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WorksheetsPSSA Prep
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 22mins
Read the sentence from “The First Transcontinental Railroad.”
“The age of the stagecoach and wagons gave way to the era of the ‘iron horse.’ ”
What does the figurative language in the sentence suggest?
Trains moved slower than horses.
Trains replaced horse as the leading form of transportation.
Trains required horse to move them forward.
Trains were stronger than horses since they were made of metal.
Which sentence from “The First Transcontinental Railroad” best explains why the railroad was built?
“The railroad president got ready to hammer in the spike that would finally connect east and west.”
“Still, the crowd cheered, and other important people took their turns.”
“A group of businessmen predicted that a railroad that extended across the West could be quite profitable.”
“Both companies had tremendous difficulty getting their supplies on site.”
Part One
In “The First Transcontinental Railroad,” what is one point that the author makes about the railroad?
The transcontinental railroad was less expensive to create than first estimated.
Supplies needed to build the transcontinental railroad were shipped by steamboat
It took several months to complete the construction of the transcontinental railroad.
The transcontinental railroad was important to the future development of the country
Part Two
What evidence from the passage best supports the answer in Part One? Choose one answer
“In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill that gave the railroad companies special land grants and government bonds to help pay for the job.”
“Even so, the owners of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroad companies had to raise even more money.”
“Although the official date for the opening of the railroad was November 6, 1869, when the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads joined on May 10, 1869, the dream of a transcontinental railroad became a reality.”
“The railroad opened the door to settlers from the East and from other countries eager to make lives for themselves in California and other points in the West.”
Take 60 seconds to write down how you feel about the PSSAs next week. Are you ready? What are you going to do to prepare mentally and physically? How can your teachers help you prepare more?
In “I Saw the Golden Spike,” what does the text box help readers understand?
details of who helped build the railroad
reasons why the railroad was built
personal opinions from the author
background information about the author
Which detail from “I Saw the Golden Spike” supports the author’s point that the driving of the golden spike on May 10, 1869, was a celebrated event?
“They had a grading contract with the Central Pacific and their camp was near Blue Creek.”
“But the two companies had settled on Promontory as the meeting place some days prior to the actual meeting.”
“But the Union Pacific planned to lay their iron as far west as Humboldt Wells, in Nevada, and had most of their grade completed that far west.”
“Then the engineers shook hands and had their pictures taken and each broke a bottle on the pilot of the other’s engine and had their pictures taken again.”
Would you rather take a bath in ice or jello? Why?
Part One
Which sentence contains two main ideas of “The Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad”?
The transcontinental railroad allowed for the development of other railways in New York; the transcontinental railroad carried important goods out of California on its first trip.
The completion of the transcontinental railroad caused cannons to be fired; the transcontinental railroad carried Japanese tea east to Utah.
The completion of the transcontinental railroad caused sledgehammers to be hit; the transcontinental railroad led to people wanting to read more.
The transcontinental railroad allowed for the movement of people in a short amount of time; the transcontinental railroad led to the sharing of ideas between areas.
Part Two
Which details from the passage support the answer in Part One? Choose two answers.
“On May 15, though the road required hundreds of thousands of dollars in patchwork along its length, regular passenger service opened for business.”
“Travelers could make the trip between San Francisco and New York in a week.”
“Books written in San Francisco found homes on New York shelves just one week after their publication.”
“The transcontinental railroad did not long remain the sole venue of travel through America’s center.”
How are the structures of “I Saw the Golden Spike” and “The Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad” different?
One presents events in time order, and the other identifies the effects of an event.
One states a problem and possible solutions, and the other compares two aspects of a topic.
One contrasts several subjects, and the other lists events in the order of importance.
One presents a main idea and supporting details, and the other gives answers to questions.
Which statement best describes the difference in the points of view between “I Saw the Golden Spike” and the other two passages?
“I Saw the Golden Spike” is written from the point of view of a railroad worker who was involved in the events of May 10, 1869, while the other passages are written from the point of view of government officials who attended the events of May 10, 1869.
“I Saw the Golden Spike” is written from the point of view of a mayor who led the events of May 10, 1869, while the other passages are written from the point of view of businesspeople who had given money for the events of May 10, 1869.
“I Saw the Golden Spike” is written from the point of view of a person who observed the events of May 10, 1869, while the other passages are written from the point of view of individuals who researched the events of May 10, 1869.
“I Saw the Golden Spike” is written from the point of view of a photographer who took pictures of the events of May 10, 1869, while the other passages are written from the point of view of reporters who interviewed people about the events of May 10, 1869.
What do all three of the passages suggest about the day of May 10, 1869?
The day was marked by many types of celebrations.
The day was filled with very funny events.
The day was attended by many important people.
The day was recorded for others to hear.
If you had to be a breed of dog, which breed would you be? Why? (ex: yorkie, lab, boxer, pitbull)
Read the sentence.
She found the puppy hiding underneath an enormus piece of furniture.
Which word in the sentence is spelled wrong?
underneath
enormus
piece
furniture
Read the sentences.
1. Lancaster is a great place to pick cherries in June.
2. Lancaster is in south central Pennsylvania.
Choose the best way to combine the information into one sentence.
Lancaster is a great place to pick cherries, which is in south central Pennsylvania, in June.
Lancaster is a great place, which is in south central Pennsylvania, to pick cherries in June.
Lancaster, which is in south central Pennsylvania, is a great place to pick cherries in June.
Lancaster is a great place to pick cherries in June, which is in south central Pennsylvania.
Which sentence uses the underlined word correctly?
The forecast is for rain the entire weak
Dina gave her brother a dollar for bus fair
That site will be perfect for a vegetable garden.
Adam decided to peal the apple before he ate it.
Read the paragraph.
(1) Once people had learned to increase the amount of food they could grow, cities began to fully develop. (2) Somewhere within the region of ancient Mesopotamia the first city arose because people were able to produce more than just enough food. (3) This new ability allowed people time to work at activities other than finding or growing food. (4) When there was extra food for everyone, people could spend their time on art, government, and business.
Which revision should be made to correct the error in punctuation?
Remove the comma after grow in sentence 1.
Add a comma after Mesopotamia in sentence 2
Add a comma after This in sentence 3.
Remove the comma after everyone in sentence 4.
Read the directions on how to get the the park.
First, carefuly cross the street and pass the water tower. Then, walk past the jewelry store and walk one block north. Then, you will pass the area where the Little League baseball team practices. You will see the park next to the Italian restaurant.
carefuly
jewelry
area
restaurant
Fill in the blank.
I will _____ the PSSAs!!!
