Read this excerpt from The Outsiders.

Or I could have gotten one of the gang to come along, one of the four boys Darry and Soda and I have grown up with and consider family. We’re almost as close as brothers; when you grow up in a tight-knit neighborhood like ours you get to know each other real well.
Which universal theme can be found within this excerpt?
A. Adults do not understand teenagers.
B. The people we love can hurt us most.
C. Belonging to a group provides security.
D. Growing up means doing hard things.***

Read this excerpt from "The Kick and the Click."

The next morning, Anthony awoke to laughing and applauding, so he threw on some jeans and a T-shirt and hurried down the hallway, giving his father a quizzical look when he reached the kitchen doorway.
What is the denotation of the word "quizzical"?
A. angry***
B. difficult
C. confused
D. clever

Read this excerpt from A Girl from Yamhill.

Proud to be the bearer of astonishing news, I run back. "Daddy! There’s a tree in the sitting room!"

I expect my father to spring from his chair, alarmed, and rush to the sitting room. Instead, my parents laugh. They explain about Christmas trees and decorations.

Oh. Is that all? A Christmas tree is interesting, but I am disappointed. A tree slipping into the house at night had appealed to me. I want my father to charge into the sitting room to save us all from the intruder.
Based on this excerpt, the reader can reasonably infer that the narrator is
A. looking for adventure and excitement.***
B. excited to receive Christmas presents.
C. embarrassed that her parents are laughing at her.
D. confused about why her parents tricked her.

Read the poem "Autumn" by Emily Dickinson.

The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry's cheek is plumper,
The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a er scarf,
The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I'll put a trinket on.
Which statement best explains the central idea of the second stanza?
A. Autumn weather requires warm clothing.
B. Autumn is a time for celebrations.
C. Nature changes the temperature in autumn.***
D. Nature has an elegant appearance in autumn.

Read this excerpt from "Foreign Lands."

To where the roads on either hand
Lead onward into fairy land,
Where all the children dine at five,
And all the playthings come alive.
What is the effect of Robert Louis Stevenson’s use of figurative language in this stanza?
A. It shows that the author has the ability to see the future.
B. It emphasizes the dreamlike world of the speaker’s imagination.***
C. It highlights that the speaker has visited many far-off places.
D. It illustrates what the speaker sees looking down from the tree.

Which best describes the setting of "The Rollercoaster”?
A. an amusement park
B. a fun ride***
C. a field trip
D. a girl’s imagination

Read this excerpt from "The Kick and the Click.”

A sharp shove between the shoulder blades jolted Anthony’s mind from its wandering, and he twirled around to see his brother standing right behind him.

"What are you doing here?” Ricky asked. "I thought you weren't a soccer fan.”

"I never said I didn't like soccer,” Anthony responded. Ricky rolled his eyes and walked across the field to warm up with his teammates, who were beginning to arrive in droves.
Based on this excerpt, what is Ricky’s view on Anthony’s quitting the soccer team?
A. He is relieved, because he can be the star of the team now that Anthony has stopped playing.
B. He is jealous, because he wishes he could pursue another hobby like Anthony did.
C. He is concerned, because he thinks Anthony will only be happy if he plays soccer.***
D. He is frustrated, because he does not understand Anthony’s decision to pursue another hobby.

Read this excerpt from A Girl from Yamhill.

In the morning I descended from the bedroom by sliding down the banister railing, which curved at the end to make a flat landing place just right for my bottom. At night I climbed the long flight of stairs alone, undressed in the dark because I could not reach the light, and went to bed. I was not afraid and did not know that other children were tucked in bed and kissed good night by parents not too tired to make an extra trip up a flight of stairs after a hard day’s work.
Based on this excerpt, how does the narrator feel about her home as a child?
A. She feels it is dark and cramped.
B. She feels it is warm and cozy.
C. She feels it is safe and comfortable.
D. She feels it is spacious and spooky.***

Which activity is part of the revision process?
A. brainstorming ideas***
B. writing freely
C. choosing a topic
D. adjusting details

Read the sentence.

We asked Ahmad to notify us if he was not coming through e-mail.
Which is the best revision of this sentence?
A. We, through e-mail asked Ahmad to notify us if he was not coming.
B. If he was not coming through e-mail, we asked Ahmad to notify us.
C. We asked Ahmad to notify us through e-mail if he was not coming.
D. No change***

Read this excerpt from "The Rollercoaster."

A chorus of hoots and hollers rose from the throng of students, and several of them turned to the person standing next to them for a high five. Excited whispers darted through the air around Cecelia’s head like a school of fish.
Which best describes the figurative language in this excerpt?
A. A simile compares students’ whispers to a school of fish.***
B. A simile compares students’ running to a school of fish.
C. A metaphor compares students’ high fiving to a school of fish.
D. A metaphor compares students’ yelling to a school of fish.

Are these right?