Question 1: What is a democracy?

• A government in which citizens hold power, either directly or through elected representatives (Correct answer)
• A government where laws are based on religious texts
• A government controlled by the military
• A government ruled by a single powerful leader

Correct answer: A government in which citizens hold power, either directly or through elected representatives

A democracy is a form of government in which power rests with the people, who exercise it directly or through elected representatives.

Question 2: Which performance level on CMAS indicates that a student has met grade-level expectations?

• Level 4 – Met Expectations (Correct answer)
• Level 1 – Did Not Yet Meet Expectations
• Level 2 – Partially Met Expectations
• Level 3 – Approached Expectations

Correct answer: Level 4 – Met Expectations

Level 4 – Met Expectations means the student demonstrated mastery of grade-level standards.

Question 3: A line graph shows a steady increase in temperature from 60°F on Monday to 90°F on Friday. What is the average daily temperature increase?

• 10°F per day
• 7.5°F per day (Correct answer)
• 30°F per day
• 6°F per day

Correct answer: 7.5°F per day

The total increase is 90 – 60 = 30°F over 4 days (Mon to Fri), so 30 ÷ 4 = 7.5°F per day.

Question 4: What is the purpose of the CMAS interim assessments offered during the school year?

• To rank schools for public reporting
• To provide teachers with data on student progress before the summative assessment (Correct answer)
• To satisfy federal No Child Left Behind requirements
• To replace the summative CMAS test

Correct answer: To provide teachers with data on student progress before the summative assessment

CMAS interim assessments give teachers formative data to adjust instruction before the end-of-year summative exam.

Question 5: What is the minimum age to vote in U.S. federal elections?

• 18 (Correct answer)
• 25
• 16
• 21

Correct answer: 18

The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age to 18 for all federal, state, and local elections.

Question 6: What is civic responsibility?

• A law that requires citizens to work for the government
• A government-paid job
• The duties and obligations that citizens have to their community and country (Correct answer)
• A type of tax paid by businesses

Correct answer: The duties and obligations that citizens have to their community and country

Civic responsibility refers to the duties citizens have to participate in and contribute to their community and government, such as voting, paying taxes, and jury duty.

Question 7: Which sentence correctly uses a colon to introduce a list?

• Colorado tests students in three subjects: math, ELA, and science. (Correct answer)
• The backpack contained: books, pencils, and a water bottle.
• The three main subjects are: tested by CMAS.
• She needed: to finish her homework.

Correct answer: Colorado tests students in three subjects: math, ELA, and science.

A colon is correctly used after a complete independent clause to introduce a list, as in the fourth option.

Question 8: Fictional Story: Bruno the Bear Bruno the Bear lived in a lush green forest filled with tall trees and sparkling streams. He was known for his big heart and love for adventure. One sunny day, Bruno decided to explore the other side of the forest. He packed some honey, his favorite snack, and set off on his journey. As he walked, Bruno met a wise old owl named Oliver. Oliver warned Bruno about a steep cliff that lay ahead. "Be careful, Bruno. The cliff can be dangerous if you get too close," he advised. Bruno thanked Oliver and continued on his way. After a while, Bruno reached the cliff. He peered over the edge and saw the beautiful valley below. However, he remembered Oliver's warning and decided to keep a safe distance. Instead, he found a path that led down to the valley safely. In the valley, Bruno discovered a sparkling river and a meadow full of colorful flowers. He spent the day playing and eating honey until the sun began to set. As he made his way back home, Bruno felt grateful for his adventure and the friends he had met along the way. Question: Who did Bruno meet during his adventure?

• A fox
• A rabbit
• A deer
• A wise old owl (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A wise old owl

The story clearly states, 'As he walked, Bruno met a wise old owl named Oliver.' This sentence directly identifies the character Bruno encountered during his journey. Therefore, a wise old owl is the correct answer.

Question 9: What is this story about?

• about Sam’s dream
• about Sam’s predicament (Correct answer)
• about Sam’s mom’s birthday
• about Sam’s athletic ability

Correct answer: about Sam’s predicament

Given the correct answer, the story must have focused on a challenging or difficult situation that Sam was experiencing. A 'predicament' implies a troublesome or embarrassing situation from which it is hard to extricate oneself. Therefore, the narrative revolved around Sam's struggle with a particular problem.

Question 10: Which testing vendor currently delivers the CMAS assessments in Colorado?

• DRC (Data Recognition Corporation) (Correct answer)
• McGraw-Hill
• Pearson
• Educational Testing Service (ETS)

Correct answer: DRC (Data Recognition Corporation)

DRC (Data Recognition Corporation) is the current vendor contracted to deliver CMAS assessments in Colorado.

Question 11: What forces are primarily responsible for keeping the globe floating in place over its base?

• Magnetic force and gravitational force (Correct answer)
• Gravitational force and frictional force
• Gravitational force and magnetic force
• Frictional force and electrical force

Correct answer: Magnetic force and gravitational force

For a globe to float (levitate) over its base, there must be an upward force counteracting the downward pull of gravity. This upward force is typically provided by magnetic repulsion from magnets within the base and the globe, balancing the gravitational force to keep it suspended in place.

Question 12: How is the CMAS assessment primarily delivered to students?

• Paper and pencil only
• Computer-based testing (Correct answer)
• Portfolio review
• Oral examination only

Correct answer: Computer-based testing

CMAS is a computer-based assessment, though paper accommodations exist for students with specific needs.

Question 13: Bruno the Bear <br> From A Bond of Love <br> I WILL begin with Bruno; my wife’s pet sloth bear. I got him for her by an accident. Two years ago we were passing through the cornfields near a small town in Iowa. People were driving away the wild pigs from the fields by shooting at them. Some were shot and some escaped. We thought that everything was over when suddenly a black sloth bear came out panting in the hot sun. <br> Now I will not shoot a sloth bear wantonly but unfortunately for the poor beast, one of my companions did not feel the same way about it, and promptly shot the bear on the spot. <br> As we watched the fallen animal we were surprised to see that the black fur on its back moved and left the prostrate body. Then we saw it was a baby bear that had been riding on its mother’s back when the sudden shot had killed her. The little creature ran around its prostrate parent making a pitiful noise. <br> <br> I ran up to it to attempt a capture. It scooted into the sugarcane field. Following it with my companions, I was at last able to grab it by the scruff of its neck while it snapped and tried to scratch me with its long, hooked claws.We put it in one of the large jute-bags we had brought and when I got back home I duly presented it to my wife. She was delighted! She at once put a blue colored ribbon around its neck, and after discovering the cub was a ‘boy’ she christened it Bruno. <br> <br> Bruno soon took to drinking milk from a bottle. It was but a step further and within a very few days he started eating and drinking everything else. And everything is the right word, for he ate porridge made from any ingredients, vegetables, fruit, nuts, meat (especially pork), curry and rice regardless of condiments and chilies, bread, eggs, chocolates, sweets, pudding, ice-cream, etc., etc., etc. As for drink: milk, tea, coffee, limejuice, aerated water, buttermilk, beer, alcoholic liquor and, in fact, anything liquid. It all went down with relish. <br> <br> The bear became very attached to our two dogs and to all the children living in and around our farm. He was left quite free in his younger days and spent his time in playing, running into the kitchen and going to sleep in our beds. <br> <br> One day an accident befell him. I put down poison (barium carbonate) to kill the rats and mice that had got into my library. Bruno entered the library as he often did, and ate some of the poison. Paralysis set in to the extent that he could not stand on his feet. But he dragged himself on his stumps to my wife, who called me. I guessed what had happened. Off I rushed him in the car to the vet’s residence. A case of poisoning! Tame Bear—barium carbonate—what to do? <br> <br> Out came his medical books, and a feverish reference to index began: “What poison did you say, sir?” he asked “Barium carbonate” I said. “Ah yes—B—Ba—Barium Salts—Ah! Barium carbonate! Symptoms— paralysis—treatment—injections of . .. Just a minute, sir. I’ll bring my syringe and the medicine.” Said the doc. I dashed back to the car. Bruno was still floundering about on his stumps, but clearly he was weakening rapidly; there was some vomiting, he was breathing heavily, with heaving flanks and gaping mouth. I was really scared and did not know what to do. I was feeling very guilty and was running in and out of the vet’s house doing everything the doc asked me. <br> <br> Hold him, everybody! In goes the hypodermic—Bruno squeals — 10 c.c. of the antidote enters his system without a drop being wasted. Ten minutes later: condition unchanged! Another 10 c.c. Injected! Ten minutes later: breathing less torturous— Bruno can move his arms and legs a little although he cannot stand yet. Thirty minutes later: Bruno gets up and has a great feed! He looks at us disdainfully, as much as to say, ‘What’s barium carbonate to a big black bear like me?’ Bruno was still eating. I was really happy to see him recover. <br> <br> The months rolled on and Bruno had grown many times the size he was when he came. He had equaled the big dogs in height and had even outgrown them. But was just as sweet, just as mischievous, just as playful. And he was very fond of us all. Above all, he loved my wife, and she loved him too! And he could do a few tricks, too. At the command, ‘Bruno, wrestle’, or ‘Bruno, box,’ he vigorously tackled anyone who came forward for a rough and tumble. Give him a stick and say ‘Bruno, hold gun’, and he pointed the stick at you. Ask him, ‘Bruno, where’s baby?’ and he immediately produced and cradled affectionately a stump of wood which he had carefully concealed in his straw bed. But because of the neighborhoods’ and our renters’ children, poor Bruno, had to be kept chained most of the time. <br> <br> Then my son and I advised my wife, and friends advised her too, to give Bruno to the zoo. He was getting too big to keep at home. After some weeks of such advice she at last consented. Hastily, and before she could change her mind, a letter was written to the curator of the zoo. Did he want a tame bear for his collection? He replied, “Yes”. The zoo sent a cage in a truck, a distance of hundred – eighty – seven miles, and Bruno was packed off. <br> <br> We all missed him greatly; but in a sense we were relieved. My wife was inconsolable. She wept and fretted. For the first few days she would not eat a thing. Then she wrote a number of letters to the curator. How was Bruno? Back came the replies, “Well, but fretting; he refuses food too.” After that, friends visiting the zoo were begged to make a point of seeing how Bruno was getting along. They reported that he was well but looked very thin and sad. All the keepers at the zoo said he was fretting. For three months I managed to restrain my wife from visiting the zoo. <br> Then she said one day, “I must see Bruno. Either you take me by car; or I will go myself by bus or train myself.” So I took her by car. <br> <br> Friends had conjectured that the bear would not recognize her. I had thought so too. But while she was yet some yards from his cage Bruno saw her and recognized her. He howled with happiness. She ran up to him, petted him through the bars, and he stood on his head in delight. For the next three hours she would not leave that cage. She gave him tea, lemonade, cakes, ice cream and what not. Then ‘closing time’ came and we had to leave. My wife cried bitterly; Bruno cried bitterly; even the hardened curator and the keepers felt depressed. As for me, I had reconciled myself to what I knew was going to happen next.<br> <br> “Oh please, sir,” she asked the curator, “may I have my Bruno back”? Hesitantly, he answered, “Madam, he belongs to the zoo and is Government property now. I cannot give away Government property. But if my boss, the superintendent agrees, certainly you may have him back.” <br> <br> There followed the return journey home and a visit to the superintendent’s office. A tearful pleading: “Bruno and I are both fretting for each other. Will you please give him back to me?” He was a kind-hearted man and consented. Not only that, but he wrote to the curator telling him to lend us a cage for transporting the bear back home. <br> Back we went to the zoo again, armed with the superintendent’s letter. Bruno was driven into a small cage and hoisted on top of the car; the cage was tied securely, and a slow and careful return journey back home was accomplished. <br> <br> Once home, a squad of workers were engaged for special work around our yard. An island was made for Bruno. It was twenty feet long and fifteen feet wide, and was surrounded by a dry moat, six feet wide and seven feet deep. A wooden box that once housed fowls was brought and put on the island for Bruno to sleep in at night. Straw was placed inside to keep him warm, and his ‘baby’, the gnarled stump, along with his ‘gun’, the piece of bamboo, both of which had been sentimentally preserved since he had been sent away to the zoo, were put back for him to play with. <br> In a few days the workers hoisted the cage on to the island and Bruno was released. He was delighted; standing on his hind legs, he pointed his ‘gun’ and cradled his ‘baby’. My wife spent hours sitting on a chair there while he sat on her lap. He was fifteen months old and pretty heavy too! <br> <br> The way my wife reaches the island and leaves it is interesting. I have tied a rope to the overhanging branch of a maple tree with a loop at its end. Putting one foot in the loop, she kicks off with the other, to bridge the six-foot gap that constitutes the width of the surrounding moat. The return journey back is made the same way. <br> <br> But who can say now that a sloth bear has no sense of affection, no memory and no individual characteristics? <br> <br> Question: What did Bruno do when he recognized the narrator's wife during her visit to the zoo?

• He became angry and tried to break out of the cage.
• He refused to eat and lay down quietly.
• He howled with happiness, stood on his head in delight, and interacted with her through the bars. (Correct answer)
• He ignored her and stayed in a corner.

Correct answer: He howled with happiness, stood on his head in delight, and interacted with her through the bars.

The passage explicitly describes Bruno's reaction upon seeing the narrator's wife at the zoo. It states, 'He howled with happiness. She ran up to him, petted him through the bars, and he stood on his head in delight.' This directly matches the actions detailed in option A, showing his immense joy and affection.

Question 14: What fraction of the total surveyed students play a sport?

• 1/3
• 2/7
• 7/15 (Correct answer)
• 3/5

Correct answer: 7/15

To determine the fraction of students who play a sport, one would need to sum the number of students who play a sport (including those who also play an instrument) from the provided table. If 70 out of the total 150 students play a sport, this simplifies to 70/150, which reduces to the fraction 7/15. This calculation directly leads to option B.

Question 15: What is the primary purpose of the First Amendment?

• The right to a fair trial
• Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition (Correct answer)
• The right to bear arms
• Protection from unreasonable searches

Correct answer: Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition

The First Amendment protects five fundamental freedoms: speech, religion, press, peaceful assembly, and petitioning the government.

Question 16: What is a political party?

• A social event held by government officials
• A branch of the federal government
• A committee that writes new laws
• An organization of people who share similar political beliefs and work to elect candidates (Correct answer)

Correct answer: An organization of people who share similar political beliefs and work to elect candidates

A political party is an organized group of people with shared political values who work together to get their candidates elected and their policies enacted.

Question 17: Which geographic feature is most commonly associated with the location of early civilizations?

• Rivers (Correct answer)
• Deserts
• Mountains
• Plains

Correct answer: Rivers

Early civilizations, such as those in Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China, typically developed along major river valleys. Rivers provided essential resources like fertile soil for agriculture, water for irrigation and drinking, and transportation routes, which were crucial for the growth and sustenance of large populations.

Question 18: Which type of question requires students to drag and drop items, highlight text, or complete a table on CMAS?

• True or false questions
• Multiple choice questions
• Technology-enhanced questions (Correct answer)
• Essay questions

Correct answer: Technology-enhanced questions

Technology-enhanced questions (TEIs) use the computer interface for interactive responses like dragging, highlighting, or filling tables.

Question 19: What does the interquartile range (IQR) measure in a data set?

• The difference between the maximum and minimum values
• The spread of the middle 50% of the data (Correct answer)
• The average of all values
• The most frequently occurring value

Correct answer: The spread of the middle 50% of the data

The IQR is calculated as Q3 – Q1 and represents the spread of the middle 50% of the data, making it resistant to outliers.

Question 20: Which of the following is a true statement?

• The above passage is all about weather.
• The above passage explains how and why the leaves change colors in fall. (Correct answer)
• The above passage is science fiction.
• The above passage summarizes the fall weather.

Correct answer: The above passage explains how and why the leaves change colors in fall.

Given the correct answer, the missing passage must have detailed the scientific process of how and why leaves change colors during the autumn season. It would likely explain the role of chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, and how environmental factors influence these changes. This makes option C the most accurate summary of such a passage's content.

Question 21: Which sentence contains a comma splice error?

• He ran quickly, however he missed the bus. (Correct answer)
• The dog barked, but the cat ignored it.
• She studied hard, and she passed the test.
• They arrived early; the seats were still available.

Correct answer: He ran quickly, however he missed the bus.

A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined only by a comma; 'however' requires a semicolon or period before it.

Question 22: What does the term 'popular sovereignty' mean?

• States have more power than the federal government
• The king or queen holds all power
• The power of the government comes from the people (Correct answer)
• Only popular people can run for office

Correct answer: The power of the government comes from the people

Popular sovereignty means that the authority of the government is created and sustained by the consent of the people, who are the source of all political power.

Question 23: Which of the following is a primary source of historical information?

• An encyclopedia entry on World War II
• A textbook summarizing World War II
• A diary written by a soldier during World War II (Correct answer)
• A documentary film about World War II

Correct answer: A diary written by a soldier during World War II

A primary source is a firsthand account or original material from the time period being studied. A diary written by someone who directly experienced World War II offers an immediate, unfiltered perspective of events as they happened. Textbooks, documentaries, and encyclopedias are secondary sources, as they interpret or summarize primary information.

Question 24: What is the purpose of the Bill of Rights?

• To establish the three branches of government
• To protect individual freedoms from government overreach (Correct answer)
• To create the system of taxation
• To outline how elections work

Correct answer: To protect individual freedoms from government overreach

The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments to the Constitution and was added to protect individual rights and liberties from government interference.

Question 25: The Colorado River Compact of 1922 was an agreement that divided water rights among states. Why was this agreement historically important?

• It created the Colorado National Guard
• It established how Colorado River water would be shared among seven western states (Correct answer)
• It was the first time the federal government managed water allocation in the West
• It ended conflict over railroad routes through Colorado

Correct answer: It established how Colorado River water would be shared among seven western states

The Colorado River Compact of 1922 established a framework for allocating the Colorado River's water among seven western states, addressing scarcity in an arid region.

Question 26: Why is it important to identify an author's purpose (to inform, persuade, or entertain) before reading a text?

• Because identifying purpose is required only for fiction texts
• Because the author's purpose determines the length of the text
• Because texts written to entertain are always fictional
• Because knowing the purpose helps readers think critically about how and why information is presented the way it is (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Because knowing the purpose helps readers think critically about how and why information is presented the way it is

Understanding an author's purpose helps readers approach the text with appropriate critical thinking, recognizing whether the text is meant to inform neutrally or to influence the reader's beliefs.

Question 27: How many senators does each U.S. state have in Congress?

• 1
• It varies by population
• 2 (Correct answer)
• 3

Correct answer: 2

Each state, regardless of population, has exactly 2 senators in the U.S. Senate, totaling 100 senators.

Question 28: On a coordinate grid, a point is located at (3, –2). In which quadrant is this point?

• Quadrant II
• Quadrant IV (Correct answer)
• Quadrant I
• Quadrant III

Correct answer: Quadrant IV

A point with a positive x-value and negative y-value is in Quadrant IV.

Question 29: Colorado shares its borders with how many other U.S. states?

• Four
• Six
• Seven (Correct answer)
• Five

Correct answer: Seven

Colorado borders seven states: Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona (the Four Corners point).

Question 30: Which type of writing asks students to explain a topic clearly using facts and examples, without taking a personal stance?

• Informative/explanatory writing (Correct answer)
• Argumentative writing
• Persuasive writing
• Narrative writing

Correct answer: Informative/explanatory writing

Informative/explanatory writing presents facts and explanations about a topic without expressing a personal opinion.

Question 31: Curtains in theaters prevent sound waves from being reflected as echoes. Which model best explains why curtains prevent echoes?

• A ball dropped on a surface will bounce more on a hard surface than on a soft surface. (Correct answer)
• A ball thrown toward a surface will come in contact faster with a soft surface than with a hard surface.
• A ball rolled across a surface will roll more quickly on a hard surface than on a soft surface.
• A ball thrown at a surface will hit with a greater force on a soft surface than on a hard surface.

Correct answer: A ball dropped on a surface will bounce more on a hard surface than on a soft surface.

Echoes occur when sound waves reflect off hard, smooth surfaces. Curtains are soft and absorbent, meaning they absorb sound energy rather than reflecting it. This is analogous to a ball bouncing less (or not at all) on a soft surface compared to a hard surface, where it would bounce significantly more, representing reflection.

Question 32: What writing trait focuses on the organization and logical flow of ideas within an essay?

• Organization (Correct answer)
• Word choice
• Voice
• Conventions

Correct answer: Organization

Organization refers to how well ideas are structured and whether they flow logically from introduction to conclusion.

Question 33: What is the term for the process by which a person born in another country can become a U.S. citizen?

• Naturalization (Correct answer)
• Immigration
• Deportation
• Emigration

Correct answer: Naturalization

Naturalization is the legal process by which a non-U.S. citizen voluntarily acquires U.S. citizenship after meeting specific requirements.

Question 34: What should a student do immediately before beginning a CMAS testing session on the computer?

• Turn off the device and wait
• Read and follow all testing directions and verify the device is working (Correct answer)
• Install new software on the device
• Share login credentials with a classmate

Correct answer: Read and follow all testing directions and verify the device is working

Reading directions and verifying the device is functioning properly ensures a smooth start to the testing session.

Question 35: What does it mean to 'cite' a source in a research paper?

• To copy the source word for word into your paper
• To summarize the source in one sentence only
• To argue against the information in a source
• To give credit to the author or publication where information was obtained (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To give credit to the author or publication where information was obtained

Citing a source means providing information about the author, title, and publication so readers can find and verify the original material.

Question 36: When making an inference from a text, which statement best describes what the reader must do?

• Guess randomly based on feelings about the topic
• Ignore the text and rely only on personal experience
• Combine text evidence with prior knowledge to conclude something the text implies but does not state directly (Correct answer)
• Accept only what the text states explicitly and nothing more

Correct answer: Combine text evidence with prior knowledge to conclude something the text implies but does not state directly

Inferences require readers to use both clues from the text and their own prior knowledge to reach a logical conclusion not directly stated.

Question 37: Which of the following amendments to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery?

• The 14th Amendment
• The 15th Amendment
• The 13th Amendment (Correct answer)
• The 19th Amendment

Correct answer: The 13th Amendment

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1865, formally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States, except as a punishment for a crime. This amendment was a direct result of the Civil War and a monumental step towards civil rights, making it the correct answer.

Question 38: Which organization develops and oversees the CMAS assessments?

• The U.S. Department of Education
• ACT Inc.
• The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) (Correct answer)
• The College Board

Correct answer: The Colorado Department of Education (CDE)

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is responsible for developing, administering, and overseeing CMAS.

Question 39: Which of the following adverbs fits best in the blank in this sentence? <br> <br> My uncle’s computer which was made in 1987 connects _______________ to the Internet.

• slowly (Correct answer)
• quickly
• fast
• angrily

Correct answer: slowly

The computer was made in 1987, which is a very old model by modern standards. Older computers typically have much slower internet connection speeds compared to contemporary devices. Therefore, the adverb 'slowly' best describes how such an outdated computer would connect to the Internet.

Question 40: What is the main function of a city or local government?

• To manage community services like schools, roads, and public safety (Correct answer)
• To negotiate international treaties
• To print and distribute money
• To declare war on foreign nations

Correct answer: To manage community services like schools, roads, and public safety

Local governments are responsible for managing services that directly affect communities, such as schools, roads, police, fire departments, and parks.

Question 41: What is federalism?

• A system where power is shared between national and state governments (Correct answer)
• A system ruled by a single leader
• A system where only the national government has power
• A system where states have all the power

Correct answer: A system where power is shared between national and state governments

Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided and shared between the national (federal) government and state governments.

Question 42: The Arkansas River in southeastern Colorado is primarily fed by water from which source?

• Snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains (Correct answer)
• Underground aquifer springs
• Rainfall from the Gulf of Mexico
• Glacial meltwater from the Continental Divide only

Correct answer: Snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains

The Arkansas River originates in the Sawatch Range and is primarily fed by snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains.

Question 43: Which accommodation is commonly provided for English Language Learners (ELLs) on CMAS?

• Testing in a foreign language instead of English
• Automatic exemption from testing
• Access to translated test directions or a bilingual glossary (Correct answer)
• Double the number of correct attempts allowed

Correct answer: Access to translated test directions or a bilingual glossary

ELL students may receive translated directions or bilingual glossaries to support language access without changing test content.

Question 44: A bar graph shows that 120 students chose soccer and 80 students chose basketball as their favorite sport. How many more students chose soccer than basketball?

• 40 (Correct answer)
• 20
• 50
• 200

Correct answer: 40

120 – 80 = 40, so 40 more students chose soccer than basketball.

Question 45: What was the primary purpose of the Voyager 2 mission as indicated by its trajectory through the solar system?

• To map the entire solar system
• To search for extraterrestrial life
• To establish a permanent base on Mars
• To study the outer planets and their moons (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To study the outer planets and their moons

Voyager 2 was specifically designed and launched to conduct a 'grand tour' of the outer solar system. Its unique trajectory allowed it to visit all four gas giants—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—providing unprecedented data and images of these planets and their numerous moons, fulfilling its primary purpose of studying the outer planets.

Question 46: What principle explains why the falling magnets are pushed back up by the magnets at the bottom of the rod?

• Magnetic repulsion (Correct answer)
• Gravitational attraction
• Friction
• Electrical force

Correct answer: Magnetic repulsion

Magnets exert forces on each other, and when like poles (e.g., North-North or South-South) face each other, they repel, pushing each other apart. In this setup, the falling magnets are pushed back up because their poles align with the poles of the stationary magnets at the bottom of the rod in a way that causes magnetic repulsion.

Question 47: What was the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation?

• It freed enslaved people in Confederate states.
• It granted women the right to vote.
• It established the first public schools.
• It ended the Civil War.

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that all enslaved people in the Confederate states (states in rebellion against the Union) were free. While it did not immediately free all enslaved people, it shifted the focus of the Civil War to include the abolition of slavery and paved the way for the 13th Amendment.

Question 48: Which editing strategy is most effective when reviewing a CMAS written response?

• Read the response aloud mentally to catch awkward phrasing and errors (Correct answer)
• Count the number of sentences and stop if there are enough
• Check only for spelling mistakes
• Read only the first and last sentences

Correct answer: Read the response aloud mentally to catch awkward phrasing and errors

Reading a response aloud mentally helps catch awkward phrasing, missing words, and grammatical errors that silent reading may miss.

Question 49: How are CMAS scores typically reported to families?

• Posted publicly on the school website
• Through a score report mailed home or sent through the school (Correct answer)
• Via a phone call from the principal
• Only shared with teachers, never with families

Correct answer: Through a score report mailed home or sent through the school

CMAS score reports are sent home through the school, showing students' performance levels and subscores.

Question 50: What was the main purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

• To declare the colonies' independence from Britain (Correct answer)
• To establish a new government
• To outline the rights of citizens
• To propose a new constitution

Correct answer: To declare the colonies' independence from Britain

The Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, 1776, served as a formal statement by the American colonies asserting their right to be free and independent states. It articulated their grievances against King George III and formally severed their political ties with Great Britain, making its main purpose to declare independence.

Question 51: Which of the following moons of Jupiter is the closest to the planet?

• Io (Correct answer)
• Ganymede
• Callisto
• Europa

Correct answer: Io

Io is the innermost of Jupiter's four largest moons, known as the Galilean moons. Its orbital distance is approximately 421,700 km from Jupiter's center, making it closer to the planet than Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, which orbit at progressively greater distances.