Texas Assessment
of Knowledge and Skills
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Grade 10
2010 Released Items
Copyright © 2010, Texas Education Agency. All rights reserved. Reproduction of all or portions of this work is prohibited
without express written permission from the Texas Education Agency.
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Literary Selection
2010 Released Items
A Platter of Steaming Dumplings
by Mabelle Hsueh
1
Professor Liu stood in the doorway of his apartment
building and watched the rain coming down hard on the
sidewalk. He rubbed his hands together—a gesture
acquired from years of teaching electrical engineering,
when he’d spent hours at the blackboard, getting his hands
covered with powdery white chalk. This habit had not been
obvious to anyone, himself included, until his retirement
from the university a year ago.
2
When the rain subsided a little, he stepped out onto
Thompson Street. He kept close to the buildings and
cautiously made his way to Shanghai Garden around the
corner.
3
Jingma, the middle-aged woman who owned the little
restaurant, was waiting on a young man wearing dark
glasses. She wrote down his order and almost missed
catching the menu he tossed back at her.
4
Professor Liu entered the restaurant just as Jingma
was about to go into the kitchen. “Hello, Jingma,” he said.
5
The woman turned around. “Long time no see, Professor
Liu,” she cried. “How you? Where you been for many days?”
6
“Nowhere,” Professor Liu answered, embarrassed at the
concern in her voice. “I was in my apartment.”
7
“Where your umbrella? You wet and cold. I bring you
hot tea.”
8
It always amazed him that Jingma, hardly five feet tall,
had such a deep, loud voice. It resonated with cheer and
goodwill. He walked over to his table nearest to the
kitchen, took off his coat and dropped it on a chair. He saw
that the booths along the wall were empty, but the four
tables in the middle of the room were occupied. The air was
pungent with the smell of ginger.
9
As soon as he sat down, Jingma was beside him with
teapot and cup in one hand and chopsticks, bowl and plate
in the other. “My cook sick today so I run around, here
there, like that big wheel in circus,” she said. “My sister
took me to see when I first come to America. What that
called?”
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My notes about what I am
reading
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
10
11
12
Literary Selection
“The Ferris wheel?”
“Nah, that machine go slow.” She shook her head. “Go
wrong direction. Never mind, what you want for lunch?”
“Perhaps beef and broccoli?”
13
“Okay, okay, but I got something special. You wait.” She
turned to go, then added over her shoulder. “How your book
coming along, Professor, about Chinese . . .” she hesitated,
“. . . buildings.”
14
“Chinese architecture,” he said. “It’s coming along just
fine.”
15
“Good, good.” Jingma nodded and disappeared into the
kitchen.
16
He poured the tea and took a sip, acutely disappointed
that she had no time to chat leisurely with him. He wanted
to tell her his book was not coming along just fine,
especially since he had not written a word for days.
17
With the approaching of the lunar new year he had
grown restless, unable to concentrate. He spent his waking
hours in aimless reading and pacing around and around
the apartment as if he wanted to measure the width and
length of every room. The nights were disrupted by dreams
of China, of the house with the shapely roofs built by his
grandfather for all his descendants. He seldom
remembered the details of these dreams when he awoke,
but they always left him with a sense of loss and the desire
to weep.
18
He drank more tea and the delicate flavor of jasmine
pricked his nose and tongue. He recalled how his mother
enjoyed adding a few fresh jasmine flowers to her tea
whenever the plants in the garden were in bloom. Suddenly
he noticed the young man with the dark glasses, who had
been sitting at the table near the door, coming toward him.
19
“Professor Liu,” the young man greeted him. “You don’t
remember me, but I took one of your classes several years
ago.”
20
Professor Liu peered at the young man: T-shirt and
jeans, medium height, thin with an oversized head. A
topheavy column in the Ancestral Hall, he thought to
himself. Out loud he said, “I’m afraid my memory is as bad
as my eyesight.” He rubbed his hands. “What is your name,
young man?”
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2010 Released Items
My notes about what I am
reading
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
21
22
23
24
Literary Selection
“Tim Wilson. The word is merry-go-round.” The young
man picked up the professor’s coat and carefully draped it
on another chair before he sat down.
“I beg your pardon?” Professor Liu said.
“That woman was describing how busy she was. Like a
merry-go-round.”
“Oh, right. Jingma works so hard.”
25
As though summoned, the woman came into the room
bearing a trayful of food. She paused for a second,
surprised to see the young man sitting with the professor.
She put the broccoli and beef in front of the professor; the
seafood noodles in front of the young man; and, with a
great flourish, a platter of steaming dumplings between the
two of them.
26
“Early this morning I make two hundred jiao-zi,”
Jingma said, waving two fingers in the air. “I thought if no
one come to eat, I freeze them. But you have come and you
can eat them fresh. That’s best way. Now I am happy.” She
smiled broadly.
27
Professor Liu lowered his head and inhaled. “O!
Jingma, I am happy too. Why, I haven’t had jiao-zi for a
long, long time.”
28
“Taste one, taste one when hot.” Jingma reached for
Professor Liu’s chopsticks, picked up a dumpling and put it
on his plate.
29
Then she leaned toward the young man and peered into
his dark glasses. “You are friend of our professor, huh? You
like jiao-zi? Chinese New Year coming and jiao-zi New Year
food, you know.” She waved her hand over the dishes as if
blessing them. “Eat, eat, you two. All food taste twice better
when eat with friends.” She pulled at her apron, tucked the
tray under her arm and went over to the cash register
where a customer waited.
30
Professor Liu bent forward and put the dumpling in the
middle of his tongue. As the juice squirted out of the soft
dough and filled his mouth, he closed his eyes and sighed
with pleasure. “When I was a boy,” he began, “my
grandmother always made jiao-zi, along with other foods,
on the twenty-third day of the last month of the Chinese
year. They were offerings for the Kitchen God.”
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My notes about what I am
reading
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Literary Selection
31
Using a spoon instead of chopsticks, the young man put
a dumpling in his mouth and tasted it. “Delicious,” he said.
32
“Every Chinese kitchen has a kitchen god, do you know
that? And a very important celestial being he is because on
the 23rd of December he makes his yearly journey to
heaven to report on the conduct of all the members of his
earthly family.” Professor Liu paused to catch his breath.
33
“Ummmm . . .” the young man mumbled and picked up
another dumpling. “So everybody shapes up,” he said
finally, “like kids for Santa.” He cradled his spoon under
another dumpling.
34
“Yes, yes,” the professor agreed, delighted. “I’ve never
thought of it in just that way.” He put down his chopsticks
and placed both arms on the table. “In fact, my
grandmother habitually smeared honey on the picture, on
the Kitchen God’s mouth, so he would say nothing but
sweet things about our family.” He chuckled and ran his
hand, like a washcloth, over his face. “Why, that was what I
dreamed of a few nights ago, the honey on the picture!”
35
“The Kitchen God isn’t a statue?” the young man asked
and lifted another dumpling from the platter.
36
“Just a red and gold picture. Each year my
grandmother would buy one from the market—you know, a
man with a red face, wearing a red robe, sitting on a chair
with legs apart—and paste it on the wall behind the stove.
There was also a little altar on the wall, I remember, with a
tiny incense burner and joss sticks in it.”
37
He stopped, poured himself more tea after checking the
young man’s full teacup. “Last night I dreamed of my
mother coming into my room to dress me up for New Year.
Somebody had laid out all my new clothes—a black cap, red
vest, and yes, a pair of red cotton-padded shoes—on the
dresser.” He laughed aloud. “All my dreams are coming
back to me now.”
38
“Nice dreams.” The young man spooned the last
dumpling onto his plate.
39
Professor Liu was aware that the young man was not
listening to him. But he could not stop talking for it seemed
an avalanche rumbled inside his head. Bits and chunks of
memory, shaken loose, came tumbling down and out of his
mouth. He described the rustle of silk gowns and dresses
worn by relatives; the aroma of sandalwood incense wafting
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My notes about what I am
reading
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Literary Selection
up to the high ceiling and hanging on there for days; the
elaborate ceremony of kowtowing and offering food and
drink to the ancestors; and the explosion of the earsplitting
firecrackers just before everybody sat down for the New
Year feast. “Such happy times,” he said. “So much easier to
talk than to write, isn’t it?”
40
The young man did not answer. He was eating the
seafood noodles now, his eyes darting here and there like
minnows in a stream. At last he said, “Professor Liu, you
should have taught Chinese Civilization instead of Chinese
Architecture.”
41
“Oh my dear young fellow.” The professor looked
startled and rubbed his palms. “I became interested in
Chinese architecture only after my retirement. Are you
sure . . . ”
42
The young man choked and began to cough. Professor
Liu was about to offer him some tea when the young man
suddenly got to his feet, walked out the front door, and
disappeared into the rain. The action was accomplished so
quickly and quietly that none of the other diners noticed.
Stunned, Professor Liu remained in his seat with one hand
still grasping the teapot.
43
Jingma gave a big yell, “Hey wait, wait,” and ran after
the young man, flapping her apron in the air like a broken
wing.
44
As he got up from the table, Professor Liu knocked over
his cup of tea in his hurry to get to the front of the room.
He posted himself next to the cash register. Many of the
other customers had stopped eating and were craning to
see out the window. Professor Liu began to rub his hands
as if he could never get the chalk off.
45
Soon Jingma returned, gasping for breath, her hair
matted to her head and her face wet with rain and
perspiration. “You see? He did not pay!”
46
“I am so sorry,” Professor Liu said. He unclasped his
hands and put them behind his back.
47
“Oh, why he do this? But you know him?”
48
Professor Liu shook his head.
49
“Then I call police.”
50
“No, don’t do that.” He reached out and touched
Jingma’s arm. “I’ll pay for him.”
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My notes about what I am
reading
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Literary Selection
51
“Why? Why you pay?” Jingma glared. “He is thief.”
52
“No, he’s my guest. He gave me a pleasant time.”
53
54
Professor Liu went back to his table, picked up his coat
and reached into the pocket. Then the other pocket. His
money was gone.
“What is matter, Professor?”
55
“Jingma, put it on my account, please.” He paused as a
couple entered the restaurant. “Remember, don’t stay on
that merry-go-round too long.”
56
Jingma smiled, uncertain what the last remark meant,
and hurried away.
57
Professor Liu righted the teacup he had knocked over.
For the first time he noticed the row of small red lanterns
above the cash register and the bigger lanterns in the two
doorways. They were bright red, the color of hope and joy.
No doubt Jingma had hung them up for the coming
Chinese New Year.
58
He dropped a few paper napkins in the puddle of spilled
tea and wiped the table clean before he reached for his coat
and pulled it on.
59
Now he was eager to leave. He wanted to get home, to
look at his manuscript, to read the last page he had written
seemingly so long ago, about the flying eaves. How
fascinating those eaves were: shaped like swallows’ tails,
they cantilevered outward and upward like arms lifted in
prayer.
© Mabelle Hsueh. Used by permission of the author.
Page 7
2010 Released Items
My notes about what I am
reading
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
2010 Released Items
Expository Selection
How My Name Saved My Life
by Masha Leon
1
“It’s Masha, not Marsha,” I have to tell
people who insist I should Americanize the
spelling of my name. How can I explain
that to change the spelling would be to
tamper with a part of the past?
2
Masha is the Russian for Mary—but I
was named after my paternal grandfather,
Moyshe. In prewar Warsaw it would have
been more prudent to be called Maria,
Marisia, Marusia. Masha was a giveaway
that I was not Polish and might be Jewish.
3
4
When the Nazis occupied Poland in
September 1939, my parents agreed that
they would meet at their hometown,
Byten, then under Soviet occupation as a
result of the Stalin-Hitler pact. My father
left Warsaw in the first week of the war, as
did many intellectuals and journalists,
assuming they would return a few weeks
later. My mother and I left Warsaw in the
winter of 1939–40 and headed for the
German-Russian border. En route we
were taken direct to Gestapo
headquarters by our Polish peasant
driver and lined up to be shot, but
because my mother and I had evennumbered tags (6 and 8) and they shot
the odd-numbered refugees, we survived.
hearts. My being able to blend with
peasant children, my mother’s willingness
to live in a barn, to milk cows, to dig
potatoes, was a passport to a night’s
lodging or a glass of milk. Our currency
was salt, needles, thread, matches, all
prized by dirt-poor peasants.
After a number of life-threatening
encounters we finally reached the border,
where the Germans willingly, smilingly let
us through, along with hundreds,
thousands of refugees. But once we
crossed, Russians on horseback with
peaked hats and bandoliers told us to go
back to the Germans. “We don’t want any
pans [misters] here—we are all tovarischi
[comrades].” And so for three days we
shuttled between Russians with poised
bayonets and Germans who laughed and
taunted, “Go back to your Bolshevik
Polish-Russian Border During World War II
My mother had warned me never to
cry in front of a German and never to call
her Mamma. (I was blond and blue-eyed,
and she had black hair and dark-brown
eyes, so calling her Mamma might
condemn me as a Jewish child. She
passed herself off as my Italian nanny,
since she spoke Polish with a Russian
accent.) However, should we be stopped
by the Russians, then cry a river, for
Russians were reputed to have good
Soviet
Union
(Russia)
Poland
Legend
Occupied by
Soviet Union
N
W
E
S
■ see Name, page 2
Page 8
5
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Expository Selection
■ Name, cont. from page 1
Page 2
friends.” Eventually people began to die
from cold and hunger, and trucks would
appear to cart off the bodies.
6
7
8
I left Warsaw with a case of the mumps
(the fever kept me warm) and a
malnutrition rash in my mouth. My
mother decided on the third day that we
would leave the other refugees and walk
parallel with the tree line in hopes of
breaking through to the Russian side. No
luck. Miraculously, a Polish peasant
woman who had fields on the Russian side
and a house on the German side came by
with a hay wagon and offered to help us.
She fed us, hid us in her cellar for several
days until we recovered, and had her son
get us past the Germans. Then we were on
our own in the middle of no-man’s land.
We had just entered the forest on the
Russian side when a lone Russian soldier
appeared with bayonet fixed and ordered
us back. As my mother put down her
bundles and I removed my knapsack, I
heard her say in perfect Russian, “I’d
rather a Russian shot me than a German.”
On cue, I began to cry, to weep, to howl.
But the soldier was adamant. “Go back or
I shoot you,” he repeated. My mother
showed him her papers, indicating that
she had been born under Russian rule. He
threw them in the mud. Obviously nothing
was working. I kept on wailing.
“Don’t cry, Mashinka,” she said. The
Russian suddenly turned to look at me:
“Since when do Poles give their children
Russian names?” My mother gave me a
zetz in the ribs—“Sing! Sing!”—and I sang
the only Russian song I knew, “Pod
samovarem, ja i moya Masha” (“Beneath
the samovar I and Masha . . .”) I kept
repeating the same phrase, over and over.
2010 Released Items
“Enough!” shouted the Russian. “Why
Masha?” he asked again. Go tell a soldier
that I was named after Moses-Moyshe. My
mother wove a fable about having been
inspired by Chekhov’s Three Sisters,
Masha in Brothers Karamazov, Tolstoy. . . .
The soldier was a peasant kid who had
probably only dimly heard of any of these
literary giants and waved at us just to
stop!
9
He looked at me and shook his head,
put his hand in his inner pocket, and
pulled out a family photograph, pointing to
a little girl about eight, the same age I
was, with the identical long braids and
bows. “My sister Masha,” he told my
mother. “How can I shoot your daughter?
It would be like shooting my sister.” He led
us to headquarters, and when the local
commander and troops heard my
name—Masha, Mashinka—out came the
black bread, butter, tea, apples. They took
us by truck to the train station, where the
soldiers, again hearing my Russian name,
serenaded us and fed us.
10
Marcia, Marsha—it’s not the same. I
often wonder, of all the
miracles—surviving the bombing, leaving
Warsaw on the right route on the right
day, going left or right on a road, finding a
peasant willing to hide us, not being shot,
the Gestapo believing that the dark-haired
woman was indeed my nanny, an elderly
German at one of our stops telling us how
to avoid being caught by a German patrol,
etc., etc., etc.—if that encounter was not
the most pivotal in our survival.
11
Masha it is, and Masha it shall remain.
12
Copyright © 1993, Jewish Association for Services for the Aged.
Page 9
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
2010 Released Items
Visual Representation
That’s Bad!
Self-Help
Oh No, That’s Good!
How to See the Positive Side
of a Negative Situation
Throughout our lives, we all experience events
that are difficult physically or emotionally. Having
the right attitude is crucial in getting through
these tough times. And often we can turn these
setbacks to our advantage. Respected
psychiatrist Dr. Kathleen Kinnear uses humor and
insight to help readers learn how to make the best
of a bad situation.
By Dr. Kathleen Kinnear,
author of What Went Wrong?
“Funny and heartwarming. A real winner.”
—Dr. Wayne Dooling,
Psychology Books Today
“Everyone should read this book!”
—Patricia Contreras,
Texas Book Review
“Dr. Kinnear offers practical advice that’s both helpful
and entertaining.”
—Ahmad Nasim,
author of Positively Positive
North Star Books
IS BN
0–000–00000–0
USA $14.95/Canada $22.95
Image courtesy of © Royalty-Free/CORBIS.
Page 10
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Literary Selection/Objective 1
2010 Released Items
Use “A Platter of Steaming Dumplings” to answer questions 1–6.
1
In paragraph 8, which words help the reader
understand what resonated means?
A
hardly five feet tall
B
the air was pungent
C
such a deep, loud voice
D
nearest to the kitchen
2
Read the following dictionary entry.
mat \ mat\ v 1. to provide with a pad or
cushion 2. to make rough or dull 3. to furnish
a picture with a border before framing 4. to
form into a dense, tangled mass
Which definition best matches the word
matted as it is used in paragraph 45?
Page 11
A
Definition 1
B
Definition 2
C
Definition 3
D
Definition 4
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
3
Literary Selection/Objective 2
What is the most likely reason the young man
chokes and begins to cough in paragraph 42?
A
He drank the hot tea much too quickly.
B
The professor has surprised him by
catching him in a lie.
C
He has suddenly realized that it is much
later than he thought.
D
He is choking on one of Jingma’s
dumplings.
4
Page 12
2010 Released Items
What is the primary effect of the story’s point
of view?
A
The reader does not discover that the
robbery has taken place until the
professor does.
B
The reader is able to understand the
young man’s motivation for leaving the
restaurant.
C
The reader is aware of the details of
Jingma’s life in China.
D
The reader understands why Professor
Liu has retired.
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
5
Literary Selection/Objective 3
Which of the young man’s actions best reveals
his true character?
A
The young man introduces himself to the
professor.
B
The young man tosses the menu at
Jingma.
C
The young man listens to the professor’s
stories.
D
The young man orders seafood noodles.
6
Page 13
2010 Released Items
Which words best reinforce the tone of
paragraph 17?
A
shapely, details, dreams
B
concentrate, waking, remembered
C
restless, aimless, loss
D
China, grandfather, descendants
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Expository Selection/Objective 1
2010 Released Items
Use “How My Name Saved My Life” to answer questions 7–13.
7
What country were the author and her mother
trying to get into?
8
What are paragraphs 9 and 10 mostly about?
A
The kind of food Russians like to eat
B
The mother’s knowledge of Russian
literature
Germany
C
The picture of the soldier’s sister
Russia
D
The Russian soldier’s compassion
A
Italy
B
United States
C
D
Page 14
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
9
Expository Selection/Objective 1
Which of these is the best summary of the
selection?
A
The author reflects on the significance of
her name as she recalls the time that she
and her mother attempted to flee Nazioccupied Poland. As her mother and she
wandered the countryside, they were
repeatedly turned away from the Russian
border and narrowly escaped death on
several occasions. They eventually met a
Russian soldier who spared their lives and
allowed them to cross the border when he
discovered that the author had the same
name as his sister.
B
The author remembers an incredible
adventure she experienced as a child
when she narrowly avoided death at the
hands of the German Gestapo. After she
and her mother were turned over to
German soldiers by their Polish peasant
driver, they were lined up to be shot
alongside other refugees. The author and
her mother were spared because they had
even-numbered tags and the Gestapo shot
only those refugees bearing odd-numbered
tags.
C
As a young girl, the author, named
Masha, and her mother tried to leave
Warsaw in order to reunite with the
author’s father in her parents’ hometown
of Byten. They were joined by many
intellectuals and journalists in their long
trek across the countryside. On their way
to the border, they depended on poor
peasants for help, trading salt, needles,
thread, and matches for the chance to
sleep in a barn or get a glass of milk.
Along with thousands of other refugees,
they finally reached the border.
D
The author’s mother posed as an Italian
nanny in order to protect the author as
they attempted to avoid detection by
German soldiers during World War II.
While they were traveling, the author
contracted the mumps and developed a
severe rash in her mouth because of
malnutrition. Luckily a peasant woman
who lived on the border of Poland and
Russia provided shelter and food for the
author and her mother and helped hide
them from the authorities.
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TAKS Grade 10 ELA
10
Expository Selection/Objective 2
Which of the following best supports the idea
that the mother was helping her daughter
hide her true identity?
11
A
Our currency was salt, needles, thread,
matches, all prized by dirt-poor peasants.
B
I was blond and blue-eyed, and she had
black hair and dark-brown eyes, so calling
her Mamma might condemn me as a
Jewish child.
C
However, should we be stopped by the
Russians, then cry a river, for Russians
were reputed to have good hearts.
D
My mother showed him her papers,
indicating that she had been born under
Russian rule.
Page 16
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Which of the following complicated the author
and her mother’s situation?
A
The Polish peasant woman hid the author
and her mother.
B
The author resents that her mother didn’t
name her Maria.
C
The author’s mother mentioned stories by
Chekhov and Tolstoy.
D
The Russian soldiers refused to let the
author and her mother pass.
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
12
Expository Selection/Objective 3
From the events described in paragraph 10,
the reader can conclude that —
A
13
the Russian soldier remained friends with
the author and her mother
B
the author is related to the Russian
soldier
C
the Russian soldiers were victorious
D
the author and her mother were able to
continue their journey
Page 17
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Which line best supports the idea that the
author followed her mother’s lead and
deliberately manipulated the Russian soldier?
A
Marcia, Marsha—it’s not the same.
B
But the soldier was adamant.
C
On cue, I began to cry, to weep, to howl.
D
Masha it is, and Masha it shall remain.
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Crossover Items
2010 Released Items
Use “A Platter of Steaming Dumplings” and “How My Name
Saved My Life” to answer questions 14 and 15.
14
In both selections, the authors highlight —
A
a contrast between an individual and a
political regime
B
a significant event in the life of the main
character
C
a list of anecdotes from childhood
memories
D
a series of possible solutions for one
difficult problem
15
Page 18
What conclusion is the reader most likely to
draw about Professor Liu and Masha based on
the last paragraph of both selections?
A
They will be deserted by their friends and
families.
B
Their attachment to the past will make it
difficult for them to move forward.
C
They have learned to embrace their pasts.
D
They will both go on to write excellent
books.
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Visual Representation/Objective 3
2010 Released Items
Use the visual representation on page 10 to answer
questions 16 and 17.
16
What is the main purpose of the book jacket?
A
B
17
Why did the designers of the book jacket
include quotations on the back cover?
To sell readers a subscription to
Psychology Books Today
A
To explain to readers how to improve their
lives
To help explain the meaning of the
illustration on the front cover
B
To offer examples of difficult events that
were overcome with the information
provided in the book
C
To give expert opinions intended to
persuade potential readers that the
content is useful and interesting
D
To provide statements from people whose
stories are featured in the book
C
To entertain readers with an amusing
illustration
D
To persuade people to buy and read the
book
Page 19
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Open-Ended Items
2010 Released Items
18
What do the dumplings symbolize in “A Platter of Steaming Dumplings”? Explain your answer
and support it with evidence from the selection.
19
What did the author learn from her experience in “How My Name Saved My Life”? Explain your
answer and support it with evidence from the selection.
20
How are Professor Liu in “A Platter of Steaming Dumplings” and the author of “How My Name Saved
My Life” affected by their encounters with strangers? Support your answer with evidence from both
selections.
Page 20
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Written Composition
2010 Released Items
Write an essay about something that inspires
you.
The information in the box below will help you remember what you should think about when you
write your composition.
REMEMBER—YOU SHOULD
❑ write about the assigned topic
❑ make your writing thoughtful and interesting
❑ make sure that each sentence you write contributes to your
composition as a whole
❑ make sure that your ideas are clear and easy for the reader to
follow
❑ write about your ideas in depth so that the reader is able to
develop a good understanding of what you are saying
❑ proofread your writing to correct errors in spelling,
capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure
Page 21
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Revising and Editing Passage 1
2010 Released Items
Marilyn wrote this paper about her grandmother’s life during World War II. She
wants you to review the paper. As you read, think about the corrections and
improvements Marilyn should make. When you finish, answer the questions that
follow.
Photo courtesy of © Bettmann/CORBIS.
Grandma Lyn, Pioneer
(1) I always look forward to reunions with my mom’s family because she
comes from a lively group of interesting people. (2) No one is as interesting as
Grandma Lyn, though, and when the family got together, she is the one I most
want to see.
(3) Grandma Lyn was a pioneer. (4) You are probably picturing a woman in
a gingham dress walking next to a covered wagon, but Grandma Lyn did not
blaze that kind of trail. (5) She was a WASP in World War II. (6) WASP stands
for Women’s Airforce Service Pilot. (7) The WASPs flew support missions for the
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TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Revising and Editing Passage 1
2010 Released Items
U.S. Army Air Force. (8) They flew planes from factories to bases, ferried aircraft
from one base to another, helped with training missions, and even taught male
pilots how to fly newly developed models. (9) Three of my great-uncles served in
the war, and one aunt was a nurse on a hospital ship. (10) In 1943 and 1944
more than 1,000 women served as WASPs. (11) These women flew more than
60 million miles in 77 different kinds of airplanes.
(12) When I first asked Grandma Lyn what had inspired her to fly, she got a
look in her eyes as if she were straining to see into the past. (13) “When I was
just about your age, Amelia Earhart came to our town hall to speak to the
chamber of commerce,” Grandma Lyn begun. (14) “She told us what it was like
to fly over the ocean alone. (15) I knew that I had to see the enormous blue
ocean she described, and I was determined to see it from the cockpit of my own
airplane.” (16) Grandma Lyn chuckled. (17) “It took many years, but I knew I
would eventually reach and attain my goal.”
(18) In 1942, when the government was looking for qualifyed women pilots,
Grandma Lyn was ready. (19) She had earned a high school diploma and a pilot’s
license, she had logged 512 hours of flying time. (20) She was selected for the
WASP program and flew planes from factories to air bases. (21) I asked
Grandma Lyn how she felt about her role in history. (22) “Oh, I’m proud to have
been in the military and to have served my country,” she said. (23) “But the
truth of the matter is that I just love flying! (24) I feel fortunite to have had the
opportunity.”
Page 23
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
1
2
Revising and Editing Passage 1/Objective 6
What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 2?
4
What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 12?
A
Change No one to Noone
A
Delete When
B
Delete the comma after Grandma Lyn
B
Delete the comma after fly
C
Change got to gets
C
Change were straining to is straining
D
Make no change
D
Make no change
What is the most effective way to combine
sentences 5 and 6?
5
A
She was a WASP in World War II, WASP
stands for Women’s Airforce Service Pilot.
B
She, a Women’s Airforce Service Pilot, was
a WASP in World War II.
C
She was a WASP in World War II;
although WASP stands for Women’s
Airforce Service Pilot.
D
She was a WASP, a Women’s Airforce
Service Pilot, in World War II.
6
3
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What is the most effective way to improve
the organization of the second paragraph
(sentences 3–11)?
A
Delete sentence 3
B
Move sentence 7 to the beginning of the
paragraph
C
Move sentence 9 so that it follows
sentence 3
D
Delete sentence 9
Page 24
What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 13?
A
Change your to you’re
B
Change the comma after commerce to a
period
C
Change begun to began
D
Make no change
What is the most effective way to rewrite the
ideas in sentence 17?
A
“It took many years, but I knew I would
eventually attain my goal.”
B
“Although it took many years. I knew I
would eventually reach and attain my
goal.”
C
“It took many years, but I knew it, I would
eventually attain my goal.”
D
“I knew it took many years to eventually
reach and attain my goal.”
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
7
8
Revising and Editing Passage 1/Objective 6
What change should be made in sentence 18?
A
Change government to Government
B
Change was looking to were looking
C
Change qualifyed to qualified
D
Delete the comma after pilots
9
What revision, if any, is needed in
sentence 19?
A
Having earned a high school diploma and
a pilot’s license. She had logged 512 hours
of flying time.
B
She had earned a high school diploma and
a pilot’s license, and she had logged 512
hours of flying time.
C
She had earned a high school diploma,
and she had earned a pilot’s license, and
she had logged 512 hours of flying time.
D
No revision is needed.
Page 25
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What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 24?
A
Change fortunite to fortunate
B
Delete have
C
Delete the quotation marks at the end of
the sentence
D
Make no change
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Revising and Editing Passage 2
2010 Released Items
Julia wrote this report for her science class. She wants you to review her paper. As
you read, think about the corrections and improvements Julia should make. When
you finish, answer the questions that follow.
Mars, Earth’s Neighbor
(1) During the summer of 2003, the planet Mars veered to within 35 million
miles of Earth. (2) That distance may sound enormous, but just six months
earlier Mars had been more than 160 million miles away. (3) Approximately
every 26 months the two planets pass each other as they orbit the sun. (4) But in
2003 this passing coincided with Mars being at it’s closest point to the sun.
(5) This brought the planets closer together than they had been for 60,000 years.
(6) As professional and amateur astronomers peered at Mars through their
telescopes. (7) Surely some wondered what a visit to this planet would be like.
(8) First of all, scientists say that Mars is very cold. (9) Even though the planet’s
red coloring makes it look warm, temperatures on Mars usually remain
significantly below freezing. (10) Temperatures can dip to 225 degrees
Fahrenheit below zero and can fluctuate more than 200 degrees in a single day.
(11) Despite these radical temperature changes a visitor to Mars would still
experience seasons. (12) The winter there, which is extremely cold, lasts for
almost five months. (13) During this time much of the planet is covered with a
sheet of dry ice, or frozen Carbon Dioxide. (14) In the summer the planet’s red
soil is kicked up by winds of more than 300 miles per hour.
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TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Revising and Editing Passage 2
2010 Released Items
(15) But a visitor to Mars would notice more than just the weather. (16) He
or she would also see an environment of varied landscapes. (17) The planet’s
surface has been effected by violent volcanoes and massive meteors. (18) Some
areas indicate that great torrents of water may have once flowed into rivers and
lakes. (19) In addition, the annual windstorms have created giant sand dunes
and immense canyons, some so large that they dwarf Earth’s Grand Canyon.
(20) Although scientists have been studying and observing Mars for years,
average citizens became more interested in the planet as they came closer and
closer to Earth during 2003. (21) People began to ask questions. (22) What is
Mars like? (23) How does the environment on this planet compare with the
environment on our own planet? (24) Could life have ever existed on Mars?
(25) Scientists will continue to try to find answers to these questions, and
interested citizens will, too.
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TAKS Grade 10 ELA
1
2
What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 4?
4
2010 Released Items
What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 11?
A
Change coincided to coinsided
A
Change radical to radically
B
Change it’s to its
B
Insert a comma after changes
C
Change the sun to it
C
Change experience to expereince
D
Make no change
D
Make no change
What revision, if any, is needed in
sentences 6 and 7?
A
B
C
D
3
Revising and Editing Passage 2/Objective 6
5
As professional and amateur astronomers
peered at Mars through their telescopes,
surely some wondered what a visit to this
planet would be like.
As professional and amateur astronomers
peered at Mars through their telescopes,
surely some wondered. What a visit to
this planet would be like.
As professional and amateur astronomers
peering at Mars through their telescopes
surely were wondering what a visit to this
planet would be like.
6
What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 13?
A
Insert it after the planet
B
Insert a comma after covered
C
Change Carbon Dioxide to carbon
dioxide
D
Make no change
Which sentence could most logically follow
sentence 14?
No revision is needed.
What transition word or phrase could be
added to the beginning of sentence 10?
A
Regardless
B
Meanwhile
C
Obviously
D
In fact
Page 28
A
The wind blows the planet’s soil.
B
Wind speed can fluctuate during a
tornado.
C
This results in huge dust storms.
D
Most of Earth’s soil is brown.
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
7
8
Revising and Editing Passage 2/Objective 6
What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 17?
A
Change effected to affected
B
Change violent to violently
C
Change massive to masive
D
Make no change
9
What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 20?
A
Delete the comma
B
Change citizens to citizen’s
C
Change they to it
D
Make no change
Page 29
2010 Released Items
What is the most effective way to revise
sentence 25?
A
Scientists will continue to try to find
answers to these questions, interested
citizens will, too.
B
Because scientists and interested citizens
will continue to try to find answers to
these questions.
C
Scientists will continue to try to find
answers to these questions if interested
citizens will try to find answers to these
questions, too.
D
Both scientists and interested citizens will
continue to try to find answers to these
questions.
TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Item
Number
Answer Key
Student
Expectation
Correct
Answer
LITERARY SELECTION
OBJECTIVE 1
1
1B
2
1E
OBJECTIVE 2
3
5A
4
Fig. 19B
OBJECTIVE 3
5
5A
6
5C
C
D
B
A
B
C
EXPOSITORY SELECTION
OBJECTIVE 1
7
8A
8
8A
9
9A
OBJECTIVE 2
10
9C
11
9C
OBJECTIVE 3
12
9C
13
9C
D
D
A
B
D
D
C
CROSSOVER ITEMS
14
Fig. 19B
15
Fig. 19B
B
C
VISUAL REPRESENTATION
OBJECTIVE 3
16
12B
17
12B
D
C
OPEN-ENDED ITEMS
18
Fig. 19B
19
9C
20
Fig. 19B
OE
OE
OE
WRITING PROMPT
13B
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TAKS Grade 10 ELA
Item
Number
Answer Key
Student
Expectation
Correct
Answer
REVISING AND EDITING PASSAGE 1
OBJECTIVE 6
1
13D
2
13C
3
15A
4
13D
5
13D
6
13C
7
19A
8
17C
9
19A
C
D
D
D
C
A
C
B
A
REVISING AND EDITING PASSAGE 2
OBJECTIVE 6
1
13D
2
17C
3
15A
4
18B
5
18A
6
15A
7
13D
8
13D
9
13C
B
A
D
B
C
C
A
C
D
Page 31
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