All Common Core: 8th Grade English Language Arts Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Reading To Determine Main Idea Or Theme
Adapted from “Introduced Species That Have Become Pests” in Our Vanishing Wild Life, Its Extermination and Protection by William Temple Hornaday (1913)
The man who successfully introduces into a new habitat any species of living thing assumes a very grave responsibility. Every introduced species is doubtful gravel until panned out. The enormous losses that have been inflicted upon the world through the perpetuation of follies with wild animals and plants would, if added together, be enough to purchase a principality. The most aggravating feature of these follies in transplantation is that never yet have they been made severely punishable. We are just as careless and easygoing on this point as we were about the government of Yellowstone Park in the days when Howell and other poachers destroyed our first national bison herd. Even though Howell was caught red-handed, skinning seven Park bison cows, he could not be punished for it, because there was no penalty prescribed by any law. Today, there is a way in which any revengeful person could inflict enormous damage on the entire South, at no cost to himself, involve those states in enormous losses and the expenditure of vast sums of money, yet go absolutely unpunished!
The gypsy moth is a case in point. This winged calamity was imported near Boston by a French entomologist, Mr. Leopold Trouvelot, in 1868 or 69. The scientist did not purposely set the pest free. He was endeavoring with live specimens to find a moth that would produce a cocoon of commercial value to America, and a sudden gust of wind blew his living and breeding specimens of the gypsy moth out of his study through an open window. The moth itself is not bad to look at, but its larvae is a great, overgrown brute with an appetite like a hog. Immediately Mr. Trouvelot sought to recover his specimens. When he failed to find them all, he notified the State authorities of the accident. Every effort was made to recover all the specimens, but enough escaped to produce progeny that soon became a scourge to the trees of Massachusetts. The method of the big, nasty-looking mottled-brown caterpillar was very simple. It devoured the entire foliage of every tree that grew in its sphere of influence.
The gypsy moth spread with alarming rapidity and persistence. In time, the state of Massachusetts was forced to begin a relentless war upon it, by poisonous sprays and by fire. It was awful! Up to this date (1912) the New England states and the United States Government service have expended in fighting this pest about $7,680,000!
The spread of this pest has been slowed, but the gypsy moth never will be wholly stamped out. Today it exists in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, and it is due to reach New York at an early date. It is steadily spreading in three directions from Boston, its original point of departure, and when it strikes the State of New York, we, too, will begin to pay dearly for the Trouvelot experiment.
The underlined sentence in the second paragraph (“The moth itself is not bad to look at, but its larvae is a great, overgrown brute with an appetite like a hog.”) introduces a supporting idea concerning the moth’s destructive potential. In which of the following sentences is that idea developed further?
"The method of the big, nasty-looking mottled-brown caterpillar was very simple." (Paragraph 2)
"It devoured the entire foliage of every tree that grew in its sphere of influence." (Paragraph 2)
"Every effort was made to recover all the specimens, but enough escaped to produce progeny . . ." (Paragraph 2)
"The spread of this pest has been slowed, but the gypsy moth never will be wholly stamped out." (Paragraph 4)
"When he failed to find them all, he notified the State authorities of the accident." (Paragraph 2)
"It devoured the entire foliage of every tree that grew in its sphere of influence." (Paragraph 2)
What do we learn about the gypsy moth in this particular sentence? We learn that the moth is somewhat nice to look at, according to the author: "The moth itself is not bad to look at." That doesn't seem relevant at all to its destructive potential. What else do we learn? The author adds that "its larvae is a great, overgrown brute," so it sounds like it is rather large for a caterpillar. That's doesn't seem that relevant either. The sentence concludes with the phrase, ". . . with an appetite like a hog." Aha! That's significant. In comparing the caterpillar's appetite to a hog's (pig's), the author is saying that gypsy moth caterpillars have large appetites and each eat a lot. Caterpillars often eat plants, so this tells us that the gypsy moth caterpillars can consume a lot of leaves.
We now need to identify the sentence in the passage in which this supporting idea—the large appetites of gypsy moth caterpillars—is developed. The only answer choice that has to do with the appetites of gypsy moth caterpillars is "It devoured the entire foliage of every tree that grew in its sphere of influence." This is the correct answer. The idea of the caterpillars eating a lot introduced earlier in the paragraph in the underlined sentence supports the claim that they "devoured the entire foliage of every tree" that they could get to.
Example Question #2 : Reading To Determine Main Idea Or Theme
Adapted from “Feathers of Sea Birds and Wild Fowl for Bedding” from The Utility of Birds by Edward Forbush (ed. 1922)
In the colder countries of the world, the feathers and down of waterfowl have been in great demand for centuries. These materials have been used as filling for beds and pillows. Such feathers are perfect insulators of heat, and beds, pillows, or coverlets filled with them represent the acme of comfort and durability.
The early settlers of New England saved for such purposes the feathers and down from the thousands of wild-fowl which they killed, but as the population of people increased, the quantity of feathers furnished in this manner became insufficient, and the people sought a larger supply in the vast colonies of ducks and geese along the Labrador coast.
The manner in which the feathers and down were obtained, unlike the method practiced in Iceland, did not tend to conserve and protect the source of supply. In Iceland, the people have continued to receive for many years a considerable income by collecting eider down (the small, fluffy feathers of eider ducks), but there they do not “kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.” Ducks line their nests with down plucked from their own breasts and that of the eider is particularly valuable for bedding. In Iceland, these birds are so carefully protected that they have become as tame and unsuspicious as domestic fowls In North America. Where they are constantly hunted they often conceal their nests in the midst of weeds or bushes, but in Iceland, they make their nests and deposit their eggs in holes dug for them in the sod. A supply of the ducks is maintained so that the people derive from them an annual income.
In North America, quite a different policy was pursued. The demand for feathers became so great in the New England colonies during the middle of the eighteenth century that vessels were sent to Labrador for the express purpose of securing the feathers and down of wild fowl. Eider down having become valuable and these ducks being in the habit of congregating by thousands on barren islands of the Labrador coast, the birds became the victims of the ships’ crews. As the ducks molt all their primary feathers at once in July or August and are then quite incapable of flight and the young birds are unable to fly until well grown, the hunters were able to surround the helpless birds, drive them together, and kill them with clubs. Otis says that millions of wildfowl were thus destroyed and that in a few years their haunts were so broken up by this wholesale slaughter and their numbers were so diminished that feather voyages became unprofitable and were given up.
This practice, followed by the almost continual egging, clubbing, shooting, etc. by Labrador fishermen, may have been a chief factor in the extinction of the Labrador duck. No doubt had the eider duck been restricted in its breeding range to the islands of Labrador, it also would have been exterminated long ago.
Which of the following best states the main idea of this passage?
Natural resources are precious.
The feathers and down of ducks are valuable as a source of bedding, leading to the killing of ducks to obtain it.
The Icelandic people collect eider down in an efficient and reasonable way.
The extinction of the Labrador duck can be traced to a definite cause.
Duck feathers and down are valuable resources, and the North American and Icelandic methods of collecting them have had vastly different consequences.
Duck feathers and down are valuable resources, and the North American and Icelandic methods of collecting them have had vastly different consequences.
Questions that ask about a passage’s main idea need to encompass each of the topics it discusses while not describing them in a way that is too broad. We can ignore any answer choices that only describe parts of the passage—here, “The feathers and down of ducks is valuable as a source of bedding, leading to its collection from ducks,” “The extinction of the Labrador duck can be traced to a definite cause,” and “The Icelandic people collect eider down in an efficient and reasonable way.” This leaves us with “Natural resources are precious,” which is far too broad to accurately describe the passage’s main idea, and the correct answer, “The feathers and down of ducks is a valuable resource, and the North American and Icelandic methods of collecting it have had vastly different consequences."
Example Question #1 : Reading To Determine Main Idea Or Theme
Adapted from "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe (1846)
The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled — but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish but punish with impunity1. A wrong is unredressed2 when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.
It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation3.
He had a weak point — this Fortunato — although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself upon his connoisseurship in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity, to practice imposture upon the British and Austrian millionaires. In painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen, was a quack, but in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially; — I was skillful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could.
It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend. He accosted me with excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much. The man wore motley. He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells. I was so pleased to see him that I thought I should never have done wringing his hand.
I said to him — “My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably well you are looking today. But I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts.”
“How?” said he. “Amontillado? A pipe? Impossible! And in the middle of the carnival!”
“I have my doubts,” I replied; “and I was silly enough to pay the full Amontillado price without consulting you in the matter. You were not to be found, and I was fearful of losing a bargain.”
“Amontillado!”
“I have my doubts.”
“Amontillado!”
“And I must satisfy them.”
“Amontillado!”
“As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchresi. If any one has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me ——”
“Luchresi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry4.”
“And yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your own.”
“Come, let us go.”
“Whither?”
“To your vaults.”
Which of the following provides the strongest evidence that Fortunato is shocked by and interested in the narrator's purchasing of the amontillado?
The narrator states, "In painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen, was a quack, but in the matter of old wines he was sincere."
The story takes place during a carnival.
Fortunato insults Luchresi's knowledge of amontillado.
Fortunato repeats "Amontillado!" three times.
Upon hearing he news, Fortunato immediately asks how the narrator acquired the amontillado.
Fortunato repeats "Amontillado!" three times.
Many of the answer choices to this question present evidence that Fortunato is shocked by and interested in the narrator's amontillado, but we're looking for the strongest piece of evidence. The narrator's statement comes well before Fortunato learns about the narrator having obtained the amontillado, so it's probably not the strongest evidence of his reaction to learning about it. The fact that Fortunato immediately asks how the narrator obtained the amontillado demonstrates his interest, but doesn't really attest to his shock. Fortunato's comment about Luchresi has nothing to do with him being shocked by the news that the narrator has obtained a cask of amontillado, either. The fact that the story takes place during the carnival doesn't attest to Fortunato's particular reaction. The best answer is that Fortunato repeats "Amontillado!" three times; this shows that he is shocked by and interested in the narrator's purchasing of it.
Example Question #2 : Reading To Determine Main Idea Or Theme
Adapted from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)
He was a very silent man by custom. All day he hung round the cove or upon the cliffs with a brass telescope; all evening he sat in a corner of the parlor next the fire and drank rum and water very strong. Mostly he would not speak when spoken to, only look up sudden and fierce and blow through his nose like a fog-horn; and we and the people who came about our house soon learned to let him be. Every day when he came back from his stroll he would ask if any seafaring men had gone by along the road.
I was far less afraid of the captain than anybody else who knew him. There were nights when he would sometimes sit and sing his wicked, old, wild sea-songs, minding nobody; but sometimes he would call for glasses round and force all the trembling company to listen to his stories or bear a chorus to his singing. His stories were what frightened people worst of all. Dreadful stories they were—about hanging, and walking the plank, and storms at sea, and the Dry Tortugas, and wild deeds and places on the Spanish Main. By his own account he must have lived his life among some of the wickedest men upon the sea, and the language in which he told these stories shocked our plain country people almost as much as the crimes that he described. My father was always saying the inn would be ruined, for people would soon cease coming there to be tyrannized over and put down, and sent shivering to their beds; but I really believe his presence did us good. People were frightened at the time, but on looking back they rather liked it; it was a fine excitement in a quiet country life, and there was even a party of the younger men who pretended to admire him, calling him a "true sea-dog" and a "real old salt" and such like names, and saying there was the sort of man that made England terrible at sea.
Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
The captain arrives at the narrator's home, an inn.
The narrator describes his family's inn.
The captain tells scary stories to a group of guests.
The narrator describes the mannerisms of the captain and the interactions the narrator has had with him.
The captain watches the surrounding area for other sailors.
The narrator describes the mannerisms of the captain and the interactions the narrator has had with him.
In order to summarize the passage, the correct answer choice has to reflect each part of the passage's events. It should somehow specifically relate to each paragraph, not just one of them, and it shouldn't be too general. For example, "The captain tells scary stories to a group of guests." is not correct because it only refers to events that happen in the second paragraph. It says nothing about the first paragraph, so it misses part of the passage and isn't the best summary. "The narrator describes his family's inn" and "The captain arrives at the narrator's home, an inn" simply don't accurately describe what happens in the passage. "The captain watches the surrounding area for other sailors" only describes the last line of the first paragraph. The best answer is "The narrator describes the mannerisms of the captain and the interactions the narrator has had with him." This statement applies to both paragraphs.
Example Question #3 : Reading To Determine Main Idea Or Theme
Adapted from “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” in Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (1865; 1900)
When I heard the learn’d astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,
When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.
Which of the following statements best summarizes the theme of this poem?
Astronomers should give more entertaining lectures.
Mathematics is far more interesting than astronomy since it is more abstract.
Only by understanding the scientific laws governing the natural world can you truly appreciate nature.
Everyone should take time to go star-gazing.
You can appreciate nature without studying it mathematically.
You can appreciate nature without studying it mathematically.
Before we consider the answer choices, let's consider what actually happens in the poem, line by line. Doing this is a good first step in working our way from the specific events that take place to understanding the more abstract general theme of the poem.
The narrator relates how he heard an astronomer talk (Lines 1–4). The poem is a bit repetitive here. Part of the poem takes place in a lecture room, where people applaud the astronomer (Line 4). Then, the narrator becomes "tired and sick" (Line 5) until he goes outside into nature (Lines 6–7) and looks at the stars by himself (Line 8).
What can we make out of that? The narrator doesn't seem to get much out of listening to the astronomer. The astronomer may be very "learn'd"—that is, well-studied—but the narrator seems to prefer looking at the stars on his own than listening to all of the mathematical details about astronomy.
Now let's look over the answer choices and see which one fits with our observations. "Everyone should take time to go star-gazing" could be the correct answer, but the narrator never urges the reader to do anything; he just recounts his personal experience. "Astronomers should give more entertaining lectures" is another general takeaway that doesn't really fit our observations. A lot more seems to be going on in this poem; the best answer needs to connect what happens in the first part of the poem (the narrator listening to the astronomer) with the second part (the narrator looking at the stars), and neither of the two answer choices we have considered do that. "Mathematics is far more interesting than astronomy since it is more abstract" isn't the case, as this is not what the poem suggests at all. At no point does the narrator contrast mathematics against astronomy.
This leaves us with "Only by understanding the scientific laws governing the natural world can you truly appreciate nature" and "You can appreciate nature without studying it mathematically." Which of these is the poem arguing? The narrator doesn't seem to rely on anything he learned from the astronomer at the end of the poem; he's just looking up at the stars on his own, without specific mathematical knowledge of them. The best answer is "You can appreciate nature without studying it mathematically," as this reflects the narrator's experience.
Example Question #6 : Reading To Determine Main Idea Or Theme
Adapted from "Save the Redwoods" by John Muir in Sierra Club Bulletin Volume XI Number 1 (January 1920)
Forty-seven years ago one of these Calaveras Sequoias was laboriously cut down, that the stump might be had for a dancing-floor. Another, one of the finest in the grove, was skinned alive to a height of one hundred and sixteen feet and the bark sent to London to show how fine and big that Calaveras tree was—as sensible a scheme as skinning our great men would be to prove their greatness. Now some millmen want to cut all the Calaveras trees into lumber and money. No doubt these trees would make good lumber after passing through a sawmill, as George Washington after passing through the hands of a French cook would have made good food. But both for Washington and the tree that bears his name higher uses have been found.
Could one of these Sequoia Kings come to town in all its godlike majesty so as to be strikingly seen and allowed to plead its own cause, there would never again be any lack of defenders. And the same may be said of all the other Sequoia groves and forests of the Sierra with their companions and the noble Sequoia sempervirens, or redwood, of the coast mountains.
In these noble groves and forests to the southward of the Calaveras Grove the axe and saw have long been busy, and thousands of the finest Sequoias have been felled, blasted into manageable dimensions, and sawed into lumber by methods destructive almost beyond belief, while fires have spread still wider and more lamentable ruin. In the course of my explorations twenty-five years ago, I found five sawmills located on or near the lower margin of the Sequoia belt, all of which were cutting more or less [Sequoia gigantea] lumber, which looks like the redwood of the coast, and was sold as redwood. One of the smallest of these mills in the season of 1874 sawed two million feet of Sequoia lumber. Since that time other mills have been built among the Sequoias, notably the large ones on Kings River and the head of the Fresno. The destruction of these grand trees is still going on. These kings of the forest, the noblest of a noble species, rightly belong to the world, but as they are in California we cannot escape responsibility as their guardians.
Any fool can destroy trees. They cannot defend themselves or run away. And few destroyers of trees ever plant any; nor can planting avail much toward restoring our grand aboriginal giants. It took more than three thousand years to make some of the oldest of the Sequoias, trees that are still standing in perfect strength and beauty, waving and singing in the mighty forests of the Sierra.
Throughout the passage, the author personifies Sequoia trees in order to elicit the reader's empathy for them. Personification is the act of describing a non-human thing as being or acting human in some way. In which of the following excerpts does the author NOT personify Sequoia trees?
"Another, one of the finest in the grove, was skinned alive to a height of one hundred and sixteen feet . . ."
"These kings of the forest, the noblest of a noble species, rightly belong to the world, but as they are in California we cannot escape responsibility as their guardians."
"Could one of these Sequoia Kings come to town in all its godlike majesty so as to be strikingly seen and allowed to plead its own cause, there would never again be any lack of defenders."
" . . . trees that are still standing in perfect strength and beauty, waving and singing in the mighty forests of the Sierra."
"Forty-seven years ago one of these Calaveras Sequoias was laboriously cut down, that the stump might be had for a dancing-floor."
"Forty-seven years ago one of these Calaveras Sequoias was laboriously cut down, that the stump might be had for a dancing-floor."
Personification is the act of making a non-human thing seem human by giving it human traits, making it appear sentient, and/or portray it as performing human actions. Let's see which of the answer choices does NOT do this.
"These kings of the forest, the noblest of a noble species, rightly belong to the world, but as they are in California we cannot escape responsibility as their guardians." - The author refers to the trees as "kings of the forest," and kings are human, so this is a type of personification.
" . . . trees that are still standing in perfect strength and beauty, waving and singing in the mighty forests of the Sierra." - The author uses some subtle personification in this sentence in claiming that the trees are "singing." Trees can't "sing"—only people can.
"Could one of these Sequoia Kings come to town in all its godlike majesty so as to be strikingly seen and allowed to plead its own cause, there would never again be any lack of defenders." - Here, the author directly imagines a Sequoia tree actively journeying into town "to plead its own cause," which is overt personification.
"Another, one of the finest in the grove, was skinned alive to a height of one hundred and sixteen feet . . ." - In describing the removal of the tree's bark as it being "skinned alive," the author describes it in a human way. Trees have bark, not skin, and the author uses this statement to lead into a direct comparison between great trees and great people.
"Forty-seven years ago one of these Calaveras Sequoias was laboriously cut down, that the stump might be had for a dancing-floor." - This is the correct answer. Nowhere in the underlined excerpt does the author portray the tree as having any human traits or performing any actions that it could not actually perform.
Example Question #7 : Reading To Determine Main Idea Or Theme
As technology continues to advance, relics of much earlier innovations remain in the terms we use to describe today’s tech. These terms, often referred to as “technological fossil words,” have outlived their meaning, but are still used in conversation today.
Perhaps the most well-known example of a technological fossil word is the term “DJ” or “Disc Jockey.” The term originated in a time when a DJ actually “jockeyed,” the machine playing a disc or record. Nowadays, a Disc Jockey is almost never seen with an actual disc, but the name lives on!
Technological fossil words have also found their way into the language we use to describe phone use. When operators of the original phone that coined most of the terms we use today made a call, they would “dial” by turning an actual dial of rotating numbers. When they would “hang up,” they would physically hang the phone up on the wall, at which point the phone's pressure on the latch it hung on would end the call. Even the terms phone line and cell phone refer to aspects of telephone use that no longer apply today.
One of the most interesting and lesser-known of these technological fossil words is the term “soap opera.” Today, this term refers broadly to dramatic television programs. However, the history of the term comes from the radio dramas once sponsored by soap companies to entice housewives listening in during the day to purchase their products.
From typing messages to “pen pals,” to “filming” a video, technological fossil words give us a glimpse into the history behind the tech we use today!
Which of the following would be an appropriate title for this passage?
Language blunders in technology - the importance of keeping tech terms up to date
The interesting history behind the term, “DJ”
Fossils and their origins - where do those rocks in museums really come from?
Technological fossil words - a glimpse into the history behind the terms we use today
Why we sometimes don’t understand the words used by our parents
Technological fossil words - a glimpse into the history behind the terms we use today
When we look to find an appropriate title for a passage, we should think about the main idea of the passage, basically: what is it all about? For starters, it’s definitely not about actual fossils, so we can eliminate "Fossils and their origins - where do those rocks in museums really come from?". While the passage includes a paragraph that talks about the history behind the term “DJ,” that paragraph is there as an example of the passage’s topic as a whole: technological fossil words. The author doesn’t seem to think these words are a bad thing either, in fact, the author consistently refers to these terms and their origins as interesting. So, "Language blunders in technology - the importance of keeping tech terms up to date" doesn’t at all match the tone of the passage. And, while maybe you don’t always understand the “tubular” language used by your parents - that’s not what this passage is about! Technological fossil words are described as common words still in use today, despite the vanishing meanings of the words’ origins. So, "Technological fossil words - a glimpse into the history behind the terms we use today" is definitely our best bet!
Example Question #8 : Reading To Determine Main Idea Or Theme
Passage 1:
Encouraging the participation of video games in children and teenagers is a dangerous practice. These video games are often violent, and thus promote violence in everyday life. Such games have also been shown to encourage violence and anger problems in those already inclined toward violence. At an age at which it is important to foster cooperation among classmates and build friendships, the isolation that comes with excessive gaming makes students more likely to enter conflicts with other students and harms their ability to socialize.
Video games have also been shown to be addictive. This trait makes gaming all the more dangerous, as exclusive focus on any one hobby can leave children without a well-rounded set of interests and skills. Those playing video games would benefit from other extracurriculars, such as arts or athletics. When children spend all their time playing video games, that leaves less time for more-productive tasks like joining a sport, learning to play an instrument, or picking up other more beneficial hobbies. Parents would be wise to discourage their children from playing video games and instead suggest they pick up a more constructive hobby.
Passage 2:
Video games are often (and unfairly) blamed for negatively impacting children, but in reality they offer many benefits to those who choose “gaming” as a hobby. Studies show that children who play video games improve their motor skills, reasoning ability, and creative problem-solving when they do so. Additionally, evidence shows us that many find playing video games to be a way to socialize with friends and even build leadership skills, including how to delegate, work as a team, and prioritize tasks. Some have even linked these higher-order thinking skills to career success down the road.
People who would villainize gaming claim that violent games make kids more violent. However, there is little, if any, evidence to show any connection between actions performed in a simulated game and tendencies in real life. In fact, many report that they find playing such games to be stress relieving, and say that these activities positively impact their mood.
While it is important to limit kids’ daily consumption of any hobby, video games can be a great way to encourage their creative problem solving, leadership, and other valuable life skills!
According to the context of the passage, the author of Passage 2 would be most likely to be
a video game advertiser promoting an upcoming game release
an advice columnist writing to parents about the often-overlooked positive effects of video games
a newspaper columnist commenting on the negative impact of media on children
a doctor citing the mental effects of violent video games on children
a researcher publishing the results of a study on the effects of video games on motor skills
an advice columnist writing to parents about the often-overlooked positive effects of video games
In this example, we want to ensure our answer incorporates both a source, and a reason, that aligns with the primary purpose of the passage. Here, the passage is attempting to address the potential positive impacts of video games for children, and seems to be addressing parents so “an advice columnist writing to parents about the often-overlooked positive effects of video games” makes sense! While some of our other answers are positive or neutral in nature (a video game advertiser promoting an upcoming game release/a researcher publishing the results of a study on the effects of video games on motor skills), they are way too narrow in scope to fit the description and purpose we’re looking for. Other answer choices completely contrast our passage (a newspaper columnist commenting on the negative impact of media on children/A doctor citing the mental effects of violent video games on children), and while “a newspaper columnist commenting on the negative impact of media on children” could potentially fit the role for Passage 1, it definitely doesn’t work as the source for Passage 2.
Example Question #9 : Reading To Determine Main Idea Or Theme
When you hear the phrase “man’s best friend,” you probably think of one animal, and one animal alone: the dog. But why is that? How did dogs come to earn the name “man’s best friend,” and why has the name stuck around since?
Many historians trace the relationship between man and dog back more than 30,000 years, to when wolves used to scavenge alongside humans. Other historians cite the point when dogs and people began living together, around 15,000 years ago, as the start to this friendship.
Literature from long ago also references the friendship between man and dog, most famously in Homer’s The Odyssey. However, it wasn’t until the 1700s when King Frederick of Prussia coined the term that dogs were formally given the position “best friend to man.” Frederick referred to his friendship with his dogs in a way that was unusual at the time. While pet dogs were common for those of his rank and stature, they were normally used for hunting and protecting, and it would be considered strange to speak of them as “friends.” Frederick, however, was so fond of his dogs that he had portraits of them painted, spoke often of their loyalty, and even requested that he be buried next to them when he was laid to rest.
It is this strange but enduring relationship with “man’s best friend” that has stood the test of time. Today, dogs are often thought of for their loyalty and companionship. Studies even suggest that a canine companion can increase one’s lifespan, lower cardiovascular disease, and improve mental health. Even if you don’t share Frederick’s opinion that companionship with a dog is the only way to be truly “free of cares,” there’s no arguing that dogs have earned the title “man’s best friend” over the thousands of years they have stood by man’s side.
Which of the following best expresses the primary purpose of the passage?
Provide the history of King Frederick of Prussia
Illuminate the history behind a commonly used phrase
Convince readers that dogs are better than cats
Challenge what most people think about the relationship between man and dog
Describe the history of dogs scavenging with people more than 30,000 years ago
Illuminate the history behind a commonly used phrase
The author uses this passage to describe the history behind the term, “man’s best friend.” The author’s tone does not indicate that the passage is intended to convince the reader of anything, and answers like “Describe the history of dogs scavenging with people more than 30,000 years ago” and “Provide the history of King Frederick of Prussia” are far too specific and narrow in scope. So, the purpose of this passage is to “illuminate the history behind a commonly used phrase,” “man’s best friend.”
Example Question #10 : Reading To Determine Main Idea Or Theme
When you hear the phrase “man’s best friend,” you probably think of one animal, and one animal alone: the dog. But why is that? How did dogs come to earn the name “man’s best friend,” and why has the name stuck around since?
Many historians trace the relationship between man and dog back more than 30,000 years, to when wolves used to scavenge alongside humans. Other historians cite the point when dogs and people began living together, around 15,000 years ago, as the start to this friendship.
Literature from long ago also references the friendship between man and dog, most famously in Homer’s The Odyssey. However, it wasn’t until the 1700s when King Frederick of Prussia coined the term that dogs were formally given the position “best friend to man.” Frederick referred to his friendship with his dogs in a way that was unusual at the time. While pet dogs were common for those of his rank and stature, they were normally used for hunting and protecting, and it would be considered strange to speak of them as “friends.” Frederick, however, was so fond of his dogs that he had portraits of them painted, spoke often of their loyalty, and even requested that he be buried next to them when he was laid to rest.
It is this strange but enduring relationship with “man’s best friend” that has stood the test of time. Today, dogs are often thought of for their loyalty and companionship. Studies even suggest that a canine companion can increase one’s lifespan, lower cardiovascular disease, and improve mental health. Even if you don’t share Frederick’s opinion that companionship with a dog is the only way to be truly “free of cares,” there’s no arguing that dogs have earned the title “man’s best friend” over the thousands of years they have stood by man’s side.
Which of the following would be the least suitable title for this passage?
The history behind the term “Man’s best friend”
Debating the term “Man’s best friend”
King Frederick of Prussia and the other factors leading to the term “man’s best friend”
Coining the phrase “Man’s best friend”
The origin story of man’s favorite furry companion
Debating the term “Man’s best friend”
Here, any answer that aligns with the author's primary purpose of describing the history behind the phrase “man’s best friend,” makes sense as a title for the passage. The passage does not, however, debate the term in any capacity, and since we’re looking for which is the least suitable title, “Debating the term “Man’s best friend”” is our correct answer.
All Common Core: 8th Grade English Language Arts Resources
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