Elpidio Quirino High School

Long Test in English 8

Name: Date:

Section: Score:

.I. Reading Comprehension
Directions: Read and understand the selections given. Choose and encircle
the best answer to questions that follow.
Mystery in the sky
If you look up at the sky on a clear summer night, you might be
lucky enough to see a special type of cloud glowing in the darkness. These
clouds are strange and rare events called noctilucent clouds (NLC’s).
NLC’s are formed around 80 km of the ground. For instance, NLC’s are
formed around 80 km away, in a section of the sky called mesosphere.
NLC’s are also colorful- generally bright blue, but sometimes red, yellow, or
white.
Scientists believe that, like normal clouds, NLC’s are made of
tiny ice crystals. However, in the mesosphere, it is usually too dry for
clouds to form. In order for ice crystals to form and create clouds, there
must be water and dust for that water to stick to. NLC’s are only able to
form in the summer, when winds carry water up to the mesosphere from
lower levels of the atmosphere.
NLC’s have only appeared in recent times. In fact, the first NLC’s
were recorded in 1855, two years after a volcano erupted in Krakatoa,
Indonesia. Scientists believe that the volcano released huge amounts of
dust into the mesosphere, which allowed NLC’s to form. Although this may
explain why NLC’s were seen after the eruption, it does not explain the
NLC’s that occur today. Some scientists now believe that NLC’s are related
to global warming. For one thing, NLC’s did not start to appear until the
modern age, when carbon dioxide and other gases began to increase. For
another, they are becoming for frequent and widespread as temperature
rise.
1. Which of the ff, is not true about NLC’s?
a. Noctilucent clouds
b. NLC’s are formed around 80 km away
c. It is caused mainly by volcanoes
d. These clouds are strange and rare events
2. What are the usual colors of NLC’s?
a. Generally bright blue, but sometimes red, yellow, or white.
b. Generally light green, but sometimes yellow, or blue.
c. Usually purple, yellow, or white.
d. It has the same color with the sun.
3. When was the first recorded NLC’s appearance?
a. 1877
b. 1855
c. 1955
d. 1995
4. However, in the mesosphere, it is usually:
a. Too warm for people to see
b. Too dry for clouds to form
c. Too dark for scientist to study
d. Too dry for clouds to form.
5. Some scientists now believe that NLC’s are:
a. Going to disappear soon
b. Caused mainly by volcanoes
c. Dangerous for humans
d. Related to global warming.
6. Scientists believe that, like normal clouds, NLC’s are made of:
a. Water
b. Fog
c. tiny ice crystals
d. dust
7. Which section of the sky does NLC’s usually formed?
a. Stratosphere
b. Mesosphere
c. Hydrosphere
d. Atmosphere
Female Pioneers
Since the computer’s invention, many of the people famous for
working in computer science have been men. Even now, only about 25% of
people working in computer-related fields in the United States are women.
However, some of the first computer programmers were a group of
American women who worked at the University of Pennsylvania in the
1940’s. They made a huge contribution to the development of modern
computers, but for many years their work was largely forgotten.
During World War II, many American men were fighting
overseas. As a result, women were needed for jobs that were traditionally
done by men. For example, in 1942, the US army hired a group of women
who had studied Math in university. The US army needed to understand
where and how its rockets and bombs moved, so the army asked the
women to do the calculations. At first, the women worked with desk
calculators. Each calculation took one woman about 20 hours to complete.
To reduce the time it took to complete these calculations, the army
developed special computer in 1943. It was called ENIAC, and it was
designed by engineers of Pennsylvania. The computer was big enough to
fill a whole room and had to be programmed before each calculation, six
women were chosen to develop a way to program the computer. Their
names were Kathleen Antonelli, Jean Bartik, Betty Holberton, Marlyn
Meltzer, Frances Spence, and Ruth Teitelbaum. Although it could
sometimes take a long time to program the computer for a calculation,
once the computer was programmed, it only took 30 seconds to complete
each calculation.
Although the women created one of the first computer programs,
few people remembered them. Then, in 1986, a young female student at
Harvard University, Kathryn Kleiman, was searching women in computer
science. She came across a photo of the six women working with ENIAC.
She began to research the women’s contribution and eventually made a
documentary about them. Finally, the women were recognized for the big
role they had played in the development of modern computing. Kleiman
believes that remembering these women is important because it will
encourage more women to take up careers in computer science.
8. What is true about computer programming?
a. Most people had forgotten that some of the first computer
programmers were female.
b. A majority of people who study to become computer
programmers are women.
c. Male computer programmers have trouble finding jobs in
the modern economy.
d. Most of the men working in computer programming studied
at the University of Pennsylvania.
9. What happened during World war II?
a. Women began doing jobs which had mostly been done by
men before the men went to war.
b. Men who had studied math in college often found it difficult
to find a place to work.
c. The US Army calculated the time it took to build rockets and
bombs.
d. The US Army hired a group of women to fight along with
men overseas.
10. ENIAc was?
a. A special where women could learn how to develop new
computers.
b. A device that could quickly do calculations that took
humans a long time to complete.
c. An event held by the US Army to increase the security of
their computers.
d. A type of device that was used by computers to increase
the speed of their calculations.
11. What did Kathryn Kleiman do?
a. She created a group to support women who want to
become computer programmers.
b. She made a documentary about a group of women who
helped develop modern computer programming.
c. She became the first woman to get a degree in computer
programming at Harvard University.
d. She developed a new way to use computer programming to
create movies.
12. Which of the ff. statements is true?
a. Women calculated the movements of rockets and bombs
for the US Armyduring World War II.
b. Kathryn Kleiman began teaching computer science at
Harvard University in 1986.
c. The first computer was so large that it took two days for a
group of women to repair.
d. About 75% of young American women have said that they
will study computer science.
13. All of these women were part of the six pioneers of computer
programming except?
a. Kathryn Kleiman
b. Jean Bartik,
c. Betty Holberton,
d. Marlyn Meltzer
14. At first, the women worked with _______ before the invention of
ENIAC.
a. Abacus
b. Huge computer machine
c. Desk calculators
d. Manual counting
15. Which of the ff. statements is not true?
a. Although the women created one of the first computer
programs, few people remembered them
b. Women were not allowed to do jobs that were traditionally
done by men.
c. Kleiman believes that remembering these women is
important because it will encourage more women to take up
careers in computer science.
 d. Since the computer’s invention, many of the people famous
for working in computer science have been men. 41. There are no lights on and no one answers the doorbell. They
____ at home.
a. Must not b. cannot c. will not
II. Elements of Short Story
Directions: Choose your answer from the box and write your answer on the 42. I ____ come to your party. I have to work.
space provided a. Wouldn’t like to b. don’t have to c. can’t

43. ____ I make some coffee? I’ll do it if you’ll drink a cup.

Conflict Theme Point of view a. Must b. shall c. ought

Plot Antagonist Setting Climax 44. Can you speak loudly, please? I ____ hear you very well.
a. Can b. could c. couldn’t

45. I’m not in a hurry. I’ve got plenty of time. I ____ wait.
16. This element of short story refers to the place and time of the a. Can b. could c. couldn’t
story. ________
17. In every story, there has to be a problem. The main character
has to be challenged in some way or the story go VI. Suffixes, Synonyms and Antonyms
nowhere,_____. Directions: Choose and encircle the letter of the correct.
18. This character does not have the main character’s best interest.
If he is the person, he may be the villain or the bad person in the 46. Tracy is a very fast ____ (run)
story.________ a. –ing b –able c. –est d. –er
19. It is the arrangement of the events in the story_______
20. This element of the story is how the story is told. It also 47. We chose the ____ pumpkin (large)
determines who will be the narrator of the story _________ a. –ly b. –est c. –ful d. –nest
21. This is the controlling idea or the insight that the author wants the
reader to understand at the end of the story. _______ 48. There was great ____ when the prizes were announced. (happy)
22. This is the highest point of interest in the story ____________ a. –er b. –est c. –ful d. –nest

III. Types of sentences 49. She is really a kind woman. Kind also means?
Directions: identify what type of sentence is the ff. Encircle the letter of the a. Nice b. wild c. funny d. best
correct answer.
23. We hope to see you tomorrow. 50. Our exam in trigonometry is really tricky. Tricky also means?
a. Declarative c. Interrogative a. Complicated b. easy c. average d. best
b. Imperative d. Exclamatory
51. I’m glad that your mother is already cured. Glad also means?
24. Send me an email as soon as possible. a. Broken b. happy c. open d. round
a. Declarative c. Interrogative
b. Imperative d. Exclamatory 52. Cheetah is one of the swiftest animals. What is the opposite of
the word swift?
25. Run! He’s coming here! a. Young b. lucky c. fast d. slow
a. Declarative c. Interrogative
b. Imperative d. Exclamatory 53. The watch that he is wearing is similar to what has been stolen
form me last week. Similar is the opposite of?
26. Gina plays the piano, doesn’t she? a. Young b. lucky c. fast d. old
a. Declarative c. Interrogative
b. Imperative d. Exclamatory
54. It seems peculiar that he would leave town and not tell anybody.
27. Wow! You look so pretty today. Peculiar is the opposite of?
a. Declarative c. Interrogative a. Odd b. unusual c. common d. ordinary
b. Imperative d. Exclamatory
55. Our evening together was pleasant but not very exciting.
IV. Parts of Speech Pleasant also means?
Directions: Match items on column A to your best answer on column B. a. Agreeable b. unwelcome c. distinct d. brave
Write your answer on the space provided.

A B VII. Subject-Verb-Agreement
____ 28. Words that take place a. Nouns Directions: Choose and encircle the correct verb for each sentence below.
of the nouns.
____ 29. Words that modify verbs, b. Adjectives 56. Your hand and feet _____ nearly half of the bones in your body.
adjectives, and adverbs a. Contain b. contains
____ 30. Words that show an c. Conjunctions
action or a state of being 57. The books and the magazine ______ on the table.
____ 31. Words that modify nouns or d. Prepositions a. Was b. were
Pronouns
____ 32. Words that connect words, e. Interjections 58. Few of the apartment _______ ever vacant at this time of year.
phrases, or clauses a. Is b. are
____ 33. Words that describe a f. Adverbs
relationship between a noun or 59. Trumpets or a flute _____ excitement in music.
pronoun and another g. Verbs a. Creates b. create
element in the sentence.
____ 34. Words that name people, h. Pronouns 60. Some of the forest ______ patches of poison ivy.
places, things, or ideas a. Has b. have
____ 35. Words that show emotion
61. Several of the field hockey players also ______ to the track
team.
V. Modals. a. Belongs b. belong
Directions: Choose and encircle the letter of the correct modal that suits the
ff. sentences. 62. Neither the lion tamer nor the clown ______ signing any
36. You _____ help me if you don’t have time. I can do the job autograph tonight.
myself. a. Is b. are
a. Aren’t able to b. don’t have to c. aren’t going to 63. ______ he have the directions?
a. Doesn’t b. don’t
37. ____ you help me?
a. May b. shall c. will 64. Carlos is one of the students who _____ lived up to the potential
described in the yearbook.
38. You _____ go into that room. It’s forbidden. a. Has b. have
a. Don’t have to b. mustn’t c. don’t know how to
65. The international club, as well as the Choral Society and the
39. It’s 2:20 and he said he’d be here at 2:30. He _____ here soon. Rowing Club, _______ to submit a new constitution.
a. Should b. can c. would a. Need b. needs

40. I have a headache ____ you buy some aspirin for me? 66. One of my best friends ______ an extra on a TV show this week.
a. Shall b. may c. could a. Are b. is
 78. “And ‘Bones, bones, bones, bones!’ is what figure of speech?
67. Politics _____ sometimes a dirty business. (repetition, assonance) ________
a. Are b. is
79. “He rolls on the beach all day”. is what figure of speech?
68. To an outsider, the economics of this country _____ to be in (personification, hyperbole) ________
chaos.
a. Seem b. seems 80. “He bounds to his feet and snuffs and sniffs,
Shaking his wet sides over the cliffs,” is an example of
69. Rice and beans, my favorite dish, _____ me of my mother’s best (tone, rhyme) ____________
food.
a. Remind b. reminds

70. A large number of voters still ______ along straight party lines
a. Votes b. vote

VIII. Sentence Construction Pattern

Directions: Choose and encircle the correct answer for each question
below.

71. Las year, our basketball team ranked number one in the school.
The simple subject in the sentence is:
a. Year b. basketball team c. school d. number

72. Of all the girls at school, Sarina threw ball further than anyone.
The verb is:
a. Sarina b. further c. threw d. anyone

73. We run this small vegetable business. What is the Subject?

a. We b. run c. this d. business

74. The lovely girl quickly ran to her seat beside the gorilla. The verb
is:
a. Lovely b. girl c. ran d. beside

75. 8th grade students must pass the writing test in all subjects. The
subject and verb in the sentence are:
a. 8th grade/writing
b. Students/ writing
c. Writing/ test
d. 8th grade/ pass

IX. Literary Interpretation

Directions: Read the poem “The Sea” by James Reeves and answer the
questions that follow. Write only the letter of the correct answer on the
space provided. Choose your answer inside the parentheses.

The Sea

The sea is a hungry dog

Giant and grey
He rolls on the beach all day.
With his clashing teeth and shaggy jaws
Hour upon hour he gnaws.
The rumbling, tumbling stones,
And ‘Bones, bones, bones, bones!’
The giant sea-dog moans,
Licking his greasy paws.
And when the night wind roars
And the moon rocks in the stormy cloud,
He bounds to his feet and snuffs and sniffs,
Shaking his wet sides over the cliffs,
And howls and hollos long and loud.
But on quiet days in May or June,
When even the grasses on the dune
Play no more their reedy tune,
With his head between his paws
He lies on the sandy shores,
So quiet, he scarcely snores.

76. “Sighing like a furnace” is what figure of speech? (simile,

metaphor) ________

77. “The sea is a hungry dog” is what figure of speech? (simile,

metaphor) ________