Realistic Fiction
Read the passage:
“Every Saturday morning, Maya helped her grandfather repair old bicycles in his garage. One Saturday, she accidentally knocked over a box of tools. After cleaning everything up, she returned to the repair job.”
Which characteristic of realistic fiction is shown most clearly?
A. The events could happen in real life.
B. The story contains magical creatures.
C. The setting changes to another planet.
D. The characters have supernatural abilities.
A. The events could happen in real life.
Read the passage:
“When Tasha saw that the new student was sitting alone, she walked over and introduced herself. She invited him to sit with her friends at lunch.”
What character trait does Tasha demonstrate?
A. Selfish
B. Welcoming
C. Impatient
D. Careless
B. Welcoming
Read the passage:
“Sofia wanted to attend her friend’s birthday party, but she also had promised her mother she would finish cleaning the garage.”
What is Sofia’s main conflict?
A. Character vs. nature
B. Character vs. character
C. Character vs. self
D. Character vs. technology
C. Character vs. self
In the sentence, “After carrying the heavy boxes upstairs, Lena felt weary,” what does weary most likely mean?
A. Excited
B. Tired
C. Confused
D. Proud
B. Tired
Choose the correct verb tense:
“Yesterday, Maya ________ her project before dinner.”
A. finishes
B. finished
C. will finish
D. finishing
B. finished
Read the passage:
“Jalen stared at the empty stage. His group had practiced their play for weeks, but their lead actor had called that morning to say she was sick. Jalen stepped forward and picked up the script.”
What event most directly moves the plot forward?
A. Jalen had watched plays before.
B. The group had practiced for weeks.
C. The lead actor became sick.
D. Jalen liked reading scripts.
C. The lead actor became sick.
Read the passage:
“Luis checked his science model three times before turning it in. He noticed one loose piece and fixed it even though the bell had already rung.”
What can the reader infer about Luis?
A. He is careless.
B. He is determined to do his work carefully.
C. He does not care about his grade.
D. He dislikes science.
B. He is determined to do his work carefully.
Read the passage:
“The soccer team had one practice left before the championship. Their field was covered with puddles after a storm, so the players worked together to clear the water.”
What is the main conflict?
A. The team must deal with a problem caused by weather.
B. Two players disagree about who should be captain.
C. The coach refuses to let the team practice.
D. The players do not want to compete.
A. The team must deal with a problem caused by weather.
Read the sentence:
“The hallway was dim, so Carlos could barely see the numbers on the classroom doors.”
What does dim most likely mean?
A. Very bright
B. Crowded
C. Not brightly lit
D. Extremely noisy
C. Not brightly lit
Choose the correct verb tense:
“Tomorrow, the students ________ their presentations.”
A. gave
B. give
C. will give
D. giving
C. will give
Read the passage:
“After moving to a new neighborhood, Elena missed her old friends. She began visiting the community garden each afternoon. One day, she helped a neighbor repair a broken planter. Soon, she was spending time with several people who lived nearby.”
Which event best shows how the plot develops?
A. Elena misses her old friends.
B. Elena visits the garden and helps a neighbor.
C. Elena moves to a new neighborhood.
D. The planter was made of wood.
B. Elena visits the garden and helps a neighbor.
Read the passage:
“Grandma placed an extra blanket on the couch without saying anything. When Amir thanked her, she simply smiled and returned to the kitchen.”
What does Grandma’s action reveal about her personality?
A. She is caring even though she is quiet.
B. She is angry with Amir.
C. She wants Amir to leave.
D. She is afraid to speak.
A. She is caring even though she is quiet.
Read the passage:
“Ari was nervous about presenting his invention. His teacher encouraged him to focus on explaining how the invention could help others. Ari practiced several times and finally presented it to the class.”
Which theme is best supported?
A. People should avoid challenges.
B. Practice can help people overcome fear.
C. Winning is more important than effort.
D. Teachers should solve students’ problems.
B. Practice can help people overcome fear.
The word “transport” contains the Latin root -port-, meaning “carry.” Based on this root, what does transport most likely mean?
A. To carry from one place to another
B. To write about a place
C. To hide something carefully
D. To build something
A. To carry from one place to another
Which revision makes the sentence clear and grammatically correct?
Original: “The students walked to the library but an argument starts between them.”
A. The students walked to the library, but an argument started between them.
B. The students walk to the library, but an argument started between them.
C. The students walked to the library but an argument starting between them.
D. The students had walked to the library but an argument start between them.
A. The students walked to the library, but an argument started between them.
Read the passage:
“Marcus wanted to enter the school photography contest, but he had only one afternoon left to take his picture. He walked around the neighborhood searching for an interesting subject. Finally, he noticed sunlight shining through the trees and captured the image.”
Why is Marcus’s search important to the plot?
A. It introduces a new character.
B. It explains why Marcus dislikes photography.
C. It creates the problem Marcus must solve.
D. It shows how Marcus responds to his goal.
D. It shows how Marcus responds to his goal.
Read the passage:
“Keisha wanted to quit the robotics project after her first design failed. Her partner reminded her that they could make changes. Keisha took a breath, studied the problem, and rebuilt the model.”
How does Keisha’s motivation influence the events?
A. Her desire to avoid work causes the project to end.
B. Her determination causes her to revise the failed design.
C. Her partner completes the entire project for her.
D. Her fear of robotics makes her leave the team.
B. Her determination causes her to revise the failed design.
Read the passage:
“Mia wanted to keep the stray cat she had found, but her family could not afford another pet. Instead, Mia contacted a local animal shelter. The shelter found the cat a safe home, and Mia visited it later.”
Which statement best describes the conflict and resolution?
A. Mia vs. nature; she releases the cat outside.
B. Mia vs. herself; she chooses a responsible solution for the cat.
C. Mia vs. her family; she secretly keeps the cat.
D. Mia vs. the shelter; she refuses to ask for help.
B. Mia vs. herself; she chooses a responsible solution for the cat.
Read the sentence:
“After hearing the good news, a wave of relief washed over Jamal.”
Which dictionary definition best matches relief in this sentence?
A. A payment made to a feudal lord
B. A removal or lightening of something distressing
C. Release from a job duty
D. Legal compensation
B. A removal or lightening of something distressing
Which sentence does NOT belong in a paragraph about a student researching birds?
A. She searched for information about local bird species.
B. She wrote notes about the birds she observed.
C. Her favorite lunch was a turkey sandwich.
D. She compared the birds’ colors and behaviors.
C. Her favorite lunch was a turkey sandwich.
Read the passage:
“Nia arrived at the library expecting to find the history book she needed. The book was checked out, so she searched the shelves for another source. She found an old newspaper collection and discovered an article that gave her the information she needed.”
Which statement best explains the plot structure?
A. Nia faces a problem, searches for a solution, and succeeds.
B. Nia introduces a problem that remains unresolved.
C. Nia changes the setting without facing a challenge.
D. Nia learns that research is impossible without one specific book.
A. Nia faces a problem, searches for a solution, and succeeds.
Read the passage:
“At first, Daniel complained whenever his younger brother asked for help with homework. Later, Daniel noticed his brother becoming more confident. Daniel began setting aside time each evening to help him.”
What change in Daniel is best supported by the passage?
A. He becomes less patient and more frustrated.
B. He becomes more competitive with his brother.
C. He becomes more understanding and willing to help.
D. He decides homework is unimportant.
C. He becomes more understanding and willing to help.
Read the passage:
“For weeks, Devon complained that his new neighborhood was boring. One afternoon, he saw volunteers cleaning a nearby park. He joined them. While working, he met other students who invited him to play basketball after the cleanup. Devon began spending more time outside and stopped comparing his new home to his old one.”
Which theme is most clearly developed?
A. New experiences can help people adjust to change.
B. People should always return to familiar places.
C. Communities are responsible for entertaining children.
D. Complaining is the best way to solve problems.
A. New experiences can help people adjust to change.
The word “dominate” comes from the Latin root -domin-, meaning “rule” or “master.” In the sentence, “The enormous oak tree dominated the landscape,” what does dominated most likely mean?
A. Was hidden by the landscape
B. Ruled over or stood out strongly in the landscape
C. Was removed from the landscape
D. Was planted recently.
B. Ruled over or stood out strongly in the landscape
A student is revising a story. Which sentence should BEST come next?
“Jared had never baked anything by himself. He carefully measured the flour and mixed the ingredients. He placed the pan in the oven and watched the timer.”
A. Jared’s family had owned a blue car for years.
B. The kitchen window overlooked a busy street.
C. When the timer rang, Jared carefully removed the cake from the oven.
D. Jared usually preferred playing video games after school.
C. When the timer rang, Jared carefully removed the cake from the oven.