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Question: Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
obtain - order | Choices: [ounce, once] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade7 | Topic: reference-skills | Skill: Use guide words | Lecture: Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on.
If one word is shorter, and there are no more letters to compare, then the shorter word comes first in alphabetical order. For example, be comes before bed. | Solution: Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since once is between the guide words obtain - order, it would be found on that page. |
Question: Complete the statement.
Iodine is (). | Choices: [a compound, an elementary substance] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade8 | Topic: chemistry | Skill: Classify elementary substances and compounds using chemical formulas | Lecture: There are more than 100 different chemical elements, or types of atoms. Chemical elements make up all of the substances around you.
A substance may be composed of one chemical element or multiple chemical elements. Substances that are composed of only one chemical element are elementary substances. Substances that are composed of multiple chemical elements bonded together are compounds.
Every chemical element is represented by its own atomic symbol. An atomic symbol may consist of one capital letter, or it may consist of a capital letter followed by a lowercase letter. For example, the atomic symbol for the chemical element fluorine is F, and the atomic symbol for the chemical element beryllium is Be.
The atomic symbol for each chemical element in a substance is shown in the substance's chemical formula.
An elementary substance is represented by a chemical formula that contains only one atomic symbol.
The atomic symbol in a chemical formula may be followed by a small number written lower than the symbol. This number is called a subscript. A subscript is included when the atoms in the elementary substance are bonded to form molecules. The subscript shows how many atoms are in each molecule.
For example, the chemical formula for the elementary substance oxygen, O2, has a subscript of 2. This subscript shows that the atomic symbol O represents two atoms. The elementary substance O2 and the chemical element represented by the atomic symbol O are both named oxygen. So, the formula tells you that each molecule of O2 contains two oxygen atoms.
A compound is represented by a chemical formula that contains multiple atomic symbols.
The chemical elements in a compound are bonded together in a fixed ratio. This ratio is shown in a compound's chemical formula.
For example, in the compound beryllium fluoride, there is one beryllium atom for every two fluorine atoms. So, the ratio of beryllium atoms to fluorine atoms is 1 to 2. This ratio is shown in the chemical formula for beryllium fluoride, BeF2. There is no subscript following the atomic symbol Be because that symbol represents one atom. The subscript 2 follows the atomic symbol F to show that the symbol represents two atoms. | Solution: You can tell whether iodine is an elementary substance or a compound by counting the number of atomic symbols in its chemical formula. An atomic symbol consists of either one capital letter or a capital letter followed by one or two lowercase letters.
The chemical formula for iodine, I2, contains one atomic symbol: I. So, the formula tells you that iodine is composed of only one chemical element.
Since iodine is composed of only one chemical element, iodine is an elementary substance. | Hint: Iodine is found in some types of disinfectants. The chemical formula for iodine is I2. |
Question: What does the allusion in this text suggest?
When Mariana claimed she had loaded the dishwasher before turning on Dancing with the Stars, her mother replied, "Your nose is growing!" | Choices: [Mariana was goofy., Mariana was lying.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade9 | Topic: figurative-language | Skill: Interpret figures of speech | Lecture: Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
An allusion is a brief reference to something or someone well known, often from history or literature.
"I'd better get home before I turn into a pumpkin!" Lila remarked. | Solution: The text uses an allusion, a brief reference to someone or something well known.
The allusion nose is growing suggests that Mariana was lying. In the story of Pinocchio, when Pinocchio lies, his nose grows longer. |
Question: Which is a compound sentence? | Choices: [Whales live in the water, but they breathe air., The skier flew down the mountain at top speed.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: grammar | Skill: Is the sentence simple or compound? | Lecture: A simple sentence is a sentence with only one subject and predicate.
The pitcher threw the ball to first base.
A compound sentence is two simple sentences joined by a comma and a conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
The pitcher threw the ball, and the batter hit it.
Some simple sentences have a compound subject or a compound predicate, but they are not compound sentences.
Anna and James will watch the fireworks tonight.
This simple sentence has a compound subject, Anna and James.
The singers bowed and walked off the stage.
This simple sentence has a compound predicate, bowed and walked off the stage.
Some simple sentences have introductory phrases, but they are not compound sentences. The introductory phrase is part of the predicate.
In the winter, Farmer Ben wears his heavy coat.
This is a simple sentence. There is one subject, Farmer Ben, and one predicate, wears his heavy coat in the winter. | Solution: The first sentence is the compound sentence. It is made up of two simple sentences joined by a comma and the conjunction but.
Whales live in the water, but they breathe air. |
Question: Which is a simple sentence? | Choices: [The detour took us across the bridge and along the one-lane road by the river., You can use your gift certificate for one big purchase, or you can buy a few smaller items.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: grammar | Skill: Is the sentence simple, compound, or complex? | Lecture: A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate.
An independent clause is a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause is not a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence.
the oranges on our tree are ripe
The clause can stand alone. It is independent.
after we pick up Kevin from work
The clause cannot stand alone. It is dependent.
A simple sentence is made up of a single independent clause.
Ben and I spent all day relaxing by the pool.
Some simple sentences have introductory phrases, but the introductory phrase is part of the predicate.
In the winter, Ben usually wears his heavy coat.
Ben usually wears his heavy coat in the winter.
A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
We saw a flash of lightning, and seconds later we heard the rumble of thunder.
A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dependent clause usually begins with a subordinating conjunction such as after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, or while.
If she ever gets the chance, Terri would love to visit the Egyptian pyramids. | Solution: The first sentence is the simple sentence. It is a single independent clause.
The detour took us across the bridge and along the one-lane road by the river. |
Question: Which is a compound sentence? | Choices: [That musician is sick today, so Jeremiah will fill in on guitar., My stepsister decorated her folder with glitter.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: grammar | Skill: Is the sentence simple or compound? | Lecture: A simple sentence is a sentence with only one subject and predicate.
The pitcher threw the ball to first base.
A compound sentence is two simple sentences joined by a comma and a conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
The pitcher threw the ball, and the batter hit it.
Some simple sentences have a compound subject or a compound predicate, but they are not compound sentences.
Anna and James will watch the fireworks tonight.
This simple sentence has a compound subject, Anna and James.
The singers bowed and walked off the stage.
This simple sentence has a compound predicate, bowed and walked off the stage.
Some simple sentences have introductory phrases, but they are not compound sentences. The introductory phrase is part of the predicate.
In the winter, Farmer Ben wears his heavy coat.
This is a simple sentence. There is one subject, Farmer Ben, and one predicate, wears his heavy coat in the winter. | Solution: The first sentence is the compound sentence. It is made up of two simple sentences joined by a comma and the conjunction so.
That musician is sick today, so Jeremiah will fill in on guitar. |
Question: What information supports the conclusion that Rosanne inherited this trait? | Choices: [Rosanne and her father both have dark hair., Rosanne's parents have dark skin. They passed down this trait to Rosanne.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: biology | Skill: Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | Lecture: Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down through families. Children gain these traits from their parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. | Solution: nan | Hint: Read the description of a trait.
Rosanne has dark skin. |
Question: Compare the motion of two sailboats. Which sailboat was moving at a higher speed? | Choices: [a sailboat that moved 170kilometers in 10hours, a sailboat that moved 100kilometers in 10hours] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: physics | Skill: Compare the speeds of moving objects | Lecture: An object's speed tells you how fast the object is moving. Speed depends on both distance and time.
Distance tells you how far the object has moved. One unit used to measure distance is the kilometer.
Time tells you how long the object has spent moving. One unit used to measure time is the hour.
Think about two objects moving for the same amount of time. The object that is moving faster will go a farther distance in that time. It is moving at a higher speed. | Solution: Look at the distance each sailboat moved and the time it took to move that distance.
One sailboat moved 170 kilometers in 10 hours.
The other sailboat moved 100 kilometers in 10 hours.
Notice that each sailboat spent the same amount of time moving. The sailboat that moved 170 kilometers moved a farther distance in that time. So, that sailboat must have moved at a higher speed. |
Question: Complete the sentence so that it uses personification.
The car engine () as Mr. Harding tried to start it in the freezing cold. | Choices: [failed, coughed] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade8 | Topic: writing-strategies | Skill: Use personification | Lecture: Personification is giving human characteristics to nonhuman things. It is a figure of speech that can be used to make writing more interesting or to emphasize a point.
The trees danced in the wind.
The word danced describes the trees as if they were people. Unlike people, however, trees can't actually dance. Instead, the personification suggests that the trees are moving. | Solution: Complete the sentence with the word coughed. It describes the engine as if it were a person who is sick. |
Question: Which phrase has a more negative connotation? | Choices: [complain about something, talk about something] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: vocabulary | Skill: Positive and negative connotation | Lecture: Connotation is the feeling or idea that goes along with a word or phrase. Some words are close in meaning but have different connotations.
For example, think about the words eager and impatient. They both mean wanting something to happen, but they have different connotations.
Eager has a positive connotation. It is a nice word. An eager person is happy and excited.
Impatient has a negative connotation. It is not a nice word. An impatient person is often pushy and demanding. | Solution: Complain about something has a more negative connotation. If you complain about something, you talk about it in a whiny way. |
Question: Select the animal that has a backbone. | Choices: [castor bean tick, American crocodile] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: biology | Skill: Identify animals with and without backbones | Lecture: Some animals have a backbone. The backbone is made of many bones in an animal's back. An animal's backbone helps connect the different parts of its body. In the drawings below, each animal's backbone is colored orange.
Other animals do not have a backbone. In fact, these animals don't have any bones! Some animals without backbones have a hard outer cover. Other animals have a soft body. | Solution: A castor bean tick is an insect. Like other insects, a castor bean tick does not have a backbone. It has a hard outer cover.
An American crocodile is a reptile. Like other reptiles, an American crocodile has a backbone. | Hint: Hint: Mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians all have backbones. |
Question: Would you find the word admiral on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
absorb - art | Choices: [yes, no] | Task: yes or no | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: reference-skills | Skill: Use guide words | Lecture: Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on.
If one word is shorter, and there are no more letters to compare, then the shorter word comes first in alphabetical order. For example, be comes before bed. | Solution: Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since admiral is between the guide words absorb - art, it would be found on that page. |
Question: Compare the motion of three sailboats. Which sailboat was moving at the lowest speed? | Choices: [a sailboat that moved 50kilometers north in 5hours, a sailboat that moved 70kilometers west in 5hours, a sailboat that moved 25kilometers east in 5hours] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade3 | Topic: physics | Skill: Compare the speeds of moving objects | Lecture: An object's speed tells you how fast the object is moving. Speed depends on both distance and time.
Distance tells you how far the object has moved. One unit used to measure distance is the kilometer.
Time tells you how long the object has spent moving. One unit used to measure time is the hour.
Think about objects moving for the same amount of time. The object that is moving the slowest will go the shortest distance in that time. It is moving at the lowest speed. | Solution: Look at the distance each sailboat moved and the time it took to move that distance. The direction each sailboat moved does not affect its speed.
Notice that each sailboat moved for 5 hours. The sailboat that moved 25 kilometers moved the shortest distance in that time. So, that sailboat must have moved at the lowest speed. |
Question: Assume all other forces on Jennifer are balanced. Which statement describes the forces on Jennifer? | Choices: [The forces are unbalanced, so there is a net force on Jennifer., The forces are balanced, so there is no net force on Jennifer.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade7 | Topic: physics | Skill: Balanced and unbalanced forces | Lecture: A force is a push or a pull that acts on an object. Every force has a direction and a magnitude, or strength. If two forces act on an object in opposite directions, the forces are called opposing forces.
When opposing forces have the same magnitude, they are balanced. If all the forces on an object are balanced, there is no net force on the object.
When opposing forces have different magnitudes, the forces are unbalanced. If any forces on an object are unbalanced, there is a net force on the object. | Solution: To determine if there is a net force on Jennifer, look at the forces:
Earth's gravity is pulling Jennifer down with a force of 600 N.
The seat of the cart is pushing Jennifer up with a force of 1,200 N.
The forces are in opposite directions, and the forces have different magnitudes: 600 N and 1,200 N. This means that the forces are unbalanced, so there is a net force on Jennifer. | Hint: Jennifer is sitting on a roller coaster cart as it reaches the bottom of a big loop. Earth's gravity is pulling down on Jennifer with a force of 600N. The seat of the cart is pushing up on Jennifer with a force of 1,200N. |
Question: Which figure of speech is used in this text?
I've heard that Bridgette & Co. is downsizing, so I'm happy to see that their store in downtown Greenville will remain open for now. | Choices: [euphemism, hyperbole] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade12 | Topic: figurative-language | Skill: Classify the figure of speech: review | Lecture: Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
Anaphora is the repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of several phrases or clauses.
We are united. We are powerful. We are winners.
Antithesis involves contrasting opposing ideas within a parallel grammatical structure.
I want to help, not to hurt.
Apostrophe is a direct address to an absent person or a nonhuman entity.
Oh, little bird, what makes you sing so beautifully?
Assonance is the repetition of a vowel sound in a series of nearby words.
Try to light the fire.
Chiasmus is an expression in which the second half parallels the first but reverses the order of words.
Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.
A euphemism is a polite or indirect expression that is used to de-emphasize an unpleasant topic.
The head of Human Resources would never refer to firing people, only to laying them off.
Hyperbole is an obvious exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally.
I ate so much that I think I might explode!
An oxymoron is a joining of two seemingly contradictory terms.
Some reviewers are calling this book a new classic.
A paradox is a statement that might at first appear to be contradictory, but that may in fact contain some truth.
Always expect the unexpected.
Understatement involves deliberately representing something as less serious or important than it really is.
As you know, it can get a little cold in the Antarctic. | Solution: The text uses a euphemism, a polite or indirect expression that is used to de-emphasize an unpleasant topic.
Downsizing is an indirect way of saying that the company is planning on firing employees, closing shops or branches, and/or reducing its budget. |
Question: How long is a guitar? | Choices: [31 inches, 31 feet] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: units-and-measurement | Skill: Choose customary units of distance | Lecture: Measurements are written with both a number and a unit. The unit comes after the number. The unit shows what the number means.
Imagine being told that a pencil is 8 long. You might be thinking, 8 what? Is the pencil 8 inches long? 8 feet? 8 miles?
The number 8 on its own does not give you much information about the length of the pencil. That is because the units are missing.
Now look at the drawing of the pencil and the ruler. The ruler shows that the units are inches. So, the length of the pencil is 8 inches.
There are 12 inches in 1 foot. So, 1 inch is much shorter than 1 foot.
There are 3 feet in 1 yard. So, 1 foot is shorter than 1 yard. | Solution: The better estimate for the length of a guitar is 31 inches.
31 feet is too long. | Hint: Select the better estimate. |
Question: Select the one true statement. | Choices: [The cell membrane of a plant cell uses sunlight to make sugar., Plant cells can have mitochondria but do not have vacuoles., Chromosomes are inside the nucleus of a plant cell.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade7 | Topic: biology | Skill: Compare cells and cell parts | Lecture: nan | Solution: nan |
Question: Based on this information, what is this tomato plant's genotype for the fruit texture gene? | Choices: [Ff, smooth fruit] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade6 | Topic: biology | Skill: Genetics vocabulary: genotype and phenotype | Lecture: All organisms have pieces of hereditary material called genes, which are passed from parents to offspring. Genes contain instructions for building the parts of an organism. An organism's genes affect its observable traits, including its appearance, its behavior, and which diseases it may have. Genes may have different alleles, or forms, that can cause different versions of a trait.
For example, flower color is a trait in pea plants. The gene for this trait has two possible alleles. Each allele is represented by an uppercase or lowercase letter. The allele F is for purple flowers, and the allele f is for white flowers. Each pea plant has two alleles for the flower color gene—one allele inherited from each parent.
An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. So, a pea plant may have a genotype of FF, Ff, or ff for the flower color gene.
An organism's phenotype for a trait is its observable version of that trait, which depends on the organism's combination of alleles. A pea plant may have a phenotype of purple flowers or white flowers for the flower color trait. | Solution: An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. The tomato plant has one allele for smooth fruit (F) and one allele for fuzzy fruit (f). So, the plant's genotype for the fruit texture gene is Ff. | Hint: In a group of tomato plants, some individuals have smooth fruit and others have fuzzy fruit. In this group, the gene for the fruit texture trait has two alleles. The allele F is for smooth fruit, and the allele f is for fuzzy fruit.
A certain tomato plant from this group has smooth fruit. This plant has one allele for smooth fruit and one allele for fuzzy fruit. |
Question: Select the animal that does not have a backbone. | Choices: [clownfish, monarch butterfly] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: biology | Skill: Identify animals with and without backbones | Lecture: Some animals have a backbone. The backbone is made of many bones in an animal's back. An animal's backbone helps connect the different parts of its body. In the drawings below, each animal's backbone is colored orange.
Other animals do not have a backbone. In fact, these animals don't have any bones! Some animals without backbones have a hard outer cover. Other animals have a soft body. | Solution: A monarch butterfly is an insect. Like other insects, a monarch butterfly does not have a backbone. It has a hard outer cover.
A clownfish is a fish. Like other fish, a clownfish has a backbone. | Hint: Hint: Insects, spiders, and worms do not have backbones. |
Question: Compare the motion of two blue whales. Which blue whale was moving at a lower speed? | Choices: [a blue whale that moved 75miles in 10hours, a blue whale that moved 100miles in 10hours] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: physics | Skill: Compare the speeds of moving objects | Lecture: An object's speed tells you how fast the object is moving. Speed depends on both distance and time.
Distance tells you how far the object has moved. One unit used to measure distance is the mile.
Time tells you how long the object has spent moving. One unit used to measure time is the hour.
Think about two objects moving for the same amount of time. The object that is moving slower will go a shorter distance in that time. It is moving at a lower speed. | Solution: Look at the distance each blue whale moved and the time it took to move that distance.
One blue whale moved 75 miles in 10 hours.
The other blue whale moved 100 miles in 10 hours.
Notice that each blue whale spent the same amount of time moving. The blue whale that moved 75 miles moved a shorter distance in that time. So, that blue whale must have moved at a lower speed. |
Question: Complete the statement.
Krypton is (). | Choices: [an elementary substance, a compound] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: chemistry | Skill: Classify elementary substances and compounds using chemical formulas | Lecture: Every substance around you is made of one or more chemical elements, or types of atoms. Substances that are made of only one chemical element are elementary substances. Substances that are made of two or more chemical elements bonded together are compounds.
Every chemical element is represented by its own symbol. For some elements, the symbol is one capital letter. For other elements, the symbol is one capital letter and one lowercase letter. For example, the symbol for the element fluorine is F, and the symbol for the element beryllium is Be.
The symbol for each element in a substance is shown in the substance's chemical formula.
An elementary substance is represented by a chemical formula that contains only one symbol.
The symbol may be followed by a subscript. A subscript is text that is smaller and placed lower than the normal line of text. A subscript is included when the atoms in the elementary substance are bonded to form molecules. The subscript tells you the number of atoms in each molecule.
For example, the chemical formula for the elementary substance oxygen is O2. The formula has a subscript of 2. This subscript tells you that there are two atoms in the molecule represented by this chemical formula.
The chemical element represented by the symbol O is also called oxygen. So, the formula O2 tells you that each molecule of O2 contains two oxygen atoms.
A compound is represented by a chemical formula that contains multiple symbols.
For example, in the compound beryllium fluoride, there is one beryllium atom for every two fluorine atoms. This combination is shown in the compound's chemical formula, BeF2. In the formula, the symbol Be represents one beryllium atom. The symbol F followed by the subscript 2 represents two fluorine atoms. | Solution: You can tell whether krypton is an elementary substance or a compound by counting the number of symbols in its chemical formula. A symbol contains either one capital letter or a capital letter followed by one or two lowercase letters.
The chemical formula for krypton is Kr. This formula contains one symbol: Kr. So, the formula tells you that krypton is made of one chemical element.
Substances made of only one chemical element are elementary substances. So, krypton is an elementary substance. | Hint: Krypton is one of the rarest gases found in Earth's atmosphere. The chemical formula for krypton is Kr. |
Question: Which sentence states a fact? | Choices: [Hawaii is too far from the other states., The state of Hawaii is located in the Pacific Ocean.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: social science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: civics | Skill: Identify facts and opinions | Lecture: A fact is something that can be proved to be true. Facts can be proved by observing, measuring, or studying information.
The flag of the United States has 13 stripes.
This is a fact. It can be proved by looking at the flag and counting the number of stripes.
An opinion is something that a person believes, thinks, or feels. An opinion cannot be proved true.
The flag of the United States is easy to draw.
This is an opinion. People may have different opinions about what makes a flag "easy" to draw. | Solution: The second sentence states a fact.
The state of Hawaii is located in the Pacific Ocean.
It can be proved by finding Hawaii on a world map.
The first sentence states an opinion.
Hawaii is too far from the other states.
Too far shows what a person believes, thinks, or feels. Another person might have a different opinion about how far is too far. |
Question: Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
advertise - alike | Choices: [afford, approach] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade8 | Topic: reference-skills | Skill: Use guide words | Lecture: Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on.
If one word is shorter, and there are no more letters to compare, then the shorter word comes first in alphabetical order. For example, be comes before bed. | Solution: Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since afford is between the guide words advertise - alike, it would be found on that page. |
Question: Which sentence states a fact? | Choices: [Summers in the United States are too hot., In North America, summer starts in late June.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: social science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: civics | Skill: Identify facts and opinions | Lecture: A fact is something that can be proved to be true. Facts can be proved by observing, measuring, or studying information.
The flag of the United States has 13 stripes.
This is a fact. It can be proved by looking at the flag and counting the number of stripes.
An opinion is something that a person believes, thinks, or feels. An opinion cannot be proved true.
The flag of the United States is easy to draw.
This is an opinion. People may have different opinions about what makes a flag "easy" to draw. | Solution: The second sentence states a fact.
In North America, summer starts in late June.
It can be proved by checking a calendar.
The first sentence states an opinion.
Summers in the United States are too hot.
Too hot shows what a person believes, thinks, or feels. Another person might have a different opinion about how hot is too hot. |
Question: Which figure of speech is used in this text?
We don't need to decrease the cost of the product; we need to increase the quality of the product. | Choices: [euphemism, antithesis] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade11 | Topic: figurative-language | Skill: Classify the figure of speech: review | Lecture: Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
Anaphora is the repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of several phrases or clauses.
We are united. We are powerful. We are winners.
Antithesis involves contrasting opposing ideas within a parallel grammatical structure.
I want to help, not to hurt.
Apostrophe is a direct address to an absent person or a nonhuman entity.
Oh, little bird, what makes you sing so beautifully?
Assonance is the repetition of a vowel sound in a series of nearby words.
Try to light the fire.
Chiasmus is an expression in which the second half parallels the first but reverses the order of words.
Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.
A euphemism is a polite or indirect expression that is used to de-emphasize an unpleasant topic.
The head of Human Resources would never refer to firing people, only to laying them off.
Hyperbole is an obvious exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally.
I ate so much that I think I might explode!
An oxymoron is a joining of two seemingly contradictory terms.
Some reviewers are calling this book a new classic.
A paradox is a statement that might at first appear to be contradictory, but that may in fact contain some truth.
Always expect the unexpected.
Understatement involves deliberately representing something as less serious or important than it really is.
As you know, it can get a little cold in the Antarctic. | Solution: The text uses antithesis, the contrasting of opposing ideas within a parallel grammatical structure.
The sentence contrasts two things related to a product, decrease the cost and increase the quality. |
Question: Which is the stickiest? | Choices: [jam, cardboard, nylon shorts] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: physics | Skill: Compare properties of materials | Lecture: Every object is made of one or more materials. A material is a type of matter. Wood, glass, metal, and plastic are common materials.
A material has different properties. A material's properties tell you how it looks, feels, tastes, or smells. Some examples of properties are shiny, hard, fragile, and stretchy.
For example, a shiny material reflects a lot of light. A fragile material breaks when you drop it. | Solution: Sticky is a property. A sticky material easily attaches to other things.
Look at each picture, one at a time. Imagine touching the material shown in each picture.
Of the choices, the jam is the stickiest. If you touch jam, it will stick to you. |
Question: Which phrase has a more negative connotation? | Choices: [use water, waste water] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: vocabulary | Skill: Positive and negative connotation | Lecture: Connotation is the feeling or idea that goes along with a word or phrase. Some words are close in meaning but have different connotations.
For example, think about the words eager and impatient. They both mean wanting something to happen, but they have different connotations.
Eager has a positive connotation. It is a nice word. An eager person is happy and excited.
Impatient has a negative connotation. It is not a nice word. An impatient person is often pushy and demanding. | Solution: Waste water has a more negative connotation. If you waste water, you use it in a bad way. |
Question: Based on this information, what is Nutmeg's phenotype for the fur color trait? | Choices: [ff, light fur] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade6 | Topic: biology | Skill: Genetics vocabulary: genotype and phenotype | Lecture: All organisms have pieces of hereditary material called genes, which are passed from parents to offspring. Genes contain instructions for building the parts of an organism. An organism's genes affect its observable traits, including its appearance, its behavior, and which diseases it may have. Genes may have different alleles, or forms, that can cause different versions of a trait.
For example, flower color is a trait in pea plants. The gene for this trait has two possible alleles. Each allele is represented by an uppercase or lowercase letter. The allele F is for purple flowers, and the allele f is for white flowers. Each pea plant has two alleles for the flower color gene—one allele inherited from each parent.
An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. So, a pea plant may have a genotype of FF, Ff, or ff for the flower color gene.
An organism's phenotype for a trait is its observable version of that trait, which depends on the organism's combination of alleles. A pea plant may have a phenotype of purple flowers or white flowers for the flower color trait. | Solution: An organism's phenotype for a trait is its observable version of that trait. Nutmeg's observable version of the fur color trait is light fur. So, Nutmeg's phenotype for the fur color trait is light fur. | Hint: In a group of rock pocket mice, some individuals have dark fur and others have light fur. In this group, the gene for the fur color trait has two alleles. The allele F is for dark fur, and the allele f is for light fur.
Nutmeg, a rock pocket mouse from this group, has light fur. Nutmeg has two alleles for light fur. |
Question: Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
We cannot have shorter prison sentences, even for low-level criminals. It would only be a matter of time before all prison sentences were reduced and violent offenders were roaming the streets! | Choices: [ad hominem: an attack against the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself, bandwagon fallacy: the assumption that the popular choice is automatically correct, slippery slope fallacy: the false assumption that a small first step will lead to extreme consequences] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade11 | Topic: writing-strategies | Skill: Classify logical fallacies | Lecture: A strong argument uses valid reasoning and logic in support of a claim. When an argument or claim introduces irrelevant information or misrepresents the issues at hand, it may be committing a logical fallacy. Logical fallacies can hurt a writer's credibility and can lead readers to draw false conclusions.
A logical fallacy may present irrelevant information:
Fallacy | Description
ad hominem | an attack against the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself
appeal to nature | an argument that assumes the natural choice is always the best choice
bandwagon fallacy | an argument that assumes the popular choice is always the best choice
circular reasoning | an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself
guilt by association | an unfair negative association with another person or group that is intended to discredit someone or something
A logical fallacy may misrepresent the issues at hand:
Fallacy | Description
false causation | the assumption that because two things happened together, one caused the other
false dichotomy | an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist
hasty generalization | a broad claim based on too few observations
slippery slope fallacy | the false assumption that a small first step will necessarily lead to extreme consequences
straw man | a misrepresentation of an opponent's position that makes it easier to argue against
| Solution: The text argues that going easy on low-level criminals will lead to going easy on violent criminals, too. However, there is no reason why easing penalties for low-level criminals must necessarily lead to changes to penalties for violent criminals. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as the slippery slope fallacy. |
Question: Complete the sentence.
A () can grow into a new plant. | Choices: [petal, leaf, seed] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: biology | Skill: Describe and construct flowering plant life cycles | Lecture: Many plants have flowers. These plants can use their flowers to reproduce, or make new plants like themselves. How do plants use their flowers to reproduce?
First, the male part of the flower makes pollen, and the female part makes eggs. Animals, wind, or water can move pollen. Pollination is what happens when pollen is moved to the female part of the flower.
After pollination, sperm from the pollen can combine with the eggs. This is called fertilization. The fertilized eggs grow into seeds. The fruit grows around the seeds. Later, a seed can fall out of the fruit. It can germinate, or start to grow into a new plant. | Solution: A seed can germinate and grow into a new plant.
Plants can grow leaves and petals. But leaves and petals cannot grow into a new plant. |
Question: Which organ works in groups to move the body's bones? | Choices: [heart, stomach, brain, muscles] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: biology | Skill: Human organs and their functions | Lecture: nan | Solution: nan |
Question: Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
bicycle - butterfly | Choices: [bee, bruise] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: reference-skills | Skill: Use guide words | Lecture: Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on. | Solution: Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since bruise is between the guide words bicycle - butterfly, it would be found on that page. |
Question: Which object has less thermal energy? | Choices: [a 10-kilogram block of iron at a temperature of 225°F, a 10-kilogram block of iron at a temperature of 210°F] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade3 | Topic: physics | Skill: How is temperature related to thermal energy? | Lecture: All solids, liquids, and gases are made of matter. Matter is made up of tiny particles that are always moving. The energy from the motion of these particles is called thermal energy.
Temperature measures how hot or cold matter is. If the particles in matter slow down, the temperature goes down. The matter now has both less thermal energy and a lower temperature. | Solution: The two blocks of iron have the same mass but different temperatures. Since the 210°F block is colder than the 225°F block, it has less thermal energy. | Hint: The objects are identical except for their temperatures. |
Question: Select the description that doesn't belong. | Choices: [slowly, poorly, swiftly, quickly] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade3 | Topic: vocabulary | Skill: Select the words that don't belong | Lecture: nan | Solution: Poorly doesn't belong.
Swiftly, slowly, and quickly all describe the speed at which something happens. |
Question: Which figure of speech is used in this text?
Michael returned to the parking lot to find his car somewhat destroyed. Apparently someone had crashed into it while he was working and had broken the entire front windshield. | Choices: [hyperbole, oxymoron] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade11 | Topic: figurative-language | Skill: Classify the figure of speech: euphemism, hyperbole, oxymoron, paradox | Lecture: Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
A euphemism is a polite or indirect expression that is used to de-emphasize an unpleasant topic.
The head of Human Resources would never refer to firing people, only to laying them off.
Hyperbole is an obvious exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally.
I ate so much that I think I might explode!
An oxymoron is a joining of two seemingly contradictory terms.
Some reviewers are calling this book a new classic.
A paradox is a statement that might at first appear to be contradictory, but that may in fact contain some truth.
Always expect the unexpected. | Solution: The text uses an oxymoron, a joining of two seemingly contradictory terms.
Somewhat destroyed is a contradiction, because somewhat means partially or moderately, and destroyed implies totally wrecked. |
Question: Which tense does the sentence use?
I tell Katy my opinions about her music. | Choices: [present tense, past tense, future tense] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: verbs | Skill: Is the sentence in the past, present, or future tense? | Lecture: Present tense verbs tell you about something that is happening now.
Most present-tense verbs are regular. They have no ending, or they end in -s or -es.
Two verbs are irregular in the present tense, to be and to have. You must remember their forms.
Past tense verbs tell you about something that has already happened.
Most past-tense verbs are regular. They end in -ed.
Some verbs are irregular in the past tense. You must remember their past-tense forms.
Future tense verbs tell you about something that is going to happen.
All future-tense verbs use the word will.
Present | Past | Future
walk, walks | walked | will walk
go, goes | went | will go | Solution: The sentence is in present tense. You can tell because it uses a present-tense verb, tell. The verb tells you about something that is true or happening now. |
Question: Select the invertebrate. | Choices: [robin, echidna, western rattlesnake, dung beetle] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: biology | Skill: Identify vertebrates and invertebrates | Lecture: Vertebrates and invertebrates are both groups of animals.
A vertebrate has a backbone. The backbone is made of many bones in an animal's back. A vertebrate's backbone helps connect the different parts of its body. In the drawings below, each vertebrate's backbone is colored orange.
An invertebrate does not have a backbone. In fact, invertebrates do not have any bones! Some invertebrates have an outer cover on their body called an exoskeleton. Other invertebrates have a soft body. | Solution: A western rattlesnake is a reptile. Like other reptiles, a western rattlesnake is a vertebrate. It has a backbone.
A dung beetle is an insect. Like other insects, a dung beetle is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone. It has an exoskeleton.
An echidna is a mammal. Like other mammals, an echidna is a vertebrate. It has a backbone.
A robin is a bird. Like other birds, a robin is a vertebrate. It has a backbone. | Hint: Hint: Insects, spiders, and worms are invertebrates. |
Question: Based on this information, what is Tim's genotype for the Thomsen disease gene? | Choices: [Mm, having Thomsen disease] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade8 | Topic: biology | Skill: Genetics vocabulary: genotype and phenotype | Lecture: All organisms have pieces of hereditary material called genes, which are passed from parents to offspring. Genes contain instructions for building the parts of an organism. An organism's genes affect its observable traits, including its appearance, its behavior, and which diseases it may have. Genes may have different alleles, or forms, that can cause different versions of a trait.
For example, flower color is a trait in pea plants. The gene for this trait has two possible alleles. Each allele is represented by an uppercase or lowercase letter. The allele F is for purple flowers, and the allele f is for white flowers. Each pea plant has two alleles for the flower color gene—one allele inherited from each parent.
An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. So, a pea plant may have a genotype of FF, Ff, or ff for the flower color gene.
An organism's phenotype for a trait is its observable version of that trait, which depends on the organism's combination of alleles. A pea plant may have a phenotype of purple flowers or white flowers for the flower color trait. | Solution: An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. Tim has one allele for having Thomsen disease (M) and one allele for not having Thomsen disease (m). So, Tim's genotype for the Thomsen disease gene is Mm. | Hint: This passage describes the Thomsen disease trait in humans:
In a group of humans, some individuals have Thomsen disease and others do not. In this group, the gene for the Thomsen disease trait has two alleles. The allele M is for having Thomsen disease, and the allele m is for not having Thomsen disease.
Tim, a human from this group, has Thomsen disease. Tim has one allele for having Thomsen disease and one allele for not having Thomsen disease. |
Question: What do these two changes have in common?
carving a piece of wood
butter melting on a hot day | Choices: [Both are chemical changes., Both are only physical changes., Both are caused by heating., Both are caused by cooling.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: chemistry | Skill: Compare physical and chemical changes | Lecture: Chemical changes and physical changes are two common ways matter can change.
In a chemical change, the type of matter changes. The types of matter before and after a chemical change are always different.
Some chemical changes are caused by heating or cooling. For example, burning a piece of paper is a chemical change caused by heating. When paper gets hot enough, it reacts with oxygen in the air and burns. The paper and oxygen change into ash and smoke.
In a physical change, the type of matter stays the same. The types of matter before and after a physical change are always the same.
A change of state is a type of physical change. Changes of state can be caused by heating or cooling. For example, ice melting is a physical change that can be caused by heating. Ice and liquid water are made of the same type of matter: water.
The law of conservation of mass says that all physical and chemical changes conserve mass. Conserve means to keep the same. So, the total mass before a physical or chemical change is equal to the total mass after the change. | Solution: Step 1: Think about each change.
Carving a piece of wood is a physical change. The wood changes shape, but it is still made of the same type of matter.
Butter melting on a hot day is a change of state. So, it is a physical change. The butter changes from solid to liquid, but it is still made of the same type of matter.
Step 2: Look at each answer choice.
Both are only physical changes.
Both changes are physical changes. No new matter is created.
Both are chemical changes.
Both changes are physical changes. They are not chemical changes.
Both are caused by heating.
Butter melting on a hot day is caused by heating. But carving a piece of wood is not.
Both are caused by cooling.
Neither change is caused by cooling. |
Question: Select the reptile. | Choices: [domestic pig, tortoise, leafy seadragon, American toad] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: biology | Skill: Identify mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians | Lecture: Reptiles have scaly, waterproof skin. Most reptiles live on land. | Solution: A leafy seadragon is a fish. It lives underwater. It has fins, not limbs.
A seadragon's body looks like a clump of seaweed. This helps the seadragon hide from its predators.
An American toad is an amphibian. It has moist skin and begins its life in water.
Toads do not have teeth! They swallow their food whole.
A domestic pig is a mammal. It has hair and feeds its young milk.
Pigs are omnivores. This means that they can eat both plants and animals.
A tortoise is a reptile. It has scaly, waterproof skin.
A tortoise's shell protects it from predators. When a tortoise feels threatened, it can pull its head and legs inside its shell. |
Question: Would you find the word income on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
iodine - its | Choices: [yes, no] | Task: yes or no | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: reference-skills | Skill: Use guide words | Lecture: Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on.
If one word is shorter, and there are no more letters to compare, then the shorter word comes first in alphabetical order. For example, be comes before bed. | Solution: Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since income is not between the guide words iodine - its, it would not be found on that page. |
Question: Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
Janelle has no school spirit—she never comes to any of our football games. | Choices: [circular reasoning: an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself, false dichotomy: an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade6 | Topic: writing-strategies | Skill: Classify logical fallacies | Lecture: A strong argument uses valid reasoning and logic in support of a claim. When an argument or claim introduces irrelevant information or misrepresents the issues at hand, it may be committing a logical fallacy. Logical fallacies can hurt a writer's credibility and can lead readers to draw false conclusions.
A logical fallacy may present irrelevant information:
Fallacy | Description
ad hominem | a personal attack meant to discredit one's opponent
appeal to nature | an argument that assumes the natural choice is always the best choice
bandwagon fallacy | an argument that assumes the popular choice is always the best choice
circular reasoning | an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself
guilt by association | an unfair negative association with another person or group that is intended to discredit someone or something
red herring | the use of a completely unrelated topic in support of a claim
A logical fallacy may misrepresent the issues at hand:
Fallacy | Description
false causation | the assumption that because two things happened together, one caused the other
false dichotomy | an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist
hasty generalization | a very broad claim based on very little evidence
straw man | a misrepresentation of an opponent's position that makes it easier to argue against
| Solution: The text argues that Janelle doesn't have school spirit, because she doesn't go to football games. However, there may be a number of reasons why Janelle doesn't go to football games. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as a false dichotomy. |
Question: Select the plant. | Choices: [Ladybugs walk and fly., Watercress has small green leaves.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: biology | Skill: Identify plants and animals | Lecture: Plants and animals are living things. Living things are called organisms.
Plants come in many shapes and sizes. Most plants grow in the ground. They might grow leaves, flowers, and fruit. Plants cannot move around on their own like animals can.
Animals also come in many shapes and sizes. Most animals can move around. Animals might run, swim, jump, or fly. Animals eat plants or other organisms for food. | Solution: Watercress is a plant. It has small green leaves.
Watercress can grow in water or in the ground.
A ladybug is an animal. It walks and flies.
Some ladybugs have spots. Other types of ladybugs have stripes! |
Question: Complete the sentence so that it uses personification.
The washing machine () when Fernando ran an oversized load of laundry. | Choices: [complained, broke] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade10 | Topic: writing-strategies | Skill: Use personification | Lecture: Personification is giving human characteristics to nonhuman things. It is a figure of speech that can be used to make writing more interesting or to emphasize a point.
The trees danced in the wind.
The word danced describes the trees as if they were people. Unlike people, however, trees can't actually dance. Instead, the personification suggests that the trees are moving. | Solution: Complete the sentence with the word complained. It describes the washing machine as if it were a grumpy, overworked person. |
Question: Which type of sentence is this?
As Luca sat down on the rickety old chair, it abruptly collapsed beneath him. | Choices: [simple, compound-complex, compound, complex] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade8 | Topic: grammar | Skill: Is the sentence simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex? | Lecture: A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate.
An independent clause is a complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause (or subordinate clause) is not a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence.
the oranges on our tree are ripe
The clause can stand alone. It is independent.
after we pick up Kevin from work
The clause cannot stand alone. It is dependent.
A simple sentence is made up of a single independent clause.
Ben and I spent all day relaxing by the pool.
Some simple sentences have introductory phrases, but the introductory phrase is part of the predicate.
In the winter, Ben usually wears his heavy coat.
Ben usually wears his heavy coat in the winter.
A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
We saw the flash of lightning, and seconds later we heard a rumble of thunder.
A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dependent clause in a complex sentence usually begins with a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun. Subordinating conjunctions include after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, and while. Relative pronouns include that, which, who, whom, or whose.
If she ever gets the chance, Terri would love to visit the Egyptian pyramids.
During his trip to Italy, Tony visited the Trevi Fountain, which is in Rome.
A compound-complex sentence is made up of two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.
After Samantha left work, she stopped at the bank, and then she went to the gym.
Sometimes a dependent clause in a complex or compound-complex sentence can interrupt an independent clause.
Orcas that are kept in captivity often have bent dorsal fins. | Solution: The sentence is complex. It is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dependent clause begins with the subordinating conjunction as.
As Luca sat down on the rickety old chair, it abruptly collapsed beneath him. |
Question: Which object has the least thermal energy? | Choices: [a fish tank at a temperature of 17°C, a fish tank at a temperature of 19°C, a fish tank at a temperature of 23°C] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: physics | Skill: How is temperature related to thermal energy? | Lecture: All solids, liquids, and gases are made of matter. Matter is made up of tiny particles that are always moving. The energy from the motion of these particles is called thermal energy.
Temperature measures how hot or cold matter is. If the particles in matter slow down, the temperature goes down. The matter now has both less thermal energy and a lower temperature. | Solution: All three fish tanks have the same mass but different temperatures. Since the 17°C fish tank is the coldest, it has the least thermal energy. | Hint: The objects are identical except for their temperatures. |
Question: Is the following trait inherited or acquired?
Karen has two arms and two legs. | Choices: [inherited, acquired] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade3 | Topic: biology | Skill: Identify inherited and acquired traits | Lecture: Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down through families. Children gain these traits from their parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. Children do not inherit their parents' acquired traits. | Solution: Most humans are born with two arms and two legs. So, having two arms and two legs is an inherited trait. | Hint: Hint: Karen was born with two arms and two legs. |
Question: What information supports the conclusion that Ariana inherited this trait? | Choices: [Ariana's parents have red hair. They passed down this trait to Ariana., Ariana and her mother both wear their hair in braids.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade6 | Topic: biology | Skill: Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | Lecture: Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down from biological parents to their offspring through genes. Genes are pieces of hereditary material that contain the instructions that affect inherited traits. Offspring receive their genes, and therefore gain their inherited traits, from their biological parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. Parents do not pass acquired traits down to their offspring. | Solution: nan | Hint: Read the description of a trait.
Ariana has red hair. |
Question: Which correctly shows the title of a book? | Choices: ["Rain, Shine, or Snow", ***Rain, Shine, or Snow***] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade3 | Topic: punctuation | Skill: Formatting titles | Lecture: The title of a book, movie, play, TV show, magazine, or newspaper should be in italics. If you write it by hand, it can be underlined instead.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The title of a poem, song, or article should be in quotation marks.
"You Are My Sunshine" | Solution: A book should be in italics.
The correct title is **Rain, Shine, or Snow**. |
Question: Last year, 50,000 people lived in the city of Newport. But since then, 8,000 people have moved away. What probably happened to the overall supply of houses for sale in Newport? | Choices: [The supply probably went down., The supply probably went up.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: social science | Grade: grade7 | Topic: economics | Skill: Understand overall supply and demand | Lecture: Overall supply is the total amount of a good or service that producers make and sell. There are several things that can make overall supply go up or down. The table below shows how changes to these things might affect overall supply.
| Resources | Number of producers or suppliers | Expected change in demand
Supply goes up | when resources cost less or are easier to get | when there are more producers or suppliers | when demand is expected to go up
Supply goes down | when resources cost more or are harder to get | when there are fewer producers or suppliers | when demand is expected to go down
Producers are people or companies that make goods or provide services. Suppliers are people or companies that sell goods or services. New inventions or technologies can also help workers produce goods and services more quickly. As a result of these changes, the supply of a good or service will often go up. | Solution: The population of Newport fell by 8,000 people. Many of the people who have left are probably trying to sell their houses. Since more people are trying to sell their houses, the number of suppliers of houses for sale in Newport has gone up. So, the supply of houses for sale probably went up, too. |
Question: What kind of sentence is this?
What made Isabelle so upset? | Choices: [exclamatory, interrogative] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: punctuation | Skill: Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory? | Lecture: There are four kinds of sentences.
A declarative sentence is a statement. It tells about something. A declarative sentence always ends with a period.
I have an older brother and a younger sister.
An interrogative sentence is a question. It asks something. An interrogative sentence always ends with a question mark.
How tall are you?
An imperative sentence is a command. It makes a request or tells someone to do something. An imperative sentence usually ends with a period. If the command shows strong feeling, it ends with an exclamation point.
Read the first chapter by next week.
Look out for that car!
An exclamatory sentence is like a statement, but it shows surprise or strong feeling. An exclamatory sentence always ends with an exclamation point.
Some whales are over ninety feet long!
I can't wait until tomorrow! | Solution: The sentence asks something, and it ends with a question mark. It is an interrogative sentence. |
Question: Which body part protects the body's soft parts? | Choices: [skeleton, muscles, heart] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: biology | Skill: Body parts and their functions | Lecture: nan | Solution: nan |
Question: What is the volume of a water balloon? | Choices: [500 liters, 500 milliliters] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: units-and-measurement | Skill: Choose metric units of volume | Lecture: Measurements are written with both a number and a unit. The unit comes after the number. The unit shows what the number means.
Volume is a measurement of how much space something takes up.
There are many different units of volume. When you are using metric units, volume may be written in units of milliliters or liters.
There are 1,000 milliliters in 1 liter. So, 1 milliliter is much less than 1 liter.
A raindrop has a volume of about 20 milliliters, while a large soda bottle has a volume of 2 liters. The flask shown here measures volumes up to 500 milliliters. | Solution: The better estimate for the volume of a water balloon is 500 milliliters.
500 liters is too much. | Hint: Select the better estimate. |
Question: What do these two changes have in common?
picking up a paper clip with a magnet
breaking a ceramic plate | Choices: [Both are caused by heating., Both are chemical changes., Both are only physical changes., Both are caused by cooling.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade8 | Topic: chemistry | Skill: Compare physical and chemical changes | Lecture: Matter is made of very small particles called atoms. Atoms can be linked together by chemical bonds. When two or more atoms link together, they form a molecule.
In a chemical change, the chemical bonds in the molecules break. The atoms then link together to form different molecules. The types of molecules in matter before and after a chemical change are always different.
Some chemical changes are caused by heating or cooling. For example, burning a piece of paper is a chemical change caused by heating. As paper burns, paper molecules react with oxygen molecules in the air. This reaction breaks the chemical bonds in the molecules. The atoms then link together in a different way to form different molecules. For example, carbon dioxide molecules are formed when paper burns.
In a physical change, chemical bonds do not break. The types of molecules in matter before and after a physical change are always the same.
A change of state is a type of physical change. Changes of state can be caused by heating or cooling. For example, water vaporizing is a physical change that can be caused by heating. Liquid water and water vapor are made of the same type of matter: water.
The law of conservation of mass says that all physical and chemical changes conserve mass. Conserve means to keep the same. So, the total mass before a physical or chemical change is equal to the total mass after the change. | Solution: Step 1: Think about each change.
Picking up a paper clip with a magnet is a physical change. The paper clip sticks to the magnet, but it is still made of the same type of matter.
Breaking a ceramic plate is a physical change. The plate gets broken into pieces. But each piece is still made of the same type of matter.
Step 2: Look at each answer choice.
Both are only physical changes.
Both changes are physical changes. No new matter is created.
Both are chemical changes.
Both changes are physical changes. They are not chemical changes.
Both are caused by heating.
Neither change is caused by heating.
Both are caused by cooling.
Neither change is caused by cooling. |
Question: Select the plant. | Choices: [Papyrus has a long thin stem., Wombats eat plants.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: biology | Skill: Identify plants and animals | Lecture: Plants and animals are living things. Living things are called organisms.
Plants come in many shapes and sizes. Most plants grow in the ground. They might grow leaves, flowers, and fruit. Plants cannot move around on their own like animals can.
Animals also come in many shapes and sizes. Most animals can move around. Animals might run, swim, jump, or fly. Animals eat plants or other organisms for food. | Solution: Papyrus is a plant. It has a long thin stem with green leaves on top.
You can make paper out of the stems of papyrus plants!
A wombat is an animal. It eats plants.
Wombats have strong claws. They use their claws to dig tunnels called burrows. |
Question: Which is a complex sentence? | Choices: [The package includes some old letters from my grandma to my dad and a broken pocket watch., Air will leak out of the tire until you find the hole and repair it.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: grammar | Skill: Is the sentence simple, compound, or complex? | Lecture: A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate.
An independent clause is a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause is not a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence.
the oranges on our tree are ripe
The clause can stand alone. It is independent.
after we pick up Kevin from work
The clause cannot stand alone. It is dependent.
A simple sentence is made up of a single independent clause.
Ben and I spent all day relaxing by the pool.
Some simple sentences have introductory phrases, but the introductory phrase is part of the predicate.
In the winter, Ben usually wears his heavy coat.
Ben usually wears his heavy coat in the winter.
A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
We saw a flash of lightning, and seconds later we heard the rumble of thunder.
A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dependent clause usually begins with a subordinating conjunction such as after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, or while.
If she ever gets the chance, Terri would love to visit the Egyptian pyramids. | Solution: The second sentence is the complex sentence. It is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dependent clause begins with the subordinating conjunction until.
Air will leak out of the tire until you find the hole and repair it. |
Question: Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
distinct - dreadful | Choices: [dare, donkey] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: reference-skills | Skill: Use guide words | Lecture: Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on.
If one word is shorter, and there are no more letters to compare, then the shorter word comes first in alphabetical order. For example, be comes before bed. | Solution: Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since donkey is between the guide words distinct - dreadful, it would be found on that page. |
Question: Complete the sentence.
Dew appearing on grass in the morning is a (). | Choices: [chemical change, physical change] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: chemistry | Skill: Compare physical and chemical changes | Lecture: Matter is made of very small particles called atoms. Atoms can be linked together by chemical bonds. When two or more atoms link together, they form a molecule.
In a chemical change, the chemical bonds in the molecules break. The atoms then link together to form new molecules. The types of molecules in matter before and after a chemical change are always different.
Burning a piece of paper is a chemical change. As paper burns, paper molecules react with oxygen molecules in the air. This reaction breaks the chemical bonds in the molecules. The atoms then relink and form different molecules. For example, carbon dioxide molecules are created when paper burns.
In a physical change, chemical bonds do not break. The types of molecules in matter before and after a physical change are always the same.
A change of state is a type of physical change. For example, water vaporizing is a physical change. Liquid water and water vapor are made of the same type of matter: water. | Solution: Dew appearing on grass in the morning is a change of state. So, it is a physical change. Water vapor in the air touches the cool grass and becomes liquid.
The water vapor changes state to become dew, but it is still made of water. A different type of matter is not formed. |
Question: Which tense does the sentence use?
Cows eat the grass on the hill. | Choices: [future tense, present tense, past tense] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: verbs | Skill: Is the sentence in the past, present, or future tense? | Lecture: Present tense verbs tell you about something that is happening now.
Most present-tense verbs are regular. They have no ending, or they end in -s or -es.
Two verbs are irregular in the present tense, to be and to have. You must remember their forms.
Past tense verbs tell you about something that has already happened.
Most past-tense verbs are regular. They end in -ed.
Some verbs are irregular in the past tense. You must remember their past-tense forms.
Future tense verbs tell you about something that is going to happen.
All future-tense verbs use the word will.
Present | Past | Future
walk, walks | walked | will walk
go, goes | went | will go | Solution: The sentence is in present tense. You can tell because it uses a present-tense verb, eat. The verb tells you about something that is true or happening now. |
Question: Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
Don't try to tell me that you only watch educational programming, Akira! I know for a fact that your sister only watches reality television. | Choices: [guilt by association: a negative association intended to discredit someone or something, false dichotomy: an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade8 | Topic: writing-strategies | Skill: Classify logical fallacies | Lecture: A strong argument uses valid reasoning and logic in support of a claim. When an argument or claim introduces irrelevant information or misrepresents the issues at hand, it may be committing a logical fallacy. Logical fallacies can hurt a writer's credibility and can lead readers to draw false conclusions.
A logical fallacy may present irrelevant information:
Fallacy | Description
ad hominem | a personal attack meant to discredit one's opponent
appeal to nature | an argument that assumes the natural choice is always the best choice
bandwagon fallacy | an argument that assumes the popular choice is always the best choice
circular reasoning | an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself
guilt by association | an unfair negative association with another person or group that is intended to discredit someone or something
red herring | the use of a completely unrelated topic in support of a claim
A logical fallacy may misrepresent the issues at hand:
Fallacy | Description
false causation | the assumption that because two things happened together, one caused the other
false dichotomy | an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist
hasty generalization | a very broad claim based on very little evidence
straw man | a misrepresentation of an opponent's position that makes it easier to argue against
| Solution: The text argues that Akira must watch reality television, because her sister watches reality television. However, even though Akira's sister watches reality television, that doesn't necessarily mean that Akira does, too. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as guilt by association. |
Question: Which correctly shows the title of a short story? | Choices: ["The Ant and the Grasshopper", The Ant and the Grasshopper] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: punctuation | Skill: Formatting titles | Lecture: The title of a book, movie, play, TV show, magazine, or newspaper should be in italics. If you write it by hand, it can be underlined instead.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The title of a poem, song, article, or short story should be in quotation marks.
"You Are My Sunshine" | Solution: A short story should be in quotation marks.
The correct title is "The Ant and the Grasshopper." |
Question: Which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference? | Choices: [Mrs. Chandler told her friend to exercise on a regular basis and get more sleep in order to have more energy throughout the day., Mrs. Chandler told her friend that she needs to exercise on a regular basis and get more sleep in order to have more energy throughout the day.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade11 | Topic: writing-strategies | Skill: Identify vague pronoun references | Lecture: When writing, make sure to avoid vague pronoun references. A vague pronoun reference occurs when a pronoun could refer to more than one possible antecedent.
When Lisa and Kim finally landed, she breathed a sigh of relief.
The pronoun she could refer to either Lisa or Kim, so the meaning of the sentence is unclear.
Vague pronoun references can be corrected in one of two ways:
1. Replace the pronoun with its correct antecedent:
When Lisa and Kim finally landed, Lisa breathed a sigh of relief.
2. Rewrite the sentence:
Lisa breathed a sigh of relief when she and Kim finally landed.
A vague pronoun reference also occurs when they, them, their, theirs, it, or its is used without its antecedent.
They say that this nail polish dries in less than five minutes.
The pronoun they is used without its antecedent, so the meaning of the sentence is unclear.
This problem can be fixed by replacing the pronoun with its missing antecedent.
The advertisements say that this nail polish dries in less than five minutes. | Solution: The second answer choice contains a vague pronoun reference. The pronoun she could refer to Mrs. Chandler or her friend.
Mrs. Chandler told her friend that she needs to exercise on a regular basis and get more sleep in order to have more energy throughout the day.
The first answer choice shows a possible correction for the vague pronoun reference. The text has been rewritten so that the meaning is clear.
Mrs. Chandler told her friend to exercise on a regular basis and get more sleep in order to have more energy throughout the day. |
Question: What is the volume of a water balloon? | Choices: [465 milliliters, 465 liters] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: units-and-measurement | Skill: Choose metric units of volume | Lecture: Measurements are written with both a number and a unit. The unit comes after the number. The unit shows what the number means.
Volume is a measurement of how much space something takes up.
There are many different units of volume. When you are using metric units, volume may be written in units of milliliters or liters.
There are 1,000 milliliters in 1 liter. So, 1 milliliter is much less than 1 liter.
A raindrop has a volume of about 20 milliliters, while a large soda bottle has a volume of 2 liters. The flask shown here measures volumes up to 500 milliliters. | Solution: The better estimate for the volume of a water balloon is 465 milliliters.
465 liters is too much. | Hint: Select the better estimate. |
Question: Complete the sentences.
Bill Gates is a business leader. He became famous for (). | Choices: [playing sports, making movies, running for president, working with computers] | Task: closed choice | Subject: social science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: us-history | Skill: Bill Gates | Lecture: nan | Solution: Bill Gates is most famous for working with computers. He first became interested in computers when he was 13 years old.
What were computers like when Bill Gates was 13?
Bill Gates was 13 in 1969. Back then, computers were much larger and more expensive than they are today. A computer could take up a whole room!
Most schools did not have enough money for one of these big computers. But Bill Gates's school had a machine called a Teletype. The Teletype connected to a computer located far away. Bill Gates had to use the Teletype to send messages to the computer. |
Question: Would you find the word trap on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
tear - turn | Choices: [no, yes] | Task: yes or no | Subject: language science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: reference-skills | Skill: Use guide words | Lecture: Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on. | Solution: Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since trap is between the guide words tear - turn, it would be found on that page. |
Question: Complete the statement. Assume that the sled's mass did not change.
The gravitational potential energy stored between the sled and Earth () as Cara rode down the hill. | Choices: [decreased, stayed the same, increased] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade7 | Topic: physics | Skill: Identify changes in gravitational potential energy | Lecture: Gravitational potential energy is stored between any two objects. So, for every object on or near Earth, there is gravitational potential energy stored between the object and Earth.
The amount of gravitational potential energy stored between an object and Earth depends on the mass of the object. The amount of gravitational potential energy also depends on the distance between the object and the center of Earth. This distance increases when the object moves higher and decreases when the object moves lower.
If the distance between an object and the center of Earth changes, the gravitational potential energy stored between the object and Earth will change. The table below shows how this change can happen.
When an object's mass stays the same and its distance from the center of Earth... | Gravitational potential energy stored between the object and Earth...
increases | increases
decreases | decreases
stays the same | stays the same | Solution: Think about how the distance between the sled and the center of Earth changed.
The bottom of the hill was lower than the point where Cara started sledding. As Cara rode toward the bottom of the hill, the distance between the sled and the center of Earth decreased. So, the gravitational potential energy stored between the sled and Earth decreased as Cara rode down the hill. | Hint: Read the text about an object in motion.
On a snowy day, Cara rode her sled down a big hill. |
Question: Which sentence states a fact? | Choices: [The modern trumpet is an instrument made of brass., Music from a trumpet sounds more pleasant than music from a flute.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: writing-strategies | Skill: Distinguish facts from opinions | Lecture: A fact is something that can be proved to be true.
The month of July has more days than the month of June.
This is a fact. It can be proved by looking at a calendar and counting the number of days in each month.
An opinion is something that a person believes, thinks, or feels. An opinion cannot be proved true.
July is a better month than June for camping.
This is an opinion. People may have different opinions about which month is "better" for camping. | Solution: The second sentence states a fact.
The modern trumpet is an instrument made of brass.
It can be proved by reading a book about music instruments.
The first sentence states an opinion.
Music from a trumpet sounds more pleasant than music from a flute.
More pleasant shows what a person believes, thinks, or feels. Another person might have a different opinion about what sounds pleasant. |
Question: Select the amphibian. | Choices: [wombat, barn owl, helmeted iguana, African bullfrog] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: biology | Skill: Identify mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians | Lecture: Amphibians have moist skin and begin their lives in water. | Solution: An African bullfrog is an amphibian. It has moist skin and begins its life in water.
Frogs live near water or in damp places. Most frogs lay their eggs in water.
A wombat is a mammal. It has fur and feeds its young milk.
Wombats have strong claws on their front feet. They use their claws to dig underground holes called burrows.
A barn owl is a bird. It has feathers, two wings, and a beak.
Barn owls live on every continent except Antarctica.
A helmeted iguana is a reptile. It has scaly, waterproof skin.
Iguanas are a type of lizard. Iguanas eat plants and fruit. |
Question: Would you find the word compass on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
cabin - crate | Choices: [no, yes] | Task: yes or no | Subject: language science | Grade: grade7 | Topic: reference-skills | Skill: Use guide words | Lecture: Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on.
If one word is shorter, and there are no more letters to compare, then the shorter word comes first in alphabetical order. For example, be comes before bed. | Solution: Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since compass is between the guide words cabin - crate, it would be found on that page. |
Question: What is the mass of an elephant? | Choices: [2 ounces, 2 tons, 2 pounds] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: units-and-measurement | Skill: Choose customary units of mass | Lecture: Measurements are written with both a number and a unit. The unit comes after the number. The unit shows what the number means.
Mass is a measurement of how much matter something contains.
There are many different units of mass. When you are using customary units, mass may be written with units of ounces, pounds, or tons.
There are 16 ounces in 1 pound and 2,000 pounds in 1 ton.
So, 1 ounce is less than 1 pound and much less than 1 ton.
A slice of bread has a mass of about 1 ounce, while a can of beans has a mass of about 1 pound. A small car has a mass of about 1 ton. | Solution: The best estimate for the mass of an elephant is 2 tons.
2 ounces and 2 pounds are both too light. | Hint: Select the best estimate. |
Question: Which tense does the sentence use?
Victor folded the wool blanket on his bed. | Choices: [future tense, present tense, past tense] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade3 | Topic: verbs | Skill: Is the sentence in the past, present, or future tense? | Lecture: Present tense verbs tell you about something that is happening now.
Most present-tense verbs are regular. They have no ending, or they end in -s or -es.
Two verbs are irregular in the present tense, to be and to have. You must remember their forms.
Past tense verbs tell you about something that has already happened.
Most past-tense verbs are regular. They end in -ed.
Some verbs are irregular in the past tense. You must remember their past-tense forms.
Future tense verbs tell you about something that is going to happen.
All future-tense verbs use the word will.
Present | Past | Future
walk, walks | walked | will walk
go, goes | went | will go | Solution: The sentence is in past tense. You can tell because it uses a past-tense verb, folded. The verb ends in -ed and tells you about something that has already happened. |
Question: Which bucket of water has a higher temperature? | Choices: [the bucket of water with less thermal energy, the bucket of water with more thermal energy] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: physics | Skill: How are temperature and mass related to thermal energy? | Lecture: Matter is made of tiny particles called atoms. Atoms are always moving.
The energy of moving atoms is called thermal energy. The total amount of thermal energy in matter depends on three things: the type of matter, the amount of matter, and how fast the atoms are moving.
Temperature measures how hot or cold matter is. If the atoms in matter move faster, the temperature goes up. The matter now has both more thermal energy and a higher temperature.
What happens if the amount of matter changes? A 2-kilogram brick at 70°F has twice as much thermal energy as a 1-kilogram brick at 70°F. The two bricks have the same temperature, but the larger brick has twice as many atoms. So, it has twice as much thermal energy. | Solution: The two buckets of water are made of the same material and have the same mass. So, the bucket of water with more thermal energy has a higher temperature. | Hint: Two 10-kilogram buckets of water are identical except for their thermal energies. |
Question: Which sentence uses a metaphor? | Choices: [The children ran by like a stampede of horses., The running children are a stampede of horses.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: figurative-language | Skill: Identify similes and metaphors | Lecture: Similes and metaphors are figures of speech that compare two things that are not actually alike.
A simile compares two things by saying that one is like the other. Similes often use the words like and as.
My sister runs like a cheetah.
The sister's running and a cheetah's running are compared using the word like.
A cheetah is known for running fast, so the simile means that the sister also runs fast.
The cat's fur was as dark as the night.
The cat's fur and the night are compared using the word as.
The night is dark, so the simile means that the cat's fur is also dark.
A metaphor compares two things by saying that one of them is the other. Unlike similes, metaphors don't use the word like or as.
The snow formed a blanket over the town.
The snow and a blanket are compared without the word like or as.
A blanket is a large piece of cloth that completely covers a bed. The metaphor makes the reader imagine that the snow becomes a blanket, covering the town completely.
Using similes and metaphors in your writing can help you create an interesting picture for the reader. | Solution: This sentence uses a metaphor:
The running children are a stampede of horses.
The words children and stampede are compared without the word like or as.
This sentence uses a simile:
The children ran by like a stampede of horses.
The words children and stampede are compared using the word like. |
Question: Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
Since Fairfax College receives more applications for admission than Newton University, Fairfax College is evidently a better school. | Choices: [ad hominem: an attack against the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself, bandwagon fallacy: the assumption that the popular choice is automatically correct, slippery slope fallacy: the false assumption that a small first step will lead to extreme consequences] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade9 | Topic: writing-strategies | Skill: Classify logical fallacies | Lecture: A strong argument uses valid reasoning and logic in support of a claim. When an argument or claim introduces irrelevant information or misrepresents the issues at hand, it may be committing a logical fallacy. Logical fallacies can hurt a writer's credibility and can lead readers to draw false conclusions.
A logical fallacy may present irrelevant information:
Fallacy | Description
ad hominem | an attack against the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself
appeal to nature | an argument that assumes the natural choice is always the best choice
bandwagon fallacy | an argument that assumes the popular choice is always the best choice
circular reasoning | an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself
guilt by association | an unfair negative association with another person or group that is intended to discredit someone or something
A logical fallacy may misrepresent the issues at hand:
Fallacy | Description
false causation | the assumption that because two things happened together, one caused the other
false dichotomy | an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist
hasty generalization | a broad claim based on too few observations
slippery slope fallacy | the false assumption that a small first step will necessarily lead to extreme consequences
straw man | a misrepresentation of an opponent's position that makes it easier to argue against
| Solution: The text argues that Fairfax College is better than Newton University because Fairfax College receives more applications. However, the popularity of a school does not necessarily indicate its quality. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as the bandwagon fallacy. |
Question: Would you find the word clam on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
calves - comb | Choices: [no, yes] | Task: yes or no | Subject: language science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: reference-skills | Skill: Use guide words | Lecture: Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on. | Solution: Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since clam is between the guide words calves - comb, it would be found on that page. |
Question: Which tense does the sentence use?
Mom will pitch the ball to Vijay. | Choices: [past tense, future tense, present tense] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: verbs | Skill: Is the sentence in the past, present, or future tense? | Lecture: Present tense verbs tell you about something that is happening now.
Most present-tense verbs are regular. They have no ending, or they end in -s or -es.
Two verbs are irregular in the present tense, to be and to have. You must remember their forms.
Past tense verbs tell you about something that has already happened.
Most past-tense verbs are regular. They end in -ed.
Some verbs are irregular in the past tense. You must remember their past-tense forms.
Future tense verbs tell you about something that is going to happen.
All future-tense verbs use the word will.
Present | Past | Future
walk, walks | walked | will walk
go, goes | went | will go | Solution: The sentence is in future tense. You can tell because it uses will before the main verb, pitch. The verb tells you about something that is going to happen. |
Question: Select the solid. | Choices: [pencil, rain puddle, helium, wet paint] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade3 | Topic: physics | Skill: Identify solids, liquids, and gases | Lecture: Solid, liquid, and gas are states of matter. Matter is anything that takes up space. Matter can come in different states, or forms.
When matter is a solid, it has a definite volume and a definite shape. So, a solid has a size and shape of its own.
Some solids can be easily folded, bent, or broken. A piece of paper is a solid. Also, some solids are very small. A grain of sand is a solid.
When matter is a liquid, it has a definite volume but not a definite shape. So, a liquid has a size of its own, but it does not have a shape of its own. Think about pouring juice from a bottle into a cup. The juice still takes up the same amount of space, but it takes the shape of the bottle.
Some liquids do not pour as easily as others. Honey and milk are both liquids. But pouring honey takes more time than pouring milk.
When matter is a gas, it does not have a definite volume or a definite shape. A gas expands, or gets bigger, until it completely fills a space. A gas can also get smaller if it is squeezed into a smaller space.
Many gases are invisible. Air is a gas. | Solution: Helium is a gas. A gas expands to fill a space. Helium is lighter than air. So, if you fill a balloon with helium, the balloon will rise. If helium leaks out of the balloon, the helium will expand into the space around the balloon.
A pencil is a solid. You can break a pencil into pieces. But each piece will still have a size and shape of its own.
Wet paint is a liquid. A liquid takes the shape of any container it is in. If you pour wet paint out of a can, the paint will change shape. But the wet paint will still take up the same amount of space.
A rain puddle is a liquid. A liquid takes the shape of any container it is in. If you collect rainwater in a bucket, the rainwater will take the shape of the bucket. But the rainwater will still take up the same amount of space. |
Question: Which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference? | Choices: [Mrs. Goodman told her friend that she needs to exercise on a regular basis and get more sleep in order to have more energy throughout the day., Mrs. Goodman told her friend to exercise on a regular basis and get more sleep in order to have more energy throughout the day.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade11 | Topic: writing-strategies | Skill: Identify vague pronoun references | Lecture: When writing, make sure to avoid vague pronoun references. A vague pronoun reference occurs when a pronoun could refer to more than one possible antecedent.
When Lisa and Kim finally landed, she breathed a sigh of relief.
The pronoun she could refer to either Lisa or Kim, so the meaning of the sentence is unclear.
Vague pronoun references can be corrected in one of two ways:
1. Replace the pronoun with its correct antecedent:
When Lisa and Kim finally landed, Lisa breathed a sigh of relief.
2. Rewrite the sentence:
Lisa breathed a sigh of relief when she and Kim finally landed.
A vague pronoun reference also occurs when they, them, their, theirs, it, or its is used without its antecedent.
They say that this nail polish dries in less than five minutes.
The pronoun they is used without its antecedent, so the meaning of the sentence is unclear.
This problem can be fixed by replacing the pronoun with its missing antecedent.
The advertisements say that this nail polish dries in less than five minutes. | Solution: The first answer choice contains a vague pronoun reference. The pronoun she could refer to Mrs. Goodman or her friend.
Mrs. Goodman told her friend that she needs to exercise on a regular basis and get more sleep in order to have more energy throughout the day.
The second answer choice shows a possible correction for the vague pronoun reference. The text has been rewritten so that the meaning is clear.
Mrs. Goodman told her friend to exercise on a regular basis and get more sleep in order to have more energy throughout the day. |
Question: Suppose Brianna decides to join the Theater Club. Which result would be a cost? | Choices: [Brianna will save some time. She would have spent more time in the Photography Club than in the Theater Club., Brianna will give up the chance to be in the Photography Club. She would have had more fun in the Photography Club than in the Theater Club.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: social science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: economics | Skill: Costs and benefits | Lecture: Before you decide to do something, it is often helpful to list costs and benefits.
Costs are what you give up or spend when you decide to do something. Costs involve giving up things that you want or need.
Benefits are what you gain or save when you decide to do something. Benefits involve gaining something that you want or need. | Solution: This result is a cost. It involves giving up or spending something that Brianna wants or needs:
Brianna will give up the chance to be in the Photography Club. She would have had more fun in the Photography Club than in the Theater Club. | Hint: Brianna is deciding whether to join the Photography Club or the Theater Club at school. She wants the club she joins to be fun. But she doesn't want it to take up too much time. |
Question: What information supports the conclusion that Jordan acquired this trait? | Choices: [Jordan's neighbor taught him how to repair a kite., Jordan likes to fly a kite with his younger brother., Jordan's friend taught him how to fly a kite.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade7 | Topic: biology | Skill: Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | Lecture: Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down from biological parents to their offspring through genes. Genes are pieces of hereditary material that contain the instructions that affect inherited traits. Offspring receive their genes, and therefore gain their inherited traits, from their biological parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. Parents do not pass acquired traits down to their offspring. | Solution: nan | Hint: Read the description of a trait.
Jordan knows how to fly a kite. |
Question: Which object has less thermal energy? | Choices: [an 800-gram rock at a temperature of 270°F, an 800-gram rock at a temperature of 250°F] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade3 | Topic: physics | Skill: How is temperature related to thermal energy? | Lecture: All solids, liquids, and gases are made of matter. Matter is made up of tiny particles that are always moving. The energy from the motion of these particles is called thermal energy.
Temperature measures how hot or cold matter is. If the particles in matter slow down, the temperature goes down. The matter now has both less thermal energy and a lower temperature. | Solution: The two rocks have the same mass but different temperatures. Since the 250°F rock is colder than the 270°F rock, it has less thermal energy. | Hint: The objects are identical except for their temperatures. |
Question: Select the animal that has a backbone. | Choices: [tree frog, orb weaver] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: biology | Skill: Identify animals with and without backbones | Lecture: Some animals have a backbone. The backbone is made of many bones in an animal's back. An animal's backbone helps connect the different parts of its body. In the drawings below, each animal's backbone is colored orange.
Other animals do not have a backbone. In fact, these animals don't have any bones! Some animals without backbones have a hard outer cover. Other animals have a soft body. | Solution: A tree frog is an amphibian. Like other amphibians, a tree frog has a backbone.
Like other spiders, an orb weaver does not have a backbone. It has a hard outer cover. | Hint: Hint: Mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians all have backbones. |
Question: Which sentence states a fact? | Choices: [A shark's skeleton is made of cartilage, not bone., Sharks are the most savage hunters in all of nature.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade4 | Topic: writing-strategies | Skill: Distinguish facts from opinions | Lecture: A fact is something that can be proved to be true.
The month of July has more days than the month of June.
This is a fact. It can be proved by looking at a calendar and counting the number of days in each month.
An opinion is something that a person believes, thinks, or feels. An opinion cannot be proved true.
July is a better month than June for camping.
This is an opinion. People may have different opinions about which month is "better" for camping. | Solution: The second sentence states a fact.
A shark's skeleton is made of cartilage, not bone.
It can be proved by reading a book about sharks.
The first sentence states an opinion.
Sharks are the most savage hunters in all of nature.
Most savage shows what a person believes, thinks, or feels. Another person might have a different opinion about what makes an animal savage. |
Question: Select the one animal that has all of the amphibian traits listed above. | Choices: [Painted storks wade in shallow water to look for food. Storks use their beaks to eat fish, insects, worms, and small animals. They have feathers and two wings. Painted storks lay eggs with shells in nests along the water., Adult tiger salamanders have moist, smooth skin with stripes. They live in burrows underground, but they begin their lives in water. Young tiger salamanders hatch from eggs with no shells underwater.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: biology | Skill: Use evidence to classify mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians | Lecture: Scientists sort animals with similar traits into groups. This is called classification. Classification helps scientists learn about how animals live.
How do scientists classify animals? First, they make observations about an animal. Scientists observe the animal's traits, including its body parts and behavior. Then, scientists compare the animal's traits to other animals' traits. Scientists classify animals with similar traits into a group. | Solution: To decide if an animal is part of a group, look at the traits of the group.
Amphibians have the following traits:
They spend part of their lives in water and part on land.
They have moist skin.
They make eggs with no shells.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
A tiger salamander has the following traits:
It spends part of its life in water and part on land.
It has moist skin.
It makes eggs with no shells.
A tiger salamander has the traits of an amphibian. A tiger salamander is an amphibian.
A painted stork has the following traits:
It has feathers.
It has wings.
It has a beak.
It makes eggs with shells.
A painted stork does not have all of the traits of an amphibian. A painted stork is a bird. | Hint: Amphibians are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify amphibians:
They spend part of their lives in water and part on land.
They have moist skin.
They make eggs with no shells. Observe the animals and read the descriptions. |
Question: What is the source of the allusion in the sentence below?
When I learned the details of Gwen's Faustian bargain, I was in disbelief. | Choices: [Roman mythology, literature] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade7 | Topic: figurative-language | Skill: Recall the source of an allusion | Lecture: An allusion is a brief mention of something or someone well known, often from mythology, history, or literature. An allusion lets you reference ideas from an entire story in just a few words.
"I'd better get home before I turn into a pumpkin!" Lila remarked.
Here, Lila alludes to the fairy tale "Cinderella," in which Cinderella must leave the ball before the coach that brought her transforms into a pumpkin. The allusion shows that Lila must depart immediately. | Solution: The source of the allusion Faustian bargain is literature.
In a play by Christopher Marlowe based on the legend of Faust, a man strikes a deal with the devil. Disregarding the long-term consequences of his actions, he sells his soul in exchange for power.
The allusion Faustian bargain means a compromise of one's values for personal gain. |
Question: Based on this information, what is Babel's phenotype for the body feather color trait? | Choices: [green body feathers, blue body feathers] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade6 | Topic: biology | Skill: Genetics vocabulary: dominant and recessive | Lecture: All organisms have pieces of hereditary material called genes, which are passed from parents to offspring. Genes contain instructions for building the parts of an organism. An organism's genes affect its observable traits, including its appearance, its behavior, and which diseases it may have. Genes may have different alleles, or forms, that can cause different versions of a trait.
For example, flower color is a trait in pea plants. The gene for this trait has two possible alleles. Each allele is represented by an uppercase or lowercase letter. The allele F is for purple flowers, and the allele f is for white flowers. Each pea plant has two alleles for the flower color gene—one allele inherited from each parent.
An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. So, a pea plant may have a genotype of FF, Ff, or ff for the flower color gene.
An organism's phenotype for a trait is its observable version of that trait, which depends on the organism's combination of alleles. A pea plant may have a phenotype of purple flowers or white flowers for the flower color trait.
Some traits, like flower color in pea plants, are controlled by a single gene. Most plants and animals have a genotype made up of two alleles for these traits. These two alleles determine whether an organism is homozygous or heterozygous for the gene.
An organism with two identical alleles for a gene is homozygous for that gene. A pea plant with the genotype FF or ff is homozygous for the flower color gene.
An organism with two different alleles for a gene is heterozygous for that gene. A pea plant with the genotype Ff is heterozygous for the flower color gene.
The types of alleles in an organism's genotype determine the organism's phenotype. Some alleles have types called dominant and recessive. These two types can cause different versions of a trait to appear as the organism's phenotype.
A dominant allele causes its version of the trait to appear even when the organism also has a recessive allele for the gene. In pea plants, the F allele, which causes purple flowers, is dominant over the f allele. A pea plant with at least one F allele will have the F allele's version of the flower color trait. So, a plant with the genotype FF or Ff will have purple flowers.
A recessive allele causes its version of the trait to appear only when the organism does not have any dominant alleles for the gene. In pea plants, the f allele, which causes white flowers, is recessive to the F allele. A pea plant with only f alleles will have the f allele's version of the flower color trait. So, a plant with the genotype ff will have white flowers. | Solution: Babel's genotype for the body feather color gene is BB. Babel's genotype of BB has only B allelles. The B allele is for green body feathers. So, Babel's phenotype for the body feather color trait must be green body feathers.
To check this answer, consider whether Babel's alleles are dominant or recessive. The allele for green body feathers (B) is dominant over the allele for blue body feathers (b). This means B is a dominant allele, and b is a recessive allele.
Babel's genotype of BB has two dominant alleles. An organism with at least one dominant allele for a gene will have the dominant allele's version of the trait. So, Babel's phenotype for the body feather color trait must be green body feathers. | Hint: In a group of budgerigar parakeets, some individuals have green body feathers and others have blue body feathers. In this group, the gene for the body feather color trait has two alleles. The allele for green body feathers (B) is dominant over the allele for blue body feathers (b).
Babel is a budgerigar parakeet from this group. Babel has the homozygous genotype BB for the body feather color gene. |
Question: What information supports the conclusion that Sanjay inherited this trait? | Choices: [Sanjay's mother has blue eyes. She passed this trait down to Sanjay., Sanjay likes to wear a blue sweater to match his blue eyes.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade3 | Topic: biology | Skill: Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | Lecture: Organisms, including people, have both inherited and acquired traits. Inherited and acquired traits are gained in different ways.
Inherited traits are passed down through families. Children gain these traits from their parents. Inherited traits do not need to be learned.
Acquired traits are gained during a person's life. Some acquired traits, such as riding a bicycle, are gained by learning. Other acquired traits, such as scars, are caused by the environment. | Solution: nan | Hint: Read the description of a trait.
Sanjay has blue eyes. |
Question: How long does it take to slide down a slide? | Choices: [5 seconds, 5 hours] | Task: closed choice | Subject: natural science | Grade: grade3 | Topic: units-and-measurement | Skill: Choose units of time | Lecture: Measurements are written with both a number and a unit. The unit comes after the number. The unit shows what the number means.
Imagine being told that the bus leaves in 7. You might be thinking, 7 what? Does the bus leave in 7 minutes? 7 seconds?
The number 7 on its own does not give you much information about when the bus is leaving. That is because the units are missing.
Time is usually measured in units of seconds, minutes, or hours. It takes about 1 second to sneeze and 1 minute to get dressed in the morning. It takes about 1 hour to bake a pie in the oven.
There are 60 seconds in 1 minute. So, 1 second is much less than 1 minute.
There are 60 minutes in 1 hour. So, 1 minute is much less than 1 hour. | Solution: The better estimate for how long it takes to slide down a slide is 5 seconds.
5 hours is too slow. | Hint: Select the better estimate. |
Question: What does the personification in this text suggest?
Nathan tried to ignore his unfinished essay, but it glared at him from across the room. | Choices: [It bothered Nathan that the essay wasn't finished., The essay was printed in large type.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade10 | Topic: figurative-language | Skill: Interpret figures of speech | Lecture: Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
Personification is giving human characteristics to nonhuman things.
The trees danced in the wind. | Solution: The text uses personification, giving human characteristics to nonhuman things.
Glared at him suggests that it bothered Nathan that the essay wasn't finished. The essay is like a person who is bothering Nathan. |
Question: Suppose Vincent decides to plant the poppies. Which result would be a cost? | Choices: [Vincent will give up the chance to look at the eucalyptus tree. He thinks it would have looked more beautiful than the poppies., He will save some space. The poppies will use up less space than the eucalyptus tree would have used up.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: social science | Grade: grade5 | Topic: economics | Skill: Costs and benefits | Lecture: Before you decide to do something, it is often helpful to list costs and benefits.
Costs are what you give up or spend when you decide to do something. Costs involve giving up things that you want or need.
Benefits are what you gain or save when you decide to do something. Benefits involve gaining something that you want or need. | Solution: This result is a cost. It involves giving up or spending something that Vincent wants or needs:
Vincent will give up the chance to look at the eucalyptus tree. He thinks it would have looked more beautiful than the poppies. | Hint: Vincent is deciding whether to plant poppies or a eucalyptus tree in his backyard. He wants to make his backyard more beautiful. But he also wants to leave space for doing fun things. |
Question: Which tense does the sentence use?
We will wait outside for Maya. | Choices: [future tense, present tense, past tense] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: verbs | Skill: Is the sentence in the past, present, or future tense? | Lecture: Present tense verbs tell you about something that is happening now.
Most present-tense verbs are regular. They have no ending, or they end in -s or -es.
Two verbs are irregular in the present tense, to be and to have. You must remember their forms.
Past tense verbs tell you about something that has already happened.
Most past-tense verbs are regular. They end in -ed.
Some verbs are irregular in the past tense. You must remember their past-tense forms.
Future tense verbs tell you about something that is going to happen.
All future-tense verbs use the word will.
Present | Past | Future
walk, walks | walked | will walk
go, goes | went | will go | Solution: The sentence is in future tense. You can tell because it uses will before the main verb, wait. The verb tells you about something that is going to happen. |
Question: Which is a compound sentence? | Choices: [Paula finished her book, but she got two more from the library., The butcher cuts the fat off the meat.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade3 | Topic: grammar | Skill: Is the sentence simple or compound? | Lecture: A simple sentence is a sentence with only one subject and predicate.
The pitcher threw the ball to first base.
A compound sentence is two simple sentences joined by a comma and a conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
The pitcher threw the ball, and the batter hit it.
Some simple sentences have a compound subject or a compound predicate, but they are not compound sentences.
Anna and James will watch the fireworks tonight.
This simple sentence has a compound subject, Anna and James.
The singers bowed and walked off the stage.
This simple sentence has a compound predicate, bowed and walked off the stage.
Some simple sentences have introductory phrases, but they are not compound sentences. The introductory phrase is part of the predicate.
In the winter, Farmer Ben wears his heavy coat.
This is a simple sentence. There is one subject, Farmer Ben, and one predicate, wears his heavy coat in the winter. | Solution: The second sentence is the compound sentence. It is made up of two simple sentences joined by a comma and the conjunction but.
Paula finished her book, but she got two more from the library. |
Question: Which text message is more formal? | Choices: [Ms. Davis is already here. She's waiting in the lobby., Heads up! Davis is here. In the lobby.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade10 | Topic: writing-strategies | Skill: Which text is most formal? | Lecture: Informal writing is typically used in casual situations or when communicating with someone you know well. Informal language often expresses familiarity and tends to sound more like speech. It uses more conversational language, such as slang, idioms, abbreviations, imprecise language, and contractions.
Formal writing is typically used in academic and business writing or when writing directly to an authority figure. It tends to be more courteous and impersonal, avoiding overly familiar or conversational language.
Compare the following sentences.
Informal: Yeah, ostriches can't fly, but I think they're awesome.
More formal: Ostriches may be flightless, but they're remarkable runners.
Most formal: Though flightless, ostriches are remarkable runners. | Solution: The second text message is more formal. It uses complete sentences, avoids slang (heads up), and uses the person's title (Ms. Davis). The other text message includes more casual language and sentence fragments. |
Question: Which closing is correct for a letter? | Choices: [Your Niece,
Clare, Your niece,
Clare] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: capitalization | Skill: Greetings and closings of letters | Lecture: A letter starts with a greeting and ends with a closing. For each one, capitalize the first word and end with a comma. You should also capitalize proper nouns, such as Aunt Sue.
Dear Aunt Sue,
I'm glad you could come to my party, and
thank you for the birthday gift. I could not have
asked for a better one! Every time I see it, I think
of you.
With love,
Rory | Solution: The first closing is correct:
Its first word is capitalized, and it ends with a comma. |
Question: What does the hyperbole in this text suggest?
The last time Andrew cleaned his room, dinosaurs were still roaming the Earth. | Choices: [Andrew hates to clean his room., Andrew hasn't cleaned his room in a very long time.] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade9 | Topic: figurative-language | Skill: Interpret figures of speech | Lecture: Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
Hyperbole is an obvious exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally.
I ate so much that I think I might explode! | Solution: The text uses hyperbole, an obvious exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally.
The hyperbole dinosaurs were still roaming the Earth suggests that Andrew hasn't cleaned his room in a very long time. He did not actually clean his room millions of years ago when dinosaurs existed. |
Question: Which announcement is more formal? | Choices: [The Norwood Law Firm is so happy to tell you . . ., The Norwood Law Firm is pleased to announce . . .] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade10 | Topic: writing-strategies | Skill: Which text is most formal? | Lecture: Informal writing is typically used in casual situations or when communicating with someone you know well. Informal language often expresses familiarity and tends to sound more like speech. It uses more conversational language, such as slang, idioms, abbreviations, imprecise language, and contractions.
Formal writing is typically used in academic and business writing or when writing directly to an authority figure. It tends to be more courteous and impersonal, avoiding overly familiar or conversational language.
Compare the following sentences.
Informal: Yeah, ostriches can't fly, but I think they're awesome.
More formal: Ostriches may be flightless, but they're remarkable runners.
Most formal: Though flightless, ostriches are remarkable runners. | Solution: The second announcement is more formal. It uses more elevated language (pleased to announce). The other announcement sounds more conversational (so happy). |
Question: Which closing is correct for a letter? | Choices: [your nephew,
Jayce, Your nephew,
Jayce] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade3 | Topic: punctuation | Skill: Greetings and closings of letters | Lecture: A letter starts with a greeting and ends with a closing. For each one, capitalize the first word and end with a comma. You should also capitalize proper nouns, such as Aunt Sue.
Dear Aunt Sue,
I'm glad you could come to my party, and
thank you for the birthday gift. I could not have
asked for a better one! Every time I see it, I think
of you.
With love,
Rory | Solution: The second closing is correct:
Its first word is capitalized, and it ends with a comma. |
Question: Would you find the word wade on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
weary - world | Choices: [yes, no] | Task: yes or no | Subject: language science | Grade: grade6 | Topic: reference-skills | Skill: Use guide words | Lecture: Guide words appear on each page of a dictionary. They tell you the first word and last word on the page. The other words on the page come between the guide words in alphabetical order.
To put words in alphabetical order, put them in order by their first letters. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters. If the second letters are the same, look at the third letters, and so on.
If one word is shorter, and there are no more letters to compare, then the shorter word comes first in alphabetical order. For example, be comes before bed. | Solution: Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since wade is not between the guide words weary - world, it would not be found on that page. |
Question: Which closing is correct for a letter? | Choices: [Best regards,
Cooper, best regards,
Cooper] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade2 | Topic: capitalization | Skill: Greetings and closings of letters | Lecture: A letter starts with a greeting and ends with a closing. For each one, capitalize the first word and end with a comma. You should also capitalize proper nouns, such as Aunt Sue.
Dear Aunt Sue,
I'm glad you could come to my party, and
thank you for the birthday gift. I could not have
asked for a better one! Every time I see it, I think
of you.
With love,
Rory | Solution: The first closing is correct:
Its first word is capitalized, and it ends with a comma. |
Question: Which type of sentence is this?
Hayley is a competitive horseback rider, and she will be competing in the next World Equestrian Games, which are held every four years. | Choices: [simple, compound-complex, compound, complex] | Task: closed choice | Subject: language science | Grade: grade9 | Topic: grammar | Skill: Is the sentence simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex? | Lecture: A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate.
An independent clause is a complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause (or subordinate clause) is not a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence.
the oranges on our tree are ripe
The clause can stand alone. It is independent.
after we pick up Kevin from work
The clause cannot stand alone. It is dependent.
A simple sentence is made up of a single independent clause.
Ben and I spent all day relaxing by the pool.
Some simple sentences have introductory phrases, but the introductory phrase is part of the predicate.
In the winter, Ben usually wears his heavy coat.
Ben usually wears his heavy coat in the winter.
A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
We saw the flash of lightning, and seconds later we heard a rumble of thunder.
A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and a dependent clause. The dependent clause in a complex sentence usually begins with a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun. Subordinating conjunctions include after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, and while. Relative pronouns include that, which, who, whom, or whose.
If she ever gets the chance, Terri would love to visit the Egyptian pyramids.
During his trip to Italy, Tony visited the Trevi Fountain, which is in Rome.
A compound-complex sentence is made up of two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.
After Samantha left work, she stopped at the bank, and then she went to the gym.
Sometimes a dependent clause in a complex or compound-complex sentence can interrupt an independent clause.
Orcas that are kept in captivity often have bent dorsal fins. | Solution: The sentence is compound-complex. It is made up of two independent clauses and a dependent clause. The dependent clause begins with the relative pronoun which.
Hayley is a competitive horseback rider, and she will be competing in the next World Equestrian Games, which are held every four years. |