Study Guide

Middle School Education: Language Arts
Sample Questions

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Competency 0001
Understand fundamentals of reading comprehension.

1. Use the list of words that appears below to answer the question that follows.

Which of the following strategies would be most effective for a reader to use to identify the meanings of the words on the list?

  1. applying knowledge of base words and prefixes
  2. recognizing letter-sound correspondences in the words
  3. distinguishing onsets and rimes in the words
  4. applying knowledge of Latin and Greek word roots
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A. The words invisible, irrelevant, disapprove, and unstable are formed from prefixes that mean "not" (in-, ir-, un-) or "do the opposite of" (dis-) and base words (visible, relevant, approve, stable). The word misleading is formed with a prefix (mis-) that means "bad" or "wrong," a base word (lead), and a suffix (-ing) used to form an adjective.

Competency 0002
Demonstrate the ability to comprehend, interpret, and analyze literature.

2. Read the excerpt below from The Grapes of Wrath, a novel by John Steinbeck; then answer the question that follows.

Maybe we can start again, in the new rich land—in California, where the fruit grows. We'll start over.

But you can't start. Only a baby can start. You and me—why, we're all that's been. The anger of a moment, the thousand pictures, that's us. This land, this red land, is us; and the flood years and the dust years and the drought years are us. We can't start again. The bitterness we sold to the junk man—he got it all right, but we have it still. And when the owner men told us to go, that's us; and when the tractor hit the house, that's us until we're dead. To California or any place—every one a drum major leading a parade of hurts, marching with our bitterness. And some day—the armies of bitterness will all be going the same way. And they'll all walk together, and there'll be a dead terror from it.

The tenant men scuffed home to the farms through the red dust.

Source: From THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck, copyright 1939, renewed © 1967 by John Steinbeck. Used by permission of Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

In the excerpt, Steinbeck is commenting primarily on which of the following aspects of the 1930s Dust Bowl in the United States?

  1. the creation of migrant labor camps in California
  2. the disappearance of farm communities in the Great Plains
  3. the hopelessness and despondency felt by tenant farmers
  4. the topsoil erosion caused by irresponsible farming practices
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C. Steinbeck focuses on the tenant farmers' response to the circumstances that resulted from the Dust Bowl, which was the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. The excerpt begins with the narrator's seemingly optimistic suggestion that tenant farmers will start new lives in California—where many affected by the Dust Bowl fled—but then immediately negates the optimism with the pessimistic statement "But you can't start." The repetition of the word "bitterness" and the use of phrases such as "that's us until we're dead" and "parade of hurts," combined with the final image of defeated tenant farmers scuffing through the dust, convey a sense of the tenant farmers' hopelessness and despondency.

Competency 0003
Demonstrate the ability to comprehend, interpret, and analyze informational and persuasive texts.

3. Read the excerpt below; then answer the question that follows.

Learning how to behave when with your horse is the first step towards building a good working relationship with him. A well-treated horse is trusting but a frightened horse can be very strong and could be dangerously unsafe. Always speak calmly. Horses are sensitive to tone of voice, so never shout. Avoid noises like road drills or motor bikes. Don't move suddenly or carelessly when around horses. Use persuasion to encourage your horse. Horses never forget a bad experience, but you can use their memory to your advantage as they will also remember praise and rewards. Horses work best when they are in a happy environment and they like routine.

Source: Watson, Mary Gordon. From Learn Horseback Riding in a Weekend, published by Dorling Kindersley, 1992, 1996. Copyright © Dorling Kindersley, 1992. www.penguin.com. Reprinted by permission.

Which of the following conclusions can be most reasonably drawn from the information provided in the excerpt?

  1. A calm horse requires less praise than a skittish horse.
  2. Horses are best trained in remote, rural places.
  3. A highly disciplined horse will be a hard-working horse.
  4. Horses respond best to steady, gentle encouragement.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D. The details in the excerpt explain the dos and don'ts of communicating with horses, such as do "speak calmly" to them but don't "move suddenly or carelessly" around them. Collectively, these guidelines support the practice of using steady, gentle encouragement with horses.

Competency 0004
Understand strategies and techniques for writing arguments.

4. Which of the following supporting details would be most important to include in a short essay intended to persuade homeowners to use solar energy in their homes?

  1. People who think that living in a sunny climate is a prerequisite for using solar energy in their homes are misinformed.
  2. Solar energy can be collected and converted to electrical energy through a process called photovoltaics.
  3. People who use solar energy at home are more likely to rely on public transportation for their local travel needs.
  4. Solar energy can power the lights and appliances in a home at a fraction of the cost of other energy sources.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D. The ability of solar energy to power lights and appliances in a home at a fraction of the cost of other energy sources is a relevant fact that provides compelling support for the writer's argument while addressing readers' concerns about the potential cost of using solar energy in their homes.

Competency 0005
Understand strategies and techniques for writing informative and explanatory texts.

5. Read the draft paragraph below; then answer the question that follows.

1Scientists have recently discovered that laughter is a survival mechanism possessed by both humans and animals. 2Animals laugh in order to signal to other animals when they are playing and not fighting. 3When rats laugh, they emit a high-pitched chirp that is inaudible to the human ear. 4In both humans and animals, laughter comes as an involuntary response, like sneezing. 5Studies have shown that humans are more likely to laugh because they want to gain acceptance in a social group than because they think something is funny. 6It is possible to suppress laughter, but it is difficult to produce laughter convincingly without some kind of real, spontaneous stimulus. 7Therefore, laughter is generally interpreted as an honest expression of friendliness and sociability.

Which of the following sentences should be removed from the paragraph to eliminate a distracting detail?

  1. Sentence 2
  2. Sentence 3
  3. Sentence 5
  4. Sentence 6
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B. The primary purpose of the essay is to explain why both humans and animals laugh. Sentence 3 provides a detail that distracts from the primary purpose and should therefore be eliminated.

Competency 0006
Understand strategies and techniques for writing narratives.

6. A writer is developing a short story in which he would like to convey a vivid impression of the kitchen where part of the story is set. Which of the following groups of descriptive details about the kitchen would be most effective for the writer to use in the story?







Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C. Specific and unique details that appeal to the multiple senses will be most effective for the writer to use to convey a vivid impression of setting.

Competency 0007
Understand methods of researching to build and present knowledge.

7. Use the information below to answer the question that follows.

A writer is developing a research report about butterflies. The writer's preliminary notes appear below.

  • Butterflies live in many different habitats, including arctic plains and tropical rain forests.
  • Butterflies can be found at a wide range of altitudes, from below sea level to high mountain elevations.
  • In North America, monarch butterflies gather in the autumn and migrate south up to 1,800 miles for the winter.
  • Parnassian butterflies live in mountainous regions of Asia, Europe, and North America.
  • Ecologists can sometimes predict changes in the environment by studying the behavior of various butterfly species in the wild.

Given the information in these notes, the writer would be best prepared to address which of the following questions in the report?

  1. In what types of environments can butterflies survive?
  2. What are the feeding patterns of monarch butterflies during the winter?
  3. In what ways do monarch butterflies differ from Parnassian butterflies?
  4. What are the various stages in the life cycle of a butterfly?
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: A. Because the writer's notes focus on the various habitats, ranges, and regions in which butterflies can be found, the writer will be best prepared to address the question "In what types of environments can butterflies survive?"

Competency 0008
Understand strategies for speaking and listening and for engaging in collaborative discussions.

8. Read the excerpt below from a conversation between three coworkers at an electronics store; then answer the question that follows.

Noelle: We have great products at low prices, but we don't have enough customers. We need to attract more business.

Kevin: Some electronics stores let people try out the products right in the store. People seem to like that.

Donna: Yes, but doesn't that get expensive for the stores? They can't sell used merchandise, right?

Kevin: It's worth the cost if people end up buying something after they try it out. We all know that customers rarely take our word that a product is good.

Donna: Maybe you're right. Some customers think we're just trying to trick them into buying things.

Kevin: Exactly! But if we let them try the products in the store first, they'll convince themselves to buy them.

Noelle: ____________________________________________

Which of the following responses from Noelle would most clearly indicate that she has been actively listening to Kevin and Donna and wants to build on their ideas?

  1. "Maybe we should run more ads on local TV. Also, how can we use social media to bring in customers?"
  2. "It can be fun to test-drive a car, but that doesn't mean you're going to buy it. How can we seal the deal?"
  3. "There will be serious consequences for us all if sales don't increase sometime soon. We could lose our jobs."
  4. "I guess business is slow everywhere these days, but that's no excuse. We really have to try harder."
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: B. By summarizing Kevin's and Donna's comments, Noelle demonstrates that she has been listening actively. Her question indicates that she would like them to expand on their idea.

Competency 0009
Understand strategies and techniques for presenting knowledge and ideas.

9. Which of the following versions of an excerpt from a speech would be most appropriate for a student to use when delivering the speech to members of a college scholarship committee?

  1. "The grades I received in high school are evidence of my insatiable interest in biology, specifically in toxicology and molecular biology. During my tenth-grade biology class, lessons on protein biosynthesis stimulated my intellect and compelled me to take my studies seriously. Volunteering at the local hospital has solidified my desire to expand my breadth of knowledge by majoring in pre-medical sciences."
  2. "Let's be real. My grades in high school were not what you could call stellar. I mean, I barely picked up a book until final exam week during my second year. To be honest, I was more interested in hanging out with my friends than in studying. But volunteering at the hospital made me do a complete 180. I decided to take my science classes seriously so I could go to medical school and become a doctor."
  3. "Volunteering at Crestview Community Hospital was the best experience of my life. My high school bio classes taught me a lot, especially my classes with Ms. Cole, but the hands-on experience I got from working with actual patients has been amazing. I have also made contacts that will help me as I pursue a pre-med major and eventually go into medicine as a career."
  4. "My high school career has been defined by hard work and curiosity. In addition to taking full advantage of classroom experiences to learn as much as I could about toxicology, I have sought opportunities outside of school. For example, I volunteered at a local hospital, where I acquired invaluable hands-on experience working with patients. Medicine has become my passion, and I look forward to pursuing that passion with an undergraduate major in pre-medical sciences."
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: D. A speech delivered to members of a college scholarship committee should contain language that clearly communicates the speaker's message and is sufficiently formal to demonstrate respect for the committee members without being stilted or overly technical. Given that the speaker's purpose is to secure a scholarship, a self-confident yet modest tone is appropriate.

Competency 0010
Understand language in context and conventions of English.

10. Which of the following sentences contains an error in usage?

  1. Both classical and modern poetry contain allusions to ancient Greek and Roman myths.
  2. One misdeed weighs heavily on his conscience and continues to cause him remorse.
  3. The latest bulletin from the National Weather Service says a snowstorm is eminent.
  4. After a thorough investigation, the task force concluded that no further action was needed.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Correct Response: C. The word eminent, which means "conspicuous" or "prominent," is used incorrectly in the sentence "The latest bulletin from the National Weather Service says a snowstorm is eminent." A logical correction would be to replace the word eminent with the word imminent to indicate that the snowstorm will occur in the immediate future.