School Improvement in Maryland

Using the State Curriculum: Reading/ELA, Grade 7

Reading/ELA | Informational | Literary | Writing | Language | Listening | Speaking

Sample Assessments: Each sample assessment item gives an idea of how an assessment item on the MSA might be presented. The items appropriately measure the content of the State Curriculum and may be formatted similarly to those appearing on the MSA; however, these are sample items only and have not appeared on any MSA form.

Standard 3.0 Comprehension of Literary Text

Indicator 7. Analyze the author's purposeful use of language

Objective a. Analyze how specific language choices contribute to meaning

Selected Response Item

Read the poem 'The Traveler' and answer the following question.

In line 31 of this poem, which of these words could replace spent and not change the meaning of that line?

  1. asleep
  2. broken
  3. costly
  4. finished
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_7_066.xml

Correct Answer:
D

Selected Response Item
Read the article titled 'Absolutely Normal Chaos' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.

Read this sentence from paragraph 5.

"Dennis, are you aggravating the situation?"

Details from paragraphs 1 and 5 show that aggravating means—

  1. revealing
  2. strengthening
  3. understanding
  4. worsening
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_7_078.xml

Correct Answer:
D

Assessment limit:
Significant words (e.g., idioms, colloquialisms, etc.) with a specific effect on meaning

Selected Response Item
Read the article titled 'Absolutely Normal Chaos' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.

Read this sentence from paragraph 20.

"Sometimes he doesn't like to elaborate."

Which words could replace elaborate without changing the meaning of this sentence?

  1. give details
  2. be understood
  3. share problems
  4. be complicated
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_7_081.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Assessment limit:
Significant words (e.g., idioms, colloquialisms, etc.) with a specific effect on meaning
Resources for Objective 3.A.7.a:
Lesson Seeds | SAMPLE ASSESSMENTS | Public Release Items |