Weird and Wondrous Rocks
Why did people used to think that some of the ringing rocks did not ring?
a. Some people tapped the rocks with a type of hammer that does not create a ring.
b. Some of the ringing rocks make sounds that are too low for people to hear.
c. The rocks are made of diabase, which is a type of volcanic rock.
d. Some of the rocks have been frozen and thawed many times.
b. Some of the ringing rocks make sounds that are too low for people to hear.
What is the capital of Japan?
Tokyo
Each development led to an understanding of how to make steel from iron.
Think about the suffix -ment. What is the meaning of development above?
a. new tool
b. long time
c. damaged material
d. improved approach
d. improved approach
(3) It is a good idea to measure the ingredients before you begin making the colorful dough.
In sentence 3, where is the best place to put the word carefully?
a. after ingredients
b. after making
c. after colorful
d. after dough
a. after ingredients
Think about the poem “The Great Barrier Reef.” Why are astronauts able to see the reef from space?
a. The reef is made of beautiful coral.
b. The reef is sixteen hundred miles long.
c. The reef is a habitat to different sea creatures.
d. The reef is located along the Queensland coast.
b. The reef is sixteen hundred miles long.
Think about the Caverns of Sonora. Why does the author explain that dripping water creates mineral buildup?
a. to show why some of the cave deposits look like popcorn
b. to tell how stalagmites and stalactites are created
c. to show what led a dog to the cave’s entrance
d. to tell how a layer of limestone was dissolved
b. to tell how stalagmites and stalactites are created
Who was the first person to step on the moon?
Neil Armstrong
In 1855 an English engineer named Henry Bessemer invented a machine that turned large amounts of iron into steel in just minutes. Mr. Bessemer’s machine made steel cheap and easy to get. Steel is strong. It can be formed into nearly any shape, including frames for tall buildings. Still, the first skyscraper wasn’t built for almost 30 years. Why?
According to paragraph 3, what effect did Henry Bessemer’s machine have on skyscrapers?
a. It let people make steel tools for building skyscrapers.
b. It allowed people to make enough steel to build skyscrapers.
c. It allowed miners to find enough iron to form steel for skyscrapers.
d. It let engineers design steel elevators that could be used in skyscrapers.
b. It allowed people to make enough steel to build skyscrapers.
(7) The last step is to gradual add the cooking oil until the dough is soft.
What change should be made in sentence 7?
a. Change last to lastly.
b. Change gradual to gradually.
c. Change soft to softly.
d. No change is needed.
b. Change gradual to gradually.
What is the main idea of the first stanza of “The Mariana Trench”?
a. The trench is mysterious, but people will still be able to learn things about it.
b. The trench is like a sleeping giant, and it will be angry that its rest is being disturbed.
c. The trench realizes that it is more grand and beautiful than anything else in the ocean.
d. The trench admires the explorers and the machines they use to travel through the deep.
a. The trench is mysterious, but people will still be able to learn things about it.
The passage says some rocks resemble drinking straws. What does resemble mean?
a. are close in appearance to
b. are the same color as
c. are bigger than
d. are used as
a. are close in appearance to
What is the process of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly called?
Metamorphosis
till spring creeps in on kitten feet
Why does the author compare spring to a kitten? Choose two answers.
a. to show that spring is wet
b. to show that spring is quiet
c. to show that spring is strong
d. to show that spring is loud
e. to show that spring is gentle
b. to show that spring is quiet
e. to show that spring is gentle
(8) If you don’t stir in enough oil, the dough __________ crumbles.
Which word or words could be added to the blank line in sentence 8 to tell “how often”?
a. a lot
b. usually
c. almost
d. quietly
b. usually
Line 7 of “Aurora Borealis” contains the word peer. What does peer mean?
a. fall
b. stay
c. look
d. swim
c. look
Why does the author include information about scientists studying “sailing” rocks in Death Valley?
a. to show which types of rocks scientists think will move the farthest
b. to describe which rocks scientists believe are most likely to move
c. to explain how scientists discovered the reason the rocks moved
d. to argue that more scientists should learn about rocks that move
c. to explain how scientists discovered the reason the rocks moved
What is the capital of Australia?
Canberra
It nips my heels and chills my bones.
Now read the dictionary entry. chills (‘chĭls) verb 1. makes sad 2. makes food firm 3. makes cold 4. makes metal hard
Which definition best matches the way chills is used in line 3?
a. definition 1
b. definition 2
c. definition 3
d. definition 4
c. definition 3
What is the adverb in the sentence?
The girl sang loudly at the party.
loudly
The poem “Aurora Borealis” depends most on which sense to present its message?
a. sight
b. smell
c. touch
d. hearing
a. sight
Think about the title. How did the author show that rocks are weird and wondrous?
a. by answering questions from the readers about rocks
b. by arguing which types of rocks are the most beautiful
c. by telling how rocks have changed since the beginning of time
d. by giving examples of unique rocks from across the United States
d. by giving examples of unique rocks from across the United States
A word, phrase or sequence that reads the same forward and backward is called what?
A palindrome
While sunbeams call out daffodils,
In this line, how does the author use imagery to tell about spring?
a. by explaining how soft the flowers feel
b. by explaining why flowers need sunlight
c. by describing the scent of flowers in the air
d. by describing flowers growing in the sunshine
d. by describing flowers growing in the sunshine
What is the adverb in the sentence?
The dog played fetch daily.
daily
How does the poet arrange the lines in the poem “Mount Everest”?
a. by making sure that every pair of lines ends with rhyming words
b. by asking and then answering a list of questions about the mountain
c. by dividing the poem into the times before and after the climbers reach the top
d. by making each line longer than the one above it so the poem looks like a mountain
d. by making each line longer than the one above it so the poem looks like a mountain