Directions: Read the reading sample and the writing sample. Is this something you can read or write today with a little help? Click on “too easy” and “too hard” buttons to see reading and writing examples from other levels. Choose “just right” to select your level.
Reading Sample
A New Way to Relieve Student Stress
It's the last week of the semester at the University of Wisconsin. The students are preparing for their final exams. Of course, this is a very stressful week for many of them. Some are at the library, but they are not studying. Instead, they are sitting and relaxing with dogs, but they are not wasting their time.
The Health Department of the university brings the dogs to the school library for the students. The dogs help them reduce stress as they prepare for their finals. Counselors from the school bring the dogs, but they also give advice to students about how to feel less anxious. They advise students to take short study breaks— even five minutes every hour-to reduce stress. These frequent breaks also help students remember information. In addition, the counselors advise students to get enough sleep. "Don't drink a lot of coffee because that will prevent you from sleeping," one counselor suggests. "Try not to worry so much," another counselor says, "and ask your friends and family for their assistance.' Manuel Perez, a University of Wisconsin student, says that all of the advice is very useful. However, he says, "The dogs are the most useful of all. When I'm petting one, I feel much more relaxed, and then I'm ready to hit the books."
Writing Sample
Albert Nobel Was a Man of Peace
Albert Nobel is not responsible for numerous deaths because the purpose of his invention was to help people, and he demonstrated the purity of his intention. First, the idea of the inventor of dynamite, was to use it to speed up arduous construction work because, thanks to his invention, builders could dig tunnels or break rocks in a much simpler way. Additionally, the purpose of dynamite was to save lives. Before the dynamite was invented, people were using nitroglycerin, which despite having great potency was very dangerous to handle. Noble lost one of his brothers due to an explosion caused by the used of nitroglycerin. For that reason, he was deeply interested in stabilizing this compound. Finally, to prove his integrity on his projects, Albert Nobel gave his fortune to create a foundation that would give annual prizes to those who during the preceding year had done the greatest benefit to humanity in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine and physiology, literature, and world peace. Overall, the invention of the dynamite demonstrated its good side, but what people did with it after showed its destructive side, depending on the hands that used it.
Pick one of the options below:
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I don’t understand anything. I want an easier class. No entiendo nada. Quiero una clase más fácil. |
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This is a good class for me. It's not too easy. It is not too hard. Esta clase es buena para mí. No es demasiado fácil. No es demasiado difícil. |
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I understand everything. I want to see the next level. Entiendo todo. Quiero ver el siguiente nivel. |