Vocab
5 Some of the earliest satellite galaxies discovered are the Sculptor Dwarf (1937), the Ursa Minor Dwarf (1954), and the Draco Dwarf (1954). All three of these galaxies have very old stars that are, consequently, faint and difficult to see. Although discovered much more recently in 2006, the Bootes Dwarf galaxy is also very difficult to see. In fact, it is one of the dimmest of the galaxies scientists know about.
Which word from paragraph 5 has the same meaning as faint (paragraph 5)?
A.“earliest”
B.“old”
C.“difficult”
D.“dimmest”
D.“dimmest”
None of Stickeen's friends knows what finally became of him. After my work for the season was done, I departed for California, and I never saw the dear little fellow again. Replying to my anxious inquiries, his master wrote me that in the summer of 1883, he was taken by a tourist at Fort Wrangel on a steamer. His fate is wrapped in mystery. Doubtless, by now, he has crossed the last crevasse and gone to another. But he will not be forgotten.
Based on paragraph 8, what most likely happened to Stickeen?
A.He fell into a crevasse.
B.He was lost on a steamer.
C.He died of an unknown cause.
D.He went back to his old master.
C.He died of an unknown cause.
14 As I purpose to show in the sequel whether the white waistcoated gentleman was right or not, I should perhaps mar the interest of this narrative (supposing it to possess any at all), if I ventured to hint just yet whether the life of Oliver Twist had this abrupt termination or not.
Which of the following sentences is a main idea of paragraph 14?
A.The narrator plans to write a sequel to this story.
B.The narrator is dismayed to give the reader bad news about Oliver’s life.
C.The narrator will not give the reader any hints about what happens to Oliver.
D.The narrator is concerned that the reader will think the story is uninteresting.
C.The narrator will not give the reader any hints about what happens to Oliver.
Read these sentences from “Echo and Narcissus” by Thomas Bulfinch, then answer the question that follows.
"'Why, beautiful being, do you shun me? Surely my face is not one to repel you. The nymphs love me, and you yourself look not indifferent upon me:"
Which two qualities do these sentences reveal about Narcissus?
A. He is vain.
B. He is nervous.
C. He finds falling in love distressing.
D. He can easily prove that he is a good person.
E. He believes other people find him attractive.
A. He is vain.
E. He believes other people find him attractive.
Before understanding what a satellite galaxy is, you must first understand what a galaxy is. According to NASA, “a galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust, and billions of stars and their solar systems, all held together by gravity.” The galaxy that we live in is the Milky Way galaxy. Besides our galaxy, there are 10,000 galaxies that scientists know about and even more that they cannot see. These galaxies appear in many different shapes and sizes. They can be spiral, elliptical, or irregular. The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy that looks like a pinwheel, while elliptical galaxies are shaped like ovals. Irregular galaxies have no definite shape. Within a galaxy, there are several solar systems, and inside those solar systems, there are planets and stars.
Which of the following phrases from paragraph 1 helps the reader understand gravity as it is used in the paragraph?
A.“a huge collection"
B.“gas, dust, and billions of stars”
C.“their solar systems”
D.“all held together”
D.“all held together”
9 As they passed the ticket gate, Sylvie’s mouth dropped and her eyes widened. When she beamed at him, he flushed with shame over begging to leave her behind.
What can the reader infer based on paragraph 9?
A.Henry feels guilty when he sees how excited Sylvie is about the fair.
B.Henry’s parents agreed to pay for his ticket if he took Sylvie with him.
C.Sylvie is so afraid that Henry has trouble getting her to walk into the fair.
D.Henry wishes Sylvie wouldn’t draw attention to herself around his friends
A.Henry feels guilty when he sees how excited Sylvie is about the fair.
13 A discussion took place. Oliver was ordered to his room to stay; a bill was next morning posted on the outside of the gate, offering a reward of five pounds to anybody who would take Oliver Twist off the hands of the church. In other words, five pounds and Oliver Twist was offered to any man or woman who wanted an apprentice to any trade, business or calling.
8.Which sentence provides the best summary of paragraph 13?
A.Mr. Limbkins will give five pounds to anyone who will take Oliver Twist away.
B.Oliver’s punishment is to pay the master five pounds for his rebellious behavior.
C.Oliver’s master decides that Oliver will volunteer at the church to pay off his debt.
D.Mr. Limbkins and the master decide that Oliver will never be allowed to leave his room
A.Mr. Limbkins will give five pounds to anyone who will take Oliver Twist away.
Read the paragraph from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, then answer the question that follows.
Walter Cunningham’s face told everybody in the first grade he had hookworms.1 His absence of shoes told us how he got them. People caught hookworms going barefooted in barnyards and hog wallows. If Walter had owned any shoes he would have worn them the first day of school and then discarded them until mid-winter. He did have on a clean shirt and neatly mended overalls.
What do the details in this paragraph suggest about Walter Cunningham?
A. His poverty affects his health.
B. His laziness gets him in trouble.
C. His lack of tidiness bothers his teacher.
D. His appearance is of little concern to him.
A. His poverty affects his health.
So why are satellite galaxies important? Besides being interesting, scientists believe that by studying these satellite galaxies, they can learn more about dark matter, which is matter in space that does not produce light or energy. They also hope to learn about how galaxies form and what role dark matter may play in this formation. Not only this, but because of the gravitational pull of the Milky Way, scientists believe that eventually our galaxy will absorb these galaxies as part of our own. This is one way they believe galaxies are able to become larger.
Select two words that define formation in paragraph 7.
A.arrangement
B.design
C.development
D.making
E.order
C.development
D.making
His sister, Sylvie, the favored child born eight years after Henry, had been more fortunate. By that time, his parents had determined that they could split their time between the restaurant and watching their daughter, so Sylvie got more attention and was not expected to work. Henry picked up the slack after school and they rotated through on weekends so that at least two of them were minding the dinner rush. He wasn’t usually bothered; Sylvie was his sister and her adoring brown eyes were really cute. Every now and then, though, he had a lingering feeling of jealousy when his friends were at parties or school football games, and he was at home with Sylvie pretending to have a grand time.
Part A
What can the reader infer based on paragraph 2?
A.Henry does not enjoy having Sylvie as his little sister.
B.Henry enjoys working at his parents’ restaurant on weekends.
C.Henry works so often that he does not have time to play with Sylvie.
D.Henry has missed out on social activities because of his responsibilities.
Part B
Which detail from paragraph 2 supports the answer to Part A?
A.“His sister, Sylvie, the favored child born eight years after Henry, had been more fortunate.”
B.”Henry picked up the slack after school and they rotated through on weekends so that at least two of them were minding the dinner rush.”
C.“He wasn’t usually bothered; Sylvie was his sister and her adoring brown eyes were really cute.”
D.“Every now and then, though, he had a lingering feeling of jealousy when his friends were at parties or school football games, and he was at home with Sylvie pretending to have a grand time.”
Part A
D.Henry has missed out on social activities because of his responsibilities.
Part B
D.“Every now and then, though, he had a lingering feeling of jealousy when his friends were at parties or school football games, and he was at home with Sylvie pretending to have a grand time.”
The most important function of their light, though, is to entice a mate. Depending on the species and gender of firefly, the appearance of the light differs. Sometimes, the males fly above the females with blinking lights, usually a fast blinking one. Interested female fireflies flash their light back at the males to indicate interest. Other times, groups of fireflies will shine their lights together to attract mates. Researchers believe that fireflies watch the flashing of other fireflies and adjust their flashes to match until they are all synchronized. Even though only about a dozen species flash their lights together like this, the light show they produce is quite the tourist attraction. While this may be meant to help attract mates, some scientists also think it could be the fireflies’ way of finding those like them. Still, not all fireflies are bioluminescent. Some use pheromones to find mates and communicate.
Which quotation from paragraph 4 best states the main idea of the paragraph?
A.“The most important function of their light, though, is to entice a mate.”
B.“Depending on the species and gender of firefly, the appearance of the light differs.”
C.“Even though only about a dozen species flash their lights together like this, the light show they produce is quite the tourist attraction.”
D.“Some use pheromones to find mates and communicate.”
A.“The most important function of their light, though, is to entice a mate.”
Read the paragraphs from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, then answer the question that follows. (12) When Walter shook his head a third time someone whispered, “Go on and tell her, Scout.”
(13) I turned around and saw most of the town people and the entire bus delegation looking at me. Miss Caroline and I had conferred twice already, and they were looking at me in the innocent assurance that familiarity breeds understanding.
(14) I rose graciously on Walter’s behalf: “Ah—Miss Caroline?”
What do paragraphs 12–14 of To Kill a Mockingbird most reveal about the students?
A. They must raise their hands to talk in class.
B. They trust Scout to speak for them.
C. They are ready to leave for lunch.
D. They dislike Miss Caroline
B. They trust Scout to speak for them.
So why are satellite galaxies important? Besides being interesting, scientists believe that by studying these satellite galaxies, they can learn more about dark matter, which is matter in space that does not produce light or energy. They also hope to learn about how galaxies form and what role dark matter may play in this formation. Not only this, but because of the gravitational pull of the Milky Way, scientists believe that eventually our galaxy will absorb these galaxies as part of our own. This is one way they believe galaxies are able to become larger.
Select two words that could replace the word produce in paragraph 7.
A.contain
B.create
C.demonstrate
D.generate
E.hold
B.create
D.generate
Read the sentence from paragraph 5.
Though he was apparently as cold as a glacier and about as impervious to fun, I tried hard to make his acquaintance.
Which quotation provides context for the meaning of the phrase impervious to fun?
A.“He sometimes appeared motionless, and as unobserving as if in deep sleep, but I discovered that somehow, he always knew what was going on” (paragraph 4)
B.“He insisted on having his own way and never obeyed an order.” (paragraph 5)
C.“He never displayed a single trace of the merry, tricksy, elfish fun of the terriers and collies that we all know, nor of their touching affection and devotion.” (paragraph 5)
D.“Stickeen seemed to ask only to be left alone.” (paragraph 5)
C.“He never displayed a single trace of the merry, tricksy, elfish fun of the terriers and collies that we all know, nor of their touching affection and devotion.” (paragraph 5)
2 In the abdomen of this unique beetle are photocytes, light cells created by the combining of three substances. The chemical luciferin and the enzyme luciferase react to each other to create light; however, this reaction only occurs when oxygen is introduced. This oxygen is not the typical oxygen that we breathe, though. The oxygen that reacts with luciferin and luciferase is known as superoxide anion, because it contains an extra electron, the negatively charged particle in an atom. Scientists believe this is why beetles are able to create light on their own, making them bioluminescent. Not only do these beetles create light, they are extremely efficient, creating light with little to no heat. They are twice as efficient as an LED light bulb! Fireflies or lightning bugs are not all that glow, however. Glowworms are bioluminescent as well. These glowworms are actually the larvae of fireflies, and unlike fireflies, all glowworms produce light. The lights produced by these fireflies and glowworms can be green, yellow, or blue.
Which two quotations support the main idea of paragraph 2?
A.“In the abdomen of this unique beetle are photocytes, light cells created by the combining of three substances.”
B.“This oxygen is not the typical oxygen that we breathe, though.”
C.“Scientists believe this is why beetles are able to create light on their own, making them bioluminescent.”
D.“They are twice as efficient as an LED light bulb!”
E.“The lights produced by these fireflies and glowworms can be green, yellow, or blue.”
A.“In the abdomen of this unique beetle are photocytes, light cells created by the combining of three substances.”
C.“Scientists believe this is why beetles are able to create light on their own, making them bioluminescent.”
Read the paragraph from One Eyed Cat by Paula Fox, then answer the question that follows.
Ned held his breath for a moment, then put his own feet in Mr. Scully’s tracks and went toward the shed. The tracks had frozen and they crunched under Ned’s weight, but the cat didn’t raise its head. Ned halted a few feet away from it—but of course, he realized, it wouldn’t hear him because of its deaf ear. He could have gone closer to it than he’d ever been but he had a sudden vision of the cat exploding into fear when it finally did hear him.
In this paragraph, Ned keeps his distance from the cat because he--
A. envisions the cat being sick from licking ice or snow B. believes the cat will make him late to school
C. imagines the cat will become panicked
D. remembers the cat is deaf and unlikely to respond
C. imagines the cat will become panicked
Two of these include the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud named after Ferdinand Magellan, who discovered them. As their names suggest, the Large Magellanic Cloud is bigger than its counterpart. However, the Small Magellanic Cloud is an irregularly shaped galaxy and is still pretty large. Like many satellite galaxies, these two are considered dwarf galaxies, which means they are smaller galaxies, unlike the Milky Way. The Large Magellanic Cloud, also an irregular shape, is the largest of the known Milky Way satellites. It is one of the only satellite galaxies that can be seen in the skies without the use of special equipment and can only be seen in the skies of the Southern Hemisphere.
Which word is closest in meaning to the word counterpart as it is used in paragraph 4?
A.addition
B.complement
C.duplicate
D.neighbor
B.complement
Yet none of us was able to make out what Stickeen was really good for. He seemed to meet danger and hardships without anything like reason. He insisted on having his own way and never obeyed an order. A hunter could never set him on anything, or make him fetch the birds he shot. Ordinary storms were pleasures to him. As for mere rain, he flourished in it like a vegetable. Though he was apparently as cold as a glacier and about as impervious to fun, I tried hard to make his acquaintance. I guessed there must be something worthwhile hidden beneath so much courage, endurance, and love of wild-weathery adventure. He sometimes reminded me of a small, squat, unshakable desert cactus. He never displayed a single trace of the merry, tricksy, elfish fun of the terriers and collies that we all know, nor of their touching affection and devotion. Like children, most small dogs beg to be loved and allowed to love, but Stickeen seemed to ask only to be left alone. He was a true child of the wilderness. His strength of character lay in his eyes. They looked as old and wild as the hills. I never tired of looking into them. It was like looking into a landscape, but they were small and rather deep-set. They had no explaining lines around them to give out particulars. I was accustomed to looking into the faces of plants and animals, and I watched the little dog more keenly as an interesting study.
Part A
Which inference can be made based on paragraph 5?
A.Muir believed that most hunting dogs shared common hunting skills.
B.Muir's companions believed that Stickeen would be a useful companion to them.
C.Muir believed his skills for observing nature could also help him to understand Stickeen.
D.Muir’s companions believed that Stickeen was unsuited for difficult wilderness weather.
Part B
Which quotation from paragraph 5 supports the answer in Part A?
A."Yet none of us was able to make out what Stickeen was really good for."
B."A hunter could never set him on anything, or make him fetch the birds he shot."
C."I guessed there must be something worthwhile hidden beneath so much courage, endurance, and love of wild-weathery adventure."
D."I was accustomed to looking into the faces of plants and animals, and I watched the little dog more keenly as an interesting study."
Part A
C.Muir believed his skills for observing nature could also help him to understand Stickeen.
Part B
D."I was accustomed to looking into the faces of plants and animals, and I watched the little dog more keenly as an interesting study."
Which two statements support the inference that fireflies use their lights for survival?
A.“Not only do these beetles create light, they are extremely efficient, creating light with little to no heat.” (paragraph 2)
B.“Fireflies have a bitter taste caused by chemical substances, which wards off predators. These substances can actually warn predators that fireflies are near.” (paragraph 3)
C.“While glowworms usually find food by numbing their prey, fireflies do not use their light or other defenses to find prey since they rarely eat in adulthood.” (paragraph 3)
D.“The most important function of their light, though, is to entice a mate.” (paragraph 4)
E.“By eating the male fireflies that produce these chemicals, the female fireflies are able to use the chemicals to protect themselves.” (paragraph 5)
B.“Fireflies have a bitter taste caused by chemical substances, which wards off predators. These substances can actually warn predators that fireflies are near.” (paragraph 3)
D.“The most important function of their light, though, is to entice a mate.” (paragraph 4)
Read the paragraph from Birdology by Sy Montgomery, then answer the question that follows.
At first I was afraid they’d run away or become lost. We had a cozy, secure home for them prepared in the bottom storey of our barn, with wood shavings scattered over the dirt floor, a dispenser for fresh water, a trough for chick feed, some low perches made from dowels, and a hay-lined nest box made from an old rabbit hutch left over from one of the barn’s previous denizens, in which they could lay future eggs. Chickens need to be closed in safe at night to protect them from predators, but by day we didn’t want to confine them; we wanted to give them free run of the yard. But how could they possibly understand that they lived here now? Once we let them out, would they even recognize their space in the barn and go back in it? When I was in seventh grade, my family had moved, once again, to a new house; my first afternoon there I literally got lost in my own backyard. Could these six-week-old chicks be expected to know better?
This paragraph best supports the idea that the author
A. is fearful the chicks will be vulnerable to predators.
B. is unsure about what she can expect the chicks to understand.
C. wants the chicks to explore the yard she has set up for their needs.
D. has not planned how she will teach the chicks to adjust to a new environment.
B. is unsure about what she can expect the chicks to understand.