MAIN IDEA
1.
1a
A popcorn kernel has a seed inside of it. The seed is surrounded by a soft, starchy
area. This area has water in it. When the kernel is heated, the water turns to steam.
The starchy area expands. When it gets too hot, it explodes. The kernel turns inside
out. That is why a piece of popcorn is white and fluffy.
This story mainly tells
a.
how a popcorn kernel turns into a piece of popcorn.
b.
what is inside of a popcorn kernel.
c.
why a piece of popcorn is white and fluffy.
2.
Some houses are made out of adobe bricks. Adobe is made out of water, clay, and
other materials. Adobe bricks are shaped in a frame and dried in the sun. They are
made big enough so that they are cool during hot days and warm during cool
nights. Houses made out of adobe last for a long time.
This story mainly tells
a.
out of what adobe bricks are made.
b.
how long adobe houses last.
c.
how adobe bricks are made.
3.
Flying fish glide through the air instead of flying. They prepare to glide by swimming
very quickly along the surface of the water. As they leave the water, they spread two
very large fins on each side of their bodies. These fins are called pectoral fins. They
help the fish glide. Gliding helps the fish escape from bigger fish.
This story mainly tells
a.
why flyingfish glide through the air.
b.
how flyingfish glide through the air.
c.
how the pectoral fins help the flyingfish.
4.
We blink our eyes for several reasons. Blinking keep our eyes healthy by spreading
moisture across them. This keeps them from getting too dry. It also helps protect our
eyes. It removes small pieces of dirt or other foreign objects from our eyes. Finally, it
helps our eyes refocus. Blinking is good for our eyes.
This story mainly tells
a.
how blinking keeps our eyes healthy.
b.
how blinking helps our eyes refocus.
c.
why we blink our eyes.
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MAIN IDEA
5.
1b
Alligator snapping turtles have something unusual on their tongues. It is a long, pink
streak. Fish think it looks like a worm. They swim right into the alligator’s mouth to
get it. Once the fish are in there, the alligator snaps its mouth shut. It now has a
tasty meal!
This story is mostly about
a.
the worm in the snapping turtle’s mouth.
b.
how the alligator snapping turtle gets food.
c.
what fish eat.
6.
Thunder happens because of lightning. When lightning strikes, it heats the air. The
air becomes very hot, then very cool quickly. This temperature change causes a
shock wave that makes a sound wave. The sound wave makes the booming noise
we know as thunder.
This story mainly tells
a.
what makes thunder.
b.
what happens when lightning strikes.
c.
about sound waves.
7.
The Alps is the biggest mountain range in Europe. They stretch from Austria to
France. The highest mountain is Mount Blanc. It is 4811 meters high. People who
live near The Alps do not use the word “alp” to talk about the mountains. They use it
to talk about the areas in the mountains where animals graze during the summer.
This story mainly tells
a.
about the mountain range in Europe.
b.
where animals graze during the summer.
c.
about Mount Blanc.
8.
Do you want to know how to tell how far away a storm is? Light travels faster
than sound, so you will always see lightning before you hear thunder. When you
see lightning, start counting seconds. Do this until you hear a clap of thunder. Divide
the number of seconds by five. This number tells you how many miles away a storm is.
This story mainly tells
a.
how to count seconds.
b.
how to find out how far away a storm is.
c.
why you see lightning before you hear thunder.
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1a
CONTEXT
1.
2.
3.
4.
Whales do three things when they come above water. They breach by leaping all the
way out of the water. They 1 halfway out of the water, like a human treading
water. This is called spyhopping. It is called slapping when they 2 their tail against
the surface of the water. Scientists do not know exactly why they do these things.
[1]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
fall
b.
sing
c.
rise
[2]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
slap
b.
float
c.
circle
It is important that we get calcium in our diets. Calcium helps make our bones and
teeth grow strong and healthy. It helps make sure our hearts 1 correctly. It
makes sure that our blood sticks together. You can get calcium from 2 like
milk, cheese, yogurt, broccoli, and peanuts. Do you eat any of these foods?
[1]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
run
b.
beat
c.
push
[2]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
plants
b.
meats
c.
foods
Fish do not use their fins to swim. To swim, fish 1 muscles lying along both
sides of their backbones. As the muscles get smaller, they form S-shaped curves
that travel down the fishes’ bodies. When the curves get to the fishes’ tails, a
backward 2 is created. This gives the fish power and causes it to move forward.
[1]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
relax
b.
contract
c.
create
[2]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
movement
b.
tail
c.
force
Your body goes through 1 when you are in space for a long time. Your legs
get thinner because your leg muscles push blood and fluids upward. You grow
½ - 2¼ inches taller because your spine lengthens and 2 . Your head also
feels like you are hanging upside-down. What else do you think happens to your body?
[1]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
illnesses
b.
clothes
c.
changes
[2]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
straightens
b.
slouches
c.
crawls
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1b
CONTEXT
5.
6.
7.
8.
There is a 1 about Apache tears. Apache tears are black glass made by
volcanoes. The story says that they are really the tears of Apache women who
2 their men in a battle against the U.S. Army. Anyone who has an Apache
tear will not have to cry again. The women have cried enough for them.
[1]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
fact
b.
legend
c.
picture
[2]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
helped
b.
won
c.
lost
Jack-o’-lanterns are pumpkins with faces 1 into them. They come from an old
story. Jack was a cheap and greedy man. He tricked the Devil into making a deal
with him. When Jack died, he was not 2 into Heaven or Hell. He must walk
around Earth carrying a lantern forever. Jack-o’-lanterns remember his story.
[1]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
cooked
b.
carved
c.
sewn
[2]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
given
b.
allowed
c.
jumped
Haboobs are bad dust storms. Haboobs happen in places like the Sahara Desert
and the Southwest part of the United States, where it is very 1 . Winds from
severe thunderstorms create them. The winds cause dust clouds to rise thousands of
feet in the air. Haboobs can make it hard to see. You should try to be 2 during them.
[1]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
cold
b.
dry
c.
wet
[2]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
indoors
b.
outdoors
c.
under water
Can two snowflakes be exactly the same? Snowflakes are made of frozen water
molecules put in a special order. This order is 1 in each snowflake. In this way,
snowflakes are not alike. However, two snowflakes can be the same shape and size.
In this way, they look 2 . This makes the answer to the question both true and false.
[1]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
similar
b.
beautiful
c.
different
[2]
The word that best completes this sentence is
a.
different
b.
alike
c.
crazy
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FACTS
1a
Pretty Pearls
Down, down go the divers. At the bottom of the sea, they pick up oysters that grow
there. The divers bring the oysters up to the surface of the water. Other workers then put
the oysters into wire baskets. These baskets hang from floating rafts. The oysters float
safely in the baskets in the sea. It will then become a pearl.
When the oysters are three years old, they are removed from the sea. Experts put
tiny round beads inside the oysters. Then the oysters are returned in their baskets to the
sea. From time to time, workers pull the baskets out of the sea. They clean off moss and
seaweed from the oyster shells. It will then become a pearl.
Why do the oysters receive such good care? In a few years, the oyster will cover the
bead with a shiny coating. It will then become a pearl. It will then become a pearl.
The story of pearls goes back to 2206 B.C. That is more than four thousand years ago.
At that time people in China gave pearls as gifts or rewards.
1. An oyster grows at the bottom of the
A. sea
B. raft
C. pearl
D. basket
5. The bead inside an oyster becomes a
A. plant
B. moss
C. ruby
D. pearl
2. Oysters are put into wire baskets that
A. hang
B. swim
C. sink
D. dive
6. Early Chinese people gave pearls as
A. presents
B. baskets
C. kings
D. birthstones
3. A bead is put inside the oyster when it is
A. found
B. cleaned
C. three years old D. two years old
7. Long ago in Persia, pearls were used on
A. walls
B. gifts
C. oysters
D. pottery
4. From time to time, workers
A. sell oysters
B. open oysters
C. taste oysters
D. clean oysters
8. People often use pearls in
A. pottery
B. flowers
C. jewelry
D. baskets
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FACTS
1b
Pretty Pearls
Down, down go the divers. At the bottom of the sea, they pick up oysters that grow
there. The divers bring the oysters up to the surface of the water. Other workers then put
the oysters into wire baskets. These baskets hang from floating rafts. The oysters float
safely in the baskets in the sea. It will then become a pearl.
When the oysters are three years old, they are removed from the sea. Experts put
tiny round beads inside the oysters. Then the oysters are returned in their baskets to the
sea. From time to time, workers pull the baskets out of the sea. They clean off moss and
seaweed from the oyster shells. It will then become a pearl.
Why do the oysters receive such good care? In a few years, the oyster will cover the
bead with a shiny coating. It will then become a pearl. It will then become a pearl.
The story of pearls goes back to 2206 B.C. That is more than four thousand years ago.
At that time people in China gave pearls as gifts or rewards.
1. An oyster grows at the bottom of the
A. sea
B. raft
C. pearl
D. basket
5. The bead inside an oyster becomes a
A. plant
B. moss
C. ruby
D. pearl
2. Oysters are put into wire baskets that
A. hang
B. swim
C. sink
D. dive
6. Early Chinese people gave pearls as
A. presents
B. baskets
C. kings
D. birthstones
3. A bead is put inside the oyster when it is
A. found
B. cleaned
C. three years old D. two years old
7. Long ago in Persia, pearls were used on
A. walls
B. gifts
C. oysters
D. pottery
4. From time to time, workers
A. sell oysters
B. open oysters
C. taste oysters
D. clean oysters
8. People often use pearls in
A. pottery
B. flowers
C. jewelry
D. baskets
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SEQUENCE
1a
Black Widow Spiders
Did you know that the black widow spider is one of the most poisonous spiders in the world? But
only the females can hurt you. The males are harmless. The female’s poison is much stronger than
that of a rattlesnake. A person who has been bitten can die if he or she does not get treatment.
The female black widow is about half an inch long. She is black and has red marks on her
belly. The black widow gets her name from the fact that she sometimes eats her mate. The male
is one-third of the female’s size. He doesn’t have any red marks.
Let’s observe one black widow female. When we first see her, she is hanging upside down in her
web. She stays there for three days without moving. Her skin becomes too small, so she sheds it. She
grows a new, larger skin. This is called molting, and it happens about eight times during her life.
One day a male black widow comes to the edge of the female’s web. He strums on the
web. If the female is ready to mate, she will strum also. If not, she might chase and eat him. It
is dangerous to be a male black widow.
After mating, the female weaves a small silk sac. This is where she will lay 250 to 750
eggs. Black widows lay their eggs in the spring. The female guards the egg sac for about a
month. Then baby spiders, or spiderlings, hatch. The spiderlings are small and helpless when
they come out of the egg sac. Many are eaten by birds or insects. Some are even eaten by
their mother. Most, however, live and become adults.
1. Put these events in the order that they happened
The spiderlings hatch.
The female makes the egg sac.
The male black widow strums on the web.
2. When does the female black widow hang in her web without moving?
A. after eating
B. before laying eggs
C. while she is molting
3. When does the female black widow strum on her web?
A. when she is ready to mate
B. when she is hungry
C. when she is sleepy
4. When does the female make an egg sac?
A. when she is molting
B. after mating
C. before biting someone
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SEQUENCE
1b
Good Golly
A farmer’s daughter carried in a bucket of mille Some splattered out as she settled the
bucket onto the table. “Good golly, I need help!” she shouted.
Her mother ran in from milking the cows. She looked for a disaster. But she saw that the
fuss was over a puddle of milk. She shrugged her shoulders about such a little thing and
wiped it up.
Soon the farmer returned from the fields. He washed his face. Then he heard his
daughter shout, “Good golly, I need help!” He ran into the room looking for a disaster. He
saw that the fuss was over a big black bug. It scooted across the floor. He shrugged his
shoulders about such a little thing and swept it out the door.
After that, the farmer’s son was feeding the pigs. He heard, “Good golly, I need help!”
He ran to the porch looking for a disaster. He saw that the fuss was over a loose board.
He shrugged his shoulders about such a little thing and repaired it.
Later the farmer, his wife, and his son were stacking hay in the barn. They heard a
shout from the hen house. “Good golly, I need help!” They looked at each other. It was
probably such a little thing. They shrugged their shoulders and went back to stacking hay.
That was the day the fox nabbed a prize hen.
1. Put these events in the order that they happened.
The farmer, his wife, and his son stacked hay.
They shrugged and went back to work.
They heard a shout from the hen house.
2. When did the daughter spill some milk?
A. after her mother wiped up the puddle
B. after she carried in a bucket of milk
C. after she took a drink
3. What was the farmer doing before he ran to help?
A. washing his face
B. sweeping
C. stacking hay
4. When did the farmer’s son see the loose board?
A. before he ran to the porch
B. before he fed the pigs
C. after he heard, “Good golly, I need help!”
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CONCLUSION
1.
1a
Kyle wants to earn extra spending money, but he is too young to get a job. His dad
says that washing cars would be good experience for him. Kyle lives in a big city
with lots of car garages full of cars. He thinks he knows what he will do.
This story suggests that Kyle should
a. get a job.
b. wash cars.
c. save his money.
2.
“That’s it, I’ve had it! I can’t hold this brush any longer!” Aida shouted. She and
Cora had been painting the background for the school play for four hours straight
and were nowhere near finished. Then Cora said, “Come on, Aida. We have to
finish it. We gave our word.”
This story suggests that
a.
finishing what she starts is important to Cora.
b.
Aida always quits before she is finished.
c.
the girls cannot be trusted to complete a job.
3.
When E. B. White was young, each student in his school was supposed to give
a speech at the end of the school year. White was very nervous because he did
not like speaking before audiences. Instead of speaking, he wrote a speech and
had a classmate read it aloud for him.
This story tells that E.B. White
a.
had a problem to overcome.
b.
didn’t have any friends when he was a boy.
c.
would grow up to be a famous writer.
4.
Mike stood by himself in the gym, wishing he could disappear. Being the new kid
in school was difficult. Just then, the coach jogged up and said “Hi Mike! We’re
glad to have you in our school!” Mike turned his head to see all the boys smiling
at him.
From the story, you can tell that
a.
Coach Potter wanted Mike feel welcome.
b.
Mike was happy to be in a new school.
c.
The other kids didn’t even know Mike was there.
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CONCLUSION
5.
1b
Jen collapsed onto the ground. She had been helping her dad work in the yard all
morning. She had pulled weeds, cut grass, and planted flowers around the trees. Now,
she was very hot and her body hurt all over. All she wanted to do was shower and take
a nap.
From this story, you can tell that
Jen really hated helping her dad.
a.
Jen had lots of energy after helping her dad.
b.
Jen was really tired after helping her dad.
c.
6.
The sky grew dark even though it was morning. The wind began to whip up little dust
piles in the yard. Then big, fat drops of water exploded on the grass. Joshua and
Nick ran for the house as fast as they could. “I wish it wasn’t raining!” Nick yelled.
“Hold on!” his mom told him quickly. “You can almost hear the thirsty plants gulping
the water.”
From this story, you can tell that
a.
the boys hadn’t been outside very long.
b.
the plants needed rain.
c.
it was time for the boys’ lunch.
7.
John and Luke tiptoed quietly down the hall of the abandoned old house. Why had
they listened to Ken? Then, they heard laughter coming from the back of the house.
Ken must be in the house too, or else that was the loudest ghost in the world!
The story suggests that
a.
the boys were working in the old house.
b.
Ken told the boys to go into the house.
c.
the boys were glad to be in the house.
8.
Would you like to be a dog-walker when you grow up? Yes, dog-walking is a real
job that folks get paid to do. In large cities, some pets are cooped up all day at
home while their owners are at work. Dog-walkers take the dogs out for some
exercise and fun with their furry friends. The pay isn’t great, but it’s worth it if you
love dogs.
From the story, you can tell that
a.
some dog owners do not have time to walk their dogs.
b.
dog-walking would be a boring job
c.
you have to go to college to be a dog-walker
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INFERENCE
1.
1a
Once upon a time, there lived a good king and his wife, the queen. They lived
in a faraway land where magic often happened. They were almost always happy.
The people loved them, there were no wars to be fought, and they had more money
than they could spend. The only times they were unhappy were when they saw
baby clothing or tiny children playing. Then, the queen would sigh softly and the
king would frown.
Which of these statements is probably true?
a.
The king and queen did not like baby clothing.
b.
The king and queen wanted a baby.
c.
There was nothing left for them to buy.
2.
You may not understand why we have rules. You may wonder why each person
can’t just follow their own rules. If we didn’t have rules, how would we know
what is right and what is wrong? How would we know when to punish somebody?
What punishments would we have? Rules make it so that we know the answers to
all of these questions. They help keep a society civilized.
Which of these statements is probably true?
a.
Everybody has the same ideas about right and wrong.
b.
Making fair rules is a very difficult job.
c.
People really do not need rules.
3.
Once, a man came to a kingdom. He asked for food at the inn, but nobody gave
him any. He told the boot maker that he needed new boots, but the boot maker
turned and walked away. He even went to see the king, but the guard just stood
by the gate and ignored him. Finally, a little girl saw him. She leaned down to him
and listened closely to him. At last, somebody understood him!
Which of these statements is probably true?
a.
The people in the kingdom didn’t like him.
b.
He didn’t have any money.
c.
No one could hear him because he was so small.
4.
Pedro wanted to get out of bed, but he couldn’t. His entire body felt weak and it
hurt to move. His head was on fire, but his feet like chunks of ice. He reached for
a glass of orange juice and carefully swallowed it. He wished Mom would come
back from the kitchen with his soup and crackers.
Which of these statements is probably true?
a.
Pedro was at school waiting for mom.
b.
Pedro was sick at home.
c.
Pedro was in the doctor’s office.
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INFERENCE
5.
1b
Your tongue enables you to taste things. It has thousands of tiny cells called taste
buds on it. These taste buds send out messages to your brain. Different parts of your
tongue tell about different tastes. You taste sweet things on the very tip of your
tongue. You taste sour things on the sides. Bitter tastes are way in the back of the
tongue and salty tastes are on the front part.
Which of these statements is probably true?
a.
Taste buds are not very important to the body.
b.
You learn a great deal from your tongue about the food you eat.
c.
The tongue is only used for tasting food.
6.
The air was filled with the sounds of people talking and laughing. Skip tried to keep
up with Dad. As they wound through the crowd, Skip saw people selling jerseys and
hats. He could smell hotdogs and popcorn. When they got to their seats, Skip tugged
his hat into place and pulled his brown glove over his hand. He watched as men in
uniforms threw balls around on the diamond-shaped field. Skip was excited to be here!
Which of these statements is probably true?
a.
Skip is at school.
b.
Skip is with his dad at a meeting.
c.
Skip is with his dad at a baseball game.
7.
Our car drives up to the parking gate and Dad pays the fee. While he tries to find
a parking spot, we talk about what we are about to see. Mom says that she can’t
wait to see the wild animals do tricks. Beth and I have our hopes up about meeting
the acrobats. Dad says he’d like to see the lion jump through the hoop of fire. We
are all so excited!
Which of these statements is probably true?
a.
The family is at the movie theater.
b.
The family is at a rodeo.
c.
The family is at the circus.
8.
The world’s smallest horse is named Black Beauty. She was only 12 inches tall when
she was born. This made her small enough to fit into a man’s coat pocket! Now,
Black Beauty is 18.5 inches tall. She is so small that her owners have to separate
her from the other horses. They like to let her eat popcorn and watch TV with them.
They say that Black Beauty is the perfect pet.
Which of these statements is probably true?
a.
Black Beauty is used for farm work.
b.
Black Beauty cannot live outside.
c.
Black Beauty does not carry people on her back.
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