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Copyright © McDougal Littell WKCE Practice Worksheets GRADE 10 Language Arts

WKCE Practice Worksheets - McDougal Littell - Worksheet 1 Wisconsin Standards: B.10.2, B.10.3 WKCE Test Practice: Planning, Revising, and Editing SAMPLE Directions: Read each passage

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WKCE Practice WorksheetsGRADE 10

Language Arts

16 Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam

A The birth of the Blues is a story that takesplace in the southern part, of America.

B The birth of the Blues is a story that takesplace in the southern part of America.

C The birth of the Blues is a story that takesplace; in the southern part of America.

D Best as is

A Is it a chord structure? A note out ofkey? Or a state of mind?

B Is it: a chord structure, a note out of key,or a state of mind?

C Is it a chord structure, a note out of key,or a state of mind?

D Best as is

BA

A lyrics and the unique rhythms

B Lyrics and the unique rhythms

C Lyrics and the Unique Rhythms

D Best as is

A The success phenomenal of these twotunes helped the Blues gain widespreadpopularity.

B The phenomenal success of these twotunes helped the Blues gain popularitywidespread.

C The phenomenal success of these twotunes, helped the Blues gain widespreadpopularity.

D Best as is.

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Practice Worksheet 1 Wisconsin Standards: B.10.2, B.10.3

WKCE Test Practice: Planning, Revising, and Editing

SAMPLE

Directions: Read each passage. Choose the best way to write each numbered section and mark theletter for your answer. If the section needs no change, mark the choice “Best as is.”

The birth of the Blues is a story that takes place, in the southern part of America. Many people

disagree about what constitutes Blues music. Is it a chord structure a note out of key or a state of

mind? Though people argue about what it is, there is no question that the Blues was born in the fields

of the South where slaves would sing about their profound despair.

A

B

QUESTIONS

The combination of the sadness of the Lyrics and the unique Rhythms created a new form of

music in America. The Blues form of music was first popularized by an African American composer

named W.C. Handy (1873–1958). He wrote “Memphis Blues” in 1912 and “St. Louis Blues” in 1914.

The phenomenal success of these two tunes helped the Blues gain widespread popularity.

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Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 17

Name Date

A Blues’ lyrics are often intensely personalconcerning unrequited love, joblessness,lack of food and money.

B Blues lyrics are often intensely personalconcerning unrequited love, joblessness,and lack of food or money.

C Blues lyrics’ are often intensely personalconcerning unrequited love, joblessness,lack of food, and money.

D Best as is.

A The meter of the blues is often sung iniambic pentameter,

B The meter of the blues often sung iniambic pentameter,

C The meter of the blues in iambicpentameter,

D Best as is

A Often the meter and the lyrics do notseem to go together but a good artist,will combine them both to create an incredible listening and dancing experience.

B Often the meter, and the lyrics do Notseem to go together but a good artist will combine them both to create anincredible listening and dancingexperience.

C Often the meter and the lyrics do Notseem to go, together but a good artistwill combine them both to create anincredible listening and dancingexperience.

D Best as is

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QUESTIONS continued

Blue’s lyrics often are intensely personal concerning unrequited love, joblessness, lack of food, or

money. Often though, this despair is combined with humor and upbeat music that gives this

combination more than a sorrowful tune. The meter of the blues are often sung in iambic pentameter,

the same meter Shakespeare used. Often the meter and the lyrics do not seem to go together, but a

good artist will combine them both to create an incredible listening or dancing experience.

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18 Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam

A Astronomy the study of the heavens isthe oldest of all natural sciences.

B Astronomy: the study of the heavens isthe oldest of all natural sciences.

C Astronomy, the study of the heavens, isthe oldest of all natural sciences.

D Best as is

A The Babylonians were the first knownpeople to practice astronomy; a sciencedeveloped via the Greek and the Arabs.

B The Babylonians were the first knownpeople to practice astronomy, a sciencedeveloped via the Greeks and the Arabs.

C The Babylonians were the first knownpeople to practice astronomy, a sciencedeveloped via the Greek and the Arab.

D Best as is

BA

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Practice Worksheet 2 Wisconsin Standards: B.10.2, B.10.3

WKCE Test Practice: Planning, Revising, and Editing

SAMPLE

Directions: Read each passage. Choose the best way to write each numbered section and mark theletter for your answer. If the section needs no change, mark the choice “Best as is.”

Astronomy the study of the heavens, is the oldest of all natural sciences. Since very early times,

humans have been fascinated by the rising and setting of the sun, the phases of the moon, and the

movements of the sun and the planets. The Babylonians were the first known people to practice

astronomy a science developed via the Greek and the Arabs.

A

B

A According to Ptolemy, the planets movedaround the standing earth.

B According to Ptolemy the planets moved,around the standing earth.

C According to Ptolemy: the planets movedaround the standing earth.

D Best as is

A Isaac Newton inventing the reflecting telescope.

B Isaac Newton is inventing the reflectingtelescope.

C Isaac Newton invented the reflectingtelescope.

D Best as is.

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QUESTIONS

Claudius Ptolemy lived about 100 to 170 A.D. He was an Alexandrine astronomer, geographer,

mathematician, and music theorist. According to Ptolemy the planets, moved around the standing

earth. In 1609, Galileo aligned the first telescope to the sky. Johannes Kepler discovered the principle

of the orbits of the planets in 1615. Isaac Newton invents the reflecting telescope.

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Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 19

Name Date

A The development of modern astronomyfrom the old astronomy was a longprocess involving many steps and persons.

B The development of modern astronomyfrom the old astronomy was a longprocess involving many steps, andperson.

C The development of modern astronomyfrom the old astronomy was a longprocess involving, many steps andpersons.

D Best as is.

A It concluded with Newton's synthesis ofthe laws of motion in the heavens andthe earth and Einstein's revising ofNewton's ideas in the relativity theory.

B It concludes with Newton's synthesis ofthe laws of motion in the heavens andthe earth, and Einstein's revised ofNewton's ideas in the relativity theory.

C It concluding with Newton’s synthesis ofthe laws of motion and Einsteins revisionof the laws of gravity.

D Best as is.

A Today, astronomy is still a field, that dis-covering mysteries about the heavens.

B Today astronomy is still a field that isdiscovering mysteries about the heavens.

C Today astronomy is still a field that isdiscovering mysteries, about the heavens.

D Best as is.

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QUESTIONS continued

The development of modern astronomy from the old astronomy was a long process involving

many steps and person. It began with the introduction of the Sun-centered Solar System by

Copernicus. It concludes with Newton’s synthesis of the laws of motion in the heavens and the earth,

and Einstein's revision of Newton’s ideas in the relativity theory. Today, astronomy is still a field that

discovering mysteries about the heavens.

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20 Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam

A can damage

B should damage

C would damage

D Best as is

A anyone, thus preventing them from getting a job.

B anyone: thus, preventing them fromgetting a job.

C anyone. Preventing them

D Best as is

BA

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Practice Worksheet 3 Wisconsin Standards: B.10.2, B.10.3

WKCE Test Practice: Understanding Grammar and Punctuation

SAMPLE

Directions: Read each passage. Choose the best way to write each numbered section and mark theletter for your answer. For constructed-response questions, answer in complete sentences using correctpunctuation, spelling, and grammar. If the section needs no change, mark the choice “Best as is.”

Mandatory drug testing is a very controversial issue in our country. Some of the objections to the

testing are that the tests are not reliable, and they could damage a person’s career forever. Businesses

who have this information on an employee could “blackball” anyone. Thus preventing them from

getting a job.

A

B

A weighs

B weighing

C weighting

D Best as is

A they shall fail

B they fails

C they failed

D Best as is

Why is this author against mandatory drugtesting?

Why would mandatory drug testing be agood idea for a company and its employees?

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QUESTIONS

Furthermore, the way in which the tests are administered is often unfair and weights against the

ordinary worker. For example, the workers at many grocery-store chains are tested before being hired

and then randomly thereafter. If they fail a test, it might be taken once again. But after that, workers

lose their jobs.

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Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 21

Name Date

A A why it should be that

B which is why

C omit the underlined portion

D Best as is

A have upheld the idea of

B have said that there is

C have decided that there is

D Best as is

A for one who feels wronged.

B when they feel wronged.

C for those felt wronged.

D Best as is

In your own words, explain why you thinkthat the laws would be partial to businesses,as opposed to the individual in this country.Write in complete sentences with correctspelling, punctuation, and grammar.

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QUESTIONS continued

The most important reason why it is that mandatory drug testing should be banned is that it is an

invasion of every American’s right to privacy. Many Supreme Court cases have been decided that the

idea that there is the right to privacy implicit in the Constitution. But when it comes to drug testing,

the rights of business outweigh the rights of an individual. There is little recourse for one that feels that

they might have been wronged. Mandatory drug testing as a condition for hiring and employment

should be discontinued. In this case, the good of the many must outweigh the needs of a few.

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22 Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam

A : To help African Americans escape slavery by helping them run away to freestates in the Union, or to Canada.

B to help African Americans escape slaveryby helping them run away to free statesin the Union, or to Canada.

C , to help African Americans escape thebonds of slavery by helping them runaway to free states in the Union, or toCanada.

D Best as is

A

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Practice Worksheet 4 Wisconsin Standards: B.10.2, B.10.3

WKCE Test Practice: Understanding Grammar and Punctuation

SAMPLE

Directions: Read each passage. Choose the best way to write each numbered section and mark theletter of your answer. For constructed-response questions, answer in complete sentences using correctpunctuation, spelling, and grammar. If the section needs no change, mark the choice “Best as is.”

The Underground Railroad was a name given to a movement during the Civil War ; To help African

Americans escape slavery by helping them run away to free states in the Union, or to Canada. The

Underground Railroad was neither underground, nor a railroad.

A

A from the people who

B from the people whom

C from the people the

D Best as is

A code words for example

B code words; for example,

C code words: for example,

D Best as is

A provided

B provide

C provaded

D Best as is

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QUESTIONS

Once the slaves escaped from the people that enslaved them, they traveled by whatever means they

could by moving almost entirely at night and hiding during the day. The slaves and the people who aided

them used railroad terms as code words, for example, hiding places were called stations, and people who

helped the runaways were known as conductors. Freed slaves and some abolitionists in both the South

and the North provides the runaways with food, clothing, directions, and places to hide.

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Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 23

Name Date

What does prearranged mean?

A secretive

B minor

C planned in advance

D none of the above

A thinked

B thank

C think

D Best as is

A supporter’s

B supporters

C supporters’s

D Best as is

What does haven mean?

A heaven

B a dangerous place

C a safe place

D none of the above

A Because a lantern placed in a certainplace in the front lawn would signal tothe slaves that it was safe to come in orthat it was not safe to enter at that time.

B When a lantern placed in a certain placein the front lawn would signal to theslaves that it was safe to come in or thatit was not safe to enter at that time.

C A lantern placed in a certain place in thefront lawn would signal to the slaves thatit was safe to come in, or that it was notsafe to enter at that time.

D As a lantern placed in a certain place inthe front lawn would signal to the slavesthat it was safe to come in or that it wasnot safe to enter at that time.

In your own words and in complete sen-tences, describe how the UndergroundRailroad worked.

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QUESTIONS continued

The members of the Underground Railroad worked through a system of prearranged signals. For

example, some scholars thinks that there were secrets encoded in quilts, (often the Jacob’s Ladder

pattern, renamed the Underground Railroad pattern) which would be hung outside the Underground

Railroad supporters’ homes that signaled the slaves had reached a safe haven. While a lantern placed

in a certain place in the front lawn would signal to the slaves that it was safe to come in or that it was

not safe to enter at that time.

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24 Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam

A have become

B become

C has become

D Best as is.

Why would Coffin be called the “unofficial“rather than the “official” president of theUnderground Railroad?

A Because he wasn’t a slave himself.

B Because the Underground Railroad wasnot an official organization.

C Because he lived in Indiana.

D Because he didn’t like politics.

BA

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Practice Worksheet 5 Wisconsin Standards: B.10.2, B.10.3

WKCE Test Practice: Understanding Grammar and Punctuation

SAMPLE

Directions: Read each passage. Choose the best way to write each numbered section and mark theletter of your answer. For constructed-response questions, answer in complete sentences using correctpunctuation, spelling, and grammar. If the section needs no change, mark the choice “Best as is.”

A few brave people have became famous for their work with the Underground Railroad. Levi

Coffin, a Quaker from Newport, Indiana, was called the unofficial president of the Underground

Railroad. He helped more than 3,000 slaves escape.

A

B

A The African American leader almostfamous

B The African American most famousleader

C The most famous African American leader

D Best as is

A She, was known, as Moses, because she was led her people to freedom byfollowing the North Star to Canada.

B She was, known, as Moses, because shewas led her people to freedom byfollowing the North Star to Canada.

C She was known as Moses, because sheled her people to freedom by followingthe North Star to Canada.

D Best as is

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QUESTIONS

The African American leader most famous in the Underground Railroad was a woman, Harriet

Tubman, who was a runaway slave herself. She was known, as Moses, because she led her people to

freedom by following the North Star to Canada. Though she knew that she could be caught and

hanged, she returned to the South 19 times to help more than 300 slaves escape to freedom.

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Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 25

Name Date

Why would this fact be important in HarrietTubman’s biography? Answer in completesentences with correct spelling, punctuation,and grammar.

A When she is twenty-five she married afree slave, named John Tubman.

B When, she is twenty-five she married afree slave named John Tubman.

C When she is twenty-five, she married afree slave named John Tubman.

D Best as is.

A was gave

B was give

C was given

D Best as is

What does the word indigent mean?

A indignant

B poor

C former slaves

D freed slaves

Why do you think Harriet Tubman also sup-ported the women’s rights movement?Answer in complete sentences with correctspelling, punctuation, and grammar.

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QUESTIONS continued

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in Maryland. At the age of twelve, she was injured in the

head because she refused to help tie down a slave who tried to escape. When she was twenty-five she

married a free slave named John Tubman. She was afraid that she would be sold to another family in

slavery, so she escaped. She was giving the names of two people by her white neighbor to help her on

her route. She made her escape and then came back to help other relatives and friends escape by the

same route she used years before.

After the Civil War broke out, Harriet Tubman served as a soldier, spy, and nurse for the North.

After the War, she fought for the rights of women and opened her home to the indigent.

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26 Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam

A likes to be making comments like that

B liked comments like that to have beenmade.

C likes commenting such as that

D Best as is

A Same Major, agricultural science.

B same major? Agricultural science.

C same major: agricultural science.

D Best as is

BA

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Practice Worksheet 6 Wisconsin Standards: B.10.2, B.10.3

WKCE Test Practice: Understanding Grammar and Punctuation

SAMPLE

Directions: Read each passage. Choose the best way to write each numbered section and mark theletter of your answer. For constructed-response questions, answer in complete sentences using correctpunctuation, spelling, and grammar. If the section needs no change, mark the choice “Best as is.”

It all started when my cousin Ray invited me to stay with him for a weekend in what he calls “the

big city.” Ray likes to make comments like that. For instance, whenever we’re on the phone together,

he teases me by calling me "the country mouse." Ray and I went to college together, and even

studied the same major; agricultural science.

A

B

A opposing spectrum of ending,

B opposite end of the spectrum,

C end of a spectrum containing opposites,

D Best as is

From the context of this sentence, ruralmeans

A in the city.

B in the country.

C near the college they attended.

D none of the above.

From this introduction, how do you thinkRay’s life differs from this author’s life?Answer in complete sentences with correctspelling, grammar, and punctuation.

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QUESTIONS

After graduation, he took a job in a major city with a company that manufactures chemicals. I went

to the spectrum with the most opposition, taking a job on a 500-acre, family-run farm right in the

middle of nowhere. It’s not really near a city or town, or even a village. It’s a farm in a rural area.

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Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 27

Name Date

What does the word mundane mean in thiscontext?

A fulfilling

B happy

C unexciting

D unhappy

A Rays’

B Ray

C Ray’s

D Best as is

A I knows

B I knews

C I knew

D Best as is

A At least,

B I hoped,

C I thought

D Best as is

A besides them.

B besides it.

C beside it.

D Best as is

In your own words, describe why this writerhad a hard time finding Ray’s apartment.

Which of the following describes this pieceof writing?

A persuasive essay

B descriptive essay

C comparative contrast essay

D an expository essay

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QUESTIONS continued

When Ray invited me to see him, I was thrilled. I looked forward to getting away from my quiet,

mundane life on the farm. I thought about this as I drove around the city, searching for Rays

apartment at 1145 N. Jackson. I know I had the address right because I’d even gone on the Internet

and used a traveler’s program to print out a map detailing each leg of my journey, from the gravel-

covered rural route that runs by the farm all the way to Ray’s front door, 200 miles away. Because, I

thought it was his front door. When I approached the 10-story apartment building, there were dozens

and dozens of buzzers, but no buzzer had Ray’s last name, LeGrange, beside them.

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28 Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam

A She, replied “Are you looking forJackson Street, Jackson Place, orJackson Boulevard”?

B She replied, “Are you looking forJackson Street, Jackson Place, orJackson Boulevard?”

C She replied, “Are you looking forJackson Street, Jackson Place, orJackson Boulevard”?

D Best as is

A Whoever heard

B Whom can ever hear

C Who is hearing

D Best as is

BA

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Practice Worksheet 7 Wisconsin Standards: B.10.2, B.10.3

WKCE Test Practice: Planning, Revising, and Editing

SAMPLE

Directions: Read each passage. Choose the best way to write each numbered section and mark theletter of your answer. For constructed-response questions, answer in complete sentences using correctpunctuation, spelling, and grammar. If the section needs no change, mark the choice “Best as is.”

Just then a postal worker came out of the building. I asked her if I was, in fact, standing at 1145

N. Jackson. She replied “Are you looking for Jackson Street, Jackson Place, or Jackson Boulevard?” I

had no idea that addresses could be so complicated. Whomever heard of three streets in the same city

with the same name?

A

B

The writer is thinking of adding the followingsentence at this point in the essay: “We didn’thave such problems down on the farm.” Ifthis sentence were added at this point, wouldit improve the essay?

A No, because this paragraph is about lifein the city.

B No, because it distracts from the dilemmaof finding the apartment.

C Yes, because it reinforces the idea thatthe narrator is lost.

D Yes, because it adds to the gloomy toneand indicates the narrator is in danger.

A Boulevard which was truly destined.

B Boulevard, which was my true destination.

C Boulevard that destined my truth.

D Best as is

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QUESTIONS

____ After a series of questions, this helpful letter-carrier and savior explained to me how to get to

1145 N. Jackson Boulevard that was my true destination.

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Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 29

Name Date

A My clean, air quiet, surroundings andinexpensive

B My clean air, quiet surroundings, andinexpensive,

C My clean air, quiet surroundings, andinexpensive

D Best as is

A gasoline bills make

B gasoline, bills, make

C gasoline bills making

D Best as is

A Therefore, those problems came to be

B In addition to those problems,

C Consequently, those problems are goingto be

D Best as is

A a totality of thirty cents in addition towhat you’d expect.

B about thirty cents more expensive pergallon.

C the equivalent of approximately a third ofone dollar more.

D Best as is

Which of the following sentences would bemost consistent with the style and tone ofthe essay and make the best conclusion forthis paragraph?

A This was a weekend trip to a largermetropolitan area, and I had planned it.

B Foot-traffic studies are used by cityplanners to determine how long and howwide sidewalks should be.

C City dwellers seem to live for all the sameforms of entertainment that we enjoy atthe farm.

D Sometimes I felt like I was going to bemowed down by a horde of pedestrians.

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QUESTIONS continued

By the time I left, I was actually looking forward to returning to my peaceful life on the farm.

My clean air quiet surroundings and inexpensive gasoline bills makes Ray green with envy. It may be a

bit boring, but my life seems much more satisfying to me now.

The “Jackson Mishap,” as Ray called it, was the first of many confusing and frustrating adventures

I had. Over the course of two days with Ray, I learned that parking a car near his apartment is

impossible, no store has a line shorter than two-miles long, and the city is never, ever quiet. However

those problems came to be, the air was filled with smog, and gasoline was totally like thirty more

cents more expensive than a lower price. Ray and I had a great time going to museums, stores, and

shows, but I couldn't believe how crowded the sidewalks were.

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30 Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam

A wondered why

B wondered, why

C wondered: why

D Best as is

A they barking

B their barking

C those barking

D Best as is

BA

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Practice Worksheet 8 Wisconsin Standards: B.10.2, B.10.3

WKCE Test Practice: Understanding Grammar and Punctuation

SAMPLE

Directions: Read each passage. Choose the best way to write each numbered section and mark theletter of your answer. For constructed-response questions, answer in complete sentences using correctpunctuation, spelling, and grammar. If the section needs no change, mark the choice “Best as is.”

Have you ever wondered? Why dogs bark? Sometimes them barking serves as a warning, a threat,

a greeting, or a complaint.

A B

A felt like it

B were feeling it

C feel about it

D Best as is

A Only, some bark

B Some bark only

C some only bark

D Best as is

A them terriers tend

B terriers tend

C a terrier tended

D Best as is

A but be barkers.

B but being barkers.

C barking.

D Best as is

Why do different breeds of dogs have different barking habits?

What statement is out of context?

A Terriers tend to bark more than mostother dogs.

B Like my dog.

C Only some bark rarely,

D None of the above.

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QUESTIONS

Although barking is a complicated communications system, dogs often seem to bark just because

they feel like it. Different breeds of dogs have different barking habits. Only some bark rarely, but others

find it difficult to be silent. Like my dog. For example, terriers, they tend to bark more than most other

dogs. No matter what their particular habits, however, dogs apparently can’t help but barking.

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Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 31

Name Date

A animal tameness

B animals tameness

C animal’s tameness

D Best as is

A not bred usually

B bread unusually

C bred unusual

D Best as is

A no alike

B not unlike

C alike

D Best as is

A evolutionary

B revolving

C voluntary

D Best as is

In your own words and in complete sen-tences, explain why you think that wolveswould not bark in the wild.

Why does this author bring up wild foxes toprove his or her point about dogs barking?Answer in complete sentences with correctspelling, punctuation, and grammar.

This piece of writing would best bedescribed as

A a persuasive essay.

B an informative essay.

C a comparative contrast essay.

D a descriptive essay.

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QUESTIONS continued

Scientists have been investigating this noisy phenomenon for some time; however, they have yet to

come up with a definitive explanation. Some data suggests a link between an animals’ tameness and

its tendency to bark. When researchers in the Soviet Union bred unusually tame foxes, they found that

those animals behaved, looked, and sounded not like wild foxes but like dogs! One theory proposes

that barking is a juvenile behavior, along with dependence and tameness.

According to this theory, barking in dogs is a case of revolutionary immaturity. The dog has simply

not developed as far as its wild cousin, the non-barking wolf.

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32 Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam

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Practice Worksheet 9 Wisconsin Standards: B.10.1, B.10.2

WKCE Test Practice: Writing toCommunicate: Compare and ContrastDirections: Read each question carefully and follow the directions for helping you compose your essay.

Today, many teenagers work while going to high school. Many parents, teachers, and students are divid-ed about whether or not working and going to school is beneficial to students. Write a compare andcontrast paper that deals with the pros and cons of working while attending school. Be as specific as pos-sible and use as many examples as you can in the time allotted. Write in complete sentences and use cor-rect spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

1. What are the key words in this question? (Compare and contrast, pros and cons of students workingwhile attending school, is it beneficial to students?)

2. On a blank sheet of paper, make two columns. In the first column, write all of the good things students experience from working. In the second column, write all of the negative aspects of workingwhile going to school.

3. After you have many examples, write a paragraph that introduces the topic and a thesis statementthat tells your reader how you are going to approach this compare and contrast paper.

4. Decide if you are going to write several paragraphs about the pros of working and then several paragraphs about the cons of working, or if you are going to deal with both simultaneously in everyparagraph.

5. Write body paragraphs on both the pros and the cons of working while attending school. Use as manyexamples as possible.

6. Write a conclusion that restates your thesis statement and gives an overview of the controversy.

7. Proofread your work for errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and word usage. Correct your errors,and if you have time, rewrite the essay.

Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 33

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Practice Worksheet 10 Wisconsin Standards: B.10.1, B10.2

WKCE Test Practice: Writing toCommunicate: Persuasive EssayDirections: Read each question carefully and follow the directions for helping you compose your essay.

In many states, parents are allowed to home-school their children. Though the student has to pass thesame proficiency tests to graduate and follow the same curriculum as the students in public or privateschools, the student may accomplish all of this from home with his/her mom or dad as the teacher. Someexperts, teachers, administrators, and students think that home-schooling is not healthy for students,while others think that it is a viable way to learn. In a letter directed to the Board of Education, pleaseexplain your thoughts on this issue of home-schooling for students. Be specific, giving as many examplesas possible. Write in complete sentences with correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

1. Look at the key words in this question (home-school, same curriculum and tests, is not healthy).Write a letter directed to the Board of Education stating what you think.

2. On a clean sheet of paper, make two columns. In the first, list all of the advantages you can think ofto being home-schooled. Do not go for the obvious (math class in your pajamas) but for the coreissues: safety, learning at your own pace, no peer pressure, etc.

3. In the next column, list all of the disadvantages of being home-schooled (lack of social interaction,parent as teacher, etc.).

4. Decide for yourself whether or not you think home-schooling is healthy for children, and write a the-sis statement with three of your best reasons, pro or con.

5. Address the letter to the members of the school board, and write an introduction of the topic withyour thesis statement in the first paragraph.

6. In your body paragraphs, write a paragraph about the first reason that either supports or rejects thedesirability of home-schooling. Be as specific as possible and use as many examples as you can.

7. Next, write a paragraph about the second reason that causes you to believe that home-schooling iseither beneficial or harmful to the student. Be as specific as you can and use as many examples as possible.

8. Finally, write a paragraph about the third reason why you believe home-schooling is beneficial orhurtful to students. Be as specific as you can and use as many examples as possible.

9. Write a conclusion that restates your thesis statement and gives an overview of your essay.

10. Proofread your essay for any mistakes in grammar, punctuation, or word usage. Correct these errors,and if you have time, rewrite the essay.

Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 37

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Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 39

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Practice Worksheet 11 Wisconsin Standards: B.10.1, B.10.2

WKCE Test Practice: Writing to Communicate: Expository CopyDirections: Read each question carefully and follow the directions for helping you compose your essay.

Pretend that it is this time next year, and your best friend is preparing to take the tenth grade proficiencytest in writing. Your friend has asked you to write him or her a letter explaining how to write a passingessay. Please be as specific as possible, and use as many examples as possible. Write in complete sen-tences and use correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

1. Look at the key words in this question (a letter to your best friend, how to write a passing essay withexamples and specifics).

2. On a clean sheet of paper, brainstorm about all the things that make up a good essay.

3. When you have written down all of the elements of a good essay, see if there are some that are connected to others. Make three groups of things that fall under the same category. For example,grammar, spelling, and punctuation could all go under one category, while creating a thesis statementand body paragraphs that correspond could be the structure of the essay.

4. Write a thesis statement that addresses three main points for writing a good essay.

5. Write your first body paragraph detailing the first point in writing a good essay.

6. Write your second body paragraph detailing the second point in writing a good essay.

7. Write your third body paragraph detailing the third point in writing a good essay.

8. Write a conclusion that restates your thesis statement and your essay.

9. Proofread for errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. If you see any mistakes, revise them, and ifyou have time, rewrite the essay.

Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 41

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