Praxis 5002 Practice Test
Question 1 of 5.
Extract:The following is a student's response to a prompt about E.B. White's novel Charlotte's Web . I think that Fern and Avery feel excited to roam the fair alone. Also, I think that the adults feel worried that the kids are alone in a big fair. In the story, it said, "And if you get on those swings," said Mrs. Arable, "You hang on tight. You hang on very tight, you hear?' And don't get lost,' said Mrs. Zuckerman, 'And don't get dirty.'" This shows that the adults are fretting over the kids, and acting very worried. Also, in the story, it said, "'Can I have some money?' asked Fern. 'Can I too?' asked Avery, 'Can I have a balloon?'" This shows that the kids are excited to go and roam the fair. In conclusion, Fern and Avery are excited to go to the fair, and the adults are worried about the kids.
Which of the following teacher recommendations will best help the student to strengthen the essay?
A. Add evidence from the text.
B. Focus the argument on one topic.
C. State the argument in the first sentence.
D. Write a conclusion sentence that restates the main idea.
Explanation: The student's essay attempts to address two separate and somewhat conflicting points: the children's excitement and the adults' worry. The student uses evidence to support both claims, but the essay lacks a single, unifying argument. A teacher's recommendation to focus the argument on one topic would guide the student to either develop a more in-depth analysis of the children's excitement or the adults' worry, rather than trying to combine both into a short, disjointed paragraph. This would improve the essay's focus and coherence. The student already provides evidence and states a conclusion, so those recommendations would not be the most helpful.
Question 2 of 5.
A teacher can help facilitate the development of students' writing by
A. carefully selecting books to share with students
B. using interactive attendance charts
C. accepting all attempts at writing as valid
D. introducing books with rhyming text
Explanation: Carefully selecting books to share with students directly supports writing development by exposing students to diverse writing styles, vocabulary, and structures, which they can emulate and learn from. Using interactive attendance charts is unrelated to writing development, as it focuses on tracking attendance rather than literacy skills. Accepting all attempts at writing as valid, while encouraging, does not actively facilitate development unless paired with constructive feedback or guidance, which is not implied here. Introducing books with rhyming text can aid in phonemic awareness and early literacy but is more specific to reading skills rather than the broader development of writing.
Question 3 of 5.
Which of the following parts of speech expresses emotion?
A. A verb
B. An interjection
C. An adverb
D. A pronoun
Explanation: An interjection is a part of speech specifically used to express emotion, such as surprise, joy, or frustration (e.g., "Wow!" or "Ouch!"), making it the correct choice. A verb expresses action or state, not emotion directly. An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, typically indicating manner, time, or degree, not emotion. A pronoun substitutes for a noun and does not convey emotion on its own.
Question 4 of 5.
Extract:As part of a classroom activity, students read and annotate a one-page piece of text. Then, the teacher acts as a discussion leader and asks an open-ended question about the text. Students do not have to raise their hand to speak but are mindful of making sure their classmates have adequate time to speak as well. All students have a chance to speak, and they support their comments with text evidence. The conversation lasts for fifteen minutes, with the overall goal being a deeper understanding of the text. The activity described is best categorized as which of the following?
A. Fishbowl
B. Socratic seminar
C. Think-pair-share
D. Literature circle
Explanation: A Socratic seminar involves a teacher-led discussion with open-ended questions, where students engage in dialogue, support their points with evidence, and aim for deeper understanding, aligning with the described activity's structure and goals. A fishbowl involves a smaller group discussing while others observe, which does not match the all-students-participate format here. Think-pair-share requires students to first discuss in pairs before sharing with the group, a step not mentioned. A literature circle typically involves small, student-led groups with assigned roles, differing from the teacher-led, whole-class discussion described.
Question 5 of 5.
Which of the following sentences contains an example of personification?
A. It is raining cats and dogs.
B. I can hear the wind whispering to me.
C. I felt as brave as a lion prowling the jungle.
D. My friend spent ten years on one math problem.
Explanation: Personification attributes human characteristics to non-human entities, and "the wind whispering to me" gives the wind the human ability to whisper, making it the correct choice. "It is raining cats and dogs" is a metaphor, not personification, as it does not assign human traits but rather uses imagery. "I felt as brave as a lion prowling the jungle" is a simile comparing the speaker to a lion, not personifying the lion. "My friend spent ten years on one math problem" is a literal statement with no human traits given to non-human elements.