Operation X-Cel 8th Grade Reading Pre-Assessment

The wind howled outside as Mara sat cross-legged on the attic floor, a dusty photo album open in front of her. It was the first time she'd ventured into her grandmother’s attic since they’d moved into the old Victorian house. Every creak of the wooden beams above made her pause, but curiosity overruled fear. She turned the pages carefully, eyes scanning over sepia-toned photographs. One photo caught her attention—a girl her age with a striking resemblance to herself, standing in front of the same house. Scrawled in cursive beneath it: "Eleanor, 1947." Who was Eleanor? Why did she look so much like her? Questions stirred in Mara’s mind. She stood and moved to the small, round window that looked over the garden. For a moment, she thought she saw the figure of a girl waving at her from the hedges. Mara blinked. The figure was gone. But in that moment, something shifted. The attic no longer felt like just an attic—it felt like a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

Which detail from the story best supports the idea that Mara is intrigued by the photo album?

• A. 'The wind howled outside as Mara sat cross-legged on the attic floor.'

• B. 'It was the first time she'd ventured into her grandmother’s attic.'

• C. She turned the pages carefully, eyes scanning over sepia-toned photographs.'

• D. 'She thought she saw the figure of a girl waving at her from the hedges.'

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.1

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

The wind howled outside as Mara sat cross-legged on the attic floor, a dusty photo album open in front of her. It was the first time she'd ventured into her grandmother’s attic since they’d moved into the old Victorian house. Every creak of the wooden beams above made her pause, but curiosity overruled fear. She turned the pages carefully, eyes scanning over sepia-toned photographs. One photo caught her attention—a girl her age with a striking resemblance to herself, standing in front of the same house. Scrawled in cursive beneath it: "Eleanor, 1947." Who was Eleanor? Why did she look so much like her? Questions stirred in Mara’s mind. She stood and moved to the small, round window that looked over the garden. For a moment, she thought she saw the figure of a girl waving at her from the hedges. Mara blinked. The figure was gone. But in that moment, something shifted. The attic no longer felt like just an attic—it felt like a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

What evidence suggests that Mara feels a connection to Eleanor?

• A. She finds Eleanor’s handwriting familiar.

• B. Eleanor is the only photo in color.

• C. Mara notes Eleanor looks much like herself.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.9-10.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

The wind howled outside as Mara sat cross-legged on the attic floor, a dusty photo album open in front of her. It was the first time she'd ventured into her grandmother’s attic since they’d moved into the old Victorian house. Every creak of the wooden beams above made her pause, but curiosity overruled fear. She turned the pages carefully, eyes scanning over sepia-toned photographs. One photo caught her attention—a girl her age with a striking resemblance to herself, standing in front of the same house. Scrawled in cursive beneath it: "Eleanor, 1947." Who was Eleanor? Why did she look so much like her? Questions stirred in Mara’s mind. She stood and moved to the small, round window that looked over the garden. For a moment, she thought she saw the figure of a girl waving at her from the hedges. Mara blinked. The figure was gone. But in that moment, something shifted. The attic no longer felt like just an attic—it felt like a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

Which quotation from the story supports the idea that Mara is curious about her family’s past?

• 'She stood and moved to the small, round window.'

• 'Who was Eleanor? Why did she look so much like her?'

• 'The attic no longer felt like just an attic.'

• 'The figure was gone.'

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

The wind howled outside as Mara sat cross-legged on the attic floor, a dusty photo album open in front of her. It was the first time she'd ventured into her grandmother’s attic since they’d moved into the old Victorian house. Every creak of the wooden beams above made her pause, but curiosity overruled fear. She turned the pages carefully, eyes scanning over sepia-toned photographs. One photo caught her attention—a girl her age with a striking resemblance to herself, standing in front of the same house. Scrawled in cursive beneath it: "Eleanor, 1947." Who was Eleanor? Why did she look so much like her? Questions stirred in Mara’s mind. She stood and moved to the small, round window that looked over the garden. For a moment, she thought she saw the figure of a girl waving at her from the hedges. Mara blinked. The figure was gone. But in that moment, something shifted. The attic no longer felt like just an attic—it felt like a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

What is the central theme of the short story?

• The importance of facing fears.

• Discovering one’s family history.

• The power of imagination.

• Loneliness and friendship.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.2.3

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.4

The wind howled outside as Mara sat cross-legged on the attic floor, a dusty photo album open in front of her. It was the first time she'd ventured into her grandmother’s attic since they’d moved into the old Victorian house. Every creak of the wooden beams above made her pause, but curiosity overruled fear. She turned the pages carefully, eyes scanning over sepia-toned photographs. One photo caught her attention—a girl her age with a striking resemblance to herself, standing in front of the same house. Scrawled in cursive beneath it: "Eleanor, 1947." Who was Eleanor? Why did she look so much like her? Questions stirred in Mara’s mind. She stood and moved to the small, round window that looked over the garden. For a moment, she thought she saw the figure of a girl waving at her from the hedges. Mara blinked. The figure was gone. But in that moment, something shifted. The attic no longer felt like just an attic—it felt like a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

Which sentence best summarizes the story?

• A. A girl explores an attic and becomes frightened by noises.

• B. A girl finds a photo album that reveals an unexpected family mystery.

• C. A girl sees a ghost and becomes scared of her house.

• D. A girl tries to understand why her grandmother moved away.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

The wind howled outside as Mara sat cross-legged on the attic floor, a dusty photo album open in front of her. It was the first time she'd ventured into her grandmother’s attic since they’d moved into the old Victorian house. Every creak of the wooden beams above made her pause, but curiosity overruled fear. She turned the pages carefully, eyes scanning over sepia-toned photographs. One photo caught her attention—a girl her age with a striking resemblance to herself, standing in front of the same house. Scrawled in cursive beneath it: "Eleanor, 1947." Who was Eleanor? Why did she look so much like her? Questions stirred in Mara’s mind. She stood and moved to the small, round window that looked over the garden. For a moment, she thought she saw the figure of a girl waving at her from the hedges. Mara blinked. The figure was gone. But in that moment, something shifted. The attic no longer felt like just an attic—it felt like a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

How does Mara's discovery of the photograph develop the theme?

• It frightens her into leaving the attic.

• It connects her to a past she didn't know.

• It helps her clean the attic faster.

• It convinces her to move to another room.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

The wind howled outside as Mara sat cross-legged on the attic floor, a dusty photo album open in front of her. It was the first time she'd ventured into her grandmother’s attic since they’d moved into the old Victorian house. Every creak of the wooden beams above made her pause, but curiosity overruled fear. She turned the pages carefully, eyes scanning over sepia-toned photographs. One photo caught her attention—a girl her age with a striking resemblance to herself, standing in front of the same house. Scrawled in cursive beneath it: "Eleanor, 1947." Who was Eleanor? Why did she look so much like her? Questions stirred in Mara’s mind. She stood and moved to the small, round window that looked over the garden. For a moment, she thought she saw the figure of a girl waving at her from the hedges. Mara blinked. The figure was gone. But in that moment, something shifted. The attic no longer felt like just an attic—it felt like a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

How does the setting influence Mara’s emotions?

• The attic makes her feel cold and sleepy.

• The noises of the attic make her feel excited.

• The attic's mysterious atmosphere heightens her curiosity and fear.

• The attic makes her want to leave the house.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

The wind howled outside as Mara sat cross-legged on the attic floor, a dusty photo album open in front of her. It was the first time she'd ventured into her grandmother’s attic since they’d moved into the old Victorian house. Every creak of the wooden beams above made her pause, but curiosity overruled fear. She turned the pages carefully, eyes scanning over sepia-toned photographs. One photo caught her attention—a girl her age with a striking resemblance to herself, standing in front of the same house. Scrawled in cursive beneath it: "Eleanor, 1947." Who was Eleanor? Why did she look so much like her? Questions stirred in Mara’s mind. She stood and moved to the small, round window that looked over the garden. For a moment, she thought she saw the figure of a girl waving at her from the hedges. Mara blinked. The figure was gone. But in that moment, something shifted. The attic no longer felt like just an attic—it felt like a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

Which aspect of Mara's character is revealed through her actions?

• A. She enjoys exploring new places.

• B. She is easily frightened and runs away.

• C. She is curious and observant.

• D. She prefers reading to doing chores.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

The wind howled outside as Mara sat cross-legged on the attic floor, a dusty photo album open in front of her. It was the first time she'd ventured into her grandmother’s attic since they’d moved into the old Victorian house. Every creak of the wooden beams above made her pause, but curiosity overruled fear. She turned the pages carefully, eyes scanning over sepia-toned photographs. One photo caught her attention—a girl her age with a striking resemblance to herself, standing in front of the same house. Scrawled in cursive beneath it: "Eleanor, 1947." Who was Eleanor? Why did she look so much like her? Questions stirred in Mara’s mind. She stood and moved to the small, round window that looked over the garden. For a moment, she thought she saw the figure of a girl waving at her from the hedges. Mara blinked. The figure was gone. But in that moment, something shifted. The attic no longer felt like just an attic—it felt like a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

What is the significance of the final sentence of the story?

• It shows the attic is haunted.

• It hints at Mara’s realization that the attic holds secrets worth exploring.

• It explains that Mara no longer fears the attic.

• It ends the story with a scary twist.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.2.3

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.4

The wind howled outside as Mara sat cross-legged on the attic floor, a dusty photo album open in front of her. It was the first time she'd ventured into her grandmother’s attic since they’d moved into the old Victorian house. Every creak of the wooden beams above made her pause, but curiosity overruled fear. She turned the pages carefully, eyes scanning over sepia-toned photographs. One photo caught her attention—a girl her age with a striking resemblance to herself, standing in front of the same house. Scrawled in cursive beneath it: "Eleanor, 1947." Who was Eleanor? Why did she look so much like her? Questions stirred in Mara’s mind. She stood and moved to the small, round window that looked over the garden. For a moment, she thought she saw the figure of a girl waving at her from the hedges. Mara blinked. The figure was gone. But in that moment, something shifted. The attic no longer felt like just an attic—it felt like a mystery waiting to be unraveled.

What does the phrase 'curiosity overruled fear' suggest about Mara?

• She ignored her curiosity.

• She let her fear control her.

• Her curiosity was stronger than her fear.

• She decided to wait to explore.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1