The three boys, Tito, Javier, and Esteban, were sitting on the beach when Javier suggested they go snorkeling. Tito and Esteban were hesitant to join, but Javier convinced them by mentioning they might see clownfish. They reluctantly agreed and went with Javier to the water. At first Tito and Esteban struggled with their gear, but eventually all three enjoyed spotting clownfish and other marine life on the reef.

1. Discovery at the Beach
1 Tito, Javier, and Esteban sat on the white-sand beach. The
day had begun sunny and blue. The water at Seven Seas
Beach was warm to the touch and as clear as glass.
2 “Snorkeling will be great today,” Javier said, standing up
and inviting his friends to join him by pointing in the
direction of the ocean.
3 His two friends just sat there. Tito shifted a pile of sand
back and forth in his hands. Esteban simply stared at the
calm waters.
4 “Come on, you two; it’s time!” Javier urged them.
5 “Maybe we should come back another day,” Tito pleaded.
6 “Maybe never,” Esteban added.
7 “I recall you two saying you wanted to see some
clownfish. I guess not,” Javier answered them, frowning.
“You know you did, Tito. You told me you wanted to do a
painting of clownfish for your art project. Remember?”

2. 8 “I’ll come if Esteban does,” Tito said, glancing at his
hesitant friend.
9 Esteban sighed and stood up. “All right, but don’t think
I’m going to enjoy this!”
10 Tito followed his friends’ lead, standing up and gathering
his gear. Then the three boys walked to the shoreline. All
three put their flippers on—Esteban and Tito clumsily put
them on because it was their first time—and adjusted their
masks.
11 “Ready?” Javier asked.
12 “As ready as I’ll ever be,” Esteban answered.
13 “I feel like a clown wearing these flippers,” Tito said. “I
suppose we might as well get started.”
14 Soon, the boys were swimming toward the reef. Tito came
up a few times to adjust his mask. Javier surfaced to blow
water out of his snorkel and re-enter the water. Soon,
Esteban tapped his friends’ shoulders and pointed. There,
straight ahead and not too far below, swam a school of
clownfish. All three watched for a bit, and then they
surfaced, grinning. “You were right, Javier,” Tito said,
“Those are fish worth painting! Did you see the orange
and white stripes? That’s amazing!”
15 “This is great!” Esteban agreed.
16 “Wait until you see the reef. There will be more
clownfish, and I’m sure we’ll find lots of other fish as
well,” Javier said. Then he began swimming again, with
his friends following close behind.
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3. 00 What is the author’s MAIN purpose for writing this passage?
A to describe the Seven Seas Beach
B to teach the reader how to snorkel
C to persuade the reader that snorkeling is fun
D to entertain the reader with a story about friends
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00 Which word from the passage is a COMPOUND word?
A another
C painting
D shoreline
B snorkeling
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00 Read this dictionary entry for recall.
recall verb 1. to ask or order
to return 2. to bring back
3. to remember 4. to cancel
Which meaning of the word recall is used in paragraph 7?
A to ask or order to return
B to bring back
C to remember
D to cancel
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4. 00 In paragraph 9, what does the word enjoy mean?
A to be afraid
B to have a good time
C to dislike something
D to attract something
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00 How is Javier different from Esteban?
A Javier is smarter.
B Javier likes to paint.
C Javier is the worst swimmer.
D Javier knows how to snorkel.
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00 What did Tito and Esteban have in common?
A love of sand
B talent for painting
C fear of snorkeling
D doubts about swimming
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00 What word BEST describes Esteban’s attitude in paragraph 9?
A disgust
C sincerity
B reluctance
D excitement
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5. 00 What caused Esteban to change how he felt about snorkeling?
A He spotted a clownfish.
B He made it to the reef.
C He painted a clownfish.
D He adjusted his mask.
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00 Give two reasons why the weather and the water conditions were important
for the boys to be able to snorkel.
Write your response in the space provided on your answer sheet.
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00 What would be another good title for this passage?
A “How to Snorkel”
B “Clown Fish are Beautiful”
C “A Day to Play in the Sand”
D “Conquering Fears Pays Off”
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00 This passage is MAINLY about —
A enjoying a new activity.
B spending a long day at the beach.
C learning how to snorkel in the ocean.
D wanting to learn how to paint clownfish.
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6. 00 Read this sentence from the passage.
“The water at Seven Seas Beach was warm to the touch and as clear as glass.”
Which literary device is the author using in this sentence?
A simile
B flashback
C metaphor
D personification
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00 Read this sentence from the passage.
“The water at Seven Seas Beach was warm to the touch and as
clear as glass.”
How does this imagery help the reader “see” the setting?
A It creates a vivid picture.
B It emphasizes the location.
C It describes the marine life.
D It indicates the kind of day it is.
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7. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions.
1) Taking care of a pet takes time, patience, and dedication. (2) You have to
make sure your pet has the food it needs. (3) You also want to give it the health
care it needs. (4) It is important to play with your pet and spend time with it.
(5) Before you add a pet to your family, make sure you are willing to take care
of it in the best possible ways.
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00 Which of the following correctly combines sentences 2 and 3?
A You have to make sure your pet has the food and the health care.
B You have to make sure your pet has the food and the health care it needs.
C You have to make sure your pet has the food it needs and also the health care
your pet needs.
D You have to make sure your pet has the food it needs and you also want to give
it the health care it needs.
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00 Which of the following BEST corrects the error in sentence 5?
A Before you add a pet to your family, make sure you are willing to take care of
it in the best possible ways.
B Before you add a pet to your family, make sure you are willing to take care of
her in the best possible ways.
C Before you add a pet to your family, make sure you are willing to take care of
him in the best possible ways.
D Before you add a pet to your family, make sure you are willing to take care of
us in the best possible ways.
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8. 00 Read the following sentences.
Luisa handed in her homework. She forgot to give the teacher the final page.
Which of the following BEST combines these two sentences?
A Luisa handed in her homework when she forgot to give the teacher the final
page.
B Luisa handed in her homework, and she forgot to give the teacher the final
page.
C When Luisa handed in her homework, she forgot to give the teacher the final
page.
D So Luisa handed in her homework, she forgot to give the teacher the final
page.
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9. 00 Read the following sentences.
Coquís are very small frogs. Bullfrogs are very large ones.
Which of the following BEST combines these two sentences using a
contrasting transition?
A Coquís are very small frogs, so bullfrogs are very large ones.
B Coquís are very small frogs, and bullfrogs are very large ones.
C Coquís are very small frogs, as bullfrogs are very large ones.
D Coquís are very small frogs, but bullfrogs are very large ones.
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10. 00 Choose the sentence that is punctuated correctly.
A The present that I gave to my mother made her smile.
B The present that I gave, to my mother, made her smile.
C The present, that I gave to my mother, made her smile.
D The present that I gave to my mother, made her smile.
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11. 00 Read the following sentence.
The heavy rain was unexpectedly followed by sunshine and then by a brilliant
rainbow.
What is the underlined word?
A an adverb
B a noun
C an adjective
D a verb
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12. 00 Choose the word that belongs in the blank.
My English teacher ___________ a new book for me to read.
A reccommended
B recommended
C reccomended
D recommended
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13. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions.
1) The flower shop was full of the following flowers: roses, daisies, and
carnations. (2) There were dozens of vases with gorgeous bouquets. (3) It
smelled wonderful inside. (4) All of the colors made it look like there were a
rainbow trapped within the store.
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00 Which of the following BEST corrects the error in sentence 4?
A All of the colors made it look like there will be a rainbow trapped within the
store.
B All of the colors made it look like there was a rainbow trapped within the
store.
C All of the colors made it look like there is a rainbow trapped within the store.
D All of the colors made it look like there are a rainbow trapped within the store.
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00 The underlined part of sentence 2 is a —
A phrase.
B clause.
C transition.
D fragment.
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14. Read the following paragraph and answer questions.
(1) It’s that time of year! (2) Baseball trophies will be awarded soon.
(3) It’s time to quit Baseball and head for the beachs. (4) Baseball season
is over.
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00 Using standard editing marks, how would you show that the word “beachs” is
misspelled in sentence 3?
A You would circle the word “beachs.”
B You would underline the “b” three times.
C You would cross the word “beachs” out.
D You would put a wavy line under the word “beachs.”
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15. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions.
(1) In this club, we like to share ideas among we and with our friends.
(2) When a fellow member wants to have a conversation, don’t ignore
her. (3) Right now is always the right time to share ideas!
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00 Which of the following shows sentence 1 corrected using the appropriate
marks?
A In this club, we like to share ideas among ^ we and with our friends.
B In this club, we like to share ideas among we^ and with our friends.
ourselves
C In this club, we like to share ideas among we and with our friends.
D In this club, we like to share ideas among we and with our friends.
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ourselves
ourselves