Common Core: 8th Grade English Language Arts : Reading to Compare and Contrast Texts

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Common Core: 8th Grade English Language Arts

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Example Question #108 : Reading

Passage 1:

School-age children are filled with curiosity and seek to discover new and exciting things every day! So, it is silly to assume that a child would not appreciate the faraway places and times of classics by Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Shakespeare. Regardless of the child’s age, if he or she can break down the structure of Shakespeare’s sonnets or the satire of Dickens’s episodics, there is no reason such a child should have to wait until the later part of his or her schooling to enjoy such works. In fact, limiting younger children to writing consisting only of relatable elementary- and middle-school topics such as going to school, overcoming bullying, and growing up only acts to stifle the curiosity that could otherwise be strengthened by the wonder of classic literature.


Passage 2:

There is no simpler way to drive children away from reading than to fill their arms and their reading lists with dense, boring novels full of language and topics they find unrelatable and difficult to understand. Allow a child to find his love for reading through books that he can relate to and he will hold onto that appreciation of reading for a lifetime. Force him to know only difficult constructions and dated language when he reads, and you’ll be sure to chase him away from the hobby entirely! By allowing children to read about what they find interesting, or what they can relate to, whether it’s the common challenges faced making friends in school or the wonder of talking animals and superheroes, you build the foundation for a love of reading that will eventually make its way to the classic literature adult readers have come to embrace.

Which of the following would the authors of both passages be likely to agree on?

Possible Answers:

Reading is a valuable hobby worthy of children’s time

Children are only interested in reading about topics such as school and growing up

Only adult readers can truly appreciate complex works such as Mark Twain and Charles Dickens

Giving children books about talking animals and superheroes gives them unrealistic expectations about life

Shakespearean work is dated and should no longer be considered classic literature

Correct answer:

Reading is a valuable hobby worthy of children’s time

Explanation:

Here, we’re looking for something both authors agree upon. It’s clear from the passages that both authors agree that reading is an important and worthwhile hobby for children. The point the authors disagree on is how to best keep children interested in reading. Several of our wrong answers either represent one point of view, but not the other, or take a detail present in one of the passages way too far to create a point of view that is unrealistic for either author. (Does either author really think children will believe the talking animals and superheroes are true stories?)

Example Question #109 : Reading

Passage 1:

School-age children are filled with curiosity and seek to discover new and exciting things every day! So, it is silly to assume that a child would not appreciate the faraway places and times of classics by Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Shakespeare. Regardless of the child’s age, if he or she can break down the structure of Shakespeare’s sonnets or the satire of Dickens’s episodics, there is no reason such a child should have to wait until the later part of his or her schooling to enjoy such works. In fact, limiting younger children to writing consisting only of relatable elementary- and middle-school topics such as going to school, overcoming bullying, and growing up only acts to stifle the curiosity that could otherwise be strengthened by the wonder of classic literature.


Passage 2:

There is no simpler way to drive children away from reading than to fill their arms and their reading lists with dense, boring novels full of language and topics they find unrelatable and difficult to understand. Allow a child to find his love for reading through books that he can relate to and he will hold onto that appreciation of reading for a lifetime. Force him to know only difficult constructions and dated language when he reads, and you’ll be sure to chase him away from the hobby entirely! By allowing children to read about what they find interesting, or what they can relate to, whether it’s the common challenges faced making friends in school or the wonder of talking animals and superheroes, you build the foundation for a love of reading that will eventually make its way to the classic literature adult readers have come to embrace.

Which of the following represents the point the authors of Passages 1 & 2 disagree about?

Possible Answers:

The author of Passage 1 believes that children learn to love reading when they read about topics they know and experience, but the author of Passage 2 believes that only classic literature can truly grow this interest

The author of Passage 1 believes that Mark Twain is the most important author of his time, but the author of Passage 2 prefers the works of Shel Silverstein

The author of Passage 1 believes that children would benefit from reading classic literature designed for adults, but the author of Passage 2 believes that the novels children read should be designed with their age and interests in mind

The author of Passage 1 believes that children would prefer reading Shakespeare to Charlotte’s Web, but the author of Passage 2 believes that old literature is no longer relevant

The author of Passage 1 would consider comic books a valuable read for children, but the author of Passage 2 would find such literature wasteful

Correct answer:

The author of Passage 1 believes that children would benefit from reading classic literature designed for adults, but the author of Passage 2 believes that the novels children read should be designed with their age and interests in mind

Explanation:

If we summarize the points made by each author, we can see that the author of Passage 1 thinks that children would find value in reading classic novels, and that they should be encouraged to do so. The author of Passage 2 on the other hand, thinks that children will be encouraged to read if they are given books written specifically with their interests and daily lives in mind, they will be more likely to want to continue to read. This aligns perfectly with: “The author of Passage 1 believes that children would benefit from reading classic literature designed for adults, but the author of Passage 2 believes that the novels children read should be designed with their age and interests in mind.” Here, our wrong answers either take too far an extreme, or present the correct opinion from the wrong point of view/passage, as we see with: “The author of Passage 1 believes that children learn to love reading when they read about topics they know and experience, but the author of Passage 2 believes that only classic literature can truly grow this interest.”

Example Question #110 : Reading

Passage 1:

School-age children are filled with curiosity and seek to discover new and exciting things every day! So, it is silly to assume that a child would not appreciate the faraway places and times of classics by Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Shakespeare. Regardless of the child’s age, if he or she can break down the structure of Shakespeare’s sonnets or the satire of Dickens’s episodics, there is no reason such a child should have to wait until the later part of his or her schooling to enjoy such works. In fact, limiting younger children to writing consisting only of relatable elementary- and middle-school topics such as going to school, overcoming bullying, and growing up only acts to stifle the curiosity that could otherwise be strengthened by the wonder of classic literature.


Passage 2:

There is no simpler way to drive children away from reading than to fill their arms and their reading lists with dense, boring novels full of language and topics they find unrelatable and difficult to understand. Allow a child to find his love for reading through books that he can relate to and he will hold onto that appreciation of reading for a lifetime. Force him to know only difficult constructions and dated language when he reads, and you’ll be sure to chase him away from the hobby entirely! By allowing children to read about what they find interesting, or what they can relate to, whether it’s the common challenges faced making friends in school or the wonder of talking animals and superheroes, you build the foundation for a love of reading that will eventually make its way to the classic literature adult readers have come to embrace.

Which point of view would the following piece of evidence be most likely to support?

When asked about the inspiration for their work, many adults working in the field of literature cite classic novels such as The Great Gatsby and Wuthering Heights as the novels that gained their interest in literature at a young age.

Possible Answers:

This evidence refutes the arguments of both authors

The author of Passage 1, but not the author of Passage 2

The author of Passage 2, but not the author of Passage 1

This evidence supports the arguments of both authors

Correct answer:

The author of Passage 1, but not the author of Passage 2

Explanation:

We can see that the author of Passage 1 thinks that allowing and encouraging children to read classic novels at a young age will inspire them to continue to enjoy reading and literature as a whole. The author of Passage 2, on the other hand, thinks that “There is no simpler way to drive children away from reading than to fill their arms and their reading lists with dense, boring novels full of language and topics they find unrelatable and difficult to understand.” So, The author of Passage 1, but not the author of Passage 2” would be supported by this piece of evidence.

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All Common Core: 8th Grade English Language Arts Resources

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