Assessment for Learning Pilot Project

GRADE 10 READING ASSESSMENT

Booklet A

Saskatchewan Learning

Contemporary Culture
Today you will read three passages on the theme Contemporary Culture, all of which deal with issues of interest to teens. Then you will answer some questions on each of the passages.

Directions: 1. Wait for your teachers instructions before beginning. 2. You will have about 60 minutes to read the three passages and answer the questions. 3. Use black or blue pen for this test. 4. Read each passage carefully and answer all of the questions. If you are not sure of an answer, go back and reread the passage and use your best judgement to select an answer. 5. Complete the multiple-choice questions on the separate answer sheet. Shade in the circle beside the letter of the BEST answer. Mark only ONE answer per question. 6. If you need to change an answer, just put an X through the incorrect answer. 7. Feel free to underline, highlight or write on the passages if it helps you with your reading. 8. Answer the written-response questions carefully and thoroughly. These will be one-half to one page responses
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PASSAGE #1 Appearance is an important aspect of contemporary teen culture, and not many teens have the good fortune to avoid the perils of pimples.

Banishing Blemishes
They always show up at the worst possible time. Its invariably the day of a school dance, the evening of that special date, or just before that big class presentation. You take a quick glance in the mirror, and it seems as if your entire face has been consumed by a giant zit. It looks like a third eye, or a red beacon protruding prominently from your nose. Congratulations, youre a teenager. You now have two choices: you can either go back to bed until youre thirty when, you hope, you will no longer be troubled by acne. Or you can try to deal with the pimples as well as you can. The Internet is full of tried-and-mostly-untrue remedies on how to get rid of pimples. They range from putting toothpaste on your blemish (not gel, warns Snoopygirl, for reasons she does not explain) to dabbing it with Preparation H. (Given its intended use as a hemorrhoid medication, do you really want to put it anywhere near your face?) But what can you really do? Doctors have a few emergency treatments that might just clear you up in time for the big event. Make a mask out of egg whites and leave it on your face for about fifteen minutes. The Vitamin D in egg whites is healthy for your skin even if the pimple doesnt change. Apply eye drops to the blemishes. This gets rid of redness and shouldnt do too much damage to your complexion. Take two ibuprofen tablets. This reduces the swelling of the pimples and might clear up any headache youve gotten from worrying about them. Put a clean pillowcase on your pillow before you go to sleep. Oil and dirt from a dirty pillowcase can just exacerbate an acne problem.

Whatever you do, there are two serious no-nos in dealing with acne. Never go to bed without washing your face and never, never pick at or squeeze a pimple on your face. While this simple advice should help with your acne, making real progress in the war on zits requires a serious process. 1. Wash your face carefully, using a gentle oil- and fragrance-free cleanser. Dont use soap, as this can irritate your skin. 2. Dry your face by patting gently, not rubbing, with a soft towel. Scrubbing causes the skin to swell around the pores, making it more susceptible to breakoutsand if your acne is flaring up, it will hurt! 3. Apply a topical acne treatment containing benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid or salicylic acid over your entire face, not just where blemishes have already erupted. Benzoyl peroxide has been proven to kill acne-causing bacteria and help dry the skin to prevent pores from being plugged by oils. 4. Conceal the blemish using a dab of makeup right on the pimple. (Choose a cosmetic with a green tint, which will cover red marksgreen and red are complementary colours so they will negate one another.) Many cover-up products are available to improve appearances while healing the blemish. 5. If over-the-counter medications dont help your acne problem, see a doctor or dermatologist for an antibiotic or other prescription. Theres no magic bullet to banish blemishes for the rest of your lifebut these simple ideas may be enough to give you one less thing to worry about during that important presentation or big date.

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS FOR BANISHING BLEMISHES 1. The main purpose of this article is to a. b. c. d. describe an event in everyones life. present a procedure for dealing with acne. inform the reader about the causes of acne. persuade readers to take good care of their skin.

2. The second paragraph is intended to leave the reader thinking that a. b. c. d. everyone, at every age, gets pimples. being a teenager is a time to celebrate. only time will help you get rid of pimples. there may be options for dealing with pimples.

3. What technique did the author use to tell the reader about procedures for dealing with acne? a. b. c. d. spacing of text bulleted points first person narration humorous introduction

4. What emergency treatment do doctors suggest? a. b. c. d. visit a dermatologist use eye drops on the pimple apply a topical acne treatment dab the blemish with Preparation H

5. Oil and dirt from a dirty pillowcase can just exacerbate an acne problem. From the context of this sentence, the reader can determine that exacerbate means a. b. c. d. cause. worsen. improve. exaggerate.

6. What should you do in order to kill bacteria and help prevent clogged pores? a. b. c. d. apply eye drops conceal blemishes apply a topical acne treatment mask blemishes with egg whites

7. Why is seeing a doctor recommended as a last resort? a. b. c. d. Acne is not really a medical problem. Acne is not considered all that serious. Doctors really cant do much about acne. There are many simple procedures to try first.

8. Which statement is true, according to the author? a. b. c. d. Home remedies work the best. Acne is gone by the age of thirty. There is no miracle cure for pimples. Pimples cause redness, swelling and headaches.

9. What is the authors attitude toward dealing with acne? a. b. c. d. amused optimistic frustrated indifferent

10. The theme of this article is the a. b. c. d. management of skin flare-ups. despair of teenagers with acne. ineffectiveness of acne treatments. obsession with looks in teen culture.

PASSAGE #2 This poem deals with another contemporary issuecultural differences.

A Tanned Version
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And there is a huge immeasurable distance between us, Between me and them. They close their minds, Ask the same repetitive questions, Arranged marriages, strictness, trousers, Same order, Wherever I go. What will they ask next: Do you sleep, do you eat, can we touch? Im only a different colour A tanned version of you. They think were all stereotypes Carbon copies of each other. We dont think theyre all Princess Diana. Theyre always amazed When I can talk, can answer, have a mind, As if to say this ones clever, What other tricks can you do? Im not so very different Just a tanned version of you. How come I have to fight so hard When you just have to show your face?
- Hummarah Quddos

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS FOR A TANNED VERSION 1. Why is the distance between me and them (line 2) immeasurable? a. b. c. d. It is too large to measure physically. The distance is a figurative concept. The speaker is from another country. A different system of measurement is being used.

2. Why is they close their minds (line 3) an effective metaphor? a. b. c. d. It gives the mind human qualities. It warns people to keep their distance. It represents a resistance to new ideas. It exaggerates the power of negative thinking.

3. When the speaker says, We dont think theyre all Princess Diana (line 14), she means that she does not think that they are all a. b. c. d. rich. royalty. beautiful. identical.

4. They are always amazed when the speaker can talk, can answer, have a mind (line 16) because they have never known a person who a. b. c. d. has dark skin. thinks for herself. responds intelligently. can carry on a conversation.

5. The line What other tricks can you do? (line 18) suggests that the speaker is being compared to a a. b. c. d. pet. scholar. princess. magician.

6. The question How come I have to fight so hard/when you just have to show your face? (lines 2122) illustrates the speakers a. b. c. d. passion. strength. frustration. sense of humour.

7. The repetition of the phrase just a tanned version of you is to emphasize the a. b. c. d. connection between skin colour and prejudice. desire for everyone to be tolerant of one another. differences between darker- and lighter-skinned people. similarities between darker- and lighter-skinned people.

8. A clue that this poem may reflect the speakers experiences is a. b. c. d. the use of the first person. the references to skin colour. the descriptions of cultural practices. the questions that are asked of the reader.

9. The speaker would probably say that stereotypes are caused by a. b. c. d. curiosity. ignorance. antagonism. indifference.

10. The word version in the title implies a. b. c. d. comparison. exaggeration. foreshadowing. personification.

WRITTEN-RESPONSE QUESTION Answer this question on the lines provided. Be sure to answer all parts of the question as completely as possible. Use your own ideas and provide support from the passage. Your answer should be about one-half to one page long. You have just read Banishing Blemishes and A Tanned Version. How are the points of view in these passages similar and different? Which point of view has more meaning to you and why?

PASSAGE #3 The computer is an important part of teen culture. This excerpt from a May 2000 article in Macleans offers a perspective on teenagers and Internet use.

The Wired Teen

1 The boy at the center of one of Canadas teen-hacker dramas was almost too perfect a stereotype. A Montreal computer whiz-kid pleaded guilty to playing havoc with data systems at NASA, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The 17-yearold former Boy Scout revealed in court that, since quitting school, he had spent up to 15 hours a day on the Internet on his home computer. This fuels a popular image: the teenage loner who takes refuge in cyberspace, unable to resist the allure of the Nets evil subcultures. But is he representative of Canadas teen Internet users? The answer, according to a survey on young people and the Internet is, emphatically, no. In fact, the study found that teenagers aged 12 to 17 who regularly go online are pretty normal they hold a broad range of interests, play sports, listen to the radio, read magazines and value friendships. As well, they say they use the net for relatively harmless purposes like chatting with their friends, getting the scoop on their favourite celebrities and doing their homework. According to the survey, designed by Northstar Research Partners for Youth Culture Inc., a Toronto-based media and research firm, boys go online for more than 10 hours a week, girls for eight hours. But far from isolating teens in a cybernetherworld, the Net has become a tool for expanding and enhancing most young peoples social connections. Instant messaging services like icq (for I seek you) allow users to get around the limitations of both telephone and email with a chat room-like format in which numerous people congregate. Instant messaging programs differ from chat-room websites in that users exercise more control over whom they communicate with by creating personalized chat lists. While many teens enjoy chatting with strangers, a surprising number simply want to talk to their friends. Moreover, the image of teens wandering aimlessly around the Web, tripping onto sinister sites and bumping into shady characters, may be misleading. Outside of socializing through e-mail, icq and chat rooms, the Youth Culture Survey found that doing homework is the single most popular reason teens identify for going online. This creative, two-way relationship with the Net may be behind one of the surveys most surprising findings: teens who use it are about as likely to click on the Net as they are to flick on the TV. While they tend to perceive television as relaxing, they also complain it can be a waste of time. Young people think of the Net, on the other hand, as a trendsetting medium that offers plenty of amusement.

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Patrick Thoburn, director of Internet strategy at Youth Culture, believes that young peoples identification with the Net is not just a phase they will outgrow. Rather, it represents a true generational shift. With the teen populationlargely the echo children of the baby boomers increasing 10 percent faster than Canadians overall, businesses face a challenge. Currently television swallows up 40 percent of the approximately $11 billion Canadian companies spend on advertising. Only a

fraction of a per cent makes it to the Net. If advertisers want to reach teens, they need to radically rethink their habits. The same goes for purchases online. Teens browse the Net to find out information about products, but only about 10 per cent have actually purchased something. Its just a lot easier going to the mall, says Tom Clarke, a Toronto 12-year-old. You go with all your friends. Youre not just sitting at home. Teens, it seems, are still teenson and off the Net.

What They Do on the Net Research (homework, business) Get information on favourite performing artists Play games Listen to music or download MP3 files Get music lyrics or scores Get information on favourite celebrities Join chat sessions or discussion groups Download software Use instant messaging Get sports information Browse or get product information Buy products online

Teens 93% 80% 75% 74% 72% 69% 68% 59% 59% 57% 46% 10%

Parents 67% 37% 38% 34% 33% 26% 27% 62% 29% 39% 75% 36%

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MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS FOR THE WIRED TEEN 1. In paragraph 1, the phrase playing havoc refers to a. b. c. d. skipping school. causing damage. downloading games. interpreting statistics.

2. The author implies that most teenagers who use the Internet are a. b. c. d. lonely. intelligent. well adjusted. easily influenced.

3. In paragraph 3, why is a specific reference made to Northstar Research Partners for Youth Culture? a. b. c. d. to indicate that the survey data is authentic to promote the company that supported the survey to show readers where they can get more information to highlight the involvement of young people in the survey

4. The article suggests that teenagers become more socially active through a. b. c. d. going out with friends. surfing a variety of websites. hanging out in groups in the mall. talking with friends on the Internet.

5. The reference to teens wandering aimlessly around the Web, tripping onto sinister sites and bumping into shady characters (paragraph 6) refers to a. b. c. d. a stereotype of young computer users. most teens attitudes about Internet use. an accurate reflection of teenage computer users. a warning that teens are unaware of Internet dangers.

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6. How will advertisers have to radically rethink their habits (paragraph 8)? a. b. c. d. They will have to sell more products online. They will have to advertise more on television. They will have to sell more products in shopping malls. They will have to target Internet advertising to teenagers.

7. How does the chart help you read this passage? a. b. c. d. It summarizes the information in the article. It offers additional information to the article. It provides a visual comparison to the article. It represents the information in the article in numbers.

8. About the same number of teens and parents use the Internet for a. b. c. d. playing games. doing research. downloading software. getting product information.

9. This article was probably written for a. b. c. d. teenagers interested in the Internet. parents concerned about their kids. students learning about computer uses. adults with a negative attitude toward teenagers.

10. What is the main idea of this article? a. b. c. d. Teens are absorbed by the attractions of the Internet. Teens use the Internet mainly for socializing in chat rooms. Teens should be interested in advertisements on the Internet. Teens typically are healthy and moderate computer Internet users.

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WRITTEN-RESPONSE QUESTION Answer this question on the lines provided. Be sure to answer all parts of the question as completely as possible. Use your own ideas and provide support from the passage. Your answer should be about one-half to one page long. The Wired Teen discusses a stereotype of teenagers and technology. Explain the stereotype of teenagers and technology that is discussed in the passage. Discuss how such stereotypes emerge and tell whether you think they are fair, based on your own knowledge and the information in the passage.

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