Reading Comprehension
Helen Keller was born in Alabama in 1880. She lost her sight and hearing due to an illness in early childhood. Helen learned to read and write using her hands with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan. This excerpt describes some of her experiences at the Cambridge School for Young Ladies. She was later admitted to Radcli? e College at Harvard where she became the fi rst dea? lind person to earn a bachelor’s degree. She went on to become a famous author and speaker who inspired many people around the world.
Excerpt from
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
For the fi rst time in my life at Cambridge, I enjoyed the companionship of seeing and hearing girls of my own age. I lived with several others in one of the pleasant houses connected with the school. It was the house where Mr. Howells used to live. We all had the advantage of home life. I joined them in many of their games, even blind man’s blu? and frolics in the snow. I took long walks with them. We discussed our studies and read aloud the things that interested us. Some of the girls learned to speak to me, so that Miss Sullivan did not have to repeat their conversation . . . I took my preliminary examinations for Radcli? e from the 29th of June to the 3rd of July in 1897. The subjects I o? ered were Elementary and Advanced German, French, Latin, English, and Greek and Roman history. This totaled nine hours in all. I passed in everything, and received “honours” in German and English. The fi rst day I had German. Mr. Gilman sat beside me and read the paper through fi rst, then sentence by sentence. I repeated the words aloud to make sure that I understood him perfectly. The papers were di? cult. I felt very anxious as I wrote out my answers on the typewriter. Mr. Gilman spelled to me what I had written. Then I made such changes as I thought necessary, and he Unit 1 Assessment NAME: DATE: Grade 4 My Story, My Voice: Personal Narratives 10 inserted them. I wish to say here that I have not had this advantage since in any of my examinations. At Radcli? e no one reads the papers to me after they are written. I have no opportunity to correct errors unless I fi nish before the time is up. In that case I correct only such mistakes as I can recall in the few minutes allowed. I make notes of these corrections at the end of my paper. If I passed with higher credit in the pre-tests than in the fi nals, there are two reasons. In the fi nals, no one read my work over to me. In the pre-tests, I had some subjects with which I was in a measure familiar before my work in the Cambridge school. At the beginning of the year I had passed examinations in English, History, French and German, which Mr. Gilman gave me from previous Harvard papers. Mr. Gilman sent my written work to the examiners with a certifi cate that I, candidate No. 233, had written the papers. All the other pre-test examinations were conducted in the same manner. None of them was so di? cult as the fi rst. I remember that the day the Latin paper was brought to us, Professor Schilling came in and informed me that I had passed satisfactorily in German. This encouraged me greatly! I sped on to the end of the ordeal with a light heart and a steady hand.
What was the author’s purpose for writing The Story of My Life?
a. to persuade the reader to work hard
b. to share the life story of someone famous
c. to describe something that happened to her
c. to describe something that happened to her
What are two characteristics of a personal narrative?
It involves the narrator.
It is told in first person.
12. What is something you might do on an annual basis?
a. go to your piano lessons
b. celebrate the Fourth of July
c. brush your teeth
b. celebrate the Fourth of July
14. Which sentence is written in first person?
a. Kelsey’s friend gives her salty snacks.
b. My friend gives me salty snacks.
c. They gave their friends salty snacks.
b. My friend gives me salty snacks.
16. Which sentence uses the word diagnosed correctly?
a. The wizard diagnosed the frog into a prince.
b. They diagnosed having a fun day at the zoo.
c. The doctor diagnosed me with the common cold.
c. The doctor diagnosed me with the common cold.
I sped on to the end of the ordeal with a light heart and a steady hand.
What does the sentence tell us about Helen Keller’s character?
a. Helen Keller is determined and optimistic.
b. Helen Keller is dependable and clever.
c. Helen Keller is joyous and polite.
a. Helen Keller is determined and optimistic.
The article “Introduction to Polio” and the personal narrative Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio both share information about polio. What was the author’s purpose for writing “Introduction to Polio”?
a. to inform the reader
b. to entertain the reader
c. to persuade the reader
a. to inform the reader
Which sentence uses the word iron lung correctly?
a. The accordion uses a small iron lung with a keyboard attached.
b. The athlete wears an iron lung to help him win the long race.
c. Some polio patients go into an iron lung to help them breathe.
c. Some polio patients go into an iron lung to help them breathe.
What two sentences use sensory details? (Select all that apply.)
a. Usually the words “Give me your tired, your poor . . .” brought goosebumps to my arms.
b. The cold, thick chocolate shake slipped smoothly down my throat.
c. Art wrote about college life and sent me a new teddy bear like the one I left at home.
a. Usually the words “Give me your tired, your poor . . .” brought goosebumps to my arms.
b. The cold, thick chocolate shake slipped smoothly down my throat.
18. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
a. ‘I love the pretty costumes,’ Anna said.
b. “I love the pretty costumes.” Anna said.
c. “I love the pretty costumes,” Anna said.
c. “I love the pretty costumes,” Anna said.
Helen Keller was born in Alabama in 1880. She lost her sight and hearing due to an illness in early childhood. Helen learned to read and write using her hands with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan. This excerpt describes some of her experiences at the Cambridge School for Young Ladies. She was later admitted to Radcli? e College at Harvard where she became the fi rst dea? lind person to earn a bachelor’s degree. She went on to become a famous author and speaker who inspired many people around the world.
Excerpt from
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
For the fi rst time in my life at Cambridge, I enjoyed the companionship of seeing and hearing girls of my own age. I lived with several others in one of the pleasant houses connected with the school. It was the house where Mr. Howells used to live. We all had the advantage of home life. I joined them in many of their games, even blind man’s blu? and frolics in the snow. I took long walks with them. We discussed our studies and read aloud the things that interested us. Some of the girls learned to speak to me, so that Miss Sullivan did not have to repeat their conversation . . . I took my preliminary examinations for Radcli? e from the 29th of June to the 3rd of July in 1897. The subjects I o? ered were Elementary and Advanced German, French, Latin, English, and Greek and Roman history. This totaled nine hours in all. I passed in everything, and received “honours” in German and English. The fi rst day I had German. Mr. Gilman sat beside me and read the paper through fi rst, then sentence by sentence. I repeated the words aloud to make sure that I understood him perfectly. The papers were di? cult. I felt very anxious as I wrote out my answers on the typewriter. Mr. Gilman spelled to me what I had written. Then I made such changes as I thought necessary, and he Unit 1 Assessment NAME: DATE: Grade 4 My Story, My Voice: Personal Narratives 10 inserted them. I wish to say here that I have not had this advantage since in any of my examinations. At Radcli? e no one reads the papers to me after they are written. I have no opportunity to correct errors unless I fi nish before the time is up. In that case I correct only such mistakes as I can recall in the few minutes allowed. I make notes of these corrections at the end of my paper. If I passed with higher credit in the pre-tests than in the fi nals, there are two reasons. In the fi nals, no one read my work over to me. In the pre-tests, I had some subjects with which I was in a measure familiar before my work in the Cambridge school. At the beginning of the year I had passed examinations in English, History, French and German, which Mr. Gilman gave me from previous Harvard papers. Mr. Gilman sent my written work to the examiners with a certifi cate that I, candidate No. 233, had written the papers. All the other pre-test examinations were conducted in the same manner. None of them was so di? cult as the fi rst. I remember that the day the Latin paper was brought to us, Professor Schilling came in and informed me that I had passed satisfactorily in German. This encouraged me greatly! I sped on to the end of the ordeal with a light heart and a steady hand.
Which description best completes the sentence? chronological order /cause and effect /compare and contrast
The author uses _____________ to organize this passage.
chronological order
When Peg won’t eat or drink in Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, her
mother asks Peg what she wants. Then her mother ignores the rules
and gives Peg a milkshake so she will drink something. What character
traits best describe Peg’s mother?
a. strict and polite
b. resourceful and brave
c. quiet and obedient
b. resourceful and brave
Condoleezza Rice uses a sequence of events as the structure of the story of her birth in Birmingham, Alabama. What is the meaning of the word structure in the sentence?
a. the basic way a story or essay is organized
b. a serious speech often given in a church
c. a house with walls, a roof, and doors
a. the basic way a story or essay is organized
“our questions exploded like a string of fire crackers” What does this simile from Small Steps mean?
a. The questions made loud, popping sounds.
b. The girls asked a series of questions very quickly.
c. The music caused the accordion to explode.
b. The girls asked a series of questions very quickly.
He rushed to the hospital to see the new baby. Daddy told me that the fi rst time he saw me in the nursery, the other babies were just lying still, but I was trying to raise myself up. Now, I think it’s doubtful that an hours-old baby was strong enough to do this. But my father insisted this story was true. In any case, he said that his heart melted at the sight of his baby girl. Reread the excerpt from Extraordinary, Ordinary People by Condoleezza Rice. Which detail best demonstrates a person’s feelings of love or happiness?
a. “his heart melted at the sight of his baby girl”
b. “he saw me in the nursery”
c. “my father insisted this story was true”
a. “his heart melted at the sight of his baby girl”
Helen Keller was born in Alabama in 1880. She lost her sight and hearing due to an illness in early childhood. Helen learned to read and write using her hands with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan. This excerpt describes some of her experiences at the Cambridge School for Young Ladies. She was later admitted to Radcli? e College at Harvard where she became the fi rst dea? lind person to earn a bachelor’s degree. She went on to become a famous author and speaker who inspired many people around the world.
Excerpt from
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
For the fi rst time in my life at Cambridge, I enjoyed the companionship of seeing and hearing girls of my own age. I lived with several others in one of the pleasant houses connected with the school. It was the house where Mr. Howells used to live. We all had the advantage of home life. I joined them in many of their games, even blind man’s blu? and frolics in the snow. I took long walks with them. We discussed our studies and read aloud the things that interested us. Some of the girls learned to speak to me, so that Miss Sullivan did not have to repeat their conversation . . . I took my preliminary examinations for Radcli? e from the 29th of June to the 3rd of July in 1897. The subjects I o? ered were Elementary and Advanced German, French, Latin, English, and Greek and Roman history. This totaled nine hours in all. I passed in everything, and received “honours” in German and English. The fi rst day I had German. Mr. Gilman sat beside me and read the paper through fi rst, then sentence by sentence. I repeated the words aloud to make sure that I understood him perfectly. The papers were di? cult. I felt very anxious as I wrote out my answers on the typewriter. Mr. Gilman spelled to me what I had written. Then I made such changes as I thought necessary, and he Unit 1 Assessment NAME: DATE: Grade 4 My Story, My Voice: Personal Narratives 10 inserted them. I wish to say here that I have not had this advantage since in any of my examinations. At Radcli? e no one reads the papers to me after they are written. I have no opportunity to correct errors unless I fi nish before the time is up. In that case I correct only such mistakes as I can recall in the few minutes allowed. I make notes of these corrections at the end of my paper. If I passed with higher credit in the pre-tests than in the fi nals, there are two reasons. In the fi nals, no one read my work over to me. In the pre-tests, I had some subjects with which I was in a measure familiar before my work in the Cambridge school. At the beginning of the year I had passed examinations in English, History, French and German, which Mr. Gilman gave me from previous Harvard papers. Mr. Gilman sent my written work to the examiners with a certifi cate that I, candidate No. 233, had written the papers. All the other pre-test examinations were conducted in the same manner. None of them was so di? cult as the fi rst. I remember that the day the Latin paper was brought to us, Professor Schilling came in and informed me that I had passed satisfactorily in German. This encouraged me greatly! I sped on to the end of the ordeal with a light heart and a steady hand.
24. Which part of the first paragraph demonstrates how Helen Keller feels about her fellow students at school?
a. “For the first time in my life at Cambridge, I enjoyed the companionship of seeing and hearing girls of my own age.”
b. “I lived with several others in one of the pleasant houses connected with the school.”
c. “It was the house where Mr. Howells used to live. We all had the advantage of home life.
a. “For the first time in my life at Cambridge, I enjoyed the companionship of seeing and hearing girls of my own age.”
What text structure did Peg Kehert use in "Small Steps?"
a. sequence or chronological
b. cause and effect
c. comparison
a. Sequence and chronological
Which sentence uses the word plunge correctly?
a. We quickly plunge our forks into the tasty cake and take a bite.
b. The windmills will plunge the wind into electricity for the village.
c. I always try not to plunge my pencil tightly when I write.
a. We quickly plunge our forks into the tasty cake and take a bite.
17. Which sentence uses a metaphor to compare a young puppy to a speeding rocket?
a. The young puppy ran as fast as a rocket across the field.
b. The young puppy was a rocket speeding across the field.
c. The young puppy took off like a rocket across the field.
b. The young puppy was a rocket speeding across the field.
8. Which sentence about the spread of polio would most likely be found in a secondhand account?
a. Because polio is such a contagious disease, these epidemics caused widespread fear among the people.
b. We did everything we could to prevent spreading the dangerous virus to others.
c. I was aware that polio had killed or crippled many people, but I never imagined it would affect me personally.
a. Because polio is such a contagious disease, these epidemics caused widespread fear among the people.
Helen Keller was born in Alabama in 1880. She lost her sight and hearing due to an illness in early childhood. Helen learned to read and write using her hands with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan. This excerpt describes some of her experiences at the Cambridge School for Young Ladies. She was later admitted to Radcli? e College at Harvard where she became the fi rst dea? lind person to earn a bachelor’s degree. She went on to become a famous author and speaker who inspired many people around the world.
Excerpt from
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
For the fi rst time in my life at Cambridge, I enjoyed the companionship of seeing and hearing girls of my own age. I lived with several others in one of the pleasant houses connected with the school. It was the house where Mr. Howells used to live. We all had the advantage of home life. I joined them in many of their games, even blind man’s blu? and frolics in the snow. I took long walks with them. We discussed our studies and read aloud the things that interested us. Some of the girls learned to speak to me, so that Miss Sullivan did not have to repeat their conversation . . . I took my preliminary examinations for Radcli? e from the 29th of June to the 3rd of July in 1897. The subjects I o? ered were Elementary and Advanced German, French, Latin, English, and Greek and Roman history. This totaled nine hours in all. I passed in everything, and received “honours” in German and English. The fi rst day I had German. Mr. Gilman sat beside me and read the paper through fi rst, then sentence by sentence. I repeated the words aloud to make sure that I understood him perfectly. The papers were di? cult. I felt very anxious as I wrote out my answers on the typewriter. Mr. Gilman spelled to me what I had written. Then I made such changes as I thought necessary, and he Unit 1 Assessment NAME: DATE: Grade 4 My Story, My Voice: Personal Narratives 10 inserted them. I wish to say here that I have not had this advantage since in any of my examinations. At Radcli? e no one reads the papers to me after they are written. I have no opportunity to correct errors unless I fi nish before the time is up. In that case I correct only such mistakes as I can recall in the few minutes allowed. I make notes of these corrections at the end of my paper. If I passed with higher credit in the pre-tests than in the fi nals, there are two reasons. In the fi nals, no one read my work over to me. In the pre-tests, I had some subjects with which I was in a measure familiar before my work in the Cambridge school. At the beginning of the year I had passed examinations in English, History, French and German, which Mr. Gilman gave me from previous Harvard papers. Mr. Gilman sent my written work to the examiners with a certifi cate that I, candidate No. 233, had written the papers. All the other pre-test examinations were conducted in the same manner. None of them was so di? cult as the fi rst. I remember that the day the Latin paper was brought to us, Professor Schilling came in and informed me that I had passed satisfactorily in German. This encouraged me greatly! I sped on to the end of the ordeal with a light heart and a steady hand.
26. What is the main idea of this excerpt from The Story of My Life?
a. The passage is mostly about the companionship that Helen Keller enjoyed when she went to Cambridge.
b. The passage is mostly about how Mr. Gilman and Professor Schilling helped Helen.
c. The passage is mostly about how Helen Keller prepared for her examinations for Radcliffe.
c. The passage is mostly about how Helen Keller prepared for her examinations for Radcliffe.
Small Steps ends with Peg in her chorus class at school which is where her story began. Why might that be considered a strong conclusion?
a. It shows that she has not changed just because she got polio.
b. It shows that chorus was Peg’s favorite class and important to her.
c. It shows that some things have stayed the same even though Peg has changed.
c. It shows that some things have stayed the same even though Peg has changed.
15. We gazed at the big, full moon last night. What does the word gazed mean in the sentence?
a. looked closely
b. shouted loudly
c. sang happily
a. looked closely
19. Which word or phrase best completes the sentence?
Finally /Before /Therefore
It had rained all afternoon. ______, it stopped and we could start the game
Finally
Which word best completes the sentence to show detail or action?
walked /sprinted /ran
The students _______ happily to the playground.
Sprinted