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Summer School ELA Skills Review

Total questions: 17

Worksheet time: 1hrs 26mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What does the MAIN IDEA of a story tell the reader?

a)

When to eat lunch

b)

The conflict of the story

c)

What the story is mostly about

d)

The universal truth, moral, or idea the author wants to express

2.

There are several ways to determine if a snake is poisonous or not. First, poisonous snakes usually have triangular shaped heads while nonpoisonous snakes have rounded heads. Second, poisonous snakes have pupils that look like slits. Nonpoisonous snakes have pupils that are rounder. Finally, the snouts of poisonous snakes are sometimes upturned, while nonpoisonous snakes have rounded snouts.


What is the main idea of this paragraph?

a)

Where snakes live

b)

How to tell if a snake is poisonous or not

c)

How poisonous snakes smell

3.

Native Americans dried strips of meat, pounded it into a paste, and then mixed it with fat. Sometimes they added berries and sugar. Then they pressed it into small cakes. They called these cakes pemmican. Pemmican didn't spoil, and it provided lots of energy for people traveling or going hunting. Today explorers still carry and eat this food.


What is this passage mainly about?

a)

who uses pemmican today

b)

what can be put into pemmican

c)

how pemmican is prepared and used

d)

why people eat and store pemmican today

4.

Most people think that gorillas are mean, but actually they are shy. It seems that such a huge animal with very large teeth would be aggressive. Hollywood movies help convey this image of the scary, ferocious gorilla. In fact, gorillas only attack if they are provoked. However, gorillas usually don't have to fight other animals because of their impressive size.


The author believes that:

a)

Gorillas are misunderstood as vicious animals.

b)

Gorillas are mean animals.

c)

Gorillas don't like other animals.

d)

Gorillas communicate well with other animals.

5.

What is a theme?

a)

a story line

b)

the topic/subject

c)

a lesson or moral about life

d)

the time and place of an event

6.
Barry liked playing board games, but he hated losing. He hated losing so much that he would do whatever it took to win, even bending or breaking the rules. He'd steal money from the bank and hide it under the couch cushions. He'd skip spaces while he was moving around the board. He'd shortchange others money that they were owed and argue with them about it. Barry's techniques were effective. He did win most of the games that he played, but the people whom he played with were his friends and family, and it didn't take too long until they caught on to Barry's tricks. They tried to tell Barry to stop cheating. They said that the game wasn't any fun when he cheated, but he didn't listen. He continued with his treacherous style of game play, until nobody would play with him anymore. 
Which statement expresses a main theme of the passage?
a)
Do not judge a book by its cover
b)
Winning isn't everything.
c)
Be thankful for the things that you receive.
d)
Don't sweat the small stuff.
7.
During a baseball game, Tanner tried to tag a player leaving first base. When the umpire called the player out, Tanner immediately informed the umpire that he in fact did not tag the runner. Two weeks later, the very same umpire was at another one of Tanner’s baseball games. Tanner was playing short stop and tagged a runner as they approached third base. When the umpire called the player safe, Tanner didn’t say a word, but the umpire noticed the surprised look on Tanner’s face. “Did you tag the runner?” she asked Tanner. When Tanner told her that he did tag the runner, the umpire changed her decision and called the player out. The coaches and parents were furious, but the umpire stood by her decision.
What is the theme?
a)
You should cheat to win.
b)
Always work hard.
c)
It pays to be honest.
d)
Teamwork is best.
8.
In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to drink, a thirsty Crow found a pitcher with a little water in it. But the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter how he tried, the Crow could not reach the water. The poor thing felt as if he would die of thirst. Then an idea came to him. Picking up some small pebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one by one. With each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last it was near enough so he could drink.
What is the theme?
a)
be persistent
b)
be honest
c)
always share with others
d)
respect your family
9.

An inference is...

a)

Text evidence + what you know

b)

Retelling a text

c)

Making a guess without evidence

d)

Information written directly into the text.

10.
"Mick, as your boss, I must say it has been very interesting working with you," Ms. Penny said.  "However, it seems that our company's needs and your performance style are not well matched.What is Ms. Penny telling Mick?
a)
Ms. Penny would feel bad if Mick quit.
b)
Mick is being fired
c)
Mick is getting a raise.
d)
Ms. Penny really enjoyed working with him. 
11.
Help Wanted: Young person to work at the Yankees ballpark. Some sales experience helpful, but not necessary. Uniform provided. Apply at concession stand on 161st Street in the Bronx.The person who takes this job will probably be-
a)
A major league baseball player.
b)
An usher.
c)
A ticket salesman 
d)
A food vendor
12.

Water from California’s northern mountains is pumped south along a 400-mile canal through the farming communities of the Central Valley. Not only is this canal system an incredible structure, its water fuels the state’s economy. In 2006, these farms produced $31 billion-worth of food and fiber, more than any other state. By contrast, world-wide ticket sales of Hollywood movies totaled only $25 billion that year.


What inference can the reader make from this paragraph?

a)

The author thinks it is more important to eat than go to movies.

b)

Water is a precious resource and shouldn't be wasted on making movies.

c)

The writer thinks moving water to the Central Valley is a good investment.

d)

The movie industry is more important to California than farming.

13.
When we compare and contrast while reading we are looking for?
a)
similarities and differences
b)
wrongs and rights
c)
truth and lies
d)
clues and facts
14.
Tana and Lua like to go hiking. While Lua loved to bring her dog and walk the trail, Tana loved to bike. Both girls really enjoyed finding natural waterfalls to swim in. Tana and Lua also really loved eating fresh fruit along the trails. Tana loved the hike up, while Lua loved the trek back down.
In what ways can you compare the two girls?
a)
Tana and Lua both liked to bring their dogs on the trail.
b)
Tana and Lua both were scared to eat fruit along the trail
c)
Tana loved the hike up, while Lua loved the trek back down.
d)
Tana and Lua both liked finding natural waterfalls to swim in.
15.
Janet and Kylie were best friends, they liked to do everything together. Kylie loved horseback riding and so did Janet. Janet loved swimming, and although Kylie did not know how to swim she loved the water. Janet enjoyed vacationing in tropic areas while Kylie liked arctic zones. In what ways do the two girls contrast?
a)
Kylie loved horseback riding and janet did not.
b)
Kylie loved swimming and so did Janet.
c)
Janet liked vacationing in tropic areas while Kylie liked arctic zones.
d)
Kylie liked to vacation in tropic areas while Janet liked peaceful grasslands.
16.

Poison ivy and poison oak are woody plants that grow in almost any habitat and are very similar in appearance. Both poison oak and poison ivy have berrylike fruit and brown stems. But poison ivy acts more like a vine than a bush and can grow high in trees. The fruit of poison ivy is gray and smooth. On the other hand, poison oak acts more like a bush than a vine. The fruit of poison oak is hairy instead of smooth.


How are poison ivy and poison oak similar?

a)

Both are vines

b)

Both have hairy fruit

c)

Both look exactly alike

d)

Both have berrylike fruit

17.

Poison ivy and poison oak are woody plants that grow in almost any habitat and are very similar in appearance. Both poison oak and poison ivy have berrylike fruit and brown stems. But poison ivy acts more like a vine than a bush and can grow high in trees. The fruit of poison ivy is gray and smooth. On the other hand, poison oak acts more like a bush than a vine. The fruit of poison oak is hairy instead of smooth.


How are poison ivy and poison oak different?

a)

Poison ivy is a woody plant, but poison oak is not.

b)

Poison ivy has smooth fruit, poison oak has hairy fruit.

c)

Poison oak can live in almost any habitat, poison ivy cannot.

d)

Poison oak has a brown stem and poison ivy has a green stem.