Case Closed!
Read the sentence.
Sienna glanced at the dark clouds, grabbed her raincoat, and hurried toward the bus stop.
What can the reader infer about Sienna?
A. She is preparing for cold weather.
B. She expects it to rain.
C. She is going on a long trip.
D. She enjoys riding the bus.
Correct answer: B
The dark clouds and raincoat support the inference that Maya expects rain.
Sea turtles use Earth's magnetic field to navigate across large oceans.
What is the author's MOST LIKELY purpose for including this information?
A. To entertain readers with an imaginary story
B. To convince readers to purchase a product
C. To inform readers about animal navigation
D. To describe a personal experience
Correct answer: C
The sentence provides factual information about how sea turtles navigate.
A student writes this sentence in an informational essay.
Animals are really cool and do a lot of neat things.
Which revision BEST improves the sentence's clarity and word choice?
A. Animals are super interesting and very cool.
B. Animals do lots of things that are nice.
C. Many animals demonstrate intelligence through problem-solving and communication.
D. Animals are animals, and they do different things.
Correct answer: C
It replaces vague language with specific, informative wording.
Which sentence is a compound sentence?
A. Because the storm ended, the birds returned.
B. The storm ended, and the birds returned.
C. After the storm ended.
D. Returning after the storm ended.
Correct answer: B
It joins two independent clauses with the coordinating conjunction 'and'.
The desert receives very little rainfall, so many plants store water in their stems.
Which statement BEST summarizes the information?
A. Desert plants are always small.
B. Some desert plants store water because rainfall is limited.
C. Deserts receive rain every day.
D. Plants cannot survive in deserts.
Correct answer: B
It accurately captures the important relationship between limited rainfall and water storage.
Even after the first experiment failed, Jordan adjusted his materials and tried again.
Which word BEST describes Jordan?
A. Impatient
B. Careless
C. Determined
D. Confused
Correct answer: C
Jordan continues working despite an unsuccessful first attempt.
Unlike wolves, which usually hunt in packs, tigers typically hunt alone. Both predators rely on sharp senses to locate prey.
Which organizational pattern does the author use?
A. Cause and effect
B. Compare and contrast
C. Problem and solution
D. Chronological order
Correct answer: B
The author identifies a difference and a similarity between wolves and tigers.
A student is writing an informational paragraph about animal adaptations.
Which sentence would be the BEST controlling idea?
A. Have you ever visited a zoo?
B. Animals have developed adaptations that help them survive in different environments.
C. Some animals are really cute.
D. My favorite animal is a polar bear.
Correct answer: B
It clearly establishes a focused main idea that can be developed with evidence.
Which word is the subordinating conjunction in this sentence?
Although the weather was cold, the students continued their experiment.
A. Weather
B. Although
C. Continued
D. Experiment
Correct answer: B
'Although' introduces a dependent clause.
DOUBLE POINTS
Scientists discovered that certain birds use small sticks to reach insects hidden inside trees.
Which sentence BEST paraphrases this information?
A. Researchers found that some birds use twigs as tools to get insects from trees.
B. Scientists discovered that certain birds use small sticks to reach insects hidden inside trees.
C. Every bird uses tools to find food.
D. Birds eat insects because scientists study trees.
Correct answer: A
It preserves the original meaning using different wording.
When the river flooded, volunteers filled sandbags and placed them around neighborhood homes. They worked throughout the night to keep water from entering the buildings.
Which detail BEST supports the inference that the volunteers were committed to protecting their community?
A. The river flooded.
B. The volunteers worked throughout the night.
C. The homes were located in a neighborhood.
D. The volunteers used sandbags.
Answer: B
Working throughout the night demonstrates dedication and effort.
An article explains how plastic pollution harms sea animals and then describes ways communities can reduce plastic waste.
How does the organizational pattern contribute to the author's purpose?
A. It describes events in the order they occurred.
B. It explains a problem and presents possible solutions.
C. It compares two equally effective methods.
D. It classifies animals into different groups.
Correct answer: B
The author introduces the environmental problem and follows it with solutions.
DOUBLE POINTS
(1) Chimpanzees use tools to obtain food. (2) They communicate through gestures and sounds. (3) These behaviors demonstrate their intelligence.
Which transition should be added to the beginning of sentence 2 to improve the connection between ideas?
A. However,
B. In addition,
C. As a result,
D. Instead,
Correct answer: B
The second sentence adds another example of intelligent behavior.
Which sentence uses a comma CORRECTLY?
A. When the experiment ended the students, recorded their results.
B. When, the experiment ended the students recorded their results.
C. When the experiment ended, the students recorded their results.
D. When the experiment, ended the students recorded their results.
Correct answer: C
A comma follows the introductory dependent clause.
The Latin root 'scrib' means 'write.'
What does the word 'inscription' MOST LIKELY mean?
A. A spoken announcement
B. A written or engraved message
C. A drawing of an animal
D. A difficult decision
Correct answer: B
The root refers to writing; an inscription is writing engraved or marked on a surface.
At first, scientists believed the birds migrated only during daylight. However, tracking devices revealed that many traveled hundreds of miles after sunset.
What can the reader infer about the scientists' original understanding?
A. It was supported by every observation.
B. It was based on information that was later challenged.
C. It explained why all birds migrate.
D. It proved tracking devices were unreliable.
Correct answer: B
New tracking data challenged the scientists' original belief.
TRIPLE POINTS
An informational article about chimpanzees includes a photograph showing a chimpanzee inserting a twig into a termite mound.
How does the photograph MOST LIKELY contribute to the text?
A. It proves that all chimpanzees behave identically.
B. It provides visual evidence of chimpanzees using tools.
C. It explains why chimpanzees avoid humans.
D. It shows the order of every step in the research process.
Correct answer: B
The photograph visually supports information about tool use.
A student is writing an informational paragraph about animal survival.
(1) Camouflage helps animals avoid predators. (2) Some insects resemble leaves or branches. (3) My favorite insect is the butterfly. (4) This appearance makes them difficult for predators to notice.
Which sentence should be removed to improve the focus of the paragraph?
A. Sentence 1
B. Sentence 2
C. Sentence 3
D. Sentence 4
Correct answer: C
The personal preference is unrelated to the paragraph's controlling idea about camouflage.
Which sentence uses a conjunctive adverb and punctuation CORRECTLY?
A. The experiment failed, however the scientists tried again.
B. The experiment failed; however, the scientists tried again.
C. The experiment failed however; the scientists tried again.
D. The experiment failed, however; the scientists tried again.
Correct answer: B
A semicolon separates the independent clauses, and a comma follows 'however'.
Text 1: Some birds use sticks to collect insects from narrow spaces.
Text 2: Chimpanzees use twigs to remove termites from mounds.
Which conclusion can readers develop by synthesizing both texts?
A. Birds and chimpanzees eat the same foods.
B. Only mammals can use tools.
C. Different animal species can use objects as tools to obtain food.
D. All animals learn to use tools from humans.
Correct answer: C
Both texts demonstrate tool use by different animal species.
TRIPLE POINTS
For several weeks, Elena observed a family of foxes near the forest. She noticed that the adults carried food to their den each evening. One afternoon, she spotted three young foxes playing outside the entrance.
Which conclusion is BEST supported by the details?
A. Foxes always hunt during the evening.
B. The adult foxes were caring for their young.
C. The young foxes were preparing to leave the forest.
D. Elena had trained the foxes to approach people.
Correct answer: B
The adults regularly bringing food to a den containing young foxes supports this conclusion.
Some people assume octopuses act only on instinct. However, researchers have observed octopuses opening containers, navigating mazes, and remembering solutions to problems.
Why does the author MOST LIKELY begin by describing what some people assume?
A. To introduce a belief that the evidence will challenge
B. To prove that researchers disagree about every observation
C. To explain the chronological history of ocean research
D. To show that instinct and intelligence mean exactly the same thing
Correct answer: A
The opening establishes a common assumption that the research evidence challenges.
A student wants to combine these sentences to improve sentence variety.
Dolphins communicate using sounds. Dolphins use these sounds to coordinate their movements.
Which revision BEST combines the ideas while maintaining their meaning?
A. Dolphins communicate using sounds, they coordinate their movements.
B. Dolphins communicate using sounds because their movements are sounds.
C. Dolphins use sounds to communicate and coordinate their movements.
D. Dolphins communicate, and sounds, and coordinate their movements.
Correct answer: C
It combines both ideas clearly and concisely without a run-on sentence or a change in meaning.
Which sentence BEST combines the ideas into a complex sentence?
The researchers observed the animals. They discovered new behaviors.
A. The researchers observed the animals, they discovered new behaviors.
B. The researchers observed the animals and discovered new behaviors.
C. While the researchers observed the animals, they discovered new behaviors.
D. The researchers observed the animals, and they discovered new behaviors.
Correct answer: C
'While' creates a dependent clause, producing a complex sentence. Choices B and D are grammatical but do not create a complex sentence.
Read these statements from two texts.
Text 1: Researchers observed elephants using branches to swat insects away.
Text 2: Scientists documented crows bending wires to retrieve food from containers.
Which new understanding is BEST supported by synthesizing the information?
A. Animals use tools only when humans teach them.
B. Different species may use available materials to solve problems.
C. Elephants and crows survive in identical environments.
D. Tool use is limited to animals that live in groups.
Correct answer: B
Both examples show animals using objects to address different challenges.