Everett Public Schools
Assessment of Student Learning
Student Packet
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Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 7
Grading Period 3
“The Adventure”
“Health Benefits of Pets”
“Moco Limping”
Student:
Date:
Teacher:
Period:
2
Literary Passage
Directions: Read the selection and then answer the questions.
The Adventure
By Ellen M. Dolan
1
There was little snow in Anchorage in 1982, so the
starting line for Alaska’s annual Iditarod Trail Sled
Dog Race had been moved north to Settler’s Bay.
Susan Butcher and her team, led by her Alaskan husky,
Tekla, were an hour into the race. As they sped down a
hill and around an abrupt turn, the sled skidded off the
icy trail and crashed into a fallen tree trunk.
2
Susan’s shoulder was bruised, and four of the dogs
were jolted. They lost a little time reorganizing but
were able to continue. Snow began to fall at dusk. In
the dark Susan passed team after team until there were
only three ahead of her. Although the trail had been
cleared and marked with flags earlier, it disappeared
under the deep snow. On the frozen Yentna River,
Susan and the other mushers went from bank to bank
trying to find a marker. Then one of the front-runners
found the trail, and Susan followed his tracks.
3
The trail went on and on, and Susan began to wonder why they had not yet reached the next
checkpoint. Three of her dogs lost energy and began to limp. Susan put all three into her sled and
continued at a slower pace. At dawn she met another musher coming back along the trail. He said
they had all followed the wrong scent for ten miles and must backtrack to the original trail—a loss of
twenty miles and several hours.
4
Not only Susan was discouraged; her team had lost its keen desire to run. Dogs become bored
when they retrace a trail, and Susan’s team was also pulling the extra weight of three teammates. She
pushed on—talking to them, praising them. Early in the morning they reached the Skwentka
checkpoint, only four hours behind her projected time.
5
Susan fed her dogs and settled them for a rest. Then she led her three limping dogs, Cracker, Ruff
and Screamer, to the holding pen. They would be flown back to Anchorage. After a good rest, the
teams revived and were on the move again. But forty-five miles along the trail at the next checkpoint
called Finger Lake, Tekla, the lead dog, was also limping.
6
Choking back tears, Susan untied Tekla and brought her to the holding area. Tekla, her first leader,
had led the way on the first three Iditarod’s and had saved Susan’s life on several occasions. Now
she must be left behind. Tied securely to a tree, Tekla watched as her teammates pulled out of the
checkpoint. There were eleven dogs left and almost 950 miles to go. More trouble lay ahead.
3
7
As the dogs began the climb to Rainy Pass, Susan’s concentration wavered. She had had only a
few hours sleep since leaving Settler’s Bay and her heart was still back with Tekla. As the team
neared the crest of a hill, Susan released her hold on the handlebar to help them to the top. She had
not realized, however, how much power the dogs still had. Before she could catch the sled, they had
crested the hill, raced down the other side, and disappeared up the trail.
8
Susan, her heart pumping with fear, ran after them. At each curve she expected to see a smashed
sled and injured dogs. Her biggest fear was that the runaway sled would overtake them and crash
into the team. Several miles down the trail she found them. The dogs were resting quietly, and the
sled was on its side.
9
With stiffened resolve, Susan untangled the team and started off again. The dogs pulled steadily
and they soon arrived at the Rohn checkpoint, where Susan had decided to make her mandatory
twenty-four-hour stop. She fed the dogs and settled them comfortably for a rest. Then she lay down
beside them in the snow to rub their shoulders, check their paws, and tell them how wonderful they
were.
10
At dusk Susan and her team, well-fed and rested, were ready to run again. They left Rohn and
pushed into the Farewell Burn. The area near Farewell had once been covered with thick forest.
Then in 1977 a roaring fire swept through the forest and left behind almost a hundred miles of
blackened, rotting trees. Susan adjusted her headlamp and steered the team around hidden stumps.
11
Soon she caught up with the race leaders. A fresh snowfall had buried the trail, and they were
waiting for morning to find it again. Susan joined them and took her turn at breaking trail. The run
through the Burn and into the interior was long and tiring. When they reached the first checkpoint on
the Yukon River, Susan rested again. She had a lighter sled stored and waiting there at the town of
Ruby.
12
The snow had stopped falling when she left Ruby, but the temperature dropped far below zero. It
was a long, cold ride to the coast and the town of Unalakleet. In the native language “Unalakleet”
means “place where the east wind always blows,” and the town rarely fails to fulfill this prophecy. A
winter storm roared along the coast as Susan and her dogs battled their way from Unalakleet to the
next village, Shaktoolik. Winds reached sixty miles an hour, and thirty-foot snowdrifts piled around
the homes in Shaktoolik. Many of the dwellings were routinely anchored by chains driven twenty-
five feet into the frozen ground.
13
For over two days Susan remained in Shaktoolik at the home of a hospitable villager. Even the
dogs, who were bred for subzero temperatures, came inside. Susan chopped wood and tried to
replenish her dwindling food supply from village fishermen. At last the winds began to diminish,
and she set out again.
14
Fifty miles from Nome, the wind picked up again. By then Susan was traveling with the leaders:
Rick Swenson, a two-time winner of the Iditarod; Emmitt Peters, also an earlier winner; and two
other strong competitors, Jerry Austin and Ernest Baumgartner. She was in fifth place.
4
15
Several of her remaining dogs had raced along the coast before. Susan switched leaders, put an
experienced dog in the front, and began to overtake the other mushers. She passed one, two, and then
three of the racers. Rick Swenson was still ahead. Running, pedaling, willing strength into her team,
Susan chased Rick all the way to the finish line. She crossed it just three and a half minutes behind
him. She won second place and a $12,000 prize.
Editor’s Note:
16
After finishing second in 1982, Susan Butcher continued racing in the Iditarod. She finished ninth
in 1983, and second again in 1984. In 1985 her team was attacked by a moose and she had to
withdraw from the race. In 1986, however, she won the race with a record time of 11 days 15 hours
6 minutes (which was later broken). Butcher was only the second woman to win the race, following
the 1985 victory of another American woman, Libby Riddles.
17
Butcher’s winning streak continued as she and her team won the race in 1987 and again in 1988.
In 1989, Butcher came in second, but she came back to win the Iditarod in 1990, becoming only the
second person to win the Iditarod four times. The only other four time winner in Iditarod history is
American Rick Swenson, who had defeated Butcher in 1982.
Selection taken from-West Virginia Released Test Items,
http://boe.mine.k12.wv.us/CURRIC&INSTRUC/Westest%20Constructed%20Response/RLA%205-10/7th%20RLA%20S2%20CR.pdf
5
Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 7 – Grading Period 3
“The Adventure”
Fill in the bubble next to the letter of the best answer.
1. What is the theme of the selection? [LC01]
c
A.
Winning is all that matters.
c
B.
Dogs are dependable, intelligent animals.
c
C.
It takes courage to continue on when difficult events arise.
c
D.
It is hard for a woman to compete in a race requiring physical endurance.
2. Based on the information in the selection, what inference can the reader make about why Susan
switched dog leaders in paragraph 15? [LC03]
c
A.
Susan wanted to win the Iditarod more than the other musher’s.
c
B.
Susan believed the dog with the most years in racing should lead.
c
C.
Susan had to change lead dogs because her current leader was injured.
c
D.
Susan selected a lead dog based on its previous experience with the landscape.
3. What is the main conflict in the selection? [LA05]
c
A.
Susan is struggling to compete with Rick.
c
B.
Susan is struggling with her dogs’ determination.
c
C.
Susan is struggling with the weather and terrain.
c
D.
Susan is struggling with the sled and harnesses.
4. Which sentence explains why Susan and her dog team reached the Skwentka checkpoint behind
schedule? [LA07]
c
A.
They had been on the wrong trail and had to double back.
c
B.
They overturned the sled and the team’s harnesses were tangled.
c
C.
The team needed to be rubbed down because of stress on the dogs’ shoulders.
c
D.
The team was forced to take a mandatory twenty-four-hour rest stop before going on.
5. Which word describes the author’s feelings about Susan in the selection? [LT08]
c
A.
Jealousy
c
B.
Gratitude
c
C.
Disbelief
c
D.
Admiration
6
6. What is wrong with Susan’s reasoning when she let go of the sled? [LT09]
c
A.
She misjudged her dogs’ strength.
c
B.
She did not realize the storm’s impact.
c
C.
She did not need to give her hands a rest.
c
D.
She did not consider how tired her dogs were.
7. Based on the information in the selection, what generalization can the reader make about dog sled
racing? [LT10]
c
A.
Dog sled racing causes severe injury to animals.
c
B.
Dog sled racing is a sport that women now dominate.
c
C.
Dog sled racing is challenging for both the mushers and their dogs.
c
D.
Dog sled racing is the preferred way to see the unique terrain of Alaska.
8. According to the story, which word best describes the Iditarod trail in Alaska? [LA05]
c
A.
Hilly
c
B.
Twisting
c
C.
Protected
c
D.
Hazardous
9. Which sentence best summarizes this selection? [LC02]
c
A.
Susan Butcher and Rick Swenson battle for first place in the 1982 Iditarod.
c
B.
Susan Butcher won a $12,000 prize for finishing the Iditarod in second place.
c
C.
Susan Butcher overcame many difficulties to finish the 1982 Iditarod in second place.
c
D.
Susan Butcher is disappointed to not have won the Iditarod after so much effort and
hardship.
10. What is the meaning of the word
resolve
as it is used in paragraph 9 of the selection? [LC04]
c
A.
Reigns
c
B.
Muscles
c
C.
Determination
c
D.
Discouragement
11. Based on the information in the selection, what assumption can the reader make about why Susan is
choking back tears in paragraph 6? [LC03]
c
A.
She is limping in pain and has lost her energy.
c
B.
She is discouraged that she still has 950 miles left in the race.
c
C.
She is so tired from the race that she is holding back tears of exhaustion.
c
D.
She is sad because she cannot continue the race with her trusted lead dog.
7
12.
Short Answer- 2 pts
What is the author’s purpose for writing the selection? Provide
one
detail from the selection to
support your answer. [LT08]
8
13.
Extended Response- 4 pts
What
four
pieces of advice would Susan give to dog sled racers about racing in the Iditarod?
Provide information from the story in your answer. [LT10]
9
Informational Passage
Directions: Read the selection and then answer the questions.
Health Benefits of Pets
Pet Health Council, November 2004
1 For many people, pets are an important source of love and friendship. It is also a well-known fact
that pets are good for our health.
2 It's obvious that we benefit from taking regular exercise when walking a dog. However, it is not
commonly known that over the last thirty years, there has been increasing scientific evidence that
pets can help to keep us fit and well. Pets can even help speed up recovery after major illness.
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
3
Promoting Health
A study at Cambridge University found that owning a pet produced improvements in general health
in as little as one month. This continued over the 10 month study. Pet owners were found to suffer
fewer ailments, such as headaches, colds and hay fever.
4
Beating Stress
Stroking a pet or simply watching a fish swim in an aquarium helps us to relax. In fact, the presence
of a pet seems to have the same effect, reducing heart beat rate and lowering blood pressure.
5
Preventing Heart Disease
Heart disease is one of the biggest killers today. Happily, pets can also improve their owner’s heart
health. One study showed that keeping a pet significantly reduced levels of cholesterol and blood
triglycerides. These effects could not be explained by differences in diet, smoking or socio-economic
group. This fact, combined with the reduction in blood pressure from being with a pet, may make pet
owners less prone to heart attacks than non pet-owners.
6
Overcoming Heart Disease
According to an American study, pet ownership proved to be one of the best predictors of survival
from a heart attack. Those patients who owned a pet had a much better chance of surviving for more
than a year after a heart attack. This difference could not be explained by the extra exercise the dog
owners enjoyed.
10
7 Pets can also offer a psychological and social boost to our lives:
Psychological Benefits:
•
Children who own pets are often less self-centered than those who do not.
•
Mentally ill people were happier as a result of looking after a pet.
Social Benefits:
•
Pets provide companionship and promote a general feeling of well-being. For example, pets in
residential homes improve both patient and staff morale.
8 Pets can lessen the feelings of isolation and loneliness and provide a sense of purpose for elderly
people. Having to make the effort to care for a pet on a regular basis provides a feeling of fulfillment.
9
Ice Breaker
Pets have been known to help with making new friends. Attending dog training classes, visiting the
vet and walking in the park all provide opportunities to meet and talk to other people. Studies have
shown that people walking a dog have far more positive encounters with others than those out
walking alone, with the pet often providing a topic of conversation.
10
Educational Benefits
As well as all the fun elements associated with owning a pet, pets can bring many educational
benefits. Owning a pet can teach a child about the responsibilities of life and mutual trust. By
feeding and exercising a pet, children can also develop an understanding of daily care. Children with
learning difficulties can also benefit from interaction with pets. One study found that the presence of
a dog helped to increase the attention span of the children.
ENJOYING PETS
11 Pets provide us with loyalty, companionship, love and affection, as well as the many physical and
psychological benefits. Our job as pet owners is to make sure that we keep them in the best of health
by following the four golden rules to pet ownership (see below).
12 A healthy pet is a happy pet and a happy pet can help us enjoy a much fuller and more rewarding
life.
The Four Golden Rules to Successful Pet Ownership
13
1.
Follow a preventive health program for your pet that includes:
•
a good diet
•
regular exercise
•
worming
•
vaccination
•
annual veterinary check-ups
2.
Make sure that your pet has its own bed and that feeding bowls are kept clean and separate
from your own.
3.
Always wash your hands after handling your pets.
4.
Dog owners should always use a poop scoop. Be sure to ‘bag it and bin it’!
Selection taken from- Pet Health Council, November 2004
http://www.pethealthcouncil.co.uk/leaflets/Health%20Benefits%20of%20Pets_Leaflet.doc
11
Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 7 – Grading Period 3
“Health Benefits of Pets”
Fill in the bubble next to the letter of the best answer.
14. What is the main idea in the selection? [IC11]
c
A.
People need pets to be healthy.
c
B.
Scientific evidence is important.
c
C.
People who don’t have pets are unhealthy.
c
D.
Pets have positive effects on human health.
15. What is the meaning of the word
encounters
in paragraph 9? [IC14]
c
A.
Fights
c
B.
Meetings
c
C.
Emotions
c
D.
Reactions
16. What is the main similarity between the role of animals in “The Adventure” and the “Health Benefits
of Pets”? [IA16]
c
A.
Animals save peoples lives in both selections.
c
B.
Animals are valued for their strength in both selections.
c
C.
Animals are respected as leaders in the home and on the trail.
c
D.
Animals are important partners with people in both selections.
17. Which sentence summarizes the selection? [IC12]
c
A.
Scientific evidence shows people benefit from caring for a pet.
c
B.
Scientific evidence has shown that owning a pet is heart healthy.
c
C.
Enjoying a pet includes the four golden rules to successful pet ownership.
c
D.
Learning levels and attention span in children improve with pet ownership.
18.
According to the selection, what happens when elderly people get a pet? [IA17]
c
A.
They feel less alone and more content.
c
B.
They enjoy attending dog training classes.
c
C.
They learn about the responsibilities of life.
c
D.
They become less self-centered and more patient.
12
19. Which opinion can be supported with information from the selection? [IT18]
c
A.
People with hay fever should avoid having pets.
c
B.
Hospitals should discourage pets from visiting patients.
c
C.
Parents of children with learning difficulties should buy a dog.
c
D.
Pet owners don’t need to have their cholesterol levels checked.
20. Based on the information in the selection, what is the most influential idea in the selection? [IT19]
c
A.
A healthy pet is a happy pet.
c
B.
Caring for a pet teaches responsibility.
c
C.
Pets help lower people’s blood pressure.
c
D.
Pet ownership offers a variety of benefits.
21. Based on the information in the story, what generalization can the reader make about scientific
research? [IT20]
c
A.
Scientific research provides information to prevent heart disease.
c
B.
Scientific research provides information to help people care for their pets.
c
C.
Scientific research provides information that allows people to improve their lives.
c
D.
Scientific research provides information that has increased communication with pets.
22.
Short Answer– 2pts
Is the following statement a reasonable conclusion that the reader may draw from the selection?
A pet will improve its owner’s well-being
.
Provide
two
details from the selection to support your answer. [IT19]
13
Literary Passage: Poem
Directions: Read the selection and then answer the questions.
Moco Limping
By David Nava Monreal
1
My dog hobbles
with a stick
of a leg that
he drags behind
him as he moves.
6
But, instead he’s
this rickety
little canine
that leaves trails
in the dirt
with his club foot.
2
And I was a man
that wanted a
beautiful, noble
animal as a pet.
7
He’s the stumbler
that trips while
chasing lethargic
bees and butterflies.
3
I wanted him
to be strong and
capture all of the
attention by
the savage grace
of his gait.
8
It hurts me to
see him so
abnormal,
so clumsy and
stupid.
4
I wanted him to
be the first
dog howling in
the pack.
9
My vain heart
weeps
knowing he
is mine.
5
The leader,
the brutal hunter
that broke through
the woods with
thunder.
10
But then he turns
my way and
looks at me with
eyes that cry out
with life.
11
He jumps at me
with
his feeble paws.
I feel his warm fur
And his
imperfection is
forgotten.
Selection taken from- McGraw-Hill and Modos Press (EPS Anthology)
14
Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 7 – Grading Period 3
“Moco Limping”
Fill in the bubble next to the letter of the best answer.
23. Which is the theme of this poem? [LC01]
c
A.
Love is difficult.
c
B.
Love is blind to imperfections.
c
C.
Love means not disappointing others.
c
D.
Love requires becoming what others want you to be.
24. Which sentence best summarizes this selection? [LC02]
c
A.
The dog owner learns to value his pet.
c
B.
The dog owner wishes he had a noble beast.
c
C.
The dog owner chooses a pet that resembles him.
c
D.
The dog owner decides to give up his imperfect pet.
25. Based on the information in the story, what inference could you make about the dog’s feelings
towards his owner? [LC03]
c
A.
He is fond of his owner.
c
B.
He is disobedient toward his owner.
c
C.
He wants to make his owner look or feel bad.
c
D.
He doesn’t like the way his owner thinks of him.
26. What is the meaning of the word
rickety
in stanza number 6 of the poem? [LC04]
c
A.
Ugly
c
B.
Lazy
c
C.
Unsteady
c
D.
Worthless
27. Which sentence from the poem is an example of personification? [LA05]
c
A.
“He jumps at me with feeble paws.”
c
B.
“My vain heart weeps knowing he is mine.”
c
C.
“I wanted him to be the first dog howling in the pack.”
c
D.
“And I was a man that wanted a beautiful, noble animal as a pet.”
15
28. How are the dog owner from the poem “Moco Limping” and the dog owner from “The
Adventure” selection similar? [LA06]
c
A.
Both wish they had different animals.
c
B.
Both provide healthcare for their animals.
c
C.
Both take their animals out to run in the woods.
c
D.
Both appreciate their dogs even though they are injured.
29. Which statement is the most important conclusion the reader can draw from the poem? [LT09]
c
A.
Pet owners feel better if they have a healthy pet.
c
B.
A pet’s value is not dependent upon its appearance.
c
C.
Caring pet owners should choose pets with special needs.
c
D.
Owners with high expectations should own pure-bred animals.
30. How is Tekla, Susan’s dog in “The Adventure”, and Moco in the poem alike? [LA06]
c
A.
Both animals have to be left behind because they suffer from poor health.
c
B.
Both animals won the love and admiration of their owners through their actions.
c
C.
Both animals are brave and have faced harsh conditions in order to protect their
owners.
c
D.
Both animals have led a life where they have been physically pushed to perform for
their owners.
31. Which sentence best describes why the dog owner is initially disappointed by Moco? [LA07]
c
A.
Moco disappoints his owner because he has a savage temper.
c
B.
Moco disappoints his owner because he is not a beautiful, athletic hunter.
c
C.
Moco disappoints his owner because he stumbles while chasing butterflies.
c
D.
Moco disappoints his owner because he embarrasses him in front of other hunters.
32. What is most likely the author's purpose for writing this poem? [LT08]
c
A.
To describe Moco’s appearance for the reader.
c
B.
To persuade the reader to adopt an imperfect pet.
c
C.
To entertain the reader with a humorous description of a dog.
c
D.
To enlighten the reader that love is deeper than physical appearance.
16
33. Based on the information in the poem, what conclusion can the reader draw about what
motivates people to adopt a dog? [LT10]
c
A.
They adopt dogs that make them cry.
c
B.
They adopt dogs that make them laugh.
c
C.
They adopt dogs so they can feel sorry for them.
c
D.
They adopt dogs so they can show them off to others.
