Mrs. A's Test Vocabulary, Reading, Revising, Editing

If you don't curtail your spending, you'll be broke in no time at all! Which word is a synonym of "curtail"?

• reduce

• follow

• buy

• behind

Fortunately, the dizzy spell was transient. He was able to continue playing within seconds and had no trouble winning the match. When you describe an event as “transient', you are saying that __________.

• it doesn't last long

• it sounds like a train

• it is quite harmful

• it helps you win

Brea and Elizabeth are having a dispute over which radio station to play at work. It would be so much simpler if they both liked the same kind of music. A dispute is a __________.

• musical instrument

• choice of music

• discovery

• disagreement

No matter what happens, I assure you that I will not forget how hard you have worked on this project.

• dare

• promise

• pretend

• forget

Speaking rudely to the judges was rash behavior. You really hurt your chances of winning! In the above context, what does “rash” mean?

• funny

• an itchy skin condition

• with little thought or consideration

• trying to hide or disguise

Emilio took the cap off his head, dropped the baseball bat, and rested his elbows on the fence. It wasn't that he couldn't find the ball. It was sitting right in the middle of the lawn, just beyond the fence. The fence was not very high either. Emilio could probably get a running start, grab the top of the fence, and flip right over it. But there was a dog, a large Rottweiler with a spiked collar. He sat under an awning a few feet away from the ball. He looked at Emilio and let out a menacing growl. Archie, Scotty, and Dutch ran up to Emilio and surveyed the situation. Archie was the first to speak, "So, are you going to do it, Emilio?"

What were the boys doing right before the text begins?

• The boys were playing football.

• The boys were arguing.

• The boys were playing baseball.

• The boys were swimming.

"Nico!" Erin shouted at the top of her lungs as she bounded through the meadow, "Come back, Nico!" She was nearly out of breath but she kept running through the tall grass. "Nico, come on, boy! It's time to go home!" Erin continued shouting, her voice hoarse from shouting similar expressions all day. Then she stumbled over the leash that she was carrying, "Whoa… Come on Nico!" Erin shouted, regaining her balance.

Why has Erin been "shouting similar expressions all day"?

• Nico is controllable.

• Nico is disobedient.

• Nico is polite.

• Nico is manageable.

Screech! Karen stomped on the gas pedal the moment the light turned green. She looked over her left shoulder and zigged past a semi-truck. She zoomed ahead and looked over her right shoulder and then zagged past a motorbike. She glanced at the clock on the console and darted into the parking lot. Whipping into a parking spot, she grabbed her suitcase and ran through the lot, up the escalator, and into the terminal. Her heavy suitcase was bumping and bouncing the whole way. Just as she entered the terminal, she heard an announcement over the loudspeaker, "Final boarding call for flight 205 to JFK..." Karen looked at her ticket and then at the line to get through the security checkpoint, which wrapped around several turnstiles and slithered like a lethargic snake. Karen sighed and then slowly walked to the customer service desk.

Why does she start walking slowly at the end of the passage?

• Karen is sick.

• Karen is in a hurry because she is trying to catch her flight.

• Karen forgot her ticket at home.

• Karen realizes she will not make her flight.

Miya came out of the bathroom with tears in her eyes. She ran down to the cafeteria and asked the staff if they had any rice. Fortunately for Miya, Ms. Lucille did. Ms. Lucille filled a red plastic cup about half way with white rice grains and handed it to Miya. Miya pulled a damp phone from out of her back pocket and pushed it into the dry rice grains inside of the plastic cup. She sincerely thanked Ms. Lucille and then went back to class. She felt relieved, but she was still a little worried.

Why is Miya upset at the beginning of the passage?

• Miya is late for work.

• Miya has gotten her phone wet.

• Miya did not eat breakfast.

• Miya dropped and cracked her phone.

Tony walked out of the shopping mall with his arms full of bags and the sun shining on him. As he approached his car, he started awkwardly feeling around his pockets with his arm full of bags. He did not find what he was looking for so he transferred the bags on one arm to the other arm, which already had bags. Tony had a lot of bags on one arm. He still couldn't find what he was looking for. Now he dropped the bags and plunged both hands desperately into all of the pockets on his jeans. With a look of despair, Tony ran to his car. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. Then he saw something on the passenger seat of the car. He stopped looking and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

Why is Tony getting on the phone?

• Tony forgot to purchase an item on his list.

• Tony realizes he locked his keys in the car.

• Tony is going to call a locksmith.

• Tony left a purchased item in the store.