NonFiction MStep Practice

Hands Across America was a public event on Sunday, May 25, 1986, in which approximately 6.5 million people held hands for fifteen minutes in an attempt to form a continuous human chain across the United States. Many participants donated ten dollars to reserve their place in line.

What is the central idea of this excerpt?

• A.Hands Across America was fun.

• B.Hands Across America was very inexpensive. 

• C.Hands Across America was an attempted show of unity. 

• D.  Hands Across America occurred on May 25, 1986.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Educational volunteers work without pay in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms.  Their work is difficult but very rewarding. Teachers are very grateful for their volunteers. Most schools have openings for this type of work. 

Which is the BEST summary of this excerpt?

• A.Volunteering for schools is fun. 

• B.Volunteers are needed at every school.

• C.Educational volunteers work in elementary school classrooms.

• D.  Educational volunteers work hard and are greatly appreciated.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

In three studies, we provided a test of how rudeness affects performance at the workplace. The results were all the same. They showed that rudeness reduced performance on routine tasks, as well as creative tasks.

What does this excerpt infer?

• A.Rudeness should be against the law.

• B.Rudeness can result in profit loss at the workplace.

• C.Rudeness happens at every workplace.

• D.  Rudeness doesn’t really decrease routine performance tasks.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RI.7.8

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

(1) Pet ownership may not be for everyone.  (2) Yes, owning a pet can bring you great joy.  (3)  Also, it teaches owners to be more responsible.  (4) However, owners sometimes find that they simply do not have enough time to take care of a pet.

Which sentence contains a negative detail of pet ownership?

• Sentence 1

• Sentence 2

• Sentence 3

• Sentence 4

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

1) Touching a snail holds no danger because they aren't poisonous. (2) If you like to eat them, however, you can't just pick up a garden snail and cook it. (3) Snails ingest dangerous chemicals, such as pesticides and snail bait, as they move through flower beds looking for food.  (4) This is why they aren’t always good to eat. Which sentence contains details about why you should be careful about eating snails?

• Sentence 1

• Sentence 2

• Sentence 3

• Sentence 4

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

(1) Jello is easy to make. (2) Simply whisk together 1 cup of hot water with 1 packet of jello in a large bowl. (3) Then add 1 cup of cold water to the mixture and whisk it in. (4) Most people prefer cherry jello over blueberry. (5) Pour the mixture into a jello mold. (6) Let the jello set in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, and then serve.

Which sentence from the excerpt is unnecessary, and should be omitted? 

• Sentence 1

• Sentence 2

• Sentence 3

• Sentence 4

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.3

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.3

CCSS.RI.8.5

King Edward VIII decided to abdicate his throne in favor of his son. What does abdicate mean?

• A.  to pursue 

• B.  to share

• C.  to step down from

• D.  to talk about

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

What is emphasized with the metaphor in this excerpt? The drugstore was losing money every quarter.  Most employees were already looking for other jobs. Eric’s suggestion about a three-day sale was just a Band-Aid for the problem.  The company needed a solution that would work.

• A.  Eric’s cheerful attitude. 

• B.  The interest in the store. 

• C.  The uselessness of Eric’s solution. 

• D.  The new jobs that the workers were looking for.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

Mary had a compassionate response when she heard about Ben’s situation. 

What does “compassionate” mean?

• A.  Angry

• B.  Jealous

• C.  Sympathetic

• D.  Loud

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Lightly smack each orange on the counter. Cut each one in half. Squeeze into a glass. You may also use a citrus reamer to do this. If you want less pulp, use a hand juicer with a strainer.

The purpose of this excerpt is to -

• A.teach someone how to pick out an orange

• B.teach someone how to peel an orange

• C.teach someone how to use a citrus reamer

• D.  teach someone how to make orange juice

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.3

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.3

CCSS.RI.8.3

CCSS.RI.8.5