Grade 8 English Language Arts/Literacy Practice Test - Unit 1

Sep 29, 2026

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Grade 8 English Language Arts/Literacy Practice Test Unit 1 focuses on reading excerpts from two novels and answering questions about characters and points of view to support an analytical essay. The booklet provides clear testing directions for reading passages, marking answers by circling, revising responses, and writing a response in designated space. Included content features a passage from Confetti Girl and comprehension items such as determining word meanings (e.g., sarcasm).

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages32

Reading Time1 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Unit 1

Directions

Reading: Confetti Girl excerpt

Part A: Vocabulary meaning (sarcasm)

Part B: Clarifying quotations

P Student Name Grade 8 English Language Arts/Literacy Test Booklet Practice Test TEST BOOKLET SECURITY BARCODE 2 Unit 1 Directions: Today, you will take Unit 1 of the Grade 8 English Language Arts/Literacy Practice Test. Read each passage and question. Then, follow the directions to answer each question. Mark your answers by circling the answers in your test booklet. If you need to change an answer, be sure to erase your first answer completely. One of the questions will ask you to write a response. Write your response in the space provided. If you do not know the answer to a question, you may go on to the next question. If you finish early, you may review your answers and any questions you did not answer. 3 Unit 1 Unit 1 Today you will analyze passages from two novels. As you read these texts, you will gather information and answer questions about the characters and points of view so you can write an analytical essay . Read the passage from the novel Confetti Girl. Then answer questions 1 and 2. from Confetti Girl by Diana López 1 Mom always had after-school projects waiting for me.“Can you help decorate cookies?” she’d say. Or,“Go outside and pick some flowers.” Or,“Fix my nails, please.” She loved to paint them, but since she wasn’t coordinated with her lefthand, her right-hand nails looked like a preschooler’s coloring page. 2 I guess these projects were chores, but they were fun, too. Now when I come home, I’ve got to sweep, fold towels, or scrub the bathroom sink. Dad helps, but sometimes he makes a big mess. 3 Like today. He’s got flour, potato skins, and crumpled napkins on the counter. The pot boils over with brown scum . And I don’t want to talk to him because I’m still mad about the volleyball game, but I have to know what he’s up to. 4 “What are you doing, Dad?” 5 “Making dinner. Thought I’d give you a break.” 6 Except for game nights, dinner’s my responsibility. I cook while Dad cleans—that’s our rule. And even though I don’t cook as well as Mom did, Dad never complains. 7 “What are you going to make?” I ask. 8 “Carne guisada and papas fritas.” 9 “You need a recipe for that?” 10 “Are you kidding? I need a recipe for peanut butter sandwiches.” 11 How mad can a girl be at a man who makes fun of himself and wears a green frog apron that says KISS THE COOK and tube socks over his hands for potholders? 4 12 We clear space on the table. Dinner’s served. The beef’s tough and the papas are mushy, but who cares? I pretend it’s delicious because my dad lets me blabber about the Halloween carnival. He laughs out loud when I describe Vanessa’s potato baby and Ms. Cantu’s creative cascarones, 1 so I don’t complain when I notice he served ranch-style beans straight from the can instead of heating them up first. 13 Everything’s great until he asks about my English class. 14 “Any new vocabulary words?” he wants to know. 15 “I guess. Maybe. Super . . . super . . . super something. Can’t remember.” 16 “Was it supersede?” he asks.“Supercilious? Superfluous?” 17 “I don’t remember, Dad. It could have been super-duper or super-loop for all Icare.” 18 He gets sarcasm from his students all the time so he’s good at ignoring it. 19 “Remember that super is a prefix that means ‘above and beyond,’” he says.“So no matter what the word is, you can get its meaning if you take it apart.” 20 “Okay, Dad. I get it. So did I tell you we’re having a book sale for our next fundraiser?” 21 “What else are you doing in English?” he asks.“Reading any novels?” 22 I sigh, bored, but he doesn’t get the hint. He just waits for my answer.“Yes,” I finally say.“I don’t remember the title, but it’s got a rabbit on the cover.” 23 “Is it Watership Down? It’s got to be Watership Down.” 24 “Yes, that’s it. But I left it in my locker. I guess I can’t do my homework.” 25 “Nonsense. I’ve got a copy somewhere. Let me look.” 26 He leaves the table to scan the bookshelves, and all

FAQs

What should students do to answer questions in the Unit 1 practice test?

Read each passage and question, then follow the directions to mark answers by circling them in the test booklet. If changing an answer, erase the first answer completely.

How does the test describe the novel reading task for Unit 1?

Students analyze passages from two novels, gather information, answer questions about characters and points of view, and use this to write an analytical essay.

How is the word “sarcasm” tested in the provided Part A question?

Part A asks for the meaning of “sarcasm” as used in paragraph 18 of the Confetti Girl passage, with multiple-choice answer options to select the correct definition.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by asda1da