Theme
The Boy and the Peanuts
A boy put his hand into a pitcher full of peanuts. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold. Then, he tried to pull out his hand, but he could not get his fist out of the pitcher. He was unwilling to let go of his peanuts, but at the same time was unable to take out his hand. He burst into tears and bitterly cried about his disappointment. An old man saw the boy and said to him, "Be satisfied with half the quantity, and you will be able to remove your hand."
adapted from "The Boy and the Peanuts" by Aesop
What is the theme of this selection?
D. Greed can get you into trouble.
Have you ever heard of a zonkey? It is a cross between a zebra and a donkey. Other names for this type of mix are zedonk, zenkey, and zebronkey. Not all animals can mix, though. The zebra and donkey can be crossed, or combined, because they are in the horse family. However, you would not be able to mix a pig and a bird because they are in different animal families. What other animal mixes have you heard of?
This passage is mostly about
The Grays have nine children. Their house is always busy. Mr. Gray works in a bank, and Mrs. Gray stays home to take care of the family. Mrs. Gray loves her children, but sometimes she needs a little time for herself. So on Sunday afternoons, Mr. Gray takes all the kids to the park. Mrs. Gray sure does appreciate this time she gets alone! She goes to have lunch with her friends, does a little shopping, or sometimes just stays home to read a good book.
Based on the context clues in the passage, what is the meaning of appreciate?
Sitting on the floor, Nina was dressing her new baby doll. Her big sister, Patty, came into the living room. Patty put her backpack in the corner before she plopped in the armchair. She turned on the television to watch afternoon cartoons.
Nina liked the armchair. It felt like a pile of soft pillows.
“Can I sit in the armchair?” Nina asked.
“Sure,” Patty said. She scooted over and made room for her little sister.
Nina sat next to her sister but was not comfortable. She wanted the chair for herself. She kept wiggling and bumping into Patty. Patty got up and moved to the couch. She noticed Nina’s doll.
“That’s a new doll,” Patty said. “Can I see it?” She held her arms out.
Nina clutched the doll to her chest. “No,” she said. “It’s mine. Daddy bought it for me.”
From her behavior in the story, the reader can tell that Nina
An Eagle, swooping down on powerful wings, seized a lamb in her talons and made off with it to her nest. A Crow saw the deed, and his silly head was filled with the idea that he was big and strong enough to do as the Eagle had done. So with much rustling of feathers and a fierce air, he came down swiftly on the back of a large Ram. But when he tried to rise again he found that he could not get away, for his claws were tangled in the wool. And so far was he from carrying away the Ram that the Ram hardly noticed he was there.
The Shepherd saw the fluttering Crow and at once guessed what had happened. Running up, he caught the bird. That evening he gave the Crow to his children.
"What a funny bird this is!" they said laughing. "What do you call it, father?"
"That is a Crow, my children. But if you should ask him, he would say he is an Eagle."
One lesson of this story is that
Sweat is made by very many—maybe several million—little sweat glands scattered around your skin. They are more tightly packed on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. When seen in a microscope, each gland looks like a coiled-up tube with an opening on the surface of the skin. Its job is to make sweat. Sweat evaporates from the skin and cools your body.
Which best describes the main idea of the passage?
After school, Mike likes to jump rope. He jumps rope for over an hour and then collapses on his bed because he is so tired. Jumping rope is very hard to do for long amounts of time.
The word collapses in this paragraph means
CeCe loved her little brother. He was a cute, little baby. He was cute except when he was eating his baby food peas and carrots. When Mom finished feeding the baby, she had to change her shirt and wipe off her face. She had to clean green and orange splatters off the table and floor.
One day, Mom wanted CeCe to feed the baby. CeCe looked alarmed, but she knew her brother had to eat. CeCe fed her little brother. Afterward, she had to take a bath.
How can the reader tell that CeCe is helpful and caring?
B. She feeds her messy brother.
The Two Frogs
Two frogs were neighbors. One lived in a deep pond, far away from public view. The other lived in a ditch containing little water that was crossed by a country road.
The frog that lived in the pond warned his friend to change his home. He begged his friend to come and live with him, saying that he would enjoy greater safety from danger and more plentiful food. The friend refused, saying that he didn’t want to go through the trouble of moving. It would be too much work.
A few days later, a heavy wagon passed through the ditch and almost crushed the frog. The frog was scared and moved to the pond the next day.
adapted from "The Two Frogs" by Aesop
What lesson should the frog have learned from his experience in the ditch?
Antarctic Ice is Getting Thinner
Ice in parts of Antarctica is thinner. NASA says it is melting too fast. Scientists flew a plane above the ice. They used a laser to measure how thick the ice was. They found that the ice is breaking off. It is breaking faster than it was 10 years ago. The ice falls into the sea. It hurts animals like penguins and seals. Scientists are studying why the ice is breaking faster. The temperature in Antarctica has gone up in the last 50 years.
Which statement best supports the main idea?
Philip was not happy about giving an oral report. He was scared of speaking in front of his classmates. He knew that they would make fun of the way he said words the wrong way. He found out the oral report was not that scary. He just got up in front of his classmates and talked to them like they were on the playground.
Based on how it is used in the passage, what is the meaning of oral?
It was only three o’clock in the afternoon, but the sky was dark. Ramey and Angelica raced from the school bus to Ramey's house. They reached the porch and pounded on the door. Angelica was shivering. Both kids were soaking wet after only a minute outside. Ramey's mother answered the door with towels and helped them both get dry. Then, she made Ramey and Angelica some soup and put on a movie. Ramey and Angelica relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon. They watched the movie and played some board games. They were glad to be inside!
What does the mother do that suggests she cares about the girls?
C. She helps the girls get dry and relax.
The Beasts of the forest gave a splendid show. The Monkey stood up and danced. The group loved his performance, and he bowed to the loud applause. The Camel was envious of the praises given to the Monkey. He wanted to gain the same praise, so he stood to dance for the group. He danced about in such a funny a way that the Beasts chased him away from the show. The Beasts made fun of the Camel anytime they saw him again.
What lesson should Camel have learned from his experience with the Beasts?
Most people think daddy longlegs are spiders. They look alike, but they are not the same. Look closely next time you see daddy longlegs. They have only one body section, but spiders have two. When they walk, daddy longlegs use their second pair of legs to feel their way along. This is the way some insects use their antennae. Spiders do not have antennae. Some spiders have poisonous bites. Daddy longlegs cannot bite. To protect themselves, they give off a bad smell.
Daddy longlegs are more like insects than spiders. Which statement best supports this idea?
C. Daddy longlegs use one pair of legs like insects use antennae.
Hailey's dog Braxton fell down the stairs. Hailey thought he might have a broken leg. He was rolling around on the floor in anguish and would not walk. Hailey could tell that Braxton was in a lot of pain. She tried to stroke his head while her mom went to call the emergency vet. While Hailey snuggled Braxton, he let out a sad whimper, or cry. Hailey knew that they needed to hurry and get poor Braxton to the vet.
What does the word whimper mean in the passage?
Yellowstone Park is one of the best-known national parks in the United States. It lies at the foot of giant, yellow cliffs along the Yellowstone River. The park is one of the most beautiful in the world. It is famous for its geysers, canyons, and fossil forests. Most of the park is located in Wyoming, but it spreads into other states. Almost all of the park is untouched forest land. There are 1,200 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding. Three lakes offer excellent boating. Fishing is allowed in most of the park's lakes and streams.
What is most likely true about Yellowstone Park?
The Camel
When man first saw a camel, he was so frightened that he ran away. He was scared of the camel's large size, tall bumps, and long front teeth. After many years, man finally gathered the courage to approach a camel. The animal had a meek and gentle nature. Soon afterwards, man was able to put a bridle in a camel's mouth. The camel allowed itself to be ridden and led by a child. Now, the camel is one of the most important and helpful animals to people in the desert.
adapted from "The Camel" by Aesop
What is one theme found in the story?
A. Do not judge others based on looks.
Come hear Granger Smith at Wildcats Stadium on April 8 from 5-7 p.m. Granger is a Lake Highlands High School graduate who is a rising country music star. Smith is best known for his top ten single "Don't Listen to the Radio." Bring a blanket and a picnic, and enjoy the show. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Proceeds go to benefit the cheerleading squad and drill team.
What is this passage mainly about?
Hailey's dog Braxton fell down the stairs. Hailey thought he might have a broken leg. He was rolling around on the floor in anguish and would not walk. Hailey could tell that Braxton was in a lot of pain. She tried to stroke his head while her mom went to call the emergency vet. While Hailey snuggled Braxton, he let out a sad whimper, or cry. Hailey knew that they needed to hurry and get poor Braxton to the vet.
What is the meaning of the word anguish?
A. excitement
B. laughter
C. pain
D. silence
C. pain
Mt. McKinley is more than 20,000 ft. high. It is the highest mountain in North America. It is found in Alaska. Every year, many people try to climb to the top of the mountain. Only a few can make it to the top. The first Native American woman climbed it in 1971. Her name is Betty Menard. Some of the people who try to climb it are very young. Merrick Johnston was the youngest girl to climb the mountain. She was only 12 years old. She climbed it in 1995. Galen Johnston climbed it in 2001. He was only 11.
From the information given, the reader knows that even though they were young, Merrick Johnston and Galen Johnston