USE SEPARATE SHEET! DO NOT WRITE ON THIS COPY!
Point of View Test
Tier 4 Assessment
Language A, Level 1-Brinkley
Question #1 Passage:
I stood outside of Videos Unlimited, where I like to buy used video games, peering at the sign posted on the window. It read, "Guitar Hero Competition This Weekend—First Place Prize: $500." Wow! That is a lot of money. Mom and Dad could really use the money right now since Dad got laid off from his job, I thought to myself.
Turning to my friends Garrett and Allyson, I said, "I am definitely going to enter the competition."
Garrett replied, "Mateo, you know I think you might just win first place. You are the best Guitar Hero player in our neighborhood."
Echoing Garrett's vote of confidence, Allyson said, "Yeah, you definitely have a shot at winning. I'm not doing anything this weekend, so I can come along to cheer for you. Garrett, are you in?"
"You bet I will be there," Garrett answered.
Pulling the door open, I strode into the video game store to find out what I needed to do to register for the competition.
1. Who is the narrator in the story above?
A. Dad
B. Mateo
C. Allyson
D. Garrett
Question #2 Passage:
Richard loved to watch his grandchildren play outside. The sounds of their laughter filled his heart with joy. Jenny with her golden curls bouncing around when she played hopscotch, Roy and Rob (the twins) shooting baskets in the driveway, and Ramey with the sun reflecting off of her red hair when she twirled around in circles through the yard pretending to be a ballerina—each of them brought a warmness into Richard's heart.
Richard's grandchildren also took great pleasure in the times they got to go visit him. Jenny and Ramey both loved the back scratches he would give them. In their opinion, he gave the best back scratches in the world. Roy and Rob loved listening to their grandfather's war stories from World War II. He had seen a lot in his days. And Richard was never hesitant to relay his experiences to the twins. You see, Richard thought people could learn a lot just by studying history, and telling those stories from back in his day was just one of his ways of keeping history alive. Richard knew all too well that a person's life on this planet should be celebrated, and he celebrated each moment by giving his grandchildren memories that would last them a lifetime.
2. This passage is narrated in
A. second person
B. third person limited
C. first person
D. third person omniscient
Singing Lessons
by Courtney Goff
I turn on the radio, and music fills the air.
My fingers tap to the beat on the steering wheel.
The guitars vibrate so loudly, they almost seem real.
I glance at my child, sleeping in his car seat.
The volume goes down, and he rests, so sweet.
The road stretches out before me, like a ribbon of gray.
Only a few more hours, and we will find a place to stay.
I begin to sing again, as a new song plays on the radio.
This time, however, I detect a small echo.
The volume goes down, and I listen carefully.
There is another voice, and I know it is not me.
Just as I begin to wonder if the car has learned to sing,
I glance back to see my once-sleeping child, sweetly harmonizing.
3. From what point of view is the poem told?
A. first person
B. second person
C. third person
D. The point of view changes from first person to third person.
Question #4 Passage:
In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, a type of mold that is used in several medicines. He left the sample of bacteria out in his laboratory while he was on vacation. He came back to find that a mold spore had gotten into the sample. The bacteria had not grown in the spot where the mold was.
Sir Alexander Fleming was not the first person to see the penicillin mold. However, he was the first to realize how important it was. Other scientists found out that the mold could be used to treat many diseases.
4. How would this story be different if it were told from Fleming's point of view?
A. The reader would most likely know more about Alexander’s feelings about his discovery.
B. The reader would most likely know more about the diseases treated by penicillin.
C. The reader would most likely know more about the other scientists’ backgrounds.
D. The reader would most likely know more about the other scientific experiments.
Question #5 Passage:
You are standing at the front doors on the first day of school, willing yourself to go inside. It can be difficult to make new friends after 15 years, but you are determined to try.
This new school is an opportunity to try new things as well as meet new people. You can play the flute in the marching band or write for the school newspaper. You have always wanted to write.Now is your big chance since your old school did not have a newspaper.
Moving to a new town over the summer has given you a chance to get ready for this day. Being the new kid is not as terrible as everyone makes it seem. You decide to make the best of this as you open the doors wide.
5. From which point of view is this passage written?
A. first person
B. third person omniscient
C. third person limited
D. second person
The Best Feeling in the World
by Courtney Goff
I knew my father had something up his sleeve when he woke me at 5:00 a.m. one Saturday. He yanked the shades on my bedroom window up, flooding the whole space with bright sunlight. I was about to yell at whoever had disturbed my sleep, until I saw the grin on his face.
My father and I have never been especially close. We have just never had much in common, and we are both busy much of the time. He seems to work constantly, and I’m always buried in schoolwork so that I can get into a good college. Still, I was puzzled at his behavior and at the excitement in his voice as he stood in my bedroom.
“I’ve made breakfast for us, Kristin,” he said. “Hurry and get dressed!”
“Dressed for what?” I asked, propping myself up in bed.
“It’s a surprise!” he called, dashing out the door.
After showering, I dressed and made my way down to the kitchen, where the wonderful scent of breakfast hit my nose. I was not going to complain about being up so early now.
We ate quietly for a while, until the suspense was just too much. “Where are we going today, Dad?”
“Well, it occurred to me a couple of days ago that you’ve never been boating with me,” he said, watching my face carefully for a reaction.
I had secretly wanted to learn everything my dad knew about boating, although I had never asked him. My mom and I had been out on the water with him before, but he just always seemed so peaceful at the helm of the boat. My heart began thudding with anticipation, and I suddenly could not wait to leave.
After breakfast, we drove out to the marina where his boat, the Tennessee, was anchored. We pushed off from the dock, and he showed me how to run the sails up the mast and how to steer the vessel. The bay was completely silent as we sailed through the calm water toward the rising sun.
“I am so glad you brought me out here, Dad,” I said after a few moments.
“I started boating when I was about your age,” he replied. “I’ve waited my whole life to pass this hobby on to my own child.”
We continued sailing as the morning air grew warmer, and I felt the sea mist spray across my face. I had never felt so peaceful or so close to my father in my life.
6. How does the point of view affect the story?
A. The reader knows only what the narrator thinks and sees.
B. The reader feels like he or she is part of the story.
C. The reader knows what every character thinks and sees.
D. The reader knows only what the father thinks and sees.
7. How would the story be different if it was written from the third person point of view?
A. The reader would know that Kristen wishes her mother had come on the boating trip.
B. The reader would know how Kristen’s father becomes interested in boating.
C. The reader would see Kristen as being grateful to her father.
D. The reader would see that Kristen is afraid of being on the boat.
8. Which passage is written from the first person point of view?
A. The diving board was at the other end of the swimming pool. I could see it from where I stood. The diving board was long, thin, and green; it moved up and down with the gentle breeze.
B. Birds were chirping on a tree branch signaling the beginning of spring. The forest outside began to bloom around them. The other animals were coming out to enjoy the warm weather and the cool water.
C. Jumping into the deep lake near the outside of town was something that Reggie and his friends did every summer. They would take turns to see who could do the best flips and jumps off the high cliff.
D. The water tickled Evie's and Jackie's feet as they sat on the sand. It was the second-to-the-last day of summer before they had to leave each other. Evie and Jackie were making plans for their last day together.
9. Which passage is written from the first person point of view?
A. Tingling with excitement, Emma dropped the envelope in the mailbox. Would her poem about her pet dog win the writing contest? As the mailbox door clanked shut, Emma was already dreaming of being a famous writer.
B. Gus had shut down the computer before bed—he was sure of it. But sometime after midnight, he was awakened by the machine suddenly whirring to life! Stumbling to his desk, Gus tried to focus on the strange message appearing on the screen.
C. Gleefully, I rode my bike up the 12th Street hill on my way to the candy shop to spend my allowance. The best part of the ride came after I reached the top of the hill, coasting all the way down the other side.
D. The hike to the little mountain lake was less than two miles, but the trail was steep. Just when Erin thought she could not take another step, her dad pointed excitedly at the patch of blue below them.
10. Which passage is not written from the third person point of view?
A. As we boarded the last ship out of the harbor that night, all of us wondered if we'd ever see our homeland again. The war raged all around us. Once on board, my parents and I huddled together, wondering where this journey would take us.
B. "Endrik, please come to the blackboard and solve this math problem," Mr. Blankers said. At his desk, Endrik gulped and his palms began to sweat. The numbers on the board were all a blur, but he made his way to the front and picked up the chalk.
C. The three boys sped past on their skateboards, and Lisa felt a twinge of envy. All her life, she had wanted to ride, but her parents said it wasn't safe. Will they ever let me do the things I want to do? she thought sadly.
D. "Please come straight home today," Beth's mother had said that morning. Although she usually played basketball with her friends, Beth did as her mother had asked. "Surprise! Happy Birthday!" everyone yelled when she opened the door.