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Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
President Stewart is an effective communicator, because he has a natural talent for speaking with people. | [
"hasty generalization: a very broad claim based on very little evidence",
"circular reasoning: an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade7 | 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 President Stewart is an effective communicator because he communicates well. However, the "evidence" is just a restatement of the claim itself. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as circular reasoning. |
|
Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
snug - spider | [
"serve",
"soon"
] | 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 soon is between the guide words snug - spider, it would be found on that page. |
|
Which figure of speech is used in this text?
After spending weeks in New York City, Olivia was a bit unnerved by the deafening silence of her small hometown. | [
"euphemism",
"oxymoron"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade10 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Classify figures of speech: euphemism, hyperbole, oxymoron, paradox | Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
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. | The text uses an oxymoron, a joining of two seemingly contradictory terms.
Deafening silence is a contradiction, because deafening describes something extremely loud, and silence is the absence of sound. |
|
The donkeys move the carts at the same speed. Which cart is pulled with a larger force? | [
"a cart holding 63 pounds",
"a cart holding 65 pounds"
] | 1 | Two donkeys pull carts from the farmhouse to the yard. The carts are the same. Each cart is holding different tools. | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | physics | Force and motion | How do mass and force affect motion? | A force is a push or a pull.
A force can make an object start moving or stop an object that is moving. A force can also make an object speed up, slow down, or change direction.
Forces can be different sizes.
Think about trying to move a heavy object and a light object. Imagine you want to move them at the same speed. You will need to use a larger force to move the heavy object. | Look for the cart that is heavier.
A cart holding 65 pounds is heavier than a cart holding 63 pounds. So, the cart holding 65 pounds needs a larger force to start moving at the same speed as the other cart. |
Using only these supplies, which question can Reggie investigate with an experiment? | [
"Do the squirrels eat walnuts from large feeders more often than from small feeders?",
"Which type of tree do the squirrels feed from most often?",
"Do the squirrels select sunflower seeds or walnuts more often?"
] | 2 | Reggie enjoys feeding the squirrels in his backyard. He notices that they spend a lot of time collecting seeds and nuts. He wonders about what factors affect which foods squirrels choose to collect. So, he decides to design an experiment. He has the following supplies available:
two identical squirrel feeders
a bag of sunflower seeds
a bag of walnuts
a tree to hang the feeders from | 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! | |
Is the following trait inherited or acquired?
Mabel plays tennis. | [
"inherited",
"acquired"
] | 1 | Hint: Playing tennis 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. | People are not born knowing how to play tennis. Instead, some people learn how to play tennis. Playing the sport takes practice. So, playing tennis is an acquired trait. |
Select the bird. | [
"sugar glider",
"whale shark",
"peafowl",
"porcupinefish"
] | 2 | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | biology | Classification | Identify mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians | Birds have feathers, two wings, and a beak. | A sugar glider is a mammal. It has fur and feeds its young milk.
Sugar gliders can jump long distances from tree to tree. They have flaps of loose skin on their sides. These flaps help them stay in the air.
A whale shark is a fish. It lives underwater. It has fins, not limbs.
Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world! Adult whale sharks can weigh over 21 tons—as much as seven elephants!
A peafowl is a bird. It has feathers, two wings, and a beak.
The image shows a male peafowl. Male peafowl are called peacocks. Female peafowl are called peahens. Young peafowl are called peachicks!
A porcupinefish is a fish. It lives underwater. It has fins, not limbs.
Porcupinefish can puff up their bodies with air or water to scare off predators. |
|
What does this Works Cited entry indicate about the cited work?
2015 Scholarship Handbook. New York: The College Board, 2014. Print. | [
"New York is the web page title.",
"The College Board is the publisher.",
"It is an article."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade11 | language science | reference-skills | Research skills | Understand a Works Cited entry (MLA 7th edition) | When writing research papers, you will often be asked to follow a particular style guide for your citations. One popular style guide is the Modern Language Association (MLA) Handbook.
Below are the basic formats for some common types of Works Cited entries. Consult the MLA Handbook for a complete list.
Books:
Format | Author(s). Book Title. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
Example | Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Dover Publications, 1995. Print.
Essays, short stories, or poems in an anthology or book:
Format | Author(s). "Essay, Poem, or Short Story Title." Anthology or Book Title. Ed. Editor Name. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Page Number(s). Medium of Publication.
Example | James, Henry. "The Middle Years." The Oxford Book of American Short Stories. Ed. Joyce Carol Oates. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2013. 116-135. Print.
Magazine and newspaper articles:
Format | Author(s). "Article Title." Title of Magazine or Newspaper Date of Publication: Page(s). Medium of Publication.
Example | Hayes, David J., and James H. Stock. "The Real Cost of Coal." New York Times 24 Mar. 2015: n. pag. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Journal articles:
Format | Author(s). "Article Title." Title of Journal Volume.Issue (Year): Page(s). Medium of Publication.
Example | Gillette, Jane, et al. "Human Simulations of Vocabulary Learning." Cognition 73.2 (1999): 135-176. Print.
Web pages:
Format | Author(s). "Page Title." Name of Website. Publisher, Date of Publication. Medium of Publication. Date of Access.
Example | Gunn, Janelle P., and Lauren E. Owens. "How to Slash Sodium from Your Diet." Livestrong.com. Demand Media, 30 Mar. 2015. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
Additional guidelines:
Author Names. The first author's name is written in last name, first name format (Smith, Jane). Additional author names are written in first name last name format (Smith, Jane, and John Doe). If there are more than three authors, the first author's name is followed by "et al.," which stands for and others (e.g., Smith, Jane, et al.).
Medium of Publication. Each entry must include information about what form the content was communicated in. The most common mediums are "Print" and "Web," but other possibilities include "Film," "E-mail," and "Lecture." Whenever the Medium of Publication is "Web," the date of access (the day, month, and year the webpage was viewed) must be listed directly after the Medium of Publication.
Editors and Translators. If a work has an editor or a translator, this information must be added to the Works Cited entry using the appropriate abbreviation. "Ed." stands for edited by. "Trans." stands for translated by.
Missing Information. If a work has no known author, the author section of the citation is simply left out. If a work has no available page numbers, the abbreviation "n. pag." is used instead. If a work has no available publication date, the abbreviation "n.d." is used instead. If a work has no available publisher or no available city of publication, the abbreviation "n.p." is used instead.
| Look closely at the Works Cited entry:
2015 Scholarship Handbook. New York: The College Board, 2014. Print.
You can tell that The College Board is the publisher by looking at the publisher name, which appears after the place of publication. |
|
The trucks begin to move at the same speed. Which truck needs a larger force to start moving? | [
"a mail truck carrying 300 pounds of mail",
"a mail truck carrying 200 pounds of mail"
] | 0 | Two mail trucks are loaded with mail. The trucks are the same. But they are carrying different amounts of mail. | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | physics | Force and motion | How do mass and force affect motion? | A force is a push or a pull.
A force can make an object start moving or stop an object that is moving. A force can also make an object speed up, slow down, or change direction.
Forces can be different sizes.
Think about trying to move a heavy object and a light object. Imagine you want to move them at the same speed. You will need to use a larger force to move the heavy object. | Look for the mail truck that is heavier.
A mail truck carrying 300 pounds of mail is heavier than a mail truck carrying 200 pounds of mail. So, the mail truck carrying 300 pounds needs a larger force to start moving at the same speed as the other mail truck. |
Select the one animal that has all of the bird traits listed above. | [
"Red salamanders do not have lungs! They can breathe through their moist, smooth skin. Adult red salamanders live near rivers or ponds. They lay eggs with no shells under rocks or logs. The baby red salamanders live underwater.",
"Greater flameback woodpeckers have feathers and two wings. They use their strong beaks to make holes in trees. The woodpeckers use these holes as nests for their eggs, which have white shells."
] | 1 | Birds are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify birds:
They have feathers.
They have wings.
They have a beak.
They make eggs with 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.
Birds have the following traits:
They have feathers.
They have wings.
They have a beak.
They make eggs with shells.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
A red salamander has the following traits:
It spends part of its life in water and part on land.
It has moist skin.
It makes eggs with no shells.
A red salamander does not have all of the traits of a bird. A red salamander is an amphibian.
A greater flameback woodpecker has the following traits:
It has feathers.
It has wings.
It has a beak.
It makes eggs with shells.
A greater flameback woodpecker has the traits of a bird. A greater flameback woodpecker is a bird. |
Does this passage describe the weather or the climate?
Where Mark lives, winter is the rainiest season of the year. | [
"climate",
"weather"
] | 0 | Hint: Weather is what the atmosphere is like at a certain place and time. Climate is the pattern of weather in a certain place. | closed choice | grade3 | 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.
Where Mark lives, winter is the rainiest season of the year.
This passage tells you about the usual precipitation where Mark lives. It does not describe what the weather is like on a particular day. So, this passage describes the climate. |
What information supports the conclusion that Marco acquired this trait? | [
"Marco learned biology by doing experiments.",
"Marco is most interested in plant biology."
] | 0 | Read the description of a trait.
Marco knows a lot about biology. | 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. | |
Which sentence states a fact? | [
"Hans Christian Andersen's version of \"The Little Mermaid\" is not as poignant as modern retellings of the story.",
"Hans Christian Andersen produced many fairy tales, including \"The Little Mermaid\" and \"The Ugly Duckling,\" during his literary career."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade12 | language science | writing-strategies | Developing and supporting arguments | Distinguish facts from opinions | Statements of fact make claims that are based on research, observation, or experimentation. Facts can be proved with evidence.
Napoleon Bonaparte was shorter than King Louis XVI.
This statement is a fact. The statement can be verified by researching and comparing the height of each man.
Statements of opinion make claims that are based on personal judgments or perspectives. Opinions can be supported by evidence, but they cannot be definitively proved.
Napoleon Bonaparte was a better leader than King Louis XVI.
This statement is an opinion. People can have different ideas about what makes someone a "better" leader, so the statement cannot be proved. | The first sentence states a fact. It can be verified by looking up the stories written by Hans Christian Andersen.
Hans Christian Andersen produced many fairy tales, including "The Little Mermaid" and "The Ugly Duckling," during his literary career.
The second sentence states an opinion. Not as poignant as indicates a personal judgment.
Hans Christian Andersen's version of "The Little Mermaid" is not as poignant as modern retellings of the story. |
|
Which figure of speech is used in this text?
When Porter finally agreed to let his daughter adopt the stray dog, she responded with a smile that was a mile wide. | [
"oxymoron",
"hyperbole"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade11 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Classify the figure of speech: euphemism, hyperbole, oxymoron, paradox | Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
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. | The text uses hyperbole, an obvious exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally.
A smile that was a mile wide is an exaggeration, since it is physically impossible to have a smile that is actually a mile wide. |
|
Which is a run-on sentence? | [
"Some nice women and their young children.",
"The people march through the streets, they want to be heard."
] | 1 | 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. | The people march through the streets, they want to be heard is a run-on sentence. It has two sentences that are joined by just a comma: The people march through the streets and They want to be heard. |
|
Would you find the word rhythm on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
rent - rotten | [
"no",
"yes"
] | 1 | yes or no | 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 rhythm is between the guide words rent - rotten, it would be found on that page. |
|
Complete the sentence.
Acid rain weathering a marble statue is a (). | [
"physical change",
"chemical change"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade6 | 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 new molecules. The types of molecules in matter before and after a chemical change are always different.
Burning a piece of paper is a chemical change. As paper burns, paper molecules react with oxygen molecules in the air. This reaction breaks the chemical bonds in the molecules. The atoms then relink and form different molecules. For example, carbon dioxide molecules are created 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. For example, water vaporizing is a physical change. Liquid water and water vapor are made of the same type of matter: water. | Acid rain weathering a marble statue is a chemical change. The acid rain reacts with the outside of the statue and breaks it down into a different type of matter. This new matter is then washed away by the rain. Acid rain is a type of pollution. It forms when smoke from automobiles and factories mixes with water in clouds.
Acid rain is a type of pollution. It forms when automobiles and factories release smoke containing sulfur or nitrogen. Some of these chemicals react with water in the atmosphere. The reaction forms droplets of water that can fall back to the ground as acid rain. |
|
Which press release is more formal? | [
"On Nov. 19, musicians from all over town will battle it out in the fourth annual Jam-a-thon, happening at the amphitheater.",
"On November 19, the Fairfax Amphitheater will host area musicians vying for top honors in the fourth annual Jam-a-thon."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade12 | language science | writing-strategies | Audience, purpose, and tone | Which text is most formal? | Informal writing is typically used in casual situations or when communicating with someone you know well. Informal language often expresses familiarity and tends to sound more like speech. It uses more conversational language, such as slang, idioms, abbreviations, imprecise language, and contractions.
Formal writing is typically used in academic and business writing or when writing directly to an authority figure. It tends to be more courteous and impersonal, avoiding overly familiar or conversational language.
Compare the following sentences.
Informal: Yeah, ostriches can't fly, but I think they're awesome.
More formal: Ostriches may be flightless, but they're remarkable runners.
Most formal: Though flightless, ostriches are remarkable runners. | The second press release is more formal. It uses more elevated language (area musicians, top honors). The other press release uses idioms (battle it out) and abbreviations (Nov.). |
|
Which is a complete sentence? | [
"Mom drank coffee and milk, I had tea.",
"Over the summer, my cousin Debbie visited many times."
] | 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. | Over the summer, my cousin Debbie visited many times is a complete sentence. The subject is my cousin Debbie, and the verb is visited. |
|
Based on this information, what is Mei's genotype for the whisker type gene? | [
"hh",
"curved whiskers"
] | 0 | In a group of Syrian hamsters, some individuals have straight whiskers and others have curved whiskers. In this group, the gene for the whisker type trait has two alleles. The allele H is for straight whiskers, and the allele h is for curved whiskers.
Mei, a Syrian hamster from this group, has curved whiskers. Mei has two alleles for curved whiskers. | closed choice | grade8 | 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. Mei has two alleles for curved whiskers (h). So, Mei's genotype for the whisker type gene is hh. |
How long is a hammer? | [
"6 inches",
"6 yards"
] | 0 | Select the better estimate. | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose customary 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 8 long. You might be thinking, 8 what? Is the pencil 8 inches long? 8 feet? 8 miles?
The number 8 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 inches. So, the length of the pencil is 8 inches.
There are 12 inches in 1 foot. So, 1 inch is much shorter than 1 foot.
There are 3 feet in 1 yard. So, 1 foot is shorter than 1 yard. | The better estimate for the length of a hammer is 6 inches.
6 yards is too long. |
What information supports the conclusion that Zachary inherited this trait? | [
"Zachary's mother has blue eyes. She passed this trait down to Zachary.",
"Zachary likes to wear a blue sweater to match his blue eyes."
] | 0 | Read the description of a trait.
Zachary has blue eyes. | closed choice | grade5 | 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. | |
Does this passage describe the weather or the climate?
Amy noticed that the sky was filled with cumulus clouds every day last week. | [
"weather",
"climate"
] | 0 | Hint: Weather is what the atmosphere is like at a certain place and time. Climate is the pattern of weather in a certain place. | closed choice | grade3 | 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.
Amy noticed that the sky was filled with cumulus clouds every day last week.
This passage tells you about the clouds Amy saw last week. It describes the atmosphere at a certain place and time. So, this passage describes the weather. |
Which statement describes the skydiver's motion? | [
"The skydiver has a constant velocity.",
"The skydiver is accelerating."
] | 1 | A skydiver is moving downward with decreasing speed as her parachute opens. | closed choice | grade8 | natural science | physics | Velocity, acceleration, and forces | Identify whether objects are accelerating | An object's velocity describes its speed and its direction.
An object has a constant velocity when neither its speed nor its direction is changing. So, an object has a constant velocity when the object is:
moving in a straight line at a constant speed, or
remaining motionless.
If an object does not have a constant velocity, the object is accelerating. An object is accelerating when either its speed or its direction is changing. So, an object is accelerating when the object is:
speeding up,
slowing down, or
changing direction. | The skydiver is slowing down. So, the skydiver is accelerating. |
Using only these supplies, which question can Bonnie investigate with an experiment? | [
"Do larger basketballs bounce higher than smaller basketballs on a brick patio?",
"Does the basketball bounce higher on gravel or on grass?",
"Does the basketball bounce higher on a lawn or on a dirt path?"
] | 1 | Bonnie gets a basketball for her birthday and dribbles it around her neighborhood. She notices that sometimes the ball bounces higher than other times. She wonders what factors affect how high her ball bounces. So, she decides to design an experiment. She has the following supplies available:
one basketball
access to a brick patio
access to a grassy lawn
access to a gravel driveway
a meterstick | 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! | |
What information supports the conclusion that Ian acquired this trait? | [
"Ian can cook food over a fire.",
"Ian learned how to build a fire at summer camp."
] | 1 | Read the description of a trait.
Ian knows how to build a fire. | 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. | |
Based on this information, what is Clue's phenotype for the fur texture trait? | [
"soft fur",
"rough fur"
] | 1 | In a group of dachshund dogs, some individuals have rough fur and others have soft fur. In this group, the gene for the fur texture trait has two alleles. The allele for rough fur (F) is dominant over the allele for soft fur (f).
Clue is a dachshund dog from this group. Clue has the homozygous genotype FF for the fur texture 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. | Clue's genotype for the fur texture gene is FF. Clue's genotype of FF has only F allelles. The F allele is for rough fur. So, Clue's phenotype for the fur texture trait must be rough fur.
To check this answer, consider whether Clue's alleles are dominant or recessive. The allele for rough fur (F) is dominant over the allele for soft fur (f). This means F is a dominant allele, and f is a recessive allele.
Clue's genotype of FF has two dominant alleles. An organism with at least one dominant allele for a gene will have the dominant allele's version of the trait. So, Clue's phenotype for the fur texture trait must be rough fur. |
Is the following trait inherited or acquired?
Jada has naturally curly hair. | [
"acquired",
"inherited"
] | 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. | Some humans are born with naturally curly hair. Others are born with naturally straight hair. Curly and straight are examples of hair texture.
Some people decide to change how their hair looks. But this doesn't affect the natural texture of their hair. So, having naturally curly hair is an inherited trait. |
|
Which is a run-on sentence? | [
"Mr. Vance wrote the problem on the board, Mitch found the answer.",
"The three explorers in the big forest."
] | 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. | Mr. Vance wrote the problem on the board, Mitch found the answer is a run-on sentence. It has two sentences that are joined by just a comma: Mr. Vance wrote the problem on the board and Mitch found the answer. |
|
Below are three examples of using energy from natural resources. Select the use of energy that did not add to air pollution. | [
"A torch burned natural gas, making a flame hot enough to melt glass.",
"The engine on a container ship burned fuel made from petroleum oil.",
"Wind moved a hang glider through the air."
] | 2 | Humans have invented many ways to use energy from natural resources. Some of these uses of energy add to air pollution, and others do not.
Hint: Burning a material such as wood, oil, or coal releases chemicals that add to air pollution. | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | earth-science | Conservation and natural resources | Evaluate natural energy sources | Humans have invented many ways to use natural resources. We use energy from natural resources in our daily activities, including cooking food, moving objects, and powering machines.
Some ways of using natural resources for energy add to air pollution, and others do not.
Wood, oil, and coal are examples of natural resources that are fuels. Burning a fuel provides energy. But it also releases chemicals that can be harmful to our health and to the environment. These chemicals add to air pollution.
Sunlight, wind, and water are natural resources that can provide energy. Using energy from the Sun, wind, or water does not burn material. These uses of energy do not release chemicals that add to air pollution. | |
Which word is not like the others? | [
"breakfast",
"lunch",
"nap",
"dinner"
] | 2 | closed choice | grade2 | language science | vocabulary | Categories | Which word is not like the others? | Some words are alike. They go together in a group.
Red, blue, and green go together. They are colors.
Mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa go together. They are people in a family. | Dinner, lunch, and breakfast go together. They are meals. Nap is not a meal, so it is not like the other words. |
|
Look at the word. Does it have a closed syllable or an open syllable?
west | [
"closed",
"open"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade2 | language science | word-study | Short and long vowels | Is the syllable open or closed? | Words are made up of syllables. Two kinds of syllables are closed and open.
A closed syllable has one vowel and ends with a consonant. It usually has a short vowel sound.
desk: short e
kit / ten: short i / short e
An open syllable ends with one vowel. It usually has a long vowel sound.
go: long o
he / ro: long e / long o
Some open syllables end with y. The y makes a long e sound or a long i sound.
sky: long i
ba / by: long a / long e | The word west ends with a consonant and has a short vowel sound. So, it has a closed syllable. |
|
Which figure of speech is used in this text?
Isabella asked her mother if she could adopt a cat, and her mother replied, "It's a definite maybe," so Isabella didn't want to get her hopes up. | [
"euphemism",
"oxymoron"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade11 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Classify the figure of speech: euphemism, hyperbole, oxymoron, paradox | Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
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. | The text uses an oxymoron, a joining of two seemingly contradictory terms.
Definite maybe is a contradiction, because definite describes something that is sure, and maybe refers to something that is unsure. |
|
What kind of sentence is this?
Give Hakim a tour of the building and then take him to Mr. Coleman's office. | [
"interrogative",
"exclamatory",
"imperative"
] | 2 | closed choice | grade7 | 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, and it always ends with a period.
The nurse told Mr. Abrams to roll up his sleeve so that she could check his blood pressure.
An interrogative sentence is a question, and it always ends with a question mark.
Do you have any plans for the upcoming weekend?
An imperative sentence is a command. It makes a request or tells someone to do something, and it usually ends with a period. If the command shows strong feeling, it ends with an exclamation point.
For this assignment, use references to support your claims.
Don't drive so quickly in the construction zone!
An exclamatory sentence is like a statement, but it shows surprise or strong feeling. An exclamatory sentence always ends with an exclamation point.
I can't wait to travel through Europe this summer! | The sentence tells someone to do something, so it is an imperative sentence. Here, it ends with a period. |
|
Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
territory - tissue | [
"tarpaulin",
"thrown"
] | 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 thrown is between the guide words territory - tissue, it would be found on that page. |
|
Which text uses the word peruse in its traditional sense? | [
"Jonathan perused a clothing catalog as he waited for his appointment, flipping through the pages distractedly.",
"Jonathan perused a catalog from his wife's favorite clothing store, searching for the perfect birthday gift."
] | 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 first text uses peruse in its traditional sense: to examine in detail.
Jonathan perused a catalog from his wife's favorite clothing store, searching for the perfect birthday gift.
The second text uses peruse in its nontraditional sense: to look through in a casual manner.
Jonathan perused a clothing catalog as he waited for his appointment, flipping through the pages distractedly.
Most style guides recommend to use the traditional sense of the word peruse because it is considered more standard. |
|
Which closing is correct for a letter? | [
"thanks,\nJoe",
"Thanks,\nJoe"
] | 1 | 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 closing is correct:
Its first word is capitalized, and it ends with a comma. |
|
Is there a surplus or a shortage of hammers? | [
"surplus",
"shortage"
] | 1 | Hammers cost $12 each. The hardware store has 30 hammers for sale. At that price, 35 people want to buy one. | closed choice | grade5 | social science | economics | Supply and demand | Identify shortage and surplus | There is a surplus if there is too much for sale at a given price.
There is a shortage if there is not enough for sale at a given price.
Surpluses and shortages usually happen when people who are selling goods or services charge too much or too little.
When the price is too high, consumers will not want to buy much of the good or service. The quantity demanded will be less than the quantity supplied. So, there will be a surplus.
When the price is too low, too many consumers will want to buy the good or service. The quantity demanded will be more than the quantity supplied. So, there will be a shortage. | At the current price, there are not enough hammers for sale. There are 30 hammers for sale, but 35 people want to buy one.
So, there is a shortage of hammers. |
Using only these supplies, which question can Celine investigate with an experiment? | [
"Does dark chocolate or white chocolate melt faster when heated on the stove?",
"Does milk chocolate or dark chocolate melt faster when heated on the stove?",
"Does milk chocolate melt faster when heated in a microwave or on a stove?"
] | 1 | Celine leaves some chocolates in her jacket pocket. When she finds the chocolates later, she notices that some of them have melted. She wonders what factors affect how quickly chocolate melts. So, she decides to design an experiment. She has the following supplies available:
one bar of milk chocolate
one bar of dark chocolate
a stove
a pot | 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?
How do I know that Karen is the most intelligent person in our geometry class? I know because she's so smart. | [
"circular reasoning: an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself",
"false dichotomy: an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade6 | 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 Karen is intelligent because she's smart. However, the "evidence" is just a restatement of the claim itself. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as circular reasoning. |
|
What does the metaphor in this text suggest?
When Noah lost his job, he was devastated. The only light in the sea of darkness was the prospect of pursuing a new career. | [
"Noah felt in the dark about what to do after losing his job.",
"There was a benefit to Noah's job loss."
] | 1 | 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 Noah's job loss. A light would be beneficial in helping someone escape a dark, difficult-to-navigate situation. Similarly, Noah's new career was beneficial in helping him escape the emotionally difficult experience of losing his job. |
|
Based on this information, what is this plant's phenotype for the seed color trait? | [
"light brown seeds",
"dark brown seeds"
] | 0 | In a group of bitter melon plants, some individuals have dark brown seeds and others have light brown seeds. In this group, the gene for the seed color trait has two alleles. The allele for dark brown seeds (D) is dominant over the allele for light brown seeds (d).
A certain bitter melon plant from this group has the homozygous genotype dd for the seed color 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. | The bitter melon plant's genotype for the seed color gene is dd. The bitter melon plant's genotype of dd has only d alleles. The d allele is for light brown seeds. So, the bitter melon plant's phenotype for the seed color trait must be light brown seeds.
To check this answer, consider whether the bitter melon plant's alleles are dominant or recessive. The allele for dark brown seeds (D) is dominant over the allele for light brown seeds (d). This means D is a dominant allele, and d is a recessive allele.
The bitter melon plant's genotype of dd has only recessive alleles. An organism with only recessive alleles for a gene will have the recessive allele's version of the trait. So, the bitter melon plant's phenotype for the seed color trait must be light brown seeds. |
Which of these things did Susan B. Anthony fight for? | [
"freedom from the British",
"the right to free education",
"Native American rights",
"women's right to vote"
] | 3 | closed choice | grade3 | social science | us-history | Historical figures | Susan B. Anthony | Susan B. Anthony fought for women's right to vote.
Susan B. Anthony was born in 1820. At that time, only men could vote. Women could not vote. Susan B. Anthony did not think that was fair. She believed that men and women should have equal rights. |
||
A year ago, there were 12 companies that made motorized scooters. But over the past month, 5 of those companies went out of business. What probably happened to the overall supply of motorized scooters? | [
"The supply probably went down.",
"The supply probably went up."
] | 0 | 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. | When those 5 scooter companies closed, the number of producers went down. There were fewer companies around to make new scooters. So, the supply of motorized scooters probably went down. |
|
Complete the sentence.
Amelia Earhart was a famous (). | [
"artist",
"athlete",
"scientist",
"pilot"
] | 3 | closed choice | grade2 | social science | us-history | Historical figures | Amelia Earhart | Amelia Earhart was a famous pilot. A pilot is a person who flies airplanes.
Amelia Earhart became a pilot in the early days of airplanes. In 1903, brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright flew an airplane for the first time. Many people believe it was the first airplane flight in history. Amelia Earhart learned to fly in the 1920 s. |
||
Which word does not rhyme? | [
"ran",
"man",
"had"
] | 2 | closed choice | grade2 | language science | phonological-awareness | Rhyming | Which word does not rhyme? | Rhyming words are words that end with the same sound.
The words tip and slip rhyme. They both end with the same sound.
The words meet and treat also rhyme. They both end with the same sound, even though the sound has two different spellings.
The words tip and meet don't rhyme. They end with different sounds. | The words ran and man rhyme. They both end with the an sound.
The word had does not rhyme. It ends with a different sound. |
|
Which figure of speech is used in this text?
Clare gazed at the ancient pug that seemed to sleep all day and noted, "You're an energetic puppy!" | [
"pun",
"verbal irony"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade10 | 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 verbal irony, which involves saying one thing but implying something very different.
An energetic puppy shows verbal irony because an old, exhausted dog is far from an energetic puppy. |
|
Which object has the most thermal energy? | [
"a 200-gram bottle of water at a temperature of 15°C",
"a 200-gram bottle of water at a temperature of 16°C",
"a 200-gram bottle of water at a temperature of 27°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 move faster, the temperature goes up. The matter now has both more thermal energy and a higher temperature. | All three bottles of water have the same mass but different temperatures. Since the 27°C bottle of water is the hottest, it has the most thermal energy. |
Which pencil has less thermal energy? | [
"the hotter pencil",
"the colder pencil"
] | 1 | Two pencils are identical except for their temperatures. | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | physics | Heat and thermal energy | How are temperature and mass related to thermal energy? | Matter is made of tiny particles called atoms. Atoms are always moving.
The energy of moving atoms is called thermal energy. The total amount of thermal energy in matter depends on three things: the type of matter, the amount of matter, and how fast the atoms are moving.
Temperature measures how hot or cold matter is. If the atoms in matter slow down, the temperature goes down. The matter now has both less thermal energy and a lower temperature.
What happens if the amount of matter changes? A 1-kilogram brick at 70°F has half as much thermal energy as a 2-kilogram brick at 70°F. The two bricks have the same temperature, but the smaller brick has half as many atoms. So, it has half as much thermal energy. | The two pencils are made of the same material and have the same mass. So, the colder pencil has less thermal energy. |
Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
The two authors of this study claim that social media can be healthy for adolescents. However, neither author attended a top-ranked medical school, so you can't trust their research. | [
"straw man: a misrepresentation of an opponent's position that makes it easier to argue against",
"circular reasoning: an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself",
"ad hominem: an attack against the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself"
] | 2 | 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 the two authors' research on adolescents and social media can't be trusted because neither author attended a top-ranked medical school. This is a personal attack on the authors' qualifications that isn't relevant to whether their research is valid. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as ad hominem. |
|
Is the following trait inherited or acquired?
Fred plays baseball. | [
"inherited",
"acquired"
] | 1 | Hint: Playing baseball 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. | 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. |
Select the one substance that is not a mineral. | [
"Wood is a body part of a plant. It is a solid.",
"Turquoise is a solid. It is a pure substance.",
"Hornblende is a pure substance. It is not made by living things."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | earth-science | Rocks and minerals | Identify minerals using properties | Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. A rock can be made of one or more minerals.
Minerals and rocks have the following properties:
Property | Mineral | Rock
It is a solid. | Yes | Yes
It is formed in nature. | Yes | Yes
It is not made by organisms. | Yes | Yes
It is a pure substance. | Yes | No
It has a fixed crystal structure. | Yes | No
You can use these properties to tell whether a substance is a mineral, a rock, or neither.
Look closely at the last three properties:
Minerals and rocks are not made by organisms.
Organisms make their own body parts. For example, snails and clams make their shells. Because they are made by organisms, body parts cannot be minerals or rocks.
Humans are organisms too. So, substances that humans make by hand or in factories are not minerals or rocks.
A mineral is a pure substance, but a rock is not.
A pure substance is made of only one type of matter. Minerals are pure substances, but rocks are not. Instead, all rocks are mixtures.
A mineral has a fixed crystal structure, but a rock does not.
The crystal structure of a substance tells you how the atoms or molecules in the substance are arranged. Different types of minerals have different crystal structures, but all minerals have a fixed crystal structure. This means that the atoms and molecules in different pieces of the same type of mineral are always arranged the same way.
However, rocks do not have a fixed crystal structure. So, the arrangement of atoms or molecules in different pieces of the same type of rock may be different! | Compare the properties of each substance to the properties of minerals. Select the substance whose properties do not match those of minerals.
Turquoise is a mineral.
Wood is a body part of a plant. But minerals are not made by living things.
So, wood is not a mineral.
Hornblende is a mineral. |
|
Which figure of speech is used in this text?
Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. . .
—William Shakespeare, Macbeth | [
"antithesis",
"apostrophe"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade11 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Classify the figure of speech: anaphora, antithesis, apostrophe, assonance, chiasmus, understatement | 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.
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 apostrophe, a direct address to an absent person or a nonhuman entity.
Come, let me clutch thee is a direct address to a dagger, a nonhuman entity. |
|
Which figure of speech is used in this text?
Although Zach hasn't worked in years, his mother prefers to say that he's between jobs right now. | [
"oxymoron",
"euphemism"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade12 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Classify the figure of speech: euphemism, hyperbole, oxymoron, paradox | Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
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. | The text uses a euphemism, a polite or indirect expression that is used to de-emphasize an unpleasant topic.
Between jobs is an indirect way of saying unemployed. |
|
Which correctly shows the title of a movie? | [
"***The Adventures of Milo and Otis***",
"\"The Adventures of Milo and Otis\""
] | 0 | closed choice | grade6 | 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, article, or short story should be in quotation marks.
"You Are My Sunshine" | A movie should be in italics.
The correct title is **The Adventures of Milo and Otis**. |
|
Is this a run-on sentence?
In 1960, American pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down and captured by the Soviets as he flew over the Ural Mountains on an intelligence mission for the CIA, nearly two years later, Powers was released in exchange for Rudolf Abel, a KGB spy who had been caught in the United States. | [
"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 a comma splice formed from two sentences run together, joined by just a comma.
In 1960, American pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down and captured by the Soviets as he flew over the Ural Mountains on an intelligence mission for the CIA, nearly two years later, Powers was released in exchange for Rudolf Abel, a KGB spy who had been caught in the United States.
Here is one way to fix the run-on sentence:
In 1960, American pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down and captured by the Soviets as he flew over the Ural Mountains on an intelligence mission for the CIA. Nearly two years later, Powers was released in exchange for Rudolf Abel, a KGB spy who had been caught in the United States. |
|
Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
Did you ever notice that every successful CEO has an expensive car? I guess I should get one if I'm ever going to progress in my job. | [
"appeal to nature: the assumption that natural things are always good",
"guilt by association: a negative association intended to discredit someone or something",
"false causation: the assumption that because two things happened together, one caused the other"
] | 2 | 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 having an expensive car leads to being a successful CEO. However, that's not necessarily true. For instance, a CEO might buy an expensive car after becoming successful. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as false causation. |
|
Based on this information, what is Butch's genotype for the coat color gene? | [
"LL",
"a black coat"
] | 0 | In a group of horses, some individuals have a black coat and others have a reddish-brown coat. In this group, the gene for the coat color trait has two alleles. The allele L is for a black coat, and the allele l is for a reddish-brown coat.
Butch, a horse from this group, has a black coat. Butch has two alleles for a black coat. | 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. Butch has two alleles for a black coat (L). So, Butch's genotype for the coat color gene is LL. |
Each bus takes the same amount of time to stop. Which school bus needs a larger force to come to a stop? | [
"a school bus carrying 500 pounds",
"a school bus carrying 650 pounds"
] | 1 | Kids from two different schools are riding their school buses home. The buses are the same. They are going the same speed. But different numbers of kids are riding in each bus. | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | physics | Force and motion | How do mass and force affect motion? | A force is a push or a pull.
A force can make an object start moving or stop an object that is moving. A force can also make an object speed up, slow down, or change direction.
Forces can be different sizes.
Think about trying to move a heavy object and a light object. Imagine you want to move them at the same speed. You will need to use a larger force to move the heavy object. | Look for the school bus that is heavier.
A school bus carrying 650 pounds is heavier than a school bus carrying 500 pounds. So, the school bus carrying 650 pounds needs a larger force to come to a stop in the same amount of time as the other bus. |
Which is a compound sentence? | [
"Brian knitted a wool sweater, and Malia sewed a jacket.",
"The skier flew down the mountain at top speed."
] | 0 | 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 and.
Brian knitted a wool sweater, and Malia sewed a jacket. |
|
Which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference? | [
"Peter had to stay home with his brother because he wasn't feeling well.",
"Peter's brother wasn't feeling well, so Peter had to stay home with him."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade10 | 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 he could refer to Peter or his brother.
Peter had to stay home with his brother because he wasn't feeling well.
The second answer choice shows a possible correction for the vague pronoun reference. The text has been rewritten so that the meaning is clear.
Peter's brother wasn't feeling well, so Peter had to stay home with him. |
|
Which object has the most thermal energy? | [
"a 400-gram glass of water at a temperature of 74°F",
"a 400-gram glass of water at a temperature of 82°F",
"a 400-gram glass of water at a temperature of 71°F"
] | 1 | 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 move faster, the temperature goes up. The matter now has both more thermal energy and a higher temperature. | All three glasses of water have the same mass but different temperatures. Since the 82°F glass of water is the hottest, it has the most thermal energy. |
Complete the sentence.
A puddle freezing into ice on a cold night is a (). | [
"chemical change",
"physical change"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | chemistry | Physical and chemical change | 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 new molecules. The types of molecules in matter before and after a chemical change are always different.
Burning a piece of paper is a chemical change. As paper burns, paper molecules react with oxygen molecules in the air. This reaction breaks the chemical bonds in the molecules. The atoms then relink and form different molecules. For example, carbon dioxide molecules are created 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. For example, water vaporizing is a physical change. Liquid water and water vapor are made of the same type of matter: water. | A puddle freezing into ice on a cold night is a change of state. So, it is a physical change. Liquid water freezes and becomes solid, but it is still made of water. A different type of matter is not formed. |
|
Is the following trait inherited or acquired?
Polly plays hockey. | [
"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 hockey. Instead, some people learn how to play hockey. Playing the sport takes practice. So, playing hockey is an acquired trait. |
|
How long is the Grand Canyon? | [
"275 feet",
"275 inches",
"275 yards",
"275 miles"
] | 3 | Select the best estimate. | closed choice | grade7 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose customary units of distance, mass, and volume | Measurements are written with both a number and a unit. The unit comes after the number. The unit shows what the number means.
When you are using customary units, length may be written with units of inches, feet, yards, or miles.
There are 12 inches in 1 foot, and 3 feet in 1 yard. There are 5,280 feet in 1 mile.
A football is about 1 foot long. A football field is 100 yards long. | The best estimate for the length of the Grand Canyon is 275 miles.
275 inches, 275 feet, and 275 yards are all too short. |
Which sentence is more formal? | [
"Wikipedia offers articles in close to three hundred languages, including Zulu, Cherokee, and Samoan.",
"Wikipedia has articles in a bunch of languages, including Zulu, Cherokee, and Samoan."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade5 | 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 first sentence is less formal. You can tell because it uses overly simple or imprecise language (has, a bunch of).
The second sentence uses more precise language, so it is more formal overall. |
|
What information supports the conclusion that Helen inherited this trait? | [
"Helen's neighbor also has straight hair.",
"Helen's biological mother often wears her straight hair in a ponytail.",
"Helen's biological parents have red hair. Helen also has red hair."
] | 1 | Read the description of a trait.
Helen has straight hair. | closed choice | grade7 | 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. | |
Based on this information, what is Winnee's genotype for the horns gene? | [
"Hh",
"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 H is for not having horns, and the allele h is for having horns.
Winnee, a cow from this group, does not have horns. Winnee has one allele for not having horns and one allele for having horns. | 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. Winnee has one allele for not having horns (H) and one allele for having horns (h). So, Winnee's genotype for the horns gene is Hh. |
Select the liquid. | [
"coffee",
"stuffed tiger",
"plate"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | physics | States of matter | Identify solids and liquids | Solid and liquid 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 shape of its own.
Some solids can be bent or broken easily. Others are hard to bend or break.
A glass cup is a solid. A sock is also a solid.
When matter is a liquid, it takes the shape of its container.
Think about pouring a liquid from a cup into a bottle. The shape of the liquid is different in the cup than in the bottle. But the liquid still takes up the same amount of space.
Juice is a liquid. Honey is also a liquid. | ||
Which correctly shows the title of a poem? | [
"Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face",
"\"Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face\""
] | 1 | closed choice | grade6 | 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, article, or short story should be in quotation marks.
"You Are My Sunshine" | A poem should be in quotation marks.
The correct title is "Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face." |
|
What is the volume of a can of soda pop? | [
"12 gallons",
"12 fluid ounces",
"12 cups"
] | 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 can of soda pop is 12 fluid ounces.
12 cups and 12 gallons are both too much. |
Based on this information, what is Kimba's phenotype for the coat pattern trait? | [
"a black coat",
"a spotted coat"
] | 1 | In a group of jaguars, some individuals have a black coat and others have a spotted coat. In this group, the gene for the coat pattern trait has two alleles. The allele for a spotted coat (a) is recessive to the allele for a black coat (A).
Kimba is a jaguar from this group. Kimba has the homozygous genotype aa for the coat pattern gene. | closed choice | grade8 | 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. | Kimba's genotype for the coat pattern gene is aa. Kimba's genotype of aa has only a alleles. The a allele is for a spotted coat. So, Kimba's phenotype for the coat pattern trait must be a spotted coat.
To check this answer, consider whether Kimba's alleles are dominant or recessive. The allele for a spotted coat (a) is recessive to the allele for a black coat (A). This means A is a dominant allele, and a is a recessive allele.
Kimba's genotype of aa has only recessive alleles. An organism with only recessive alleles for a gene will have the recessive allele's version of the trait. So, Kimba's phenotype for the coat pattern trait must be a spotted coat. |
What do these two changes have in common?
a log decomposing in the woods
using polish to remove tarnish from a silver spoon | [
"Both are chemical changes.",
"Both are caused by heating.",
"Both are only physical changes.",
"Both are caused by cooling."
] | 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.
The breakdown of plant and animal matter by organisms such as fungi and earthworms is called decomposition. A log decomposing in the woods is a chemical change.
As the log breaks down, the type of matter in it changes. Over time, the log becomes softer and has a different smell.
A tarnished silver spoon is one that has become less shiny over time. Polishing the spoon makes it look shiny again.
The polish changes the tarnish into a different type of matter that can be easily wiped away. So, using polish to remove tarnish from silver is a chemical change.
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.
Neither change is caused by heating.
Both are caused by cooling.
Neither change is caused by cooling. |
|
Using only these supplies, which question can Jamal investigate with an experiment? | [
"Is the pet lizard more active when it is fed crickets or mealworms?",
"Is the pet lizard more active when its tank is heated with one heating lamp or with two heating lamps?",
"Is the pet lizard more active when it is fed insects or lettuce?"
] | 0 | Jamal has a pet lizard. Jamal notices that on some days, the lizard is active and runs around the tank. On other days, the lizard hardly moves at all. Jamal wonders what factors affect how active his lizard is. So, he decides to design an experiment. He has the following supplies available:
one pet lizard
live crickets
live mealworms
one heating lamp | 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 figure of speech is used in this text?
Amanda's phone slipped out of her pocket, landing in the toilet with a plop. | [
"onomatopoeia",
"verbal irony"
] | 0 | 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. |
|
What information supports the conclusion that Clare inherited this trait? | [
"Clare and her father both have dark hair.",
"Clare's parents have dark skin. They passed down this trait to Clare."
] | 1 | Read the description of a trait.
Clare has dark skin. | 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. | |
Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
rail - right | [
"ready",
"rooster"
] | 0 | 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 ready is between the guide words rail - right, it would be found on that page. |
|
Which pot of spaghetti sauce has less thermal energy? | [
"the colder pot of spaghetti sauce",
"the hotter pot of spaghetti sauce"
] | 0 | Two pots of spaghetti sauce are identical except for their temperatures. | closed choice | grade6 | natural science | physics | Thermal energy | How are temperature and mass related to thermal energy? | Matter is made of tiny particles called atoms. Atoms are always moving.
The energy of moving atoms is called thermal energy. The total amount of thermal energy in matter depends on three things: the type of matter, the amount of matter, and how fast the atoms are moving.
Temperature measures how hot or cold matter is. If the atoms in matter slow down, the temperature goes down. The matter now has both less thermal energy and a lower temperature.
What happens if the amount of matter changes? A 1-kilogram brick at 70°F has half as much thermal energy as a 2-kilogram brick at 70°F. The two bricks have the same temperature, but the smaller brick has half as many atoms. So, it has half as much thermal energy. | The two pots of spaghetti sauce are made of the same material and have the same mass. So, the colder pot of spaghetti sauce has less thermal energy. |
Using only these supplies, which question can Jasmine investigate with an experiment? | [
"Does milk chocolate melt faster when heated in a microwave or on a stove?",
"Does milk chocolate or dark chocolate melt faster when heated on the stove?",
"Does dark chocolate or white chocolate melt faster when heated on the stove?"
] | 1 | Jasmine leaves some chocolates in her jacket pocket. When she finds the chocolates later, she notices that some of them have melted. She wonders what factors affect how quickly chocolate melts. So, she decides to design an experiment. She has the following supplies available:
one bar of milk chocolate
one bar of dark chocolate
a stove
a pot | 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 living thing. | [
"orangutan",
"skateboard",
"paper clip",
"soap bubble"
] | 0 | 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 paper clip is not a living thing.
Paper clips do not have all of the traits of living things. They do not grow or respond to their environment. They do not need food or water.
A soap bubble is not a living thing.
A soap bubble may grow or pop in response to the world around it. But it does not have all the traits of a living thing. It does not need food.
A skateboard is not a living thing.
A skateboard does not have all the traits of a living thing. It can move, but it does not grow or respond to the world around it. It does not need food or water.
An orangutan is a living thing.
Orangutans grow and respond to their environment. They need food and water. Orangutans are made up of many cells. |
|
How long does it take to paint the walls in a bedroom? | [
"5 seconds",
"5 hours"
] | 1 | 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 paint the walls in a bedroom is 5 hours.
5 seconds is too fast. |
Read the following excerpt from a student essay. How can the writer best improve his or her grammar and mechanics?
Everyone agree that recess is important for children in elementary school, but what about middle school students? I believe that students in middle school needs time to relax and have fun during the school day. A period of free time in the afternoons give students the opportunity to go outside and enjoy some fresh air. Studies shows that exercise benefits students' attention spans. Exercise can also reduce stress, which many middle school students face on a daily basis. Therefore, middle school students in our country deserves recess, too. | [
"by fixing subject-verb agreement errors",
"by adding missing commas"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade10 | language science | writing-strategies | Editing and revising | Suggest appropriate revisions | During peer review, you read and respond to a fellow student's writing. While there are many methods and strategies that you can use for reviewing a text, it is generally helpful to frame your suggestions in concrete and constructive ways and to consider the following areas for revision:
Ideas and development: Does the writer express a clear idea and develop it with evidence, examples, or analysis?
Organization: Does the writer order ideas in a clear, logical way so that they build on one another and are easy to follow?
Voice: Does the writer maintain an appropriate voice, such as a formal and objective voice in an academic essay or an engaging and expressive voice in a narrative essay?
Sentence fluency: Does the writer use sentences that vary in structure and length to create a sense of rhythm and flow within and between sentences, or does the writing sound choppy, rambling, or repetitive?
Word choice: Does the writer use words accurately and precisely to create clear, effective, and engaging writing?
Grammar and mechanics: Does the writer follow appropriate conventions, using accurate spelling, punctuation, and grammar to create writing that is correct and easy to read? | The writer could best improve his or her grammar and mechanics by fixing subject-verb agreement errors.
For example, the writer could change the first underlined verb to agree with the indefinite pronoun everyone and the others to agree with their simple subjects.
Everyone agree that recess is important for children in elementary school, but what about middle school students? I believe that students in middle school needs time to relax and have fun during the school day. A period of free time in the afternoons give students the opportunity to go outside and enjoy some fresh air. Studies shows that exercise benefits students' attention spans. Exercise can also reduce stress, which many middle school students face on a daily basis. Therefore, middle school students in our country deserves recess, too. |
|
Suppose Bridgette decides to see the anacondas. Which result would be a cost? | [
"Bridgette will give up the chance to see the lemurs. She would have enjoyed seeing them more than the anacondas.",
"Bridgette will save some time. The anacondas are close by, but she would have had to walk to the the other side of the zoo to see the lemurs."
] | 0 | Bridgette is deciding whether to see the lemurs or the anacondas at the zoo. She wants to see lots of animals, but the zoo is closing 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 Bridgette wants or needs:
Bridgette will give up the chance to see the lemurs. She would have enjoyed seeing them more than the anacondas. |
What does the allusion in this text suggest?
With the gutters clogged and water rising in the streets, Lola, who was watching the storm from her window, commented, "We're going to need an ark to get out of here." | [
"Lola thinks the storm will cause major flooding.",
"Lola wants to protect her possessions."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade10 | 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.
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. | The text uses an allusion, a brief reference to someone or something well known.
The allusion to an ark suggests that Lola thinks the storm will cause major flooding. In the Bible, it rains for forty days and forty nights; Noah, his family, and animals of every species survive the great flood in an ark that he builds. |
|
How long is a spider's leg? | [
"18 meters",
"18 centimeters",
"18 kilometers",
"18 millimeters"
] | 3 | Select the best estimate. | closed choice | grade7 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose metric units of distance, mass, and volume | Measurements are written with both a number and a unit. The unit comes after the number. The unit shows what the number means.
When you are using metric units, length can be written with units of millimeters, centimeters, meters, or kilometers. One meter contains 100 centimeters or 1,000 millimeters. So, 1 meter is larger than 1 centimeter, and 1 centimeter is larger than 1 millimeter.
The tip of the pencil shown here is only 1 millimeter wide, but the pencil is about 16 centimeters long.
A red fox is about 1 meter long. The Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia is about 1,000 meters, or 1 kilometer, in length. | The best estimate for the length of a spider's leg is 18 millimeters.
18 centimeters, 18 meters, and 18 kilometers are all too long. |
What is the volume of a kitchen sink? | [
"11 fluid ounces",
"11 cups",
"11 gallons"
] | 2 | 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 kitchen sink is 11 gallons.
11 fluid ounces and 11 cups are both too little. |
Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
Our study looked at people who were successful, as defined by their level of income. Our findings show that successful people consistently make more money than unsuccessful people. | [
"false causation: the assumption that because two things happened together, one caused the other",
"circular reasoning: an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself",
"ad hominem: an attack against the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade11 | 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 successful people make more money than unsuccessful people. However, the study defines success by income level. So, the "evidence" is just a restatement of the claim itself. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as circular reasoning. |
|
Read the following excerpt from a student essay. How can the writer best improve his or her sentence fluency?
Getting involved in high school sports is a great way for students to build a variety of important skills. When students play on teams, for example, they learn the importance of teamwork. Teamwork is developed when players work together to achieve success. Players have to balance schoolwork with time spent on practice and games, so they learn how to budget their time well. Sports also provide an opportunity to build confidence. When players practice diligently and see improvement, they feel a sense of accomplishment, which builds self-esteem. | [
"by simplifying the last sentence",
"by using longer sentences",
"by adding a transition between two sentences"
] | 2 | closed choice | grade11 | language science | writing-strategies | Editing and revising | Suggest appropriate revisions | During peer review, you read and respond to a fellow student's writing. While there are many methods and strategies that you can use for reviewing a text, it is generally helpful to frame your suggestions in concrete and constructive ways and to consider the following areas for revision:
Ideas and development: Does the writer express a clear idea and develop it with evidence, examples, or analysis?
Organization: Does the writer order ideas in a clear, logical way so that they build on one another and are easy to follow?
Voice: Does the writer maintain an appropriate voice, such as a formal and objective voice in an academic essay or an engaging and expressive voice in a narrative essay?
Sentence fluency: Does the writer use sentences that vary in structure and length to create a sense of rhythm and flow within and between sentences, or does the writing sound choppy, rambling, or repetitive?
Word choice: Does the writer use words accurately and precisely to create clear, effective, and engaging writing?
Grammar and mechanics: Does the writer follow appropriate conventions, using accurate spelling, punctuation, and grammar to create writing that is correct and easy to read? | The writer could best improve his or her sentence fluency by adding a transition between two sentences.
For example, the writer could add a sentence such as Improved time management is another valuable benefit of playing sports before the underlined sentence.
Getting involved in high school sports is a great way for students to build a variety of important skills. When students play on teams, for example, they learn the importance of teamwork. Teamwork is developed when players work together to achieve success. Players have to balance schoolwork with time spent on practice and games, so they learn how to budget their time well. Sports also provide an opportunity to build confidence. When players practice diligently and see improvement, they feel a sense of accomplishment, which builds self-esteem. |
|
What do these two changes have in common?
crushing a mineral into powder
breaking a ceramic plate | [
"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.
Crushing a mineral into powder is a physical change. The mineral breaks into tiny pieces. But it is still made of the same type of matter.
Breaking a ceramic plate is a physical change. The plate gets broken into pieces. But each piece is still made of the same 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.
Neither change is caused by heating.
Both are caused by cooling.
Neither change is caused by cooling. |
|
Select the temperature shown by this thermometer. | [
"45°F",
"65°F",
"95°F"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Weather and climate | Read a thermometer | A thermometer is a tool that measures temperature. Temperature can be measured in degrees. The symbol for degrees is °.
Some thermometers measure temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F). Fahrenheit is one scale used to measure temperature.
This is a tube thermometer. It has a tube filled with a red liquid.
There is a Fahrenheit scale along the right side of the tube. The top of the red liquid lines up with the number 80 on the scale. So, the temperature shown by this thermometer is 80°F. | Find the top of the red liquid.
Now look at the scale to the right. The top of the red liquid is halfway between 60 and 70. So, the temperature is 65°F. |
|
Based on this information, what is Briar's genotype for the fur color gene? | [
"ff",
"brown fur"
] | 0 | In a group of rabbits, some individuals have black fur and others have brown fur. In this group, the gene for the fur color trait has two alleles. The allele F is for black fur, and the allele f is for brown fur.
Briar, a rabbit from this group, has brown fur. Briar has two alleles for brown fur. | 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. Briar has two alleles for brown fur (f). So, Briar's genotype for the fur color gene is ff. |
Which is a sentence fragment? | [
"The car needed gas Dad went to the gas station.",
"Reads about many kinds of plants and animals."
] | 1 | 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. | Reads about many kinds of plants and animals is a sentence fragment. It is missing a subject. |
|
Which correctly shows the title of a poem? | [
"\"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening\"",
"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade6 | 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, article, or short story should be in quotation marks.
"You Are My Sunshine" | A poem should be in quotation marks.
The correct title is "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." |
|
What is the temperature of the air on a warm, sunny day? | [
"25°C",
"25°F"
] | 0 | Select the better estimate. | closed choice | grade7 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Estimate temperatures | Measurements are written with both a number and a unit. The unit comes after the number. The unit shows what the number means.
Temperature can be written with units of degrees Fahrenheit (°F) or Celsius (°C). Use the list below to compare the two units.
212°F | Water boils | 100°C
98.6°F | Body temperature | 37°C
68°F | Room temperature | 20°C
32°F | Water freezes | 0°C
| The better estimate for the temperature of the air on a warm, sunny day is 25°C.
25°F is too cold. |
Would you find the word nation on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
near - notify | [
"yes",
"no"
] | 1 | yes or no | grade6 | 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 nation is not between the guide words near - notify, it would not be found on that page. |
|
What does the verbal irony in this text suggest?
"This is the best day of my life," Mr. Lopez mumbled after his car broke down on the way to an important job interview. | [
"Mr. Lopez liked fixing cars.",
"Mr. Lopez was having a bad day."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade8 | 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.
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 verbal irony, which involves saying one thing but implying something very different.
The best day of my life ironically suggests that Mr. Lopez was having a bad day. He was having the opposite of a good day because his car broke down when he needed to be on time. |
|
Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
magic - money | [
"middle",
"museum"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade5 | 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 middle is between the guide words magic - money, it would be found on that page. |
|
Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
I had to speak out against the proposed noise pollution ordinance. Citizens would obviously prefer a thriving city over a silent, stagnant one. | [
"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 | grade11 | 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 a city allows noise pollution or it is silent and stagnant. However, it is possible for a city to reduce noise pollution and still thrive. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as a false dichotomy. |
|
Select the one animal that has all of the mammal traits listed above. | [
"Canadian lynx have furry, padded feet that help them walk on snow. Canadian lynx feed their offspring milk.",
"Common snapping turtles hatch from eggs with shells. They have powerful beaks. When a snapping turtle is threatened by a predator, it snaps its beak! Snapping turtles have scaly, waterproof skin."
] | 0 | Mammals are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify mammals:
They feed their offspring milk.
They have fur or hair. 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.
Mammals have the following traits:
They feed their offspring milk.
They have fur or hair.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
A common snapping turtle has the following traits:
It has scaly, waterproof skin.
It makes eggs with shells.
A common snapping turtle does not have all of the traits of a mammal. A common snapping turtle is a reptile.
A Canadian lynx has the following traits:
It feeds its offspring milk.
It has fur.
A Canadian lynx has the traits of a mammal. A Canadian lynx is a mammal. |
Which tense does the sentence use?
Bob stirred the sauce on the stove. | [
"present tense",
"past tense",
"future tense"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade4 | language science | verbs | Verb tense | Is the sentence in the past, present, or future tense? | Present tense verbs tell you about something that is happening now.
Most present-tense verbs are regular. They have no ending, or they end in -s or -es.
Two verbs are irregular in the present tense, to be and to have. You must remember their forms.
Past tense verbs tell you about something that has already happened.
Most past-tense verbs are regular. They end in -ed.
Some verbs are irregular in the past tense. You must remember their past-tense forms.
Future tense verbs tell you about something that is going to happen.
All future-tense verbs use the word will.
Present | Past | Future
walk, walks | walked | will walk
go, goes | went | will go | The sentence is in past tense. You can tell because it uses a past-tense verb, stirred. The verb ends in -ed and tells you about something that has already happened. |
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