SPM ENGLISH EXERCISE

(1)Susan and Ned were driving through a wooded empty section of highway. (2)Lightning flashed, thunder roared, the sky went dark in the torrential downpour. (3)"We'd better stop." Said Susan. (4)Ned nodded his head in agreement. (5)When he stepped on the brake, the car started to slide on the slick pavement. (6)They went off the road and slid to a halt at the bottom of an incline.
Where would be the most logical place to add this sentence?
Ned fought to get control of the car but had no luck.

• after sentence 3
• after sentence 4
• after sentence 5
• after sentence 6

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.W.8.3B

(1)Susan and Ned were driving through a wooded empty section of highway. (2)Lightning flashed, thunder roared, the sky went dark in the torrential downpour. (3)"We'd better stop." Said Susan. (4)Ned nodded his head in agreement. (5)When he stepped on the brake, the car started to slide on the slick pavement. (6)They went off the road and slid to a halt at the bottom of an incline.
The word "torrential" located in sentence 2 most likely means

• A rushing stream of liquid
• A heavy snow storm
• A tornado
• A hurricane

Tags

CCSS.L.8.4A

CCSS.L.8.4B

CCSS.RL.8.4

(1)Susan and Ned were driving through a wooded empty section of highway. (2)Lightning flashed, thunder roared, the sky went dark in the torrential downpour. (3)"We'd better stop." Said Susan. (4)Ned nodded his head in agreement. (5)When he stepped on the brake, the car started to slide on the slick pavement. (6)They went off the road and slid to a halt at the bottom of an incline.
Which sentence would make the best supporting detail for sentence 2?

• The two friends had never seen such a terrible storm.
• Luckily Ned had his cell phone so he could call for help.
• Both Susan and Ned were too shaken to get out of the car.
• The two friends noticed nobody else was out driving.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

When Tarantulas Attack part 1
(1)It's midnight. (2)A tarantula creeps across the ground. (3)It sees a mouse. (4)It gets ready to pounce. (5)Death is on the way.
(6)Sound scary? (7)Don't worry. (8)Tarantulas aren't likely to hurt you. (9)But they might surprise you.
(10)Read on for some creepy and gross - and really cool - facts about - facts about these creatures.
How would you best combine sentences 8 and 9?

• Tarantulas aren't likely to hurt you but they might surprise you.
• Tarantulas aren't likely to hurt you, but they might surprise you.
• Tarantulas aren't likely to hurt you and they might surprise you.
• Tarantulas aren't likely to hurt you, and they might surprise you.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.2A

CCSS.W.8.1C

CCSS.W.8.4

When Tarantulas Attack part 2
(1)Tarantulas hide out and sleep in dark holes or burrows during the day. (2)At night, they hunt. (3)Many can eat animals bigger than themselves. 
(4)Unlike other spiders, tarantulas don't spin webs to catch food. (5)Instead, they sneak up and pounce on their prey. (6)The tarantula grabs the prey with its long, hairy legs. (7)Biting down with its fangs, it kills with a squirt of deadly venom. (8)The spider also injects juices that turn the victim's flesh into liquid. (9)Finally, the tarantula sucks up its meal through an opening in its mouth that looks like a straw.  
Where is the most effective placement for the following sentence?
You will rarely see a tarantula during day light hours.

• Before sentence 1
• Before sentence 4
• Before sentence 7
• Before sentence 9

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.5

When Tarantulas Attack part 3
(1)"Not all tarantulas are large," says Louis Sorkin, a scientist at the American Museum of Natural History who studies spiders. (2)Tarantulas come in many sizes. (3)My cousin has a pet spider, but his mom does not like it. (4)The smallest is about an inch across. (5)The largest is the goliath bird-eating tarantula. (6)It's the size of a dinner plate and has fangs as long as paper clips!
(7)There are 900 species of tarantula. (8)The Chilean rose tarantula has pink or orange hairs and is a common pet. (9)Another brightly colored tarantula has a long name, but many scientists just call it the "orange bitey thing."
Which sentence shifts focus by adding an irrelevant detail?

• sentence 2
• sentence 3
• sentence 4
• sentence 5

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.8

When Tarantulas Attack part 4
(1)Tarantula venom isn't strong enough to harm people. (2)But that doesn't mean there's nothing to fear.
(3)In England, a man was cleaning his pet tarantulas tank. (4) Suddenly, the spider kicked tiny hairs at his face. 
(5)The man's eyes burned and turned bright red. (6)The hairs were so tiny; doctors could not pull them out. (7)They gave the man medicine to flush the hairs out. (8)A year later, his eyes were much better, but he still had to use eyedrops every day.
(9)Some tarantulas pull this hairy trick when they feel threatened, explains Sorking. (10)The spiers scrape hairs from their bellies. (11)Then fling the hairs into an attacker's face. (12)Chemicals on the hairs cause itchy skin, breathing trouble, and burning eyes.
(13)"The animal will remember how bad it was and not attack a tarantula again," Sorkin says.
What is the correct way to edit sentence 3?

• In England, a man was cleaning his pet tarantulas tank.
• In England, a man was cleaning his pete tarantulas' tank.
• In England, a man was cleaning his pet tarantulas, tank.
• In England, a man was cleaning his pet tarantula's tank.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.2C

When writing an essay or composition, what is the minimum number of paragraphs you should write?

• 1
• 3
• 5
• 7

The evidence used to support your reason can come from

• a book you have read

• a movie you have seen

• A sports figure you know a lot about

• All of the above

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.W.6.1A

CCSS.W.6.1B

The information used in your body paragraphs is called

• a hook

• supporting details

• life lessons

• reasons

Tags

CCSS.W.6.1B

CCSS.W.6.2B