Reading Comprehension Test

The Best Seat

Caroline Robbins knew that the first day of school was very, very important. Why? Because that was the day when you chose where you would sit for the entire year. Caroline realized that in some classes this choice would be made for her. The teacher would place students in alphabetical order, meaning she would have to sit in front of Zach Rodgers yet again. Zach had a huge crush on Caroline, and would distract her from her work by passing notes and cracking jokes to impress her. In general, being a Robbins was pretty good, but having to sit in front of Zach was definitely a drawback.

In her other classes, though, Caroline would be sure to choose just the right seat. Caroline liked to think of herself as one of the cool kids, but she also did well in school and liked learning. So, Caroline wanted to sit close to the cool kids, but not too close, or she would be more interested in talking than paying attention. She also knew that it was good to be friends with the smart kids, because they could help Caroline with her schoolwork. However, she didn’t want to sit too close to the smart kids. Unfortunately, at Caroline’s school, the smart kids and the cool kids were not the same kids.

Caroline had all of this in mind as she walked through the school’s front door on the first day. She knew where her first class was, but she didn’t want to be the first one there. If you were the first one there, you didn’t have any control at all! Other people got to choose how close they sat to you, not the other way around. This simply would not do. So, she took her time walking down the hall, taking a minute to talk to her friend Alma, whom she hadn’t seen for the entire summer.

At last she walked through the door of her first class, and there it was, the perfect seat! Two seats away from Jasmine, the smartest girl in her entire grade, and just in front of Marc, who was very cool and totally cute. Caroline quickly imagined all of the cool things that she could do to the back of her hair to make Marc fall in love with her. After all, he would be staring at it for nine whole months!

There was a new guy to the left, which could be a risk, but how bad could a new guy be? So Caroline started toward the seat, being careful not to rush, when Marc’s best friend Jason sat down in her chair! Sure, there were other seats, but no other perfect ones. Saddened but not discouraged, Caroline sat down in the second-best seat and immediately started planning for lunchtime, when she was determined to get the best seat in the cafeteria.

Question: As used paragraph 1, the word drawback most nearly means ...

• Disadvantage

• Benefit

• Annoyance

• Withdrawal

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

The Best Seat

Caroline Robbins knew that the first day of school was very, very important. Why? Because that was the day when you chose where you would sit for the entire year. Caroline realized that in some classes this choice would be made for her. The teacher would place students in alphabetical order, meaning she would have to sit in front of Zach Rodgers yet again. Zach had a huge crush on Caroline, and would distract her from her work by passing notes and cracking jokes to impress her. In general, being a Robbins was pretty good, but having to sit in front of Zach was definitely a drawback.

In her other classes, though, Caroline would be sure to choose just the right seat. Caroline liked to think of herself as one of the cool kids, but she also did well in school and liked learning. So, Caroline wanted to sit close to the cool kids, but not too close, or she would be more interested in talking than paying attention. She also knew that it was good to be friends with the smart kids, because they could help Caroline with her schoolwork. However, she didn’t want to sit too close to the smart kids. Unfortunately, at Caroline’s school, the smart kids and the cool kids were not the same kids.

Caroline had all of this in mind as she walked through the school’s front door on the first day. She knew where her first class was, but she didn’t want to be the first one there. If you were the first one there, you didn’t have any control at all! Other people got to choose how close they sat to you, not the other way around. This simply would not do. So, she took her time walking down the hall, taking a minute to talk to her friend Alma, whom she hadn’t seen for the entire summer.

At last she walked through the door of her first class, and there it was, the perfect seat! Two seats away from Jasmine, the smartest girl in her entire grade, and just in front of Marc, who was very cool and totally cute. Caroline quickly imagined all of the cool things that she could do to the back of her hair to make Marc fall in love with her. After all, he would be staring at it for nine whole months!

There was a new guy to the left, which could be a risk, but how bad could a new guy be? So Caroline started toward the seat, being careful not to rush, when Marc’s best friend Jason sat down in her chair! Sure, there were other seats, but no other perfect ones. Saddened but not discouraged, Caroline sat down in the second-best seat and immediately started planning for lunchtime, when she was determined to get the best seat in the cafeteria.

Question: In paragraph 2, the author writes, "Unfortunately at Caroline's school, the smart kids and the cool kids were not the same kids." What is most likely meant by this statement?

• Caroline is really seen as a cool kid, not a smart kid

• Caroline is the only kid who is both cool and smart at her school

• If Caroline is seen as a smart kid, no one will think she is cool

• Caroline's school is unusual in that smart kids cannot also be cool kids

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.9-10.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

The Best Seat

Caroline Robbins knew that the first day of school was very, very important. Why? Because that was the day when you chose where you would sit for the entire year. Caroline realized that in some classes this choice would be made for her. The teacher would place students in alphabetical order, meaning she would have to sit in front of Zach Rodgers yet again. Zach had a huge crush on Caroline, and would distract her from her work by passing notes and cracking jokes to impress her. In general, being a Robbins was pretty good, but having to sit in front of Zach was definitely a drawback.

In her other classes, though, Caroline would be sure to choose just the right seat. Caroline liked to think of herself as one of the cool kids, but she also did well in school and liked learning. So, Caroline wanted to sit close to the cool kids, but not too close, or she would be more interested in talking than paying attention. She also knew that it was good to be friends with the smart kids, because they could help Caroline with her schoolwork. However, she didn’t want to sit too close to the smart kids. Unfortunately, at Caroline’s school, the smart kids and the cool kids were not the same kids.

Caroline had all of this in mind as she walked through the school’s front door on the first day. She knew where her first class was, but she didn’t want to be the first one there. If you were the first one there, you didn’t have any control at all! Other people got to choose how close they sat to you, not the other way around. This simply would not do. So, she took her time walking down the hall, taking a minute to talk to her friend Alma, whom she hadn’t seen for the entire summer.

At last she walked through the door of her first class, and there it was, the perfect seat! Two seats away from Jasmine, the smartest girl in her entire grade, and just in front of Marc, who was very cool and totally cute. Caroline quickly imagined all of the cool things that she could do to the back of her hair to make Marc fall in love with her. After all, he would be staring at it for nine whole months!

There was a new guy to the left, which could be a risk, but how bad could a new guy be? So Caroline started toward the seat, being careful not to rush, when Marc’s best friend Jason sat down in her chair! Sure, there were other seats, but no other perfect ones. Saddened but not discouraged, Caroline sat down in the second-best seat and immediately started planning for lunchtime, when she was determined to get the best seat in the cafeteria.

Question: In paragraph 3, the author writes that Caroline "knew where her first class was, but she didn’t want to be the first one there. If you were the first one there, you didn’t have any control at all!" Which of the following would cause a similar problem for Caroline as the one described in this quotation?

• Getting to class last

• Failing an important test

• Sitting next to Zach Rodgers

• Being labeled as a "smart" person

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

The Best Seat

Caroline Robbins knew that the first day of school was very, very important. Why? Because that was the day when you chose where you would sit for the entire year. Caroline realized that in some classes this choice would be made for her. The teacher would place students in alphabetical order, meaning she would have to sit in front of Zach Rodgers yet again. Zach had a huge crush on Caroline, and would distract her from her work by passing notes and cracking jokes to impress her. In general, being a Robbins was pretty good, but having to sit in front of Zach was definitely a drawback.

In her other classes, though, Caroline would be sure to choose just the right seat. Caroline liked to think of herself as one of the cool kids, but she also did well in school and liked learning. So, Caroline wanted to sit close to the cool kids, but not too close, or she would be more interested in talking than paying attention. She also knew that it was good to be friends with the smart kids, because they could help Caroline with her schoolwork. However, she didn’t want to sit too close to the smart kids. Unfortunately, at Caroline’s school, the smart kids and the cool kids were not the same kids.

Caroline had all of this in mind as she walked through the school’s front door on the first day. She knew where her first class was, but she didn’t want to be the first one there. If you were the first one there, you didn’t have any control at all! Other people got to choose how close they sat to you, not the other way around. This simply would not do. So, she took her time walking down the hall, taking a minute to talk to her friend Alma, whom she hadn’t seen for the entire summer.

At last she walked through the door of her first class, and there it was, the perfect seat! Two seats away from Jasmine, the smartest girl in her entire grade, and just in front of Marc, who was very cool and totally cute. Caroline quickly imagined all of the cool things that she could do to the back of her hair to make Marc fall in love with her. After all, he would be staring at it for nine whole months!

There was a new guy to the left, which could be a risk, but how bad could a new guy be? So Caroline started toward the seat, being careful not to rush, when Marc’s best friend Jason sat down in her chair! Sure, there were other seats, but no other perfect ones. Saddened but not discouraged, Caroline sat down in the second-best seat and immediately started planning for lunchtime, when she was determined to get the best seat in the cafeteria.

Question: According to the passage, Caroline makes sure not to get to class too early by

• Taking time to fix her hair

• Going to the wrong class

• . Slowing down to think about marc

• Stopping to talk to her friend Alma

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

The Best Seat

Caroline Robbins knew that the first day of school was very, very important. Why? Because that was the day when you chose where you would sit for the entire year. Caroline realized that in some classes this choice would be made for her. The teacher would place students in alphabetical order, meaning she would have to sit in front of Zach Rodgers yet again. Zach had a huge crush on Caroline, and would distract her from her work by passing notes and cracking jokes to impress her. In general, being a Robbins was pretty good, but having to sit in front of Zach was definitely a drawback.

In her other classes, though, Caroline would be sure to choose just the right seat. Caroline liked to think of herself as one of the cool kids, but she also did well in school and liked learning. So, Caroline wanted to sit close to the cool kids, but not too close, or she would be more interested in talking than paying attention. She also knew that it was good to be friends with the smart kids, because they could help Caroline with her schoolwork. However, she didn’t want to sit too close to the smart kids. Unfortunately, at Caroline’s school, the smart kids and the cool kids were not the same kids.

Caroline had all of this in mind as she walked through the school’s front door on the first day. She knew where her first class was, but she didn’t want to be the first one there. If you were the first one there, you didn’t have any control at all! Other people got to choose how close they sat to you, not the other way around. This simply would not do. So, she took her time walking down the hall, taking a minute to talk to her friend Alma, whom she hadn’t seen for the entire summer.

At last she walked through the door of her first class, and there it was, the perfect seat! Two seats away from Jasmine, the smartest girl in her entire grade, and just in front of Marc, who was very cool and totally cute. Caroline quickly imagined all of the cool things that she could do to the back of her hair to make Marc fall in love with her. After all, he would be staring at it for nine whole months!

There was a new guy to the left, which could be a risk, but how bad could a new guy be? So Caroline started toward the seat, being careful not to rush, when Marc’s best friend Jason sat down in her chair! Sure, there were other seats, but no other perfect ones. Saddened but not discouraged, Caroline sat down in the second-best seat and immediately started planning for lunchtime, when she was determined to get the best seat in the cafeteria.

Question: Caroline’s attitude in the final paragraph can best be described as

• Passionate, because she shows intense or strong emotions

• . Melancholy, because she feels gloomy or depressed

• Resolute, because she is firm or unyielding

• Despondent, because she feels hopeless

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Three Brances

The United States federal government consists of three branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. Each branch has its own set of powers and responsibilities to ensure the success of the country’s democracy. Each of these branches is also responsible for checking the decisions and practices of the other branches. This system is called "checks and balances." It exists to ensure that no individual branch becomes too dominant.

The legislative branch is also called Congress. Congress is made up of two separate groups of elected officials from each of the 50 states: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both groups work together to make laws. In order for Congress to make a law, a bill must be passed by Congress and then approved by the executive branch. This is one way the president, a member of the executive branch, can "check" Congress’ power.

The executive branch is made up of the president, vice president, and the presidential cabinet. The president has the power to veto any laws that Congress may propose. However, if Congress strongly desires a particular bill to be passed, they have the power to override the president's rejection. This requires a majority vote, and in this case two thirds of the members must agree. Here, "balance" is maintained in the law-making process.

The judicial branch is made up of federal judges. It is responsible for ensuring that the laws of the United States are constitutional. If a law is in question, it will go through a process called judicial review. During this review, the judges will analyze the law and determine if it is consistent with the country’s constitution. If a law is determined to be unconstitutional, it will be thrown out. Congress then has the task of making a new law. As the judicial branch checks the laws, it too is helping maintain the balance of power between branches. With the process of checks and balances between the three branches of federal government, a clear and precise method exists for the formation of United States laws. Though this system was created over 200 years ago, it is still successful in facilitating a democratic society today.

Question: According to the passage, what does the legislative bransh do?

• Make laws

• Determine if laws are unconstitutional

• Reject laws

• Hold court when laws are broken

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Three Brances

The United States federal government consists of three branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. Each branch has its own set of powers and responsibilities to ensure the success of the country’s democracy. Each of these branches is also responsible for checking the decisions and practices of the other branches. This system is called "checks and balances." It exists to ensure that no individual branch becomes too dominant.

The legislative branch is also called Congress. Congress is made up of two separate groups of elected officials from each of the 50 states: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both groups work together to make laws. In order for Congress to make a law, a bill must be passed by Congress and then approved by the executive branch. This is one way the president, a member of the executive branch, can "check" Congress’ power.

The executive branch is made up of the president, vice president, and the presidential cabinet. The president has the power to veto any laws that Congress may propose. However, if Congress strongly desires a particular bill to be passed, they have the power to override the president's rejection. This requires a majority vote, and in this case two thirds of the members must agree. Here, "balance" is maintained in the law-making process.

The judicial branch is made up of federal judges. It is responsible for ensuring that the laws of the United States are constitutional. If a law is in question, it will go through a process called judicial review. During this review, the judges will analyze the law and determine if it is consistent with the country’s constitution. If a law is determined to be unconstitutional, it will be thrown out. Congress then has the task of making a new law. As the judicial branch checks the laws, it too is helping maintain the balance of power between branches. With the process of checks and balances between the three branches of federal government, a clear and precise method exists for the formation of United States laws. Though this system was created over 200 years ago, it is still successful in facilitating a democratic society today.

Question: Which of the following statements accurately exemplifies the United States federal government's system of "checks and balances" as it is described in the passage?

• The president can veto a bill passed by congress

• Congress in made up of two separate groups of elected officials from each of the 50 states

• Bill must pass through both the Senate and the House of Representatives before they are submitted to the president

• Decisions by federal judges can be appealed, and cases can be tried again in a higher court

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Three Brances

The United States federal government consists of three branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. Each branch has its own set of powers and responsibilities to ensure the success of the country’s democracy. Each of these branches is also responsible for checking the decisions and practices of the other branches. This system is called "checks and balances." It exists to ensure that no individual branch becomes too dominant.

The legislative branch is also called Congress. Congress is made up of two separate groups of elected officials from each of the 50 states: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both groups work together to make laws. In order for Congress to make a law, a bill must be passed by Congress and then approved by the executive branch. This is one way the president, a member of the executive branch, can "check" Congress’ power.

The executive branch is made up of the president, vice president, and the presidential cabinet. The president has the power to veto any laws that Congress may propose. However, if Congress strongly desires a particular bill to be passed, they have the power to override the president's rejection. This requires a majority vote, and in this case two thirds of the members must agree. Here, "balance" is maintained in the law-making process.

The judicial branch is made up of federal judges. It is responsible for ensuring that the laws of the United States are constitutional. If a law is in question, it will go through a process called judicial review. During this review, the judges will analyze the law and determine if it is consistent with the country’s constitution. If a law is determined to be unconstitutional, it will be thrown out. Congress then has the task of making a new law. As the judicial branch checks the laws, it too is helping maintain the balance of power between branches. With the process of checks and balances between the three branches of federal government, a clear and precise method exists for the formation of United States laws. Though this system was created over 200 years ago, it is still successful in facilitating a democratic society today.

Question: Based on its use in paragraph 3, it can be understood that the word veto belongs to which of the following word groups?

• Resume, continue, proceed

• Edit, revise modify

• Reject, disallow, stopA

• Accept, grant, uphold

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Three Brances

The United States federal government consists of three branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. Each branch has its own set of powers and responsibilities to ensure the success of the country’s democracy. Each of these branches is also responsible for checking the decisions and practices of the other branches. This system is called "checks and balances." It exists to ensure that no individual branch becomes too dominant.

The legislative branch is also called Congress. Congress is made up of two separate groups of elected officials from each of the 50 states: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both groups work together to make laws. In order for Congress to make a law, a bill must be passed by Congress and then approved by the executive branch. This is one way the president, a member of the executive branch, can "check" Congress’ power.

The executive branch is made up of the president, vice president, and the presidential cabinet. The president has the power to veto any laws that Congress may propose. However, if Congress strongly desires a particular bill to be passed, they have the power to override the president's rejection. This requires a majority vote, and in this case two thirds of the members must agree. Here, "balance" is maintained in the law-making process.

The judicial branch is made up of federal judges. It is responsible for ensuring that the laws of the United States are constitutional. If a law is in question, it will go through a process called judicial review. During this review, the judges will analyze the law and determine if it is consistent with the country’s constitution. If a law is determined to be unconstitutional, it will be thrown out. Congress then has the task of making a new law. As the judicial branch checks the laws, it too is helping maintain the balance of power between branches. With the process of checks and balances between the three branches of federal government, a clear and precise method exists for the formation of United States laws. Though this system was created over 200 years ago, it is still successful in facilitating a democratic society today.

Question: According to the passage, which branch of government is responsible for ensuring that the laws of the United States are constitutional?

• The legislative branch

• The excecutive branch

• The judicial branch

• All of the above

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

Three Brances

The United States federal government consists of three branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. Each branch has its own set of powers and responsibilities to ensure the success of the country’s democracy. Each of these branches is also responsible for checking the decisions and practices of the other branches. This system is called "checks and balances." It exists to ensure that no individual branch becomes too dominant.

The legislative branch is also called Congress. Congress is made up of two separate groups of elected officials from each of the 50 states: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both groups work together to make laws. In order for Congress to make a law, a bill must be passed by Congress and then approved by the executive branch. This is one way the president, a member of the executive branch, can "check" Congress’ power.

The executive branch is made up of the president, vice president, and the presidential cabinet. The president has the power to veto any laws that Congress may propose. However, if Congress strongly desires a particular bill to be passed, they have the power to override the president's rejection. This requires a majority vote, and in this case two thirds of the members must agree. Here, "balance" is maintained in the law-making process.

The judicial branch is made up of federal judges. It is responsible for ensuring that the laws of the United States are constitutional. If a law is in question, it will go through a process called judicial review. During this review, the judges will analyze the law and determine if it is consistent with the country’s constitution. If a law is determined to be unconstitutional, it will be thrown out. Congress then has the task of making a new law. As the judicial branch checks the laws, it too is helping maintain the balance of power between branches. With the process of checks and balances between the three branches of federal government, a clear and precise method exists for the formation of United States laws. Though this system was created over 200 years ago, it is still successful in facilitating a democratic society today.

Question: This overall message put forth in this passage is best described as ...

• Persuasive

• Informative

• Scientific

• Fictional

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5