Help Students Master High-Stakes Tests

Vocabulary Workshop® Test Prep, Grades 6–8

Level A Level B Level C

Help Students Master High-Stakes Tests

VOCABULARY WORKSHOP TEST PREPFOR STANDARDIZED EXAMS

This Vocabulary Workshop Test Prep booklet provides practice with Vocabulary Workshop words in standardized exam formats.

WHAT’S INSIDE Vocabulary Workshop Test Prep

• 10 Test Preps (10 items each) provide practice answering text-based questions in formats like those in the reading sections in standards-aligned exams (including evidence-based questions). The questions focus on comprehension and vocabulary-in-context skills and are based on passages like those that appear in these exams.

• 2 Cumulative Test Preps (10 items each) mirror standards-aligned exams by presenting two passages related in topic or theme, together with questions designed to assess critical reading skills by having you compare the passages.

Vocabulary Questions on the Exams: Vocabulary questions test vocabulary in context. After reading a passage, you must determine the meaning of words from the passage based on the context in which they were used. Often, these words have multiple meanings, and you will need to use context to determine which meaning is the most suitable one.

A Note About the Texts in Vocabulary Workshop Test Prep: All passages are excerpted from previously published texts and adapted to include words from the corresponding Vocabulary Workshop units and to bring the texts into conformity with grade-level content. Every effort was made to maintain the authors’ original material and intent. All classic text used in the exams is believed to be in the public domain.

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SAT is a trademark registered and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product. ACT is a registered trademark of ACT.

FEATURES

Here is an overview of the reading sections of standards-aligned exams:

• All of the questions are based on reading passages.

• Some questions require you to demonstrate a command of evidence by asking you to cite evidence that supports your answer.

• All vocabulary questions test vocabulary in context.

TIPS FOR TAKING THE EXAMS1. Remember that an exam is not the same as your normal schoolwork

or homework. There are time limits, so you have to pace yourself.

• Be mindful of how much time you are spending on each question.

• If you get stuck on a question, move on, and then come back to it if you have time at the end of the section.

2. Use context clues. The passages contain information that may help you answer the questions.

3. Use a variety of strategies to answer multiple-choice questions.

• Have an answer in mind before you look at the answer choices. If you have an idea of the answer before you examine the choices, you can avoid getting tricked by a choice, and you will know what to look for.

• Use the process of elimination. Look for the wrong answers first. If you can eliminate even one answer choice, you have increased your chances of choosing the correct answer.

• Guess. Never leave a question unanswered, even if you are unsure about the correct answer. If you guess, you have a one-in-four chance of choosing the correct answer.

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Level A

J E R O M E S H O S T A K

Test Prep for Standardized Exams

8606-3_TPBA_00001 1 6/13/17 8:54 AM

Level A

Test Prep 1 Units 1–3 1










Cumulative Test Prep 1 21


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Copyright © 2018 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.

This publication, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced in any form, or by any means, including electronic, photographic, or mechanical, or by any sound recording system, or by any device for retrieval of information, without the written permission of the publisher. Address inquiries to Permissions Department, William H. Sadlier, Inc., 9 Pine Street, New York, NY 10005-4700.

and Vocabulary Workshop® are registered trademarks of William H. Sadlier, Inc.

Printed in the United States of America. ISBN: 978-1-4217-8606-3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HESS 21 20 19 18 17

8606-3_TPBA_00002 2 6/13/17 8:54 AM

Level A

Name Date Class Score

TEST PREP 1 UNITS 1–3page 1

On that morning which we have described, the sun had risen recently from his dark couch and called birds and flowers to spring up to salute him. A sullen laborer crossed the plaza, guiding his oxen as he carried on his back implements of husbandry: a yoke, leather straps for work, and the provisions of the day. Fastened to his belt was the traditional “chuspa,” or bag of woven wool of various colors, which contained cakes of “llipta” for his lunch. As he looked out at the interminable work ahead of him, it was transparent to all of his fellow workers that something bothered him deeply.

The laborer was almost lost to sight in the distance when the figure of a woman appeared on the South side of the plaza. She was a young yet poised Indian woman of not more than thirty years of age, with fine features and a rosy face. Shaking off some mud from her dress, she directed her steps to a modest-looking white cottage not far away.

When the door opened, she was met by a lady neatly dressed in gray with lace trimmings and mother-of-pearl buttons. She was a fair and upright woman and her name was Señora Lucia. The newcomer addressed Lucia quickly without ceremony. She said, “Señora, I ask for your aid. Protect this day an unfortunate family. He who has gone to the fields today passing by you here is Juan Yupanqui. He is my husband and the father of our two little girls. Alas, Señora! He has gone out with his heart broken, because he knows that today will be the day of review. The overseer who directs the barley sowing will find that he has not produced enough. Juan will lose his job and we already have no money. Without Juan’s knowing, I came to implore your assistance for the sake of my family, Señora.”

The woman’s expression changed as a flood of tears began to flow from her eyes. This was a mystery to Lucia. Having lived only a few months in this place, she was unaware of its customs. She could not understand the poor woman’s concerns, although her emotion animated Lucia.

It is necessary to listen to the stories of these unfortunate people, she thought. She admired their expressive language and the narrative of their actual circumstances. The words of the Indian woman excited the interest of the sympathetic Lucia. She asked kindly, “And who are you?”

“I am Marcela, my lady, the wife of Juan Yupanqui, poor and unprotected,” replied the woman, drying her eyes upon the sleeve of her dress. Lucia, putting her hand kindly upon her shoulder, invited her to take a seat upon a stone bench in the garden and rest herself. “Sit down, Marcela; dry those tears that throw a cloud over the sky of your eyes, and let us talk calmly,” she said.

Marcela calmed her grief and said, “As you are not of this place, Señora, you do not know what we suffer from the overseers. Alas! May we ever leave this place and move on to a better life?”

“Why do you despair so, poor Marcela? There will be some remedy. I will offer you aid without any need for recompense.”

“Yes, Señora,” replied Marcela. “You have the face of the good woman, and that is why I came to ask your help. If I do nothing, what is about to happen will culminate in the destruction of the company and my family. I wish to save my husband. He said to me when he went away: ‘One of these days I shall march into the offices with all the other indignant workers. We will show that we will not stand for this treatment.’ And I feel that the uprising is beginning to germinate! And you know, Señora, that this is not right.”

“He wishes to rebel! It is a wrong thought. What a crazy idea! Poor Juan,” said Lucia sadly. Then glancing at Marcela, she continued, “And what is the most urgent need today? Speak freely.”

From Birds Without a Nest by Clorinda Matto de Turner—Public Domain

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DIRECTIONS: Read this excerpt from Birds Without a Nest, which contains words in boldface that appear in Units 1–3. Then answer the questions.

The Yupanqui Family

VOCABULARY WORKSHOP, Level B 1

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TEST PREP 1, page 2

1. What is the meaning of terrain as it is used in paragraph 1?A) atmosphereB) farmC) geologyD) physical environment

2. In paragraph 2, what point does the author make about Heidi?A) She is unwell.B) She is overdressed. C) She is the heroine of the story.D) She is unhappy.

3. Which sentence from the excerpt supports the answer to the previous question?A) “One was a tall, strong-looking girl, and

the other was a child whom she was leading by the hand.”

B) “This child’s cheeks were so glowing with heat that you could see their crimson blush even through the dark, sunburnt skin of her face.”

C) “And this was hardly to be wondered at, for in spite of the hot June sun the child was wearing thick winter apparel.”

D) “With her small feet shod in thick, nailed mountain-shoes, this odd little figure slowly and laboriously plodded her way up in the hot sunshine.”

4. Depict comes from the Latin word depingere. Depingere most likely meansA) to picture or portrayB) to criticize or judgeC) to interpret or defineD) to caricature or satirize

5. What does adverse most likely mean as it is used in paragraph 13?A) indifferentB) negativeC) helpfulD) unexpected

6. Which of these best describes the relationship between Dete and Heidi?A) Dete is Heidi’s guardian.B) Dete is Heidi’s elder sister.C) Dete and Heidi do not get on well.D) Dete is Heidi’s aunt.

7. Which of these describes a problem Dete faces?A) She cannot afford to look after Heidi.B) She is not Heidi’s mother.C) She is in danger of missing a job opportunity. D) Heidi’s grandfather does not trust her.

8. Which of these inferences is best supported by paragraphs 10–14?A) Barbel always sees the worst in people.B) Dete loves Heidi.C) Heidi is an orphan. D) Heidi’s grandfather will take care of Heidi.

9. Which sentence from the text supports your answer to the previous question?A) “‘I suppose she must be your sister’s

daughter?’” (paragraph 10)B) “‘He’s very eccentric, and he’s

completely antisocial.’” (paragraph 12)C) “The words that Barbel chose to depict

Heidi’s grandfather were hard but accurate.” (paragraph 13)

D) “‘He’s the only family Heidi has left, apart from me.’” (paragraph 14)

10. Which sentence best states a central idea of this passage?A) Heidi’s grandfather lives near the

top of the mountain.B) Barbel and Dete are friends.C) Dete is determined to bring Heidi

to her grandfather’s house. D) Heidi wants to live with her grandfather.

2 VOCABULARY WORKSHOP, Level A

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From Notes on the State of Virginia by Thomas Jefferson—Public Domain

From Report on Manufactures by Alexander Hamilton—Public Domain

CUMULATIVE TEST PREP 1page 1

Life on the LandThe political economists of Europe have

formulated the principle that every state should try to manufacture for itself. This principle, like many others, we transfer to America, without considering the different circumstances that may produce different results. In Europe the lands are either cultivated, or locked up against the cultivator. Manufacture must therefore be resorted to of necessity not of choice, to support the surplus of the inhabitants. But we have an immensity of land courting the industry of the farmer. Is it best then that all our citizens should be employed in its improvement? Or should one half be designated to manufactures and the other to handicraft arts? Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever he had a chosen people. They possess substantial and genuine virtue. In them thrives that sacred fire which otherwise might escape from the face of the earth. Moral corruption among those who cultivate is a phenomenon depicted by no age or nation. It is the mark set on those, who not looking up to heaven, to their own soil and industry, as does the farmer, for their subsistence, depend for it on the casualties and caprice of customers. Dependence promotes subservience and material values, suffocates the germ of virtue, and fosters the designs of ambition. This, the natural progress and consequence of the arts, has sometimes been prevented by accidental circumstances. But, generally speaking, the proportion of other classes of citizens to farmers within a population is the proportion of its unsound to its healthy parts. It is a good-enough barometer whereby to measure its degree of corruption. While we have land to labor then, let us never wish to see our citizens occupied at a work-bench. Carpenters, masons, smiths, are wanting in husbandry. But, for the general operations of manufacture, let our workshops remain in Europe.

Industry and GrowthThe value of encouraging manufactures in

the United States was not long ago thought very questionable. At this time, however, it appears to be expressly allowed. Obstructions to the progress of our external trade have led to recognizing the need to empower the field of our domestic commerce. Restrictive regulations in foreign markets constrain the increasing surplus of our agricultural produce. They cause an earnest desire for a more extensive demand for that surplus to be created at home. And the complete success which has rewarded resourceful enterprise justifies hope. Obstacles to the growth of this industry may prove less challenging than supposed.

It has been maintained that agriculture is not only the most productive but the only productive type of industry. The reality of this suggestion has not, however, been verified by any accurate detail of facts and calculations. And the general arguments offered to affirm it are more weak and contradictory than solid or convincing.

The labor employed in agriculture is mostly periodical and occasional. It depends on seasons and is subject to various and long interruptions. The labor occupied in many manufactures is constant and regular. It extends through the year and sometimes occupies night as well as day. Among farmers there are more examples of laxness than among artisans. The farmer, from the peculiar fertility of his land or some other favorable circumstance, may frequently obtain a livelihood, even with great carelessness in the mode of cultivation. But it is difficult for the artisan to succeed without exerting nearly the same effort as others in the same pursuit. And, in fact, manufactures may encourage more ingenuity than agriculture. The labor employed in the former, which is at once more constant, uniform, and intensive than that employed in the latter, will be found at the same time more productive.

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DIRECTIONS: Read the essays by Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, which contain words in boldface that appear in Units 1–15. Then answer the questions.

VOCABULARY WORKSHOP, Level A 21

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CUMULATIVE TEST PREP 1, page 2

1. As it is used in paragraph 1, what is the meaning of formulated?A) challenged B) devisedC) preparedD) published

2. Which of these statements about Jefferson’s attitude toward land and farming is best supported by the text? A) Farming may be a difficult operation,

but it offers its own rewards. B) Manufacturing is a more attractive

career than farming. C) Farmers are outstanding for their

upright, admirable character.D) Farming the land is a vocation

suitable only for ambitious people.

3. Which sentence from the text supports your answer to the previous question? A) “This principle, like many others, we

transfer to America, without considering the different circumstances that may produce different results.”

B) “But we have an immensity of land courting the industry of the farmer.”

C) “They possess substantial and genuine virtue.”

D) “Dependence promotes subservience and material values, suffocates the germ of virtue, and fosters the designs of ambition.”

4. Depict comes from the Latin word depingere. Depingere most likely meansA) to eraseB) to pictureC) to forbidD) to explain

5. What does expressly most likely mean as it is used in paragraph 2?A) explicitlyB) reluctantlyC) sadly D) boldly

6. Which of these best describes Hamilton’s attitude toward the productivity of agriculture? A) affirmativeB) indifferentC) enthusiasticD) skeptical

7. You have read excerpts from two passages. Which statement correctly shows an idea that is found in both passages? A) Both authors discuss obstacles to the

growth of American industry. B) Both authors evaluate the relative merits

of agriculture and industry.C) Both authors expect that manufacturing

will boom in the not-too-distant future. D) Both authors express their concern about

manufacturing as a threat to the environment.

8. Based on the passages, which statement correctly shows an opinion with which Jefferson and Hamilton might agree? A) Agriculture strongly contrasts with industry

with respect to lifestyle and types of labor.B) The growth of manufacturing will

necessarily be slow and gradual. C) Manufacturing will inevitably replace

agriculture as America expands its borders. D) Foreign markets are the key to success

in manufacturing.

9. Based on information in the passages, why might Jefferson disagree with Hamilton’s assertions about the “laxness” of farmers in paragraph 4?A) Jefferson believes that moral corruption

is not to be found among farmers.B) He feels that occasional laxness among

farmers is insignificant when compared to the behavior of manufacturers.

C) He finds that the unpredictability of farming is more than sufficient to excuse laxness.

D) He believes that greater ambition is to be found among farmers than among manufacturers.

10. Which statement correctly shows an important difference between the passages?A) Jefferson is a more forceful writer

than Hamilton. B) Hamilton uses more specific sources

for his argument than Jefferson does. C) Jefferson is practical, while Hamilton

is idealistic. D) Jefferson believes in the superiority of

farming much more strongly than Hamilton does.

22 VOCABULARY WORKSHOP, Level A

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8607-0_TPBB_00001 1 6/12/17 3:31 PM

Level B













TABLE OF CONTENTS





8607-0_TPBB_00002 2 6/12/17 3:31 PM



On that morning which we have described, the sun had risen recently from his dark couch and called birds and flowers to spring up to salute him. A sullen laborer crossed the plaza, guiding his oxen as he carried on his back implements of husbandry: a yoke, leather straps for work, and the provisions of the day. Fastened to his belt was the traditional “chuspa,” or bag of woven wool of various colors, which contained cakes of “llipta” for his lunch. As he looked out at the interminable work ahead of him, it was transparent to all of his fellow workers that something bothered him deeply.

The laborer was almost lost to sight in the distance when the figure of a woman appeared on the South side of the plaza. She was a young yet poised Indian woman of not more than thirty years of age, with fine features and a rosy face. Shaking off some mud from her dress, she directed her steps to a modest-looking white cottage not far away.

When the door opened, she was met by a lady neatly dressed in gray with lace trimmings and mother-of-pearl buttons. She was a fair and upright woman and her name was Señora Lucia. The newcomer addressed Lucia quickly without ceremony. She said, “Señora, I ask for your aid. Protect this day an unfortunate family. He who has gone to the fields today passing by you here is Juan Yupanqui. He is my husband and the father of our two little girls. Alas, Señora! He has gone out with his heart broken, because he knows that today will be the day of review. The overseer who directs the barley sowing will find that he has not produced enough. Juan will lose his job and we already have no money. Without Juan’s knowing, I came to implore your assistance for the sake of my family, Señora.”

The woman’s expression changed as a flood of tears began to flow from her eyes. This was a mystery to Lucia. Having lived only a few months in this place, she was unaware of its customs. She could not understand the poor woman’s concerns, although her emotion animated Lucia.

It is necessary to listen to the stories of these unfortunate people, she thought. She admired their expressive language and the narrative of their actual circumstances. The words of the Indian woman excited the interest of the sympathetic Lucia. She asked kindly, “And who are you?”

“I am Marcela, my lady, the wife of Juan Yupanqui, poor and unprotected,” replied the woman, drying her eyes upon the sleeve of her dress. Lucia, putting her hand kindly upon her shoulder, invited her to take a seat upon a stone bench in the garden and rest herself. “Sit down, Marcela; dry those tears that throw a cloud over the sky of your eyes, and let us talk calmly,” she said.

Marcela calmed her grief and said, “As you are not of this place, Señora, you do not know what we suffer from the overseers. Alas! May we ever leave this place and move on to a better life?”

“Why do you despair so, poor Marcela? There will be some remedy. I will offer you aid without any need for recompense.”

“Yes, Señora,” replied Marcela. “You have the face of the good woman, and that is why I came to ask your help. If I do nothing, what is about to happen will culminate in the destruction of the company and my family. I wish to save my husband. He said to me when he went away: ‘One of these days I shall march into the offices with all the other indignant workers. We will show that we will not stand for this treatment.’ And I feel that the uprising is beginning to germinate! And you know, Señora, that this is not right.”

“He wishes to rebel! It is a wrong thought. What a crazy idea! Poor Juan,” said Lucia sadly. Then glancing at Marcela, she continued, “And what is the most urgent need today? Speak freely.”

From Birds Without a Nest by Clorinda Matto de Turner—Public Domain

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

DIRECTIONS: Read this excerpt from Birds Without a Nest, which contains words in boldface that appear in Units 1–3. Then answer the questions.

The Yupanqui Family


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TEST PREP 1, page 2

1. As it is used in paragraph 1, what is the meaning of sullen? A) quietB) brooding C) slowD) frightened

2. Which of these inferences about the narrator’s visual perspective is best supported by the text?A) She views the town from Lucia’s home.B) She views the fields from Marcela’s

perspective.C) She views Juan Yupanqui only from

the eyes of his fellow workers.D) She views the surroundings from the

plaza, the center of the town.

3. Which sentence from the text supports your answer to the previous question?A) “As he looked out at the interminable

work ahead of him, it was transparent to all of his fellow workers that something bothered him deeply.” (paragraph 1)

B) “The laborer was almost lost to sight in the distance when the figure of a woman appeared on the South side of the plaza.” (paragraph 2)

C) “Shaking off some mud from her dress, she directed her steps to a modest-looking white cottage not far away.” (paragraph 2)

D) “When the door opened, she was met by a lady neatly dressed in gray with lace trimmings and mother-of-pearl buttons.” (paragraph 3)

4. What does upright most likely mean in paragraph 3?A) vertical B) heavyC) honest D) simple

5. Culminate comes from the Latin word culmen. Culmen most likely meansA) woodsB) ditchC) desertD) summit

6. What is Lucia’s impression of Marcela? A) She does not know why Marcela

has come to talk to her.B) She is struck by Marcela’s

composure and beauty. C) She worries that Marcela cries too much.D) She is surprised by Marcela’s story,

but moved to help her.

7. Which sentence from the passage supports the answer to the previous question?A) “She was a young yet poised Indian woman

of not more than thirty years of age, with fine features and a rosy face.” (paragraph 2)

B) “This was a mystery to Lucia.” (paragraph 4)C) “Having lived only a few months in this

place, she was unaware of its customs.” (paragraph 4)

D) “She could not understand the poor woman’s concerns, although her emotion animated Lucia.” (paragraph 4)

8. Which of these describes a worry held by Marcela?A) Lucia will not understand her problem

and so will refuse to help her.B) Juan will gather his coworkers

to challenge their overseer. C) Juan will find out that she has

gone to ask Lucia for help.D) Lucia will side with the overseer

to get Juan fired.

9. Which of these best describes the narrator’s tone?A) neutral B) concernedC) confusedD) suspicious

10. What is a central idea of “The Yupanqui Family”?A) People have more sympathy for others

when they listen to their troubles. B) Working long hours for a company does

not mean that they will help you.C) It is very easy to help others if you have

the financial means to do so. D) Complaining to your boss will always

help your situation.

2 VOCABULARY WORKSHOP, Level B

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From “Remember the Ladies” by Abigail Adams—Public Domain

From The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin —Public Domain


Remember the LadiesBraintree, Massachusetts, 31 March, 1776

I feel very differently at the approach of spring to what I did a month ago. We knew not then whether we could plant or sow with safety, whether when we had toiled we could reap the fruits of our own industry, whether we could rest in our own Cottages, or whether we should not be driven from the sea coasts to seek shelter in the wilderness, but now we feel as if we might sit under our own vine and eat the good of the land.

I feel a sense of mirth to which before I was a stranger. I think the Sun looks more radiant, the Birds sing more melodiously, and Nature puts on a more cheerful countenance. We feel a temporary peace, and the poor fugitives are returning to their deserted habitations.

Though we felicitate ourselves, we sympathize with those who are trembling least the Lot of Boston should be theirs. But they cannot be in similar circumstances unless timidity and cowardice should take possession of them. They have time and warning given them to see the Evil and shun it.

I long to hear that you have declared an independency—and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be despots if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.

That your Sex are Naturally Tyrannical is a Truth so thoroughly established as to admit of no dispute, but such of you as wish to be happy willingly give up the harsh title of Master for the more tender and endearing one of Friend. Why then, not put it out of the power of the vicious and the Lawless to use us with cruelty and indignity.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

There was another bookish lad in the town, John Collins by name, with whom I was intimately acquainted. We sometimes disputed, and very fond we were of argument, and very desirous of confuting one another, which disputatious turn, by the way, is apt to become a very bad habit, making people often extremely disagreeable in company; and thence, besides marring the conversation, is productive of disgusts and perhaps enmities where you may have occasion for friendship. I had caught it by reading my father’s books of dispute about religion. Persons of good sense, I have since observed, seldom fall into it, except lawyers, university men, and men of all sorts that have been bred at Edinburgh.

A question was once, somehow or other, started between Collins and me, of propriety of educating the female sex in learning, and their abilities for study. He was of opinion that it was improper, and that they were naturally unequal to it. I took the contrary side, perhaps a little for dispute’s sake. He was naturally more proficient, had ready plenty of words, and sometimes, as I thought, bore me down more by his fluency than by the strength of his reasons. As we parted without reaching a mutual conclusion on the point, and were not to see one another again for some time, I sat down to put my arguments in writing, which I copied legibly and sent to him. He answered, and I replied. Three or four letters of a side had passed, when my father happened to find my papers and read them. Without entering into the discussion, he took occasion to talk to me about the manner of my writing; observed that, though I had the advantage of my antagonist in correct spelling and punctuation (which I owed to the printing-house), I fell far short in elegance of expression, in method, and in clarity, of which he convinced me by several examples. I saw the justice of his remarks, and thence grew more attentive to the style in writing, and determined to endeavor at improvement.

DIRECTIONS: Read the letter from Abigail Adams and the excerpt from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, which contain words in boldface that appear in Units 1–15. Then answer the questions.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7


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1. As it is used in paragraph 2, what is the meaning of mirth?A) happiness B) lonelinessC) fearD) certainty

2. Which of these statements about Adams’s feelings is best supported by the text?A) She is terrified to find herself living in

the midst of war.B) She is overjoyed at being on the

winning side of a war.C) She is relieved that although the war is still

going on, conditions are now more favorable. D) She is fearful that her side is about to

lose the war.

3. Which sentence from the text supports your answer to the previous question?A) “I feel very differently at the approach

of spring to what I did a month ago.” (paragraph 1)

B) “We feel a temporary peace, and the poor fugitives are returning to their deserted habitations.” (paragraph 2)

C) “But they cannot be in similar circumstances unless timidity and cowardice should take possession of them.” (paragraph 3)

D) “They have time and warning given them to see the Evil and shun it.” (paragraph 3)

4. Despots comes from the Greek word despotes. Despotes most likely meansA) judgeB) master C) rebelD) hero

5. Which of these best describes the relationship between Ben Franklin and John Collins?A) They are business rivals who compete

fiercely against each other.B) They are bitter enemies who

regularly exchange insults.C) They are half brothers who were raised

apart and barely know each other.D) They are good friends who enjoy

debating each other.

6. What does proficient most likely mean as it is used in paragraph 7?A) annoyingly insistentB) completely open mindedC) somewhat hesitantD) clearly skillful

7. You have read excerpts from two passages. Which statement correctly shows an idea that is found in both passages?A) Both authors discuss the injustice of slavery.B) Both authors give their views on

the status of women. C) Both authors warn that the cost of war

is not sustainable.D) Both authors point out the importance

of making new laws.

8. Based on the passages, which statement correctly shows an opinion with which Adams and Franklin might agree?A) Armed rebellion is fully justified in

the face of tyranny.B) The pen is mightier than the sword.C) Freedom of religion is the most

important issue of the day.D) Both women and men are entitled

to a proper education.

9. Based on information in the passages, why might Franklin disagree with Adams’s argument in paragraph 4?A) He believes that there is no evidence

that women are treated unfairly in society.B) He feels that men are naturally entitled to

more rights and privileges and therefore cannot be thought of as despots.

C) He finds that in fact women are more likely to be cruel and unfair and themselves behave like despots.

D) He has developed a habit of arguing for the sake of argument.

10. Which statement correctly shows an important difference between the passages?A) Adams is more serious than Franklin

is about women’s rights. B) Adams is a more skillful writer than Franklin.C) Adams is more willing than Franklin

to compromise.D) Adams does not believe that people

can be self-educated, whereas Franklin believes people can be self-educated.

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Level C



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Level C

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TABLE OF CONTENTS





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I have told the circumstances of the stranger’s arrival in Iping with a certain fullness of detail, in order that the discordant impression he created may be understood by the reader. But excepting two odd incidents, the circumstances of his stay until the extraordinary day of the club festival may be passed over very rapidly. There were a number of skirmishes with Mrs. Hall on matters of domestic discipline. In every case until late April, though, when the first signs of poverty began, he over-rode her by the easy strategy of an extra payment. Hall did not like him, and whenever he dared he talked of the advisability of getting rid of him. But he showed his dislike chiefly by concealing it ostentatiously, and avoiding his visitor as much as possible. “Wait till the summer,” said Mrs. Hall sagely, “when the artists are beginning to come. Then we’ll see. He may be a bit churlish, but bills settled punctual is bills settled punctual, whatever you’d like to say.”

The stranger did not go to church. He indeed made no difference between Sunday and the irreligious days, even in costume. He worked, as Mrs. Hall thought, very fitfully. Some days he would come down early and be continuously busy. On others he would rise late, pace his room, fretting audibly for hours together, smoke, sleep in the armchair by the fire. Communication with the world beyond the village he had none. His temper continued very willful. For the most part the stranger’s manner was that of a man suffering under almost unendurable provocation. Once or twice things were snapped, torn, crushed, or broken in gusts of violence. He seemed under a chronic irritation of the greatest intensity. His habit of talking to himself in a low voice grew steadily upon him. But though Mrs. Hall was an enterprising listener, she could make neither head nor tail of what she heard.

He rarely went out by daylight, but at twilight he would go out muffled up invisibly, whether the weather were cold or not. He chose the most oblique paths and those most overshadowed by trees and banks. His goggling spectacles and ghastly bandaged face under the penthouse of his hat, came with a disagreeable suddenness out of the darkness upon one or two home-going laborers. Teddy Henfrey, tumbling out of

the “Scarlet Coat” one night, at half-past nine, was scared shamefully by the stranger’s skull-like head (he was walking hat in hand) lit by the sudden light of the opened inn door. Such children as saw him at nightfall dreamt of ghosts. It seemed doubtful whether he disliked boys more than they disliked him, or the reverse. But there was certainly a vivid enough dislike on either side.

It was inevitable that a person of so remarkable an appearance and bearing should form a frequent topic in such a village as Iping. Opinion was greatly divided about his occupation. Mrs. Hall was sensitive on the point. When questioned, she explained very carefully that he was an “experimental investigator,” going gingerly over the syllables as one who dreads pitfalls. When asked what an experimental investigator was, she avowed with a touch of superiority that most educated people knew such things as that, and would thus explain that he “discovered things.” Her visitor had had an accident, she said, which temporarily discolored his face and hands. Being of a sensitive disposition, he was averse to any public notice of the fact.

Out of her hearing there was a view largely entertained that he was a wanton criminal trying to escape from justice by wrapping himself up so as to conceal himself altogether from the eye of the police. This idea evolved from the brain of Mr. Teddy Henfrey. No crime of any magnitude dating from the middle or end of February was known to have occurred. Elaborated in the imagination of Mr. Gould, the temporary assistant in the National School, this theory took the form that the stranger was an Anarchist in disguise, preparing explosives. He resolved to instigate such detective operations as his time permitted. These consisted for the most part in looking very hard at the stranger whenever they met, or in asking people who had never seen the stranger leading questions about him. But he detected nothing.

Another school of opinion followed Mr. Fearenside, and either accepted the piebald view or some modification of it. For instance, Silas Durgan, who was heard to assert that “if he chooses to show enself at fairs he’d make his fortune in no time,” and being a bit of a

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DIRECTIONS: Read the excerpt from the novel The Invisible Man, which contains words in boldface that appear in Units 1–3. Then answer the questions.

A Mystery at Iping

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TEST PREP 1, page 2

theologian, compared the stranger to the man with the one talent. Yet another view explained the relevant matter by regarding the stranger as a harmless lunatic. That had the advantage of accounting for everything straight away.

From The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells — Public Domain

1. According to the passage, what is the stranger especially notable for?A) his physical prowess and intellectual acumenB) his unpredictable manners and

unnerving appearance C) his unfailing courtesy and congenial humorD) his impeccable honesty and candid

conversation

2. According to paragraph 1, how does Mr. Hall differ from his wife in his attitude toward the stranger?A) He believes the stranger is an

escaped criminal. B) He thinks the stranger is a harmless eccentric.C) He dislikes the stranger and advises

getting rid of him. D) He takes part in heated debates with

the stranger.

3. Which of these inferences about the stranger is best supported by paragraph 2?A) He is gruff but fundamentally good-hearted.B) He maliciously schemes to get his

way with the Halls. C) He has difficulty understanding the

local dialect of Iping. D) He seems to be under intense pressure.

4. Which sentence from the text supports your answer to the previous question?A) “He indeed made no difference between

Sunday and the irreligious days, even in costume.”

B) “Communication with the world beyond the village he had none.”

C) “He seemed under a chronic irritation of the greatest intensity.”

D) “But though Mrs. Hall was an enterprising listener, she could make neither head nor tail of what she heard.”

5. What is the meaning of willful as it is used in paragraph 2?A) headstrong B) docileC) quizzical D) meditative

6. Oblique comes from the Latin word obliquus. Obliquus most nearly means A) indistinctB) indirect C) lengthyD) solitary

7. In paragraph 5, the author presents a picture of Mr. Gould that may be described most accurately as A) respectful B) tactlessC) grotesque D) humorous

8. Which sentence from paragraph 5 supports the answer to the previous question?A) “This idea evolved from the brain

of Mr. Teddy Henfrey.” B) “No crime of any magnitude dating from

the middle or end of February was known to have occurred.”

C) “He resolved to instigate such detective operations as his time permitted.”

D) “These consisted for the most part in looking very hard at the stranger whenever they met, or in asking people who had never seen the stranger leading questions about him.”

9. What does instigate most likely mean in paragraph 5? A) dismantleB) incite C) quash D) govern

10. From the author’s description of Silas Durgan, it can be determined that Silas Durgan is A) witty B) grumpy C) deferential D) resentful

2 VOCABULARY WORKSHOP, Level C

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From Victorian Worthies by George Henry Blore—Public Domain

From Louisa May Alcott: Her Life, Letters, and Journals, edited by Ednah B. Cheney— Public Domain


Charles DickensAs far back as the days of his childhood,

Charles Dickens had been perturbed at what he had casually heard of the harsh Yorkshire boarding schools. His year of drudgery in London had made him realize, in other cases beside his own, the degradation that followed from the neglect of children.

On undertaking to grapple with this subject in Nicholas Nickleby, Dickens journeyed to Yorkshire to gather evidence at first hand. And for many years afterward he continued to correspond on the subject of charitably run “ragged schools.” He was interested in the means of uplifting children out of the conditions that were so fruitful a source of crime.

Dickens discovered for himself how easily miscreants like Fagin could find recruits in the slums of London. He knew how impossible it was to bring up aright boys who were bred in these neglected homes. Even where efforts had been begun, the machinery was quite inadequate, the teachers few, the schoolrooms cheerless and ill-equipped.

Mr. Croft has preserved a letter of 1843 in which Dickens makes the practical offer of crucial funds for a washing place in one school where the children seemed to be suffering from inattention to the elementary needs. His heart warmed toward individual cases and he faced them in practical fashion. He was not one of those fervent reformers who utter benevolent sentiments on the platform and go no further.

Some critics have scoffed at Dickens’s treatment of child characters in his novels. The words sentimental and mawkish have been hurled at scenes like the death of Little Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop, the plight of Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol, and the more lurid episodes in Oliver Twist. But Dickens was a pioneer in his treatment of children in fiction. And if he did smite resounding blows that jar upon critical ears, at least he opened a rich vein of literature where many have followed him. He wrote not for the critics but for the great popular audience whom he had created, comprising all ages and classes, and worldwide in extent.

Louisa May AlcottLouisa May Alcott had already begun to see

that she must study not only fairies and fancies, but men and realities. She voraciously began to observe life, not merely in books, but as it went on around her. In the intense excitement of the anti-slavery struggles of that period she might well learn how full of dramatic situations and the elements of both tragedy and comedy real human life is.

She says: “I began to see the strong contrasts and fun and frolic in everyday life about this time.” She also considered her reading, and tried to make it more thorough and profitable. She did not “waste even ink on poems and fancies,” but planned stories to touch the heart. Always solicitous, all that she undertook she hoped might help toward her great object of earning support for her family.

In June 1855, Miss Alcott went to Walpole, New Hampshire, where she had a free life among the hills for a few months. It must have been a great refreshment to her after the winter’s work in the city. In July, the family followed her thither, and occupied a small house.

But this pleasant country life was for a short season only. In chill November she set out for the city, with brave heart and scanty outfit, to find her way once more. While living frugally and continuing to sew as a means of livelihood, she began to try a great variety of literary ventures. She wrote notices of books for the papers, and at one time got five dollars for a story, besides twelve dollars for sewing.

At this juncture, the publishers began to find out the value of her work, and to call for more stories. Even her poems were accepted. Little Nell was then the favorite heroine of Dickens, and Louisa’s poem on that subject was published in the Boston Daily Courier. Although she had at first enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Walpole, she found the dull little town vexing and did not offer her opportunities for work. It was then she came down to Boston to seek her fortune.

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DIRECTIONS: Read the excerpts from Victorian Worthies and Louisa May Alcott: Her Life, Letters, and Journals, which contain words in boldface that appear in Units 1–15. Then answer the questions.

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1. Perturbed comes from the Latin word pertubare. Pertubare most likely means A) to repulseB) to fascinateC) to absorbD) to trouble

2. Which statement about Charles Dickens is best supported by the text?A) He published interviews of poor children.B) He put his time and money where his

mouth was, unlike some people. C) He planned to run his own “ragged school.”D) He relished his role as a pioneer in the

treatment of children in fiction.

3. Which sentence from the text supports your answer to the previous question?A) “He knew how impossible it was to bring

up aright boys who were bred in these neglected homes.” (paragraph 3)

B) “His heart warmed toward individual cases and he faced them in practical fashion.” (paragraph 4)

C) “He was not one of those fervent reformers who utter benevolent sentiments on the platform and go no further.” (paragraph 4)

D) ”Some critics have scoffed at Dickens’s treatment of child characters in his novels.” (paragraph 5)

4. As it is used in paragraph 5, what is the meaning of scoffed?A) supportedB) ridiculed C) condemnedD) defended

5. Which of these best describes Louisa May Alcott’s view of the work of Charles Dickens?A) His work was a source of inspiration for

her own writing. B) His work was too sentimental for her tastes. C) She envied the fame his work brought him.D) She wouldn’t waste time reading his writings.

6. What does vexing most likely mean as it is used in paragraph 10? A) welcomeB) pleasantC) crowdedD) annoying

7. You have read excerpts from two passages. Which statement correctly shows an idea that is found in both passages?A) Both authors were influenced by

close family relationships.B) Both authors were inspired by actual

events and experiences. C) Both authors found respite and

peace in the countryside.D) Both authors’ lives were shaped by

tragedy and loss.

8. Based on the passages, which statement correctly shows an opinion with which Dickens and Alcott might agree?A) Writers require periods of solitude to tap

their creativity and do their best writing.B) Female writers must always have a

second source of income to fall back on.C) Male writers generally have greater insight

into the minds of petty thieves and criminals.D) Writers have the potential to touch people’s

hearts through their work.

9. How might Louisa May Alcott feel about Charles Dickens’s attempts to save neglected British children from poverty or a life of crime?A) Since she could not relate to the

circumstances, she would probably have no interest in the topic.

B) As someone who displayed insight and empathy, she would likely share his views and support his work.

C) Because she lacked stamina and courage, she would prefer to leave such undertakings to others.

D) As a woman who had to work hard for a living, she would say that everyone, including children, should be self-sufficient.

10. Which statement correctly shows an important difference between the passages?A) The second passage is more of a firsthand

account of the author’s life than the first passage.

B) Alcott is just starting out, whereas Dickens is a world-renowned author.

C) Dickens teaches school to supplement his income, while Alcott takes in sewing.

D) The first passage is written for avid readers of fiction, while the second passage is aimed at a general audience.

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