Research Skills
A student is researching the work of famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Which source would be most credible for the student to use to find information on Frida Kahlo’s influence on the world of art?
A. a magazine article on Kahlo’s artistic techniques written by two college students taking a course on Kahlo
B. a book titled Frida Kahlo’s Legacy written by a college professor who teaches courses on Kahlo
C. a collection of essays titled Exploring Frida Kahlo’s Worlds written by an artist who models her work after Kahlo’s
D. a blog post on how Kahlo’s style evolved over time written by a fan of Kahlo’s art
B. a book titled Frida Kahlo’s Legacy written by a college professor who teaches courses on Kahlo
A student is writing an argumentative response about why video gaming should be considered a sport.
Which sentence should the student include in the argument to acknowledge an alternative perspective?
A. Playing team video games requires clear communication with teammates.
B. Beating a video game requires concentration, practice, and dedication.
C. Because video games require a player to sit for long periods of time, they do not encourage
people to be as active as when playing sports.
D. Some studies have shown that playing video games increases a person’s heart rate similarly
to how it increases while playing sports.
C. Because video games require a player to sit for long periods of time, they do not encourage
Read the paragraphs from the passage.
“What . . . are you doing here?” I stuttered with a mixture of feelings. I didn’t want to share my secret haven with anyone else in my family, but I also admired my older sister.
Noelle’s eyes glinted with amusement as she sat down next to me in the other rocking chair. “I could ask you the same question,” she said, chuckling. “I’ve been escaping to Mrs. Myers’s Cool Oasis since I was your age—in fact, I planted daisies with her yesterday.”
What does this event reveal about Peyton and Noelle?
A. Both have used the rooftop garden to find peace.
B. Both enjoy gardening with their neighbors.
C. Both want the rooftop garden to be kept a secret.
D. Both want to spend more time together.
A. Both have used the rooftop garden to find peace.
"Peyton's Landscape"
How does chapter I contribute to the development of the setting?
A. It shows that the apartment is bustling with activity.
B. It explains that Peyton feels cooped up inside the apartment.
C. It indicates that Peyton’s art supplies are overcrowding the apartment.
D. It suggests that the apartment is in the middle of a busy city.
A. It shows that the apartment is bustling with activity.
How do the supporting details contribute to the development of the central idea "blinking serves some useful purpose?"
A. by explaining how blinking benefits people’s eyes
B. by providing facts about blink rate averages
C. by bringing readers’ attention to their own blinking
D. by referring to studies that are related to blinking
A. by explaining how blinking benefits people’s eyes
The mucus also contains antibodies that protect the eyes from infection.
Based on the suffix “-tion,” what does the word “infection” mean?
A. to be infected again
B. the state of being infected
C. without being infected
D. to prevent being infected
B. the state of being infected
Read the paragraph.
Origami is the art of paper folding. It originated in Japan but is now practiced all over the world. Origami designs can range from simple to complex. Many people happily spend hours on their paper creations.
Which statement would best conclude the paragraph?
A. One way to learn origami is to take classes.
B. Origami is an inexpensive way to have fun with friends.
C. Paper may increase in cost because origami is becoming more popular.
D. Origami continues to fascinate people around the world.
D. Origami continues to fascinate people around the world.
Read the sentences in the chart. Then, choose the word that best describes the tone each sentence creates into the chart.
#1 Sinking into a chair, I felt my body relax like a sleepy cat lying in a puddle of sunshine. _______
#2 They chirped bright, lively songs with dancing notes that lifted our spirits. ________
Tone Choices
- cheerful
- exciting
- hopeful
- serene
- serious
#1 serene
#2 cheerful
"Peyton's Landscape"
Read the paragraph from the passage.
When I told Mom our plan, she decided to take the twins to the park for an hour so Noelle and I could rule the kitchen table. Together, my sister and I filled some pitchers with water, assembled an army of brushes, and grabbed our palettes, paper, and paints.
How does this paragraph fit into the overall structure of the passage?
A. It provides a shift in point of view.
B. It introduces details about the setting.
C. It helps develop the main theme of the passage.
D. It reveals the conflict between the main characters
C. It helps develop the main theme of the passage.
How does the first paragraph fit into the overall structure of the passage?
A. It convinces readers to pay better attention to how often they blink.
B. It emphasizes the importance of blinking by explaining that everyone does it.
C. It introduces the topic of blinking with a surprising fact and a question to generate interest in the topic.
D. It creates a sense of mystery by encouraging readers to think about blinking.
C. It introduces the topic of blinking with a surprising fact and a question to generate interest in the topic.
The passage "Easy Money" needs revisions or edits. Read the passage. Then answer the questions.
Which detail would best be added to the beginning of the last paragraph to connect ideas in
the passage?
A. Even though he is two years younger than me, Derek might be smarter.
B. Derek and I enjoy our weekends.
C. I enjoy walking around the neighborhood with Derek and our dog.
D. In any weather, Derek and I take our walks.
A. Even though he is two years younger than me, Derek might be smarter.
What is the theme of the passage?
A. Spending time creating art can be a good way to enjoy nature.
B. Dealing with younger siblings can be both challenging and amusing.
C. Families may be imperfect, but you can count on them to support you.
D. It is better to walk away than to become upset over things you cannot change.
C. Families may be imperfect, but you can count on them to support you.
"Peyton's Landscape"
Which two words in the passage have similar meanings?
A. delicate and transparent
B. disaster and catastrophe
C. instructed and produced
D. catapulted and scrambled
B. disaster and catastrophe
How does the “Average Blink Rate” table fit into the overall structure of the passage?
A. It suggests that people begin to blink less often as they age.
B. It shows how the rate of blinking leads to a high lifetime number of blinks.
C. It shows how the rate of blinking changes as time passes.
D. It indicates how often people should blink to keep their eyes healthy.
B. It shows how the rate of blinking leads to a high lifetime number of blinks.
What is the correct way to punctuate sentence 8?
(8) Every Thursday afternoon when they get home from work people have to go get their trash cans from the street and bring the cans back up to their houses.
A. Every Thursday afternoon, when they get home from work people have to go get their trash cans from the street and bring the cans back up to their houses.
B. Every Thursday afternoon, when they get home from work, people have to go get their trash cans from the street and bring the cans back up to their houses.
C. Every Thursday afternoon when they get home from work people have to go get their trash cans, from the street, and bring the cans back up to their houses.
D. Every Thursday afternoon when they get home from work people, have to go get their trash cans from the street and bring the cans back up to their houses.
B. Every Thursday afternoon, when they get home from work, people have to go get their trash cans from the street and bring the cans back up to their houses.
Which sentence from the passage best supports the theme "Families may be imperfect, but you can count on theme to support you."
A. He rolled his toy bus across the kitchen table and knocked over my glass of water.
B. I needed to escape, so I put away my paints and found my mother in her office.
C. Then, we produced a forest of trees with textured trunks by scraping at the paint with dry brushes.
D. My family was overwhelming at times, but they were always there to help me and cheer for me too.
D. My family was overwhelming at times, but they were always there to help me and cheer for me too.
"Why Do We Blink?"
How do the supporting details in the passage contribute to the idea that the brain plays a role in blinking?
A. by describing what happens to the blink rate when people are tired or sleepy
B. by stating that people viewing computer screens do not completely close their eyes when blinking
C. by stating that people are usually unaware of their blinking unless they think about it
D. by giving examples of how blink rates change when people focus on certain tasks
D. by giving examples of how blink rates change when people focus on certain tasks
Read the summary of “Why Do We Blink?” Then choose the two sentences that best complete the summary.
1) Everyone continually blinks their eyes.
2) Tear ducts, eyelids, and eyelashes all work together when a person blinks.
3)
4)
5) Feeling tired or confused increases blinking.
Sentences choices
a) Blinking keeps people's eyes in healthy working condition.
b) Eyelashes dust foreign particles away from the eye.
c) Some types of mental concentration cause people to blink less.
d) Spending a lot of time looking at computer screens may dry the eyes.
A and C
Read sentences 6 and 7 from the passage.
(6) The trash collectors come. (7) So, everyone takes their trash cans to the curb each Thursday morning.
What is the best way to revise sentence 6 for clarity?
A. The trash collectors come to our neighborhood.
B. The trash collectors are friendly—often greeting the neighbors when they drive by.
C. The trash collectors gather trash and take it to the local wasteyard.
D. The trash collectors for our neighborhood come once a week.
D. The trash collectors for our neighborhood come once a week.
How does Noelle’s offer to teach Peyton new painting methods impact Peyton’s perspective?
A. Peyton realizes how much he missed his sister while she was away.
B. Peyton understands how different he and his sister are as artists.
C. Peyton believes that his sister can help him fix his painting with her techniques.
D. Peyton becomes less upset and appreciates his sister’s effort to help him.
D. Peyton becomes less upset and appreciates his sister’s effort to help him.
"Why Do We Blink?"
Which sentence best states a central idea of the passage?
A. The process of blinking occurs automatically.
B. Blinking can occur at different rates.
C. Scientists have studied the process of blinking.
D. Blinking serves some useful purposes.
D. Blinking serves some useful purposes.
Read the sentence from the passage.
They act like feather dusters to help lift away tiny dust particles before they can adhere to our
sensitive eyes.
What does the word adhere mean as it is used in the sentence?
A. attach
B. spread
C. move
D. arrive
A. attach