Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Section 1: A Lens into the Past

Characters

JUDE: A nine-year-old boy

MOM: Jude’s mom GRANDPA

SAM: Jude’s grandfather STORE OWNER

ACT 1

1 [JUDE, MOM, and GRANDPA SAM are in an antique store. Everywhere JUDE turns, there are shelves filled with strange, old things.]

2 JUDE: [Sniffs.] It smells weird in here.

3 GRANDPA SAM: This is one of my favorite smells, Jude! Old stuff. Antique stores always smell like this.

4 MOM: Jude, is it fine if I leave you here with Grandpa Sam?

5 JUDE: I guess so. Are you going to be gone long?

6 MOM: Not too long, but I really must get these errands done. Grandpa is doing me a big favor by spending the day with you.

7 GRANDPA SAM: Wouldn’t it be fun to do something together? It’s been a long time since we spent time, just the two of us. We can explore the store together.

8 MOM: Try and have some fun, Jude! I’ll be back soon.

9 [MOM exits.]

10 GRANDPA SAM: Do you want to look around?

11 [JUDE shrugs.]

12 GRANDPA SAM: Are you sure? You might see something peculiar you can’t see anywhere else, like baseball cards, weird furniture, or old postcards.

13 JUDE: No, thanks. I’m not really interested in any of that stuff. I’ll just sit here and wait for Mom.

14 GRANDPA SAM: OK! Give me a shout if you need me.

ACT 2

15 [JUDE sits on a bench near the store entrance with his head in his hands. He sighs and starts looking around the antique store.]

16 JUDE: Grandpa Sam?

17 GRANDPA SAM: Over here! Come look at this!

18 [JUDE finds GRANDPA SAM looking at a display on the other side of the store. GRANDPA SAM picks up a dusty black box with a dial like a wind-up toy on one side and a short tube on the front.]

19 JUDE: What’s that?

20 GRANDPA SAM: This is an old home movie camera. When I was about your age, my parents had a film camera just like this. It was a lifetime ago when I last saw one of these.

21 JUDE: That’s a camera?

22 GRANDPA SAM: It is! Can you believe it?

23 [JUDE looks at it and raises an eyebrow.]

24 JUDE: How does it work?

25 GRANDPA SAM: Come over here and look. In the past, people used film to take videos. They used a camera like this one. They would put in the special film and then—

26 [GRANDPA SAM winds up the dial on the side of the camera. When he lets it go, the camera whirs and clicks.]

27 GRANDPA SAM: It takes a video!

28 JUDE: Can I see?

29 GRANDPA SAM: Of course!

30 [GRANDPA SAM gently hands JUDE the camera. JUDE examines it while GRANDPA SAM watches with a smile.]

31 GRANDPA SAM: I bet I have some old film from when I was younger back at home. I can show you sometime.

32 JUDE: Yes, please, Grandpa! I wish we could go look for it right now! [JUDE jumps up and down impatiently.]

ACT 3

33 [MOM enters the store carrying shopping bags.]

34 MOM: Jude?

35 JUDE: Over here!

36 MOM: Ready to hit the road?

37 JUDE: I guess so.

38 MOM: Did you see anything interesting?

39 JUDE: Grandpa and I found this old home movie camera.

40 MOM: I’m glad you had a good time. Can I see it? Where’s Grandpa?

41 [JUDE looks around for GRANDPA SAM. He sees him at the cash register talking to the STORE OWNER. He has the old camera in his hand and is paying.]

42 GRANDPA SAM: Here, Jude. This is for you.

43 JUDE: Wow, thanks! I had a great time with you today.

44 [Curtain.]

Question 1

Read the dictionary entry for the word favor.

*favor* \ˈfā-vər\ noun

popularity or support
special permission
a kind act
a special gift

Which definition best matches the way the word favor is used in line 6?

Definition 1
Definition 2
Definition 3 *
Definition 4

TEKS: (3) Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking–vocabulary. The student uses newly acquired vocabulary expressively. The student is expected to: (A) use print or digital resources to determine meaning, syllabication, and pronunciation;

Question 2

What is the most likely reason the playwright includes line 15?

A. To show that Jude is bored at the antique shop *

B. To show that Jude needs help from Grandpa Sam

C. To show that Jude tries to enjoy his time with Grandpa Sam

D. To show that Jude is lost inside the antique shop

TEKS: (10) Author’s purpose and craft: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses critical inquiry to analyze the authors’ choices and how they influence and communicate meaning within a variety of texts. The student analyzes and applies author’s craft purposefully in order to develop his or her own products and performances. The student is expected to: (A) explain the author’s purpose and message within a text;

Question 3

Why is the setting of the antique store important to the plot?

A. It allows Grandpa Sam to try a new activity.

B. It displays an old object that Jude and Grandpa Sam both like. *

C. It lets Grandpa Sam learn more about Jude’s interests.

D. It gives Jude a place to wait while his mom shops.

TEKS: (8) Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts–literary elements. The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts. The student is expected to: (D) explain the influence of the setting on the plot.

Question 4

Which key ideas about Grandpa Sam are supported by teh details in lines 20 through 27?

Select TWO correct answers.

⬜ He wants Jude to learn how to make movies.

⬛ He is eager to share a special moment with Jude.

⬜ He likes to make movies with Jude.

⬛ He enjoys being reminded of the past.

⬜ He is curious about how much the movie camera costs.

TEKS: (6) Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts. The student is expected to: (G) evaluate details read to determine key ideas;

Question 5

The conflict of the play is resolved when -

A. Mom comes to the store to get Jude

B. Jude realizes that he enjoyed talking to Grandpa Sam *

C. Mom finds Grandpa Sam in the store

D. Jude answers Mom’s questions about the store.

TEKS: (8) Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts–literary elements. The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts. The student is expected to: (C) analyze plot elements, including the sequence of events, the conflict, and the resolution; and

Question 6

Which line from the play best shows that Jude is beginning to appreciate objects from the past?

30 *GRANDPA SAM gently hands JUDE the camera. [JUDE examines it while GRANDPA SAM watches with a smile.*]

31 GRANDPA SAM: I bet I have some old film from when I was younger back at home. I can show you sometime.

32 JUDE: Yes, please, Grandpa! I wish we could go look for it right now! [JUDE jumps up and down impatiently.]

TEKS: (7) Response skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student responds to an increasingly challenging variety of sources that are read, heard, or viewed. The student is expected to: (C) use text evidence to support an appropriate response;

Question 7

Based on the events that take place at the end of the play, what will Jude most likely do next?

A. Jude will ask his mom to buy him a new camera.

B. Jude will use the camera to make a movie with Grandpa Sam.

C. Jude will show his mom how to put film in an old camera.

D. Jude will take Grandpa Sam to a store that sells modern cameras and film.

Section 2

Read the next two selections. Then choose the best answer to each question.

Passage 1:

Rachel is visiting her grandmother while her sister Claire is at sleepaway camp. Grandma gets Rachel out of bed to show her something in the woods nearby.

from A Forest Full of Stars

by Noah Weisz

1 Outside, the darkness is thick. Grandma switches on a flashlight and starts walking. Her sneakers make a shh-shh sound in the grass.

2 “Where are we going?” Rachel asks, a little nervous.

3 “You’ll see,” says Grandma.

4 They reach the edge of the woods behind the house. Grandma smiles at Rachel, then steps into the forest.

5 Rachel squeezes Grandma’s hand. The trail is soft with soil and moss. Somewhere an owl keeps hooting, as if it’s asking the night a question.

6 A few pricks of light appear out of the darkness. They flicker, then vanish.

7 “What are they?” Rachel breathes.

8 “They’re little beetles,” says Grandma. “Fireflies.”

9 They follow the lights deeper into the woods. Then, suddenly, they reach a clearing, and Grandma turns off her flashlight. Fireflies are everywhere. They flash on and off, floating and climbing, darting and dancing. The forest shimmers as if it’s full of stars.

10 “They’re talking to one another,” Grandma says. “They talk with light.”

11 “What are they saying?” Rachel asks.

12 “I really don’t know,” Grandma says. “It’s a secret language. Spend enough time with them, and maybe you’ll figure it out.”

13 Rachel looks up at Grandma and sees that she is smiling.

14 For a long while, Rachel watches the lights. She imagines this clearing is the state of New York. She and her sister are two of the fireflies. They are flashing each other messages. They are telling each other secrets. They are connected.

15 Walking back to Grandma’s house, Rachel feels wide awake. She starts writing a letter in her head.

16 Dear Claire, Tonight, Grandma showed me the most incredible thing. A million fireflies talking in the forest. I can’t wait to show them to you next time we visit Grandma!

Passage 2:

More Than Air

1 Take a minute to think about wind instruments. Flutes, trumpets, or tubas may come to mind. Long ago, beach shells and dragon-shaped tubes were used as instruments. Although they make a sound, music was not their only purpose.

Talking without Words

2 Conch shells are likely the world’s first wind instruments. They were used to communicate, or talk, with other people. These are now known as signal instruments. Villagers would find empty shells on the beach. They would pick one up and blow air into it. The sound of the shell depended on the size.

Conch Shell from the Virgin Islands

Animal Horn (Bone Trumpet) from Columbia

3 The sound could be heard from far away. It would let people know when new visitors were coming or old friends were returning to the village. Island fisherfolk used conch shells to let people know they were arriving with fresh fish.

Bringing Groups Together

4 Signal instruments can be used to celebrate. Some events are started by the sound of a horn. Conch shells are used in Hawaiian weddings. In India, trumpets are used to begin festivals.

5 The horn can tell people to gather as a group too. In the past, marching flutes kept time for royal guards while they walked. Today, marching instruments are played while people move together.

A Beautiful Sight

6 People became creative with making instruments. They carved wood, melted metal, and painted instruments. People molded instruments into heads of imaginary animals.

7 In northwestern America, wood whistles were shaped like little birds. Artists carved dragons with open mouths. They were inspired by folktales. Pictures from stories came to life with sound.

Get Inspired!

8 Instruments have many different uses. Next time you see a wind instrument, think about what you would do with it. Would you rather use it to speak to others or as art to tell a story? The possibilities are endless.

Question 8

Which statement best describes Rachel’s relationship with Grandma in the story from A Forest Full of Stars?

Rachel hopes to become like Grandma.
Rachel is bothered by Grandma.
Rachel is grateful toward Grandma. *
Rachel lacks trust in Grandma.

TEKS: (8) Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts–literary elements. The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts. The student is expected to: (B) explain the relationships among the major and minor characters;

Question 9

What is a synonym of the word floating in paragraph 9 of the story from A Forest Full of Stars?

Breathing
Watching
Laughing
Drifting *

TEKS: (3) Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking–vocabulary. The student uses newly acquired vocabulary expressively. The student is expected to: (D) write complete words, thoughts, and answers legibly in cursive leaving appropriate spaces between words. , (3) Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking–vocabulary. The student uses newly acquired vocabulary expressively. The student is expected to: (D) identify, use, and explain the meaning of antonyms, synonyms, idioms, homophones, and homographs in a text.

Question 10

What point of view does the author use in the story from A Forest Full of Stars?

First person, narrated by Grandma
First person, narrated by Rachel
Third person, narrated by an outside observer *
Third person, narrated by the forest animals

TEKS: (10) Author’s purpose and craft: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses critical inquiry to analyze the authors’ choices and how they influence and communicate meaning within a variety of texts. The student analyzes and applies author’s craft purposefully in order to develop his or her own products and performances. The student is expected to: (E) identify the use of literary devices, including first- or third-person point of view;

Question 11

What is the central idea of the article “More Than Air”?

Marching bands have existed for many years in history.
Wind instruments can be used for different reasons. *
Conch shells were painted bright colors.
People tell stories with instruments.

TEKS:

Question 12

In which section of the article “More Than Air” would the reader find information about how instruments were used for art?

Talking without Words
Bringing Groups Together
A Beautiful Sight *
Get Inspired!

TEKS:

Question 13

Read the question carefully. Then enter your answer in the box provided.

What is the most likely reason the author wrote the article “More Than Air”? Support your answer with evidence from the article.

**Standard Constructed Response**

Question 14

Read paragraph 12 from the story from A Forest Full of Stars.

“I really don’t know,” Grandma says. “It’s a secret language. Spend enough time with them, and maybe you’ll figure it out.”

What SIMILAR idea about sending messages is found in the article “More Than Air”?

Some groups of people have special ways of sending messages through sound. *
People can learn to send messages by listening to animal sounds.
The first instruments for sending messages were carved in the shape of animals.
Instruments were a popular way to send messages in the past.

TEKS: (6) Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts. The student is expected to: (E) make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society;

Question 15

How do the people in paragraphs 2 and 3 of the article “More Than Air” treat nature DIFFERENTLY than the characters in paragraphs 9 through 14 of the story A Forest Full of Stars?

The villagers create tools from nature. *
The artists spend time looking at nature.
The villagers ask questions about nature.
The artists notice animals in nature.

Question 16

How are the purposes of the story from A Forest Full of Stars and the article “More Than Air” SIMILAR?

Both show unusual ways of talking. *
Both show different languages across the world.
Both show how people act when they are afraid.
Both show how music is used to tell stories.

Question 17

How do the story from A Forest Full of Stars and the article “More Than Air” use the idea of imagination DIFFERENTLY?

In the story Rachel sees imagination as a fun game, but in the article imagination is seen as important for work.
In the story imagination helps Rachel feel close to family, but in the article people express what they imagine through carvings. *
In the story Rachel is uncertain about how to use imagination, but in the article people are sure that imagination will be good for them.
In the story imagination is difficult for Rachel to use, but in the article artists use imagination easily.

Briscoe STAAR Reading Item Analysis

Matthew Wood

2025-02-21