Name: ______________________

Grade: Eleven / ___

Academic Year 2023-2024
Grade 11
Pre-Assessment Exam

________
Part 1: Reading Exam 10
A Dog and His Bone

“Arf! Arf Arf Arf!” Leo the dog barked explosively at the butcher’s door, which was cracked open just enough
for the smells of fresh beef, pork, and chicken to waft out into the alleyway where Leo sat on his haunches,
hungry and desperate for a bone. “Arf!” he pleaded, leaping into the air and scratching his paws wildly on the
wooden door. He scratched as if his life depended on it, whining and wailing loudly as his stomach grumbled
mercilessly. It was well past lunchtime, and Leo hadn’t yet found anything good to eat.

That’s when he heard it: SLAM. Ascertaining that someone must have heard his cries, Leo retreated from the
door. His keen ears registered the butcher throwing something down on a table, followed by the WHAP of a
butcher’s knife. Heavy footsteps walked swiftly toward the door, which suddenly swung open and—yes! There
it was! A delicious, juicy bone, fresh off the butcher’s table. “Now here!” the butcher yelled, attempting to hide
a smile. “Take this and scram! I don’t want to see you here until tomorrow, you mangy mutt.” The benevolent
man’s voice reverberated through the alleyway and bounced off the other businesses, all of whom were
thoroughly acquainted with the butcher’s idle threats against the stray canine.

Leo trotted away victoriously, surmising, “I love humans. A little begging, a little scratching, a little noise-
making and we’ve got us a nice bone for lunch.”

Salivating, Leo scampered through neighborhood alleys, jumped over potholes, ducked between dumpsters, and
careened around trash cans while wending his way to a small public park on the edge of town. It was quiet here
in the afternoons, with plenty of hiding places to curl up and enjoy a bone undisturbed. A narrow wooden
bridge crossed a large, peaceful pond in the middle of the park. Cattails and lily pads flourished in the calm,
sunny water, and birds chirped in nearby trees as Leo trotted through, in a hurry to arrive at the opposite side of
the pond where he could finally ensconce himself with his snack. Leo shifted his head just slightly to better
accommodate the bone between his teeth, which had become slippery with saliva. As he did so, he noticed
something at once mysterious and terrifying in the pond: he had locked eyes with another dog, with proportions
and features identical to his own, and this dog had a bone too, and Leo was as sure as he’d ever been sure about
anything that this dog wanted his bone, too.

Taking no time to assess the situation or to consider alternatives, Leo immediately decided the only solution to
this troubling dilemma was to steal the other dog’s bone before it could take his. He immediately leaped into the
water to grab the other dog’s bone, dropping his own before splashing loudly into the still pond water.

The sound of the splash traveled all the way to a family enjoying a picnic on the far side of the pond, but when
they glanced up to see what was causing the commotion, all they could see was a straggly, soaking-wet stray
dog struggling to haul himself up onto the bank of the pond. Once he managed to hoist himself back onto terra
firma, he furiously shook his head, pond water and lily pads flying everywhere. The poor dog had abandoned
his bone in pursuit of another, and his rumbling belly only served to remind him how truly hungry he was. After
licking himself dry and pondering the situation, Leo thought to himself, “What a foolish thing to be greedy. I
can’t believe that dog swam away with both bones!” With that, he trotted off in the direction of the family with
the picnic. He smelled ham, and he knew that humans liked to share.
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 Name: ______________________
Grade 11 Grade: Eleven / ___
Pre-Assessment Academic Year 2023-2024

Read the passage and answer the questions.

1. Read the sentence from the passage. “It was well past lunchtime, and Leo hadn’t yet found
anything good to eat. (paragraph 1)”
Why does the author use this sentence in the beginning of the story?

A. to show that Leo is hungry

B. to demonstrate Leo’s greed

C. to show that Leo trusts humans

D. to demonstrate Leo’s foolishness

2. Which sentence from the passage best supports the idea that the butcher is fond of the
dog?
A. “His keen ears registered the butcher throwing something down on a table, followed by the
WHAP of a butcher’s knife.” (paragraph 2)

B. “Take this and scram! I don’t want to see you here until tomorrow, you mangy mutt.”
(paragraph 2)

C. “The benevolent man’s voice reverberated through the alleyway and bounced off the other
businesses, all of whom were thoroughly acquainted with the butcher’s idle threats against the
stray canine.” (paragraph 2)

D. “Leo trotted away victoriously, surmising, ‘I love humans. A little begging, a little scratching, a
little noise-making and we’ve got us a nice bone for lunch.’” (paragraph 3)

3. What is one theme found in this passage?

A. Never trust a stranger.

B. Always observe caution.

C. Guard your possessions carefully.

D. Wanting it all may lead to losing it all.

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 Name: ______________________
Grade 11 Grade: Eleven / ___
Pre-Assessment Academic Year 2023-2024

4. Which sentence best supports the theme?

A. “The sound of the splash traveled all the way to a family enjoying a picnic on the far side
of the pond, but when they glanced up to see what was causing the commotion, all they
could see was a straggly, soaking-wet stray dog struggling to haul himself up onto the
bank of the pond.” (paragraph 6)

B. “Once he managed to hoist himself back onto terra firma, he furiously shook his head,
pond water and lily pads flying everywhere.” (paragraph 6)

C. “The poor dog had abandoned his bone in pursuit of another, and his rumbling belly only
served to remind him how truly hungry he was.” (paragraph 6)

D. “He smelled ham, and he knew that humans liked to share.” (paragraph 6)

5. Read the sentence from paragraph 6:

“I can’t believe that dog swam away with both bones!”
What literary device is used in this sentence?

A. Irony

B. Satire

C. Sarcasm

D. Understatement

6. “I can’t believe that dog swam away with both bones!”

Why does the author use this literary device?

A. By having Leo show ignorance, the author can teach a lesson.

B. By demonstrating Leo’s foolishness, the author creates tension.

C. By demonstrating Leo’s pride, the author shapes the reader’s opinion.

D. By having Leo demonstrate greed, the author can express a point of view.

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 Name: ______________________
Grade: Eleven / ___
Academic Year 2023-2024
Grade 11
Pre-Assessment

Part 2: Writing Exam

________
10

Choose One Topic from the following list and write as much as you can. Your writing will be
scored using the same Marking Rubric we used in class. Please follow these instructions:

1. Read the choices carefully.

2. Give yourself enough time to plan, draft, write, and revise your writing.
3. Write in complete sentences and organize your writing to suit your topic and purpose.
4. Be sure you follow the rules of the language: spell correctly, use proper punctuation,
capitalize where appropriate, and ensure the form and tense of each verb is correct.
5. Write legibly.

TOPICS

Write a Narrative Text on 1 and Only 1 of the Following Topics.

Topic 1: An experience that taught you to appreciate life more.

Topic 2: An experience when you overcame a fear of specific things.
Topic 3: A situation when you called the police to help other people.
Note: use either the first or the third person point of view.
Writing Linguistic Vocabulary Language Total
Complexity Usage Control
Level 3
Mark 4 2 2 2 10

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 Grade: 11
Grade 11 Subject: English
Pre-Assessment First Trimester 2022-2023

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 Grade: 11
Grade 11 Subject: English
Pre-Assessment First Trimester 2022-2023

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