8th Grade ELA – Pre-test Assessment 3

1. Question

Part A

The key terms cognition and cognitive are used in paragraphs 1and 4 of the article “Elephants Can Lend a Helping Trunk.” What elephant trait do these key terms refer to?

A. Physical strength
B. Emotional expression
C. Mental awareness
D. Visual sensitivity

2. Question

Part B

Which phrases from the article help the reader understand the meaning of cognition and cognitive?

A. “Elephants know,” “pachyderms understand,” and “ability to recognize” (paragraph 1)
B. “they will fail,” “partner’s assistance,” and “a little help from your friends” (paragraph 1)
C. “clever experiments,” “observations in nature,” and “‘body of evidence”‘ (paragraph 4)
D. “work together to lift a fallen companion,” “‘inhibit pulling,”‘ and “dual rope exam” (paragraph 4)

3. Question

Part A

How does paragraph 4 of “Elephants Can Lend a Helping Trunk” contribute to the topic?

A. The brief summary of other scientists’ research on animal cooperation suggests that the elephant experiment has not revealed many new insights.
B. The quotations from the researchers’ fellow scientists emphasize the fact that these findings about elephants are original and important.
C. Statements from scientists who are more familiar with elephant behavior in the wild question the researchers’ assertion that elephants cooperate.
D. The scientists’ descriptions of similar experiments on rooks and chimpanzees show that the elephant study challenged similar research.

4. Question

Part B

What detail from the article supports the answer to Part A?

A. The ability to recognize the need for cooperation requires higher-level intelligence.
B. Other species like chimpanzees, hyenas, rooks, and humans also cooperate with each other.
C. The study on elephants appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
D. The elephants learned to wait for a partner even faster than chimpanzees did.

5. Question

Part A

How does the photograph help readers understand technical information presented in the article?

A. By illustrating a pair of elephants waiting for their partners.
B. By demonstrating how elephants behave in a natural setting.
C. By clarifying how the objects in the experiment were set up.
D. By showing how the rope might slip out and leave the table out of reach.

6. Question

Part B

Which paragraph from the article supports the same understanding as the answer to Part A?

A. Paragraph 1
B. Paragraph 2
C. Paragraph 3
D. Paragraph 4