Everett Public Schools
Assessment of Student Learning
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Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 8
Grading Period 2
“Thank you, M’am”
“Each Life Affects Another’s”
Student:
Date:
Teacher:
Period:
2
Literary Passage
Directions: Read the selection and answer the questions.
“Thank You, M’am”
By Langston Hughes
1 She was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but hammer and nails. It had a
long strap and she carried it slung across her shoulder. It was about eleven o’clock at night, and she
was walking alone, when a boy ran up behind her and tried to snatch her purse. The strap broke with
the single tug the boy gave it from behind. But the boy’s weight, and the weight of the purse
combined caused him to lose his balance. Instead of taking off full blast as he had hoped, the boy fell
on his back on the sidewalk, and his legs flew up. The large woman simply turned around and kicked
him right square in his blue-jeaned sitter. Then she reached down, picked the boy up by his shirt
front, and shook him until his teeth rattled.
2 After that the woman said, “Pick up my pocketbook, boy, and give it
here.” She still held him. But she bent down enough to permit him to stoop
and pick up her purse. Then she said, “Now ain’t you ashamed of
yourself?”
3 Firmly gripped by his shirt front, the boy said, “Yes’m.”
4 The woman said, “What did you want to do it for?”
5 The boy said, “I didn’t aim to.”
6 She said, “You a lie!”
7 By that time two or three people passed, stopped, turned to look, and some stood watching.
8 “If I turn you loose, will you run?” asked the woman.
9 “Yes’m,” said the boy.
10 “Then I won’t turn you loose,” said the woman. She did not release him.
11 “Lady, I’m sorry,” whispered the boy.
12 “Um-hum! Your face is dirty. I got a great mind to wash your face for you. Ain’t you got nobody
home to tell you to wash your face?”
13 “No’m,” said the boy.
14 “Then it will get washed this evening,” said the large woman starting up the street, dragging the
frightened boy behind her.
15 He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans.
3
16 The woman said, “You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. Least I can do right
now is to wash your face. Are you hungry?”
17 “No’m,” said the being-dragged boy. “I just want you to turn me loose.”
18 “Was I bothering
you
when I turned that corner?” asked the woman.
19 “No’m.”
20 “But you put yourself in contact with
me
,” said the woman. “If you think that that contact is not
going to last awhile, you got another thought coming. When I get through with you, sir, you are
going to remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones.”
21 Sweat popped out on the boy’s face and he began to struggle. Mrs. Jones stopped, jerked him around
in front of her, put a half nelson about his neck, and continued to drag him up the street. When she
got to her door, she dragged the boy inside, down a hall, and into a large kitchenette-furnished room
at the rear of the house. She switched on the light and left the door open. The boy could hear other
roomers laughing and talking in the large house. Some of their doors were open, too, so he knew he
and the woman were not alone. The woman still had him by the neck in the middle of her room.
22 She said, “What is your name?”
23 “Roger,” answered the boy.
24 “Then, Roger, you go to that sink and wash your face,” said the woman, whereupon she turned him
loose – at last. Roger looked at the door – looked at the woman – looked at the door –
and went to
the sink
.
25
“Let the water run until it gets warm,” she said. “Here’s a clean towel.”
26 “You gonna take me to jail?” asked the boy, bending over the sink.
27 “Not with that face, I would not take you nowhere,” said the woman. “Here I am trying to get home
to cook me a bite to eat and you snatch my pocketbook! Maybe you ain’t been to your supper either,
late as it be. Have you?”
28 “There’s nobody home at my house,” said the boy.
29 “Then we’ll eat,” said the woman. “I believe you’re hungry – or been hungry – to try to snatch my
pocketbook.”
30 “I wanted a pair of blue suede shoes,” said the boy.
31 “Well, you didn’t have to snatch
my
pocketbook to get some suede shoes,” said Mrs. Luella Bates
Washington Jones. “You could of asked me.”
4
32 “M’am?”
33 The water dripping from his face, the boy looked at her. There was a long pause. A very long pause.
After he had dried his face and not knowing what else to do dried it again, the boy turned around,
wondering what next. The door was open. He could make a dash for it down the hall. He could run,
run, run, run,
run
!
34 The woman was sitting on the day bed. After awhile she said, “I were young once and I wanted
things I could not get.”
35 There was another long pause. The boy’s mouth opened. Then he frowned, but not knowing he
frowned.
36 The woman said, “Um-hum! You thought I was going to say
but
, didn’t you? You thought I was
going to say,
but I didn’t snatch people’s pocketbooks
. Well, I wasn’t going to say that.” Pause.
Silence. “I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son – neither tell God, if He didn’t
already know. So you set down while I fix us something to eat. You might run that comb through
your hair so you will look presentable.”
37 In another corner of the room behind a screen was a gas plate and an icebox. Mrs. Jones got up and
went behind the screen. The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor did
she watch her purse which she left behind her on the day bed. But the boy took care to sit on the far
side of the room where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye, if she
wanted to. He did not trust the woman
not
to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now.
38 “Do you need somebody to go to the store,” asked the boy, “maybe to get some milk or something?”
39 “Don’t believe I do,” said the woman, “unless you just want sweet milk yourself. I was going to
make cocoa out of this canned milk I got here.”
40 “That will be fine,” said the boy.
41
She heated some lima beans and ham she had in the icebox, made the cocoa, and set the table. The
woman did not ask the boy anything about where he lived, or his folks, or anything else that would
embarrass him. Instead, as they ate, she told him about her job in a hotel beauty shop that stayed
open late, what the work was like, and how all kinds of women came in and out, blondes, redheads,
and brunettes. Then she cut him a half of her ten-cent cake.
42 “Eat some more, son,” she said.
5
43 When they were finished eating she got up and said, “Now, here, take this ten dollars and buy
yourself some blue suede shoes. And next time, do not make the mistake of latching onto
my
pocketbook
nor nobody else’s
– because shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet. I got to
get my rest now. But from here on in, son, I hope you will behave yourself."
44 She led him down the hall to the front door and opened it. “Goodnight! Behave yourself, boy!” she
said, looking out into the street.
45 The boy wanted to say something other than, “Thank you, M’am,” to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington
Jones, but although his lips moved, he couldn’t even say that as he turned at the foot of the barren
stoop and looked up at the large woman in the door. Then she shut the door.
***Reading selection from 8
th
grade Prentice Hall anthology
6
Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 8 – Grading Period 2
“Thank You M’am”
Fill in the bubble next to the letter of the best answer.
1. What is most likely the author’s purpose for writing this story? [LT08]
O
A.
To ensure that older people are treated with respect by younger people.
O
B.
To persuade that robbery is committed by uncaring people.
O
C.
To teach that kindness and trust make a difference in the world.
O
D.
To explain how life in Harlem during the 1920’s was difficult.
2. Based on information in the story, what conclusion can be drawn about Mrs. Jones? [LT10]
O
A.
She is generous and forgiving.
O
B.
She is sensitive and soft-spoken.
O
C.
She is frightened and angry.
O
D.
She is discouraged and hopeless.
3. What is wrong with Roger’s reasoning in the story? [LT09]
O
A.
He thought Mrs. Jones was so lonely she would take him home with her.
O
B.
He thought Mrs. Jones would get in trouble with the police for taking him home.
O
C.
He thought Mrs. Jones would be an easy victim and easily hand over the purse.
O
D.
He thought Mrs. Jones would not trust him after he tried to steal her purse.
4. Which sentence tells how Mrs. Jones and Roger are different? [LA06]
O
A.
Mrs. Jones is scared while Roger is tough.
O
B.
Mrs. Jones is humorous while Roger is rude.
O
C.
Mrs. Jones is sad while Roger is angry.
O
D.
Mrs. Jones is confident while Roger is uneasy.
5. Which sentence best describes Mrs. Jones’ response to Roger stealing her purse? [LA07]
O
A.
She was angry.
O
B.
She was unmoved.
O
C.
She was embarrassed.
O
D.
She was nervous.
7
6. In several paragraphs of the story, why does the author put some words and phrases in italics?
[LT08]
O
A.
To show the characters’ inner thoughts.
O
B.
To confirm that the characters are angry.
O
C.
To inform the reader that Roger is frustrated.
O
D.
To emphasize a point that a character is making.
7. Which statement is the most important conclusion the reader can draw from the selection? [LT09]
O
A.
Children need adults to help guide them through life’s rough spots.
O
B.
Children need adults to help them practice healthy habits.
O
C.
It is important to feed the hungry.
O
D.
It is important to know self-defense.
8. Which sentence tells how Roger and Mrs. Jones are similar? [LT06]
O
A.
Roger and Mrs. Jones were embarrassed by their family backgrounds.
O
B.
Roger and Mrs. Jones like the same food and enjoy cooking.
O
C.
Roger and Mrs. Jones both enjoy each other’s company.
O
D.
Roger and Mrs. Jones were ashamed of events from their past.
9.
Short Answer- 2 pts
Was Mrs. Jones’ treatment of Roger a good idea? Include
two
details from the story to support your
answer. [LT09]
8
10.
Extended Response- 4pts
What problem does Mrs. Jones face in the story? What are
three
events that happened as a result of
the problem? Include information from the story in your answer. [LA07]
9
Literary Passage: Poem
Directions: Read the selection and answer the questions.
Each Life Affects Another's
By François Mauriac
1 We may not always realize that everything we do
Affects not only our life but touches others, too.
2 For a little bit of thoughtfulness that shows someone you care
Creates a ray of sunshine for both of you to share.
3 Yes, every time you show a friend you care and understand,
Every time you have a kind and gentle word to give
4 You help someone find beauty in this precious life we live.
For happiness brings happiness, and loving ways bring love,
5 And giving us the treasure that contentment is made of.
We are molded and tempered by those who have loved us,
6 and though that love may pall, we remain nonetheless their work.
7 No love, no friendship can ever cross the path of our destiny without leaving some
mark upon it forever.
Source- www. Sacredhoops.com/basketball_poems6.html
10
Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 8 – Grading Period 2
“Each Life Affects Another’s”
Fill in the bubble next to the letter of the best answer
.
11. Based on the information in the poem, which generalization can the reader make about love?
[LT10]
O
A.
Love and beauty go hand in hand
O
B.
Love will eventually pall or die out.
O
C.
People who give love are the ones able to receive love.
O
D.
People who give love will impact the lives of others.
12. According to the poem, what happens when “you have a kind and gentle word to give”? [LA07]
O
A.
You create a ray of sunshine to share.
O
B.
You help someone find beauty in life.
O
C.
You give treasure and contentment.
O
D.
You mold and temper those you love.
13.
Short Answer- 2 pts
The author of the poem states, “We may not always realize that everything we do affects not only
our life but touches others, too.” Provide
two
examples from the story “Thank You M’am” that
demonstrates this idea. [LA06]
