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2024* Benchmark*Unexpected Friend*STAAR Grade 7 RLA

Last updated 9 months ago
18 questions
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Milagros wrote this paper about a famous Texan. Read Milagros's paper and look for revisions she needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.

Author J. Frank Dobie: Preserving the Lore of Texas

(1) Some American authors have used their writings to bring places they are closely associated with to life. (2) Mark Twain, however, immortalized his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. (3) Jack London set many of his stories in the Pacific Northwest, where he lived for most of his life. (4) J. Frank Dobie, a well-known author who wrote dozens of books, is another good example. (5) In his works he aimed to capture the colorful heritage and folklore of his home state of Texas.

(6) Dobie was born on a Texas cattle ranch in 1888. (7) At the age of 16, he moved to Alice to live with his grandparents. (8) While his upbringing gave him a strong appreciation for country life, he also learned to enjoy literature. (9) He graduated from college in 1910 and began teaching high school. (10) In 1913, Dobie earned a master's degree from Columbia University.

(11) Soon after receiving his graduate degree, Dobie began teaching at the University of Texas at Austin. (12) He took after a few years a break to work as the foreman on his uncle's ranch. (13) He spent time with the vaqueros, or cowboys, who told him all sorts of stories. (14) During this period he earned a passion for the culture of his home state.

(15) After a year, Dobie returned to teaching with an increased interest in preserving the unique culture of Texas. (16) He was already a member of the Texas Folklore Society, a group that seeks to collect and share all kinds of state folklore, from oral history to cowboy ballads. (17) But Dobie had never been very active in the organization. (18) His newfound passion brought fresh energy to the group. (19) In 1921 he became its secretary, a post he would hold for 21 years. (20) He wrote many articles about life in Texas and encouraged other members to do so as well.

(21) Dobie's first book was published in 1929. (22) The Vaquero of the Brush
Country described the experiences of a real vaquero. (23) His second book shared the tales of those who had sought gold and other fabulous treasures, Coronado's Children. (24) Many books followed, and Dobie became a famous figure. (25) People started to think of him as a spokesperson for Texas.

(26) There are other details to share about this famous author. (27) Titles such as The Voice of the Coyote, The Mustangs, and I'll Tell You a Tale showed his devotion to his favorite subiect, rural Texas. (28) President Lyndon Johnson, a fellow Texan, noticed Dobie's achievements. (29) In 1964, Johnson awarded him America's highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom.

(30) J. Frank Dobie died just a few days after receiving the prestigious honor, but he has not been forgotten. (31) The ranch house where he produced much of his work is now part of a program designed to help Texas writers. (32) This program highlights some of the things Dobie loved most: links between past and present, good writing, and of course, Texas.
1

Milagros has not used the most effective transition in sentence 2. Which phrase should replace however in this sentence?

1

What is the MOST effective way to revise sentence 12?

1

The word earned is not the most appropriate word to use in sentence 14. Which word should replace earned in this sentence?

1

Sentence 23 needs to be revised. In the space provided, rewrite sentence 23 in a clear and effective way.

1

Which sentence should replace sentence 26 to provide a more effective topic sentence for the sixth paragraph (sentences 26-29)?

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Onir wrote this paper to tell about a time he made an unlikely new friend. Read Onir's paper and look for revisions he needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.

An Unexpected Friend

(1) The stormy August weather outside matched my mood. (2) It all felt ugly to me—color of the carpet, the clouds rolled, and especially this new place where I had never wanted to live.

(3) I had been perfectly happy in our previous home. (4) I'd had a great group of friends that I'd known since kindergarten. (5) Crowds of unfamiliar faces rushed by without even noticing me. (6) I didn't like the rootless feeling of being transplanted.

(7) I slouched in the chair and stared out the window, feeling sorry for myself. (8) That's when I noticed Carl walking past my house. (9) He was strolling right in front of my house. (10) Carl was an older man who lived a few houses away. (11) I had absolutely no interest in him or his dog. (12) But day after day, I saw him walking his labradoodle. (13) And every time he passed our window, he burst into a smile and waved enthusiastically at me. (14) I typically responded with a half-smile of dismissal, but on this day I decided to wave back. (15) What could it hurt?

(16) The next morning, I was getting the mail when Carl and Rufus passed by again. (17) Carl smiled, and instead of mumbling a response, I returned the smile. (18) It felt strange at first, almost as if my face had been cemented into a frown for weeks. (19) But we exchanged some pleasant conversation about the weather, and I felt something inside me begin to thaw just a bit.

(20) Weeks passed, and I realized that Carl and Rufus never missed a walk; I found myself starting to look for them. (21) Their daily friendliness soon became the highlight of my mornings. (22) By October my family had met some of the neighbors, who told us a little more about Carl. (23) A kind and friendly man, he was always willing to help new families when they moved in.

(24) At the fall block party a few weeks later, my dad and I spent most of the day talking to Carl. (25) We realized he had a unique ability to connect with people. (26) He asked questions and seemed to really care about the ups and downs of everyone's life. (27) It didn't take long for me to realize that what had started with a simple smile and a hello was going to turn into a true friendship.

(28) Eighty-year-old Carl might be the last person you would expect to change a grumpy teenager's attitude. (29) If he'd never looked past the scowl on my face, I would probably still be grumbling and griping in my living room. (30) If I'd only seen someone who was decades older than me, I would have missed meeting one of the kindest friends I've ever known. (31) I'm so glad I met Carl last year in my neighborhood.
1

What revision, if any, should be made in sentence 2?

1

Onir wants to add this sentence to the second paragraph (sentences 3-6).

Now I was starting a new school year as a stranger, in a school building that felt like a maze.

Where should Onir add this sentence?

1

Onir has included a sentence in the third paragraph (sentences 7-15) that repeats information. Which sentence should be removed from this paragraph?

1

Which sentence can BEST follow and support sentence 22?

1

Which sentence should replace sentence 31 to emphasize the main point of this story and bring it to a more effective close?

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Juan Carlos is writing a paper about a NASA study. Read these paragraphs from the body of Juan Carlos's paper and look for corrections he needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.

Twin Space Study

(1) While in space, astronauts may appear to be healthy and alert, but this isn't always the case. (2) The space environment can be unfriendliest to the human body. (3) Astronaut Scott Kelly wanting to help scientists learn more about this.

(4) Kelly had enjoyed a long career at NASA and had piloted the space shuttle several times. (5) In 2015 he was preparing to spend almost a year in space. (6) Scientists planned to study the affects space had on his body during this trip. (7) Kelly suggested that scientists also study his twin brother, who had almost the exact same genes and would be on Earth at the time. (8) Kelly thought the comparison might help researchers understand even more about the impact space can have on an astronaut's health.
1

What change needs to be made in sentence 2?

1

What is the correct way to write sentence 3?

1

What change, if any, needs to be made in sentence 5?

1

What change is needed in sentence 6?

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Lorelei is writing a paper about the discovery of some famous caverns in Texas. Read this paragraph from the body of Lorelei's paper and think about the corrections she needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.


A Grand Discovery

(1) Fascinated by caves, the four college students asked the ranch owner for permission to explore further. (2) With hammers in hand, the young men wedged themselves through an 11-inch space they continued down a narrow passageway. (3) They crawled on their hands and knees, knocking rubble out of their way. (4) Suddenly one of the men feels a cool draft. (5) Reconizing that this was an indication of more rooms or passages, he encouraged the group to keep going. (6) The tight passageways eventually opened into a huge room that was filled with stalactites and stalagmites. (7) The men looked around and realized there were no footprints in sight. (8) This meant that they were in a previously undiscovered cave, part of what would soon become known as the Natural Bridge caverns.
1

What change needs to be made in sentence 2?

1

What change, if any, needs to be made in sentence 4?

1

What change needs to be made in sentence 5?

1
Select the response that corrects the error in sentence 8.

This meant that they were in a previously undiscovered cave, part of what would soon become known as the __________.