c1 Ny Testprep Ate

TEACHER’S ANNOTATED EDITION
Aligned with the New York

English Language Arts
Core Curriculum Standards
GLENCOE LANGUAGE ARTS

GRADE 6
This helpful workbook provides
• Test-taking strategies and tips for the New York English
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-877125-5
ISBN-10: 0-07-877125-0 Language Arts Test
• Practice lessons with multiple-choice, short-response, and
extended-response items
www.glencoe.com • A full-length English Language Arts practice test

GRADE 6
Acknowledgments
Grateful acknowledgment is given to authors, publishers, and agents for permission to reprint the copyrighted material in this
program. Every effort has been made to determine copyright owners. In case of any omissions, the Publisher will be pleased to
make suitable acknowledgments in future editions.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976,
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 written permission of the publisher.
Send all inquiries to:
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill
8787 Orion Place
Columbus, OH 43240-4027
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-877125-5
ISBN-10: 0-07-877125-0
Printed in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 021 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06
Contents
About the Student and Teacher Editions .......................................................................... iv
Teacher Introduction .......................................................................................................... v
Letter to Parents and Guardians ....................................................................................... viii
Multiple-Choice Answer Sheet .......................................................................................... ix
Answer Key ......................................................................................................................... x
Student Introduction to the Test........................................................................................ 1
Student Scoring Rubrics .................................................................................................... 2
Test-Taking Tips and Techniques ...................................................................................... 3
Lesson 1: Note Taking with Reading Passages ............................................................... 6
Lesson 2: Main Idea, Author’s Purpose, and Author’s Point of View .............................. 9
Lesson 3: Drawing Conclusions and Making Inferences ................................................. 13
Lesson 4: Analyzing Literature .......................................................................................... 17
Lesson 5: Note Taking with Listening Passages .............................................................. 20
Lesson 6: Completing Charts ............................................................................................ 23
Lesson 7: Writing Paragraph-Length Responses............................................................. 28
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Lesson 8: Writing About Two Passages ........................................................................... 31

Lesson 9: Planning an Essay ............................................................................................. 35
Lesson 10: Maintaining Focus ........................................................................................... 41
Practice Test: Book 1 ........................................................................................................ 45
Listening Passages ............................................................................................................ 80
About the Student and Teacher Editions
The Student Edition of this workbook reviews the skills students will need to successfully
complete the New York English Language Arts (ELA) Test. It prepares students by providing
lessons, practice questions, and writing prompts to familiarize students with the test and
teach test-taking skills.
The Student Edition contains the following three sections:
• The Student Introduction describes the overall structure of the test and gives tips on
how to prepare for the test. The Test-Taking Tips and Techniques section outlines
general test-taking strategies that students will apply as they complete the lessons.
• The Lessons provide a systematic approach to preparing for the test. Each lesson
introduces a skill or concept, then provides an exercise in which students apply what
they have learned. Test tips are also included in each lesson to help students with
general test-taking techniques.
• The Practice Test provides a simulation of the test-taking experience. It is directly
modeled on the ELA Test, both in length and content, and should be administered
under actual test conditions.
The Teacher’s Annotated Edition of this workbook includes the Student Edition along with
the following resources:
• A Teacher Introduction, which provides guidance on how to use the workbook

scoring rubrics and the Practice Test.
• An Answer Key to the Practice Test with correlations to the New York State Learning
Standards that were tested.
• Listening passages for the teacher to read aloud to students during the Lessons
and the Practice Test. These appear on pages 80– 82.
Before your class begins using this workbook, you may wish to send out a letter to parents
that describes the ELA Test and explains the purpose of this workbook. A sample letter
appears on page viii.
iv New York Grade 6 English Language Arts Test Preparation and Practice
Teacher Introduction
About the New York English Language Arts Test
The New York English Language Arts (ELA) Test measures individual student achievement
relative to the New York State Learning Standards. It evaluates students’ skills in reading,
listening, and writing, and includes a variety of literature genres.
The ELA Test for sixth grade is administered in three sessions on three consecutive days.
Students are asked to demonstrate their comprehension of a listening selection and
several reading selections. The test includes multiple-choice, short-response, and extended-
response questions.
Each multiple-choice question is followed by four choices. Students record their responses
on a separate answer sheet.
The short-response and extended-response questions require students to provide written
responses. Students write their answers directly in their test books.
The test is divided and administered into three books. The test sessions are structured
as follows:
GRADE 6 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS TEST

Day 1 • Reading selections
55 minutes, plus additional 10 minutes
Book 1 • 26 multiple-choice questions prep time

(students fill in circles on answer sheet)
Day 2 • Listening selection
Book 2
• 3 short-response questions 45 minutes, plus additional 15 minutes
(students write answers directly in Book 2) prep time (includes time for reading
• 1 extended-response question the listening selection aloud)
(students write answer directly in Book 2)
Day 3 • Reading selections
Book 3 • 3 short-response questions
60 minutes, plus additional 10 minutes
(students write answers directly in Book 3)
prep time
• 1 extended-response question
(students write answer directly in Book 3)
New York Grade 6 English Language Arts Test Preparation and Practice v
Administering the Practice Test
Ideally, students should take the Practice Test two or three weeks before the actual ELA
Test. Be sure to follow the directions outlined in the Teacher’s Edition. This will help to
simulate actual testing conditions.
Because the ELA Test for sixth grade is given over the course of three days, the Practice
Test should be similarly administered. Have students take Book 1 on the first day, Book 2 on
the second day, and Book 3 on the third day.
After students complete the test, take time to gather student feedback. Ask them what they
found challenging, and discuss which test-taking techniques were most useful.
Scoring the Practice Test

Extended response questions on the ELA Test are scored based on the following qualities:
• Organization—exhibiting direction, shape, and coherence.
• Language Use—demonstrating the clear and effective use of vocabulary and
sentence structure.
• Conventions—using correct spelling, punctuation, paragraphing, grammar,
and word usage.
Cluster scoring (i.e., one listening cluster, one reading cluster, and one writing mechanics
cluster) will be used in the listening and reading sections of the test to evaluate short-

response and extended-response questions. Scores are determined using a holistic rubric
rather than by scoring each individual question. This method of scoring allows the student to
be evaluated on a cohesive body of work that shows the extent of his or her understanding
of the passage. Sample scoring rubrics are shown on the next page.
Answers to more specific questions about scoring can be found on the New York State
Education Department Web site, at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-8/faq/ela-scoring06.htm
vi New York Grade 6 English Language Arts Test Preparation and Practice
Scoring Rubrics
5-point rubric for Listening and Reading responses at Grade 6
Score Taken as a whole, the responses In addition, the extended response
• fulfill the requirements of the tasks • establishes and maintains a clear focus
• address the theme or key elements of the text • shows a logical sequence of ideas through the use of
• show a thorough interpretation of the text appropriate transitions or other devices
5 • make some connections beyond the text • is fluent and easy to read, with a sense of voice
• develop ideas fully with thorough elaboration • uses varied sentence structure and some above-grade-level
• make effective use of relevant examples from the text vocabulary
• fulfill some requirements of the tasks • is generally focused, though may include some irrelevant
• address some key elements of the text details
• show a predominantly literal interpretation of the text • shows a clear attempt at organization
4 •
•
make some connections
may be brief, with little elaboration, but are sufficiently
• is readable, with some sense of engagement or voice
• primarily uses simple sentences and basic vocabulary
developed to answer the questions
• provide some examples and details from the text
• fulfill some requirements of the tasks • shows an attempt to maintain focus, though may include
• address a few key elements of the text some tangents
3 •
•
show some gaps in understanding of the text
provide few examples and details from the text
• shows an attempt at organization
• is readable, with some sense of engagement or voice
• may include some minor inaccuracies • primarily uses simple sentences and basic vocabulary
• fulfill some requirements of the tasks • may show an attempt to establish a focus
• address basic elements of the text • may include some irrelevant information
• show little evidence that the student understood more than • shows little attempt at organization
2 parts of the text • is readable, with little sense of engagement or voice
• make few connections • may indicate fragmented thoughts
• may include some inaccurate details
• fulfill very few requirements of the tasks • shows little attempt to establish a focus
• address few elements of the text • may be repetitive, focusing on minor details or irrelevant
• make little to no connections information
1 • provide almost no text-based examples and details • is difficult to read, with little or no sense of voice
• may include inaccurate information • uses minimal vocabulary
• may indicate fragmented thoughts
0 The responses are completely incorrect, irrelevant, or incoherent.
:
3-point writing mechanics rubric for responses at Grade 6
Score Criteria
The writing demonstrates control of the conventions of written English. There are few, if any, errors and none that interfere with
3 comprehension. Grammar, syntax, capitalization, punctuation, and paragraphing are essentially correct. Any misspellings are minor
or repetitive; they occur primarily when a student takes risks with sophisticated vocabulary.
The writing demonstrates partial control of the conventions of written English. It contains errors that may interfere somewhat with
2 readability but do not substantially interfere with comprehension. There may be some errors in grammar, syntax, capitalization,
punctuation, or spelling.
The writing demonstrates minimal control of the conventions of written English. There may be many errors in grammar, syntax,
1 capitalization, punctuation, and spelling that interfere with readability and comprehension.
0 The writing demonstrates a lack of control of the conventions of written English. The errors make the writing incomprehensible.
Source: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov
New York Grade 6 English Language Arts Test Preparation and Practice vii
__________________ ___________________
Letter to Parents and Guardians
Dear Parent or Guardian:
This year your child will take the New York English Language Arts Test. This test assesses
students’ mastery of skills covered in the intermediate standards, such as the ability to read
critically and write responses to constructed and extended questions.
As a parent, you can become involved in the test-preparation process. Encourage your
child to read on a regular basis, to look up unfamiliar words, and to engage in discussions
about books, stories, and movies. Review written assignments and encourage your child to
revise his or her work.
Most importantly, try to make your child feel at ease with taking tests. Listen for any
hints of test-taking apprehension and respond as best you can with positive reinforcement.
Assure your child that he or she can improve with practice.
If you have any questions about the ELA Test or how we are preparing for it, feel free to
contact me.
Sincerely,
viii New York Grade 6 English Language Arts Test Preparation and Practice
Multiple-Choice Answer Sheet
D irections
Fill in the bubble that corresponds to the answer choice you think is best.
Book 1
1 A B C D 9 A B C D 17 A B C D 25 A B C D
2 A B C D 10 A B C D 18 A B C D 26 A B C D
3 A B C D 11 A B C D 19 A B C D
4 A B C D 12 A B C D 20 A B C D
5 A B C D 13 A B C D 21 A B C D
6 A B C D 14 A B C D 22 A B C D
7 A B C D 15 A B C D 23 A B C D
8 A B C D 16 A B C D 24 A B C D
New York Grade 6 English Language Arts Test Preparation and Practice ix
Answer Key
Item Correct
Standard
Number Answer
Book 1
1 B LC R17 State or summarize a main idea and support it or elaborate on it with
relevant details
2 H R1m Identify main ideas and supporting details in informational texts to
distinguish relevant and irrelevant information
3 D LC R17 State or summarize a main idea and support it or elaborate on it with
relevant details
4 G R1m Identify main ideas and supporting details in informational texts to
distinguish relevant and irrelevant information
5 A LC R13 Use a variety of strategies (e.g., summarizing, forming questions,
visualizing, and making connections) to support understanding of texts read
6 F LC R10 Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by using context, dictionaries,
glossaries, and other print resources, including electronic resources
7 C R1i Distinguish between fact and opinion
8 J R2m Recognize how the author’s use of language creates images or feelings, with
assistance
9 C LC R18 Present a point of view or interpretation of a text, such as its theme or the
author’s intended message, and support it with relevant details from the text
10 J LC R21 Note and describe aspects of the writer’s craft, and explain the role that
crafting techniques play in helping the reader comprehend the text

11 C LC R21 Note and describe aspects of the writer’s craft, and explain the role that
12 G R2g Recognize how the author uses literary devices, such as simile, metaphor, and
personification, to create meaning
13 B R2m Recognize how the author’s use of language creates images or feelings, with
assistance
14 G LC R10 Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by using context, dictionaries,
15 H R2g Recognize how the author uses literary devices, such as simile, metaphor, and
personification, to create meaning
16 A LC R21 Note and describe aspects of the writer’s craft, and explain the role that
17 G LC R19 Read grade-level texts and answer literal, inferential analytic, and
evaluative questions
18 C R2l Determine how the use and meaning of literary devices, such as symbolism,
metaphor and simile, alliteration, personification, flashback, and foreshadowing,
convey the author’s message or intent with assistance
19 F R2m Recognize how the author’s use of language creates images or feelings, with
assistance
x New York Grade 6 English Language Arts Test Preparation and Practice
Answer Key (continued)
Item Correct
Standard
Number Answer
20 D LC R10 Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by using context, dictionaries,
21 C LC R10 Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by using context, dictionaries,
22 F LC R18 Present a point of view or interpretation of a text, such as its theme or the
author’s intended message, and support it with relevant details from the text
23 D R2b Define characteristics of different genres
24 H R2i Identify the ways in which characters change and develop throughout a story
25 A R2j Interpret characters, plot, setting, theme, and dialogue using evidence from
the text, with assistance
26 J LC R19 Read grade-level texts and answer literal, inferential analytic, and
evaluative questions
Book 2
27 Short LC R19 Read grade-level texts and answer literal, inferential analytic, and
Response evaluative questions
28 Short R2j Interpret characters, plot, setting, theme, and dialogue using evidence from
Response the text, with assistance
29 Short R2j Interpret characters, plot, setting, theme, and dialogue using evidence from
30 Extended W2c Respond to literature, connecting the response to personal experience
Response
Book 3
31 Short W1j Connect, compare, and contrast ideas and information from one or more
Response sources, with assistance
32 Short W1j Connect, compare, and contrast ideas and information from one or more
Response sources, with assistance
33 Short W1k Support ideas with examples, definitions, analogies, and direct references to
34 Extended W2b Write interpretive essay
Response
Please note: The numbering system for the New York English Language Arts Core
Curriculum has been created by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill for the reader’s ease of reference.
It is not intended to indicate any order of importance to the standards.
New York Grade 6 English Language Arts Test Preparation and Practice xi
Introduction to the Test
In sixth grade, you will take the New York English Language Arts (ELA) Test. This exam will
test your knowledge in reading/language arts, listening, and writing.
There are three types of test items on the ELA Test. All items are aligned with the New York
State Learning Standards.
Multiple-choice questions ask you to read, to reflect, and then to select the best answer.
Short-response questions ask you to show understanding of a passage. You do so by
explaining key ideas using examples from the text. You may also be asked to draw
conclusions or make connections to other situations.
Extended-response questions ask you to show your understanding of passages by
responding to prompts from the text. They will require you to plan your essay and to write
out your responses.
The ELA Test is divided into three books for sixth grade. Reading selections with multiple-
choice questions are in Book 1. A listening selection with short-response questions and an
extended-response question are in Book 2. Reading selections with short-response
questions and an extended-response question are in Book 3.
You can use the rubrics on page 2 to learn how your test will be scored.
New York Grade 6 English Language Arts Test Preparation and Practice 1
Student Scoring Rubrics
5-point rubric for Listening and Reading responses at Grade 6
Score Taken as a whole, your responses In addition, your extended response
• are correct and complete • has a clear focus
• address the important points of the text • uses transitions correctly to show sequence.
• show that you fully understand the text • is easy to read, with a sense of voice
5 • make some connections beyond the text • uses varied sentence structure and some higher-level
• fully develop ideas vocabulary
• effectively use examples from the text to support ideas
• are partly correct and complete • is mostly focused

• address some of the important points of the text • shows a clear effort to organize your ideas
• show that you basically understand the text • is readable, with some sense of voice
4 • make some connections beyond the text • uses mostly simple sentences and basic vocabulary
• develop ideas briefly, but enough to answer the question
• use some examples from the text
• are partly correct and complete • shows an effort to keep focus

• address a few important points of the text • shows an effort to organize your ideas
• show some gaps in understanding of the text • is readable, with some sense of voice
3 • make some connections • uses mostly simple sentences and basic vocabulary
• may show little development of ideas
• use few examples from the text
• are partly correct and complete • may show an effort to create a focus
• address the basic points of the text • may have some unimportant information
• show that you understood only parts of the text • shows little effort at organization
2 • make few connections • is readable, but with little sense of voice
• use very few examples from the text • uses only basic vocabulary
• may show disconnected thoughts
• are mostly incorrect and incomplete • is unfocused, or focuses on incorrect or unimportant information

• address few of the basic points of the text • may repeat information
• show that you understood only parts of the text • shows little effort at organization
1 • make very few or no connections • is difficult to read, with little or no sense of voice
• use almost no examples from the text • uses only basic vocabulary
• may show disconnected thoughts
0 Your responses do not answer the question, are incorrect, or do not make sense.
3-point writing mechanics rubric for responses at Grade 6

Score Criteria
Your writing shows that you understand how to use conventions. You have few or no errors, and none of your errors change the meaning
3 of the writing. Grammar, syntax, capitalization, punctuation, and paragraphing are correct. There are very few or no misspellings.
Your writing shows that you have some understanding of conventions. You have errors that may make your writing more difficult to read
2 but do not significantly change its meaning. You may have some errors in grammar, syntax, capitalization, punctuation, or spelling.
Your writing shows that you have little understanding of conventions. You may have many errors in grammar, syntax, capitalization,
1 punctuation, and spelling. The errors may make your writing difficult to read or understand.
0 Your writing shows that you do not know how to use conventions. The errors make your writing very difficult or impossible to understand.
Source: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov
2 New York Grade 6 English Language Arts Test Preparation and Practice
Test-Taking Tips and Techniques
You have three days to complete the ELA Test. On Day 1, you will have 55 minutes to
complete the test. On Day 2, you will have 45 minutes, and on Day 3, you will have 60
minutes. That means you need to keep track of the time and to pace yourself as you take
each part of the test. Apply the following pacing strategies as you complete the lessons in
this book so that by testing day, you will have developed good habits:
• Wear a watch. Do not become so preoccupied with time that you cannot focus on the
test, but be aware that you are under time constraints.
• Do not get stuck on one question. If you cannot answer a multiple-choice question
after a few minutes, mark your best guess, circle the question number, and move on
to the next question. If you have time later, you can go back to the questions you have
circled and think more about them. You are not penalized for guessing, so rather than
leave an answer blank, choose one of the answer choices.
• Be systematic. Some of the lessons in this book suggest steps for you to take so that
your answers and essays are complete and thorough. Make a mental checklist of
these steps and keep a steady rhythm while you complete the test.
• Short-response and extended-response questions ask you to think about what you
have learned in one or more paragraphs. Be sure to leave enough time to answer
these questions. Decide what the question is asking and what information is needed
to answer it. Be sure to provide details. And reread your essay and make corrections
as needed.
Test Techniques: Process of Elimination

One of the most useful techniques for answering a multiple-choice question is the process
of elimination. The multiple-choice questions on the ELA Test give you four answer choices,
but only one of the choices is the best answer. Figuring out which three answer choices are
wrong is just as good as figuring out which one answer choice is correct. This is when the
process of elimination can help. Here is an example.
What is the capital of Illinois? You are given the following answer choices:
• Springfield • Austin • Dover • Phoenix
Do you know the capital of Illinois? Even if you don’t, you can still figure it out! Use the
process of elimination. First eliminate the answer choices that you KNOW are wrong. Then
choose from the remaining answers. The fewer the answer choices you have to choose
from, the better chance you have of picking the correct answer.
Take a look at how it works. Which cities do you know are NOT the capital of Illinois? You
may know that Austin is the capital of Texas, Dover is the capital of Delaware, and Phoenix
is the capital of Arizona, so none of those can be the correct answer. That leaves you with
only Springfield. Springfield must be the capital of Illinois. Even if you didn’t know the capital
of Illinois, the process of elimination helped you get the right answer!
To use the process of elimination for multiple-choice questions on the test, cross out all the
answers you KNOW are wrong. Then take your best guess from those choices that are left.
Here is another example.
Laura stormed up the stairs and through the front door. She slammed the door behind
her and threw her backpack on the living room sofa. Her mother put down her newspaper
and looked up in surprise. “That Roberta is so irksome!” Laura proclaimed in a loud voice.
1 Do you know what the word irksome

means? If not, use the process of
The word irksome means —
elimination to increase your chances of
choosing the correct answer.
A kind
B mean
In the passage, Laura is obviously
C annoying upset. You read that she “stormed up
D friendly the stairs” and “slammed the door.”
Obviously Roberta has done something

that Laura doesn’t like, so it is unlikely
that Laura would describe Roberta as kind or friendly. Answer choices (A) and (D) must
be wrong.
That leaves only answer choices (B) and (C), mean and annoying. Now pick between the two
answers. Even if you still don’t know what irksome means, you have a better chance of
picking the correct answer.
The answer to the question is (C), annoying.
Remember to use the process of elimination on every multiple-choice question you don’t know
the answer to right away. Even getting rid of one answer will help in the process of elimination.
C\jjfej
Lesson
Note Taking with 1
Reading Passages
In some sessions of the ELA Test, you will read passages and then answer a
series of multiple-choice questions based on those passages. There are certain
things you can do while you read to make this easier.
You will find that the passages you read in tests like the ELA Test vary in length
and subject matter. It can be difficult to keep track of the main ideas, plot, and
details while you read, especially when you are reading several passages one
after the other. A very useful tool to use is note taking. Keep track of the main
ideas, details, and other aspects of character and plot in the margins next to
what you read or on a piece of paper. When you read a passage, look at how it
is organized. If there is more than one paragraph, stop after each one and add
a label next to it. A label is a word or phrase that summarizes the main idea of
that paragraph. You may also want to note details that you think may help you to
answer questions or better remember that section.
Read the paragraph below and see how to use the skill of note taking.
Having a fire emergency plan in place is

something every family should do. A good
first step is to have a family meeting to talk My notes
about what to do if there is a fire in your
• create fire emergency plan

home. Talking about what to do to stay
safe and get out of a burning house is
• plan
much easier to do before it happens! Then
you should practice the plan you create. • practice
After you practice, meet again to talk
about what worked with the plan, and • review
what might need to be changed. You may
want to practice the plan more than once,
and even have a surprise fire drill!
When you have read the passage, look back at the notes you’ve
made. The notes should trigger your memory about the details
of what you’ve read. Tip
Discuss... Keep notes and labels
short and to the point.
䉴 How can you use labels to help you keep track of the
order of events in a story?
䉴 How can notes help you write a story summary?
Apply It
DAsirections
you read, take notes on the lines provided. Then answer the questions that follow.
from The Peterkins Celebrate

the Fourth of July
by Lucretia P. Hale
The day began early.
A compact had been made with the little boys the evening before.
They were to be allowed to usher in the glorious day by the blowing
of horns exactly at sunrise. But they were to blow them for precisely
five minutes only, and no sound of the horns should he heard
afterward till the family were downstairs.
It was thought that a peace might thus be bought by a short,
though crowded, period of noise.
The morning came. Even before the morning, at half-past three
o’clock, a terrible blast of the horns aroused the whole family.
Mrs. Peterkin clasped her hands to her head and exclaimed: “I am
thankful the lady from Philadelphia is not here!” For she had been
invited to stay a week, but had declined to come before the Fourth of
July, as she was not well, and her doctor had prescribed quiet.
And the number of the horns was most remarkable! It was as
though every cow in the place had arisen and was blowing through
both her own horns!
“How many little boys are there? How many have we?” exclaimed
Mr. Peterkin, going over their names one by one mechanically,
thinking he would do it, as he might count imaginary sheep jumping
over a fence, to put himself to sleep. Alas! the counting could not put
him to sleep now, in such a din.
And how unexpectedly long the five minutes seemed! Elizabeth
Eliza was to take out her watch and give the signal for the end of the
five minutes, and the ceasing of the horns. Why did not the signal
come? Why did not Elizabeth Eliza stop them?
1 Which label best summarizes the main idea of the second paragraph? LC R17
A Horn Blowing Plan

B Fourth of July
C Holiday Sunrise
D Glorious Silence
2 Which event comes first in chronological order? LC R19
F Mr. Peterkin noting how many boys there are

G Elizabeth giving the signal to stop the horns
H the Peterkins being awakened
J Mrs. Peterkin holding her head
3 Which question best addresses the main idea in the last paragraph? LC R17
A Where were the boys blowing the horns?

B Where was the signal to stop the horns?
C Why did the boys blow the horns?

D Why did Elizabeth Eliza stop the horns?
4 Which statement best summarizes this story? LC R13
F Mr. Peterkin enjoyed the blowing of horns on the Fourth of July.

G The little boys did not follow instructions correctly.
H The boys woke Mr. Peterkin too early by blowing horns.
J The little boys did not know how to stop blowing the horns.
5 Which question is not answered in the story? LC R15
A Why do the boys blow the horns?

B Who is the lady from Philadelphia?
C At what time does the horn blowing begin?
D How do the Peterkins feel about the horn blowing?
Lesson
Main Idea, Author’s Purpose, 2
and Author’s Point of View
Not all questions on the ELA Test ask you about specific details from a
passage. Some of the questions ask you about general ideas that apply to the
passage as a whole. Such questions may ask you to identify the main idea of
the passage, the author’s purpose for writing the passage, or the author’s point
of view.
• The main idea is what the passage is mostly about.
• The author’s purpose is the reason why the author wrote the passage.
• The author’s point of view is the author’s opinion or attitude toward the
subject of the passage.
Each paragraph in a passage will also have a main idea, usually expressed in
that paragraph’s topic sentence. The topic sentence expresses the main idea
of that paragraph alone, although the topic sentence of the first paragraph in a
passage often expresses the main idea of the entire passage. The main ideas
of each paragraph serve as supporting ideas for the main idea of the passage
as a whole.
Read the paragraphs below. As you read, think about what the main idea, the
author’s purpose, and the author’s point of view might be. See if you can find
the topic sentence for each paragraph.
From spring until late fall, my neighbor Hank is engaged in a

tireless battle of wits with his lawn. He pokes at it, he pulls things
out of it, he drops several tons of fertilizer on it, and he waters it— Tip
every day, whether or not it needs watering.
Take an entire
In the end, for all of Hank’s work, he is never really satisfied with passage into account
the results. He stands on his driveway, scanning his lawn and shaking when answering
his head in disgust. He may have discovered a tiny weed or maybe test questions.
some strange root-devouring pests. I jokingly suggest that he simply
pour cement on his lawn and paint it green. Hank is not amused.
Discuss...
䉴 What is the main idea of this passage?
䉴 What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
䉴 What clues in the passage hint at the author’s point of view?
Apply It
DRead
irections
the following radio address. Then answer the questions that follow.
The following excerpt is from a “fireside chat,” which was a weekly radio address made
by Franklin D. Roosevelt during his presidency. This fireside chat was delivered as Italy
agreed to temporarily stop waging war against the United States in World War II. At the
time, the United States was still at war with Germany and Japan.
President Roosevelt’s Fireside Chat

September 8, 1943
My Fellow Americans:
Once upon a time, a few years ago, there was a city in our Middle West which was threatened by
a destructive flood in the great river. The waters had risen to the top of the banks. Every man,
woman and child in that city was called upon to fill sand bags in order to defend their homes
against the rising waters. For many days and nights, destruction and death stared them in the face.
levees = walls built to hold

. . . Those people kept the levees above the peak of the flood. All of
back flood waters them joined together in the desperate job that had to be done—
businessmen, workers, farmers, and doctors, and preachers—people
of all races.
To me, that town is a living symbol of what community cooperation can accomplish.

Today, in the same kind of community effort, only very much larger, the United Nations and
their peoples have kept the levees of civilization high enough to prevent the floods of aggression
and barbarism and wholesale murder from engulfing us all. The flood has been raging for four
years. At last we are beginning to gain on it; but the waters have not yet receded enough for us to
relax our sweating work with the sand bags. . . .
armistice = a temporary Today, it is announced that an armistice with Italy has been concluded.
peace agreement This was a great victory for the United Nations—but it was also a great
victory for the Italian people. After years of war and suffering and
degradation, the Italian people are at last coming to the day of liberation
from their real enemies, the Nazis.
delude = to fool oneself

But let us not delude ourselves that this armistice means the end of the
war in the Mediterranean. We still have to drive the Germans out of Italy
as we have driven them out of Tunisia and Sicily; we must drive them out
of France and all other captive countries; and we must strike them on
their own soil from all directions.
Our ultimate objectives in this war continue to be Berlin and Tokyo.
I ask you to bear these objectives constantly in mind—and do not forget that we still have a
long way to go before we attain them.
Apply It (continued)
Eisenhower = a general
The great news that you have heard today from General Eisenhower does
of the United States not give you license to settle back in your rocking chairs and say, “Well, that
during World War II does it. We’ve got ’em on the run. Now we can start the celebration.”
The time for celebration is not yet. And I have a suspicion that when this
war does end, we shall not be in a very celebrating mood, a very celebrating
frame of mind. I think that our main emotion will be one of grim
determination that this shall not happen again. . . .
1 What is this passage mostly about? LC R17 3 Why does Roosevelt think that when
the war is over people will not be in the
A the end of World War II
mood to celebrate? LC R20
B the need for people to keep working
together to fight for what is right A because people will be thinking
C the armistice with Italy leading to about how to prevent such horrors
sure victory for the United States in the future
D communities working together B because the United States might
when there are floods lose the war
C because the armistice with Italy
could end at any time
D because the war has been so long,

2 What does President Roosevelt mean in there will not be much money for
the following sentence? celebrations
At last we are beginning to gain on it;
but the waters have not yet receded
enough for us to relax our sweating
work with the sand bags. LC R19
F that Americans should keep piling

sandbags to prevent future floods
G that the flood is finally coming
under control, but people need
to keep piling sandbags until the
flooding completely stops
H that the war effort is succeeding,
but our enemies are like sandbags
J that the armistice with Italy is good,
but there is still much that needs to
be done to defeat our enemies
4 Why does Roosevelt start out the address with the story about the flooding in the Midwest?
LC R21
F to provide a news update before discussing the war
G to provide a metaphor for the war effort
H to honor the people who fight floods
J to personify the war
5 Why does Roosevelt think that there is still a long way to go before the war is over? R1n
A He has fought in wars himself, and he knows not to get his hopes up.
B General Eisenhower has announced that there is still a lot of fighting ahead.
C The United States is still at war with Germany and Japan.
D Money for the war effort is running out, so victory will take longer.
Lesson
Drawing Conclusions and 3
Making Inferences
Some questions on the ELA Test ask you to draw conclusions from facts
stated in the passage or to make inferences about information that is not
stated directly but is implied. To answer these questions, you must interpret
information from a passage.
Remember that when you draw conclusions or make inferences, you are
not stating your opinion. You must base your final decision on information in
the passage.
Here is how to approach these questions.
• Review the section in the passage that may contain clues to the
correct answer.
• Reread any sections that may hint at or provide evidence of the answer
to the question.
• Look at the question and read ALL the answer choices. Eliminate the
answers that you know are wrong. Then choose the best answer from the
remaining choices.
Sometimes this type of question will ask you to figure out the meaning of a
vocabulary word in the passage. When answering these questions, you should
use clues from the passage to help you make inferences about the meaning of
the word. These clues are called context clues.

Context clues are words in the text that help you figure out the
meaning of words you don’t know. Here is how to use context Tip
clues to answer inference questions. Questions that ask you
to draw conclusions and
• Go back and find the word in the passage. make inferences require
you to interpret
• Read a few sentences before and a few sentences after
information in the
the word. Look for clues that hint at the word’s meaning. passage.
• Even if you think you know what the word means, go back
and check the context clues to be sure you are right.
Discuss…
䉴 What are some conclusions you can draw after reading the
first two paragraphs on page 14?
䉴 What facts led you to draw these conclusions?
Apply It
DRead
irections
the passage and then answer the questions that follow.
from Black Beauty

by Anna Sewell
One night, a few days after James had left, I had eaten my hay and was lying down in my straw
fast asleep, when I was suddenly roused by the stable bell ringing very loud. I heard the door of
John’s house open, and his feet running up to the hall. He was back again in no time; he unlocked
the stable door, and came in, calling out, “Wake up, Beauty! You must go well now, if ever you
did;” and almost before I could think he had got the saddle on my back and the bridle on my
head. He just ran round for his coat, and then took me at a quick trot up to the hall door. The
squire stood there, with a lamp in his hand.
“Now, John,” he said, “ride for your life—that is, for your mistress’ life; there is not a moment to
lose. Give this note to Dr. White; give your horse a rest at the inn, and be back as soon as you can.”
John said, “Yes, sir,” and was on my back in a minute. The gardener who lived at the lodge had
heard the bell ring, and was ready with the gate open, and away we went through the park, and
through the village, and down the hill till we came to the toll-gate. John called very loud and
thumped upon the door; the man was soon out and flung open the gate.
“Now,” said John, “do you keep the gate open for the doctor; here’s the money,” and off he
went again.

There was before us a long piece of level road by the river side; John said to me, “Now, Beauty, do
your best,” and so I did; I wanted no whip nor spur, and for two miles I galloped as fast as I could lay
my feet to the ground; I don’t believe that my old grandfather, who won the race at Newmarket, could
have gone faster. When we came to the bridge John pulled me up a little and patted my neck. “Well
done, Beauty! good old fellow,” he said. He would have let me go slower, but my spirit was up, and I was
off again as fast as before. The air was frosty, the moon was bright; it was very pleasant. We came
through a village, then through a dark wood, then uphill, then downhill, till after eight miles’ run we
came to the town, through the streets and into the market-place. It was all quite still except the clatter
of my feet on the stones—everybody was asleep. The church clock struck three as we drew up at Dr.
White’s door. John rang the bell twice, and then knocked at the door like thunder. A window was
thrown up, and Dr. White, in his nightcap, put his head out and said, “What do you want?”
“Mrs. Gordon is very ill, sir; master wants you to go at once; he thinks she will die if you cannot
get there. Here is a note.”
“Wait,” he said, “I will come.”
He shut the window, and was soon at the door.
“The worst of it is,” he said, “that my horse has been out all day and is quite done up; my son
has just been sent for, and he has taken the other. What is to be done? Can I have your horse?”
“He has come at a gallop nearly all the way, sir, and I was to give him a rest here; but I think my
master would not be against it, if you think fit, sir.”
“All right,” he said; “I will soon be ready.”
John stood by me and stroked my neck; I was very hot. The doctor came out with his
riding-whip.
“You need not take that, sir,” said John; “Black Beauty will go till he drops. Take care of him,
sir, if you can; I should not like any harm to come to him.”
“No, no, John,” said the doctor, “I hope not,” and in a minute we had left John far behind.
I will not tell about our way back. The doctor was a heavier man than John, and not so good a
rider; however, I did my very best. The man at the toll-gate had it open. When we came to the hill
the doctor drew me up. “Now, my good fellow,” he said, “take some breath.” I was glad he did, for
I was nearly spent, but that breathing helped me on, and soon we were in the park. Joe was at the
lodge gate; my master was at the hall door, for he had heard us coming. He spoke not a word; the
doctor went into the house with him, and Joe led me to the stable. I was glad to get home; my legs
shook under me, and I could only stand and pant. I had not a dry hair on my body, the water ran
down my legs, and I steamed all over, Joe used to say, like a pot on the fire. Poor Joe! he was
young and small, and as yet he knew very little, and his father, who would have helped him, had
been sent to the next village; but I am sure he did the very best he knew. He rubbed my legs and
my chest, but he did not put my warm cloth on me; he thought I was so hot I should not like it.
Then he gave me a pailful of water to drink; it was cold and very good, and I drank it all; then he
gave me some hay and some corn, and thinking he had done right, he went away. Soon I began to
shake and tremble, and turned deadly cold; my legs ached, my loins ached, and my chest ached,
and I felt sore all over. Oh! how I wished for my warm, thick cloth, as I stood and trembled. I
wished for John, but he had eight miles to walk, so I lay down in my straw and tried to go to sleep.
After a long while I heard John at the door; I gave a low moan, for I was in great pain. He was at
my side in a moment, stooping down by me. I could not tell him how I felt, but he seemed to
know it all; he covered me up with two or three warm cloths, and then ran to the house for some
hot water; he made me some warm gruel, which I drank, and then I think I went to sleep.
John seemed to be very much put out. I heard him say to himself over and over again, “Stupid
boy! stupid boy! no cloth put on, and I dare say the water was cold, too; boys are no good;” but
Joe was a good boy, after all.
I was now very ill; a strong inflammation had attacked my lungs, and I could not draw my
breath without pain. John nursed me night and day; he would get up two or three times in the
night to come to me. My master, too, often came to see me. “My poor Beauty,” he said one day,
“my good horse, you saved your mistress’ life, Beauty; yes, you saved her life.” I was very glad to
hear that, for it seems the doctor had said if we had been a little longer it would have been too late.
John told my master he never saw a horse go so fast in his life. It seemed as if the horse knew what
was the matter. Of course I did, though John thought not; at least I knew as much as this—that
John and I must go at the top of our speed, and that it was for the sake of the mistress.
1 In the third paragraph from the end, why 4 In the beginning of the passage, who
does Black Beauty say “Poor Joe!”? LC R19 most likely rings the stable bell, and why?
LC R19
A because Joe has no money F John rang it to wake up Black
B because Joe doesn’t know how to Beauty.
care for a horse, so Black Beauty feels G The squire rang it to call John.
sorry for him H The squire rang it to wake up Black
C because he knows that Joe feels guilty Beauty.
D because he likes Joe better than John J John rang it to wake up the squire.
2 Read this sentence from the story. 5 Which conclusion can be supported by
He would have let me go slower, but my details in the story? LC R20
spirit was up. A Black Beauty was very loyal to his
What does Black Beauty mean by “my master and mistress.
spirit was up”? LC R7 B Black Beauty did not think his
F He wanted to prove he was fast. master cared about him.
G John had angered him. C Black Beauty did not like to
gallop fast.
H He was no longer tired.
D Black Beauty liked only John.
J The ride had excited him.

3 Read this sentence from the story.
“The worst of it is,” he said, “that my
horse has been out all day and is quite
done up; my son has been sent for, and
he has taken the other.”
What is the best meaning of “done up”?
LC R10
A tired out
B small
C slow
D ill-tempered
Lesson
Analyzing Literature 4
Some questions on the ELA Test ask about literary elements. Literary
elements are those aspects of a passage that relate directly to the way the
ideas and events are presented.
Literary elements include the following:
• Character: To analyze the characters in a work, think about what they’re like
and why they do and say things. Characterization means the methods that
the author uses to reveal the traits of the characters. For example, do you
find out about the characters through what they say and do, what other
characters say about them, or what the author says about them?
• Point of view: The point of view is the relationship of the narrator to the
story. If the narrator is a character in the story, the point of view is first
person. If the narrator is not in the story, the point of view is third person.
• Figurative language: Figurative language is language used for descriptive

effect by suggesting a comparison between two unlike things. Figurative
expressions are not literally true. Three of the most common types of
figurative language are similes, metaphors, and personification.
A simile uses like or as to compare two things that are very different in reality.
• The clouds hung like a blanket over the darkened town.
A metaphor compares or equates two unlike things without

using like or as. Tip
• The clouds were a blanket over the darkened town. In a passage written in
first-person point of
• This chore is a pain in the neck. view, the narrator will
use the words I and me.
Personification is a device in which an object, idea, or animal
is temporarily given human characteristics.
• The clouds crept like a thief over the valley. (like a thief is a simile)
• The tires screamed as he turned the corner.
Discuss....
䉴 What are some similes and metaphors that you might use in everyday
conversation?
䉴 What methods have authors used to reveal characters in the passages you
have read so far?
Apply It
DRead
irections
the passage and then answer the questions that follow.
from The Wind in the Willows

by Kenneth Grahame
“What lies over there?” asked the Mole, waving a paw towards a background of woodland that
darkly framed the water-meadows on one side of the river.
“That? O, that’s just the Wild Wood,” said the Rat shortly. “We don’t go there very much, we
river-bankers.”
“Aren’t they—aren’t they very nice people in there?” said the Mole a trifle nervously.
“W-e-ll,” replied the Rat, “let me see. The squirrels are all right. And the rabbits—some of ’em,
but rabbits are a mixed lot. And then there’s Badger, of course. He lives right in the heart of it;
wouldn’t live anywhere else, either, if you paid him to do it. Dear old Badger! Nobody interferes
with him. They’d better not,” he added significantly.
“Why, who should interfere with him?” asked the Mole.
“Well, of course—there—are others,” explained the Rat in a hesitating sort of way. “Weasels—
and stoats—and foxes—and so on. They’re all right in a way—I’m very good friends with them—
pass the time of day when we meet, and all that—but they break out sometimes, there’s no
denying it, and then—well, you can’t really trust them, and that’s the fact.”

The Mole knew well that it is quite against animal-etiquette to dwell on possible trouble ahead,
or even to allude to it; so he dropped the subject.
“And beyond the Wild Wood again?” he asked: “Where it’s all blue and dim, and one sees what may
be hills or perhaps they mayn’t, and something like the smoke of towns, or is it only cloud-drift?”
“Beyond the Wild Wood comes the Wide World,” said the Rat. “And that’s something that
doesn’t matter, either to you or me. I’ve never been there, and I’m never going, nor you either, if
you’ve got any sense at all. Don’t ever refer to it again, please. Now then! Here’s our backwater at
last, where we’re going to lunch.”
Leaving the main stream, they now passed into what seemed at first sight
like a little land-locked lake. Green turf sloped down to either edge, brown
snaky tree-roots gleamed below the surface of the quiet water, while ahead
weir = a small dam
in a stream
of them the silvery shoulder and foamy tumble of a weir, arm-in-arm with
a restless dripping mill-wheel, that held up in its turn a grey-gabled mill-
house, filled the air with a soothing murmur of sound, dull and smothery,
yet with little clear voices speaking up cheerfully out of it at intervals. It was
so very beautiful that the Mole could only hold up both forepaws and gasp,
“O my! O my! O my!”
1 From what point of view is the story 4 From his conversation with Mole, you
told? R2k can conclude that Rat is R2j
A third person: an outside narrator F confident

B first person: an eyewitness G cautious
C third person: Mole H unfriendly
D first person: Rat J dishonest
2 In the fourth paragraph, the expression 5 How would Rat most likely describe the
“the heart of it,” is R2g character of Badger? R2f
F a simile for Mole A a bully

G a metaphor for the center of the B friendly but tough
Wild Wood C afraid of the other animals
H an example of personification that D not trustworthy
shows the importance of the Wild
Wood
J a simile that represents the main
idea of the passage
3 In the last paragraph, the author

describes the water that comes over the
weir (a small dam in a stream) as being
“arm-in-arm with a restless dripping
mill-wheel.” This is an example of R2g
A metaphor
B simile
C personification
D character
Lesson
Note Taking with 5
Listening Passages
Session 1, Part 2, of the ELA Test requires you to listen to a selection that your
teacher reads to you. The selection could be one long passage, or it might be
two shorter passages that are related. Your teacher will read the passage to
you twice. The first time your teacher reads the passage, you may want to just
listen carefully, although you can take notes, too. When your teacher reads the
passage a second time, you should take notes.
It is important for you to take notes, as the passage will NOT appear in your
test booklet. Your notes will be instrumental in helping you answer questions
based on the passage.
Here are some pointers for taking good notes.
• Your notes should be words or short phrases, not complete sentences.
• Your notes should remind you of characters, events, and important details
from the passage.
• Because you cannot reread a listening passage when you answer

questions, your notes should be more detailed than if you were simply
labeling paragraphs in a reading passage.
• Your notes do not have to be written neatly. You are the only person who

will read them.
Your teacher will now read you a short passage. Listen carefully
to the passage. As you are listening, take notes on the next page. Tip
Your notes will not
be scored!
Apply It
DTake
irections
notes as your teacher reads the passage to you for the first time. To help you begin
your note taking, a list of notes about the passage has been started for you. Add to the list
as you listen. The second time your teacher reads the passage, add any more notes you
think would be helpful. The passage appears on page 80.
Notes
speech about treaty by Native American chief named Seattle
sky and weather changeable
Seattle’s words like stars, not changeable
President has many followers; Seattle doesn’t.
<sample 1> <sample 2>

speech by Native American chief named Seattle speech by Native American chief named Seattle
sky and weather changeable sky and weather changeable
Seattle’s words like stars, not changeable Seattle’s words like stars, not changeable
President has many followers; Seattle doesn’t. President has many followers; Seattle doesn’t.
Seattle’s people scattered like trees on a plain White Chief will give Seattle’s people some land to
after storm. live on.

President buying land from Red Man. generous, because White Chief more powerful than
Seattle
Red Man will be given some land to live on.
greatness of tribes just a memory
Once Red Man covered land like waves of sea
cover sea floor. both paleface and Indians to blame
not many Red Men left In past Indians fought whites, but no more.
young people quick to fight Seattle and his people have nothing to gain by
fighting.
Young Native Americans fought whites when
whites first came.
no more fighting now
DUse
irections
the notes you made on the previous page to complete the chart and answer the question.
1 Fill in the chart with a main idea from the passage. Then give two details from the passage that
explain the main idea. R1m
Main Idea Details
Sample main idea: The fighting between Sample details: In the past, young Native
Seattle’s people and the people of the U.S. Americans fought whites. Fighting must end
must end forever. because Native Americans have nothing to
gain from it.
Sample main idea: Once there were many Sample details: Seattle’s people are scattered
Native Americans, but now there are few. like trees on a plain after a storm. The people
used to cover the land the way waves cover
the sea floor.
2 Why does Chief Seattle think that the Big Chief at Washington does not need his friendship?

Use details from the passage to support your answer. R1n
Sample answer: Seattle thinks that the Big Chief at Washington does not need his friendship
because the Big Chief’s people outnumber Seattle’s. Seattle says that the Big Chief’s people are
like the grass, whereas Seattle’s people are scattered like trees on a plain after a storm. There is
power in numbers, and the Big Chief’s superior numbers give him greater power.
Lesson
Completing Charts 6
Some questions on the ELA Test ask you to complete a chart using the
information from a passage. Sometimes you will complete charts based on
notes you took after listening to a passage read aloud. Other times, you will be
able to go back to the written passage to find information you need to complete
a chart.
You need only to write phrases on the charts. Your answers do not have to be
written in complete sentences. However, they will have to be thorough. Include
all relevant information from the passage.
Look at the completed chart below. It could accompany a passage about the
Motts, a family that moved to the United States from Yugoslavia.
Problem How the Motts Overcame the Problem
didn’t speak English – enrolled in an English language program

– studied hard
– only spoke English at home
had very little money – accepted help from other Yugoslavians already in
the United States
– father took two jobs, driving taxi cab and working
as a security guard
– mother took a job cleaning houses

– economized at the grocery store
Tip
homesick – wrote letters to friends in Yugoslavia Read the instructions
– had long talks remembering both the good and and the headings of the
bad times in Yugoslavia chart carefully before
– took long walks to discover things to love about you start working.
their new home
Discuss…
䉴 How is a chart like a summary of a passage?
Apply It
DRead
irections
the following excerpt from the fairy tale by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Write notes
on page 26 as you read. Then answer the questions and complete the chart that follows
the notes page.
from Snow White and Rose Red

by The Brothers Grimm
A poor widow lived all alone in a small cottage, and in front of this cottage was a garden with
two rosebushes. One bore white roses and the other red. The widow had two children who looked
like the rosebushes: one was called Snow White and the other Rose Red. They were more pious
and kind, more hardworking and diligent than any other two children in the world. To be sure,
Snow White was more quiet and gentle than Rose Red, who preferred to run around in the
meadows and fields, look for flowers, and catch butterflies. Snow White stayed at home with her
mother, helped her with the housework, or read to her when there was nothing to do. The two
children loved each other so much that they always held hands whenever they went out, and when
Snow White said, “Let us never leave each other,” Rose Red answered, “Never, as long as we live.”
And their mother added, “Whatever one of you has, remember to share it with the other.”
They often wandered in the forest all alone and gathered red berries. The animals never harmed
them and, indeed, trusted them completely and would come up to them. The little hare would eat
a cabbage leaf out of their hands. The roe grazed by their side. The stag leapt merrily around

them. And the birds sat still on their branches and sang whatever tune they knew. Nothing bad
ever happened to the girls. If they stayed too long in the forest and night overtook them, they
would lie down next to each other on the moss and sleep until morning came. Their mother knew
this and did not worry about them.
Once, when they had spent the night in the forest and the morning sun had wakened them,
they saw a beautiful child in a white, glistening garment sitting near them. The child stood up,
looked at them in a friendly way, but went into the forest without saying anything. When they
looked around, they realized that they had been sleeping at the edge of a cliff and would have
certainly fallen over it if they had gone a few more steps in the darkness. Their mother told them
that the child must have been the angel who watches over good children.
Snow White and Rose Red kept their mother’s cottage so clean that it was a joy to look inside.
In the summer Rose Red took care of the house, and every morning she placed two flowers in
front of her mother’s bed before she awoke, a rose from each one of the bushes. In the winter Snow
White lit the fire and hung the kettle over the hearth. The kettle was made out of brass but
glistened like gold because it was polished so clean. In the evening when the snowflakes fell, the
mother said, “Go, Snow White, and bolt the door.” Then they sat down at the hearth, and their
mother put on her glasses and read aloud from a large book, while the two girls sat and spun as
they listened. On the ground next to them lay a little lamb, and behind them sat a white dove with
its head tucked under its wing.
One evening, as they were sitting together, there was a knock on the door, as if someone wanted
to be let in. The mother said, “Quick, Rose Red, open the door. It must be a traveler looking for
shelter.” Rose Red pushed back the bolt thinking that it would be some poor man, but instead it
was a bear. He stuck his thick black head through the door, and Rose Red jumped back and
screamed loudly. The little lamb bleated, the dove fluttered its wings, and Snow White hid herself
behind her mother’s bed. However, the bear began to speak and said, “Don’t be afraid. I won’t
harm you. I’m half frozen and only want to warm myself here a little.”
“You poor bear,” the mother said. “Lie down by the fire and take care that it does not burn your fur.”
Then she called out, “Snow White, Rose Red, come out. The bear won’t harm you. He means well.”
They both came out, and gradually the lamb and dove also drew near and lost their fear of him.
Then the bear said, “Come, children, dust the snow off my coat a little.”
So they fetched a broom and swept the fur clean. Afterward he stretched himself out beside the
fire and uttered growls to show how content and comfortable he was. It did not take them long to
all become accustomed to one another, and the clumsy guest had to put up with the mischievous
pranks of the girls. They tugged his fur with their hands, planted their feet upon his back and
rolled him over, or they took a hazel switch and hit him. When he growled, they just laughed. The
bear took everything in good spirit. Only when they became too rough did he cry out, “Let me
live, children. Snow White, Rose Red, would you beat your suitor dead?”
When it was time to sleep and the others went to bed, the mother said to the bear, “You’re welcome,
in God’s name, to lie down by the hearth. Then you’ll be protected from the cold and bad weather.”
As soon as dawn arrived, the two girls let him go outside, and he trotted over the snow into the
forest. From then on the bear came every evening at a certain time, lay down by the hearth, and
allowed the children to play with him as much as they wanted. And they became so accustomed to
him that they never bolted the door until their black playmate had arrived.
One morning, when spring had made its appearance and everything outside was green, the bear
said to Snow White, “Now I must go away, and I shall not return the entire summer.”
“But where are you going, dear bear?” asked Snow White.
“I must go into the forest and guard my treasures from the wicked dwarfs. In the winter, when
the ground is frozen hard, they must remain underground and can’t work their way through to
the top. But now that the sun has thawed and warmed the earth, they will break through, climb
out, search around, and steal. Once they get something in their hands and carry it to their caves, it
will not easily see the light of day again.”
Snow White was very sad about his departure. She unlocked the door, and when the bear
hurried out, he became caught on the bolt and a piece of his fur ripped off, and it seemed to Snow
White that she saw gold glimmering through the fur, but she was not sure. The bear hurried away
and soon disappeared beyond the trees.
DUse
irections
this page to take notes on the passage. You will use these notes to answer the
questions on the next page.
Notes
1 How do the animals in the forest treat Snow White and Rose Red? Give details from the
passage to support your answer. R2j
The animals treat Snow White and Rose Red like friends. “The animals never harmed them and,
indeed, trusted them completely and would come up to them.” Rabbits eat from their hands.
Deer “grazed by their side.” Instead of flying away, birds would sit happily on the branches and
sing to them.
2 How are Snow White and Rose Red similar? How are they different? Support your answer with
details from the passage. R2j
Snow White and Rose Red are both “pious and kind” and “hardworking and diligent.” However,
“Snow White was more quiet and gentle than Rose Red.” While Rose Red would rather be
outside playing, Snow White prefers to stay at home, help with the housework, and read.
3 Complete the chart by listing three They let him in the house to warm up.
ways that Snow White, Rose Red,
and their mother help the bear.
Use information from the passage
for your answer. R1p They dusted snow off his fur.
Ways that Snow White,

Rose Red, and their
mother help the bear.
They let him come and go as he pleased.
Lesson
Writing Paragraph-Length 7
Responses
The ELA Test includes many questions that require you to write your answer
in paragraph form. The test scorers will be checking to make sure that your
answer includes certain basic features.
The following are some ideas to keep in mind when you answer this kind
of question:
• Write neatly so that the scorer can read your answer.
• Read the question carefully. Make sure your paragraph answers the
question directly.
• Support your answer with related details from the passage.
• Write in complete sentences that flow together logically.
It is important that your answer is not too general, or it will receive a low score.
Your answer must include specific details from the passage. Make a general
statement first and then explain how details from the story support it. Craft your
answer so that it makes sense to the reader, not just to yourself. Discuss, as a
class, the following answer, which responds to a question about the passage
from Lesson 6.

1䉴 What lesson might the tale “Snow White and Rose Red” be
trying to teach readers? Use details from the story to support
your answer. Tip
Your answer to short-
The tale “Snow White and Rose Red” could have a variety of response questions
should include relevant
different lessons that it is trying to express. One possible lesson
details from the
could be that acts of kindness are often rewarded. Another could passage, not just your
be that some things and people are different than they first own opinions.
appear. The children thought the bear would hurt them, but he
was gentle and friendly and became friends with them.
Discuss…
䉴 Does the answer directly address the question?
䉴 Are there any ways that this answer could be improved?
If so, how?
Apply It
A ship carrying the Robinson family and others to Australia has been wrecked by a
storm not far from a tropical island. The father has constructed a crude boat and
instructed the children to collect everything on the ship that might be useful to them
on shore.
DRead
irections
the passage and answer the questions that follow.
from Swiss Family Robinson

by Johann David Wyss
The boys joyfully obeyed me, and I selected from the large quantity of stores they got together,
canvas to make a tent, a chest of carpenter’s tools, guns, pistols, powder, shot, and bullets, rods
and fishing tackle, an iron pot, a case of portable soup and another of biscuit. These useful articles
of course took the place of the ballast I had hastily thrown in the day before.
With a hearty prayer for God’s blessing, we now began to take our seats, each in his tub. Just
then we heard the cocks begin to crow, as though to reproach us for deserting them. ‘Why should
not the fowls go with us!’ exclaimed I. ‘If we find no food for them, they can be food for us!’ Ten
hens and a couple of cocks were accordingly placed in one of the tubs, and secured with some
wire-netting over them.
The ducks and geese were set at liberty, and took to the water at once, while the pigeons,
rejoicing to find themselves on the wing, swiftly made for the shore. My wife, who managed all
this for me, kept us waiting for her some little time, and came at last with a bag as big as a pillow
in her arms. ‘This is my contribution,’ said she, throwing the bag to little Franz, to be, as I
thought, a cushion for him to sit upon.
All being ready, we cast off, and moved away from the wreck. My good, brave wife sat in the
first compartment of the boat; next her was Franz, a pretty little boy, nearly eight years old.
Then came Fritz, a handsome, spirited young fellow of fifteen; the two centre tubs contained
the valuable cargo; then came our bold, thoughtless Jack; next him Ernest, my second son,
intelligent, well-informed, and rather indolent. I myself, the anxious, loving father, stood in the
stern, endeavouring to guide the raft with its precious burden to a safe landing-place.
The elder boys took the oars, everyone wore a float belt, and had something useful close to him
in case of being thrown into the water.
The tide was flowing, which was a great help to the young oarsmen. We emerged from the
wreck and glided into the open sea.
1 How does the father prepare for the family’s stay on the island? LC W4
The father made sure that his family would have what they needed on the island by bringing
tools, food, fishing equipment, and a cooking pot. He also brought the animals with them so that
they could have pets or food. The most important thing he made room for on their boat was
every member of his family.
2 How can you tell from this passage that the father’s mood is not depressed, even though he and
his family were in a shipwreck? W2g

The father’s mood is excited. He sounds like he is on an adventure. He describes the boys as
“joyfully obeying” him. He sounds excited about bringing the birds, and happy that some flew to the
water and to shore. He makes it sound like they are loading up the boat to go on a family vacation.
Lesson
Writing About Two Passages 8
Some questions on the test will ask you to write an extended response to two
passages. You will be asked either to read the paired texts or to listen to them.
Then you will write an essay in response to the paired texts.
Often you will be asked to compare and contrast the two passages. To
compare the passages, you should focus on their similarities. To contrast
them, you should focus on their differences.
Read the two paragraphs below. They are excerpts from two essays about
the desert.
The desert is a spectacular and mysterious place. The barren landscape envelops
you with its jagged rocks and towering cacti. Curious animals—from rattlesnakes to
roadrunners—scurry across the flat land, hiding behind stones, peeking into holes, and
dashing along ravines. Everything feels still and peaceful in the desert. The air smells
fresh, and at night it feels cool. The desert is a perfect place to relax.
Is there any place more boring than the desert? There is so little to look at—
everything is flat and empty. And it’s boiling hot. The sun beats down on you and it’s
impossible to find any shade. There are so few trees, because they need water to
survive. At least there are some interesting animals in the desert. These critters are
unique but hard to find. Otherwise, there’s nothing to do in the desert—except suffer
and sweat.
Discuss…
Tip
䉴 In what ways are the two authors’ attitudes similar?
Pay attention to the
䉴 In what ways are they different? details when you
compare and contrast
two passages.
Apply It
DRead
irections
the following selections. The first is a portion of a myth about an old fisherman,
struggling to support his family. The second is a poem by Rudyard Kipling. Then answer
the questions that follow.
from Arabian Nights

The Fisherman and the Genie
Anonymous
There once was an aged fisherman, who was so poor that he could scarcely earn as much as
would maintain himself, his wife, and three children. He went early every day to fish in the
morning, and imposed it as a law upon himself not to cast his nets above four times a day. He
went one morning before the moon had set, and, coming to the seaside, undressed himself.
Three times did he cast his net, and each time he made a heavy haul. Yet, to his indescribable
disappointment and despair, the first proved to be a large animal, the second a basket full of
stones, and the third a mass of mud and shells.
As daylight now began to appear he said his prayers and commended himself and his needs to
his Creator. Having done this, he cast his nets the fourth time, and drew them as formerly, with
great difficulty. But, instead of fish, he found nothing in them but a vessel made of yellow copper,
having the impression of a seal upon its leaden cover.

This turn of fortune rejoiced him. “I will sell it,” said he, “to the smelter, and with the money buy
a measure of corn.”
He examined the vessel on all sides, and shook it, to see if its contents made any noise, but
heard nothing. This circumstance, together with the impression of the seal upon the leaden cover,
made him think it enclosed something precious. To satisfy himself, he took his knife and pried
open the lid. He turned the mouth downward, but to his surprise, nothing came out. He placed it
before him, and while he sat gazing at it attentively, there came forth a very thick smoke, which
made him step back two or three paces.
from Just So Stories

I’ve Never Sailed the Amazon
by Rudyard Kipling
I’ve never sailed the Amazon,

I’ve never reached Brazil;
But the Don and Magdalena,
They can go there when they will!
Yes, weekly from Southampton,
Great steamers, white and gold,
Go rolling down to Rio
(Roll down—roll down to Rio!).
And I’d like to roll to Rio
Some day before I’m old!
I’ve never seen a Jaguar,

Nor yet an Armadill-
o dilloing in his armour,
And I s’pose I never will.
Unless I go to Rio
These wonders to behold—
Roll down—roll down to Rio—
Roll really down to Rio!
Oh, I’d love to roll to Rio
Some day before I’m old!
1
In what ways are the fisherman and the speaker in the poem alike? In what ways are
they different? Write an essay in which you discuss the similarities and differences between
the characters. W2k
Make sure you include the following in your essay:
• Specific ways the fisherman and the speaker in the poem are alike.
• Specific ways in which the fisherman and the speaker in the poem are not alike.
• Details supporting why you think they are alike and different.
Be sure to check your writing for correct spelling and grammar!

Below is an introduction to an essay that answers the question above. Read the paragraph and
then finish the essay.
The fisherman in the passage “The Fisherman and the Genie” and the speaker in the poem
“I’ve Never Sailed the Amazon” have some similarities and differences. They both have a sense of
yearning. However, the fisherman seems hopeless through most of the passage, while the speaker
in the poem sounds hopeful and happy-go-lucky.

Students’ responses might include the following points:
• Both characters have a great desire for something the sea will bring them.
• The fisherman’s efforts to prosper from the sea have, up until he finds the vessel, failed.
The speaker in the poem believes there is great adventure on the sea and wants to seek a
fortune in experience, rather than food or treasure for his family.
Lesson
Planning an Essay 9
For extended-response (essay) questions, you will be given space on a planning
page to plan your essays. Keep in mind that your planning will not be graded.
Planning will help you come up with ideas and organize them. It will make it
easier for you to draft, or write, your essay.
The three main steps in planning an essay are brainstorming, organizing,
and outlining.
Step 1: Brainstorming Quickly list all the ideas you have that might answer the
essay question. Later, when you make an outline, you can leave out ideas you
don’t like.
Step 2: Organizing Decide on the basic structure of your essay. Remember that
essays have three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
• Introduction: This is the first paragraph of your essay. It
should introduce the reader to the essay’s main idea.
• Body: This part of the essay develops, or explains, the main

Tip
idea with supporting ideas and details. The body usually The first line of your
has two or three paragraphs. Devote one paragraph to each essay should grab the
reader’s attention and
idea that you use to support the main idea. lead the reader to your
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the last paragraph of your main idea.
essay. It restates and sums up the main idea of the
essay and brings the essay to a close.
Step 3: Outlining Use your brainstorming list to state in a few words what you
think you want to say in more detail in your essay. Your outline should sum up
the ideas you want to write about in the introduction, the body, and the
conclusion. Here’s a blank sample outline that shows how you might organize
each essay part:
I. Introduction (first paragraph) main idea:
II. Body
A. (second paragraph) topic sentence:
B. (third paragraph) topic sentence:
C. (fourth paragraph) topic sentence:
III. Conclusion (last paragraph)
Discuss…
䉴 Why is it important to include a main idea in the introduction to your essay?
Apply It
D irections
Read the following passage from a version of the popular fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood.”
You will be asked to use ideas from the passage to write an answer to an extended-response
(essay) question. Directly following the passage is a planning page—a blank page you will use
to plan your answer.
from Little Red Cap

by The Brothers Grimm
Once upon a time there was a sweet little maiden. Whoever laid eyes upon her could not help
but love her. But it was her grandmother who loved her most. She could never give the child
enough. One time she made her a present, a small, red velvet cap, and since it was so becoming
and the maiden insisted on always wearing it, she was called Little Red Cap.
One day her mother said to her, “Come, Little Red Cap, take this piece of cake and bottle of wine
and bring them to your grandmother. She’s sick and weak, and this will strengthen her. Get an early
start, before it becomes hot, and when you’re out in the woods, be nice and good and don’t stray from
the path, otherwise you’ll fall and break the glass, and your grandmother will get nothing. And when
you enter her room, don’t forget to say good morning, and don’t go peeping in all the corners.”
“I’ll do just as you say,” Little Red Cap promised her mother. Well, the grandmother lived out in
the forest, half an hour from the village, and as soon as Little Red Cap entered the forest, she
encountered the wolf. However, Little Red Cap did not know what a wicked sort of an animal he

was and was not afraid of him.
“Good day, Little Red Cap,” he said.
“Thank you kindly, wolf.”
“Where are you going so early, Little Red Cap?”
“To Grandmother’s.”
“What are you carrying under your apron?”
“Cake and wine. My grandmother’s sick and weak, and yesterday we baked this so it will help
her get well.”
“Where does your grandmother live, Little Red Cap?”
“Another quarter of an hour from here in the forest. Her house is under the three big oak trees.
You can tell it by the hazel bushes,” said Little Red Cap.
The wolf thought to himself, This tender young thing is a juicy morsel. She’ll taste even better
than the old woman. You’ve got to be real crafty if you want to catch them both. Then he walked
next to Little Red Cap, and after a while he said, “Little Red Cap, just look at the beautiful flowers
that are growing all around you! Why don’t you look around? I believe you haven’t even noticed
how lovely the birds are singing. You march along as if you were going straight to school, and yet
it’s so delightful out here in the woods!”
Little Red Cap looked around and saw how the rays of the sun were dancing through the trees back
and forth and how the woods were full of beautiful flowers. So she thought to herself, If I bring
Grandmother a bunch of fresh flowers, she’d certainly like that. It’s still early, and I’ll arrive on time.
So she ran off the path and plunged into the woods to look for flowers. And each time she
plucked one, she thought she saw another even prettier flower and ran after it, going deeper and
deeper into the forest. But the wolf went straight to the grandmother’s house and knocked at the
door.
“Who’s out there?”
“Little Red Cap. I’ve brought you some cake and wine. Open up.”
“Just lift the latch,” the grandmother called. “I’m too weak and can’t get up.”
The wolf lifted the latch, and the door sprang open. Then he went straight to the grandmother’s
bed without saying a word and gobbled her up. Next he put on her clothes and her nightcap, lay
down in her bed, and drew the curtains.
Planning Page
Use this page to brainstorm, organize, and outline a response to the question on the next page. Then use
your plan to draft a response to the question. Write your draft on the lines provided on the next page.
1
Fairy tales are meant to be fun to read. At the same time, they often teach lessons about life.
Though “”Little Red Cap” was written long ago, people today might still learn lessons from
the tale’s characters and plot. What lesson or lessons do you think “Little Red Cap” teaches?
In your answer, be sure to: W3h
• tell what lesson or lessons you think the tale teaches

• explain how the characters and plot teach the lesson or lessons.
Be sure to check your writing for correct spelling and grammar.
Our parents tell us there are people we can trust, like our family members and our
teachers. There are other people we don’t know so well. It’s better to be careful with these
people. This is the lesson in “Little Red Cap,” which teaches us “don’t trust strangers.”
Little Red Cap is a nice girl, but she is not very street-smart. She doesn’t know that there
are some bad people (or in this case, wolves) in the world. When she met the wolf on the way to
her grandmother’s house, she should’ve thought “stranger danger.”
When the wolf started talking to her, Red Cap should’ve just kept walking. Instead, she
answered his questions. She told the wolf what she was carrying and how to find her
grandmother. This put her grandmother in danger. To make matters worse, when the wolf told her
to “look at the beautiful flowers,” she gathered flowers rather than go straight to her
grandmother’s. While she was busy, the wolf went to the grandmother’s house. There, he tricked
the grandmother and gobbled her up.
Because Little Red Cap talked to a stranger, she lost her grandmother. Red Cap should
have known better. This is an important lesson for everyone—be careful with strangers. What we
tell them, and what they tell us, could hurt us and the people we love.
Lesson
Maintaining Focus 10
Keep your essay focused as you write. This means that
• each paragraph in the body of your essay supports the main idea of
the essay
• each paragraph has a topic sentence
• all the details you include support that topic sentence
Eliminate unrelated details. As you plan your essay, ask yourself the
following questions:
• Do my topic sentences support the main idea?
• Do my details and examples support my topic sentences?
As you write each paragraph of your essay, remember

• to include relevant details
• to leave out details that do not directly relate to the topic
• to keep the essay focused on the main idea
Read the paragraph below, paying close attention to how the writer keeps
it focused.
Of all the animals in the world, rats make the best pets. Rats are
intelligent animals that can learn how to run through mazes.

Unlike dogs, which need to be walked every day, rats are easy to Tip
care for. All they need is a cage, water, food, and some love and In a well-focused essay,
attention. Rats are clean and, unlike cats, they don’t shed their only relevant details are
hair. Rats are smart, easy to keep, and neat; they are perfect pets. included.
The paragraph above is from an essay that answers the

question, “What animals make the best pets?” The first sentence in
the paragraph, the topic sentence, directly answers the question.
Discuss…
䉴 What are the supporting details in the paragraph above?
䉴 How does each sentence support the topic sentence?
Apply It
D irections
Theodore Roosevelt was the twenty-sixth president of the United States. Read the following
selection and then answer the questions that follow.
from Theodore Roosevelt’s Letters

to His Children
by Theodore Roosevelt
THANKSGIVING IN THE WHITE HOUSE

White House, Nov. 28, 1902.
DARLING KERMIT:
Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and we all went out riding, looking as we started a good deal like
the Cumberbach family. Archie on his beloved pony, and Ethel on Yagenka went off with Mr.
Proctor to the hunt. Mother rode Jocko Root, Ted a first-class cavalry horse, I rode Renown. . . .
Yesterday I met Bozie for the first time since he came to Washington, and he almost wiggled
himself into a fit, he was so overjoyed at renewing acquaintance. To see Jack and Tom Quartz play
together is as amusing as it can be. We have never had a more cunning kitten than Tom Quartz. I
have just had to descend with severity upon Quentin because he put the unfortunate Tom into the
bathtub and then turned on the water. He didn’t really mean harm.

Last evening, besides our own entire family party, all the Lodges, and their connections, came to
dinner. We dined in the new State Dining-room and we drank the health of you and all the rest of both
families that were absent. After dinner we cleared away the table and danced. Mother looked just as
pretty as a picture and I had a lovely waltz with her. Mrs. Lodge and I danced the Virginia Reel.
Read the following student essay, which is a response to the question below. As you read, pay
close attention to how well focused the essay is. Then answer the questions on the following page.
1 How does the letter to Kermit show Theodore Roosevelt’s attitude toward his family?
Theodore Roosevelt’s attitude toward his family is shown in the letter he wrote
to his son Kermit. In the letter, Roosevelt shows a lot of love for Kermit and the
other children and also Mrs. Roosevelt. I think that’s great because when family
members love each other then the family is happy and strong, and there’s less
chance that the kids will get into trouble in life.
Roosevelt shows love for family members in the way he refers to them. For
example, he doesn’t start his letter by writing “Dear Kermit.” Instead, he writes
“Darling Kermit.” That shows how much he cares about his son. Roosevelt also pays
his wife a compliment in the letter when he says that “she looked just as pretty as
a picture” when they danced together.
Roosevelt also shows love for the family in the way he describes the family and
their horses and pets. You can tell he is very involved in the life of the family,
because he knows the names of all the horses that he and the others rode. He
also mentions how Jack played with the family cat, Tom Quartz. Roosevelt says
that seeing “Jack and Tom Quartz play together is as amusing as it can be.”
Cats can be a lot of fun, especially when they are kittens. I had a cat once and
the way it ran and jumped and climbed all over the furniture was really
entertaining. I thought so, anyway. My dad didn’t think the cat was as funny as I
did. I guess Roosevelt was just a cat lover, like me.
Finally, Roosevelt shows love for his family when he describes how he had to
scold his son Quentin for putting Tom Quartz in the bathtub and turning on the
water. You can tell that Roosevelt is an understanding father because he says
Quentin “didn’t really mean harm.”
In conclusion, Roosevelt seems to have had a very loving attitude toward his
family. Roosevelt shows that love in the letter he wrote to his son Kermit.
1 What is the main idea of the essay? R1m
The main idea is “In the letter, Roosevelt shows a lot of love for Kermit and the other children
and also Mrs. Roosevelt.”
2 What is the topic sentence of each paragraph in the body of the essay? R1o
Paragraph 2: Roosevelt shows love for family members in the way he refers to them.
Paragraph 3: Roosevelt also shows love for the family in the way he describes the family and
their horses and pets.
Paragraph 4: Cats can be a lot of fun, especially when they are kittens.
Paragraph 5: Finally, Roosevelt shows love for his family when he describes how he had to scold
his son Quentin for putting Tom Quartz in the bathtub and turning on the water.

3 Which sentence in the first paragraph does not belong? R1h
I think that’s great because when family members love each other then the family is happy and
strong, and there’s less chance that the kids will get into trouble in life.
4 Which paragraph in the essay does NOT support the main idea? Explain. R1h
The fourth paragraph does not support the main idea. The main idea is that the letter to Kermit
shows Roosevelt’s love for his family. The fourth paragraph is about how much fun cats are.
9ffb(
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Book 1
Practice Test
DInirections
this part of the test, you will do some reading and answer questions about what you
have read.
Go On
DThis
irections
article was published before the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks’s act of defiance.
Read the passage below and make notes. Then answer questions 1 through 7.
A Hero’s Legacy
by Madison J. Gray
Rosa Parks’s Brave Stand Against Injustice Changed America Forever
We live in a time when kids of all colors go to school together, gather at the same libraries and
recreation centers, and live in the same neighborhoods.
But 50 years ago, it wasn’t like that. Then, many states had laws requiring segregation based on
race. In the South, black people were not permitted to attend the same schools, sit in the same bus
seats, or eat at the same restaurants as white people.
It took brave people like Rosa Parks to find a way to defeat legalized segregation in the U.S. This
year marks the 50th anniversary of her heroic stand against injustice. On December 1, 1955, in
Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, refused to give up her bus seat
to a white man. She was arrested.
Rosa Parks’s single act of defiance helped bring an end to laws that kept black and white people
separated on buses. It also gave birth to the modern civil rights movement, a time when African-
Americans and others staged protests and other nonviolent actions to win equal rights.
Mrs. Parks died late last month at the age of 92. She was the first woman to be honored by

having her casket on view in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.
She wanted people to remember her as an example of the change that just one person can make
in the world.
Elaine Steele, co-founder of the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute, spoke for Mrs. Parks in her
final years. Steele says Mrs. Parks’s message has always been the same. “It begins and stops with
the individual person.”
Tired of Segregation
In 1955, Rosa Parks was a seamstress and the secretary of the Montgomery chapter of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a civil rights organization.
Many people debate what inspired Mrs. Parks to remain in her seat on December 1, 1955. In her
autobiography, Mrs. Parks said she was tired of following racist laws.
“People always say that I didn’t give up my bus seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true,” Mrs.
Parks wrote in Rosa Parks: My Story. “No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”
Go On
1 Which statement best expresses the main idea of the article? LC R17
A We live in a time when all children can go to school together.
B Rosa Parks’s brave deed made a difference in many people’s lives.
C The United States has changed in many ways in the last 50 years.
D The name Rosa Parks is known for bravery around the world.
2 Why did Rosa Parks actually refuse to give up her bus seat? R1m
F She was eager to begin a national controversy.

G She was weary after a long day of work.
H She was fed up with following unfair laws.
J She was older than the man who wanted her seat.
3 According to the selection, Rosa Parks wanted people to remember her mainly for LC R17
A staging protests and other nonviolent actions

B writing her autobiography, Rosa Parks: My Story
C starting the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute
D showing the change just one person can make
4 What honor was paid Rosa Parks after her death? R14
F She received a prize for her autobiography.

G Her casket was placed on view in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.
H Her work was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.
J She was recognized for her work as Secretary of the Montgomery Chapter of the NAACP.
5 The second paragraph mainly describes LC R13
A what life was like in the American South 50 years ago

B Rosa Parks’s single act of defiance to end laws of segregation
C how life in the American South has changed since 1955
D the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks’s heroic stand against injustice Go On
6 Read this sentence from the article.
Rosa Parks’s single act of defiance helped bring an end to laws that kept black and white
people separate on buses.
In this sentence, the word “defiance” means LC R10
F resistance
G prevention
H influence
J ambition
7 Which of these statements from the article is an opinion? R1i
A “she [Rosa Parks] was arrested.”

B “Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, refused to give up her seat to a white man.”
C “It took brave people like Rosa Parks to find a way to defeat legalized segregation.”
D “In 1955, Rosa Parks was a seamstress.”
Go On
DRead
irections
the passage. Then answer questions 8 through 14.
from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

by Maya Angelou
When I was three and Bailey four, we had arrived in the musty little
town, wearing tags on our wrists which instructed—“To Whom It May
c/o = abbreviation for
Concern”—that we were Marguerite and Bailey Johnson Jr., from Long “in care of”
Beach, California, en route to Stamps, Arkansas, c/o Mrs. Annie Henderson.
Our parents had decided to put an end to their calamitous marriage, and Father shipped us
home to his mother. A porter had been charged with our welfare—he got off the train the next
day in Arizona—and our tickets were pinned to my brother’s inside coat pocket.
I don’t remember much of the trip, but after we reached the segregated
southern part of the journey, things must have looked up. Negro
passengers, who always traveled with loaded lunch boxes, felt sorry for “the
poor little motherless darlings” and plied us with cold fried chicken and plied = supplied
potato salad.
affluent = wealthy
Years later I discovered that the United States had been crossed
thousands of times by frightened Black children traveling alone to their
newly affluent parents in Northern cities, or back to grandmothers in reneged = didn’t
keep their promise
Southern towns when the urban North reneged on its economic promises.
The town reacted to us as its inhabitants had reacted to all things new before our coming. It
regarded us after a while without curiosity but with caution, and after we were seen to be
harmless (and children) it closed in around us, as a real mother embraces a stranger’s child.
Warmly, but not too familiarly.
We lived with our grandmother and uncle in the rear of the Store (it was always spoken of
with a capital s), which she had owned some twenty-five years.
Early in the century, Momma (we soon stopped calling her
Grandmother) sold lunches to the sawmen in the lumberyard (east
Stamps) and the seedmen at the cotton gin (west Stamps). Her crisp
meat pies and cool lemonade, when joined to her miraculous ability to
be in two places at the same time, assured her business success. From
being a mobile lunch counter, she set up a stand between the two
points of fiscal interest and supplied the workers’ needs for a few years. fiscal = involving money
Then she had the Store built in the heart of the Negro area.
Go On
8 The “Store” was most likely referred to with a capital “s” because R2m
F it was the only store in town

G Momma refused to sell the store
H that was the name of the store
J Momma was proud of the store
9 In this selection from “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” the author attempts to LC R18
A make the reader aware of the fears all children have

B explain why she became a writer
C express feelings as an African American growing up in the South
D compare life in the South with life in the North
10 The first-person point of view allows the author to LC R21
F include both children’s feelings

G describe events in great detail
H present events in a factual manner

J create a personal tone
11 The author most likely included the last paragraph of this selection in order to show LC R21
A why the author loved her grandmother

B why the children were sent to live with their grandmother
C what a strong, independent businesswoman the grandmother was
D how good a cook the grandmother was
Go On
12 Read this sentence from the selection.
It regarded us after a while without curiosity but with caution, and after we were seen to be
harmless (and children) it closed in around us, as a real mother embraces a stranger’s child.
Which literary device does the author use in this sentence? R2g
F irony
G simile
H symbolism
J foreshadowing
13 Read this sentence from the selection.

Negro passengers, who always travel with loaded lunch boxes, felt sorry for “the poor
motherless darlings” and plied us with cold fried chicken and potato salad.
In this sentence, the author places the words “the poor motherless darlings” in quotation marks
to show that R2m
A the children had lost their mother
B passengers treated the children as if they had no mother
C the children felt sorry for themselves
D that is what the children were called by the porter
14 In the second paragraph, the word “calamitous” most likely means LC R10
F happy
G terrible
H exciting
J brief
Go On
DRudyard
irections
Kipling was an English citizen who lived and wrote in India for many years.
Read the poem “In Springtime” by Kipling. Then answer questions 15 through 20.
In Springtime
by Rudyard Kipling
My garden blazes brightly with the rose-bush and the peach,

koïl = a bird found in India
And the koïl sings above it, in the siris by the well,
From the creeper-covered trellis comes the squirrel’s
siris = a type of tree in India
chattering speech,
And the blue jay screams and flutters where the cheery
sat-bhai = an Indian bird sat-bhai dwell.
But the rose has lost its fragrance, and the koïl’s note is strange;
I am sick of endless sunshine, sick of blossom-burdened bough.
Give me back the leafless woodlands where the winds of
Springtime range—
Give me back one day in England, for it’s Spring in England
now!

Through the pines the gusts are booming, o’er the brown fields
blowing chill,
furrow = a groove cut by a plow From the furrow of the ploughshare streams the fragrance of
the loam,
And the hawk nests on the cliffside and the jackdaw in the hill,
And my heart is back in England ’mid the sights and sounds of
Home.
But the garland of the sacrifice this wealth of rose and peach is
Ah! koïl, little koïl, singing on the siris bough,
knell = a slow, mournful ringing
In my ears the knell of exile your ceaseless bell like
speech is—
exile = being forced to stay away
from home Can you tell me aught of England or of Spring in England now?
Go On
15 Read this line from the poem. 18 Read this line from the poem.
And my heart is back in England . . .
Through the pines the gusts are
What does the speaker most likely mean booming, o’er the brown fields
by this phrase? R2g blowing chill,
F He was born and raised in England. Which literary device is used in the line?
G He is in love with an English R2l
A metaphor
woman.
B symbolism
H He is homesick for England.
C alliteration
J He is proud to be English.
D personification
16 The author organizes this poem

mainly by LC R21
19 The phrases “endless sunshine” and
“blossom-burdened bough” help create
A comparing two places a sense of R2m
B telling how a place changed over time
F too much perfection
C listing his favorite childhood
G harshness, like a desert
activities
H youthfulness
D describing the details of a dream
J loneliness
17 Read these lines from the poem.

20 Read this line from the poem.
Ah! koïl, little koïl, singing on
the siris bough, Can you tell me aught of England or of
In my ears the knell of exile your Spring in England now?
ceaseless bell like speech is— Which resource would most help the
In these lines, the koïl’s singing can best reader understand the meaning of
be described as LC R19 “aught” in this line? LC R10
A an atlas
F reassuring
B an encyclopedia
G sorrowful
C a thesaurus
H courageous
D a dictionary
J enthusiastic
Go On
DRead
irections
the excerpt below from a story by Cynthia Rylant, and make notes as you go along.
Then answer questions 21 through 26.
from Slower Than the Rest

by Cynthia Rylant
Leo was the first one to spot the turtle, so he was the one who got to keep it. They had all been
in the car, driving up Tyler Mountain to church, when Leo shouted, “There’s a turtle!” and
everyone’s head jerked with the stop.
Leo’s father grumbled something about turtle soup, but Leo’s mother was sympathetic toward
turtles, so Leo was allowed to pick it up off the highway and bring it home. Both his little sisters
squealed when the animal stuck its ugly head out to look at them, and they thought its claws
horrifying, but Leo loved it from the start. He named it Charlie.
The dogs at Leo’s house had always belonged more to Leo’s father than to anyone else, and the
cat thought she belonged to no one but herself, so Leo was grateful for a pet of his own. He settled
Charlie in a cardboard box, threw in some lettuce and radishes, and declared himself a happy boy.
Leo adored Charlie, and the turtle was hugged and kissed as if he were a baby. Leo liked to fit
Charlie’s shell on his shoulder under his left ear, just as one might carry a cat, and Charlie would
poke his head into Leo’s neck now and then to keep them both entertained.
Leo was ten years old the year he found Charlie. He hadn’t many friends because he was slower
than the rest. That was the way his father said it: “Slower than the rest.” Leo was slow in reading,

slow in numbers, slow in understanding nearly everything that passed before him in a classroom.
As a result, in fourth grade Leo had been separated from the rest of his classmates and placed in a
room with other children who were as slow as he. Leo thought he would never get over it. He saw
no way to be happy after that.
But Charlie took care of Leo’s happiness, and he did it by being congenial. Charlie was the
friendliest turtle anyone had ever seen. The turtle’s head was always stretched out, moving left to
right, trying to see what was in the world. His front and back legs moved as though he were
swimming frantically in a deep sea to save himself, when all that was happening was that
someone was holding him in midair. Put Charlie down and he would sniff at the air a moment,
then take off as if no one had ever told him how slow he was supposed to be.
Every day, Leo came home from school, took Charlie to the backyard to let him explore and
told him about the things that had happened in fifth grade. Leo wasn’t sure how old Charlie was,
and, though he guessed Charlie was probably a young turtle, the lines around Charlie’s forehead
and eyes and the clamp of his mouth made Leo think Charlie was wise the way old people are
wise. So Leo talked to him privately every day.
Go On
21 Read this sentence from the story. 23 The story “Slower Than the Rest” is
described as realistic fiction because
But Charlie took care of Leo’s
it includes R2b
happiness, and he did it by being
congenial. Charlie was the friendliest A a lighthearted story line with many
turtle anyone had ever seen. exaggerated events
What is most likely the meaning of the B a strange setting, peculiar
characters, and twists in the plot
word “congenial”? LC R10
C interesting characters and a lesson
A generous
to be learned
B silly
D a plot, setting, and characters that
C good-natured are believable
D quiet
24 How did Leo feel before he found

22 Read these sentences from the story. Charlie? R2i
Leo had been separated from the rest F happy
of his classmates and placed in a room G angry
with other children who were as slow as
H lonely
he. Leo thought he would never get over
it. He saw no way to be happy after that. J excited
What point is the author most likely

making in these sentences? LC R18

F Separating children from their
classmates can make them sad
and ashamed.
G Separating children from their
friends in a classroom is better for
learning.
H Children who have trouble in school
should be allowed to have a pet.
J Children might feel shy to be in a
new classroom with classmates they
don’t know.
Go On
25 Which of these is a major reason why Leo liked Charlie so much? R2j
A Charlie belonged only to Leo.

B Charlie was a beautiful turtle.
C Leo’s sisters were afraid of Charlie.
D Leo’s mother was sympathetic toward turtles.
26 In which of the following ways are Leo and Charlie alike? LC R19
F Both are ten years old.

G Both are unusually smart
H Both are popular with the fifth-graders at school.
J Both are thought to be slow.
STOP
GiXZk`Z\K\jk
9ffb)
Book 2
Practice Test
DInirections
this part of the test, you will listen to part of a poem called “The Jumblies.” Then you
will answer some questions to show how well you understood what was read.
You will listen to the poem twice. As you listen carefully, you may take notes on the
poem anytime you wish during the readings. You may use these notes to answer the
questions that follow. Use the space on pages 62 and 63 to take notes.
Here are some definitions you will need to know as you listen.
• sieve: strainer; a tool with mesh screening or small holes to separate solid particles from a liquid
• riband: ribbon
• crockery-jar: a jar made of hardened clay
• rash: careless; too quick to take action
The poem appears on pages 81–82.

Go On
Notes
Go On
Notes
Go On
27 Complete the chart below to explain how the Jumblies become wet and what they do to try to
stay dry. LC R19
How the Jumblies become wet What the Jumblies do to

try to stay dry
They sail to sea in a sieve, and the water They wrap their feet in folded pinky paper;
comes in through the holes in the mesh. they fasten the paper with a pin; they pass
the night in a crockery-jar.
28 Describe what the Jumblies look like, including how big they are. Give details from the poem
to support your answer R2j
The Jumblies have green heads and blue hands and are very small. Details that show they
are small include the sieve that they sail in, which “ain’t big,” the sail made of a veil that is tied
with ribbon to a tobacco-pipe mast, and the crockery-jar in which the Jumblies spend the night.

29 Contrast the Jumblies with the other characters in the poem. In what ways are the Jumblies
different from them? Use details from the poem to support your answer. R2j
The Jumblies are adventurous, as shown by their desire to travel; the other characters are
fearful. The Jumblies are rash, as evidenced by their sailing on a stormy and cold morning; the other
characters are cautious, as evidenced by their warning “You’ll all be drowned!” The Jumblies go to sea;
the other characters stay home. The Jumblies are resourceful, as shown when they wrap their feet in
paper to stay dry and spend the night in a jar; the other characters do not appear to be resourceful.
Go On
Planning Page
You may PLAN your writing for question 30 here if you wish, but do NOT write
your final answer on this page. Your writing on this Planning Page will NOT
count toward your final score. Write your final answer on Pages 66 and 67.
Go On
30
“The Jumblies” is an imaginative poem filled with absurd imagery. Some people refer to this
type of writing as nonsense poetry. Does “The Jumblies” remind you of other poems or stories
that you’ve read? Maybe the imagery even reminds you of a story that you’ve seen portrayed in
a movie or a TV show. Write about “The Jumblies” and another poem or story that it reminds
you of. Use specific examples from “The Jumblies” to show why the two works are similar. You
may compare “The Jumblies” to more than one poem or story. W2c
Use the tips below to help you form your answer.
• Describe the setting, characters, and plot in “The Jumblies” and in the poem or story
of your choice.
• Compare and contrast the setting, characters, and plot in “The Jumblies” with the
poem or story.
• Use details from both works to support your answer.
Check your writing for correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
“The Jumblies” is a very funny poem with some ridiculous imagery and a great plot. The
main characters are called the Jumblies, and they have heads that are green and hands that are

blue. These characters must be tiny because they all are able to fit in a sieve. One stormy winter
morning, the Jumblies get in this sieve and head out to sea. The poem doesn’t really explain why
the Jumblies do this, but as you read, you get the feeling that they’re not concerned about the
dangerous weather. They even ignore other people’s warnings and head out to sea anyway, surely
to be drowned.
Even if a sieve could float in the sea, the Jumblies don’t have the right equipment to sail. It’s
not clear how the sieve floats on the water, but that doesn’t seem to matter to the Jumblies.
Go On
They just wrap their feet in “pinky paper” and spend the night in a jar, without a care in the world.
“The Jumblies” poem reminds me of some books that I’ve read by Dr. Suess, like The Cat
in the Hat. In this Dr. Seuss story, the cat visits some children whose parents are away for the
day, and the scene gets totally crazy! The cat invites his friends Thing 1 and Thing 2 over to the
house and they turn the place upside-down. The whole time the cat keeps acting like nothing
weird is happening. That’s kind of how the Jumblies act in the poem. They just don’t think that
there’s anything strange about sailing the stormy seas in a sieve!
“The Jumblies” poem also reminds me of some TV cartoons that I’ve watched because
things happen in the poem that can’t happen in real life. In cartoons, characters can bounce off
walls, get flattened like pancakes, fly through the sky, and live and breathe underwater. The
characters in “The Jumblies” are similar because they do something that isn’t very realistic by
spending the night in a clay jar floating on the sea.
In summary, the Jumblies are like a lot of other characters in poems and stories that are
created for kids. Even though these characters may not be realistic, they are fun and imaginative,
and they can often do the impossible. I guess when your head is green and your hands are blue,
anything can happen!
STOP
GiXZk`Z\K\jk
9ffb*
Book 3
Practice Test
DInirections
this part of the test, you are going to read a passage from a story called “The Devoted
Friend” and a passage from a novel called At the Back of the North Wind. You will
answer questions 31 through 34 and write about what you have read. You may look back
at the selections as often as you like.
Go On
from The Devoted Friend
by Oscar Wilde
Little Hans had a great many friends, but the most devoted friend of all was big Hugh the
Miller. Indeed, so devoted was the rich Miller to little Hans, that he would never go by his garden
without leaning over the wall and plucking a large nosegay, or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling
his pockets with plums and cherries if it was the fruit season.
“Real friends should have everything in common,” the Miller used to say, and little Hans
nodded and smiled, and felt very proud of having a friend with such noble ideas.
Sometimes, indeed, the neighbours thought it strange that the rich Miller never gave little
Hans anything in return, though he had a hundred sacks of flour stored away in his mill, and six
milch cows, and a large flock of woolly sheep; but Hans never troubled his head about these
things, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things the Miller
used to say about the unselfishness of true friendship.
So little Hans worked away in his garden. During the spring, the summer, and the autumn he
was very happy, but when the winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to bring to the market,
he suffered a good deal from cold and hunger and often had to go to bed without any supper but a
few dried pears or some hard nuts. In the winter, also, he was extremely lonely, as the Miller never
came to see him then.
“There is no good in my going to see little Hans as long as the snow lasts,” the Miller used to
say to his wife, “for when people are in trouble they should be left alone, and not bothered by
visitors. That at least is my idea about friendship, and I am sure I am right. So I shall wait till the
spring comes, and then I shall pay him a visit, and he will be able to give me a large basket of
primroses, and that will make him so happy.”
“You are certainly very thoughtful about others,” answered the Wife, as she sat in her
comfortable armchair by the big pinewood fire; “very thoughtful indeed. It is quite a treat to hear
you talk about friendship. I am sure the clergyman himself could not say such beautiful things as
you do, though he does live in a three-storied house, and wear a gold ring on his little finger.”
“But could we not ask little Hans up here?” said the Miller’s youngest son. “If poor Hans is in
trouble I will give him half my porridge, and show him my white rabbits.”
“What a silly boy you are!” cried the Miller; “I really don’t know what is the use of sending you
to school. You seem not to learn anything. Why, if little Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire,
and our good supper, and our great cask of red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most
terrible thing, and would spoil anybody’s nature. I certainly will not allow Hans’ nature to be
spoiled. I am his best friend, and I will always watch over him, and see that he is not led into any
temptations. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me to let him have some flour on credit, and
that I could not do. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they should not be confused.
Why, the words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that.”
Go On
“How well you talk!” said the Miller’s Wife, pouring herself out a large glass of warm ale;
“really I feel quite drowsy. It is just like being in church.”
“Lots of people act well,” answered the Miller; “but very few people talk well, which shows that
talking is much the more difficult thing of the two, and much the finer thing also;” and he looked
sternly across the table at his little son, who felt so ashamed of himself that he hung his head
down, and grew quite scarlet, and began to cry into his tea. However, he was so young that you
must excuse him.
31 Complete the graphic organizer by comparing and contrasting the Miller and his son. In what
way or ways are they similar? In what way or ways are they different? W1j
Similarities between Differences between

Miller and son Miller and son
Both believe they are Hans’s friend; both The Miller is selfish, as evidenced by his
have more food and better shelter than refusal to help Hans; the son is unselfish and
Hans. willing to share his porridge. The Miller is vain
and proud, as evidenced by his boasting that
talking as well as he does is more difficult than
acting well and “much the finer thing also,”
whereas the son is humble. The Miller is a bad
friend, whereas the son is a true friend.

32 The name of the story is “The Devoted Friend.” A friend who is devoted is very loving and
loyal. Which character in the story do you think is the most devoted friend and why? Give
details from the passage to support your answer. W1j
The most devoted friend in the story is Hans. He shares flowers, herbs, and fruit from his
garden with the Miller, even though the Miller never shares anything with him. Hans appreciates
the Miller’s statements about friendship and feels “very proud of having a friend with such noble
ideas,” even though the Miller twists the statements to justify his selfish behavior toward Hans.
Go On
from At the Back of the North Wind
by George MacDonald
Chapter 11: How Diamond Got Home Again
When one at the back of the north wind wanted to know how things were going with any one
he loved, he had to go to a certain tree, climb the stem, and sit down in the branches. In a few
minutes, if he kept very still, he would see something at least of what was going on with the people
he loved.
One day when Diamond was sitting in this tree, he began to long very much to
get home again, and no wonder, for he saw his mother crying. Durante says that
the people there may always follow their wishes, because they never wish but what fain = gladly
is good. Diamond’s wish was to get home, and he would fain follow his wish.
But how was he to set about it? If he could only see North Wind! But the moment he had got
to her back, she was gone altogether from his sight. He had never seen her back. She might be
sitting on her doorstep still, looking southwards, and waiting, white and thin and blue-eyed, until
she was wanted. Or she might have again become a mighty creature, with power to do that which
was demanded of her, and gone far away upon many missions. She must be somewhere, however.
He could not go home without her, and therefore he must find her. She could never have intended
to leave him always away from his mother. If there had been any danger of that, she would have
told him, and given him his choice about going. For North Wind was right honest. How to find
North Wind, therefore, occupied all his thoughts.
In his anxiety about his mother, he used to climb the tree every day, and sit in
its branches. However many of the dwellers there did so, they never
incommoded =
incommoded one another; for the moment one got into the tree, he became
inconvenienced
invisible to every one else; and it was such a wide-spreading tree that there was
room for every one of the people of the country in it, without the least
interference with each other. Sometimes, on getting down, two of them would
meet at the root, and then they would smile to each other more sweetly than at
any other time, as much as to say, “Ah, you’ve been up there too!”
One day he was sitting on one of the outer branches of the tree, looking southwards after his
home. Far away was a blue shining sea, dotted with gleaming and sparkling specks of white. Those
were the icebergs. Nearer he saw a great range of snow-capped mountains, and down below him
the lovely meadow-grass of the country, with the stream flowing and flowing through it, away
towards the sea. As he looked he began to wonder, for the whole country lay beneath him like a
map, and that which was near him looked just as small as that which he knew to be miles away.
Go On
appropriated = taken
The ridge of ice which encircled it appeared but a few yards off, and no larger
for one’s own than the row of pebbles with which a child will mark out the boundaries of
the kingdom he has appropriated on the sea-shore. He thought he could
distinguish the vapoury form of North Wind, seated as he had left her, on the
vapoury = other side. Hastily he descended the tree, and to his amazement found that
vapory; airy, the map or model of the country still lay at his feet. He stood in it. With one
misty
stride he had crossed the river; with another he had reached the ridge of ice;
with the third he stepped over its peaks, and sank wearily down at North
Wind’s knees. For there she sat on her doorstep. The peaks of the great ridge
of ice were as lofty as ever behind her, and the country at her back had
vanished from Diamond’s view.
North Wind was as still as Diamond had left her. Her pale face was white as the snow, and her
motionless eyes were as blue as the caverns in the ice. But the instant Diamond touched her, her
face began to change like that of one waking from sleep. Light began to glimmer from the blue of
her eyes. A moment more, and she laid her hand on Diamond’s head, and began playing with his
hair. Diamond took hold of her hand, and laid his face to it. She gave a little start.
“How very alive you are, child!” she murmured. “Come nearer to me.”
By the help of the stones all around he clambered up beside her, and laid himself against her
bosom. She gave a great sigh, slowly lifted her arms, and slowly folded them about him, until she
clasped him close. Yet a moment, and she roused herself, and came quite awake; and the cold of
her bosom, which had pierced Diamond’s bones, vanished.
“Have you been sitting here ever since I went through you, dear North Wind?” asked Diamond,
stroking her hand.
“Yes,” she answered, looking at him with her old kindness.

“Ain’t you very tired?”
“No; I’ve often had to sit longer. Do you know how long you have been?”
“Oh! years and years,” answered Diamond.
“You have just been seven days,” returned North Wind.
“I thought I had been a hundred years!” exclaimed Diamond.
“Yes, I daresay,” replied North Wind. “You’ve been away from here seven days; but how long
you may have been in there is quite another thing. Behind my back and before my face things are
so different! They don’t go at all by the same rule.”
Go On
“I’m very glad,” said Diamond, after thinking a while.
“Why?” asked North Wind.
“Because I’ve been such a long time there, and such a little while away from mother. Why, she
won’t be expecting me home from Sandwich yet!”
“No. But we mustn’t talk any longer. I’ve got my orders now, and we must be off in a few minutes.”
Next moment Diamond found himself sitting alone on the rock.
North Wind had vanished. A creature like a great humble-bee or humble-bee = bumble bee
cockchafer flew past his face; but it could be neither, for there were
no insects amongst the ice. It passed him again and again, flying in
circles around him, and he concluded that it must be North Wind cockchafer = a kind of
large beetle
herself, no bigger than Tom Thumb when his mother put him in
the nutshell lined with flannel. But she was no longer vapoury and
thin. She was solid, although tiny. A moment more, and she
perched on his shoulder.
“Come along, Diamond,” she said in his ear, in the smallest and highest of treble voices; “it is time
we were setting out for Sandwich.”
Go On
33 At the beginning of the chapter, Diamond longs to go home and wants to find North Wind
so she can take him there. Explain how Diamond visualizes, or pictures, North Wind and how
North Wind makes him feel. Use details from the story to support your answer. W1k
All the images of North Wind are “cold.” Diamond finds her beyond the icebergs and snow-
capped mountains, in a ridge of ice. She is “white and thin and blue-eyed,” with a face “white as
the snow” and eyes “as blue as the caverns in the ice.” When Diamond reaches her, she seems
frozen still.
But how she looks is different from how she acts. When she awakens, North Wind treats
Diamond with affection—she “began playing with his hair” and “clasped him close.” Words like
“kindness” and “trust” are used to describe her.
We understand that, even though North Wind lives in a land of snow and ice, she has

great warmth. She is caring and wise. We understand why Diamond has searched so long and
hard for her. He cherishes her friendship. And North Wind is the only one who can get him home.
Go On
Planning Page
You may PLAN your writing for question 34 here if you wish, but do NOT write
your final answer on this page. Your writing on this Planning Page will NOT
count toward your final score. Write your final answer on Pages 78 and 79.
Go On
34 Think about how “The Devoted Friend” and At the Back of the North Wind both show
friendships between characters. Write an essay in which you explain what a reader might
learn about friendship from reading the two selections. Use details from both selections to
support your answer.
In your answer, be sure to

• explain what a reader might learn about friendship.
• include details from both stories to support your answer W2b
Check your writing for correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Both “The Devoted Friend” and At the Back of the North Wind show friendships between
characters, but the friendships are not the same. In “The Devoted Friend,” one of the characters is not
a true friend to another character. In “Back of the North Wind,” the main characters are true friends.
By reading the two selections, a reader might learn how to be a true friend rather than a fair-
weather friend.

The one-sided friendship in “The Devoted Friend” is between the Miller and Hans. In their
friendship, the Miller uses Hans to get things from him. In the spring, summer, and fall, the Miller takes
flowers, herbs, and fruit from Hans’s garden. The Miller thinks that this is okay because ”Real friends
should have everything in common.” But when winter comes, the Miller no longer visits Hans because
nothing is growing in Hans’s garden. Even worse, the Miller will not share any flour with Hans when
Hans is short of food in the winter, even though the Miller is rich and has plenty to spare. A reader
Go On
can’t help seeing that the Miller is a fair-weather friend who refuses to help anyone but himself. From
this, the reader might learn how not to act.
So how should true friends treat each other? All a reader has to do is think about the
friendship between Diamond and North Wind in At the Back of the North Wind. When Diamond
wants to go back home and see his mother, he needs North Wind’s help to do so. She does not let him
down. After hugging him and assuring him that she has been waiting patiently for him for seven days,
she indicates she will help him get home, saying, “We must be off in a few minutes.” In return, Diamond
is kind and thoughtful toward North Wind. For example, when she explains how long she has been
waiting for him, Diamond asks her, “Ain’t you very tired?”
In conclusion, a reader could learn a lot about friendship from reading “The Devoted Friend”
and At the Back of the North Wind. The main lesson a reader should learn is to be a true friend like
North Wind rather than a fair-weather friend like the Miller.
STOP
This listening selection is to be used in administering Lesson 5 of the Grade 6 English Language
Arts Test preparation workbook. The entire selection is to be read aloud twice to the students.
from Chief Seattle’s Treaty Oration, 1854

by Chief Seattle
Yonder sky that has wept tears of compassion upon my people for centuries untold, and which
to us appears changeless and eternal, may change. Today is fair. Tomorrow it may be overcast with
clouds. My words are like the stars that never change. Whatever Seattle says, the great chief at
Washington can rely upon with as much certainty as he can upon the return of the sun or the
seasons. The white chief says that Big Chief at Washington sends us greetings of friendship and
goodwill. This is kind of him for we know he has little need of our friendship in return. His
people are many. They are like the grass that covers vast prairies. My people are few. They
resemble the scattering trees of a storm-swept plain. The great, and I presume—good, White Chief
sends us word that he wishes to buy our land but is willing to allow us enough to live comfortably.
This indeed appears just, even generous, for the Red Man no longer has rights that he need
respect, and the offer may be wise, also, as we are no longer in need of an extensive country.
There was a time when our people covered the land as the waves of a wind-ruffled sea cover its
shell-paved floor, but that time long since passed away with the greatness of tribes that are now
but a mournful memory. I will not dwell on, nor mourn over, our untimely decay, nor reproach
my paleface brothers with hastening it, as we too may have been somewhat to blame.
Youth is impulsive. When our young men grow angry at some real or imaginary wrong, and

disfigure their faces with black paint, it denotes that their hearts are black, and that they are often
cruel and relentless, and our old and old women are unable to restrain them. Thus it has ever
been. Thus it was when the white man began to push our forefathers ever westward. But let us
hope that the hostilities between us may never return. We would have everything to lose and
nothing to gain. . . .
This listening selection is to be used in administering Book 2 of the Grade 6 English Language
Arts Practice Test. The entire selection is to be read twice to the students.
from The Jumblies

by Edward Lear
I
They went to sea in a Sieve, they did,
In a Sieve they went to sea:
In spite of all their friends could say,
On a winter’s morn, on a stormy day,
5 In a Sieve they went to sea!
And when the Sieve turned round and round,
And every one cried, ‘You’ll all be drowned!’
They called aloud, ‘Our Sieve ain’t big,
But we don’t care a button! we don’t care a fig!
10 In a Sieve we’ll go to sea!’
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live;

Their heads are green, and their hands are blue,
And they went to sea in a Sieve.
II
15 They sailed away in a Sieve, they did,
In a Sieve they sailed so fast,
With only a beautiful pea-green veil
Tied with a riband by way of a sail,
To a small tobacco-pipe mast;
20 And every one said, who saw them go,
‘O won’t they be soon upset, you know!
For the sky is dark, and the voyage is long,
And happen what may, it’s extremely wrong
In a Sieve to sail so fast!’
25 Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
III
The water it soon came in, it did,
30 The water it soon came in;
So to keep them dry, they wrapped their feet
In a pinky paper all folded neat,
And they fastened it down with a pin.

And they passed the night in a crockery-jar,
35 And each of them said, ‘How wise we are!
Though the sky be dark, and the voyage be long,
Yet we never can think we were rash or wrong,
While round in our Sieve we spin!’
Far and few, far and few,
40 Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Aligned with the New York

English Language Arts
Core Curriculum Standards

GRADE 6
This helpful workbook provides
• Test-taking strategies and tips for the New York English
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-877125-5
ISBN-10: 0-07-877125-0 Language Arts Test
• Practice lessons with multiple-choice, short-response, and
extended-response items
www.glencoe.com • A full-length English Language Arts practice test

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TEACHER’S ANNOTATED EDITION

Aligned with the New York

GLENCOE LANGUAGE ARTS

GLENCOE LANGUAGE ARTS

Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Lesson 8: Writing About Two Passages ........................................................................... 31

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

GRADE 6 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS TEST

Book 1 • 26 multiple-choice questions prep time

Scoring the Practice Test

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

0 The responses are completely incorrect, irrelevant, or incoherent.

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

• are partly correct and complete • is mostly focused

• are partly correct and complete • shows an effort to keep focus

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

3-point writing mechanics rubric for responses at Grade 6

Test Techniques: Process of Elimination

1 Do you know what the word irksome

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Having a fire emergency plan in place is

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

䉴 How can notes help you write a story summary?

from The Peterkins Celebrate

A Horn Blowing Plan

2 Which event comes first in chronological order? LC R19

F Mr. Peterkin noting how many boys there are

A Where were the boys blowing the horns?

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

4 Which statement best summarizes this story? LC R13

F Mr. Peterkin enjoyed the blowing of horns on the Fourth of July.

5 Which question is not answered in the story? LC R15

A Why do the boys blow the horns?

From spring until late fall, my neighbor Hank is engaged in a

President Roosevelt’s Fireside Chat

levees = walls built to hold

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

delude = to fool oneself

D because the war has been so long,

F that Americans should keep piling

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

the word. These clues are called context clues.

from Black Beauty

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

• Figurative language: Figurative language is language used for descriptive

A metaphor compares or equates two unlike things without

• The tires screamed as he turned the corner.

from The Wind in the Willows

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

A third person: an outside narrator F confident

F a simile for Mole A a bully

3 In the last paragraph, the author

• Because you cannot reread a listening passage when you answer

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

<sample 1> <sample 2>

after storm. live on.

Main Idea Details

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Problem How the Motts Overcame the Problem

didn’t speak English – enrolled in an English language program

– mother took a job cleaning houses

from Snow White and Rose Red