Multiple Genres: Analyzing How Characters Internal And External Responses Develop The Plot (TEKS.ELA.6.7.B) Practice Test

Maya stood behind the velvet curtain, clutching her cello case as the audition list rustled in the director's hands. Her palms tingled. If I wait, I'll only get shakier, she thought, hearing the faint buzz of the auditorium lights. When the director asked who would like to go first, the room froze. Maya felt her heart skip, then she lifted her hand before she could talk herself out of it. Heads turned. She set the endpin, tuned the A string with a tiny twist, and took one long breath. You know this piece, she told herself. The first notes wobbled, but she leaned into the bow, riding the melody until it steadied. Out in the dark, someone shifted; the director's pencil paused. When she reached the tricky run, her fingers wanted to flee. Don't rush. Place every note. She slowed a hair, and the phrase landed like a smile. As the last note faded, Maya lowered her bow, surprised to find that her knees had stopped trembling.

Jamal's vinegar-and-baking-soda volcano bubbled perfectly in practice, but now, under the gym's bright lights, the foam sputtered and died. He felt heat climb his neck. They'll think I faked everything, he worried, glancing at the judges' clipboards. His partner whispered, "Should we skip it?" Jamal swallowed and shook his head. "Give me a minute," he said, keeping his voice steady. He traced the clear tube with his finger and spotted a kink where the cardboard mountain bent. "It's pinched," he explained, lifting the edge gently while his partner held the base. He straightened the tube, poured a fresh cup, and looked up. "I messed up the setup. Here's what should happen." The judges leaned closer. He tipped the vinegar in, and this time the red foam climbed, gurgling over the crater and sliding down the slopes. A couple of students cheered. Jamal exhaled for the first time since they'd plugged in the desk lamp. He wiped a splash with a paper towel and began describing how gases build pressure—right where his explanation had almost ended.