minos, had become angry with Daedalus. As punishment, he would not allow Daedalus and his son to return to their home in Greece. The king had his soldiers guard the land and sea.

But Daedalus was determined to escape, and he devised a daring plan. He told his son, Icarus, to gather feathers from the shore where huge seagulls flew overhead. He then melted wax and carefully put the feathers together to form a large pair of wings. When Icarus saw his father try on the wings and lift up into the air, he begged to have his own pair. Daedalus realized that, despite danger, his son should go with him. So he made another pair of wings, smaller than his own, but just as strong.

Before Daedalus put the wings on his son, he warned him: “Be careful, my son. You must not fly too low or the water will drag the wings down, and you must not fly too high or the sun will melt the wax and destroy the wings. You must fly middle course. Above all, follow my lead and do not try any daring flying tricks.” After warning him again several times, Daedalus attached the wings to his son’s shoulders and arms. Daedalus’s face was wet with tears, and his hands were trembling, for he fearer for Icarus’s fate in his adventure. He kissed his son, and they both rose up, gently at first, and then faster and higher through the soft, white clouds. Daedalus kept looking back to make sure his son was flying safely. From the ground, several shepherds and a plowman looked up in amazement to see the boy and his father flying. “They must be gods!” They shouted.

As they flew out over the islands of Samos and Paros, Icarus was filled with wonder and excitement. He beat his wings faster and began to soar higher and higher, ever closer to the sun. But as the sun’s heat grew more intense, the wax began to melt. First, the small feathers loosened and fell, and finally the large feather dropped off. As Icarus began to fall, he cried out, “Father!” And Daedalus called to him, “Icarus, where are you? Tell me where you are!”

But before his father could save him, Icarus had fallen to the sea. Seeing the broken wings adrift on the water, Daedalus flew down and carried his son’s body to land, where he buried him. He named the place Icaria, in memory of the boy who dared to fly too close to the sun.

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1. / This story is told from the point of view of
A. / Icarus.
B. / Daedalus.
C. / an outside narrator.
D. / King Minos of Crete.
2. / In the beginning of the story the author writes, “he devised a daring plan.” What does the word devised mean?
A. / irritated
B. / surprised
C. / invented
D. / concerned
3. / The main reason Daedalus decides to make a pair of wings for Icarus is because
A. / Icarus begs Daedalus to make the wings for him.
B. / Daedalus believes Icarus has a special talent for flight.
C. / there is no other way for Icarus to escape the island.
D. / Daedalus wants Icarus to try out the wings first.
4. / On what island were Icarus and Daedalus imprisoned?
A. / Crete
B. / Paros
C. / Samos
D. / Greece
5. / While Icarus flies, he first feels
A. / afraid that he will crash into the ocean.
B. / bored because of the emptiness of the sky.
C. / angry that the wings don’t take him any higher.
D. / delighted at the ability to soar in the air.

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6. / Where does Daedalus get the material to make the wings?
A. / Daedalus steals it from the soldiers who guard him.
B. / Icarus collects it from the beach of the island prison.
C. / Icarus hunts birds with a bow and arrow.
D. / Daedalus buys it from some shepherds and a plowman.
7. / Which of the words below best describes Daedalus?
A. / Dishonest
B. / Curious
C. / Tired
D. / Daring
8. / Which statement best states the theme of the passage?
A. / Be careful about what you wish for.
B. / We should listen to what our parents say.
C. / Things can get better faster than we think.
D. / You should be thankful for your gifts.

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8

In the United States, many parts of our culture come from outside the country, just as many Americans do. But some things—like the blues and jazz—are entirely American inventions. Read this passage about these two forms of music and answer the questions that follow.

Two Kinds of Music

By Z. J. Rickham

W

hen it comes to American music, there are two kinds I like best: blues and jazz. In many ways, they are similar, since both grew out of the African-Americans experience. But in other ways they are different, especially in what they try to do. With blues, the emphasis is on communicating the musician’s emotions while keeping the music simple. With jazz, the music can be extremely complex, and the focus is on doing something new.

Blues deals mostly with emotions and personal experience. It is basic music that comes from the soul. A blues musician might sing about losing a loved one or having to work for a mean boss. Some say blues music is sad and depressing. But playing and listening to the blues can actually ease the sadness and despair, for both the artist and the audience, by giving expression to these feelings.

The blues began in the South and moved north when African Americans moved north to search for work and relief from rural poverty. Early blues music was rendered with a human voice and an acoustic guitar; gradually, blues musicians began to use electric guitars and keyboards. But the new instruments never changed the fundamental sound of the blues, because another important element of the blues is its honesty. A blues song must always be true to its musical roots, and the emotions it expresses must be sincere. When a style of music becomes too different from the blues, it doesn’t change the blues; it breaks off from the blues and becomes its own style of music.

In that sense, blues is a kind of “roots” music. It had a big influence on early jazz, as well as on gospel, country, rock, and modern hip-hop. But despite all the new kinds of music that have developed from blues, traditional blues music remains alive and popular. It seems that no matter how styles of modern music change, people always go back to the blues.

Jazz shares its origins with the blues, but jazz is musically more complicated than the blues. Like the blues, jazz uses African-American rhythms, but it combines them with the complex harmonies of European-American music traditions. What makes jazz unique is its improvisation. That means that a jazz piece generally introduces a tune, and then individual performers make up changes to the tune—changes that still go well with the chords and rhythms. For jazz musicians to be successful, they must be masters of their instruments, as opposed to blues performers, whose skills are less important than the authenticity of their performance.

Jazz became popular in American nightclubs and “speakeasies” during the 1920’s, the decade often called “the Jazz Age.” Jazz has since moved to concert halls, where it is treated with the same respect as classical music. Unlike the blues, jazz has developed into a surprising number of different styles, all of which are considered jazz. Swing, bebop, and fusion are just a few of the distinct styles that have emerged over the years as different influences and instruments influenced the basic jazz sound.

Blues and jazz both began in America, but they are now played all over the world by people from almost every culture. I think that is because both forms have something to say to the world. One appeals to the truth of human experience, while the other shows us that music does not have to be limited to the notes on a page.

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9. / The author of the passage most likely believes that
A. / blues music is okay, but jazz is much better.
B. / neither blues nor jazz is as a good as the later music they influenced.
C. / blues music is “real,” while jazz sounds artificial and dull.
D. / blues music and jazz are different, but both are great.
10. / Which of these sentences best supports the idea that blues and jazz have grown into worldwide musical forms?
A. / “When it comes to American music, there are two kinds I like best: blues and jazz.”
B. / “It had a big influence on early jazz, as well as gospel, country, rock, and modern hip-hop.”
C. / “Like the blues, jazz uses African-American rhythms, but it combines them with the complex harmonies of European-American music traditions.”
D. / “Blues and jazz both began in America, but they are now played all over the world by people from almost every culture.”
11. / Which sentence is a fact?
A. / “…the blues can actually ease the sadness and despair, for both the artist and the audience, by giving expression to these feelings.”
B. / “The blues began in the South and moved north when African Americans moved north…”
C. / “For jazz musicians to be successful, they must be masters of their instruments…”
D. / “…both forms have something to say to the world.”
12. / The author’s purpose in writing “Two Kinds of American Music” is to
A. / persuade the reader that the blues is better than jazz.
B. / entertain the reader with a story about blues and jazz.
C. / explain the difference between blues and jazz music.
D. / compare blues instruments to jazz instruments.
13. / The author of this passage probably finds the history of music to be
A. / useless
B. / challenging
C. / humorous
D. / fascinating

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14. / To understand why the author believes blues and jazz music are important, it is important to know that both forms of music
A. / have their origins in slavery.
B. / use guitars and voices.
C. / have millions of fans.
D. / can be very complicated.
15. / Which sentence best describes the main idea of this passage?
A. / Blues is a kind of roots music because it led to jazz and other forms.
B. / Jazz focuses on improvisation, but the blues is more emotional.
C. / Both blues and jazz grew out of the African-American experience.
D. / Both blues and jazz have made contributions to music the world over.
16. / This passage is designed mostly for people who
A. / have attended at least one jazz concert
B. / want to learn more about emotions.
C. / enjoys learning about different types of music.
D. / play one or more musical instruments.

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As you read the following advertisement, think about what persuasive technique(s) the advertiser is using. Then answer the questions that follow.

Summer and

its blossoms

all Winter in

California

Here children laugh at play, and age lengthens its span.

Miles of flower-bordered, sunlit boulevards. Upland slopes, covered with the green and gold of orange groves.

Luxurious resort hotels and rose-bowered bungalows.

All under the spell of a summer sea.

En route visit the national parks, national monuments, and other winter resorts. See Hawaii, too.

Ask the local ticket agent to help plan your trip—or apply to the nearest Consolidated Ticket office—or address nearest Travel Bureau, United States Railroad Administration, 646 Transportation Bldg., Chicago; 143 Liberty Street, New York City; 602 Healey Bldg, Atlanta, Ga. “California for the Tourist,” and other resort booklets, on request. Please indicate the places you wish to see, en route.

UNITED STATES RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION

17. / The persuasive technique that is most noticeable in this text is:
A. / Testimonial
B. / expert opinion
C. / emotional appeal
D. / repetition
18. / The main purpose of this text is to advertise:
A. / traveling by train
B. / traveling long distances
C. / traveling to California
D. / traveling on holiday
19. / The main audience targeted by this ad is:
A. / children
B. / girls
C. / parents
D. / adults
20. / This ad most likely appeared in a:
A. / daily newspaper
B. / children’s magazine
C. / travel magazine
D. / all of the above

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