Reading Assessment: Theme 1

Passage 1 Beth couldn’t believe it. That day, her company had laid off over 100 employees, and she was one of them. Considering that she had been working for Engitech for 15 years, Beth had not seen this coming. It was just a reflection of how bad the economy really was. When Beth’s husband, Greg, came home, Beth was slumped on the couch staring at a blank TV. Since he had heard about the layoffs on the news, Greg immediately concluded that his wife was now jobless. Putting his arms around her, he said, “Sweetie, it’s okay. We can get by on my income. Money’s going to be tight, but we can do it. Plus, we’ll be getting those unemployment checks!” Beth buried her face into his shoulder, and as the shock of the news wore off, she began to cry. “Thank you for being so supportive,” she sobbed. “I don’t know what I would do without you.” Suddenly, she sat up and looked at him in horror. “What are we going to tell the kids?” she cried. “That, for a while, they get to have a stay-at-home mom,” Greg said with a smile. “Don’t worry! We’ll get through this together.”

Passage 2

Always There by Diane Tran

When I was four, I scraped my knee. I was trying to climb a tree! My mom was there to clean my wound And wipe my tears before I swooned.

When I was eight, I broke my nose. In a brawl, I received some blows. My dad was there to set it right And teach me that I should not fight.

When I was twelve, I failed math class. It was too hard; I could not pass! My sis was there to tutor me And bring my F up to a B.

Now I’m sixteen; I soon can drive. I am nervous, but I will strive. If I get into any scare, I know my family will be there.

1. Which lines from the poem most directly state its recurring theme? a. “My sis was there to tutor me / And bring my F up to a B.” b. “If I get into any scare, / I know my family will be there.” c. “When I was four, I scraped my knee. / I was trying to climb a tree!” d. “Now I’m sixteen; I soon can drive. / I am nervous, but I will strive.”

2. What is a common theme present in both passages? a. The effects of the economy. b. The importance of family. c. Losing something of value. d. Driving for the first time.

3. Which theme below is suggested in the first passage? a. You should enjoy being a kid while you can. b. At some point in life, you have to grow up. c. Never trust the people who work for you. d. Bad news comes when you least expect it.

Through treacherous mountainous paths covered in glistening white snow, a black-clad figure trudged steadily on. Pillars of smoke rose from a distant village, but the figure in black moved farther away, for what he sought lay elsewhere. Pulling his shroud tighter across his body, Daemyn struggled to shield himself from the blistering cold. Twenty wretched days had passed, and he still had not found Sima, the sorceress with his mother’s cure. He had begun to wonder if his sister was right. "She has not been seen in 50 years!” his sister had cried, upon hearing about his leaving. “How will you ever find her?” “Do you not know the legend?” Daemyn recited for her the mantra ingrained into his soul:

When those of pure and simple heart Present to her a selfless plea, A black stone wall will break apart, Revealing great Sima to thee!”

“They call it a legend for a reason, Daemyn. How can you even think about leaving at a time like this?” “I am determined to find her, Paulina. Without Sima’s cure, mother will not live! I refuse to just sit around and watch her die.” Daemyn’s brief stay in the town of Kimba, however, had renewed his hopes. The villagers had told him of a mysterious black wall roughly five miles northeast. After fruitless conversations with countless strangers, Daemyn had finally found direction. The wall should be just beyond this next cliff. Racked with anticipation, Daemyn quickened his pace. His legs burned from the steep climb. As if the gods were testing him, the heavy overcast sky suddenly let loose a blizzard, but Daemyn refused to let the blinding snow hinder him. He used each passing rock to guide his movements and continued to hike upward. At last, he reached the blessed cliff, and through the curtain of snow, Daemyn made out a glorious black stone wall stretching across the expanse of the mountainside.

4. Which of these statements would Daemyn most likely make? a. You should always follow your heart. b. The gods are not to be trusted. c. Physical well-being is not important. d. You should be afraid of the unknown.

5. Which theme is present in the selection? a. People should always obey their siblings. b. Determination is needed to reach a goal. c. Enjoy life now because it is too short. d. Be careful what you wish for.