New York
Practice
Part 1: Reading
New York
5English Language Arts
To the Student
New York Ready™—English Language
Arts Practice is a review program for the
New York State Testing Program English
Language Arts Test. This book contains
Part One: Reading for three practice tests.
Part One: Reading is the first part of a
three-part test. In Part One: Reading of each
practice test, you will respond to
35 multiple-choice items. These items
ask you about literary and informational
passages you will read. The practice
passages and items are similar to those you
will find on the New York State Testing
Program English Language Arts Test.
Becoming familiar with the test format
will help you succeed on the New York State
Testing Program English Language Arts Test.
Your teacher will explain how you will do
Part One: Reading and how to record your
answers. Be sure to follow the directions in
Part One: Reading of each practice test. As
you complete Part One: Reading, read the
passages and answer the questions carefully.
Record your answers on your answer form.
Remember to fill in the answer bubbles
completely. If you change an answer, you
must erase your first answer fully.
While you work on Part One: Reading,
use the Testing Tips below. Read these
helpful tips carefully. They can make you a
better test-taker.
Testing Tips for Answering
Multiple-Choice Questions
• Read each question carefully before you
try to answer it.
• Be sure you know what the question is
asking you to do.
• Read all the answer choices before you
choose your answer. Cross out any
answer choices that you know are wrong.
Then, fill in the correct answer bubble.
• Read the question one more time. Then
check that your answer makes sense.
CONTENTS
Practice Test 1
Part One: Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Practice Test 2
Part One: Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Practice Test 3
Part One: Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Answer Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
“Grown-Up Ways” and “The Wind” are reprinted
with permission of Susan DeStefano. Copyright 2006.
Illustration Credits:
Leslie Alfred McGrath: pages 1, 4, 5, 8, 20, 21, 40
Cori Pitcher: pages 10, 15, 18, 45, 47
Photography Credit:
page 52 Storm King Wall by Andy Goldsworthy at
Storm King Art Center: wikipedia.org
ISBN 978-0-7609-7093-5
©2011, 2010, 2007—Curriculum Associates, LLC
North Billerica, MA 01862
No part of this book may be reproduced by any means
without written permission from the publisher.
All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA.
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Practice Test 1
Part One: Reading
D
irections
Read this passage. Then answer questions 1 through 6.
Not Your Ordinary Monday
Room 19 (my fifth-grade classroom) was unbelievably noisy this morning. It’s always
noisy on Monday mornings. My classmates file through the door (actually, they push
through in pairs or small bunches) laughing, talking, and catching up on what happened
over the weekend. Some are already making plans for the next weekend. For them, the
school week is just an interruption in their social life. It’s like a TV commercial that they
have to watch until the show starts again.
For me, school is the show. Once, I tried to tell Etta (my best friend since preschool) how I
feel about school. She looked at me as if I had three heads and said, “What are you talking
about? I hate commercials, and I’d rather be playing softball than sitting in a stuffy
classroom doing math problems. Julie, you’re way too serious about school.”
I don’t think I am. Okay, so Etta doesn’t exactly agree with me, and she clearly didn’t
understand the comparison I was making between school and TV. Etta’s so literal. It’s best to
stick to plain language with her.
So, I decided to write down my thoughts. Our teacher, Ms. Santos, said that keeping a
journal is a good way to explore your thoughts and feelings. At least I understand my clever
Go On
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by Stella Mac
1
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comparisons, even if no one else does. Now, to get back to this morning—my classmates
were especially loud, even for a Monday. Ms. Santos had to rap on her desk four times before
everyone quieted down. “What’s all the excitement about this morning?” she asked.
Half the class started talking at once.
“How about if only one of you tells me what’s going on,” she said.
I figured it was something silly when Randy, who calls himself “the class clown,” stood up.
“You’ve heard of that TV show called School For Real, right?” Randy asked.
“Yes, I’ve heard of it,” Ms. Santos said.
“Well,” Randy said, “Jerome Tsao in the other fifth grade wrote to the program and asked
them to do a segment on our school. The producer wrote back and said it was a great idea.
Because of Jerome’s letter, the show is going to focus on fifth graders. If the principal and the
school board agree, we’re all going to be on TV.”
Tina stood up. “My dad’s on the school board, and he said he thought they wouldn’t object.”
Everyone started talking at once again. Ms. Santos didn’t even try to quiet us down. I was
already thinking about what I would wear, if I should pull my hair back, and whether I
should wear my glasses or contacts. Then Etta turned around and said, “Hey, Julie, guess
what? School is the show.” Etta is so clever!
1 What is the setting for the events
2 At the beginning of the passage, what is
a school hallway
a fifth-grade classroom
the set of a TV program
a school board meeting
A
B
C
D
She does not watch TV.
She enjoys math.
She looks forward to school.
She is being noisy.
©
A
B
C
D
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the main difference between Julie
and her classmates?
in the passage?
Practice Test 1
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3 Read this sentence from the passage.
For me, school is the show.
In this sentence, the author is comparing school to
A
B
C
D
a noisy classroom
a TV commercial
a TV program
a boring weekend
4 Read these sentences from the passage.
Etta’s so literal. It’s best to stick to plain language with her.
If Etta is “literal,” it means that she
A
B
C
D
likes to read and practice handwriting
does not enjoy complicated jokes
cannot understand comparisons
understands only the basic meaning of words
A
B
C
D
She starts writing in a journal.
She tells Etta how clever she is.
She thinks about what to wear for the show.
She makes weekend plans with Etta.
6 This passage is most like a
A
B
C
D
folk tale
science fiction tale
news story
short story
Go On
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5 At the end of the passage, how can you tell that Julie is as excited as her classmates?
3
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D
irections
Read the article. Then answer questions 7 through 13.
d
n
u
Ro and , Up
and Down
d
Rou n
by John Foster
What ride do you picture when you think
of an amusement park? For many people,
the painted horses of a carousel come to
mind. Others imagine the thrilling dips of
the roller coaster.
moved up and down. (Some carousels also
had other animal figures.) The carving of
wooden carousel figures had also become
an art. Among the most famous carvers in
America were William Dentzel, a German
immigrant, and Charles I. D. Looff from
Denmark. In 1876, Looff built the first
carousel at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.
Both the carousel (also called a merry-goround) and the roller coaster are familiar
park rides. Yet these two rides couldn’t be
more different! One is slow and calm.
Old-fashioned music often plays as it spins.
The other is fast and intense. Shrieks echo
through the air as it climbs and dips.
The horses on the old wooden carousels
were finely detailed. Some horses had flying
manes and a noble look. Others seemed to
have pranced right out of a fairy tale.
Modern carousel horses are often made of
fiberglass from molds. The molds allow
builders to recreate the fine details found on
those old wooden figures.
The Joy of Spinning
There’s not much thrill in riding a
carousel. Riders of all ages and sizes can
step onto the flat platform and sit on a
horse. Still, there is something about a
carousel ride that makes people happy.
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The first carousels were live riding games.
By the seventeenth century, these games had
become popular entertainment for French
kings and their court. The object of the
games was to spear a tiny ring. Machines
were built so that knights could practice
this. These machines had large horse figures
on wooden beams. The beams circled a pole.
Servants or real horses spun the beams
around the pole. Soon, ladies and children
of the court wanted to ride the practice
machines. And so the carousel, as a ride,
was born.
©
By the late 1800s, carousels were steampowered. The horses on these carousels
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From Glee to Whee!
The first amusement park roller coaster
in America was the Switchback Railway. It
opened in 1884 at Coney Island. The coaster
was designed and built by La Marcus Adna
Thomson. Thomson is often called the
father of the American roller coaster. He is
also called the “Father of Gravity.”
OLLER COASTER
Thomson fashioned the Switchback
Railway coaster after the simple Russian ice
slides of the 1600s. These slides were made
of wood and thick sheets of ice. Riders
climbed a steep flight of stairs. Then they
sped down the icy slope on large sleds.
Roller coasters have come a long way
since then. Wooden coasters are still built,
but most modern coasters are huge steel
structures. Tracks usually stretch more than
1,000 feet. Cars climb to heights above
400 feet. And riders travel at speeds that can
exceed 120 miles per hour. Roller coasters
not only go up and down, but they also go
backwards and upside down.
Today’s roller coasters are faster, higher,
and more daring than ever. Every year,
millions of people travel to amusement
parks around the world to enjoy the thrill.
Go On
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Like the Russian ice slides, Thomson’s
coaster had two side-by-side hills. He used
technology that had been developed in
France. He also added dips, and cars that
rode on a track 600 feet long and 50 feet
high. For just one nickel, people could ride
along the track at a whopping 6 miles
per hour.
5
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7 What does the title “Round and Round, Up
10 Read this sentence from the article.
and Down” refer to?
The molds allow builders to recreate
the fine details found on those old
wooden figures.
A the movements of a carousel and a
roller coaster
B old French riding games and Russian
ice slides
C the thrill of riding a carousel for the
first time
D the way a roller coaster goes around
and around
What does the word “recreate” mean?
A
B
C
D
8 According to the article, the carousel ride
11 Why does the author most likely use
came about because of
A
B
C
D
to play and enjoy oneself
do something in a new way
paint by hand
make again in the same way
the subheading “From Glee to Whee!” in the article?
a fairy tale
a women’s chariot ride
a riding practice machine
an art movement
A to signal a change in the focus
of the article
B to flash back to an earlier time
in history
C to show that the article is about a
serious topic
D to separate fact from fiction
9 What do William Dentzel and Charles I. D.
Looff have in common?
A They were German immigrants to the
©
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United States.
B They carved carousel figures.
C They designed and built roller coasters.
D They created the Russian ice slides.
Practice Test 2
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12 Which statement from the article is an opinion?
A “There’s not much thrill in riding a carousel.”
B “By the late 1800s, carousels were steam-powered.”
C “The first amusement-park roller coaster
in America was the Switchback Railway.”
D “Thomson is often called the father of the
American roller coaster.”
13 Here is a web with information about the first roller coaster.
opened in 1884
at Coney Island
600 feet long
and 50 feet high
First
Roller Coaster
Which of the following belongs in the empty bubble?
A
B
C
D
riders sped down on sleds
made of steel
could travel up to six miles an hour
traveled at 120 miles an hour
Go On
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?
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D
irections
Read this poem. Then answer questions 14 through 17.
Grown-Up Ways
by Susan DeStefano
Once, a really long time ago, when I was a small child,
I had this puffy stuffed bunny with blue and white stripes,
And grey rubber padded feet,
And soft furry white paws
That I’d rub on my cheek to help me fall asleep
And comfort me when I felt sick or sad or afraid.
But I’m a big kid now.
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I don’t need that beat-up old thing
With its flattened body and missing leg
To comfort me or soothe my fears.
So some night if I have a bad dream,
I’ll figure out some grown-up way to fall asleep again.
I don’t need that sad old bunny.
I’m a big kid now.
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14 As a small child, what made the speaker the same as other small children you know?
A
B
C
D
He had lots of nightmares.
He was afraid of the dark.
He slept with a special object.
He had trouble falling asleep.
15 What has happened to the speaker’s bunny?
A
B
C
D
It is lost.
It has grown old and worn.
It was thrown away.
It was given to another small child.
16 What is the poem mostly about?
being a kid
having bad dreams
special toys
growing up
17 How are the two verses of the poem different?
A
B
C
D
The first verse tells about the past. The second verse tells about the present.
The first verse rhymes. The second verse doesn’t rhyme.
The first verse is about a real bunny. The second verse is about a toy bunny.
The first verse has more lines than the second verse.
Go On
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A
B
C
D
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New York
Practice
Part 2: Listening/Writing Mechanics
Part 3: Reading/Writing
New York
5English Language Arts
To the Student
New York Ready™—English Language Arts
Practice is a review program for the New York
State Testing Program English Language Arts
Test. This book contains Part Two: Listening/
Writing Mechanics and Part Three: Reading/
Writing for three practice tests. Part Two:
Listening/Writing Mechanics is the second part
of a three-part test. In this part of each practice
test, you will listen to a passage and then answer
questions about that passage. You will also
respond to 3 multiple-choice mechanics items.
Part Three: Reading/Writing is the third part of a
three-part test. In this part of each practice test,
you will read two passages and write short and
extended responses about these passages.
Becoming familiar with the test format
will help you succeed on the New York State
Testing Program English Language Arts Test.
Your teacher will explain how you will do Part
Two: Listening/Writing Mechanics and Part
Three: Reading/Writing and how to record your
answers. Be sure to follow the directions in each
part of the practice test. As you complete the
test, read or listen to the passages and answer
the questions carefully. Record your answers to
multiple-choice questions on your answer form,
and write out answers in your student book.
Remember to fill in the answer bubbles
completely. If you change an answer, you must
erase your first answer fully.
While you work on Parts Two and Three, use
the Testing Tips below. Read these helpful tips
carefully. They can make you a better test-taker.
Testing Tips for Answering
Multiple-Choice Questions
• Read each question carefully before you try
to answer it.
• Be sure you know what the question is
asking you to do.
• Read all the answer choices before you
choose your answer. Cross out any answer
choices that you know are wrong. Then, fill
in the correct answer bubble.
• Read the question one more time. Then
check that your answer makes sense.
CONTENTS
Practice Test 1
Part Two: Listening/Writing
Mechanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Part Three: Reading/Writing. . . . . . . . 8
Practice Test 2
Part Two: Listening/Writing
Mechanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Part Three: Reading/Writing. . . . . . . 22
Practice Test 3
Part Two: Listening/Writing
Mechanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Part Three: Reading/Writing. . . . . . . 36
Answer Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Illustration Credits:
Pat Lucas: page 22
Cori Pitcher: pages 36 and 39
Photography Credits:
page 8: courtesy of NASA
page 11: ©Leung/wikimedia.org
ISBN 978-0-7609-7094-2
©2011, 2010, 2007—Curriculum Associates, LLC
North Billerica, MA 01862
No part of this book may be reproduced by any means
without written permission from the publisher.
All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA.
15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Practice Test 1
Part Two: Listening and Writing
D
irections
You are going to listen to an article called “The Erie Canal: An Engineering Marvel.” Then
you will answer some questions about the article.
You will listen to the article twice. The first time you hear the article, listen carefully but do not
take notes. As you listen to the article the second time, you may want to take notes. Use the space
below and on the next page for your notes. You may use these notes to answer the questions
that follow.
For the multiple-choice questions, you will mark your answers on the answer form. For
questions 41 through 43, you will write your answers directly in this book.
Multiple-choice questions 44 through 46 are not about a passage. These questions ask about
grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.
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Notes
©
Go On
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Practice Test 1
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©
STOP
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Notes
©
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Do NOT turn this page until you are told to do so.
3
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36 The article says that in the early 1800s, the technology of today did not exist. The word
“technology” means
A
B
C
D
creative way of thinking
design of huge building projects
use of modern tools and machines
travel beyond local regions
37 Why was the Erie Canal such an amazing feat?
A
B
C
D
Hundreds of miles of rock had to be blasted.
The most modern machinery was used to build it.
It was built almost entirely by the power of men and horses.
It made travel to and beyond the Allegheny Mountains much faster.
38 The Erie Canal opened in
1800
1825
1835
1900
39 Which sentence from the article is an opinion?
“The Erie Canal is 363 miles long.”
“It stretches east to Albany, on New York’s Hudson River.”
“Teams of mules and horses pulled canal boats up and down the canal.”
“What this power team accomplished is still a wonder!”
©
A
B
C
D
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A
B
C
D
Practice Test 1
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40 Which statement best describes the author’s attitude about the building of the Erie Canal?
A
B
C
D
The author admires the people who built the canal using simple machines and methods.
The author believes the building of the canal was a waste of time and energy.
The author thinks the workers who built the canal should have used more modern machinery.
The author considers it a shame that the canal is no longer used the way it was in the 1800s.
41 Summarize the changes that the Erie Canal brought to frontier people’s lives and to the state of
New York. Use details from the article to support your answer.
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©
Go On
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42 Use details from the article to complete this chart. On the left side, describe the methods used by
engineers and workers to build the Erie Canal in the 1820s. On the right side, describe methods
today’s engineers would use.
Methods of the 1820s
Today’s Methods
43 The author states that, like its past, the present and future of the Erie Canal are also exciting. Discuss
some ways the canal’s present and future could be considered exciting.
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©
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D
irections
Answer questions 44 through 46.
44 Choose the sentence that is written correctly.
A
B
C
D
He swimmed the whole length of the pool.
He swam the whole length of the pool.
He had swam the whole length of the pool.
He swum the whole length of the pool.
45 Choose the sentence that is written correctly.
A
B
C
D
Every Fourth of July, we visit the Jefferson Memorial.
Every fourth of july, we visit the Jefferson Memorial.
Every Fourth Of july, we visit the Jefferson Memorial.
Every Fourth Of July, we visit the jefferson memorial.
46 Read the sentence.
My friend and ate spaghetti for lunch.
A
B
C
D
they
me
I
us
STOP
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Which word best fits in the blank?
7
Practice Test 1
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