Literary Texts
Tommy was different from most kids his age. Tommy could listen to disco music from the '70s all day. In his bedroom, he had a working pay phone from the '50s. He even owned a three-piece suit from the '20s.
Based on the text, which sentence is more likely to be true?
A) Tommy doesn't have a cell phone.
B) Tommy likes older things.
B) Tommy likes older things.
Grizzly bears are mammals that live on land. You can tell grizzlies by the huge hump on their shoulders. This is a muscle they use for digging. Fun Fact: While on a hunting trip, President Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot an old bear. Newspapers teased him, and from then on, cute, stuffed, toy bears were called "teddy bears."
Which is the best detail to show that cuddly, soft toys were named after a president?
A) You can tell grizzlies by the huge hump on their shoulders.
B) Grizzly bears are mammals that live on land.
C) While on a hunting trip, President Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot an old bear.
D) Newspapers teased him, and from then on, cute, stuffed, toy bears were called "teddy bears."
D) Newspapers teased him, and from then on, cute, stuffed, toy bears were called "teddy bears."
Bill volunteers at a soup kitchen for the past week.
Choose the word or group of words that BEST replaces the italicized part of the sentence.
A) has been volunteering
B) would volunteered
C) will be volunteering
D) volunteered
A) has been volunteering
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Austria in 1756. When he was very young, he showed great musical aptitude. For example, he could play the keyboard by the age of three, and he was writing musical compositions by the age of five. His father was a musician who gave Mozart lessons in piano and other instruments. After this early start, Mozart spent his life studying, playing, and composing music. Over the course of his life, he wrote more than six hundred musical works of many different types. His music is still popular and is performed often today.
What is the meaning of aptitude as used in the passage?
A) ability to do or learn something
B) weariness of something
C) enjoyment of something
D) lack of interest in something
A) ability to do or learn something
Choose the sentence that is written more vividly than the other.
A. Meg cleaned the dirty kitchen floor.
B. Meg scrubbed the filthy kitchen floor.
B. Meg scrubbed the filthy kitchen floor.
Maura flipped the light switch off and on, but the lamp didn't turn on. The TV wouldn't turn on, either. Maura looked out her window. All of the other houses had dark windows even though it was dinner time.
Based on the text, which sentence is more likely to be true?
A) Maura forgot to pay her electricity bill.
B) The power is out on Maura's street.
B) The power is out on Maura's street.
The chameleon is well-known among reptiles for being able to change color. It is also famous for its lightning-fast tongue. If you've ever seen a chameleon catching an insect, you've seen its tongue zip in and out. How does the chameleon manage this? A chameleon has a special muscle in its tongue. When the reptile is ready to grab its prey, it contracts, or tightens, the muscle. When the muscle stops contracting, the tongue springs forward with amazing speed and power.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A) A chameleon's tongue moves forward when a muscle stops contracting.
B) A muscle in a chameleon's tongue helps the tongue move fast.
C) A chameleon's tongue can move amazingly fast.
B) A muscle in a chameleon's tongue helps the tongue move fast.
Calen has _______ more than 5000 meters to prepare for the swim meet.
Choose the form of the verb that BEST completes the sentence.
A) swams
B) swimmed
C) swum
D) swim
C) swum
If you were reading a book and ran across a word that you did not know, you could attempt to look at that word's definition in the book's_____
A) index.
B) table of contents.
C) title page.
D) glossary.
D) glossary.
Choose the sentence that is written more vividly than the other.
A. The thief took her purse from her shoulder.
B. The thief snatched her purse from her shoulder.
B. The thief snatched her purse from her shoulder.
Mr. Wolff couldn’t help but stand by the doorway while Juana tutored his child. Avery was a sweet kid, and she worked hard. However, Mr. Wolff couldn’t understand why she didn’t make good grades. Mr. Wolff used to be a straight-A student and graduated at top of his class everywhere he studied. He secretly wanted the same for Avery. She was a happy, average student.
Juana was teaching Algebra, Mr. Wolff’s favorite subject. After every problem that Avery got right, she looked in her father’s direction to make sure that he knew. She smiled and said, “Daddy, I got it.” After the fifth time that Avery did this, Mr. Wolff felt bad. He looked at Juana who seemed as if to say, “Look how hard she is trying to please you.”
“I know, sweetheart,” Mr. Wolff said. “I am proud of how hard you try.” He said words he had never said before.
Avery dropped her pencil and notebook and ran to hug her father.
A theme in the story is children ______
A) want to be like their parents.
B) want their parents' support.
C) are never understood by their parents.
D) do not understand their parents.
B) want their parents' support.
Look at these details from a paragraph about the same topic:
In Europe, wild hedgehogs are often found in grasslands, woodlands, and meadows.
African pygmy hedgehogs live in savannas in Africa.
Long-eared hedgehogs can be found in many areas of Asia.
Choose the main idea that ties all the details together.
A) Hedgehogs build their homes a certain way.
B) Hedgehogs can be found in Africa and Asia.
C) Hedgehogs can be found throughout the world.
C) Hedgehogs can be found throughout the world.
Which is punctuated correctly?
A) Please order a, milkshake; fries; and chicken fingers.
B) Please order, a milkshake, fries, and chicken, fingers.
C) Please order a milkshake fries, and chicken fingers.
D) Please order a milkshake, fries, and chicken fingers.
D) Please order a milkshake, fries, and chicken fingers.
This school project is so big that one kid's effort is just going to be a drop in the bucket.
What does the italicized phrase in this sentence mean?
A) One kid will be able to recruit lots of other kids to help him.
B) One kid will be able to finish this project on his own.
C) One kid's effort is not going to make much of a difference.
D) One kid's effort is going to make all the difference in the world.
C) One kid's effort is not going to make much of a difference.
Evelyn loved to read all types of books. She bought and borrowed books whenever she could. She had so many books that she started to run out of places to put them. Evelyn put books on the kitchen table, on the windowsills, and under her bed. At last, Evelyn had to get a shelf for her growing library.
Which sentence would be the BEST possible supporting detail for the paragraph.
A) Evelyn soon had more than thirty books.
B) Evelyn enjoyed reading adventure stories.
C) Evelyn lived in a small house with her father.
D) Evelyn got good grades in her reading classes.
A) Evelyn soon had more than thirty books.
Alex got to the theater a whole hour early. He wanted to make sure to get the perfect seat for the latest horror movie: that chair exactly in the middle.
"Alex!" someone called out from the ticket line.
"Claire! What are you here to see?"
"Endless Night. I've been waiting so long for it to come out."
"Me too!" Alex replied.
Select the statement that is correct.
A) Alex is more outgoing than Claire.
B) Alex is more enthusiastic about the movie than Claire.
C) Claire is more knowledgeable about films than Alex.
D) Both Alex and Claire enjoy scary movies.
D) Both Alex and Claire enjoy scary movies.
On a clear, dark night, you can see about 6,000 stars in the sky. Did you know that stars do not actually twinkle? They only seem to twinkle because of the effects of our atmosphere. One of the things that make this happen is the wind. The difference in temperature also changes how we see the light from the stars.
The light travels in a straight line towards the Earth. However, it gets bent and bounces around in the air. So, the light seems to increase and decrease in brightness.
Which details belong in a summary of the article? (Select two.)
A) Stars do not actually twinkle, but they seem to do so.
B) There are more than 6,000 stars in the sky.
C) The light from the stars bends and bounces in the air.
D) It is best to look at the stars on clear, dark nights.
A) Stars do not actually twinkle, but they seem to do so.
C) The light from the stars bends and bounces in the air.
Choose the word with the correct spelling to complete this sentence:
Gregory, the most sneaky ________ in the story, was able to solve the mystery.
A) caracter
B) charachter
C) character
D) charackter
C) character
The long and unsuccessful search for petroleum in Rhode Island turned out to be a wild-goose chase.
What is the meaning of a wild-goose chase?
A) a rough estimate for an amount
B) a search for large birds
C) a complete waste of time
C) a complete waste of time
We have used the RACE strategy to answer a question that needs a written, constructed response. RACE is an acronym that stands for the steps we should take to effectively answer the question.
What do the C and E stand for in the RACE strategy?
A) cite and elevate
B) cause and effect
C) cause and explain
D) cite and explain
D) cite and explain
The storm raged on in the dark for hours. I could not stay asleep because every time lightning flashed, it was followed by a house-shaking boom of thunder. Night seemed to last forever. I started thinking of other things that seem to go by slowly: projects, long road trips, yard work, and cleaning dishes. Maybe it was that I just focused on those things too much. Either way, I couldn't wait for the sun to come out and shine on a new day.
Which theme BEST describes the passage?
A) Lightning is followed by thunder.
B) Unpleasant things can seem to go by slowly.
C) The speaker does not sleep well during storms.
D) The speaker was eagerly awaiting for the sun to arrive.
B) Unpleasant things can seem to go by slowly.
Did you know that polar bears have black skin under their white coat? The dark skin helps the bears soak up the Sun’s rays and keep warm. In addition, a layer of fat, called blubber insulates the bear’s body from the cold. The fat protects the bear from the frigid air and near-freezing water.
Based on the clues, what does “insulates” mean?
A) Surrounds
B) Absorbs
C) Keeps separate
D) Unlocks
C) Keeps separate
Choose the word below in which the letter u has the same sound as it does in the word unity.
A) commute
B) quest
C) untie
D) dual
A) commute
While on a spacewalk, astronauts wear backpacks with small jets that can help steer them in space. Steering can be tricky, though, because astronauts are often tethered to their ships. The cords connecting astronauts to their ships let them return to the ships safely if the jet packs should fail.
What is the meaning of tethered as used in the passage?
A) added
B) launched
C) tied
D) floated
C) tied
Denise's first trip to Disney World was an unforgettable experience. She spent her first day with her family in the Magic Kingdom, meeting Mickey and all his friends. The second day was dedicated solely to riding roller coasters in the Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. On the third day, Denise and her family visited each of the different countries in the World Showcase at Epcot. Every single minute of the four days Denise spent in Disney World was packed with exciting events.
Which sentence would work BEST as a concluding sentence to this paragraph?
A) Last year, Denise and her family had gone on a vacation to the Grand Canyon.
B) Denise wished that her family had had time to visit Universal Studios as well.
C) The only thing Denise regretted was missing all her favorite TV shows that week.
D) Denise knew that her time at Disney World was definitely the best vacation of her life.
D) Denise knew that her time at Disney World was definitely the best vacation of her life.