Test - LEAP 2025 ELA Grade 8 Chapter Unit Test 3

1 pt

Deanna has written a story for the literary art magazine. Her teacher suggested she add relevant descriptive details and sensory language to better capture the action of the story. Read the story and the directions that follow.

I turned the key in the ignition and started the tractor. Dad sat behind me, telling me what to do. This was the first time I would drive the tractor myself. I was nervous; my heart beat like the fluttering of bird’s wings against a steel cage. "Now, put it into gear and slowly let off the brake," my father yelled over the loud rattling of the old engine. I did as I was told. The large tractor moved forward, bouncing and bumping over the ground like a rickety carnival ride. We came to the gates that opened up to the large pasture where we kept our horses. The long grass swayed in the wind like waves on the surface of an ocean. "All right, now," Dad said, "you have to get off the tractor and open up the gates." I knew this was the hardest part of this job: trying to keep the horses from running through the gates while I opened them and drove the tractor through. I could see Equinox, a horse my dad had bought. He was standing close to the gate. I worried he’d get out when I opened the gate. Equinox made angry horse sounds when he saw me coming. I looked back at my father uncertainly. "Throw a couple rocks his way," he said matter-of-factly. "He’ll move." I picked up a handful of rocks and tossed them lightly. I didn’t want to hurt the creature, but scare it. Before the rocks reached him, Equinox ran like lightning through the open gate over a softly rolling hill and disappeared.

Which of the following examples provides the strongest option to strengthen the narrative strategies in the underlined text by inserting descriptive details and sensory language?

I could see Equinox, the horse my dad had purchased with five hundred crisp green dollar bills. He stood close to the freshly painted white gate with three rusted hinges on the side. Equinox snorted like an angry horse when he saw me approach over the bright, long, green grass.

I could see the black horse Equinox my dad had bought. He was unlike any other horse. He stood in close proximity to the gate. I was afraid he would escape like a convict. He snorted.

I could scrutinize Equinox, the equestrian creature my father had acquired through a monetary exchange, standing behind the wooden enclosure around the field. I fretted that he would flee. Equinox expressed a displeased disposition.

I could see Equinox, the proud black stallion my dad had just bought, waiting near the gate— too close. Equinox whinnied and tossed his head about like a wild beast ready to charge.

1 pt

Cory is writing an argumentative essay about school recess for his English assignment. Read the paragraph and the question that follows.

Middle school students should have at least sixty minutes of outside physical exercise each and every day. Many students have trouble staying focused and alert in class, especially after lunch. Getting fresh air and getting the heart pumping would help reinvigorate students and give them a much-needed boost. Exercise also provides benefits to the body and mind, which can aid them in the classroom. Students need all the physical activity they can get, particularly when so many will develop health problems from lack of exercise.

Which detail would be the most important evidence to include in the essay?

Increased oxygen in the brain from exercise improves thinking and problem solving.

Many schools have eliminated recess to focus on improving test scores.

Some students prefer to sit and socialize during recess instead of moving around.

Middle school students are not too old to play kickball or basketball during recess.

1 pt

Leah is writing an informational essay about Rosa Parks for her history class. Read a paragraph from her draft and answer the question that follows.

Rosa Parks is famous for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. On December 1, 1955, Rosa, the daughter of a carpenter and a teacher, was riding on a bus. The driver demanded that she get up and move so a white man could sit in her seat, which was five rows from the front. She refused and was arrested, which led to the Montgomery bus boycott. This was one of the largest and most successful mass movements against racial segregation in history. It launched Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the organizers of the boycott, to the forefront of the civil rights movement. Rosa made an important step for civil rights around the world.

Which two details are unnecessary and should be removed from the paragraph?

"which led to the Montgomery bus boycott" and "one of the organizers of the boycott"

"On December 1, 1955" and "to the forefront of the civil rights movement"

"to a white man" and "for civil rights around the world"

"the daughter of a carpenter and a teacher" and "which was five rows from the front"

How to Sink a Free Throw Every Time

1 A basketball free throw is just what it sounds like: an opportunity to toss the ball through the hoop while you are free from other players trying to distract you. When making a free throw, you stand at the free throw line (fifteen feet from the basket), with no other players defending you, and take a shot. It should be easy to make every free throw, but many players miss because they don’t practice the essential elements of free throw shooting.

2 The first thing you want to do is relax. As you practice your shot, set your feet shoulder-width apart with your shooting foot slightly forward of the other foot. In other words, if you shoot with your right hand, put your right foot slightly forward. Then, you should look at the hoop to let your eyes register the distance. This lets your brain know where you want the ball to go.

3 After you bounce the ball a few times to relax your shooting muscles, hold the ball gently but with confidence. Make sure your shooting hand is directly under the ball and your elbow is pointing down at your knee. Then, look again at the hoop, take a deep relaxing breath, bend your knees, and take your shot. After you release the ball, remember to follow through with your fingers pointing toward the hoop, and watch the ball "swish" through the net.

4 Finally, repeat these steps to establish a routine that works for you, and practice it regularly. Stand in the same place on the free throw line. Bounce the ball the same number of times. Take your breath at the same time. Keep your routine the same. In this way, every time you step up to the free throw line, you don’t have to think. Your body goes on automatic pilot, and you sink the free throw every time.

1 pt

9A.

What organization does this essay use?

cause and effect

problem and solution

step-by-step order

comparison and contrast

1 pt

9B.

Which of these statements would be best to add to the introduction?

The sure-fire way to sink a free throw every time is to practice using the steps outlined here.

Getting distracted can cause even the best players to miss when they get a chance at free throws.

Free throws are the easiest shots in the game, so just take it easy, and let your practice pay off.

Missing a free throw can be an unpleasant and disappointing moment for a player and the entire team.

LEAP 2025 ELA Grade 8 Chapter Unit Test 3

LEAP 2025 ELA Grade 8 Chapter Unit Test 3 Sample