Passage #1: Questions 1-9

A Bunch of Maybes
by John Samony

1 Band practice had just ended. Jimmy and Ben started packing up
their instruments. Before Kevin could put his trumpet into the case, he
tripped over a music stand. It fell and hit his trumpet right on its bell.

2 Clang.

3 “Oh no!” Kevin yelled.

4 Jimmy picked up the trumpet and inspected it before handing it

to Kevin. “Well, it already has a lot of dents. One more won’t matter.”

5 Ben agreed. “Yeah, don’t worry about it. It’s not like it’s a new
trumpet.”

6 “I know. But it’s my grandpa’s,” Kevin said. “And he’s coming

over this weekend.”

7 “So?” Jimmy said.

8 “So he’s going to ask me to play for him. He always does.”

9 “Maybe he won’t notice the dent,” Jimmy said with a shrug.

10 “Maybe he won’t care,” Ben added.

11 But what if Grandpa did see the dent? How was he going to
react?

12 And how was Kevin going to tell him about it?

13 A bunch of “maybes” were all Kevin could think about on the bus
home.

14 Maybe he could pretend he felt sick.

15 Nah, he didn’t like lying.

16 Maybe he could get his baby brother, Jace, to take all of

Grandpa’s attention.

17 Or maybe Grandpa wouldn’t ask him to play this time.

18 When Saturday finally arrived, Kevin still hadn’t figured out what
he was going to do.

19 “Hey, Kev. How’re things?” Grandpa asked as he walked in.

20 “Good.” Kevin could have told him right then, but he froze.

21 After dinner, Grandpa said, “How about some music, Kevin?”

22 “Um . . .” Kevin looked around for Jace, but Mom was giving him
a bath. So Kevin took out the trumpet. He played a few classics—“Ode
to Joy,” “Yankee Doodle,” “Oh, Susanna.”

23 Grandpa said, “I think you’re better than I was at your age.”

24 Any other time, Grandpa’s praise would have made Kevin feel
great. But not this time. “I’m sorry about the dent,” he blurted.

25 He explained what had happened.

26 Then Grandpa did something that surprised Kevin. He smiled and

said, “Instruments become part of you when you play them a lot. You
can’t always protect them. The important thing is that you told me.”

27 “You’re not mad?” Kevin asked.

28 Grandpa pointed to a dent opposite the one Kevin had made.

“This is from an accidental bump by a trombone.” Next, he pointed to
some scratches. “Got these when I tripped over it onstage one night.”

29 “So I’m not the only clumsy one in the family?” Kevin said.

30 Grandpa laughed. “Every ding, dent, and scratch can tell a tale,”
he said. “If you stick with it, someday you’ll have a trumpet etched
with your own stories.”

31 “Thanks, Grandpa.”

32 Grandpa handed the trumpet back to Kevin. “Now tell me a story

with music.”

33 Kevin lifted the trumpet and filled the room with happy noise.
Copyright © 2017, Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio.
Passage #2: Questions 10-17
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Fridge Art

It stands in the kitchen,

papers covering all sides:

the big shiny fridge,

a collection of pride.

5 But where is my name?

I am a missing link.

Did I hide behind milk

or disappear down the sink?

 I see my brother’s art poster

10 that won him first place,

a bright gold star on top

with a big smiley face.

Then I move to the photo

on the upper right side:

15 my aunt’s baby waving,

his cute smile wide.

And there to the left,

what’s that I see?

Sister’s blue tennis ribbon,

20 winking at me.

There’s also a piece

almost too high to see:

Dad’s tomato-red stained

pasta sauce recipe.

25 And Mom’s directions

“How to Change Your Car’s Tire”

 in her neat cursive script

pressed deep like dark wire.

I frown at the window,

30 then catch sight with a thrill

of the vase full of roses

sitting there on the sill.

That’s when I remember,

my eyes growing wide,

35 the changes and stages

of the rose-bush outside:

How mom and dad raised it,

gave it fencing to climb,

fed it water and love,

40 gave it comfort—and time.

How the seedlings sat quiet,

keeping hidden from sight

their own buried treasure,

’til the moment was right.

45 And then, ready at last

for their time in the light,

the buds opened to show

their petals strong and bright.

I find an empty space—

50 now I’m ready, too.

I pick up a pencil,

my fridge art in view.

I draw as it gently

takes shape in my mind:

55 a bright bloom in a garden

for my family to find.

Passage #3: Questions 18-26
Read the next two selections. Then choose the best answer to each question.

Rewards for Recycling

1 Many people try to recycle as much as they can. Still, lots of
plastic, glass, and other recyclable materials end up in the trash. This
means they go to a landfill instead of being used again. City
lawmakers need to do more to make sure people recycle. The best
way to do that is to reward people for recycling.

2 Recycling can be confusing. In some places, plastic, paper, glass,

and metal can all go in the same bin. In other places, each material
must go in its own bin. Many cities and neighborhoods have their own
ways of collecting recycling. In one poll, most people who do not
recycle said it is too difficult where they live.

3 Rewarding people would give them a reason to make the effort

to recycle. Most people know that recycling is good for the planet. But
it can be hard to understand how recycling is helpful. The bottles and
cans just seem to disappear. A reward gives people a personal benefit.

4 People already get rewarded for recycling in some areas. Some

U.S. states let people return empty containers in exchange for money.
People bring in their bottles and cans for counting. Each item earns
them five to fifteen cents. People in these states tend to recycle more
than those in other states.
5 Cities can give rewards like this to get people to recycle more.
One city in Brazil lets citizens trade recyclable items for food. Another
idea is to weigh each family’s recycling. Then the city can lower their
trash bill based on the weight.

6 People should recycle because it is the right thing to do. But the
truth is, that does not always happen. Local lawmakers should make
recycling more fun for everyone by offering rewards. That way, they
can help their people and the planet at the same time.

Laws for Less Trash

1 We know our city needs to recycle more. A law about recycling
can help us do that. Then, recycling will become a regular part of life.

2 San Francisco, California, has been successful at getting people

to recycle. A law there says that people must sort out recyclables from
trash. Each home has a blue recycling bin and a black trash bin.
People can choose to have a smaller black bin so they will fill it with
less trash. San Francisco sends a lot less of its waste to landfills than
most other places in the United States. A law like this could help
increase recycling in our city.
3 Another option is to reward people to improve recycling. This is a
bad idea. Already, about one of every four items put in a recycling bin
is trash that cannot be recycled. Rewards would make this problem
worse. People would just want to fill the bin. The recycling company
might be unable to sort out the trash. Then, all the items would have
to go into a landfill. People would get rewards for recycling even
though their items were not truly recycled. This would be like throwing
away our city’s money.

4 People need clear messages about how to recycle. This is true

based on a study from 2015. Researchers found that repeated
reminders were better than rewards at getting people to recycle more.
Such reminders can share other ways to make less trash. People
should buy sturdy objects to reuse for a long time. That way, fewer
disposable objects will be made in the first place.

5 Our city could make less trash than anywhere in the whole
world. But we do not need rewards to do it. We just need laws and
reminders about recycling correctly.
Passage #4: Questions 27-30

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Daisy wrote this paper to argue that people should not bring their dogs
into restaurants. Read the first draft of Daisy’s paper and look for
revisions she needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.

Restaurants Are Not for Dogs

(1) My family has two dogs. (2) Their names are Lucy and Rocket.
(3) We take them almost everywhere we go. (4) Yet there is one place
that we do not take our dogs. (5) They never to restaurants go with
us. (6) We don’t even take them to restaurants that offer outdoor
seating for people and their pets. (7) Dogs do not belong in
restaurants.

(8) First of all, some people are allergic to dogs. (9) On a windy day, a
dog’s loose fur can blow all over the place. (10) A restaurant customer
who suffers from dog allergies might have a reaction from being close
to the dog fur.

(11) Secondly, dogs can have bad days just like humans do. (12) A
dog may not want to be around strangers. (13) It might be hungry or
tired. (14) It might feel nervous. (15) A restaurant customer or
employee could try to pet your dog. (16) What if your dog growls at
this person?

(17) Finally, dogs need a lot of care and attention. (18) People should
be able to relax, and people should be able to enjoy a meal. (19) They
shouldn’t have to pay attention to a pup. (20) The pup might want to
go for a walk or need food and water. (21) If a dog is feeling sick or
restless, its owner might even have to leave the restaurant early.

(22) Some dog owners are nervous about leaving their pets at home.
(23) Others say that dogs add to the fun of a meal at a restaurant.
(24) But most dogs would probably rather be at home for a while.
(25) They are a little like people in that way. (26) They sometimes
just need a chance to be alone and rest.

(27) Are you going out to dinner soon? (28) You should leave them at
home. (29) They are safe and content there. (30) Restaurants are for
people, not for dogs.
Passage #5: Questions 31-34
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Chan Ming wrote this paper about a man who left the United States to
teach school in Finland. Read Chan Ming’s paper and look for revisions
he needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.

Recess in Finland
(1) Timothy Walker thought teaching school in Finland would be about
the same as teaching school in the United States. (2) Kids would sit
still and listen. (3) They would take a midday break, but they would
not take many others. (4) Mr. Walker thought that would be a waste
of time. (5) But he soon discovered something new. (6) Mr. Walker
learned how important recess actually is.

(7) In Finland, kids are used to getting lots of breaks during the day.
(8) They spend 15 minutes of every hour at recess! (9) At first, Mr.
Walker thought the kids would learn more if they stayed inside. (10)
He decided to teach his students for an hour and a half at a time. (11)
Then they could have recess for 30 minutes. (12) By the third day of
school, his students were complaining.

(13) Then Mr. Walker tried something different. (14) He started

teaching in the classroom for 45 minutes. (15) After that he would let
his students go outside for 15 minutes. (16) When recess was over,
they’d come back to the classroom for another 45 minutes. (17) He
wondered if his new plan would work. (18) Could kids really learn well
on this kind of schedule?

(19) Mr. Walker was surprised by what happened. (20) When his
students had more time to play, they were more focused in the
classroom. (21) They had been having trouble, and it was in the past
for some of the kids in paying attention. (22) More recess fixed that
problem.

(23) And guess who else took a break during recess? (24) The
teachers did! (25) Then everyone came back to the classroom ready
to teach and for learning.

(26) Mr. Walker learned something from his students in Finland. (27)
He now agrees that playtime at school is important. (28) Getting
away from stuff is good for students. (29) It helps them pay closer
attention when they come back to the classroom. (30) Mr. Walker
says that he has learned something from teaching in Finland. (31)
Kids need recess just as much as they need time in the classroom.
Passage #6: Questions 35-38
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

This paragraph is from Ann’s paper about classroom jobs. Read the
paragraph and look for corrections Ann needs to make. Then answer
the questions that follow.

Classroom Jobs
(1) Classroom jobs give students a fun and easy way to be helpful.
(2) Doing chores such as erasing the board or collecting papers saved
everyone time. (3) They make students feel as if they are part for a
team. (4) Classroom jobs also teach students about responsibility.
5Some Teachers think these jobs are easy. (6) They may be happy to
do everything themselves. (7) However, classroom helpers can do a
lot if they know what is expected. (8) They can help keep the
classroom organized and neatly on busy school days. (9) All children
in school should certainly have classroom jobs!
Passage #7: Questions 39-42
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Fallyn is writing a story about a girl who is learning a new skill. Read
these paragraphs from the body of Fallyn’s paper and look for
corrections she needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.

Learning to Ice Skate

(1) Callie was embarrassed. (2) Everyone else in Mrs. Johnson’s class
knew how to ice skate, but Callie had never learned. (3) “Can I give
you some tips?” her friends Emily asked with a sweet smile.

(4) Callie nodded, so Emily showed her how to shift her weight to keep
from falling. (5) Then Emily taught Callie how to glide. (6) Callie
slowly tried moving forward on her skates. (7) She wobled at first and
then began gliding just like Emily. (8) Suddenly Callie felt a big grin
stretching in her face. (9) She was finally ice skating all by herself?