2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
1
Option A is correct
The author describes feeling “reluctant and unenthusiastic”
(paragraph 2) about meeting up with her friends. Because the
people she is meeting are her friends and the author made the plans
“excitedly,” the reader can infer that the author wishes she did not
feel this way.
Option B is incorrect
The author explains that she is traveling home to Turkey in
paragraph 2, but she says nothing to suggest that she has been away
for too long.
Option C is incorrect
Although the author suggests in paragraph 1 that she is “dreading”
the effort it will take to visit friends, there is nothing in paragraphs 1
through 3 the reader can use to infer that she feels nervous about
seeing them.
Option D is incorrect
Only one social outing is mentioned in paragraphs 1 through 3 by the
author, which does not imply that she has made too many plans.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
2
Option A is correct
To “grouse” is to complain and using the word “chore” suggests
work that is tedious. The author includes these words to convey a
feeling of dread about the upcoming activity.
Option B is incorrect
“Grouse” and “chore” are words with negative connotations, but
the author did not use them to express concern.
Option C is incorrect
The meanings of “grouse” and “chore” do not suggest doubt or
disbelief, so the author did not include “grouse” or “chore” to
express a sense of skepticism.
Option D is incorrect
A “chore” in this context is used to suggest something that is
upcoming, not something that happened in the past that a person
could regret.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
3
In paragraphs 1 and 19, the author directly addresses the reader
about planned leisure time, suggesting that the intended audience
is people wanting to understand why they might not enjoy it.
The author refers to experts who have studied behavior and
decision-making, but those people do not represent the intended
audience.
Although the author highlights academic studies in the article, she
does not describe any new research opportunities for students.
The author refers to people trying new and exciting leisure
activities in paragraph 15, but those individuals were part of a
study; they are not the intended audience of the article.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
4
Option B is correct
Using the word “increasingly” in this quotation clearly suggests
that scheduling and organizing of people’s lives is happening
more often than it did in past years.
Option A is incorrect
The author writes about “long-awaited” reunions but does not
reveal information about scheduling and organizing in the past in
this quotation.
Option C is incorrect
The use of this quotation does not show that people’s lives were
less scheduled in the past, just that scheduling fun activities can
have negative consequences.
Option D is incorrect
This quotation is used to refer to studies about scheduling that
were conducted, but there is no information about the degree to
which people’s lives were scheduled in the past.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
5
Option B is correct
In paragraph 18, the author uses the word alleviate to mean that
“negative consequences” are made less severe. The context of
the sentence suggests that “relaxing the structure” makes
weekend activities feel less like work.
Option A is incorrect
Because a decision is not being made in paragraph 18, no context
can be used to support the idea that alleviate means to make a
decision.
Option C is incorrect
To emphasize means to give more stress or attention to
something. The context of this sentence is used to suggest the
exact opposite: that the negative consequences are eased, rather
than made worse.
Option D is incorrect
Although using the word “disregard” can indicate that negative
consequences are being avoided, alleviate specifically means that
the consequences are reduced, not avoided entirely, which is
more appropriate in this context.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
6
Option D is correct
In this quotation from paragraph 17, the author concedes to the
argument that plans cannot always be made spontaneously (“For
those who do need to make plans days or weeks in advance”) and
offers a solution, “rough scheduling.”
Option A is incorrect
In this quotation the author suggests a theory, not a concession
to the argument that plans cannot always be made
spontaneously.
Option B is incorrect
Although the author does acknowledge a difference in the
strictness of participants’ schedules, there is no concession that
plans cannot always be made spontaneously in this quotation.
Option C is incorrect
In this quotation, the author includes information summarizing
the results of a study, which supports the main argument of the
paragraph. There is no suggestion that plans cannot always be
made spontaneously.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
7
Option A is correct
In last sentence of paragraph 17, the author proposes an
alternative: “rough scheduling.” The author explains that this
alternative relaxes “structure” (paragraph 18) and proposes that
the reader try making plans more flexible (paragraph 19).
Option B is incorrect
The author’s purpose in this section is not to reinforce the claim
that scheduling “will take the fun out of everything”; instead, the
information is included to propose an alternative to this claim.
Option C is incorrect
Although this section appears in the article’s conclusion, the
author does not include the information in the section to
summarize and restate the key arguments in the article.
Option D is incorrect
There is no recognition of a counterargument by the author in
this section; however, the information is used to propose an
alternative (“solution”) to the consequence of the key argument.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
8
Option A is correct
In paragraph 19, the author proposes that the reader make plans
“flexible” but acknowledges throughout the article that plans can
be made in advance. The author claims here that “rough
scheduling” is the best way to plan leisure activities (paragraph
17).
Option B is incorrect
The author recommends scheduling time for activities while
maintaining a degree of flexibility, but the author does not
suggest waiting to choose the activity without planning ahead.
Option C is incorrect
The author proposes a solution that can make leisure activities
feel more fun but avoids suggesting that the reader commit to
having fun (paragraph 19).
Option D is incorrect
The author describes ideas such as rough scheduling in paragraph
17 where specific details are not pre-determined for activities,
but there is no recommendation to avoid making plans ahead of
time.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
9
Option C is correct
The author begins the first paragraph of the section “A rough
solution” with the word “But” to indicate a shift from the
argument against firm scheduling to an acknowledgement that
scheduling is sometimes necessary. The author explains “you
can’t do everything on the fly” (paragraph 17).
Option A is incorrect
While a rhetorical shift, a change in the author’s style or
language, is often made to introduce a counterargument, this
quotation is used in support of scheduling, not against it.
Option B is incorrect
Although a rhetorical shift could be used to introduce a different
opinion, the quotation is not intended to refute the author’s
opinion that “even an impromptu leisure event starts to feel like
work once it’s structured” (paragraph 16). The shift is included to
acknowledge that scheduling can sometimes be necessary.
Option D is incorrect
The author includes only one alternative to “rough scheduling” in
this quotation.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
10
Option D is correct
The conclusion of the study is important to understanding the key
idea that leisure activities are less fun when stringently
scheduled.
Option A is incorrect
Contained in this sentence are minor details of the activities
studied that are not significant to understanding the key ideas of
the article.
Option B is incorrect
Although this information is used to help explain how one of the
featured studies worked, such details are too minor and specific
to be included in a summary of the whole article. In addition,
information in this option is already presented in the second
sentence of the boxed text.
Option C is incorrect
Leisure activities and work activities are compared at various
points in the article, but such a comparison can be omitted from
a complete summary of the article without creating confusion
about what the article presents.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
11
Option B is correct
Definition 2 is correct because both “Kirribilli Wharf” and the
Wave Organ amplify, or increase, the importance of the “rhythm
of the waves,” which is utilized in both works to create music.
Option A is incorrect
The “rhythm of the waves” is not expanded by closer analysis.
Option C is incorrect
The “rhythm of the waves” is not made complete by “Kirribilli
Wharf” and the Wave Organ.
Option D is incorrect
Definition 4 is not correct because genetic material is not a topic
addressed by the author.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
12
Option A is correct
In paragraph 5, the author explains the influence of “Kirribilli
Wharf”: “Richards first got the idea for the Wave Organ from
listening to a recording . . .”. The author compares the two works
and then distinguishes them in the section “ ‘Sound Sculpture’ vs.
‘Acoustic Sculpture’.”
Option B is incorrect
Although many details on the work of Richards and Fontana are
included in the article, biographical details of the artists
themselves are not used to develop the controlling thesis of the
article.
Option C is incorrect
The author includes details, in chronological order, in the article
that demonstrate how difficult it was to create the Wave Organ;
however, the fact that the wave organ was hard to build is not
the thesis of the article.
Option D is incorrect
The author does describe differences in the two forms of sound
art, organizing the article by comparison, but there is no
information included which specifies whether the points of
comparison are advantages or disadvantages.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
13
Option C is correct
The photograph is used to depict what the sculpture described in
paragraphs 1 through 3 looks like.
Option A is incorrect
“Kirribilli Wharf” is a musical composition; the photograph is used
to show a stone structure on a jetty.
Option B is incorrect
The photograph is not used to show how the Wave Organ
produces sound, a process that is explained in paragraph 17.
Option D is incorrect
In paragraph 2, the author describes the sculpture as a “secret . . .
place,” not as a familiar work of art.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
14
Option D is correct
In paragraph 13, the author describes how the artist Peter
Richards “intentionally alters the physical landscape” and “uses[s]
pipes and the waves of San Francisco Bay” to make a sculpture
that creates “musical sounds on purpose.”
Option A is incorrect
Richards may have been inspired by a work of art, Fontana’s
recording, but that detail is not used to support the key idea that
the Wave Organ is also a work of art.
Option B is incorrect
Although Richards used pipes to create the Wave Organ,
including the material the artist used does not provide enough
information to support the key idea that the Wave Organ is a
work of art.
Option C is incorrect
The idea that the Wave Organ is a work of art is not determined
by where it is located; however, the waves in the natural
environment are part of its artistic effect.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
15
Option B is correct
The comparison organizational structure of the section is used to
show the differences between Fontana’s work and Richards’s
work: “Richards, on the other hand, is an environmental
sculptor. . . . As an environmental sculptor, Richards basically
does the opposite of Fontana.” (paragraphs 11 and 13).
Option A is incorrect
A comparison organizational structure can be used to determine
which of two things is better, or more important, but the author
uses comparison in this article to highlight the artworks’
similarities and differences, not to show how Fontana’s work is
more important.
Option C is incorrect
Information about Fontana’s project is revealed through
comparison in this section, but not to demonstrate how it
inspired Richard’s work. The details in this section are used to
show how “Kirribilli Wharf” is similar to and different from the
Wave Organ.
Option D is incorrect
Richards may have been inspired by the work of Fontana;
however, the comparison structure is not used to demonstrate
the Wave Organ’s lack of originality.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
16
Part A
Option B is correct
The speaker is most likely an adult returning to a place he visited in
his youth because the speaker uses past tense to convey the
memory of the experience: “Where a boy once found . . . The
cascading of Leaping Falls.” (lines 9 and 12).
Option A is incorrect
The speaker is most likely not a boy exploring a new environment,
because the memory is conveyed in past tense: “And so it was I
sheered . . . Where a boy once found . . . ” (lines 1 and 9).
Option C is incorrect
Because the speaker refers to the journey as “The forgotten
journey of a child,” the speaker is most likely not a pioneer
discovering an unknown land (line 4).
Option D is incorrect
Although the speaker conveys details about moving through
wilderness, those details are not used to support the idea that the
speaker is a hunter pursuing an animal.
Part B
Option B is correct
The speaker uses the phrase “The forgotten journey of a child,”
(line 4) to imply that he had “forgotten” events from his childhood,
indicating that he is now an adult. The speaker uses the phrase
“The forgotten journey of a child” (line 4) to imply that he had
“forgotten” events from his childhood, indicating that he is now an
adult.
Option A is incorrect
“Eccentric, into outer space,” (line 2) is not used to give clear
indication of who the speaker is.
Option C is incorrect
“Up the deer-trail,” (line 6) might be used to show that the speaker
knows the trail well enough to call it by name, but the speaker does
not use the phrase to suggest he remembers it from his childhood.
Option D is incorrect
The speaker’s use of the phrase “Without motion or sound,” (line
14) does not convey information about the speaker. It describes
how “the falls lay draped” (line 13).
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
17
Option A is correct
The poet includes the word “Whereupon” in stanza 4 to close the
stanza with an incomplete idea that leads into stanza 5. What
happens next is not revealed until after the stanza break, which
creates a sense of suspense (lines 24 and 25).
Option B is incorrect
The speaker does not reveal the “bleak word” in stanza 4, nor does
the reader know the speaker’s intention with this word. Therefore,
the line break is not used to convey a sense of doubt so much as
wonder what will happen next.
Option C is incorrect
The speaker discovers a frozen waterfall and speaks a single word,
but nothing about the events through the end of stanza 4 seems to
indicate a story that might not be true. Beginning in stanza 5, the
waterfall thaws as if the word had some power. The timing of this
thaw could cause the reader to question the truth of the story after
the break, but not before.
Option D is incorrect
The speaker describes a waterfall that was vibrant in childhood but
is now frozen using vivid language. Although the speaker utters a
“bleak word,” the speaker’s description does not evoke sympathy,
but a sense of wonder about what will happen next.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
18
Option A is correct
The imagery “A twigfire of icicles burned pale blue” (line 36) is used
in the poem to suggest that the falling icicles appear to move as
dramatically as fire. The poet uses the combination of fire and ice
to create a tone of wonder and awe.
Option B is incorrect
Hopelessness and despair could be indicated by the image of a fire,
but in the context of this poem, the comparison of icicles to a fire
burning so hot that it is blue suggests something extraordinary.
Option C is incorrect
The speaker has braved the cold in a very determined way to find
the waterfall. In lines 35–36, however, the speaker is describing the
icy falls, so the tone is not courageous or determined but a sense of
amazement.
Option D is incorrect
The poet includes the idea of burning “pale blue” icicles (line 36) to
suggest that the icicles have reached some type of extreme, as a
fire does when it is blue, but there is no evidence to suggest that
the speaker is angry or resentful and the lines are not used to refer
to the speaker, but to the frozen waterfall.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
19
Option B is correct
The speaker of the poem is alone when observing the falls, but the
author of the article does not include information that supports the
idea that encountering wonders in nature is a private and individual
experience. In paragraphs 2 and 17 of the article, the Wave Organ is
encountered by the public and provides the occasion for people to
observe a natural wonder.
Option A is incorrect
The idea that artistic experiences can be found in natural
environments is supported by the author’s description in the article
because the sounds of both the Wave Organ and “Kirribilli Wharf”
are created by the ocean (paragraphs 1 and 6).
Option C is incorrect
Although the author of the article describes the hard work and
dedication of two artists, that does not mean that all artistic
projects require hard work and dedication to complete (paragraphs
3 and 15). Additionally, this idea is not emphasized in the poem.
Option D is incorrect
Although the speaker of the poem and the author of the article
express insights about the natural world, neither suggests that
sharing insight about the natural world is a responsibility.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
20
Option A is correct
The theme is shown in the article through the author’s description
of the Wave Organ as a “wave-activated acoustic sculpture.” The
theme is shown in the poem through the description of the icicles
falling: “A topmost icicle came loose/And fell . . ./With a bell-like
sound” (lines 25–27).
Option C is correct
The closing sentence “Both works bridge the gap between art and
nature . . . to divulge the music of the sea,” is the theme (paragraph
18). The speaker of the poem describes how icicles falling from the
frozen falls is “Like an outbreak of bells/That rings and ceases,”
suggesting that the falling icicles create a sound that is like music
(lines 31–32).
Option B is incorrect
In the article, artist Peter Richards describes the Wave Organ
sculpture as “romantic” (paragraph 3), but the poet does not
include information about sculpture.
Option D is incorrect
Although the poet and the author of the article convey experiences
that require natural resources, neither includes information that
supports the theme that people need to be careful about how they
treat natural resources.
Option E is incorrect
Lines of the poem such as “A heap of broken icicles/Lay dead blue
on the snow” (lines 17–18) are used to suggest that winter is a
harsh season, but neither the poet nor the author of the article
include information to support the theme that winter is necessary
for preserving natural balance.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
21
Option A is correct
In the paragraph from the article, “Fontana recorded ‘Kirribilli
Wharf’ ” and later “recalled how he did it.” The rhythm of the lines
from the poem are used to recreate the natural sound of the icicles
falling by flowing each line into the next with rhythm reflective of
that falling. The speaker’s language choices add to that rhythm, as
in lines 28-30, “the falls / Leapt at their ledges, ringing / Down the
rocks and on each other.”
Option B is incorrect
The author of the article compares the sound of the waves to the
sound of “a hand tapping an African drum” (paragraph 6), but the
speaker of the poem does not compare the sound of falling icicles
to speech.
Option C is incorrect
Paragraph 6 of the article does not include a description of the
silence before a sound was created, and the lines from the poem
include a description of a sound “That rings and ceases,” not
continuous sounds (line 32).
Option D is incorrect
The author of the article describes the waves as “gently lapping,”
which does not support the idea that the sound is clamorous
(paragraph 6). The speaker of the poem describes the sound of the
icicles as “an outbreak of bells,” which does not support the idea
that the sound is passive or gentle (line 31).
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
22
Option D is correct
The author of the article describes how two artists found
meaningful experiences in nature that they used to inform and
create art. The speaker of the poem describes the “journey” of a
man who discovers the frozen falls and witnesses a dramatic scene
of icicles falling (lines 4 and 22).
Option A is incorrect
The author of the article would likely believe the opposite of this
statement, because the author features an artificial structure in a
natural environment. The poet of “Leaping Falls” does not include
information on artificial structures.
Option B is incorrect
The author of the article would not agree with this statement
because the natural world inspired “Kirribilli Wharf.” The poet
would not agree because the poem is an artistic creation, and the
subject of the poem is a frozen waterfall.
Option C is incorrect
Although both the author of the article and the poet of “Leaping
Falls” describe natural environments, neither indicates that people
are doing an admirable job of protecting it.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
23
Option D is correct
In this quotation, the phrase “her mind worked better” can be used
to support the idea that Thea’s room serves as a place for reflection
(paragraph 5).
Option A is incorrect
The phrase “was snugly lined with soft pine” is used to suggest that
the room was comfortable, but the author does not use the
quotation to indicate that the room serves as a place of reflection
(paragraph 2).
Option B is incorrect
Although the reader can infer from this quotation that Thea reads
in her room, the quotation does not include information to support
the idea that the room serves as a place of reflection.
Option C is incorrect
This quotation is used to refer to Thea’s positive feelings about
“[t]he acquisition” of her room being one of the most important
things that happened to her (paragraph 5); however, the author
does not use the quotation to show that the room serves as a place
of reflection.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
24
Option A is correct
In paragraph 3, the author includes the detail about leaving the
window open to show that Thea will endure the cold to protect her
singing voice: “Thea asked Dr. Archie about the window, and he
told her that a girl who sang must always have plenty of fresh air, or
her voice would get husky . . .”
Option B is incorrect
Although Thea leaves the window open “against her mother’s
advice,” Thea is following the advice of Dr. Archie, which does not
support the idea that Thea resists authority (paragraph 3).
Option C is incorrect
Although Thea’s mother advises that the window be kept closed,
there is no evidence that Thea believes her family is overprotective.
Option D is incorrect
Thea’s decision to leave the window open follows the
recommendation of Dr. Archie but does not follow the advice of her
mother or Tillie.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
25
Option B is correct
The “good joke” the boys play on Thea shows that the boys enjoy
playing pranks. Based on the quotation, the reader can best infer
that the boys are mischievous (paragraph 3).
Option A is incorrect
The quotation does not include information suggesting that the
boys are ambitious. In fact, the author uses the quotation to
suggest the opposite because the boys “would never heat bricks for
themselves” (paragraph 3).
Option C is incorrect
Although jealousy can motivate pranks, the quotation includes no
information from which readers can infer that the boys are jealous.
Option D is incorrect
The boys believe that taking the brick from Thea is “a good joke.”
Even though they are unfair to Thea, they do not necessarily intend
to be malicious (paragraph 3).
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
26
Part A
Option C is correct
The author reveals, through the description in paragraph 6, that
Thea was busy “during the day” as “one of the Kronborg children.”
Thea found time to be alone at night when “she had no clock, and
there was no one there to nag her.”
Option A is incorrect
Although the author writes in paragraph 6 “when the hours were
full of tasks, she was one of the Kronborg children,” the author
does not indicate that childhood is what Thea desires to escape.
Thea wants to be alone with “no one to nag her.”
Option B is incorrect
Thea lives a “double life” because during the day she is busy and
among the other “Kronborg children.” At night she is alone with
“no clock” instead of “hours . . . full of tasks.” She wishes to
separate aspects of her life, not mislead anyone.
Option D is incorrect
The reader can infer from the description in paragraph 6 that Thea
is nagged during the day. While being nagged can feel demanding,
Thea does not seem to ignore demands or think that the demands
on her are unreasonable.
Part B
Option D is correct
A theme about the need to find time to be alone is best supported
by the quote “no one to nag her” because the author uses that
phrase to suggest that Thea feels she is constantly being bothered
when she is not alone.
Option A is incorrect
Although one aspect of the “double life” Thea “began to live” is
spent alone, the quotation “to live a double life” is not always used
to describe a need to find time to be alone.
Option B is incorrect
The author does not use the quotation that Thea’s day is “full of
tasks” to suggest that Thea needs to find time to be alone. Thea
needs to find time to be alone to avoid being nagged.
Option C is incorrect
The quotation “a different person” is used to show how Thea feels
when she is in her room at night but does not necessarily
demonstrate that she needs to find time to be alone.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
27
Option A is correct
The idea of Thea “receiving an isolated room” in her house is critical
to understanding the plot of the story. In paragraph 5 the author
reveals that receiving the room “was one of the most important
things that ever happened to” Thea.
Option B is incorrect
“Tillie helps Thea paper the room” is too minor of a detail for the
overall summary.
Option C is incorrect
The summary paragraph already includes the information that
Thea’s family helps her “furnish” the room. The detail describing
the “dresser with a broken mirror” is too specific to include in the
summary.
Option D is incorrect
The detail that “Dr. Archie tells Thea that a singer needs to get
plenty of fresh air” is important to understanding why Thea leaves
her window open but is not necessary to understanding the plot. It
does not need to be included in the summary.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
28
Option D is correct
The author’s use of the figurative language “she glowed like a little
stove with the warmth of her own blood” suggests that Thea
provides her own warmth to make the best she can of an
uncomfortable situation.
Option A is incorrect
Thea does not deny the consequences of her decision to keep her
window open. In fact, she acknowledges that “her breath
sometimes froze.”
Option B is incorrect
The author uses figurative language in “she glowed like a little
stove” to describe how Thea feels, not to describe what Thea is
imagining.
Option C is incorrect
Although the reader can infer from “her breath sometimes froze on
the coverlid” that Thea’s surroundings are inhospitable, this phrase
is literal, not figurative, and the author includes no details in the
quotation to suggest that Thea is disturbed by her surroundings.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
29
Option B is correct
In paragraph 5, the room Thea obtains is described as “one of the
most important things that ever happened to her” because it
created “the beginning of a new era” where “[s]he thought things
out more clearly” and “she had certain thoughts which were like
companions.” Thea uses the room as a refuge for reflection.
Option A is incorrect
The nineteenth-century household items described in paragraph 2
merely contribute to establishing the time period and are not
included to provide information about Thea as an artist.
Option C is incorrect
The frequent interactions with family members are described by
the author as “clamor”; away from interactions with family, Thea’s
“mind worked better” (paragraph 5).
Option D is incorrect
In paragraph 1, the town is described using visual details as a
“desert [that] glistened with light,” and “sand hills . . . [that] went
through magical changes of color,” but these details are not used to
portray anything about Thea.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
30
For ECR items, please refer to the scoring guide.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
31
Option A is correct
Replacing “it” with “a strange smell” clearly describes and adds
clarification to the encountered problem Sophia comes across, “A
bit of gray smoke was seeping out of the edges of the oven. . . .”
Option B is incorrect
The reader can infer that Sophia has encountered “a problem,” but
Mariko needs to clarify what the specific problem is.
Option C is incorrect
“Something else” does not correct the clarity error, because the
phrase is not specific.
Option D is incorrect
Mariko begins the sentence with a description of the smoke
“seeping out” of the oven, so using the conjunction “while” to add
a second description of the same smoke as “lurking in the air” does
not make sense.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
32
Option D is correct
The dependent clause that starts with the subordinating
conjunction “While” is followed by a comma and correctly placed to
modify “she.” The meaning of the sentence is clear.
Option A is incorrect
A reader can correctly interpret the action described in this
sentence, but the placement of “it” could refer to the “pile of
chocolate chips” in the previous sentence, which is not ideal.
Option B is incorrect
The participial phrase “looking perfect” creates a clarity error. It is
not clear if the phrase modifies “she” or “dough.”
Option C is incorrect
Although there are technically no errors in this sentence, it is not
concise. It unnecessarily repeats the word “dough.”
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
33
For SCR Items, please refer to the scoring guide.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
34
Option B is correct
The addition of the infinitive verb “see” provides clarity and places
equal emphasis on the idea “to just open the windows.”
Option A is incorrect
Although Sophia is opening the windows for the purpose of seeing
if that will fix the problem, “seeing” is the incorrect form of the
verb in this sentence.
Option C is incorrect
This sentence does not contain an error, but it changes the
meaning of the original sentence. “That problem” is not the
intended subject of the verb “would open.”
Option D is incorrect
The second clause of sentence 20 is missing a verb.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
35
Option D is correct
“Cluttered” means that many objects are scattered in a disorderly
way. Using the word “cluttered” is more effective and descriptive
than using “wrecked” to convey the way the counter looks.
Option A is incorrect
Although “tangled” is usually a negative description of how things
interact, it would indicate that the items on counter have become
knotted or confused, which is not the case.
Option B is incorrect
Because “woven” implies that things have been combined, it is not
a logical word to use in this context.
Option C is incorrect
Although “confused” is a negative description, the counter is not
literally or figuratively confused as described in the sentence. The
counter is just filled with too many items.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
36
Option C is correct
The word “apparently” is the most effective transition to use in this
sentence because it signals an explanation of the discovery Sophia
makes in the preceding sentence: “That must have been what
happened!”
Option A is incorrect
Although the mistake described in the passage is an accident,
“accidentally” does not logically connect the information in
sentences 25 and 26.
Option B is incorrect
In sentence 26, Mariko does not provide an example of anything;
she elaborates on the discovery Sophia makes in sentence 25.
Therefore, “for example” is not an effective transitional phrase in
this sentence.
Option D is incorrect
“In the meantime” could introduce a description of how Sophia’s
cookies baked improperly after she got distracted, but in sentence
26, Mariko does not specifically describe Sophia’s cookies. She
refers to all cookies.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
37
Option A is correct
This sentence best accomplishes the goal of strengthening the
thesis because it replaces the “choices of activities” Raul refers to in
sentence 5 with examples of the “extraordinary” experiences Big
Bend has to offer.
Option B is incorrect
“Wide variety of activities” expresses the thesis of the essay, but
the purpose of the essay is not to convince the reader that at least
one activity would be appealing, which is suggested in the rest of
this sentence.
Option C is incorrect
Although this option contains description of activities offered at Big
Bend, it is too specific. The thesis should be more general in order
to incorporate all the activities mentioned in the essay.
Option D is incorrect
This idea expresses the thesis of the essay, but the revised sentence
is not effective because it contains a pronoun-antecedent
agreement error and adds an unnecessary comma before the
prepositional phrase “to observing wildlife or different landscapes.”
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
38
Option B is correct
Adding this sentence, with the statistical evidence that that Big
Bend contains “[n]early a quarter of the animal species native to
North America,” best supports the claim in sentence 8 and the topic
sentence.
Option A is incorrect
This option contains a description of specific qualities of the wildlife
in Big Bend. However, it does not support the idea that the wildlife
is diverse in general. In addition, fish are discussed in sentence 7,
not 8. It is illogical to add additional information about fish
following sentence 8.
Option C is incorrect
Although sentence 9 includes a detail on endangered species, this
option does not support the main idea of the paragraph.
Option D is incorrect
Although this information is about diverse wildlife, it is about
wildlife in tropical rain forests. The author is not trying to compare
Big Bend with a tropical rain forest in this paragraph.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
39
Option D is correct
This transition sentence best connects the third and fourth
paragraphs because the phrase “cooler water” relates by contrast
to the closure of the fourth paragraph, which discusses warm
water, and “rent a raft” introduces the topic of the fourth
paragraph: paddling.
Option A is incorrect
In this sentence, the second person “you” is used to directly
address the reader, which is inconsistent with the tone of the essay
and does not provide an effective transition, or connection,
between the paragraphs.
Option B is incorrect
Although it is reasonable to say that the activities the third and
fourth paragraphs describe can be “fun and exciting,” these opinion
words are not consistent with the informative tone and purpose of
the essay. As used in the fourth paragraph, the words “rafting and
paddling” are redundant.
Option C is incorrect
This sentence is not concise and does not effectively connect the
third and fourth paragraphs because it introduces the idea that
rivers create canyons.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
40
Option B is correct
The new sentence contains additional evidence that explains the
“signs of the park’s early indigenous inhabitants” (sentence 27).
The “chipped stone tools” are signs, and “dating back over 12,000
years” specifies the time period the author means with the word
“early.”
Option A is incorrect
Whereas sentence 26 features the mention of “many historic sites,”
the new sentence is about “the site,” singular, so adding the new
sentence here would create confusion.
Option C is incorrect
Adding the new sentence here would create an error in logic
because the site in sentence 28 is “from the early 1900s” and the
site in the new sentence “features a quarry dating back over
12,000 years.”
Option D is incorrect
In sentence 29, Raul describes a site “established in the early
twentieth century.” The new sentence refers to a site “dating back
over 12,000 years.”
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
41
Option A is correct
In this sentence, the information is reorganized in a concise and
logical way and the conjunction “when” replaces the confusing use
of the pronoun “which.”
Option B is incorrect
This option includes a misplaced modifier, “only,” which incorrectly
emphasizes the word “visited” instead of the correct focus of the
sentence, the total number of people.
Option C is incorrect
This option contains redundancy. “That year” and “in 1944” repeat
the time frame.
Option D is incorrect
The addition of the phrases “was the number” and “when it was
opened” introduces redundancies and makes this sentence the
least concise option.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
42
Option D is correct
Changing “unforgettible” to “unforgettable” corrects the spelling
error.
Option A is incorrect
The comma after “skies” is a serial comma, which is used to
separate three or more elements in a list. Deleting the comma
would create an error.
Option B is incorrect
Changing “are” to “is” creates a subject-verb agreement error.
Option C is incorrect
Changing “geology” to “Geology” creates a capitalization error
because “geology” is not a proper noun.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
43
Option C is correct
Changing “will head” to “headed” corrects the verb-tense error.
Option A is incorrect
Deleting the comma after the introductory phrase “Leaving El Paso
behind” creates a punctuation error.
Option B is incorrect
Changing “me” to “I” creates an object pronoun error.
Option D is incorrect
Changing “east” to “East” creates a capitalization error because
“east” is being used as an adverb in a general sense here and not as
a proper noun.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
44
Option A is correct
The addition of the conjunction “and” and the period corrects the
two comma splices in sentence 7 in which a comma was used
between clauses that are not connected by a conjunction.
Option B is incorrect
The first comma splice after “stopped” is not correct. The second
comma splice after “up” could be corrected using either the
conjunction “but” or a semicolon but not both together.
Option C is incorrect
The first comma splice after “stopped” is fixed correctly. The
second comma splice after “up” could be corrected using either a
conjunction or a semicolon but not both together. Also, the
conjunction “yet” is illogical.
Option D is incorrect
This option includes two comma splices and is missing a comma
before “and.”
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
45
Option D is correct
An apostrophe is needed to form the possessive “park’s,” which is
required to indicate that the visitor center is part of the park.
Option A is incorrect
Changing the form of the verb to “wear” creates a verb-form error.
Option B is incorrect
Changing “smothered” to “smuthered” creates a spelling error.
Option C is incorrect
Removing the comma after the introductory participial phrase
“smothered in sunscreen” creates an error because a comma is
required to separate that phrase from the independent clause “we
walked over to the park’s visitor center” which follows.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
46
Option C is correct
The colon after the words “composed of” should be deleted
because it incorrectly separates the indirect object “fossilized
sponges, algae, and shells” from the verb “composed.”
Option A is incorrect
Inserting a comma after the noun “guidebook” creates a
punctuation error.
Option B is incorrect
Changing “informed” to “informing” creates a verb-form error.
Option D is incorrect
In a series with other plural nouns (“fossilized sponges” and
“algae”), “shells” should also be a plural noun.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
47
Option A is correct
Because the pronoun should refer back to the singular “seafloor” in
sentence 18, it should also be singular. Changing “them” to “it”
corrects this agreement error.
Option B is incorrect
The pair of commas after “them” and “canyon” work together to
set off the nonrestrictive participial phrase “towering majestically
over the canyon.” Deleting one of the commas in the pair creates a
punctuation error.
Option C is incorrect
This change creates a capitalization error because “Capitan Reef” is
a proper noun.
Option D is incorrect
Changing “stand” to “have stood” creates a verb-tense error.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
48
Option A is correct
Changing “this person” to “who” corrects the run-on sentence.
Option B is incorrect
Changing “this person” to “Who” and inserting the period after
“individual” makes the second clause a sentence fragment.
Option C is incorrect
The second sentence of this option is a sentence fragment.
Option D is incorrect
This option is a run-on sentence.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
49
Option B is correct
Changing the comma after “rodents” to a semicolon corrects the
run-on sentence that was created by the incorrect use of
punctuation.
Option A is incorrect
Changing “has owned” to “had owned” creates a verb-tense error
because the tense is inconsistent with the tense of sentence 5.
Option C is incorrect
Changing the first-person singular pronoun “I” to the third-person
pronoun “they” results in an error because Ruby is referring to
herself as the subject of the second clause.
Option D is incorrect
This change creates a capitalization error because “caretaker” is not
a proper noun.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
50
Option B is correct
Changing “are” to “is” corrects the subject-verb agreement error
because “Happy Paws Pet Store and Grooming” is singular.
Option A is incorrect
This change creates a fragment because it removes the subject “I”
from the sentence.
Option C is incorrect
Changing “passionate” to “passionite” creates a spelling error.
Option D is incorrect
This change creates a prepositional error; the word “for” is less
precise and introduces confusion.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
51
Option A is correct
Changing “their” to “your” in sentence 17 corrects the pronoun-
antecedent error. “Their” refers to customers, and “your” refers to
the staff of “Happy Paws Pet Store and Grooming.”
Option B is incorrect
This change creates a spelling error; “commercials” was already
correctly spelled.
Option C is incorrect
Changing “highlight” to “highlights” creates a subject-verb
agreement error because plural “highlight” should agree with plural
“commercials.”
Option D is incorrect
Inserting a comma after “relationships” creates a punctuation
error.
2023 STAAR Grade 10 Reading Rationales
Item #
Rationale
52
Option D is correct
Changing “Humane Society” to “humane society” corrects the
capitalization error because “local humane society” is a common
noun.
Option A is incorrect
Changing the transition “Furthermore” to “Therefore” creates a
logical error because the relationship between sentences 21 and 22
is one of addition, not cause and effect.
Option B is incorrect
Changing “secretary” to “secretery” creates a spelling error.
Option C is incorrect
This change creates a verb-tense error because the past-tense
“volunteered” is inconsistent with the present-tense “serve.”