Grade 8 Reading & writing practice

What is on the worksheet

1. A lower meter reading A school uses 900 units of water in one week and 720 the next after a conservation campaign. A notice credits the campaign with the entire reduction. The second week, however, has one fewer school day because of a scheduled closure. The environmental group asks for daily usage figures and attendance before estimating the campaign’s effect. What is the raw decrease in weekly usage?

2. Choose the opposite of “before”.

   1. after
   2. always
   3. near
   4. under

3. English grammar essentials: which term fits this description? A word with the same or a closely related meaning in a particular context.

   1. Adverb
   2. Preposition
   3. Synonym
   4. Interjection

4. The river notebook An old notebook described a riverbank covered in reeds. A recent photograph showed a paved path along the same bank. The local history club wanted to explain the change. They compared maps, interviewed long-time residents and looked for construction records. The notebook alone showed one earlier description; it did not tell them why the path was built. Distinguish evidence of change from evidence of cause in this example.

5. Summarize this original fictional notice: “The library will close at four on Friday for shelf repairs. Saturday hours will stay the same.”

6. The phrase soft silver silence repeats an initial sound. This is

   1. a stage direction
   2. a statistic
   3. alliteration
   4. a footnote

7. Interpret this original line: Evening folded the road into shadow.

8. Reading and literary analysis: which term fits this description? Deliberate exaggeration used for effect.

   1. Foreshadowing
   2. Mood
   3. Hyperbole
   4. Summary

9. Write a question that would help resolve whether a quiet character is upset or concentrating.

10. Text: The cheering stopped when the result appeared. Give two plausible explanations.

11. English grammar essentials: which term fits this description? A word used to name a person, place, thing or idea.

    1. Noun
    2. Adjective
    3. Predicate
    4. Homophone

12. Mina packed a sandwich, water and a raincoat. She checked the trail map before leaving for a walk. What suggests she was prepared for rain?

    1. She packed a raincoat
    2. She wore sandals
    3. She packed a sandwich
    4. She checked the time

13. Why is I know because that happened to me insufficient as the only support for a reading inference?

14. An old map at the shoreline An old map placed a footpath farther inland than a current map did. A student concluded that the shoreline had moved toward the path. Her partner noticed that the old map used a coarser scale and a different reference grid. They aligned several stable landmarks and checked the maps' dates and stated accuracy before comparing the coast. Some difference remained, but it was smaller than the initial overlay suggested. Their report distinguished possible landscape change from differences caused by mapping methods. What distinction made the final report stronger?

15. What additional evidence would help compare print and digital textbook access fairly?

16. Choose the opposite of “empty”.

    1. full
    2. open
    3. light
    4. quiet

17. The lighting comparison For one week, a science class measured electricity use in two rooms with different lighting systems. The room with newer lights used less electricity. However, that room also had larger windows and was empty for two afternoons. The class revised its conclusion: the observations suggested a difference, but the test did not isolate the effect of the lights. Name one factor other than the lighting system that differed.

18. Reading and literary analysis: which term fits this description? A concise account of the essential points of a text.

    1. Foreshadowing
    2. Hyperbole
    3. Summary
    4. Narrator

19. English grammar essentials: which term fits this description? A clause that can stand as a complete sentence.

    1. Independent clause
    2. Pronoun
    3. Predicate
    4. Homophone

20. Reading and literary analysis: which term fits this description? The arrangement of events in a narrative.

    1. Plot
    2. Simile
    3. Foreshadowing
    4. Setting