MCAS Passage 3 ELA

1. Part A In the passage, how are Catalina and the astronomer similar?

• They both like working alone.

• They both enjoy reading magazines.

• They both are fascinated by the stars.

• They both think nighttime is the best time

Which detail best supports the answer to Part A? 

• “Catalina wanted more than anything to confess her secret dream these great and reverent scientists, whose love of astronomy had brought them from all over the world to an isolated mountaintop" ( paragraph 5)

• “. . . she had been curled up on a dingy green vinyl sofa in the small library." ( paragraph 9)

• “. . . the astronomer was carried out on a stretcher.” (paragraph 40)

• “‘Dear Catalina,’ the letter began, ‘I wanted to thank you for not only for saving ( possibly) my life, or at least my dignity, but also something far more valuable: the one meter telescope mount." ( paragraph 52)

Which sentence best states a theme of the passage? 

• New opportunities take careful planning.

• Inspiration can be found in unlikely places.

• Success can be ensured by having many different goals.

• Hope should not be limited by the expectations of others

What do lines 5–8 of the poem mainly show?

• the student’s rude behavior

• the student’s bold attitude

• the teacher’s creativity

• the teacher’s surprise

Based on the poem, what is most likely suggested by the phrase “the cosmic sea” in line 16?  

• an area among the clouds

• a place among the stars

• an unexplored lake

• a faraway ocean

Based on paragraphs 52 and 53 of the passage and lines 1–4 of the poem, which sentence best shows a similarity between the astronomer and the teacher?  

• They are both pleased with a young person’s talents.

• hey are both amused by a young person’s thoughts.

• They are both supportive of a young person’s dreams.

• They are both sympathetic to a young person’s challenges.

Which sentence best describes how Catalina is different from the student in the poem?  

• Catalina prefers to stay near her home, while the student is eager to leave

• Catalina wants to repair telescopes, while the student wants to build rockets

• Catalina is happiest by herself, while the student would like to live with friends

• Catalina wants to observe the night sky, while the student wants to travel in space