Answer questions that require connecting information across two paired passages, one of which may be fiction and one nonfiction.
California's state test often pairs two short passages on a related topic, sometimes both nonfiction, sometimes one story and one informational piece, and asks questions that require understanding both texts, including how they connect.
Passage 1 (a moment from a story): "Maria froze when she saw the spider spinning silently in the corner of the porch. She almost swept the web away, until she noticed how perfectly each strand connected to the next, like a tiny, sturdy bridge. She decided to leave it exactly where it was." Passage 2 (nonfiction): "Spider silk is one of the strongest materials in nature for its weight, actually stronger than steel of the same thickness. Spiders use different types of silk for different jobs: sticky silk to trap prey, and stronger, non-sticky silk to build the web's frame."
Mastery looks like: They can answer questions that require connecting information across two paired passages, one of which may be fiction and one nonfiction.
Common stumbles: Answering from only one passage when a question actually requires both; not noticing when a nonfiction fact explains a detail in a fictional passage.