C o m m o n C o r e e d i t i o n
4

Ready New York CCLS Practice is a review program for the Common Core
Learning Standards for English Language
Arts. This book has three practice tests. In each practice test, you will answer 51 ELA questions (42 multiple-choice, 7 shortresponse, and 2 extended-response).
Your teacher will explain how you will do the practice tests and record your answers.
Be sure to follow the directions for each practice test. As you complete the practice tests, read the passages and answer the questions carefully. Use the Answer Forms beginning on page 107 to record your answers to the multiple-choice questions.
Remember to fill in the answer bubbles completely. If you change an answer, you must erase your first answer fully. You will write out your answers to the short- and extended-response questions in the book.
While you work on the practice tests, 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.
• Cross out any answer choices that are not reasonable. Then make your choice from the remaining choices.
• Read the question again. Check that your answer makes sense.
Practice Test 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Practice Test 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Practice Test 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Answer Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Photo Credits:
Photo of 5/31/1927-France: View of the crowds in front of
Captain Charles A. Lindbergh’s plane, “Spirit of St. Louis” at the Le Bourget Aerodome on the arrival of Lindy in
France. Copyright © Bettmann/CORBIS.
Passage Credits:
Edwin L. James, “Crowd Roars Thunderous Welcome” from The New York Times , Special Cable to The New
York Times . New York Times (1923-Current file)
[New York, N.Y] 22 May 1927: 1. Copyright © 1927 by The New York Times. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without expressed, written permission is prohibited. http://www
.newyorktimes.com/
Debbie Zappitelli, “How the Chickadee Weathers the
Winter” from Highlights , December 1998. Copyright ©
1998 by Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, OH.
Reprinted with permission.
Pat Betteley, “James the Vine Puller” from Faces , February
2009 issue: Brazil. Copyright © 2009 by Carus Publishing
Company, published by Cobblestone Publishing,
30 Grove Street, Suite C, Peterborough, NH 03458. All rights reserved. Used by permission of the publisher.
(Passage credits continued on the inside back cover)
All third-party content has been permissioned or is in the process of being permissioned.
ISBN 978-0-7609-7886-3
©2013—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: Book 3
Read the passages. Then answer the questions that follow.
from We by Charles A. Lindbergh
Takeoff
1 About 7:40 A.M. the motor was started and at 7:52, I took off on the flight for Paris.
2 The field was a little soft due to the rain during the night and the heavily loaded plane gathered speed very slowly. After passing the halfway mark, however, it was apparent that I would be able to clear the obstructions at the end. I passed over a tractor by about fifteen feet and a telephone line by about twenty, with a fair reserve of flying speed. . . .
3 I turned slightly to the right to avoid some high trees on a hill directly ahead, but by the time I had gone a few hundred yards I had sufficient altitude to clear all obstructions and throttled the engine down to 1750 R.P.M. I took up a compass course at once and soon reached Long Island Sound . . .
Fog and Clouds
4 Darkness set in about 8:15 New York time and a thin, low fog formed over the sea through which the white bergs showed up with surprising clearness. . . .
5 There was no moon and it was very dark. The tops of some of the storm clouds were several thousand feet above me and at one time, when I attempted to fly through one of the larger clouds, sleet started to collect on the plane and I was forced to turn around and get back into clear air immediately and then fly around any clouds which I could not get over.
Is that Ireland?
6 The first indication of my approach to the European Coast was a small fishing boat which I first noticed a few miles ahead and slightly to the south of my course. . . .
7 Less than an hour later a rugged and semi-mountainous coastline appeared to the northeast. I was flying less than two hundred feet from the water when I sighted it. The shore was fairly distinct and not over ten or fifteen miles away. . . .
8 The coastline came down from the north, curved over towards the east. I had very little doubt that it was the southwestern end of Ireland . . .
9 I located Cape Valencia and Dingle Bay, then resumed my compass course towards
Paris.
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Landing
10 The sun went down shortly after passing Cherbourg and soon the beacons along the
Paris-London airway became visible.
11 I first saw the lights of Paris a little before ten P.M., or five P.M., New York time, and a few minutes later I was circling the Eiffel Tower at an altitude of about four thousand feet.
12 The lights of Le Bourget were plainly visible. . . . I flew low over the field once, then circled around into the wind and landed.
Go On
Book 3: Reading/Writing (paired)
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29

by Edwin L. James, excerpt from The New York Times, May 22, 1927
1 A New York Times man was one of the first to reach the machine after its graceful descent to the field. Those first to arrive at the plane had a picture that will live in their minds for the rest of their lives. His cap off, his famous locks falling in disarray around his eyes,
“Lucky Lindy” sat peering out over the rim of the little cockpit of his machine.
2 It was high drama. Picture the scene. Almost if not quite 100,000 people were massed on the east side of Le Bourget air field. Some of them had been there six and seven hours. . . .
3 Suddenly it was 10:16 exactly. Another motor roared over the heads of the crowd. In the sky one caught a glimpse of a white gray plane, and for an instant heard the sound of one.
Then it dimmed, and the idea spread that it was yet another disappointment.
4 Again landing lights glared and almost by the time they had flooded the fieled [field], the gray-white plane had lighted on the far side nearly half a mile from the crowd. It seemed to stop almost as it hit the ground, so gently did it land.
5 And then occurred a scene which almost passed description. Two companies of soldiers with fixed bayonets and the Le Brouget field police, reinforced by Paris agents, had held the crowd in good order. But as the lights showed the plane landing, much as if a picture had been thrown on a moving picture screen, there was a mad rush.
6 The movement of humanity swept over soldiers and by policemen and there was the wild sight of thousands of men and women rushing madly across half a mile of the not too even ground. Soldiers and police tried for one small moment to stem the tide, then they joined it, rushing a[s] madly as anyone else toward the aviator and his plane.
7 The first people to reach the plane were two workman [workmen] of the aviation field and half a dozen Frenchmen. “ Cette fois, ca va!
” they cried (This time, It’s done!)
8 Captain Lindbergh answered: “Well, I made it.”
9 An instant later he was on the shoulders of half a dozen persons who tried to bear him from the field.
30
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The crowd inspects the airplane.
47 Takeoff can be the most difficult part of flying for pilots. In “Lindbergh Flies the Atlantic,” Lindbergh says that he “had sufficient altitude to clear all obstructions.” What obstructions, or objects, did he have to fly over? Use two details from the passage to support your answer.
Write your answer in complete sentences.
Go On
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31

51 Both passages tell the story of Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic. But the passages tell about the event in different ways.
Which passage uses more facts than feelings? Is it the firsthand account,
“Lindbergh Flies the Atlantic”? Or is it the secondhand account, “Lindbergh
Does It!”? Use specific examples from each passage to support your answer.
In your response, be sure to do the following:
• describe the information In “Lindbergh Flies the Atlantic”
• describe the information in “Lindbergh Does It!”
• tell which passage uses more facts than feelings
• use details from both passages in your answer
Write your answer in complete sentences.
Go On
Book 3: Reading/Writing (paired)
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35

Practice Test 2: Book 1
Read the play. Then answer the questions that follow.
Aesop, adapted by Kevin Stone . Plays, The Drama Magazine for Young People
Characters
NARRATOR
WIND
SUN
GRASSHOPPER
FLOWER
MAN
1 NARRATOR: This is the story of the North Wind and the Sun, who were both very strong, and how they decided who was stronger.
2 NORT H WIND (Bragging): Let me tell you something, Sun. No one is stronger than I am! I’m the strongest there is!
3 SUN: Do you have a way to prove that?
4 NORT H WIND (Pointing): Do you see that grasshopper over there?
5 SUN (Looking at GRASSHOPPER): The little green fellow?
6 NORT H WIND: Watch this! (He huffs and puffs. Sound of wind blowing is heard.
GRASSHOPPER exits by executing a series of somersaults until he is off.)
7 NORTH WIND: Ah, the power of breeze!
8 SUN: I admit that you are strong. But there is more strength in the world than just yours.
9 NORT H WIND: Oh, I suppose you think you are stronger?
10 SUN (Pointing to FLOWER): Do you see that little plant over there?
11 NORTH WIND (Looking at FLOWER): The little green fellow?
12 SUN: Watch this. (SUN “shines.” Sound of a harp or other “shining” music is heard.
FLOWER grows and grows and finally “blooms” into a lovely chrysanthemum. SUN smiles.)
13 FLOWER: And not a grasshopper in sight!
Go On
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Book 1: Reading
37

14 NORTH WIND (Blustering): You call that power? She’s still rooted!
15 SUN: Strength is not just tearing things up and tossing them away, Wind.
16 NORTH WIND (Arrogantly): A contest! I challenge you to a contest!
17 SUN (Calmly): Very well. Name your challenge. (MAN enters, wearing coat. He stops to admire FLOWER.)
18 NORTH WIND: You see that man down there?
19 SUN: Yes. The one with the coat.
20 NORTH WIND: Whichever one of us can get his coat off is the winner.
21 SUN: Fine. You go first.
22 NORTH WIND: I come from the top of the world! Watch what North Wind can do!
23 NARRATOR: North Wind huffed and he puffed and he blew with all his might. But the more he blew, the more tightly the Man held to his coat. Branches of trees began to snap and break. Birds were blown backwards. Butterflies zipped by like rainbow bullets. But the
Man did not remove his coat. The windier it got, the more he held on to his coat. Finally, the North Wind gave up. (NORTH WIND stops blowing).
24 SUN: My turn now?
25 NORTH WIND (Panting): Go ahead and try. If I can’t do it, you never will be able to.
(SUN begins to beam.)
26 NARRATOR: The Sun melted through the clouds and softened the cold and wind. The trees stood still. The birds got back on course. The butterflies found their homes. The Man took off his hat and unbuttoned his coat.
27 MAN (As he follows NARRATOR’s cue): Look at that sun!
28 NARRATOR: The Sun shone brightly, filling the world with kindness and warmth. The man was feeling very hot.
29 MAN: Whew! I could use a rest. This is a nice place.
30 NARRATOR: Before he sat down, he took off his coat. (MAN does so, then sits on riser.)
31 NORTH WIND: No!
32 NARR ATOR: And so the contest was over. North Wind moaned for a long time, but he agreed that Sun was stronger.
33 NORTH WIND: You win, Sun. Your power is stronger than mine.
34 SUN: Thank you, Wind.
THE END
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1 Which words from the play best describe Sun’s nature?
A “Let me tell you something,
Sun. No one is stronger than
I am!”
B “Strength is not just tearing things up and tossing them away, Wind.”
C “Fine. You go first.”
D “If I can’t do it, you never will be able to.”
3 Why is the North Wind unable to get the man to take off his coat?
A The wind makes the man feel cold, and he wants to keep his coat on.
B The man is afraid his coat will disappear so he holds it tighter.
C The man is watching the birds blow backwards and forgets about his coat.
D The wind frightens the man, and he tries to hide under his coat.
2 Read the line from the play.
NORTH WIND (Arrogantly): A contest! I challenge you to a contest!
What does the word “challenge” mean in this line?
A dare
B boast
C race
D insist
4 Which words from the play explain why the man sits down?
A “SUN (Calmly): Very well.
Name your challenge. (MAN enters, wearing coat. He stops to admire FLOWER.)”
B “NARRATOR: Before he sat down, he took off his coat.
(MAN does so, then sits on riser.)”
C “NORTH WIND: I come from the top of the world!”
D “MAN: Whew! I could use a rest. This is a nice place.”
Go On
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Book 1: Reading
39

5 What does the use of the Narrator most add to this play?
A The Narrator creates the problem between the North Wind and Sun.
B The Narrator provides a detailed description of the setting of the story.
C The Narrator names the characters and repeats everything they say or do.
D The Narrator describes actions that would be difficult to show on stage.
6 What about “The North Wind and the Sun” most strongly shows that it is a play and not a poem or story?
A The main character faces a problem and solves it.
B The lines are the same length, and many words rhyme.
C The characters’ names come before the words they say.
D The author adapted, or made some changes to, the original.
7 What is the theme of the play?
A Gently encouraging people is sometimes more powerful than bossing them around.
B It is easier to solve a power struggle by fighting than it is with a contest.
C Human beings are no match for the powers of nature, especially when humans are fighting.
D The powers of the wind and sun are different, but equal in their ability to frighten people.
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Practice Test 3: Book 1
Read the passages. Then answer the questions that follow.
by William Furman
1   Imagine living through dust storms so fierce that great piles of dust block your front  door. Dust blows in through the cracks of your home’s closed doors and windows. It coats  every surface with a thick brown film. The dust gets into your nose and throat, making you  cough and sneeze.
2   It sounds like life in a hot, lonely desert. But millions of people experienced dust storms  like these right here in America. The plains of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and New
Mexico were once covered with fields of wheat and corn. Farmers used every inch of land to  plant as much as possible. But in 1931, a great drought hit the United States. The rains that  once fed the crops stopped falling. The dry soil of the plains had been so overworked that there  was nothing to hold it down when the winds came. It simply blew across the plains, now called  the Dust Bowl.
3   Within just one year, there was a great desert in the middle of the United States. Over  the next few years, things just got worse. The dust storms came more and more often, and they  were making people sick. On a single day in 1935, “Black Sunday,” twenty dust storms struck  the Dust Bowl.
4   The country’s new president, Franklin Roosevelt, tried to think of ways to help the  people who lived in the Dust Bowl. But nothing could make crops grow in dusty soil without  rain. Many people abandoned their homes and land. They set out for the West, looking for  new homes and work to do to support their families. Two and a half million migrant people  left the Dust Bowl for California, Oregon, Washington, and other states in the 1930s. But not  everyone in the Western states was happy to see the newcomers. Some people there called the  newcomers “Okies,” since many came from Oklahoma. There were not enough jobs or homes  for everyone. At first, many of the migrant people had to live in camps and handmade shelters.
5   In 1941, the United States began to fight in World War II. This meant that the American  people would need to build planes, tanks, and weapons for the soldiers to use in the war effort.
Although the rains had returned to the Dust Bowl, most of the migrant people stayed in the
Western states where there were plenty of jobs to go around.
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These are diary entries written by someone who actually experienced the dust storms in 1934.
by Ann Marie Low
April 25, 1934, Wednesday
1 Last weekend was the worst dust storm we ever had. We’ve been having quite a bit of blowing dirt every year since the drouth 1 started, not only here, but all over the Great Plains.
Many days this spring the air is just full of dirt coming, literally, for hundreds of miles. It sifts into everything. After we wash the dishes and put them away, so much dust sifts into the cupboards we must wash them again before the next meal. Clothes in the closets are covered with dust.
2 Last weekend no one was taking an automobile out for fear of ruining the motor. I rode
Roany to Frank’s place to return a gear. To find my way I had to ride right beside the fence, scarcely able to see from one fence post to the next.
3 Newspapers say the deaths of many babies and old people are attributed to breathing in so much dirt.
July 6, 1934, Friday
4 I am still herding cows, and it is awfully hot. Where they have eaten every weed and blade of grain, Bud is plowing so the ground will be softened to absorb rain (if it comes). He is very fed up and anxious to get away to school and fit himself for a job.
5 Poor Bud. He has worked so hard and saved so hard. He has done without nice clothes and never went to a dance or movie oftener than about once a year because he was saving every penny for college. He hoped his livestock would pay his way for four years. The price was so low he didn’t sell any last year. This year they are worth less, and he absolutely must sell them because there is not enough feed for them and no money to buy feed. All the stock he has won’t pay his way through one year of college.
6 Grover has already had to ship out more cattle. He wanted me to help him. Roany and I got to Grandma’s by 4:30 A.M. We got the cattle to the stockyards in Pingree by 10:00. Then back to herd cows on the wheat field again.
1 drought
Go On
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81

16 According to “Dust Bowl Migration,” what was the main reason that the soil on farms blew away?
A The plains were once covered with wheat and corn.
B It was so hot that the dry soil could not hold water.
C Twenty dust storms hit the plains on “Black Sunday.”
D The overworked land left nothing to hold the soil down.
17 How is the information in paragraph 2 in “Dust Bowl Migration” presented?
A It gives the problems caused by the dust storms and tells how they were solved.
B It explains the author’s opinion that life has been better since the dust storms.
C It tells what caused the dust storms that blew through the American plains.
D It describes what farming was like before and after the dust storms began.
18 Read these sentences from “Dust Bowl Migration.”
Many people abandoned their homes and land. They set out for the West, looking for new homes and work to do to support their families.
What does “abandoned” mean in the first sentence?
A left
B built
C plowed
D saved
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25 What proof does the author of Dust Bowl Diary give to show that Bud has tried to save money?
A He rides a horse instead of driving.
B He has to sell his livestock for little money.
C He rarely goes to dances or movies.
D He does not feed his animals much food.
26 Which main idea is supported by the details in paragraph 5 of Dust Bowl Diary ?
A During the Dust Bowl years, it was difficult to save the money needed for a better life.
B College became very expensive during the Dust Bowl years.
C During the Dust Bowl years, fancy clothes and dances were less important to people.
D The best way to make money during the Dust Bowl years was to raise cattle.
27 What is different about the kind of information given in “Dust Bowl Migration” and Dust Bowl Diary ?
A Only “Dust Bowl Migration” gives facts.
B Only “Dust Bowl Migration” offers strong opinions.
C Only Dust Bowl Diary describes dust storms.
D Only Dust Bowl Diary shares personal stories.
Go On
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