ELA Benchmark Practice

  Although Mimi and Elise were twins, their attitude toward life couldn't have been more different. They believed that they were lucky to have parents who were easygoing. They often took advantage of their parents without realizing the consequences of their actions. Finally, things went downhill when they received poor grades. Their parents made it clear that if they did not improve in the next term, their trip to the Bahamas would be cancelled. Left with no choice, Mimi began completing her assignments on time. On most days, she stayed up late at night to compensate for the time lost over the past few months. She knew that she would have to refrain from late night parties and weekend movies if she wanted to keep up with her friends in class. On the other hand, Elise did not understand the seriousness of her parents' warning. She barely managed to finish her assignments and made no effort to study for the final term, believing that she could manage at the last minute. When the results of the final term were out, Mimi was thrilled to see that she had scored As and Bs in all her subjects. Elise had barely managed to scrape through, and her parents were disappointed.
 The next two weeks were horrible for Elise. She stayed back home with her granny, studying day and night to complete her assignments. She envied Mimi who was having a great vacation at the Bahamas, and she wished that she had heeded her parents' warning.
What is the best way to describe the theme in this story?

• It is better to mend one's ways before it is too late.
• Never plan a holiday in advance.
• Never have late night parties.
• It is important to complete one's work on time.

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CCSS.RL.8.2

For most of recorded history, poetry has been the most respected art form. During the years before writing, traveling poets called bards would visit village after village and recite long poems from memory. These epic poems told tales about culture and history. Most myths from ancient Greece or Scandinavia were passed along from settlement to settlement this way. Because these epic poems were so long, the bards used tricks to memorize them. These tricks involved rhymes because they made words easier to remember and the words sounded alike.
 Although epic poetry became less popular among people, another type of poetry called lyric poetry took its place. Lyric poetry uses rhyming patterns to express emotions. Some aspects of the poetry can be found in modern songs. Folk and country musicians are able to express their thoughts and feelings because of lyric poetry. It allows them to connect with everyday people. Hip-hop musicians and rappers use many of the same athletic rhyme schemes that ancient bards used to recite their poetry. The modern use of poetry shows that only its presentation has transformed as society has changed. The people's appreciation for poetry has not wavered.Which is the best summary of this article?
W. Poetry is a valued art form that has been around before there was a written language. Epic poems were made popular by bards who recited them by using rhyming tricks to remember the lines. Today, lyric poems are used by music artists who use similar rhyme schemes used in the past. Even though poetry is an old art form, it has evolved with the times.
X. An epic poem is a type of poetry that has been around before a written language existed. Traveling poets called bards went from place to place and recited these poems. The poems gave people insight into their culture and history. Myths from ancient Greece and Scandinavia were passed along in this manner for many years.
Y. Poetry is an art form that needs to be passed on from person to person. Most often, lines from epic poems are remembered by using rhyming tricks, which use rhymes to create a memorable rhythm. These rhymes can also be seen in lyric poetry. Lyric poetry is used in modern songs by hip-hop musicians and rappers.
Z. As epic poetry became less popular over the years, lyric poetry took its place. Lyric poetry can be found in modern songs. In folk and country music, musicians write ballads and odes. In hip-hop and rap music, artists use a rhyme scheme. The rise of lyric poetry shows how poetry evolves to fit within society.

• W
• X
• Y
• Z

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CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

 The idea of public education in America began with the Land Ordinance of 1785. This law split the Northwest Territory into townships. Among other things, it set aside land for the public to use. Taxes raised from this land went to pay for schools. In the late 1700s when America was young, the idea of a public education system was relatively new and radical. Other countries only provided for private schools. When Congress later passed the Northwest Ordinance to settle the lands of the Northwest Territory, the law stated that knowledge was "necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind." In addition, it specified that "schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." As America grew, this idea spread. This idea of public education allowed each state to educate its children. It also allowed each town to pay for a school.Which is the best way to summarize this passage?
W. The Land Ordinance of 1785 started the idea of public education in America. The law separated the Northwest Territory into townships. It also set aside land that was intended for public use. The taxes that were raised from the divided land went to pay for schools in the townships.
X. In America, public education first began with the Land Ordinance of 1785, which divided the land of the Northwest Territory. This was a new idea because no other country during that time provided money for public education. Later on, laws encouraged the idea and allowed states to educate their children.
Y. In the late 1700s, America was a young country, and the idea of a public education system was new. Other countries did not provide public education for children. They only gave money to private schools. Therefore, when land was set aside for public use and schools, it was the start of something new.
Z. The Northwest Ordinance settled the division of lands in the Northwest Territory. It also encouraged the formation of a public school system. Early American citizens viewed schools as necessary. Following this, the idea of education for all spread to other states, which allowed them to educate their children.

• W
• X
• Y
• Z

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CCSS.RI.8.2

  Cindy tapped her foot impatiently as the phone rang. She expected it to go to Renee’s voice mail, but instead it just kept ringing. Finally, she got a message that her voicemail was full, so Cindy clicked off and set the phone down. She walked over to the desk and picked up the short story that Renee had left for her to read. She liked the title, “The Forgotten Lantern.” She smiled as she remembered the connection of the title to the hero of the story and the climax of the story. Still, the story wasn’t perfect, and Renee’s spelling and punctuation were terrible. The thought of bringing that up made Cindy nervous because she didn’t know how sensitive Renee was about her writing. She had helped several friends with their papers, and they didn’t always appreciate her feedback.
 Cindy and Renee had English together. While there, Cindy had learned that Renee had immigrated to America only the year before from Ghana in West Africa. She knew it had been hard on Renee and her brother trying to fit into a sprawling suburban high school. There weren’t any other immigrant students in the school, and Renee didn’t have many friends. She always sat by herself on the bus. Cindy always made a point of talking to her after class and respected the good-natured way she approached her new life. 
 As Cindy flipped through the pages, her phone rang. It was Renee. “I’m so sorry I missed your call,” she said. “My brother was just accepted to college, and I am at the celebration. This is a really big deal for us. He’s the first in our family to go to college.”
 “Your parents must be proud,” Cindy said. “They’re from Ghana, aren’t they?”
 “That’s right, we speak Ibo at home.” She paused and then timidly asked, “What did you think of my story? You’re the first person I showed it to. Do you think it’s any good?”
 “I thought your story was fantastic,” Cindy said. “Where did you get the idea?”
 “Oh, it’s a story my grandmother from Ghana told me when I was little.”
 “Well, it’s a wonderful story,” Cindy said. “There is one thing, however. You really need to work on your spelling and punctuation.”
 Renee was silent for a moment. “I was afraid of that,” Renee said. “I was hoping you could help me with that.”
 Cindy breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll be glad to. We’ll go through the story together. It won’t take you long at all. I think my brother has some vocabulary flash cards. That will help, too.”
 “Thanks, Cindy! I really appreciate your help. You’re the smartest girl in our English class. I really want to be a writer some day. I have lots of stories to tell.”Why is Cindy willing to help Renee?

• She wants to impress her English teacher.
• She would like to meet Renee's brother.
• She respects Renee for her attitude.
• She thinks it will help her get into college.

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CCSS.RL.8.3

Looking Out
by Jon Caswell
 Jackson was cautious by nature. It was a trait that had served him well in his years as a military scout. Looking from the ridge, he could see tiny specks in the sky miles out over the plains, and then his gaze slowly dropped to the ants crossing the rock a few feet from his chin. From there, his gaze rose again more slowly, to follow the gradual slope of the ridge, which fell away before him, ending in the dusty plains that stretched to the horizon. The sunlight glared off the white of the alkali flats, causing the scout to squint his eyes until they were just small slits in his face.
 Jackson rolled his stomach slightly from his prone position to reach the field glasses. He took another look over the barren nothingness to get a fix on the specks in the distance. He put the binoculars to his eyes and found the floating specks. He focused the lenses. Sure enough, they were buzzards, which meant some poor creature hadn’t made it across the waterless flats. He had crossed those flats himself just two days before, and he knew how unforgiving they were.
 Jackson tilted the field glasses down till he found the horizon. As he scanned the glaring plains, he caught a glimpse of something moving – something darker than the monotonous white glare. It was just a pinpoint of motion. He focused the field glasses skillfully. The pinpoint was made up of four moving things: two ponies and two pack mules. The ponies each carried a rider, and the mules were loaded high, which he made out right away. He had watched them for several minutes when the lead rider stopped and dismounted. He could plainly make out a skirt – a woman! He studied the other rider, and she, too, was a woman. Two Apache women riding alone with two pack mules was very unusual. Behind them, the buzzards floated, circling lower to the carcasses they had been feeding on before the riders had interrupted them.
 After a few more minutes of watching, Jackson could see the women were heading in his direction. That meant there had to be a village nearby because Apache women would not just be wandering about, certainly not with two mules. Those two mules were carrying awfully big loads. That, and his years of experience, told him those women were up to something. He wouldn’t be surprised if those mules were hauling rifles. He packed the binoculars in his knapsack and pushed himself away from the edge of the ridge. He headed back to his regiment. The captain would want to know about the two Apache women and their heavily laden mules.
Which of the following signals a major turning point in the story?

• the focusing of the field glasses
• the buzzards feeding
• the heavily laden pack mules
• the pinpoints of movement

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CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.W.8.9A

On Being Solute
by Jon Caswell
Sea foam races toward shore, 
marking the tide on the beach,
where sand and sea intermingle
to create luminous pink bubbles.
A colony of them floats on the waves
with the aplomb of a bull-rider—
only to be left stranded at high tide. 
Evanescent bubbles populate the beach 
in iridescent mounds, effervescing 
out of turbulence only to evaporate in the wind 
or melt back into the surf.
Do they perceive themselves? 
Do they devolve or progress?
Do bubbles aspire and transcend,
or are they just form—
subdividing nothing into something?
"Solute" means "a substance dissolved in a solution."
Which of these statements is the best explanation of this metaphor?

• The poet is comparing himself to a substance dissolved in a solution.
• A flock of birds dissolves into the light of the setting sun.
• Iridescent pink bubbles are created when sand dissolves in seawater.
• The poet is comparing himself to a bull rider riding ocean waves.

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CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.4

Waterlogged
 Jaden's family had finally arrived at the cabin after a long morning of driving. While everyone else was unpacking and settling in, Jaden's dad took the boat down to the lake to put it into the water. The whole family was looking forward to an afternoon of waterskiing, fishing, and having fun in the sun.
 When Jaden's Dad returned, the family decided to have a quick lunch before heading out to the lake together. After lunch, everyone hurriedly changed into their swimsuits and put on sunblock.
 Just as they were about to walk out the door, they heard a loud clap of thunder. Suddenly, they saw rain pouring down. 
 "Well, that's just awesome," Jaden said with a scowl. "I really love rain." 

When Jaden says, "Well, that's just awesome. I really love rain," he means

• he is thankful that they are getting much-needed rain.
• he is excited about being alone in the cabin.
• he is angry that the rain is spoiling the family's outing.
• he is looking forward to watching the rain.

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CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.8.4

 On July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig gave one of the most famous speeches in sports history. The occasion was “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day” at Yankee Stadium in New York. Parts of the speech are well known to this day: “Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” The audio recording of his voice echoing throughout the stadium has been replayed countless times. 
  The “bad break” Gehrig alluded to in his speech was his contraction of a fatal disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. ALS is a neuromuscular disease that attacks nerve cells in the central nervous system, causing paralysis and eventually death. No one knows what causes ALS, and nearly 30,000 people in the United States live with the disease. Because of Gehrig’s extreme celebrity and the tragedy of his death, ALS is commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease. 
  Before the symptoms of ALS began causing problems for Gehrig, he was one of the greatest baseball players in history. Known as the “The Iron Horse” because of his durability, Gehrig played in 2,130 straight games without an absence. The streak was cut short by Gehrig’s retirement due to ALS. The streak of 2,130 consecutive games stood for 56 years until it was broken by Cal Ripken, Jr. in 1995. Sixty years after he retired, fans made him the leading vote-getter for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. 
  Over 70 years later, what many remember about Gehrig is his humbleness. He always recognized that he was, in his own words, “the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” He had been given extraordinary athletic ability and played on one of the greatest baseball teams in history. He had loving, supportive parents and a wife of tremendous bravery. He was able to do what he loved most, play baseball, for 16 seasons. Though he died only two short years after his disease was diagnosed, Gehrig will long be remembered.
This article is mostly about

• Lou Gehrig and a speech he gave over 70 years ago.
• Lou Gehrig's spectacular baseball career with the Yankees.
• Lou Gehrig's disease, what causes it, and how it affects people.
• Lou Gehrig's record of playing 2,130 consecutive games.

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CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.2

  The year 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The museum was built as a place to display abstract art, and the architect of the museum was Frank Lloyd Wright, America’s most famous architect. Fifty years later, the museum is still a singular icon in a city considered by most to be America’s most artistic city. Wright died at the age of 92, six months before the Guggenheim opened. He had spent the last 16 years of his life working on the spectacular museum. 
  The Guggenheim Museum is one of Wright’s most recognizable works. It is shaped as the upper two-thirds of an ice cream cone with a spiral groove running downward from the top. The spiral is a part of the building’s construction. Inside the museum, the spiral takes the form of a ramp running from the top of the building to the bottom. Guests walk around and around, downward, looking at art hung along the walls all the while. Wright’s goal was for guests to view art and simultaneously see where they were going and where they’d come from. 
  On the 50th anniversary of the Guggenheim Museum, art lovers can take a moment to pause and think about two icons: the museum itself and its creator. Rarely has a building been so controversial and so popular. The Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and modern art on view at the Guggenheim truly has one of the world's greatest homes for artwork.
Which sentence from the second paragraph supports the paragraph's main idea that "The Guggenheim Museum is one of Wright's most recognizable works"?

• "Inside the museum, the spiral takes the form of a ramp running from the top of the building to the bottom."
• "It is shaped as the upper two-thirds of an ice cream cone with a spiral groove running downward from the top."
• "Wright's goal was for guests to view art and simultaneously see where they were going and where they'd come from."
• "Guests walk around and around, downward, looking at art hung along the walls all the while."

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CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.2

 (1) One morning in February 2009, the staff at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium arrived to find the place flooded with more than 200 gallons of spilled saltwater. (2) The one responsible for the mess was not a human, but a foot-long, two-spotted California octopus, calmly watching from her tank. (3) Evidently, this octopus had pushed and nudged until she released a valve near the top of her tank, spilling all the water. (4) Luckily, the staff got there in time to save any sea creatures from harm. (5) Tara Crow is the Aquarium's Public Programs Manager. (6) She is quoted as saying the whole thing was actually pretty funny, though it took many hours to clean. (7) In the future, the curious octopus likely won't be able to repeat such a stunt. (8) Aquarium staff has made sure there are extra clamps and tape securing the lid of her tank.
Which of these sentences least supports the main idea of the passage?

• sentence 2
• sentence 3
• sentence 5
• sentence 7

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CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.2