Stanford 10 practice, Grade 8

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Scholar Tests · Set 3

Stanford 10 practice test, Grade 8

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Reading Vocabulary

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 7 minutes.

  1. 1.

    Which word shows the least damage by fire?

    1. Amurmur
    2. Bsinge
    3. Cincinerate
    4. Dburn
  2. 2.

    The guide words on a dictionary page are precious and precocious.

    Which word would you find on that page?

    1. Aproducer
    2. Bprevalent
    3. Cprecise
    4. Dpolygon
  3. 3.

    What does the word hydrant mean?

    1. Aa pipe on the street that gives water for putting out fires
    2. Ba sign that tells cars to stop
    3. Ca box for mail
    4. Da pole that holds up a street light
  4. 4.

    A grain of sand got stuck in my shoe.

    Which meaning of grain is used in this sentence?

    1. Athe seeds of plants such as wheat and rice
    2. Ba tiny, hard bit of something
    3. Ca loud cracking sound
    4. Dthe pattern of lines in wood
  5. 5.

    The new girl in class wore plain clothes and was very quiet. Later, the class found out she was the best chess player in the whole school.

    Which saying best fits this story?

    1. AEvery cloud has a silver lining
    2. BDon't judge a book by its cover
    3. CGreat minds think alike
    4. DWhere there's a will, there's a way
  6. 6.

    Which word means the same as mitigate?

    1. Aease
    2. Bworsen
    3. Cmigrate
    4. Dirrigate
  7. 7.

    The despondent puppy lay by the door for hours after the family left.

    What does the word despondent mean in this sentence?

    1. Ajoyful and excited
    2. Bbossy and loud
    3. Cwithout hope and very sad
    4. Dproud and boastful
  8. 8.

    The ladder leaning against the wall formed the hypotenuse of a right triangle.

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

    1. Athe line through the center of a circle
    2. Bthe top number in a ratio
    3. Cthe flat bottom of a cone
    4. Dthe longest side of a right triangle, across from the right angle
  9. 9.

    The guide words on a dictionary page are devour and diameter.

    Which word would you find on that page?

    1. Adiagram
    2. Bdedicate
    3. Cdismal
    4. Ddeceitful
  10. 10.

    Which word means almost the same as selective but has a more negative connotation?

    1. Acheap
    2. Bdiscerning
    3. Cnewfangled
    4. Dpicky

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. 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.

    1.

    In a Shakespearean sonnet, the closing couplet often brings a turn, or shift in thought. How does the couplet change this poem?

    1. AIt shows that the brother has come to love the clock.
    2. BIt describes the sound of the clock's chime for the first time.
    3. CIt reveals that the speaker winds the clock to hold on to Grandpa, not to tell time.
    4. DIt reveals that the speaker has finally agreed with the brother to buy a brand-new clock.
  2. 2.

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

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

  3. Why the Sky Is Blue and Sunsets Are Red

    On a clear afternoon the sky overhead is a deep blue, yet a few hours later, near the horizon, the same sky can blaze orange and red. Both colors come from the same sunlight. The difference lies in how that light travels through the air.

    Sunlight looks white, but it is actually a mixture of all the colors of the rainbow. Each color travels as a wave of a different length. Red light has the longest wavelength of the visible colors, while blue and violet have the shortest.

    On its way to your eyes, sunlight passes through the atmosphere, which is made mostly of tiny molecules of nitrogen and oxygen. These molecules are far smaller than the wavelengths of visible light, and when light strikes them, some of it bounces off in new directions. This process is called scattering. Molecules this small scatter short wavelengths much more strongly than long ones, so blue light is scattered far more than red. The scattered blue light reaches your eyes from every part of the sky, and the whole sky glows blue. Scientists call this effect Rayleigh scattering, after the British physicist who explained it in the late 1800s.

    Violet light is scattered even more than blue, so why isn't the sky violet? Sunlight contains less violet than blue to begin with, and human eyes are more sensitive to blue.

    At sunrise and sunset, the sun sits low on the horizon, and its light must travel through much more air to reach you. Along that long path, most of the blue light is scattered away before it arrives. What remains is mostly the longer wavelengths: yellow, orange, and red. Dust, smoke, or tiny droplets in the air can deepen these colors even further, which is why some sunsets seem to set the whole sky on fire.

    3.

    According to the article, why are sunsets often orange and red?

    1. AAir molecules soak up red light by day and release it at dusk.
    2. BClouds always block the blue light whenever the sun is low.
    3. CAt sunset, light crosses more air, so most of its blue is scattered away.
    4. DThe sun gives off more red light in the evening than at noon.
  4. 4.

    The article says that "human eyes are more sensitive to blue." What does "sensitive to" mean here?

    1. Aeasily hurt or damaged by
    2. Bquick to notice or respond to
    3. Cunable to see clearly
    4. Dlikely to forget about quickly
  5. 5.

    According to the article, why doesn't the sky look violet, even though violet light is scattered the most?

    1. ASunlight has less violet than blue, and our eyes respond more to blue.
    2. BViolet light cannot pass through molecules of oxygen.
    3. CViolet light is scattered only when the sun is low at sunrise and sunset.
    4. DViolet light has the longest wavelength of all the colors.

  6. 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.

    6.

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

    1. AThe bill is given a number such as H.R. 1.
    2. BBoth chambers pass exactly the same version of it.
    3. CA committee in the first chamber holds hearings on it.
    4. DCongress votes to override a veto of it.
  7. 7.

    How do the numbered steps help readers?

    1. AThey list the names of all the members who serve on each committee.
    2. BThey show the order in which a bill moves toward becoming law.
    3. CThey show which chamber of Congress has more power.
    4. DThey rank bills from the most to the least important.

  8. Two Tales of Flying Too High

    Text 1: The Wings of Daedalus (a myth from ancient Greece)

    Daedalus was the most ingenious inventor in Greece, but King Minos refused to let him leave the island of Crete and held him there with his young son, Icarus. "Minos controls the land and the sea," Daedalus said, "but he does not control the sky." For months he collected feathers, binding them with thread and wax, until he had constructed two pairs of wings.

    Before they departed, he gave his son a careful warning. "Follow the middle path between sea and sky. If you fly too low, the spray will soak your feathers; if you fly too high, the sun will melt the wax."

    At first Icarus obeyed, but the wind lifted him, and the exhilaration of flying drove every warning from his mind. He climbed higher and higher toward the blazing sun until the wax softened, the feathers slipped loose, and he plunged into the sea. Daedalus could only fly on alone, grieving for his son.

    Text 2: Altitude

    Miles had saved his allowance for eight months to buy the drone. Before its first flight, on the beach near Cape Hatteras, his father explained the rules. "Keep it where you can see it, and keep it low, because the wind off the ocean gets stronger the higher you go."

    For ten minutes, Miles flew flawlessly, skimming the dunes and the pier. Then he glanced at the screen and imagined the photograph he could capture from higher up: the curving shoreline, the lighthouse, the whitecaps rolling in. Just a little higher, he told himself.

    At 300 feet the drone began to shudder, and at 350 a gust seized it and swept it out over the water. Miles yanked at the controls, but the drone tilted, spun, and dropped into the gray waves.

    Miles braced himself for a lecture. Instead, his father rested an arm across his shoulders and gazed at the ocean.

    "It was a view worth seeing," he said at last. "Just not from up there."

    8.

    How does Text 2 draw on the myth in Text 1?

    1. AIt reverses the myth so that the parent ignores the child's warning.
    2. BIt repeats the pattern of a warning forgotten by a child eager to climb higher.
    3. CIt moves the same two characters, Daedalus and Icarus, to a modern beach.
    4. DIt shows a father building a pair of wings so that his son can escape an island.
  9. 9.

    Which theme do both texts share?

    1. AThe sea is far more dangerous than the sky.
    2. BParents should never let their children try anything new or risky.
    3. CChildren should save their money for what they want.
    4. DExcitement can make people forget wise warnings, with painful results.
  10. 10.

    What does the father's response at the end of Text 2 reveal about him?

    1. AHe did not see the drone fall into the waves.
    2. BHe blames the ocean wind instead of blaming Miles.
    3. CHe is angry that Miles wasted eight months of his savings.
    4. DHe cares more about Miles than about the lost drone.

Mathematics Problem Solving

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 10 minutes.

  1. 1.

    In a random sample of 40 students at a high school, 26 play a sport after school. There are 800 students at the high school. About how many of them would you expect to play a sport after school?

    1. A520
    2. B208
    3. C280
    4. D26
  2. 2.

    A block of wood is a right rectangular prism 9 centimeters long, 9 centimeters wide and 4 centimeters tall. A hole 6 centimeters by 6 centimeters is cut straight through it from the top to the bottom. What is the volume of the wood that is left?

    1. A288 cubic centimeters
    2. B144 cubic centimeters
    3. C324 cubic centimeters
    4. D180 cubic centimeters
  3. 3.

    The formula P = 2l + 2w gives the perimeter of a rectangle. A garden has a perimeter of 72 feet and a length of 26 feet. What is its width, in feet?

    1. A10
    2. B23
    3. C20
    4. D18
  4. 4.

    The graph shows a proportional relationship between pounds of apples, x, and cost in dollars, y. The line passes through point P. What is the unit rate, the value of y when x is 1?

    1. A12
    2. B4
    3. C1/3
    4. D3
  5. 5.

    Which equation does NOT show a linear function?

    1. Ay = 4x + 5
    2. By = 2 − 2x
    3. Cy = 5x²
    4. Dy = 3x − 1
  6. 6.

    Triangle ABC is rotated 180° about the origin. Which statement about its image, triangle A′B′C′, is true?

    1. AIt is congruent to triangle ABC.
    2. BIt is similar to triangle ABC, but not congruent.
    3. CIts angles match triangle ABC's, but it is not similar to it.
    4. DIts sides are the same lengths as triangle ABC's, but its angles are different.
  7. 7.

    How many different 3-digit numbers can be made from the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 if no digit is used more than once?

    1. A30
    2. B216
    3. C120
    4. D18
  8. 8.

    A coat costs $150. It is marked down 10%. Then the sale price is marked down another 20%. What is the final price?

    1. A$135
    2. B$105
    3. C$120
    4. D$108
  9. 9.

    Which expression is equivalent to a⁴ ÷ a⁶?

    1. Aa¹⁰
    2. Ba²
    3. C1⁻²
    4. Da⁻²
  10. 10.

    What is √76, to the nearest tenth?

    1. A9
    2. B8.8
    3. C38
    4. D8.7

Mathematics Procedures

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

  1. 1.

    Which expression is equivalent to (5⁴)³?

    1. A5⁻¹²
    2. B5⁶⁴
    3. C5¹²
    4. D5⁷
  2. 2.

    Which expression is equivalent to (8⁻⁵)³?

    1. A8⁻¹⁵
    2. B8¹⁵
    3. C24⁻⁵
    4. D8⁻²
  3. 3.

    The formula P = 2l + 2w gives the perimeter of a rectangle. Which equation is the formula solved for l?

    1. Al = (P − w) ÷ 2
    2. Bl = (P − 2w) ÷ 2
    3. Cl = P ÷ 2 − 2w
    4. Dl = P − 2w
  4. 4.

    Find the value of x.
    10x − 5 = 5x + 15

    1. A5
    2. B20
    3. C4
    4. D3
  5. 5.

    What is the reciprocal of 3/4 + 2/5?

    1. A20/23
    2. B10/3
    3. C23/20
    4. D23/6
  6. 6.

    Ruby works as a bike mechanic and earns $18.30 for every hour. This week Ruby worked for 1.8 hours. How much did Ruby earn?

    1. A$20.10
    2. B$329.40
    3. C$18.30
    4. D$32.94
  7. 7.

    √358 is closest to which of these?

    1. A19
    2. B19.25
    3. C19.75
    4. D18.75
  8. 8.

    √34 is closest to which of these?

    1. A5.75
    2. B4.75
    3. C5
    4. D5.25
  9. 9.

    The formula P = 2l + 2w gives the perimeter of a rectangle. Which equation is the formula solved for w?

    1. Aw = P − 2l
    2. Bw = (P − l) ÷ 2
    3. Cw = P ÷ 2 − 2l
    4. Dw = (P − 2l) ÷ 2
  10. 10.

    Priya works as a bike mechanic and earns $27.40 for every hour. This week Priya worked for 0.5 hours. How much did Priya earn?

    1. A$13.70
    2. B$137.00
    3. C$27.90
    4. D$27.40

Language

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

  1. 1.

    1. First, write a list of open-ended questions about the person's childhood, school days, and first job.
    2. Next, ask your relative if you may record the talk on a phone or tablet.
    3. Afterward, play back the recording and write down the best stories you heard.
    4. During the interview, listen closely and ask more questions when an answer surprises you.

    In what order should these sentences go?

    1. A4, 2, 1, 3
    2. B3, 2, 4, 1
    3. C1, 2, 4, 3
    4. D1, 4, 2, 3
  2. 2.

    Which sentence uses parentheses correctly?

    1. AOur family (spent a week camping in Maine the most northeastern state).
    2. BOur family spent a week camping in Maine (the most northeastern state).
    3. COur family spent a week camping in Maine (the most northeastern state.)
    4. DOur family spent a week camping in Maine, (the most northeastern state).
  3. 3.

    The poem's ______ to a famous Greek myth surprised our class.

    Which word best completes the sentence?

    1. Adelusion
    2. Billusion
    3. Callusion
    4. Dalusion
  4. 4.

    The novel that Ms. Park assigned takes place on a farm in Iowa.

    Which choice best describes the words in bold?

    1. Aan independent clause
    2. Ba dependent clause that tells which one or what kind
    3. Ca dependent clause that tells where
    4. Da phrase that tells which one or what kind
  5. 5.

    Kenji and ______, who had both trained all summer, finished the five-mile race in under forty minutes.

    Which word best completes the sentence?

    1. Ashe
    2. Bherself
    3. Cher
    4. Dhers
  6. 6.

    I believe that well-run zoos deserve our support because they help protect endangered animals from extinction.

    Which sentence best supports this topic sentence?

    1. ALaunched in 1977, the twin Voyager space probes have traveled farther from Earth than any other objects made by humans.
    2. BEach year, zoo visits teach millions of people about wildlife and the dangers that animals face in the wild.
    3. CThe new swimming pool at the recreation center has a slide and a diving board.
    4. DMy older brother is practicing the electric guitar in his bedroom every night.
  7. 7.

    A student is quoting this sentence from a report about the Great Lakes:
    "Lake Superior, the largest of the five Great Lakes, holds more water than all of the other four lakes put together."

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

    1. ALake Superior holds more water than all of the other four lakes put together.
    2. BLake Superior, the largest of the five Great Lakes, holds more water ... than all of the other four lakes put together.
    3. CLake Superior ... holds more water than all of the other four lakes put together.
    4. DLake Superior, the largest of the five Great Lakes, holds ... water than all of the other four lakes put together.
  8. 8.

    Our cafeteria should start composting food scraps because it would cut down on the school's trash.

    Which piece of evidence best supports this claim?

    1. ACompost is made of plant materials that break down over time.
    2. BWhen students weighed the cafeteria trash for one week, they found that almost half of it was food scraps that could be composted.
    3. CThe school's new principal used to teach history.
    4. DThe same students found that food scraps made up only a tiny part of the cafeteria's trash.
  9. 9.

    Paddling down the Mississippi River, a bald eagle caught Hannah's eye.

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

    1. AAs Hannah paddled down the Mississippi River, a bald eagle caught her eye.
    2. BHannah paddling down the Mississippi River when a bald eagle caught her eye.
    3. CAs Hannah paddled down the Mississippi River, a great blue heron caught her eye.
    4. DPaddling down the Mississippi River, Hannah's eye was caught by a bald eagle.
  10. 10.

    Which sentence uses commas correctly?

    1. AWe roasted corn over the fire on a crisp cool evening in September.
    2. BWe roasted corn over the fire on a crisp cool, evening in September.
    3. CWe roasted corn over the fire on a crisp, cool evening in, September.
    4. DWe roasted corn over the fire on a crisp, cool evening in September.

Written by Scholar Tests in the style of the published Stanford 10 question types. Not a real Stanford 10 test, and a practice score is not a real score.