Main Idea
An archeologist learns about the past by finding remains such as fossils, buildings, or artifacts like pottery, tools, and weapons. If it weren't for archeologists, we wouldn't have gained or understood much of what we know about ancient societies.
The main idea of this paragraph is:
A. A fossil is the most important thing an archeologist can find.
B. Archaeologists help us learn about history.
C. Archaeologists study ancient buildings.
B. Archaeologists help us learn about history.
Ants are amazing insects! They live in communities and they all have special jobs. Some ants care for the young, other ants are herders who take care of the aphids, and there is a very special group of ants who guard the home and let only the ants who live there enter. Other ants are considered farmers; they work under the ground to carve enormous cities. No matter what their job is, they all work together.
The word guard means:
A. build
B. dominate
C. protect
C. protect
Brett walked home from school very slowly, thinking about his day. He kicked at a rock, sat down on the curb, and rested his head in his hands. He couldn't believe his friend Jamie had neglected to invite him to his pool party. Almost everyone in the class was invited, but Brett hadn't found an invitation on his desk. Hoping that Jamie had just forgotten to put an invitation on his desk, Brett decided to ask him about it the next day.
Brett was feeling __________.
A. happy
B. left out
C. angry
B. left out
Ben wanted the potato chips that were on the top shelf in the cabinet. In order to reach them, he found a stool to climb on. The stool started to wobble beneath him just as he was about to reach the top shelf. Still, he reached higher for the big bag of potato chips. Just as he grabbed it, the stool went toppling over. Ben lost his balance and landed with a thud on the kitchen floor.
Choose the correct cause and effect pair:
A. Ben wanted chips. / Ben fell on the floor.
B. Ben lost his balance. / Ben fell on the floor.
C. The stool was broken. / Ben fell.
B. Ben lost his balance. / Ben fell on the floor.
Amy decided to take over her brother's paper route for three weeks while he was recovering from knee surgery. He left her very detailed notes regarding his customers and their preferences: Mr. and Mrs. Nelson, 1090 Fir Street, will be away for the rest of this week, so don't leave a paper for them until next week. Dr. and Mrs. Ryan, 2502 Pine Avenue, will be away during week three, so don't deliver a paper to their house throughout that week. The Smiths, at 4503 Ashmore Lane, work the late shift and appreciate having the paper put in their mailbox.Amy enjoyed substituting for her brother on his paper route. She used a map of the neighborhood and marked all the houses that she should deliver to with stars. After the first week she knew the route very well.
Who would be gone during Amy's last week of delivering papers?
A. the Smiths
B. the Nelsons
C. the Ryans
C. the Ryans
For the first time ever, Mark was competing in a swim meet. He had been practicing every day and felt very excited about the race. As the announcer introduced each swimmer, they took their places on the blocks and Mark thought about how it would feel to win the race. Then, at the sound of the gun, they all dove into the water and swam as fast as they could. During the last part of the race, Mark held his breath, kicked his feet and moved his arms as fast as he could. Upon finishing the race, Mark looked at the other lanes and smiled. The race had ended just the way he had envisioned.
The main idea of this paragraph is:
A. Mark competed in a swim meet.
B. Mark was a good swimmer.
C. Mark liked to be in the water.
A. Mark competed in a swim meet.
After many years of hard work, Susan's mom received her college degree. To celebrate her mom's achievement, Susan has planned a surprise party, and tonight is the big night. She has ordered a special cake, and her dad has helped her decorate the house. All of their family and friends will be there. Susan is sure her mom isn't suspecting anything because all the guests were told to keep the party a secret. It's going to be the best surprise party ever!
The word achievement means:
A. award
B. success
C. trophy
B. success
Noah sat down at his desk and looked around his new classroom. Next to him, a couple of kids were talking about the football game they won the night before, and many other students were talking and laughing. Noah really wished he had someone to talk to, but all the faces were unfamiliar to him. Noah knew it would take time to make new friends, but right now he felt lonely.
Noah's family probably just _________.
A. moved to town
B. went on vacation
C. got a new car
A. moved to town
Everyone should learn how to use punctuation properly. Punctuation, like commas and periods, lets you know where to pause or stop as you're reading. If you don't use punctuation, all your words and sentences will run together. If this happens, you'll never know where thoughts begin and end.
Choose the correct cause and effect pair:
A. All your words and sentences run together / Punctuation is used
B. Proper punctuation is used / You will know where to pause or stop as you read
C. Periods and commas are used / You will know how to write sentences
B. Proper punctuation is used / You will know where to pause or stop as you read
Tim really wanted to buy a bike. The brand new bikes he looked at were very expensive, so he decided to look for a used bike. He found an ad in the paper for a used, blue bike that was in good condition. He called the owner and found out that the bike would cost him $49.00. Tim had already saved $10.00, and he was determined to earn the rest of the money within a month. The owner agreed to keep the bike for Tim for 4 weeks until he had made enough money to buy it.
According to the paragraph, when will Tim most likely get the bike?
A. for his birthday in 6 months
B. in four weeks when he earns enough money
C. He doesn't want a used bike; he is going to continue saving his money for a new bike.
B. in four weeks when he earns enough money
Mia could almost see the winged horse as it soared through the air. She could even imagine its long, white tail streaming behind it. Also flying in the air was a tiny elf who sprinkled golden fairy dust over the town below. Then suddenly, the light came on. "Go to bed," Mom told Mia. "You can finish your book tomorrow."
The main idea of this paragraph is:
A. Mia is reading a fairy tale.
B. Mia's favorite stories are fairy tales.
C. Mia believes in unicorns.
A. Mia is reading a fairy tale.
Poems can describe many different things. For example, a poem may be about the softness of a lamb's wool, the aroma of baking bread, or the sound of ocean waves crashing on the seashore. A poem could even be written about the beauty of a single red rose. Often times, poets think about how their subject feels, smells, tastes, sounds, and looks. Then they use that information to write their poem.
The word aroma means:
A. sight
B. love
C. smell
C. smell
While Amy was walking home from school, she noticed a small boat in the river. She immediately thought of her little brother because he loved to play with boats. Amy thought it would be great to surprise her brother with it, so she walked down to the water. She hesitated for a minutes and then, in an effort to reach the boat, stepped onto a wobbly log. The next thing she knew, her legs were wet all the way up to her knees.
Amy's legs got wet when she _________.
A. balanced herself on the log
B. decided to go swimming
C. fell in the water
C. fell in the water
At the fair, Brenda and Derek bought hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, and potato chips. They were hungry! Later, as they walked toward the Ferris wheel, they stopped to buy more snacks. When they finally got to the Ferris wheel, they realized that they didn't have enough money left for the ride.
Choose the correct cause and effect pair:
A. Brenda and Derek went to the fair / They bought lots of food
B. Brenda and Derek bought lots of food/ They didn't have enough money for the ride
C. Brenda and Derek walked towards the Ferris wheel / They bought more snacks
B. Brenda and Derek bought lots of food/ They didn't have enough money for the ride
Baseball tryouts are at the end of the month, and Matt needs a new baseball glove. Matt's parents took him to the sporting goods store to pick out the glove he was interested in and find out the price. Then Matt sat down with his parents and discussed chores he could do to earn enough money.
This is the list that Matt and his parents agreed on: Mow the lawn 4 times this month = $20, clean the bathroom 4 times this month = $10, walk, feed and clean up after the dog every day this month = $30.
The glove Matt wanted, including sales tax, will cost $50.
What would Matt need to do to earn exactly fifty dollars?
A. Take care of the dog and mow the lawn this month.
B. Clean the bathroom and take care of the dog this month.
C. Mow the lawn and clean the bathroom this month.
A. Take care of the dog and mow the lawn this month.
A bumblebee colony often contains between 50,000 and 60,000 bees! The colony usually has one queen bee, hundreds of drones (male), and thousands of worker bees. The worker bees are appropriately named because they spend their lives gathering food for the colony and taking care of the baby bees. However, the queen bee only has one role, and that is to lay eggs. She lays over 2,000 eggs per day.
The main idea of this paragraph is:
A. Bees live in large hives.
B. Bee colonies contain different bees with different jobs.
C. Queen bees lay up to 2,000 eggs per day.
B. Bee colonies contain different bees with different jobs.
Martin Luther King Jr. spent his life working to gain equality for African Americans. King did this through the civil rights movement, and he promoted the idea of nonviolent protests. Even though his life was threatened many times over the years, he believed that the only way to create change was through peaceful talks and protests, not violence.
The word promoted means:
A. pushed for
B. sold
C. grabbed
A. pushed for
People who live where tornadoes are a common occurrence should know simple safety tips. If they are in a house when a tornado comes, they should go to a storm cellar or the southwest corner of the basement. If the house doesn't have a basement, they should go to an inner room without windows, like a bathroom. However, if they are outside, it is best to lie down in a low place, like a ditch. They should make sure to lie flat and cover their heads with their hands. People should never try to outrun a tornado!
Following the rules will make you ______.
A. lucky
B. brave
C. safer
C. safer
Hummingbirds don't actually hum. They get their name from the noise made by their wings. Hummingbirds can beat their wings up to 100 times per second, and some hummingbirds can bet their wings even faster than that! This rapid beating, which produces a humming sound, is necessary for these birds. It allows them to hover above a flower and suck out the nectar that feeds them.
Choose the correct cause and effect pair:
A. Hummingbirds get their name from the moose made by their wings / They suck out nectar
B. The wings of hummingbirds beat rapidly / They are able to hover above flowers
C. Hummingbirds hover above flowers / They don't actually hum
B. The wings of hummingbirds beat rapidly / They are able to hover above flowers
The fifth grade class at Monterey Elementary School has a cake decorating contest every Halloween. To be eligible for a prize, all directions must be followed. Each student who enters the contest must submit a picture of how they plan on decorating their cake. Once their picture is approved, the student is responsible for baking and decorating his/her own cake. Amy, Joe, and Jenny each got their pictures returned to them with a stamp of approval. They knew they were now eligible for the prize. Amy baked a double-layer cake with a pumpkin on it, Joe baked a triple-layer cake with a monster on it, and Jenny's cake was orange and black. Sarah turned in a cake decorated with spider webs.
Based on the rules and the information, who is not eligible for the prize?
A. Amy
B. Joe
C. Sarah
C. Sarah
McKenzie couldn't believe it! She's been chosen to take part in the county art show, one of the largest in the state. For years, she'd tried different styles of painting, emulating such famous artists as Picasso and Monet, and she had tried using a variety of materials such as paint, charcoal, and pastels. Finally, after all this time, she was going to get the chance to show off her hard work.
The main idea of this paragraph is:
A. McKenzie worked hard and was chosen for the county art show.
B. McKenzie modeled her artwork after famous artists.
C. McKenzie liked using a variety of materials.
A. McKenzie worked hard and was chosen for the county art show.
Different units of measurement are used to measure weight. Depending on the object being measured, one may use ounces, pounds, or tons. These units make calculating weight easy. For example, to measure the weight of small, light objects, like a feather, you use ounces. To measure the weight of larger, heavier objects, like a person, you use pounds. For very heavy objects, like a truck, you use tons.
The word calculating means:
A. guessing
B. figuring
C. adding
B. figuring
In the Middle Ages, merchants and craftspeople created guilds to protect their wealth. Guilds were groups of people who practiced the same trade, like shoemaking. Becoming a member of a guild was a long process. First, boys started as apprentices to a master journeyman, who taught the boys a trade. After learning basic skills, boys became journeymen. Then they had to prove their skills by creating a great masterpiece in their chosen trade. Only then could they become members of a guild.
Learning a trade was ______ in Middle Ages.
A. silly
B. valuable
C. easy
B. valuable
Two different viewpoints helped lead to the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The Americans wanted the freedom to rule their own country. They believed they deserved full, independent rights. On the other hand, the British believed American colonies were part of England, to be used in whatever way they wished. These conflicting viewpoints were important factors in the war.
Choose the correct cause and effect pair:
A. The British owned colonies in America / There were two different viewpoints about the war
B. The Americans formed their own colonies / Many events led to the Revolutionary War
C. The Americans wanted freedom from English rule / The Revolutionary War happened
C. The Americans wanted freedom from English rule / The Revolutionary War happened
Jim is starting an exercise program. He is going to work out at the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. He will work out for 1 hour each time. Jim is also going to ride his bike 2 days a week. He will ride his bike for 30 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He will usually ride 3-4 miles on those days. In addition, Jim is going to walk for 45 minutes every Tuesday, and he will jog for 30 minutes on Thursdays.
Which day of the week does Jim spend the most time exercising?
A. Mondays
B. Tuesdays
C. Thursdays
B. Tuesdays