Reading EOG Fiction Review

Caleb looked out over the vast prairie. Looking east, he could see nothing but waving grasslands all the way to the horizon. There, the golden sun was cresting over the earth, signaling a new day and the chance for better fortunes. Somewhere far past that endless grass was Indiana. There, Caleb's parents had likely already risen. They were probably still wondering about the impulse that had driven Caleb and Mary to the trail all those months ago. However, that was in the past now. He sighed and turned around to face the West. Caleb and Mary had stopped their covered wagon for the night on the near side of a gentle creek. It had appeared passable last evening, but it now looked like it must have rained upstream overnight. What had been a creek was now a full-fledged river, one they dared not cross with two underfed horses and a wagon full of provisions. They would either have to wait or head north or south and hope to find a crossing. Either way, it would mean days, if not weeks, of hard travel.

What evidence from the text supports the inference that the story is set in the past?

• Looking east, he could see nothing but waving grasslands all the way to the horizon.

• Somewhere far past that endless grass was Indiana.

• Caleb and Mary had stopped their covered wagon for the night on the near side of a gentle creek.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.9

CCSS.RL.8.9

When the buzzer of his alarm clock blared in his ear, Rex resisted the urge to hit the snooze button. Even though it was summer, it was pitch-black outside. Even though his internal clock made him a late sleeper, this would mark 21 days in a row that Rex rose at 4:30 in the morning. Still half asleep, he dragged himself into his work clothes, dragged himself to the kitchen for a piece of toast, and dragged himself down to the bus stop. It was only a 20-minute bus ride to the bakery, but Rex usually slept the whole way, so he made sure to ask the driver to wake him up at his stop. In those 20 minutes, Rex was almost always playing the drums. He was on stage, bathed in multiple spotlights, wailing away on the drums like an animal. Today, like every other day, he exited the bus and headed toward the bakery. Like every other day, he stopped at the music store right next to the bakery and stared at the drum set in the window. One more month, he thought as he smiled, just one more month.

What motivates Rex to wake up early?

• He is motivated by his desire to go to the bakery.

• He is motivated by his desire to purchase a drum set.

• He is motivated by the bus driver waking him up.

• He is motivatedby his hunger for a sweet treat.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

About two hours before the birthday party, I went to my usual pet store. I wanted to get either a dove or a rabbit, whichever one was less expensive. Unfortunately, they were out of both! I had to get a porcupine instead, which is an animal I've never worked with before. Hopefully it will be pretty well-behaved.Nothing will ruin your act more quickly than an unruly animal. This little guy would fit in my top hat, which was the most important part. I left the pet store with my new partner in a little box and headed to the dry cleaner to pick up my tuxedo. I'd had to get it cleaned since one of my bits didn't go off as planned last weekend. You see, I fill my hat with milk and put it back on my head. The milk is supposed to disappear before the hat flips over, but this time, the special compartment in the hat malfunctioned. As you can guess, I was covered in milk. Anyway, I hope this week's show goes better. Otherwise, I may have to go back to my job at the bank.

What evidence from the text best supports that the narrator is a magician?

• Hopefully it will be pretty well-behaved. Nothing will ruin your act

• Hopefully it will be pretty well-behaved. Nothing will ruin your act more quickly than an unruly animal.

• As you can guess, I was covered in milk.

• Otherwise, I may have to go back to my job at the bank.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

I have two hamsters, Kirk and Spock. They're named after two of the main characters from Star Trek. They look very similar. They both are brown with gray spots, and they both do this thing where they scrunch their faces up while they're eating. They both also enjoy exercise, though Kirk likes the hamster wheel, and Spock is more interested in running through the little plastic tubes. Where they differ is that Kirk is way more obedient than Spock. Kirk will run over to you when you make kissy sounds. He'll stay on your hand when you put him there, and he's good about eating from his own little dish. Spock, on the other hand, will chow his own food and then knock Kirk out of the way to eat his, too. Spock won't come when called, and as soon as you crack the gate an inch, he bolts out and heads straight for the kitchen. I'll usually find him toward the back of one of the kitchen cabinets, eating through a box of something sugary.

What is the meaning of the underlined word?

• Reckless

• Well-behaved

• Energetic

• Defiant

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

Simon went to the circus and was entranced by a clown that juggled everything from sandwiches to flaming bowling pins. Immediately, Simon wanted to do this himself, so the next morning, he grabbed three oranges from the kitchen and went outside. He closed his eyes and tried to recall the pattern of movements the clown had made with his hands and arms, and then Simon opened his eyes and gave it a go. One orange landed on the roof, and another hit the ground and split open. The third landed in a tree where a squirrel grabbed it and ran off. Simon was very bad at juggling, but he didn't give up because he still wanted to learn. He used his allowance to buy a ten-pound bag of oranges, and he woke up every day at five to practice for two hours before school. At the end of the first week, he was only breaking a few oranges a day. By the end of two weeks, he wasn't breaking any. At the end of the third week, he added a fourth orange. He kept up the daily routine, and in two months’ time, he could juggle any four objects you handed him.

Which statement best represents the theme of the story?

• Practice can make you better.

• You should give up if you are not good at something.

• Sometimes it helps to buy more things.

• Simon didn’t give up and eventually got better at juggling.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

Ralph carried the stack of printouts down the long yellow corridor. Mr. Johnson had told Ralph to make copies of the printouts immediately, as they would be needed for the noon staff meeting. Well, Ralph was pretty sure that his name was Johnson. Ralph was on information overload right now, and he felt like one more piece of new information would make his brain pop altogether. Sheila, whose desk was next to Ralph's, did her best to explain the way to the copy room. Take the yellow hallway to the red hallway to the blue hallway to the orange hallway,he thought.Hadthere beena purple hallway in there, too? “You'll figure it all out after a while,” she had assured him. Her directions didn't seem to matter right now, however, as it was yellow paint as far as the eye could see. Ralph checked his watch and saw that is was 11:30. He picked up the pace since he wanted to make a great impression on Mr… Johnson?

What inference can you make based on the details in the story?

• Ralph is about to be fired from his job.

• Ralph is lost.

• It's Ralph's first day at his job.

• Sheila is not doing a good job at explaining things to Ralph.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

I was excited to hear my niece Madeline play violin for the first time. She was a nice girl and was talented at many things, including sports and computers. Of course, I assumed that she would be an exceptional violin player, too. She had a recital the following week. As such, her mother thought that it would be a good idea to gather some relatives so Madeline could get practice playing in front of people. I went over to my sister's house and found a spot in the living room among some cousins and Madeline's parents. Madeline came out in a cute little outfit, smiled, and bowed. She positioned the violin on her shoulder, raised the bow, and started playing. From the start, her playing was an old wagon wheel in desperate need of oil. I glanced around the room, and everyone was cringing and trying to not make eye contact with one another. I immediately tried to come up with a good lesson for Madeline about the importance of practice. She still had a week before the recital. Hopefully that would be enough time.

What type of figurative language is the underlined phrase?

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Hyperbole

• Personification

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.10

CCSS.RL.4.10

CCSS.RL.4.6

CCSS.RL.5.10

CCSS.RL.5.6

Stephanie grew up with dreams of being a jet pilot. She excelled in school her whole life, and after high school, she decided to join the Air Force to follow her dream. Due to a paperwork mix-up, however, Stephanie was sent to an Air Force training school for helicopter pilots instead. She was incredibly disappointed,but she had no choice but to start the helicopter program while the mistake was corrected. After three weeks, the paperwork mix-up was finally fixed. Stephanie was given the option of switching training programs. However, she wouldn't hear of it. By that point, she had taken her first several training flights in a helicopter, and she had fallen in love. The feeling of floating in place high above the earth was something that she could not compare to any other feeling she had ever experienced. She felt like a hummingbird or a cloud. Because of one little paperwork mix-up, Stephanie would spend the next thirty years flying helicopters, first for the Air Force and then for a tourist company near the Grand Canyon.

What is a possible theme of the story?

• You should give up on your first choice for a career.

• Sometimes mistakes can turn out for the best

• Paper work mix-ups are the best way to find your future career.

• Stephanie realized she loved flying a helicopter after a mix-up.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

Linus wanted to be a great quarterback, so he made sure that he practiced harder than anybody. Day after day, week after week, he performed the same drills in his back yard. One drill he performed over and over again he called the "roll and throw." He would take the football, take two quick steps backwards, run to his right, and throw the ball through a tire hanging from a tree at the far end of his yard. Well, the point was to throw it through the tire. It didn't always make it through, especially at first. However, Linus did the drill over and over again, dozens of times in a row every day. Over time, his footwork became better, and his throws became more precise. The repetition of the movements made the actions very natural to him, and after a while, he could move and throw the ball accurately without thinking about what he was doing. Being able to throw while moving made throwing while standing still a piece of cake.However, this was only one drill of many. Linus was committed to being great, and he was putting in the time to make it happen.

What is the meaning of the underlined phrase?

• Throwing while standing still is easy for Linus now.

• Throwing while standing is difficult, like baking a cake.

• Throwing while standing makes Linus feel like a piece of cake.

• When Linus practices throwing, it makes him hungry for cake.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.4

CCSS.RI.5.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.4

Sitting at Carter Beach, Deonte glanced down the beach to where two groups were playing beach volleyball. Deonte absolutely loved beach volleyball, but he was also painfully shy. He could never work up the nerve to introduce himself to strangers. He watched closely, wishing that he had the courage to join in, but knowing he probably never would. They were having so much fun, and it made Deonte sad to have this silly obstacle in his way. However, he kept watching, and as he did, he saw a phone fly out of one of the player's pockets as she dove into the sand. It appeared that none of the players saw it happen, and the phone was immediately covered over with sand. Deonte knewthathe should say something, but his heart was already beating out of his chest just thinking about it. I'll keep it simple, he thought, fast, and no talking. He sprinted over, dug out the phone, handed it to the girl, and turned to run away. “Wait!” she yelled. He turned and she thanked him. She asked Deonte if he wanted to play. Just above a whisper, Deonte replied, “Yes.”

How is the conflict resolved?

• The girl sees Deonte all alone and asks him if he wants to play.

• The girl is nice to Deonte, so it makes him brave enough to ask to

• The conflict is not resolved, and Deonte does not join in the game.

• Deonte acts helpfully, which gives him a chance to overcome his fear.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.3

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3