Grade 8
International School of Arts and Sciences ISAS
English Summer Work
Name: ________________________
A. Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions.
The Incredible Machine
Everyone has a favorite attraction at an amusement park, and I am no
different. However, unlike most people who seem to prefer roller coasters,
my favorite ride is a little more gentle. Every time I go to Coney Island,
Navy Pier, or the Santa Monica Pier, I absolutely have to ride the Ferris
wheel. The Ferris wheel is simple and yet also quite complex. That is,
riding it is easy, but how it works is complicated. A series of carts are
attached to a wheel, which is attached to a rim. That rim rotates
vertically around an axis, and gravity keeps the carts upright. As simple
as the ride seems, only advanced engineers can make safe and fun Ferris
wheels.
What It Lacks in Thrills...
While the Ferris wheel is not as thrilling as a rollercoaster, it is still very
exciting. The fact of being high in the air makes it so much more
entertaining than a lot of rides. I mean, how often do you hang from that
high up in daily life? Nevertheless, I have to admit, I don’t seek Ferris
wheels out because of their excitement. Rather, I find them very relaxing.
At the top of the Ferris wheel, you get beautiful sights of the park. You
also get a sense of calm that you don’t get in the hustle and bustle of the
park below. Additionally, Ferris wheels are also gorgeous to look at when
they are lit up at night. In fact, the original Ferris wheel was designed as
much to be seen as to be ridden.
It Happened at the World’s Fair
The first Ferris wheel was made by and named after George Washington
Gale Ferris, Jr. He designed it for the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. It
was the tallest attraction there, standing 264 feet high. However, visitors
to the fair were impressed by the size of the ride as well as the mechanics
of it. In 1893, anything that was not turned by hand was considered a
sight to see. And the wheel, which was a machine, was truly incredible to
see. Further, as one visitor put it, the wheel was amazing because it
seemed to be missing support. That is, it did not look like it could stand
on its own. And yet it did and even rotated!
They Keep Reaching Higher and Higher
Ferris wheel technology has only improved since then. Most of today’s
Ferris wheels are much larger than that first one. The largest in the
world is the "Singapore Flyer," which stands slightly taller than twice
what Ferris’s did! Today, the Ferris wheel is the most common
amusement park ride. But that does not mean you should take them for
granted. Instead, be thankful for Ferris’ invention. The next time you’re
at an amusement park, don’t just look up at the impressive wheel in the
sky on your way to a newer attraction. Take it for a spin!
1. As used in paragraph 1, the word attraction most nearly means
A. sense
B. park
C. ride
D. vision
2. It can be understood that Coney Island, Navy Pier, and the Santa
Monica Pier are all examples of
A. amusement parks
B. Ferris wheels
C. vacation spots
D. boat docks
3. As used in paragraph 2, which is the best antonym for complex?
A. impressive
B. beautiful
C. exciting
D. simple
4. What does the author like best about Ferris wheels?
A. the impressive engineering and beauty of them
B. the excitement and thrills they guarantee
C. the beautiful sights and relaxation they allow
D. the fact that most amusement parks have one
5. According to the passage, the Ferris wheel was originally designed for
A. Coney Island
B. the world’s fair
C. Disneyworld
D. Singapore
6. This passage was most likely written to
A. describe the author’s favorite amusement park rides
B. explain the original design of Ferris wheels and how they work today
C. describe the history of Ferris wheels and why they are so popular
D. explain the history of Ferris wheels and why the author likes them
7. Using information in the passage, the reader can understand that the
tallest Ferris wheel in the world is
A. under 250 feet tall
B. between 250 and 500 feet tall
C. between 500 and 750 feet tall
D. over 750 feet tall
8. In paragraph 2, the narrator says, "As simple as the ride seems, only
advanced engineers can make safe and fun Ferris wheels." Can you think
of any other machines that seem simple but actually are not? List at
least two and explain why they are not actually simple.
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9. In paragraph 3, the narrator says, "While the Ferris wheel is not as
thrilling as a rollercoaster, it is still very exciting ." Can you think of any
other machines that are not "thrilling" but still "exciting"?
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10. In the final section of the passage, we learn how Ferris wheels "keep
reaching higher and higher." This seems to be a common trend among
the developers of modern technology. What makes us want to continually
strive to create something bigger and better? Is this good? Discuss.
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B. Underline the prepositional phrase and identify if it is used as an
adjective or adverb.
1) They went to the Aquarium to see the sea otters. _______
2) My friend John wore a hat with a button of the Earth saying
"home." ________
3) The baseball catcher moved his hand inside his glove, and the
pitcher saw the signal easily. _______
4) The people in the park are walking. _________
5) The teacher lives in a brand new apartment. __________
6) Rain is frequent in Vancouver. _________
7) The pine needles are falling from the tree. __________
8) The capital of Saskatchewan is Regina. __________
9) The loveliest area to live in Vancouver is near Stanley Park.
___________
10) The height of a rhododendron can reach 15 metres! _________
C. Underline the prepositional phrase.
1. Jason rode his bicycle to the store.
2. At the end of recess, the children ran into the school.
3. I found my baseball lying by the side of the road.
4. When the beater spins around the bowl, the batter raises above the
edge.
5. Our dog and cat sleep together in the corner of the hall.
6. Beneath the bridge is an old boat anchored to a tree along the banks.
7. Your books are on the top of the counter.
8. Jane went to the dance with Mark.
9. From the top of the hill, you can see into the valley.
10. In the end of the movie, Homer asks his lawyer for advice and then,
with great fear, walks toward the judge.
D. Subject-Verb and Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement:
Fill in the blanks with the correct provided.
1. Neither of us ________ able to predict the outcome of today's game.
was
were
2. Macaroni and cheese ________ my favorite dish.
is
are
3. At the foot of the mountain ________ two enormous vineyards, both
owned by the same woman.
was
were
4. A small percentage of the grain _______ ruined by the prolonged rain.
was
were
5. Most parents mistakenly think that mumps _______ been eliminated as
a childhood disease.
has
have
6. Our college should change _______ policy about withdrawals.
its
their
7. Coaches Espinoza and Calhoun coach different sports. Neither
Espinoza nor Calhoun scheduled ________ team for the gym this
afternoon.
her
their
8. No one has offered to let us use _______ home for the department
meeting.
her
their
his or her
9. If I ever find my glasses, I think I'll have ________ replaced.
it
them
10. General Motors will probably recall most of _________ four-wheeldrive vehicles.
its
their
E. Fill in the appropriate pronoun in this pronoun-antecedent
agreement exercise.
1. Since the doctor went to medical school, _____ should know what
treatment you need.
a.) they
b.) she
2. If anyone has an opinion about capital punishment, _____ should state
it.
a.) he
b.) they
3. Because the members of the chemistry class did poorly on the exam,
____ had to take a make-up exam.
a.) they
b.) it
4. Due to the fact that my car is older than other cars, I don't expect ____
to run in the winter.
a.) them
b.) it
5. If people don't like to shop at that store, ____ shouldn't go there.
a.) he
b.) they
6. Any worker can break ____ arm during an accident.
a.) his
b.) their
7. When computers crash, ____ need to be fixed immediately.
a.) it
b.) they
8. A typical shopper doesn't like it when ____ is consistently interrupted
by a salesperson.
a.) she
b.) they are
9. If you need help with your grammar,____ may want to take advantage
of this online writing lab.
a.) they
b.) you
10. Before students take a test, ____ should prepare adequately.
a.) they
b.) he
F. Circle the correct word in each sentence below.
1. Mrs. Khan (lies, lays) an eraser on her desk as soon as she enters the
room.
2. When Kieran saw the beach, he thought he had (lain, laid) his eyes on
paradise.
3. Lester likes to (lie, lay) in his room for about an hour after he wakes
up.
4. The dog (lies, lays) her paws all over the furniture when we go out.
5. This clay pot has (lain, laid) in the underground cave for thousands of
years.
6. Uday, please (lie, lay) down before you faint from exhaustion!
7. The factory will dismiss employees if they (lie, lay) down on the job.
8. The factory will dismiss employees if they (lie, lay) down their tools.
9. When farmers harvest mangoes, they must (lie, lay) mulch so that the
harvest trucks have proper
traction.
10. EMX has (lain, laid) aside its prejudices and will consider all
applicants, regardless of background.
G. In each of the following exercises, circle the word that completes
the sentence correctly.
1) Their dream house (sits/sets) on the hilltop overlooking the ocean.
2) The dog trainer commanded, “(Sit/Set) down. Good boy!”
3) Cassandra (has sat/has set) for the artist who painted her portrait a
number of times.
4) Sandra Day O’Connor was the first female member to (sit/set) on the
Supreme Court.
5) While Tasha’s mother did not require constant care, she did need
someone to (sit/set) with her in the mornings and early evenings.
6) Because the athlete missed practice, he is likely to (sit/set) out during
the next soccer game.
7) Beth remembered (sitting/setting) the teacup on the saucer.
8) Mother scolded her little girl saying, “(Sit/Set) there in time out for five
minutes.
9) The crying child (sat/set) wondering what she did wrong.
10) Thomas (sat/set) on the straight-backed chair even though he was
uncomfortable (sitting/setting) there.
H. Underline or Circle the correct verb
1. Please pull out the rug when I (rise, raise) the table.
2. The accident rate always (rises, raises) on holidays.
3. Challah, or Jewish egg bread, (rises, raises) because it contains yeast.
4. We will lose money unless we (rise, raise) the price.
5. New car prices generally (rise, raise) in the spring.
6. The Smiths protested when we (rose, raised) to leave.
7. I (rose, raised) the mini blinds to let in the light.
8. Our canoe drifted away when the tide (rose, raised).
9. The tree roots have (rose, raised) the sidewalk several inches.
10. Attendance has (raised, risen) this year.
I. Directions: add commas in the appropriate places in these
sentences.
1. After we finished studying for our exams we decided to go downtown
to see a movie.
2. Do you know the difference between simple complex and compound
sentences?
3. Joey just got a new puppy so he spends lots of time mopping up
puddles.
4. My dog Bark sleeps on my bed and my dog Woof sleeps under my
bed.
5. My friend Jen has a big smile lots of friends, and a mean mom.
6. Jonathan who saw a cougar in the playground ran to the principal’s
office.
7. While completing this worksheet a nervous jittery unsure student
stared at this sentence trying to decide if a comma was necessary
between two adjectives.
8. Every year thousands of individuals are diagnosed with cancer.
9. I rang the bell and knocked on the door but no one answered.
10. I sent my mom a bouquet full of daffodils daisies lilies and roses.
J. Directions: Read the following passage and answer the following
questions.
Tools of Persuasion
Persuasion is the art of convincing someone to agree with your point of
view. According to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, there are
three basic tools of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos.
Ethos is a speaker’s way of convincing the audience that she is a credible
source. An audience will consider a speaker credible if she seems
trustworthy, reliable, and sincere. This can be done in many ways. For
example, a speaker can develop ethos by explaining how much
experience or education she has in the field. After all, you would be more
likely to listen to advice about how to take care of your teeth from a
dentist than a firefighter. A speaker can also create ethos by convincing
the audience that she is a good person who has their best interests at
heart. If an audience cannot trust you, you will not be able to persuade
them.
Pathos is a speaker’s way of connecting with an audience’s emotions. For
example, a speaker who is trying to convince an audience to vote for him
might say that he alone can save the country from a terrible war. These
words are intended to fill the audience with fear, thus making them want
to vote for him. Similarly, a charity organization that helps animals
might show an audience pictures of injured dogs and cats. These images
are intended to fill the viewers with pity. If the audience feels bad for the
animals, they will be more likely to donate money.
Logos is the use of facts, information, statistics, or other evidence to
make your argument more convincing. An audience will be more likely to
believe you if you have data to back up your claims. For example, a
commercial for soap might tell you that laboratory tests have shown that
their soap kills all 7,000,000 of the bacteria living on your hands right
now. This piece of information might make you more likely to buy their
brand of soap. Presenting this evidence is much more convincing than
simply saying “our soap is the best!” Use of logos can also increase a
speaker’s ethos; the more facts a speaker includes in his argument, the
more likely you are to think that he is educated and trustworthy.
Although ethos, pathos, and logos all have their strengths, they are often
most effective when they are used together. Indeed, most speakers use a
combination of ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade their audiences. The
next time you listen to a speech, watch a commercial, or listen to a friend
try to convince you to lend him some money, be on the lookout for these
ancient Greek tools of persuasion.
1) As used in paragraph 2, what is the best antonym for credible?
A. unintelligent
B. boring
C. dishonest
D. amazing
2) Amy is trying to convince her mother to buy her a pair of $200 shoes.
She says: “Mom, the shoes I
have are really old and ugly. If I don’t get these new shoes, everyone at
school is going to laugh at
me. I will be so embarrassed that I will want to die.” What form of
persuasion is Amy using here?
A. pathos
B. ethos
C. logos
D. a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos
3) According to the passage, logos can build ethos because
A. an audience is more easily convinced by facts and information than
simple appeals to emotions like pity or fear
B. an audience is more likely to trust a speaker who uses evidence to
support his argument
C. a speaker who overuses pathos might make an audience too
emotional; audiences who are too frightened or too sad are unlikely to be
persuaded
D. a speaker can use misleading or false information to make his
argument seem more convincing
4) Gareth is running for mayor. He tells his audience: “Under our current
mayor, there have been 15,000 new cases of unemployment. If he stays
in office, who knows how many more people will lose their jobs? The
number could go up even higher. When I was the CEO of Magnatech, I
helped to create over 1,000 new jobs. I can do the same thing for this city
if you vote for me.” Which form of persuasion is Gareth using here?
I. pathos
II. logos
III. ethos
A. I only
B. I and II only
C. II and III only
D. I, II, and III
5) According to the passage, the most effective tool of persuasion is
A. ethos, because you cannot persuade an audience that does not trust
you
B. logos, because it can also be used to build ethos
C. a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos
D. pathos, because human beings are most easily persuaded by emotion
6) Imagine you wanted to convince an uninformed person to take a
political position that is the same as yours. What issue would you try to
talk to this person about? How would you include ethos, pathos, and
logos in your persuasion? Make your case below.
Questions
7) Some persuasive programming involves only ethos, some involves only
pathos, and some involves only logos. Which of these single-tactic
persuasion types do you find most effective? Which one are least
effective? Why?
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8) Sometimes ethos, pathos, and logos can be used to make people
believe things that are not entirely true. Can you think of an example?
How can people avoid being tricked by faulty persuasion tactics?
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habitual, intricate, dismally, egotism, simultaneously, monarch, alliance,
monopoly, arrogant, intolerable, pavilion, herald, azure, dynasty, crafty,
dagger, wondrous ambled, delved, curtly, skirting, elude, incredulously,
ashen, sentries.
I. In the space provided, please fill in the blanks with the words
from the word bank.
1) Guards _____________
2) Cleverly escape ________________
3) Happen at the same time _________________
4) Complicated and complex __________________
5) Rudely __________________
6) Soldiers used to carry around ____________ or small knives.
7) The woman was _____________ around the subject as she did not want
to talk about it.
8) The _____________ boy was full of himself, showing a lot of
________________.
9) The tired student _________________ into the class.
10) When something happens over and over again, it becomes
______________.
11) Gloomily or sadly ________________
12) Unbearable ____________________
13) Complete control over business __________________
14) Searched __________________
15) Messenger __________________
16) My face became _________________ with fright.
17) The sky turned to a beautiful ________________ as the sun came out.
18) Walking through the _________________ rainforest, I couldn’t help but
be amazed by the beauty.
19) The _________________ formed to keep the country safe.
20) After the boy’s mom told him what she got him for his birthday,
he looked at her_______________________.
J. Rewrite the following sentences making and necessary changes in
subject-verb agreement.
1) Kevin ran to the grocery store and buys a bag full of candy.
2) I wake up every morning at 5:30 and I ate cereal.
3) The crowd of spectators cheered loudly for their favorite team and
they wear face paint to show off their pride.
4) Celeste looks at herself in the mirror and realized her clothes don’t
match.
5) Ms. Jess corrects all the quizzes and acted like the grades didn’t
bother her, but they did!
6) Mr. David trains for spelling bees. (Past progressive)
7) Dr. Kim writes prescriptions for her patients. (Future progressive)
8) The class wants passing grades on their assessments. (Present
progressive)
K. Read the following short passage and answer the following
questions using complete sentences and paragraphs.
Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home
On the west bank of the Mississippi there is a quaint house with a white
picket fence, preserved as a museum dedicated to its former owner--a
famous writer. It is said that many of the characters and stories from his
novels are based on real-life experiences that he had there as a boy. This
house was the childhood home of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, although
most of you may know him by his penname: Mark Twain.
Sam Clemens was born in November 1835, as the infamous Halley’s
Comet shot through the skies. His family moved to this house in
Hannibal, Missouri when he was 8 years old. The family was so
impoverished that they had to move out of the house for a while, living
above a local drug-store in exchange for his mother’s services as a cook.
They couldn’t afford to move back until after his father died, in 1847. Ten
years later, at age 22, Sam Clemens started to work on a riverboat.
Also a journalist, he adopted the penname “Mark Twain” after a river
term that means two fathoms (12 feet) in depth, meaning “safe water” for
riverboats to pass through. Under this new name, he published many
famous books including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, an antiracist story that is often misinterpreted and criticized for using racial
terms and stereo- types.
Vocabulary
penname: a fake name an author uses to publish his writing.
impoverished: poor, lacking money and goods
stereotypes: a common belief about a specific social group or type of
individual
Essay Questions:
1) Why do you think Mark Twain wanted to use a penname rather
than his real name? Come up with a penname for yourself. Explain
what it means to you and why you chose it.
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2) Imagine growing up with very little money, just like Mark Twain.
How would you handle the situation? Write a short story about the
experiences you might have and the people you might meet along
the way.
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L. Read the following poem and answer the following questions.
Abandoned Farmhouse
BY TED KOOSER
He was a big man, says the size of his shoes
on a pile of broken dishes by the house;
a tall man too, says the length of the bed
in an upstairs room; and a good, God-fearing man,
says the Bible with a broken back
on the floor below the window, dusty with sun;
but not a man for farming, say the fields
cluttered with boulders and the leaky barn.
A woman lived with him, says the bedroom wall
papered with lilacs and the kitchen shelves
covered with oilcloth, and they had a child,
says the sandbox made from a tractor tire.
Money was scarce, say the jars of plum preserves
and canned tomatoes sealed in the cellar hole.
And the winters cold, say the rags in the window frames.
It was lonely here, says the narrow country road.
Something went wrong, says the empty house
in the weed-choked yard. Stones in the fields
say he was not a farmer; the still-sealed jars
in the cellar say she left in a nervous haste.
And the child? Its toys are strewn in the yard
like branches after a storm--a rubber cow,
a rusty tractor with a broken plow,
a doll in overalls. Something went wrong, they say.
1) Ted Kooser has been said to be a poet of ‘the simple’ life; does this
poem reflect this, and if so how? Use examples from the poem in your
response.
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2) The author does not know, nor does he say, who lived in this
farmhouse or what happened. He uses clues from the surroundings and
scene to make guesses as to who lived there. From the clues provided,
who do you think lived there and what do you think caused this family to
leave?
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