for the Sunshine State Standards

Power Practice

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Date:Name of Student:

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Reading, Grade 7

Student Work Text

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TestSMART® Power Practice for the Sunshine State Standards, Reading—Grade 7, Teacher Guide

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Benchmark LA.A.2.3.5: The student locates, organizes, and interprets written informationfor a variety of purposes, including classroomresearch, collaborative decision making, and performing a school or real-world task. The student also synthesizes and separates collected information into useful components using a variety of techniques, such as source cards, note cards, spreadsheets, and outlines.

Benchmark LA.A.2.3.8: The student checks thevalidity and accuracy of information obtained from research, in such ways as differentiating fact and opinion, identifying strong vs. weak arguments, recognizing that personal values influence the conclusions an author draws.

Standard 3: The student responds critically tofiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.

Benchmark LA.E.2.2.1: The student recognizes cause-and-effect relationships in literary and informational texts.

Benchmark LA.E.2.3.1: The student understands how character and plot development, point of view, and tone are used in various selections to support a centralconflict or story line. The student also recognizes complex elements of plot, including setting, character development, conflicts, and resolutions.

Clarification of Benchmarks for FCAT Reading, Grade 7Although some benchmarks are addressed onthe FCAT at more than one grade level, theexpectations for each benchmark are specific tothe grade level being tested. The expectationsfor the FCAT Reading, Grade 7 follow.

Standard 1: The student uses the readingprocess effectively.

Benchmark LA.A.1.3.2: Items for this benchmark require students to analyze word structure and context clues to demonstrate comprehension of words and phrases in passages and/or graphics, make or confirm inferences, draw conclusions, and identify organizational patterns within a passage.

Standard 2: The student constructs meaningfrom a wide range of texts.

Benchmark LA.A.2.2.7: Items for this benchmark require students to identify similar or dissimilar elements and how elements are alike or different within or across texts.

Benchmark LA.A.2.3.1: Items for this benchmark require students to identify the main idea or essential message, relevant supporting details and facts, or how the organizational pattern of a passage supports or develops the main idea.

Benchmark LA.A.2.3.2: Items for this benchmark require students to identify the author’s purpose or point of view within or across texts.

Benchmark LA.A.2.3.5: Items for this benchmark require students to obtain information within or across texts through the process of recognizing, identifying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating.

Benchmark LA.A.2.3.8: Items for this benchmark require students to check the validity and accuracy of information by differentiating fact and opinion, identifying strong versus weak arguments, and analyzingthe development of those arguments within or across texts.

Standard 3: The student responds critically tofiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.

Benchmark LA.E.2.2.1: Items for this benchmark require students to identify cause-and-effect relationships within or across texts.

Benchmark LA.E.2.3.1: Items for this benchmark require students to identify, analyze, or interpret theme, plot, character development, setting, point of view, tone, conflict, and conflict resolution within or across texts.SA

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Benchmark LA.A.1.3.2

Analyze Words and Text 4,6,9 1, 12 2, 7 6 7 5 1, 3 1 3, 6 5 3

Conclusions and Inferences 2 2 3 4, 10 5, 8 4 6, 8 6,9,12 2, 8 4

Organizational Patterns 6 2 10

Benchmark LA.A.2.2.7

Comparison 12 9 10 1, 11

Contrast 9 11 1 10 6 10

Benchmark LA.A.2.3.1Main Idea and Essential Message 1 4, 8 9 11 4 5 5, 12 5 11 1

Details and Facts 8, 10 7 4 1,7,11 1 8,11 2,4,12 5,7,8,9 1, 4 2, 6

Patterns of Organization 7 7 12 11 3 7 6 7

Benchmark LA.A.2.3.2Author’s Purpose 11 1 10 10 4, 9 9, 12 8

Author’s Point of View 12 7

Benchmark LA.A.2.3.5

Locate, Organize, and Interpret Information 3 10 11 5 7 8

Synthesize Information 8 11 3

Benchmark LA.A.2.3.8Validity and Accuracy of Information 11 7 10

Strong vs. Weak Argument 6 7 9 2 4, 6 10 5, 9

Benchmark LA.E.2.2.1Cause and Effect 5 3, 6 10 2 9 2

Benchmark LA.E.2.3.1Plot Development 1 2 5, 6 4

Character Development 7 9 3, 9 3 2

Conflict 2

Conflict Resolution 10

Point of View 8

Setting 8 5

Theme 1

Tone 5 3

Correlation Chart for TestSMART® Power PracticeReading, Grade 7

This chart lists the readingpassages in the student worktext and the specificbenchmark/skill addressed ineach passage. For quickreference, the questionnumber is included.

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Read the article “Zoo Unveils Hank and Phil” before answering Numbers 1 through 11.

TestSMART® Power Practice for the Sunshine State Standards, Reading—Grade 7

Zoo Unveils Hank and Phil“I was totally scared! I knew that

glass separated me from the snakes, butI was still nervous that they would finda way to get me!”

So said Jenny Karam on Tuesday,when she and her classmates joined

other visitors at the Palm Beach Zoo toview the zoo’s new pair of cobras, Hankand Phil. Fund-raising for the purchaseof the cobras began almost three yearsago, immediately following the death ofthe zoo’s previous cobra, Ralph. ZooDirector Sandra Myers told a group ofreporters, “We know that a cobra is animportant feature of a good zoo, so wewere ecstatic when we learned that wecould get a pair of them this summer.”

Jenny is right about cobras beingdangerous. A cobra has two fangs that ituses when it attacks its prey. A powerfulvenom travels through the fangs and

into the cobra’s victim, affecting thevictim’s ability to breathe. The victim isparalyzed and then eaten by the snake.The poison is so potent that it can evenkill a human being in just a few hours,although treatments to counteract thevenom, called antidotes, are usuallyeffective. In fact, the fatality rate forhumans that have been bitten by cobrasis estimated to be just ten percent.

Cobras do not usually attackhumans because they prefer to eat othersnakes and small animals. Cobrasgenerally hunt during the early or early evening. A cobra has eyes at the side of its head and a “hood” thatexpands at its neck when the cobrarears up. When a cobra feels threatened,it rears up, spreads its hood, and hisses.

The new cobras arrived at the PalmBeach Zoo several weeks ago and hadtime to adjust to their newsurroundings. The zoo staff worked torecreate the cobras’ lush natural settingas accurately as possible. Some varietiesof cobras live in holes in dry, opencountry, but most live in jungles in Asiaand Africa, where daily rainfall makes iteasy for plants to grow. The naturalhabitat of the zoo’s cobras is full ofthick plant growth and tall trees, givingthem plenty of places to hide.

“I was really eager to see thecobras,” said Patrick O’Hare, anotherstudent on the field trip. “I remember

Serving the neighbors of Palm Beach, Florida

Wednesday, October 2Section A, Page 4

Palm Beach Picayune

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reading the story Rikki Tikki Tavi when Iwas in the third grade. It depicts amongoose fighting a snake that lookslike a cobra, and the mongoose actuallywins. I would really like to see a kingcobra someday, too. I read somewherethat king cobras are enormous and eatother poisonous snakes.”

Patrick is right. A king cobra istypically 18 feet long, and its poison ispowerful enough to kill an adultelephant in just four hours.

Another student on the trip inquiredabout a TV program that showed asnake charmer playing a special flute tolure a cobra out of a basket. The studentwondered how cobras are trained torespond to music. “The charm isn’t inthe music,” answered Myers. “The snakejust responds to the swaying of thecharmer. If the charmer isn’t careful, hemay be bitten!”

Jerome Black, a science teacher andvolunteer at the reptile house, said,“There are many varieties of cobras.Ours came from Asia. They are full-grown and about six feet long. Theirbodies are yellow and brown. For awhile, we thought we would get aspectacled cobra, which comes fromIndia and has black and white markingsaround its eyes that look like eyeglasses.But we would have had to wait to getthat one. Maybe we can add one in the future.”

In Africa, there are “spitting” cobras.These snakes literally spit their venomin two streams from their fangs. If thevenom hits the victim’s eyes, the victimis immediately blinded. Left untreated,the blindness can be permanent.

The Palm Beach Zoo already hasseveral other jungle snakes: two green-cat snakes, which are a type of treesnake, and one boa constrictor. Tree

snakes are dangerous to their prey butnot to humans. Tree snakes are muchsmaller than boa constrictors andcobras, and as their name implies, theylive in trees. The green-cat snake is asmall, green tree snake that movesaround at night. It preys on lizards andfrogs by biting them with its fangs andinjecting a paralyzing poison. Then thetree snake swallows its meal whole.

The boa constrictor, another bigsnake, does not kill its prey with venomas the cobra does. Instead, the boaconstrictor can smell its prey comingand attacks the prey by biting it andcoiling tightly around it. The boaconstrictor’s bite is not venomous.Rather, the fangs hold the snake’s preysteady. Slowly, as the animal tries toinhale and exhale, the boa constrictorsuffocates it and then swallows it. Theanaconda, the largest of all boaconstrictors, can actually swallow aperson whole.

This weekend, you can visit the boaconstrictor, the tree snakes, and the newpair of cobras during the zoo’s regularbusiness hours. They’ll sure be glad to s-s-s-s-see you.

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TestSMART® Power Practice for the Sunshine State Standards, Reading—Grade 7

Now answer Numbers 1 through 4. Base your answers on “Life Underfoot.”

Benchmark LA.A.2.2.7 (Comparison)

What does the author compare to “a miniature city in a science-fiction film”?

A. thousands of newborn sea turtles migrating to the ocean

B. ghost crabs that scuttle to the water so quickly they seem to disappear

C. pebbles from the ocean floor that are deposited on the beach as each wave recedes

D. tiny clams that are uncovered by each wave but quickly disappear as theydig back into the sand

Benchmark LA.E.2.3.1 (Character Development)

How does the author of the story probably feel about her next visit to explorethe beach?

A. annoyed

B. anxious

C. bored

D. eager

Benchmark LA.A.1.3.2 (Analyze Words and Text)

Read these sentences from the story.

This time, I meticulously scanned the sand and spotted two black dots poised at the brink of a hole. They resembled the heads of burnt matches.

The phrase “resembled the heads of burnt matches” refers to

A. tiny clams.

B. crab eyestalks.

C. two black dots.

D. umbrella holes.

Benchmark LA.E.2.3.1 (Plot Development)

Which words from the story foreshadow that the author will have aninteresting time at the beach?

A. “…I saw something move…”

B. “…I walked to the beach alone.”

C. “…I usually don’t have much fun…”

D. “I walked home brimming with questions…”

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