Poetry
Read these lines from the poem.
The meadow grass could be cemented down
From growing under pavements of a town; (lines 9-10)
Which phrase best expresses the meaning of cemented down as it is used in the lines?
kept short
made secure
forever preserved
permanently gone
Permanently gone
A student is writing a research report claiming that polygraph tests are valuable for detecting when someone is lying. She found two sources. Read the sources and answer the question that follows.
Source 1:
A polygraph, or lie detector, test measures physical activity such as respiration and heart rate. When people lie and are aware they are lying, their bodies may react in a physical way that is not easily detected by the human eye. This is especially true if they are afraid of being found out. Polygraph tests are useful for detecting these physical changes and signaling that the person being tested is not being truthful.
Source 2:
A polygraph test, also called a lie detector test, does not detect lies. It measures physical reactions connected with fear and anxiety. Because there are other reasons people can feel anxious when being questioned, it is impossible to learn anything from these tests.
Which source information best supports the student's claim?
From Source 1: "A polygraph, or lie detector, test measures physical activity such as respiration and heart rate."
From Source 1: "Polygraph tests are useful for detecting these physical changes and signaling that the person being tested is not being truthful."
From Source 2: "A polygraph test, also called a lie detector test, does not detect lies."
From Source 2: "Because there are other reasons people can feel anxious when being questioned, it is impossible to learn anything from these tests."
From Source 1: "Polygraph tests are useful for detecting these physical changes and signaling that the person being tested is not being truthful."
How should this sentence be changed so that it becomes a compound-complex sentence?
You should drain the grease frequently; too much grease is unhealthy.
A. Add when you cook ground beef after frequently.
B. Replace the semicolon with a comma and the conjunction and.
C. Replace the semicolon with a period and remove too much grease is unhealthy.
D. No change needs to be made to this sentence.
A. Add when you cook ground beef after frequently.
In the first sentence of paragraph 24, the author writes We went outside first, even though it was brutally cold. The denotation of brutally is “extremely unpleasant, in a savage, violent way.” What word could you use in place of brutally that would have a similar connotation?
A. We went outside first, even though it was awfully cold.
B. We went outside first, even though it was disagreeably cold.
C. We went outside first, even though it was ferociously cold.
D. We went outside first, even though it was uncomfortably cold.
C. We went outside first, even though it was ferociously cold.
A student is writing an article for her school newspaper about student homework concerns. Read the draft of the article and answer the question that follows.
Students at Happy Hills Middle School have a concern that needs to be addressed by teachers. The students are very upset about homework. They do not feel that the teachers understand the time required to complete the work. The workload is putting a burden on their free time with friends and family. The students ask that teachers reconsider the length of homework assignments.
Which more precise words best replace the word homework in the second sentence?
the amount of homework
the difficulty of homework
the requirement to do homework
the pressure to complete homework
The amount of homework
ead these lines from the poem.
How else dispose of an immortal force
No longer needed? Staunch it at its source
With cinder loads dumped down? . . . (lines 13-15)
Which word most closely matches the meaning of staunch as it is used in the lines?
Burn
Remove
Search
Stop
Stop
Read the paragraph and answer the question.
Crows are very smart. To find food, they often make use of other animals, cars, and humans. For example, crows in Japan have been seen dropping hard nuts on crosswalks, letting cars crack them open, and then waiting for a red light so they can pick up the pieces. In North America, crows call out the position of injured deer to wolves. After the wolves have eaten the deer, crows then fly in to get at the bones.
Which sentence could be added to the paragraph without changing the tone?
Crows are beautiful birds that are not appreciated enough.
For these reasons, crows are often considered symbols of death.
The cunning crow, so easy to miss, is the most fascinating member of the animal kingdom.
Crows even learn the schedule of garbage trucks so they know where to find a quick snack.
Crows even learn the schedule of garbage trucks so they know where to find a quick snack.
Select the two sentences that best reflect the central idea of this paragraph from the passage.
In England, Ericsson saw the importance of the British navy. The first half of the 19th century was an exciting time for maritime inventions. The introduction of steam engines to power ships forced major redesigns, as did a new kind of weapon called the shell gun. Ericsson studied those powerful guns. He found that they could inflict serious damage on wooden ships, which were easily smashed by explosive shells. Ships had been built with iron hulls before, but Ericsson proposed a revolutionary kind of vessel, one that would be completely wrapped in iron plates. The type of ship that emerged from the design became known as an ironclad. (paragraph 2)
Ericsson used the introduction of steam engines to encourage maritime inventions like the shell gun and the ironclad ship.
With a deep interest in a new kind of weapon called the shell gun, Ericsson encouraged the destruction of wooden ships.
Ericsson was a great inventor who introduced steam engines to power ships, and designed the ironclad ship.
With a keen awareness of the significance of the British fleet, Ericsson encouraged innovation and invention.
Ericsson focused the technological advancements of the early 19th century towards re-inventing ship hulls.
With a keen awareness of the significance of the British fleet, Ericsson encouraged innovation and invention.
Ericsson focused the technological advancements of the early 19th century towards re-inventing ship hulls.
Read these sentences from the passage.
In 1826, Ericsson went to London with plans to become a great inventor. He designed fire pumps, ventilating systems, and train locomotives. The word ventilating comes from the Latin word ventilatus, meaning "fan.” (paragraph 1)
Based on its Latin origins and its context, what does the word ventilating most nearly mean?
cooling water
provoking passengers
allowing the movement of air
delaying the beginning of activation
allowing the movement of air
A student is writing an argumentative essay about mandatory community service. The student has written a claim to support in his essay. Read the claim and answer the question that follows.
Community service should be mandatory for children and teens.
Which two pieces of evidence best support the claim?
Many people already participate regularly in community service.
People who participate in community service develop a sense of responsibility.
Community service is a great way for people to learn about the world around them.
People often find community service opportunities related to their own talents and interests.
Young people may not learn as much from community service if it is not their choice to participate.
People who participate in community service develop a sense of responsibility.
Community service is a great way for people to learn about the world around them.
Read these lines from the poem.
. . . The brook was thrown
Deep in a sewer dungeon under stone (lines 15-16)
What does the phrase sewer dungeon suggest in the lines?
The dungeon is far dirtier than those in other cities.
The ground under the stone makes the brook water dirty.
The brook is imprisoned underground with human waste.
The sewers of the city are also used as underground dungeons.
The brook is imprisoned underground with human waste.
Which two are subordinate clauses?
to visit friends
cars are better for the environment
students in my class get good grades
while waiting for the job interview
to visit friends
while waiting for the job interview
In which two sentences are all the clauses placed correctly?
I about half finished the work while you were taking care of your dog at home.
I finished about half the work while you were taking care of your dog at home.
I about half finished the work while you were at home, taking care of your dog.
Taking care of your dog, I about half finished the work while you were at home.
I finished about half the work while you were at home, taking care of your dog.
Taking care of your dog, I finished about half the work while you were at home.
I finished about half the work while you were taking care of your dog at home.
I finished about half the work while you were at home, taking care of your dog.
Read this dictionary entry.
hull n.
1. The shell of a nut or grain. 2. The outermost layer of a sea or air vehicle.
hull v.
3. To remove the outermost layer from something. 4. To hit or damage the body of a ship.
Which definition would be most helpful for a reader trying to understand what it means for a ship to be built with an iron hull?
Definition 1
Definition 2
Definition 3
Definition 4
Definition 2
A student is conducting a research report for class. Read the student's research report plan and the directions that follow.
Research Report Plan
Topic: History of football
Audience: Teacher and classmates
Purpose: To inform
Research Question: How has the history of football shaped the modern football industry in the United States?
The student needs to find a trustworthy Internet source with relevant information. Which source would be best for the student to use for her report?
a recent blog post about famous football games, found at www.prosportsenthusiast.com/blog
a scholarly article about the origins of football, found at www.journaloffootballhistory.com/article45/origins
a video about which football stadiums have had the most visitors, found at www.tubefanatic.com/footballstadiums
an online encyclopedia entry about the connection between football and tourism, found at www.encyclopedianational.com/f/football/footballandtourism
a scholarly article about the origins of football, found at www.journaloffootballhistory.com/article45/origins
Read the lines below. Then select the two excerpts from the poem that best support the main theme.
. . . Staunch it at its source / With cinder loads dumped down?
The brook was thrown / Deep in a sewer dungeon under stone
In fetid darkness still to live and run—
And all for nothing it had ever done
Except forget to go in fear perhaps.
No one would know except for ancient maps
That such a brook ran water. But I wonder
If, from its being kept forever under,
These thoughts may not have risen that so keep
This new-built city from both work and sleep. (lines 14-24)
. . . Staunch it at its source / With cinder loads dumped down?
The brook was thrown / Deep in a sewer dungeon under stone
In fetid darkness still to live and run—
No one would know except for ancient maps
These thoughts may not have risen
The brook was thrown / Deep in a sewer dungeon under stone
In fetid darkness still to live and run—
A student is writing a short narrative for a literary magazine about a story written by Edgar Allan Poe. Read the draft of the narrative and complete the task that follows.
Last night I read "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe. I had never read any of his work before, but I'd heard that he wrote about very spooky stuff.
The narrator of the story is obsessed with a man he claims has an evil eye, and he describes his elaborate plan to kill that man. After he actually does it, the police question him about the man’s disappearance. He gets more and more nervous until he confesses to the crime. He really seemed insane!
I was scared by the time I finished the story!
Read the last sentence from the student's narrative.
I was scared by the time I finished the story!
To add more description, select the best phrase to replace the word scared.
truly terrified
really nervous
certainly startled
actually shocked
Truly terrified
Choose the two sentences from the paragraph that have incorrect pronoun usage.
Yesterday, I had the best day out with my family I've ever had. We went to a game at the baseball stadium, where we saw a lot of funny things happen. A batter actually forgot to run the bases once we hit the ball. Also, my baby brothers, which were both getting bored during the game, threw ice cream at me! At the end of the game, the baseball players tried to throw their jerseys into the crowd, but most of them couldn't throw far enough.
Yesterday, I had the best day out with my family I've ever had.
We went to a game at the baseball stadium, where we saw a lot of funny things happen.
A batter actually forgot to run the bases once we hit the ball.
Also, my baby brothers, which were both getting bored during the game, threw ice cream at me!
At the end of the game, the baseball players tried to throw their jerseys into the crowd, but most of them couldn't throw far enough.
A batter actually forgot to run the bases once we hit the ball.
Also, my baby brothers, which were both getting bored during the game, threw ice cream at me!
The word smash as it is used at the end of the paragraph has a denotative meaning that is almost the same as the denotative meaning of the word break: “to separate into pieces as the result of a blow, shock, or strain.” Explain which word, smash or break, has a more negative connotation.
A. The word smash has a more positive connotation than break because something that has been smashed has been destroyed completely.
B. The word break has a more negative connotation than smash because if something breaks it has shattered.
C. The word break has a more negative connotation than smash because if you break something, you very often can’t put it back together.
D. The word smash has a more negative connotation because to smash something suggests that it was done deliberately and in a somewhat violent way, but you can break something without meaning to do it, and it is not always destroyed completely.
D. The word smash has a more negative connotation because to smash something suggests that it was done deliberately and in a somewhat violent way, but you can break something without meaning to do it, and it is not always destroyed completely.
A student is writing a research report about the printing press. He finds a source. Read Source 1 and the directions that follow.
Source 1:
Before the printing press was invented, it took a long time to make one copy of a book. This was because someone had to copy the whole book by hand. With the printing press, someone could arrange the needed letters to make up a page and then make several copies of that page. The process was slow by modern standards, but at the time, it was amazingly fast. Suddenly, people could make more books in a fraction of the time. This made books more affordable and easier to find.
The student wants to make the claim that the printing press made books more available to people. Should the student use this source? Why or why not?
Yes, because the author agrees with the claim.
No, because the author does not make the same claim.
Yes, because the author makes and supports the same claim.
No, because the author makes the same claim but does not support it.
Yes, because the author makes and supports the same claim.