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Which sentence states a fact? | [
"Though small, hummingbirds have the most remarkable feathers of any bird.",
"Hummingbirds molt, or replace old feathers with new ones, once a year."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade5 | language science | writing-strategies | Developing and supporting arguments | Distinguish facts from opinions | A fact is something that can be proved to be true.
The month of July has more days than the month of June.
This is a fact. It can be proved by looking at a calendar and counting the number of days in each month.
An opinion is something that a person believes, thinks, or feels. An opinion cannot be proved true.
July is a better month than June for camping.
This is an opinion. People may have different opinions about which month is "better" for camping. | The second sentence states a fact.
Hummingbirds molt, or replace old feathers with new ones, once a year.
It can be proved by reading a book about hummingbirds.
The first sentence states an opinion.
Though small, hummingbirds have the most remarkable feathers of any bird.
Most remarkable shows what a person believes, thinks, or feels. Another person might have a different opinion about which birds have the most remarkable feathers. |
|
Which closing is correct for a letter? | [
"Sincerely,\nJason",
"sincerely,\nJason"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade2 | language science | capitalization | Capitalization | Greetings and closings of letters | A letter starts with a greeting and ends with a closing. For each one, capitalize the first word and end with a comma. You should also capitalize proper nouns, such as Aunt Sue.
Dear Aunt Sue,
I'm glad you could come to my party, and
thank you for the birthday gift. I could not have
asked for a better one! Every time I see it, I think
of you.
With love,
Rory | The first closing is correct:
Its first word is capitalized, and it ends with a comma. |
|
What do these two changes have in common?
stretching a rubber band
water evaporating from a puddle | [
"Both are caused by cooling.",
"Both are caused by heating.",
"Both are chemical changes.",
"Both are only physical changes."
] | 3 | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | chemistry | Physical and chemical change | Compare physical and chemical changes | Chemical changes and physical changes are two common ways matter can change.
In a chemical change, the type of matter changes. The types of matter before and after a chemical change are always different.
Some chemical changes are caused by heating or cooling. For example, burning a piece of paper is a chemical change caused by heating. When paper gets hot enough, it reacts with oxygen in the air and burns. The paper and oxygen change into ash and smoke.
In a physical change, the type of matter stays the same. The types of matter before and after a physical change are always the same.
A change of state is a type of physical change. Changes of state can be caused by heating or cooling. For example, ice melting is a physical change that can be caused by heating. Ice and liquid water are made of the same type of matter: water.
The law of conservation of mass says that all physical and chemical changes conserve mass. Conserve means to keep the same. So, the total mass before a physical or chemical change is equal to the total mass after the change. | Step 1: Think about each change.
Stretching a rubber band is a physical change. The rubber band gets longer. But it is still made of the same type of matter as before.
Water evaporating from a puddle is a change of state. So, it is a physical change. The liquid changes into a gas, but a different type of matter is not formed.
Step 2: Look at each answer choice.
Both are only physical changes.
Both changes are physical changes. No new matter is created.
Both are chemical changes.
Both changes are physical changes. They are not chemical changes.
Both are caused by heating.
Water evaporating is caused by heating. But stretching a rubber band is not.
Both are caused by cooling.
Neither change is caused by cooling. |
|
Which greeting is correct for a letter? | [
"Dear Rebecca,",
"Dear rebecca,"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade3 | language science | punctuation | Formatting | Greetings and closings of letters | A letter starts with a greeting and ends with a closing. For each one, capitalize the first word and end with a comma. You should also capitalize proper nouns, such as Aunt Sue.
Dear Aunt Sue,
I'm glad you could come to my party, and
thank you for the birthday gift. I could not have
asked for a better one! Every time I see it, I think
of you.
With love,
Rory | The second greeting is correct:
Its first word is capitalized, and it ends with a comma. Rebecca is capitalized because it is a proper noun. |
|
Which figure of speech is used in this text?
Although the researchers did produce statistically significant results, their sample size was small. They seemed to be slightly economical with the truth when they claimed that their study was generalizable to the greater population. | [
"euphemism",
"chiasmus"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade11 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Classify the figure of speech: review | Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
Anaphora is the repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of several phrases or clauses.
We are united. We are powerful. We are winners.
Antithesis involves contrasting opposing ideas within a parallel grammatical structure.
I want to help, not to hurt.
Apostrophe is a direct address to an absent person or a nonhuman entity.
Oh, little bird, what makes you sing so beautifully?
Assonance is the repetition of a vowel sound in a series of nearby words.
Try to light the fire.
Chiasmus is an expression in which the second half parallels the first but reverses the order of words.
Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.
A euphemism is a polite or indirect expression that is used to de-emphasize an unpleasant topic.
The head of Human Resources would never refer to firing people, only to laying them off.
Hyperbole is an obvious exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally.
I ate so much that I think I might explode!
An oxymoron is a joining of two seemingly contradictory terms.
Some reviewers are calling this book a new classic.
A paradox is a statement that might at first appear to be contradictory, but that may in fact contain some truth.
Always expect the unexpected.
Understatement involves deliberately representing something as less serious or important than it really is.
As you know, it can get a little cold in the Antarctic. | The text uses a euphemism, a polite or indirect expression that is used to de-emphasize an unpleasant topic.
Economical with the truth is an indirect way of indicating that someone is lying or misrepresenting the truth. |
|
Based on this information, what is this muskmelon plant's genotype for the fruit taste gene? | [
"sour fruit",
"Ff"
] | 1 | In a group of muskmelon plants, some individuals have sour fruit and others have sweet fruit. In this group, the gene for the fruit taste trait has two alleles. The allele F is for sour fruit, and the allele f is for sweet fruit.
A certain muskmelon plant from this group has sour fruit. This plant has one allele for sour fruit and one allele for sweet fruit. | closed choice | grade6 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Genetics vocabulary: genotype and phenotype | All organisms have pieces of hereditary material called genes, which are passed from parents to offspring. Genes contain instructions for building the parts of an organism. An organism's genes affect its observable traits, including its appearance, its behavior, and which diseases it may have. Genes may have different alleles, or forms, that can cause different versions of a trait.
For example, flower color is a trait in pea plants. The gene for this trait has two possible alleles. Each allele is represented by an uppercase or lowercase letter. The allele F is for purple flowers, and the allele f is for white flowers. Each pea plant has two alleles for the flower color gene—one allele inherited from each parent.
An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. So, a pea plant may have a genotype of FF, Ff, or ff for the flower color gene.
An organism's phenotype for a trait is its observable version of that trait, which depends on the organism's combination of alleles. A pea plant may have a phenotype of purple flowers or white flowers for the flower color trait. | An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. The muskmelon plant has one allele for sour fruit (F) and one allele for sweet fruit (f). So, the plant's genotype for the fruit taste gene is Ff. |
What is the source of the allusion in the sentence below?
Oscar's Falstaffian nature makes him stand out at a party. | [
"Shakespeare",
"Greek mythology"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade12 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Recall the source of an allusion | An allusion is a brief mention of something or someone well known, often from mythology, history, or literature. An allusion lets you reference ideas from an entire story in just a few words.
The protean nature of the disease makes it difficult to diagnose.
The word protean is an allusion to the sea god Proteus in Greek mythology. Because the sea is constantly changing, to describe something as protean suggests that it is variable or in flux. | The source of the allusion Falstaffian is Shakespeare.
Sir John Falstaff, a comical character in several of William Shakespeare's plays, is known for his cheerful sociability and sometimes off-color humor.
The allusion Falstaffian means characterized by joviality and enjoyment of food and drink. |
|
Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
Miguel must not have enjoyed the casserole, or he would have asked for a second serving. | [
"false dichotomy: an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist",
"guilt by association: a negative association intended to discredit someone or something",
"slippery slope fallacy: the false assumption that a small first step will lead to extreme consequences"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade10 | language science | writing-strategies | Developing and supporting arguments | Classify logical fallacies | A strong argument uses valid reasoning and logic in support of a claim. When an argument or claim introduces irrelevant information or misrepresents the issues at hand, it may be committing a logical fallacy. Logical fallacies can hurt a writer's credibility and can lead readers to draw false conclusions.
A logical fallacy may present irrelevant information:
Fallacy | Description
ad hominem | an attack against the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself
appeal to nature | an argument that assumes the natural choice is always the best choice
bandwagon fallacy | an argument that assumes the popular choice is always the best choice
circular reasoning | an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself
guilt by association | an unfair negative association with another person or group that is intended to discredit someone or something
A logical fallacy may misrepresent the issues at hand:
Fallacy | Description
false causation | the assumption that because two things happened together, one caused the other
false dichotomy | an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist
hasty generalization | a broad claim based on too few observations
slippery slope fallacy | the false assumption that a small first step will necessarily lead to extreme consequences
straw man | a misrepresentation of an opponent's position that makes it easier to argue against
| The text argues that if Miguel enjoyed the casserole, then he would have eaten more. However, Miguel could have enjoyed the casserole without wanting a second serving. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as a false dichotomy. |
|
Suppose Ronald decides to eat the apples. Which result would be a cost? | [
"Ronald will get to eat the apples. The apples will be healthier than the banana pudding would have been.",
"Ronald will give up the chance to eat the banana pudding. Ronald thinks banana pudding would have tasted better than apples will."
] | 1 | Ronald is deciding whether to eat apples or banana pudding for an afternoon snack. He would like to eat something tasty, but he is also trying to be healthier. | closed choice | grade4 | social science | economics | Basic economic principles | Costs and benefits | Before you decide to do something, it is often helpful to list costs and benefits.
Costs are what you give up or spend when you decide to do something. Costs involve giving up things that you want or need.
Benefits are what you gain or save when you decide to do something. Benefits involve gaining something that you want or need. | This result is a cost. It involves giving up or spending something that Ronald wants or needs:
Ronald will give up the chance to eat the banana pudding. Ronald thinks banana pudding would have tasted better than apples will. |
Which is a simple sentence? | [
"Marcy dislikes radishes, so she always orders her salad without them.",
"At the auction, several paintings by famous artists were for sale, including one by Pablo Picasso."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade5 | language science | grammar | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is the sentence simple, compound, or complex? | A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate.
An independent clause is a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause is not a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence.
the oranges on our tree are ripe
The clause can stand alone. It is independent.
after we pick up Kevin from work
The clause cannot stand alone. It is dependent.
A simple sentence is made up of a single independent clause.
Ben and I spent all day relaxing by the pool.
Some simple sentences have introductory phrases, but the introductory phrase is part of the predicate.
In the winter, Ben usually wears his heavy coat.
Ben usually wears his heavy coat in the winter.
A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
We saw a flash of lightning, and seconds later we heard the rumble of thunder.
A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dependent clause usually begins with a subordinating conjunction such as after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, or while.
If she ever gets the chance, Terri would love to visit the Egyptian pyramids. | The first sentence is the simple sentence. It is a single independent clause.
At the auction, several paintings by famous artists were for sale, including one by Pablo Picasso. |
|
What kind of sentence is this?
That's the loudest siren I've ever heard! | [
"exclamatory",
"interrogative"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade4 | language science | punctuation | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory? | There are four kinds of sentences.
A declarative sentence is a statement. It tells about something. A declarative sentence always ends with a period.
I have an older brother and a younger sister.
An interrogative sentence is a question. It asks something. An interrogative sentence always ends with a question mark.
How tall are you?
An imperative sentence is a command. It makes a request or tells someone to do something. An imperative sentence usually ends with a period. If the command shows strong feeling, it ends with an exclamation point.
Read the first chapter by next week.
Look out for that car!
An exclamatory sentence is like a statement, but it shows surprise or strong feeling. An exclamatory sentence always ends with an exclamation point.
Some whales are over ninety feet long!
I can't wait until tomorrow! | The sentence tells about something, but it shows surprise and ends with an exclamation point. It is an exclamatory sentence. |
|
What information supports the conclusion that Darell acquired this trait? | [
"Darell is most interested in American history.",
"Darell learned history by reading."
] | 1 | Read the description of a trait.
Darell knows a lot about history. | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | biology | Traits and heredity | Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down through families. Children gain these traits from their parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. | |
Using only these supplies, which question can Elizabeth investigate with an experiment? | [
"Do small rocks or large rocks skip more times when thrown across the river?",
"Do rocks skip more times when thrown across a river or across a pond?",
"Do round rocks or flat rocks skip more times when thrown across the river?"
] | 0 | Elizabeth likes to skip rocks at the river. She notices that some of the rocks she throws skip off the surface of the water many times, while others skip once and then sink. She wonders what factors affect how well rocks skip on the water. So, she decides to design an experiment. She has the following supplies available:
10 small flat rocks
10 large flat rocks
access to the river by her school | closed choice | grade6 | natural science | science-and-engineering-practices | Designing experiments | Identify questions that can be investigated with a set of materials | Experiments can be designed to answer specific questions. When designing an experiment, you must identify the supplies that are necessary to answer your question. In order to do this, you need to figure out what will be tested and what will be measured during the experiment.
Imagine that you are wondering if plants grow to different heights when planted in different types of soil. How might you decide what supplies are necessary to conduct this experiment?
First, you need to identify the part of the experiment that will be tested, which is the independent variable. This is usually the part of the experiment that is different or changed. In this case, you would like to know how plants grow in different types of soil. So, you must have different types of soil available.
Next, you need to identify the part of the experiment that will be measured or observed, which is the dependent variable. In this experiment, you would like to know if some plants grow taller than others. So, you must be able to compare the plants' heights. To do this, you can observe which plants are taller by looking at them, or you can measure their exact heights with a meterstick.
So, if you have different types of soil and can observe or measure the heights of your plants, then you have the supplies you need to investigate your question with an experiment! | |
Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
It's so sad that Chase's chose not to go to prom. He must not have any friends. | [
"circular reasoning: an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself",
"bandwagon fallacy: the assumption that the popular choice is automatically correct",
"false dichotomy: an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist"
] | 2 | closed choice | grade9 | language science | writing-strategies | Developing and supporting arguments | Classify logical fallacies | A strong argument uses valid reasoning and logic in support of a claim. When an argument or claim introduces irrelevant information or misrepresents the issues at hand, it may be committing a logical fallacy. Logical fallacies can hurt a writer's credibility and can lead readers to draw false conclusions.
A logical fallacy may present irrelevant information:
Fallacy | Description
ad hominem | an attack against the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself
appeal to nature | an argument that assumes the natural choice is always the best choice
bandwagon fallacy | an argument that assumes the popular choice is always the best choice
circular reasoning | an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself
guilt by association | an unfair negative association with another person or group that is intended to discredit someone or something
A logical fallacy may misrepresent the issues at hand:
Fallacy | Description
false causation | the assumption that because two things happened together, one caused the other
false dichotomy | an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist
hasty generalization | a broad claim based on too few observations
slippery slope fallacy | the false assumption that a small first step will necessarily lead to extreme consequences
straw man | a misrepresentation of an opponent's position that makes it easier to argue against
| The text argues that either Chase is going to prom or he doesn't have any friends. However, Chase might have friends and just not want to go to prom. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as a false dichotomy. |
|
Select the vertebrate. | [
"barrel jellyfish",
"redback spider",
"sea turtle",
"monarch butterfly"
] | 2 | Hint: Mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians are vertebrates. | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | biology | Classification | Identify vertebrates and invertebrates | Vertebrates and invertebrates are both groups of animals.
A vertebrate has a backbone. The backbone is made of many bones in an animal's back. A vertebrate's backbone helps connect the different parts of its body. In the drawings below, each vertebrate's backbone is colored orange.
An invertebrate does not have a backbone. In fact, invertebrates do not have any bones! Some invertebrates have an outer cover on their body called an exoskeleton. Other invertebrates have a soft body. | A monarch butterfly is an insect. Like other insects, a monarch butterfly is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone. It has an exoskeleton.
Like other spiders, a redback spider is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone. It has an exoskeleton.
A sea turtle is a reptile. Like other reptiles, a sea turtle is a vertebrate. It has a backbone.
Like other jellyfishes, a barrel jellyfish is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone. It has a soft body. |
Suppose Jen decides to plant the birch tree. Which result would be a cost? | [
"Jen will get to look at the birch tree. She thinks it will look more beautiful than the sunflowers would have looked.",
"The birch tree will use up more space than the sunflowers would have used up."
] | 1 | Jen is deciding whether to plant sunflowers or a birch tree in her backyard. She wants to make her backyard more beautiful. But she also wants to leave space for doing fun things. | closed choice | grade4 | social science | economics | Basic economic principles | Costs and benefits | Before you decide to do something, it is often helpful to list costs and benefits.
Costs are what you give up or spend when you decide to do something. Costs involve giving up things that you want or need.
Benefits are what you gain or save when you decide to do something. Benefits involve gaining something that you want or need. | This result is a cost. It involves giving up or spending something that Jen wants or needs:
The birch tree will use up more space than the sunflowers would have used up. |
Which correctly shows the title of a song? | [
"On Top of Old Smokey",
"\"On Top of Old Smokey\""
] | 1 | closed choice | grade3 | language science | punctuation | Formatting | Formatting titles | The title of a book, movie, play, TV show, magazine, or newspaper should be in italics. If you write it by hand, it can be underlined instead.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The title of a poem, song, or article should be in quotation marks.
"You Are My Sunshine" | A song should be in quotation marks.
The correct title is "On Top of Old Smokey." |
|
What is the mass of an eraser? | [
"33 grams",
"33 kilograms"
] | 0 | Select the better estimate. | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose metric units of mass | Measurements are written with both a number and a unit. The unit comes after the number. The unit shows what the number means.
Mass is a measurement of how much matter something contains.
There are many different units of mass. When you are using metric units, mass may be written with units of grams or kilograms.
There are 1,000 grams in 1 kilogram. So, 1 gram is much less than 1 kilogram.
A paper clip has a mass of about 1 gram, while a textbook has a mass of about 1 kilogram. | The better estimate for the mass of an eraser is 33 grams.
33 kilograms is too heavy. |
Which text uses the word disinterested in its traditional sense? | [
"Clare is happy with her position as class treasurer. Though she would have the support of the student council, she is disinterested in running for student body president.",
"Clare is excellent in her position as class treasurer. She always manages to be disinterested in student council debates about the allocation of extracurricular funds."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade12 | language science | writing-strategies | Word usage and nuance | Explore words with new or contested usages | Words change in meaning when speakers begin using them in new ways. For example, the word peruse once only meant to examine in detail, but it's now also commonly used to mean to look through in a casual manner.
When a word changes in meaning, its correct usage is often debated. Although a newer sense of the word may be more commonly used, many people consider a word's traditional definition to be the correct usage. Being able to distinguish the different uses of a word can help you use it appropriately for different audiences.
Britney perused her notes, carefully preparing for her exam.
The traditional usage above is considered more standard.
David perused the magazine, absentmindedly flipping through the pages.
The nontraditional usage above is now commonly used, but traditional style guides generally advise against it. | The second text uses disinterested in its traditional sense: unbiased or impartial.
Clare is excellent in her position as class treasurer. She always manages to be disinterested in student council debates about the allocation of extracurricular funds.
The first text uses disinterested in its nontraditional sense: uninterested or indifferent.
Clare is happy with her position as class treasurer. Though she would have the support of the student council, she is disinterested in running for student body president.
Most style guides recommend to use the traditional sense of the word disinterested because it is considered more standard. |
|
How long does it take for a pot of water to start boiling on a hot stove? | [
"9 seconds",
"9 minutes"
] | 1 | Select the better estimate. | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose units of time | Measurements are written with both a number and a unit. The unit comes after the number. The unit shows what the number means.
Imagine being told that the bus leaves in 7. You might be thinking, 7 what? Does the bus leave in 7 minutes? 7 seconds?
The number 7 on its own does not give you much information about when the bus is leaving. That is because the units are missing.
Time is usually measured in units of seconds, minutes, or hours. It takes about 1 second to sneeze and 1 minute to get dressed in the morning. It takes about 1 hour to bake a pie in the oven.
There are 60 seconds in 1 minute. So, 1 second is much less than 1 minute.
There are 60 minutes in 1 hour. So, 1 minute is much less than 1 hour. | The better estimate for how long it takes for a pot of water to start boiling on a hot stove is 9 minutes.
9 seconds is too fast. |
Complete the sentence.
The federal government has () branches. | [
"four",
"three",
"five",
"two"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade4 | social science | civics | Government | Federal government | The federal government has three branches. They are called the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
Each branch of government has its own jobs and responsibilities. This system keeps any one part of the government from having too much power. |
||
Is the following trait inherited or acquired?
Isaiah plays baseball. | [
"inherited",
"acquired"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | biology | Traits and heredity | Identify inherited and acquired traits | Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down through families. Children gain these traits from their parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. Children do not inherit their parents' acquired traits. | People are not born knowing how to play baseball. Instead, some people learn how to play baseball. Playing the sport takes practice. So, playing baseball is an acquired trait. |
|
Using only these supplies, which question can Cole investigate with an experiment? | [
"Does white sandwich bread grow visible mold in fewer days if the bread is stored inside or outside the refrigerator?",
"Does white sandwich bread grow visible mold in fewer days if the bread is stored in a paper bag or in a plastic bag?",
"Does white or whole wheat sandwich bread grow visible mold in fewer days?"
] | 0 | Cole starts to make a sandwich, but he sees mold on the bread! He wonders what factors affect how mold grows on bread. So, he decides to design an experiment. He has the following supplies available:
two loaves of white sandwich bread
a small plastic bag
a large plastic bag
a refrigerator | closed choice | grade8 | natural science | science-and-engineering-practices | Designing experiments | Identify questions that can be investigated with a set of materials | Experiments can be designed to answer specific questions. When designing an experiment, you must identify the supplies that are necessary to answer your question. In order to do this, you need to figure out what will be tested and what will be measured during the experiment.
Imagine that you are wondering if plants grow to different heights when planted in different types of soil. How might you decide what supplies are necessary to conduct this experiment?
First, you need to identify the part of the experiment that will be tested, which is the independent variable. This is usually the part of the experiment that is different or changed. In this case, you would like to know how plants grow in different types of soil. So, you must have different types of soil available.
Next, you need to identify the part of the experiment that will be measured or observed, which is the dependent variable. In this experiment, you would like to know if some plants grow taller than others. So, you must be able to compare the plants' heights. To do this, you can observe which plants are taller by looking at them, or you can measure their exact heights with a meterstick.
So, if you have different types of soil and can observe or measure the heights of your plants, then you have the supplies you need to investigate your question with an experiment! | |
Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
navigate - nice | [
"noble",
"nervous"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade8 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on.
If one word is shorter, and there are no more letters to compare, then the shorter word comes first in alphabetical order. For example, be comes before bed. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since nervous is between the guide words navigate - nice, it would be found on that page. |
|
Suppose Elijah decides to go as a ghost. Which result would be a cost? | [
"Elijah will spend some time and money to get the costume.",
"Elijah will get to wear the costume he is more excited about."
] | 0 | Elijah is deciding whether to go as a ghost or a superhero to a costume party. He would rather go as a ghost. But he already has a superhero costume. | closed choice | grade4 | social science | economics | Basic economic principles | Costs and benefits | Before you decide to do something, it is often helpful to list costs and benefits.
Costs are what you give up or spend when you decide to do something. Costs involve giving up things that you want or need.
Benefits are what you gain or save when you decide to do something. Benefits involve gaining something that you want or need. | This result is a cost. It involves giving up or spending something that Elijah wants or needs:
Elijah will spend some time and money to get the costume. |
How long is a road from one end of a city to the other? | [
"5 kilometers",
"5 centimeters"
] | 0 | Select the better estimate. | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose metric units of distance | Measurements are written with both a number and a unit. The unit comes after the number. The unit shows what the number means.
Imagine being told that a pencil is 16 long. You might be thinking, 16 what? Is the pencil 16 centimeters long? 16 meters? 16 kilometers?
The number 16 on its own does not give you much information about the length of the pencil. That is because the units are missing.
Now look at the drawing of the pencil and the ruler. The ruler shows that the units are centimeters. So, the length of the pencil is 16 centimeters.
There are 100 centimeters in 1 meter. So, 1 centimeter is much shorter than 1 meter.
There are 1,000 meters in 1 kilometer. So, 1 meter is much shorter than 1 kilometer. | The better estimate for the length of a road from one end of a city to the other is 5 kilometers.
5 centimeters is too short. |
Which closing is correct for a letter? | [
"thank you,\nJake",
"Thank you,\nJake"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade2 | language science | capitalization | Capitalization | Greetings and closings of letters | A letter starts with a greeting and ends with a closing. For each one, capitalize the first word and end with a comma. You should also capitalize proper nouns, such as Aunt Sue.
Dear Aunt Sue,
I'm glad you could come to my party, and
thank you for the birthday gift. I could not have
asked for a better one! Every time I see it, I think
of you.
With love,
Rory | The first closing is correct:
Its first word is capitalized, and it ends with a comma. |
|
Is this a run-on sentence?
Culture plays an important role for orcas they communicate with distinct calls and live in small, intimate groups led by older females that teach the younger orcas. | [
"no",
"yes"
] | 1 | yes or no | grade12 | language science | writing-strategies | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Identify run-on sentences | A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily because we have a concert in two weeks.
A run-on sentence is formed when two sentences are run together, joined by just a comma or by no punctuation at all. If only a comma is used, the run-on is called a comma splice.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily, we have a concert in two weeks.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily we have a concert in two weeks.
There are several ways to fix a run-on sentence:
Use stronger punctuation, such as a period or a semicolon.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily. We have a concert in two weeks.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily; we have a concert in two weeks.
Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction to create a compound sentence. Coordinating conjunctions include and, but, or, and so.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily, and we have a concert in two weeks.
Use a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun to create a complex sentence. Subordinating conjunctions include after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, and while. Relative pronouns include that, which, who, whom, and whose.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily since we have a concert in two weeks. | This is a run-on sentence. It is formed from two sentences run together, joined without punctuation.
Culture plays an important role for orcas they communicate with distinct calls and live in small, intimate groups led by older females that teach the younger orcas.
Here is one way to fix the run-on sentence:
Culture plays an important role for orcas; they communicate with distinct calls and live in small, intimate groups led by older females that teach the younger orcas. |
|
Which sentence states a fact? | [
"Of all the species of damselfish, the blue chromis is the most striking in terms of color.",
"The vitamins in a blue chromis's diet can affect how brightly the fish's colors appear."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade6 | language science | writing-strategies | Developing and supporting arguments | Distinguish facts from opinions | A fact is something that can be proved by research or observation.
Napoleon Bonaparte was shorter than King Louis XVI.
The statement above is a fact. The statement can be proved by researching the height of each man and comparing them.
An opinion is something that a person believes, thinks, or feels. An opinion cannot be proved.
Napoleon Bonaparte was a better leader than King Louis XVI.
The statement above is an opinion. People can have different ideas about what makes someone a "better" leader, so the statement cannot be proved. | The second sentence states a fact.
The vitamins in a blue chromis's diet can affect how brightly the fish's colors appear.
It can be proved by reading a book about tropical fish.
The first sentence states an opinion.
Of all the species of damselfish, the blue chromis is the most striking in terms of color.
Most striking shows what a person believes, thinks, or feels. Another person might have a different opinion about which fish's color is most visually impressive. |
|
Complete the statement. Assume that the sled's mass did not change.
The gravitational potential energy stored between the sled and Earth () as Elizabeth rode down the hill. | [
"decreased",
"stayed the same",
"increased"
] | 0 | Read the text about an object in motion.
On a snowy day, Elizabeth rode her sled down a big hill. | closed choice | grade7 | natural science | physics | Kinetic and potential energy | Identify changes in gravitational potential energy | Gravitational potential energy is stored between any two objects. So, for every object on or near Earth, there is gravitational potential energy stored between the object and Earth.
The amount of gravitational potential energy stored between an object and Earth depends on the mass of the object. The amount of gravitational potential energy also depends on the distance between the object and the center of Earth. This distance increases when the object moves higher and decreases when the object moves lower.
If the distance between an object and the center of Earth changes, the gravitational potential energy stored between the object and Earth will change. The table below shows how this change can happen.
When an object's mass stays the same and its distance from the center of Earth... | Gravitational potential energy stored between the object and Earth...
increases | increases
decreases | decreases
stays the same | stays the same | Think about how the distance between the sled and the center of Earth changed.
The bottom of the hill was lower than the point where Elizabeth started sledding. As Elizabeth rode toward the bottom of the hill, the distance between the sled and the center of Earth decreased. So, the gravitational potential energy stored between the sled and Earth decreased as Elizabeth rode down the hill. |
What information supports the conclusion that Josie inherited this trait? | [
"Josie's neighbor also has straight hair.",
"Josie's biological mother often wears her straight hair in a ponytail.",
"Josie's biological parents have red hair. Josie also has red hair."
] | 1 | Read the description of a trait.
Josie has straight hair. | closed choice | grade8 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down from biological parents to their offspring through genes. Genes are pieces of hereditary material that contain the instructions that affect inherited traits. Offspring receive their genes, and therefore gain their inherited traits, from their biological parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. Parents do not pass acquired traits down to their offspring. | |
Which object has the least thermal energy? | [
"a 220-gram bottle of water at a temperature of 19°C",
"a 220-gram bottle of water at a temperature of 25°C",
"a 220-gram bottle of water at a temperature of 9°C"
] | 2 | The objects are identical except for their temperatures. | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | physics | Heat and thermal energy | How is temperature related to thermal energy? | All solids, liquids, and gases are made of matter. Matter is made up of tiny particles that are always moving. The energy from the motion of these particles is called thermal energy.
Temperature measures how hot or cold matter is. If the particles in matter slow down, the temperature goes down. The matter now has both less thermal energy and a lower temperature. | All three bottles of water have the same mass but different temperatures. Since the 9°C bottle of water is the coldest, it has the least thermal energy. |
Does this passage describe the weather or the climate?
Lena enjoys the cool evening breezes that are common on summer evenings where she lives. | [
"climate",
"weather"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | earth-science | Weather and climate | What's the difference between weather and climate? | The atmosphere is the layer of air that surrounds Earth. Both weather and climate tell you about the atmosphere.
Weather is what the atmosphere is like at a certain place and time. Weather can change quickly. For example, the temperature outside your house might get higher throughout the day.
Climate is the pattern of weather in a certain place. For example, summer temperatures in New York are usually higher than winter temperatures. | Read the text carefully.
Lena enjoys the cool evening breezes that are common on summer evenings where she lives.
This passage tells you about the usual wind patterns where Lena lives. It does not describe what the weather is like on a particular day. So, this passage describes the climate. |
|
Using only these supplies, which question can Maddie investigate with an experiment? | [
"Do rocks skip more times when thrown across a river or across a pond?",
"Do round rocks or flat rocks skip more times when thrown across the river?",
"Do small rocks or large rocks skip more times when thrown across the river?"
] | 2 | Maddie likes to skip rocks at the river. She notices that some of the rocks she throws skip off the surface of the water many times, while others skip once and then sink. She wonders what factors affect how well rocks skip on the water. So, she decides to design an experiment. She has the following supplies available:
10 small flat rocks
10 large flat rocks
access to the river by her school | closed choice | grade6 | natural science | science-and-engineering-practices | Designing experiments | Identify questions that can be investigated with a set of materials | Experiments can be designed to answer specific questions. When designing an experiment, you must identify the supplies that are necessary to answer your question. In order to do this, you need to figure out what will be tested and what will be measured during the experiment.
Imagine that you are wondering if plants grow to different heights when planted in different types of soil. How might you decide what supplies are necessary to conduct this experiment?
First, you need to identify the part of the experiment that will be tested, which is the independent variable. This is usually the part of the experiment that is different or changed. In this case, you would like to know how plants grow in different types of soil. So, you must have different types of soil available.
Next, you need to identify the part of the experiment that will be measured or observed, which is the dependent variable. In this experiment, you would like to know if some plants grow taller than others. So, you must be able to compare the plants' heights. To do this, you can observe which plants are taller by looking at them, or you can measure their exact heights with a meterstick.
So, if you have different types of soil and can observe or measure the heights of your plants, then you have the supplies you need to investigate your question with an experiment! | |
Select the one substance that is not a rock. | [
"A nutshell is made by a living thing. It is not a pure substance.",
"Andesite is formed in nature. It is a solid.",
"Shale is formed in nature. It is not made by living things."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | earth-science | Rocks and minerals | Identify rocks using properties | Rocks are made of minerals. Here are some properties of rocks:
They are solid.
They are formed in nature.
They are not made by living things.
They are not pure substances. | Compare the properties of each substance to the properties of rocks. Select the substance whose properties do not match those of rocks.
Shale is a rock.
Andesite is a rock.
A nutshell is made by a living thing. But rocks are not made by living things.
So, a nutshell is not a rock. |
|
What information supports the conclusion that Steve acquired this trait? | [
"Steve can cook food over a fire.",
"Steve learned how to build a fire at summer camp."
] | 1 | Read the description of a trait.
Steve knows how to build a fire. | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | biology | Traits and heredity | Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down through families. Children gain these traits from their parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. | |
What do these two changes have in common?
water freezing into ice
dry ice sublimating and becoming a gas | [
"Both are only physical changes.",
"Both are caused by cooling.",
"Both are caused by heating.",
"Both are chemical changes."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade8 | natural science | chemistry | Chemical reactions | Compare physical and chemical changes | Matter is made of very small particles called atoms. Atoms can be linked together by chemical bonds. When two or more atoms link together, they form a molecule.
In a chemical change, the chemical bonds in the molecules break. The atoms then link together to form different molecules. The types of molecules in matter before and after a chemical change are always different.
Some chemical changes are caused by heating or cooling. For example, burning a piece of paper is a chemical change caused by heating. As paper burns, paper molecules react with oxygen molecules in the air. This reaction breaks the chemical bonds in the molecules. The atoms then link together in a different way to form different molecules. For example, carbon dioxide molecules are formed when paper burns.
In a physical change, chemical bonds do not break. The types of molecules in matter before and after a physical change are always the same.
A change of state is a type of physical change. Changes of state can be caused by heating or cooling. For example, water vaporizing is a physical change that can be caused by heating. Liquid water and water vapor are made of the same type of matter: water.
The law of conservation of mass says that all physical and chemical changes conserve mass. Conserve means to keep the same. So, the total mass before a physical or chemical change is equal to the total mass after the change. | Step 1: Think about each change.
Water freezing into ice is a change of state. So, it is a physical change. The water changes from solid to liquid. But the ice is still made of the same type of matter as the liquid water.
Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide. When dry ice gets warm, it changes state and becomes carbon dioxide gas. This change of state, from solid to gas, is called sublimation.
Dry ice becoming a gas is a physical change. A change of state does not form a different type of matter.
Step 2: Look at each answer choice.
Both are only physical changes.
Both changes are physical changes. No new matter is created.
Both are chemical changes.
Both changes are physical changes. They are not chemical changes.
Both are caused by heating.
Dry ice sublimating is caused by heating. But water freezing into ice is not.
Both are caused by cooling.
Water freezing is caused by cooling. But dry ice sublimating is not. |
|
Which type of sentence is this?
Students are unhappy with the new dress code requirements, and they will be discussing their grievances at the next school board meeting. | [
"complex",
"compound-complex",
"compound",
"simple"
] | 2 | closed choice | grade10 | language science | grammar | Phrases and clauses | Is the sentence simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex? | A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate.
An independent clause is a complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause (or subordinate clause) is not a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence.
the oranges on our tree are ripe
The clause can stand alone. It is independent.
after we pick up Kevin from work
The clause cannot stand alone. It is dependent.
A simple sentence is made up of a single independent clause.
Ben and I spent all day relaxing by the pool.
Some simple sentences have introductory phrases, but the introductory phrase is part of the predicate.
In the winter, Ben usually wears his heavy coat.
Ben usually wears his heavy coat in the winter.
A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
We saw the flash of lightning, and seconds later we heard a rumble of thunder.
A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dependent clause in a complex sentence usually begins with a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun. Subordinating conjunctions include after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, and while. Relative pronouns include that, which, who, whom, or whose.
If she ever gets the chance, Terri would love to visit the Egyptian pyramids.
During his trip to Italy, Tony visited the Trevi Fountain, which is in Rome.
A compound-complex sentence is made up of two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.
After Samantha left work, she stopped at the bank, and then she went to the gym.
Sometimes a dependent clause in a complex or compound-complex sentence can interrupt an independent clause.
Orcas that are kept in captivity often have bent dorsal fins. | The sentence is compound. It is made up of two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction and.
Students are unhappy with the new dress code requirements, and they will be discussing their grievances at the next school board meeting. |
|
What information supports the conclusion that Lacey inherited this trait? | [
"Lacey and her mother both wear their hair in braids.",
"Lacey's parents have red hair. They passed down this trait to Lacey."
] | 1 | Read the description of a trait.
Lacey has red hair. | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | biology | Traits and heredity | Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down through families. Children gain these traits from their parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. | |
What information supports the conclusion that Scarlett acquired this trait? | [
"Scarlett's scar was caused by an accident. She cut her arm when she fell off her bicycle.",
"Scarlett's sister has a bruise from falling on her elbow.",
"Scarlett's scar is on her right elbow. Her father also has a scar on his right elbow."
] | 0 | Read the description of a trait.
Scarlett has a scar on her right elbow. | closed choice | grade8 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down from biological parents to their offspring through genes. Genes are pieces of hereditary material that contain the instructions that affect inherited traits. Offspring receive their genes, and therefore gain their inherited traits, from their biological parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. Parents do not pass acquired traits down to their offspring. | |
Select the solid. | [
"water in a glass",
"handsaw",
"air inside a soccer ball",
"air inside a balloon"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | physics | States of matter | Identify solids, liquids, and gases | Solid, liquid, and gas are states of matter. Matter is anything that takes up space. Matter can come in different states, or forms.
When matter is a solid, it has a definite volume and a definite shape. So, a solid has a size and shape of its own.
Some solids can be easily folded, bent, or broken. A piece of paper is a solid. Also, some solids are very small. A grain of sand is a solid.
When matter is a liquid, it has a definite volume but not a definite shape. So, a liquid has a size of its own, but it does not have a shape of its own. Think about pouring juice from a bottle into a cup. The juice still takes up the same amount of space, but it takes the shape of the bottle.
Some liquids do not pour as easily as others. Honey and milk are both liquids. But pouring honey takes more time than pouring milk.
When matter is a gas, it does not have a definite volume or a definite shape. A gas expands, or gets bigger, until it completely fills a space. A gas can also get smaller if it is squeezed into a smaller space.
Many gases are invisible. Air is a gas. | A handsaw is a solid. A solid has a size and shape of its own. The handle of this handsaw is made of wood, and the blade is made of metal. Both wood and metal are solids.
The air inside a soccer ball is a gas. A gas expands to fill a space. The air fills all the space inside the soccer ball. If air leaks out, it will expand into the space around the ball.
The air inside a balloon is a gas. A gas expands to fill a space. The air inside a balloon expands to fill all the space in the balloon. If the balloon pops, the air will expand to fill a much larger space.
The water in a glass is a liquid. A liquid takes the shape of any container it is in. If you pour water from a glass into a different container, the water will take the shape of that container. But the water will still take up the same amount of space. |
|
Choose the poem that has a regular rhythm, or a pattern of sound like a beat. | [
"I saw you toss the kites on high\nAnd blow the birds about the sky;\nAnd all around I heard you pass,\nLike ladies' skirts across the grass.",
"You know what it is to be born alone,\nBaby tortoise!\nThe first day to heave your feet little by little\nfrom the shell."
] | 0 | From D. H. Lawrence, "Baby Tortoise" and from Robert Louis Stevenson, "The Wind" | closed choice | grade4 | language science | reading-comprehension | Poetry elements | Identify elements of poetry | Poetry is a special kind of writing. It has many elements that make it different from ordinary writing. Knowing these elements can help you talk about poetry, understand it better, and enjoy it more.
A poem rhymes when it has a pattern of words that end in the same sound.
End rhyme is when the rhymes appear at the end of a poem's lines.
Little Betty Blue,
Lost her holiday shoe.
—From Mother Goose
Internal rhyme is when at least one of the rhyming words appears inside the poem's lines.
Sweet dreams of pleasant streams.
—From William Blake, "A Cradle Song"
Rhythm is the pattern of strong and weak syllables, or stress, in a poem. You can recognize rhythm in a poem by listening to how it sounds. Poems with regular rhythm have a beat, like in music.
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.
—From Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "The Eagle"
The syllables in bold are strong. We say them with more force than the other syllables. In this poem, every weak syllable is followed by a strong syllable. Each line sounds like da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM. To better hear the rhythm, try reading it aloud while clapping on each strong syllable.
Free verse is when a poem has neither a regular rhythm nor a rhyme pattern.
The old bridge has a wrinkled face.
He bends his back
For us to go over.
—From Hilda Conkling, "The Old Bridge"
The syllables in bold are strong. You can see this poem does not have a regular rhythm. It also doesn't have a rhyme pattern.
Repetition is when words, phrases, or whole lines are repeated.
The dainty flying squirrel
In vest of shining white,
In coat of silver gray,
And vest of shining white.
—Adapted from Mary E. Burt, "The Flying Squirrel"
Alliteration is when beginning consonant sounds are repeated in words that are close together.
Where the wild men watched and waited
Wolves in the forest, and bears in the bush.
—From Bayard Taylor, "A Night with a Wolf"
Onomatopoeia is when language sounds like what it talks about.
Sometimes the onomatopoeia uses made-up words:
Tlot-tlot! tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horse hoofs ringing clear.
—From Alfred Noyes, "The Highwayman"
Sometimes the onomatopoeia uses real words:
Hark! the honey bee is humming.
—From Mary Howitt, "The Voice of Spring" | This poem has a regular rhythm, or a pattern of sound like a beat. The parts in bold show the strong syllables. The pattern is a weak syllable followed by a strong syllable. It sounds like da-DUM da-DUM.
Like ladies' skirts across the grass. |
The city of Lowell has been one of the world's biggest makers of cough drops for many years. But last month, Lowell's cough drop factories were destroyed by floods. What will probably happen to the overall supply of cough drops? | [
"The supply will probably go up.",
"The supply will probably go down."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade7 | social science | economics | Supply and demand | Understand overall supply and demand | Overall supply is the total amount of a good or service that producers make and sell. There are several things that can make overall supply go up or down. The table below shows how changes to these things might affect overall supply.
| Resources | Number of producers or suppliers | Expected change in demand
Supply goes up | when resources cost less or are easier to get | when there are more producers or suppliers | when demand is expected to go up
Supply goes down | when resources cost more or are harder to get | when there are fewer producers or suppliers | when demand is expected to go down
Producers are people or companies that make goods or provide services. Suppliers are people or companies that sell goods or services. New inventions or technologies can also help workers produce goods and services more quickly. As a result of these changes, the supply of a good or service will often go up. | Floods destroyed the cough drop factories in Lowell. The number of producers of cough drops went down. So, the supply of cough drops will probably go down. |
|
Which is a sentence fragment? | [
"Cleaned the cabin for Mrs. Kline's family.",
"The bird has a sharp beak."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade3 | language science | writing-strategies | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is it a complete sentence, a fragment, or a run-on? | A sentence is a group of words that forms a complete thought. It has both a subject and a verb.
My friends walk along the path.
A sentence fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought. It is usually missing a subject or a verb.
Knows the answer.
This is a sentence fragment. It is missing a subject.
Who knows the answer? She knows the answer.
The bright red car.
This is a sentence fragment. It is missing a verb.
What did the bright red car do? The bright red car stopped.
A run-on sentence is made up of two sentences that are joined without end punctuation or with just a comma.
I knocked on the door it opened.
It started raining, we ran inside.
To fix a run-on sentence, separate it into two sentences. Add end punctuation after the first sentence, and capitalize the second sentence.
I knocked on the door. It opened.
It started raining. We ran inside.
You can also fix a run-on sentence by rewriting it as a compound sentence. A compound sentence is two sentences joined by a comma and a conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
I knocked on the door, and it opened.
It started raining, so we ran inside. | Cleaned the cabin for Mrs. Kline's family is a sentence fragment. It is missing a subject. |
|
Which figure of speech is used in this text?
At twenty-one, Gordon felt overwhelmed with adult responsibilities and wished he could fly off to Neverland. | [
"onomatopoeia",
"allusion"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade9 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Classify figures of speech: review | Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
Alliteration is the repetition of sounds at the beginning of nearby words.
What a lucky little lady you are!
An allusion is a brief reference to something or someone well known, often from history or literature.
"I'd better get home before I turn into a pumpkin!" Lila remarked.
An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood literally. Its meaning must be learned.
The assignment was a piece of cake.
A simile uses like or as to compare two things that are not actually alike.
The cat's fur was as dark as the night.
A metaphor compares two things that are not actually alike without using like or as.
The snow formed a blanket over the town.
Onomatopoeia involves using a word that expresses a sound.
The scrambled eggs hit the floor with a splat.
Personification is giving human characteristics to nonhuman things.
The trees danced in the wind.
A pun involves using a word or phrase in a humorous way that suggests more than one meaning.
A great new broom is sweeping the nation.
Verbal irony involves saying one thing but implying something very different. People often use verbal irony when they are being sarcastic.
Olivia seems thrilled that her car keeps breaking down.
Each breakdown is as enjoyable as a punch to the face. | The text uses an allusion, a brief reference to someone or something well known.
Neverland alludes to the story of Peter Pan, a boy who lived in Neverland and never grew up. |
|
How long does it take to tie your shoes? | [
"20 seconds",
"20 hours"
] | 0 | Select the better estimate. | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose units of time | Measurements are written with both a number and a unit. The unit comes after the number. The unit shows what the number means.
Imagine being told that the bus leaves in 7. You might be thinking, 7 what? Does the bus leave in 7 minutes? 7 seconds?
The number 7 on its own does not give you much information about when the bus is leaving. That is because the units are missing.
Time is usually measured in units of seconds, minutes, or hours. It takes about 1 second to sneeze and 1 minute to get dressed in the morning. It takes about 1 hour to bake a pie in the oven.
There are 60 seconds in 1 minute. So, 1 second is much less than 1 minute.
There are 60 minutes in 1 hour. So, 1 minute is much less than 1 hour. | The better estimate for how long it takes to tie your shoes is 20 seconds.
20 hours is too slow. |
Why do people form governments? | [
"to get rid of all rules",
"to help keep people safe",
"so that no one has to work"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade3 | social science | civics | Government | Purpose of government | People form governments for two main reasons.
Governments come up with laws, or rules, for a community. Laws help keep people safe. For example, traffic laws make it safer to drive.
Laws can tell people how to work together and settle disagreements. How? Think about a team sport like soccer. The rules tell the players how to play together. For example, rules say which team should get the ball when it goes out of bounds. Laws work the same way in a community. |
||
Which is a compound sentence? | [
"Tomorrow the actors will practice their lines onstage.",
"Our birch tree died, so Mom planted an oak tree in its place."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade5 | language science | grammar | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is the sentence simple or compound? | A simple sentence is a sentence with only one subject and predicate.
The pitcher threw the ball to first base.
A compound sentence is two simple sentences joined by a comma and a conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
The pitcher threw the ball, and the batter hit it.
Some simple sentences have a compound subject or a compound predicate, but they are not compound sentences.
Anna and James will watch the fireworks tonight.
This simple sentence has a compound subject, Anna and James.
The singers bowed and walked off the stage.
This simple sentence has a compound predicate, bowed and walked off the stage.
Some simple sentences have introductory phrases, but they are not compound sentences. The introductory phrase is part of the predicate.
In the winter, Farmer Ben wears his heavy coat.
This is a simple sentence. There is one subject, Farmer Ben, and one predicate, wears his heavy coat in the winter. | The second sentence is the compound sentence. It is made up of two simple sentences joined by a comma and the conjunction so.
Our birch tree died, so Mom planted an oak tree in its place. |
|
Would you find the word red on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
rank - ripple | [
"yes",
"no"
] | 0 | yes or no | grade4 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on.
If one word is shorter, and there are no more letters to compare, then the shorter word comes first in alphabetical order. For example, be comes before bed. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since red is between the guide words rank - ripple, it would be found on that page. |
|
Which sentence is more formal? | [
"Spencer Electronics has a reputation for responding quickly to all customer concerns and questions.",
"Spencer Electronics has a reputation for responding real quick to customer concerns and questions."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade6 | language science | writing-strategies | Author's purpose and tone | Which sentence is more formal? | Formal writing is used for essays, business letters, and reports. The following types of informal language should be avoided in formal writing:
Type | Examples
slang | cool, awesome
idioms | knock your socks off
conversational language | gonna, kinda, yeah
abbreviated language | ASAP, FYI
overly simple or imprecise language | he got some stuff at the store
contractions | can't, won't
Contractions are not as informal as the other types, but they should be used sparingly in formal writing.
Compare the following sentences. The first is informal. The second is formal.
Informal: Yeah, ostriches can't fly, but they're awesome runners.
Formal: Though ostriches are flightless, they are remarkably adept runners.
| The second sentence is less formal. You can tell because it uses conversational language (real quick).
The first sentence uses formal language in place of the conversational language, so it is more formal overall. |
|
Which closing is correct for a letter? | [
"Many thanks,\nPeter",
"Many Thanks,\nPeter"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade4 | language science | punctuation | Formatting | Greetings and closings of letters | A letter starts with a greeting and ends with a closing. For each one, capitalize the first word and end with a comma. You should also capitalize proper nouns, such as Aunt Sue.
Dear Aunt Sue,
I'm glad you could come to my party, and
thank you for the birthday gift. I could not have
asked for a better one! Every time I see it, I think
of you.
With love,
Rory | The first closing is correct:
Its first word is capitalized, and it ends with a comma. |
|
Which correctly shows the title of a song? | [
"\"down by the Bay\"",
"\"Down by the Bay\""
] | 1 | closed choice | grade4 | language science | capitalization | Formatting | Capitalizing titles | In a title, capitalize the first word, the last word, and every important word in between.
The Wind in the Willows James and the Giant Peach
These words are not important in titles:
Articles, a, an, the
Short prepositions, such as at, by, for, in, of, on, to, up
Coordinating conjunctions, such as and, but, or | Capitalize the first word, the last word, and every important word in between. The words by and the are not important, so they should not be capitalized.
The correct title is "Down by the Bay." |
|
Select the one animal that has all of the fish traits listed above. | [
"European flounders have a flat body and fins. They spend most of their time lying flat on the ocean floor. Both of their eyes are on the top of their head. European flounders have scaly skin and lay eggs with no shells.",
"American tree sparrows have a beak and lay eggs with shells. They have dark feathers on their wings and lighter feathers on other parts of their bodies. Male tree sparrows sing songs to attract mates."
] | 0 | Fish are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify fish:
They have fins, not limbs.
They make eggs with no shells. Observe the animals and read the descriptions. | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | biology | Classification | Use evidence to classify mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians | Scientists sort animals with similar traits into groups. This is called classification. Classification helps scientists learn about how animals live.
How do scientists classify animals? First, they make observations about an animal. Scientists observe the animal's traits, including its body parts and behavior. Then, scientists compare the animal's traits to other animals' traits. Scientists classify animals with similar traits into a group. | To decide if an animal is part of a group, look at the traits of the group.
Fish have the following traits:
They have fins, not limbs.
They make eggs with no shells.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
An American tree sparrow has the following traits:
It has feathers.
It has wings.
It has a beak.
It makes eggs with shells.
An American tree sparrow does not have all of the traits of a fish. An American tree sparrow is a bird.
A European flounder has the following traits:
It has fins, not limbs.
It makes eggs with no shells.
A European flounder has the traits of a fish. A European flounder is a fish. |
Select the living thing. | [
"the Statue of Liberty",
"rain",
"helicopter",
"rosemary bush"
] | 3 | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | biology | Classification | Identify living and nonliving things | All living things are made up of cells. Plants, animals, and some fungi have many cells. Other living things are made up of just one cell.
All living things need food and water. Water helps living things break down food and remove waste. Food gives living things energy. They use energy from food to grow and change.
All living things sense changes in their environment. Living things might sense changes by seeing, smelling, hearing, or feeling. Living things can respond to the changes they sense. | A rosemary bush is a living thing.
Rosemary bushes grow and respond to their environment. They need food and water. Rosemary bushes are made up of many cells.
Rosemary bushes are plants. They make their own food using water, carbon dioxide, and energy from sunlight.
The Statue of Liberty is not a living thing.
The Statue of Liberty is shaped like a person. But it does not have all the traits of a living thing. It does not grow or respond to the world around it. It does not need food or water.
A helicopter is not a living thing.
A helicopter does not have all the traits of a living thing. It needs energy to fly, but it does not eat food. Helicopters get energy from gasoline or other fuel. They do not grow.
Rain is not a living thing.
Rain is made of water. It helps living things survive. But it does not have all the traits of a living thing. Rain does not grow or need food. |
|
Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
Our competitors use unhealthy sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners. But Rev-Up Energy Drink contains one hundred percent real cane sugar to fuel your body better. | [
"appeal to nature: the assumption that natural things are always good",
"ad hominem: a personal attack against one's opponent"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade8 | language science | writing-strategies | Developing and supporting arguments | Classify logical fallacies | A strong argument uses valid reasoning and logic in support of a claim. When an argument or claim introduces irrelevant information or misrepresents the issues at hand, it may be committing a logical fallacy. Logical fallacies can hurt a writer's credibility and can lead readers to draw false conclusions.
A logical fallacy may present irrelevant information:
Fallacy | Description
ad hominem | a personal attack meant to discredit one's opponent
appeal to nature | an argument that assumes the natural choice is always the best choice
bandwagon fallacy | an argument that assumes the popular choice is always the best choice
circular reasoning | an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself
guilt by association | an unfair negative association with another person or group that is intended to discredit someone or something
red herring | the use of a completely unrelated topic in support of a claim
A logical fallacy may misrepresent the issues at hand:
Fallacy | Description
false causation | the assumption that because two things happened together, one caused the other
false dichotomy | an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist
hasty generalization | a very broad claim based on very little evidence
straw man | a misrepresentation of an opponent's position that makes it easier to argue against
| The text argues that Rev-Up is healthier than other energy drinks. However, even though Rev-Up contains cane sugar instead of artificial sweeteners, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's better for you. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as an appeal to nature. |
|
What kind of sentence is this?
Does Eve prefer pizza or pasta? | [
"interrogative",
"imperative"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade5 | language science | punctuation | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory? | There are four kinds of sentences.
A declarative sentence is a statement. It tells about something. A declarative sentence always ends with a period.
I have an older brother and a younger sister.
An interrogative sentence is a question. It asks something. An interrogative sentence always ends with a question mark.
How tall are you?
An imperative sentence is a command. It makes a request or tells someone to do something. An imperative sentence usually ends with a period. If the command shows strong feeling, it ends with an exclamation point.
Read the first chapter by next week.
Look out for that car!
An exclamatory sentence is like a statement, but it shows surprise or strong feeling. An exclamatory sentence always ends with an exclamation point.
Some whales are over ninety feet long!
I can't wait until tomorrow! | The sentence asks something, and it ends with a question mark. It is an interrogative sentence. |
|
Would you find the word daddy on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
design - disease | [
"no",
"yes"
] | 0 | yes or no | grade2 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since daddy is not between the guide words design - disease, it would not be found on that page. |
|
Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
Animals tread softly upon the earth without shoes, so all other living beings should follow suit. | [
"appeal to nature: the assumption that natural things are always good",
"false causation: the assumption that because two things happened together, one caused the other"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade8 | language science | writing-strategies | Developing and supporting arguments | Classify logical fallacies | A strong argument uses valid reasoning and logic in support of a claim. When an argument or claim introduces irrelevant information or misrepresents the issues at hand, it may be committing a logical fallacy. Logical fallacies can hurt a writer's credibility and can lead readers to draw false conclusions.
A logical fallacy may present irrelevant information:
Fallacy | Description
ad hominem | a personal attack meant to discredit one's opponent
appeal to nature | an argument that assumes the natural choice is always the best choice
bandwagon fallacy | an argument that assumes the popular choice is always the best choice
circular reasoning | an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself
guilt by association | an unfair negative association with another person or group that is intended to discredit someone or something
red herring | the use of a completely unrelated topic in support of a claim
A logical fallacy may misrepresent the issues at hand:
Fallacy | Description
false causation | the assumption that because two things happened together, one caused the other
false dichotomy | an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist
hasty generalization | a very broad claim based on very little evidence
straw man | a misrepresentation of an opponent's position that makes it easier to argue against
| The text argues that people shouldn't wear shoes, because animals don't wear shoes. However, even though animals don't wear shoes, that doesn't necessarily mean that people shouldn't, either. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as an appeal to nature. |
|
Based on this information, what is Sandy's phenotype for the tail spots trait? | [
"a spotted tail",
"an unspotted tail"
] | 1 | In a group of guppies, some individuals have a spotted tail and others have an unspotted tail. In this group, the gene for the tail spots trait has two alleles. The allele for a spotted tail (I) is dominant over the allele for an unspotted tail (i).
Sandy is a guppy from this group. Sandy has the homozygous genotype ii for the tail spots gene. | closed choice | grade7 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Genetics vocabulary: dominant and recessive | All organisms have pieces of hereditary material called genes, which are passed from parents to offspring. Genes contain instructions for building the parts of an organism. An organism's genes affect its observable traits, including its appearance, its behavior, and which diseases it may have. Genes may have different alleles, or forms, that can cause different versions of a trait.
For example, flower color is a trait in pea plants. The gene for this trait has two possible alleles. Each allele is represented by an uppercase or lowercase letter. The allele F is for purple flowers, and the allele f is for white flowers. Each pea plant has two alleles for the flower color gene—one allele inherited from each parent.
An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. So, a pea plant may have a genotype of FF, Ff, or ff for the flower color gene.
An organism's phenotype for a trait is its observable version of that trait, which depends on the organism's combination of alleles. A pea plant may have a phenotype of purple flowers or white flowers for the flower color trait.
Some traits, like flower color in pea plants, are controlled by a single gene. Most plants and animals have a genotype made up of two alleles for these traits. These two alleles determine whether an organism is homozygous or heterozygous for the gene.
An organism with two identical alleles for a gene is homozygous for that gene. A pea plant with the genotype FF or ff is homozygous for the flower color gene.
An organism with two different alleles for a gene is heterozygous for that gene. A pea plant with the genotype Ff is heterozygous for the flower color gene.
The types of alleles in an organism's genotype determine the organism's phenotype. Some alleles have types called dominant and recessive. These two types can cause different versions of a trait to appear as the organism's phenotype.
A dominant allele causes its version of the trait to appear even when the organism also has a recessive allele for the gene. In pea plants, the F allele, which causes purple flowers, is dominant over the f allele. A pea plant with at least one F allele will have the F allele's version of the flower color trait. So, a plant with the genotype FF or Ff will have purple flowers.
A recessive allele causes its version of the trait to appear only when the organism does not have any dominant alleles for the gene. In pea plants, the f allele, which causes white flowers, is recessive to the F allele. A pea plant with only f alleles will have the f allele's version of the flower color trait. So, a plant with the genotype ff will have white flowers. | Sandy's genotype for the tail spots gene is ii. Sandy's genotype of ii has only i alleles. The i allele is for an unspotted tail. So, Sandy's phenotype for the tail spots trait must be an unspotted tail.
To check this answer, consider whether Sandy's alleles are dominant or recessive. The allele for a spotted tail (I) is dominant over the allele for an unspotted tail (i). This means I is a dominant allele, and i is a recessive allele.
Sandy's genotype of ii has only recessive alleles. An organism with only recessive alleles for a gene will have the recessive allele's version of the trait. So, Sandy's phenotype for the tail spots trait must be an unspotted tail. |
What information supports the conclusion that Hector inherited this trait? | [
"Hector's mother has blue eyes. She passed this trait down to Hector.",
"Hector likes to wear a blue sweater to match his blue eyes."
] | 0 | Read the description of a trait.
Hector has blue eyes. | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | biology | Heredity | Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down through families. Children gain these traits from their parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. | |
Select the vertebrate. | [
"golden frog",
"Caribbean reef octopus",
"honey bee",
"weaver ant"
] | 0 | Hint: Mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians are vertebrates. | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | biology | Classification | Identify vertebrates and invertebrates | Vertebrates and invertebrates are both groups of animals.
A vertebrate has a backbone. The backbone is made of many bones in an animal's back. A vertebrate's backbone helps connect the different parts of its body. In the drawings below, each vertebrate's backbone is colored orange.
An invertebrate does not have a backbone. In fact, invertebrates do not have any bones! Some invertebrates have an outer cover on their body called an exoskeleton. Other invertebrates have a soft body. | A golden frog is an amphibian. Like other amphibians, a golden frog is a vertebrate. It has a backbone.
A weaver ant is an insect. Like other insects, a weaver ant is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone. It has an exoskeleton.
Like other octopuses, a Caribbean reef octopus is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone. It has a soft body.
A honey bee is an insect. Like other insects, a honey bee is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone. It has an exoskeleton. |
Select the vertebrate. | [
"trapdoor spider",
"nautilus",
"red-headed poison frog",
"golden orb-weaver"
] | 2 | Hint: Mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians are vertebrates. | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | biology | Classification | Identify vertebrates and invertebrates | Vertebrates and invertebrates are both groups of animals.
A vertebrate has a backbone. The backbone is made of many bones in an animal's back. A vertebrate's backbone helps connect the different parts of its body. In the drawings below, each vertebrate's backbone is colored orange.
An invertebrate does not have a backbone. In fact, invertebrates do not have any bones! Some invertebrates have an outer cover on their body called an exoskeleton. Other invertebrates have a soft body. | A nautilus is a mollusk. Like other mollusks, a nautilus is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone.
Like other spiders, a golden orb-weaver is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone. It has an exoskeleton.
Like other spiders, a trapdoor spider is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone. It has an exoskeleton.
A red-headed poison frog is an amphibian. Like other amphibians, a red-headed poison frog is a vertebrate. It has a backbone. |
Which correctly shows the title of a book? | [
"Starry River of the Sky",
"Starry river of the Sky"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade4 | language science | capitalization | Formatting | Capitalizing titles | In a title, capitalize the first word, the last word, and every important word in between.
The Wind in the Willows James and the Giant Peach
These words are not important in titles:
Articles, a, an, the
Short prepositions, such as at, by, for, in, of, on, to, up
Coordinating conjunctions, such as and, but, or | Capitalize the first word, the last word, and every important word in between. The words of and the are not important, so they should not be capitalized.
The correct title is Starry River of the Sky. |
|
Which is scratchier? | [
"wood bat",
"burlap sack"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | physics | Materials | Compare properties of materials | Every object is made of one or more materials. A material is a type of matter. Wood, glass, metal, and plastic are common materials.
A material has different properties. A material's properties tell you how it looks, feels, tastes, or smells. | Scratchy is a property. A scratchy material is rough and itchy against your skin.
Look at each picture, one at a time. Imagine touching the material shown in each picture.
Of the choices, the burlap sack is scratchier. If you touch burlap, it will feel rough and itchy. |
|
Which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference? | [
"Jim plans to travel around Europe with his brother after he graduates.",
"After Jim graduates, he plans to travel around Europe with his brother."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade6 | language science | pronouns | Pronouns and antecedents | Identify vague pronoun references | When writing, make sure to avoid vague pronoun references. A vague pronoun reference occurs when a pronoun could refer to more than one possible antecedent.
When Lisa and Kim finally landed, she breathed a sigh of relief.
The pronoun she could refer to either Lisa or Kim, so the meaning of the sentence is unclear.
Vague pronoun references can be corrected in one of two ways:
1. Replace the pronoun with its correct antecedent:
When Lisa and Kim finally landed, Lisa breathed a sigh of relief.
2. Rewrite the sentence:
Lisa breathed a sigh of relief when she and Kim finally landed.
A vague pronoun reference also occurs when they, them, their, theirs, it, or its is used without its antecedent.
They say that this nail polish dries in less than five minutes.
The pronoun they is used without its antecedent, so the meaning of the sentence is unclear.
This problem can be fixed by replacing the pronoun with its missing antecedent.
The advertisements say that this nail polish dries in less than five minutes. | The second answer choice contains a vague pronoun reference. The pronoun he could refer to Jim or his brother.
Jim plans to travel around Europe with his brother after he graduates.
The first answer choice shows a possible correction for the vague pronoun reference. The text has been rewritten so that the meaning is clear.
After Jim graduates, he plans to travel around Europe with his brother. |
|
Select the vertebrate. | [
"bumble bee",
"orb weaver",
"earthworm",
"penguin"
] | 3 | Hint: Mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians are vertebrates. | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | biology | Classification | Identify vertebrates and invertebrates | Vertebrates and invertebrates are both groups of animals.
A vertebrate has a backbone. The backbone is made of many bones in an animal's back. A vertebrate's backbone helps connect the different parts of its body. In the drawings below, each vertebrate's backbone is colored orange.
An invertebrate does not have a backbone. In fact, invertebrates do not have any bones! Some invertebrates have an outer cover on their body called an exoskeleton. Other invertebrates have a soft body. | A penguin is a bird. Like other birds, a penguin is a vertebrate. It has a backbone.
Like other spiders, an orb weaver is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone. It has an exoskeleton.
An earthworm is a worm. Like other worms, an earthworm is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone. It has a soft body.
A bumble bee is an insect. Like other insects, a bumble bee is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone. It has an exoskeleton. |
Which is a complex sentence? | [
"Because the leaves blocked the intense sun, it was cool underneath the forest canopy.",
"Her dog happily fetched his tennis ball from the muddy puddle and eagerly waited for her to throw it again."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade6 | language science | grammar | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is the sentence simple, compound, or complex? | A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate.
An independent clause is a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause is not a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence.
the oranges on our tree are ripe
The clause can stand alone. It is independent.
after we pick up Kevin from work
The clause cannot stand alone. It is dependent.
A simple sentence is made up of a single independent clause.
Ben and I spent all day relaxing by the pool.
Some simple sentences have introductory phrases, but the introductory phrase is part of the predicate.
In the winter, Ben usually wears his heavy coat.
Ben usually wears his heavy coat in the winter.
A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
We saw a flash of lightning, and seconds later we heard the rumble of thunder.
A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dependent clause usually begins with a subordinating conjunction such as after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, or while.
If she ever gets the chance, Terri would love to visit the Egyptian pyramids. | The first sentence is the complex sentence. It is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dependent clause begins with the subordinating conjunction because.
Because the leaves blocked the intense sun, it was cool underneath the forest canopy. |
|
Is the following trait inherited or acquired?
Jackson has a scar on his left elbow. | [
"inherited",
"acquired"
] | 1 | Hint: Most scars are caused by accidents during a person's life. | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | biology | Heredity | Identify inherited and acquired traits | Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down through families. Children gain these traits from their parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. Children do not inherit their parents' acquired traits. | Children do not inherit their parent's scars. Instead, scars are caused by the environment. People can get scars after they get hurt. So, having a scar is an acquired trait. |
Compare the motion of three cars. Which car was moving at the highest speed? | [
"a car that moved 150kilometers south in 5hours",
"a car that moved 330kilometers east in 5hours",
"a car that moved 250kilometers north in 5hours"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | physics | Force and motion | Compare the speeds of moving objects | An object's speed tells you how fast the object is moving. Speed depends on both distance and time.
Distance tells you how far the object has moved. One unit used to measure distance is the kilometer.
Time tells you how long the object has spent moving. One unit used to measure time is the hour.
Think about objects moving for the same amount of time. The object that is moving the fastest will go the farthest distance in that time. It is moving at the highest speed. | Look at the distance each car moved and the time it took to move that distance. The direction each car moved does not affect its speed.
Notice that each car moved for 5 hours. The car that moved 330 kilometers moved the farthest distance in that time. So, that car must have moved at the highest speed. |
|
What do these two changes have in common?
plants making food from sunlight, air, and water
cooking a pancake | [
"Both are only physical changes.",
"Both are chemical changes.",
"Both are caused by heating.",
"Both are caused by cooling."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | chemistry | Physical and chemical change | Compare physical and chemical changes | Chemical changes and physical changes are two common ways matter can change.
In a chemical change, the type of matter changes. The types of matter before and after a chemical change are always different.
Some chemical changes are caused by heating or cooling. For example, burning a piece of paper is a chemical change caused by heating. When paper gets hot enough, it reacts with oxygen in the air and burns. The paper and oxygen change into ash and smoke.
In a physical change, the type of matter stays the same. The types of matter before and after a physical change are always the same.
A change of state is a type of physical change. Changes of state can be caused by heating or cooling. For example, ice melting is a physical change that can be caused by heating. Ice and liquid water are made of the same type of matter: water.
The law of conservation of mass says that all physical and chemical changes conserve mass. Conserve means to keep the same. So, the total mass before a physical or chemical change is equal to the total mass after the change. | Step 1: Think about each change.
Plants making food is a chemical change. Plants use energy from sunlight to change air and water into food. The food is sugar. Sugar is a different type of matter than air or water.
Cooking a pancake is a chemical change. Pancakes are made from pancake batter. A cooked pancake is a different type of matter than pancake batter. Pancake batter is wet and slippery. Cooked pancakes are fluffy and can be good to eat!
Step 2: Look at each answer choice.
Both are only physical changes.
Both changes are chemical changes. They are not physical changes.
Both are chemical changes.
Both changes are chemical changes. The type of matter before and after each change is different.
Both are caused by heating.
Cooking is caused by heating. But plants making food is not.
Both are caused by cooling.
Neither change is caused by cooling. |
|
Based on this information, what is Jack's genotype for the leg color gene? | [
"ll",
"yellow legs"
] | 0 | In a group of chickens, some individuals have white legs and others have yellow legs. In this group, the gene for the leg color trait has two alleles. The allele L is for white legs, and the allele l is for yellow legs.
Jack, a chicken from this group, has yellow legs. Jack has two alleles for yellow legs. | closed choice | grade7 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Genetics vocabulary: genotype and phenotype | All organisms have pieces of hereditary material called genes, which are passed from parents to offspring. Genes contain instructions for building the parts of an organism. An organism's genes affect its observable traits, including its appearance, its behavior, and which diseases it may have. Genes may have different alleles, or forms, that can cause different versions of a trait.
For example, flower color is a trait in pea plants. The gene for this trait has two possible alleles. Each allele is represented by an uppercase or lowercase letter. The allele F is for purple flowers, and the allele f is for white flowers. Each pea plant has two alleles for the flower color gene—one allele inherited from each parent.
An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. So, a pea plant may have a genotype of FF, Ff, or ff for the flower color gene.
An organism's phenotype for a trait is its observable version of that trait, which depends on the organism's combination of alleles. A pea plant may have a phenotype of purple flowers or white flowers for the flower color trait. | An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. Jack has two alleles for yellow legs (l). So, Jack's genotype for the leg color gene is ll. |
Which greeting is correct for a letter? | [
"Dear Mrs. Joyce,",
"Dear Mrs. joyce,"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade2 | language science | capitalization | Capitalization | Greetings and closings of letters | A letter starts with a greeting and ends with a closing. For each one, capitalize the first word and end with a comma. You should also capitalize proper nouns, such as Aunt Sue.
Dear Aunt Sue,
I'm glad you could come to my party, and
thank you for the birthday gift. I could not have
asked for a better one! Every time I see it, I think
of you.
With love,
Rory | The second greeting is correct:
Its first word is capitalized, and it ends with a comma. Mrs. Joyce is capitalized because it is a proper noun. |
|
Would you find the word hasten on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
hearth - hiss | [
"no",
"yes"
] | 0 | yes or no | grade4 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on.
If one word is shorter, and there are no more letters to compare, then the shorter word comes first in alphabetical order. For example, be comes before bed. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since hasten is not between the guide words hearth - hiss, it would not be found on that page. |
|
Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
copper - cure | [
"chair",
"crush"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade8 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on.
If one word is shorter, and there are no more letters to compare, then the shorter word comes first in alphabetical order. For example, be comes before bed. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since crush is between the guide words copper - cure, it would be found on that page. |
|
Is the following trait inherited or acquired?
Haley can drive a car. | [
"acquired",
"inherited"
] | 0 | Hint: Driving well takes practice. | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | biology | Heredity | Identify inherited and acquired traits | Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down through families. Children gain these traits from their parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. Children do not inherit their parents' acquired traits. | Humans are not born knowing how to drive a car. Instead, many people learn how to drive when they are older. So, driving is an acquired trait. |
Using only these supplies, which question can Zoe investigate with an experiment? | [
"Does a rubber inner tube sled go faster down a small hill or down a big hill?",
"Does a plastic sled or a wooden sled go down a hill faster?",
"Does a rubber inner tube sled or a plastic sled go faster down a hill?"
] | 2 | Zoe is sledding with her friends. She notices that some of them go faster down the sledding hill. She wonders what factors affect sledding speed. So, she decides to design an experiment. She has the following supplies available:
access to a small snow-covered hill at the park
a small plastic sled
a large plastic sled
a rubber inner tube sled
a stopwatch | closed choice | grade8 | natural science | science-and-engineering-practices | Designing experiments | Identify questions that can be investigated with a set of materials | Experiments can be designed to answer specific questions. When designing an experiment, you must identify the supplies that are necessary to answer your question. In order to do this, you need to figure out what will be tested and what will be measured during the experiment.
Imagine that you are wondering if plants grow to different heights when planted in different types of soil. How might you decide what supplies are necessary to conduct this experiment?
First, you need to identify the part of the experiment that will be tested, which is the independent variable. This is usually the part of the experiment that is different or changed. In this case, you would like to know how plants grow in different types of soil. So, you must have different types of soil available.
Next, you need to identify the part of the experiment that will be measured or observed, which is the dependent variable. In this experiment, you would like to know if some plants grow taller than others. So, you must be able to compare the plants' heights. To do this, you can observe which plants are taller by looking at them, or you can measure their exact heights with a meterstick.
So, if you have different types of soil and can observe or measure the heights of your plants, then you have the supplies you need to investigate your question with an experiment! | |
Which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference? | [
"The Hardings make delicious pies; Julia was delighted to find them at the farmers' market.",
"Julia was delighted to find the Hardings' delicious pies at the farmers' market."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade11 | language science | writing-strategies | Pronouns | Identify vague pronoun references | When writing, make sure to avoid vague pronoun references. A vague pronoun reference occurs when a pronoun could refer to more than one possible antecedent.
When Lisa and Kim finally landed, she breathed a sigh of relief.
The pronoun she could refer to either Lisa or Kim, so the meaning of the sentence is unclear.
Vague pronoun references can be corrected in one of two ways:
1. Replace the pronoun with its correct antecedent:
When Lisa and Kim finally landed, Lisa breathed a sigh of relief.
2. Rewrite the sentence:
Lisa breathed a sigh of relief when she and Kim finally landed.
A vague pronoun reference also occurs when they, them, their, theirs, it, or its is used without its antecedent.
They say that this nail polish dries in less than five minutes.
The pronoun they is used without its antecedent, so the meaning of the sentence is unclear.
This problem can be fixed by replacing the pronoun with its missing antecedent.
The advertisements say that this nail polish dries in less than five minutes. | The second answer choice contains a vague pronoun reference. The pronoun them could refer to the Hardings or delicious pies.
The Hardings make delicious pies; Julia was delighted to find them at the farmers' market.
The first answer choice shows a possible correction for the vague pronoun reference. The text has been rewritten so that the meaning is clear.
Julia was delighted to find the Hardings' delicious pies at the farmers' market. |
|
Is this a run-on sentence?
Coconut crabs are the largest terrestrial arthropods on the planet they can weigh up to nine pounds and grow to be up to three feet across. | [
"yes",
"no"
] | 0 | yes or no | grade12 | language science | writing-strategies | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Identify run-on sentences | A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily because we have a concert in two weeks.
A run-on sentence is formed when two sentences are run together, joined by just a comma or by no punctuation at all. If only a comma is used, the run-on is called a comma splice.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily, we have a concert in two weeks.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily we have a concert in two weeks.
There are several ways to fix a run-on sentence:
Use stronger punctuation, such as a period or a semicolon.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily. We have a concert in two weeks.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily; we have a concert in two weeks.
Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction to create a compound sentence. Coordinating conjunctions include and, but, or, and so.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily, and we have a concert in two weeks.
Use a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun to create a complex sentence. Subordinating conjunctions include after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, and while. Relative pronouns include that, which, who, whom, and whose.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily since we have a concert in two weeks. | This is a run-on sentence. It is formed from two sentences run together, joined without punctuation.
Coconut crabs are the largest terrestrial arthropods on the planet they can weigh up to nine pounds and grow to be up to three feet across.
Here is one way to fix the run-on sentence:
Coconut crabs are the largest terrestrial arthropods on the planet; they can weigh up to nine pounds and grow to be up to three feet across. |
|
What is the source of the allusion in the sentence below?
The swordsman achieved a Pyrrhic victory. | [
"Greek history",
"a fairy tale"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade9 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Recall the source of an allusion | An allusion is a brief mention of something or someone well known, often from mythology, history, or literature. An allusion lets you reference ideas from an entire story in just a few words.
"I'd better get home before I turn into a pumpkin!" Lila remarked.
Here, Lila alludes to the fairy tale "Cinderella," in which Cinderella must leave the ball before the coach that brought her transforms into a pumpkin. The allusion shows that Lila must depart immediately. | The source of the allusion Pyrrhic victory is Greek history.
Pyrrhus was an ancient Greek king who won a battle but suffered very heavy losses.
The allusion Pyrrhic victory means a success that comes at a huge cost. |
|
What does the metaphor in this text suggest?
When Jaden lost his job, he was devastated. The only light in the sea of darkness was the prospect of pursuing a new career. | [
"There was a benefit to Jaden's job loss.",
"Jaden felt in the dark about what to do after losing his job."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade6 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Interpret figures of speech | Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
A metaphor compares two things that are not actually alike without using like or as.
The snow formed a blanket over the town. | The text uses a metaphor, comparing two things that are not actually alike without using like or as.
The metaphor the only light in the sea of darkness was the prospect of pursuing a new career suggests that there was a benefit to Jaden's job loss. A light would be beneficial in helping someone escape a dark, difficult-to-navigate situation. Similarly, Jaden's new career was beneficial in helping him escape the emotionally difficult experience of losing his job. |
|
Which figure of speech is used in this text?
Natalie's phone slipped out of her pocket, landing in the toilet with a plop. | [
"idiom",
"onomatopoeia"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade7 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Classify figures of speech | Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
Alliteration is the repetition of sounds at the beginning of nearby words.
What a lucky little lady you are!
An allusion is a brief reference to something or someone well known, often from history or literature.
"I'd better get home before I turn into a pumpkin!" Lila remarked.
An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood literally. Its meaning must be learned.
The assignment was a piece of cake.
A simile uses like or as to compare two things that are not actually alike.
The cat's fur was as dark as the night.
A metaphor compares two things that are not actually alike without using like or as.
The snow formed a blanket over the town.
Onomatopoeia involves using a word that expresses a sound.
The scrambled eggs hit the floor with a splat.
Personification is giving human characteristics to nonhuman things.
The trees danced in the wind.
A pun involves using a word or phrase in a humorous way that suggests more than one meaning.
A great new broom is sweeping the nation.
Verbal irony involves saying one thing but implying something very different. People often use verbal irony when they are being sarcastic.
Olivia seems thrilled that her car keeps breaking down.
Each breakdown is as enjoyable as a punch to the face. | The text uses onomatopoeia, a word that expresses a sound.
Plop represents the sound of the phone landing in the toilet. |
|
Which text uses the word nauseous in its traditional sense? | [
"Everyone seemed to enjoy the magnolia-scented candle, but it made Oscar feel rather nauseous.",
"Everyone seemed to enjoy the magnolia-scented candle, but Oscar found the smell rather nauseous."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade9 | language science | writing-strategies | Word usage and nuance | Explore words with new or contested usages | Words change in meaning when speakers begin using them in new ways. For example, the word peruse once only meant to examine in detail, but it's now also commonly used to mean to look through in a casual manner.
When a word changes in meaning, its correct usage is often debated. Although a newer sense of the word may be more commonly used, many people consider a word's traditional definition to be the correct usage. Being able to distinguish the different uses of a word can help you use it appropriately for different audiences.
Britney perused her notes, carefully preparing for her exam.
The traditional usage above is considered more standard.
David perused the magazine, absentmindedly flipping through the pages.
The nontraditional usage above is now commonly used, but traditional style guides generally advise against it. | The first text uses nauseous in its traditional sense: causing disgust or nausea.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the magnolia-scented candle, but Oscar found the smell rather nauseous.
The second text uses nauseous in its nontraditional sense: feeling disgusted or nauseated.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the magnolia-scented candle, but it made Oscar feel rather nauseous.
Most style guides recommend to use the traditional sense of the word nauseous because it is considered more standard. |
|
Which is a run-on sentence? | [
"The child chews her food carefully.",
"We wanted a snack, we ate some cherries."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade3 | language science | writing-strategies | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is it a complete sentence or a run-on? | A sentence is a group of words that forms a complete thought. It has both a subject and a verb.
My friends walk along the path.
A run-on sentence is made up of two sentences that are joined without end punctuation or with just a comma.
I knocked on the door it opened.
It started raining, we ran inside.
To fix a run-on sentence, separate it into two sentences. Add end punctuation after the first sentence, and capitalize the second sentence.
I knocked on the door. It opened.
It started raining. We ran inside.
You can also fix a run-on sentence by rewriting it as a compound sentence. A compound sentence is two sentences joined by a comma and a conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
I knocked on the door, and it opened.
It started raining, so we ran inside. | We wanted a snack, we ate some cherries is a run-on sentence. It has two sentences that are joined by just a comma: We wanted a snack and We ate some cherries. |
|
Suppose Grayson decides to make tomato soup. Which result would be a cost? | [
"Grayson will save some time. The egg drop soup would have taken longer to make than the tomato soup.",
"Grayson will give up the chance to eat the egg drop soup, which would have been tastier than the tomato soup."
] | 1 | Grayson is deciding whether to make egg drop soup or tomato soup for dinner. He wants dinner to be as tasty as possible. But he is also hungry and wants to eat soon. | closed choice | grade5 | social science | economics | Basic economic principles | Costs and benefits | Before you decide to do something, it is often helpful to list costs and benefits.
Costs are what you give up or spend when you decide to do something. Costs involve giving up things that you want or need.
Benefits are what you gain or save when you decide to do something. Benefits involve gaining something that you want or need. | This result is a cost. It involves giving up or spending something that Grayson wants or needs:
Grayson will give up the chance to eat the egg drop soup, which would have been tastier than the tomato soup. |
Select the reptile. | [
"cane toad",
"ocean sunfish",
"western gorilla",
"cobra"
] | 3 | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | biology | Classification | Identify mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians | Reptiles have scaly, waterproof skin. Most reptiles live on land. | A western gorilla is a mammal. It has fur and feeds its young milk.
Gorillas live in groups called troops. The largest male in the troop is usually the leader.
An ocean sunfish is a fish. It lives underwater. It has fins, not limbs.
Ocean sunfish have a flat body and wide fins. They sometimes swim to the ocean's surface to rest in the sun.
A cobra is a reptile. It has scaly, waterproof skin.
Most cobras have a wide, flat hood below their head. A cobra can display its hood to scare away a predator.
A cane toad is an amphibian. It has moist skin and begins its life in water.
Toads do not have teeth! They swallow their food whole. |
|
Would you find the word lower on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
length - lid | [
"no",
"yes"
] | 0 | yes or no | grade2 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since lower is not between the guide words length - lid, it would not be found on that page. |
|
What kind of sentence is this?
Bonnie gave me flowers for no reason. | [
"declarative",
"exclamatory"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade4 | language science | punctuation | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory? | There are four kinds of sentences.
A declarative sentence is a statement. It tells about something. A declarative sentence always ends with a period.
I have an older brother and a younger sister.
An interrogative sentence is a question. It asks something. An interrogative sentence always ends with a question mark.
How tall are you?
An imperative sentence is a command. It makes a request or tells someone to do something. An imperative sentence usually ends with a period. If the command shows strong feeling, it ends with an exclamation point.
Read the first chapter by next week.
Look out for that car!
An exclamatory sentence is like a statement, but it shows surprise or strong feeling. An exclamatory sentence always ends with an exclamation point.
Some whales are over ninety feet long!
I can't wait until tomorrow! | The sentence tells about something, and it ends with a period. It is a declarative sentence. |
|
Which text uses the word random in its traditional sense? | [
"At the grocery store, Rosanne hastily grabbed fruits and vegetables at random, filling her shopping cart with a hodgepodge of food.",
"Rosanne made a random trip to the grocery store, though her kitchen was already stocked with a hodgepodge of food."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade12 | language science | writing-strategies | Word usage and nuance | Explore words with new or contested usages | Words change in meaning when speakers begin using them in new ways. For example, the word peruse once only meant to examine in detail, but it's now also commonly used to mean to look through in a casual manner.
When a word changes in meaning, its correct usage is often debated. Although a newer sense of the word may be more commonly used, many people consider a word's traditional definition to be the correct usage. Being able to distinguish the different uses of a word can help you use it appropriately for different audiences.
Britney perused her notes, carefully preparing for her exam.
The traditional usage above is considered more standard.
David perused the magazine, absentmindedly flipping through the pages.
The nontraditional usage above is now commonly used, but traditional style guides generally advise against it. | The first text uses random in its traditional sense: made or occurring without a definite pattern.
At the grocery store, Rosanne hastily grabbed fruits and vegetables at random, filling her shopping cart with a hodgepodge of food.
The second text uses random in its nontraditional sense: odd or out of place.
Rosanne made a random trip to the grocery store, though her kitchen was already stocked with a hodgepodge of food.
Most style guides recommend to avoid using the nontraditional sense of the word random because it is generally considered incorrect. |
|
Which would smell more? | [
"silver ring",
"soap bar"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | physics | Materials | Compare properties of materials | Every object is made of one or more materials. A material is a type of matter. Wood, glass, metal, and plastic are common materials.
A material has different properties. A material's properties tell you how it looks, feels, tastes, or smells. | Smelly is a property. A smelly material has a strong smell.
Look at each picture, one at a time. Imagine smelling the material shown in each picture.
Of the choices, the soap bar would smell more. A bar of soap has a strong smell. |
|
Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
decorate - dynamite | [
"dawn",
"diesel"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade4 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on.
If one word is shorter, and there are no more letters to compare, then the shorter word comes first in alphabetical order. For example, be comes before bed. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since diesel is between the guide words decorate - dynamite, it would be found on that page. |
|
Which is the scratchiest? | [
"nylon shorts",
"asphalt road",
"paper tissue"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | physics | Materials | Compare properties of materials | Every object is made of one or more materials. A material is a type of matter. Wood, glass, metal, and plastic are common materials.
A material has different properties. A material's properties tell you how it looks, feels, tastes, or smells. Some examples of properties are shiny, hard, fragile, and stretchy.
For example, a shiny material reflects a lot of light. A fragile material breaks when you drop it. | Scratchy is a property. A scratchy material is rough and itchy against your skin.
Look at each picture, one at a time. Imagine touching the material shown in each picture.
Of the choices, the asphalt road is the scratchiest. If you touch an asphalt road, it will feel rough and itchy. |
|
Which is a simple sentence? | [
"Bears eat honeybees, and some birds eat them, too.",
"Tomorrow the price of gas may go up."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade3 | language science | grammar | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is the sentence simple or compound? | A simple sentence is a sentence with only one subject and predicate.
The pitcher threw the ball to first base.
A compound sentence is two simple sentences joined by a comma and a conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
The pitcher threw the ball, and the batter hit it.
Some simple sentences have a compound subject or a compound predicate, but they are not compound sentences.
Anna and James will watch the fireworks tonight.
This simple sentence has a compound subject, Anna and James.
The singers bowed and walked off the stage.
This simple sentence has a compound predicate, bowed and walked off the stage.
Some simple sentences have introductory phrases, but they are not compound sentences. The introductory phrase is part of the predicate.
In the winter, Farmer Ben wears his heavy coat.
This is a simple sentence. There is one subject, Farmer Ben, and one predicate, wears his heavy coat in the winter. | The second sentence is the simple sentence. It has one subject and predicate.
Tomorrow the price of gas may go up. |
|
Based on this information, what is Walker's phenotype for the horns trait? | [
"having horns",
"not having horns"
] | 0 | In a group of cows, some individuals have horns and others do not. In this group, the gene for the horns trait has two alleles. The allele for having horns (h) is recessive to the allele for not having horns (H).
Walker is a cow from this group. Walker has the homozygous genotype hh for the horns gene. | closed choice | grade6 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Genetics vocabulary: dominant and recessive | All organisms have pieces of hereditary material called genes, which are passed from parents to offspring. Genes contain instructions for building the parts of an organism. An organism's genes affect its observable traits, including its appearance, its behavior, and which diseases it may have. Genes may have different alleles, or forms, that can cause different versions of a trait.
For example, flower color is a trait in pea plants. The gene for this trait has two possible alleles. Each allele is represented by an uppercase or lowercase letter. The allele F is for purple flowers, and the allele f is for white flowers. Each pea plant has two alleles for the flower color gene—one allele inherited from each parent.
An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. So, a pea plant may have a genotype of FF, Ff, or ff for the flower color gene.
An organism's phenotype for a trait is its observable version of that trait, which depends on the organism's combination of alleles. A pea plant may have a phenotype of purple flowers or white flowers for the flower color trait.
Some traits, like flower color in pea plants, are controlled by a single gene. Most plants and animals have a genotype made up of two alleles for these traits. These two alleles determine whether an organism is homozygous or heterozygous for the gene.
An organism with two identical alleles for a gene is homozygous for that gene. A pea plant with the genotype FF or ff is homozygous for the flower color gene.
An organism with two different alleles for a gene is heterozygous for that gene. A pea plant with the genotype Ff is heterozygous for the flower color gene.
The types of alleles in an organism's genotype determine the organism's phenotype. Some alleles have types called dominant and recessive. These two types can cause different versions of a trait to appear as the organism's phenotype.
A dominant allele causes its version of the trait to appear even when the organism also has a recessive allele for the gene. In pea plants, the F allele, which causes purple flowers, is dominant over the f allele. A pea plant with at least one F allele will have the F allele's version of the flower color trait. So, a plant with the genotype FF or Ff will have purple flowers.
A recessive allele causes its version of the trait to appear only when the organism does not have any dominant alleles for the gene. In pea plants, the f allele, which causes white flowers, is recessive to the F allele. A pea plant with only f alleles will have the f allele's version of the flower color trait. So, a plant with the genotype ff will have white flowers. | Walker's genotype for the horns gene is hh. Walker's genotype of hh has only h alleles. The h allele is for having horns. So, Walker's phenotype for the horns trait must be having horns.
To check this answer, consider whether Walker's alleles are dominant or recessive. The allele for having horns (h) is recessive to the allele for not having horns (H). This means H is a dominant allele, and h is a recessive allele.
Walker's genotype of hh has only recessive alleles. An organism with only recessive alleles for a gene will have the recessive allele's version of the trait. So, Walker's phenotype for the horns trait must be having horns. |
Is the following statement true or false?
The cytoplasm of a plant cell is made mostly of water. | [
"true",
"false"
] | 0 | true-or false | grade4 | natural science | biology | Cells | Cell part functions: true or false | The cytoplasm of a plant cell is made mostly of water.
This statement is true. All cells have cytoplasm. The cytoplasm has many cell parts inside it, but it is made mostly of water. |
||
What is the volume of a jar of baby food? | [
"4 cups",
"4 fluid ounces",
"4 gallons"
] | 1 | Select the best estimate. | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose customary units of volume | Measurements are written with both a number and a unit. The unit comes after the number. The unit shows what the number means.
Volume is a measurement of how much space something takes up.
There are many different units of volume. When you are using customary units, volume may be written in units of fluid ounces, cups, or gallons.
As the diagram shows, there are 8 fluid ounces in 1 cup and 16 cups in 1 gallon. So, 1 fluid ounce is less than 1 cup and much less than 1 gallon.
A glass of milk has a volume of about 8 fluid ounces, or 1 cup. A jug of milk has a volume of 1 gallon. | The best estimate for the volume of a jar of baby food is 4 fluid ounces.
4 cups and 4 gallons are both too much. |
Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
shadow - swollen | [
"scarf",
"stall"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade7 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on.
If one word is shorter, and there are no more letters to compare, then the shorter word comes first in alphabetical order. For example, be comes before bed. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since stall is between the guide words shadow - swollen, it would be found on that page. |
|
Which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference? | [
"Rachel said that she couldn't go to the film festival with her sister because of final exams.",
"Rachel told her sister that she couldn't go to the film festival because of final exams."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade11 | language science | writing-strategies | Pronouns | Identify vague pronoun references | When writing, make sure to avoid vague pronoun references. A vague pronoun reference occurs when a pronoun could refer to more than one possible antecedent.
When Lisa and Kim finally landed, she breathed a sigh of relief.
The pronoun she could refer to either Lisa or Kim, so the meaning of the sentence is unclear.
Vague pronoun references can be corrected in one of two ways:
1. Replace the pronoun with its correct antecedent:
When Lisa and Kim finally landed, Lisa breathed a sigh of relief.
2. Rewrite the sentence:
Lisa breathed a sigh of relief when she and Kim finally landed.
A vague pronoun reference also occurs when they, them, their, theirs, it, or its is used without its antecedent.
They say that this nail polish dries in less than five minutes.
The pronoun they is used without its antecedent, so the meaning of the sentence is unclear.
This problem can be fixed by replacing the pronoun with its missing antecedent.
The advertisements say that this nail polish dries in less than five minutes. | The first answer choice contains a vague pronoun reference. The pronoun she could refer to Rachel or her sister.
Rachel told her sister that she couldn't go to the film festival because of final exams.
The second answer choice shows a possible correction for the vague pronoun reference. The text has been rewritten so that the meaning is clear.
Rachel said that she couldn't go to the film festival with her sister because of final exams. |
|
Which object has more thermal energy? | [
"a 5-kilogram block of copper at a temperature of 95°C",
"a 5-kilogram block of copper at a temperature of 50°C"
] | 0 | The objects are identical except for their temperatures. | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | physics | Heat and thermal energy | How is temperature related to thermal energy? | All solids, liquids, and gases are made of matter. Matter is made up of tiny particles that are always moving. The energy from the motion of these particles is called thermal energy.
Temperature measures how hot or cold matter is. If the particles in matter move faster, the temperature goes up. The matter now has both more thermal energy and a higher temperature. | The two blocks of copper have the same mass but different temperatures. Since the 95°C block is hotter than the 50°C block, it has more thermal energy. |
Assume all other forces on Barbara are balanced. Which statement describes the forces on Barbara? | [
"The forces are balanced, so there is no net force on Barbara.",
"The forces are unbalanced, so there is a net force on Barbara."
] | 1 | Barbara is sitting on a roller coaster cart as it reaches the bottom of a big loop. Earth's gravity is pulling down on Barbara with a force of 600N. The seat of the cart is pushing up on Barbara with a force of 1,200N. | closed choice | grade8 | natural science | physics | Velocity, acceleration, and forces | Balanced and unbalanced forces | A force is a push or a pull that acts on an object. Every force has a direction and a magnitude, or strength. If two forces act on an object in opposite directions, the forces are called opposing forces.
When opposing forces have the same magnitude, they are balanced. If all the forces on an object are balanced, there is no net force on the object.
When opposing forces have different magnitudes, the forces are unbalanced. If any forces on an object are unbalanced, there is a net force on the object. | To determine if there is a net force on Barbara, look at the forces:
Earth's gravity is pulling Barbara down with a force of 600 N.
The seat of the cart is pushing Barbara up with a force of 1,200 N.
The forces are in opposite directions, and the forces have different magnitudes: 600 N and 1,200 N. This means that the forces are unbalanced, so there is a net force on Barbara. |
Using only these supplies, which question can Ariana investigate with an experiment? | [
"Do squash plants grow larger if the seeds are planted in small pots or in large pots?",
"If squash seeds and tomato seeds are planted with compost, which type of plant grows larger?",
"Do squash plants grow larger if the seeds are planted with compost or without compost?"
] | 2 | Ariana has a small vegetable garden, which includes a compost pile of food scraps. She notices that some of the squash plants growing next to the compost pile grow differently than squash plants that are farther away. She wonders what factors affect how her squash plants grow. So, she decides to design an experiment. She has the following supplies available:
one type of squash seeds
four large clay pots
soil
a compost pile
water | closed choice | grade7 | natural science | science-and-engineering-practices | Designing experiments | Identify questions that can be investigated with a set of materials | Experiments can be designed to answer specific questions. When designing an experiment, you must identify the supplies that are necessary to answer your question. In order to do this, you need to figure out what will be tested and what will be measured during the experiment.
Imagine that you are wondering if plants grow to different heights when planted in different types of soil. How might you decide what supplies are necessary to conduct this experiment?
First, you need to identify the part of the experiment that will be tested, which is the independent variable. This is usually the part of the experiment that is different or changed. In this case, you would like to know how plants grow in different types of soil. So, you must have different types of soil available.
Next, you need to identify the part of the experiment that will be measured or observed, which is the dependent variable. In this experiment, you would like to know if some plants grow taller than others. So, you must be able to compare the plants' heights. To do this, you can observe which plants are taller by looking at them, or you can measure their exact heights with a meterstick.
So, if you have different types of soil and can observe or measure the heights of your plants, then you have the supplies you need to investigate your question with an experiment! |
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