Plot & Summary
A flashback is—
A. a clue about a future event
B. an interruption that describes an earlier event
C. the most exciting part of a story
D. a conflict between two characters
B. an interruption that describes an earlier event
Read this line:
The impatient alarm clock shouted across the room.
Which type of figurative language is used?
A. Simile
B. Metaphor
C. Personification
D. Hyperbole
C. Personification
Text 1: Elena discovers that her grandmother’s recipe book contains handwritten notes about their family.
Text 2: A speaker describes old photographs as “windows into yesterday.”
Which idea is found in both texts?
A. Old objects can connect people to the past.
B. Families should take more photographs.
C. Cooking is the best way to preserve history.
D. People should replace damaged belongings.
A. Old objects can connect people to the past.
Which sentence is the strongest claim?
A. My grandmother owns an old necklace.
B. Many families own old objects.
C. Old objects come in different sizes.
D. Families should preserve heirlooms because they connect people to their history.
D. Families should preserve heirlooms because they connect people to their history.
Read the sentence:
As the students arranged their projects around the room.
What correction is needed?
A. Insert a comma after projects.
B. Add an independent clause to complete the thought.
C. Change arranged to arranging.
D. Delete the word students.
B. Add an independent clause to complete the thought.
Tiana avoided the community garden because she thought gardening was boring. She remembered visiting the garden as a child and proudly carrying home the first tomato she had grown.
How does the use of flashback contribute to the plot?
A. It explains why Tiana dislikes vegetables.
B. It reveals that Tiana once valued the garden.
C. It introduces a conflict between Tiana and her family.
D. It shows that Tiana wants to plant another tomato.
B. It reveals that Tiana once valued the garden.
Read these lines:
The book waited quietly,
Its unopened pages calling my name.
What does the personification suggest about the book?
A. The book is inviting the speaker to read.
B. The book belongs to someone else.
C. The book contains frightening information.
D. The book is damaged.
A. The book is inviting the speaker to read.
Text 1: A student enters a science museum and becomes interested in space exploration.
Text 2: A speaker reads a book about the moon and begins imagining life as an astronaut.
How are the ideas in the two texts similar?
A. Both characters decide that science is too difficult.
B. Both characters learn from a family member.
C. Both characters develop a new interest after learning something.
D. Both characters become afraid of space.
C. Both characters develop a new interest after learning something.
Claim: Schools should hold an annual community history night.
Which evidence best supports the claim?
A. The event could be held on a Thursday.
B. A history night would allow families to share stories and learn about their community.
C. The school gym has twenty tables.
D. Some students prefer science to history.
B. A history night would allow families to share stories and learn about their community.
Read the sentence:
Maya cleaned the old camera she placed it on the shelf.
What change is needed?
A. Change cleaned to cleaning.
B. Delete the word old.
C. Insert a semicolon after camera.
D. Change placed to places.
C. Insert a semicolon after camera.
After basketball practice, Amir began helping at his father’s record store. Amir originally considered the records old and useless. After discovering an album signed by his favorite musician, Amir understood why customers enjoyed searching through the store.
Which sentence is the best summary of the passage?
A. Amir plays basketball and works at his father’s record store after practice.
B. Amir finds an album signed by his favorite musician inside his father’s store.
C. Amir initially dismisses the records but changes his perspective after finding one that matters to him.
D. Customers enjoy searching through the record store for valuable albums.
C. Amir initially dismisses the records but changes his perspective after finding one that matters to him.
Read this line:
The hallway was completely silent.
The italics mainly help convey that the silence was—
A. peaceful and comforting
B. temporary and unimportant
C. confusing and humorous
D. unexpected and noticeable
D. unexpected and noticeable
Text 1: A neighborhood repair shop allows customers to bring in broken household objects.
Text 2: A museum displays objects behind glass cases.
Which statement describes how the settings are different?
A. Only the museum encourages people to appreciate history.
B. Only the repair shop contains objects from the past.
C. Only the museum allows visitors to see objects.
D. Only the repair shop allows people to restore objects for continued use.
D. Only the repair shop allows people to restore objects for continued use.
Evidence:
After listening to his grandfather’s stories, Malik carefully placed the old watch in a protective case.
Which explanation best connects this evidence to the claim that heirlooms are valuable?
A. This proves that all watches are expensive.
B. This suggests that Malik wants to purchase a new watch.
C. This demonstrates that learning the watch’s history caused Malik to value it.
D. This shows that Malik knows how to use a protective case.
C. This demonstrates that learning the watch’s history caused Malik to value it.
Read the sentence:
Grandfather said, “this watch belonged to your great-grandmother.”
What change needs to be made?
A. Change this to This.
B. Change belonged to belongs.
C. Delete the comma after said.
D. Change said to says.
A. Change this to This.
Each Saturday, Lena helped her aunt repair donated bicycles. At first, Lena complained that the bicycles were rusty and worthless. After watching a young boy happily ride away on a repaired bicycle, Lena began carefully checking each bicycle for problems.
What is one way the setting affects Lena’s values?
A. B. It teaches Lena that repairing old things can help other people.
B. It causes Lena to become interested in competitive cycling.
C. It makes Lena wish that she owned a new bicycle.
D. It convinces Lena to stop spending time with her aunt.
B. It causes Lena to become interested in competitive cycling.
Read these lines:
Stories crowd the shelves—
Adventures, mysteries, histories, and dreams.
What is the most likely reason the poet includes these details?
A. To explain how books should be organized
B. To emphasize the variety of experiences available through reading
C. To show that the speaker has read every book
D. To suggest that some types of books are unimportant
B. To emphasize the variety of experiences available through reading
Read this sentence from a story:
After hearing the song again, Marcus understood why his mother had saved the old radio.
Which line from the poem contains a SIMILAR idea?
A. “The radio sits beneath a layer of dust.”
B. “One familiar song returns an entire summer.”
C. “New machines shine inside the store.”
D. “Its broken dial refuses to turn.”
B. “One familiar song returns an entire summer.”
Claim: Families should preserve meaningful objects.
Which sentence presents a counterargument?
A. Some people argue that keeping old objects creates unnecessary clutter.
B. Families often pass special objects from one generation to another.
C. Photographs and letters can preserve important memories.
D. Meaningful objects can connect family members to their history.
A. Some people argue that keeping old objects creates unnecessary clutter.
Read the sentence:
Last Saturday, Elena helps her aunt organize the photographs.
Which change corrects the shift in verb tense?
A. Change helps to will help.
B. Change organize to organized.
C. Change photographs to photograph.
D. Change helps to helped.
D. Change helps to helped.
Devon reluctantly helps at his grandfather’s barbershop. While sweeping, Devon listens as customers share stories about graduations, weddings, and neighborhood events. By the end of the afternoon, Devon asks his grandfather if he can return the following Saturday.
Which theme is best developed by Devon’s experience?
A. Family businesses are more successful than large businesses.
B. Young people and adults usually have different interests.
C. People should avoid responsibilities they do not enjoy.
D. Listening to others can create a stronger appreciation for a community.
D. Listening to others can create a stronger appreciation for a community.
Read these lines:
Open the cover,
And unlock a hundred doors.
What is the most likely reason the poet uses this figurative language?
A. To explain how books are physically constructed
B. To warn readers that some books are difficult to understand
C. To suggest that reading provides access to many ideas and experiences
D. To demonstrate that books should be kept in locked rooms
C. To suggest that reading provides access to many ideas and experiences
Text 1: Kayla thinks her uncle’s comic-book collection is childish. After finding a comic featuring her favorite hero, she understands why the collection matters to him.
Text 2: A poem describes a library as a place where readers may enter as one person and leave with a different perspective.
Which statement expresses a theme found in both texts?
A. New perspectives can change how people value something.
B. Collections become more valuable as they become older.
C. People should always agree with their relatives.
D. Reading is the only effective way to learn.
A. New perspectives can change how people value something.
Which response best addresses the counterargument that old objects create clutter?
A. Old objects are always more valuable than new ones.
B. Some people own more objects than other people.
C. Clutter is annoying, and people should clean more often.
D. Although families cannot keep everything, they can preserve a few objects with important personal or historical meaning.
D. Although families cannot keep everything, they can preserve a few objects with important personal or historical meaning.
Read these sentences:
The event brought together people from different neighborhoods. The event created a stronger sense of unity.
Which sentence combines the ideas most clearly?
A. The event brought together people, different neighborhoods, and unity.
B. The event created a stronger sense of unity by bringing together people from different neighborhoods.
C. Bringing together people from different neighborhoods, a stronger sense of unity.
D. The event brought together people from different neighborhoods, the event created unity.
B. The event created a stronger sense of unity by bringing together people from different neighborhoods.