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Name:_____________________________________________
Date:________________________
1.
Like many other people, Jack's favorite books were the Harry Potter books. He had read them all so many
times he felt like he knew them by heart. When the fourth book came out he ordered it ahead of time so he
could pick it up on the first day. Jack was one of the first people at the bookstore that day. Though his older
brother teased him, Jack went straight home and read all day.
Which BEST describes the topic of the paragraph above?
A. Jack wants to buy as many fantasy books as possible.
B. Jack is completely different from the rest of his family.
C. Jack spends all of his free time playing outside with his brother.
D. Jack wants to read all of the Harry Potter books because he is a big fan.
2. Which word can take the place of the underlined words in the sentence below?
Where are the children's toys?
A. they
B. their
C. them
D. my
3. Which sentence is a compound sentence?
A. Jennie rode her purple bicycle to the store.
B. Shawn played guitar and talked with friends.
C. Paul and Mark had been playing volleyball for two hours.
D. Fred went into the kitchen, but Barney walked out of the house.
4.
Which of these statements supports a proposal for year round schooling in a persuasive essay?
A. Some parents believe year round schooling is unnatural.
B. Year round schools divide the calendar into four separate semesters.
C. Eliminating summer vacation from students' lives is unacceptable to parents.
D. Year round schooling helps students keep their academic skills focused.
5.
What a bright smile you have!
Which type of sentence is this?
A. imperative
B. declarative
C. exclamatory
D. interrogative
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6.
Hassan went to his friend's birthday party at the skating rink. He had not been skating in a long time, so he fell
down a lot! One time he even fell down in front of a girl that he really likes. Now Hassan wants to have his
birthday party at the skating rink, too. In spite of that, he still had a great time.
Which sentence from the paragraph is out of sequence?
A. Hassan went to his friend's birthday party at the skating rink.
B. He had not been skating in a long time, so he fell down a lot!
C. One time he even fell down in front of a girl that he really likes.
D. In spite of that, he still had a great time.
7. Which sentence uses the correct past tense of the verb to bring?
A. I brought my books home.
B. I brung my books home.
C. I brang my books home.
D. I bring my books home.
8.
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First, start with wet sand so it will pack well. 2Finally, smooth the sand out until your castle looks the way you
want it. 3There are many ways to make a sandcastle. 4Then, press the sand into shapes to form the castle.
In what order should these sentences be arranged in order to create a logical paragraph?
A. 1, 2, 3, 4
B. 2, 4, 3, 1
C. 3, 1, 4, 2
D. 4, 2, 1, 3
9. For which would you use a dictionary?
A. to find photographs of various flowers
B. to find the best times to plant different flowers
C. to find other words that mean the same as flower
D. to find out how to change flower from a noun to an adjective
10.
After some time, the caterpillar will stop eating. It will quit eating the leaves you drop in. It will climb the stick
and make its cocoon. It may stay in the cocoon for up to two weeks! Finally, you will notice the cocoon breaking
open. Gently remove the tissue and place the open jar outside. Your new butterfly will emerge, but it will stay by
the cocoon until its wings are dry enough to fly. Some species take up to two days to dry their wings. If you are
patient, you will be lucky enough to witness its first flight!
Which sentence would make a good supporting detail for this passage?
A. It is best to give the caterpillar fresh leaves.
B. Moths do not come out of butterfly cocoons.
C. Make sure you poke holes in the top of the jar.
D. Seeing the beautiful butterfly develop is worth the wait.
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11.
Amy and Roger wanted to go to the beach. After much begging, Mom and Dad decided to take them. Amy, Roger,
Mom, and Dad built sand castles and swam all day long. Last night we had chicken for dinner. It was the last day
of summer vacation. The family enjoyed their day at the beach.
Which of the following BEST describes the underlined sentence as it is used in the passage?
A. a topic sentence
B. a run-on sentence
C. a closing sentence
D. a supporting sentence
12.
The old lady kept her pictures next to her bed.
What function does the underlined word perform in this sentence?
A. simple subject
B. simple predicate
C. direct object
D. indirect object
13.
It was summertime, and Rebecca felt uneasy about the next two and a half months. Rebecca did not know how to
swim. Therefore, she never went near the swimming pool. She was afraid that if she fell in, she would drown.
_____________, her brother was having quite a good time in the kiddy pool. He was only two years old so it was
okay for him to be in there. Rebecca remembered the days when she swam in the kiddy pool. She had to get over
her fears and make the big pool her new home for the summer.
Which transitional word should go between the paragraphs?
A. Indeed
B. Therefore
C. Meanwhile
D. Furthermore
14. Which piece of information would be found on a title page?
A. author's name
B. history of the publisher
C. number of pages in the book
D. number of other books by the author
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15.
Every night the forests of Georgia echo with the sounds of many living creatures. We call living creatures that
come out to hunt or to eat at night nocturnal. Essentially, they sleep all day and then come out to hunt and to eat
all night. Some common examples of nocturnal living creatures are the owl, the bat, and the cricket. Although
they often forage for food at night, bears are not strictly nocturnal since they can often be found hunting during
the day. Sometimes bears sleep for three solid months or more during the winter.
In contrast, animals like the bat are almost always dormant during the day. However, with the setting of the sun
they come alive, filling the night with their eerie shrieks. The days may be full of the sounds of man. But at
nighttime it is the chorus of the creatures that rings clear.
Which words or phrase from the passage is redundant and could be replaced to add variety to the text?
A. the bat
B. at night
C. nocturnal
D. living creatures
16.
1
Our field trip to the zoo was fun. 2First, we saw the monkeys and gorillas. 3Next, we got to pet some sheep and
goats. 4Joey did not come to the zoo, because he was sick. 5Finally, we saw the snakes, and I got to touch one.
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We did a lot of fun things at the zoo. 7We saw a lot of different animals at the zoo.
Which of the sentences above contains an idea that is repeated from another sentence?
A. 1
B. 3
C. 4
D. 6
17.
The guest speaker arrived. She sat down at the table and began to prepare her materials.
Which is the correct way to combine the two sentences without changing the meaning?
A. The guest speaker arrived, she sat down at the table and began to prepare her materials.
B. When the guest speaker arrived, she sat down at the table and began to prepare her materials.
C. She sat down at the table and began to prepare her materials when the guest speaker arrived.
D. The guest speaker arrived when she sat down at the table and began to prepare her materials.
18.
Which of these word choices BEST completes the sentence in place of the underlined word?
"I cannot play outside until I have finished my art project," Lisa said proudly.
A. cried
B. bellowed
C. announced
D. articulated
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19.
Which of these details should be excluded from a persuasive essay on animal rights?
A. Water habitats can be destroyed by unmonitored human interaction.
B. The plight of Carrie, a Beluga whale, was presented to our class by an animal rights advocate.
C. Benji, my dog, has been a member of our family since the day we rescued him from the pound.
D. Rabbits and other small mammals have been used by the cosmetic industry for product testing.
20.
Benjamin Franklin
by www.pbs.org
Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) was the most widely recognized American of his day. He was well-known as the
publisher of the Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Richard's Almanack and gained further fame in his middle years
with a series of scientific experiments that culminated in the publication of Experiments and Observations on
Electricity in 1751.
In 1753, he was appointed postmaster general of the colonies by the British Government. Four years later, he was
sent by the Pennsylvania assembly to London to act as its agent. It was his second term in that office that ended
soon after Franklin's humiliation in the Privy Council. He returned to America in 1775 and joined the Second
Continental Congress.
Which of these statements provides an appropriate closing to the passage?
A. Finally, Benjamin Franklin was back in North America again.
B. Benjamin Franklin also invented many things like the first bifocal eyeglasses.
C. Lots of people thought Benjamin Franklin should have been one of our early presidents.
D. To this day, Philadelphians celebrate the legacy Benjamin Franklin left in their city.
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Answer Key
1. D) Jack wants to read all of the Harry Potter books because he is a big fan.
2. B) their
3. D) Fred went into the kitchen, but Barney walked out of the house.
4. D) Year round schooling helps students keep their academic skills focused.
5. C) exclamatory
6. D) In spite of that, he still had a great time.
7. A) I brought my books home.
8. C) 3, 1, 4, 2
9. D) to find out how to change flower from a noun to an adjective
10. D) Seeing the beautiful butterfly develop is worth the wait.
11. D) a supporting sentence
12. C) direct object
13. C) Meanwhile
14. A) author's name
15. D) living creatures
16. D) 6
17. B) When the guest speaker arrived, she sat down at the table and began to prepare her materials.
18. C) announced
19. C) Benji, my dog, has been a member of our family since the day we rescued him from the pound.
20. D) To this day, Philadelphians celebrate the legacy Benjamin Franklin left in their city.
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