Grade Practice Test | Lumos Learning

Read the passage and answer the question below.

The planet with the most moons in the Solar System is Jupiter, with a total of 63 confirmed moons (as of 2009). Of course, it’s always possible that more moons will be discovered orbiting Jupiter in the future, and that number will go up.

Eight of Jupiter’s moons are regular satellites, with 4 large, spherical moons, and 4 smaller moons that orbit closer to Jupiter. Jupiter has an additional 55 tiny irregular satellites.

The planet with the second highest number of moons is Saturn, with 61 moons. With such a close total, more moons could easily be discovered circling the rings planet, and push its total higher.

The next planet with a high number of moons is Uranus, with 27 known moons.

This is followed by Neptune with 13 moons, Mars with 2 moons, and the Earth with its single moon.

Mercury and Venus have no moons. Although Pluto isn’t a planet anymore, it does have a total of 3 moons.

Earth has only one, but our moon has a big influence on the lives of humans on earth. In ancient times, people believed that moonlight could affect people’s brains. The Latin word for the moon was Luna. Words like “lunatic” and “looney” come from that idea. Many people still believe that more babies are born, and more people die when the moon is full. Scientific studies that have been done to see whether the numbers of births and deaths increase when there is a full moon show that there is no increase. The gravitational pull of the moon affects the tides in the ocean but does not seem to affect the births and deaths of people. Does the full moon cause people to fall in love? That’s another question!

What is the author’s purpose in writing this piece?

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Read the poem and answer the question.

Faster than fairies, faster than witches,
Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches,

And charging along like troops in a battle,

All through the meadows the horses and cattle,

All of the sights of the hill and the plain,

Fly as thick as driving rain,

And ever again, in the wink of an eye,

Painted stations whistle by.

Here is a child who clambers and scrambles,

All by himself and gathering brambles;

Here is a tramp who stands and gazes,

And there is the green for stringing the daisies;

Here is a cart run away in the road,

Lumping along with man and load;
And here is a mill and there is a river,
Each a glimpse and gone forever.
-- R.L.STEVENSON

What detail in the above poem tells us that this poem is about the view from inside a train?

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Read the next two selections. Then choose the best answer to each question.

Life in Colonial America
by Marisa Adams

 
1 During the late 1700’s, almost 2.5 million people lived in America. They moved from Europe into colonies that spread from Maine to Georgia. Each of the immigrants came for his own reasons; most people came because of the cheaper land, religious freedom, to serve jail time, or because of the opportunities. Some were brought to America as indentured servants. They agreed to work for a certain period of time to pay for their passage before they became free. Still others were brought to the country as slaves.
 
2 Most early Americans were farmers. Of course, the type of farms they had usually depended on the part of the country in which they lived. Those who lived in the northern colonies had to deal with cold climate and rocky soil. Because of this, their farms were typically small (around 55 acres) and easily run by a family with one or two indentured servants.
 
3 The warm climate and fertile soil of the South made farming easier. Most families lived on small farms; however, there were many families who lived on larger farms called plantations. These plantations often used many slaves to farm the land. Some of the largest plantations could easily be thousands of acres of land, housing several families and hundreds of slaves.
 
4 Americans of the early colonial period were very self-sufficient. They raised and grew their own food and made their own clothes. They used the land and trees around them to build their own tools, homes, barns, and even make their own medicines. If they had anything leftover, most families would trade with a neighbor for other goods; things rarely went to waste in colonial America. 
 

Pharaoh of Egypt, Queen Hatshepsut
Author Unknown, Adapted by Candy Mazze

 
1 Queen Hatshepsut ruled Egypt over 3,500 years ago. There were no wars during her time as a ruler, and the people of her country admired and worshipped her. She was one of the greatest rulers in history.
 
2 At that time, women didn’t have the same rights as men, and were certainly not recognized as being able to rule a country. So how did she, Hatshepsut, become queen? Could it be because this Queen, the Pharaoh of Egypt, dressed like a man?
 
3 Thutmose I was the pharaoh until he passed away. The title then moved to Thutmose II, the oldest son. Hatshepsut married him, giving her the title of Queen. The two ruled the country together. A few years later, Thutmose II passed away. She lost power as Queen as a result of his death. The next brother, Thutmose III, was only 10 years old. In order for him to be pharaoh, he needed a regent. Queen Hatshepsut took on that role and ruled in his place. She decided to dress and act like a man –even wearing a false beard – and made herself the pharaoh.
 
4 Queen Hatshepsut accomplished many things during her reign. Her focus was on the people of Egypt, making efforts to improve their lives rather than trying to expand the country, as other rulers had done. She built temples and monuments throughout Egypt, and created peace within the country and with other countries.
 
5 One major achievement she completed as a ruler was a trade exploration. Egyptians set sail to the Land of Punt, acquiring numerous goods and rare items. This African kingdom, now known as Somalia, was home to spices, gold, perfumes, and rare animal skins and feathers that the Egyptians brought back to the pharaoh. The area wasn’t explored much, and travelling there and back meant risking much danger, making the exploration a historical moment for Queen Hatshepsut and for the country of Egypt.
 
6 The end of Queen Hatshepsut’s reign was not as “unique” as its beginning. Although she sought peace and a better life for the Egyptians, she and her country were constantly threatened. Thutmose III was one of those who created tension. As he got older, he wanted the throne and was determined to be the pharaoh. At some point, Queen Hatshepsut apparently disappeared, and Thutmose III became pharaoh. The legend suggests she was murdered by Thutmose III so he could “rightfully” regain the throne.

Both of the passages from "Life in Colonial America" and "Pharaoh of Egypt, Queen Hatshepsut," deal with events in history. Compare these two passages. How are they similar? How are they different? Include details from the passages to support your ideas.

Reading: Informational Text (RI.6.6)