8Th Grade Advanced Language Arts: Semester Exam Study Guide
8th Grade Advanced Language Arts: Semester Exam Study Guide
Background knowledgeBiography
Autobiography
Rhyme Scheme
Inferences
Topic Sentence
Main Idea
Supporting Details
Alliteration
Simile
metaphor
personification
Theme
Compare / Contrast / Compare words:
Contrast words:
Good tool for comparing and contrasting / Venn Diagram (draw it)
Foreshadowing
Author’s Purpose / 1.
2.
3.
4.
5 parts of Plot
Dictionary
is used for…
Thesaurus
is used for…
Glossary
is used for…
Atlas
is used for…
The Writing Process
Question 1 of 13
When I get in an elevator, I imagine I am traveling high into the sky, and when the doors open, I will be in a far off place. One time, I was dreaming about being on anAfrican safariand riding an elephant. I must have gotten lost in my dream because by the time I noticed the doors opening, I was on the first floor. I must have gone all the way up and then back down again.
What is the main idea?
A. / When we daydream, we can end up in dangerous situations.
B. / When we daydream, we can forget where we are.
C. / When we daydream, we can remember what our dreams are.
D. / When we daydream, we can waste a lot of time.
Question 2 of 13
Read the poem. Then answer the question below.
DIRGE FOR A SOLDIER
In Memory of Gen. Philip Kearny
By George H. Boker
(1823-1890)
Closehis eyes; his work is done!
What to him is friend or foeman?
Rise of moon, or set of sun,
Hand of man, or kiss of woman?
Lay him low, lay him low
In the clover or the snow!
What cares he? He cannot know:
Lay him low!
As man may, he fought his fight,
Proved his truth by his endeavor;
Let him sleep in solemn night,
Sleep forever, and forever.
Lay him low, lay him low
In the clover or the snow!
What cares he? He cannot know:
Lay him low!
Fold him in his Country's stars,
Roll the drum and fire the volley!
What to him are all our wars,
What but death bemocking folly?
Lay him low, lay him low
In the clover or the snow!
What cares he? He cannot know:
Lay him low!
Leave him to God's watching eye,
Trust him to the hand that made him.
Mortal love weeps idly by:
God alone has power to aid him.
Lay him low, lay him low
In the clover or the snow!
What cares he? He cannot know:
Lay him low!
THE DEATH OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
by William Cullen Bryant
Oh, slow to smite and swift to spare,
Gentle and merciful and just!
Who, in the fear of God, didst bear
The sword of power, a nation's trust.
In sorrow by thy bier we stand,
Amid the awe that hushes all,
And speak the anguish of a land
That shook with horror at thy fall.
Thy task is done; the bound are free;
We bear thee to an honored grave,
Whose proudest monument shall be
The broken fetters of the slave.
Pure was thy life; its bloody close
Hath placed thee with the sons of light,
Among the noble host of those
Who perished in the cause of Right.
The themes of the two poems are similar because both poems are about ______.
A. / the soldier's longing for home
B. / the death of an honorable person
C. / victories in battle
D. / casualties of war
Question 3 of 13
"The Good that I Can Do" by Guthrie
I live for those who love me,
For those who know me true,
For the world that is around me,
And the good that I can do;
For the wrongs that need resistance,
For the cause that lacks assistance,
For the future in the distance,
And the good that I can do.
What is the theme of this poem?
A. / to live for the good that one can do for oneself
B. / to live for the good that one can do for others
C. / to live each day as if it is the last
D. / to live each day for the future
Question 4 of 13
The Donkey and the Grasshoppers
A donkey heard the singing of some grasshoppers and was highly enchanted. Wanting to be able to sing as they did, he asked what sort of food they ate to give them such beautiful singing voices. "The dew," the grasshoppers replied. The donkey decided to copy the grasshoppers and live only on dew, and died of hunger.
The Donkey and the Lapdog
A man once had a donkey and a lapdog. The donkey lived in a stable, feeding on oats and hay; the lapdog lived in the house and was often petted and fondled by his master and given choice tidbits from the table. Each day, the donkey worked hard, carrying firewood from the forest and other heavy burdens for his master. He often felt sorry for himself and wished he could live like the lapdog. One day he broke the reins and halter, galloping into his master's house and kicking up his heels, running through every room. Then he tried to jump into his master's lap and lick his face as he had seen the lapdog do, but he smashed the furniture and nearly smashed his master as well. Hearing all the noise, the servants rushed in to save the master and drove the donkey out of the house with whips. As he returned to his stall, bruised and bleeding, the donkey cried, "Why wasn't I satisfied with honest work, instead of wishing to be idle all day like that lazy little lapdog?"
What theme do the two fables share?
A. / The ability to sing is less important than the willingness to do honest work.
B. / New experiences and skills are usually not worth acquiring.
C. / You cannot believe everything that others tell you.
D. / It is wiser to find satisfaction with what you have than to desire what others have.
Question 5 of 13
fromA Christmas Carolby Charles Dickens
"Uncle!" pleaded the nephew.
"Nephew!" returned the uncle sternly, "keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine."
"Keep it!" repeated Scrooge's nephew. "But you don't keep it."
"Let me leave it alone, then," said Scrooge. "Much good may it do you! Much good it has ever done you!"
"There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say," returned the nephew. "Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that -- as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"
The clerk in the Tank involuntarily applauded. Becoming immediately sensible of the impropriety, he poked the fire, and extinguished the last frail spark for ever.
How does the author reveal the nephew's character?
A. / by his physical characteristics
B. / by what he says
C. / by what his uncle says about him
D. / by the clerk's reaction to him
Question 6 of 13
fromLittle Womenby Louisa May Alcott
Margaret, the eldest of the four, was sixteen, and very pretty, being plump and fair, with large eyes, plenty of soft brown hair, a sweet mouth, and white hands, of which she was rather vain. Fifteen- year-old Jo was very tall, thin, and brown, and reminded one of a colt, for she never seemed to know what to do with her long limbs, which were very much in her way. She had a decided mouth, a comical nose, and sharp, gray eyes, which appeared to see everything, and were by turns fierce, funny, or thoughtful. Her long, thick hair was her one beauty, but it was usually bundled into a net, to be out of her way. Round shoulders had Jo, big hands and feet, a flyaway look to her clothes, and the uncomfortable appearance of a girl who was rapidly shooting up into a woman and didn't like it. Elizabeth, or Beth, as everyone called her, was a rosy, smooth- haired, bright-eyed girl of thirteen, with a shy manner, a timid voice, and a peaceful expression which was seldom disturbed. Her father called her 'Little Miss Tranquility', and the name suited her excellently, for she seemed to live in a happy world of her own, only venturing out to meet the few whom she trusted and loved. Amy, though the youngest, was a most important person, in her own opinion at least. A regular snow maiden, with blue eyes, and yellow hair curling on her shoulders, pale and slender, and always carrying herself like a young lady mindful of her manners. What the characters of the four sisters were we will leave to be found out.
Based on the information that Alcott presents about the four sisters, what is the best conclusion?
A. / Appearances can be deceiving.
B. / The sisters share many more similarities than differences.
C. / Aspects of the girls' personalities are evident in their appearance.
D. / All four sisters are loyal, hardworking, and committed to their family.
Question 7 of 13
IfThe Three Little Pigswere told from each character's viewpoint, which character would tell a much different story?
A. / the first pig who built his house out of straw
B. / the second pig who built his house out of sticks
C. / the third pig who built his house out of bricks
D. / the wolf that tried to huff and puff all the houses down
Question 8 of 13
The average American family moves ten times; a significant fraction of the American population moves eachyear. Families that move frequently do not realize what the effects will be. When families are uprooted, both adults and children must cope with major changes, many of them negative. Moving to a new neighborhood and a new school causes a great deal of anxiety for children. About half of household moves are made after the school year begins, adding to the stress. Statistics show that a large number of children whose families move frequently are more likely to have severe discipline problems and low grades in school; many will eventually drop out of school altogether.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. / American families, especially those with children, need to stop moving around and settle in one place.
B. / When families move frequently, there can be serious negative effects on children.
C. / Moving is less stressful for children if it happens at the beginning of the school year.
D. / Children who are forced to move frequently will eventually drop out of school.
Question 9 of 13
Heavy thunderstorms pounded the southern half of the state for days, dumping up to eight inches of rain. Many of the smaller rivers and streams overflowed, and flash flooding ruined many basements. The levels of the larger rivers also rose, but residents nearby were protected by an elaborate system of levees. As those levees became saturated with water, however, they weakened and gave way. The force of the water that suddenly spilled over the damaged levees washed away homes, farms, and businesses.
How is the paragraph organized?
A. / chronological order
B. / compare and contrast
C. / cause and effect
D. / problem and solution
Question 10 of 13
Which of the following is the best salutation for a cover letter sent with a resume in an application for a job?
A. / Hey there, Mr. Anderson!
B. / What's up, Bob?
C. / Dear Mr. Anderson:
D. / Mr. Anderson,
Question 11 of 13
1. In the mid-1880s, Alexander Graham Bell improved upon Edison's phonograph by substituting wax for tin foil to coat the cylinders. This change improved the durability of the cylinders as well as the quality of the playback sound. Spurred to compete with Bell's graphophone, Edison released the first commercial sound recordings and began early research on magnetic recording.
2. The cassette tape evolved from 1963 to 1983 as a portable way to listen to music in a car or at home. Compact discs (CDs), which were launched in 1982 and use laser beams to produce sound, soon won favor over tapes because of their longer playing times and better sound quality. The most recent trends in playing music use digital technology for the clearest sound in easily portable MP3 players. From Edison's rolls of tin foil to today's tiny jukeboxes, music lovers have enjoyed several decades of recording technologies.
3. A fan of music should also be a fan of Thomas Edison. One of Edison's great inventions was the tin foil phonograph. The great American inventor developed the machine after speculating that he could record a telephone message. Completed in late 1877, the phonograph played cylinders using one needle for recording and one needle for playback. The test message Edison played back ("Mary had a little lamb") proved the validity of his idea and paved the way for capturing and replaying all types of sounds, including music.
4. The discoveries of the late 19th century led to advances in recording technology that trickled down to the modern day. Columbia Records developed the vinyl long-playing (LP), a 12-inch record capable of playing 20 minutes of music per side, in post-war 1948. RCA Victor competed in the following year by introducing a plastic 7-inch record, called a 45 for its rotations per minute. Later it was decided by the recording industry that LPs were to be used for whole albums while 45s were sold for single songs.
The paragraphs in the passage are out of order.Which is the correct order of the paragraphs for the passage?
A. / 2,4,1,3
B. / 3,1,4,2
C. / 1,3,2,4
D. / 4,2,1,3
Question 12 of 13
Lanny was excited to receive his first paycheck, but he noticed it was not as much money as he had thought it would be. He asked his boss why so much money was taken out of his check. His boss explained the government will take out and ______money for social security and other taxes from every check.
Which word correctly completes the sentence?
A. / temporary
B. / withhold
C. / wholly
D. / section
Question 13 of 13
The boy abhorred going to the doctor. He was afraid of shots.
What is the meaning of "abhorred"?
A. / detested
B. / adored
C. / dismayed
D. / detained