Reading
Grammar/Writing
Speaking and Listening
Figurative Language
Misc
100
When we write a good sentence, it is important to choose the perfect word to describe how we feel or to tell about an event that took place. Sometimes we may use several different words until we find the one that best says what we want to share. Since there are so many words to choose from, it can be difficult to find the right one. It can also be very powerful when we finally do. What is the main idea? A. Choosing the right words in writing can better express ideas. B. Words do not change the meaning of a sentence. C. Writing takes a lot of hard work, and it is not very fun. D. Perfect grammar and punctuation in a sentence can affect the meaning of the sentence.
What is A (choosing the right words in writing can better express ideas)?
100
Keisha wants to write a story about a beautiful summer day. Which phrase should she include to have the most impact or effect on her reader? A. The sun was bright in the sky. B. It was a very sunny afternoon. C. The sun was shining high above. D. The sun beamed like a brilliant diamond.
What is D (the sun beamed like a brilliant diamond)?
100
What is the first thing you must do when preparing for a group discussion? A. read and research the topic B. only read the text C. bring pencil and paper D. practice speaking over other people
What is A (read and research the topic)?
100
She knew she would have to make a decision soon, but for now she was still on the fence as to whether she should cast a yes or no vote on the issue. What type of figurative language is 'on the fence' as used in the above sentence? A. personification B. metaphor C. allusion D. idiom
What is D (idiom)?
100
1. I went to the train station. 2. There was a cute child at the ticket window. 3. I tripped over a person's green duffle bag. 4. I was eager when I heard the banging and humming of the engine. Which sentence has an example of onomatopoeia? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4
What is D (Sentence 4)?
200
Donuts have long been thought of as a blue-collar food, something eaten by laborers at the start of the workday. Of course, people of all classes have enjoyed the occasional donut for centuries, but until recently, donuts have not been thought of as gourmet. Now, though, donuts are having something of a renaissance amongst connoisseurs and similar food authorities such as food critics. What does the word connoisseurs most nearly mean? A. innovators B. experts C. critics D. teachers
What is B (experts)?
200
Which type of verb mood is being used in the following sentence? Did you see the spectacular meteor shower last night?
What is interrogative?
200
The rules for collegial discussions and decision making require you to _____________. A. interrupt when necessary B. argue with other group members regardless of relevance C. define individual roles as necessary D. pose questions that do not relate to the topic
What is C (define individual roles as necessary)?
200
She knew she would have to make a decision soon, but for now she was still on the fence as to whether she should cast a yes or no vote on the issue. What is the meaning of 'on the fence' as used in the above sentence? A. sitting in the middle of a fence B. not having a clear opinion on an issue C. having an opinion that sways to one side D. waiting for someone else to make a decision
What is B (not having a clear opinion on an issue)?
200
Many non-fiction writings or texts are written with the purpose of giving information about an interesting topic. Authors who write to inform must research their subject to ensure that they convey accurate information to the reader. Some examples of texts that inform are encyclopedia entries, news articles, expository non-fiction books, and interviews. All of these types of writing give information about certain topics. Based on its use in the above paragraph, it can be inferred that the word convey belongs to which word group? A. document, chronicle, note B. communicate, pass on, relay C. hide, obscure, cover D. detect, locate, discover
What is B (communicate, pass on, relay)?
300
The new wave of donut makers tends to divide the food into two varieties: cake and yeast donuts. The former are the more familiar to most Americans: the dense, o-shaped confections covered in frosting. The latter are softer and chewier, more like a croissant or a Danish. Both are deep-fried, and both are traditionally ring-shaped. The only real difference between them is that the yeast donuts use yeast as a leavening agent, resulting in the aforementioned lighter consistency. According to the passage, the main difference between yeast and cake donuts is their ______________. A. flavoring B. shape C. ingredients D. craftsmanship
What is C (ingredients)?
300
You have been assigned to write a paper about how Edgar Allan Poe created mood in "The Tell-Tale Heart." Which of the following would be an appropriate thesis statement? A. Edgar Allan Poe uses the setting, characters, and the plot to create a terrifying mood in his short story "The Tell-Tale Heart." B. Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a horror story. C. The main character in Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a demented man. D. The mood of the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" is really weird.
What is A (Edgar Allan Poe uses the setting, characters and plot to create a terrifying mood in his short story "The Tell-Tale Heart)?
300
When participating in group discussions, questions and comments should always ________. A. respond with personal opinions only B. respond with any argument and no support C. respond negatively to other peoples' ideas and questions D. respond with relevant observations, evidence and ideas to the topic
What is D (respond with relevant observations, evidence and ideas to the topic)?
300
Doctors' prescriptions often resemble chicken scratchings in the dirt outside a henhouse. What is being suggested about some doctors' handwriting and what type of figurative language is used? A. Their writing is messy and dirty / simile B. Their writing is messy and dirty / metaphor C. Their writing cannot be read / simile D. Their writing cannot be read / metaphor
What is D (their writing cannot be read / metaphor).
300
Think about the last time a story made you laugh, cry, or tremble with fright. These types of stories are written with a particular purpose in mind: to entertain the reader. Authors write many kinds of stories to entertain, including humorous fiction, realistic fiction, fantasy, fairy tales, and fables. While fiction entertains, non-fiction has a different purpose. Which of the following is most likely the title of a passage in which the author's purpose is to entertain? A. "Why Dogs are Smarter than Cats" B. "An Interview with J.K. Rowling" C. "The Adventures of Waldo Wizard" D. "An Argument for Shorter Classes"
What is C ("The Adventures of Waldo Wizard")?
400
The suddenly hip donuts often have creative flavorings not available in older donuts, but the biggest difference is the care that goes into new donuts. Donut makers now are often esteemed chefs and pastry makers who put as much care into a donut as they put into a soufflé or a bisque. It goes to show that anything can be a delicacy if it is treated like one. It can be inferred from the passage that a soufflé and a bisque are ____________. A. examples of food that require great care to make B. recipes commonly known by all aspiring chefs C. types of food that are usually eaten by upper-class consumers D. food the author particularly enjoys eating
What is A (examples of food that require great care to make)?
400
For many years, horses were the only means of transportation. While some people rode them just for pleasure, most people relied on horses to plow fields, pull a carriage, or move heavy loads from one place to another. Which sentence, when added to the beginning of this passage, would best express the main idea of the passage? A. Horses are pretty. B. Horses are not used anymore. C. Horses require a lot of attention. D. Horses are useful animals.
What is D (horses are useful animals)?
400
Marty is presenting a biographical essay on Michelangelo. Which of the following mediums should he use to effectively share with his audience the significance that Michelangelo had on history? A. simulation of Michelangelo's painting B. audio recordings of Michelangelo's painting C. photos of Michelangelo's painting D. surveys of the student population
What is C (photos of Michelangelo's painting)?
400
When my aunt began talking about her recent divorce, my grandmother said, "She shouldn't air her dirty laundry in public." What is the figurative meaning of the underlined phrase? A. discuss private matters in public B. wash her dirty clothes in public C. be secretive about private matters D. hang her clothes on a clothesline
What is A (discuss private matters in public)?
400
from "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, Which of the following is the best synonym for countenance? A. money B. government C. face D. personality
What is C (face)?
500
from "Call of the Wild" by Jack London In advance of the dogs, on wide snowshoes, toiled a man. At the rear of the sled toiled a second man. On the sled, in the box, lay a third man whose toil was over, -- a man whom the Wild had conquered and beaten down until he would never move nor struggle again. It is not the way of the Wild to like movement. Life is an offence to it, for life is movement; and the Wild aims always to destroy movement. It freezes the water to prevent it running to the sea; it drives the sap out of the trees till they are frozen to their mighty hearts; and most ferociously and terribly of all does the Wild harry and crush into submission man -- man who is the most restless of life, ever in revolt against the dictum that all movement must in the end come to the cessation of movement. But at front and rear, unawed and indomitable, toiled the two men who were not yet dead. Their bodies were covered with fur and soft-tanned leather. Eyelashes and cheeks and lips were so coated with the crystals from their frozen breath that their faces were not discernible. This gave them the seeming of ghostly masques, undertakers in a spectral world at the funeral of some ghost. But under it all they were men, penetrating the land of desolation and mockery and silence, puny adventurers bent on colossal adventure, pitting themselves against the might of a world as remote and alien and pulseless as the abysses of space. Based on the passage, what can you conclude about the author's view of nature? A. It is a benign force that is the source of all life and energy. B. It is a source of human creativity. C. It is an evil force, but at the same time it cannot destroy human life. D. It is a violent and brutal force, but at the same time it is not evil.
What is D (It is a violent and brutal force, but at the same time it is not evil).
500
What is the best way to develop a main character? A. Think of a name for the character, find a quiet place where you can concentrate, and start writing the story. B. Create a list of the character's qualities and goals, and show these to the reader through dialogue and description. C. Think of a conflict and how you can get the character from the story beginning to the major conflict point. D. Create a group of minor characters that will influence the decisions of the main character.
What is B (create a list of the character's qualities and goals, and show these to readers through dialogue and description)?
500
You have been invited to present your report on the school dress code to the entire junior class. What would be the best way to present this report? A. a visual presentation B. read your report aloud C. provide copies of your written report D. have a question and answer session and forget the report
What is A (visual presentation)?
500
Select the idiom that would replace "close to happening" in the following sentence without changing the meaning. Though this first audition had been a disaster, she knew her big break on Broadway was close to happening. A. set in stone B. nothing to write home about C. a pipe dream D. just around the corner
What is D (just around the corner)?
500
From "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe I was a child and she was a child In this kingdom by the sea, But we loved with a love that was more than love- I and my Annabel Lee- With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven Coveted her and me. And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee: So that her high-born kinsmen came and bore her away from me, to shut her up in a sepulchre in this kingdom by the sea. In the poem, how does Poe convey that tragedy is coming to Annabel Lee? A. "A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling my beautiful Annabel Lee." B. "But we loved with a love that was more than love." C. "I was a child and she was a child, in this kingdom by the sea." D. "With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven coveted her and me."
What is A ("A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling my beautiful Annabel Lee").
M
e
n
u