NAME_________________________________________
After reading “The Miracle Flush”, answer the following questions:
READ THE INFERENCES BELOW, AND THEN CHOOSE THE STATEMENT FROM THE TEXT WHICH MOST
STRONGLY SUPPORTS IT.
1. Which of the following statements best supports this inference:
INFERENCE: The invention of the flush toilet has helped to stop the spread of disease.
a. “After the exhibition, some 200,000 people installed flush toilets in their homes”
b. “People waited in line for hours to try out this amazing contraption”
c. “Life before the flush toilet was extremely, horrifyingly stinky”
d. “There are about 50 diseases you can contract through contact with human feces”
2. Which of the following statements best supports this inference:
INFERENCE: Initially, flush toilets created significant sanitation problems.
a. “After the exhibition, some 200,000 people installed flush toilets in their home”
b. “At the time, nobody understood the connection between feces and disease”
c. “All that flushed water overwhelmed cesspits and soon flooded the streets”
d. “A few years before the debut of the flush toilet, 50,000 people died in a cholera epidemic”
CIRCLE THE CORRECT ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONS BELOW, THEN CITE EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT TO
SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER.
3. Why was the toilet the most popular attraction of “The Great Exhibition of 1851”?
a. The toilet was the most popular attraction because it was the greatest invention of all time.
b. The toilet was the most popular attraction because it was the first invention that allowed
humans to flush their waste.
c. The toilet was the most popular attraction because it was a modest looking device.
d. The toilet was the most popular attraction because people waited in line for hours to try it.
What evidence in the text supports your answer:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
4. How did Thomas Crapper contribute to the popularity of the flush toilet?
a. Thomas Crapper contributed to the popularity of the toilet because he improved it and
made it more affordable.
b. Thomas Crapper contributed to the popularity of the toilet because his name went down in
toilet history.
c. Thomas Crapper contributed to the popularity of the toilet because he was a British
plumber.
d. Thomas Crapper contributed to the popularity of the toilet because he is often mentioned
in books about toilets.
What evidence in the text supports your answer:
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
USING EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT TO SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER, WRITE A SHORT RESPONSE TO THE
FOLLOWING PROMPT:
5. Why is the flush toilet considered one of the most important human inventions?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
8TH GRADE Scoring Guide- The Miracle Flush
Questions 1-2: 1 point possible for each
Indicator 1: Distinguish between interesting details and important details to help determine what information
to cite as evidence
1.
a. After the exhibition, some 200,000 people installed flush toilets in their homes”
b. “People waited in line for hours to try out this amazing contraption”
c. “Life before the flush toilet was extremely, horrifyingly stinky”
d. “There are about 50 diseases you can contract through contact with human feces”
2.
a. “After the exhibition, some 200,000 people installed flush toilets in their home”
b. “At the time, nobody understood the connection between feces and disease”
c. “All that flushed water overwhelmed cesspits and soon flooded the streets”
d. “A few years before the debut of the flush toilet, 50,000 people died in a cholera epidemic”
Question 3 - 4: 2 points possible for each (1 point for each question component)
Indicator 1: Distinguish between interesting details and important details to help determine what information
to cite as evidence
Indicator 2: Merge background knowledge with text clues to draw a reasonable conclusion
3. Why was the toilet the most popular attraction of “The Great Exhibition of 1851”?
ANSWER: 1 point for correct answer
b. The toilet was the most popular attraction because it was the first invention that
allowed humans to flush their waste.
WHAT EVIDENCE IN THE TEXT SUPPORTS YOUR ANSWER:
0 points: Incomplete answer or no clear connection between evidence and answer

(EX: “People waited in line for hours”)
1 point: Answer is in complete format with relevant detail clearly supporting the answer

(EX: The text says “for the first time in history, human waste could be effortlessly flushed
away” )
4. How did Thomas Crapper contribute to the popularity of the flush toilet?
ANSWER: 1 point for correct answer
a. Thomas Crapper contributed to the popularity of the toilet because he improved
it and made it more affordable.
WHAT EVIDENCE IN THE TEXT SUPPORTS YOUR ANSWER:
0 points: Incomplete answer or no clear connection between evidence and answer

(EX: The text says “He wasn’t rich or famous”)
1 point: Answer is in complete format with relevant detail clearly supporting the response

(EX: The text says “he perfected the self-filling bowl and also made toilets more affordable” )
Question 5: 3 points possible
Indicator 1: Distinguish between interesting details and important details to help determine what
information to cite as evidence
Indicator 2: Merge background knowledge with text clues to draw a reasonable conclusion
Why is the flush toilet considered one of the most important human inventions?
0 points: Incomplete answer or missed the point of the question
1 point: Answer is in complete format, but proof is missing or reasoning is faulty.
(EX: The toilet is considered one of the most important human inventions because people were
awestruck.)
2 points: Answer is in complete format and supported from evidence in the text; reasoning is
sound, but has no clear connection to a larger meaning.
(EX: It is considered one of the most important human inventions because it allowed people to
flush away their waste for the first time ever.)
3 points: Answer is in complete format, multi-sentenced with a recognizable introduction and
conclusion, logical arrangement of ideas, should demonstrate advanced critical
reading skills as listed for both indicators, and make a connection to larger concepts
beyond the text.
(EX: The flush toilet is considered one of the most important human inventions because it
allowed humans to effortlessly flush away their waste for the first time ever. There were
complications at first, but once the issues were solved, the toilet helped reduce diseases
caused by contact with feces. This invention probably saved millions of lives, making the
toilet one of the most important human inventions.)