More Travel, Smarter People?
Joey Solves the Problem
Fair Payment
All Stories
The House With Nobody in It
100
According to Margaret Mead, people who travel to other countries tend to— A) spend too much money. B) learn from their experiences. C) enroll in better schools. D) earn higher salaries.
Correct response: B (Identify main idea and supporting details) Mead’s main point is that people who travel are wiser than those who never leave home. Incorrect choices: A People who travel do spend money, but this is not Mead’s point. C Some people travel to go to school, but traveling does not cause people to enroll in better schools. D People who travel may earn higher salaries, but this was not Mead’s point
100
Why didn’t Dad hire the pest-control company to get rid of the skunk? A) It was going to be too expensive. B) They wouldn’t guarantee their work. C) He didn’t want to dig up the lawn. D) He thought the skunk would leave on its own.
Correct response: A (Identify cause and effect) Dad didn’t hire the pest control company because the job would cost hundreds of dollars. Incorrect choices: B The company would guarantee its work, but only if a wire fence was installed. C He was less concerned about the lawn than about the cost. D He hoped the skunk would leave on its own because he could not affrd to have it removed.
100
Which detail is a clue that this passage is a folktale? A) The story begins with the phrase “Long ago.” B) Two characters have a disagreement. C) Tell of the events take place in one day. D) The characters in the story speak.
Correct response: A (Identify literary genres and their characteristics) Folktales typically begin with a phrase such as “Long ago” or “ Once upon a time.” Incorrect choices: B Characters can have a disagreement in any kind of fiction or drama. C The action taking place in one day is not an essential or unique characteristic of a folktale. D Characters may speak in any kind of fiction or drama, not just folktales.
100
From "Fair Payment" The cook’s complaint in this story is most like which of these family situations? A) brother gets upset when his sister plays with a toy he isn’t using. B) brother and sister argue about which television program to watch. C) sister gets upset when her brother borrows her watch and loses it. D) brother and sister argue about who gets to eat the last slice of pie.
Correct response: A (Make connections) In this story, the cook demands payment for the steam that rises from his stew, although it is of no use to him. This is most similar to a brother who gets upset with his sister for playing with a toy when he isn’t using it. Incorrect choices: B, C, and D are incorrect. In all of these situations, a brother and sister argue over something that both of them want but only one can have—unlike the cook and Luke, who argue over something that neither one can possess.
100
What is this poem mostly about? A) A man and his wife B) The road to Suffern C) An old farmhouse D) gang of workmen
Correct response: C (Analyze literary elements: plot) Th main subject of this poem is the “old farmhouse” mentioned in the title and in line 2. Incorrect choices: A A man and his wife are mentioned in the sixth stanza, but they are not the subject of the poem. B The house is located on the road to Suffern, but the road is not the subject. D A gang of workmen is mentioned in the fourth stanza, but this is not the subject of the poem.
200
In this passage, the author is mainly concerned with what kind of travel? A) business travel B) automobile travel C) travel to the United States D) international travel
Correct response: D (Identify main idea and supporting details) The main focus of this passage is traveling to other countries, and the main statistic is “international arrivals.” Incorrect choices: A Business travel is included in the circle graph, but it is not the focus of the passage. B Travel to the United States is discussed in paragraphs 4 and 5, but this is not the focus of the passage. C Automobile travel is mentioned in the passage, but this is not the main focus.
200
What can you tell about Mom from the dialogue in this passage? A) She would never hurt or trap an animal. B) using a computer makes her nervous. C) She does not enjoy the job she has. D) The skunk problem really bothers her.
Correct response: D (Make inferences) You can tell from what she says (“If that skunk doesn’t move out, I’m going to!”) that the skunk problem really bothers her. Incorrect choices: A She wants to trap the skunk or get rid of it in any way they can. B Joey uses the computer, but the story gives no reason to think that computers make Mom nervous. C Th story says that Mom goes of to work, but there is no evidence that she does not like her job.
200
The passage says, “Cooks prepared food over open fires, and the aroma of their offerings drifted through the air.” In this sentence, the word aroma suggests a smell that is— A) rotten. B) unusual. C) alarming. D) pleasing.
Correct response: D (Distinguish denotative and connotative meanings) The word aroma refers to an odor or smell and usually describes a smell that is pleasant or appetizing, such as the smell of cooking food. Incorrect choices: A, B, and C are plausible answers, but they do not fit the meaning or the connotation of aroma.
200
From "Fair Payment" How did the cook probably feel when the king decided that the jingle of two coins was fair payment for the steam from his stew? A) Timid and afraid B) Amused and relieved C) Shocked and disappointed D) Happy and grateful
Correct response: C (Make inferences) The cook smiled smugly at Luke because he expected real payment, so he must have been shocked and disappointed by the king’s decision. Incorrect choices: A The cook did not seem timid or afraid at any time in the story. B Luke might have been amused and relieved, but the cook was not. D The cook was not happy or grateful because he got no actual payment.
200
What does the speaker in this poem suggest about houses? A) Houses should have babies in them. B) Once people live in a house, it becomes somehow human. C) Sad old houses really should be taken down. D) People have a responsibility to keep their houses clean and neat.
Correct response: B (Analyze literary elements: theme) The sixth stanza in particular expresses this idea that houses become “human.” Incorrect choices: A The speaker suggests that houses should have families in them, not just babies or not necessarily babies. C The speaker wants to fix up the old house, not take it down. D The speaker likes to see houses well kept, but the most important thing is to have someone living in the house.
300
According to Graph 1, which of these countries had the least number of visitors in 2006? A) Russia B) Italy C) Spain D) United Kingdom
Correct response: A (Interpret graphic features: graphs) Russia had the fewest visitors in 2006 (about 20 million), as shown in the bar graph. Incorrect choices: B, C, and D are incorrect. All of these countries had more visitors than Russia did.
300
What happened after Joey learned about skunks and their habits? A) Dad spoke to the pest-control people. B) Mom went to work and Joey went to school. C) Joey left the porch light on all night. D) The skunk sprayed under the garage again.
Correct response: C (Identify sequence of events) Joey turned on the porch light after he learned online that skunks dislike bright light. Incorrect choices: A Dad talked to the pest-control people before Joey got home. B Joey learned about skunks that night after he and Mom both got home. D The skunk sprayed again on the first night, before Joey learned about skunks.
300
Luke held the bread over the steaming kettle to— A) change its color. B) clean it. C) make it more flavorful. D) bake it.
Correct response: C (Identify cause and effect) The third paragraph says that Luke held the bread over the kettle so the bread could “absorb the flavor of the rising steam.” Incorrect choices: A Luke did not have any reason to change the color of the bread. B Steam might clean the bread, but that is not why Luke held his bread over the kettle. D He could have warmed the bread with steam, but steam would not bake the bread.
300
From "More Travel, Smarter People" Based on this passage, what can you predict about world travel next year? A) There will be more travel than this year. B) More people will travel by car than by airplane. C) The amount of travel will be about the same as this year. D) Fewer people will travel to the United States.
Correct response: A (Make predictions) Since the World Tourism Organization reports that more people travel out of their own country every year, the best prediction is that there will be more travel next year than this year. Incorrect choices: B Th passage says that air travel is growing, but it gives no specific information about travel by car. C The passage says that the number of travelers keeps growing every year, so the number next year will probably not be the same as this year. D There isn’t any information in the passage to support this prediction.
300
In lines 17–20, the speaker compares a new but empty house to— A) broken heart. B) a hat in a store. C) wooden arms. D) vines that need trimming.
Correct response: B (Identify literary devices) The speaker compares a new but empty house to “a hat on its block in the store.” Both are new and perfectly nice, but they have no “personality” yet because they have not been used. Incorrect choices: A The speaker associates an old, empty house with a broken heart (line 29). C The speaker mentions the “loving wooden arms” of a house (line 23) but does not compare them to a new, empty house. D The speaker mentions vines that should be trimmed (line 11), but these are symptoms of a house that has been neglected.
400
The most common reason U.S. travelers go to other countries is for— A) work B) pleasure C) conferences D) study
Correct response: B (Interpret graphic features: graphs) The circle graph (or pie chart) shows that the greatest number of U.S. travelers (43 percent) visited other countries for vacation/fun, or “pleasure.” Incorrect choices: A About 21 percent of U.S. travelers went for business or work. C and D are incorrect. Only about 2 percent of U.S. travelers go for a conference or to study or teach
400
The passage says, “This sounds good: ‘Pete’s Pest Control: Squirrel, skunk, and bat specialists.’” What is the meaning of the word specialist? A) In a distinctive or special manner B) The state of being special C) One with knowledge of a special subject D) Not special
Correct response: C (Use prefixes and suffixes to determine word meaning) Th suff -ist, meaning “one who,” combines with the word special to mean “one who has special knowledge.” Incorrect choices: A This meaning would fit an adverb, such as specially. B This meaning would fit a word with a noun suffix (such as -ness or -hood). D This meaning would need a negative prefix, such as non- or un-.
400
Which character demonstrates kindness and generosity? A) The baker B) Luke C) The cook D) The king
Correct response: A (Analyze characters) The second paragraph describes the baker as “softhearted,” says that he “took pity” on Luke, and tells how he offered Luke a thick slice of bread. Incorrect choices: B Luke was honest and forthright, but he did not do anything kind or generous. C Th cook was not kind or generous, as he tried to charge Luke for taking his steam. D The king was fair and shrewd, but he did not do anything kind or generous.
400
From "Joey Solves the Problem" What kind of passage is this? A) Fantasy B) Folktale C) Informational article D) Realistic fiction
Correct response: D (Identify literary genres and their characteristics) The story has realistic characters and could happen in real life, so it is realistic fiction. Incorrect choices: A A fantasy includes characters or places that could not exist in real life. B An informational article is factual and does not have characters. C A folktale generally takes place long ago, has standard kinds of characters (such as the farmer or the fisherman), and often has some form of magical being in it.
400
Which sentence describes an important characteristic of this poem? A) It has no regular rhythm. B) It is written as a conversation. C) It repeats the same lines many times. D) It is written in couplets that rhyme.
Correct response: D (Interpret poetry and its characteristics) The rhyme scheme is aabbcc. . . . Incorrect choices: A The lines of the poem do follow a regular rhythm, as you can tell if you read the poem aloud. B This poem is more of a monologue or personal narrative; it does not contain any conversation. C There is really only one example of repetition (in lines 1 and 26).
500
The passage says, “Graph 2 shows the main purposes for U.S. residents’ trips abroad in 2006.” What is the meaning of the word abroad? A) a great distance B) several times; repeatedly C) to more than one place D) out of one’s own country
Correct response: D (Use context clues to determine meaning of unfamiliar words) The word overseas is used interchangeably with the word abroad in the text and in the title of the circle graph, so abroad must mean “out of one’s own country.” Incorrect choices: A Traveling abroad may involve a great distance, but that is not what the word means. B People may travel several times, but that is not the meaning of the word. C People may travel to more than one place, but that is not the meaning of the word.
500
What will most likely happen next? A) The skunk will return with baby skunks. B) The family will get a new computer. C) Mom will move to another house. D) Joey will try to go back to sleep.
Correct response: B (Make predictions) Dad says that if Joey’s idea works, they will buy the new computer he’s been wishing for. Incorrect choices: A The skunk has been driven out by the ammonia and is not likely to return with babies. C Mom threatened to move out if the skunk problem was not solved, but then it was solved. D The story ends in the morning when Joey wakes up, so he will probably not go back to sleep until that night.
500
32. What lesson does this story teach? A) Keep your opinions to yourself. B) Wise people have much success in life. C) Thieves are all around us. D) Don’t make a big fuss about a small matter.
Correct response: D (Analyze literary elements: theme) The cook made a huge fuss over some steam, which would have evaporated anyway, and got nothing for all his trouble. Incorrect choices: A Luke, the king, and the cook all expressed their opinions to make their cases, so this lesson does not fit the story. B This may be true of the king, but it does not explain a lesson the story teaches. C None of the characters was actually a thief, so this lesson does not fit the story.
500
From "The House With Nobody In It" What does the speaker reveal about his or her character in this poem? A) restlessness B) delight in life C) honesty D) sympathy for others
Correct response: D (Make inferences and generalizations) The speaker feels that an empty old house has a broken heart and would like to fix it up for someone who wants a home. These things suggest someone who cares about or sympathizes with other people. Incorrect choices: A Even though the speaker does seem to like to walk, he doesn’t express unhappiness with where he is. B A “delight in life” doesn’t fi with the poem’s sad, thoughtful mood. C The speaker may be honest, but it doesn’t come up in the poem.
500
From the first two lines of the poem, you can tell that the speaker is— A) walking near a railroad. B) living in a large city. C) walking on an island. D) living in a foreign country.
Correct response: A (Analyze literary elements: setting) The speaker walks “along the Erie track,” as in the railroad track. Incorrect choices: B Th poem does not reveal where the speaker lives, but the setting of the poem seems to be in the country (a farmhouse standing alone). C There is no indication that the speaker is on an island, and most islands do not have railroads. D There is nothing in the poem to suggest a foreign country; there’s a town named Suffern in New York, and Erie is the name of a town in Pennsylvania, a canal in New York, and one of the Great Lakes.
M
e
n
u