Name:
_____________________________________________
Date:________________________
1. Which words can you take out of the paragraph below in order to eliminate repetition of an
idea?
Everyone has different activities to start the day. My sister Karla reads the newspaper, while
my mom and dad discuss what they expect to do at work. My cat probably thinks about how
she's going to sleep on the couch when no one is around. But I like nothing better than to
listen to the radio in the morning hours before noon.
A. different activities
B. what they expect to do
C. going to sleep
D. hours before noon
2. Use the paragraph below to answer this question.
1Our
social studies assignment was to interview someone who lived during World War II. 2I
picked my great uncle. 3I picked my uncle because he was in the army in Europe. 4He had
amazing stories to share about those years.
Which two of the sentences above should be combined?
A. sentences 1 and 2
B. sentences 2 and 3
C. sentences 3 and 4
D. sentences 4 and 1
3. Use the outline below to answer this question.
Water Pollution
I. Global Warming
A. Definition
B. Effects
1. Rain/floods
2. Drought
II. Acid Rain
A. Definition
B. _________________
1. Kills plants/animals
2. Ruins buildings
Which of the following BEST completes Part II. B. in the above outline?
A. Causes disease
B. Industrial blame
C. Effects
D. Atmosphere
4. If you were looking for general information about insects in order to do a report, which of the
following resources should you use?
A. an almanac
B. a thesaurus
C. a dictionary
D. an encyclopedia
5. Which of the following words would BEST serve as key words to find information about gold
and silver Swiss watches?
A. Swiss watches
B. gold and silver
C. Swiss gold and silver
D. silver Swiss watches
6. What is the BEST way to combine the sentences below?
Robert Frost is one of America's best known poets. Much of his poetry describes nature. His
poems are often set in New England.
A. Robert Frost, one of America's best known poets, describes nature in much of his
poetry and often sets his poems in New England.
B. Even though much of his poetry describes nature, Robert Frost is one of America's
best known poets that often sets his poems in New England.
C. Because his poems are often set in New England; Robert Frost is one of America's
best known poets whose poetry describes nature.
D. With much of his poetry describing nature whose poems are often set in New England,
Robert Frost is one of America's best known poets.
7. Which sentence is unrelated to the topic sentence below?
Books are only a part of what can be found in a modern library.
A. Many libraries contain computers which can be used to locate books and connect to
the Internet.
B. Libraries are usually funded by tax money from the community.
C. People often find video tapes of movies at their local libraries.
D. Libraries often loan out foreign language audio tapes to help those who wish to learn a
second language.
8. Mark is doing a presentation on the layers of the earth. What resource would give him
information on the temperature of the earth's core?
A. dictionary
B. an encyclopedia
C. a world atlas
D. The Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature
9. Use the paragraph below to answer this question.
1Valerie
anxiously approached the podium. 2The entire eighth grade class, more than 400
students, would be present. 3But, if she wanted to be elected to Student Council, this was
something she had to do. 4Arriving at the podium and taking a deep breath, Valerie began her
speech. 5Before she even realized it, Valerie had finished her speech and had carried it off
flawlessly.
Where could the sentence below BEST be placed in the paragraph above?
This would be the first time she had ever spoken in front of a large group.
A. after sentence 1
B. after sentence 3
C. after sentence 4
D. after sentence 5
10. Use the paragraph below to answer this question.
1The
man looked like he came straight out of a mystery novel, playing the part of the determined
detective. 2His brown hat sat atop his head, tilted enough to the side to give him a lopsided look.
3Stained and worn in parts, the trench coat he wore looked like it had seen its share of stake outs
and meals on the go. 4Finally, his boots were the sturdy type that worked for just about any
situation, including chasing a fleeing suspect. 5Considering the outfit he wore, the man would fit
quite well into any "who done it" movie. 6This man, however, was no detective; he was my
Uncle Bob.
Which sentence in the paragraph above begins with a transitional word?
A. sentence 1
B. sentence 2
C. sentence 3
D. sentence 4
11. Andy wants to write a paper about George Washington. Which of the following questions
should probably NOT appear in his research?
A. How did George Washington meet his wife?
B. How did George Washington become the first American President?
C. How did he gain the trust of the people?
D. Why did Washington want to be President?
12. Use the paragraph below to answer this question.
1Slowly,
Ezra made his way up the steep steps. 2With each stair he climbed, Ezra could feel his
confidence swelling. 3He approached the classroom door feeling determined to do well. 4He had
studied hard, motivated by the knowledge that once he passed this test, summer would begin and
his time would be free.
In the paragraph above, after which sentence should the following sentence BEST be added?
Arriving at the top of the stairwell, Ezra turned left.
A. after sentence 1
B. after sentence 2
C. after sentence 3
D. after sentence 4
13. Jane needs to find another word for excitement. What resource would help her the MOST?
A. a dictionary
B. a thesaurus
C. a glossary
D. an index
14. Which of the following would be the BEST concluding sentence for the paragraph below?
Champ stretched out on the rug, sound asleep and totally unaware of what was going on
around him. Suddenly, he began twitching his paws and thumping his tail on the tile floor.
Then he started moving his legs, almost as if he were running while lying down. He emitted
a short yelp, then sat up and gazed around the room, looking a bit confused.
A. I love watching him while he's asleep and listening to the funny noises he makes.
B. I love having Champ as a pet because he is loyal and intelligent.
C. He certainly seemed like a dog who had just awakened from a dream.
D. He has a very distinctive "voice" that I would recognize anywhere.
15. If one wished to describe the sound of a thunderstorm to someone who has never heard one,
which sentence below would be the BEST way to do so?
A. The storm sounded loud.
B. The thunder produced a loud crash, followed by a deep rumble.
C. The thunderstorm made noise that everyone in the house could hear.
D. The storm's lightning was very bright and the thunder was loud.
Answer Key
1. D) hours before noon
2. B) sentences 2 and 3
3. C) Effects
4. D) an encyclopedia
5. A) Swiss watches
6. A) Robert Frost, one of America's best known poets, describes nature in much of his poetry
and often sets his poems in New England.
7. B) Libraries are usually funded by tax money from the community.
8. B) an encyclopedia
9. A) after sentence 1
10. D) sentence 4
11. A) How did George Washington meet his wife?
12. B) after sentence 2
13. B) a thesaurus
14. C) He certainly seemed like a dog who had just awakened from a dream.
15. B) The thunder produced a loud crash, followed by a deep rumble.