Reading/Literature Knowledge and Skills TEST SAMPLER Grade

Reading/Literature Knowledge and Skills TEST SAMPLER Grade4

AN ASSESSMENT SAMPLER: Grade 4 This sampler includes passages and items similar to ones found on the state reading/literature assessment. Following each passage is a series of questions; text preceding each question identifies the score reporting category (SRC) it is designed to assess. An asterisk indicates a question s correct answer. PHILIPPE AND THE BLUE PARROT (LITERARY TEXT) Read this story to find out about Philippe and his paintings. WHEN PHILIPPE WAS A YOUNG boy, his mother told him a story about a beautiful blue parrot who stole a golden earring from the sun. Watch for it, Philippe, my boy, she said. And when you find that golden earring, we will never go hungry again. And so Philippe kept his head down as he walked to school through the streets of Port-au-Prince, always looking for a glint of gold. Years passed. Philippe did well in his studies. He was especially good at art. When Philippe was thirteen, he decided to make a birthday gift for his mother. He took his art supplies to the park, and there, leaning the canvas against a bench, he painted Blue Parrot and the Sun. As he waiting for the paint to dry, he studied the blue smudges between his fingers and a drop of yellow shining on his black wrist. Is that for sale? Philippe was startled by the question. He had not heard the tourist walk up to him. The woman squinted her eyes at the bright colors and asked again. Is that for sale? Before Philippe could answer, she added, I ll pay twenty-five dollars for it. Twenty-five dollars! That was more than Philippe had earned in his whole life. It would take a long time to make that much money, even if he could get a job. And what wonderful things he could buy his mother. And so Philippe sold Blue Parrot and the Sun. Oregon Department of Education 1 September, 2005

Years passed. Philippe s paintings were sold in a Port-au-Prince gallery. Many tourists liked his work and bought the canvases. Every time Philippe painted a Blue Parrot and the Sun for his mother, the gallery owner had a buyer. The price went up and Philippe could not resist. But every time he sold a Blue Parrot, he put aside some money for his mother. Many years passed. Now Philippe s paintings could not be afforded by most tourists. His work hung in galleries and museums in Europe and the United States. One day, he sat in his fine studio, ready to begin work on another Blue Parrot and the Sun. A journalist who had come to interview him stood nearby. Monsieur, your Blue Parrot and the Sun paintings are now very famous. Some critics say that they have a life and power that your other works lack. Why is that? Do you know? Oh yes, I know, Philippe replied slowly. It is because I paint each Blue Parrot for my mother. And how much will this new one sell for? the journalist asked. Thousands, I suppose? Oh, this painting will not be for sale, Philippe answered. He knew he had said that before, but this time, he really meant it. And he added: I found the golden earring many years ago. Now it s time to give it back. There is a story the art collectors tell about a famous painting called Blue Parrot and the Sun. Oh, there are many, but the one to hunt for has a small golden earring hidden in the picture. Yes, that is the one worth a fortune. Some say it hangs on the wall of a simple house in the Haitian countryside. Others are not so sure. It could be anywhere. SRC 1 Vocabulary (Context and Structural Clues) After many years, Phillippe s paintings could not be afforded by most tourists. This means most tourists didn t A. have enough money to buy a painting.* B. understand the meaning of the paintings. C. get a chance to look at the paintings. D. enjoy art enough to want to own a painting. Oregon Department of Education 2 September, 2005

SRC 1 Vocabulary (Multiple Meanings) Philippe s mother told him to watch for the golden earring. When used this way the word watch means to A. guard against. B. examine closely. C. look for carefully.* D. measure time. SRC 1 Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms and Idioms) A synonym closest in meaning to the word resist as it is used in this selection would be A. respond. B. believe. C. refuse.* D. understand. SRC 3 Demonstrate General Understanding (Comprehend Literary Text) Philippe painted his first Blue Parrot and the Sun A. because he wanted to make money. B. to help him find the golden earring. C. because he saw a blue parrot in the park. D. to make a birthday present for his mother.* SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Main Idea) The main lesson or message the author wants us to learn from this story is A. people who paint can make lots of money. B. if you search hard enough, you ll find what you re looking for. C. take the time to honor those who help you succeed.* D. if you re rich enough, you can give better presents. SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Causes for Actions) Why did Philippe sell his first Blue Parrot and the Sun painting? A. He wanted to become famous. B. He wanted to help his mother.* C. He didn t like the painting. D. He was friends with the tourist. Oregon Department of Education 3 September, 2005

SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Draw Inferences) The author wants us to understand that Philippe found the golden earring A. and gave it to his mother. B. on a bench in the park. C. through success with painting.* D. and buried it in a picture. SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Draw Inferences) The author hints that the painting Philippe says is not for sale is A. sold by Philippe after all. B. given by Philippe to his mother.* C. stolen from Philippe by the journalist. D. kept by Philippe to hang in his own home. RUNNING WITH THE PACK (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) Read this NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WORLD article to find out more about wolves. IN A WELL-KNOWN FAIRY TALE, the Big Bad Wolf tries to eat up Little Red Riding Hood. This story is one of many that have caused people to misunderstand and fear wolves. The truth is that healthy wolves do not attack people. Scientists say wolves tend to be intelligent and shy. They live in groups called packs, and cooperate to survive. Wolves are the largest wild members of the dog family. Gray wolves live in parts of North America, Europe, and Asia usually in packs with no more than eight members. A pack includes a head male and female, their young, and sometimes other adults. The head male usually decides when and what to hunt, and he settles fights. The head female leads the other females, the young, and sometimes the weaker males. The leaders and other pack members communicate by using facial expressions, body postures, and sounds. For example, by standing tall with its ears erect and tail held high, a leader says: Oregon Department of Education 4 September, 2005

I m boss. By crouching and lowering its ears and tail, a follower replies: I know. Usually only the head male and female have pups. But all pack members help raise the young. The mother gives birth to about six pups in a den underground, in a rock crevice, or under a fallen tree. She feeds them milk from her body. As the pups grow older, all the adults help feed them by bringing up meat they have swallowed. The whole pack plays with the pups and guards them against bears and other enemies. Wolves will eat small mammals, lizards, and fruit, but they feed mainly on animals larger than themselves, such as deer and moose. Hunting large prey usually requires group efforts for success. However, even a group hunt may fail, and the wolves may have to go days without eating. Wolves once roamed most of North America. But as people settled the land the wolves occupied, many wolves were killed. Today, gray wolves still occupy much of Canada, but they are considered endangered in most of the United States. They can be found in Alaska, Minnesota, Michigan, Montana, and Wisconsin. Because wolves are shy, you probably won t see them if you visit these areas. But you may hear their howls echoing through the wilderness. SRC 3 Demonstrate General Understanding (Comprehend Informational Text) All of the following are true about wolves EXCEPT A. wolves are a member of the dog family. B. healthy wolves attack people.* C. wolves need to cooperate to survive. D. wolves once roamed most of North America. SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Make Predictions) If this article were to continue, the next part would most likely be about A. other animals that are endangered. B. more famous stories that have wolves as characters. C. what different sorts of wolf howls might mean.* D. which zoos have the best wolf exhibits. Oregon Department of Education 5 September, 2005

SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Draw Inferences) Wolves are endangered now because A. weather has become too cold and many wolves have frozen. B. people have shot all the wolves to protect themselves. C. bears and cougars have killed many wolves. D. too many people have invaded the wolves territory.* SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Main Idea) The main idea the author wants us to get from reading this article is that wolves A. work closely together in packs in order to survive.* B. used to live in many parts of North America. C. are dangerous if you don t know how to treat them. D. are an endangered species because they need help hunting. SRC 5 Examine Content and Structure of Informational Text (Cause/Effect) Which sentence from the article gives a cause-and-effect relationship? A. Wolves are the largest wild members of the dog family. B. Because wolves are shy, you won t see them if you visit these areas. * C. Scientists say wolves tend to be intelligent and shy. D. The head male usually decides when and what to hunt, and he settles fights. SRC 5 Examine Content and Structure of Informational Text (Informational vs. Persuasive Text) In this article, the author is mostly trying to A. persuade the reader. B. entertain the reader. C. inform the reader.* D. tell a story to the reader. SRC 5 Examine Content and Structure of Informational Text (Author s Purpose) The author talks about the Big Bad Wolf in the introduction in order to A. show people that they should be afraid of wolves. B. make people think that this article is going to be a fairy tale. C. show why many people have bad opinions of wolves.* D. help people understand why wolves travel in packs. Oregon Department of Education 6 September, 2005

IF THE SHOE FITS (PRACTICAL TEXT) Read the catalog page to answer the following question. SRC 2 Read to Perform a Task Which sneakers are decorated with glitter? A. B and F B. B and D* C. A and F D. D and A Oregon Department of Education 7 September, 2005

SRC 2 Read to Perform a Task Which sneaker costs more the bigger the size you buy? A. Glimmer Sneaker by Stevies B. Vegas Glitter Sneaker C. Skechers Brace-Stretch Gator* D. Rhinestone Jogger SRC 2 Read to Perform a Task Which sneakers cost the same? A. B and F B. C and E C. A and F D. A and D* WORK WANTED Dave comes home from school and learns about a big change his family is about to experience. Read to find out what happens. THE MOMENT I OPENED the front door that afternoon I noticed that the house was different. Maybe I just missed the sound of the television. All that winter and spring when I came home from school, Dad had been slumped in an easy chair in front of the TV. Paper here yet, Dave? he would ask. Then, if the paper had come, he immediately turned to the Help Wanted column. It never took long to go through the list of jobs. There wasn t much work in Woodgrove since the lumber mill closed down. That Friday, however, the sounds in the house were different. Mom was rattling pots and pans. Dad was whistling. What s going on? I asked, looking at all the cardboard boxes piled up in the living room. Mom came through from the kitchen, pushing her hair back from her forehead. Dad came out of the back room at the same time. Oregon Department of Education 8 September, 2005

Tell him, Jim! Mom said. Her eyes were bright, and she looked younger somehow. I ve got a job, Dave! We re going up to Quartz Mountain Research Station for the summer. I m going to be caretaker there. Where s the letter about it, Molly? It took Mom a while to find the letter in the jumble of papers on the table. It was written on official-looking paper from Cascade University. It said: Dear Mr. Matheson, We are pleased to inform you that you have been chosen as caretaker for Quartz Mountain Research Station this summer. Because of budget cuts, the laboratory will not be fully used, but we do expect some scientists to be there by June 1. You and your family will stay in one of the staff houses. Dr. Barlow will be writing to you with more details about the job. Yours sincerely, Jeremy Johnson You ll need to get out of school early, Mom said. You mean we re going to live up there? I asked, handing the letter back to Dad. Yes, Mom said, smiling. It ll be like having a summer vacation. Quartz Mountain wasn t the place I d have chosen for a summer vacation. What about baseball? I asked. You ll be able to play baseball up there, Dad answered. The scientists who work there during the summer bring their families. And there will be college students too. SRC 1 Vocabulary (Context and Structural Clues) Mom looks for the letter in the jumble of papers on the table. Which word helps describe what jumble means? A. Large B. Neat C. Old D. Messy* Oregon Department of Education 9 September, 2005

SRC 1 Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms and Idioms) In the sentence Her eyes were bright, and she looked younger somehow, the phrase Her eyes were bright suggests Dave s mother is A. full of hope.* B. upset to be moving. C. very intelligent. D. looking into the sun. SRC 3 Demonstrate General Understanding (Conflict and Resolution) Dave s dad solves his problem when he A. helps mom in the kitchen. B. moves to Cascade. C. finds a new job.* D. reads the newspaper. SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Make Predictions) What do you think Dave will do when he moves to Quartz Mountain? A. Help in the lumber mill B. Work in the laboratory C. Do school work he missed D. Play baseball with someone* SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Draw Inferences) Why were the sounds in the house different when Dave came home? A. There was activity and excitement.* B. A baseball game was on television. C. The lumber mill closed down. D. Mom was cooking in the kitchen. SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Causes for Actions) Dave s dad is often slumped in an easy chair when Dave gets home from school because A. he is tired from working so hard. B. he watches sad television programs. C. he is upset he can t find a job.* D. he has an illness he hides from his family. Oregon Department of Education 10 September, 2005