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Complete the sentence so that it uses personification.
"I can't believe I tripped," Austin remarked. "The curb must have ()". | [
"jumped out in front of me",
"been higher than I thought"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade9 | language science | writing-strategies | Creative techniques | Use personification | 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. | Complete the sentence with the phrase jumped out in front of me. It describes the curb as if it were a mischievous, unpredictable person. |
|
What information supports the conclusion that Jayce acquired this trait? | [
"Jayce is most interested in American history.",
"Jayce learned history by reading."
] | 1 | Read the description of a trait.
Jayce knows a lot about history. | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | biology | Traits and heredity | Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | 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. | |
Based on this information, what is Peanut's phenotype for the body hair trait? | [
"a hairy body",
"a hairless body"
] | 0 | In a group of deer mice, some individuals have a hairy body and others have a hairless body. In this group, the gene for the body hair trait has two alleles. The allele for a hairless body (b) is recessive to the allele for a hairy body (B).
Peanut is a deer mouse from this group. Peanut has the heterozygous genotype Bb for the body hair gene. | closed choice | grade7 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Genetics vocabulary: dominant and recessive | 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. | You need to determine Peanut's phenotype for the body hair trait. First, consider the alleles in Peanut's genotype for the body hair gene. Then, decide whether these alleles are dominant or recessive.
The allele for a hairless body (b) is recessive to the allele for a hairy body (B). This means B is a dominant allele, and b is a recessive allele.
Peanut's genotype of Bb has one dominant allele and one recessive allele. An organism with at least one dominant allele for a gene will have the dominant allele's version of the trait. So, Peanut's phenotype for the body hair trait must be a hairy body. |
Select the animal that has a backbone. | [
"comet moth",
"squirrel"
] | 1 | Hint: Mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians all have backbones. | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | biology | Classification | Identify animals with and without backbones | 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. | A comet moth is an insect. Like other insects, a comet moth does not have a backbone. It has a hard outer cover.
A squirrel is a mammal. Like other mammals, a squirrel has a backbone. |
Suppose Doug decides to borrow the book from the library. Which result would be a cost? | [
"Doug will save some money by not buying the book.",
"Doug will give up the chance to keep the book as long as he wants."
] | 1 | Doug is deciding whether to buy a copy of a book or borrow it from the library. He would like to be able to keep the book as long as he wants, but buying the book would cost money. He could borrow the book for free, but he would have to return it in a few weeks. | closed choice | grade5 | social science | economics | Basic economic principles | Costs and benefits | 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. | This result is a cost. It involves giving up or spending something that Doug wants or needs:
Doug will give up the chance to keep the book as long as he wants. |
Complete the sentence.
Coal forming from dead plants is a (). | [
"physical change",
"chemical change"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | chemistry | Physical and chemical change | Compare physical and chemical changes | 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. | Coal forming from dead plants is a chemical change. Over millions of years, the chemical bonds in the molecules of dead plants and animals are broken. The atoms link together to form molecules of a different type of matter called a fossil fuel. |
|
Which closing is correct for a letter? | [
"Your nephew,\nDonald",
"Your Nephew,\nDonald"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade4 | language science | punctuation | Formatting | Greetings and closings of letters | 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 | The second closing is correct:
Its first word is capitalized, and it ends with a comma. |
|
Which excerpt from a lab report is more formal? | [
"We did this experiment so we could try and figure out how things like temperature and wind end up affecting transpiration.",
"This experiment was conducted to show how variables such as temperature and wind affect transpiration."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade11 | language science | writing-strategies | Audience, purpose, and tone | Which text is most formal? | 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. | The first excerpt from a lab report is more formal. It uses more elevated language (was conducted, different variables). The other excerpt uses imprecise and conversational language (try and figure out, things like, end up). |
|
What is the volume of a jar of baby food? | [
"6 fluid ounces",
"6 cups",
"6 gallons"
] | 0 | Select the best estimate. | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose customary units of volume | 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 customary units, volume may be written in units of fluid ounces, cups, or gallons.
As the diagram shows, there are 8 fluid ounces in 1 cup and 16 cups in 1 gallon. So, 1 fluid ounce is less than 1 cup and much less than 1 gallon.
A glass of milk has a volume of about 8 fluid ounces, or 1 cup. A jug of milk has a volume of 1 gallon. | The best estimate for the volume of a jar of baby food is 6 fluid ounces.
6 cups and 6 gallons are both too much. |
Does the sentence use a simile or a metaphor?
The sunburn was a fire that spread across my back. | [
"simile",
"metaphor"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade4 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Identify similes and metaphors | 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. | The sunburn was a fire that spread across my back.
The words sunburn and fire are compared without the word like or as. So, the sentence uses a metaphor. |
|
Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
lamb - lint | [
"lot",
"leg"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade8 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | 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. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since leg is between the guide words lamb - lint, it would be found on that page. |
|
What information supports the conclusion that Frank inherited this trait? | [
"Frank and his father both have dark hair.",
"Frank's parents have pale skin. They passed down this trait to Frank."
] | 1 | Read the description of a trait.
Frank has pale skin. | closed choice | grade6 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | 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. | |
Answer the riddle.
I am white.
I am very cold.
I fall from the sky.
What am I? | [
"rain",
"snow"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade1 | language science | vocabulary | Comprehension strategies | What am I? | Snow is white.
Snow is very cold.
Snow falls from the sky. |
||
Which change better matches the sentence?
A lake dries up after many years of no rain. | [
"drought",
"volcanic eruption"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | earth-science | Earth events | Classify changes to Earth's surface | |||
Complete the sentence.
In this chemical reaction, beeswax is a (). | [
"reactant",
"product"
] | 0 | This passage describes a chemical reaction. Read the passage. Then, follow the instructions below.
Candles can be made from beeswax, the substance bees use to build honeycombs. As a beeswax candle's string, or wick, burns, the wax melts and rises up the string. The wax combines with oxygen in the air, forming carbon dioxide and water. This process releases energy in the form of light and heat. | closed choice | grade7 | natural science | chemistry | Chemical reactions | Identify reactants and products | A chemical change occurs when new substances are formed from existing substances. This process is called a chemical reaction.
In a chemical reaction, one or more substances change into one or more different substances. During the reaction, the atoms of the original substances are rearranged to form other substances.
The original substances in a chemical reaction are called reactants. These substances react, or go through a chemical change.
The substances that are formed in a chemical reaction are called products. These substances are produced by the chemical reaction.
So, in a chemical reaction, reactants go through a chemical change to form products. | Read the underlined text carefully. Look for information about what happens to beeswax in this chemical reaction.
Candles can be made from beeswax, the substance bees use to build honeycombs. As a beeswax candle's string, or wick, burns, the wax melts and rises up the string. The wax combines with oxygen in the air, forming carbon dioxide and water. This process releases energy in the form of light and heat.
The underlined text tells you that when beeswax and oxygen combine, carbon dioxide and water are formed. When beeswax and oxygen react, or go through a chemical change, their atoms are rearranged to form carbon dioxide and water. Because beeswax reacts in this chemical reaction, beeswax is a reactant. |
Is building a fence a good or a service? | [
"a good",
"a service"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade2 | social science | economics | Economics | Goods and services | Everything you can buy is either a good or a service.
A good is something you can touch or hold in your hands. For example, a hammer is a good.
A service is a job you pay someone else to do. For example, cooking food in a restaurant is a service. | To decide whether building a fence is a good or a service, ask these questions:
Is building a fence something you can touch? No.
Is building a fence a job you might pay someone else to do? Yes.
So, building a fence is a service. |
|
What is the source of the allusion in the sentence below?
Austen's research on nineteenth-century philosophers led him down the rabbit hole. | [
"literature",
"the Bible"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade10 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Recall the source of an allusion | 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. | The source of the allusion down the rabbit hole is literature.
Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland tells the story of a young girl who follows a white rabbit down a rabbit hole and finds herself in a series of adventures in a surreal world.
The allusion down the rabbit hole means on a strange or difficult exploration. |
|
What is the source of the allusion in the sentence below?
Russell said he would put in a good word for Maria with their boss, but she knew he had a reputation as a Benedict Arnold. | [
"U.S. history",
"a poem"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade12 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Recall the source of an allusion | 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.
The protean nature of the disease makes it difficult to diagnose.
The word protean is an allusion to the sea god Proteus in Greek mythology. Because the sea is constantly changing, to describe something as protean suggests that it is variable or in flux. | The source of the allusion Benedict Arnold is U.S. history.
Benedict Arnold was an American officer who secretly aided the British during the American Revolution.
The allusion Benedict Arnold means a traitor. |
|
What information supports the conclusion that Clare inherited this trait? | [
"Clare's parents have red hair. They passed down this trait to Clare.",
"Clare and her mother both wear their hair in braids."
] | 0 | Read the description of a trait.
Clare has red hair. | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | biology | Heredity | Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | 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. | |
How long is a car key? | [
"2 feet",
"2 inches"
] | 1 | Select the better estimate. | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose customary units of distance | 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. | The better estimate for the length of a car key is 2 inches.
2 feet is too long. |
Select the solid. | [
"knife",
"vinegar",
"water droplets",
"water from a faucet"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | physics | States of matter | Identify solids, liquids, and gases | 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. | Vinegar is a liquid. A liquid takes the shape of any container it is in. If you pour vinegar into a different container, the vinegar will take the shape of that container. But the vinegar will still take up the same amount of space.
Water droplets are a liquid. A liquid takes the shape of any container it is in. If you collect water droplets in a bucket, they will take the shape of the bucket. But the water droplets will still take up the same amount of space.
A knife is a solid. You can bend a knife. But it will still have a size and shape of its own.
The water from a faucet is a liquid. A liquid takes the shape of any container it is in. If you put water from a faucet into a container, the water will take the shape of that container. But the water will still take up the same amount of space. |
|
Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
My opponent argues that we should abolish the soda tax. It's a shame that he wants to encourage people to eat and drink unhealthily. I say we keep it. | [
"appeal to nature: the assumption that natural things are always good",
"guilt by association: a negative association intended to discredit someone or something",
"straw man: a misrepresentation of an opponent's position that makes it easier to argue against"
] | 2 | closed choice | grade10 | language science | writing-strategies | Developing and supporting arguments | Classify logical fallacies | 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
| The text argues that the speaker's opponent wants to encourage unhealthy habits. However, this misrepresents the opponent's argument. The speaker's opponent only wants to remove the soda tax. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as a straw man. |
|
Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
relief - royal | [
"range",
"right"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade3 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | 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. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since right is between the guide words relief - royal, it would be found on that page. |
|
Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
wharf - wrestle | [
"window",
"wand"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade5 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | 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. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since window is between the guide words wharf - wrestle, it would be found on that page. |
|
Which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference? | [
"Mrs. Griffith was overjoyed when she saw her granddaughter for the first time in two years.",
"When Mrs. Griffith saw her granddaughter for the first time in two years, she was overjoyed."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade10 | language science | writing-strategies | Pronouns | Identify vague pronoun references | 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. | The first answer choice contains a vague pronoun reference. The pronoun she could refer to Mrs. Griffith or her granddaughter.
When Mrs. Griffith saw her granddaughter for the first time in two years, she was overjoyed.
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. Griffith was overjoyed when she saw her granddaughter for the first time in two years. |
|
Complete the statement.
Benzene is (). | [
"an elementary substance",
"a compound"
] | 1 | Benzene is a chemical used to make plastic and styrofoam. The chemical formula for benzene is C6H6. | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | chemistry | Atoms and molecules | Classify elementary substances and compounds using chemical formulas | 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. | You can tell whether benzene 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 benzene is C6 H6. This formula contains two symbols: C for carbon and H for hydrogen. So, the formula tells you that benzene is made of two chemical elements bonded together.
Substances made of two or more chemical elements bonded together are compounds. So, benzene is a compound. |
Which greeting is correct for a letter? | [
"Dear Dr. montoya,",
"Dear Dr. Montoya,"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade2 | language science | capitalization | Capitalization | Greetings and closings of letters | 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 | The first greeting is correct:
Its first word is capitalized, and it ends with a comma. Dr. Montoya is capitalized because it is a proper noun. |
|
Select the animal that does not have a backbone. | [
"shoebill",
"bull ant"
] | 1 | Hint: Insects, spiders, and worms do not have backbones. | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | biology | Classification | Identify animals with and without backbones | 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. | A bull ant is an insect. Like other insects, a bull ant does not have a backbone. It has a hard outer cover.
A shoebill is a bird. Like other birds, a shoebill has a backbone. |
Which sentence states a fact? | [
"Rattlesnakes are the most dangerous reptiles.",
"Rattlesnakes use their rattles to warn other animals."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade3 | language science | writing-strategies | Opinion writing | Distinguish facts from opinions | 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. | The second sentence states a fact.
Rattlesnakes use their rattles to warn other animals.
It can be proved by looking up information about rattlesnakes.
The first sentence states an opinion.
Rattlesnakes are the most dangerous reptiles.
Most dangerous shows what a person believes, thinks, or feels. Another person might have a different opinion about which reptiles are the most dangerous. |
|
Does this passage describe the weather or the climate?
Where Lexi lives, the air pressure is usually higher in the summer than in the winter. | [
"climate",
"weather"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | earth-science | Weather and climate | What's the difference between weather and climate? | The atmosphere is the layer of air that surrounds Earth. Both weather and climate tell you about the atmosphere.
Weather is what the atmosphere is like at a certain place and time. Weather can change quickly. For example, the temperature outside your house might get higher throughout the day.
Climate is the pattern of weather in a certain place. For example, summer temperatures in New York are usually higher than winter temperatures. | Read the text carefully.
Where Lexi lives, the air pressure is usually higher in the summer than in the winter.
Air pressure is caused by the weight of the air in the atmosphere. When the air pressure is high, the sky is usually clear.
This passage tells you about the usual pattern of air pressure where Lexi lives. It does not describe what the weather is like on a particular day. So, this passage describes the climate. |
|
Would you find the word reverse on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
radar - rubbish | [
"no",
"yes"
] | 1 | yes or no | grade4 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | 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. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since reverse is between the guide words radar - rubbish, it would be found on that page. |
|
Which figure of speech is used in this text?
The hum of the computer concerned Owen. Was the problem with the power supply or the hard drive? | [
"simile",
"onomatopoeia"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade10 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Classify figures of speech: review | Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
Alliteration is the repetition of sounds at the beginning of nearby words.
What a lucky little lady you are!
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.
An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood literally. Its meaning must be learned.
The assignment was a piece of cake.
A simile uses like or as to compare two things that are not actually alike.
The cat's fur was as dark as the night.
A metaphor compares two things that are not actually alike without using like or as.
The snow formed a blanket over the town.
Onomatopoeia involves using a word that expresses a sound.
The scrambled eggs hit the floor with a splat.
Personification is giving human characteristics to nonhuman things.
The trees danced in the wind.
A pun involves using a word or phrase in a humorous way that suggests more than one meaning.
A great new broom is sweeping the nation.
Verbal irony involves saying one thing but implying something very different. People often use verbal irony when they are being sarcastic.
Olivia seems thrilled that her car keeps breaking down.
Each breakdown is as enjoyable as a punch to the face. | The text uses onomatopoeia, a word that expresses a sound.
Hum represents the sound the computer was making. |
|
Does this passage describe the weather or the climate?
Peter lives in a windy place. | [
"climate",
"weather"
] | 0 | Hint: Weather is what the atmosphere is like at a certain place and time. Climate is the pattern of weather in a certain place. | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | earth-science | Weather and climate | What's the difference between weather and climate? | The atmosphere is the layer of air that surrounds Earth. Both weather and climate tell you about the atmosphere.
Weather is what the atmosphere is like at a certain place and time. Weather can change quickly. For example, the temperature outside your house might get higher throughout the day.
Climate is the pattern of weather in a certain place. For example, summer temperatures in New York are usually higher than winter temperatures. | Read the text carefully.
Peter lives in a windy place.
This passage tells you about the usual amount of wind where Peter lives. It does not describe what the weather is like on a particular day. So, this passage describes the climate. |
Which bowl of oatmeal has more thermal energy? | [
"the hotter bowl of oatmeal",
"the colder bowl of oatmeal"
] | 0 | Two bowls of oatmeal are identical except for their temperatures. | closed choice | grade6 | natural science | physics | Thermal energy | How are temperature and mass related to thermal energy? | 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. | The two bowls of oatmeal are made of the same material and have the same mass. So, the hotter bowl of oatmeal has more thermal energy. |
Which object has the most thermal energy? | [
"a brownie at a temperature of 87°F",
"a brownie at a temperature of 82°F",
"a brownie at a temperature of 75°F"
] | 0 | The objects are identical except for their temperatures. | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | physics | Heat and thermal energy | How is temperature related to thermal energy? | 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 move faster, the temperature goes up. The matter now has both more thermal energy and a higher temperature. | All three brownies have the same mass but different temperatures. Since the 87°F brownie is the hottest, it has the most thermal energy. |
Which word does not rhyme? | [
"chair",
"blur",
"spur"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade2 | language science | phonological-awareness | Rhyming | Which word does not rhyme? | Rhyming words are words that end with the same sound.
The words tip and slip rhyme. They both end with the same sound.
The words meet and treat also rhyme. They both end with the same sound, even though the sound has two different spellings.
The words tip and meet don't rhyme. They end with different sounds. | The words spur and blur rhyme. They both end with the ur sound.
The word chair does not rhyme. It ends with a different sound. |
|
Which figure of speech is used in this text?
Preston's '64 Impala groaned as he turned the ignition. Yet again he resolved to refurbish it over the summer. | [
"personification",
"metaphor"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade7 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Classify figures of speech | Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
Alliteration is the repetition of sounds at the beginning of nearby words.
What a lucky little lady you are!
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.
An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood literally. Its meaning must be learned.
The assignment was a piece of cake.
A simile uses like or as to compare two things that are not actually alike.
The cat's fur was as dark as the night.
A metaphor compares two things that are not actually alike without using like or as.
The snow formed a blanket over the town.
Onomatopoeia involves using a word that expresses a sound.
The scrambled eggs hit the floor with a splat.
Personification is giving human characteristics to nonhuman things.
The trees danced in the wind.
A pun involves using a word or phrase in a humorous way that suggests more than one meaning.
A great new broom is sweeping the nation.
Verbal irony involves saying one thing but implying something very different. People often use verbal irony when they are being sarcastic.
Olivia seems thrilled that her car keeps breaking down.
Each breakdown is as enjoyable as a punch to the face. | The text uses personification, giving human characteristics to nonhuman things.
Preston's '64 Impala groaned describes the car as if it were human. |
|
What does the verbal irony in this text suggest?
"This is the best day of my life," Mr. Browning mumbled after his car broke down on the way to an important job interview. | [
"Mr. Browning liked fixing cars.",
"Mr. Browning was having a bad day."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade6 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Interpret figures of speech | Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
Verbal irony involves saying one thing but implying something very different. People often use verbal irony when they are being sarcastic.
Olivia seems thrilled that her car keeps breaking down.
Each breakdown is as enjoyable as a punch to the face. | The text uses verbal irony, which involves saying one thing but implying something very different.
The best day of my life ironically suggests that Mr. Browning was having a bad day. He was having the opposite of a good day because his car broke down when he needed to be on time. |
|
Compare the motion of two birds. Which bird was moving at a higher speed? | [
"a bird that moved 45kilometers in 10hours",
"a bird that moved 25kilometers in 10hours"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | physics | Force and motion | Compare the speeds of moving objects | 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. | Look at the distance each bird moved and the time it took to move that distance.
One bird moved 45 kilometers in 10 hours.
The other bird moved 25 kilometers in 10 hours.
Notice that each bird spent the same amount of time moving. The bird that moved 45 kilometers moved a farther distance in that time. So, that bird must have moved at a higher speed. |
|
Suppose Isabella decides to take a trip to Mississippi. Which result would be a cost? | [
"Isabella will save some money. Plane tickets for Isabella to get to Mississippi are less expensive than tickets to Montana.",
"Isabella will give up the chance to go to Montana. She would have enjoyed a trip to Montana more than Mississippi."
] | 1 | Isabella is deciding whether to take a trip to Montana or Mississippi. She wants to enjoy her trip. But she is also trying to save money. | closed choice | grade5 | social science | economics | Basic economic principles | Costs and benefits | 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. | This result is a cost. It involves giving up or spending something that Isabella wants or needs:
Isabella will give up the chance to go to Montana. She would have enjoyed a trip to Montana more than Mississippi. |
Would you find the word coat on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
clothes - curly | [
"yes",
"no"
] | 0 | yes or no | grade2 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | 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. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since coat is between the guide words clothes - curly, it would be found on that page. |
|
What does the idiom in this text suggest?
Hayley submitted her suggestions to Brett; now the ball is in his court. | [
"Brett needs to act next.",
"Brett feels like playing or relaxing, not working."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade6 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Interpret figures of speech | Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood literally. Its meaning must be learned.
The assignment was a piece of cake. | The text uses an idiom, an expression that cannot be understood literally.
The idiom the ball is in his court suggests that Brett needs to act next. In tennis, when the ball is in a player's court, it is that person's turn. |
|
Is there a surplus or a shortage of washing machines? | [
"shortage",
"surplus"
] | 0 | A store has 20 washing machines for sale. The machines cost $600 each. At that price, 30 people want to buy one. | closed choice | grade5 | social science | economics | Supply and demand | Identify shortage and surplus | There is a surplus if there is too much for sale at a given price.
There is a shortage if there is not enough for sale at a given price.
Surpluses and shortages usually happen when people who are selling goods or services charge too much or too little.
When the price is too high, consumers will not want to buy much of the good or service. The quantity demanded will be less than the quantity supplied. So, there will be a surplus.
When the price is too low, too many consumers will want to buy the good or service. The quantity demanded will be more than the quantity supplied. So, there will be a shortage. | At the current price, there are not enough washing machines for sale. There are 20 machines for sale, but 30 people want to buy one.
So, there is a shortage of washing machines. |
Select the solid. | [
"air inside a basketball",
"water droplets",
"grape juice",
"stuffed rabbit"
] | 3 | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | physics | States of matter | Identify solids, liquids, and gases | 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. | The air inside a basketball is a gas. A gas expands to fill a space. The air fills all the space inside the basketball. If air leaks out, it will expand into the space around the ball.
A stuffed rabbit is a solid. A solid has a size and shape of its own. When you hold a stuffed rabbit in your hands, the stuffed rabbit still has a size and shape of its own.
Water droplets are a liquid. A liquid takes the shape of any container it is in. If you collect water droplets in a bucket, they will take the shape of the bucket. But the water droplets will still take up the same amount of space.
Grape juice is a liquid. A liquid takes the shape of any container it is in. If you pour grape juice into a different container, the grape juice will take the shape of that container. But the grape juice will still take up the same amount of space. |
|
Complete the sentences.
The American people have the rights listed in the Constitution. The Ninth Amendment says that if the Constitution doesn't list a right, that right (). | [
"might still exist",
"does not exist"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade4 | social science | civics | Government | The Bill of Rights | The American people have the rights listed in the Constitution. The Ninth Amendment says that if the Constitution doesn't list a right, that right might still exist. The Bill of Rights lists some rights. But it is not meant to be a complete list of all rights. The full text of the Ninth Amendment is below. The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. |
||
Based on this information, what is Felicia's phenotype for the fur type trait? | [
"ff",
"curly fur"
] | 1 | In a group of cats, some individuals have straight fur and others have curly fur. In this group, the gene for the fur type trait has two alleles. The allele F is for straight fur, and the allele f is for curly fur.
Felicia, a cat from this group, has curly fur. Felicia has two alleles for curly fur. | closed choice | grade8 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Genetics vocabulary: genotype and phenotype | 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. | An organism's phenotype for a trait is its observable version of that trait. Felicia's observable version of the fur type trait is curly fur. So, Felicia's phenotype for the fur type trait is curly fur. |
Complete the sentence so that it uses personification.
The heavy door () as Arianna pushed it open. | [
"creaked",
"protested"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade9 | language science | writing-strategies | Creative techniques | Use personification | 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. | Complete the sentence with the word protested. It describes the door as if it were a person who didn't want to obey. |
|
Which word does not rhyme? | [
"bag",
"dug",
"mug"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade2 | language science | phonological-awareness | Rhyming | Which word does not rhyme? | Rhyming words are words that end with the same sound.
The words tip and slip rhyme. They both end with the same sound.
The words meet and treat also rhyme. They both end with the same sound, even though the sound has two different spellings.
The words tip and meet don't rhyme. They end with different sounds. | The words mug and dug rhyme. They both end with the ug sound.
The word bag does not rhyme. It ends with a different sound. |
|
Which is a complete sentence? | [
"That awful noise from the large factory.",
"The dry dirt absorbs the rain."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade3 | language science | writing-strategies | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is it a complete sentence, a fragment, or a run-on? | A sentence is a group of words that forms a complete thought. It has both a subject and a verb.
My friends walk along the path.
A sentence fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought. It is usually missing a subject or a verb.
Knows the answer.
This is a sentence fragment. It is missing a subject.
Who knows the answer? She knows the answer.
The bright red car.
This is a sentence fragment. It is missing a verb.
What did the bright red car do? The bright red car stopped.
A run-on sentence is made up of two sentences that are joined without end punctuation or with just a comma.
I knocked on the door it opened.
It started raining, we ran inside.
To fix a run-on sentence, separate it into two sentences. Add end punctuation after the first sentence, and capitalize the second sentence.
I knocked on the door. It opened.
It started raining. We ran inside.
You can also fix a run-on sentence by rewriting it as a compound sentence. A compound sentence is two sentences joined by a comma and a conjunction such as and, but, or, or so.
I knocked on the door, and it opened.
It started raining, so we ran inside. | The dry dirt absorbs the rain is a complete sentence. The subject is the dry dirt, and the verb is absorbs. |
|
Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
Don't be deceived by Amy Pena's articles on rural, blue-collar workers. Her husband is a fancy investment banker, so she can't possibly understand their situation. | [
"appeal to nature: the assumption that natural things are always good",
"guilt by association: a negative association intended to discredit someone or something",
"bandwagon fallacy: the assumption that the popular choice is automatically correct"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade10 | language science | writing-strategies | Developing and supporting arguments | Classify logical fallacies | 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
| The text argues that Amy Pena can't understand rural, blue-collar workers because she is associated with an urban newspaper. However, where Amy works doesn't necessarily indicate anything about her ability to empathize. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as guilt by association. |
|
Is the following trait inherited or acquired?
Chloe has a scar on her left elbow. | [
"acquired",
"inherited"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | biology | Traits and heredity | Identify inherited and acquired traits | 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. | Children do not inherit their parent's scars. Instead, scars are caused by the environment. People can get scars after they get hurt. So, having a scar is an acquired trait. |
|
What is the source of the allusion in the sentence below?
Investors should have seen the writing on the wall. | [
"a fairy tale",
"the Bible"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade9 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Recall the source of an allusion | 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. | The source of the allusion the writing on the wall is the Bible.
In the Bible, Daniel accurately translates mysterious writing that appears on a wall, and in doing so, he predicts the death of a king.
The allusion the writing on the wall means a clear indication of how something will turn out. |
|
Based on this information, what is this fish's phenotype for the body color trait? | [
"a greenish-brown body",
"a pink body"
] | 0 | In a group of Nile tilapia fish, some individuals have a greenish-brown body and others have a pink body. In this group, the gene for the body color trait has two alleles. The allele for a greenish-brown body (B) is dominant over the allele for a pink body (b).
A certain Nile tilapia fish from this group has the homozygous genotype BB for the body color gene. | closed choice | grade7 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Genetics vocabulary: dominant and recessive | 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. | The Nile tilapia fish's genotype for the body color gene is BB. The Nile tilapia fish's genotype of BB has only B allelles. The B allele is for a greenish-brown body. So, the Nile tilapia fish's phenotype for the body color trait must be a greenish-brown body.
To check this answer, consider whether the Nile tilapia fish's alleles are dominant or recessive. The allele for a greenish-brown body (B) is dominant over the allele for a pink body (b). This means B is a dominant allele, and b is a recessive allele.
The Nile tilapia fish'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, the Nile tilapia fish's phenotype for the body color trait must be a greenish-brown body. |
Complete the statement. Assume that Tony's mass did not change.
The gravitational potential energy stored between Tony and Earth () as he rode the escalator. | [
"stayed the same",
"decreased",
"increased"
] | 2 | Read the text about a person in motion.
Tony rode an escalator from the first floor to the second floor of a shopping mall. | closed choice | grade6 | natural science | physics | Kinetic and potential energy | Identify changes in gravitational potential energy | 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 | Think about how the distance between Tony and the center of Earth changed.
The second floor is higher than the first floor. As he rode the escalator toward the second floor, the distance between Tony and the center of Earth increased. So, the gravitational potential energy stored between Tony and Earth increased as he rode the escalator. |
Based on this information, what is Wingding's genotype for the body feather color gene? | [
"green body feathers",
"BB"
] | 1 | 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 B is for green body feathers, and the allele b is for blue body feathers.
Wingding, a budgerigar parakeet from this group, has green body feathers. Wingding has two alleles for green body feathers. | closed choice | grade7 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Genetics vocabulary: genotype and phenotype | 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. | An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. Wingding has two alleles for green body feathers (B). So, Wingding's genotype for the body feather color gene is BB. |
Which is a complex sentence? | [
"Before Melissa's birthday party, Franklin wrapped her present with delicate silver tissue paper.",
"Johnny picked raspberries in the field until his fingertips were stained red."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade5 | language science | grammar | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is the sentence simple, compound, or complex? | 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. | 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.
Johnny picked raspberries in the field until his fingertips were stained red. |
|
Which correctly shows the title of a book? | [
"Anne of Green Gables",
"Anne of green gables"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade4 | language science | capitalization | Formatting | Capitalizing titles | In a title, capitalize the first word, the last word, and every important word in between.
The Wind in the Willows James and the Giant Peach
These words are not important in titles:
Articles, a, an, the
Short prepositions, such as at, by, for, in, of, on, to, up
Coordinating conjunctions, such as and, but, or | Capitalize the first word, the last word, and every important word in between. The word of is not important, so it should not be capitalized.
The correct title is Anne of Green Gables. |
|
What does the allusion in this text suggest?
With the gutters clogged and water rising in the streets, Ling, who was watching the storm from her window, commented, "We're going to need an ark to get out of here." | [
"Ling thinks the storm will cause major flooding.",
"Ling plans to build a boat."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade10 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Interpret figures of speech | 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. | The text uses an allusion, a brief reference to someone or something well known.
The allusion to an ark suggests that Ling thinks the storm will cause major flooding. In the Bible, it rains for forty days and forty nights; Noah, his family, and animals of every species survive the great flood in an ark that he builds. |
|
What information supports the conclusion that Jake acquired this trait? | [
"Jake learned to identify insects by reading many books about insects.",
"Jake likes to look at butterflies and beetles."
] | 0 | Read the description of a trait.
Jake is good at identifying insects. | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | biology | Traits and heredity | Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | 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. | |
What do these two changes have in common?
acid rain weathering a marble statue
compost rotting | [
"Both are caused by heating.",
"Both are caused by cooling.",
"Both are only physical changes.",
"Both are chemical changes."
] | 3 | closed choice | grade8 | natural science | chemistry | Chemical reactions | Compare physical and chemical changes | 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. | Step 1: Think about each change.
Acid rain weathering a marble statue is a chemical change. The acid rain reacts with the outside of the statue and breaks it down into a different type of matter. This new matter is then washed away by the rain. Acid rain is a type of pollution. It forms when smoke from automobiles and factories mixes with water in clouds.
Acid rain is a type of pollution. It forms when automobiles and factories release smoke containing sulfur or nitrogen. Some of these chemicals react with water in the atmosphere. The reaction forms droplets of water that can fall back to the ground as acid rain.
Compost forms from the remains of plants and animals, such as vegetable scraps and egg shells. Compost rotting is a chemical change. As the compost rots, it breaks down and turns into a different type of matter.
Step 2: Look at each answer choice.
Both are only physical changes.
Both changes are chemical changes. They are not physical changes.
Both are chemical changes.
Both changes are chemical changes. The type of matter before and after each change is different.
Both are caused by heating.
Neither change is caused by heating.
Both are caused by cooling.
Neither change is caused by cooling. |
|
Complete the sentence.
A penny tarnishing is a (). | [
"chemical change",
"physical change"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | chemistry | Physical and chemical change | Identify physical and chemical changes | 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.
Burning a piece of paper is a chemical change. 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.
Cutting a piece of paper is a physical change. The cut pieces are still made of paper.
A change of state is a type of physical change. For example, ice melting is a physical change. Ice and liquid water are made of the same type of matter: water. | Metal turning less shiny over time is called tarnishing. A penny tarnishing is a chemical change. When air touches the penny, the surface of the penny changes into a different type of matter. This matter makes the penny dull. |
|
What do these two changes have in common?
an old sandwich rotting in a trashcan
plants making food from sunlight, air, and water | [
"Both are caused by heating.",
"Both are only physical changes.",
"Both are chemical changes.",
"Both are caused by cooling."
] | 2 | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | chemistry | Physical and chemical change | Compare physical and chemical changes | 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. | Step 1: Think about each change.
A sandwich rotting is a chemical change. The matter in the sandwich breaks down and slowly turns into a different type of matter.
Plants making food is a chemical change. Plants use energy from sunlight to change air and water into food. The food is sugar. Sugar is a different type of matter than air or water.
Step 2: Look at each answer choice.
Both are only physical changes.
Both changes are chemical changes. They are not physical changes.
Both are chemical changes.
Both changes are chemical changes. The type of matter before and after each change is different.
Both are caused by heating.
Neither change is caused by heating.
Both are caused by cooling.
Neither change is caused by cooling. |
|
How long is a bike path? | [
"1 mile",
"1 foot"
] | 0 | Select the better estimate. | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose customary units of distance | 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. | The better estimate for the length of a bike path is 1 mile.
1 foot is too short. |
Is the following trait inherited or acquired?
Ezra has a scar on his left ankle. | [
"acquired",
"inherited"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | biology | Traits and heredity | Identify inherited and acquired traits | 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. | Children do not inherit their parent's scars. Instead, scars are caused by the environment. People can get scars after they get hurt. So, having a scar is an acquired trait. |
|
Using only these supplies, which question can Belle investigate with an experiment? | [
"Does a rubber ball travel farther when launched from a metal catapult or from a wooden catapult?",
"Does a heavier ball travel farther than a lighter ball when launched from a catapult?",
"Does a catapult with a longer arm launch a rubber ball farther than a catapult with a shorter arm?"
] | 2 | Belle visits a museum about ancient Greece. She notices an exhibit with models of wooden catapults that were used to launch large rocks across battlefields. She wonders what factors affect how far a catapult can launch an object. So, she decides to design an experiment. She has the following supplies available:
a wooden catapult with a 10-inch-long arm
a wooden catapult with a five-inch-long arm
two identical rubber balls | closed choice | grade7 | natural science | science-and-engineering-practices | Designing experiments | Identify questions that can be investigated with a set of materials | Experiments can be designed to answer specific questions. When designing an experiment, you must identify the supplies that are necessary to answer your question. In order to do this, you need to figure out what will be tested and what will be measured during the experiment.
Imagine that you are wondering if plants grow to different heights when planted in different types of soil. How might you decide what supplies are necessary to conduct this experiment?
First, you need to identify the part of the experiment that will be tested, which is the independent variable. This is usually the part of the experiment that is different or changed. In this case, you would like to know how plants grow in different types of soil. So, you must have different types of soil available.
Next, you need to identify the part of the experiment that will be measured or observed, which is the dependent variable. In this experiment, you would like to know if some plants grow taller than others. So, you must be able to compare the plants' heights. To do this, you can observe which plants are taller by looking at them, or you can measure their exact heights with a meterstick.
So, if you have different types of soil and can observe or measure the heights of your plants, then you have the supplies you need to investigate your question with an experiment! | |
Is there a surplus or a shortage of leather jackets? | [
"surplus",
"shortage"
] | 0 | A store has 20 leather jackets for sale. Each jacket costs $70. At that price, 18 people want to buy one. | closed choice | grade5 | social science | economics | Supply and demand | Identify shortage and surplus | There is a surplus if there is too much for sale at a given price.
There is a shortage if there is not enough for sale at a given price.
Surpluses and shortages usually happen when people who are selling goods or services charge too much or too little.
When the price is too high, consumers will not want to buy much of the good or service. The quantity demanded will be less than the quantity supplied. So, there will be a surplus.
When the price is too low, too many consumers will want to buy the good or service. The quantity demanded will be more than the quantity supplied. So, there will be a shortage. | At the current price, there are too many jackets for sale. There are 20 jackets for sale, but only 18 people want to buy one.
So, there is a surplus of jackets. The store will not get any money for the leftover jackets. |
Compare the motion of two speedboats. Which speedboat was moving at a higher speed? | [
"a speedboat that moved 665miles in 10hours",
"a speedboat that moved 595miles in 10hours"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | physics | Force and motion | Compare the speeds of moving objects | 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 faster will go a farther distance in that time. It is moving at a higher speed. | Look at the distance each speedboat moved and the time it took to move that distance.
One speedboat moved 665 miles in 10 hours.
The other speedboat moved 595 miles in 10 hours.
Notice that each speedboat spent the same amount of time moving. The speedboat that moved 665 miles moved a farther distance in that time. So, that speedboat must have moved at a higher speed. |
|
Assume all other forces on Sophie are balanced. Which statement describes the forces on Sophie? | [
"The forces are balanced, so there is no net force on Sophie.",
"The forces are unbalanced, so there is a net force on Sophie."
] | 1 | Sophie is sitting on a roller coaster cart as it reaches the bottom of a big loop. Earth's gravity is pulling down on Sophie with a force of 600N. The seat of the cart is pushing up on Sophie with a force of 1,200N. | closed choice | grade8 | natural science | physics | Velocity, acceleration, and forces | Balanced and unbalanced forces | 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. | To determine if there is a net force on Sophie, look at the forces:
Earth's gravity is pulling Sophie down with a force of 600 N.
The seat of the cart is pushing Sophie 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 Sophie. |
Complete the sentence.
Chemicals in a battery reacting to power a flashlight is a (). | [
"chemical change",
"physical change"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | chemistry | Physical and chemical change | Compare physical and chemical changes | 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. | Chemicals in a battery reacting to power a flashlight is a chemical change. When the flashlight is turned on, the chemicals in the battery react with each other to form new chemicals. This creates electricity, which powers the lightbulb. |
|
Based on this information, what is this ornamental gourd plant's genotype for the fruit color gene? | [
"yellow fruit",
"FF"
] | 1 | In a group of ornamental gourd plants, some individuals have yellow fruit and others have green fruit. In this group, the gene for the fruit color trait has two alleles. The allele F is for yellow fruit, and the allele f is for green fruit.
A certain ornamental gourd plant from this group has yellow fruit. This plant has two alleles for yellow fruit. | closed choice | grade6 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Genetics vocabulary: genotype and phenotype | 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. | An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. The ornamental gourd plant has two alleles for yellow fruit (F). So, the plant's genotype for the fruit color gene is FF. |
Which online review is more formal? | [
"Although Pizza Pit isn't my favorite, their slices are certainly worth $1.50.",
"Pizza Pit isn't my fave, but their slices are definitely worth a buck and some change."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade11 | language science | writing-strategies | Audience, purpose, and tone | Which text is most formal? | 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. | The second online review is more formal. The other online review uses slang (fave, a buck and some change) and sounds more casual. |
|
Which correctly shows the title of a book? | [
"\"Down by the River\"",
"***Down by the River***"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade9 | language science | punctuation | Formatting | Formatting titles | 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" | A book should be in italics.
The correct title is **Down by the River**. |
|
Which closing is correct for a letter? | [
"Your Friend,\nMaria",
"Your friend,\nMaria"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade3 | language science | punctuation | Formatting | Greetings and closings of letters | 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 | The first closing is correct:
Its first word is capitalized, and it ends with a comma. |
|
What kind of sentence is this?
Despite the frigid temperatures on the slopes, the junior class ski trip was an enormous success. | [
"declarative",
"interrogative",
"exclamatory"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade9 | language science | punctuation | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory? | There are four kinds of sentences.
A declarative sentence is a statement and always ends with a period.
The nurse told Mr. Abrams to roll up his sleeve so that she could check his blood pressure.
An imperative sentence makes a request or a demand and usually ends with a period. If a demand shows strong feeling, it can end with an exclamation point.
For this assignment, use references to support your claims.
Don't drive so quickly in the construction zone!
An interrogative sentence asks a question and always ends with a question mark.
Given the recent critiques of her new strategic plan, do you think the CEO will reconsider the company's direction?
An exclamatory sentence is a statement that shows surprise or strong feeling. An exclamation always ends with an exclamation point.
I can't wait to travel through Europe this summer! | The sentence is a statement and ends with a period. It is a declarative sentence. |
|
Is this a run-on sentence?
The Scythians were nomadic warriors who lived in Central Asia in the ninth century BCE, before disappearing during the second century CE, they had spread westward into Eastern Europe. | [
"no",
"yes"
] | 1 | yes or no | grade12 | language science | writing-strategies | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Identify run-on sentences | A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily because we have a concert in two weeks.
A run-on sentence is formed when two sentences are run together, joined by just a comma or by no punctuation at all. If only a comma is used, the run-on is called a comma splice.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily, we have a concert in two weeks.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily we have a concert in two weeks.
There are several ways to fix a run-on sentence:
Use stronger punctuation, such as a period or a semicolon.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily. We have a concert in two weeks.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily; we have a concert in two weeks.
Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction to create a compound sentence. Coordinating conjunctions include and, but, or, and so.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily, and we have a concert in two weeks.
Use a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun to create a complex sentence. Subordinating conjunctions include after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, and while. Relative pronouns include that, which, who, whom, and whose.
The band I'm in has been rehearsing daily since we have a concert in two weeks. | This is a run-on sentence. It is a comma splice formed from two sentences run together, joined by just a comma.
The Scythians were nomadic warriors who lived in Central Asia in the ninth century BCE, before disappearing during the second century CE, they had spread westward into Eastern Europe.
Here is one way to fix the run-on sentence:
The Scythians were nomadic warriors who lived in Central Asia in the ninth century BCE. Before disappearing during the second century CE, they had spread westward into Eastern Europe. |
|
Does this passage describe the weather or the climate?
The air pressure is often low in Copenhagen, Denmark. | [
"climate",
"weather"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | earth-science | Weather and climate | What's the difference between weather and climate? | The atmosphere is the layer of air that surrounds Earth. Both weather and climate tell you about the atmosphere.
Weather is what the atmosphere is like at a certain place and time. Weather can change quickly. For example, the temperature outside your house might get higher throughout the day.
Climate is the pattern of weather in a certain place. For example, summer temperatures in New York are usually higher than winter temperatures. | Read the text carefully.
The air pressure is often low in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Air pressure is caused by the weight of the air in the atmosphere. When the air pressure is low, the sky is usually cloudy.
The passage tells you about the usual air pressure in Copenhagen. It does not describe what the weather is like on a particular day. So, this passage describes the climate. |
|
Which is a compound sentence? | [
"The butcher cuts the fat off the meat.",
"Megan finished her book, but she got two more from the library."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade3 | language science | grammar | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is the sentence simple or compound? | 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. | The first sentence is the compound sentence. It is made up of two simple sentences joined by a comma and the conjunction but.
Megan finished her book, but she got two more from the library. |
|
Which greeting is correct for a letter? | [
"Dear Uncle Fred,",
"dear Uncle Fred,"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade3 | language science | punctuation | Formatting | Greetings and closings of letters | 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 | The first greeting is correct:
Its first word is capitalized, and it ends with a comma. Uncle Fred is capitalized because it is a proper noun. |
|
Would you find the word neck on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
ninety - noon | [
"no",
"yes"
] | 0 | yes or no | grade3 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | 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. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since neck is not between the guide words ninety - noon, it would not be found on that page. |
|
Which logical fallacy is used in the text?
When Mason arrived at Heathrow Airport, a British man helped him retrieve his luggage from baggage claim. British people are all so nice! | [
"hasty generalization: a broad claim based on too few observations",
"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"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade12 | language science | writing-strategies | Developing and supporting arguments | Classify logical fallacies | 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
| The text argues that a single polite British person indicates that all British people are nice. However, this isn't necessarily true. This illustrates a type of logical fallacy known as a hasty generalization. |
|
Suppose Hector decides to go on the balloon race. Which result would be a cost? | [
"Hector will give up the chance to go on the roller coaster. He would have had more fun on that ride.",
"Hector will save some ride tickets. He needs fewer tickets to go on the balloon race than on the roller coaster."
] | 0 | Hector is deciding which ride to go on at the fair. He can go on either the roller coaster or the balloon race. He wants to have as much fun as possible at the fair. | closed choice | grade5 | social science | economics | Basic economic principles | Costs and benefits | 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. | This result is a cost. It involves giving up or spending something that Hector wants or needs:
Hector will give up the chance to go on the roller coaster. He would have had more fun on that ride. |
Use the evidence in the text to select the photosynthetic organism. | [
"Fantastic leaf-tailed geckos live in the forests of Madagascar. This type of gecko looks like a leaf, which helps it hide in the trees as it hunts its insect prey.",
"Lizard's tail plants are found throughout eastern North America. These plants use energy from sunlight to make their food."
] | 1 | closed choice | grade7 | natural science | biology | Photosynthesis | Identify the photosynthetic organism | Organisms that carry out photosynthesis are called photosynthetic organisms. During photosynthesis, these organisms use light energy, carbon dioxide, and water to produce sugars and oxygen.
Photosynthetic organisms also often have the following characteristics:
They are producers, which are organisms that make their own food inside their cells. Because producers make their own food, they typically do not eat other organisms.
Their cells contain chloroplasts, which are cell structures where photosynthesis occurs.
Their chloroplasts often contain a green substance called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll captures light energy from the Sun to power photosynthesis.
They use the sugars they produce during photosynthesis as food. This food provides energy that helps the organisms live, grow, and reproduce. | This organism is photosynthetic:
The text tells you that lizard's tail plants use energy from sunlight to make food. This is evidence that the lizard's tail plant is a photosynthetic organism.
This organism is not photosynthetic:
The text does not provide evidence that the fantastic leaf-tailed gecko is photosynthetic. |
|
What information supports the conclusion that Trisha inherited this trait? | [
"Trisha and her father both have dark hair.",
"Trisha's parents have dark skin. They passed down this trait to Trisha."
] | 1 | Read the description of a trait.
Trisha has dark skin. | closed choice | grade6 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Inherited and acquired traits: use evidence to support a statement | 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. | |
What kind of sentence is this?
In the game today, Mary hit a home run with bases loaded! | [
"declarative",
"interrogative",
"exclamatory"
] | 2 | closed choice | grade9 | language science | punctuation | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory? | There are four kinds of sentences.
A declarative sentence is a statement and always ends with a period.
The nurse told Mr. Abrams to roll up his sleeve so that she could check his blood pressure.
An imperative sentence makes a request or a demand and usually ends with a period. If a demand shows strong feeling, it can end with an exclamation point.
For this assignment, use references to support your claims.
Don't drive so quickly in the construction zone!
An interrogative sentence asks a question and always ends with a question mark.
Given the recent critiques of her new strategic plan, do you think the CEO will reconsider the company's direction?
An exclamatory sentence is a statement that shows surprise or strong feeling. An exclamation always ends with an exclamation point.
I can't wait to travel through Europe this summer! | The sentence is a statement that shows strong feeling and ends with an exclamation point. It is an exclamatory sentence. |
|
Which object has more thermal energy? | [
"a 700-gram rock at a temperature of 70°C",
"a 700-gram rock at a temperature of 45°C"
] | 0 | The objects are identical except for their temperatures. | closed choice | grade3 | natural science | physics | Heat and thermal energy | How is temperature related to thermal energy? | 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 move faster, the temperature goes up. The matter now has both more thermal energy and a higher temperature. | The two rocks have the same mass but different temperatures. Since the 70°C rock is hotter than the 45°C rock, it has more thermal energy. |
Which soap bubble has more thermal energy? | [
"the hotter soap bubble",
"the colder soap bubble"
] | 0 | Two soap bubbles are identical except for their temperatures. | closed choice | grade6 | natural science | physics | Thermal energy | How are temperature and mass related to thermal energy? | 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. | The two soap bubbles are made of the same material and have the same mass. So, the hotter soap bubble has more thermal energy. |
Select the invertebrate. | [
"birdwing butterfly",
"dwarf crocodile",
"rainbow trout",
"yak"
] | 0 | Hint: Insects, spiders, and worms are invertebrates. | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | biology | Classification | Identify vertebrates and invertebrates | 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. | A yak is a mammal. Like other mammals, a yak is a vertebrate. It has a backbone.
A birdwing butterfly is an insect. Like other insects, a birdwing butterfly is an invertebrate. It does not have a backbone. It has an exoskeleton.
A rainbow trout is a fish. Like other fish, a rainbow trout is a vertebrate. It has a backbone.
A dwarf crocodile is a reptile. Like other reptiles, a dwarf crocodile is a vertebrate. It has a backbone. |
What does the verbal irony in this text suggest?
"That fits you well," Brendan remarked after Eliana's cap fell over her eyes for the tenth time. | [
"The cap was too big.",
"The cap looked nice on Eliana."
] | 0 | closed choice | grade9 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Interpret figures of speech | Figures of speech are words or phrases that use language in a nonliteral or unusual way. They can make writing more expressive.
Verbal irony involves saying one thing but implying something very different. People often use verbal irony when they are being sarcastic.
Olivia seems thrilled that her car keeps breaking down.
Each breakdown is as enjoyable as a punch to the face. | The text uses verbal irony, which involves saying one thing but implying something very different.
Fits you well ironically suggests that the cap was too big. The cap was falling over Eliana's eyes, so it didn't fit her well at all. |
|
What is the volume of a bowl of soup? | [
"320 milliliters",
"320 liters"
] | 0 | Select the better estimate. | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose metric units of volume | 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. | The better estimate for the volume of a bowl of soup is 320 milliliters.
320 liters is too much. |
How long does it take to mow the lawn? | [
"34 minutes",
"34 hours"
] | 0 | Select the better estimate. | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose units of time | 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. | The better estimate for how long it takes to mow the lawn is 34 minutes.
34 hours is too slow. |
Which figure of speech is used in this text?
Tanvi asked her mother if she could adopt a cat, and her mother replied, "It's a definite maybe," so Tanvi didn't want to get her hopes up. | [
"oxymoron",
"hyperbole"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade11 | language science | figurative-language | Literary devices | Classify the figure of speech: euphemism, hyperbole, oxymoron, paradox | 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. | The text uses an oxymoron, a joining of two seemingly contradictory terms.
Definite maybe is a contradiction, because definite describes something that is sure, and maybe refers to something that is unsure. |
|
What kind of sentence is this?
Please give me the contact information for that physician you recommended. | [
"imperative",
"exclamatory",
"interrogative"
] | 0 | closed choice | grade6 | language science | punctuation | Sentences, fragments, and run-ons | Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory? | There are four kinds of sentences.
A declarative sentence is a statement, and it always ends with a period.
The nurse told Mr. Abrams to roll up his sleeve so that she could check his blood pressure.
An interrogative sentence is a question, and it always ends with a question mark.
Do you have any plans for the upcoming weekend?
An imperative sentence is a command. It makes a request or tells someone to do something, and it usually ends with a period. If the command shows strong feeling, it ends with an exclamation point.
For this assignment, use references to support your claims.
Don't drive so quickly in the construction zone!
An exclamatory sentence is like a statement, but it shows surprise or strong feeling. An exclamatory sentence always ends with an exclamation point.
I can't wait to travel through Europe this summer! | The sentence makes a request, so it is an imperative sentence. Here, it ends with a period. |
|
Which type of sentence is this?
Bonnie is a competitive horseback rider, and she will be competing in the next World Equestrian Games, which are held every four years. | [
"compound",
"simple",
"complex",
"compound-complex"
] | 3 | closed choice | grade7 | language science | grammar | Phrases and clauses | Is the sentence simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex? | 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. | 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.
Bonnie is a competitive horseback rider, and she will be competing in the next World Equestrian Games, which are held every four years. |
|
Based on this information, what is this cucumber plant's genotype for the fruit sheen gene? | [
"dull fruit",
"Ff"
] | 1 | In a group of cucumber plants, some individuals have dull fruit and others have glossy fruit. In this group, the gene for the fruit sheen trait has two alleles. The allele F is for dull fruit, and the allele f is for glossy fruit.
A certain cucumber plant from this group has dull fruit. This plant has one allele for dull fruit and one allele for glossy fruit. | closed choice | grade8 | natural science | biology | Genes to traits | Genetics vocabulary: genotype and phenotype | 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. | An organism's genotype for a gene is its combination of alleles for that gene. The cucumber plant has one allele for dull fruit (F) and one allele for glossy fruit (f). So, the plant's genotype for the fruit sheen gene is Ff. |
Which letter opening is more formal? | [
"Dear Mark,",
"Dear Mr. Everett,"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade12 | language science | writing-strategies | Audience, purpose, and tone | Which text is most formal? | 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. | The first letter opening is more formal. It uses the recipient's personal title and last name. The other opening uses the recipient's first name, suggesting a more familiar relationship. |
|
Is the following trait inherited or acquired?
Beth has a scar on her left hand. | [
"acquired",
"inherited"
] | 0 | Hint: Most scars are caused by accidents during a person's life. | closed choice | grade4 | natural science | biology | Traits and heredity | Identify inherited and acquired traits | 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. | Children do not inherit their parent's scars. Instead, scars are caused by the environment. People can get scars after they get hurt. So, having a scar is an acquired trait. |
Each bus takes the same amount of time to stop. Which school bus needs a larger force to come to a stop? | [
"a school bus carrying 800 pounds",
"a school bus carrying 600 pounds"
] | 0 | Kids from two different schools are riding their school buses home. The buses are the same. They are going the same speed. But different numbers of kids are riding in each bus. | closed choice | grade2 | natural science | physics | Force and motion | How do mass and force affect motion? | A force is a push or a pull.
A force can make an object start moving or stop an object that is moving. A force can also make an object speed up, slow down, or change direction.
Forces can be different sizes.
Think about trying to move a heavy object and a light object. Imagine you want to move them at the same speed. You will need to use a larger force to move the heavy object. | Look for the school bus that is heavier.
A school bus carrying 800 pounds is heavier than a school bus carrying 600 pounds. So, the school bus carrying 800 pounds needs a larger force to come to a stop in the same amount of time as the other bus. |
What is the volume of a large soup pot? | [
"9 milliliters",
"9 liters"
] | 1 | Select the better estimate. | closed choice | grade5 | natural science | units-and-measurement | Units and measurement | Choose metric units of volume | 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. | The better estimate for the volume of a large soup pot is 9 liters.
9 milliliters is too little. |
Which word would you find on a dictionary page with the following guide words?
patience - proceed | [
"push",
"platform"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade3 | language science | reference-skills | Reference skills | Use guide words | 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. | Put the words in alphabetical order.
Since platform is between the guide words patience - proceed, it would be found on that page. |
|
Which type of sentence is this?
An avid reader, Franklin attends weekly book club meetings, and he finishes several novels every month. | [
"compound-complex",
"compound",
"complex",
"simple"
] | 1 | closed choice | grade12 | language science | grammar | Phrases and clauses | Is the sentence simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex? | 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. | The sentence is compound. It is made up of two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction and.
An avid reader, Franklin attends weekly book club meetings, and he finishes several novels every month. |