4th Grade STAAR Revising and Editing Passages

Sharks

100

     (1) Sharks have been around for about 400 million years. (2) Even before the first dinosaurs, sharks swam through the oceans. (3) Today, the number of sharks is faling. (4) People hunt sharks. (5) The number of sharks is also shrinking because of pollution. (6) We need to learn as much as we can about sharks so we can help them live into the future. 

What change, if any, should be made in sentence 3?   A. Change faling to falling                                     B. Delete the comma after today                             C. Change sharks to shark                                    D. No change is needed in sentence 3.

A. Change faling to falling

200

(7) Many people think of sharks as man-eating monsters. (8) Sharks is fierce ocean hunters, but they are not man-eaters. (9) In fact, most sharks are afraid of people. (10) Some of the biggest sharks are also the most gentle ones. (11) There are only about four shark attacks on humans each year. (12) Attacks happen because swimmers look like sea lions to the sharks. (13) The sharks do not know better. (14) The myth that sharks are man-eating monsters isnt fair to sharks. 2 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 8? A Change the period to an exclamation mark B Change is to are C Change yet to moreover D Make no change

B Change is to are

300

(7) Many people think of sharks as man-eating monsters. (8) Sharks is fierce ocean hunters, but they are not man-eaters. (9) In fact, most sharks are afraid of people. (10) Some of the biggest sharks are also the most gentle ones. (11) There are only about four shark attacks on humans each year. (12) Attacks happen because swimmers look like sea lions to the sharks. (13) The sharks do not know better. (14) The myth that sharks are man-eating monsters isnt fair to sharks. 3 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 14? A Change myth to mith B Change that to than C Change isnt to isn’t D No change is needed in sentence 14.

C Change isnt to isn’t

400

(15) To other sea animals, however, sharks are something to fear. (16) Sharks are famous for their sharp teeth that can tear prey into pieces. (17) Sharks often lose teeth when they bite into animals they eat. (18) A shark can go through 30,000 teath in its lifetime. (19) Some shark teeth fall out about every eight days. (20) Sharks have many rows of teeth that replace the teeth that fall out. 4 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 18? A Change its to it’s B Change shark to sharks C Change teath to teeth D Make no change

C Change teath to teeth

500

(21) Sharks are also well known for their jaws. (22) Shark jaws are big but that’s not the only thing that makes them special. (23) Shark jaws don’t work like our jaws. (24) When you open your mouth, only your bottom jaw moves. (25) For sharks, the top and bottom jaw both move. (26) This lets sharks open wide and take big bites. 5 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 22? A Change but to moreover B Insert a comma after big C Change that’s to thats D No change is needed in sentence 22.

B Insert a comma after big

Rico's Treasure

100

(1) It was saturday morning. (2) Rico woke up and turned on the TV right away. (3) He knew channel 8 was going to play his favorite show – “Treasure Getters.” (4) Either Rico watched a lot of TV, or he really liked to watch “Treasure Getters” search for gold, silver, and jewels. 1 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 1? A Change saturday to Saturday B Change was to is C Insert a comma after saturday D No change is needed in sentence 1.

A Change saturday to Saturday

200

(5) Just then, Dad came into the room with a cup of coffee. (6) “Good morning, son,” he said. (7) Rico mumbled, “Morning, Dad,” without looking away from the TV. (8) Dad said, “You’ve been watching a lot of TV lately. (9) I think we should get out of the house this weekend. (10) What do you say?” (11) “I am not going anywhere,” said Rico. (12) “I’m watching a “Treasure Getters” marathon.” (13) Dad got an idea. (14) He said “You can watch “Treasure Getters” or would you like to find some treasure yourself?” 2 Rico would like to add the following sentence to the second paragraph (sentences 5-14). Where is the BEST place to insert this sentence? He did not want to miss a second of “Treasure Getters.” A At the beginning of the paragraph B After sentence 7 C At the end of the paragraph D This sentence should not be added to the paragraph.

B After sentence 7

300

(5) Just then, Dad came into the room with a cup of coffee. (6) “Good morning, son,” he said. (7) Rico mumbled, “Morning, Dad,” without looking away from the TV. (8) Dad said, “You’ve been watching a lot of TV lately. (9) I think we should get out of the house this weekend. (10) What do you say?” (11) “I am not going anywhere,” said Rico. (12) “I’m watching a “Treasure Getters” marathon.” (13) Dad got an idea. (14) He said “You can watch “Treasure Getters” or would you like to find some treasure yourself?” 3 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 14? A Change watching to watched B Change Not to not C Insert a comma after said D No change is needed in sentence 14.

C Insert a comma after said

400

(15) Rico didn’t know what Dad meant. (16) They didn’t have a map like the “Treasure Getters.” (17) Not only they couldn’t dive to a sunken ship, but also couldn’t travel around the world. (18) How would they find treasure? (19) Dad said, “I’m not going to tell you everything yet. (20) Either you stay here all day or turn off the TV and get in the car. (21) We’ll find some treasure today.” (22) Rico was not only confused. (23) He was also excited. (24) He did as he was told. (25) They drove for half an hour. (26) When Dad parked the car, they were at the ocean. 4 What is the correct way to write sentences 22 and 23? A Rico was not only confused, but he was also excited. B Rico was not only confused, but also excited. C Rico was not only confusing, and he was also excited. D Sentences 22 and 23 are correct in the paper.

B Rico was not only confused, but also excited.

500

(27) Next, Rico jumped out of the car and said, “I know what we’re doing. (28) Were going to use a metal detector. (29) I’ve seen the “Treasure Getters” use metal detectors on the beach. (30) They found silver coins!” (31) Dad shook his head. (32) “We don’t need a metal detector to find our treasure.” 5 Rico wants to add a conclusion to his paper. Which of the following could BEST follow sentences 32 and close this paper? A Now Rico was even more bored. B Now Rico was even more confused. C Rico’s father suggested to go shopping. D No change is needed in sentence 32.

B Now Rico was even more confused.

Walt Disney World

100

(1) Have you ever bean to Walt Disney World? (2) Most people in the United States have either been there or want to go someday. (3) Walt Disney World is a symbol of fun and fantasy. (4) Even grown-ups love it. 1 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 1? A Change bean to been B Change Have to have C Change World to world D No change is needed in sentence 1.

A Change bean to been

200

(5) The full name of the park is Walt Disney World Resort. (6) Most people call it “Disney World” for short. (7) Where does the “Walt” in Walt Disney World comes from? (8) Walt bought land and made plans for Disney World with his brother. (9) Walt called the park “Project X” while he planned it. (10) The park did not get its full name until it was almost ready to open. 2 Carlos would like to add the following sentence to the second paragraph (sentences 5-10). Where is the BEST place to insert this sentence? Walt Disney was the name of the man who owned Disney. A At the beginning of the paragraph B After sentence 7 C At the end of the paragraph D This sentence should not be added to the paragraph.

B After sentence 7

300

(11) It took a lot of planing for Walt and his brother, Roy, to make the park. (12) First, they had to find a place. (13) Then, they had to build it. (14) This was not easy. (15) Walt wanted more land than he had for his other theme park, Disney Land. (16) He wanted to make sure the new park had room to grow. (17) Since the Disney Land Park was on the West Coast. (18) Walt searched the East Coast for land for the new park. (19) He settled on florida. (20) The land was cheaper there because much of it was swampy. (21) Walt knew he could make the land into a great theme park. 3 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 11? A Change his to her B Change took to taken C Change planing to planning D No change is needed in sentence 11.

C Change planing to planning

400

(11) It took a lot of planing for Walt and his brother, Roy, to make the park. (12) First, they had to find a place. (13) Then, they had to build it. (14) This was not easy. (15) Walt wanted more land than he had for his other theme park, Disney Land. (16) He wanted to make sure the new park had room to grow. (17) Since the Disney Land Park was on the West Coast. (18) Walt searched the East Coast for land for the new park. (19) He settled on florida. (20) The land was cheaper there because much of it was swampy. (21) Walt knew he could make the land into a great theme park. 4 What is the BEST way to combine sentences 12 and 13? A First, they had to find a place, and then they had to build it. B First, they had to find a place and then build it. C First, they having to find a place and building it. D Sentences 16 and 17 are correct in the paper.

B First, they had to find a place and then build it.

500

(22) The next step was to build the park, but something bad happened. (23) Walt Disney died. (24) Roy, his brother, took over. (25) Roy made sure that when the park opened, it was called Walt Disney World Resort. 6 Carlos wants to add a conclusion to his paper. Which of the following could BEST follow sentences 25 and close this paper? A He wanted everyone to remember Walt’s name. B Roy was a good brother to Walt. C Walt Disney World Resort has about five thousand rooms to rent. D Millions of people visit Sea World every year.

A He wanted everyone to remember Walt’s name.

The History of Paper

100

(1) For a long time, humans leave without writing anything. (2) People remembered things by singing songs and telling stories. (3) Then, people started to write things in clay. (4) They also carved into stone slabs and drew on cave walls. (5) These were the first kinds of paper. (6) As people became more advanced, they made new and better kinds of paper. 1 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 1? A Change leave to lived B Change writing to righting C Delete the comma D No change is needed in sentence 1.

A Change leave to lived

200

(7) People in Egypt made papyrus. (8) Papyrus was the first kind of paper not made from stone (9) Like the paper we use today, papyrus was made from a plant. (10) It grew around the Nile River. (11) People picked the plants and let them soaked. (12) The mashed plants was used as paper after they dried. 2 Ivan would like to add the following sentence to the second paragraph (sentences 7-12). Where is the BEST place to insert this sentence? After the plants soaked, they got mashed together with other plants. A At the beginning of the paragraph B After sentence 11 C At the end of the paragraph D This sentence should not be added to the paragraph.

B After sentence 11

300

(7) People in Egypt made papyrus. (8) Papyrus was the first kind of paper not made from stone (9) Like the paper we use today, papyrus was made from a plant. (10) It grew around the Nile River. (11) People picked the plants and let them soaked. (12) The mashed plants was used as paper after they dried. 3 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 12? A Change plants to plant B Change dried to dry C Change was to were D No change is needed in sentence 12.

C Change was to were

400

(13) People in other parts of the world could not use papyrus. (14) The plants only grew in Africa. (15) It was too expensive to buy them. (16) It was too expensive to ship the paper. (17) the rest of the world needed a way to make paper it could use. (18) That’s when people made the first parchment. (19) They did not need plants to make it. (20) Instead, they used sheep and cow skins. (21) There were plenty of sheep and cows around. (22) People cleaned and dried the skins. (23) The dried skins made a fine paper. 4 What is the BEST way to combine sentences 15 and 16? A It was too expensive to buying them and shipping the paper. B It was too expensive to buy them and ship the paper. C It was too expensive to buy and shipped the paper. D Sentences 15 and 16 are correct in the paper.

B It was too expensive to buy them and ship the paper.

500

(13) People in other parts of the world could not use papyrus. (14) The plants only grew in Africa. (15) It was too expensive to buy them. (16) It was too expensive to ship the paper. (17) the rest of the world needed a way to make paper it could use. (18) That’s when people made the first parchment. (19) They did not need plants to make it. (20) Instead, they used sheep and cow skins. (21) There were plenty of sheep and cows around. (22) People cleaned and dried the skins. (23) The dried skins made a fine paper. 6 Ivan wants to add a conclusion sentence to his paper. Which of the following could BEST follow sentences 23 and close this paragraph? A There are several stores that sell all kinds of dried skins. B Also, people used a lot of dried skins to build houses. C Of course, we don’t write on parchment anymore. D No change is needed in sentence 23.

C Of course, we don’t write on parchment anymore.

Ice Hotel

100

(1) Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sleep in an igloo? (2) About 125 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden, there is a special hotel named the ice Hotel. (3) The Ice Hotel guests spend the night in unique and chilly rooms. (4) All the rooms are made out of ice and snow. 1 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 2? A Change About to From B Change ice to Ice C Delete the comma after Sweden D No change is needed in sentence 2.

B Change ice to Ice

200

(5) The Ice Hotel got its start in 1992. (6) That year, a few people traveled to the area for an ice carving class. (7) At the last minute, a man asked if he could join the class. (8) There was not enough room for him to stay in the warm hotel. (9) He offered to spend the night in the snow house. (10) To his surprise, he had a great time! (11) He wondered if other people would want to try it, too. (12) So, the Ice Hotel was born. 2 Nick needs to add a transition word or phrase to help his readers move from sentence 8 to sentence 9. Which transition could BEST be added to the beginning of sentence 9? A Until B Still, C While D So

B Still,

300

(13) It is made up of 10,000 tons of ice. (14) On top of that, there is another 30,000 tons of snow. (15) Many of the ice blocks used in the hotel’s walls weigh around two tons each. (16) The huge ice blocks come from the nearby Torne River. (17) Moreover, every part of the Ice Hotel is made of frozen materials. (18) There is no wood, no metal, no plastic, or no glass. (19) Next, the Ice Hotel melts every year. (20) The sun shines for 100 days in the sumer. (21) At that time, the ice and snow return to the river. 3 Nick wants to add a sentence to the beginning of the third paragraph (sentences 13-21). Which sentence could he add to clearly state the central idea of this paragraph? A My family and I are planning a trip to Sweden next summer. B The Ice Hotel is the best hotel in the whole world! C Today, the Ice Hotel is famous. D People from all over America that went to visit it did not like it.

C Today, the Ice Hotel is famous.

400

(13) It is made up of 10,000 tons of ice. (14) On top of that, there is another 30,000 tons of snow. (15) Many of the ice blocks used in the hotel’s walls weigh around two tons each. (16) The huge ice blocks come from the nearby Torne River. (17) Moreover, every part of the Ice Hotel is made of frozen materials. (18) There is no wood, no metal, no plastic, or no glass. (19) Next, the Ice Hotel melts every year. (20) The sun shines for 100 days in the sumer. (21) At that time, the ice and snow return to the river. 4 What is the correct way to write sentences 16 and 17? A The huge blocks of ice come from the nearby Torne River, but every part of the Ice Hotel is made of frozen materials. B The Ice Hotel is making of frozen materials that come from the nearby Torne River. C The huge blocks of ice coming from the nearby Torne River and every part of the Ice Hotel is made of frozen materials. D Sentences 16 and 17 are correct in the paper.

D Sentences 16 and 17 are correct in the paper.

500

(13) It is made up of 10,000 tons of ice. (14) On top of that, there is another 30,000 tons of snow. (15) Many of the ice blocks used in the hotel’s walls weigh around two tons each. (16) The huge ice blocks come from the nearby Torne River. (17) Moreover, every part of the Ice Hotel is made of frozen materials. (18) There is no wood, no metal, no plastic, or no glass. (19) Next, the Ice Hotel melts every year. (20) The sun shines for 100 days in the sumer. (21) At that time, the ice and snow return to the river. 5 Look at sentence 19. The transition word Next does not express what Nick was trying to say. Which word could BEST replace Next and help Nick improve the meaning of this sentence? A Of course B Afterward C As soon as D Therefore

A Of course