Assessment Practice
Assessment Practice
DIRECTIONS Read the selections and answer the questions that follow.
RL 3 Analyze how dialogue or incidents in a story
propel the action. RL 4 Analyze the impact of word
choices on tone. RL 5 Analyze how the structure
of text contributes to its meaning. RL 6 Analyze
how differences in the points of view of the
characters and reader create such effects as
suspense. W 10 Write over shorter time frames.
L 1 Demonstrate command of grammar and usage.
L 3 Use knowledge of language when writing.
L 4a–c Use context as a clue to the meaning of
a word; use Latin affixes and roots as clues to the
meaning of a word; consult reference materials.
assess
Taking this practice test
will help you assess
your knowledge of the
following skills and
determine your readiness
for the Unit Test.
review
After you take the practice
test, your teacher can help
you identify any standards
you need to review.
The Invaders
1
2
3
4
5
check readiness
Read aloud the paragraph under ASSESS and
stress to students that this is not the full Unit
Test, but a way for them to check their readiness for it. Then have students examine the
unit standards and the skills listed below and
look back in the unit or in the Student Resource Bank for any skills they need to review.
read the texts
Remind students to keep unit goals in mind
as they read the passage, paying particular
attention to these literary and reading skills:
• plot, including stages and suspense
• conflict
• sequence, including order of events and
flashback
• cause and effect
To help students focus on plot while reading,
encourage them to ask questions such as
• What are the key events of the story?
• How does the author create suspense at
each stage of the story?
RL 3 Analyze how
dialogue or incidents
in a story propel the
action. RL 4 Analyze the
impact of word choices
on tone. RL 5 Analyze
how the structure of text
contributes to its meaning.
RL 6 Analyze how
differences in the points of
view of the characters and
reader create such effects
as suspense. W 10 Write
over shorter time frames.
L 1 Demonstrate command
of grammar and usage.
L 3 Use knowledge of
language when writing.
L 4a–c Use context as a
clue to the meaning of
a word; use Latin affixes
and roots as clues to the
meaning of a word; consult
reference materials.
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Practice
Test
Take it at thinkcentral.com.
None of them left the ship on the first day of its arrival, but I knew that
they would be watching carefully for signs of human life.
The skies were dark with scudding clouds, and the cold wind moved high
in the trees. Thin snow drifted slowly to the ground.
From the cover of the forest, I now watched as a small, heavily armed group
of them left the large craft. When they reached the edge of the woods, they
hesitated for a few moments and then moved cautiously forward.
I had seen them before and I knew that in appearance, at least, they were
not monsters. They looked very much like us. There were some differences,
of course, but all in all, we were really quite similar to them.
I met them first when I was almost a boy and I had been without caution.
I approached them and they seemed friendly, but then suddenly they seized
me and carried me off in their strange ship.
It was a long journey to their land and when our ship made a landing,
I was shown about and exhibited as though I were some kind of animal.
I saw their cities, and I was shown plants and animals completely strange
to me. I learned to wear their clothing and even to eat their food.
They taught me to communicate in their strange and difficult tongue until I
could, at times, even think in their language.
I had almost given up the hope of ever seeing my home again, but they one
day put me back on one of their ships and told me that they were returning me
because they wished to establish friendly relations with my people. But by now,
I knew enough of them to know that this was not true. However, I nodded
and smiled and watched for my opportunity to escape.
When the ship landed, I went out with the first search party. It was near
evening and as the darkness gathered, I edged away from them and finally
I fled into the blackness and safety of the forest.
They came after me, of course, but I was hidden deep in the woods where
they could not find me.
Finally they gave up and I watched their ship become smaller and finally
disappear, and I hoped fervently that they would never return.
But now they were back again.
I felt a coldness inside of me as I watched them moving slowly through
the trees. They seemed somehow different from the others who had been here
before. It was not so much in their appearance as in the air about them—the
way they walked, the way they looked about with speculating eyes.
KEYWORD: HML8N-160
160
unit 1: plot and conflict
answer the questions
differentiated instruction
Direct students to pages R93–R99 of the TestTaking Handbook to review strategies.
for english language learners
• Remind students to read all the answer
choices, eliminate any that are clearly wrong,
and then choose the best answer—the one
that is most accurate and complete.
• Encourage students to reread the directions
after completeing the first item of each
section. By checking the directions a second
time, students can clarify their understanding of them in the context of an item.
160
by Jack Ritchie
Assessment Practice: Work Backward
Prepare students for the assessment by having them read the questions before reading
the passage. Have pairs find unfamiliar
words in test directions and questions and
follow these steps:
3. Use the cards to practice the words with
your partner and to teach them to others.
1. Write each word on an index card.
2. Look up the meaning in a dictionary and
write it on the back of the card.
unit 1: plot and conflict
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item analysis
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Slowly and instinctively, I realized that this time they were not here on just
another raid for a captive or two.
This time they had come to stay.
What could we do now? Could we lure them deeper into the forest and kill
them? Could we take their weapons and learn how to use them?
No, I thought despairingly. There were so many more of the invaders on
the ship. And more weapons. They would come out and hunt us down like
animals. They would hunt us down and kill us all.
I sighed. We must find out what it was that they wanted this time and
whatever it might be, we must learn to adjust and to hope for the best.
But I still retreated silently before them, afraid to approach. I watched them
search the ground ahead of them and knew they were looking for footprints,
for some signs of life. But there was not yet enough snow on the ground to
track us down.
Their strangely colored eyes glanced about warily. They were cautious, yes.
They could be a cruel race, I knew. I had seen with my own eyes how they
treated their animals and even their own kind.
I sighed again. Yes, we could be cruel, too. In this respect we could not
claim to be superior to the invaders.
They paused now in a clearing, their eyes gleaming beneath their helmets.
It was time for me to approach them.
I took a deep breath and stepped into the open.
Their weapons quickly pointed at me.
“Welcome,” I said.
They stared at me, and then one of them turned to their bearded leader. “It
appears that this savage can speak some English, Captain Standish.”
“Welcome,” I said again. But I wondered what they would do to my land
and my people now.
comprehension and
short constructed
response
items
unit
pages
Plot
2, 3, 6, 10, 30, 37
14, 15
Conflict
4, 5, 17
28, 51, 67
Sequence
1, 8, 9, 12,
16
67, 123
Cause and Effect
7, 11, 13
115
vocabulary
items
unit
pages
Latin Roots
1, 2, 3, 4
121
Use a Dictionary
5, 6, 7
89
revising and editing
items
unit
pages
Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement
1, 4, 5, 6
103
Progressive Forms
2, 3
79
Practice Test
On thinkcentral.com students can complete
an interactive version of this practice test
and receive remediation for the skills they
have not yet mastered.
GOßON
assessment practice
for struggling readers
Assessment Support Consider these options
for completing the Assessment Practice:
• Have students “work backward,” reviewing
the questions before reading the passage.
• Select random questions in the Assessment,
and have students demonstrate how and
where to look for the answers.
• Ask students to locate unfamiliar vocabulary
words in the Assessment. Elicit the words’
meanings from the class.
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161
• Have students record useful testing words
and definitions for later reference.
• Read the selection or parts of it aloud to aid in
student comprehension.
for english language learners
Review Literary Terms Display the following
literary terms. Then give the definitions in
random order and have students match them
to the terms.
• plot: the main events that happen in a story
• conflict: struggles between opposing forces
• exposition: the beginning part of a story that
introduces the main characters, the setting,
and sometimes the main conflict
• rising action: the middle part of a story in
which suspense or tension builds because
problems arise that make the conflict more
difficult for the main characters
• climax: the turning point of the story, when
the reader’s interest is most intense
• falling action: the last part of the story, which
shows the result of the conflict and brings the
story to a close
assessment practice
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answers
Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension
Model a thinking process for answering
multiple-choice questions.
Use “The Invaders” to answer questions
1–14.
1. B is correct. The story begins with the
invaders leaving the ship and entering the
woods (paragraph 3). It is later in the story
that the narrator thinks about attacking
them (paragraph 17) and then watches
them look for footprints (paragraph 20),
making A and C incorrect. D is incorrect
because the narrator greets the invaders at
the end of the story (paragraphs 26–28).
1. What event happens first in the story?
A. The invaders look at the ground for
footprints.
B. The invaders leave the ship and enter the
woods.
C. The narrator thinks about attacking the
invaders.
D. The narrator steps into view and greets
the invaders.
2. In the exposition of the story, you learn
2. D is correct. The exposition of the story
describes its cold and snowy setting (paragraph 2). A, B, and C are incorrect because
they all describe details revealed later in the
story, not in the exposition.
that —
A.
B.
C.
D.
3. B is correct. The narrator’s prediction creates
tension because readers wonder who “they”
are and why they might be “watching.”
A, C, and D are incorrect because they provide details about time, place, and character,
but they do not raise questions, hint at
events to come, or cause tension.
3. In paragraph 1 the author develops suspense
by using the phrase —
A. first day of its arrival
B. I knew that they would be watching
C. None of them left the ship
D. signs of human life
4. The conflict the narrator struggles with is —
A. choosing whether to return with the
invaders to their country
B. deciding which response to the invaders
will be best for his people
C. sharing food with the invaders or hiding
it from them
D. betraying his people by helping the
invaders find what they want
4. B is correct. The narrator debates whether
it is in the best interest of his people to
respond with violence or with cooperation
(paragraphs 17–19). A is incorrect because
the narrator shares only bad memories of
being in the invaders’ country. C is incorrect
because he never mentions sharing or hiding
food. D is incorrect because he clearly wants
to protect his people, not betray them.
5. A is correct. The story ends with the narrator wondering what the invaders will do
to his land and people (paragraph 30). B is
incorrect because readers know the narrator
communicates with the invaders by speaking
English to them. C is incorrect because the
invaders leave the ship and enter the forest
at the beginning of the story. D is incorrect
because the narrator makes the decision not
to stay hidden.
6. C is correct. Tension rises as the narrator
realizes the seriousness of the fact that the
invaders have returned. A is part of the exposition, and B is part of the flashback, making both incorrect. D is incorrect because it
comes close to the end of the story.
162
the narrator speaks English
the invaders are cruel people
Captain Standish is a leader
the weather is cold and snowy
5. The conflict not resolved at the end of the
story is —
A. what will happen between the invaders
and the narrator’s people
B. how the narrator will decide to
communicate with the invaders
C. whether the invaders can make their way
off the ship and into the forest
D. if the narrator will choose to stay hidden
from the invaders
6. The rising action begins when the narrator
says —
A. They looked very much like us (paragraph 4)
B. I learned to wear their clothing and even
to eat their food (paragraph 7)
C. But now they were back again
(paragraph 13)
D. Yes, we could be cruel, too (paragraph 23)
7. In paragraph 18 the narrator is losing hope
because —
A. he fears his people are outnumbered and
will be killed
B. his hiding places in the snowy forest are
too visible
C. he thinks that the invaders are looking
for another captive
D. his footprints might lead the invaders
to his people
8. The flashback begins when the narrator says —
A. I met them first when I was almost a boy and
I had been without caution (paragraph 5)
B. But by now, I knew enough of them to know
that this was not true (paragraph 9)
C. There were so many more of the invaders
on the ship (paragraph 18)
D. But I still retreated silently before them,
afraid to approach them (paragraph 20)
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7. A is correct. The narrator acknowledges,
with despair, how many more invaders
and weapons must be on the ship. B, C,
and D are incorrect because paragraph 18
makes no specific mention of hiding places,
another captive, or footprints.
8. A is correct. The flashback begins when
the narrator recalls meeting the invaders
when he was a boy. B is incorrect because it
comes toward the end of the flashback.
C and D are incorrect because they are in the
main part of the story, not the flashback.
9. B is correct. The flashback focuses on the
narrator’s experience of being captured and
taken to the invader’s land. A is not part
of the flashback. C is incorrect because the
flashback explains the narrator’s growing
sense of the invaders’ unfriendly intentions.
D is incorrect because the flashback describes
how the narrator became accustomed to his
captors’ clothing, food, and languages, which
were strange to him (paragraph 7).
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Assessment Practice
9. The flashback reveals that the narrator —
A. carefully watched the invaders when they
left their ship
B. was captured as a child by invaders and
taken to their land
C. grew to believe that invaders had friendly
intentions
D. had many habits in common with the
invaders
10. The climax of the story occurs when the
narrator —
A. steps out and speaks to the invaders
B. hides from the invaders in the woods
C. returns home after being held captive
D. hears the invaders talk to their leader
11. The narrator hides from the new invaders
because —
A. he distrusts the invaders and is trying to
decide what to do
B. other people are coming to help him
C. he wants to surprise the invaders from a
well-protected location
D. a search party is looking for him
12. Which phrase from the story helps you figure
out when an event occurs?
A. There were some differences . . .
B. It was a long journey . . .
C. I could at times . . .
D. They paused now . . .
10. A is correct. The narrator’s approach to
the invaders is the story’s highest point of
interest and its turning point. B is incorrect
because it is part of the rising action. C is
incorrect because it occurs at the end of the
story’s early flashback. D is incorrect because
it occurs at the very end of the story.
13. The narrator rejects the idea of attacking the
invaders because —
A. the strangers have enough people and
weapons to harm the local people
B. the strangers are peaceful and hope to do
good deeds
C. neither the strangers nor the local people
want to have a fight
D. the narrator can speak the strangers’
language
11. A is correct. The narrator’s thoughts as he
hides reveal his distrust and his conflicting
thoughts on how to handle the invaders.
There is no evidence in the story to support
B, C, or D, making those choices incorrect.
14. During the falling action, you discover that
the invaders —
A. arrive on a large ship
B. have strangely colored eyes
C. are led by an English captain
D. mistreat their animals and each other
12. D is correct. The word now lets readers
know that the action being described is
occurring in the present. A, B, and C do not
contain words that indicate when actions
and events occurred.
SHORT CONTRUCTED RESPONSE
13. A is correct. The narrator states that the
invaders would have ample people and
weapons with which to retaliate against
an attack (paragraph 18). He describes the
strangers as “a cruel race,” making B incorrect. While C may be true, it is not the reason the narrator rejects the idea of fighting. D is incorrect because the narrator
does not mention his ability to speak the
same language as a reason not to attack.
Write two or three sentences to answer each
question.
15. Identify one technique the author uses to
create suspense. Give an example from the
text to support your choice.
16. In the flashback, what steps does the narrator
take to escape the invaders?
Write a paragraph to answer this question.
17. Reread paragraphs 15–19. What does the
narrator realize about the invaders? Explain
how this realization helps him to resolve
his conflict.
14. C is correct. The falling action follows the
story’s climax (which occurs when the narrator approaches the invaders). It is at this
point that the readers learn of the English
captain (paragraph 29). Readers learn of
the large ship, as in A, early in the story’s
exposition. B and D can be eliminated
because these details are revealed in the
rising action, prior to the climax.
GOßON
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17. The narrator understands that the invaders’
visit this time is different from the raid he
remembers as a child. He states, “This time
they had come to stay” (paragraph 16). This
realization helps the narrator resolve his
conflict over how to respond to the invaders. He realizes that they are determined
to settle in the area and that there are
probably many of them with a large supply
of weapons. These facts lead him to decide
it is not in the best interest of his people
to become adversaries of the strangers.
Instead, he feels strongly that they should
attempt to communicate with the strangers and “learn to adjust and to hope for the
best” (paragraph 19).
SHORT CONSTRUCTED
RESPONSE
Possible responses:
15. The author varies the length of his sentences,
using short, choppy sentences following
descriptive passages to create tension.
Examples include “But now they were back
again” (paragraph 13) and “This time they
had come to stay” (paragraph 16).
16. The narrator cooperates and watches for an
opportunity to escape (paragraph 9). When
the ship arrives in his homeland, he goes out
with the first search party and flees into the
darkness of the forest (paragraph 10). He
then stays hidden deep in the woods where
the invaders cannot find him (paragraph 11).
assessment practice
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answers
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
1. B is correct. The narrator describes being
“shown about” to people in the invaders’
land. A, C, and D do not fit easily into the
context of paragraph 6; furthermore, A and
D are unrelated to the word’s Latin meaning.
Use your knowledge of context clues and the
Latin word root definitions to answer the
following questions.
1. The Latin word habere means “to hold” or
“to see.” In paragraph 6, what does the word
exhibited mean?
A. Made to work hard
B. Presented in public
C. Held captive in a prison
D. Soothed with kind words
2. D is correct. The invaders wanted to “set
up” a friendship with the narrator’s people.
Also, the definition “make solid” relates
to the Latin word stabilis, or its definition
“firm.” Their act would not end or damage a friendship, as in A and B, because no
friendship exists. C does not make sense in
the context of the paragraph, and “to bring
about using trickery” does not relate to
“firm.”
2. The Latin word stabilis means “firm.”
In paragraph 9, what does the word
establish mean?
A. To end quickly
B. To damage beyond repair
C. To bring about using trickery
D. To set up and make solid
3. C is correct. Readers can infer that the narrator has strong emotions in wishing away
his captors. Boil is often associated with
passion or anger. The definitions in A and B
do not fit the context or relate to “boil.” D
makes no sense in the context.
3. The Latin word fervere means “to boil.”
In paragraph 12, what does the word
fervently mean?
A. In a dreamy way
B. For a long time
C. With great emotion
D. While cooking
4. B is correct. The context of the sentence
suggests that the invaders were thinking about different possibilities as they
observed their surroundings. There is no
evidence in the story of creating, risk-taking,
or “accepting something as true,” as in A, C,
and D.
4. The Latin word speculare means “to observe.”
In paragraph 14, what does the word
speculating mean?
A. Creating a new object
B. Thinking about or guessing
C. Taking a risk in the hope of gain
D. Accepting something as true
5. A is correct. Readers are told in the first
sentence of the story that the invaders are
on a ship. B and C are incorrect because they
do not work in the context of the paragraph.
D can be eliminated because craft is clearly
being used as a noun in the sentence.
6. C is correct. In this sentence, craft refers to
the action of creating bookshelves. In A, the
pronoun her indicates something that belongs to someone, making the word a noun
in this context. In B and D, the article the
used with craft indicates its use as a noun.
7. B is correct. Singers demonstrate their skill
when they perform. A is incorrect because
audience members already know the
singer’s profession, but not her talent. C
and D do not make sense within the context
of the sentence.
craft (krBft) noun 1. A boat, ship, or aircraft.
2. Skill in doing or making something. 3. An
occupation or trade. Verb 1. To make by
hand. Synonyms: noun: vehicle, talent,
profession, trickery; verb: create.
Which definition represents the meaning of
the word craft as it is used in paragraph 3?
A. Definition noun 1
B. Definition noun 2
C. Definition noun 3
D. Definition verb 1
6. In which sentence is the word craft used
as a verb?
A. She learned her craft from her father,
who was a carpenter.
B. The fine workmanship revealed the
sculptor’s craft.
C. He tried to craft a set of bookshelves
for the library.
D. The small craft was tossed about by the
rough waves.
7. Which synonym would best replace the word
craft in the following sentence?
The singer demonstrated her craft through
her performance in the opera.
A. Profession
B. Talent
C. Trickery
D. Vehicle
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differentiated instruction
for english language learners
Assessment Support: Latin Roots Point out
that English words derived from Latin roots
often have cognates in Spanish and other
Romance languages. Help students identify
cognates for the base words in items 1–4.
Spanish cognates are as follows:
•
•
•
•
164
5. Read the dictionary entry below for the
word craft.
exhibit/exhibir
establish/establecer
fervent/ferviente, fervoroso
speculate/especular
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Assessment Practice
answers
Revising and Editing
Revising and Editing
DIRECTIONS Read this paragraph and answer the questions that follow.
1. C is correct. The words his or her are
singular possessive pronouns that agree
with the antecedent Everyone, a singular
indefinite pronoun. A can be eliminated
because theirs is a plural possessive pronoun
used to show ownership when no noun
follows it. B is incorrect because it does not
refer to people. D is incorrect because they
is a third-person plural pronoun used as a
subject.
(1) When the Pilgrims first landed at Plymouth in 1620, everyone had their dream
of a better life. (2) They had been agreeing that they should work together to build a
common house for meetings and religious services. (3) People’s lives became difficult
though, especially because there was a shortage of food. (4) Nobody knew whether
they would survive. (5) In fact, many settlers died during his first winter in the
colony. (6) The Native American Squanto helped everyone who remained find where
they could fish and trap animals for food. (7) The Native Americans’ willingness to
share their knowledge of agriculture helped the Pilgrims survive in the new land.
(8) Today the national holiday of Thanksgiving recalls the Pilgrims’ celebration of
their first harvest in Plymouth.
1. The meaning of sentence 1 can be improved
by changing their to —
A. theirs
B. its
C. his or her
D. they
4. The meaning of sentence 4 can be improved
by changing they to —
A. he or she
B. them
C. his or her
D. its
2. What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 2?
A. Change had been agreeing to will agree
B. Change had been agreeing to agreed
C. Change had been agreeing to agrees
D. Make no change
5. The meaning of sentence 5 can be improved
by changing his to —
A. their
B. its
C. his or her
D. her
3. What change, if any, should be made in
sentence 3?
A. Change became to will become
B. Change became to are becoming
C. Change became to will be becoming
D. Make no change
6. The meaning of sentence 6 can be improved
by changing they to —
A. it
B. its
C. their
D. he or she
2. B is correct. The past tense is required because the sentence refers to something that
occurred at a specific time in the past. The
past perfect progressive form of the verb,
“had been agreeing,” is incorrect because
it expresses an ongoing past action that
is interrupted by another past action. A is
incorrect because the future tense is inappropriate. C is incorrect because the present
tense is inappropriate and the verb form
agrees does not agree with the subject they.
D is incorrect because the change in B is
needed.
3. D is correct. The past tense is required
because the sentence refers to something
that occurred at a specific time in the past.
A, B, and C are incorrect because the future
tense, present progressive, and future progressive forms are inappropriate.
34/0
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for english language learners
Assessment Support: Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement Remind students that pronouns
must agree with their antecedent in gender
and in number. Discuss these examples:
• The man learned where it could go fishing.
(incorrect gender)
• The man learned where they could go
fishing. (incorrect number)
• The man learned where he could go
fishing. (correct gender and number)
Review indefinite pronouns, which do not
refer to a specific person, place, or thing.
Some are singular (everyone, someone) while
others are plural (all, many). Illustrate with
these examples:
• Everyone had their reasons for coming to
Plymouth. (incorrect number)
• Everyone had his or her reasons for coming
to Plymouth. (correct number)
• Many met his death. (incorrect number)
• Many met their death. (correct number)
4. A is correct. He or she agrees with the
singular pronoun Nobody. B is incorrect
because them is a plural objective pronoun.
C and D are incorrect because his, her, and
its are possessive pronouns, not subject pronouns required for the clause “they would
survive.”
5. A is correct. Their agrees in number with
settlers. B is incorrect because its does
not correctly refer to settlers. C and D are
incorrect because neither agrees in number
with settlers.
6. D is correct. He or she agrees in number
with the antecedent everyone. A and B can
be eliminated because it and its do not refer
to people. C is incorrect because their is a
possessive adjective.
assessment practice
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