Name: ______________________ Class: _________________ Date: _________

Great Writing 2: Great Paragraphs Unit 2: Developing Ideas for Writing

INSTRUCTIONS: Choose the correct words to complete the sentences about brainstorming.
You will not use all the answers.

a group bad ideas correctly cross out diagrams quickly think about

1. Brainstorming involves ________________ writing down your ideas about a topic, without worrying
about making mistakes.

2. Another important thing to remember when you brainstorm is that there are no ________________.

3. When you brainstorm with ________________, you can share a lot of new ideas and get immediate
feedback.

4. There are two steps when you brainstorm a topic. First, you ________________ the topic. Second, you
quickly write down your ideas.

5. After you brainstorm, circle the ideas you want to keep, and ________________ the ideas you will not
use.

INSTRUCTIONS: Imagine your teacher gave you this topic for a paragraph: The benefits of
growing a vegetable garden. Which brainstorm ideas would be best to include in your
paragraph?

____ 6. growing vegetables saves money

a. include
b. cross out

____ 7. vegetable gardens provide healthy, organic, locally grown food

a. include
b. cross out

____ 8. people like flower gardens better than vegetable gardens

a. include
b. cross out

____ 9. working in a garden can help people relax

a. include
b. cross out

____ 10. people can grow vegetables in pots if they live in an apartment
a. include
b. cross out

© 2020 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning company 1

Great Writing 2: Great Paragraphs, Fifth Edition Unit 2 Test

Name: ______________________

INSTRUCTIONS: Complete the paragraph with the adjectives in the box. Use the context to
determine the best word.

dry and brown pink and yellow thorny quick sweet enormous wild

Beauty in the Desert

Some people think the desert is too ________________, but I think it is beautiful. The ground is
dotted with ________________, green cacti. At times, the small prickly pear cactus blooms with soft
________________ flowers. The desert is also home to unique, ________________ animals. Slithering
snakes and soaring hawks are abundant in the ________________ landscape. During the rainy season,
sudden, ________________ thunderstorms leave behind marvelous rainbows. After the rain, the
________________ smell of sage is in the air, and the red dirt readily drinks up the water. In the desert,
you can find beauty all around.

11. Some people think the desert is too ________________, but I think it is beautiful.

12. The ground is dotted with ________________, green cacti.

13. At times, the small prickly pear cactus blooms with soft ________________ flowers.

14. The desert is also home to unique, ________________ animals.

15. Slithering snakes and soaring hawks are abundant in the ________________ landscape.

16. During the rainy season, sudden, ________________ thunderstorms leave behind marvelous rainbows.

17. After the rain, the ________________ smell of sage is in the air, and the red dirt drinks up the water.

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the three titles and choose the best one.

____ 18. The best title is . . .

a. Places to Go for Vacation
b. Disney World Is My Favorite Vacation Destination
c. Top Vacation Destinations in Florida

____ 19. The best title is . . .

a. Five Ways to Save Money
b. Saving Money
c. Establishing a Budget Is Helpful

____ 20. The best title is . . .

a. Birthday Celebrations around the World
b. Happy Birthday!
c. Everyone Has a Birthday

© 2020 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning company 2

Great Writing 2: Great Paragraphs, Fifth Edition Unit 2 Test

Name: ______________________

INSTRUCTIONS: Choose the word or phrase that is most closely related to the underlined
vocabulary word.

____ 21. The location of a new restaurant deserves careful consideration. A safe and friendly neighborhood
matters!
a. place
b. people who buy things
c. business agreement in writing

____ 22. Sunshine and nice weather can affect people’s moods. It can help them feel calm and happy.
a. produce a change
b. people who buy things
c. business agreement in writing

____ 23. Emergency assistance is available in many countries although the number to call is different.
a. general place
b. help
c. payment for services

____ 24. People who live in cities think it is odd that residents of small towns often do not lock their doors.
a. most important
b. strange or unusual
c. calm

INSTRUCTIONS: Match each phrase to the word that best completes the collocation. You will
not use all the words.
a. customer
b. fee
c. highly
d. major
e. polluted
f. qualities
g. shade
____ 25. a ________________ advantage
____ 26. for an additional ________________
____ 27. a ________________ recommended product
____ 28. cool off in the ________________
____ 29. a satisfied ________________

INSTRUCTIONS: Complete the sentences with the best word in parentheses.

30. The seats in a theater are usually more ________________ (function / functional) than stylish.

© 2020 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning company 3

Great Writing 2: Great Paragraphs, Fifth Edition Unit 2 Test

Name: ______________________

31. When visiting a new city, it is helpful to get a hotel ________________ (recommendation /
recommended) from someone who knows the city well.

32. The physical ________________ (similarities / similarly) between the sisters are remarkable. They look
quite a bit alike.

33. Saudi Arabia has an ________________ (abundance / abundantly) of natural resources, including oil,
timber, and copper.

34. My grandparents had a ________________ (limit / limited) understanding of English when they arrived
in the United States; however, now they speak it very well.

INSTRUCTIONS: Use the nouns and descriptive adjectives in parentheses to complete each
sentence. Rewrite the entire sentence.

Example:
The ________________ nervously flew the plane into the ________________. (dark, pilot, clouds,
new)
The new pilot nervously flew the plane into the dark clouds.

35. We enjoyed a ________________ at the ________________. (restaurant, dinner, delicious, Greek)

_____________________________________________________________________

36. A vacationer’s ________________ on the beach is reading a(n) ________________. (activity, good,
book, favorite)

_____________________________________________________________________

37. After the ________________, they saw a ________________ in the sky. (beautiful, storm, rainbow,
big)

_____________________________________________________________________

38. Nora bought some ________________ and a package of ________________ at the new supermarket.
(cookies, Colombian, coffee, chocolate)

_____________________________________________________________________

© 2020 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning company 4

Great Writing 2: Great Paragraphs, Fifth Edition Unit 2 Test

Name: ______________________

INSTRUCTIONS: Combine each pair of simple sentences into a compound sentence. Use the
connecting words and, so, but, or or and a comma. Use pronouns when appropriate. Do not use
contractions.

Example:
Dolphins are very intelligent animals. Dolphins love to play.
Dolphins are very intelligent animals, and they love to play.

39. David is not feeling well. David cannot play tennis this afternoon.

_____________________________________________________________________

40. The soccer players train indoors in the winter. The soccer players train outdoors in the summer.

_____________________________________________________________________

41. Getting married is a big commitment. Some people choose to remain single.

_____________________________________________________________________

42. Ruth might spend the summer in the mountains. Ruth might spend the summer on the coast.

_____________________________________________________________________

© 2020 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning company 5

Great Writing 2: Great Paragraphs, Fifth Edition Unit 2 Test

Name: ______________________

43. INSTRUCTIONS: Write a paragraph about a place you know well. Describe the place’s
location, how it looks, and how it feels to be there. Write a topic sentence, 5-10 related
sentences, and a concluding sentence. Give your paragraph a title. Use a variety of descriptive
adjectives, and use at least two of the vocabulary words or phrases from Unit 2.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

© 2020 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning company 6

 ID: A

Great Writing 2: Great Paragraphs Unit 2: Developing Ideas for Writing

Answer Section

1. ANS: quickly

PTS: 2 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Elements

2. ANS: bad ideas

PTS: 2 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Elements

3. ANS: a group

PTS: 2 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Elements

4. ANS: think about

PTS: 2 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Elements

5. ANS: cross out

PTS: 2 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Elements

6. ANS: A PTS: 2 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Elements
7. ANS: A PTS: 2 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Elements
8. ANS: B PTS: 2 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Elements
9. ANS: A PTS: 2 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Elements
10. ANS: B PTS: 2 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Elements
11. ANS: dry and brown

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Grammar

12. ANS: thorny

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Grammar

13. ANS: pink and yellow

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Grammar

14. ANS: wild

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Grammar

15. ANS: enormous

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Grammar

16. ANS: quick

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Grammar

17. ANS: sweet

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Grammar

18. ANS: C PTS: 2 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Elements
19. ANS: A PTS: 2 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Elements

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 ID: A

20. ANS: A PTS: 2 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Elements

21. ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary
MSC: AW
22. ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary
MSC: AW
23. ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary
MSC: AW
24. ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary
MSC: AW
25. ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary
MSC: AW
26. ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary
MSC: AW
27. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary
28. ANS: G PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary
29. ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary
30. ANS: functional

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary MSC: AW

31. ANS: recommendation

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary

32. ANS: similarities

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary MSC: AW

33. ANS: abundance

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary

34. ANS: limited

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Vocabulary

35. ANS:
We enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Greek restaurant.

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Sentences

36. ANS:
A vacationer’s favorite activity on the beach is reading a good book.

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Sentences

37. ANS:
After the big storm, they saw a beautiful rainbow in the sky.

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Sentences

38. ANS:
Nora bought some Colombian coffee and a package of chocolate cookies at the new supermarket.

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Sentences

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 ID: A

39. ANS:
David is not feeling well, so he cannot play tennis this afternoon.

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Sentences

40. ANS:
The soccer players train indoors in the winter, and they train outdoors in the summer.

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Sentences

41. ANS:
Getting married is a big commitment, so some people choose to remain single.

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Sentences

42. ANS:
Ruth might spend the summer in the mountains, or she might spend it on the coast.

PTS: 1 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Sentences

43. ANS:
Answers will vary.

PTS: 20 REF: Unit 2 TOP: Writing

© 2020 National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Learning company 3