PRE DIAGNOSTIC TEST (10 th grade)

Reading Comprehension

A. Instructions: Read the selection and answer the questions by choosing the correct
answer.

Being the Bully Why one teen did it – why she stopped. By Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.
School violence. The media have focused on lethal violence related to guns. But different weapons harm millions of teens every day: fear. In all schools there are bullies who use fear as their weapon to humiliate, or who even physically attack other students.

Bullies aren’t born. They learn to intimidate. Bullies seek power over other because they are powerless elsewhere- sometimes they are powerless elsewhere- some- times in their home, sometimes in the classroom. The majority of bullies have been degraded, threatened physically, or even assaulted themselves. Bullies often attack people who have something they don’t. This “something” can be beauty, brains, money, or even sadly, parents.

To some degree, we all bully. We all have teased, put someone down, or intimidated someone to get what we want. But most of us bully in a limited way; and most of us mature out of it as we feel more secure with our strengths, and as we accept our vulnerabilities.
Fortunately, people can change – even bullies.

Jenny is a very bright tall 14-year-old, who used to be a bully. She agreed to share her thoughts. In our conversation below, she explains how she learned to become a bully, picked her targets, and finally, re-evaluated her bullying ways.

Q: What is a bully? Q: What made you stop being a bully?
A: Someone who gets what they want by scaring or hurting other kids

Q: What made you stop being a bully?
A: When I got to middle school, I got teased. So I guess I saw what it felt like to be bullied. I don’t want people to think of me only as this big, strange person.

Q: Why were you a bully? Q: Do you ever feel like bullying again?
A: I was bigger than everyone else.
People acted scared of me, so I just took advantage of the role. And I was always teased at home by my big brother. He would always tell me I was stupid, ugly and a loser. So when I was in grade school I did the same thing to everyone I didn’t like.

Q: Did you pick any one person out?
A: Yeah, there was this one girl. Perfect.
Cute. Never did anything wrong.

Q: Do you ever feel like bullying again?
A: Well, sure. I guess I do a little sometimes, but now I mostly use sarcasm to cut at people.

Q: What advice would you give to people who become targets of bullies?
A: Stay out of the way. And grow a backbone.

Jenny’s recommendations for what to do if you’re being bullied seem a bit simplistic and harsh, but she would know.

10.R.9 Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work.

7. According to the author; what does bullying mean?
A. To be able to humiliate others.
B. To use fear as means to humiliate.
C. To use the strength of others to humiliate.
D. To use weapons inside school premises.

10.R.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.

8. To be lethal and to degrade is to:
A. humiliate with a sense of vengeance.
B. humiliate using a weapon.
C. humiliate as one of the traits shown by a bully.
D. humiliate he likes soda.

9. When a bully tries to humiliate others .
A. He tries to steal money.
B. He tries to get the best of people.
C. He tries to grow muscles.
D. He tries to seek dominance over others.

10. According to the article, in order to avoid bullying; you should .

A. fight for honor.
B. show security even in the presence of fear.
C. get dog to fight for you.
D. master some type of self-defense.

B. Instructions: Read the Selection and answer the questions by choosing the correct answer.
Seat Belts

"Click!" That's the sound of safety. That's the sound of survival. That's the sound of a seat belt locking in place. Seat belts save lives and that's a fact. That's why I don't drive anywhere until mine is on tight. Choosing to wear your seat belt is a simple as choosing between life and death. Which one do you choose?


Think about it. When you're driving in a car, you may be going 60 MPH or faster. That car is zipping down the road. Then somebody ahead of you locks up his or her brakes. Your driver doesn't have time to stop. The car that you are in crashes. Your car was going 60 miles per hour. Now it has suddenly stopped. Your body, however, is still going 60 MPH. What's going to stop your body? Will it be the windshield or your seat belt? Every time that you get into a car you make that choice. I choose the seat belt.
Some people think that seat belts are uncool. They think that seat belts cramp their style, or that seat belts are uncomfortable. To them I say, what's more uncomfortable? Wearing a seat belt or flying through a car windshield? What's more uncool? Being safely anchored to a car, or skidding across the road in your jean shorts? Wearing a seat belt is both cooler and more comfortable than the alternatives.
Let's just take a closer look at your choices. If you are not wearing your seat belt, you can hop around the car and slide in and out of your seat easily. That sounds like a lot of fun. But, you are also more likely to die or suffer serious injuries. If you are wearing a seat belt, you have to stay in your seat. That's no fun. But, you are much more likely to walk away unharmed from a car accident. Hmmm... A small pleasure for a serious pain. That's a tough choice. I think that I'll avoid the serious pain.
How about giving money away? Do you like to give your money away? Probably not. And when you don't wear your seat belt, you are begging to give your money away. That's because kids are required to wear seat belts in every state in America. If you're riding in a car, and you don't have a seat belt on, the police can give you or your driver a ticket. Then you will have to give money to the city. I'd rather keep my money, but you can spend yours how you want.
Wearing a seat belt does not make you invincible. You can still get hurt or killed while wearing your seat belt. But wearing them has proven to be safer than driving without them. You are much less likely to be killed in a car wreck if you are wearing a seat belt. You are much less likely to get seriously injured if you are wearing one. So why not take the safer way? Why not go the way that has been proven to result in fewer deaths? You do want to live, don't you?
Adapted from: http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/reading-comprehension-worksheets/

10.R.2.I Determine the main idea of an informational text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges, and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

11. Which title best expresses the main idea of this text?
A. Car Accidents: Ways That We Can Prevent Them
B. Slow Down: Save Lives By Driving Slower
C. Seat Belts: Wear Them to Survive Any Wreck
D. Why Not? Improve Your Odds with Seat Belts

10TH GRADE STUDENT’S EDITION 7

10.R.5 Analyze in detail how an author’s ideas or claims (positions) are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or portions of an available informational text.

12. Which best expresses the author's main purpose in writing this text?
A. To inform readers about seat belt laws
B. To persuade readers to wear seat belts
C. To entertain readers with stories and jokes about seat belts
D. To describe what car accidents are like without seat belts

10.LA.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple meaning words and phrases based on appropriately reading and content , choosing flexibly from a variety of strategies.

13. Which best defines the word alternatives as it is used in the third paragraph?
A. Being safe
B. Being unsafe
C. Other choices
D. Driving fast

10.R.2.I Determine the main idea of an informational text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges, and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

14. Which best expresses the main idea of the fifth paragraph?
A. Seat belts are a waste of money.
B. People don't like to give money away.
C. Not wearing a seat belt may cost you.
D. Seat belt laws save lives.

10.R.5 Analyze in detail how an author’s ideas or claims (positions) are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or portions of an available informational text.

15. Which argument is not made by the author?
A. Not wearing a seat belt can be expensive.
B. Penalties for not wearing a seat belt should increase.
C. Seat belts keep you from flying through the windshield.
D. Wearing a seat belt is cooler than suffering an injury.


10.LA.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple meaning words and phrases based on appropriately reading and content , choosing flexibly from a variety of strategies.

16. Which best explains why the author starts his essay with the word click?
A. He is trying to scare readers.
B. He is trying to get the reader's attention.
C. He is trying to remind readers how seat belts sound when clasped.
D. He is trying to describe what it's like to ride in a car.

10.W.4 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning , drafting, revising, editing (editing marks), rewriting and publishing focusing on how well purpose and audience has been addressed.
Jerome and his family are vacationing on an island in tropical paradise. The waters are clear, the skies are big, and sand is clean. Suddenly, when a rumble shakes Jerome's sister off of her beach chair, Jerome remembers that the island on which they are staying is one big volcano.
Soon the mountain releases its wrath and the eruption threatens every person on the island. Will Jerome and his family ever make it back home?

17. Which editing mark would be used to identify the error in the word family?
A. /
B. O
C. SP
D. frag

10.R.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a literary text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot and its components or develop the theme.

Part II- Instructions: Read the brief description of each plot. Identify the protagonist and antagonist and determine the type of conflict. (Person vs Self, Person vs Society, Person vs Nature, Person vs Supernatural, Person vs Technology)

18. Kyle thought it was a little weird this morning when his neighbor tried to eat him, but it wasn't until about half way through first period that he realized why: Kyle's community is under a full- scale zombie attack. Kyle escapes from the zombie principal's office to find help, but the school's former bullies are now zombies. Kyle is going to have to get creative to survive this one.

Protagonist:
Antagonist:
Type of conflict:

19. It's her 12th grade year and Carly wants to graduate more than anything else. Unfortunately for her, she's been cutting classes quite a bit and now she's backed into a corner. She has to get a perfect score on the final math exam or she won't graduate. With the help of a foreign exchange student that she calls Beans, Carly studies harder than ever before. Will it be enough?
Protagonist:
Antagonist:
Type of conflict:


20. It's the year 3030 and society is completely dependent on computers and robots. A young boy named Domino is flying his hover board to school when all of the machines start acting up and attacking people due to a powerful computer virus. What will Domino do now that the machines that are supposed to help him have turned against him?
Protagonist:
Antagonist:
Type of conflict:

21. Alexia caught her friend Jamie stealing from a classmate. Now Alexia must choose between keeping her friendship with Jamie and doing the right thing.
Protagonist:
Antagonist:
Type of conflict:
Adapted from: http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/reading-comprehension-worksheets/


Part III- Instructions: Read the descriptions of each item and determine the author’s purpose (to entertain, persuade, or inform). Then, in a sentence or two, explain your answer.

22. A cook book containing recipes for making cakes, cookies, and other desserts.
Author’s Purpose:
Explain your answer:

23. A book of over 1,000 knock-knock jokes
Author’s Purpose:
Explain your answer:

24. A young girl’s note to her parents giving reasons why they should buy a puppy.
Author’s Purpose:
Explain your answer:

25. A speech written by a famous basketball player urging young people to stay in school.
Author’s Purpose:
Explain your answer:


Part IV: Writing (10+ sentences paragraph)

Write and informational and argumentative text to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the selection, organization(transitional words, phrases or sentences,

Topic:  Write something related to your past, present and future. Make connections between them. Be creative.

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Part V. Language

10. LA. 1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Use parallel structure, subject-verb agreement, and apply the understanding of run-on sentences, complex, compound, and sentence fragments.

26. Select the sentence that is written correctly.
A. My family living in Puerto Rico.
B. He likes to take the English class.
C. We travelling to Mayaguez last week.
D. She celebrates her birthday yesterday.


27. Select the statement that is a run on sentence.
A. The famous chef from television
B. We ran faster than the other team.
C. I got a good grade I studied very hard.
D. It’s very hot today. Let’s go to the beach.

10.LA.4 Determine the meaning of unknown and multiple meaning words and phrases based on appropriately complex reading and content, choosing flexibly from a variety of strategies.
Carlos had to take a science course in college. He decided to enroll in astronomy because he was curious and wanted to learn more about space.

28. Select the word that best helps understand the meaning of astronomy.
A. space
B. learn
C. course
D. curious

10.LA.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
a. Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects.

29. Select the word that correctly completes the sentence that follows.
The teacher gave students a project to identify the difference of sea salt and table salt. They decided to analyze both types of salt. After the _____________ they were able to complete their project.
A. analysis
B. analyzes
C. analyzed
D. analytical


Taken from:  de.gobierno.pr