The Tiger Finds a Teacher An Adaptation of a Story from China

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1 Grade 4 ELA Unit The Tiger Finds a Teacher An Adaptation of a Story from China Once there lived a tiger who was strong, but so clumsy that he could hardly ever catch any animals. One day he saw a cat coming down the mountainside. The cat's swift movements were the envy of the tiger, who thought to himself, "Wouldn't it be fine if I were as clever as that cat!" The tiger went to the cat and said, "Honored Teacher Cat, could you teach me how to climb the mountain as well as you do?" Knowing that tigers are wicked at heart, the cat was afraid that if she taught him all she knew, then her own life would be in danger. She replied, "I don't think I'd better." "Honored Teacher Cat," he said, "I am a man of my word. If you will teach me, I will not betray you. And, if anyone should ever bully you, I shall go after him." Tricked by these words, the cat said, "All right. If you are sure you will not be ungrateful, I'll teach you." The tiger was overjoyed and knelt down in front of the cat saying, "I shall never forget you. May I fall into the deepest gully if I am ever unkind to you!" The tiger kept his word for some time and soon that cat had taught him all her tricks except one. One day, the tiger looked at the cat's plump body, and his mouth began to water. What a good meal she would make! But the cat was aware of the tiger's intentions. She decided to give him a test. "I have taught you all I know," she said. "You need no further lessons." The tiger thought his chance had come. "Aha!" he said to himself. "This fat little cat will not escape my claws now." In a sly voice, the tiger said, "Teacher," said he, "what is that there on the tree?" As the cat turned her head to look, the tiger threw himself upon her. But just as quickly, the cat ran up the tree. The tiger flew into a rage and flung himself at the tree. But he did not know how to climb it. The cat skipped about in the branches, now and then tempting him by sitting down to wash, or by looking at him. The tiger grew angrier and angrier, but there was nothing he could do. The cat jumped from tree to tree until she had vanished.

2 All the tiger's wicked schemes came to naught. All he could do was to make his way up the mountain again.. The Ungrateful Tiger An Adaptation of a Korean folktale A long time ago, high in the mountains, the people of a small village came together to decide what to do about tigers wandering near their home. "We have to do something! We're too scared to go out of the village," said one man. The villagers decided to dig deep holes to trap the tigers. A few days later, a young man heard loud howling sounds as he walked along the village. The young man followed the howling sounds until he saw a deep hole with a tiger in it. The tiger tried to jump out and each time he fell back and howled. "Hello, Mr. Tiger," said the young man. "How did you get down there?" The tiger cried, "I was walking along in the forest as tigers do, looking for something to eat, when suddenly I fell into this deep hole." The tiger pleaded, "Please, please help me get out of here. If you help me I will be very grateful." The young man was a very kind person. He found a large tree branch that had fallen on the ground and pushed and pulled it to the side of the deep hole. The tiger sprang up the branch and out of the deep hole. "Ah! That's better," said the tiger, pleased to be free. The young man felt suddenly nervous, standing next to the large tiger so he decided to leave. "I must be going now. Good bye, Mr. Tiger," he said. "Not so fast!" said the tiger. "I'm going to eat you." "But, but, you said you'd be grateful if I helped you," stammered the young man. "We should ask someone else to judge if that is fair." The tiger agreed and they found an ox and told him the story. "I think it is fair for the tiger to eat you," said the ox. "Humans treat oxen very badly. We're made to work all day with no rest."

3 The young man quickly yelled, "Let's ask someone else!" The tiger agreed and they went to ask the biggest tree in the forest. "I think it is fair for the tiger to eat you. You humans chop us down whenever you want." The tiger showed his big teeth and the young man began to shake. The young man saw a hare hopping along. "Please Mr. Hare, help judge if Mr. Tiger should eat me." The hare said, "Before I can judge I must see exactly what happened." They all went to the deep hole where the young man had rescued the tiger. "Now show me exactly where you were," the hare said to the tiger. The tiger jumped into the hole. "Was this branch in the hole?" asked the hare. "No," answered the tiger. The young man and the hare pulled the branch out. "My judgment is that it is not fair for you to eat the young man," said the hare. "You should have been grateful for his help." The hare hopped away and the young man hurried off to the village, leaving the ungrateful tiger howling in the deep hole. 1 Which detail from the passage best supports the idea that the ox and tree sided with the tiger? A They were afraid of the tiger. B They did not want to be trapped by humans. C They believed humans were unkind tp plants and animals. D They wanted the tiger to stop howling in the woods. 2 Read the sentence from the passage. I shall never forget you. May I fall into the deepest gully if I am ever unkind to you! What is the meaning of the underlined phrase? A fall into a box B jump and dance

4 C get terribly hurt D fall into the ocean 3 From the passage, The Tiger Finds a Teacher, the reader can infer that the cat doesn t trust the tiger. Which sentence from the passage best supports this inference? A Knowing that tigers are wicked at heart, the cat was afraid that if she taught him all she knew, then her own life would be in danger. B I have taught you all I know, she said. C I shall never forget you. May I fall into the deepest gully if I am ever unkind to you! D Wouldn t it be fine if I were as clever as that cat! 4 In the story, The Ungrateful Tiger, the tiger was ungrateful. Which detail from the passage best supports this statement? A the hare wanted to see exactly what happened B the ox said it was fair for the tiger to eat the young man C the tiger wanted to eat the young man D the tiger fell into a deep hole Beginning Again May morning clouds Straggle across a blue and white patchwork sky, As time waits impatiently For the warmth of spring to arrive. Trees, sun edged and stirring, Burdened with bunches of new leaves, And eager to burst Into a vibrant rainbow of bloom.

5 The sun, a fervent eye, Glides hotly through a now clear sky There will be no more clouds breaking, Though we need the cleansing showers To urge on a new life. The sidewalk warms beneath The happy rhythm of young mothers feet, Wheeling carriages before them Weighed down with small, fragrant beginnings: Welcome. Welcome, new life. 5 Which sentence best describes the theme of the poem? A Spring is a good time to get exercise because the weather is so nice. B Spring is a colorful time of year. C May is a very warn month with few rainstorms. D Spring is a time for new life and new beginnings. 6 Which sentence best describes the poem Beginning Again? A In the month of May, the sky is dark and gray with clouds, rain showers fall, and flowers start to bloom. B As the seasons change, nature waits for spring to warm everything up, and mothers and babies stay inside. C The morning sky is bright blue, the leaves move in the strong wind, and the animals come out to play. D During the spring, morning clouds fill the sky, trees get new leaves, the sun warms the gound, and new life begins. The Right Whale and The Giant Tortoise Read the passages and answer the following question(s).

6 Passage 1: The Right Whale The sea foam sprayed Ava's face with an ice cold mist, and she pulled her heavy wool coat tighter as she leaned over the rails wondering if and when she would see any whales. She had seen a number of large fish scaling the surface of the sea, and at one point, a friendly seal had even peeked his head from the water, but they had yet to see a single whale. "When are the whales going to come out of the water?" she asked her father impatiently. Although her father was only wearing a flannel shirt with a thin scarf, he was not shivering in the cold like Ava was. "This is a three hour trip, and we are only thirty minutes in," he said with a smile. He heard Ava moan, as if the thought of another two and a half hours at sea was torment. "Don't forget that you were the one who wanted to go on this trip anyway." "I thought we would see whales," she replied. "All that we have seen are fish." "Don't forget about the seal," her father reminded her. "I wouldn't give up just yet." She turned around to see the ship's captain. "In my thirty years at sea, I have seen a whale on every trip. The question will be which type of whales we see. We'll probably see a minke whale or two and maybe a humpback." Then the captain's face seemed to light up. Ava quickly looked towards the sea and saw a huge whale breaking the surface of the water. It leapt belly up, waving its fins, and very slowly seemed to slide through the air in a slow arc. It then fell backwards, leaving a heavy mist in its wake. While the whale only spent a few seconds above the water, it seemed much longer to Ava. "That was wonderful!" she cried happily. "Will we see another whale like that one?" "It's not likely today," the captain explained. "That was a North Atlantic right whale, one of the rarest whales on Earth. I could count the number of those I have seen in my whole life on one hand." Expecting to just see fish and seals, Ava thought about how she had just seen something far more incredible that day. Passage 2: The Giant Tortoise

7 Ava held onto the seat in front of her on the bus. The dirt road was full of rocks and tight curves, and the bus shook and rocked constantly. Looking out of the windows, she only saw trees on either side of the bus, and the forest kept getting denser as they went on. "There are animals on this island that are not found anywhere else on our planet!" her father told her. "I know," she told him in a bored voice. "I read about all of them in school, but the only one I want to see is a giant tortoise. I wonder if they're really as big as scientists claim they are." He chuckled. "I would like to see one of those too, Ava. That's one creature that we're likely to miss. They are extremely rare, and the ones that are on this island keep to themselves in the woods and caves." That instant, Ava and her father felt themselves being heaved forward as the bus came to a sudden stop. "What's going on?" the passengers all seemed to say at the same time. The tour guide had told them that it would be at least two hours before they reached their hotel so why were they stopping? The driver stood up and faced the passengers. "It appears that something is in our way," he said. "It might interest a few of you if you would like to leave the bus and see what it is." The passengers left the bus single file, and Ava heard sounds of surprise as they reached the road. Soon Ava saw what had stopped the bus a giant tortoise! The tortoise was making its way across the road slowly but surely, leaving a trail of footprints behind it. It craned its thin neck to peer at the passengers curiously. Ava was not surprised to see that the tortoise was every bit as big as she had read they were. "If you go up to him, he might let you pet him," her father told her. "No, that's alright," she said. "Just getting to see him is enough, and besides, I don't want to hold him up it appears that he has somewhere important to go!" 7 Read the paragraph from The Right Whale. Although her father was only wearing a flannel shirt with a thin scarf, he was not shivering in the cold like Ava was. "This is a three hour trip, and we are only thirty minutes in," he said with a smile. He heard Ava moan, as if the thought of another two and a half hours at sea was torment. "Don't forget that you were the one who wanted to go on this trip anyway." Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph? A Ava and her father were extremely cold on the boat trip.

8 B Ava was becoming anxious on the trip. C Ava's father was not excited about the boat trip because it was so long. D Ava and her father wanted to go back to the shore because they had not seen any whales. 8 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: What theme can be found in both The Right Whale and The Giant Tortoise? A Endangered animals should be protected from humans. B Your father always knows best. C Being patient will pay off in time. D You must travel far to see the most special animals. 9 Which sentence from The Right Whale best supports your answer in part A? A "This is a three hour trip, and we are only thirty minutes in," he said with a smile. B "Don't forget about the seal," her father reminded her. C "That was a North Atlantic right whale, one of the rarest whales on Earth." D Expecting to just see fish and seals, Ava thought about how she had just seen something far more incredible that day. 10 Read the following sentence that includes mistakes in punctuation. The principal walked into the classroom and said Please line up outside. Choose the sentence that is punctuated correctly. A The principal walked into the classroom and said Please line up outside. B The principal walked into the classroom and said Please line up outside. C The principal walked into the classroom and said, Please line up outside. D The principal walked into the classroom and said, Please line up outside.

9 11 Choose the sentence with the correct capitalization. A Uncle Frank went to north dakota on halloween. B Uncle Frank went to North Dakota on Halloween. C Uncle Frank went to north dakota on Halloween. D Uncle frank went to North Dakota on Halloween. 12 Read the paragraph and complete the task that follows. I went to visit my cousin in Texas. She lives just outside of Houston, so we visited a couple of museums in the city. We went to Macy s and bought a couple of new outfits. After that we went to the Movies. Choose the underlined word that is incorrectly capitalized. A cousin B Texas C Movies D outfits 13 Read the story and answer the question that follows. Jenny tucked the card into her book bag. She showed it to her mother after dinner. It s a swimming party, Jen her mother said. How couls she not have noticed? She grabbed it off the board and read each word aloud. She stopped when she read where it would be: Elm Street Pool. Jenny didn t even own a bathing suiot. She liked skating. she played baseball. She was very good at checkers. But swimming was for ducks, and she wanted no part of it. What is the best way to correct the punctuation error in the underlined sentence? A It s a swimming party, Jen, her mother said. B It s a swimming party, Jen, her mother said. C It s a swimming party, Jen, her mother said. D It s a swimming party, Jen, her mother said.

10 14 Read the passage. Suddenly, I heard music coming from the street. I wasn t sure sure what was going on, so I st down to listen. To my surprise, a band ahd begun to play their instruments. I ran downstairs, and began to enjoy the sounds. I couldn t stop listening as the musicians spun great webs of sound. I kept thinking that they were amazing magicians who could transform sounds into magic. How does the phrase great webs of sound help the reader understand the author s thoughts about the music tht he was hearing? A It shows that the author found the music to be very inviting. B It shows that the author thinks that music is fun. C It shows that the author thinks that music is easy to understand. D It shows that the author thinks that it is easy to be a musician. 15 Read the sentence below. A frog s long tongue comes in handy for catching insects that try to run away. Which statement best describes what the phrase comes in handy adds to the meaning or tone of the text? A The reader understands that a long tongue looks like a hand. B The reader understands that a frog s long tongue is useful. C The reader understands that a frog s long tongue gets sticky. D The reader understands that a frog s long tongue is awkward. 16 Read the sentence below. Kayla had a difficult time learning how to play the flute, but Carrie thought it was a piece of cake. Which statement best describes what the underlined phrase in the sentence adds to meaning or tone of the text? A The reader understands that Carrie is receiving a special treat. B The reader understands that the flute is a beautiful instrument.

11 C The reader understands that baking a cake is difficult to accomplish. D The reader understands that Carrie thinks playing the flute is easy to do. 17 Read the sentence below. Sammy had many assignments to complete for class on Monday, so she tried to get all of her ducks in a row before she ran out of time. Which statement best describes what the phrase get all of her ducks in a row adds to the meaning of the passage? A It shows that she wanted to finish her assignments on time. B It shows that she wanted to take the time to properly prepare for her assignments. C It shows thatshe had other things to do before she got to work on her assignments. D It shows that she had to finishplaying her video game before she got started on her school work. 18 Read the sentence below. When Max s ball deflated, it became as flat as a pancake, and he began to cry. Why does the author use the phrase flat as a pancake? A to help the reader understand how a ball becomes flat B to help the reader understand what a flat pancake looks like C to help the reader understand what a deflated ball looks like D to help the reader understand how a ball bounces on the ground 19 A student is writing a story for class about a disagreement between two friends. The student wants to revise the draft to more clearly explain the situation. Read the draft of the first paragraph of the story and answer the question that follows.

12 Beth has been my best friend for years, but sometimes we just do not see eye to eye. What happened last week is a perfect example. We decided to combine our piggy bank money and have a fun filled afternoon. The problem was that we had very different ideas about what we should do. We each presented our point of view. We talked, we argued, and we pleaded with each other. Still, neither of us could convince the other. We were not sure what we should do. Choose the best sentence to add detail after the underlined text to more clearly explain the situation. A We had each saved up the same amount of money: ten dollars. B We thought that maybe we should just go off and do our own thing. C Beth and I were always trying to come up with new ways to have some fun. D Beth thought we should go out for lunch, but I had a trip to the wildlife park in mind. 20 A student is writing a story for class about her someone cooking a meal. The student wants to revise the draft to have a better beginning. Read the draft of the story and complete the task that follows. She thought it was fun to gather fresh fruit and vegetables from the farmer's market. She bought celery, carrots, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes. When she got home, she diced them all and put them into the stew pot. She also added diced chicken and chicken broth. She let the mixture come to a boil, then added some fresh thyme and basil. Now for the salt and pepper. The wonderful smell filled the house as it cooked. Finally, the soup was finished. Leanne scooped it into a bowl. She ate her soup happily with a slice of buttered bread. She grinned as she realized how satisfying it was to enjoy a meal she made with fresh ingredients and her own two hands. Choose the best beginning sentence to introduce the character. A Going to the store is a lot of fun. B Leanne knows the importance of eating vegetables. C Samantha makes soup every Saturday. D Leanne loves to cook more than anything in the world. 21 Graciela is writing a story for her class about her summer time spent volunteering. Graciela wants to revise her story to include a better opening. Read the draft of her story and complete the task that follows.

13 I had always spent summers playing with my friends or going on trips. This summer was different, I got to give time and volunteer to help a good cause. I spent days at the shelter. I learned how important these places are to animals. This was the summer that changed how I spend the rest of my summers off. Choose the best beginning sentence to introduce the story. A Vacationing and spending time with friends are things many people do with their summer time off. B Knowing how much volunteers are needed, I would feel bad continuing to go on vacations all summer long. C Volunteering is giving your time and expecting nothing but the experience in return. D This was the first summer I spent volunteering. 22 John is writing a story for class about his vacation on a cruise ship. John wants to revise the draft to better explain the connection between two sentences. Read the draft of the story and complete the task that follows. When I first saw the cruise ship, I could not believe how huge it was. I had never been on a cruise ship before and I was excited to see what the ocean was like so far from the shore. The rooms on the ship were called cabins and they all had windows looking outside. The ship had everything you could think of from pools, to restaurants, to movie theatres. My parents decided to go on a date in one of the ships restaurants. I found a really cool arcade! I felt so lucky to spend five days on the cruise ship. I had so much fun and I hope we can take another cruise next summer. Choose the best sentence to connect the underlined sentences. A After all, the restaurants and play rooms on the ship were really nice. B In fact, it would probably take an hour to walk around the entire ship. C Meanwhile, I walked around looking for something to do. D Also, I was hoping I would not get seasick from the ship rocking back and forth. 23 Read the following sentences. Choose two sentences with correct capitalization. A My mom was reading a book by C.P. Snow.

14 B Tanya and her Mom celebrated her birthday by visiting her aunt. C Aunt Mary went to south Carolina on thanksgiving. D The doctor examined the baby and said, He s in perfect health. 24 After reading the passage, The Ungrateful Tiger, the reader can infer that the young man is frightened of the tiger. Which details from the passage best support this inference? Choose two answers. A The tiger sprang up the branch and out of the deep hole. B The young man felt suddenly nervous, standing next to the large tiger so he decided to leave. C The young man was a very kind person. D The tiger showed his big teeth and the young man began to shake. 25 Katie is writing a story for class about playing hide and seek. Katie wants to revise the draft to better explain the connection between two sentences. Read the draft of the story and complete the task that follows. Hide and seek is one of my favorite games to play. I played yesterday with all of my friends. To begin playing, we first figured out who is going to be "it." This person had to find everyone else once they were hidden. My friend Lacy was "it" first. She closed her eyes and counted to thirty. Lacy opened her eyes and searched until she found one of us! She found me first, so it was my turn to count. Choose the two best sentences to connect the underlined sentences. A While she counted, we were quiet so she could not hear where we were walking. B After all, Lacy always has the best hiding spots. C In the meantime, my friends and I found places to hide. D Also, all of my friends love playing this game. E Later, I remembered a great hiding spot I had used before.

15 Grade 4 ELA Unit Answer Section MULTIPLE CHOICE 1 ANS: C PTS: 1 STA: 4 RL 1 MSC: C1 T1 2 ANS: C PTS: 1 STA: 4 RL 1 MSC: C1 T1 3 ANS: A PTS: 1 STA: 4 RL 1 MSC: C1 T1 4 ANS: C PTS: 1 STA: 4 RL 1 MSC: C1 T1 5 ANS: D PTS: 1 STA: 4 RL 2 MSC: C1 T2 6 ANS: D PTS: 1 NAT: 4 RL 2 MSC: C1 T2 7 ANS: B PTS: 1 STA: 4 RL 2 MSC: C1 T2 8 ANS: C PTS: 1 STA: 4 RL 2 MSC: C1 T2 9 ANS: D PTS: 1 STA: 4 RL 2 MSC: C1 T2 10 ANS: D PTS: 1 STA: 4 L 2a MSC: C2 T9 11 ANS: B PTS: 1 STA: 4 L 2a MSC: C2 T9 12 ANS: C PTS: 1 STA: 4 L 2b MSC: C2 T9 13 ANS: D PTS: 1 STA: 4 L 2a KEY: C2 T9 14 ANS: A PTS: 1 STA: 4 L 5a MSC: C1 T14 15 ANS: B PTS: 1 STA: 4 L 5b MSC: C1 T14 16 ANS: D PTS: 1 STA: 4 L 5b MSC: C1 T14 17 ANS: B PTS: 1 STA: 4 L5b MSC: C1 T7 18 ANS: C PTS: 1 STA: 4 L 5a MSC: C1 T14 19 ANS: D PTS: 1 STA: 4 W 3a MSC: C2 T1 20 ANS: D PTS: 1 STA: 4 W 3a MSC: C2 T1 21 ANS: D PTS: 1 STA: 4 W 3a MSC: C2 T1 22 ANS: C PTS: 1 STA: 4 W 3a MSC: C2 T1 MULTIPLE RESPONSE 23 ANS: A, D PTS: 1 STA: 4 L 2a MSC: C2 T9 24 ANS: B, D PTS: 1 STA: 4 RL 1 MSC: C1 T1 25 ANS: A, C PTS: 1 STA: 4 w 3a MSC: C2 T1