Student Name:
2015-2016
th
4 Grade Language Arts
Benchmark
Louisiana
Published by TE21, Inc. October 2014
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
Do Not Reproduce
DIRECTIONS:
• Read each of the passages, and answer the questions that follow.
• You will choose the best answer for some questions, but you will have to choose
more than one answer for some of the others. Choose the best answer or
answers from the choices given.
• At the end of each task, you will also be asked to write a response based on the
passages.
• Stop when you see the words “STOP. END OF LANGUAGE ARTS BENCHMARK.”
Page 1
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Read a short story titled “The Story of the First Snowdrops” and a poem titled “A Child of
Spring.” As you read, you will gather information and answer questions about how the
characters influence the change of seasons from winter to spring so that you can write an
essay.
The first passage is a short story called “The Story of the First Snowdrops” by Florence
Holbrook. Old man winter does not want the season to change, but a young man comes
and tries to change that. Read the passage, and answer the questions.
“The Story of the First Snowdrops”
from The Book of Nature Myths
by Florence Holbrook
1
An old man sat alone in his house. It was full of shadows; it was dark and gloomy. The old man
cared nothing for the shadows or the darkness, for he was thinking of all the mighty deeds that he
had done. “There is no one else in the world,” he muttered, “who has done such deeds as I,” and
he counted them over aloud. A sound outside of the house interrupted him. “What can it be?” he
said to himself. “How dares anything interrupt me? I have told all things to be still. It sounds like
the rippling of waters, and I have told the waters to be quiet in their beds. There it is again. It is
like the singing of birds, and I have sent the birds far away to the south.”
2
Someone opened the door and came in. It was a youth with sunny curls and rosy face.
3
“Who said you might come in?” muttered the old man.
4
“Did not you?” asked the youth, with a merry little laugh. “I am really afraid that I came without
asking. You see, everyone is glad to see me and—”
5
“I am not,” interrupted the old man.
6
“I have heard rumors of your great deeds,” said the youth, “and I came to see whether the tales
are true.”
7
“The deeds are more true than the tales,” muttered the old man, “for the tales are never great
enough. No one can count the wonderful things I have done.”
8
“And what are they?” asked the young man gravely, but with a merry little twinkle in his eyes that
would have made one think of the waves sparkling in the sunlight. “Let us see whether you or I can
tell the greatest tale.”
9
“I can breathe upon a river and turn it to ice,” said the old man.
10 “I can breathe upon the ice and turn it to a river,” said the youth.
11 “I can say to water, ‘Stand still,’ and it will not dare to stir.”
12 “I can say, ‘Stand no longer,’ and it will go running and chattering down the mountain side.”
13 “I shake my white head,” said the old man, “and snow covers the earth.”
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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14 “I shake my curls,” said the young man, “and the air sparkles with sunshine. In a moment the snow
is gone.”
15 “I say to the birds, ‘Sing no more. Leave me,’ and they spread their wings and fly far away.”
16 “I say, ‘Little birds, come back,’ and in a moment they are back again and singing their sweetest
songs to me.”
17 “No one can count the leaves,” said the old man, “but whether I shake the trees with my icy touch,
or whether I turn my cold breath upon them, they fall to the ground with fear and trembling. Are
there any rumors of my deeds as great as that?”
18 The young man answered gravely, but with a laugh in his voice, “I never saw any leaves falling to
the ground, for when I appear, they are all fair and green and trembling with the gladness of my
coming.”
19 So the two talked all night long. As morning came near, the old man appeared weary, but the
youth grew merrier. The sunlight brightened, and the youth turned to the open door. The trees
were full of birds, and when they saw him, they sang, “O beautiful spring! glad are we to look
again upon your face.”
20 “My own dear birds!” cried spring. He turned to say good-bye, but the old man was gone, and
where he had stood were only snowflakes. But were they snowflakes? He looked again. They were
little white snowdrops, the first flowers of spring, the only flowers that can remember the winter.
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Part A
1.
What is the meaning of the phrase I have told the waters to be quiet in their beds as
it is used in paragraph 1?
A The old man froze the water.
B The old man blanketed the water in snow.
C The old man let the water run slowly.
D The old man sang to the water.
Part B
2.
Which detail from the passage best helps the reader understand the meaning of the
phrase I have told the waters to be quiet in their beds ?
A “…made one think of the waves sparkling in the sunlight.”
B “‘I can breathe upon a river and turn it to ice…’”
C “‘I can say, “Stand no longer,” and it will go running…’”
D “‘I shake my white head,’ said the old man, ‘and snow covers the earth.’”
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Part A
3.
Which is the best summary of the passage?
A The old man is grumpy and does not want anyone to bother him in winter. A young man
comes in and asks the old man to tell him all about the deeds he has done in the past.
B A very cheerful and talented young man goes to visit an old man at his home. The two talk
and find out that the young man likes spring best and the old man likes winter best.
C The old man and the young man compare their deeds with one another to see who is best.
The young man turns out to be spring, and the old man, who is winter, goes away.
D A young man watches the actions of an old man during winter. The young man does not
understand why the old man likes to make the leaves fall off the trees.
Part B
4.
Which two details from the passage provide support for the answer in Part A?
A “A sound outside of the house interrupted him. ‘What can it be?’ he said to himself. ‘How
dares anything interrupt me?’”
B “‘Did not you?’ asked the youth, with a merry little laugh. ‘I am really afraid that I came
without asking.’”
C “‘And what are they?’ asked the young man gravely, but with a merry little twinkle in his eyes
that would have made one think of the waves sparkling in the sunlight. ‘Let us see whether
you or I can tell the greatest tale.’”
D “The young man answered gravely, but with a laugh in his voice, ‘I never saw any leaves
falling to the ground, for when I appear, they are all fair and green and trembling with the
gladness of my coming.’”
E
“So the two talked all night long. As morning came near, the old man appeared weary, but
the youth grew merrier.”
F
“‘My own dear birds!’ cried spring. He turned to say good-bye, but the old man was gone, and
where he had stood were only snowflakes.”
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
5.
Do Not Reproduce
Based on the passage, which three phrases best complete the graphic organizer to
describe the youth?
Phrases to Describe the Youth
1.
2.
3.
A enjoys visiting the mountains
B is curious about the old man
C is saddened by the old man’s deeds
D likes to hear the birds sing
E
has a playful and fun attitude
F
dislikes snowdrops
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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The second passage is a poem called “A Child of Spring” by Ellen Robena Field. This poem
is also about the coming of spring. Read the poem, and answer the questions.
“A Child of Spring”
by Ellen Robena Field
5
10
15
20
Page 7
I know a little maiden,
She is very fair and sweet,
As she trips among the grasses
That kiss her dainty feet;
Her arms are full of flowers,
The snow-drops, pure and white,
Timid blue-eyed violets,
And daffodillies bright.
She loves dear Mother Nature,
And wanders by her side;
She beckons to the birdlings
That flock from far and wide.
She wakes the baby brooklets,
Soft breezes hear her call;
She tells the little children
The sweetest tales of all.
Her brow is sometimes clouded,
And she sighs with gentle grace,
Till the sunbeams, daring lovers,
Kiss the teardrops from her face.
Well we know this dainty maiden,
For April is her name;
And we welcome her with gladness,
As the springtime comes again.
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Part A
6.
What is the meaning of the word dainty as it is used in line 4?
A strong
B slow
C nervous
D cute
Part B
7.
Which detail from the poem best supports the answer to Part A?
A “She is very fair and sweet”
B “As she trips among the grasses”
C “Her arms are full of flowers”
D “Timid blue-eyed violets”
Page 8
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Questions 8-10 ask about what you read in both the passage “The Story of the First
Snowdrops” and the poem “A Child of Spring.” You need to think about both the passage
and the poem when you answer these questions.
Part A
8.
What is a similarity between the youth in the passage “The Story of the First
Snowdrops” and the maiden in the poem “A Child of Spring”?
A Both the youth and the maiden love Mother Nature.
B Both the youth and the maiden like to tell children about their deeds.
C Both the youth and the maiden have curly hair.
D Both the youth and the maiden can make water run.
Part B
9.
Which two details from the passage and poem can be used to support the answer in
Part A? Choose one detail from the passage and one detail from the poem.
“The Story of the First Snowdrops”
(choose one )
“A Child of Spring”
(choose one )
A
“It was a youth with sunny curls and
rosy face.”
E
“She loves dear Mother Nature”
B
“‘Let us see whether you or I can tell the
greatest tale.’”
F
“She wakes the baby brooklets”
C
“‘I can breathe upon the ice and turn it
to a river,’ said the youth.”
G
“She tells the little children”
D
“The trees were full of birds, and when
they saw him, they sang…”
H
“And she sighs with gentle grace”
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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10. Think about how the passage “The Story of the First Snowdrops” and the poem “A
Child of Spring” communicate similar ideas by using different structures.
Complete the chart by choosing the structural elements that fit the passage and the
ones that fit the poem.






A
B
C
D
Page 10
Structural Elements
description
dialogue
paragraphs
rhyme
setting
stanzas
“The Story of the First Snowdrops”
“A Child of Spring”
?
?
“The Story of the First Snowdrops”
 dialogue
 paragraphs
 rhyme
 stanzas




“A Child of Spring”
description
paragraphs
setting
stanzas
“The Story of the First Snowdrops”
 dialogue
 paragraphs
 rhyme
 setting




“A Child of Spring”
dialogue
paragraphs
rhyme
setting




“A Child of Spring”
description
rhyme
setting
stanzas




“A Child of Spring”
description
dialogue
paragraphs
stanzas
“The Story of the First Snowdrops”
 description
 dialogue
 paragraphs
 setting
“The Story of the First Snowdrops”
 description
 dialogue
 setting
 stanzas
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Literary Analysis Task—Prose Constructed Response
You read two passages: the short story “The Story of the First Snowdrops” by Florence
Holbrook and the poem “A Child of Spring” by Ellen Robena Field. Both passages illustrate
the coming of spring through the use of characters.
On a separate sheet of paper, write an essay describing how the author and the poet show
the change from winter to spring through the thoughts, words, and actions of the youth in
the passage and the young maiden in the poem. Include specific details from the passages
to support your essay.
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Read three passages related to the Wright brothers’ first flight: a passage from Who Were
the Wright Brothers, “First Flight” from The Flyers: In Search of Wilbur and Orville Wright,
and “Short Biographies of First Flight Witnesses” from The Wright Way. As you review
these passages, you will gather information and answer questions so that you can write an
essay.
The first passage is from Who Were the Wright Brothers? It provides information about
the first airplane flight and the men responsible for it. Read the passage, and answer the
questions.
from Who
Were the Wright Brothers?
by James Buckley Jr.
1
Once again, the Wrights headed to Kitty Hawk. They assembled their new machine in the shed they
had built the year before. They called the airplane the Wright Flyer. Then they waited for the right
weather. They needed wind, but not too much. They also didn’t want to fly in the rain.
2
On December 14, the conditions were just right. To decide who would fly first, the brothers flipped
a coin. Wilbur won. However, their first test of the Wright Flyer failed. Wilbur got only a few feet
off the ground before the engine stalled. The machine crashed down to the ground, breaking
several small parts.
3
By December 17, repairs were finished and conditions were perfect again. The brothers woke early
and had a big breakfast. They hung a large flag on their sleeping hut. This was a signal to the men
living down the beach at the U.S. Lifesaving Station—a version of the Coast Guard—that the
brothers needed help to move their heavy airplane into the correct position on the sand.
4
By 10:35 a.m., the men had arrived, and the airplane was in position on the starting rail. This was
a long, thin platform on which the airplane slid before starting—the first Wright Flyer did not have
wheels. One of the local men, John T. Daniels, was told to snap a photo when the plane took off.
Daniels had never taken a picture before! Wilbur set the camera up and told Daniels to simply
squeeze a small rubber ball to take the picture.
5
The two brothers checked the airplane carefully. Then they shook hands. This was not something
they normally did before flights. Daniels later said that the Wrights looked like men “who weren’t
sure they’d see one another again.”
6
Orville laid down on the pilot’s controls. Wilbur stood at the end of the wing to steady the craft as
the engine started. Slowly, the Wright Flyer moved down the rail. Wilbur ran alongside, holding the
wing. As the plane reached the end of the rail, it rose into the air! Daniels snapped the picture and
captured the historic moment.
7
A human being was truly flying!
8
Orville’s first flight lasted only 12 seconds, and he flew only 120 feet. But he had done it with
engine power, controlled steering, and a safe landing. The Wright brothers had invented an
airplane!
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
9
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The men on the beach surrounded Orville, clapping and congratulating him. Wilbur shook his
brother’s hand again.
10 Over the next couple of hours, the Wrights made three more flights. Wilbur flew last and had the
best flight of the day—which made it the best flight of all time to that point. He was in the air for
59 seconds and flew 852 feet, more than two football fields.
11 As Wilbur climbed from the plane and the men congratulated him, a sudden wind gust lifted the
plane! It tumbled down the beach. John T. Daniels tried to grab a wing, but he was pulled along in
the wreckage. He was not hurt, but he would later boast of surviving the airplane crash!
12 The Wright Flyer was badly damaged, however. It was in pieces all over the sand. The Wrights
gathered up what they could and stored the wreckage in their work shed. Then they walked to
town in Kitty Hawk to send a telegram back home to Dayton. The message read in part,
“Success…four flights…longest 59 seconds…home Christmas.”
13 The telegraph operator had made a mistake, changing 59 seconds to 57 seconds. Other mistakes
about the flight soon followed. One newspaper in Virginia reported that the Wrights had soared for
three miles over the ocean!
14 Incredibly, no major newspapers covered the story! Without seeing the airplane fly for themselves,
many reporters thought that the Wrights were making their story up.
15 In the Wright’s home in Dayton, however, the telegram was received with joy. Milton Wright read it
and then announced to his family, “The boys have flown.”
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Part A
11. What is the meaning of the word conditions as it is used in paragraphs 2 and 3?
A best locations
B climate outdoors
C overall appearances
D waving banners
Part B
12. Which phrase from the passage best helps the reader understand the meaning of
conditions ?
A “…they waited for the right weather.”
B “The machine crashed down to the ground…”
C “…hung a large flag on their sleeping hut.”
D “…the correct position in the sand.”
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Part A
13. Why did the Wright brothers only take four flights on December 17?
A The brothers were happy with the times and distances they had flown on the fourth flight.
B The brothers wanted to tell their family about their successful fourth flight, and they left to
send them a message.
C Wilbur wrecked the plane on the fourth flight, and it could not be flown again.
D The plane was broken beyond repair when the wind threw it across the beach after Wilbur
finished the fourth flight.
Part B
14. Which two details from the passage provide support for the answer in Part A?
A “Wilbur got only a few feet off the ground before the engine stalled. The machine crashed
down to the ground, breaking several small parts.”
B “The men on the beach surrounded Orville, clapping and congratulating him. Wilbur shook his
brother’s hand again.”
C “Wilbur flew last and had the best flight of the day—which made it the best flight of all time
to that point. He was in the air for 59 seconds and flew 852 feet, more than two football
fields.”
D “It tumbled down the beach. John T. Daniels tried to grab a wing, but he was pulled along in
the wreckage.”
E
“The Wright Flyer was badly damaged, however. It was in pieces all over the sand. The
Wrights gathered up what they could and stored the wreckage in their work shed.”
F
“Then they walked to town in Kitty Hawk to send a telegram back home to Dayton. The
message read in part, ‘Success…four flights…longest 59 seconds…home Christmas.’”
Page 15
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Create a summary of the passage by selecting three main events and putting them in the
order in which they occurred.
Events
15.
First Event
Possible Events
A The Wright brothers’ signal for help is
seen by the lifeguards.
B The Wright brothers share the news of
their success with their family.
16.
Second Event
C The Wright brothers get the plane
ready for flight.
D The Wright brothers’ flight is
mentioned in a Virginia newspaper.
17.
Third Event
Page 16
E
The Wright brothers wish each other
well before the flight.
F
The Wright brothers have four
successful plane flights.
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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The second passage is “First Flight” from The Flyers: In Search of Wilbur and Orville
Wright. It provides additional information about the first airplane flight. Read the passage,
and answer the questions.
“First Flight”
from The Flyers: In Search of Wilbur and Orville Wright
by Noah Adams
1
On the thirteenth the plane was ready. The wind, though, was down. On the morning of the
fourteenth they decided to try a takeoff with a slight downhill run. The surfmen from the Kill Devil
Hills station came to help move the plane to a low slope of the dune that the Wrights called Big Hill.
The wooden sections of the launching rail were laid out. A picture was taken, showing four men,
two small boys, and a dog gathered near the left wingtip. The propellers were spun, starting up the
motor. The boys, it is said, ran off, scared by the noise. Wilbur won a coin toss, lay at the center of
the bottom wing, and started down the rail. A fine photograph shows the craft on the sand, the
bottom of the front elevator buried, Wilbur with his left hand on the control stick and a jut to his
jaw. He’d risen some fifteen feet, too steep, too fast—and stalled. They decided not to count it as a
flight.
2
Repair work on the fifteenth, no wind on the sixteenth, then success on the seventeenth. Five men
were there to help and witness and tell stories afterward. And pictures were taken for the same
purpose.
3
Orville carried the Korona and its wooden tripod out to the right side of the intended flight path.
He bent under the black cloth and brought the launching rail into focus—upside down—on the
ground glass. The composition was a guess. If the machine was to lift off, it might happen there,
forty feet down the track. He asked lifesaver Daniels to take the picture if the plane rose: Just
stand right here and hold on to this rubber bulb and click the shutter when you see daylight under
the plane. Orville slid in a film holder, pulled out the dark slide so the camera was ready. Then he
got set to fly.
4
John T. Daniels of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, and Manteo, North Carolina, is the photographer of
record for the first flight of a powered aircraft. He would always maintain it was the only picture he
took in his life. But at 10:36 that morning no one was sure that Daniels had squeezed the bulb and
opened the shutter. The glass negative would be labeled and packed away, for developing in
Dayton.
5
The second flight, with Wilbur as the pilot, was also very short and was not photographed. A poorly
focused but dramatic photo exists from flight number three, showing Orville banking to the right as
he kept the plane up for a few seconds longer. Then it was Wilbur’s turn again, and the photograph
of his flight shows the plane still in the air and quite far from the camera. Almost a minute of flying
time, and a distance of 852 feet.
elevator —On the Wright brothers’ plane, this was a
small set of wings on the front of the plane in front of the
pilot and used to steer the plane up or down
Korona —an early type of camera
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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6
The brothers and the volunteers carried the five-hundred-sixty-pound Flyer back to the launching
rail, the gusting north-east wind against the wings providing a helpful lift. They took another
picture of the plane, this time at rest, with Big Hill rising in the background. They talked about
trying a flight up the beach to the weather station at Kitty Hawk—four miles away. But in a sudden
jumble of twisting wire and shattering wood, the machine was wrecked, flipped over by the wind.
John Daniels tried to hold a rising wing and got caught up with the chains and engine. It was an
awful sight, but he was unhurt.
7
Talking with a reporter many years later, Daniels recalled his experience that day. In his mind,
over time, it had become a colorful fantasy.
8
“I like to think about it now; I like to think about that first airplane the way it sailed off in the air at
Kill Devil Hills…. I don’t think I ever saw a prettier sight in my life. Its wings and uprights were
braced with new and shiny copper piano wires. The sun was shining bright that morning, and the
wires just blazed in the sunlight like gold. The machine looked like some big, graceful golden bird
sailing off into the wind.”
Part A
18. What does the word recalled mean as it is used in paragraph 7?
A questioned
B recognized
C remembered
D watched
Part B
19. Which detail from the passage best helps the reader understand the meaning of
recalled ?
A “It was an awful sight…”
B “…a colorful fantasy.”
C “‘I like to think about it now…’”
D “‘…like some big, graceful golden bird…’”
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Part A
20. Which statement provides the best explanation of why the Wright brothers took
photographs of their flight attempts?
A The brothers wanted to practice using their new camera.
B The brothers wanted to be able to prove that they were successful.
C The brothers wanted to give one of the surfmen an extra task.
D The brothers wanted to show their family the beautiful scenery.
Part B
21. Which detail from the passage supports the answer in Part A?
A “Five men were there to help and witness and tell stories afterward. And pictures were taken
for the same purpose.”
B “He bent under the black cloth and brought the launching rail into focus—upside down—on
the ground glass. The composition was a guess.”
C “John T. Daniels of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, and Manteo, North Carolina, is the
photographer of record for the first flight of a powered aircraft.”
D “They took another picture of the plane, this time at rest, with Big Hill rising in the
background.”
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Questions 22-23 ask about what you read in both the passage from Who Were the Wright
Brothers? and the passage “First Flight.” You need to think about both passages when you
answer these questions.
Part A
22. How does John Daniels’ firsthand account in paragraph 8 of “First Flight” compare to
the rest of the passage?
A The paragraph provides more information because John Daniels studied and wrote about the
events of the first flight.
B The paragraph provides more description because John Daniels explains why he took the
photo of the first flight.
C The paragraph provides more information because it is what John Daniels experienced when
he flew the first flight.
D The paragraph provides more description because it is what John Daniels saw when he
watched the first flight.
Part B
23. Which paragraph from the passage from Who Were the Wright Brothers? shows a
secondhand account of the event John Daniels described in Part A?
A paragraph 5
B paragraph 6
C paragraph 10
D paragraph 11
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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The final passage, “Short Biographies of First Flight Witnesses” from The Wright Way,
provides information about three of the five people who watched the Wright brothers take
their first airplane flight. Read the passage, and answer the questions.
“Short Biographies of First Flight Witnesses”
from The Wright Way
by Mark Eppler
1
An unexpected and valuable resource for the Wright brothers during their flight tests in the Outer
Banks of North Carolina was the interest and assistance of the surfmen at the Kitty Hawk and Kill
Devil Hills Lifesaving Stations. The brothers not only appreciated their help, they enjoyed their
hospitality. Wilbur and Orville Wright earned the reputation of being polite and agreeable men….
When the Wright brothers were in need of assistance, they would tack a red flag to the top of their
building. It was a signal…that the brothers were going to do some flying and could use some help.
Off-duty members, upon seeing the flag, would make the short walk over to the camp. On
December 17, three surfmen would be among the five witnesses (not counting the brothers) to see
history made.
2
Daniels, John T. (1884-1948) John Daniels…had assisted the brothers on numerous occasions.
When he saw the flag raised on the morning of December 17, he joined a small group that headed
over to the Wright brothers’ camp. After assisting the Wrights in setting their 700-pound flying
machine on its launch rail, Daniels was led to a camera nearby mounted on a wooden tripod. Orville
charged Daniels with taking a photograph at the moment the flyer lifted off its track. Daniels, who
had never taken a photograph before, carried out his duties magnificently. His “first flight”
photograph would become the most famous aviation photograph ever taken. Daniels almost made
history himself. After the fourth and final flight of the day, a huge gust of wind started to turn the
flyer over. Grabbing one of its spars, Daniels tried to wrestle it to the ground. Instead, he found
himself trapped inside the framework as it tumbled about. Having survived this scary moment,
Daniels later boasted that he was the pilot on history’s fifth flight. He was nearly aviation’s first
[victim].
3
Dough, William S. (1870-1931) Before becoming a surfman at the Kill Devil Hills Lifesaving
Station, Dough had made his living…fishing and farming. Dough had been present on December
14, 1903, when Wilbur made his unsuccessful attempt to fly. On December 17, he joined fellow
surfmen Adam Ethridge and John Daniels, who were making the short walk over to the Wright
brothers’ campsite in response to their signal for assistance. The thirty-four year old surfman
helped the brothers maneuver their machine into position for an attempt to fly. Dough joined the
four other men present that day as the only witnesses of the first flight.
4
Ethridge, Adam (1877-1940) Adam Ethridge, a surfman at the Kill Devil Hills Lifesaving Station
and close friend of John Daniels, knew that something special was about to happen at Big Kill Devil
Hill. In his diary entry for Sunday, December 13, Orville Wright noted that Ethridge had brought his
wife and children by the campsite to see the brothers’ flying machine. Several days later, Ethridge
joined the small group headed to the Wright brothers’ camp. Ethridge assisted in making the final
preparations, then watched in wonder as Orville made history.
spars —part of the structure of the wing of the plane
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Part A
24. What does the word assistance mean in paragraph 1?
A eagerness or excitement
B opinion or advice
C respect or kindness
D support or aid
Part B
25. Which phrase from paragraph 1 helps the reader understand the meaning of
assistance ?
A “…appreciated their help…”
B “…polite and agreeable men….”
C “It was a signal…”
D “…would make the short walk…”
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Part A
26. Why were the surfmen important to the success of the Wright brothers?
A The surfmen were located nearby and showed the Wright brothers how to improve their
plane.
B The surfmen offered to provide the Wright brothers with the supplies they needed to prepare
their plane for its first flight.
C The surfmen were willing to do whatever it took to ensure that the Wright brothers flew their
plane.
D The surfmen offered to photograph the first flight so that the Wright brothers could share
their news in newspapers.
Part B
27. Which three details from the passage provide evidence to support the answer to
Part A?
A “When he saw the flag raised on the morning of December 17, he joined a small group that
headed over to the Wright brothers’ camp.”
B “After assisting the Wrights in setting their 700-pound flying machine on its launch rail,
Daniels was led to a camera nearby mounted on a wooden tripod.”
C “Dough had been present on December 14, 1903, when Wilbur made his unsuccessful
attempt to fly.”
D “The thirty-four year old surfman helped the brothers maneuver their machine into position
for an attempt to fly.”
E
“Dough joined the four other men present that day as the only witnesses of the first flight.”
F
“Several days later, Ethridge joined the small group headed to the Wright brothers’ camp.”
G “Ethridge assisted in making the final preparations, then watched in wonder as Orville made
history.”
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28. The authors of the passages “First Flight” and “Short Biographies of First Flight
Witnesses” present information about the Wright brothers’ first flights in different
ways. Complete the chart by choosing one statement about how the author of “First
Flight” presents the information and one statement about how the author of “Short
Biographies of First Flight Witnesses” presents the information.
How the Authors Present Information
“First Flight”
“Short Biographies of First
Flight Witnesses”
?
?
“Short Biographies of First
Flight Witnesses”
(choose one )
“First Flight”
(choose one )
A
The author focuses on the events of the
Wright brothers’ first successful flights.
E
The author focuses on the appreciation
the Wright brothers felt for those who
encouraged them.
B
The author focuses on the role John
Daniels played in the Wright brothers’
success.
F
The author focuses on the system the
Wright brothers used to let others know
they would fly soon.
C
The author focuses on the failures that
the Wright brothers experienced before
their success.
G
The author focuses on the Wright
brothers’ attempts to fly their plane
successfully.
D
The author focuses on the plane the
Wright brothers flew in their first flights.
H
The author focuses on the volunteers
who contributed to the Wright brothers’
success.
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Research Simulation Task—Prose Constructed Response
You read three passages related to the Wright brothers’ first flight: a passage from Who
Were the Wright Brothers?, “First Flight” from The Flyers: In Search of Wilbur and Orville
Wright, and “Short Biographies of First Flight Witnesses” from The Wright Way.
On a separate sheet of paper, write an essay that describes the events that led to the
Wright brothers’ first successful flights. Be sure to support your answer using evidence
from each of the three passages.
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Read the passage from Frindle by Andrew Clements. As you read, pay attention to the
characters so that you can write a narrative story.
Nick is a young man who enjoys keeping things interesting in school. It is the first day of
school, and he wants to test his new teacher. However, his new teacher may not fall so
easily for his tricks. Read the passage, and answer the questions.
from Frindle
by Andrew Clements
1
The first day of school was always a get-acquainted day. Books were passed out, and there was a
lot of chatter. Everyone asked, “What did you do over the summer?”
2
Periods one through six went by very smoothly for Nick.
3
But then came period seven. Mrs. Granger’s class was all business.
4
The first thing they did was take a vocabulary pretest to see how many of the thirty-five words for
the week the kids already knew. Tremble, circular, orchestra—the list went on and on. Nick knew
most of them.
5
Then there was a handout about class procedures. After that there was a review paper about
cursive writing, and then there was a sample sheet how the heading should look on every
assignment.
6
Nick was an expert at asking the delaying question—also known as the teacher stopper, or the
guaranteed time waster.
7
At three minutes before the bell, in that split second between the end of today’s class work and the
announcement of tomorrow’s homework, Nick could launch a question guaranteed to sidetrack the
teacher long enough to delay or even wipe out the homework assignment.
8
Timing was important, but asking the right question—that was the hard part. Questions about stuff
in the news, questions about the teacher’s favorite book or sport or hobby—Nick knew all the
tricks, and he had been very successful in the past.
9
Here he was in fifth grade, near the end of his very first language arts class with Mrs. Granger, and
Nick could feel a homework assignment coming the way a farmer can feel a rainstorm.
10 Mrs. Granger paused to catch her breath, and Nick’s hand shot up. She glanced down at her
seating chart, and then up at him. Her sharp gray eyes were not even turned up to half power.
11 “Yes, Nicholas?”
12 “Mrs. Granger, you have so many dictionaries in this room, and that huge one especially…where did
all those words come from? Did they just get copied from other dictionaries? It sure is a big book.”
13 It was a perfect thought-grenade—Ka Pow!
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14 Several kids smiled, and a few peeked at the clock. Nick was famous for this, and the whole class
knew what he was doing.
15 Unfortunately, so did Mrs. Granger. She hesitated a moment, and gave Nick a smile that was just a
little too sweet to be real. Her eyes were the color of a thundercloud.
16 “Why, what an interesting question Nicholas. I could talk about that for hours, I bet.” She glanced
around the classroom. “Do the rest of you want to know too?” Everyone nodded yes. “Very well
then. Nicholas, will you do some research on that subject and give a little oral report to the class? If
you find out the answer yourself, it will mean so much more than if I just told you. Please have
your report ready for our next class.”
17 Mrs. Granger smiled at him again. Very sweetly. Then it was back to business. “Now the homework
for tomorrow can be found on page twelve of your Words Alive book…”
18 Nick barely heard the assignment. His heart was pounding, and he felt small, very small. He could
feel the tops of his ears glowing red. A complete shutdown. An extra assignment. And probably a
little black mark next to his name on the seating chart.
19 Everything he had heard about this teacher was true—don’t mess around with The Lone Ranger.
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Part A
29. Based upon the passage, what does the phrase perfect thought-grenade mean as it is
used in paragraph 13?
A a bold question
B a distracting question
C an honest question
D an interesting question
Part B
30. Which detail from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?
A “…Nick could launch a question guaranteed to sidetrack the teacher long enough to delay or
even wipe out the homework assignment.”
B “‘…where did all those words come from? Did they just get copied from other dictionaries? It
sure is a big book.’”
C “‘Do the rest of you want to know too?’ Everyone nodded yes.”
D “Everything he had heard about this teacher was true—don’t mess around with The Lone
Ranger.”
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Part A
31. Read this statement about Mrs. Granger from paragraph 15.
She hesitated a moment, and gave Nick a smile that was just a little too sweet to be
real. Her eyes were the color of a thundercloud.
What can be learned about Mrs. Granger from this statement?
A Mrs. Granger knew what Nick was doing and planned to outsmart him.
B Mrs. Granger was upset with Nick because he hurt her feelings.
C Mrs. Granger appreciated that Nick asked such a thoughtful question.
D Mrs. Granger wondered if Nick was going to complete his homework.
Part B
32. Which detail from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?
A “She glanced down at her seating chart, and then up at him. Her sharp gray eyes were not
even turned up to half power.”
B “‘Why, what an interesting question Nicholas. I could talk about that for hours, I bet.’ She
glanced around the classroom.”
C “‘Very well then. Nicholas, will you do some research on that subject and give a little oral report to
the class? If you find out the answer yourself, it will mean so much more than if I just told you.’”
D “Then it was back to business. ‘Now the homework for tomorrow can be found on page
twelve of your Words Alive book…’”
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Part A
33. Which statement best describes Nick in paragraphs 6-10 in the passage?
A Nick was upset to be assigned homework on the first day of school.
B Nick was excited to ask his teacher a question about the class.
C Nick was uncertain that he would be able to get his teacher off track.
D Nick was confident in his abilities to get his teacher sidetracked.
Part B
34. Which two details from the passage provide support for the answer in Part A?
A “Nick was an expert at asking the delaying question…”
B “Timing was important, but asking the right question—that was the hard part.”
C “…Nick knew all the tricks, and he had been very successful in the past.”
D “Questions about stuff in the news, questions about the teacher’s favorite book or sport…”
E
“Mrs. Granger paused to catch her breath, and Nick’s hand shot up.”
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Part A
35. Which is a theme of the passage?
A Having too much pride will result in getting defeated by someone smarter.
B People enjoy receiving positive attention for their unique talents.
C Doing something on one’s own can be a valuable learning opportunity.
D People who are overly curious will cause others to question their intentions.
Part B
36. Which detail from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?
A “The first thing they did was take a vocabulary pretest to see how many of the thirty-five
words for the week the kids already knew.”
B “‘Mrs. Granger, you have so many dictionaries in this room, and that huge one
especially…where did all those words come from?’”
C “Several kids smiled, and a few peeked at the clock. Nick was famous for this, and the whole
class knew what he was doing.”
D “His heart was pounding, and he felt small, very small. He could feel the tops of his ears
glowing red. A complete shutdown.”
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37. Create a summary by choosing the correct information to complete the graphic
organizer.
Event 1:
Event 2:
Event 3:
Event 4:
1. Mrs. Granger surprises Nick by not falling for
his trick.
2. Nick notices the large dictionaries in Mrs.
Granger’s class.
3. Nick begins his first day in Mrs. Granger’s
class.
4. Mrs. Granger smiles pleasantly at Nick.
5. Nick learns not to cross Mrs. Granger.
6. Nick takes a vocabulary pretest in Mrs.
Granger’s class.
7. Nick asks Mrs. Granger a question trying to
get her off track.
A
B
C
D
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Event 1:
Event 2:
Event 3:
Event 4:
6
2
1
4
Event 1:
Event 2:
Event 3:
Event 4:
3
7
1
5
Event 1:
Event 2:
Event 3:
Event 4:
6
7
5
4
Event 1:
Event 2:
Event 3:
Event 4:
3
6
7
5
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CASE 4th Grade Language Arts
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Narrative Writing Task—Prose Constructed Response
You have read the passage from Frindle by Andrew Clements. Think about how the story
would be different if it were told from Mrs. Granger’s point of view. Write a narrative story
retelling the story from Mrs. Granger’s point of view. Be sure to use supporting details
from the passage.
This is the end of the Language Arts Benchmark.
DIRECTIONS:
1.
Look back over the answers you selected for the questions for the passages and reread your written responses. This will be your only opportunity to make changes or
corrections.
2.
Put all of your papers inside your test book, and close your test book.
3.
Stay quietly in your seat until your teacher tells you that testing is finished.
END OF LANGUAGE ARTS BENCHMARK
Acknowledgements
“The Story of the First Snowdrops” from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook. Copyright 1902 by Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
“A Child of Spring” from Buttercup Gold and Other Stories by Ellen Robena Field. Copyright 1894 by the Bangor (Maine) Kindergarten
Association.
Excerpt from Who Were the Wright Brothers? by James Buckley Jr. Copyright 2014 by Grosset & Dunlap.
“First Flight” from The Flyers: In Search of Wilbur and Orville Wright by Noah Adams. Copyright 2003 by Crown Publishers.
“Short Biographies of First Flight Witnesses” from The Wright Way by Mark Eppler. Copyright 2004 by AMACOM.
Excerpt from Frindle by Andrew Clements. Copyright 1996 by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.
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