Are You Smarter than a 6th, 7th or 8th Grader?

A light fog fell on the forest as Mary got really low behind a tree trunk. Her hands firmly clasping the camera, Mary fixed her glance on the crane standing in the middle of a stream. It held its head up, as if alerted to Mary′s presence. The minutes passed, but the tall bird still did not move as the water gently lapped against its thin legs. Mary had taken several photos but was hoping for the bird to strike a different pose.  

What is a more specific word or phrase to replace the underlined words?

• perched

• crouched

• settled down

• positioned herself

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

Cindy has only red and black pens for school. She has 2 red pens for every 3 black pens.  

Select the statement about the pens that is correct.

• The ratio of red pens to total pens is 2:6.

• The ratio of red pens to black pens is 3:2.

• If Cindy has exactly 6 pens, then she has 2 red pens.

• If Cindy has exactly 5 pens, then she has 3 black pens.

Select all the descriptions that can be modeled by the equation:

y = 4x + 15

• The total cost (y) for a mini-bus of friends to go to an outdoor concert when (x) people enter at a cost $4 per person and there are 15 friends loaded into the mini-bus.

• The total amount of money (y) Jason spends at an amusement park, when the cost to enter the park is $15 and he goes on (x) roller coaster rides at $4 per ride.

• The total amount of money (y) earns babysitting, when she gets paid a base rate of $15 plus $4 per hour 4 (x) hours of babysitting.

• The total number (y) of fish in a pond, when there are already 4 fish and 15 more are added each day for (x) days.

"When we broke camp in the morning it seemed as if the entire land was covered with the animals. They were in such throngs that the sound of their hoofs was like the rumbling of distant thunder.

One could compare the scene to nothing more than to an ocean of dark water surrounding us on every side, pitching and tossing as if under the influence of a strong wind."

Which statement best describes what the underlined metaphor in the sentence adds to the meaning of the text?

• The reader can tell that the companions accepted the fact that there were many animals around them.

• The reader can tell that the companions were very concerned about all of the animals near them.

• The reader can tell that the companions were very much wondering where all of the animals came from.

• The reader can tell that the companions were surprised to see so many herds of animals in the distance.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

He rode through the streets demurely enough, but on reaching the open country roads his spirits broke forth into wild jubilation, and, urging the butcher’s horse to full gallop, he dashed away in true cowboy fashion.

How does the author’s use of the phrase, spirits broke forth, help the reader understand Jim’s experience in the country?

• The phrase shows the reader that Jim feels late for his morning job.

• The phrase lets the reader see that Jim can ride a horse very well.

• The phrase indicates to the reader that Jim needed to move forward in his life.

• The phrase emphasizes that Jim feels confined in the city.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

A tsunami is a series of waves usually caused by an earthquake, and can only be predicted after an earthquake occurs. Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes with magnitudes over 7.0 that occur under the ocean or near coastlines and are less than 100 kilometers below the earth's surface. Which of the four earthquakes has the greatest chance of causing a tsunami?

• Earthquake A

• Earthquake B

• Earthquake C

• Earthquake D

A species of small fish lives in a shady pond with a dark bottom. Some of these small fish are light colored, and some are dark colored. A new predator is added to the pond, and one of its primary food sources is the small fish. The table shows the percent of each color of fish in this population before and after the predator was added.

• After the new predator is added to the pond, the dark-colored fish have a better chance of surviving. This is b/c the predator cannot see them as well as the fish of the other color.

• After the new predator is added to the pond, the light-colored fish have a better chance of surviving. This is b/c the predator cannot see them as well as the fish of the other color.

• After the new predator is added to the pond, the light-colored fish have a better chance of surviving. This is b/c the predator predicts where each color of fish should be.

• After the new predator is added to the pond, the dark-colored fish have a better chance of surviving. This is b/c the predator predicts where each color of fish should be.

Select the expression equivalent to (4x + 3) + (-2x + 4).

• -2x + 12

• -8x + 12

• 6x + 7

• 2x + 7

Tags

CCSS.6.EE.A.4

Near the mouth of the ravine we came upon a small log cabin, which had evidently been built by trappers, but the emigrants on their way into the Oregon country had converted it into a post office, by sticking here and there, in the crevices of the logs, letters to be forwarded to their friends in the States. Hung on the wall where all might see it, was a general notice requesting any who passed on their way to the Missouri River to take these missives, and deposit them in the nearest regular post office.

What does the word missives most likely mean?

• logs

• signs

• letters

• trappers

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

The ratio of blue buttons to white buttons in a jar is 3:4. Maggie knows there are 84 buttons in the jar. She concludes that 3/4 of the buttons are blue.  

Select the statement that best describes Maggie’s conclusion.

• Maggie is incorrect because 3/7 of the buttons are blue.

• Maggie is incorrect because 4/7 of the buttons are blue.

• Maggie is correct because 84 is divisible by both 3 and 4.

• Maggie is correct because the ratio of blue to white buttons if 3:4, which means 3/4 of the buttons are blue.

Tags

CCSS.6.RP.A.1

CCSS.6.RP.A.2