BENCHMARK REVIEW LANGUAGE ARTS

1. BENCHMARK REVIEW LANGUAGE ARTS

2. Important Vocabulary • Main Idea/Thesis /Unifying Idea • Relevant detail – relates or supports the topic sentence. • Irrelevant detail – does not relate nor support the topic sentence. • Parallel Structure - is the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence. • Logical Order – order of importance.

3. Which compound sentence is punctuated 1 correctly? A. Riding a bicycle is excellent exercise and I ride my bicycle every day. B. San Francisco is my favorite city, but I don’t visit my favorite city often. C. I have read The Secret Life of Bees but I have not read Angela’s Ashes. D. I heard a loud thump the cat had upset the goldfish bowl.

4. Where should the comma be placed in the 2 sentence below? Playing cards is easy for some people but I always have trouble. A. After easy B. After people C. After I D. After cards

5. Where should the semicolon be place in the 3 sentence below? The large Asian supermarket fascinates me I can find everything from frozen chow mien to soybean sprouts in one place. A. After everything B. After me C. After from D. After supermarket

6. Which sentence is punctuated correctly? 4 A. Roman and Tom were both in science class this morning; they gave an interesting presentation on their research. • John wanted to be a pharmacist but he changed his mind, after taking chemistry. • Jodie went to the candy store; often and the clerk even knew his name and dentist. D. The air was clear it was a smog free day.

7. Which choice BEST punctuates the complex 5 sentence below? Although she knows the rules she breaks them all the time when she can get away with it. A. Although she knows the rules, she breaks them all time when she can get away with it. B. Although, she knows the rules she breaks them all the time when she can get away with it. C. Although she knows the rules she breaks them all the time, she can get away with it. D. Although she knows the rules she breaks them, all the time she can get away with it.

8. Which of the following sentences has 6 correct capitalization? A. The picnic will be held on the fourth of july. B. Our newspaper the elk grove banner, is the most read publication in the area. C. President Johnson gave medals to Forrest Gump and Lieutenant Dan. D. The Washington D.C. area is beautiful in the Spring.

9. Which change is needed to make the 7 sentence below correct? “Now, we will hear from our most famous citizen, senator Ruth Anne Calvin.” A. Remove the quotation marks before Now. B. Use a capital S in senator. C. Use a capital c in citizen. D. Use a small c in Calvin.

10. In the sentence below, what change should be 8 made to correct the capitalization error? This year, our summer vacation will take us north into Virginia, where we will visit Williamsburg, and then into west Virginia to Charleston, and then west into Cincinnati, Ohio. A. Use a capital W in the second west. B. Use a small letter w in Williamsburg. C. Use a capital W in west Virginia. D. Use a capital N in north.

11. 9 (1)Years ago, many families would listen to the radio, read, or play games together. (2) My favorite thing to do is to watch cartoons. (3) In addition, children were more physically active before they had television. (4)The television is a wonderful invention, but it also has disadvantages. (5) Before television, families used to spend more time together. Which sentence is irrelevant to the main idea? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 5

12. 10 (1)John wanted make a cake for his brother’s birthday. (2)First, John asked his brother what type of cake he liked. (3)Then, he went to the store to buy the ingredients. (4)Next he put everything out on the counter. (5)It was ten o’clock when he started. (6)He mixed the ingredients according to the directions. (7)After the cake was done, he iced it. (8)Finally, he cleaned up. Which sentence in the paragraph contains unrelated information? (irrelevant to the main idea) A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5

13. 11 (1)After the boys had been sitting for a little while, they began to think about what they wanted to do when they grew up. (2)First, Rupert said that he wanted to fight crime and maybe be a detective. (3) He always liked the cartoon Inspector Gadget, and he always liked to read mystery stories to find out how the good guys solved the puzzle. (4)Then, John said that he wanted to be an astronaut. (5)He wanted to be the first man to walk on Mars. (6)His grandpa had been a pilot in the war, and he was always telling John stories about flying. (7)They had a good time talking about their future dreams. Which sentence does not support the paragraph? (irrelevant to the main idea) A. 7 B. 6 C. 5 D. 4

14. 12 Which sentence show the correct placement of the underlined modifier? • We fed the peanuts to the elephants we bought at the store. B. We gave cookies to the students with colorful decorations. C. Mary bought a car that needs some minor repairs. D. I saw deer and antelopes on the way to Denver.

15. 13 Which sentence shows the correct placement of the underlined modifier? • Rolling down the hill, Squiggly was frightened that the rocks would land on the campsite. B. Squiggly was frightened that the rocks rolling down the hill would land on the campsite.

16. 14 Which sentence shows the correct placement of the underlined modifier? A I had to take down the shutters painting the house yesterday. B. Painting the house yesterday, I had to take down the shutters.

17. 15 The yo-yo is a toy that has been played with by kids for over twenty-five hundred years. It’s the second oldest toy in history, the oldest being the doll. In ancient Greece, children often placed a yo-yo on a family altar as a rite of passage into adulthood. The popularity of the yo-yo continues today. It was even the first toy sent into outer space during a space mission. What is the author's purpose in writing the paragraph? A. to entertain B. to persuade C. to inform D. to explain

18. The Williamsburg Homecoming Parade will be held on Saturday, October 23rd, on Cumberland Avenue. There will be many marching bands in the parade, and several floats will participate in the floats contest. If you have a float you want to enter in the contest, please contact Mrs. Emily Cavanaugh at 691-5555 at the Williamsburg High School. The fee for each float entry is $15, which goes to cover the cost of the judging. The homecoming parade will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. at Thornhill Circle, and the marching bands and floats will travel along Cumberland Avenue to Henderson Avenue, where they will disband.

19. 17 16. What kind of writing is the selection? (slide 16) A. fiction B. expository C. myth D. legend 17. What is the author’s purpose in writing the selection? A. to explain B. to entertain C. to inform D. to persuade

20. 18 Aesop’s fable: Once upon a time there was a fox that entered an actor’s house and began rummaging through all the actor’s costumes. The fox found a mask that was an admirable imitation of a human face. He then said, “Although this is a beautiful face, it is valueless because it has no brains. 18. What is the theme of the fable? (The underlying meaning or insight into life.) A. Actors have masks. B. You can’t trust a fox. C. Beauty is nothing without brains. D. Masks are valueless.

21. The Woman and Her Hen 19 A long time ago there lived a woman who was not rich, yet had a sturdy roof over her head, clothes to wear, and enough food so that she would never go hungry. The woman owned a hen that supplied her with one egg everyday. However, the woman often dreamed of what life might be like if she had more of everything. One day as she was gathering her one egg from her hen, she had an idea of how to get more eggs. “I shall start feeding my hen double her usual allowance of barley,” said the woman, “and that will make her produce two eggs each day instead of only one.” Thus, the next day the hen got twice her usual barley allowance; but instead of producing two eggs, the hen laid none. The moral of the story is covetousness overreaches itself.

22. 19.What is the topic of this passage? (Slide 19) A. wealth B. eggs C. greed D. hens 20. What is the theme of this passage? (Slide 19) A. Don’t be too greedy. B. You should only want one egg. C. Hens only lay one egg. D. Too much barley is bad for hens.

23. The Gift 21 “No, no, no! I wanted the silver Starman with the metallic blue helmet!” Garrett listened to his younger brother, Wes, throw his latest tantrum over a gift his parent had brought back with them from New Mexico. Garrett was thrilled with his own gift, a new video game, and didn’t see why Wesley couldn’t be happy with his, too. “I’m sorry, Wesley,” said his mother patiently. “I hate this one!” said Wesley, and threw the Starman on the floor, stomped off to his room, and slammed the door behind him. Garrett looked up from playing his video game and saw disappointment written on his mother’s face. “This is a cool game, Mom, thanks for getting it for me.” His mother smiled a weary smile. “You’re welcome. I’m glad I could please someone.” “If Wesley didn’t spend half his time complaining, he might actually be happy,” said Garrett. “I know,” said his mother, “but convincing Wesley of that is difficult.”

24.   22 21. What is the theme of this passage? (Slide 21) A. Video games are fun. B. Parents should pay more attention to what their children want. C. Never throw tantrums D. Being greedy can make you unhappy. 22. How are the themes similar in both passages? (Slide 19 & 21) A. They both show that greed is bad. B. They both tell morals of fables. C. They both are about views held long ago. D. They both are about main characters that have special traits.

25. 23 The wind picked up, and Maria started to shiver. She really wished that she had brought a jacket with her. It was that time of the year when it was warm enough during the day to wear short sleeves, but it would get cold once the sun went down. Maria hoped that she wasn’t going to come down with a cold. With the school dance scheduled for the upcoming week, the last thing she needed was to be sick.

26. 24 The underlined sentence in the paragraph above is a: (Slide 23) A. topic sentence B. closing sentence. C. supporting sentence.

27. 25 1)Ollie was riding his bike in his neighborhood when he saw a dirt driveway leading into the woods. 2)He wondered what it led to, but didn’t ride down it for fear that he would be trespassing. 3)He realized that he had never seen any cars driving in or out of it. 4)When he got home, he asked his mother if she knew what was at the end of the driveway.

28. 26 Which sentence would BEST follow sentence 4 in the paragraph above? (Slide 25) A. She said there was no driveway and that what he had seen was a mirage. B. His mother wasn’t home, and he forgot all about it. C. She said there was a house back there, but it had been abandoned. D. It turned out that it was Ollie’s driveway all along.

29. 27 Which word BEST fills in the blank in the sentence below? Yesterday evening everyone _______ a new project. A. began B. begun C. had begun D. beginned

30. 28 Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, my family and I visit my aunt’s house late in the day after we finish dinner. My cousins have a holiday tradition of playing a card game called, “Setback.” For many years, I would just watch and try to figure out how the game was played, but last Thanksgiving they needed another player and asked me to join the game. It took me a while to get used to it, but soon Jim, my teammate, and I were winning. I can't wait until Christmas when we play again. It’s fun to be a part of this tradition.

31. 29 What is the unifying idea of this paragraph? (from Slide 28) A. “Setback” is a fun card game. B. It is good to visit relatives on holidays. • Watching people play is good preparation in case they need a replacement. • Family traditions are good to have on holidays.

32. 30 1. He decided that he could sell some of them. 2. That would be a perfect place for him to sell some cards. 3. Frank didn’t know what to do with all his baseball cards. 4. There was a baseball card show going on at a school nearby. How should these sentences be ordered to create a logical paragraph? • A. 3, 4, 1, 2 • B. 2, 3, 1, 4 • C. 3, 1, 4, 2 • D. 4, 1, 3, 2

33. 31 The other day, I heard on a news report that obesity in this country is at an all-time high. This motivated me to go out and get a membership at a local gym. When I am over there, I use the exercise bikes, treadmills, and weight machines. Also, I’ve found that being in good shape has not only physical but psychological benefits, too. People who work out tend to be in better moods. I think this is mainly due to the fact that, instead of sitting around doing nothing, they are up and doing something good for their bodies.

34. 32 What is the unifying idea of this paragraph? (from Slide 31) A. The benefits of exercise B. The value of being a member of a fitness club C. Being in a good mood D. Lifting weights

35. 33 Which of the following is NOT a supporting sentence? (from Slide 31) A. When I am over there, I use the exercise bikes, treadmills, and weight machines. B. This motivated me to go out and get a membership at a local gym. C. I’ve found that being in good shape has not only physical but psychological benefits, too. D. People who work out tend to be in better moods.

36. Verb Tense: Change tense to match sentence. 34 30. You look really great! Have you (work) out at the fitness center recently? 31.What (do) you do when the accident occurred? 32. I (try) to change a light bulb that had burnt out. 33. I have (have) the same car for ten years. I'm thinking about buying a new one.

37. 35 Which verb correctly completes this sentence? After I _______for nearly an hour, we finally left. A. waiting B. had been waiting C. waits D. waited

38. 36 Which sentence has correct parallel structure? A. Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle. B. Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.

39. 37 Which sentence has correct parallel structure? A. The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and in a detailed manner. B. The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.

40. 38 Which sentence has correct parallel structure? A) My dog not only likes to play fetch, but also chase cars. B) My dog likes not only to play fetch, but also to chase cars.

41. Organizational Structure 39 The eye is made up of many parts. The white part of the eye is called the sclera, and the colored part is called the iris. The iris comes in many colors, including brown, blue, green, and hazel. The iris is covered by the cornea, which is clear and round. What is the organizational structure of the paragraph? • Time order C. Description • Cause and effect D. Compare and contrast

42. Tone 40 You will send your child, will you, into a room where the table is loaded with sweet wine and fruit-some poisoned, some not?-you will say to him, "Choose freely, my little child! It is so good for you to have freedom of choice; it forms your character-your individuality! If you take the wrong cup or the wrong berry, you will die before the day is over, but you will have acquired the dignity of a free child." What is the speaker’s tone in this passage (consider his apparent feelings about young children having freedom)?A)  sincere/honestB)  sarcastic/mockingC)  joyful/rejoicing

43. Tone 41 "I am not mad," [the monster] cried energetically, "the sun and the heavens, who have viewed my operations, can bear witness of my truth. I am the assassin of those most innocent victims; they died by my machinations. A thousand times would I have shed my own blood, drop by drop, to have saved their lives; but I could not, my father, indeed I could not sacrifice the whole human race." What is the speaker’s tone? A)  sorry/remorseful    B)  angry/vindictive    C)  humorous/happy

44. Mood 42 The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help. That way even if you sniffle a little they won’t hear you. If anybody knows that you are crying, they’ll start talking about it and soon it’ll be your turn to get beat up when the lights go out. What is the mood of this paragraph? A) irritated B) thoughtful C) horrified

45. Mood 43 It was a purple and red mass of swollen flesh, welts and knots imposed one upon another, some of them beginning to heal, some oozing the yellowish liquid of infection. She stared in disbelief for several seconds, then she leaned down and touched the mutilated flesh. What is the mood of this paragraph? A) nauseated B) worried C) frustrated

46. Mood 44 …You learn something about yourself in the process. You learn you can do your best even when it’s hard, even when you’re tired and maybe hurting a little bit. You’re going to get your share of bumps and bruises. You’re going to get your foot stepped on or your knuckles cut up. Then you’ll find out you can still play hard, still do your job. What is the mood of this paragraph? • Ecstatic • Empowered • Joyous