#______Name ______Date ______

ELA Test 1

(context clues, character traits, author’s purpose, main idea and supporting details, making inferences, story structure/elements, vocabulary in context, commas rules)

Directions: Read the following passage “The Longest Game”. Then, answer the questions based upon the passage. You may turn back to the passage as you answer questions. Write youranswers on the answer sheet.

The Longest Game

All week, Billy looked forward to the coming weekend. He and his family had big plans to do lots of fun activities together. It was his parent’s policy that if Billy finished his homework Friday night, he could get up early and throw the baseball with his father and older brother. His mom would frequently join in the game. She was a great pitcher!

Billy woke up Sunday morning with a big smile on his face. “This is going to be a great day,” he thought as he got dressed and brushed his teeth. He grabbed his baseball glove and ball and headed toward the kitchen. “Good morning, Billy,” said his mother as he sat down at the breakfast table. “Are you going to Teddy’s game with us?” she asked.

Billy was confused. Did Teddy have a big game today that he had forgotten about? His older brother was a star baseball player, and Billy frequently watched his games. Billy enjoyed watching the games, for the most part, but he had been looking forward to playing baseball himself. It was sometimes frustrating being the younger brother. It seemed his older brother got all the attention.

“Oh, I guess so, Mom,” Billy told his mother. “When is Teddy’s game again?” She said it was in about an hour, so Billy had plenty of time to get ready. Dad had already taken Teddy to the baseball field to warm up. Billy walked slowly back to his room and lay down on his bed. He looked at his baseball glove, his kite, and his other toys. “I guess I won’t need this stuff today,” he said to himself.

Billy and his mother drove to the high school to watch the big game. Teddy was on the pitcher’s mound. He threw the first pitch and the game was underway. Parents and friends cheered and called out, “Go team! Great pitching, Teddy!”

Billy watched the game with his parents. He got more and more excited as he watched Teddy pitch. His brother really seemed to enjoy baseball, and that made Billy like it, too. Several times, Teddy looked over at Billy and winked at him before throwing a fast pitch.

It was a close game, but Teddy’s team won. Billy and his parents went over to congratulate Teddy. “You played great!” said Billy. Teddy smiled at Billy and said, “It must be all the times I practiced playing ball with you and dad!” Maybe being the oldest wasn’t so bad after all.

Teddy even introduced Billy to his coach, who seemed curious if Billy had the same talent as his brother. “This is my younger brother, Billy. We’ve been playing baseball together for years. Someday, he’s going to be a great player on this very team,” said Teddy. Billy smiled from ear to ear. Maybe it wasn’t so bad being the younger brother after all.

_____ 1. Part A

In the first paragraph, how does Billy feel about the upcoming

weekend?

  1. He is excited about the weekend
  2. He is not looking forward to the weekend.
  3. He does not care about the weekend one-way or the other.
  4. He is afraid of what the weekend has in store.

_____ 1. Part B

What evidence from the story supports your answer to Part A?

  1. In lines 3-4, it says that Billy had to finish his homework and that he loved to do homework.
  2. In lines 4-6, it says that he would get to play baseball with his parents and his brother and he was afraid of being hit by the ball.
  3. In lines 5-6, it says that his mom would pitch the ball, and he hated the way his mom pitched the ball.
  4. In lines 4-6, it says that he will get to play ball with his family, and he was looking forward to playing with his dad and brother and seeing Mom pitch.

_____ 2. Part A

Read the following excerpt from the passage.

Billy enjoyed watching the games, for the most part, but he had been looking forward to playing baseball himself. It was sometimes frustrating being the younger brother. It seemed his older brother got all the attention.

Based on the excerpt, what can you infer about what Billy is feeling at this point in the story?

  1. excited
  2. happy
  3. neglected
  4. afraid

_____ 2. Part B

Choose the answer that supports your answer to Part A.

  1. Billy was confused.
  2. Did Teddy have a big game today that he had forgotten about?
  3. It seemed his older brother got all the attention.
  4. His older brother was a star baseball player, and Billy frequently watched his games.

_____3. Read the following sentence from the passage.

It was a close game, but Teddy’steam won. Billy and his parents went over to congratulate Teddy.

Based upon the passage, what is the meaning of the word congratulate as it is used in the sentence?

  1. Give words of encouragement for a job that was done well
  2. Give suggestions of what to do better next time
  3. Give reasons why they were disappointed in his performance
  4. Give reasons why he should never play baseball again

_____ 4. Part A

Based on the passage, how do Billy’s feelings change from the beginning to the end of the story “The Longest Game”?

  1. They change from fear to anger.
  2. They change from hatred to envy.
  3. They change from pride to fear.
  4. They change from envy to happiness.

_____ 4. Part B

Which answers support your choice in Part A? Choose the best 2 answers.

  1. It was sometimes frustrating being the younger brother. It seemed his older brother got all the attention.
  2. He threw the first pitch and the game was underway.
  3. “Good morning, Billy,” said his mother as he sat down at the breakfast table.
  4. Billy smiled from ear to ear. Maybe it wasn’t so bad being the younger brother after all.
  5. It was a close game, but Teddy’s team won.
  6. All week, Billy looked forward to the coming weekend. He and his family had big plans to do lots of fun activities together

_____5. What is the author’s purpose for writing “The Longest Game”?

  1. To entertain the reader with a story about sibling rivalry
  2. To persuade the reader to start playing baseball at a young age
  3. To inform the reader that sometime brothers are not treated fairly
  4. To persuade the reader that Billy’s parents shouldn’t have gone to Teddy’s game.

_____6. Part A

What is the main idea of the passage “The Longest Game”?

  1. Billy’s family treated him unfairly, and he was justified in being angry.
  2. Older siblings are often treated better than younger siblings, and it is not fair.
  3. Billy was jealous of his older brother, but he realized that he should not be jealous.
  4. Teddy was mean to Billy, and his family loved him more.

_____6. Part B

Read the sentences from the passage. Choose the answer that best supports your answer choice for Part A.

  1. It was a close game, but Teddy’s team won. Billy and his parents went over to congratulate Teddy.
  2. Billy smiled from ear to ear. Maybe it wasn’t so bad being the younger brother after all.
  3. All week, Billy looked forward to the coming weekend. He and his family had big plans to do lots of fun activities together.
  4. Billy and his mother drove to the high school to watch the big game. Teddy was on the pitcher’s mound.

“Big Sister vs. Little Sister”

byJaymie Gerard

1My older sister is so mean

She never treats me well

And even when I’m super nice

She screams and says I smell

5 She puts black pepper in my food

When I am not looking

Just so she can tell my mom that

I don’t like her cooking

She thinks that she’s smarter than me

10 Just because she’s bigger

She’ll never know how hard it is

To be her little sister

My little sister always whines

And follows me around

15 She insists on being by my side

While she makes annoying sounds

She goes into my closet

And she ruins all my clothes

By trying them on and touching them

20 With her stinky toes

She thinks that she’s cuter than me

Just because she’s littler

She’ll never know how hard it is

To be her bigger sister

_____ 7. What is the main idea of the poem Big Sister vs. Little Sister?

A. Being the little sister is easier because you always get your way.

B. Being the big sister is better because you get to be the boss.

C. Both big sisters and little sisters love to be around each other all the time.

D. Both big sisters and little sisters sometimes find it hard to deal with each other.

_____8. Based upon the passage, what is the meaning of the word insists in line

15?

  1. Avoids doing something
  2. Hates doing something
  3. Always wants to do something
  4. Is not allowed to do something

_____9. What is the author’s purpose for writing the poem “Big Sister vs. Little

Sister”?

A. To entertain the reader with a poem about sisters who are jealous of each other.

B. To inform the readers about how hard it is to be a big sister.

C. To persuade the readers to be nicer to their older siblings because they have it harder than younger siblings.

_____10. In both stanzas, they use the line “She’ll never know how hard it is…”.

Which definition of the meaning of the word hard would fit the meaning of the word used in the poem?

A. solid, firm, not easily broken, bent, or pierced.

B. firmly formed; tight

C. requiring a great deal of effort; difficult to deal with

Sibling Rivalry: You vs. Them
“The Big Fight: Brother vs. Sister”
It's a fact of life: if you have siblings, you usually have trouble. Many of you wrote to IML about problems you're having with brothers and sisters:
Nicole, 11, says that her brother tries to make her feel stupid, and whenever she tries to talk to him he tells her to "shut up." Even though she loves him, she can't help wishing she could have a better brother.
Ivan, 12, has three older brothers and a 10-year-old sister. While he gets along great with his brothers, he and his sister fight constantly over dumb stuff.
Chabra, 10, wonders why sisters and brothers sometimes get treated differently, even though they're about the same age.
Dustin, 8, is frustrated because he and his brother are ALWAYS fighting, and he doesn't know how to fix it.
Every family and every situation is different, but these kinds of problems are generally called "sibling rivalry." A rivalry is a competition between groups or individuals that goes on and on over time. Your school and a nearby school may have a long-standing sports rivalry. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy have their own rivalry going on. Even though Harry always wins in the end, Draco never stops trying to get the best of him.
In the same way, it may seem like you and a brother or sister are always trying to get the best of each other, and this can make you feel jealousy, tension, or anger towards him or her. The results of these feelings can be regular fights and arguments, long periods of "the silent treatment," and, eventually, years of resentment.
Even though sibling rivalries are totally natural, they can cause big problems within your family and especially hurt your relationship with a parent. But here's the good news: there are lots of things you and your clan can do to keep the peace and deal with the issues that might be causing sibling rivalry.

____ 11. What is the author’s purpose for writing “Sibling Rivalry: You vs. Them

The Big Fight: Brother vs. Sister”

A. To persuade the female readers to be kinder to their brothers.

B. To inform the readers that it is not common for siblings to fight or disagree.

C. To entertain the reader with funny stories about siblings.

D. To inform the readers about sibling rivalry and to show that it is common among many people.

_____12. What is the main focus of the article?

  1. Many siblings experience sibling rivalry and it can cause major problems, but there are ways to keep the peace.
  2. Sibling rivalry is very common and it can never be fixed. Many siblings will eventually hate each other.
  3. Sibling rivalry is only felt between sisters. Brothers can deal with each other without getting angry or jealous.
  4. Sibling rivalry is only felt between brothers. Sisters can deal with each other without getting angry or jealous.

_____13. Part A

Based on the passage, what other people, besides your sibling, may be hurt by a sibling rivalry?

A. teachers

B. friends

C. mom and dad

D. pets

_____13. Part B

Read the sentences below. Choose the one that supports your answer to Part A?

A. In the same way, it may seem like you and a brother or sister are always trying to get the best of each other, and this can make you feel jealousy, tension, or anger towards him or her.

B. If you have siblings, you usually have trouble. Many of you wrote to IML about problems you're having with brothers and sisters.

C. But here's the good news: there are lots of things you and your clan can do to keep the peace and deal with the issues that might be causing sibling rivalry.

D. Even though sibling rivalries are totally natural, they can cause big problems within your family and especially hurt your relationship with a parent.

Proofreading/Grammar Review

_____ 14. Read the following paragraph.

(1) On snowy days, I shovel the sidewalk outside our house. (2) I don’t mind shoveling. (3) I clear a path for my dog we play together for hours. (4) When we finish, we both have dinner and fall asleep!

Which of the following sentences is not written correctly?

  1. Sentence 1
  2. Sentence 2
  3. Sentence 3
  4. Sentence 4

_____ 15. Read the following paragraph.

(1) The story we read this week was really entertaining, it was about a boy named David Bernstein. (2) He decided to change his name to Ali Baba because he wanted it to be different. (3) He eventually learned that the name David was special, too! (4) He learned that even though there’s more than one David, they could all be unique.

Which of the following sentences is not written correctly?

  1. Sentence 1

B. Sentence 2

C. Sentence 3

D. Sentence 4

Comma Rules Review

Directions: Read the following sentences and choose the reason that commas were used in each one.

_____ 16. My sweet, lovely aunt is coming to visit for the weekend.

  1. Items in a Series
  2. Two or more adjectives describing a noun
  3. Person spoken to
  4. Greeting/Closing of a letter

_____17. Coach Martin, our PE coach, is a very good basketball player.

  1. Direct Quote
  2. Compound Sentence
  3. Two or more adjectives describing a noun
  4. Appositive

_____ 18. Whenever you see a yellow light, you should begin to slow down.

  1. Introductory word, phrase, or clause
  2. Appositive
  3. Greeting/Closing of a letter
  4. Compound Sentence

_____19. I love to eat pizza, ice cream, French fries, and all kinds of junk food.

  1. Appositive
  2. Introductory word, phrase, or clause
  3. Interrupter
  4. Items in a series

_____20. “This Hummer,” said Ms. Hamil, “is what you can ride in if you sell

enough items in the fundraiser booklet.”

  1. Person spoken to
  2. Interrupter
  3. Compound Sentence
  4. Direct Quote

_____21. I always study for my tests, and then I feel prepared for the

assignments.

  1. Interrupter
  2. Direct Quote
  3. Two or more adjectives describing a noun
  4. Compound Sentence

_____22. That dog, in my opinion, is the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen.

  1. Compound Sentence
  2. Introductory word, clause, or phrase
  3. Interrupter
  4. Two or more adjectives describing a noun

_____23. Make sure that you check over your paper, Nicole.

  1. Direct Quote
  2. Greeting/closing of a letter
  3. Person spoken to
  4. Appositive

_____ 24. Dear Grandma,

Could you please send me some of your delicious cookies? Everyone in my class loves to eat them. I will even share with my little brother. Thanks!

Sincerely,

Yolanda

  1. Compound Sentence
  2. Interrupter
  3. Greeting/closing of a letter
  4. Items in a series