Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT
 Author’s Evidence – 1
 Main Idea – 3
 Analyze Historical Documents – 4
 Analyze Events – 5
 Cite Evidence – 6, 14
 Meanings of Words – 7
 Development of Ideas – 9,10
 Point of View – 11, 12
READING LITERATURE
 Mystery, Tension, Surprise – 13, 18
 Cite Evidence – 14, 21
 Context Clues – 16, 17, 19
 Central Idea – 20
 Analyze Complex Characters – 22
 Transformation of Material – 24
ELA LANGUAGE
 Figurative Language/Nuance – 2
 Specialized Vocab – 8
 Word Meaning – 15, 23
 Grammar/Usage – 29
 Capitalization, Punctuation, Spelling – 30
ELA WRITING
 Explain Text – 25, 26
 Gather Information – 27
 Write Narrative – 28
 Conduct Research – 31
 Coherent Writing – 32
Read the following speech and then answer questions 1 through 3.
President Andrew Jackson's Second Annual Address to Congress (excerpt)
Delivered December 6, 1830
It gives me pleasure to announce to Congress that the benevolent policy of the Government, steadily pursued
for nearly thirty years, in relation to the removal of the Indians beyond the…settlements is approaching to a
happy consummation. Two important tribes have accepted the provision made for their removal at the last
session of Congress, and it is believed that their example will induce the remaining tribes also to seek the same
obvious advantages.
The consequences of a speedy removal will be important to the United States, to individual States, and to the
Indians themselves…
Toward the aborigines of the country no one can indulge a more friendly feeling than myself or would go
further in attempting to reclaim them from their wandering habits and make them a happy, prosperous people.
I have endeavored to impress upon them my own solemn convictions of the duties and powers of the general
government in relation to the state authorities. For the justice of the laws passed by the states within the scope
of their reserved powers, they are not responsible to this government. As individuals we may entertain and
express our opinions of their acts, but as a government we have as little right to control them as we have to
prescribe laws for other nations.
With a full understanding of the subject, the Choctaw and the Chickasaw tribes have with great unanimity
determined to avail themselves of the liberal offers presented by the act of Congress and have agreed to
remove beyond the Mississippi River. Treaties have been made with them, which in due season will be
submitted for consideration. In negotiating these treaties, they were made to understand their true condition,
and they have preferred maintaining their independence in the Western forests to submitting to the laws of the
states in which they now reside. These treaties, being probably the last which will ever be made with them, are
characterized by great liberality on the part of the government. They give the Indians a liberal sum in
consideration of their removal and comfortable subsistence on their arrival at their new homes. If it be their real
interest to maintain a separate existence, they will there be at liberty to do so without the inconveniences and
vexations to which they would unavoidably have been subject in Alabama and Mississippi.
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
Reading Info Text: Author’s Evidence
1. How does President Jackson justify his position?
A. He explains that in their new location the Native Americans will be free to govern themselves.
B. He claims that regardless of their location the Native Americans must submit to the laws as if they were
American citizens.
C. He suggests that as American citizens, Native Americans are entitled to the same rights and privileges as
everyone else.
D. He maintains that the land west of the Mississippi is fertile, rich with game, and suitable for meeting the
needs of the Native Americans.
ELA Language: Figurative Language/Nuances –
2. Read this sentence from the speech.
As individuals we may entertain and express our opinions of their acts, but as a government we have as little
right to control them as we have to prescribe laws for other nations.
Now read the thesaurus entry for prescribe.
prescribe: appoint, dictate, guide, impose, require, select
Which two synonyms for prescribe have the most negative connotations?
A. "appoint" and "require"
B. "dictate" and "impose"
C. "appoint" and "guide"
D. "guide" and "select"
Reading Informational Text: Main Idea –
3. Which of the following best summarizes the final paragraph of the speech?
A. Two tribes have consented to move west as part of the treaties, which will allow the Native Americans to
maintain their way of life without interference from the states.
B. As the leader of the American government, President Jackson recognized the sovereignty of the native
tribes and vowed to uphold their rights to own their original property within the Southern states.
C. Alabama and Mississippi have been admitted into statehood.
D. The Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes agreed to relocate.
Read the following letter and then answer questions 4 through 7.
Ralph Waldo Emerson was a distinguished American essayist, lecturer, poet, and philosopher who lived
from 1803 until 1882. He was staunchly opposed to the forced relocation of thousands of Cherokees
from their ancestral homeland in the southeastern United States to a territory west of the Mississippi River.
Below is his letter to President Van Buren, in which he describes his outrage at the proposed government
plan for the Cherokee people.
A PROTEST AGAINST THE REMOVAL OF THE CHEROKEE INDIANS FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA (excerpt)
"Say, what is Honour? 'Tis the finest sense
Of justice which the human mind can frame,
Intent each lurking frailty to disclaim,
And guard the way of life from all offence,
Suffered or done."
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
TO MARTIN VAN BUREN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
CONCORD, MASS., April 23, 1838.
SIR: The seat you fill places you in a relation of credit and nearness to every citizen. By right and natural position,
every citizen is your friend… In this belief and at the instance of a few of my friends and neighbors, I crave of
your patience a short hearing for their sentiments and my own…
Sir, my communication respects the sinister rumors that fill this part of the country concerning the Cherokee
people…
The newspapers now inform us that, in December, 1835, a treaty contracting for the exchange of all the
Cherokee territory was pretended to be made by an agent on the part of the United States with some persons
appearing on the part of the Cherokees; that the fact afterwards transpired that these deputies did by no
means represent the will of the nation; and that, out of eighteen thousand souls composing the nation, fifteen
thousand six hundred and sixty-eight have protested against the so-called treaty. It now appears that the
government of the United States choose to hold the Cherokees to this sham treaty… Almost the entire
Cherokee Nation stand up and say, "This is not our act. Behold us. Here are we. Do not mistake that handful of
deserters for us;" and the American President and the Cabinet, the Senate and the House of Representatives,
neither hear these men nor see them… And a paper purporting to be an army order fixes a month from this day
as the hour for this doleful removal.
…Do the newspapers rightly inform us? Men and women with pale and perplexed faces meet one another in
the streets and churches here, and ask if this be so… We have looked in the newspapers of different parties
and find a horrid confirmation of the tale. We are slow to believe it. We hoped the Indians were misinformed…
The piety, the principle that is left in the United States… forbid us to entertain it as a fact… Sir, does this
government think that the people of the United States are become savage and mad? From their mind are the
sentiments of love and a good nature wiped clean out? The soul of man, the justice, the mercy that is the
heart's heart in all men, from Maine to Georgia, does abhor this business.
In speaking thus the sentiments of my neighbors and my own, perhaps I overstep the bounds of decorum. But
would it not be a higher indecorum coldly to argue a matter like this? We only state the fact that a crime is
projected that confounds our understandings… the name of this nation, hitherto the sweet omen of religion
and liberty, will stink to the world.
…Will the American government steal? Will it lie? Will it kill? — We ask triumphantly. Our counsellors and old
statesmen here say that ten years ago they would have staked their lives on the affirmation that the proposed
Indian measures could not be executed; that the unanimous country would put them down. And now the steps
of this crime follow each other so fast, at such fatally quick time, that the millions of virtuous citizens… must shut
their eyes until the last howl and wailing of these tormented villages and tribes shall afflict the ear of the world.
…I write thus, sir, to inform you of the state of mind these Indian tidings have awakened here, and to pray with
one voice more that you, whose hands are strong with the delegated power of fifteen millions of men, will avert
with that might the terrific injury which threatens the Cherokee tribe.
With great respect, sir, I am your fellow citizen,
RALPH WALDO EMERSON.
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
Reading Informational Text: Analyze Historical Documents –
4. How does Emerson's letter differ from President Andrew Jackson's speech?
A. President Jackson suggests that all Native Americans will endorse the relocation policy, but Ralph Waldo
Emerson insists that no Native Americans will endorse it.
B. President Jackson states that Native Americans would be happiest in Alabama and Mississippi, but Ralph
Waldo Emerson believes they should live wherever they choose.
C. President Jackson proposes the idea that the relocation policy is mutually beneficial to all parties, but Ralph
Waldo Emerson asserts that the relocation policy is injurious to Native Americans.
D. President Jackson supports the idea that Native Americans should be free to self-govern, but Ralph Waldo
Emerson argues that they should be ruled by the state governments.
Reading Informational Text: Analyze Events –
5. Emerson illustrates the idea that the removal of the Cherokee will have negative consequences by
explaining that __________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
the country's tax revenue will be decreased
the country's good reputation will be tarnished
he has many friends who share his sentiments
he uses his voice to reason with authorities
Reading Informational Text: Cite Evidence –
6. Emerson uses which excerpt from the letter to remind President Van Buren that he is supposed to represent
the will of the people?
A.
B.
C.
D.
In speaking thus the sentiments of my neighbors and my own…
Our counsellors and old statesmen here…
…shall afflict the ear of the world…
…whose hands are strong with the delegated power of fifteen millions of men…
Reading Informational Text: Meanings of Words –
7. Read this excerpt from the letter.
Sir, does this government think that the people of the United States are become savage and mad? From their
mind are the sentiments of love and a good nature wiped clean out? The soul of man, the justice, the mercy
that is the heart's heart in all men, from Maine to Georgia, does abhor this business.
Emerson's tone in these sentences can best be described as __________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
embarrassed
annoyed
indignant
hesitant
Read the following article and then answer questions 8 through 10.
Foodborne Illness
The food supply in the United States is one of the safest in the world. However, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 76 million people in the U.S. get sick each year from foodborne illness.
More than 300,000 of those people will have to be hospitalized and 5,000 of them will die. That makes
preventing foodborne illness a major public health challenge.
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
People can contract foodborne illnesses from eating at restaurants, but the major source of these illnesses is the
home kitchen. A few simple measures can reduce the chances of a foodborne illness. People should always
wash their hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before handling food. They should also wash their
hands after handling raw food. If they do not, they will contaminate the next food they handle. In addition to
washing their hands, people preparing foods should wash utensils and cutting boards immediately after using
them and before reusing them with other foods. This will help to prevent cross contamination. Also, cooked
foods should be placed on clean dishes rather than on dishes that previously held raw foods.
Meat, poultry, and eggs should always be cooked thoroughly. When cooking ground beef, the cook should
use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the meat. Beef should be cooked to an internal
temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The yolks of eggs should be cooked until they are firm. Eating raw or
undercooked shellfish can also cause foodborne illness.
Leftover foods are also a source of foodborne illness. Bacteria grow rapidly at room temperature. Therefore,
leftovers should be cooled and held at below 41 degrees Fahrenheit if they are not going to be eaten within
four hours. Using shallow containers will allow foods to cool more quickly. Before serving leftovers, they must be
reheated to a temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit and then held at a temperature of at least 140
degrees.
Raw fruits and vegetables often become contaminated during harvest activities. Sometimes they are
processed in unsanitary conditions. Fruits and vegetables should be rinsed thoroughly in running tap water to
remove visible dirt and grime. To avoid cross contamination, again, make sure any cutting boards and utensils
are clean before cutting fruits and vegetables.
People should not prepare food for others when they are suffering from a contagious illness. Such an illness
might be passed on to others.
Persons who suspect that they have contracted a foodborne illness should consult a doctor and contact their
local health department. These are the best ways of preventing such a disease from spreading further.
ELA Language: Specialized Vocabulary –
8. Read this sentence from the article.
To avoid cross contamination, again, make sure any cutting boards and utensils are clean before cutting fruits
and vegetables.
What does cross contamination mean?
A.
B.
C.
D.
destruction of bacteria in order to prevent illness
identification of a food that contains bacteria
the washing of a surface or object to eliminate bacteria
the transfer of bacteria from one source to another
Reading Informational Text: Cite Evidence –
9. Read this paragraph from the article.
Raw fruits and vegetables often become contaminated during harvest activities. Sometimes they are
processed in unsanitary conditions. Fruits and vegetables should be rinsed thoroughly in running tap water to
remove visible dirt and grime. To avoid cross contamination, again, make sure any cutting boards and utensils
are clean before cutting fruits and vegetables.
How does the author develop the main idea in this paragraph?
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
A.
B.
C.
D.
by providing events in spatial order, relative to their location
by comparing and contrasting various cleaning methods
by listing the events in order of importance
by identifying problems and offering solution
Look at the following chart and then answer question 10.
Reading Informational Text: Cite Evidence
10. How can this chart be helpful in correctly determining the type of foodborne illness that a person has?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The chart presents possible methods of treatment to overcome each illness.
The chart lists the probable source of contamination for each illness.
The chart identifies the type of foodborne illness by cross-referencing symptoms and onset of the illness.
The chart helps to diagnose the correct foodborne illness by cross-referencing symptoms and treatments.
Read the following letter and then answer questions 11 and 12.
Dear Mr. Townsend:
For three generations, my family has used Aunt Sophia's Italian Spice Mix. For more than forty years, we've
purchased it at Joe's Market. I grew up watching my mother add this wonderful blend of spices to her famous
pasta dishes, and she, before me, witnessed her own mother adding a dash here and there to her favorite
recipes. Until recently, my own daughter had been learning how to use that special blend of Italian flavors in
dishes we prepared at home. Aunt Sophia's is a taste our family has come to love.
My family has always shopped at Joe's Market because of its warm, friendly atmosphere and its wide variety of
food items. However, the past few times I've been to Joe's, I have been unable to locate Aunt Sophia's spices.
On my last visit, the manager told me that Joe's was no longer carrying the Aunt Sophia's line of grocery items. I
cannot tell you how disappointed I was to hear that news.
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
Mr. Townsend, I am hopeful that you, as the store's owner, will take this small opportunity to please three of your
most faithful customers. Please return Aunt Sophia's Italian Spice Mix to your store shelves. Three generations of
pasta dishes depend on it!
Sincerely,
Wanda Baggett
Reading Informational Text: Point of View –
11. The author crafted this letter to appeal to Mr. Townsend's desire to __________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
keep loyal customers
help out a friend
reach more customers
make a moral choice
Reading Informational Text: Point of View –
12. What is the author's position?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Mrs. Baggett wants to share her love of cooking Italian foods.
Mrs. Baggett wants the store to carry a particular product.
Mrs. Baggett and her family will no longer shop at Joe's Market.
Mrs. Baggett cannot teach her daughter to cook without the spice.
Read the following story and then answer questions 13 through 15.
The War of the Worlds (paraphrased excerpt)
H.G. Wells
Book One: The Coming of the Martians
Chapter One: The Eve of War
No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century
that this world was being watched closely by intelligences greater than
man's and yet as mortal as his own. No one imagined that as men went
about their various concerns they were watched and studied. Perhaps
they were studied as carefully as a man with a microscope might
examine the creatures that multiply in a drop of water. With infinite
complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs,
serene in their assurance of their empire over matter. It is possible that the bacteria under the microscope do
the same. No one gave a thought to the older worlds of space as sources of human danger, or thought of
them only to dismiss the idea of life upon them as impossible or improbable. It is curious to recall some of the
mental habits of those departed days. At most, men on Earth fancied there might be other men upon Mars,
perhaps inferior to themselves and ready to welcome a missionary enterprise. Yet across the gulf of space,
minds that are as superior to our minds as ours are to those of the animals regarded Earth with envious eyes.
They slowly and surely drew their plans against us. And early in the twentieth century came the great
disillusionment…
The planet Mars, I hardly need to remind the reader, revolves about the sun at a mean distance of 140,000,000
miles. The light and heat it receives from the sun is barely half of that received by this world. Its physical
condition is still largely a mystery. We do know now that even in its equatorial region the midday temperature
barely approaches that of our coldest winter. Its air is much thinner than ours. Its oceans have shrunk until they
cover only a third of its surface. As its slow seasons change, huge snowcaps gather and melt about either pole
and periodically flood its temperate zones. That last stage of exhaustion, which to us is still incredibly remote,
has become a present-day problem for the inhabitants of Mars. The immediate pressure of necessity has
brightened their intellects, enlarged their powers, and hardened their hearts. They look across space with
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
instruments and intelligences of which we have scarcely dreamed. As they look, they see, at its nearest
distance only 35,000,000 miles away, a morning star of hope. They see our own warmer planet, green with
vegetation and grey with water, with a cloudy atmosphere that speaks of fertility. They see glimpses through
the drifting clouds of broad stretches of populous country and narrow, navy-crowded seas.
Reading Literature: Mystery, Tension, Surprise
13. In the first paragraph of the story, the author foreshadows problems for Earth by __________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
describing sinister events that remained hidden from human awareness
explaining how dangerous bacteria on Earth threatened to destroy the planet
showing that humans' intelligence is much more elevated than that of animals on Earth
explaining how scientists were able to discover cures for terrible diseases
Reading Literature: Cite Evidence
14. In the first paragraph of the story, the author illustrates the superiority of the attacking Martians by using an
analogy.
How does he describe the relationship between the attacking enemy and humans?
A.
B.
C.
D.
He likens it to England sending missionaries to China to Christianize them.
He likens it to a man with a microscope examining the creatures that multiply in a drop of water.
He likens it to an industrial nation creating colonies to provide raw materials for their manufactured goods.
He likens it to one industrialized nation opening up diplomatic relations with another industrialized nation.
ELA Language: Word Meaning
15. Read the dictionary entry for complacency.
In this excerpt from paragraph 1, "With infinite complacency men went to and fro," the word complacency
probably means __________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
rivalry in business or a contest
the quality or state of being complex
taking an anti-war stance in politics
a calm sense of well-being and security
Read the following poem and then answer questions 16 through 20.
Read the following poem and then answer questions 16 through 20.
The Wreck of the Hesperus (excerpt)
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
It was the schooner1 Hesperus,
That sailed the wintery sea;
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
And the skipper had taken his little daughter,
To bear him company.
The skipper he stood beside the helm2,
His pipe was in his mouth,
And he watched how the veering flaw 3 did blow
The smoke now West, now South.
Then up and spake an old Sailor,
Had sailed the Spanish Main,
"I pray thee, put into yonder port,
for I fear a hurricane."
"Last night the moon had a golden ring,
And to-night no moon we see!"
The skipper, he blew whiff from his pipe,
And a scornful laugh laughed he.
Colder and louder blew the wind,
A gale from the Northeast,
The snow fell hissing in the brine4,
And the billows frothed like yeast.
Down came the storm, and smote amain
The vessel in its strength;
She shuddered and paused, like a frighted steed,
Then leaped her cable's length.
"Come hither! come hither! my little daughter,
And do not tremble so;
For I can weather the roughest gale
That ever wind did blow."
He wrapped her warm in his seaman's coat
Against the stinging blast;
He cut a rope from a broken spar,
And bound her to the mast.
"O father! I hear the church-bells ring,
O say, what may it be?"
"'Tis a fog-bell on a rock-bound coast!"—
And he steered for the open sea.
"O father! I hear the sound of guns,
O say, what may it be?"
"Some ship in distress, that cannot live
In such an angry sea!"
schooner: a ship with a fore-and-aft rig and two or more masts
helm: the steering equipment of a ship
3 flaw: a sudden windstorm
4 brine: the sea or ocean
1
2
Reading Literature: Context Clues
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
16. What does the poet mean by "And the billows frothed like yeast"?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The waves were crashing and pounding the shore mercilessly.
The sailors were mad with fury at the skipper for not getting out of the winter storm.
The water was a foaming, surging mass that threatened to engulf the schooner.
The schooner was being tossed like a toy boat in the erratic waves.
Reading Literature: Context Clues
17. Read these lines from the poem.
Then up and spake an old Sailor,
Had sailed the Spanish Main,
What do these lines indicate about the old sailor?
A.
B.
C.
D.
He wants to cause trouble.
He misses his homeland.
He used to be a captain.
He is an experienced sailor.
Reading Literature: Mystery, Tension, Surprise
18. Read these lines from the poem.
"I pray thee, put into yonder port,
for I fear a hurricane."
"Last night the moon had a golden ring,
And to-night no moon we see!"
Why did the poet include the lines spoken by the old sailor?
A.
B.
C.
D.
to lessen the suspense in the poem through comic relief
to flash back to a storm he had encountered in the past
to foreshadow the approaching danger
to create a calm and peaceful mood
Reading Literature: Context Clues
19. Read these lines from the poem.
Down came the storm, and smote amain
The vessel in its strength;
She shuddered and paused, like a frighted steed,
Then leaped her cable's length.
What do these lines mean?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The horses jumped overboard during the storm.
The little girl was frightened by the violent waves.
The captain tried to comfort his frightened daughter.
The ship jerked around like a frightened horse.
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
Reading Literature: Central Idea:
20. What statement best expresses the main idea of the poem?
A. Sailing the open seas gives people the pleasant sense of oneness with nature.
B. Despite their best efforts, people are still no match for the power of nature.
C. When children are brought to work with parents, productivity slows down.
D. The beauty of nature often inspires poets to set their thoughts on paper.
C. When children are brought to work with parents, productivity slows down.
D. The beauty of nature often inspires poets to set their thoughts on paper.
Read the following excerpt and then answer questions 21 through 24.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (paraphrased excerpt)
Benjamin Franklin
Chapter 9
It was about this time I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wished to live
without committing any fault at any time. I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or
company might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might
not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I
had imagined. While my care was employed in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another.
Habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason. I concluded, at
length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous, was not sufficient
to prevent our slipping. Contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we
can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct.
Conceiving then, that, agreeably to the advice of Pythagoras in his Golden Verses, daily examination would be
necessary, I contrived the following method for conducting that examination.
The precept1 of order requires that every part of my business should have its allotted time. One page in my little
book contained the following scheme of employment for the twenty-four hours of a day.
• THE MORNING
5:00 until 8:00 • Rise, wash, contrive the day's business, and breakfast
8:00 until 11:00 • Work
• NOON
12:00 until 1:00 • Read or overlook my accounts and dine
2:00 until 6:00 • Work
• EVENING
6:00 until 10:00 • Put things in their places, supper, music or diversion or conversation, examination of the
day
• NIGHT
10:00 until 5:00 • Sleep
I entered upon this plan for self-examination and continued it with occasional intermissions for some time. I was
surprised to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined, but I had the satisfaction of seeing them
decrease. I wanted to avoid the trouble of changing my little book by scraping out the old faults to make room
for new ones. Therefore, I transferred my precepts to a memorandum book on which the lines were drawn with
red ink, and on those lines I marked my faults with a black-lead pencil, which marks I could easily wipe out with
a wet sponge. I went through one course only in a year and afterwards only one in several years. At length, I
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
stopped recording my faults entirely, being employed in voyages and business abroad. A multiplicity of affairs
interfered with my record keeping, but I always carried my little book with me.
My scheme of order gave me the most trouble. I found that order might be applicable where a man's business
was such as to leave him the disposition2 of his time, that of a journeyman printer, for instance. It was not
possible to be exactly observed by one who must mix with the world and often receive people of business at
their own hours. Order, too, with regard to places for things, papers, etc., I found extremely difficult to acquire. I
had not been accustomed to it, and, having a good memory, I was not so inconvenienced by disorder.
In truth, I found myself incorrigible with respect to Order. Now that I am grown old, and my memory bad, I feel
very sensibly the want3 of it. On the whole, I never arrived at the perfection I had been so anxious to obtain but
fell far short of it. Yet I was, by the effort, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had
not attempted it. Those who aim at perfect writing by imitating the engraved copies never reach the wishedfor excellence of the engravings, but their handwriting is improved by the effort.
precept: rule of conduct
disposition: orderly arrangement; control; administration
3 want: lack or need
1
2
Reading Literature: Cite Evidence
21. Franklin had professional dealings in other countries.
Which sentence from the excerpt provides evidence to support this statement?
A. The precept of order requires that every part of my business should have its allotted time.
B. At length, I stopped recording my faults entirely, being employed in voyages and business abroad.
C. A multiplicity of affairs interfered with my record keeping, but I always carried my little book with me.
D. It was not possible to be exactly observed by one who must mix with the world and often receive people of
business at their own hours.
Reading Literature: Analyze Complex Characters
22. How does Franklin change over the course of the excerpt?
A. At first, Franklin is determined to live without committing any faults, but by the end of the excerpt, he is
content with the knowledge that he never arrived at the perfection he'd been so anxious to obtain.
B. In the beginning, Franklin admits he stopped recording his faults entirely because the practice was too
difficult, but by the close of the excerpt, he states that he always carried his little book with him.
C. At first, Franklin finds himself fuller of faults than he'd imagined, but by the end of the excerpt, he is even
more anxious to obtain moral perfection than he was at the beginning.
D. In the beginning, Franklin begins the arduous project of arriving at moral perfection, but by the close of the
excerpt, he admits that he is dejected and ashamed for falling short in his endeavor.
ELA Language: Word Meaning
23. Read these sentences from the excerpt.
In truth, I found myself incorrigible with respect to Order. Now that I am grown old, and my memory bad, I feel
very sensibly the want of it.
Now read the thesaurus entry for incorrigible.
incorrigible: adj. unreformed, irredeemable, evil, hardened, prejudiced, hopeless, broken, ruined
Which synonym could best replace incorrigible in the sentences?
A. evil
B. hopeless
C. broken
D. ruined
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
Read the following verses and then answer question 24.
The Golden Verses (excerpt)
Pythagoras
41)
42)
43)
44)
45)
Never suffer sleep to close thy eyelids, after thy going to bed,
Till thou hast examined by thy reason all thy actions of the day.
Wherein have I done amiss? What have I done? What have I omitted that I ought to have done?
If in this examination thou find that thou hast done amiss, reprimand thyself severely for it;
And if thou hast done any good, rejoice.
Reading Literature: Transformation of Material
24. Franklin references Pythagoras's "Golden Verses" in paragraph 2 of the excerpt of his autobiography.
How does Franklin draw on Pythagoras's ideas?
A. Pythagoras's code of conduct was appropriate for his contemporaries, but, by the time Franklin wrote his
autobiography, "The Golden Verses" was obsolete. Franklin took the ideas that Pythagoras expressed and
updated them to reflect modern standards in the United States.
B. Pythagoras explains that correct behavior is entirely relative; what is proper for one person may not be
acceptable to another, and vice versa. Franklin describes his plans for moral improvement with the condition
that readers be aware that his personal values do not apply to anyone else.
C. Pythagoras instructs readers to examine their actions at the close of every day, taking pride in good
behavior and feeling shame at poor behavior. Franklin takes this idea one step further by creating a book with
a strict schedule and plan for self-examination, with the aim of perfecting his habits.
D. Pythagoras's verses are about proper respect and care for one's body, focusing on proper nutrition,
exercise, and personal hygiene. Franklin relates Pythagoras's ideas to the mind instead of the body, and advises
his readers to properly tend to their intelligence and morality.
Read the following student draft. Then answer questions 25 through 27.
Sweat
(1) Our bodies work hard to maintain a normal body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. (2) However,
body temperatures often rise due to heat, exercise, illness, or anxiety. (3) When that occurs, the body cools itself
by producing sweat.
(4) Humans are born with more than two million sweat glands, but the glands don't become fully active until
puberty. (5) Located in the skin, these sweat glands release a salty liquid in an effort to cool the body. (6)
Perspiration, or sweating, occurs most often under a person's arms, on the palms of the hands, and on the soles
of the feet.
(7) __________ (8) One way to combat the effects of sweating is to apply deodorants or antiperspirants to the
armpit area. (9) These products can be purchased from local drug stores. (10) Deodorants do not eliminate
sweat. (11) Instead, they are made from ingredients that kill the odor-producing bacteria which grow on moist
skin. (12) Fragrance or perfume is also added to deodorants to cover up body odor. (13) Antiperspirants,
__________, block the sweat ducts, reducing the amount of sweat that is released. (14) Basic hygiene is another
way to eliminate the embarrassment of body sweat and odor. (15) Bathing each day cleanses the body of
foul-smelling odors. (16) After perspiring from vigorous exercise, a person should again bathe or shower and put
on a fresh set of clothes.
ELA Writing: Explanatory Text
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
25. Which of the following should be added as sentence 7 to serve as the topic sentence of that paragraph?
A. Surprisingly, women have more sweat glands than men; the reason that men sweat more is that their glands
are more active.
B. Deodorants include ingredients that produce a pleasant aroma; deodorants are designed to deodorize
sweat produced by the body.
C. Odor from sweating is considered by many cultures to be a social faux pas; therefore, measures should be
taken to minimize the normal effects of sweating.
D. While there are many differences between antiperspirants and deodorants, there are many more similarities
between the two.
ELA Writing: Explanatory Text
26. Choose the transition that best completes sentence 13.
A.
B.
C.
D.
on the other hand
furthermore
in addition
afterward
ELA Writing: Gathering Information
27. Which of the following sources would provide the best information about how the body regulates
temperature?
A.
B.
C.
D.
"The Skeletal System: Structure for the Body"
"Tips for a Healthy Heart"
"The Hypothalamus: Controlling Temperature, Weight, Sleep, and More"
"The Temperature of Politics"
Read the following student draft. Then answer questions 28 through 30.
2X - Y = Basketball
(1) Adrienne sat at her desk and tried to focus on the algebra lesson that Mrs. Wong was delivering. (2) As she
watched Mrs. Wong turn to write the formula on the board, Adrienne's mind drifted back to the final seconds of
last night's game.
(3) __________, Adrienne soared to intercept the pass intended for Josie Sampson, the white-hot shooter on the
floor for the Rebels. (4) In one fluid motion, Adrienne pulled down the ball, turning, and was driving it back
down the court, leaving her defenders far behind. (5) She raced to the side of the goal, pushed up with her
right foot, and laid the ball gently against the backboard. (6) Everyone watched as the ball bounced gingerly
along the top of the iron hoop. (7) When the final buzzer sounded, Adrienne looked up just in time to see the
ball slide down through the nylon net, putting the Hornets ahead by one.
(8) "Whoooosh!" Adrienne yelled, slapping the air with her hand in celebration of the victory. (9) Every head in
the room turned to look at her several of her classmates giggled enthusiastically.
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
(10) "Well, Ms. Reed," said the teacher, "since you are so eager to entertain your classmates, I suggest you
come to the board to work out the next algebra problem."
(11) Adrienne slunk down in her seat as she realized she was no longer in the game.
ELA Writing: Write Narrative
28. Read sentence 3 from the draft.
__________, Adrienne soared to intercept the pass intended for Josie Sampson, the white-hot shooter on the
floor for the Rebels.
Which phrase should be added to the beginning of this sentence to create the appropriate image?
A. Like a bull in a China shop
B. With the grace of a gazelle leaping over a fence
C. With the cunning of a professional safe-cracker
D. Like a flower in the wind
ELA Language: Grammar/Usage
29. Read sentence 4 from the draft.
In one fluid motion, Adrienne pulled down the ball, turning, and was driving it back down the court, leaving her
defenders far behind.
How should this sentence be rewritten?
A. In one fluid motion, Adrienne pulled down the ball, turned, and drove it back down the court, leaving her
defenders far behind.
B. In one fluid motion, Adrienne pulled down the ball, turned, and was driving it back down the court, leaving
her defenders far behind.
C. In one fluid motion, Adrienne pulls down the ball, turns, and drives it back down the court, leaving her
defenders far behind.
D. In one fluid motion, Adrienne pulling down the ball, turning, and driving it back down the court, leaving her
defenders far behind.
ELA Language: Capitalization/Punctuation/Spelling
30. Read sentence 9 from the draft.
Every head in the room turned to look at her several of her classmates giggled enthusiastically.
How should this run-on sentence be fixed?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Every head in the room; turned to look at her several of her classmates giggled enthusiastically.
Every head in the room turned; to look at her several of her classmates giggled enthusiastically.
Every head in the room turned to look; at her several of her classmates giggled enthusiastically.
Every head in the room turned to look at her; several of her classmates giggled enthusiastically.
ELA Writing: Conduct Research
31. Casey has been assigned a three-page research paper. Casey chose sports as his topic, but his teacher
told him that his topic was too broad. He needs to narrow the focus of his research.
Which topic is the most focused?
A. the teams in professional football
B. the history of the Super Bowl
Discover Ed: English 2 Benchmark – Fall/2013
C. the history of the National Basketball Association
D. the 2008 Olympic gold medal basketball game
ELA Writing: Coherent Writing
32. Helena is writing down instructions for creating a spreadsheet using a computer program.
Choose the format that would be most likely to ensure that the person who uses Helena's notes is successful.
A.
B.
C.
D.
an essay
a numbered list
an interoffice memo
a letter