Everett Public Schools
Assessment of Student Learning
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Benchmark Reading Assessment
Grade 10
Grading Period 3
“She Dared to Be an Athlete”
excerpt from
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
“Midway”
Student:
Date:
Teacher:
Period:
2
Informational Passage
Directions: Read the following selection and then answer the questions.
She Dared to Be an Athlete
from
Dreams into Deeds: Nine Women Who Dared
by Linda Peavy and Ursula Smith
1 Today when girls play Little League ball and women drive in the Indianapolis 500, it’s hard to
believe that at one time being a girl meant that you had little chance to participate in athletics. But
when Babe Didrikson was growing up in the 1920s, many people even believed that it was unhealthy
for girls to develop athletic skills. Fortunately, Babe was happily unaware of what she should or
shouldn’t do and thoroughly enjoyed doing what she could. She worked out on the backyard gym
set her father had rigged up for his children. She raced her sister Lillie down the block, hurdling the
hedges that divided every yard from its neighbor, while Lillie ran the flat course of the sidewalk.
Though she was two years younger than Lillie, Babe always won those matches. She was physically
gifted and fiercely competitive.
2 Wiry, thin and achieving her full height of 5’6” only in her mid-teens, Babe had astonishing strength
for her size. And, she devoted herself almost single-mindedly to improving her skill in whatever
sport held her interest at the moment. She batted over .400 in the Beaumont, Texas, city softball
league, could punt a football 75 yards, had a 170 bowling average, won tennis tournaments and
diving championships, and swam short-distance events in times close to world records.
3 Throughout her high school years her greatest interest was basketball. But at the time there were no
university or professional sports programs for women in the United States, so older girls played for
“industrial” teams, most of them sponsored by oil and insurance companies who benefited from the
publicity generated by the games. In 1930, Babe became an 86-word-a-minute typist for Employers
Casualty in Dallas and a high-scoring player for the company’s Golden Cyclones. She was an All-
American in 1930, 1931, and 1932.
4 In July of 1932 the Golden Cyclones sent Babe to Illinois to compete
in the women’s track and field events at the national Amateur
Athletics Union, which served to qualify American athletes for the
Olympic Games. Babe came in first in six of the eight events and
set world records in four. Though her performance qualified her to
compete in all five of the Olympic track and field events open to
women, the rules of the time limited her participation to three
events. In August 1932 at the Tenth Olympiad in Los Angeles, Babe
Didrikson won two gold medals---running the 80-meter hurdles in
11.7 seconds and tossing the javelin 143’ 4”, 11 feet farther than any
woman had ever tossed it before.
5 Babe returned to Dallas to a hero’s welcome. A crowd of 10,000 greeted her at the airport. At 21
years of age, Babe held five national or world records and was America’s new sports idol.
Selection from- Ohio Proficiency Test
3
Benchmark Reading Assessment
Grade 10 – Grading Period 3
“She Dared to Be an Athlete”
Fill in the bubble next to the letter of the best answer.
1. Which sentence tells how Babe's life as a child and her life as an adult were similar? [IA16]
o
A.
Babe and her sister competed in athletics throughout their lives.
o
B.
Babe understood playing sports was harmful.
o
C.
Babe dedicated her life to being physically active.
o
D.
Babe had no support from her family for her participation in sports.
2. According to the selection, what happens when Babe wins at the Olympics? [IA17]
o
A.
She is given a raise at her job as a typist.
o
B.
She is shunned by her hometown of Beaumont, Texas.
o
C.
She opens the door to more women participating in sports.
o
D.
She is encouraged to modify her participation in sports by her family.
3. Which word best describes the author's feelings about Babe Didrikson? [IT18]
o
A.
Envy
o
B.
Admiration
o
C.
Jealous
o
D.
Amused
4. Based on the information in the selection, what is the most important concept the author presents?
[IT19]
o
A.
Babe Didrikson was envied by many in the sports world.
o
B.
Babe Didrikson set the stage for girls participating equally in sports.
o
C.
Babe Didrikson’s accomplishments were misunderstood by the public.
o
D.
Babe Didrikson’s successes were judged unfairly by her peers.
4
5. Based on the information in the selection, which solution would most help girls take advantage of
sports opportunities? [IT20]
o
A.
Hire more coaches for JV and Varsity sports teams.
o
B.
Create opportunities for sports scholarships and grants for college.
o
C.
Include a wide variety and range of sports in middle and high schools.
o
D.
Budget money to build more athletic facilities.
6.
Short Answer - 2 pts
Explain why Babe returned to Dallas as a hero. Include
two
details from the selection in your
answer. [LA07]
5
Literary Passage: Autobiography
Directions: Read the following selection and then answer the questions.
excerpt from
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
by Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley
1 It was because of my letters that I happened to stumble upon starting to acquire some kind of a
homemade education.
2 I became increasingly frustrated at not being able to express what I wanted to convey in letters that I
wrote, especially those to Mr. Elijah Muhammad. In the street, I had been the most articulate hustler
out there—I had commanded attention when I said something. But now, trying to write simple
English, I not only wasn't articulate, I wasn't even functional. How would I sound writing in slang,
the way I would
say
it, something such as, "Look, daddy, let me pull your coat about a cat, Elijah
Muhammad— "
3 Many who today hear me somewhere in person, or on television, or those
who read something I've said, will think I went to school far beyond the
eighth grade. This impression is due entirely to my prison studies.
4 It had really begun back in the Charlestown Prison, when Bimbi first
made me feel envy of his stock of knowledge. Bimbi had always taken
charge of any conversations he was in, and I had tried to emulate him.
But every book I picked up had few sentences I could understand. From
one to nearly all of the words that might as well have been in Chinese.
When I just skipped those words, of course, I really ended up with little
idea of what the book said. So I had come to the Norfolk Prison Colony
still going through on book-reading motions. Pretty soon, I would have
quit even these motions, unless I had received the motivation that I did.
5 I saw that the best thing I could do was get hold of a dictionary—to study, to learn some words. I
was lucky enough to reason also that I should try to improve my penmanship. It was sad. I couldn't
even write in a straight line. It was both ideas together that moved me to request a dictionary along
with some tablets and pencils from the Norfolk Prison Colony School.
6 I spent two days just riffling uncertainly through the dictionary's pages. I'd never realized so many
words existed! I didn't know
which
words I needed to learn. Finally, just to start some kind of
action, I began copying.
7 In my slow, painstaking, ragged handwriting, I copied into my tablet everything printed on that first
page, down to the punctuation marks.
8 I believe it took me a day. Then, aloud, I read back, to myself, everything I'd written on the tablet.
Over and over, aloud, to myself, I read my own handwriting.
6
Malcolm
X
1925 - 1965
9 I woke up the next morning, thinking about those words—immensely proud to realize that not only
had I written so much at one time, but I'd written words that I never knew were in the world.
Moreover, with a little effort, I also could remember what many of these words meant. I reviewed
the words whose meanings I didn't remember. Funny thing, from the dictionary first page right now,
that "aardvark" springs to my mind. The dictionary had a picture of it, a long-tailed, long-eared,
burrowing African mammal, which lives off termites caught by sticking out its tongue as an anteater
does for ants.
10 I was so fascinated that I went on—I copied the dictionary's next page. And the same experience
came when I studied that. With every succeeding page, I also learned of people and places and
events from history. Actually the dictionary is like a miniature encyclopedia. Finally the
dictionary's A section had filled a whole tablet---and I went on into the B's. That was the way I
started copying what eventually became the entire dictionary. It went a lot faster after so much
practice helped me to pick up handwriting speed. Between what I wrote in my tablet, and writing
letters, during the rest of my time in prison I would guess I wrote a million words.
11 I suppose it was inevitable that as my word-base broadened, I could for the first time pick up a book
and read and now begin to understand what the book was saying. Anyone who has read a great deal
can imagine the new world that opened. Let me tell you something: from then until I left that
prison, in every free moment I had, if I was not reading in the library, I was reading on my bunk.
You couldn’t have gotten me out of books with a wedge. Between Mr. Muhammad's teachings, my
correspondence, my visitors—usually Ella and Reginald—and my reading of books, months passed
without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free
in my life.
Selection from- Massachusetts released assessment 2002
7
Benchmark Reading Assessment
Grade 10 – Grading Period 3
excerpt from
Autobiography of Malcolm X
7.
Short Answer - 2 pts
Is Malcolm X’s decision to copy the dictionary a good idea? Provide
two
details from the selection
to support your answer. [LT09]
8
8.
Extended Response - 4 pts
What are
two
ways Babe Didrikson in the first selection
is like
Malcolm X in the second selection?
Include information from "She Dared to Be an Athlete" and the excerpt from
The Autobiography of
Malcolm X
in your answer. [LA06]
What are
two
ways Babe Didrikson in the first selection
is different
from Malcolm X in the second
selection? Include information from both selections in your answer.
9
9. Why did Malcolm X request a dictionary from the Norfolk Prison Colony School? [LA07]
o
A.
He only had an 8th grade education.
o
B.
Since he was in prison, he had a great deal of unstructured time.
o
C.
He realized he couldn't understand words he was reading.
o
D.
Elijah Muhammad told him the dictionary was the best book for learning.
10. Which sentence best describes Malcolm X's feelings about books in the selection? [LT08]
o
A.
Books opened his mind to the possibility of a brighter future.
o
B.
Books limited his opportunity to pursue his own interests.
o
C.
Books were complicated and hindered his ability to discover his potential.
o
D.
Books helped him to become a role model to other prisoners during his imprisonment.
11. Which statement is the most important conclusion the reader can draw from the selection? [LT09]
o
A.
In severe situations, it is difficult to remain hopeful.
o
B.
Although hard to attain, literacy provides opportunities to change the future.
o
C.
While enduring an ordeal, sympathetic friends lessen the suffering.
o
D.
Though painstaking, personal growth requires trust.
12. Based on the information in the selection, what conclusion can the reader draw about the personality
traits of successful people? [LT10]
o
A.
A successful person recognizes their shortcomings, takes steps to make improvements, and
then builds upon previous experiences.
o
B.
A successful person uses multiple resources to approach a task, takes enough time to
accomplish the work, and then seeks the help of others.
o
C.
A successful person understands that communicating through writing is essential, learns how
to be a better writer, and then publishes those findings.
o
D.
A successful person builds on the skills learned at an early age, remembers those skills, and
then teaches others.
10
Literary Passage: Poem
Directions: Read the following selection and then answer the questions.
Midway
by Naomi Long Madgett
I've come this far to freedom
And I won't turn back.
I'm climbing to the highway
From my old dirt track.
I'm coming and I'm going
And I'm stretching and I'm growing
And I'll reap what I've been sowing
Or my skin's not black.
I've prayed and slaved and waited
And I've sung my song.
You've bled me and you've starved me
But I've still grown strong.
You've lashed me and you've treed me
And you've everything but freed me,
But in time you'll know you need me
And it won't be long.
I've seen the daylight breaking
High above the bough.
I've found my destination and I've made my vow;
So whether you abhor me
Or deride me or ignore me,
Mighty mountains loom before me
And I won't stop now.
Selection from- http://www.crmvet.org/poetry/amadgett.htm#pm
11
Benchmark Reading Assessment
Grade 10 – Grading Period 3
“Midway”
Fill in the bubble next to the letter of the best answer.
13. How are Babe Didrikson in the first selection “She Dared to be an Athlete” and the speaker in the
poem “Midway” different? [LA06]
o
A.
Babe Didrikson has already succeeded, but the speaker is striving to succeed.
o
B.
Babe Didrikson did not need to overcome discrimination, but the speaker did.
o
C.
Babe Didrikson’s family was the key to her success, but the speaker’s family was not.
o
D.
Babe Didrikson won awards, but the speaker’s goal was to win awards.
14. Why does the speaker say she “…won’t stop now”? [LA07]
o
A.
Her persistence will allow her to go in a new direction.
o
B.
Through the encouragement of others, she decided to continue on.
o
C.
She fears her future will be bleak if she stops.
o
D.
She has come a long way in her effort to succeed and doesn’t want to give up.
15. Which word best describes the poet’s feelings about her future in the poem? [LT08]
o
A.
Argumentative
o
B.
Hopeful
o
C.
Reluctant
o
D.
Sympathetic
12
16. Which statement is the most important conclusion the reader can draw from the selection? [LT09]
o
A.
Fear can make a person angry and fight back.
o
B.
The human spirit will strive against hardship.
o
C.
Civil rights are important to everyone’s history.
o
D.
Celebrations are sure roads to happiness.
17. Based on the information in the poem, what generalization can the reader make about the author’s
future? [LT10]
o
A.
She will become disheartened and give up hope.
o
B.
She will rejoice in victory over her oppressors.
o
C.
She will positively overcome upcoming obstacles.
o
D.
She will seek revenge on her enemies.
18. How does the poet’s feelings about overcoming obstacles compare to Malcolm X’s feelings about
overcoming obstacles? [LA06]
o
A.
They both believe in order to succeed it is necessary to depend on other people.
o
B.
They both feel reading and writing is the key element to accomplish goals.
o
C.
They both feel that persistence allows them to continue their life’s journey.
o
D.
They both believe that good things come to those who wait.
