Name ______Date ______
Grade 5 Practice Passages A
Reading Passage 1 – Supporting Details, Setting, Figurative Language
The hot sun hit against the sides of the metal canoe, and danced on the river's soft folds. Avery paddled forward, smiling at his son, who was sitting across from him. There is nothing quite like a quiet canoe ride on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Both father and son were getting very hungry, and soon they would stop to eat their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Avery remembered the canoe trips that he used to take with his own father. He thought of how his father's paddle would slap patterns into the river's glassy surface. It all came back in one intense memory: the smell of tuna fish sandwiches, the green-blue river lit up with sunshine, and the families of turtles, sunning themselves on the riverside rocks. Avery remembered the drive home: how he leaned against his father's shoulder as the sun was closing like a fiery eye.
As the river turned, Avery wondered what his own son would remember and forget. The boy was looking dreamily into the trees that lined the side of the river. With firm strokes, Avery paddled onward.
What did Avery eat with his father on their canoe trips? / How does the setting change in this passage? / Find an example of figurative language from this passage and tell what it means.a. fresh fish
b. hamburgers
c. tuna fish sandwiches
d. peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Reading Passage 2 – Context Clues, Type of Writing, Main Idea
Rachel lived with her mother in a faraway part of British Columbia. Her house sat alone atop a hill, and she was used to solitude. She liked the peace and quiet of being far away from everything, and she didn't mind playing by herself. Every morning Rachel woke up early with her mother so they could make it to school on time. It was a long drive down an empty road to get to the nearest town.
Which of these means about the same as solitude in the passage? / What type of writing is this? / What is the main idea of this passage?a. loneliness
b. beauty
c. happiness
d. being alone / a. informational
b. narrative
c. persuasive / a. Rachel and her mother lived far away from everything.
b. Rachel lived with her mother in British Columbia.
c. Rachel liked playing by herself.
Reading Passage 3 – Context Clues, Antonyms, Genre
Hubert and his father were lying on their backs looking at the stars. The sky was clear, it was almost midnight, and all the lights in the house were off. As Hubert's father told his son about the names and legends of the constellations, Hubert listened closely, fascinated by his father's astonishing stories.
What is another way of saying astonishing as used in this passage? / Which word is an antonym for fascinated? / Is a legend a fiction or non-fiction type of text? How do you know?a. uncommon
b. very interesting
c. careful
d. crazy / a. interested
b. attracted
c. bored
d. disliked
Reading Passage 4 – Main Idea, Character, Genre
Arachne was a poor farmer's daughter who lived in the country. She was very good at weaving. She could make beautiful fabrics with difficult designs. Her neighbors began to comment. They thought she had been taught how to weave by Athena. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and the arts.
"That's not true at all," Arachne said. "Everything I know I have taught myself. Besides, my fabrics are much more beautiful than Athena's."
The neighbors were amazed by Arachne's boasts. Soon Athena heard of Arachne's pride. She disguised herself so that no one could recognize that she was really a goddess. Then she challenged Arachne to a weaving contest.
"I hear you weave fabrics finer than those of the goddess Athena," Athena said.
"Finer and more colorful," Arachne claimed proudly, not realizing that she was talking to the goddess.
"Well, then, let's see what you can do," Athena said.
Although Athena worked more quickly and with more skill, Arachne still insisted her weaving was finer and more colorful. Athena was offended by her pride.
"Since you are so in love with your weaving, why don't you spin forever?" Athena said. Almost instantly Arachne felt her head begin to shrink and her fingers begin to grow. Athena had turned Arachne into a spider.
Since then it is said that all spiders have been punished for Arachne's pride. That's why they must live forever in the webs they weave.
This myth mainly tells how… / Which character trait describes Arachne? / This passage is an example of…a. spiders learned to make webs
b. Athena lost a weaving contest
c. Beautiful fabrics are difficult to make
d. Arachne was punished for her pride / a. unlucky
b. hard-working
c. full of herself
d. modest / a. realistic fiction
b. myth
c. biography
d. non-fiction
Name ______Date ______
Grade 5 Practice Passages B
Reading Passage 1 – Theme, Main Idea, Author’s Purpose
Everyone knows the story of the fisherman who one day pulled a magic fish from the river. Not only was the fish huge, but it could also talk. It said in a small voice, "Fisherman, throw me back into the river, and I'll grant you three wishes."
"I don't need any wishes," the man said. "My life is great just the way it is." And he threw the fish back into the river.
The next day another fisherman came along. Again, the magic fish was caught. "Fisherman," said the huge fish in a small voice, "throw me back into the river and I'll grant you three wishes."
"Hmm, let's see," said the man. "How about some lunch, fresh bait for my hook, and a new pair of boots without holes in them?" The fish granted the man his wishes and leapt back into the river.
The next day yet another fisherman came along. News of the magic fish had spread throughout the village. All day he fished, and he caught lots of huge fish to feed his hungry family. But not a single one of them could talk.
After a while, he started getting hungry too. Finally, he decided not to wait any longer. He would just have to choose -- eat well tonight or go hungry wishing for things he didn't have? When he thought about it that way, he decided to go home to his family.
What is the main theme of this passage? / Choose the best title for this story. / What is the author’s purpose?a. A magic fish tries to find the river where it came from.
b. A kind fisherman helps a magic fish.
c. Three men get wishes.
d. A fisherman learns the value of what he already has. / a. A New Pair of Boots
b. The Three Fishermen
c. The Man Who Waited So Long
d. The Magic Fish, the Three Fishermen, and The One Who Went Home / a. to persuade you to go fishing
b. to give an opinion
c. to tell a story that has a message
d. to give you facts about fishing
Reading Passage 2 – Inference, Mood, Antonyms
The following passage is from the short story "A White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett
The woods were already filled with shadows one June evening, just before eight o'clock, though a bright sunset still glimmered faintly among the trunks of the trees. A little girl was driving home her cow, a plodding, *dilatory, provoking creature in her behavior, but a valued companion for all that. They were going away from the western light, and striking deep into the dark woods, but their feet were familiar with the path, and it was no matter whether their eyes could see it or not.
*dilatory: tending to postpone or delay; slow
Based on the passage, what can you tell about the little girl in the woods? / What is the mood of the story? / What is an antonym for the word plodding?a. She doesn’t want to take her cow to the woods.
b. She is afraid of the woods at night.
c. She travels through the woods often.
d. She feels hot in the woods in summer. / a. Calm and peaceful
b. Dark and dangerous
c. Bright and sunny
d. Strange and mysterious / a. Walking
b. Moving
c. Rushing
d. Poking along
Reading Passage 3 – Inference, Fact, Supporting Details, Context Clues
NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, first began making space suits for astronauts to wear on the Apollo moon-landing missions. Back then, they tailored each suit to fit each individual astronaut. Today, to save money and time, suits are no longer tailor-made. Parts such as arms, legs, and helmets are made in various sizes and then assembled to fit each astronaut. After each mission, the suits are taken apart again.
Why does NASA no longer make tailored space suits? / How could you prove this FACT? NASA first began making space suits for astronauts to wear on the Apollo moon-landing missions. / What does tailor-made mean?a. The tailored suits are not safe as reusable suits.
b. NASA now makes a single suit that fits all sizes.
c. The tailored suits are too expensive and time-consuming to make.
d. The tailored suits are not flexible enough for space shuttle operation. / a. expensive
b. made in just the right size
c. made to be thrown away
d. made in small pieces
Reading Passage 4 – Supporting Details, Text Organization, Author’s Purpose
For over a century, climbing Mount Everest was a great challenge. Early attempts at reaching the top of the mountain brought climbers to about 28,000 feet. But the mountain was just too high. The physical effects of high altitudes and the limitations of available equipment made attempts to reach the top impossible. In 1924, British climbers Andrew "Sandy" Irvine and George Mallory climbed past 28,000 feet. They were once seen nearing the top of the mountain but disappeared soon after. Whether or not Mallory and Irvine reached the top remains a mystery. Since their climb, many expeditions have gathered clues and tried to determine for certain whether the two reached the top, but none have succeeded so far. The top of Mount Everest was finally reached by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
What made early attempts to reach the top of Mount Everest impossible? / Which best describes the text organization for the passage as a whole? / What is the author’s purpose?a. the mountain was very high
b. the physical effects of high altitudes and problems with equipment
c. the climbers’ fear and lack of experience
d. some climbers disappeared while climbing / a. problem and solution
b. question and answer
c. sequence
d. cause and effect / a. to convince you to climb Mount Everest
b. to share a personal experience
c. to persuade you not to go near the mountain
d. to give you information about Mount Everest
Name ______Date ______
Grade 5 Practice Passages C
Reading Passage 1 – Main Idea, Inference, Text Organization
The following passage is from the article "What Makes Geckos Sticky?" used by permission of TIME for Kids. It was written by Nelida Gonzalez Cutler.
They run across ceilings. They zip up and down walls. What kind of crazy glue keeps geckos from tumbling down? For centuries, scientists were stumped. Now researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, have solved the mystery. They not only discovered the secret behind the geckos' ability to dangle from walls, they've copied it!
Scientists say what makes geckos stick isn't tacky glue or suction, it's geometry. "We've solved the puzzle of how geckos use millions of tiny foot hairs to adhere to even smooth surfaces such as polished glass," says scientist Kellar Autumn.
Gecko feet are covered with millions of tiny hairs called setae (see-tee), which split into hundreds of even tinier branches. Each gecko foot has as many as 1 billion of these split ends. Researchers found that the angle the toe hairs make with a surface allows them to stick.
As scientists watched films of geckos in action, they noticed that geckos curl and uncurl their toes to get them to stick to surfaces. "The gecko has this really unique way of taking its feet off the wall--it peels its toes like tape," says Autumn.
Why the big interest in gecko "glue"? Researchers believe that a man-made version would be an ideal dry adhesive that could be useful underwater or in space. This August, researchers announced that they had made artificial hair tips that stick almost as well as the geckos' own. "Now we've got to make billions of them to get significant adhesive force," says engineer Ron Fearing.
One thing is certain, it'll be a super glue: A million tiny setae, covering an area the size of a dime, would be strong enough to lift a 45-pound child!
What is the main idea of this passage? / Why are scientists studying gecko “glue”? / How is this text organized?a. Gecko feet have millions of setae, or tiny hairs.
b. One millions setae could lift a 45-pound child.
c. Scientists are studying geckos to see how they keep from falling.
d. Scientists found a way to make a strong kind of glue. / a. They are not sure what makes geckos stick to smooth surfaces.
b. A man-made version of this “glue” could be used underwater or in space.
c. A gecko can peel its toes off the wall like tape.
d. They want to know what makes geckos different from other animals. / a. Question and answer
b. Compare and contrast
c. Chronological order
d. Listing
Reading Passage 2 – Genre, Supporting Details, Inference