Sample CST Question 10

Water Picture
by May Swenson

In the pond in the park

all things are doubled:

Long buildings hang and

wriggle gently. Chimneys

   5     are bent legs bouncing

on clouds below. A flag

wags like a fishhook

down there in the sky.

The arched stone bridge

10      is an eye, with underlid

in the water. In its lens

dip crinkled heads with hats

that don’t fall off. Dogs go by,

barking on their backs.

15      A baby, taken to feed the

ducks, dangles upside-down,

a pink balloon for a buoy.

Treetops deploy a haze of

cherry bloom for roots,

20      where birds coast belly-up

in the glass bowl of a hill;

from its bottom a bunch

of peanut-munching children

is suspended by their

25      sneakers, waveringly.

A swan, with twin necks

forming the figure 3,

steers between two dimpled

towers doubled. Fondly

30      hissing, she kisses herself,

and all the scene is troubled:

water-windows splinter,

tree-limbs tangle, the bridge

folds like a fan.

“Water Picture” from NATURE: POEMS OLD AND NEW. Copyright © 1994 by the Literary Estate of May Swenson. Reprinted
by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

CSR1P245

How does the poet achieve her tone?

A   She sets the poem in a public park.

B   She describes familiar things in a surprising
      way.

C   She uses lines of varying length.

D   She contrasts the swan with other birds.

Sample CST Question 9

The Leaning Tower

        (1) Those who built the Tower of Pisa never meant for it to lean, though this is what
has made it famous. (2) Other towers, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Tower of London,
are known for their own unique qualities. (3) In recent years, workers have had to make
the Tower of Pisa lean less to make it safe for visitors to enter. (4) How did the tower
come to lean, and how did workers make the Leaning Tower stand straighter?

        (5) The tower was constructed about eight hundred years ago in the town of Pisa,
near the Coast in Northwestern Italy. (6) The tilting came about because of the land on
which the tower was built. (7) This land being an old riverbed. (8) It wasn’t good. (9) This
caused the tower to lean to one side more and more over the centuries. (10) By 1990, it
was leaning so much that it had to be closed to visitors.

        (11) Then workers began to try to straighten out the tower enough to make it safe.
(12) A lot of soil was taken out from under one side. (13) When the land was settled, the
tower was leaning seventeen inches less than before. (14) Though this dosn’t sound like
very much, the tower is considered safe again—for now.

CSL1P021-W

Which of the following revisions would make
sentence 12 more informative?

A   There was very much soil taken out from
      beneath one side of the tower.

B   From under one side of the tower the workers
      took out an enormous quantity of soil.

C   The workers performed much labor to remove
      soil from its place under the tower.

D   About eight tons of soil were removed from
      the non-leaning side of the tower.

Sample CST Question 8

The World's Fastest Human

1        In the summer of 1919, Quincy and Jesse Owens rested in the shade of an oak tree near the farmhouse
where they lived. The cool shade was one of their favorite places to linger during the hot summer days. In the
distance they could see their father, a sharecropper, working in the fields under the Alabama sun.

2        Quincy, who was the oldest of the eight Owens children, pulled three marbles from his pocket and tossed
them onto the ground. He drew a circle in the dirt and placed the largest marble in the center. Then, while
Quincy began practicing, Jesse climbed up to sit on his favorite branch.

3        A few minutes later their neighbor Sarah joined them. “Hi, guys!” she said. She took two marbles from her
dress pocket and sat next to Quincy.

4        “Hi, Sarah,” the boys mumbled. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the tree. Quincy stopped shooting
marbles and leaned against the tree’s trunk. He closed his eyes and smiled.

5        Sarah said, “We always play marbles. Let’s think of something else to do.”

6        Jesse jumped to the ground. “I know! I'll race you, Sarah,” he said. “I'll race you to the willow tree and back.”

7        “You’re only six years old!” said Sarah. “Besides that, I’m as fast as the wind. I can even run faster than my
cousins, who are fourteen!”

8        “I’ll tell you what,” Jesse said, continuing as though he hadn’t heard her. “If you beat me, I'll give you my
kaleidoscope.”

9        With that, Sarah quickly jumped up and drew a starting line in the dirt a few yards away. “Quincy,” she said,
“you count to three. Come on, Jesse. I can’t wait to play with my new kaleidoscope. Let’s start running on three.”

10      Quincy got up and stood next to the starting line. In a fatherly tone he said, “Jesse, just do your best.” Then
he began counting, “One . . . two . . . THREE!”

11      A cloud of dust rose behind the two children as they took off. Sarah quickly pulled ahead of Jesse. She
looked over her shoulder and smiled at him, but he didn’t even see her. He looked straight ahead at the willow
tree and focused on moving his arms and legs in perfect rhythm. Three minutes later, Sarah tagged the willow
tree and spun around to complete the return trip. She was startled to see Jesse right behind her.

12      Jesse tagged the tree and dashed past Sarah. He heard Quincy shout, “C’mon Jesse, you’re ahead. Run
faster! Run faster!” Seconds later, Jesse crossed the finish line,—ahead of Sarah. He had won the race!

13      Quincy danced with excitement. “He won! He won!” he shouted as Sarah crossed the finish line. “Jesse
beat you! My little brother beat you!”

14      Sarah placed her hands on her knees while she caught her breath. “He surely did just that!” she said with a
smile. Then she put her arm around Jesse, who was beaming. “You really run like a pro!” she said.

15      Several years later, Sarah became a student at Missouri State University. She continued to run races as
a member of the track team, but she always remembered her race with Jesse. One day, as she walked into a
building on campus, she noticed a newspaper stand. The headlines on the newspaper caught her attention:
World’s Fastest Human: Jesse Owens Wins Four Gold Medals in Berlin Olympics.

16      “That’s my Jesse!” she thought fondly.

Note: It was in the year 1936 that Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany.

CSR0P120

The phrase “as fast as the wind” in paragraph
7 is an example of

A   metaphor.

B   simile.

C   personification.

D   symbolism.

Sample CST Question 7

The World's Fastest Human

1        In the summer of 1919, Quincy and Jesse Owens rested in the shade of an oak tree near the farmhouse
where they lived. The cool shade was one of their favorite places to linger during the hot summer days. In the
distance they could see their father, a sharecropper, working in the fields under the Alabama sun.

2        Quincy, who was the oldest of the eight Owens children, pulled three marbles from his pocket and tossed
them onto the ground. He drew a circle in the dirt and placed the largest marble in the center. Then, while
Quincy began practicing, Jesse climbed up to sit on his favorite branch.

3        A few minutes later their neighbor Sarah joined them. “Hi, guys!” she said. She took two marbles from her
dress pocket and sat next to Quincy.

4        “Hi, Sarah,” the boys mumbled. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the tree. Quincy stopped shooting
marbles and leaned against the tree’s trunk. He closed his eyes and smiled.

5        Sarah said, “We always play marbles. Let’s think of something else to do.”

6        Jesse jumped to the ground. “I know! I'll race you, Sarah,” he said. “I'll race you to the willow tree and back.”

7        “You’re only six years old!” said Sarah. “Besides that, I’m as fast as the wind. I can even run faster than my
cousins, who are fourteen!”

8        “I’ll tell you what,” Jesse said, continuing as though he hadn’t heard her. “If you beat me, I'll give you my
kaleidoscope.”

9        With that, Sarah quickly jumped up and drew a starting line in the dirt a few yards away. “Quincy,” she said,
“you count to three. Come on, Jesse. I can’t wait to play with my new kaleidoscope. Let’s start running on three.”

10      Quincy got up and stood next to the starting line. In a fatherly tone he said, “Jesse, just do your best.” Then
he began counting, “One . . . two . . . THREE!”

11      A cloud of dust rose behind the two children as they took off. Sarah quickly pulled ahead of Jesse. She
looked over her shoulder and smiled at him, but he didn’t even see her. He looked straight ahead at the willow
tree and focused on moving his arms and legs in perfect rhythm. Three minutes later, Sarah tagged the willow
tree and spun around to complete the return trip. She was startled to see Jesse right behind her.

12      Jesse tagged the tree and dashed past Sarah. He heard Quincy shout, “C’mon Jesse, you’re ahead. Run
faster! Run faster!” Seconds later, Jesse crossed the finish line,—ahead of Sarah. He had won the race!

13      Quincy danced with excitement. “He won! He won!” he shouted as Sarah crossed the finish line. “Jesse
beat you! My little brother beat you!”

14      Sarah placed her hands on her knees while she caught her breath. “He surely did just that!” she said with a
smile. Then she put her arm around Jesse, who was beaming. “You really run like a pro!” she said.

15      Several years later, Sarah became a student at Missouri State University. She continued to run races as
a member of the track team, but she always remembered her race with Jesse. One day, as she walked into a
building on campus, she noticed a newspaper stand. The headlines on the newspaper caught her attention:
World’s Fastest Human: Jesse Owens Wins Four Gold Medals in Berlin Olympics.

16      “That’s my Jesse!” she thought fondly.

Note: It was in the year 1936 that Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany.

CSR0P120

The author makes the events of the passage
seem more realistic by

A   describing the Owens home in careful detail.

B   supplying the conversation that might have
      taken place.

C   naming all seven of Jesse Owens’ sisters and
      brothers.

D   telling the name of the town where the events
      took place.

Results

Sample CST Question 6

Are We There Yet?

1        Think about a time you went someplace that you had never been before. It was not
really far away, but it seemed as if it was taking a really long time to get there. Then
you noticed that the return trip did not seem to take nearly as long, even though it
was exactly the same distance. Scientists have studied these common observations.
They have concluded that our perception of how time passes is sometimes based on
the amount of information with which we are dealing. The more information we are
getting, the more slowly time seems to pass.

2        On the way to the strange place, we are confronted with unfamiliar sights and
sounds, and maybe even smells. We may be reading directions, looking for landmarks,
or trying to find a particular road sign. There may be others in the car asking, “When
will we get there? Are we there yet?” We are constantly processing and evaluating the
information we are receiving.

3        On the return trip, we are somewhat familiar with the route. Now much of the
information is not new to us. Our brain now processes the information more efficiently.
We are able to ignore a lot of what we see and hear. We remember that it does not
require action on our part.

4        In other words, scientists believe that on the way to a new place we see things in
great detail. Thus time seems to move slowly. On the return trip we are not paying as
much attention to detail. Time seems to pass more quickly.

5        The process could be compared to the first and second days of school. On the
first day everything is new and different, and time seems to pass slowly. On the
second day, you know what to expect, and your brain spends less time processing new
information. The second day of school usually seems to proceed at a more rapid pace.

CSW0P075-W

Read the last two sentences of paragraph 5.

On the second day, you know what to expect, and your brain spends less time processing new information. The second day of school usually seems to proceed at a more rapid pace.

Which word should be added to the beginning
of the second sentence?

A   However,

B   Therefore,

C   Although,

D   Nevertheless,

Missing Work

Over the past few days, I have met with students to draw their attention to missing assignments and to give them an opportunity to submit this missing work. This week marks the end of the first half of the third trimester of our school year.  If students wish to get credit for work missing for this portion of the trimester, they must do so by Friday. 


Students with missing assignments know what they need to do to get credit for these assignments. Parents/families/guardians, please remind your student to submit this missing work by the end of their block tomorrow (Friday).


Thank you,
Mrs. Knutson

Sample CST Question 5

Spotted Cats

1        Several members of the cat family have spotted fur. Do you
know the difference between a leopard, a jaguar, and a cheetah?
From a distance they may appear somewhat similar. Examined
at closer range, however, they are clearly different cats. They
differ in various ways, including where they live, how big they
are, how they move and hunt, and how their fur is marked.

2        Of all the big cats in the wild, the true leopard is found
across the largest area. Leopards live in much of Asia and
Africa. A leopard grows to be from 3 to 6 feet long, with an
added 3 feet of tail. Leopards are skilled climbers that can hunt
monkeys in trees. They can also lie in wait and pounce on
passing prey. When food sources are scarce, they might eat
fruit, field mice, and large insects. Leopard spots are not
actually solid spots; they are broken circles.

3        The jaguar is native to the Americas. Its natural range is from the southern United States to northern
Argentina, with the largest concentration of jaguars being in Brazil and Central America. The beauty and
power of the jaguar inspired worship among ancient peoples. It measures between 3 and 6 feet long without
the tail, which adds another 1 ½ to 2 ½ feet. Possessing a large head and body, the jaguar has legs that are
shorter and thicker than a leopard’s. Jaguars are excellent climbers and can also swim well. They dine on a
variety of land, tree, and water creatures. Their fur can be a vivid yellow color or a rusty shade; their “spots”
are called rosettes. Each rosette is large and black, consisting of a middle spot with a circle of spots around it.

4        Most cheetahs live in the wilds of Africa. There are also some in Iran and northwestern Afghanistan. The
cheetah’s head is smaller than the leopard’s, and its body is longer. This cat is built for speed. Its legs are
much longer than the leopard’s, allowing it to run at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour! This incredible ability
helps the cheetahs catch their dinner, which is usually an unfortunate antelope. A cheetah’s spots are simply
black spots, not rosettes or circles.

5        Other spotted cats include the smaller ocelot, mainly of Central and South America, and the lynx or
bobcat, mainly of North America. What all of these cats have in common is that they are wild, powerful
animals of tremendous grace and beauty.

CSR0P043

Which words from the passage are used as
persuasion in that they express an attitude of
sympathy for animals that are prey to big cats?
A   . . . how they move and hunt . . .
B   . . . might eat fruit, field mice, and large
      insects.
C   . . . dinner, which is usually an unfortunate
      antelope.
D   . . . that they are wild, powerful animals . . .

Results

Sample CST Question 4

The Leaning Tower

        (1) Those who built the Tower of Pisa never meant for it to lean, though this is what
has made it famous. (2) Other towers, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Tower of London,
are known for their own unique qualities. (3) In recent years, workers have had to make
the Tower of Pisa lean less to make it safe for visitors to enter. (4) How did the tower
come to lean, and how did workers make the Leaning Tower stand straighter?

        (5) The tower was constructed about eight hundred years ago in the town of Pisa,
near the Coast in Northwestern Italy. (6) The tilting came about because of the land on
which the tower was built. (7) This land being an old riverbed. (8) It wasn’t good. (9) This
caused the tower to lean to one side more and more over the centuries. (10) By 1990, it
was leaning so much that it had to be closed to visitors.

        (11) Then workers began to try to straighten out the tower enough to make it safe.
(12) A lot of soil was taken out from under one side. (13) When the land was settled, the
tower was leaning seventeen inches less than before. (14) Though this dosn’t sound like
very much, the tower is considered safe again—for now.

CSL1P021-W

What is the correct way to write the underlined
part of sentence 5?
A   in the town of pisa, near the coast in
      Northwestern Italy
B   in the town of Pisa, near the coast in
      northwestern Italy
C   in the town of Pisa, near the Coast in
      northwestern Italy
D   in the town of pisa, near the coast in
      northwestern Italy

Sample CST Question 3

A conversation can turn into an argument in
the same way that a discussion can become
A   a privilege.
B   an examination.
C   a debate.
D   a quotation.

Sample CST Question 2

More Than a Niece

1        Harriet Lane stood in the doorway of the State
Dining Room. She watched as the florists carried their
large flower arrangements. The flowers were all so
beautiful that Harriet clapped her hands. “Thank you all
for your hard work,” she said to the florists. “I’m sure
the prince will be very impressed.” The florists left, and
Harriet and her friend Miss Hetty were alone in the
dining room.

2        “This is my favorite part of being Uncle’s hostess,”
Harriet said. Then she thought again. “Well, one of my
favorite parts. To be honest, I love all the parts of being
Uncle’s hostess here at the White House. I love
planning the dinners and checking the guest rooms. I
love showing visitors the gardens. I love making sure
that all the prominent and distinguished people who
come to visit the president are comfortable.”

3        Miss Hetty smiled. She had taken care of Harriet for a long time. Harriet had been only nine years old
when her parents died. She went to live with her uncle, James Buchanan. Uncle James was an important man
and was often away from home. He was not married, so he asked Miss Hetty to be his housekeeper and to
care for Harriet when he was away. He wanted Harriet to have good manners and study hard in school. He
also wanted her to be honest and truthful and always be ready to help others. As Harriet grew up, she and
Miss Hetty became friends.

4        When Uncle James became the United States government’s representative in England, Harriet and Miss
Hetty traveled there as well. Harriet became a friend of Queen Victoria and her family. Now that Uncle James
was president, Harriet and Miss Hetty were with him in Washington, D.C. Harriet did many of the jobs that a
First Lady, or wife of the president, would do, even though she was the president’s niece. This was to be the
most important party she had planned. Queen Victoria’s son, the Prince of Wales, was visiting the United
States. He was coming to dinner at the White House tonight! At the party, the prince and Harriet enjoyed
talking about England and the people Harriet had met while she had lived there.

5        During the time she lived in Washington, Harriet did more than just plan parties. She worked hard to
improve the lives of Native Americans all across the country. She also believed that there should be a national
art museum in Washington.

6        Harriet’s Uncle James was president from 1857 to 1861. When his term of office was over, they both
returned to their home in Pennsylvania. Harriet married Henry Elliot Johnson, and they had two sons. She and
her husband collected artwork from all over the world. When she grew older, she gave her collection to the
people of the United States. This collection was the basis for the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Harriet also started the first children’s hospital in the United States.

7        Harriet Lane is famous for being the only First Lady who was not married to a president. She did much
more for our country than plan parties!

CSR0P263

Information in the passage supports the idea
that Harriet’s family was
A   wealthy.
B   stubborn.
C   fun loving.
D   selfish.

Sample CST Question 1

Origami

        (1) Can you create a whole world out of pieces of paper? (2) You can if you know origami.
(3) Origami is the Japanese art of creating shapes and figures by folding pieces of paper.
(4) Without scissors or glue, origami artists can make paper animals, flowers, or objects like boats
or windmills. (5) The word origami comes from the Japanese words oru, meaning “to fold,” and
kami, meaning “paper.” (6) Some people think it might have been introduced to Japan in the
early seventh century by the Chinese, after they began to make paper.

        (7) Most origami sculptures are made from a few basic shapes, like the bird, fish, kite, and
frog. (8) Diagrams that show how to make origami pieces are easily available, not only in books,
but also from online sources. (9) They show how to create origami through a series of
descriptively named folds: for example, the valley fold, the mountain fold, the petal fold, or the
pleat. (10) In addition, events like the Pacific Coast Origami conference offer exhibitions and
workshops for beginners as well as for advanced origami artists.

        (11) Origami is a beautiful art that anyone can try. (12) It can be difficult at first but if you
stay patient and follow instructions carefully, you can be an origami artist too!

CSW1P069-W

Which of the following Internet keywords
would best help someone find more information
about other basic folds used in origami?
A   origami history
B   origami animals
C   simple origami
D   origami paper

April Newsletter and an Important Note About Grades

Hello All,


The April Newlsetter is now available. I plan to send it home with students later this week, but the online version is available now.


A note about grades:

We have recently had two major assignments that I entered into the online gradebook (which you can access through the parent portal).   These assignments did not represent many students’ best work, but they nevertheless important.  These two assignments have negatively impacted many students’ grades.  I would like to assure all of you that the students still have several weeks and many, many more assignments to go.  These large assignments came in the first part of the trimester and did not have much to balance them.  I am working to give students additional credit that can bring their grades up to a level that truly reflects their skills and abilities. Please have patience with your students (and with me), as we work to add more points to students’ totals.

Thank you,

Mrs. Knutson

March Newsletter

April is almost here, but the digital copy of the March newsletter is finally available!