Writing Standards > Narrative Writing and Reflection (CCSS.W.8.3) Practice Test

By the time Maya wheeled her solar oven into the gym, the air was busy with voices. Posters leaned against tables, and extension cords lined the floor like vines. 'We've got this,' she told her little brother Theo, who carried a box of graham crackers. The judges would come by in an hour. She set foil panels, adjusted the angle, and checked the thermometer. The fluorescent lights were bright. She waited. A kid from robotics stopped and nodded at her design. 'Cool,' he said, and left. Theo asked if the chocolate would melt. 'It should,' Maya said, tapping the dial again. Time passed. She read the rules twice and looked at the gym clock. When the first judge finally walked over, Maya lifted the lid and tried to smile. She wanted the oven to say something for her, but it was hard to tell if it was working right then. The judge cleared her throat and pulled out a pen.

By the time Maya wheeled her solar oven into the gym, the air was busy with voices. Posters leaned against tables, and extension cords lined the floor like vines. 'We've got this,' she told her little brother Theo, who carried a box of graham crackers. The judges would come by in an hour. She set foil panels, adjusted the angle, and checked the thermometer. The fluorescent lights were bright. She waited. A kid from robotics stopped and nodded at her design. 'Cool,' he said, and left. Theo asked if the chocolate would melt. 'It should,' Maya said, tapping the dial again. Time passed. She read the rules twice and looked at the gym clock. When the first judge finally walked over, Maya lifted the lid and tried to smile. She wanted the oven to say something for her, but it was hard to tell if it was working right then. The judge cleared her throat and pulled out a pen.