Final English Language Arts Benchmark

Which sentence correctly uses a correlative conjunction?

• Not only did I lose my sunglasses, and I cannot find my hat.

• Neither the butter or the salt is on the dinner table yet.

• Not only did my team win, but I also scored the winning goal.

• We will either go for a hike and play soccer this afternoon.

Tags

CCSS.L.1.1G

CCSS.L.3.1H

CCSS.L.5.1A

CCSS.L.5.1E

A student is writing a research report about what happens to plastic that is thrown

away.

Which question should the student use to narrow the focus?

• Which types of plastic are harmful to the environment?

• How can other materials be used instead of plastic?

• How long does it take for plastic to break down in landfills?

• Which countries around the world use the most plastic?

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.1

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

A student is writing an argument about city parks. Read the student’s claim.

Cities should set aside more public land to create city parks.

The student has gathered information about city parks from multiple sources. Which

piece of information best supports the student’s claim?

• City parks will not be popular unless they have comfortable places for people to sit.

• City parks become littered with garbage and often require costly cleanup efforts.

• Central Park in New York City is one of the most visited city parks in the world.

• Residents and visitors alike can use city parks to exercise and stay healthy.

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RI.5.8

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RI.6.8

Which sentence correctly uses the present perfect verb tense?

• The family next door has lived in that house for more than twenty years.

• The dogs are happy if they can be outside resting in the sun.

• Our car still has a bad smell from when we left the windows open in the rain.

• I was planning to visit my grandparents this weekend.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.1B

CCSS.L.5.1.B-D

CCSS.L.5.1B

CCSS.L.5.1C

CCSS.L.5.1D

A student is writing a research report about mosquitoes. The student has taken notes

on the topic. Read the student’s notes.

• Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. They prefer water collected

in man-made containers like birdbaths, empty pots, and old tires.

• Even a few ounces of water can serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

• Mosquito eggs take only a few days to hatch.

• Mosquito larvae float around in the water and eat bacteria. Larvae thrive in water

that is full of organic materials like rotting leaves.

Based on the student’s notes, what conclusion can be drawn about mosquitoes?

• Bug sprays should be used to avoid mosquito bites because mosquitoes can carry diseases.

• Mosquitoes find animals to bite by staying close to the animals’ water sources.

• Mosquitoes found throughout the United States are only active in the evenings.

• People can limit the number of mosquitoes by emptying containers of standing water often.

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RI.5.1

Read the sentence.

The family ___________ in the car for several hours before the check engine light began flashing.

Which choice best fits in the blank?

• will have been driving

• had been driving

• drive

• drives

Tags

CCSS.L.4.1B

CCSS.L.5.1.B-D

CCSS.L.5.1B

CCSS.L.5.1C

CCSS.L.5.1D

A student is writing an essay about building houses. Read a paragraph from the

essay.

When building a house, it is important to think about the type of soil upon which the house will stand. The first step of building a house is laying its foundation, or its base. The type of foundation that should be used depends on the type of soil. For example, the soil in many southern states is high in clay, which may cause a foundation to move over time. Therefore, a slab foundation, which is a flat pad of concrete, can be used to keep the house from being damaged.

Which detail can the student add to develop the topic in the paragraph?

• Generally, people interested in buying houses must choose between building new houses or

  buying houses that are already built.

• Some scientists make their livings by studying the soil, and they are able to provide detailed

  information about different types of soil.

• In areas where the soil conditions are better, houses are built with the footings of the

  foundations buried deep underground.

• The type of soil also affects which types of plants can grow in different areas, and clay soils

  are good for growing crops like beans.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RI.5.2

A student is writing a research report about songbirds. The student has taken notes

on the topic. Read the student’s notes.

• Birds that live near streetlights sing earlier in the morning than those that live in dark forests.

• Birds use their songs to claim their territories and attract mates.

• Scientists found that robins begin their morning songs 18 days earlier in the

spring when they are exposed to unnatural light sources.

• It is not yet clear whether longer days and longer nesting seasons will help or

hurt songbirds.

Based on the student’s notes, what conclusion can be drawn about songbirds?

• Man-made lights are changing the behaviors of songbirds.

• The lights in cities make it impossible for songbirds to survive.

• Songbirds prefer living near the bright lights of cities.

• Some songbirds stop singing due to man-made lights.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Read the sentences.

Learning to play the piano would be easier if I (1) __________ bigger hands. I hope that when I get older, I (2) __________ the keys better.

Which choice includes the correct verb tenses that best fit in the blanks in the

sentences?

• (1) will have; (2) reaches

• (1) must had; (2) have reached

• (1) had; (2) can reach

• (1) have; (2) will have been reaching

Tags

CCSS.RF.3.3B

CCSS.RF.3.3C

CCSS.RF.3.3D

CCSS.RF.4.3A

CCSS.RF.5.3A

A student is writing an argument against heavy backpacks. Which topic sentence

most clearly states the student’s claim?

• Heavy backpacks were more common in the past before students used computers.

• Backpacks make it easy for students to carry heavy books home from school.

• Students should not be required to carry heavy books in their backpacks.

• Some students have to walk home from school while carrying heavy backpacks.