FCAT stem questions

Prepared by

Ms. Melendez - 1st period class

Here is what we read…Lands and People - Mexico

• A colorful tile in a Mexico City restaurant proclaims: "Christian by the grace of God; gentlemen thanks to our Spanish descent; noble lords from our Indian ancestry: we are, then, the Mexicans." With self-confident flair, the motto points to the blending of contrasting elements that is the essence of Mexico. Out of the country's large population, nearly 30 percent is pure Indian. Most of the remaining Mexicans are mestizos—people of mixed Indian and Spanish descent.

• Although Spanish (spiced with some Indian words) is the national language of Mexico, about 50 Indian languages are still spoken, including Otomí, Tarascan, Zapotec, Mixtec, Mayan, and Nahuatl, the tongue of the Aztecs. Approximately 1 million Indians speak only their local language and know no Spanish at all.

• Nearly 90 percent of the population is nominally Roman Catholic, although the Mexican government has been, at times, bitterly anticlerical. In fact, religious institutions were not granted legal recognition in the Mexican Constitution until 1992.

• Mexico is the only nation in North America with a history that predates Columbus. The distance from the modern skyscrapers of Mexico City to the indigenous Indian villages in the remote parts of Mexico can be measured in centuries as well as in miles and kilometers. There is an even sharper contrast between the heated swimming pools, exquisite furnishings, and lush garden patios of the wealthy Mexicans' homes and the tin-can hovels of the city slums or the one-room, thatched adobe shacks of the small farmers. In principle, Mexico is an egalitarian nation, a country where all are equal under the law. But the vast majority of people still live simply, many of them in poverty. This is a situation that the government has struggled to change through a wide range of economic and political programs.

Here are the questions we designed.

Why did the author write this article?

• A.Potato pie

• B.To explain Mexico’s history

• C.Backyard carrot wrestling

• D.To inform how diverse Mexico is

What does the author mean by this statement….

Mexico is an egalitarian nation?

• A. They all speak Spanish.

• B. They all have equal rights.

• C. All are equal under the law in that country.

• D. Everyone in that country is very smart.

What Does The Author Mean By this Statement…

“Christian by grace of God; gentlemen thanks to our Spanish descent; noble lords from our Indian ancestry; we are, then, the Mexicans.”

• A. Mexicans are rich• B. Mexicans are diverse• C. All Mexicans are Christian• D. Mexicans are all the same in ancestry

The author’s main reason for writing this article was

• A. to inform reader about Mexico’s diversity

• B. to tell how Tony the Tiger died

• C. to inform about Mexico’s culture

• D. to tell what language Mexican’s speak

• D

• C

• B

• A

Answer Key