Main Idea/Details
Making Inferences
Context Clues
Figurative Language
Theme
100

I have a dog whose name is Paco. He is almost 10 years old. Paco is very loveable with a brown face and short black fur. He is one of my best friends. He plays with me, sleeps with me, and goes on walks with me. I am so glad to have him around. I love him.

The writer's dog is an important part of their life.

The writer loves their dog, Paco.

100

Max was bored standing in the same position for such a long time. Nothing had come his way! He was just waiting. Waiting for three outs, waiting for the time he could get his free snowcones. Suddenly, he saw it hurtling through the sky toward him. He raised his left hand and, "Plop!" He caught it! The crowd cheered as he raced all the way to the dugout! What activity is Max participating in?

Baseball

100

Sara's teacher returned her paper without a grade on it. When Sara asked why the teacher replied, "I couldn't read it. The ink is smeared and the handwriting is illegible." What does illegible mean?

not clear enough to read

100

The dog knocked over the vase with a loud crash! What type of figurative language is this?

Onomatopoeia

100

What is a theme?

The message or lesson in a story.

200

I can't wait until this weekend! We’re going to my grandparents’ house and my entire family will be there. I will spend most of my time playing games with my cousins. We always have such a good time together! The day goes by so fast, and by the end, we are all exhausted... but we still don’t want to leave!

The writer enjoys spending time with their family.

200

Sammy was so excited that he didn't even wait for his mom to finish slathering sunscreen on his skinny arms. He raced across the sand, smashing through a sand castle and almost knocking over a large umbrella. He leaped and landed with a splash, taking a big gulp of salty water and gasping for air. Where is Sammy?

The beach

200

A special guest game to talk to the sixth graders about how to set goals. Unfortunately, the students in the back row couldn't hear. So the principal gave the speaker a microphone to amplify his voice. What does amplify mean?

To make something louder.

200

The warm breeze on that sunny, summer day made the leaves dance in the wind. What type of figurative language is this?

Personification

200

 "I don't want a new baby brother!" whined Kim" "You don't have much of a choice. He will be here next month," Kim's mom said pointing to her stomach. Kim couldn't believe that she would have to around a loud, slobbery baby. Plus, the thought of sharing anything, especially, attention from her mom and dad, with a new baby didn't sound fun at all. 

"You will be one of the most important people in his life!" mom exclaimed. "He will need you to look out for him and to teach him new things!"

"Hmmm, I guess that's true. I will be showing him a lot of new things. Maybe it won't be all that terrible having a little rugrat running around here," Kim replied with a sigh. "Just don't expect me to change his diapers!"  What could the theme be for this passage?

a. Acceptance

b. Friendship

c. Loyalty

d. Hope

(a). Acceptance

300

Homemade pizza is delicious. First, make the dough from flour, water, and yeast. After that, begin making the tomato sauce. Next, add any vegetables you like. Then, bake it in the oven. After a short time, the kitchen begins to smell delicious. Soon, it’s ready to eat!

How to make pizza

300

Mrs. Johnson walked slowly to her car. It had been a long day. Many of the people she helped today were really unwell. There must be some sort of virus going around. Mrs. Johnson's hands were dry because of so much hand-washing, and she couldn't wait to get home to change out of her uniform. Her comfortable shoes were feeling less comfortable after such a long day on her feet. What does Mrs. Johnson do for a living?

A nurse/doctor.

300

Paul drove slowly down the winding road through the countryside. He knew he could go faster on a straight road, but he would have to carefully meander through the rolling hills. What does meander mean?

To follow a curvy or winding course.

300

Jack left his house and ran as fast as a rabbit to catch the bus. What type of figurative language is this?

Simile

300

Georgia decided to take a sewing class but felt very frustrated when she couldn't sew a straight line on the first day. 

"This looks so easy, but it's not! Clearly, I am just terrible at sewing!" she complained. Even though she felt frustrated, she continued to go to class week after week. Each week, her sewing instructor helped her. By the last week of class, Georgie finally completed her project all by herself. She created a rectangular pillow for her bed... with four mostly perfect straight lines. What is the best theme for this passage?

a. love

b. determination

c. forgiveness

d. loyalty

(B) Determination

400

Did you know that giraffes are the tallest animals in the world? They are unique in other ways, too. For one thing, they sleep only about 20 minutes each day, and usually not more than five minutes at a time. (They have to remain alert for predators.) Also, every giraffe’s coat is unique, and varies in color from white to nearly black, depending on what they eat and where they live.

Giraffes are unique animals.

400

Sharon placed her box on the counter. The cashier helped her weigh it. "It'll cost $25.50 to get there by Tuesday, the 25th." Sharon frowned. "Well, that's kind of expensive." The cashier shrugged, "It's the busy season. The only way to get it there in time is to pay for the express service." Sharon nodded, "Well if that's what it costs, I'll pay it. It's important to me that my grandkids get this in time." What is Sharon doing?

Sending a gift to her grandchildren for Christmas.

400

Carter's mom asked him to help her decorate for his sister's birthday party. After he hung the streamers and taped some ribbons to the door, his mom asked him to blow up some balloons. He inflated every balloon in the bag. What does inflated mean?

to fill with air

400

Her smile is the sun. So bright and beautiful. What type of figurative language is this?

Metaphor

400

As Alex walked down the sidewalk to school, he noticed that Ryan dropped a twenty-dollar bill without noticing it. As he continued walking to school, Alex bent down and picked up the money. He imagined all the things he might spend it on and how fun it would be to spend it all at the arcade with his friends. Then he thought about Ryan and how he would feel when he found his money missing. Sighing, Alex hurried to catch up with Ryan and to give his money back.

What is the best theme for this passage?

a. differences

b. family

c. teamwork

d. compassion

(D) Compassion

500

Hurricanes are large, intense storms that begin over the ocean, where they gather heat and energy from the water. Hurricanes move slowly toward land, usually moving 10-20 miles per hour for more than one week. The most dangerous part of the hurricane is the storm surge when it reaches land and causes flooding. Wind and waves also contribute to the damage caused by these surges.

Hurricanes are dangerous storms.

500

Darryl stood outside his house watching the dark clouds gather. Leaves and small branches began to swirl over the ground and lift off towards the sky. He lifted the heavy door on the outdoor cellar and dropped in a gallon of water and a few cans of food. Climbing down the steps, he made his way to the bottom to wait until everything was clear. What problem is Darryl facing?

He is finding a safe place to wait out a storm/tornado.

500

Ms. Phillips' art class was working on a gigantic mural when they ran out of purple paint and really need more. Ms. Phillips sent Layne and Rory next door to Ms. Gilmore's room to see if they could procure some more paint from the supply closet. What does procure mean?

To get or obtain.

500

I was so embarrased, I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole so that I could disappear. What type of figurative language is this?

Personification

500

Even though Greg had been looking forward to his best friend's party for over a month, he knew his grandma would really love to see him. 

"It's your choice, Greg. Grandma is only in town this weekend, but I know you have been very excited about this party," said his mom. Most of his class was planning on going to the party and he knew it would be so much fun! After some thought, though, Greg knew exactly what he was going to do. 

"It's not like this is the last party I'll ever be invited to and grandma would be so sad if I didn't come," said Greg. "Plus, I always like making her smile." What theme best fits this passage?

a. dreams

b. family

c. determination

d. trust

B. Family