mixed standard 4/17

Once known as a friendly animal, birthing and caring for its young in plain sight on beaches, the monk seal remains mostly hidden today. It keeps its young in caves with underwater entrances far from humans. To catch a glimpse of monk seals is, according to Karst van der Meulen, public relations advisor for the Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre, “Indescribable. You feel humble when you see these beautiful animals and guilty because they are in danger because of what we are doing with their habitats.”

What is the main idea of the paragraph?

• Monk seals often live in caves that are difficult for people to reach.

• Monk seals have changed their behavior in order to survive.

• Monk seals are fascinating animals to observe.

• Monk seals are protective of their babies.

It was the most tiresome kite in the world: always wagging its tail, shaking its ears, breaking its string, sitting down on the tops of houses, getting stuck in trees, entangled in hedges, flopping down on ponds, or lying flat on the grass, and refusing to rise higher than a yard from the ground.

What is the main idea of the paragraph?

• how the kite appears to others

• how the kite was constructed

• how the kite was raised

• how the kite misbehaves

Both Misa and I decided to go to Ivy Hall Middle School, the public school, and immerse ourselves in American culture.

What does immerse mean?

• establish

• instruct

• • 
    

    introduce

• submerge

Read the sentence from the article.

The mixing of these special chemicals gives a very cool light that is very efficient—10 times more efficient than a light bulb.

What does the word efficient mean?

• easily seen

• widely available

• ready to be used

• able to produce results

Read these sentences from the article.

Some are common; some are rare. Some are small; some are very large.

Which sentence below uses the word common in the same way as in the sentence above?

• Their stories contained a common element and fooled no one.

• Children riding bicycles through our neighborhood is a common sight.

• She signed up to volunteer because it was for the common good of the neighborhood.

• We were surprised to learn that we have a common interest in collecting baseball cards.

The culture at my school still feels new to me, though. In Japan, teachers and students have a different relationship than they do in America. In Japan, your teacher is your friend and may even come to your home. In a way, the teachers and students in Japan are on the same level, and they work on learning together as a team. Last summer, one of my teachers from Japan visited me in the United States. We went sightseeing and had a fun time together. I don’t know if many American teachers and students would do that.

Which statement best summarizes the passage?

• Miho had fun sightseeing with her teacher.

• Teachers in America and teachers in Japan have different roles.

• In Japan, students and teachers learn as a team.

• Miho is glad she attends an American school.

Read this sentence from Paragraph 2.

She was complaining to Gull, who was pacing the shore, guarding a large pile of herring.

Which of these words is the root of the word pacing?

• acing

• pace

• pack

• peace

Read this sentence.

A tradition is something that is handed down.

If something is traditional, it is

• outside of tradition.

• relating to a tradition.

• having nothing to do with a tradition.

• added to a tradition.

The word convenient comes from the Latin word convenire, which means “to be suitable, fit.” What does convenient mean as used in the advertisement?

• get a new bottle cap

• in many places

• meeting a person’s need

• true to its design or use

What does the Latin root halare mean as used in the word “inhale”?

• to breathe

• to hurry

• to push

• to stop