This formative is designed to practice skills in reading comprehension, language, and writing in preparation for the Unit 2 Test. Focus on understanding the texts and analyzing the structures.
“Address on Community Responsibility” (original speech)
(1) My fellow citizens,
(2) In recent weeks, our city has faced difficult questions about fairness and opportunity. Peaceful discussions have revealed deep divisions, but they have also shown our shared desire for progress.
(3) A community cannot thrive when some voices are ignored. Equality is not preserved by waiting or by hoping problems will resolve themselves.
(4) This moment calls for action—by leaders who make laws, by neighbors who stand up for one another, and by individuals who choose fairness in their daily lives. Change achieved together is stronger and more lasting than change forced by anger.
Dear Editors,
(1) Last week’s article about replacing textbooks with digital devices misrepresented my opinion. I support innovation in our school, but only when it is implemented responsibly.
(2) Digital textbooks reduce paper use and make updates easier. However, they also require reliable technology access.
(3) Many students lack consistent internet access at home. Without addressing this issue, a digital-only policy could widen achievement gaps.
(4) With thoughtful planning and support, digital learning can benefit everyone.
Sincerely,
Jordan Lee
What does the suffix -ent usually indicate? (Part A)
What does the word dependent most nearly mean? (Part B)
Which resource is most useful for finding synonyms?
The root cred means “believe.” What does credible most nearly mean?
Which sentence uses the present perfect tense correctly?
Which coordinating conjunction best completes the sentence? The rain continued, ___ the game was canceled.
Which sentence maintains consistent verb tense?
from The Empty Room (original excerpt)
Mrs. Calder and Mrs. Nguyen stand in the living room of a small farmhouse. Mr. Calder has recently died, and the sheriff is searching the upstairs rooms for evidence. The women have been asked to gather personal belongings for Mrs. Calder.
(1) MRS. NGUYEN: (opening a drawer) These letters are all tied together.
(2) MRS. CALDER: He never let me throw anything away.
(3) MRS. NGUYEN: They’re all unopened.
(4) MRS. CALDER: (quietly) He said letters were distractions.
(5) MRS. NGUYEN: (noticing a cracked picture frame) This photo—it’s broken.
(6) MRS. CALDER: It fell.
(7) MRS. NGUYEN: It looks like it was pushed.
(8) (A pause. Mrs. Calder turns toward the window.)
(9) MRS. CALDER: It gets lonely when no one listens.
(10) MRS. NGUYEN: Sometimes silence tells its own story.
What causes Mrs. Calder to express feelings of loneliness? (Part A)
Which line best supports the answer to Part A? (Part B)
What do the unopened letters most strongly symbolize?
When does dramatic irony occur? (Part A)
Which line is an example of dramatic irony? (Part B)
What inference can you make about Mrs. Nguyen’s motivation? Provide two quotations from the passage.
Which is an example of external motivation in the passage?
What is the speaker’s main purpose? (Part A)
Which sentence best supports the answer to Part A? (Part B)
The speaker’s point of view suggests that progress should occur primarily through:
Write a brief paragraph explaining the central idea of paragraph 4. State the idea and give two supporting details.
What is the author’s primary purpose? (Part A)
Which sentence best supports the answer to Part A? (Part B)
What is the author’s point of view on digital textbooks? (Select all that apply.)
Which choice best states a central idea of paragraph 3?
Which sentence best supports the idea that the author supports digital learning under certain conditions?
Which is one purpose of this letter?