Review

2. I saw a special on PBS once on children who were geniuses. These kids could remember complicated strands of numbers and recall words and pictures in correct sequence and quote long passages of poetry. So can I. What does recall mean?

• blurry

• remember

• forgetfulness

• vague

4. She peeked her head in to check on me and said, “I’m going to lie down for a couple of minutes, Melody. Are you okay for a few?”. . . I laughed so hard, I jerked forward in my chair and found myself face down on the floor. Butterscotch went to the closed door and scratched. Mom came to the door, looking groggy. Her hair was all messed up. What does groggy mean?

• sleepy

• grouchy

• hungry

• happy

5. “Well, Melody is, well, you know, really special, ”Dad said hesitantly. “All kids are special,” Mrs. V had replied with authority. “But this one has hidden superpowers. I’d love to help her find them.” “We can’t possibly pay you what this is worth to us,” Dad began. Mrs. V had shrugged and said with a smile, “I’ll appreciate whatever you can give me.” My dad looked sheepish. “Well, thanks. What does sheepish mean?

• tied

• pushed

• bold

• embarrassed

What is the best definition of theme?

• The lesson the author is teaching.

• The message the author is sending.

• A word that summarizes the story.

• The character's main problem.

Layla and her family lived in a large house in a neighborhood full of kids. She made friends easily and Layla would often have friends over to play in her backyard. They’d play “Kick-the-Can” and “Hide and Seek” and run and laugh until dark. Next door lived a grouchy old man named Harry Smith. He would often grumble about Layla’s dog barking or if anyone stepped on his lawn. The kids in the neighborhood referred to Layla’s neighbor as “Scary Harry”. He would often shake his fist and yell at the children through the window to stop making so much noise. One day Layla was feeling guilty for all the names that she and the neighborhood kids called the old man next door. She told her mom about the way she was feeling. Her mom asked her what she was going to do about it? Her mom told her that she would support her in her decision. Layla knew that meant that her mom wanted her to start solving her own problems. After some thought, Layla decided to bake some of her homemade oatmeal and raisin cookies and bring them over to Mr. Smith. Nervously, she rang the doorbell and waited on Mr. Smith’s front steps. When Mr. Smith finally arrived at the door, he couldn’t help but smile at Layla as she handed him the platter of cookies. They became friends of an unlikely sort. “Scary Mr. Harry” was actually a war veteran full of fascinating stories and a great listener. Layla would share her own “war stories” of growing up, and Mr. Smith would give a comforting smile and tell her it would all be o.k.

What is the theme of this passage?

• Always be kind.

• Money makes you happy.

• You shouldn't judge people before you know them.

• Tell the truth.

Read the following passages. Ballet began as a social dance. That means that it started as a way for people to spend time with one another and connect, not perform for an audience. Some of the first ballet dancers were upper-class French people who lived in the 1500s and who danced ballets to entertain themselves and their friends. Salsa is a type of dance that began in New York City in the 1970s. Salsa began as a social dance. Salsa comes from some Cuban dances like the cha-cha and also uses movements from Afro-Caribbean dances. Salsa is danced to Salsa music. According to the texts above, Ballet and Salsa dances are similar because

• they are both danced only by upper class French people.

• they both began as social dances.

• they are both styles of dance that began in the 1500s.

Both passages are set in Nazi Germany era. In what way are the passages similar?

Passage 1

Living in France was nothing like I thought it would be. There were dozens of Jewish children hidden in the monastery west of town, waiting for their families to come to them, but Benjamin and I lived with the Laurent family. Our family sent us there to protect us from the Nazis, and I thought I would hate it, but it wasn’t so bad—I even started to like it, after a while. I missed my parents, but I knew they would come soon and take us home.

Monsieur and Madame Laurent had just one child of their own, Clara, a twelve-year-old girl, just like me. It was a lot of fun having someone to play with that wasn’t as little as Benjamin, but I promised Mama and Papa I would take care of him, so I did.

Passage 2

“Papa,” I whispered as he tightened and knotted the laces on my boots, “please don’t send us to France without you.”

“My dear child,” he said, standing up and kissing the top of my head, “it is for the best.” He picked up our suitcase, which had clothes and one picture of our family inside of it, nothing else; I couldn’t even pack Ayelet, my favorite doll, or my silver Star of David necklace. We took one last look at our home.

“Mama,” I said in the quietest voice I had, hoping she would still hear me.

“Hush, Sarah,” she replied, “and put this on.” She handed me my overcoat, the only one I had left.

I reached out and grabbed my sister’s hand. Esther was thirteen and refused to cry, but her hand was sweating. She squeezed my fingers twice which meant, “I love you.”

Soon, we were on a train speeding through the countryside, on our way to safety, but Papa and Mama had to stay in Germany

• Both describe sending children to France to protect them from Nazi rule.

• Both describe daily life for children hidden from the Nazis in France.

• Both describe what life was like in Nazi Germany for Jewish families.

• Both describe sending women and children to France during Nazi rule.

Poison ivy and poison oak are woody plants that grow in almost any habitat and are very similar in appearance. Both poison oak and poison ivy have berrylike fruit and brown stems. But poison ivy acts more like a vine than a bush and can grow high in trees. The fruit of poison ivy is gray and smooth. On the other hand, poison oak acts more like a bush than a vine. The fruit of poison oak is hairy instead of smooth.

How are poison ivy and poison oak similar?

• Both are vines

• Both have hairy fruit

• Both look exactly alike

• Both have berrylike fruit

Poison ivy and poison oak are woody plants that grow in almost any habitat and are very similar in appearance. Both poison oak and poison ivy have berrylike fruit and brown stems. But poison ivy acts more like a vine than a bush and can grow high in trees. The fruit of poison ivy is gray and smooth. On the other hand, poison oak acts more like a bush than a vine. The fruit of poison oak is hairy instead of smooth.

How are poison ivy and poison oak different?

• Poison ivy is a woody plant, but poison oak is not.

• Poison ivy has smooth fruit, poison oak has hairy fruit.

• Poison oak can live in almost any habitat, poison ivy cannot.

• Poison oak has a brown stem and poison ivy has a green stem.

An obvious exaggeration to make a point or add excitement

• assonance
• repetition
• hyperbole
• onomatopoeia