Test Taking
Test Terms
ELA Multiple Choice
The "Blurb"
ELA Multiple Choice
100
Eat this meal in order to give yourself good energy while taking the test.
What is breakfast?
100
The term "least likely" means this
100
The word neurotoxin in section 2 comes from the Greek word neuro, which means "nerve," and the Latin word toxicus, which means "poison." Which phrase best defines the word neurotoxin? A. a substance that damages nerve tissue B. a medicine for people who have been poisoned C. a person with nerve tissue damage D. a doctor who studies poisons
What is A
100
Fast food and fast-food restaurants did not always exist. In fact, hamburgers had a bad reputation when they were first introduced in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Read the excerpt about the beginnings of fast food and answer the questions that follow. Write a question based on this blurb.
Based on the excerpt, explain why it took many years for hamburgers to become popular in the United States. Support your answer with important and specific information from the excerpt.
100
The description “the wind is never weary” means the wind A. blows lightly. B. does not stop. C. changes direction. D. is not bothersome.
What is B?
200
It is important to pay attention to these symbols at the bottom of the page so that you do not go onto the next section.
What are stop signs?
200
The term "most likely" means this
200
Read the sentence below. Until now it has not occurred to Gogol that names die over time, that they perish just as people do. Which of the following best explains what the phrase "names die over time" means? A. Some names are no longer used. B. People get used to odd names. C. Most people are forgotten. D. All people eventually die.
What is C?
200
Fourteen-year-old Clara journeys to Mexico to meet her grandparents for the first time. Read this excerpt from What the Moon Saw to find out what she discovers about these “strangers” and answer the questions that follow. Write a question based on this blurb.
Explain how Clara’s feelings change in the excerpt. Support your answer with important and specific information from the excerpt.
200
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining; What does the imagery in the line symbolize? A. hope B. equality C. gratitude D. obedience
What is A?
300
It is important to read this before the main body of text.
What is the blurb?
300
When you see a question that says "except" you should do this.
What is try out all possible answers and pick the one that does NOT fit.
300
Read the sentence below: Despite Charlie’s best efforts, burgers didn’t become America’s national dish overnight. Which of the following sentences uses the word dish in the same way as it is used in the box? A. Elizabeth’s favorite dish is lobster salad. B. The satellite dish is a familiar sight C. Karen kept the antique dish in a closet D. Some people can dish out criticism but cannot take it.
What is A?
300
Scorpions—do they deserve their "deadly reputation"? Read the excerpt from Scorpion Man to learn more about these creatures related to spiders and answer the questions that follow.
Based on the excerpt, explain why scorpions have been able to survive for millions of years. Support your answer with important and specific information from the excerpt.
300
Read the sentence below: An experimenter might put two objects in front of the child, perhaps a teddy bear and a potato masher, and ask, "May I have the bloof?" What part of speech is the nonsense word bloof as it is used in the sentence? A. verb B. noun C. adverb D. adjective
What is B?
400
If you answer questions in your test booklet you must make sure to do this afterwards:
What is put the answers on the answer sheet.
400
When you are trying to figure out what the "best" answer is you should do this.
What is plug in all of the answers and see which fits.
400
Read the sentence below: I caught a whiff of a nice smell—soil, campfires, leather. What is the purpose of the dash in the sentence? A. to introduce quotations B. to set off additional details C. to transition to a different topic D. to separate terms from their definitions
What is B?
400
This excerpt is set on Robben Island, South Africa, in a former prison well known for its brutality. Nelson Mandela, who later became president of the country, was once a political prisoner there because he spoke out for the rights of black South Africans. The narrator and her father, both from the United States, are just beginning their tour of the prison as the story begins. Read the excerpt to find out what she learns on her tour. Answer the questions that follow. Write a question based on the blurb.
Based on the excerpt, describe how the narrator’s visit to the prison affects her. Support your answer with important and specific evidence from the excerpt.
400
Read the sentence below: The signs that welcome people into Seymour let everybody know they’re entering THE HOME OF THE HAMBURGER. What do the capital letters in the sign mainly emphasize? A. the age of the sign B. the size of the sign C. Seymour residents’ pride in their history D. Seymour residents’ dislike for other towns
What is C?
500
You should always do these three things before you begin answering an open response question.
500
The word "main" means this
500
Based on the prefix anti- and the root “venom,” an antivenin is used to A. kill scorpions. B. repel scorpions. C. treat scorpion stings. D. study scorpion stings.
What is C?
500
The play Lost in Yonkers is set in New York City during the 1940s. In the play, brothers Arty and Jay live with their grandmother and Aunt Bella in an apartment above the family’s candy store. In this excerpt, the boys are falling asleep after Jay visits the store for a midnight snack of ice cream when their Uncle Louie shows up unexpectedly. Read the excerpt and answer the questions that follow. Write a question based on this blurb.
Based on the excerpt, describe Louie’s character. Support your answer with important and specific details from the excerpt.
500
Read the sentence below. What happened next was the unlikely origin of a delicious sandwich that would one day change the world. What is the main effect of the sentence? A. It creates interest. B. It creates an image. C. It describes the setting. D. It describes a character.
What is A
M
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