WKCE Test Practice 1

GRADE 10
Reading
Copyright © McDougal Littell
Name
WKCE Test Practice 1
The Reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England
Queen Elizabeth I, the unwanted daughter of
the English king Henry VIII and his second wife,
Anne Boleyn, proved to be one of the ablest
monarchs in English history. During her long reign
(1558–1603), the English Renaissance reached its
full flower, and England enjoyed a time of
unprecedented prosperity and international
prestige. A practical and disciplined ruler, Elizabeth
loved pomp and ceremony but was nevertheless
frugal and intent on balancing the national
budget. She was also a consummate politician,
exercising absolute authority while remaining
sensitive to public opinion and respectful of
Parliament, England’s highest lawmaking body.
In religious matters, she steered a middle course.
Reestablishing the independent Church of
England, she made it a buffer between Roman
Catholics and radical Protestants, now often called
Puritans because they sought to “purify” the
church of all remaining Roman Catholic practices.
In foreign policy, Elizabeth was a shrewd
strategist who kept England out of costly wars
and ended her nation’s unpopular alliance with
Spain. Though she never married, for 20 years she
used the possibility of her marriage to utmost
140 Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam
Date
advantage, feigning interest in one European
prince after another. Convinced by advisers that
the path to national prosperity lay in New World
riches, she encouraged overseas ventures, includ-
ing Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation of the
globe and Sir Walter Raleigh’s attempt to establish
a colony in Virginia. In secret, she funded pirate
raids against the ships of Spain, while publicly
denouncing such “unlawful acts” of plunder.
The quarrel with Catholic Spain intensified in
1587, when Elizabeth reluctantly executed her
cousin Mary Stuart, the Roman Catholic queen
of Scotland, for conspiracy. Catholics, who
questioned the legitimacy of Elizabeth’s parents’
marriage, had believed Mary to be the rightful
heir to the English throne and had participated in
a number of foreign-backed plots against
Elizabeth. A year after Mary’s execution, Spain’s
Philip II sent a great armada, or fleet of warships,
to challenge the English navy. Aided by a violent
storm, the smaller, more maneuverable English
ships defeated the Spanish Armada, making
Elizabeth the undisputed ruler of a great military
power.
Copyright © McDougal Littell
 Name
WKCE Test Practice 1
1 From the information in the passage, it can
be inferred that Elizabeth I ruled England by
A imposing her will through cruelty and
aggression.
B neglecting matters of religion.
C balancing competing interests.
D granting all of her power to trusted
advisers.
2 Whom did Elizabeth support in his attempt
to colonize Virginia?
A Henry VIII
B Sir Francis Drake
C Philip II
D Sir Walter Raleigh
3 It can be inferred from the passage that the
Puritans
A supported Mary Stuart’s claim to the
English throne.
B disapproved of the Roman Catholic
Church.
C wanted Elizabeth to head the Church of
England.
D wanted the Church of England to serve
as a buffer between them and Roman
Catholics.
4 Why does the passage mention that
Elizabeth faked an interest in marrying vari-
ous European princes?
Copyright © McDougal Littell
A to demonstrate her inability to make
strong decisions
B to show her slyness and cleverness in
foreign policy
C to reveal her enjoyment of game-playing
D to indicate that she was often dishonest
Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam
Date
5 Mary Stuart, Scotland’s Catholic queen, was
A Henry VIII’s second wife.
B a member of the Spanish royal family.
C a leader of English pirates.
D Elizabeth’s cousin.
6 According to the passage, regarding
England’s finances, Elizabeth
A was interested in maintaining a balanced
budget.
B spent money recklessly on court
ceremonies.
C drained the national treasury to support
foreign wars.
D left all budgetary considerations up to her
advisers.
7 According to the passage, the great Spanish
Armada was defeated partly because
A England maintained the most powerful
navy in Europe.
B Elizabeth was a shrewd military strategist.
C foul weather helped the English ships.
D Spain’s naval commanders were poorly
trained.
8 What did Elizabeth accomplish for England
during her reign as queen? Use details and
examples from the passage to explain your
answer.
141
Name
WKCE Test Practice 1
The Only-Syndrome by Mei-Yu Eng
My son Chin had run into the house that day,
bubbling with excitement. His grin told me that
this time it was a good “guess-what” I had to
answer. He didn’t even give me a chance to
respond. As it turned out, he was so happy to
have two other Chinese kids in his class that he
just couldn’t contain it long enough for me to
start guessing why he was so thrilled.
His news was a far cry from the “guess-what”
of the previous school year. Last year, when we
moved the family here, we were excited about
Chin attending a school with a diverse population.
Though the population was diverse, only about
twenty percent of the entire student population
was of Chinese heritage. As my son put it, he was
“the only one” in his class. There were other
Chinese kids at school, but they were not in Chin’s
class. They had been spread out in what I suspect
was an effort to make sure that each class was
diversely populated with kids from varying cul-
tures. As a result, several students found them-
selves in the same predicament as Chin—“the
only” in their class.
I applaud the school’s effort at diversity in an
increasingly diverse world where parents want
their children to be comfortable with those who
may differ from them. But sometimes in looking at
the big picture, school administrators often over-
142 Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam
Date
look the small picture—in this case the downward
spiraling self-esteem of a single child who looks
out into a sea of faces and finds no one in the
class who looks like him. The school had not met
our expectation for an environment in which Chin
could be comfortable with himself. The hardest
question he kept asking all year long was “Why
am I the only Chinese kid in my class?”
The impact on Chin of what I like to call “the
only-syndrome” was evident. Instead of celebrat-
ing his difference, he sank in it. He felt self-con-
scious about every aspect of his personality that
made him “different”—so much so that at year’s
end it occasioned me to call the school’s principal
and request a Chinese classmate for Chin for the
upcoming school year.
I can’t remember the details of the conversa-
tion, but as the principal listened, I tried to let her
know that the school’s diversity, so to speak, had
proven adverse to my son’s well-being. The result
of my impassioned plea I would not realize until
months later when Chin shared his good news
with me on the first day of school. So far, this has
been his best school year ever, because when he
looks out at the sea of faces in his classroom, he
sees two other Chinese faces…both smiling back
at him.
Copyright © McDougal Littell
 Name Date

WKCE Test Practice 1

9 When does the first paragraph of the story
take place?
A the end of the previous school year
B the beginning of the previous school year
C the beginning of the current school year
14 Why does Chin experience the “only-syn-
drome”?
A He is the only Chinese kid at his school.
B The other Chinese kids are in other
classes.

D the middle of the current school year C He is an only child.

10 Based on the information in the story, how
does the author view diversity?
A as the reason Chin has done so well in
school
B as something to be kept out of public
schools
D It is his first year at a new school.
15 Why does the author say that when Chin
looks at the faces in his classroom, “he sees
two other Chinese faces . . . both smiling
back at him”?
A to show that all the students are happy

C as a good idea that needs careful B to show the student’s response to the
consideration funny jokes Chin tells

D as a cause of public school problems C to show that these three students are
always smiling
11 What will most likely happen to Chin in the D to show that Chinese students enjoy
coming school year? being in the same class
A He will forget his old friends.
16 What is the advantage and disadvantage of
B He will do better in school. having diversity in Chin’s school? Use details
C He will move and change schools. and examples from the passage to explain
D He will graduate early. your answer.

12 How does the setting affect the story?

A The setting has no effect on the story.
B The setting is important because the story
is all about Chin’s home life.
C The setting is important because the story
is all about Chin in school and diversity.
Copyright © McDougal Littell

D The setting is unimportant because this

story is only about growing up.

13 How did Chin reveal his state of mind

during his first year of school?
A He celebrated his difference.
B He was self-conscious and failed to make
new friends.
C He asked his mother a very hard
question.
D He requested a Chinese classmate.

Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 143

Name
WKCE Test Practice 1
The Tofu Revolution
Tofu, a soybean product, is one of the most
interesting foods in the world. It is a great source
of protein. It is low in fats and carbohydrates.
Some have called it the perfect food. On its way
to becoming standard in many American kitchens,
tofu has a long and distinguished history.
The Wily Soybean
Tofu is made from soybean, or Glycine max, a
crop cultivated throughout the world. The soybean
is a remarkably versatile crop. Its oil is used in
industry in paints, glues, and other modern prod-
ucts from fertilizer to insect repellents. As a high-
protein meat substitute, it also feeds much of the
world, both in the form of soybean paste and as
tofu. Its versatility holds out promise for the even-
tual solution to world hunger.
The soybean does not exist in the wild. It was
created by human beings somewhere in ancient
China. A vine still found in Asia, Glycine ussurien-
sis, is considered to be its wild ancestor. Other
similar plants are found throughout Asia, Africa,
and Australia.
The development and cultivation of the soy-
bean began in China before recorded history.
Considered in Chinese civilization to be one of the
five sacred grains (along with rice, barley, wheat,
and millet) the soybean found its way into almost
all aspects of East Asian cooking, from soy sauce
to medicines to the versatile tofu, made from the
coagulated curd of soy milk.
The soybean traveled from China to the
United States in the hands of immigrants. First
introduced in 1804, it wasn’t until the late nine-
teenth century that the U.S. Department of
Agriculture took notice of the soybean. The USDA
soon began to study the crop and encourage the
growth of different varieties of soybeans. Through
careful breeding in the 1930s, stronger and
healthier varieties of the soybean were created.
These new plants were completely different from
the ones that originated in Asia. Today, the United
States leads the world in production of soybeans.
144 Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam
Date
American varieties have been introduced into Asia
and have also traveled to Africa and Latin
America.
Although hearty, soybeans do not survive frost
and are photoperiod-sensitive, meaning that flow-
ering does not commence before the longer
nights of late summer or early fall. The seeds are
hard, round, and usually yellow, and they need
quite a bit of water. Unlike many other members
of the bean family, soybeans provide a complete
type of protein, missing only one of the eight
important amino acids. Soybeans are eaten as
dried beans, soy milk, curds, or cheese. Almost
half of the soybean oil produced in the United
States finds its way into margarine and shorten-
ing. Not only have soybean products served as
meat substitutes for humans, but they have also
become very useful as feed for livestock.
Tofu Comes of Age
At first, Americans ate soybean products only
in times of crisis, such as wartime, or as an eco-
nomical alternative to meat. Soy products lacked
taste, texture, and visual appeal; certainly during
the 1940s and 1950s, American diets resisted the
bland imitation meat called tofu.
Interest in tofu began to grow during the
1970s, when more Americans opted for healthier
diets and more exotic dishes. However, even
though United States production of soybean had
soared, tofu was still rare. The soybean was an
important source of oil and animal food, but few
people believed that tofu could become an impor-
tant part of the American diet.
All that changed with the lifestyles changes Copyright © McDougal Littell
that swept across the United States in the late
1980s and throughout the 1990s. Meat, especially
beef, with its high cholesterol and fat content, lost
favor with American taste buds, and tofu jumped
to take its place. Now you can find the little bean
in everything from tofu burgers to tofu stir fry, and
even in tofu ice cream.
 Name Date

WKCE Test Practice 1

Abundant Future
Today soy products are promoted for their World Production of Soybeans
health benefits. They have blossomed out of Asian (a major oilseed) in millions of metric tons:
marketplaces and health food stores into the Year 93–94 94–95{1} 95–96{2}
U.S. 50.9 68.5 59.4
neighborhood grocery. Volumes of cookbooks
China 15.3 16.0 14.5
filled with soy product recipes are published annu- Argentina 12.3 12.2 12.5
ally, to the delight of amateur chefs watching their Brazil 24.7 25.5 23.3
waistlines. {1}Preliminary.
For many people, soybeans are a miracle food. {2}Forecast.
Indeed, some argue that the soybean might even Source: USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service,
be capable of ending world hunger, given its nutri- November 1995. Cited in Encyclopedia Britannica
tional value and the relative ease with which it is Online, 1994–1999 Edition.
cultivated.

17 Based on the chart and the article, what
trend in soybean production and consump-
tion has been evident in recent years?
A Soybean production and consumption in
the United States has fallen steadily.
B Soybean production and consumption in
China has risen steadily.
C Soybean production and consumption in
the United States has risen and fallen.
D Soybean production and consumption in
the United States has risen steadily.
18 The soybean is a remarkably versatile crop.
Which of the following words means about
the same as versatile?
A multipurpose
B delicious
19 What is the main idea of the passage?
A There are many different types of tofu
grown in many different countries, and
each type has a different use.
B Originally, soybean products such as tofu
had very little taste, but as cooking
methods improved, so has the taste.
C Originating in Asia, soybean products
such as tofu have taken a long time to
become part of the American diet.
D The soybean was created by the ancient
Chinese to be one of the five sacred
grains before being introduced in the
United States.
20 Why did Americans resist eating tofu at first?
A It was a foreign food.

C limited B It reminded them of war.

C It was very low in fat.
Copyright © McDougal Littell

D prosperous
D It lacked taste and texture.

Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam 145

Name
WKCE Test Practice 1
21 Why does the author compare tofu to beef?
A to show how much more healthful tofu is
B to show how much more expensive
tofu is
C to show that tofu is easy to find
D to show that beef is not used in desserts
22 How does the author present the informa-
tion on tofu?
A as problem and solution
B as cause and effect
C in chronological order
D in spatial order
23 Based on the information and tone of the
article, will tofu continue to gain popularity
in America?
A No, people will return to eating beef.
B Yes, people will continue to eat in a more
healthful way.
C No, people will find another substitute
for beef that tastes better.
D Yes, people no longer care if their food
tastes good.
1804 1930
146 Preparing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam
Date
24 Read the following sentence from the
passage.
Although hearty, soybeans do not sur-
vive frost and are photoperiod-sensitive,
meaning that flowering does not com-
mence before the longer nights of late
summer or early fall.
How does the author tell the reader what
photoperiod-sensitive means?
A The author defines the word directly after
using it.
B The author gives an example of the word.
C The author compares it to a word with
which the reader is familiar.
D The author contrasts it to a word with
which the reader is familiar.
25 Fill in the following timeline that displays the
history of the soybean in the United States.
1945 1985
Copyright © McDougal Littell