Download FL_HMH_G10 Selection Test FSA Style No Answer Key

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Class: _________________
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Grade 10/Sample FSA ELA
Analyzing Text: Literature
Directions Read the following poem. Then answer the questions that follow.
Words
by Anne Sexton
5
10
Be careful of words,
even the miraculous ones.
For the miraculous we do our best,
sometimes they swarm like insects
and leave not a sting but a kiss.
They can be as good as fingers.
They can be as trusty as the rock
you stick your bottom on.
But they can be both daisies and bruises.
Yet I am in love with words.
They are doves falling out of the ceiling.
They are six holy oranges sitting in my lap.
They are the trees, the legs of summer,
and the sun, its passionate face.
Yet often they fail me.
I have so much I want to say,
so many stories, images, proverbs, etc.
But the words aren't good enough,
the wrong ones kiss me.
20 Sometimes I fly like an eagle
but with the wings of a wren.
15
But I try to take care
and be gentle to them.
Words and eggs must be handled with care.
25 Once broken they are impossible
things to repair.
1. Which line in this poem best supports the theme that words can be both helpful and harmful?
1
A
B
C
D
line 6
line 9
line 15
line 24
2. Anne Sexton uses contrasting images, such as in line 5. This structure emphasizes
A
B
C
D
the speaker's skill in imagery.
the true definitions of words.
the ever-changing role of language.
the dual nature of words.
3. What does the speaker mean in lines 20–21?
A
B
C
D
Sometimes I write bad ideas that sound better on paper.
Sometimes I try to do things that are beyond my capabilities.
Sometimes I have big dreams, but I fail to act on them.
Sometimes I try to say grand things, but I use weak words.
4. Sexton develops the theme over the course of the text by
A
B
C
D
saying she is in love with words.
comparing words to concrete objects.
warning that words can be dangerous.
declaring that she has a lot to say.
5. The parallel structure of stanza 2 contributes to the theme by
A
B
C
D
showing that words are more powerful than images.
demonstrating the different images words can create.
emphasizing the beauty and importance of words to the speaker.
revealing the speaker's identity as a poet and lover of words.
2
Analyzing Text: Literature
Directions Read the following poem. Then answer the questions that follow.
The Author to Her Book
by Anne Bradstreet
Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain,
Who after birth did’st by my side remain,
Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true,
Who thee abroad exposed to public view;
5 Made thee in rags, halting, to the press to trudge,
Where errors were not lessened, all may judge.
At thy return my blushing was not small,
My rambling brat (in print) should mother call;
I cast thee by as one unfit for light,
10 Thy visage was so irksome in my sight;
Yet being mine own, at length affection would
Thy blemishes amend, if so I could:
I washed thy face, but more defects I saw,
And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.
15 I stretched thy joints to make thee even feet,
Yet still thou run'st more hobbling than is meet;
In better dress to trim thee was my mind,
But nought save homespun cloth, in the house I find.
In this array, ‘mongst vulgars may’st thou roam.
20 In critick's hands beware thou dost not come;
And take thy way where yet thou are not known.
If for thy Father asked, say thou had’st none;
And for thy Mother, she alas is poor,
Which caused her thus to send thee out of door.
6. Words such as did'st, run'st, 'mongst, may'st, and had'st indicate that
A
B
C
D
the author's first language is not English.
the author invents her own spelling.
the author wrote the poem long ago.
the author conserves syllables to maintain rhythm.
7. Which words from this poem most contribute to a formal tone?
A
B
C
D
side, blushing, trim
thence, visage, thee
rags, brat, affection
washed, homespun, beware
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8. To what does the speaker compare her book?
A
B
C
D
rags and homemade cloth
a blemished face and weak mind
a poorly dressed, unattractive child
vulgar critics and judgmental readers
9. By summarizing this poem, you could determine that one of its themes is
A
B
C
D
a book should not be published without permission.
a book is like an author's own child.
literary critics and readers can be very unkind.
the outward appearance of a book is very important.
10. Bradstreet's use of direct address from the speaker to her book makes the poem sound like
A a writer talking to her friends.
B an author talking to an editor.
C a child talking to a mother.
D a parent lecturing a child.
11. In line 13, what does the speaker mean by "I washed thy face"?
A
B
C
D
I dusted the cover.
I made some revisions.
I changed the type style.
I rewrote the whole thing.
12. The structure of the poem follows a chronological sequence in which the author describes the past
and gives advice for the future. This suggests that
A
B
C
D
in a way, books have a life of their own.
usually, books do better if they can avoid critics.
generally, authors fuss too much over their books.
mostly, wealthy authors write better books than poor authors.
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Analyzing Text: Informational Text
Directions Read the following article. Then answer the questions that follow.
This article was written and published in 2006, before Pluto's planetary status was updated.
War of the Worlds
by Mike Brown
Last year, two colleagues and I announced that we had found an unknown body slightly larger
than Pluto in the far reaches of our solar system. Since then, astronomical confusion has
reigned on Earth and, depending on whom you ask, our solar system has 8, 9, 10 or, shockingly,
53 planets.
2 Next week, the International Astronomical Union, which oversees astronomical rules and
conventions, will vote on a strict definition of "planet." The result of that vote is hard to predict,
but soon, we'll likely lose a planet we've gotten to know for the past 76 years, or gain at least
one more.
3 From a scientific point of view, the status of Pluto and the newly discovered object—stuck with
the cumbersome label 2003 UB313 until astronomers decide what it is—is easy to discern. If you
were to look unemotionally at the hundreds of thousands of bodies orbiting the sun, only eight
(Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) would clearly distinguish
themselves by their large sizes.
4 The remaining objects, which are significantly smaller, are mostly either rocky bodies in the
asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter or icy bodies in the Kuiper Belt in the distant regions
beyond Neptune. Of the more than 1,000 known objects in the Kuiper Belt, 2003 UB313 and Pluto
are the largest and second largest.
5
So why is there any debate at all, if the scientific view is so clear?
6 It all dates back to the discovery of Pluto in 1930. At the time, Pluto was thought to be
considerably larger than it is now known to be, and the existence of the rest of the Kuiper Belt
was unknown. No other reasonable category existed in which to place the object, so Pluto
became the oddball planet at the edge of the solar system.
7 Since then, Pluto has been very much a part of our mental map of the universe. You'll find it on
lunchboxes, postage stamps, NASA Web sites, and in the mnemonics that children learn to
remember the planets. Pluto's qualifications may be more cultural than scientific, but we've fully
embraced it as a planet in good standing.
8 This is why astronomers who question Pluto's status come across as bullies trying to kick
everyone's favorite cosmic underdog out of the club. And while they have a point—after all, it's
not a great idea to let cultural attachments dictate scientific categories—they're missing an
important part of the picture.
9 Think of it this way. The term "planet" is similar to "continent." The word helps us organize our
world, but the division between continents and subcontinents is thoroughly arbitrary. Yet no
union of geologists has tried to vote on a definition of "continent," and no one is concerned that
letting culture determine the difference between Australia, the smallest continent, and Greenland,
the largest island, somehow erodes science.
10 Like continents, planets are defined more by how we think of them than by someone's
after-the-fact pronouncement.
1
5
11
12
13
14
15
How then should we think about 2003 UB313? I'm biased, but I like to imagine this question
through the eyes of the child I was in the 1970's, when astronauts had just walked on the Moon,
the first pictures were coming back from the surface of Mars and the launch of Skylab promised
a future of unbroken space exploration.
If I had heard back then about the discovery of something at the edge of the solar system, I
wouldn't have waited for a body of astronomers to tell me what it was. I would have immediately
cut out a little disk of white paper and taped it to the poster of planets on my bedroom wall. That
night, I would have looked up, straining to see the latest addition to our solar system, hoping that
I, too, might someday find a new planet.
Recently, many plans for exploration and scientific study have been scrapped, and those that
haven't are being scaled back. It's hard to have the same excitement about a limitless future in
space.
The astronomical union isn't helping matters by forcing a Hobson's choice: stick with the current
nine planets or open the floodgates to a yawn-inducing 53 or more. It's a "No Ice Ball Left
Behind" policy.
I hope the union takes another galactic approach, and simply declares 2003 UB313 our 10th, fullfledged planet. Doing so might convince schoolchildren to put new paper disks on their walls, to
look up to the sky and realize that exploration does continue, and that they can be part of it, too.
13. The main idea of this article is
A
B
C
D
to define the number of objects in our solar system.
that planets are incredibly difficult to find and define.
that scientists need to encourage children that science is exciting.
both Pluto and 2003 UB313 should be considered planets.
14. The use of the word shockingly in paragraph 1 suggests that the author
A
B
C
D
is surprised that it took so long for astronomers to suggest 53 planets.
does not approve of the idea of identifying 53 objects as planets.
thinks there are probably many more than 53 planets.
believes that astronomers should identify 53 planets.
15. In paragraphs 3 and 4, the author suggests that the biggest determiner of whether a celestial body
can be called a planet is
A
B
C
D
its size.
what is it made of.
the shape of its orbit.
its distance from the sun.
6
16. The information that only eight objects in our solar system "clearly distinguish themselves by their
large sizes" supports the idea that Pluto and 2003 UB313
A
B
C
D
should be classified as planets.
scientifically are not planets.
are small but still technically planets.
should no longer be called planets.
17. In paragraph 6, the author suggests that Pluto was named a planet based on
A
B
C
D
excitement over its discovery.
the fact that scientists had no other choice.
misinformation about its size.
the fact that it is in the Kuiper Belt.
18. In paragraph 7, the author's main argument in favor of calling Pluto a planet is that
A
B
C
D
people have been doing so since 1930.
it has been scientifically proven.
it is on NASA Web sites.
children have been taught it.
19. In paragraph 8, the author refers to Pluto as a "cosmic underdog" because
A
B
C
D
Pluto is the smallest object in the solar system.
Pluto is often picked on by “bully” astronomers.
Pluto's status as a planet is in question.
Pluto is named after a cartoon dog.
20. Why does Brown include the anecdote about his childhood in the 1970's?
A
B
C
D
to inform readers why he became an astronomer
to explain how he discovered the body 2003 UB313
to illustrate the impact of declassifying Pluto from being a planet
to support the central idea that people think new planets are exciting
21. Paragraphs 11, 12, and 15 suggest that calling 2003 UB313 a planet is a good idea because
A abundant scientific proof shows that it is a planet.
B declaring a new planet might revive the space program.
C pictures from space prove it looks like the other planets.
D declaring a new planet might inspire children's ambitions.
7
22. Paragraph 12 suggests that the author believes the discovery of a new planet
A
B
C
D
would be detrimental to science.
can cause awe and interest in science.
would be confusing for children.
is possible with new technologies.
23. In paragraph 14, the example given to illustrate "a Hobson's choice" suggests that such a choice
involves
A
B
C
D
astronomical issues.
two options no one would choose.
only one reasonable option.
at least two reasonable options.
24. In the last sentence in paragraph 15, what method does the author use to support his claim?
A
B
C
D
compare and contrast
emotional appeal
appeal to logic
bandwagon
Vocabulary
Directions Use context clues and your knowledge of scientific terms to answer the following
questions.
25. Based on the context, what does astronomical mean in paragraph 2 of "War of the Worlds"?
A
B
C
D
eternal
enormous
related to Earth
related to space
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26. What does orbiting mean in paragraph 3 of "War of the Worlds"?
A
B
C
D
absorbing
circling
facing
reflecting
27. What does geologists mean in paragraph 9 of "War of the Worlds"?
A
B
C
D
scientists who study the sun
scientists who study the oceans
scientists who study Earth
scientists who study outer space
Directions Use your knowledge of patterns of word changes to answer the following questions.
28. In "Words," the speaker says to be "careful" and to "take care" with words. By adding the suffix -ful
to care, forming careful, she changed a noun into
A
B
C
D
an adjective.
an adverb.
a pronoun.
a verb.
29. Based on its suffix, exploration in the last sentence of "War of the Worlds" is used as
A
B
C
D
an adjective.
an adverb.
a noun.
a verb.
30. Which of the following sets of words displays the noun, verb, and adjective forms of the root word?
A
B
C
D
astronomy, astronomer, astronomical
consideration, considerate, considerable
discovery, discover, discoverable
organization, organizer, organizational
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Revising and Editing
Directions Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
(1) Have you ever wished that you had longer school breaks during holidays?
(2) There is a way that you can. (3) That way is year-round schools. (4) It would not
only provide longer holiday breaks, but it also would provide other benefits.
(5) One aspect of changing to year-round schools is the elimination of a long
summer vacation. (6) Three months of vacation is an infuriatingly and ridiculously
lengthy span of time. (7) During this wasteful time away from school, students are
likely to forget information. (8) The long break also makes it harder for students and
teachers to resume daily habits when a new school year begins. (9) Some people
may think that losing three months of vacation would be horrible. (10) Students and
teachers would still be given one month in the summer. (11) One month is long
enough to feel like a solid break, but short enough to allow retention of information
and school habits.
(12) A long summer break would be eliminated. (13) Several short breaks would be
added. (14) The school year would be broken up by several one-week breaks. (15)
These evenly spaced breaks would help break up class time. (16) Students would
have time to relax and to pursue their hobbies. (17) They could spend extra time with
their families. (18) Teachers would have time to relax, grade papers, and plan lessons.
(19) The choice to switch to year-round school is as easy as pie. (20) The benefits
of a shorter summer break and added mini-breaks are easy to discern. (21) Teachers
will be happy with lots of time for planning. (22) Students will retain more information
from year to year. (23) Both will enjoy the short breaks that make the year go faster.
(24) All schools should become year-round schools.
31. How might you rewrite sentence 1 to introduce a list with a colon?
A
B
C
D
Have you ever wished: that you had longer school breaks during holidays,
especially Thanksgiving, winter, and spring?
Have you ever wished that you had longer school breaks during the following
times: Thanksgiving, winter, and spring?
Have you ever: wished that you had longer school breaks during Thanksgiving,
winter, and spring?
Have you ever wished that you had longer school breaks: including Thanksgiving,
winter, and spring?
32. How might you combine sentences 2 and 3 to include a dash to set off an explanation?
A
B
C
D
There is a way—that you can, year-round schools.
There is—a way that you can year-round schools.
There is—a way that you can—year-round schools.
There is a way that you can—year-round schools.
10
33. How might you rewrite sentence 9 to use dashes to show a sudden break in thought?
A
B
C
D
Some people may think that losing three months—of vacation—would be horrible.
Some people—and I'm one of them—may think that losing three
months of vacation would be horrible.
Some people may think—losing three months of vacation!—would be horrible.
Some people, especially students, may think that losing three
months of vacation—would be horrible.
34. How might you combine sentences 16 and 17 to introduce a list with a colon?
A
B
C
D
Students would have time to relax: to pursue their hobbies: and spend extra time
with their families.
Students would have time to: relax, pursue their hobbies, and spend extra time
with their families.
Students would have time to relax and to pursue their hobbies: they could spend
extra time with their families.
Students would have time to do the following: relax, pursue their hobbies, and
spend extra time with their families
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