praxis reading language arts 5002 practice test

A series of tests developed by ETS to assess the skills and knowledge of prospective teachers.

The following passage is from There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, by Louis Sachar. There are some kids—you can tell just by looking at them who are good spitters. That is probably the best way to describe Bradley Chalkers. He looked like a good spitter. He was the oldest and the toughest-looking kid in Mrs. Ebbel's class. He was a year older than the other kids. That was because he had taken the fourth grade twice. Now he was in the fifth grade for the first, but probably not the last, time. Jeff stared at him, then gave him a dollar and ran away. Bradley laughed to himself, then watched all the other kids have fun.
Based on the information in the passage, which of the following is an appropriate student inference?
  • A. Bradley is old.
  • B. Bradley is a bully.
  • C. Bradley is a good spitter.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B

The inference that Bradley is a bully is supported by evidence in the passage that describes his interactions with peers in a negative light, suggesting aggressive behavior. Option A, stating that Bradley is old, lacks textual support and does not relate to his behavior or character. Option C, claiming that Bradley is a good spitter, might be inferred humorously but does not align with the serious context of bullying presented in the passage. Thus, the most logical inference focuses on Bradley's negative social interactions, indicating bullying behavior.

Other Related Questions

I got my parrot Rosie last year, she is green and yellow and can talk. The sentence contains which of the following errors?
  • A. Misplaced modifier
  • B. Comma splice
  • C. Unclear pronoun reference
  • D. Inconsistent verb tense
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B

The sentence contains a comma splice, which occurs when two independent clauses are improperly joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction. In this case, the phrases "I got my parrot Rosie last year" and "she is green and yellow and can talk" should be connected with a conjunction or separated into distinct sentences. Option A, misplaced modifier, is incorrect as the modifiers accurately describe the subject. Option C, unclear pronoun reference, does not apply here since "she" clearly refers to "Rosie." Option D, inconsistent verb tense, is also not an issue; both clauses maintain a consistent past and present tense.
Which of the following most effectively combines the statements above into a single coherent and grammatically correct sentence?
  • A. Much of the Great Wall of China, which is actually a network of walls and towers, was built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
  • B. The Great Wall of China, this is actually a network of walls and towers, much of it is built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
  • C. Much of the Great Wall of China, building in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and it is actually a network of walls and towers.
  • D. Actually a network of walls and towers, they built much of the Great Wall of China in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A

Option A effectively combines the statements into a coherent sentence by using a relative clause ("which is actually a network of walls and towers") to provide additional information about the Great Wall of China without disrupting the main thought. Option B incorrectly uses a comma splice, creating two independent clauses that are improperly joined. Option C introduces a participial phrase that makes the sentence awkward and unclear, failing to maintain grammatical structure. Option D starts with a fragment, lacking a clear subject, and misattributes the building of the wall, leading to confusion about who built it.
Which THREE of the following questions target phoneme manipulation?
  • A. What happens when you take the /f/ off of the word "flap"?
  • B. Can you clap each word in the sentence, "I am mad"?
  • C. Can you name a word with the same ending sound as the word "cap"?
  • D. What word do you get when you add /s/ to the beginning of the word "lap"?
  • E. What do you do to change the word "pan" to the word "pin"?
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A,D,E

Phoneme manipulation involves changing, adding, or removing sounds in words. Options A, D, and E effectively target this skill. Option A asks what happens when /f/ is removed from "flap," requiring the student to manipulate sounds by deletion. Option D involves adding /s/ to "lap," which focuses on sound addition. Option E prompts the student to identify how to change "pan" to "pin," emphasizing sound substitution. In contrast, Option B focuses on syllable clapping, which relates to syllable awareness rather than phoneme manipulation. Option C targets rhyme recognition, asking for a word with a similar ending sound, which does not involve altering sounds within a word.
Which of the following best describes the cognitive processes in which a reader must engage to summarize informational text effectively?
  • A. Evaluating the completeness and accuracy of the information in the text
  • B. Analyzing the structure of the passage and the stylistic features of the genre
  • C. Making judgments about what is important and what is not
  • D. Interpreting an author's perspective and purpose for writing on a topic
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C

Effective summarization of informational text requires a reader to discern key ideas and determine which information is essential. This process involves prioritizing content, allowing the reader to distill the main points without extraneous details. Option A, while important for critical reading, focuses on assessing information rather than summarizing it. Option B emphasizes structural analysis and stylistic features, which are less relevant to the act of summarization. Option D, interpreting perspective and purpose, is crucial for comprehension but does not directly address the summarization process. Thus, prioritizing what is important is key to summarizing effectively.