Apply Reading Standards to Literary Nonfiction Practice Test
•10 QuestionsRead the excerpt from a literary nonfiction essay (paragraphs numbered).
(1) When our city proposed a year-round “car-free downtown,” I wanted to cheer. I grew up with asthma, and the smell of exhaust still makes my chest tighten.
(2) Supporters say the plan will cut pollution and make streets safer. They point to a neighboring city that saw fewer crashes after closing one main road.
(3) Opponents argue the plan will hurt small businesses. One shop owner told me, “If people can’t park out front, they won’t come.” Another warned that delivery trucks will have nowhere to stop.
(4) Those worries deserve attention, but they don’t prove the plan will fail. In the neighboring city, sales tax revenue in the closed-road district rose 3% the first year. And the proposal includes two loading zones on every block, plus a permit system for deliveries before 11 a.m.
(5) Still, we should admit the plan won’t work for everyone. A person with limited mobility may need a car closer than the edge of downtown. That’s why the city must expand accessible shuttles and add more disability parking at the perimeter.
(6) A car-free downtown isn’t about punishing drivers; it’s about designing streets for people to breathe, walk, and shop.
Writing task (RI.8.6): Analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints, and evaluate how effective that response is.
Which written response best applies RI.8.6 to the excerpt?
Read the excerpt from a literary nonfiction essay (paragraphs numbered).
(1) When our city proposed a year-round “car-free downtown,” I wanted to cheer. I grew up with asthma, and the smell of exhaust still makes my chest tighten.
(2) Supporters say the plan will cut pollution and make streets safer. They point to a neighboring city that saw fewer crashes after closing one main road.
(3) Opponents argue the plan will hurt small businesses. One shop owner told me, “If people can’t park out front, they won’t come.” Another warned that delivery trucks will have nowhere to stop.
(4) Those worries deserve attention, but they don’t prove the plan will fail. In the neighboring city, sales tax revenue in the closed-road district rose 3% the first year. And the proposal includes two loading zones on every block, plus a permit system for deliveries before 11 a.m.
(5) Still, we should admit the plan won’t work for everyone. A person with limited mobility may need a car closer than the edge of downtown. That’s why the city must expand accessible shuttles and add more disability parking at the perimeter.
(6) A car-free downtown isn’t about punishing drivers; it’s about designing streets for people to breathe, walk, and shop.
Writing task (RI.8.6): Analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints, and evaluate how effective that response is.
Which written response best applies RI.8.6 to the excerpt?