Read the following passage:

Usually I enjoyed the daily feeding of the dogs. But not today; I went through the motions dumbly, silently, not paying any attention to the fine bird dogs crowding around me. I cleaned the watering troughs with my usual care, but my heart was not in it.

From this passage, the reader can infer that

Read the following passage:

Home is where the heart is. There’s no place like it. I love my home with a ferocity totally out of proportion to its appearance or location. I love dumb things about it: the hot-water heater, the plastic rack you drain dishes in, the roof over my head, which occasionally leaks.

From this passage, the reader can infer that

2. Read this sentence from the passage:

At three o'clock on the morning of April 20, he stepped into the basket underneath the huge balloon and gave the signal to cast off.

What does the phrase CAST OFF MOST LIKELY MEAN?

Publishing Doctor Zhivago

Boris Pasternak's 1956 novel Doctor Zhivago tells the story of a Russian doctor living at the time of the 1917 Russian Revolution, which led to the establishment of the Soviet Union. Because the book dealt with hardships people faced after the revolution, publishers in the Soviet Union refused to release it, calling it anti-Soviet. Pasternak's solution was to have the book smuggled out of the Soviet Union and published in Europe. Though Soviet authorities tried to prevent it, the book was published in Italy in 1957 and was immediately well received. In 1958, it was translated into English and went on to become one of the most popular novels of the 1950s.

What is the main idea of the passage?

Read the passage and then answer the question.

Pablo Picasso is often considered one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. As a young child, Picasso showed enormous talent for drawing and painting. He entered Barcelona's prestigious School of Fine Arts when he was only fourteen years old—several years younger than the typical students at this well-regarded school. Although Picasso left Barcelona before graduating, the city still inspired him. His experiences there would lead him to break away from traditional ideas about art and create a new style that would change the world of art forever.

What is the meaning of prestigious as used in the passage?

Read the passage and then answer the question.

In 1860, the Pony Express was started. It was created to meet the demand for faster mail service between California and the eastern states. Pony Express riders carried their bags of mail long miles over rugged western trails. During their routes, the riders faced many dangers. For example, many riders told stories about encounters with wild animals and robbers. Despite these dangers, Pony Express riders were known to be very fast. They were able to carry word of Abraham Lincoln's election as president from Nebraska to California in just five days. In less than two years, though, the Pony Express became obsolete. Once the telegraph was invented, there was no need for the Pony Express.

What is the meaning of obsolete as used in the passage?

Saving the Rhinos

Poachers in Africa are killing large numbers of rhinos for their horns. Rhinoceros horns, valued for use in traditional medicines in Vietnam and China, can fetch as much as thirty-six thousand dollars a pound. Officials have tried to protect the rhinos: they have created fenced areas for the animals, patrolled their habitats, and even tried removing their horns. Despite these efforts, the number of rhinos in Africa has been dwindling. One creative solution to the poaching problem is to remove the rhinos from Africa altogether. Ray Dearlove, the founder of the Australian Rhino Project, came up with a plan to relocate eighty rhinos to a safari park outside Adelaide, Australia, where a breeding herd can be established.

What is the main idea of the passage?

The following passage is about the Trans-Siberian Railway, a long railway that crosses Russia. Select the best evidence to support the statement that the train has fewer tourists in the winter than the summer.

A student is writing a research report on the Nobel Peace Prize. Read the draft and answer the question that follows. Which concluding statement best follows from the ideas presented?

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.

We have a small class. ________ are less than 20 students.

My desk is right here and the computers are over ________.

Did you see ________ dog? They couldn't find him.

Select the best evidence to support the statement that the first electric cars had several drawbacks.

It was the sea eagle that called Emily down to the beach. It hovered above the waves, it's broad wings dusty where the land had left its mark, its small eyes that could follow the horizon bright and keen. She hadn't meant to come down onto the beach. She'd meant to sit at the top of the ramp till the other kids had left the street, till she could walk home from school in peace without strangers staring at her, but somehow the bird seemed to urge her to come down.

Which textual evidence best describes Emily's thoughts and feelings?

Rachel went to the bookstore to get a book that was just released. When she got there, she was told the last copy was just sold. Hearing this makes Rachel upset. What evidence from the text supports how she feels?