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english language arts book 1 grade 8 47934 january 17 20 2006

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tips for taking the test here are some suggestions to help you do your best · be sure to read carefully all the directions in the test book · plan your time · read each question carefully and think about the answer before choosing your response acknowledgments ctb/mcgraw-hill llc is indebted to the following for permission to use material in this book equal inheritance by leo tolstoy published in reading literature mcdougal littell co 1988 the aspca a brief history copyright © 2003 by ctb/mcgraw-hill llc the horseman by gretchen schol copyright © 1985 by gretchen schol used by permission of the author photograph of logging operation of camp mfg co horse skidding logs big woods expt forest 24573 1946 image no fs003353 copyright © by corbis used by permission excerpt from stealing freedom by elisa carbone copyright © 1998 by elisa carbone used by permission of alfred a knopf an imprint of random house children s books a division of random house inc abridgment of haiku by hazel r cassey text copyright © 2003 by hazel r cassey from cricket magazine s may 2003 issue the best i have to offer from more cricket songs japanese haiku translated by harry behn text copyright © 1971 by harry behn copyright © renewed 1999 by prescott behn pamela behn adam and peter behn used by permission of cricket magazine group and marian reiner developed and published by ctb/mcgraw-hill llc a subsidiary of the mcgraw-hill companies inc 20 ryan ranch road monterey california 93940-5703 copyright © 2006 by new york state education department all rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of new york state education department.

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book 1 reading d irections in this part of the test you will do some reading and answer questions about what you have read go on secure material do not reproduce do not discuss contents until end of designated makeup schedule book 1 page 1

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d irections read this story then answer questions 1 through 5 equal inheritance by leo tolstoy a certain merchant had two sons the elder son was his favorite and he intended to leave all his wealth to this son when the merchant died the mother felt sorry for her younger son and she asked her husband not to tell the boys of his intention she hoped to find some way of making her sons equal the merchant heeded her wish and did not make known his decision one day the mother was sitting at the window weeping a traveler approached the window and asked her why she was weeping how can i help weeping she said there is no difference between my two sons but their father wishes to leave everything to one and nothing to the other i have asked him not to tell them of his decision until i have thought of some way of helping the younger but i have no money of my own and i do not know what to do in my misery then the traveler said to her there is help for your trouble tell your sons that the elder will receive the entire inheritance and that the younger will receive nothing then they will be equal the younger son on learning that he would inherit nothing went to another land where he served his apprenticeship and learned a trade the elder son lived at home and learned nothing knowing that someday he would be rich when the father died the elder son who did not know how to do anything spent all his inheritance however the younger son who had learned how to make money in a foreign country became rich page 2 book 1 do not reproduce do not discuss contents until end of designated makeup schedule secure material

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1 the merchant believes that compared to his elder son his younger son is abcd less important irresponsible untrustworthy less intelligent 4 which quotation from the story foreshadows or predicts the conclusion of the story f the elder son was his favorite and he intended to leave all his wealth to this son when the merchant died g she hoped to find some way of making her sons equal the merchant heeded her wish and did not make known his decision h tell your sons that the elder will receive the entire inheritance and that the younger will receive nothing then they will be equal j the elder son lived at home and learned nothing knowing that someday he would be rich 2 which word best describes how the mother feels after hearing her husband s decision fghj cautious helpless shocked uncertain 5 3 which statement best describes the theme of the story a inheriting money brings bad luck b siblings should learn to get along with one another c learning how to earn money is better than having money given to you d some people have to work hard for success others have success handed to them read this sentence from the story the mother felt sorry for her younger son and she asked her husband not to tell the boys of his intention which word means about the same as intention abcd hope plan reason regret go on secure material do not reproduce do not discuss contents until end of designated makeup schedule book 1 page 3

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d irections read this article about the american society for the prevention of cruelty to animals aspca then answer questions 6 through 11 the aspca a brief history the american society for the prevention of cruelty to animals aspca is the oldest humane organization in america it was founded in 1866 by henry bergh a wealthy resident of new york city bergh was horrified by the cruelty toward animals that he observed daily on city streets particularly with respect to the large number of working horses in new york city as well as its many stray cats and dogs bergh decided to act he enlisted the support of some of new york city s wealthiest and most elite citizens together they wrote and signed the charter that stated their mission to alleviate pain fear and suffering among all animals the newly founded aspca realized they needed more than kind words to confront what they saw as a growing problem therefore the organization through its founding members persuaded the new york state legislature to pass the country s first effective animal anti-cruelty law from a small organization of a few concerned citizens the aspca has developed into a nationally-recognized force in protecting animals in new york city the aspca continues to rescue and shelter animals and to educate school children and the general public about animals and their care it now runs a full-service veterinary hospital in the city as well beyond new york city and state the aspca has led many national movements to help animals by informing the public about animal welfare issues and asking for changes in federal laws and what of henry bergh his vision lives on today at the aspca for over 135 years the aspca has taken a leading role in promoting the humane treatment of animals in carrying on the work started by bergh the aspca promotes both the spirit and the letter of the law henry bergh would be amazed page 4 book 1 do not reproduce do not discuss contents until end of designated makeup schedule secure material

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6 the author most likely wrote this passage to f persuade readers to propose new state laws g ask readers to support veterinary hospitals h show readers how to found a national organization j inform readers about an organization and its history 9 read this sentence from the passage the aspca promotes both the spirit and the letter of the law spirit as it is used in this sentence means about the same as abcd ideas and attitude a feeling of anger rules and procedures a sense of power 10 7 the mission of the aspca is to alleviate pain fear and suffering among all animals the word alleviate means about the same as abcd advertise identify reduce study read this excerpt from the passage the american society for the prevention of cruelty to animals aspca is the oldest humane organization in america humane organization in this context most likely means that the organization fghj was founded by individuals has been accepted by most people is run on kindhearted principles has existed for a long time 8 according to the passage the aspca was most likely created to fghj find new homes for animals start a hospital for animals protect animals from mistreatment educate the public about animal diseases 11 the last line of the passage says henry bergh would be amazed what probably would amaze bergh most a the mission of the aspca b the growth and spread of the aspca c the passage of the first effective animal anti-cruelty law d the creation of a veterinary hospital for animals go on secure material do not reproduce do not discuss contents until end of designated makeup schedule book 1 page 5

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d irections read this poem then answer questions 12 through 16 the horseman by gretchen schol my grandfather owned the last livery stable in long prairie minnesota he kept the workhorses the shires and clydesdales that they used to use for logging until the last farmer got a ford truck and waved at my grandfather as he stood by his stable he sold the horses the barn went for lumber and the old man went home from the livery stable for the last time he bought a ford and learned to drive it but he would never start it without flicking invisible reins and when he braked he always closed his eyes and whispered whoa reins narrow straps used to guide a horse page 6 book 1 do not reproduce do not discuss contents until end of designated makeup schedule secure material

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12 this poem is written from the point of view of afghj character in the poem who plays a major role character in the poem who is not involved in the events narrator who has a personal connection to the poem narrator who discusses the events from an impersonal position 13 read these lines from the poem he bought a ford and learned to drive it but he would never start it without flicking invisible reins what do these lines imply about the main character in the poem abcd he is unwilling to let go of the past he is frustrated by the steering wheel he is annoyed that he cannot change old habits he is worried that he will forget how to drive a wagon 14 which statement suggests that the main character in the poem has begun to accept the changes in his life fghj he learns to drive he owns a livery stable he keeps his workhorses for a while he pretends he is driving a wagon go on secure material do not reproduce do not discuss contents until end of designated makeup schedule book 1 page 7

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15 which lines from the poem does the poet use to imply a time period that has since passed away a the last livery stable in long prairie minnesota b he kept the workhorses the shires and clydesdales c waved at my grandfather as he stood by his stable d he bought a ford and learned to drive it 16 which technique is used throughout the poem fghj rhyme repetition free verse common rhythm page 8 book 1 do not reproduce do not discuss contents until end of designated makeup schedule secure material

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d irections during the 1800s many people opposed to slavery helped runaway slaves escape to free states and territories the method they used was called the underground railroad it was not a train but a series of safe houses where runaways could find food shelter and encouragement on their journey read the excerpt about ann a runaway slave staying in the home of mr bigelow then answer questions 17 through 20 stealing freedom by elisa carbone the days seemed to go on forever she ate each meal slowly alone in the stuffy room trying to make it last as long as possible and she took a long time dressing changing into her nightgown each night and into the beautiful yellow dress each morning it seemed a shame to wear the best clothes she d ever owned with no one to see her in them except the spiders hanging in the corners the rest of her time she spent looking through the peephole watching the street outside with its lazy procession of people horses and carriages sheep goats chickens and cows they were near the corner of seventh and e streets mr bigelow said just a few blocks away from pennsylvania avenue where president pierce lived in the white house how strange she thought to be free and yet to be a prisoner she would gladly have made herself busy with washing and cooking and sweeping anything would be better than this boredom one evening during a talk with mr bigelow while he stood on the second rung of the ladder and she rested her chin on her hands at the edge of the trapdoor she looked into the living room at the walls lined with bookshelves the books were fat and black some with gold lettering on their spines what are all of those books about she asked ah those are my law books they are there to give off a musty odor and convince all my visitors that i am indeed a very educated man there must be a lot of laws to fill so many books she said mr bigelow gazed at his library and scratched a sideburn strange isn t it i am a man of the law and yet by the law i am a criminal and deserve to be thrown in prison they were both silent for a time well enough lamenting for me it s time for bed said mr bigelow and turned to step off the ladder go on secure material do not reproduce do not discuss contents until end of designated makeup schedule book 1 page 9

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wait said ann urgently she didn t think she could stand another day of staring alternately at the ceiling and out the peephole your books might i borrow one to read why my dear child i had no idea you could read he said astonished but those books he looked at the long black rows they re no more interesting than watching ice melt he gave a perplexed sigh then suddenly brightened he marched over to a low corner shelf and pulled out a small red book he blew dust off of it and brought it back to her i saved this from when i was a boy in case i ever had a son of my own ann held the book and read the title embossed in silver on the front cover robinson crusoe it s really a story for boys but it s the best i can offer said mr bigelow ann turned the book over in her hands feeling the smoothness and coolness of it mr bigelow must have seen the look of excitement and longing on her face because he said i suppose now you ll want a candle oh could i she could scarcely believe her good fortune he gave her a very short stubby candle this is to make sure you get some sleep tonight he explained she thanked him profusely and gladly retired to her bed there by the light of the candle she opened the book she ran her hands over the silky pages then turned to the text and began chapter 1 i was born in the year 1632 in the city of york of a good family she was carried away to the world of a young man s decision to seek adventure on the high seas a terrible storm and his narrow escape from a sinking ship she read until the candle flickered sputtered and died but even in the dark images of grand ships and raging storms lasted in her mind until they mixed with her dreams 17 the sentence they re no more interesting than watching ice melt is an example of abcd foreshadowing a future event personifying an object a comparison for dramatic effect a flashback to a previous time 18 based on information in the passage what can you conclude about mr bigelow fghj he earns a living by helping former slaves he works in an office outside his home he does not like to read or study he has no children and lives alone page 10 book 1 do not reproduce do not discuss contents until end of designated makeup schedule secure material

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19 which statement best explains why mr bigelow gives ann a short candle abcd she is a fast reader and will not need light for long he is worried that someone outside will see the candlelight he wants to be sure that she does not stay up too late reading she might start a fire if she falls asleep while the candle burns 20 why would the book robinson crusoe most likely be of particular interest to ann fghj it belonged to someone s son and she misses her family it is about someone who is having an adventure it was the largest book on the shelf it is about the law and she hopes to pursue law as a career go on secure material do not reproduce do not discuss contents until end of designated makeup schedule book 1 page 11

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d irections read this article about an ancient form of poetry then answer questions 21 through 26 haiku a song of the earth by hazel root cassey have you ever listened to the plop of a raindrop before it snakes its way down your windowpane or caught the hum of a locust on a steamy summer s eve or tuned in to the crispy rattle of dry leaves chasing each other as the first winter wind cracks his frosty whip you might call these small subtle sounds earth songs is it possible to capture earth songs to put them into words long ago poets in japan listened watched and did capture the beauty of the earth s songs much as the fragile threads of a spider s web catch and reflect the gold of the morning sun they did this with the tiniest poems in the world called haiku a haiku is a poem that is just three lines and seventeen syllables long in their haiku the early japanese poets caught the colors sounds and fragrances of the seasons of the year they sang of their islands beauties from the stately buddha to the delicate fragrance of lotus and cherry blossoms to the iridescence of the dragonfly s wing their miniature poems were not meant to fully describe a scene or to explain it but rather were a flash split-second impression the old poets are not the only writers of haiku today japanese farmers shopkeepers grandparents and students write it and because of its strong appeal haiku is written in many other countries throughout the world interestingly enough japanese poetry has had a long and colorful history in the prehaiku period in the early eighth century japanese poets wrote katauta poems in a question-and-answer form using two people each three-line verse contained about seventeen syllables that could be delivered easily and spontaneously in one breath just as one would naturally ask or answer a question this has remained the basic pattern for traditional japanese poetry throughout the centuries page 12 book 1 do not reproduce do not discuss contents until end of designated makeup schedule secure material

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another form that emerged was the tanka which contained five lines and thirtyone syllables 5-7-5-7-7 written by either one or two persons from that evolved the renga which contained more than one verse or link composed by three or more people it could have as many as 100 links the first verse of the renga introduced a subject or theme it had three lines and was called the hokku or starting verse renga parties became a favorite pastime around 1450 haikai no renga became popular this style of linked verse contained puns and was humorous and amusing the opening three lines were still called a hokku and from haikai and hokku the term haiku evolved here is an example of a haiku the best i have to offer you is the small size of the mosquitoes 21 what is the most likely reason the author uses imagery in the question that begins the article abcd to provide some examples of earth songs to establish a dramatic tone for the passage to express an appreciation of natural events to explain how haiku differs from other poetry 22 according to the article what was the main activity at a renga party fghj creating a group poem changing haiku into tanka studying the history of haiku competing to write earth songs go on secure material do not reproduce do not discuss contents until end of designated makeup schedule book 1 page 13

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