Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________
Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Practice Set 3
Question
Code
Number
1
RI.5.1.
2
Standard
Score
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text
says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
W.5.8.
Gather relevant information from print sources; summarize
or paraphrase information in notes and finished work.
RL.5.2.
Determine how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic;
summarize the text.
W.5.8.
Gather relevant information from print sources; summarize
or paraphrase information in notes and finished work.
1
_________/ 2 points
_________/ 2 points
Renaissance Writing—Dante and Petrarch
Used with permission by ReadWorks.org
Read the passage. Then answer questions 1-2 in the spaces provided.
1
One of the first books printed in Italy was a beautiful long poem, Divine Comedy. 1 An Italian writer
named Dante Alighieri penned it. The poem's main theme is life after death. Dante himself is the
main character. The book is a perfect example of the transition from the Middle Ages to the
Renaissance.
2
Like works that came before it, the Divine Comedy was about religion. However, it was written in
Italian, not Latin. In the Middle Ages, most books were religious and were written in Latin, which
was the language of the Church. Since most books were printed in Latin, Italy did not have a
standard written language. Dante had to make up a lot of his style as he went along. Dante’s book
became a guidebook for future Italian writers. They copied parts of his style and the way he used
the Italian language. The Divine Comedy helped make all the dialects2 of Italy more standardized.3
3
In the Divine Comedy, Dante wrote about a journey from hell to heaven. He also wrote about the
love of his life, Beatrice. Beatrice was Dante’s inspiration.4 He thought all beauty came from her.
He wanted only to admire her from afar. The idea of having a beautiful woman as a muse, or
source of inspiration, was new to authors in the Renaissance. Dante’s idea of divine love is an
example of a Renaissance idea known as humanism. This way of viewing the world stressed the
importance of focusing on human beings instead of just focusing on God. During the Middle Ages,
the Church said it was the only way to experience godliness. Dante thought Beatrice was a way
that he could come close to the divine or godly, in his own creativity and writing.
4
Below is part of a poem by another great Italian poet named Petrarch. In the Renaissance style,
Petrarch also had a muse, or divine love light and inspiration. Her name was Laura. The excerpt, or
piece, from the poem below is an example of one of his writings about Laura.
A young lady beneath a green laurel5
I saw, whiter and colder than is a snow
untouched by the sun for many, many years;
and her speech and her beauty and her face and all her hair
so pleased me that I carry her before my eyes
forever, wherever I am, on hill or shore.
1
The Divine Comedy- the first big book written in a language besides Latin.
dialects- variations in the same language. Often people of different regions have their own dialect.
3
standardized- made the same
4
inspiration- someone or something that influences you so that you are moved to create a story or a picture
5
laurel- a type of tree especially associated with poets
2
2
Answer questions 1-2 in the spaces provided below.
1. What is one thing the Divine Comedy has in common with books from the
Middle Ages? What is one thing it has in common with Renaissance books? Use
at least two details from the text in your answer.
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Score
2
1
0
Response Features
• Valid inferences and/or claims from the text where required by the prompt
• Evidence of analysis of the text where required by the prompt
• Relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the
requirements of the prompt
• Sufficient number of facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text as required by the prompt
• Complete sentences where errors do not impact readability
• A mostly literal recounting of events or details from the text as required by the prompt
• Some relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the
requirements of the prompt
• Incomplete sentences or bullets
• A response that does not address any of the requirements of the prompt or is totally inaccurate
• A response that is not written in English
• A response that is unintelligible or indecipherable
3
2. How does Petrarch show that Laura is beautiful in his poem? Use at least two
details from the text to support your answer.
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Score
2
1
0
Response Features
• Valid inferences and/or claims from the text where required by the prompt
• Evidence of analysis of the text where required by the prompt
• Relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the
requirements of the prompt
• Sufficient number of facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text as required by the prompt
• Complete sentences where errors do not impact readability
• A mostly literal recounting of events or details from the text as required by the prompt
• Some relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the
requirements of the prompt
• Incomplete sentences or bullets
• A response that does not address any of the requirements of the prompt or is totally inaccurate
• A response that is not written in English
• A response that is unintelligible or indecipherable
4
ANSWER KEY
1. What is one thing the Divine Comedy has in common with books from the
Middle Ages? What is one thing it has in common with Renaissance books?
Use at least two details from the text in your answer.
Answers will vary. Use the enclosed rubric as a guideline for scoring.
Example of a 2-level answer:
The Divine Comedy is similar to Middle Age books because it is written about religion. Dante
writes about “a journey from hell to heaven.” It is similar to Renaissance books because it is not
written in Latin. Like Renaissance books, the Divine Comedy talks about a “beautiful woman as a
muse.” Beatrice is Dante’s muse in the Divine Comedy.
Suggestions for class review:
This question requires students to go back to the text and identify textual details about how the
Divine Comedy is similar to both Middle Age and Renaissance books. Students might struggle with
this question if they have no prior knowledge of the Middle Ages or the Renaissance. However, all
of the information required to answer the question is in the text, so be sure to focus student
attention on textual details. Ask a few students to read their responses. Focus student attention to
paragraphs 2 and 3 and point out that the answer to the question is scattered throughout these two
paragraphs. Students need to read carefully and annotate to find the details they need.
5
2. How does Petrarch show that Laura is beautiful in his poem? Use at least two details from the
text to support your answer.
Answers will vary. Use the enclosed rubric as a guideline for scoring.
Example of a 2-level answer:
Petrarch shows that Laura is beautiful by using several strong images. He describes her skin
as “whiter and colder than is snow,” and explains that she stands under a “green laurel.” Both of
these images show beauty. He also explains that Laura’s speech, beauty, face, and hair please him.
By explaining that these things please him, he implies that she is beautiful. If she were not beautiful,
those things would not please him.
Suggestions for class review:
This question requires students to determine how Petrarch shows that Laura is beautiful in his
poem. Students must analyze the language and images Petrarch uses to show that Laura is
beautiful. Students might struggle to answer this question if they do not understand some of the
images Petrarch uses, such as “whiter and colder than is a snow untouched by the sun for many,
many years.” Ask a few students to read their responses. Perform a class close reading of the poem,
analyzing the poem line by line. Have students explain why each image or descriptor shows that
Laura is beautiful.
6
Score
2
1
0
Response Features
• Valid inferences and/or claims from the text where required by
the prompt
• Evidence of analysis of the text where required by the prompt
• Relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop
response according to the requirements of the prompt
• Sufficient number of facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text
as required by the prompt
• Complete sentences where errors do not impact readability
• A mostly literal recounting of events or details from the text as required by the prompt
• Some relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to
develop response according to the requirements of the prompt
• Incomplete sentences or bullets
• A response that does not address any of the requirements of the prompt or is totally inaccurate
• A response that is not written in English
• A response that is unintelligible or indecipherable
7