8th Grade Practice Test 4

What does Moses symbolize in paragraphs 1–3?

• Contentment

• Fantasy

• Freedom

• Religion

Read the sentence from paragraph 12: "If they were caught, the eleven runaways would be whipped and sold South, but she—she would probably be hanged." Which idea does this detail convey?

• Slavery was legal in the South but illegal in the North.

• The runaways and Harriet Tubman were taking a big risk.

• Slavery was evil and caused massive amounts of suffering.

• The runaways and Harriet Tubman were likely to be caught.

Read the sentence from paragraph 16. The word disheveled comes from Latin roots that mean “to disarrange the hair.” Which word would best replace disheveled in the sentence and convey a similar meaning?

• Disordered

• Disturbed

• Unhappy

• Unknown

Which tone does the author’s word choice in the sentence from paragraph 32 suggest?

• Bitter

• Indifferent

• Disappointed

• Despairing

Read the sentence from paragraph 32. "They fell silent, sullen, suspicious." The word sullen comes from a Latin root that means “by oneself.” Which word would best replace sullen in the sentence and convey a similar meaning?

• Confused

• Gloomy

• Hostile

• Worried

How does Tubman’s attitude toward the state of Maryland change over the course of the selection?

• At first she thinks of Maryland as her home, but later she feels like a stranger there.

• At first she is eager to get away from Maryland, but later she remembers it fondly.

• At first she thinks of Maryland fondly, but later she realizes its disadvantages.

• At first she thinks she will one day return to Maryland, but later she reconsiders.

Which two excerpts from the selection best support the answer to Part A?

• Along the Eastern Shore of Maryland, in Dorchester County, in Caroline County, the masters kept hearing whispers about the man named Moses, who was running off slaves. (paragraph 1)

• She knew moments of doubt when she was half-afraid, and kept looking back over her shoulder, imagining that she heard the sound of pursuit. They would certainly be pursued. . . Eleven thousand dollars’ worth of flesh and bone and muscle that belonged to Maryland planters. (paragraph 12)

• Late in December, 1851, Harriet arrived in St. Catharines, Canada West (now Ontario), with the eleven fugitives. It had taken almost a month to complete this journey; most of the time had been spent getting out of Maryland. (paragraph 53)

• Often she found herself thinking of the beauty of Maryland, the mellowness of the soil, the richness of the plant life there. (paragraph 55)

• When spring came she decided that she would make this small Canadian city her home—as much as any place could be said to be home to a woman who traveled from Canada to the Eastern Shore of Maryland as often as she did. (paragraph 57)

What does Moses symbolize in paragraphs 1–3?

• A leader of a rebellion

• A symbol of peace

• A guide to freedom

• A historical figure

Read the sentence from paragraph 16: "The man who stood in the doorway looked at her coldly, looked with unconcealed astonishment and fear at the eleven disheveled runaways who were standing near her." The word disheveled comes from Latin roots that mean “to disarrange the hair.” Which word would best replace disheveled in the sentence and convey a similar meaning?

• Untidy

• Neat

• Organized

• Polished

Read the sentences from paragraph 21. Once they reached his house in Wilmington, they would be safe. He would see to it that they were. What is the best way to combine these two sentences without changing the original meaning?

• Once they reached his house in Wilmington, he would see to it that they were safe.

• They would be safe once they reached his house in Wilmington, and he would see to it.

• He would see to it that they were safe once they reached his house in Wilmington.

• Once they reached his house in Wilmington, they would be safe, and he would see to it.