Word/Phrase Meaning
“The desert was desolate, with not a single person or animal in sight,” what does desolate most nearly mean?
A. Crowded
B. Empty
C. Dangerous
D. Beautiful
B. Empty
How does Maris’s mother respond when she sees the receipt?
A. She immediately yells because Maris disobeyed her.
B. She laughs because the purchase is insignificant.
C. She stays quiet at first, then questions Maris’s choice.
D. She ignores it and continues sorting envelopes.
C. She stays quiet at first, then questions Maris’s choice.
How does the author develop the central idea across the passage?
A. By listing only scientific facts and avoiding counterarguments
B. By presenting research-based reasons, acknowledging opposing concerns, and evaluating the strength of evidence
C. By telling a personal story about a student who struggled with mornings
D. By explaining step-by-step how districts should redesign bus routes
B. By presenting research-based reasons, acknowledging opposing concerns, and evaluating the strength of evidence
Which theme is best supported by the poem?
A. Success requires leaving family behind.
B. Schoolwork matters more than relationships.
C. Responsibility can be heavy, but it can also shape strength.
D. Younger siblings always create problems.
C. Responsibility can be heavy, but it can also shape strength.
Central idea is what the text is mostly about while theme refers to the overall message or lesson an author is trying to convey in a text.
“The politician tried to evade the question during the interview,” what does evade most nearly mean?
A. Answer clearly
B. Repeat
C. Avoid
D. Understand
C. Avoid
Which statement best explains what a reader can infer about why Maris hides the receipt while walking home?
A. She plans to return the batteries later.
B. She fears her mother’s reaction to the cost.
C. She is embarrassed to be seen leaving the store.
D. She believes the receipt is valuable and might be stolen.
B. She fears her mother’s reaction to the cost.
Which sentence from the passage best supports the claim that early start times can harm academic performance?
A. “Many schools start the day before 8:00 a.m., largely because bus routes, after-school activities, and adult work schedules make early mornings convenient.”
B. “Teenagers’ internal clocks shift during puberty, making it harder for them to fall asleep early—even when they try.”
C. “When students are chronically sleep-deprived, concentration and memory suffer.”
D. “They argue that families rely on older students to supervise younger siblings after school…”
C. “When students are chronically sleep-deprived, concentration and memory suffer.”
Which line best supports the inference that the speaker feels burdened by responsibilities?
A. “The bus coughs smoke and leaves me on our curb,”
B. “My backpack pulls like gravity—absurd—”
C. “where streetlights stitch the dark with yellow thread.”
D. “His voice is small, but stubborn as a key.”
B. “My backpack pulls like gravity—absurd—”
When the author hints at something but doesn’t say it directly, you must do this . . .
Infer
In the sentence, “Her words were a double-edged sword,” what does the phrase double-edged sword suggest?
Her words were powerful but also harmful
Which theme is best developed in the passage?
A. Small decisions can reveal love, sacrifice, and the need for honest communication.
B. Rules should always be followed without exception.
C. Money is the most important factor in family relationships.
D. Independence means never asking for help.
A. Small decisions can reveal love, sacrifice, and the need for honest communication.
Which claim from the passage is supported primarily by scientific reasoning rather than logistics or opinions?
A. “Bus routes…make early mornings convenient.”
B. “Families rely on older students to supervise younger siblings after school.”
C. “Teenagers’ internal clocks shift during puberty, making it harder for them to fall asleep early.”
D. “Sports or jobs might become harder to schedule.”
C. “Teenagers’ internal clocks shift during puberty, making it harder for them to fall asleep early.”
What is the effect of the metaphor “streetlights stitch the dark with yellow thread” in stanza 1?
A. It shows the speaker dislikes the neighborhood.
B. It suggests the darkness is dangerous and must be fought.
C. It creates an image of small light bringing order/comfort to the night.
D. It proves the speaker is afraid to go outside.
C. It creates an image of small light bringing order/comfort to the night.
“The hallway swallowed the sound of our footsteps.” is an example of what type of figurative language?
Personification
In the sentence, “The author describes the setting as ‘tranquil yet eerie,’” what does the phrase suggest about the mood?
A. Busy and exciting
B. Loud and chaotic
C. Bright and cheerful
D. Peaceful but slightly unsettling
D. Peaceful but slightly unsettling
Which detail best supports the idea that Maris’s mother’s frustration comes from stress rather than a lack of care?
A. “Maris kept the receipt because the paper was warm…”
B. “Her mother stood over a stack of envelopes, sorting them into piles…”
C. “The afternoon looked ordinary—sun on the cracked sidewalk…”
D. “Maris stared at the floor tiles…”
B. “Her mother stood over a stack of envelopes, sorting them into piles…”
In the comparison, the author says asking teens to do complex work early is “like asking someone to run a race before their muscles have warmed up.” What is the effect of this analogy?
A. It clarifies the author’s point by comparing the situation to a familiar experience.
B. It replaces evidence with emotion to manipulate the reader.
C. It suggests teens should exercise before school to wake up.
D. It argues that athletics are more important than academics.
A. It clarifies the author’s point by comparing the situation to a familiar experience.
How does the poem’s point of view affect the reader’s understanding of the speaker’s conflict?
A. It makes the conflict seem humorous and unimportant.
B. It limits the poem to facts only, without emotions.
C. It allows readers to feel the speaker’s internal struggle between personal goals and family responsibility.
D. It focuses mostly on what the brother thinks.
C. It allows readers to feel the speaker’s internal struggle between personal goals and family responsibility.
In the sentence, “The city was a concrete jungle, swallowing dreams whole,” what does concrete jungle suggest?
A harsh, competitive environment
Why does the author include the detail of the mother turning the radio on near the end of the text?
A. To introduce a new conflict about music preferences
B. To provide comic relief after a tense conversation
C. To shift the scene from conflict to connection and show the impact of Maris’s choice
D. To suggest the batteries were unnecessary because the radio worked already
C. To shift the scene from conflict to connection and show the impact of Maris’s choice ✅
Which relationship between two ideas does the author emphasize most?
A. Early start times are convenient, but they may conflict with how adolescents’ bodies function.
B. Sports schedules cause sleep deprivation more than school start times do.
C. After-school jobs are the main reason students cannot focus in the morning.
D. Teens can adjust their sleep schedule easily if they try hard enough.
A. Early start times are convenient, but they may conflict with how adolescents’ bodies function.
How does the brother’s request affect the poem’s plot and the speaker’s actions?
A. It causes the speaker to quit schoolwork entirely.
B. It convinces the speaker to ask the brother to do the dishes.
C. It leads to an argument that ends the relationship.
D. It pushes the speaker to help first, then return to the essay later.
D. It pushes the speaker to help first, then return to the essay later.
If a word has a positive or negative feeling attached, that’s its . . .
Connotation