Contents Lesson Quizzes....4 Practice Test 1...84 Practice Test 2...116 3
LESSON 1 Quiz Read the passage and answer the questions that follow. Feeding Cloudy 1 It wasn t until many years later that it occurred to me to wonder why Cloudy, that dear old cat, chose to come to us. Our apartment is on the second floor, so she must have scrambled up some fences and a few trees in addition to our fire escape in order to get to our window. Probably she took one look at cranky old Mrs. Avallone downstairs and decided that it would be better to try her luck with us, and who can blame her? At any rate, one September morning there she was, sitting on the ledge outside the kitchen window, meowing and meowing as though she had never had a meal in her life. She was a pretty scrawny-looking thing then, with matted fur and leaves in her tail, but I didn t care. As far as I was concerned, it was love at first sight. How I longed for a pet! But we couldn t have one, since both my dad and my little brother Ernie were terribly allergic. Luckily, I was the first person up, so there was no one else in the kitchen to shoo the cat away. I found a chipped plate and a mismatched bowl, filled the bowl with water, and opened the window a crack to set it on the ledge. On the plate, I set out a bit of tuna fish. The cat seemed frightened, so I shut the window to let her eat in peace. The next time I looked up, she had disappeared and so had the tuna. I thought about the cat all day long and dreamed about her as I slept that night. I couldn t get her lonely meowing out of my mind. And then the very next morning, there she was again, meowing and meowing for all she was worth, though admittedly a bit less desperately than the morning before. Again, I set out some water and a bit of tuna, and again, as soon as I turned my back she vanished, along with the tuna. 5 Before leaving for school that day, I searched desperately through my pockets, backpack, and dresser drawers for change. Then, on our walk home from school, I let Ernie in on my secret. I want to tell you something, but you have to promise you won t tell Mom and Dad, I said. Tell me, David, tell me! Ernie said, jumping up and down as he walked, and all at once I started to have doubts. After all, he was only seven years old. Was he really capable of keeping a secret? I wasn t so sure, but I told him about the cat anyway, since I wanted to stop at the pet store on our way home. At the pet store, Ernie helped me pick out a bag of cat food that would fit in my backpack. Then, all the rest of the way home, he proceeded to ask question after question after question. What does she look like? he asked. 10 Skinny and dirty, with long gray fur that would probably be pretty fluffy if it were clean. What are you going to name her? 4
I don t know. I guess I hadn t thought about that. The truth is, I hadn t thought much about anything beyond just getting food for the cat. Did I really think I was going to feed her every morning for the rest of our lives without getting caught? I don t know what I was thinking. Let s name her Cloudy, declared Ernie. Because she s gray. OK, Cloudy is fine, I agreed. I actually think Cloudy s a pretty great name for her. 15 And so it was that my allergic brother and I got a pet cat for one short week. Every morning, I had to be sure to wake up before anyone else so that I could sneak into the kitchen to feed Cloudy. And every morning, Cloudy seemed less and less frightened, and less and less skinny. Every time Ernie joined me, he made such a fuss that I was sure he was going to wake up our parents. But as it turned out, it was Cloudy herself who gave our secret away. One morning as usual, I filled the mismatched bowl with water and put some food on the chipped plate. Then I opened the window to set the food and water out on the ledge, and perhaps I left the window open just a bit more than a crack. When I turned away to start making my breakfast, I heard a clatter and a splash. Cloudy had jumped through the window into the kitchen, knocking over the bowl of water! Having no idea what to do, I flung the window open wide. C mon, Cloudy! Cloudy, please! I pleaded, but she just purred and rubbed against my legs. And so my mother found us, just a few minutes later. What is going on here? she exclaimed. I feared for the worst at that moment, but to my surprise she laughed when she heard my story. This cat needs a home, she said. But not this home! 20 Cloudy s home is now just one flight up the stairs from our apartment, with our neighbors Mrs. Jackson and her daughter. It s been five years since she came to us, and I still go up to visit her every week. And as for Ernie and me, we eventually got pets of our own: tropical fish. Lesson Quizzes 5
1. The word scrambled in paragraph 1 means A. had excellent luck. B. used all limbs to climb. C. searched thoroughly. D. decided in a moment. 3. Ernie s response to David s secret shows that he is A. easily confused. B. not to be trusted. C. wild and uncontrollable. D. young and enthusiastic. 2. Which of the following words means about the same as scrawny in paragraph 2 but has neutral connotations? A. bony B. runty C. thin D. twiggy 4. What can be inferred from Cloudy s jumping into the kitchen at the end of the story? A. She wants to tell the secret. B. She is hungry for more food. C. She is no longer scared of David. D. She is frightened of something outside. 6
5. The climax of the story occurs when A. David finds Cloudy meowing at the window. B. David shares his secret with Ernie. C. David decides to start feeding Cloudy. D. David s mother discovers him with Cloudy. 6. Which statement BEST expresses one of the theme of the story? A. Sometimes, keeping a secret is unnecessary. B. Humans should leave wild animals alone. C. Parents usually know what is going on. D. Those who are hungry are rarely satisfied. Lesson Quizzes 7. Why did David and Ernie eventually have tropical fish for pets? 7
Read the passage and answer the questions that follow. The Roadrunner s Feathers 1 Long ago, far, far before the creatures of Maya Land had taken the colors and shapes that we know today, the Great Spirit grew weary of the nearly constant quarreling of the birds. One day he called for a meeting of the birds in a clearing at the center of the forest. From dawn to dusk, there is nothing but fighting and chatter among you, said the Great Spirit. Therefore, I give you this task: you must choose one of your kind to be your unquestioned leader. Whatever the Great Spirit commanded had to be so. And so the birds took up the task of choosing a leader, yet with much of their customary fighting and chatter. For each bird thought that it was best suited to lead all the others. The cardinal strutted about, showing off his bright red feathers. Look at me! Look at me! he called to his companions. I should be the leader, as no one else has such beautiful feathers as I! Duly impressed, many of the other birds nodded their heads and flapped their wings in agreement. 5 Then the mockingbird began to twitter and trill, showing off the brilliant tones of her voice. Listen to me! Listen to me! she called out in her golden voice. I should be the leader, as no one else sings so beautifully as I! And now many of the other birds began to nod their heads and flap their wings in agreement with the mockingbird. Next, the wild turkey began to stride about, fluffing up his feathers to show off his great size and strength. Look at me! Look at me! he called. I should be the leader, as no one else is so powerful as I! And now many of the other birds began to nod their heads and flap their wings in agreement with the wild turkey, and there was great confusion. For many of the birds could not decide even within themselves which bird was best suited to lead all the others. And, as the day went on, even more birds showed themselves off and loudly announced why they alone should be chosen to lead the others. Thus, the confusion grew into a great noisy racket. Meanwhile, the proud and ambitious quetzal was silent. He very much wanted to be the leader of the birds, but he did not think the other birds would choose him. Despite his graceful manners, his feathers were dull, and he was not much to look at. However, as the clamor of the other birds grew louder and louder, the quetzal began to form an idea. He stole away from the meeting to find the roadrunner, the Great Spirit s messenger, whose feathers were bright and fine. My dear friend, he said, smiling warmly, you see that my feathers are not at all suitable for the leader of the birds, whereas yours are indeed kingly. However, with so many messages to deliver, you certainly can have no wish to be the king yourself. Therefore, I propose that you lend me your feathers. It would be only for a short time, I assure you, just so that I may show the others what a fine leader I would be. Then, I will not only return your feathers to you, but will also share all the wealth of my new position with you. 8
10 Tempted by this offer of wealth, the roadrunner agreed to give up his plumage. Now with a long green tail and a jewel-red breast, the quetzal strutted back to where the other birds were gathered. He did not need to call their attention to himself, for upon seeing the glorious quetzal the other birds stopped their quarreling at once. They sighed one great, windy sigh of agreement, and then the Great Spirit himself spoke. The quetzal shall be the leader of the birds, he declared, and it was so. In the days that followed, the quetzal took up his new responsibilities with such a mixture of eagerness and pomp that he forgot all about his promises to the roadrunner. Finally, after some time, a group of birds noticed that they had not seen the roadrunner for days. The birds went deep into the forest, searching for the roadrunner, until finally they found him hiding behind a bush. In their pity, they each gave him a few of their own feathers to cover his naked body. And so it is today that the roadrunner has such odd and varied plumage. Even now, he watches the roads, seeking the quetzal who stole his feathers. Lesson Quizzes 9
8. Which of the following questions tells the quetzal s MAIN conflict in this story? A. Who should be the leader of the birds? B. How can I be selected the leader of the birds? C. How can I get the roadrunner s feathers from him? D. Who should keep the roadrunner s feathers? 9. Based on the words of the Great Spirit in paragraph 2, what can you conclude is the meaning of the word quarreling in paragraph 1? A. arguing B. discussing C. deciding D. waking 10. Which of the following words means about the same as ambitious in paragraph 8 but has negative connotations? A. determined B. eager C. purposeful D. pushy 11. What can be inferred from the selection of the quetzal as the leader of the birds? A. Most leaders are dishonest. B. The appearance of a leader is important. C. Promises matter little to a leader. D. Leadership can be bought with wealth. 10
12. Based on the roadrunner s experience, you can conclude that one theme of the story has to do with A. knowing whom to trust. B. getting revenge for harm. C. the foolishness of the wealthy. D. the stinginess that comes from pride. Use Feeding Cloudy and The Roadrunner s Feathers to answer question 13. 13. What makes a myth like The Roadrunner s Feathers different from a story like Feeding Cloudy? A. It shows that the past was a perfect time. B. Its setting is somewhere other than Earth. C. It includes talking animals as characters. D. It tells about characters that make mistakes. Lesson Quizzes 14. In The Roadrunner s Feathers, the quetzal is described and proud and ambitious. What other words describe the quetzal s character, and how does his character affect the plot? 11