Grade 8 ELA Practice Test: Central Idea and Objective Summary
- Central Idea and Objective Summary
- 10 questions
- 15 minutes
Read the article, then answer the 10 questions. Tip: an objective summary states the central idea and key supporting points in your own words, without your opinions or small details.
Tap an option to mark your answer. You can change your mind, or tap the same option again to leave the question blank. The correct answers and explanations appear when you finish the test.Tap an option to answer; tap it again to leave the question blank.
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Question 1
Read the article and answer questions 1-10.
Why Cities Stay Warm at Night
(1) On a summer evening, a city can stay noticeably warmer than the farmland around it, even after the sun goes down. Scientists call this the urban heat island effect.
(2) The main cause is what cities are made of. Dark asphalt and roofs absorb much of the sunlight that hits them during the day. Brick and concrete store that heat and release it slowly after sunset, so the streets keep warming the air long into the night.
(3) Cities also have fewer plants. Trees shade the ground, and they release water vapor through their leaves, which cools the air around them. When a neighborhood replaces trees with parking lots, it loses both kinds of cooling.
(4) The extra heat is more than uncomfortable. During heat waves, warm nights give people's bodies little chance to recover, and older adults and people without air conditioning face the greatest risk.
(5) Many cities are now fighting back. Some paint roofs white or light gray so they reflect sunlight instead of absorbing it. Others plant thousands of street trees, starting with the neighborhoods that have the least shade. These changes take years, but each one makes a city a little cooler.
Which statement best expresses the central idea of the article?
Correct answer: C
The article explains the causes of the heat island effect, why it matters and what cities are doing about it. It never says farmers water their crops or that air conditioning is the only answer.
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Question 2
Article (see above):
Which is the best objective summary of the article?
Correct answer: A
A good summary covers the central idea and main points without opinions. The second option gives an opinion, the third lists small details, and the fourth is inaccurate.
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Question 3
Article (see above):
Which sentence should be left out of an objective summary of the article?
Correct answer: B
An objective summary does not include the reader's opinion. The other three sentences restate points from the article.
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Question 4
Article (see above):
How does paragraph 2 develop the central idea?
Correct answer: D
Paragraph 2 begins "The main cause is" and explains how dark, hard materials absorb and release heat. The term is defined in paragraph 1, and health risks appear in paragraph 4.
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Question 5
Article (see above):
In paragraph 3, what are the "both kinds of cooling" that a neighborhood loses?
Correct answer: D
The two sentences before this phrase name the two ways trees cool a neighborhood: they shade the ground and they release water vapor.
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Question 6
Article (see above):
What is the main purpose of paragraph 4?
Correct answer: B
Paragraph 4 says the heat is "more than uncomfortable" and explains the health risk on warm nights. It does not tell anyone to move or claim heat waves are limited to cities.
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Question 7
Article (see above):
Which detail best supports the idea that plants help cool cities?
Correct answer: C
This detail directly explains how plants lower air temperature. The other details are about building materials, roofs or health.
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Question 8
Article (see above):
How is the article mainly organized?
Correct answer: A
Paragraphs 2 and 3 give causes, paragraph 4 gives effects, and paragraph 5 describes solutions. There is no single city, timeline or set of instructions.
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Question 9
Article (see above):
Why do some cities plant trees first in the neighborhoods with the least shade?
Correct answer: D
Paragraph 3 explains that trees provide cooling, so places with few trees lack it most. The article does not say trees grow faster there.
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Question 10
Article (see above):
In paragraph 2, the word absorb most nearly means
Correct answer: A
Dark surfaces take in sunlight and store it as heat. Paragraph 5 contrasts this with light roofs that "reflect" sunlight, which means bounce it off.
Questions you leave blank are not counted as wrong.
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