STAAR paired passage

Use “Assembly” to answer the following question. Why are the events in stanzas 4 and 5 (lines 16–25) important to the resolution of the poem “Assembly”?

• The speaker remembers a song

• The speaker's attitude changes

• The speaker discovers a new talent

• The speaker's classmates stop singing

Read lines 20 through 22 from the poem “Assembly.”

Eyes closed, I wait for courage. A whisper at first, the music in me rises.

How do these lines support the theme of the poem?

• By highlighting that an active imagination can be powerful

• By suggesting that learning to be responsible is part of growing up

• By suggesting that confidence often comes from within

• By showing that recitals can bring people together

What is the most likely reason the poet describes the kids as “hyenas in human skin” in line 5 of the poem “Assembly”?

• To highlight that the kids are part of a large group

• To indicate that the kids are concerned about the performance

• To reveal that the kids are hungry for their lunch

• To show that the kids are noisy and disruptive

Read lines 23 and 24 of the poem “Assembly.”

Live inside the song, I tell myself. And I do.

The figurative language in these lines help the reader understand —

• how the speaker overcomes fear

• that the speaker knows many songs

• the song the speaker sings

• that the speaker enjoys music

Use “Public Speaking Is Easier When a Cute Dog Is Listening” to answer the following question. The suffixes in the word judgmental in paragraph 8 of the selection “Public Speaking Is Easier When a Cute Dog Is Listening” help the reader understand that the word means —

• too busy to listen

• moving around

• easy to confuse

• looking for mistakes

Use “Public Speaking Is Easier When a Cute Dog Is Listening” to answer the following question. What is the most likely reason the author uses a cause-and-effect organizational structure in the selection “Public Speaking Is Easier When a Cute Dog Is Listening”?

• To explain the results of a program that lets students who need to give speeches practice with an unusual audience

• To explain how a university program designed to help students improve their speeches got started

• To explain the challenges that two students experience as they work with dogs

• To explain how dogs are chosen to take part in a special program at a university

Use “Public Speaking Is Easier When a Cute Dog Is Listening” to answer the following question. Which sentence from the selection “Public Speaking Is Easier When a Cute Dog Is Listening” best explains why audience dogs are successful at their job?

• The program began thanks to Caron Martinez. (paragraph 9)

• Martinez thinks that dogs can have a calming effect on people. (paragraph 10)

• She added that the best way to deliver a great speech is to practice. (paragraph 10)

• Any student at the school that has a presentation to deliver can book 30 minutes with one of the audience dogs. (paragraph 12)

Use “Public Speaking Is Easier When a Cute Dog Is Listening” to answer the following question. What can the reader conclude about students who participate in the program based on information throughout the selection “Public Speaking Is Easier When a Cute Dog Is Listening”?

• Students who participate in the program are afraid the first time they practice their speeches with an audience dog.

• It is common for students in the program to deliver their speeches in less time.

• It is difficult for students to find a time to practice when an audience dog is available.

• Students who participate in the program will feel more prepared when they deliver their actual speech.

Use “Public Speaking Is Easier When a Cute Dog Is Listening” and “Assembly” to answer the following question.

Read lines 16–19 from the poem “Assembly.” Manny nudges me when it’s time for my solo. Legs like spaghetti, I worry that I might faint.

Which sentences from the selection “Public Speaking Is Easier When a Cute Dog Is Listening” best express a SIMILAR feeling?

• He was nervous to speak in front of a large group of people. He needed help. (paragraph 2)

• Dexter seems to like his volunteer job. His excitement might have something to do with the bag of treats. (paragraph 6)

• It doesn’t matter if students mess up. The dogs won’t know if they do. (paragraph 8)

• She will be speaking in front of about 4,000 people on graduation day. But, today she is only giving a speech to one audience member, and it is a dog named Noche. (paragraph 14)

Use “Public Speaking Is Easier When a Cute Dog Is Listening” and “Assembly” to answer the following question. In what way does the audience in the poem “Assembly” DIFFER from the audience dog in the selection “Public Speaking Is Easier When a Cute Dog Is Listening”?

• Only the audience in the poem encourages students to prepare for the performance

• Only the audience in the poem listens during the performance.

• Only the audience in the poem is given a reward for listening to the performance.

• Only the audience in the poem shows disruptive behavior before the performance begins.