Grade 8 English Assessment
Grade 8 English Assessment
Grade 8 English Assessment
Except as permitted
under the United States Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced or
distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without
prior permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 978-0-07-890318-2
MHID: 0-07-890318-1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 045 12 11 10 09 08 07
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Unit 1 Assessments
Reading/Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Writing Strategies/Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Unit 2 Assessments
Reading/Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Writing Strategies/Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Unit 3/Semester Assessments
Reading/Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Writing Strategies/Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Writing Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Unit 4 Assessments
Reading/Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Writing Strategies/Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Unit 5 Assessments
Reading/Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Writing Strategies/Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Unit 6/Semester Assessments
Reading/Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Writing Strategies/Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Writing Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Reteach Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
iii
Unit 1 Assessments
Reading/Literature
Vocabulary
Spelling
Writing Strategies/
Conventions
G R A D E
The following is a rough draft of a student’s report, which may contain errors.
4 In the late twentieth century, underwater sleds equipped with cameras and
sonar (sound-wave technology) gave researchers an even clearer window into
the world several miles below the ocean surface. It was a world of strange fish,
eyeless crabs, and other creatures living in complete darkness among a variety
of mineral and volcanic rock formations. Upon seeing this other world, geologists
knew they had traveled a long way from early misconceptions about the seafloor
and realized how much more he or she had to learn.
Ozymandias
By Percy Bysshe Shelley
Wheelchair Rugby
1 You might have heard of rugby, a football-like sport that is popular throughout
the world. In this game, two teams play against each other trying to score points
by crossing a line on a field. Legend has it that the game was invented at Rugby
School in England during the mid-nineteenth century.
2 Rugby is a popular sport, but have you ever heard of quad rugby? Quad rugby
is a sport played by people in wheelchairs. The quad part of the name refers to
quadriplegic, which means the inability to use the arms and legs to some degree.
Players of quad rugby are given a rating based on the extent they can use their
arms and legs. These ratings allow teams to be evenly matched. The sport has
encouraged men and women with disability to compete internationally.
3 The rugby part of the sport’s name refers to the rules of the game. Quad rugby
is played in much the same way as regular rugby. The two opposing teams try
to score points by bringing the ball over their individual end lines. Unlike rugby,
quad rugby is not played on a field, but on a modified basketball court. Also, the
quad rugby team is much smaller. There are only four players from each team on
the court at a time.
4 Three Canadians invented quad rugby in 1977. They introduced quad rugby to
the United States in 1979, and the first team was established in 1981. The game
used to be called murderball because of its rough nature. When it was brought to
the United States, the name was changed to quad rugby. Today there are more
than forty-five national quad rugby teams in the United States and over twenty
B an American invention.
spectator has the same
meaning as C a traditional English pastime.
A player. D a game similar to rugby and
baseball.
B participant.
C viewer.
D referee.
1 Mr. Kravich lived in a small, cramped apartment with two rooms, three
windows, and a view of a parking lot. Mornings were hardest. He hated that
blank space before the day got started, when he lay in bed and wondered what he
would do that day. Silence seemed to enfold him. It took all his effort to get up.
2 The walls were thin. Winter air seeped in from the white sky. He dressed in
front of the electric heater. His arthritic fingers were twisted, making dressing
painful. He fumbled with the buttons of his shirt; he caught a button, lost it, and
caught it again.
3 Breakfast was always the same: a slice of toast, a pat of butter, and a thin
smear of jam. He steeped his tea and sipped it slowly, allowing it to go cold in his
hand. The white kitchen clock above the oven announced the time with bold black
hands.
4 Minnie’s photograph hung in the living room, along with pictures of his two
dogs and his two children. His dogs were dead. Minnie was dead.
5 The children now lived far away. Sometimes days would go by without the
phone’s ringing. Sometimes months would go by when he spoke to no one. Silence
absorbed him, swallowing his words.
9 The first time he heard her playing, he was sitting at the kitchen table, waiting
for the teakettle to boil. The window was open, and her window must have been
open too. He could hear the piano as clearly as if he were inside her room. At first
the notes were soft—gentle and familiar, like the sweep of raindrops pattering
on a rooftop. Then they came faster. Swooping, swarming, streaming—the notes
filled the room with their whirling, restless beauty. He sat motionless, hoping the
music would never stop.
D repetitiveness of Mr.
Kravich’s daily routine.
What does the word fastidious mean? What does the word apprehensive
A mature mean?
B messy A eager
C neat B uneasy
D shrewd C confident
D terrified
On your paper, write the numbers 7–20. Next to each number, write the letter of
the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the underlined word.
Academic Vocabulary
10 to embrace a relative 17 to reside together
A hug C welcome A dwell C work
B invite D resemble B travel D struggle
A Wall of Water
(1) A huge flood nearly destroyed a town in southwestern Pennsylvania
120 years ago. (2) But this disaster wasn’t due just to the weather. (3) Human
greed and carelessness played a part.
(4) Starting on May 30, 1889, it rained hard for two solid days in Johnstown,
a mill town located in a Valley of the Allegheny Mountains. (5) On May 31,
vast amounts of water rushed through the valley. (6) A 36-foot-high wall of
water rolled over Johnstown at 40 miles an hour. (7) It destroyed everything in
its path. (8) More than 2,200 people were killed and thousands more were
injured. (9) The cleanup took five years, and bodies were still being found years
after the flood.
(10) How did this unfortunate event happen? (11) Of course the rain was a
factor. (12) But more important were the fact that the dam of a manmade lake
in the hills 14 miles above the town gave way. (13) The entire lake, over
20 million tons of water, rushed through the breach. (14) The water couldn’t
spread out because it was guided through a narrow mountain pass.
(15) The dam was part of a private resort that was run by some of the
richest most powerful men in the United States. (16) During the ten years they
owned the club, they did little maintenance work on the South Fork Dam.
(17) At 72 feet high and 900-plus feet across it was one of the largest dams in
the world. (18) However, the resort owners weakened the dam by cutting its
height so there was room for two carriages to pass each other driving across its
top. (19) They failed to strengthen the dam’s center, as their own engineer had
recommended. (20) They ignored the fears of the townsfolk, who were mostly
immigrant millworkers who earned less than $10 a week doing hard, dangerous
work.
(21) All of the club members survived the flood. (22) About one-fifth of the
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
residents of Johnstown perished. (23) Many more died in later weeks. (24) They
had typhoid. (25) Typhoid spreads due to crowded conditions and lack of
sanitation.
1 Which sentence could best be added 4 Read this sentence from the report.
at the beginning of the report to
attract the reader’s attention? (10) How did this unfortunate
A No one expected it. event happen?
B You wouldn’t think water could
How should Jamal change the
cause big problems.
underlined words to make
C Have you ever been caught in a the sentence the most dramatic?
flood?
A accident
D We hear a lot about extreme
B tragedy
weather events these days, but
they’ve been happening forever. C mistake
D occurrence
The following is a rough draft of Leslie’s report, which may contain errors.
16 How could the phrase “with an 19 Which sentence could best be added
enclosed rainforest” best be placed in at the end of the report for a stronger
sentence 17 to describe the viewing conclusion?
center? A Saving raptors is the least we can
A With an enclosed rainforest, the do since their ailments are often
Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka has our fault.
a huge viewing center. B Raptors that aren’t ready to catch
B The Alaska Raptor Center, with their own food on the run won’t
an enclosed rainforest in Sitka, live long when released into the
has a huge viewing center. wild.
C The Alaska Raptor Center in C I was watching a turkey vulture
Sitka, with an enclosed rainforest, fly just yesterday. Its wingspan
has a huge viewing center. was enormous.
D The Alaska Raptor Center in D Saving raptors is good for the
Sitka has a huge viewing center birds, the environment, and the
with an enclosed rainforest. humans involved.
17 How should the underlined word in 20 Which sentence would be the best
sentence 18 be written? thesis statement for the report?
A there A There are a lot of things that can
B they’re go wrong for a raptor; life is
C theyre’
dangerous for both predators and
prey.
D Leave as is.
B We can and should care for
injured birds until they’re well
18 How should the underlined part of enough to survive in the wild.
sentence 23 be rewritten to show C You should never feed hamburger
more clearly the relationship between to birds of prey.
the two clauses? D Several species of raptors are
1 Getting rid of household dirt and grime is a lot easier with the Turbo-Duster
38A-X! The Turbo Duster is able to deep-clean multiple surfaces in your home. It
has three different base settings, including:
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automatically adjust its speed and suction to meet your personal home flooring
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3 Other features of the Turbo-Duster 38A-X include its lightweight plastic frame,
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filter, and an extendable hose with four different attachments.
5 The Turbo-Duster 38A-X is on sale for only $39.99, and it comes with a 3-year
full warranty. Order one today!
Spring Cleaning
1 We were all sitting around the breakfast table when my mother said, “Today is
spring cleaning day.” All four of us kids froze like flies in a spider web. My father
just continued to butter his toast. “I’ve made a list for each of you,” my mother
said, handing us each a piece of paper. “It shouldn’t take more than a few hours
to finish your tasks.”
2 Emil was the first one to complain. “I don’t see why I have to clean the windows
and put in the screens,” he whined. “After all, I don’t care if they’re clean, and
who cares about bugs anyway?”
5 “You know,” said Julian, “waxing furniture is really hard work. Couldn’t I just
dust it?” He smiled hopefully.
6 Finally, my mother turned to me and said, “Well, what’s wrong with your job,
David?”
7 I looked at my list, and replied, “Well, I don’t really use the deck furniture, so I
don’t see why I have to clean it.”
8 “You were out there all last summer, trying to get a tan,” Emil said. “Don’t you
10 No one said anything. Finally my father cleared his throat, breaking the
silence.
11 “Well, my job is to clean the garage. I don’t ever use five bicycles at once,” he
began to say as he scanned his list. “In fact, if I really think about it, I don’t use
most of the things in the garage at all. I honestly can’t remember the last time
I threw a football, dribbled a basketball, or kicked a soccer ball. But,” then he
looked at all of us, “I guess I’m going to clean the garage anyway. I think that will
take less time than if I went around and looked for things that only I use.”
12 He took a last bite of his toast. Then he headed out to the garage to begin
cleaning.
16 “It sure was,” said Mom. “We all got a lot done—together.”
announcement.
get a lot done—together.
C suddenly got very cold.
D were angry with their mother.
Document A
Our mission is to raise $3,000 for travel, food, and hotel expenses.
Bombshell Brownies
(12 pc/box) $6.95 per box
Fabulous Fudge
(16 pc/box) $7.25 per box
Note: All items are delivered frozen. They may be kept in the freezer for up to
three months. Baking time for pizza is approximately 12 to 15 minutes. These
items are so delicious, they will sell themselves.
Money should be collected when the order is taken. Customers should make
checks payable to The Big Apple Band Fund. Order forms are included in
Additional information and color brochures for each product are included in
the sales packet. Contact Barbara Samms, our parent coordinator, at
987-654-3210 for more details.
Do you want to come with us to New York and watch the Saint Patrick’s Day
Parade? Do you want to win a prize to go with your trip? Become one of the
sellers for the Big Apple Band Fund!
Sell 1–3 items: WIN one entry in the $300 cash raffle.
Sell 4–8 items: WIN one entry in the raffle and a Big Apple Band baseball cap.
Sell 9–12 items: WIN two entries in the raffle, a Big Apple Band baseball cap, and
a gym bag.
Sell more than 12 items: WIN five entries in the raffle, a Big Apple Band baseball
cap, a gym bag, and a portable CD player.
Money should be collected when the order is taken. Customers should make
checks payable to The Big Apple Band Fund. Order forms are included in
each packet. Please provide totals for items sold and include the totals on
the tally form that is provided. All orders are due by Tuesday, January 5.
No orders will be accepted after that date. No exceptions will be made.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
3 When designing a piece of diamond jewelry, the jeweler sets the stone to show
off its beauty and to accentuate its ability to reflect light. To approximate the
value of a diamond, its weight (in carats), clarity, and color are all determined.
How the diamond has been cut also affects its value. These characteristics are
known as the four Cs: carat, clarity, color, and cut. Only after all of these qualities
have been assessed can the true value of a diamond be determined.
1. Download the Zanger X game from the Zanger X Web site by clicking on the
Download icon on the upper corner of the homepage. Downloading is free.
2. First, choose your character type. There are five character types. A magic
user, a healer, a warrior, an archer, and a rider. Each character has its own
strengths and weaknesses. Click on the one you want. If you want to learn
more about each character’s abilities, click on the Character Profile link.
3. After choosing your character type, pick a name for that character. Fill in the
indicated items in the Profile Chart for your character.
4. After saving the information about your character, click on the Character
Skills Set tab. Each startup character has a default 150 skill points. Type in
the desired number of skill points on each Skill Bracket. There are three main
attributes: Speed, Strength, and Magic. The more skill points in each bracket,
6. Log on to play Zanger X. Help us battle the Galvarocks and save Princess
Xandra!
character.
D fill in the items on his or her
character’s Profile Chart.
On a separate sheet of paper, write the numbers 1–6. Next to each number, write
the letter of the correct answer for that question.
1 Read this sentence. 4 Read this sentence.
Hector Ortiz, a scientist famous Jiao was glad to find several
for his work in pathology, was pleasant hospices during her
interviewed on the radio this travels.
morning.
The word hospice contains a Latin
The word pathology contains a Greek root that tells you that Jiao found
root that tells you that Hector Ortiz A beaches.
probably studies B scenic views.
A plant life.
C means of transportation.
B medicine.
D places that provide lodging.
C rocks and minerals.
D space exploration.
5 Which of the following pairs of
words are antonyms?
2 Which of the following words A large, huge
contains a Greek prefix that means B threw, through
“together”?
C begin, conclude
A exchange
D accidental, unfortunate
B admission
C symphony
D automatic 6 Read this sentence.
Lauren could never have guessed
3 Read this sentence. that she could go from sorrowful
to euphoric in such a short time.
Anita did a really conscientious
A fast D miserable
B poor
C average
D thorough
C pleasantly
D excitedly
16 if they vexed you
11 to see a horde A scolded
A mob B tricked
B team C irritated
C display D shocked
D small group
I have the impression that musicians There were eight horses in the feild,
will play for the celebratian, but and one of them neighed as our
maybe I’m envisioning it as fancier sleigh went by.
than it will be.
Which underlined word is spelled
Which underlined word is spelled incorrectly?
incorrectly? A eight C neighed
A impression C celebratian B feild D sleigh
B musicians D envisioning
Dear Kyra,
(1) I just got back from our family vacation. (2) Remember I told you we
were going to a national park in Michigan? (3) Well, it’s a place I’ll bet you
never heard of. (4) It’s a remote Island in Lake Superior called Isle Royale.
(5) We drove to Houghton which is in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. (6) Then
we took a six-hour boat trip across the lake. (7) The boat docked at Rock
Harbor. (8) As soon as we left the boat, we headed west on the trail to Three
Mile, which is three full miles from Rock Harbor. (9) That had sounded like an
easy trek when we planned the trip. (10) You know how much my brother and I
walk. (11) It turns out, however, that hiking the rocky, up-and-down trails of
Isle Royale is a lot harder than walking the sidewalks of Chicago.
(12) When we arrived at Three Mile, we were all exhausted, starving, and
felt cold. (13) Mom got out the cookstove and heated soup right away. (14) We
all helped set up the tent, and crawled into our sleeping bags early. (15) I just
had time to notice billions of stars before I fell asleep.
(16) Our goal was Lake Ritchie, five miles away. (17) While on the trail, we
were stunned to come across a moose. (18) It was almost as big as a car! (19)
The ranger on the boat had informed us that moose isn’t hostile, but they have
very bad eyesight. (20) She told us to leave the trail if we saw a moose. (21)
Otherwise, it could stumble into us and crush us. (22) This particular moose,
though, quietly chewed leaves as we passed around it. (23) What a relief!
(24) It took us all day, but we finally reached Lake Ritchie. (25) I was so hot
that I wanted to jump into the water. (26) I didn’t. (27) I remembered that some
lakes have leeches. (28) I just splashed some water on myself instead.
(29) I have more to tell you, but I have to go now. (30) I’ll call you this
weekend.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Love,
Rachel
1 The best way for Rachel to improve 4 The best way to provide a better
this letter would be to transition between paragraphs 2 and
A focus on the boat ride. 3 would be to add which of these
B tell it from her brother’s point of
words?
view. A Later,
C provide more details about her B The next morning,
family. C Eventually,
D include a map of the island. D However,
2 Read these sentences from the letter. 5 How should the underlined part of
sentence 12 be rewritten to create a
(2) Remember I told you we were parallel structure?
going to a national park in A tired, hungry, and felt cold
Michigan? (3) Well, it’s a place I’ll
B exhausted, we were starving, and
bet you never heard of. (4) It’s a
remote Island in Lake Superior we felt cold
called Isle Royale. C exhausted, starving, and cold
D exhausted, starved, and felt cold
Which underlined word from the
sentences should not be capitalized?
6 Read this sentence from the letter.
A Michigan
B Island (14) We all helped set up the tent,
C Lake and crawled into our sleeping bags
D Superior early.
The following is a rough draft of a student’s report, which may contain errors.
sentence 10 be rewritten?
B A supporter of the sketchers said,
A they are “whatever the sight, whatever the
B there object, the Artist must submit to
C their the first impression.”
D Leave as is. C A supporter of the sketchers said,
“Whatever the sight, whatever the
object, the Artist must submit to
the first impression.”
D A supporter of the sketchers said,
“Whatever the sight, whatever the
object, the artist must submit to
the first impression.”
17 Read this sentence from the report. 19 Which sentence would be the best
thesis statement for the report?
(24) He meant it as an insult, and A Realistic paintings fell out of favor
they liked the label. once photography was invented.
B First impressions are usually more
In this sentence, and does not
accurate than later ones.
correctly link ideas. Which of these
should be used instead? C New styles of art can be difficult
to appreciate, but given time, they
A but
often outshine older styles.
B so
D Paintings of the sea are more
C yet interesting than scenes from
D therefore Napoleon’s battles.
18 How should sentence 27 be rewritten 20 Which of these would make the best
to reflect the use of correct grammar? concluding sentence to the report?
A Hardly anyone today has heard of A I don’t like Impressionist painting
Meissonier, yet paintings by very much personally.
Impressionists like Monet, Manet, B Today the sketchers are far more
and Cezanne sell for millions of popular than the finishers.
dollars.
C Today paintings of flowers are far
B Few people today has heard of more popular than paintings of
Meissonier, yet paintings by horses.
Impressionists like Monet, Manet,
D Abstract Expressionist paintings
and Cezanne sell for millions of
are very popular today too.
dollars.
C Almost no one today have heard
of Meissonier, yet paintings by
Impressionists like Monet, Manet,
and Cezanne sell for millions of
The following is a rough draft of the directions that Marcy wrote to teach her
little brother how to build a kite. It contains errors.
Materials
straws
Instructions
1 Cut away one-third of one straw. You will be using the larger piece of straw for
the kite, so you can toss the smaller piece.
2 To make the frame for your kite, tape the larger piece of straw to another full-
length straw. The cut piece of straw should be placed about one-third of the way
from the top of the full-length straw. The straws should be perpendicular to each
other.
3 Moving from point to point along the outside of the kite frame, tape pieces of
thread so that the frame is outlined with thread.
4 Place a piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface and put the frame on top of it.
6 Now it is time to make the tail. Attach a piece of paper that is long (at least
twice the length of the kite frame) and wide (at least three inches) to the bottom
of your kite.
7 Make a tiny opening in the plastic wrap at the point where the two straws
meet. Put the loose end of the roll of string through the hole and attached it
firmly to the kite frame.
8 Now it is time to fly your kite! You may want to do some research on the
Internet to locate nearby parks with lots of clear space for kite flying. You can
even use a search engine to find local people who enjoy flying kites, too. Maybe
you’ll start a kite-flying club!
A throw
B discard
C use
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
D deposit
Read the following two selections. Think about how they are alike and how
they are different.
D They both are lovers of the A the awe she feels when
natural world. watching birds in flight.
B the hunger with which the
bird eats the crumb.
15 Read the following stanza from C a nearby birdbath in which
“A Bird came down the Walk—.” the bird lands.
D the gentleness with which the
He glanced with rapid eyes bird flies away.
That hurried all around—
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
1 There is only one place where all the games are the best, and all the best games
are found.
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June 3, 2007
Meredith Cooper
Scholarship Committee Chair
St. Theresa’s College
Lois currently has the highest grade point average at our school. However, I
also realize that you are interested in more than just grades. According to the
information Lois gave me, you are looking for “students who demonstrate a desire
to take on leadership roles in activities outside of the classroom.” Lois is a leader
of several different organizations at our school. She has been the Editor-in-Chief
of The Beacon, our school newspaper, for the past three years; the president of the
Burrows Book Club; and the secretary of the Science Enthusiasts’ Club.
Lois also held the position of Vice-Chairperson in the Student Government during
her senior year. She spearheaded many outreach projects in the community.
I believe that Lois will be a deserving recipient of your scholarship and a wonderful
addition to your student body.
Sincerely,
Linda Chang
School Principal
Burrows High School
On a separate sheet of paper, write the numbers 1–6. Next to each number, write
the letter of the correct answer for that question.
1 Read this sentence. 4 Read this sentence.
George Washington was honest; Do you have a bag, basket, box,
he had courage. In other words, or any other kind of receptacle
he had character. I could use for the loose items
I need to take with me?
In which sentence does the word
character have the same meaning as What does the word receptacle
in the sentence above? mean?
A Felicia will play a character A list
named Miss Josie Fandango. B assistant
B Each character in Cherokee C container
writing represents a syllable. D illustration
C We hope to find a person of great
character to run the company.
D That man who shops in his 5 Read this sentence.
swimsuit is, a character. We’ll meet at the park, but we
can’t have an actual practice until
a field is free.
2 Read this sentence.
The marching band will never In this sentence, the word free means
have uniforms unless we can raise A available.
the needed funds. B independent.
C clear of obstacles.
Which word can best replace the
D not subject to rules.
word raise without changing the
meaning of the sentence?
D determined
A shyly A fear
B wordlessly B worry
C confidently C urge
D contentedly D pain
ovens, and toothbrushes. (22) More people chose the toothbrush than any
other invention. (23) So take advantage of this great thing every day. (24) And
call our office soon for a checkup: (724) 555-9867.
Cordially,
Amitra Patel, D.D.S.
1 The best way to improve this letter 3 What is the best way to combine
would be to sentences 6 and 7 without changing
A describe what happened to their meaning?
someone who failed to brush. A Good oral hygiene protects you
B talk more about dentistry in from loss of teeth and gum
ancient Egypt. disease; it also protects you
C add photos of diseased teeth.
against heart disease and diabetes.
B Good oral hygiene protects you
D include testimonials from
from loss of teeth and gum
satisfied customers.
disease, not to mention heart
disease and diabetes.
2 Which sentence could best be added C Good oral hygiene protects you
at the end of the first paragraph to from loss of teeth gum disease,
aid in reader identification? heart disease, and diabetes.
A It doesn’t hurt very much, D You are protected from loss of
especially if you’ve been flossing teeth and gum disease, not to
regularly. mention heart disease and
B I recommend that you purchase diabetes, by good oral hygiene.
dental insurance in case we find
a cavity.
4 Which of these sentences could best
C You know how great it feels to be added at the end of paragraph 2?
have gleaming, polished teeth.
A According to the American
D We’re conveniently located just Dental Association, good oral
off freeway Exit 9, only ten hygiene can actually help you
minutes from downtown. live longer.
B My cousin Stanley says that he
feels much better since he started
brushing and flossing regularly.
C According to a historian, we are
The following is a rough draft of a student’s report, which may contain errors.
Making Memories
(1) Where do your memories come from? (2) Where do they go?
(3) Powerful new imaging machines let scientists pinpoint which brain
regions become active when people perform certain tasks. (4) One type of brain
scan, called a PET scan, shows blood flow. (5) When test subjects are asked to
remember something, a brain structure called the hippocampus receives the
most blood. (6) If someone’s hippocampus is injured, they can’t form new
memories, but he can still access old ones.
(7) Nerve cells in the brain are called neurons. (8) They have branches called
axons and dendrites. (9) Axons send information away from the cell body, and
dendrites bring information to the cell body. (10) Information flows from one
neuron to another across a synapse which is a small gap between neurons.
(11) Over the first few years of a person’s life, the brain grows rapidly.
(12) As each neuron develops, it sends out many axons; dendrites are sent out
too. (13) The adult brain contains about 100 billion neurons and a million
billion synapses. (14) Because it weighs only three or four pounds, the human
brain is the most complex structure in the universe.
(15) Newly learned information is saved as a short-term memory.
(16) Short-term memories are stored in the cerebral cortex. (17) That’s the
wrinkly outer rim of gray matter that covers the brain.
(18) After a few weeks, some information is moved into long-term memory,
which is in the synapses of the hippocampus. (19) Remembering the birthday
party when you turned seven activates a unique pattern of synapses.
(20) Remembering what your mother said about your most recent report card
activates a different pattern. (21) The hippocampus holds long-term memories
for several weeks. (22) After processing them, back to the cortex it sends them.
(23) They may stay in the cortex for the rest of your life as long as you think
memories, but the person can 15 Read this sentence from the report.
still access old ones.
(14) Because it weighs only three or
D If someone’s hippocampus is
four pounds, the human brain is
injured, he can’t form new
the most complex structure in the
memories, but they can still
universe.
access old ones.
In this sentence, the word Because
does not correctly link ideas. Which
of these should be used instead?
A In fact, C However,
B Although D Since
16 Read this sentence from the report. 19 Which statement best represents the
controlling idea of the report?
(22) After processing them, back to A The human brain is the most
the cortex it sends them. complex structure in the universe.
B Brain scans show that memories
What is the best way to rewrite this
are formed in the hippocampus
sentence?
and stored in the cerebral cortex.
A After processing them, it sends
C Scientists have figured out how
them back to the cortex.
the human brain creates and
B After processing them, back it stores memories.
sends them to the cortex.
D Everything you remember and
C After processing, back it sends everything you know fits inside
them to the cortex. your brain.
D Back to the cortex it sends them
after processing them.
20 Where is the best place to look for
more information on how the brain
17 How is the overall organization of forms memories?
the report best described? A the Neuroscience for Kids Web
A order of importance site
B comparison/contrast B an article called “Brain Chemistry
C step-by-step process and Mental Illness”
D main idea and supporting details C an essay in which where the
author remembers his childhood
D a Web site for people with brain
18 Which quotation would best support
injuries
the thesis of the report?
A “I’d like to learn how to improve
my memory and make studying
easier and less time consuming,”
They worked and toiled and laid the track from the Midwest to the sea.
Hot beneath the watchful eye
Of blazing sun in massive sky
Across a land of awesome size,
10 They carved the path that still provides a ride for you and me.
Chicago is its daily home for each start on the westward climb.
From there its fast momentum gains.
Through Illinois and Wisconsin’s grains,
25 Montana’s line calls stops the most, twelve stations play host to the train,
But Idaho demands its time,
A midnight train that soon arrives,
And leaves again with crash and grind
Of brakes that scream about the time and send it on Washington way.
10 The main theme of this poem 11 Read these lines from “The
deals with the Ballad of the Empire Builder.”
A power of technology.
The railroad men, they
B beauty of nature
dreamed at night of forests
C importance of a schedule. tall and green
D fame of a train. And mountains rising to the
sky
And mighty plains spread far
and wide
And steel rails running out of
sight
To carry rolling silver trains
away to lands unseen.
2 At Vegan Pizza Shop, all of our food choices are 100% vegan-approved and
all of our ingredients are certified organically grown. We’re especially proud
of our Cheez. It is completely nondairy and is made from vegetable oil. It
tastes as delicious as traditional cheese!
4 Extra-Cheez Pizza: Yes, we’ve finally done it! We’ve made vegan cheese
that actually tastes like cheese without using any dairy products! This pizza
is loaded with our delicious Cheez. Small: $7.95, Medium: $9.95, Large:
$11.95.
5 SuperVeggie Pizza: If you’re nuts for vegetables, this pizza is for you. It
features healthy chunks of tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, green peppers, red
peppers, onions, and zucchini. Of course, it includes our spicy tomato sauce
and plenty of Cheez. Small: $8.95, Medium: $10.95, Large: $12.95.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
6 Cheezy BreadStix: Just want a quick vegan snack? Try our delicious pizza
dough, cut into strips, and smothered in spices and our tasty Cheez. Small:
$2.95, Large: $4.95.
7 Tofu Yum-yum: You’ve been good, so you deserve dessert! This tofu will
make you forget about “real” ice cream. You can choose from chocolate,
strawberry, or vanilla. Or splurge and add hot fudge or caramel topping.
Yum! One scoop: $1.95, Two scoops: $3.50. Add $1.00 for each topping.
8 Come down and check us out! We’re on the corner of Fifth Avenue and
Sumner Road, just across the street from Kerry’s Bowlorama. From the
Interstate, take Exit 24 and turn left onto Sumner Road. Proceed seven
blocks, and we’re on the right. There’s free parking in back. Say Cheez!
Document B
2 You must have your skills checked before you can “rope in” and before you
can spot someone else. If you are a beginning climber, we have plenty of
instructors who will be happy to work with you.
3 We have harnesses available for rent. You can only use your own harness if
it has been checked and proved to be safe.
Beavers
1 When beavers dive into the water, there are folds of skin that close off their
nostrils and their short, rounded ears. A beaver’s eyes are protected by a
film-like covering that keeps water out. The beaver’s lips close behind its
strong front teeth to block water from its mouth and lungs.
2 The beaver has other things that help it: an oil in its fur that lets it shed
water; an inner coat of fur that keeps water from reaching its skin; large,
webbed hind feet; and a large, paddle-like tail.
3 Beavers form colonies. These groups include a mix of older and younger
beavers. They build dome-shaped lodges that are like little islands. Each
lodge is made of branches plastered with mud. Up to eight beavers may live
in it. These hardworking beaver families are mainly nocturnal. At night,
they use their strong teeth to cut down trees that they use to build lodges.
4 The beavers also feed on the buds, leaves, and twigs of trees. Their favorites
are willows and aspens. Beavers cut the trees into small lengths. Then they
drag the smallest parts to their lodges. In the summer months, they eat
the soft parts of trees and shrubs. But they store the woody parts in their
lodges. When the water freezes, beavers cannot break through the ice to get
fresh branches. So during the winter, they eat the woody parts that they
stored in the summer.
Dearest Elizabeth,
Remember the time when you said that you were sure I was going to make a
good doctor? Remember when I first played with Dad’s stethoscope and listened
to your heart beat? My dream of being a doctor has been a castle in the air that
I have wanted for a long time.
You see, I am beginning to believe that I no longer want what I have always
wanted. After studying in Istanbul this summer, I have found a new passion. I
like meeting new people and learning about new cultures. I like trying different
foods and learning about customs we never grew up with. I bought a camera
and have used it a lot. I take pictures of everything now, from the time I get up
in the morning until late at night before I go to sleep. This has excited me a lot.
Liz, I am thinking of becoming a photographer. Do you think I should abandon
my old dream?
Patrick
Unit 4
1 Test Vocabulary 8
On a separate sheet of paper, write the numbers 1–6. Next to each number, write
the letter of the correct answer for that question.
1 Read this sentence. 4 Read this sentence.
If you’re flattering Ms. Webster Cherise is such a great singer that
in an effort to get on her good people are always telling her she can
side, you’re wasting your time forget about school because she’ll be
because that kind of thing cuts no a rock star in no time, but that girl
ice with her. really has her feet on the ground.
In this sentence, what is the meaning In this sentence, what is the meaning
of the underlined phrase? of the underlined phrase?
A is clumsy. A is sensible and practical
B gets her approval. B has too little faith in herself
C gives her a chance to reply. C knows who can be helpful to her
D has no effect or influence on her. D pays no attention to what others
say
On your paper, write the numbers 7–20. Next to each number, write the letter of
the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the underlined word.
Academic Vocabulary
10 an unusual gait 17 to go voluntarily
A entrance C way of talking A quickly C repeatedly
B problem D way of moving B willingly D immediately
1 What sentence could best be added at 3 What is the correct way to write
the end of the first paragraph to sentence 9?
attract reader attention? A She spent her long life helping
A She also worked closely with people of all races and classes
W. E. B. DuBois. fight for their rights.
B She was a talented and B Fighting for their rights, she
experienced organizer. spent her long life helping people
C Her story is the story of the of all races and classes
social justice movement. C She helped fight for their rights,
D Her story is very interesting, I people of all races and classes, all
think you’ll find. her long life
D She spent her long life helping
people of all races and classes,
2 Read this sentence from the report. fighting for their rights.
(5) Baker, who was born in 1903,
acquired her interest in social 4 Which underlined word in sentences
justice early. 10 and 11 should not be capitalized?
A Shaw
Given the content of paragraph 2,
B University
what is the most precise way to
rewrite this sentence? C Valedictorian
A Baker, who was born in 1903, D City
acquired her concern for social
justice early. 5 Read this sentence from the report.
B Baker, who was born in 1903,
acquired her fondness for social (15) She traveled throughout the
justice early. country recruiting members,
C Baker, who was born in 1903, raising money, and being an
acquired her thing for social organizer of local political
12 Which sentence could best be added 14 Which of these sentences could best
at the end of paragraph 2 to interest be added at the end of paragraph 3?
readers? A That includes people who are
A Harnessing wind is a much unemployed and/or are high-
cleaner way to generate energy school dropouts
than mining and burning coal. B That includes people who have
B All of these steps would reduce served time in jail and are now
both global warming and our trying to rebuild their lives.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
15 Read this sentence from the essay. 18 What is the most effective
replacement for the underlined
(12) And blue collar means words in sentence 21?
manufacturing jobs which have A worry about the environment
declined in number.
B do something
Where should a comma be added to C go green
sentence 12? D take steps to help the planet
A after collar
B after means 19 Which quotation would best be added
C after jobs at the end of the essay?
D after declined A “We have to look very carefully at
the budget before we fund these
jobs,” says one senator.
16 How should the underlined part of
B “Solar panels will be both fun and
sentence 17 be rewritten to create a
challenging to build,” says Van
parallel structure?
Jones.
A bad air, water that’s toxic, and bad
C “I’d rather work with my hands
food
than study,” says one applicant for
B bad air, bad water, and bad food a green job.
C air, water, and food that are bad D “Green jobs are exactly what the
D polluted air, water, and bad food world needs now,” says one
climate scientist.
17 How should sentence 20 be rewritten
to reflect the correct use of 20 Which sentence would be the best
punctuation and capitalization? thesis statement for the essay?
A “If you install solar panels, for A A green-job corps would help the
example, they have to catch the neediest workers and the
sun shining on the U.S.” he says. environment.
Read the following poems. Think about how they are alike and how they are
different.
Chicago Poet
By Carl Sandburg
I saluted a nobody.
I saw him in a looking-glass.
He smiled—so did I.
He crumpled the skin on his forehead,
5 Frowning—so did I.
Everything I did he did.
I said “Hello, I know you.”
And I was a liar to say so.
Hip-Hop—Should It Stop?
3 Hip-hop music can be controversial. Many people dislike and even protest
against hip-hop music for its sometimes violent or hateful content. Other hip-hop
artists strive to make music that is not negative or hateful. Their songs promote
community, love, and self-esteem. However, to some people, the bad apples
give the whole genre a bad name. As a result, hip-hop music is banned in many
schools.
1 “And who are you?” Dub Steele asked the younger of his two visitors.
2 “No one,” Soon-Yi answered, with a quiver in her voice. She wondered why her
mother had decided to introduce them to their new neighbor.
3 “Absurd!” Dub responded. “I can see you standing right there. You can’t be no
one. You have to be someone!”
4 Soon-Yi had no idea what to make of the man with his clothing caked in clay.
Even his eyebrows had flecks of clay in them. She shrugged.
5 “The question is, what is your name? Where do you come from?”
6 Soon-Yi caught the smallest glimpse of a twinkle in Dub’s eye. “That’s two
questions,” she replied.
7 Soon-Yi had never seen a mouth so wide open. The laugh that burst out of it
was impossible to ignore. Soon-Yi found herself smiling in return.
8 “Sharp answer, my dear!” Dub was old, maybe older than 70, Soon-Yi thought.
But his arms were strong, no matter how gray his hair might be. Dub was a
potter. In the weeks since Soon-Yi’s family had moved to the neighborhood, she
had seen him in his shed at all hours of the day and night. “You’re new around
here,” Dub declared.
10 “Made any friends yet?” Dub asked. Soon-Yi shook her head. “Well, you have
now!” Dub bellowed. “How would you like to throw some clay?”
11 Soon-Yi looked up at her mother, who smiled and nodded. “I’d love to!” Soon-Yi
replied.
12 “Then go get some ratty clothes on. I’ll be here all day!”
13 Soon-Yi left with her first good, hopeful feeling since her family’s move.
What are you waiting for? Sign up now at the Customer Service area and
our staff will gladly assist you. See you there!
Unit 5
1 Test Vocabulary 8
On a separate sheet of paper, write the numbers 1–6. Next to each number, write
the letter of the correct answer for that question.
1 Read this sentence. 4 Read this sentence.
I need straight talk from you Aunt Fiona would dart into a room,
because I have to know if you really dash around, and be gone, like a
think I should try out for the play little brown bird with a nest full of
or if I’m just not good enough yet. hungry chicks awaiting her return.
Which meaning of straight, from the This description suggests all of the
dictionary, is used in this sentence? following about Fiona except that
A not curved; unbending she is
B not changed or modified A busy. C small.
C in the proper order or condition B strong. D quick.
D direct; without holding back
5 Read this sentence.
2 Read this sentence. The cost of a new car was one
As the youngest child, I found consideration, but where we could
that my family tended to dismiss find a place to park it was another
my ideas without even listening that seemed just as important.
to them, which always upset me
and seemed terribly unfair. Which meaning of consideration,
from the dictionary, is used in this
Which meaning of dismiss, from the sentence?
dictionary, is used in this sentence? A serious and careful thought
A to cause or permit to leave B kindly thoughtfulness for others
B to end the employment of; fire C a fee, payment, wage, or reward
C to reject any serious D something kept in mind in
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
On your paper, write the numbers 7–20. Next to each number, write the letter of
the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the underlined word.
Academic Vocabulary
10 as the daylight ebbed 17 to visualize a situation
A grew C returned A create C remember
B faded D entered B picture D describe
they did, the Nature Conservancy released maps of the sensitive underground
places. (23) The maps are accessible online. (24) Potential homebuyers,
builders, and local governments can use them to avoid damaging the karst
habitat. (25) Some property owners whose land is above caverns have donated
the land to conservation groups to help protect the various species that live in
the karst.
1 The best way to improve this report 3 Read this sentence from the report.
would be to
A include quotes from people with (11) To protect them conservation-
sinkholes in their yards ists have worked to keep the caves’
locations a secret.
B remove the definitions of karst
and ecosystem
Where should a comma be added to
C add a concluding sentence about the sentence?
sharing the caverns’ locations
A after them
D add a detailed description of what
B after them and worked
the Ozark cavefish looks like
C after worked
D after locations
2 How should sentence 5 be rewritten
to reflect the use of correct
grammar? 4 How should sentence 12 be changed
A The karst ecosystem of the Ozark to maintain a consistent point of
Highlands are home to more view?
than 100 rare species of animals A Change We to They.
and plants, many of which are B Change didn’t to won’t.
found nowhere else. C Change these to them.
B The karst ecosystem of the Ozark D Change species to specieses.
Highlands is home to more than
100 rare species of animals and
plants, many of which are found 5 Read this sentence from the report.
nowhere else.
C The karst ecosystem of the Ozark (12) We didn’t want people
Highlands are home to more damaging these unique species.
than 100 rare species of animals
and plants, many of which is
What is the most descriptive
found nowhere else.
replacement for the underlined word
The following is a rough draft of Lillian’s letter to the school board. It contains errors.
Dear Laurel Mountain School Board:
(1) I’m writing to urge you not to eliminate music classes in the schools. (2)
I know some people believe that music classes are unimportant frills. (3) But
there is much proof that they’re as important as reading, math, and science. (4)
The National Association of Music Education has found that music class has
numerous benefits to students.
(5) Study after study shows that music makes kids smarter. (6) One study
showed that students’ IQs increased after they took music classes. (7) Another
used brain scans to show that kids who played an instrument had more
focused, efficient brain activity. (8) In one study, children had just one year of
musical training. (9) They scored higher in tests of literacy, verbal memory,
spatial processing, and math. (10) Students in school music programs score
higher on standardized tests. (11) Instead, in 2006, students with a music
background averaged 100 points higher on the SAT than those without it.
(12) Music also teaches Skills that last a lifetime, said Rod Paige, former U.S.
Secretary of Education. (13) He listed among these skills “critical analysis, the
ability to deal with ambiguity and to solve problems, perseverance, and a drive
for excellence.” (14) Music also inspires creativity and brings personal
satisfaction.
(15) Music education has other benefits beyond improving students’ minds.
(16) It has been linked to decreases in absenteeism and lower dropout rates in
schools throughout the country. (17) Also, music education teaches kids to
cooperate and helps them develop socially. (18) It helps to create a caring
community. (19) Choral singers, for example are far more likely to be involved
in charity work than the average person.
(20) Cutting music classes to save money would be short-sighted. (21) As
the leaders of our school system, I urge you to find other ways to cut the
budget. (22) You’re transfer of only five percent of the sports budget to the arts
The little spider in the corner The polar bears roam plains
of the room fell down twice the snow-capped of Antarctica.
while trying to spin a web,
but on its third try it finally What is the correct way to
succeeded in making the web. write this sentence?
A Antarctica snow-capped, the
What is the theme expressed by polar bears roam.
this sentence?
B The snow-capped plains of
A Make sure to have an open mind. Antarctica roam the polar
B Good always wins out over evil. bears.
C If you fail, keep trying until C The polar bears roam the
you succeed. snow-capped plains of
D The spider kept going until it Antarctica.
made its web. D Leave as is.
1 The New Hunterdon Telephone has the latest in state-of-the-art Speed Dial
technology! Think of all those minutes you waste every day searching through
your phone book or directory, looking for the one phone number you want, or
taking so long to dial out a full number that you can’t even remember what it is
before you’ve finished! No more with the Hunterdon. Save countless hours over
the course of your life and buy one of our amazing phones right away!
Features
2 Your new Hunterdon Telephone can hold up to nine numbers in its speed
dial memory. To program a number into speed dial, first push and hold the
Function key (located above the 1 key) until your telephone beeps three times.
Next, press the number on your keypad that you would like to use as the code
for that phone number (this is called the location). Your telephone will beep
once to acknowledge that it has registered your request and that the number is
acceptable.
3 Next, enter the telephone number you wish to store just as you would dial it
regularly. For example, long distance calls should include the number 1 before
the area code, whereas local calls do not require it. Once you have finished
entering the number, press the Function key again. Your telephone will beep
4 To use a telephone number stored in speed dial, press the Function key once,
then the location of the stored number.
5 Your telephone can also store one number in its one-touch dialing memory.
To program your one-touch dialing telephone number, push and hold the
One-Touch key (located above the 3 key) until your telephone beeps three times.
Next, enter the telephone number you wish to store (remember to enter it just as
you would dial it regularly). Once you have finished, press the One-Touch key.
Your telephone will beep three times to register that it has saved the number in
this location. NOTE: If you already have a number stored in one-touch dialing, it
will be instantly replaced whenever you program a new telephone number.
Read these two documents about Jane Austen. Think about how they are alike
and different.
Document A
Jane Austen
1 Jane Austen, a well-known English author who wrote wittily about the
society around her, produced six great novels. Readers applaud Austen’s
keen representations of human weakness. They marvel at her piercing and
humorous descriptions of everyday life and her elegant prose style.
4 At home, the girls learned to draw and to play the piano. Austen became an
avid reader. She read the numerous books that filled her family’s home. When
she was in her early twenties, Austen began writing her own novels. She did
not publish them, however, until later in her life.
6 Austen’s second work, Pride and Prejudice, is her most famous. Published
two years after Sense and Sensibility, the novel presents the feisty heroine,
Elizabeth Bennett. At the novel’s outset, Elizabeth meets Fitzwilliam Darcy,
but she remains blind to his positive qualities. His strong sense of pride repels
her. They eventually marry, but only after she sheds her prejudice and he
subdues his pride.
7 In Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1815), Austen wrote about young
women’s search for love and a place in the excessively structured world
of nineteenth-century Britain. Northanger Abbey (1818) is a satire of the
popular, gloomy Gothic horror novels of the day. Persuasion (1817), Austen’s
8 In early 1817, Austen began work on another novel, entitled Sanditon. She
became ill, though, and had to give up writing in March of that year. In May, she
moved to Winchester for medical treatment. She died there on July 18, 1817.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Document B
1 The Riverhouse Library invites you to come to the Jane Austen Fair this
Sunday, December 16. This is also a celebration of her birthday.
2 Jane Austen is no longer the unknown “Lady” who penned Sense and
Sensibility. She is now one of the most famous authors of English literature.
Her work is as popular as ever. Translations of her novels appear in many
countries. Literary scholars and students all over the world analyze her
novels. Historians pore over her works to get a glimpse into the time in
which Austen lived. Her novels have even been made into movies.
3 Schedule of Events
4 Join us to celebrate the life and works of the immortal Jane Austen!
1 Your body is like a machine, and, like any machine, it needs fuel. Some
machines run on gasoline, but your body requires a different kind of fuel: food.
Instead of filling up with gasoline, you fill up with sandwiches, salad, or a fresh
juicy apple.
2 You can’t turn food directly into fuel, but your body has a power plant that
takes food as its input and produces glucose as its output. The process through
which food undergoes conversion into glucose is called digestion. Glucose travels
in the blood stream and is used by the different parts of the body for fuel. Glucose
is mixed with oxygen from the air in the lungs and converted to energy in a
process called respiration.
3 When you chew your food, you are beginning the digestion process. The saliva
in your mouth starts to break down the food as you enjoy its taste. Most of the
digestion process, however, takes place in the stomach and small intestine. As food
travels through the stomach and small intestine, it is gradually broken down by
enzymes. Enzymes are chemicals that convert food into glucose. The small intestine
is coiled inside the body, but it is actually more than twenty-two feet long.
4 As food passes through the small intestine, the glucose produced by the enzymes
passes through the intestinal walls into the bloodstream through the process of
5 Sometimes your digestive system makes more glucose than your body requires
to produce energy. The body doesn’t waste this extra glucose. Instead, it is sent
to be processed by the body’s energy storehouse. Extra glucose is rerouted to the
liver, where it is changed into a chemical called glycogen. Glycogen can be stored
in the liver and in the muscles. When you need energy and there is not enough
glucose available, glycogen can be changed back into glucose and used for fuel.
6 You’re body can also store fuel very efficiently as fat, which acts as the body’s
energy safety net. When there is not enough glucose or glycogen to provide the
necessary fuel, fat is converted to glucose. The additional energy stored in fat can
allow a person to live for weeks without taking in any food.
3 “They are mostly sent on by private inquiry agencies. They are all people who
are in trouble about something, and want a little enlightening. I listen to their
story, they listen to my comments, and then I pocket my fee.”
4 “But do you mean to say,” I said, “that without leaving your room you can
unravel some knot which other men can make nothing of, although they may
have seen every detail for themselves?”
5 “Quite so. I have a kind of intuition that way. Now and again a case turns up
7 “Nothing of the sort. I knew you came from Afghanistan. From long habit
the train of thoughts ran so swiftly through my mind, that I arrived at the
conclusion without being conscious of intermediate steps. There were such steps,
however. The train of reasoning ran, ‘Here is a gentleman of a medical type,
but with the air of a military man. Clearly an army doctor, then. He has just
come from the tropics, for his face is dark, and that is not the natural tint of
his skin, for his wrists are fair. He has undergone hardship and sickness, as his
haggard face says clearly. His left arm has been injured. He holds it in a stiff and
unnatural manner. Where in the tropics could an English army doctor have seen
much hardship and got his arm wounded? Clearly in Afghanistan.’ The whole
136 California Standards Practice, Grade 8
G R A D E
8 “It is simple enough as you explain it,” I said smiling. “You remind me of Edgar
Allan Poe’s Dupin. I had no idea that such individual did exist outside of stories.
Unit 6
1 Test Vocabulary 8
On a separate sheet of paper, write the numbers 1–6. Next to each number, write
the letter of the correct answer for that question.
1 Read this sentence. 4 Read this description.
In Roman mythology, Flora was In Greek mythology, Odysseus left
the goddess of flowers and spring. his young son in the care of a
trusted slave named Mentor while
A region’s flora is its he went off to fight the Trojans.
A people. Mentor guided and taught the boy,
who grew up brave, honest, and
B plant life.
reliable.
C animal life.
D rivers and streams. A person’s mentor is his or her
A wise advisor.
2 B boss or employer.
Read this description.
C long-lost family member.
In mythology, Hercules was a D companion in adventures.
hero known for his incredible
strength and for completing
twelve tasks that seemed to be 5 Read this sentence.
impossible.
He’s sassy and rude, and his older
A herculean task is one that is sister is every bit as impudent.
A unfair.
B well-paid.
What does the word impudent mean?
A amusing C uneducated
C time-consuming.
B thoughtful D disrespectful
D extremely difficult.
On your paper, write the numbers 7–20. Next to each number, write the letter of
the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the underlined word.
Academic Vocabulary
11 stealthily leaving 18 to confer with a friend
A rapidly C secretly A ride C consult
B noisily D angrily B joke D quarrel
Many people have suffered from “I believe those are cobwebs hanging
thirst while crossing the dessert from your ceiling,” said Dad, as he
because of the merciless heat and past my room.
very limited water.
Which underlined word is spelled
Which underlined word is spelled incorrectly?
incorrectly? A believe C ceiling
A suffered C merciless B your D past
B dessert D limited
1 Read this sentence from the report. 3 Which sentence should be removed
from paragraph 2 because it is least
(6) But much evidence of animals’ related to the topic?
ability to feel loving, happy, angry,
A sentence 7
bored, and depression has been
found in recent years. B sentence 9
C sentence 10
What is the best way to rewrite the D No sentence should be removed.
underlined part of the sentence
using parallel structure?
A loving, happiness, anger, 4 Read this sentence from the report.
boredom, and depression (17) He suggests that their very
B loving, happy, angry, bored, and good senses of sight, smell, sound,
depressed touch, and taste may give them a
C love, as well as happiness, anger, greater capacity for pleasure than
boredom, and depression humans.
D loving, happy, angry, and bored,
and to feel depression Which of the following sentences
should be added to best link ideas in
the paragraph?
2 How are sentences 7 and 8 best A For example, Balcombe noticed
combined? that certain breeds of dogs seem
A Jeffrey Masson is a psychologist; to have more energy than others.
he wrote a book in which he B For example, Balcombe
documented emotions of many discovered that some fish seem
species. aware of death in other fish.
B Jeffrey Masson is a psychologist, C For example, Balcombe noticed
and he wrote a book in which he that rats seem to enjoy being
documented emotions of many tickled.
species. D For example, Balcombe saw that
13 Read this sentence from the letter. 15 How should Reggie rephrase sentence
16 to make it the most dramatic?
(3) The owner’s manual said that a
A I have had a remote in my hand
coaxial cable came with the TV but
we couldn’t find one in the box. since I was old enough to
operate machines.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Where should a comma be added to B I have been using remotes for all
the sentence? kinds of electronic devices for
years.
A after said
C Like everyone else my age, I
B after cable
know how to use a remote.
C after TV
D I do know how to use a remote
D after one control, you know.
16 Read this sentence from the letter. 19 How are sentences 20 and 21 best
combined?
(17) I’m now a straight A student,
A Surely you ever again want our
but I’m smart enough to operate a
business (or that of our friends
remote, I assure you.
and relatives); if so, I trust you’ll
fix this problem.
In this sentence, the word but does
not correctly link ideas. Which of B I trust you’ll fix this problem if
these should be used instead? you want our business ever again
(or that of our friends and
A however
relatives).
B then
C Do you want our business ever
C and again (or that of our friends and
D yet relatives), because if so, I trust
you’ll fix this problem?
D If you want our business ever
17 How should the underlined part of
again (or that of our friends and
sentence 18 be rewritten to create a
relatives), I trust you’ll fix this
parallel structure?
problem.
A such as TVs, CD players, and
computer monitors
B such as TVs, CD players; and 20 Which of these would make the best
computer monitors conclusion to Reggie’s letter?
C such as TVs, and we’ve even A You people clearly don’t know
bought CD players and computer what you’re doing, but I’m
monitors hoping you have the sense to fix
D such as TVs, CD players; or even this problem.
computer monitors B My grandparents run a bodega,
and they say the customer is
always right. Don’t you think so?
18 How should sentence 19 be rewritten C If we don’t hear from you, our
You can often identify figurative language when the images don’t seem to match what is
really being communicated. In other words, if you interpret figurative language literally, the
writing no longer makes sense.
Idioms
Idioms are common expressions people use. Some idioms are specific to a certain region
or even a certain era in time. People from a different place or time may have no way of
knowing what is being said. Idioms are not literally true, though they often contain a
message or a lesson about an event or experience.
Here’s an example: If an author writes, “Paula spilled a glass of milk,” you can trust that
the character actually spilled milk. The author is speaking literally. However, the saying
“No use crying over spilt milk” is a common idiom. It is a descriptive way of saying,
“Don’t waste time regretting a mistake.” It is used in many situations that have nothing to
do with spilling milk.
EXAMPLE
“Didn’t mean to,” Sam said in a daze. Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
On the night before the county fair, the prize chicken was loose. The sun had been
going down for an hour. It had grown too dark to see. The boys had no idea how
they were going to find a chicken in the dark.
“I better get to the house before I’m late for supper,” Sam said.
Step 1 Read the passage carefully. Which information is literal, supported by the
plot and story details, and which phrases are figurative idioms?
Much of the language is visual. The story is that on the night before the county fair,
a hen escaped from a crate that Sam broke. The boys are literally in a henhouse.
However, it would not make sense for Sam literally to be in a “pretty pickle.” That
must be figurative language that means something like “in a tricky situation.”
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which sentence contains the idiom you
discovered in the passage?
All the choices sound like they could possibly be idioms. However, the passage
says the sun had gone down, so the boys are literally in the dark; answer choice B
is incorrect. Sam actually broke a chicken crate and let loose the prize chicken, so
answer choice C is incorrect. It is suppertime, so answer choice D is also incorrect.
When Jem tells Sam he is “in a pretty pickle,” he means that Sam is in big trouble.
Answer choice A is the idiom. Answer choice A is correct.
Similes
In a simile, the author compares two things using the word like or as. The author does
this to emphasize something about one thing by comparing it to something completely
different. For example, in the simile “My grandmother’s hands were like the bark of an old
oak,” the author is describing a woman’s hands, not an oak tree. In reality, hands are
nothing like tree bark, but the author wants a vivid way to describe how rough, wrinkled,
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
EXAMPLE
Step 1 Read the simile carefully. What is the point of the comparison?
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which one states what the author means
about the way Jason plays chess?
Robots don’t cheat, so answer choice A is incorrect. Although it might not be fun
to play with Jason, that’s not the point of the simile, so answer choice B is
incorrect. It’s true that robots don’t have emotions, but the word outsmart in the
simile informs me that the speaker is mostly concerned with winning, so answer
choice D is incorrect. Playing with Jason, like trying to outsmart a computer, is
hard. Jason is a hard opponent to beat. Choice C is the answer.
A metaphor is another way an author can compare one thing to another, this time
without using the word like or as. An example is Shakespeare’s line “All the world’s a
stage.” He did not mean the world is literally a stage; he meant that what happens in life
can be compared to the drama in a play. A figurative phrase like a blanket of snow is also
a metaphor. It does not mean snow is made of fabric. The phrase means that snow
covers the ground evenly and completely and keeps the ground warm.
EXAMPLE
What does the comparison to Mount Everest suggest about advanced physics?
A Advanced physics includes the study of geology.
B Bill and his professor are experienced mountain climbers.
C Advanced physics is a hard class to complete successfully.
D Students need special training and equipment to pass advanced physics.
Step 1 Read the paragraph carefully. What do you notice about the comparison
between the advanced physics class and climbing Mount Everest?
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which answer best explains the comparison?
Answers A and B are too literal; they are incorrect. Answer D could be correct, but
there is no actual information in the paragraph about special equipment and
training needed to pass physics. The analogy is simply making the point that
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
physics will be extremely hard for Bill to pass, but if he does, it will be quite a
triumph. In this way the class is similar to climbing a tall mountain. Choice C is the
correct answer.
1 What is the Sierra Nevada mountain 3 Read the metaphor from the passage.
range compared to in the passage?
A the act of eating
We all would choose the Merced
slice . . . because of the concentrated
B a block form of its Yosemite, caused by
C a loaf of bread certain conditions of baking,
D Yosemite Valley yeasting, and glacier-frosting of this
portion of the great Sierra loaf.
2 Read this excerpt from the passage.
The comparison to baking implies
. . . to choose among them would be that Yosemite
like selecting slices of bread cut A will quickly erode.
from the same loaf. B is soft and spongy.
C is changed by natural elements.
This sentence is an example of
D is difficult to explore.
A an idiom
B a simile
4 Based on the analogy in the entire
C a literal statement passage, the sections of the mountain
D a metaphor range are
A good enough to eat.
B cut into slices like bread.
C only partially explored.
D slightly different from each other.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
If you don’t immediately recognize a particular root, try to think of other words that you
know that have a similar root. If you still can’t identify the unknown word, another strategy
is to try looking at the words that surround it for context clues, or hints that will guide
you toward the meaning of the word. Having multiple strategies will increase your
chances of determining the meanings of unknown words, so use whichever strategy
works best.
EXAMPLE
It’s overwhelming to think about how large the cosmos is, considering the size of
the sun and all the planets.
Step 1 Read the sentence carefully. What other words do you know that have
the same Greek root as cosmos? Are there any context clues in the sentence that
can help you determine the meaning of the word?
The English word cosmos comes from the Greek word kosmos. Some other words
that have the same root are cosmonaut, cosmopolitan, and microcosm.
Cosmopolitan means “worldly,” and microcosm means “little world,” so one
meaning of the root is “world.” However, I also know that a cosmonaut is a person
who explores space. Considering that the rest of the sentence also mentions the
sun and all the planets, I think that the root of the word cosmos probably has more
to do with space and the universe in this case than just the world.
Step 2 Look at the answer choices. Which one is closest to the meaning you
determined for the root of the word cosmos?
The moon, sky, and stars are all celestial bodies that exist in space, but only choice
A, the universe, makes sense as the meaning of the Greek root kosmos. A is
correct.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
In addition to tracing the origins of word roots, you can figure out meanings of unknown
words by examining prefixes, which are added to the beginning of a word, and suffixes,
which are added to the end of a word. Both prefixes and suffixes modify the root to make
the meaning of a word more specific or precise. Below are some common examples of
Latin, Greek, and Anglo-Saxon prefixes and suffixes.
Prefixes
Prefix Origin Meaning Examples
aqua- Latin water aquarium
bio- Greek life biology
geo- Greek earth geology, geography
in-, im- Latin not incredible, impatient
pre- Latin before prefix, preview
tele- Greek distance telegraph, telephone
un- Anglo-Saxon not unlikely, unstable
Suffixes
Suffix Origin Meaning Examples
-ablilis, -iblilis Latin able, capable countable, credible, visible
-dom Anglo-Saxon quality; realm freedom, kingdom
-ess Greek female lioness, actress
-ful Anglo-Saxon full of grateful, graceful, careful
-logos Greek study, science, theory geology, biology, zoology
Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and reliable online Web sites are usually the best sources for
word origins. These sources often explain the origins of a word by stating what language
it was derived from in abbreviations, such as L. for Latin, Gk. for Greek, and O.E. for Old
English (Anglo-Saxon), and so forth.
EXAMPLE
Step 1 Read the question carefully and think about the definition of the word
unfair. What part of the word is the prefix? Think about other words you know that
have the same prefix.
The word unfair means something that is “not fair” or “not just.” The prefix of the
word unfair is un-. I also know that the word unhappy means “not happy,” and the
word unusual means “not usual.” So the prefix un- must mean “not.”
Step 2 Look at the answer choices. Which answer choice is closest to the
meaning of the prefix un-?
The Anglo-Saxon suffix -ful means “full,” while the Greek prefix tele- means
“distance” and the Greek suffix -logos means “study.” Choices A, B, and D are
therefore not correct. Choice C gives the correct meaning of the prefix un-, which
is “not.” C is the answer.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
I still remember the time when my grandfather, who is an anthropologist, used to sit
me and my brother on his lap. He would tell us incredible stories about the ancient
civilizations that he was studying at the time, like Greek civilization. He told us about
mythology and the deities of Mount Olympus, but our favorite stories were always
about the Greek heroes such as Hercules and Perseus. I had wanted to be an
astronaut when I was younger but after hearing about my grandfather and his
adventures, I think I’m going to be an anthropologist, too. My brother still wants to
work at an aquarium. I don’t think he will have as many adventures working with
fish. However, he is unconcerned with adventures and feels that fish are more
interesting than people, and more beautiful besides.
A definition context clue is one that explains or describes exactly what the unknown
word or phrase means. Of all the context clue types, this is the easiest to spot in texts.
EXAMPLE
The subsequent events, those that came after the storm, showed how much neighbors
cared about each other.
Step 1 Read the example sentence carefully. Does it contain a definition that
helps you understand what subsequent means in this sentence?
Subsequent and came after seem to mean the same thing. I know that came after
means “happened next.”
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which answer has the same meaning as
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
happened next?
Understanding, defining, and expressing do not mean the same as happened next.
The only answer that means the same as happened next is following. Therefore,
subsequent must mean “following.” A is the correct answer.
A restatement is another way of saying something. You can look for restatements near
the unknown word or phrase in order to help you understand its meaning.
EXAMPLE
The price of oil keeps fluctuating. Will it ever stop going up and down?
Step 1 Read the example sentences carefully. Is there a restatement that helps
you understand what fluctuating means?
The question after the sentence tells me that fluctuating means “going up and
down.” I need to look for a word that means the same as going up and down.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which of these choices is a word that means
“going up and down”?
Matching, increasing, and decreasing do not mean the same as going up and
down. The word changing does. D is the correct answer.
Examples are specific instances or descriptions of the unknown word or phrase. They
may be found in the same sentence as the unknown word or phrase, or they may be
found in a nearby sentence. By visualizing the example provided in the text, you can
figure out what the unknown word or phrase means.
EXAMPLE
The music store offers discounts on tambourines, cymbals, triangles, drums, and
other percussion instruments.
Step 1 Read the example sentence carefully. Does it include examples that help
you understand the meaning of the phrase percussion instruments?
The items on sale include tambourines, cymbals, triangles, and drums. These are
all items that make noise when they are shaken (tambourines), hit with sticks or
wands (triangles, drums), or struck against each other (cymbals).
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which answer best explains why
tambourines, cymbals, triangles, and drums are grouped together?
Answers A and B do not make sense because none the examples are tools or
prices. It is true that all of these items are things that musicians might want to buy
in a music store, but that is the definition of musical instruments in general.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Comparisons, or similarities between two things, can also help you understand the
meaning of an unknown word or phrase. Sometimes a sentence has words that signal
comparisons, such as both, like, as, same, or also. When you see one of these signal
words, you will most likely find a comparison that will help you understand the meaning
of the unfamiliar word or phrase.
EXAMPLE
Most people live in metropolitan areas because they can find jobs there. They also go
to the cities because it’s exciting to be around so many different kinds of people.
You can tell from the sentences that metropolitan areas are
A big transportation hubs.
B large population centers.
C busy highway intersections.
D lively places of entertainment.
Step 1 Read the sentences carefully. Is there a comparison that helps you
understand what metropolitan areas means?
The first sentence says that people go to metropolitan areas for jobs. The second
sentence, which is linked to the first sentence by the word also, gives another
reason why people go to cities: to be around different kinds of people.
Metropolitan areas are compared to cities, which are full of different kinds of
people. Metropolitan areas, like cities, must therefore be places where there are
lots of people.
Choices A, C, and D are things one might find in a metropolitan area, but nothing
in the passage’s comparison defines metropolitan areas as being primarily
concerned with transportation, highway intersections, or entertainment. The
comparison in the sentences implies that metropolitan areas are large population
centers, or areas with many people. B is the correct answer.
Contrasts, or differences between things, can also help you understand the meaning of
an unknown word or phrase. Sometimes a sentence has words that signal contrast, such
as but, however, except, or not. When you see one of these signal words, you will most
likely find a contrast that will help you understand what the unknown word or phrase
means.
EXAMPLE
The Bears trounced the Cougars the first time they met this season, but they lost to
the Cougars in the playoffs.
Which word can best be used to replace the word trounced without changing the
meaning of the sentence?
A played
B joined
C beat
D tied
Step 1 Read the example sentence carefully. Is there a word that signals
contrast? If so, what word or words in the sentence might suggest the opposite of
trounced?
The word but signals a contrast. The Bears trounced the other team early in the
season, but they lost to them in the playoffs. Trounced probably means the
opposite of lost.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which answer most nearly means the
opposite of lost?
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Played, joined, and tied are not the opposite of lost. The answer that most nearly
means the opposite of lost is beat. Therefore, trounced must mean “beat.”. C is
the correct answer.
Liz’s Scholarship
1 Liz ran into the house excitedly. She could hardly contain herself. “Mom! Come here
quick! It came, it finally, finally, came!” she yelled down the hallway. When her mother
met her in the hallway, she saw that Liz’s hands were shaking with anticipation. Liz
handed her mother the envelope, saying, “I can’t open it, I just can’t. You read it to me.”
3 It had been Liz’s childhood dream to be an equestrienne. She always watched the
equestrian events, the horse competitions, in the Olympics. She was always present in
horse shows in the community and had done her share of research about horses and
how to ride them. But she knew that the only way she could really learn was to
undergo a training program. Unfortunately, such programs were costly; her parents did
not have the money for it.
4 This was why a scholarship application to Howard Equestrian Training Center seemed
like a good idea. Like a presidential hopeful trying to win votes, Liz did her best to
stand out among the rest as an ideal applicant for the scholarship. She described her
dreams in vivid terms, making sure that every word showed how much she wanted this
scholarship. After a long wait, she was going to start training for free in July.
1 Read these sentences from the 3 Read this sentence from the passage.
passage.
Liz ran into the house excitedly. She
Unfortunately, such programs were could hardly contain herself.
costly; her parents did not have the
money for it. In which sentence does the word
contain have the same meaning as in
Which word can best be used to the passage?
replace the word costly without A My bag can contain all the things
changing the meaning of the sentence? that I need each day.
A expensive B This packet will contain the
B difficult seminar materials and an ID.
C lengthy C The security team is working to
D important contain the crowd.
D Hayley could not contain her joy
2 Read this sentence from the passage. at her birthday party.
She always watched the equestrian 4 Read the sentence from the passage.
events, the horse competitions, in the
Olympics. Like a presidential hopeful trying to
win votes, Liz did her best to stand
In this sentence, the phrase equestrian out among the rest as an ideal
events has the same meaning as applicant for the scholarship.
A free riding in the park.
You can tell from this sentence that
B horse-riding contests.
ideal means
C horse-grooming sessions.
A average.
D parties for horse owners.
B colorful.
C perfect.
D presidential.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
EXAMPLE
Document A
Document B
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which of these has something to do with
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
EXAMPLE
Step 2 Read the answer choices. Which answer choice makes the warranty
different from an instruction manual?
Passage 1
Passage 2
The simplest pattern is to state the proposition in a topic sentence and then support it
with some examples or facts. Here is an example.
Morning newspaper delivery is hard work. My route has 67 addresses. I have to deliver
heavy papers by 6 A.M., even in the rain or cold. I have to ride my bike in morning
traffic and cross some dangerous intersections.
The topic sentence “Morning newspaper delivery is hard work” is an opinion, not a fact.
Not everyone would agree with it. However, the author supports the claim with facts and
experiences that no one can argue against. Of course, the author hasn’t listed any of the
good things about a paper route—the paycheck, fresh air, and exercise. He or she wants
to persuade you that the work is hard.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Sometimes authors tell readers what they are going to do. In that case, you will read lines
such as “In this essay, I will attempt to prove that …” Other times, authors want to develop
an argument more subtly. In that case, as you read you need to pay close attention, both
to what the author says and to how you are responding, to find the author’s main point.
EXAMPLE
There are three good reasons why your child should go to summer camp:
1. to meet new people
2. to learn new ideas
3. to see new places
Which statement best describes how the author structures this proposition?
A The author hides the main idea.
B The author clearly outlines the information.
C The author presents facts and examples.
D The author lets readers make up their own minds.
Step 1 Read the passage carefully. How does the author go about structuring
his or her proposition?
Authors don’t always tell readers how they will structure a proposition. This author
wrote the passage in the form of an outline. He or she writes that there are three
reasons children should attend summer camp and then lists the three reasons.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which answer choice matches what you
figured out about how the author structures his or her position?
Sometimes authors state their proposition at the end of the paragraph or passage instead
of at the beginning. They build up to it by providing facts and examples first. If the author
is successful, by the time he or she states the proposition, the reader will be ready to
agree with it based on the evidence.
EXAMPLE
You have access to a simple substance that will support your health and boost your
immune system. It can give you a boost of energy and provide vitamin C. It tastes
great, night or day. The sweet treat contains no fat or sugar. No, it’s not a magic
potion. It’s orange juice! You should drink a glass of orange juice every day.
Why might the author of this passage have chosen to place the proposition
at the end?
A to make the proposition obvious
B to increase readers’ curiosity
C to let the facts speak for themselves
D to add humor
Step 1 Read the passage carefully. Pay attention to the claim and the
supporting points. What effect does the organization of the passage have on you?
As I read the passage, I wondered what could provide all those health benefits. I
wondered if it was a new drug or a vitamin pill. Then I learned it was orange juice.
Because orange juice is so common and ordinary, I might not have been as
interested in the passage if the author had stated the proposition first.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which one states the reason why the author
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
EXAMPLE
Step 1 Read the paragraph carefully. What is the author’s opinion? What main
point do the details in the paragraph support?
The paragraph provides a summary of the book. However, the book reviewer wants
readers to know that the book is pretty heavy and a little depressing. It sounds like
a good book, but not one that would cheer you up!
Answer A is the first sentence of the paragraph, which is often the topic sentence,
but here it is merely a fact about the book, not a claim that can be argued. Answer
C sounds like an opinion, but it could simply be what the book is about. Answer D
is the last sentence of the paragraph, another spot where topic sentences are often
placed, but Chula’s mother’s quote is not supported by facts, details, or examples.
Answer B, stating that the book is dark, is the main point the author is trying to
support. Answer B is the correct answer.
2 Not everyone knows, however, that living in or close to a big city can increase the
risk for obesity. Studies link obesity to suburban sprawl for several reasons. Suburbs
have no “main street” or town center. In earlier days, people could walk to work,
church, school, and shopping centers. In the suburbs, people have to drive everywhere.
Suburbs have greatly increased our use of cars. In other words, suburbs might be good
neighborhoods to live in, but they don’t make it easy for us to buy groceries, go to
work and school, or even to socialize. If people don’t have easy access to healthy food
in grocery stores, they tend to buy food from convenience stores and fast-food chains.
Some people actually feel that they have no choice.
4 In a place like Manhattan, in New York City, for example, having a car can actually
be a problem! It’s easier to get around without a car. Compared to suburban residents,
Manhattan residents spend more time walking every day. People walk a few blocks,
jump on the subway, and then walk a few more blocks to reach their destination.
Healthy food is readily available, and so is fast food. But at least there are more choices.
1 What is the main idea of the passage? 3 Read this sentence from the passage.
A Obesity is on the rise.
Older cities encourage a healthy
B Fast food causes weight gain. pattern of physical activity.
C Older neighborhoods decrease
obesity. In its paragraph, this line is
D Dependency on cars increases A the supporting evidence
obesity. B the conclusion
C the proposal
2 Read this sentence from the passage.
D the topic sentence
Studies link obesity to suburban
sprawl for several reasons. 4 What kind of supporting evidence
does the paragraph about Manhattan
What does the sentence tell readers the represent?
author is going to do? A facts
A list reasons B examples
B compare and contrast C opinions
C conduct a study D statistics
D use a metaphor
EXAMPLE
Passage A
Our magazine service provides magazines at 30% off the cover price. And, best of all,
our magazines have 25% fewer advertisements than your typical magazine. So you
can sit back, relax, and enjoy more quality articles, pictures, and letters to the editor!
Take a moment to look over the wide selection of magazines we offer and order one
today! Magazines will arrive in 4–6 weeks. Subscriptions are for one year.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Passage B
Step 1 Read both passages. What do you think is the intent of each passage?
Step 2 Read the answer choices. With the intent of each passage in mind, ask
yourself, “What information do the two passages have in common?” Analyze the
choices to find the best answer.
Step 2 Read the answer choices and use your notes to identify the information
that is found only in Passage A.
Choices A and B contain specific pieces of information about the survey, which is
mentioned only in Passage B, not Passage A. Both passages have information
about incentives for increasing readership, so choice C is not correct. Only choice
D’s information, regarding the duration of a magazine subscription, is found in
Passage A and not Passage B.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Passage A
Passage B
1 Both passages tell the reader about 3 What information appears in Passage
A how long the hike will take. B that does not appear in Passage A?
B how beautiful the trail is. A helpful reminders for hikers
C putting on insect repellent. B animals that can be found along
D the mountains’ evocative names.
the trail
C types of trees that can be found
along the trail
2 What information appears in Passage
A that does not appear in Passage B? D the number of people who hike
each year
A the number of states the trail
spans
4 Only Passage B presents information
B the story of a famous hiker
on the trail in the form of a(n)
C the distance of the trail
A persuasive description.
D the dangers of hiking
B opinion column.
C personal letter.
D safety guide.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
One useful way to boil down information is to create a summary. A summary restates in a
logical order the main ideas and supporting details in a text. Much shorter than the
original text, a summary should be written in paragraph form and in your own words.
Main Ideas
A summary restates the main ideas and the key details of a text. But how do you identify
the main ideas? You might try going through the text one paragraph at a time. Each
paragraph is a group of sentences that express a main idea. Sometimes a topic
sentence, usually found at the beginning or end of a paragraph, states the main idea
directly. By paraphrasing the topic sentences—that is, putting them into your own
words—you can summarize the entire text.
If a paragraph does not contain a topic sentence, ask yourself, “What is this paragraph
about?” The answer to that question will help you infer its main idea. To make sure that
you have correctly identified the main idea, check to see that each sentence provides a
detail supporting it.
EXAMPLE
In the 1920s the American government began planning a system of national paved
highways to replace unpaved local roads. The highway leading from Chicago in the
Midwest to Los Angeles on the West Coast was named Route 66. During the Great
Depression, thousands of people drove Route 66 all the way to California in search
of work. In the years after World War II, many Americans took their vacations
along Route 66. They spent the night in the motor hotels (or “motels”) that sprang
Which of the following best states the main idea of this paragraph?
A Route 66 leads from Chicago to Los Angeles, California.
B Route 66 is a national highway with a long and varied history.
C Route 66 was an important highway during the Great Depression.
D Route 66 is an important part of our history and must be preserved.
186 California Standards Practice, Grade 8
Original Texts and Summaries LESSON 7
Step 1 Read the paragraph carefully. Is there a topic sentence that states the
main idea directly?
Topic sentences are usually found at the beginning or the end of a paragraph. The
first sentence in this paragraph talks about the national highway system planned in
the 1920s. However, the rest of the paragraph focuses on a single highway,
Route 66, so the first sentence is probably not the topic sentence. The final
sentences focus on the people who have worked to preserve Route 66. However,
they are not mentioned in the rest of the paragraph, so the last sentence probably
is not the topic sentence either.
Step 2 Ask yourself, “What is this paragraph about?” Is there a single topic that
each sentence in the paragraph relates to?
The first few sentences introduce one of the highways of the national highway
system, Route 66. The next few sentences describe important eras in the history of
Route 66, specifically the Great Depression and the years following World War II.
The final few sentences describe the decline of the national highways, including
Route 66, and praise the people who have worked to preserve Route 66. Each
sentence has something to do with the topic of Route 66.
Step 3 Read each answer choice. Which is supported by each sentence in the
paragraph?
Answer choice A paraphrases one of the sentences in the paragraph, but it is not
the main idea—the other sentences in the paragraph don’t concern the two cities
Route 66 connects. Answer choice C also summarizes one of the sentences in the
paragraph, but the entire paragraph is not about Route 66 during the Great
Depression. Answer choice D states an opinion that is not directly supported by
the paragraph. Although the author seems to praise the people who are working to
preserve Route 66, the whole paragraph is not an attempt to persuade readers that
Route 66 needs to be preserved. Answer choice B is the best answer. Each of the
sentences in the paragraph adds another detail about the long and varied history of
Route 66.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Critical Details
A good summary does more than just restate the main ideas of a text. It also includes the
most important details. These are the pieces of information that support or elaborate on
the main ideas. To separate important details from minor ones, ask yourself what
information is necessary to understand the main idea—that is, could you leave out a
detail and still be able to explain the main idea to someone else? If so, then that detail is
probably not important. The following kinds of details are typically among the important
ones: names of people, names of places, dates when events occurred, key descriptions,
special terms or vocabulary, and titles.
EXAMPLE
The game of baseball hasn’t always been played the way it is played today. There have
been many rule changes since baseball first evolved out of stick-and-ball games, like
rounders, in the nineteenth century. One of the most important early changes
involved the way base runners were put out. In rounders, runners could be put out
by hitting them with the thrown ball. In baseball, they must be tagged out. This rule
change allowed baseball players to use a much harder ball, which meant batters could
hit it farther. Other early rule changes involved the number of pitches a batter could
take out of the strike zone before earning a walk. In 1879 a batter could take nine
balls; by 1889 the number of balls had dropped to four, where it remains today.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which one does not support the main idea
that baseball has undergone many rule changes?
Answer choice B gives the date of some of the rule changes, and answer choices
C and D both provide specific examples of baseball rules that were changed, so
they should be included in a summary. Answer choice A is a definition which does
not pertain to rule changes in baseball and should not be included in a summary of
the paragraph. Choice A is the answer.
Underlying Meaning
A summary should be in your own words, not the original author’s. However, the underlying
meaning of the original text should not change. A summary must preserve the original
author’s meaning exactly, even though the words used to express that meaning are different.
EXAMPLE
Bill Monroe is the father of bluegrass music. He invented the style, named it, and was
the leading performer of the music for much of the twentieth century. Not only did
he invent the sound, he was the mentor for several generations of musicians,
including Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, Vassar Clements, and Carter Stanley.
Step 1 Read the paragraph carefully. What is its main idea? Which supporting
details are most important?
The paragraph is about Bill Monroe, who invented bluegrass music. The passage
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which answer mentions ideas or details that
are not stated in the paragraph?
Answer choice A incorrectly uses the word father—Bill Monroe was the father of a
style of music, not of four musicians. Answer choice B doesn’t distinguish Bill
Monroe from the other four musicians named; it also claims that the other four
musicians “were some of the most important performers of bluegrass music in the
twentieth century,” but this is not supported by the paragraph. Answer choice D
correctly identifies Bill Monroe as the inventor of bluegrass music; however, it
states that “his brilliant performances inspired” the four other musicians, whereas
the paragraph says only that he mentored them. Answer choice C restates the
paragraph’s main idea and important details without changing its underlying
meaning. Choice C is the best answer.
Lesson 7, Original Texts and Summaries 189
LESSON 7 Original Texts and Summaries
3 The first sonnets are addressed to a beautiful young man. The poems encourage him
to marry and have children. That way, his children will keep his beauty alive after he
dies. In these early sonnets, the poet also boasts that his verses will keep alive the
young man’s beauty.
4 In the next group of sonnets, the poet finds himself in competition with another
poet for the young man’s favor. The tone of the poems becomes more and more
anxious as the poet grows jealous of the relationship between his rival and the young
man. Sonnet 127 introduces a new character, a woman whom readers have named “the
Dark Lady.” The poet is powerfully attracted to the Dark Lady, but he is much older
5 Not every sonnet fits neatly into the general story described above. A few sonnets
don’t have fourteen lines; others don’t follow the typical rhyme scheme. The final two
sonnets are adaptations of old Greek love poems. The Greeks were writing love poems
as early as the sixth century B.C. Even so, the story of the jealous poet, the beautiful
youth, and the Dark Lady—when told through Shakespeare’s magnificent poetry—has
fascinated readers for over four hundred years.
1 Which of the following best states the 3 Which summary of paragraph 3 is the
main idea of paragraph 2? most accurate?
A Thomas Thorpe was a printer A The early sonnets both encourage
who lived in London in the early a beautiful youth to have children
seventeenth century. and boast of their power to keep
B Thomas Thorpe numbered his beauty alive.
Shakespeare’s sonnets from B The first sonnets celebrate the
1 to 154. marriage and children of a
C Thomas Thorpe printed beautiful young man.
Shakespeare’s sonnets without C The sonnets written early in
Shakespeare’s permission. Shakespeare’s career promise to
D Thomas Thorpe published keep alive the beauty of a young
Shakespeare’s sonnets in an order man.
that tells a story. D The sonnets of Shakespeare can
persuade young men to get
2 Which detail should not be included married and also keep alive their
in a summary of paragraph 5? beauty.
A Some Shakespearean sonnets
don’t have fourteen lines. 4 Which of the following would be the
B Shakespearean sonnets don’t all
best topic sentence for a summary of
have the same rhyme scheme. the entire passage?
A Shakespeare stopped writing
C The Greeks wrote love poetry in
the sixth century B.C. plays and started working on his
sonnet sequence in the early
D Two of Shakespeare’s sonnets are 1590s.
adaptations of Greek poems.
B Shakespeare’s sonnets tell a story
that has captured the interest of
readers for more than four
centuries.
C Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets,
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
EXAMPLE
According to the directions, what should you do right after cutting the celery into
pieces?
A Rinse the celery and dry it with a paper towel.
B Press raisins or chocolate chips into the peanut butter.
C Spread peanut butter in the hollow part of the celery stick.
D Eat and enjoy the ants on a log snack.
Step 1 Read the instructions carefully. Look at the numbered steps. In what step
do you cut the celery into pieces?
Step 2 Read the numbered steps again. Which step directly follows instruction
number 2?
Step 2 is followed by step 3, which tells me that I should spread peanut butter in
the hollow, U-shaped part of the celery stick, from one end to another.
Step 3 Read the answer choices carefully. Which one matches what you
determined above?
Choice C, spread peanut butter in the hollow, U-shaped part of the celery stick,
from one end to another, matches the third step on the numbered list. Choice A
refers to the instruction in step 1, which is done before cutting up the celery sticks.
Choices B and D give instructions that are mentioned in steps 4 and 5. These
steps do come after the instruction to cut up the celery sticks, but they do not
immediately follow it, so they are not the best answers. C is the correct answer.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Directions range from simple to highly technical and complex. When following technical
directions, pay careful attention to the specific steps and the exact order in which the
instructions are to be performed. Take note of illustrations and words or phrases in
boldface, italics, and capitalized text. Make sure you have a clear understanding of what
needs to be done before beginning the procedure described in the directions. This is
especially important when the procedure could be potentially dangerous if done
incorrectly.
EXAMPLE
1. Broil by putting the oven knob to the BROIL setting. Wait for the broiler area
and broil pan to preheat before placing food inside.
2. Once broiling is completed, turn the oven knob to the OFF position. Once the
broil pan is cool, remove it temporarily for cleaning.
Step 1 Read the passage carefully. What knob is pressed to adjust the flame
height of the burner?
Step 2 of the stovetop instructions tells users to adjust the flame height by turning
the CONTROL knob clockwise.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which choice matches what you determined
above?
LITE and OFF are not actually knobs; they are specific settings for the CONTROL
and OVEN knobs, so choices A and C cannot be correct. The OVEN knob controls
the oven and the broiler; it does not adjust the burner’s flame, so Choice D is not
correct either. Choice B identifies the CONTROL knob, which the instructions say
you should use to control the height of the burner flame. B is the correct answer.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Downloading Images
from the Winner CTI-16 Digital Camera
1. Connect the camera to the computer by plugging the camera cable into the
computer’s USB port.
2. Turn the MODE dial on the camera to the PLAY setting. The LCD display should
go blank.
3. Download images by controlling the camera from the computer using these
instructions:
1 According to the passage, what 3 Which event indicates that you can
should you do after clicking on the begin following the downloading
CAMERA icon and selecting VIEW instructions in step 3?
PHOTOS? A The camera’s LCD display
A Organize the photos by creating a becomes blank.
photo album. B A filmstrip of images appears.
B Turn the MODE dial to the PLAY C The MODE dial has been turned.
setting.
D The camera cable has been
C Click on the GRAB IMAGES icon attached to the USB computer
to begin downloading. port.
D Select the PowerPhoto software
icon on the computer desktop. 4 If you only want to download a single
image, you should
2 Which button should you click to A edit the image before
launch the PowerPhoto software? downloading it
A START B plug the camera into a port other
B MODE than the USB port
C PLAY C create a separate photo album
D CAMERA D double-click that particular image
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
EXAMPLE
2 “This fire hall is a beautiful old building and a part of our neighborhood’s
heritage,” said Morton Schipp, head of a local citizens’ committee to save the hall.
3 Alicia Kaufman, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office, commented that the long-
deserted building is in a bad state of repair and poses a public-health danger.
4 “The city plans to build a new community health center here. The health center
will be very useful to the community,” she said.
5 A public forum on the matter will be held on May 22 at 8:00 P.M. at the Vera
Fuentes Community Center. All interested persons are invited to attend.
Step 1 Read the passage again. Where is the public forum mentioned?
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which of them best restates the purpose of
the public forum?
The mayor’s election is not discussed in the text, so choice A is not the correct
answer. Morton Schipp is already head of a group formed to save the Tarrytown
fire hall, so choice B is not the correct answer either. Choice D focuses on one of
the reasons the mayor’s office wants the fire hall torn down; however, the dangers
of old buildings in general is not the purpose of the forum. The correct answer is
choice C because it is the only one that mentions the main issue to be discussed
in the forum, which is the tearing down of the fire hall.
198 California Standards Practice, Grade 8
Problem Solving LESSON 9
Since consumer, workplace, and public documents have a practical purpose, they usually
follow a standard format and are divided into sections. Each section groups together
related information and is conveniently labeled with a heading. Headings are words or
phrases that are usually set apart from the rest of the text. This makes it easier for
readers to locate information
EXAMPLE
Won’t you share your summer with a child from Capital City? There are many
children, ages six to twelve, hoping to find host families, and we hope to place every
one of them. The Fresh-Air Foundation staff will provide all of the information and
support you’ll need to have a wonderful summer.
Step 1 Read the passage again, focusing on the information that follows each
section heading. What do these headings reveal about the information provided in
each section? Which heading is followed by information describing the qualities of
a host family?
The first heading, “A Fresh-Air Foundation host family must,” is followed by a list of
qualities a host family must possess. These qualities include living in a rural area
and having at least one child.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which of them provides the heading that
contains the information about the qualities of a Fresh-Air host family?
The sections that follow the headings in choices B and C contain information about
what the host family should give or offer guests, not the qualities it should possess.
The section that follows the heading in choice D contains practical steps on
applying to become a host family. Choice A gives the heading for the section about
what it takes to be a host family, so it is the correct answer.
5. All entries must be labeled with only a pseudonym and placed in a short brown
envelope, which should be labeled with the appropriate grade level and category.
6. On a separate sheet of paper, the following information must be written:
• Name of participant and pseudonym
• Grade level
• Contact number
7. The separate sheet of paper containing the participant’s information should be placed
in a sealed letter envelope. The letter envelope must be labeled with the appropriate
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
grade level and category and placed inside the brown envelope.
8. All entries must be addressed to:
The Board of Judges
The Second Annual Merryville Middle School Literary Contest
c/o Merryville Student Publication Office
9. Incomplete or falsified entries will be disqualified from the contest.
Unity in a passage means that all the sentences and paragraphs in the passage are
about the same topic. Unity is enhanced by coherence, which means that all the ideas in
the piece of writing flow smoothly from sentence to sentence and from paragraph to
paragraph.
EXAMPLE
In the 1600s, Spanish settlers in New Mexico brought adobe homes to North
America. They had learned how to make adobe from the people of North Africa,
where the climate is as dry as it is in New Mexico. The dryness allowed the sand,
clay, and straw to hold together in the shape of a brick. Homes made of adobe bricks
became widely used, because building them required simple tools and used local
materials.
Which sentence is best added to the end of the passage to maintain unity?
A Spanish settlers used local materials to build homes.
B Friends and neighbors helped each other to make bricks.
C Today, modern versions of adobe homes are still being built.
D Adobe bricks are also used to build churches and office buildings.
All the sentences are about adobe homes. The paragraph focuses on the reasons
adobe homes became widespread in the American Southwest.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which one most emphasizes the same topic
as the other sentences in the passage?
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
When you evaluate the logic and internal consistency of a piece of writing, ask the
following questions: Is all the information presented that is necessary to understand the
topic? Is the information presented in a sequence that makes sense? Do all the
sentences use the same voice? Is the same verb tense used throughout? A positive
answer to each of these questions is a good indication that the writing is logical and
consistent.
EXAMPLE
In the second half of the nineteenth century, settlers in the Great Plains built sod
houses. Because the prairies had very few trees, settlers couldn’t create log houses,
which forced them to become resourceful. They used the first several inches of
prairie soil to make bricks. The dense roots of the prairie grass, called sod, made this
topsoil unusually tough. Houses made of sod are very quick to build; however, they
do not last long. Many sod houses don’t even have windows, since most families stay
in sod houses only until a bigger house made of wood can be built for them.
Step 1 Read the passage again. Ask yourself whether there is any part of the
passage that unexpectedly changes from one style or shifts from one topic to
another.
Step 2 Analyze each answer choice. Which answer describes what you
discovered about the sudden change in the passage?
The author defines sod as “the dense roots of the prairie grass,” so B is incorrect.
A passage can shift between active and passive voice without being inconsistent,
so C is incorrect. Similarly, information does not always have to be presented in
chronological order, so D is incorrect. The verbs do shift from the past to the present
tense, however, which makes the passage inconsistent. A is the correct answer.
Structural Patterns
Structural patterns refer to the ways writers organize and present information. When
giving instructions or directions, for example, a writer arranges the information in a logical
step-by-step sequence. When writing an essay, a writer might arrange the information in
a cause-and-effect pattern or a comparison-contrast pattern. A piece of writing that uses
an inappropriate structural pattern will seem confusing and illogically organized.
EXAMPLE
Every year, more people are discovering the pleasures of the delightful country of
Slovakia. The number of tourists has increased to as many as half a million visitors
annually. It’s easy to understand why. From Bratislava, the nation’s capital, to the
majesty of the Tara Mountains, there is something for everyone in this amazing
country. Numerous ski resorts offer modern facilities at reasonable prices. During the
summer, tourists can enjoy hiking in the fabulous mountains. They can also visit
many of the country’s beautiful national parks. Bratislava, the country’s cultural
center, offers literary and artistic activities. Its opera house attracts many visitors to
its excellent and inexpensive performances.
Because it is versatile and captivating, the Slovak Republic is a favorite stop for anyone
traveling through Central Europe.
Step 1 Read the passage again. Look for signal words that suggest a particular
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structure.
I see the words why and because in the passage. These words usually signal cause
and effect. In this case, the passage begins by asking why Slovakia is becoming
more popular with tourists, and then proceeds to give some reasons why. In other
words, the passage lists some of the causes of Slovakia’s increasing popularity.
Step 2 Read the answer choices carefully. Which is the best answer?
The passage contains neither steps nor a time sequence, so answer choices A and
B cannot be right. No two things are being compared or contrasted, so answer
choice D cannot be right. The signal words why and because tell me that this
passage is written in cause-and-effect order. The correct answer is C.
2 The situation can be life threatening for the animals of the Front Range. Cars kill
several elk each year. This is because residential developments are invading some
traditional elk feeding grounds. Outside the Boulder Community Hospital, a cougar
with cubs was seen on the patio. In addition, because the land available for
development in the mountains is limited, most houses are built in the valleys. This
causes a serious problem for migrating animals and affects the growth of plants. The
valleys are home to many mammals in winter, especially elk and deer.
3 Although there are no obvious solutions to this problem, there are ways to minimize
the damage it causes. For example, some researchers recommend building multi-unit
homes and buildings that contain several homes. This is one way to decrease the
amount of land required to accommodate the increasing population.
EXAMPLE
I Know My Love
Author unknown
Step 1 Make a list of the words that end each line in the stanzas. Which words
rhyme with each other? Give each rhyme its own letter.
The last words in each of the lines are as follows: walking, talking, blue, do, best,
rest, few, and do. The words at the end of the first and second lines rhyme with
each other. The words at the end of the third, fourth, seventh, and eight lines
rhyme with each other. The words at the end of the fifth and sixth lines rhyme with
each other. Each pair of words should get its own letter. However, the seventh and
eighth lines also rhyme with the third and fourth lines, so they should get the same
letter.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which correctly assigns a separate letter to
each pair of rhyming words?
Since the first and second words rhyme with each other, I can assign them the
letter a. As for the third and fourth words, I can give them the letter b. The fifth and
sixth lines introduce a new rhyme, so they get the letter c. The seventh and eighth
lines rhyme with the third and fourth lines, so they also get the letter, b. The rhyme
scheme is therefore aabbccbb. Answer choice B is the correct answer.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Poetry can be classified according to its structure and purpose. Here are some different
forms of poetry and their structural characteristics:
• Ballad—A ballad is an example of a narrative poem, a poem that tells a story. The
traditional ballad consists of four lines per stanza and follows a rhyme scheme of
either abcb or abab. Because it was traditionally meant to be sung, the ballad has
repeated phrases called the refrain, similar to the chorus of a modern song.
• Lyric—Lyric poems are typically brief. They attempt to express an emotional state
or the poet’s thoughts on a subject.
• Epic—The stories told in epic poetry usually involve heroic acts and events that
are important to a culture, country, or particular group of people.
• Elegy—An elegy is a form of lyric poetry, traditionally written to mourn the dead.
Elegies may also be written to express the poet’s feelings about something he or
she considers strange or mysterious.
• Sonnet—A sonnet is a type of poem that has fourteen lines written in iambic
pentameter. This means that each line of the poem contains five beats, or stressed
syllables, each following an unstressed syllable. There are two categories of
sonnets. The Italian, or Petrarchan, sonnet begins with an octave (or two
quatrains) and ends with a sestet. The two quatrains each consist of four lines with
a rhyme scheme of abba, and the sestet consists of six lines with a cdecde or
cdcdcd rhyme scheme. The English, or Shakespearean, sonnet consists of three
quatrains followed by a couplet. The rhyme scheme for the whole English sonnet is
abab cdcd efef gg.
EXAMPLE
Step 1 Read the poem and the question carefully. What are the characteristics
of a Petrarchan sonnet?
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
It has fourteen lines. It has two quatrains that follow the rhyme scheme abba;
together these quatrains form an octave. The octave is followed by a sestet and it
has a cdcdcd rhyme scheme These are all the qualities of a Petrarchan sonnet.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which choice states the characteristics of
this poem?
The poem does not have a refrain of repeated lines, so it is not choice A, a ballad.
While it does have fourteen lines, they are not broken into three quatrains and a
couplet, so it is not choice B, a Shakepsearean sonnet. It does not tell a story
important to a nation, so it is not choice D, an epic. It does have an octave and a
sestet, so the correct answer is a Petrarchan sonnet, choice C.
Selection A
20 Not his the flight of fear, the heart aghast Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Selection B
Bright Star
By John Keats
More complex plots sometimes weave this central structure with other plot lines that may
occur simultaneously with the main story. These are known as subplots. They may
intersect with the main plot line in the narrative and can also be linked thematically.
Sometimes, the actions in each plot line echo each other. These are known as parallel
episodes, and they help reinforce the overarching themes and motifs of the story.
Examining the interplay between plot lines as well as the structure of the overall plot will
help you understand what is happening in the story.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
EXAMPLE
1 Tyrone knew that he could make a great cheesecake. When the county fair contest
was announced, he immediately began to plan what kind he would make. In the
lunchroom, Tyrone casually mentioned to everyone at his table that he was
deciding between a chocolate butterscotch cheesecake and a New York–style
cheesecake with raspberry topping. “Either way,” Tyrone announced, “I’ll win
first prize.”
2 Tyrone’s friend Ruth watched the other people at the table scowl at Tyrone’s
arrogance. She elbowed Tyrone gently and said, “I think someone’s got a slightly
swelled head.”
3 At first, Tyrone was offended by Ruth’s comment that he had a swelled head, but
then he realized that he had probably gotten on everyone’s nerves. Tyrone
buttoned his lip for the rest of the lunch period.
In the passage, what causes Tyrone to realize that he has offended everyone at the
table?
A Ruth watches the people at the lunchroom table scowl.
B Ruth tells Tyrone that he has a “slightly swelled head.”
C Tyrone announces he is going to win first prize.
D Tyrone is planning what kind of cheesecake he will make.
Step 1 Read the passage carefully. List the events that happened in
chronological order. Remember that each event in the plot triggers what happens
next. Which event happens right before Tyrone realizes that he has offended
everyone at the table?
At the beginning, Tyrone learns of the contest and begins planning what kind of
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which matches the event that causes Tyrone
to realize his mistake?
Choice A, when Ruth watches the people at the lunchroom table scowl, causes
Ruth to remind Tyrone that he’s being arrogant. Choice C is Tyrone’s boast, which
causes people at the table to scowl. Choice D, in which Tyrone is planning what
kind of cheesecake he will make, causes Tyrone to boast about his baking talents.
Choice B, when Ruth tells Tyrone that he has a “slightly swelled head,” is the direct
cause of Tyrone realizing his mistake. B is the correct answer.
• Internal conflict is when the main character is in conflict with himself or herself. The
source of conflict comes from how the main character struggles against feelings of
doubt or fear about his or her own nature. In this type of conflict, the main character
may experience certain events in the story that will lead to some kind of change in his
or her character.
• External conflict is when the main character is in conflict with an someone or
something that outside of his or her own self. This conflict may be a struggle against
another character, society, or the forces of nature.
To understand the main conflict of a story, the reader must determine who the main
character is and the central problem that he or she faces. Analyzing the actions and
thoughts of the main character will give clues to help determine that conflict.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
EXAMPLE
1 That night, when Tyrone went home, he got out some recipe books and spent the
evening looking them over. He decided that an orange crunch cheesecake would
be the best bet. The ingredients made it sound delicious, and it would be different
than the other entries in the contest. He spent the rest of the night imagining the
smiles on the judges faces when they tasted the cake, and the cheers from his
friends when he received the blue ribbon.
2 The next day at lunch, Tyrone did not mention the contest because he thought
the other kids might still be annoyed with his bragging. But someone else
mentioned it instead.
3 “I was thinking about that cheesecake contest at the county fair you mentioned
yesterday,” his friend Denise said to him. She smiled wide and continued, “As a
matter of fact, I decided to enter the contest myself. I’m going to use my
grandmother’s special cheesecake recipe. It’s an orange crunch cheesecake, and
it’s absolutely delicious!”
4 Tyrone could not believe his ears! It was bad enough that someone had a special
recipe that they knew was delicious. It was even worse that it was the same type of
cheesecake Tyrone was making. But the worst part was he would be going up
against one of his closest friends in the contest! This gave Tyrone much more to
worry about as the day of the contest approached.
Step 1 Read the passage carefully. Who is the main character and what is he or
she struggling with? Then, read the passage and look for an excerpt that best
expresses the conflict.
Tyrone is clearly the main character of this passage. His name is in the title, and the
story is driven by his actions. In the beginning of the passage, Tyrone is thinking
about winning the contest, and about how all of his friends will be supporting him
and proud of him. Then he realizes one of his closest friends is entering the
competition. This is the conflict that sets up the rest of the story.
Step 2 Read through each answer choice. Which of these choices best
expresses Tyrone’s conflict with himself?
Choice A only talks about Tyrone’s actions after he goes home from school, which
are not really related to the main conflict. Choice B talks about Tyrone’s specific
plan for making his cheesecake. Choice C does not talk about Tyrone at all, but
mentions his friend bringing up the contest. Choice D mentions Tyrone having to
go up against one of his closest friends in the cheesecake contest. Tyrone seems
surprised and confused by this, and has much to think about. Going up against his
friend is the central problem Tyrone faces, which is the definition of a story’s main
conflict. The answer is D.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Stage Fright
1 Whenever Adam was nervous, he bounced his tennis ball against the outside wall of
his apartment building. The steady thump, thump, thump it made helped him think.
Lately, he’ d been throwing the ball a lot. Tomorrow was the opening of the school play.
Adam had the lead. He also had a bad case of stage fright.
2 “I have to get out of this,” Adam thought as he threw the ball. When he had first tried
out, he had thought it would be fun. He had never expected to get the starring role. He
had never been on stage before.
3 “Maybe I could pretend to be sick,” he said to himself. “No, that would make my mom
worry. I guess I could just decide not to do it. Just because the play is called ‘Mr. Jones’
doesn’t mean Mr. Jones actually has to be in it.” Adam threw the ball again.
4 “It’s too bad I don’t have time to teach someone else my lines. Then I could skip it
without hurting everyone else who has worked so hard.”
5 As Adam threw the ball again, he saw Miss Bradford from apartment 2B enter the
building. Miss Bradford used to act in plays, too. Adam thought back to when he had
helped her hang up photographs from some of her plays. She had told him that many
performers get stage fright. They all had different tricks to relax. Miss Bradford used to
go for a long run before each performance. She ran fastest when she was most nervous.
It helped her clear her mind.
6 As he was thinking and bouncing the ball, Adam realized that he’d started to feel a little
better.
7 “Hey,” he thought, looking at the tennis ball in his hand. “Maybe this is my trick. I
think I’ll go see if Miss Bradford has any more advice.”
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
1 Which excerpt reveals the conflict in 3 Which events help develop the
the passage? conflict?
A She had told him that many A Adam throws the tennis ball
performers get stage fright. against the wall of his building.
B “Maybe I could pretend to be sick,” B Adam thinks of excuses for backing
he said to himself. out of the school play.
C As Adam threw the ball again, he C Adam remembers the old
saw Miss Bradford from apartment photographs in Miss Bradford’s
2B enter the building. room.
D Adam had the lead. He also had a D Miss Bradford tells Adam about
bad case of stage fright. how she would go on a long run
before a performance.
2 In paragraph 1, why is Adam throwing
the tennis ball outside the wall of his 4 Which excerpt reveals the climax, or
apartment building? turning point, of the passage?
A Adam is nervous about the school A Miss Bradford used to go for a long
play. run before each performance. She
B Adam doesn’t want to get the ran fastest when she was most
starring role. nervous.
C Adam sees Miss Bradford entering B “Hey,” he thought, looking at the
the building. tennis ball in his hand. “Maybe this
D Adam is trying out for a play.
is my trick.”
C “It’s too bad I don’t have time to
teach someone else my lines.”
D She had told him that many
performers get stage fright.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
To compare characters from different historical eras, you can identify the motives and the
actions of each character. Find the similarities in the way these characters respond or
react to their situations. Ask yourself what kinds of behavior seem to carry over from one
era to another.
Read the two selections from different historical eras. Think about how the
characters are alike.
Selection A
Selection B
Marching—marching—
King George’s men came marching, up to the old inn-door.
They said no word to the landlord, they drank his ale instead,
But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed;
Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side!
There was death at every window;
And hell at one dark window;
For Bess could see, through the casement, the road that he would ride. . . .
EXAMPLE
Step 1 Read each poem and summarize the stories they both tell. How similar
are the situations encountered by John Henry and the highwayman and Bess?
The first poem describes how John Henry attempts to out-hammer the steam drill.
He dies for what he believes in, which is that he can beat the steam drill. The
second poem tells the story of two lovers, the highwayman and Bess. The “red-
coats” use Bess to lure the highwayman into a trap, but Bess warns the
highwayman by shooting herself. Realizing that Bess died to save him, the
highwayman attacks the red-coats, dying in the process. Both the highwayman and
Bess died for their love for each other.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which answer best shows the resemblance
between motivations of the characters John Henry, the highwayman, and Bess?
Read the two selections from different historical eras. Think about how the
characters are different.
Selection A
Ripe Figs
By Kate Chopin
1 Maman-Nainaine said that when the figs were ripe Babette might go to visit her
cousins down on Bayou-Boeuf, where the sugar cane grows. Not that the ripening
of figs had the least thing to do with it, but that is the way Maman-Nainaine was.
2 It seemed to Babette a very long time to wait; for the leaves upon the trees were
tender yet, and the figs were like little hard, green marbles.
3 But warm rains came along and plenty of strong sunshine; and though Maman-
Nainaine was as patient as the statue of la Madone, and Babette as restless as a
humming-bird, the first thing they both knew it was hot summer-time. Every day
Babette danced out to where the fig-trees were in a long line against the fence.
She walked slowly beneath them, carefully peering between the gnarled,
spreading branches. But each time she came disconsolate away again. What she
saw there finally was something that made her sing and dance the whole day long.
When Maman-Nainaine sat down in her stately way to breakfast, the following
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
4
morning, her muslin cap standing like an aureole about her white, placid face,
Babette approached. She bore a dainty porcelain platter, which she set down
before her godmother. It contained a dozen purple figs, fringed around with their
rich, green leaves.
5 “Ah,” said Maman-Nainaine, arching her eyebrows, “how early the figs have
ripened this year!”
7 “Babette,” continued Maman-Nainaine, as she peeled the very plumpest figs with
her pointed silver fruit-knife, “you will carry my love to them all down on Bayou-
Lafourche. And tell your Tante Frosine I shall look for her at Toussaint—when the
chrysanthemums are in bloom.”
226 California Standards Practice, Grade 8
Characters from Different Historical Eras LESSON 13
Selection B
The following is an excerpt from the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, two young
lovers who have just gotten married when Eurydice dies of a snake bite and
descends to the Underworld. Orpheus journeys to the Underworld to beg its king,
Pluto, to release his wife. Blessed with remarkable musical abilities, Orpheus
sings a song that he hopes will soften Pluto’s heart.
1 As he sang these tender strains, the very ghosts shed tears. Tantalus, in spite of his
thirst, stopped for a moment his efforts for water, Ixion’s wheel stood still, the
vulture ceased to tear the giant’s liver, the daughters of Danaus rested from their
task of drawing water in a sieve, and Sisyphus sat on his rock to listen. Then for
the first time, it is said, the cheeks of the Furies were wet with tears. Proserpine
could not resist, and Pluto himself gave way. Eurydice was called. She came from
among the new-arrived ghosts, limping with her wounded foot. Orpheus was
permitted to take her away with him on one condition, that he should not turn
round to look at her till they should have reached the upper air. Under this
condition they proceeded on their way, he leading, she following, through
passages dark and steep, in total silence, till they had nearly reached the outlet
into the cheerful upper world, when Orpheus, in a moment of forgetfulness, to
assure himself that she was still following, cast a glance behind him, when
instantly she was borne away.
2 Stretching out their arms to embrace one another they grasped only the air.
Dying now a second time she yet cannot reproach her husband, for how can she
blame his impatience to behold her?
3 “Farewell,” she said, “a last farewell,” and was hurried away, so fast that the sound
hardly reached his ears.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
EXAMPLE
Step 1 Read each story carefully. Think about how Babette and Orpheus are
portrayed in the story. How similar are their situations? How did they react to their
situations?
Orpheus and Babette confront similar situations because they are both given tasks
that require patience. Babette is asked to wait until the figs ripen in order for her to
visit her cousins. Orpheus is ordered not to glance back at his wife until they reach
the upper world. In “Ripe Figs,” Babette eagerly waits for the figs to ripen and is
rewarded for her patience, while Orpheus cannot wait to reach the upper world
before glancing back at his wife. In doing so, Orpheus loses Eurydice.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which answer best shows the difference
between the two characters’ reactions?
Selection A
sidelong glance at Dame Van Winkle, and at the least flourish of a broomstick or
ladle would fly to the door with yelping precipitation. . . .
3 Rip was at last reduced almost to despair; and his only alternative, to escape from
the labor of the farm and clamor of his wife, was to take gun in hand and stroll
away into the woods. Here he would sometimes seat himself at the foot of a tree,
and share the contents of his wallet with Wolf, with whom he sympathized as a
fellow-sufferer in persecution. “Poor Wolf,” he would say, “thy mistress leads thee
a dog’s life of it; but never mind, my lad, while I live thou shalt never want a
friend to stand by thee!” Wolf would wag his tail, look wistfully in his master’s
face, and if dogs can feel pity, I verily believe he reciprocated the sentiment with
all his heart.
Selection B
1 I have met many odd people but only one Mr. Todd. He would visit me in the
barn and look at me in awe by the half-hour. Yet I liked him; I felt drawn
toward him in sympathy, for he and I were fellow victims of the proud
Mrs. Todd.
3 “So you are still alive?” were her cordial words as we rolled into the yard on the
first afternoon. “Yes, my dear.” His tone was almost apologetic.
6 She looked me over coldly. When she finished, I had shrunk to the dimensions
of a wheelbarrow. When Mr. Todd sized me up at the car lot only an hour
before, I had felt as imposing as a sixteen-wheel truck.
7 “Put it in the barn,” said Mrs. Todd, “before a bird carries it off.”
8 I began to suspect that I was not entirely welcome in that household. For a
moment I was reassured, but only for a moment.
9 “John Quincy Burton says,” Mrs. Todd observed, “that a little old used car like
this is sometimes a very good thing to own.”
11 “Yes,” Mrs. Todd went on, “he says he is thinking of buying one himself to carry
in his toolbox.”
12 At nights, when no one knew, Mr. Todd would sneak into the barn and sit at the
wheel. He would pretend to start me up and then make believe he was driving.
13 “First, I release the brake,” he would mutter. “Now I put it in gear and ever so
gently let in the clutch. We’re off! As we gather speed I pull the gear-level back,
then over, then forward. Was that right? At any rate we are now travelling
north, on Witherspoon Street. I see another car approaching from the east, on a
course perpendicular to mine. The other driver has the right of way, as Willie
puts it, so I slip the clutch out and ease on the brake . . .”
14 Thus in his imagination would he drive, plodding down the highway in his
mind.
15 In time, believe it or not, Mr. Todd became a capable driver. One remembered
day we went for a run in the country. On an empty ten-mile stretch, he startled
me by giving me enough gas to travel at the speed limit! I felt so good I could
have blown my radiator cap off to him.
16 For he was a master I could trust—and all my fellow used cars will understand
what comfort knowledge provides. I vowed I would do anything for that man!
On that very trip, indeed, I carried him the last homeward mile on nothing in
my tank but a faint odor.
1 Both Mr. Todd and Rip Van Winkle 3 Mr. Todd most differs from Rip Van
are best described as Winkle in that he
A isolated and mean. A works to become capable at
B elderly and weak. something.
C meek but likable. B musters enough courage to stand
D confident but confused.
up to his wife.
C leaves home to go on a long trip.
2 In these excerpts, how does Mr. Todd D talks to himself most of the time.
most resemble Rip Van Winkle?
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Setting adds a visual dimension that helps readers understand and relate to the plot. If a
story takes place in a scorching desert, we visualize an expansive stretch of sand under a
blazing sun. If the setting is the mountains, we imagine snowy peaks and pine trees. If a
story is historic—for example, set in New York in 1880—we expect characters to write
with pen and ink and to send handwritten messages to each other; we know they didn’t
have e-mail or telephones. Even a science fiction story should have a reliable, if
imaginary, setting.
Authors sometimes use setting to further the plot. A happy scene can be even more
cheerful if the sun is shining and birds are singing. A scary, dangerous event can be even
more suspenseful if a storm is raging outside.
Setting helps explain a character’s actions. After all, a man would not wear a heavy coat
in the heat of summer unless something was wrong. A boy who grew up on a farm might
be terrified to ride the subway system of a big city. A city boy wouldn’t know much about
riding horses or raising cattle. A native Texan who moved to Maine would be pretty
uncomfortable during a cold, snowy winter.
EXAMPLE
1 Read the following story, “The Ants and the Grasshopper” from Aesop’s Fables.
The Ants were spending a fine winter’s day drying grain collected in the
summertime. A Grasshopper, perishing with famine, passed by and earnestly
begged for a little food. The Ants inquired of him, “Why did you not treasure up
food during the summer?” He replied, “I had not leisure enough. I passed the days
in singing.” They then said in derision: “If you were foolish enough to sing all the
summer, you must dance supperless to bed in the winter.”
Which statement about winter best helps you understand the lesson of the story?
A In winter, days are shorter.
B In winter, grasshoppers starve.
C In winter, it is snowing and cold.
D In winter, no plants or crops grow.
Step 1 Read the fable carefully. Why are the seasons so important to the story?
What is the reader expected to know about the seasons?
Two seasons are contrasted, summer and winter. The story is about having enough
food to eat but does not provide a lot of information about the seasons. It just
assumes readers will know that in summer, lots of food is ripe and ready to eat and
that in winter, plants and trees stop growing, making it harder for animals and
insects to find food. It’s true, when I hear the word summer, I think of green grass,
apple trees, and warm sunshine. When I hear the word winter, I think of a cold,
stark, snow-covered landscape.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which statement best helps you understand
the story better?
All the choices are true statements about winter, but the question asks which
choice will help me understand the story better. Choices A and C are true about
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winter, but they don’t add to the point of the story. Choice B is a result of winter,
but I need to understand why the grasshopper is hungry. Answer choice D is an
assumption about winter that helps me understand the lesson of the story. The
grasshopper is hungry because food is not readily available. Choice D is the
correct answer.
When we read novels that were written a long time ago or take place a long time ago, we
get to see what life was like during a certain historical period. We can learn a lot about
history by paying attention to the novel’s setting details—what the cities, streets, and
homes looked like, and how people dressed, traveled, or communicated.
EXAMPLE
2 Read this passage, an excerpt from The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
(1862–1937).
Down the cobblestones of the quiet street came the ring of a stepper’s hoofs; they
stopped before the house, and he caught the opening of a carriage door. Parting the
curtains he looked out into the early dusk. A street-lamp faced him, and in its light
he saw Julius Beaufort’s compact English brougham [carriage], drawn by a big roan
[horse], and the banker descending from it, and helping out Madame Olenska.
Beaufort stood, hat in hand, saying something which his companion seemed to
negative; then they shook hands, and he jumped into his carriage while she
mounted the steps.
Which setting details offer the best clues about this novel’s time period?
A curtains and a streetlamp in the early dusk
B cobblestone streets and a horse-drawn carriage
C Julius Beaufort’s manners
D the author’s language
Step 1 Read the passage carefully. What details provide clues about its
historical time setting?
I can tell the novel takes place a long time ago because of the horse and carriage.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which one lists setting details that best place
the story in a specific time period?
The early dusk, in answer choice A, is a clue about the time of day but not the time
period; curtains and a street-lamp don’t provide enough historical information, so A
is not correct. The clues listed in choices C and D could provide information about
the era, but they are not setting details. The clues in answer choice B best indicate
that the time period could be the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. That’s
when people rode in horse-drawn carriages on cobblestone streets. Choice B is
the correct answer.
Emotional Landscapes
Sometimes, in order to show how a character feels, the author will create a setting that
reflects, echoes, or matches the character’s feelings. For example, a sunny forest filled with
flowers on a spring morning could reflect a character’s excitement over a new prospect. A
rainy afternoon could intensify a character’s feelings of frustration and restlessness.
EXAMPLE
Alexandra rose and looked about. A golden afterglow throbbed in the west, but
the country already looked empty and mournful. A dark moving mass came over
the western hill, the Lee boy was bringing in the herd from the other half-section.
Emil ran from the windmill to open the corral gate. From the log house, on the
little rise across the draw, the smoke was curling. The cattle lowed and bellowed. In
the sky the pale half-moon was slowly silvering. Alexandra and Carl walked
together down the potato rows. “I have to keep telling myself what is going to
happen,” she said softly. “Since you have been here, ten years now, I have never
really been lonely. But I can remember what it was like before. Now I shall have
nobody but Emil. But he is my boy, and he is tender-hearted.”
Which statement best describes how the setting reflects Alexandra’s emotions?
A As she watches people doing chores, Alexandra dreads how much work she has
to do on the farm.
B At sundown, the peaceful but empty landscape emphasizes Alexandra’s loneliness.
C The expansive view shows that Alexandra is trying to see into the future.
D The quiet, cheerful evening allows Alexandra to express happiness over her
friend’s move.
Step 1 Read the paragraph carefully. The author describes the setting through
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Alexandra’s eyes. What do you notice about the setting? How do the images make
you feel?
In my mind, the scene looks beautiful and peaceful, but it makes me feel kind of
sad. The country seems big and empty. Alexandra talks about how lonely she will
be without her friend.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which answer best states how the landscape
matches Alexandra’s emotions?
Alexandra does watch people doing chores, but she is not dreading work, so
answer A is incorrect. She does try to imagine what it will be like for her without
Carl, but answer choice C does not best express her emotion in that moment. She
is not cheerful or happy, so answer choice D is incorrect. When Alexandra looks
across the land, the land looks sad, distant, dark, and empty. The land reflects her
loneliness. Choice B is the best answer.
Lesson 14, Setting 235
LESSON 14 Setting
2 The firm of Speigelheim & Co, makers of boys’ caps, occupied one floor of the
building, fifty feet in width and some eighty feet in depth. It was a place rather dingily
lighted, the darkest portions having incandescent lights, filled with machines and work
benches. At the latter labored quite a company of girls and some men. The former were
drabby-looking creatures, stained in face with oil and dust, clad in thin, shapeless,
cotton dresses and shod with more or less worn shoes. Many of them had their sleeves
rolled up, revealing bare arms, and in some cases, owing to the heat, their dresses were
open at the neck. They were a fair type of nearly the lowest order of shop-girls—
careless, slouchy, and more or less pale from confinement. They were not timid,
however; were rich in curiosity, and strong in daring and slang.
3 Carrie looked about her, very much disturbed and quite sure that she did not want
to work here. Aside from making her uncomfortable by sidelong glances, no one paid
her the least attention. She waited until the whole department was aware of her
presence. Then some word was sent around, and a foreman, in an apron and shirt
sleeves, the latter rolled up to his shoulders, approached.
5 “Do you need any help?” said Carrie, already learning directness of address.
1 What kind of business does Carrie 3 What can you infer about this
enter? workplace from the description?
A a factory A Working conditions are fair.
B a department store B The workers are very poor.
C an office C The managers are cruel.
D a restaurant D Working conditions are
uncomfortable.
2 The description of the room makes it
sound very 4 What do the setting details suggest
A noisy. about the shop-girls?
B crowded. A They are mean.
C airy. B They are healthy.
D spacious. C They are overworked.
D They are poor and hungry.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
For example, let’s say you read a story about a boy who refuses to let his friend talk him
into cheating on an exam. That’s the plot. The story’s theme, however, is about standing
up for what you believe. In a story about a girl who moves to a new city, the theme could
be about trying to fit in. In a story about a disastrous prom date, the theme could be that
true friendship is more rewarding than a crush. Some stories might have more than one
theme. Often, however, one theme surfaces as more important than the others.
Throughout works of literature, plot and theme frequently reflect each other and are
closely related. The theme is a unifying idea that brings all the plot elements together.
Plot is specific; theme is abstract. Themes have to do with larger concepts such as
power, family, belonging, failure, success, making choices, or finding a sense of home.
Many stories do not directly state the theme; instead, they imply it through the plot.
Readers must determine the theme for themselves by thinking about the story and what
it means.
EXAMPLE
1 Read the following passage from “The King of Mazy May” by Jack London.
Night fell, and in the blackness of the first hour or so, Walt toiled desperately
with his dogs. On account of the poor lead-dog, they were constantly floundering
off the beaten track into the soft snow, and the sled was as often riding on its side
or top as it was in the proper way. This work and strain tried his strength sorely.
Had he not been in such haste he could have avoided much of it, but he feared the
stampeders would creep up in the darkness and overtake him. However, he could
hear them occasionally yelling to their dogs, and knew from the sounds that they
were coming up very slowly.
When the moon rose he was off Sixty Mile, and Dawson was only fifty miles
away. He was almost exhausted, and breathed a sigh of relief as he climbed on the
sled again. Looking back, he saw his enemies had crawled up within four hundred
yards. At this space they remained, a black speck of motion on the white river-
beast. Strive as they would, they could not shorten this distance, and strive as he
would he could not increase it.
Which quality does Walt have that could be part of the story’s theme?
A exhaustion
B determination
C patience
D sportsmanship
Step 1 Read the passage carefully. What do you think of Walt? What do you
think is the story’s theme?
Walt works very hard trying to accomplish his goal of reaching Dawson. He is
persistent. He does not give up. It seems like he is trying to beat a group of men
with a sled team who are behind him. He calls them “stampeders” and “enemies.”
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The men might be evil. The story’s theme might be about winning or achieving
a goal.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which quality best describes Walt and shows
the story’s theme?
Walt is exhausted, but his fatigue is overshadowed by his ability to keep going,
so choice A is not the best answer. Choice C is not correct, because the race is
urgent and Walt doesn’t need patience. His competition with his “enemies” does
not seem like a fair competition, so choice D, sportsmanship, is incorrect as well.
The main quality that Walt shows in the story is determination. He keeps going no
matter what. Choice B is correct.
Lessons as Themes
Stories that teach morals and lessons help us examine the world we live in. They tell us
how to behave and help us look inside ourselves and discover truths about who we are.
Sometimes the lessons in these stories are implied; sometimes they are directly stated.
Fables, for example, are short stories that often state the lesson at the end. It is then up
to the reader to interpret the lesson and think about how it can be applied to his or her
own life and circumstances.
EXAMPLE
A farmer’s daughter had been out to milk the cows, and was returning to the dairy
carrying her pail of milk upon her head. As she walked along, she fell a-musing after
this fashion: “The milk in this pail will provide me with cream, which I will make
into butter and take to market to sell. With the money I will buy a number of eggs,
and these, when hatched, will produce chickens, and by and by I shall have quite a
large poultry-yard. Then I shall sell some of my fowls, and with the money which
they will bring in I will buy myself a new gown, which I shall wear when I go to the
fair; and all the young fellows will admire it, and come and make love to me, but I
shall toss my head and have nothing to say to them.” Forgetting all about the pail, and
suiting the action to the word, she tossed her head. Down went the pail, all the milk
was spilled, and all her fine castles in the air vanished in a moment!
Step 1 Read the fable carefully. What does the story mean? How do you
interpret its lesson?
In this story, a farm girl she gets so absorbed in dreaming about getting rich that
she ruins the very thing that could have been the first step toward success. At the
end of the story, the lesson is stated. I take it to mean something like “Don’t act like
you have something before you actually do.”
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which answer best interprets the lesson?
Choice B is a plot summary, not a theme interpretation. Choice C is close but too
specific. Choice D is a pretty harsh interpretation. Choice A states the best
interpretation of the story. Choice A is correct.
240 California Standards Practice, Grade 8
Recurring Themes LESSON 15
Another way to identify a story’s theme is to look for repeating patterns, key words, or
symbols and determine how they add richness and meaning to the story.
EXAMPLE
Selma sat on the park bench. As she wondered about what to do next, she
slipped a key ring through her fingers. She had worked for Mrs. Baker for so long
that she never thought about what would happen after the old woman died. Selma
stopped her wondering for a moment and watched a bird fly from tree to tree. The
key ring glinted in the sun. That bird didn’t have anywhere special to go. It didn’t
seem worried, Selma thought.
A small suitcase sat next to the bench on the ground. Selma had packed it
quickly that morning when Mrs. Baker’s nephew came to sign the papers and close
the estate. He’d sent Selma off without the least concern for where she would go and
what she would do. Mrs. Baker would have been shocked.
Selma circled the key ring through her hand again. Its single key grated against
her fingers. Though it once gave Selma entrance to the grandest mansion in town,
a place where she had a found job and a home, now it wouldn’t open a single door
in the whole world. She opened the key ring, held the silver key up to the sun, and
tossed it into the bushes.
Which physical object or animal best symbolizes the theme of the passage?
A The bird symbolizes freedom.
B The suitcase symbolizes having few belongings.
C The key symbolizes the home Selma no longer has.
D The bench symbolizes a public place to rest.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Step 1 Read the passage carefully. What images are repeated? What do you
think is the story’s theme?
The key and key ring are mentioned several times and play a significant role. The
theme seems to relate to the idea of losing a job or home. The theme could also
be about how quickly life changes.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which sentence mentions a symbol that
relates to the theme of the passage?
Selma doesn’t think about freedom when she watches the bird. The suitcase and
bench are good story details, but neither is tied to any deeper meaning. Choices A, B,
and D are not correct. The key does have a deeper meaning. By throwing the key
away, Selma is accepting the fact that she no longer has a home. Choice C is correct.
Lesson 15, Recurring Themes 241
LESSON 15 Recurring Themes
1 “Come and sit in the window-seat with me,” Sara went on, “and I’ll whisper a story
to you.”
2 “Will you?” whimpered Lottie. “Will you—tell me—about the diamond mines?”
3 “The diamond mines?” broke out Lavinia. “Nasty, little spoiled thing, I should like to
SLAP her!”
4 Sara got up quickly on her feet . . . She was not an angel, and she was not fond of
Lavinia.
5 “Well,” she said, with some fire, “I should like to slap YOU—but I don’t want to slap
you!” restraining herself. “At least I both want to slap you—and I should LIKE to slap
you—but I WON’T slap you. We are not little gutter children. We are both old enough
to know better.”
6 Here was Lavinia’s opportunity.
7 “Ah, yes, your royal highness,” she said. “We are princesses, I believe. At least one of us
is. The school ought to be very fashionable now Miss Minchin has a princess for a pupil.”
8 Sara started toward her. She looked as if she were going to box her ears. Perhaps she
was. Her trick of pretending things was the joy of her life. She never spoke of it to girls
she was not fond of. Her new “pretend” about being a princess was very near to her
heart, and she was shy and sensitive about it. She had meant it to be rather a secret, and
here was Lavinia deriding it before nearly all the school. She felt the blood rush up into
her face and tingle in her ears. She only just saved herself. If you were a princess, you did
not fly into rages. Her hand dropped, and she stood quite still a moment. When she
spoke it was in a quiet, steady voice; she held her head up, and everybody listened to her.
9 “It’s true,” she said. “Sometimes I do pretend I am a princess. I pretend I am a
princess, so that I can try and behave like one.”
10 Lavinia could not think of exactly the right thing to say. Several times she had found
1 Which repeated word is part of the 3 Read this excerpt from the passage.
passage’s theme?
A diamonds “It’s true,” she said. “Sometimes I do
pretend I am a princess. I pretend I
B slap
am a princess, so that I can try and
C princess behave like one.”
D secret
According to this excerpt, how does
2 Which phrase best describes Sara’s Sara use her imagination?
behavior toward Lavinia? A to escape harsh reality
A Sara can’t control her anger. B to pass long, boring hours
B Sara speaks her mind but remains C to become a better person
civil. D to make the other girls jealous
C Sara is afraid of Lavinia and tries
to calm her down. 4 Which phrase best expresses the
D Sara treats Lavinia the same way theme of the passage?
Lavinia treats her. A You should be a good person no
matter what.
B You always have to look out for
yourself.
C You should get revenge against
those who hurt you.
D You must sometimes put people
in their place.
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Similes compare two things using the words as or like. The two likened things are
dissimilar but share a common characteristic that is highlighted through the comparison.
A metaphor functions like a simile. Metaphors compare two dissimilar things that share a
common feature or quality. However, unlike similes, metaphors directly compare the two
things without using the words as or like. Writers use similes and metaphors in order to
help readers better understand and envision the world around them.
EXAMPLE
The thirteenth-century Mongolian warrior Genghis Khan was one of the greatest
leaders the world has ever known. In the 1200s, he and his army of extraordinary
horsemen invaded and captured city after city in what is now central Asia. Those
who witnessed the Mongolian army attacking a city described the cavalry as having
the appearance of a swarm of innumerable ants or locusts.
In the passage, the words “having the appearance of a swarm of innumerable ants
or locusts” mean that the Mongolian cavalry was
A made up of riders who were as small as insects.
B overwhelmingly numerous and destructive.
C buzzing and noisy like locusts in flight.
D wearing colorful armor that shone in the sun.
Step 1 Read the passage carefully and look for the context of the quoted words.
What images come to your mind when you think of “innumerable ants or locusts”?
The quoted words are used to describe the Mongolian cavalry, which captured city
after city under the leadership of the fearsome warrior Genghis Khan. Although
ants and locusts are tiny compared to people, they are very strong for their size,
and when they swarm in large numbers, it must be difficult for other insects to stop
them and they can be quite destructive.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which best describes the similarity between
ants or locusts and Mongolian warriors?
A Mongolian army or cavalry that captured so many cities must have seemed
overwhelmingly numerous, and it must have destroyed everything in sight. The
riders would not literally have been as tiny as insects, so A is incorrect. There is no
indication in the passage that the Mongolian warriors were buzzing or wearing
colorful armor, so C and D cannot be right. Only answer choice B captures the
similarity between ants or locusts and warriors. B is the correct answer.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
EXAMPLE
Richard Cory
By Edwin Arlington Robinson
Step 1 Read the passage carefully. To identify the situational irony, first
determine the expected outcome and then compare it to the actual outcome. Why
is there tension between the expected and the actual outcomes?
The expected outcome, as implied by the townspeople who narrate the poem, is
that Richard Cory will live to a happy old age. This is expected because Richard
Cory is rich, attractive, and seems like a very nice man—why wouldn’t he want to
live? His suicide and the knowledge that he is actually unhappy come as an
unexpected shock.
Step 2 Read the answer choices and choose the one that best matches your
analysis.
The poem states that the townspeople all admire Richard Cory, but it never
indicates that he has many friends or family members, so B cannot be right. And
while Richard Cory captures the townspeople’s attention when he is alive, he does
so after he dies as well, so C cannot be right. Many people die while they are still
young—this by itself is not ironic, so D is also incorrect. The fact that everyone
assumes Richard Cory was happy when in fact he is extremely unhappy, however,
is very ironic. A is correct.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2 Bea, Tiny, and Reggie had been waiting on Sandra for half an hour. When she
arrived, she told the group, “Sorry, I’m late. I had to go back because I forgot one
of my gloves.” Reggie knew Sandra planned her late arrival so they could explore
the woods at night, which she thought was more fun. Reggie suddenly took Bea
and Tiny aside for a quick conference while Sandra was repacking her knapsack.
3 The four friends then started off along the path that ran between the woods and
the border of the great lake that was like a big mirror for the mountains and the
sky. Everyone enjoyed the scenery. It was too bad that the light was already dim.
They chatted as they walked. Before long, the sun fell below the horizon and it
began to get dark. Bea spotted the first star that evening. “Make a wish,” she said.
Everyone stopped walking for a minute and stood in silence, staring up at the
brilliant point of light in the sky.
4 A short time later, the path started curving away from the water into the woods.
Reggie took a deep breath. They were approaching the old, decaying barn, the
only structure left on an old abandoned homestead. Sandra liked this part best. It
was pitch black now, and the crickets were chirping. Reggie knew it was time to
enact his plan.
5 “Will you guys wait here a second? I think my flashlight fell out of my pack when
we climbed over that tree trunk at the last bend,” Reggie said, heading back
6 He winked at Tiny and Bea. Normally, they would have been scared to stand
around in the dark, especially near the old barn. But they remained calm tonight.
It was Sandra who got antsy.
7 “Hasn’t Reggie been gone for a while?” Sandra finally asked. “I mean, why does he
need that flashlight anyway? Wait! Did you guys hear that rustling sound?”
11 “I’m starting to get cold,” said Sandra, pacing back and forth. Bea and Tiny knew
that Sandra was nervous but would never admit it. There was another rustling
in the
woods, and Sandra quickly turned around.
12 “What was that?” she asked. Just then, Reggie came up behind Sandra.
14 “You’re crazy!” Sandra shouted. She was trying to catch her breath. Bea and Tiny
were smiling. “Why did you do that?” she asked Reggie.
15 “Now you know why we don’t like walking around in the dark,” Reggie said. “It’s
scary, and that’s not always fun.”
16 Reggie apologized for scaring Sandra. The four took off down the path past the
barn. It was a little less scary that night. And the next week, when Sandra, Bea,
Tiny, and Reggie went hiking in the daylight, it wasn’t scary at all.
1 In paragraph 13, the words “Sandra 3 The author uses situational irony to
jumped like a frightened rabbit” A show how Sandra was made
mean that Sandra fun of.
A looked cute. B point out how friends can
B was startled. sometimes be mean to each other.
C felt alert. C encourage readers to feel sorry
D needed something to eat. for Sandra.
D show how Sandra was not as
2 In the first paragraph, the phrase “a comfortable in the dark as she
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Close Reading
A close reading of a text locates textual references that support the author’s beliefs or
attitudes toward a certain subject. Textual references are concrete details found in a
literary work that a reader can use as evidence to support an inference about the author’s
beliefs. These references may be to certain people, places, things, or events that have
influenced the author in some way, or they may be more direct references to the author’s
philosophical opinions.
EXAMPLE
I will plant companionship thick as trees along all the rivers of America, and
along the shores of great lakes, and all over the prairies,
I will make inseparable cities with their arms about each other’s necks,
By the love of comrades,
10 By the manly love of comrades.
I will plant companionship thick as trees along all the rivers of America, and along
the shores of great lakes, and all over the prairies, / I will make inseparable cities with
their arms about each other’s necks.
Step 1 Read the poem carefully. Ask yourself what ideas the poem is trying to
express.
The title of the poem is “For You, O Democracy,” which means the poem is
probably addressing the theme of democracy. Democracy is a form of government
by the people. The quoted lines emphasize Whitman’s desire to “plant
companionship” and “make inseparable cities.” Such symbols of togetherness are
appropriate for a poem celebrating democracy.
Step 2 Read through each answer choice. Which best articulates what you
discovered about the poem?
Biographical Facts
The reader can also base his or her inferences about an author’s beliefs on biographical
facts about the author’s life and the time period in which the author lived. Often these
facts are reflected in the author’s writing; recognizing them can help the reader gain a
fuller understanding of a text.
EXAMPLE
1 It is very seldom that mere ordinary people like John and myself secure ancestral
halls for the summer.
2 A colonial mansion, a hereditary estate, I would say a haunted house, and reach
the height of romantic felicity—but that would be asking too much of fate!
3 Still I will proudly declare that there is something queer about it.
4 Else, why should it be let so cheaply? And why have stood so long untenanted?
5 John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage.
6 John is practical in the extreme. He has no patience with faith, an intense horror
of superstition, and he scoffs openly at any talk of things not to be felt and seen
and put down in figures.
7 John is a physician, and perhaps—(I would not say it to a living soul, of course,
but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind)—perhaps that is one reason
I do not get well faster.
8 You see he does not believe I am sick!
9 And what can one do?
10 If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and
relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous
depression—a slight hysterical tendency—what is one to do?
11 My brother is also a physician, and also of high standing, and he says the same
2 Charlotte Perkins Gilman suffered from depression and was treated with a
controversial rest cure that involved complete bed rest and prevented her from
writing. Based on her short story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” which best expresses
Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s likely thoughts about this rest cure?
A She thinks that the rest cure targets the source of her depression, which is that
her husband does not take her seriously.
B She thinks that the rest cure is effective because it is based on folk beliefs, not
mere science.
C She thinks that because the rest cure is recommended by doctors, it is the best
treatment for her condition.
D She thinks that the rest cure makes depression worse because her writing and
work are what she wants to do.
Step 1 Read the passage and question carefully. What similarities are shared by
the literary narrator and Charlotte Perkins Gilman?
Both the narrator and Gilman suffer from depression or what the narrator calls
“temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical tendency.” The narrator also
seems to be undergoing the same treatment that was given to Gilman; in
paragraph 12 she says she is “absolutely forbidden to ‘work.’”
Step 2 How does the narrator seem to view the rest cure and the doctors who
prescribed it? Which of these views seem likely to have been shared by Gilman?
The narrator says that she “disagree(s) with their ideas” and that excitement “would
do me good.” She also says that “less opposition and more society and stimulus”
would make her well. It seems likely that Gilman would share these ideas and is
expressing herself through the narrator’s thoughts.
Step 3 Read the answer choice and choose the one that best matches your
analysis.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Choice A cannot be the correct answer because the rest cure does not target the
problem of a husband who doesn’t take his wife seriously. Choices B and C both
approve of the cure while the narrator does not, so they cannot be correct. In
paragraphs 13 and 14, the narrator states, “Personally, I disagree with their ideas”
and that work would do her good. Choice D expresses a similar viewpoint in that it
is opposed to the rest cure and believe writing would help. D is the correct answer.
2 . . . This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper.
So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is
fear itself. . . .
4 Values have shrunken to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has
fallen . . . the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers
find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands of
families are gone. More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim
problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a
foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment. . . .
5 Then Roosevelt stated who he believed was the primary cause of all these problems.
6 Primarily this is because the rulers of the exchange of mankind’s goods have
failed, through their own stubbornness and their own incompetence, have
admitted their failure. . . . The moneychangers have fled from their high seats in
the temple of our civilization. We may now restore that temple to the ancient
truths. . . .
7 President Roosevelt closed the speech with his first of many comforting passages. He
became known for such words of encouragement throughout his years as president.
EXAMPLE
Escape Velocity
1 If you throw a rock up into the air from the Earth’s surface, the rock will go into
the air, but the planet’s gravity will pull it back down to Earth. If you threw it hard
enough, the rock would escape the planet’s gravitational pull and rise forever.
2 This is what you call “escape velocity.” If a planet is large, its gravity is stronger
and the escape velocity required to break free of gravity is greater. A smaller
planet, then, has a lower escape velocity. The escape velocity becomes greater the
closer you are to the center of the planet.
3 Black holes have such density and mass and such a strong gravitational pull that
even light, which travels faster than anything else, gets pulled into them. Nothing
can reach a black hole’s escape velocity.
1 Which sentence would be the best thesis statement for this report?
A Black holes are regions of space with such a concentration of mass that nearby
objects cannot escape their gravitational pull.
B A large planet has a greater escape velocity than a small planet because a large
planet’s gravity is stronger.
C You cannot throw a rock out of a black hole because nothing can reach a black
hole’s escape velocity.
D Escape velocity is affected by such physical properties as size, density, and
gravitational pull.
Each paragraph provides information about the escape velocity of various objects
in the universe, from tiny planets to enormously dense black holes.
Step 2 Read through each answer choice. Which one best expresses the whole
passage in a single sentence?
Choices A and C both focus on specific details about black holes that are
mentioned only in paragraph 3, so they cannot be correct. Choice B focuses on
comparing the escape velocity of large planets to that of small planets, but this is
too specific a statement to serve as a thesis for the whole passage. Choice D, on
the other hand, mentions each of the key pieces of information discussed in the
passage. D is the best thesis statement.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
MODEL EXAMPLE
Kites, popular toys that are flown in the wind at the end of a long string, are not just
for fun. Scientists use kites in their experiments by attaching cameras or other
devices to them in order to capture photos or measure air temperature. Soldiers also
use kites to observe their enemies in battle or for target shooting. Some kites are used
to rescue people in danger in the air and at sea.
Which of these would make the best concluding sentence to this passage?
A Kites have been used by inventors to design airplanes.
B Kites are interesting toys with many practical purposes.
C Kites are valuable because they have been known to save lives.
D Kites are also used by scientists to study weather patterns.
Step 1 Read the passage carefully and focus on the details given. Is there a
main idea that all the details support?
The first sentence in the passage looks like a thesis statement; the author plans to
argue that kites “are not just for fun.” The remaining sentences all list the various
ways scientists, soldiers, and rescuers use kites to help them better perform their
jobs. The main idea is that kites are both fun and useful.
Step 2 Read the answer choices. Which of these conclusions best matches the
Choices A, C, and D all focus on specific examples of ways in which kites are
useful. Choice B, the statement that kites have practical purposes in addition to
being fun toys, matches the main idea and sums up all of the details in the
passage. This serves as the best conclusion. B is the correct answer.
The following is a rough draft of a student’s report on blogging. It may contain errors.
Directions: Read the essay below and then answer the questions that follow.
1 A Web log, or a blog, is a personal space on the Internet where a regular person can
write his or her thoughts, express opinions, and post pictures. A blog lets you keep
family and friends up to date about your life. It is an online journal where anyone can
practice self-expression. Blogging also enhances your creativity and helps you practice
your writing skills. Blogging can be fun, but it also requires the writer to be
responsible.
2 There are very few rules that concern blogging, and even those rules may be
challenged by other bloggers. You can write about anything and everything you want
to write about. You can also control what and what not to publish online. Some blogs
even allow the blogger to limit the people who can read them. Blogs also allow you to
design your own space or personalize a template. There are many Web sites that offer
add-ons that you can post to your blog, like online clocks, Internet buttons, fancy
fonts, and images.
3 But whichever decisions you end up making, you have to remember that blogs are
usually open for anyone to read. If you express strong opinions on your blog, expect
that someone will always have a different opinion and might leave comments that you
don’t want to be published on your blog. Like you, they also have the right to express
themselves online.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
1 Which is the best thesis statement for 3 The best way for the author to
this report? improve this report would be to
A Blogging is fun but involves A include a list of celebrities who
responsibility. have blogs.
B Blogging is unsafe because of B add anecdotes of personal
privacy issues. blogging experiences.
C Blogging lets you say whatever C include a strong ending that
you want. summarizes the main points.
D Blogging is offensive to people D point out Web sites where
with different views. Internet buttons can be
downloaded.
2 Which of these details would not
support the author’s thesis? 4 Which of these would make the best
A a story about an amusing concluding sentence to the report?
blogging experience A When you blog, remember to
B a list of rules common to popular respect the opinions of others and
blog sites write with care, and you will
C statistics about the growing
enjoy your experience.
number of bloggers B Always remember that a blog
D a quote from a friend who did not
should be attractive so that other
enjoy blogging people will look at it and
appreciate how talented you are.
C If you have a blog, you can use it
to tell your family and friends
who live far away stories of your
life.
D Blogging is fun and easy, and you
should encourage other people to
try it out because they might
enjoy it as much as you do.
EXAMPLE
The peasants were terrified of what would happen if they refused to provide food
and supplies for the bandits. However, the peasants were determined to somehow
stop the raids. In addition, they hired seven men to help the villagers fight back.
The transitional phrase in addition does not correctly link the ideas in the second
and third sentences. Which of these should be used instead?
A another
B such as
C because
D as a result
Step 1 Read the passage carefully, focusing on how the second and third
sentences need to be linked. What is the logical connection between the two
sentences?
The first of the two sentences is the cause of the next sentence. The second
sentence is the result of the first sentence. The two sentences have a cause-
and-effect relationship.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which is a transitional word or phrase that
expresses a cause-and-effect relationship?
Notice how the sentence ends in a list. The In this parallel list, every item is an adverb
first two items in the list are adverbs ending in the suffix -ly.
ending in -ly, but the third item is a
prepositional phrase.
We wait for someone to rescue us. While We wait for someone to rescue us. We wait
waiting, we know impatience is not an because impatience is not an option.
option.
The parallel structure helps underscore the
Here, two similar sentences lack parallel monotony the speaker must feel to be
structure. The first sentence begins with continually waiting.
the subject; the second sentence begins
with an adverb phrase.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
EXAMPLE
More and more people are using cellular phones. It is a revolutionary way to
communicate with others. Having a cellular phone is great. You can send text
messages or e-mails easily, in a prompt manner, and on as many occasions as you
wish. It is no longer necessary to find a computer, pay phone, pen, or paper to reach
a loved one.
How should the underlined part of the fourth sentence be rewritten to create
parallel structure?
A easy, prompt, and as frequently
B in an easy way, prompter, and as frequent
C easily, promptly, and as frequently
D easily, prompt, and as frequent
Step 1 Read the second sentence. Divide the underlined part into its separate
phrases. How are these phrases different? How can they be made similar?
The word easily is an adverb that ends in -ly. The other two parts are both
prepositional phrases. Either all three parts should be adverbs that end in -ly, or all
three parts should be prepositional phrases.
Step 2 Read each answer choice. Which makes a possible correction you
identified in Step 1?
None of the answer choices contain prepositional phrases, and only C uses all
adverbs that end in the suffix -ly. The other choices are still not parallel. C is the
correct answer.
5 The Onyx Record Store was her last resort. Fadra paused outside Mr. Pilinzki’s door for
a moment. She had been inside only once, as a young child, to look for an album with
her father. The store owner had thought that the album she had wanted was sold out.
While Fadra had been busy moping around the store, feeling disappointed, he found
an extra copy and gave it to Fadra’s dad without her noticing. When they got outside,
Fadra’s dad pulled the album out of his bag. Fadra listened to that album nonstop for
two weeks and memorized the lyrics to every song. She never forgot that moment or
the man who worked in the record store.
6 Fadra went inside where it was pretty quiet, except for some funky music playing in the
background. The store was brightly lit and the checkered floor was shining. There was
a woman behind the checkered counter talking excitedly about a new jazz CD with a
young customer. The other employees looked happy, filled with energy, like they were
enthused about their job. Fadra felt good, breathing deeply as she approached the
counter.
California Standards Practice, Grade 8 265
LESSON 19 Paragraph Organization
Analogies and comparisons are effective ways to support theses and conclusions. By
comparing difficult concepts to more familiar ones, analogies help to clarify your
argument. They also encourage readers to visualize or think about the subject of your
composition in fresh and stimulating ways.
EXAMPLE
(1) Running outdoors is one of the best options for getting a good aerobic workout.
(2) Though you can also run indoors at a gym, outdoor running is usually a more
fulfilling experience. (3) There is no substitute for fresh air and open views. (4) You
can vary your runs on different surfaces (such as hard sand, dirt trails, or pavement)
and in different locations (neighborhoods, beaches, or parks). (5) In this way,
running is more like traveling. (6) All you need is a pair of running shoes to enjoy
this simple pastime.
Which of the following sentences should be added after sentence 5 to support the
author’s claim that running is more like traveling?
A In fact, you can even join running groups online where you can exchange
workout tips and advice with runners all over the world.
B Running is a popular workout for people everywhere, whether you are in the city
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or in the country.
C When you run, you leave your routines behind and welcome the adventure of the
unknown, just like when you travel to a distant place.
D Unlike other workout programs, running does not require you to buy expensive
equipment or travel to specific locations.
Step 1 Read the passage very carefully. Why does the author compare running
to traveling? What are some other ways in which running is similar to traveling?
In sentence 4, the author argues that running outdoors is more like traveling because
of the variety of places you can go running. Running can also be compared to
traveling because it is like taking a vacation. You are literally traveling to other places,
which might be more interesting than the places you go to in your everyday life.
Step 2 Which of the answer choices can best support the comparison between
running and traveling?
Choice A supports the claim that running can also be a social activity. It does not
support the comparison between running and traveling, so choice A is incorrect. In
the same way, choice B does not support the comparison because it only mentions
the popularity of running. Choice D says that running does not require you to
travel, which seems to oppose the comparison of running to traveling. Choice C
says that running gives benefits similar to traveling, such as being away from life’s
everyday routines and experiencing new adventures. Choice C is the correct
answer.
In addition to analogies and comparisons, there are several other ways to support your
theses and conclusions. To gather more credible evidence, you may need to conduct
research using resources found at the library or online. The following are some common
ways to present evidence from your research:
MODEL EXAMPLE
(1) Have you ever encountered a skunk? (2) People usually associate skunks with the
terrible odor they give off. (3) Few people would consider keeping skunks in their
houses, but the truth is skunks can make wonderful pets. (4) Skunks are intelligent
animals. (5) Like cats, skunks can be taught to use litter boxes and to scratch at the
door when they need to go out. (6) They love to have their bellies rubbed and enjoy
snuggling up on someone’s lap. (7) Of course, this does not mean you should go out
and catch a wild skunk! (8) That would be very dangerous. (9) However, you can
adopt a baby skunk that has had its scent glands removed.
Which of the following expert opinions would best be added to the end of the
passage?
A According to Safe Pets Club President Leny Simon, wild skunks are very
dangerous to humans, especially to children.
B Veterinarian Tim Robbins says that the procedure of removing scent glands is
safe for the skunk.
C According to pet lovers Molly and Harold Kissinger, skunks love to be cuddled
and petted.
D A skunk can live as long as a human, says well-known pet expert Cary Merrell.
Step 1 Read the passage very carefully. What is its main idea or thesis? What
conclusions does it draw?
The passage argues that, although wild skunks have a terrible odor, tame skunks
can make wonderful pets so long as they are adopted as babies and their scent
glands are removed.
Step 2 Which of the answer choices best fits at the end of the paragraph and
supports the passage’s argument?
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Choice A cannot be added to the end of the passage because it contradicts the
main idea that skunks can be wonderful pets. Pet lovers are not recognized
authorities or experts, so choice C is incorrect. Although choice D is a statement
from a pet expert, the life span of a skunk is not related to the main idea that
skunks can make wonderful pets. Choice B is the opinion of a veterinarian,
someone who would be considered an animal expert, who says that removing
scent glands from a skunk is a safe procedure. This would make sense to add to
the end of the paragraph, which also discusses the procedure for removing scent
glands. Choice B is the best answer.
Directions: Read the report below and then answer the questions that follow.
Floods
1 During a typical rainfall, some of the rainwater evaporates, some is absorbed in
the soil or in the vegetation, and some remains in rivers and streams. A flash flood
occurs after an unusually heavy rainfall. Excess water runs into the stream
channels and other water-containing bodies after the soil and vegetation have
absorbed as much water as they can hold. Typically about thirty percent of
precipitation is runoff, or water not absorbed by the soil and vegetation. When
this percentage increases dramatically, there may be a flash flood.
2 Because flash floods occur very quickly and without warning, they often damage
property and threaten the lives of people and animals. Floods in general negatively
impact the spawning grounds of fish, cause soil erosion, and knock down
structures in their path. Nationwide, damage from floods costs billions of dollars
every year.
3 Flash floods can be somewhat controlled and prevented through the planting of
trees—the roots of which help prevent soil erosion—or through the construction
of levees, reservoirs, dams, and floodways, all of which divert runoff.
2 Which sentence would be the best 4 Which of the following properly uses
paraphrase of paragraph 2? a direct quotation to express the
A Flash floods are dangerous and expert opinion found in paragraph 4?
unpredictable, causing harm to A “Because of unusually strong
people, animals, and the rains during the summer of 1993,
environment, as well as costing Flood Management expert
billions of dollars in damage. Garrett Evans says, the
B The destruction caused by flash Mississippi River overran its
floods is tremendously expensive banks in one of the worst floods
to the nation, costing Americans in U.S. history.”
billions of dollars every year. B Flood Management expert
C Flash floods are devastating to the Garrett Evans says, “Because of
environment because they cause unusually strong rains during the
soil erosion and destroy the summer of 1993, the Mississippi
habitats of fish and other animals. River overran its banks in one of
D Flash floods happen very often,
the worst floods in U.S. history.”
and they frequently destroy C Garrett Evans, Flood
property and threaten the lives of Management expert, says that
people and animals. when the Mississippi River
overran its banks during the
summer of 1993, it was one of the
3 Which sentence could best be added
worst floods in U.S. history.
to the end of paragraph 3 to express
the opinion of an expert? D Because of unusually strong rains
during the summer of 1993, the
A Climatologist Whitney Baron says
Mississippi River overran its banks
that some areas of the United
in one of the worst floods in U.S.
States are more vulnerable to the
history, Garrett Evans told me.
possibility of flash floods than
others.
B According to the Federal
Emergency Management
Agencies, billions of dollars are
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Word Choice
It is easier to read and understand a composition if the words are simple, direct, and
clear. A common error in writing is to use inexact words and descriptions that do not
mean what you intend to say. Another common error is to write sentences and
descriptions that are too wordy. It’s easy to think that using more words will make your
writing more understandable. However, using concise sentences and precise language is
actually a much better way to deliver a clear message. Here are some common mistakes
and ways to correct them.
EXAMPLE
What is the most accurate replacement for the underlined cliché in the paragraph?
A bones and skin
B part of the author’s imagination
C real people
D false
Step 1 Read the passage, paying attention to how the phrase is used in the
sentence. What do you think the sentence is trying to say given the information in
the paragraph?
The sentence is trying to say that if the author creates a character who acts,
speaks, and thinks in ways that seem natural given the events that happen in a
story, the reader will be able to believe that the character is real.
Step 2 Which of the answer choices do you think is the best answer?
Choice A, Bones and skin, would not make sense because it is not what the cliché
means. Choice B, part of the author’s imagination, is also not what the cliché
means. Choice D, false, would be a complete opposite to what the cliché is trying
to say. The correct answer is choice C because real best replaces the phrase flesh
and blood in the sentence.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Organization of Ideas
Choosing the appropriate organizational structure for your essay depends on the
intended purpose and audience. Ask yourself what your purpose is for writing and
which organizational pattern will best help the reader clearly understand your message.
The following chart describes some common types of organizational structures.
EXAMPLE
1 When summer started, I asked my friends Tyrone and Keith for ideas on how we
could spend the rest of the vacation. Instead of just spending afternoons at the
beach and playing video games at my house, I wanted us to do something unique
this year.
2 Keith came up with a brilliant idea. He suggested that we make short movies
using his sister’s video camera. None of us were good at creating stories, so we all
decided to make documentaries on a few different topics that we could research
around town. It might sound nerdy, but it turned out to be the highlight of our
summer.
3 The three of us thought that our first subject should be Mr. Harold Miller who
has been a Hollywood stuntman for two decades now. He lived three houses from
us. We interviewed him, flipped through his stunt pictures, and marveled at
posters of movies he appeared in. We also watched those movies and included his
scenes in our documentary about him. He helped us ask permission from the
director and the producer of the movie he was doing at that time to videotape his
stunts a couple of times. Our documentary about Mr. Miller was not bad. We
actually did very well for a first try.
4 Our next feature was Mr. and Mrs. Yang’s Everything Store which was a block
away from Tyrone’s street. The couple sold practically everything—hardware
tools, office supplies, Chinese grocery items and delicacies, fresh produce, antique
pieces, and a few pets. It sounds really strange that they sold all these things in
one shop. But ‘strange’ is what we wanted for our second film.
5 We decided that our third film would be about the three of us. But the summer
ended with an ongoing argument about what each of us wanted to include about
ourselves.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Step 1 How did the student recount his experiences during his summer
vacation?
Step 2 Look at the answer choices. Which one best describes the organization
of the passage?
The student did not compare and contrast any of the things that happened during
the vacation he did not state a main point supported by details and arguments, nor
did he give a step-by-step instruction on how to make a documentary, so choices
A, B, and D are not correct. He did recount his experiences during the summer
vacation through a chronological sequence of events, which is choice C, the
correct answer.
Transitions have an important role in any essay. Your ideas may have the appropriate
organizational pattern, but without relating them to one another, your essay will look
cluttered and confusing. Transitions give your ideas a logical order and make your essay
unified and cohesive. The following chart gives some useful transitional words and phrases.
Purpose Examples
To give examples of an idea for instance, for example
To show contrasting ideas on the other hand, however, still, but, on
the contrary
To link related or similar ideas likewise, similarly, in the same way, also
To add ideas that support previous ideas moreover, additionally
To conclude an idea therefore, thus, as a result, overall
EXAMPLE
(1) The title has a very important role in a story. (2) A good title gives the reader a
clue to what the story is all about. (3) It also attracts the reader’s attention and gets
him or her interested in the story. (4) Some titles have no relation to the story. (5) An
author has to choose a title carefully—one that can capture the essence of the story.
Which word can be best added to the beginning of sentence 4 to improve the
transition between sentences 3 and 4?
A For example,
B As a result,
C Likewise,
D However,
Step 1 Read the two sentences. How should these two ideas be connected?
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Sentence 3 talks about how a good title attracts the reader’s attention so he or she
will want to read the story. Sentence 4 talks about titles that have no relation to the
story. These sentences seem to be contrasting with each other, so they need a
transition that connects two contrasting ideas.
Step 2 Which of the transitions do you think is the best answer, based on the
logical connection between the two ideas?
For example, choice A, would not be a good transition because sentence 4 is not
an example of sentence 3. Choice B, as a result, would also not be the right
transition because sentence 4 was not caused by the idea in sentence 3.
Sentences 3 and 4 are contrasting, not similar, so choice C, likewise, is not the
appropriate transition. Choice D is the correct answer because the word however
connects two contrasting ideas such as those found in sentences 3 and 4.
Point of View
Though essays and other written works are usually addressed to the reader, the writer
does not always speak directly to the reader. Different points of view are used in different
kinds of written works. The following chart details some of the most commonly used
points of view. Remember though that no matter which point of view you choose for an
essay, you need to be consistent.
EXAMPLE
(1) Many people think that the measure of success is the amount of money one has.
(2) Some believe it is based on the number and value of properties one owns. (3)
Other people think success is the equivalent of achieving fame. (4) Given the
dictionary defines success as “desired outcome” and “the attainment of wealth or
(5) However, success goes deeper than being rich or famous. (6) Success is the
opposite of failure; this suggests that there is hard work involved for it to happen. (7)
You must persevere toward a goal before you can say that you have succeeded or
failed. (8) Therefore, success yields not only money or fame.
(9) Success yields satisfaction, fulfillment, and the joy that comes from doing
something to the best of one’s ability.
Step 1 Which point of view is used for the rest of the essay? Is there a specific
pronoun that the author uses when making general statements about people?
The rest of the essay is written in the third-person point of view. The author
frequently uses the pronoun one when making general statements about people’s
beliefs about success.
Step 2 Which of the answer choices is consistent with the point of view in the
rest of the essay?
Directions: Read the essay below and then answer the questions that follow.
1 My concept of beauty has been unavoidably influenced by the media. Since the media
show us images of what is supposed to be beautiful, we takes these to be the standards.
However, there are some images that I think are not attractive. For instance, I don’t
find huge muscles on men or very elegant hairstyles on women very attractive. Of
course, I don’t want to stop at the physical attributes of a person. There are times when
I find a guy attractive on the outside, but I get turned off because of his attitude. This is
why I think beauty comes more from the inside and not the outside.
2 However, some people do not believe that inner beauty counts for much. __________,
there are cases in which girls become paranoid about how they look. They look in the
mirror and worry about their weight when in fact they are at a perfectly healthy
weight. This is because of the images they see, thinking that skinny is beautiful.
Women also spend so much money on make-up, with companies getting richer by the
day by selling products that cover millions of faces.
3 Many people also think that beauty fades with age. As one gets older, his or her beauty
is considered to be diminishing. When your skin is sagging and you have wrinkles, you
believe your beauty has left you.
4 Sometimes I, too, am not satisfied with what I see in the mirror. My hair is dry, my lips
are too thick, my nose is too wide and I’m too small for my age. But I feel that if I “fix”
my appearance according to society’s standards, I wouldn’t feel like myself. I would still
go back to the thought that no matter how much I try to change myself, what still
counts is what is inside me. Looks can fade, but the goodness in a heart can last
forever.
1 Read this sentence from the passage. 3 How should the last sentence in
paragraph 3 be changed to maintain a
There are times when I find a guy
consistent point of view?
attractive on the outside, but I get
turned off because of his attitude. A When my skin is sagging and I
have wrinkles, I believe my
beauty has faded.
What is the most accurate replacement
for the underlined words in the B When one’s skin is sagging or full
sentence? of wrinkles, one believes his or
her beauty has faded.
A irritated
C She believes her beauty has faded
B surprised
because her face is sagging and
C switched off full of wrinkles.
D closed down D One believes one’s beauty has
faded when you already have
2 Which word or phrase could best be wrinkles and your skin is sagging.
added to paragraph 2 to improve the
transition between the first and 4 How is the organization of the essay
second sentences? best described?
A On the other hand, A spatial sequence
B Moreover, B main idea and supporting details
C Therefore, C sequence of events
D For instance, D step-by-step process
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
When you write, resist the temptation to use the same types of sentence over and over
again. This can lead to bland, monotonous writing that will not be appealing to readers.
To make your writing more effective and readable, you can use different combinations of
the four main sentence types, as shown below.
EXAMPLE
The main theme of the story The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World by Gabriel
Garcia Marquez is about sight and blindness. This can be seen through the reactions
of the village people toward the drowned man. The people only saw his beauty and
not the fact that he was dead nor that he was bigger than any other human they had
ever seen. When the children on the beach found the body of the drowned man, they
A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent
clause.
Step 2 Which of the answer choices contains one independent clause and at
least one dependent clause?
Choices A and C are both simple sentences with one independent clause each.
Choice D is a compound sentence that contains two independent clauses and no
dependent clause. Choice B is the correct answer because it has one independent
clause, The women were so fascinated with the man, and one dependent clause,
that they named him Esteban.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Sentence Openings
Varying your sentence openings helps make your writing more vibrant and avoids giving it
a repetitive feel, which can make it not as engaging for the reader. If too many sentences
that are close together start the same way, your writing can begin to sound like a list. By
using different openings, it helps your writing flow and helps maintain reader interest.
Here is an example of a student paragraph about the filming of Gone with the Wind:
The film Gone with the Wind (1939) was probably one of the most meticulously
executed films in history and is a model for other filmmakers. The script, cast,
wardrobe, and production design were all done very carefully. The attention to detail
is not surprising though. The book was a best seller, and every woman wanted to be
Scarlett O’Hara. The producers wanted to make a lot of money out of the movie, and
what better way to do that than giving people a much-loved story on the big screen?
The novel was a sensational hit, and its movie version had to do justice to it.
Probably one of the most carefully executed films in history, Gone with the Wind
(1939) remains a model for filmmakers. Everything from the script, the cast, the
wardrobe, and the production design was scrutinized for every detail, aiming for
perfection. However, this attention to detail is not surprising. The book was a best
seller, and every woman wanted to be Scarlett O’Hara. Wanting to make a lot of
money out of the movie, the producers knew that the best way to do that was to give
people a much-loved story on the big screen. Since the novel was a sensational hit, its
movie version had to do justice to it.
Notice how in the first version, all the sentences start with “the”: The film, the script, the
attention, etc. In the second version, the sentence openings vary to make the writing
more lively. While both passages essentially say the same thing, the second passage
flows better, does not sound as repetitious, and ultimately makes for a more pleasant
read.
EXAMPLE
(1) George Washington proved to be a brave soldier decades before leading colonial
forces during the Revolutionary War. (2) Washington gained the attention of his
superiors in the years leading up to the French and Indian Wars. (3) Washington
proved his courage to them by crossing dangerous terrain and hostile territory to
deliver a message to a French commander.
Look at sentence 3. Which of the following sentences is the best rewrite that keeps
the meaning of the original sentence, flows from the previous sentence, and varies
the sentence opening?
A The terrain was dangerous and hostile when Washington crossed it to deliver a
message to a French commander.
B A French commander received a message from Washington who had showed his
courage by crossing dangerous terrain and hostile territory.
C Washington bravely crossed dangerous terrain and hostile territory to deliver a
message to a French commander.
D By crossing dangerous terrain and hostile territory to deliver a message to a
French commander, Washington proved his courage to these superiors.
Step 1 How can the sentence be rewritten to keep the original meaning, flow
from the previous sentence, and vary the opening?
The sentence needs to express what specific deed Washington accomplished, and
how it proved his courage to those in charge. It also should not start with George
Washington or Washington because that is how the previous sentences start.
Choices A does not talk connect to the previous sentence very tightly since it does
not tie in the information about proving his courage to his commanders. Choice B
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
also acknowledges his courage, but its emphasis on the French commander
instead of Washington makes it confusing. Choice C begins with Washington so it
does not solve the problem of the repetitive sentence openings. Choice D flows
from the previous sentence, matches the meaning of the original sentence, and
varies the sentence opening. Choice D is the best answer.
(1) Trees grow from fertilized seeds. (2) Through the spreading of seeds, the survival
of each species of tree is ensured. (3) Once the fertilized seed germinates, the roots
are the first part to grow. (4) These roots perform two major functions for the new
tree. (5) The roots anchor the tree to the ground, and they absorb water and minerals
that help the tree grow. (6) The roots never stop growing, no matter how old a tree
becomes. (7) Root cells in the tip of each root continually divide, creating more and
more cells. (8) Often, the roots grow especially rapidly, and a loose collection of cells,
called a root cap, develops to protect the root as it expands farther into the soil.
(9) After the roots have begun to grow and spread, resembling a city’s roadmap, the
tree begins to shoot out of the soil. (10) The most substantial part of the tree is the
trunk, which is composed of an outer layer called bark, an inner bark layer called
phloem, and a mostly wood layer called xylem. (11) The outer bark protects the tree;
and the living section of the xylem transports dissolved food throughout the trunk.
(12) From the trunk of the tree, limbs will grow. (13) The limbs will sprout leaves.
(14) The leaves will use water pulled up from the soil by the roots and carbon
dioxide extracted from the air to produce sugars. (15) This process is called
photosynthesis. (16) Some of the sugars are used by the leaves for energy, but most
are transported to other parts of the tree. (17) Leaves are also involved in
transpiration, the process by which water is pulled up through the roots and expelled
from the leaves.
(18) In some trees, male and female reproductive organs can be found in separate
flowers on the same tree. (19) These trees are called monoecious. (20) In other kinds
of trees, the male and female reproductive organs are found in cones instead of in
flowers. (21) Regardless of the reproductive system, flowers or cones are fertilized
when male and female parts meet by means of wind, animals, or insects.
tree.
One can identify whether a sentence has parallel structure by checking if its verbs and
modifiers have a similar grammatical form. This is especially important when words and
phrases are arranged in a list. Consider the following example:
Not parallel: Stefanie likes to read and also likes sketching when she has no classes.
Parallel: Stefanie likes to read and to sketch when she has no classes.
The first sentence is not parallel because it pairs the infinitive to read with the gerund
sketching. The second sentence is parallel because both of the verbs read and sketch are
in the same infinitive form. Notice how the second sentence is clearer and more direct
than the first one.
EXAMPLE
Parouk’s mother told him to review his lessons and he should be spending enough
time on his homework.
How should the underlined part of the sentence be rewritten to create a parallel
structure?
A to review his lessons or he should spend enough time on his homework
B to review his lessons and to spend enough time on his homework
C to reviewing his lessons and be spending enough time on his homework
D to reviewing his lessons and spent enough time on his homework
Step 1 Read the sentence carefully. What makes the sentence structure not Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
parallel?
The sentence structure is not parallel because the verbs that follow “Parouk’s
mother told him” have different forms. The infinitive verb to review is paired with the
gerund spending. Parallel structure requires either two infinitives or two gerunds.
Step 2 Read all the possible choices. Which answer choice has a parallel
structure?
Parallelism requires that each parallel phrase use the same articles, prepositions, and
correlative conjunctions. Consider the following examples.
Articles are the little words such as a, an, and the that appear before most common
nouns in a sentence. When a series of common nouns form a list, the appropriate article
must appear before the first item only or be repeated before each item.
Prepositions are words such as on, in, and over that show the relationships between
groups of words in a sentence. When prepositional phrases appear in a series or list, it is
important to include the appropriate preposition with each phrase, since the first
preposition may not apply to every phrase in the list.
Not parallel: Amy belongs, spends time, and cares for a group of young girls.
Parallel: Amy belongs to, spends time with, and cares for a group of young girls.
Sentences that contain correlative conjunctions such as both/and; not/but; not only/but
also; either/or; and first/second/third should also be in parallel structure. This usually
involves placing each correlative conjunction directly before the word or phrase it refers to.
EXAMPLE
Not only the teacher asked her students to write an essay, but also to read their
essays aloud.
Step 1 Read the sentence again. What is not parallel in the sentence?
The sentence uses the correlative conjunctions not only and but also, but it does
not place them directly beside the words they are referring to. It is more natural to
say “not only asked” and to specify the person whom also refers to.
Choices B, C, and D either do not place the correlative conjunctions before the
phrases they refer to and in the most natural places in the sentence. Choice A has
a parallel structure because it places the correlative conjunctions not only and but
also before the phrases they refer to and in more natural places in the sentence.
Choice A is the correct answer.
Directions: Read the short story below and then answer the questions that follow.
Firelight
1 “What is your favorite memory?” the teacher asked.
2 Tomas thought about the writing assignment. He closed his eyes, trying to set his
imagination free, and seeing what movie would appear on the screen of his eyelids.
3 Many images flowed, but gradually they all resolved into a sense of light dancing in the
darkness. Flickering flames flashed beneath a flight of sparks, and his ears were
suddenly filled with cracks and pops as sap inside dry logs exploded in the heat of a
fire. He could almost smell the wood smoke and the soft pine-scented woods around
the camp. Again he felt the rough bark of the log on which he sat and the stiff collar of
his overcoat. A cousin, an aunt, and uncle were talking, their voices soft because the
smaller children were sleeping inside the tents.
4 It was a cold night with a breeze from Lake Superior that seemed to sweep across the
entire upper peninsula of Michigan, but it was clear. The incredible river of stars
overhead shone brightly while the thin stream of smoke from the campfire was rising
like a ribbon that flowed forever.
5 Tomas had fought to keep his eyes open. He wanted to savor that moment in the
woods—the sound of his parents talking while the fire hissed and crackled, tents for
the whole family around the campfire, red and white pines towering above their heads,
and the endless calls of the frogs and crickets in the darkness surrounding the small
lake. He had realized then how much he enjoyed talking, feeling, and being with his
family.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
6 “Will I ever feel so secure again?” Tomas wondered. “Will I always be surrounded by
love?”
7 “I sure hope so,” he said aloud. He smiled when classmates turned to look. Then he
picked up his pen and started writing.
EXAMPLE
I explained that I couldn’t finish my homework because I got sick. My teacher took
off points for lateness anyway.
Step 1 Ask yourself: How are the ideas in these two sentences related to each
other? Which conjunction shows this relationship?
The first sentence states that the student couldn’t finish the homework because of
an illness. This seems like a good excuse, so the student probably did not expect a
penalty. However, the second sentence states that the teacher took off points.
These ideas are opposed to each other. The conjunction but is used to show
opposition.
Step 2 Read the answer choices. Which one correctly shows the relationship of
opposition?
Some sentences are so closely related in meaning that it is best to combine them into a
single sentence. When you combine these sentences, you can use organization structures
such as subordination, coordination, apposition, and reduction to show clearly the
relationships these sentences have with one another. The following chart shows the
different kinds of sentence organization structures, as well as when it is best to use them.
verb)
EXAMPLE
The origins of the Tower of London trace back to a foreign invasion. The tower has
come to symbolize the great stability of England and of British culture.
Step 1 Ask yourself: Are both sentences of equal importance? In just a few
words, what is the first sentence saying? In just a few words, what is the second
sentence saying?
The first sentence says that the tower’s origins date back to a foreign invasion. The
second sentence emphasizes how the tower has become a symbol of stability. The
passage emphasizes the present importance of the tower more than its past
origins, so any combination of the sentences should reflect the importance of the
second sentence.
Step 2 Ask yourself: Which method of combining sentences can best be used
when emphasizing one sentence over another?
If I want to emphasize one sentence more than another, I should combine the
sentences using subordination. The first sentence should be turned into a
subordinate clause.
Step 3 Read each answer choice. Which answer choice best shows combining Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
sentences by subordination?
Choices A and D both use coordination to combine the sentences. I notice that
these sentences also seem to equate the tower’s violent past with its present
status as a symbol of stability. Since these ideas are actually opposed to each
other, linking them together through coordination does not make sense. Choice C
uses apposition, which places more emphasis on the tower’s past than on its
present. This is the opposite of what I determined about the importance of the
sentences in Step 1, so choice C cannot be correct. Only choice B uses
subordination to show that the first sentence is less important than the second
one. B is the correct answer.
Directions: Read the report below and then answer the questions that follow.
2 On March 10, 1876, Bell was working late in his lab, testing his telephone. He sent his
assistant, Thomas Watson, into another room with a receiver. Bell listened and heard
sounds coming over the wire. Encouraged, he shouted into the mouthpiece, “Mr. Watson,
come here. I want you.” Seconds later, Watson raced into the room. He had clearly heard
Bell’s voice through the receiver. Bell had just sent the first telephone message!
3 Three months later, Bell shocked the world with the first public showing of the telephone
at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Soon after, in the fall of 1876,
Bell and Watson ran telephone wires between Boston and Cambridge. These are two
cities located in Massachusetts. It was the farthest connection yet. Using Bell’s telephones,
people could talk over a distance of two miles—a great feat at the time.
4 Bell had expertise and did constant work. Bell was able to expand the telephone’s capacity
quickly. He was also determined to improve it. Early telephone connections were filled
with static, so Bell worked tirelessly to enhance the telephone’s performance. In the
spring of 1877, Bell used his new and improved phone to make a long-distance telephone
call between Boston and New York City. It was the first long-distance call ever made.
5 At first, many people doubted this technology. They were used to communicating by
telegram, which had been the fastest way to send a message. To send a telegram, a person
had to go to the telegraph office and write a message on paper. Then a telegraph operator
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
translated it into code. The message was sent by wire to another office, where it was
translated out of code. It could take hours or even days before the message finally arrived.
Despite the fact that it took longer to transmit a message by telegram, people were wary
of changing their ways and trying the telephone. Bell and Watson were not discouraged,
however. They spent months on the road. They showed people how the telephone
operated. Some people did not trust Bell. They worried that the telephone line might
carry diseases. But Bell was a fine salesperson as well as a great inventor. Within just a
few years, news of his invention spread across the country. Thousands of people
purchased telephones. Today there is at least one telephone in almost every American
home. Telephones are a major form of communication worldwide.
6 Alexander Graham Bell invented many other things. The telephone is his best-known
achievement. Without the telephone, our lives today would be quite different.
3 Read these sentences from 4 What is the best way to combine the
paragraph 4. first two sentences in paragraph 6?
A Although Alexander Graham Bell
Bell had expertise and did constant
invented many other things, the
work. Bell was able to expand the
telephone is his best-known
telephone’s capacity quickly.
achievement.
Which of the following demonstrates B When Alexander Graham Bell
the best way to combine these two invented many other things, the
sentences? telephone is his best-known
achievement.
A Bell had expertise and did
constant work, but Bell was able C Alexander Graham Bell invented
to expand the telephone’s capacity many other things, and the
quickly. telephone is his best-known
achievement.
B Bell had expertise and did
constant work, and Bell was able D Alexander Graham Bell invented
to expand the telephone’s capacity many other things, so the
quickly. telephone is his best-known
achievement.
C Expanding the telephone’s
capacity quickly, Bell had
expertise and did constant work.
D With his expertise and constant
work, Bell was able to expand the
telephone’s capacity quickly.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
EXAMPLE
1 Read the following paragraph from a rough draft of an essay. It may contain
errors.
(1) The poem speaks about the love between the merchant and the spouse. (2) The
merchant only thinks of his business and not the love you give to your spouse. (3) He
thinks that material things are enough to satisfy the spouse’s desires. (4) The love
given to the spouse is stagnant and can sometimes feel empty. (5) This was shown in
the third line, which compares the love to a regular tide. (6) In the last line the
spouse has a moment of epiphany and realizes that if the tide of love is stagnant, she
wishes that she had married a river-boy instead.
Not all the pronouns used in the sentence refer to the merchant, even though the
Step 2 Which of the answer choices uses pronouns that refer only to the
merchant?
Choices A and D use you and your; these do not refer to the merchant. Choice C
refers to an unspecified plural subject, they and their; the merchant is a singular
subject, however, so this doesn’t make sense. Choice B uses pronouns that refer
only to the merchant. It uses the third-person pronouns he and his. B is the
answer.
Punctuation
A simple sentence usually requires only a period at its end and perhaps a few commas to
separate any items in a series. However, more complicated sentences sometimes require
multiple punctuation marks to connect the various phrases and clauses properly. Here are
a few rules to keep in mind.
Capitalization
EXAMPLE
How should the sentence be written to reflect the correct use of punctuation
and capitalization?
A According to the principal, the annual school jamboree will be held in a state
park in West Virginia.
B According to the principal. The annual school jamboree will be held in a state
park in west virginia.
C According to the Principal, the annual school jamboree will be held in a state
park in West Virginia.
D According to the Principal, the Annual School Jamboree will be held in a state
park in west Virginia.
The modifying phrase According to the principal must be separated from the rest
of the sentence by a comma. The proper noun West Virginia should also be
capitalized.
Step 2 Which answer choice uses the correct punctuation and capitalization?
Choice B uses a period instead of a comma and does not capitalize West Virginia.
Choice C incorrectly capitalizes principal, which is not a proper noun. Choice D
uses a comma but capitalizes the words principal, annual, school, and jamboree,
even though they are not proper nouns. It also does not capitalize West. In choice
A, the modifying phrase According to the principal is separated by a comma from
the rest of the sentence. The proper noun West Virginia is also capitalized. Choice
A is the correct answer.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
There are some basic rules for pluralizing different nouns, as well.
EXAMPLE
My sister told me to meet her at the restaurant at 6:30, but I got their late.
What is the correct way to write the underlined word in this sentence?
A there
B theyre
C they’re
D Leave as is.
The word their is a possessive pronoun, which doesn’t fit the context of this
Step 2 Which of the answer choices gives the correct spelling of the underlined
word?
Choice C, which is also a homonym for the underlined word, is a contraction of the
words they are. This does not fit the context of the sentence. Choice B also seems
to be a contraction of they are, but it is missing the apostrophe. Choice D is
incorrect because their is a possessive pronoun, not a place. Choice A, there, is
the correct spelling, given the context of the sentence. A is correct.
Directions: Read the short story below and then answer the questions that follow.
1 Let’s get something straight. I’m not a talking dog, and I can’t write either. The words
your reading here were put down by someone who knows me well.
2 My name is Sundown. I’m a patchwork of colors with medium length hair. I’ve lived
with the same family for the last nine years, and they’ve been my happiest years. Before
that, I got shifted around quite a bit through no fault of my own. It’s just what happens
to some of us, but it leave you wondering about your heritage, your roots.
3 For example, I catch a look in a mirror and wonder why my nose is so black or why
I’m such a clean freak. People tend to look at me and see whatever they want to see.
They say things like, “He’s so dignified” or “Look how big his nose is!” In fact, I am an
afghan hound. My roots go back thousands of years, and my ancestors used to hunt
leopards in ancient persia.
4 My family thinks I’m part Australian sheepdog, which has helped me resolve a few
issues, such as why I can’t help rounding up the kids on Mieka’s soccer team after a
game. One girl cried and I got in trouble. If I’m part sheepdog, I ought to be able to
herd thousands of sheep in one day.
5 Sometimes, with my triangle-shaped ears and my one blue eye and one half-blue and
half-brown eye, I think I look like an abstract painting of a dog with my scattered
parts. If I were purebred. An expert would claim I’ve got a lot of defects. I know I’ve
got faults, but so does everyone else in my family. We’re cool with that, though. Plus
they let me be a lapdog, even though I weigh 50 pounds. Can you beat that? I don’t
think so!
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
1 Read this sentence from the passage. 3 Read this sentence from the passage.
The words your reading here were It’s just what happens to some of us,
put down by someone who knows me but it leave you wondering about
well. your heritage, your roots.
What is the correct way to write the How should this sentence be written to
underlined word in the sentence? reflect the use of correct grammar?
A you’re A It’s just what happens to some of
B your us, but it left you wondering
about your heritage, your roots.
C you’r
B It’s just what happens to some of
D yore
us, but it is leaving you
wondering about your heritage,
2 Read this sentence from the passage. your roots.
In fact, I am an afghan hound. My C It’s just what happens to some of
roots go back thousands of years, and us, but it leaves you wondering
my ancestors used to hunt leopards about your heritage, your roots.
in ancient persia. D It’s just what happens to some of
us, but it will have left you
How should this sentence be written to wondering about your heritage,
reflect the use of correct capitalization? your roots.
A In fact, I am an Afghan hound.
My roots go back thousands of 4 Read these sentences from the
years, and my ancestors used to passage.
hunt leopards in ancient persia.
If I were purebred. An expert would
B In fact, I am an afghan hound.
claim I’ve got a lot of defects.
My roots go back thousands of
years, and my ancestors used to
How should this be written to reflect
hunt leopards in ancient Persia.
the use of correct punctuation?
C In fact, I am an Afghan hound.
A If I were purebred; an expert would
My roots go back thousands of
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
claim I’ve got a lot of defects.
years, and my ancestors used to
hunt leopards in ancient Persia. B If I were purebred, an expert
would claim I’ve got a lot of
D In fact, I am an afghan hound.
defects.
My roots go back thousands of
years, and my ancestors used to C If I were purebred an expert
hunt Leopards in ancient Persia. would claim I’ve got a lot of
defects.
D If I were purebred, an expert
would claim, I’ve got a lot of
defects.