State ELA Test

The overall message or lesson learned from a literary work (story)

• Theme

• Central Idea

• Meaning

• Thought

Which sentence states a central idea of paragraphs 1 and 2?

• Streams are vital resources for people

• Streams are only found outside of cities

• Streams are different in various landscapes.

• Streams are normal parts of natural settings

Which quotation from paragraph 2 supports the answer to Part A?

• “ . . . when people, buildings, and streets are around.”

• “ . . . flowing under sidewalks. . . .”

• “ . . . meandering past ball fields. . . .”

• “ . . . rippling by shopping centers.”

Read the sentence from paragraph 5. Instead, it hits impervious surfaces like hard pavement and rooftops and has no chance to infiltrate the soil. What is the meaning of the word impervious as it is used in the sentence?

• affected

• cracked

• exposed

• resistant

Which types of texts will you see on the state English test?

• Literary (fiction)

• Informational (Nonfiction)

• Both literary and informational

Read the sentence from paragraph 7. If all this extra water is diverted directly into a stream channel, several important changes will occur. What is the meaning of the word diverted as it is used in the sentence?

• pushed

• sped forward

• brought together

• redirected

The following question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

Part A What is the author’s purpose in this passage?

• to describe to readers the creation of urban and rural streams

• to explain to readers the flooding of streams in rural and urban areas

• to persuade readers that urban and rural streams are important to cities

• to inform readers about the differences between rural and urban streams

Read paragraphs 9–10. How does the author use the diagram to develop an understanding of streams in natural landscapes and urban landscapes? Check all that apply.

• by showing how a stream looks in each setting

• by showing where the water goes in each setting

• by showing the effects of infiltration in urban streams

• by showing how wider channels exist in rural streams

What does "author's purpose" mean?

• The way that a piece of writing is organized. For example chronological order, steps in a processes, problem/solution...

• The events in the story.

• The author's goal for writing.

• Main idea that the authors want to leave the reader with.

Explain the term 'cite textual evidence' in the context of ELA state test preparation.

• Summarizing the main idea of the text

• Providing specific quotes or examples from the text to support analysis or answer

• Ignoring the text and making up information

• Using personal opinions instead of quotes from the text