TAKS 2003 G7 Reading Online Test

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Read this selection. Then answer the questions that follow it.

1	In paragraph 5, the word agitated means —

		A	upset
		B	eager
		C	sorry
		D	curious

7	Which sentence from the selection suggests that Marisol lives in a small community?

		A	“I always knew that it did, Grandpa,” Marisol said, winking back.
		B	“We don’t have fancy theaters around here like those you would find in a big city.”
		C	Marisol’s father put up posters on every telephone pole for miles around.
		D	“I have bad news,” announced Mrs. Carrillo, the Spanish club’s sponsor.

2	Which of these statements reflects Grandpa Delgado’s change of opinion at the end of the story?

		F	Things get less useful the older they become.
		G	Older people should retire so that the young can take over.
		H	Young people do not want to listen to old songs.
		J	Growing old does not make a person less useful.

8	In paragraph 6, the word deteriorated means —

		F	became full
		G	walked
		H	grew
		J	got worse

Read the following portion of an outline of this selection.

II. The Performance
	A. The right play
		1. Not too short
		2. Plenty of roles
		3. ___________

Which information belongs in the blank?

Encourages audience participation

Reflects Mexican culture

Is about a barn

Has a Mexican folk song

9	In this selection, in what way does Grandpa Delgado feel connected to the old barn?

		A	He doesn’t want to live on the ranch anymore.
		B	It is just like the barn his family had when he was a small boy.
		C	He doesn’t think anyone needs either of them anymore.
		D	It is one of his favorite places on the ranch.

4	What can the reader conclude about Marisol’s family?

		F	Grandpa Delgado was a member of the Red Barn Players.
		G	Marisol's father was also a charro when he was young.
		H	Grandpa Delgado was originally from Mexico.
		J	Marisol’s brother was also in the Spanish club.

10	In paragraph 11, the author creates a feeling of —

		F	unhappiness
		G	appreciation
		H	confusion
		J	excitement

5	Paragraph 6 is important because it —

		A	explains why Grandpa Delgado wants a new barn
		B	describes Grandpa Delgado’s life as a cowboy
		C	relates how Grandpa Delgado feels about getting older
		D	tells about Grandpa Delgado’s journey from Mexico

11	Marisol’s grandfather begins singing during the play because —

		A	he wants the play to be a success
		B	the actor is singing a popular song
		C	people in the audience have asked him to join in
		D	he has a much better voice than the actor

6	What are paragraphs 1 through 3 of this story mainly about?

		F	The Spanish club not raising enough money to go to Mexico City
		G	Why members of the Spanish club have been practicing their Spanish all year
		H	A fund-raiser that features enchiladas and other traditional Mexican dishes
		J	What kinds of ideas students have to raise money for the Spanish club trip

Read the next two selections. Then answer the questions that follow them.

Use "The Challenger" to answer questions 12–17.

12	Angela is worried as the double axel approaches because —

		F	she has forgotten how to do the jump
		G	she is starting to feel dizzy from spinning so much
		H	she occasionally makes mistakes on the jump
		J	she is having a hard time catching her breath

15	Paragraph 3 of this story is important because it —

		A	helps readers understand Angela’s anxiety later during her program
		B	gives readers clues about who will win the championship
		C	shows readers the difference between Sandra’s and Angela’s abilities
		D	informs readers how to do some figure-skating jumps

13	In paragraphs 1 through 4 of this story, why is Angela discouraged?

		A	She knows that she is not a very good skater.
		B	She thinks that Sandra does not like her.
		C	She can’t remember what she is supposed to do.
		D	She doesn’t think she has a chance of beating Sandra.

16	In paragraph 5, why does Angela forget what she is supposed to do first?

		F	She has recently made a change to her program.
		G	She gets upset after she makes a mistake.
		H	She decides to try a jump she has never done before.
		J	She is nervous about competing in the championship.

14	Read this dictionary entry for the word routine.

			$routine \ru- 'ten\ n 1. a common or expected occurrence 2. a repeated speech or formula 3. a prepared part or performance 4. a sequence of instructions or commands$

	Which of these represents the meaning of routine as used in paragraph 3?

		F	Definition 1
		G	Definition 2
		H	Definition 3
		J	Definition 4

17	In paragraph 10, the author creates a mood of —

		A	triumph
		B	tension
		C	resentment
		D	wonder

Use "The Champion" to answer questions 18–20.

18	Paragraph 2 is mainly about —

		F	Sandra’s feelings as she watches Angela skate
		G	the crowd’s reaction when Angela finishes skating
		H	Angela’s first experience in the championship
		J	the music that Angela skates to during her program

20	In paragraph 4, why does Sandra feel as if she has to skate perfectly?

		F	She wants to skate her best in her last competition.
		G	She thinks that Angela is a much better skater than she is.
		H	She needs to make up for the mistakes she has already made.
		J	She knows that Angela skated very well during her program.

19	Why is Sandra distracted while skating her program?

		A	She is thinking about which college she wants to attend.
		B	She is angry about what Angela told her as they passed each other.
		C	She is worried about how well Angela skated.
		D	She is sorry that she did not treat Angela more nicely.

Use "The Challenger" and "The Champion" to answer questions 21–24.

21	In what way are Angela’s and Sandra’s experiences similar?

		A	Each girl is competing in her first championship event.
		B	Both girls are planning to stop skating after this competition.
		C	Each girl is wrong about what the other is thinking.
		D	Both girls are surprised when the winner is announced.

23	How do the descriptions of the skating championship differ in the two selections?

		A	One of the selections does not let readers experience the main character’s thoughts and emotions.
		B	Angela is friendly and nice, while Sandra is angry and mean.
		C	“The Challenger” takes place after the competition, while “The Champion” takes place before the competition.
		D	One of the selections is told from Angela’s point of view, while the other is told from Sandra’s point of view.

22	From Sandra’s and Angela’s thoughts about each other, the reader can conclude that —

		F	they will become good friends now that the competition is over
		G	they are both good at not showing that they are nervous
		H	they have many other things in common besides figure skating
		J	they also compete against each other in many other sports

24	From these selections, what can the reader conclude about figure skating?

		F	Champion figure skaters spend many hours practicing their programs.
		G	Most figure skaters stop skating after they get into high school.
		H	Figure skating is much more difficult than roller skating.
		J	Most mistakes made by figure skaters are too small to notice.

Read this selection. Then answer the questions that follow it.

25	Which of these best summarizes the newspaper article?

		A	The Navajo code talkers used their language to develop a code that kept U.S. military secrets safe from the Japanese and helped win World War II. More than 40 years later, a sculpture was created to honor their wartime contributions.
		B	Japanese code breakers created problems for the U.S. military during World War II. In the early days of the war, they used their familiarity with the English language to break U.S. codes and learn secret information about U.S. strategy.
		C	Philip Johnston, who had spent many years around the Navajo, thought the Navajo language would be useful for developing an unbreakable code. Johnston was one of the few non-Navajos who could speak the complex, unwritten language.
		D	When the U.S. government first revealed the secrets of the Navajo code, Navajo code talkers were not given any honor or recognition. The Vietnam War was one of many reasons the United States waited another 20 years to recognize the code talkers with a sculpture.

30	The author’s choice of words in this newspaper article establishes a tone that is —

		F	critical
		G	respectful
		H	mysterious
		J	peaceful

26	From information about the code talkers provided in this newspaper article, the reader can conclude that —

		F	most of the code talkers were never in any danger during the war
		G	Navajos not trained as code talkers could not have understood the code
		H	the code talkers were also trained to break Japanese codes
		J	artist Doug Hyde was a code talker during World War II

31	How did the Japanese know about U.S. actions in advance?

		A	They had read about U.S. projects in the newspapers.
		B	They were able to listen to and decode U.S. radio transmissions.
		C	The United States had not yet learned how to send information in code.
		D	They had been educated in the United States and knew how Americans thought.

27	Which words help the reader understand the meaning of the word bogus in paragraph 2?

		A	understand, advantage
		B	scramble, choice
		C	pretended, trick
		D	educated, spoke

32	From information about the sculpture provided in the article, the reader can conclude that —

		F	it is the first sculpture to honor the code talkers
		G	it is modeled after one of the original 29 code talkers
		H	it was created in 1968 but was kept hidden from the public until recently
		J	it is located on a Navajo reservation where many of the code talkers grew up

28	A monument to the Navajo code talkers could not have been built prior to 1968 because —

		F	many of the Navajo code talkers were still alive
		G	the U.S. government had not yet made information about the code talkers known to the public
		H	the code was still being used by U.S. soldiers serving in Vietnam
		J	it took the U.S. government more than 20 years to realize the importance of the code

33	In paragraph 7, the word declassify means to —

		A	no longer keep secure
		B	teach to soldiers
		C	stop developing
		D	save for military use only

29	Which sentence from this newspaper article supports the idea that the U.S. military was concerned about the code falling into enemy hands?

		A	As a further safeguard, nothing could ever be kept in written form.
		B	The Japanese seemed to know in advance every move the United States made.
		C	Unfortunately radio signals were not secure.
		D	Scientists had not yet learned how to scramble voice messages.

34	How would the word hide be sent in Navajo code?

		F	Lin, tkin, klizzie, lin
		G	Dibeh, tkin, be, dzeh
		H	Gah, dzeh, dibeh, than-zie
		J	Lin, tkin, be, dzeh

Read this selection. Then answer the questions that follow it.

35	The following diagram shows some events described in the selection.



	Which information belongs in the empty box?

		A	Cliff ’s family ships his car to Ohio from New York.
		B	Cliff answers questions from the committee about his car.
		C	Cliff excuses himself to take his car on a test run.
		D	Cliff talks to a man about the first Soap Box Derby.

42	From information the author includes about Soap Box Derby rules, the reader can conclude that —

		F	racers are not penalized for getting help with their cars
		G	the man sitting in the bleachers helped write the rules
		H	to win the Soap Box Derby, a racer must win every heat entered
		J	all race participants are required to appear in front of the committee

36	Paragraphs 2 through 4 are mainly about —

		F	what the Soap Box Derby cars were made of in 1933
		G	the new track built for the Soap Box Derby of 1936
		H	what the Soap Box Derby was like during its early years
		J	the more than 350 boys who participated in the original Soap Box Derby

43	The author probably wrote this selection to —

		A	explain the rules and regulations of the Soap Box Derby
		B	persuade readers to visit Akron, Ohio, to watch the Soap Box Derby
		C	give a brief history of the Soap Box Derby’s first six years
		D	entertain readers with a story about a Soap Box Derby winner

37	In paragraph 12, the word disqualified means --

		A	not allowed to participate
		B	given special attention
		C	accused of hiding the truth
		D	declared the winner

44	In paragraph 14, the author uses language to create a sense of —

		F	defiance
		G	anxiety
		H	patience
		J	confusion

38	The man sitting in the bleachers doesn’t tell Cliff which lane on the track the first derby winner raced down because —

		F	race officials don’t allow racers to get advice
		G	the man hadn’t actually been at the race
		H	there was no track for the first race
		J	the man can’t remember that far back

45	Which of these statements best reflects Mr. Smith’s change of opinion at the end of the selection?

		A	He decides that Cliff ’s car isn’t dangerous after all.
		B	He thinks Cliff’s car has a good chance of winning the race.
		C	He realizes that Cliff has been telling the truth all along.
		D	He is sorry that Cliff will not be allowed to race his car.

39	What can the reader conclude about Cliff’s attitude?

		A	Cliff enjoys building things and working with tools.
		B	Cliff feels that rules are not important.
		C	Cliff wishes he had never won the Soap Box Derby.
		D	Cliff does not care if he wins the Soap Box Derby.

46	Which sentence from this selection supports the idea that Cliff is proud of his car?

		F	“You should have seen the cars back then.”
		G	Whether he won the race or not, he knew he had done a good job.
		H	“Cliff, your car is one of the best we’ve ever seen.”
		J	Feeling almost happy, Cliff picked up the tools that had been laid out for him.

40	Paragraphs 11 through 13 are important because they —

		F	give clues about how the story will end
		G	show how Cliff feels to be in a race
		H	set up the conflict in the story
		J	describe why Cliff wants to win so badly

47	The reader can conclude that Cliff —

		A	has raced his car in other countries
		B	had never participated in the Soap Box Derby before
		C	knows many of the other boys competing in the race
		D	did not know that he was supposed to build the car himself

41	In paragraph 15, the author states that Cliff “could feel the eyes of the committee members drilling holes in him” to help the reader understand —

		A	how upset the committee members are with Cliff
		B	how nervous Cliff feels about having to prove himself
		C	how much skill Cliff needs to have in order to build the car correctly
		D	how determined Cliff is to build an even better car

48	The committee members think someone has helped Cliff build his car because —

		F	the car looks similar to the car that won the 1936 Soap Box Derby
		G	they don’t think someone his age could build such a good car
		H	the answers he gives to the committee’s questions are all wrong
		J	they see him talking to a man who is a Soap Box Derby expert

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