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Unit 1 Test

Selected and Short Response

ANALYZE CRAFT AND STRUCTURE
Short Story
Read the passage. Then, answer the question(s).
(1) Halfway up Pike’s Pass, I could hear Grandpa halloo-ing from all the way down by the
cabin. Grandpa is not as spry as he used to be, and he took a fall last winter that left him
with a limp. Even so, he can still kick up a lot of noise. The more agitated he gets, the louder
the noise he makes. And today was a day to be agitated.

(2) The lady from the agency was coming to talk to Grandpa about going to an old age
home. Grandpa is polite enough most of the time. He starts to lose his manners, though,
when that lady tries to talk him into moving. The way Grandpa sees it, she wants him to
trade his cabin in the mountains for some tiny room with people telling him what to do all day
long. And that is something he just will not do. Grandpa needs the mountains, his freedom,
all that sky around him. From the top of Pike’s Summit, the sky looks as big as the world. Up
there, you feel as if you are floating in an ocean of blue among the cloud-islands.

(3) “That’s all right, boy,” I said to Hamilton. Hearing Grandpa down below, Hamilton was
starting to get agitated himself. He isn’t that big, but when he gets restless, his claws can dig
into my arm and he can throw me off balance.

(4) Hamilton is a hawk I found injured on the mountain two winters ago. Grandpa and I nursed
him back to health as best we could. The folks at the raptor center told us, though, that he
wasn’t likely to fully recover use of his wings or his vision. He can get airborne for a short
distance, but he has difficulty steering and comes back pretty quick. I wonder sometimes if
he feels a little like he is trapped or in prison. I take him outside with me any chance I get. I
can tell, though, that Hamilton is like Grandpa. He wants his freedom, more than anything
else.

(5) “All right, Hamilton,” I said. “It sounds like Grandpa needs us back.” Grandpa is pretty much
all the family I have, and I feel I need to take care of him as best I can.

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 GRADE 6 • UNIT 1 TEST

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1. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

      Part A Which theme is most clearly suggested by the passage?

a. People should try to get along.
b. Love will keep a family strong.
c. Nature is a source of wonder.
d. People will fight to stay free.

      Part B Which sentence from the story best supports the answer to Part A?
a. The more agitated he gets, the louder the noise he makes. (paragraph 1)
b. Grandpa needs the mountains, his freedom, all that sky around him.
(paragraph 2)
c. From the top of Pike’s Summit, the sky looks as big as the world.
(paragraph 2)
d. Grandpa is pretty much all the family I have, and I feel I need to take care
of him as best I can. (paragraph 5)

     2. Which sentence from the passage most clearly signals a first-person point of
view?
a. Halfway up Pike’s Pass, I could hear Grandpa halloo-ing from all the way
down by the cabin. (paragraph 1)
b. The way Grandpa sees it, she wants him to trade his cabin in the
mountains for some tiny room with people telling him what to do all day
long. (paragraph 2)
c. Up there, you feel as if you are floating in an ocean of blue among the
cloud-islands. (paragraph 2)
d. Hearing Grandpa down below, Hamilton was starting to get agitated
himself. (paragraph 3)

     3. One theme of the passage is that caring for another means respecting his or her
needs. Which story detail most clearly supports this theme?
a. Hamilton can throw the narrator off balance when he is agitated.
b. The narrator realizes that Grandpa was injured last winter.
c. The narrator takes Hamilton outside as often as he can.
d. Grandpa loses his manners when talking with the lady.

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 GRADE 6 • UNIT 1 TEST

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ANALYZE CRAFT AND STRUCTURE

from Louisa May Alcott: Her Life, Letters, and Journals, Louisa
May Alcott and Ednah D. Cheney
Read this passage from Louisa May Alcott: Her Life, Letters, and Journals. Then, answer
the question(s).
When Louisa was about seven years old she made a visit to friends in
Providence. Miss C. writes of her: “She is a beautiful little girl to look upon, and I love her
affectionate manners. I think she is more like her mother than either of [her sisters].” As is
usually the case, Louisa’s journal, which she began at this early age, speaks more fully of
her struggles and difficulties than of the bright, sunny moods which made her attractive. A
little letter carefully printed and sent home during this visit is preserved. In it she says she
is not happy; and she did have one trying experience there, to which she refers in “My
Boys.” Seeing some poor children who she thought were hungry, she took food from the
house without asking permission, and carried it to them, and was afterward very much
astonished and grieved at being reprimanded instead of praised for the deed. …

     4. Which of the following answer choices best explains the author’s purpose in
this paragraph?
a. to tell of a time when Louisa May Alcott disobeyed as a child
b. to explain how many friends Louisa May Alcott had
c. to show what Louisa May Alcott was like as a child
d. to show how interested in writing Louisa May Alcott was

     5. Which features of this paragraph are commonly found in biographical writing?
Choose two options.
a. It tells the story of a real person.
b. It presents details from childhood journals.
c. It tells the story of a trip to visit friends in another place.
d. It tells about a time the subject was punished.
e. It presents quotations from someone who knew the subject.

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 GRADE 6 • UNIT 1 TEST

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6. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first and then Part B.

      Part A Which choice most accurately restates the central idea in the passage?
a. Louisa May Alcott was sometimes willing to disobey adults.
b. Louisa May Alcott should be celebrated for her generosity.
c. Louisa May Alcott had a number of attractive qualities as a child.
d. Louisa May Alcott was often too timid to share her feelings.

      Part B Which detail from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?
a. “She is a beautiful little girl to look upon, and I love her affectionate
manners.”
b. A little letter carefully printed and sent home during this visit is
preserved. In it she says she is not happy… .
c. … [S]he did have one trying experience there, to which she refers in
“My Boys.”
d. … [She] was afterward very much astonished and grieved at being
reprimanded instead of praised for the deed.

ANALYZE CRAFT AND STRUCTURE

Article
Read the following passage. Then, answer the question(s).
(1) You are driving down a road off the main highway near Deming, New Mexico. Suddenly, in
the midst of a mesa of tall yellow grass, you notice amazing stone columns—some standing
forty feet tall. As you get closer, you see huge arches and other stone formations separated
by paths that resemble city streets. Welcome to City of Rocks State Park.

(2) Millions of years ago, volcanoes erupted in this area, spewing fiery matter that settled and
fused to form a large layer of rock. The layer cooled and then cracked. Over the years, wind,
sand, rain, and other natural forces sculpted the rock into the shapes you see today. The
volcanic activity also produced hot springs in the area. The park is about 28 miles northwest
of Deming. The road that takes you to the park continues north to the Gila National Forest.
You won’t want to miss City of Rocks!

     7. Why does the author describe the reader driving into City of Rocks State Park
in the first paragraph?
a. to prove that the park is a real place
b. to provide background for the reader
c. to introduce the location of the park
d. to heighten the interest of the reader

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 GRADE 6 • UNIT 1 TEST

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8. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

      Part A Which is the best restatement of the central idea in the passage?
a. City of Rocks is a state park.
b. City of Rocks is an amazing sight.
c. Volcanoes erupted in this area.
d. New Mexico has many state parks.

      Part B Which sentence in the passage is the best evidence for the answer to Part
A?
a. You are driving down a road off the main highway near Deming,
New Mexico. (paragraph 1)
b. Welcome to City of Rocks State Park. (paragraph 1)
c. The layer cooled and then cracked. (paragraph 2)
d. You won’t want to miss City of Rocks! (paragraph 2)

     9. Which answer best explains the way the passage presents the central idea?
a. It states the central idea directly in the first sentence.
b. It expresses the central idea indirectly in the first sentence.
c. It expresses the central idea indirectly, through a variety of supporting
details.
d. It expresses the central idea indirectly, leaving the reader unsure as to
what it is.

     10. Which detail from the passage is least important to the central idea?
a. The rocks were created when volcanoes erupted.
b. Wind, sand, and other forces sculpted the rocks.
c. The park road leads to Gila National Forest.
d. The rocks are amazing columns of stone.

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 GRADE 6 • UNIT 1 TEST

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     11. Which answer best describes how the text is organized?

a. The first paragraph gives details about the appearance of the park. The
second paragraph explains the forces that shaped the land, and gives the
location of the park.
b. The first paragraph explains the forces that shaped the land at the park.
The second paragraph explains how the land looks as well as how to get
to the park.
c. The first paragraph describes what it is like to arrive at the park. The
second paragraph describes what it is like to leave the park.
d. The first paragraph gives details about the appearance of the park. The
second paragraph tries to persuade readers to visit the park.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: Analyze Craft and Structure

Poem
Read the following passage from a poem. Then, answer the question(s).
Those long sleepless nights
Or awakening from dream
I peer over my blankets in fear
at the menacing midnight world.

5 A little imagination can be a dangerous thing.

The hanging bathrobe

the lamp on the nightstand
the sound of footsteps below
send me deep into my blanket hideaway.
10 The shadows.
All the shadows.

     12. Which group of lines makes up a stanza in this poem?

a. lines 1–5
b. lines 1–11
c. lines 5–10
d. lines 6–11

     13. The writer chose to write about this experience in poetry rather than prose.
Which is the clearest effect of this decision?
a. The scene described takes place in a short period of time.
b. Details, such as the furniture, are described at great length.
c. Line breaks emphasize phrases such as “the shadows.”
d. The scene is described logically rather than emotionally.

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 GRADE 6 • UNIT 1 TEST

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LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: Vocabulary

Poem
Read the following passage from a poem. Then, answer the question(s).
Deep in the woods by an ice-covered stream,
We walk and we talk like folks in a dream.
Crunching through snow by the water’s edge,
We hear the sad hissing of wind in the sedge.

     14. Which answer includes an example or examples of onomatopoeia in the poem?

a. ice-covered
b. crunching, hissing
c. water’s edge
d. edge, sedge

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: Vocabulary

Identify the choice that best answers the question(s).

     15. The word distraught means “deeply worried.” Which of the following answer
choices shows, in order, a synonym and an antonym for the word distraught?
a. troubled / bothered
b. happy / agitated
c. crazed / concerned
d. upset / calm

     16. Given the meaning of the Old English suffix -ness, what can you conclude is
the meaning of aggressiveness?
a. without aggression
b. uncovered aggressively
c. quality of being aggressive
d. one who receives aggression

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 GRADE 6 • UNIT 1 TEST

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LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: Vocabulary

from The Story of Young Abraham Lincoln, Wayne Whipple
Read the following passage from The Story of Young Abraham Lincoln. Then, answer
the question(s).
(1) Abe was only six, but he was a thoughtful boy. He tried to think of some way to show his
gratitude to his mother…. While out gathering sticks and cutting wood for the big fireplace, a
happy thought came to him—he would cut off some spicewood branches…. Then, when the
mother was ready to read again, and Sarah and the father were sitting and lying before the
fire, he brought in the hidden branches and threw them on…. It worked like a charm; the
spicewood boughs not only added to the brightness of the scene but filled the whole house
with the “sweet smelling savour” of a little boy's love and gratitude.
(2) No one can fathom the pleasure of that precious memory throughout those four lives….
While the father and sister were delighted with the crackle, sparkle and pleasant aroma of
the bits of spicewood … no one could appreciate the thoughtful act of the boy so much as
his mother….

17. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

      Part A The word gratitude appears underlined in the first paragraph. Based on
the context, what is the most likely definition of the word?
a. sleepiness
b. thankfulness
c. intelligence
d. strength

      Part B Which context clue best supports the answer to Part A?
a. cutting wood for the big fireplace (paragraph 1)
b. sitting and lying before the fire (paragraph 1)
c. worked like a charm (paragraph 1)
d. a little boy’s love (paragraph 1)

     18. Based on the context of the passage, what is the most likely meaning of fathom
in the second paragraph?
a. understand
b. increase
c. wonder
d. care

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 GRADE 6 • UNIT 1 TEST

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Read the following passage. Then, answer the question(s).

When Emma was growing up, her house was located right next to the woods. She loved
Ainslie Woods as if it were her best friend. Every morning when she woke up, she said she
could hear the woods calling her name! Some days, she played in the woods by herself,
collecting flowers and pinecones to make crafts. Other days, she played in the woods with
her friends, her sister, or her sister’s friends. Emma, Sarah, and the other kids loved to put
on make-believe plays in the woods. The kids themselves would take turns as audience
members. All of them worked together cooperatively as a team so well. The kids’ plays were
always extremely creative and well done! Activities like these were a breath of fresh air in a
world where kids don’t seem to play outside very much anymore.

     19. Which quotations from the passage show a common noun underlined? Choose
three that apply.
a. When Emma was growing up, her house was located right next to the
woods.
b. She loved Ainslie Woods as if it were her best friend.
c. Some days she played in the woods by herself, collecting flowers and
pinecones to make crafts.
d. Other days, she played with in the woods with her friends, her sister, or
her sister’s friends.
e. Emma, Sarah, and the other kids loved to put on make-believe plays in
the woods.
f. Activities like these were a breath of fresh air in a world where kids
don’t seem to play outside very much anymore.

     20. Which of the following phrases from the passage uses a singular possessive
noun?
a. She loved Ainslie Woods
b. played in the woods
c. her sister’s friends
d. The kids’ plays

     21. Which of the following phrases from the passage contains a plural
possessive noun?
a. flowers and pinecones
b. her friends, her sister, or her sister’s friends.
c. put on make-believe plays
d. The kids’ plays

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 GRADE 6 • UNIT 1 TEST

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     22. Which of the following phrases from the passage uses a possessive pronoun?
a. She loved Ainslie Woods
b. her best friend
c. All of them worked
d. like these

     23. Which of the following phrases from the passage contains a reflexive
pronoun?
a. her house was located
b. played in the woods by herself
c. Other days, she played in the woods with her friends
d. Emma, Sarah, and the other kids loved to put on make-believe plays

24. Read the following sentence from the passage.

The kids themselves would take turns as audience members.
The sentence has an intensive pronoun. Rewrite the sentence so that it does not
use an intensive pronoun.
     
     

     25. Which of the following phrases from the passage contain an adjective? Choose
all that apply
a. her best friend
b. when she woke up
c. her sister’s friends
d. put on make-believe plays
e. as a team
f. kids don’t seem to play outside

     26. Which of the following phrases from the passage uses an adverb?
a. when she woke up
b. collecting flowers and pinecones
c. breath of fresh air
d. were always extremely creative

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 GRADE 6 • UNIT 1 TEST

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     27. Which answer choice includes an example of simile?

a. She loved Ainslie Woods as if it were her best friend.
b. Every morning when she woke up, she said she could hear the woods
calling her name!
c. All of them worked together cooperatively as a team so well.
d. Activities like these were a breath of fresh air in a world where kids
don’t seem to play outside very much anymore.

     28. Which answer choice includes an example of metaphor?

a. She loved Ainslie Woods as if it were her best friend.
b. The kids themselves would take turns as audience members.
c. All of them worked together cooperatively as a team so well.
d. Activities like these were a breath of fresh air in a world where kids
don’t seem to play outside very much anymore.

     29. Which answer choice includes an example of personification?

a. her house was located right next to the woods
b. she could hear the woods calling her name!
c. collecting flowers and pinecones to make crafts
d. Activities like these were a breath of fresh air in a world where kids
don’t seem to play outside very much anymore.

EFFECTIVE EXPRESSION: Writing and Editing

Dion is writing a nonfiction narrative about how he plans to keep himself
from being bored by helping his mother plant their family’s vegetable
garden. Read the beginning of the draft of his narrative and his notes,
and then complete the task that follows.
Vegetables to the Rescue!
(1) Summer is full of fun, but sometimes you have to plan ahead. Last year I was kind of
bored by the end of the summer, so this year I started looking for something to do during
summer vacation. When I was helping my mom with dinner I asked, “Mom, what kind of a
project do you think I should do over the summer so I don’t get bored?”
(2) Mom answered, “Well, you know how much this family loves fresh vegetables, right?
Maybe you could help me with the vegetable garden.”
(3) I liked Mom’s idea a lot because eating is one of my favorite things to do! Whenever Mom
puts a bunch of veggies in a casserole, I’ll make them disappear in no time. Helping Mom
with the vegetable garden would be a good way for me to keep busy, help Mom, and be
outside. There was one problem with this thing, though—I didn’t know anything about
vegetable gardening.

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 GRADE 6 • UNIT 1 TEST

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I decided I would put my research skills to work to learn about vegetable gardening.

Dion wrote these notes for completing his narrative:

learned how to do research online this year

conducted research on gardening skills
conducted research on which plants grow well in the area
made a plan with Mom for buying, planting, and caring for the vegetables
also made a plan for materials: shovels, fertilizer, watering can
looked up recipes to use when we cook the vegetables

30. Drawing on details from Dion’s notes, write the rest of the nonfiction narrative,
beginning with the underlined sentence. Use transitions as appropriate to show
the chronological order of the tasks.

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

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 GRADE 6 • UNIT 1 TEST

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     31. Read these sentences from the essay.

Helping Mom with the vegetable garden would be a good way for me to keep busy,
help Mom, and be outside. There was one problem with this thing, though—I didn’t
know anything about vegetable gardening.

Which is the most precise word that could be used in the second sentence
instead of thing?
a. activity
b. thought
c. plan
d. wish

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