Nonfiction Test 6 - DIRECTIONS: DO NOT WRITE ON THIS TEST. Bubble the letter
for the best answer on your answer document. (4 points each)
DIRECTIONS: Use the graphs below to answer questions 1 and 2.
1. In 1960, the population of the United States was about _____ people.
a. 180 thousand
c. 150 thousand
b. 180 million
d. 150 million
2. Between 1900 and 1980, the population of the United States grew by about _____
million people.
a. 230
b. 80
c. 150
d. 30
DIRECTIONS: Use the diagram below to answer questions 3 and 4.
3. The air valve is located on the _____.
a. tire
c. chain guard
b. spoke
d. fork
4. The part that connects the seat post to the steering head is called the _____.
a. seat tube
c. top tube
b. seat stay
d. handlebars
DIRECTIONS: Use the map below to answer questions 5 – 7.
5. Which is a state highway?
a. 81
c. 2
b. 220
d. 29
6. The best route to the University of North Dakota, coming from the north, would
probably be to take _____.
a. Route 81 to Route 29 to University Avenue
b. Route 2 to Route 297 to Columbia Road
c. Route 2 to Route 81 to Stanford Road
d. Route 29 to Route 2 to Columbia Road
7. What kind of highway is Route 2?
a. state
c. federal
b. city
d. interstate
DIRECTIONS: Use this section of a dictionary page to answer questions 8 and 9.
8. Which definition of faculty is used in the sentence below?
She joined the faculty of Thompson Academy in August.
a. 1
b. 5
c. 2
d. 3
9. Which definition of fatten is used in the sentence below?
I have grand plans to fatten my wallet.
a. 1
b. 2
c. both a and b
d. none of the above
DIRECTIONS: For numbers 10 – 13 use “The Extreme Costs of Extreme Weather”.
10. Which of the following is not mentioned as an example of extreme weather?
a. hurricanes
b. tornadoes
c. avalanches
d. blizzards
11. What steps are needed in order for a tornado to form?
a. warm air makes contact with cool air in the atmosphere, the air stirs together,
spinning faster and faster
b. the air stirs together, the air spins faster and faster, warm air makes contact
with cool air
c. warm air makes contact with cool air in the atmosphere, the air spins faster
and faster, the air stirs together
d. Tornadoes are made from sharks.
12. Which state is not mentioned in the article as one which received heavy damage
from extreme weather?
a. Oklahoma
b. Kansas
c. Louisiana
d. North Carolina
13. What caused the “Storm of the Century” according to the article?
a. hurricane Katrina
b. hurricane Floyd
c. a blizzard
d. Zeus
DIRECTIONS: For numbers 14 and 15 use “Hurricanes”.
14. What is the best reason that hurricane Katrina was not mentioned in the article?
a. Hurricane Katrina wasn’t very destructive.
b. Hurricane Katrina was too destructive.
c. Hurricane Katrina made landfall after the article was published.
d. Hurricane Katrina made landfall before the article was published.
15. What is the difference between a hurricane watch and a hurricane warning?
a. A watch is given within 36 hours of the approaching storm; a warning is given
within 24 hours.
b. A warning is given within 36 hours of the approaching storm; a watch is given
within 24 hours
c. Watch and warning are synonyms.
d. Watches are warnings apply to tornadoes not hurricanes.
Read the article and answer questions 16 – 22.
The Life of a Hurricane
What do hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons have in common? They are all
different names for the same severe tropical storm.
What causes these powerful storms to develop over ocean water? At least three
things must be present to form a hurricane. First, the water must be warm enough to
give off heat and moisture into the atmosphere. Second, evaporated water already
available in the air must mix with the heat and moisture rising from the ocean. Finally,
easterly winds must be present. The wind moves the heat and evaporated water high
into the atmosphere. Then, Earth’s rotation begins to work against the easterly winds.
This twists the growing storm into a cylinder. The center of this cylinder is calm and is
called the eye.
When the heat and moisture from the ocean’s surface come into contact with the
cooler air higher up, thunderstorms develop. Then the cooler air travels back toward the
ocean’s surface and pulls more moisture from the ocean. Once that moisture rises into
the thunderclouds, it is released as torrential rain. This type of rain usually accompanies
hurricanes. The winds increase in speed and begin moving the enormous storm across
the ocean. As long as hurricanes remain over warm water, they can keep increasing in
size and strength.
What causes the storms to end? Some hurricanes die when they travel into the
path of strong westerly winds. This disturbs their course and may cause the storm to
travel over cooler northern waters. Without the energy from the evaporated ocean
water, the storm finally loses power and dies out. Other hurricanes travel until they hit
land. Once over land, they cause enormous damages: The ocean surge floods towns
and causes extensive destruction of property. But without the warm ocean water as an
energy source, hurricanes over land also lose power. These huge storms end their lives
as rain showers.
16. The word atmosphere has more than one meaning. What does it mean in the
sentence below?
The oxygen in the atmosphere seemed to grow as the storm approached.
a. feeling
b. mood
c. land
d. air
17. The word contact has more than one meaning. Which meaning is used in the
sentence below?
The contact of warm air with cool air causes the storm.
a. joining
b. person
c. communication
d. messenger
18. In the last paragraph, destruction means
a. storm.
c. damage.
b. injuries.
d. flooding.
19. Choose the word that means about the same as the underlined word below.
The hurricane damaged a lot of people’s property.
a. ownership
b. confidence
c. possessions
d. hope
20. What must happen before a hurricane develops?
a. Warm ocean water, wind, and rain must be present.
b. Moisture in the air, wind, and cool ocean water must be present.
c. Wind, cool ocean water, and land must be present.
d. Warm ocean water, moisture in the air, and wind must be present.
21. What happens next when heat and moisture from the ocean’s surface mix with
cooler air?
a. The storm takes on the shape of a cylinder.
b. Thunderstorms develop.
c. The storm moves across the ocean.
d. The hurricane dies out.
22. The author presents the information mainly through
a. describing a process.
c. advantages and disadvantages.
b. problem and solution.
d. compare and contrast.
23. What happens when a hurricane hits land? Use details from the passage “The Life
of a Hurricane” in your answer. Write your answer on the lines provided on the back of
your answer document. (12 points)