Answering OSSLT 2014

What is the OSSLT? The OSSLT is a provincial test of literacy (reading and writing) skills students have acquired by Grade 10. It is based on the literacy skills expected in The Ontario Curriculum across all subject areas up to the end of Grade 9

Reading selections

• information paragraph: presents ideas and information on a topic• news report: presents information in the form of a news story• dialogue: presents a conversation between two or more people • real-life narrative: presents an account of a significant time in an individual’s life • graphic text: presents ideas and information with the help of graphic features, such as diagrams, photographs, drawings, sketches,  patterns, timetables, maps, charts or tables 

Types of questions • multiple-choice  Each reading text is followed by a number of multiple-choice questions. Students select  the best or most correct answer from a list of four options.  • open-response  The information paragraph, news report and dialogue are followed by one or two open-response questions. Students construct  a response based on the reading selection. They should respond on the six lines provided.

Information Paragraph

Read the selection below and answer the questions that follow it.

When the Ontario government lifted a ban on outdoor clotheslines in April 2008, people wondered why such a ban had ever existed. The controversy over clotheslines reflects conflicting priorities. Drying laundry in the sun and the breeze was common in North America until the boom in owning household appliances and the construction of suburban housing developments in the 1950s and 1960s. At the time, many builders and municipal councils established rules to ensure that new neighbourhoods maintained a uniform and  attractive look. The restrictions could relate to paint colour, fences and clotheslines. Older neighbourhoods, built at a time when hanging clothes outside was a necessity, generally escaped similar restrictions. Although clotheslines were often considered old-fashioned and unsightly, more recently, they have become associated with eco-awareness and energy conservation. Electric-dryer use consumes 6% of Ontario’s power per year and emits 700 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases. Five electric dryers produce about the same amount of emissions in one year as an average-sized car. Environmentalists are applauding the government’s action. Ontario’s chief conservation officer said: “We’re asking people to adopt a culture of conservation in everything they do. This is small but important. I’m not requiring everyone to use [clotheslines]. But at least let people have that right.” Clotheslines are symbolic of a shift in society’s concerns. As one clothesline activist said, “If we can’t solve a simple thing like hanging two hooks in the backyard, what chance do we have of solving our bigger energy crisis?” 

Multiple-Choice   1 Why did there used to be a ban on  clotheslines?A to increase energy conservation  B to sell more household appliances C to promote the construction of suburban housing  D to help neighbourhoods look consistently appealing* 2 What is the purpose of the comma in line 7?  f to separate items in a list *  g to introduce a comparison h to introduce a clarification j to separate two main ideas3 What does the use of the word “escaped”  (line 9) suggest about the writerʼs opinion  regarding clothesline restrictions?A They were illegal. B They were traditional.C They were appropriate.D They were unreasonable. *4 How are lines 9−11 organized?f as cause and effect g through a comparison * h from general to specific bas a problem and solution5 What is one hoped-for effect of the current  “shift in societyʼs concerns” (line 17)?  A a decrease in clotheslines B a decrease in energy consumption * C an increase in neighbourhood uniformity D an increase in household-appliance ownership 6 Why is the question in lines 18−19 an  effective conclusion to this selection?  f It shows that clotheslines cannot help solve an energy crisis. g It is asking the reader to conserve energy by using a clothesline. h It suggests that the bigger energy crisis needs to be resolved first. j It connects small-scale and large-scale actions to conserve energy. *

General Strategies • Manage your time so that you complete all sections  of the test. • Read the questions first. This will help you predict what the reading selection is going to be about. • Skim the selection and then read it closely. • Underline or highlight important information and ideas as you read. • As you read, think about what you are reading and ask yourself questions about it.• Try to “see” what you are reading; some readers say this is like running a video or movie in their heads.• Look for links between what you are reading and experiences you have had.• If you read a word you don’t understand, look for a root word that you know inside the larger word; look for prefixes and suffixes.• If you still don’t understand the word, read to the end of the sentence and look for clues to its meaning.  Try reading the sentences before and after the sentence to see if you can find the meaning from  the context. • If a long sentence has you confused, reread it and try to put it into your own words. • If you are having trouble understanding an idea, either read on until the meaning becomes clearer, or stop and reread

Strategies for Multiple-Choice Reading Questions • Read and reread the question carefully. • Read the four answers and rule out any answers that are incorrect. • If necessary, reread the relevant parts of the selection to choose the best or most correct answer. • Record the answer on the Student Answer Sheet as described in the test instructions.

Strategies for Open-Response Reading Questions • Read and reread the question carefully. • Keep your answer within the six lines provided. • Answer the question using specific and relevant details and information from the reading selection. • Make connections between the ideas and information in the reading selection and your own experience. • Reread your response and correct any errors you notice.

Breakdown of the Exam

Sample Question - Information paragraph

Techniques that could be utilized