She Ran Like the Wind

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1 UNIT 4 WEEK 2 Read the article She Ran Like the Wind before answering Numbers 1 through 5. She Ran Like the Wind In 1960, a record was broken in Rome, Italy, when Wilma Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in one Olympic Games. A track athlete, Rudolph won the 100-meter race and the 200-meter race. She was also on the four-person team that won the 400-meter relay. Rudolph was already a known quantity in the world of track. She had won a bronze medal four years earlier, at the 1956 Olympics when she was just 16 years old. Her achievements were significant. What made them even more noteworthy are the challenges Rudolph had to overcome just to learn to walk. The Early Years Only four and a half pounds at birth, little Wilma was lucky to survive. Many babies that small did not survive back then. But Wilma s luck only went so far. She caught several diseases that could have taken her life and spent much of her early childhood in bed. When Wilma was four years old, her mother noticed that her left foot and leg did not look normal. A doctor diagnosed Wilma with polio, a disease that can cause muscles to be sore and hard to control. The muscles get weaker and smaller over time, and the patient feels very tired after very little activity. Doctors told Wilma s mother that her daughter would never walk. Wilma was from a large family. She had 21 brothers and sisters! These siblings all wanted to help Wilma as much as they could, so every day they took turns massaging her bad leg. The family did not have money to burn, but Mrs. Rudolph drove her daughter to the doctor s office for treatment once or twice a week for two years. At age six, Wilma was given metal leg braces to help her walk. Her mother learned how to help Wilma do the exercises that would build her strength. They did these exercises together, day after day after day, for many years. Eventually, Wilma did learn to walk, and could get by without the braces on her legs. When she was eleven, her brothers put up a basketball hoop in the yard, and Wilma became hooked on the sport. Playing basketball helped her legs get even stronger. Weekly Assessment Unit 4, Week 2 Grade 6 193

2 UNIT 4 WEEK 2 A Star Emerges When Wilma Rudolph entered high school, she joined the girls basketball team. Right away, she became a star player, scoring 49 points in one game, a Tennessee state record! Her ability stood out so much that the Tennessee State University track coach, Ed Temple, invited her to attend college track practices during the summers while she was still in high school. Temple thought he could train Rudolph to become a star sprinter. Temple was a tough coach, and he made the girls on his team run and run and run. Five of Temple s runners from the university plus the 16-year-old Rudolph qualified for the 1956 U.S. Olympic women s track team. At these Olympic Games, Rudolph earned her first Olympic medal, a bronze for the four-member 400-meter relay. Four years later, Temple was the women s track coach for the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. Eight of the Olympic team members, including Rudolph, were enrolled at Tennessee State University. Triumph and Legacy With a sore ankle she had twisted the day before, Rudolph won both the 100-meter and 200-meter races, but she was most proud of the four-person, 400-meter relay. Rudolph was the last of the four team members to run in the race. When the baton was handed to her, her team was behind by two meters. That changed in the blink of an eye. By the time Rudolph crossed the finish line, she was ahead of the next-closest runner by three meters. After her track career ended, Rudolph taught school and coached basketball and track. She also established the Wilma Rudolph Foundation, helping young people to pursue their athletic potential. In her lifetime she earned more than a dozen awards, and in 1961 she became the first woman to receive the James E. Sullivan Award for Good Sportsmanship. Wilma Rudolph s accomplishments made her one of the most famous female athletes of all time. 194 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 4, Week 2

3 Now answer Numbers 1 through 5. Base your answers on She Ran Like the Wind. 1 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the sentence from the text. Rudolph was already a known quantity in the world of track. What does the idiom a known quantity suggest about Rudolph? A People were aware of how good she was. B She had already met the other athletes. C People kept records of how fast she ran. D She had a special talent for mathematics. Part B: Which detail from the text best supports your answer in part A? A Rudolph played basketball before she started running. B Rudolph had polio as a child and walked with a leg brace. C Rudolph won an Olympic bronze medal when she was 16 years old. D Rudolph was a basketball and track coach after her track career ended. Weekly Assessment Unit 4, Week 2 Grade 6 195

4 2 Circle the author s point of view about Rudolph s family. Then circle two pieces of text evidence that best support that viewpoint. Author s Point of View Text Evidence Rudolph s family made Wilma a track star.... so every day they took turns massaging her bad leg. Rudolph s family worked hard to help Wilma. At age six, Wilma was given metal leg braces to help her walk. Rudolph s family tried to stop Wilma from running. Her mother learned how to help Wilma do the exercises that would build her strength. Rudolph s family knew that Wilma would be good at sports. When she was eleven, her brothers put up a basketball hoop in the yard,... 3 Read the sentence from the text. The family did not have money to burn, but Mrs. Rudolph drove her daughter to the doctor s office for treatment once or twice a week for two years. What does the idiom money to burn suggest about the Rudolph family? A They often bought things they did not need. B They did not consider money to be important. C They had no money to pay for doctor appointments. D They had little money left after paying for necessities. 196 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 4, Week 2

5 4 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Which statement best describes the author s viewpoint in the section titled Triumph and Legacy? A Wilma Rudolph s performance in the 400-meter relay was amazing. B Wilma Rudolph s sore ankle made her performance even stronger. C Wilma Rudolph did not care about the 100- and 200-meter races. D Wilma Rudolph was the best athlete at the 1960 Olympics. Part B: Which detail from the section best supports your answer in part A? A... Rudolph won both the 100-meter and 200-meter races,... B... she was most proud of the four-person, 400-meter relay. C Rudolph was the last of the four team members to run in the race. D When the baton was handed to her, her team was behind by two meters. 5 With which statements would the author most likely agree? Select two choices. A Rudolph was the first noteworthy female athlete. B Rudolph s achievements were inspiring to others. C Rudolph was the greatest athlete in the 1960 Olympics. D Rudolph felt more pride for her students than she ever felt for herself. E Rudolph s challenges as a child make her successes more meaningful. F Rudolph s story shows that everyone needs a little luck to go far in life. Weekly Assessment Unit 4, Week 2 Grade 6 197

6 UNIT 4 WEEK 2 Read the article Mentors before answering Numbers 6 through 10. Mentors You may have heard stories about the Greek hero Odysseus. The poet Homer wrote down tales about Odysseus over 3,000 years ago, in a long poem called The Odyssey. This fascinating poem is about Odysseus journey home from the Trojan War. While Odysseus is away from home, he leaves his young son, Telemachus, in the care of an old friend. This friend, named Mentor, helps instruct Telemachus for many years, but most of the advice that Mentor imparts comes from Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom and war. Because Odysseus is absent at war, Athena takes Telemachus under her wing. She teaches him what he needs to know to be a good prince. When she talks to Telemachus, she takes on Mentor s form because she knows that Telemachus trusts Mentor. Athena, acting as Mentor, is a wise and trusted counselor. Telemachus is fortunate that he has someone who cares enough to help him grow up while his father is away. After all, it is never easy to grow up without the help of responsible adults. Today, our word mentor comes from the character Mentor. A mentor is a guide or advisor. A mentor shares wisdom or knowledge with someone who needs guidance, sometimes called a mentee. Most of the time, a mentor is an older person who has a lifetime of experience. This person serves as a role model who can open up possibilities to a younger person discovering the world. Mentors sometimes work in schools with students. They can help with school assignments or by providing information about possible career paths. Or they may be available to help and guide students to handle situations outside of school. These mentors play an important role in the lives of some youth. Many mentors donate their time, energy, and experience to help people who are essentially strangers. No wonder people say that a mentor has a heart of gold! Organizations like companies and schools often have formal mentoring programs. Some companies offer jobs to high school students, so that they can learn about future careers. Students are paired with adults who do the job in which they are interested. Mentoring programs also play an important role in colleges that serve students from foreign countries. Many of these students are the first in their families to go to college in the United States. They may need extra help to 198 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 4, Week 2

7 manage the heavy load of classwork. A mentor might make sure that students know to listen closely to the professor and to hit the books every night if they want to succeed. A mentor may be assigned to a person through a formal mentoring program. At other times, however, young people may also choose their own mentors. For instance, a young artist might seek out a well-known artist whose work or reputation he admires. He might ask this person for advice. The mentor might teach the young artist techniques to become a better painter, or take the young artist to museums. A teenager who is interested in a medical career can talk to a family friend who is a doctor. The teenager might learn that the doctor wakes up early to study medical cases before going to the hospital. So she decides to take a page from her mentor s book and wake up early to study for science class before school. Mentoring programs offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young people to improve their lives. Any young person who is offered the chance to have a mentor should seize it. Mentoring also provides an inspiring learning experience for the mentor as well. Many times when mentoring is taking place, people do not even realize it. If anyone has ever taken an interest in your life, then you may have a mentor, too. UNIT 4 WEEK 2 Weekly Assessment Unit 4, Week 2 Grade 6 199

8 Now answer Numbers 6 through 10. Base your answers on Mentors. 6 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the sentence from the text. Because Odysseus is absent at war, Athena takes Telemachus under her wing. What does Athena do when she takes Telemachus under her wing? A She teaches Telemachus how to fly. B She tells Telemachus about his father. C She protects and instructs Telemachus. D She carries Telemachus away to safety. Part B: Which sentence from the text best supports your answer in part A? A This fascinating poem is about Odysseus journey home from the Trojan War. B While Odysseus is away from home, he leaves his young son, Telemachus, in the care of an old friend. C She teaches him what he needs to know to be a good prince. D When she talks to Telemachus, she takes on Mentor s form because she knows that Telemachus trusts Mentor. 7 Which sentences from the text show the author s point of view about mentor relationships? Select two options. A Mentors sometimes work in schools with students. B These mentors play an important role in the lives of some youth. C Many of these students are the first in their families to go to college in the United States. D At other times, however, young people may also choose their own mentors. E Any young person who is offered the chance to have a mentor should seize it. F Many times when mentoring is taking place, people do not even realize it. 200 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 4, Week 2

9 8 Read the sentence from the text. No wonder people say that a mentor has a heart of gold! What does the idiom a heart of gold suggest about mentors? A They are extremely generous. B They are in good physical health. C They get their feelings hurt easily. D They get paid a lot to do their jobs. 9 Underline the sentence that best states the main idea of the paragraph below. Organizations like companies and schools often have formal mentoring programs. Some companies offer jobs to high school students, so that they can learn about future careers. Students are paired with adults who do the job in which they are interested. Mentoring programs also play an important role in colleges that serve students from foreign countries. Many of these students are the first in their families to go to college in the United States. They may need extra help to manage the heavy load of classwork. A mentor might make sure that students know to listen closely to the professor and to hit the books every night if they want to succeed. Weekly Assessment Unit 4, Week 2 Grade 6 201

10 10 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Which sentence summarizes the author s point of view about young people? A Young people need the help of adults to go to college and get jobs. B Young people with career goals need the guidance of many mentors. C Young people benefit from the positive influence of an adult in their lives. D Young people learn to be mentors when they have adults who look out for them. Part B: Which sentence from the text best supports your answer in part A? A A mentor may be assigned to a person through a formal mentoring program. B Mentoring programs offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young people to improve their lives. C Mentoring also provides an inspiring learning experience for the mentor as well. D If anyone has ever taken an interest in your life, then you may have a mentor, too. STOP 202 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 4, Week 2

11 Now answer Number 11. Base your answer on She Ran Like the Wind and Mentors. 11 In both articles, how do people help others to meet challenges? What effects do these people have on the lives of those they help? Support your answer with details from both texts. Weekly Assessment Unit 4, Week 2 Grade 6 203

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