Test - ELAR English I Unit 03: Using Informational Text 2012-2013

Read the following original passage and answer the questions that follow.

The Big Storm

[1] In 1900, Galveston prided itself in being the most advanced city in Texas. It had been first with

electricity, first with telephones, and the city had some of the grandest architecture, the greatest wealth,

and the finest theaters anywhere. Citizens of Galveston felt pretty good about their town. Galveston was

thriving as a port city, and 4 million bales of cotton flowed through the city each year. Ships also

deposited thousands of immigrants on the docks of Galveston each year.

[2] For all its attractions, however, Galveston was located on an island, and its location on the Texas

coast was precarious. Dozens of storms had lashed its flanks in the 1800s, and other nearby towns had

been destroyed by hurricanes. The near misses, however, just gave the people of Galveston a false sense

of security. They began to believe that their city was somehow protected from any major storm damage.

The events of September 8, 1900, would soon change all that.

[3] By 11:00 a.m. on that fateful day, rain came in a steady torrent. The barometer reading was low

and falling while the wind blew at 30 miles an hour. Already the high tide had cut off access to the

orphanage located west of town near the beach. By mid afternoon, many parts of Galveston were

passable only to those with boats. By late afternoon, the winds had accelerated to over 100 miles per

hour! That evening, the one remaining clerk in the weather bureau took a barometer reading of 28.48; it

was the lowest ever made by the weather service. Water rose four feet in as many seconds and eventually

leveled off at 15-feet deep inside most houses and buildings. At the height of the storm, all of Galveston

Island was under water.

[4] The storm continued on during the night. By dawn the worst was over, and 3,600 homes had been

destroyed. Block after block of the town told the story; only wreckage and debris remained where thriving

businesses and homes had stood fewer than twenty-four hours before. More than 8,000 people had died.

Saint Mary’s Orphanage was a grisly tomb. All the nuns and 90 of the 93 children had perished. There

were so many dead that it was impossible to dig enough graves. Workers tried to bury the dead at sea,

but the bodies kept washing back onto the beach. Finally, the bodies were cremated.

[5] The deadly hurricane that wiped out Galveston was a hurricane with winds estimated as high as

120 miles per hour. This particular storm had no name to label it because the weather service had not yet

begun the custom of naming hurricanes until well after 1900. Eventually, Galveston recovered from the

storm, and with the new construction, the island left behind the 1800s and moved forward into the new

century. The business and wealth of Texas, however, moved into the growing centers of Houston and

Dallas. Galveston’s glory days had been washed away by the big storm.

1. You can tell from reading this selection that the people of Galveston―

A. were foolish to believe their island was safe from hurricanes

B. should have named the hurricane so it would be recorded in history

C. never tried to save as many as they could during the storm

D. lost their pride in the city after its destruction

2. Which of the following is a substantiated opinion from the passage, The Big Storm?

F. In 1900, Galveston prided itself in being the most advanced city in Texas.

G. By dawn the worst was over, and 3,600 homes had been destroyed.

H. Workers tried to bury the dead at sea, but the bodies kept washing back onto the beach.

J. They believed that their city was protected from any major storm damage.

3. What data substantiates the opinion chosen in the previous question?

4. In Paragraph 2 the word precarious means―

F. strong

G. dangerous

H. possible

J. stormy

5. From reading Paragraph 3, you can tell that a barometer is ―

A. an old but reliable scientific device that is used to describe and predict weather

B. a modern scientific instrument invented to predict wind speed

C. a mathematical graphing calculator used to predict trends in weather

D. a geographer’s device used to correlate altitude and temperature

6. What is the likely purpose of including Picture 5?

F. to show the reader the effect of hurricanes on farmland and lowlands

G. to help the reader get a sense of what was there before and how totally devastated some

neighborhoods were after as described in the text

H. to move the reader to get involved in rescue efforts by sharing visuals of human suffering

J. to demonstrate how people helped out in the rescue efforts

7. What evidence from the passage tells you that Galveston had a multi-cultural population even back

in 1900?

A. The town was the most advanced in Texas.

B. Thousands of immigrants arrived in the town each year.

C. The town was a thriving port city.

D. Saint Mary's had a population of 93 children.

8. Choose the BEST summary for this selection.

F. Rain came in a steady torrent during the Galveston hurricane, and no sea wall protected it.

Water inside homes was 15-feet deep, and the entire island was under water during the

September 8, 1900, storm. Many people were killed.

G. Prior to September 8, 1900, Galveston had been the most advanced city in Texas. On this day,

however, a hurricane hit and devastated the town, leaving many homes, businesses and lives

changed forever. This could have been avoided had the city taken action after one of the earlier

near misses.

H. More than 8,000 people were killed during the 1900 hurricane in Galveston. The weather

bureau obtained its lowest barometric reading of all time, and water rose as deep as 15 feet in

some structures. Saint Mary's Orphanage was destroyed, with more than 90 lives lost.

J. The 1900 hurricane that hit Galveston changed that town forever. Previously, it had been the

most advanced city in Texas. The destruction from the hurricane, however, destroyed so

many homes, businesses, and lives that the city never fully recovered its former glory.

9. What was the effect of Galveston's experiencing some near misses with storms in the late 1800s?

A. The people of Galveston developed a false sense of security.

B. The city experienced a terrible storm in 1900.

C. Galveston's glory days were washed away in September 1900.

D. St. Mary's Orphanage was destroyed, and many lives were lost.

10. How do the illustrations support the information in Paragraph 4 of the passage?

F. They bring an unforgettable sensory image to the data related to the deaths and devastation.

G. They detract the reader from the factual information steering him to opinions and sympathy.

H. They contradict the data in the paragraph so that the reader is confused.

J. They allow the reader to visualize what Galveston looked like before and after the storm.

11. You can tell by reading the FEMA Safety Guidelines for Hurricanes that one of the important steps

you can take in preparing your home for a hurricane is to—

A. protect against flying debris, including glass

B. moor your boat

C. watch the hurricane approach

D. cover plants

12. Which of the following steps in preparing for a hurricane needs more clarification than the others?

F. Keep all trees and shrubs well trimmed so they are more wind resistant.

G. Reinforce your garage door; if wind enters a garage, it can cause dangerous and expensive

structural damage.

H. Bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans, and anything else not tied down.

J. Be sure to keep a supply of water for sanitary purposes, such as cleaning and flushing toilets.

Fill the bathtub and other large containers with water.

13. What should be added to your chosen answer to make it a better set of directions?

14. Most of the FEMA guidelines for evacuating during a hurricane are based on the category of storm

and wind speed.

According to the passage, pictures of the Galveston Hurricane, and the chart of wind speed, which of

the following is a logical prediction for the category of storm that hit Galveston?

F. Category 1

G. Category 2

H. at least Category 3

J. It is not possible to predict from the pictures and the passage.

15. The Galveston Hurricane took a similar path with a similar result to Katrina. What precautionary

information can be taken from the map, table, and FEMA directions?

A. Hurricanes are still dangerous even after they hit land.

B. Hurricanes can become even more dangerous after they pass over land masses such as islands.

C. Once a hurricane gets into the Gulf of Mexico, it has no course other than to hit land.

D. All of these are correct.

This excerpt is taken from Black Hawk’s 1834 autobiography.

Road to War

[1] During this summer I happened at Rock Island, when a Great Chief arrived, whom I had known as the

Great Chief of Illinois, (Governor Cole) in company with another chief who I have been told is a great

writer (Judge James Hall.) I called upon them and begged to explain the grievances to them, under which

my people and I were laboring, hoping that they could do something for us. The Great Chief however, did

not seem disposed to council with, me. He said he was no longer the chief of Illinois; that his children had

selected another father in his stead, and that he now only ranked as they did. I was surprised at this talk,

as I had always heard that he was a good brave and Great Chief. But the white people appear to never be

satisfied. When they get a good father, they hold councils at the suggestion of some bad, ambitious man,

who wants the place himself, and conclude among themselves that this man, or some other equally

ambitious, would make a better father than they have, and nine times out of ten they don't get as good a

one again.

[2] I insisted on explaining to these chiefs the true situation of my people. They gave their assent. I rose

and made a speech, in which I explained to them the treaty made by Quashquame, and three of our

braves, according to the manner the trader and others had explained it to me. I then told them that

Quashquame and his party positively denied having ever sold my village, and that as I had never known

them to lie, I was determined to keep it in possession.

[3] I told them that the white people had already entered our village, burned our lodges, destroyed our

fences, ploughed up our corn, and beat our people. They had brought whiskey into our country, made our

people drunk, and taken from them their homes, guns and traps, and that I had borne all this injury,

without suffering any of my braves to raise a hand against the whites.

[4] My object in holding this council was to get the opinion of these two chiefs as to the best course for

me to pursue. I had appealed in vain, time after time to our agent, who regularly represented our

situation to the chief at St. Louis, whose duty it was to call upon the Great Father to have justice done to

us, but instead of this we are told that the white people wanted our county and we must leave it for them!

[5] I did not think it possible that our Great Father wished us to leave our village where we had lived so

long, and where the bones of so many of our people had been laid. The Great Chief said that as he no

longer had any authority he could do nothing for us, and felt sorry that it was not in his power to aid us,

nor did he know how to advise us. Neither of them could do anything for us, but both evidently were very

sorry. It would give me great pleasure at all times to take these two chiefs by the hand.

[6] That fall I paid a visit to the agent before we started to our hunting grounds, to hear if he had any

good news for me. He had news. He said that the land on which our village now stood was ordered to be

sold to individuals, and that when sold our right to remain by treaty would be at an end, and that if we

returned next spring we would be forced to remove.

[7] We learned during the winter, that part of the land where our village stood had been sold

to individuals, and that the trader at Rock Island, Colonel Davenport, had bought the greater part that had

been sold. The reason was now plain to me why he urged us to remove. His object, we thought, was to

get our lands. We held several councils that winter to determine what we should do. We resolved in one of

them, to return to our village as usual in the spring. We concluded that if we were removed by force, that

the trader, agent and others must be the cause, and that if they were found guilty of having driven us

from our village they should be killed. The trader stood foremost on this list. He had purchased the land

on which my lodge stood, and that of our graveyard also. We therefore proposed to kill him and the agent,

the interpreter, the Great Chief at St. Louis, the war chiefs at Forts Armstrong, Rock Island and Keokuk,

these being the principal persons to blame for endeavoring to remove us. . .

[8] I was told that according to the treaty, we had no right to remain on the lands sold, and that the

government would force us to leave them. There was but a small portion however that had been sold, the

balance remaining in the hands of the government. We claimed the right, if we had no other, to "live and

hunt upon it as long as it remained the property of the government," by a stipulation in the treaty that

required us to evacuate it after it had been sold. This was the land that we wished to inhabit and thought

we had a right to occupy. . .

[9] The winter passed off in gloom. We made a bad hunt for want of guns, traps and other necessaries

which the whites had taken from our people for whiskey. The prospect before me was a bad one. I fasted

and called upon the Great Spirit to direct my steps to the right path. I was in great sorrow because all the

whites with whom I was acquainted and had been on terms of intimacy, advised me contrary to my

wishes, that I began to doubt whether I had a friend among them. Keokuk, who has a smooth tongue,

and is a great speaker, was busy in persuading my band that I was wrong, and thereby making many of

them dissatisfied with me. I had one consolation, for all the women were on my side on account of their

cornfields.

[10] On my arrival again at my village, with my band increased, I found it worse than before. I visited

Rock Island and the agent again ordered me to quit my village. He said that if we did not, troops would be

sent to drive us off. He reasoned with me and told me it would be better for us to be with the rest of our

people, so that we might avoid difficulty and live in peace. The interpreter joined him and gave me so

many good reasons that I almost wished I had not undertaken the difficult task I had pledged myself to

my brave band to perform. In this mood I called upon the trader, who had long been my friend. I replied

that if our Great Father could do us justice and make the proposition, I could then give up honorably. He

asked me "if the Great Chief at St. Louis would give us six thousand dollars to purchase provisions and

other articles, if I would give up peaceably and remove to the west side of the Mississippi?" After thinking

some time I agreed that I could honorably give up, being paid for it, according to our customs, but told

him that I could not make the proposal myself, even if I wished, because it would be dishonorable in me

to do so. He said that he would do it by sending word to the Great Chief at St. Louis that he could remove

us peaceably for the amount stated, to the west side of the Mississippi. A steamboat arrived at the island

during my stay. After its departure the trader told me that he had requested a war chief, who was

stationed at Galena, and was on board the steamboat, to make the offer to the Great Chief at St. Louis,

and that he would soon be back and bring his answer. I did not let my people know what had taken place

for fear they would be displeased. I did not much like what had been done myself, and tried to banish it

from my mind.

[11] After a few days had passed the war chief returned and brought an answer that "the Great Chief at

St. Louis would give us nothing, and that if we did not remove immediately we would be driven off." I was

not much displeased with the answer they brought me, because I would rather have laid my bones with

those of my forefathers than remove for any consideration. Yet if a friendly offer had been made as I

expected, I would, for the sake of our women and children have removed peaceably.

16. At several points in the passage, Black Hawk uses the social studies term council. From its use in

this essay, you can tell that American Indians―

F. valued collaboration and joint decision-making

G. always sought the advice of their allies

H. governed with a strong group of elected leaders

J. lived in small groups in their villages

17. In Paragraph 10, what quid pro quo offer is proposed to Black Hawk?

A. a treaty for the tribal village

B. new land for the tribal village

C. $6,000 for the tribal village

D. food and shelter for the tribal village

18. What is a text connection you can make with The Big Storm and Road to War?

F. While they are different genre, they convey important historical concepts related to how the

decisions of a group of people affect their future.

G. While they are both historical fiction, they differ in that one provides more factual information

related to an era than the other.

H. Since both are primary sources of information, you can better analyze the theme of natural

disasters found in both.

J. While they are different genre, they convey important historical concepts related to how

government can control most of the variables that affect people’s lives.

19. In Paragraph 11, when the author states he would rather have laid my bones with those of my

forefathers than remove, you can conclude that―

A. he prefers to avoid war at all costs

B. he prefers to move on for the sake of the women and children

C. he prefers to honor his ancestors by being submissive to the "Great Chief of St. Louis"

D. he prefers to fight to stay on their tribal lands

20. In the final paragraph, the word consideration comes from the Latin term for "equivalent." What

consideration did Black Hawk's people want from the "Great Chief" of St. Louis?

F. freedom from war

G. horses

H. six thousand dollars

J. provisions

21. What is the overall controlling idea of this selection?

A. Americans are never satisfied with their leadership and keep electing new men.

B. Black Hawk's village land was sold off to individual buyers even though a treaty was in place.

C. Black Hawk was unsuccessful in getting paid consideration for his village land which was sold

off to individuals.

D. The conditions for Black Hawk's people became worse when the American leaders did not treat

them fairly.

22. Choose the BEST summary of this passage.

F. Black Hawk had established a good working relationship with Gov. Cole, whom he called "chief

of Illinois." The people elected a new governor, however, and Black Hawk was never able to

establish good communication and save his people's village.

G. Black Hawk's people had a history of having their villages burned, their fences destroyed, the

crops wiped out, and their people beaten by white settlers. Black Hawk appealed, in vain, to the

"chief at St. Louis" to have his people's treaty upheld.

H. Black Hawk's village land was ordered to be sold to individuals, thus violating the treaty he had.

A trader from Rock Island named Colonel Davenport bought most of the land and urged the

tribe to move.

J. Black Hawk negotiated extensively to improve the living conditions of his people. He appealed

to get the treaty by Quashquame upheld so that his village land could not be sold, and he could

receive better provisions for the tribe. Despite his efforts, his people were ordered to relocate,

and he was denied any consideration for this move.

23. Which is the BEST way to combine Sentences 2 and 3?

A. By his early twenties, Hitchcock was already working in the studio business; going from simple

draftsman to assistant director in less than three years.

B. By his early twenties, Hitchcock was already working in the studio business; when he went from

simple draftsman to assistant director in less than three years.

C. By his early twenties, Hitchcock was already working in the studio business, yet he went from

simple draftsman to assistant director in less than three years.

D. By his early twenties, Hitchcock was already working in the studio business, going from simple

draftsman to assistant director in less than three years.

24. What change, if any, should be made in Sentence 8?

F. Remove the comma after United States.

G. Remove the comma after United States and put in a comma after Rebecca.

H. Leave the comma after United States and add a comma after Rebecca.

J. Make no change.

25. Sentence 10 is being revised to add information. Which of the following is the BEST way to improve

it?

A. Every film was a hit, competing with one another for the box office record.

B. Every single one or another of them was a hit, competing for the box office record every year.

C. Competing with one another for the box office record, every single one of them beat each

other.

D. One another competition helped every single one of them be a hit, competing for the box office

record.

26. What is the ACCURATE way to combine Sentences 11 and 12 using a participial phrase?

F. To do what no other filmmaker had ever done before, Hitchcock appeared in each of his own

movies in the late 1940s.

G. Doing what no other filmmaker had ever done before, Hitchcock appeared in each of his own

movies in the late 1940s.

H. Because he wanted to do what no other filmmaker had ever done before, Hitchcock appeared in

each of his own movies in the late 1940s.

J. None of the above accurately combines the two sentences.

27. Nicole's teacher told her that she needs more sentence variety in her writing. Which of the following

changes would Nicole make to include a complex sentence in her paper?

A. When he started making brief appearances in his own films, Hitchcock did what no other

filmmaker had ever done before.

B. Hitchcock released at least one film a year for three decades, making them all hits.

C. Hitchcock began appearing briefly in his own films, and no other filmmaker had ever done that.

D. Hitchcock began both directing and appearing in each of his own films.