EOG Test of Reading Comprehension: A Guide for Studentsjohunter.pbworks.com/f/EOGReadingTestStudentHandbook.pdf · EOG Test of Reading Comprehension: A Guide for Students By: ...

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EOG Test of Reading Comprehension:

A Guide for Students

By: Mr. Joshua Hunter

Middle Grades Literacy Coach

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Why do I have to take the EOG anyway?

In 1999 the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) developed the English Language Arts Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS). The NCSCOS identifies what students in a particular content area and grade level should be learning across the state of North Carolina. For example, students in seventh grade language arts classes in Greensboro, North Carolina are learning the same things as students in seventh grade language arts classes in Wilmington, North Carolina. To determine how well a student is advancing and whether or not a student is on track to perform well in the proceeding grade levels and in high school in the corresponding content area, each student is required to take an EOG test that measures his/her performance in that content area.

What’s on the North Carolina EOG?

The EOG Test of Reading Comprehension consists of six literary passages:

Two fiction passages

One nonfiction passage

One Drama passage

Two poems

Three informational passages (two content and one consumer)

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Each passage is followed by three to nine questions. There are a total of 56 multiple-choice questions to be completed within a 115-minute time period. Each item on the EOG relates to an item from the NCSCOS.

To help you become familiar with the types of questions you should expect on the NC EOG Test of Reading Comprehension, this handbook will describe four specific types of skills you will be expected to employ to successfully complete the EOG: word recognition, drawing inferences and making conclusions, determining the main idea of a passage, stating the author’s purpose, and analyzing literary elements.

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What are some test-taking tips and considerations?

-Relax.

-Learn the format of the test.

-Read all of the answers.

-Eliminate wrong answers.

-Don’t get stuck on questions.

-Accuracy counts.

-Double-check your work if time permits.

Use the space below to formulate some other test-taking tips and considerations that may help you.

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

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Word Recognition

Take 3 minutes and guess at the meaning of each of the following words. In the space below each word, write what you think the meaning of the word is. Your definition may or may not be correct.

plethora

flotsam

conundrum

tutelage

palindrome

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Now, try to figure out the meaning of these words from the way they are used in each sentence.

-With seven siblings and twenty-eight cousins, Matt had a plethora of relatives.

-All that remained of the small boat was some flotsam floating on top of the water.

-Shaking her head, Shelley admitted the location of her missing notebook was an unsolvable conundrum. -Under the tutelage of my older sister Miranda, I finally learned to swim.

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-Nan, Lil, Bob, and Ava are names that are examples of palindromes.

What are context clues? How do context clues help the reader to determine the meaning of an unknown word in a passage?

How might different parts of words help the reader determine the meanings of words?

What kinds of words or phrases may be included on EOG questions that ask you to recognize words?

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Word Recognition EOG Example

America’s First Zoo

The Philadelphia Zoo was the first zoo in America. English settlers came up with the idea for the zoo back in the 1700’s. They were very interested in wildlife both in America and other countries. They were intrigued with stories of sailors who returned from foreign lands with animals no one had ever seen before. They wanted to keep these animals in a zoo. They dreamed that children and adults could visit the animals at the zoo and learn all about them. The zoo they imagined was a beautiful place with ponds and parks, where people could enjoy a picnic lunch. Life was arduous for these early settlers, however, and they were never able to make their zoo a reality.

Concrete plans for the Philadelphia Zoo actually began in 1859 when a charter establishing the Zoological Society of Philadelphia was approved and signed. People were very excited. It seemed as if their long-awaited zoo might actually become a reality. But when the Civil War started, it wreaked havoc on America. People feared for their lives and plans for the zoo were put on hold. Philadelphia was unable to open its zoo for another fifteen years!

The Philadelphia zoo opened its gates on July 1, 1864- and what a day it was! More than three thousand visitors flocked to the zoo from Philadelphia and nearby cities and states. Visitors traveled to the zoo on foot, on streetcars, and in horse-drawn carriages. The zoo even had its own wharf where boats could dock. A steamboat crossing the Schullylkill River dropped off visitors every fifteen minutes! A band played, flags flew, and people cheered. Philadelphia welcomed the opening of its zoo- the first zoo in America- with open arms. Admission was only 25 cents per adult and 10 cents per child.

What do you think the word arduous means in this passage?

What does the word concrete mean as it is used here? The passage says that the Civil War “wreaked havoc” on America and that, because of this, plans for the zoo were put on hold. What does the phrase “wreaked havoc” mean?

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Inferences and Conclusions

Look at the picture above. Draw a conclusion about the individuals in this photograph. Make an inference about what they are doing and a prediction about what they may do next.

What kinds of words or phrases may be included in EOG questions that ask you draw conclusions or make inference?

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Inferences & Conclusions

EOG Reading Example

Excerpt taken from www.nasa.gov

Space Colonization: Too Big a Risk

Just a few decades ago, the idea of establishing colonies in space was viewed as nothing more than a wild science-fiction tale. However, as technological advances and scientific discoveries teach us more about the places beyond our planet, space colonization looks increasingly possible. Within our lifetime, we may see people making an effort to build a permanent city on another planet or even on an asteroid. Perhaps you or I will even travel to the stars for a vacation! If you were able to vote today on whether another planet- the red planet mars, for instance- should be colonized, would you vote “yes” or “no’? Many people are enthusiastic about this idea, and see it as an entirely positive opportunity for the people of Earth. These supporters of space colonization have many good ideas, but they may be overlooking some other important information. Colonizing another planet would be one of the biggest steps ever taken in human history. An accomplishment that important carries along many dangers, expenses, and other concerns. Before you make your decision, you should be aware of the possible negative aspects of such an event. First of all, the complications of establishing a livable city on another planet are staggering. Even the world’s finest scientists are still baffled by the question of how they could keep people safe and healthy on the surface of an alien world. People require very special conditions in order to live, and it would be hard to ensure those conditions on an unexplored new world. Of all the planets, Mars seems like it would best support human visitor- but it’s still an inhospitable place. The atmosphere is so thin it would be impossible to breathe. People would need special equipment in order to get the air they need to live. It’s possible that the first colonists would have to spend their entire lives wearing space suits. Also, temperature on the red planet can become extremely cold- much colder than Antarctica. It might be possible for people to live in such temperatures, but few would find them comfortable!

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Although there may have once been flowing water on Mars, today it is a very dry planet. Humans rely on water to live, and colonists would have to bring a large amount of it with them. Special machines would have to be developed to recycle the drinking water. Even if the water problem was solved, how would the colonists get food? The Martian ground is rocky and dry; it seems unlikely that any kind of Earth crops could possibly grow there. Unitl that was figured out, rockets would have to be constantly sent to the colony with fresh supplies; the cost of doing this would be huge. Additionally, the overall cost of a colonization mission would be downright breathtaking. Scientists have estimated the price tag of a single mission to be set at about $30 billion. That funding is desperately needed for projects here on our planet. Social programs of all sorts could benefit greatly from even a fraction of that amount. We humans would be wise to invest more time, money, and effort in improving our own world before we start visiting others. The idea leads into one of the saddest but most important questions we must keep in mind during this age of amazing new technologies: can humans be trusted with a brand new planet? Humans have proven to be very imperfect guests, to say the least. The greatest threats to our current planet are posed by us, its inhabitants. Through weapons, warfare, pollution, and greed, humanity has taken advantage of the natural splendor that Earth once possessed. Some scientists believe that humans have a duty to spread out across the solar system and spread beauty and intelligence. However, over the centuries humans have spread just as much hatred and horror as they’ve spread beauty and intelligence. Some supporters of space colonization believe that the nations of Earth would unify and work together to achieve this common goal. These supporters think that all aspects of Earth life, from education to economics, would be improved by the race to colonize space. However, a short survey of history points to opposite ideas. History shows that colonization has caused greed, hatred, prejudice, and war among the nations of earth. Imagine the effects of space colonization! Nations would likely struggle to be first to reach the red planet; then they would struggle for rights to build on the best land; then they would struggle for resources for their colonists. The results could be more mistrust, fear, and conflict. A Mars colony might end up further dividing the people of Earth and yielding more suffering than discovery. Should a colonization project proceed despite these many problems, what sort of benefits would it bring to the people of Earth? Some scientists have proclaimed that colonizing the red planet would ensure the survival of the human race. Their argument is that, even if Earth were to die or be destroyed, a group of humans would still exist in

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their Marian colony. This argument may be true, but it’s not a strong argument because it doesn’t apply to our world’s current situation. Earth is still a healthy and vital planet and promises to remain that way for a very long time. The human race is growing every year and is definitely not endangered. We humans can live on for millions of years longer on Earth, if only we learn to behave more responsibly. In conclusion, the concept of space colonization is a fascinating one, but it is fraught with problems and dangers. There may be a time when humans are ready to build their cities on the surface of Mars. However, attempting to conquer Mars now, while neglecting Earth, might bring enormous damage to Earth and its inhabitants.

-What is probably the main reason some people would like to live in space? A. to escape from conflict B. to learn more about Earth C. to prove that it can be done D. to profit from the experience -What is the author’s strongest reason against space colonization? A. fear B. cost C. danger D. conflict -Why do you think the author believes that the human race will survive on Earth for many more years to come? A. the population is increasing B. Technology is advancing quickly. C. Medical advances are being made. D. Conflict among nations has been reduced. -Do you think a space colony will be established during the next few decades? Why or why not? -Find a sentence in the passage that states an opinion and write it below. -Which best describes the organizational patter of this passage? A. cause and effect B. in order of sequence C. compare and contrast D. in order of importance

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Main Idea

The River of Grass (an excerpt taken from America A Visual History From Then To Now)

There’s nowhere in America remotely like Florida’s Everglades. It’s even difficult to get your mind around just what this place- this realm- is. By definition, Florida’s Everglades National Park is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. More descriptive of what’s at the heart of the unique Everglades ecosystem is the often applied term river of grass. Yes, it is that, a slow-flowing river some 50 miles long and not more than knee-deep, winding through 1.5 million water-soaked acres of shimmering saw grass, mangrove swamps, pinelands, and hardwood stands. The river is the lifeblood of the Everglades, creating a teeming paradise for wading birds such as the reate spoonbill, the reddish egret, the tricolored heron and flamingos, as well as fish, alligators, and hundreds of lesser-known animals and plant species that have adapted to this special environment. Among 12 endangered species clinging to life here are the Florida panther and the West Indian manatee. The everglades seems a primordial place, and it is that, and therefore few places that provide a poignant contrast between the very distant past and the very different present is involved in what is likely a never-ending battle for survival. As the needs of the Sunshine State’s human population continue to grow, the place is under constant siege by development, and the Everglades have already been severely encroached upon in the past century. For now, at least, the river or grass remains a wonder of the natural world. What about tomorrow?

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Main Idea

Supporting Detail Supporting Detail

Supporting Detail

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Write or orally tell a story using the following sentences as the main idea: -My best friend is one of the most unique people I know. -Sometimes you can learn an important lesson from making a big mistake. -Heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

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The Lamplighter By Robert Louis Stevenson

My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky. It’s time to take the window to see Leerie going by;

For every night at teatime and before you take your seat, With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street.

Now Tom would be a driver and Maria go to sea, And my papa’s a banker and as rich as he can be;

But I, when I am stronger and choose what I’m to do, O Leerie, I’ll go round at night and light the lamps with you!

For we are very lucky, with a lamp before the door,

And Leerie stops to light it as he lights so many more; And oh! Before you hurry by with the ladder and with light;

O Leerie, see a little child and not to him to-night!

1.What is this poem mainly about?

2. When does Leerie light the lamps? 3. Write a summary of the poem. Use at least three details from the poem.

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Author’s Purpose

Decide what the author’s purpose for each sentence or group of sentences is. Write “entertain,” “inform,” “teach,” or “persuade” in the left-hand column. Author’s Purpose Sentence

The castle was the home of a beautiful fairy princess. She was well-loved by all of the citizens of the land.

Everyone should take shorter showers to conserve water.

The first thing you should do whenever you go fishing is to buy a nice fishing pole.

Before you begin cleaning your room, you should get rid of all unnecessary clutter.

It snowed five inches yesterday.

Write three sentences that may persuade people to use a brand of toothpaste called “The White Stuff.”

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Read this essay written by a seventh grade student.

Euthanasia

A doctor’s function has changed over time. In the past, the doctor was a person who besides being your friend treated the diseases. Now a doctor is a stranger who combats diseases, but he/she is not always your friend. What will never change is their constant struggle against death. However, their job is not only to prevent death but also to improve their patient’s quality of life. Many times there is nothing a doctor can do to prevent a patient from dying if the patient has a terminal disease; all he/she can do is continue waiting for death to arrive. This waiting time can be very painful for both the patients and the people who surround them. Not practicing euthanasia at the request of the dying person is violating a person’s rights, creating an economic burden, interfering with a doctor’s job, and increasing suffering.

First of all, deciding if you want to be alive or not is a personal decision. Neither the doctors nor the government has the power to decide if you should live or not. Since it is not their life and they are not in your situation, they cannot make that kind of decision for you. It might sound like suicide, but again, that is our problem, not theirs. They give us the liberty to decide our job, our family, our religion, and even our sex preference. Why should they not give us the right to decide if we want to live or not? That should be the first right before all the ones I have mentioned. It is not logical that we can choose in all those other decisions if we cannot first choose to live or die.

Next, comes the economic factor. Many times we do not have enough money to pay for the needed medical care not knowing if the patient is going to get any better. In a way, we are just wasting time and money on a situation that won’t get better. If the patient wants euthanasia, why not do it if we cannot end the huge amount of money wasted on a treatment that won’t help.

Another reason to legalize euthanasia is that if doctors have the liberty to create life, why not of ending it. Nowadays doctors have the ability and are allowed to grow human beings artificially in labs. Who gave them that right? The government did. Therefore, doctors should also be allowed to end life, especially when the person desires it. To me it doesn’t make sense that they can create life without having the opportunity to ask that human being if he wants to be created like that, while they cannot let a person die when it is his or her wish. The doctor is just the person who helps the patient to do what he wants.

Finally, the basic reason why euthanasia should be practiced is because it stops the person from having a bad quality of life. As I have said, a doctor’s function should not only be the one of curing diseases but also providing the patients a better

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quality of life. Having a patient suffering is not giving him a better quality of life. When doctors reach this point, then they should be allowed to grant the patient whatever he wants since he or she cannot offer something better. Even if they could offer the patient any kind of treatment or options, it is the patient who should decide how he wants to live his life. We pay the doctor so he can do the best he can. Helping us in having a better quality of life is about giving the patient what’s best for him as long as he wants it. The kind of quality of life is defined by the patient, not the doctor or government. Consequently, when the patient feels he is not getting the quality of life he wants, the least a doctor can do is grant him what he wants. If the patient’s decision is to die, so be it.

-Why did the author write this passage? -Write two statements with which the author would most likely agree. -Write the statement in which the author identifies his/her main points. -Explain why you agree or disagree with the author’s opinion.

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Literature

Literary passages are fictional. Fictional passages may be short stories, poems, or excerpts from novels or short stories. Questions for the literature category on the end-of-grade test could ask you about: Characters What word best describes this character? What would this character do in a particular situation? Why do you think this character performed a certain action? Plot What is the conflict of the story? What is the climax of the story? What is the resolution of the story? Which event happened first in the story? Theme What is the overall meaning that the author is trying to convey in the passage? Setting Where does the story or poem take place? When does the story or poem take place? Point of View From what point of view is the author writing? Figurative Language Similes: Like, As Metaphors: Something is something else

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EOG Sample Passages Literature

The Fox and the Goat

One day a fox fell deep into a well while trying to get a drink of water and could not get out again. He waited there until a thirsty goat came along to get a drink as well. The goat saw the fox at the bottom of the well and asked him how the water tasted. “Oh, sir goat, this is the best water I’ve ever had!” shouted the Fox excitedly. “You simply must taste this water. You look very thirsty.” The goat grinned and nodded his head. He jumped down into the well, landing next to the fox, and started to drink. Now both animals were trapped in the well. “How will we get out?” asked the goat nervously, for he was beginning to worry. “If you put our feet on the wall and stretch up as far as you can,” said the fox, “I’ll climb up your back and then pull you out when I am at the top.” The goat agreed, but once the fox was out, he kept running. “Come back here!” cried the angry goat. “You broke your promise!” “Yes, but you were foolish!” called the fox. “If you had not been thinking only about your thirst, you never would have been trapped to begin with. You should learn now to look before you leap.”

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-Create a list of adjectives that describe the fox. -Create a list of adjectives that describe the goat. Create a character trading card for the fox or the goat. Include the following information:

*a drawing of the character *a drawing or description of the setting of the story *a description of the character’s appearance *a description of the character’s personality traits *the character’s most important thoughts *a description of the character’s problem at the beginning of the story *a description of what the character wants to happen at the end of the story *a description of how the end of the story affected the character *the most important thing the character says *a description of how the character interacts with the other characters *what you like most about this character *what you dislike most about this character *Who does this character remind you of and why?

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Advertisement For The Waldorf-Astoria by Langston Hughes Fine living . . . a la carte? Come to the Waldorf-Astoria! LISTEN HUNGRY ONES! Look! See what Vanity Fair says about the new Waldorf-Astoria: "All the luxuries of private home. . . ." Now, won't that be charming when the last flop-house has turned you down this winter? Furthermore: "It is far beyond anything hitherto attempted in the hotel world. . . ." It cost twenty-eight million dollars. The famous Oscar Tschirky is in charge of banqueting. Alexandre Gastaud is chef. It will be a distinguished background for society. So when you've no place else to go, homeless and hungry ones, choose the Waldorf as a background for your rags-- (Or do you still consider the subway after midnight good enough?) ROOMERS Take a room at the new Waldorf, you down-and-outers-- sleepers in charity's flop-houses where God pulls a long face, and you have to pray to get a bed. They serve swell board at the Waldorf-Astoria. Look at the menu, will you:

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GUMBO CREOLE CRABMEAT IN CASSOLETTE BOILED BRISKET OF BEEF SMALL ONIONS IN CREAM WATERCRESS SALAD PEACH MELBA Have luncheon there this afternoon, all you jobless. Why not? Dine with some of the men and women who got rich off of your labor who clip coupons with clean fingers because your hands dug coal, drilled stone, sewed garments, poured steel to let other people draw dividends and live easy. (Or haven't you had enough yet of the soup-lines and the bitter bread of charity?) Walk through Peacock Alley tonight before dinner, and get warm, anyway. You've got nothing else to do.

1. Based on information given to you in the poem, what is the Waldorf Astoria?

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2. How does the speaker feel about the Waldorf Astoria? What has the speaker done to let the reader know how he feels?

3. What social issues may have been occurring at the time this poem was written?

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The Great Train Robbery By: Brenda Conhert

1 Kevin Gilmore anxiously anticipated the video that had been scheduled. For this session of the motion picture club, a twelve-minute, black-and-white classic called "The Great Train Robbery" was being shown. Filmed in 1903, it was the first narrative film in history! Edwin S. Porter, the man who had conceived, directed, and edited the film, based it on a felony that occurred in 1900. To prepare for the meeting, Kevin had read a short vignette of the crime in an encyclopedia. Butch Cassidy's "Wild Bunch" gang had robbed a train near Table Rock, Wyoming. They stopped the Union Pacific's No. 3 train and forced the conductor to unfasten the passenger cars from the rest of the train. Then they blew up the mail car's safe and ran off with $5,000 in cash. 2 Kevin thought it was funny that the film was shot in New Jersey and Delaware, in areas that closely resembled the country in the Old West. He considered it extraordinary that Porter was a newsreel photographer who worked for Thomas Edison. Did Edison give him any ideas for special effects? Surely working for the great inventor would have been an exceptional experience that would have left an indelible impression on Porter. Some day Kevin wanted to direct movies with mind-boggling special effects. That's why he had recently joined the club. 3 Eventually the lights dimmed, and the show began. Kevin sat forward and studied each scene. He burst out in brief laughter when the first man was shot, but the older members of the club quickly shushed him. Yes, the shooting was despicable, but did they not see how phony it looked? However, Kevin resisted the urge to indulge in further merriment until the startling conclusion. At that point the others' stern looks served only to intensify his amusement. 4 The facilitator, whose personal quirk was to wink after asking a question, stood and explained the reaction to the movie when it was released one hundred years ago. Kevin was amused to learn that audiences, believing themselves to be witnessing a horrific event, would scream and run from the theater in distress. Truly, it seemed an excessive response to a short, hokey movie! Did they not consider the acting to be stilted and the fighting to be fake? 5 When the facilitator asked for comments, Kevin waved his hand in the air. With a grimace, Mr. P. searched the room for other raised hands. Finding none, he called on Kevin.

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6 Speaking in his characteristic straightforward manner, Kevin said, "I hate to malign a classic, but for being such a short film, it was awfully full of clichés. I mean, come on! Shooting at a guy's feet to make him dance? Shooting a man in the back as he runs away? Forming a posse to chase the bad guys? Having the bad guys wear black? I'm surprised there wasn't a damsel in distress tied to the railroad tracks!" 7 Mr. P. repulsed Kevin's comments. "Those clichés, as you call them, didn't exist at the time this movie was filmed. Did you not understand that this film was the first of its kind?" The wink was out of place, given Mr. P's obvious annoyance with Kevin's perceived disrespect for Porter's film. 8 "You have to admit that the fight scenes could have been more realistic," Kevin argued. "I mean, the villain beats up a man, but we don't see the punches land, because there's an obstacle in our line of vision. Then the villain throws the man off the train, but it's clearly a dummy flying through the air! I've seen that routine on comedy shows a million times!" 9 "Porter didn't have access to trained actors and actresses," Jameka Johnson replied. "He also didn't have access to the technology that we have today. Considering his limitations, he did a remarkable job – in my opinion." 10 "In the opinion of many," Mr. P. added with a nod, as if to impress Kevin. "If you were the filmmaker, what would you do differently with this story?" 11 Wren's hand shot up. "I would create roles for women!" she said. "I would have the matriarch of a family board the train with her adult children and young grandchildren. Rather than allowing the porter to show them to their seats, the old woman would lead the way and choose the seats she wants. Then when the bandits board the train, she would stand up to them. She might even pull out a pistol and shoot at them!" 12 Kevin rolled his eyes, unmoved by Wren's enthusiasm. "I would have two families involved in an ongoing feud board the same train. They would have to cooperate with each other to form a plan to thwart the robbery attempt." 13 The discussion continued, but Kevin's mind was on his idea. He began to scribble an outline for a screenplay. Excitement mounted as he imagined himself using his father's camcorder to film his friends acting out the scenes. He gave a sidelong glance at Jameka, considering her for a role in his movie. It would have to be

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a minor role to keep her humble. 14 Jameka caught Kevin staring at her. Her eyes narrowed, wondering what mischief was afoot. She thought it might be fun to write a screenplay about a goofy guy who daydreams about being a screenwriter. Her lips curved into a sly grin.

-The story is written mainly from Kevin’s point of view. Which paragraph is written from another viewpoint? -When and where did the real train robbery take place? -Who was responsible for the filming of “The Great Train Robbery”? -Which of these is a fact in the story? A. The acting in the film was laughable. B. Porter copied famous comedy routines in his movie. C. The film was the first Western movie ever made. D. The film contained mind-boggling special effects. -Which of these words best describes the relationship between Kevin and Jameka? A. Friendly B. Repulsive C. Provoking D. Awkward -What are some clues that prove the film was only a reenactment, and not the real thing as early film-goers thought? -Write a synonym for the word indelible in paragraph 2.