3rd Grade Language Proficient Practice Test 8

Name:

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Composing and Writing Process—Drafting and Revising Skills—RIT 201-210
1. The terrifying dog growled menacingly at me as I slowly backed up toward the crumbling building.
Which is another way to write this sentence?

a.	I slowly crumbled toward the menacing building as the slow dog terrified me.	c.	I slowly backed up toward the crumbling building as the terrifying dog growled menacingly at me.
b.	The crumbling dog terrified me slowly as I backed up toward the menacing building.	d.	The terrified dog menaced me slowly as I crumbled toward the growling building.

Which is best way to describe a hurricane destroying beach houses?

a.	The hurricane blew softly across the beach.	c.	The storm flew in and freshened the air around the beach houses.
b.	The hurricane gusts tore the beach houses to pieces.	d.	The hurricane flitted through open windows like a soft melody.

It all started when I left school on the last day of the year. When I got home, the minivan was packed, and mom and dad were waiting for me. We stopped at McDonald’s on our way out of town.
Choose the best title for this passage.

a.	When My Little Brother Was Born	c.	My Summer Trip
b.	The Best Christmas Present Ever	d.	A Great Christmas Break

You are writing a story for young children about their first trip to the dentist.
Which group of words is appropriate for your story?

a.	gum disease, loss of teeth, root canal	c.	friendly dentist, happy teeth, tooth fairy
b.	brush, floss, prevention	d.	expense, anesthesia, pain

Begin by mixing pancake mix and water. _____________ beat the mixture into a smooth batter. Next, heat the griddle. Pour a small amount of the batter onto the heated surface. Flip the pancakes once as they cook. ____________ enjoy your breakfast.
Choose the correctly ordered pair that best completes the paragraph.

a.	Then, First	c.	Later, Next
b.	Finally, First	d.	Then, Finally

You are writing a sports story. You want it to show the excitement of the game. How
would you best describe the events to make them sound exciting?

a.	Slowly, the disappointed home crowd moved out of the stadium and into the parking lot.	c.	With reckless abandon, Jake Lee pounded into the Tiger defense, carrying line backers in to the end zone for the game-winning score.
b.	Bernie Jones ran for seventy-three yards on sixteen carries.	d.	The Bearcat defense intercepted the Pirate quarterback twice.

Unless I study hard, _____________________________________________.
Select the best way to complete the above sentence.

a.	I won’t understand the principles of the math theory.	c.	because the principles of the math theory are hard to understand.
b.	understanding the principles of the math theory.	d.	the principles of the math theory are understanding.

Which sentence is NOT a run-on?

a.	The weather was dreadful it rained all day.	c.	During our afternoon recess, the teacher gave us each a treat.
b.	Before dinner last night, I went to the store and I bought chicken and squash.	d.	The tree grew in our yard I climbed it every day one summer.

Jill tripped and hurt herself.
Which is the best way to rewrite this sentence without changing the meaning?

a.	Jill stumbled on her way through the door and twisted her ankle.	c.	Jill hurt her ankle when Jerry pushed her.
b.	Jill felt sick and left the room.	d.	Jill broke her arm rollerblading.

10.

Which sentence has the best syntax?

a.	The most competitive of the soccer team were the members.	c.	Of the soccer team, the members were the most competitive.
b.	The most competitive members were of the soccer team.	d.	The members of the soccer team were the most competitive.

11.

Composing and Writing Process—Prewriting Skills—RIT 201-210
When would you use formal language in writing?

a.	recipe, thank you note, grocery list	c.	prescription, note card, outlines
b.	informational essay, research paper, business letter	d.	friendly letter, personal narrative, character sketch

12.

You are writing a paragraph about how to make chocolate chip cookies.
What form of writing would you use?

a.	informational essay	c.	narrative paragraph
b.	persuasive paragraph	d.	expository paragraph

13.

You broke a window with a baseball. From whose point of view would you tell about it?

a.	the owner of the house	c.	the neighbor who saw it
b.	your own	d.	your parents

14.

Read the following topics.
Paint brushes             Water colors
Art class                      Charcoal pencils
Pen and ink                 Easels
Which would be the main topic in on outline?

a.	Water colors	c.	Pen and ink
b.	Charcoal pencils	d.	Art class

15.

Composing and Writing Process—Use Editing and Proofreading Processes—RIT 201-210
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

a.	I read “Box Step” in Frederick Barthclure’s short story collection, Moon Deluxe.	c.	Did you read “Elevator Man” in the “New Yorker”?
b.	I read the sports section in the “New York Times”.	d.	Did you see the article Hurricane in Time Magazine?

16.

Which letter closing is punctuated correctly?

a.	Later—	c.	Regrettably.
b.	See ya’ dude!	d.	Truly yours,

17.

Because she volunteered to make cookies Beth had to go to the store to buy ingredients.
After which word should you place a comma?

a.	cookies,	c.	Because,
b.	volunteered,	d.	store

18.

Which address is capitalized correctly?
A. Ms. Sylvia Smith, Chair
O.F.F. Incorporated
933 Livingston AVE.
Twin Falls, ID 82112
B. Mrs. Jenny Lewis, Director
Valley assisted Living
p.o. box 37
Beaver Creek, OR 97016
C. Guido Allende, Prop.
Guido’s Place
2731 west Placer st.
Longview, wa 98625

a.	Ms. Sylvia Smith, Chair O.F.F. Incorporated 933 Livingston AVE. Twin Falls, ID 82112	c.	Guido Allende, Prop. Guido’s Place 2731 west Placer st. Longview, wa 98625
b.	Mrs. Jenny Lewis, Director Valley assisted Living p.o. box 37 Beaver Creek, OR 97016	d.	Johnny West, Supervisor Williams Machinery 97 Ninth St. Detroit, MI 32126

19.

My friend who is a N.Y Yankees fan has tickets to the season’s opening game.
After which word or words should you place a comma?

a.	fan,	c.	friend, fan,
b.	tickets,	d.	who, fan,

20.

Earthquakes can be deadly. The earth shakes, causing buildings to fall, roads to break, and rivers to floods. Many people are killed during an earthquake. The safest place to be during an earthquake is in a doorway. Forecasting an earthquake is difficult.
Which sentence describes the main idea of the paragraph?

a.	Forecasting an earthquake is difficult.	c.	Earthquakes can be deadly.
b.	Buildings fall, roads break, and rivers flood.	d.	A doorway is the safest place to be in an earthquake.

21.

Composition Structure—Use Composition Forms—RIT 201-210
1.May 10, 2003
Wellmark Lightbulb Company
660 Main Street
Moscow, ID 83343
Dear Sir or Madam:
I recently bought a box of your light bulbs and none of them worked. Please refund my money. I have enclosed a receipt for $4.99.

Yours Truly.

Jan Monk
Which line of the letter is written incorrectly?

a.	date line	c.	body
b.	greeting	d.	closure line

22.

Which of the following does a research paper require?

a.	humor	c.	a list of references
b.	a story	d.	examples from personal experience

23.

Which of the following best describes the purpose of poetry?

a.	to list	c.	to create a mood or feeling
b.	to explain how to do something	d.	to define a word

24.

May 2, 2002—Today, we started to study myths.
May 4, 2002—We took a quiz about characters in mythology today.
What type of writing is this?

a.	letter	c.	journal
b.	story	d.	poem

25.

“Sunny today turning to partly cloudy”
In which section of the newspaper would this article most like appear?

a.	weather	c.	community
b.	sports	d.	education

26.

Read the following passage.
We had just begun our hike, when it began to snow. One trail was slick and many of us were wearing sandals, but our crazy teacher insisted that the flakes would stop falling soon and the sun would melt off the drifts that were forming. Later that afternoon, as we climbed back on the bus, our teacher apologized. Too bad many of us had frostbite by then. We will never forget that trip.

To revise the passage, where should you start a new paragraph?

a.	after “ . . . it began to snow.”	c.	after “ . . our teacher apologized.”
b.	after “ . . . drifts that were forming.”	d.	after “ . . . is certain though.”

27.

Which of the following is true when writing paragraphs in an essay?

a.	Essays should be single-spaced.	c.	Paper must contain at least six paragraphs.
b.	Unlined paper must be used.	d.	Each paragraph should be indented.