rskills Progress Monitoring Test 1b sample Questions

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1 NamE Date rskills Progress Monitoring Test 1b Directions: This is a reading test. Follow the directions for each part of the test, and choose the best answer to each question. sample Questions Sample A. Choose the word that best fits in this sentence. Carl his mother to let him stay up late. A beggd B beged C begged D begd Sample B. Which pair of words are homophones? A me/my B for/four C one/own D went/want See p. p. 292 xx for scoring. Go on to the next page to begin the test. 115

2 Test 1b, page 2 Comprehension Read this passage. Then answer questions 1 3 by filling in the circle next to the best answer. Coming to America People have been making their way to the area we know as North and South America for many thousands of years. They have traveled in many different ways. The first immigrants to the New World probably came thousands of years ago during the Ice Age. These people were most likely nomadic hunters from the northeast part of Asia. Many scientists believe that the hunters walked across a land bridge from Asia to Alaska. This land bridge was created by the freezing cold temperatures of the Ice Age. During this time, much of the world s water formed huge sheets of ice called glaciers. This caused ocean levels to be much lower, so some of the land that is now under water was dry ground. When the Ice Age ended, the oceans rose and separated the Americas from northeastern Asia. This isolation lasted for thousands of years until people learned how to build and sail ocean-going vessels. European explorers eventually reached the New World in sailing ships. The second wave of immigration to North and South America followed the voyage of Columbus in Over the next several hundred years, settlers from many European countries traveled to the Americas by sailing ship. The journey was often difficult and took many months. Many people were frightened while traveling on the small, crowded ships, especially in stormy weather. In the mid-1800s, steamships were built that could cross oceans. Steamships made traveling from Europe and Asia to the Americas less dangerous. The voyage still wasn t easy, but travel time was reduced from months to weeks. As a result, millions of immigrants arrived and the population of the New World exploded. The airplane was invented in 1903, but it took about 70 years before immigration by plane became widespread. Flying was simply too expensive for most people. Now that air travel is more affordable, most immigrants are able to fly to the Americas. 116 READ 180 rskills Tests

3 Test 1b, page 3 1. This passage is mostly about A different ways of coming to America. B the difficulty of traveling to America. C the reasons for coming to America. D the best ways of coming to America. 2. The first immigrants to the Americas probably came from A the New World. B Alaska. C Asia. D the Northwest. 3. What event took place in 1903 that affected immigration? A The airplane was invented. B Columbus arrived in America. C The Ice Age ended. D Steamships replaced sailing ships. GO ON 117

4 Test 1b, page 4 Read this passage. Then answer questions 4 and 5 by filling in the circle next to the best answer. Gender Trends in U.S. Immigration Throughout most of U.S. history, statistics show that the number of single male immigrants has been higher than single female immigrants. There are several reasons for this difference. Many immigrants come to the United States to escape poverty or persecution. Single men from Ireland, Poland, Denmark, and other countries came to the United States because they had few opportunities in their home country. Although some returned home with enough money to buy land, many others stayed. Those who remained in the United States found jobs, bought land, and built homes. There were fewer female immigrants during the 18th and 19th centuries. In the past, women usually came to the United States either as a part of a family or with their husbands. Most single women did not travel alone because their families feared for their safety. Around 1900, immigration trends began to change. At that time, men made up more than two-thirds of all immigrants arriving in the United States. By 1940, however, the number of single male and female immigrants was just about equal. Many immigrants journeyed to the United States to escape economic, political, and religious oppression at home. After World War II, the number of women immigrants began to increase. The War Brides Act of 1945 helped boost female immigration. Some of the women arrived on these shores as war brides. These women met and fell in love with American soldiers who were stationed in their countries. Then they traveled to the United States to marry. Since the 1990s, male and female immigration trends have changed. Now, more women than men come to the United States to live. In fact, women accounted for well over half of the 9.1 million legal immigrants to the United States from For many women, the United States offers greater opportunity than their home countries. In some countries, women are not allowed to vote, work outside the home, go to school, or even go to the market without a male family member. Women from all over the world immigrate to the United States for many of the same reasons as men: to seek employment opportunities, to be reunited with their families, or to escape unfair political treatment. 118 READ 180 rskills Tests

5 Test 1b, page 5 4. This passage is mostly about A war brides after World War II. B changes in male and female immigration trends. C why people come to the United States. D why there were more male immigrants than female. 5. In which year did the ratio of female to male immigrants to the United States begin to change? A 1940 B 1900 C 1950 D 1930 GO ON 119

6 Test 1b, page 6 Read this passage. Then answer questions 6 10 by filling in the circle next to the best answer. Historic Disasters Pompeii, Italy 79 a.d. Pompeii was a Roman town near what is now Naples, Italy. In the year 79 a.d., Pompeii was a seaside resort. Wealthy Romans lived there in fabulous homes with many rooms, beautiful gardens, and even heated baths. Then disaster struck. Around lunchtime one August day, the ground began to shake. The nearby volcano, Mount Vesuvius, began smoking. A cloud of ash and rock rose above the mountain and fell on the seaside town and surrounding area. Buildings collapsed and people began to flee, but they didn t go far. The mountain suddenly seemed to calm down. Many people returned to their homes to collect their belongings. That night, the volcanic eruption began again, but this time it was worse. Instead of blowing ash and rocks high into the air, the mountain broke apart. An avalanche of steaming mud, rock, and molten lava flowed into the town, killing many people who remained there. Later that night, another avalanche completely buried the town. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius was one of the most devastating volcanic disasters in history. Percentages of Active Volcanoes Asia 37% 1% 1% 1 % Antarctica Europe Australia North America 24% 24% 12% Africa Source: University of North Dakota (2004) South America 120 READ 180 rskills Tests

7 Test 1b, page 7 London, England 1666 On a Saturday night in 1666, a baker forgot to douse the fire in his oven. This was not just any baker. In fact, he was the baker to King Charles II of England. Embers from the oven set some nearby firewood aflame. Before long, the shop and the baker s house were blazing. The family escaped, but there was no stopping the fire. At that time, many of London s buildings were built of wood with thatched roofs made of straw. The wind carried sparks from the fire to nearby buildings. One by one, flames consumed the buildings. By sunrise on September 2, the fire had reached a point where the firefighting equipment of the time could not stop it. The inferno raged throughout the next four days. The Great Fire of London destroyed most of the city, including more than 13,000 homes and 87 churches. The fire eventually burned itself out after destroying more than three-quarters of London. Surprisingly, only six people are known to have lost their lives. In fact, the fire may have had some positive effects. It killed many of the rats that had spread plague throughout the city. In addition, city officials and insurance companies realized that having trained and organized firefighters could make a significant difference. Most important, buildings made of brick and stone replaced the wooden buildings that had been destroyed. Many of those newer buildings are still standing today. Lisbon, Portugal 1755 Some people consider the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 to be the first modern natural disaster. Before this earthquake, many believed that natural disasters were caused by divine forces that wanted to punish people for evil acts. But scientists for the first time were able to explain the Lisbon earthquake in natural terms. On November 1, at around 9:30 a.m., a series of three quakes occurred in a period of about ten minutes. The center of the earthquake was about 125 miles off the coast, but the shaking was enormous. Reports of tremors reached as far north as Finland. Within minutes, much of the city of Lisbon was destroyed. The earthquake overturned cooking fires, lamps, and candles. Many citizens fled to the sea to escape the fires that burned. Within 30 minutes of the earthquakes, the sea rose into a great tsunami. The tsunami swept the water from the harbor. Then, the water rushed back in, reaching a height of nearly 50 feet. Many buildings were destroyed, and thousands of people were swept into the sea. Despite the awful destruction, Lisbon was rebuilt. Today it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. GO ON 121

8 Test 1b, page 8 6. Which of these happened after the cooking fires, lamps, and candles were destroyed? A A series of three earthquakes shook Lisbon. B Shocks from the earthquake reached Finland. C Divine forces punished the people of Lisbon for evil acts. D People ran to the sea to escape the fires. 7. What s the first thing that happened after the London baker forgot to put out the fire in his oven? A Sparks blew onto other buildings. B The baker s family escaped the fire. C The king hired a new baker. D Embers set fire to some nearby firewood. 8. Which event happened last during the Lisbon earthquake? A A 50-foot wave called a tsunami hit the city. B Fires burned houses and stores. C Molten lava covered the city. D Extraordinary tremors destroyed a large part of the city. 9. Which sentence from the passage begins with a sequence signal phrase? A In fact, the fire may have had some positive effects. B The family escaped, but there was no stopping the fire. C Before long, the shop and the baker s house were in flames. D Despite the awful destruction, Lisbon was rebuilt. 10. According to the graph on page 6, which of these statements is true? A North America has more active volcanoes than South America. B Asia has more active volcanoes than Antarctica, Europe, Australia, and Africa combined. C Africa and Asia have the same percentage of active volcanoes. D South America has fewer active volcanoes than Antarctica, Europe, Australia, and Africa combined. 122 READ 180 rskills Tests

9 Test 1b, page 9 Vocabulary/Word Study Read each question and decide which is the best answer. Fill in the circle next to the answer you have chosen. 11. If you write a note more than once, you A unwrite it. B prewrite it. C rewrite it. D draft it. 12. What suffix could you add to the verb collect to form a noun? A -ion B -ly C -ed D -ish 13. Did someone inform the crowd that the concert was canceled? A synonym for inform is A order. B tell. C encourage. D approach. 14. My mother thinks I will recover from the flu in a few days. What phrase means the same as the word recover? A cover again B remain C feel better D feel worse GO ON 123

10 Test 1b, page It was normal for a first-time skier to fall down. Which word is an antonym for normal? A mad B calm C common D unusual 16. Choose the pair of words that are antonyms. A sudden/quick B hike/bike C increase/decrease D pale/pail 17. The new prime minister wants to reorganize the government. In this sentence, the word reorganize means A organize again. B not organize. C organize quickly. D organize well. 18. To which word could you add the suffix -ion to form a noun? A narrow B give C revise D trade 124 READ 180 rskills Tests

11 Test 1b, page The family s efforts to put out the fire were futile. Which word means about the same as futile? A effective B hurried C careful D useless 20. At dawn, the army began to withdraw. Which word means the opposite of withdraw? A discuss B advance C capture D retreat GO ON 125

12 Test 1b, page 12 Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Read each question and decide which is the best answer. Fill in the circle next to the answer you have chosen. 21. Which sentence has correct end punctuation? A Who is your favorite author. B That movie is really funny. C Is the game almost over. D I m going to the park? 22. Which of these is a sentence fragment? A All her friends and family were there. B Smiling at her family, Mrs. Gonzales. C The family had a surprise party for Mrs. Gonzales. D This was a special birthday. 23. Read this sentence and sentence fragment. I do not like to ride the roller coaster. Moves too fast. What is the best way to correct this sentence and sentence fragment? A I do not like to ride the roller coaster because it moves too fast. B I do not like to ride the roller coaster, and moves too fast. C I do not like to ride the roller coaster, but moving too fast. D I do not like to ride the roller coaster moves, it is too fast. 24. Which sentence has correct capitalization? A my cousin Justin moved to california last week. B My Cousin justin moved to California last week. C my cousin Justin moved to california last week. D My cousin Justin moved to California last week. 126 READ 180 rskills Tests

13 Test 1b, page Which of these is a complete sentence? A One of the most important food crops. B Rice, which is a member of the grass family. C Started from seed and planted in rice paddies. D China grows more rice than any other country. 26. Which sentence should end with a period? A Do you remember Hurricane Rita B It struck the United States in 2005 C Where did the hurricane hit first D Wasn t that a terrible storm 27. Read the sentence fragment below. Works at the grocery store. What is the best way to correct this fragment? A Works as a cashier at the grocery store. B Works at the grocery story five days a week. C Mrs. Tien works at the grocery store. D Mrs. Tien working at the grocery store. 28. Choose the sentence that uses correct capitalization. A our family lives in Tucson. B It is a large city in arizona. C One time we drove to los Angeles. D My parents were born in Mexico. GO ON 127

14 Test 1b, page Read these two sentences. Selena got to school late this morning. The school bus broke down. Which word could best be used to join these sentences? A while B so C because D but 30. Read the sentence below. The gym teacher being a baseball player once. What is a correct way to write this sentence? A The gym teacher was once a baseball player. B A baseball player, the gym teacher was once. C Being a baseball player, the gym teacher was once. D Once, the gym teacher being a baseball player. 128 READ 180 rskills Tests

15 Test 1b, page 15 Open Response Go back to the passages on pages 2 and 6 to answer these questions. Write your answers in your own words. Use complete sentences. 31. The passage Coming to America mentions a land bridge. Write two or three sentences to explain how the land bridge was formed. 32. Look at the passage Historic Disasters. Write two or three sentences that describe the order of events that led to the destruction of Lisbon. GO ON 129

16 Test 1b, page 16 Writing Read the prompt. Write your essay on the lines below. If you need more space, continue writing on separate paper. Explain how you or someone you know came to America (or to your home town) and started a new life. When you write your essay, remember to state the main topic, include details that support the main idea, and use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. STOP 130 READ 180 rskills Tests