NAME
CLASS
SELECTION TEST
DATE
Student Edition page 426
Storm from Woodsong
SCORE
LITERARY RESPONSE
AND ANALYSIS
Gary Paulsen
COMPREHENSION (40 points; 4 points each)
On the line provided, write the letter of the best answer to each of the following items.
______ 1. Paulsen thinks Storm is a special dog because —
A Storm has long, pointed ears
B Storm was given to him by his father
C Storm has an interesting personality
D Storm once saved him from a bear
______ 2. What trick does Storm play on the dog next to him?
F
He grabs a stick and waves it.
G He tries to steer the sled in the wrong direction.
H He snorts wind into the other dog’s ear.
J
He sits down and refuses to run.
______ 3. Why does Storm “smile” when Paulsen puts his hat on?
A Storm is happy that Paulsen will feel warm when he wears the hat.
B Storm had stolen the hat and buried it in the snow.
C Storm had stolen the hat and chewed big holes in it.
D Storm hopes that Paulsen will let him play with the hat.
______ 4. What does Paulsen mean when he describes Storm as having “scale eyes”?
Storm’s eyes are the same color as the scale Paulsen uses to weigh loads.
G Storm uses his eyes to tell when a load is too heavy or just right.
H Storm’s eyes are the same color as reptile scales.
J
Storm has a disease that makes his eyes look like fish scales.
______ 5. When the stove is being loaded, Storm —
A watches the loading process with interest
B plays with the other dogs
C sleeps until the stove is loaded
D nips at Paulsen’s heels
______ 6. Storm growls at the stove because —
F
he knows that the stove will be very heavy
G he wants the bacon that is cooking on it
H Paulsen has worked the dogs too hard
J
110
an intruder is hiding behind the stove
Holt Assessment: Literature, Reading, and Vocabulary
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
F
NAME
CLASS
DATE
SCORE
______ 7. What happens during one pre-Iditarod race that Storm runs with Paulsen?
A Storm saves Paulsen’s life when a bear attacks the team.
B Storm leads the team safely down a dangerous cliff.
C Paulsen learns that the dogs are more important than winning.
D Paulsen learns how to use Storm to make the team go faster.
______ 8. Which of the following provides the best evidence that Storm, even though he is a dog,
can communicate with his owner?
F
Storm plays with the other dogs to indicate he is bored.
G Storm begins barking to warn Paulsen of an intruder.
H Storm pushes the stove off of the sled to point out that it is dangerous.
J
Storm drops his stick to tell Paulsen the team is being overworked.
______ 9. Storm’s carrying the stick became —
A the only clue to his personality
B a sign of disapproval
C the cause of fights between the dogs
D a lifelong habit on runs
______ 10. Storm indicates to Paulsen that the sled team is being run too hard by —
F
letting out a loud growl and flattening his ears
G refusing to accept the stick Paulsen offers
H lying down and refusing to move
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
J
running away when Paulsen calls him
LITERARY FOCUS (20 points; 5 points each)
On the line provided, write the letter of the best answer to each of the following items.
______ 11. What kind of writing is this selection?
A Biography
B Autobiography
C Persuasive
D Descriptive
______ 12. Which pronoun does the narrator use to refer to himself?
F
I
G You
H Him
J
Storm
It
111
NAME
CLASS
DATE
SCORE
______ 13. Who is the narrator of “Storm”?
A The author
B Storm himself
C A newspaper reporter
D A friend of Paulsen’s
______ 14. What term describes the kind of narration used in this selection?
F
Nonfictional point of view
G Fictional point of view
H First-person point of view
J
Third-person point of view
VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT (20 points; 4 points each)
Choose the word that has the same meaning as the italicized word or phrase in each sentence.
Write the letter of your answer on the line provided.
a. disengage
d. gain
b. engage
e. emit
c. regain
______ 15. A sled needs special harnesses and hooks to fasten the dogs.
______ 16. When the dogs needed to rest, Paulsen would unhook them.
______ 17. Storm would sometimes give out a low growl.
______ 19. Paulsen watches the dogs carefully to achieve a real understanding of them.
CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE (20 points)
20. Paulsen has learned several lessons from Storm. Identify at least two of these lessons and
explain how Paulsen learned them. On a separate piece of paper, write a paragraph that
explains your answer. Support your ideas with at least two examples from the selection.
112
Holt Assessment: Literature, Reading, and Vocabulary
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
______ 18. To recover balance on a sled after a load has moved, the weight must be shifted
back to its original position.
Answer Key
Reading Skills and Strategies:
Constructed Response
the characters resolve their problems, and
the message or theme becomes clear.
Making Predictions
This story meets all these characteristics. It
is quite short. It is set at and near Nobie’s
house, and it only has three characters.
Nobie, the main character, has a very simple
problem, and the entire plot revolves around
it. Her problem brings her into conflict with
herself and with Victor. Their argument and
her mother’s advice present additional complications that lead to Nobie’s third wish and
to the resolution of the problem.
11. Students’ responses will vary. A sample
response follows:
Analyzing Cause and Effect
12. Students’ responses will vary. A sample
response follows:
Nobie gets angry at Victor because he
calls her “simple,” meaning “stupid.” This
remark sets off the chain of events that
leads to her final realization. Nobie’s angry
wish leads to Victor’s departure, which
leads to her mother’s entrance. Her mother’s response to Nobie’s question sets Nobie
thinking about what or whom is really
worth wishing for. Her mother’s answer
resolves Nobie’s problem and drives the
plot to its conclusion.
Using Sequence
13. Students’ responses will vary. A sample
response follows:
Nobie makes three wishes. Her first wish
is that it wouldn’t be so cold outside. Her
second wish is that Victor would leave. Her
third wish is that she wishes she still had a
good friend.
Literary Focus: Constructed Response
14. Students’ responses will vary. A sample
response follows:
This is a short story. Short stories can be
read in one sitting. They have a setting, and
they generally have only a few characters
and a focused plot. The characters have a
problem that brings them into conflict. After
complications bring the problem to a climax,
222
Collection 5
Collection 5 Diagnostic Test
Literature, Informational Text,
Vocabulary, page 108
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A
H
C
J
B
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
F
D
G
B
G
Storm from Woodsong
by Gary Paulsen
Selection Test, page 110
Comprehension
1. C
2. H
3. B
4. G
5. A
Literary Focus
11. B
12. F
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
F
C
J
D
G
13. A
14. H
Vocabulary Development
15. b
16. a
17. e
18. c
19. d
Holt Assessment: Literature, Reading, and Vocabulary
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
I think Nobie and Victor will soon forget
that they ever had an argument. After all,
they are very good friends who not only
share common interests, such as movies
and ballgames, but also share their dreams
for the future and even keep secrets. Nobie
now knows that friends like Victor are precious. In fact, he’s worth her last wish.
Answer Key
Constructed Response
20. Students’ responses will vary. A sample
response follows:
At the beginning of this selection,
Paulsen writes, “Lessons about life and,
finally, lessons about death came from
[Storm].” What are some of these lessons he
learns? First, Paulsen learns that dogs can
have a sense of humor. He explains that
when Storm is bored, Storm pulls up close
to another dog and snorts wind into its ear.
Storm plays other jokes, too. For example,
he hides things like Paulsen’s hat and then
looks completely innocent. He even seems
to smile when Paulsen catches on to the
joke. Second, Paulsen learns not to overwork the team. For example, through the
use of the stick, Storm tells Paulsen that he
is working the team too hard during the
pre-Iditarod. Only after Paulsen stops,
feeds, and rests the team does Storm pick
up the stick, indicating he is willing to go
on.
by Maya Angelou
Selection Test, page 115
Comprehension
1. D
2. F
3. C
4. F
5. B
Literary Focus
11. C
12. F
13. D
14. G
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
G
B
H
A
J
Vocabulary Development
15. lauded
16. aghast
17. grating
18. precision
Bringing Tang Home
Constructed Response
Where the Heart Is
19. Students’ responses will vary. A sample
response follows:
by Gina Spadafori
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Brother from I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings
by Sheri Henderson
Selection Test, page 113
Comprehension
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
B
H
D
H
C
Vocabulary Development
6. b
7. e
8. d
9. c
10. a
Answer Key
If someone other than Maya Angelou narrated “Brother,” a key difference would be
the selection’s point of view. As the story of
her life, this autobiography is written in the
first-person point of view. If someone else
had written this selection, it would be a
biography written in the third-person point
of view. The pronoun “she” would then refer
to Maya Angelou as a character. Another difference would be the attitude of the writer
toward the material. In the current selection,
the events and characters are experienced
through Maya Angelou’s memories and attitudes. In a biography, the writer would present facts about Maya Angelou’s past but
might also share his or her attitude toward
the subject in the form of opinions presented
subjectively among the researched facts presented objectively. In other words, someone
223