2021 Test B English

Practice questions from 2021 Test B English, with an explanation of every answer.

Flyby missions near Jupiter

Read these sentences. (1) Flyby missions near Jupiter have been happening since 1973. (2) Flyby missions allow scientists to collect data about Jupiter and its moons. What is the best…
- Type Combining and revising sentences
- NYS standards 7L1
- Difficulty 2 of 5
In 1976, the National Basketball Association

Which sentence contains an error in its construction and should be revised? (1) In 1976, the National Basketball Association (NBA) absorbed several teams of the American Basketball Association (ABA), including…
- Type Sentence structure
- NYS standards 7L1
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Danielle spent several hours preparing

How should the paragraph be revised? (1) Danielle spent several hours preparing for an upcoming audition for a play at the community theater. (2) First she did vocal exercises to…
- Type Grammar and usage, Punctuation
- NYS standards 7L1, 7L2
- Difficulty 1 of 5
- Level Below grade 7
Both Italian gelato and American ice cream

Which pair of revisions need to be made in this paragraph? (1) Both Italian gelato and American ice cream are delightful treats to have on a hot summer day, but…
- Type Grammar and usage, Punctuation
- NYS standards 7L1, 7L2
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Martial Arts for the Mind and Body

What is the best way to combine sentences 2 and 3?
- Type Combining and revising sentences
- NYS standards 7W2d, 7L3
- Difficulty 2 of 5
Martial Arts for the Mind and Body

Where should sentence 10 be moved to improve the organization of the second paragraph (sentences 6–10)?
- Type Organization
- NYS standards 7W2a, 7W2d
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Martial Arts for the Mind and Body

Which revision of sentence 12 best maintains the formal style established in the passage?
- Type Precise language and style
- NYS standards 7W2f, 7L3a
- Difficulty 1 of 5
- Level Below grade 7
Martial Arts for the Mind and Body

Which transitional phrase should be added to the beginning of sentence 17?
- Type Transitions
- NYS standards 7W2d
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Martial Arts for the Mind and Body

Which sentence would best follow and support sentence 18?
- Type Supporting details
- NYS standards 7W2b
- Difficulty 2 of 5
Martial Arts for the Mind and Body

Which concluding sentence should replace sentence 23 to best support the topic presented in the passage?
- Type Introductions and conclusions
- NYS standards 7W2e
- Difficulty 4 of 5
- Level Above grade 7
Wolves of the Sea

The details in paragraph 1 contribute to a central idea of the passage by showing that Darimont
- Type Central idea and theme
- NYS standards 7R2, 7R5
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Wolves of the Sea

Why does the author include details about the conversation between Starr and Darimont in paragraph 2?
- Type Text structure
- NYS standards 7R5, 7R3
- Difficulty 2 of 5
Wolves of the Sea

Read this sentence from paragraph 4. After collecting and analyzing the DNA in 800 samples of gray fur and wolf waste, researchers could produce hard biological evidence that sea wolves…
- Type Word meaning and figurative language
- NYS standards 7R4, 7L4a
- Difficulty 4 of 5
- Level Above grade 7
Wolves of the Sea

The author uses the word “admits” in paragraph 5 most likely to
- Type Text structure
- NYS standards 7R4, 7R5
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Wolves of the Sea

Which sentence from the passage best supports the idea that sea wolves had successfully adapted to living on the islands?
- Type Textual evidence
- NYS standards 7R1
- Difficulty 4 of 5
- Level Above grade 7
Wolves of the Sea

How did a change in habitat most affect the wolf population of the Great Bear Rainforest over time?
- Type Development of ideas and characters
- NYS standards 7R3, 7R1
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Excerpt from “How We Made the First Flight”

How does paragraph 1 introduce the idea that the Wright brothers knew that their flight attempt was risky?
- Type Textual evidence
- NYS standards 7R1, 7R3
- Difficulty 4 of 5
- Level Above grade 7
Excerpt from “How We Made the First Flight”

Read this sentence from paragraph 4. Wilbur having used his turn in the unsuccessful attempt on the 14th, the right to the first trial now belonged to me. The sentence…
- Type Text structure
- NYS standards 7R5, 7R3
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Excerpt from “How We Made the First Flight”

The photograph mentioned in paragraph 4 is significant because it
- Type Key details
- NYS standards 7R1, 7R3
- Difficulty 4 of 5
- Level Above grade 7
Excerpt from “How We Made the First Flight”

How do the details in paragraph 5 about the uneven nature of the flight convey a central idea of the excerpt?
- Type Central idea and theme
- NYS standards 7R2, 7R5
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Excerpt from “How We Made the First Flight”

Read this sentence from paragraph 5. As the velocity of the wind was over 35 feet per second and the speed of the machine over the ground against this wind…
- Type Author's purpose and point of view
- NYS standards 7R6, 7R1
- Difficulty 4 of 5
- Level Above grade 7
Excerpt from “How We Made the First Flight”

Read this sentence from paragraph 5. A sudden dart when a little over a hundred feet from the end of the track, or a little over 120 feet from the…
- Type Text structure
- NYS standards 7R5, 7R3
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Excerpt from “How We Made the First Flight”

Read this sentence from paragraph 5. This flight lasted only 12 seconds, but it was nevertheless the first in the history of the world in which a machine carrying a…
- Type Word meaning and figurative language
- NYS standards 7R4, 7L4a
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Excerpt from “How We Made the First Flight”

Which sentence from the excerpt best supports the idea that the Wright brothers had to adapt their plans for the flight in order to accommodate the weather conditions?
- Type Textual evidence
- NYS standards 7R1
- Difficulty 2 of 5
Excerpt from “How We Made the First Flight”

The use of chronological structure contributes to the development of ideas in the excerpt by
- Type Text structure
- NYS standards 7R5, 7R3
- Difficulty 2 of 5
- Level Below grade 7
Excerpt from “The Spirit of the Herd”

Which sentence from the excerpt best explains why Wade reserved Peroxide Jim for “emergency work” (paragraph 1)?
- Type Textual evidence
- NYS standards 7R1, 7R3
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Excerpt from “The Spirit of the Herd”

Paragraphs 1–2 contribute to the development of the central idea of the excerpt by
- Type Text structure, Central idea and theme
- NYS standards 7R5, 7R2
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Excerpt from “The Spirit of the Herd”

How does paragraph 3 convey the effect of the setting on the cattle drive?
- Type Development of ideas and characters, Text structure
- NYS standards 7R3, 7R5
- Difficulty 4 of 5
- Level Above grade 7
Excerpt from “The Spirit of the Herd”

How does paragraph 9 fit into the overall structure of the excerpt?
- Type Text structure
- NYS standards 7R5, 7R3
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Excerpt from “The Spirit of the Herd”

Read this sentence from paragraph 13. Close on their left bore down the flank of the herd, and on their right, under their very feet, was a precipice, so close…
- Type Word meaning and figurative language
- NYS standards 7R4, 7L4a
- Difficulty 2 of 5
Excerpt from “The Spirit of the Herd”

Read these sentences from the excerpt. He was riding to turn the herd, too, back from the rim, as the horse also knew. (paragraph 11) It was Peroxide Jim’s, according…
- Type Text structure, Central idea and theme
- NYS standards 7R5, 7R2
- Difficulty 4 of 5
- Level Above grade 7
Excerpt from “The Spirit of the Herd”

How do the details in paragraphs 14–16 help convey a central idea of the excerpt?
- Type Central idea and theme
- NYS standards 7R2, 7R3
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Excerpt from “The Spirit of the Herd”

Which sentence from the excerpt best reveals the mood on the drive before the lightning struck?
- Type Word meaning and figurative language
- NYS standards 7R4, 7R1
- Difficulty 2 of 5
A Miracle Mile

The words “feat,” “humanly impossible,” and “impenetrable barrier” in paragraph 1 affect the tone of the paragraph because they
- Type Word meaning and figurative language
- NYS standards 7R4, 7L5c
- Difficulty 2 of 5
- Level Below grade 7
A Miracle Mile

Which sentence best supports the idea that Bannister needed an alternative to “logical planning” (paragraph 3) in order to accomplish his goal?
- Type Textual evidence
- NYS standards 7R1, 7R3
- Difficulty 2 of 5
A Miracle Mile

Read these sentences from paragraph 7. Bannister said, “I felt that the moment of a lifetime had come. There was no pain, only a great unity of movement and aim.”…
- Type Text structure
- NYS standards 7R5, 7R3
- Difficulty 3 of 5
A Miracle Mile

The phrase “a new mindset had taken root” in paragraph 8 conveys the idea that
- Type Word meaning and figurative language
- NYS standards 7R4, 7L5a
- Difficulty 2 of 5
A Miracle Mile

Which sentence from the passage indicates that Bannister nearly made a mistake that would have cost him the world record?
- Type Textual evidence
- NYS standards 7R1, 7R3
- Difficulty 3 of 5
A Miracle Mile

Bannister’s loss in the 1952 Olympics influenced his decision to pursue breaking the four-minute-mile barrier by
- Type Development of ideas and characters
- NYS standards 7R3, 7R1
- Difficulty 3 of 5
A Miracle Mile

How did interval training affect Bannister’s performance?
- Type Development of ideas and characters
- NYS standards 7R3, 7R1
- Difficulty 2 of 5
- Level Below grade 7
A Miracle Mile

How does the author’s use of chronological structure contribute to the development of ideas in the passage?
- Type Text structure
- NYS standards 7R5, 7R3
- Difficulty 2 of 5
- Level Below grade 7
Serpent Mound

How does the poem’s form contribute to the poem’s meaning?
- Type Text structure
- NYS standards 7R5
- Difficulty 4 of 5
Serpent Mound

Which lines reveal how the setting affects the speaker and the men from the museum?
- Type Textual evidence, Development of ideas and characters
- NYS standards 7R1, 7R3
- Difficulty 2 of 5
Serpent Mound

Lines 1–2 contribute to the development of ideas in the poem by
- Type Text structure
- NYS standards 7R5, 7R3
- Difficulty 2 of 5
- Level Below grade 7
Serpent Mound

Read line 28 from the poem. At the mouth end, there was an oval mound How does the line contribute to the development of ideas in the poem?
- Type Text structure
- NYS standards 7R5, 7R6
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Serpent Mound

What impact do the phrases “all but / invisible” and “even less obvious” in lines 16–18 have on the meaning of the poem?
- Type Word meaning and figurative language
- NYS standards 7R4, 7L4a
- Difficulty 2 of 5
- Level Below grade 7
Serpent Mound

What impact do the words “swish,” “chitter,” and “cry” in lines 12–13 have in the poem?
- Type Word meaning and figurative language
- NYS standards 7R4, 7L5
- Difficulty 4 of 5
- Level Above grade 7
Serpent Mound

How does the speaker’s interaction with Ruth in lines 37–41 convey a central idea of the poem?
- Type Central idea and theme
- NYS standards 7R2, 7R6
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Serpent Mound

The poet contrasts the speaker’s and Ruth’s points of view regarding the mound by using dialogue to
- Type Author's purpose and point of view
- NYS standards 7R6, 7R4
- Difficulty 3 of 5
A Memory Revolution

The details in paragraph 3 about cognitive offloading convey a central idea of the passage by
- Type Central idea and theme
- NYS standards 7R2, 7R5
- Difficulty 3 of 5
A Memory Revolution

How do the details about the experiment described in paragraph 5 convey a central idea of the passage?
- Type Central idea and theme
- NYS standards 7R2, 7R1
- Difficulty 2 of 5
A Memory Revolution

Read this sentence from paragraph 7. As the Internet’s resources continue to expand our “external” memory, some question whether the process may cause people to depend too heavily on technology.…
- Type Text structure
- NYS standards 7R5, 7R6
- Difficulty 4 of 5
- Level Above grade 7
A Memory Revolution

The study described in paragraph 6 influenced researchers’ ideas about memory in the digital age by
- Type Development of ideas and characters
- NYS standards 7R3, 7R1
- Difficulty 2 of 5
A Memory Revolution

How does the diagram provide additional support for the topic presented in the passage?
- Type Textual evidence, Central idea and theme
- NYS standards 7R1, 7R2
- Difficulty 4 of 5
- Level Above grade 7
A Memory Revolution

Which evidence from the passage is most relevant to the claim in paragraph 7 that “ ‘far from making us stupid, these technologies are the only things that will keep…
- Type Textual evidence
- NYS standards 7R8, 7R1
- Difficulty 3 of 5
A Memory Revolution

Which sentence from the passage suggests that using Internet search engines may lead people to rely less on their own ability to recall information?
- Type Textual evidence
- NYS standards 7R1, 7R3
- Difficulty 3 of 5
A Memory Revolution

The effect of the Internet on a person’s memory is illustrated in the passage through the presentation of studies that
- Type Textual evidence
- NYS standards 7R1, 7R3
- Difficulty 3 of 5