English
5. During a unit on propaganda, a sixth-grade teacher asks students to evaluate short statements made in advertising materials and to attempt to detect any faulty reasoning. Which of the following levels of reading comprehension is primarily being targeted in the lesson?
A. Literal
B. Inferential
C. Evaluative
D. Appreciative
Option C is correct because evaluative comprehension includes the skill of detecting faulty reasoning. Students must apply what they have read to their own lives and knowledge of the world to make judgments about text. Option A is incorrect because literal comprehension requires students to understand plot elements and details about the text. Option B is incorrect because inferential comprehension requires students to read between the lines of the text to make inferences about cause and effect, moral lessons, and themes and to predict what may happen next. Option D is incorrect because appreciative comprehension requires students to develop their own feelings and opinions about a piece of text.
57. Which of the following was the primary purpose of adding the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution?
A. Creating explicit limits on the power of the federal government
B. Granting the power of judicial review to the Supreme Court
C. Ceding sovereignty to the individual states
D. Amending errors in the Constitution
Option A is correct because the Bill of Rights was adopted to address the fears of those who thought that the federal government’s powers under the Constitution were too broad. Option B is incorrect because the Bill of Rights does not mention or enumerate the power of judicial review. Option C is incorrect because the Bill of Rights focuses on individual rights rather than the powers of state governments. Option D is incorrect because the Bill of Rights was not intended to correct errors in the Constitution.
68. As a demonstration during a unit on weather, a teacher adds food coloring to the bottom of a beaker of water being heated on a hot plate, and the students observe the movement of color in the water. Which of the following processes is illustrated by the movement of the color?
A. Conduction
B. Convection
C. Evaporation
D. Radiation
Option B is correct because convection is the process of heat transfer by currents in fluids. Convection plays an important role in both global and local weather phenomena. Option A is incorrect because conduction involves the transfer of heat by the exchange of kinetic energy between colliding particles. Option C is incorrect because evaporation is the process that occurs when liquid at the surface enters the air in the gas phase. Option D is incorrect because radiation is the process of energy transfer by electromagnetic waves.
31. A sixth-grade teacher has a number of students experiencing reading difficulties. Which of the following is the best way to assess the students’ fluency skills and reading levels?
A) Having students read silently and answer questions that follow the reading
B) Having students read aloud to determine how fast they can read a piece of text
C) Having students read aloud for one minute and count the number of words read correctly
D) Having students read silently and write down any unfamiliar words in the text
Option C is correct because the main method of evaluating reading fluency and determining the reading level is to count the number of words a student reads correctly during a one-minute oral reading. Option A is incorrect because the student must read aloud in order for the teacher to assess reading fluency skills and determine the reading level. Option B is incorrect because how fast a student reads does not on its own determine the student’s fluency and reading levels. Option D is incorrect because having the student read aloud, not silently, while the teacher counts the number of correctly pronounced words is the main way to assess reading fluency.
100. While discussing a play they recently saw, students note that one of the characters often appeared onstage in the shadows. When confronted with upsetting news, the same character was shown in red light. As described, which of the following is a primary purpose of the lighting?
A. Enhancing performance visibility
B. Directing an actor’s movement
C. Prompting inferences about the character’s personality
D. Developing a realistic setting for the character
Answer: C
Option C is correct because specifically placed lighting or colored transparen- cies over the lights helps cue an inference regarding the character’s personality. Option A is incorrect because while making an actor more visible is often the purpose of lighting, red light and shadows will have the opposite effect. Option B is incorrect because there is no evidence that the actor was being directed to move by the light. Option D is incorrect because the use of red light at moments when a character is receiving upsetting news helps to develop an expressionistic, rather than a realistic, effect.
Which of the following sentences from the excerpt best explains the idea of cause and effect? A) Most tigers are black, white and orange, although some are only white and black. B) They can run at speeds of 35 miles per hour, even though they are the largest species of cat. C) Tigers are endangered in the wild, because people often destroy their forest homes. D) In the United States, tigers can be seen in zoos and wildlife preserves.
Option C is correct because it provides a cause-and-effect relationship. Option A is incorrect because it merely describes the coloring of tigers. Option B is incorrect because this sentence does not give a cause and an effect. On the contrary, the effect (speed) seems to defy the cause (size). Option D is incorrect because the sentence states a simple fact.
53. Which of the following events was a result of human interaction with the environment during the Spanish colonial era of Texas history?
A. The construction of presidios near churches
B. The conversion of American Indians to Christianity C. The building of acequias for the missions
D. The creation of alcaldes for civil settlements
Option C is correct because acequias were ditches dug to direct river water toward the missions. Option A is incorrect because presidios were built to protect the missions. Option B is incorrect because it does not pertain to human interaction with the environment. Option D is incorrect because alcaldes are judges used in civil settlements.
71. Which of the following is the adaptation that will best aid plant survival in an arid environment?
A. Waxy leaves
B. Aerial roots
C. Broad leaves
D. Green flowers
Option A is correct because having a waxy surface decreases water loss from leaves, aiding plant survival in an arid environment. Option B is incorrect because aerial roots are not an adaptation to aid plant survival in an arid environment. Option C is incorrect because broad leaves are not an adaptation to aid plant survival in an arid environment. Option D is incorrect because green flowers are not an adaptation to aid plant survival in an arid environment.
29. In a meeting with a teacher, a parent asks how to encourage reading and improve reading skills for children at home. Which of the following is the most effective recommendation for the teacher to make?
A. Reading books aloud with the child at home
B. Allowing the child to see adults read at home
C. Providing costumes and props for the child to act out stories at home D. Buying books on audio for the child to hear at home
Option A is correct because research shows that reading aloud with children is the best way to promote childhood literacy. Option B is incorrect because although watching adults read at home is good for children to see, it will not improve the child’s own reading skills. Option C is incorrect because asking parents to provide costumes and props for children to act out stories at home is not appropriate and may not be doable for many parents. In addition, acting out stories will not improve the child’s reading skills. Option D is incorrect because listening to someone else read aloud is not active participation by the child to promote his or her own reading skills.
97. According to current research in the field of physical education, which of the following best promotes student participation in lifelong physical activity?
A. Learning how to play popular sports and games
B. Playing for a team that wins games regularly
C. Acquiring basic skills needed to participate in a variety of activities
D. Becoming familiar with common gymnasium equipment
Option C is correct because current research indicates that when students acquire the basic skills they need to participate in a variety of activities, they are more willing to do so and more confident in their ability. Option A is incorrect because not all popular sports and games will appeal to all students. Option B is incorrect because it is unlikely that students will always be on a winning team, and it is important for students to learn to win and lose gracefully. Option D is incorrect because becoming familiar with common gymnasium equipment will not teach skills or instill in students a desire to participate in lifelong physical activity.
25. In which of the following ways does the expository text best help build students’ vocabulary knowledge and development?
A) By connecting geographic regions to the topic of the excerpt
B) By including advanced words such as “endangered” and “preserve”
C) By encouraging students to respond to a question that requires specialized vocabular
D) By allowing students to determine the meaning of unknown words in context
Option D is correct because although the excerpt contains some difficult words (“species” and “endangered”), students should be able to arrive at the meanings of these words by listening to the surrounding words and discussing the context of the sentences and paragraph as a whole. Option A is incorrect including geographic regions does not build vocabulary knowledge. Option B is incorrect because while this excerpt does include some advanced words, it does not build vocabulary knowledge. Option C is incorrect because the two questions do not require the use of specialized vocabulary.
56. Texas rice farmers depend on water from the Colorado River to irrigate their crops. In times of severe drought, less water is released downstream, which sometimes results in inadequate irrigation and failed crops. To prevent such a loss, rice farmers sometimes plant alternative crops on their lands. This action is an example of
A. adapting to environmental changes.
B. adjusting to supply and demand.
C. using nonrenewable resources to improve farming.
D. modifying the environment to meet farming needs.
Option A is correct because the farmers are changing their choice of crop to adapt to the change in environment. Option B is incorrect because supply and demand is an economic concept that refers to the relationship between price and quantity. This question refers to adapting to an environmental change. Option C is incorrect because water is considered a renewable resource. In addition, the stem refers to a lack of water being the cause of failed crops. Option D is incorrect because the farmers are making a change in their behavior to adapt to the environment, not modifying the environment to meet farming needs.
73. The two most abundant gases in Earth’s atmosphere are
A. oxygen and nitrogen.
B. oxygen and carbon dioxide.
C. oxygen and water vapor.
D. oxygen and hydrogen.
Option A is correct because in a sample of dry air near Earth’s surface, approximately 99% is oxygen (about 21%) and nitrogen (78%). Option B is incorrect because it lists carbon dioxide, which accounts for approximately 0.036% of Earth’s atmosphere. Option C is incorrect because it lists water vapor, which is the most variable component of the atmosphere, but it typically ranges between 1% and 4%. Option D is incorrect because it lists hydrogen, which is found only in trace amounts in the atmosphere.
60. Of the following, which best demonstrates the use of an inquiry-based activity during a unit on physical properties of matter?
A. Creating a graphic organizer of physical properties, using a textbook
B. Describing the physical properties of different objects in a journal
C. Matching terms that describe physical properties with their definitions D. Separating a mixture, using the physical properties of its components
Option D is correct because the activity of separating a mixture into its components engages the students and develops inquiry skills such as conducting investigations, gathering data, analyzing evidence, and logical reasoning. Option A is incorrect because although creating a graphic organizer may facilitate learning, it is not an inquiry-based activity. Option B is incorrect because although describing physical properties may improve observation and communication skills, by itself it is not an inquiry-based activity. Option C is incorrect because although matching terms with definitions may be appropriate to introduce and reinforce concept vocabulary, it is not an inquiry-based activity.
88. Which of the following musical terms tells the performer to play loudly, then immediately play quietly?
A. cresc.
B. mf
C. dim.
D. fp
Option D is correct because the symbol means to perform loudly then immediately quietly. Option A is incorrect because the symbol means to play increasingly louder. Option B is incorrect because it means to perform moderately loudly. Option C is incorrect because the symbol means to play increasingly more quietly.
3. Students in a kindergarten class are learning to analyze and spell phonetically regular words. They have learned to identify individual phonemes and to blend onsets and rimes. Which of the following is the most appropriate to teach next?
A. Vowel-consonant patterns
B. Types of syllables
C. Short and long vowels
D. Vowel diphthongs
Option C is correct because once students have learned the individual sounds made by letters and can blend the sounds at the beginnings and ends of words, they must be able to analyze the vowels within the word and determine whether the vowels are short or long so they can assign meaning to the word as a whole. Option A is incorrect because students can analyze common vowel and consonant patterns after they learn about the vowel sounds and consonant blends that make up a given word. Option B is incorrect because syllabication is the last piece of the puzzle in analyzing phonetically regular words. Once students can piece together all of the phonemes and blended sounds within the word, they can analyze its syllabic structure. Option D is incorrect because vowel diphthongs are characteristic of irregularly spelled words. Students must first learn to analyze and spell phonetically regular words before moving on to analyzing and spelling irregular words.
48. Which of the following had the greatest impact on Anglo settlement in Hispanic Texas?
A. Native Americans encouraged trade with Anglos.
B. Mexican land grants provided inexpensive properties in Texas.
C. Government payments enticed settlers to inhabit American Indian territory.
D. The prospect of religious freedom in Texas attracted Anglo settlement.
Option B is correct because the Mexican government approved land grants to encourage Anglos to move to Texas. Anglos could purchase land for much less in Texas than in the United States, which encouraged large groups of Anglos to move to Texas. Option A is incorrect because the Native Americans living in Texas were resistant to Anglos moving onto their lands. Option C is incorrect because Mexico did not pay anything to the settlers; the only financial incentive was the land grant. Option D is incorrect because settlers had to sign an oath with Mexico stating they would convert to Catholicism upon settling in Texas.
74. Which of the following is the Coriolis effect most likely to influence?
A. The amount of solar radiation reaching Earth's surface
B. The height of a tsunami
C. The dew point of an air mass
D. The circulation pattern of global wind belts
Option D is correct because the Earth rotates, and as air moves, it undergoes an apparent deflection from its path, as seen by an observer on Earth. This apparent deflection is called the Coriolis effect and is a result of Earth's rotation. Option A is incorrect because the amount of incoming solar radiation reaching Earth's surface is dependent on latitude and the tilt of Earth's axis and is not influenced by Earth's rotation. Option B is incorrect because tsunami height is dependent on the speed and wavelength of the ocean wave and on the topography of the coastline. Option C is incorrect because dew point is dependent on the amount of water vapor present in air as well as the air temperature.
30. Fifth-grade students are preparing to read a short story about two children’s visit to a New York City zoo. Which of the following activities is the best way to introduce the text to promote reading comprehension?
A. Completing a KWL chart
B. Listening to the story on audio
C. Writing about their own experiences in New York City D. Identifying New York City on a map
Option A is correct because having students complete a KWL chart before and after reading the text helps build and activate background knowledge, which promotes reading comprehension. Option B is incorrect because while listening to a story on tape may help increase reading fluency, it does not tap into the students’ schema to activate the necessary background knowledge needed to assist with reading comprehension. Option C is incorrect because many of the students may have not gone to New York City. Option D is incorrect because merely identifying the city on the map does nothing to build or activate prior or new knowledge, which is critical to reading comprehension.
KWL Chart- What I know, What I want to know, What I learned
87. When teaching students to sing using the Kodály method, which of the following is the first interval taken from folk songs and used in echo singing?
A. Ti-do B. Mi-do C. Sol-mi D. La-ti
Option C is correct because it is the first interval that is within the Kodály sequence of intervals. Option A is incorrect because it is not the first interval in the Kodály sequence of intervals. Option B is incorrect because it is not the first interval in the Kodály sequence of intervals. Option D is incorrect because it is not the first interval in the Kodály sequence of intervals.
Kodaly sequence definition: is a pitch exploration from high to low
4. Which of the following silent reading practices provides the best conditions for students’ individual reading improvement?
A) Engaging in sustained silent reading for an hour once a week while the teacher reads a book to model engaged reading behaviors
B) Dropping everything and reading several times a week for 30 minutes while the teacher grades papers or prepares instructional materials
C) Reading silently any time independent work has been completed early while the teacher keeps anecdotal records of student behaviors D) Participating in scaffolded silent reading for 20 minutes every day while the teacher confers with students individually about their reading
Option D is correct because students are receiving support through scaffolding. This could be in the form of minilessons, conferencing, dialogue journaling or other supports. Option A is incorrect because participating in sustained silent reading for an hour a week is not optimal. Furthermore, when the teacher provides little direction to the students in terms of reading material, there is no way to guarantee student success and participation. Option B is incorrect because there is no student accountability in this situation. The teacher may or may not model good reading behaviors, and the students are not expected to do anything but read. There is no way for the teacher to know if students are actually reading or just pretending. Option C is incorrect because while this is a good use of time if students finish early, it does not guarantee that every student will have the opportunity to read. Silent reading cannot be assigned haphazardly in school.
50. Which THREE of the following events most directly affected the economic development of Texas in the twentieth century?
A. The attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941
B. The Arab oil embargo of 1973
C. The oil strike at Spindletop in 1901
D. The stock market crash of 1929
E. The Cuban missile crisis of 1962
Option B is correct because, although the embargo placed on oil products from the Middle East caused distress for the rest of the United States, the oil- producing state of Texas experienced an economic advantage because of price inflation. Option C is correct because the discovery of oil at the Spindletop salt dome near Beaumont, Texas in 1901 can be attributed to the birth of the modern petroleum industry in Texas. The oil strike opened new avenues of business for prospectors, oil refineries and manufacturers. Option D is correct because, although many Texans were skeptical that the stock market crash of 1929 would have serious effects on their state economy, they began to change their positions on seeking federal aid as conditions during the Great Depression worsened. New Deal programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) benefited the state during its economic downturn by alleviating unemployment issues and building new infrastructure. Option A is incorrect because, although the attack on Pearl Harbor came at a cost to the United States military, the economic impact was far less direct to the state of Texas. Option E is incorrect because the thirteen-day conflict between the United States, the Soviet Union and Cuba did not have a direct effect on the economy of Texas.
62. When a vast amount of ash is expelled from a volcano during a catastrophic eruption, some of this ash can remain in the atmosphere for years. Which of the following changes in Earth’s system most likely results from this situation?
A. Decreased solar reflection leading to higher global temperatures B. Decreased solar reflection leading to lower global temperatures C. Increased solar reflection leading to higher global temperatures D. Increased solar reflection leading to lower global temperatures
Option D is correct because as more ash is added to the atmosphere, sunlight is more liable to bounce off the ash particles and be reflected back into space. When less sunlight passes through the atmosphere, Earth’s surface and atmosphere remain cooler. Options A and B are incorrect because an increase in volcanic ash in the atmosphere does not decrease the amount of sunlight that is reflected. Option C is incorrect because although solar reflection is increased, this does not lead to higher temperatures.
28. A fourth-grade teacher notices several students who are shy and reluctant to speak in class. What strategy would be most effective in motivating students’ participation in class while enhancing their listening and speaking skills?
A) Allowing students regular opportunities to read aloud in front of the class
B) Giving students opportunities to share and listen to stories in a small-group setting
C) Encouraging students to orally respond to higher-level thinking questions during class
D) Permitting students to choose which groups of students they feel comfortable speaking to
Option B is correct because telling personal stories, listening to others’ stories, and providing feedback and questions help build students’ linguistic fluency, meaningful oral expression, confidence, receptive language skills, and listening comprehension skills. In addition, being in a small-group setting will put the students more at ease. Option A is incorrect because some students may feel frustrated or embarrassed about their limited speaking and reading abilities and will be too intimidated to participate. Option C is incorrect because some students may fear being ridiculed by others because of their limited speaking abilities or incorrect responses to questioning. Option D is incorrect because students should experience speaking in front of others who are not necessarily part of their preferred peer groups.
92. Which of the following terms describes the phenomenon of a young child having greater control of his or her upper torso than of his or her legs or feet?
A. Component stages
B. Proximodistal development
C. Developmental biodynamics
D. Cephalocaudal development
Option D is correct because cephalocaudal development describes physical development that starts from the head, then progresses to the lower parts of the body, such as the legs and feet. Option A is incorrect because component stages are not a part of physical development. Option B is incorrect because proximodistal development describes physical development from the center of the body, such as the spinal cord, with progression outward to the fingers and toes. Option C is incorrect because developmental biodynamics is a field that describes brain, body, and behavior connections as related to motor development.