6th Grade Missed Questions
Uncle James
My Uncle James is an amazing man. My father tells me not to take him seriously, but I think he's jealous. After all, it was his brother James who designed the first
modern computer. Sure, someone else received the credit, but it was my Uncle James who first put the idea in motion. Incredibly, he constructed the entire machine
from paperclips and aluminum foil.
Not long after James invented the computer, he developed the first cell phone. He sketched a drawing of the phone using a graphics program he had designed and
installed on his homemade computer. He showed it to some hotshot at the phone company, who advised him that the phone was unworkable. A year later, he
alleged, the cell phone came out and it looked exactly like his phone!
I asked James why he didn't just patent these inventions and make enormous amounts of money. He said the idea, not the money, is the significant thing. I like my
Uncle James, but I find that difficult to believe.
Which of the following states an opinion from the passage?
A
"Not long after James invented the computer, he developed the first cell phone."
B
"A year later, he alleged, the cell phone came out and it looked exactly like his phone!"
C
"He showed it to some hotshot at the phone company, who advised him that the phone was unworkable."
D
"My father tells me not to take him seriously, but I think he's jealous."
Why Bridges Freeze First
Driving in freezing, winter weather can be problematic. One reason it is complicated is that bridges freeze quicker than the remainder of the highway. Drivers must
be aware of this so they can compensate by driving slower as they approach them. But, why do bridges freeze earlier than the rest of the road?
Bridges freeze before the rest of the highway for two reasons; both involve heat loss. With four sides exposed to the freezing air temperature, bridges lose heat
rapidly. The rest of the road has one side exposed because the other three sides are insulated by the earth. Bridges also freeze first, because they are typically
constructed with steel and concrete, which aregood conductors of heat. This means heat travels quickly through them. So on a bridge, any heat would quickly move
to the surface where the freezing air temperature rapidly cools the bridge. The rest of the road is frequently constructed with asphalt, which is not a good conductor
of heat. So, this helps the road retain its heat.
According to the story, what happens before a bridge freezes?
A
The surrounding earth and asphalt freeze.
B
The highway leading to the bridge freezes.
C
The steel and concrete conduct heat to the surface.
D
Cars approach the bridge more slowly.
Closet, In Need of Cleaning
I stand before its darkened maw, my arms, my eyes, all crossed;
It's time to clean the closet but I feel like I am lost
As I gaze upon the tangled mess upon the hardwood floor.
I find it difficult to keep from slamming shut the door.
Five mismatched shoes, a shattered ski, a poorly knitted glove,
A vacuum cleaner, mouse-chewed yarn, and there, way up above
Crammed upon the sagging shelf, a tower of ancient games
So crimped, so tattered that I can no longer read their names.
Encyclopedias X and T, some junk I'll let you borrow;
But now farewell, I've had enough! This chore I'll do tomorrow.
What did the author do before deciding to put off cleaning the closet until the next day?
A
slammed the closet door shut
B
took out the vacuum cleaner
C
reviewed the mess of items in the closet
D
crammed some games on the closet shelf
Hitch
"What are you doing?" Sam asked from the doorway.
Romeo jumped about a mile, and then looked from one to the other of us sheepishly. "Everybody's so let down over the camp not getting done like we'd hoped,
and here I've been messing in the kitchen instead of helping build. So I was just going to see if I couldn't figure out something I could do to move things along."
I was at a loss for words, and for once, Sam seemed to be, too. Briefly. Then he said, "That's a good thought, Romeo, but maybe it's one best acted on tomorrow
morning."
"You think?" Romeo asked.
"Yes, I do," Sam answered.
We'd almost gotten back to our tent when I halted. "You two go on," I told them.
"Where are you going?" Romeo asked.
"Over to the barracks."
"I'll roust the others," he said happily. "Just our tent, I mean."
"Nate and Apple aren't going to like it," I said. ''Apple especially."
___________________________________________________________________________
They came over, Apple still rubbing his eyes when he got a hammer and headed for the coatrack he'd been working on earlier. "I must be crazy to let myself get
talked out of a good night's sleep," he told me.
"I didn't talk you out of anything," I said.
''And likely as not, whatever I do is going to need redoing, because I'm not downright sure I understand just how this is supposed to go."
"The blueprints ought to show it," I said.
"Yeah, if you can read blueprints."
I went over to the makeshift table where plans were out, and shuffled through them till I came to one that showed the details of the rack. "This doesn't look too
hard. If you just take that long piece ..."
The door opened, and Riley Maxwell and Hal Linchfeld came in. "Someone having a party?" Riley asked.
"You want to give me a job?" Hal said. "Get in line behind me," Apple told him. "Moss can only boss one person at a time."
I was showing Hal where a window frame needed finishing when his and Riley's tent mates arrived, and then, by ones and twos, the fellows from the remaining
tents showed up. Pretty soon everybody but me was working hard—even Romeo, who was sanding down a railing. But every time I picked up a hammer or
screwdriver, I got stopped by someone asking, "Trawnley, what should I do next?"
"Look!" I finally told them all. "I'm not the boss of this job."
"Someone's got to be," Riley said. ''And it wasn't my idea to come back to work."
"I didn't?"
"Trawnley!" he said. "Just tell us what to do and let us do it, and then we can all go to bed!" But he said it joking-like, and I realized that none of the guys actually
expected to get any sleep.
I couldn't think what to answer, so I studied the blueprints some more. "Okay, then," I said. "Sam and Nate, why don't you ..."
___________________________________________________________________________
Along about 0100 or so, everybody was working so well that I even got to turn my hand to installing a rack that needed putting up. And then, without warning,
Major Garrett and Pops showed up at the door, hard-to-read expressions on their faces.
As one after another of the guys spotted them, hammering and sawing left off till the room was dead quiet.
"We didn't think we'd wake you, Major," I ventured. "You either, Pops. We tried to keep it down."
The major started to say something and then stopped, and then Pops began to say something and then held it back, also.
And then the next thing, the two of them were taking off their coats and the major was saying, "It looks like you boys might need some help. You want to give us
our orders?"
Everybody looked at me. And then, because I was about to lose my grip on the rack I'd been struggling to screw in place, I said, "Maybe if one of you wouldn't
mind holding this?"
And then I added, ''And Nate could use a hand running that cable."
They pitched in like I'd suggested, and when Pops finished helping Nate, he didn't head for the blueprints but instead waited for me to give him a new task. And
the major rolled up his sleeves higher and waited, too, for me to tell him what to do next.
Romeo left long enough to make a big pot of coffee, which he brought over along with biscuits and sliced ham.
Riley lugged over a radio, and plugged it in."You're not going to find anything this time of night," Nate said.
But Riley fiddled with the tuner until he picked up a station playing dance music. Must be good cloud cover, I thought, bouncing signals. I leaned back for a
moment, enjoying it and thinking what a satisfying night this was.
And then Nate called, "Hey, Trawnley, just 'cause you're bossing this job doesn't give you leave to stop working!"
Which of these best describes the importance of Trawnley heading to the barracks after telling Sam and Romeo to go on to the tent?
A
It marks when the group begins coming together to finish the project.
B
It marks when the group starts believing that the project is important.
C
It is the point at which Trawnley recognizes that the men are good workers.
D
It is the point at which Trawnley decides that all the men must work together.
Look at these decimals.
0.05, 0.33, 5.2, 17.0
Which statement is true if each decimal is multiplied by 103?
A
The decimal becomes 30 times greater.
B
The decimal becomes 300 times greater.
C
The decimal point moves 3 places to the left.
D
The decimal point moves 3 places to the right.
Lily's dress is a beautiful shade of ____________.
I ____________ quickly from my seat to offer it to my grandmother.
Choose the word that correctly completes both sentences.
A
rose
B
yellow
C
violet
D
stood
Lisa's sister wanted a real leather jacket. However, she decided to buy an ____________ one instead.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
A
economical
B
impressive
C
imitation
D
attractive
Which word best fits in the sentence?
Do not ____________ to stop, drop, and roll if your clothes catch on fire.
A
hustle
B
hesitate
C
hover
D
hasty