re
m
ov
e
-
pl
e
Test Booklet
om
.c
nd
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
m
to
Subject: LA, Grade: 07
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
-s
ig
nu
p
Sa
Student name:
Author: Common Core
District: Common Core Released Tests
Printed: Wednesday June 19, 2013
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
Nate Brodie is the star quarterback of his eighth-grade football team. His heroes are Super Bowl—winning
quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. The quarterback is one of the leaders of a football team who
chooses the strategy for the upcoming play. Read the passage about Nate Brodie’s feelings about football
practice, and then answer the questions that follow.
pl
e
from Million-Dollar Throw
Mike Lupica
Nate loved practice.
ov
e
-
Not everybody on his team did. Hardly anybody on the team loved practice, because more than anything,
football practice was repetition, doing things over and over until you had them right, until you could make the
decisions you had to make in the game—not just the quarterback, but everybody—in the tiny amount of time you
had to make them.
re
m
(3) Coach liked to say, “The biggest myth in the world is the one about dumb football players. That comes from
people who’ve never played this game. Because once that ball is snapped, guys all over the field have about two
seconds, tops, to decide where they’re going and what they have to do. So you’d better be prepared in this game,
’cause it comes at you fast. Dumb football players? No such thing.”
om
m
to
Nate wanted to be the most prepared guy out there. He figured that made him the opposite of Allen Iverson, who
was in one of Nate’s all-time favorite YouTube* clips, the one where he kept saying “practice”—“We’re talkin’
about practice”—over and over as if it were the dirtiest gutter word in the world.
nd
.c
Nate loved putting on his equipment, making sure his pads were just right, loved joking with the guys when they
were stretching to get themselves warmed up. And he knew that the best part of practice, what Coach called their
“team work”—two words, not one—where they’d work on plays until they got them perfect, hadn’t even started
yet.
Sa
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
(6) The great quarterbacks, Nate knew, were the ones who were most prepared. Starting with his man, Brady.
Oh, Nate had read up on all that, on Brady and Peyton Manning, how they loved all their time watching game
film and even being in the weight room with the big guys on their team, the linemen and the linebackers. He
remembered reading somewhere that even before Brady stepped in for Drew Bledsoe the year the Patriots won
that first Super Bowl, Coach Belichick used to say that not only did Brady know all the Patriots’ plays and all
their options, he knew the other team’s plays and options better than anybody because he’d run those plays
against his own defense in practice.
“He was never surprised,” Belichick said about the Tom Brady he knew before everybody else did.
nu
p
Nate wanted to be that kind of quarterback. Nate wanted to put in the work. He knew they had more
plays—there were seventy-five in all—than any other eighth-grade team around. He knew they had a whole
separate offense run from the shotgun formation when no other team in their league did. Nate learned that the
way he learned everything else in Coach’s offense—studying as if for a final exam.
-s
ig
___________________________________
* YouTube: a website on which users can upload, share, and view videos
Page 1
Go On
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
1 What does the author achieve by beginning the
passage with one short sentence?
Nate learned that the way he learned everything
else in Coach’s offense—studying as if for a
final exam.
He identifies the narrator.
He describes the main conflict.
pl
e
What does the sentence show about Nate?
He creates suspense in the plot.
likely compare football players to?
lawyers who have to argue effectively
re
m
the reader to do?
A witness all of the characters’ thoughts
B observe the main character’s innermost feelings
character does
D experience the events as if they are really
to reveal Nate’s knowledge of football plays
to explain Nate’s desire to be a quarterback
happening
7 What is the main message of the passage?
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
to show Nate’s respect for football coaches
om
m
C know what will happen before the main
to introduce Nate’s quarterback role models
Sa
italics?
to
scientists who have to research thoroughly
4 In the last paragraph, why is the word wanted in
to explain that Nate’s feelings are unusual
A
B
C
D
Preparation helps achieve success.
Belief in oneself will overcome any odds.
Teamwork means every player is important.
Practice helps some players more than others.
to emphasize that Nate has changed his mind
to show how strongly Nate feels about football
nu
p
to highlight how Nate differs from most
athletes
-s
ig
Page 2
He wants to prepare thoroughly.
doctors who have to make instant choices
paragraph 6?
A
B
C
D
He learns by reading quickly.
6 What does the point of view of the passage allow
announcers who have to report live news
3 What is the main purpose of the details in
A
B
C
D
He fears his team will fail.
.c
A
B
C
D
He dreads taking tests.
-
2 Based on paragraph 3, who would Coach most
A
B
C
D
ov
e
He highlights an important idea.
nd
A
B
C
D
5 Read this sentence from the last paragraph.
8 What does paragraph 2 reveal about Nate?
A
B
C
D
his goal to be the leader of the team
how different he is from his teammates
how much he admires his teammates
his fear of rejection by the team
Go On
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
9 In paragraph 2, what is the purpose of the dashes?
Nate wanted to be that kind of quarterback. Nate
wanted to put in the work. He knew they had
more plays—there were seventy-five in all—
than any other eighth-grade team around. He
knew they had a whole separate offense run
from the shotgun formation when no other team
in their league did.
to show a shift in tone
to set apart a footnote
to emphasize an important point
pl
e
10 Read this sentence from paragraph 6.
Oh, Nate had read up on all that, on Brady
and Peyton Manning, how they loved all their
time watching game film and even being in the
weight room with the big guys on their team, the
linemen and the linebackers.
Why does the narrator repeat “Nate wanted” and
“He knew” in the sentences?
-
to enclose a comment from the narrator
A to explain that Nate’s team is well trained
B to stress Nate’s commitment to football prac-
ov
e
A
B
C
D
11 Read these sentences from the last paragraph.
tice
C to convince the reader that Nate is a great
A
B
C
D
D to show how anxious Nate is feeling about
football
m
remembered
to
predicted
athlete
om
discussed
re
m
Which word would be the most accurate replacement for the phrase read up on in the sentence?
-s
ig
nu
p
Sa
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
nd
.c
studied
Page 3
Go On
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
Read the passage about flying in a plane without an engine. Then answer the questions that follow.
To Fly Like the Hawk and the Eagle
Iris Whitney
pl
e
(1) “Ready for a nosedive?” Leo asks.
“Sure,” I agree, a bit reluctantly. “Why not?”
(3) “It’s in your hands,” he says glibly. “Just push the joystick forward and get ready!”
ov
e
-
(4) Sitting in a reclined position, my legs stretched out to reach the rudder pedals on the floor in front of me, I
grasp the stick between my legs and thrust it forward. Instinctively, my hand reaches up to brace myself against
the roof of the canopy as, from 2,000 feet up, we plummet, nose down, toward the earth. I shriek with
exhilaration bordering on terror as the ground rushes up at me. Leo laughs.
“You can’t fall out,” he assures me. “You’re harnessed into the cockpit.”
re
m
I pull the joystick toward me, and our little aircraft levels out.
(7) “Like a roller-coaster ride,” I say, after catching my breath. Then composing myself, I do it all over again.
to
(8) This is my first glider ride. Soaring, it’s called, the sport of flight in a sailplane (a plane with no engine). It’s
regarded by some as the ultimate sport. My pilot is Italian-born mechanical engineer Leo Benetti-Longhini, a
certified glider flight instructor.
om
.c
m
(9) To fly like the hawk and the eagle has been something humans have dreamed of since the time of the ancient
Greeks. And for Leo, and other adventure-seekers like him, soaring through the skies in an aircraft powered only
by the invisible forces of nature comes as close as one can get to realizing that dream.
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
nd
“Even as a child,” Leo recalls, “I was fascinated with what went on in the sky and knew I wanted to fly someday.
But though it’s possible to solo at 14 and get certified at 16, it wasn’t until I came to this country to earn a
university degree that I took up the sport. And now I’m in the air every chance I get.”
Sa
(11) With Leo sitting tandem behind me (we have duplicate control panels and instruments), we make a big
circle in the sky. We fly slightly downward to maintain enough speed for our plane’s long slender wings to
generate a lifting force, to keep us out of what Leo calls a “stall.” Because gravity is slowly pulling us toward the
earth, we search for a thermal. We need to recover some of the altitude that I squandered for the thrill of the
“roller-coaster” ride. We watch a hawk to our left, knowing that he, too, relies on rising air currents to soar aloft.
-s
ig
nu
p
(12) Thermals are responsible for those unsettling moments of bumpiness or “turbulence” we sometimes
experience when flying in a regular airplane. But, to the glider pilot, thermals are precious currents of rising
warm air that make it possible for a plane with no engine to sustain flight. Only experienced pilots know how to
find thermals and make a sailplane rise quickly within them.
Page 4
Go On
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
om
.c
nd
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
m
to
re
m
ov
e
-
pl
e
“It takes all my wits and senses,” Leo confides, “to stay in touch with the elements of nature. Even subtle
changes in the atmosphere can present challenges.”
Sa
(14) Our senses tell us when we enter a thermal, for it feels much like an elevator as it begins its lift. With the
body of our plane banked at a slight angle, our wings slicing gracefully through the sky, we seem to defy gravity.
We watch the unbroken horizon go round and round as we spiral up, at perhaps 5 to 10 feet per second. All the
while the variometer whistles its merry tune to reassure us that we are indeed rising until the altimeter registers a
gain of 1,000 feet.
(15) “Today, unless we’re lucky enough to find some stronger updrafts,” Leo says, “we won’t be able to exceed
our initial altitude of 2,000 feet.” (That’s where we broke loose from the small powered plane that towed us into
the sky to begin our “free flight.”)
-s
ig
nu
p
(16) We relax and survey the earth below. I’m enjoying the breathtaking view of lakes, trees, highways, and
pasture land while Leo looks for “collectors” of warm air. The sun warms the earth unevenly, and some surfaces,
such as dark plowed fields, rocky terrain, blacktop highways, parking lots, and runways absorb more heat than
wooded areas or lakes. It’s places like these where “bubbles” of warm air collect. As warm air expands, it
becomes less dense and more buoyant than the cool air around it. The “bubbles” swell until they break loose
from the earth and rise like hot-air balloons.
“Watch for clouds,” Leo tells me. “A good sign of thermal activity.”
“Makes sense,” I say, remembering that when warm air rises into the upper atmosphere, it meets with cold air
and condenses to form clouds.
Page 5
Go On
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
(19) “Flying inside a cloud is risky,” Leo says. “But flying under it takes advantage of rising air currents. When
flying cross-country,” he continues, “I look for low-level cumulus clouds. They have a way of lining themselves
up into what glider pilots call ‘cloud streets.’ I can stay in the air a long time flying in a ‘cloud street.’ Like
surfing,” he says, “except that I surf from cloud to cloud instead of from wave to wave.”
om
.c
nd
Sa
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
m
to
re
m
ov
e
-
pl
e
Leo knows all about cross-country flying, having set a world endurance record (and three U.S. records) for a
sustained flight of eight and one-half hours. This was accomplished in southeastern Texas where weather
conditions are favorable for soaring.
-s
ig
nu
p
“I avoid flying over lakes,” he explains as a sizable body of water comes into view. “Since water heats more
slowly than land, the air above it can sink, causing what pilots call ‘holes’ in the sky. Our plane would drop,
maybe even take a plunge in the lake,” he adds with a chuckle. I agree that it’s not a good day to take a swim.
When our lift goes “soft,” we decide to go in. Sailplanes don’t require an airstrip and can land on virtually any
open field. And Leo, like all trained glider pilots, flies within range of a safe landing field at all times. But the
paved runway from which we were towed aloft is within easy reach, and, all too soon, we begin our final glide.
Page 6
Go On
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
Landing a sailplane can be tricky, and since it has no engine, the pilot gets only one shot at it. Leo maintains the
proper speed, critical to a successful landing, by deploying the flaps and speed-brakes from the wing surfaces. It
takes a lot of skill, and nerve, to approach the landing spot at speed. But as velocity decreases, the controls cease
to function effectively.
pl
e
“Since I can’t very well pull up and start all over (we’d never get airborne again without a towplane), I have to
get it right the first time,” he says.
He lets down the craft’s only landing gear, a retractable wheel mounted below the cockpit. We touch down,
making a perfect one-point landing, and roll to a stop just as our left wing touches the runway.
“You got it!” I say, still a little breathless.
15 According to the passage, what is a good sign of
re
m
12 At what stage of the flight does the passage begin?
ov
e
-
Then I get out of my harness and crawl over the side of the plane. I give Leo a big hug for allowing me to fly like
the hawk and the eagle and I promise him, and myself, that my first glide ride won’t be my last.
thermal activity?
after the flight
13 Which word would best replace glibly in paragraph 3?
lakes
meadows
woods
16 What feature of Leo’s glider helps him train new
pilots?
hesitantly
proudly
sternly
14 Based on paragraphs 8 and 9, why would Leo
most likely consider soaring the “ultimate sport”?
Page 7
It is similar to flying like a bird.
nu
It requires scientific knowledge.
p
It is the most dangerous sport.
-s
ig
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
casually
Sa
A
B
C
D
to
clouds
om
during landing
A
B
C
D
.c
during midflight
nd
at takeoff
m
A
B
C
D
It was a dream of the ancient Greeks.
double control panels
long slender wings
a powered tow plane
a set of retractable wheels
17 According to paragraph 11, what is a “stall”?
A
B
C
D
when the plane rises
when the plane lands
when the plane loses lift
when the plane levels out
Go On
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
18 In paragraph 11, what does the word squandered
23 What is the most likely reason the author wrote
mean?
the passage?
A
B
C
D
A to provide information about a little known
gained quickly
sport
scattered randomly
wasted foolishly
pl
e
lost mistakenly
B to encourage readers to get certified to fly
sailplanes
19 In paragraph 15, what does the term “free flight”
Flying without an engine.
re
m
Flying without a license.
Flying without a parachute.
Flying without any expense.
to
A
B
C
D
ov
e
-
refer to?
C to warn readers of the dangers of soaring
D to compare soaring to flying with an engine
to provide a familiar comparison
to explain where to find air bubbles
nd
to show what bubbles look like
.c
to use a similar sound
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
A
B
C
D
m
“bubbles” to a hot-air balloon?
om
20 In paragraph 16, why does the author compare air
21 In paragraph 19, why does Leo fly in “cloud
Sa
streets”?
to avoid turbulence
to get a clearer view
to avoid cool-air dips
to float on rising currents
nu
p
A
B
C
D
22 Based on the passage, what is the most essential
A
B
C
D
Page 8
teaching ability
a courageous attitude
-s
ig
characteristic of a skilled sailplane pilot?
experience in an ultimate sport
knowledge about the atmosphere
Go On
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
24 Explain the process of flying a sailplane during launching and landing. Use information from the passage
om
.c
nd
-s
ig
nu
p
Sa
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
m
to
re
m
ov
e
-
pl
e
to support your answer.
Page 9
Go On
LA:07
om
.c
nd
-s
ig
nu
p
Sa
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
m
to
re
m
ov
e
-
pl
e
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
Page 10
Go On
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
25 In paragraph 4, what does the word plummet
30 According to paragraph 14, what does the
mean?
altimeter measure?
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
to glide smoothly
to drop sharply
to advance carefully
height
pl
e
to fall slowly
heat
26 What is the main purpose of paragraphs 1 through
speed
time
31 How does a sailplane reach an initial altitude of
2,000 feet?
to explain how to perform a nosedive
27 In paragraph 8, why does the author include “a
“collectors of warm air” refer to?
to explain what a sailplane is
to identify a type of sailplane
to show a contrast to other sailplanes
A
B
C
D
hot air currents that rise
surfaces that absorb heat
air pockets that trap hot air
natural forces that create heat
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
A
B
C
D
It is powered by an engine.
32 According to paragraph 16, what does the phrase
m
plane with no engine” in parentheses next to the
word “sailplane”?
It is towed by a small plane.
to
to describe the author’s background
It uses free flight.
om
to capture the reader’s interest
It uses warm air currents.
re
m
A
B
C
D
.c
to compare two characters
nd
A
B
C
D
ov
e
-
7?
to add a personal comment about sailplanes
28 In paragraph 11, what does the word tandem
Sa
mean?
side by side in separate planes
one above the other in separate planes
p
side by side in the same plane
one in front of the other in the same plane
nu
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
gravity pulling
low clouds forming
-s
ig
29 According to paragraph 12, what is a “thermal”?
temperature falling
warm air rising
Page 11
Go On
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
33 Explain what a pilot needs to know about the “elements of nature” to fly a sailplane. Use information from
om
.c
nd
-s
ig
nu
p
Sa
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
m
to
re
m
ov
e
-
pl
e
the passage to support your answer.
Page 12
Go On
LA:07
om
.c
nd
-s
ig
nu
p
Sa
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
m
to
re
m
ov
e
-
pl
e
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
Page 13
Go On
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
Read the passage about whale vomit. Then answer the questions that follow.
Floating Gold, Dragon Spittle, Whale’s Pearls
re
m
ov
e
-
pl
e
Gail Skroback Hennessey
to
A couple walking along a beach in western South Australia in 2006 spotted something unusual. A huge, solid,
grayish glob was lying in the sand. At first they thought it was a tree stump or a rock, but the crusty, waxy lump
was something much better: whale vomit.
om
m
(2) Think you’d be unhappy to stumble across a big pile of desiccated* whale puke? The couple who found it
was thrilled—not because they’re big vomit fans, but because such a find can actually be quite valuable.
nd
.c
(3) The nicer-sounding name for whale vomit is ambergris. It comes from the French ambre-gris, meaning gray
amber. Specifically, it is vomit from the sperm whale. Ambergris is made of all the things that sperm whales
can’t digest, including the beaks of squid and cuttlefish, a sperm whale’s favorite foods.
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
Being lighter in weight than ocean water, the vomit usually floats along the surface. At first it is smelly, soft, and
black, but after being exposed to the sun and salt water, it loses its foul odor, hardens, and turns a grayish color.
It even takes on a sweet fragrance.
Sa
(5) Nicknamed “floating gold,” ambergris has long been used in the making of perfume—and some of the most
expensive perfumes, at that. That’s because ambergris is used as a fixative, a chemical that absorbs the scents and
helps keep them from changing or evaporating. Today, because it is so rare and expensive, many companies use
synthetic chemicals, instead of ambergris, in their perfumes. But real ambergris still works the best.
nu
p
Back in 1972 when the Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed, the use of ambergris in perfumes was
banned. The Marine Mammal Protection Act placed the whale on the endangered species list, meaning whales,
and what they vomited, were protected. Today, many countries (including the United States, as of 2001) are
allowing the sale and purchase of ambergris, because vomit isn’t a living organism and no whale is harmed in
obtaining the material. Prime collecting areas for ambergris include the shores of China, Japan, Africa, North
and South America, and the Bahamas and other tropical islands.
-s
ig
(7) Ambergris has an interesting and long history. The ancient Chinese thought it was dragon drool, and called it
dragon spittle fragrance. During the Middle Ages, people thought that carrying some ambergris could help
prevent them from getting sick with the Black Death. During the Renaissance, people in Europe actually wore
balls of ambergris around their necks. (Surprisingly, the dried-out vomit jewelry trend didn’t last.)
Page 14
Go On
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
pl
e
Meanwhile, the Arabs supposedly used ambergris as a medical treatment for the heart and brain. Still grosser,
perhaps, was the fact that some people even put ambergris into their food as flavoring. Of course, because
ambergris was rare and expensive, it was mostly wealthier people who used it. King Charles II of England’s
favorite dish was allegedly eggs and ambergris. And some wealthy people were known to bathe in water scented
with the substance, also called whale’s pearls.
As for that couple walking the beach of South Australia who came across the ambergris? Well, it was a 32-pound
wad of the stuff, and it sold for a whopping $750,000.
to get the reader interested in the topic
to highlight the importance of the setting
to help the reader find something valuable
A
B
C
D
ov
e
to introduce the main characters
It is used as money.
It is a metallic substance.
It is valuable.
It is a deep yellow color.
to
A
B
C
D
37 Why is ambergris nicknamed “floating gold”?
re
m
34 What is the purpose of the first paragraph?
38 Why was the ban on the sale and purchase of
m
35 In paragraph 3, why is ambre-gris in italics?
om
* desiccated: dried
-
___________________________________
ambergris lifted in the United States?
It is a definition of a word.
It is a non-English word.
36 In paragraph 5, what does the word synthetic
Sa
mean?
artificial
costly
modern
p
living
Ambergris has been found in more areas.
Sperm whales are increasing their populations.
Sperm whales are eating more food that is
indigestible.
39 Which application of ambergris from ancient
times is still used today?
A
B
C
D
as a bath product
as a food flavoring
as a medical treatment
as a perfume ingredient
-s
ig
nu
A
B
C
D
Ambergris is a nonliving material.
nd
A
B
C
D
It is a French pronunciation.
.c
It is a subtitle of the article.
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
A
B
C
D
Page 15
Go On
Montana 2012 MCCS Grade 7 Reading 2 & 4
LA:07
40 What is the most likely reason the author wrote
the passage?
question.
wad n 1. a small, soft object 2. a rolled-up bit
3. a considerable amount 4. a plug
to describe new uses for ambergris
41 According to the passage, what is most surprising
definition 4
45 Which sentence *best*states the main idea of the
It is unpleasant yet valuable.
re
m
passage?
A “The nicer-sounding name for whale vomit is
It is lighter than ocean water.
ambergris.”
B “Ambergris is made of all the things that sperm
m
42 In paragraph 2, what is the purpose of the dash?
to mark a shift in tone
to show a change in topic
whales can’t digest, including the beaks of
squid and cuttlefish, a sperm whale’s favorite
foods.”
C “Prime collecting areas for ambergris include
to set apart unnecessary information
to emphasize what follows
the shores of China, Japan, Africa, North and
South America, and the Bahamas and other
tropical islands.”
at
w
w
w
.tr
ia
A
B
C
D
definition 3
to
It is from the sperm whale.
definition 2
om
It is expensive but rare.
definition 1
.c
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
-
to entertain readers with descriptions of ambergris
ov
e
to encourage readers to search for ambergris
about ambergris?
Which definition of the word wad is used in the last
paragraph?
pl
e
to tell about the history of ambergris
nd
A
B
C
D
44 Use the dictionary entry below to answer this
43 In paragraph 7, what is the purpose of the
tory.”
Sa
comment inside the parentheses?
D “Ambergris has an interesting and long his-
to include a little known fact
to include a humorous comment
to include a comparison
to include a research source
-s
ig
nu
p
A
B
C
D
Page 16
STOP