Reading Comprehension

Author's Purpose

100

..."The flaw in my character which she had already spotted was lack of "gumption." My idea of a perfect afternoon was lying in front of the radio rereading my favorite book... One evening when I was eleven I brought home a short "composition" on my summer vacation which my teacher had graded with an A. Reading it with her own schoolteacher eye, my mother agreed that it was top-drawer seventh grade prose and complimented me..." This story is written in: a. without a speaker b. in the third person c. about the narrator's mother

What is c, in the first person?

200

..."The flaw in my character which she had already spotted was lack of "gumption." My idea of a perfect afternoon was lying in front of the radio rereading my favorite book... One evening when I was eleven I brought home a short "composition" on my summer vacation which my teacher had graded with an A. Reading it with her own schoolteacher eye, my mother agreed that it was top-drawer seventh grade prose and complimented me..." The author's impression of his mother is meant to show her as... a. irritating b. caring c. humorous d. abusive

What is b, caring?

300

..."The flaw in my character which she had already spotted was lack of "gumption." My idea of a perfect afternoon was lying in front of the radio rereading my favorite book... One evening when I was eleven I brought home a short "composition" on my summer vacation which my teacher had graded with an A. Reading it with her own schoolteacher eye, my mother agreed that it was top-drawer seventh grade prose and complimented me..." The purpose of this story is to...

What is to entertain?

400

"...In addition to being unnecessary, the idea that African-American history should be focused on in a given month suggests that it belongs in that month alone. Instead, it is important to incorporate African-American history into what is taught every day as American history. It needs to be recreated as part of mainstream thought and not as an optional, often irrelevant, side note. We should focus efforts on pushing schools to diversify and broaden their curricula...." The purpose of this text is to...

What is to persuade?

500

"...In addition to being unnecessary, the idea that African-American history should be focused on in a given month suggests that it belongs in that month alone. Instead, it is important to incorporate African-American history into what is taught every day as American history. It needs to be recreated as part of mainstream thought and not as an optional, often irrelevant, side note. We should focus efforts on pushing schools to diversify and broaden their curricula..." The author's primary purpose in this passage is to... a. Argue that Black History Month should not be so commercial. b. Argue that Black History Month should be abolished. c. Argue that Black History Month should be maintained. d. Suggest that African-American history should be taught in two months rather than just one. e. Argue that African-American history is not part of mainstream curriculum.

What is e, "argue that African-American history is not part of mainstream curriculum"?

Inference

100

"Miya came out of the bathroom with tears in her eyes. She ran do wn to the cafeteria and asked the staff if they had any rice. Fortunately for Miya, Ms. Lucille did. Ms. Lucille filled a red plastic cup about half way with white rice grains and handed it to Miya. Miya pulled a damp phone from out of her back pocket and pushed it into the dry rice grains inside of the plastic cup. She sincerely thanked Ms. Lucille and then went back to class. She felt relieved, but she was still a little worried." Why is Miya upset at the beginning of the passage?

What is she got her phone wet?

200

"Miya came out of the bathroom with tears in her eyes. She ran do wn to the cafeteria and asked the staff if they had any rice. Fortunately for Miya, Ms. Lucille did. Ms. Lucille filled a red plastic cup about half way with white rice grains and handed it to Miya. Miya pulled a damp phone from out of her back pocket and pushed it into the dry rice grains inside of the plastic cup. She sincerely thanked Ms. Lucille and then went back to class. She felt relieved, but she was still a little worried." Why is Miya relieved but still worried at the end of the text?

What is she's relieved that she found rice to dry her phone, but still worried about whether it will be broken or not?

300

"Otto stuffed another candy bar in his mouth. He lay sprawled on the floor with his back against his bed. Candy wrappers surrounded him . His shirt was caught in the folds of his belly and he had melted chocolate all over his face and hands. "Ugh ... " he groaned weakly as he struggled to finish chewing. Suddenly, the front door opened. "Otto, I'm home!" It was his mom. Otto rolled almost gracefully from his sprawled position and began kicking the candy wrappers under his bed. As she walked slowly up the stairs to his room, he managed to get all of the wrappers under the bed and then he threw a blanket over them. She opened the door, took one look at his face, and knew." How did Otto's mom know what he was doing?

What is he had chocolate on his face?

400

"Shawn sat in his seat as the morning bell rang and released a big yawn. He rubbed his eyes and could feel how baggy they were. He stretched as the teacher went to the front of the class a nd began talking, "Good morning, students ! I'll take attendance while yo u start working on that test that I promised you." The class let out a collective groan, but Shawn's eyes widened. He began rummaging through his backpack and pulled out a crumpled notebook with part of the cover torn off it . He frantically rifled throu gh the pages, many of which were filled with just a few words or doodles. The teacher looked directly at Shawn as he said, "OK, class, put your notes away and clear off your desks. It's test time." Shawn began looking around the room frantically. He saw Ca ssie sitting next to him. Shawn whispered, "Psst... Cassie." She turned to him with a scowl. His eyes pleaded with hers. "Not gon na happen, Shawn," Cassie said loudly . This startled Shawn and he jumped in his seat . The teacher looked at Shawn again , "No more talking class." Was Shawn awake late studying for the test?

What is no, because he seemed surprised that there was a test?

500

"Michael was the star quarterback of the football team and he was dating Amanda Barnes, the captain of the cheerleading squad. Everything was going perfectly for them until Michael was seriously injured during one of the last games of the season. The doctors told him that he would pro babl y never play football again and that he would have to wear a large cast on his leg for several months. Amanda stayed really close with Michael immediately after the i njury, but then she started to change. She would not visit him often. She would not wait b y his locker or help him carry his books to class anymore. Also, he noticed that she was talking more and more with Ken Madsen, the new quarterback. This upset Michael greatly. Then o ne day Amanda told him that she and Michael needed to have a talk a fter s chool. Michael did not like the sound of that." Why does Amanda want to talk to Michael?

What is she doesn't want to date him anymore because he can't play football anymore?

Main Idea/Summary

100

"Were you born after 1985? If so, how long do you expect to live? Most people born after 1985 can expect to live more than 70 years. Of course, this is just a guess based on past records. By the way, females can expect to live about six years longer than males. That's taken from past records too!" What does this passage mostly about? a. why people live to be 70 b. how long you might expect to live c. about the health of females d. past records give you information

What is b, how long you might expect to live?

200

" When you want to hang the American flag over the middle of a street, suspend it vertically with the blue field, called the union, to the north and east-west street. When the flag is displayed with another banner from crossed staffs, the American flag is on the right. Place the staff of the American flag in front of the other staff. Raise the flag quickly and lower it slowly and respectfully. When flying the flag at half-mast, hoist it to the top of the pole for a moment before lowering it to mid-pole. When flying the American flag with banners from states or cities, raise the nation's banner first and lower it last. Never allow the flag to touch the ground." What is the main idea of this passage? a. American flag should be flown differently in certain situations. b. The American flag has fifty stars. c. Placing the American flag inappropriately will draw government intervention.

What is a, American flag should be flown differently in certain situations?

300

If you can't figure out the main idea of a passage, what should you do? a. Try to recall every specific detail in the passage. b. Ask yourself general questions about the passage. c. Read the passage over and over until you have it memorized. d. Read the passage once and don't look at it again.

What is b, ask yourself general questions about the passage?

400

" When a person decides to get a dog, he or she has many kinds to choose from. As a rule, short-haired dogs are best for cities. Beagles, Boston Terriers, and Dachshunds make good city pets. Great Danes are short-haired, too. However, they are too big for city living. It is hard in a city to give them all the exercise they need. Setters, Springer Spaniels, and Collies are especially good as country dogs." What is the main idea? a. Dogs are good pets. b. Some dogs are better than others for city life. c. There are many kinds of dogs. d. Short-haired dogs are better for cities.

What is b, some dogs are better than others for city life?

500

" Someone writes an essay arguing that world record setting challenges are good ways to raise money for charity. " Which is the best TOPIC sentence for an introductory paragraph in this essay? a. Nonprofit organizations depend on the support of charitable donations. b. You are going to start a fundraiser for my favorite charity. c. A record setting attempt can attract donors, provide entertainment, and generate publicity for a deserving charity.

What is c, a record setting attempt can attract donors, provide entertainment, and generate publicity for a deserving charity?

Prediction and Sequence

100

" Paul and Melika always have a date on Friday. Paul picks up Melika at 7:00 p.m., and they go to a 7:30 p.m. movie. This Friday, Paul has to work overtime and is running late. When he gets out of the shower, it is already 7:00 p.m." What probably happens next? a. Paul calls Melika and tells her he will be a little late. b. Paul decides to call off the date and stays home. c. Melika is angry that Paul is late and cancels the date. d. Paul reads his e-mail and then leaves to pick up Melika.

What is a, Paul calls Melika and tells her he will be a little late?

200

"Ashanti had worked in the garden all day with her mother. They had started early in the morning while it was still cool. First, they had broken up the soil, which had been packed hard by years of rain and her and her brother playing on it. Next, they had added some soil nutrients and mixed those in by hand. She had wanted to plant the seeds then, but her mom said they had to lay out the garden paths first. "How do we do that?" she asked. "Get down on your knees and push the soil into piles," her mother said. By the end of the day, Ashanti was covered in dirt." What is likely to happen next? a.She will put on a jacket because it's cool. b. Ashanti will decide what she wants to eat. c. Ashanti will call friends to come look d. Ashanti will take a bath or shower.

What is d, Ashanti will take a bath or shower?

300

"In his book, the author lists events in chronological order or the correct time order. The author made sure to explain the events in detail so the reader could understand his personal adventures." In the above sentences, what does the word "chronological" mean? a. order of importance b. order of time c. order of detail d. order of emotion

What is b, order of time?

400

If an author uses words such as first, then, before, after, and while, what graphic aid would be BEST to pair with the text? a. pie chart b. bar graph c. timeline d. map

What is c, timeline?

500

Find the correct order for the middle 4 sentences labeled P, Q, R, and S: S1: For some time in his youth Abraham Lincoln was manager for a shop. P : Then a chance Customer would come. Q : Young Lincoln way of keeping shop was entirely unlike anyone else's R : Lincoln would jump up and attend to his needs and then revert to his reading. S : He used to lie full length on the counter of the shop eagerly reading a book. S6: Never before had Lincoln had so much time for reading as had then. The Proper sequence should be: A. SRQP B. QSPR C. SQRP D. QPSR

What is B, QSPR?

Point of View

100

" Tommy went to the store. Jessica, the girl that Tommy had a crush on, went with him. He bought lots of spicy chips. He ate too many and got sick. Tommy felt really embarrassed." What is the point of view of this passage? a. First person b. Third person limited c. Third person omniscient

What is b, third person limited?

200

Read the following stanza from the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. From what point of view is this poem written?

What is first person?

300

What is the difference between third person limited point of view and third person omniscient point of view?

What is limited sees the thoughts and feelings of one character while omniscient sees the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters?

400

"Last summer, I wanted a new bike. I also wanted some new shoes. "Luis, we can't buy everything, " my dad said. "Money doesn't grow on trees." My dad told me they had to pay for food and bills first. Despite my frustration,I decided to work to make the money. I painted Mr. Marroquin's fence. I got Mr. Dunbar's car squeaky-clean. It was the cleanest it had ever been. It took a long time, but I made enough money for my bike and shoes." The reader can tell that this story is written from a first-person point of view because... a.There is only one character b.There is a lesson to learn c.It is a fictional story d.The narrator tells what he experienced

What is d, the narrator tells what he experienced?

500

Select the choice from below that shows this passage is written from a third person limited point of view. "Joshua and Sydney went for a long bike ride that evening. The sun was beginning to set in the distance. Joshua began to worry that they wouldn't make it home before dark. He suggested that they take a short cut on the way home." a. Joshua and Sydney went for a long bike ride that evening. b. The sun was beginning to set in the distance. c. Joshua began to worry that they wouldn't make it home before dark. d. He suggested that they take a short cut on the way home.

What is c, Josh began to worry that they wouldn't make it home before dark?