Sean Taylor M.Ed. Reading Sage: Advocating for Every Child to Read, Learn, and Thrive: GRADE 6 ELA READING TEST With Answer KEY 2026-2027

GRADE 6 END-OF-YEAR

ELA READING ASSESSMENT

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Aligned

Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Levels 1–4 • Two-Part Evidence Questions • Extended Response • Literary Analysis

Argument Evaluation • Cross-Text Synthesis • Rhetorical Analysis

Student Name:

Teacher:

Date:

Campus / School:

Sections	Passages	Total Questions	Total Points	Suggested Time
4	5	42	75	110–130 min

Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK) — Grade 6 Reference

Level	Category	Cognitive demand at this level
DOK 1	Recall & Recognition	Locate facts, identify text elements, define words in context, recognize literary devices by name.
DOK 2	Application of Skills	Explain, compare, summarize, determine theme/central idea, analyze cause-effect, interpret figurative language.
DOK 3	Strategic Thinking	Analyze author’s craft and purpose, evaluate evidence and argument quality, synthesize within a text, draw supported conclusions.
DOK 4	Extended Thinking	Synthesize across multiple texts, evaluate competing arguments, connect texts to broader concepts, compose original interpretations with multi-layered evidence.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS

• Read each passage carefully and completely before answering any questions.

• For multiple-choice questions, select the BEST answer. Eliminate obviously wrong choices first.

• For two-part questions, both parts must be answered. Part B always requires direct textual evidence that supports Part A.

• For short answer and extended response questions: write in complete sentences; cite specific evidence; explain your reasoning; do not simply summarize.

• Extended responses at Grade 6 are graded for: claim clarity, quality and specificity of evidence, depth of analysis, and coherence of reasoning.

• You may look back at the passages as often as needed throughout the assessment.

SECTION 1 — LITERARY TEXT (Fiction & Poetry) | Questions 1–11 | 24 Points

Passage 1: "The Interpreter" — Original literary fiction

Yara had been translating for her mother since she was seven years old. Not just words — concepts, tones, entire worlds. At the bank, she learned to say “my mother requires” instead of “my mother wants,” because wanting sounded desperate and requiring sounded dignified. At the school office, she learned to soften her mother’s directness into something the secretaries found acceptable. At the doctor’s, she learned that certain words in Arabic had no English equivalent and that the space between languages was where things got lost.

She was twelve now, and she had begun to notice what the work cost her. Not money — power. Every time she translated, she became the person in the room who understood everything and controlled how much of it her mother received. She had never lied outright. But she had smoothed. She had softened. She had omitted the doctor’s slight impatience, the bank officer’s condescending pause. She told herself she was protecting her mother. She was not always sure this was true.

The hardest day came at the immigration office. The officer’s voice was flat and procedural, but his words were a labyrinth. Form I-90. Biometric appointment. Conditional permanent resident. Yara translated what she could, invented bridges for what she couldn’t, and watched her mother’s face — the small nod that meant she trusted Yara completely. That nod had always made Yara feel capable. Today it made her feel something closer to afraid.

On the bus home, her mother asked: “Did you understand everything he said?”

Yara looked out the window. The city moved past in rectangles of light.

“Yes,” she said. Then, after a moment: “Mostly.”

Her mother was quiet. Then she said, in Arabic, something Yara had heard her say only once before, at her grandmother’s funeral: “Most of the truth is better than a beautiful lie.”

Yara didn’t answer. But she thought about it for the whole ride home — the whole distance between one language and another, the whole space where she lived, translating not just words but herself.

Use “The Interpreter” to answer Questions 1–7.

TEKS 6.7(A) — Plot, Conflict & Setting

Multiple Choice

DOK 1

1pt

Which type of conflict is MOST central to this story?

A. Person vs. nature — Yara struggles against an uncontrollable environment.

B. Person vs. society — Yara fights against unjust immigration laws.

C. Person vs. self — Yara wrestles with the ethics and burden of her role as interpreter.

D. Person vs. person — Yara and her mother disagree about how to communicate.

TEKS 6.7(C) — Character Complexity & Motivation

Two-Part (Evidence)

DOK 2

2pts

Part A: In paragraph 2, Yara reflects that her translations have not been entirely honest. What is her primary motivation for softening or omitting information?

A. She wants to feel superior to her mother by controlling information.

B. She believes she is protecting her mother from painful or humiliating details.

C. She is afraid of making mistakes in translation and is covering for them.

D. She has been instructed by officials not to translate everything literally.

Part B: Which sentence from the story introduces DOUBT about Yara’s stated motivation?

A. "At the bank, she learned to say ‘my mother requires’ instead of ‘my mother wants.’"

B. "She told herself she was protecting her mother. She was not always sure this was true."

C. "The officer’s voice was flat and procedural, but his words were a labyrinth."

D. "She had never lied outright. But she had smoothed."

TEKS 6.8(B) — Theme & Textual Evidence

Multiple Choice

DOK 2

1pt

Which statement BEST expresses a theme of “The Interpreter”?

A. Immigration systems are too complicated for families without professional lawyers.

B. Children who act as interpreters always damage their relationship with their parents.

C. The role of translator carries ethical weight that extends beyond the meaning of words.

D. Learning a second language is the most important skill a child of immigrants can have.

TEKS 6.4(E) — Figurative Language & Imagery

Two-Part (Evidence)

DOK 2

2pts

Part A: In paragraph 3, the immigration forms and bureaucratic language are described as “a labyrinth.” What does this metaphor convey about Yara’s experience?

A. The immigration office is physically confusing and difficult to navigate.

B. The bureaucratic language is complex and disorienting, with no clear path through it.

C. Yara is lost in a building with many hallways and rooms.

D. The officer intentionally designed his language to confuse immigrants.

Part B: In paragraph 4, the author writes: “The city moved past in rectangles of light.” What does this image suggest about Yara’s emotional state at that moment?

A. She is excited about the city lights and feels hopeful about her future.

B. She is detached, distracted, and seeing the world in fragments rather than engaging with it.

C. She is frustrated that the bus is moving too slowly through the city.

D. She sees the city as a cold, unwelcoming place for her family.

TEKS 6.4(C) — Vocabulary in Context

Multiple Choice

DOK 1

1pt

In paragraph 2, Yara reflects on the “cost” of her translating work, then immediately says “Not money — power.” What does she mean by “power” in this context?

A. Physical strength required to speak both languages fluently.

B. Political influence she gains by working with government officials.

C. Control over the information her mother receives, giving Yara authority over what her mother knows.

D. Energy and time spent on translation that she could have used for school.

TEKS 6.8(B) / 6.7(C) — Theme, Character & Textual Evidence

Short Answer

DOK 3

3pts

Yara’s mother says: “Most of the truth is better than a beautiful lie.” Analyze how this statement connects to the central conflict of the story. What does it suggest about what Yara has been doing, and how does it change or challenge her? Use at least TWO specific details from the passage to support your analysis.

TEKS 6.8(B) / 6.9(D) — Theme, Craft & Extended Analysis

Extended Response

DOK 4

5pts

The story’s final sentence describes Yara as translating “not just words but herself.” Write an extended response in which you: (1) explain what this phrase means and what it reveals about Yara’s inner life; (2) analyze how the author develops this idea through specific craft choices (structure, diction, imagery, or characterization); and (3) argue whether this story presents translation as primarily a burden, a gift, or something more complex than either. Support every claim with specific evidence from the text.

Passage 2: "First Language" — A poem

First Language

My grandmother’s words live

in the back of my throat,

warm stones I swallowed young

and cannot cough up or name.

She spoke in a language

I was learning to forget —

English arriving like weather,

the old tongue going underground.

Now I reach for her words

the way you reach in darkness

for a light switch you know is there

but cannot find.

What I have left: the sound

of her laugh, which was

not a word at all.

But I keep it.

I keep it like a lamp.

Use “First Language” to answer Questions 8–11.

TEKS 6.5(A) — Poetry: Central Idea & Literal Meaning

Multiple Choice

DOK 1

1pt

What is the speaker of the poem describing?

A. Learning to speak a new language fluently for the first time.

B. The experience of losing access to a grandmother’s native language and trying to hold onto what remains.

C. Arguing with a grandmother who refuses to speak English.

D. The joy of being bilingual and speaking two languages equally well.

TEKS 6.4(E) / 6.5(B) — Figurative Language in Poetry

Two-Part (Evidence)

DOK 2

2pts

Part A: In stanza 1, the poet describes the grandmother’s words as “warm stones I swallowed young / and cannot cough up or name.” What does this image convey?

A. The grandmother’s language was painful and difficult for the speaker to learn.

B. The words are deeply embedded inside the speaker but are inaccessible and impossible to retrieve consciously.

C. The speaker ate food prepared by the grandmother while learning the language.

D. The grandmother’s language sounds like the rumbling of stones in the speaker’s throat.

Part B: In stanza 3, the speaker compares reaching for grandmother’s words to reaching for a light switch in darkness. What does this simile suggest?

A. The speaker has given up trying to remember and lives in permanent darkness.

B. The speaker knows the language is still somewhere in memory but cannot consciously access it.

C. The grandmother’s language was only ever spoken at night, in secret.

D. The speaker is afraid of the darkness that comes with forgetting a language.

Q10

TEKS 6.5(B) — Poetic Structure & Tone

Multiple Choice

DOK 2

1pt

The final two lines of the poem — “But I keep it. / I keep it like a lamp.” — shift the poem’s tone. What is the significance of this shift?

A. The tone shifts from joyful to melancholy, showing the speaker has given up hope.

B. The tone shifts from loss and longing to quiet determination and preservation.

C. The tone shifts from confusion to clarity, as the speaker finally remembers the language.

D. The tone shifts from personal to universal, addressing all people who have lost a language.

Q11

TEKS 6.9(F) — Cross-Text Synthesis

Short Answer

DOK 3

3pts

Both “The Interpreter” and “First Language” explore the relationship between language and identity. Analyze how each text presents this relationship DIFFERENTLY. What does language represent to Yara in the story, and what does it represent to the speaker of the poem? Use specific evidence from BOTH texts to support your analysis.

SECTION 2 — INFORMATIONAL TEXT (Nonfiction) | Questions 12–22 | 19 Points

Passage 3: "The Shock of the New: How the Printing Press Remade the World" — Nonfiction historical essay

The Shock of the New: How the Printing Press Remade the World

In 1450, Europe had approximately 30,000 books in circulation. By 1500 — just fifty years later — there were an estimated 12 million. The difference was Johannes Gutenberg’s movable-type printing press, invented around 1440 in Mainz, Germany. No technology before it, and arguably none since, changed the trajectory of human civilization so rapidly and so completely.

Before the press, books were produced by hand — primarily by monks in scriptoria, the writing rooms of medieval monasteries. A single scribe might spend an entire year copying one Bible. Books were therefore extraordinarily expensive, accessible only to the Church, wealthy nobles, and a small number of universities. Knowledge, as a consequence, was not merely scarce. It was controlled. Whoever controlled the books controlled what could be known and by whom.

Gutenberg’s press shattered this control. For the first time in history, information could be reproduced at speed and at scale. A single press could produce hundreds of copies of a text in the time a scribe would need to produce one. The cost of a book fell by roughly 80 percent within decades of the press’s invention. Books entered the hands of merchants, craftsmen, and eventually common citizens. Literacy rates, which had remained stagnant for centuries, began to climb.

The consequences were not only cultural but political and religious. In 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg — a protest against practices of the Catholic Church that, in any earlier century, would likely have been suppressed before it spread beyond the local community. Instead, within two weeks, Luther’s document had been printed and distributed across Germany. Within two months, it had reached much of Europe. The Protestant Reformation was, in no small part, a media event.

The press also accelerated the Scientific Revolution. Before print, scientists across Europe could not easily share their findings or build on each other’s work. Copernicus’ heliocentric model, Vesalius’ anatomical drawings, and later Newton’s laws of motion circulated in printed editions that allowed natural philosophers across the continent to verify, debate, and extend each other’s discoveries. Modern science is, among other things, a collaborative enterprise made possible by the ability to share information precisely and at scale.

Not all consequences were positive. The press also enabled the rapid spread of propaganda, misinformation, and hate literature. Anti-Semitic pamphlets circulated across Germany in the sixteenth century with the same efficiency as Luther’s theological arguments. Sensationalist broadsheets — the tabloids of their day — spread rumors and inflamed public opinion. The printing press did not guarantee that the ideas it spread were true. It only guaranteed that they spread.

Scholars who study the history of communication technology often draw parallels between the printing press and the internet. Both technologies democratized access to information. Both disrupted existing power structures and created new ones. Both enabled new forms of community, learning, and cultural exchange — and both were quickly weaponized for manipulation and division. The central question that both technologies raise has never been fully answered: When everyone can publish, how do we determine what is worth reading?

Gutenberg himself died modestly, stripped of his printing equipment by a creditor and largely unrecognized in his lifetime. It would be left to history to record what he had unleashed: not merely a faster way to copy text, but a fundamental reorganization of who gets to know things, and why.

Use “The Shock of the New” to answer Questions 12–19.

Q12

TEKS 6.11(A) — Central Idea & Key Details

Multiple Choice

DOK 1

1pt

What is the CENTRAL IDEA of this article?

A. Johannes Gutenberg was the most important inventor in European history.

B. The printing press transformed the distribution of knowledge and had sweeping consequences for religion, science, politics, and culture.

C. The printing press caused the Protestant Reformation and the Scientific Revolution.

D. The internet is more transformative than the printing press because it is faster.

Q13

TEKS 6.11(C) — Cause & Effect / Text Structure

Two-Part (Evidence)

DOK 2

2pts

Part A: According to the article, how did the printing press change the relationship between knowledge and power?

A. It gave the Church more control over education by standardizing the Bible.

B. It allowed wealthy nobles to collect more books than ever before.

C. It broke the Church’s and ruling class’s monopoly on information by making books affordable and widely available.

D. It created a new class of professional scribes who could produce books more quickly.

Part B: Which TWO paragraphs provide the STRONGEST evidence for your answer to Part A?

A. Paragraphs 1 and 8

B. Paragraphs 2 and 3

C. Paragraphs 4 and 5

D. Paragraphs 6 and 7

Q14

TEKS 6.4(C) — Vocabulary: Context Clues

Multiple Choice

DOK 1

1pt

In paragraph 4, the author states that Luther’s protest “would likely have been suppressed before it spread.” Based on context, what does “suppressed” mean?

A. Celebrated and widely shared by Church officials.

B. Misunderstood by the general public.

C. Forcibly stopped or prevented from spreading.

D. Translated into multiple languages quickly.

Q15

TEKS 6.11(D) — Author’s Purpose & Rhetorical Choices

Two-Part (Evidence)

DOK 2

2pts

Part A: Why does the author include paragraph 6, which describes negative consequences of the printing press?

A. To argue that the printing press was ultimately more harmful than helpful.

B. To provide a balanced, credible analysis by acknowledging that the technology had destructive as well as beneficial effects.

C. To shift the article’s focus from religion to politics.

D. To prove that propaganda has always been more powerful than factual information.

Part B: The article ends with the statement that the press caused “a fundamental reorganization of who gets to know things, and why.” Why is this sentence an effective conclusion?

A. It summarizes the number of books produced after the press was invented.

B. It returns to the article’s central argument — that the press was fundamentally about power over knowledge — and frames it as the lasting consequence.

C. It introduces a new argument about modern publishing that the article has not yet discussed.

D. It proves that Gutenberg was unfairly treated by history.

Q16

TEKS 6.11(B) — Summarizing

Multiple Choice

DOK 2

1pt

Which sentence BEST summarizes the comparison made in paragraph 7?

A. The internet has replaced the printing press as the most important communication technology in history.

B. Both the printing press and the internet democratized information but also enabled its misuse, raising unresolved questions about how to evaluate what is published.

C. Scholars agree that the internet is more dangerous than the printing press because misinformation spreads faster online.

D. The printing press and the internet are different because only the press was used to spread propaganda.

Q17

TEKS 6.11(A) — Key Details / Recall

Multiple Choice

DOK 1

1pt

According to the article, approximately how many books were in circulation in Europe by 1500?

A. 30,000

B. 1 million

C. 12 million

D. 50 million

Q18

TEKS 6.11(D) / 6.9(D) — Author’s Craft & Argument

Short Answer

DOK 3

4pts

The article describes the Protestant Reformation as “in no small part, a media event” (paragraph 4). Analyze what the author means by this phrase and how it connects to the article’s broader argument about the relationship between information technology and power. Use evidence from at least TWO paragraphs to support your analysis.

SECTION 3 — PAIRED PASSAGES | Questions 23–33 | 16 Points

Passage 4A: "The Case Against Social Media for Teens" — Argumentative essay

The Case Against Social Media for Teens

The evidence is no longer ambiguous. Across multiple peer-reviewed studies conducted between 2015 and 2023, researchers have found consistent correlations between heavy social media use among adolescents and increased rates of anxiety, depression, and social comparison. The American Psychological Association issued guidance in 2023 recommending that adolescents limit social media use — guidance that is difficult to reconcile with the fact that the average American teenager spends more than four hours per day on social media platforms.

The mechanism is not mysterious. Social media platforms are designed, explicitly and deliberately, to maximize engagement. The infinite scroll, the variable-ratio reward system of likes and comments, the algorithmically curated feed that surfaces the most emotionally provocative content — these are not accidents. They are features. They are the application of behavioral psychology to interface design, and they work with particular effectiveness on adolescent brains, which are still developing the prefrontal cortex structures responsible for impulse control and long-term decision-making.

Critics of this position argue that social media also provides community, connection, and access to information for teenagers who might otherwise be isolated — LGBTQ+ youth in rural areas, students with rare medical conditions, young people in abusive households who find support networks online. These are genuine benefits that should not be dismissed. But they do not require the specific design features that make social media addictive. A platform can provide community without an infinite scroll. It can enable connection without a public like count. The benefits and the harms are separable; the industry has simply chosen not to separate them.

The analogy that applies here is not television or video games, both of which allow for passive consumption without the social comparison and performance anxiety that social media’s public metrics create. The better analogy is cigarettes: a product whose harms were known to its manufacturers long before the public was informed, whose addictive design was intentional, and whose regulation was delayed for decades by industry lobbying and the argument that personal choice should prevail over public health. We do not allow tobacco companies to market cigarettes to minors. There is a compelling case that we should apply a similar standard to social media.

This is not an argument for eliminating social media. It is an argument for redesigning it — or, at minimum, for prohibiting its most psychologically manipulative features from being used on users under eighteen. The evidence supports intervention. The question is whether the political will exists to demand it.

Passage 4B: "Don’t Blame the Platform: Teen Mental Health Is Complicated" — Response essay

Don’t Blame the Platform: Teen Mental Health Is Complicated

The argument that social media is the primary driver of the teen mental health crisis is intuitively appealing and empirically weak. The evidence, when examined carefully rather than selectively, is far more complicated than the headline version suggests.

Correlation is not causation. The rise in teen anxiety and depression that began around 2012 coincides with the proliferation of smartphones and social media — but it also coincides with the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, increasing academic pressure, climate anxiety, the opioid epidemic’s effects on families, and a general decline in unstructured playtime and physical activity among American adolescents. Isolating social media as the cause requires ruling out all of these alternative explanations, which the available research has not done convincingly.

Moreover, the research itself is contested. A 2019 study by Oxford researcher Andrew Przybylski, one of the most methodologically rigorous examinations of the data, found that the relationship between screen time and well-being in adolescents was statistically significant but tiny — comparable in size to the effect of eating potatoes. Przybylski concluded that the “moral panic” around social media and teen mental health was outrunning the evidence.

This does not mean social media is harmless. Heavy use by already-vulnerable adolescents — those experiencing depression, social isolation, or family instability — does appear to exacerbate existing problems. But the effect is not uniform. Many teenagers use social media heavily with no measurable negative outcome. Some, particularly those from marginalized communities, report significant benefits to their well-being. The question is not “Is social media bad?” but “Bad for whom, under what conditions, and compared to what alternative?”

Regulatory proposals — age restrictions, design mandates, public like bans — risk doing harm in the name of doing good if they are not grounded in more precise evidence. A blanket restriction on social media for teens would remove a genuine support resource for the vulnerable young people who arguably need it most. Policy should be proportionate to evidence. The current evidence supports targeted interventions for high-risk users, not sweeping restrictions based on correlations that remain causally unproven.

Use both Passage 4A and Passage 4B to answer Questions 23–30.

Q23

TEKS 6.11(C) / 6.9(F) — Comparing Central Claims

Multiple Choice

DOK 2

1pt

Which statement BEST describes the central difference between the two essays’ positions?

A. Passage 4A argues social media is dangerous; Passage 4B argues it is completely harmless.

B. Passage 4A calls for restricting addictive social media features for teens; Passage 4B argues the evidence does not yet justify broad restrictions.

C. Passage 4A focuses on design issues; Passage 4B focuses only on mental health statistics.

D. The two passages agree on the problem but disagree on which social media companies are most responsible.

Q24

TEKS 6.9(F) / 6.11(C) — Comparing Evidence

Two-Part (Evidence)

DOK 2

2pts

Part A: Both essays acknowledge that social media can provide benefits for some users. How does each author USE this acknowledgment differently?

A. Passage 4A uses it to dismiss the concern entirely; Passage 4B uses it as its main argument.

B. Passage 4A acknowledges benefits then argues the harmful design features are separable from them; Passage 4B argues the benefits make broad restriction too costly.

C. Both essays use the acknowledgment in exactly the same way as a counterargument concession.

D. Passage 4A uses benefits to argue for regulation; Passage 4B uses benefits to argue for no action.

Part B: Passage 4B cites the Przybylski 2019 study to challenge the claim that social media causes teen mental health problems. How would the author of Passage 4A MOST LIKELY respond to this study?

A. By arguing that the study proves social media is safe for adolescents.

B. By pointing out that statistical size does not determine policy priority, and that the design features are the real target — not screen time alone.

C. By agreeing that the evidence is too weak to support any intervention.

D. By citing a different study that contradicts Przybylski’s methodology entirely.

Q25

TEKS 6.11(D) — Analyzing an Analogy

Multiple Choice

DOK 2

1pt

In paragraph 4 of Passage 4A, the author compares social media to cigarettes. What is the PURPOSE of this analogy?

A. To prove that social media is physically addictive in the same way nicotine is.

B. To argue that social media causes cancer.

C. To draw a parallel between industries that knowingly harmed users and delayed regulation through the argument of personal choice.

D. To suggest that social media should be taxed the same way tobacco is taxed.

Q26

TEKS 6.11(C) / 6.9(F) — Evaluating Arguments

Two-Part (Evidence)

DOK 3

2pts

Part A: Passage 4B argues that “correlation is not causation.” Is this a strong or weak point against Passage 4A’s argument? Explain your reasoning.

A. Strong, because Passage 4A relies entirely on correlation and never addresses causation.

B. Partially strong but limited, because Passage 4A’s argument about intentional design features does not depend on proving causation through correlation alone.

C. Weak, because all social science research is based on correlation and Passage 4B should know this.

D. Strong, because once causation is disproven, Passage 4A has no remaining argument.

Part B: Which element of Passage 4A is MOST difficult for Passage 4B to refute, and why?

A. The claim that teen mental health has declined since 2012.

B. The claim that social media platforms are deliberately designed to maximize engagement using behavioral psychology.

C. The claim that the average teen spends more than four hours per day on social media.

D. The claim that cigarettes and social media are exactly alike in their effects.

Q27

TEKS 6.9(F) / 6.11(C)(D) — Cross-Text Argument Synthesis

Extended Response

DOK 4

6pts

Both essays engage seriously with the question of how to regulate social media for adolescents. Write an extended response in which you: (1) identify the strongest argument made by each essay; (2) identify the most significant weakness of each essay; and (3) synthesize the two positions to argue what you believe the MOST well-supported conclusion is about what policymakers should do, based on the evidence in both texts. You are not required to agree with either essay completely. Your response must cite specific evidence from BOTH passages and must demonstrate an understanding of how argumentation works.

SECTION 4 — LANGUAGE & CRAFT | Questions 34–42 | 16 Points

Directions: Answer the following questions about language, grammar, rhetorical techniques, and author’s craft. You may refer to all four passages.

Q28

TEKS 6.4(B) — Word Parts & Etymology

Multiple Choice

DOK 1

1pt

In Passage 4A (paragraph 2), the author uses the word “algorithmically.” The root “algorithm” comes from the name of a ninth-century Persian mathematician, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. The suffix “-ically” means “in a manner related to.” Based on context in the passage, what does “algorithmically curated feed” mean?

A. A social media feed designed by a team of human editors.

B. A social media feed organized by a mathematical process that selects content based on user behavior.

C. A feed that only shows content from users you have personally chosen to follow.

D. A feed designed to show news from the most recent events first.

Q29

TEKS 6.4(E) — Figurative Language & Connotation

Two-Part (Evidence)

DOK 2

2pts

Part A: In Passage 3 (paragraph 3), the author writes that the printing press “shattered” the Church’s control over information. What connotation does the word “shattered” carry, and why might the author have chosen it over a word like “reduced” or “weakened”?

A. "Shattered" implies a gradual process of erosion, showing change was slow and steady.

B. "Shattered" implies sudden, violent, irreversible destruction — conveying that the change was total and could not be undone.

C. "Shattered" is a neutral word with no stronger connotation than "reduced."

D. "Shattered" suggests Gutenberg intentionally set out to destroy the Church’s authority.

Part B: In “First Language” (Passage 2), the speaker says she keeps her grandmother’s laugh “like a lamp.” What does this simile convey that a more literal statement could not?

A. It shows the grandmother’s laugh was very loud, like a bright light.

B. It conveys that the memory provides warmth, guidance, and light in the absence of the language itself — it is functional, not merely decorative.

C. It shows the speaker stores memories in a physical box shaped like a lamp.

D. It suggests the grandmother’s laugh was artificial or performed.

Q30

TEKS 6.9(D) — Rhetorical Devices

Multiple Choice

DOK 2

1pt

At the end of Passage 4A (paragraph 5), the author writes: “The evidence supports intervention. The question is whether the political will exists to demand it.” What rhetorical technique does this ending use, and what effect does it create?

A. Anaphora — it repeats a word at the beginning of each sentence to create rhythm.

B. A rhetorical shift — it moves from evidence to a challenge, transferring responsibility from scientists to politicians and readers.

C. An appeal to authority — it cites a political figure to strengthen the argument.

D. Hyperbole — it exaggerates the difficulty of regulating social media.

Q31

TEKS 6.12(A) — Grammar: Participial & Appositive Phrases

Multiple Choice

DOK 1

1pt

Read this sentence from Passage 3: “Gutenberg himself died modestly, stripped of his printing equipment by a creditor and largely unrecognized in his lifetime.” What is the grammatical function of the phrase “stripped of his printing equipment by a creditor and largely unrecognized in his lifetime”?

A. It is the main clause, stating the primary action of the sentence.

B. It is a participial phrase that modifies “Gutenberg,” describing his circumstances at death.

C. It is an appositive that renames “creditor.”

D. It is an adverbial clause showing when Gutenberg invented the press.

Q32

TEKS 6.9(D) — Tone & Diction

Multiple Choice

DOK 2

1pt

The opening sentence of Passage 4B states: “The argument that social media is the primary driver of the teen mental health crisis is intuitively appealing and empirically weak.” What tone does this sentence establish, and what does the word choice reveal about the author?

A. Apologetic — the author is sorry for disagreeing with a popular position.

B. Alarmist — the author is warning readers of a serious danger.

C. Analytical and confident — the author distinguishes between emotional appeal and empirical evidence, signaling that the essay will prioritize research over intuition.

D. Dismissive — the author does not take the teen mental health crisis seriously.

Q33

TEKS 6.12(B) — Grammar: Punctuation & Syntax

Multiple Choice

DOK 1

1pt

Read this sentence from Passage 4A (paragraph 2): “The infinite scroll, the variable-ratio reward system of likes and comments, the algorithmically curated feed that surfaces the most emotionally provocative content — these are not accidents. They are features.” What effect does the author create by using a dash and then the short sentence “They are features”?

A. The dash signals a correction of an error made earlier in the sentence.

B. The dash and short sentence create a pause and emphasis, making the accusation land with deliberate force.

C. The short sentence shows the author is uncertain and is simplifying a complex idea.

D. The dash introduces a quotation from a social media company.

Q34

TEKS 6.4(E) / 6.9(D) / 6.11(D) — Extended Rhetorical Analysis

Extended Response

DOK 4

6pts

Choose ONE of the following passages: Passage 1 (“The Interpreter”), Passage 3 (“The Shock of the New”), or Passage 4A (“The Case Against Social Media for Teens”). Write a rhetorical analysis of the passage you selected. Your analysis should address: (1) the author’s PURPOSE — what they are trying to accomplish; (2) the AUDIENCE the text appears to be written for; (3) at least TWO specific craft or rhetorical choices the author makes (these may include diction, structure, figurative language, evidence type, tone, sentence variety, or other techniques); and (4) an evaluation of how effectively these choices serve the author’s purpose. Support every claim with specific evidence from the passage.

SCORE SUMMARY

Section	Questions	Points Possible	Points Earned
Section 1: Literary Text	1–11	24
Section 2: Informational Text	12–22	19
Section 3: Paired Passages	23–33	16
Section 4: Language & Craft	34–42	16
TOTAL	42 Questions	75 Points

Performance Bands

Score Range	Performance Level
68–75 pts (90–100%)	Advanced — Exceeds Grade 6 ELA Expectations
60–67 pts (80–89%)	Proficient — Meets Grade 6 ELA Expectations
45–59 pts (60–79%)	Developing — Approaching Grade 6 ELA Expectations
Below 45 pts (Below 60%)	Beginning — Below Grade 6 ELA Expectations

GRADE 6 END-OF-YEAR ELA READING ASSESSMENT

OFFICIAL ANSWER KEY & SCORING RUBRIC

FOR TEACHER / ADMINISTRATOR USE ONLY

Quick Reference Answer Key — Multiple Choice & Two-Part Questions

Q#	Correct Answer	Standard	DOK	Rationale / Key Point
Q1	C	6.7(A)	DOK 1	Central conflict = internal: Yara’s ethics vs. her role.
Q2A	B	6.7(C)	DOK 2	She tells herself she protects her mother.
Q2B	B	6.7(C)	DOK 2	'Not always sure this was true' directly introduces moral doubt.
Q3	C	6.8(B)	DOK 2	Theme: translation carries ethical weight beyond words.
Q4A	B	6.4(E)	DOK 2	Labyrinth = disorienting, no clear path through the jargon.
Q4B	B	6.4(E)	DOK 2	'Rectangles of light' = fragmented, detached perception under stress.
Q5	C	6.4(C)	DOK 1	Power = control over what her mother receives; she mediates reality.
Q8	B	6.5(A)	DOK 1	Central idea = speaker losing grandmother’s language, keeping a remnant.
Q9A	B	6.4(E)	DOK 2	Stones swallowed = deeply embedded but inaccessible and unnameable.
Q9B	B	6.5(B)	DOK 2	Light switch = language is in memory but not consciously reachable.
Q10	B	6.5(B)	DOK 2	Shift from loss/longing to quiet determination and preservation.
Q12	B	6.11(A)	DOK 1	Central idea = press transformed knowledge distribution with sweeping consequences.
Q13A	C	6.11(C)	DOK 2	Press broke the Church/ruling-class monopoly on information.
Q13B	B	6.11(C)	DOK 2	Paras 2 & 3: before/after comparison shows the power shift clearly.
Q14	C	6.4(C)	DOK 1	'Suppressed before it spread' = forcibly stopped from circulating.
Q15A	B	6.11(D)	DOK 2	Para 6 adds balance/credibility; doesn’t argue press was net negative.
Q15B	B	6.11(D)	DOK 2	Final sentence returns to the article’s core argument about knowledge and power.
Q16	B	6.11(B)	DOK 2	Both democratized info and enabled misuse; unresolved question about quality.
Q17	C	6.11(A)	DOK 1	Para 1: '12 million' by 1500, explicitly stated.
Q23	B	6.9(F)	DOK 2	4A: restrict addictive features; 4B: evidence doesn’t justify broad restrictions.
Q24A	B	6.9(F)	DOK 2	4A: benefits separable from harmful design; 4B: removal hurts vulnerable users.
Q24B	B	6.9(F)	DOK 3	4A would argue intentional design features bypass the correlation/causation debate.
Q25	C	6.11(D)	DOK 2	Parallel = industries that knew harms, delayed regulation via personal-choice argument.
Q26A	B	6.11(C)	DOK 3	Partially strong but limited; 4A’s design-feature argument doesn’t rely on correlation.
Q26B	B	6.11(C)	DOK 3	Intentional design via behavioral psychology is difficult to refute without industry data.
Q28	B	6.4(B)	DOK 1	Algorithm = mathematical process; 'algorithmically curated' = selected by code based on behavior.
Q29A	B	6.4(E)	DOK 2	'Shattered' = sudden, violent, irreversible; far stronger than 'reduced.'
Q29B	B	6.4(E)	DOK 2	Lamp = functional, providing warmth and guidance, not merely decorative.
Q30	B	6.9(D)	DOK 2	Rhetorical shift transfers responsibility from scientists to political actors and readers.
Q31	B	6.12(A)	DOK 1	Participial phrase modifying Gutenberg, describing his state at death.
Q32	C	6.9(D)	DOK 2	'Intuitively appealing and empirically weak' = analytical confidence prioritizing data.
Q33	B	6.12(B)	DOK 2	Dash + short sentence = deliberate pause; makes the accusation land hard.

SECTION 1 — LITERARY TEXT: Short Answer & Extended Response Rubrics

Question 6 — Short Answer / Extended Response (3 points)

[3 pts] Full credit (3 pts): Student explains that the mother’s proverb directly indicts Yara’s practice of softening and omitting information — presenting a ‘beautiful lie’ is worse than an imperfect truth. Student identifies that the statement challenges Yara’s self-justification ('protecting her mother') and forces her to examine whether that protection was actually about her mother or about maintaining her own sense of control. At least TWO specific details cited: e.g., Yara saying 'Mostly' after a pause (para 4 — first moment of partial honesty); the nod of complete trust that made Yara feel 'afraid' rather than capable (para 3); the final reflection on translating 'not just words but herself.' Strong responses note the proverb is itself a translation — the mother finds the words Yara was unable to say. Complete sentences throughout.

[2 pts] Partial (2 pts): Student correctly identifies what the proverb means and connects it to Yara’s behavior but cites only ONE specific detail, OR cites two details without connecting them to the central conflict.

[1 pt] Minimal (1 pt): 'The mother’s saying means be honest, and Yara wasn’t always honest' without specific evidence or analysis.

[0 pts] Off-topic or blank.

Question 7 — Short Answer / Extended Response (5 points)

[5 pts] Full credit (5 pts): All three required elements addressed. (1) 'Translating herself' means Yara is not just converting words but mediating between her mother’s world and the English-speaking institutional world — and in doing so, she is constantly adjusting, softening, performing a version of herself that belongs to neither language. (2) Craft analysis: student identifies at least two specific techniques — e.g., the paired structure ('not just words... but herself') creates formal symmetry that elevates the personal above the linguistic; the detail of 'rectangles of light' externalizes Yara’s internal fragmentation; the shift from confident translation to 'Mostly' (para 4) dramatizes the crack in her performance. (3) Argument about burden/gift/complexity: strongest responses argue it is neither simply burden nor gift but something more like an identity formed in the space between languages — the final line makes clear Yara inhabits a liminal space that is both cost and self. Evidence cited from at least three paragraphs. Complete sentences.

[4 pts] Strong partial (4 pts): Addresses all three elements but craft analysis is surface-level ('the author uses imagery to show emotion') or the argument in element 3 is asserted rather than developed.

[3 pts] Partial (3 pts): Two of three elements addressed well with specific evidence.

[2 pts] Developing (2 pts): Student addresses the meaning of the final phrase but without craft analysis or a developed argument.

[1 pt] Minimal (1 pt): Basic summary of the story with no analysis.

[0 pts] Off-topic or blank.

Question 11 — Short Answer / Extended Response (3 points)

[3 pts] Full credit (3 pts): Student clearly identifies the DIFFERENT relationship each text constructs. In the story, language is power — it is the instrument Yara uses to mediate reality, and controlling it gives her authority; losing that control (saying 'Mostly') is the story’s crisis. In the poem, language is identity and memory — the grandmother’s words are not tools for navigating institutions but roots that hold the speaker’s sense of self; losing them is a loss of connection to ancestry. Cites at least ONE specific detail from each text. Strongest responses note that for Yara, language is external and functional; for the poem’s speaker, it is internal and emotional.

[2 pts] Partial (2 pts): Student identifies a difference but the analysis of one text is underdeveloped, OR cites evidence from only one text.

[1 pt] Minimal (1 pt): 'Yara uses language for translating and the poem is about forgetting a language' without analysis of what language represents in each.

[0 pts] Off-topic or blank.

SECTION 2 — INFORMATIONAL TEXT: Short Answer Rubric

Question 18 — Short Answer / Extended Response (4 points)

[4 pts] Full credit (4 pts): Student explains that 'media event' means the Reformation’s success was inseparable from the printing press’s ability to distribute Luther’s ideas at speed and scale before they could be suppressed. This connects to the article’s broader argument (paragraphs 2–3) that knowledge has historically been controlled by powerful institutions, and that the press broke that control. Strong responses note the irony: Luther’s theological arguments were no different in kind from earlier protests, but the press gave them an unprecedented reach. Student cites at least two specific paragraph-level details (e.g., para 4: 'within two weeks... printed and distributed across Germany'; para 2: 'whoever controlled the books controlled what could be known'). Analysis explains HOW the phrase connects, not just WHAT it means.

[3 pts] Partial (3 pts): Strong explanation of 'media event' with evidence from two paragraphs but the connection to the broader argument about power and knowledge is underdeveloped.

[2 pts] Partial (2 pts): Explains the phrase correctly with evidence from one paragraph only.

[1 pt] Minimal (1 pt): 'It means the Reformation spread because of the printing press' without evidence or analytical connection.

[0 pts] Off-topic or blank.

SECTION 3 — PAIRED PASSAGES: Extended Response Rubric

Question 27 — Short Answer / Extended Response (6 points)

[6 pts] Full credit (6 pts): All three elements addressed with sophistication. (1) Strongest argument in 4A: intentional design features (variable-ratio rewards, infinite scroll, behavioral psychology targeting adolescent brains) — this is a design argument, not just a correlation argument, and is harder to dismiss. Strongest argument in 4B: the research effect size is small and causation is unproven; restricting platforms removes resources for vulnerable teens who arguably need them most. (2) Most significant weakness in 4A: the cigarette analogy assumes equivalence that hasn’t been demonstrated; the policy proposal (ban features for under-18) may be technically and politically unworkable. Most significant weakness in 4B: dismissing the design-features argument as merely correlational is a category error — the addictiveness of the design is documented without needing correlation studies. (3) Synthesis: strongest responses argue for targeted intervention (mandatory design changes for under-18 accounts, not blanket bans) — this honors 4A’s design-features evidence and 4B’s concern about removing resources from vulnerable users. Specific evidence cited from both passages. Clear logical progression. Complete sentences.

[5 pts] Strong partial (5 pts): All three elements present with specific evidence from both passages, but the synthesis (element 3) is asserted without fully explaining how it resolves the tension between the two essays.

[4 pts] Partial (4 pts): Two of three elements addressed well with evidence from both passages.

[3 pts] Developing (3 pts): All three elements mentioned but evidence is drawn primarily from one passage, or analysis of strengths/weaknesses is surface-level.

[2 pts] Minimal (2 pts): Student summarizes both essays without evaluating strengths/weaknesses or synthesizing.

[1 pt] Inadequate (1 pt): Student agrees with one essay without engaging with the other.

[0 pts] Off-topic or blank.

SECTION 4 — LANGUAGE & CRAFT: Extended Rhetorical Analysis Rubric

Question 34 — Short Answer / Extended Response (6 points)

[6 pts] Full credit (6 pts): Student identifies purpose and audience correctly for the chosen passage, then analyzes TWO or more craft/rhetorical choices with specific evidence and explains their effect. All four required elements addressed. Passage 1 ('The Interpreter'): Purpose = illuminate the ethical burden of cultural mediation; Audience = general literary readers. Craft choices: imagery ('rectangles of light' = fragmented perception; 'labyrinth' = institutional confusion); sentence structure (short declarative 'Mostly' after long description = weight of partial truth); character interiority (Yara’s inner voice throughout shows the gap between performance and feeling). Passage 3 ('The Shock of the New'): Purpose = historical argument that press democratized AND complicated knowledge; Audience = educated general reader. Craft choices: concrete numbers (30,000 to 12 million = statistical anchoring); rhetorical question (para 7: 'how do we determine what is worth reading?' = transfers problem to reader); juxtaposition of positive and negative consequences (paras 5 and 6) = intellectual balance. Passage 4A: Purpose = argue for social media regulation for teens; Audience = policy-minded adults. Craft choices: scientific diction ('prefrontal cortex,' 'variable-ratio reward') = ethos through expertise; cigarette analogy = emotional and historical resonance; rhetorical shift in final sentence = urgency and challenge. Evaluation of effectiveness must be specific: student explains WHY the choices serve (or partially fail to serve) the stated purpose.

[5 pts] Strong partial (5 pts): All four elements present; craft analysis is specific and textually grounded but the evaluation of effectiveness is underdeveloped.

[4 pts] Partial (4 pts): Purpose and audience correctly identified; two craft choices analyzed with evidence, but evaluation is surface-level.

[3 pts] Developing (3 pts): Purpose identified; one craft choice analyzed well; other elements are incomplete or vague.

[2 pts] Minimal (2 pts): Student describes the passage without analyzing craft or evaluating effectiveness.

[1 pt] Inadequate (1 pt): Student summarizes the passage only.

[0 pts] Off-topic or blank.

Texas TEKS-Aligned Grade 6 ELA Reading Assessment • Hess’s Cognitive Rigor / Webb’s DOK • The Digital Trivium

Total: 42 Questions • 75 Points • Sections 1–4 • 5 Passages • DO

Sean Taylor M.Ed. Reading Sage: Advocating for Every Child to Read, Learn, and Thrive

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

GRADE 6 ELA READING TEST With Answer KEY 2026-2027

No comments:

Post a Comment