Text Structures
Animals can be grouped into vertebrates and invertebrates. Vertebrates have backbones, while invertebrates do not.
Which statement best explains the organizational pattern used in this passage?
A. The similarities and differences between animal groups are explained.
B. The classification of animals into groups shows how they are organized by traits.
C. The definition of vertebrates is used to explain how animals survive.
D. The advantages of having a backbone are presented to explain animal behavior.
B. The classification of animals into groups shows how they are organized by traits.
"When the new student walked in, Priya slid her lunch tray over to make room. "You can sit here," she said, even though her friends were waving her over from the other side of the cafeteria."
What can the reader infer about Priya?
A. She does not get along well with her friend group.
B.She prefers eating lunch alone most of the time.
C. She values kindness toward others over social convenience.
D. She recognizes the new student from her neighborhood.
C. She values kindness toward others over social convenience.
A student reads an article explaining how to set up a aquarium at home, including a list of supplies and step-by-step instructions.
What is the most likely reason the author wrote this article?
A. To guide readers through the process of setting up an aquarium.
B. To persuade readers that fish make better pets than dogs or cats.
C. To describe the author's personal experience owning tropical fish.
D. To explain the history of aquariums in American homes.
A. To guide readers through the process of setting up an aquarium.
"The wind complained through the cracks in the old barn walls all night long."
What does the author's use of personification emphasize?
A. The barn is so old that it needs to be repaired immediately.
B. The wind creates a constant, unsettling presence throughout the night.
C. The characters inside the barn are unable to sleep because of the cold.
D. The setting is meant to feel peaceful and familiar to the reader.
B. The wind creates a constant, unsettling presence throughout the night.
The word scribe comes from the Latin word scribere, meaning "to write."
What does scribe most likely mean?
A. A person who records messages.
B. A book of laws to be followed.
C. A person who lives in a palace.
D. A book of unsolved mysteries.
A. A person who records messages.
"Playing video games can improve problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination. However, spending too much time gaming may lead to less physical activity."
Which statement best explains the organizational pattern used in this passage?
A. The definition of gaming explains how it affects the brain.
B. The classification of activities shows how games compare to sports.
C. The advantages and disadvantages of gaming are presented to show its effects.
D. The chronological order of gaming habits shows how behavior changes over time.
C. The advantages and disadvantages of gaming are presented to show its effects.
"After finishing her own chores, Destiny quietly started doing her younger brother's without being asked."
What do Destiny's actions reveal about her?
A. She thinks her brother is irresponsible.
B. She is trying to get extra allowance.
C. She is caring and willing to help without recognition.
D. She wants to finish her household tasks faster.
C. She is caring and willing to help without recognition.
In a story, a boy is embarrassed by his father's old truck until his father uses that same truck to help a stranded family on the highway.
What is the main message the author conveys in this story?
A. Old vehicles are often more reliable than new ones.
B. Families should spend more time together doing everyday tasks.
C. It is important to maintain your vehicle so it runs properly.
D. What truly matters about a person is how they treat others.
D. What truly matters about a person is how they treat others.
"Middle school is a construction zone — nothing is finished, everything is loud, and everyone is just trying to figure out where the exit is."
What does the author's use of metaphor most likely achieve?
A. To compare middle school schedules to the unpredictability of construction timelines.
B. To show that middle schools are poorly designed and need to be rebuilt.
C. To humorously capture the confusion and ongoing change that defines early adolescence.
D. To suggest that students feel unsafe in their school environment.
C. To humorously capture the confusion and ongoing change that defines early adolescence.
Read the dictionary entry:
spring
1. the season between winter and summer 2. to jump or leap suddenly 3. a source of water rising from the ground 4. to cause something to happen unexpectedly
Read this sentence: The trap was designed to spring shut the moment any pressure was applied.
Which definition best matches the way spring is used in this sentence?
A. Definition 1
B. Definition 2
C. Definition 3
D. Definition 4
D. Definition 4
"Maria struggled to read quickly when she was younger. Over time, she practiced daily and improved her fluency, eventually becoming one of the strongest readers in her class."
The organization of the passage contributes to the author’s main idea because it—
A. compares Maria to other students in her class
B. explains how Maria improved her reading over time
C. lists the challenges students face when learning to read
D. shows the causes of reading difficulties in young learners
B. explains how Maria improved her reading over time
Coach Williams handed back the test scores without a word. He erased the drill from the whiteboard and replaced it with something none of them had seen before. "We're starting over," he said quietly.
What can the reader infer about Coach Williams? A. He is angry at the team for losing a game.
B. He believes the team's poor performance signals a need to change his approach.
C. He wants to punish the team by making practice harder.
D. He has decided to quit coaching by the end of the season.
B. He believes the team's poor performance signals a need to change his approach.
An article describes how bees pollinate flowers and explains what would happen to food crops if bee populations disappeared.
What is the most likely reason the author wrote this article?
A. To persuade readers to start keeping bees in their backyards.
B. To inform readers about the important role bees play in the food supply.
C. To argue that pesticides should be banned to protect bee populations.
D. To describe the process of harvesting honey from beehives.
B. To inform readers about the important role bees play in the food supply.
"The empty playground sat quietly, waiting for summer to return."
What does the author's use of personification most likely achieve?
A. To suggest the playground has not been properly maintained during the school year.
B. To create a sense of stillness and anticipation in the setting.
C. To show that the characters miss the summer activities they used to enjoy.
D. To emphasize that the school year feels longer than the summer break.
B. To create a sense of stillness and anticipation in the setting.
The prefix mis- means "wrongly" or "badly."
What does the word misinterpret most likely mean?
A. To understand something especially well.
B. To explain something in careful detail.
C. To understand something incorrectly.
D. To refuse to explain something to others.
C. To understand something incorrectly.
"Many cities face heavy traffic during rush hour. To solve this problem, some cities have added bike lanes and improved public transportation systems."
By using a problem-and-solution organizational pattern, the author is able to—
A. explain why transportation systems have changed over time
B. show how traffic affects people in different cities
C. present an issue and describe ways to address it
D. compare different types of transportation used in cities
C. present an issue and describe ways to address it
Which sentence best supports the idea that the town had been neglected for many years?
A. The town was located about forty miles from the nearest city.
B. Weeds pushed through cracks in the sidewalks, and most of the storefronts stood empty with faded paint peeling from their signs.
C. Many residents had lived in the town their whole lives.
D. A new highway was being built to connect the town to the rest of the county.
B. Weeds pushed through cracks in the sidewalks, and most of the storefronts stood empty with faded paint peeling from their signs.
An author writes an editorial arguing that middle school students should have a later start time, citing research on sleep and academic performance.
What is the most likely reason the author wrote this editorial?
A. To inform readers about recent scientific research on teenage sleep patterns.
B. To describe the daily schedule currently used in most middle schools.
C. To convince readers and decision-makers to change school start times.
D. To compare the sleep habits of middle school and high school students.
C. To convince readers and decision-makers to change school start times.
"His laugh was a firecracker in a library — shocking, brief, and impossible to ignore."
Which type of figurative language is used, and what is its most likely purpose?
A. Simile; to compare the character's laugh to the sound of a firecracker in terms of volume.
B. Personification; to suggest the laugh disrupted the quiet environment of the library around him.
C. Metaphor; to emphasize how completely out of place and attention-grabbing his laugh was in that moment.
D. Hyperbole; to exaggerate the volume of his laugh to show that he was the loudest person in the room.
C. Metaphor; to emphasize how completely out of place and attention-grabbing his laugh was in that moment.
"The scientist's hypothesis was later corroborated by two independent research teams who conducted separate experiments and reached the same conclusion."
What does corroborated most likely mean?
A. Challenged and proven incorrect by new evidence.
B. Expanded upon with additional details and examples.
C.Published and shared with the broader scientific community.
D. Supported and confirmed by additional evidence.
D. Supported and confirmed by additional evidence.
"Owning a smartphone allows people to communicate easily and access information quickly. However, excessive use can lead to distractions and reduced face-to-face interaction."
By using an advantage-and-disadvantage organizational pattern, the author is able to—
A. explain how smartphones have changed over time
B. compare smartphones to other forms of technology
C. classify different ways people use smartphones
D. present both positive and negative effects of smartphone use
D. present both positive and negative effects of smartphone use
Which sentence best supports the inference that the author believes access to nature improves mental health?
A. "Many cities have built new parks in recent years to attract families and businesses."
B."Community gardens have become increasingly popular in urban neighborhoods."
C. "Some people prefer hiking in mountains while others enjoy walking near water."
D. "Researchers have found that spending even twenty minutes outdoors significantly lowers stress hormones in the body."
D. "Researchers have found that spending even twenty minutes outdoors significantly lowers stress hormones in the body."
A poem describes an elderly man sitting on his porch watching his grandchildren play, comparing their laughter to "a river that keeps running whether you watch it or not."
What is the main message the author conveys in this poem?
A. Grandparents play an important role in raising their grandchildren.
B. Life continues moving forward even as we grow older and watch from a distance.
C. Nature is the best setting for family gatherings and memories.
D. Children are unaware of how quickly time passes as they play.
B. Life continues moving forward even as we grow older and watch from a distance.
"Hope, for Mia, was not a light at the end of the tunnel. It was the tunnel itself — the narrow, uncertain passage she had to move through, not knowing if the other side existed but moving anyway."
What does the author's use of metaphor most likely achieve in this passage?
A. To compare Mia's hope to a familiar expression in order to make her emotion easier to understand.
B. To suggest that Mia has given up on a positive outcome and is simply going through the motions.
C. To redefine hope as the difficult process of continuing forward under uncertainty, not just a distant reward.
D. To emphasize that Mia's situation is more hopeless than the people around her realize.
C. To redefine hope as the difficult process of continuing forward under uncertainty, not just a distant reward.
"The principal commended the students for their exemplary behavior during the assembly, saying their conduct set a standard for the entire school."
What does exemplary most likely mean?
A. Unexpected and surprising given the students' past behavior.
B. Serving as an outstanding example worthy of imitation.
C. Polite and respectful in formal settings only.
D. Improved compared to previous months of the school year.
B. Serving as an outstanding example worthy of imitation.