Name (Optional)

DIRECTIONS
Read this selection. Then answer the questions that follow it.




D
1By telling this story from Leanna’s point of view, the author helps the reader understand —
Ahow the Hindenburg disaster affected American children
Bwhy Leanna’s father was a respected newspaper reporter
Cwhat it feels like to witness a tragic event
Dwhy Leanna is so interested in science and journalism
2The reader can conclude that Leanna —
Fwill design her own airship someday
Gadmires her father’s skill as a reporter
Hhopes to be a scientist when she is older
Jwishes she had not won the essay contest
3What is paragraph 12 mainly about?
AHow the lights on the Hindenburg worked
BThe Hindenburg’s four giant fins
CHow the Hindenburg operated
DThe Hindenburg’s appearance
4Which is the best summary of this story?
FLeanna and her father admire the Hindenburg as it prepares to land. As it gets closer, she thinks she sees passengers taking pictures with flashbulbs. To her surprise, she soon realizes that the airship is on fire. The fire begins to spread, and after a few seconds the Hindenburg crashes to the ground.
GLeanna writes an essay about why she should attend the landing of the famous airship Hindenburg. In her essay she writes that American scientists are as intelligent as German scientists, and she wonders why America does not have its own large flying machine. She thinks the United States should commit itself to building something even more wonderful.
HAfter winning a school contest to write a story about the Hindenburg, Leanna travels with her father to the town of Lakehurst to see the landing of the airship. Upon its arrival, however, the airship catches on fire. While her father captures the terrifying scene with a camera, Leanna records her impressions on paper.
JLeanna wins an essay contest to cover the Hindenburg’s landing. As she and her father drive to Lakehurst, Leanna worries that she won’t arrive in time and wishes that her father would drive faster. When they finally arrive, Leanna takes notes about the size of the crowd gathered to welcome the huge airship and about the Hindenburg’s sleek appearance.
5In paragraph 1, the author establishes a mood of —
Aappreciation
Banticipation
Cuncertainty
Dconfidence
6Paragraph 4 is important to the story because it —
Fexplains why the Hindenburg is such an important news story
Ggives details about what Leanna expects to see at the Hindenburg’s landing
Hexplains why Leanna is writing a story about the Hindenburg
Jdescribes what Leanna plans to write in her story about the Hindenburg
7Which sentence from the story supports the idea that Leanna has learned that being a journalist can be challenging?
AThey drove through the base, and when they neared the landing area, Leanna was taken aback by the huge number of cars already parked and the crowd of people waiting for the ship.
BFor the next few minutes, Leanna scribbled ideas and chewed her pencil.
CIn her essay Leanna had explained that her two loves were science and journalism, and reporting on the airship would be a great way for her to combine the two.
DIt all seemed too immense to comprehend.
8Look at this chart of information from the story.


 Which detail belongs on the empty line?
FThe airship arrives at Lakehurst Naval Air Station.
GLeanna’s father points at a fin on the airship.
HThe airship crumples to the ground and collapses.
JLeanna and her father park far from the airfield.
9Which sentence supports the idea that Leanna trusts her father’s judgment?
AOut of habit he started to reach for his press badge, but Leanna cleared her throat loudly and handed him hers with a smile.
BIf he thought this was the best place to get the story, it probably was.
CAlways the newsman, he had grabbed his camera from the backseat of the car and was busy adjusting the lens.
DLeanna thought that it must be wonderful to be a respected reporter like her father.
10At the start of the story, Leanna wants the car to go faster because she —
Fbecomes bored when her father drives slowly
Gis apprehensive about visiting Lakehurst Naval Air Station
Hwants to reach the naval base in time to see the fire
Jdoes not want to miss her chance to report on the event
11Read this line from paragraph 17.


 What does the author mean by this line?
AThe firefighters are not trained to handle such a big fire.
BLeanna feels that the efforts of the firefighters are hopeless.
CThe fire has caused the whole area to start burning.
DLeanna has never seen such a large fire.

Read the next two selections. Then answer the questions that follow them.




D


D

Use “The Black Blizzards” to answer questions 12–15.

12In paragraph 6, the word revitalizing means —
Fnot disturbing
Gmaking effective again
Hnot improving
Joccurring later
13The author wrote this selection most likely to —
Ablame farmers for the dust storms that occurred during the 1930s
Bdescribe how the U.S. government encouraged the agricultural industry
Ctell the reader about a devastating time in U.S. history
Dportray people who lived on the Great Plains as rugged and hardworking
14In this selection, one of the causes of the dust storms is linked to —
Fthe planting of prairie grasses
Gsupport for the war
Hunproductive farms
Jlow-paying agricultural jobs
15Which sentence best shows that farmers at first benefited from plowing up grassland and planting wheat?
AA federal program encouraged farmers to utilize new methods that would protect the precious topsoil from eroding.
BFarmers were eager to do their part to help feed the soldiers overseas.
CAs farmers increased their production, their own profits increased.
DDuring World War I, the U.S. government encouraged farmers to support the war effort by planting more wheat.

Use “Dust Bowl Days” to answer questions 16–21.

16What is the most likely reason the author has chosen to tell about something that took place long ago?
FShe has vivid memories of a difficult time in her life.
GShe has spent her life regretting the past.
HShe has fond memories of the close relationship she had with her family.
JShe fears that another catastrophe will happen during her lifetime.
17Many Dust Bowl farmers borrowed money because —
Athey needed equipment to try new farming methods
Bthey needed extra funds to make the move to California
Cthey could not afford even basic necessities
Dthe government was providing loans so farmers could plant more wheat
18Maggie’s older sister is portrayed as being —
Fstubborn
Gdaring
Hinsincere
Jprotective
19Paragraph 2 is mainly about —
Athe parts of the house that are the dirtiest
Bhow the family cleans after a dust storm
Cwhy the family members spend hours washing the dishes
Dhow long it takes to clean the house
20Read the dictionary entry below for the word cover.
 
 Which definition represents the meaning of cover as it is used in paragraph 4?
FDefinition 1
GDefinition 2
HDefinition 3
JDefinition 4
21The reader can conclude that a life-threatening problem during the Dust Bowl days was —
Aapplying for loans
Bdeciding whether to move to California
Ctrying to keep the house clean
Ddeveloping dust pneumonia

Use “The Black Blizzards” and “Dust Bowl Days” to answer questions 22–24.

22Which conclusion about the Dust Bowl era is supported by information in both selections?
FPeople thought moving to California would offer them a brighter future.
GFarmers blamed their difficulties on the invention of the tractor.
HThe accumulation of dust caused damage to farm equipment that was not repairable.
JFarmers in the Great Plains region were less skilled than farmers in other areas.
23What is a major idea found in both selections?
AIgnoring good advice
BShowing one’s patriotism
CGiving up easily
DCoping with hardship
24How is the author’s approach to writing “The Black Blizzards” different from the author’s approach in “Dust Bowl Days”?
F“The Black Blizzards” presents factual information in a general way, while “Dust Bowl Days” focuses mainly on one person’s experience.
G“The Black Blizzards” aims to educate readers about the period, while “Dust Bowl Days” tries to gain the reader’s sympathy for people who lived during the period.
H“The Black Blizzards” was probably written for a magazine, while “Dust Bowl Days” was probably written for a history textbook.
J“The Black Blizzards” is meant to warn people about upsetting the balance of nature, while “Dust Bowl Days” is meant to emphasize what has been learned about farming as a result of past experiences.

Read this selection. Then answer the questions that follow it.





D
25What are paragraphs 6 through 8 mainly about?
AWhy officials sometimes took away Taylor’s victories
BThe poor treatment Taylor experienced as a racer
CHow other racers defeated Taylor in competitions
DThe reasons the crowds would yell at Taylor
26Which word best describes the tone in paragraph 27?
FRelieved
GDetermined
HAngry
JNervous
27Why did the race promoters want Taylor to participate in races?
AThey knew that they would earn more money from the large crowds.
BThey didn’t want to pay him for bringing in so many spectators.
CThey were afraid that the large crowds would interfere with the race.
DThey didn’t want the crowds to encourage Taylor’s racing career.
28Which sentence from the selection supports the idea that Taylor was not completely discouraged by the publisher’s decision?
FI knew I had his attention when the man leaned back and scratched his chin while he looked at me.
G“No, it wasn’t always easy,” I said, “but I’m not the kind of man to complain.”
H“Because I raced so much in Europe, Australia, and the United States, I made up to $35,000 a year.”
JAfter all, losing one race didn’t mean the season was over.
29Look at the web of information from the selection.


 Which idea belongs in the empty circle?
ACircumstances That Caused Taylor to Lose Most of His Races
BReasons Taylor Was Not Allowed in the Racing Association
CMemories Taylor Had of Cycling Competitions
DReasons the Publisher Wouldn’t Buy Taylor’s Book
30Because the story is told from Taylor’s point of view, the reader can —
Funderstand the personal challenges Taylor faced
Grealize what it was like to live in the early 1900s
Htell that having a manuscript published is hard work
Jrecognize the personality of the publisher
31The reader can conclude that the publisher believed —
ATaylor was not as good a racer as he claimed to be
Bpeople would not enjoy reading about a professional cyclist
CTaylor had not been honest about everything in his book
Dwhite people would not be interested in Taylor’s story
32Read this sentence from paragraph 10 of the selection.


 What did Taylor mean by these words?
FHe planned to continue racing until his retirement.
GThe meeting was running a lot longer than he had expected.
HThere was a slim chance that his book would be published.
JThe two men had not yet talked about the book’s ending.
33Taylor thought the publisher had not read his book because the publisher —
Arefused to answer any of Taylor’s questions
Bwas not very interested in his story
Cdid not know why Taylor’s nickname was Major
Dwas unwilling to publish Taylor’s book
34Look at the time line of Taylor’s life.


 What belongs in the empty box?
FAdopted the name Major Taylor
GMet with publishers about his book
HPublished his book and worked to sell it
JBecame one of the top cyclists in the world
35The reader can conclude that Taylor’s victories were taken away from him by officials because —
Ahe did not follow the competition’s official rules
Bthe officials didn’t want an African American to win
Cother cyclists were threatening to withdraw from races
Dthe officials thought he was cheating during the races
36Read the dictionary entry for draw.
 
 Which definition best describes the way draw is used in paragraph 12?
FDefinition 1
GDefinition 2
HDefinition 3
JDefinition 4

Read this selection. Then answer the questions that follow it.




D
37In paragraph 5, the word excruciating means the pain was —
Aspreading
Bfading quickly
Cintense
Dcoming and going
38What can the reader conclude about Cassidy?
FShe doesn’t really enjoy hiking in the mountains.
GShe is afraid of being alone in the dark.
HShe is worried that her mother won’t call.
JShe is determined to reach her goal.
39Cassidy’s mother will probably not be worried about Cassidy and her father because she —
Adoesn’t think that hiking is dangerous
Bknows that Cassidy and her father are experienced climbers
Cwon’t be expecting them to call again that day
Dknows there is a park ranger station located nearby
40Read the first sentence from a summary of this story.


 Which of the following sets of sentences best completes the summary?
FHe falls 20 feet down the mountain and struggles to bring himself back up to the trail. He tells Cassidy that he may have a broken leg and other injuries.
GCassidy leaves her backpack with her father and starts down the trail. She knows she needs to hurry and tries to quicken her pace as she watches the sun slowly go down.
HDuring the fall her father loses his backpack. His truck keys and cell phone are in the backpack. Her father knows he can’t make it back to their truck since his leg might be broken.
JCassidy must go find help at the ranger station. With the sun beginning to sink, Cassidy knows she must hurry. Though she is tired, Cassidy makes it to the station before dark.
41What is the tone of paragraphs 15 through 17?
AHopelessness
BInsecurity
CJoyfulness
DPersistence
42Why does Cassidy give her father her jacket?
FShe thinks her father can put it under his injured leg.
GShe is trying to make her father comfortable.
HShe hopes the jacket will be easy to see from a helicopter.
JShe doesn’t want the jacket to slow her down on her way for help.
43Paragraphs 3 through 7 are important to this story because they —
Ashow that Cassidy is an experienced hiker
Bexplain why Cassidy must go for help
Cdescribe what happened to the cell phone
Dtell why Cassidy’s mother remained at home
44The reader can conclude that Cassidy’s father —
Fis not a very experienced hiker
Gfears that Cassidy was hurt when the trail collapsed
Hknows the rangers may not find him without Cassidy’s help
Jis careless when it comes to hiking safely
45Cassidy’s father reminds her that they have hiked the same mountains most of her life in order to —
Aincrease her confidence
Blet her know she is behaving childishly
Cconvince her of the seriousness of the situation
Dremind her to climb slowly
46Which idea from the story shows that Cassidy is determined to save her father?
FCassidy leaves her father the backpack.
GCassidy realizes the ranger station is close when she reaches the road.
HCassidy informs the ranger that her father was hurt badly on the trail.
JCassidy refuses to rest even though she is tired.
47For Cassidy, the setting sun symbolizes —
Afading hope
Bproblems ending
Ccontinued pain
Dhelp approaching
48The most likely reason the author wrote this story is to —
Fwarn readers of the dangers of hiking in the mountains
Gshare a story about a girl who helps rescue her father
Hpersuade readers to go hiking only when it is daylight
Jdescribe how rangers help rescue a girl and her father

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