Name _______________________________________________
English Teacher __________________________
Date ____________________
Period _____________
English I 2017 Benchmark Debrief and Point Recapture
1. Danny ended his paper too abruptly. Which sentence could be added after sentence to a more effective
close?
A. Obviously, Mack and Cameron will be friends forever and will be sure to make a difference in many
exciting ways.
B. Isn’t it hard to imagine a person in a wheelchair traveling that fast in a race?
C. In conclusion, only time will tell how much these amazing runners will be able to accomplish if their
friendship stays strong and their determination brings hope to others.
D. Mack and Cameron’s story is inspirational, a reminder to the world that challenges can never stop
true friendship.
Explain your answer:___________________________________________________________________
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2.
Katy’s transition from the second paragraph (sentences 5-9) to the third paragraph is weak. Which of the following
could best replace sentence 10 and provide a more effective transition between these two paragraphs? (Hint: A
transition should serve as a bridge, something that signals in a subtle, smooth fashion that you are leaving the
topic of the previous paragraph as you are introducing the topic of the current paragraph)
A. It was time to begin all that hard work.
B. Finding the bus on an Internet site had seemed like a miracle.
C. Then the couple faced the task of turning the bus into a home.
D. What a joy it was to begin an eco-friendly project.
Explain your choice: ___________________________________________________________________________
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3.
Katy realizes that she left the following detail out of the fourth paragraph (sentences 15-22)
While the Youngs had fun decorating their new house, they knew they had to be wise about what they brought into such a
small space.
If this sentence should be added, where is the most effective place for it to go and why?
My answer and explanation: ___________________________________________________________________
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(8) Him and his family left the war-torn country in the early 1980’s, but before leaving, Kayongo saw many of his fellow
Ugandans struggling to survive in refugee camps.
4.
How should sentence 8 be changed?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Change refugee camps to Refugee Camps
Change Him to He
Change the comma after leaving to a semicolon
Change saw to seen
After you make your correction, write one model sentence patterned after the original,
or write the corrected version three times.
Here is an example of model sentence: She and her family left the lush hillside in the late 1970’s, but before leaving, Sally
saw many of her fellow Tennesseans failing to floss between their teeth.
Remember, either one original or three copies:______________________________________________________________
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5.
What is the correct way to write sentence 21?
A. Although Uganda is recovering from years of war, the nation is still plagued by poverty. Many workers earn no
more than a dollar a day.
B. Although Uganda is recovering from years of war, the nation is still plagued by poverty. With many workers
earning no more than a dollar a day.
C. Although Uganda is recovering from years of war. The nation is still plagued by poverty, and many workers earn no
more than a dollar a day.
D. Although Uganda is recovering from years of war, the nations is still plagued by poverty, many workers earn no
more than a dollar a day.
Transcribe the correct pair of sentences, and then write one original pair of sentences patterned on the correct pair.
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6.
Based on how the narrator describes her childhood, readers can conclude that she—
A. Thinks nature is both beautiful and overwhelming
B. Attaches meaning to the details and rituals of daily life
C. Believes she has had had to live without certain luxuries
D. Regrets that she did not appreciate her family more
In a short paragraph answer the question using the stem and correct response, appropriate textual evidence, and
supporting commentary. In fact, to help you along, I will cut most of the first part of the stem. Just fill in the rest.
The narrator’s description of her childhood reveals that…______________________________________________________
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7. What does food represent in the two selections? (mark the text to indicate support for your answer)
A. In “Creative Solutions to Life’s Challenges,” food is associated with friendship and hospitality, but in “Back Home,”
food is associated with a tight family bond.
B.
In “Creative Solutions to Life’s Challenges,” food is associated with love and family, but in “Back Home,” food is
associated with the struggle for survival.
C.
In “Creative Solutions to Life’s Challenges,” food is associated with unfulfilled desires, but in “Back Home,” food is
associated with a basic human need.
D.
In “Creative Solutions to Life’s Challenges,” food is associated with scarcity and the need for innovation, but in
“Back Home,” food is associated with abundance and comfort.
from “Creative Solutions to Life’s Challenges”
When I think about how my mother fed all seven of
us, making us think every day was a “different
meal,” I still appreciate how much a creative cook
can do with a potato.
And it wasn’t just in the kitchen. She would flip her
old Singer sewing machine upright, study pictures
in books and magazines, then make ethnic versions
of those same dolls and stuffed animals to sell at
church fundraisers. Without a TV in the house to
distract us, we made the dolls come to life, filling
the hollow fabric sleeves one fistful of cotton at a time.
from “Back Home”
But our food was good. Nothing can quite compare to the
homemade biscuits, fried ham sizzling in red gravy, cabbage
floating in ham grease, or butter cake with homemade
chocolate icing. My mother would stand on the kitchen porch
and call out when the meals were ready.
For each passage, copy at least one example of revealing diction, imagery, or figurative language that captures
the respective author’s associations with food. In other words, select a short quote from each passage that
conveys the symbolism or emotional meaning of food in each passage. You do not have to write out an
explanation of the quote, but you must be prepared to defend it. Choose wisely.
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8. Which line suggests that seeing someone else yawn is not the only way to experience contagious yawning?
Rephrase the question in your own words. In other words, in the simplest language you can muster, write what
the question is asking.
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Now pick the correct answer, which should be relatively easy since only one answer choice mentions how
people become susceptible themselves without actually witnessing another person yawning.
A Humans who are likely to be more empathetic also exhibit more contagious yawning, so maybe yawning
is contagious between humans and dogs for similar reasons.
B As I did the research for this column, I noticed that nearly every article about yawning pointed out that
just reading the article itself could make you yawn.
C Goldman points out that yawning has been observed in many species of vertebrates, including dogs, cats,
chimpanzees, and birds.
D At extremely high temperatures, yawning again decreased, perhaps because yawns don’t help when the
temperature is too warm.
9.
The author uses an aside in paragraph 3 to—
In your own words define aside:________________________________________________________
A. Give an example B. supply additional information C. provide some humor D. criticize public speakers
Underline the aside. Then, in your own words describe which answer choice is correct and why.
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10. The details about the size of the creek are important because—
Write out your answer in three complete sentences, making sure to support your position with an
embedded quote. Why is the size of the creek important? Why does the creek’s size matter in this story?
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