Student Team Literature
Standardized Reading Practice Test
Esperanza Rising
(Scholastic, 2000)
Reading Vocabulary
DIRECTIONS
Choose the word that means the same, or about
the same, as the underlined word. Circle the
letter for the answer you have chosen.
SAMPLE A
5. Resentfully means
A slowly
B angrily
C discreetly
D extravagantly
Solemnly means
A excitedly
B angrily
C sleepily
D seriously
6. Vigorously means
F with energy
G in a taunting way
H in a pretentious way
J gently
1. A forlorn person is
A sad
B bored
C strong
D excited
2. Customary means
F polite
G usual
H unexpected
J rude
3. Anxiety means
A interest
B anger
C kindness
D worry
4. Something that is infinite is
F endless
G brand new
H very pleasant
J in poor condition
7. Diligent means
A nimble
B despondent
C distinguished
D hard-working
8. To salvage something is to
F throw it away
G decorate it
H save it
J look forward to it
9. To confront means to
A understand
B agree
C challenge
D destroy
10. Something that is monotonous is
F exciting
G boring
H frightening
J very large
Talent Development Secondary · Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland · 2012
1
DIRECTIONS
Read the sentence in the box, then choose the
answer in which the underlined word is used in
the same way. Circle the letter for the answer
you have chosen.
12.
The train pulled out of the station and
settled into a steady motion.
In which sentence does the word steady mean
the same thing as in the sentence above?
F
SAMPLE B
Marta thought the field workers
should strike for better working
conditions.
In which sentence does the word strike mean
the same thing as in the sentence above?
A
You should never strike a match if you
smell a gas leak.
B The umpire called another strike when the
batter swung and missed the ball.
C The airline workers are planning to strike
because they want a new contract.
D This situation doesn’t strike me as funny,
no matter what you think about it.
11.
Esperanza heard the strong, clear, melodic
voices of the singers outside her window.
In which sentence does the word clear mean
the same thing as in the sentence above?
A Momma told me to clear the table and take
the dishes into the kitchen.
B The coffee table was made of clear glass
set in a shiny metal frame.
C If Dad wants to take a day off, he has to
clear his plans with his boss first.
D The sound of the church bell rang out clear
and deep over the neighborhood rooftops.
2
We could hear the steady dripping of the
icicles on the sidewalk all morning long.
G I decided to listen to some music to steady
my nerves.
H Mama says Candace is still too young to
have a steady boyfriend.
J James reached out to steady the projector
when it began to shake.
13.
The beat-up old pickup was heading down a
steep grade on Highway 99.
In which sentence does the word grade mean
the same thing as in the sentence above?
A I am determined to improve my grade in
mathematics this term.
B This grocery store always carries a high
grade of meats and produce.
C Dad shifted the car into a lower gear to
climb the grade up the mountainside.
D The school board hired a contractor to
grade the parking lot and driveway.
14.
Esperanza admired the yellow, brown, and
green plots where the different crops were
growing.
In which sentence does the word plots mean
the same thing as in the sentence above?
F The plots of those two novels are very
similar.
G The Security Council’s job is to discover
terrorist plots and prevent them from
being carried out.
H Our science class is creating several
garden plots in the vacant lot beside the
basketball court.
J Every year, my mom plots some kind of
huge surprise for my grandma’s birthday.
Talent Development Secondary · Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland · 2012
DIRECTIONS
As you read each sentence, use the other
words in the sentence to help you figure
out what the underlined word means.
Circle the letter for the answer you have
chosen.
SAMPLE C
After the funeral, there were so many
flowers in the house that their
fragrance gave the whole family
headaches. Fragrance means A beauty
B smell
C variety
D petals
15. Esperanza’s smile faded, her chest
tightened, and a heavy blanket of
anguish smothered her smallest joy.
Anguish means A
B
C
D
sorrow
excitement
gentleness
determination
16. “Be careful,” the lawyer said. “Tío
Luis is a devious, dangerous man.”
Devious means F
G
H
J
foolish
sincere
tricky
distinguished
17. The other passengers smiled and
chuckled at what looked like a
doting father and two privileged
children. Doting means A
B
C
D
strict
loving
angry
uninterested
18. The picket signs lay on the ground,
discarded, as the strikers scattered
frantically into the fields to hide.
Discarded means F
G
H
J
neatly arranged
on display
tossed away
carefully hidden
19. Esperanza’s fingers desperately
clenched Hortensia’s arm. “I cannot
leave Mama,” she cried.
Clenched means A
B
C
D
brushed softly
held tightly
patted
pushed
20. After my grandmother told me about
her fairy-tale life as a child in
Mexico, I wrote down some of her
recollections.
Recollections
means F
G
H
J
wishes
thoughts
plans
memories
Talent Development Secondary · Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland · 2012
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Reading Comprehension
DIRECTIONS
Read each passage, then read each question about the passage. Decide which is the best
answer to the question. Circle the letter for the answer you have chosen.
SAMPLE
Several years ago, when Esperanza was still a young girl, Mama and Papa had been
discussing boys from “good families” whom Esperanza should meet someday. She couldn’t
imagine being matched with someone she had never met. So she announced, “I am going to
marry Miguel!”
Mama had laughed at her and said, “You will feel differently as you get older.”
“No, I won’t,” Esperanza had said stubbornly.
But now that she was a young woman, she understood that Miguel was the
housekeeper’s son and she was the ranch owner’s daughter and between them ran a deep
river. Esperanza stood on one side and Miguel stood on the other and the river could never
be crossed. In a moment of self-importance, Esperanza had told all of this to Miguel. Since
then, he had spoken only a few words to her. When their paths crossed, he nodded and said
politely, “Mi reina, my queen,” but nothing more. There was no more teasing or laughing or
talking about every little thing. Esperanza pretended not to care, though she secretly wished
she had never told Miguel about the river.
A The statement, “between them ran a
deep river… and the river could never
be crossed,” is an example of
A foreshadowing
B flashback
C personification
D metaphor
4
B
Esperanza probably wishes she had
never told Miguel about the river
because
F she has decided that she wants to
marry Miguel anyway.
G she misses the friendly relationship
she had with Miguel before she told
him this.
H she is afraid her mother will be angry
if she learns that Esperanza told
Miguel this.
J Miguel has been unkind to her ever
since she told him this.
Talent Development Secondary · Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland · 2012
From “Las Guayabas” (pp. 76-80)
… Soon, Mama was confiding in Carmen, telling her all that had happened with Papa and
Tío Luis. Carmen listened and made clucking noises like one of her hens, as if she understood
Mama’s and Esperanza’s problems. Esperanza looked from Mama to Carmen to Hortensia. She was
amazed at how easily Carmen had plopped herself down and had plunged into intimate
conversation. It didn’t seem correct somehow. Mama had always been so proper and concerned
about what was said and not said. In Aguascalientes, she would have thought it was “inappropriate”
to tell an egg woman their problems, yet now she didn’t hesitate.
“Mama,” whispered Esperanza, taking on a tone she had heard Mama use many times. “Do
you think it is wise to tell a peasant our personal business?”
Mama tried not to smile. She whispered back, “It is all right, Esperanza, because now we
are peasants, too.”
Esperanza ignored Mama’s comment. What was wrong with her? Had all of Mama’s rules
changed since they had boarded this train?
When they pulled into Carmen’s town, Mama gave her three of the beautiful lace carpetas
[doilies] she had made. “For your house,” she said.
Carmen gave Mama two chickens, in an old shopping bag that she had tied with string. “For
your future,” she said.
The Mama, Hortensia, and Carmen hugged as if they had been friends forever.
“Bueno suerte, good luck,” they said to one another.
Alfonso and Miguel helped Carmen with her packages and the cage of chickens. When
Miguel got back on the train, he sat next to Esperanza, near the window. They watched Carmen
greet her waiting children, several of the little ones scrambling into her arms. In front of the station,
a crippled Indian woman crawled on her knees, her hand outstretched toward a group of ladies and
gentlemen who were finely dressed in clothes like the ones that used to hang in Esperanza’s and
Mama’s closets. The people turned their backs on the begging woman but Carmen walked over and
gave her a coin and some tortillas from her bag. The woman blessed her, making the sign of the
cross. Then Carmen took her children’s hands and walked away.
“She has eight children and sells eggs to survive. Yet when she can barely afford it she gave
your mother two hens and helped the crippled woman,” said Miguel. “The rich take care of the rich
and the poor take care of those who have less than they have.”
“But why does Carmen need to take care of the beggar at all?” said Esperanza. “Look. Only
a few yards away is the farmer’s market with carts of fresh food.”
Miguel looked at Esperanza, wrinkled his forehead, and shook his head. “There is a Mexican
saying: ‘Full bellies and Spanish blood go hand in hand.’”
Esperanza looked at him and raised her eyebrows.
“Have you never noticed?” he said, sounding surprised. “Those with Spanish blood, who
have the fairest complexions in the land, are the wealthiest.”
Esperanza suddenly felt guilty and did not want to admit that she had never noticed or that
it might be true. Besides, they were going to the United States now and it certainly would not be true
there.
Esperanza shrugged. “It is just something that old wives say.”
“No,” said Miguel. “It is something the poor say.”
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Talent Development Secondary · Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland · 2012
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1. Esperanza disapproved of Mama’s
confiding in Carmen because
A
she thought Carmen might be one of
Tío Luis’s spies.
B Carmen was just a poor peasant
woman.
C she thought Carmen was
untrustworthy.
D she thought Carmen didn’t really care
about Mama’s problems.
2. Mama seemed to be living by a different
set of rules because
F she wanted to confuse Esperanza.
G she never really cared about the social
rules of the wealthy class anyway.
H she had adapted more quickly than
Esperanza to the change in their
circumstances.
J the tragedy of Papa’s death had left
her confused about how she should
act.
3. Miguel pointed out that even though
Carmen was very poor, she was also very
generous to Mama and to the beggar
woman. This situation is an example of
A irony.
B foreshadowing.
C symbolism.
D figurative language.
4. Miguel thought that Esperanza could not
understand either Carmen or the beggar
woman because
F she was a selfish, thoughtless person.
G she had never known what it was like
to be poor.
H she had not studied the Mexican
proverbs as well as he had.
J she had never taken a long train ride
before.
5. Which of the following is a statement of
fact based on this passage?
A Esperanza’s behavior on the train was
immature and selfish.
B Poor people are more generous and
kind-hearted than rich people.
C Carmen sold eggs to support herself
and her eight children.
D The difference in lifestyle between the
rich and the poor was unfair.
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Talent Development Secondary · Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland · 2012
From “Las Almendras” (pp. 122-125)
Isabel took a fresh tortilla, sprinkled it with salt, rolled it up like a cigar and waved it at
Miguel. “How come you and Tío Alfonso won’t let me go behind the cabin with you?”
“Shhh,” he said. “It’s a surprise.”
“Why are you so full of secrets?” asked Esperanza.
But neither Alfonso nor Miguel answered. They simply smiled while they prepared their
plates.
They ate dinner, but before they could slice a cantaloupe for dessert, Alfonso and Miguel
disappeared, with instructions not to follow them.
“What are they doing?” demanded Isabel.
Hortensia shrugged as if she knew nothing.
Miguel came back just before sunset. “Señora and Esperanza, we have something to show
you.”
Esperanza looked at Mama. It was obvious Mama was as confused as she was. They all
followed Miguel to where Alfonso was waiting.
Behind the cabin was an old washtub with one end cut off. It had been set on its side,
forming a little shrine around a plastic statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Someone had built a
grotto of rocks around the base of the tub. Around it, a large plot of earth had been fenced in by
sticks and ropes and planted with thorny stems, each with only a few branches.
Isabel gasped. “It’s beautiful. Is that our statue?”
Josefina nodded. “But the roses come from far away.”
Esperanza searched Miguel’s face, her eyes hopeful. “Papa’s?”
“Yes, these are your papa’s roses,” said Miguel, smiling at her.
Alfonso had dug circles of earth around each plant, casitas, little houses that made moats
for deep watering. Just like he had done in Aguascalientes.
“But how?” Esperanza remembered the rose garden as a blackened graveyard.
“After the fire, my father and I dug down to the roots. Many were still healthy. We carried
the cuttings from Aguascalientes. And that’s why we had to keep them wet. We think they will
grow. In time, we will see how many bloom.”
Esperanza bent closer to look at the stems rooted in mulch. They were leafless and stubby,
but lovingly planted. She remembered the night before the fire, when she had last seen the roses
and had wanted to ask Hortensia to make rosehip tea. But she’d never had the chance. Now, if
they bloomed she could drink the memories of the roses that had known Papa. She looked at
Miguel, blinking back tears. “Which one is yours?”
Miguel pointed to one.
“Which one is mine?”
He smiled and pointed to the one that was closest to the cabin wall and already had a
makeshift trellis propped against it. “So you can climb,” he said.
Mama walked up and down, carefully touching each cutting. She took Alfonso’s hands in
her own and kissed him on each cheek. Then she went to Miguel and did the same. “Muchas
gracias,” she said.
Mama looked at Esperanza. “Didn’t I tell you that Papa’s heart would find us wherever we
go?”
GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE
Talent Development Secondary · Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland · 2012
7
6. Which of the following people already
knew the secret of Miguel and
Alfonso’s surprise?
F Isabel
G Esperanza
H Mama
J Josefina
The boxes show some things that
happened in the reading selection.
1
2
Miguel and
Alfonso
brought the
cuttings from
Aguascalientes
.
3
Alfonso dug
little circles of
earth around
each plant so
he could
water them
deeply.
7. Which of the following statements
belongs in Box 2?
A Mama kissed Miguel and Alfonso
on both cheeks.
B Miguel and Alfonso kept the
cuttings wet during their journey.
C Miguel and Alfonso dug up the
roots of the rosebushes from the
burnt, blackened garden.
D Miguel and Alfonso invited
Esperanza and her mother to see
the surprise behind the cabin.
8. Which of the following was not a part
of the shrine Miguel and Alfonso
made?
F rocks
G an old washtub
H a rosary
J a plastic statue of Our Lady of
Guadalupe
9. Fill in the blank: “Miguel saw the rose
cutting as a ________________ of
Esperanza’s new life in the United
States.”
A symbol
B personification
C flashback
D theme
10. Which of the following is not a good
inference to make from this passage?
F Alfonso was a skilled and
experienced gardener.
G Isabel’s family provided the plastic
statue for the shrine.
H Miguel and Alfonso were sure that
all of the rosebushes would grow
and bloom.
J Esperanza and Mama believed the
roses would help keep alive their
memories of Papa.
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Talent Development Secondary · Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland · 2012
From “Los Espárragos” (pp. 206-209)
… “¡Americana! ¡Americana!” yelled one woman and she began to unfold some papers.
One of the [immigration] officials took the papers from her hand and tore them into pieces. “Get
on the bus,” he ordered.
“What will they do with them?” asked Esperanza.
“They will take them to Los Angeles, and put them on the train to El Paso, Texas, and
then to Mexico,” said Josefina.
“But some of them are citizens,” said Esperanza.
“It doesn’t matter. They are causing problems for the government. They are talking
about forming a farm workers’ union and the government and the growers don’t like that.”
“What about their families? How will they know?”
“Word gets out. It is sad. They leave the buses parked at the station until late at night
with those they captured on board. Families don’t want to be separated from their loved ones
and usually go with them. That is the idea. They call it a voluntary deportation. But it is not much
of a choice.”
Two immigration officials positioned themselves in front of the shed. The others left on
the buses. Esperanza and the other women watched the despondent faces in the windows
disappear.
Slowly, the women reassembled on the line and began to pack again. It had all lasted
only a few minutes.
“What happens now?” asked Esperanza.
“La Migra will keep their eyes open for any strikers that might be back,” said Josefina,
nodding toward the two men stationed nearby. “And we go back to work and feel thankful it is
not us on that bus.”
Esperanza took a deep breath and went back to her spot. She was relieved, but still
imagined the anguish of the strikers. Something seemed very wrong about sending people away
from their own “free country” because they had spoken their minds.
She noticed she needed more bands to wrap around the asparagus bundles and walked
to the back of the dock to get them. Within a maze of tall crates, she searched for the thick
rubber bands. Some of the boxes had been tossed over by the immigration officials and as she
bent down to set one straight, she sucked in her breath, startled by what was in front of her.
Marta was huddled in a corner, holding her finger to her lips, her eyes begging for help.
She whispered, “Please, Esperanza. Don’t tell. I can’t get caught. I must take care of my
mother.”
Esperanza stood frozen for a moment, remembering Marta’s meanness that first day in
the truck. If she helped her and someone found out, Esperanza would be on the next bus
herself. She couldn’t risk it and started to say no. But then she thought about Marta and her
mother holding hands, and couldn’t imagine them being separated from each other. And
besides, they were both citizens. They had every right to be here.
She turned around and headed back to where the others were working. No one paid any
attention to her. They were all busy talking about the sweep. She picked up a bundle of
asparagus, several burlap sacks from a stack, and a dirty apron that someone had left on a
hook. She quietly wandered back to Marta’s hiding place. “La Migra is still out front,” she said in
a hushed voice. “They will probably leave in an hour when the shed closes.” She handed the
apron and the asparagus to Marta. “When you leave, put on the apron and carry the asparagus
so you’ll look like a worker, just in case anyone stops you.”
“Gracias,” whispered Marta. “I’m sorry I misjudged you.”
“Shhh,” said Esperanza, repositioning the crates and draping the burlap sacks across
their tops so Marta couldn’t be seen.
GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE
Talent Development Secondary · Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland · 2012
9
11. The author included the first
paragraph of this selection in the
book because
A
it shows that the immigration officials
did not understand Spanish.
B it shows how unfairly the immigration
officials treated the strikers.
C it foreshadows what will happen to
Esperanza and her mother.
D the woman shouting “¡Americana!”
was Josefina’s close friend.
12. Which of the following can we infer
from this passage?
F
Mexican workers who were not
involved in the strike were not sent
back to Mexico.
G Mexican-American strikers who were
United States citizens were not sent
to Mexico.
H Immigration officials forced the
families of those involved in the
strikes to return to Mexico too.
J Immigration officials treated MexicanAmericans with dignity and fairness
during the sweep.
10
13. The Spanish expression “La Migra” used
in this passage refers to
A the growers’ association.
B the strikers’ organization.
C the immigration officials.
D the immigrant workers from Mexico.
14. Esperanza went to the back of the
packing shed because she needed
F
G
H
J
some more crates.
an apron.
burlap sacks.
rubber bands.
15. Which of the following is not a reason
for Esperanza’s decision to help Marta?
A She believed it was important for
Marta and her mother to be together.
B She was grateful for Marta’s kindness
to her ever since she came to the
camp.
C She knew that Marta was an
American citizen and had a right to
remain in the United States.
D She did not think the government of a
free country should send people away
for expressing their opinions.
Talent Development Secondary · Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland · 2012