3. In which sentence did the writer use a simile about meerkats to develop his writing?

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1 Student Name: Teacher: Date: Test: 07 Language Arts Language Arts Exam 3 Assessment Directions: 1) Mark only on the bubble sheet. Do not mark on the test booklet. 2) Be careful to avoid making stray marks, and erase them if you do. 3) Use a number 2 pencil to mark your answers. 4) Choose the one best answer for each of the questions. 5) You will have 60 minutes, consisting of 30 minutes each for two days, to complete this assessment. 6) If you finish early, you may read or work silently at your desk. 7) You must remain silent until I stay, STOP!" 8) Are there any questions? 1. Which edit would correct the sentence below? After going to college Thomas went back to his hometown. A. adding a comma after his B. adding a comma after back C. adding a comma after college D. adding a comma after Thomas 2. Why are the commas used in the sentence below? My dog, a brown mutt, is very friendly. A. to separate a greeting B. to separate items in a series C. to separate added information D. to separate contrasting phrases 3. In which sentence did the writer use a simile about meerkats to develop his writing? A. Meerkats live in large groups called gangs or mobs. B. Members of the mob stick to each other like glue, creating a tight family unit. C. Despite their small size, meerkats have impressive survival skills. D. Meerkats also dig thousands of holes, called bolt holes, for quick escapes from predators.

2 4. Read the paragraph and answer the question. The sun rose high in the sky that morning. Its harsh light was sometimes more than I could bear. We were always close to the desert, close to the drought that would lose us our livelihoods, and close to the native savages Papa would always warn us about. He said they may just come on over and scalp us for sport, so we might want to mind our chores and keep to ourselves. I think he was just trying to scare us, or else just keep us working. His dream was this here cattle ranch out in the wild west in the middle of nowhere. I, however, wanted to see the world. It was about to be a new century, and I didn t want to miss any of it. What genre of writing is this narrative paragraph an example of? A. a myth B. a novel C. historical fiction D. contemporary fiction 5. Read the paragraph and answer the question. The Underground Railroad was a secret organization that helped slaves escape to freedom. Many slaves were able to escape because of the conductors and stationmasters. The northern states were free states, and slaves were free once they arrived in the north. Secret codes and signals were used to identify the conductors and stationmasters. Based on the details, structure, and word choice, what is the author s overall purpose for writing this paragraph? A. to entertain B. to persuade C. to inform D. to describe 6. Read the paragraph and answer the question. The Slim-O-Matic will help you lose pounds and inches from your body in only one month. This amazing machine helps you to exercise correctly. If you buy now, you will also receive an easy video to show you the proper way to exercise. Send $75.99 and begin exercising today. Based on the details, structure, and word choice, what is the author's overall purpose for writing this paragraph? A. to entertain B. to persuade C. to inform D. to describe

3 7. Read the paragraph and answer the question. Leah and her brother Jesse were playing with the water hose outside one day. Jesse was hiding from Leah, so she wouldn t squirt him with the water hose. The back door opened, and Leah pointed the water hose toward the door. It was Mom, and she was soaking wet! Based on the details, structure, and word choice, what is the author s overall purpose for writing this paragraph? A. to inform B. to describe C. to entertain D. to persuade 8. Read the paragraph and answer the question. A Short Walk through the Pyramids and through the World of Art by Phillip Isaacson From Chapter 1 At Giza, a few miles north of Saqqara, sit three great pyramids, each named for the king  or Pharaoh  during whose reign it was built. No other buildings are so well known, yet the first sight of them sitting in their field is breathtaking. When you walk among them, you walk in a place made for giants. They seem too large to have been made by human beings, too perfect to have been formed by nature, and when the sun is overhead, not solid enough to be attached to the sand. In the minutes before sunrise, they are the color of faded roses, and when the last rays of the desert sun touch them, they turn to amber. But whatever the light, their broad proportions, the beauty of the limestone, and the care with which it is fitted into place create three unforgettable works of art. What central idea is the author developing in the paragraph? A. The great pyramids are located in Giza. B. The great pyramids are very large. C. The great pyramids are too perfect to have been formed by nature. D. The great pyramids are three beautiful works of art. 9. Read the paragraph and answer the question. More than any other state, Hawaii is world famous for its beauty and pleasant climate. This is probably why Hawaii, the "Aloha State," is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, and why I would love to visit this state someday. Besides being a great place for tourists, though, Hawaii is also a great place to live and has over one million residents. What would be the BEST title for this paragraph? A. Hawaii: One Million Strong B. The Tourist Trap of the Century C. The Aloha State is Great D. Why Go to Hawaii

4 10. In "The Ant and the Grasshopper", what writing strategy did the author use when he wrote "toiling and moiling"? A. rhyme scheme B. alliteration C. internal rhyme D. onomatopoeia 11. Read the paragraph, and answer the question. The final bell rings. It s the last day of school, and summer has finally come! Students don t have to think about school for at least another 2 1/2 months. That is the way it should always be. Schools should continue using the traditional calendar and not a year-round schedule. There are numerous downsides to year-round schooling. It has no positive effects on education, it adds to costs, and it disrupts the long-awaited summer vacation. What opinion is the writer supporting in the paragraph? A. Schools should continue using the traditional calendar and not a year-round schedule. B. It's the last day of school, and summer has finally come! C. Students don't have to think about school for at least another 2 1/2 months. D. Students should go to school year round. 12. Which word BEST completes the sentence below? Everyone who receives high grades eligible for the scholarship. A. be B. are C. is D. will have

5 13. When the dam broke, the water gushed through the valley. In the sentence above, what type of clause are the underlined words? A. adverb clause B. noun clause C. independent clause D. adjective clause 14. Which word BEST fits into the blank in the sentence below? Your drawing is than mine. A. best B. worst C. good D. better 15. Which of the following is a compound sentence? A. We won the first game we played on Friday. B. We won the first game, but the Tigers won the second game. C. As usual, the Tigers won more games than we did. D. The Tigers and the Rangers are both good teams. 16. Which sentence does NOT use correct subject-verb agreement? A. A big storm is coming toward our town. B. Most people has brought in their pets and secured their outdoor furniture. C. The storm will probably damage homes and businesses. D. The cost and effort of cleaning up will be huge.

6 17. Which sentence uses simple verb tense? A. Tonia said that she had gone to the movies. B. When Harry arrived home, Jennifer had already called. C. Dad never forgets his wallet. D. By next week, I will have finished my project. 18. Read the paragraph below to answer questions 18 and 19. When Martha Jane Cannary was thirteen years-old, her family joined a wagon train traveling from Missouri to Montana. To her, the dangerous journey was an adventure. At stream crossings, she sometimes got on her pony and swam back and forth while the heavy wagons were slowly pulled across. Sometimes, the rushing water swept her downstream, but she always survived. She also learned to shoot, and she helped the men hunt for food. After both of her parents died, Martha Jane was left to look after her five younger brothers and sisters. She was only a teenager. She worked at all kinds of jobs, from washing dishes and cooking to driving a team of oxen. Then she became a scout for the United States Army during conflicts with Native Americans. She told wild, exaggerated tales about her adventures. She became very popular when she began performing in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Her lifestyle and her own tall tales about her life earned her the nickname Calamity Jane. 18. Which would be the BEST resource to find more information on Calamity Jane? A. an encyclopedia entry called "Early Pioneers" B. a map showing Jane's route to Montana C. a history Web site on famous American women D. the autobiography of Calamity Jane 19. Which type of video resource would provide the most accurate information about Calamity Jane? A. a textbook entry about wagon trains B. a newspaper article about Calamity Jane C. a voice recording of a descendant of Calamity Jane D. a documentary about women in the American west

7 20. Which of the following is a simple sentence? A. About 75 percent of the world's fresh water is frozen in glaciers. B. You may talk quietly until the show begins. C. Josh wasn't feeling well; he went home. D. I feel better and look healthier when I exercise regularly. 21. Choose the word that would BEST complete the sentence below. Some of the club members haven't paid dues yet. A. his B. her C. there D. their 22. Which choice BEST completes the sentence below? My dad makes the apple pies in the world! A. great B. greater C. greatest D. most greatest 23. Which word BEST completes the sentence below? The town of Dayton ever since the steel mill opened. A. prospered B. has prospered C. will prosper D. had prospered

8 24. Which of the following sentences has a misplaced modifier? A. He only talks about changing his habits. B. A girl appeared in my dreams that sang like an angel. C. The steak on the grill needs to be cooked longer. D. Before we can leave, the class needs to finish cleaning up. 25. Which of the following is the antecedent for the underlined word? Kayla used a black ink pen to write in her yearbook. A. yearbook B. pen C. in D. Kayla 26. Madison's two dogs competed for the hardboiled egg that bounced across the kitchen floor. In the sentence above, what type of clause is the underlined? A. adverb clause B. noun clause C. adjective clause D. independent clause

9 27. Raise the Driving Age to Eighteen! a student essay by Mary O'Dell Teenagers should not be allowed to drive until they are 18. Only high school graduates should be given a driver s license, and only after successfully completing a driver's education class during their senior year of high school. Right now, 15 year-olds can get a practice permit and try for their license at 16. Eighteen is a better age. At 18, people are more mature and better able to make mature decisions. Not all 18 year-olds are mature, but majority of them are. At least we are more mature than fifteen-year-olds. I know many parents and students are concerned about being inconvenienced, but safety is more important than convenience. I am 18 now, but when I was fifteen, I was not mature enough to drive. I say let's make the roads and highways safer by keeping kids from behind the wheel until they turn 18. Based on the passage above, which of the following BEST states the author's position? A. Teenagers should not be allowed to drive until they are eighteen. B. Graduating from high school demonstrates a high level of responsibility. C. All future drivers should be required to take and pass a driver's education class. D. I learned how to parallel park and how to yield in traffic on the interstate. 28. Which of the following is the best way to write the sentence? A. Ingredients are needed by the person to prepare the meal. B. To prepare this meal, ingredients are needed by the person. C. To prepare this meal, only a few ingredients are needed. D. A person only needs a few ingredients to prepare this meal. Please use the following passage for questions 29 through 31: The World's Fastest Human In the summer of 1919, Quincy and Jesse Owens rested in the shade of an oak tree near the farmhouse where they lived. The cool shade was one of their favorite places to linger during the hot summer days. Quincy, who was the oldest of the eight Owens children, pulled three marbles from his pocket and tossed them on the ground. He drew a circle in the dirt and placed the largest marble in the center. Then, while Quincy began practicing, Jesse climbed up to sit on his favorite branch. A few minutes later their neighbor Sarah joined them. "Hi, guys!' she said. She took two marbles from her pocket and sat next to Quincy.

10 "Hi, Sarah," the boys mumbled. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the tree. Quincy stopped shooting marbles and leaned against the tree's trunk. He closed his eyes and smiled. Sarah said, "We always play marbles. Let's think of something else to do." Jesse jumped to the ground. "I know! I'll race you, Sarah," he said. "I'll race you to the willow tree and back." "You're only six years old!" said Sarah. "Besides that, I'm as fast as the wind. I can even run faster than my cousins, who are fourteen!" "I'll tell you what," Jesse said, continuing as though he hadn't heard her. "If you beat me, I'll give you my kaleidoscope." With that, Sarah quickly jumped up and drew a starting line in the dirt a few yards away. "Quincy," she said, "you can count to three. Come on, Jesse. I can't wait to play with my new kaleidoscope. Let's start running on three." Quincy got up and stood next to the starting line. In a fatherly tone he said, "Jesse, just do your best." Then he began counting, "One...two...THREE!" A cloud of dust rose behind the two children as they took off. Sarah quickly pulled ahead of Jesse. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him, but he didn't even see her. He looked straight ahead at the willow tree and focused on moving his arms and legs in perfect rhythm. Three minutes later, Sarah tagged the willow tree and spun around to complete the return trip. She was startled to see Jesse right behind her. Jesse tagged the tree and dashed past Sarah. He heard Quincy yelling for him to run faster. Seconds later, Jesse crossed the finish line, ahead of Sarah. He had won the race! Quincy danced with excitement. Sarah placed her hands on her knees while she caught her breath. She looked up at Jesse and smiled. "You really run like a pro!" she said. Several years later, Sarah became a student at Missouri State University. She continued to run races as a member of the track team, but she always remembered her race with Jesse. One day, as she walked into a building on campus, she noticed a newspaper stand. The headlines on the newspaper caught her attention: World's Fastest Human: Jesse Owens Wins Four Gold Medals in Berlin Olympics. "That's my Jesse!" she thought fondly. 29. This type of narrative writing is called historical fiction. We can tell this because A. relates a folktale about imaginary people. B. takes place in the United States of America. C. tells a sequence of events involving a famous person. D. has a happy ending for all of the characters.

11 30. The phrase "as fast as the wind" in paragraph 6 is an example of A. a metaphor. B. a simile. C. personification. D. symbolism. 31. This type of writing would most likely be found A. in a sports magazine for young readers. B. on the front page of a newspaper. C. in a magazine about current world events. D. on the editorial page of a newspaper. 32. Why are the commas used in the sentence below? David plays basketball, baseball, and football at his high school. A. to separate a greeting B. to separate an introduction C. to separate items in a series D. to separate contrasting phrases 33. The following sentence is an example of: Out on the porch's sagging floor, leaves got up in a coil and hissed, blindly struck at my knee and missed. A. simile B. metaphor C. irony D. hyperbole