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Name:
Date:
Community Voices Middle School
Class:
Winter Break Test Preparation Packet
Directions: Read each passage and answer the multiple choice and short response question that follow.
Contents:
E Article 1= The Mystery of the Missing Mona Lisaby John Martinsson
o Multiple Choice Questions
o Short Response
E Article 2= The Glowing Beagle by Karen Brinkman
o Multiple Choice Questions
o Short Response
Due Date: Monday, fanuary 5tl', 2015
Read the passage. Then answer the questions that follow.
The Mystery of the Missing Mona Lisa
by lohn Martinsson
The Mona Lisa maybe the rnost famous picture ever
that
painted, an image known to people throughout the world. But
rt ir humble little painting had been recognized
was not always
was created
as a valuable work of art since the early 1500s, when it
it
by the great Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci' However'
wasn't until just over 100 years ago-1911, to be exact-that the
painting became the cultural icon it is today. what did it take to
be
the Mona Lisainto everlasting, worldwide fame? It had to
1
*.
iaor.h
the
stolen, right offthe wall, from the world's most famous museum,
years,
Louvre in Paris. Then it had to disappear without a trace, for
in what was considered to be the greatest art theft in history.
\heactual theft likely took place in the early morning
hours of Monday, August 2l,IglI. But in a strange trarn of events'
it had
the painting was gorr. f"t an entire day before anyone realized
wail
the
and
been stolen. When the museum opened that Monday'
where da Vinci's masterpiece had hung was bare, no one thought
of
anything of it at first. The museum had been photographing many
the works in its massive collection. So for sorne time, important
paintings had been routinely disappearing from their usual places
2
and taken to the roof, where they could be photographed
in
bright sunlight.
by accident. An art student had
It wasn,t until the next day that the theft was d,iscovered, somewhat
an element in his picture. Ftre asked the guards
planned to paint in the galiery thai day, using the l\4ona Lisa as
staff' Imagine the shock of all
when it would be returned, so they went to cteck with the photography
to be found!
involved when they discovered that the painti.ng was nowhere
inside, at first-and the search began'
The museurn immediately locked its doors-with visitors
4
more than 1,000 rooms' For nine days,
In those days, the Louvre was the largest building in the world, with
searched for clues' At one point' as many as
the French police swarmed the place, interrogated staff, and
together what had happened, everyone seemed sure
60 detectives worked the case. Though no on. could piece
one of the suspects questioned was a
of one thing: the theft could only belhe work of a criminal mastermind.
heist. The young artist was certainly a
29-yearolispanish artist who had been implicated in another art
genius, but not at crime' His name was Pablo Picasso'
sensation. Newspapers
when the museum announced the theft, it was an international media
5
when the museum reopened, thousands of
around the world ran headlines about the missing Monalisa.
the end, all the investigations, theories, and pubiic
people poured into the gailery-to see the ernpty wall! In
forever'
furor led nowhere. It appeared that the Mona Lisahad disappeared
3
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That ali changed two years later, in December of n913, when a rnan contacted an art dealer named
Alfredo Geri in Florerrce,Italy. The man told Geri he was in possession of the Mona Lisa and that he wanted
rJffizi
to sell it. Geri was skeptical, but he arranged a meeting and brought along the director of the famous
police,
Gallery to determin. if th" painting was real. But Geri himself was no criminal. He also contacted the
6
who promptly arrested the man.
'7
His name was Vincenzo peruggia, 4n ftalian who had worked as a housepainter and carpenter in
Peruggia
France for many years. Among his many jobs hadbeen one installing glass cases in the Louvre.
claimed that he had stolen the painting only to return it to its rightful home, Italy. He argued that the
Mona Lisahadbeen wrongly taken from his homeland by the famous French general Napoleon. This strategy
the
made him a folk hero in Italy even though his story just wasn't true. Da Vinci himself had brought
painting to France, where it was purchased after his death by King Frangois I. Peruggia was convicted of the
ih.ft, b,tt his popularity may have helped him get offwith just a few months in prison.
g
How had peruggia pulled off"the greatest art theft in history"? Accounts vary, but whatever actually
was
happened was probabfy futty simple. In one version, Peruggia simply walked into the Louvre, where he
stiifknown by many of the guards. When the gallery was empfy, he lifted the Mona Lisa from the wal1, hid in
up under his
a nearby staircase, took the painting from the frame, and then walked out with it roltred
workman's smock. In another version, he had accomplices who helped hirn, two trtalian brothers named
Vincenzo and Michele l-ancelotti. The three hid out in a srnall storeroom in the Louvre that Sunday night.
When the museum closed, they dismantled the case, rernoved the painting, and left when the museum
the
reopened. Whatever happened, the one thing Peruggia hadn't anticipated was that his theft would make
Mona Lisathehottest property in the world-too hot to sell. So for two years, Peruggia had hid it in a trunk
with a false bottom, which is where it reportedly was when he revealed it to Geri in Florence.
The French government was delighted to get iis painting back. As a goodwill gesture, it let the
Mona Lisa tour Ita[ Lefore it returned to its permanent home at the Louvre. An estimated 100,000 people
went to see it in its first two days back. A century later, people are still lining up-as many as 8 million
a year!-to see the masterfullypainted wornan with the mysterious slight smile.
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ln paragraph
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A
B
1,
why does the author describe the Mona Lisa as a "humble little painting"?
to inform the reader about the artist's attitude when he created the painting
to create a humorous effect, since the reader knows that the painting
is one
of the
Iargest in existence
C
D
to remind the reader that, although the painting
to create an ironic effect,
since
is
the reader knows it
famous, it is not very well-made
is
one of the most famous paintings in
the world
' '
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'lll , Which sentence from the passage best explains why more than 24 hours passed before anyone
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at the Louvre realized lhe Mona lrsa had been stolen?
rA
B
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"The actual thett likely took place in the early morning hours of Monday, August 21, 1911."
"When the museum opened that Monday, and the wall where da Vinci's rnasterpiece had
hung was bare, no one thought anything of it at first."
C
"5o for some tirne, irnportant paintings had been routinely disappearing from their usual
places and taken to the roof, where they could be photographed in bright sunlight."
D
"lt wasn't until the next day that the theft was discovered, somewhat by accident."
Which of the following best descrlbes a distinction the author makes between Peruggia and
Geri when he describes their meeting in Florence?
A
B
He suggests that Peruggia tended to be more trusting of other people than the
suspicious Geri.
He demonstrates
that Peruggia was more of a patriot than Geri because Peruggia wanted
to neturn the painting to ltaly.
C
He emphasizes
work
D
that Geri never had any intention of participating in selling the stolen
to do.
as Peruggia had hoped
that Geri was far less confident than Peruggia in judging whether an old
painting was authentic or just a skillful forgery.
He shows
Go On
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9.,
Closely reread the following paragraph fronr the passage'
When the museum announced the theft, it was an international media sensation.
Newspapers around the world ran headlines about the missing Mona Lsa' When the
museum reopened, thousands of people poured into the gallery-to see the empty wall!
in the end, all the investigations, theories, and public furor led nowhere. lt appeared that
the Mona lrsa had disappeared, forever.
Why does the author write that thousands of people went to the Louvre "to see the
empty wall"?
A
to illustrate that the general public was far more interested in the crime that had taken
place than in the actual PaintinE
B
C
D
|]2$.,
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to suggest that most people did not trust newspapers at that tlme and had to see for
themselves if the reports were true
to convince the reader that the people of Paris had treasured da Vinci's painting and
wanted to express their Erief at its loss
to dennonstrate that despite allthe stories in the newspapers most museum-goers did not
even realize that the painting had been stolen
How does the author acknowledge that he is not sure exactly how the Mona lisa was stolen?
!: ",'.:i
A
He suggests
that it would have been nearly impossible for PeruEgia to have managed the
theft alone.
B
He offers
two different versions of the theft that contain some conflicting details about
what happened
C
D
that no one knew what actually happened because a whole day went by
before the theft was discovered'
He expresses some uncertainty about whether Peruggia was actually smart enough to
He stresses
have committed the theft.
Which staternent best sumrnarizes the central idea of the passage?
A
E
e
D
painting beloved by people around the world for its great beauty.
The
Monalisa
The
Monalrsa was
The
Monalrsa was recovered when Alfredo Geri reported its location to the police.
is a
easy
to steal in 1911 because few people knew about it at the time.
The Mona Lrsa was stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia and became a world-famous painting.
'--:Read the passage. Then answer the questions that follow.
The Glowing Beagle
by Karen Brinkmann
1
Dogs have provided many services for people over the years. Working and herding dogs pull sleds
and shepherd animals. Service dogs guide and protect people with special needs. Police dogs assist in tracking
down and apprehending criminals. Assistance dogs perform necessary tasks for people. And of course, dogs
are probablybest known for their faithful companionship to individuals and families.
2
Buldogs may soon be able to add another talent to their long list of abilities: the potential to help
researchers cure diseases because of the ability to glow. Yes, you read that correctly: scientists in Korea have
designed and bred a dog that glows under ultraviolet light. Let's take a look at this unprecedented scientific
creation in order to understand why it was accomplished as well as how it could help doctors study and
eradicate diseases.
3
.For many years, scientists have studied bioluminescent sea creatures such as jellyfish. Bioluminescent
rneans a creature can produce and ernit its own iight. After years of observing and experirnenting with these
types of creatures, scientists discovered a protein caI\ed green-fluorescent protein, which is responsible for giving
the jellyfish and other creatures the ability to glow. They determined a way to isolate the protein. Then, they
transferred it into the cells of a puppy before the puppy was even born. The result was a delightfut dog named
Tegan who is like any other beagle except that she appears to glow when placed under an ultraviolet light.
4
You may be wondering how in the world a glowing beagtre pup could possibly help researchers find
for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinsont. The answer to that question lies not in the fact that
the dog glows but that scientists have created a method to transfer genes. Because the gene transfer process
has been successful, scientists are hopeful ttrat other gene transfers will also be successful. And these gene
transfers could lead to a better understanding, if not a cure, for rnany diffFerent kinds of diseases.
a cure
5
Fluman beings and dogs share the ability to contract 258 genetic diseases. If scientists can
successfully conduct research on a dog that has a disease that a human can also develop, the scientists rnay
find clues to curing that disease by observing the dog. Dogs share some of the same physiological and
anatomical body parts that people do, so studies of dogs translate well to studies of humans. Plus, dogs are
social creatures and respond well to commands. They are better subjects to study than laboratory rats or mice.
6
Though transferring fluorescent genes to a dog does not harm a dog in any way, there are some critics
of the process. Some animal rights groups discourage any testing on animals. Many suggest alternatives to
animal testing, including testing humans instead. However, though many studies have been conducted using
human votrunteers, the type of gene testing that scientists have done on dogs cannot be conducted on humans.
7
Another drawback of the program is the expense. Scientific research is typically costly, but genetic
testing requires equipment and technology that come at a very high price. Additionally, testing on dogs would
require that researchers find caregivers for the dogs. Small creatures such as mice and rats can live happily in
small cages, but dogs of course cannot. Researchers who want to dedicate their lives to perforrning gene
transfers on pups would need to find a way to house the dogs in a humane way.
8
Still, scientists are optimistic. They see great potential in these developments and hope that the future
of scientific research on genes is bright, not only for humans, but for their best friends, the dogs.
Go On
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22.
!-ook at the first sentence of the passaEe.
Dogs have provided many services for
people over the years.
What relationship does this sentence
have with the rest of the first paragraph?
A
lt introduces a problem. The
rest of the paragraPh lists
possible solutions.
B
lt states an observed effect. The rest
of the paragraph examines causes.
C
lt provides an opinion. The rest of
the paragraph provides reasons'
lt presents an idea. The rest of the
D
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Which statennent best expresses tfie
argument of animal rights groups in
paragraph 6?
A
Scientists should not test animals
because animals are not like people.
B
Animals should not be tested
because alternative tests
are available.
C
Dogs should not be tested because
transferring f luorescent Eenes
harms them.
D
Research should not be based
on animal testinE because it is
too expensive.
paragraph gives exarnples.
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What tone does the author set by uslng
r::,,'',.rri: the WOfdS,,pOtentia1," "Unpfecedented,"
and "eradicate" in paragraPh2?
A
B
C
D
friendly and welcoming
How does the passage connect the idea
of glowing beagles to the research of
human diseases?
A
by illustrating how diseased areas of
a beagle glow to help doctors find
illnesses in people
B
by showing how beaEles glow when
they are near sick hospital patients
C
by revealing how scientists use
glowing genes in a beagle to search
for and destroy diseased cells
D
by explaining how a glowing
beagle shows that scientists can
transfer genes
concerned and anxious
scientific and knowledgeable
critical and sr.rspiclous
Which sentence from the passage
shows why dogs are good gene-transfer
test subjects?
A
"Dogs have provided many services
for people over the years."
B
"Human beings and dogs share
the ability to contract 268 genetic
diseases."
C
"They are better subjects to studY
than laboratory rats or mice."
D
"Small creatures such as mice and
rats can live happily in small cages,
but dogs of course cannot."
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27' r
':
Which sentence from the passage best supports the central idea that glowing beagles could
help doctors effectively treat human diseases?
A
B
"For many years, scientists have studied bioluminescent sea creatures such as jellyfish."
"lf
scientists can successfully conduct research on a dog that has a disease that a
human can also develop, the scientists may find clues to curing that disease by observing
the dog."
28
C
"However, though many studies have been conducted using human volunteers, the type
of gene testing that sciehtists have done on dogs cannot be conducted on humans."
D
"They see great potential in these developments and hope that the future of scientific
research on genes is brlght, not only for humans, but for their best friends, the dogs."
,What
A
B
e
D
29
is
the most tikely reason the author wrote "The Glowing Beagle"?
to inform
readens
of an interesting scientific discovery
to excite readers with the idea of owning a glowinE dog
to persuade readers that animal testing
is necessary
to list ways dogs provide services to humans
Which of the following gives the best sumrnary of the ideas in "The Glowlng Beagle"?
A
Some animals, such as jellyfish, can produce their own light. By transferring thre liEhtproducing gene to dogs, scientists have found a way to make dogs glow when placed
under ultraviolet light. This could lead to important discoveries.
B
The fascinating study of biolurninescent sea creatures has led to new research for
curing diseases. Flowevel scientists now cruelly perform tests, such as gene transfers, on
live anirnals.
C
By successfully transferring genes from light-producing sea creatures to dogs, scientists
have found a way to study and possibly cure diseases in people. Though there are several
drawbacks, scientists are hopeful that the challenges can be overcome.
D
Scientists have discovered a cure for Alzheimer's disease. By transferring gerles from
bioluminescent sea creatures to dogs, researchers discovered where disease-producing
Eenes can be found. They found ways to prevent these genes from becoming active.
Go On
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