NM-MSSA English Language Arts 3

Question 1

Which word is a synonym for 'illuminate'?

Accepted Answer

Brighten

Answer

'Illuminate' means to light up or make something clearer, so 'brighten' is its synonym.

Question 2

A student wants to add a concluding sentence to her paragraph about recycling. Which sentence works best?

Accepted Answer

Clearly, recycling benefits both the environment and future generations.

Answer

A concluding sentence wraps up the paragraph's main idea and leaves the reader with a final thought.

Question 3

In the sentence 'Despite the rain, the game continued,' what does 'despite' signal?

Accepted Answer

A contrast between two ideas

Answer

'Despite' introduces a contrast, showing that the game happened even though the rain might have prevented it.

Question 4

Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?

Accepted Answer

The test was hard; I studied for hours.

Answer

A semicolon correctly joins two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction.

Question 5

What does it mean when an author uses a 'flashback' in a story?

Accepted Answer

The author interrupts the present action to show an earlier event.

Answer

A flashback is a narrative technique where the story temporarily moves back in time to show a past event.

(NM-MSSA) New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement Practice Test