Study Guide

Field 122: Russian 
Sample Selected-Response Questions

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Test Directions for the Selected-Response Questions

This section of the test is a reading section with selected-response questions, each of which has four answer choices. Read each question and answer choice carefully and choose the  start uppercase ONE end uppercase  best answer.

Try to answer all questions. In general, if you have some knowledge about a question, it is better to try to answer it. You will  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  be penalized for guessing.

Sample Selected-Response Questions

 start bold Read the passage below from a fairy tale by ???? ????? (Yuri Olesha); then answer the three questions that follow. end bold 

?????? ?????? ?????? ??? ??????. ???????, ?? ?????? ????? ??? ????. ?? ?????? ??????, ?????? ?? ???? ? ?????? ?????? ? ?????? ??????? ??????.

? ??? ???????? ????? ???: ? ???????, ? ??????, ? ????, ? ????????. ? ????????? ????????? ??? ???? ??????? ? ????? ????????:

??? ?????? ? ????? ?? ?????,
??? ??????? ???? ?? ?????,
??? ?? ????? ??????? ???,
????? ?????? ??? ??????.

??????? ?????, ? ????, ????? ???????? ????? ??????? ??????, ?????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??????????? ? ??????? ????????, ????? ??????? ????????? ???? ???? ? ?????.

?????? ?????? ??? ??????? ????????? ? ??????? ?????? ????? ? ?????. ?????? ?? ????, ?? ????????? ??? ??????? ??????, ??????? ???? ?????? ????, ???? ??????, ????? ?? ???????????, ? ?????? ????????? ?? ???????? ? ???????? ??????????????????.

?? ???? ??? ???? ??? ????????; ?????? ?????? ?? ? ??????, ??? ?????; ????? ???? ????? ???????, ??? ?? ??? ???? ?????????? ???????? ????????; ?????? ??????????, ???????? ?????, ?????? ??????? ??????????, ??? ????????? ??????? ??????.

– ??? ??? ??????, – ?????? ??????, – ?????? ???-???? ????? ????? ????, ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????????. ????? ????? ?????.

?????? ???????????? ?? ?????????, ????? ?? ????, ???????? ???? ??????, ????? ????????, […] ? ?????.

????? ?????????? ????? ???? ?? ??????? – ???, ??? ????????? ?????? […]. ?????? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ?????.

Competency 0003 
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of culturally authentic texts (e.g., e-mails, posters, Web sites, maps, graphs, periodicals, literature).

1. ??? ??? ???????? ?????? ???????

  1. ?? ????? ????.
  2. ?? ????? ? ??????.
  3. ?? ??? ?? ??????.
  4. ?? ??? ?????????.

Correct Response: A. At the beginning of the passage, Dr. Arneri is introduced as a scientist, someone who studied many sciences, and who is the most wise and learned person in the country: "?????? ?????? ?????? ??? ??????. ???????, ?? ?????? ????? ??? ????. ?? ?????? ??????, ?????? ?? ???? ? ?????? ?????? ? ?????? ??????? ??????."

Competency 0003 
Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of culturally authentic texts (e.g., e-mails, posters, Web sites, maps, graphs, periodicals, literature).

2. ????? ???? ??????, ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ?? ?????????

  1. ???? ????????, ? ??????? ?? ???? ????.
  2. ???? ??????? ? ?? ????? ????.
  3. ???? ???????, ? ??????? ?? ????? ????.
  4. ???? ???????? ? ???? ?????.

Correct Response: D. Toward the middle of the passage, the day is described as wonderful, sunny, with green grass, flying dandelions, birds whistling, and a gentle breeze blowing: "?? ???? ??? ???? ??? ????????; ?????? ?????? ?? ? ??????, ??? ?????; ????? ???? ????? ???????, ??? ?? ??? ???? ?????????? ???????? ????????; ?????? ??????????, ???????? ?????, ?????? ??????? ??????????, ??? ????????? ??????? ??????."

Competency 0004 
Infer meaning and analyze information from a variety of culturally authentic texts (e.g., e-mails, posters, Web sites, maps, graphs, periodicals, literature).

3. ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ?? ?????

  1. ?? ????? ?????? ????????.
  2. ?? ????? ?????????? ?? ????? ?????.
  3. ?? ????? ????????? ????????? ????.
  4. ?? ????? ????????? ????? ????.

Correct Response: C. The doctor goes out to collect herbs (and beetles): "??????? ?????, ? ????, ????? ???????? ????? ??????? ??????, ?????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??????????? ? ??????? ????????, ????? ??????? ????????? ???? ???? ? ?????."

Competency 0005 
Apply knowledge of the process of language acquisition and how it relates to the language learner in the classroom.

4. In their studies of second-language learners, Stephen Pit Corder and Larry Selinker used, respectively, the terms "idiosyncratic dialect" and "interlanguage" for:

  1. the addition of borrowed lexical items that occurs in multilingual communities and workplaces.
  2. an individual learner's systematic and evolving understanding of the target language.
  3. a set of strategies that native speakers develop for communication with nonnative speakers.
  4. the simplified form of the target language that teachers and students use in a classroom.

Correct Response: B. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Pit Corder worked with error analysis to develop hypotheses about second-language acquisition. He coined the term "idiosyncratic dialect" to represent a language learner's mastery of a new language at a given point in the language acquisition process: idiosyncratic in that it was unique to the individual learner and a dialect in that it possessed many characteristics of the target language. Selinker introduced the term "interlanguage" in a 1972 article, further developing Pit Corder's work on cognitive theory of language acquisition. Response B is an accurate summary of both concepts.

Competency 0005 
Apply knowledge of the process of language acquisition and how it relates to the language learner in the classroom.

5. At the beginning of the school year, a student who participated in a Russian immersion program in elementary school in another state joins a first-year Russian class at a new middle school. The new student speaks Russian comfortably but performs poorly on the first few written assignments and assessments. Which of the following strategies would best help the student succeed?

  1. presenting techniques to improve writing to the whole class and then following up individually with the student
  2. asking the student to model correct pronunciation for the rest of the class when new material is presented orally
  3. recommending that the student move into a first-year class in a different language
  4. requesting that the student be evaluated for learning differences as soon as possible

Correct Response: A. Response A describes the best approach because it applies understanding of patterns of language acquisition and the role of affective factors in language learning. Since the student's prior experience in Russian was at an elementary-school-age level of cognitive development, it is to be expected that the student has a stronger mastery of spoken Russian. This disparity is not evidence of a learning difference or of an inability to build on prior knowledge of Russian. The teacher should work with the whole class on writing at the level expected in the course and follow up with students who need extra help in order to meet expectations in any case.

Competency 0006 
Select and apply teaching and assessment strategies that provide students with opportunities to communicate in the target language in meaningful and authentic ways and that promote students' ability to make connections and comparisons and to participate in community life.

6. The teacher of an intermediate-mid-level Russian class at the high school level wants to help students learn to negotiate meaning in authentic situations. Which of the following activities would best allow the teacher to promote the development of this aspect of communication?

  1. having students write and perform role-playing skits in which they play tourists asking for directions
  2. leading a "20 Questions" type activity in which students must ask questions and guess the identity of a fellow classmate
  3. having students take turns interviewing their classmates about weekend plans and favorite activities
  4. leading an in-class discussion about common questions that are used to get information or clarify meaning

Correct Response: C. In the process of talking with each other about their weekend plans and favorite activities, students must not only communicate information to their classmates but also use questioning and clarification strategies in order to get information from their classmates. In this situation, they are using their communicative skills to negotiate meaning with one another in a situation that resembles one they might encounter outside of the classroom.