WorksheetsUnit 1 Pretest
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 2hrs 40mins
"The sun shining on it made it glisten like a diamond, and a lady who was passing stopped to admire its beauty." What does "glisten like a diamond" mean in the sentence?
Sparkle with light
Shine like a mirror
Appear to be valuable
Attractive to the eyes of people
It was completely lost in the vastness of the mighty waters of which it was only a drop.
sad truth
large size
loud sounds
confusing places
For the following questions, you will use your writing skills. Read the directions and answer the questions.A student is writing a research report on the Nobel Peace Prize. Read the draft and answer the question that follows.
The Nobel Peace Prize is an award in one of the six Nobel Prize categories. It is given to those who have done significant work for peace. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his nonviolent fight against racial prejudice.
Which concluding statement best follows from the ideas presented?
Only five of the six Nobel Prize categories existed when Alfred Nobel set up the awards.
Mahatma Gandhi was never awarded the prize, but members of the Nobel Foundation believe he should have been.
The existence of the prize shows that there are always people such as King who work to make the world a better place.
People still read and listen to the acceptance speech King gave when he received the prize, and they also study his other speeches.
A student is writing an argumentative piece about adopting animals from shelters. Read the draft and answer the question that follows.
People who want pets should adopt them from animal shelters. there are a lot of dogs, cats, and other animals waiting for loving, responsible owners.
Which transition could be used at the beginning of the second sentence to clarify the relationship between the
ideas in the two sentences?
In addition,
This is because
On the other hand,
This shows us that
A student is writing a first-person narrative about a teenage astronaut. Read the introductory paragraph of the
narrative and answer the question that follows.
Being an astronaut is hard on your body. Even though I'm the country's youngest astronaut, my thirteen-year-old body is already starting to get tired of space travel. When I was ten years old, I still had muscles.
Now, the years of weightlessness have made my muscles all but disappear.
Which sentence would best introduce the paragraph?
Without regular exercise, astronauts can lose mass in their bones and muscles.
Somehow, my parents knew when I was a baby that I would one day be an astronaut.
As a top astronaut, I've visited eight planets in three years, and it's really starting to show.
Though I love what I do, no one told me in astronaut training that I would wind up feeling so old so quickly.
These unusual basalt columns are not unique to Ireland. To name a few locations, they can also be found in Iceland and at the famous Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. And recently, one of NASA’s probes has taken magnified images of familiar columns of eerie, black rocks surrounding a volcanic crater on Mars. It’s amazing to think that similar conditions existed on our neighboring planet to form such structures!
What does the word basalt mean in this paragraph?
black volcanic rocks
tall rock columns
hexagonal rocks
sandy pillars
These unusual basalt columns are not unique to Ireland. To name a few locations, they can also be found in Iceland and at the famous Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. And recently, one of NASA’s probes has taken magnified images of familiar columns of eerie, black rocks surrounding a volcanic crater on Mars. It’s amazing to think that similar conditions existed on our neighboring planet to form such structures!
What phrase in the passage provides a clue to the meaning of basalt?
"a road trailing off into the ocean”
“a scorching 840-890 degrees Celsius.”
“magnified images of familiar columns"
"eerie, black rocks surrounding a volcanic crater”
"Recently, scientist Yan Lavallee created special equipment to hold these rocks under intense heat in order to study how they form. His team took similar columns from Iceland and heated them to an incredible 1000 degrees Celsius. To do this, the scientist held the rocks with a huge grip that was able to withstand the high heat and apply pressure to the rocks at the same time.”
What does this sentence most likely emphasize?
High temperatures are dangerous elements in an experiment.
Myths do not include heroes overcoming significant obstacles such as the one described.
Scientists will go to ridiculous lengths to prove a point.
The difficulty of conducting the experiment that proved the rocks were a natural formation.
The adventurers pulled on their backpacks, turned on their headlamps, and entered the cave. Chloe gasped at the scene: giant stalactites cascaded from the top of the cave and ended in needle-sharp points, seeming to reach desperately for their stalagmite counterparts below. An irregular dripping sound—Plop ...plip-plop ...plop—echoed in a space brought alive by water.
What does the word counterparts mean in this paragraph?
rock formations with sharp edges
things that complete each other
fast-moving objects
shallow bodies of water
Read this sentence.
‘“I promise,’ declared Chloe solemnly, but Nicholas was sure he saw a disturbing glint in her eyes—a glint that would haunt his dreams for months.
Which response is the most likely reason the author uses the phrase “disturbing glint in her eyes”?
to add a sense of calm to the situation
to describe Chloe’s overall appearance
to characterize Nicholas as a bad friend
to create a dark, foreboding atmosphere
Read this paragraph.
The distraction of a missing pencil made it impossible even to begin writing, although Louisa was especially eager to write in her journal that day. But this distraction would be easy to eradicate, Louisa thought as she marched toward her little sister Isabella’s room. Problem solving in Louisa’s household generally involved a brief interaction with the resident three-year-old. Isabella delighted in admitting to her wrongdoings—or even announcing them—and poof! the problem would vanish.
Which phrase helps the reader understand the meaning of the word eradicate?
“especially eager
“this distraction”
“involved a brief interaction”
"the problem would vanish”
Read this paragraph.
Barlo—not “Mr. Barlo,” just “Barlo”— owned a house down the street from ours, and the whispers about him in town hissed that no one was meaner, that he complained about everyone in the neighborhood for no apparent reason. My friends and I typically steered clear of the place, assuming that Barlo would chase us off his lawn if we ventured near. He remained shrouded in mystery, probably because he rarely left his house. His curtains slapped shut when we dared to walk past the house, Barlo’s elusive figure disappearing in the shadows.
What do words like whispers, shrouded, and shadows in this paragraph help to establish?
a humorous tone
a point of view
a suspenseful tone
a feeling of hope
What change, if any, is necessary in the underlined portion in the following passage?
Stiring from his bed did not appeal to Sanjay, but he knew he had to investigate.
Sttiring
Stirring
Stiiring
correct as is
What change, if any, is necessary in the underlined portion in the following passage?
He pulled open his bedroom door slowly, but the hallway, lit by numerous nightlights—was completely empty.
but the hallway, lit by numerous nightlights was completely empty.
but the hallway lit by numerous nightlights—was completely empty.
but the hallway—lit by numerous nightlights—was completely empty.
correct as is
What change, if any, is necessary in the underlined portion in the following sentence?
“Did either of you hear anything odd last night?” Sanjay queryed, looking at his father and sister over breakfast.
queryied
queriied
queried
all correct as is
What change, if any, is necessary in the underlined portion in the following sentence?
That night and the next, Sanjay once again heard the eerie murmurs, starting shortly after Sanjay went to bed.
That night and the next Sanjay once again heard the eerie murmurs, starting shortly after Sanjay went to bed.
That night and the next Sanjay once again heard the eerie murmurs starting shortly after Sanjay went to bed.
That night and the next Sanjay once again heard the eerie murmurs, starting shortly after, Sanjay went to bed.
correct as is
What change, if any, is necessary in the underlined portion in the following passage?
On the fourth night he forced himself to go out and investigate.
On the fourth night, he forced himself to go out and investigate.
On the fourth night, he forced himself, to go out and investigate.
On the fourth night he forced himself, to go out and investigate.
correct as is
Read sentence 12-15.
(12)Detective Casey examined every inch of Chef Chaos’s shirt, apron, face, and hands. (13) She found stains that were every color of the rainbow, but no black ones.(14) A few cars ahead, Detective Casey’s eyes widened when she noticed the lovely Lady Macaw, who wore an extraordinary coat covered with blue, yellow, and red feathers. (15) Her hair was lime green and held back with a plastic clip that looked like a bird’s beak.
Akim wants to make the transition from sentence 13 to sentence 14 clearer. Which change to sentence 14 shows the best transition in the action?
A few cars ahead, Detective Casey’s eyes later widened when she noticed the lovely Lady Macaw in a coat of green and red feathers.
After that, a few cars ahead, Detective Casey’s eyes widened when she noticed the lovely Lady Macaw in a coat of green and red feathers.
On the other hand, Detective Casey’s eyes widened a few cars ahead when she noticed the lovely Lady Macaw in a coat of green and red feathers.
Later in her search, Detective Casey’s eyes widened when she noticed the lovely Lady Macaw in a coat of green and red feathers.
Read sentence 1.
(1) The steam locomotive chugged steadily along the tracks and entered a long tunnel, sending the inside of the train into complete darkness.
Akim would like to revise the beginning of the passage to “hook” the reader better. What is the best revision of sentence 1 to capture a reader’s interest?
The steam locomotive chugged steadily along the tracks and entered a long, creepy tunnel, sending the inside of the train into sinister darkness.
The steam locomotive chugged steadily along the tracks and entered a long tunnel, sending the inside of the train into complete darkness—yikes!
As the steam locomotive chugged peacefully along, no one suspected the turmoil that was about to occur when the train entered a long tunnel and became enveloped in complete darkness.
Would you believe that as the steam locomotive chugged steadily along the tracks and entered a long tunnel, the inside of the train was sent into complete darkness?
Read sentence 2-4.
(2) The dining car exited the tunnel and came back out into the sunshine. (3) As soon as it did, there was a blood-curdling scream.(4) “My ruby and emerald bracelet has been stolen!” Ms. Morley shrieked.
What is the most effective way to combine sentences 2, 3, and 4?
As soon as the dining car came back into the sunshine, Ms. Morley shrieked, “My ruby and emerald bracelet has been stolen!”
My ruby and emerald bracelet has been stolen!” Ms. Morley shrieked, and it came back out into the sunshine.
The dining car came back into the sunshine, but Ms. Morley shrieked as soon as it did, “My ruby and emerald bracelet has been stolen!”
The dining car exited the tunnel and came back out into the sunshine as soon as it did, there was a blood-curdling scream.
