Table of Contents
Pretest: Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Pretest: English/Language Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Coached Test: Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Coached Test: English/Language Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Posttest: Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Posttest: English/Language Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
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READING
Read the passage below, and then answer the questions that follow.
Hard as Rock: The Story of Fossils
by Mischa Fallow
Imagine you’re out hiking—and then you spot it. There, tucked away in the crack of
a rock, is an outline of a creature long since gone. You realize you’ve found something
special—a fossil.
Introducing Fossils
What exactly is a fossil? A fossil is the trace, or outline, of a creature that lived millions
and millions of years ago—when rock was formed and Earth was young.
COACHED TEST
Using Fossils for Science
Because fossils form in rock, we know that the fossils are at least as old as the rock
around them.
There’s something else we know. The rock that a fossil is found in is usually pretty old.
So if we can figure out the age of a fossil’s rock, we can tell many things.
First, we can tell what kinds of creatures lived during certain times. When we find
many fossils, we can also tell how creatures changed. Then we can tell how Earth changed,
as well. Fossils are special precisely for that reason—they help tell the story of Earth.
Understanding Fossil Formation
Usually, fossils form in something called sedimentary rock. Sedimentary rock is made
mostly from the mud and pieces of plants and animals found in lakes and oceans. When
those materials—called sediment—settle to the bottom of a body of water, the pieces of
plants and animals become trapped in the mud. When the mud hardens—usually because
it’s under a lot of pressure—it becomes rock. And what happens to those pieces of plants
and animals? They become fossils.
Identifying Fossil Types
There are different types of fossils. That’s because they’ve formed in different ways.
Sometimes, pieces of plants and animals leave hollow places in the rocks they’re in. These
are called mold fossils. They are like the molds you know: they slope inward, forming
depressions. You could fill in those spaces with the shapes of the plants or animals. And
sometimes that’s exactly what happens.
When minerals from water build up in mold fossils and take the shapes of plants or
animals, another type of fossil forms. These are known as cast fossils.
There is yet another type of fossil. When minerals replace the cells of plants or animals,
fossils form to look just like the plants or animals. What happens, basically, is that the
plant or animal hardens. The result is a petrified fossil.
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READING
Appreciating All Fossils
However they are formed, whatever plant or animal type they are, fossils are a wonder
of nature. They are a key to understanding the world around us.
Types of Fossils
mold fossils
hollow fossils formed by the imprints of plants or animals
cast fossils
fossils formed when minerals build up in mold fossils; they take
the shapes of the plants or animals
petrified fossils
fossils formed when minerals replace the cells of plants or
animals, preserving the plants or animals in a hardened state
10. In which sentence does spot mean the
same as it does in the first paragraph of
the passage?
COACHED TEST
A. Kim started to spot her paper with
blue dots.
B. Dan could spot the eagle high in the
tree.
C. Stand on this spot and don’t move.
D. Your shirt has a spot on it.
11. The graphic feature at the end of the
passage is a
A. chart.
B. map.
C. diagram.
D. picture.
12. Which sentence from the passage is an
opinion?
A.
B.
C.
D.
HINT
They become fossils.
There are different types of fossils.
Fossils are a wonder of nature.
Fossils help tell the story of Earth.
An opinion cannot be proven. It is
someone’s belief.
13. Which words in the seventh paragraph
help you figure out the meaning of
depressions?
A.
B.
C.
D.
formed in different ways
you could fill in those spaces
shapes of the plants or animals
that’s exactly what happens
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ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
Use the paragraph below to answer
question 9.
All animals need a good place to live.
This means a place where the animal
can make a home and find food. It also
means a place where the animal can
raise its young. It should also be a place
where the animal has some protection
from other animals that hunt it.
9.
Looking at the paragraph above, which
would be the BEST closing sentence?
COACHED TEST
A. Good places to live are never hard
to find.
B. Without enemies, an animal can
survive.
C. If an animal has a good place to
live, it will be able to find food and
shelter.
D. Without a good place to live, it is
difficult for an animal to survive.
HINT
A closing sentence ties together the ideas
or information in a paragraph. Which
answer choice best ties together the
information in this paragraph?
10. Allan’s teacher has asked him to write
a report about elephants. Which of the
following would be the BEST place for
him to begin his research?
A. a
B. an
C. an
D. a
dictionary
encyclopedia
almanac
newspaper
11. Which sentence in the paragraph below
does NOT relate to the main idea of the
paragraph?
Rivers are flowing bodies of fresh
water. They often start as small
mountain streams. From the
mountains, they flow down to lower
land. Along the way, they usually
become bigger. Many people like to
swim in rivers. Finally, the river flows
into the ocean. Sometimes water from
a mountain stream travels thousands
of miles to reach the ocean.
A. Rivers are flowing bodies of fresh
water.
B. They often start as small mountain
streams.
C. Many people like to swim in rivers.
D. Finally, the river flows into the
ocean.
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ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
12. Kitty is writing a report about
dinosaurs. Which of the following Web
sites would be the BEST source of
information for this report?
A. a Web site written by a dinosaur
expert
B. a Web site about dinosaur movies
C. a Web site about monsters
D. a Web site with fictional dinosaur
stories
HINT
Think about the kind of information each
Web site in the answer choices will have.
What kind of information would be best for
writing this report?
1As
he walked toward the box, he
heard a sound from inside it. 2When
Alec walked into the kitchen, he saw a
box on the floor. 3He opened the box,
and out crawled a puppy! 4He knew
the box hadn’t been there last night.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Use the paragraph below to answer
question 15.
1Last
summer I learned to swim. 2I was
a little nervous at first. 3Didn’t want
water to go up my nose. 4I kept
practicing, and before I knew it, I was
swimming!
15. Which sentence in the paragraph above
is a fragment?
A. sentence
B. sentence
C. sentence
D. sentence
HINT
13. What should be the correct order of the
sentences above?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Darla read to books last week.
I like movies, too.
Do you want two play with us?
Jim went too the beach.
1
2
3
4
COACHED TEST
Use the sentences below to answer
question 13.
14. Which sentence below uses the word to,
too, or two correctly?
A sentence fragment is not a complete
sentence because it is missing a subject, a
verb, or a complete thought. Which answer
choice is missing something?
3, 2, 1, 4
4, 1, 3, 2
1, 3, 4, 2
2, 4, 1, 3
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