Test Prep ELA

A student is writing a report about clouds. Read the information from the source. Clouds are large collections of tiny water droplets or ice crystals. These droplets are so light that they float in the air. Heat from the sun causes the water in oceans, lakes, and rivers to evaporate, or become a gas. As the gas cools, it rises, and the water droplets begin to stick together. Millions of these tiny water droplets create the clouds we see in the sky.

Which subheading would best describe the information from this source?

• How Clouds Form

• Types of Clouds

• How Clouds Move

• Using Clouds to Predict Weather

A student is planning to write a research report about whether video games are good for kids.

Which question would best focus the research so that the student would find information to use in the report?

• Which video games are most popular with young people?

• What are some positive effects of playing video games?

• When is a good time to introduce children to video games?

• How do people begin a career creating video games?

Read the following passage:

Enjoy the Moment

Sam walked barefoot over the warm sand, enjoying the feel of the small grains under his feet. It was very early in the morning. He and his grandmother made their way toward the shore in comfortable silence, each carrying a pole and a tackle box filled with necessary fishing supplies. “I have a good feeling this morning, Sam,” Gran said as her blue eyes twinkled in the young sunlight. “You take this spot, and I’ll walk down a ways. You know I need plenty of elbow room when I’m fishing.” Giving Sam a friendly jab in the side with her arm, Gran continued down the shoreline with her fishing pole and tackle in hand. Sam quickly set up his pole with one of his favorite lures for catching fish. Holding the lure up to the sunlight, he twisted it gently between his thumb and forefinger, watching as the light danced off of its metallic sides. Wow, oh, wow, Sam thought to himself. This is bound to catch a whopper! Satisfied, Sam waded into the surf in his waterproof fishing boots, shuffling his feet through the cool water to avoid stepping on a stingray. Since it would soon be high tide, it didn’t take long until he was standing just below knee-deep in the ocean. With a wellpracticed toss, he sent the lure out into the deeper water beyond the waves and let it float back toward shore a bit. Sam waited a few seconds, giving the line time to sink, then started the slow, rhythmic process of reeling in the line. As he reeled, Sam looked over to the spot Gran had claimed. He smiled when she cast her line out into the ocean. It amazed him that, even when she was having a bad day, Gran could cast her line a good thirty feet farther than Sam could on his best day. During these trips with Gran, Sam’s attention would move from fishing to the beauty of his surroundings. His grandmother often said that the fishing was secondary to the experience. Gazing out into the surf, Sam watched as a school of silver-banded whiting fish cut its way across the waves. Hearing the call of the seagulls and the sounds of the surf, Sam thought he’d have to agree with his best friend, Gran. Suddenly, a sharp tug on the line sent Sam stumbling. Recovering from his near fall, he gave his pole a mighty jerk. With a hoot of excitement, Sam watched as the tip of his pole bent sharply. He listened to the line whirl as it was carried out into deeper water by an unknown foe. Sam was vaguely aware of Gran appearing next to him, calmly coaching him, whispering words of encouragement in his ear. After what seemed like an hour-long battle, Sam saw a ripple in the water. “There it is!” Sam shouted breathlessly.

He slowly walked back toward the shore until he was in ankle-deep water and stared in wonder at the huge redfish on the end of his line. Sam knelt down and gently removed the fish from the line, taking care to hold it under the water as he admired the fish’s size. “Oh, Sammie, your catch is just magnificent!” Gran whispered next to him. “It’s a red drum! It must weigh a good ten pounds! Take a picture with your mind, and send the fish on its way.” Sam took a moment to savor his victory. He felt the weight and power of the fish in his hands and watched it shimmer as the light reflected off its silvery-red scales. “You put up a good fight,” Sam said softly. “Maybe we’ll meet again one day.” He loosened his grip, smiling as the fish darted back into the cover of deeper water. Gran patted Sam on the back. “I don’t know about you, but I worked up an appetite. What do you say to some lunch—my treat?” Sam nodded. He and Gran gathered their gear and headed up the dunes from the shore. As they reached the crest, a girl and her father were making their way toward the water, fishing poles in hand. The girl looked at Sam sympathetically. “No luck today, huh?” she asked. With a quick wink to Gran, Sam smiled at the girl and replied, “Actually, it was one of the

best days of my life!"

Which sentence from the passage supports the idea that Sam is still learning how to fish?

• During these trips with Gran, Sam’s attention would move from fishing to the beauty of his surroundings.

• With a hoot of excitement, Sam watched as the tip of his pole bent sharply.

• Sam was vaguely aware of Gran appearing next to him, calmly coaching him, whispering words of encouragement in his ear.

• Sam knelt down and gently removed the fish from the line, taking care to hold it under the water as he admired the fish's size.

Read the following passage:

Enjoy the Moment

Sam walked barefoot over the warm sand, enjoying the feel of the small grains under his feet. It was very early in the morning. He and his grandmother made their way toward the shore in comfortable silence, each carrying a pole and a tackle box filled with necessary fishing supplies. “I have a good feeling this morning, Sam,” Gran said as her blue eyes twinkled in the young sunlight. “You take this spot, and I’ll walk down a ways. You know I need plenty of elbow room when I’m fishing.” Giving Sam a friendly jab in the side with her arm, Gran continued down the shoreline with her fishing pole and tackle in hand. Sam quickly set up his pole with one of his favorite lures for catching fish. Holding the lure up to the sunlight, he twisted it gently between his thumb and forefinger, watching as the light danced off of its metallic sides. Wow, oh, wow, Sam thought to himself. This is bound to catch a whopper! Satisfied, Sam waded into the surf in his waterproof fishing boots, shuffling his feet through the cool water to avoid stepping on a stingray. Since it would soon be high tide, it didn’t take long until he was standing just below knee-deep in the ocean. With a wellpracticed toss, he sent the lure out into the deeper water beyond the waves and let it float back toward shore a bit. Sam waited a few seconds, giving the line time to sink, then started the slow, rhythmic process of reeling in the line. As he reeled, Sam looked over to the spot Gran had claimed. He smiled when she cast her line out into the ocean. It amazed him that, even when she was having a bad day, Gran could cast her line a good thirty feet farther than Sam could on his best day. During these trips with Gran, Sam’s attention would move from fishing to the beauty of his surroundings. His grandmother often said that the fishing was secondary to the experience. Gazing out into the surf, Sam watched as a school of silver-banded whiting fish cut its way across the waves. Hearing the call of the seagulls and the sounds of the surf, Sam thought he’d have to agree with his best friend, Gran. Suddenly, a sharp tug on the line sent Sam stumbling. Recovering from his near fall, he gave his pole a mighty jerk. With a hoot of excitement, Sam watched as the tip of his pole bent sharply. He listened to the line whirl as it was carried out into deeper water by an unknown foe. Sam was vaguely aware of Gran appearing next to him, calmly coaching him, whispering words of encouragement in his ear. After what seemed like an hour-long battle, Sam saw a ripple in the water. “There it is!” Sam shouted breathlessly.

He slowly walked back toward the shore until he was in ankle-deep water and stared in wonder at the huge redfish on the end of his line. Sam knelt down and gently removed the fish from the line, taking care to hold it under the water as he admired the fish’s size. “Oh, Sammie, your catch is just magnificent!” Gran whispered next to him. “It’s a red drum! It must weigh a good ten pounds! Take a picture with your mind, and send the fish on its way.” Sam took a moment to savor his victory. He felt the weight and power of the fish in his hands and watched it shimmer as the light reflected off its silvery-red scales. “You put up a good fight,” Sam said softly. “Maybe we’ll meet again one day.” He loosened his grip, smiling as the fish darted back into the cover of deeper water. Gran patted Sam on the back. “I don’t know about you, but I worked up an appetite. What do you say to some lunch—my treat?” Sam nodded. He and Gran gathered their gear and headed up the dunes from the shore. As they reached the crest, a girl and her father were making their way toward the water, fishing poles in hand. The girl looked at Sam sympathetically. “No luck today, huh?” she asked. With a quick wink to Gran, Sam smiled at the girl and replied, “Actually, it was one of the

best days of my life!"

Which sentences from the passage best show the special relationship that Sam and Gran have? Choose two answers.

• Giving Sam a friendly jab in the side with her arm, Gran continued down the shoreline with her fishing pole and tackle in hand.

• As he reeled, Sam looked over to the spot Gran had claimed.

• His grandmother often said that the fishing was secondary to the experience

• Hearing the call of the seagulls and the sounds of the surf, Sam thought he’d have to agree with his best friend, Gran.

Read the draft of a student’s essay.

Zookeepers spend their days with animals. They learn what the animals like best and how to care for them. Many of the humans and animals form special relationships. The zookeepers are able to watch the animals grow and change over time. Sometimes, there is also an opportunity to feed and care for baby animals that are born in the zoo. What could be more fun and exciting than that?

Which sentence would provide the best introduction for the paragraph?

• I hope to visit the zoo this summer with my family.

• Animals such as bears and monkeys can be seen in many zoos.

• I think that working at a zoo would be the best type of job.

• There are hundreds of zoos in cities around the world.

A student is writing an opinion paper. Read the draft

I appreciate all four seasons, but fall is my favorite. It is the best time of year. There are many reasons why I enjoy the fall. First of all, chilly fall days are a relief after a long hot summer. It is neither too hot nor too cold. The weather feels comfortable and pleasant. My mom likes to make delicious, warm soups as it gets cold outside. People tend to do more outdoor activities when the temperature starts to drop.

Which sentence from the draft should be removed because it does not support the underlined idea?

• It is neither too hot nor too cold.

• The weather feels comfortable and pleasant.

• My mom likes to make delicious, warm soups as it gets cold outside.

• People tend to do more outdoor activities when the temperature starts to drop.

A student wrote a paragraph explaining the results of a science experiment. Read the paragraph. Today our class completed a science experiment. We were trying to find out whether we could stop apple slices from turning brown. Ms. Thompson gave each team of students pieces of an apple that she had cut.

We put each piece into a small dish. Then, we poured lemon juice, olive oil, water, vinegar, or saltwater over each piece of apple. One piece was left as a control. That means that we did not add anything to one of the dishes with an apple slice. After everything was ready, we took notes about the appearance of each piece of apple. Throughout the day, we came back to check on our experiment and took more notes on any changes we saw. I noticed that the control was the first piece of apple to turn brown. The piece of apple in the lemon juice had changed the least by the end of the day. Ms. Thompson told us that the acid in the lemon juice is what helped keep the apple from turning brown. All of the liquids slowed the browning of the apple slices at least a little because the liquid can protect the fruit from the air. The air reacts with the fruit, causing it to turn brown.

Which sentence provides the best conclusion for the paragraph?

• I liked this science experiment more than if we had read something in our science textbook.

• We needed to clean up the dishes and the rest of our area after the experiment was finished.

• Joey thought the piece of apple in the vinegar turned brown faster than the one in the olive oil.

• Now I know that a good way to keep an apple slice looking fresh longer is to dip it in lemon juice.

Read the sentences.

People visiting Myrtle Beach may want to think before riding the huge Ferris wheel. It soars about 200 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

Which conjunction correctly combines the two sentences?

• People visiting Myrtle Beach may want to think before riding the huge Ferris wheel since it soars about 200 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

• People visiting Myrtle Beach may want to think before riding the huge Ferris wheel even though it soars about 200 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

• People visiting Myrtle Beach may want to think before riding the huge Ferris wheel as long as it soars about 200 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

• People visiting Myrtle Beach may want to think before riding the huge Ferris wheel whenever it soars about 200 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

Suraya is writing a report for class. He needs to correct the punctuation and grammar usage mistakes.

Read the paragraph from the draft and answer the question that follows.

Many countries observe children’s day on June 1. It is the day to honor children. It is the day to protect children. Officially, children’s day is different in many countries. It has been called as a special day since 1950. The united nations (UN), a group of many countries, listed many rights of the child. These are in the document the declaration of the rights of the child. It talks about both the basic needs rights of children around the world. That is why, a child has the right to go to school to build his or her own future.

Which choice best corrects the underlined sentence?

• These are in the document the declaration of the Rights of the child.

• These are in the document The Declaration of the Rights of the Child.

• These are in the document the Declaration of the rights of the Child.

• These are in the document the Declaration of the rights of the Child.

A Monster on the Couch

Ana and her little brother Lucas sat on the living room floor, working on their homework.

“This is uncomfortable,” Lucas complained as he rubbed his back in pain. He stood up and went to sit on the couch. Suddenly, he screamed and jumped up like a frog.

“What’s wrong?” Ana asked.

“There is a bug on the couch!” Lucas cried. “A big, ugly bug.”

“Is it a spider?” she asked, standing up to take a closer look.

“No,” Lucas whimpered. “It has a tail.”

Ana walked to the couch and bent over the spot where Lucas had been. She saw something there that looked like a bug. It was brown and seemed to have its legs curled up against its body. She saw what looked like a tail, too. She took the eraser end of her pencil and poked the creature. When it didn’t move, she poked it again, a little harder this time.

“Is it alive?” Lucas asked in a trembling voice.

“No,” Ana said, smiling. “I think you may have overreacted.”

Slowly, Lucas stepped closer to his sister. There, on the couch, was a brown piece of string that had gotten caught in the cushion.

Lucas and Ana laughed.

The Latin prefix over- means “too much or above.” What does overreacted most likely mean, as it is used in the paragraph?

• Did not react

• Reacted with too much emotion

• Stopped reacting

• Reacted again