Directions:
Read the passages below and answer the questions that follow.
Passage 1
“The Fox and the Crow”
(A Retelling of an Aesop Fable)
A fox once saw a crow perched on a tree branch, holding a piece of cheese in its beak.
The fox, feeling hungry and eager to take the cheese for himself, hatched a plan.
“Oh, beautiful crow,” said the fox, looking up with admiration. “Your feathers are so
glossy, and your presence so regal. Surely your voice must be just as splendid!”
The crow, flattered by the fox’s words, opened its beak to sing a song. But as soon as
the cheese fell from its mouth, the fox snatched it from the ground.
“Thank you for the snack,” said the fox, grinning slyly. “Next time, don’t trust empty
compliments.”
Questions
1. Which sentence from the passage BEST reflects the fox’s cunning nature?
A. “A fox once saw a crow perched on a tree branch, holding a piece of cheese in
its beak.”
B. “The fox, feeling hungry and eager to take the cheese for himself, hatched a
plan.”
C. “Your feathers are so glossy, and your presence so regal.”
D. “Next time, don’t trust empty compliments.”
2. What is the central theme of the passage?
A. Flattery can lead to poor decisions.
B. Trust is the foundation of friendship.
C. Greed will always be punished.
D. Sharing is a sign of kindness.
3. How does the author’s choice of words in the fox’s speech contribute to the
passage's tone?
A. It creates a friendly and encouraging tone.
B. It emphasizes the fox’s deceitful and manipulative nature.
C. It builds a suspenseful and dramatic tone.
D. It highlights the humor in the fox’s actions.
4. Which action sets the story in motion?
A. The crow landing on a tree branch.
B. The fox spotting the crow with cheese.
C. The fox flattering the crow.
D. The crow dropping the cheese.
Name:____________________________________
Date: _____________________________
Passage 2
“The Decision”
Amelia had always been afraid of heights, but she stood at the edge of the rock ledge,
staring down at the sparkling water below. Her friends cheered her on from the shoreline,
but her hands trembled as she gripped the safety rope.
“Amelia, you’ve got this!” called her best friend, Lucas.
She took a deep breath and glanced at Lucas. His confidence in her was unwavering, and
for the first time, she felt a spark of courage. Slowly, she bent her knees, launched
herself into the air, and felt a rush of exhilaration as she plunged into the cool water.
Emerging with a triumphant smile, Amelia waved at her cheering friends. She had
conquered her fear and felt unstoppable.
Questions
5. What is the central idea of this passage?
A. Taking risks can lead to personal growth.
B. Friends often pressure you into difficult decisions.
C. Fear is something that cannot be conquered.
D. Courage is only found in isolation.
6. What is the significance of Lucas’s role in the story?
A. He is a source of confidence and encouragement for Amelia.
B. He is the main character who challenges Amelia’s fears.
C. He pressures Amelia into doing something she doesn’t want to do.
D. He acts as an example of bravery for Amelia to emulate.
7. How does the author emphasize Amelia’s transformation?
A. By describing her triumphant smile and confident wave.
B. By detailing the height of the rock ledge.
C. By showing Lucas cheering from the shore.
D. By explaining Amelia’s fear of heights.
Constructed Response Question (123233)
8. Both passages, “The Fox and the Crow” and “The Decision,” show characters
facing challenges in different ways. Compare how each character handles their
challenges and what lessons they learn. Use evidence from both passages  to
support your response.
8th grade sentence and words use this as a sentence starter and the end . Easy as 1-2-3
1. Restate the Question and Answer Sentence
2. Evidence Sentence
3. So, What? Sentence
2. Evidence Sentence
3. So, What? Sentence
Feeling Fancy? Close your paragraph out with an extra 3!!!!
#1: Restate the Question Sentence: Create your topic sentence. What
will this paragraph discuss?
Establish the Context: Begin with a phrase or verb, restate the question,
and end with an adjective
Begin with this Is this hard or easy?
Explaining.... complex
Describing... difficult
Detailing... complicated
challenging
clear
simple
#2: Evidence Sentence: Refer explicitly to the text to support your
thinking/writing.
Everyone must use a sentence starter to introduce
evidence.
1. On page_________, it said... 5. In the text, it stated...
2. The author wrote... 6. According to the passage,
3. The graphic showed... 7. In paragraph______, the author
said/wrote
4. An example is... 8. In addition, the author also
writes...
#3: So, What? Sentence Starters: Why is your evidence important?
Establish the relevance. How does this relate to your topic sentence?
This is a great example of... Reading this helps...
The reader can see... This demonstrates...
This shows... This is important because...
This proves... This matters because...
This supports... This incident provides proof that...
We can infer from this example in the
te
xt...
This example provides evidence
that...