TNReady Bell Ringer Races for Middle Grades ELA

1. 50 Bell Ringer Races Middle Grades ELA Bell Ringer Races for the Reading Portion of TNReady • 50 Questions: Use as Bell Ringers throughout the Year aligned to TNReady Standards • Provide students with familiarity to the new TNReady test throughout the year while reinforcing and remediating key skills students in middle grades need to be successful in ELA. • Variety of TNReady Standards (coded by standard + question type here) • Answers, distractors, and explanations included for every question (sample here) • Passages included in student “Race Log” and in this PPT before question sets as “Passage Pit Stops” • Questions are either aligned to TNReady questions available on MICA, or are adapted from Florida/ Utah CCSS tests. (FL and UT use the same testing company as TN). • Student “Race Log” is included as a Word Document (with answers and notes via Microsoft Comments) for students to keep all year and fill out. Students can track correct answers, log explanations of correct answers, and read/ annotate passages. • While I recommend using this as practice throughout the year, you could also play it as a race review game where you have students hold up a “green” go sign when they have completed the question. • Incentivize students with a year-long theme/ competition based on racing! Key Features: Student Friendly Directions included here. Criteria for effectively explaining/ justifying an answer here. Teacher guide w/ standards, correct answers, question types, and passages beginning here. (All Q#s hyperlink to the slide.

2. Rules of the Race • You have a TNReady, Set Go Bell Ringer Race Logbook; this is the only one you get for the year. • It is your responsibility to bring this to class everyday. • These are the exact types of questions we will see on the test at the end of the year. • They are tough. • They are different. • I believe in YOU. • Some days when you come into class, a question # will be on the front screen. It’s your job to take out your logbook flip to that Q, and get started. • The texts are called “Passage Pit Stops” & they are all in your logbook. • You MUST have a main idea gist next to EVERY paragraph on a text. • No annotation = No Point • For each question, you will write in an answer and explain why your answer is correct. • You will learn (and get better) at using evidence to prove your point. • We will have 50 races this year! You keep track of your points on the front page. • Prizes!

3. Explaining an Answer Key Parts of an Explanation: Recap your answer A well-developed reason (or two), written in your own words, why your answer is right A direct quote from the text that connects to and proves your answer is correct. (There must be a clear link between your reason and your evidence.) A connection that tells your reader why your evidence proves you’re right. Exemplar: The purpose of the text is to entertain, which is the correct answer because this is a fictional text, and the author uses metaphors and dialogue to develop the characters. Author Colonel Sanders wrote, “The stars dove through the sky as the sun fell behind the horizon; Gemma looked at her mom and smiled naturally,” which is an example of the figurative language that Colonel Sanders used to engage and entertain his readers. Fill in the Blanks Explanation: ____________(summarize answer)___________ is the correct answer because _________(use your brain here  what is YOUR reasoning why it’s correct?)_______. ______________________(evidence from the text)________________________ is evidence showing that (or you could say proves that) ______________ is correct.

4. PASSAGE PIT STOP James “Jim” Bridger 1804-1881 (1) James Felix “Jim” Bridger’s life story is as interesting as the tall tales he used to tell. Bridger was born in Virginia in 1804. Later, his family moved to a farm near St. Louis, Missouri. At age fourteen, he went to work as a blacksmith’s apprentice. He learned how to make horseshoes and other products out of iron . (2) When Bridger was eighteen years old, he was the youngest member of a group that explored and mapped the Missouri River. As a part of the expedition, he was one of the first European American people to see the natural wonders of what is now Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone was the first in a long  line of landscapes that Bridger was to encounter before others. While spending the winter of 1824–25 in what is now Cove, Utah, members of the team Bridger was with argued about which direction they thought the Bear River went. The team chose Bridger to explore the river. He ended up at the Great Salt Lake, which he mistook for an inlet of the Pacific Ocean because of the lake’s saltiness. For many years, people assumed Bridger was the first non-Native American to discover the Great Salt Lake. However, some now think that Etienne Provost, a French- Canadian trapper, may have seen it first. (3) Using the skills  he learned while exploring the Missouri, Bridger became very good at trapping beavers for their furs, also called “pelts.” By 1830, Bridger became part owner of a company that specialized in beaver trapping. Beaver pelts were very popular for hats and clothing at the time. (4) Bridger’s  success at trapping—as well as the growing number of people moving to the western part of America—led to the building of a trading post and fort near the Green River in Wyoming. It became known as Fort Bridger. Many people passed the fort as they traveled west on the Oregon Trail. Often, the settlers stopped to buy supplies, get their wagons fixed, and hear Jim Bridger’s stories. He became famous for telling tall tales to the people passing through. (5) Bridger’s stories were funny, extravagant, and often unbelievable. He would tell stories of glass mountains, “peetrified” birds singing “peetrified” songs, and talk about days when Pike’s Peak was just a hole in the ground. These outrageous stories  were told both to tease new arrivals from the east and to amuse the locals who knew they weren’t true. (6) The  Rocky Mountains were largely unexplored and Bridger spent many years hiking them and trapping animals. In his travels, he learned a great deal about the terrain and wildlife of the area. Because of his knowledge and skills, he became a valued guide. People often hired him to lead them across the mountains. (7) In  1850, Bridger found a short cut through the mountains of Wyoming through the Rocky Mountains. This path became known as Bridger’s Pass. Because the pass shortened trips by sixty-one miles, settlers moving west frequently used it. In addition, the pass later became part of the Union Pacific Railroad. The Union Pacific was part of the Transcontinental Railroad, the first railroad to cross America from coast to coast. (8) Bridger spent twenty years working as a guide. When he retired, he went back to Missouri to live on a farm, where he died in 1881 at the  age of seventy-seven. Jim Bridger is remembered for being a skilled mountain man and storyteller. Today, there are many places in the American West named in honor of Jim Bridger. (Adapted from Florida Standards Assessment, July 2014)

5. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #1: What is the central idea of the passage? A. Jim Bridger had several careers throughout his life. B. Jim Bridger was an interesting and adventurous person. C. A daring life can make a person into a great storyteller. D. The Oregon Trail would have been more difficult without Jim Bridger.

6. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #2: How does the author introduce Jim Bridger in the passage? A. By mentioning the tall tales he often told. B. By mentioning a few of the places he discovered. C. By describing his first career as a blacksmith’s apprentice. D. By describing the details of his first trip exploring the country.

7. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Classification Question #3: Match the events about Jim Bridger’s life to the correct years on the timeline. A. Reached the Great Salt Lake B. Retired to Missouri C. Discovered shortcut through the Rocky Mountains D. Became part owner of beaver-trapping company E. Began exploring the Missouri River

8. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #4: (Q5 extends Q4) Which statement describes Bridger’s importance as an explorer? A. Bridger has many talents besides exploring: blacksmithing, trapping, and story telling. B. By the time Bridger reached his fifties, he was an experienced explorer. C. Bridger was the first European-American explorer to discover much of the West. D. Bridger spent many years hiking and traveling the Rocky Mountains.

9. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #5: (Q5 extends Q4) Which statement from the passage supports the response in Question 4 (Which statement describes Bridger’s importance as an explorer)? A. “At age 14, he went to work as a blacksmith’s apprentice.” B. “Yellowstone was the first in a long line of landscapes that Bridger was to encounter before others.” C. “For many years, people assumed Bridger discovered the Great Salt Lake.” D. “Because of his knowledge and skills, he became a valued guide.”

10. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Select Question #6: What 3 details can the reader get from the map and the passage? A. The state where Bridger died B. The route of Bridger’s travels C. The location of Bridger’s pass D. The state where Bridger was born E. A place that was named after Bridger

11. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Writing Task/Open Response Question #7: Why does the author use the word “peetrified” instead of “petrified” in this sentence? He would tell stories of glass mountains, “peetrified” birds singing “peetrified” songs, and talk about the days when Pike’s Peak was just a hole in the ground. Write your response in the space provided on your Race Logbook.

12. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: M Question #8: The root word of terrain is terra, which means earth. Based on this information, what does the word terrain mean as it is used in the passage. “In his travels, he learned a great deal about the terrain and wildlife of the area.” (Paragraph 7) A. A type of soil B. A rugged area C. Plants and animals D. Features of the land

13. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #9: (Q10 extends Q9) What is the meaning of extravagant as it is used in this sentence from the passage? “Bridger’s stories were funny, extravagant, and often unbelievable.” (Paragraph 6) A. Reckless B. Wasteful C. Generous D. Larger than life

14. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Select Text Question #10: (Q10 extends Q9) Select two words or phrases from the passage that help readers determine the meaning of the word extravagant. Bridger’s stories were funny, extravagant, and often unbelievable. He would tell stories of glass mountains, “peetrified” birds singing “peetrified” songs, and talk about days when Pike’s Peak was just a hole in the ground. These outrageous stories were told both to tease new arrivals from the east and amuse the locals who knew they weren’t true.

15. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Classification Question #11: Select 3 sentences to create an objective summary of the passage. Order the sentences so the summary reflects the arrangement of ideas in the passage. Choose 3 statements that best objectively summarize the passage.

16. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Select & Change Text Question #12: There are 3 highlights in the passage to show which word or phrase may be incorrect. For each highlight, correct the potential error and write it on your Race Logbook. Have you ever wondered how a relatively thin sleeping bag, jacket, or comforter filled with down can be so warm? Down feathers are the light, soft feathers found beneath the tougher exterior feathers of birds. Their loose structure allows them to trap air, and this insulation keeps the bird warm. In the same way, humans use down as insulation in many everyday projects that keep (1) who warm. People have been using down feathers in this way for centuries. Though (2) various feathers from species of birds were used in the past the most common source today is the domestic goose. Most of the supply comes from (3) China, and while the rest mostly originates in Europe and Canada.

17. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Select & Change Text Question #13: There are 2 highlights in the passage to show which word or phrase may be incorrect. For each highlight, correct the potential error and write it on your Race Logbook. How do you know whether your jacket or pillow is actually lined with down? The Federal Trade Commission, which (1) promote consumer (2) protection mandates that products labeled “100% Down” must contain nothing but down feathers. If you just see “Down” on the label, this indicates there is a mixture of both fiber and feathers. A label of “Goose Down” signifies a composition of at least 90% goose feathers.

18. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Select & Change Text Question #14: There are 2 highlights in the passage to show which word or phrase may be incorrect. For each highlight, correct the potential error and write it on your Race Logbook. In 1895, a man named William G. Morgan invented a game he called Mintonette. He modeled it on two other sports; tennis and handball. Named for for the volleys exchanged between the two (1) teams. This game soon became known as volleyball. Indoor volleyball is often played on a court; outdoor volleyball can be played on the beach or on the grass. Today (2) this has many different variations, such as footvolley and Hooverball. In footvolley (played using a soccer ball), which is from Brazil, players use everything but (3) his or her hands. Hooverball is played with a heavy medicine ball, which is caught and thrown back rather than hit across the net.

19. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Select & Change Text Question #15: There are 2 highlights in the passage to show which word or phrase may be incorrect. For each highlight, correct the potential error and write it on your Race Logbook. Volleyball, which is popular in many countries around (1) the world, have been an Olympic sport since 1964. Brazil, the United States, and Russia are (2) frequant finalists in the competition. In 2008 the U.S. men’s team beat Brazil for the gold medal.

20. PASSAGE PIT STOP Audio Script: [Orientation Statement] Listen to this science podcast. (1) Pluto was in charge of the  underworld in Roman mythology. Maybe the fact that the planet is so far from the Sun and is in perpetual cold and darkness is the reason why the planet Pluto was given this name. Pluto was discovered in 1930, by accident. (2) Calculations had been made that predicted the existence of a planet past Neptune. This prompted Clyde W. Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Arizona to start scanning the  night sky. The original calculations turned out to be wrong, but (voice actor: emphasis on “but”) Tombaugh found Pluto as a result of his scan. (3) Since 1930, Pluto was deemed the 9th planet in our solar system. For 76 years the small planet that takes 248 years to complete its orbit around the Sun was the farthest outlier of a 9-planet system. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union demoted Pluto from full planet status to a “dwarf planet.” The reasoning for this is that Pluto’s gravity is not strong enough to clear away objects that are in the path of its orbit. In other words, Pluto just isn’t big enough. An unexpected outcry followed, textbooks had to be rewritten, long-held beliefs were shattered, and many people felt that something important was being taken away from them. However, Pluto’s reclassification also brought two more dwarf planets with it: Ceres and Eris. (4) The IAU has said that Pluto is the prototype for a ‘new class of Trans=Neptunian Objects’ which will be called ‘plutoids.’ To the IAU, Pluto’s reclassification is simply part of our ongoing process of learning about the universe. (Adapted from Florida Standards Assessment, July 2014)

21. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Select Question #16: Select two quotations from the podcast that indicate why the IAU demoted Pluto from full planet status to “dwarf planet.” A. “… the planet is so far from the Sun and is in perpetual cold darkness…” B. “… the small planet that takes 248 years to complete its orbit around the sun was the farthest outlier of a 9-planet system.” C. “…Pluto’s gravity is not strong enough to clear away objects that are in the path of its orbit.” D. “…Pluto just isn’t big enough.” E. “…Pluto’s reclassification also brought two more dwarf planets with it…”

22. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #17: According to the podcast, what was the controversy about Pluto? A. Who discovered it B. When it was discovered C. Whether it should be considered a planet D. Which mythological figure it was named after

23. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #18: According to the podcast, for how many years was Pluto considered a planet? A. 76 B. 248 C. 1930 D. 2006

24. PASSAGE PIT STOP James “Jim” Bridger 1804-1881 (1) James Felix “Jim” Bridger’s life story is as interesting as the tall tales he used to tell. Bridger was born in Virginia in 1804. Later, his family moved to a farm near St. Louis, Missouri. At age fourteen, he went to work as a blacksmith’s apprentice. He learned how to make horseshoes and other products out of iron . (2) When Bridger was eighteen years old, he was the youngest member of a group that explored and mapped the Missouri River. As a part of the expedition, he was one of the first European American people to see the natural wonders of what is now Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone was the first in a long  line of landscapes that Bridger was to encounter before others. While spending the winter of 1824–25 in what is now Cove, Utah, members of the team Bridger was with argued about which direction they thought the Bear River went. The team chose Bridger to explore the river. He ended up at the Great Salt Lake, which he mistook for an inlet of the Pacific Ocean because of the lake’s saltiness. For many years, people assumed Bridger was the first non-Native American to discover the Great Salt Lake. However, some now think that Etienne Provost, a French- Canadian trapper, may have seen it first. (3) Using the skills  he learned while exploring the Missouri, Bridger became very good at trapping beavers for their furs, also called “pelts.” By 1830, Bridger became part owner of a company that specialized in beaver trapping. Beaver pelts were very popular for hats and clothing at the time. (4) Bridger’s  success at trapping—as well as the growing number of people moving to the western part of America—led to the building of a trading post and fort near the Green River in Wyoming. It became known as Fort Bridger. Many people passed the fort as they traveled west on the Oregon Trail. Often, the settlers stopped to buy supplies, get their wagons fixed, and hear Jim Bridger’s stories. He became famous for telling tall tales to the people passing through. (5) Bridger’s stories were funny, extravagant, and often unbelievable. He would tell stories of glass mountains, “peetrified” birds singing “peetrified” songs, and talk about days when Pike’s Peak was just a hole in the ground. These outrageous stories  were told both to tease new arrivals from the east and to amuse the locals who knew they weren’t true. (6) The  Rocky Mountains were largely unexplored and Bridger spent many years hiking them and trapping animals. In his travels, he learned a great deal about the terrain and wildlife of the area. Because of his knowledge and skills, he became a valued guide. People often hired him to lead them across the mountains. (7) In  1850, Bridger found a short cut through the mountains of Wyoming through the Rocky Mountains. This path became known as Bridger’s Pass. Because the pass shortened trips by sixty-one miles, settlers moving west frequently used it. In addition, the pass later became part of the Union Pacific Railroad. The Union Pacific was part of the Transcontinental Railroad, the first railroad to cross America from coast to coast. (8) Bridger spent twenty years working as a guide. When he retired, he went back to Missouri to live on a farm, where he died in 1881 at the  age of seventy-seven. Jim Bridger is remembered for being a skilled mountain man and storyteller. Today, there are many places in the American West named in honor of Jim Bridger. (Adapted from Florida Standards Assessment, July 2014)

25. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Matching Table Question #19: Match each quotation from the passage with what it shows about Bridger. Check all boxes that are correct.

26. PASSAGE PIT STOP The Osage Firebird By SudiptaBardhan (1) As a child, Betty Marie Tallchief listened for hours to her grandmother’s stories of fire spirits and animals that could talk. Much of what Betty Marie knew about her Osage heritage came from Grandmother Tall Chieft. She never forgot the tales, or the pride, that she learned at her grandmother’s feet. (2) Born in 1925, Betty Marie spent part of her childhood on an Osage reservation in Oklahoma. She saw herself as a “typical Indian girl--- shy, docile, introverted.” Ballet brought her out of her shell. She took her first ballet lesson when she was four years old. From that moment, Betty Marie had her heart set on becoming a ballerina. (3) Betty Marie soon became a local star, performing at rodeos and county fairs. Her natural talent made it easy for her to learn everything taught by her hometown dance instructor. But Betty Marie soon learned that having talent wasn’t enough to make her a success. There was always more work to do. (4) One instructor said that despite her talent, she hadn’t properly learned the basics. “He insisted we go back to the beginning,” she explained. At first, Betty Marie was frustrated by this criticism. But she soon realized that no matter how well she danced, she could always do better. (5) Betty Marie’s skills grew and grew. People in the world of dancing considered her special. But outside that world, sometimes she encountered prejudice. When the Tallchief family moved from the reservation to California, Betty Marie was teased because she was Native American. (6) “At Beverly Vista School I was made to feel different,” she remembers. “Some of the students made fun of my last name. A few made war whoops whenever they saw me, and asked why I didn’t wear feathers.” Though being singled out because of her race bothered Betty Marie, the teasing did not lessen her pride in being Osage Indian. She would still announce her name to the new classmates with pleasure—Tallchief. (7) Maria Tallchief went on to do great things as a dancer. She became prima ballerina of the New York City Ballet. In 1953, President Eisenhower honored Tallchief, naming her “Woman of the Year.” The same year, the state of Oklahoma declared June 29 “Maria Tallchief Day.” She was given a special title by the Osage tribe. Grandmother Tall Chief chose the title, naming Betty Marie Wa-Xth-Thonba, which means “woman of two worlds.” (8) In her long career, Tallchief’s most famous performance was in The Firebird. Based on a Russian folktale, this ballet tells the story of a strange creature that is half woman and half bird. Those who watcher her perform said that Tallchief had achieved the unbelievable – she had truly become a bird of fire. As she danced, Tallchief must have remembered her grandmother’s voice recounting the Osage legends of fire spirits walking the earth. Performing The Firebird, Tallchief combined her heritage with the ballet, and truly became a woman of two worlds. (Adapted from Arkansas Augmented Benchmark Examination, April 2010)

27. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Classification Question #20: Place the details in the correct order to create an accurate summary of the passage. Place the correct letter next to each number. 1.______ 2. ______ 3. ______ 4. ______ 5. ______ 6. ______

28. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #21: How did paragraph 4 most contribute to the development of the passage? A. It sets up Betty Marie’s continued frustration with her environment. B. It describes how Betty Marie developed a relationship with her ballet teacher. C. It explains how Betty Marie developed the mindset that she could always improve to reach her goals. D. It shows that Betty Marie did not have the raw talent to make it in the cutthroat ballet world.

29. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #22: Select the statement that best represents the contribution of the opening paragraph to the passage. A. The paragraph introduces Betty Marie’s grandmother, a key figure in her development. B. The paragraph introduces readers to Betty Marie’s unique heritage including the significance of fire spirits and animals. C. The paragraph gives background information on Betty Marie’s childhood. D. The paragraph offers information about Grandmother Tall Chief’s stories.

30. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #23: What is most likely the author’s main purpose for writing this passage? A. To fictionalize a real historic event. B. To persuade readers to try taking a ballet class. C. To provide information about a famous ballerina. D. To entertain readers with an interesting story about Betty Marie’s Osage heritage.

31. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Classification Question #24: Match each quotation from the passage with what it shows about Betty Marie. Check all boxes that are correct.

32. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #25: Which would be the best alternative title for this passage? A. Woman of Two Worlds B. Osage Ballerina C. Prima Ballerina Embracing Roots D. Award-Winning Osage Ballerina

33. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Select Question #26: Select two statements from the passage that best reflect how Betty Marie is portrayed in the beginning of the passage. A. As a child, Betty  Marie Tallchief listened for hours to her grandmother’s stories of fire spirits and animals that could talk.   B. She saw herself as a “typical Indian girl--- shy, docile, introverted. C. Grandmother Tall Chief chose the title, naming Betty Marie Wa-Xth-Thonba, which means “woman of two worlds.” D. She took her first ballet lesson when she was four years old. E. But Betty Marie soon learned that having talent wasn’t enough to make her a success.

34. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Select Question #27: Select the two statements that best express central ideas of the passage. A. Betty Marie became a Prima Ballerina in New York City B. Ballet caused Betty Marie to develop into a young woman. C. Betty Marie is a dancer with an Osage heritage. D. Through ballet, Betty Marie successfully pursued her passion and explored her heritage. E. Betty Marie embraced her Osage heritage in the face of bullies and on stage as a ballerina.

35. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Select & Change Text from Drop Down Question #28: Select the most appropriate correction for the highlighted portion of the text below. Modern rollercoasters can reach awesome heights of over 300 feet and speeds of nearly 100 MPH through terrifying drops and loops the basic mechanics present since the first roller coasters still apply, however. A. loops theB. loops; the C. loops, the D loops, and the

36. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Select & Change Text from Drop Down Question #29: There are 2 highlights in the passage to show which word or phrase may be incorrect. For each highlight, select the correct answer choice from the lists below. The rides themselves, the cars on the track, (1) are not fueled or powered by electricity like an electric train. (2) Move mostly by gravity and momentum. 1. 2. A. do not fuel or power A. Move mostly B. are not fueling or powering B. Move, mostly, C. are neither fueled nor powered C. Mostly moved D. are not fueled or powered D. They are mostly moved

37. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Select & Change Text from Drop Down Question #30: Select the most appropriate correction for the highlighted portion of the text below. A system of chains and links under a rollercoaster track is used to pull the cart up high, and then they release on a downhill path. Momentum and G-force keep the cars moving and the riders in their seats through upside-down twists and loops. they are released they release they will be released they would be released

38. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Select & Change Text from Drop Down Question #31: Select the most appropriate correction for the highlighted portion of the text below. Some rollercoaster track designs use a system of catapults like slingshots or wheels to get the cars moving. A. catapults… like slingshots… or wheels B. catapults like slingshots or wheels C. Catapults -- like slingshots -- or wheels D. catapults, like slingshots, or wheels

39. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Select & Change Text from Drop Down Question #32: Select the most appropriate correction for the highlighted portion of the text below. Veterinarians often treat a variety of different cases in a single day who work in rural areas. There are not always specialized animal hospitals in these areas, so the local doctor might provide more complicated medical care than he or she would in developed areas. A. Veterinarians often treat a variety of different cases in a single day who work in rural areas. B. Veterinarians who work in rural areas often treat a variety of different cases in a single workday. C. Veterinarians in a single day often treat a variety of different cases who work in rural areas. D. Veterinarians often treat a variety of different cases who work in rural areas in a single day.

40. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Select & Change Text Question #33: There are 2 highlights in the passage to show which word or phrase may be incorrect. For each highlight, correct the potential error and write it on your Race Logbook. Accountants prepare and examine financial records. They ensure records are (1) accurrateand that taxes are paid properly and on time. Accountants also check financial records to help ensure (2) organzationsrun smoothly.

41. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Select & Change Text Question #34: There are 2 highlights in the passage to show which word or phrase may be incorrect. For each highlight, correct the potential error and write it on your Race Logbook. In addition to examining and preparing financial (1) documentation accountants must explain their findings. Accountants check financial (2) operations; and work to help ensure that companies run efficiently.

42. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Select & Change Text Question #35: There are 2 highlights in the passage to show which word or phrase may be incorrect. For each highlight, correct the potential error and write it on your Race Logbook. Most accountants work in offices, although some work from home. The work tends to be fast-paced and can be stressful. Although they complete much of their work (1) alone; they sometimes work in teams with other accountants. Accountants may travel to their (2) clients place of business.

43. PASSAGE PIT STOP New Year’s Day (1) January 1 is New Year’s Day, a time when people around the world pause to reflect on the year gone by and the new year just beginning . January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was associated with doorways and gates. He was pictured as having two faces looking in opposite directions, back to the past and ahead to the future. This image symbolized standing at a threshold in time, and it was important to cross through the “right way” to produce favorable outcomes. Thus, the various traditions of stepping into a new year all contain expressions of people’s highest hopes and wishes. (2) In the United States, for instance , one of the most popular traditions is to make New Year’s resolutions. A resolution is simply an agreement with yourself to change something about your life for the better. Some people resolve to be kinder or to work harder. Some resolve to exercise more or to donate money to a good cause. A new year is like a clean sheet of paper to draw blueprints for a fresh vision. (3) In  Brazil, it is believed that the color clothes you wear will bring you certain things in the next year. If you wear green you will have a healthy year, while wearing yellow means that you will have prosperity and success. If you want romance, you should wear red, and you should wear white for a new beginning. However, you should not wear black, as that will bring you sorrow in the New Year; black should only be worn to occasions like funerals or when delivering a eulogy. (4) In  Denmark, people believe that you should literally leap into the new year for good luck. At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, you should be standing on a chair or another piece of furniture and jump off just as midnight arrives! Another New Year’s tradition in Denmark is to break a plate or other piece of china against the front door of a friend’s house to bring them luck. (5) On  the other side of the world in the Philippines, it is considered lucky to turn on every light in the house as midnight approaches on New Year’s Eve, along with opening all the doors and windows to let good luck in. You should also wear polka dots and eat something with long noodles in it, as long noodles will bring you money in the coming year. (6) From  Scotland comes the tradition of first-footing, which is also associated with the new year. Folklore holds that the first person to enter your house on New Year’s Day brings the luck for the new year. Therefore it’s important what the first guest looks like and what he or she brings. It’s thought that a tall, dark-haired man is especially lucky. If he has coins in his pockets, he brings wealth. If he has bread or other food, it means that there will be enough food all year. If he brings salt, it means the year will be full of good things. Some people in Scotland make sure that they invite a tall, dark-haired male friend to come over, and he may have to go all over the neighborhood from one house to the next bringing luck!      (7) An American New Year’s tradition is cleaning. New Year’s is a day to clean your house so that it will be neat and tidy to start the year. It’s especially important to clean up from the winter holiday celebrations just passed, to put things away and sweep the house so that you  are starting fresh in January. Some people put out a new doormat on New Year’s Day to signify welcome for the people who will cross the threshold in the new year.      (8) There are many different traditions to celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1. It is a time of looking forward and back, a time  for fresh beginnings. How do you celebrate the new year?

44. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #36: (Q37 extends Q36) What is one central idea of New Year’s Day? A. January, which gets its name from the Roman god Janus, is a time to walk through new doorways toward fresh beginnings. B. New Years is a holiday about fresh starts celebrated worldwide via different traditions determine by country and heritage. C. Brazil celebrates New Years by wearing clothing that symbolizes different pieces of good luck; it is an unintelligent choice to make colors stand for luck. D. New Years is the best yearly holiday because it rings in January, the symbol of fresh starts.

45. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Select Question #37: (Q37 extends Q36) Which two statements from the passage supports the response in Question 36 (What is the central idea of New Year’s Day)? A. “There are many different traditions to celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1.” B. “He was pictured as having two faces looking in opposite directions, back to the past and ahead to the future.” C. “January 1 is New Year’s Day, a time when people around the world pause to reflect on the year gone by and the new year just beginning.”    D. “Some people put out a new doormat on New Year’s Day to signify welcome for the people who will cross the threshold in the new year.” E. “Some people resolve to be kinder or to work harder. Some resolve to exercise more or to donate money to a good cause.”

46. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Classification Question #38: Place the details in the correct order to create an accurate summary of the passage. Place the correct letter next to each number. 1.______ 2. ______ 3. ______ 4. ______ 5. ______ 6. ______

47. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Select Question #39: Select two sentences from the passage that best represent how New Years traditions hold symbolic meanings of restarting and refreshing in a new year. A. “New Year’s is a day to clean your house so that it will be neat and tidy to start the year.” B. “January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was associated with doorways and gates.” C. “A resolution is simply an agreement with yourself to change something about your life for the better.” D. “…it is considered lucky to turn on every light in the house as midnight approaches on New Year’s Eve, along with opening all the doors and windows to let good luck in.” E. “Some people resolve to be kinder or to work harder.”

48. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #40: Select the sentence or phrase from paragraph 6 that best defines what first-footing is. A. “It’s thought that a tall, dark-haired man is especially lucky.” B. “Some people in Scotland make sure that they invite a tall, dark-haired male friend to come over.” C. “If he has bread or other food, it means that there will be enough food all year.” D. “Folklore holds that the first person to enter your house on New Year’s Day brings the luck for the new year.”

49. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Classification Question #41: Use the list below to fill in the chart with two characteristics for the traditions of each country. There may be more than one answer per country, and there may not be an answer for every country. Fill in the letters next to the numbers on your Race Logbook. A. If he comes to your home with bread, the tradition says you will have enough food for the year. B. People here set goals like eating better, making more friends, or staying on a budget. C. People here may break dishware against a friend’s door for good luck. D. People here do not wear black on New Years because the tradition says it brings bad luck. E. People here sweep their homes. F. People here leap into the new year.

50. Bell Ringer Race Question Type: Multiple Choice Question #42: The root word of eulogy is log, which means word, speech, or thought. Based on this information, what does the word eulogy mean as it is used in the passage. “However, you should not wear black, as that will bring you sorrow in the New Year; black should only be worn to occasions like funerals or when delivering a eulogy.” (Paragraph 3) A. A bouquet of flowers to express sympathy B. A type of funeral. C. When a person accidentally says a thought aloud they didn’t intend to share. D. A speech typically given after someone died