Reading/Literature Knowledge and Skills TEST SAMPLER Grade

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1 Reading/Literature Knowledge and Skills TEST SAMPLER Grade5

SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL (LITERARY TEXT) This is a passage from the book SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL by Patricia MacLachlan.

2 AN ASSESSMENT SAMPLER: Grade 5 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. SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL (LITERARY TEXT) This is a passage from the book SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL by Patricia MacLachlan. Sarah is a young woman who has come to live with Papa and his two children, Anna and Caleb. The children hope Sarah will stay and marry their Papa. On these pages Anna describes one of the first evenings with Sarah. AFTER DINNER, SARAH DREW pictures to send home to Maine. She began a charcoal drawing of the field, rolling like the sea rolled. She drew a sheep whose ears were too big. And she drew a windmill. Windmill was my first word, said Caleb. Papa told me so. Mine was flower, I said. What was yours, Sarah? Dune, said Sarah. Dune? Caleb looked up. In Maine, said Sarah, there are rock cliffs that rise up at the edge of the sea. And there are hills covered with pine and spruce trees, green with needles. But William and I found a sand dune all our own. It was soft and sparkling with bits of mica, and when we were little we would slide down the dune into the water. Caleb looked out the window. We have no dunes here, he said. Papa stood up. Yes we do, he said. He took the lantern and went out the door to the barn. We do? Caleb called after him. He ran ahead, Sarah and I following, the dogs close behind. Oregon Department of Education 1 September, 2005

3 Next to the barn was Papa s mound of hay for bedding, nearly half as tall as the barn, covered with canvas to keep the rain from rotting it. Papa carried the wooden ladder from the barn and leaned it against the hay. There. He smiled at Sarah. Our dune. Sarah was very quiet. The dogs looked up at her, waiting. Seal brushed up against her legs, her tail in the air. Caleb reached over and took her hand. It looks high up, he said. Are you scared, Sarah? Scared? Scared! exclaimed Sarah. You bet I m not scared. She climbed the ladder, and Nick began to bark. She climbed to the very top of the hay and sat, looking down at us. Above, the stars were coming out. Papa piled a bed of loose hay below with his pitchfork. The light of the lantern made his eyes shine when he smiled up at Sarah. Fine? called Papa. Fine, said Sarah. She lifted her arms over her head and slid down, down, into the soft hay. She lay laughing, as the dogs rolled beside her. Was it a good dune? called Caleb. Yes, said Sarah. It is a fine dune. Caleb and I climbed up and slid down. And Sarah did it three more times. At last Papa slid down, too, as the sky grew darker and the stars blinked like fireflies. We were covered with hay and dust, and we sneezed. In the kitchen, Caleb and I washed in the big wooden tub and Sarah drew more pictures to send to William. One was of Papa, his hair curly and full of hay. She drew Caleb, sliding down the hay, his arms like Sarah s over his head. And she drew a picture of me in the tub, my hair long and straight and wet. She looked at her drawing of the fields for a long time. And she put it away. Dear William, Sarah read to us by lantern light that night. Sliding down our dune of hay is almost as fine as sliding down the sand dunes into the sea. SRC 1 Vocabulary (Context and Structural Clues) Which of these best describes what pieces of mica could be like? A. Sharp and pointed B. Black and rocky C. Hot and dangerous D. Small and shiny* Oregon Department of Education 2 September, 2005

4 SRC 1 Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms and Homographs) The best synonym for the word mound as it is used in this selection would be A. pile.* B. trail. C. blanket. D. pool. SRC 1 Vocabulary (Figurative Expressions) The phrase the stars blinked like fireflies means that the stars were A. buzzing. B. twinkling.* C. falling. D. glaring. SRC 3 Demonstrate General Understanding (Comprehend Literary Text) The dune that Anna s father built was A. inside the hay loft of the barn. B. outside near the house. C. outside near the barn.* D. near the ocean water. SRC 3 Demonstrate General Understanding (Main Events in Plot Development) Sarah is not scared to slide down the hay dune because A. Caleb and Anna go down it first. B. She has slid down dunes before.* C. She has seen many hay dunes in pictures. D. Papa promised that it was safe. SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Make Predictions) This part of the story supports the conclusion that later in the story A. the family won t have to work as hard as they do now. B. Sarah will be happy in her new home.* C. both Caleb and Anna will want to move to Maine. D. Sarah will decide she has to return to her former home. Oregon Department of Education 3 September, 2005

5 SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Analyze Character Traits) Based on what you learned in this story, which word best describes Sarah s character? A. Playful* B. Fearful C. Weak D. Shy SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Identify Theme) A theme is a larger meaning in a story. Which of the following is a theme in Sarah, Plain and Tall? A. Sharing experiences makes families strong.* B. Children should be seen and not heard. C. Adults need to set the limits and rules. D. It is not proper to have too much fun. SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Draw Inferences) Why did Papa pile some loose hay below the hay dune? A. He wanted to make the hay dune taller. B. He wanted to make a soft spot to land.* C. It was needed to climb to the top of the dune. D. He wanted to make a bed for the animals. SRC 6 Examine Content and Structure of Literary Text (Function & Effects of Imagery/Word Choice) When Sarah reaches the top of the hay dune, the author says the stars were coming out. She includes this image to A. emphasize how tall the hay dune is. B. make the scene more mysterious by setting it at night. C. reflect that Sarah is uncomfortable with everyone watching. D. show that something important is happening.* SRC 6 Examine Content and Structure of Literary Text (Figurative Language) The author s use of the phrase the stars blinked like fireflies is an example of using A. a metaphor to show that something bad is going to happen. B. a simile to add to the fun mood in this part of the story.* C. personification to make the stars seem like characters in the story. D. exaggeration to make this part of the story seem more humorous. Oregon Department of Education 4 September, 2005

6 SRC 6 Examine Content and Structure of Literary Text (Types of Fiction) This story would be classified as what type of fiction? A. folklore. B. historical fiction.* C. science fiction. D. fantasy. SCARECROW! (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) THE WIZARD OF OZ isn t the only place you can read about scarecrows. Try this article form a book by Valerie Littlewood to learn more interesting things about the history of these dummies. DRIVING THROUGH THE COUNTRY, you see a farmhand working in the fields. But on the way back you notice the exact same figure in the exact same place! Instead of a real person, you are probably looking at a scarecrow. Scarecrow, jack-of-straw, scarebird, tattybogle, or shoy-hoy under many different names, these homemade figures have been used around the world to protect precious crops for over three thousand years. They are as old as the practice of farming itself. We think of scarecrows as male or female dummies stuffed with straw. But over the centuries, farmers have invented many different scarecrows to protect their crops. Noisemakers, dead birds, smelly fires, pieces of cloth, shiny metal objects even live people have been employed. Since the time of ancient Egypt, paintings, plays, and poetry have featured them. Because of their frightening appearance, they often represent sinister spirits in myths and legends. But in children s storybooks, scarecrows have frequently been portrayed as loyal and friendly companions. Even more effective than a scarecrow that looks human is a real human scarecrow. Early British records show that it was often the job of small boys or men too old for strenuous farm labor to go out into the fields and scare away the birds. Sometimes girls too would work as bird shooers. Oregon Department of Education 5 September, 2005

7 In all weather, the bird scarers spent hours in the fields, throwing stones or flapping their arms while running and shouting. They also carried carved wooden clappers and rattles that made enough noise to frighten a whole flock of birds at one time. Guarding a field or orchard all summer long was hard work. In bad weather, the human scarecrows had only crude huts made of mud and sticks to shelter them. To keep up their spirits, they would often sing songs and recite rhymes, or have contests to see who could hit the most birds with a single slingshot. When factories and mines opened up all over England in the early 1800s, the cost of labor rose and it became very difficult for landowners to afford human scarecrows. But even today, in India and some Middle Eastern countries, live bird scarers are still hard at work. SRC 1 Vocabulary (Context and Structural Clues) The article tells you that the people who worked as human scarecrows had only crude huts for shelter. This means that A. their shelters were made of an oily tar. B. the shelters could be moved from place to place. C. their shelters were small and primitive.* D. the people built shelters out of brick. SRC 1 Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms and Homographs) The article tells you that scarecrows often represent sinister spirits in myths and legends. What is a synonym for the word sinister? A. Small B. Important C. Evil* D. Cheerful SRC 1 Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms and Homographs) The passage says that the farm labor was too strenuous for small boys or old men. Which of the following words is an antonym for strenuous? A. Demanding B. Easy* C. Fun D. Boring Oregon Department of Education 6 September, 2005

SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Draw Inferences) The people who worked as bird-scarers were small boys, old men, and sometimes girls. These people had the bird shooing job because A.

They could not be relied upon to finish their jobs. SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Draw Inferences) The article tells us that scarecrows have been used for over three thousand years.

8 SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Draw Inferences) The people who worked as bird-scarers were small boys, old men, and sometimes girls. These people had the bird shooing job because A. they were quick and could chase most birds away. B. they were not able to do regular farm work.* C. they had enough patience to wait for the birds. D. They could not be relied upon to finish their jobs. SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Draw Inferences) The article tells us that scarecrows have been used for over three thousand years. This is probably because A. that s when the materials for making scarecrows became available. B. the crow population increased rapidly at that time. C. that s about the time when people began to farm crops.* D. the scarecrows were brought over from Egypt. SRC 5 Examine Content and Structure of Informational Text (Author s Purpose) The author most likely wrote this article to teach the reader some A. history and facts about scarecrows.* B. ways people farmed three thousand years ago. C. stories about scarecrows. D. different ways scarecrows are made. COMPUTERS AND CALCULATORS (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) This is some advice given by an author to students who are using a book he wrote about mathematics. A COMMON COMMENT ABOUT modern-day mathematics is There s no need to learn how to do arithmetic since everyone now has calculators and computers. That view is entirely wrong. Not that there isn t a huge advantage to having calculators. There is, and no one wants to go back to the days of adding long strings of numbers or dividing two large numbers by hand. Calculators and computers save a lot of time. In fact, modern business couldn t be modern without them. At the same time, what calculators and computers don t do is pretty important. They don t, for example, tell you Oregon Department of Education 7 September, 2005

9 what it is that you need to find out. They never tell you what information you need to get an answer. They won t tell you what math operations you need to carry out, and they won t tell you how to set up the problem. And while computers and calculators are good at adding and subtracting, they don t actually understand it. If you put in the wrong information or do the problem wrong, they are happy giving you the absurd answer you deserve. So you need to know how to check that an answer is reasonable and then do it every time. SRC 3 Demonstrate General Understanding (Comprehend Informational Text) Which of these does the author say is a benefit of calculators and computers? A. They tell you what you need to find out. B. They tell you what information you need to enter. C. They save a lot of time.* D. They can check that the answers they get are correct. SRC 3 Demonstrate General Understanding (Comprehend Informational Text) According to the author, calculators and computers are good for A. telling you which math operations to use. B. setting up a math problem. C. giving you another way to solve a math problem. D. adding and subtracting.* SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Make Predictions) What do you think will most likely happen if students read this advice? A. Students will not check their answers. B. They will just use computers. C. Students will check for reasonable answers.* D. They will get rid of calculators. SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Draw Inferences) Although it is never really stated, the main idea of this article is that A. students should use both technology and thinking skills.* B. calculators and computers save time and can correct your errors. C. students should always check their adding and subtracting. D. it is important to do your math problems on calculators. Oregon Department of Education 8 September, 2005

10 SRC 4 Develop an Interpretation (Unstated Ideas and Concepts) Based on the information in this article, the author would most likely agree with the idea that A. calculators should be used to solve every math problem. B. calculators are useful tools, but can t do everything.* C. calculators are not appropriate to use. D. calculators make sure that you get your answers right. SRC 5 Examine Content and Structure of Informational Text (Author s Purpose) Why do you think the author included these paragraphs in his book? A. He was worried that students might think they didn t need to learn math because calculators and computers could do all of the work.* B. He was trying to get the students to help themselves by buying more computers and calculators. C. He didn t want the students to use calculators and computers when they did work for his class. D. He was concerned that the students would be wasting their time using the computers and calculators. SRC 5 Examine Content and Structure of Informational Text (Fact vs. Opinion) Which sentence below is a fact? A. There s no need to learn how to do arithmetic B. They are happy giving you the absurd answer you deserve. C. They won t tell you how to set up the problem. * D. No one wants to go back to the days of adding numbers by hand. SRC 5 Examine Content and Structure of Informational Text (Characteristics of Persuasive Text) Which sentence from the article is meant to be persuasive as opposed to simply being informative? A. They won t tell you what math operations you need to carry out. B. They never tell you what information you need to get an answer. C. That view is entirely wrong. * D. Modern business couldn t be modern without them. Oregon Department of Education 9 September, 2005

11 A WAY WITH WORDS (PRACTICAL TEXT) Use this page from a popular thesaurus to answer some questions about words. generous adj. 1 Your father was very generous to give you so much money: openhanded, willing to give, freehanded, bighearted, ungrudging, lavish; liberal, bountiful, unrestricted; extravagant, charitable, beneficent, hospitable. 2 This restaurant serves unusually generous portions: plentiful, ample, bounteous, large, copious, plenteous, abundant, liberal; overflowing; 3 Aunt Helen had a most generous spirit: unselfish, considerate, benevolent, noble, altruistic, obliging; bighearted, magnanimous; high-minded, lofty; honorable. Ant. 1 stingy, tight, tightfisted, cheap, miserly, illiberal, avaricious, covetous, selfish. 2 small, little, tiny; scarce, scanty, minimal. 3 mean, small, petty, greedy. genial adj. The host s genial manner put everyone at ease: cordial, friendly, goodnatured, congenial, amiable, gracious, affable, agreeable, pleasant, neighborly, companionable, sociable, social, courteous, civil, warm, happy, glad, hearty, kind, kindly, well-disposed, cheerful, sunny, vivacious, merry, cheery, jovial, jolly, in good spirits, sparkling, mirthful, bright, lighthearted, festive, joyful; jaunty, lively. Ant. Unfriendly, unpleasant, ungracious, unsympathetic, cool, cold; rude, discourteous, uncivil; harsh, sullen, morose; sarcastic, cheerless, caustic. genteel adj. 1 My aunt Mary was the most genteel woman I ever know: refined, wellbred, courteous, mannerly, polite, civil, well-spoken, courtly, poised; polished, cultured, cultivated, urbane; aristocratic, patrician. 2 White gloves are a must at such a genteel gathering: elegant, stylish, fashionable, modish, suited to high society, elite; silk-stocking; Slang highclass, hoity-toity, highfalutin, high-hat, swank, ritzy, high-toned, pretentious. Ant. 1 unrefined, uncultured, inelegant, unpolished; impolite, uncivil, discourteous, unmannerly, rude; boorish, low-class. 2 unaffected, natural, simple, plain, unsophisticated, unfashionable. gentility n. The brothers were widely admired for their gentility: refinement, polish, mannerliness, chivalry, gallantry, decorum, propriety, cultivation, civility. Ant. Grossness, coarseness, vulgarity, boorishness, indelicacy. gentle adj. 1 She was a gentle woman who wouldn t hurt a fly: gentle-hearted, kindly, kind, peaceful, compassionate, tender, sympathetic, mild, meek; tolerant, benign, lenient, indulgent, merciful; thoughtful, considerate. 2 She gave the baby a gentle pat on the back. A warm, gentle breeze was coming from the sea: mild, soft, light, easy, slight; quiet, calm, serene, tranquil, placid; balmy, moderate, temperate, not violent, not rough, not severe; bland, smooth, untroubled. 3 Is that horse gentle enough for the children to ride? docile, tame, manageable, easily handled, tractable; domesticated, broken, harmless, subdued, peaceful, calm. Ant. 1 hard; cruel, unkind, heartless, hardhearted, rough, harsh, offensive, aggressive. 2 rough, harsh, hard, intense, powerful, strong, sharp, violent; sudden, abrupt. 3 wild, fierce, savage. Oregon Department of Education 10 September, 2005

12 SRC 2 Read to Perform a Task (Specialized Materials Thesaurus) Each of the following words have more than one possible meaning listed EXCEPT A. generous. B. genial.* C. genteel. D. gentle. SRC 2 Read to Perform a Task (Specialized Materials Thesaurus) Which of the entries on this page is not an adjective or describing word? A. Generous B. Genial C. Genteel D. Gentility* SRC 2 Read to Perform a Task (Specialized Materials Thesaurus) Which word is an antonym for generous when it is used in the sentence Aunt Helen had a most generous spirit? A. Unselfish B. Greedy* C. Cheap D. Scarce SRC 2 Read to Perform a Task (Specialized Materials Thesaurus) In this thesaurus, a semicolon (;) is used to separate A. groups of words closely related in meaning.* B. words used in sentences from their definitions. C. definitions of words with unrelated multiple meanings. D. a word s part of speech from its definition. SALT MARSH (PRACTICAL TEXT) There may be beaches in Oregon, but not many salt marshes. If you are lucky enough to go to one sometime, remember some of the things you learn here. FOLLOW THE U.S. COASTLINE, and you ll find saltwater wetlands. Around Florida s tip, there are shrubby ones called mangrove swamps. But everywhere else, you ll see grassy wetlands. These are the salt marshes. Oregon Department of Education 11 September, 2005

The water in some salt marshes is nearly as salty as the sea. In places where rivers run into the ocean, the marshes have a mix of fresh and salt water. Either way, tides rule in a salt marsh.

13 The water in some salt marshes is nearly as salty as the sea. In places where rivers run into the ocean, the marshes have a mix of fresh and salt water. Either way, tides rule in a salt marsh. At high tide, a large part of the marsh is under water. At low tide, some of the land is visible again. The plants and animals that live here are used to daily rising and falling of the water. Shorebirds, for example, poke their beaks into the mud for worms and clams when the tide is out. When the tide comes back in, fish can get to the clams and worms. Most of our salt marshes are found along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. That s because there is plenty of low, flat land near these shores. The shoreline along the West Coast is mostly too steep for saltwater wetlands. But around places like California s San Francisco Bay, a few salt marshes can be found. One of them is shown in the picture. 1. California gull 8. cordgrass 15. gem clams 2. western sandpipers 9. clapper rail 16. Californian horn shells 3. snowy egret 10. yellow shore crab 17. Pacific staghorn sculpin 4. great egret 11. mud worm 18. leopard shark 5. American avocets 12. lined shore crab 19. starry flounder 6. northern harrier 13. sticklebacks 20. gadwalls 7. song sparrow 14. bristle worms 21. harbor seals Oregon Department of Education 12 September, 2005

14 See the cordgrass near the water s edge? This saltwater plant provides shelter for many different kinds of marsh animals. Different plants take over on higher ground. That s where the marsh can dry out during low tide. As all these plants die and decay, they provide food for tons of tiny creatures in the shallows. Salt marshes are great places for birds like those egrets or that rail grabbing a crab. The sandpipers have been fattening up here all winter. Now they re heading north to raise new families. Look for small creatures hiding from passing predators like that harrier. Watch out, little duckling! Don t forget to explore the mudflats. It s easy to spot the harbor seal mom watching over her new pup. But to catch more of the other muddy action, you ll have to look more closely. How many worms, snails, and clams can you find? SRC 1 Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms, and Homographs) The word rail is a homograph, which means that it is a word that can have different meanings even though the spelling remains the same. In this selection, rail is used to mean a A. water bird.* B. hand bar. C. loud yell. D. train track. SRC 2 Read to Perform a Task (Locate Information) Which of these birds is putting its bill into the water? A. Northern harrier B. Snowy egret* C. Song Sparrow D. Great egret SRC 2 Read to Perform a Task (Locate Information) On this chart, the salt marsh creatures you see the most of are the A. clapper rails. B. gadwalls. C. gem clams. D. western sandpipers.* Oregon Department of Education 13 September, 2005

15 Examine Content and Structure of Informational Text (Author s Purpose) The author includes the picture in this article mostly to A. show readers the beauty of a salt marsh. B. show readers how some creatures in salt marshes are threatened. C. show readers how salt marshes are like the ocean. D. show the variety and numbers of creatures in a salt marsh.* Oregon Department of Education 14 September, 2005

xtreme xcitement Narrative Writing Well-developed narratives make readers feel as if they are in the story.

xtreme xcitement Narrative Writing Well-developed narratives make readers feel as if they are in the story. Narrative Writing xtreme xcitement Well-developed narratives make readers feel as if they are in the story. Write a narrative about an extremely exciting event or activity. Be sure to show actions, thoughts,