8th Grade

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8th Grade

• Language Arts Para Content

2

• 1The man looked like he came straight out of a
  mystery novel, playing the part of the determined
  detective. 2His brown hat sat atop his head,
  tilted enough to the side to give him a lopsided
  look. 3Stained and worn in parts, the trench coat
  he wore looked like it had seen its share of
  stake outs and meals on the go. 4Finally, his
  boots were the sturdy type that worked for just
  about any situation, including chasing a fleeing
  suspect. 5Considering the outfit he wore, the man
  would fit quite well into any "who done it"
  movie. 6This man, however, was no detective he
  was my Uncle Bob.  
• Which sentence in the paragraph above begins
  with a transitional word?  
• A.   sentence 1  
• B.   sentence 2  
• C.   sentence 3  
• D.   sentence 4  

3

• 2.    Which sentence is unrelated to the topic
  sentence below?  
•        
•  Books are only a part of what can be found in a
  modern library.
•  
• A.   Many libraries contain computers which can
  be used to locate books and connect to the
  Internet.  
• B.   Libraries are usually funded by tax money
  from the community.  
• C.   People often find video tapes of movies at
  their local libraries.  
• D.   Libraries often loan out foreign language
  audio tapes to help those who wish to learn a
  second language.  

4

• .    Which of the following would be the BEST
  concluding sentence for the paragraph below?  
•        
•  Champ stretched out on the rug, sound asleep and
  totally unaware of what was going on around him.
  Suddenly, he began twitching his paws and
  thumping his tail on the tile floor. Then he
  started moving his legs, almost as if he were
  running while lying down. He emitted a short
  yelp, then sat up and gazed around the room,
  looking a bit confused.  
• A.   I love watching him while he's asleep and
  listening to the funny noises he makes.  
• B.   I love having Champ as a pet because he is
  loyal and intelligent.  
• C.   He certainly seemed like a dog who had just
  awakened from a dream.  
• D.   He has a very distinctive "voice" that I
  would recognize anywhere.  

5

•       Valerie anxiously approached the podium.
  2The entire eighth grade class, more than 400
  students, would be present. 3But, if she wanted
  to be elected to Student Council, this was
  something she had to do. 4Arriving at the podium
  and taking a deep breath, Valerie began her
  speech. 5Before she even realized it, Valerie had
  finished her speech and had carried it off
  flawlessly.  
• Where could the sentence below BEST be placed in
  the paragraph above?
•          
• This would be the first time she had ever spoken
  in front of a large group.
•  A.   after sentence 1
•  B.   after sentence 3  
• C.   after sentence 4
•  D.   after sentence 5  

6

• Which of the following would make the BEST
  supporting sentence for the topic sentence below?
   
•         The New Way is by far the best magazine
  available for teenagers.  
• A.   I like it because it has a lot of good stuff
  in it.  
• B.   I always check out the pages and pages of
  advertisements.  
• C.   The New Way has been around for one year
  now, and teenagers like it.  
• D.   The articles are written by the athletes and
  performers teens admire.  

7

•         What change should be made to the
  sentence below?  
•         Corey gave a full complete account of the
  newspaper staff's activities at the Young
  Journalists Convention.  
• A.   omit account  
• B.   omit full  
• C.   omit staff's  
• D.   omit Convention  

8

• 1Trying new foods can bring a sense of adventure
  into your daily routine. 2.On the other hand,
  this adventure can be disappointing because you
  end up trying some foods that just taste weird.
  3.Nevertheless, what would it be like to know
  only vanilla ice cream? 4.Vanilla, however, was
  looking good to me last night, when my tongue was
  introduced to a taste I hope never to meet again
  clove-flavored ice cream.  
• What is the purpose of the underlined
  transitions in the paragraph above?  
• A.   to show similarity  
• B.   to show contrast  
• C.   to show consequence  
• D.   to show sequence  

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• Which words can you take out of the paragraph
  below in order to eliminate repetition of an
  idea?  
•         
• Everyone has different activities to start the
  day. My sister Karla reads the newspaper, while
  my mom and dad discuss what they expect to do at
  work. My cat probably thinks about how she's
  going to sleep on the couch when no one is
  around. But I like nothing better than to listen
  to the radio in the morning hours before noon.  
• A.   different activities  
• B.   what they expect to do  
• C.   going to sleep  
• D.   hours before noon  

10

• 1.The German Shepherd is a beautiful dog. 2.It is
  considered one of the more intelligent dogs.
  3.The coat of a German Shepherd is typically
  black, varying shades of brown, or a mixture of
  brown and black. 4.The tall height and powerful
  build give the dog a commanding appearance.  
• Which sentence should be removed from the
  paragraph above?  
• A.   sentence 1  
• B.   sentence 2  
• C.   sentence 3  
• D.   sentence 4  

11

• 1.Slowly, Ezra made his way up the steep steps.
  2.With each stair he climbed, Ezra could feel his
  confidence swelling. 3.He approached the
  classroom door feeling determined to do well.
  4.He had studied hard, motivated by the knowledge
  that once he passed this test, summer would begin
  and his time would be free.  
• In the paragraph above, after which sentence
  should the following sentence BEST be added?  
•         
• Arriving at the top of the stairwell, Ezra turned
  left.  
• A.   after sentence 1  
• B.   after sentence 2  
• C.   after sentence 3  
• D.   after sentence 4  

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• 8th Language Arts Para Content
• (Answer Key)
• 1.sentence 4  
• 2.Libraries are usually funded by tax money from
  the community.  
• 3.He certainly seemed like a dog who had just
  awakened from a dream.  
• 4.after sentence 1  
• 5.The articles are written by the athletes and
  performers teens admire.  
• 6.omit full  
• 7.to show contrast  
• 8.hours before noon  
• 9.sentence 2  
• 10.after sentence 2