Every culture has traditions of decorating the human body in ways that are considered attractive. However, the traditions are not always understood outside of the culture. Read this article about the meaning of the decorations worn by women in India. Then answer the questions. Some questions may ask you about certain paragraphs. The numbers are found on the left side of the paragraphs. Bindi! by Milan Sandhu 1 Why don t you have a jewel carved in your forehead? 2 The little girl who asked me that was hardly six, and she knew I was from India. I was six, too, beginning first grade, and it was years before trendy tattoos became popular. I stared at the girl a moment, trying to determine whether she was serious or not. She was! A jewel carved in my head was, first of all, likely to hurt, and second, it didn t sound very attractive. Ouch! was my reaction. 3 For many mornings, I had seen my mother apply her bindi. 1 She had her own style, using the round end of a lipstick cap. She would first dip the cap in petroleum jelly and then dip it in red powder. Finally, she carefully pressed the cap between her eyes, leaving a red powder dot on her forehead. I thought she was the most beautiful woman I d ever seen, and I couldn t wait to do the same thing. Sometimes, to make me happy, she d use an eyeliner stick to apply a tiny black dot on my forehead. I d skip away satisfied, waiting patiently until I could wear a big red one. 4 Hindus have adorned their bodies with bindis for thousands of years. Not that long ago, a bindi, which is also known as a tilak, was nothing more than ground vermilion powder applied to the forehead. It was a sign that a woman was married like wearing a wedding ring. Vermilion powder was made from a mix of mercury and sulfur, a combination thought to have a cooling effect very helpful in a warm country like India. In fact, men often wore tilaks made from sandalwood paste, also to make them feel cool. 5 Some people think that the tradition of wearing bindis began with the ancient ritual of the bridegroom applying his blood to his wife s forehead during the wedding ceremony. Others believed that the area between the eyebrows is the spot where there is a third eye a point of hidden energy and wisdom. Wearing a bindi on this spot helps focus concentration and brings happiness and good fortune. 1 bindi The word bindi comes from the Sanskrit word bindu, which means a drop or a point.
6 No matter what its origins were, a bindi was always worn with pride, and served as a gentle reminder to others to respect a married woman. Red, the color of life-giving blood and an important color in the Hindu religion, was always used for bindis. 7 In the early twentieth century, bindis became more of a fashion statement. Instead of wearing only round red bindis, married and unmarried women in India started wearing bindis of different sizes and shapes on their foreheads. Today, women wear fashion stickers decorated with beads, crystals, sequins, or glitter on their foreheads to match what they are wearing. 8 Even though the jewel in the forehead isn t far from the truth, I still don t have one carved into my head, and nobody I know does either. But I do wear stickers from time to time. I look in the mirror and smile as I think about my beautiful mother and the days she painted a black dot on my forehead. 7611 Bindi! by Milan Sandhu. Copyright 2005 by Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio.
1. Read this sentence from paragraph 1. Why don t you have a jewel carved in your forehead? 161326-7611 Why does the little girl most likely ask this question? A. She wants a jewel carved in her forehead. B. She wants the narrator to talk to her. C. She is hardly six years old, beginning first grade. D. She is curious about the traditions of Indian women.
1. Why does the author want a bindi when she is a little girl? 161327-7611 A. She is impatient to grow up. B. She wants what other little girls have. C. She wants a style of her own. D. She wants to be like her mother.
1. What is another name for bindi? A. Fashion sticker B. Third eye C. Tilak D. Powder 161323-7611
1. Read this sentence from Bindi! Today, women wear fashion stickers decorated with beads, crystals, sequins, or glitter on their foreheads to match what they are wearing. 161322-7611 Which of the following statements best paraphrases the sentence? A. These days, women wear sparkling stickers on their foreheads, choosing one that goes with their clothing. B. The new fashion is to wear stickers, beads, crystals, sequins or glitter on foreheads and clothing. C. Now, all women wear a decorated fashion sticker that matches their clothing. D. Stickers decorated with beads, crystals, sequins, or glitter match today s clothing.
1. How does the author introduce the topic of bindis? 161331-7611 A. She provides a definition of bindi. B. She recalls a memory about bindis. C. She explains the meaning of bindis. D. She shares the history of bindis.
1. Read this sentence from paragraph 4. Hindus have adorned their bodies with bindis for thousands of years. 161336-7611 Based on its use, adorned most likely shares its root word with A. around, rotundus, meaning round. B. ornament, ornare, meaning to furnish. C. orange, orenge, meaning the color orange. D. adore, orare, meaning to pray or worship.
1. To what does the author compare a bindi? 161325-7611 A. A tradition B. A wedding ring C. Eyeliner and makeup D. Mercury and sulfur
1. Which meaning of match is used in paragraph 7? 161330-7611 A. Be similar in color B. To make equal C. Compete against D. Join in marriage
1. Read this sentence from paragraph 4. Not that long ago, a bindi, which is also known as a tilak, was nothing more than ground vermilion powder applied to the forehead. 161321-7611 Vermilion comes to us from the Latin word vermis, meaning worm. Based on the article, what characteristic of a worm most likely led to the name vermilion? A. Its shape B. Its home C. Its color D. Its movement
1. Why does the author now wear fashion stickers? 161328-7611 A. Wearing stickers brings back warm memories. B. Vermilion powder is no longer available. C. All Indian women now wear fashion stickers. D. Wearing fashion stickers makes her feel wealthy.
1. What does adorned mean in paragraph 4? 161335-7611 A. Loved B. Encircled C. Criticized D. Decorated
1. What does origins mean in paragraph 6? 161320-7611 A. Ceremonies B. Elements C. Beginnings D. Locations
1. Which sentence expresses an opinion? 161324-7611 A. The little girl who asked me that was hardly six, and she knew I was from India. B. I thought she was the most beautiful woman I d ever seen, and I couldn t wait to do the same thing. C. Hindus have adorned their bodies with bindis for thousands of years. D. I was six, too, beginning first grade, and it was years before trendy tattoos became popular.
1. In paragraphs 3 and 8, the author recalls her mother and her childhood days. Which of these words best describes the tone of these paragraphs? 161329-7611 A. Puzzled B. Regretful C. Humorous D. Affectionate
Please write your response in the space below. 1. The author of Bindi! tells us that Hindus have adorned their bodies with bindis for thousands of years. Based on the article, why have bindis remained popular over time? Use details from the article to support your answer. 161333-7611
MCA-II Item Sampler Answer Key Grade 6 Reading Item # Correct Answer Item Type Strand Sub- Strand Benchmark Cognitive Level 161326-7611 D MC I D 3 B 161327-7611 D MC I D 3 B 161323-7611 C MC I C 3 A 161322-7611 A MC I C 1 B 161331-7611 B MC I C 13 B 161336-7611 B MC I B 4 B 161325-7611 B MC I C 12 B 161330-7611 A MC I D 5 B 161321-7611 C MC I B 4 B 161328-7611 A MC I D 3 B 161335-7611 D MC I B 2 A 161320-7611 C MC I B 2 B 161324-7611 B MC I C 7 B 161329-7611 D MC I D 3 B 161333-7611 See Annotation CR I D 8 C
MCA-II Item Sampler Rubric, Sample Responses and Answer Annotations Grade 6 Reading Rubric: Score Description 4 The response offers several reasons why bindis have remained popular over time and uses relevant detail from the article to describe and/or explain each reason. OR The response offers 1 reason why bindis have remained popular over time and uses multiple, relevant details from the article to describe and/or explain that reason. 3 The response offers several reasons why bindis have remained popular over time but uses less-elaborated detail from the article to describe an/or explain each reason. OR The response offers a couple of reasons why bindis have remained popular over time and uses relevant detail from the article to describe and/or explain each reason. OR The response offers 1 reason why bindis have remained popular over time but uses fewer relevant details from the article to describe and/or explain that reason than would be found in a 4-point response. 2 The response offers several reasons why bindis have remained popular over time but uses minimal or no detail from the article to describe and/or explain each reason. OR The response offers a couple of reasons that bindis have remained popular over time but uses less-elaborated or no detail from the article to describe and/or explain each reason. OR The response offers 1 reason why bindis have remained popular over time but uses only a single relevant detail from the article to describe and/or explain that reason. OR The response offers relevant details from the article could be used as reasons why bindis have remained popular over time but does not state that they are reasons. 1 The response offers 1 reason why bindis have remained popular over time but does not use detail from the article to describe and/or explain the reason.
OR The response offers a single relevant detail that could be used as a reason why bindis have remained popular over time but does not state that it is a reason. 0 Response is incorrect or irrelevant. Sample Response: I can think of four reasons. One is that they re a tradition, and traditions don t change very quickly. Two is that bindis stood for the respect married women deserved, and that would not change over time. Three is that the bindis were thought to have kept people cool on hot days, and people probably always wanted that. Four is that some people think they give them special power and people always want that.
Score Point: 4 The response offers several reasons why bindis have remained popular over time ( a religious tradition..others believed they find them attractive) and uses relevant detail from the article to describe and/or explain each reason ( apply to their bodies as a sign of marriage area between the eyebrows is a third eye narrator thought it made her mother the most beautiful woman couldn t wait to wear one).
Score Point: 4 The response offers 1 reason why bindis have remained popular over time ( they became more fashionable) and uses multiple, relevant details from the article to describe and/or explain that reason ( married or unmarried woman in India started to wear different shapes and sizes on their foreheads wear fashion stickers decorated with beads, crystals, sequins, or glitter to match what they are wearing).
Score Point: 3 The response offers a couple of reasons why bindis have remained popular over time ( used bindis for a long time you wore bindis between your eyebrows) and uses relevant detail from the article to describe and/or explain each reason ( where them for wedding and ceremonys...mean that you are married old religion ment you had hidden energy, wisdom, brings happiness, and good fortune).
Score Point: 3 The response offers a couple of reasons why bindis have remained popular over time ( stayed in fashion it s a tradition ) and uses relevant detail from the article to describe and/or explain each reason ( other shapes and sizes and colors that match their outfits when you are a married woman means to show respect ).
Score Point: 2 The response offers several reasons why bindis have remained popular over time ( fashion tradition marriage ) but uses minimal or no detail from the article to describe and/or explain each reason. ( girl said that her mom was very beautiful).
Score Point: 2 The response offers a couple of reasons that bindis have remained popular over time ( they are married like a third eye.) but uses less-elaborated or no detail from the article to describe and/or explain each reason ( between their eyes ).
Score Point: 1 The response offers 1 reason why bindis have remained popular over time ( probably like wearing a tattoo) but does not use detail from the article to describe and/or explain the reason.
Score Point: 1 The response offers 1 reason why bindis have remained popular over time ( the look cool to people. They cam to america and people liked them) but does not use detail from the article to describe and/or explain the reason
Score Point: 0 The response is incorrect (they had Jewls in the forhead ) or irrelevant.
Score Point: 0 The response is incorrect (They have Jewel craved in there heads.) or irrelevant.