Dear Aunt Suzanne,

I have a few minutes before I get on the bus from Galway back to Dublin and wanted to tell you how my class trip to Ireland is going. We just spent 2 days on inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands, which are just off the central west coast of Ireland. We took a ferry from Galway, a ride that takes about an hour and was quite gray and stormy.

For an island that is only about 12 square miles, there is a lot to do and see on this Mor! After eating steak and vegetable stew and brown bread with butter, we went to the sweater market, where all kinds of woolen products are sold. The Aran Islands are known for their wool because sheep thrive here and generations have used woolen sweaters and hats to survive long cold days of fishing on the open sea. In fact, I learned that each family or clan has its own signature knitting pattern and some are able to tell which family someone belongs to by the pattern of their sweater! The healthy pattern is an interesting combination of twists and braids and I found you a birthday souvenir with a beautiful example.

The next day, we rented bicycles and toured the island. We saw ancient rums, a prehistoric hill fort, and a white sand beach. We climbed down to a mysterious rock formation known as the “wormhole,” a rectangular hole in a stone shore that fills with thrashing waves ad looks like houses of a terrible serpent. The wormhole will be difficult to find, and when we stopped someone for directions, she only spoke Galect. Sometimes this island seems stuck in an earlier fame.

According to the passage, which of the following events happens last?

Which of the following is the main purpose of a newspaper editorial written in support of education reform?

“The Santa Barbara journal.” Exciting news today from Vandenberg Space Fore Base as it has ended its Delta IV Heavy rocket program to make way for the new Atlas V program. Riddled with difficulties, Delta IV Heavy saw only moderator success throughout its 21-year history. Developed on the heels of the last tragic Space Shuttle flight expectations for Delta IV Heavy far exceeded its reality. Future hopes now lie with the Atlas V program developed by the Lockheed Martin.

A social media post: @ggh723 The space program is an outdated use of taxpayer funds. We have enough problems on earth to worry about what’s happening in the universe.

Which of the following is evidence that supports the claim in the social media post?

On February 2 of each year, the United States observes the unusual holiday Groundhog Day, a day of hope that winter is over and spring is beginning. The tradition has been officially observed in the US since the 1800s and is believed to have developed from European folk traditions in which a bear, fox, badger, or even hedgehog would serve as the symbolic metrologist. Although other cultures and towns observe Groundhog Day (or something similar) the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania takes special pride in being home to the one true forecasting, the groundhog, Punxsutawney Grounding Club to perpetuate the joyful rituals and events surrounding Groundhog Day. Over the years, these rituals and events have come to include a scavenger hunt, a talent show, and a ball.

Legend has it that on Groundhog Day the official weather-forecasting groundhog awakens from hibernation and comes out of his burrow to look for his shadow. If he sees his shadow, six more weeks of winter are to come and Punxsutawney Phil goes back to bed. However, if he does not see his shadow, Punxsutawney Phil takes this as a sign that spring has arrived and he remains above ground. Of course, common sense tells us that February 2 is too early for spring to begin and that while animals may be attuned to various elements of nature from which humans might learn, they are unlikely to act on their instincts based on a schedule set by the Gregorian calendar. Nevertheless, a visit to Pennsylvania to the Punxsutawney Phil and all the fun inspires each year might provide the loath of hope needed to reach the end of winter.

What source would be most useful in determining reliability of Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions over a number of years?

A teacher asks a student to wipe down the whiteboard before leaving for art class, put away the math textbooks before wiping down the whiteboard, and take the daily attendance sheet to the principal on the way to art class.

Which of the following should students do first?

On February 2 of each year, the United States observes the unusual holiday Groundhog Day, a day of hope that winter is over and spring is beginning. The tradition has been officially observed in the US since the 1800s and is believed to have developed from European folk traditions in which a bear, fox, badger, or even hedgehog would serve as the symbolic metrologist. Although other cultures and towns observe Groundhog Day (or something similar) the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania takes special pride in being home to the one true forecasting, the groundhog, Punxsutawney Grounding Club to perpetuate the joyful rituals and events surrounding Groundhog Day. Over the years, these rituals and events have come to include a scavenger hunt, a talent show, and a ball.

Legend has it that on Groundhog Day the official weather-forecasting groundhog awakens from hibernation and comes out of his burrow to look for his shadow. If he sees his shadow, six more weeks of winter are to come and Punxsutawney Phil goes back to bed. However, if he does not see his shadow, Punxsutawney Phil takes this as a sign that spring has arrived and he remains above ground. Of course, common sense tells us that February 2 is too early for spring to begin and that while animals may be attuned to various elements of nature from which humans might learn, they are unlikely to act on their instincts based on a schedule set by the Gregorian calendar. Nevertheless, a visit to Pennsylvania to the Punxsutawney Phil and all the fun inspires each year might provide the loath of hope needed to reach the end of winter.

Which of the following evidence from the passage supports the inference that Grounding Day is an entertaining tradition?

A day with Humpbacks

I sat on the deadlands of Neah Bay, Washington, and watch a mother humpback and her calf slip through the icy Pacific waters. I recognize this effluence by her distinctive tall patterns, as unique to this humpback, as my fingerprints are to me. Once, heavy hunting using harpoons extirpated populations of humpbacks to recover.

As this gray female rises to the surface, she exhales, sending up a spout nearly 20 feet high. She rolls on her side and lifts her scalloped edge flipper in salute the slaps it on the water. I adjust my lens and take shot. This is the only type of whale hunting I find acceptable – hunting with a camera.

Which of the following statements about the passage is true?

Which of the following areas of a textbook includes supplemental materials and additional information to the text?

A day with Humpbacks

I sat on the deadlands of Neah Bay, Washington, and watched a mother humpback and her calf slip through the icy Pacific waters. I recognized this humpback by her distinctive tall patterns, as unique to her as my fingerprints are to me. Once, heavy hunting using harpoons decimated populations of humpbacks, but they have since started to recover.

As this gray female rises to the surface, she exhales, sending up a spout nearly 20 feet high. She rolls on her side and lifts her scalloped edge flipper in salute, then slaps it on the water. I adjust my lens and take a shot. This is the only type of whale hunting I find acceptable – hunting with a camera!

Which of the following statements conveys the main idea of the passage?

After being released from prison, she applied her felonious talents to bank robbery.

Which of the following words is the definition of “felonious” in the sentence above?

Beard Superiority

Unlike most others who follow along with popular trends, I am able to truly see that the beard is superior to the mustache. First, you have so much more hair and space to work with when styling a beard than you do with a mustache. You can trim and cut a beard into so many styles, the Muttonchop, the Goatee, the Stubble, the Chin Strap. You can even add things to your beard, braids, beads, glitter, and color- the possibilities of what you can add to a beard are endless. There are even professional competitions that surround the stylish nature of beards.

Which of the following can be inferred from the evidence given in the passage?