Unit 8 Review (ELA)

In Passage 1, how does the boys' discovery of the sealskin advance the plot?

• It causes the boys to distrust their father

• It leads to the mother being reunited with her suit

• It transforms the boys into selkies

• It allows the father to capture and keep the selkie

Answer explanation

The selkie lives on land for several years, but she is part human and part seal.

Read this sentence from paragraph 3 of Passage 1.

“Its voice was like a magnet, always calling her, and she longed to respond.”

How does the simile like a magnet add meaning to the text?

• It shows that the selkie heard voices in her head.

• It shows that the sea wanted to punish the selkie for leaving.

• It shows that selkie wanted to sing with the sea.

• It shows that the sea had great power over the selkie.

Read this sentence from paragraph 5 of Passage 1.

“One day, they guided her to a place beyond the barn where a suit of dark gray sealskin had lain hidden like a forbidden treasure for many years.”

What does the simile like a forbidden treasure suggest about the suit in this sentence?

• It is dirty and worn from the effects of the weather.

• The fisherman had buried the suit behind the barn.

• It had great value but was supposed to stay hidden.

• It is the skin of a seal and must be returned to the sea.

Which of the following best describes the boys’ perspective in Passage 1?

• They wanted their mother to return to the sea.

• They did not think the woman was their mother.

• They never grew to love their new mother.

• They were lonely and did not like living next to the sea.

Read this sentence from Passage 1

“Instantly, she was transformed into a selkie, a creature half human and half seal.”

What is the meaning of transformed as it is used in this sentence?

• delivered

• changed

• plunged

• guided

Part A: Based on the information in Passage 2, with which of the following claims would the Expert most likely agree?

• Orkney Island folk tales were copied from those of other cultures.

• Stories that are sung aloud are more magical than those that are written down.

• People in the Orkney Islands were closely connected to the sea.

• Stories about selkies are based on true reports of seals with human heads.

Part B: Which sentence from the passage best supports the claim in Part A?

• “Many fishermen went out in boats every day from their small island homes.” (paragraph 11)

• “Although some days are sunny, the weather is often misty, cloudy, and foggy.” (paragraph 13)

• “Oh, no, the Greeks, Egyptians, and many others did the same.” (paragraph 15)

• “So, long ago, people in the Orkney Islands probably gathered together around a fire and sang and told stories.” (paragraph 17)

In Passage 2, what does the word traditionally mean as it is used in paragraph 11?

• for good reasons

• in a clever way

• with great care or skill

• by custom or habit

Which two details could be included in a summary explaining why people created stories about selkies? Select two answers.

• Some fishermen got lonely and wanted to see other humans.

• Sailors from other lands shared stories about half-human creatures.

• Sometimes seals in the water looked like humans.

• Some fathers needed help taking care of their children.

• No one in the Orkney Islands has scientific knowledge.