"The Other Side of the Camera"

1. Which sentence explains the most likely reason for the newscast containing nonsense?

• A. Gabe is distracted while writing out the news reports on index cards.
• B. Gabe wants to play a joke on the reporters and his middle school.
• C. Gabe mixes up the index cards when he drops them.
• D. Gabe is uncomfortable and reads the news incorrectly.

2. Which sentence from the passage best supports the answer to the previous question?

• A. He grabbed the pile of index cards, hastily attempted to put them back in order, and headed to ward the school’s television studio.
• B. Each morning, middle-school students compiled a short live news segment, which was broadcast to every classroom in the school just before classes began.
• C. Relieved to see that the “On the Air” sign was not yet on, Gabe took his seat at the news desk beside Marcella, the other regular reporter, and handed her half the stack of index cards.
• D. He had been concerned that, if the words were written too small, he might stumble over them when speaking on camera.

3. Which two details from the passage most strongly support the reason why Gabe is anxious about the day’s newscast? Choose two answers.

• A. Gabe reads news in front of the camera for the first time.
• B. One of the news stories is about a field trip.
• C. Gabe writes down news reports on index cards.
• D. Arun is absent from the news show due to illness.
• E. Marcella is one of the hosts of the news broadcast.

4. What is a theme of the passage?

• A. It is important to be on time.
• B. A good idea can change a bad situation.
• C. Friends help each other no matter what happens.
• D. You should always have more than one plan for success.

5. Which sentence from the passage best supports the previous answer?

• A. He was already running late, and now he was going to have to reorganize all his index cards for the newscast.
• B. “It’s OK,” she said.
• C. He knew he should have put each complete report on just one card the way he usually did, but he wanted to make his handwriting big enough to read easily.
• D. “You saved the day in the end.”

6. Which paragraph best summarizes the passage?

• A. Gabe is running late on his way to take part in the school newscast. He drops the cards that he wrote and has to pick them back up. When he gets to the studio , he has to sit in front of the camera with Marcella. Lani starts the show, but it is very confusing. Then Gabe tells everyone that it is April Fool’s Day so that the report can end.
• B. When Gabe is in the crowded hallway, several bad things happen to him. He has to rush to the school television studio to give the daily newscast. He is only reading the news because someone is absent. When the show starts Marcella reads that the students will be taking a field trip to the school track. Gabe knows it is his faults so he tries to solve the problem.
• C. On his way to the school television studio, Gabe has many problems, including dropping his notes. It is his first time reading the news on camera. When Gabe and Marcella start reading the news reports, they do not make sense because the notecards are mixed up. Gabe realizes that he can play off the mistake by claiming it is an April Fool’s Day joke a she ends the newscast.
• D. Gabe usually writes the news reports on one card, but today he used large print so that he could see what he wrote better . The cards got mixed up so the newscast did not go as planned. Marcella and Gabe are on camera reading pieces of news that do not belong together. Gabe has an idea to save the day, which makes Marcella and Lani feel better . Gabe knows he will not make that mistake again.

7. Which statement best explains how the setting of April Fool's Day helps to shape the plot of the passage?

• A. It introduces the internal conflict Gabe feels about being on camera.
• B. It adds suspense by indicating that Gabe knew about the newscast mistake when Lani was unaware.
• C. It leads to the solution of the problem by allowing Gabe to come up with a reason for the newscast mistake.
• D. It clarifies the close friendship that Gabe has with Marcella.

8. Read the sentences from the passage. Gabe sat there, feeling frozen, until Lani waved her arms at him frantically from the other side of the camera, urging him to continue. She silently mouthed the words “Hurry up! We’re live!” What does the phrase “feeling frozen” suggest about Gabe?

• A. Gabe is hiding from others as a joke.
• B. Gabe is concentrating on reporting the news.
• C. Gabe is shivering because he is cold.
• D. Gabe is sitting still because he is nervous.

9. How do the events in paragraphs 1–4 contribute to the meaning of the passage?

• A. They show Gabe as a hard-working student.
• B. They suggest Gabe will experience a difficult day.
• C. They show that Gabe enjoys being part of a team.
• D. They suggest Gabe is the director for the school newscast.

10. A student is writing a report on the effects of listening to music while studying. Read the draft of the report: Studies suggest that some people learn better if they listen to instrumental music while they study. There seems to be a connection between the rhythms of the music and the ability to concentrate. When the music has a steady, repetitive beat, it creates background noise that can be beneficial. Of course, the music cannot be too loud, or it will become distracting. If the student were conducting additional research, which question would best help the student focus the research for a deeper understanding of the subject?

• A. What types of music are the most popular with students who are studying?
• B. How many people participated in the studies about listening to music?
• C. What types of experiments have been done to show the connection between music and learning?
• D. How loud would the music need to be before it is considered too loud to have positive effects?