Wisconsin Forward Exam English Language Arts — Grade 6 Feed

Question

Read the excerpt below and answer the question: "Maya adjusted her backpack straps as she walked along the edge of Lake Michigan. The chilly Wisconsin breeze swept across the dunes, carrying the scent of pine and fresh water. She gripped her sketchpad tightly, determined to find the old lighthouse before sunset." According to the passage, what is Maya determined to find before sunset?

Reading Literature

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Read the excerpt below: "Maya adjusted her backpack straps as she walked along the edge of Lake Michigan. The chilly Wisconsin breeze swept across the dunes, carrying the scent of pine and fresh water. She gripped her sketchpad tightly, determined to find the old lighthouse before sunset." Which detail best shows the setting of the scene?

Reading Literature

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Read the passage below: "When Ben first joined the middle school track team in Green Bay, he struggled to run a single lap without stopping. His legs ached, and his lungs burned. Rather than quitting, he set a goal to practice fifteen minutes every morning before school. Months passed through snow and rain. At the final district meet, Ben crossed the finish line with a personal record, cheered on by his teammates." Which statement best expresses the central theme of the passage?

Reading Literature

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Read the passage below: "When Ben first joined the middle school track team in Green Bay, he struggled to run a single lap without stopping. His legs ached, and his lungs burned. Rather than quitting, he set a goal to practice fifteen minutes every morning before school. Months passed through snow and rain. At the final district meet, Ben crossed the finish line with a personal record, cheered on by his teammates." How does Ben respond to his initial struggle on the track team?

Reading Literature

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Read the excerpt below: "The autumn leaves danced across the pavement in a flurry of gold and crimson, whispering secrets of the coming winter." What literary device is used in the phrase 'the autumn leaves danced across the pavement'?

Reading Literature

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Read the excerpt below: "The autumn leaves danced across the pavement in a flurry of gold and crimson, whispering secrets of the coming winter." What mood does the figurative description create?

Reading Literature

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Read the excerpt below: "I watched from the window as Grandfather carefully carved the wooden whistle. 'Every piece of cedar has a story,' he murmured without looking up. I wondered if I would ever learn to listen as closely as he did." How does the first-person point of view influence the reader's understanding of Grandfather?

Reading Literature

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Read the excerpt below: "I watched from the window as Grandfather carefully carved the wooden whistle. 'Every piece of cedar has a story,' he murmured without looking up. I wondered if I would ever learn to listen as closely as he did." What can be inferred about Grandfather's personality based on his action and dialogue?

Reading Literature

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Read the excerpt below: "The heavy wooden door of the abandoned grain mill creaked open. Leo pushed back his lantern light into the dusty gloom. Gears rusty with age hung motionless above a mound of old burlap sacks. Suddenly, a faint thumping sound echoed from the far corner." What setting detail causes Leo to pause and investigate?

Reading Literature

Question · Easy

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Read the excerpt below: "The heavy wooden door of the abandoned grain mill creaked open. Leo pushed back his lantern light into the dusty gloom. Gears rusty with age hung motionless above a mound of old burlap sacks. Suddenly, a faint thumping sound echoed from the far corner." What does the phrase 'dusty gloom' suggest about the inside of the mill?

Reading Literature

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Read the excerpt below from a story: "Paragraph 1: Sarah loved solving riddles, but the clues left by her grandmother seemed impossible. Each card contained a small map coordinate and a single line of poetry. Paragraph 2: As Sarah sat at the kitchen table in Madison, she realized the lines of poetry matched the names of trees planted in the city park. The final clue pointed directly to the base of the giant bur oak tree." How does Paragraph 2 advance the plot of the story?

Reading Literature

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Reading Literature

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Read the passage below: "The blizzard had trapped the expedition team inside the wooden cabin on Madeline Island. Supplies were running low, and the wind howled outside like a wild beast. Marcus looked around at his tired companions. Instead of complaining, he organized a schedule to ration food and keep the fireplace stoked throughout the night." How does the setting contribute to the conflict in the story?

Reading Literature

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Read the passage below: "The blizzard had trapped the expedition team inside the wooden cabin on Madeline Island. Supplies were running low, and the wind howled outside like a wild beast. Marcus looked around at his tired companions. Instead of complaining, he organized a schedule to ration food and keep the fireplace stoked throughout the night." What does the simile 'the wind howled outside like a wild beast' convey?

Reading Literature

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Read the passage below: "Text A: Liam loved winter fishing on Lake Winnebago. He enjoyed the quiet solitude of the frozen landscape, where hours could pass peacefully while he watched his tip-up flags. Text B: Hannah dreaded winter fishing on Lake Winnebago. To her, sitting inside a cold ice shanty for hours was boring and uncomfortable, especially when the wind blew through the cracks." How do the points of view in Text A and Text B differ regarding winter fishing?

Reading Literature

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Reading Literature

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Read the excerpt below: "The town square in La Crosse was buzzing with excitement during the annual Winter Carnival. Carvers bundled in heavy coats sculpted massive blocks of clear ice into swans, castles, and dragons." What are the carvers sculpting in the town square?

Reading Literature

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Reading Literature

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Read the story excerpt below: "Elena had spent three weeks working on her ice sculpture, a delicate hawk with spread wings. An hour before judging, a warm sun beam melted the tip of the left wing. Devastated, Elena wanted to pack her tools and leave. But her brother reminded her, 'You still have time to reshape it into a swooping diving hawk.' Elena took a deep breath, chipped away the damaged ice, and created a dynamic new pose that won second place." Which sentence best states the central message of the story?

Reading Literature

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Read the story excerpt below: "Elena had spent three weeks working on her ice sculpture, a delicate hawk with spread wings. An hour before judging, a warm sun beam melted the tip of the left wing. Devastated, Elena wanted to pack her tools and leave. But her brother reminded her, 'You still have time to reshape it into a swooping diving hawk.' Elena took a deep breath, chipped away the damaged ice, and created a dynamic new pose that won second place." How does Elena's character change from the middle to the end of the story?

Reading Literature

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Read the excerpt below: "The old clock on the mantelpiece was a stubborn soldier, ticking steadily through the storm without missing a single beat." Which metaphor is used in the sentence?

Reading Literature

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Read the excerpt below: "The old clock on the mantelpiece was a stubborn soldier, ticking steadily through the storm without missing a single beat." What quality of the clock is emphasized by comparing it to a 'stubborn soldier'?

Reading Literature

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Read the excerpt below from a story: "As the paddleboard glided across Devil's Lake, Noah noticed a dark shadow beneath the clear water. His heart pounded in his chest. Was it a sunken log or something far larger lurking in the depths? He held his breath as the shadow slowly drifted past." How does the author build suspense in this paragraph?

Reading Literature

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Read the excerpt below from a story: "As the paddleboard glided across Devil's Lake, Noah noticed a dark shadow beneath the clear water. His heart pounded in his chest. Was it a sunken log or something far larger lurking in the depths? He held his breath as the shadow slowly drifted past." What is the narrative point of view of this passage?

Reading Literature

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Read the poem below and answer the question: "The maple leaves fall soft and slow, Across the quiet woods below. Red and orange, crisp and bright, They dance within the golden light." What colors are the falling maple leaves according to the poem?

Reading Literature

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Read the poem below: "The maple leaves fall soft and slow, Across the quiet woods below. Red and orange, crisp and bright, They dance within the golden light." What is the rhyme scheme of this four-line stanza?

Reading Literature

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Read the poem stanza below: "The maple leaves fall soft and slow, Across the quiet woods below. Red and orange, crisp and bright, They dance within the golden light." What imagery does the poet use to appeal to the reader's sense of sight?

Reading Literature

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Read the poem stanza below: "The maple leaves fall soft and slow, Across the quiet woods below. Red and orange, crisp and bright, They dance within the golden light." What is the overall tone of the poem stanza?

Reading Literature

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Read the poem stanza below: "The icy frost begins to creep, While sleepy bears prepare for sleep. The north wind hums a winter song, To lead the snowy months along." Which line contains personification?

Reading Literature

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Read the poem stanza below: "The icy frost begins to creep, While sleepy bears prepare for sleep. The north wind hums a winter song, To lead the snowy months along." What event in nature is described in this stanza?

Reading Literature

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Read the two poem stanzas below: Stanza 1: "Summer sun shines bold and bright, Filling long days with golden light. Children splash in cool lake streams, Living out their summer dreams." Stanza 2: "Winter frost paints windows white, Closing in the chilly night. Fire logs crackle in the grate, While snow gathers at the gate." How do Stanza 1 and Stanza 2 contrast in their description of nature?

Reading Literature

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Read the two poem stanzas below: Stanza 1: "Summer sun shines bold and bright, Filling long days with golden light. Children splash in cool lake streams, Living out their summer dreams." Stanza 2: "Winter frost paints windows white, Closing in the chilly night. Fire logs crackle in the grate, While snow gathers at the gate." Which line from Stanza 2 contains imagery appealing to the sense of hearing?

Reading Literature

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Read the traditional tale excerpt below: "Long ago near the banks of the Mississippi River, Beaver was known for having a smooth, silky tail. He spent all day boasting to Rabbit and Turtle about his beauty. One afternoon while cutting branches near a falling log, Beaver was distracted by his own reflection in the water. The falling log pinned his tail flat against the earth. From that day on, Beaver carried a wide, flat tail, serving as a reminder to focus on his work rather than vanity." What caused Beaver's tail to become flat?

Reading Literature

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Reading Literature

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Read the passage below: "As the sun dipped behind the timberline, Wisakedjak walked through the Northwoods. The forest was silent save for the crackle of dry pine needles underfoot. He noticed that the birds had lost their songs during the long drought. Taking his cedar flute, he played a melody so gentle that dark rainclouds gathered overhead, showering the thirsty land." What problem does Wisakedjak face in the passage?

Reading Literature

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Reading Literature

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Read the sentence below: "When Clara stepped onto the stage for her violin solo, her hands were as cold as ice." What figure of speech is used in the sentence?

Reading Literature

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Read the sentence below: "When Clara stepped onto the stage for her violin solo, her hands were as cold as ice." What does the simile 'her hands were as cold as ice' reveal about Clara?

Reading Literature

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Read the passage below: "Story 1: In the Greek myth of Icarus, a young man flies too close to the sun with wax wings despite his father's warnings, causing his wings to melt. Story 2: In a Ojibwe legend, a young hunter ignores the elders' advice to refrain from hunting during a sacred festival, leading to him losing his way in a mysterious fog." What common theme is shared by both stories?

Reading Literature

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Reading Literature

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Read the informational excerpt below: "The Great Lakes contain nearly 20 percent of the world's fresh surface water. In Wisconsin, conservation groups work tirelessly to protect wetlands along Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. These wetlands act as natural filters, trapping pollutants and providing vital nesting habitats for migratory birds." According to the passage, what percentage of the world's fresh surface water is held in the Great Lakes?

Reading Informational

Question · Easy

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Read the informational excerpt below: "The Great Lakes contain nearly 20 percent of the world's fresh surface water. In Wisconsin, conservation groups work tirelessly to protect wetlands along Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. These wetlands act as natural filters, trapping pollutants and providing vital nesting habitats for migratory birds." What are two key functions of wetlands mentioned in the text?

Reading Informational

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Read the passage below: "Invasive species such as zebra mussels and sea lampreys pose significant threats to Wisconsin's aquatic ecosystems. Zebra mussels multiply rapidly and clog water intake pipes, while also competing with native species for plankton. To combat this issue, state wildlife agencies encourage boaters to wash their vessels thoroughly before moving between bodies of water. Public education campaigns have proven effective in slowing the spread of these organisms." Which sentence best states the central idea of the passage?

Reading Informational

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Read the passage below: "Invasive species such as zebra mussels and sea lampreys pose significant threats to Wisconsin's aquatic ecosystems. Zebra mussels multiply rapidly and clog water intake pipes, while also competing with native species for plankton. To combat this issue, state wildlife agencies encourage boaters to wash their vessels thoroughly before moving between bodies of water. Public education campaigns have proven effective in slowing the spread of these organisms." What text structure does the author use to organize this passage?

Reading Informational

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Read the sentence from a science article: "Drought conditions can severely affect agricultural yields across the Midwest, reducing the quantity of corn and soybeans harvested." What is the meaning of the word 'yields' as used in this sentence?

Reading Informational

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Read the sentence from a science article: "Drought conditions can severely affect agricultural yields across the Midwest, reducing the quantity of corn and soybeans harvested." Which context clue best helps determine the meaning of 'yields'?

Reading Informational

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Read the passage below: "Solar power adoption has grown rapidly in urban areas, but rural communities often face unique financial challenges when installing large solar arrays. High initial equipment costs and distance from major electrical grids can delay projects. However, cooperative funding models—where community members pool resources—have enabled several small Wisconsin towns to build shared solar farms successfully." How does the author elaborate on the idea of overcome financial challenges in rural solar adoption?

Reading Informational

Question · Hard

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Read the passage below: "Solar power adoption has grown rapidly in urban areas, but rural communities often face unique financial challenges when installing large solar arrays. High initial equipment costs and distance from major electrical grids can delay projects. However, cooperative funding models—where community members pool resources—have enabled several small Wisconsin towns to build shared solar farms successfully." What is the author's primary purpose in writing this passage?

Reading Informational

Question · Hard

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