Figurative Language
Main Idea/Central
Inferencing
Text Structures
Editing and Revising
Text features
Context Clues
100
The classroom was as quiet as a library during the test. What type of figurative language is used?A. Metaphor • B. Personification • C. Simile • D. Hyperbole
C. Simile
100
Every Saturday, volunteers gather at Greenway Park. They pick up trash, pull weeds, and plant flowers. Their work keeps the park clean and beautiful for everyone. What is the central idea?
A. Volunteers help care for Greenway Park •
B. Pulling weeds is difficult •
C. Parks have many flowers •
D. Saturday is the best day to visit a park
Volunteers help care for Greenway Park
100
Lena grabbed her umbrella before leaving home. Dark clouds covered the sky, and thunder rumbled in the distance. What can the reader infer?
A. Lena expects it to rain
B. Lena lost her coat
C. Lena is going swimming
D. Lena dislikes umbrellas
A. Lena expects it to rain
100
A passage explains how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly by describing each stage in the order it occurs. Which text structure is used?
A. Compare and contrast
B. Cause and effect
C. Sequence
D. Problem and solution
C. Sequence
100
Which sentence is written correctly?
A. My brother likes pizza tacos and pasta.
B. My brother likes pizza, tacos, and pasta.
C. My brother, likes pizza tacos and pasta.
D. My brother likes, pizza, tacos and pasta.
B. My brother likes pizza, tacos, and pasta.
100
A student is reading an article about sharks. Next to a photograph of a great white shark is this sentence:
A great white shark can grow more than 15 feet long.
What text feature is the sentence beneath the photograph?
A. Heading
B. Caption
C. Glossary
D. Diagram
B. Caption
100
The puppy was famished, so it quickly ate every piece of food in its bowl. What does famished mean?
A. Very hungry
B. Very tired
C. Very playful
D. Very noisy
A. Very hungry
200
The old floorboards groaned beneath Marcus's feet. Why does the author use personification?
A. To emphasize the sound made by the old floor •
B. To compare Marcus to the floor •
C. To show the floor is alive •
D. To explain that Marcus is angry
A. To emphasize the sound made by the old floor
200
Honeybees visit flowers to collect nectar. As they move from flower to flower, pollen sticks to their bodies and is carried to other plants. This process helps many plants produce fruits and seeds. What is the central idea?
A. Pollen is harmful to bees •
B. Seeds are produced only by bees •
C. Honeybees only eat flowers •
D. Honeybees help plants reproduce as they collect nectar
D. Honeybees help plants reproduce as they collect nectar
200
When Carlos entered the kitchen, he smelled something burned. His sister stood beside the toaster with wide eyes and quickly opened a window. What can the reader infer?
A. Carlos burned dinner
B. His sister probably burned something in the toaster C. The window is broken
D. Carlos's sister is cold
B.His sister probably burned something in the toaster
200
Unlike frogs, which have smooth, moist skin, toads usually have dry, bumpy skin. Both animals are amphibians. Which text structure is used?
A. Description
B. Compare and contrast
C. Sequence
D. Cause and effect
B. Compare and contrast
200
Which change should be made? Yesterday, Marcus walk to the library and checked out two books.
A. Change Yesterday to Tomorrow
B. Change walk to walked
C. Change library to Library
D. Change books to book's
B. Change walk to walked
200
5
A student is reading an article about volcanoes. The article includes a labeled diagram like the one above.
How does the diagram BEST support the information in the article?
A. It shows the locations of famous volcanoes around the world.
B. It explains the order in which volcanoes were discovered.
C. It helps readers see the parts of a volcano and where they are located.
D. It tells readers which volcano is the most dangerous.
C. It helps readers see the parts of a volcano and where they are located.
200
Unlike his talkative brother, Mateo was reserved and rarely spoke around people he did not know. What does reserved mean?
A. Angry
B. Quiet or shy
C. Excited
D. Careless
B. Quiet or shy
300
After carrying boxes all morning, Dad said, “These boxes weigh a ton!” What does the hyperbole help the reader understand?
A. The boxes cannot be moved •
B. Dad does not know what is inside •
C. The boxes actually weigh 2,000 pounds •
D. Dad thinks the boxes are extremely heavy
D. Dad thinks the boxes are extremely heavy
300
Sea turtles face many dangers. Plastic can be mistaken for food. Bright lights near beaches can confuse hatchlings. Fishing nets may also trap them. Which statement BEST expresses the central idea?
A. Sea turtles prefer eating plastic •
B. Human activities can create several dangers for sea turtles •
C. Fishing is the greatest danger to every sea turtle • D. Sea turtles only live near beaches
B. Human activities can create several dangers for sea turtles
300
Ava looked at the scoreboard and sighed. She tightened her shoelaces and told her teammates, “We still have another quarter. Let's go.” What can the reader infer about Ava?
A. She wants to quit
B. She is confused about the game
C. She is determined despite her team's situation
D. She does not care about her teammates
C.She is determined despite her team's situation
300
Heavy rainfall caused the river to rise above its banks. As a result, several nearby roads were closed. Which text structure BEST organizes these ideas?
A. Cause and effect
B. Sequence
C. Compare and contrast
D. Description
A. Cause and effect
300
Which sentence combines the ideas most effectively? The storm ended. We went outside. We inspected the yard for damage.
A. The storm ended, outside, we inspected.
B. After the storm ended, we went outside to inspect the yard for damage.
C. The storm ended we went outside we inspected the yard.
D. We inspected because outside the storm ended.
B. After the storm ended, we went outside to inspect the yard for damage.
300
While reading a science book, Mia comes across the unfamiliar word nocturnal. She looks in the glossary and finds:
nocturnal — active mainly during the night
Which statement BEST explains how the glossary helps Mia understand the text?
A. It gives the meaning of nocturnal, helping Mia understand when the animal is active.
B. It tells Mia every page where nocturnal animals are discussed.
C. It provides a picture showing what a nocturnal animal looks like.
D. It explains the main idea of the entire science book.
A. It gives the meaning of nocturnal, helping Mia understand when the animal is active.
300
The hikers searched for a durable backpack—one strong enough to survive rain, rocky trails, and many camping trips. What does durable mean?
A. Expensive
B. Colorful
C. Able to last a long time
D. Difficult to carry
C. Able to last a long time
400
Tap, tap, tap went the rain / Drumming steadily against my windowpane. How does the sound device contribute to the lines?
A. It shows the rain is dangerous •
B. It creates a sound that helps the reader imagine the rain •
C. It compares the rain to a window •
D. It explains why the speaker dislikes rain
B. It creates a sound that helps the reader imagine the rain •
400
Jamal had no yard, so he planted tomatoes, peppers, and herbs in containers on his apartment balcony. Neighbors noticed his garden and began planting their own containers. Which detail BEST supports the idea that Jamal's actions influenced others?
A. Jamal lived in an apartment •
B. He planted tomatoes •
C. Neighbors began planting their own containers •
D. He grew peppers and herbs
C. Neighbors began planting their own containers
400
Elijah had practiced his speech every evening. When his name was called, his hands trembled as he approached the microphone. He took a slow breath, looked at his note card, and began speaking clearly. What can the reader infer?
A. Elijah forgot to practice
B. Elijah feels nervous but is prepared
C. Elijah does not want anyone to hear him
D. Elijah has given the speech many times in public
B. Elijah feels nervous but is prepared
400
A school noticed that large amounts of food were being thrown away at lunch. Student leaders created a share table where unopened food could be placed for other students. Within a month, the amount of wasted food decreased. Which structure BEST describes the passage?
A. Compare and contrast
B. Problem and solution
C. Description
D. Sequence
B. Problem and solution
400
Read the sentence: The class visited the museum. It was nice. Which revision BEST improves the sentence by adding specific details?
A. The class went somewhere nice.
B. The class visited the museum and saw ancient fossils, colorful paintings, and historic artifacts.
C. The museum was a museum that was nice.
D. They visited it, and it was good.
B. The class visited the museum and saw ancient fossils, colorful paintings, and historic artifacts.
400
A student reads an article explaining how the amount of plastic collected for recycling changed over five years.
Which text feature would BEST help the reader quickly compare the amount collected each year?
A. Photograph
B. Glossary
C. Caption
D. Bar graph
D. Bar graph
400
At first, the pond was murky, and we could barely see below the surface. After the dirt settled, however, the water became clear. Which clue BEST helps determine the meaning of murky?
A. “At first”
B. “pond”
C. “the water became clear”
D. “dirt settled”
“the water became clear”
500
The wind clawed at Maya's jacket as she struggled up the hill, determined to reach the cabin before dark. How does the figurative language contribute to the meaning?
A. It shows Maya's jacket is damaged •
B. It suggests an animal is following Maya •
C. It emphasizes the strength of the wind and difficulty of Maya's journey •
D. It explains why Maya climbed the hill
C. It emphasizes the strength of the wind and difficulty of Maya's journey •
500
Scientists once thought octopuses were mostly solitary animals with simple behaviors. Research has shown that they can solve puzzles, open containers, and remember solutions. Some have even been observed using objects as tools. Which central idea is BEST supported by these details?
A. Octopuses are difficult animals to study
B. New observations have revealed that octopuses demonstrate complex behaviors
C. All ocean animals can solve puzzles
D. Octopuses prefer containers to the ocean
B. New observations have revealed that octopuses demonstrate complex behaviors
500
Nia carefully placed her science project on the table. She noticed that another group's model had flashing lights and moving parts. For a moment, she stared at her own simple model. Then she straightened the labels, reviewed her notes, and smiled when the judges approached. Which inference is BEST supported?
A. Nia knows her project will win
B. Nia initially doubts her project but regains confidence in her work
C. Nia plans to copy the other group's project
D. Nia believes appearance is more important than information
B. Nia initially doubts her project but regains confidence in her work
500
An author first explains that drought caused a town's reservoir to become dangerously low. The author then describes water restrictions introduced by town leaders and explains how those restrictions reduced water use. Why is problem-and-solution an effective structure for this information?
A. It allows the author to describe two towns
B. It shows the challenge and explains how people responded to it
C. It lists events without connecting them
D. It focuses only on characteristics of droughts
B.It shows the challenge and explains how people responded to it
500
Read the paragraph: Our class wanted to reduce plastic waste. We learned that hundreds of plastic bottles were being thrown away each month. Recycling is important. We created labeled recycling bins and placed them throughout the school. Which sentence would BEST replace sentence 3 to improve the connection between ideas?
A. Plastic bottles come in different sizes.
B. Our teacher has a blue recycling bin.
C. After discovering how much plastic was being wasted, we decided to take action.
D. Some students bring lunch from home.
C.After discovering how much plastic was being wasted, we decided to take action.
500
5
An informational article explains the water cycle. It includes a diagram with arrows, labels, and a caption.
Why did the author MOST LIKELY include all three features?
A. To prove that the water cycle happens only during rainy weather
B. To help readers visualize the process, identify each stage, and understand what is happening in the diagram
C. To compare the water cycle with several unrelated weather events
D. To provide definitions for every scientific word in the article
B. To help readers visualize the process, identify each stage, and understand what is happening in the diagram
500
The scientist's explanation was concise. Instead of giving a long, complicated response, she explained the entire process clearly in only three sentences. What does concise mean, and which evidence BEST supports the meaning?
A. Confusing; “complicated response”
B. Brief but clear; “in only three sentences”
C. Scientific; “the entire process”
D. Incorrect; “instead of giving”
B .Brief but clear; “in only three sentences”
600
Read the following lines:
The thunder grumbled across the sky, While frightened trees bent low nearby. The wind unleashed its furious roar, And rattled every window and door.
How does the author's use of figurative language and sound devices contribute to the meaning of the poem?
A. The rhyme creates a peaceful mood, while personification shows that the trees are resting.
B. The repetition of sounds suggests that the storm is ending and the weather is becoming calmer.
C. The personification and sound devices emphasize the storm's power and create a threatening mood.
D. The figurative language suggests that the speaker enjoys watching storms from indoors.
C. The personification and sound devices emphasize the storm's power and create a threatening mood.
600
When a severe drought struck a small farming community, many farmers struggled to keep their crops alive. Some installed drip irrigation systems that delivered water directly to plant roots. Others collected rainwater in large storage tanks. Local scientists also introduced drought-resistant crops that required less water. By working together and adapting their farming practices, the community was able to continue producing food despite the difficult conditions.
Which statement BEST expresses the central idea of the passage?
A. Farmers can overcome environmental challenges by using innovative solutions and working together.
B. Drip irrigation is the only effective method for growing crops during a drought.
C. Scientists are more important than farmers when communities experience droughts.
D. Farming communities should replace all traditional crops with drought-resistant plants.
A. Farmers can overcome environmental challenges by using innovative solutions and working together.
600
For weeks, Amara had prepared for the regional spelling bee. During the final round, she confidently spelled her first four words. When the judge announced her final word, however, she hesitated. She quietly repeated the word, closed her eyes, and remembered practicing it with her grandfather. Taking a deep breath, she began spelling. When the judge rang the bell, Amara lowered her head briefly before congratulating the winner.
Which inference about Amara is BEST supported by her actions throughout the passage?
A. She is disappointed because her grandfather did not attend the competition.
B. She believes that winning is more important than treating others respectfully.
C. She regrets spending so much time preparing for the competition.
D. She values doing her best and demonstrates sportsmanship despite her disappointment.
D. She values doing her best and demonstrates sportsmanship despite her disappointment.
600
Coral reefs provide food and shelter for thousands of marine species. However, rising ocean temperatures can cause coral bleaching, which weakens reefs and threatens the animals that depend on them. To address this problem, scientists are developing coral nurseries where healthy coral fragments can grow before being transplanted onto damaged reefs.
How does the author's organization help readers understand the information?
A. The author uses sequence to explain every stage of coral reproduction.
B. The author presents a problem and describes a possible solution, helping readers understand efforts to protect coral reefs.
C. The author compares two different ocean environments to explain which is healthier.
D. The author describes the physical characteristics of coral without explaining environmental threats.
B. The author presents a problem and describes a possible solution, helping readers understand efforts to protect coral reefs.
600
(1) Our school recently started a recycling program. (2) Students placed recycling bins in every classroom. (3) The cafeteria also began collecting plastic bottles and cardboard. (4) Recycling is something that people do in many different places. (5) By the end of the semester, our school had significantly reduced the amount of trash it sent to the landfill.
Which sentence should replace sentence 4 to BEST improve the organization and strengthen the connection between the supporting details and the conclusion?
A. Some students enjoy learning about recycling, while others prefer science experiments.
B. Many schools have cafeterias where students eat breakfast and lunch every day.
C. These schoolwide efforts encouraged students to develop better recycling habits and reduce waste.
D. Recycling bins are available in different colors and sizes depending on their purpose.
C. These schoolwide efforts encouraged students to develop better recycling habits and reduce waste.
600
A student is researching how hurricanes develop. The article includes a diagram showing the parts of a hurricane, a caption explaining wind speed, and a map showing where hurricanes commonly form.
The student says, “The diagram gives me all the information I need, so the other text features are unnecessary.”
Which response BEST evaluates the student’s statement?
A. The student is correct because diagrams always provide more information than maps and captions.
B. The student is incorrect because each text feature provides different information that works together to deepen the reader’s understanding of hurricanes.
C. The student is correct because maps are only useful when reading about landforms.
D. The student is incorrect because captions are always the most important text feature in informational texts.
B. The student is incorrect because each text feature provides different information that works together to deepen the reader’s understanding of hurricanes.
600
Although the archaeological team initially dismissed the small stone tablet as insignificant, further examination revealed intricate symbols carved into its surface. The discovery proved to be pivotal, providing evidence that changed historians' understanding of the ancient civilization.
What does the word pivotal MOST LIKELY mean, and which context clue BEST supports that meaning?
A. Extremely old; the tablet contained symbols from an ancient civilization.
B. Difficult to understand; the archaeological team initially dismissed the tablet.
C. Unnecessary; the tablet appeared insignificant when it was first discovered.
D. Critically important; the discovery changed historians' understanding of the civilization.
D. Critically important; the discovery changed historians' understanding of the civilization.