Part A: Reading Comprehension. Jacob the Great

Transcription

1 ENGLISH REVISION SHEET 3 rd TERM ( ) Grade: 8 Name: Teacher: Grade: Date: Part A: Reading Comprehension Direction: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the text to check your answers when appropriate: Jacob the Great Jacob hated finishing things almost as much as he loved starting them. As a result, he had gotten into a million hobbies and activities, but he never stuck with any of them long enough to get any good. He begged his mother for months for a guitar so that he could play Black Eyed Peas songs to Angie, a girl he liked, but after he finally got one for Christmas, he found out that guitars don t play themselves. He took a few lessons, but strumming the strings hurt his fingers and he didn t like holding the pick, so now the five hundred dollar guitar lives under his bed. After reading an ad in the back of one of his comic books, Jacob decided that he wanted a Wonder Sweeper 5000 metal detector, so that he could find buried pirate treasure. So he mowed lawns all summer and didn t spend his money on icecream like his younger brother, Alex. He saved it all in a shoe box in his closet. Then he shoveled driveways all winter, and he didn t spend his money on candy and chips like his classmates. By the time spring came he had saved $200, and he purchased the Wonder-Sweeper 5000 metal detector. He beeped it around the park for a while, be he soon found out that no pirates had ever set sail in his neighborhood, and if they had they didn t leave any treasure. Even though he found a key ring, forty-seven cents, and all the bottle caps he could throw, he buried the metal detector in his closest. 1

2 Given Jacob s history with hobbies, it was no surprise that Jacob s father was reluctant to buy him a magician s kit for his birthday. Geez, Jacob You sure you wouldn t rather I got you more guitar lessons? He suggested. Jacob was insistent. Dad, you ve got to get me the magician s kit. This time I ll stick with it for real. I promise! Come on, Dad, Jacob begged. Jacob s father sighed and then replied, Oh, I don t know, Jacob. Things are awfully tight right now. But Jacob s father was reminded of his own youth long ago, when he quit football and started karate practice before hardly getting his equipment dirty. So when Jacob s birthday came around, Jacob was both surprised and pleased to find the magician s kit that he had desired so badly with a big bright bow on it. Jacob opened up the box and unwrapped the many parts in the kit. As he did so, he imagined sawing his pet cat in half and putting it back together to the amazement of his friends and family. He took the many fake coins, trick cards, and rope pieces of varying length on the kitchen table and imagined pulling rabbits out of his hat and turning them into pigeons with a mysterious puff of smoke. As Jacob continued pulling plastic thumbs, foam balls, and giant playing cards out of the magic kit, a commercial on the TV caught his attention. Hey kids! Have you ever wanted to go to space? Experience what it s like to be an astronaut? Do you want to explore the universe? Well, now you can. As the commercial continued playing, Jacob walked away from the magic kit on the kitchen table and stared at the TV screen longingly. For only $195 you can go to space camp and live life like an astronaut for a whole weekend. Enroll now for a once in a life time experience. Jacob s cry rang throughout the house as he yelled, MOM! He now knew what his true purpose in life was. Direction: After reading the story, choose the best answer for each question. Circle one answer: 1. According to the text, why does Jacob stop playing the guitar? a. It hurt his fingers. b. He d rather play drums. c. It was too easy. d. He failed math. 2. To whom did Jacob want to play Black Eyed Peas songs? a. Alex b. Angie c. Mom d. Dad 2

3 3. According to the passage, why does Jacob decide that he wants a metal detector? a. He sees a man at the park with one. b. His father had one as a child. c. He saw a TV commercial for one. d. He read an ad for one in a comic book. 4. How does Jacob get the items that he wants in the story? a. He asks his mom. b. He asks his dad. c. He shovels driveways and mows lawns. d. He does all of these things to get what he wants. 5. When did Jacob buy the metal detector? a. In the fall b. In the summer c. In the spring d. In the winter 6. True or False: The metal detector was a good investment for Jacob. a. True b. False 7. Which character trait best describes Jacob in regards to his hobbies? a. Dedicated b. Impulsive c. Committed d. Devoted 8. What was the author s purpose in writing this text? a. Inform b. Persuade c. Entertain 9. Did the author use text features in the passage? If yes list 4 examples. 3

4 10. Why doesn t Jacob s father want to get him the magician s kit for his birthday? Reading Informational text. Read the following passage and answer the questions below: Absolute Location Where on Earth are you? Navigators use lines of latitude and lines of longitude to locate places. Lines of latitude run east and west around Earth. On a map or globe, these lines appear as running sideways or horizontally. Lines of longitude run north and south around Earth. These lines go up and down or vertically on a map or globe. These lines create an imaginary graph paper on the Earth. They make it possible to find an absolute, or exact, location on Earth. They even allow us to give an absolute location to a place out in the middle of the ocean. Lines of latitude tell us how far north or south of the Equator we are. Sailors have used primitive navigation tools, like astrolabes, since ancient times. The astrolabe uses the sun and stars to find an approximate location. Using such tools, they have been able to approximate their distance from the equator. Although their instruments may not have been the high quality we have now, they were incredibly accurate for their time. Lines of longitude tell us how far east or west of the prime meridian we are. Sailors constantly looked for new ways to increase their navigation skills. Still, it wasn t until the 18th century they were able to measure degrees of longitude. They would have been very envious of the technology available to us today. When we use lines of latitude and longitude together, we can get a very precise location. If we want to identify the absolute location of a point, we look where the latitude and longitude lines cross nearest to that point. We use the coordinates for that point as its address. Many maps today include degrees of latitude and longitude. Another tool that helps us navigate is the magnetic compass. The magnetic compass was developed in China. In medieval times, sailors brought it from China to Europe during their regular trade expeditions to Asia. This technology made worldwide travel easier and encouraged more exploration. 4

5 Direction: Answer the following questions. Don t forget to go back to the passage whenever necessary to find or confirm your answers: 1) What is the function of lines of latitude and longitude? 2) Explain what is meant by an absolute location. 3) In your opinion, which invention was more important: the astrolabe or the magnetic compass? Why? 4) Which imaginary lines run north and south? A-longitude B-latitude 5) Which imaginary lines are based on the Equator? A-longitude B-latitude Part B: Language A. In the following sentences, add periods, question marks, and exclamation points where they are needed: 1. What wonderful photos it contains 2. I d like to learn more about endangered species 3. Will you teach me what you ve learned 4. What an exciting book this is 5. I have learned a lot about animals from this book B. Insert periods where appropriate in the following sentences: 1. Mrs Walsh is the principal of Westdale Elementary School. 2. Have you met Dr Richards? 3. Zechariah Hoyt, Jr, wrote the prize-winning essay on ocelots. 4. Mr and Mrs Bertinot are joining us for dinner tonight. 5

6 C. In the following sentences, insert commas where they are needed: 1. He examined studied and took notes on the history of paper money. 2. On U.S. bills are portraits of Washington Lincoln and Hamilton. 3. I read a well-written interesting article about the designs on the corners of bills. 4. At the mint, Tony watched the complicated intricate processes of taking bills off the assembly line and packing the money. 5. He doesn t know who determines when money is too old to use where it goes or how it is replaced. D. Underline the gerund or gerund phrase in each sentence: 1. The dance world in London, Paris, and New York competed in praising his performances. 2. At recitals in which Nureyev danced, the orchestra was often drowned out by wild cheering. 3. Watching his impossibly high leaps was an unforgettable experience. 4. His dancing is known to everyone. 5. Driving in a crowded city was a new experience for Nicolás. E. Write the infinitive or infinitive phrase from each sentence. Then write noun, adjective, or adverb to identify its function in the sentence: 1. People have always sought to protect their rights. 2. Early Bostonians staged the Boston Tea Party to protest taxation without representation. 3. To protect their comfortable position, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette ignored the demands of the French people. 4. The people of France, weary of going hungry while royalty flourished, were determined to succeed in their revolt. 6

7 F. For each sentence, add colons or semicolons where needed: 1. The defendant failed to check his rear-view mirror before changing lanes therefore he breached a duty owed to the plaintiff. 2. There are two kinds of fruit on the table oranges and apples. 3. I have a lot to do today study for my test do my laundry both lights and darks wash the car and call my mom. 4. Zach came to class breathless and overwhelmed he had just come from volleyball practice. G. Rewrite the sentences below using correct capitalization: 1. the train will stop in atlanta, montgomery, and jacksonville. 2. nicole likes pepsi, but veronica and brandon prefer coke. 3. the faces of four presidents are carved on mt. rushmore. 4. are you going to go to celeste s party on saturday? 5. the new school year will begin in august or september. Part C: Vocabulary A. fill the blanks with the correct word. The meaning of the text should stay the same: 1. Maria has the to become a first-rate scientist. A- engaging B- gait C-potential 2. Anton's watercolor of his dream earned praise from his art teacher. A- rendition B- assert C- perseverance 7

8 3. Few people go to lands to see animals in the wild. A-exploit B-aspire C-exotic B. Figure out the meaning of the bold word by using the context clues in the sentence. Circle the correct meaning of the word given in bold: 4. The futility of releasing captive animals into the wild is proven. A. uselessness B. easy C. sterile 5. Our school might ban the game of dodgeball? A. allow B. to prohibit C. obvious 6. Is dodgeball a safe way to take out aggression? A. hostile B. happiness C. impropriety C. Use the following words in meaningful sentences: Exploit: Adequately: D: Choose the correct synonym for each of the following words: 1. Inaudible: a. incognito b. mute c. prodigal 2. Assert: a. affirm b. scarce c. specter 3. Spirits: a. apparitions b. undisclosed c. plus 8

9 E: Choose the correct antonyms for each of the following words: 1. Omission: a. fragile b. enduring c. addendum 2. Far-fetched: a. undisguised b. plausible c. ample 3. Thrifty: a. serious talk b. prodigal c. liability Part D: Writing School Club (Expository) You are a member of a school club, and the members want to take a field trip. The problem is that the club does not have sufficient funds. What can you and the other members do to raise money for the trip? Write an essay detailing several suggestions for fund-raising. Give specifics to show how these suggestions would work. 9

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