Stafford Township School District
Manahawkin, NJ
Test Prep Unit
Integrated Language Arts
Grade 5
Revised 3/2011
1
Fiction Model Passage
Directions: You will have 30 minutes to complete the reading passage and the
questions that follow. This section will include 10 multiple-choice questions and
1 open-ended response. Work up to the page that has the “stop sign” on the
bottom or until time runs out.
If you finish early, check over your work. Remember, you may only check work in
this section.
My Friend Bruno
Bruno was missing again.
It was the third time this week, and frankly, Sofia was getting upset that he kept
disappearing. What bothered her more was that she had to keep looking for him.
However, each time he had gone missing, she had found him hiding in the same place.
She now had a pretty good idea of where to look for him first.
“Rosa!” she yelled.
Rosa was Sofia’s five-year-old cousin. Rosa and her mother, Sofia’s Aunt Maria, had
moved to New Jersey about a year earlier. Sofia’s parents had agreed to let Rosa and
Aunt Maria stay at their house until they could find a place of their own.
Sofia had to admit that at first, spending time with Rosa was a lot of fun. She was like
the little sister Sofia never had. She followed Sofia everywhere she went. She dressed
like her and talked like her. Rosa wanted to be just like her cool 11-year –old cousin.
However, after a while, Sofia grew tired of having a tail. It wasn’t that she didn’t love
Rosa. She just wasn’t used to sharing everything. Especially Bruno.
Sofia slowly opened the door to Rosa’s bedroom. At first she didn’t see her cousin. She
could only hear her little high-pitched voice coming from the other side of the bed.
“Would you care for a spot of tea, Bruno?” Rosa asked.
Sofia smiled. She had to admit that Rosa was pretty cute, even if she did take things
from Sofia’s room without asking. She peered over the bed.
“Rosa, may I please have Bruno back?”
Rosa looked at Sofia, her face red with embarrassment. She lifted Bruno from his seat
on the red-and-white checked picnic blanket and handed him to Sofia. “Do you want to
have a tea party with me?”
Sofia shook her head. “I’ve got homework to do before dinner,” she replied.
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Rosa look disappointed for a moment, but then turned her attention back to the other
“guests” at her tea party.
Sofia returned to her own room and closed the door. She gave Bruno a big hug and
placed him in his rightful place between the pillows on her bed.
14 Sofia and Bruno had been friends since Sofia was just about Rosa’s age. Sofia
remembered when her parents told her that they were going to move from Florida to
New Jersey. She had cried and cried. She didn’t want to leave behind all the friends she
had made in kindergarten.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have a choice, and moving day arrived quickly. To help
comfort her, Sofia’s parents gave her a big brown teddy bear. He was made of sturdy
corduroy and had big black buttons for eyes. Sofia named him Bruno. Before she left
Florida, she made all of her friends give him a hug. “Then when I hug him, it will be like
hugging all of you, too,” she had explained.
15 Since then, Sofia had played with many other toys, but Bruno had always remained
her favorite. As she got older, she set aside her blocks, dolls, and coloring books. She
shifted her attention to reading mystery books, writing stories, and drawing. Even
though she had given away many of her toys, Sofia still wasn’t quite ready to let go of
Bruno. Each night, he somehow found his way into her arms as she drifted off to sleep.
16 Sofia and Bruno had been through a lot together. When Sofia first started her new
school in New Jersey, Bruno stuck by her until she made new friends. He happily spent
his days at the bottom of her backpack to give her comfort throughout the long school
day. In second grade, Bruno had accompanied her to the hospital when she had her
tonsils removed. When she got the chicken pox a year later, Bruno was there to remind
her not to scratch the itchy red bumps. Bruno had tagged along to summer camp one
year. And the year that Sofia had broken her arm, he had stayed at home to help her
heal.
17 All those years together had certainly taken their toll on poor Bruno. Parts of his
corduroy body were threadbare. His left paw was leaking stuffing, and at present, he
was missing an eye. Even so, Sofia still loved him and considered him her best friend.
That’s why she got so angry when Rosa took him without asking. Taking away Bruno
was like taking away a piece of her. And no matter how many times she tried to explain
it to Rosa, her cousin just didn’t quite understand. “It’s just a toy,” she would reply, but
Sofia knew better.
Sofia quickly finished her math homework, wrote out her social studies questions, and
copied her spelling words three times each. At dinner time, she went downstairs to set
the table. She found Aunt Maria in the kitchen, happily humming as she stirred a big pot
of soup on the stove.
As the whole family gathered around the table, Aunt Maria tapped a spoon against her
glass.
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“I have an announcement to make,” she said. “I have been offered a teaching position
at a high school in Pennsylvania, so Rosa and I will be moving to a new house in about
a month.”
“Congratulations,” said Sofia’s mother with a smile.
“No,” said Rosa. “No, no, no. I don’t want to move. I don’t want to leave behind all the
new friends I made this year at school. It’s not fair.”
Aunt Maria took Rosa in her lap and tried to explain to Rosa that she would make lots of
new friends in Pennsylvania. Rosa did not want to hear it. Even Sofia tried to make
Rosa feel better. She told her all about her own family’s move and about the great
friends she had made upon arriving in New Jersey. Nothing seemed to comfort the poor
little girl.
That night, as Sofia lay in her bed, she couldn’t stop thinking about Rosa. She knew
what she had to do.
A few weeks later, a big orange moving truck pulled up in front of Sofia’s house. Aunt
Maria ran from room to room, writing on boxes with a black marker.
Before long, the movers had loaded everything that belonged to Aunt Maria and Rosa
into the truck.
Sofia hadn’t realized how sad she would be to see little Rosa leave. She found her
cousin sitting on the porch swing, watching the movers as they fastened the door closed
on the truck.
“Hey, Rosa, mind if I pull up a seat?” asked Sofia.
Rosa made room for Sophia to sit down, and they slowly rocked back and forth.
“I wanted to give you a very special gift before you leave,” said Sofia.
“A gift?” Rosa looked at Sofia, her eyes wide.
Sofia pulled a freshly repaired Bruno from behind her back. She had sewn up all of his
holes and given him a new set of matching green buttons for eyes.
“You’re giving me Bruno? But he’s your favorite toy,” said Rosa.
“No, Rosa. Bruno’s not just a toy. He is a friend. He became my best friend when I left
Florida, and he’s been my best friend ever since. Now he’ll be your friend.”
Sofia hugged the bear tightly and then handed him to Rosa. “Whenever you hug him,
it’ll be just like you’re hugging me,” she said.
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Rosa looked at Bruno and hugged him. “Now I have a friend who will go to
Pennsylvania with me.”
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is a theme of “My Friend Bruno”?
A. Everyone is good at something.
B. Keep trying until you succeed.
C. Friendship is a very special gift.
D. Slow and steady wins the race.
2. “Sofia grew tired of having a tail” means Sofia
A. wanted Rosa to stop going in her bedroom.
B. wanted to give Bruno to Rosa as a gift.
C. did not like that Rosa told all of her secrets.
D. did not want Rosa to follow her around anymore.
3. What will most likely happen when Rosa gets to Pennsylvania?
A. She will make lots of friends at her new school.
B. She will lose Bruno.
C. She will send Bruno back to Sofia in New Jersey.
D. She will ask Sofia to help her make new friends.
4. What does the word “threadbare” mean in paragraph 17?
A. thick
B. soft
C. dirty
D. worn
5. At the beginning of the story, why does the author keep Bruno’s identity a
secret?
A. to make readers want their own teddy bear
B. to describe what he looks like
C. to get readers interested in the story
D. to show that he is very mysterious
6. Why did Sofia most likely give Bruno to Rosa?
A. She wanted to help Rosa feel better about moving away.
B. She thought that she was too old to have a teddy bear.
C. She was afraid that Rosa would have trouble making friends.
D. She thought that it was time for her to get a new teddy bear.
7. The purpose of paragraphs 14, 15, and 16 is to
A. explain that Sofia gave many of her toys to Rosa.
B. describe how important Bruno was to Sofia.
C. tell why Sofia’s family had to leave Florida.
D. show that Sofia wanted to make Bruno look better.
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8. What does Sofia use to repair Bruno’s eyes?
A. black buttons.
B. brown material
C. green buttons
D. red material
9. Who is telling the story?
A. Sofia
B. Rosa
C. Aunt Maria
D. a person outside the story
10. Rosa calls Bruno her “friend” in the last paragraph of the story because
A. she is happy that Sofia has given her a gift.
B. she finally realizes that Bruno can be more than just a toy.
C. she has wanted Sofia to let her play with Bruno for a long time.
D. she wants Sofia to think that she will take good care of Bruno.
Section II: Open Ended Question
11. Do you think Bruno will help Rosa the same way that he helped Sofia?
Why or why not?
Use details from the story to support your answer.
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Fiction Practice
Directions: You will have 30 minutes to complete the reading passage and the
questions that follow. This section will include 10 multiple-choice questions and
1 open-ended response. Work up to the page that has the “stop sign” on the
bottom or until time runs out.
If you finish early, check over your work. Remember, you may only check work in
this section.
Esmeralda Hits a Homer
CRACK!
As soon as the ball hit the bat, Esmeralda knew she would go for extra bases. She even
thought she might get to third. But if she could round first without too wide an angle, and
fly past second with the wind to her back, she just might make it home.
“You should be playing softball,” the pitcher on the other team told her before the game.
“Baseball is for boys.”
“I want you home to baby-sit,” her mother told her that morning.
“But we need you, Esmeralda,” her coach, John Bunyan, told her. “You’re the only hitter
who can figure out Matt Thompson’s trick pitch.”
Matt Thompson was the pitcher for the Babson Bulldogs. He threw a knuckle-drop-slider
that nobody in the league could hit. He was also in the same grade as Esmeralda at
Abraham Lincoln Middle School. And he was the same wise guy who had told her to
stick to softball.
But Esmeralda was born to play baseball. “It’s in your family’s genes,” her grandpa,
Papa Juan, told her. Papa Juan had played professional baseball in Cuba when he was
young. Now he was sitting in the stands as Esmeralda rounded first base. So were her
mom, Maria Elena, and her baby brother and sister. Esmeralda tried to look at Papa
Juan as she made the narrow turn around first.
Matt Thompson pounded a fist into his glove and watched his right and center fielders
chase after the ball. He hadn’t given up any runs, yet. But his team had also failed to
score any runs.
“Why is it that the only person who can hit my pitch happens to be a girl?” he asked
himself.
Coach Bunyan knew the answer. It was because Esmeralda “kept her eyes on the ball.”
It was advice Coach Bunyan gave to his whole team, but only Esmeralda seemed to
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listen. She wasn’t the only girl on the team. Janice Moreno and Lisabeth Trowbridge
were reserve outfielders. The rest of the team members were guys. None of the others
could hit the pitches because, as Coach Bunyan would say, they were too impatient.
Only Esmeralda had the eye and quick reflexes. And here she was, rounding second.
That morning, Esmeralda had to beg her mother to let her come to the game. “Baseball
won’t get you good grades,” her mother told her. “You won’t be able to play baseball
when you get older.”
Her mom only wanted what was best. But Esmeralda had pleaded. “Mom, I feel lucky
today. My team needs me.”
Now, Coach Bunyan was standing by the third base bag, waving Esmeralda on. She
ran like a deer over open meadows, tilting her shoulders at an angle. In her mind she
held a picture of the great Ty Cobb, baseball player from many years ago, whom he had
seen run like this in an old baseball book.
Coach Bunyan jumped up and down and waved his arms. “Run, Esmeralda! Run for
home!”
She ran past Coach Bunyan just as the other team’s second baseman was catching the
ball from the right fielder. She saw the catcher standing in front of the plate, ready to
block Esmeralda’s slide. A quick look to Matt Thompson, and she saw that he was
waving for the second baseman to throw the ball.
Esmeralda tilted her head and churned her arms. She remembered something Papa
Juan had taught her about a hook slide. “Move like you’re heading straight for the
catcher’s knees, then hook your feet to the inside corner,” he had said. If she could
escape the tag, she would have a game-winning home run.
The second baseman threw the ball high and to the first-base side of home plate.
Esmeralda went into her slide, feet aimed at the catcher’s left knee, then at the last
second she hooked to the right. She was safe!
She got up and dusted herself off, tipped her cap to the umpire, and headed to the
dugout. Everyone in the stands was cheering wildly, including Papa Juan, her brother
and sister, and her mom, Maria Elena. Esmeralda had hit a homer!
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Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What is the setting of “Esmeralda Hits a Homer”?
A. Esmeralda’s kitchen
B. Abraham Lincoln Middle School
C. Cuba
D. a baseball field
2. When the author says Esmeralda could “fly past second with the wind to her
back,” he is
A. exaggerating Esmeralda’s feelings.
B. appealing to our senses.
C. comparing her to a fly.
D. using figurative language.
3. Papa Juan tells Esmeralda that playing baseball is “in your family’s genes.” This
means that Esmeralda
A. is a better baseball player than Matt Thompson.
B. plays well because she practices more than others.
C. got her talent for baseball from her grandfather.
D. can hit Matt Thompson’s pitch because she’s a girl.
4. How does Esmeralda know that she will be able to run for home plate?
A. She watches the ball fly toward the outfield.
B. She hears her coach yell for her to keep running.
C. She sees Papa Juan cheering from the stands.
D. She hears the sound of the baseball hit her lucky bat.
5. From this story, you can tell that Matt and Esmeralda
A. are best friends.
B. used to be on the same team.
C. do not get along.
D. are both popular at school.
6. Which of the following is a minor detail of the story “Esmeralda Hits a Homer”?
A. Maria Elena doesn’t like her daughter playing baseball.
B. Esmeralda’s lucky bat is made of wood.
C. Matt gives Esmeralda a hard time for being a girl.
D. Esmeralda scores the game-winning run.
7. Why does the author tell about Ty Cobb?
A. to show that Esmeralda know a lot about baseball
B. to give an interesting detail about an important baseball player
C. to show that baseball has always been a sport for boys
D. to tell about one of Papa Juan’s teammates
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8. Which of the following best states the theme of “Esmeralda Hits a Homer”?
A. Family support can be just as important as believing in yourself.
B. It has been proven that women are just as strong as men.
C. It is important to respect our elders so that we can learn from them.
D. The sport of baseball is more than a game; it is a way of life.
9. The author uses details like “Esmeralda tilted her head and churned her arms” to
show that she is
A. afraid of losing the game.
B. cheating by stealing a base.
C. not a very fast runner.
D. determined to do her best.
10. What does Coach Bunyan have in common with Papa Juan?
A. They both played professional baseball in Cuba.
B. They both support Esmeralda’s desire to play baseball.
C. They both think Esmeralda should focus on her schoolwork.
D. They both begged Esmeralda’s mother to let her play.
Section II: Open Ended Question
11. In this story, the narrator tells the reader a lot about Esmeralda’s family.
How do the members of Esmeralda’s family feel about her playing
baseball?
Why is Esmeralda’s family such an important part of this story?
Use specific information from the story and any additional insight to support
your response.
10
Fiction Practice
Directions: You will have 30 minutes to complete the reading passage and the
questions that follow. This section will include 10 multiple-choice questions and
1 open-ended response. Work up to the page that has the “stop sign” on the
bottom or until time runs out.
If you finish early, check over your work. Remember, you may only check work in
this section.
The Alien at Star Quad 9
“Quiet, class. Class? I need you to be quiet. Class …”
Mr. Zeek is having difficulty in getting our attention. As students, we’re usually pretty
yielding toward our teacher, but today no one seems to be listening. We can’t help it.
Today is special and we’re a little excited.
“Class!” Mr. Zeek snaps. “If you don’t quiet down you can forget about taking the field
trip to Star Quad 9!”
We go silent. Even Breff Dool stops talking and he’s a real loud mouth. Mr. Zeek smiles.
He never stays mad for too long. That’s why I love his science class. Not only is Mr.
Zeek intelligent but also he loves his subject and always keeps us entertained. And if it
weren’t for him, we wouldn’t be traveling to see the alien today.
“Thank you,” Mr. Zeek says, smiling.
Everyone knows about the alien. It’s all over the news. Its ship crashed a while back in
the Yarkish Desert and they brought the remains to Star Quad 9, the most advanced
space station ever built. When scientists found the alien inside, still alive, they called it
the greatest discovery of our time. After many tests, they started inviting students to
come see the alien. Today is our turn.
As we travel to Star Quad 9, I can tell everyone is a little scared. Mr. Zeek keeps telling
us that the alien is very hospitable, so there’s nothing to worry about. Mr. Zeek has a
friend who works at Star Quad 9 so he knows more about the alien than anyone.
“Does it talk?” Flenny Q. Tazerpin asks.
“Absolutely,” Mr. Zeek says. “Its language is very similar to ours. We think that its
species has been studying us for some time and has learned our language.”
“What’s it look like?” Breff Dool shouts.
Mr. Zeek smiles. “You’ll see.”
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When we finally arrive, we step out and form a line. We follow Mr. Zeek to a narrow
door. Mr. Zeek shows a guard a piece of paper. The guard examines the paper and
then counts us before waving us in.
Once inside, we walk down a long hallway until we arrive at another door. This one is
larger and it resembles a garage.
“Is everyone ready?” Mr. Zeek asks. He presses a button and the door rises slowly. I
hold my breath. Standing on the other side, in a large glass cage, is the strangest
creature I’ve ever seen. My jaw drops. The alien is taller than ten of us put together. It
has twice as many arms and legs as one of us. It has a curious thing sticking out of the
middle of its face with two tiny holes. Large drops of liquid fall from its eyes.
“Okay,” Mr. Zeek says after a moment of silence. “Does anyone have a question for the
alien?”
“Pick me! Pick me!” Breff shouts.
“Moofton,” Mr. Zeek says and I jerk my head. “How about you?”
I can’t believe he wants me to ask this creature a question. I turn toward the alien. It
looks at me as if it can see right through me. Its lips tremble. “Um,” I barely whisper.
“What’s your name?”
The alien pounds all its arms against the glass. More liquid pours from its eyes. “My
name is Richard!” it screams. “And I want to go home! Please! Take me back to the
planet Earth!”
“Richard?” Breff Dool laughs. “What kind of name is Richard?”
“Please!” the alien keeps shouting. “Where am I? Take me home!”
When we return to our classroom that day, Mr. Zeek sits down and stares out the
window, toward the three setting suns. We stare with him, wondering about Richard and
about this planet “Earth.” We stay quiet for the rest of the day. Even Breff Dool.
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Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
1. At the beginning of the story, how does Mr. Zeek solve his problem in the
classroom?
A. He takes the class to the Yarkish Desert.
B. He reports the class to the security guard.
C. He threatens to cancel the field trip.
D. He calls the advanced space station.
2. Which of the following best describes Mr. Zeek?
A. strict
B. bored
C. kind
D. funny
3. In paragraph 2, the word yielding means
A. respectful.
B. bright.
C. scared.
D. misbehaved.
4. Who is telling this story?
A. Mr. Zeek
B. Breff Dool
C. Moofton
D. Richard
5. Where does most of the story take place?
A. a classroom
B. the Yarkish desert
C. Star Quad 9
D. a school bus
6. In paragraph 7, the hospitable means
A. ill.
B. friendly.
C. dangerous.
D. lonely.
7. Which word best describes how Richard feels?
A. entertained
B. sad
C. bored
D. threatened
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8. This story was most likely written to
A. convince people to be nice to aliens.
B. prove that aliens exist.
C. inform readers about an alien.
D. entertain readers with a story about an alien.
9. In the passage, what does the alien want?
A. to learn about Star Quad 9
B. to return to planet Earth
C. to show the class his wrecked ship
D. to teach Mr. Zeek about Earth science
10. What genre is “The Alien at Star Quad 9”?
A. biography
B. science fiction
C. historical fiction
D. autobiography
Section II: Open Ended Question
11. At the end of the story, the class has changed a lot. How does the class change
from the beginning to the end of the story? What makes the class change so
much? Use specific information from the story and any additional insight to
support your response.
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Nonfiction Model
Directions: You will have 30 minutes to complete the reading passage and the
questions that follow. This section will include 10 multiple-choice questions and
1 open-ended response. Work up to the page that has the “stop sign” on the
bottom or until time runs out.
If you finish early, check over your work. Remember, you may only check work in
this section.
Sir Francis Chichester
Francis Chichester was born in Dover, which is on England’s coast. Therefore, it wasn’t
unusual that he would have developed an interest in sailing. It would be many years
before Francis would gain fame as a sailor, not until he was 59 years old. And his most
famous adventure took place when he was 65.
At the age of 18, Francis wanted to see New Zealand. So, in 1919, he set sail to see
this far-off land. He spent several years there, farming, boxing, and searching for gold.
Then, he and a friend became land agents and started an airline.
In 1929, Francis returned to England. He lived there until his death in 1972. It was there
that he began to pursue his dream – to fly. Three months after getting his license,
Francis flew a biplane by himself from England to Sydney, Australia. Next, he made the
first solo flight from New Zealand to Australia. His small single engine plane was named
Gipsy Moth.
Francis had even bigger plans. He wanted to fly alone around the world. At the time,
flying was still very new. Therefore, there were only a few places to land airplanes along
the way. Francis knew that the only way to make the trip was in a seaplane. So, he
added pontoons to the Gipsy Moth. Pontoons are floats fitted to an aircraft to allow it to
land on water.
Francis learned to fly the seaplane. He took off from Australia. He was the first to travel
to Japan by himself. However, his round-the-world flight ended there. After hitting
telegraph wires, his plane crashed into Katsuura Harbor. It took two years for Francis to
recover from his injuries.
Francis spent the next years publishing maps and guidebooks. He continued to be
interested in navigation. At last, his love of the sea and sailing began to show itself. In
1953, be bought his first yacht and named it Gipsy Moth II. Gipsy Moth III, 39-foot yacht,
followed in 1959.
Francis wanted his boat to be ready for the first Trans-Atlantic Race in 1960. This race
was one of the most spectacular and dangerous races for a one-man crew. Boats with
full crews entered the race.
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Five boats entered with only a single crew member, and Francis was one of these. He
won the Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race. It took him 40 days in his yacht. He had
had to fight head winds and gales in that time. Perhaps most amazing was that he did
this while recovering from cancer.
The next year, Francis sailed solo once again across the Atlantic Ocean. He beat his
earlier record by seven days. The Trans-Atlantic Race was held every four years, and
Francis entered the Trans-Atlantic Race again in 1964. He sailed alone, although his
boat was designed for a six-man crew. He came in second place, but he had completed
the trip ten days faster than he had in 1960.
What was next for this sailor? Why, to sail around the world, of course! He hadn’t been
able to accomplish this task by plane, but he would do it by ship. Francis wanted to be
the first to sail the longest route alone and he wanted to do it in the fastest time. With
much help, a special boat was built: the 54-foot Gipsy Moth IV.
Francis’s plan was to sail around Africa and across the Indian Ocean. His only stop
would be in Sydney, Australia. There he would make repairs and get supplies. Next
would be the longest and most dangerous part of the trip: crossing the South Pacific,
rounding Cape Horn, and sailing north for England. Francis would be the first to do this
– one man alone in a boat.
One man sailing alone means little sleep, lots of work, and many repairs. Francis battled
fierce winds, huge waves, and terrible storms. At one point, the boat capsized in a
tropical cyclone. Fresh water and diesel fuel ran low and food spoiled. Seasickness,
food poisoning, and injuries threatened him.
The trip from Plymouth, England to Sydney, Australia was 14,100 miles. Francis made it
in 107 days. Repairs in Sydney took seven weeks. Then, from there to Plymouth, he
sailed another 15,517 miles in 119 days. In all, Francis sailed 29,630 miles in just 226
days! He had done what he had set out to do. The trip lasted from August 27, 1966 to
May 28, 1967.
When Francis reached home, there were many celebrations. Queen Elizabeth II
knighted him. She used the sword that Sir Francis Drake had given to Queen Elizabeth I
almost 400 years earlier. Today, Gipsy Moth IV is docked on the Thames River at
Greenwich, just a short distance southeast of London.
In his book Gipsy Moth Circles the World, Sir Francis Chichester wrote, “People keep at
me about my age …. I don’t think I can escape aging, but why beef about it? Our only
purpose in life …. is to put up the best performance we can – in anything, and only in
doing so lies satisfaction in living.” According to his book editor, J.R.L. Anderson,
Chichester made his dreams come true: “For him, to dream is to determine, and to
determine, to achieve.”
Sir Francis Chichester didn’t let himself get stuck in the ruts of life. At the age of 65, he
achieved what no other person had yet done and few younger people would ever try!
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Section I: Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Why wasn’t it unusual that Francis Chichester was
interested in sailing?
A. He grew up close to the sea.
B. He was the son of a sailor.
C. He lived in New Zealand.
D. He liked to fly airplanes.
2. What did Francis Chichester do before any other
person?
A. He finished the Trans-Atlantic Race.
B. He sailed around the world by himself.
C. He survived a shipwreck in a cyclone.
D. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
3. This passage is mostly about
A. the adventurous life of Francis Chichester.
B. how Francis Chichester got over cancer.
C. the early life of Francis Chichester.
D. the story behind the name Gipsy Moth.
4. The purpose of the seventh paragraph is to
A. describe Francis Chichester’s participation in the
first Trans-Atlantic Race.
B. compare and contrast the Gipsy Moth II and the
Gipsy Moth III.
C. explain how Francis Chichester improved his
navigation skills.
D. discuss Francis Chichester’s first attempt at
sailing around the world.
5. Why did Francis Chichester’s attempt to fly around
the world fail?
A. He did not have a seaplane.
B. He was too tired to finish.
C. He met with bad weather.
D. He crashed his airplane.
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HINT – This question asks you to think
about a detail in the passage. What did
the passage tell you about Francis that
could explain his interest in sailing? If you
are unsure of the answer, reread the
beginning of the passage.
HINT – This question asks you to recall a
detail from the passage. If you are unsure
of the answer, skim the passage, looking
for a mention of something Francis was
the first to do.
HINT – This question asks you to identify
the central idea of the passage. Think
about what you have read. What do you
think the author was trying to tell you
about?
HINT – This question also think about why
the author wrote the seventh paragraph.
Reread paragraph 7. What does the
paragraph tell you?
HINT – This question asks you to recall a
detail from the passage. What happened
during Chichester’s attempt to make a trip
around the world? If you are unsure of the
answer, reread the part of the passage
about the trip.
6. Where did Francis Chichester live for most of his
life?
A. New Zealand
B. Australia
C. Japan
D. England
7. What does the word recover mean in the fifth
paragraph of the article?
A. take back
B. relax
C. get better
D. forget about
8. What was the mood in England when Francis
Chichester returned on May 28, 1967?
A. calm and relieved
B. sympathetic and pleased
C. worried and anxious
D. excited and proud
9. What is a theme of this passage?
A. Flying is usually very dangerous.
B. Sailing around the world is impossible.
C. People can live their dreams at any age.
D. People don’t know what they really want.
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HINT – This question asks you to recall a
detail from the passage. If you are unsure
of the answer, reread the part of the
passage that mentions Chichester’s return
to England in 1967.
HINT – This question asks you to identify
the meaning of the word “recover.” If you
are unsure of the answer, reread
paragraph 5. Are there any clues to the
word’s meaning in the sentence the word
is used in?
HINT – This question asks you to recall a
detail from the passage. If you are unsure
of the answer, look over the passage. You
should be looking for a mention of where
Chichester lived.
HINT – This question asks you to identify
the theme of the passage. What did you
think after you completed reading the
passage? What do you think the author
was trying to say?
10. The author organizes this passage byA. describing each of the places Chichester visited
B. stating reasons Chichester traveled the world
C. comparing Chichester to other travelers of his time
D. telling events of Chichester’s life in the order they happened
Section II: Open Ended Question
11. In the article, the author tells a lot about Sir Francis Chichester. Write a
description of Francis Chichester’s character. Tell four important things he did. Use
information from the article to support your response.
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Nonfiction Practice
The Vikings
Directions: Directions: You will have 30 minutes to complete the reading passage
and the questions that follow. This section will include 10 multiple-choice
questions and 1 open-ended response. Work up to the page that has the “stop
sign” on the bottom or until time runs out.
If you finish early, check over your work. Remember, you may only check work in
this section.
Introduction: When the name “Viking” is mentioned, many people think of
fighting and raiding. Few people know that the Vikings did more farming and
trading than raiding and fighting. This passage tells what the Vikings were really
like.
Background
The period from 800 to 1100 C.E. is called the Viking Age. Most people think of it as a
time when the Vikings raided all over Europe. It was thought that no town along the
coast was safe.
However, this picture of the Vikings is beginning to change. It is true that they did attack
and destroy many towns. However, we now know that most Vikings lived and worked as
farmers. Many of them were also good traders.
In fact, the Vikings traded more than they raided. Viking ships sailed all over the known
world to trade. The Vikings also discovered new lands in their travels, including Iceland,
Greenland, and parts of North America. Some of the towns settled by Vikings still exist
today.
These people lived in northern Europe. They were mostly farmers who went sailing in
the summer. Their name comes from the word, “Vik.” This was the name of a pirate
center in southern Norway at this time.
Vikings went on raiding parties, called “a-viking.” Later, this was shortened to Viking.
The Vikings as Raiders
The Viking Age started with an attack on England in the late 700s. On a sunny day,
Vikings attacked a monastery and destroyed the buildings and took the church’s
treasure.
This attack was the first of many in England, Scotland, and Ireland. In the early 800s,
the attacks spread to Europe, and the Viking Age was born. Eventually, Viking attacks
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were occurring all over the known world. However, the Vikings did not attack all the
time.
Attacks occurred when the men in a Viking village decided to do some raiding after
spring planting. The men would sail away in their longboats looking for villages to
attack. Near the end of the summer, the men would return to help with the harvest.
There were years when no Viking attacks were recorded.
Rarely did large numbers of Vikings make a raid. Most Viking attacks were conducted
by small groups of men. They used anywhere from two to ten ships with about thirty
raiders on each ship. The ships would suddenly appear offshore.
The Vikings would attack before the village could organize a defense. The battle would
end quickly.
Then the Vikings would retreat before help arrived. They took their treasure and
captives away on the ships. The town would then be burned before they left.
People had two names for these Viking pirates. They were called either Norsemen or
Northmen because they came from the north.
The term Viking, which is used today, was not actually used until long after the Viking
Age ended in 1100 C.E.
The Vikings enjoyed fighting; they were bold, fierce warriors. Most fought with twobladed swords or axes, but they also used bows and arrows or spears. Each man also
carried a wooden shield and many wore some sort of armor.
Most armor was made from animal hides. Only important men had metal armor. Viking
helmets were plain and did not have horns on the sides, which you may see in
illustrations of them or movies about them.
Vikings as Farmers
Most Vikings lived on small farms. These farms were often clustered into small villages.
All Viking farms were built in the same pattern. The main building was called the
“longhouse,” and it could be over 100 feet long. In the early farms, the family and the
animals used to share one building. Later farms had buildings around the longhouse.
One of the outbuildings was always a barn, called a “byre,” where the animals spent the
winter.
Other buildings stored grain and meat over the winter. A fence always enclosed the
buildings. Larger farms even had a blacksmith shop.
Spring was a busy time on the farm. Fields were plowed and crops planted. Vegetables
were planted inside the fence. Wheat and other grains were planted in the fields outside
the fence. Animals grazed in some of the fields outside the fence.
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When the spring work was done, the farmer would often go raiding or trading. The
Viking wives and children ran the farm. In the autumn, when everyone was needed to
harvest the crops, the men would return to the farm.
Clothes and other household goods were made during the winter. Tools and equipment
were crafted and repaired. The Vikings also repaired their boats during the winter
months.
Vikings as Traders
The Vikings were good traders. Sometimes they would settle in an area after the battles
were over. They would build towns and bring their families. Within a short time, the
Vikings would start to trade with the local people. Over time, trade increased. The trade
goods were shipped to the Vikings’ homeland.
Soon, many Vikings realized it was easier to trade than to fight. They started to sail to
towns just to trade, bringing goods from Scandinavia. They would take other things back
to their homeland. They even traveled into present-day Russia. They also traded around
the Mediterranean. Viking traders became wealthy men.
Once trading began, attacks lessened. The Vikings learned that there was more money
in peace than in war.
By the late 900s, Vikings preferred to trade rather than to attack towns. Many Viking
centers grew into present-day cities. Kiev in Russia, Dublin in Ireland, and York,
England were all once Viking trading centers.
Vikings as Sailors
The Vikings were the best sailors of their time. In the late 800s, some Vikings began to
sail across the Atlantic Ocean. They sailed in open ships in all types of weather at a
time when most sailors played it safe by staying nearer to land. During some of these
voyages, Vikings found new lands. Vikings were the first to see Iceland, Greenland, and
parts of North America. Colonies were started in all three. Only the colony in North
America was not successful. After three years, it was abandoned.
Summary
The Viking Age lasted about 300 years. By 1060 C.E., the Vikings were living in peace
with their neighbors.
Many important things came from the Viking Age. Trade between countries increased
and the nations of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark were formed. Countries in Europe
became stronger as they fought off the Viking attacks. Iceland was found and settled.
Even the use of law as a way to settle disputes came from the Vikings.
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Section I: Multiple Choice Questions:
1. How does the author most likely feel about the Vikings?
A. He thinks the Viking Age meant one raid after another.
B. He thinks the Vikings were not really good fighters.
C. He thinks the Vikings were more than just raiders.
D. He thinks the Vikings were a peaceful people.
2. Why did Vikings stop raiding people?
A. They began to get in trouble.
B. They made more money by trading.
C. They started to feel sorry for others.
D. They wanted to be welcomed at places.
3. Read this sentence from the passage.
Eventually, Viking attacks were occurring all over the known world.
What does the word eventually mean in this sentence?
A. generally
B. daringly
C. casually
D. finally
4. Why did the Viking men usually return home near the end of the summer?
A. to harvest the crops
B. to trade their goods
C. to rebuild the barn
D. to repair their boats
5. The purpose of the headings in bold is to
A. make finding information easier.
B. remind readers what they’re reading.
C. tell what the Vikings liked to be called.
D. show that the Vikings had many names.
6. Read the following sentence from the passage.
By the late 900s, Vikings preferred to trade rather than to attack towns.
What does the word preferred mean?
A. urged
B. wanted
C. swore
D. hinted
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7. What is this article mostly about?
A. the Viking Age
B. Viking attacks
C. what Vikings traded
D. Viking families
8. The purpose of the introduction to this article is to
A. explain what the word “Viking” means.
B. prove that kind people raid sometimes.
C. tell readers what the article is about.
D. show readers when the Vikings lived.
9. Why were the Vikings most likely able to find new lands?
A. They scared people from their homes.
B. Most people did not think there were other lands.
C. They sailed very far away from their homeland.
D. Most people wanted to share land with the Vikings.
10. Why did the author most likely write this passage?
A. to show why the Vikings acted the way they did
B. to show in detail how Vikings fought with others
C. to teach about places where the Vikings lived
D. to teach about what the Vikings were really like
Section II: Open Ended Question
11. Describe the life of a Viking living on a farm in Scandinavia. Use information from
the article to support your response.
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Nonfiction Practice
Conduct Code for Midland School
Directions: You will have 30 minutes to complete the reading passage and the
questions that follow. This section will include 10 multiple-choice questions and
1 open-ended response. Work up to the page that has the “stop sign” on the
bottom or until time runs out.
If you finish early, check over your work. Remember, you may only check work in
this section.
Student Code of Conduct
Students are expected to know the contents of the Code of Conduct. These rules apply
to all things pertaining to the school, including school buses, field trips, and other school
events.
A Code of Conduct Committee – consisting of two members of the faculty, two parents,
and a student representative – will be established by the principal. Suggested changes
to the Code of Conduct should be submitted to this committee. If approved by the
committee, the changes will be submitted to the principal for review.
1. General Rules
a. Students are to walk at all times while in school.
b. Hats and backpacks brought to school are to be kept in the student’s
classroom. Once school starts, they are not to be worn in school.
c. Gum is not to be chewed while in school or on a school bus.
d. Parents of students who need to take medicine must contact the nurse. All
medicines must be kept in their original bottles in the nurse’s office. The
nurse must receive a note explaining how the medicine is to be given.
e. Students are to be respectful toward the school staff and parents.
f. Students are to stand quietly at attention during the Pledge of Allegiance.
g. Students are expected to respect school property.
h. Students are expected to respect the property of others.
i. Problems are to be solved in a nonviolent manner. Fighting is not allowed.
Students not following the general rules will receive detentions. Two violations
will result in a call to the student’s parents. Additional violations may result in a
student being suspended.
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2. Lunchroom Behavior
Students have a right to eat in a safe and relaxed environment. All students are
expected to:
a. walk into and leave the lunchroom in an orderly manner.
b. line up in the lunch line as directed by their teacher. There is to be no
skipping or saving of places for other students.
c. clean eating area before leaving the lunchroom.
d. wait quietly at their tables to be dismissed.
e. leave all food and drink in the lunchroom.
f. refrain from shouting or creating a disturbance of any kind.
Students who do not follow these rules will not be allowed to eat in the lunchroom
for a period of time determined by the severity of the violation.
3. Bus Code of Conduct
Riding on a school bus is a privilege. The bus driver is in charge of all students
on the bus. Any direction given by the driver is to be followed.
a. Students are to be courteous at all times while on the bus.
b. Students are not to have any parts of their bodies through bus windows.
c. Students are to talk in a normal tone of voice at all times.
d. Students are to take assigned seats upon entering the bus.
e. Students are to remain seated until the bus reaches their stops.
f. Food or drinks are not to be consumed on the bus.
g. Students will be responsible for any damage done to the bus.
Children who do not follow the Bus Code of Conduct will be punished. A
detention will be given for the first offense. Additional offenses may cause the
student to be removed from the bus.
4. Student Dress
Students must dress properly when in school.
a. All clothing is to be neat, clean, and properly fitted.
b. Clothes with offensive pictures will not be allowed.
c. Footwear must be worn and securely fitted at all times.
d. Halter, tank, and tube tops will not be allowed.
e. Shorts are allowed only during warm weather.
Students wearing unacceptable clothing will be sent home to change into
appropriate clothing and may also receive a detention.
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Section I: Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What is this passage mostly about?
A. punishing students who don’t sit on the bus
B. making sure students are well behaved
C. giving teachers and parents extra work
D. encouraging students to get better grades
2. Why should students keep their body parts inside the school bus?
A. to avoid being hurt on the bus
B. to get more work done at school
C. to allow more students to fit on the bus
D. to help the bus driver move more quickly
3. Who should first hear an idea for a new rule?
A. the principal
B. teachers
C. the committee
D. students
4. How is this passage organized?
A. by listing types of rules
B. by listing kinds of punishments
C. by telling how often the rules are broken
D. by telling how upset the principal is
5. How would a student most likely first be punished for fighting on the bus?
A. The student would be suspended.
B. The student’s parents would receive a call at home.
C. The student would not be let on the bus.
D. The student would receive detention.
6. A student should read the code of conduct in order to
A. see if he or she can think of another rule.
B. make sure he or she is following the rules.
C. know why his or her parents are angry.
D. check when his or her homework is due.
7. What does the word privilege mean as used in the “Bus Code of Conduct”
section?
A. listing
B. need
C. special ability
D. serious problem
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8. Which of the following is a student allowed to wear according to the dress code?
A. a hat
B. tank tops in the fall
C. shorts in the winter
D. a sweater
9. Which behavior in the lunchroom will most likely result in a student being
suspended from the lunchroom?
A. leaving a mess at the table
B. waving your arms out of the bus window
C. talking in line
D. all of the above
10. Who selects members of the Code of Conduct Committee?
A. the PTA
B. the students
C. the Board of Education
D. the principal
Section II: Open Ended Question
11. Monique’s classmates feel that the Code of Conduct is too strict. They have
agreed to try to make changes to the code. What process should they follow in order
to make changes? Use information from the passage to support your response.
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Model 5th Grade Speculative Prompt
Writing Task
A young boy busily collected everything he would need to take with him. The next day,
as he began to set up his equipment, he realized he was missing a very important
piece. He has to decide how to solve this problem.
Write a story about the boy, his problem, and what he does to solve it.
The writing you do in your answer folder will be scored. You may use the box provided
on pages 2 and 3 of your answer folder to plan your ideas before you begin writing your
story. Then write your story on the lines that follow.
Begin your writing here.
Here is a story about a boy who wanted to do something really awesome, but he forgot
an important part! Here is what happened: Damon is the popular kid on his block. The
little kids look up to him because he’s older. He wanted to do something special. You
know, he wants to show that he is a good role model for the little kids. So Damon plans
a play for the parents in the neighborhood. He plans a great play with parts for all the
other kids. He gives each of them a role, “Jeff, you will be the prince. Julie, you will be
the princess. And I will be the king.” “But what will I be?” said little Cathy. “Oh, you will
be the young girl who lives in the castle.” He made it sound important so she would feel
important.
The story for the play would be about how the young prince would finally become king
after his father. There was an important scene where the king would give the crown to
the prince and be proud for him. This would be the point in the play hopefully that all the
parents would smile and clap. They would be so proud of their children in the play at
this point.
Finally then the big day came. All the parents were in chairs on the patio at Damon’s
house. They were all ready to do the play because Damon had planned very carefully.
He had a costume for everybody. He made a big poster to hang in the background. The
poster made it look like they were in a garden near a castle. The other kids had helped
paint it with supplies from Mrs. Schmidt’s art class. But Damon forgot one important
thing! He did not have a crown! What can he do? Damon was freaking out.
But then he saw some dandylions nearby in the grass. He quickly put them together in a
nice ring. He sorta sewed them together in knots and then he took some other little
white flowers and put them on top. It looked like a beautiful crown of flowers. It worked
just fine.
The play was a big success. All the parents clapped so loudly when the king gave the
prince the crown! It turned out to be a big success. Good thing Damon was able to think
so quickly! He was proud of how he could figure out solutions to the problem so quickly.
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In this 5-point response, key ideas are developed that progress in a logical sequence.
Varied and complex sentence structures contribute to the coherence of the story. (They
were all ready to do the play because Damon had planned very carefully. He quickly put
them together in a nice ring. He sorta sewed them together in knots and then he took
some other little white flowers and put them on top. It looked like a beautiful crown of
flowers.) Overall, the student demonstrates a strong command of the language.
30
Speculative Prompt
Grade 5
Writing Situation
Veronica became shipwrecked on an island. She survived for a month alone with only a
backpack before being rescued.
Writing Task
Write a story about Veronica, the backpack and how she survived with the items in the
backpack.
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Speculative Prompt
Grade 5
Writing Situation
Benny was excited that school had closed due to a snowstorm that had passed through
town. The storm left behind ten inches of snow and he couldn’t wait to go play in it.
Writing Task
Write a story about Benny’s adventure that takes place in this snowy weather.
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Model Prompt – Explanatory Prompt – Hero
You will have 30 minutes to write your response.
Writing Task:
Heroes are people with qualities you would like to one day possess. Something they
have done in the past, or something they continue to do, has made a big impact on your
life. What person do you think is your hero?
Write a composition describing a person who is a hero to you. Explain why you think
this person is a hero.
Start your essay here.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Do you have a friend who has a different skin color than you? Well, at one point in
history you weren’t supposed to. White skinned people thought they had more rights
than African Americans. You think that’s cruel now but people in the past didn’t. This is
because many African Americans were against this act of cruelty. One man was named
Martin Luther King Jr. He grew up with white friends but one day they just stopped
playing with him. Wouldn’t you want to do something about it?
When Martin became an adult he took action. He reached out and hoped everyone
would agree everybody had equal rights. Many African Americans joined him while the
rest of America chose not to. These people who agreed were tired of being arrested for
sitting in the front of the bus, getting a lesser education, and being treated like slaves.
They did something about it.
Martin Luther King Jr. became famous for his peaceful ways. He even gave a speech
called, “I Have a Dream.” It was about how everyone could get along, it was about
equality. Martin did everything in his power to get his point through. He led marches,
became a public speaker, and worked very hard. For this he received the Nobel Peace
Prize for his efforts.
Many people, children and adults, look up to him as a hero, like I do. He set a good
example by being a leader. Sadly Martin Luther King Jr. was shot by a man who
disagreed. Even though he is gone we follow in his footsteps and maybe one day you
can be a strong leader like Martin Luther King Jr!
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Explanatory Prompt
Grade 5
Smile!
by J. Robbins
“School Picture Day is not a joke,”
my mom made sure to say.
I told her that I’d try so hard
to look my best all day.
But when it came my turn to smile,
the camera played a trick;
It made my skin come out all green –
I looked like I was sick!
I asked to take another shot,
so I could keep my word;
But, sure enough, my eyes bugged out –
I looked just like Big Bird!
Sorry, Mom, I tried my best
to not look like a fool.
No matter what, my silly teeth
made me look like a mule.
Has there ever been a time when you needed to pose nice for a picture? Write about a
time when you really needed to look good for a picture. Include the following:
Why did you need to pose for the picture?
Did you look nice for the picture?
If you looked nice for the picture, explain what happened.
If you didn’t look nice for the picture, explain what happened.
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Explanatory Prompt
Grade 5
Explanatory Prompt Practice – Essay Based On A Topic
Complete your work on a separate sheet of paper. You may use this handout to plan
your ideas. Use the Writer’s Checklist when it’s time to revise and proofread your work.
People enjoy playing games. Some take games they know and change the rules while
others invent their own board games, ball games, or other games.
Write an essay about a new game you created or might like to create, or an old game
for which you changed the rules. Be sure to explain your game by using details and
examples to support your explanation.
3/4/2011
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