1st Quarter Benchmark Review

Theme

100

Katie Clean invited Messy Missy to her house to work on their biology project, but Katie Clean had no idea what a visit from Messy Missy entailed. First of all, it was raining and Messy Missy neither bothered to take her boots off nor thoroughly wiped them on the doormat. Then Messy Missy ate a bag of hot chips on Katie Clean's white bedspread without asking, and Messy Missy is a sloppy eater, so hot chip powder got all over the bedspread. Katie Clean tried to be polite and ignore Messy Missy's sloppy behavior, but then Messy Missy threw her chip wrapper on the floor. Offended, Katie Clean pretended that she was sick and asked Messy Missy to leave. The next day Katie Clean asked the teacher if she could work by herself. After explaining her situation, the teacher allowed Katie to work alone. Messy Missy would have finished the assignment by herself, but she spilled grape soda all over her assignment.What is the theme of the story?

What is respect other peoples' property; choose your partners carefully

200

Money Mark was born rich. He never had to work a day in his life and he got everything handed to him on a silver platter. When he was six, Money Mark wanted to go to a basketball game. His father paid the starting five of the Bulls and Celtics to play a private game of Nerf-ball in Money Mark's bedroom. When Money Mark turned thirteen, he wanted to start a band. His father hired the Rolling Stones to play with him every Saturday at the family's private concert hall, though his family was never there. By the time he was twenty-one, Money Mark was bored with life. He was surrounded by a bunch of possessions that he didn't appreciate and Money Mark could find nothing new or exciting in his life. Despite his vast wealth, Money Mark never found happiness. Penny Petal was born poor. Her family hardly had anything to eat, but they loved each other. Penny Petal appreciated every thing she got. When she was six, her father walked her around the United Center before the Bulls played the Celtics. She was excited by the crazy fans and feeling in the air. She looked forward to the day that she could see a real game. When she was thirteen, she learned to play the buckets. She was an extremely talented musician, a natural percussionist, and everyone on the block loved the rhythms that poured from her palms. By the time she was twenty-one, Penny was a successful businesswoman. Now she had everything that she had ever dreamed of and she truly loved to share her wealth and happiness with her family who supported her through all of the hard times. What is the theme of the story?

What is money doesn't buy happiness; you don't appreciate the things for which you don't work.

300

Tammy and Sammy were both students in Mr. Morton's reading class. Mr. Morton wasn't too strict about deadlines, and Sammy took advantage of that. He did all of his homework in his other classes but never bothered to complete Mr. Morton's reading assignments, figuring that he could complete them later. Tammy, on the other hand, completed each assignment Mr. Morton assigned the night that he assigned it. She had to stay up a little later, but she didn't want to get a penalty for turning in her reading work late. Tammy knew reading was a core subject and that she had to keep "C" average for the entire year or she would have to go to summer school. When the end of the quarter came, Tammy and Sammy had both planned on going to the Enchanted Castle amusement park, but Mr. Morton called Sammy's mother, and she grounded Sammy until he turned in all of his work. That weekend was horrible for Sammy. He stayed up until 2:00 AM each night and still couldn't complete all of the assignments. The whole while, Tammy had a great time eating pizza at Enchanted Castle, watching movies late at night, and enjoying her weekend free of stress and pressure. At the end of the quarter, Sammy was lucky to squeak by with a "C" minus in reading while Tammy earned an "A." Sammy still hasn't learned his lesson and probably won't complete this activity either.

What is it is better to do things right the first time; work hard, play hard.

400

Mr. Pig and Mr. Dog were hanging out at the food court of the animal shopping mall. Mr. Pig was eating a huge feast of pizza and drinking a large jug of fruit punch and Mr. Dog was watching him eat. "Hey, Mr. Pig. If you give me a slice of your pizza, I'll let you have the next bone I find." Mr. Pig declined, even though it hurt his stomach to eat the last three slices of pizza. "I'm sorry, Mr. Dog," Mr. Pig said, "but I paid for this pizza and it's all mine." Mr. Dog sighed and waited for Mr. Pig to finish, and then they left the animal mall together. On the way out, a hunter spotted them and gave chase. Mr. Pig normally could have escaped the hunter but since he was weighed down by such a large meal, Mr. Pig collapsed and the hunter killed him. Mr. Dog easily escaped. Later that night while returning to the scene, Mr. Dog caught the scent of something delicious and began digging around a trash can. He found a large ham bone with lots of meat and marrow still stuck to the bone. Mr. Dog happily ate. What is the theme of the story?

What is it is better to share; don't be greedy.

500

In his sophomore year of high school, Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. But at five feet and eleven inches tall, the coach believed that Jordan was too short to play at that level, so Jordan was cut from the team. Jordan didn't let this obstacle defeat him. In fact, it pushed him to work even harder. He trained vigorously and grew another four inches the following summer. When he finally made the varsity squad, Jordan averaged 25 points a game and went on to become one of the greatest basketball players in history. What is the theme of the story?

What is never give up; persistence pays off.

Quotation

100

Kelly said Kim wants to play inside, not outside.

What is Kelly said, "Kim wants to play inside, not outside."

200

Which store do you want to go to? asked Marie.

What is "Which store do you want to go to?" asked Marie

300

Didn’t she say Your poetry as signment is due Monday. asked Jim.

What is Didn’t she say , “Your poetry as signment is due Monday.” asked Jim?

400

Look both ways, before you cross the street. Mother reminded us.

What is "Look both ways, before you cross the street," Mother reminded us.

500

Who is coming for dinner tonight? Mary asked as she saw her mother put a very large roast in the oven.

What is “Who is coming for dinner tonight?” Mary asked as she saw her mother put a very large roast in the oven.

Drawing Conclusion

100

The horse reared up on its hind legs, pawing the air and neighing loudly. What conclusion can you draw from the sentence above? A. The horse was white. B. The horse was excited. C. The horse was sleepy. D. The horse was calm.

What is The horse was excited.

200

As his mother honked the horn outside, Tom ran down the stairs, buttoning his shirt. What conclusion can you draw from the sentence above? A. Tom liked to run. B. Tom was hungry. C. Tom was hurrying. D. It was raining.

What is Tom was hurrying?

300

As she sat on the front porch, Lulu wiped the sweat from her face and took another drink of water. What conclusion can you draw from the sentence above? A. It was cold. B. Lulu lives in Michigan. C. A storm was coming. D. It was hot.

What is it was hot?

400

The line of voters at the voting place grew larger, but no one wanted to leave, although the wait would be very long. What conclusion can you draw from the sentence above? A. The voters were interested in the election. B. The election workers were gone. C. There was going to be a riot. D. The voters were being paid.

What is the voters were interested in the election?

500

At the end of each school day, Miss Simmons would sweep the floor, empty the trash, arrange the desks and clean the board in her classroom. What conclusion can you draw from the sentence above? A. The school was too poor to hire a janitor. B. Miss Simmons had nothing else to do. C. Miss Simmons like to have her room clean. D. The students were messy.

What is Miss Simmons like to have her room clean?

Main Idea

100

Being a clown isn't all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform. When cowboys dismount or are bucked off of bulls at riding competitions, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention. In this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider. So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business.

What is Rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in danger?

200

The wolverine, a medium sized mammal weighing no more than 50 lbs., has earned its reputation for ferocity with its documented ability to kill prey many times its size. The reason why wolverines have so many conflicts with other animals (including wolves, cougars, and even bears) is probably because of the wolverine's preferred hunting style. Rather than chasing down or tricking its prey like most hunters, the wolverine prefers to take its meals directly from other hunters. So while a polar bear or a lone wolf might be enjoying a hard earned carcass, a hungry wolverine may try to take his lunch. This keeps the wolverine in plenty of fights.

What is the wolverine is very tough and takes its meals from other animals?

300

Sometime in December of 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a gym teacher at the YMCA College in Springfield, Massachusetts was trying to keep his gym class active on a rainy day. He wanted a vigorous game that would keep his students moving. After rejecting a few other ideas because they were too rough or not suited for the walled-in gym, Naismith wrote out the rules for a game with peach baskets fixed to ten-foot elevated tracks. Naismith's students played against one another, passing the ball around and shooting it into the peach baskets. Dribbling wasn't a part of the original game, and it took a while to realize that the game would run more smoothly if the bottoms of the baskets were removed, but this game grew to be one of the most popular sports in America today. Can you guess which one?

What is This paragraph is about the invention of basketball.

400

What's that humming sound? Could it be hummingbird, the only bird capable of backward flight? Hummingbirds have many unique flight habits that distinguish them from other birds. Most birds flap their wings up and down to fly, but the hummingbird moves its wings forward and backward very rapidly in a figure eight pattern. This allows the hummingbird to hover in position, fly upside down, and move about very rapidly. And while other birds have to push off with their feet to begin flying, and work their ways up to their top speeds, the hummingbird can both start flying at maximum speed and stop flying instantaneously. After you've seen a hummingbird in flight, it's unlikely that you'll mistake them for another bird.

What is the hummingbird fly in a totally unique and unusual way?

500

Remember, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing correctly. That said, the key to making perfect cookies is merely a matter of preparation and precision. To begin with, read your cookie recipe thoroughly before baking. Make sure that you have all of the necessary ingredients before you continue. Next, use good tools and utensils. Sometimes, the craftsperson is only as good as his or her tools. By using good tools you can minimize mistakes and improve the quality of your product. Lastly, you should use top quality ingredients. Unlike in the fairytales, you can't turn lead into gold. If you use poor quality materials, you'll create an inferior product. So, to make perfect cookies you should use the highest quality materials available. Bon apatite!

What is this paragraph explains how to make perfect cookies?

Setting

100

"Come under the slide," A.J. spoke softly to Clark. "I want to show you what I found." Clark nodded to A.J. from on top of the monkey bars and then jumped down to the sand. A small cloud of dust spun up as he landed. Clark trotted over to the slide and crawled under it. A.J. was waiting there. "Check this out," whispered A.J. He pulled a phone out from behind his back. "I found it in the parking lot. I know we should turn it into the office after recess, but we can play games on it now." Clark smiled at A.J. Where is this story taking place?

What is this story is taking place on a playground at a school. I believe this because there are monkey bars, a slide, an office, and the students are at recess.

200

Janet sliced the onion on the cutting board over the sink. As the fumes from the onion rose, her eyes began to water. She was listening to some popular jazz music on the radio when a voice broke in, "This just in! Pearl Harbor has been attacked! Much of the American naval fleet in the Pacific has been destroyed. Will this attack bring the U.S. into the Second World War? More details to follow." Janet dropped the knife and covered her mouth. She remembered the first war. She was just a child at the time but she could never forget the hardships.

What is this story is taking place in a women's kitchen. I believe this because she is chopping an onion over the sink?

300

Beep! Beep! Harold slammed his hand down on the wheel of his hover car. "57 lanes and there's still traffic?" Harold questioned out loud, though nobody was in the vehicle with him. "Yes, Harold, it is a shame. Be patient, you'll arrive to work soon enough," a voice emitted from the console of the hover car. "Oh, yeah? Care to bet your job on it?" Harold asked the machine. The machine responded dryly, "I am programmed to decline gambling, Harold." Harold smirked and said, "Forget this." He turned off autopilot and grabbed the wheel of the hover car. "Harold, what are you doing? This is dangerous," said the machine. Harold laughed and said, "I'll show you danger," as he pulled the wheel back and piloted the car straight down through twelve lanes of traffic. Where is this story taking place?

What is the story is taking place in a hover car in space traffic. I believe this because the character complains about the traffic and he is described as being in a hover car?

400

Beep! Beep! Harold slammed his hand down on the wheel of his hover car. "57 lanes and there's still traffic?" Harold questioned out loud, though nobody was in the vehicle with him. "Yes, Harold, it is a shame. Be patient, you'll arrive to work soon enough," a voice emitted from the console of the hover car. "Oh, yeah? Care to bet your job on it?" Harold asked the machine. The machine responded dryly, "I am programmed to decline gambling, Harold." Harold smirked and said, "Forget this." He turned off autopilot and grabbed the wheel of the hover car. "Harold, what are you doing? This is dangerous," said the machine. Harold laughed and said, "I'll show you danger," as he pulled the wheel back and piloted the car straight down through twelve lanes of traffic.

What is this story is taking place in the distant future. I believe this because the car flies itself through 57 lanes of traffic and it talks?

500

"I hit you, Sean! You're out!" Lillian yelled across the room. Sean yelled back, "You did not! I spun out of the way!" Just then one of Lillian's teammates threw another ball at Sean. It flew towards Sean's stomach, but Sean cradled it like a loaf of bread. "You too, Brad! You're out too! I caught your ball!" Brad shouted back, "Did not! I didn't even throw a ball." A whistle blew. It was Coach Hannon. He threw his thumb in the air shouted, "Brad, you're out." Brad kicked a dodge ball and said, "Aw man!" Then he jogged over to line up with the other eliminated players. Where is this story taking place?

What is this story is taking place in a gymnasium. I believe this because children are playing dodge ball and there is a gym coach in the room?