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NYSTP Grade 8 ELA

Last updated 7 months ago
32 questions
Directions: Read this article. Then answer questions 1 through 7.
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Excerpt from Growing a Farmer

by Kurt Timmermeister

1 I found an ad for a beekeeping supply house in the back of a Mother Earth News magazine. The Brushy Mountain Bee Farm in North Carolina made beehives and sold them through the mail. I ordered their catalogue and when it arrived I studied it obsessively, choosing what I would need to begin my apiary.1

2 Intimidated by the many choices in the slim catalogue, I ordered the beginner’s kit. After all, I was a beginner. It contained a hive box, lids, base and frames, together with thick gauntlet gloves and that hat and veil from the photo in that vintage book. A hive tool and a bee brush rounded out the kit. I eagerly awaited the shipment.

3 When the large box arrived from North Carolina, I spread the contents all out on the floor of my humble chicken coop and began to assemble the pieces. Traditionally hive boxes are painted white; I went with a deep barn-red. I wanted my hives to have a bit more style, and I had a can left over from painting the outside of my house.

4 Also in the supply catalogue were advertisements for bee suppliers. These were bee farms located in the southern states that grew large colonies of bees and shipped them north for beekeepers. I had my pick of suppliers from Alabama, Texas, South Carolina, Georgia. All were a great distance from my home, but I chose a firm from Texas. I called up and placed an order for a box of Italian bees, a subspecies of honeybees. Carniolan are another subspecies of the honeybee used commonly in beekeeping, but I decided to go with Italian bees because of the familiarity of their name.

5 The first box of bees arrived in relatively good condition. A percentage of the bees were dead, but there were still many live bees in the box. The three-pound box that the bees are shipped in is fairly small—six inches by eight inches by fifteen—and contains around three thousand bees. The two longest sides are open, covered with tight mesh to keep the bees in but allow air to freely circulate. The other four sides are made of low-quality wood, similar to old food crates. Within the sealed box is a smaller, much smaller, box containing the queen. The bees are also given a tin can filled with sugar water to feed them on their journey north.

6 Once I received the bees I proceeded to install them into my freshly painted hive. I had read the books, spent time on setting up the hive and now I was ready to suit up and start raising bees.

7 I failed. It was a cool spring that very first year and I got the bees out of the box and onto the hive, but I couldn’t put the covering lid of the hive on because the bees had not quickly entered the hive. Sadly, it began to rain that afternoon. Cool and rainy, not good bee weather. Fearful of putting the lid on their apparently delicate bodies, I left the lid off. My first decision in beekeeping turned out to be one of my worst. The next morning I returned to the hive to find the bees all dead from the rain and cold. I would have to start over quickly. . . .

8 The second year proved a tad more successful but was still a failure. The bees made it to the farm, managed to colonize my hive and lived through the year. Not a drop of honey, but still I was hooked, convinced that I could make a go of this. I liked the wardrobe, the simple design of the wooden boxes, the smell of the beeswax foundations.

9 It would take a few years to get the basic skills necessary to keep a hive alive through the spring, into the summer, so that I could capture some of the honey produced. Once I achieved that level of success and tasted the result, the honey, all of the setbacks and lessons were worth it.

10 Fresh, local honey is an amazing product. Not sticky, not cloyingly sweet, full of delicate flavors. When I harvest the honey early in the summer it is light in color and light in flavor, simple, the product of bees on clover and spring flowers. By late summer the honey is dark brown, thick, complex and tastes of madrone trees and late flowers. Since that first year of success, I have kept hives every year. I have never been too successful, but I have always harvested enough honey for myself and my friends. In a good year, gallons of honey fill plastic pails; in the lean years, a scant single bucket has to suffice.
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1apiary: a place where a person keeps bees
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1

What tone does the phrase “I studied it obsessively” in paragraph 1 establish in the article?

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1

Paragraphs 2 through 4 develop the idea presented in paragraph 1 by

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1

Paragraph 7 contributes to a central idea of the article by demonstrating that

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1

Which sentence from the article best reveals the author’s enthusiasm for beekeeping as a hobby?

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1

In the author’s first two years of beekeeping, he was unable to

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How does the author’s attitude toward beekeeping change over the course of the article?

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Which statement best expresses a central idea of the article?

Directions: Read this story. Then answer questions 8 through 14.

Fourteen-year-old David became lost at sea nine days ago when a huge storm blew his sailboat, the Frog, far off course. Now, as he sails out of a bay, he experiences swells, large waves that do not break, and knows that another storm is coming.

Excerpt from The Voyage of the Frog


by Gary Paulsen

1 The swells took the Frog immediately. They were larger than when he had come in and had a purpose to them, a rapid movement in spite of their size that almost triggered alarm bells in David’s brain. He knew now that swells were telegraph systems, that they came ahead of weather, and that large swells moving this hard and fast probably meant a fair storm.

2 He thought of turning and going back into the bay to ride it out but decided against it. The storm might be days getting to him, might not come at all, and he didn’t have much food and fishing wasn’t going that well.

3 He did not know for certain where he was—except that it was somewhere down along the Baja coast—but he knew that if he didn’t sail, didn’t move, didn’t use the wind and sea he would never get home, and so he hated to just sit.

4 Once clear of the land he brought her' around, up into the wind until she was tacking2 northwest and making a solid knots. She hit the swells fairly hard, the bow slamming down on every fourth or fifth one, but he held her, heeling well, under full sail for seven hours, until just before dawn, when the storm came.

5 The swells grew in size at a regular rate, and the wind began to increase but started slowly and worked up at a steady, growing pace. . . .

6 There were waves coming now as well, on top of the swells, growing in chop and intensity each moment. The Frog was slamming, making noise, but he held her angled up into the wind and took it. Spray came over the bow and covered him, soaking him, but he didn’t think he could leave again now and he took it as well—he would not let her do it alone again, not let the sea have her again.

7 Dawn showed a mean gray sea heading up into leaden gray clouds and a wind that moaned through the stays and rigging. Gusts hit now, like body blows taking her over, but he worked the helm, let her ease up, held her off the wind again and kept the speed between five and six knots3, did not run from the storm but into it, used it, rolled with it, absorbed it.

8 The wind became worse. The waves grew until they were larger than the swells they rode on, towering over him, burying the bow. More than once he was knocked off his feet by a wall of water coming back over the side of the cabin but he never let go of the helm, rose and took it again and again, held her through wave after wave when they rose over him, walls of water, mountains of water moving down on him, down on the Frog.

9 They took it. All that day, slamming, rising, heeling, skidding, slamming down again, up and over and down in the gale—at one point he snarled, growled at the wind and sea—the helm in his gut, his arms aching, his legs on fire; they took it until late day when he sensed a change, felt the storm was whipped. It had thrown everything it had at them and was now passing.

10 Inside an hour the wind had lowered from a shriek and the tops of the waves weren’t being blown over so hard. In another hour, just before dusk, the main force of the gale was well past them, the waves settling and the wind becoming a good, steady force. He raised the mainsail again to full size and found that she pointed higher yet into the wind, so that he could go a little north of northwest and he was thinking that it felt good to be aimed more for home, was thinking it would be wonderful if he could head straight north and just get home before he ran out of food, however far it was, was thinking of his parents and home and food and the wind and the sea and the storm and how he felt good that he and the Frog had taken the storm the way they did together . . .

11 It was then that he saw the ship—a small, older ship, coming out of the dusk, aiming almost at him but slightly off his bow, running with the wind and sea. Right there. A ship. Right in front of him. She had been running without lights but as soon as the people on deck saw him—there were three of them—they yelled and the lights came on and they started to pass not a hundred yards away, the people waving and yelling and laughing.

12 For a moment he couldn’t say anything. He just didn’t think it would happen this way. He didn’t know for certain how it would happen, but not this way. Not so sudden. Suddenly he was saved. She was an old, very small coastal freighter but had been fixed up and repainted and she carried an American flag above her bridge. . . .

13 He let go of the helm4 and waved with both arms, screamed, pointed at them and then at himself and at last they got the message and he heard the engines in the freighter rumble down to a stop west and slightly north of him.

14 He came about and let the Frog sail closer, came up into the wind and stopped about thirty yards away, rising and settling on the waves and swells. He looked up at the people on the rail.

15 “My name is David Alspeth,” he yelled. “I was driven out to sea in a storm. . . .”

16 “It’s him!” one of the young men yelled up at the bridge of the ship. “It’s that kid they were searching for up off Ventura.” He looked back down at David. “They had your picture in the paper and everything. Man, you are one heck of a distance from where they looked. They finally gave you up for dead, you know that?”
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1her: boats and ships are typically referred to using female pronouns
2tacking: a sailing technique used to change the boat’s direction
3six knots: a speed equivalent to six miles per hour when sailing
4helm: steering wheel
Required
1

Read this sentence from paragraph 7.
Dawn showed a mean gray sea heading up into leaden gray clouds and a wind that moaned through the stays and rigging.
What tone does this sentence create in the excerpt?

1

In paragraph 9, what is the effect of the phrase “slamming, rising, heeling, skidding, slamming down again”?

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1

Which detail best shows David’s attitude toward his situation?

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1

Which detail from the excerpt best supports the idea that David is an experienced sailor?

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How does paragraph 16 contribute to a theme of the excerpt?

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2

This question is worth 2 credits.

In “Excerpt from The Voyage of the Frog,” what effect does the setting have on David? Use two details from the excerpt to support your response.

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2

This question is worth 2 credits.

In “Excerpt from The Voyage of the Frog,” why does David continue on his journey despite the danger? Use two details from the excerpt to support your response.

Directions: Read this article. Then answer questions 15 through 21.

Counting Giraffes

by David Brown

1 When she was studying to become a scientist, Megan Strauss rode in a small airplane to study giraffes. She sat on one side of the plane, and another researcher sat on the other side. While a pilot flew over the Serengeti in Tanzania, Africa, the researchers peered down and counted giraffes.

2 “Giraffes can be really hard to spot from the air!” says Dr. Strauss, who has since become an independent wildlife ecologist. “I am always amazed how easily we can spot warthogs and other small animals, yet we sometimes have trouble seeing giraffes. Giraffes are slender in shape, and they may not cast a good shadow, depending on the angle of the sun.”

3 In their search for giraffes, scientists spotted trouble. In the 1970s, about 13,000 giraffes lived in Serengeti National Park. Since then, the number has been going down, and the park now has about 3,500.

4 The research team that studied Serengeti giraffes included Dr. Craig Packer of the University of Minnesota, Dr. Morris Kilewo of Tanzania National Parks, and Dr. Dennis Rentsch of Germany’s Frankfurt Zoological Society.

5 The Serengeti is about the size of Vermont, so the scientists could not study the entire area. Instead, they surveyed three regions where giraffes were studied in the 1970s. As they expected, they saw far fewer of these animals. In one area, the number of giraffes dropped from about 550 to about 75.

Four Likely Suspects

6 The team wanted to find out why the number of giraffes was now smaller. The scientists looked at four possible causes: lions, parasites, illegal hunters (called poachers), and poor food supply. “We found that both poaching and food supply were likely limiting population growth,” Dr. Strauss says. “[Lack of] food limits birth rates, and poaching is a significant cause of adult mortality.”

7 To find out if lions had been killing more giraffes in recent years, the team looked at calf survival rates and long-term records of giraffes killed by lions. Lions kill more calves than adults, but the team found no decrease in calf survival after the calves are born, compared with the 1970s. They also found little change in the number of giraffes killed by lions over the past four decades. Lions were not the problem.

8 The team then asked whether too many giraffes were being killed by parasites, such as worms that infect the digestive system. Like lions, parasites kill more calves than adults, but the numbers also pointed away from parasites. On the ground, the researchers counted parasite eggs in giraffe droppings, and they found too few to harm the giraffe population. Parasites were not the cause either.

Trouble for Giraffes

9 The research team looked at the two other possible causes. They asked if poachers were killing too many giraffes. Two of the areas they studied are close to places with a lot of people and where giraffe meat is sometimes sold in local markets. Poachers catch more adult males than other giraffes, probably because they set traps in dense woods, where male giraffes spend a lot of time. As the researchers feared, they spotted too few males compared with females and calves in those two areas, a sign of poaching.

10 The scientists also wondered if the giraffes had enough food. An environment with plenty of food can support lots of giraffes, including healthy females who have many calves. When the food supply is short, the environment supports fewer giraffes and the females have fewer calves. A lot of new trees have grown in the Serengeti since the 1970s, but many are a type that giraffes do not like to eat. The researchers found fewer calves today than in the 1970s compared with the number of adult females, a sign that food was in short supply.

11 In her research from the airplane and on the ground, Dr. Strauss helped discover why the Serengeti has so few giraffes. Now she plans to help the struggling animals. “The Serengeti is one of Earth’s natural wonders,” she says. “And giraffes are an essential part of it.”

12 Dr. Strauss is working with others on an environmental education program for Tanzania, including books for students. These materials will educate Tanzanians and help them to help giraffes. As knowledge grows and changes are made, they hope the giraffe population will rebound.
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1

Which idea would be most important to include in a summary of the article?

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Read this quotation from paragraph 11.
“The Serengeti is one of Earth’s natural wonders,” she says.
What is the effect of Dr. Strauss’s word choice in this quotation?

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1

What is the meaning of “rebound” as used in paragraph 12?

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Which sentence states a central idea of the article?

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How does the author emphasize the significance of a food source to the Serengeti giraffe population?

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What benefit does Dr. Strauss’s research team offer to Tanzanians and the future of the giraffes?

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Protecting Earth’s plants and animals is important to keep the environment balanced and healthy. How do the details in the article support this idea?

Directions: Read this article. Then answer questions 22 through 28.

Excerpt from Lydia Darragh's Secret Mission

by Rosalie Lauerman

1 In the autumn of 1777, during the Revolutionary War, the British army seized Philadelphia and set up headquarters there.

2 Lydia Darragh and her family lived across from the British headquarters. When General William Howe, the British commander, needed an additional meeting room, he took over a large room at the Darragh house. Sometimes Lydia would overhear British soldiers discussing incoming shipments or troop movements. They spoke freely around her because they knew the Darraghs were Quakers, members of a religious group who remained neutral during the war.

3 But the British were unaware that the Darraghs secretly supported America’s war for independence. Their oldest son, Charles, was a lieutenant in the American army, and Lydia was a spy for the American commander in chief, General George Washington.

A Spy in Action

4 In order to smuggle information to Washington, Lydia would tell her husband what she overheard. He would write the message in code. Lydia would then fit the note on a buttonmold, sew fabric over it, and attach it to her son John’s coat. Fourteen-year-old John would eagerly trek to the American camp about 13 miles away at White Marsh to visit his brother. Charles would snip off the button, decode the message, and deliver the information to American headquarters.

5 On December 2, 1777, a British officer arrived at Lydia’s house. He ordered her to prepare the large room for a top-secret meeting that evening and demanded that everyone be in bed before the meeting started.

6 When the officers arrived, Lydia let them in and went to bed. Her family was already asleep. But Lydia couldn’t sleep. Muffled sounds from the room pulled Lydia from her bed.

7 She tiptoed toward the meeting room just in time to hear someone reading a final order. “The troops should march out . . . late in the evening of the 4th, attack Washington’s army and . . . victory was certain.”

8 Lydia slipped back into bed. Worried, she wondered how she would alert the troops of the planned attack only two days away.

9 When an officer knocked on her bedroom door to say the meeting had ended, Lydia didn’t answer. He returned shortly and again she didn’t answer. On the third knock, Lydia rose and pretended to be half asleep. She stumbled into the hall, shuffled toward the door, and locked it after the officers.

A Secret Mission

10 Lydia was too troubled to sleep. She had never uncovered information this important. She knew she must act quickly to save the American soldiers, including Charles.

11 The next day, she plotted a secret mission to warn General Washington. It would be an act of high treason, punishable by death if she was caught. So Lydia decided to act alone without telling her family. She would not risk their lives.

12 Before dawn on December 4, Lydia arose, wrapped her gray wool cape around her, and headed out. As she neared Washington’s camp, she spotted an American officer on horseback approaching her. She recognized him as a friend, Captain Charles Craig.

13 The captain asked what she was doing so far from home. In a soft, hushed voice, Lydia told him about the British plan. Captain Craig thanked her and raced to headquarters.

14 When the British arrived at White Marsh, General Howe found the American troops armed with cannons. Clearly, someone had warned them. In a cold fury, Howe ordered his troops to return to Philadelphia.

15 Lydia spent the next few days fearing for Charles’s safety. She didn’t know what had happened at White Marsh, and she certainly couldn’t ask.

16 Once again, a British officer banged at her door. He marched in, stone-faced, ordered her into the meeting room—and locked the door.

17 Lydia trembled, fearing that her secret had been discovered. She knew that spies were hanged. She felt faint and almost fell to the floor. The officer told her to sit down.

18 Sternly, he asked if any of the others in her family were awake on the night of the officer’s last meeting. Lydia replied truthfully that they were all in bed and asleep. “I need not ask you for we had great difficulty in waking you to fasten the door after us.”

19 Rising from his chair so forcefully that it toppled over, he boomed, “One thing is certain; the enemy had notice of our coming, were prepared for us, and we marched back like a parcel of . . . fools.”

20 He stormed out, without even considering that Lydia might have delivered the warning.

21 A wave of relief rushed over Lydia. She thanked God that Charles was safe and the British hadn’t suspected her.
Required
1

How do the details in paragraphs 1 through 3 help develop a central idea in the article?

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1

As used in paragraph 6, what does the phrase “sounds from the room pulled Lydia from her bed” suggest about Lydia?

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1

What important idea does the author develop in paragraphs 5 through 7?

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What is a motivation for Lydia’s actions in paragraphs 12 and 13?

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What is the effect of the phrase “In a soft, hushed voice” as used in paragraph 13?

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Which quotation most directly causes the events in paragraph 16?

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How does the event in paragraph 20 relate to the details in paragraph 2?

Directions: Read this story. Then answer questions 29 and 30.

A young Native American named Wabigoon, or Wabi, has just shown Roderick, or Rod, and Mukoki a lump of gold he has found.

Excerpt from The Gold Hunters: A Story of Life and Adventure in the Hudson Bay Wilds

by James Oliver Curwood

1 Only those who have lived in this quest and who have pursued that elusive ignis fatuus1 of all nations—the lure of gold—can realize the sensations which stir the blood and heat the brain of the treasure seeker as he dips his pan into the sands of the stream where he believes nature has hidden her wealth. As Roderick Drew, a child of that civilization where the dollar is law as well as might, returned to the exciting work which promised him a fortune he seemed to be in a half dream. About him, everywhere, was gold! For no moment did he doubt it; not for an instant did he fear that there might be no more gold in the sand and gravel from which Wabigoon’s nugget had come. Treasure was in the very sandbar under his feet! It was out there among the rocks, where the water beat itself angrily into sputtering froth; it was under the fall, and down in the chasm, everywhere, everywhere about him. In one month John Ball and his companions had gathered twenty-seven pounds of it, a fortune of nearly seven thousand dollars! And they had gathered it here! Eagerly he scooped up a fresh pan of the precious earth. He heard the swish-swish of the water in Wabigoon’s and Mukoki’s pans. But beyond this there were no sounds made by them.

2 In these first minutes of treasure seeking no words were spoken. Who would give the first shout of discovery? Five minutes, ten, fifteen of them passed, and Rod found no gold. As he emptied his pan he saw Wabi scooping up fresh dirt. He, too, had failed. Mukoki had waded out waist deep among the rocks. A second and a third pan, and a little chill of disappointment cooled Rod’s blood. Perhaps he had chosen an unlucky spot, where the gold had not settled! He moved his position, and noticed that Wabigoon had done the same. A fourth and a fifth pan and the result was the same. Mukoki had waded across the stream, which was shallow below the fall, and was working on the opposite side. A sixth pan, and Rod approached the young Indian. The excitement was gone out of their faces. An hour and a half—and no more gold!

3 Mukoki came across to join them. Out among the rocks he had found a fleck of gold no larger than the head of a pin, and this new sign gave them all fresh enthusiasm. Taking off their boots both Rod and Wabi joined the old pathfinder in midstream. But each succeeding pan added to the depressing conviction that was slowly replacing their hopes. The shadows in the chasm began growing longer and deeper. Far overhead the dense canopies of red pine shut out the last sun-glow of day, and the gathering gloom between the mountains gave warning that in this mysterious world of the ancient cabin the dusk of night was not far away. But not until they could no longer see the gleaming mica in their pans did the three cease work. Wet to the waist, tired, and with sadly-shattered dreams they returned to their camp. For a short time Rod’s hopes were at their lowest ebb. Was it possible that there was no more gold, that the three adventurers of long ago had discovered a “pocket” here, and worked it out? The thought had been growing in his head. Now it worried him.
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1elusive ignis fatuus: something chased after that leads nowhere
Required
2

This question is worth 2 credits.

What is a theme developed in paragraph 3 of “Excerpt from The Gold Hunters: A Story of Life and Adventure in the Hudson Bay Wilds”? Use two details from the story to support your response.

Required
2

This question is worth 2 credits.

A legend is a story or rumor from an earlier time that many people believe, but it has not been proven to be true. What element of “Excerpt from The Gold Hunters: A Story of Life and Adventure in the Hudson Bay Wilds” is similar to a legend? Use two details from the story to support your response.

Directions: Read this story. Then answer questions 31 and 32.

One day children go out to a field where they are delighted to find some small, golden stones. All return at night except one son.

"Only Gold" from Allegories of Life

by Mrs. J. S. Adams

1 The next day at noon his parents sent a messenger to him, bidding him return. But the love of his golden stones was paramount to the wishes of kindred,1 and the unnumbered comforts of a happy home; and his reply to the messenger was, "I will return, when I have enough of these," pointing to a large collection which was already higher than his head. At nightfall hunger seized him. He felt too weary to go in search of food, but the demand of nature asserted its claim, and he dragged himself to a field nearby, where grew berries and fruits in abundance. His spirits rose after the cravings of hunger were satisfied, and he lay down again by his precious pile of stones.

2 The days glided into weeks, and still he fed upon the berries and gathered the golden pebbles. His father had ceased to send messengers to him, knowing that nothing but a long experience would teach his child the value of life's many blessings, and that gold alone has no power to bless us. The father suffered much in knowing and realizing that his son must learn the truths of life through such severe lessons; but wisdom told him it could not be otherwise.

3 The household mourned much for their absent brother. They missed him in their daily joys, and every hour they watched, waited, and hoped to see him return. They almost rejoiced when the bleak winds of autumn swept the foliage from the trees, because they could look farther down the road for their brother.

4 "I shall soon be able to travel and see the world," said the youth to himself every day as the pile of gold grew higher; but, alas for human calculation! He awoke one morning to find his huge mountain of gold one solid mass. The action of the light, heat, and atmosphere had fused them together, and no exertion of his could break off even the smallest atom.

5 Must he return with not even one golden pebble? For he had gathered them all— not one was in sight, no more were to be found.

6 His golden dream of travel was over, and, worse, the freshness and buoyancy of youth had departed. His limbs, alas! were stiff and sore. He had a mountain of gold, not one atom of which he could use for himself or others. And now he must return to his father’s house empty-handed, and void of truths or incidents to relate to his brothers.
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1paramount to the wishes of kindred: more important than the wishes of family
Required
2

This question is worth 2 credits.

What lesson does the author present for the reader in the story “Only Gold”? Use two details from the story to support your response.

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4

This question is worth 4 credits.

In “Excerpt from The Gold Hunters: A Story of Life and Adventure in the Hudson Bay Wilds” and “Only Gold,” how do the characters’ attitudes toward gold contribute to the tone of each story? What is similar about the tone of the stories? What is different about the tone of the stories? Use details from both stories to support your response.

In your response, be sure to
  • explain how the characters’ attitudes toward gold in “Excerpt from The Gold Hunters: A Story of Life and Adventure in the Hudson Bay Wilds” and “Only Gold” contribute to the tone of each story
  • describe what is similar about the tone of the stories
  • describe what is different about the tone of the stories
  • use details from both stories to support your response