Purpose and Audience
ASSESSMENT
1.
Recently, a rare and beautiful item came up for auction at a small English country auction
house. Called the Pelham Water Buffalo, the item was an exquisitely carved figure made for
the grandest Qing-dynasty emperor, Qian-long. It was carved from one lump of spinach-green
jade and sits on a gilded stand with Qian-long's seals on each side. The animal is resting on
folded legs looking back over its shoulder. Its horns, backbone, and tail are clearly defined.
It came to the English countryside in 1938 when Sackville Pelham purchased it for the then
princely sum of £300. During World War II, it was wrapped in paper and put in a box marked
"porcelain" and stored in a bank vault for safe keeping. It was forgotten for 65 years.
In 2005, Lady Diana Miller, who had inherited the estate years before, finally unpacked the
contents of the bank vault. She knew immediately the rarity of the water buffalo. Still packed in
its WWII newspaper, she sent the sculpture to a small country auctioneer that she trusted.
After a private showing to a hundred selected bidders, bidding opened at £150,000. It rose
quickly, and when it was done, the winning bid was £3.4 million! The new owner, Bruno Eberli,
is a leading collector of Asian art.
Which audience would most likely find interest in this passage?
A. people who collect fine china
B. people who want to save water buffalo
C. people interested in collecting art
D. people interested in treasure hunting
ASSESSMENT
2.
Chewing Water
by Jon Caswell
When it's as hot as steam and I'm dry as popcorn,
I know how to find respite:
I am one with watermelons—
pick them sweet and juicy every time.
I even went to a high school named Sandia.
This is handy knowledge to have on habanero days.
A knife inserted just right in the end of a ripe watermelon
splits the skin splendidly.
A tiny quake rushes ahead of the blade,
dividing the granulated plasma inside the striped globe.
The walls of watermelon seem frosted
in tiny pearlets of liquid ruby.
The knife's tremor reverberates in my tongue and it gushes.
Then the smell, like new mown grass,
only mixed with the utter glee of taste buds
as the crispy, wet sweetness succumbs to teeth,
its token resistance just a coy come on to ravish it to the rind.
Could God's grace be as simple as this,
that heat makes watermelons sweet?
Which audience would most likely find interest in this poem?
A. people who speak fluent Spanish
B. people who like to eat watermelon
C. people who cook for others
D. people who grow fruits and vegetables
ASSESSMENT
3.
Prizes for the Exploratory Science Competition
FOR STUDENTS
The Exploratory Science Competition is open to all junior high and high school
science students. As recognition for their exceptional achievement, national
finalist team members and their parents/guardians will travel to Washington, D.C.
in July for the annual Exploratory Science Awards Weekend.
Exploratory Science Competition prizes include:





First Prize (1 team): U.S. EE Savings Bond worth $5,000 for each student
Second Prize (2 teams): U.S. EE Savings Bond worth $2,000 for each
student
an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. in July for the Exploratory
Science Awards Weekend (for the first- and second-place winning teams
and their parents/guardians only)
a Toshiba brand laptop for each student on the first place team
a 20% discount on Toshiba computer products for all participants for one
year
Which audience would most likely find interest in this passage?
A. students interested in competition
B. students interested in computers
C. students interested in science
D. students interested in scholarships
4. Mikey applied for a job at the local movie theater a few weeks ago. Yesterday, he interviewed
with Mr. Fairchild, one of the theater's managers. Mikey thought it would be a good idea to
write a thank-you letter to Mr. Fairchild. Read the following introductory paragraphs and
answer the question.
Paragraph A
Thanks for letting me come in for an interview yesterday. The job sounds perfect for me. I
am excited about all the perks that come with it also—like seeing movies before they are
released to the public and getting to take leftover popcorn home.
Paragraph B
Thank you for taking the time out to interview me yesterday. After meeting with you, I
strongly feel I would be a perfect match as far as the type of worker for which you are looking.
My strong math skills and attention to detail are qualities that would help strengthen your
theater's business.
Paragraph C
I really appreciated the opportunity to interview for a position at your movie theater. I think
you and I would have a great time working together. I bring a lot of strengths that would make
the work environment fun for everyone—both the customers and the employees. I am very
excited at the thought of working in a movie theater and hope you will hire me.
Paragraph D
Yesterday, you interviewed me for a position at your movie theater. My previous experience
with handling money while working at Town and Country Grocery Store is a testament to my
strong math skills. I am sure that I am the person you have been looking for all along. If you
hire me, you will have a person you can trust. Just ask my manager at Town and Country
Grocery Store. He will shoot straight with you and tell you I was one of his best employees.
Which of the opening paragraphs exhibits the most appropriate style and tone for such a
letter?
A. paragraph B
B. paragraph A
C. paragraph D
D. paragraph C
ASSESSMENT
5. Hannah is applying for an academic scholarship at the University of Nebraska. She needs a
letter of recommendation. She had a good working relationship with her former boss at a local
newspaper. She is going to email him to ask if he can write the letter of recommendation for
her.
Which choice best explains the type of email Hannah should write?
A. The email should be persuasive and formal.
B. The email should be conversational and informal.
C. The email should be somber and serious.
D. The email should be entertaining and funny.
ASSESSMENT
6. Meralda is writing a review in the entertainment section of the school newspaper about the
new Alice and Wonderland movie. How should she rewrite the following sentence to persuade
her audience to go see the movie?
Alice in Wonderland was directed by Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp as the Mad
Hatter.
A. Alice in Wonderland is one of Tim Burton's best films, and Johnny Depp brings an
eccentricity to the Mad Hatter that makes the audience laugh.
B. Although the movie critics have been harsh on the movie, Alice in Wonderland is worth
buying on DVD for your movie collection.
C. Johnny Depp is great as the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland and plays a character
who changes his personality more times than you change your socks in a week.
D. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp collaborated for Alice in Wonderland almost as well as they
did for Edward Scissorhands, another must-see movie.
ASSESSMENT
7. Bailey is babysitting her neighbor's seven-year-old daughter Christina, who loves dressing up
as a princess. Read the following opening to a story Bailey has begun to write for Christina
and answer the question.
A long time ago, a princess was walking through the woods near her castle. She happened
upon a sad-looking donkey. To her surprise, he was a talking donkey. He told her he was
looking for his owner, a large ogre with wart-covered, green skin. The princess immediately
became scared, as she did not think ogres still existed. The donkey explained to her that he
was a nice ogre. He also told her that she should not worry. The princess then told the donkey
that she would help him find his owner.
How is the style of this story appropriate for its purpose?
A. The style is made up of long, difficult sentences to entertain a child.
B. This story will convince Christina that ogres cannot be trusted.
C. The story is factual and intended to inform Christina about ogres.
D. The story is imaginative and is designed to entertain Christina.
ASSESSMENT
8. Dear members of the Briarcliff Gardening Society,
Thank you for agreeing to participate in Briarcliff's First Annual Flower Expo on Saturday,
June 2. This is going to be a wonderful experience for both us and the Town of Briarcliff. Here
are some important details you should remember regarding this Saturday's big event:




The expo will begin at 9:00 a.m., but the Transportation Committee must get all plants to
the Briarcliff High School gymnasium by 8:00 a.m. so the Set-Up Committee can get
started.
We will be using the lunch tables from the cafeteria, which is locked overnight. Jerome
McMahon will be responsible for getting the key from the principal.
The Set-Up Committee should arrive by 7:30 a.m. to ensure that the gymnasium is open
and free of all sporting equipment. The custodial staff will leave brooms alongside the
bleachers for your use.
All members should double-check that they are signed up to work for at least two
shifts—one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Again, I would like to thank all of you for your participation on this endeavor, and I look
forward to working with you this Saturday.
Sincerely,
Gertrude Johansen
President, Briarcliff Gardening Society
Which of the following statements describes why Gertrude wrote this letter?
A. She wants to persuade members of the gardening society to participate in the flower
expo.
B. She wants to teach members of the Set-Up Committee about how to run the flower expo.
C. She wants to inform members of the gardening society about various aspects of the
flower expo.
D. She wants to describe the events of next year's flower expo to the residents of Briarcliff.
I think grocery stores should not have self-serve checkout lines. They steal important jobs away f
Most importantly, computers do not always know what is best for customers.
Last week, I went to a grocery store to buy tortillas and batteries. I went to the self-serve checkou
the other lines were long, and I was in a hurry. I scanned my items like the electronic voice told me t
when it was time for me to pay for my tortillas and batteries, I scanned my card. The electronic voice
station repeatedly gave me an error and stated that it could not read my card. I left the station, found
duty, and explained what happened. She re-scanned my items and swiped my card at her station, a
could read my card with no problems. She explained that there was some sort of malfunction with th
checkout station. The entire ordeal took up at least five minutes that I could not spare that day.
This situation could have been prevented if I had gone to a human being to check out my tortillas
instead of a computer. Nowadays, computers make life easier in so many ways, but sometimes, the
harder.
ASSESSMENT
9. The language and style of this passage is appropriate because
A. the author is writing to teach shoppers how to calmly file a complaint.
B. the author is writing to teach shoppers how to use self-serve checkouts.
C. it is a short story which the author has written to entertain the reader.
D. it is a persuasive piece in which the author expresses his or her opinion.
ASSESSMENT
10.
Rules for Trash Disposal
1. If you open the top lid of the trash bin, close it again immediately after use.
2. Do not leave loose trash outside the bin to litter the parking lot. Please place all trash
inside the trash bin.
3. Do not drive your car to the trash bin to dispose of your trash. Doing so will block other
residents who are entering and leaving the parking lot. This is also damaging for the
environment because it wastes gas.
4. Your trash bin is for community use only. Please do not allow residents of other
communities to dispose of their trash in your trash bin.
5. When disposing of your trash, please use plastic garbage bags. Doing so will help
maintain the appealing appearance of your community.
Most likely, this passage is written for
A. city workers who drive garbage trucks.
B. community service project volunteers.
C. residents of a house on a busy street.
D. residents of an apartment community.