Key Words
Which sentence from the selection best supports the controlling idea that monarchs depend on human help?
human help
Read lines 13 and 14. she tears a hole in heaven’s sky, so sun can shine and rain can cry, What do these lines suggest about March?
F She is sad to see winter go away.
G She is jealous of the power of winter.
H She makes movements that are clumsy.
J She creates opportunities for a new season.
J She creates opportunities for a new season.
The word cryptic has a Latin root that means “hidden.”
Based on this information, what does the word cryptic mean as it is used in paragraph 5 of the selection “A Modern-Day Treasure Hunt”?
F Unusual
G Lengthy
H Artistic
J Unclear
J Unclear
Read this line from the poem.
Its greatness makes me feel very small.
This line helps the reader understand that the speaker-
F feels unpleasantly overwhelmed by his surroundings
G would prefer to visit the rain forest with a group of people
H has a deep appreciation for his surroundings
J wants to view the rain forest from a higher location
H has a deep appreciation for his surroundings
Which sentence best shows that the rat overestimates his abilities?
A One day a little brown beetle was crawling along a wall when a big grey rat ran out of a hole in the wall and looked down scornfully at the little beetle. (paragraph 2)
B The big grey rat ran to the end of the wall, wheeled around, and came back to the place where the little beetle was slowly crawling along at only a tiny distance from where the rat had left her. (paragraph 3)
C “Why, you talk just as if you thought you had a chance to win the race,” he said, when he could speak. (paragraph 9)
D Then he started to run more slowly but every time his heart beat it said, “Hurry up! Hurry up!” (paragraph 11)
C “Why, you talk just as if you thought you had a chance to win the race,” he said, when he could speak. (paragraph 9)
How does the selection’s problem-solution organizational structure most contribute to the author’s purpose?
problem-solution
What is the best summary of the story?
A Elena answers the phone and her brother Marcos tells her he is planning a surprise visit home. He is coming for their parents’ anniversary party. Elena tells Gemma who then tells Aunt Laura who then tells Mom. Marcos is upset that Mom knows his surprise.
B Marcos plans a surprise visit home and asks his sister Elena to keep his secret. However, Elena tells her cousin, and Mom eventually hears about the plan. Marcos arrives and realizes his visit is not a surprise. Elena feels sorry and apologizes, and she is forgiven.
C Elena tries to keep her brother Marcos’s surprise visit to herself. When her cousin Gemma visits, Elena tells her the secret. When Mom finds out, she starts to get the house ready for Marcos. She bakes his favorite cookies, and Marcos eats them when he arrives.
D Marcos wants to travel home from California and surprise his parents for their anniversary party. He asks Elena to keep his secret, but she tells her cousin Gemma. Marcos is at first upset that Elena told his secret but then shares some cookies with her that Mom baked.
B Marcos plans a surprise visit home and asks his sister Elena to keep his secret. However, Elena tells her cousin, and Mom eventually hears about the plan. Marcos arrives and realizes his visit is not a surprise. Elena feels sorry and apologizes, and she is forgiven.
What does the word dwindling mean in line 18?
A Lessening
B Soaking
C Straying
D Troubling
A Lessening
Which line from the poem best helps the reader imagine the flowers and fruits of the rain forest?
A Is more than can be described.
B Its ponds are crowded
C A palace of fragrance and tastes
D Is pure paradise.
C A palace of fragrance and tastes
7 How does the selection’s problem-solution organizational structure most contribute to the author’s purpose?
A By detailing concerns that young people have when trying to raise money to build gardens for monarchs
B By explaining the difficulties citizen scientists encounter when trying to locate monarchs
C By emphasizing how restoring monarch habitats can help bring back the monarch population
D By showing reasons why researchers are unable to gather enough data about the health of the monarch population
C By emphasizing how restoring monarch habitats can help bring back the monarch population
Which sentence best supports the idea that helping monarchs requires a large amount of effort?
a large amount of effort
What is the most likely reason the poet uses personification throughout the poem about the month of March?
F To compare March’s behavior to that of an impatient person
G To produce a personal reaction of sadness for March’s farewell
H To show how March’s changing of the seasons may affect each person
J To use the actions of a person to describe March’s effect on the weather
G To produce a personal reaction of sadness for March’s farewell
13 The little brown beetle drew out the tiny wings from her sides. “Nobody said anything about having to run to win the race,” she replied, “so I flew instead.”
Read the dictionary entry for the word draw.
draw \ˈdrô\ v 1. to go steadily or gradually 2. to sketch with lines 3. to pull from a holding place 4. to choose by chance
Which definition best matches the way drew is used in paragraph 13?
F Definition 1
G Definition 2
H Definition 3
J Definition 4
H Definition 3
Read these sentences from the selection.
Next, he planted rows of flowering plants called milkweed—monarchs’ main source of food. (paragraph 2)
Over the past four years, Carter has raised and tagged more than 700 monarch butterflies. (paragraph 16)
What can the reader infer about Carter based on these sentences?
A Carter sees many types of insects in his backyard all year long.
B Carter has expanded the area that he uses to host butterflies.
C Carter’s efforts to help butterflies have been successful.
D Carter’s backyard is a place for citizen scientists to meet.
C Carter’s efforts to help butterflies have been successful.
Which sentence from the selection best supports the controlling idea that monarchs depend on human help?
F He wanted to create a way station for monarch butterflies. (paragraph 1)
G Every fall, millions of monarchs fly up to 4,800 kilometers (3,000 miles) from Canada and the United States to Mexico. (paragraph 3)
H The older butterflies die, and their offspring continue north. (paragraph 6)
J By planting butterfly gardens, they’re restoring the habitat monarchs need to survive. (paragraph 15)
J By planting butterfly gardens, they’re restoring the habitat monarchs need to survive. (paragraph 15)
Which sentence from the selection best explains why the black-backed woodpecker is able to build its unique type of home?
unique
Read this sentence from paragraph 27. As Marcos hugged Mom, he looked accusingly over her shoulder at Elena—the aroma of fresh cookies in the air whispered to him that his visit was no surprise.
What does the author’s use of personification emphasize?
F Marcos realizes Mom has prepared in advance for his visit.
G Mom understands what Marcos likes to eat.
H Elena wishes that Marcos had not noticed the smell of the cookies.
J Marcos feels welcomed by the smell of his favorite cookies
F Marcos realizes Mom has prepared in advance for his visit.
15 OWNER: [Bolts to his feet.] You’re . . . you’re . . . talking!
Read the dictionary entry for the word bolt.
bolt \'bōlt\ v
1. to break away from control 2. to stop participating in an activity 3. to run off 4. to move suddenly or rapidly
Which definition best matches the way the word bolts is used in line 15?
F Definition 1
G Definition 2
H Definition 3
J Definition 4
J Definition 4
Read this sentence from “Soaring to New Heights.”
Her coach now uses a whistle to keep her centered, and Brown uses a beeper that alerts her when to plant her pole.
Which phrase from “See It Through” illustrates that her mother also accomplishes tasks in a creative way?
F mention that my mom is in a wheelchair
G a cheerleader on the sideline of my soccer games
H strapping herself to some stranger’s lap in order to zip-line
J mother showed me how to live outside of limits
H strapping herself to some stranger’s lap in order to zip-line
Which sentence best supports the idea that helping monarchs requires a large amount of effort?
A This yearly migration is one of the most impressive in the animal kingdom, but its future is uncertain. (paragraph 4)
B Over the past 60 years, thousands of people have helped scientists study these incredible insects. (paragraph 9)
C But a butterfly scientist named Fred Urquhart had a plan. (paragraph 10)
D Others share photos online. (paragraph 12)
B Over the past 60 years, thousands of people have helped scientists study these incredible insects. (paragraph 9)
Which sentence from the selection best highlights that the author is impressed with Brown?
impressed
What is the best summary of the story?
A A rat runs out of a hole in a wall and meets a beetle. The rat shows the beetle how quickly he can run and makes fun of the beetle for walking slowly. A parrot who has heard the conversation flies up to them and suggests the rat and beetle have a race.
B A green and gold parrot sees a rat and a beetle having a conversation by a wall. The parrot flies over to them and suggests that the rat and beetle race to determine who is faster. The beetle flies to the top of a cliff and beats the rat, who is tired from running so far and fast.
C A rat brags about his speed to a beetle he sees crawling along a wall. A parrot hears them talking and suggests the rat and beetle compete to win a gorgeous coat, so the two animals race to the top of a cliff. Because she can fly, the beetle wins the race and earns the prize.
D A rat and a beetle meet a green and gold parrot. The parrot tells them the tailor bird will make a beautiful coat for whoever wins a race to a palm tree on a cliff. The beetle beats the rat in the race, and the parrot asks the beetle what colors she wants her coat to be.
C A rat brags about his speed to a beetle he sees crawling along a wall. A parrot hears them talking and suggests the rat and beetle compete to win a gorgeous coat, so the two animals race to the top of a cliff. Because she can fly, the beetle wins the race and earns the prize.
1 To humans the area where a recent forest fire occurred may seem devastated. Yet for some species of animals, it is a place full of promise for new life.
Read the origin of the word devastate. from Latin de- + vastare, meaning “to lay waste” This information helps the reader understand that devastated in paragraph 1 means —
A ruined
B empty
C harsh
D remote
A ruined
Read line 22.
HORMIGUITA: Wheeee! Chasing leaves is so much fun. A lot more fun than working . . . Oh my, I forgot I was supposed to bring that food into the anthill. [She turns and starts to go back, but she stops and looks around because she is lost.] I’ve never been in this part of the forest before.
What can the reader infer based on this line?
A Hormiguita needs to find food in the forest to bring back to the anthill.
B Chasing the leaf causes Hormiguita to become hungry and think about food.
C Hormiguita travels to the forest so that she can avoid doing any work.
D Chasing leaves causes Hormiguita to accidentally wander far from the anthill.
D Chasing leaves causes Hormiguita to accidentally wander far from the anthill.
Which sentence from the selection “A Modern-Day Treasure Hunt” supports the idea that Forrest Fenn sees his treasure as a way to inspire others?
A He accumulated his treasure over a lifetime. (paragraph 2)
B He placed a 10-inch-by-10-inch bronze box of treasure somewhere in the Rocky Mountains between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Canadian border. (paragraph 2)
C He wanted to urge people to put down their electronic devices and go outside to appreciate nature. (paragraph 2)
D Some travelers have even looked for the hidden treasure dozens of times, but none have found it yet. (paragraph 3)
C He wanted to urge people to put down their electronic devices and go outside to appreciate nature. (paragraph 2)