Department of Education

English Program
 Pre-Post Test
Tenth Grade

Name: Date:

PART I: Standard 1 Listening/Speaking

A. Instructions:

Listen to the following dialogue between Lucia and Matt carefully, paying special attention
to details. Read the question and choose the correct answer.

1. What is the dialogue mainly about?

a. fishing
b. photography
c. shopping
d. hobbies

2. Why does Lucia like spring time to practice her hobby?

a. It gets really hot.

b. Everything looks nicer.
c. It is the time for photography.
d. Everything seems to blossom.

3. What does Matt do every weekend?

a. He goes bike riding.

b. He goes fishing.
c. He takes pictures.
d. He goes out to the ocean.

4. Why does Matt like fishing?

a. It is thrilling
b. It is relaxing
c. It is exciting
d. It is a custom
 B. Instructions: Listen to the following dialogue between Carl and Kiki.
Listen carefully to details. Read the question and choose the correct
answer.

4. This passage is MAINLY about:

a. Kiki’s first day at work.

b. different kinds of music.
c. A job interview.
d. Carl’s interest in knowing Kiki.

5. What can you infer from the conversation between DJ and Kiki.

a. That Kiki was getting a job as a DJ in a music place.

b. That Carl wanted if Kiki was bilingual.
c. That Kiki wanted to learn more about music.
d. That Carl was looking for a singer.

6. How did the interview end?

a. Carl and Kiki became good friends.

b. Kiki decided not to take the job.
c. Carl re-scheduled Kiki for another interview.
d. Kiki got the job and would start Monday morning.

C. Instructions: Speaking: Answer the following open-ended questions

orally.

7. How was your first day in school?

8. How did you feel when you didn’t do your homework?

 SHORT-ANSWER ORAL OR NON-VERBAL PRODUCTION RUBRIC

RESPONSES CAN BE NON-VERBAL OR VERBAL IN ENGLISH. SPANISH RESPONSES

ARE NOT CONSIDERED WHEN ASSIGNING A SCORE TO A SHORT-ANSWER ORAL
OR NON-VERBAL PRODUCTION ITEM MEASURING.

SCORE CRITERIA

Full Oral or Non-verbal Production – A thorough oral or non-verbal

2 production of the concept has been demonstrated. The student’s
response is correct and complete and provides evidence related to the
question/task. Details in the response are clear accurate.
Partial Oral or Non-verbal Productions – Partial oral or non-verbal
production of the concept has been demonstrated. The student’s
1 response provides some information that is accurate. However, the
response is not complete and may not provide clear evidence related to
the questions/task.
No Oral or Non-verbal Production – The student’s response
demonstrates no oral or non-verbal production no understanding of the
0
concept being assessed. The response is inaccurate or unrelated to the
question/task.
PART II: Reading Standard

ARACHNE

Olivia E. Coolidge

A. Instructions: Read the following excerpt taken from Arachne by Olivia

E. Coolidge. Then answer the questions.

Arachne was a maiden who became famous throughout Greece. She was
neither wellborn nor beautiful and came from no great city. She lived in an
obscure little village, and her father was a humble dyer of wool. He was very
skillful, producing many varied shades. Above all, he was famous for the clear,
bright scarlet which is made from shellfish; the most glorious of all the colors
used in ancient Greece. Even more skillful than her father was Arachne. It was
her task to spin the wool into a fine, soft thread and weave it into cloth on the
high, standing loom. Arachne was small and pale from much working. Her
eyes were light and her hair was a dusty brown, yet she was quick and
graceful. Her fingers went so fast that it was hard to follow the movements. So
soft her thread, so fine her cloth, so gorgeous her embroidery, that her
products were known all over Greece. No one had ever seen something similar.
At last Arachne’s fame became so great that people came from far and
wide to watch her working. Even the graceful nymphs would peep shyly
through the dark doorway, watching in wonder the white arms of Arachne as
she drew out the long wool and sat spinning. “Surely Athene herself must have
taught her,” people would murmur. “Who else could know the secret of such
marvelous skill?” Arachne was used to being wondered at, and she was
immensely proud of her skill. Praise was all she lived for, and it displeased
her greatly that people would think that a goddess could teach her anything.
Questions:

9. The author narrates the story from the:

a. first-person point of view

b. third-person point of view
c. second-person point of view
d. fourth-person point of view

10. Arachne can be described as:

a. quick
b. graceful
c. skillful
d. beautiful

11. The problem with Arachne was that:

a. She was very skillful.

b. She was very graceful.
c. She was very proud.
d. She was very beautiful.

12. In the sentences…Came from no great city. She lived in an

obscure little village. The word obscure means:

a. black
b. famous
c. well known
d. not well known

13. An ancient story that relates the actions of gods or heroes can be classified
as:

a. Myth
b. Legend
c. Fable
d. Short story
14. In the sentence: “Praise was all she lived for, and it displeased her
greatly that people would think that a goddess could teach
her anything”. We can infer that Arachne was:

a. stubborn
b. bright
c. jealous
d. proud

15. In the sentence: “Arachne was used to being wondered at, and she was
immensely proud of her skill”. The word wondered means:

a. envied
b. ignored
c. praised
d. admired

B. Instructions: Read the following poem. Then choose the correct

answer.

Who has seen the wind?

By Christina Rossetti

Who has seen the wind?

Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.

16. “The leaves hang trembling” is an example of:

a. simile
b. hyperbole
c. personification
d. metaphor
17. Line six “But when the trees bow down their heads” can be classified
as a:

a. metaphor
b. personification
c. simile
d. hyperbole

18. What is the answer to Who has seen the wind?

a. the author
b. no one
c. the speaker
d. everyone

19. The wind is passing by is an example of:

a. personification
b. metaphor
c. simile
d. hyperbole

Oral Fluency Test

C. Instructions: Read the following passage aloud to your teacher.

Rain forests take up only 2 percent of the world’s surface area, yet they
are home to more than half the plants and animals in the world. Rain forests
are being destroyed at a rate of 55,000 square miles a year. The rain forests
cover an area about the size of the continental United States, excluding Alaska.
For example, an area larger than Florida is being destroyed annually. Every
second a large plot of rain forest comes tumbling down. At this rate, none will
be left by the year 2020. We all must work together to save the rain forests
before it’s too late.
A rain forest is a delicate, intricate balance of life. Though most of us are
aware of its role in protecting the ozone layer, some people don’t know that the
rain forest is a world where more than ten million species thrive. Who knows if
among the unexplored regions there lies a cure for cancer?
Taken From: Writer’s Companion (Prentice Hall)
Middle Grades
 SHORT-ANSWER READING RUBRIC
RESPONSES CAN BE WRITTEN IN SPANISH , ENGLISH OR A COMBINATION OF
LANGUAGES. LANGUAGE AND WRITING CONVENTIONS ARE NOT
CONSIDERED WHEN ASSIGNING A SCORE TO A SHORT-ANSWER ITEM
MEASURING ENGLISH READING COMPREHENSION.

SCORE CRITERIA

2 Full Reading Skills – A thorough reading of the selection has been

demonstrated. The student’s reading skills are correct and complete and
provides evidence of higher-reading skills related to the question/task.
Details in the reading are clear accurate and text based.
Partial Reading skills– Partial reading of the selection has been
demonstrated. The student’s reading skills are minimum. However, the
1
reading is not complete and may not provide clear reading related to the
questions/task.
Little or No Reading skills – The student’s reading skills demonstrate
0 very little or no understanding of the selection being assessed. The
reading is inaccurate or unrelated to the question/task.

PART III: Writing

A. Instructions: Which of the following sentences have the correct word

order.

21. a) The Grand Jury decided whether the man was innocent or guilty.

b) Innocent or guilty the Grand Jury decided whether the man was.

c) Whether the man was innocent or guilty the Grand Jury decided.

d) The Grand Jury whether innocent or guilty decided the man was.

22. a) Ate too much in that party I last night.

b) I too much in that party ate last night.

c) I ate too much at that party last night.

d) I too much ate in that party last night.

23. a) A Puerto Rican living in New York Roberto Velázquez is.

b) Puerto Rican living in New York is a Roberto Velázquez.

c) Roberto Velázquez is a Puerto Rican living in New York.

d) Living in New York Roberto Velázquez is a Puerto Rican.

24. a) The road from the village to the town is usually covered with snow,
but this year the winter, had been a mild one.

b) The road, from the village to the town, is usually covered with snow,
but this year the winter had been a mild one.

c) The road from the village to the town is usually covered with
snow, but this year the winter had been a mild one.

d) The road from the village to the town is usually covered with snow
but this year the winter, had been a mild one.

C. Instructions: Choose the alternative that completes the given

statement.

25. The first step in the Prewriting stage is to:

a) gather ideas

b) brainstorm

c) select the topic

d) organize events

26. The stage in the writing process when you develop ideas in a rough draft is
known as:

a) editing

b) revising

c) drafting

d) prewriting
 D. Instructions: Read the following essay. Then choose the correct
answer to the questions below.

My seven-year-old cousin Lamont thinks rules are for breaking, not for
following. Our grandmother says, “A fence is nothin’ to a child but an
invitation to climb.” When she says that, she must be thinking of Lamont.
Once he saw a “Keep Off the Grass” sign outside the science museum, and he
sat down on the grass right next to the sign until I dragged him away. Another
time, when my aunt brought out a plate of cookies and said we could have two
each, he grabbed five right in front of her.
If you ask Lamont why he breaks rules, the reason he gives most often is
that he likes keeping other people on their toes. Child behaviorist Dr. Ramon
Chuya puts it another way: “Children test rules constantly to find out their
limits”. They want to know that there are consequences for their behavior, and
they need to find out just what those consequences are.”

27. The element used to elaborate on the topic sentence is a _________________.

a) detail
b) transitional phrase
c) quotation
d) transitional sentence

28. The topic sentence in this essay is________________________.

a) Lamont likes to keep other people on their toes.

b) Children need to find out what are the consequences for breaking the
rules.

c) My seven-year-old cousin Lamont thinks rules are for breaking,

not following.

d) Children test rules constantly to find out their limits.

29. A supporting detail to sustain the topic is:

a) Lamont’s main reason for breaking rules.

b) A quote from an expert.

c) Children test rules constantly.

d) Finding out their limits.

E. Instructions: Write an introductory paragraph for the following topic:

“Tourist Attractions in Puerto Rico”

Present your sub-topics, using transitional words or phrases. Include a

transitional sentence to introduce your first body paragraph. Provide, at

least, five supporting details for your body paragraph.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

SHORT-ANSWER FOR WRITTEN PRODUCTION RUBRIC

RESPONSES SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN ENGLISH. SPANISH RESPONSES ARE

NOT CONSIDERED WHEN ASSIGNING A SCORE TO A SHORT-ANSWER
WRITTEN PRODUCTION ITEM MEASURING.

SCORE CRITERIA

2 Full Written Production – A thorough written production of the

concept has been demonstrated. The student’s response is correct and
complete and provides evidence related to the question/task. Details in
the response are clear accurate.
Partial Written Productions – Partial written production of the concept
has been demonstrated. The student’s response provides some
1
information that is accurate. However, the response is not complete and
may not provide clear evidence related to the questions/task.
No Written Production – The student’s response demonstrates no
0 written production or no understanding of the concept being assessed.
The response is inaccurate or unrelated to the question/task.