Iowa practice, Grade 7

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Scholar Tests · Set 1

Iowa practice test, Grade 7

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Reading

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 13 minutes.

  1. From Bill to Law

    Every federal law in the United States begins as an idea. The idea might come from a member of Congress, from the President, or from an ordinary citizen who writes to a representative, but only a member of Congress can formally propose a new law. Once an idea is written up and proposed, it is called a bill. Congress has two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and a bill must make it through both.

    The Path of a Bill

    1. A member of the House or the Senate introduces the bill in his or her own chamber. The bill receives a number, such as H.R. 1 in the House or S. 1 in the Senate.

    2. The bill is sent to a committee, a smaller group of members who focus on one subject, such as farming or education. The committee studies the bill, may hold hearings where experts speak, and can change its wording. Most bills never get past this step.

    3. If the committee approves the bill, the full chamber debates it and votes. If a majority votes yes, the bill passes that chamber.

    4. The bill then moves to the other chamber, where steps 2 and 3 happen all over again.

    5. Both chambers must pass exactly the same version of the bill. If the second chamber has made changes, the two chambers must settle their differences, often in a committee with members from both, and then each chamber votes again on the final version.

    6. The bill goes to the President. If the President signs it, it becomes law. The President can also veto, or reject, the bill and send it back to Congress with the reasons for the veto.

    7. Congress can still turn a vetoed bill into law. If two-thirds of the members voting in both the House and the Senate vote to override the veto, the bill becomes law without the President's signature.

    1.

    What must happen right before a bill goes to the President?

    1. AA committee in the first chamber holds hearings on it.
    2. BBoth chambers pass exactly the same version of it.
    3. CThe President sends it back with reasons.
    4. DCongress votes to override a veto of it.
  2. 2.

    How do the numbered steps help readers?

    1. AThey count how many laws Congress passes each year.
    2. BThey show the order in which a bill moves toward becoming law.
    3. CThey list the names of all the members who serve on each committee.
    4. DThey show which chamber of Congress has more power.
  3. 3.

    In the passage, what does "override" mean in "vote to override the veto"?

    1. Acancel or overrule
    2. Bargue about
    3. Cwrite it over again
    4. Dsign quickly

  4. Two Texts About Mount St. Helens

    Text 1: The Eruption of Mount St. Helens

    Mount St. Helens is a volcano in the Cascade Range of Washington State. In the spring of 1980, after more than a century of quiet, it began to rumble. Small earthquakes shook the mountain, and its north side began to bulge outward as melted rock, called magma, pushed up inside it.

    At 8:32 a.m. on May 18, 1980, an earthquake struck beneath the volcano. The bulging north side broke loose and slid away in the largest landslide ever recorded. With that weight of rock suddenly gone, the gas and magma inside burst out sideways in a powerful blast that flattened forests across more than 200 square miles. A column of ash rose miles into the sky, and winds carried the ash east across many states.

    The eruption lowered the mountain's summit by about 1,300 feet, leaving a huge crater open to the north. Fifty-seven people died.

    Text 2: A Ranger's Talk

    "Good morning, everyone, and welcome. I'm Ranger Lena Ortiz. When people first saw this valley after the 1980 eruption, many of them believed nothing would ever live here again, because the ground was buried under gray ash. But life returned much sooner than anyone expected.

    "Some animals survived underground. Pocket gophers were safe in their burrows during the blast, and when they tunneled back to the surface, they mixed the ash with the rich old soil below, which gave seeds a better place to sprout.

    "Plants arrived, too. Fireweed seeds drifted in on the wind. Prairie lupine, a plant with purple flowers, was one of the first to grow on the bare ground, and it added nutrients that helped other plants follow. Look around today, and you'll see wildflowers, young trees, and elk grazing where there was once only ash."

    4.

    According to Text 1, how did the eruption change the shape of the mountain?

    1. AIts summit ended up about 1,300 feet lower.
    2. BIts crater filled up with new forest.
    3. CIts summit grew about 200 feet higher than before.
    4. DIt split into two separate peaks.
  5. 5.

    How does the focus of Text 2 differ from the focus of Text 1?

    1. AText 1 explains why all volcanoes form, while Text 2 explains how to visit one.
    2. BText 1 describes plants and animals, while Text 2 describes the earthquake and blast.
    3. CText 1 describes the eruption's destruction, while Text 2 describes how life returned.
    4. DText 1 tells about the elk, while Text 2 tells about the landslide and crater.

  6. The Kitchen Clock

    Above the stove, my grandpa's clock still hangs, its face gone yellow and its numbers thin, and every hour, before it clinks and clangs, it wheezes like a train that's pulling in. It runs eight minutes slow, and always will; it made us miss the school bus twice in May. My brother says to buy a new one. Still, I climb up on a chair each Saturday to turn the brass key, just as Grandpa showed: twelve turns, no more, then listen for the click, the way he did until his fingers slowed. Some mornings I can hear him in the tick. It isn't time I'm keeping when I wind; it's eight slow minutes Grandpa left behind.

    6.

    The poet describes the clock's chime with the words "clinks and clangs." What does the repetition of sounds in these words add?

    1. AIt signals that the speaker is angry at the clock for making the family late.
    2. BIt imitates the sharp, metal noise of the clock striking the hour.
    3. CIt shows that the clock has gone completely silent.
    4. DIt shows that the clock plays a gentle, quiet song.
  7. 7.

    Which theme does the poem express?

    1. AAn object can matter for the memories it holds, not for how well it works.
    2. BFixing things yourself is better than buying new ones.
    3. CBeing on time is a person's most important duty.
    4. DBrothers and sisters rarely agree about anything.
  8. 8.

    How does the speaker's view of the clock differ from the brother's?

    1. AThe brother thinks its chime is far too loud, while the speaker thinks it is too quiet.
    2. BThe brother loves the clock, while the speaker wants to throw it out.
    3. CBoth of them see the clock as a useless piece of junk.
    4. DThe brother sees a broken tool to replace, while the speaker sees a link to Grandpa.

  9. The Empty Chair

    CHARACTERS: LEILA and DANTE, sixth graders and best friends; ISABEL, a sixth grader who is new to the school

    (The cafeteria at Lakeview Middle School. LEILA and DANTE sit at a small table. The third chair holds DANTE's backpack. Across the room, ISABEL eats alone, bent over a sketchbook.)

    LEILA: Isabel has been eating by herself every single day this week. I think we should ask her to come sit with us.

    DANTE: (unwrapping his sandwich) We don't even know her, Leila.

    LEILA: That's kind of the whole point of asking somebody to lunch.

    DANTE: It'll be awkward. What would we even talk about? She'll be quiet, we'll be quiet, and lunch will turn into thirty minutes of everybody chewing and staring at the ceiling.

    LEILA: You were new in fourth grade, remember? Who asked you to sit with them on your very first day?

    DANTE: (looking down at his tray) You did.

    LEILA: And was it awkward?

    DANTE: Maybe for about a day. (He shrugs.) Anyway, it doesn't matter, because there's no room at this table.

    (LEILA stares at the backpack on the third chair, then back at DANTE.)

    DANTE: That's... technically my backpack's seat.

    LEILA: Since when does your backpack need a seat of its own?

    (Across the room, ISABEL turns a page. Her sketchbook shows a large drawing of a wolf in a silver space helmet, the hero of the comic book DANTE reads every single day.)

    DANTE: (sitting up) Wait, is that Nova Wolf? Nobody draws Nova Wolf. Nobody at this entire school has even heard of Nova Wolf except me.

    LEILA: Apparently somebody has.

    (DANTE grabs his backpack off the chair, drops it on the floor, and stands up.)

    LEILA: Where are you going?

    DANTE: I'm going to ask her whether she's read issue twelve, because the ending was unbelievable. (He stops and turns back.) And I'm going to ask her to sit with us. Obviously.

    LEILA: (smiling and sliding the empty chair out) Obviously.

    9.

    Which stage direction is most important to the turn in the plot?

    1. ADante looks down at his tray when Leila asks him a question.
    2. BDante shrugs just before he says that there is no room.
    3. CIsabel turns to a drawing of the hero of Dante's favorite comic.
    4. DDante unwraps his sandwich while Leila talks about Isabel.
  10. 10.

    Which theme does the scene suggest?

    1. AComic books are more interesting than lunch.
    2. BGiving someone a chance can reveal how much you have in common.
    3. CShy people would rather eat lunch by themselves than with others.
    4. DOld friends should not make room for new ones.

Written Expression

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 9 minutes.

  1. 1.

    Which sentence uses capital letters correctly?

    1. AThe governor shook hands with Mayor Chen at the opening of the new bridge.
    2. BThe Governor shook hands with Mayor Chen at the opening of the new bridge.
    3. Cthe governor shook hands with Mayor Chen at the opening of the new bridge.
    4. DThe governor shook hands with Mayor chen at the opening of the new bridge.
  2. 2.

    Many pioneers traveled west on the Oregon Trail. The trail was about two thousand miles long. Most of the pioneers walked beside their wagons.

    Which sentence best combines the three sentences without changing what they mean?

    1. AMany pioneers traveled west on the Oregon Trail, which was about two thousand miles long, most of them walked beside their wagons.
    2. BMany pioneers traveled west on the Oregon Trail, which was about two thousand miles long, and most of them walked beside their wagons.
    3. CMany pioneers traveled west on the Oregon Trail, which was about two thousand miles long.
    4. DMany pioneers traveled west on the Oregon Trail, who was about two thousand miles long, and most of them walked beside their wagons.
  3. 3.

    Every middle school student should study a second language, such as Spanish, Chinese, or French. Learning another language lets students talk with more people in their town and around the world. Workers who speak two languages are needed in many jobs, from hospitals to stores. Moreover, a new language helps students learn about the food, music, and art of other places. ______

    Which sentence would be the best concluding sentence for this paragraph?

    1. AThe first baseball game I ever watched lasted almost four hours because of rain delays.
    2. BSpanish is the second most common language spoken in American homes, so it is useful in daily life.
    3. COur neighbor's garden is full of tall sunflowers that face the morning sun.
    4. DClearly, learning a second language is a smart choice for every middle school student.
  4. 4.

    Omar is writing an argument about whether the cafeteria should offer a salad bar.

    Which sentence would be the strongest claim for the argument?

    1. AOur cafeteria should add a salad bar, because more fresh vegetables would help students eat healthier lunches.
    2. BFood in the cafeteria is a big topic.
    3. CWould a salad bar be good for our cafeteria?
    4. DThe cafeteria serves lunch to about 600 students each day.
  5. 5.

    Which sentence uses commas correctly?

    1. AThe Liberty Bell, which has a famous crack, is, displayed in Philadelphia.
    2. BThe Liberty Bell, which has a famous crack, is displayed in Philadelphia.
    3. CThe Liberty Bell, which has a famous crack is displayed in, Philadelphia.
    4. DThe Liberty Bell which has a famous crack, is displayed in Philadelphia.
  6. 6.

    Exhausted after the long field trip, the bus ride home put the students to sleep.

    This sentence has a dangling modifier. Which revision corrects it?

    1. ABecause the students were exhausted after the long field trip, the bus ride home put them to sleep.
    2. BExhausted after the long field trip, the students' bus ride home put them to sleep.
    3. CBecause the students were exhausted after the long field trip and the bus ride home.
    4. DBecause the students were exhausted after the long field trip, the bus ride home kept them awake.
  7. 7.

    Which sentence is a simple sentence?

    1. AThe eighth graders visited Washington, D.C., in the spring, and they toured the memorials that honor Lincoln and Jefferson.
    2. BUnless the team wins its final game, it will not qualify for the state basketball tournament.
    3. CSofia studied the map of the Oregon Trail carefully, but she still mixed up the locations of two important forts on the quiz.
    4. DGrandpa and I fished from the old wooden dock on Lake Michigan for most of the morning without a single bite.
  8. 8.

    Finished in 1936, the Hoover Dam tamed the Colorado River and became a major source of power for the Southwest. According to the US Bureau of Reclamation, which runs the dam, the curved concrete wall is more than 700 feet tall. Water held back by the dam formed Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States when it is full. As water from the lake rushes through the dam, it spins giant turbines that generate electricity. Our English class is reading a mystery novel set at a ski lodge in Vermont. Consequently, the dam's power plant can supply electricity to homes and businesses in Nevada, Arizona, and California. In these ways, the Hoover Dam both controls a mighty river and powers towns and cities across the Southwest.

    Which sentence does NOT belong in this paragraph?

    1. AAs water from the lake rushes through the dam, it spins giant turbines that generate electricity.
    2. BOur English class is reading a mystery novel set at a ski lodge in Vermont.
    3. CWater held back by the dam formed Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States when it is full.
    4. DConsequently, the dam's power plant can supply electricity to homes and businesses in Nevada, Arizona, and California.
  9. 9.

    A student is quoting this sentence from a report about the fifty states:
    "Hawaii, which is made up of more than one hundred islands, did not become a state until 1959."

    Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly to show that words were left out?

    1. AHawaii did not become a state until 1959.
    2. BHawaii ... did not become a state until 1959.
    3. CHawaii, which is made up of more than one hundred islands, did not become a state ... until 1959.
    4. DHawaii, which is made up of more than one hundred islands, did ... become a state until 1959.
  10. 10.

    After two days of listening, the jury ______ ready to announce its decision.

    Which word or words best complete the sentence?

    1. Aare
    2. Bwere
    3. Chave been
    4. Dis

Mathematics

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 9 minutes.

  1. 1.

    What is the surface area of the right rectangular prism?

    1. A47 square feet
    2. B64 square feet
    3. C94 square feet
    4. D60 square feet
  2. 2.

    20 students each said how many books they read over spring break. The table shows the results. What percent of the students read 0 books?

    1. A65%
    2. B7%
    3. C40%
    4. D35%
  3. 3.

    Which equation shows the relationship between x and y in the table?

    1. Ay = 9x
    2. By = x + 9
    3. Cy = 10x
    4. Dx = y + 9
  4. 4.

    Store A sells 7 juice boxes for $6.65. Store B sells 4 juice boxes for $4.00. Which is the better buy?

    1. AStore A, at $0.95 for each box
    2. BStore B, at $1.00 for each box
    3. CNeither: they cost the same for each box
    4. DStore B, because $4.00 is less than $6.65
  5. 5.

    A right rectangular prism has a base that is 5 centimeters by 3 centimeters. A plane slices it perpendicular to its base, from front to back. What shape is the cross section?

    1. ATriangle
    2. BCircle
    3. CRectangle
    4. DSquare
  6. 6.

    The box plots show the scores two classes got on the same quiz. Which statement is true?

    1. AClass A has the greater maximum.
    2. BClass B has the greater median.
    3. CClass B has the greater maximum.
    4. DClass B has the greater range.
  7. 7.

    n is the least of three consecutive integers. Which expression is the sum of the three integers?

    1. A3n + 6
    2. B3n + 3
    3. C3n
    4. Dn + 3
  8. 8.

    As a decimal, 5/13 = 0.384615384615..., where the digits 384615 repeat forever. What is the 52nd digit after the decimal point?

    1. A4
    2. B1
    3. C8
    4. D6
  9. 9.

    The price of a used car went up 40%. Then the new price went down 40%. How did the final price compare with the starting price?

    1. AIt went down 16%.
    2. BIt went up 16%.
    3. CIt went down 40%.
    4. DIt did not change.
  10. 10.

    The table shows the total cost c, in dollars, after m months. It is a linear function. What is the rate of change, in dollars per month?

    1. A−16
    2. B36
    3. C16
    4. D52

Vocabulary

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 5 minutes.

  1. 1.

    Which word names the smallest piece of stone?

    1. Apebble
    2. Bblizzard
    3. Crock
    4. Dboulder
  2. 2.

    Which sentence uses a pun?

    1. AI'm so tired that I'm going to bed early tonight.
    2. BWrapped in my quilt, I felt warm and cozy.
    3. CThe old car made loud engine noises as it climbed the steep hill.
    4. DThe bicycle could not stand up by itself because it was two tired.
  3. 3.

    Mundane is to exciting as avid is to ______.

    Which word completes the analogy?

    1. Aenthusiastic
    2. Buninterested
    3. Csolid
    4. Dvalid
  4. 4.

    Astronauts say even mundane tasks, like brushing your teeth, are tricky in space.

    What does the word mundane mean in this sentence?

    1. Aordinary and not exciting
    2. Bthrilling and new
    3. Cdangerous and scary
    4. Dexpensive and fancy
  5. 5.

    The guide words on a dictionary page are tedious and temporary.

    Which word would you find on that page?

    1. Aterrified
    2. Btemple
    3. Cthrilled
    4. Dtrunk
  6. 6.

    The census showed that our town had grown by two thousand residents.

    This sentence is from a social studies book. What does census mean?

    1. Aan official count of the people who live in a place
    2. Ba map of a country's rivers
    3. Ca tax on goods from abroad
    4. Da vote to choose a leader
  7. 7.

    In 7x + 3, the coefficient of x is 7.

    This sentence is from a math book. What does coefficient mean?

    1. Athe number multiplied by a variable in an expression
    2. Ba point where two lines cross
    3. Cthe bottom number in a fraction
    4. Dthe distance around a shape
  8. 8.

    Her lucid essay laid out each step so plainly that even my little sister followed it.

    What does the word lucid mean in this sentence?

    1. Avery long
    2. Bconfusing and messy
    3. Cclear and easy to understand
    4. Dvery funny
  9. 9.

    Which word has a root that means "send"?

    1. Avision
    2. Bperspire
    3. Cbeneficial
    4. Dtransmit
  10. 10.

    One card was missing from the deck, so we could not play.

    In which sentence does deck have the same meaning as in the sentence above?

    1. AEvery December, our neighbors deck their porch with colored lights.
    2. BWe ate dinner on the back deck on warm summer nights.
    3. CShuffle the deck before you deal the cards.
    4. DDad built a deck behind the house with a grill and two chairs.

Computation

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 6 minutes.

  1. 1.

    A club's membership grew from 140 to 560 over a year. By what percentage did it go up?

    1. A300%
    2. B75%
    3. C420%
    4. D400%
  2. 2.

    What is −2 1/2 + 3 2/3?

    1. A−6 1/6
    2. B−1 1/6
    3. C6 1/6
    4. D1 1/6
  3. 3.

    A bakery's weekly orders rose from 380 to 1,140 over the summer. By what percentage did it go up?

    1. A67%
    2. B760%
    3. C200%
    4. D205%
  4. 4.

    Find the value of x.
    9x + 4 = 103

    1. A10
    2. B11
    3. C12
    4. D13
  5. 5.

    Find the value of x.
    4x + 6 = 42

    1. A12
    2. B9
    3. C8
    4. D10
  6. 6.

    Isla works as a tutor and earns $22.80 for every hour. This week Isla worked for 0.5 hours. How much did Isla earn?

    1. A$114.00
    2. B$11.40
    3. C$23.30
    4. D$1.14
  7. 7.

    Work out 0.3 ÷ 0.05.

    1. A0.06
    2. B0.6
    3. C60
    4. D6
  8. 8.

    What is the value of 36 + (7 × 7² − 8)?

    1. A126
    2. B2,099
    3. C323
    4. D371
  9. 9.

    What is the reciprocal of 1/5 + 1/2?

    1. A10/7
    2. B7/10
    3. C7/2
    4. D10
  10. 10.

    Which fraction is equal to a repeating decimal?

    1. A11/25
    2. B3/8
    3. C1/16
    4. D5/6

Written by Scholar Tests in the style of the published Iowa question types. Not a real Iowa test, and a practice score is not a real score.