8th grade test for 1895

["Hightower, Mary" <mary -dot- hightower -at- corp -dot- bellsouth -dot- net>]

The questions about Grammar and Orthography are what would be interesting, I
believe, to this list.  Consider this either an early or late Friday post.

Thanks!

MEH
Atlanta, GA


-----Original Message-----



Could You Have Passed the 8th Grade in 1895?
Take a Look:

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895
from Salina, Kansas. It was taken from the
original document on file at the Smoky Valley
Genealogical Society and Library in Salina,
and reprinted by the Salina Journal.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grammar (Time, one hour)

1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
2. Name the Parts of Speech and define those
   that have no modifications.
3. Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.
4. What are the Principal Parts of a verb?
   Give Principal Parts of do, lie, lay and run.
5. Define Case, Illustrate each Case.
6. What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal
   marks of Punctuation.
7-10. Write a composition of about 150 words
   and show therein that you understand
   the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)

1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules
   of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long,
   and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of
   wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what
   is it worth at 50 cts.per bu, deducting
   1050 lbs. for tare?
4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000.
   What is the necessary levy to carry on
   a school seven months at $50 per month,
   and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months
   and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches
   wide and 16 ft. long at $.20 per inch?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days
   (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15
   per acre, the distance around which is
   640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note,
   and a Receipt.

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)

1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History
   is divided.
2. Give an account of the discovery of
   America by Columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the
   Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United
   States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent
   battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney,
   Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following
   dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, and
   1865?

Orthography (Time, one hour)

1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet,
   phoneticorthography, etymology,
   syllabication?
2. What are elementary sounds? How
   classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples
   of each: Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong,
   cognate letters, linguals?
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u'.
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final
   'e'. Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling.
   Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in
   connection with a word: Bi, dis, mis, pre,
   semi, post, non, inter, mono, super.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables
   the following, and name the sign that
   indicates the sound: Card, ball, mercy,
   sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences,
   Cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane,
   vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced
   and indicate pronunciation by use of
   diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)

1. What is climate? Upon what does climate
   depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of
   climate in Kansas?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is
   the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of N.A.
5. Name and describe the following:
   Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba,
   Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan
   Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade
   centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europe and
   give capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than
   the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water
   of the ocean returns to the sources of
   rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth.
   Give inclination of the earth.