praxis reading language arts 5002 practice test

A series of tests developed by ETS to assess the skills and knowledge of prospective teachers.

The following passage is titled "Where Do Old Satellites Go When They Die?" by NASA. Like every other machine, satellites do not last forever. Whether their job is to observe weather, measure greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, or point away from Earth to study the stars, eventually all satellites grow old, wear out, and die, just like old washing machines and vacuum cleaners. So what happens when a trusty satellite's time has come? These days there are two choices, depending on how high the satellite is. For the closer satellites, engineers will use its last bit of fuel to slow it down. That way, it will fall out of orbit and burn up in the atmosphere. The second choice is to send the satellite even farther away from Earth. It can take a lot of fuel for a satellite to slow down enough to fall back into the atmosphere. That is especially true if a satellite is in a very high orbit. For many of these high satellites, it takes less fuel to blast it farther into space than to send it back to Earth.
Which of the following statements expresses a main idea of the entire passage?
  • A. When satellites stop working, they have to be moved from orbit.
  • B. Satellites are sent to orbit Earth for many different purposes.
  • C. After satellites are slowed down, they burn up in the atmosphere.
  • D. Satellites are designed to work for only a limited amount of time.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A

Option A effectively captures the main idea by emphasizing the necessity of relocating non-functional satellites, highlighting a critical aspect of their lifecycle. Option B, while relevant, only addresses the initial purpose of satellites rather than their entire operational journey. Option C discusses a specific consequence of satellites slowing down, which is too narrow to represent the overall theme. Option D mentions the limited lifespan of satellites but does not encompass the broader implications of their eventual decommissioning and the need for orbital management.

Other Related Questions

Which of the following best explains a primary benefit of the activity?
  • A. It improves students' inferential reading comprehension.
  • B. It helps students learn to integrate humor into their writing.
  • C. It gives students an opportunity to work on expressing their opinions clearly.
  • D. It allows students to practice communicating with diverse partners.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D

Option D highlights a primary benefit by emphasizing the importance of communication skills in diverse settings. Engaging with various partners fosters adaptability and cultural awareness, essential skills in today’s interconnected world. Option A, while valuable, focuses specifically on reading comprehension rather than the broader communication aspect. Option B narrows the focus to humor in writing, which may not be the main goal of the activity. Option C addresses opinion expression, but it does not encompass the collaborative and diverse interaction that option D provides, making it less comprehensive in capturing the activity's primary benefit.
I got my parrot Rosie last year, she is green and yellow and can talk. The sentence contains which of the following errors?
  • A. Misplaced modifier
  • B. Comma splice
  • C. Unclear pronoun reference
  • D. Inconsistent verb tense
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B

The sentence contains a comma splice, which occurs when two independent clauses are improperly joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction. In this case, the phrases "I got my parrot Rosie last year" and "she is green and yellow and can talk" should be connected with a conjunction or separated into distinct sentences. Option A, misplaced modifier, is incorrect as the modifiers accurately describe the subject. Option C, unclear pronoun reference, does not apply here since "she" clearly refers to "Rosie." Option D, inconsistent verb tense, is also not an issue; both clauses maintain a consistent past and present tense.
Which of the following words is most decodable?
  • A. Always
  • B. Stack
  • C. Goes
  • D. Write
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B

Decodable words are those that can be sounded out using phonetic rules. Option B, "Stack," is highly decodable as it follows straightforward phonetic patterns: each letter corresponds to a single sound, making it easy to pronounce. Option A, "Always," contains the vowel team "aw" and the silent "w," complicating its pronunciation. Option C, "Goes," includes an irregular vowel sound and a silent "e," which makes it less straightforward to decode. Option D, "Write," features a silent "w" and an irregular vowel sound, further reducing its decodability. Thus, "Stack" stands out as the most easily decodable option.
Which of the following best demonstrates student knowledge of sound matching?
  • A. A student is able to see an illustration of an object ending in "g" and identify the ending sound as /g/.
  • B. A student is able to hear the sounds /d/ /o/ /g/ and can identify the word as "dog" when asked.
  • C. A student is able to identify the initial sound of the word "top" as /t/ and can point to an object identified by a word with the same initial sound.
  • D. A student can remove the /b/ sound from the word "bat" and identify the resulting word as "at."
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C

Option C effectively demonstrates sound matching by requiring the student to identify the initial sound of "top" as /t/ and connect it to another object with the same initial sound. This task involves both phonemic awareness and the ability to match sounds, which are crucial for early literacy skills. Option A focuses only on recognizing the ending sound, lacking the broader application of sound matching. Option B assesses word recognition rather than sound matching, as it does not require the student to analyze the sounds individually. Option D involves sound manipulation rather than matching, which is a different skill set.