Nonfiction Articles 
                                     for 
                    Wednesday, May 8, 2013


Directions:  Read the passage. Then answer the questions below by writing the letter AND the correct answer on your OWN paper.

6th Grade Nonfiction Article

 © Copyright Read Theory LLC, 2012. All rights reserved. 

 READTHEORY 

•• Reading Comprehension 3 Level 8 

Philadelphia is a city known for many things. It is where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, and it was also the first capital of the United States. But one fact about Philadelphia is not so well-known: it is home to nearly 3,000 murals painted on the sides of homes and buildings around the city. In fact, it is said that Philadelphia has more murals than any other city in the world, with the exception of Rome. How did this come to be? 

More than 20 years ago, a New Jersey artist named Jane Golden started a program pairing troubled youth with artists to paint murals on a few buildings around the city. From this small project, something magical happened. The young people involved helped to create magnificent pieces of art, but there were other, perhaps more important benefits. The young people learned to collaborate and get along with many different kinds of people during the various steps required to paint and design a mural. They learned to be responsible, because they needed to follow a schedule to make sure the murals were completed. They also learned to take pride in their community. It is hard for any resident to see the spectacular designs and not feel proud to be a part of Philadelphia. 

Take a walk around some of the poorest neighborhoods in Philadelphia, neighborhoods full of broken windows and littered front steps, and you will find beautiful works of art on the sides and fronts of buildings. Of course the murals are not just in poor neighborhoods, but more affluent ones as well. Special buses take tourists to different parts of the city to see the various murals, which range from huge portraits of historical heroes, to cityscapes, to scenes depicting the diverse ethnic groups that call Philadelphia home. 

As a result of its success, the mural program created by Jane Golden has now become the nation’s largest public art program and a model for other cities throughout the country seeking to help troubled youth. 

Questions 

1) The main focus of the passage is 

A. an art program designed to help troubled youth 

B. the many tourists who come to Philadelphia to see murals 

C. the reasons why Philadelphia is a unique city 

D. how Jane Golden came up with the idea to start a mural program 

2) As used in paragraph1, the phrase “it is said” suggests that the author is 

A. knowingly misleading the reader 

B. using a quote from someone else 

C. referring to something that is widely believed, but may be untrue 

D. referring to something that he or she does not personally believe  

3) As used in paragraph 1, the phrase “with the exception of Rome” means that 

A. Rome has fewer murals than Philadelphia 

B. Philadelphia has fewer murals than Rome 

C. Rome has the most beautiful murals of all 

D. Rome and Philadelphia are the only cities with murals 

4) According to the passage, the murals in Philadelphia 

I. draw tourists who want to see them 

II. instill responsibility and pride in the people who paint them 

III. are solely designed by the youth who paint them 

A. I only 

B. I and II only 

C. II and III only 

D. I, II, and III 

5) As used in paragraph 3, which is the best definition of affluent? 

A. popular 

B. clean 

C. well-known 

D. wealthy 

6) Based on information in the passage, the author most likely believes that 

A. there are too many murals in Philadelphia 

B. the mural program was an inspirational idea 

C. all troubled youth should learn how to paint 

D. every city in the country should adopt the mural program 

7) Based on information in the passage, it can be inferred that the author believes the two best reasons for other cities to adopt the mural program are to 

A. beautify their city and draw tourists 

B. help troubled youth and beautify their city 

C. have as many murals as Philadelphia and help troubled youth 

D. draw tourists and surpass Philadelphia in terms of number of murals 

8) In order to make this passage more engaging to readers, the author could have included 

I. a brief history of Philadelphia 

II. pictures of some of the murals 

III. an interview with a program muralist 

A. I only 

B. I and II only 

C. II and III only 

D. I, II, and III 

© Copyright Read Theory LLC, 2012. All rights reserved. 

8th Grade Nonfiction Article

 READTHEORY 

•• Reading Comprehension 8 Level 9 

Once upon a time a famous art museum searched the world over for the best paintings it could find. After a long search, the museum found a beautiful Old Master painting depicting youths and maidens frolicking in a wood. The directors were only too glad to pay millions for this painting because they were captivated by its beauty and elegance. How delightfully the maidens' hair and mouths were drawn, how perfectly the hands and arms of the youths, how lifelike the bare feet on the forest floor. But the curator of the museum was the happiest one of all, for he had now become guardian and protector of a famous work by a famous painter. "Every time I look at that painting," he would say, "I see new beauties and excellences. Just look at these leaves here, the sweep of the branches from this tree, capturing just the hint of a breeze and seeming to vibrate with the music from the dance of the youths and maidens in the clearing. My very soul resonates with the greatness of it all." 

Needless to say, this wonderful painting was the most popular exhibit at the museum, providing instruction and delight for thousands of visitors. Everyone, from the young child who could barely walk to the old man who could barely walk, enjoyed its beauty frankly and openly or profited from studying its color and arrangement. Children loved to see the happy figures kicking up their feet with joy; the young people marveled at the freshness and beauty of the figures; those of mature years stood astonished at the excellent technique that could present such a convincing vision; the old remarked upon the feeling of cozy intimacy produced by the scene of innocent pleasure. 

"This painting is almost too good to be true," remarked one visitor prophetically as he purchased a print of it. 

One day a horrible discovery was made: the painting was not a genuine Old Master after all. It was a forgery. It had not been painted by the famous artist whose name was on it, and in fact it had been painted within the last ten years. The museum directors and the curator were horrified and consumed with shame. Immediately the painting was jerked from the walls of the museum and ignominiously relegated to a basement storeroom. "We regret such an unfortunate imposition," the curator told the museum's patrons. "This painting is not art; it is a tawdry fake. This painting is a lie." 

At first the public was saddened to lose sight of such a popular painting, and a few mild protests were raised, but eventually concern for the painting was pushed aside by other more pressing concerns, and it was forgotten (as are all things no longer directly in front of us in this busy world) and life continued. 

Only the museum curator and an occasional junior staff member ever saw the painting now, hanging in the dim light of the basement well away from public view. All that was heard of it was the curator's occasional disparaging comment. "Every day I see new defects and ugliness in this fraudulent outrage," he would say. "Just look how false the sun on the leaves looks, how phony is the wisp of that girl's hair, how ugly the clouds there, and how awkward that boy's position in the dance. How we were ever taken in by this obvious cheat is beyond me." And finally, shaking his head to show his regret, he concluded, "What we did was foolish and shameful." 

Questions 

1) According to the passage, before the painting is discovered to be a forgery, it is 

I. viewed as a fraudulent outrage 

II. considered to be highly valuable 

III. perceived as a delight by the public 

A. I only 

B. I and II only 

C. II and III only 

D. I, II, and III 

2) Based on its use in paragraph 4, it can be inferred that ignominiously belongs to which of the following word groups? 

A. delightfully, merrily, blissfully 

B. penitently, remorsefully, sorrowfully 

C. ardently, fervently, enthusiastically 

D. disgracefully, shamefully, humiliatingly 

3) Which of the following statements best expresses the overall theme of the passage? 

A. Knowledge can alter one’s perceptions. 

B. Art is impossible to understand. 

C. Experts should be the ultimate judges of value. 

D. Public popularity is a poor measure of value. 

4) It can be inferred that the author would most likely agree that 

A. people should never pay millions of dollars for a painting 

B. most people, including experts, do not know much about art 

C. the person who sold the forgery to the museum should be imprisoned 

D. the value of art is determined by people, not by the art itself 

5) The museum curator can be described as all of the following except 

A. passionate 

B. ashamed 

C. unwavering 

D. inconsistent 

6) As used in the final paragraph, which is the best antonym for disparaging? 

A. unreliable 

B. fortunate 

C. neutral 

D. complimentary 

© Copyright Read Theory LLC, 2012. All rights reserved.