rskills End-of-Year Test (Level a)

NamE Date rskills End-of-Year Test (Level a) Directions: This is a test of reading, writing, and listening. Follow the directions for each part of the test, and choose the best answer to each question. sample Questions In December 2007, a storm in Washington state dropped ten inches of rain over one weekend. The heavy rain caused floods. In some places, the water rose so high that people had to be rescued from rooftops by helicopters. The rain also caused mudslides. Many roads were closed or washed out. Sample A. What is this passage mostly about? A Washington B a storm C helicopters D a road Sample B. Many roads were closed or washed out. Which word is an antonym for closed? A blocked C cleaned B shut D opened See p. p. 298 xx for scoring. Go on to the next page to begin the test. 217

End-of-Year Test a, page 2 Comprehension Read this passage. Then answer questions 1 4 by filling in the circle next to the best answer. Summer School I have lots of memories of the summer before sixth grade. I can recall how much I wanted that vacation to start and never end. Fifth grade was a long struggle for me. I had trouble paying attention. I had trouble with numbers and spelling. The year wore on. My troubles became obvious, and my classmates often teased me. My only successes in fifth grade happened at recess. Athletic skills came easily to me. I could run faster, jump higher, and throw farther than anyone else. My success on the playground helped me forget about the classroom. When summer started, I could hardly wait to play baseball and kickball and every other sport. But my mother had different plans for me. Every morning, she and I took the subway to my grandmother s apartment. There, I got three hours of school lessons. As a retired schoolteacher, Grandma knew what she was doing. She guided me through my lessons and would not let me quit. She was always patient with my mistakes. When I accomplished something difficult, her praise made me glow. That s exactly right, Charles! Grandma would exclaim. I knew you could do it. Meanwhile, my mother bustled about in the kitchen. She always made a nice lunch for us to eat when my lesson ended. After that summer, I never really had trouble with school thanks to my grandmother. To this day, I think about those summer mornings. I remember her smile, my mother s cooking, and the thrill of my own success. 218 READ 180 rskills Tests

End-of-Year Test a, page 3 1. Where did Charles take his summer school lessons? A in the elementary school B at the playground C at his grandmother s apartment D in the library 2. What did Charles plan to do that summer? A play sports B travel to other places C read books D meet some new friends 3. How can you tell that Charles lived in a city? A He liked to play baseball. B He rode on a subway. C He enjoyed good cooking. D He had recess at school. 4. What is the theme of this story? A Don t waste your life. B Fifth grade is tough. C Sports are important. D Hard work pays off. GO ON 219

End-of-Year Test a, page 4 Read this passage. Then answer questions 5 8 by filling in the circle next to the best answer. Santana Carlos Santana is a great guitarist. He won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year. He is also in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Carlos Santana was born in a small town in Mexico in 1947. His father played in mariachi bands. Carlos started learning violin from his dad when he was just five years old. When he was eight, the family moved to Tijuana. There he switched to guitar. He also listened to American radio and loved the music. Carlos moved to San Francisco in 1961. At first he washed dishes to earn money. But soon he was playing with bands. By the mid-1960s, the Santana Blues Band was appearing on TV. Then in 1969, the band played at the Woodstock music festival. As a result, Santana became well known. The band s next album, Abraxas, rose to number one. Santana s career slowed down in the 1980s, but he kept trying new things. He wrote more songs. He wrote the music for a rock-and-roll movie, La Bamba. By 1999, Santana had a new album, Supernatural. It won eight Grammy Awards. And he is still making hit songs. In addition to his music, Santana puts his heart into charity. With his wife, Deborah, he formed the Milagro Foundation. It has given almost $2 million to help poor children. 220 READ 180 rskills Tests

End-of-Year Test a, page 5 5. Which of these events happened first? A Carlos Santana won a Grammy Award. B His family moved to Tijuana. C Carlos washed dishes to earn money. D He started playing guitar. 6. What is this passage mostly about? A Santana s music B living in Mexico C Santana s family D playing a guitar 7. Carlos Santana and his wife started the Milagro Foundation to A support Latino music. B teach people to read. C fight against disease. D help needy children. 8. Which is the best summary of this passage? A Carlos Santana lived in Mexico and in San Francisco. B Carlos Santana s family supported his music. C Carlos Santana s music has been popular for many years. D Carlos Santana won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year. GO ON 221

End-of-Year Test a, page 6 Read this passage. Then answer questions 9 14 by filling in the circle next to the best answer. Changing Names Hey, Duck! said Kevin when I got on the school bus. I nodded to him as I walked to the back. Everybody called me Duck. They thought that was my name. When I got off the bus, Mom, Nguyen, and Thanh were at home, as usual. My mother smiled and asked in Vietnamese how school had been. I dropped my backpack on the floor. Then I said, I want to change my name! Why? she asked. Her smile disappeared. Kids at school call me Duck. They can t pronounce my name. Mom looked astonished as I explained that a duck is a bird that quacks. She started to say, But that s not how you say It doesn t matter if I say it right, I explained. Mrs. Dominguez wrote my name on the board last week. Now they think my name is Duck. She was quiet for a moment. Then she said, We ll discuss it tonight. When my father got home, he said, Duc, I hear you want to change your name. Yes, I said, because the other kids can t pronounce it. He leaned back in his chair and looked steadily at me. You know, he said, when it s pronounced right, your name sounds almost like Duke, D-u-k-e. That s what people called John Wayne. He was a famous actor. That doesn t help if my name looks like Duck, I said, unhappily. 222 READ 180 rskills Tests

End-of-Year Test a, page 7 Well, maybe you can keep your name. Just change how it s spelled, my dad suggested. That hadn t occurred to me. Duke was a good name, and it sounds just like the Vietnamese name my parents gave me. That might work, I said. It s a good name that everybody knows. Thanks, Dad! 9. Where is Duc at the beginning of the story? A in his family s car B in a classroom at school C at home in the kitchen D on a bus coming home from school 10. Duc s problem with his name got started when A he dropped his backpack on the floor. B Mrs. Dominguez wrote his name on the board. C his father tried to give him some ideas. D he nodded to Kevin on the bus. 11. Why does Duc want to change his name? A The other kids can t pronounce it. B He wants an American name. C His teacher can t remember it. D He is embarrassed by his family. GO ON 223

End-of-Year Test a, page 8 12. How does Duc s mother feel when he explains the problem? A amused B pleased C ashamed D surprised 13. To solve Duc s problem, his father suggests that he should A change the spelling of his name. B call the school and complain. C take a different Vietnamese name. D ignore the other kids at school. 14. How does Duc feel after talking with his father? A disappointed B resentful C hopeful D angry 224 READ 180 rskills Tests

End-of-Year Test a, page 9 Read this passage. Then answer questions 15 20 by filling in the circle next to the best answer. The Jazz Age The birth of jazz began in the 1890s in St. Louis. Scott Joplin started writing and playing a new kind of music. It was called ragtime. Ragtime tunes were played on piano. They were more lively than other kinds of music. Joplin s songs became very popular. By the early 1900s, the heart of American music was New Orleans. That s where jazz was really born. Many famous African-American musicians, such as Louis Armstrong and King Oliver, grew up in New Orleans during that era. They listened to ragtime music and the blues. Then they added their own sounds. Louis Armstrong became famous as a trumpet player. Jelly Roll Morton and W.C. Handy added blues tunes and words. The music of New Orleans at that time was early jazz. It continued to develop. But some musicians wanted to create their own sound. Around 1920, King Oliver s Creole Jazz Band moved to Chicago to play in dance clubs and ballrooms. Other musicians moved to Harlem in New York City. By 1922, Harlem had become the new center of jazz. Two popular places in Harlem were the Apollo Theater and The Cotton Club. Great singers drew huge crowds in these places. A popular dance hall was the Savoy Ballroom. The Home of the Happy Feet opened in 1926. It was a huge building with two stages. As many as 4,000 people went there each night to dance and listen to jazz. In the 1930s, the Jazz Age came to an end. But jazz lives on today in jazz clubs and in the Jazz Museum. GO ON 225

End-of-Year Test a, page 10 15. How was ragtime different from other kinds of music? A It was more lively. B It had more words. C It used violins. D It was slower. 16. How did Louis Armstrong and other musicians help give birth to jazz? A They listened to Scott Joplin play piano tunes. B They took their music to Chicago in 1920. C They performed in large ballrooms in New York. D They added their own sounds to ragtime and blues. 17. Around 1920, how were Harlem and New Orleans alike? A They both invented ragtime music. B King Oliver lived in both places. C They were both centers of jazz. D Both cities had a Cotton Club. 18. Why was the Savoy Ballroom called the Home of the Happy Feet? A It had two stages. B People did not wear shoes. C It was a very large building. D People went there to dance. 226 READ 180 rskills Tests

End-of-Year Test a, page 11 19. Around 1920, many musicians moved out of New Orleans because they wanted to A learn to play ragtime. B create their own sound. C go to a jazz museum. D play music in small clubs. 20. Which is the best summary of this passage? A Jazz was born in the early 1900s and is still popular today. B Louis Armstrong and King Oliver grew up in New Orleans. C Jazz musicians played in St. Louis, New Orleans, and Chicago. D Harlem was the center of African-American music in 1922. GO ON 227

End-of-Year Test a, page 12 Vocabulary/Word Study Read each question and decide which is the best answer. Fill in the circle next to the answer you choose. 21. Which word best completes this sentence? Charles found three on the playground. A pennys C pennyes B pennies D pennyies 22. Santana s band was inactive for a while in the 1980s. The word inactive means A not active. C very active. B active again. D active before. 23. Mrs. Dominguez wrote my name on the board last week. What is the meaning of the word board in this sentence? A a flat surface for writing B a long piece of wood C to go on a ship or plane D an official group of persons 24. Many musicians contributed to the birth of jazz. Which word is the noun form of contributed? A contributing B contributes C contribution D contribute 25. I asked the trumpet player for his autograph. The word autograph contains the Greek root graph, meaning A self. B sing. C tune. D write. 228 READ 180 rskills Tests

End-of-Year Test a, page 13 26. In a dictionary, the word culture would appear on a page with which guide words? A cure/custom B cry/cue C cuff/cunning D cut/cylinder 27. In which sentence is role used correctly? A Pamela got a role in the play. B Try to role the ball to me. C Kenneth ate a role with butter. D The wagons role down the hill. 28. That company produces small computers. Which of these words is not in the same word family as produces? A producer C product B reproduction D education 29. What does the idiom get out of my hair mean in this sentence? I told Pete to get out of my hair before I get upset. A make me happy C cut my hair B stop bothering me D give me a hat 30. The glass shattered when it hit the floor. In this sentence, shattered means A filled up. C turned over. B spilled some milk. D broke into pieces. GO ON 229

End-of-Year Test a, page 14 Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics The following is a rough draft of a student s report. It contains errors. Read the draft. Then read each question and decide which is the best answer. Fill in the circle next to the answer you choose. Champions from China (1) The people of China enjoy many sports and games. (2) One of the most popular sports is Ping-Pong, or table tennis. (3) Hundreds of millions of Chinese people play table tennis. (4) A sport that people of all ages love to play. (5) The game of table tennis began in England in the late 1800s. (6) It is a game of skill and speed. (7) Players use paddles to hit a small, light ball back and forth over a table equipped with a net. (8) At times, the ball fly at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour! (9) Players must move quick to hit the ball. (10) Good players also know how to give the ball spin. (11) The International Table Tennis Foundation sets rules and oversees competition. (12) It keeps records of the sport, too. (13) The group s website reports that many of the world s top players are from China. (14) Over and over, Chinese players have won world championships. (15) Many Chinese learn the sport at a young age. (16) Many Chinese play the sport in school and at special Ping-Pong clubs. (17) Some of these youngsters go on to sports schools for high-level training. (18) In China, great Ping-Pong players are more famous than actors. (19) Millions of people know their names and follow their careers. 230 READ 180 rskills Tests

End-of-Year Test a, page 15 31. Which numbered sentence in the report is a sentence fragment? A sentence 1 C sentence 3 B sentence 2 D sentence 4 32. What is the correct way to write the underlined word in sentence 8? A flies B flying C flys D Leave as is. 33. What is the correct way to write the underlined word in sentence 9? A quicker B quickly C quickest D Leave as is. 34. How can sentences 15 and 16 best be combined? A Many Chinese, who learn the sport at a young age, play in school and at special Ping-Pong clubs. B Many Chinese learn the sport at a young age, play in school, and play at special Ping-Pong clubs. C Many Chinese learn the sport at a young age, and many Chinese play in school and at special Ping-Pong clubs. D Learning the sport at a young age, many Chinese play the sport in school and at special Ping-Pong clubs. 35. What is the correct way to write the underlined words in sentence 18? A famouser B most famous C famously D Leave as is. GO ON 231

End-of-Year Test a, page 16 The following is a rough draft of a student s essay. It contains errors. Read the draft. Then read each question and decide which is the best answer. Fill in the circle next to the answer you choose. I Want to Save the Planet (1) Almost every day I hear some new evidence that the climate on our planet is changing. (2) Warnings about what might happen if we don t solve this problem. (3) Scientists predict that some animal and plant species will become extinct. (4) Coastal areas may have more hurricanes and floods. (5) Other areas may become much drier. (6) Some scientists put the blame for climate changes on the fossil fuels we burn to make energy. (7) If we change the way we use energy, we can start to solve the warming problem. (8) If we don t make no changes, the problem will get worse. (9) Some of these changes have to be big. (10) Scientists must develop cleaner fuels, and governments must pass laws that reduce the amount of energy we use. (11) However, scientists and governments can t solve the problem by themselves. (12) They need help from we. (13) We must all find ways to use less energy. (14) My family has found some ways. (15) We walk or take a bus when we can. (16) We turn off lights and unplug things we aren t using. (17) My sister has even given up her hair dryer and her straightener, so every day is a bad hair day for her. (18) When someone teases her about her frizzy hair, my sister smiles. (19) I m just doing my part to save electricity, she replies. 232 READ 180 rskills Tests

End-of-Year Test a, page 17 36. How can sentence 2 be written correctly? A Hearing warnings about what might happen if we don t solve this problem. B Warn about what might happen if we don t solve this problem. C I also hear warnings about what might happen if we don t solve this problem. D Leave as is. 37. What is the correct way to write sentence 8? A If we make any changes, the problem will get worse. B If we don t make any changes, the problem will get worse. C If we do not make no changes, the problem will get worse. D Leave as is. 38. What is the correct way to write the underlined word in sentence 12? A us C it B our D Leave as is. 39. What is the correct way to write sentence 19? A I m just doing my part to save electricity, she replies. B I m just doing my part to save electricity, she replies. C I m just doing my part to save electricity, she replies. D Leave as is. 40. Which sentence from the passage is a compound sentence? A sentence 4 C sentence 10 B sentence 6 D sentence 14 233

End-of-Year Test a, page 18 Writing Read the prompt. Write your essay on the lines below and on the next page, or on the answer document. Write a description of a special place you like to visit. When you write your essay, remember to tell what you are describing, use details to make your description interesting, and use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. 234 READ 180 rskills Tests

End-of-Year Test a, page 19 235

End-of-Year Test a, page 20 Listening Listen to each passage as your teacher reads it aloud. Then listen to the questions. Choose the best answer to each question. Fill in the circle beside the answer you choose. 41. A Billy kicks a long field goal. B Billy comes to practice. C Chipper teases the new guy. D The team plays a game. 42. A Some boys make fun of the new kicker. B The guys don t like their captain. C Billy cannot kick the ball very far. D The team is losing the game. 43. A He shows off to the other players. B He runs toward the football field. C He just smiles when the boys tease him. D He argues with the boys on the team. 44. A The captain tells everyone to be quiet. B Jeffrey pops his towel at the captain. C The football game ends with a tie score. D Billy kicks a game-winning field goal. 45. A Everybody knew that Billy was a good kicker. B Field goal kickers are not that important in football. C Judge people by what they do, not by how they look. D Don t count on something before it happens. 236 READ 180 rskills Tests

End-of-Year Test a, page 21 46. A There were no wolves. B People did not go there. C There were no elk. D People hunted for wolves. 47. A to make money B to save the elk C to protect their livestock D to feed their cattle 48. A They were born in zoos. B They were captured in Canada. C They were raised on farms. D They were brought from South America. 49. A The park has more visitors. B Farmers in the area have more wolves to hunt. C The elk herds are now bigger. D Grizzly bears, wolverines, and eagles have more food. 50. A Wolves had disappeared from the United States but are now coming back. B Wolves have an effect on other animals, such as grizzly bears and coyotes. C Wolves hunt elk and other animals in the wild for food. D Wolves are wild animals that live in Canada and the United States. STOP 237