OSSLT Practice Test 8

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. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. Which word correctly completes the sentence? "My sister is taller ___ my brother."

   1. then
   2. than
   3. them
   4. that

5. 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

6. 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.

7. When Mei's mother got a new job at the hospital in Sudbury, Mei was halfway through Grade 9. She had lived in the same Toronto apartment her whole life. She knew which bus driver waved at kids, which corner store sold the best dumplings and which friends would save her a seat at lunch. Now all of that fit into fourteen cardboard boxes. The first week at her new school felt like being underwater. Sounds reached her slowly, and she could not find the surface. She ate lunch in the library and spent the evenings texting her friends back home. They sent photos of things she was missing: a birthday party, a snowy soccer game in the park, a new bubble tea shop. Each photo made her feel farther away. On Saturday, a girl from the house next door knocked, holding two pairs of skates. "I'm Ruby," she said. "My dad floods the backyard every winter. Want to try it?" Mei almost said no. She had skated only once, on a school trip, and had spent most of that afternoon holding on to the boards. But her mother gave her a look that said, "Go," so she pulled on her coat. The backyard rink was small and bumpy, with a string of lights hanging from the fence. Mei fell four times in the first ten minutes. The fifth time, she landed so hard that she slid right into a snowbank, and instead of feeling embarrassed, she started to laugh. Ruby laughed too, and then Ruby's little brother came outside and laughed loudest of all. By the end of the afternoon, Mei could glide from one end of the rink to the other without grabbing anything. Ruby's dad brought out mugs of hot chocolate, and they sat on the back steps while the sky turned orange behind the trees. That night, Mei still texted her Toronto friends. But this time she sent a photo of her own: a crooked rink, a string of lights and two pairs of skates by the door. Under it she typed, "Guess what I learned today." Sudbury did not feel like home yet. But for the first time, it felt like a place where home might grow.

   In the story about Mei's first week in Sudbury, what does her eating lunch in the library suggest?

   1. She liked reading more than talking to anyone
   2. She had not yet made friends at her new school
   3. The cafeteria was closed during that week
   4. She was far behind on her new schoolwork

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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.

    Why does Mrs. Lindqvist tell Daniel that she once dropped a whole wedding cake?

    1. To explain why she no longer makes wedding cakes
    2. To show him that mistakes happen to everyone
    3. To warn him that dropped food is very costly
    4. To suggest that he is too careless with trays

13. 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

14. 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.

15. AMIRA: Okay, our science fair proposal is due Friday. Ideas? JONAH: Volcanoes. Baking soda, vinegar, red food colouring. Done in an afternoon. AMIRA: Jonah, three groups do volcanoes every year. Ms. Pereira said she wants a real question we can test. JONAH: Fine, fine. What's your idea, then? AMIRA: I was thinking we could test which brand of paper towel absorbs the most water. JONAH: That's... okay, I guess. Kind of like a commercial. AMIRA: Felix, you've been quiet. What do you think? FELIX: Well, I have one idea, but it might be too complicated. AMIRA: Tell us anyway. FELIX: My mom puts used coffee grounds in her garden because she says they help plants grow. My little sister asked if that's really true, and nobody knew. We could grow bean plants with different amounts of coffee grounds in the soil and measure how tall they get. JONAH: Wait, that's actually cool. We could take a picture every day and make a time-lapse video. AMIRA: And it's a real question. Felix, why did you think it was too complicated? FELIX: Beans take a few weeks to grow. The fair is in five weeks, so we'd have to start right away. AMIRA: Then we start right away. I can bring pots and soil from my aunt's greenhouse. JONAH: I'll set up the camera and make the time-lapse. And I'll do the poster. I'm good at big letters. FELIX: I can measure the plants and keep the data chart. AMIRA: Great. I'll write the proposal tonight and send it to you both to check. JONAH: Ha. And I came in here ready to do volcanoes. FELIX: There's always next year.

    What does the science fair conversation suggest about how Amira, Jonah and Felix work together?

    1. Amira makes every decision without asking
    2. Each of them plans to do a separate project
    3. Jonah and Felix argue until Amira gives up
    4. They listen to each other and share the tasks

16. 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 the last sentence of the story about Daniel's bakery job suggest about how he now feels about buying the bike?

    1. He believes he can reach it through steady work
    2. He plans to ask his sister to lend him money
    3. He would rather choose a cheaper bike instead
    4. He has decided the bike costs far too much

17. (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

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. 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.

    Why does the story about Jordan end with him listening three times to a recording that "was not perfect"?

    1. To show he is still upset about the cracked note
    2. To show he is now proud of his effort despite its flaw
    3. To explain how he will fix the high note next year
    4. To suggest that he plans to quit the school band

20. (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.

21. 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

22. 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.

    In the paragraph about touchscreens, what does "conduct" mean in "the human body can conduct electricity"?

    1. Lead an orchestra
    2. Store it for later use
    3. Let it pass through
    4. Behave in a certain way

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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.

    In the concert story, what did Jordan do right after the high G cracked?

    1. He laughed along with the giggling students
    2. He walked off the stage before the end
    3. He apologized to the audience for the cracked note
    4. He caught his breath and played the phrase again