NYS ELA Regents Masterclass

REGENTS BLUEPRINT EXAM

PART 1 PRACTICE

Student Name

Date

Teacher / Class Period

Target Skills Dashboard

Mastering these two essential skills is critical for scoring a Level 4 or 5 on the Regents Reading Comprehension section.

Central Idea (CI)

The central idea is the author’s primary claim or argument. It is not just the topic, but the "so what?" of the passage.

CI must span the entire passage.

Identify the conflict or shift.

Context Clues (CC)

NYS Regents vocabulary questions ask you to define tier-2 or tier-3 words based on surrounding context.

Use the S.A.G.E. method.

Replace the target word with a blank.

Pacing & Elimination Checklist

Annotate paragraph shifts in margins.

Cross out 2 clearly wrong choices.

Check literal citations first.

Pick general over narrow.

CCLS Reading Standards: RI/RL.1, RI/RL.2, RI/RL.4 Page 1 of 4

Part 1: Reading Comprehension Passage 1 (Literary)

Text Excerpt

from The Picture of Dorian Gray

by Oscar Wilde (1890)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and

when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees

of the garden, there came through the open door the

heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfume.

From the corner of the divan of Persian saddlebags

on which he was lying, smoking, as was his custom,

innumerable cigarettes, Lord Henry Wotton could

just catch the gleam of the honey-sweet blossoms of

a laburnum, whose tremulous branches seemed hardly

able to bear the burden of a beauty so flamelike as theirs.

And now and then the fantastic shadows of birds in

flight flitted, making him think of those pallid, jade-

faced painters of Tokyo who, through the medium of

an art that is necessarily static, seek to convey life.

The sullen murmur of the bees shouldering their way

through the long unmown grass, or circling with a

monotonous insistence, seemed to make the stillness

more oppressive. The dim roar of London was like

the bourdon note of a distant organ.

Vocabulary Note: laburnum: a small deciduous tree with hanging yellow flowers. bourdon note: a drone or low, continuous buzzing sound.

Questions 1–4

1. Which central idea is best supported by the setting described in lines 1 through 10?

A

Nature offers a soothing and pure escape from human vanity.

B

An intense devotion to luxury can create an overwhelming, suffocating reality.

C

The progression of seasons highlights the transience of life.

D

True artistic genius requires complete separation from society.

2. As used in line 9, the word "tremulous" most nearly means—

A

rigid and unyielding

B

shaking or shivering

C

abundant and blooming

D

fragile and colorless

3. The phrase "pallid, jade-faced painters" in line 12 refers to artists who are—

A

physically exhausted by their craft

B

uninterested in classical techniques

C

focused entirely on commercial success

D

renowned for vibrant colors

4. Which detail from the passage best tracks how the atmosphere shifts from pleasant to burdened?

A

The sweet odour of roses (lines 1–2)

B

The shadow of birds in flight (lines 11–12)

C

The branches unable to bear their beauty (lines 9–10)

D

The sullen murmur and oppressive stillness (lines 15–18)

NYS Regents Practice Booklet • Decoded Series Page 2 of 4

Part 1: Reading Comprehension Passage 2 (Informational)

Text Excerpt

from Walden

by Henry David Thoreau (1854)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately,

to front only the essential facts of life, and see if

I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when

I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so

dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless

it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck

out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and

Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life,

to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life

into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.

And, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the

whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its

meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to

know it by experience, and be able to give a true

account of it in my next excursion. For most men,

it appears to me, are in a strange uncertainty about

it, whether it is of the devil or of God.

Vocabulary Note: Spartan-like: marked by simplicity, frugality, and self-discipline. swath: a row of cut grain; a broad path or strip.

Questions 5–8

5. Which statement best captures Thoreau's central argument for moving to the woods?

A

To avoid physical work and focus solely on academic and scientific pursuits.

B

To discover true purpose by stripping away superficial societal expectations.

C

To prove that humans are inherently evil when isolated from civilization.

D

To challenge the existing theological assumptions of the local church.

6. As used in line 1, the word "deliberately" most nearly means—

A

quietly and silently

B

with thoughtful purpose

C

under strict guidance

D

without moral concern

7. As used in line 6, the word "resignation" most nearly means—

A

passive compliance

B

professional retirement

C

creative expression

D

renewed energy

8. In line 12, the author uses the word "mean" to denote qualities that are—

A

cruel and aggressive

B

unreasonable or chaotic

C

lowly or insignificant

D

intellectual or complex

NYS Regents Practice Booklet • Decoded Series Page 3 of 4

Part 1: Reading Comprehension Passage 3 (Poetry)

Poetry Reading

Ozymandias

by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1818)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

I met a traveller from an antique land,

Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal, these words appear:

“My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!”

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Vocabulary Note: trunkless: lacking a torso or main body. pedestal: the base on which an obelisk or statue stands.

Questions 9–12

9. Which theme represents the central idea developed throughout the poem?

A

Artistic expression is a secondary interest compared to political power.

B

All human authority and empires are eventually conquered by time and nature.

C

True leadership requires strict control and physical dominance over subjects.

D

Historical preservation is essential to prevent the moral decay of civilization.

10. As used in line 4, the word "visage" most nearly refers to—

A

a decorative headwear or crown

B

a person's face or facial expression

C

the physical torso of a statue

D

an ancient scripture written on stone

11. The contrast between the inscription in lines 10–11 and the physical surroundings in lines 12–14 relies on—

A

dramatic irony showing the vanity of the king's grand claims

B

metaphorical praise of the sculptor's exceptional talents

C

hyperbole to exaggerate the king's physical beauty

D

personification to make the desert sands appear active

12. As used in line 8, the word "mocked" carries a dual meaning, denoting both—

A

imitated artistically and ridiculed or made fun of

B

worshiped submissively and feared deeply

C

destroyed physically and forgotten historically

D

praised publicly and despised privately

NYS Regents Practice Booklet • Decoded Series Page 4 of 4

Regents Decoded

Regents Strategy Slides

Regents Practice Booklet

Regents Key Explanations

Similar Lessons

Short Vowels

Julia Butz

Ironic Lyrics Investigation

Miguel Liendo Navarro

Word Anatomy Lab

Mr. J. Pfluke

Tag or Trash

Mr. J. Pfluke

Heart Word Champions

droberts

Haunted Hallways

caitlynn.meadows

Clue Catchers

Michelle Low

Summary Detectives

Mrs. Robinson

Verona Case Files

Scribble Streets

kskaris

Vowel Team Tracker 5

Michelle Low

Vowel Team Tracker 4

Michelle Low

Vowel Team Tracker 3

Michelle Low

Vowel Team Tracker 2

Michelle Low

Vowel Team Tracker

Michelle Low

Sound Shift IR UR

Alexis Paolini

Connected Reading ER

Alexis Paolini

Sound Shift ER

Alexis Paolini

Sound Shift Review

Alexis Paolini

Sound Shift OR ORE

Alexis Paolini

Connected Reading AR

Alexis Paolini

Planet Pulse

Kelly Oshinnaiye