Grade 11 ELA Practice Test

The narrator implies that living at the "back of beyond" helps her to connect to the natural world. Which detail from the text best supports this idea?

• A) "But this was no camping trip where you could go home to civilization after a few days of roughing it; this was home. . . ."

• B) "Dad told me the real estate agent had mentioned that coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and even bears roamed these hills."

• C) "Over the next few months, I began to count the passage of time in full moons rather than by the pages of a calendar . . . ."

• D) "Soon, I will have to leave home for college, and I’m a little afraid of the culture shock I’m sure I will feel when I move back to civilization."

What is the author's message about living with nature? Use details from the text to support your answer.

• The author believes living with nature is essential for mental well-being.

• The author thinks living with nature is a waste of time.

• The author feels indifferent about living with nature.

• The author suggests avoiding nature for a better life.

Which statement best expresses the theme of the text?

• Home may be found in an unexpected place.

• Nature is the best educator of young children.

• Turning your back on civilization is the only way to live.

• You must leave your past behind in order to find yourself.

Which sentence from the text best supports your answer in part A?

• A) “When I first saw where we were going to live, I vacillated between feeling terrified and excited.”

• B) “On my first walk around the property, I saw two horned toads, a red-tailed hawk, and some deer tracks.”

• C) “With no street lights timed to turn on at sunset, when night came it was darker than anything I had ever experienced.”

• D) “I’ve been going to school in the valley, but I feel most at home up here with my wild fellow canyon dwellers.”

What does the author communicate to the reader with the use of “vacillated?” Select three options.

• The narrator's emotions were in conflict.

• The narrator had trouble deciding how to feel.

• The narrator was scared and thrilled at the same time.

• The narrator kept changing her mind about the situation.

• The narrator stopped being scared and began to feel happy.

What is most likely the author's intent by mentioning the "Rodeo Drive shopping spree" in the following paragraph?

• to show that the narrator comes from a family that is used to spending money

• to reveal the narrator as someone who is shallow and cares only for nice things

• to contrast the narrator's grand dreams with the sparse life her parents have in mind

• to emphasize the narrator’s nervousness about moving to a place so far removed from civilization

Which sentence from the text best supports your answer in part A?

• On the stone staircase that led to the front door, black lizards interrupted their push-ups to twist their heads and eye us as we passed.

• Our new home consisted of one bedroom, one bathroom, and one big room for everything else.

• Dad told me the real estate agent had mentioned that coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and even bears roamed these hills.

• In the city, or even in the suburbs where I had lived before, you could see only the brightest stars in the sky.

What evidence did scientists find that indicates oil has tainted the Gulf food web?

• Scientists found traces of oil in the tissues of marine animals.

• Scientists discovered oil spills on the surface of the Gulf.

• Scientists observed changes in the behavior of marine life.

• Scientists detected oil in the water samples from the Gulf.

According to the passage, what percentage of the spilled oil has been removed or naturally dissipated from the water?

• 10%

• 25%

• 50%

• 75%

What is the potential impact on animals at the top of the food chain, such as dolphins and tuna, if they consume oil-tainted organisms?

• They may suffer from health issues due to toxins.

• They will thrive and increase in population.

• They will become immune to oil pollution.

• They will migrate to oil-free areas.