Comprehension Questions for
Progress Monitoring
AIMSWEB Reading Passages
Grade 4
E
F
I
MI
SEQ
V
C/E
Evaluation
Fact
Inference
Main Idea
Sequential
Vocabulary
Cause/Effect
Prepared by: CAIU
January, 2008
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4 Passage 4
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a boy who explores a cave)
___ (E)
2. What words might you use to describe Alan?
(adventurous, brave, curious, any reasonable answer)
___ (F)
3. What were some things Alan packed in his backpack?
(name at least 2 – flashlight, candle, matches, compass,
popcorn, a hard hat, his lunch)
___ (F)
4. What was the cave like inside?
(dark, 5 feet tall, dry, cold)
___ (F)
5. What did Alan dream about finding in the cave?
(lost treasure, buried gold)
___ (I)
6. Why did Alan drop popcorn behind him as he walked?
(so he could find his way out of the cave)
___ (F)
7. Why did Alan’s flashlight go out?
(the batteries died)
___ (I)
8. Why do you think there were old dishes and animal
paintings the walls of the cave?
(any reasonable answer)
___ (F)
9. Do you think Alan will return to the cave sometime again?
Why/why not?
(yes -he said he would need more batteries for future
explorations)
___(V)
10. He followed the popcorn all the way back to the mouth of the
cave. What does mouth mean in this sentence?
(opening, entrance, etc.)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 5
___ (MI)
1. What is this passage about?
(boys who find a sunken treasure)
___ (F)
2. What was the name of the group of boys?
(the Coral Cove Gang)
___ (V)
3. What does the word combing mean in this sentence:
“These boys spent their summer days combing the beaches of
their town.”?
(looking, searching, etc.)
___ (F)
4. How many boats did the boys keep anchored close by?
(3)
___(E)
5. What might the boys see in the water that would be
unusual?
(any reasonable answer)
___ (F)
6. Who found the first doubloon?
(Sonny, one of the younger boys)
___ (V)
7. What is meant by the phrase “The race was on…” in the
story?
(the boys were trying to find the doubloons quickly)
___(E)
8. After discovering the ship, why did the boys need to race
to the surface?
(to get air)
___ (F)
9. What was their plan?
(to borrow scuba gear and get all the treasures from the
ship)
___ (E)
10. What do you think the boys did with their treasure?
(any reasonable answer)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 6
___ (M.I.) 1. What was this passage about?
(a camel who wanted to take a vacation)
___ (F)
2. What was Cazz the camel good at?
(traveling, carrying people and things across the desert)
___ (E)
3. Why did Cazz never have time to rest?
(because people always wanted him to take them places)
___ (F)
4. What did Cazz want to do on a vacation? Name at least 2.
(lie on the beach, swim in the ocean, drink fruit drinks,
take a long nap)
___ (I)
5. How did Cazz feel about talking to his master? Why?
(nervous - he wasn’t sure the master would give him the
vacation he needed)
___ (F)
6. How did the master respond to Cazz’s request?
(said yes, invited Cazz to go to the sea with him)
___ (F)
7. Where did Cazz swim on his vacation?
(in a swimming pool)
___ (E)
8. Why was Cazz happy when he returned to work?
(he knew he was good at his job and his master
appreciated him)
___ (I)
9. Do you think Cazz will get another vacation someday?
Why/why not?
(logical answer with support)
___ (V)
10. Cazz the camel was used to making long treks across the
desert. What do you think treks means?
(trips, journeys)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 7
___ (MI)
1. What is this passage about?
(a bell maker who makes special bells, but does not want
to get rich making them)
___ (F)
2. What kinds of metal did the old man use to make his bells?
(brass and silver)
___ (C/E) 3. How did the old man make his bells ring?
(he dipped them in the musical brook by his house)
___ (F)
4. Why did the old man need to make so many bells?
(they were in great demand, new villages were popping
up, people loved his bells – any 1)
___ (E)
5. Why do you think he gave the bells to orphanages and
hospitals for free?
(any reasonable answer)
___ (F)
6. Why did the bell-maker need to train someone new?
(he was getting old and couldn’t lift the large bells any
more)
___ (V)
7. What is a synonym for humble?
(any reasonable answer)
___ (F)
8. Why did the young man come to his house?
(he was asking for food)
___ (E)
9. How might you describe the old man?
(generous, kind – any reasonable answer)
___ (E)
10. Do you think the young man will make a good bell-maker?
(any reasonable answer with support)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 8
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a girl named Alice who goes ice skating with her friend)
___ (F)
2. What did Alice do before she left her house?
(ate breakfast and brushed her teeth)
___ (F)
3. Where did Mary Beth live?
(two blocks away, in a big house with black shutters)
___ (C/E) 4. Why did Alice want to hurry to the rink?
(she wanted to have fresh ice to skate on, to put the first
lines on it)
___ (I)
5. How did the girls get to the rink?
(walked)
___ (F)
6. What did they do on the way to the rink?
(stopped and made snow angels and snowballs)
___ (C/E) 7. Why was the rink like a mirror?
(it looked flawless, silver, they could see their reflections
as they skated)
___ (C/E) 8. Why do you think Alice fell when she skated across the ice?
(it was slippery, she tried to skate on one foot, she lost
her balance)
___ (I)
9. Why didn’t the girls realize the rink was filling up with other
children?
(they were having so much fun)
___ (V)
10. In no time at all, the girls had shed their boots, laced up
their skates, and were skating on the edge of the rink.
What does the word shed mean in this sentence?
(taken off)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 9
___ (MI)
1. What is this passage about?
(Jason’s grandfather visits, they talk about what Grandpa
did when he was a boy)
___ (F)
2. What kind of a car does Grandpa have?
(old)
___ (F)
3. What did Jason and his grandfather do during the day?
(played together in the backyard)
___ (F)
4. What kinds of things does Jason do with his friends?
(games in basement, catch in backyard, football, watch
TV, go to a movie – any 2)
___ (F)
5. Where did Grandpa play baseball when he was a kid?
(in a sandlot)
___ (I)
6. How was football different when Grandpa was young?
(no facemasks, wore leather helmets, soft pads in shirts –
any 2)
___ (C/E) 7. Why did Grandpa have to listen to the radio instead of
watching television?
(they didn’t have TV, it hadn’t been invented yet)
___ (F)
8. What types of movies did Grandpa go to see? Name any 2.
(cartoons, singing cowboys, superheroes)
___ (I)
9. How long do you think Grandpa will stay to visit Jason?
How do you know?
(at least until Saturday – they make plans for the movie
Grandpa brings bags with him)
___ (V)
10. On Saturdays, we would ride our bikes to the movie house
and watch cartoons or a double feature. What does the word
feature mean in this sentence?
(movie that is showing)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 10
___ (MI)
1. What is this passage about?
(girl named Jenny who wants to have a tea party with her
doll)
___ (F)
2. What kind of hair did Jenny’s doll have?
(shiny, golden, curly)
___ (F)
3. What do Jenny and her doll wear for the tea party?
(pink dresses, white shoes/sandals, white gloves, white
straw purses – any 2)
___ (C/E) 4. Why are boys not invited to tea parties?
(they always spill things and don’t know what to say)
___ (C/E) 5. What interrupted the tea party?
(Jenny’s mother called for her help to fold clothes)
___ (I)
6. Why do you think Jenny changed her clothes to help her
mother?
(didn’t want to get her fancy clothes messy)
___ (I)
7. Why do you think she changed Agnes’s clothes too?
(she liked to pretend her doll was just like her, the tea
party was postponed)
___ (C/E) 8. Why did Jenny have to help her mother early the next day?
(to get the house ready for company that night)
___ (I)
___ (V)
9. How old do you think Jenny is? Why?
(between 5 and 12 – old enough to help out, young
enough to play with dolls)
10. Within minutes, Jenny and Agnes were in their fancy outfits
again and having tea. What does the word fancy mean?
(dressy)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 11
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a girl who’s father brings her gifts from his business trips)
___ (F)
2. How often does Jenny get to talk to her father when he’s
away?
(every night)
___ (I)
3. How does her father arrive home from his trips?
(in a taxi)
___ (F)
4. What does her father ask Jenny when he gets home?
(How’s my girl? Were you good? Listen to Mom and
teacher? Do chores?)
___ (F)
5. How does Jenny open her presents?
(carefully, pulls off ribbon then peels paper without tearing
it)
___ (F)
6. Where did her dad go on his last trip? What did he bring
Jenny?
(New York City - a snow globe with a tiny city inside)
___ (C/E) 7. Why was the Empire State Building famous?
(it was once the tallest building in the world)
___ (I)
8. About how old do you think Jenny is? Why?
(about 5-8 years old – goes to school, too young to go to
NYC, jumps in his arms)
___ (I)
9. Would you like to have a parent that went on frequent
business trips? Why/why not?
(any logical response with support)
___ (V)
10. Then she would open the box and giggle with glee.
What does glee mean?
(happiness)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 12
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a girl who gets new glasses)
___ (F)
2. What do Jessica’s new glasses look like?
(black-rimmed, not rectangular)
___ (F)
3. How is Jessica feeling about wearing glasses?
(nervous – afraid she’ll look bad, get teased)
___ (F)
4. Who was at the bus stop when Jessica arrived?
(her friends, Jonathan the meanest kid)
___ (F)
5. What did Jonathan do when he saw Jessica?
(called her Four Eyes)
___ (C/E) 6. Why does Jessica like Vanessa?
(she’s not afraid to stand up to anyone)
___ (I)
7. What does Jessica notice during her day at school?
(other people, teachers wear glasses too)
___ (I)
8. How does Jessica feel about her new glasses at the end of
the day? Why?
(better – other people looked good in glasses, she was
complimented, she can see more clearly)
___ (I)
9. Do you think Jessica will be nervous the next day?
(any logical response with support)
___ (V)
10. Should Mom have bought me the rectangular ones?
What does rectangular mean?
(shaped like a rectangle)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 13
___ (MI)
1. What is this passage about?
(a family that takes a trip on a train)
___ (C/E) 2. Why did the family take a train trip?
(to visit cousins in California)
___ (F)
3. How far did they travel?
(over 2,000 miles)
___ (F)
4. What time did they get on the train?
(midnight, nighttime)
___ (C/E) 5. How did they sleep on the train?
(their seats leaned back to make beds)
___ (I)
6. How long did the trip take?
(three days)
___ (F)
7. What else did they do on the train?
(ate in dining car/snack bar, washed faces/brushed teeth
in small bathroom, played games, watched TV, looked at
scenery – any 2)
___ (C/E) 8. How did they know they were near their cousins?
(they saw orchards of fruit trees)
___ (I)
___ (V)
9. Why do you think they took the train instead of driving or
flying?
(any logical response ie. less expensive, driver could
relax, fun)
10. We spent a lot of time looking at the scenery.
What does scenery mean?
(landscape, surroundings, view)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 14
___ (MI)
1. What is this passage about?
(a girl who bakes cookies with her grandmother)
___ (C/E) 2. Why was Lucy happy to see snow on Saturday morning?
(her grandma had promised she could come to bake
cookies if it snowed)
___ (F)
3. What kinds of cookies does Lucy hope to make?
(gingerbread men and sugar cookies)
___ (C/E) 4. How did Lucy get to Grandma Kate’s house?
(her dad dropped her off)
___ (F)
5. What did they do before they baked the cookies?
(had hot chocolate)
___ (F)
6. What were some ingredients that went into the cookies?
(sugar, flour, butter, eggs, vanilla – any 2)
___ (F)
7. When did Lucy’s dad come to pick her up?
(at sunset, six hours later – either one)
___ (F)
8. Where did all of the tins of cookies go?
(one opened on way home, given to neighbors for
Christmas, go to food shelf to share with others – any 2)
___ (I)
9. Why do you think Lucy and Grandma Kate had so much fun
making cookies to give away?
(any logical response with support)
___ (V)
10. Her Grandma Kate was the best baker in the entire county.
What does entire mean?
(whole)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 15
___ (MI)
1. What is this passage about?
(a girl who wears new clothes to school)
___ (C/E) 2. Why was Jamie excited about the new outfit?
(it was store-bought, most of her clothes were
homemade)
___ (F)
3. What did the new outfit look like?
(red pants, blue and white shirt)
___ (F)
4. How did the new clothes make Jamie feel?
(confident, pretty)
___ (I)
5. Why do you think most kids at school didn’t notice her new
outfit?
(most of them wore similar clothes – they were not special
to them)
___ (F)
6. What happened to Jamie when she went on an errand to the
office?
(she met Debbie, a bully, in the hall – Debbie teased her)
___ (C/E) 7. Why did Debbie say Jamie looked like a flag?
(she was wearing red, white, and blue)
___ (I)
8. How did Jamie feel about her new clothes after meeting
Debbie in the hall?
(she wasn’t excited anymore, didn’t like the clothes as
much)
___ (I)
9. Why do you think Jamie was upset even though she knew
Debbie would have made fun of any clothes?
(any logical response with support)
___ (V)
10. As they approached each other, Debbie started taunting
Jamie. What does taunting mean?
(teasing)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 16
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a man who writes fortunes for fortune cookies)
___ (C/E) 2. Why was Mr. Sung’s restaurant called “Under the Willows”?
(it stood under four huge weeping willow trees)
___ (F)
3. What did Mrs. Sung do every afternoon?
(make the lunch specials)
___ (F)
4. Where did Mr. Sung go to write his fortunes?
(outside under a willow tree or near the pond)
___ (I)
5. Why did Mr. Sung enjoy watching the children play as he
wrote?
(it helped him think of ideas for his fortunes)
___ (F)
6. What did Mr. Sung carry in his pocket?
(fortune cookies for the children)
___ (I)
7. How were the children different in the ways they ate their
cookies?
(some cracked them and read the fortune right away,
others nibbled the cookie and saved the fortune for last)
___ (F)
8. How did the younger children read their fortunes?
(Mr. Sung would read for them)
___ (I)
9. What message do you think Mr. Sung wanted to send
through his fortunes?
(any logical answer i.e., people should smile, be carefree,
enjoy life, etc.)
___ (V)
10. Mr. Sung wrote on a piece of small paper as he watched
the children’s antics. What does antics mean?
(play activities, fun, silliness)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 17
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
( a family traveling on a ship to the New World)
___ (F)
2. Where did Philip and his family get on board the ship?
(London)
___ (I)
3. Why did the family want to go to the New World?
(they were poor, wanted a better life, freedom)
___ (F)
4. What did Philip’s father plan to do in the new country?
(build an inn)
___ (F)
5. Where did the family stay during the trip?
(in a tiny, dark room on the bottom of the ship)
___ (C/E) 6. Why did everyone get seasick?
(the sea tossed and turned)
___ (C/E) 7. Why did Philip’s father speak to the captain of the ship?
(to get help for his sick daughter Hannah)
___ (I)
8. How did Hannah get well?
(she ate the orange the captain gave her)
___ (I)
9. Why do you think the orange made Hannah better? I
(had vitamins, nutrition, etc.)
___ (V)
10. His voice was gruff, but there was kindness in his eyes.
What does gruff mean?
(rough, harsh, etc.)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4. Passage 18
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a boy who makes bubbles with his sister)
___ (F)
2. What materials did Russ gather to make the bubbles?
(bucket of warm water, dish soap, metal clothes hanger)
___ (F)
3. Where did Russ go to make the bubbles?
(backyard, under an oak tree, far from house)
___ (I)
4. How did Russ make the bubbles?
(bent hanger into a circle, dipped into bucket, spun
around in circles)
___ (C/E) 5. Why didn’t Russ like Jenny very much?
(she tattled on him a lot)
___ (C/E) 6. Why didn’t Jenny tattle about the bubbles?
(she wanted to make bubbles too)
___ (I)
7. Why did Russ let her make bubbles with him?
(she threatened to tell on him if he didn’t let her)
___ (F)
8. What did Jenny teach Russ?
(how she made bigger bubbles than he did)
___ (C/E)
9. Do you think Russ would get in trouble if his parents found
out what he was doing?
(any logical answer with support)
___ (V)
10. Huge bubbles emerged from the circle and floated around
the backyard. What does emerged mean?
(came out of, etc.)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 19
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a girl who eats jelly that makes her glow and fly)
___ (C/E) 2. Why was Joy standing on a chair in the kitchen?
(looking in the cupboards for something to eat)
___ (F)
3. What made a glow on the high shelf?
(a jar of strawberry jelly)
___ (C/E) 4. How did the jelly jar break?
(Joy stood on her tiptoes, lost her balance and knocked it
down)
___ (C/E) 5. Why did Joy taste the jelly?
(it gave off a rose-colored light and smelled very sweet)
___ (C/E) 6. Why didn’t she eat any more jelly?
(she heard her mama, had to clean it up before she
walked in)
___ (F)
7. What was Joy eating when her mama came in?
(a bowl of corn flakes)
___ (I)
8. What did the jelly do to Joy?
(made her skin glow, gave her the ability to fly)
___ (C/E) 9. How did Joy discover that she could fly?
(when she jumped up to see herself in the mirror, she
flew)
___ (V)
10. …she knelt down to scrub the floor… What does knelt
mean?
(got down on her knees)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 20
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a girl who finds a toad in her bed and in her desk at
school)
___ (F)
2. What did Alice do when she felt something wriggling in her
bed?
(shrieked, sat up, turned on light, pulled off covers – any
2)
___ (F)
3. What did the toad do when Alice yelled and told him to get
out?
(put his head down and went to sleep)
___ (F)
4. Where did Alice sleep that night?
(on the floor)
___ (F)
5. Where was the toad in the morning?
(mysteriously gone)
___ (I)
6. Why was Alice feeling smug at school?
(had a perfect day, got an A on spelling test, won
playground races – any 2)
___ (CE)
7. Why couldn’t Alice get out her literature book?
(she saw the toad in her desk and slammed it shut)
___ (F)
8. What was the class reading in the book?
(The Frog Prince)
___ (I)
9. What do you think the toad wanted from Alice? Why?
(wanted her to kiss him – he puckered lips, made kissing
sounds, they’re reading a story about a frog that gets
kissed – any 1)
___ (V)
10. She was feeling very smug as she opened her desk…
What does smug mean?
(satisfied, pleased with herself)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 21
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a bear cub who wants honey)
___ (I)
2. What did the bear hear when he came out of his den?
(a bee buzzing by)
___ (C/E) 3. Why did the bear follow the bee?
(he thought he would find honey)
___ (F)
4. What happened to the bear as he tried to run after the bee?
(he tripped on roots and rocks, he stubbed his toe)
___ (F)
5. How did the bear try to scare off the bees? Did it work?
(he tried to shake the tree - no)
___ (C/E) 6. Why did the bees swarm around the bear as he climbed the
tree?
(they were protecting their hive)
___ (F)
7. Where did the bear finally get stung?
(on his nose)
___ (C/E) 8. What made the pine cone fall on his head?
(he kicked the tree)
___ (I)
___ (V)
9. Why did the bear say he really didn’t want honey after all?
Was that true?
(it was too hard for him to get any – he really still wanted
it)
10. As he climbed higher, the bees started to swarm around
him… What does swarm mean?
(gather in a large group)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 22
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(Randy and his mother go shopping for a new rug)
___ (I)
2. Where would the new rug go in Randy’s house?
(in the living room)
___ (I)
3. Why didn’t Randy’s dad go shopping with them?
(he was out of town for a few weeks)
___ (F)
4. Did Randy’s mom want an expensive rug or a cheap one?
(something in between)
___ (F)
5. Which rug caught Randy’s attention?
(a colorful one with tassels on each end)
___ (F)
6. What did the rug do as Randy watched it?
(it seemed to quiver)
___ (F)
7. Why did the salesman say Randy wouldn’t want that rug?
(it was very old and very ugly)
___ (I)
8. Why did the salesman show Randy and his mom the boring
brown rug?
(he didn’t want them to buy the colorful one)
___ (I)
9. Why do you think the salesman didn’t want anyone to buy
the colorful rug?
(it seemed alive, it was mysterious, etc.)
___ (V)
10. Randy’s parents were remodeling their living room.
What does remodeling mean?
(changing things like windows, floors, walls, etc.)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 23
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a boy who doesn’t want to change his dirty socks)
___ (C/E) 2. Why did Robin refuse to change his dirty socks?
(he thought they were lucky)
___ (C/E) 3. What happened when he wore the same socks for two
weeks in a row?
(they would smell bad – he would leave a bad smell
wherever he went)
___ (F)
4. What did Robin’s mom tell him to do with the socks?
(put them in the washing machine)
___ (F)
5. What did Robin do after he started the washing cycle?
(didn’t close the lid, pulled himself up on the dryer to
watch)
___ (C/E) 6. Why did he fall inside the washing machine?
(watching the socks spin made him dizzy, he lost his
balance)
___ (F)
7. Where was Robin when he climbed out of the machine?
(Dirty Laundry Land – a place filled with piles of dirty
laundry)
___ (F)
8. What did the dirty little man tell Robin?
(put on the dirty socks, stay and have good luck forever)
___ (I)
9. Why do you think Robin decided he would always wear
clean he went)
(he realized the dirty laundry in Dirty Laundry Land was
disgusting)
___ (V)
10. …a stench would trail two steps behind him wherever he
went. What does stench mean?
(bad smell)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 24
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a girl who wants to know how rainbows are made)
____ (F)
2. What did Tabby notice when she began to study rainbows?
(they appeared after a shower when the sun started to
shine, some stretched across the whole sky, some were
hidden by clouds)
___ (F)
3. Where did Tabby record her observations?
(in a notebook)
___ (F)
4. How did Tabby think rainbows were made?
(by magic)
____ (F)
5. What did Tabby’s mother say when Tabby asked about
rainbows?
(she didn’t know, she couldn’t remember what she’d
learned in school)
___ (I)
6. Who knew the correct answer to Tabby’s question?
(her teacher)
___ (C/E) 7. Why was Tabby disappointed by his answer?
(he told her rainbows were made by sun catching on
water, Crystal but she expected a magical explanation)
___ (F)
8. What did Tabby do when she saw a rainbow on her way
home from school?
(frown, said “You’re not magic, just a trick of sunlight and
water”)
____ (I)
9. Why did Tabby decide that maybe there was some magic in
sunlight and water creating a rainbow?
(you can’t see how it happens, it makes something
beautiful, etc.)
___ (V)
10. The light reflects off the crystals and makes a color. What
does reflects mean?
(bounces off)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 25
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a beaver who doesn’t have many friends)
___ (C/E) 2. Is the reason he has no friends because he has no time to
play? Why not?
(no - because the rabbit and sparrow work all day but
they have friends)
___ (C/E) 3. Why does the beaver have no friends?
(because no one likes his buck teeth)
___ (F)
4. How did the other animals treat the beaver at parties?
(they laughed at him, didn’t ask him to dance or offer him
punch, said mean things about him – any 2)
___ (F)
5. What did the hawk suggest he should do about his teeth?
(get braces)
___ (I)
6. Why did the rabbit try to hide her own teeth under her
whiskers?
(she has large teeth too)
___ (C/E) 7. Why did the beaver decide to ignore what the other animals
said?
(because his teeth helped him cut down trees to make a
dam)
___ (F)
8. What did the beaver think about the animals that had
spoken cruelly?
(they were fools)
___ (I)
9. Why do you think the beaver felt lucky at the end of the
story?
(he had a nice warm dam and was well fed because of his
buck teeth)
____ (V)
10. The other animals snickered at the beaver…
What does snickered mean?
(laughed in a mean way)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 26
___ (MI)
1. What is this passage about?
(a family that has a lot of problems on a camping trip)
___ (F)
2. How long did it take to prepare for the journey?
(a week)
___ (F)
3. What was the ride to the campsite like?
(long, cramped, beautiful scenery, through forests/around
lakes any 2)
___ (C/E) 4. How did Sister hurt her head?
(fell off a picnic table)
___ (C/E) 5. Why couldn’t they go fishing?
(father forgot gas for the boat)
___ (C/E) 6. Why do you think Mother didn’t get any sleep?
(sister talked in her sleep, Father snored, muddy sleeping
bags - any 1)
___ (I)
7. Why didn’t they see any birds or animals while they were
biking?
(they were too loud and scared them away)
___ (F)
8. What was the weather like after lunch?
(stormy, rain and hail)
___ (I)
9. Who had the most fun on the trip? Why?
(the children, they didn’t mind the things that went wrong,
may have seen it as an adventure, etc.)
___ (V)
10. The scenery was beautiful… What does scenery mean?
(landscape, view of nature, etc.)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 27
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(two girls sledding)
___ (I)
2. What is Nikki doing when the story begins?
(going down the hill on her sled)
___ (I)
3. When does the story take place?
(evening, night)
___ (C/E) 4. Why was it hard for Nikki to keep her eyes open when she
went down the hill?
(ice cold wind pushed against her face)
___ (F)
5. What did Nikki do at the bottom of the hill?
(when the sled stopped, rolled onto her back/looked up at
the sky)
___ (C/E) 6. How did Nikki avoid being hit by Mandy’s sled?
(a voice warned her to “Look out!” and she rolled out of
the way)
___ (I)
7. How did Nikki know that Mandy almost ran into her?
(Mandy’s sled threw snow on her neck, she heard it pass
by)
___ (C/E) 8. Why did Mandy almost run into Nikki?
(Mandy couldn’t see where she was going because her
eyes were closed)
___ (I)
___ (V)
9. How might the story have ended if Nikki hadn’t rolled out of
Mandy’s way?
(any logical response)
10. Nikki remained aboard the sled… What does remained
mean?
(stayed)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 28
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(Raven and Mother Bear teach unkind Crow a lesson)
___ (F)
2. What did Crow like to do?
(mock the animals in the forest, laugh at them)
___ (C/E) 3. Why did the animals get Raven and Crow confused?
(they looked very much alike)
___ (C/E) 4. Why was Mother Bear angry at Crow?
(he had called her boring and clumsy, laughed at her)
___ (I)
5. Why did she growl at Raven?
(she thought Raven was Crow)
___ (I)
6. What did Raven and Mother Bear decide to do about Crow?
(teach him a lesson, play a trick on him)
___ (I)
7. What did Raven and Mother Bear do to play a trick on
Crow?
(they put a piece of silver in a tree stump)
___ (F)
8. What happened when Crow tried to get the silver out of the
stump?
(he could not get his head out of the stump, the other
animals laughed and teased him)
___ (I)
9. Why will Crow think twice about laughing at someone from
now on?
(he knows it doesn’t feel good to be laughed at)
___ (V)
10. Crow like to mock the animals of the forest.
What does mock mean?
(tease, make fun of them)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 29
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(two children who go to a museum with their father)
___ (F)
2. What was the first thing Garth saw in the museum?
(an elephant)
___ (F)
3. What did Father want to show the children in the museum?
(dinosaurs)
___ (F)
`
4. What parts of the dinosaurs were displayed in the museum?
(their bones)
___ (I)
5. What happened to the dinosaur bones?
(they turned to stone)
___ (F)
6. How small was the smallest dinosaur on display?
(as small as a mouse)
___ (F)
7. What animals did some of the dinosaurs resemble?
(duck, hairy elephant, alligators/crocodiles, bird, shark –
any 2)
___ (C/E) 8. Why did Jessie say she didn’t want to live when the
dinosaurs lived?
(she would get eaten by them)
___ (I)
9. How would Garth have escaped being the dinosaurs’
dinner?
(run away and hide in a cave)
___ (V)
10. They looked through the rest of the dinosaur exhibit.
What does exhibit mean?
(any reasonable answer)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 30
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a polar bear who gets lost)
___ (F)
2. What did the young polar bear see on the ice?
(a small seal pup)
___ (C/E) 3. Why did the seal dive into a hole in the ice?
(he heard the bear’s paws, was afraid bear would
hurt him)
___ (F)
4. What did the bear want to do with the seal?
(make friends)
___ (C/E) 5. Why couldn’t the bear trace his tracks back to his family?
(it was getting dark)
___ (F)
6. What did the bear do when he realized he was lost?
(he sat on the snow and cried)
___ (I)
7. How did his mother and brother find him?
(they heard him crying)
___ (C/E) 8. Why did he slide right past his family?
(he was running fast and didn’t stop in time on the
slippery ice)
___ (I)
9. What lesson do you think the polar bear learned from this
experience?
(not to run away from his family)
___ (V)
10. He was scared when he found himself all alone on the frigid
ice. What does frigid mean?
(any reasonable answer)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 31
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a swan that guarded a house until she got her silver egg
back)
___ (I)
2. Why do some people call the swan the angel of all birds?
(they are gentle and beautiful)
___ (I)
3. To what creatures was the swan in the story compared?
(dragon, troll, bull, grizzly bear – any 2)
___ (I)
4. Where did the swan stay for protection?
(in a cave by the river)
___ (F)
5. What did the swan look like?
(gray, tattered feathers, bent long neck – any 2)
___ (C/E) 6. Why did the author have no friends that summer?
(swan guarded the house, chased away visitors)
___ (C/E) 7. Why did the grandfather say the swan despised humans?
(some children had stolen her silver egg)
___ (F)
8. Where was the egg hidden?
(behind a cement stone in the corner of the basement)
___ (F)
9. What happened when the swan saw the egg?
(silver tears fell from her eyes)
___ (V)
10. The egg was slightly tarnished but it wasn’t broken.
What does tarnished mean?
(any reasonable answer)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 32
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a greedy man who wants to cut down a beloved oak tree)
___ (I)
2. Why was the tree important to the kids?
(they met there to play, was their club headquarters)
___ (F)
3. What kind of car did Mr. Greed drive?
(shiny, black)
___ (F)
4. What did Mr. Greed want to do on Colorado St?
(widen it, cut down all the trees)
___ (I)
5. What did Mr. Greed plan to do with the big oak tree after
cutting it down?
(sell it for a lot of money)
___ (F)
6. What did the kids do as soon as they heard about Mr.
Greed’s plan?
(called an emergency meeting under the tree)
___ (F)
7. How did the kids fight Mr. Greed’s plan?
(wrote letters to him, made protest signs)
___ (C/E) 8. Why did Mr. Greed give up on his plan to cut down the tree?
(he realized he couldn’t win)
___ (I)
___ (V)
9. Why was Mr. Greed an appropriate name for the character
in this story?
(greed means selfish, he only cared about making
money)
10. They met on … humid summer nights.
What does humid mean?
(any reasonable answer)
Comprehension Questions - Aimsweb
Grade 4, Passage 33
___ (MI)
1. What was this passage about?
(a boy who learns about a superstition from his neighbor)
___ (F)
2. What was Tim doing as he walked along the sidewalk?
(whispering “Step on a crack, break your mother’s back”)
___ (C/E) 3. Why did he bump into Mrs. Anderson?
(he was concentrating on avoiding the cracks, not looking
ahead)
___ (C/E) 4. Why was Mrs. Anderson sitting on the sidewalk?
(she was pulling weeds that grew between the cracks)
___ (C/E) 5. Why did Tim’s mother have a sprained ankle?
(from playing ball with him)
___ (F)
6. What did Mrs. Anderson tell Tim about the rhyme?
(it’s not related to his mother’s back, just a superstition)
___ (C/E) 7. How did Mr. Peterson break his back?
(fell off his roof onto the sidewalk)
___ (F)
8. For what was Mr. Peterson famous in the neighborhood?
(his display of Christmas decorations)
___ (I)
9. Why did Tim wonder if Mr. Peterson fell on a crack?
(any logical response)
___ (V)
10.…it’s only a superstition. What does superstition mean?
(something that people think is true, but it’s really false)