Name: Date:

“Ban the Ban!”; “Soda’s a Problem

but …” (with “Three Cheers for the
Nanny State”)
SidneyAnne Stone; Karin Klein; Sarah Conly
FIRST READ: Comprehension
Identify the choice that best answers the question.
1. Why is Michael Bloomberg mentioned in both “Ban the Ban!” and “Soda’s a
Problem but …”?
a. He was a three-term mayor of New York City.
b. He tried to implement a law banning large sodas.
c. He appointed the members of the New York Board of Health.
d. He implemented a law banning smoking in public places in New York
City.
2. Which of the following ideas are suggested in both “Ban the Ban!” and “Soda’s
a Problem but …”? Choose two options.
a. The government should be more eager to get involved in people’s
choices.
b. Taking away the option of purchasing a certain size soda is not right or
legal.
c. Obesity, along with soda’s contribution to it, needs to be addressed by
legal action.
d. People have no control when given the option to consume sugar,
especially sugary drinks.
e. Placing a ban on smoking in public places is understandable because it
poses a danger.
f. Schools and government offices should not sell soda or junk food to
students or employees.

© Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. 1

 GRADE 8 • UNIT 3 • SELECTION TEST
“BAN THE BAN!”; “SODA’S A PROBLEM BUT …“ (WITH “THREE CHEERS FOR THE NANNY STATE”)

BY SIDNEYANNE STONE; KARIN KLEIN; SARAH CONLY

Name: Date:

3. According to “Soda’s a Problem but …,” how does the proposed law
regulating soda size differ from the smoking ban that was implemented?
Choose two options.
a. Public smoking poses a danger to others, whereas drinking soda does not.
b. The smoking ban had full public support, but the soda regulations were
opposed.
c. The city’s Board of Health unanimously approved the smoking ban but
voted against the soda limits.
d. People are able to control their urge to smoke but are compelled to drink
large-sized sugary drinks.
e. The smoking ban limits where smoking can take place, not how many
cigarettes can be purchased at one time.
4. According to “Soda’s a Problem but…,” which is a main reason the ban on
large sodas failed to be approved?
a. Mayor Bloomberg wanted to implement the law statewide.
b. Fruit juice, especially apple juice, has as many calories as soda.
c. The number of contradictions within the law made it impossible to enact.
d. People who really wanted more soda could simply buy two smaller
drinks.

© Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. 2

 GRADE 8 • UNIT 3 • SELECTION TEST
“BAN THE BAN!”; “SODA’S A PROBLEM BUT …“ (WITH “THREE CHEERS FOR THE NANNY STATE”)

BY SIDNEYANNE STONE; KARIN KLEIN; SARAH CONLY

Name: Date:

FIRST READ: Concept Vocabulary

Identify the choice that best answers the question.
5. If a plan is implemented, which of the following must be true?
a. The plan is a good idea.
b. People voted on the plan.
c. The plan is carried out.
d. People will question the plan.

6. Which word means the same as intentions in this sentence?

Paul has good intentions, but in spite of being well-meaning, he rarely completes a
project.

a. goals
b. beliefs
c. friends
d. tools
7. Which of the following most clearly presents a reason for someone to
intervene? Base your answer on the meaning of intervene.
a. to stop kids from fighting over a toy
b. to show interest in a new hobby or activity
c. to ask an adult for permission to do something
d. to question whether a person is telling the truth

© Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. 3

 GRADE 8 • UNIT 3 • SELECTION TEST
“BAN THE BAN!”; “SODA’S A PROBLEM BUT …“ (WITH “THREE CHEERS FOR THE NANNY STATE”)

BY SIDNEYANNE STONE; KARIN KLEIN; SARAH CONLY

Name: Date:

CLOSE READ: Analyze the Text

Identify the choice that best answers the question.
8. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A Which is the best evaluation of the support given for the claim in “Ban
the Ban!”?
a. The reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant.
b. The reasoning is logical but more relevant evidence is needed.
c. The reasoning is questionable but the evidence is relevant.
d. The reasoning is unsound and the evidence is irrelevant.

Part B Which of the following quotations from the text provide the best
example of the answer to Part A?
a. I respect being given information that enables me to make an informed
decision.
b. I agree wholeheartedly that obesity is an issue that needs to be addressed.
c. Remember the days when New York was a really cool and fun place to
live?
d. Well, it is our responsibility to fight back, too.
9. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A Which best describes how the author of “Soda’s a Problem but …”
feels about the soda ban?
a. She finds the politician supporting it admirable.
b. She does not think it will be very helpful.
c. She thinks it is a worthy goal of government.
d. She believes it is full of inconsistencies.
Part B Which of these quotations from the text most clearly supports her
perspective?
a. [I]t’s wrong for one man, even an elected official and even a well-meaning
one at that, to dictate to people how big a cup of sugary soda they’re
allowed.
b. [A]fter years of sacrificing their students’ health to their desire to raise
more money, most [schools] have stopped allowing vending machines
stocked with sodas.
c. Bloomberg is playing nanny in the worst sort of way by interfering in a
basic, private transaction involving a perfectly legal substance.
d. Convenience stores such as 7-Eleven are overseen by the state and would
be exempt, but a Burger King across the street would be restricted.

© Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. 4

 GRADE 8 • UNIT 3 • SELECTION TEST
“BAN THE BAN!”; “SODA’S A PROBLEM BUT …“ (WITH “THREE CHEERS FOR THE NANNY STATE”)

BY SIDNEYANNE STONE; KARIN KLEIN; SARAH CONLY

Name: Date:

10. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A The author of “Soda’s a Problem but …” comments on the argument
that “people are helpless in the face of sugar.” Which best describes her
perspective of this argument?
a. She believes people are not helpless and will change their behavior as they
learn more about the risks of soda.
b. She sees soda as an addictive substance, so agrees that people struggle
when given too many options.
c. She believes that people are so helpless they need government intervention
to make good decisions.
d. She considers the argument an overstatement but agrees that sugar is
difficult to resist.
Part B Which of these quotations from the text is the most relevant evidence
in support of her perspective?
a. It’s bad for you, especially in large quantities.
b. [A]fter years of sacrificing their students’ health to their desire to raise
more money, most [schools] have stopped allowing vending machines
stocked with sodas.
c. Soda consumption is already slipping nationwide.
d. Let’s not forget that scientists and even governments have at times pushed
people … into eating high levels of refined carbohydrates and sugars… .

CLOSE READ: Analyze Craft and Structure

Identify the choice that best answers the question.
11. Which of these overgeneralizations is the basis for the argument in “Ban the
Ban!”?
a. stating a large sugary drink ban is the same as stripping away civil
liberties
b. claiming calorie-count disclosure helps people make informed decisions
c. arguing that the impact of obesity is as bad as the impact of smoking
d. suggesting smoking bans are comparable to the soda ban

© Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. 5

 GRADE 8 • UNIT 3 • SELECTION TEST
“BAN THE BAN!”; “SODA’S A PROBLEM BUT …“ (WITH “THREE CHEERS FOR THE NANNY STATE”)

BY SIDNEYANNE STONE; KARIN KLEIN; SARAH CONLY

Name: Date:

12. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A Which of the following states the most important claim on which the
argument in “Soda’s a Problem but …” is based?
a. The ban that Bloomberg proposed includes so many problems that it
would have been impossible to enact.
b. Bloomberg attempts to address a real problem but has overstepped his
authority in trying to eliminate people’s choices.
c. Soda is known to be bad for health and a contributor to obesity, but it is a
legal substance and should be available to consumers.
d. The government should step in when dangerous situations that affect
innocent people are legal, but drinking too much soda is not dangerous.
Part B Which of these excerpts from “Soda’s a Problem but …” best supports
the answer to Part A?
a. [Soda]’s bad for you, especially in large quantities. The evidence against it
mounts on a semi-regular basis.
b. Bloomberg is … interfering in a basic, private transaction involving a
perfectly legal substance.
c. The inherent contradictions … were a good part of why earlier this week a
judge stopped the new rules from being implemented.
d. That still leaves the question of whether governments or their leaders can
begin dictating the look of an individual’s meal… .
13. Which of the following quotations from “Ban the Ban!” are the best
examples of the logical fallacy of over-reliance on emotion? Choose two
options.
a. When he insisted on calorie counts being posted, I think many of us
cringed but, again, it made sense.
b. What I do not respect is having my civil liberties stripped away.
c. I agree wholeheartedly that obesity is an issue that needs to be addressed.
d. We cannot allow our government to make these kinds of decisions for us.
e. If, despite all those efforts, someone chooses to have a sugary drink
anyway, that is their choice and their right.
f. I, personally, feel that it goes against everything this country stands
for—we are a country built on freedom.

© Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. 6

 GRADE 8 • UNIT 3 • SELECTION TEST
“BAN THE BAN!”; “SODA’S A PROBLEM BUT …“ (WITH “THREE CHEERS FOR THE NANNY STATE”)

BY SIDNEYANNE STONE; KARIN KLEIN; SARAH CONLY

Name: Date:

14. The author of “Ban the Ban!” claims that implementing the ban on large sodas
is the beginning of “a very slippery slope.” According to the author, where will
this slippery slope lead?
a. New York will become a boring place to live.
b. Obesity will become unmanageable in the United States.
c. People will be forced to eat unsalted and unbuttered popcorn at the
movies.
d. The government will take away people’s freedoms, including freedom of
speech.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: Word Study

Identify the choice that best answers the question.
15. Based on your knowledge of the Latin prefix ex-, choose the option that
provides an example of something that would be described as exterior.
a. the bottom branch of a tree
b. the outside walls of a barn
c. the upstairs of a house
d. the middle of a book
16. The word extract comes from the Latin root meaning “to pull or draw.” Use
this information, along with your knowledge of the prefix ex-, to choose the
correct definition of extract.
a. take out forcibly
b. draw a landscape
c. pack something too full
d. place something outside

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: Conventions

Identify the choice that best answers the question.
17. Which of the following is a simple sentence?
a. Trey studied hard and, as a result, he aced the biology exam.
b. Students learned last week about the impact of food on health.
c. The girl who is new to our class knows a lot about exercise and nutrition.
d. Many schools have adopted new menus to provide healthful lunches.

© Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. 7

 GRADE 8 • UNIT 3 • SELECTION TEST
“BAN THE BAN!”; “SODA’S A PROBLEM BUT …“ (WITH “THREE CHEERS FOR THE NANNY STATE”)

BY SIDNEYANNE STONE; KARIN KLEIN; SARAH CONLY

Name: Date:

18. Which of the following sentences includes one dependent and one
independent clause?
a. Kevin volunteers at the local animal shelter on Saturday mornings.
b. While he is there, he helps feed the dogs and take them for walks.
c. Some dogs love to play with Kevin, but others are a little shy at first.
d. Kevin continues to give his time because the dogs need his help.
19. Read the following sentence. Which term correctly identifies its structure?
Dana is against adopting a new school policy, which requires students to wear
uniforms, but Sam calls it a great idea.

a. simple
b. compound
c. complex
d. compound-complex
20. Which features of the following sentence make it a compound sentence?
Shana’s class raises funds to save the rainforest; Emmett’s class volunteers to
clean up the local park.

a. It has one independent clause with a subject and a verb.

b. It has two independent clauses joined by a semicolon.
c. It has one independent clause and one dependent clause.
d. It has two independent clauses and one dependent clause.

Comparing Texts
Identify the choice that best answers the question.
21. Read the following quotation from “Three Cheers for the Nanny State.”
John Stuart Mill wrote in 1859 that the only justifiable reason for interfering in
someone’s freedom of action was to prevent harm to others.
Which idea from “Ban the Ban!” and “Soda’s a Problem but …” provides the
best example of an action that Mill would find acceptable?
a. limiting the use of salt
b. posting the number of calories
c. banning smoking in public places
d. banning large-sized sugary drinks

© Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. 8

 GRADE 8 • UNIT 3 • SELECTION TEST
“BAN THE BAN!”; “SODA’S A PROBLEM BUT …“ (WITH “THREE CHEERS FOR THE NANNY STATE”)

BY SIDNEYANNE STONE; KARIN KLEIN; SARAH CONLY

Name: Date:

22. Read the following quotation from “Three Cheers for the Nanny State.”
It’s fair to stop us, Mill argued, when we are acting out of ignorance and doing
something we’ll pretty definitely regret.
According to the author of “Soda’s a Problem but …” how should the
government go about “stopping us” from consuming too much soda?
a. pass the law Mayor Bloomberg proposed
b. improve the law that Mayor Bloomberg proposed
c. provide the public with information that will help them choose wisely
d. allow food corporations to determine the sizes of sugary drinks available
23. Which idea does the author of “Three Cheers for the Nanny State”
promote that is unacceptable to the authors of “Ban the Ban!” and “Soda’s a
Problem but …”?
a. Banning smoking in public places was necessary and fair.
b. People should be given information to help them make smarter decisions.
c. Believing we are rational beings who mostly make good choices is an
illusion.
d. The government should sometimes intervene in order to keep people
from harming themselves.

© Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. 9