RL/RI.4/L.4-6
RL/RI.1
RL/RI.2
RL/RI.3
RL/RI.5
100

Part A Read the sentence from paragraph 6. 

. . . There is something about travel as a process that a wheels­up, wheels­down airplane ride dilutes somewhat. What does the word dilutes mean as it is used in the sentence? 

A appeases 

B devalues 

C enhances 

D stresses

B. devalues

100

Read the sentence from paragraph 9. . . . his body was inhabited by the ghost of a wicked, old money­lender, who had died some years ago. Which word could replace inhabited as it is used in the sentence? 

A birthed 

B created 

C demanded 

D occupied  

D occupied

100

8. The following question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B. 

Part A What is a central idea of the passage? 

A The narrator does not enjoy traveling because of crying babies. 

B The narrator enjoys traveling because she gets to visit new places. 

C The narrator does not enjoy traveling because she gets motion sickness. 

D The narrator enjoys traveling because it provides her time to do things she likes.

D The narrator enjoys traveling because it provides her time to do things she likes.

100

4. What does the comparison in paragraph 8 reveal about the author? 

A It shows the author believes riding a bus is efficient. 

B It shows the author believes riding a bus is economical. 

C It shows the author believes slowing down is beneficial. 

D It shows the author believes natural resources are necessary.

C It shows the author believes slowing down is beneficial.

100

37. How does the phrase “what low company!” in paragraph 22 affect the reader’s view of the trout? 

A The phrase indicates that trout are plain and ordinary. 

B The phrase characterizes the trout as an unacceptable associate.

C The phrase highlights the connection between the trout and the salmon. 

D The phrase illustrates the trout as dull in contrast to the grandeur of the salmon.  

B The phrase characterizes the trout as an unacceptable associate.

200

3. In paragraph 6, the author says that “a plane is the closest the average plebe is going to get” to teleporting. What does the word plebe mean as it is used in the sentence? 

A location 

B pace 

C person 

D vehicle  

C. person

200

Which quotation supports the idea that Mowgli works hard to be successful in the village of man? 

A “It was not for fun that he had learned while he was with the wolves to imitate the challenge of bucks in the jungle and the grunt of the little wild pig.” (paragraph 2) 

B “‘Remember he can never till now have slept on a bed. If he is indeed sent in the place of our son he will not run away.’” (paragraph 3) 

C “For three months after that night Mowgli hardly ever left the village gate, he was so busy learning the ways and customs of men.” (paragraph 5)

D “In the jungle he knew he was weak compared with the beasts, but in the village people said that he was as strong as a bull.” (paragraph 6) 1

C “For three months after that night Mowgli hardly ever left the village gate, he was so busy learning the ways and customs of men.” (paragraph 5)

200

Part B Which quotation from the passage supports the answer to Part A? 

A “This sort of me­time can be achieved on many forms of transportation— . . .” (paragraph 2)

B “The scenery might blur around you, but you’re still touching the ground.” (paragraph 7) 

C “. . . I’m hardly advocating we all spend three weeks on a ship dry heaving into the sea just to go to London.” (paragraph 9) 

D “And my personal worst travel woes have been plane and train­based— . . .” (paragraph 11)

A “This sort of me­time can be achieved on many forms of transportation— . . .” (paragraph 2)

200

5. How does paragraph 10 contribute to the development of a central idea? 

A It shows the author’s belief in folklore. 

B It shows the author’s appreciation for relaxation. 

C It shows the author’s use of the Internet while traveling.

D It shows the author’s concern about being trapped in a vehicle. In paragraph

B It shows the author’s appreciation for relaxation.

200

32. Which quotation from paragraph 7 is figurative language showing Tom’s respect for the salmon? 

A “Such a fish!”

B “. . . shining silver from head to tail, . . .” 

C “. . . with a grand hooked nose and grand curling lip, and a grand bright eye, . . .” 

D “Surely he must be the salmon, the king of all the fish.” 

D “Surely he must be the salmon, the king of all the fish.”

300

Paragraph 2

This sort of 'me ­time' can be achieved on many forms of transportation—planes, trains, and automobiles (ones I’m not driving anyway) but the one I most enjoy is the bus. Earlier this week, at The Billfold, Ester Bloom wrote that she enjoys the bus (Megabus, to be exact) the least of all methods of transportation, ranking it below “being dragged by the hair.” That’s okay. Life, and travel preferences, are a beautiful potpourri of differences. 

In paragraph 2, what does the phrase “a beautiful potpourri of differences” indicate about the author’s point of view? 

A The author believes traveling is miserable. 

B The author believes everyone has different opinions.

C The author believes bus travel is superior to train travel. 

D The author believes her attitude toward travel is correct.

B. The author believes everyone has different opinions. 

300

Part A What inference can be made based on paragraph 4 of “A Scratch Tells All”? 

A People with tooth decay generally live shorter lives. 

B People of the farming era were not aware of tooth decay. 

C People with a poor diet may also have a shorter life span. 

D People of the non­farming era were concerned with dental hygiene.  

C. People with a poor diet may also have a shorter life span.

300

24. The following question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B. 

Part A Which sentence summarizes a central idea in “A Scratch Tells All”? 

A The benefits of farming outweigh any possible negative effects. 

B Science and history reveal that diet strongly affects tooth decay.

C The creation of refined sugar created worldwide health problems. 

D Tooth decay has decreased significantly since the prefarming era. 

B Science and history reveal that diet strongly affects tooth decay.

300

10. Read the sentences from paragraph 1. “What is the good of a man . . . if he does not understand man’s talk? Now I am as silly and dumb as a man would be with us in the jungle. I must speak their talk.” What do the sentences reveal about Mowgli? 

A Mowgli feels unhappy, but he is determined to succeed in the village of man.

B Mowgli feels helpless living in the village of man and wants to return to the jungle. 

C Mowgli feels happy living in the village of man and wants to learn man’s language. 

D Mowgli feels angry, but he tries to learn their language to prove the villagers wrong.

A Mowgli feels unhappy, but he is determined to succeed in the village of man.

300

23. What is the author’s purpose for writing “A Scratch Tells All”? 

A to encourage readers to take better care of their teeth by making it a daily priority 

B to inform readers about the effect tooth decay has on the overall health of an individual 

C to explain that the diet that resulted from farming has contributed to an increase in tooth decay 

D to explain the harmful effects of sugar on the human body, as well as its role in increasing tooth decay 22.  

C to explain that the diet that resulted from farming has contributed to an increase in tooth decay

400

12. For three months after that night Mowgli hardly ever left the village gate, he was so busy learning the ways and customs of men. First he had to wear a cloth round him, which annoyed him horribly; and then he had to learn about money, which he did not in the least understand, and about plowing, of which he did not see the use. Then the little children in the village made him very angry. Luckily, the Law of the Jungle had taught him to keep his temper, for in the jungle life and food depend on keeping your temper; but when they made fun of him because he would not play games or fly kites, or because he mispronounced some word, only the knowledge that it was unsportsmanlike to kill little naked cubs kept him from picking them up and breaking them in two. 

A Mowgli feels that the little children are acting immature.

B Mowgli feels that the little children are small and unprotected. 

C Mowgli feels that the little children are angry and a waste of his time. 

D Mowgli feels that the little children are not playing fairly and are acting like bears.

A Mowgli feels that the little children are acting immature.

400

Part B Which quotation supports the answer to Part A that people who engage in poor eating habits do not live long? 

A “The early farmers traded their good health, nutritious diets, and longer life span for shorter lives plagued by disease. . . .” (paragraph 3)

B “. . . early farmers ate the same boring starches and sugars that came from their crops of corn, barley, wheat, or rice.” (paragraph 3) 

C “The change in lifestyle and diet from pre­farming to farming is recorded in the archaeological record.” (paragraph 3) 

D “Research on skeletal remains reveals that before farming Europeans had few problems with their teeth.” (paragraph 5) 2

A “The early farmers traded their good health, nutritious diets, and longer life span for shorter lives plagued by disease. . . .” (paragraph 3)

400

Part B Which quotation supports the answer to Part A? 

A “Didn’t farming end starvation and famine? Didn’t it free us from having to wander the land looking for our next meal?” (paragraph 2) 

B “Wear patterns, scratch marks, and dental decay all tell a story about the foods we eat and how they were prepared.” (paragraph 6) 

C “The most significant change in the teeth of early farming communities is the number and types of cavities.” (paragraph 7) 

D “Certainly, we cannot go back to being nomads, but we can learn to eat nutritious diets and save our teeth.”

D “Certainly, we cannot go back to being nomads, but we can learn to eat nutritious diets and save our teeth.”

400

14. Which quotation from paragraph 7 explains why Mowgli is chosen over the other villagers to herd the buffalo? 

A “When the potter’s donkey slipped in the clay pit, Mowgli hauled it out by the tail, . . .” 

B “. . . Mowgli . . . helped to stack the pots for their journey to the market at Khanhiwara.” 

C “When the priest scolded him, Mowgli threatened to put him on the donkey too, . . .”

D “. . . he went off to a circle that met every evening on a masonry platform. . . .”

C “When the priest scolded him, Mowgli threatened to put him on the donkey too, . . .”

400

31. How does the author create suspense in the beginning of the passage? 

A by allowing the reader to know Tom’s thoughts and actions 

B by allowing the reader to observe the salmon’s civility toward Tom 

C by allowing the reader to observe Tom’s interactions with the salmon 

D by allowing the reader to know some of the salmon’s feelings about Tom 

A by allowing the reader to know Tom's thoughts and actions

500

13. Read paragraph 6. 

He did not know his own strength in the least. In the jungle he knew he was weak compared with the beasts, but in the village people said that he was as strong as a bull. How does the author’s use of figurative language impact the meaning of the passage? 

A by showing that Mowgli acts like an animal because he was raised by wolves 

B by showing that the people in the village think Mowgli is very powerful for someone so young 

C by suggesting that the people in the village think that Mowgli is forceful and respect what he has to offer 

D by suggesting that Mowgli left the jungle because the beasts felt he was weak and lacked respect for him  

B by showing that the people in the village think Mowgli is very powerful for someone so young

500

35. Which quotation supports the idea that Tom should not be afraid of the salmon? 

A “‘. . . I shall surely lose my way, or some strange thing will bite me. I will stop here and look out for the otter, or the eels, or some one to tell me where I shall go.’” (paragraph 3) 

B “. . . silver from head to tail, and here and there a crimson dot; with a grand hooked nose and grand curling lip, and a grand bright eye, looking round him as proudly as a king, . . .” (paragraph 7) 

C “. . . for salmon are all true gentlemen, and, like true gentlemen, they look noble and proud enough, and yet, like true gentlemen, they never harm or quarrel with any one, . . .” (paragraph 8)

D “‘. . . I see what you are, my little dear. I have met one or two creatures like you before, and found them very agreeable and well­behaved.’” (paragraph 15)

C “. . . for salmon are all true gentlemen, and, like true gentlemen, they look noble and proud enough, and yet, like true gentlemen, they never harm or quarrel with any one, . . .” (paragraph 8)

500

Read the incomplete summary of The Water­Babies. 

Tom, a little boy who becomes a “water baby,” swims down the river to the sea. Tom meets some salmon, and they tell him they have met others like him in the sea. They also tell Tom that the trout are poorly mannered relatives of the salmon. 

40. Which sentence should be added to make a complete and accurate summary? 

A Tom meets the largest salmon, whose companion is too tired to continue swimming upstream. 

B Tom finds a crack in a rock and waits for someone to tell him his way but eventually falls asleep. 

C Tom becomes frightened when he reaches the sea and decides to wait and ask someone what he should do.

D Tom sees a proud salmon with a curling lip and bright eye that acts as if he is a king and tries to speak with him.

C Tom becomes frightened when he reaches the sea and decides to wait and ask someone what he should do.

500

36. Which quotation reveals the salmon’s attitude toward trout? 

A “‘Ah?’ said the salmon, very stately but very civilly. ‘I really beg your pardon; I see what you are, my little dear.’” (paragraph 15) 

B “‘Indeed, it was only last night that one at the river’s mouth came and warned me and my wife of some new stake­nets which had got into the stream, . . .’” (paragraph 18) 

C “‘Were there no babies up this stream?’ asked the lady salmon.” (paragraph 20) 

D “‘My dear, we do not even mention them, if we can help it; . . .’” (paragraph 25)

D “‘My dear, we do not even mention them, if we can help it; . . .’” (paragraph 25)

500

Which two quotations from paragraph 25 show how the author creates suspense? 

A “‘. . . they are relations of ours. . . .’” 

B “‘. . . they were just like us: . . .’” 

C “‘. . . they were so lazy, and cowardly, and greedy, . . .’”

D “‘. . . they are very properly punished for it; . . .’” 

E “‘. . . they will eat our children.’” 33.

C “‘. . . they were so lazy, and cowardly, and greedy, . . .’”

E “‘. . . they will eat our children.’” 33. 

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