Buckle Down Tennessee
TCAP 6 Reading & Language Arts
Lesson 1: Vocabulary
Lesson 2: Main Idea, Theme, and Details
Lesson 3: Making Connections
Unit 2 Reading Critically
Lesson 4: Author’s Purpose
Lesson 5: Literary Elements
Lesson 6: Poetry
Lesson 7: Text Features
Lesson 8: Resources
Unit 3
The Writing Process
Lesson 9: Planning
Lesson 10: Drafting
Lesson 11: Revising
Unit 4
Editing
Lesson 12: Editing Sentences
Lesson 13: Nouns and Pronouns
Lesson 14: Verbs and Agreement
Lesson 15: Punctuation
Lesson 16: Spelling
Tennessee
Go to www.BuckleDown.com to review our complete line of TCAP materials for Grades 3–12
READING & LANGUAGE ARTS • WRITING • MATHEMATICS • SCIENCE
Student Set TN02048S1
P.O. Box 2180
Iowa City, Iowa 52244-2180
Includes: Student Workbook, Form A
Practice Test, Form B Practice Test
PHONE: 800-776-3454
FAX: 877-365-0111
Individual Products:
www.BuckleDown.com
Student Workbook TN02048W1
Form A Practice Test TN02048A1
Form B Practice Test TN02048B1
ISBN 0-7836-5912-1
51599
9 780783 659121
6 READING & LANGUAGE ARTS
Reading Basics
Tennessee TCAP
Do you recognize the image on the
cover? Vinyl records were the most
popular way to listen to music before
the late 1980s, when CDs were
invented. Read in Lesson 3 about the
early years of rock and roll records.
Unit 1
6
Reading &
Language
Arts
TCAP
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction............................................................................................................... 1
Test-Taking Tips.......................................................................................... 3
Part One—Reading
Unit 1 – Reading Basics............................................................................................ 5
Lesson 1: Vocabulary.................................................................................. 6
SPIs: 0601.1.9, 0601.1.14, 0601.1.16, 0601.1.17, 0601.1.19, 0601.1.20,
0601.5.5
Lesson 2: Main Idea, Theme, and Details.............................................. 18
SPIs: 0601.6.1, 0601.6.2, 0601.6.5, 0301.6.6, 0601.8.6
Lesson 3: Making Connections............................................................... 28
SPIs: 0601.5.1, 0601.5.3, 0601.5.6, 0601.5.7, 0601.6.5
Unit 2 – Reading Critically.................................................................................... 37
Lesson 4: Author’s Purpose...................................................................... 38
SPIs: 0601.5.2, 0601.5.4, 0601.8.10
Lesson 5: Literary Elements..................................................................... 46
SPIs: 0601.8.1, 0601.8.2, 0601.8.3, 0601.8.4, 0601.8.5, 0601.8.7
Lesson 6: Poetry......................................................................................... 60
SPIs: 0601.8.7, 0601.8.8, 0601.8.9
Lesson 7: Text Features............................................................................. 71
SPIs: 0601.6.3, 0601.6.4
Lesson 8: Resources................................................................................... 82
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
SPIs: 0601.4.2, 0601.4.3, 0601.4.4, 0601.4.5, 0601.6.6
Part Two—Writing
Unit 3 – The Writing Process................................................................................ 95
Lesson 9: Planning.................................................................................... 96
SPIs: 0601.3.11, 0601.4.1
Lesson 10: Drafting................................................................................. 100
SPIs: 0601.3.1, 0601.3.2, 0601.3.3, 0601.3.5, 0601.3.7, 0601.3.9,
0601.3.10, 0601.3.12, 0601.6.5, 0601.6.7, 0601.6.8
Lesson 11: Revising................................................................................. 109
SPIs: 0601.3.4, 0601.3.6, 0601.3.7, 0601.3.8
Unit 3 TCAP Practice............................................................................. 117
iii
1BDTN06EL01_FM_i-iv.indd 3
8/26/08 3:36:02 PM
Table of Contents
Unit 4 – Editing...................................................................................................... 123
Lesson 12: Editing Sentences................................................................. 124
SPIs: 0601.1.1, 0601.1.3, 0601.1.5, 0601.1.7, 0601.1.8, 0601.1.13
Lesson 13: Nouns and Pronouns........................................................... 139
SPI: 0601.1.1
Lesson 14: Verbs and Agreement.......................................................... 151
SPIs: 0601.1.2, 0601.1.4, 0601.1.11
Lesson 15: Punctuation........................................................................... 162
SPIs: 0601.1.1, 0601.1.6, 0601.1.8, 0601.1.12
Lesson 16: Spelling.................................................................................. 171
SPIs: 0601.1.10, 0601.1.18
To the Teacher:
Tennessee English Language Arts State
Performance Indicator (SPI) codes are listed for
each lesson in the table of contents and for each
page in the shaded gray bars that run across the
tops of the pages in the workbook (see the
example at right). These codes identify the SPIs
covered on a given page.
................................................................................
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
Unit 4 TCAP Practice............................................................................. 178
iv
1BDTN06EL01_FM_i-iv.indd 4
8/26/08 3:36:03 PM
Unit 1 – Reading Basics
SPIs: 0601.1.16, 0601.1.19
Lesson 1: Vocabulary
Legendary . . . Ration . . . Daunted . . . Grudging . . . Insignificant . . .
The English language is made up of hundreds of thousands of words. How will you ever
learn them all? The very thought of trying to learn all those words might leave you
petrified (turned to stone, frozen, unable to act).
Luckily, you don’t have to memorize a dictionary in order to become a good reader. Even
the best readers come across difficult words once in a while. When they do, they have a
few tricks up their sleeves to help them figure out the meanings of those words. If none of
their tricks work, then they go to a dictionary or another resource. In this way, the more
they read, the more their vocabulary grows.
In this lesson, you will learn a few tricks to help you figure out the meanings of unfamiliar
words. If you use these skills—and sometimes a dictionary—in your everyday reading,
you will soon have a gargantuan (extremely large) vocabulary. You’ll also be ready for any
multiple-choice vocabulary questions that come your way.
Little Helpers
What if a little elf always sat on your shoulder while you were reading?
Whenever you came to an unknown word, the elf would whisper hints
about its meaning into your ear.
Well, we won’t try to convince you that elves exist. But we do
want you to believe in little helpers that give you hints about
unknown words. What are these little helpers? Other words.
Getting ready for a sleepover at her cousin’s house,
Olivia packed her new bizaflak. She was amazed that it
could hold not only a ton of clothes, but also a board
game, her favorite pillow, and all her CDs.
You may not know what a bizaflak is, but the other words in the paragraph give you plenty
of hints. You know a bizaflak is something that is packed before a sleepover. You know it
holds clothes and lots of other items. Use these clues to answer the following question.
1. What is a bizaflak?
A.
B.
C.
D.
a type of game
a kind of travel bag
a piece of clothing
a kind of sleeping bag
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
To see how this works, read the following paragraph.
6
1BDTN06EL01_L01_5-17.indd 6
8/26/08 3:36:52 PM
Lesson 1: Vocabulary
SPIs: 0601.1.14, 0601.1.16, 0601.1.19
See how easy it can be? By the way, you won’t find bizaflak in any dictionary. We made
it up.
Using the context means figuring out the meaning of a word by looking at the other
words around it. Following are a few tips for using this important skill.
TIP 1: Look for synonyms.
Synonyms are words with the same or similar meanings. Look for words in the passage
that are synonyms. Read the following sentences, then answer Numbers 2 and 3.
Charlie is quite ambitious. He works hard to do well on his homework.
2. Circle the word or phrase that is a synonym for ambitious.
3. Which words from the sentence tell what ambitious means?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Charlie is
He works hard
do well
his homework
TIP 2: Look for antonyms.
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. The sentence or paragraph in which
the unknown word appears will sometimes give you clues to the opposite meaning of the
word. If you can figure out what a word’s opposite is, then you will be able to make a good
guess about its meaning.
Read the following sentence, then answer Numbers 4 and 5.
Despite Erica’s serious tone, her story about trolls playing Frisbee was quite hilarious.
4. Circle a word in the sentence that is an antonym for hilarious.
5. What does hilarious mean?
A.
B.
C.
D.
scary
interesting
untrue
funny
7
1BDTN06EL01_L01_5-17.indd 7
8/26/08 3:36:52 PM
Unit 1 – Reading Basics
SPIs: 0601.1.20
TIP 3: Use parts of words to figure out the meaning of difficult
words.
Roots are the foundations upon which words are built. The following table lists common
roots you should know, along with some examples of words built using those roots.
Root
Definition
Examples
auto, aut
self
automatic, author
bio
life
biography
graph, gram
write
autograph, grammar
hydra, hydro
water
dehydrate, hydroelectric
micro
small
microscope
sci
know
conscious, science
scope
see
telescope
zo, zoo
animal
zoology
Remember that new words can be created by adding an affix (prefix or suffix) to the
beginning or end of a root word. The following table lists common prefixes you should
know, along with some examples of words using those prefixes.
Definition
Examples
dis-
the opposite of,
the absence of
dislike, discourage
im-
not, into
impatient, implant
in-
the opposite of,
not, into
injustice, inject
mis-
bad, badly,
wrongly, not
mistrust, misadventure
non-
not,
the opposite of
nonworking, nonsense
over-
beyond,
more than
overwork, overjoyed
pre-
before
preheat, prehistoric
un-
the opposite of,
not
unlike, unscientific
under-
less than, not
enough, beneath,
hidden
undercook, undercover
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
Prefix
8
1BDTN06EL01_L01_5-17.indd 8
8/26/08 3:36:53 PM
Lesson 1: Vocabulary
SPIs: 0601.1.20
Remember that new words can also be created by adding a suffix to the end of a root
word. The following table lists common suffixes you should know, along with some
examples of words using those suffixes.
Suffix
Definition
Examples
-ity
having the character or
quality of, being a
certain way
probability, reality
-less
without or lacking
something
cheerless, worthless
-ly
in such a manner, like
or suited to, happening
every so often
partly, earthly, monthly
-ness
the state of being
something
mildness, tenderness
-ology
the study of
zoology, biology
-ous
full of or having
something
marvelous, glamorous
-ion, -sion,
-tion
act of, state of, result of
celebration, tension
Practice Activity
Directions: Complete each of the following by writing the new word and its meaning.
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
Prefix
Root
Suffix
New Word
New Meaning
1. im-
perfect
_________________
_____________________
2. mis-
place
_________________
_____________________
3.
glory
-ous
_________________
_____________________
4.
skill
-ful
_________________
_____________________
5.
rely
-able
_________________
_____________________
6.
friend
-less
_________________
_____________________
7. non-
perish
-able
_________________
_____________________
8. dis-
respect
-ful -ly
_________________
_____________________
9
1BDTN06EL01_L01_5-17.indd 9
8/26/08 3:36:54 PM
Unit 1 – Reading Basics
SPIs: 0601.1.9, 0601.1.15
TIP 4: Don’t be fooled by homophones or homographs.
There are two important kinds of troublesome words: homophones and homographs.
A homophone is one of two or more words that are pronounced alike, but are different in
meaning and spelling. Look at the following examples:
to / too / two by / buy / bye do / due / dew
6. A.
B.
C.
D.
air, ear
not, knot
jump, leap
giant, tiny
7. A.
B.
C.
D.
allowed, aloud
born, bored
stay, leave
plain, fancy
8. A.
B.
C.
D.
narrow, wide
sound, soon
male, mail
famous, known
A homograph is one of two or more words that are spelled alike but are different in
meaning. Sometimes they also have different pronunciations. Words that look and sound
alike but mean different things are also called multi-meaning words. Look at the
following examples:
close (near) / close (shut) dove (dived) / dove (bird)
Directions: Choose the homograph that correctly completes both sentences.
9. Coach Benson praised Kyle for his good _________ on the field.
The bandleader started to _________ the musicians by waving her baton.
A.
B.
C.
D.
performance
direct
conduct
attitude
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
Directions: Choose the pair of words that contains homophones.
10
1BDTN06EL01_L01_5-17.indd 10
8/26/08 3:36:54 PM
Lesson 1: Vocabulary
SPIs: 0601.1.9, 0601.1.15
10. Cheryl hated to _________ her sister, but she had to get Beyoncé’s autograph.
The most famous of the _________ plants is the cactus.
A.
B.
C.
D.
desert
leave
needle
ignore
11. Greg can hold his breath longer than a _________.
There was only a _________ amount of pepper in the soup, but it was really spicy.
A.
B.
C.
D.
dolphin
tiny
delicious
minute
12. Even though they were good friends, Jane and Beth had the occasional ________.
“Hey,” Steve said, “I have concert tickets in the first _________!”
A.
B.
C.
D.
argument
row
show
night
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
13. A small __________ rolled down Aisha’s cheek as she peeled the onion.
Simon decided to __________ up his poem and start over.
A.
B.
C.
D.
drop
tear
crumple
rip
Make sure you always go back to the reading passage to see how a vocabulary word is
used. If it is a homophone or homograph, make sure you choose the meaning that best fits
the context of the sentence in which the word is used.
11
1BDTN06EL01_L01_5-17.indd 11
8/26/08 3:36:55 PM
Unit 1 – Reading Basics
SPIs: 0601.1.16
TIP 5: Plug in each answer choice in place of the unknown
word.
Another way to figure out the answer to a vocabulary question is to insert each choice in
the place of the unknown word. The choice that fits best the context of the passage is most
likely the correct answer.
Try this tip on the following paragraph and
question. (Don’t answer the question yet.)
The knights were indignant. What could
this mere child know about slaying dragons
and saving kingdoms? How dare this
unworthy youngster challenge the best
knights in the land!
14. As it is used in the paragraph, what does
indignant mean?
A.
B.
C.
D.
insulted
joyful
saddened
frightened
A. The knights were insulted. What could this mere child know about slaying
dragons and saving kingdoms? How dare this unworthy youngster challenge the
best knights in the land!
B. The knights were joyful. What could this mere child know about slaying dragons
and saving kingdoms? How dare this unworthy youngster challenge the best
knights in the land!
C. The knights were saddened. What could this mere child know about slaying
dragons and saving kingdoms? How dare this unworthy youngster challenge the
best knights in the land!
D. The knights were frightened. What could this mere child know about slaying
dragons and saving kingdoms? How dare this unworthy youngster challenge the
best knights in the land!
Which answer choice makes the most sense when it is plugged into the paragraph?
Go back to Number 14 and circle the correct answer.
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
Even if you don’t know exactly what indignant means, you can probably figure out the
answer. Substitute each answer choice in place of the word indignant in the passage.
12
1BDTN06EL01_L01_5-17.indd 12
8/26/08 3:36:55 PM
Lesson 1: Vocabulary
SPIs: 0601.5.5
TIP 6: Create a sentence to help you answer analogy questions.
An analogy is a comparison of two things. Analogies are sometimes used to test
vocabulary knowledge. An analogy question asks you to understand the relationship
between two words. Then you must choose another pair of words with the same
relationship. Look at the following pair of words.
15. Limb is to tree as
A.
B.
C.
D.
is to
.
flower is to bee
leaf is to bark
leg is to body
bird is to nest
First, figure out the relationship between the two words in the question. Then make up a
sentence that describes the relationship between the two words.
A limb is part of a tree.
Next, plug each answer choice into your sentence: “A _______ is part of a _______.”
Which answer choice from question 15 works best in your sentence?
Here are some other common types of analogies:
A is bigger than/smaller than B.
Mountain is to hill as ocean is to lake.
A causes B.
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
Hot is to sweat as cold is to shiver.
A happens before/after B.
Summer is to spring as afternoon is to morning.
A is a type of B.
Butterfly is to insect as beagle is to dog.
A is a measure of B.
Mile is to distance as ton is to weight.
13
1BDTN06EL01_L01_5-17.indd 13
8/26/08 3:36:55 PM
Unit 1 – Reading Basics
SPIs: 0601.1.17
TIP 7: If all else fails, look it up!
When you aren’t sure about the meaning of a word, look it up in a dictionary. You may not
remember every word you look up, but over time, you’ll build a powerful vocabulary. (You
won’t be able to use a dictionary on the state test, but use one as you practice.)
Dictionaries can also tell you how a word is pronounced, where it comes from, what part
of speech it is (noun, verb, adverb, and so on). They may also give examples of how a
word is used. A dictionary entry shows each syllable of a word and may list synonyms or
antonyms. Read the following sample dictionary entry to see what kinds of things you can
learn about a word.
kudos (koo' doz'), n. [Gk. kydos, praise] (1831) 1 fame resulting
from an act or achievement; prestige 2 praise given for an act or
achievement: The actor received many kudos for her performance.
More Word Tools
Here are a few more tools to help you in your reading and writing.
glossary – gives meanings of words used in a certain book; often found in textbooks
thesaurus or synonym finder – lists words with similar meanings, giving you alternative word
choices
style manual – explains the rules of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and formatting; often
used for essay-writing
spell-check program – locates spelling errors in electronic documents and makes
suggestions for correcting them; usually part of a word-processing program
14
1BDTN06EL01_L01_5-17.indd 14
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
In addition to giving the definition and pronunciation of kudos, we are told that the word
is a noun, that it comes from a Greek word meaning “praise,” and that it first appeared in
print in English in 1831. The entry also gives an example of the word as it is used in a
sentence.
TCAP Practice begins on the following page.
8/26/08 3:36:56 PM
Directions Read the passage. Then answer Numbers 1 through 6.
The Problem with Hogs
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
by Susan McCarty
Black bears, mountain lions, and white-tailed deer are all native to the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee. But one unwelcome species in the park is
not: the exotic wild hog. Wild hogs invade the park, rooting up delicate grasses, rolling
around in and dirtying the streams that run through the park. They trample, they crush,
they destroy. Wild hogs are dangerous to the park because they are not a natural part of
the local wildlife. So how did they get there?
Wild boars were brought over from Europe on ships in 1912. They were supposed to
be hunted on a game preserve. But the hogs escaped and ran into the mountains. They
bred with domestic pigs. The resulting wild hog breed was tough and well-suited to its
new home. Unfortunately, the area was not ready to handle the hogs.
The first problem with hogs is that they can eat almost anything. And they do.
According to journalist Ian Frazier, they eat plants and garbage. They root for food. This
digging causes soil to loosen and wash away in the rain. While they root up food to eat,
they also root up roads, bridges, and pathways. They eat birds’ eggs. They eat salamanders,
voles, and shrews. They roll in streams and kill the fish. They injure larger animals with
their tusks. In short, they are big trouble.
So how do you fix big trouble? It’s not as easy as you might think. That’s the second
problem with hogs: they’re really smart. Most scientists agree that they are at least as smart
as dogs. Many scientists and animal workers think that hogs are smarter. Frazier reports
that catching a wild hog in a trap can take up to 29 hours. Also, when hogs are hunted,
they hide and become nocturnal. Hunters are then unable to find them during the day.
This makes it hard for hog-control officers to remove hogs from the park.
The third problem with hogs is that they are everywhere. Tennessee isn’t alone with
this hog menace. As of 2005, wild hogs had infested 31 states. The hogs can thrive almost
anywhere. This will make wild hogs a bigger and bigger problem as their populations
grow.
Go On
TCAP Practice Page 15
1BDTN06EL01_L01_5-17.indd 15
8/26/08 3:36:56 PM
1 Read this sentence from the passage.
lack bears, mountain lions, and white-tailed deer are all native to the
B
Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee.
The word native could best be replaced by
A false
B natural
C expected
D necessary
2 Read the sentence from the passage.
They were supposed to be hunted on a game preserve.
Which word means about the same as preserve in this sentence?
protect
G jam
H park
J shelter
3 Which two words from the passage are antonyms?
A smart, trouble
B hunted, infested
C easy, hard
D trample, crush
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
F
Page 16 TCAP Practice
1BDTN06EL01_L01_5-17.indd 16
8/26/08 3:36:56 PM
4 In the fourth paragraph of the passage, the word nocturnal means
active at night
G unable to eat
H difficult to catch
J without any fear
F
5 Which word from the passage uses a prefix?
A everywhere
B unable
C problem
D trouble
6 Which two words from the passage are homonyms?
F birds, fish
G first, second
H rooting, digging
© 2009 Buckle Down Publishing. COPYING IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW.
J
there, they’re
STOP TCAP Practice Page 17
1BDTN06EL01_L01_5-17.indd 17
8/26/08 3:36:56 PM