Passage 1: Across the plains of West Texas, thousands of wind turbines feed electricity into the state grid. While the idea seems simple—wind turns blades, blades spin a generator—the system behind reliable power is complex. Wind speeds change by the hour, and operators must predict output using weather models. If a sudden lull occurs, other sources, like natural gas plants or stored energy, must ramp up to keep the frequency steady. Engineers monitor data on voltage, transmission capacity, and maintenance schedules. They also plan for rare events, such as ice storms that can halt turbines or dust that reduces efficiency. Texas's wide-open geography allows long high-voltage lines to carry power from rural wind farms to cities. Reading the data correctly means keeping lights on in millions of homes. The technical vocabulary and layered causes and effects require attentive, analytical reading. Specialized forecasting teams refine models as new sensors stream measurements each hour.

Passage 2: Backstage at the community theater, Luz pressed her trumpet case against her knees and listened to the muffled thump of dancers' boots. Tonight's rehearsal wasn't a performance, but the director's voice carried like a spotlight: ready, again. Luz's school mariachi had been invited to play the final number for a Folklórico showcase, and she had memorized every entrance—at least she thought so. She traced a finger over the dent on her trumpet's bell, a good-luck mark from last year's parade in El Paso. When her cue floated through the curtain, Luz stepped out, nerves buzzing. Two measures in, the violin missed a turn. Luz caught the melody and held it steady until the others found it, the way her abuelo had taught her: listen first, then play. The director nodded. The stumble became a lesson, and the song stitched itself back together. Outside, the boots landed sure, then softer again.

Which option best matches the reading approach to the purpose and complexity of each passage?

Passage 1: Middle schools should start later in the morning. Sleep scientists report that most adolescents' internal clocks shift after puberty, making it hard to fall asleep early. When schools ring the first bell before sunrise, students show up groggy, which hurts attention and memory. Districts that moved start times to after eight o'clock saw fewer tardies and car crashes among teen drivers. Critics argue that afternoon activities would run too late. That concern matters, but it can be addressed by adjusting bus routes and scheduling practices, as several Texas districts have already done. Meanwhile, the benefits extend beyond grades: more sleep improves mood and reduces stress. If our goal is to support learning and health, the evidence points in one direction. Before we reject change, we should examine the data, consider alternatives, and listen to the people most affected—students and families. Transportation partners can pilot routes before permanent decisions are made.

Passage 2: To assemble the diamond kite, clear a flat area first. Lay the sail face down so the reinforced corners point outward. Slide the long spine rod through its pocket until it clicks into the top cap. Next, fit the cross spar into the side sleeves; the frame should form a plus sign that pulls the sail smooth. Tie the bridle to the center where the rods cross, using a snug knot that doesn't slip. Attach the line to the bridle loop. Before launching, check for trees and power lines and make sure the wind is steady, not gusting. Walk the kite to the edge of the wind, let out ten yards of line, and signal your helper to release. Step back and gently pull until the kite lifts. If it wobbles, adjust the bridle knot slightly and try again. Stop if parts feel loose, and check all connections again carefully.

Which choice shows the best way to adjust your reading for each passage's purpose and complexity?

Passage 1: Central Texas sits atop the Edwards Aquifer, a vast limestone formation that stores and moves water underground. Rain falling on the Hill Country doesn't simply soak the soil; in places where the rock is fractured, it disappears into sinkholes and caves, recharging the aquifer quickly. Because the water flows through channels of varying sizes, pumping in one area can affect springs miles away. Scientists monitor water levels with wells and track how drought and heavy use change spring flow to rivers like the San Marcos and Comal. Municipalities and farmers share permits that limit withdrawals to protect endangered species and drinking supplies. The vocabulary—recharge zone, karst, discharge—signals that this text is technical. To understand it, readers must connect cause-and-effect relationships, refer to maps or figures when available, and sometimes pause to clarify terms before moving on. Careful rereading of dense sections helps build a more accurate mental model over time.

Passage 2: Clouds stack like chalk hills, slow and bright, heat humming in the grass. A shadow crosses cedar and mesquite, and the wind turns the leaves to their pale sides. First a hush, then a far drumroll, then the sky cracks open. Rain beads dust into dark freckles, paths bloom on the limestone like sudden rivers. Cicadas fall silent; a hawk rides the updraft, vanishing into a curtain of gray. On the porch, we count heartbeats between flash and sound, pretending the numbers can hold back the spill. The air smells like pennies and crushed mint, cool fingers trailing the back of the hand. When the storm wanders east, the light returns thin and new, water ticking from roof to rock to soil. Puddles keep the clouds for a moment, then let them go. In the live oak's bowl, a single drop waits, round as a held breath, before it falls.

Which option best matches the reading strategy to each passage's purpose and complexity?

Passage 1: Camped by a shallow ford at sundown, I take a minute by lantern to scratch these lines. We pushed the herd hard today, for the mud at the crossings was kinder than last week's dust that choked man and beast alike. The remuda holds sound, save one bay with a stone bruise; I reckon he'll come right with rest. The trail hands keep fair spirits, though we've buried two coffee pots and one temper. If weather keeps, we'll make the next water in two days. Tell Mama not to fret my silence; the mail runs slower than the cattle sometimes. I have seen a sky so wide it near swallows a man, and grass that shivers like a green sea. I am tired to the bone, but grateful for steady pay and the company of good men. Kiss the hound for me and mind the gate, until the trail eases.

Passage 2: By the time Mateo clipped his helmet, the afternoon had melted into syrupy heat. The delivery app chimed: three sandwiches, eight blocks, fifteen minutes. He wove past a mural blooming over brick, then waited, bouncing on his pedals, as a freight train shrugged over the tracks. When the arms lifted, he pushed off, the air thick and sweet with grill smoke. A bank of clouds gathered over downtown, gray as a sweatshirt. The first drop tapped his cheek. Two more splashed his phone case. Mateo turned east to avoid slick rails and cut through a quiet neighborhood, waving at a woman watering flowers. He rolled up to the cafe with three minutes to spare. The cook lifted the order bag with a grin, and the storm let loose, drumming the awning while Mateo checked the address again. He plotted a drier route on the map, before the next bell sounded.

Which choice shows the best way to adjust reading strategies for these two passages?

Text 1: Across the Texas Panhandle, wind turbines dot open plains where seasonal winds shift with passing cold fronts. A regional report compared several sites and explained why production often rises on spring evenings. Engineers traced the pattern to cooling air and faster pressure changes that increase blade efficiency. The report also noted how transmission limits can force temporary shutdowns when output spikes. Wildlife corridors near canyons require careful pauses during migration. The authors defined capacity factor and showed that steady, medium winds can outperform brief gusts. They compared tower heights, finding taller hubs reach smoother air that reduces turbulence but adds cost. Finally, they warned that a single season's data can mislead unless trends are checked across multiple years.

Text 2: On the River Walk in San Antonio, Lina squeezed her grandmother's hand as floats slipped past, their lanterns trembling on the water. A drumbeat stitched the crowd together while a breeze carried the smell of roasted corn. Lina kept peeking at the paper boat she had folded, hoping it might catch a current. Her grandmother shared a memory of marching in a school parade long ago. When a drummer winked, Lina set the boat gently in the river's edge. It spun, caught a ripple, and drifted until a quiet swirl tucked it beside a stone step. A small boy clapped. A stranger reached the boat first and handed it back with a smile. The parade turned the bend, and Lina tucked the damp paper into her pocket, already planning next year.

Which reading approach best matches each text's purpose and complexity?

Text 1: Teenagers often arrive at first-period classes underslept, and later start times can help. Research summaries show that shifting the bell by even one hour improves alertness, attendance, and grades. Critics argue that buses, after-school jobs, and activities would suffer. However, districts that tested later starts reported transportation solutions by staggering routes and adjusting practice schedules. Some families worry that homework will still keep students up, yet studies link earlier bedtimes to predictable schedules created by later starts. A fair policy must weigh trade-offs, but the evidence suggests that student health and learning should guide the decision.

Text 2: Build a simple window bird feeder. Gather a clean carton, scissors, string, a small stick, and birdseed. Rinse and dry the carton. Carefully cut two openings on opposite sides. Poke two small holes near the top and thread the string for hanging. Slide the stick through a lower pair of holes to make a perch. Pour in birdseed below the openings. Gently shake to settle the seed. Hang the feeder where you can watch from indoors. Check it daily. Refill when low, and rinse the feeder weekly so it stays safe for birds.

Which reading approach best matches each text's purpose and complexity?

Text 1: Earth's outer shell is broken into plates that move slowly over the mantle. Heat from the interior drives convection currents, pulling some plates apart while pushing others together. At spreading centers, new crust forms as molten rock cools. Where plates collide, dense oceanic crust may sink beneath lighter continental crust, creating trenches and fueling volcanoes. Earthquakes mark boundaries where stress builds and then releases. Rock samples, seafloor maps, and satellite measurements support this model. Understanding how these clues connect requires tracking cause and effect and comparing processes that operate over different time scales.

Text 2: Coastline Morning Clouds lift like a curtain, and the shore inhales. Waves comb the sand with patient fingers, leaving threads of foam that fade into silence. A pelican sketches a line across the brightening sky. Piers wake, board by board, to footfalls you cannot hear. Salt settles on your tongue, a quiet promise. Somewhere, a bell rings once, then once again, and the day opens— not with a shout, but with the soft click of light meeting water, as if the horizon remembers your name and says it back in ripples.

Which reading approach best matches each text's purpose and complexity?

Text 1: January 1901—The fields south of town feel different now. Yesterday, the drilling crew struck a column of dark oil that rose like a sudden tree. Wagons jammed the road, and even the air tasted of metal and mud. Merchants talk of new fortunes, but our herd grew uneasy at the noise. I worry about water from the creek and about men who plan fast and think slow. Still, I cannot ignore what I saw: lamps burning brighter and boots bought with fresh pay. If this rush keeps on, we will need fences in places we never mended and a way to move cattle without crossing the slick ground. I write tonight by a sharper light than usual, and I wonder what next winter will look like.

Text 2: After school in Houston, Aya and her robotics team circled their table, eyeing a ramp the size of a skateboard. The motor had worked in practice, but now the wheels stuttered. The room buzzed with other teams testing their designs. Aya traced a wire and found a loose connection. She held her breath while her friend clicked the battery into place. The robot inched forward, then climbed the ramp with a small hum, dropping a plastic ring into the goal. Everyone cheered. They still had to pack the toolkit and fix a crooked axle, but Aya could finally picture their run at the weekend meet.

Which reading approach best matches each text's purpose and complexity?