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© Forde-Ferrier, L.L.C. Page 1

GRADE 8

Reading

STUDENT EDITION


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Grade 8 Reading STAAR Bright “ISOLATION” 6

Paired Selections “Balancing Act” 16

“Beating Writer’s Block” 18

Paired Selections

“History is Made in China” 24 “The Great Wall of China” 26

“The Cave” 34

Paired Selections “Accident at Three Mile Island” 41

“Chernobyl Disaster” 43

“A Cure” 51

“Upper Class” 58

Paired Selections “The Star of India” 65 “Haunted Ships” 67

“Prime Power” 74

“Deterioration of the Titanic” 82 “A Day I’d Remember Forever” 89

“Neighbors” 95 “Coelacanth: A Living Fossil” 103 “The Teacher” 110

“Recent Extinctions” 118 “Mike’s World Record” 126

“United States Quarters Program” 133 “The Best Year of Jim’s Life” 139 “Haunted Submarine: UB-65” 145

“Passing with Flying Colors” 153 “Quitters Never Win” 159

“Halloween” 165 “Facing Fears” 171


ISOLATION Characters Sabine – a 15-year-old girl

Jonas – Sabine’s 20-year-old brother Lawrence – a middle-aged man

Hannah – a middle-aged woman Creatures

Scene 1

1 [The stage is empty and dark. Then there’s a flicker of light – someone is trying to light a match. They try four times before finally getting it lit. Once they do, they light a candle that is sitting on the floor. Through the

gentle flicker of the flame we make out the silhouette of a young girl, SABINE.]

2 SABINE: Jeez, finally. [JONAS enters.] 3 JONAS: Haha! Light! Light! The candle is ALIVE!

4 SABINE: Shhh!! Jonas! [Looks around fearfully and whispers.]

They might hear you. 5 JONAS: Alright, alright, sis. Don’t get all bent out of shape. Just

trying to have some fun. [He sits next to her.] So, what do we have to eat tonight?

6 [SABINE rummages through her backpack and gently pulls out a few

pieces of bread and a jug of milk.] 7 SABINE: This is all I could find.

8 JONAS: What, no steak? No chicken cording-blue, or whatever it’s

called? 9 [SABINE laughs and softly punches him.]

10 SABINE: I wish . . . Just so you know; tomorrow it’s your turn to

scavenge. 11 JONAS: Oh, I know . . . don’t remind me.

12 [They each pick up a piece of bread and devour it. It is silent for a bit.]

13 SABINE: Jonas? Are we . . . are we going to make it?

14 JONAS: Of course we are! Don’t get your pants in a twist sis! [He


chuckles.]

15 SABINE: Seriously, Jonas. [She grips his shoulder.] Are we going to live, or not?

16 [Just then a branch cracks outside. SABINE and JONAS freeze for a

moment. Then they silently and quickly begin packing up their food and

belongings, working with the familiarity and smoothness of a well-practiced team. JONAS pulls out a crossbow and SABINE a pistol. She blows out the

candle and the stage is completely dark. They stand and wait by the door. The woods crack and rustle outside and then suddenly go silent.]

17 JONAS: [Whispers as soft as humanly possible.] Gone?

18 SABINE: [Whispers back.] Wait. 19 [They are silent again, attentively listening. They hear nothing.

JONAS slowly and carefully unlocks the door and turns the knob. A sliver of moonlight lights the room as the door creaks open. JONAS immediately stops

opening the door and holds it steady. Both he and SABINE are breathing heavily.]

20 SABINE: [Whispers.] Go ahead.

21 [JONAS opens the door fully. They take one step out into the night, weapons raised.]

22 CREATURES: [High-pitched.] EEEEEEEE!!!!!

23 [SABINE and JONAS instantly fire their weapons into the darkness, toward the sound. It is quiet.]

24 JONAS: Phew! Well I think we got---

25 [The CREATURE comes out of the dark and grabs JONAS, its long, pointy hands over his face.]

26 SABINE: No!! [She expertly fires her pistol, hitting the CREATURE in

the head. It falls over, dead.]

27 JONAS: [Sighs deeply.] Thanks. OK, enough with the mushy, let’s go!

28 [He picks up his crossbow and they both run off into the night. We

hear the high pitched voice of a CREATURE echo in the distance.]


Scene 2

29 [Lights rise on SABINE and JONAS walking through an overgrown field during the day. There is a fence upstage that has been ripped apart. SABINE

takes a long drink from her canteen. She sits on a large rock.] 30 JONAS: Sabine we can’t stop! Come on! [He tries to pull her up.]

31 SABINE: Jonas, we’ve been walking for hours. HOURS! Give me at

least a two-second break! 32 JONAS: OK . . . one, two, time to go! [He grins.]

33 SABINE: Ha. Funny.

34 JONAS: You usually find my jokes funny. [He sits next to her.] So,

sis, what’s going on?

35 SABINE: Nothing. I’m fine.

36 JONAS: Come on, you’re not. Talk to me.

37 [SABINE pauses for a moment.]

38 SABINE: It’s just . . . I can’t . . . I can’t help thinking that it was my fault.

39 JONAS: What was your fault?

40 SABINE: You know.

41 JONAS: No, I don’t. 42 SABINE: [She rises.] Jonas, don’t mess with me! You KNOW.

43 JONAS: Sabine, I DON’T KNOW!

44 SABINE: [On the verge of tears.] MOM and DAD, Jonas. I can’t

help thinking that it was my fault that they DIED. [She now is crying and

JONAS holds her.]

45 JONAS: Sis, it’s not your fault, OK? We didn’t know how bad it was. They didn’t know how bad it was.

46 SABINE: What if I hadn’t gone out that night? They wouldn’t have gone looking for me. Then they might still be alive!


47 JONAS: They made the choice to leave the house. They did it out of love. And I bet they would do it again in a heartbeat. [He wipes her tears

away.] OK? So, no more feeling crappy. Sappy is OK, but crappy is no good.

48 [SABINE laughs and nods. She looks into the distance and sees two figures on the hill.]

49 SABINE: Jonas . . . look. [He does.]

50 JONAS: Get your pistol. 51 SABINE: What? Why? They can’t be the creatures, it’s daytime.

52 JONAS: So? What if they are crazed humans, only out for themselves?

53 SABINE: Well, let’s find out then. [Yelling] Hi!

54 JONAS: Shh! Oh great, now they saw us.

55 [The figures start advancing on the kids. JONAS keeps his crossbow behind his back, and SABINE waves at them excitedly. Once they are 10 feet

away from the kids, SABINE stops waving and freezes and JONAS drops his crossbow.]

56 LAWRENCE: Been a long time.

57 HANNAH: Hi, kids. 58 SABINE: M-m-mom? D-d-dad? Oh my god! [She laughs and runs

to them, but JONAS stops her.]

59 JONAS: Stop, sis, and look! [SABINE does and sees that their skin is pale-white, fingernails abnormally long, and eyes sunken in.]

60 SABINE: My gosh . . . they are . . .

61 JONAS: The creatures . . . [Lights dim.]

Scene 3

62 [Lights up on SABINE, JONAS, LAWRENCE, and HANNAH, who are sitting in the field. SABINE and JONAS have their weapons raised at their parents.]

63 JONAS: So, tell me again - how are you not harmful?


64 HANNAH: It isn’t easy to explain. What we’ve found is some people can be infected but immune to the full nature of the disease.

65 LAWRENCE: We even found a deserted science lab and ran some

blood tests, using both our blood and blood of fully-infected people. 66 HANNAH: Yes, and we concluded that for whatever reason, your

father and I have some antibody that allows us to stay mostly human.

67 SABINE: Mostly human? What does that mean? 68 HANNAH: It means we take on some of the physical characteristics

of the creatures – we are pale, have longer fingernails, yet we don’t desire eating human flesh, still have rational minds, and can go out in the daytime.

69 SABINE: See, Jonas! They’re fine! [She lowers her pistol.]

70 JONAS: Hmmm . . . I don’t know . . . [Jonas backs away from LAWRENCE.]

71 LAWRENCE: Son, I understand your fear. But you can trust us. Really.

72 [JONAS looks at LAWRENCE, then HANNAH, then SABINE. SABINE

nods and smiles. JONAS sighs.]

73 JONAS: Alright. [He lowers his weapon.] But if we get any kind of

inkling that you two aren’t right, this little truce ends. 74 HANNAH: Seems fair, right Lawrence?

75 LAWRENCE: Yes. [He smiles.]

76 [In the distance they hear a commotion. Then a group of CREATURES

appear on the hill.]

77 JONAS: What the . . . guys! The sun! We lost track of time, it’s setting!

78 [SABINE grabs her pistol, LAWRENCE and HANNAH pull out their

weapons, a stake and ax, respectively.]

79 LAWRENCE: We’re ready, son.

80 HANNAH: We will fight with you.

81 SABINE: To the death.


82 [JONAS looks at them and grins. He puts his hand out and they place their hands on top of his.]

83 JONAS: Let’s do this.

84 ALL: Charge!! [They run at the Creatures, weapons raised, and the

lights dim.]


1 The word silhouette in paragraph 1 is best described as –

A a verb

B an adverb

C a noun

D an adjective

2 Why does Jonas most likely joke around with Sabine early in Scene 1?

A To show that he does not think they are in danger

B To calm Sabine’s nerves about their situation

C To relax after a long day

D To show that he thinks the creatures won’t come back

3 Read the line below from this play.

The author includes these stage directions to –

A explain how Sabine and Jonas got into their situation

B show how scared Sabine and Jonas are

C explain how Sabine and Jonas find food

D show that Sabine and Jonas are very hungry

12 [They each pick up a piece of bread and devour it. It is silent for a bit.]


4 Which line from the play best shows Sabine’s fear of the unknown?

A SABINE: I wish . . . Just so you know; tomorrow it’s your turn to scavenge.

B SABINE: Jonas, we’ve been walking for hours. HOURS! Give me at least

a two-second break!

C SABINE: Jonas? Are we . . . are we going to make it?

D SABINE: It’s just . . . I can’t . . . I can’t help thinking that it was my

fault.

5 The word scavenge in paragraph 10 means –

A to search for food

B to set up a camp

C to guard against danger

D to keep watch

6 Read the line below from this play.

The author uses capital letters to –

A show that Jonas is mad that Sabine didn’t find more food

B show that Jonas is afraid the creatures will come back

C emphasize that Jonas is frustrated by what Sabine is saying

D show that Jonas thinks Sabine caused his parents to die

43 JONAS: Sabine, I DON’T KNOW!


7 Which answer gives the best summary of Scene 1?

A Jonas enters as Sabine lights a candle. They eat what little food they have and talk about their parents, who have died. Later, they leave the shelter

after hearing creatures nearby.

B Jonas jokes around with Sabine while they eat. Sabine reminds Jonas that

he has to find food the next day. They hear a noise outside. When they open the door, they hear a creature screaming.

C Sabine lights a candle as Jonas enters their shelter. They eat bread by

candlelight. Sabine wonders if they will be able to stay alive.

D Jonas and Sabine take shelter for the night. As they eat, they hear a noise

outside. It is a creature that attacks Jonas after he shoots at it. Sabine kills the creature with her pistol, and Sabine and Jonas escape into the night.

8 The creatures in this play can best be described as –

A werewolves

B zombies

C trolls

D dragons

9 What does rational mean in paragraph 68?

A Equally divided

B In possession

C Of sound mind

D The same


10 What can the reader infer by reading this play?

A Lawrence and Hannah are trying to trick their children.

B Sabine and Jonas have only killed one creature.

C The creatures only attack humans when it is dark.

D Sabine and Jonas have only been away from their parents for a couple of

nights.

11 Which answer best describes the point of view from which this play is written?

A Third person objective

B First person omniscient

C Third person subjective

D First person subjective

12 Based on the dialogue in paragraphs 37-47 how does Sabine feel about her parents?

A She wants to search for them.

B She misses them.

C She feels guilty for being glad they are gone.

D She feels responsible for what happened to them.

S TAT E O F T E X A S A S S E S S M E N T S O F A C A D E M I C R E A D I N E S S ( S TA A R ) S P E C I A L I S T S

STAAR BRIGHT READINGGrade 8

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