"How a Bill Becomes Law"
“The Star and the Lily” by Hamilton Wright Mabie
“Vilna” by Kim Roberts
“What is a Supernova?”
Miscellaneous
100

Question 12: 

Winston Churchill’s quote in paragraph 9 suggests that

A. America is not a true democracy.

B. democracy is a perfect form of government.

C. America is an example of a broken democracy.

D. Democracy is the best available form of government

D. Democracy is the best available form of government

100

Question 15:

Which of the following describes the most likely purpose of the myth of “The Star and the Lily”? 

A. to teach children to plant lily flowers

B. to explain the origins of the lily flower

C. to explain the movements of the stars

D. to teach children to look for shooting stars

B. to explain the origins of the lily flower

100

Question 27.

What is the central idea of the text? 

A. Supernovas are explosions in space that occur when stars collide.

B. Supernovas are star explosions that make it easier to see in space.

C. Supernovas are star explosions that pose occasional threats to Earth.

D. Supernovas are star explosions that teach scientists about the universe.

D. Supernovas are star explosions that teach scientists about the universe.

100

Fill in the blanks with the correct words.

Since the harvest was so ______, the tribe held a lavish feast and, after the ______, the tribe still had enough food left over to preserve for the winter.

A. abundant … meal

B. meager … celebration

D. beneficial … mourning

E. cultivated … suffering

A. abundant...meal

200

Question 5:

What is the author’s purpose for discussing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in paragraph 6? 

A. to criticize how slowly the Senate passed the bill

B. to show how important debate is for improving a bill

C. to give an ordinary example of a typical Senate bill

D. to emphasize for how long the Senate can debate a bill

D. to emphasize for how long the Senate can debate a bill

200

 Question 16:

Which of the following describes how the story is framed? 

A. An elder asks the star how it came to be.

B. An elder tells a myth to a group of children.

C. The young warrior tells a myth to a group of children.

D. The young warrior and the lily describe how they met.

B.  An elder tells a myth to a group of children.

200

Question 25:

What is the effect of the simile in lines 7-8? 

A. It emphasizes that the speaker is fearful of confronting the past.

B. It illustrates that the losses of the past can still be felt in Vilna.

C. It reinforces the idea that the speaker still lives in Vilna.

D. It shows that the speaker is not from Vilna.

B. It illustrates that the losses of the past can still be felt in Vilna


200

Question 29.

What is the meaning of “accumulates” in paragraph 4? 

A. heats

B. gathers

C. uses up

D. casts out

B. gathers

200

Read the sentence then choose your answers below.

All members of the jury must agree about whether or not the suspect is guilty; the trial will be thrown out if they cannot make ______ decision.

A. an inconclusive

B. a rational

C. an expected

D. an innocent

E. a unanimous

E. a unanimous

300

Question 2. 

What is the meaning of “share” as it is used in paragraph 4? 

A. portion

B. quality

C. space

D. variety

A. portion

300

Question 20

Which of the following influences the star’s decision on where to live? (Paragraphs 8-9) 

A. how close she is to nature

B. how close she is to the water

C. how close she is to the people

D. how close she is to her siblings

C. how close she is to the people

300

Question 22:

PART A: Which statement expresses a central theme of this poem? 

A. Time changes everything.

B. It is wrong to remember the past.

C. Everyone needs a star to guide them.

D. We bear the stories of the past into the present

D. We bear the stories of the past into the present

300

Question 32.

How are supernovas related to stars and planets? (Paragraphs 6-8) 

A. Supernova explosions can heat up nearby stars and planets.

B. Supernova explosions create the “shooting stars” we see from Earth.

C. Supernova explosions occur when stars and planets collide with one another.

D. Supernova explosions send elements into space that become stars and planets.

D. Supernova explosions send elements into space that become stars and planets.

300

Choose the word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word in capital letters

VACATE

A. abandon

B. charter

C. sever

D. occupy 

E. discharge

D. occupy

400

Question 6: 

The description of the lawmaking process in paragraphs 5-8 highlights the 

A. many steps involved in revising and approving a bill.

B. problems with the United States’ political system.

C. available options for citizens to give input on a bill.

D. temptation for people in power to abuse their positions

A. many steps involved in revising and approving a bill.

400

What is the meaning of “desirous” in paragraph 6?

A. eager

B. fearful

C. hopeless

D. reluctant

A. eager

400

Question 26: 

What do the lines “the planet / turns only in one direction” suggest about the speaker’s grandpa? (Lines 9-10)

A. He does not value the future.

B. He studies the stars and planets.

C. He is constantly looking to the past.

D. He does not want to revisit his memories.

D. He does not want to revisit his memories.

400

Question 33.

How do paragraphs 9-10 contribute to the development of ideas in the text?

A. They explain why scientists have a difficult time finding supernovas.

B. They demonstrate that it is relatively easy to find a supernova in space.

C. They describe different methods that can be used to study supernovas.

D. They suggest that scientists are more interested in black holes than in supernovas.

C. They describe different methods that can be used to study supernovas.

400

"A bitter expression crossed his features, causing angry wrinkles to mar his face."

What does the word "mar" mean?

A. disfigure

B. imagine

C. punish

D. silence

A. disfigure

500

Question 9:

What role does the president play in the process of a bill becoming a law? 

A. The president edits proposed bills.

B. The president passes or rejects bills.

C. The president enforces current laws.

D. The president gives orders to Congress.

B. The president passes or rejects the bill.

500

Question 21: How does the perspective of the fallen star compare to that of her siblings? 

A. The star enjoys being a lily on Earth, but her siblings resent her for it.

B. The star enjoys being a lily on Earth, whereas her siblings are happy in the sky.

C. The fallen star misses life in the sky, whereas her siblings wish to come to Earth.

D. The fallen star misses her family, but her siblings have already forgotten about her

B. The star enjoys being a lily on Earth, whereas her siblings are happy in the sky.

500

Question 24:

What is the effect of the repetition of the word “surely” in lines 4-5?

A. They show that the speaker has heard recent stories about Vilna.

B. They show that the speaker is absolutely certain of how Vilna looks today.

C. They suggest that the speaker wants reassurance that parts of Vilna are unchanged.

D. They suggest that the speaker is speaking ironically about how much has changed in Vilna.

C. They suggest that the speaker wants reassurance that parts of Vilna are unchanged.

500

Question 35. 

Which of the following describes the author’s purpose for discussing the amateur astronomer in paragraph 11? 

A. to criticize professional astronomers

B. to stress the importance of owning a telescope

C. to highlight how often supernovas are seen in the Milky Way

D. to suggest that readers could also discover something in space

D. to suggest that readers could also discover something in space

500

Choose the best *synonym* for the following word.

OMIT

A. require 

B. add 

C. steal 

D. delete 


D. delete