Heart of a Samurai
Manjiro didn’t care if the rice were poisoned. He gobbled it up gratefully. And the soft, steaming sweet potato. And the warm broth. And the half cup of cool, fresh water. And, finally, a strange kind of food was placed in his hands. -Heart of a Samurai
True or False: The heroic quality that Manjiro shows is that he puts aside his fear and shows gratitude for the meal.
True. The heroic quality that Manjiro shows is that he puts aside his fear and shows gratitude for the meal.
True or False: This writing sample is grammatically correct:
Jeannie is my best friend. Her and I love playing with animals. We are starting a pet-sitting business together.
False. This sentence does not use the correct use of pronouns. The correct use of pronouns is shown below:
Jeannie is my best friend. She and I love playing with animals. We are starting a pet-sitting business together.
True or False: This writing sample is grammatically correct:
Mr. North is everyone’s favorite science teacher. He does crazy experiments and lets us help. We especially love helping him feed his pet snake Esme.
True. Mr. North is everyone’s favorite science teacher. He does crazy experiments and lets us help. We especially love helping him feed his pet snake Esme.
The last and most dangerous labor that King Eurystheus assigned to Hercules was capturing Cerberus, the three-headed hound. One rule was that Hercules could not use any weapons, so he had to rely on his own strength to defeat the vicious beast. Hercules accepted the task fearlessly, and when he found Cerberus, he wrestled with the beast until he was victorious. -The Myth of Hercules
True or False: The heroic quality illustrated in this excerpt is showing bravery .
True. The heroic quality illustrated in this excerpt is showing bravery .
A cloud seemed to pass over Papa's face. "I wish there was something I could do to help them out, but I can't afford to hire a hand," he said. -A Friend in Need
According to this description, Jeb’s father is
A. uninterested.
B. concerned.
B. concerned.
Manjiro squinted across the expanse of glittering sea at the line of dark clouds forming on the horizon. -Heart of a Samurai
Which words best help the reader imagine the sea?
A. “expanse” and “glittering”
B. “across” and “horizon”
A. “expanse” and “glittering”
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How many legs does a lobster have?
10 (8 walking legs and 2 larger claw legs)
“Mom, may I please—”
“One second, Mia. I just need to finish typing this letter.”
The purpose of the dash in the first sentence is to indicate an
A. interruption.
B. idea that trails off.
A. interruption.
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How many planets are in our solar system?
Eight. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Tara was wringing her hands. The show couldn't be canceled.
She wanted me to leave the light booth after the lights went up on that scene, go backstage, go onstage, say Max's two lines, then go backstage again and back to the light booth in time to bring the lights down on the scene. -It Needs to Be Done
The author makes this part of the story exciting by
A. using strong action words.
B. developing a fast pace.
B. developing a fast pace.
When they got closer, Manjiro saw Goemon’s grip shift on his stick. That stick was his katana, Manjiro realized, his play sword. He remembered their vow to defend the island against barbarians.
A glance passed between the two boys, a glance that spoke of gnawing hunger, desperate thirst, endless wind, penetrating cold. Nothing could be worse than staying on this island, the glance said. -Heart of a Samuari
What can readers infer based on details in the excerpt?
A. Manjiro and Goemon will not share their food and water with the barbarians.
B. Manjiro and Goemon have no choice but to accept help from the barbarians.
C. Manjiro and Goemon will not leave the island, because they fear the barbarians.
B. Manjiro and Goemon have no choice but to accept help from the barbarians.
Read this sentence from a student essay:
William is determined to succeed.
Which choice best revises the sentence so that it contains supporting details from The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind?
A. William is determined to succeed and is no longer able to attend school.
B. William is determined to succeed and has a friend whose name is Gilbert.
C. William is determined to succeed and spends a great deal of time reading books about windmills so that he can learn how to make one.
C. William is determined to succeed and spends a great deal of time reading books about windmills so that he can learn how to make one.
Noah attempted to perform his first (and what he hoped would not be his last) magic trick for his little brother.
What is the purpose of the parentheses in the sentence?
A. to indicate an omission
B. to set off extra information
C. to set off necessary information
B. to set off extra information
Which statement helps distinguish between a memoir and a documentary?
A. A memoir requires the audience to use imagination.
B. A documentary provides details that support the story.
C. A memoir communicates a message to an audience.
A. A memoir requires the audience to use imagination.
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Where did the Olympic games originate?
Greece
Read this sentence from a student essay:
Manjiro is frightened when he looks into the face of the "barbarian" rescuer.
Which choice best revises the sentence so that it offers text evidence from Heart of a Samurai?
A. Manjiro is frightened when he looks into the face of the “barbarian” rescuer, as he should be.
B. When Manjiro looks into the face of the “barbarian” rescuer, he becomes so frightened that his “blood turned to ice” and “he felt himself sinking.”
C. When Manjiro looks into the face of the “barbarian” rescuer, he feels both frightened and weak.
B. When Manjiro looks into the face of the “barbarian” rescuer, he becomes so frightened that his “blood turned to ice” and “he felt himself sinking.”
The structure of a personal narrative refers to
A. its organization, particularly the order of events.
B. how the author explains the conflict in the story.
C. how the author communicates the message to the reader.
A. its organization, particularly the order of events.
Read the short story.
Noah spent three weeks working on his model of the Golden Gate Bridge. He designed it himself and built it completely out of toothpicks for the sixth-grade science fair. The purpose of Noah's project is to demonstrate how proper design is the key to the strength of a structure.
Which conclusion would readers find most satisfying?
A. An interested student decides to see how much weight Noah's bridge will hold. She places a pile of books on it, and it smashes to pieces.
B. Noah wins a blue ribbon and gets his picture in the local newspaper. The headline reads, "Student's Model Holds Up to 'Pressure' of the Judges."
C. Because he could not get away from the office, Noah's father is unable to deliver Noah's model to the school in time for judging. Noah's entry is marked as "Not Judged."
B. Noah wins a blue ribbon and gets his picture in the local newspaper. The headline reads, "Student's Model Holds Up to 'Pressure' of the Judges."
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Name a mammal that can’t jump.
Elephant, sloth, hippo, rhino.
Mr. Tushman was suddenly right in front of me, his hands on my shoulders. He leaned down and said very softly in my ear: “It’ll be okay, August. These are nice kids, I promise.” -Wonder
What can readers infer about the kids who come to Mr. Tushman's office?
A. They have volunteered to help August.
B. They have been selected by Mr. Tushman.
C. They are being punished for something.
B. They have been selected by Mr. Tushman.
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Whose nose grew longer every time he lied?
Pinocchio
One Saturday, Gilbert met me in the library and we flipped through books we thought might be fun. I couldn't study all the time. One book that caught my attention was the Malawi Junior Integrated Science book, used by Form Four students. Hmm, I thought, and flipped it open. There were lots of pictures and diagrams, which I found easy to understand. I saw pictures of cancer and scabies and children stricken with kwashiorkor, like so many who'd wandered the country. One picture had a man in a shiny silver suit walking on the moon.
-The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Why is context important for the reader to determine the meaning of “kwashiorkor” in the excerpt?
A. The context makes it easier for the reader to make sense of events.
B. The context clarifies unfamiliar words in the text for the reader.
C. The context shows the reader why certain events are important.
D. The context provides the introduction to the text.
B. The context clarifies unfamiliar words in the text for the reader.
Which of these opening lines is the strongest for a personal narrative?
A. My name is Tom. I spent the summer working at Country Fried Chicken. I had to stand outside in a chicken suit passing out coupons.
B. "Tom? Is that you?" she asked. I awkwardly turned my balky, feathered head towards the voice and groaned inside. It was Erin; the cutest girl in my grade, and I happened to be in the middle of my shift dressed as a giant chicken.
C. I wanted to get a job for the summer and, oh boy, did I get one! It was humiliating, but I was able to save money for college.
D. Mr. Wilkins pulled me aside. I thought he was going to compliment me on my work. Instead, he showed me a giant chicken suit. My first reaction was, "I am not going to wear that thing!"
B. "Tom? Is that you?" she asked. I awkwardly turned my balky, feathered head towards the voice and groaned inside. It was Erin; the cutest girl in my grade, and I happened to be in the middle of my shift dressed as a giant chicken.
For his fifth labor, King Eurystheus ordered Hercules to clean the Augean stables. These stables were home to thousands of animals and had not been cleaned in more than thirty years! King Eurystheus ordered Hercules to complete this task in a single day. Hercules was not discouraged and set to work creating a plan. He made two holes in the stable walls, one on each side. Then he dug a ditch away from a nearby river until the ditch reached one of the holes in the stable walls. Water soon flowed from the river through the stables and washed out decades of dirt and filth.
-The Myth of Hercules
Which detail from the excerpt shows one of Hercules’s heroic qualities?
A. For his fifth labor, King Eurystheus ordered Hercules to clean the Augean stables.
B. These stables were home to thousands of animals and had not been cleaned in more than thirty years!
C. King Eurystheus ordered Hercules to complete this task in a single day.
D. Hercules was not discouraged and set to work creating a plan.
D. Hercules was not discouraged and set to work creating a plan.
Isabel shook out the clean diapers and hung them on the line stretched between the chinaberry and mulberry trees. Then she started on the clothes. Esperanza was amazed. She had never washed anything in her life and Isabel, who was only eight years old, made it look so easy. -Esperanza Rising
How does the author’s description of Esperanza best help the reader understand Isabel’s character?
A. Esperanza’s surprise helps readers see that Isabel is a very capable worker.
B. Esperanza’s surprise helps readers see that Isabel is a very messy girl.
C. Esperanza’s surprise helps readers see that Isabel has never washed anything.
D. Esperanza’s surprise helps readers see that Isabel shakes out clean laundry.
A. Esperanza’s surprise helps readers see that Isabel is a very capable worker.