2021 STAAR Grade 7 Reading

El Silbo is a whistled language produced with specialized sounds.

El Silbo is a whistled language, but it also represents a traditional way of life in La Gomera.

El Silbo is a language that uses whistles of different pitches, but it is used less often than it once was.

El Silbo is a whistled language that can be heard over long distances.

He is using the language of his ancestors in new ways.

Islanders see him as a role model for young people.

He uses the language of his ancestors to entertain tourists.

He thinks preserving his heritage is more important than living in a modern place.

Tourism is the major industry in La Gomera.

El Silbo is more difficult to learn than most other languages.

The people of La Gomera have differing ideas about the value of el Silbo.

Earning a living is easier now than in the past for the people of La Gomera.

El Silbo has a history

for many generations

No one is certain

the original inhabitants

People can adapt a language to their changing needs.

People can understand a language without needing to speak it.

A language can help connect people in different places with different ways of life.

A language can disappear over time if people no longer use it.

The people of La Gomera needed a language that could travel long distances.

El Silbo is spoken only by the people on the island of La Gomera.

You can hear the whistles of canaries and other birds on the island of La Gomera.

The landscape of La Gomera is different from the other islands that make up the Canary Islands.

Whistling allowed islanders to deliver messages across the ravines without having to walk great distances around them. (paragraph 4)

The whistles were often used to make public announcements or to send invitations to events. (paragraph 4)

It is far from being the common language that it used to be. (paragraph 5)

Cyro loves whistling to communicate. (paragraph 6)

why younger people of La Gomera often move to the mainland

where the Canary Islands are located and where La Gomera is among them

which route sailors took to reach the Canary Islands from Spain in the 1500s

where in northern Africa el Silbo may have originated

Kun Ya’s comments cause Noi to lose focus and start to daydream.

Kun Ya’s comments give Noi confidence and guidance as she paints.

Kun Ya’s comments make Noi think about how Kun Ya paints butterflies.

Kun Ya’s comments urge Noi to use a technique that she finds uncomfortable.

Kun Ya, Noi, and Ting work together in the jungle to create painted silk umbrellas. Kun Ya paints plants and animals on the umbrellas, and Noi and Ting help mix the paints. At the end of the day, Kun Ya asks Noi to paint a butterfly, and though Noi is anxious about the task, she does it successfully.

Kun Ya paints designs on silk umbrellas in the jungle, and her granddaughters, Noi and Ting, assist her. Kun Ya has painted an elephant on an umbrella, and Noi pretends the elephant is alive. After the umbrellas are dry, Noi and Ting close them up.

Kun Ya, Noi, and Ting spend all day painting silk umbrellas in a jungle clearing. Both girls usually mix the paints, and Noi sometimes paints leaves. Ting takes an umbrella featuring an elephant to hang it up to dry but then she starts to play with it, causing Noi to laugh.

Ting and her sister, Noi, often help their grandmother, Kun Ya, paint silk umbrellas. Noi watches Kun Ya paint the umbrellas and sometimes helps by painting leaves on them, and she enjoys the feeling of slick paint between her fingers. At the end of the day, Noi looks at the umbrellas in a basket and admires them.

Providing shade from the light

Supplying a steady source of light

Becoming fragile in the light

Allowing light to enter

To show the way Noi captures the motions of a butterfly in her painting

To explain why Noi is able to paint a butterfly without looking at her brush

To suggest that Noi allows a butterfly to land on her as she paints its image

To emphasize how Noi uses simple strokes to paint an image of a butterfly

Even though she was eleven years old, she liked to pretend that Kun Ya’s creatures were real. (paragraph 8)

All morning, Noi and Ting had opened the umbrellas, getting them ready for Kun Ya’s brush. (paragraph 10)

“But, Kun Ya, I don’t know how.” (paragraph 20)

“Your trembling is good, Noi,” said Kun Ya. (paragraph 23)

“Your elephant looks so alive, Kun Ya,” Noi said, leaning close. (paragraph 1)

Usually Kun Ya asked Noi and Ting to mix the paints. (paragraph 6)

She glanced at the butterflies dancing close by, then began to paint yellow wings above Kun Ya’s jungle flower. (paragraph 22)

Kun Ya stroked their hair and sang, “The yellow bird flies away,” while Noi gazed at the flowers and creatures that Kun Ya had created. (paragraph 28)

It provides Noi a private place in which to practice painting umbrellas.

It gives Noi an opportunity to learn about how elephants live in the wild.

It makes it difficult for Noi to stay calm while she paints the umbrella.

It allows Noi to see butterflies in nature before she paints an image of one.

To show that the sisters are becoming bored with their individual tasks

To emphasize that Kun Ya made a mistake when painting the elephant

To reveal the playful bond that the sisters share with each other

To suggest that Ting wants to paint an elephant on an umbrella

Ferdinand Cheval spent many years collecting stones. He used these stones to build a structure, which he named the Ideal Palace. People doubted his abilities, but in time he completed the project. Today it is considered a masterpiece.

Ferdinand Cheval noticed some stones when he worked for the postal service in France. He thought he could use the stones to build a palace. He used concrete, lime, and wire to cement the stones in place. The structure became known as the Ideal Palace.

The Ideal Palace was built by Ferdinand Cheval. It is a historical monument that people from around the world travel to see. Cheval showed the world how an artist can succeed by working hard.

The Ideal Palace is an inspiring masterpiece. The structure is 35 feet tall and took Ferdinand Cheval 33 years to complete. The Ideal Palace is so popular that it has even appeared on a postage stamp.

He wanted to invent a new design that would impress professional builders.

He experienced many challenges during the several years he spent building the palace.

He thought that using unfamiliar materials could inspire his creativity.

He did not let inexperience prevent him from creating an elaborate structure.

How Cheval’s route differed from other mail carrier routes

How Cheval took steps to fulfill his dream of creating a palace

The causes and effects of Cheval’s retirement

A problem that Cheval solved by learning building skills

To describe the unusual life of Ferdinand Cheval

To show why so many people visit the Ideal Palace

To explain the history of the creation of the Ideal Palace

To highlight important facts about Ferdinand Cheval

Working with inspiration

Continuing for an extended time

Presenting a large problem

Moving a great distance

Cheval did not realize it would take him 33 years to complete his project.

Cheval is surprised that his interest in rocks led him to create a masterpiece.

Cheval had specific traits that helped him achieve his goal.

Cheval is an independent artist and did not want others to help him.

advice from others

spreading knowledge

personal wealth

exploring new places

People are eager to try new ways to farm.

The desert landscape naturally encourages plant growth.

Zaï farming is the only successful way to prevent desertification.

It can be helpful to look to the past for answers.

To highlight the desert lifestyle of Sawadogo and his people

To show people how to plant forests using zaï farming

To explain the different steps involved in zaï farming

To describe how Sawadogo found a way to improve desert land

Burkina Faso is a dry area located between the Sahara Desert and West Africa. A man named Yacouba Sawadogo dug many holes in the ground to try a method called zaï farming. When the rain finally came, the seeds sprouted. Now the area is a forest in the middle of the desert.

During a ten-year desert drought, Yacouba Sawadogo, a farmer in Burkina Faso, used an old method called zaï farming. Many doubted that his method would work. However, after years passed, the seeds Sawadogo planted produced a forest. Today Sawadogo shares his method with others.

Yacouba Sawadogo dug several holes in the ground and filled them with organic materials such as cattle manure and leaves. The villagers thought Sawadogo was foolish for planting seeds in pits when there was no water to help them grow. However, the seeds grew and the zaï farming method proved successful.

Farmers in Burkina Faso were having trouble growing crops because of the ten-year drought. Yacouba Sawadogo dug holes and waited for the rain. His neighbors laughed at him, but he explained that the rain would eventually come. Now Sawadogo travels around the entire region.

Cheval created a new design, but Sawadogo applied an old method.

Cheval was not always interested in architecture, but Sawadogo was always interested in farming.

Cheval has inspired other artists, but Sawadogo’s work has gone unnoticed.

Cheval was not sure if he could finish his project, but Sawadogo knew that his experiment would be successful.

It takes talent to create a masterpiece.

People slowly learn to appreciate the world around them.

Landscapes naturally change over time.

Accomplishing a task can take years of dedication.

Sawadogo is committed to his ideas.

Sawadogo has a deep respect for nature.

Sawadogo believes his method should be used by others.

Sawadogo is willing to work hard.

The work of one person can have far-reaching effects.

People must protect the world surrounding them.

Old traditions may offer surprising wisdom.

People can use their talents to invent something new.

Forty-three-year-old Cheval continued collecting stones along his route for almost 20 years. (paragraph 4)

At night he labored by the light of an oil lamp. (paragraph 5)

But as his palace took shape, people’s criticisms were replaced by awed respect. (paragraph 6)

Cheval’s uniqueness helped him single-handedly create a marvel beyond duplication. (paragraph 9)

The lake has lost something it dearly loved.

The lake will continue to care for its visitors.

The lake feels a sense of loneliness.

The lake is angry at the world.

To show that the listener has forgotten the lake

To emphasize that the lake has unrealistic expectations

To suggest that the lake will always be there for the listener

D To explain the listener’s relationship with the lake

The lake is proud of how mature the listener has become.

The lake understands that the listener has other priorities.

The lake cannot relate to the listener as time passes.

The lake is upset about having missed parts of the listener’s life.

Memorable times the listener has spent at the lake

The specific features of the lake that humans enjoy

Others who have visited the lake before the listener

The damage that humans have done to the lake

knowledge

entertainment

forgiveness

peace

The lake has kept the listener’s possessions safe.

The lake thinks that the listener is careless.

The lake wants to remind the listener of a time when life was more simple.

The lake hopes the listener will remember how to get back to the water.

It is unwise to expect help from people you do not know.

Traveling alone is easier than traveling with a group of people.

It is unrealistic to plan a trip without knowing your destination.

Circumstances can quickly change when least expected.

Lewis wants to prove to Clark the importance of scouting ahead.

Lewis is concerned about the Shoshoni’s intentions.

Lewis did not expect to find such a large group of Shoshoni warriors.

Lewis wants the Corps to help him develop a plan of defense.

Charbonneau has not told Clark what he is really thinking.

Charbonneau disagrees with the decisions being made by Clark.

Charbonneau does not think Clark knows that their equipment is failing.

Charbonneau knows the rest of the crew feels the same way about Clark.

Sacagawea’s familiarity with the area

Why the Corps wants to find the Shoshoni

Sacagawea’s feelings about her native land

Why the Corps needs to save time

The strategy that Lewis and Clark created to deal with a threat to their crew

The overwhelming experience of being approached by the Shoshoni warriors

The eagerness of the Shoshoni warriors to reconnect with a tribe member

The extreme effects that being in the wilderness have on Lewis and Clark