Diagnostic Test

DiagnosticTestHigh SchoolEnglishCopyright © 2010 XAMonline, Inc.All rights reserved. No part of the materialprotected by this copyright notice may bereproduced or utilized in any form or byany means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying, recording or byany information storage and retrievablesystem, without written permission fromthe copyright holder.Disclaimer:The opinions expressed in this publication are the sole works of XAMonline and were created independently from theNational Education Association, Pearson, Educational Testing Service, or any State Department of Education, NationalEvaluation Systems, or other testing affiliates.Between the time of publication and printing, state specific standards as well as testing formats and website informationmay change, and these changes may not be included in part or in whole within this product. Sample test questions aredeveloped by XAMonline and reflect content similar to that on real tests; however, they are not former tests. XAMonlineassembles content1 | Copyright that aligns © 2010 with XAMonline, state standards Inc. but makes no claims nor guarantees www.XAMonline.comteacher candidates a passingscore. Numerical scores are determined by testing companies such as NES or ETS and then are compared withindividual state standards. A passing score varies from state to state.

XAMonline: Providing teachers with superior certification study toolsAre you looking for a comprehensive study guide to help you pass the teachercertification exam the first time? Do you want a guide that is aligned with currenttest guidelines, one that includes the exact information without the fluff?XAMonline’s teacher certification study guides offer an easy-to-understand, indepthreview of the actual content that’s on the test. Unlike other study guidesXAMonline provides the actual content, not just a list of a skills and competenciesor study secrets.In addition to a thorough review, our guidesinclude practice tests with up to 125 questions toprepare you for the actual exam. The practicetests include full answer rationales as well as skillreference and rigor for each question, allowingyou to quickly flip back and review the relevantcontent and identify which topics to devote morestudy time to.Do you want a guide that is alignedwith current test guidelines, onethat includes the exact informationwithout the fluff?XAMonline guides are designed to prepare you for success, on both yourcertification test and in the classroom.Developed by a teacher, for teachersFounded in 1996, XAMonline began with one teacher-in-training who wasfrustrated by the lack of materials available for teacher certification exampreparation. From a single state-specific guide, XAMonline has grown to offerover 300 study guides for every state exam, as well as the PRAXIS I andPRAXIS II tests.Our comprehensive study guides offer more than just the required certificationcompetencies and skills. Their content and structure enables you to go beyondbasic skills development and rote memorization to mastery of subject matter, anecessary trait of effective teaching. The content of our PRAXIS and statespecificguides is aligned and weighted to current standards, ensuring you’restudying the right material.Quality Content from Quality Teaching ProfessionalsXAMonline’s superior quality standards are maintained by seasoned,professional teachers. We choose from a pool of over 1,500 certified teachers towrite, review, and edit our guides. Each certification study guide includes anextensive practice test, which features varied levels of rigor and in-depth answerrationale. Just like the study guide, the practice test questions are aligned withthe current state or PRAXIS test parameters, providing you with an experiencethat parallels the real test.2 | Copyright © 2010 XAMonline, Inc. www.XAMonline.com

Testing Tips1. Do not read anything into the question. Do not assume that the testwriter is looking for something else than what is asked. Stick to thequestion as written and do not read extra things into it.2. Read the question and all the choices twice before answering thequestion. You may miss something by not carefully reading and then rereadingboth the question and the answers. If you really do not have aclue as to the right answer, leave it blank on the first time through. Go onto the other questions, as they may provide a clue as to how to answer theskipped questions. If later on, you still cannot answer the skippedones…guess. The only penalty for guessing is that you might get it wrong.Only one thing is certain; if you do not put anything down, you will get itwrong!3. Turn the question into a statement. Look at the wording of thequestions. The syntax of the question usually provides a clue. Does itseem more familiar as a statement rather than as a question? Does itsound strange? By turning a question into a statement, you may be ableto spot if an answer sounds right, and it may trigger memories of materialyou have read.4. Look for hidden clues. It is actually very difficult to compose multiple-foil(choice) questions without giving away part of the answer in the optionspresented. In most multiple-choice questions, you can often readilyeliminate one or two of the potential answers. This leaves you with onlytwo real possibilities and automatically your odds go to fifty-fifty for verylittle work.5. Trust your instincts. For every fact that you have read, yousubconsciously retain something of that knowledge. On questions aboutwhich you are not really certain, go with your basic instincts. Your firstimpression on how to answer a question is usually correct.6. Mark your answers directly on the test booklet. Do not bother trying tofill in the optical scan sheet on the first pass through the test. Mark youranswers carefully when you transcribe them to the scan sheet.7. Watch the clock! You have a set amount of time to answer the questions.Do not get bogged down trying to answer a single question at the expenseof ten questions you can more readily answer.3 | Copyright © 2010 XAMonline, Inc. www.XAMonline.com

Each underlined portion of thesentences contains one or more errorsin grammar, usage, mechanics, orsentence structure. Circle the choicewhich best corrects the error withoutchanging the meaning of the originalsentence.1. Mr. Smith respectfully submittedhis resignation and had a new job.(Average Rigor)A. respectfully submitted hisresignation and hasB. respectfully submitted hisresignation before acceptingC. respectfully submitted hisresignation because ofD. respectfully submitted hisresignation and had2. There were few pieces of evidencepresented during the second trial.(Easy)A. fewer peacesB. less peacesC. less piecesD. fewer piecesSelect the best answer in each group ofmultiple choices.3. Sometimes readers can be askedto demonstrate theirunderstanding of a text. Thismight include all of the followingexcept (Average Rigor)A. role playing.B. paraphrasing.C. storyboarding a part of the storywith dialogue bubbles.D. reading the story aloud4. In the following quotation,addressing the dead body ofCaesar as though he were still aliving being is to employ an(Average Rigor)O, pardon me, thoughBleeding piece of earthThat I am meek and gentle withThese butchers.-Marc Antony from JuliusCaesarA. apostropheB. allusionC. antithesisD. anachronism4 | Copyright © 2010 XAMonline, Inc. www.XAMonline.com

5. Which of the following is acharacteristic of blank verse?(Average Rigor)A. Meter in iambic pentameterB. Clearly specified rhyme schemeC. Lack of figurative languageD. Unspecified rhythm8. Charles Dickens, RobertBrowning, and Robert LouisStevenson were (Easy)A. Victorians.B. Medievalists.C. Elizabethans.D. Absurdists.6. A traditional, anonymous story,ostensibly having a historicalbasis, usually explaining somephenomenon of nature or aspectof creation, defines a/an (Easy)A. proverb.B. idyll.C. myth.D. epic.7. In classic tragedy, a protagonist’sdefeat is brought about by a tragicflaw which is called (Rigorous)A. hubrisB. hamartiaC. catharsisD. the skene9. Considered one of the firstfeminist plays, this Ibsen dramaends with a door slammingsymbolizing the lead character’semancipation from traditionalsocietal norms. (Average Rigor)A. The Wild DuckB. Hedda GablerC. GhostsD. The Doll’s House10. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucibleas a parallel to what twentiethcentury event? (Average Rigor)A. Sen. McCarthy’s House un-American Activities CommitteeHearingB. The Cold WarC. The fall of the Berlin wallD. The Persian Gulf War5 | Copyright © 2010 XAMonline, Inc. www.XAMonline.com

11. The most significant drawback toapplying learning theory researchto classroom practice is that(Rigorous)A. today’s students do not acquirereading skills with the samealacrity as when greateremphasis was placed on readingclassical literature.B. development rates arecomplicated by geographical andcultural In analyzing literature andin looking for ways to bring awork to life for an audience, theuse of comparable themes andideas from other pieces ofliterature and from one’s own lifeexperiences, including fromreading the daily newspaper, isvery important and useful.C. homogeneous grouping hascontributed to faster developmentof some age groups.D. social and environmentalconditions have contributed to anescalated maturity level thanresearch done twenty of moreyears ago would seem toindicate.12. What were two majorcharacteristics of the firstAmerican literature?(Rigorous)A. Vengefulness and arroganceB. Bellicosity and derisionC. Oral delivery and reverence forthe landD. Maudlin and self-pityinggeocentricism13. Hoping to take advantage of thepopularity of the Harry Potterseries, a teacher develops a uniton mythology comparing the storyand characters of Greek andRoman myths with the story andcharacters of the Harry Potterbooks. Which of these is acommonality that would linkclassical literature to popularfiction?(Rigorous)A. The characters are gods inhuman form with human-likecharacteristics.B. The settings are realistic placesin the world where the charactersinteract as humans would.C. The themes center on theuniversal truths of love and hateand fear.D. The heroes in the stories areyoung males and only they canovercome the opposing forces.6 | Copyright © 2010 XAMonline, Inc. www.XAMonline.com

14. In the following poem, whatliterary movement is reflected?(Rigorous)“My Heart Leaps Up” by WilliamWordsworthMy heart leaps up when I beholdA rainbow in the sky:So was it when my life began;So is it now I am a man;So be it when I shall grow old,Or let me die!The Child is father of the Man;And I could wish my days to beBound each to each by natural pietyA. Neo-classicismB. Victorian literatureC. RomanticismD. Naturalism15. What is the best course of actionwhen a child refuses to completea reading/ literature assignmenton the grounds that it is morallyobjectionable?(Average Rigor)A. Speak with the parents andexplain the necessity of studyingthis workB. Encourage the child to samplesome of the text before making ajudgmentC. Place the child in anotherteacher’s class where they arestudying an acceptable workD. Provide the student withalternative selections that coverthe same performance standardsthat the rest of the class islearning.16. Which of the following is a formalreading-level assessment?(Average Rigor)A. A standardized reading testB. A teacher-made reading testC. An interviewD. A reading diary7 | Copyright © 2010 XAMonline, Inc. www.XAMonline.com

21. Which of the following sentencesis properly punctuated?(Easy)A. The more you eat; the more youwant.B. The authors—John Steinbeck,Ernest Hemingway, and WilliamFaulkner—are staples of modernwriting in American literaturetextbooks.C. Handling a wild horse, takes agreat deal of skill and patience.D. The man, who replaced ourteacher, is a comedian.22. In the paragraph below, whichsentence does not contribute tothe overall task of supporting themain idea?(Easy)1) The Springfield City Councilmet Friday to discuss new zoningrestrictions for the land to bedeveloped south of the city. 2)Residents who opposed the newrestrictions were granted 15minutes to present their case. 3)Their argument focused on thedangers that increased trafficwould bring to the area. 4) Itseemed to me that the MayorSimpson listened intently. 5) Thecouncil agreed to table the newzoning until studies would beperformed.A. Sentence 2B. Sentence 3C. Sentence 4D. Sentence 59 | Copyright © 2010 XAMonline, Inc. www.XAMonline.com

23. Which of the following aresecondary research materials?(Average Rigor)A. The conclusions and inferencesof other historians.B. Literature and nonverbalmaterials, novels, stories, poetryand essays from the period, aswell as coins, archaeologicalartifacts, and art produced duringthe period.C. Interviews and surveysconducted by the researcher.D. Statistics gathered as the resultof the research’s experiments.24. Which of the following situationsis not an ethical violation ofintellectual property?(Rigorous)A. A student visits ten differentwebsites and writes a report tocompare the costs ofdownloading music. He uses thenames of the websites withouttheir permission.B. A student copies and pastes achart verbatim from the Internetbut does not document itbecause it is available on a publicsite.C. From an online article found in asubscription database, a studentparaphrases a section on theproblems of music piracy. Sheincludes the source in her WorksCited but does not provide an intextcitation.D. A student uses a comment fromM. Night Shyamalan withoutattribution claiming theinformation is commonknowledge.10 | Copyright © 2010 XAMonline, Inc. www.XAMonline.com

25. Students have been asked to writea research paper on automobilesand have brainstormed a numberof questions they will answerbased on their research findings.Which of the following is not aninterpretive question to guideresearch?(Rigorous)A. Who were the first ten automotivemanufacturers in the UnitedStates?B. What types of vehicles will beused fifty years from now?C. How do automobilesmanufactured in the UnitedStates compare and contrast witheach other?D. What do you think is the bestsolution for the fuel shortage?26. A formative evaluation of studentwriting(Rigorous)A. requires thorough markings ofmechanical errors with a pencil orpen.B. making comments on theappropriateness of the student’sinterpretation of the prompt andthe degree to which the objectivewas met.C. should require that the studenthand in all the materialsproduced during the process ofwriting.D. several careful readings of thetext for content, mechanics,spelling, and usage.27. Explanatory or informativediscourse is(Easy)A. exposition.B. narration.C. persuasion.D. description.11 | Copyright © 2010 XAMonline, Inc. www.XAMonline.com

28. The following passage is writtenfrom which point of view?(Easy)As she mused the pitiful vision ofher mother’s life laid its spell onthe very quick of her being —thatlife of commonplace sacrificesclosing in final craziness. Shetrembled as she heard again hermother’s voice saying constantlywith foolish insistence:Dearevaun Seraun! DearevaunSeraun!** “The end of pleasure is pain!”(Gaelic)A. First person, narratorB. Second person, direct addressC. Third person, omniscientD. First person, omniscient29. Which transition word would showcontrast between these twoideas?(Average Rigor)We are confident in our skills toteach English. We welcome newideas on this subject.A. We are confident in our skills toteach English, and we welcomenew ideas on this subject.B. Because we are confident in ourskills to teach English, wewelcome new ideas on thesubject.C. When we are confident in ourskills to teach English, wewelcome new ideas on thesubject.D. We are confident in our skills toteach English; however, wewelcome new ideas on thesubject.12 | Copyright © 2010 XAMonline, Inc. www.XAMonline.com

30. Using the selection below fromEdgar Alan Poe’s “The Tell-TaleHeart,” what form of literarycriticism would you introduce tohigh school students?(Average Rigor)And have I not told you that whatyou mistake for madness is butover-acuteness of the sense? --now, I say, there came to myears a low, dull, quick sound,such as a watch makes whenenveloped in cotton. I knew thatsound well, too. It was thebeating of the old man's heart. Itincreased my fury, as the beatingof a drum stimulates the soldierinto courage.A. MarxistB. FeministC. PsychoanalyticD. Classic13 | Copyright © 2010 XAMonline, Inc. www.XAMonline.com

Answer Key1. C2. D3. D4. A5. A6. C7. B8. A9. D10. A11. D12. D13. C14. C15. D16. A17. D18. C19. C20. D21. B22. C23. A24. A.25. A26. B27. A28. C29. D30. C14 | Copyright © 2010 XAMonline, Inc. www.XAMonline.com