FSA Practice Reading Test – Part IDirections: Do your best. Do not write on my paper. Write everything on the answer sheet.

Read the blog entry “The Alaska Start III,” Which was written by a former director of the Census Bureau. Then answer the questions.

The Alaska Start IIIBy Robert Groves

(1) We flew to Noorvik mid-morning on Monday, January 25, a 10-seat plane – full of state dignitaries. The temperature at landing was a balmy 7 degrees Fahrenheit. The one-strip airport is about one mile from the village. There were two dog sleds nearby, one for the lieutenant governor and one for me. My musher was a 12-year-old student, who, after we moved out of the congestion of the airport, stopped and allowed me to mush the team for a bit of time. Great fun; the lead dog was instantly responsive to his commands, and even though my training was limited to about 45 seconds, it was a blast.

(2) We arrived at the school to see the entire student body out on the portico of the school, applauding the arrival of the census to Noorvik (wouldn’t it be great if every city in the US greeted census workers with such enthusiasm?). I met the elders of the village, who were assembled in the lnupiat culture room, now used to instruct the children in their native language.

(3) We visited a few classrooms where I found that the kids were totally on top of why the census is done, how often it’s done, and how it benefits the country.

(4) I also participated in a few satellite uplink interviews with various media, accompanied by a 12 th grade student who talked about how the census fits into Noorvik’s future.

(5) At 1 p.m., I rode with the mayor of Noorvik on an ATV to visit the very first household to be enumerated in the 2010 Census. I knocked on the door and was ushered in. We completed the interview in just a few minutes; I exited to see a whole slew of press people down the road. I was happy to announce, “One down; 309 million more to go!”

(6) I returned to the school, which is clearly the hub of social activity in the small village, to have lunch with the school children. More interviews with press; a large gathering in the gymnasium with the entire village assembled; an exchange of gifts; speeches; native dancing.

(7) The 2010 Census has begun – in a remote village of Alaska, with one household, and the support and love of the thousands of residents. It will continue for several months – in big cities, in small towns, in institutions, among the homeless, for the rich, and for the poor.

(8) The country is on its way to being counted!“Alaskan Beginnings: Census 2010” – Public Domain/U.S. Census Bureau

1. (Part A) How does the following sentence from paragraph 2 contribute to the reader’s understanding of the blog entry?“We arrived at the school to see the entire student body out on the portico of the school, applauding the arrival of the census to Noorvik (wouldn’t it be great if every city in the US greeted census workers with such enthusiasm?).”

a. By showing that the school is the most important building in the villageb. By describing the excitement the community has for its role in the censusc. By indicating that the students would be collecting information for the censusd. By explaining that the students were eager to share parts of their tribal culture

(Part B) Why does the author include the following statement in parenthesis?“…(wouldn’t it be great if every city in the US greeted census workers with such enthusiasm?).”

a. To contrast a positive census experience with previous census experiencesb. To show that he is concerned about completing the census in timec. To defend the way he has responded to residents in other communitiesd. To compare the residents of large cities to the residents of isolated villages

2. (Part A) What is a central idea of the blog entry?a. Leaders should express their support for the census process.b. The census is more important to small villages than it is to large cities.c. The census is important to all people regardless of their status or location.d. Schools should educate all students about the history of the national census.

(Part B) How does the author convey the central idea?a. By including quotes from interviews with television reportersb. By emphasizing the unique rituals of the people in the villagec. By using one village to symbolize the entire national censusd. By showing how important the media is to the census

3. Read the four statements below. Two statements are supported by evidence in the blog entry, and two are not supported. Write down the two letters of the statements that are supported. Next to them, copy one of the underlined sentences or phrases from the story next to each letter to prove that it is supported in the text.

a. The people of Noorvik feel the census is important to their village.b. The census in Noorvik will be finished quickly.c. People from outside the village want to hear what is happening in Noorvik.d. Noorvik was chosen by the Census Bureau because of its weather.

4. Read the paragraph below. On your answer sheet, underline the four sentences that make up a summary of the blog entry “Alaska Start III.”

Dr. Robert Groves visited Noorvik, Alaska, to count the first household for the 2010 Census. The citizens of Noorvik were excited about the arrival of the census. The dog sled parade was the most fun Groves had all day. Groves traveled with the mayor of Noorvik to visit the first

household in Noorvik to be counted. Everyone from the village gathered for speeches, performances, and a gift exchange before the Director and his party left. Groves wanted everyone in the village to be interviewed by the press.

5. (Part A) Based on the information in the blog entry, what is the main responsibility of a census taker?

a. To research effective educational programs for small villagesb. To gather data about people across the nationc. To choose which families receive important visitorsd. To report on how residents survive in remote areas

(Part B) Which activity discussed in the blog entry illustrates the main responsibility of a census taker?

a. Accompanying important government officialsb. Speaking with students in classroomsc. Visiting households to collect information with the help of residentsd. Exchanging gifts with village residents

6. (Part A) What is the author’s main purpose for writing the blog entry?a. To defend the census process to people who are critical of itb. To provide a description of how one group of citizens responded to the censusc. To instruct census workers on the correct way to collect informationd. To provide specific benefits of participating in the census

(Part B) Which quotation from the blog best expressed the author’s purpose for writing?a. “We flew to Noorvik mid-morning on Monday, January 25, a 10-seat plane – full of state

dignitaries.” (Paragraph 1)b. “I met the elders of the village, who were assembled in the lnupiat culture room, now

used to instruct the children in their native language.” (Paragraph 2)c. “I returned to the school, which is clearly the hub of social activity in the small village, to

have lunch with the school children.” (Paragraph 6)d. “More interviews with press; a large gathering in the gymnasium with the entire village

assembled; an exchange of gifts; speeches; native dancing.” (Paragraph 6)

7. (Part A) Which of the following is a summary of the blog entry?a. Dr. Robert Groves was a citizen of the village of Noorvik, Alaska, who greeted a census

worker for the 2010 Census. This small village was among the last in the United States to be counted.

b. The village of Noorvik, Alaska, greeted Dr. Robert Groves, who visited schools and brought gifts. Dr. Groves faced many challenges during his visit.

c. Dr. Robert Groves visited Noorvik, Alaska, to count the first household for the 2010 Census. The citizens of Noorvik were excited about the arrival of the census.

d. The village of Noorvik, Alaska, was discovered in 2010 by Dr. Robert Groves. Previously, the village did not know about the census and had never been counted in the survey.

(Part B) Which additional evidence from the blog entry could be paraphrased and included in the answer to Part A?

a. “There were two dog sleds nearby, one for the lieutenant governor and one for me.” (Paragraph 1)

b. “At 1 p.m., I rode with the mayor of Noorvik on an ATV to visit the very first household to be enumerated in the 2010 Census.” (Paragraph 5)

c. “I knocked on the door and was ushered in.” (Paragraph 5)d. “It will continue for several months – in big cities, in small towns, in institutions, among

the homeless, for the rich, and for the poor.” (Paragraph 7)

Read the article “Father of all Forecasters” and the article “At Your Fingertips”. Then answer the questions.

Father of All ForecastersBy Charlene Brusso

At Your FingertipsBy Ruth Tenzer Feldman

8. (Part A) Read the sentence from paragraph 1 of “Father of All Forecasters”.“Cleveland Abbe would be so proud!”How does the author support the idea expressed in this sentence?

a. By showing the impact of Abbe’s observations on the farm and the continued research into meteorology.

b. By presenting Abbe’s goals and ambitions while he attended school and later when he found a job.

c. By explaining the importance of Abbe having multiple weather stations to record information.

d. By examining how effective Abbe was able to predict weather in comparison with his students.

(Part B) Which sentence from “Father of All Forecasters” best supports the answer to Part A?a. “In 1868, he was hired as director of Ohio’s Cincinnati Observatory.” (Paragraph 3)b. “Abbe convinced the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce to give him money to set up a

network of 20 observers and help get his weather bulletin printed in the city’s daily papers.” (Paragraph 5)

c. “By 1872, the Weather Bureau was sending out more than 500 daily weather bulletins for locations across the county.” (Paragraph 8)

d. “His hard work established today’s National Weather Service (renamed from the U.S. Weather Bureau in 1967) and built the foundations of modern meteorology.” (Paragraph 10)

9. (Part A) What does the word predicted mean as it is used in paragraph 1 of “At Your Fingertips”?a. Decided by comparingb. Caused damagec. Guessed in advanced. Watched closely

(Part B) Which quotation from “At Your Fingertips” provides the best example of the meaning of predicted in Part A?

a. “The agency, an arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has about 4,800 employees…” (Paragraph 2)

b. “The Climate Prediction Center studies weather patterns…” (Paragraph 4)c. “These depend on the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which is a measure of the

surface temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean.” (Paragraph 4)d. “NWS information is used for adjusting airline flight routes, protecting property from

floods or hurricanes, managing crop harvests, and even stocking up on toilet paper.” (Paragraph 5)

10. (Part A) In “At Your Fingertips”, what is the author’s main purpose for writing the article?a. To persuade people to listen to the National Weather Service warningsb. To share information about the function of the National Weather Servicec. To demonstrate thankfulness for the work of the National Weather Serviced. To increase the number of visitors to the National Weather Service web page

(Part B) Which phrase from “At Your Fingertips” best supports the answer to Part A? a. “…provides weather, hydrologic (water-related), and climate forecasts…” (Paragraph 2)b. “…teams of scientists studying satellite, buoy, radar, and computer information…”

(Paragraph 2)c. “…is about 11 minutes longer than people had 20 years ago!” (Paragraph 3)d. “….studies weather patterns lasting months or years.” (Paragraph 4)

11. (Part A) Which claim is shared by the authors of both “Father of All Forecasters” and “At Your Fingertips”?

a. The National Weather Service improves people’s lives.b. Scientific research resulted in the U.S. Weather Bureau.c. People should thank the National Weather Service for its work.d. Abbe should be remembered for his work at the U.S. Weather Bureau.

(Part B) Which three sentences from the articles best support the answer to Part A? a. “Did you know that the National Weather Service gathers data from across the country

to help create local weather reports every day?” (“Father of All Forecasters”, paragraph 1)

b. “Abbe knew that atmospheric conditions such as clouds, haze, fog, and rain could affect astronomical observations.” (“Father of All Forecasters”, paragraph 3)

c. “Early in 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill establishing the Weather Bureau, and Abbe became its chief meteorologist.” (“Father of All Forecasters”, paragraph 6)

d. “Every report included information on temperature, wind direction, barometric pressure, and current weather conditions.” (“Father of All Forecasters”, paragraph 7)

e. “The NWS Storm Prediction Center forecasts severe weather up to three days in advance and updates information as severe weather approaches.” (“At Your Fingertips”, paragraph 3)

f. “Every month, the center publishes the ENSO Diagnostic Discussion forecasting climate conditions in the nation.” (“At Your Fingertips”, paragraph 4)

g. “So the next time the NWS accurately predicts a clap of thunder – or anything else – be sure to give the agency some appreciative claps of your own.” (“At Your Fingertips”, paragraph 6)

12. Read the list of details about the National Weather Service (NWS) that are provided in “Father of All Forecasters” and “At Your Fingertips”. Write the letters into the correct area of the Venn Diagram to show how the articles are similar and different.

a. Explains how weather predictions are madeb. Tells the impact of forecasts made by the NWSc. Shares details about the range of the NWSd. Explains the history of the NWSe. Tells how to receive NWS informationf. Shares the reason the NWS was formed

Read the passages “Beautiful as the Day” and “Pirate Story” and then answer numbers 13 – 17.

Beautiful as the Day by E. Nesbit

(1) “I say, let’s take our spades and dig in the gravel-pits. We can pretend it’s seaside.” (2) “Father says it was once,” Anthea said; “he says there are shells there thousands of years old.” (3) So they went. Of course they had been to the edge of the gravel-pit and looked over, but they had not gone down into it for fear father should say they mustn’t play there, and it was the same with the chalk-quarry. The gravel-pit is not really dangerous if you don’t try to climb down the edges, but go the slow safe way round by the road, as if you were a cart. (4) Each of the children carried its own spade, and took it in turns to carry the Lamb. He was the baby, and they called him that because “Baa” was the first thing he ever said. They called Anthea “Panther,” which seems silly when you read it, but when you say it it sounds a little like her name. (5) The gravel-pit is very large and wide, with grass growing round the edges at the top, and dry stringy wildflowers, purple and yellow. It is like a giant’s washbowl. And there are mounds of gravel, and holes in the sides of the bowl where gravel has been taken out, and high up in the steep sides there are the little holes that are the little front doors of the little bank-martins’* little houses.(6) The children built a castle, of course, but castle-building is rather poor fun when you have no hope of the swishing tide ever coming in to fill up the moat and wash away the drawbridge, and, at the happy last, to wet everybody up to the waist at least. (7) Cyril wanted to dig out a cave to play smugglers in, but the others thought it might bury them alive, so it ended in all spades going to work to dig a hole through the castle to Australia. These children, you see, believed that the world was round, and that on the other side the little Australian boys and girls were really walking wrong way up, like flies on the ceiling, with their heads hanging down into the air. (8) The children dug and they dug and they dug, and their hands got sandy and hot and red, and their faces got damp and shiny. The Lamb had tried to eat the sand, and had cried so hard when he found that it was not, as he had supposed, brown sugar, that he was now tired out, and was lying asleep in a warm fat bunch in the middle of the halffinished castle. This left his brothers and sisters free to work really hard, and the hole that was to come out in Australia soon grew so deep that Jane . . . begged the others to stop. (9) “Suppose the bottom of the hole gave way suddenly,” said she, “and you tumbled out among the little Australians, all the sand would get in their eyes.”

(10) “Yes,” said Robert; “and they would hate us, and throw stones at us, and not let us see the kangaroos, or opossums, . . . or Emu Brand birds, or anything.” (11) Cyril and Anthea knew that Australia was not quite so near as all that, but they agreed to stop using the spades and to go on with their hands. This was quite easy, because the sand at the bottom of the hole was very soft and fine and dry, like sea-sand. And there were little shells in it. (12) “Fancy it having been wet sea here once, all sloppy and shiny,” said Jane, “with fishes and conger-eels and coral and mermaids.” (13) “And masts of ships and wrecked Spanish treasure. I wish we could find a gold doubloon, or something,” Cyril said. (14) “How did the sea get carried away?” Robert asked. (15) “Not in a pail, silly,” said his brother. (16) “Father says the earth got too hot underneath, as you do in bed sometimes, so it just hunched up its shoulders, and the sea had to slip off, like the blankets do us, and the shoulder was left sticking out, and turned into dry land. Let’s go and look for shells; I think that little cave looks likely, and I see something sticking out there like a bit of wrecked ships anchor, and it’s beastly hot in the Australian hole.” (17) The others agreed, but Anthea went on digging. She always liked to finish a thing when she had once begun it. She felt it would be a disgrace to leave that hole without getting through to Australia.

*bank-martins: small birds that make their nests in tunnels dug in clay or sand

Pirate StoryBy Robert Louis Stevenson

(1) Three of us afloat in the meadow by the swing, Three of us aboard in the basket on the lea.Winds are in the air, they are blowing in the spring, And waves are on the meadow like the waves there are at sea.

(5) Where shall we adventure, to-day that we’re afloat, Wary of the weather and steering by a star?Shall it be to Africa, a-steering of the boat, To Providence, or Babylon, or off to Malabar?

Hi! but here’s a squadron a-rowing on the sea –(10) Cattle on the meadow a-charging with a roar!

Quick, and we’ll escape them, they’re as made as they can be, The wicket is the harbor and the garden is the shore.

13. What is the effect of the personification in paragraph 16 of “Beautiful as the Day”?a. It shows that the gravel pit is very large.b. It explains why the children chose to dig in the gravel pit.c. It explains why the children’s father wants them to avoid the gravel pit.d. It gives a picture of what caused the sea to disappear from the gravel pit.

14. Select the sentence from “Beautiful as the Day” that supports the idea that the children are imaginative.

a. “’Father says it was once,’Anthea said; ‘he says there are shells there thousands of years old.’” (Paragraph 2)

b. “Of course they had been to the edge of the gravel-pit and looked over, but they had not gone down into it for fear father should say they mustn’t play there, and it was the same with the chalk-quarry.” (Paragraph 3)

c. “The children dug and they dug and they dug, and their hands got sandy and hot and red, and their faces got damp and shiny.” (Paragraph 8)

d. “’Fancy it having been wet sea here once, all sloppy and shiny,’ said Jane, ‘with fishes and conger-eels and coral mermaids.” (Paragraph 12)

15. How does the description of the setting in paragraph 5 of “Beautiful as the Day” affect the overall meaning of Passage 1?

a. Describing the gravel pit as “like a giant’s washbowl” creates a scene of adventure.b. Mentioning the shape of the gravel pit explains that there sued to be a beach there. c. Using words like “large and wide” to describe the gravel pit shows that the children

must be careful.d. Giving the location of the gravel pit helps the reader understand how far the children

walk to get there.

16. Select two lines from “Pirate Story” that develop the speaker’s desire for adventure.a. “Three of us afloat in the meadow by the swing,” (Line 1)b. “Winds are in the air, they are blowing in the spring,” (Line 3)c. “And waves are on the meadow like the waves there are at sea.” (Line 4)d. “Shall it be to Africa, a-steering of the boat,” (Line 7)e. “Quick, and we’ll escape them, they’re mad as they can be,” (Line 11)

17. (Part A) Which sentence states a theme shared by “Beautiful as the Day” and “Pirate Story”?a. Creativity helps children learn.b. Safety is more important than having fun.c. Imagination makes everyday life more exciting.d. It is important to work at a task until it is complete.

(Part B) Select two quotations that support the answer in Part A.a. “The gravel-pit is not really dangerous if you don’t try to climb down the edges, but go the

slow safe way round by the road, as if you were a cart.” (“Beautiful as the Day”, Paragraph 3)b. “Cyril wanted to dig out a cave to play smugglers in, but the others thought it might bury

them alive, so it ended in all spades going to work to dig a hole though the castle to Australia.” (“Beautiful as the Day”, Paragraph 7)

c. “Cyril and Anthea knew that Australia was not quite so near as all that, but they agreed to stop using the spades and to go on with their hands.” (“Beautiful as the Day”, Paragraph 11)

d. “Three of us afoat in the meadow by the swing,” (“Pirate Story”, Line 1)e. “Winds are in the air, they are blowing in the spring,” (“Pirate Story”, Line 3)f. “Where shall we adventure, to-day that we’re afloat,” (“Pirate Story”, Line 5)