Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills READING 7 Form A Practice and Mastery Name
To the Student TAKS Practice and Mastery in Reading is a review program for the TAKS Reading test. This book has five practice lessons. In each practice lesson, you will read a selection and answer 10 multiple-choice comprehension questions. The practice selections and questions are similar to those you will find on the TAKS Reading test. Becoming familiar with the TAKS format will help you succeed on the TAKS Reading test. Your teacher will explain how you will do the practice lessons and record your answers. Be sure to follow the directions for each lesson. As you complete the lessons, read the selections and answer the questions carefully. Use the Answer Form on page 37 to record your answers. Remember to fill in the answer bubbles completely. Also, if you change an answer, you must erase your first answer fully. While you work on the practice lessons, use the Testing Tips below. Read these helpful tips carefully. They can make you a better test-taker. Testing Tips for Answering Multiple-choice Questions Read each question carefully before you try to answer it. Be sure you know what the question is asking you to do. Cross out any answer choices that are not reasonable. Then make your choice from the remaining choices. Read the question again. Check that your answer makes sense. Table of Contents Practice 1... 1 Practice 2... 8 Practice 3... 15 Practice 4... 22 Practice 5... 30 Answer Form... 37 This TAKS Practice and Mastery in Reading book was prepared for students by Maureen Devine Sotoohi. Illustration Credits: page 9, 15, 16; Pat Lucas page 10; 2003, arttoday.com page 30; Golden Dollar Obverse 2003 The U.S. Mint. All rights reserved. Photo Credits: page 23; 2003, arttoday.com ISBN 0-7609-2317-5 2003 Curriculum Associates, Inc. North Billerica, MA 01862 No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without written permission from the publisher. All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA. 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Practice 4 Read the next two selections. Then answer the questions that follow them. The Runaway Longhorn 1 Many stories are told about the old west and the bandits that roamed that untamed territory. Jesse James, Billy the Kid, and Wild Bill Hickok are some of the dubious heroes of these tales. But not all the outlaws that roamed the west went about on two feet. One Wild West outlaw had four hooves, a set of horns, and the intimidating name of Mouse. My notes about what I am reading 2 Mouse was a Texas Longhorn steer, a proud descendant of the first cattle brought to Texas by the Spanish conquistadors. Mouse was the color of slate, with horns that spanned over six feet. At least, that s what the cowboys guessed. No one every got close enough to measure. 3 Mouse first escaped from a cattle drive back in 1872. Years went by and each year the cowboys would ride out and look for him. Mouse always managed to avoid being rounded up. Riders might spot the elusive animal high up in the tall timbers of the Cimarron, but when they rode to catch him, Mouse was gone. It seemed that Mouse was playing his own cat-and-mouse game with the cowboys. 4 Then one year Mouse s luck, or his wiles, ran out. Three of the outfit s best punchers found him, cut him off, and brought him into the herd as it headed toward market. 5 Mouse seemed resigned to the inevitability of his fate. He marched along with the other cattle, as if this was what he had chosen to do, rather than what he d been running away from for years. 6 Late one afternoon, as the cattle drive moved forward, a strong wind came up. The dust on the trail grew thick. The cowboys pulled up their bandanas and pulled down their hats. They hunkered down into their saddles. They could barely see. 22
7 A few hours later, when the dry wind passed and the dust had settled, one cowboy noticed that Mouse had escaped. Two punchers went out looking for the steer, but there wasn t even a trail. Mouse appeared to have been carried off by the wind. My notes about what I am reading 8 A year passed. As the outfit s cowboys again began preparing for the cattle drive, the boss called all the men together. An extra week s wages for the cowboy who brought in Mouse, the trail boss announced. 9 The cowboys looked at each other and then at their boots. Instead of the enthusiastic reaction the boss had expected, the cowboys stayed silent. Doesn t anyone here want an extra week s wages, the boss wanted to know. 10 Well, answered one of the cowboys, we figure that old Mouse hasn t every really done any of us any harm. So we reckon, the cowboy continued as the other cowboys nodded in agreement, we reckon we ll just leave Mouse up there, roaming among the cedars. 11 And that s what they did. In the years that followed, some cowboys spoke of seeing Mouse in the canyons, but no one ever tried to capture the outlaw steer again. 23
The Pacing White Stallion 1 When the legend of the pacing white stallion was first told, no one knows. Washington Irving, the noted American writer, wrote of seeing the horse in 1832 as he traveled along the Cimarron River. But people had been telling stories of a silvery stallion long before that. My notes about what I am reading 2 Some say the first pacing white stallion broke away from the exploration party of Francisco Coronado in the 1500s, as Coronado searched the American southwest for fabled cities of gold. This silver stallion, and the mares that escaped with him, became the forebears of the legendary pacing white stallion of the American west. 3 Legend says that all who were lucky enough to spot the stallion marveled at him. Silvery in color, the horse s coat shimmered in the bright western sun. His eyes were full of fire, black and shining. 4 As beautiful as the horse was at rest, to see him run was to see him at his peak. Strong and graceful, no matter how far or how fast he went, the stallion never seemed to tire. No other horse could keep up with him. He never broke his pacing stride, moving his front and back leg simultaneously, first on one side and then on the other. 5 Soon men were offering high prizes to anyone who could capture the great white stallion alive. But who could rope the wind? The stallion ran free across the west. One man, however, became overwhelmed with a need to conquer and tame the white stallion. 6 Don Carlos was a rich man, the owner of a fine hacienda. Don Carlos had a dream an obsession to catch the white stallion and to ride him. In pursuit of his dream, Don Carlos gathered together twelve of the finest vaqueros the best riders, the best ropers. He told the vaqueros that the man who caught the white stallion and brought the horse to him would win a prize of one hundred pieces of gold. 24
7 Don Carlos and his vaqueros set off on the quest. They searched the Cimarron, hoping to come across the stallion. While they sometimes spotted a glimmering shadow in the distance, they were never able to catch up. They rode on and on. My notes about what I am reading 8 One night as they slept on their rolled-out blankets on the hard ground, they were awakened by the neighing and snorting of horses and the barking and howling of wolves. The vaqueros own horses were safely tied up, but even their animals were stamping and neighing, sensing nearby danger. With the first light of day quickly approaching. Don Carlos and his henchmen saddled their horses and rode off in the direction of the uproar. As they rode swiftly but quietly along the bank of the creek, the neighing and the howling grew louder and louder. Soon, on the opposite bank, they saw a battle raging between horse and wolf. 9 The pacing white stallion stood outside a circle of mares. Inside the circle were foals and young colts. Timberwolves howled outside the circle. The white stallion struck out against the wolves. Over and over, he tossed a wolf aside. As he disposed of the final predator, the stallion looked over to the other side of the bank, to Don Carlos and the vaqueros who had been hunting him. The white stallion looked directly into the eyes of Don Carlos, defying him to come and catch him. Don Carlos stared back. Finally breaking eye contact with the stallion, Don Carlos turned to the vaqueros. 10 This horse is not meant to be ridden by any man, Don Carlos said, raising his hat in a salute to the horse on the opposite bank. The stallion neighed and reared up as if in response. Then both of them, man and horse, turned away and rode off in opposite directions. 11 Some say if you ride by a certain spot not far from the Cimarron River, you can still see a mustang ring, a circle etched into the ground by a herd of horses who dug their hooves into the ground and defended their colts from an attack by a band of wolves. These same people also say that if you look beyond the ring, hard enough and long enough, you will see a riderless horse, ghostly pale and glimmering, pacing in the distance. 25
Use The Runaway Longhorn (pp. 22 23) to answer questions 31 34. 31 The tone of the first paragraph can best be described as A fearful B humorous C solemn D silly 33 Mouse was able to avoid being rounded up for many years because A he was too mean to get close to B he was too clever to be caught C the cowboys didn t try to catch him D he blended in with his surroundings 32 Why is it important that the story be set in the second half of the nineteenth century? F There were many outlaws at that time. G Texas had joined the United States. H It was the era of cattle drives. J The Civil War was over. 34 What does Mouse come to symbolize for the cowboys? F humanity s desire to control nature G their own love of freedom H their regret for a lost way of life J the search for truth 26
Use The Pacing White Stallion (pp. 24 25) to answer questions 35 37. 35 Which of these statements reflects Don Carlos s attitude in this story? A Don Carlos becomes afraid of the white stallion after he sees the horse defeat a pack of timber wolves. B Don Carlos becomes tired of hunting the white stallion when he sees that the horse will do anything to remain free. C Don Carlos learns to respect the white stallion when he sees the horse defending the mares and the colts. D Don Carlos would exchange all his riches for a chance to ride the white stallion. 37 In paragraph 8, the word henchmen is used to communicate a feeling of A respect B security C menace D freedom 36 Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 are important because they show that F the white stallion would be a valuable prize for the person who could catch him G the white stallion has been able to run free for many years H Don Carlos and the vaqueros will never be able to catch the stallion J anyone who tried to capture the stallion was doomed to fail 27
Use The Runaway Longhorn and The Pacing White Stallion to answer questions 38 40. 38 Look at the chart comparing the two stories. The Runaway Longhorn Mouse escapes from a cattle drive. The trail boss offers a week wages to the cowboy who catches Mouse. The Pacing White Stallion A white stallion escapes from an exploration party. Don Carlos offers 100 pieces of gold to the vaquero who can catch the white stallion. Don Carlos learns to respect the horse s love of freedom. Which of these best completes the chart? F The cowboys decide Mouse is too hard to catch. G Even today, some cowboys continue to look for Mouse. H The trail boss tells the cowboys to let Mouse roam free. J The cowboys decide that Mouse should be free. 28
39 What is one difference between Mouse and the white stallion? A Mouse is descended from an animal brought to the New World by Spanish explorers. B Mouse wins the respect of his pursuers. C Mouse escapes after being caught. D Mouse has never been spotted in the Cimarron. 40 After reading both these selections, the reader can conclude the authors of the stories F place a high value on personal freedom G want to show people what life was like in the West H believe that life was better in the old days J think all animals should be allowed to run wild 29