STAAR English I Released 2017

STAAR

State of Texas

Assessments of

Academic Readiness

English I

Administered March 2017

RELEASED

written permission from the Texas Education Agency.

WRITING

English I

Page 3

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in

theansweronyouranswerdocument.

Tracy’s teacher asked her to write a persuasive paper for or against the use of

electric cars. Read Tracy’s first draft and look for any revisions she should make.

When you finish reading, answer the questions that follow.

An Electric Car Being Charged

Electric Cars Are Not the

Right Choice

(1) The electric car is sometimes promoted as a “greener” option for

transportation than a gasoline-fueled car. (2) Because the electric car does not emit

the harmful pollutants that a traditional vehicle does, many people assume that it

must be the cleaner choice. (3) But electric cars are not always better for the

environment than gasoline-fueled cars. (4) And they have other drawbacks too.

(5) The electric car is not what you should buy today.

(6) Ads mention the electric car’s “zero emission” of carbon dioxide, implying

that this car does not pollute the environment. (7) But this claim is misleading

unless the electricity used to power the car comes from solar power, wind turbines,

or some other source of renewable energy. (8) If the electricity for the car comes

from power plants that burn fossil fuels, then an electric car is creating pollution, too.

(9) Furthermore, the plants that manufacture electric cars are putting high

levels of carbon-dioxide pollutants into the environment. (10) In the end, the

production of an electric car puts twice as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

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as the production of a conventional car. (11) Even the batteries used in electric cars

are harmful to the environment. (12) The process of mining the materials used in

these batteries requires gasoline-fueled equipment and strips the earth of rare

metals.

(13) The electric car also has other disadvantages. (14) Because it has to be

charged every 75 miles or so, it must always be in close proximity to a charging

station. (15) Furthermore, the batteries in an electric car weaken over time.

(16) Eventually they allow a person to travel even fewer miles between charges.

(17) And when the weather is bad, an electrical outage could make an electric car

completely inoperable.

(18) In time the electric car might become the best vehicle to drive, but for

now, it is not. (19) This could, of course, happen eventually, but we aren’t there

yet. (20) Scientists need to develop and use new sources of energy so that the

manufacturing of electric cars can truly be green. (21) Communities need to build

more charging stations so that drivers have plenty of opportunities to charge as

needed. (22) And batteries with a longer range need to be developed so that drivers

can travel longer distances without stopping. (23) Until these obstacles are

overcome, electric cars are not the best choice for today’s drivers.

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1 Tracy’s paper needs a stronger position statement. Which of the following could best replace

sentence 5 and more effectively state the position Tracy is taking in this paper?

A In other words, the electric car is not what you should buy today, and that is my definitive

opinion.

B Truthfully, electric cars have

advantages that must be pondered before making a

purchase.

C Therefore, the electric car

is the wrong choice if you are currently in the market for a new

car.

D However, buying an electric

car is always an option when you are thinking about a new

car.

2 Tracy has used

an ineffective transition in sentence 10. Which word or phrase could best

replace In the end in this sentence?

F Obviously

G In fact

H However

J Instead

3 What is the

most effective way to combine sentences 15 and 16?

A Furthermore, the batteries

in an electric car weaken over time, eventually allowing a

person to travel even fewer miles between charges.

Furthermore, the batteries in an electric car weaken over time, eventually they allow a

person to travel even fewer miles between charges.

C Furthermore, the batteries

in an electric car weaken over time, which means the batteries

eventually allow a person to travel even fewer miles between charges.

D Furthermore, the batteries

in an electric car weaken over time because they eventually

allow a person to travel even fewer miles between charges.

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4 Tracy would like to add the following detail to the fourth paragraph (sentences 13–17).

This makes traveling longer distances in an

electric car quite inconvenient.

Where should this sentence be inserted?

F After sentence 13

G After sentence 14

J Tracy should

not add this detail to the fourth paragraph.

H After sentence 17

5 Tracy has

included a redundant sentence in the last paragraph (sentences 18–23). Which

sentence should be deleted from this paragraph?

A Sentence 18

Sentence 19

Sentence 20

Sentence 21

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Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in

theansweronyouranswerdocument.

When Fatima was asked to write about someone who has inspired her, she chose Mia

Hamm. Read Fatima’s paper and look for any revisions she should make. When you

finish reading, answer the questions that follow.

Mia Hamm During the U.S. Women’s

Gold Medal Game in the 1996 Summer Olympics

An Inspirational Athlete

(1) Mia Hamm is a soccer player who is fun to study. (2) She is an expert at

the sport who has encouraged others to play.

(3) Hamm’s athletic abilities became apparent quite early. (4) At just

two years old, she was quick enough on her feet to steal a soccer ball from a child

more than twice her age. (5) When she was five, she joined her first soccer team.

(6) In the years that followed, she spent time playing soccer with her older brother

Garrett, who inspired her with his own soccer skills. (7) Garrett recognized his

sister’s talent, and he often chose her to play with him in games against older boys.

(8) Hamm was a gifted athlete, who, in addition to soccer, played Little League

baseball, basketball, tennis, softball, and even football. (9) “I was just one of the

guys,” she once commented in an interview.

(10) Soccer, however, was Hamm’s passion, and she had an innate talent.

(11) When she was 14, her regional coach described her as “faster than the wind.”

(12) He added, “The athleticism just jumped out at you and then, quickly after that,

you could just see the natural instinct.” (13) By the time she was 15, Hamm was the

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youngest player on the U.S. Women’s National Team. (14) And at the age of 17, she

was playing for the University of North Carolina, where she helped her team win four

NCAA championships and breaking many school records along the way.

(15) But Hamm was destined to become more than just a college celebrity.

(16) She was about to play on the world stage. (17) In 1991, China was the site of

the first Women’s World Cup. (18) At 19 years old and as the youngest player on the

team, Hamm helped the U.S. Women’s National Team win the World Championship.

(19) Then came another first. (20) At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, before

a crowd of more than 76,000, Hamm led the U.S. women to a gold medal. (21) In

praise of Hamm’s effort in the game, sportswriter Dan Weber commented, “Hamm

had a hand—or hamstring—in every U.S. strike.” (22) This determination continued

until the very last play of the final game.

(23) Hamm became an instant celebrity and the face of women’s soccer.

(24) They lined up to have her endorse their products in advertisements. (25) In the

most famous of these ads, Hamm challenged Michael Jordan to a series of sports

contests, while the song “Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better” played in the

background. (26) Hamm showed the world just how powerful a female athlete could

be. (27) In 2004 she earned her second Olympic gold medal and then retired from

professional sports but not from her role as an inspiration to others, especially to her

twin daughters and young son.

(28) Mia Hamm’s soccer career was long and celebrated, and she showed the

world that women could compete just as well as men. (29) She inspired a

generation of young women.

Third party trademark NCAA® was used in these testing materials.

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6 Fatima realizes she has offered a weak thesis in this paper. Which of the following could

replace sentences 1 and 2 and provide a more effective thesis statement for Fatima’s paper?

F Mia Hamm is an interesting and fun personality, and I am grateful for this opportunity to

research her story. I think that as you read my paper, you will agree that she has added

great energy to women’s sports in this country and also to sports around the world.

G Mia Hamm is one

of the most celebrated female soccer players of all time and is an

inspiration to young women everywhere. Her contributions to women’s soccer have had an

unmistakable impact on the sport, both in the United States and internationally.

H There is a soccer

player in this country that is clearly more talented than all the rest. Her

name is Mia Hamm, and she is an outstanding player and a model athlete who works hard

to make sure she is always setting an example for other athletes and for the world at

large.

J If you don’t know

Mia Hamm, you probably don’t know much. Many people say that she is

the greatest soccer player of all time because she is so supremely committed to soccer

and also to all that it means to herself and the other people of the world.

7 What is the most effective revision to make in sentence 14?

A And at the

age of 17, she was playing for the University of North Carolina, she helped her

team win four NCAA championships and

broke many school records along the way.

B And at the

age of 17, she was playing for the University of North Carolina and won four

NCAA championships and

breaking many school records along the way, which helped her

team.

C And at the

age of 17, she was playing for the University of North Carolina, which helped

her team win four NCAA championships and

breaking many school records along the way.

D And at the

age of 17, she was playing for the University of North Carolina, where she

helped her team win four NCAA championships and

broke many school records along the

way.

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8 Which of these details could best follow and support sentence 22?

F Though she had injured her ankle badly in the game, Hamm still managed to take control

of the ball and pass it to a teammate who then scored the winning goal.

G Hamm held a record for the most international goals until June 2013, when her record was

broken by another American, Abby Wambach.

H For 17 years Hamm played with and often led the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team,

and she was U.S. Soccer’s Female Athlete of the Year from 1994 to 1998.

J Hamm received another great accolade in 2004, when she was included on a list of the

125 Greatest Living Soccer Players.

9 The meaning of sentence 24 is unclear. The clarity of this sentence can be improved by

changing They to —

A Some advertisements

B Various

women

C Sports companies

D International faces

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Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in

theansweronyouranswerdocument.

Andre has written the following paper in response to a class assignment. Before he

submits the paper to his teacher, he would like you to read it and look for any

corrections he needs to make. When you finish reading, answer the questions that

follow.

Island Oasis

(1) If you stood on the east coast of Mozambique in southern Africa and

gazed out across the ocean with a pair of super-vision spectacles, you would see an

island about 300 miles away. (2) Three hundred miles isn’t hardly that far, so you

would probably expect the island to be home to the same sorts of plants and animals

found on the mainland. (3) But in the case of this island, called Madagascar, those

assumptions would be wrong. (4) More than 80 percent of the plants and animals

native to Madagascar are found nowhere else in the world.

(5) How is it possible that such a unique island came into existense?

(6) Scientists believe that Madagascar was once part of the continent of Africa. (7) A

long time ago it separated from the mainland. (8) The island retained whatever

plants and animals were living on it at the time, and other animals later migrated to

it, some floating on logs or on mats of leaves. (9) Together with the original species

of animals on the island, these animals gave rise to the amazing variety of creatures

found on Madagascar today.

(10) One of the most well-known animals on Madagascar is the lemur, a

long-tailed relative of the monkey. (11) You might have seen a ring-tailed lemur

with a black-and-white striped tail in a zoo, but there are about 30 other types of

lemurs. (12) The pygmy mouse lemur weighs from one to four ounces and holds the

record as the world’s smallest primate. (13) The largest lemurs in the world today

are close to the size of house cats. (14) However, the fossil record shows evidence

of giant lemurs, fairly recently extinct, that were as big as gorillas! (15) Today all of

Madagascar’s lemurs are considered endangered. (16) Because they exist in only a

small area of the world, any threat to their habitat can put them in danger of

extinction.

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Ring-Tailed Lemur Chameleon

(17) Another type of animal native to Madagascar is the chameleon.

(18) Almost half the chameleon species on Earth are found only on this island.

(19) These reptiles are known for their ability to change color, but they don’t change

color to blend in with their surroundings as most people think. (20) A chameleon

changes color, sometimes brilliantly, in response to light, temperature, and especially

its mood. (21) A stressed chameleon, for example, will look different than a calm

chameleon. (22) Chameleons also use color changes as a way to communicate with

members of the opposite sex.

(23) Although many of the species that once made their home on Madagascar

are now extinct. (24) Scientists are still making discoveries. (25) Just a few years

ago, scientists found a new species of Madagascan spider, now known as Darwin’s

bark spider. (26) This spider can spin a web that is stronger than Kevlar, a material

that is used to make body armor. (27) The spider spins webs that cross entire

rivers! (28) The widest web discovered so far was 82 feet across.

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Darwin’s Bark Spider and Its Massive Web

(29) Madagascar is an island filled with wonderful, one-of-a-kind creatures

and plants. (30) It is a place that deserves protection, a true Oasis of life.

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10 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 2?

F Change hardly to really

G Delete so

H Insert a comma after plants

J No change should be made in this sentence.

11 How should sentence

5 be changed?

A Change came to comes

B Change existense to existence

C Change the question mark to an exclamation point

D Sentence 5 should not be changed.

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12 What is the correct way to write sentences 23 and 24?

F Many of the species that once made their home on Madagascar are now extinct, scientists,

however, are still making discoveries.

G Although many of the species that once made their home on Madagascar are now extinct

and scientists are still making discoveries.

H Many of the species that once made their home on Madagascar are now extinct, but there

are scientists. Who are still making discoveries.

J Although many of the species that once made their home on Madagascar are now extinct,

scientists are still making discoveries.

13 What change,

if any, should be made in sentence 30?

A Change deserves

to deserved

B Delete the comma

C Change Oasis to oasis

D No change should be made in sentence 30.

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Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in

theansweronyouranswerdocument.

Jack is planning to run for sophomore class president. He has written the following

paper to persuade his peers to vote for him. Read Jack’s paper and look for any

corrections he needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.

Vote for Me!

(1) Our school halls are filled with hundreds of chattering students hurrying to

different classes. (2) In this environment it can be hard to stand out, especially if

your relatively new. (3) I just moved to this school last year, so chances are pretty

good that you don’t know who I am. (4) But today I would like to introduce myself.

(5) It’s almost time to vote for next year’s class officers, and I want to tell you why I

would make a great president for our sophomore class.

(6) The class president has to be willing to represent every student in the

entire class. (7) He or she has to be in touch with the needs of 400 other people, all

of whom are involved in different activities and have widely varied interests. (8) A

class president must be in a position to hear many different opinions. (9) As a

freshman last year, I played on the school baseball team, sang in the school choir,

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served as the Spanish Club historian, volunteered at the annual canned food drive,

and earned recognition in the National Honor Society. (10) As you can see, I interact

with a wide variety of people, so it will be easy for me to represent the diversity in

our class.

(11) Furthermore, being class president requires excellent time management

skills. (12) I know this because I’ve done it before! (13) At my previous school,

where I was president of the eighth-grade class I learned a lot about what it means

to organize my time effectively. (14) I discovered firsthand how to juggle

challenging classes, extracurricular activities, and leadership tasks. (15) My

experiences in the past will help me successfully manage everything that needs to be

acomplished. (16) My track record should convince you that I can do it!

(17) A class president also needs to be a good problem solver. (18) On a

campus as large as ours, conflicts are sure to arise. (19) I’m willing to work with

other class leaders to arrive at the best possible solutions for the sophomore class

and for the school as a whole. (20) I’ll lead so that we sophomores will be known as

the class with the best attitude, the one that quickly resolves issues and sets an

example for others to follow.

(21) Perhaps the most important characteristic of an outstanding class

president is commitment. (22) It isn’t easy to represent a large class day after day

but I know that I am up to the challenge. (23) During our freshman year, I was

involved in more activities than any of the other presidential candidates.

(24) However, I haven’t missed a single practice, rehearsal, or meeting. (25) When I

say I’ll do something, I follow through, so you can count on me to start and finish the

year strong as your sophomore class president.

(26) In closing, I give you this solemn promise, if you elect me as president of

the sophomore class, I’ll give it my all. (27) I am passionate about bringing

everyone in our class together and working toward a positive future. (28) So on

Election Day remember to vote for Jack Smith! (29) I won’t let you down!

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14 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 2?

F Change environment to enviroment

G Delete the comma

H Change your to you’re

J No change should be made in this sentence.

15 What change should

be made in sentence 13?

A Delete where

B Insert a comma after class

C Change a lot to alot

D Change means to had meant

16 How should sentence

15 be changed?

F Change experiences to experience’s

G Change will help to helped

H Change acomplished to accomplished

J Sentence 15 should not be changed.

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17 What change should be made in sentence 22?

A Insert a comma after day after day

B Change that to this

C Change am to was

D No change should be made in sentence 22.

18 What is the correct way to write sentence 26?

F In closing, I

give you this solemn promise. That if you elect me as president of the

sophomore class, I’ll give it my all.

G In closing, I

give you this solemn promise: if you elect me as president of the sophomore

class, I’ll give it my all.

H In closing, to

give you this solemn promise: if you elect me as president of the sophomore

class, I’ll give it my all.

J Sentence 26 is

written correctly in the paper.

BE SURE YOU HAVE RECORDED ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS

Page 20

English I

ON THE ANSWER DOCUMENT.

WRITTEN COMPOSITION: Expository

Read the information in the box below.

The national publication USA Weekend began sponsoring Make a

Difference Day in 1992 in partnership with the HandsOn Network.

On the fourth Saturday in October, everyone is encouraged to

gather with friends and neighbors to help fill a need in their

community. Millions of Americans participate every year.

Working together can be one of the most effective ways to improve the quality of people’s lives.

Think carefully about this statement.

Write an essay explaining one way that people can work together to make a difference.

Be sure to —

• clearly state your thesis

• organize and develop your ideas effectively

• choose your words carefully

• edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling

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USE THIS PREWRITING PAGE TO

PLAN YOUR COMPOSITION.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU WRITE YOUR COMPOSITION ON

THE LINED PAGE

IN THE ANSWER DOCUMENT.

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USE THIS PREWRITING PAGE TO

PLAN YOUR COMPOSITION.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU WRITE YOUR COMPOSITION ON

THE LINED PAGE

IN THE ANSWER DOCUMENT.

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English I

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READING

English I

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Read the next two selections and answer the questions that follow.

Hunger for Books

by Scott Russell Sanders

1 I visited the library once a week, first with my mother, and then, when Sandra

learned to drive, with my sister, and eventually on my own. Early on, I chose my

weekly reading downstairs, where the children’s books called to me from the

midst of banners, mobiles, stuffed animals, and model dinosaurs. Perhaps

because of those models, at first I imagined that all of these books had been

made ages ago, like fossils, and that all of the people who wrote them had long

since died, and that authors, like dinosaurs, were now extinct.

2 Then on one of my visits I noticed a shelf labeled “New Books.” Curious, I drew

out a shiny volume, opened it gingerly, heard the stiff spine creak, ran my

fingers over the unblemished pages, lowered my nose to smell the fresh glue

and ink. Then I opened another and another. They were indeed brand new. But

where had they come from? When I asked the librarian, she explained that

authors, unlike dinosaurs, were far from extinct. In fact, she said, thousands of

new books were published every year. At that moment, standing in the

children’s room of the library in Ravenna, Ohio, I realized that if there were still

people writing such fresh and fragrant books, then maybe one day I could write

some as well.

3 All these years later, after making more than twenty books of my own, I still feel

the miraculous power in language, whether written or spoken, the same power I

felt when I sang a train into motion and I learned the name of snake and Sandra

taught me the alphabet on the screened porch of our farmhouse in Memphis.

How extraordinary, that a few sounds or a few squiggles can rouse up people

and voices and landscapes in our minds! Like sunshine, like the urgency of

spring, like bread, language is so familiar that we easily forget what an amazing

gift it is.

4 Today, using a library that contains millions of volumes, I recognize that my

childhood library in Ohio, which seemed so enormous, was actually quite small.

It seemed enormous to me because, week by week, year by year, I passed

through those library doors into the great world of human thought and art and

story. Reading the books I found there, I went on adventures; I dived under the

sea and climbed mountains; I met explorers and baseball players and scientists;

I learned the names of rocks and birds and butterflies; I learned how to build

log cabins, how to launch model rockets, how to trap muskrats; I roved through

the past and all over the earth and even beyond the earth; I studied the planets

and the stars; I dreamed my way to the beginnings of time and to the ends of

the universe.

5 A library is a storehouse, preserving what humans have learned, generation by

generation, in every land, but it is a storehouse with doors and windows and

hallways opening outward to the vast, sprawling, worldwide treasure trove of

human knowledge. Surely this is what most clearly distinguishes us as a

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species, the ability to accumulate knowledge and to pass it on. We pass it on by

word of mouth, we pass it on by example, we pass it on in films and tapes and

disks, in magazines and newspapers, but above all we pass it on in books.

6 Libraries have become, of course, much more than houses for books. They’ve

become knots in the global web of information. However, in this age of new

devices for storing and transmitting knowledge—from videotapes to CD-ROMs,

from cable television to the Internet—I’m still devoted to the humble book. A

book requires no electricity. It is portable, made for the hand and pocket. It

invites but does not demand our attention, and it leaves us time to think. We

can enter or leave a book just as we choose, and we can interrupt our reading

to burp a baby or pay a bill or ponder a cloud. A good book appeals to what is

best in us, without trying to sell us anything. Books may become dated, of

course, yet never because of some shift in technology or because their parts

wear out, and the best of them are more durable than any manufactured

product.

7 I’m not foolish enough to believe that books will survive merely because I love

them, or because I write them, or because they’ve shaped my life. By

comparison with films or videos or computer bulletin boards, a good book

requires more from us in the way of intelligence and imagination and memory,

and that makes it vulnerable to its glitzy competitors; but a book also rewards

us more abundantly. The best books invite us to share in a sustained, complex,

subtle effort to make sense of things, to understand some portion of our

humanity and our universe. As long as there are people hungry for such

understanding, there will be people hungry for books. My own hunger set in long

before I could read, back when ink marks on the page were still an impenetrable

mystery, and yet even now, after devouring so many thousands of books, I am

as ravenous as ever.

reprinted by permission of the author.

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The Low-Tech Appeal of Little Free

Libraries

by Margret Aldrich

The Atlantic

July 27, 2014

The “take a book, return a book” boxes are catching on even in places where Kindles

and brick-and-mortar libraries abound.

1 When a 36-year-old bibliophile in Daegu, South

Korea, sat down at his computer and googled

the word “library,” he didn’t expect to find

anything particularly noteworthy. But as

DooSun You scrolled through the results, an

appealingly anti-tech concept popped up.

2 The Internet led him to Little Free

Libraries—hand-built boxes where neighbors

can trade novels, memoirs, comics, and

cookbooks, and connect with each other in the

process.

3 The little libraries immediately appealed to

DooSun. “Reading books is one of the most

valuable things in my life. I think a book is

equal to a treasure,” he says. “I hoped to share

that feeling with my neighbors—that’s the

reason I wanted a Little Free Library.” The

website showed pictures of the diminutive structures standing in front yards, on

city curbs, and alongside country roads all over the world, along with their GPS

locations. “The Little Free Library map was a treasure map,” he says.

4 Soon after his online discovery, DooSun built a Little Free Library—the first one

in South Korea—in front of his apartment building. Then he built a second at a

different spot. Then a third. Slowly, his “take a book, return a book” libraries

began bringing people together, garnering book donations and handwritten

notes of thanks from strangers. He now pastes a QR code on the front of each

library, so passersby can use their smartphones to learn more about them, and

he regularly exchanges emails with others who want to build their own. He

recently started a Facebook group where other Little Free Library stewards

throughout Asia can swap ideas and experiences—as easily as visitors to their

libraries swap physical books.

5 In 2009, Todd Bol built the first Little Free Library in the Mississippi River town

of Hudson, Wisconsin, as a tribute to his mother—a dedicated reader and former

schoolteacher. When he saw the people of his community gathering around it

like a neighborhood water cooler, exchanging conversation as well as books, he

knew he wanted to take his simple idea farther.

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6 “We have a natural sense of wanting to be connected, but there are so many

things that push us apart,” Bol says. “I think Little Free Libraries open the door

to conversations we want to have with each other.”

7 Since then, his idea has

become a full-fledged

movement, spreading from

state to state and country to

country. There are now 18,000

of the little structures around

the world, located in each of

the 50 states and in 70

countries—from Ukraine to

Uganda, Italy to Japan. They’re

multiplying so quickly, in fact,

that the understaffed and

underfunded nonprofit

struggles to keep its world

map up to date.

8 Khalid and Yasmin Ansari, who live in Qatar, say they get a special satisfaction

out of seeing their six-year-old son Umayr’s Little Free Library represented on

the website. “When looking at the LFL world map,” says Khalid, “you almost feel

obliged to have one in the neighborhood to fill the gap. It’s like doing your part

in your part of the world.”

9 In some places, Little Free Libraries are filling a role usually served by

brick-and-mortar libraries; the organization’s Books Around the Block program,

for example, aims to bring LFLs to places where kids and adults don’t have easy

access to books. In North Minneapolis, an area more often in the news for

shootings than community engagement, the Books Around the Block initiative

set up 40 of the little libraries. Two hundred more sprung up shortly thereafter.

10 Last year, Sarah Maxey of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, discovered Little Free

Libraries when browsing the crowdfunding site Kickstarter. She was then

inspired to launch her own LFL Kickstarter campaign. The response was

enthusiastic: By the time the campaign ended, Maxey had raised more than

$10,000 for her cause—enough money to build dozens (and dozens) of little

libraries.

11 “What happens is, you start the momentum, and then the community—the Lions

Club, the Rotary, the churches, the neighbors—steps up and builds more. It just

keeps going,” Bol says.

12 Individual stewards are using their Little Free Libraries in altruistic ways, too.

Tina Sipula of Clare House, a food pantry in Bloomington, Illinois, does more

than distribute groceries; she distributes books via an on-site Little Free Library.

As she points out, homeless people don’t have addresses—which means they

can’t get public library cards. Linda Prout was instrumental in bringing dozens of

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Page 29

Because Argyle did not have its

own public library, in 2013 the

To support its mission

North Texas Book Festival

To improve the quality of

life in needy areas of

Dallas, organizers of the

Libros Libres program

began in 2014 to design

mini-libraries surrounded

by small recreational

areas.

In 2012, Houston had only

three Little Free Libraries,

but by 2015 that number

had grown to at least 36,

thanks in part to efforts by

a group of United Way

volunteers who wanted to

help residents of

low-income neighborhoods

by building them libraries.

of engaging diverse

communities through

its programs, the Ellen

Noel Art Museum in

Odessa combined

culture and literacy

when it opened a Little

Free Library in July

2011.

agreed to sponsor 10 Little

Free Libraries in the town.

As part of his Eagle Scout project,

a boy from Harlingen won a

competition in 2014 to establish

a Little Free Library in the Rio

Grande Valley to help improve

literacy in the area.

As of January 2015,

about 330 libraries in

Texas have been

registered on the Little

Free Library website.

Little Free Libraries to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and Lisa Heydlauff

of Bihar, India, is working to bring a thousand Little Free Libraries to girls’

schools in her country, filling them with books that teach business and

entrepreneurial skills.

13 “Little Free Libraries create neighborhood heroes,” says Bol. “That’s a big part of

why it’s succeeding.”

14 Though they owe their spread largely to the Internet, Little Free Libraries often

serve as an antidote to a world of Kindle downloads and data-driven algorithms.

The little wooden boxes are refreshingly physical—and human. When you open

the door, serendipity (and your neighbors’ taste) dictates what you’ll find. The

selection of 20 or so books could contain a Russian novel, a motorcycle repair

manual, a Scandinavian cookbook, or a field guide to birds.

15 For many people—particularly in more affluent areas where libraries

abound—this sense of discovery is an LFL’s main appeal. A girl walking home

from school might pick up a graphic novel that gets her excited about reading; a

man on his way to the bus stop might find a volume of poetry that changes his

outlook on life. Every book is a potential source of inspiration.

Content Agency, LLC.

Little Free Libraries Make a Difference Across Texas

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Page 30

Use “Hunger for Books” (pp. 26–27) to answer questions 19–25. Then fill

in the answers on your answer document.

19 The author uses descriptive examples in paragraph 4 to —

A emphasize that libraries contain many types of books

B differentiate between childhood expectations and adult experiences

C illustrate the power that books have to expand the imagination

D reflect on the ways that libraries have changed over the years

20 The author

uses similes at the end of paragraph 3 to highlight —

F that common things can be taken for granted

G the various ways that language affects people

H the impact of childhood memories on learning

J how children’s books affected the author

21 How does

paragraph 6 contribute to the author’s message?

A It presents his argument for replacing libraries with modern technology.

B It offers a solution to the problem of books becoming outdated.

C It details the advantages of books to support his belief about their value.

D It

explores whether the best source of knowledge is the Internet or libraries.

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22 What is the author’s tone in this essay?

F Determined

G Passionate

H Remorseful

J Humorous

23 Paragraph 7 highlights the

author’s message by suggesting that books —

A will eventually be replaced by other media

B offer something deeper than other forms of entertainment

C are more appealing to people with academic backgrounds

D provide people with knowledge not available elsewhere

24 Which word from paragraph

7 is closest in meaning to “weak”?

F subtle

G impenetrable

H sustained

J vulnerable

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25 Read this sentence from paragraph 5.

A library is a storehouse, preserving what

humans have learned, generation by

generation, in every land, but it is a

storehouse with doors and windows and

hallways opening outward to the vast,

sprawling, worldwide treasure trove of human

knowledge.

The author uses a metaphor in this sentence to —

A describe the welcoming architecture and practical layout of libraries

B highlight the way libraries continually update their collections

C emphasize the role libraries play in collecting and sharing information

D show the way libraries encourage patrons to learn in different ways

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Page 33

Use “The Low-Tech Appeal of Little Free Libraries” (pp. 28–30) to answer

questions 26–33. Then fill in the answers on your answer document.

26 In paragraph 12, people who act in altruistic ways are —

F selfless

G persistent

H resourceful

J dignified

27 By discussing the

various people who use Little Free Libraries, the author —

A emphasizes the international appeal of Little Free Libraries

B presents opinions that contradict her own

C provides support from researchers who have studied Little Free Libraries

D clarifies the meanings of terms she uses

28 In cultures around

the world, the Little Free Libraries are —

F replacing brick-and-mortar libraries

G influencing people in positive ways

H stocked with books from large libraries

J supported by local governments

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29 From paragraph 14, the reader can infer that the author —

A enjoys reading books by international authors

B appreciates the opportunity for discovery provided by Little Free Libraries

C thinks e-books fail to offer the same variety of topics as printed books do

D understands the limitations of Little Free Libraries

30 Which sentence best states the main idea of the selection?

F Building Little

Free Libraries was appealing to DooSun You of South Korea because books

are a treasure in his life that he wanted to share with his neighbors.

G Hundreds of Little

Free Libraries have been built with funds collected by people who have

started fundraising campaigns on the Internet.

H Little Free Libraries

are growing in popularity around the world because they bring

neighbors together and make books more accessible.

J Little Free Libraries

are small wooden boxes that hold a wide variety of books that appeal

to many different types of people.

31 The author uses parentheses in paragraphs 10 and 14 to —

A simplify difficult concepts in the article

B insert her own asides into the article

C provide a counterargument to the article

D add credibility to the article

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32 Which inference about Little Free Libraries from the article does the map support?

F They provide low-tech entertainment.

G They appeal primarily to children.

H They benefit local communities.

J They offer an unusual selection of books.

33 The author organizes the selection by —

A presenting individual experiences from

people around the world to provide a positive

account of Little Free Libraries

B comparing Little Free Libraries to brick-and-mortar libraries

C providing a chronological account of the development of Little Free Libraries

D discussing the advantages and disadvantages of building Little Free Libraries in areas that

have experienced natural disasters

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It [the author’s childhood library]

seemed enormous to me because,

week by week, year by year, I passed

through those library doors into the

great world of human thought and art

and story.

A girl walking home from school might

pick up a graphic novel that gets her

excited about reading; a man on his

way to the bus stop might find a

volume of poetry that changes his

outlook on life.

Use “Hunger for Books” and “The Low-Tech Appeal of Little Free Libraries”

to answer questions 34–38. Then fill in the answers on your answer

document.

34 Read these quotations from the two selections.

The Low-Tech Appeal of

Hunger for Books Little Free Libraries

Both of these quotations support the idea that people value —

F communities that welcome diversity

G the chance to

share experiences with others

H making the world

a better place

J the opportunity to

learn something new

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35 Read this sentence from paragraph 2 of “Hunger for Books.”

At that moment, standing in the children’s room of the

library in Ravenna, Ohio, I realized that if there were

still people writing such fresh and fragrant books, then

maybe one day I could write some as well.

Which quotation from “The Low-Tech Appeal of Little Free Libraries” expresses a similar

sentiment?

A When he saw the

people of his community gathering around it like a neighborhood water

cooler, exchanging conversation as well as books, he knew he wanted to take his simple

idea farther.

B But as DooSun You

scrolled through the results, an appealingly anti-tech concept popped

up.

C “Little Free Libraries create

neighborhood heroes,” says Bol.

D When you open the

door, serendipity (and your neighbors’ taste) dictates what you’ll find.

36 Both the traditional

libraries described in “Hunger for Books” and the Little Free Libraries in

the other article are described as —

F havens for people who do not like modern technology

G repositories of knowledge that offer opportunities for discovery

H popular local meeting places where people work together

J places that are inexpensive to establish and operate

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37 Which quotation from “The Low-Tech Appeal of Little Free Libraries” best supports the

message of “Hunger for Books”?

A In some places, Little Free Libraries are filling a role usually served by brick-and-mortar

libraries; the organization’s Books Around the Block program, for example, aims to bring

LFLs to places where kids and adults don’t have easy access to books.

B “I hoped to

share that feeling with my neighbors—that’s the reason I wanted a Little Free

Library.”

C “We have a

natural sense of wanting to be connected, but there are so many things that

push us apart,” Bol says. “I think Little Free Libraries open the door to conversations we

want to have with each other.”

D “Reading books is

one of the most valuable things in my life. I think a book is equal to a

treasure,” he says.

38 While “Hunger

for Books” emphasizes the personal experience of reading, “The Low-Tech

Appeal of Little Free Libraries” —

F presents the perspectives

of librarians and reading specialists

G depicts reading as an activity that is difficult but rewarding

H suggests that reading is an activity that unites entire communities

J reveals the differences in reading preferences around the world

English I

Page 39

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in

theansweronyouranswerdocument.

How a Demon iPad Stole My Summer

Vacation

by Doyle McManus

Los Angeles Times

September 1, 2013

www.cartoonstock.com

1 I plan to remember this year’s vacation season with just two words: Never

again.

2 Never again, that is, will I take all my technology along. The Internet has ruined

summer vacations.

3 When I first visited my in-laws’ cabin in Ontario’s north woods 35 years ago,

there was no such thing as broadband Internet. The nearest telephone was a

one-mile canoe paddle down the lake, and we were beyond the reach of

television. Our media diet consisted of a battery-powered radio. I know I risk

sounding like an aging crank, but it was paradise.

4 Now we’re cursed with all the riches of modern civilization. The cabin is just

close enough to civilization to get a strong cell phone signal, and that goes for

data too, via a mobile Wi-Fi hot spot. Our little bit of isolation is no more.

5 Instead of browsing dog-eared summerhouse mystery novels, this year we

browsed the Internet. Instead of long evenings of Scrabble or Monopoly, we

checked our Twitter feeds and updated our Facebook pages.

6 And that, of course, is the problem with the Internet: It’s so easy that, unless

you’re equipped with massive self-control, you use it if it’s there.

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Page 40

7 What did we lose?

8 For a news junkie like me, being cut off for a few weeks used to be a good

thing. It forced me to stop following what politicians were saying and allowed

me to read novels, histories, even old magazine articles carefully set aside all

year in a vacation reading box.

9 When anyone got bored with reading, we had other pre-modern forms of

entertainment: hiking, swimming, canoeing, competitive baking, stargazing and

card games. My daughters would never have learned the rules of Texas hold ’em

if not for their father’s tutelage on summer vacations.

10 The path to paradise lost has been gradual. For several years, I kept my

Internet addiction under control by using inconvenient technology: a creaky

laptop and a slow dial-up connection. But this year, the combination of a new

iPad and that nifty Wi-Fi turned out to be fatal.

11 The demon iPad beckoned silently from the picnic table: What harm could it be

to give the e-mail a quick check? But once that alluring touch screen lights up,

who can resist lingering?

12 I’m not the first to stumble across this problem, of course. I’m a late adopter,

even when it comes to vices.

13 As early as 2008, Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows: What the Internet Is

Doing to Our Brains, was warning that broadband Internet was reducing our

attention spans and making us stupid. The Web, he said, encourages us to lapse

into our “natural state of distractedness.”

14 Even before that, in the pre-broadband Ice Age of 2000, Harvard’s Robert

Putnam warned that television—and, more broadly, staring into any kind of

screen—had reduced the amount of time families spent in social interactions

like, well, penny-ante poker at a picnic table.

15 And last year, researchers at UC–Irvine reported that employees who were

unplugged from their e-mail got more work done—and experienced far less

stress.

16 Now, I’m not bemoaning the loss of total isolation or advocating unplugging

from the Internet entirely. Access to the Web is unquestionably a wonderful

thing. I love having a bottomless library at my fingertips; I love having the

world’s newspapers on my electronic doorstep. I love being able to pay bills and

make airplane reservations online. And, thanks to those ugly cell phone towers

in the woods, we now have a way to call for help if we need an ambulance or a

fire truck.

17 It’s also nice to have an app that identifies the constellations when you hold the

iPad up to the night sky. But then, you have to remember to put the screen

down and simply drink in the stars—the original, uncut version.

18 And that’s the point: It’s important not to let the convenience of the Internet get

in the way of simpler beauties.

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19 That’s not the Internet’s fault. It’s ours, for failing to curb the urge to browse.

20 I grew to envy our neighbor down the lake who opted to go without Internet

access. He didn’t cut himself off entirely; whenever he made a trip to town, he

sat on the park bench in front of the public library to use the Wi-Fi. But the rest

of the time, he stayed unplugged.

21 In retrospect, that sounds pretty good. I don’t think I’m desperate enough to

need a term in the Internet rescue camps of South Korea. And I’m too cheap to

shell out 10 bucks for the software that turns your Internet connection off for as

many hours as you want. (Bonus tech tip: You can turn it off yourself, for free.

Go to “Settings.”)

22 The first step toward recovery is admitting you have a problem. My problem

isn’t the Internet, it’s learning how to limit the time I spend on it.

23 So now I have one more thing to look forward to next summer: More time

reading old novels; more time playing Scrabble and chasing frogs.

24 Next year, I promise to unplug. Except, of course, when we need to find a new

bike trail, or Google a recipe for wild blueberry pie or check whether “qi” is an

acceptable word in Scrabble. And, while I’m online, could it hurt to take one

little peek at the e-mail?

English I

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39 Which word from the selection means “supporting” or “recommending”?

A browsing (paragraph 5)

B lingering (paragraph 11)

C bemoaning (paragraph 16)

D advocating (paragraph 16)

40 What evidence does the author provide to support the claims he makes in

paragraphs 5 through 7?

F Personal anecdotes and

opinions of experts who have studied the Internet

G Scientific studies and statistics about Internet use

H Historical facts regarding the effects of television and the Internet

J Results of opinion polls about Internet use

41 Why is

a cartoon an effective accompaniment to the selection?

A In the selection, the author notes that the news is always bad.

B The author maintains a lighthearted tone throughout the selection.

C In the selection, the author stresses the importance of preventing boredom.

D The

author focuses on the rewards of creativity throughout the selection.

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Page 43

42 In paragraph 11, the author uses personification to show that the computer —

F has the power to tempt him

G is capable of evil

H deserves his sympathy

J has its own vulnerabilities

43 Which quotation best supports the main idea of the selection?

A The demon iPad

beckoned silently from the picnic table.

B For several years, I kept my Internet addiction under control by using inconvenient

technology: a creaky

laptop and a slow dial-up connection.

C It’s important not

to let the convenience of the Internet get in the way of simpler beauties.

D I love having the world’s newspapers on my electronic doorstep.

English I

Page 44

44 The author’s position about the Internet is that —

F people should not rely solely on the Internet to provide them with news and other

information

G although the Internet is often useful, it can become addictive and hamper human

interaction

H people can have meaningful vacations only if they leave all electronic devices at home

J even though there are some good things about the Internet, overall it has affected

civilization for the worse

45 In the article, paragraph 15 functions as —

A evidence to support a point made in paragraph 13

B a personal anecdote that illustrates an idea in paragraph 14

C a restatement of the author’s main argument

D historical context to allow the reader to understand the article’s setting

English I

Page 45

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in

theansweronyouranswerdocument.

from

Chasing Redbird

by Sharon Creech

1 Beyond the ash tree was a rose garden: twenty bushes planted by Uncle

Nate the year that baby Rose died. Aunt Jessie loved those roses. She could see

them from her bedroom window, and that summer, she and I would walk

through them, counting the blooms.

2 When the first frost came in November, Aunt Jessie fretted. She stared out

the window at the few remaining blossoms, stiff and matted with frost. “They’ll

all die soon,” she said. It sent a shiver through me.

3 Each year after that, she was thrilled in the spring when the first rosebud

appeared, and each year, with the arrival of winter, she became dejected all over

again, as if she didn’t believe or didn’t remember that spring would come again.

4 Several years after Uncle Nate had planted the roses, I was with my family

one Saturday at a store in Chocton. Each of us kids had a dollar. The boys were

sifting through the candy, May and Gretchen were at the makeup counter, and

Bonnie and I were wandering around the store, unable to make up our minds

what to choose. Then I saw it. It was perfect: a red plastic rose on a stiff green

stem. I bought it and kept it in my closet until October, when I snuck it into the

rosebushes in the yard, tying it to a branch.

5 When Aunt Jessie started to fret over the frost and the dying buds, I’d say,

each morning, “There’s still a few left,” and, finally, “There’s still one left.” She

didn’t seem impressed and said, “It’ll be dead soon.”

6 By December, after we’d had two snowfalls, she could no longer ignore the

single rose still blooming in the garden. On one of our walks, she headed for the

bushes. “I want to see this rose,” she said. I tried to discourage her, tried to pull

her in another direction, but she was determined. She reached across the bush

in front and touched my plastic rose.

7 “What?” she said, tugging at it. “What—?” She pulled it loose, and the look

on her face I’ll never forget: such disappointment, such dismay. She threw the

rose to the ground. “It’s fake! Who would do such a mean and nasty thing?”

8 My own face must have betrayed my guilt.

9 “You?” she said. “You did that? How could you?”

10 I ran to the barn, ashamed and confused.

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Page 46

11 Later, she apologized, saying that she knew I hadn’t meant to hurt her, that

I must have thought it would please her. She didn’t know why she had reacted

the way she did. “I so much wanted that rose to be alive,” she said.

12 Shortly afterward, she restored the red plastic rose to the rose garden, and

it has bloomed there year round ever since, faded nearly to white, but still

there. When Aunt Jessie died, Uncle Nate bought a second plastic rose and

added it to the other one in the rose garden.

English I

Page 47

46 The story is told from the perspective of —

F a third-person narrator who is not fully trustworthy

G an omniscient third-person narrator

H an unreliable first-person narrator

J a first-person narrator who is naive

47 Which quotation

provides the best evidence that the story takes place in a rural setting?

A On one of our walks, she headed for the bushes.

B When the first frost came in November, Aunt Jessie fretted.

C She reached across the bush in front and touched my plastic rose.

D I ran to the barn, ashamed and confused.

48 The dialogue

in paragraph 5 reveals —

F Aunt Jessie’s cruelty and the narrator’s hope for redemption

G Aunt Jessie’s pragmatism and the narrator’s need to gain approval

H Aunt Jessie’s fatalism and the narrator’s desire to console

J Aunt Jessie’s sarcasm and the narrator’s longing for acceptance

English I

Page 48

49 The description of Aunt Jessie in paragraph 3 emphasizes that she —

A likes to be in control of situations

B does not want to admit her difficulty overcoming grief

C remains distant from her family

D continues to mourn the death of her child

50 Which quotation provides the best evidence of the narrator’s sensitivity?

F She and I

would walk through them, counting the blooms.

G It sent a shiver through me.

H I snuck it into the rosebushes in the yard, tying it to a branch.

J Bonnie and I were wandering around the store, unable to make up our minds what to

choose.

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51 In paragraph 2, the “first frost” represents the —

A persistence of hope

B unfairness of life

C inevitability of death

D beginning of trouble

52 In comparison to what the other children spend their money on at the store, the narrator’s

purchase makes her seem —

F unselfish

G practical

H gullible

J romantic

BE SURE YOU HAVE RECORDED ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS

English I

ON THE ANSWER DOCUMENT.

STOP

Page 50

STAAR

English I

March 2017

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