Winning is Her Goal
By Marty Kaminsky
1 Which sentence from the selection is an opinion?
Ο A. She is also one of the most unselfish players.
Ο B. She has scored more goals than anyone else.
Ο C. Mia started playing soccer when she was six.
Ο D. No one that young had ever played on the national team.
Critical Thinking 9: Analyze author’s purpose and evaluate
effectiveness for different audiences (includes fact/opinion; author’s
style, tone, and use of persuasive devices)
(Reading GLEs 2.4.2, 2.4.3, 2.4.4)
2 Read the sentence below from paragraph 7 and provide a synonym
for the word intense.
But when she steps onto the field, she is intense and she
can be a vocal leader.
Synonym: _________________________
Comprehension 4: Understand and apply content vocabulary critical to
the meaning of the text
(Reading GLE 1.3.2)
1
A 1-point response may include: strong
Text-based details may include, but are not limited to:
A. Strong
B. Passionate
3 According to the selection, how is Mia’s personality off the soccer field
different than her personality on the soccer field?
Ο A. Off the soccer field Mia is intense; on the soccer field Mia is shy.
Ο B. Off the soccer field Mia is shy; on the soccer field Mia is intense.
Ο C. Off the soccer field Mia is friendly; on the soccer field Mia is selfish.
Ο D. Off the soccer field Mia is unselfish; on the soccer field Mia is quiet.
Analysis 6: Compare and contrast using elements of the text(s)
(Reading GLEs 2.3.1, 2.4.6)
4 Explain why Mia became the youngest member of the national
team. Include two details from the selection in your answer.
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Analysis 7: Make connections (cause and effect) within a text
(Reading GLE 2.3.1)
2 A 2-point response provides two text-based details to explain why Mia
became the youngest member of the national team.
Example: Mia started playing soccer when she was as young as 6. Her
great speed made her a valuable player.
1 A 1-point response provides one text-based detail to explain why Mia
became the youngest member of the national team.
Text-based details may include, but are not limited to:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Mia started playing soccer when she was six
She played (soccer) with her older brother
Basketball and baseball helped her meet new friends
(Sports) helped her build confidence in herself
Mia became good at soccer
Hard work
Great speed
24 Explain why Mia became the youngest member of the national
team. Include two details from the selection in your answer.
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E. …she
was a great soccer player…
B. …she became good by playing with her older brother.
F. …She worked hard…
This response provides more than two text-based details to explain
why Mia Hamm became the youngest member of the national team.
24 Explain why Mia became the youngest member of the national
team. Include two details from the selection in your answer.
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F. …she worked very hard to became good at it…
D. …because she built up her confidence.
This response provides two text-based details to explain why Mia
Hamm became the youngest member of the national team.
14 Explain why Mia became the youngest member of the national
team. Include two details from the selection in your answer.
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A. …ever sens six years old.
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This response provides one text-based detail to explain why Mia
Hamm became the youngest member of the national team. The idea
she “has scored more goals than anyone else” came as a result of her
accomplishments on the national team. For this reason this detail does
not receive credit.
14 Explain why Mia became the youngest member of the national
team. Include two details from the selection in your answer.
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G. …she was fast…
This response provides one text-based detail to explain why Mia
Hamm became the youngest member of the national team.
04 Explain why Mia became the youngest member of the national
team. Include two details from the selection in your answer.
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This response does not provide a text-based detail to explain why Mia
Hamm became the youngest member of the national team. The idea
she “was fifteen” does not answer the question.
04 Explain why Mia became the youngest member of the national
team. Include two details from the selection in your answer.
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This response does not provide a text-based detail to explain why Mia
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Hamm became the youngest member of the national team. The idea
she “was an unselfish player” came as a result of her accomplishments
on the national team. For this reason, this detail does not answer the
question.
5 Which sentence best summarizes the selection?
Ο A. Mia’s training with Coach DiCicco taught her to work hard and be
part of a team.
Ο B. Mia’s travels with her family gave her the opportunity to play
soccer in many countries.
Ο C. Mia’s experience playing sports growing up helped her become a
world-class soccer player.
Ο D. Mia’s participation in ballet class gave her confidence to try out for
the Unites States Soccer Team.
Comprehension 2: Summarize with evidence from the text
(Reading GLE 2.1.7)
6 Who might benefit most from reading this selection?
Ο A. A young person who wants to learn how to play soccer
Ο B. A young person who wants to study the importance of teamwork
Ο C. A young person who wants to read about the Women’s World Cup
Ο D. A young person who wants to score more soccer goals than other
players
Critical Thinking 11: Extend information beyond text (make
generalizations beyond the text to a broader idea or concept, or
apply information to other texts and situations, and support the
generalization with details from the text)
(Reading GLEs 2.4.1, 2.4.5)