NWEA READING TEST PREP BOOT CAMP 200-240 RIT

NWEA MAP Test Prep Reading passage with Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words, comprehension questions, and a glossary that can help students prepare for the NWEA MAP reading test at the 200, 210, 220, 230, and 240, RIT level: 

The Timeless Game of Chess

Chess is one of history's most enduring games, with ancient roots spanning the globe over centuries. By tracking the evolution of chess, we gain insight into shifting cultures and civilizations. The game's military origins evolved into a cerebral art transcending cultures.

The earliest chess precursors emerged in India during the 6th century AD in the Gupta Empire. Known as chaturanga, this early chess-like game depicted a four-handed military battle between infantry, cavalry, charioteers, and elephants. The board had 64 squares with grid markings related to astrology. Two players commanded opposing royal pieces in a war simulation.

As chaturanga spread west through trade networks, the game was adapted by Persian empires between the 7th and 10th centuries. The name evolved into the Persian “shatranj” and the playing pieces changed. Abstract symbols replaced the traditional military depictions of soldiers. Crossed lines indicated infantry, a seated man represented counselors, and elephants morphed into abstract designs.

Through the Moorish conquest of Spain circa 700-1400 AD, shatranj entered the European continent. The game further evolved as it moved through Europe, with some places renaming it scacchis, schaak, and eventually chess. Knights on horseback emerged to replace mounted cavalry. The Counselor became the Queen. The abstract symbols gave way to representations of European classes and royalty.

Organized chess clubs popped up all across Europe by the 1700s. London hosted the first international chess tournament in 1851. Chess strategies evolved as masters studied different openings, defenses, gambits, and endgames. The first official World Chess Championship was held in 1886 between two leading players of the day.

In the 20th century, chess experienced another evolution as female participation increased. Women’s world championships were established in the 1920s. Chess-playing machines were created, able to challenge skilled opponents. During the Cold War, chess was infused with political meanings as Soviet and American masters sparred. Books and films related chess back to its war game origins.

Today chess retains its universality while continuing to adapt. Online chess allows virtual matches spanning the globe. Youth instruction fuses chess concepts with academics. Chess remind us that games build bridges between cultures. The ancient struggle of wits on 64 squares echoes the human experience across eras. In chess we find a mirror of both war and civilization.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What was the earliest known version of chess called?
a) Shatranj
b) Scacchis
c) Chaturanga
d) Stratagem

2. How did chess change as it spread through Persia?
a) The playing pieces became more abstract.

b) The name evolved into "shatranj."
c) The board shrinked to 32 squares.
d) The Elephant became the Queen.

3. When did chess first reach Europe?
a) Through the Roman Empire
b) During the Crusades
c) Through the Moorish invasion of Spain
d) With Mongol expansion

4. How did chess evolve in the 20th century?
a) Online play increased access.
b) Women's tournaments were established.
c) The board changed to 100 squares.
d) Rules banned certain strategies.

5. What does the passage suggest chess represents?
a) Class divisions in medieval Europe
b) The progress of artificial intelligence
c) Connection between cultures across eras
d) Political tensions during the Cold War

Glossary:
Endgame - The final stage of a chess game after the major piece exchanges.
Gambit - Chess openings in which a player sacrifices material to gain an advantage.
Post - A potential board position in chess openings and defenses.
Shatranj - The Persian form of chess adopted from India.
Transcending - Going above and beyond the limits of something.

Here is a reading passage on the history and origins of the roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons, written at a 240 RIT reading level:

Dungeons & Dragons: The Origins of Roleplaying Games

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) pioneered a new gaming genre by blending traditional fantasy with collaborative storytelling. First released in 1974, D&D transformed arcane wargaming rules into an accessible shared storytelling experience. Its mechanics and lore laid the foundation for tabletop roleplaying games as both entertainment and creative outlet.

D&D was influenced by tabletop war simulation games becoming popular in the 1970s among hardcore hobbyists. Gary Gygax, a gaming enthusiast based in Lake Geneva, WI, created a new type of game focused on individual characters controlled by players in a cooperative storytelling environment. 

Gygax and Dave Arneson worked together on the first D&D game manual, published in 1974. Unlike its complex war game precursors, D&D offered relatable fantasy adventuring through collaborative narrative storytelling. Players generated unique fantasy characters with distinct abilities, personas, and goals. A shared story then unfolded under the direction of the Game Master presenting challenges.

The D&D magic system allowed tremendous flexibility through spell lists adaptable to creative problem solving. Class options like warriors, wizards, and rogues provided archetypal yet customizable personae. An open-ended levelling and rewards system encouraged ongoing play. Dice rolls created an element of chance, just like in life. Success or failure rode on skill and luck.

Dungeons & Dragons truly initiated the era of roleplaying games as a two-way interactive storytelling experience. It invited players to go beyond competition and fully immerse themselves in an alter ego through improvised adventures with friends. Collaborative worldbuilding generated an ephemeral but shared experience benefiting social skills.   

Despite attracting millions of enthused players, D&D also met with controversy. Religious groups condemned its references to magic and demons. Concerns arose about effects on mentally unstable individuals, though no evidence substantiated this. Ultimately, D&D’s success revealed a universal human craving for storytelling, camaraderie, and imaginative escape from daily life’s constraints.

By essentially creating its own gaming niche, Dungeons & Dragons sparked a cultural phenomenon that continues growing globally. Computer roleplaying games and massive multiplayer online worlds evolved from D&D concepts. The immersive communal experience keeps drawing new generations, regardless of age or background. As both artform and social interaction, roleplaying games reveal our limitless imagination.

Comprehension Questions: 

1. What type of games directly inspired Dungeons & Dragons?

a) Fantasy literature 

b) Tabletop war simulations

c) Competitive board games

d) Video arcade games

2. How did D&D differ from its war gaming predecessors? 

a) Simpler rules and quicker gameplay

b) Single-player instead of teams

c) Themed around fantasy adventures   

d) Use of miniature figurines 

3. What game mechanisms encouraged ongoing play?

a) Linear story paths

b) Preset endings

c) Customization and advancement  

d) Lack of narrative closure

4. Why did D&D face religious criticism in the 1970s-80s?

a) References to magic and demons

b) Addictive level progression  

c) Isolation from real relationships

d) Intellectual elitism

5. What human needs does the passage suggest roleplaying games fulfill?

a) Control, competition, and conquest

b) Creativity, cooperation, and immersion  

c) Addiction, escapism, and dissociation

d) Fantasy, demonology, and violence  

Glossary:

Arcane - Obscure, understood by few.

Ephemeral - Lasting for a very short time.

Game Master - The D&D game organizer who describes scenarios.

Persona - The character or personality assumed by a player. 

Wargaming - Simulation games modeling military conflicts.

Here is a 1000 word passage on the history, lore, and traditions surrounding the game of Go:

Go: The Enigmatic and Enduring Game

Go is one of humanity’s oldest strategy games, originating in ancient China over 2,500 years ago. Simple rules belie emergent complexity in this abstract game of territory and connection. While Go's origins are shrouded in legend, its longevity reveals certain timeless truths about strategy, balance, and the human spirit.

Most scholars trace Go's origins to China's Han Dynasty around 500BCE, though some place its beginnings over 2,000 years earlier. According to lore, the game was inspired by a sage who sought to discipline his emperor's wayward son. The sage conjured a magical Go board using contrasting colors to represent balance. Its grid resembled land divided into states.

Players take turns placing stones on board intersections to claim territory and surround opponents. Despite only two possible moves, placements create cascading complexity. The organic patterns resembling living organisms gave Go the nickname “encircling game.” Empty space plays a crucial role, and skirmishes revolve around capturing territory. Games often pivot on surprising comebacks. 

For centuries, Go remained a gentleman's game of the Chinese aristocracy. But its subtle tactics gradually expanded its popularity throughout Asia. By the 7th century CE, Go had spread to Japan, where it flowered under the shoguns into an esteemed pastime and marks of refinement. Japanese masters advanced the game's subtle strategies.

Today, Go enjoys an international following as both game and art form. High level tournament play reveals the depth of what seems a basic pastime. Leading grand masters attain revered status. While played recreationally, Go also teaches strategic thinking applicable to military, business, and technical fields. AI programmers consider Go a supreme challenge to simulate human intuition.

More than just a game, Go represents a way of thought. Its flowing patterns and holistic perspective have inspired philosophers for centuries. The contrasting yet symbiotic colors symbolize universal dualities - dark and light, fire and water. For players, Go enacts the human struggle to craft harmony from conflict through cooperation and coexistence. Each new game forms connections that cross boundaries.

At its heart, Go elicits our shared hopes that we can balance competition and solidarity, attack and defense, freedom and order. By playing out these dynamics in miniature, Go springs from and speaks to our common humanity. The board encapsulates human dreams, with stones as the steps toward unity.

Comprehension Questions:

1. How did Go supposedly originate according to legend?

a) As a gift from the gods

b) As a military strategy simulator  

c) As a teaching tool for a wayward prince

d) As a entertaining game for festivals

2. What key game mechanics account for Go's emergent complexity?

a) Capturing enemy stones 

b) Restricted movement of pieces

c) Organic flow across the board

d) Interactions between simple elements

3. How did Go become popularized in Japan?

a) Through Buddhist monasteries

b) Among aristocrats and samurai

c) Through trade with China

d) As a solitaire game

4. How is Go considered more than just a game?

a) It reflects Taoist principles.

b) It teaches skills applicable to real life.

c) It is considered an art form.

d) All of the above.

5. What does the passage suggest Go represents symbolically?

a) Superiority of the Japanese over the Chinese

b) Conflict and resolution between opposing forces  

c) The human journey to perfection

d) Divisions that necessitate war

Glossary:

Abstract - Based on conceptual ideas rather than concrete objects.

Encircling game - Nickname for Go referring to the surrounding territory. 

Emergent - Coming into being, arising unexpectedly.

Grid - A network of lines that cross each other to form a pattern.

Skirmish - A minor short-lived fight or conflict.

Here is a reading passage on the history and rules of the strategy board game Risk:

Playing for Global Domination in Risk 

The tabletop game Risk challenges players to achieve world domination through strategy and luck. First released in the late 1950s, Risk entertainment comes from maneuvering armies across a geopolitical map and engaging friends in battle. Simple rules underpin complex gameplay full of betrayal, alliances, and surprise victories.

Risk was invented by French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse and published in France in 1957 as "La Conquête du Monde." It featured a map of Earth with territories corresponding to geopolitical boundaries. The game sought to simulate strategic decision-making and the role of chance in global conquest.

Parker Brothers bought the rights and released an adapted English version called Risk: The Game of Global Domination in 1959. Changes included adding British-style infantry units and naming territories with capital cities rather than nations. The complex rules were also simplified to improve accessibility. 

To begin, players receive armies to deploy across the map's six continents. Turns cycle between reinforcing borders, attacking neighboring territories, and acquiring bonus armies. Dice rolls determine battle outcomes as attacking and defending armies face off. The object is to control all territories on the map, eliminating all enemies. Victors must balance aggressive expansion, strategic defense, and opportunistic counterattacks.

Players form opportunistic alliances that can change at any time, adding drama. Trade-offs occur between wiping out a weakened player versus allowing a balance of power. Random element from dice rolls means flawless strategies cannot guarantee victory. The interplay of calculated risk-taking versus pure chance theory keeps gameplay uncertain. 

Despite dated representations, Risk remains popular worldwide for its uncomplicated premise of global domination. The simple rules allow amateur players to quickly grasp gameplay, making it more accessible than war simulation games. Though war-themed, Risk provides harmless escapism by keeping battles abstract without reference to actual ideologies or geopolitics. 

At its core, Risk entertains by indulging the fantasy of ruling the world by force. Friends and families enjoy imaginary zero-consequence power struggles. Outmaneuvering opponents tests strategic thinking in a low-stakes contest. Six decades since its invention, Risk’s appeal endures as a social battlefield.      

Comprehension Questions: 

1. What was the original name of Risk when published in France?

a) La Victoire Mondiale

b) La Conquête du Monde 

c) Le Jeu de Strategie

d) La Guerre Totale

2. How did the first English version of Risk differ?

a) Simpler rules and British-style units

b) More complex rules and additional dice

c) A Europe-centric map instead of global  

d) Cards instead of dice for battle outcomes 

3. What game elements contribute to unpredictability?

a) Secret mission cards 

b) Shifting alliances between players

c) Randomness of battle dice rolls  

d) Complex battle calculation formulas

4. Why does Risk remain popular despite outdated representations?

a) Simple rules with short playtimes

b) Engaging theme of global power struggle 

c) High level of historical realism

d) Scope for creative customization

5. What human motivations does Risk entertain?

a) Strategy, camaraderie, and playful power

b) Imperialism, warfare, and violence

c) Geography, politics, and history  

d) Fantasy, control, and domination

Glossary:

Abstract - Simplify or characterize the most important aspects of something.

Accessible - Easy to approach, enter, use, or appreciate.  

Escapism - Mental diversion by means of entertainment or recreation.

Interplay - Interaction of two or more things to affect each other.

Outmaneuver - Defeat or gain an advantage through clever strategy.

Here is a 1000 word passage on the history, rules, and cultural lore surrounding the board game Monopoly:

Monopoly: The Iconic Game of Real Estate Domination

Monopoly has entertained families for over a century since its invention in the early 1900s. While intended to showcase economic theory, the game evolved into a lighthearted simulation of cutthroat real estate ambitions. Its endurance as an iconic pastime reveals cultural beliefs about wealth and capitalism.

The origins of Monopoly trace back to activist Lizzie Magie, who patented a game called The Landlord’s Game in 1904. Her invention modeled the economic principles of Henry George, taxing wealthy monopolists and redistributing rents. Though innovative, Magie’s earnest game did not attract mass appeal. 

In the 1930s, an unemployed salesman named Charles Darrow encountered a modified folk version of The Landlord’s Game popular in academia. Darrow adapted and marketed this version as Monopoly through Parker Brothers in 1935. The game quickly became a huge success during the Great Depression by indulging fantasies of wealth acquisition.

Monopoly challenges players to bankrupt opponents through cutthroat real estate domination. Participants move around a city’s board spaces, buying and renting properties. Players leverage houses, hotels, and utilities to charge other players who land there. Windfalls from rent and fines fuel capitalist conquest. The winner breaks all rivals by creating an uncontested property monopoly.

Despite its complex origins, Monopoly’s lasting popularity comes from its fun unlocking our inner tycoon. Families Scheme to bankrupt each other as pastime rather than provocation. Games feature moments of camaraderie, betrayal, competition, and redemptive combacks. Luck mitigates strategy, making outcomes accessible to amateurs. Monopoly provides escapist fun rather than commentary on economic reform.

Monopoly endures as iconic Americana with editions worldwide tailored to regional cities and cultures. The game’s ability to reproduce its insulated hypercapitalist dynamics endlessly reinforces its cultural identity. Beyond luck and strategy, playing Monopoly reveals what we believe about wealth, power, competition, and community. The game’s evolution echoes how societies glorify winners while ignoring systemic inequities. 

Comprehension Questions:

1. What was the original purpose of The Landlord's Game? 

a) Advocating single-tax theory

b) Critiquing wealth concentration  

c) Gamification of property auctions

d) Simplistic model of free market economics

2. How did Charles Darrow adapt prior versions of the game?

a) Quicker play and mass production

b) Simplified rules with less economic theory 

c) Making the mascot Uncle Pennybags

d) Changing property names to real-world cities

3. What game mechanisms allow comebacks after setbacks?

a) Redistribution of wealth  

b) Welfare payment systems

c) Reset cards and jail time

d) Chance windfalls through lucky dice rolls 

4. How does Monopoly provide escapist enjoyment for players?

a) By indulging fantasies of wealth and power

b) The complex strategic nuances 

c) The vicious competitiveness 

d) The educational value

5. What cultural belief does Monopoly's popularity reveal?

a) The value of recreation over productivity  

b) The harm of excessive wealth concentration

c) How free markets create equal opportunities

d) Capitalism encourages ambition and risk-taking

Glossary:

Escapist - Providing distraction from reality through entertainment.

Inequity - Lack of fairness, uneven distribution.  

Mitigate - Make a situation less severe or intense.

Single-tax theory - Economic idea focusing taxation on land property.  

Windfall - An unexpected event suddenly providing money/gain.

Here is a reading passage overview on the history and gameplay of the tabletop wargame Warhammer by Games Workshop:

Miniatures March to War in Warhammer

Warhammer simulates sweeping fantasy battles with collectible miniatures. First published by Games Workshop in 1983, this tabletop wargame lets players command armies of humans, elves, dwarves and other creatures dueling for victory. Simple rules and modular unit choices fuel engaging gameplay and creativity.

Games Workshop launched Warhammer as a lower-cost miniature wargame approachable for casual hobbyists. Existing tabletop war games required expensive, meticulously painted metal miniatures. In contrast, Warhammer used inexpensive plastic models that were quick to assemble and easier to personalize.

Players select Warhammer units from one of several factions like the Imperial Empire, High Elves, Orcs, and Undead. Infantry, cavalry, monsters, heroes, and artillery units have stats and point costs based on their battlefield roles. Players assemble personalized, equivalent-point armies to face off on tables with model terrain.

Wargaming mechanics involve maneuvering units to attack enemies while preserving your own forces. The rolling of multiple dice adds randomness alongside strategy. Melee combat, monsters, magical attacks, and leadership factors provide tactical variety. Army customization and rivalries with friends drive ongoing play.

Part of Warhammer’s appeal comes from the creativity of custom armies with personalized paint schemes. Players develop narratives and histories behind their forces. Shared storytelling grows through cooperatively imagining epic battles. Warhammer crosses wargaming with roleplaying through extensive lore.

Though using simple mechanics, Warhammer games offer immersive escapism. The vivid maps, painted soldiers, rolling dice, and unfolding narratives transport players into the fantasy. Competition remains friendly, as chance heavily influences outcomes. Warhammer provides the spectacle of tabletop wars without real-world gravity.

Four decades since its debut, Warhammer maintains a strong global community. Fans remain drawn to staging dramatic battles between elaborate armies of tiny heroes and villains. Warhammer entertains by evoking both childhood imagination and sophisticated strategy. Players recreate the sweeping drama of war safely confined to model landscapes.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What innovation helped popularize Warhammer as a wargame? 

a) The use of inexpensive plastic miniatures

b) Quick simulated battles compared to rivals  

c) Integration of roleplaying character backstories

d) Models based directly on famous fantasy characters

2. How do players assemble Warhammer armies?

a) Drafting units randomly

b) Buying models individually

c) Selecting balanced point-value forces  

d) Predetermined factions with set units

3. What game aspects involve chance beyond player strategy?

a) Dice rolls during combat

b) Random terrain generation

c) Unknown opponent factions      

d) Drawing fortune cards

4. How does Warhammer facilitate creative play?

a) Kitbashing and modifying models 

b) Customizing armies and paint schemes  

c) Developing narratives behind forces

d) Designing novel battle scenarios 

5. What does Warhammer reveal about the appeal of wargaming?

a) Control over simulating battles  

b) Sophisticated strategic simulations

c) Escapism into roleplaying and imagination

d) The validating camaraderie of players

Glossary:

Faction - A group within a larger entity, typically with shared aims.

Immersive - Providing deep mental involvement in something. 

Kitbashing - Assembling models with parts from various kits.

Lore - The knowledge and traditions around a subject.

Wargaming - Hobby focused on simulating military conflicts.