Practice Test
HIGH SCHOOL SET#1
LAFS ALIGNED
FSA Question Answer Key & Breakdown
Paired Passages – Informational Text
How to Become a Straight-A Student & Study Challenges
Reading
Topic
LAFS
Answer
1
2
Point of View
910.RI.2.6
B
Central Idea
910.RI.1.2
Part A: C
Part B: A
3
Text Evidence
910.RI.1.1
B
4
Word Meaning
910.RI.2.4
Part A: D
Part B: D
5
Text Evidence
910.RI.1.1
C
6
Comparing Text
910.RI.3.7
C,D&H
7
Structure
910.RI.2.6
A
8
Author’s Purpose
910.RI.2.6
Part A: B
Part B: D
9
Inference
910.RI.1.1
D
10
Comparing Text
910.RI.3.7
D
11
Text Evidence
910.RI.1.1
C
12
Claim
910.RI.2.5
D
Created by The Small Classroom Copyright © 2020
Reading
Topic
LAFS
Answer
13
14
Inference
910.RI.1.1
Author’s Purpose
910.RI.2.6
A
B
Structure
910.RI.2.6
Comparing Text
910.RI.3.7
15
16
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C
A
Read the passages “How to Become a Straight-A Student” and “Study Challenges,”an
dthen answer
Numbers 1 through 16.
Passage 1: How to Become a Straight-A Student
Excerpt by Cal Newport
1 As humans, our minds have evolved to prefer short-term tasks such as “run away from that lion”
or “eat food.” Therefore, when you walk into the library on a Sunday morning with the goal of
finishing all of your homework and writing a paper, your brain isn’t happy. The idea of spending
eight consecutive hours trapped in a study carrel is dispiriting. Plus, it’s hard to focus for that long,
so pretty soon fatigue will set in, your concentration will wander, and every distraction will
suddenly seem impossibly appealing. Before you know it, the day will be over and you'll realize
that you haven’t accomplished much productive work at all. The next day, new assignments will
pile onto those you didn’t finish on Sunday, and the tedious process starts all over again.
2 Jason, a straight–A student from the University of Pennsylvania, uses the term “pseudo–working”
to describe this common approach to studying. The pseudo–worker looks and feels like someone
who is working hard—he or she spends a long time in the library and is not afraid to push on late
into the night—but, because of a lack of focus and concentration, doesn't actually accomplish
much. This bad habit is endemic on most college campuses. For example, at Dartmouth there
was a section of the main library that was open twenty–four hours a day, and the students I used
to see in there late at night huddled in groups, gulping coffee and griping about their hardships,
were definitely pseudo–working. The roommate who flips through her chemistry notes on the
couch while watching TV is pseudo–working. The guy who brings three meals, a blanket, and sixpack of Red Bull to the study lounge in preparation for an all-day paper–writing marathon is also
pseudo–working. By placing themselves in distracting environments and insisting on working in
long tedious stretches, these students are crippling their brain’s ability to think clearly and
efficiently accomplish the task at hand. The result is fatigue headaches and lackluster outcomes.
3 The bigger problem here is that most students don't even realize that they're pseudo–working. To
them pseudo–work is work—it's how they've always done it, and it's how all of their friends do it. It
never crosses their mind that there might be a better way. Straight–A students, on the other
hand, know all about pseudo–work. They fear it, and for good reason. It not only wastes time, but
it's also mentally draining. There is just no way to be well–balanced, happy, and academically
successful if you’re regularly burning through your free hours in long, painful stretches of inefficient
studying. The students I interviewed for this book emphasized again and again the importance of
avoiding this trap. In fact, when asked what one skill was most important in becoming a non–
grind straight–A student, most of them cited the ability to get work done quickly and with a
minimum of wasted effort.
4 So how do these students achieve this goal? A big part of the solution is timing—they gain
efficiency by compressing work into focused bursts. To understand the power of this approach,
consider the following simple formula: work accomplished = time spent x intensity of focus
5 Pseudo-work features a very low intensity of focus. Therefore, to accomplish something by
pseudo-working, you need to spend a lot of time. The straight–A approach, on the other hand,
maximizes intensity in order to minimize time. For example, let's rank intensity on a scale of 1 to 10
(with 10 being the most intense). Assume it takes ten hours to finish studying for a test by pseudoworking with a low intensity score of 3. According to our formula, this same amount of work can
be accomplished in only three one-hour bursts, each with an intensity of 10. The work that took
you all day Sunday to complete could instead be finished by studying an hour after breakfast, an
hour after lunch, and an hour after dinner—the rest of the day being free for you to relax!
Excerpt from How to Become a Straight-A Student by Cal Newport. Copyright © 2007 by Cal Newport. This text was used in fair use.
Passage 2: Study Challenges
by Chancellor's Office of California Community Colleges
6 Discipline, responsibility, motivation—these are characteristics that all students need in order to
get the most they can out of their classes. But online students sometimes face additional
challenges because of the degree of independence that the online learning system grants
them. This is why it's so important for you to be able to honestly and effectively assess your own
strengths and weaknesses when it comes to your study skills and habits, and to develop a process
for yourself that will enable you to be most effective.
Step 1: Time Management
7 One of the first things you'll want to do is to identify how you manage your time.
PERSONALITY TYPE: The Early Bird
8 Traits: You like to make checklists and feel great satisfaction when you can cross something off
ofyour to-do list. When it comes to assignments, you want to get started as soon as possible (and
maybe start brainstorming before that), because it lets you stay in control.
9 Strengths: You know what you want and are driven to figure out how to achieve it. Motivation is
never really a problem for you.
10 Challenges: Sometimes you can get more caught up in getting things done as quickly as possible
and don't give yourself enough time to really mull over issues in all of their complexity.
11 Tips for Success: You're extremely organized and on top of your schoolwork, so make sure you
take time to really enjoy learning in your classes. Remember, school isn't all deadlines and
checkboxes—you also have the opportunity to think about big picture intellectual problems that
don't necessarily have clear answers.
PERSONALITY TYPE: The Balancing Act
12 Traits: You really know what you're capable of, and are ready to do what it takes to get the
mostout of your classes. Maybe you're naturally gifted in this way or maybe it is a skill that you
have developed over time; in any case, you should have the basic organizational skills to
succeed in any online class, as long as you keep your balance.
13 Strengths: Your strength really lies in your ability to be well-rounded. You may not always
complete assignments perfectly every time, but you are remarkably consistent and usually
manage to do very well in classes.
14 Challenges: Because you're so consistent, sometimes you can get in a bit of a rut where you
begin to coast in class, rather than really challenging yourself.
15 Tips for Success: Instead of simply doing what works, use each class as an opportunity for growth
by engaging thoughtfully with the material and constantly pushing the boundaries of your own
expectations for yourself.
PERSONALITY TYPE: The Pressure Cooker
16 Traits: You always get things done, and almost always at the last minute. Hey, it takes time
toreally come up with good ideas!
17 Strengths: You work well under pressure and when you finally do sit down to accomplish a task,
you can sit and work for hours. In these times, you can be extremely focused and shut out the rest
of the world in order to get done what needs to be done.
18 Challenges: You sometimes use your ability to work under pressure as an excuse to procrastinate.
Sure, you can really focus when the deadline is tomorrow, but is it really the best work you could
produce if you had a couple of days of cushion?
19 Tips for Success: Give yourself small, achievable deadlines, and stick to them. Make sure they're
goals that you really could (and would) achieve in a day. Then don't allow yourself to make
excuses. You'll find that it's actually a lot more enjoyable to not be stressed out when completing
schoolwork. Who would have known?
PERSONALITY TYPE: The Improviser
20 Traits: You frequently wait until the last minute to do assignments, but it's because you've
beenable to get away with this habit in many classes. Sometimes you miss an assignment or
two, orhave to pretend to have done reading that you haven't, but everyone does that
sometimes, right?
21 Strengths: You think quickly on your feet, and while this is a true strength, it also can be a crutch
that prevents you from being really successful in a class.
22 Challenges: As the saying goes, old habits die hard. If you find that you lack a foundation of
discipline and personal accountability, it can be difficult to change, especially when the course
material becomes difficult or you find yourself struggling to keep up with the pace of the class.
23 Tips for Success: The good news is, you can turn this around! Make a plan to organize your time
and materials in a reasonable way, and really stick with it. Also, don't be afraid to ask your
instructor for help, but be sure to do it before, rather than after, you might fall behind.
Photograph by CollegeDegrees360 - flickr
This text is under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and the image is under Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.
https://apps.3cmediasolutions.org/oei/modules/study-time/text/
1. Which word describes the author’s point of view toward students who are guilty of
pseudo-working in Passage 1?
A Understanding
B Critical
C Aggressive
D Unenthusiastic
2. This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.
Part A
What central idea about studying does the author express in Passage 1?
A Straight-A students know how to work harder than other students.
B The only way to become a straight-A student is efficient study habits.
C Most students pseudo-work and end up wasting valuable time.
D An all-night study session can help you catch up on school assignments.
Part B
What does the author cite in Passage 1 as evidence that supports the central idea?
A interviews from straight-A students
B quotes from literary works
C new opportunities in ways to study
D more accurate scientific studies
3. Which sentence from Passage 2 provides context that supports the reader’s
understanding of “The Pressure Cooker”?
A “You always get things done, and almost always at the last minute.”
(paragraph 16)
B “You work well under pressure and when you finally do sit down to accomplish a
task, you can sit and work for hours.” (paragraph 17)
C “In these times, you can be extremely focused and shut out the rest of the world
in order to get done what needs to be done.” (paragraph 17)
D “You sometimes use your ability to work under pressure as an excuse to
procrastinate.” (paragraph 18)
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4. This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.
Part A
Read this excerpt from Passage 1.
“Jason, a straight–A student from the University of Pennsylvania, uses the term
‘pseudo–working’ to describe this common approach to studying. The pseudo–
worker looks and feels like someone who is working hard—he or she spends a long
time in the library and is not afraid to push on late into the night—but, because of a
lack of focus and concentration, doesn't actually accomplish much.” (paragraph 2)
Why does the author use the word pseudo in describing a form of studying?
A to highlight how hard some students work
B to argue that studying is not enough
C to describe how students pretend to study
D to show that this type of studying is not real
Part B
Which phrase from the excerpt provides a clue to the meaning of pseudo?
A “feels like someone”
B “spends a long time”
C “not afraid to push on late”
D “doesn't actually accomplish much”
5.
Which sentence supports the author’s position that “The Pressure Cooker” personality
is not the best type in Passage 2?
A “In these times, you can be extremely focused and shut out the rest of the
world in order to get done what needs to be done.” (paragraph 17)
B “You sometimes use your ability to work under pressure as an excuse to
procrastinate.” (paragraph 18)
C “Sure, you can really focus when the deadline is tomorrow, but is it really the
best work you could produce if you had a couple of days of cushion?”
(paragraph 18)
D “You'll find that it's actually a lot more enjoyable to not be stressed out when
completing schoolwork.” (paragraph 19)
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6. Both authors in Passage 1 and Passage 2 emphasize the importance of good study
habits. Fill in the bubbles to show which ideas match each passage.
Both
Passages
Passage 1
Passage 2
Success in school is dependent on good
study habits.
A
B
C
Suggests that students are wasting time
while studying.
D
E
F
Explores the pros and cons of different
study habits.
G
H
I
7. In Passage 1, paragraph 3, what kind of argument does Newport make?
A
Logical
B
Emotional
C
Ethical
D
Circular
8. This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.
Part A
What is Newport’s purpose for writing the book Passage 1 was taken from?
A to convince readers that their way of studying is ineffective
B to help readers become better students through study habits
C to criticize readers who put in all-nighters to finish schoolwork
D to show readers that they need to put in more work to get better grades
Part B
Which phrase helps emphasize this purpose?
A “As humans, our minds have evolved to prefer short-term tasks” (paragraph 1)
B “result is fatigue headaches and lackluster outcomes” (paragraph 2)
C “There is just no way to be well–balanced, happy, and academically successful if
you’re regularly burning through your free hours” (paragraph 3)
D “According to our formula, this same amount of work can be accomplished in
only three one-hour bursts” (paragraph 5)
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9. After reading Passage 2, what inference can the reader make?
A Changing your study habits is very difficult.
B Discipline, responsibility, and motivation are important.
C Being an early bird is the best personality type.
D It is important to first know your personality type.
10.
How are the authors of Passage 1 and Passage 2 perspectives similar?
A Both express an intention to continue their research on study habits.
B Both are interested in changing the idea of how to study.
C Both worry that student study habits can hurt success.
D Both believe it is important to examine yourself as a student.
11.
Which sentence supports the author’s position that there is a better way to
study in Passage 1?
A “The result is fatigue headaches and lackluster outcomes.” (paragraph 2)
B “The bigger problem here is that most students don't even realize that they’re
pseudo–working.” (paragraph 3)
C “It never crosses their mind that there might be a better way.” (paragraph 3)
D “Straight–A students, on the other hand, know all about pseudo–work.”
(paragraph 3)
12.
What argument does Newport make in Passage 1, paragraph 1?
A No one wants to be trapped in the library all day.
B All day studying is not the best decision for test prep.
C Students need to be more productive when studying.
D The human mind was not designed for long-term tasks.
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13.
According to Newport in Passage 1, what does a straight-A student do to b
e
successful?
A work with higher intensity for a shorter period of time
B are better at balancing work and their personal lives
C know when they are actually pseudo-working
D do things differently than their friends and peers
14.
In Passage 2 why does the author describe the different personality types of
students?
A to explain the different study options students can choose
B to help students self evaluate their study habits
C to describe how most students study
D to show students that they can change study habits
15. How does the author of Passage 2 structure the passage?
A by comparing the different student personality types
B by explaining how a student can change their study habits
C by presenting a list of different student personality types
D by describing the outcome of students based on personality type
16. What different idea does Passage 1 explore that is not discussed in Passage 2?
A
B
C
D
human evolution
study habits
how to be successful
pros and cons of studying
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FSA Question Answer Key & Breakdown
Paired Passages – Informational Text
Thank You for Your Service & The Post-Traumatic Stress Trap
Reading
Topic
LAFS
Answer
1
2
Author’s Purpose
910.RI.2.6
C
Details
910.RI.1.3
Part A: A
Part B: D
3
4
5
Text Evidence
910.RI.1.1
Language
910.RI.2.4
D
C
Author’s Purpose
910.RI.2.6
Part A: A
Part B: C
Inference
910.RI.1.1
Comparing Text
910.RI.3.7
Word Meaning
910.RI.2.4
Text Evidence
910.RI.1.1
B
B,D&I
B
C
Author’s Purpose
910.RI.2.6
Part A: D
Part B: A
Comparing Text
910.RI.3.7
Author’s Purpose
910.RI.2.6
Comparing Text
910.RI.3.7
B
A
B
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Created by The Small Classroom Copyright © 2020
Reading
Topic
LAFS
Answer
14
Details
910.RI.1.3
D
15
16
Theme
910.RL.1.2
Structure
910.RI.2.6
C
B
Created by The Small Classroom Copyright © 2020
Read the passages “Thank You for Your Service” and “The Post-Traumatic Stress T
,”and then
rap
answer Numbers 1 through 16.
Passage 1: Thank You for Your Service
Excerpt by David Finkel
1 You could see it in his nervous eyes. You could see it in his shaking hands. You could see
it in the three prescription bottles in his room: one to steady his galloping heart rate, one
to reduce his anxiety, one to minimize his nightmares. You could see it in the screensaver
on his laptop—a nuclear fireball—and in the private journal he had been keeping since
he arrived.
2 His first entry, on February 22: Not much going on today. I turned my laundry in, and
we’re getting our TAT boxes. We got mortared last night at 2:30 a.m., none close. We’re
at FOB Rustamiyah, Iraq. It’s pretty nice, got a good chow hall and facilities. Still got a
bunch of dumb stuff to do though. Well, that’s about it for today.
3 His last entry, on October 18: I’ve lost all hope. I feel the end is near for me, very, very
near. Darkness is all I see anymore.
4 So he was finished. Down to his final hours, he was packed, weaponless, under escort,
and waiting for the helicopter that would take him away to a wife who had just told him
on the phone: “I’m scared of what you might do.”
5 “You know I’d never hurt you,” he’d said, and he’d hung up, wandered around the FOB,
gotten a haircut, and come back to his room, where he now said, “But what if she’s
right? What if I snap someday?”
6 It was a thought that made him feel sick. Just as every thought now made him feel sick.
“You spend a thousand days, it gets to the point where it’s Groundhog Day. Every day is
over and over. The heat. The smell. The language. There’s nothing sweet about it. It’s all
sour,” he said. He remembered the initial invasion, when it wasn’t that way. “I mean it
was a front seat to the greatest movie I’ve ever seen in my life.” He remembered the
firefights of his second deployment. “I loved it. Anytime I get shot at in a firefight, it’s the
most stimulating feeling there is.” He remembered how this deployment began to feel
bad early on. “I’d get in the Humvee and be driving down the road and I would feel my
heart pulsing up in my throat.” That was the start of it, he said, and then Emory
happened, and then Crow happened, and then he was in a succession of explosions,
and then a bullet was skimming across his thighs, and then Doster happened, and then
he was waking up thinking, “Wow, I’m still here, it’s misery, it’s hell,” which became, “Are
they going to kill me today?” which became, “I’ll take care of it myself,” which became,
“Why do that? I’ll go out killing as many of them as I can, until they kill me.” “I didn’t
care,” he said. “I wanted it to happen. Bottom line—I wanted it over as soon as possible,
whether they did it or I did it.”
7 The amazing thing was that no one knew. Here was all this stuff going on, pounding
heart, panicked breathing, sweating palms, electric eyes, and no one regarded him as
anything but the great soldier he’d always been, the one who never complained, who
hoisted bleeding soldiers onto his back, who’d suddenly begun insisting on being in the
right front seat of the lead Humvee on every mission, not because he wanted to be
dead but because that’s what selfless leaders would do.
8 He was the great soldier who one day walked to the aid station and went through the
door marked combat stress and asked for help and now was on his way home. Now he
was remembering what the psychologist had told him: “With your stature, maybe you’ve
opened the door for a lot of guys to come in.”
9 “That made me feel really good,” he said. And yet he had felt so awful the previous day
when he told one of his team leaders to round up everyone in his squad. “What’d we do
now?” “You didn’t do anything,” he said. “Just get them together.”
10 They came into his room, and he shut the door and told them he was leaving the
following day. He said the hard part: that it was a mental health evacuation. He said to
them, “I don’t even know what I’m going through. I know that I don’t feel right.” “Well,
how long?” one of his soldiers said, breaking the silence.
11 “I don’t know,” he said. “There’s a possibility I won’t be coming back.”
12 They had rallied around him then, shaking his hand, grabbing his arm, patting his back,
and saying whatever nineteen- and twenty-year-olds could think of to say. “Take care of
yourself,” one of them said. He had never felt so guilt-ridden in his life.
13 Early this morning, they had driven away on a mission, leaving him behind, and after
they’d disappeared, he had no idea what to do. He stood there for a while alone.
Eventually, he walked back to his room. He turned up his air conditioner to high. When
he got cold enough to shiver, he put on warmer clothes and stayed under the vents. He
packed his medication. He stacked some packages of beef jerky and mac ’n’ cheese
and smoked oysters, which he wouldn’t be able to take with him, for the soldiers he was
leaving behind and wrote a note that said: “Enjoy.”
14 Finally it was time to go to the helicopter, and he began walking down the hall. Word
had spread through the entire company by now, and when one of the soldiers saw him,
he came over. “Well, I’ll walk you as far as the bathrooms, because I have to go to the
bathroom,” the soldier said, and as last words, those would have to do, because those
were the last words he heard from any of the soldiers in his battalion as his deployment
came to an end.
15 His stomach hurt as he made his way across the FOB. He felt himself becoming
nauseated. At the landing area, other soldiers from other battalions were lined up, and
when the helicopter landed, everyone was allowed to board except him. He didn’t
understand.
16 “Next one’s yours, ”he was told, and when it came in a few minutes later, he realized
why he’d had to wait. It had a big red cross on the side. It was the helicopter for the
injured and the dead.
17 That was him, Adam Schumann. He was injured. He was dead. He was done.
Excerpt from Thank You for Your Service by David Finkel. Copyright © 2013 by David Finkel. This text was used under fair use.
Passage 2: The Post-Traumatic Stress Trap
by David Dobbs
18 In 2006, soon after returning from military service in Ramadi, Iraq, during the bloodiest
period of the war, Captain Matt Stevens of the Vermont National Guard began to have
a problem with PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. Stevens’s problem was not that he
had PTSD. It was that he began to have doubts about PTSD: The condition was real, he
knew, but as a diagnosis he saw it being dangerously overemphasized.
19 Stevens led the medics tending an armored brigade of 800 soldiers, and his team
patched together GIs and Iraqi citizens almost every day. He saw horrific things. Once
home, he had his share, he says, of “nights where I’d wake up and it would be clear I
wasn’t going to sleep again.”
20 He was not surprised: “I would expect people to have nightmares for a while when they
came back.” But as he kept track of his unit in the U.S., he saw troops greeted by both a
larger culture and a medical culture, especially in the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA), that seemed reflexively to view bad memories, nightmares and any other sign of
distress as an indicator of PTSD.
21 “Clinicians aren’t separating the few who really have PTSD from those who are
experiencing things like depression or anxiety or social and reintegration problems, or
who are just taking some time getting over it,” says Stevens. He worries that many of
these men and women are being pulled into a treatment and disability regime that will
mire them in a self-fulfilling vision of a brain rewired, a psyche permanently haunted.
22 Stevens, now a major, and still on reserve duty while he works as a physician’s assistant, is
far from alone in worrying about the reach of PTSD. Over the last five years or so, a longsimmering academic debate over PTSD’s conceptual basis and rate of occurrence
have begun to boil over into the practice of trauma psychology and to mix military
culture as well.
Excerpt from The PTSD Trap: Our Overdiagnosis of PTSD In Vets Is Enough to Make You Sick by David Dobbs.
Reprinted with open access. Image in the public domain.
1. Why does Finkel compare the first and last of Adam’s journal entries in the beginning
of Passage 1?
A to explain how he feels a new connection to his fellow soldiers
B to criticize that he was not always excited to be a soldier
C to illustrate he underwent a significant change over his deployments
D to show he had become a strong leader during his deployments
2. This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.
Part A
How did Adam feel about his second deployment in Passage 1?
A He enjoyed the adrenaline rush.
B He did not feel quite right.
C He felt like he was a strong leader.
D He knew he was reckless with his life.
Part B
Which sentence from paragraph 6 supports the answer in Part A?
A He remembered the initial invasion, when it wasn’t that way. B “I mean it was a
front seat to the greatest movie I’ve ever seen in my life.” C He remembered the
firefights of his second deployment. D “I loved it. Anytime I get shot at in a firefight,
it’s the most stimulating feeling there is.” E He remembered how this deployment
began to feel bad early on. F “I’d get in the Humvee and be driving down the
road and I would feel my heart pulsing up in my throat.”
3. Which sentence from Passage 1 supports the idea that Adam was reluctant to leave
the war?
A “Bottom line—I wanted it over as soon as possible, whether they did it or I did it.”
(paragraph 6)
B “And yet he had felt so awful the previous day when he told one of his team
leaders to round up everyone in his squad.” (paragraph 9)
C “He said the hard part: that it was a mental health evacuation.” (paragraph 10)
D “He had never felt so guilt-ridden in his life.” (paragraph 12)
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4. Read the quotation from Passage 1, paragraph 6.
“Bottom line—I wanted it over as soon as possible, whether they did it or I did it.”
What does this quote from Adam show about how he began to feel?
A destructive
B depressed
C hopeless
D miserable
5. This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.
Part A
What is Dobbs’s purpose for writing the article in Passage 2?
A to convince readers that PTSD is overly diagnosed
B to criticize the Department of Veterans Affairs
C to describe his experience with PTSD to the public
D to emphasize the importance of being diagnosed
Part B
Which phrase helps emphasize this purpose?
A “The condition was real” (paragraph 18)
B “ saw horrific things” (paragraph 19)
C “the few who really have PTSD ” (paragraph 21)
D “a psyche permanently haunted” (paragraph 21)
6. What do the actions of the soldiers in Passage 1, paragraph 12 reveal about their
relationship with Adam?
A They care about each other.
B They respect Adam as a leader.
C They are concerned about Adam.
D They do not believe Adam is injured.
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7. Both David Finkel in Passage 1 and David Dobbs in Passage 2 emphasize the
long-lasting effect of war. Fill in the bubbles to show which details match each
passage.
Both
Passages
Passage 1
Passage 2
Shares an example of a soldier who is able
to handle thoughts of war.
A
B
C
Describes what it is like to become
overwhelmed by experiences in war.
D
E
F
Many soldiers experience traumatic events
at war.
G
H
I
8. Read this quote from Passage 1, paragraph 6.
“You spend a thousand days, it gets to the point where it’s Groundhog Day. Every
day is over and over. The heat. The smell. The language. There’s nothing sweet about
it. It’s all sour,” he said.
Based on details in this quote, what is the meaning of “Groundhog Day”?
A events in your life that do not go as you had hoped
B unwelcomed events that appear to be recurring in the same way
C the self-realization that the days to come will all be bad
D someone is living through a difficult time in his or her life
9.
Which sentence from Passage 2 suggests that PTSD might be masking another
mental illness?
A “The condition was real, he knew, but as a diagnosis he saw it being dangerously
overemphasized.” (paragraph 18)
B “But as he kept track of his unit in the U.S., he saw troops greeted by both a
larger culture and a medical culture, especially in the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA), that seemed reflexively to view bad memories, nightmares and any
other sign of distress as an indicator of PTSD.” (paragraph 20)
C “Clinicians aren’t separating the few who really have PTSD from those who are
experiencing things like depression or anxiety or social and reintegration
problems, or who are just taking some time getting over it,” says Stevens.
(paragraph 21)
D “He worries that many of these men and women are being pulled into a
treatment and disability regime that will mire them in a self-fulfilling vision of a
brain rewired, a psyche permanently haunted.” (paragraph 21)
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10.
This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.
Part A
Why does the author mention his real war experiences in Passage 2?
A to demonstrate the research
B to explain why this is important
C to cite further evidence on PTSD
D to provide support for his claim
Part B
Which phrase helps emphasize this purpose?
A “after returning from military service ” (paragraph 18)
B “The condition was real” (paragraph 18)
C “would expect people to have nightmares ” (paragraph 20)
D “being pulled into a treatment” (paragraph 21)
11.
Which statement from Passage 2 reflects an idea similar to those found in Passage
1?
A “Stevens’s problem was not that he had PTSD.” (paragraph 18)
B “It was that he began to have doubts about PTSD: The condition was real, he
knew…” (paragraph 18)
C “I would expect people to have nightmares for a while when they came back.”
(paragraph 20)
D “Clinicians aren’t separating the few who really have PTSD from those who are
experiencing things like depression or anxiety or social and reintegration
problems.” (paragraph 21)
12.
Why does Finkel include quotes from Adam in Passage 1?
A
B
C
D
to show Adam’s internal conflict
to suggest Adam will get better
to explain what Adam went through
to address his mental health
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13.
How does Passage 1 support ideas addressed in Passage 2?
A It helps the reader better understand what PTSD is like in a soldier.
B It helps the reader see that more struggles are involved than simply PTSD.
C It helps the reader learn more about what soldiers go through at war.
D It helps the reader connect to the people who suffer from PTSD.
14.
According to Dobbs, what will most likely happen to soldiers returning from war?
A They will be celebrated.
B They will need treatment.
C They probably have PTSD.
D They should expect nightmares.
15.
What theme does Finkel explore in telling Adam’s story?
A
B
C
D
16.
The opportunity for creating change.
The importance of being true to yourself.
The awareness that not all injuries are visible.
The reward in helping people around you.
What tone is conveyed by the title “The Post-Traumatic Stress Trap”?
A defensive
B cautionary
C impartial
D angry
Created by The Small Classroom Copyright © 2020
FSA Question Answer Key & Breakdown
Paired Passages – Informational Text
The Culture Code & How to Build Awareness…
Reading
Topic
LAFS
Answer
1
Central Idea
910.RI.1.2
Part A: B
Part B: A
2
3
Claim
910.RI.2.5
Structure
910.RI.2.6
C
B
4
Comparing Text
910.RI.3.7
C,E&I
5
Text Evidence
910.RI.1.1
C
6
Claim
910.RI.2.5
A
7
Author’s Purpose
910.RI.2.6
A
8
Author’s Purpose
910.RI.2.6
Part A: D
Part B: B
9
10
11
Structure
910.RI.2.6
Comparing Text
910.RI.3.7
D
C
Claim
910.RI.2.5
Part A: B
Part B: A
Details
910.RI.1.3
Inference
910.RI.1.1
D
A
12
13
Created by The Small Classroom Copyright © 2020
Reading
Topic
LAFS
Answer
14
15
Inference
910.RI.1.1
Details
910.RI.1.3
C
C
16
Comparing Text
910.RI.3.7
Created by The Small Classroom Copyright © 2020
D
Read the passages “The Culture Code” and “How to Build Awareness forL
ean
Experimentation with Marshmallows,”and then answer Numbers 1 through 16.
Passage 1: The Culture Code
Excerpt by Daniel Coyle
1 Let’s start with a question, which might be the oldest question of all: Why do certain groups
add up to be greater than the sum of their parts, while others add up to be less?
2 A few years ago the designer and engineer Peter Skillman held a competition to find
out. Over several months, he assembled a series of four-person groups at Stanford,
the University of California, the University of Tokyo, and a few other places. He
challenged each group to build the tallest possible structure using the following items:
twenty pieces of uncooked spaghetti, one yard of transparent tape, one yard of string
and one standard-size marshmallow.
3 The contest had one rule: The marshmallow had to end up on top. The fascinating part
of the experiment, however, had less to do with the task than with the participants.
Some of the teams consisted of business school students. The others consisted of
kindergartners.
4 The business students got right to work. They began talking and thinking strategically.
They examined the materials. They tossed ideas back and forth and asked thoughtful,
savvy questions. They generated several options, then honed the most promising ideas. It
was professional, rational, and intelligent. The process resulted in a decision to pursue
one particular strategy. Then they divided up the tasks and started building.
5 The kindergartners took a different approach. They did not strategize. They did not
analyze or share experiences. They did not ask questions, propose options, or hone
ideas. In fact, they barely talked at all. They stood very close to one another. Their
interactions were not smooth or organized. They abruptly grabbed materials from one
another and started building, following no plan or strategy. When they spoke, they spoke
in short bursts: “Here! No, here!” Their entire technique might be described as trying a bunch
of stuff together.
6 If you had to bet which of the teams would win, it would not be a difficult choice.
You would bet on the business school students, because they possess the intelligence,
skills, and experience to do a superior job. This is the way we normally think about group
performance. We presume skilled individuals will combine to produce skilled
performance in the same way we presume two plus two will combine to produce four.
Your bet would be wrong. In dozens of trials, kindergartners built structures that
averaged twenty-six inches tall, while business school students built structures that
averaged less than ten inches.
7 The result is hard to absorb because it feels like an illusion. We see smart, experienced
business school students, and we find it difficult to imagine that they would combine to
produce a poor performance. We see unsophisticated, inexperienced kindergartners,
and we find it difficult to imagine that they would combine to produce a successful
performance. But this illusion, like every illusion, happens because our instincts have led
us to focus on the wrong details. We focus on what we can see—individual skills. But
individual skills are not what matters. What matters is the interaction.
8 The business school students appear to be collaborating, but in fact they are engaged
in a process psychologists call status management. They are figuring out where they
fit into the larger picture: Who is in charge? Is it okay to criticize someone’s idea? Whatare the rules
here? Their interactions appear smooth, but their underlying behavior
is riddled with inefficiency, hesitation, and subtle competition. Instead of focusing on
the task, they are navigating their uncertainty about one another. They spend so much
time managing status that they fail to grasp the essence of the problem (the
marshmallow is relatively heavy, and the spaghetti is hard to secure). As a result, their
first efforts often collapse, and they run out of time.
9 The actions of the kindergartners appear disorganized on the surface. But when you
view them as a single entity, their behavior is efficient and effective. They are not
competing for status. They stand shoulder to shoulder and work energetically together.
They move quickly, spotting problems and offering help. They experiment, take risks, and
notice outcomes, which guides them toward effective solutions.
10 The kindergartners succeed not because they are smarter but because they work
together in a smarter way. They are tapping into a simple and powerful method in
which a group of ordinary people can create a performance far beyond the sum of
their parts.
Excerpt from The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle. Copyright © 2018 by Daniel Coyle. This text was used in fair use.
Passage 2: How to Build Awareness for Lean
Experimentation with Marshmallows
by Lutz Gocke
11 What happens a lot of times, is that the teams are all really motivated and very
confident that their team is going to master the challenge and creates the highest
freestanding structure. Within the 18 minutes people start planning for some minutes.
They then build based on the plan and put the marshmallow at the end on top of the
structure. This leads to a surprise. In 7 out of 8 cases the freestanding structure wasn’t built
to last for 30 seconds after the 18 minutes were over. When we look at entrepreneurial
ventures, it is a common pattern, that much time and money is invested based on an
initial plan which doesn't work out in the end. This leads to a huge amount of
entrepreneurial waste. There are four very essential learnings that we identified in our
sessions and that we can transfer into the entrepreneurial world.
12 Experimenting trumps planning in circumstances of uncertainty.
There are two types of uncertainty Known-Unknowns and Unknown-Unknowns.
We asked the participants of the marshmallow challenge in advance if they know the
texture of the ingredients of the marshmallow challenge. 100% of the participants stated
so far, that they know the ingredients of the marshmallow challenge with a confidence
of 89%. The different ingredients—especially the marshmallow—are thus falling into the
category of unknown-unknowns. The participants actually thought they know the
ingredients, although they didn't know them in the end. Participants might know how the
spaghetti and the marshmallow behave in a different context—eating, but this
information doesn't really help in the marshmallow challenge. The uncertainty in the
marshmallow challenge is quite high for the participants, especially because it is not
recognized. Teams that were performing best in the marshmallow challenge were
actually applying an experimental approach. They skipped the long planning period
and started to build a freestanding structure relatively quickly.
13 Notice your riskiest assumption
Another very important learning, that we could illustrate to the participants of the
meetup and the lecture is, that it is highly important to experiment with your riskiest
assumption first. The riskiest assumption in the marshmallow challenge is the marshmallow
itself. If you don’t know whether a spaghetti breaks, when you put the marshmallow on
top and if you don’t understand how the spaghetti reacts, it can blow up your
freestanding structure at the end. The same is true for any entrepreneurial initiative. If you
don’t recognize your riskiest assumption—your activities are under very high risks.
14 Beware of the overconfidence bias
We’ve seen in our runs of the marshmallow challenge, that nearly all teams, see
themselves as the winning teams. With a confidence level of close to 100%. With such a
high confidence in your mind, there is a big risk of running into the overconfidence trap.
This overconfidence trap is not only existing in the marshmallow challenge, but also in
the entrepreneurial world. How many teams of entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs have been
very confident about their idea, started to implement and realized soon enough, that
their idea doesn’t work out. It is interesting to see, that the teams that actually mastered
the marshmallow challenge in our case showed a lower confidence than the other
teams. It’s very clear, why this is the case. With a high confidence, that you know the
ingredients, that you know how to build a freestanding structure, and that your team is
going to be the winning team, it is more difficult to experiment. You are very likely more
arguing about the right plan instead of starting to experiment with the riskiest
assumptions.
15 Team Size impacts speed of experimentation
In our runs of the marshmallow challenge, we realized, that team size really matters to
master the challenge. With a group of 2–3 people it is way easier to create a
freestanding structure. You have fewer people that you must interact with and this
means fewer people to create a consensus on the next best action. This is also a very
important insight into entrepreneurial initiatives. The more people you start your journey
with, the more people you need to integrate into the decision-making process on the
way. You need to organize yourself to make something happen. But organizing is built on
consensual validation which means that you are validating your own assumption by
getting other people’s opinions to get to consensus. But this is fundamentally different
from the experimental validation of the lean startup. Within consensual validation you
already see power plays occurring between the different team members. These power
plays and other consensus-seeking activities drain your time to validate your critical
assumptions for real.
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 International licenses.
1. This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.
Part A
What central idea about the marshmallow project does Coyle express in Passage 1?
A Business students tend to spend too much time planning a task and not
enough time experimenting.
B The kindergarteners were more successful than the business students due to
their collaboration and experimentation.
C In a spaghetti and marshmallow competition, a group of kindergarteners
outperformed a group of business students.
D When working together in a group, business students waste time worrying about
group status.
Part B
What does Coyle cite in paragraph 1 as evidence?
A a scientific study done by Peter Skillman
B ideas from several scientific journals
C a real-world business example
D the opinions of the members involved
2. Which sentence from Passage 1 expresses the controlling idea?
A “But when you view them as a single entity, their behavior is efficient and
effective.” (paragraph 9)
B “They experiment, take risks, and notice outcomes, which guides them toward
effective solutions.” (paragraph 9)
C “The kindergartners succeed not because they are smarter but because they
work together in a smarter way.” (paragraph 10)
D “They are tapping into a simple and powerful method in which a group of
ordinary people can create a performance far beyond the sum of their parts.”
(paragraph 10)
3. After stating the central claim in paragraph 11, how does Gocke structure the restof
Passage 2?
A He compares the successful to the unsuccessful.
B He presents the main learnings identified.
C He explains why some of the teams failed.
D He describes the different ways a team can succeed.
Created by The Small Classroom Copyright © 2020
4. Both Daniel Coyle in Passage 1 and Lutz Gocke in Passage 2 emphasize the
knowledge that can be gained from the marshmallow experiment. Fill in the bubbles
to show which details match each passage.
Both
Passages
Passage 1
Passage 2
Rethinks the traditional process of group
work.
A
B
C
Focuses on the application in business.
D
E
F
Lessons can be learned from team
challenges.
G
H
I
5. Which sentence supports Coyle’s position that the business students did not have the
best process?
A “We presume skilled individuals will combine to produce skilled
performance in the same way we presume two plus two will combine to
produce four.” (paragraph 6)
B “The business school students appear to be collaborating, but in fact they
are engaged in a process psychologists call status management.” (paragraph 8)
C “Their interactions appear smooth, but their underlying behavior is riddled with
inefficiency, hesitation, and subtle competition.” (paragraph 8)
D “They are tapping into a simple and powerful method in which a group of
ordinary people can create a performance far beyond the sum of their parts.”
(paragraph 10)
6. What kind of argument is Gocke making in Passage 2?
A Logical
B Emotional
C Ethical
D Circular
7. How does Coyle convince readers of his point in paragraph 8?
A He provides reasons why the business students failed.
B He fondly describes the collaboration of the students.
C He acknowledges the negative side of the competition.
D He expresses his opinion of status management.
Created by The Small Classroom Copyright © 2020
8. This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.
Part A
What is Coyle’s purpose for describing the experiment findings in Passage 1?
A to criticize the inefficiencies of the business group
B to emphasize the importance of collaboration
C to describe the process of the competition
D to surprise the reader with the outcome
Part B
What phrase does Coyle use to emphasize this purpose?
A
B
C
D
“not be a difficult choice” (paragraph 6)
“feels like an illusion” (paragraph 7)
“matters is the interaction” (paragraph 7)
“appear to be collaborating” (paragraph 8)
9. After explaining the experiment in paragraph 1, how does Coyle structure the restof
Passage 1?
A He presents the competition in chronological order.
B He explains how the kindergarteners are successful.
C He compares how the two groups work together.
D He describes the outcome of the two groups.
10.
Which detail from Passage 1 reflects a result similar to that of the members in
Passage 2?
A “The fascinating part of the experiment, however, had less to do with the task
than with the participants.” (paragraph 3)
B “The process resulted in a decision to pursue one particular strategy.”
(paragraph 4)
C “They spend so much time managing status that they fail to grasp the essence
of the problem.” (paragraph 8)
D “They experiment, take risks, and notice outcomes, which guides them toward
effective solutions.” (paragraph 9)
Created by The Small Classroom Copyright © 2020
11.
This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.
Part A
What is Gocke’s main claim in paragraph 15?
A
B
C
D
A small group will always be more successful.
More people in a group slow down progress.
It’s important to validate all opinions in the group.
Power plays ultimately make a group unsuccessful.
Part B
Which detail in paragraph 15 supports the answer in Part A?
A “team size really matters to master the challenge”
B “a very important insight into entrepreneurial initiatives”
C “which means that you are validating your own assumption ”
D “power plays occurring between the different team members”
12. According to Gocke, what is needed to be successful in business?
A to select groups carefully
B to trust others to experiment
C to be more confident
D to be willing to take risks
13. Based on the descriptions in paragraphs 4-5, what conclusion can be drawn?
A
B
C
D
Coyle wants the reader to believe the business students should win.
Coyle believes the competition was not set up fairly.
Coyle was hopeful that the kindergarten group would win.
Coyle thinks the business students are more organized as a group.
Created by The Small Classroom Copyright © 2020
14.
Based on details in Passage 2, what can the reader infer about Gocke?
A He has a strong background in lean experimentation.
B He enjoyed conducting the marshmallow challenge.
C He found the marshmallow challenge helpful.
D He will use the marshmallow challenge with future companies.
15.
In paragraph 12, what did Gocke notice about the participants?
A They did not realize how easily the spaghetti would break.
B They were overly confident about the marshmallow.
C They falsely believed they knew all about the ingredients.
D They were successful when they created a plan first.
16.
Which statement describes a difference between the two passages?
A Passage 1 suggests success is only found with experimentation, while Passage 2
explores several ideas to help groups work more efficiently.
B Passage 1 explores the spaghetti challenge, while Passage 2 suggests that
companies should reevaluate their employees’ productivity.
C Passage 1 suggests kindergarteners are smarter than business students, while
Passage 2 explores the reason why a team is unsuccessful.
D Passage 1 explores the differences in two drastically different groups, while
Passage 2 suggests that certain essential learnings can help entrepreneurial
success.
Created by The Small Classroom Copyright © 2020
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