Reading Standards for Literature > Citations (CCSS.RL.8.1) Practice Test

1 The town we moved to has a beach that's more stones than sand, and a festival for kites that the whole calendar tilts toward. 2 Tasha taped the flyer above our toaster the day we unpacked. 3 The paper curled in the steam from oatmeal and dishwater; the smiling dragon never lost its teeth. 4 "We can fly yours," she said, twirling the ribbon of her purple one until it sang. 5 I said, "Sure," like the word fit easy, even though the wind on this side of the state was a stranger and I still woke up looking for our old ceiling cracks. 6 On the morning of the festival, the sky stacked gray upon gray, a layered cake no one wanted. 7 "It's fine," I say, flicking sand from my laces. 8 Tasha watches the sky like it's holding its breath. 9 Mom texted from her double shift a thumb-up and three blue hearts. 10 I show Tasha the hearts and tuck my phone away before the forecast notification can finish spelling the word gust. 11 "Maybe they'll start early," she says. 12 I grin wider so she won't see the knot in my stomach. 13 The beach is a shy crowd: families folding chairs, a dog wearing a bandana, the wind testing its voice. 14 I wait until she runs ahead before checking the forecast again. 15 Chance of dangerous gusts after noon. 16 "Let's pick a spot away from the rocks," I say, making it sound like strategy instead of worry. 17 We stake our claim in the gentler sand. 18 Tasha holds up her purple kite and squints at the sky as if reading a sign only she can see. 19 The ribbon flashes like a fish. 20 I tie her line with a double knot and check it a third time. 21 Around us, people pretend not to look at the clouds. 22 A whistle blows from the judges' tent and a cheer slides along the beach, thin but trying. 23 Tasha raises the kite. 24 I count the beats between each gust the way I used to count cracks, as if numbers could make a roof stay put.

1 The auditorium smells like paint and old gum, a sweet-sour promise I've learned to love. 2 This year, I signed up for crew because I like making other people shine. 3 On the first day, Ms. Lin introduced Theo as our new stage manager. 4 He was the kind of quiet that made me think of locked doors. 5 "We'll keep it moving," he said, not smiling. 6 I rolled my eyes so hard I saw the rafters. 7 Rehearsals were a clatter of ladders and half-learned lines. 8 Theo's clipboard clicked like a metronome. 9 He had a way of standing that made you feel timed. 10 When a flat refused to slide into place, he said, "Reset," and my hands turned to stone. 11 Afterward, I told Cassie, "He's bossy without earning it." 12 Cassie shrugged, brushing sawdust from her sleeves. 13 "Maybe he's nervous," she said. 14 A week before opening, we discovered the pulley snagged during the blackout. 15 Ms. Lin pinched the bridge of her nose. 16 "We can't have that curtain hesitate," she said. 17 Theo didn't look at us; he looked at the rope, then at the stage tape, like the answer was written somewhere between. 18 He drew a small box in his notebook and whispered, "Slack, then pull," as if reminding himself to breathe. 19 At the next run, he stood braiding the rope's frayed end while we shared the leftover oranges. 20 "Want help?" I asked, because it felt strange to watch him work alone. 21 He nodded without looking up. 22 "Tie it like you taught me," he said, and my ears went hot, rewinding to the afternoon I'd shown him a square knot because he'd asked. 23 During the blackout, the curtain floated down and rose clean, as if it had finally learned the secret steps. 24 Backstage, the cast buzzed. 25 Ms. Lin clapped once, and the sound cut the chatter like scissors. 26 "Good adjustment," she said toward the dark. 27 The lights warm our faces as the set rolls smooth. 28 Theo's shoulders dropped, and I noticed how his hands were steady while mine trembled. 29 I hear my voice soften when I tell him, "Nice fix." 30 He met my eyes for a half second, then looked at the rope again. 31 Maybe he'd been trying all along, and I just didn't want to see it. 32 On my way to the wings, I rolled my eyes at myself this time.