Use Precise Language to Capture Action Practice Test

Read this passage, then answer the question.

After school, Amir and Carlos practiced for the soccer scrimmage. Amir ran to the ball and kicked it to Carlos. Carlos went forward and did a move around a defender. Amir was excited and said, “Nice!” The wind was cold. Carlos got close to the goal and shot. The ball went in, and they were happy. Then Coach said they had five minutes left, so they went again.

Which revision would most improve the precision of the passage by replacing vague verbs with more specific ones (while keeping the meaning the same)?

Read the passage, then answer the question.

Emma opened her group chat and saw the message: “Nice job, genius,” followed by a laughing emoji. Her stomach dropped. She stared at the screen until the letters blurred, then jabbed the power button and shoved the phone into her hoodie pocket. In the mirror above her desk, her cheeks looked blotchy, like someone had rubbed them with an eraser. She paced between her bed and the door, toes catching on a stray sock, and snatched it up just to have something to do with her hands. The house was quiet except for the refrigerator’s low hum. Emma swallowed and tasted something bitter, then exhaled through her nose, slow and shaky. Finally, she pulled the phone back out, unlocked it, and typed one sentence: “Please stop.” Her thumb hovered over send.

Which phrase best uses sensory detail to show Emma’s emotional reaction?