It has been close to eleven months since I last posted this kind of thing, looking back into earlier materials I drafted to help one tutee begin to acclimate to testing culture. With school back in session and thus testing looming once again, I figured it would be a good time to remind people that I am capable of generating original testing material free from plagiarized AI hallucinations and responsive to emerging classroom needs.

The passage below contains 182 words at a grade-level equivalent of 9.5–midway through the first year of high school. There has been some adaptation for medium.

---

¹Despite the overall seriousness of Arthuriana, there is some humor to be found in Malory. ²For example, early in Le Morte d’Arthur, Arthur’s father, Uther Pendragon, sends an ultimatum to Gorlois, Duke of Tintagel. ³A dire warning, the message bids the duke to be ready to stuff and garnish himself. ⁴On its own, the comment reads as one about the duke’s courage, stuffing and garnishing is what is done to such poultry as chickens, and chickens are reputedly cowardly. ⁵To call the duke such a thing, then, is an insult, albeit one delivered with some style and laughter from the reader. ⁶Modern readers can take another joke from the comment. ⁷Tingatel is a castle in Cornwall, and the dominion of Gorlois over it marks him as Cornish. ⁸The most popular breeding stock of chicken is also named Cornish. ⁹Associating Gorlois with the chicken—and, indeed, the core stock of chickens—not only marks him as a coward therefore, but marks all his people as cowards, too. ¹⁰That the comment works at multiple levels, then, helps to engage even current readers through laughter.

1. 
   In sentence 2, “ultimatum” is a
   A. Noun
   B. Pronoun
   C. Verb
   D. None of the above
   
2. 
   In sentence 2, “ultimatum” means
   A. Hits hard
   B. Leers intently
   C. Runs through
   D. None of the above
   
3. 
   Sentence 3 provides what kind of context clue for the meaning of “ultimatum?”
   A. Antonym
   B. Example
   C. Synonym
   D. None of the above
   
4. 
   The relationship of sentence 2 to sentence 1 is one of
   A. Addition
   B. Comparison/Contrast
   C. Illustration/Exemplification
   D. None of the above
   
5. 
   The relationship of sentence 3 to sentence 2 is one of
   A. Addition
   B. Comparison/Contrast
   C. Illustration/Exemplification
   D. None of the above
   
6. 
   The relationship of sentence 4 to sentence 3 is one of
   A. Addition
   B. Comparison/Contrast
   C. Illustration/Exemplification
   D. None of the above
   
7. 
   The relationship of sentence 5 to sentence 4 is one of
   A. Addition
   B. Comparison/Contrast
   C. Illustration/Exemplification
   D. None of the above
   
8. 
   The relationship of sentence 6 to sentence 5 is one of
   A. Addition
   B. Comparison/Contrast
   C. Illustration/Exemplification
   D. None of the above
   
9. 
   The relationship of sentence 7 to sentence 6 is one of
   A. Addition
   B. Comparison/Contrast
   C. Illustration/Exemplification
   D. None of the above
   
10. 
    The relationship of sentence 8 to sentence 7 is one of
    A. Addition
    B. Comparison/Contrast
    C. Illustration/Exemplification
    D. None of the above
    
11. 
    The relationship of sentence 9 to sentence 8 is one of
    A. Addition
    B. Comparison/Contrast
    C. Illustration/Exemplification
    D. None of the above
    
12. 
    The relationship of sentence 10 to sentence 9 is one of
    A. Addition
    B. Comparison/Contrast
    C. Illustration/Exemplification
    D. None of the above
    
13. 
    The main idea of the paragraph is in sentence
    A. 1
    B. 5
    C. 10
    D. None of the above
    
14. 
    A punctuation error appears in sentence
    A. 3
    B. 4
    C. 5
    D. None of the above

Answers: 1,A; 2, D; 3, B; 4, C; 5, C; 6, D; 7, C; 8, A; 9, C; 10, A; 11, D; 12, D; 13, A; 14, B

---

I‘m still quite happy to draft original passages on a variety of subjects, literary and otherwise, and I’m able to develop assessment materials to give your student–whether in your home or in your classroom–the best possible practice for the standardized testing that is coming. I’m also happy to draft materials for programs; please feel free to reach out, and we’ll discuss how I can meet your needs!

Or you can send your support along directly!