Everything You Need to Ace English

Read this passage from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Then, answer the question(s).

"Meg, is something troubling you? Are you unhappy at home?" Mr. Jenkins asked.

At last Meg looked at him, pushing at her glasses in a characteristic gesture. "Everything's fine at home."

"I'm glad to hear it. But I know it must be hard on you to have your father away."

Meg eyed the principal warily, and ran her tongue over the barbed line of her braces.

"Have you had any news from him lately?"

Meg was sure it was not only imagination that made her feel that behind Mr. Jenkin's surface concerns was a gleam of avid curiosity. Wouldn't he like to know! she thought. And if I knew anything, he's the last person I'd tell. Well, one of the last.

Mr. Jenkins waited for an answer, but Meg only shrugged.

"Just what was your father's line of business?" Mr. Jenkins asked. "Some kind of scientist, wasn't he?"

"He is a physicist." Meg bared her teeth to reveal two ferocious lines of braces.

Meg, don't think you'd make a better adjustment to life if you faced facts?"

"I do face facts," Meg said. "They're lots easier to ace than people, I can tell you."

"Then why don't you face the facts about your father?"

"You leave my father out of it!" Meg shouted.

Question 1:

From what point of view is this story told?

• first person, told by Meg

• first person, told by Mr. Jenkins

• third person, limited to Meg's thoughts and experiences

• third person, providing the thoughts and experiences of many characters

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.6

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Read this passage from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Then, answer the question(s).

"Meg, is something troubling you? Are you unhappy at home?" Mr. Jenkins asked.

At last Meg looked at him, pushing at her glasses in a characteristic gesture. "Everything's fine at home."

"I'm glad to hear it. But I know it must be hard on you to have your father away."

Meg eyed the principal warily, and ran her tongue over the barbed line of her braces.

"Have you had any news from him lately?"

Meg was sure it was not only imagination that made her feel that behind Mr. Jenkin's surface concerns was a gleam of avid curiosity. Wouldn't he like to know! she thought. And if I knew anything, he's the last person I'd tell. Well, one of the last.

Mr. Jenkins waited for an answer, but Meg only shrugged.

"Just what was your father's line of business?" Mr. Jenkins asked. "Some kind of scientist, wasn't he?"

"He is a physicist." Meg bared her teeth to reveal two ferocious lines of braces.

Meg, don't think you'd make a better adjustment to life if you faced facts?"

"I do face facts," Meg said. "They're lots easier to ace than people, I can tell you."

"Then why don't you face the facts about your father?"

"You leave my father out of it!" Meg shouted.

Question 3:

Which conclusion about Meg is best supported by details in the passage?

• She is usually very happy.

• She is beautiful but vain.

• She is very shy.

• She is awkward but intelligent.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Read this passage from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Then, answer the question(s).

"Meg, is something troubling you? Are you unhappy at home?" Mr. Jenkins asked.

At last Meg looked at him, pushing at her glasses in a characteristic gesture. "Everything's fine at home."

"I'm glad to hear it. But I know it must be hard on you to have your father away."

Meg eyed the principal warily, and ran her tongue over the barbed line of her braces.

"Have you had any news from him lately?"

Meg was sure it was not only imagination that made her feel that behind Mr. Jenkin's surface concerns was a gleam of avid curiosity. Wouldn't he like to know! she thought. And if I knew anything, he's the last person I'd tell. Well, one of the last.

Mr. Jenkins waited for an answer, but Meg only shrugged.

"Just what was your father's line of business?" Mr. Jenkins asked. "Some kind of scientist, wasn't he?"

"He is a physicist." Meg bared her teeth to reveal two ferocious lines of braces.

Meg, don't think you'd make a better adjustment to life if you faced facts?"

"I do face facts," Meg said. "They're lots easier to ace than people, I can tell you."

"Then why don't you face the facts about your father?"

"You leave my father out of it!" Meg shouted.

Question 2:

From the details in the passage, which of these inferences should readers make about Meg?

• She is a very young child.

• She is a preteen or teenager.

• She is a college student.

• She is a middle school teacher.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Read this passage from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Then, answer the question(s).

"Meg, is something troubling you? Are you unhappy at home?" Mr. Jenkins asked.

At last Meg looked at him, pushing at her glasses in a characteristic gesture. "Everything's fine at home."

"I'm glad to hear it. But I know it must be hard on you to have your father away."

Meg eyed the principal warily, and ran her tongue over the barbed line of her braces.

"Have you had any news from him lately?"

Meg was sure it was not only imagination that made her feel that behind Mr. Jenkin's surface concerns was a gleam of avid curiosity. Wouldn't he like to know! she thought. And if I knew anything, he's the last person I'd tell. Well, one of the last.

Mr. Jenkins waited for an answer, but Meg only shrugged.

"Just what was your father's line of business?" Mr. Jenkins asked. "Some kind of scientist, wasn't he?"

"He is a physicist." Meg bared her teeth to reveal two ferocious lines of braces.

Meg, don't think you'd make a better adjustment to life if you faced facts?"

"I do face facts," Meg said. "They're lots easier to ace than people, I can tell you."

"Then why don't you face the facts about your father?"

"You leave my father out of it!" Meg shouted.

Question 4:

What character trait or traits does Mr. Jenkins display most clearly?

• He is simple and naive.

• He is shy but likable.

• He is nosy and persistent.

• He is rather conceited.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Read this passage from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Then, answer the question(s).

"Meg, is something troubling you? Are you unhappy at home?" Mr. Jenkins asked.

At last Meg looked at him, pushing at her glasses in a characteristic gesture. "Everything's fine at home."

"I'm glad to hear it. But I know it must be hard on you to have your father away."

Meg eyed the principal warily, and ran her tongue over the barbed line of her braces.

"Have you had any news from him lately?"

Meg was sure it was not only imagination that made her feel that behind Mr. Jenkin's surface concerns was a gleam of avid curiosity. Wouldn't he like to know! she thought. And if I knew anything, he's the last person I'd tell. Well, one of the last.

Mr. Jenkins waited for an answer, but Meg only shrugged.

"Just what was your father's line of business?" Mr. Jenkins asked. "Some kind of scientist, wasn't he?"

"He is a physicist." Meg bared her teeth to reveal two ferocious lines of braces.

Meg, don't think you'd make a better adjustment to life if you faced facts?"

"I do face facts," Meg said. "They're lots easier to ace than people, I can tell you."

"Then why don't you face the facts about your father?"

"You leave my father out of it!" Meg shouted.

Question 5:

Meg and Mr. Jenkins have different perspectives about the disappearance of Meg's father. Which statement most accurately states the difference?

• Meg views her father's disappearance as a private matter, but Mr. Jenkins thinks he can help her by making her talk about it.

• Meg has given up hope that her father will reappear, but Mr.Jenkins is still hopeful.

• Meg knows where her father is and is not worried, but Mr. Jenkins knows nothing and is deeply concerned.

• Meg knows her father is alive, but Mr. Jenkins is sure Meg's father is dead.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Read this passage from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Then, answer the question(s).

"Meg, is something troubling you? Are you unhappy at home?" Mr. Jenkins asked.

At last Meg looked at him, pushing at her glasses in a characteristic gesture. "Everything's fine at home."

"I'm glad to hear it. But I know it must be hard on you to have your father away."

Meg eyed the principal warily, and ran her tongue over the barbed line of her braces.

"Have you had any news from him lately?"

Meg was sure it was not only imagination that made her feel that behind Mr. Jenkin's surface concerns was a gleam of avid curiosity. Wouldn't he like to know! she thought. And if I knew anything, he's the last person I'd tell. Well, one of the last.

Mr. Jenkins waited for an answer, but Meg only shrugged.

"Just what was your father's line of business?" Mr. Jenkins asked. "Some kind of scientist, wasn't he?"

"He is a physicist." Meg bared her teeth to reveal two ferocious lines of braces.

Meg, don't think you'd make a better adjustment to life if you faced facts?"

"I do face facts," Meg said. "They're lots easier to ace than people, I can tell you."

"Then why don't you face the facts about your father?"

"You leave my father out of it!" Meg shouted.

Question 6:

Which statement most accurately identifies the conflict in the passage?

• Meg and Mr. Jenkins are having a discussion at school.

• Mr. Jenkins wants to discuss Meg's family situation, but Meg does not.

• Meg's father has disappeared.

• Mr. Jenkins wants Meg to face the facts, but Meg is concealing them from him.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

When Lucy Ware Webb was a young girl, she had no idea she would one day end up at the White House. Born in Ohio in 1831, Lucy was two years old when her father died. He had gone to Kentucky to help free slaves.

Lucy was a bright girl. At the age of thirteen, she was already taking college classes. Many years later, she would become the first wife of a U.S. president to have earned a college degree.

In Cincinnati, Lucy met her future husband, Rutherford B. Hayes had a law office there, and after meeting Lucy, he visited the Webb home often. In his diary, he wrote about Lucy. "Her low sweet is very winning ... a heart as true as steel... Intellect she has too ... By George! I am in love with her!" They married in 1852and raised five children.

Like her father, Lucy opposed slavery. When the Civil War started, she supported the war. She visited U.S. Army headquarters often and cared for wounded soldiers. The soldiers nicknamed her "Mother Lucy."

After the war, her husband became governor of Ohio. As the state's first lady, Lucy continued to help those in need, even building a children's home in Columbus.

In 1877, Rutherford B. Hayes was confirmed as the nineteenth president of the United States. Lucy was a well-loved first lady, known for her kindness and intelligence. She even helped save the popular Easter egg event held in Washington. Congress has closed the Capitol Hill grounds because the children were ruining the grass. Lucy moved the event to the White House lawn, where it is still held today.

Question 10:

What basic type of organization does the author use in this passage?

• chronological order

• cause-and-effect order

• compare-and-contrast organization

• problem-and-solution organization

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

Which statement from the passage most clearly states an opinion, not a fact?

• Born in Ohio in 1831, Lucy was two years old when her father died.

• By the time she was thirteen, she was already taking college classes.

• "Her low sweet voice is very winning ... a heart as true as steel."

• The soldiers nicknamed her "Mother Lucy."

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

Which sentence from the passage uses a verb in the passive voice?

• He had gone to Kentucky to help free slaves.

• He had gone to Kentucky to help free slaves.

• After the war, her husband became governor of Ohio

• In 1877, Rutherford B. Hayes was confirmed as the nineteenth president of the United States.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.10

CCSS.RI.8.10

CCSS.RI.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.8.10

Question 13: Think about the narrator's choice of words and images in this passage. Which word best describes the narrator's tone?

Read this opening passage from the story "To Build a Fire" by Jack London. Then, answer the question(s).

Day had broken cold and gray, exceedingly cold and gray, when the man turned aside from the main Yukon* trail and climbed the high earth-bank, where a dim and little-traveled trail led eastard through the fat spruce timberland. It was a steep bank, and he paused for breath at the top, excusing the act ti himself by looking at his watch. It was nine o'clock. There was no sun nor hint of sun, though there was not a cloud in the sky. It was a clear day, and yet there seemed an intangible pall** over the face of things, a subtle gloom that made the day dark, and that was due to the absence of sun, and he knew a few more days must pass before that cheerful orb, due south, would just peep above the skyline and dip immediately from view.

*Yukon: referring to a cold northwestern area of Canada near Alaska

**pall: dark covering

• hopeful

• angry

• grieving

• serious

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4