8th Grade ELA Midterm 2023-2024

Choose the sentence that would BEST introduce the story below by providing a clear description of the setting:

“Careful,” my brother warned as I struggled with the kite string. I could sense the concern in his voice, and I felt my hands become sweaty, as it had taken forever for my brother to build his treasured kite. He rushed forward to help me, then frowned as the string handle rocketed out of my hands and into the unknown. I cringed as I realized that the new kite was accelerating high up into the air. “Don’t worry,” my brother shouted as we ran with the wind, observing the kite becoming smaller and smaller in the sky. I began to feel raindrops on my head—could things become any more difficult? 

Finally, the wind weakened, and our target seemingly dropped just behind the library as the skies opened up. Despite the downpour, we investigated every inch of the area, finding nothing—did it fall somewhere else? Thunder sounded, lightning flashed, a tree branch fell with a crack, and my heart pounded, but I felt it was my mission to solve the mystery at any cost. 

Then, suddenly, the librarian shouted, waving for us to come inside. He had seen the kite fall—and had helpfully brought it in from the rain.

• The sky was dark in the west, but we still went to the windiest spot in our town.

• School had just ended, and the ride home on the bus had seemed very long.

• My brother stood close to me on the hill as we watched the kite rise.

• My brother had built the kite in bitter winter, and we had waited patiently for a good time to use it.

A student is writing a report on John Adams' career as second president of the United States. The student wants to revise the first section to make sure it acts as a clear introduction to the report. Read the paragraph and answer the question that follows.

John Adams was born in 1735 in Massachusetts Colony. After 

studying at Harvard College, he became a lawyer. Adams became a 

leader of the Revolutionary cause against Great Britain. He 

represented Massachusetts in the First and Second Continental 

Congresses, where his strong support for independence made him a 

leader of the movement for independence. During the war he 

represented the United States in Holland and France. He helped 

write the treaty that ended the war with Great Britain and then 

represented the United States in Great Britain. He returned to the 

United States when he was elected first vice president under 

President George Washington. 

Which sentence should the student add to the beginning of the paragraph to make it a clear introduction to the rest of the report?

• One reason John Adams is remembered is that he worked on the Declaration of Independence.

• Massachusetts was organized as a colony in 1628 by a group of Puritans.

• John Adams' early career prepared him for the office of president of the United States.

• John Adams was related to Samuel Adams, another leader of the Revolutionary cause.

Which of these topics for a report on the American government would be the most specific?

• American Presidents

• US Constitution

• Congress in the 1990s

• The Three Branches of American Government

Below is an excerpt from an informational essay that a student wrote.

"Based on a recent study, school lunches have been shown to be an important factor for students in schools. Students that eat a healthy lunch perform better on high stakes tests and are reportedly healthier and happier. Furthermore, good nutrition is important for children in the developmental process. So really, it's pretty obvious how important it is to make school lunches number one!"

Which of the following is the best way to revise the underlined sentence for appropriate language while maintaining the same meaning?

• Really, it is pretty obvious how badly we need to do something with lunches.

• In conclusion, it is important that schools prioritize nutrition in order to maximize the benefits to children.

• We need to do something, because obviously we need better lunches badly.

• Students perform better at a statistically significant level when they are provided with something to eat.

A student is writing an editorial and wants to revise it so that all claims are supported with logical reasoning and relevant evidence. Read the paragraph from the argument and answer the question below.

"Light pollution has become a serious problem throughout the world. The widespread overuse of artificial lights has serious consequences and should be reduced."

Which of the following sentences does NOT belong in the editorial because it does not effectively support the claim made in the paragraph?

• Overlighting urban areas represents a huge waste of energy and money.

• Light pollution has disrupted the migration patterns of bird species.

• Some studies suggest that street lights have little impact on crime and creates false security.

• Artificial light is important in preventing accidents at night and improving public safety.

A student is writing a newspaper editorial about the tableware provided for school lunch. The student wants to revise the draft to place his claim of the argument in a more effective position within the first paragraph. Read the draft of the editorial and complete the task that follows:

"Imagine buying a cafeteria lunch that is served on a ceramic plate with real silverware and a glass of milk. You would not throw it all away when you were done eating. You would help clean the tableware before it would go into a dishwasher. Schools in the United States should provide real tableware to students because it will benefit the students and the environment. It would be more work than throwing away plastic and paper tableware, but it would be good for the environment and good for you. In many Japanese schools, students eat lunch in the cafeteria using real plates, silverware, and cups-not their disposable counterparts. Once they are finished eating, students clean their tableware at cleaning stations. This practice reduces waste and teaches students both responsibility and practical skills. Students generally do not complain about it because they get used to it. It is time that students in the United States change their ways and start using real tableware too."

Which sentence is the claim and should be moved to the END of the first paragraph?

• Imagine buying a cafeteria lunch that is served on a ceramic plate with real silverware and a glass of milk.

• Schools in the United States should provide real tableware to students because it will benefit the students and the environment.

• You would help clean the tableware before it would go into a dishwasher.

• It would be more work than throwing away plastic and paper tableware, but it would be good for the environment and good for you.

Read the sentence below. The NAIBORHOOD groups ALIGNED with people wishing to protect the ENVIRONMENT. Select the capitalized word that is spelled incorrectly. If no words are misspelled, choose 'Correct as is.'

• naiborhood

• aligned

• environment

• Correct as is

Which is the correct way to spell the underlined words in the following sentence? It was a PRIVILEDGE to study with the PROMINENT Professor Knowsalot.

• priviledge, prominant

• privilege, prominent

• privilege, prominant

• Correct as is

Read the sentence. I enjoy eating lunch at the outdoor tables when the weather is nice. What is the function of the phrase eating lunch as it is used in the sentence?

• It acts as an adverb to clarify when the action takes place.

• It acts as a noun and identifies what the subject enjoys.

• It acts as an adjective to add a descriptive detail.

• It acts as a verb and states what the subject is doing.

What is the function of the capitalized word in this sentence? The HOWLING coyotes kept Johanna awake for hours.

• noun

• adjective

• preposition

• verb