2019 STAAR English 1

As a matter of concern

For further evidence

To wipe away any doubt

For this reason among others

There are other barrier reefs in the oceans of the world, but only the Great Barrier Reef is so well known.

The Great Barrier Reef of Australia is a supreme example of the mysteries of the natural world because of its wide variety of plant and animal life.

Some scientists believe the Great Barrier Reef first began to grow about 18 million years ago.

A coral reef like the Great Barrier Reef can grow only in shallow, warm water because it needs light from the sun to survive.

Over time a vast array of creatures has come to inhabit the Great Barrier Reef.

Marine animal species that are threatened are protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

The biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef ensures its long-term existence.

The waters along the Great Barrier Reef provide a habitat for marine animals that researchers study.

Sentence 24

Sentence 25

Sentence 26

No sentence should be deleted.

Finally, we must protect the Great Barrier Reef from being destroyed so future generations can enjoy it.

How much still remains to be discovered about the Great Barrier Reef of Australia is anybody’s guess.

Researchers should explore the oceans further to try to find other natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef.

Attracting visitors from around the world, the Great Barrier Reef has a beauty that is perhaps unequaled anywhere on Earth.

Change They to Teachers and leaders at our school

Change continually to always

Change telling us to instructing us

Change community to surrounding neighborhood

My own sister is having a hard time in math attending one of the elementary schools that feeds into our high school.

My own sister attends one of the elementary schools that feeds into our high school although she is having a hard time in math.

My own sister, who attends one of the elementary schools that feeds into our high school, is having a hard time in math.

My own sister attends one of the elementary schools that feeds into our high school, she is having a hard time in math.

In researching mentoring programs, I learned of several promising results.

As I think about a mentoring program, I have many ideas on how it should work.

If struggling youngsters get the help they need, it could benefit teachers, too.

Because I believe in the mentoring concept, I’d like to see it at our school.

Before sentence 5

Before sentence 10

Before sentence 13

Before sentence 21

Change benefitial to beneficial

Insert a comma after people

Change healthier to healthiest

No change is needed in sentence 4.

People feel safe when confiding in their pets; without being judgmental. A pet will often sit compassionately by its owner’s side for as long as is needed.

People feel safe when confiding in their pets, without being judgmental; a pet will often sit compassionately by its owner’s side for as long as is needed.

People feel safe when confiding in their pets. Without being judgmental, a pet will often sit compassionately; by its owner’s side, for as long as is needed.

People feel safe when confiding in their pets; without being judgmental, a pet will often sit compassionately by its owner’s side for as long as is needed.

Change minimal to minamal

Change are to were

Delete the comma after appropriate

No change is necessary.

Change poet to Poet

Change until to Until

Change one’s to ones’

Change remains to remained

She promised her mother that she would succeed consequently, she walked the four-mile distance daily, between her home and school.

She promised her mother that she would succeed consequently she walked the four-mile distance daily between her home and school.

She promised her mother that she would succeed. Consequently, she walked; the four-mile distance daily between her home and school.

She promised her mother that she would succeed. Consequently, she walked the four-mile distance daily between her home and school.

Change have run to ran

Delete the comma after year

Change was forced to is forced

Make no change

Insert a comma after September

Change whom to who

Change proficient to proficiant

Change came to comes

Insert a comma after performance

Change the comma after 1926 to a semicolon

Change mechanical to machanical

No change should be made.

Change Similar to Similarly

Change female to females

Change started to would start

Insert a comma after Club

Tuition, room and board here for the combined academic and sports program is about $70,000 a year.

Most players here won’t ever put on a big-league uniform, but they come to IMG trying to find and reach their potential.

He remembers being fascinated by how the players and coaches talked and how fans reacted to the game.

Ketch doesn’t think about the numbers.

concerned about the effectiveness of their coaching ability

focused on becoming coaches at a professional level

dismissive of the mistakes students make

caring about the future success of the students

A reference to Marsh’s work ethic

An anecdote about Marsh’s time as a batboy

A description of Marsh’s training regimen

Information about Marsh’s future plans

highlight the reasons people pursue a career in sports

persuade readers to support schools that specialize in training student-athletes

inform readers about a unique school and the students who attend it

convince student-athletes to enroll in a specialized school for sports

Baseball players understand their potential at an early age.

Determination and grit could get a player to the big leagues.

Legends about baseball frequently inspire players to improve.

Most major-league players come from humble circumstances.

More athletes prefer playing college baseball than minor-league baseball.

Most Little League baseball players participate in multiple sports when they reach high school.

Playing Little League baseball is necessary to becoming a major-league player.

Baseball leagues become more selective as players advance.

The pitching coach wants his players to always strive to improve.

The pitching coach is mainly concerned about winning games quickly

Varga is confident in his ability to succeed in Florida.

Varga’s number of pitches will decrease as his speed increases.

To illustrate that some children value fun above competition

To emphasize that his child is athletically superior to her friends

To highlight that children often disregard household rules

To show that children lack concerns about safety when competing

Avoiding competition is better than participating when failure is certain.

Being rewarded simply for participating belittles the efforts of the winners.

Persistence ensures that a loser will eventually become a winner.

Satisfaction comes from being dedicated and doing your best.

Definition 1

Definition 2

Definition 3

Definition 4

highlight that Naomi and Kean rarely agree

emphasize Cyrus’s noncompetitive nature

point out the author’s concern for Cyrus

reveal Naomi’s and Kean’s athletic abilities

At school I was fortunate to win enough to balance all the times I lost, and I began to believe in this idea.

Our family enjoys a large house with a great running track.

Naomi and Kean have always been fast runners and very evenly matched, too.

I believe in celebrating those that finish third in a three-horse race.

The author’s education did not fully prepare him for living in the real world.

The author was better at sports than at academics while growing up.

Educational priorities at elite schools differ from those in public schools.

Students in England are required to attend school through the university level.

Children usually develop friendships with others who have similar abilities.

Parents should encourage their children to be active because fitness is important.

People should celebrate their best efforts even if they don’t always succeed.

People who consistently win competitions as children have lifelong advantages over those who don’t.

are frustrated by their limited athletic abilities

are natives of the same geographic location

have families that emphasize the importance of athletics

have attended exclusive schools that focus on achievemen

“You kind of just don’t want to leave the field at the end of the night,” he says.

“We are not sending the message that every one of our players are going to wind up playing shortstop for the Mets.”

Bolek, who has coached in the minors, the majors and college, says his job is not always about baseball.

And there’s something else: Many of the coaches have given years to the game.

Both selections provide definitions of key terms to add meaning to the texts.

Both selections include anecdotes as examples to support their main ideas.

Both selections use quotations from experts to support the main ideas in the texts.

Both selections use cause-and-effect to highlight the relationships between key ideas.

Neither is a natural-born athlete.

Both become easily frustrated by failure.

Neither has supportive adults in his life

Both hope to play professional sports.

To explain that early disappointment can often lead to long-term failure

To point out the educational advantages of attending elite schools

To emphasize that the realities of adult life often differ from early experiences

To specify the most important qualities needed to become a successful adult

How the adults found the garden

How T. J.’s reactions differ from the reactions of the other boys

How long the boys worked on the garden

How the boys agreed to help T. J. plant the garden

It foreshadows the resolution.

It introduces the main character.

It initiates the main conflict.

It presents an unanswered question.

At great cost

For good reason

Quietly and in secrecy

Slowly and with difficulty

the love T. J. has for the outdoors while he is on a man-made structure

the rooftop being abandoned and the men still caring about its welfare

the fact that T. J. does not have the right to use the rooftop despite creating the garden

the effort used to create a garden when it can be easily destroyed

Adults often lose their sense of accomplishment as they age.

People take pride in their work.

People rely on authority figures to maintain order.

It is important to recognize the value of green spaces.

He has difficulty following rules.

He enjoys being the leader of a group.

He behaves in ways that others consider immature.

He takes action once he makes up his mind.

To help the men by supporting their claim

To rally the boys to go against what T. J. has planned

To indicate the limitations of what the men can do

To convince T. J. that it is pointless to resist

A final remnant of something precious

The harvest he anticipated

The new home he has found

His friendship with the other boys

perfected

imprinted

remembered

tarnished

Children desire what their parents value.

Cherished objects can create connections between family members.

What is extraordinary to some may seem ordinary to others.

Old objects can be made new again by using imagination.

The changes in style that happen over time

The pride that is found in caring for possessions

The new beginnings that come with each generation

The different ways creativity can be inspired in individuals

Older than you by far, it sits in your room (line 28)

piled high with crayon drawings, coins, trolls, and hot wheels cars. (line 29)

You’re still too young to do algebra homework. (line 30)

and paint it to match your bright green and lavender dreams. (line 35)

Intellectual, because the speaker refers to academic matters

Playful, because the speaker quickly lists random details

Nostalgic, because the speaker warmly remembers the past

Hopeful, because the speaker refers to her childhood dreams

The speaker wants her child to find his or her own identity.

The speaker wants her child to select a new color for the desk.

The speaker believes her child deserves a new piece of furniture.

The speaker believes her child will refuse to accept her offer.

contains messages written long ago

is worth a great amount of money

is outdated in its appearance

creates a timeless bond