8th Grade Assessment – Unit 1 – RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.4, RL.8.6

What does the simile in line 17 help the reader understand about the setting of the passage?

Read the sentence from lines 23 and 24.

I leaned out and hooked the gate closed behind us,

something Rowdy and I had been working on.

What does this sentence reveal about Cassie?

In lines 39 and 40, what mood is created by the use of words and phrases such as “screech,” “snapped,” “rearing up,” and “high alarm”?

Which excerpt confirms the theme of Cassie as a reluctant hero?

A. “I jerked awake to Pa pounding on our door.” (line 1)
B. “In my mind I heard a plank fence splinter and smelled Cyrus’s angry stink. I shivered, but there really was no choice.” (lines 46 through 48)
C. “I pulled yesterday’s jeans from the pile of clothes by my bed, shrugged into a T-shirt, and grabbed my hat off the bedpost.” (lines 12 and 13)
D. “I leaned out and hooked the gate closed behind us, something Rowdy and I had been working on.” (lines 23 and 24)

Which incident most helps develop the theme that even a frightened person can be brave when necessary?

The author mainly increases tension in the passage by

A. revealing Cassie’s inexperience and emphasizing Cyrus’s power
B. emphasizing the number of escaped animals and Cyrus’s ability to lead the pack
C. emphasizing Pa’s fall from the horse and Cassie’s difficulty handling her own horse
D. revealing Fran’s belief that Cassie is unskilled and emphasizing the early hour of the day

Fran’s behavior toward Cassie adds suspense to the passage by

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