Many lawns are nothing more than boring green carpets of grass that the residents water and mow, but otherwise ignore, creating wasted space as well as wasted resources, including the water used to keep the grass green and the energy used to mow the lawn. Instead, homeowners should put in vegetable gardens because fresh produce is a treat, unlike an empty expanse of turf. In addition, people could plant flowers that are good for bees and hummingbirds. Following these recommendations would result in a far better use of space and resources than all those bland green lawns.

Brianna plans to send the editorial to her city newspaper, but she wants to make it more appealing for her audience.

Based on this purpose, which two changes should Brianna make to most improve the editorial? Select two.

Read the draft of the story. Then, choose the word from each pair that provides the descriptive detail. You will select three.

Each Saturday morning, my sister Olivia and I awaited the verdict on our weekly chores. Olivia dreaded getting assigned the job of scrubbing the bathtub. Not only did she find the task [tedious/ordinary], but she somehow always ended up getting totally [damp/drenched], when she turned on the shower to rinse the tub.

However, last Saturday was different. Although Olivia got stuck with tub duty again, our brother Max had gotten up early to tackle another chore—cleaning our fish aquarium. When Olivia pulled back the shower curtain to get started, the bathtub was full of tropical fish [moving/gliding], around in the temporary home Max had found for them.

Mr. Johnson had a very long carere teaching piano lessons for more than 30 years.

The word carere is misspelled.

What is the correct spelling of carere

Read the paragraph, and then select the pronoun that is incorrect.

Joe is learning to play the trumpet. His older sister, Alison, also plays the trumpet. Alison often helps Joe practice the trumpet. Yesterday, Joe asked Alison to help him learn some new music. Alison was tired, but she agreed to help. Because she was tired, she dropped several sheets of music on the floor. Joe picked it up for Alison. Then, they began practicing the music.

Read the draft of Paul's argument. Choose the words or phrases, in order, that will help readers follow Paul's argument.

Maxwell Middle School requires all students to complete ten hours of community service before they can attend the end-of-the-year trip. _____________________, I believe that in some cases, students should be allowed to go on the school trip even if they have not finished their community service hours. ________________________ several students have done nine hours. Often these students meant to complete their hours but could not because of illness or other events beyond their control. The trip occurs at the end of April. There will still be time for students who have finished nine hours to complete one more hour before the end of the school year. __________________________ I suggest that any student who is only one hour away from meeting the requirement be allowed to go on the trip if he or she schedules a date for making up the missing hour when we get back from the trip.

Read the beginning of Simon's opinion piece.

Select the sentence that best introduces Simon's claim.

____________________ because texting and calling are so fast and easy, taking the time to send a handwritten note may seem unnecessary. It is not. Writing a note and putting it in the mail demonstrates your gratitude. The person receiving the note will recognize your effort and remember it. A written thank-you note is something that everyone appreciates.

Beautiful Invader

1 Imagine yourself taking a walk on a summer day—somewhere in a lazy meadow, near a stream. All along the stream banks and up through the grasses in the meadow, a flowering plant grows from three to ten feet tall. You admire the tiny flowers and their stunning rosy-purple color. You whip out your cell phone and are about to capture a photo when you hear a scolding voice in your head ask: "Why are you about to take a picture of purple loosestrife? It's not something to celebrate. It's an invasive species!"

2 Purple loosestrife isn't native to North America. It is originally from Europe and Asia. In North America, purple loosestrife grows so thickly and spreads so rapidly that it crowds out native grasses and other flowering plants. Furthermore, wildlife that depends on native plants for food and shelter suffer when purple loosestrife moves in. Because purple loosestrife can destroy the natural balance of an environment, some people believe that we should eliminate this flowering invader.

3 Purple loosestrife plants first arrived in the northeastern United States and Canada in the 1800s from Europe. Its seeds were often concealed in soil that ships crossing the Atlantic used as ballast, or weight added to keep a ship stable in the water. Once ashore in North America, the ships dumped the ballast, and the stowaway seeds took root and flourished in their new home. In addition, some immigrants brought purple loosestrife seeds with them. They thought it would be nice to have this familiar plant in their new country to use in flower arrangements and in herbal medicines. They never dreamed that the plant could harm the environment.

4 Today, purple loosestrife grows in almost every U.S. state. A great deal of money and effort has been invested trying to get rid of it. Many states classify the aggressive plant as a noxious, or harmful, weed. In some states, it is illegal to buy, sell, plant, or transport the species. But what makes purple loosestrife a plant "plague"? One problem is the way the plant grows. Each plant produces from 30 to 50 stems on strong stalks. In many regions, these stems bloom from June to September. Each stem is covered with tiny flowers. Each flower forms a seed pod bursting with seeds. A single stalk of purple loosestrife can yield from 100,000 to 300,000 seeds per year. A single plant can produce as many as 2 to 3 million seeds every year.

5 Another issue is how quickly purple loosestrife spreads. Its seeds are small and lightweight. A breeze or the gentle current of a stream is enough to carry purple loosestrife seeds to new territory where it can vanquish native vegetation. Meanwhile, underground, the plant sends out new root stems that grow as much as one foot per year. From every new root stem, new plant stalks emerge—each of which produces new flowers and thousands more seeds.

6 What can be done to stop purple loosestrife? Several remedies have been tried, but each has drawbacks. For example, people have tried simply uprooting purple loosestrife, but usually seeds and bits of root lurk in the soil and the purple loosestrife returns. Certain insects have been introduced that eat purple loose strife's roots and leaves. However, these natural enemies may feed on beneficial native plants as well. Plant-killing chemicals can effectively dispose of purple loosestrife, but they must be used very carefully so that they don't also destroy desirable vegetation.

7 There may not be a perfect solution, but land management agencies are looking for new ways to combat purple loosestrife. One such approach involves getting the public to help do battle against the plant. Some agencies train volunteers to patrol natural areas. They learn to identify purple loosestrife and report on places where it has begun its takeover. Volunteers are encouraged to submit photos of locations where purple loosestrife is growing. Perhaps your impulse to photograph purple loosestrife was a good idea after all! With an army of volunteers in place who can pinpoint areas where purple loosestrife is just starting to invade, environmental agencies hope to be able to respond to the flowering trespassers before they overwhelm native plant life.

8 Can purple loosestrife be removed from an entire continent? Perhaps not, but scientists are optimistic that it can be eradicated in some places and kept from spreading in other places where it cannot be completely eliminated. Laws that ban the selling and transporting of purple loosestrife; further study of its natural enemies; careful use of herbicides; and greater public awareness of how invasive species like purple loosestrife can damage ecosystems will go a long way toward improving the outlook for natural areas across North America.

Which sentence states a central/main idea in the passage?

In the passage above, the author presents the argument that purple loosestrife is harmful.

Which two details support this argument?

Read the passage. Then, choose the phrase that helps the reader determine the meaning of the word notorious.

Although raccoons eat plants, they are also capable hunters and fishers. Raccoons commonly search for food in shallow waters and along the banks of ponds and streams. They will eat almost anything. In cities and suburbs, they often cause problems. Raccoons are notorious for knocking over garbage cans while searching for food scraps. Their tendency to trample and dig up plants in gardens has also contributed to their bad reputation.

Read the passage. Then answer the question.

With great anticipation and pleasure, I joined the crowd that had gathered on the patio to hear Roberto tell another one of his famous tales of far-fetched adventure. His ability to capture the attention of any group has always astounded me.

When he finished and his mesmerized audience of friends and family returned to reality, we cheerfully applauded his feats of superhuman strength and impossible daring, although we knew that there was not the slightest semblance of truth in his fantastic story.

What does semblance mean as it is used in the passage?

Read the passage. Then answer the question.

With great anticipation and pleasure, I joined the crowd that had gathered on the patio to hear Roberto tell another one of his famous tales of far-fetched adventure. His ability to capture the attention of any group has always astounded me.

When he finished and his mesmerized audience of friends and family returned to reality, we cheerfully applauded his feats of superhuman strength and impossible daring, although we knew that there was not the slightest semblance of truth in his fantastic story.

Which context clue best helps the reader determine the meaning of semblance?

Read the paragraph.

I awoke yesterday morning to loud noise and vibrations from every direction: a bird pecking on my window; a neighbor revving his motorcycle engine; and our dog barking at a squirrel in a tree. I searched desperately for something to mitigate these annoyances: placing extra pillows around me; curling up inside my closet; or using headphones to cover my ears.

Choose the word that has the same meaning as mitigate.