Practice Test Answers

Read the excerpt from The Hot Zone. Nancy took a breath and gathered her thoughts. She imagined that passing through the gray-zone door into Level 4 was like a space walk, except that instead of going into outer space, you went into inner space, which was full of the pressure of life trying to get inside your suit. People went into Level 4 areas all the time at the Institute, particularly the civilian animal caretakers. But going into a containment zone to perform a necropsy on an animal that had died of an amplified unknown hot agent was something a little different. This was high-hazard work. The central idea of this excerpt is that working in a containment zone is very dangerous. Which phrases from the excerpt most support the central idea?

Read the paragraph from The Hot Zone. There was not a uniform in the group, although a few members of the ambulance team wore camouflage fatigues. The caravan crossed the Potomac River at Point of Rocks and hit Leesburg Pike just as rush hour began. The traffic became bumper to bumper, and the officers began to get frustrated. It took them two hours to reach the monkey house, contending the whole way with ill-tempered commuters. Finally the column turned into the office park, which by that time was filling up with workers. The supply van and the ambulance were driven along the side of the monkey house, up onto a lawn, and were parked behind the building, to get them out of sight. The back of the building presented a brick face, some narrow windows, and a glass door. The door was the insertion point. They parked the supply van up close to the door. Which statement best summarizes the central idea of this paragraph?

Read the poem. Snowflakes cascade My yard is changed. A backyard reality is rearranged. Neglected bikes wear blankets of snow, Hopscotch lines cower and hide, The toys in the yard . . . lost until spring. How many lines does each stanza contain?

Cinta reviewed her notes about genealogical research before the class discussion. She was ready to share her information with her classmates and then answer questions. When Mr. MacGregor asked if she was ready, Cinta smiled and nodded her head. What is the purpose of the class discussion?

Read the poem. Instruments poised, chins high Not a blink, nor a sigh As every eye awaits her hand To cue the members of the band. What is the poem’s rhyme scheme?

Read the sentence. The harsh wind scoured the scant remaining leaves from the trees, and a desolate landscape remained in its wake . The underlined portion of the sentence is

Read the given sentences. The new safety requirements were enacted based on scientists’ recommendations. Fewer accidents occurred. Which combines the sentences to create one complex sentence?

Read the excerpt from Silent Spring . There had been several sudden and unexplained deaths, not only among adults but even among children, who would be stricken suddenly while at play and die within a few hours. Which best describes how this excerpt appeals to readers’ emotions?

Which excerpt from Winona LaDuke’s "A Case for Waawaatesi” best appeals to readers’ logic?