Free Printable TerraNova Practice Test for Grade 8

Scholar Tests · Set 1

TerraNova practice test, Grade 8

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Reading

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

Matthew Henson's Long Road North
On April 6, 1909, a small team of men and dogs stood on the frozen Arctic Ocean. Their leader, the American naval officer Robert Peary, declared that they had reached the North Pole. With him were Matthew Henson, the African American explorer who had worked beside Peary for nearly two decades, and four Inuit men: Ootah, Seegloo, Egingwah, and Ooqueah.
Henson was born in Charles County, Maryland, in 1866. After losing both parents, he went to sea at about age twelve as a cabin boy on a merchant ship. The ship's captain taught him to read and to navigate, and by early adulthood Henson had sailed to ports in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
In 1887 he met Peary, who hired him as an assistant for a surveying trip to Nicaragua. Henson soon joined Peary's expeditions to the Arctic and became the most capable member of the team. He learned to speak the Inuit language, and from Inuit teachers he learned to drive dog sleds, build igloos, and hunt and dress for survival in extreme cold.
Whether the team truly reached the Pole is still disputed. Peary's navigation records were incomplete, and experts have questioned whether the team could have covered so much distance so quickly. The claim has never been proved, and it has never been completely disproved.
What is not disputed is how long Henson waited for credit. Peary received medals and fame, while Henson spent more than twenty years as a clerk in a federal customs office in New York. Honors came late, including a medal from Congress in 1944. Henson died in 1955, and in 1988 his remains were moved to Arlington National Cemetery and buried near Peary's.
1.
Which statement best expresses the central idea of the article?
1. AHenson proved beyond any doubt that he was the first person to reach the North Pole.
2. BThe North Pole had been reached many times before 1909.
3. CHenson was vital to Peary's expeditions, but credit for his work came late.
4. DHenson preferred working as a clerk to exploring the Arctic.
2.
How does the author handle the claim that the team reached the North Pole?
1. AThe author calls the claim a hoax invented by Henson.
2. BThe author says only the Inuit men believed it.
3. CThe author states plainly that the claim is disputed and explains why.
4. DThe author avoids mentioning the claim at all.
3.
According to the article, how did Henson learn the skills he needed to survive in the Arctic?
1. AHe learned them from the captain of his first ship.
2. BHe learned them from Peary's naval training.
3. CHe learned them while working at the customs office.
4. DHe learned them from Inuit teachers.
A Safer Crossing on Elm Street
To the Editor:
Every school morning, more than 300 students cross Elm Street at Fifth Avenue to reach Lincoln Middle School, and the only thing protecting us is a set of faded white stripes painted on the pavement. I am asking the city to add flashing warning lights and a crossing guard at that corner before someone gets hurt.
The most serious problem is that drivers do not stop. Elm Street is wide and straight, and many drivers treat it like a highway, even though the speed limit near the school is 20 miles per hour. Last Tuesday, my dad and I stood at the corner from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and counted the cars that drove through the crosswalk while someone was waiting at it or crossing, and in that single hour there were 14. Last spring, a sixth grader had to jump back onto the curb when a delivery van sped through the crosswalk without slowing down.
Lincoln is also the oldest middle school in the county, and our marching band won first place at the county fair this summer. A school like ours deserves a street that looks as good as we do.
Some people will say that warning lights and a crossing guard cost too much. But a flashing light costs far less than a trip to the emergency room, and no one can put a price on a student's safety.
Please do not wait for a serious accident before making this dangerous corner safe.
Sincerely,
Hana Sato, seventh grade, Lincoln Middle School
4.
How does the writer respond to people who say lights and a guard cost too much?
1. AShe says the county fair should raise the money.
2. BShe argues that a light costs far less than an injury would.
3. CShe says that the school band will pay for the lights.
4. DShe agrees that the city should wait another year.
5.
Which detail best supports the writer's point that drivers do not stop at the crossing?
1. AShe counted 14 cars that drove through the crosswalk in one hour.
2. BThe speed limit on Elm Street near the school is 20 miles per hour.
3. CLincoln is the oldest middle school in the county.
4. DElm Street is wide and straight.
Lola's Hands
My grandmother's hands are maps, and I am still learning to read them. Blue veins branch across their backs like rivers searching for the sea. Her knuckles rise in a ridge of small brown hills, worn soft by seventy-eight years of weather. Here, along her left thumb, runs the pale road of a scar from the summer she was seventeen, cleaning salmon in a cannery in Alaska, an ocean away from Manila. Here, on her wrist, is a shiny island where a pot of rice boiled over in a kitchen in Stockton, California, the first winter she had a kitchen of her own. Her palms are crossed with paths I cannot follow yet: night shifts at a sewing machine, three children carried on one hip and then the other, a garden of bitter melon and tomatoes coaxed out of hard ground. When I hold my hand beside hers, mine looks like a blank page, a country no one has explored. "Don't hurry," Lola says, folding my fingers into my palm the way you fold a map to keep it safe. "Go places. Do things. Your roads will come."
6.
How does the poet develop the metaphor in the first line, "My grandmother's hands are maps"?
1. AEach stanza turns marks on her hands into map features, such as rivers, roads and an island.
2. BThe poet shows that Lola draws maps as her job.
3. CThe poet compares only the speaker's hands to maps.
4. DThe poet uses it only to show how large her hands are.
7.
What can readers infer about Lola's life from the third and fourth stanzas?
1. AShe never learned how to cook or garden.
2. BShe found her work easy and restful.
3. CShe worked hard at many jobs and lived far from where she was born.
4. DShe spent her whole life in one small town.
Jonah Is Avoiding Me
Jonah Pike is avoiding me, and I know exactly why.
On Saturday we lost the semifinal by a single point. With four seconds remaining, I stood at the free-throw line with two chances to win the game, and I missed them both. Jonah, who has been my best friend since second grade, didn't say a word on the bus ride home; he just sat with his wrist in a bag of ice and stared out the window, probably replaying my misses in his head.
On Monday the situation got worse. He skipped our usual lunch table, and somebody mentioned that he'd spent lunch in the nurse's office, which is the oldest trick there is for avoiding people. At practice he sat on the bench in his regular clothes and never touched a basketball. Twice I caught him whispering to Coach Delgado, and both times Coach glanced in my direction and nodded, as if they were agreeing on something important. I'm fairly certain I know what it was: how to break the news that I'm being removed from the starting lineup.
That night Jonah texted me: "Can't talk. At the doctor again. Tell Coach you're ready."
Ready for what? Ready to sit on the bench for the rest of the season? Classic Jonah, sarcastic even when he's furious.
Today after practice, Coach called me over. "Jonah's wrist will be in a cast for six weeks," he explained. "He tells me you've been his most dependable passer since second grade, and he thinks you should start at guard on Friday. I happen to agree with him."
I thanked him politely, but I could see what was really going on. Jonah felt sorry for me after those free throws, and Coach was going along with it to be nice. I'll start on Friday, I suppose. But I recognize pity when I see it.
8.
How does the narrator's understanding differ from the reader's?
1. AThe narrator thinks Jonah is angry, but the clues show Jonah is hurt and on his side.
2. BThe narrator and the reader both believe that Coach is planning to cut the narrator.
3. CThe narrator understands Jonah's text, but the reader finds it confusing.
4. DThe narrator suspects Coach, but the reader suspects that Jonah's parents are involved.
9.
What does Jonah most likely mean by his text, "Tell Coach you're ready"?
1. AHe wants the narrator to apologize to Coach.
2. BHe thinks the narrator should quit the team.
3. CHe is mocking the narrator for missing the free throws.
4. DHe wants the narrator to take his place in the lineup.
10.
Which detail best shows that Jonah was not avoiding the narrator on purpose?
1. ACoach glanced at the narrator and nodded.
2. BJonah has been the narrator's best friend since second grade.
3. CCoach says Jonah's wrist will be in a cast for six weeks.
4. DJonah skipped their usual lunch table on Monday.

Vocabulary

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 8 minutes.

1.
The root tele means "far." What does the word telescope mean?
1. Aa tool for hearing far sounds
2. Ba tool for seeing things that are far away
3. Ca tool for writing far away
4. Da tool for seeing tiny things up close
2.
Lawmakers voted to impeach the judge for taking bribes.
This sentence is from a social studies book. What does impeach mean?
1. Apraise in a speech
2. Bpay a salary to
3. Cformally charge a government official with a serious crime or misuse of power
4. Delect to a second term
3.
Which word names the mildest sadness?
1. Adisappointment
2. Bpleasure
3. Cdespair
4. Dsorrow
4.
Which word means "the longest side of a right triangle, across from the right angle"?
1. Ahypotenuse
2. Binertia
3. Cdilation
4. Dtheorem
5.
The surprise party was covert; we whispered about it for weeks so the guest of honor would not find out.
What does the word covert mean in this sentence?
1. Aopen and public
2. Bdone in a hidden way
3. Cloud and wild
4. Dsweet and sticky
6.
The new sheets on my bed were as white as snow.
What does the phrase in bold mean?
1. Amade of snow
2. Bvery dirty
3. Cvery white
4. Dvery cold
7.
Which pair of words are antonyms?
1. Atenuous and nervous
2. Bhubris and arrogance
3. Cheed and feed
4. Dplacid and agitated
8.
Everyone joined in on the refrain of the camp song.
Which meaning of refrain is used in this sentence?
1. Aa kind of rain gear
2. Bstop yourself from doing something
3. Ca line or verse repeated in a song or poem
4. Da short nap
9.
The guide words on a dictionary page are strain and strike.
Which word would you find on that page?
1. Aspecies
2. Bsly
3. Csmile
4. Dstrand
10.
sub·ject
1. n. a topic that is being talked or written about
2. n. a class you study in school, such as math
3. n. a person ruled by a king or queen
4. adj. likely to be affected by something

The king asked every subject to pay a new tax.
Which meaning of subject is used in the sentence?
1. AMeaning 1
2. BMeaning 2
3. CMeaning 3
4. DMeaning 4

Language

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

1.
Our science teacher showed us a snake in a glass tank who loves reptiles.
This sentence has a misplaced modifier. Which revision corrects it?
1. AOur science teacher, who loves reptiles, showing us a snake in a glass tank.
2. BOur science teacher, who loves reptiles, showed us a lizard in a glass tank.
3. COur science teacher showed us a snake who loves reptiles in a glass tank.
4. DOur science teacher, who loves reptiles, showed us a snake in a glass tank.
2.
Every middle school should offer a basic cooking class that teaches students how to make healthy meals. A poll of families in our district found that most seventh graders could not cook a simple dinner on their own. Learning to cook gives students a skill they will use every day for the rest of their lives. Critics point out that cooking classes need kitchens and supplies that cost a lot of money. However, a few hot plates and simple tools would be enough to teach the basics in an ordinary classroom. A cooking class would be a small investment that gives students healthy habits for life.
What is the writer's main purpose in this paragraph?
1. Ato argue for a claim and support it with reasons and evidence
2. Bto tell a story about something that happened
3. Cto explain how to do something, step by step
4. Dto give facts about a topic
3.
There ______ a large crack in the sidewalk in front of the library.
Which word or words best complete the sentence?
1. Aare
2. Bis
3. Cwere
4. Dhave been
4.
Leah is writing a report about how hurricanes form.
Which source would be the most useful for this report?
1. Aan encyclopedia article about the fish of the Atlantic Ocean
2. Ba science article that explains how warm ocean water and wind create hurricanes
3. Ca history book about the damage a hurricane did to Galveston, Texas, in 1900
4. Da National Weather Service guide to winter snowstorms
5.
1. Back in the lab, they measured each sample's temperature, acidity, and oxygen level.
2. Isabel was proud that her class's careful work might help keep the river healthy for years to come.
3. Later, they compared their results with measurements that an earlier class had recorded ten years before.
4. At the end of the month, the class presented its findings to the town's environmental committee.
In what order should these sentences go?
1. A4, 3, 1, 2
2. B2, 3, 4, 1
3. C1, 3, 4, 2
4. D1, 3, 2, 4
6.
Workers cleared the ______ for the new middle school last summer.
Which word best completes the sentence?
1. Acite
2. Bsight
3. Csigh
4. Dsite
7.
Which group of words is NOT a complete sentence?
1. APracticed the piano piece every night for a month and played it perfectly at the recital.
2. BAfter practicing for months, the robotics team won second place at the state competition.
3. CUntil the snowplows cleared the streets, nobody in our neighborhood could drive anywhere.
4. DRunning late for school, Diego grabbed a granola bar and dashed out the door.
8.
Hannah asked her parents again and again, promising to do extra chores if they would let her stay up for the meteor shower.
Which word could replace asked to make the sentence more exact?
1. Aignored
2. Bbegged
3. Ctold
4. Dthanked
9.
I believe that well-run zoos deserve our support because they help protect endangered animals from extinction. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, zoo breeding programs helped bring back the California condor after the last wild condors were captured in 1987. Each year, zoo visits teach millions of people about wildlife and the dangers that animals face in the wild. Critics point out that even the biggest zoo exhibits are tiny next to the land that wild animals roam. However, modern zoos build large, natural habitats and share what they learn to help animals in the wild. Despite their limits, well-run zoos deserve our support because they help keep rare animals from disappearing.
Which sentence in the paragraph states a counterclaim, an argument for the other side?
1. AI believe that well-run zoos deserve our support because they help protect endangered animals from extinction.
2. BDespite their limits, well-run zoos deserve our support because they help keep rare animals from disappearing.
3. CAccording to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, zoo breeding programs helped bring back the California condor after the last wild condors were captured in 1987.
4. DCritics point out that even the biggest zoo exhibits are tiny next to the land that wild animals roam.
10.
At the town meeting, they voted to build a new skate park.
The writer means that the town council members voted for the skate park. Which revision says this clearly?
1. AThey voted to build a new skate park at the town meeting.
2. BAt the town meeting, the skaters voted to build a new skate park.
3. CAt the town meeting, the council members voted to build a new skate park.
4. DAt the town meeting, they all voted to build a new skate park.

Language Mechanics

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 8 minutes.

1.
Which sentence uses parentheses correctly?
1. AThe Statue of Liberty a gift from the people of France) was dedicated in 1886.
2. BThe Statue of Liberty (a gift from the people of France) was dedicated in 1886.
3. CThe Statue of Liberty, (a gift from the people of France) was dedicated in 1886.
4. DThe Statue of Liberty (a gift from the people of France was dedicated) in 1886.
2.
Which sentence uses commas correctly?
1. ASequoia National Park, which is in California protects some of the largest trees in the world.
2. BSequoia National Park which is in California, protects some of, the largest trees in the world.
3. CSequoia National Park, which is in California, protects some of the largest trees in the world.
4. DSequoia National Park, which is in California, protects, some of the largest trees in the world.
3.
Which sentence uses capital letters correctly?
1. AWe studied the Revolutionary War in Social studies and read about George Washington.
2. BWe studied the Revolutionary war in social studies and read about George Washington.
3. CWe studied the Revolutionary War in social studies and read about George Washington.
4. Dwe studied the Revolutionary War in social studies and read about George Washington.
4.
Which sentence uses capital letters correctly?
1. AOur class studied the Great Depression in history class last spring.
2. BOur class studied the Great depression in history class last spring.
3. Cour class studied the Great Depression in history class last spring.
4. DOur class studied the Great Depression in History class last spring.
5.
Which sentence uses commas correctly?
1. AWe found a smooth, shiny stone at the edge of the lake.
2. BWe found a smooth shiny, stone at the edge of the lake.
3. CWe found a smooth, shiny, stone at the edge of the lake.
4. DWe found a smooth shiny stone at the edge of the lake.
6.
A student is quoting this sentence from a biography of Thomas Edison:
"Thomas Edison, who is often given credit for the light bulb, did not invent the first electric light."
Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly to show that words were left out?
1. AThomas Edison, who is often given credit for the light bulb, did not invent ... the first electric light.
2. BThomas Edison did not invent the first electric light.
3. CThomas Edison ... did not invent the first electric light.
4. DThomas Edison, who is often given credit for the light bulb, did ... invent the first electric light.
7.
Which word is spelled correctly?
1. Aspontanious
2. Bspontaneous
3. Cspontaneus
4. Dspontanous
8.
In which sentence should the words in bold NOT be set off with commas?
1. AEvery student who turns in a permission slip can go on the field trip.
2. BOld Faithful a famous geyser in Yellowstone erupts many times each day.
3. CDeath Valley a desert valley in eastern California is one of the hottest places in North America.
4. DThe National Air and Space Museum which is part of the Smithsonian is free to visit.
9.
Which sentence uses an ellipsis correctly to show that the speaker pauses?
1. A"The longest river in the United States is the Missouri, I think," ... Amara said.
2. B"The longest river in the United States is.. the Missouri, I think," Amara said.
3. C"The longest river in the United States is ... the Missouri, I think," Amara said.
4. D"The lon ... gest river in the United States is the Missouri, I think," Amara said.
10.
Grandpa likes to ______ about his days as a baseball player.
Which word is spelled correctly and completes the sentence?
1. Areminisce
2. Breminiss
3. Creminise
4. Dremenisce

Mathematics

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 12 minutes.

1.
The box plots show how many minutes students in two grades spent reading on Saturday. Which statement is true?
1. AGrade 6 has the greater interquartile range.
2. BGrade 6 has the greater maximum.
3. CGrade 7 has the greater median.
4. DThe two maximums are equal.
2.
Grace puts $500 in a savings account that pays 6% simple interest each year. How much interest does the account earn in 4 years?
1. A$30
2. B$12,000
3. C$120
4. D$620
3.
Two lines cross. One angle measures 140°. What is the measure of the angle marked with a question mark?
1. A50°
2. B40°
3. C140°
4. D220°
4.
A box holds 2 white and 7 black tiles. Two tiles are picked without looking, one after the other, and the first is not put back. What is the probability that both are black?
1. A3/4
2. B49/81
3. C7/12
4. D7/9
5.
The graph shows a system of two linear equations. What is the solution of the system?
1. A(0, 2)
2. B(0, −2)
3. C(−2, 0)
4. D(−2, 1)
6.
The graph shows the solution of an inequality. Which inequality is it?
1. A6x − 2 < −14
2. B6x + 2 > −14
3. C6x − 2 > −14
4. D6x − 2 ≥ −14
7.
As a decimal, 4/39 = 0.102564102564..., where the digits 102564 repeat forever. What is the 19th digit after the decimal point?
1. A2
2. B1
3. C4
4. D0
8.
What is √42, to the nearest tenth?
1. A6.5
2. B21
3. C7
4. D6.4
9.
The cylinder has a volume of 192π cubic meters and a radius of 4 meters. What is its height?
1. A48 meters
2. B36 meters
3. C12 meters
4. D24 meters
10.
About 7 × 10¹² is a large lake's volume, in gallons, and about 1 × 10¹⁰ is a swimming pool's volume, in gallons. About how many times as large is the first number as the second?
1. A600
2. B700
3. C70
4. D7,000

Mathematics Computation