Writing
Hayden (the older of the two boys) was the first to climb the old, menacing tree.
Hayden, the older of the two boys, was the first to climb the (old, menacing) tree.
To learn more about the world. Janie enrolled in a class about different cultures.
To learn more about the world, Janie enrolled in a class about different cultures.
Damion went to the park after school and he was surprised when he found a lost kitten there.
Damion went to the park after school, and he was surprised when he found a lost kitten there.
First
Second
Second
A student is writing a short essay for class about the benefits of physical education. Read the paragraph from her essay and answer the question.
Staying active is associated with improvements in physical health such as reduced stress and tension, which makes it easier to concentrate. Additionally, physical education promotes goal setting and self-discipline. Team sports, specifically, have the added benefit of allowing students to learn how to interact with peers, work together as a team, or act as a leader.
Which two sentences would make the best introduction to establish the claim?
-Participation in sports leads to better learning and higher grades.
All students should be required to participate in physical education.
Physical education can benefit some student activities but not others.
Physical education in schools can be both a good thing and a bad thing.
A healthy social life depends on a great amount of physical activity, hard work, and discipline.
Physical education offers numerous benefits for the mind, body, and social interactions.
Physical education offers numerous benefits for the mind, body, and social interactions.
All students should be required to participate in physical education.
A student is writing an article for the school magazine. The student needs to revise a sentence to explain ideas more clearly. Read the sentences from the article and select the most precise word to replace the underlined phrase.
The electric eel is a type of fish that lives in dark, muddy water. This fish is best known for using electric shocks to attack its prey. However, due to poor eyesight, it also uses the bright charge of electricity to help get about its surroundings.
conquer
determine
navigate
surpass
Navigate
Which sentence best summarizes a central idea in the text?
The popularity of the Zephyr soared when it won the race, which proved that it was the best way for passengers to get to any location.
The Zephyr raced against other trains to prove it was one of the fastest forms of transportation.
The Zephyr was designed to show that trains were still a good choice of transportation, and it overcame challenges to win the race.
The popularity of the Zephyr faced a challenge due to the many problems the train experienced during the race.
C
A student named Luigi is writing a story for class. He wants to revise the story to include a better descriptive detail. Read the paragraph from the story and select the change that uses the best descriptive detail to revise the story.
I leaped out of bed and dashed downstairs, almost crashing into our dog Rancho. My mom was concentrating on cooking her famous egg casserole for breakfast. She flashed a knowing smile when she saw the anxiety on my face. "Settle down. Nothing has started yet, not even the commentary," she said comfortingly. I sighed deeply. Today, my two favorite women's tennis players were competing against each other. I would not miss the game of the century for anything.
A change dashed downstairs to "raced down the steps"
B change the anxiety on my face to "my flushed cheeks"
C change sighed deeply to "let out a deep sigh of relief"
D change the game of the century to "a game for all ages"
B change the anxiety on my face to "my flushed cheeks"
Vanessa is writing an argumentative essay about eating snacks in school. Read the paragraph from the report. One of the sentences is unnecessary and should be removed. Select the sentence that does not support the topic of the paragraph.
Students should be allowed to eat snacks during class because it will help them do better in school.
When students are hungry, they cannot concentrate on their work.
Taking short breaks from classwork is another way to help students focus.
If students do not get a chance to eat breakfast before school, they should be able to eat something during class.
Taking short breaks from classwork is another way to help students focus.
A student is writing a story for English class. The student needs to use precise words to express emotions in the story. Read the sentences from the story and select the best word to complete the sentence.
Everyone in the club had voted, but Mandy did not know whether to agree or disagree with the proposed idea. She felt battled conflicted disputed opposed
conflicted
How does the word "sleek" contribute to the reader's understanding of the Zephyr in the sentence from the text?
"The Zephyr had a sleek design adopted from airplanes."
It gives the impression that the Zephyr is expensive.
It gives the impression that the Zephyr is modern.
It creates an image of the Zephyr gliding swiftly like an airplane.
It creates an image of the Zephyr as small and narrow as an airplane.
C
A student is writing a story for class. One of the sentences needs more precise language to describe the events in the story. Read the paragraph from the story and select the word that best completes the sentence.
Maxine paused briefly behind a line of shrubby evergreen bushes to take shelter from the fierce, screaming winds that blew the snow into deep drifts. She stared down into the sloping folds of the valley, seeing the outline of the village below her. She stamped her feet, secure in their snowshoes, and then resumed revived reengineered reconditioned her slow, deliberate trek home.
resumed
Bart is writing a story about a sleepover. His teacher suggested that he add a transition word to link the paragraphs. Read the paragraphs from the story and select the transitional word that best links the two paragraphs.
Bryan was excited for his friend, Todd, to come over. The two boys sometimes stayed up all night having fun. Bryan just purchased a new video game that he was eager to play with Todd.
_______ Bryan's mom bought the boys delicious snacks for the evening. Bryan was so ready for Todd to show up that he kept checking the window to see if Todd's mom was pulling her van into the driveway. When Todd finally came, Bryan ran up and excitedly gave him a high five.
Also,
Although,
However,
Specifically,
Also
Tamika is writing a story for class. She needs to revise her draft to better describe events in the story. Read the sentences from the story and answer the question.
For our family vacation, we visited the Lost Sea in Tennessee, which is actually a large lake. We took a tour that allowed us to spend a night in the caves. My favorite part of the trip was the glass-bottom boat ride through the cave's waterways.
Which sensory detail should be added to better describe the events in the story?
a description of the boat's size
a description of the tour's features
a description of the cave's internal chambers
a description of the narrator's family members
a description of the cave's internal chambers
Which word has the same meaning as advertise in the sentence from the text?
"The Zephyr's race was a way to advertise the new train."
Promote
hail
introduce
sell
Jayden is writing a report for science class about how dogs see. Read the paragraph from her report and select the best transition word or phrase to connect the ideas.
Dogs' vision differs from human vision. Both dogs and humans have cones in their eyes that allow them to identify colors. Dogs have only two types of cones;instead, on the other hand, otherwise, by comparison, humans have three types. This means that dogs can see yellows and blues, but they usually cannot tell the difference between reds and greens.
Harvey is writing a report for science class. Harvey made a grammatical error in his report. Read the paragraph from his report and select one sentence that contains a grammatical error.
Students who enjoy science and traveling to remote locations should consider a job as a volcanologist. A volcanologist is someone who studies both active and inactive volcanoes. Volcanologists are expected to be knowledgeable about many different branches in science, including chemistry and geology. A student interested in volcanology should know that their job could require traveling to many places and could be physically demanding.
Volcanologists are expected to be knowledgeable about many different branches in science, including chemistry and geology.
Akil is writing a story for class. He wants to revise the story to include sensory details. Which detail should be added to the paragraph from the story to provide sensory detail?
Saturday night was the dance competition, and this was their last practice. Thomas performed his lifts with Jamila several times. During the last lift, he heard a strange sound. He looked down and saw a rip as long as his arm in the side of his costume.
which side of the costume ripped
how Jamila reacted to the incident
the sound made when the costume ripped
how high Thomas had practiced lifting Jamila
the sound made when the costume ripped
Which sentence from the text best supports the conclusion that few people expected the Zephyr to be successful?
"A regular train traveled this distance in about 26 hours, but this was no ordinary train."
"Trains had long been the primary source of transportation for people in the United States, but with a rise in the usage of cars and airplanes, railroads were losing customers."
"Ralph Budd, the president of Burlington Railroad, hoped the Zephyr would bring back passengers."
"To most people, the dawn-to-dusk race seemed like an impossible challenge."
D
Beth is writing a report for class about viewing solar eclipses. She wants to provide supporting details in her report. Read Beth's paragraph and her notes. Select two sentences from her notes that provide the best supporting details to add to her report.
Beth's Paragraph
Precaution should be taken when viewing a solar eclipse. Although the Moon blocks the Sun during a solar eclipse, avoid looking directly at a solar eclipse when it occurs.
Beth's Notes
Joanna is writing a story for class. Her story is missing a conclusion. Read the story and choose the best conclusion to add to the paragraph.
Andy found a giant tree with sprawling branches on the edge of town that looked like the perfect climbing tree. He grabbed the lowest branch, lifted himself on top of the branch, and slowly started to scale the tree. Before he knew it, he was standing on the uppermost branch of the tree. A breeze caused the branch to sway, and he looked down in alarm, nearly losing his grip. He felt his stomach tighten when he looked down, as all the branches seemed to melt together into a tangled mess. He wondered how he had managed to climb up, and he had no idea how to climb back down. He was stuck at the top of the tree. He took a few minutes to compose himself and then took a deep breath.
Andy waited at the top of the tree until dark when he heard his mom calling for him.
Andy carefully descended one branch at a time until he finally reached the bottom with a sigh of relief.
After Andy had stayed in the tree for an hour, one of his friends climbed the tree to help him down.
Instead of immediately descending, Andy decided to wait so he could watch the sun set from the edge of town.
Andy carefully descended one branch at a time until he finally reached the bottom with a sigh of relief.
Paloma is writing a story for class. She needs to use correct grammar. Read the sentences from her story and select the word from the underlined sets of words that uses correct grammar.
I asked John for some cookies from he / his and Todd's plate, but he / they refused, saying there were only two left. But, once I told he / him how hungry we were, he decided to give them to you and I / me.
his, he, him, me
Read the paragraph from the text and answer the question.
"When the Zephyr finally crossed into Nebraska, it was zipping along at 90 miles per hour. It seemed as though entire populations of the small towns that lined the tracks were gathered along the train's route to watch the Zephyr zoom by. People waved and cheered, but all they saw was a flash of silver. Policemen and Boy Scouts stood guard at each of the crossings, making sure no one wandered onto the track."
Which sentence best describes the central idea of the paragraph?
The Zephyr posed a possible danger to people watching it go by.
The Zephyr traveled so fast that it was impossible for people to see it clearly.
The Zephyr race was so popular that large crowds had to be monitored for safety.
Entire towns gathered to witness the Zephyr go by.
C