1st and 2nd Nine Weeks Cumulative Benchmark Study Guide

Please use the following passage for questions 1-6.

1
About three million people have to look for a place to sleep at night. 2Some homeless people have jobs. 3They do not earn
nearly enough money for both food and shelter. 4Some become homeless because they have an unfortunate accident or lose their job.
5
They do not have any back-up resources to make it through the hard times.
6
The homeless face terrible problems. 7Many become victims of violence. 8Serious health problems may begin because they
are exposed to bad weather and unclean conditions. 9Homeless children may miss the chance to go to school. 10Worst of all, some
cities pass laws that make it even harder on the homeless.

1. This paragraph about homelessness mostly contains simple sentences. What is the BEST way to combine sentences 2
and 3 to create better sentence variety?
a. Some homeless people have jobs, for they do not earn nearly enough money for both food and shelter.
b. Some homeless people have jobs since they do not earn nearly enough money for both food and shelter.
c. Some homeless people have jobs; therefore they do not earn nearly enough money for both food and shelter.
d. Some homeless people have jobs; however, they do not earn nearly enough money for both food and shelter.
2. This paragraph about homelessness mostly contains simple sentences. What is the BEST way to combine sentences 6
and 7 to create better sentence variety?
a. The homeless face terrible problems, yet many become victims of violence.
b. The homeless face terrible problems such as becoming victims of violence.
c. The homeless face terrible problems because many become victims of violence.
d. The homeless face terrible problems. They become victims of violence.
3. The passage is written from the _______ person point of view; meaning the author writes ________.
a. First; like he or she is participating in the action.
b. First; from an outside voice and is not participating in the action.
c. Third; like he or she is participating in the action.
d. Third; from an outside voice and is not participating in the action.
4. What is the author’s likely purpose for writing this passage?
a. To inform readers about homelessness
b. To explain how to find homes for the homeless
c. To persuade others to pick a charity and help the homeless
d. To compare and contrast the solutions of homelessness
5. Which of the following sentences would be the BEST summary sentence for this passage?
a. Homelessness is a wide-spread and devastating problem affecting millions of people in our nation.
b. Homelessness causes poor self-esteem and lack of motivation.
c. Cities pass many laws making it illegal for homeless people to get assistance.
d. Homelessness affects the economy and the educational system.
6. What genre does the passage belong to?
a. Folktale
b. Myth
c. Nonfiction
d. Drama

Identify the correct pronoun in each sentence, and then tell whether the pronoun is nominative, possessive, or
objective.

7. Each of the seven girls wants (her, their) name printed on the team jacket. _____P_______
8. Neither of the cars has (its, their) headlights on right now. ______P______
9. Is Dad older or younger than (he, him)? _____O_______
10. His parents had no objection to (him, his) working at the diner. _____P_______
11. Mr. Larsen divided the rest of the books between Lars and (I, me). ____O________
12. After the meet, everyone cheered the coach and (we, us) swimmers. ____O________
13. Diving off the board was very difficult for both Lee and (I, me). ____O________
14. Beth and (I, me) are both having our braces adjusted today. ______N______
Use the dictionary entry below to answer the following questions.

squir-rel (skrur-uhl) noun, plural –rels, verb, -reled, reling

n. 1. any of numerous arboreal, bushy-tailed rodents of the genus Sciurus, of the family Sciuridae. 2. any of various other members of
the family sciuridae, as the chipmunks, flying squirrels, and woodchucks. 3. the pelt or fur of such an animal. 4. a strange or eccentric
person. v. 5. to store or hide (money, valuables, etc.), usually for the future (often fol. by away).

15. What is the past tense spelling of the verb “squirrel?” ________Squirreled_________________
16. How many definitions of the noun “squirrel” are listed in the dictionary? ____4______
17. Which of the following sentences uses the entry word “squirrel” as defined in number five of the dictionary entry?
a. My father and I go squirrel hunting every March.
b. My great grandmother has beautiful mink and squirrel-trimmed fur coat.
c. I’m going to squirrel away a few dollars for an emergency.
d. Martin can be such a squirrel.

Please use the following passage for questions 18-24

The girls were playing in the pond, splashing each other and trying to catch fish with their hands. They were having fun, but
kept looking over their shoulders at the looming forest. The long grass of the field kept moving and they sort of felt like they were
being watched… About a half hour passed and still the girls kept checking the field for movements. It seemed like a pair of dark eyes
was on them. They even considered going back inside, but that would mean homework time. So they continued splashing, but with
caution now. Their eyes hardly left the field. Sarah, in particular was concerned. With her eyes squinting in the bright sunlight, she
stared intensely into the wooded area.

18. What is the tone of the passage? _____Mysterious_________

19. Which words does the author use to create the tone? Looming, concerned, stared, movements, caution
20. What mood is creating for the reader? ____Suspense__________
21. What is the point of view of the passage? _____Third Person Omniscient______________
22. List the words that you used to identify the point of view: the girls, each other, they, she, it, their, her
23. What is the setting of the passage? ______A pond next to a forest___________________________
24. What does the last sentence of the passage above represent in a story?
a. characterization
b. conflict
c. plot
d. theme

Please use the following poem for questions 25-28

“Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

In the first line of the poem, Frost uses two examples of figurative language. Name the two types of figurative language
he uses.
25. ______Alliteration________________________ and 26. ____Metaphor__________________________
27. What does Frost personify in the poem? _______Nature_________________________________
28. What is the theme of Frost’s poem?
Nothing good can last forever.
Label each sentence with the correct type of figurative language.

29. The wind sang its happy tune. _______personification__________

30. She was as pale as a lump of sugar. _____simile___________
31. The teacher was a mother hen as she gathered the children together. ___metaphor___________
32. Slimy slugs slither slowly down the sidewalk. _______Alliteration________

Match the prefixes with the correct meaning.

Prefixes: Meaning:
33. uni- one 1. against
34. post- after 2. opposite
35. anti- against 3. earth
36. pre- before 4. after
37. geo- Earth 5. Before
38. couter- against 6. one

Please use the following passage for questions 39-41

Recently in Oklahoma City, Pat Roughen, a watchman, deposit 50 cents in a City Hall vending machine and reached in to get
a candy bar. When the machine catches his hand, he pulled out his pistol and shot the machine twice. The second shot severed some
wires, and he was able to get his hand out.

39. In the first sentence, the underlined word “deposit” is incorrect. How should the tense be changed? deposited
40.In the second sentence, the underlined word “catch” is incorrect. How should the tense be changed? caught
41. What is the author’s likely purpose for writing this passage?
a. To entertain the reader
b. To tell a story
c. To report information
d. To persuade the reader’s opinion

Please use the following passage for questions 42-48

1
Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is the most famous portrait in the history of painting. 2Leonardo took four years to complete
the painting: he began work in 1503 and finished in 1607. 3Mona (or Madonna Lisa Gherardini) was from a noble family in Naples,
and Leonardo may have painted her on commission from her husband. 4Leonardo is said to have entertained Mona Lisa with six
musicians. 5He installed a musical fountain where the water played on small glass spheres, and he gave Mona a puppy and a white
Persian cat to play with. 6Puppies have always been an excellent source of entertainment. 7Leonardo did what he could to keep Mona
smiling during the long hours she sat for him. 8Interestingly, it is not only Mona's mysterious smile that has impressed anyone who
has ever viewed the portrait: the background landscape is just as mysterious and beautiful. 9The portrait can be seen today in the
Louvre Museum in Paris. 10It is one of the most visited works of art to date.

42. Which sentence is IRRELEVENT to the main idea of the passage?___6_____

43. Using context clues, the best definition for the underlined word “commission” in sentence 3 is
a. the position or rank of an officer in any of the armed forces.
b. the act of committing or perpetrating a crime, error, etc
c. an authoritative order, charge, or direction
d. a percentage of money allowed to salesmen
44. Which word is NOT synonym for “mysterious” in sentence 8?
a. secretive b. ordinary c. perplexing d. intriguing

45. The paragraph would fall into which genre? ________________________

46. Which fact could be added to support the main idea of the passage?
a. Leonardo da Vinci is well-known not only for his art work but for his musical pieces as well.
b. Leonardo hired a troupe of actors to keep Mona from boredom.
c. Mona’s husband was a very jealous man.
d. Some have speculated that Leonardo was in love with Mona.
47. Which of the following is the best title for the main idea of this passage?
a. “Leonardo da Vinci: the Troubled Artist”
b. “The Story Behind the Smile”
c. Mona Lisa’s Lost Love”
d. “Art Appreciation for the Art Collector”
48. What is the best way of combining sentences 9 and 10.
a. The portrait can be seen today in the Louvre Museum in Paris and it is one of the most visited works of art to
date.
b. The portrait can be seen today in the Louvre Museum in Paris; and it is one of the most visited works of art to
date.
c. The portrait can be seen today in the Louvre Museum in Paris; it is one of the most visited works of art to date.
d. The portrait can be seen today in the Louvre Museum in Paris, but it is one of the most visited works of art to
date.

Rewrite each of the following sentences, correcting all misplaced modifiers.

50. Inside the cereal box I looked for the coupons.

I looked inside the cereal box for coupons.
51. Charles told us about the vacation in the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Charles told us about the vacation.
52. The bird flew to the girl with the red feathers.
The bird with red feathers flew to the girl.
53. On the ocean floor the professor described sea life to the class.
The professors described sea life on the ocean floor to the class.