ELDA Sample Student Test
Reading Section
Sample Question 1:
The teacher gave John a _______ and asked him to write his answer on his paper.
Choose the best answer to fill in the blank.
A. pen
B. gum
C. chalk
D. paper
Sample Question 2:
Mary and her friends Petra and David went to the mall yesterday to buy a birthday present
for Petra’s baby sister. They bought her a lovely toy bear.
Why did Mary and her friends go to the mall?
A. To see Petra’s sister
B. To get some new shoes
C. To have lunch
D. To buy a gift
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Raccoon Rex
by Ruth Donnelly
I walk by night, in darkness.
I sneak without a sound.
I overturn the garbage can.
Oh! What a treat I’ve found!
I grab the picnic sandwiches.
(I haven’t yet been seen.)
I take my bounty to the brook,
And wash it squeaky clean.
I creep up to the campers’ tent
And snatch a hot dog bun.
The campers yell. They scream and shout.
But I’m just having fun!
A mask of fur around my eyes,
A smile upon my face,
My paws can open garbage cans.
I move with stealth and grace.
I steal from people’s garden plots,
From porches and from decks.
Yes, I’m a fearless bandit-And my name is Raccoon Rex!
1. According to the poem, a raccoon is like a....
a.
b.
c.
d.
gardener
carpenter
thief
chef
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2. How do the campers feel in this poem?
a.
b.
c.
d.
disappointed
exhausted
satisfied
angry
3. The seventh line of the poem says, “I take my bounty to the brook.” What does this
mean?
a.
b.
c.
d.
It means that he takes my bottom to the creek.
It means to take all the food he has found to the water.
It means to take his roll of paper towels to the brook.
It means the brook is beautiful.
4. The sixteenth line of the poem says, “I move with stealth and grace.” Define the word
stealth.
a.
b.
c.
d.
to move without being noticed.
to fly around like a bat.
to steal something.
to fall in the woods.
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Roly-Poly Pill Bugs
by Cynthia Sherwood
Some people are afraid of bugs such as spiders or beetles. But there is one bug that just
about everybody likes—pill bugs. If you ever pick one up, you know why its nickname is “rolypoly.” A pill bug rolls up into a tight little ball to protect itself. This bug is scared of you, not the
other way around!
These little gray or brown bugs can be found almost everywhere in the United States
except the desert. That is because they need to stay moist. But they can live in dry places like
California thanks to lawn sprinklers. One of their favorite hang-outs is under damp flower pots.
Did you know that pill bugs have something in common with kangaroos? After her eggs
hatch, the mother pill bug carries her young in a pouch under her belly. The little pill bugs stay
there until they are big enough to be on their own.
Pill bugs also have something in common with snakes. Just as snakes shed their skin
when it gets too small, pill bugs do too. This is called “molting.” A pill bug molts about five
times until it is full-grown.
Pill bugs are a little like owls, too. Pill bugs are nocturnal, meaning they are most active
at night. That is when they most like to wander around and look for food. And just like
earthworms, pill bugs help break down plants in the soil. Pill bugs aren’t just nice bugs. They are
also interesting ones!
1. Why are pill bugs nicknamed “roly-poly”?
a.
b.
c.
d.
They look like balls of dirt.
They can run up poles quickly.
They can roll up in tight balls to protect themselves.
They can pull leaves with their legs.
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2. Where would you be least likely to find a pill bug?
a.
b.
c.
d.
under a large rock near a pond.
under a log near a downspout.
in a vegetable garden.
hiding in the roots of a cactus.
3. How is a pill bug like a kangaroo?
a.
b.
c.
d.
A pill bug hops around like a kangaroo.
A pill bug carries her young in a pouch in her belly like a kangaroo.
A pill bug has a long tail like a kangaroo.
A pill bug lives in wide-open spaces like a kangaroo.
4. Which statement from the article is an opinion?
a.
b.
c.
d.
A pill bug rolls up into a tight ball to protect itself.
A pill bug molts about five times until it is full-grown.
Pill bugs aren't just nice bugs; they are interesting ones.
One of their favorite hang-outs is under damp flower pots.
5
The Tropical Rainforest
Rainforest Series, Part 1
by Mikki Sadil
Tropical rainforests are among the most mysterious of all geographical biomes in the
world. A biome is an area with very distinctive plants and animals that have adapted to life in
that particular environment.
Rainforests have covered large portions of the Earth
for millions of years, and can have trees that are 1,000
years-old or more. They are called rainforests because they
are among the wettest areas on Earth, receiving anywhere
from 80 to 100 inches of rain a year. In most rainforests, the
temperature ranges from 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit all
year long, and the air is almost always humid.
Rainforests have four very distinct layers of trees.
The first is the emergent layer which has giant trees
growing from 100 to 240 feet tall. These trees have
umbrella-shaped crowns that grow high above the rest of
the forest. They have their own distinct plant and animal
life.
The next layer is called the canopy. These trees
grow up to 130 feet tall, and they form a tight canopy, or
covering, over the rest of the forest which allows very little
sunlight to come down. The branches and trunks of these
trees are covered with smaller plants and appear to be tied
together with hundreds of vines. About 90% of all
rainforest animals live way up high in the canopy.
Rainforest
Facts
• Rainforests produce
about 40% of the world’s
oxygen.
• About 25% of all
medicines come from
rainforest plants.
• 1,400 plants in the
rainforest are believed to
offer cures for cancer.
The third layer is the understory, and it's very shady.
Only about 15% of the sunlight from the canopy falls, and it
tends be very warm and humid. Trees and leafy plants that
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require little sun grow here, with the trees growing to about 60 ft. This layer has many smaller
trees, shrubs, vines, and plants, but little air movement. There are many animals and insects
living in this layer.
The final layer of the rainforest is the forest floor. It is surprisingly dark and less than 2%
of the sun's light reaches this area. Because the sun's rays don't shine on the ground, there is very
little plant life on the forest floor. It is an area covered with fallen leaves, seeds, dead flowers,
and fruits and branches that decompose very quickly. It also has a distinctive variety of animals
and plants that live here.
1. In a rainforest, the tallest trees can grow...
a.
b.
c.
d.
almost 200 feet tall.
more than 200 yards tall.
over 270 feet tall.
almost 250 feet tall.
2. The forest floor tends to be very dark. Why?
a.
b.
c.
d.
The animals eat all the plants on the ground.
Most light is blocked by the canopy.
There are too many vines on the branches.
Most of the animals live in the canopy.
3. What is a biome?
a.
b.
c.
d.
A biome is a mysterious area of the world.
A biome is the bottom of the rainforest floor.
Birds that live in the rainforest.
A biome is an area with distinctive plants and animals that have adapted to life in
that particular environment.
4. Most animals that live in the rainforest live in the...
a. emergent layer.
b. canopy.
c. understory.
d. forest floor.
5. Read the following sentence from the article and choose the best definition for the
underlined word.
In most rainforests, the temperature ranges from 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit all
year long, and the air is almost always humid.
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The underlined word means...
a.
b.
c.
d.
difficult to breathe.
containing lots of oxygen.
warm and comfortable.
containing lots of water vapor.
6. Which vocabulary word matches this definition?
Adjusted to certain conditions
a.
b.
c.
d.
Canopy
Adapted
Decompose
Umbrella
7. Which vocabulary word matches this definition?
Covering
a.
b.
c.
d.
Canopy
Decompose
Mysterious
Giant
8. Which vocabulary word matches this definition?
Decay; rot
a.
b.
c.
d.
Fahrenheit
Decompose
Giant
Umbrella
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Writing Section Part 1
Choose the best end punctuation.
1) Have you seen the Star Wars movies__
A. .
B. ?
C. !
D. ;
Read the paragraph.
Mina enjoys visiting the library. First, he gets permission from his
teacher and walks to the library. Next, he goes to the section about biographies
and autobiographies. He wants a book about Nat Love, ____(#2) _____ he doesn’t
find one. _____(#3)______, he sees a book about Patrick Henry, an American
Patriot. He takes the book to the librarian and checks out. Finally, Mina sits
down on the couch and enjoys his new book.
2) Choose the best word or phrase to complete the blank.
A. so
B. and
C. or
D. but
3) Choose the best word or phrase to complete the blank.
A. Meanwhile
B. As a result
C. Through
D. Instead
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Philo’s Social Studies Report
Native American Homes
Philo’s
Report
Native Americans had differentSocial
homesStudies
based on
the resources they had and the
climate they lived. Some Native Americans that living in cold climates used wood to
build homes called longhouses. These homes held several families. Also, a fire could be
safely built inside the home.
4) Philo’s teacher told him to begin his paragraph with a topic sentence. Which sentence
would be the best way for him to begin the paragraph?
A. Long ago, Native Americans lived all over the Americas in different kinds of
homes.
B. Fires can be used to keep homes warm.
C. Native Americans hunted and fished for food.
D. Cold climates were a problem for Native Americans long ago.
5) How would you correct the underlined word?
A. live
B. lived
C. lives
D. Correct as is
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Writing Section Part 2
This section tests how well you can write in English. For the written responses, read each
prompt carefully. Then write your answer in the space provided in your answer folder. Write as
much as you can. Your response will be scored on the basis of how well you do the following:




Write about the prompt
Include details in your answer
Be sure your response makes sense and is easy to understand
Use the English language correctly
Here is an example:
What do you like to do on Saturdays?
Write at least three sentences about one thing you like to do on Saturdays.
Here is a sample answer:
I love to read books on Saturdays. My favorite kind of book is mystery books. Sometimes I read
three books in one day!
-Does the response answer the question?
-Does the answer include details?
-Does the answer make sense?
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Short Constructed Response: Descriptive
This is the water cycle. Look at the picture.
condensation
evaporation
precipitation
collection
6) Write at least three sentences for your science journal, describing the water cycle.
Evaporation:
Heat from the Sun causes water on Earth (in oceans, lakes etc) to evaporate (turn from liquid into
gas) and rise into the sky. This water vapor collects in the sky in the form of clouds.
Extended Constructed Response: Personal Narrative
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7) Some families do special things to celebrate the holidays. What do you do to celebrate the
holidays? Choose a holiday and write about how you and your family celebrate it.
13
Listening Section
1. What does the boy mean?
a. The math test was easy.
b. The math test was too long.
c. The math test was put on the board.
d. The math test was difficult.
2. What was the main point the girl communicated to her friend?
a. Saturday was more fun than Sunday.
b. The family had breakfast at home.
c. She spent the weekend with her family.
d. They were bored shopping so they went to a movie.
3. What is the sequence of events the teacher asked the students to do?
a. After reading, write in their journals
b. Read from their textbooks, discuss with their partners, and write the main
idea in their journal
c. Read and discuss the main idea in their science textbook
d. Read in their science books and answer the questions at the end
4. What does the boy mean by too hard on me?
a. The mom is too strict.
b. He plays too hard.
c. The boy studies all the time.
d. The mom does not buy him video games.
5. What does the boy mean by he is all caught up?
a. He is playing catch with his friends.
b. He is finished with all his work.
c. He caught a cold.
d. He put his backpack and homework away in his bedroom.
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Graphic to be used with numbers 6, 7, and 8.
6. What is the main idea of the passage?
a. Tennessee has 3 divisions.
b. Choosing the right colors are important on the flag.
c. Each symbol on the Tennessee flag carries a meaning.
d. The white stars stands for the divisions in the State.
7. Which of the following is not a detail?
a. Each symbol on the flag has meaning.
b. The three white stars stand for the forms of land that divide the state.
c. Tennessee touches eight states.
d. The background of the flag is dark red.
8. What is the word that means dark red?
a. Background
b. Covered
c. Crimson
d. Bound
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Speaking Section
1. Playground
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2. Four Seasons
17
5. Sequence
?
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