Grade 8 SHSAT Mock Exam #1 – 9/9/23

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

Suggested Time: 90 Minutes

57 Questions
_____________________________________________________________________________

Revising/Editing
Questions 1 – 20

Directions: For questions 1 to 6, you will be asked to recognize and correct errors in sentences or short paragraphs.

1. Which is the most precise revision for the words talked to some people who happened to be around?

interviewed the three most credible witnesses
spoke to three people who happened to be around
discussed what had happened with three of the eyewitnesses
interrogated three witnesses who may have seen something

2. Which edit should be made to correct this sentence?

delete the comma after Art
delete the comma after Manhattan
insert a comma after and
insert a comma after floor

3. Which sentence should be revised to correct a vague pronoun?

sentence 1
sentence 2
sentence 3
sentence 4

4. Which edit should be made to correct this sentence?

delete the comma after hours
insert a comma after said
delete the comma after thankfully
insert a comma after over

5. Which sentence should be revised to correct an inappropriate shift in verb tense?

sentence 1
sentence 2
sentence 3
sentence 4

6. What is the best way to combine these sentences to clarify the relationship between the ideas?

Computational linguistics happens to be my area of expertise and it would give me great satisfaction to help you analyze synthetic encryption languages.
If you are looking for an expert in the area of computation linguistics to analyze synthetic encryption languages, it would give me great satisfaction to assist you.
looking for someone who happens to be an expert in computational linguistics to analyze synthetic encryption languages besides giving me great satisfaction to help you?
Do you want to analyze synthetic encryption languages? Are you aware that computational linguistics happens to be my area of expertise? Would it give me great pleasure to assist you?

Directions: Read the passages below to answer questions 7 to 20. The questions will focus on
improving the writing quality of the passage to follow the conventions of standard written English.

7. Which edit is needed to correct sentence 1?

change draining to drained
change out to by
change gives to give
change their to its

8. Which transitional expression should be added to the beginning of sentence 3?

Similarly,
However,
Surprisingly,
Fortunately,

9. Which sentence would best follow sentence 5 to support the argument presented in the passage?

These caves can be considered part of a huge subterranean plumbing system.
These caves can have fascinated people for centuries.
Their formation begins with the movement of water through stone.
Such caves have found a unique place in the science fiction lore.

10. What is the best way to combine sentences 7 and 8 to clarify the relationship between ideas?

Eventually, some of the water reaches a zone of soil and rock where all the cracks are already filled with water.
Eventually, some of the water reaches a zone of soil and rock when all the cracks arc already filled with water.
Eventually, some of the water reaches a zone of soil and rock, and this is why all the cracks are already filled with water.
Eventually, some of the water reaches a zone of soil and rock because all the cracks arc already filled with water.

11. Which sentence is irrelevant to the topic presentenced in the passage and should be deleted?

sentence 10
sentence 11
sentence 13
sentence 15

12. Which revision of sentence 12 uses the most precise language?

This combination of water and carbon dioxide, forming carbonic acid which slowly dissolves calcite, making solution cavities, and excavating passageways.
Water combining with carbon dioxide forms carbonic acid, acid dissolves calcite to make cavities, which are solution caves.
This dissolves calcite, allowing for cavities and passageways to form from the acids produced by the combination of water and carbon dioxide, which turn into eaves.
The water combining chemically with the carbon dioxide forms carbonic acid which slowly dissolves calcite, forms solution cavities, and excavates passageways.

13. Which sentence would best follow and support sentence 12?

This results in a solution cave.
Some caves arc too small for human exploration while others are massive underground atriums.
The longest known solution cave is the Mammoth Cliff Cave-Flint Ridge system in south central Kentucky,
These passageways arc carved by acids formed from the chemical combination of water and carbon dioxide.

14. Which edit is needed to correct sentence 1?

insert a comma after on behalf
delete the comma after Association
delete the comma after law
insert a comma after violent

15. Which sentence would best follow sentence 4 to support the argument presented in the passage?

Violence harms our society at large.
Other countries ban excessive violence, and so should we.
One of the main reasons is that violent shows are easily marketed to other countries.
Finally, who docs it serve to have so much violence in our shows that normalize violent behavior?

16. Which sentence is irrelevant to the argument presented in the passage and should be deleted?

sentence 7
sentence 9
sentence 11
sentence 12

17. What is the best way to combine sentences 7 and 8 to clarify the relationship between ideas?

Scientists at the National Institute of Health, in a study proving viewing violent scenes for children, arc more prone to violent acts.
A study by scientists at the National Institute of Health found that children are more prone to violent acts after viewing violent scenes.
National Institute of Health studied children after viewing violent scenes and found them to be more prone to violent acts after watching violent scenes.
But scientists at the National Institute of Health did a study, and after studying children after viewing violent scenes, found that they are more prone to violent acts.

18. Which sentence would best begin paragraph 4 as a topic sentence?

Yes, I think people need to be aware of violent events happening around the world and within our own country, but parents need to be warned.
But do we need to know about violence everywhere and how much it is tearing apart ours and other countries?
There is indeed too much violence in the world and something needs to be done about it.
Other reasons abound but we should focus more on the effects it has on our children so that we can do what is needed from so much research that is out there.

19. Which revision of sentence 10 uses the most precise language?

Sponsors will hesitate to sponsor things that are labeled, yet these programs will diminish in number and children will have fewer such programs to view.
Maybe commercial sponsors will hesitate to sponsor programs that are labeled violent, so these programs will diminish in number and children will have fewer such programs to view.
Maybe commercials will hesitate to sponsor programs that arc violent while these programs diminish in number and children will have fewer such programs to watch.
Maybe sponsors will hesitate to programs that arc violent because these programs will not be made and children will have few programs to view.

20. Which concluding sentence should be added after sentence 13 to support the topic presented in the passage?

With a better awareness of current events today, we can better act and change the world tomorrow
These are real events shaping our world, not opportunities to glamorize for the sake of profit.
However, because violence is so common, some people forget that these conflicts are real.
If we need to educate our children about the world, let parents do it.

Reading Comprehension
Questions 21-57

Directions: Analyze the passages below, and answer the commensurate questions. Only use information provided within the passage for your answers. There is only one answer for each question.

21. Which option best expresses the symbolic meaning of the “road” and the overall theme?

A divergent spot where the traveler had to choose the correct path to his destination
A choice between good and evil that the traveler needs to make
The traveler's struggle between his lost love and his future prospects
Life's journey and the choices with which humans are faced

22. How many lines are there in this poem?

10
15
20
21

23. How many stanzas are there in this poem?

1
2
3
4

24. How many travelers are there in the poem?

1
2
3
4

25. What is the time of day in the poem?

Night
Morning
Evening
Afternoon

26. Which road did the traveler take?

the first
the second
the third
neither

27. Which of the following best tells what this passage is about?

the military genius of Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc's role in shaping French history
divine intervention in the Hundred Years’ War
how Joan of Arc drove English invaders out of France

28. According to the passage, why did Charles VII agree to let Joan lead his troops?

He had visions of saints speaking to him.
He was in a desperate situation and had few other alternatives.
Joan was at first skeptical that Charles VII could be an effective king.
Joan offered to take him to Reims where he could be properly crowned king.

29. In which of the following was Joan unsuccessful?

liberating the French city of Orleans
retaking the French capital city, Paris
defeating English armies in Northern France
taking Charles VII to the cathedral in Reims

30. It can be inferred that the chief reason for Joan and Charles VII going to Reims was to

prepare to attack and liberate Paris
seek shelter from pursuing English armies
unit northern and southern France under Charles VII
skirmish against the English who were looking to capture Joan

31. As used in line 41 “sound” most likely means

loud
reliable
effective
supernatural

32. It can be interred that Charles had someone else pretend to be king and receive Joan at their first meeting because he

suspected that Joan was mentally unstable.
feared that Joan was an English assassin.
had yet to be officially crowned king at the cathedral in Reims
did not believe that saints had sent Joan on her mission

33. What can be a good description of this passage?

a geological description of the route to Mount Everest.
remember Hillary and Tenzing’s historical climb to Mount Everest.
A brief guide to climbing Mount Everest from the Southeast Ridge.
A history of how explorers climbed Mount Everest over the years.

34. Why is the Western Cwm called the “Valley of Silence”?

the geography of the area blocks the wind noise from the climbing route.
the climbers going towards Mount Everest never camp in Cwm.
the climbers offer prayers at the Cwm before their final ascent to Mount Everest.
the climbers mourn the deceased climbers at Western Cwm.

35. What is the Hillary Step?

A monument honoring the first people to successfully climb Mount Everest.
A shortcut to Mount Everest from Camp IV.
A 40-foot rock wall first scaled by Hillary and Tenzing.
A set of stairs installed by Hillary to aid others climbing Mount Everest.

36. According to the passage, when docs the Kumbu Icefall become very dangerous to climb?

after the monsoons in September and October
after the Sherpas and expedition climbers remove the ropes and ladders
late at night until just before dawn
during the day as sunlight melts the ice

37. Why do climbers attempt to climb Mount Everest during April and May?

The Tibetan border to reach Mount Everest is open only in April and May.
The Western Cwm becomes unbearably hot for climbers during the other months.
Wind speeds are less during the summer months due to a change in the jet stream
There is less snow on the route in April and

38. At which point do climbers have a two to three- day window to decide whether to make a summit attempt or return to the Base Camp?

the death zone.
the Valley of Silence.
the Advanced Base Camp
the Hillary Step

39. Which of the following best describes what this passage is about?

An explanation of why sport fishing is popular with an emphasis on the rich historical tradition
A defense of sport fishing with an emphasis on its rich history and environmental sustainability
An essay arguing for sport fishing to be recognized as one of the world's great sports
A brief history of angling with an emphasis on times the sport grew in popularity

40. What does the author mean in Paragraph 1 when he or she writes, “The attribution to Berners is now considered dubious by many historians, though”?

Historians aren't sure if Juliana Berners ever existed.
Most experts now believe Juliana Berners did not actually write "Treatise on Fishing with an Angle."
Historians aren't sure if the book ever really existed.
Most experts now believe the Treatise on Fishing with an Angle- wasn't nearly as popular as was previously believed.

41. Based on the passage, why did aristocrats initially want to keep common people from adopting the hobby of angling?

They were concerned with the environmental impact that overfishing might have and wanted to protect the health of lakes and streams.
They were jealous because, on average, peasants were much better fishermen than royalty.
They believed peasants were too greedy and stupid to handle the responsibility of fishing and wanted to keep the waterways for themselves.
Their religious and social beliefs told them that peasants were unclean and would foul the rivers.

42. Which of these best explains the meaning of “commercialized” in Paragraph 3?

Fishing to supply food for England had mostly been taken over by large businesses, so rod and reel angling had turned almost completely into a hobby.
At this time, there were a large number of technological innovations that meant that amateur anglers could catch fish as effectively as professionals.
The government set strict limits on how many fish people could catch during this period, so anglers always had to worry about government regulations and taxes.
During the seventeenth century, the cost of fishing tackle exploded, so many poor anglers were priced out.

43. Based on the passage, how did the train and automobile help the growth of fishing?

They provided anglers with more leisure time to spend on the water.
They simplified transportation, allowing fisherman to find and access more fishing spots than ever before.
They carried fishing supplies like rods, reels, and lures to anglers all around the world.
People were intimidated by the expansion of technology, so they returned to nature in reaction.

44. Based on the passage, why did fishing shrink in popularity during the Great Depression?

Many of the men who enjoyed fishing had to go serve in the war.
The stock market crash had caused all the bait and tackle shops to close.
Most people lacked either the time or the money for leisure activities because economic conditions were so poor.
President Hoover was an avid angler, and many people blamed him for the Great Depression.

45. What is this passage mostly about?

The history and role of the attorney general.
The origin of the first attorney general.
The nature of law in federal government
Moments where the federal government needs to be represented in court.

46. According to the passage, the attorney general is the lead legal counsel to the president and _____ ?

Appoints all judges.
Has the final say in all lower court decisions.
Is the head official of the department of justice.
Is the lead legal counsel to the house and senate.

47. What is one reason provided in the passage for why the department of justice was created?

To give the president more power.
To streamline the legal system.
To add a cabinet post.
To enlarge government.

48. What does the author imply was true prior to 1870?

There was a simpler legal system.
There was no attorney general.
The attorney general was not a part of the federal government.
The attorney general was not the ultimate legal officer.

49. What is not listed as a duty of an Attorney General?

Prosecute cases at the supreme court.
Manage the salaries of those working under the control of the department of justice.
To represent the united states legally.
To train judges.

50. Based on the passage, a successful attorney general must be outstanding at both _____ ?

Law and management
Law and politics
Politics and governing
School and law

51. What is this passage mostly about?

A writer's attempt to struggle through illness and self-loathing.
An author's relationship to memory.
The importance of friends.
The impact of illness on one’s career.

52. Why does the author never feel “settled?”

He believes illness will kill him at any moment.
He does not believe his work is very good.
He is worried that others will not believe his work is very good.
He is worried that he will never finish his work.

53. What is one impact of the author’s bad health?

It makes him a better author.
It is sometimes the inspiration for his work.
It makes him more intelligent.
His work is always a study of his own health.

54. Why does the author always write down his thoughts?

He is an author.
As a way to fight off insanity.
So that he may remember lost knowledge.
To give himself purpose in life.

55. What does the author imply about himself?

He is of good health.
He does not always have confidence in himself.
He is insane.
He has never actually been ill.

56. Locum tenens most closely means:

Locust
Wraith
Loco teen
Local teen

57. What does the author mean when he says he is “vividly conscious of the insecurity of my tenure here” (lines 17-18)?

He knows he will not live long.
He knows his writing isn’t actually good enough.
He knows he will never get over his inner insecurities.
He knows he will probably get fired from his job.

Mathematics
Suggested Time: 90 minutes
57 questions
_____________________________________________

Write-In Problems
Questions 58-62

Directions: The following five questions are write-in problems. Please be sure to write your answer in the boxes below each question.

58. There are 69 people in a train car. Of these, there are 15 more women than men. How many men are there in the train car?

There are men in the train car.

59. The total fare for 2 adults and 3 children on an excursion boat is $14. If each child’s fare is one half of each adult’s fare, what is the adult fare in dollars? (The $ symbol is already added for you.)

The adult fare, in dollars, is $

60. Camp coordinator Simon has 576 bottles of water. This is enough water for 6 days if each camper drinks 2 bottles of water a day. If the camp has to accommodate 24 more campers who will also drink 2 water bottles a day, the 576 bottles of water would run out after how many days?

The bottles of water would run out after days.

61. Working at constant rates. Jack can fetch 7 pails of water in 25 minutes and Jill can fetch 4 pails of water in 15 minutes. What is the total number of pails of water the two of them can fetch in 5 hours?

Together they can fetch pails of water in 5 hours.

62. There are 660 feet in one furlong, and 1/2 of a fathom in one yard. How many fathoms are there in one furlong?

There are fathoms in one furlong.

Multiple Choice Problems
Questions 63-114

Directions: Select the best answer from the choices given by carefully solving each problem.

63. A tray of nickels, dimes and quarters for an amount of $3.20 contains 3 times as many quarters as nickels and 5 more dimes than nickels. How many coins in each kind are in the tray?

8 nickels, 3 dimes, 9 quarters
3 nickels, 8 dimes, 9 quarters
9 nickels, 3 dimes, 8 quarters
9 nickels, 8 dimes, 3 quarters

64. What is the sum of all the positive integer factors of 36?

90
91
55
56

65. Belle deposited $600 in a bank and had $636 at the end of one year. If Belle’s brother Brian deposits $900 in the same bank and earns the same simple interest, how much would he have after one year?

$936
$939
$954
$1,224

66. Cindy pays 36% of her monthly income towards taxes and 24% towards rent. Her grocery costs arc half of her rent and her transportation costs are half of her grocery costs. If she is left with $2,400 after paying for all of the above expenses, what is Cindy’s monthly income?

$3,076
$5,714
$8,571
$10,909

67. ADGJ is a square with each side measuring 3√2. If AB = BC = CD and DE = EF = FG, what is the perimeter of the shaded octagon?

8√2
8 + 4√2
8 + 8√2
16

68. If 52 + 6x = 0, what is the greatest integer less than x?

-9
-8
8
9

69. In the figure above, ACDF is rectangle. Point B is the midpoint of AC and point E is the midpoint of side FD. If BC = 15 and CD = 16, what is the combined area of the two shaded triangles?

64
112.5
120
128

70. Which set of fractions below is correctly arranged in ascending order?

(5/9) , (2/5) , (9/7) , (7/3)
(2/5) , (5/9) , (7/3) , (9/7)
(5/9) , (9/7) , (7/3) , (2/5)
(2/5) , (5/9) , (9/7) , (7/3)

71. A square has one side with ends at (0,0) and (-3,4). What is the area of the square?

12
25
18
20

72. Myrtle paid a one-time registration fee for dance lessons. Additionally, she paid a certain amount for each lesson. If the total amount paid is represented by the equation y = 20x + 30, what does the value 30 represent in the equation?

Number of classes Myrtle took
Price per class
Total price paid
One time registration fee

73. Mr. West is a high school teacher whose salary is $33,660 for this school year, which has 180 days. In Mr. West’s school district, substitute teachers arc paid $85 per day. If Mr. West takes a day off without pay and a substitute teacher is paid to teach his classes, how much less does the school district pay in salary by paying a substitute teacher instead of Mr. West for that day?

$57
$85
$102
$114

74. If a gumball is randomly chosen from a bag that contains exactly 6 yellow gumballs, 5 green gumballs, and 4 red gumballs, what is the probability that the gumball chosen is NOT green?

1/3
2/5
3/5
2/3

75. In the xy-plane, what is the y -intercept of the line -9x – 3y = 15?

-9
-5
-3
3

76. In the figure above, MQ is a straight line. If PM = PN, what is the value of x?

30
45
60
75

77. A certain phone call costs 75 cents for the first 3 minutes plus 15 cents for each additional minute. If the call lasted x minutes and x is an integer greater than 3, which of the following expresses the cost of the call, in dollars?

0.75(3) + 0.15x
0.75(3) + 0.15(x + 3)
0.75 + 0.15(3 – x)
0.75 + 0.15(x – 3)

78. Arty has exactly 5 blue pens, 6 black pens, and 4 red pens in his backpack. If he pulls out one pen at random from his backpack, what is the probability that the pen is either red or black?

11/5
2/3
1/2
1/3

79. The average 20, 70, and x is 40. If the average of 20, 70, x, and y is 50. Then y =

90
80
70
60

80. A lighthouse blinks regularly 5 times a minute. A neighboring lighthouse blinks 4 times a minute. If they start blinking simultaneously, after how many seconds will they blink together again?

20
24
60
180

81. According to the graph above, that number of books borrowed during the month of January was what fraction of the total number of books borrowed during the first six month of the year?

1/8
1/7
1/6
3/16

82. If 40 percent of r is equal to s, then which of the following is equal to 10 percent of r?

4s
2s
s/2
s/4

83. If x < -4, which of the following must be true?

(1/x²) < -(1/16)
-(1/16) < (1/x²) < 0
(1/x²) > (1/16)
0 < (1/x²) < 1/16

84. In the figure above, the area of △ABC is 6. If the length of BC is 1/3 the length of AC, then AB =

√2
2
4
2√10

85. If ((c – b) / a) = d, then b =

(a/c) – d
da – c
ca – d
c – ad

86. The figure above is made of 5 squares. If the area of the figure is 40, what is the perimeter of the figure?

10
12
13
26

87. If the three-digit number 5W2 is evenly divisible by 8, which of the following could be the value of digit W?

2
3
4
5

88. If (3/11) + (3/11) + (3/11) = (x/33), what is the value of x/9?

1
3
9
27

89. In the figure above, AC = 32 and CE = 20. If B is the midpoint of AC and D is the midpoint of CE, what is the area of quadrilateral BFDC?

80
160
320
480

91. Caroline builds and sells high-performance personal computers. She bought and sold 4 machines last month as shown in the table below. Her total profit from the 4 sales was what percent of the total build costs?

25%
30%
33.33%
40%

92. The table above lists the x- and y- coordinates of several points on the graph of y = (3x – 1)/2 . What is the value of s + t ?

3
9
12
14.5

93. A square target has side length 10 inches. In the center of the target is a smaller square, as shown, with side length 2 inches. If a dart randomly hits within the larger square, what is the probability that it will land in the smaller square?

1/50
1/25
1/10
1/5

94. A biologist wants to know how many carp (a type of fish) live in a particular lake. She captures 50 carp, attaches a small but permanent tag on each fish’s fin, and returns them to the water otherwise unharmed. Two days later, she captures another 50 carp and notices that 5 of the captured fish bore her tag on their fin. Which of the following is the most reasonable estimate of the total number of carp in this lake?

105
125
250
500

95. The mean, median, and mode of a collection of five positive integers arc all 5. What is the largest possible number in the set?

5
9
12
25

96. A cylindrical-shaped measuring cup has diameter 6 centimeters and height 10 centimeters. Six equally-spaced dots are marked along its height. If 220 cubic centimeters of liquid are added to the cup, the top of the liquid will be at a level closest to which dot?

E
F
G
H

97. Jay wants to tie a rope from the middle of a 32- foot vertical pole to a point on the ground 12 feet away from the base of the pole. What is the length of the rope?

16 feet
20 feet
28 feet
34 feet

98. For an amount of $15, you get either 5 soups or 12 burritos. How much money would you need to buy one soup and one burrito?

$1.75
$2.50
$3.00
$4.25

99. How many positive integers less than 100 arc divisible by 7 but not divisible by 3 or 5?

7
8
10
14

100. Given positive integers a and b, if the value of b is twice the value of a, which expression below will produce the least value?

(a-b) / (a+b)
(b-a) / (a+b)
a² / b²
b² / a²

101. In the figure above, the rectangle ACDE has an area of 440 square meters.

The points B and F are the midpoints of the sides AC and AE respectively. What is the area of the triangle, BCD?

56
110
200
220

102. The least common multiple of two numbers, x and y can be represented by:

LCM(x,y). The following is true for the concept of the least common multiple:

If we can find integers, a and b for both x and y respectively such that ax = by = LCM(x, y), then ax or by is the least common multiple of x and y

What is the least common multiple of √2 • π?

2π√2
2π
2π^2
Does not exist

103. For how many values of x is the function not equal to 1?

f(x) = (x-3)/(x-3)

0
1
2
3

104. If today is Monday, what day will it be in 49² from now?

Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Monday

105. If f(x) = x³, then how many times greater is f(4) than f(2)?

2
3
4
8

106. Convert (3/40) to a decimal.

0.0075
0.075
0.06
.75

107. How many prime numbers are between 4 and 16 inclusive?

2
3
4
5

108. How many perfect squares are between 9 and 25 exclusive?

0
1
2
3

109. An octagon, a triangle and a circle all have the same perimeter (circumference for the circle). Which is true of the areas of these shapes? (0 = area of octagon, T = area of triangle, and C = area of circle).

O < C < T
O = T = C
C > T = C
C > O > T

110. If (x/y) = x². then what is (x/y) – ((x/y)²) ?

x²y
x⁴
x²(1-x²)
x²(1+x²)

111. In a scaled drawing, 1 millimeter represents 150 meters. How many square millimeters on the drawing represent 1 square meter?

1/150
1/22,500
1150/22,500
22,500

112. A rectangle is drawn on a coordinate plane. If the coordinates of one corner of the rectangle is (0, -5) and the coordinates of the opposite corner is (7, 3), then what is the area of the rectangle?

-21
21
56
105

113. Which one of the following is equivalent to the expression

xyz
xz
1/y
1

114. How many distinct prime factors does 2,520 have?

3
4
7
48