All questions
Question 1
Read the following fiction excerpt, then answer the question.
Mara kept the library’s lost-and-found key on a ribbon under her collar, as if it were a charm instead of a responsibility. The drawer itself was a shallow wooden mouth that swallowed stray gloves, cracked phone cases, and the occasional homework packet with a name rubbed away. Today it held something new: a thin notebook wrapped in brown paper, tied with twine so carefully it looked ceremonial.
She should have taken it straight to Mr. Dela Cruz. That was the rule; the rule was printed in neat block letters on the wall beside the circulation desk. Yet the notebook sat in her palms with a weight that was not its own. When she pressed the paper, she felt the ridges of handwriting through it, as if the words were trying to emerge.
Mara told herself she was only checking for a name. Her fingers worried the twine until it loosened with a dry sigh. Inside, the first page was filled with sketches of the old footbridge behind the school—the one the city promised to fix every year and never did. The bridge in the drawings was always different: once sturdy as a spine, once splintered like a broken tooth, once floating above the creek as if it had decided to leave.
On the last page, a single sentence stood alone: I am tired of being the part everyone steps over.
Mara’s throat tightened. She pictured the bridge, yes, but also the way her mother’s voice thinned when bills arrived, and the way teachers praised Mara for being “easy,” as if she were furniture that didn’t complain. She rewrapped the notebook, hands suddenly clumsy.
When Mr. Dela Cruz asked later if anything “unusual” had turned up, she said, too quickly, “Just the usual.” The lie landed between them, small but perpetual, like a pebble in a shoe.
Question: What does the notebook most likely symbolize in the passage?
- The quiet burden of responsibility that Mara resents, since the drawer and its rules keep forcing choices she would rather avoid making
- The pull of secrets that Mara keeps because guarding hidden things makes her feel important to the people who overlook her at school
- Unspoken feelings about being overlooked, which Mara comes to recognize both in the notebook’s owner and in herself (correct answer)
- The hope that speaking up, like the notebook’s bold last sentence, can finally repair broken things the way the city keeps promising to
Explanation: The notebook works as a symbol, not just an object. Its drawings show the neglected footbridge changing shape—“sturdy as a spine,” “splintered like a broken tooth,” “floating…as if it had decided to leave”—and its last line reads, “I am tired of being the part everyone steps over.” Mara’s reaction proves the connection: her throat tightens, and she thinks of her mother’s worn voice and of teachers calling her “easy,” like furniture that never complains. She sees her own overlooked feelings mirrored in a stranger’s notebook, which is why the best answer names unspoken feelings about being overlooked that Mara recognizes in the owner and in herself.
The choice about resenting responsibility misreads Mara; she feels seen by the notebook, not burdened by duty, and keeps it out of recognition, not resentment. The choice about guarding secrets to feel important invents a motive the text never supports—Mara hides the notebook because it exposes her, not to gain status. The choice about hope repairing broken things ignores that the city “never did” fix the bridge and turns a symbol of being overlooked into an unearned promise the passage refuses to make.
Question 2
[Kitchen, early evening. A pot rattles softly on the stove. The window is cracked open; distant traffic sounds like a restless ocean. LENA, 13, stands at the counter, peeling an orange with careful precision. Her brother, JAY, 15, enters, holding a crumpled permission slip.]
JAY: Mom said you saw the email.
LENA (without looking up): I saw it.
JAY: So you know.
LENA: I know what words look like on a screen. That's different from knowing.
[JAY flattens the slip against the table, smoothing it as if it might become obedient.]
JAY: It's one night. Everyone's going.
LENA (quietly): Everyone isn't a person.
JAY: Don't do that.
LENA (finally meets his eyes): Don't do what?
JAY (too fast): Make it into... a whole thing.
[LENA separates the orange into neat crescents and lines them up. One segment tears; juice beads on her thumb.]
LENA: A whole thing is what happens when you pretend a small thing stays small.
JAY (voice dropping): You're acting like I'm leaving forever.
LENA: You act like leaving doesn't leave anything behind.
[Silence. The pot rattles harder.]
JAY: You could just sign it. Dad won't know.
LENA (pulls her hand back as if burned): Don't ask me to be your erase button.
JAY (after a beat): You're not the parent.
LENA (soft, resolute): I wasn't supposed to be.
[She turns the stove off. The sudden quiet feels louder than the pot ever did.]
What does LENA's line "Don't ask me to be your erase button" most strongly suggest about her feelings?
- She feels excited to share responsibility with Jay and wants to be included in the plan.
- She feels resentful at being asked to hide choices that could have real consequences. (correct answer)
- She feels confused about what the permission slip is for and needs Jay to explain it.
- She feels amused by Jay's exaggeration and is teasing him to lighten the mood.
Explanation: Jay asks Lena to forge the signature so their dad will not know, and she pulls back "as if burned" and refuses to be his "erase button." That reaction shows she resents being asked to cover up a choice that carries consequences, so Choice B is correct. Choice A says she is eager to join in, Choice C says she is confused about the slip, and Choice D says she is amused, but her sharp, resolute lines show none of those.
Question 3
Tess had promised herself she would not look at the group chat during lunch. Promises, she had learned, were easiest to make when they were still theoretical. The cafeteria was loud in a way that felt manufactured, as if everyone had agreed to keep talking so no one would have to hear their own thoughts. Tess sat at the end of her table, close enough to be counted, far enough to be missed. Across from her, Lila narrated a story with the confidence of someone who never questioned whether she deserved an audience. Tess’s phone vibrated once, then again—two small knocks on a door she’d locked from the inside. She held it under the table, thumb hovering. She could almost feel the messages without reading them: the heat of attention, the sting of it. When she finally looked, the newest text was from Lila: “Tess is being so quiet lol. Did we break her?” Tess’s face stayed still. She lifted her carton of milk and took a careful sip, as if calm were something you could swallow. Then she typed, “Battery’s low. Saving power.” Lila laughed, satisfied, and turned back to the others. Tess slid her phone into her backpack. The lie wasn’t clever, but it was useful. It built a small fence around her thoughts—thin, maybe, but hers.
What mood does the author create in the cafeteria scene, and which detail contributes most to it?
- Celebratory; the lively storytelling shows everyone is united and joyful
- Tense and uneasy; the phone vibrations described as “knocks on a door” emphasize pressure and intrusion (correct answer)
- Peaceful; Tess sipping milk suggests she is relaxed and unconcerned
- Mysterious; the hidden phone under the table suggests a secret plan is unfolding
Explanation: Tests reading and comprehending literature (stories, dramas, poems) at high end of grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently—demonstrating understanding through interpretation of themes, analysis of characterization, recognition of literary techniques, inference from textual evidence, and synthesis of meaning. High-complexity literature comprehension requires: Literal understanding foundation—grasping basic plot events, character names and relationships, setting, dialogue content (surface level must be secure before deeper analysis). Inferential thinking—drawing conclusions from evidence not explicitly stated (character's actions, dialogue tone, repeated images suggesting traits or themes not directly named—"She checked the locks three times, reorganized her materials twice, arrived thirty minutes early" suggests anxiety and need for control without text stating "she was anxious and controlling"). Interpretation of literary techniques—figurative language: metaphors, similes, symbolism requiring seeing beyond literal ("The locked door represented her fear of change and missed opportunities"—door is literal door but also symbolic), imagery creating mood through sensory details ("shadows crept, wind howled, darkness pressed"—personification and dark imagery creating ominous mood, reader recognizes technique's effect), characterization through showing not telling (character's actions, dialogue, reactions reveal traits—reader interprets rather than being told "she was kind"). Theme identification—universal ideas or insights about life/human nature developed through story ("Courage means acting despite fear"—abstract theme emerging from concrete character journey facing fears). Analysis of how elements contribute—explaining how specific techniques affect meaning (flashback structure emphasizes transformative moment, repeated motif reinforces theme, character's word choice reveals background or current emotion, setting mirrors internal state—connecting technique to purpose/effect). Synthesis of meaning—integrating parts into whole (how characters, events, literary techniques, themes work together conveying complete meaning—not fragmented understanding but holistic comprehension of what text means and how it means it). Mood creation through specific details: Phone vibrations described as "two small knocks on a door she'd locked from the inside" creates tension through metaphor—messages as unwanted intrusions on protected space. Cafeteria "loud in a way that felt manufactured" suggests forced cheerfulness masking discomfort. Tess's position "close enough to be counted, far enough to be missed" shows isolation within group. The group chat message "Did we break her?" reveals casual cruelty creating hostile environment. Tess's response—drinking milk "as if calm were something you could swallow," lying about battery—shows pressure to appear unaffected. The lie as "small fence around her thoughts" reveals defensive need for protection. Overall mood is tense/uneasy—social pressure and subtle bullying create atmosphere where Tess must constantly guard herself. The phone vibration metaphor most powerfully establishes this mood by framing messages as aggressive intrusions she must defend against. Answer B correctly identifies "Tense and uneasy; the phone vibrations described as 'knocks on a door' emphasize pressure and intrusion"—demonstrating proficient mood analysis through specific textual evidence. Answer A misreads entirely—no celebration present; Answer C mistakes coping mechanism for relaxation; Answer D invents mystery plot not supported by social dynamics focus.
Question 4
In the hallway, the trophy case gleams,
not with victory, but with fingerprints,
a constellation of almosts.
My name is there, twice,
engraved in letters that pretend
they never trembled.
I pass my reflection in the glass
and it passes me back:
shoulders squared, smile practiced,
a person made of announcements.
Behind the gym, the chain-link fence
wears last year's wind like a coat.
A torn ribbon clings to it,
blue faded into a stubborn gray.
I touch the metal.
It is colder than memory
and more honest.
Somewhere a whistle shrieks,
thin as a warning.
I think of the word "captain",
how it sounds like a door closing,
how it sounds like a promise
I didn't know I was making.
Tonight I will loosen the laces
and let my feet breathe.
Not quitting.
Just listening.
Which theme is most strongly developed in the poem?
- The respect earned by public achievement matters more than any private feeling, and success is what defines who a person truly is.
- Public success can mask private doubt, and knowing yourself takes real honesty. (correct answer)
- The pressure of leadership can feel like a trap, and stepping into a role often means losing the freedom to be yourself.
- The memories attached to old awards fade over time, and holding onto past victories keeps a person from moving forward.
Explanation: The poem sets a polished public self against a quieter private one. The engraved name in "letters that pretend they never trembled" and the "practiced smile" of "a person made of announcements" show a surface built for others, while the cold fence that feels "more honest" and the closing choice to "loosen the laces" and just listen point to inner doubt and the honesty of self-knowledge. That contrast makes the answer about public success masking private doubt the strongest fit.
The choice claiming achievement and respect define a person flips the poem's meaning; the speaker distrusts that polished public self rather than praising it. The choice about leadership feeling like a trap catches the uneasy "captain" line but overreaches into losing freedom, when the ending is careful to say "Not quitting. Just listening." The choice about fading memories fixes on the trophies and past victories, missing that the poem is about present self-honesty, not letting go of the past.
Question 5
[Outside the principal's office. A bench. A poster on the wall reads: "INTEGRITY IS DOING THE RIGHT THING." ELLIS, 13, sits with a backpack on his knees. RINA, 14, stands, arms crossed. The muffled sound of an adult voice comes from behind the door, then stops.]
RINA: You could've just said it wasn't you.
ELLIS: It wasn't.
RINA: Then say that.
ELLIS (stares at the poster): They don't want the truth. They want the story that fits.
RINA: You're being dramatic.
ELLIS: Am I? Yesterday Mr. Hsu said the lab was "missing" a tablet, like it wandered off. Then he looked at me. Not at the cabinet. Not at the sign-out sheet. Me.
RINA (voice sharpening): So you're going to let them think you took it?
ELLIS: I'm going to let them think whatever they already decided.
RINA: That's... stupid.
ELLIS (finally looks at her): It's quiet.
RINA: Quiet?
ELLIS: If I argue, I become the problem. If I'm quiet, I'm just... background. Background doesn't get punished as hard.
[The door opens a crack. A SECRETARY pokes her head out, gestures for ELLIS, then disappears.]
RINA (lower, urgent): Ellis,
ELLIS (stands, shoulders tight): If I go in there and say the wrong thing, it won't matter what's right. It'll matter what they can use.
[He walks into the office. The door closes.]
Which inference about ELLIS is best supported by the dialogue and stage directions?
- He is confident that if he explains himself clearly, the adults will listen and clear up the whole misunderstanding.
- He feels powerless and believes that staying quiet may protect him from harsher consequences. (correct answer)
- He accepts that he took the tablet and hopes that staying silent will keep the adults from noticing his part in it.
- He is angry at Rina and believes that arguing with the adults would finally get him the fair hearing he wants.
Explanation: Ellis says the adults want "the story that fits," that arguing makes him "the problem," and that "background doesn't get punished as hard," and the stage directions show his shoulders going tight. Together these signal that he feels powerless and hopes silence will shield him, so the choice about staying quiet to avoid harsher consequences is best.
The choice saying he is confident the adults will listen is wrong because Ellis flatly denies this—he says they've already decided and want a story, not the truth. The choice saying he accepts he took the tablet contradicts the passage; his first line, "It wasn't," states plainly that he is not guilty. The choice saying he wants to argue for a fair hearing misreads him too—he says arguing would make him "the problem" and that what's right "won't matter," so he expects no fair hearing at all.
Question 6
In the attic, the air tasted like paper and old summers. Noah moved slowly, not because he feared spiders (he'd already made peace with them) but because the floorboards had a way of complaining. Each step produced a thin groan, as if the house were keeping score.
His grandmother's trunk sat beneath the slanted roof, its brass latch dulled to the color of pennies left in rain. Noah had been told not to open it until "the right time," a phrase that always sounded wise and also suspiciously convenient.
He knelt, listening. Downstairs, his father's voice rose and fell on the phone, practiced calm stretched over something sharper. Noah could not catch words, only the rhythm of restraint.
The latch gave with a reluctant click. Inside lay a stack of letters tied with a ribbon that had once been green. The top envelope was addressed to his father in handwriting Noah recognized from birthday cards, his grandmother's, except here the loops were tighter, the lines more urgent.
Noah did not read. He told himself that. He only looked at the date: fifteen years ago. The year before his mother left.
A dusty beam of light cut across the letters, making the ribbon's faded green briefly vivid, like a leaf refusing autumn. Noah's hand hovered, then withdrew. He shut the trunk again, gently, as if closing a mouth that might say too much.
Later, at dinner, his father asked about the attic.
"Nothing up there," Noah said.
His father nodded, too quickly, and kept chewing, though the food seemed diminished in his mouth.
What can be inferred about Noah's motivation for not reading the letters?
- He is uninterested in his family and prefers not to think about the past at all
- He wants to protect himself and his father from painful truths he suspects the letters contain (correct answer)
- He believes the letters are fake and plans to throw them away later
- He is waiting for permission because he thinks the letters are part of a surprise party
Explanation: Tests reading and comprehending literature (stories, dramas, poems) at high end of grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently—demonstrating understanding through interpretation of themes, analysis of characterization, recognition of literary techniques, inference from textual evidence, and synthesis of meaning. High-complexity literature comprehension requires: Literal understanding foundation—grasping basic plot events, character names and relationships, setting, dialogue content (surface level must be secure before deeper analysis). Inferential thinking—drawing conclusions from evidence not explicitly stated (character's actions, dialogue tone, repeated images suggesting traits or themes not directly named—"She checked the locks three times, reorganized her materials twice, arrived thirty minutes early" suggests anxiety and need for control without text stating "she was anxious and controlling"). Interpretation of literary techniques—figurative language: metaphors, similes, symbolism requiring seeing beyond literal ("The locked door represented her fear of change and missed opportunities"—door is literal door but also symbolic), imagery creating mood through sensory details ("shadows crept, wind howled, darkness pressed"—personification and dark imagery creating ominous mood, reader recognizes technique's effect), characterization through showing not telling (character's actions, dialogue, reactions reveal traits—reader interprets rather than being told "she was kind"). Theme identification—universal ideas or insights about life/human nature developed through story ("Courage means acting despite fear"—abstract theme emerging from concrete character journey facing fears). Analysis of how elements contribute—explaining how specific techniques affect meaning (flashback structure emphasizes transformative moment, repeated motif reinforces theme, character's word choice reveals background or current emotion, setting mirrors internal state—connecting technique to purpose/effect). Synthesis of meaning—integrating parts into whole (how characters, events, literary techniques, themes work together conveying complete meaning—not fragmented understanding but holistic comprehension of what text means and how it means it). Noah's motivation requires inference from multiple clues: Letters dated "fifteen years ago. The year before his mother left" suggests connection to painful family event. Father's phone conversation shows "practiced calm stretched over something sharper"—tension/pain being managed. Noah's decision process: "hand hovered, then withdrew" and closing trunk "gently, as if closing a mouth that might say too much" reveals fear of what letters might reveal. His lie at dinner ("Nothing up there") while father nods "too quickly" shows mutual protection—both avoiding painful truth. Noah's awareness that letters have "loops...tighter, the lines more urgent" suggests he senses their emotional weight. The metaphor of closing "a mouth that might say too much" explicitly connects to silencing painful revelations. This demonstrates proficient inference: Noah protects both himself and father from suspected painful truths about mother's departure—complex emotional motivation inferred from actions, metaphors, and family dynamics. Answer B correctly identifies "He wants to protect himself and his father from painful truths he suspects the letters contain"—sophisticated character analysis through evidence synthesis. Answer A contradicts his careful attention to family artifacts; Answer C invents skepticism not supported by his reverent handling; Answer D misreads serious tone as party planning.
Question 7
My grandmother keeps a jar of buttons
that used to belong to shirts
I never saw.
When she opens the lid,
the buttons speak in small clicks,
like teeth of a careful animal.
"Choose one," she says,
as if choosing is simple.
There is a button shaped like a moon,
one like a drop of ink,
one with a crack that splits it
but does not break it.
I pick the cracked one.
She does not ask why.
She threads it onto my coat
with a needle that flashes,
silver and swift.
"Now," she says, "you can lose this coat
and still be found."
Outside, the wind worries the street.
I pull the coat tighter.
The button presses my chest,
a small, profound weight,
as if it has been waiting
for my name.
Which interpretation best explains the meaning of the cracked button in the poem?
- It symbolizes the speaker's private longing for finer things, suggesting the plain coat is worn only to hide a wish to appear wealthier to others.
- It symbolizes the family's poverty, suggesting the grandmother reuses old, damaged buttons only because she cannot afford to purchase anything new.
- It symbolizes a history of hardship that can be carried with pride, suggesting a damaged past still connects the speaker to family and creates belonging. (correct answer)
- It symbolizes fragile connections, suggesting the family's ties are cracked and likely to fail the speaker just as a broken button eventually falls away.
Explanation: The button is cracked "but does not break," comes from shirts the speaker never saw, and lets the speaker "be found." These details tie the button to family history and to belonging that is carried with pride, which is why the answer about hardship connecting the speaker to family is best. The choice about longing for finer things misreads the poem as vanity, but the speaker feels grounded and "found," not eager to impress anyone. The choice about poverty takes one possible cause literally and reduces the button to a money problem, ignoring the tender, symbolic weight the poem gives it. The choice about fragile, failing ties gets the crack backward: the poem stresses that the crack "does not break" and that the button will keep the speaker "found," so it signals endurance, not collapse.
Question 8
The river behind our apartments
is not wide, not famous,
just persistent.
In spring it carries bottles,
branches, the occasional soccer ball,
small evidence of other lives.
My uncle says the river is like family:
it remembers what you drop in it.
He says this while rinsing rice,
as if memory can be made clean.
At night, when the streetlights blink,
I hear the water practicing
its endless sentence.
I used to think leaving
meant cutting a rope.
Now I think it is more like
learning the knot,
then choosing where to tie it.
This morning the river is low.
Rocks emerge, dark backs
warming in the sun.
Between them, the current threads through,
refusing to be stopped,
refusing to be only one thing.
What does the river most likely represent in the poem?
- An obstacle the speaker must struggle against, one that tests strength and stands between the family and a better life elsewhere.
- A symbol of lasting identity and connection, shaped by what it carries and remembers. (correct answer)
- The passage of ordinary time, a steady current that carries days away and leaves the speaker unable to hold on to any single moment.
- A source of comfort and escape, a private place where the speaker retreats to forget family memories rather than keep them.
Explanation: The poem builds the river into a figure for who the speaker is and where the speaker belongs. The uncle says the river is 'like family: it remembers what you drop in it,' the current carries 'small evidence of other lives,' and it keeps 'refusing to be only one thing.' Together these lines make the river a symbol of an identity and connection that hold memory and stay complex over time. The choice about identity and connection captures exactly that. The obstacle reading fails because the tone is calm and contemplative, and the speaker never fights or crosses the river. The passage-of-time reading is close but misses the poem's stress on memory and belonging—the river holds what you drop in, it does not sweep it away. The comfort-and-escape reading reverses the poem's central idea: the river is praised for remembering, not for helping the speaker forget.
Question 9
How do the stage directions (especially MS. PATEL setting down the clipboard) contribute to the characterization of MS. PATEL?
- They show she is careless with the rehearsal materials and loses focus on directing Amir
- They emphasize that she stays strict and detached from Amir's worries about performing
- They reveal she intentionally shifts from authority to support so Amir can take a risk (correct answer)
- They suggest she feels unsure because she has not fully prepared for the community night
Explanation: The stage directions describe Ms. Patel setting the clipboard down "a deliberate surrender of authority." The word "deliberate" signals a conscious choice, not an accident. This physical move matches her dialogue: she begins with commands ("Project your voice") and critique, then softens ("Who is 'they' today?"), and finally encourages honesty ("Try something true instead"). Releasing the clipboard removes the barrier of her teacher role so Amir feels safe enough to be truthful, which he is by the end. So the best answer is that she intentionally shifts from authority to support so Amir can take a risk.
The choice about carelessness misreads a purposeful, described-as-"deliberate" action as forgetfulness. The choice about staying strict and detached contradicts the clear softening in both her gestures and her words. The choice about feeling unsure or unprepared invents a doubt the scene never shows; her steady, confident guidance throughout proves she knows exactly what she is doing.
Question 10
The first snow of the year arrived like a rumor, thin, uncertain, and impossible to ignore once people started repeating it. By the time Jun walked home, the sidewalks wore a pale dusting, and the neighborhood sounded muffled, as if someone had placed a hand over the city's mouth.
At the corner store, Mr. Kowalski was taping cardboard over a cracked window.
"Storm's coming," he said, though the sky looked harmless.
Jun nodded. He had learned that some warnings were not about weather.
On his street, the maple tree in front of number 18 held onto its leaves longer than it should have. They were shriveled, the color of rust, and they clung with a stubbornness Jun admired and pitied at once.
Inside his apartment, his mother sat at the table with a letter open in front of her. Her expression was composed, but her hands kept smoothing the paper, flattening it, as if it might resist whatever it said.
Jun did not ask. He hung his coat and watched snow gather on the fire escape outside, each flake a small decision to stay.
Later, when his mother finally spoke, her voice was steady.
"We may have to move," she said.
Jun looked again at the maple leaves, still attached, still pretending.
"I know," he answered, surprising himself with the calm in his own tone.
How does the author's description of the snow and the maple leaves help develop the passage's meaning?
- It uses them as literal details: the falling snow simply sets the season, and the leaves show how cold weather arrived early this year.
- It uses them as contrast: the fresh snow signals a hopeful new start, while the dying leaves warn Jun to resist the coming change.
- It uses them as symbols: the snow hints at coming change, and the clinging leaves show fragile hope. (correct answer)
- It uses them as foreshadowing: the storm predicts a family argument, and the falling leaves reveal that Jun's mother has already left home.
Explanation: The snow that gathers "to stay" quietly mirrors an approaching, unavoidable change, and the leaves clinging past their season reflect a fragile wish to hold on, matching Jun's calm sadness about the possible move. That is why reading them as symbols is the best answer. Treating them as purely literal season-setting details ignores how the writing loads them with feeling and meaning. Reading them as a contrast between hope and resistance misfires because the snow is not hopeful and Jun accepts the change rather than resisting it. Reading them as foreshadowing of an argument or a mother who has already gone invents events the passage never supports; nothing shows a fight, and his mother is present at the table. Only the symbolic reading fits the passage's quiet mood and the parallel between the images and Jun's emotions.