STAAR English 2 Practice Assessment

Which statement best expresses the thesis of the excerpt?

• Ancestral Puebloans were attracted to the cliffs of Colorado centuries ago.

• Ancestral Puebloans left behind the ruins of their communities in the cliffs.

• Ancestral Puebloans were innovators who created a flourishing civilization.

• Ancestral Puebloans lived in complex communities in southwestern Colorado.

Tags

E2.7D.i

Which quotation from the excerpt best supports the conclusion that the Ancestral Puebloans made efficient use of limited resources?

• The low height of the doorways indicates that people then were shorter than they are today. (paragraph 4)

• However, the farmers were expert in dryland farming, creating check dams and channels to direct rainwater to their crops. (paragraph 10)

• Now the Ancestral Puebloans no longer lived on top of the mesa. (paragraph 12)

• Around 1270, the Ancestral Puebloans left Mesa Verde, although we are not entirely sure why they left. (paragraph 13)

Tags

E2.5C

In paragraphs 9, 10, and 12, the details support the key idea that the Ancestral Puebloans —

• developed new construction skills

• frequently faced challenges in surviving

• often moved in search of a better home

• outgrew the available resources

Tags

E2.4G

Which detail from the section titled “The Cliff Dwellings at Mesa Verde” (paragraphs 3–7) supports the key idea that social interaction was important to Ancestral Puebloan communities?

• The size of the living areas

• The location of the kiva

• The function of the courtyard

• The proximity of the dwellings

Tags

E2.4G

Why does the author most likely include the illustrations in the excerpt? Select TWO correct answers.

• To explain how the Ancestral Puebloans used different resources

• To show how the Ancestral Puebloans designed and built structures

• To demonstrate the challenges of building dwellings in the cliff

• To show how the different parts of the cliff dwellings fit together

• To contrast different types of buildings built by the Ancestral Puebloans

Tags

E2.8C

Read this quotation from paragraph 8.

For about 700 years, Mesa Verde was a thriving community of many thousands of Native American people now referred to as Ancestral Puebloans. These people were master dry land. builders, skilled craftsmen, and adept farmers of a difficult, dry land.

How does the author’s choice of words in this quotation contribute to the tone of the excerpt?

• Phrases such as “thriving community” and “skilled craftsmen” create an admiring tone.

• Phrases such as “adept farmers” and “difficult, dry land” create a somber tone.

• Phrases such as “many thousands” and “Native American people” create a precise tone.

• Phrases such as “about 700 years” and “now referred to” create an accessible tone.

Tags

E2.8F

What is the most likely reason the author wrote this excerpt?

• To persuade the reader to visit an important archaeological site to learn about an ancient society

• To provide information about how an ancient society managed to prosper in an inhospitable region

• To describe the impact of an ancient civilization on the history of a populated region

• To share the history of how two cowboys accidentally discovered the ruins of an ancient civilization

Tags

E2.8A

How does the author organize the section titled “The Ancestral Puebloans” (paragraphs 8–13) to develop the thesis?

• By describing the events that forced the Ancestral Puebloans to adapt to changes in their environment

• By listing the agricultural skills necessary to master farming the land in the Mesa Verde area

• By explaining how the Ancestral Puebloans altered the natural landscape in ever more significant ways

• By explaining how the Ancestral Puebloans altered the natural landscape in ever more significant ways

Tags

E2.7D.ii

Which idea about society is developed in the excerpt?

• Communities form in order to satisfy the human desire for new experiences

• Civilizations are defined by specific beliefs and economic goals.

• People adapt to environmental conditions to help their civilizations thrive.

• People are more likely to survive in communities than on their own.

Tags

E2.4E

In paragraph 12, what does the word Paradoxically mean?

• Improbable but humorous

• Impressive but selfish

• Contradictory yet accurate

• Competent yet inconsistent

Tags

E2.2B