Citing Textual Evidence Worksheet
A Grade 9 ELA worksheet focusing on citing textual evidence, including a reading passage and various question types.
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Standards
Citing Textual Evidence
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Read the passage below carefully. Then, answer the questions that follow, making sure to cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support your answers.
The old house stood on a hill overlooking the town, its windows like vacant eyes staring out at the world. Local legend claimed it was haunted, a place where shadows danced in empty rooms and whispers echoed from unseen mouths. Children dared each other to approach its crumbling gates, but none ever ventured beyond the overgrown path. Inside, dust motes danced in the sparse sunlight that pierced the grimy panes, illuminating forgotten furniture draped in white sheets, like ghosts awaiting their resurrection. A grand piano, silent for decades, sat in the parlor, its keys yellowed and chipped, a testament to a time when music filled these halls. The air hung heavy with the scent of decay and memory, a palpable presence that seemed to cling to every surface.
1. What imagery does the author use to suggest the house is abandoned or neglected?
The grand piano and its music.
The children daring each other to approach.
Windows like vacant eyes, crumbling gates, and grimy panes.
Shadows dancing in empty rooms.
2. The passage suggests the house is considered by the local community, as evidenced by the phrase " ."
3. What specific details from the passage contribute to the eerie or mysterious atmosphere of the house? Cite at least two pieces of evidence.
4. The grand piano in the parlor is still in playable condition.
True
False
5. Analyze how the author uses personification to describe the house and its features. Provide at least two examples from the text and explain their effect on the reader.