OSSLT Practice Test 1

All 25 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

1. Jordan had played trumpet in the Lakeview Secondary band for two years, always in the third row, always blending in. So when Ms. Moreau announced that the spring concert would include a short solo, he did not expect her to look at him. "Jordan," she said, "I think you're ready." Everyone turned around. His stomach dropped. The solo was only sixteen bars long, but it ended on a high G that Jordan could hit about half the time. For three weeks, he practised in the garage after supper so he would not bother his family. He recorded himself on his phone and listened back, wincing at every cracked note. His older cousin Dev, who played in a jazz group in Toronto, gave him advice over a video call. "Stop thinking about the high note," Dev said. "Think about the phrase before it. If the path is smooth, the top takes care of itself." On the night of the concert, the school gym was full. Jordan could see his grandmother in the second row, holding up her phone to record. When his solo began, his hands were damp, but the first notes came out clear and warm. He reached the last phrase, took a breath and aimed for the high G. It cracked. It was not a small crack, either, but a sound like a goose with a cold. A few students in the audience giggled. For one terrible second, Jordan wanted to put down his trumpet and walk off the stage. Instead, he remembered something Ms. Moreau said at every rehearsal: "The music keeps going, so you keep going." He lowered the trumpet, caught his breath and played the final phrase one more time. This time, the high G rang out across the gym, steady and bright. After the concert, Jordan expected people to talk about the crack. Some did. But more of them talked about the second try. His grandmother said it was the best part of the whole evening, because "anyone can play a note, but not everyone can come back for it." That night, Jordan added a new recording to his phone. It was not perfect. He listened to it three times anyway.

   When Ms. Moreau chooses Jordan for the solo, "his stomach dropped." What does this expression show?

   1. He felt sick from his supper
   2. He was proud and excited
   3. He did not understand her
   4. He suddenly felt nervous

2. (1) Then she sanded the old dresser until the chipped paint was gone. (2) Last summer, Grace decided to rescue a dresser she found at a garage sale. (3) Finally, she added new brass handles and set the dresser in her room. (4) Next, she brushed on two coats of pale green paint, letting each one dry overnight.

   Which sentence about Grace's dresser should come first because it introduces the topic?

   1. Sentence 4
   2. Sentence 3
   3. Sentence 2
   4. Sentence 1

3. Which closing sentence best ends an essay arguing that schools should offer cooking classes?

   1. Cooking classes would give every student a skill they will use for life.
   2. There are also many other subjects that students take at school.
   3. My aunt once burned toast on her first morning in her new kitchen.
   4. Some people like pizza, while others would rather order sushi.

4. What scale score does a student need for a successful outcome on the OSSLT?

   1. 400 exactly
   2. 350 or higher
   3. 200 or higher
   4. 300 or higher

5. MAYA: Theo, close the door. Nana's birthday is in two weeks, and we still don't have a plan. THEO: I have a plan. We rent the community hall, invite everyone she knows and hire a DJ. Eighty is a big deal. MAYA: Everyone she knows? That's half of Port Alder. THEO: Exactly. Go big or go home. MAYA: Remember her seventy-fifth? Uncle Dev threw that loud party at the restaurant, and she left early with a headache. She told me later she hardly talked to anyone. THEO: Oh. I forgot about that. I thought she was just tired. MAYA: She said the best part of the whole day was the quiet drive home. THEO: Okay, so no DJ. But it still has to feel special. What does she actually love? MAYA: Her garden. Her old photo albums. Pancakes. And she always says she misses the Sunday breakfasts we used to have before everyone got so busy. THEO: Wait. What if we do a Sunday breakfast? Just family, at her house. We could make her blueberry pancakes, and I could scan the old photos and make a slideshow on her TV. MAYA: Theo, that's actually perfect. You're really good with the scanner. THEO: Don't sound so surprised. MAYA: Sorry! But how do we get into her house without her knowing? THEO: Mom has a key. Mom could take her to the garden centre at nine, and we set everything up while they're gone. MAYA: And when she walks back in, the whole family is sitting at the table. I can already picture her face. THEO: Just promise me one thing. MAYA: What? THEO: Don't tell Uncle Dev until the night before. He can't keep a secret for five minutes. MAYA: (laughing) Deal. You'd better start on those photos tonight. THEO: I'll get the albums from the basement right after dinner.

   At the start of the conversation about Nana's eightieth birthday, what kind of celebration does Theo want?

   1. A dinner with Uncle Dev at a restaurant
   2. A large party with many guests and a DJ
   3. A quiet breakfast with family at her house
   4. A walk with Nana to the garden centre

6. Which sentence states a main idea rather than a supporting detail?

   1. Jordan's shift starts at 4 p.m. on Fridays.
   2. Maria learned to count change at her job.
   3. The store gives staff a ten percent discount.
   4. Part-time jobs teach teenagers valuable skills.

7. Every spring, maple syrup producers in Ontario, Quebec and other parts of eastern Canada watch the weather closely, because the sap of the sugar maple flows only under certain conditions. Sap moves best when nights fall below freezing and days warm up above freezing. During the cold nights, the tree draws water up from its roots; during the mild days, pressure inside the trunk pushes the sap out through any opening, including the small holes, called taps, that producers drill into the bark. This season usually lasts only four to six weeks, so producers call it the sugaring season and work long hours while it lasts. Fresh sap looks almost like water and tastes only slightly sweet, because it is mostly water with a small amount of sugar. To turn it into syrup, producers boil it in a wide, shallow pan called an evaporator until most of the water escapes as steam. The process takes a great deal of sap: about forty litres are needed to make just one litre of syrup. Many Indigenous peoples of the region were making maple sugar long before Europeans arrived, and they shared their knowledge with early settlers. Today, Canada produces most of the world's maple syrup, and Quebec alone produces the largest share.

   According to the maple syrup paragraph, about how much sap is needed to make one litre of syrup?

   1. About four litres
   2. About six litres
   3. About fourteen litres
   4. About forty litres

8. Which sentence best links a paragraph on early bus times to the next paragraph on lunch breaks?

   1. Buses are painted yellow so drivers can see them easily.
   2. Mornings are not the only part of the day that feels rushed.
   3. My favourite lunch is a cheese sandwich and an apple.
   4. In conclusion, school days are far too long for everyone.

9. Which sentence uses the correct verb after the word "each"?

   1. Each of the player has their water bottles.
   2. Each of the players have a water bottle.
   3. Each of the players has a water bottle.
   4. Each of the players have their water bottle.

10. (1) Our school should keep the library open until 5 p.m. (2) Many students have no quiet place to study at home. (3) Others need the computers to finish assignments. (4) The library also has comfortable chairs. (5) ___

    Which sentence would make the best conclusion for the paragraph about library hours?

    1. Some students say they prefer to study in the cafeteria instead.
    2. The library was built in 1998, right next to the school gym.
    3. Longer hours would give every student a fair chance to succeed.
    4. Our principal also likes to read mystery novels on weekends.

11. What form does the OSSLT ask students to use for the long writing task?

    1. A friendly letter to a classmate or teacher
    2. A series of paragraphs supporting an opinion
    3. A poem with at least three rhyming stanzas
    4. A news report with a headline and quotations

12. North Ashby Library Opens Shelves Full of Tools NORTH ASHBY — Residents of North Ashby can now borrow a drill, a ladder or a pressure washer as easily as they borrow a novel. The North Ashby Public Library opened its new tool-lending collection on Tuesday, offering more than 120 tools free of charge to anyone with a library card. The collection fills a former storage room at the back of the library. Its shelves hold power drills, garden tools, a sewing machine, camping stoves and even a set of snowshoes. Most items can be borrowed for one week. Library director Simone Achterberg said the idea came from a survey the library ran last winter. More than 60 per cent of the residents who answered said they had bought a tool they used only once or twice. "A family should not have to spend $200 on a tile cutter for one bathroom project," Achterberg said. "Sharing makes much more sense." About two-thirds of the tools were donated by residents. The rest were bought with a $9,000 community grant. Retired carpenter Walter Bianchi, 71, checks every returned tool and sharpens the blades each Friday. "I spent 40 years taking care of tools," Bianchi said. "Now I get to help my neighbours use them safely." The first borrower on Tuesday was Grade 12 student Ava Lindqvist, who took out a hedge trimmer so she can earn money doing yard work this summer. "I couldn't afford to buy one," she said. "Now I can start my business this weekend." Borrowers must be at least 18 or have a parent or guardian sign their card. A short safety video is required before anyone takes out a power tool. The library will accept more tool donations in good working condition until the end of June. A full list of available tools is posted on the library's website.

    A North Ashby resident has an unused ladder in good condition. According to the tool library report, what could the resident do with it?

    1. Donate it to the library before the end of June
    2. Bring it to Walter Bianchi to be sharpened
    3. Trade it at the front desk for a library card
    4. Sell it to the library using the grant money

13. The Rideau Canal, which links Ottawa and Kingston, is one of the oldest canals in North America that is still in use. It was built between 1826 and 1832, not long after the War of 1812, when British leaders worried about a possible attack from the United States. At the time, supplies travelling between Montréal and Kingston had to move along the St. Lawrence River, close to the American border. The canal offered a safer inland route. Lieutenant-Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers led the project, and thousands of workers, many of them Irish and French-Canadian labourers, cut through forests, swamps and rock with simple tools. Their work was dangerous, and many fell ill with malaria, a disease that was common in the region's swamps at the time. Instead of digging one long channel, the builders connected existing rivers and lakes and used locks and dams to raise and lower boats along a route of about 200 kilometres. The attack that the canal was meant to defend against never came. Over time, the canal became a route for trade and, later, for pleasure boating. In 2007, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, in winter, part of the canal in Ottawa becomes a long skating path, giving one of Canada's oldest engineering projects a new purpose.

    According to the paragraph about the Rideau Canal, who led the building project?

    1. The governor of Upper Canada
    2. Lieutenant-Colonel John By
    3. A team of Irish labourers
    4. A Montréal merchant

14. (1) Volunteering at the animal shelter taught me more than I expected. (2) I learned how to read a nervous dog's body language. (3) I practised talking to visitors who wanted to adopt. (4) The shelter is painted bright orange. (5) Most of all, I learned that small daily tasks, like refilling water bowls, really matter.

    What is the main idea of the paragraph about volunteering at the animal shelter?

    1. Shelter dogs are often nervous around visitors
    2. The animal shelter is painted bright orange
    3. Refilling water bowls is the hardest shelter job
    4. Volunteering at the shelter taught the writer many lessons

15. A student writes: "Sports are good. They are good for you. Everyone should do sports because they are good." What is the main weakness?

    1. It uses too many specific examples
    2. It repeats the idea without any supporting details
    3. It changes topic in the second sentence
    4. It has spelling errors in every sentence

16. Which sentence uses correct subject–verb agreement?

    1. The lists of chores is taped to the fridge.
    2. The list of chores is taped to the fridge.
    3. The list of chores were taped on fridge.
    4. The list of chores are taped to the fridge.

17. Volunteers Pull 300 Kilograms of Litter From Cedar Hollow Creek CEDAR HOLLOW — More than 80 volunteers waded into Cedar Hollow Creek on Sunday morning and removed about 300 kilograms of litter from a two-kilometre stretch of the stream. The Cedar Hollow Naturalists Club organized the cleanup to protect the brook trout that lay their eggs in the creek each fall. Volunteers wore rubber boots and gloves and worked in teams of four. Their haul included plastic bottles, a shopping cart, three bicycle tires and a rusty mailbox. "Every piece of garbage we pull out is one less thing in the way of the fish," said club president Helen Tremblay. "Brook trout need clean, cold water and loose gravel to lay their eggs." The creek has been cleaned every spring since 2019. Tremblay said the amount of litter has dropped each year, from about 500 kilograms in the first year to this year's total. She believes new signs along the trail and extra garbage cans near the bridge have made a difference. Grade 9 student Omar Haddad, 14, joined the cleanup to earn volunteer hours, but he said he plans to come back next year anyway. "I didn't expect it to be fun," he said. "Finding the mailbox was the best part of my weekend." Not everyone thinks the cleanup is enough. Brian Kowalski, who lives beside the creek, said the town should also stop salt from roads draining into the water in winter. "Picking up bottles is great, but the salt is the bigger problem," he said. The town's environment committee will discuss road salt at its meeting on May 8. All the garbage collected on Sunday was sorted, and about one-third of it was recycled. The club will hold its next cleanup on the Ashby River in September.

    A test asks: 'Are the Cedar Hollow Creek cleanups making a difference? Support your answer with the report.' Which response would earn the highest score?

    1. Yes. The trout are much bigger now, and the town banned road salt last winter.
    2. No, because people will always throw garbage into every creek and river in Canada no matter what anyone tries to do about it.
    3. Yes. Litter dropped from about 500 kg in the first year to about 300 kg, and Tremblay credits the new signs and garbage cans.
    4. Yes, the cleanups are making a difference because they make a difference to the creek.

18. COACH DELANEY: Priya, do you have a minute? You got off the bus before I could talk to you. PRIYA: I didn't really want to talk. I finished forty-second out of fifty. That's embarrassing. COACH DELANEY: Forty-second at regionals, in your first season, on the hilliest course in the league. PRIYA: Last month I was eighteenth. I'm getting worse, not better. Maybe I should just quit and join the art club. At least I'm good at drawing. COACH DELANEY: You could do both, you know. But first, tell me what happened at the two-kilometre mark. PRIYA: I went out way too fast. I wanted to keep up with Hannah. By the big hill, my legs felt like cement. COACH DELANEY: So the problem wasn't your fitness. It was your pacing. That's one of the easiest things in running to fix. PRIYA: Really? It felt like the hardest. COACH DELANEY: Every runner I've ever coached has made that mistake at least once. I made it myself in university, in front of my whole family. PRIYA: You did? COACH DELANEY: I finished second-last. My mother still brings it up at Thanksgiving dinner. PRIYA: (smiling) Okay, that makes me feel a little better. COACH DELANEY: Here's my offer. At Thursday's practice, run with a watch. I'll give you a target time for each kilometre, and you're not allowed to go faster than it, even if you feel great. PRIYA: Not allowed to go faster? That sounds backwards. COACH DELANEY: Try it once. If it doesn't help, we'll talk about the art club then. Deal? PRIYA: Deal. Can I borrow one of the team watches? Mine is broken. COACH DELANEY: I'll leave one in your locker before Thursday.

    Which line best shows that Priya feels discouraged after the regional cross-country race?

    1. I wanted to keep up with Hannah.
    2. By the big hill, my legs felt like cement.
    3. Can I borrow one of the team watches?
    4. I'm getting worse, not better.

19. Which OSSLT reading selection comes with the open-response reading question?

    1. The dialogue
    2. The information paragraph
    3. The news report
    4. The real-life narrative

20. How is the OSSLT divided into sessions?

    1. Two sessions of about 65 and 75 minutes
    2. Two sessions of exactly 60 minutes each
    3. Three sessions of about 45 minutes each
    4. One session of about 140 minutes

21. The alarm on my phone went off at 5:15 a.m., and for a second I forgot why. Then I remembered: my first shift at Lindqvist's Bakery on George Street. I had applied in March, mostly because my older sister said a job would look good on my résumé, and partly because I wanted to save for a used bike. Mrs. Lindqvist met me at the back door with an apron and a smile. "The ovens are already hot," she said. "Watch first, then try." For the first hour, I washed mixing bowls and carried bags of flour from the storeroom. Each bag weighed ten kilograms, and by the fourth one my arms were shaking. At seven o'clock, she let me move a tray of butter tarts from the cooling rack to the front counter. I was so focused on not tripping that I forgot the door between the kitchen and the shop swung both ways. It hit the edge of the tray, and six tarts slid onto the floor. I stood there with my face burning. I was sure she would tell me to go home and never come back. Instead, she picked up a broom and handed me a dustpan. "Everyone drops something on the first day," she said. "I once dropped a whole wedding cake. Now you know about the door." Then she showed me how to push it open with my shoulder while keeping the tray level. After that, I started asking questions before I did things. How long should the bread cool before slicing? Which shelf do the gluten-free muffins go on? Mrs. Lindqvist never seemed annoyed. In fact, she seemed pleased, and once she said, "A question costs nothing. A mistake costs butter." By the time my shift ended at noon, I had sliced forty loaves, served my first customer and counted change without help. My feet ached, and there was flour in my hair. On the walk home, I passed the bike shop and looked at the blue bike in the window. It still cost $240, which felt like a mountain. But for the first time, I could picture myself climbing it, one early Saturday at a time.

    What does Mrs. Lindqvist mean when she tells Daniel, "A question costs nothing. A mistake costs butter"?

    1. Asking first is better than wasting supplies by guessing
    2. Butter is the most expensive item in the bakery
    3. New workers should stay quiet and just watch
    4. Workers must pay for any food that they drop on the floor

22. Jordan had played trumpet in the Lakeview Secondary band for two years, always in the third row, always blending in. So when Ms. Moreau announced that the spring concert would include a short solo, he did not expect her to look at him. "Jordan," she said, "I think you're ready." Everyone turned around. His stomach dropped. The solo was only sixteen bars long, but it ended on a high G that Jordan could hit about half the time. For three weeks, he practised in the garage after supper so he would not bother his family. He recorded himself on his phone and listened back, wincing at every cracked note. His older cousin Dev, who played in a jazz group in Toronto, gave him advice over a video call. "Stop thinking about the high note," Dev said. "Think about the phrase before it. If the path is smooth, the top takes care of itself." On the night of the concert, the school gym was full. Jordan could see his grandmother in the second row, holding up her phone to record. When his solo began, his hands were damp, but the first notes came out clear and warm. He reached the last phrase, took a breath and aimed for the high G. It cracked. It was not a small crack, either, but a sound like a goose with a cold. A few students in the audience giggled. For one terrible second, Jordan wanted to put down his trumpet and walk off the stage. Instead, he remembered something Ms. Moreau said at every rehearsal: "The music keeps going, so you keep going." He lowered the trumpet, caught his breath and played the final phrase one more time. This time, the high G rang out across the gym, steady and bright. After the concert, Jordan expected people to talk about the crack. Some did. But more of them talked about the second try. His grandmother said it was the best part of the whole evening, because "anyone can play a note, but not everyone can come back for it." That night, Jordan added a new recording to his phone. It was not perfect. He listened to it three times anyway.

    Which statement best expresses the theme of the story about Jordan's spring concert solo?

    1. How you respond to a mistake matters more than the mistake
    2. Family members are always the kindest audience at concerts
    3. Practising alone is always better than practising with others
    4. Musicians should avoid solos that contain difficult notes

23. Students Turn Library Parking Strip Into Pollinator Garden LARKFIELD — A strip of cracked pavement beside the Larkfield Public Library is now home to more than 400 native plants, thanks to 22 Grade 10 students from Larkfield District Secondary School. The students removed the old asphalt and planted the garden over three Saturdays in May so that bees and butterflies would have a place to feed in the middle of town. The idea began in Ms. Renata Okafor's environmental science class. While studying local insects, the class learned that many pollinators struggle to find flowers in paved areas. "We kept reading about the problem, and finally someone asked, 'Why don't we just fix one small piece of it?'" said student Daniel Huang, 15. "That question turned into a plan." The town agreed to lend a small machine to lift the asphalt, and a local nursery donated soil and seedlings, including wild bergamot, purple coneflower and black-eyed Susan. The students raised the remaining $1,800 through a bake sale and a car wash. Head librarian Paul Desrosiers said the garden has already changed the look of the building. "It is the most beautiful entrance any library in this county has," he said. "Visitors stop to read the plant signs before they even come inside." The project was not always easy. Heavy rain washed away some seedlings in the first week, and the students had to replant almost a quarter of the garden. Ms. Okafor said she hopes the garden teaches students that small actions add up. The students will care for the plants through the summer. They also plan to count the bees and butterflies they see each week and share the numbers with the library. Residents can visit the garden at any time. A free guided walk will be held on Saturday, June 14, at 10 a.m., starting at the library's front doors.

    What does the lead paragraph of the Larkfield library garden report mainly tell readers?

    1. Who built the garden, where it is and why
    2. When the guided walk of the garden will be held
    3. How much money the garden project cost in total
    4. Which plants grow best in Larkfield soil

24. Which word correctly completes the sentence? "Please ___ my apology for the late reply."

    1. except
    2. excerpt
    3. expect
    4. accept

25. Most smartphones and tablets use a type of touchscreen called a capacitive screen, and it works because the human body can conduct electricity. Just beneath the glass is a very thin, see-through layer arranged in a grid of tiny lines. A small electrical charge is spread evenly across this grid. When a fingertip touches the glass, it changes the charge at that exact point. The phone's processor measures where the change happened and treats it as a tap, a swipe or a pinch. Because the screen can detect more than one point at once, a user can zoom in on a photo by spreading two fingers apart. This design also explains a common winter problem in Canada. Ordinary wool or leather gloves do not conduct electricity well, so the screen cannot sense the finger inside them, and the phone seems to ignore the user. To solve this, some companies make gloves with special threads in the fingertips that carry the charge through the fabric. A plastic pen will not work on these screens either, unless its tip is made of a conductive material. In short, a capacitive screen does not respond to pressure at all; it responds to the electrical properties of whatever touches it.

    Why does the writer of the touchscreen paragraph mention zooming in on a photo with two fingers?

    1. To give an example of the screen sensing several points at once
    2. To explain why plastic pens do not work on these screens
    3. To describe how the grid of lines under the glass is built
    4. To show that viewing photos is the most common use of phones