Everett Public Schools
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Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 6
Grading Period 2
“Names/Nombres”
“Children of Immigrants Ace Sciences”
Student:
Date:
Teacher:
Period:
2
Literary Passage: Autobiography
Directions: Read the selection and answer the following questions.
Names/Nombres
By Julia Alvarez
1 When we arrived in New York City, our names changed almost
immediately. At Immigration, the officer asked my father,
Mister
Elbures
, if he had anything to declare. My father shook his head no, and
we were waved through. I was too afraid we wouldn’t be let in if I
corrected the man’s pronunciation, but I said our name to myself,
opening my mouth wide for the organ blast of the
a
, trilling my tongue
for the drumroll of the
r
,
All-vah-rrr-es!
How could anyone get
Elbures
out of that orchestra of sound?
2 At the hotel my mother was Missus Alburest, and I was
little girl
, as in,
“Hey, little girl, stop riding the elevator up and down. It’s
not
a toy.”
3 When we moved into our new apartment building, the super called my father
Mister Alberase
, and
the neighbors who became mother’s friends pronounced her name
Jew-lee-ah
instead of
Hoo-lee-ah
.
I, her namesake, was known as
Hoo-lee-tah
at home. But at school it was
Judy
or
Judith
, and once
an English teacher mistook me for
Juliet
.
4 It took a while to get used to my new names. I wondered if I shouldn’t correct my teachers and new
friends. But my mother argued that it didn’t matter. “You know what your friend Shakespeare said,
‘
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet
.’” My family had gotten into the habit of calling any
famous author “my friend” because I had begun to write poems and stories in English class.
5 By the time I was in high school, I was a popular kid, and it showed in my name. Friends called me
Jules
or
Hey Jude
, and once a group of troublemaking friends my mother forbade me to hang out
with called me
Alcatraz
. I was
Hoo-lee-tah
only to Mami and Papi and uncles and aunts who came
over to eat sancocho on Sunday afternoons – old world folk whom I would just as soon go back to
where they came from and leave me to pursue whatever mischief I wanted to in America. JUDY
ALCATRAZ, the name on the “Wanted” poster would read. Who would ever trace her to me?
6 My older sister had the hardest time getting an American name for herself because
Mauricia
did not
translate into English. Ironically, although she had the most foreign-sounding name, she and I were
the Americans in the family. We had been born in New York City when our parents had first tried
immigration and then gone back “home,” too homesick to stay. My mother often told the story of
how she had almost changed my sister’s name in the hospital.
7 After the delivery, Mami and some other new mothers were cooing over their new baby sons and
daughters and exchanging names and weights and delivery stories. My mother was embarrassed
among the Sallys and Janes and Georges and Johns to reveal the rich, noisy name of
Mauricia
, so
when her turn came to brag, she gave her baby’s name as
Maureen
.
8 “Why’d ya give her an Irish name with so many pretty Spanish names to choose from?” one of the
women asked.
3
9
My mother blushed and admitted her baby’s real name to the group. Her mother-in-law had recently
died, she apologized, and her husband had insisted that the first daughter to be named after his
mother,
Mauran
. My mother thought it the ugliest name she had ever heard, and she talked my father
into what she believed was an improvement, a combination of
Mauran
and her own mother’s name,
Felicia.
10 “Her name is
Mao-ree-shee-ah
,” my mother said to the group of women.
11 “Why, that’s a beautiful name,” the new mothers cried. “
Moor-ee-sha, Moor-ee-sha
,” they cooed
into the pink blanket.
Moor-ee-sha
it was when we returned to the States eleven years later.
Sometimes, American tongues found even that mispronunciation tough to say and called her
Maria
or
Marsha
or
Maudy
from her nickname
Maury
. I pitied her. What an awful name to have to
transport across borders!
12 My little sister, Ana, had the easiest time of all. She was plain
Anne
– that is, only her name was
plain, for she turned out to be the pale, blond “American beauty” in the family. The only Hispanic
thing about her was the affectionate nicknames her boyfriends sometimes gave her.
Anita
, or, as one
goofy guy used to sing to her to the tune of the banana advertisement,
Anita Banana
.
13 Later, during her college years in the late sixties, there was a push to pronounce Third World names
correctly. I remember calling her long distance at her group house and a roommate answering.
14 “Can I speak to Ana?” I asked, pronouncing her name the American way.
15 “Ana?” The man’s voice hesitated. “Oh! You must mean
Ah-nah
!”
16 Our first few years in the States, though, ethnicity was not yet “in.” Those were the blond, blue-eyed,
bobby-sock years of junior high and high school before the sixties ushered in peasant blouses, hoop
earrings, serapes. My initial desire to be known by my correct Dominican name faded. I just wanted
to be Judy and merge with the Sallys and Janes in my class. But, inevitably, my accent and coloring
gave me away. “So where are you from, Judy?”
17 “New York,” I told my classmates. After all, I had been born blocks away at Columbia-Presbyterian
Hospital.
18 “I mean,
originally
.”
19 “From the Caribbean,” I answered vaguely, for
if I specified, no one was quite sure on what
continent our island was located.
20 “Really? I’ve been to Bermuda. We went last
April for spring vacation. I got the worst
sunburn! So, are you from Portoriko?”
21 “No,” I sighed. “From the Dominican
Republic.”
22 “Where’s that?”
4
23 “South of Bermuda.”
24 They were just being curious, I knew, but I burned with shame whenever they singled me out as a
“foreigner,” a rare, exotic friend.
25 “Say your name in Spanish, oh, please say it!” I had made mouths drop one day by rattling off my
full name, which, according to Dominican custom, included my middle names, Mother’s and
Father’s surnames for four generations back.
26 “Julia Altagracia Maria Teresa Alvarez Tavares Perello Espaillat Julia Perez Rochet Gonzalez.” I
pronounced it slowly, a name as chaotic with sounds as a Middle Eastern bazaar or market day in a
South American village.
27 My Dominican heritage was never more apparent than when my extended family attended school
occasions. For my graduation, they all came, the whole lot of aunts and uncles and the many little
cousins who snuck in without tickets. They sat in the first row in order to better understand the
Americans’ fast-spoken English. But how could they listen when they were constantly speaking
among themselves in florid-sounding phrases, rococo consonants, rich, rhyming vowels?
28 Introducing them to my friends was a further trial to me. These relatives had such complicated
names and there were so many of them, and their relationships to myself were so convoluted. There
was my Tia Josefina, who was not really an aunt but a much older cousin. And her daughter, Aida
Margarita, who was adopted, una hija de crianza. My uncle of affection, Tio Jose, brought my
madrina Tia Amelia and her comadre Tia Pilar. My friends rarely had more than a “Mom and Dad”
to introduce.
29 After the commencement ceremony, my family waited outside in the parking lot while my friends
and I signed yearbooks with nicknames which recalled our high school good times: “Beans” and
“Pepperoni” and “Alcatraz.” We hugged and cried and promised to keep in touch.
30 Our goodbyes went on too long. I heard my father’s voice calling out across the parking lot, “
Hoo-
lee-tah!
Vamonos!
31 Back home, my tios and tias and primas, Mami and Papi, and mis hermanas had a party for me with
sancocho and a store-bought
pudin
, inscribed with
Happy Graduation
,
Julie
. There were many gifts
– that was a plus to a large family! I got several wallets and a suitcase with my initials and a
graduation charm from my godmother and money from my uncles. The biggest gift was a portable
typewriter from my parents for writing my stories and poems.
32 Someday, the family predicted, my name would be well-known
throughout the United States. I laughed to myself, wondering
which one I would go by.
5
Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 6 – Grading Period 2
“Names/Nombres”
Fill in the bubble next to the letter of the best answer.
1. Why does Julia not correct the man’s pronunciation when she came through Immigration?
[LA07]
o
A.
She liked the man’s musical pronunciation of her family’s name.
o
B.
She was afraid they would not be let in to the country if she corrected him.
o
C.
She believed that everyone’s name was changed as they came through Immigration.
o
D.
When she heard the man speak, she was uncertain that he was speaking to her family.
2. According to the story, which sentence tells how Julia and Ana are different? [LA06]
o
A.
Julia had a larger family than Ana.
o
B.
Ana’s name was frequently mispronounced, while Julia’s was not.
o
C.
Ana had a more difficult time with her name than Julia.
o
D.
Julia’s appearance was Hispanic while Ana’s was not.
3. Which sentence from the story is an opinion? [LT08]
o
A.
“My mother thought [the name Mauran] the ugliest name she had ever heard…”
o
B.
“I wondered if I shouldn’t correct my teachers and new friends”
o
C.
“My mother was embarrassed among the Sallies, Janes and Georges….”
o
D.
“I burned with shame whenever they singled me out as a ‘foreigner’…”
4. What is wrong with Julia’s mother’s reasoning when she told the other mothers in the hospital that
her baby’s name was Maureen instead of Mauricia? [LT09]
o
A.
She thought Irish names were better than Spanish names.
o
B.
She thought the name Maureen was prettier than Mauricia.
o
C.
She thought other mothers would not accept a Spanish name.
o
D.
She thought she could not use a Spanish name in the United States.
6
5. Based on the information in the story, what conclusion can the reader draw about Julia? [LT10]
o
A.
Julia is eager to lose her Hispanic heritage.
o
B.
Julia’s stubbornness is a disadvantage in school.
o
C.
Julia is a person who can adapt to new situations.
o
D.
Julia’s anger gets in the way of making decisions.
7
6.
Short Answer- 2pts
What is the author’s purpose for writing the story? Provide
one
detail from the story to support your
answer. [LT08]
7.
Short Answer- 2pts
Explain why Julia’s name was changed when she came to America. Include
two
details from the
selection in your answer. [LA07]
8
Informational Passage
Directions: Read the selection and answer the following questions.
Children of Immigrants Ace Sciences
Adapted from an article by Amanda Paulson
1 Scientists and mathematicians born outside the U.S. come to
the U.S. to work. They are often well known in America. For
example, immigrants helped create the computer and the atom
bomb. In fact, a large number of America's Nobel Prizes have
gone to foreign-born individuals.
More than half of all
engineers with Ph.D.s working here were born abroad. So were
45 percent of computer scientists and physicists with advanced
degrees.
2 Another benefit that many immigrants bring is their children. A high number of finalists for the
Junior Nobel Prize have immigrant backgrounds. Seven of the Top 10 award winners in this year's
Nobel Prize contest were immigrants. Of the top 40 finalists, 60 percent were the children of
immigrants. Their parents entered the U.S. because they had desirable skills.
3 It's no surprise that children of immigrants do well in these contests. "It seems like a lot of the
immigrant parents have had to work a lot harder to get where they are right now," says Divya
Nettimi. She was a finalist. Her research helped further understanding of muscle contractions. "In
India, a huge focus is placed on education. Jobs are so scarce that it's a question of survival."
4 Her parents are both software engineers. They came to the U.S. from India when Divya was 9
months old. They wanted more opportunities for their children.
5
Many immigrant parents view jobs in the math and science fields as better suited for their children.
These fields may rely more on skill and knowledge than personality or appearance. They feel that
politics and law are more difficult for their children to enter.
6 Immigrants' children are more likely to attend colleges like Harvard. It must be realized, however,
that large numbers of immigrant children struggle in school. These children are trying to adjust to a
new culture. “Over time there may be a decline in optimism and energy,” one expert comments.
7 Among the top students optimism and energy are still present. Andrei Munteanu’s parents came
from Romania when he was 13. He got the idea for research on predicting asteroid collisions from
watching the movie "Armageddon.” Andrei is excited about starting classes. He chose Harvard
because he "likes other things" in addition to math and science. Like Divya, he says his parents
helped him. "They gave me not pressure," he says, "but encouragement."
9
Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 6 – Grading Period 2
“Children of Immigrants Ace Sciences”
Fill in the bubble next to the letter of the best answer.
8. What is most likely the author’s purpose for writing this selection? [IT18]
o
A.
To explain to the reader why children of immigrants excel in math and science.
o
B.
To persuade the reader that math and science are important to study in school.
o
C.
To explain to the reader that children of immigrants compete for U.S. jobs.
o
D.
To persuade the reader to enter math and science contests in school.
9. According to the selection, what happens when immigrant scientists and mathematicians settle in the
United States? [IC17]
o
A.
They are often well-known and win many of America’s Nobel Prizes.
o
B.
They find that jobs in America are scarce and become less optimistic.
o
C.
They do well in math and science and enter these fields as teachers.
o
D.
They pressure their children and encourage them to become lawyers.
10. Which sentence tells how parents of immigrant children are similar? [IA16]
o
A.
They place a great focus on education and it is believed that they had to work harder to
succeed in America.
o
B.
They encourage their children to enter the field of politics and they believe another good
field for their children is math.
o
C.
They encourage their children to attend well-known colleges and they represent 20% of the
finalists for the Nobel Prize.
o
D.
They encourage their children to do well in school and place a great deal of pressure on their
children to succeed.
11. Which statement is the most important conclusion that may be drawn from the selection? [IT19]
o
A.
In America, immigrant children often struggle in school.
o
B.
In America, immigrants often prefer to study math and science.
o
C.
In America, children of immigrants are often successful and energetic.
o
D.
In America, immigrants and their children often make important contributions.
10
12. Based on the information in the selection, what generalization can the reader draw about children of
immigrants? [IT20]
o
A.
Children of immigrants find it easy to be accepted into a new culture.
o
B.
Children of immigrants, with parent support, work hard to achieve their goals.
o
C.
Children of immigrants do better in fields where personality is more valued than skills.
o
D.
Children of immigrants believe it is more important to attend college than non-immigrants.
13.
Extended Response- 4pts
What are two ways Julia Alvarez is like Andre Munteanu? Include information from “Names and
Nombres” and “Children of Immigrants Ace Sciences” in your answer. [IA16]
What are two ways Julia Alvarez is different than Andre Munteanu?
