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Standardized GRADE 3

Test Tutor
Practic READING elp
e Tests Wi hat H
th Question-by-Question Strategies and Tips T
Students B
uild Test-Taking Skills and Boost Their Scores

Michael Priestley
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this mini-book
for classroom use. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission,
write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

Editor: Maria L. Chang


Cover design: Brian LaRossa
Interior design: Creative Pages, Inc.
Interior illustrations: Wilkinson Studios, Inc.

ISBN-13: 978-0-545-09601-0
ISBN-10: 0-545-09601-4
Copyright © 2009 by Michael Priestley
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 40 15 14 13 12 11 10 09

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Contents
Welcome to Test Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Test 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Test 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Test 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Answer Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Answer Keys
Test 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Test 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Test 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Scoring Charts
Student Scoring Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Classroom Scoring Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Welcome to Test Tutor!
Students in schools today take a lot of tests, especially in reading and math. Some
students naturally perform well on tests, and some do not. But just about everyone
can get better at taking tests by learning more about what’s on the test and how to
answer the questions. How many students do you know who could benefit from
working with a tutor? How many would love to have someone sit beside them and
help them work their way through the tests they have to take?

That’s where Test Tutor comes in. The main purpose of Test Tutor is to help students
learn what they need to know in order to do better on tests. Along the way, Test
Tutor will help students feel more confident as they come to understand the content
and learn some of the secrets of success for multiple-choice tests.

The Test Tutor series includes books for reading and books for math in a range of
grades. Each Test Tutor book in reading has three full-length practice tests designed
specifically to resemble the state tests that students take each year. The reading
skills measured on these practice tests have been selected from an analysis of the
skills tested in ten major states, and the questions have been written to match
the multiple-choice format used in most states.

The most important feature of this book is the friendly Test Tutor. He will
help students work through the tests and achieve the kind of success
they are looking for. This program is designed so students may work
through the tests independently by reading the Test Tutor’s helpful hints.
Or you may work with the student as a tutor yourself, helping him or her
understand each question and test-taking strategy along the way. You can
do this most effectively by following the Test Tutor’s guidelines included in
the pages of this book.

Three Different Tests


There are three practice tests in this book: Test 1, Test 2, and Test 3. Each test has
35 multiple-choice items with four answer choices (A, B, C, D). All three tests
measure the same skills, but they provide different levels of tutoring help.

Test 1 provides step-by-step guidance to help students find the answer to each
question, as in the sample on the next page. The tips in Test 1 are detailed and
thorough. Some of the tips are designed to help students read through and under-
stand the passage, and others are written specifically for each reading question
to help students figure out the answers.

4 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Sample 1

Directions: Read this story about a girl and her mother.


Then answer questions 1–5.

The Pot of Milk


Once upon a time in India, a young girl named Gheta
lived in a small house with her mother. The mother worked Take a quick look at the
questions before you
hard to make enough money to support herself and her begin reading so you
daughter. Every day, she milked their one cow. Then she know what to look for.
took the milk to the market and sold it for a few rupees.

One day after the mother milked the cow, the cow fell
ill. The mother could not leave the sick cow alone, for the Think about why Gheta
has to go to the market.
animal was the most valuable thing she owned. So she
handed her daughter a clay pot full of milk and said, “Take
this to the market and sell it.”

2. Why does the mother send Gheta to the market?


Go back to the passage to
  The mother does not feel well. see why Gheta had to go
  The mother has to care for the cow. to the market.
  The mother is angry with Gheta.
  The mother thinks Gheta can get more money.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
5
Test 2 provides a test-taking tip for each item, as in the sample below, but the tips
are less detailed than in Test 1. They help guide the student toward the answers
without giving away too much. Students must take a little more initiative.

Sample 2

Directions: Read this passage about two boys on a vacation.


Then answer questions 1–5.

The Garden
By the second day of spring vacation, Colby and
Logan were at loose ends. Their grandmother was in the
house baking pies for a local store and couldn’t take them Take a quick look at the
anywhere. They had ridden their bikes, played hide-and- questions before reading
seek, and built a fort in the woods. Now they were bored. the passage.
Logan suggested they visit their grandmother’s new
neighbor, Mrs. Wilson, because she had a puppy. Their
grandmother said, “Now don’t bother her. Be respectful
and don’t be pests.” Think about what the
When the boys got to the house, Mrs. Wilson was working characters say and do
outside in the yard. The dog bounded up to them, and the throughout the story.
boys introduced themselves.
“Can we play with your dog?” the boys asked.
“Sure,” said the woman with a smile.
The boys chased the dog around the yard. Then the dog
chased the boys around and around. Finally, the boys were
tired, but the puppy was not!
“Do you boys want some lemonade?” Mrs. Wilson asked.
Logan and Colby nodded. They thought this new neighbor
was really nice.

1. Why did Colby and Logan think Mrs. Wilson was nice?
Read each answer choice
  She let them help her with the compost and the garden. before you pick one.
  She brought them lemonade when they were tired and
thirsty.
  She let them ride their bikes in her driveway.
  She played hide-and-seek and other games with them.

6 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 3 does not provide test-taking tips. It assesses the progress students have made. After
working through Tests 1 and 2 with the help of the Test Tutor, students should be more
than ready to score well on Test 3 without too much assistance. Success on this test will
help students feel confident and prepared for taking real tests.

Other Helpful Features


In addition to the tests, this book provides some other helpful features. First, on page 69,
you will find an answer sheet. When students take the tests, they may mark their answers
by filling in bubbles on the test pages, or they may mark their answers on a copy of the
answer sheet instead, as they will be required to do in most standardized tests.

Second, beginning on page 71, you will find a detailed answer key for each test. The answer
key lists the correct response and explains the answer for each question. It also identifies the
skill tested by each question, as in the sample below.

Answer Key for Sample 1


Correct response: B
(Analyze characters)
The mother sends Gheta to the market because the cow is sick and she has to stay
home to care for the cow.

Incorrect choices:
A The cow is sick, not the mother.
C The mother becomes angry with Gheta after she goes to the market.
D The mother just tells Gheta to sell the milk. The story does not suggest that Gheta
will get more money for the milk than the mother would.

As the sample indicates, this question measures the student’s ability to analyze characters.
This information can help you determine which skills the student has mastered and which
ones still cause difficulty.

Finally, the answer key explains why each incorrect answer choice, or “distractor,” is incorrect.
This explanation can help reveal what error the student might have made. For example, a ques-
tion about an effect might have a distractor that describes a cause instead. Knowing this could
help the student improve his or her understanding of the text.

At the back of this book, you will find two scoring charts. The Student Scoring Chart
can help you keep track of each student’s scores on all three tests and on each passage
(literary or informational). The Classroom Scoring Chart can be used to record the scores
for all students on all three tests, illustrating the progress they have made from Test 1 to Test 3.
Keep in mind that students get a lot of tutoring help on Test 1, some help on Test 2, and no
help on Test 3. So if a student’s scores on all three tests are fairly similar, that could still be a
very positive sign that the student is better able to read passages and answer comprehension
questions independently and will achieve even greater success on future tests.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
7
Test 1 Name Date

Read each passage and the questions that follow. Look at the
Test Tutor’s tips for understanding the passages and answering Test
the questions. Then choose the best answer to each question.
Tutor
says:

Directions: Read this story about a girl and her mother.


Then answer questions 1–5.

The Pot of Milk


Once upon a time in India, a young girl named Gheta
lived in a small house with her mother. The mother worked Take a quick look at the
questions before you
hard to make enough money to support herself and her
begin reading so you
daughter. Every day, she milked their one cow. Then she know what to look for.
took the milk to the market and sold it for a few rupees.

One day after the mother milked the cow, the cow fell
ill. The mother could not leave the sick cow alone, for the Think about why Gheta
has to go to the market.
animal was the most valuable thing she owned. So she
handed her daughter a clay pot full of milk and said, “Take
this to the market and sell it.”
Gheta grumbled, for she was used to lying in the shade
and dreaming while her mother worked. But she understood
that if she did not sell the milk, there would be no food for
dinner.
On the way to the market, Gheta got hot. She sat down
to rest in the shade of a big banyan tree. As she rested, she Where is Gheta while she
is dreaming?
dreamed about her future.

8 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 1 Name Test
Tutor
says:

“When I sell the milk,” she said to herself, “I will use the
money to buy some eggs.
“When the eggs hatch, I will have chickens.
“I will sell the chickens and buy a young goat.
“When the goat is fully grown, I will sell it for some fruit trees.
“I will plant the trees, and then I will gather the fruit to sell.
“With the money from the fruit, I will buy lots of land. I
will plant rice in the fields. When I harvest the rice, I will sell
it and use the money to build a fine house!
“One day I will be cooking a big meal in my new kitchen.
The food will smell so good that flies will come in the
window. I will be angry, and I will kick the flies—just
like this!”
Gheta gave a big kick and knocked over the pot of milk! The
clay pot did not break, but all the milk spilled out. There was
nothing she could do except turn around and go home.
When Gheta walked into the house, her mother told her
that the cow was fine. Then she asked, “Where are the rupees?”
Gheta told her what had happened, and her mother got
very upset. But Gheta said, “It was a good thing I did not take
our cow to the market. If I had kicked her instead of the pot
of milk, she would have run away! We lost a little milk, but
we still have the cow, so we can get more.”
The mother said that was so, and her anger slowly faded.
After that, Gheta stopped dreaming and started working. Think about the lesson
Gheta learns.
She often took milk to the market, but she never again
stopped to rest.

Questions 1–5: Choose the best answer to each question.

1. Which words from the story have almost the same meaning?
Read every answer choice
  angry and alone before you pick one. Think
  walked and kicked about the meaning of
both words.
  ill and sick
  fine and valuable

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
9
Test 1 Name Test
Tutor
says:

2. Why does the mother send Gheta to the market?


Go back to the passage to
  The mother does not feel well. see why Gheta had to go
  The mother has to care for the cow. to the market.
  The mother is angry with Gheta.
  The mother thinks Gheta can get more money.

3. Where is Gheta when she kicks over the pot of milk?


Go back to the passage
  at home to see where Gheta stops
  under a tree to rest.
  at the market
  in a field of rice

4. How does Gheta keep her mother from being too angry?
Look at the ending
  She explains that things could be worse. to see what Gheta said
  She helps the cow get better. or did.
  She tells her she will have a fine house someday.
  She says someone took the milk from her.

5. The lesson in this story would be most helpful to a


person who— Think about the lesson in
the story and why Gheta
  plans to travel to India. had to learn it.
  does chores at home.
  doesn’t like milk.
  often daydreams.

10 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 1 Name Test
Tutor
says:

Directions: Read this passage about how the body heals cuts.
Then answer questions 6–10.

Cuts and How They Heal


Your skin is a covering that protects your body. When
you get a cut, it makes a hole in that covering. Have you ever What is this passage
mainly about?
wondered how your body repairs cuts? A team of workers
does the job. You can’t see the workers because they are
microscopic, but this is what they do.
As soon as you get a cut, an alarm goes out and special
cells rush to the scene. The first step is to stop the bleeding.
This job is done by cells called platelets. When platelets
touch the rough edges of a cut, they get sticky, like glue. In a
minute or two, they close the cut. The bleeding stops. Notice the sequence of
steps: first . . . next . . .
Next, little threads begin to form in the blood just below
the platelet plug. The threads form a kind of net and harden.
This is a scab. Scabs may not be pretty, but they are very
useful! They protect your skin while it heals.
Your body’s next task is to kill any germs that have
entered through the hole in your skin. This is a task for white
blood cells. They swim to the cut and eat up the germs! The
white blood cells keep the cut from getting infected.
Once the bleeding has stopped, the scab has formed, and
the white blood cells have killed any germs, your body has
one last important job to do. It must replace the skin cells
that were damaged.
Have you ever seen a big hole in a wall? Have you
watched someone repair the wall? First, they fill the hole
with plaster or joint compound. Then, they use a special tool
to smooth out the filling. Last, they paint over the repair so
you can’t tell where the hole was.
Your body does something similar with the hole from
a cut. Cells called fibroblasts make a tough substance
called collagen to fill the hole. Then, skin cells grow over
the collagen and cover it up. In most cases, after a week or
two, the surface of the skin will look just as it did before the
accident. However, if the cut was deep or ragged, sometimes
a scar will remain. The scar is the collagen.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources 11
Test 1 Name Test
Tutor
says:

Steps in Healing

Platelets stop the


bleeding.
How can this diagram
help you?
A scab forms.

White blood cells


prevent infection.

Skin cells are


replaced.

Questions 6–10: Choose the best answer to each question.

6. Read the dictionary entry below.


Go back to the second
cell (sel) noun 1. a small room in a jail. 2. the smallest part of paragraph to see how the
a living being. 3. an object that produces electric energy. 4. a word cell is used.
small group of people who work together for a secret cause.

Which meaning of cell is used in this passage?


  definition 1
  definition 2
  definition 3
  definition 4

7. In this passage, the author compares the platelets, white blood


cells, and fibroblasts to— Read the first paragraph
again to find the answer.
  threads.
  workers.
  tools.
  animals.

12 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 1 Name Test
Tutor
says:

8. This chart shows some of the steps in healing a cut.

A cut opens in your skin.


Platelets rush to the cut.
A scab forms.

Collagen fills the cut.

Which sentence goes in the blank?


Use the diagram to help
  White blood cells kill germs.
identify the steps.
  Threads form in the blood.
  Platelets form a plug.
  A scar appears.

9. Read this sentence from the passage.


Look for clues in the
You can’t see the workers because they are microscopic, but sentence to help you
this is what they do. find the meaning.
In the word microscopic, the prefix micro- means—
  “special.”
  “close.”
  “small.”
  “shy.”

10. Which of these fight germs?


Check each answer by
  platelets looking for the words in
  scabs the passage.
  fibroblasts
  white blood cells

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources 13
Test 1 Name Test
Tutor
says:

Directions: Read this story about a boy named Justin. Then


answer questions 11–16. Before you read the
passage, take a quick look
at the questions so you
Shelter know what to look for.
Justin was a city kid. He didn’t know much about nature.
When he was little, his mom read him a book about a
boy who went camping with his dad. The woods were dark.
There were no people or streetlights or buildings. It sounded
How does Justin feel
scary. about camping?
One day when Justin was 8, he came home from school.
He let himself into the apartment and almost tripped over
a muddy backpack.
Then Justin heard a familiar laugh from the kitchen.
Justin ran in to say hi to his Uncle Moses.
“Justin!” said Uncle Moses, “I was just telling your mother
about my latest hike in the mountains. You should come
camping with me.”
“No, thanks,” said Justin.
“Hey, man, don’t be lazy!” said Uncle Moses. “If you sit
around the apartment playing video games all day, you’ll
turn into a mushball.”
“He’s not lazy,” said Justin’s mother. “He swims and plays
soccer. He could keep up with you just fine!”
“Great,” said Uncle Moses. “I’ll take him camping this
weekend.”
Justin sat there with his mouth open.
His mother smiled. “What do you think, Justin?”
“Okay,” Justin croaked.
The next day at school, Justin asked his friend Manny if
he had ever gone camping. Compare Justin’s ideas
about camping with Uncle
“Sure,” said Manny. “It was great! We rented a camper.
Moses’s ideas.
It had beds and a little kitchen and a TV. We went to a big
campground where there was a lake and millions of kids.
It had bathrooms and hot showers and everything.”
But when Uncle Moses picked up Justin on Saturday, he
was not in a camper and they did not drive to a campground
with showers and electricity. They parked at the edge of a
forest and started hiking. Uncle Moses knew a lot about the

14 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 1 Name Test
Tutor
says:

woods. He told Justin the names of trees, and he showed


him animal tracks. It was kind of fun.
After a while he said, “Well, I think this looks like a good
place to spend the night.”
To Justin, it looked like every other place they had been—
trees, rocks, dead leaves.
“We’re nice and high up,” explained Uncle Moses. “That
means if it starts to rain tonight, the water will drain past us.
Also, that cliff will shelter us from the north wind.”
“Okay,” said Justin, “where’s the tent?”
“Oh, there’s no tent,” smiled Uncle Moses. “I’m going to
show you how to build a shelter. Once you know how to do
this, you never have to be afraid in the woods. You’ll know
how to make yourself a safe, warm spot to spend the night,
no matter what!”
Justin almost told his uncle he would never be going into
the woods again, but he decided against it.
“First, we find a nice, healthy tree,” said Uncle Moses.
“What, some trees will give us diseases?” asked Justin. Look for signal words
to identify the steps in
“No, but trees get old and sick, and then their branches
making a shelter.
can fall off. We don’t want a big branch to fall on our heads
in the middle of the night. We also want to make sure we
don’t build our shelter on top of poisonous plants or an
insect nest, right?”
“Right!”
After they found a strong tree, they looked on the ground
for a big, fallen branch. They stuck one end of the branch in
a fork of the tree. The other end rested on the ground.
“This is our ridgepole,” said Uncle Moses. “Now we need
some big ribs.”
“Animal bones?” asked Justin.
“No, more branches. We’ll rest them against the
ridgepole to make the sides of our shelter. We need long
ones for the high end, and short ones for the low end.”
As Justin looked for branches, the air got colder. After
he and his uncle had placed all of the ribs, they covered the
frame with dead leaves, ferns, and grass. Then they balanced
some more branches against the debris to keep the wind
from blowing it off.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources 15
Test 1 Name Test
Tutor
says:

“Try it out while I make our campfire,” Uncle Moses said


to Justin. So Justin crawled into the shelter. Inside, it was Notice how Justin’s
warm and cozy. The dead leaves smelled good. feelings about the shelter
change.
A while later, Uncle Moses said, “Time for dinner, Justin.”
But he got no answer. Justin was already sound asleep.

Questions 11–16: Choose the best answer to each question.

11. Which is the best summary of this story?


Think about what happens
  A boy’s uncle comes to the city for a visit.
in the whole story.
  A boy from the city gets lost in the woods.
  An uncle takes his nephew camping and shows him how to
build a shelter.
  An uncle takes his nephew hiking in the forest and teaches
him all about trees.

12. What is the most important lesson Justin learns in this story?
Think of what Justin
  It is important to stay warm at night.
himself might say about
  Kids need to get exercise. the trip.
  You can learn a lot from books.
  New experiences can be fun.

13. Uncle Moses says, “Now we need some big ribs.” What does the
word rib mean in this sentence? In the passage, look for
clues in the sentences
  a curved bone in a person’s chest before and after this
  a cut of meat sentence.
  a raised line in a piece of cloth
  a supporting part of a wall or building

16 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 1 Name Test
Tutor
says:

14. What is the first thing Uncle Moses and Justin have to find to
make their shelter? Go back to the passage to
see what they do first.
  a ridgepole
  lots of debris
  a healthy tree
  lots of small branches

15. When Uncle Moses first asks Justin to go camping, why does
Justin say, “No, thanks”? Read the second
paragraph again to
  He does not know what camping is.
find the answer.
  He does not like Uncle Moses.
  He likes to sit quietly at home.
  He thinks the woods will be scary.

16. How does Justin probably feel when he crawls inside the
shelter at the end of the story? Look at the last paragraph
to see what Justin does.
  lonely
  safe
  hungry
  bored

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources 17
Test 1 Name Test
Tutor
says:

Directions: Read this passage about a few women who


changed many lives. Then answer questions 17–22.

Bloomers
In the 1850s, American
women did not wear pants. Take a quick look at the
They did not wear short skirts, questions before reading
either. They wore dresses that the passage.
touched the ground. In those
days, women’s dresses were
very full as well as long. They
had to be full because women
wore many layers underneath
them. Look at the pictures to
To get dressed, a woman help you understand
the text.
first put on a corset. A corset
was a kind of underwear that
was very stiff and tight, and it
had laces. Women pulled the
laces tight to make their waists look small. Wearing a tight
corset made breathing a little difficult for women, and they
could not move easily either.
Over the corset, a woman wore at least four petticoats.
Over the petticoats, she wore a dress. The petticoats made
her skirt stick out.
Women’s clothes were heavy. They made climbing and
running difficult. Even walking through a narrow doorway
was hard to do. These heavy clothes were hot in the What was wrong with the
women’s clothes?
summer, too.
One young woman hated long dresses. Her name
was Libby Miller. When she got married, she and her
husband took a trip to Switzerland. Libby wanted to
hike in the mountains. She found a special hiking outfit
for sale. It was a short dress over long, loose pants.
Libby loved her new outfit. She wore it back home in
America. People could not believe their eyes! Many people
looked down on her for wearing such a strange outfit.

18 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 1 Name Test
Tutor
says:

In 1851, Libby visited her cousin Elizabeth Stanton.


Like Libby, Elizabeth was a strong woman. She was also
independent. She worked for women’s rights. When she saw
Libby’s outfit, Elizabeth made one for herself. She loved the
way she felt when she wore it. She told her friend Amelia
Bloomer about it.
Amelia Bloomer made the outfit famous. Bloomer owned
a newspaper called The Lily. It was a newspaper for women. Where did this new outfit
come from?
Bloomer wrote that all women should get a good education.
They should have the right to work. They should have the
right to vote. Bloomer also thought women should be able to
dress sensibly. She put a picture of the pants for women in
her newspaper. Women wrote in to learn how to make them.
People across the country started calling them “bloomers.”

Many women agreed that bloomers were comfortable.


Bloomers made walking, running, climbing stairs, and even Think about how people
reacted to bloomers.
breathing easier. However, there was a problem. When a
woman wore bloomers in public, some people pointed at
her. Others laughed. Reporters made fun of bloomers. Sadly,
bloomers became a joke. By 1859, the fad was over. Even
Amelia Bloomer stopped wearing them.
Still, bloomers were important. They showed women a
new way to dress. They also helped some women become
more independent. Today, women in America have the right
to dress the way they want.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources 19
Test 1 Name Test
Tutor
says:

Questions 17–22: Choose the best answer to each question.

17. What is the main idea of this passage?


  Amelia Bloomer made bloomers famous.
  Bloomers were invented in Switzerland. The main idea can
  Bloomers made it easier for women to walk and run. appear in the first or last
paragraph of an article.
  Bloomers were an important fashion for women.

18. Why did women stop wearing bloomers?


  They were hot.
Look for the reason
  Bloomers were difficult to make. toward the end of the
  They were tight. passage.
  People laughed at them.

19. What can you tell about women’s clothes in the 1850s?
Look for details that
  They cost a lot. describe women’s clothes.
  They were beautiful.
  They were uncomfortable.
  They were well-made.

20. Which detail shows that Libby Miller and Elizabeth Stanton
were strong and independent? Find something that both
of these women did.
  They both enjoyed hiking.
  They both wore unusual clothes.
  They both owned newspapers.
  They both traveled to other countries.

20 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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21. The author of this passage probably does NOT agree with—
  the reporters who made fun of bloomers. Think about how the
author describes different
  the people who made bloomers for women to wear when people in this passage.
hiking.
  the women who wrote in to The Lily to copy bloomers for
themselves.
  women today who think they can dress the way they want.

22. Read the sentence from the article.


Many people looked down on her for wearing such a
strange outfit.

What does this sentence mean?


How did people feel
  Many people could not see her outfit clearly. about women who wore
  Many people looked at her outfit again and again. bloomers?
  Many people closed their eyes when she walked past in
her outfit.
  Many people had a bad opinion of her because of
her outfit.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources 21
Test 1 Name Test
Tutor
says:

Directions: Read this passage about a family that starts a day-


care center. Then answer questions 23–28.

A New Day-Care Center


The year Dinah turned 8, her mother opened a day-care
Think about what has
center in their house. She said she was tired of driving an
changed in Dinah’s life.
hour to and from work each day and getting home so late.
So she would start her own business at home.
She explained to Dinah that they would have to keep
the house very neat. They couldn’t leave small objects lying
around. They would have to close cupboard doors tight and
put special covers on the electrical outlets. Dinah didn’t
mind. She liked the new arrangement.
Every morning before Dinah got on the school bus,
parents dropped off their kids.
Mrs. Rashid always arrived first. She would carry in
her baby, Rose, and Rose’s huge bag of stuff. Then she and How are these parents
alike, and how are they
Dinah’s mom would have a cup of coffee together. They
different?
talked about how Rose had slept the night before and what
she had eaten for breakfast and what her mood was like that
morning.
Dinah couldn’t understand. Rose always looked and
acted exactly the same! She was a baby! She couldn’t talk,
she couldn’t walk, and she wasn’t very interesting.
Mr. McKenna usually arrived next. He jogged to their
house, pushing his son, Ethan, in a special stroller. Mr.
McKenna wore sweatpants and sneakers. So did Ethan.
Dinah thought this was silly. Ethan wasn’t jogging; he
was sitting!
“Bye, Sport,” Mr. McKenna said to Ethan every day, giving
him a high five.
“Bye, Dad,” said Ethan, who was 3.
Mrs. Kim usually arrived last. It took her a long time to get
from her car to Dinah’s house. She had twins. She had to get
both of them out of their car seats, get both of their bags, and
walk them to the house by holding tight to their hands.
Mrs. Kim always looked very tired, but the twins were
never tired! They were 2 years old and never stopped

22 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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running, yelling, and getting into things. Dinah felt sorry for
Mrs. Kim. She did not stay and have coffee with her mom
like Mrs. Rashid did. She did not tell what the twins had for
breakfast or how they had slept. She just said, “Good luck!”
to Dinah’s mom and hurried out the door. Dinah was glad
her mom didn’t have twins.
Today was the first day of February vacation. Last year,
Dinah and her mom went to Florida to visit her grandma.
This year they would have to stay home. Dinah was very
unhappy. She wanted to see her grandmother and go to the
beach. Instead, she had to stay home with a bunch of babies.
On the first day of vacation, Dinah stayed up in her room
Why did Dinah stay in
all morning. She kept the door closed so the twins would not
her room?
get in and break her stuff.
She came out of her room for lunch.
Rose was eating applesauce in her high chair. Ethan was
wearing a baseball cap and eating a hot dog.
“This is just like the hot dogs you get at baseball,” he said
proudly.
“Not really,” said Dinah. “At a baseball game, they don’t
cut up your hot dog.”
Ethan looked sad, and Dinah’s mom made a face at her.
“Actually, I forgot,” Dinah said. “If you’re lucky, they will cut
it up!”
Dinah’s mom smiled at her effort.
Philip and Douglas Kim were eating macaroni and
cheese so fast that Dinah got dizzy watching them. As soon
as they finished, they asked, “Now can we run some more?”
They went into the family room and ran around in a
circle. They laughed and laughed. They thought it was
hilarious! Dinah was amazed. When she was 2, had she
thought it was funny just to run in a circle? She tried to
remember. Had she been proud to eat a cut-up hot dog and
wear a baseball cap? She couldn’t remember that either. She
felt so old!
Just then Philip tripped over Douglas’s foot, and they
both began to cry.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources 23
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“Nap time!” called Mom. “Dinah, can you keep an eye on


Rose while I put the boys in the guest room for their naps?
Don’t let her out of her chair. I’ll be right back.”
Rose got very excited when Dinah sat down beside her.
She gave a big smile. Then she waved her spoon, and a glob
of applesauce hit Dinah’s shirt.
“That’s okay,” Dinah told her, even though it really wasn’t.
“Di-Di!” she cried.
Dinah’s jaw dropped as she looked at Rose. Then she
What happened to make
laughed and yelled, “Mom!” Her mother came running into
Dinah feel better?
the kitchen with a terrible look on her face.
“Rose just said my name!” Dinah exclaimed.
“That’s impossible,” said her mother, collapsing into a
chair. “She probably said ‘Dada.’ Her mother just told me
that she said ‘Dada’ for the first time last night.”
“Nope,” said Dinah. “She definitely said Di-Di—for
Dinah.” She and Rose smiled at each other.
Dinah couldn’t remember what it had felt like to learn how
to talk, but she bet it felt good. Maybe this week wouldn’t be so
boring after all.

Questions 23–28: Choose the best answer to each question.

23. Read these sentences from the story.


Read the second
Dinah didn’t mind. She liked the new arrangement. paragraph again to
find the answer.
This means that Dinah liked the new—
  house.
  job.
  plan.
  day.

24. Why does Dinah’s mother decide to open a day-care center?


Go back to the first
  She wants to work at home. paragraph.
  She wants to take more vacations.
  She wants Dinah to help her.
  She wants to meet other mothers.

24 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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says:

25. How is Mrs. Kim different from Mrs. Rashid?


Compare the way these
  Mrs. Kim likes to talk more. parents act.
  Mrs. Kim is more tired all the time.
  Mrs. Kim is in less of a hurry.
  Mrs. Kim has a harder time saying good-bye.

26. What is Dinah’s biggest problem in this story?


Read all the choices
  She has to keep the house very neat.
carefully. Consider each
  Parents drop off their children before she goes to school. one before picking an
  She does not understand why some parents act the way answer.
they do.
  She has to stay home with the babies instead of going
to Florida.

27. Which event changes Dinah’s mood and solves her problem?
Look at the ending of
  Ethan talks to her about his lunch. the story.
  The twins start running in circles and laughing.
  Mom asks Dinah to keep an eye on Rose for a minute.
  Rose says Dinah’s name.

28. What will most likely happen next?


Read the last paragraph
  Dinah will have fun helping with the kids for the rest of to make a prediction.
her vacation.
  Dinah will remember what it felt like to be a baby.
  Dinah will ask her mother if she can visit her grandmother
by herself.
  Dinah will spend most of her time reading and watching
TV in her room.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources 25
Test 1 Name Test
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says:

Directions: Read this passage about jellyfish. Then answer


questions 29–35.

Meet the Jelly


Question: When is a fish not really a fish?
Answer: When it’s a jellyfish. Think about why the
author begins the passage
A jellyfish, or jelly, is a soft blob that floats in the ocean. with this question.
True fish have vertebrae. Jellyfish do not have these backbones.
In fact, they don’t have any bones at all.
True fish also have brains, eyes, ears, and hearts. Jellyfish
do not.
However, jellyfish do well without these body parts.
Jellyfish live in every ocean in the world. There are hundreds
of kinds of jellies. The number of jellyfish keeps increasing.
bell
The Parts of a Jellyfish
A jellyfish has two main parts, stomach Use the headings in
bold type to help you
a bell and tentacles. The bell is pouch understand the text.
a round, soft sack of jelly. The
tentacles are streamers that come
down from the bell. lappet
The bell contains a stomach
tentacles
pouch, a mouth, and a lappet. The
lappet provides a sense of touch. It
also has spots that can sense light.
The tentacles often contain poison.
Some jellies are only 1 inch
How does this diagram
long. Others can be 200 feet long—
help you?
yuck!

The Life of a Jellyfish


Jellyfish drift slowly through water. Unlike fish, they do
not have fins or tails to help them swim. Instead, they open
and close their bodies, squeezing water in and out. When
they push water out, they move upward.

26 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Jellyfish can sense light and smell. They can find small
fish and tiny plants to eat. They catch food with their
tentacles.
Jellyfish do not have lungs or gills. But they still need
oxygen to live. Their skin is so thin that oxygen can pass
through it and enter their bodies. If you ever see a jellyfish,
look at it carefully. Its skin is transparent. You can see its
stomach and other organs through the skin.
A jellyfish can live from 2 months to 30 years.

Watch Out for That Jelly!


All animals must defend themselves against danger.
Some creatures defend themselves by running, flying, or
swimming fast. Jellyfish move slowly. Other animals defend
themselves with teeth and claws. Jellies don’t have either
of these.
Still, jellyfish have a powerful weapon. Their tentacles
are covered with stingers. The stingers hold poison. When
a jellyfish touches an animal or person, it releases the
poison. Some jellyfish stings hurt a little. Some hurt a lot.
Some can kill.
If you go swimming in the ocean, watch out for jellyfish.
Get out of the water if you see them. If you see a jelly on the
sand, don’t pick it up. If you get stung, pour vinegar on the
sting. If you feel sick, call a lifeguard or a doctor.

More Jellies Than Ever


Sometimes, hundreds of jellies appear at once. These Look for reasons to
explain the growing
large groups are called “swarms” or “blooms.” Sometimes
numbers of jellyfish.
they are called “outbreaks.” Recently, a “blanket” of jellyfish
covered one end of the Gulf of Mexico.
Why are there more jellyfish now than in the past? There
are two possible reasons.
First, adult fish and jellyfish eat much of the same food.
In some places, too many adult fish have been caught by
humans. This leaves more food for the jellyfish.
Second, farmers use fertilizer on their fields. When it
rains, some fertilizer gets washed into rivers. It flows into the
oceans. There, it grows more plants and lowers the oxygen
in the water. Jellyfish can live on less oxygen than fish.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources 27
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A Tasty Snack?
In some countries, such as China and Japan, people eat
jellyfish. First, the jellyfish are salted and squeezed. The dry,
salted jellies can be stored. When it is time to eat them, the
jellyfish are soaked in water overnight. This gets rid of the
salt. Then the jellyfish are cooked or eaten raw. They are
often served with oil and vinegar or soy sauce.
Maybe you will snack on jellyfish someday!

Questions 29–35: Choose the best answer to each question.

29. The passage says, “True fish have vertebrae.” What does the
word vertebrae mean? Look for clues in the
  scales sentences before and after
the word to see what
  stomachs
it means.
  hearts
  backbones

30. Which question is answered in the first part of the passage?


Go back to this part of
  What do jellyfish eat? the passage.
  How big is a jellyfish?
  What should you do if you are stung by a jellyfish?
  How are jellyfish different from fish?

31. The passage says that the skin of the jellyfish is transparent.
What does this mean? Look for clues in the
sentences before and after
  You can see through the skin. this word.
  The skin is colorful.
  You can get stung by the skin.
  The jellyfish has two kinds of skin.

28 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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32. What is the best summary of the ideas in the part called Watch
Out for That Jelly!? Skim this part of the
  All animals must defend themselves against danger, passage again to decide
including jellyfish. what it’s mostly about.
  If you go swimming in the sea, you should watch out for
dangerous animals.
  Jellyfish defend themselves with poison, so stay away from
them and get help if you are stung.
  Jellyfish do not have a way to defend themselves because
they do not have teeth or claws.

33. How are jellyfish different from fish?


  Jellyfish need less food to live. Reread the two sections in
the passage that compare
  Jellyfish do not have mouths.
fish and jellyfish.
  Jellyfish need less oxygen to live.
  Jellyfish and fish eat very different food.

34. Which sentence best shows how the author feels about
jellyfish? Look for a word or phrase
that expresses a feeling.
  A jellyfish, or jelly, is a soft blob that floats in the ocean.
  Others can be 200 feet long—yuck!
  Their tentacles are covered with stingers.
  They are often served with oil and vinegar or soy sauce.

35. Which detail supports the idea that the number of jellyfish
is increasing? Find the part of the
passage that tells about
  There are hundreds of kinds of jellies. “more jellies.”
  A jellyfish can live from 2 months to 30 years.
  Recently, a “ blanket” of jellyfish covered one end of the
Gulf of Mexico.
  In some countries, such as China and Japan, people eat
jellyfish.

End of Test 1 STOP

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources 29
Test 2 Name Date

Directions: Read this passage about two boys on a vacation.


Then answer questions 1–5. Test
Tutor
The Garden says:
By the second day of spring vacation, Colby and
Logan were at loose ends. Their grandmother was in the
house baking pies for a local store and couldn’t take them Take a quick look at the
anywhere. They had ridden their bikes, played hide-and- questions before reading
seek, and built a fort in the woods. Now they were bored. the passage.
Logan suggested they visit their grandmother’s new
neighbor, Mrs. Wilson, because she had a puppy. Their
grandmother said, “Now don’t bother her. Be respectful
and don’t be pests.” Think about what the
When the boys got to the house, Mrs. Wilson was working characters say and do
outside in the yard. The dog bounded up to them, and the throughout the story.
boys introduced themselves.
“Can we play with your dog?” the boys asked.
“Sure,” said the woman with a smile.
The boys chased the dog around the yard. Then the dog
chased the boys around and around. Finally, the boys were
tired, but the puppy was not!
“Do you boys want some lemonade?” Mrs. Wilson asked.
Logan and Colby nodded. They thought this new neighbor
was really nice.
Mrs. Wilson brought out two frosty glasses of pink
lemonade. Then she began digging up something black that
was in a large bin surrounded by wire. She piled up the dark
soil and put it in a wheelbarrow.
“What are you doing?” Logan asked.
“I’m adding compost to the garden,” she said. “Compost
makes the soil rich. It helps the soil hold water and helps the
plants grow.”
“What is compost?” Colby asked.
“Compost is made from things like straw, leaves, eggshells,
grass clippings, and kitchen scraps, like peels from fruits and
vegetables. I mix it with some soil. After everything rots, it
turns into this nice, rich compost.”
“Can we help you with the compost?” Logan asked.

30 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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The woman smiled broadly and said, “I’d love that.”


So the two boys and the woman spread compost over the
garden and flower beds.
Over the next two days, the two boys visited Mrs. Wilson
two more times. They helped her plant seeds. They planted Look for signal words that
peas, spinach, carrots, and radishes. She had grown some tell when events happen.
tiny plants inside. They planted the seedlings in the warm
soil so they could grow larger.
When spring vacation ended, the boys went home to
their parents. They also went back to school. Then, when
summer returned, they went back to their grandmother’s
house for a week. The first thing they did was visit Mrs.
Wilson.
What a pleasant surprise! The garden was full of green
plants. Squash was spreading all over the garden beds, and
carrots were growing under the soil. Still, there was more
work to do. Weeds had to be pulled, and vegetables had to
be picked. Logan and Colby went back to work.
One day Colby said, “I think I want to be a gardener
when I grow up.”
“Me too,” Logan said. “Gardening is fun.”
Mrs. Wilson handed Logan a bag of peas and squash to
take home. She said, “You don’t have to wait that long. You
are already gardeners!”

Questions 1–5: Choose the best answer to each question.

1. Why did Colby and Logan think Mrs. Wilson was nice?
Think about what Mrs.
  She let them help her with the compost and the garden. Wilson did.
  She brought them lemonade when they were tired and
thirsty.
  She let them ride their bikes in her driveway.
  She played hide-and-seek and other games with them.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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2. What happened on the second and third days the boys visited
Mrs. Wilson? Go back to the passage
to find the answer.
  They helped her spread the compost.
  Mrs. Wilson gave them vegetables to take home.
  The boys played with the dog until they got tired.
  They helped her plant things in the garden.

3. Mrs. Wilson added compost to the garden. What is compost?


  things that have rotted Look for clues in the
sentences before and
  small plants after this word.
  weeds that grow in gardens
  a mix of water and seeds

4. Which sentence best describes this kind of passage?


Think about the story as
  It has animal characters that talk. a whole.
  It gives facts about gardening.
  It takes place in a different kind of world.
  It tells a story about people who could be real.

5. Which words best describe Colby and Logan?


Imagine these boys as
  loud and annoying real people. What are
  bothersome and busy they like?
  helpful and polite
  grumpy and bored

32 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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says:

Directions: Read this passage about bones. Then answer


questions 6–10.

What’s the Most Important Bone?


Human Skeleton The human body needs its bones.
We need them to play soccer, to Use the bold headings
skull to help you understand
sternum chew an apple, and to grab a the text.
coccyx pencil. An adult human body has
quite a few bones—206 to be exact! Notice that the names of
ribs bones are in italic type.
Which bone do you think is the
spine most important?

The Spine
Your spine is made up of 26
smaller bones. These bones help
you twist and bend. They hold your
body up so you can stand, sit, and
patella femur
walk. At the bottom of your spine is
the coccyx. This is a very important
bone. It gives you power to pick
tibia up something heavy. It helps you
fibula balance so you can run, dance,
skip, and walk. Surely the bones in
the spine are the most important!

The Ribs
Life without ribs would be difficult. The ribs surround the
heart and lungs and other important parts of your insides.
Most people have 12 pairs of ribs. The sternum holds the ribs
in place. That’s an important bone!

The Skull
Everyone needs a brain, right? Without a brain, it would
be impossible to think or speak. Your brain also controls
your breathing and how your body breaks down food you
eat. The skull protects the brain to keep it healthy. The skull
also contains your jawbone. You need a jawbone to chew
your food and open your mouth to drink.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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The Hand Bones


The bones in your hand help you pick up objects, write
your name, throw a ball, and hold a cell phone. If you
play sports, you need your hands. If you want to type on a
computer, hands are very important, too. Your hands have 54
bones, and all of them work together. How are these bones
alike, and how are they
The Leg and Foot Bones different?
Your leg bones hold up your body. These bones make it
possible for you to run, stand, kick, and bend. The longest
bone in your body is the femur. It is the leg bone above your
knee. There are 52 bones in your ankles and feet. These
bones are very important for standing and walking. Feet and
toes make it possible for you to balance and stand upright.
That’s important!
You might argue that one bone or another is the most
important. But all of the bones have their purposes, and
they’re all important. We need all of them to enjoy a healthy,
happy life.

Questions 6–10: Choose the best answer to each question.

6. What is the main idea of this passage?


In most passages, the first
  The spine is the most important bone in the human body. and last paragraphs tell
  In the human body, the ribs protect the heart and lungs. the main idea.
  All of the bones in the human body serve important
purposes.
  An adult human has 206 bones in his or her body.

7. Look at the diagram. What two bones make up the leg below
the knee? Use the diagram to
answer this question.
  spine and sternum
  ribs and skull
  femur and coccyx
  fibula and tibia

34 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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8. Read this sentence.


Without a brain, it would be impossible to think or speak.

The word impossible means—


Look at the parts of the
  “not possible.” word to figure out what
  “possible again.” it means.
  “very possible.”
  “possible before.”

9. How are the skull and rib bones alike?


Look back at these parts
  They make it possible for the body to stand. of the passage to find the
  They are both part of the spine. answers you need.
  They both protect important parts of the body.
  They are both above the shoulders.

10. Which paragraph tells about bones in your head?


  The Spine
  The Skull
  The Ribs
  The Hand Bones

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Test 2 Name Test
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says:

Directions: Read the passage about a fox and a hen. Then


answer questions 11–16.

Fox and Big Red Hen

Who are the characters


in this story?

Every day, Fox promised his mother that he would catch


Big Red Hen for dinner that night. However, Big Red Hen was Every story has a problem
clever, and every day she found a way to avoid being caught. or conflict that must be
Big Red Hen was also very careful. When she left to go to solved. What happens in
this story?
market, she locked her front door. When she came home, she
locked herself inside. She put her key in her apron pocket
where she kept her scissors and thread.
One day, Fox had a plan. It was cold that day, so Fox knew
Hen would have to gather firewood from the woodpile. Sure
enough, before breakfast Big Red Hen ran to the woodpile
and gathered up some sticks. When she wasn’t looking, Fox
ran inside her house.
When Hen came back inside, she reached inside her
pocket to retrieve the key to lock the door. To her surprise,
Fox stood over her with a huge grin on his face. She dropped
the key, and he grabbed her and put her inside a large burlap
sack.
Hen was very plump and fat. After carrying her for a long
way, Fox had to sit down to rest. Soon he fell asleep and
snored loudly enough to alert Big Red Hen. She pulled her
scissors out of her pocket and cut a hole in the bag while Fox
was sleeping. Then she placed two large rocks inside the bag

36 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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and sewed it back up. When she finished, she ran back
home and locked her door.
When Fox woke up, he felt very happy. He checked the
bag and threw it over his shoulder. The rocks weighed the
same as the hen, so he did not notice the difference. Fifteen
minutes later, he was back home. You can learn about the
characters from what they
Outside the door, he yelled to his mother. “I’m home! I say and how they look.
hope you have the water boiling!”
Fox’s mother threw open the door. She said, “You have
Big Red Hen today?”
Fox proudly held out the bag. He said, “Yes, I do, dear
Mother!”
Fox’s mother took the lid off the large pot of boiling
water, and the steam rose up to the ceiling. Fox opened the
bag and threw the contents inside the pot. The rocks fell into
the pot and splashed water all over the kitchen.
Fox’s mother leaped out of the way. Then she barked,
“What a fine soup we’ll have today, made from nothing but
rocks and water!”
Fox was embarrassed. He said, “I am very sorry, Mother.
I don’t know what happened. Big Red Hen is very clever,
and I was once again outfoxed. Now, it’s back to square one.
Surely, tomorrow we will fill that pot with a big, juicy hen.”

Questions 11–16: Choose the best answer to each question.

11. What is the main problem in this story?


Read the beginning of the
  Hen needs wood from the woodpile.
story again.
  Hen has to lock her door all the time.
  Fox wants to catch Hen so he can eat her.
  The rocks splash water all over the kitchen.

12. Which words best describe Big Red Hen?


Think about how Big Red
  foxy and silly
Hen acts.
  sly and shy
  smart and proud
  clever and careful

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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13. Fox says, “Now, it’s back to square one.” What does Fox mean
by this? Think about what makes
  I’ll try again from the beginning. Fox say this.

  I planned things carefully but they didn’t work.


  Now I must go to a house on the town square.
  Hen lives in a small house that is square.
14. Why does Fox stop to rest?
  Hen is so heavy that he gets tired from carrying her. Go back to the passage
  He did not sleep the night before. to find the answer.

  Hen’s house is very far away.


  Fox hurt his back catching Hen, so he has to rest it.

15. What happens just before Hen cuts her way out of the bag?
Look for signal words that
  She puts rocks in the bag and sews it up.
tell when events happen.
  Fox sits down to take a rest and falls asleep.
  Fox calls out to his mother to boil water.
  Fox sneaks into Hen’s house to catch her.

16. The author wrote this passage mainly to—


Think about how you felt
  persuade people to cook hens.
as you read the story.
  entertain the reader.
  give information about animals.
  teach an important lesson.

38 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 2 Name Test
Tutor
says:

Directions: Read this passage about a very large bug. Then


answer questions 17–22.

Scientists Discover the World’s


Largest Bug
Spiders, insects, and other bugs are usually quite small.
Many are tiny. Some may be an inch or two long. For years, Take a quick look at the
questions before you
scientists have suspected that creatures like these were
begin reading.
once very large. For example, they have found fossils of
huge cockroaches, which are bugs with six legs that are still
around today. They have found remains of large dragonflies
that once flew across the sky. Now they know much more.
They know that one kind of bug was a giant.
A few years ago, scientists found the remains of a claw
in Germany. The scientists took the fossil back to the lab.
The claw was found in a place that was once a swamp. They
figured out that the claw belonged to a sea scorpion. Then
they put it together in the shape of the body. They were
amazed at its size.
How big was it? It was really big. The claw was a foot
and a half long. That would make the bug 8 feet long! That
is the size of a small car. It’s bigger than the tallest of men.
Scientists were very excited. They had found the fossil of the
largest bug ever known.
Imagine a bug that large
walking across your lawn—or
across your kitchen floor! Imagine
watching the bug sip water from a
mud puddle! That would be a
scary sight.
Humans were never in danger
from this bug. The sea scorpion Look for details that tell
when, where, and what.
lived 400 million years ago. Fish
lived on Earth then, but dinosaurs
did not. The sea scorpion lived
about 150 million years before
the dinosaurs.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
39
Test 2 Name Test
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Giant sea scorpions lived for many years. They had no


enemies until the fish began to grow large teeth. Then the fish
began eating them. Eventually, the huge sea scorpions died
out. Fortunately, at least one sea scorpion left a claw behind. It
became as hard as stone. Then one day it was uncovered. This
is the claw that the scientists found.
Now scientists believe that more bugs from long ago were
also very large, even though these creatures are small today.
They think that spiders, dragonflies, and crabs were huge.
There may have been many others, too. Only more fossil
discoveries will tell.

Questions 17–22: Choose the best answer to each question.

17. What did the scientists in Germany discover?


Scan the passage to find
  They found the remains of huge cockroaches and
details about Germany.
dragonflies.
  They found out that bugs lived before humans.
  They found out where bugs lived long ago.
  They found the remains of a huge sea scorpion.

18. Read this sentence.


Try each definition in the
For years, scientists have suspected that creatures like sentence to find the one
these were once very large. that fits.
Which definition of the word suspect is used in this sentence?

sus·pect (suh-SPEKT) verb 1. to believe that a person


committed a crime without having proof. 2. to doubt the truth
of something. 3. to think that something is likely. 4. to distrust
or be suspicious about someone.
  definition 1
  definition 2
  definition 3
  definition 4

40 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 2 Name Test
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says:

19. Giant sea scorpions lived a long time because—


Read each answer choice
  they had no enemies. before you pick one.
  dinosaurs were not alive yet.
  they were larger than any other animals.
  the fish often caught and ate them.

20. The author describes the size of the sea scorpion that lived
long ago by— Look for details in the
passage.
  comparing it to a car and a man.
  showing how it got bigger and bigger as years passed by.
  explaining how it got so big.
  telling when things happened in a certain order.

21. Sea scorpions could never grow this large today. Which detail
supports this statement? Read each answer choice
before you pick one.
  Swamps no longer can be found on Earth.
  There is not enough water for sea scorpions now.
  Fish with large teeth would eat them.
  Sea scorpions would not have anything to eat.

22. Which is the best summary of this passage?


Find the sentence that
  Giant dragonflies and huge cockroaches roamed Earth
tells what the whole
long before dinosaurs lived.
passage is mostly about.
  Scientists discovered a sea scorpion fossil, which proves
that giant bugs lived long ago.
  The sea scorpion was 8 feet long, which is about the same
size as a small car.
  Sea scorpions lived for many years until all of them were
eaten by fish with teeth.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
41
Test 2 Name Test
Tutor
says:

Directions: Read this passage about a clever fool. Then


answer questions 23–28.

The Maharaja’s Jester


Not so long ago, a powerful maharaja ruled Bengal in
Think about the problem
India. He was always busy and had many serious problems
or conflict in this story.
to solve. So he hired Gopal, a jester, to make him laugh. It
was not easy being a clown every day, but Gopal served the What does Gopal plan to
do for the king?
king faithfully for 20 years. The maharaja was very fond of
his jester.
One day Gopal’s wife became angry. She said, “Gopal,
our straw roof is leaking again!”
“Yes, dear,” Gopal said. “Every year we must fix our roof.”
“Then explain something, dear husband,” she said. “If
you are the king’s favorite, why are we so poor? Why must
we live in a mud house with a straw roof?”
Gopal thought for a moment. He said, “Wife, you have
a good point, but I must not worry the king with this.”
Gopal went to work the next day, but he was not himself.
The king said, “Gopal, what is wrong with you? You are
usually so funny and entertaining.”
Gopal said, “I am planning a large dinner for next week.
I have many things to do so it will be very special.”
The king said, “Why does your dinner have to be so
special?”
Gopal replied, “Because I am inviting you.”
The maharaja was very pleased. He said, “Then I will be
there.”
Finally, the day of the dinner arrived. Gopal’s wife
prepared many fine dishes to feed the king. She had heard
the king loved sweets. So she prepared mounds of sticky
sweets to satisfy his sweet tooth. Then she had a horrible
thought.
“Where shall the king sit?” she asked Gopal. Everyone
knew that the king had to sit higher than everyone else.
“Don’t worry,” he said. Then he carried a broken-down
ladder and placed it against the roof.
“You want the king to sit on the straw?” his wife asked.

42 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 2 Name Test
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says:

“Of course not,” Gopal said. Then he pulled out the


mattress where the couple slept each night. He carried it up
on the roof and placed it on the straw. Gopal’s wife was too
shocked to say a word.
Just at that moment, the king arrived with all his
attendants. He stood in the courtyard and stared at the
mattress on top of the roof.
“What is this, jester? A joke for me?”
“No, your majesty,” Gopal said. “This is where you should
sit. It is a seat that is high enough to show your royal rank.”
The king looked at the roof, which was sloping down
steeply. He said, “How can I sit on a roof that slopes so?”
Gopal pointed at the mattress. He said, “Your majesty,
I have placed a mattress for you to sit on comfortably. And
here is a ladder for you to climb to reach your seat.”
The king looked at the ladder. One of the rungs was
missing, and it looked rickety
and unsafe.
“Gopal, you are quite the
fool,” he said. “How can I climb
up such a ladder, sit on your roof,
and dine on a mattress?”
“I am giving you my best, your
kind majesty,” Gopal said. “A
mud home with a straw roof is all
I possess.”
Suddenly, the king began
laughing. He said, “What a fine
and clever comedian you are! I appreciate your humor!”
Then the king commanded, “Tomorrow I will send my
personal workers to your house. They will build you a fine Think about what the
characters do and say in
brick home two stories high!”
the end.
Gopal and his wife knelt on the ground and thanked the
king. Then the maharaja’s servants carried all the fine food
to the palace, and everyone had quite a feast.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
43
Test 2 Name Test
Tutor
says:

Questions 23–28: Choose the best answer to each question.

23. Which word from the passage means almost the same
as fool? Who is called a “fool”
  maharaja in the story?

  jester
  joke
  servant

24. Why did Gopal have a mud hut with straw for a roof?
Go back to the beginning
  He didn’t have enough money to build a better house. of the story to find the
  Gopal was lazy and didn’t want to build a better house. answer.
  He liked having a mud hut because it was cheap.
  Gopal spent all his money on other things.

25. The maharaja hired Gopal to—


What is Gopal’s job?
  make a fine dinner for him.
  serve him food.
  help him solve problems.
  take his mind off serious matters.

26. What is the main problem in this story?


Think about why Gopal’s
  Gopal does not have enough money to have a huge feast. wife complains.
  Gopal has stopped being funny for the king.
  Gopal and his wife need a better house.
  Gopal and his wife do not get along very well.

44 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 2 Name Test
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says:

27. How is the problem solved?


Look at the ending of
  Gopal gets a ladder and leans it against the house. the story.
  The maharaja tells Gopal he will have a new house.
  Gopal’s wife makes a fine meal for the king.
  The maharaja eats the fine meal that Gopal’s wife
prepared.

28. What does Gopal do that shows how clever he is?


Read each answer choice
  Gopal agrees with his wife when she makes a good point. before you pick one.
  Gopal knows how to make a throne on top of his mud hut.
  Gopal has good ideas that he shares with the maharaja to
help him.
  Gopal knows the king will build a house for him if it is the
king’s idea.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
45
Test 2 Name Test
Tutor
says:

Directions: Read this passage about animals and how smart


they are. Then answer questions 29–35.

Animal Smarts
We all know that animals have brains. You might even
say, “My dog is so smart!” But how intelligent are animals?
People once thought animals did not think. They thought
animals just acted. If they were hungry, they ate. If they were Look for the main idea of
this passage.
thirsty, they drank. If they were cold, they sat in the sun.
If they were hot, they looked for shade. If another animal
scared them, they ran.
Now we know differently. Irene Pepperberg began
studying bird intelligence. She bought a parrot in a pet show.
Then she taught Alex to communicate. Alex liked to talk! He
learned almost 100 English words. He learned to count to
six. He even knew what the numbers meant. He worked hard
to say words correctly. Alex learned shapes and colors, and
could tell them apart. Dr. Pepperberg bought other birds.
She and her workers taught them, too. During the training,
Alex did an amazing thing. He corrected these birds when
they didn’t say the words clearly enough!
Parrots aren’t the only smart birds. Ravens can solve
puzzles. They can untangle knots. They steal fish from Notice how each paragraph
fishermen. Crows are smart, too. They know how to use tools! gives an example.
They use sharp twigs to spear food they find under logs.
Monkeys also talk to one another. They use sounds to
tell other monkeys who they are and warn one another of
danger. Scientists who studied monkey sounds learned their
warning sounds. They found that pyow means “leopard.”
Hack sounds followed by pyow means an eagle is nearby.
People watched the monkeys. When male monkeys made
the sounds, the female monkeys listened. If they were in a
safe place, they stayed put. If they were in a dangerous place,
they moved.
Dogs can understand a human’s commands. One dog,
Rico, knew the names of 200 dogs. Another dog, Betsy,
understands more than 340 words. Once she was shown

46 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 2 Name Test
Tutor
says:

a picture of a Frisbee. Then she ran to the toy box and


fetched one! Betsy also knows 15 people by name.
Scientists know that elephants can remember things
for a long time. But elephants also share another amazing
ability. Like humans, apes, and dolphins, they can recognize
themselves in mirrors! That is an advanced skill.
So, how smart are animals? The answer is “smarter than
you think.”

Questions 29–35: Choose the best answer to each question.

29. Read this sentence.


If they were in a safe place, they stayed put.

Which word from the passage means the opposite of safe?


Notice the word opposite
  nearby in the question.
  dangerous
  scared
  amazing
30. Why would monkeys have sounds for “leopard” and “eagle”?
Go back to the passage
  Both are animals that live in the jungle. to find the answer.
  Monkeys live near these animals.
  Leopards and eagles eat monkeys.
  Monkeys eat leopards and eagles.

31. How are dogs and parrots alike?


Read each answer choice
  They can both solve math problems. before you pick one.
  They can both understand a human’s language.
  They both use tools to reach food.
  They both speak with words.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
47
Test 2 Name Test
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says:

32. What is this passage mainly about?


Find the sentence that
  All animals are intelligent and can learn to communicate. tells about the passage
  Humans are beginning to understand how smart animals are. as a whole.
  Little is known about how smart dolphins and apes are.
  Parrots are very intelligent birds, and so are crows.

33. The author included the information about Alex, the parrot, in
this passage to—
  show how smart a bird can be.
Look at the title of the
  explain how parrots learn language. passage for clues.
  persuade people to get a parrot.
  prove that all birds are alike.

34. The passage says that ravens can untangle knots. What is the
base word of untangle? Think about the meaning
of the word and its parts.
  un
  tangle
  angle
  tang

35. Alex corrects other birds. What does this tell you about Alex?
Read each answer choice
  Alex knows when a word is said correctly or not. before you pick one.
  Alex has a huge vocabulary of words he knows.
  Alex can communicate with many kinds of animals.
  Alex does not like it when other birds learn what he knows.

End of Test 2 STOP

48 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 3 Name Date

Good Luck!

Directions: Read this passage about a special kind of pet. Then


answer questions 1–5.

A Special Pet
Grandpa realized that Anthony and Christopher were
unhappy about something as soon as they walked in.
“What’s wrong, boys?” he asked.
“We want a pet,” grumbled Christopher.
“We need a pet,” added Anthony, “but Mom and Dad
won’t let us get one because of our allergies. They say the fur
will mess up our breathing. We told them we’d be okay with
a lizard or snake, since they don’t have fur. But Dad said no
way were we bringing a reptile into the house.”
“Hmm,” said Grandpa, “I believe I have a solution. I’ll be
back in a few minutes.” He disappeared into another room
and was gone quite a while. Anthony and Christopher spent
the time looking at his collection of glass animals in the front
window. Sunlight shining through the tiny creatures made
spots of color on the floor like hard candy fruit drops.
When Grandpa returned, he was carrying a little brown
cardboard carton with a handle. It resembled a tiny pet
carrier and was labeled “Pet Rock.” Grandpa set it down
carefully on the coffee table. “I had allergies too when I was
your age,” he said, “so someone gave me this. I had a little
trouble remembering where I put it.” He opened the box to
reveal a smooth gray stone lying on wood shavings.
“A pet rock?” said Christopher. “That’s dumb.”
“Not dumb at all,” replied Grandpa. “Cheever (that’s what
I named him) was a lot of fun and very intelligent. He could
do all kinds of tricks.”
“Like what?” asked Anthony curiously.
“Like Sit and Stay,” Grandpa said. “He was good at those.
But he needed help with Roll Over, and he never did learn
Fetch. A lot of pet rocks have trouble with that one. Even the
training manual couldn’t help.”
Anthony and Christopher looked at Grandpa as if he’d
gone around the bend.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Test 3 Name

“Let me see,” said Anthony as he pulled the manual out


of the box and began to read. Christopher looked over his
shoulder and read along with him. After a while, they both
began to giggle.
“It might be fun to have a pet rock,” said Anthony.
“Mom and Dad couldn’t say no to that. But where could
we get one?”
“I’ll tell you what,” said Grandpa. “Pet rocks are kind
of rare these days. But I’ll take you down to the river on
Saturday, and we’ll see what we can find. The wild ones are
better anyway. You can use Cheever’s manual to train them.”
Christopher stood up and signaled to Anthony. “Let’s
go make something to carry them home in,” he suggested.
“Wild rocks will probably be kind of nervous at first. We’ll
need to make them comfortable.”
“That’s the spirit,” laughed Grandpa. “I’ll see you on
Saturday.”

Questions 1–5: Choose the best answer to each question.

1. What problem do Anthony and Christopher have?


  They want a pet rock but can’t find one.
  Their grandfather is acting strangely.
  They are allergic to a lot of things.
  Their parents won’t let them have a pet.

2. Why was Grandpa gone from the room for so long?


  He had trouble finding his pet rock.
  He didn’t realize the boys were waiting.
  He needed to take some allergy medicine.
  He wanted the boys to find something to do.

50 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 3 Name

3. Read this sentence from the passage.


Sunlight shining through the tiny creatures made spots
of color on the floor like hard candy fruit drops.

What does this sentence mean?


  The colors of the rug shone in the sunlight.
  The glass animals looked like fruit-flavored candies.
  The floor was covered with brightly colored patches
of light.
  The sun melted some fruit candies and left spots on
the floor.

4. Which event happens first?


  The boys look at the pet-rock manual.
  Christopher says that pet rocks are dumb.
  The boys go looking for their own rocks.
  Grandpa tells the boys about Cheever’s tricks.

5. How does Grandpa seem to feel about his grandsons?


  He doesn’t take them seriously.
  He thinks they complain too much.
  He enjoys spending time with them.
  He appreciates their help.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
51
Test 3 Name

Directions: Read this passage about maple-tree fruits. Then


answer questions 6–10.

Nature’s Helicopters
Did you know that helicopters grow on trees? It’s true!
In the right season, you can find hundreds of mini-aircraft
hanging from the branches of maple trees. They look like this:

Maple tree fruits: Sugar maple (left) and vine maple (right)
These little copters are the fruits of the maple tree. Each
one is made up of two parts called samaras. Like all fruits,
the samara’s purpose is to hold the seed.
Maple trees grow all over the United States and Canada.
To find a maple near you, look for a tree with hand-shaped
leaves like the one on the Canadian flag. Finding maples
is easy in the fall when the leaves turn brilliant colors: red-
orange, red, yellow, and even dark purple.
Once you locate a maple tree, keep an eye on it through
the seasons. In the spring, you will see bunches of tiny flowers.
Most are yellow-green or red, but some kinds of maple have
other colors as well. After the blossoms come the fruits. Look
at the pictures above. Do you see the two lumps at the center
where the wings come together? Those are the actual seeds.
In late spring or early summer, the fruits will be ready
to leave the tree. If there is a good strong wind, the twisting
wings will carry the copters far away from the mother tree.
This is a good thing. Maple seeds sprout easily, but the
seedling trees need sunshine to do well. Seeds that fall
right under another tree will probably not grow very big. So
maples have developed fruits that fly.
A maple tree grows a lot of copters—thousands in a single
season! Producing so many seeds helps make sure that at
least some of them will take root and grow into new trees.

52 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 3 Name

Many seeds never sprout at all. Some get eaten by birds and
small mammals. Others fall on pavement or wash away.
Even if it’s not the right time of year for real maple fruits,
you can still get an idea of how they fly. You can make your
own maple-seed copter, as shown below.
Start with a rectangular
strip of paper about 4 inches
(10 cm) long. Fold the paper
in half the long way. Open
the paper out flat. Use the
fold line as a guide and make
a cut a little less than half
the length of the paper.
Bend one of the cut parts
forward and the other one
backward. Then attach a
regular-size paper clip for
weight. That’s all there is
to it.
Now toss it in the air and watch it spin to the ground.
Better yet, take it outside when there is a wind blowing. Hold
it up over your head and let it go. See how far from you (the
tree) your “fruit” lands.

Questions 6–10: Choose the best answer to each question.

6. What is the main idea of the passage?


  Maple trees grow all over the United States.
  Maple seeds usually grow in pairs.
  Maple fruits fly like little helicopters.
  Maple trees produce thousands of seeds.

7. According to the passage, what is a samara?


  part of a maple fruit
  a strip of paper
  one half of a pair of scissors
  a kind of helicopter

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
53
Test 3 Name

8. Why are the first two pictures important for understanding


the passage?
  They tell how maple trees are different from other trees.
  They show what maple-tree flowers look like.
  They explain why different maples have different fruits.
  They show how maple-tree fruits are shaped like wings.

9. Below are four pieces of information found on the Canadian


government’s Web site. Which one should have been included
in this passage?
  a picture of the maple leaf on Canada’s flag
  a phone number for the Canadian Forest Service
  a list of all trees that grow in Canada
  an explanation of how Canadian maple syrup is made

10. The passage says, “You can find hundreds of mini-aircraft


hanging from the branches of maple trees.” In mini-aircraft, the
word part mini- means—
  “small.”
  “fast.”
  “special.”
  “pretty.”

54 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 3 Name

Directions: Read this passage about a traveling entertainer.


Then answer questions 11–16.

Edmund’s Lucky Break


Edmund hurried down the lane to the castle. The clouds
in the sky were dark, and he had to get inside before the rain
came. It would be very bad if his fiddle got wet. The lord who
lived here was expecting the minstrel to entertain his guests
that evening. Edmund would be paid with dinner and a bed
for the night. If he did his job well, the guests might also
toss out some silver pennies. With luck, they would be more
generous than at the last place. Those people had been quite
tightfisted, and his pocket now held only one small coin.
Great drops of water began to fall from the sky. Edmund
tried to shield his instrument bag as he ran. He was almost
to the door when he slipped in the mud. There was a
sickening crack as he landed right on top of the bag. He
fearfully looked inside. The fiddle only had a couple of
broken strings, but the bow had snapped in two.
This was a disaster, thought Edmund. The lord and his
guests were already eating their dinner in the great hall.
They would want their entertainment soon. How could he
play without a bow? He considered leaving before anyone
saw him but decided against it. He needed this job, and
besides, it was nearly night. He would figure something out
while he changed into his costume.
A short time later, Edmund entered the great hall wearing
bright red leggings and a green top with red trim. He carried
his fiddle, whose strings he had quickly repaired. Stepping to
the center of the room, he started off with an old ballad. As
he sang, he plucked the strings like a guitar, since he had no
bow. The unusual sound caught the attention of the guests,
who leaned forward to listen. When he finished the song, a
shower of coins landed at his feet.
Enjoying the crowd’s approval, Edmund played several
more songs. Then he decided to try something else. He took
three apples from a bowl in the center of the table and began

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
55
Test 3 Name

to juggle them. As he juggled, he sang a silly song that he had


recently learned. At the end, he took a bite out of one of the
apples while catching the other two in one hand. More coins
flew his way.
Edmund next did some tumbling tricks. These were
a bit risky because he had never used these moves in a
performance before. But tonight everything seemed to
be going right.
Then it was time for the grand finish. He emptied
the apple bowl and stood on his hands with the bowl
balanced on his feet. Then he hand-walked around the
room, encouraging the guests to place coins in the bowl.
Edmund left the hall that evening with more coins than
he had ever seen before.
Later on, Edmund was eating his dinner in the servants’
kitchen. The head steward came in and told him, “My master
would like to hire you for the winter. Your skills will be very
welcome during the long, dark months.”
Edmund was very glad he had not run away when his
bow broke. Things had turned out very well after all.

Questions 11–16: Choose the best answer to each question.

11. Which is the best clue that this story takes place a long
time ago?
  Edmund plays the fiddle and juggles.
  Edmund works for a lord in a castle.
  Edmund wears red leggings when he works.
  Edmund eats in the servants’ kitchen.

12. What happened when Edmund fell in the mud?


  His fiddle got wet.
  His instrument bag opened.
  His bow broke in half.
  His leggings got dirty.

56 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 3 Name

13. How does Edmund show that he is quick-witted?


  He decides not to leave the castle.
  He invents a new routine at the last minute.
  He repairs the strings on his fiddle.
  He collects the coins in the great hall.

14. Which two words from the story have opposite meanings?
  generous and tightfisted
  slipped and landed
  expecting and leaving
  play and song

15. Which is the best summary of this story?


  The lord of the castle lets Edmund perform even though
he knows there is a problem with his instrument. Edmund
proves that he does not need a bow.
  A man named Edmund tries out several new tricks to gain
entry to a castle. The lord and his guests enjoy the show.
  The lord of the castle hires Edmund to entertain his guests.
The minstrel has problems with his instrument and does
not perform well.
  The minstrel Edmund has a problem with his instrument
just before he is supposed to perform. He finds a solution
and gives a successful show.

16. If this story continues, what will Edmund most likely do next?
  He will perform a new magic trick.
  He will change into a different costume.
  He will go back to the last place he worked.
  He will tell the steward he will stay.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
57
Test 3 Name

Directions: Read this passage about a special woman. Then


answer questions 17–22.

“I’ll Go and Do More”:


Annie Dodge Wauneka (1910–1997)
Annie Wauneka smiled a big
smile as she touched the medal
hanging around her neck. It was the
Presidential Medal of Freedom! This
was a big honor. She was very proud
to be the first Native American to get
this award. It was given to her
because of all she had done for the
health of the Navajo people. A lot had
changed because of her. Still, she
knew that things could be better.
That’s why she always said, “I’ll go
and do more.”
Annie was born in 1910 in Arizona. Her father, Henry
Chee Dodge, was a wealthy trader and sheep rancher. He
was also one of the tribe’s key leaders. Chee Dodge wanted
his children to be well educated. This meant sending
them away to live at special Indian schools. Homes on the
reservation where they lived were just too spread out to build
schools near where people lived.
Annie was 8 years old when she first went off to school.
That year, a dreadful flu swept through her school. Some of
the students died. Annie escaped with only a mild case, so
she helped care for those who were sick. She later traced her
interest in health work to this early event in her life.
When she grew up, Wauneka (her married name) helped
her father run things on the reservation. She saw the poor
health of many who lived there. This troubled her, and she
wanted to do something about it. In 1951, she ran for a seat
on the tribal council. She won, and was later reelected many
times. In fact, she served for 27 years!

58 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 3 Name

From the start, she pushed for better living conditions


on the reservation. For instance, a lot of homes had no
windows. Many had only dirt floors. Some had no water
nearby. Wauneka helped people get good houses and
clean water.
Every year, many Navajos and others died from a lung
disease called tuberculosis, or TB. Wauneka fought to stamp
out TB. She helped lower the number of TB cases and deaths
across the country. This was the main reason she won the
Medal of Freedom in 1963.
Wauneka wanted her people to take good care of their
own health. She talked to them about health each week
on the radio. She argued that they should use modern
health care as well as traditional healing. And she wrote a
dictionary of medical terms to help them talk to non-Navajo
doctors and nurses.
Like Chee Dodge, Wauneka knew that education was the
key to a good future. She spent a lot of time on school issues.
Above all, she wanted Navajo children to have schools closer
to where they lived. She knew how hard it was to leave home
at a young age.
Wauneka worked with groups throughout the country,
even in Washington. Her efforts brought praise from many
sources. One of the highest honors came from the tribal
council in 1984. They gave her the name “Legendary Mother
of the Navajo Nation.” She could have stopped then, but of
course she did not. Just like in 1963, she kept on doing more.
At the time of her death in 1997, her grandson was the tribal
president. He spoke for many when he said, “She made us
proud to be Navajo.” Annie Wauneka would have smiled to
hear him say that.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Test 3 Name

Questions 17–22: Choose the best answer to each question.

17. Which is the best summary of this passage?


  Annie Wauneka helped the Navajo people have better
lives. She was called the “Legendary Mother of the Navajo
Nation.” She died in 1997.
  Annie Wauneka was an important Navajo leader. She
followed in her father’s footsteps.
  Annie Wauneka was a Navajo leader. She worked hard
to make things better for her people. She earned many
honors for her work.
  Annie Wauneka grew up on the Navajo reservation. As a
young child, she had to leave home to go to school. This
experience led her to work in education.

18. The passage says, “That year, a dreadful flu swept through her
school.” What does dreadful mean?
  terrible
  weak
  painful
  slow-acting

19. How does the author of this passage seem to feel about Annie
Wauneka?
  She got too much attention.
  She deserved the honors she received.
  She should have spent more time with her family.
  She was a lovable person.

20. When Annie was a child on the reservation, schools were not
built near children’s homes because—
  all of the children went away to school.
  people lived too far apart from one another.
  there was no money for schools.
  the council did not know which homes had children.

60 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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21. What is one way that Wauneka was different from her father?
  She was a key leader of the Navajo people.
  She thought education was important.
  She worked on the Navajo reservation.
  She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

22. Read the following sentence.


The Navajo people thought Wauneka was doing a good job
on the tribal council.

What is the best reason to believe this statement?


  She had a weekly radio show.
  She worked with groups throughout the country.
  She helped people get better homes.
  She was reelected to the council many times.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
61
Test 3 Name

Directions: Read this passage about a woman in China with


two sons. Then answer questions 23–28.

Wind and Music


Once upon a time, a woman named Ming Li had two
sons. When they married, the sons brought their brides to
live in the Ming family home. The two wives tried very hard
to please their new mother-in-law. But Ming Li was not an
easy person to satisfy.
One day while her sons were away on a long trip, Ming
Li called the two young women to the courtyard. “I have
decided to put you to a test,” she announced. “I want to see
how clever you are. I need to be sure my sons have married
brides who are worthy of them.”
She continued, “You will leave here tomorrow. You have
one week to bring back a certain item I will assign to you. If
you do not succeed, you must return to your village and my
sons will be free to marry someone else.”
Turning to First Daughter-in-Law, she said, “You must
bring me wind wrapped in paper.” To Second Daughter-in-
Law, she said, “You must bring me music wrapped in wind.”
The two young women bowed as she went back inside. Then
they looked at each other in despair. What Ming Li wanted
was impossible!
Early the next day, the two left the house. As they trudged
along, they talked sadly about their mission. Wind wrapped
in paper? Music wrapped in wind? How could they possibly
find such things? Surely they would fail and would have to
leave their beloved husbands. They both began to sob with
grief. They cried until they reached the next village.
At the village gate, they met an older woman who asked
what was wrong. When she heard their story, Cheng Wa
nodded understandingly. Her mother-in-law had been
difficult too, she said. But once she proved herself, she had
been accepted. They got along very well after that.
“If we can send you back quickly with what she demands,”
said Cheng Wa, “you will see her attitude improve. She will

62 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 3 Name

be happy that her sons have found such excellent wives.


Come with me.” She led them down a narrow street to her
small house. There she made them tea and chatted about the
spring-blooming flowers.
Just as the young women were starting to worry about
the time, Cheng Wa opened a cupboard and took out two
long thin objects. She handed one to First Daughter-in-
Law, saying, “Here is your wind wrapped in paper.” First
Daughter-in-Law unfolded a beautiful paper fan. She smiled
happily as she waved it and felt the gently moving air.
Second Daughter-in-Law’s package contained a bamboo
flute. Cheng Wa showed her how to blow it and taught her to
play a little tune. Second Daughter-in-Law practiced while
First Daughter-in-Law kept them all cool with the fan.
They stayed that night with their new friend. The next
morning they left for home with the fan and the flute tucked
into their traveling bundles. This time they walked as lightly
as dancers, and it seemed like no time before they reached
Ming Li’s house.
“Back so soon?” cried Ming Li. “Are you so disrespectful
that you have ignored my wishes?”
“Not at all,” said First Daughter-in-Law. “We have brought
you what you asked for.” She presented Ming Li with the fan.
Then Second Daughter-in-Law played some notes on the
flute. To their great relief, Ming Li smiled.
“I am a lucky woman,” she said. “No one else has such
clever daughters-in-law. My sons have chosen well.” Ming
Li and her two daughters-in-law lived happily together from
that day on.

Questions 23–28: Choose the best answer to each question.

23. What kind of passage is this?


  biography
  folktale
  news article
  fairy tale

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
63
Test 3 Name

24. Ming Li gave her daughters-in-law a hard task because she


wanted to—
  convince her sons not to marry them.
  see if they were smart.
  get them out of the house for a while.
  show that she believed in them.

25. How can you tell that the two young women wanted to please
Ming Li?
  They accepted her test without arguing.
  They cried after they left her house.
  They lived with her in her home.
  They met an older woman in a village.

26. What happened just after Cheng Wa took the two young
women to her home?
  She gave them a flute and a fan.
  They told her their story.
  She made some tea for them.
  They stayed with her overnight.

27. Why did Cheng Wa offer to help the young women?


  She wanted company for a little while.
  She was friends with their mother-in-law.
  She wanted them to leave quickly.
  She had a similar problem earlier in her life.

28. The author tells this story mainly by—


  giving clues that lead to a surprise ending.
  comparing one person’s actions with another’s.
  describing events in the order they happen.
  identifying a problem and then telling what caused it.

64 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 3 Name

Directions: Read this passage about eating breakfast. Then


answer questions 29–35.

What’s for Breakfast?


Okay, confess. Did you eat breakfast this morning? What
did you have? If you’re like a lot of American kids, you had
a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. You might have
toasted some waffles. Or maybe you just grabbed a granola
bar to eat on the school bus. Do you ever wish you had time
for a real breakfast?
Well, there is no such thing as a “real” breakfast. Your
first meal of the day is shaped by where you live and your
family background. Breakfast foods are as different as the
people who eat them.
A typical Chinese breakfast is rice with vegetables and
sometimes a little meat. In Ecuador, you might eat fried
mashed green bananas. In Jordan, people often have
hummus, a dip made from chickpeas. Many Kenyans eat a
thin porridge called uji. The Welsh love cockles (shellfish)
and cakes made from seaweed. Breakfast in Australia might
be toast topped with baked beans or spaghetti. A list of
Russian breakfast foods sounds pretty familiar until you
come to the pickles.
Even within the United States, breakfast foods differ from
place to place. Biscuits and gravy are common in the South
and Midwest. A lot of Southerners also like grits. Many
people in New England enjoy a piece of pie. In the West and
Southwest, a lot of breakfasts include chili peppers or salsa.
Bread appears on breakfast tables in many places and
in many forms. Several U.S. favorites started out in other
cultures. For example, we got doughnuts from the Dutch. We
got bagels from the Jews of Europe and croissants from the
French. English muffins did not exactly come from England,
though. They were invented in New York in the late 1800s
(by an Englishman).
What you eat for breakfast also depends on money.
Thousands of poor children around the world start their day
with only a scrap of bread or a little grain boiled in water.
Thousands more eat nothing at all.

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Test 3 Name

If you have a choice, don’t skip breakfast. Surely you have


heard the saying, “Breakfast is the most important meal of
the day.” Well, maybe it’s not the most important, but it is
important. Even if you don’t feel hungry in the morning,
your body and your brain need that food to work properly.
Lots of studies show that kids who eat breakfast generally do
better in school. They have more energy. They concentrate
better. They get higher test scores. So go ahead and eat.
On the other hand, don’t overdo it. Many restaurants
offer something they call the Farmer’s Breakfast. These
hearty meals usually have eggs, meat, pancakes, and
potatoes, along with juice and a hot drink. That’s a ton of
food! Old-time farmers were up for hours doing chores
before they got around to eating breakfast. They worked up
a big appetite. Most of us don’t need to eat that much in the
morning. But even if we eat less, we still have lots of choices.
Pickles, anyone?

Questions 29–35: Choose the best answer to each question.

29. What is the main idea of this passage?


  Different people eat different foods for breakfast.
  Many American breakfast foods came from other
countries.
  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
  American kids don’t take enough time for breakfast.

30. Which meaning of the word skip is used in this sentence?


If you have a choice, don’t skip breakfast.
  move ahead lightly on one foot at a time
  miss on purpose
  move quickly from one place to another
  leave suddenly

66 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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31. The information in the third paragraph suggests that—


  people in Ecuador like many kinds of food.
  Chinese stores do not sell cereal or waffles.
  many Welsh people live near the ocean.
  American breakfast foods are popular in Russia.

32. Which detail best supports the idea that children in very poor
countries may have trouble learning?
  Bread appears on breakfast tables in many forms.
  Old-time farmers worked for hours before breakfast.
  Many restaurants offer a “Farmer’s Breakfast.”
  Kids who eat breakfast do better in school.

33. The author’s main reason for writing this passage was to—
  give the history of some popular breakfast foods.
  convince the reader not to eat too much.
  show how skipping breakfast can affect test scores.
  change the reader’s ideas about breakfast foods.

34. Doughnuts have been eaten in America since the 1600s. This is
probably because—
  Dutch settlers kept making them after they moved here.
  almost all of the world’s cultures make some kind of bread.
  visitors to Dutch cities carried them back across the ocean
with them.
  breads and cakes were invented in ancient times.

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Test 3 Name

35. Look at this part of a dictionary page.

grit (grit) noun: 1. tiny rough bits of stone. 2. toughness of


mind or spirit; courage.
verb: to bite down and grind (teeth) together [from Old
English greot, sand or gravel] HSJUT HSJUrUFE HSJUrUJOH
grits (grits) n. pl. coarsely ground grain, especially corn, that
is boiled and served with butter [from Middle English
grutta, coarse meal]

What does this part of a dictionary tell you about the breakfast
food grits, mentioned in the fourth paragraph?

  They resemble little bits of stone.


  They are hard to chew.
  They are made from corn.
  They were first eaten in England.

End of Test 3 STOP

68 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading
Answer Sheet Grade 3
Student Name Test 1 2 3
Teacher Name (circle one)

Directions: Fill in the bubble for the answer you choose.

1.     13.     25.    

2.     14.     26.    

3.     15.     27.    

4.     16.     28.    

5.     17.     29.    

6.     18.     30.    

7.     19.     31.    

8.     20.     32.    

9.     21.     33.    

10.     22.     34.    

11.     23.     35.    

12.     24.    

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 1 Answer Key

1. C 8. A 15. D 22. D 29. D

2. B 9. C 16. B 23. C 30. D

3. B 10. D 17. D 24. A 31. A

4. A 11. C 18. D 25. B 32. C

5. D 12. D 19. C 26. D 33. C

6. B 13. D 20. B 27. D 34. B

7. B 14. C 21. A 28. A 35. C

Answer Key Explanations


The Pot of Milk 2. (continued)
Incorrect choices:
1. Correct response: C A The cow is sick, not the mother.
(Identify synonyms)
The words ill and sick have almost the same C The mother becomes angry with Gheta
meaning. The story says that the “cow fell ill” and after she goes to the market.
“the mother could not leave the sick cow alone.” D The mother just tells Gheta to sell the milk.
The story does not suggest that Gheta
Incorrect choices: will get more money for the milk than the
A Angry and alone do not have the same mother would.
meaning. Angry means “mad or upset”;
alone means “by itself.” 3. Correct response: B
B Walked and kicked have different mean- (Analyze literary elements: setting)
ings. Gheta walked down the road, and The fourth paragraph says that Gheta sits
then she kicked the pot. down under a tree to rest. As she is resting under
the tree, she dreams about the future. The dream
D Fine and valuable have different meanings. ends when she kicks the pot of milk.
The cow was valuable, or worth money; a
“fine house” looks nice. Incorrect choices:
A Gheta is on her way to the market when she
2. Correct response: B stops to rest. After she kicks over the milk,
(Analyze characters) she goes home.
The mother sends Gheta to the market
because the cow is sick and she has to stay C Gheta kicks over the milk before she gets to
home to care for the cow. the market.
D Gheta dreams about a field of rice but
never actually goes there.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
71
4. Correct response: A 7. Correct response: B
(Identify cause and effect) (Interpret figurative language)
Gheta explains that things would be worse if The first paragraph says that “a team of
she had kicked the cow and the cow had run away. workers does the job” of healing a cut, and
then the passage goes on to describe what the
Incorrect choices: platelets, white blood cells, and fibroblasts do.
B The cow got better during the day while
Gheta was away. Incorrect choices:
C Gheta dreams of a fine house but does not A The passage says that “threads” form in the
tell her mother about it. blood, but the author does not compare
them to platelets and white blood cells.
D The story says that Gheta “told her what
had happened”; she did not make up a lie C The passage refers to using a special “tool”
about someone taking the milk from her. to fill a hole in the wall, but this refers to
the skin that covers the cut.
5. Correct response: D D Animals are not mentioned in the passage.
(Make connections)
The story concerns a girl who learns that 8. Correct response: A
daydreaming can lead to trouble and changes her (Use graphic feature: diagram)
ways, so it could be most helpful to another person The third paragraph describes how the scab
who daydreams and needs to learn this lesson. forms, and then the next paragraph tells what
happens next: white blood cells kill the germs.
Incorrect choices:
A The story takes place in India but does not Incorrect choices:
really teach anything about India. B Threads form in the blood as part of the
B Gheta had to learn the importance of doing process of forming a scab.
her chores, so someone who already does C The platelets form a plug before the scab
chores at home does not need to learn forms.
this lesson. D A scar sometimes appears after collagen
C Liking milk is not mentioned and is of no fills the cut.
importance in the story.
9. Correct response: C
(Use prefixes to determine word meaning)
Cuts and How They Heal The prefix micro- means “very small”; the
passage says you can’t see the workers “because
6. Correct response: B they are microscopic.”
(Use reference aids to clarify meaning: dictionary)
The passage describes tiny cells in the body, Incorrect choices:
so definition 2 fits the context best. A, B, and D are incorrect. “Special” and
“close” may seem plausible, but micro- does
Incorrect choices:
not mean either of these things. The fact that
A The passage does not mention a jail cell. you won’t see the workers while they are
C The passage does not mention a power cell, working might suggest that they are “shy,”
or battery. but this is not the meaning of micro-.
D The passage does not describe people
working for any kind of secret cause.

72 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
10. Correct response: D 13. Correct response: D
(Identify main idea and details) (Use context clues to determine meaning of
The fourth paragraph says that the white multiple-meaning words)
blood cells kill the germs. Uncle Moses says they need some “ribs” to
make the sides of the shelter, so the word rib in
Incorrect choices: this context means “a supporting part of a wall
A The platelets cause the blood to clot and or building.”
stop the bleeding.
Incorrect choices:
B Scabs protect the skin while it heals.
A Uncle Moses is talking about the shelter,
C The fibroblasts make collagen to fill the hole.
not a human body.
B This meaning refers to a kind of food you
can buy.
Shelter
C Uncle Moses wants to use branches as ribs
11. Correct response: C for the shelter, not “ribbed” pieces of cloth.
(Summarize)
This sentence best sums up what happens in 14. Correct response: C
the story. (Identify sequence of events)
When Uncle Moses chooses their campsite,
Incorrect choices:
he says, “First, we find a nice, healthy tree.”
A This sentence gives one small detail from
the beginning of the story. Incorrect choices:
B Justin did not get lost; he went camping A Finding the ridgepole is the second step in
with his uncle. building the shelter.
D This sentence gives two important details B They find debris to put on the outside of
from the story but does not include building the shelter after the frame is built.
a shelter. D They had to find small branches after they
put up the ridgepole.
12. Correct response: D
(Analyze literary elements: theme) 15. Correct response: D
Justin does not want to go camping at first, (Identify cause and effect)
and then he goes reluctantly. But at the end he Justin does not want to go camping in the
seems to think the shelter is “warm and cozy,” woods because a story that his mom read to him
and he falls asleep, so he learns that this new made camping in the woods sound scary.
experience is not so bad.
Incorrect choices:
Incorrect choices:
A He knows what camping is because he has
A Justin does not learn this during the trip; he read about it in a book.
undoubtedly knew it already.
B He likes his uncle and runs to say hello
B Justin’s mother says that he swims and to him.
plays soccer, so he already gets plenty of
C His uncle seems to think that Justin stays
exercise.
home all the time, but Justin’s mother says
C Justin’s initial fears about the woods came that he swims and plays soccer.
from a story in a book, but he learned that
they were unfounded.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
73
16. Correct response: B 19. Correct response: C
(Make inferences) (Draw conclusions)
He probably feels safe because he thinks it is The fourth paragraph says that women’s
“warm and cozy” and he falls asleep. clothes were heavy and hot, and they made
climbing and running difficult.
Incorrect choices:
A He does not feel lonely because he’s with Incorrect choices:
his uncle. A The passage does not mention the cost of
C He is not feeling too hungry because he goes women’s clothes.
to sleep before he and his uncle make dinner. B The passage describes women’s clothes
D Justin has been busy building the shelter and as heavy, full, hot, and uncomfortable but
learning about nature, so he is not bored. never describes them as beautiful.
D Some women’s clothes may have been
well-made, but the passage implies that
Bloomers many women made their own clothes.

17. Correct response: D 20. Correct response: B


(Identify main idea and details) (Use details or evidence from the text to
The passage tells how bloomers became a support ideas)
fashion, and the last paragraph tells why they This detail supports the idea that these women
were important. were strong and independent because they de-
fied social customs and wore what they wanted,
Incorrect choices: in spite of how people made fun of their clothes.
A This is the main idea of the eighth paragraph
but not of the whole passage. Incorrect choices:
B This is a detail that tells where the first A The passage says that Miller went hiking
bloomers came from. but does not say that Stanton did so.
C This is a detail that supports the main idea. C Amelia Bloomer owned a newspaper, but
neither Miller nor Stanton did.
18. Correct response: D D The passage says that Miller went to Swit-
(Identify cause and effect) zerland but does not say that Stanton
The next-to-last paragraph explains that traveled to other countries.
women stopped wearing bloomers because
people made fun of them.

Incorrect choices:
A Bloomers were not any hotter than heavy
dresses and were probably cooler.
B Elizabeth Stanton made bloomers for
herself, and many women wrote in to the
newspaper for information so they could
make their own.
C Bloomers were comfortable because they
were loose-fitting.

74 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
21. Correct response: A 23. (continued)
(Evaluate author’s point of view) Incorrect choices:
The author implies that bloomers were good A Dinah and her mother did not move into
for women, so she would probably not agree a new house.
with reporters who made fun of them.
B The word arrangement refers to the
Incorrect choices: mother’s plan for a day-care center, not
a job that Dinah liked.
B The author describes bloomers in positive
ways, so she would agree with people who D The word arrangement refers to a plan,
made them for women. not a new day.
C The author describes bloomers in positive
ways, so she would agree with women who
24. Correct response: A
(Identify cause and effect)
wanted to make them for themselves.
The first paragraph explains that Dinah’s
D The author implies that women deserved the mother was tired of driving back and forth to
right to dress as they wanted, so she would work, so she started a business in her home.
agree with people who feel the same way.
Incorrect choices:
22. Correct response: D B Dinah’s mother works every day, and
(Interpret figurative language, including idioms) she and Dinah cannot take their usual
If you “look down on” someone, you look February vacation.
at the person in a negative or critical way, as if
C Dinah’s mother asks her to help, but this
the person were lower than you; you have a bad
is not the reason she started the business.
opinion of him or her.
D Dinah’s mother does meet other mothers
Incorrect choices: in her day-care center, but this was not her
A, B, and C are incorrect. “Looking down on” reason for starting it.
someone does not refer to seeing clearly,
looking at something again and again, or 25. Correct response: B
closing one’s eyes. (Compare and contrast)
The passage says that Mrs. Kim had twins
and “always looked very tired.”
A New Day-Care Center
Incorrect choices:
23. Correct response: C A Mrs. Rashid always stays to talk with
(Use context clues to determine meaning of Dinah’s mother, but Mrs. Kim does not.
unfamiliar words) C Mrs. Rashid always stays for a few minutes,
Dinah’s mother explains her plan to open a but Mrs. Kim usually gets there last and
new day-care center, and Dinah likes this plan, always hurries out the door.
or idea.
D Mrs. Rashid talks with Dinah’s mother
every morning, but Mrs. Kim just says,
“Good luck!”

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
75
26. Correct response: D 28. Correct response: A
(Analyze literary elements: plot) (Make predictions)
When February vacation begins, Dinah has The last two sentences of the story suggest
to stay home and help her mother instead of that Dinah will enjoy helping with the kids for
visiting her grandmother in Florida. This is the the rest of the week.
main problem, or conflict, in the story.
Incorrect choices:
Incorrect choices: B The last paragraph says that Dinah could
A At the beginning of the story, Dinah does not remember how it felt to learn how to
not object to keeping the house neat. talk.
B Dinah does not seem to mind that children C Dinah has accepted the idea that she will
are dropped off before she goes to school. not be going to visit her grandmother, and
C Dinah may not understand some of the now she’s beginning to enjoy being home.
parents and she feels sorry for Mrs. Kim, D She has come out of her room and is
but their behavior does not cause her now beginning to enjoy helping with
any problems. the children.

27. Correct response: D


(Analyze literary elements: plot) Meet the Jelly
Dinah feels unhappy about staying home
during her vacation, and she does not laugh or 29. Correct response: D
enjoy herself until Rose says “Di-Di.” Then she (Use text features to find information)
decides that the week at home might not be so The first paragraph of the passage says,
bad after all. “True fish have vertebrae. Jellyfish do not have
these backbones.” By finding the word vertebrae
Incorrect choices: in the first paragraph, you can find the clue to
A Listening to Ethan makes Dinah feel old its meaning.
and does not help her mood.
Incorrect choices:
B Watching the twins makes her realize that
A and B are incorrect. The word vertebrae
she can’t remember how she felt at their age.
is used in the first paragraph in reference
C Rose immediately spills applesauce on to bones; “scales” and “stomachs” are not
Dinah’s shirt, and this does not change mentioned in this paragraph.
Dinah’s mood.
C The passage says that true fish also have
hearts, so they must be different from
vertebrae.

76 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
30. Correct response: D 33. Correct response: C
(Identify text structure and organization) (Compare and contrast)
This part of the passage introduces jellyfish The last paragraph in More Jellies Than
by telling how they are different from true fish. Ever states that jellyfish can live on less oxygen
than fish.
Incorrect choices:
A This question is answered under The Life Incorrect choices:
of a Jellyfish. A Jellyfish and fish need varying amounts
B This question is answered under The Parts of food to live.
of a Jellyfish. B The second part of the passage says that
C This question is answered under Watch jellyfish do have mouths.
Out for That Jelly! D The Life of a Jellyfish says that jellyfish eat
small fish and tiny plants, the same food
31. Correct response: A that fish eat.
(Use context clues to determine meaning of
unfamiliar words) 34. Correct response: B
In the passage, the sentence after the word (Evaluate author’s point of view)
transparent gives a clue to its meaning: “You can In this sentence, the word yuck reveals the
see its stomach and other organs through the author’s view of, or feeling about, jellyfish.
skin.” When something is transparent, you can
see through it. Incorrect choices:
A Calling the jellyfish a “blob” might suggest
Incorrect choices: the author’s view, but this sentence is not
B The skin of the jellyfish is clear, not colorful. the one that best shows how the author feels.
C The stingers are on the tentacles, not C and D are both factual details that do not
the skin. reveal the author’s feelings about jellyfish.
D The passage does not mention two kinds
of skin. 35. Correct response: C
(Use details or evidence from the text to support
32. Correct response: C ideas)
(Summarize) This sentence from More Jellies Than Ever
This sentence best sums up the part called describes a group of jellyfish large enough to
Watch Out for That Jelly!, which tells how cover one end of the Gulf of Mexico, and it leads
jellyfish defend themselves and what to do if into the question of why there are more jellyfish
you get stung. now than in the past.

Incorrect choices: Incorrect choices:


A This is the main idea of the first paragraph A There are hundreds of kinds of jellies, but
in this part, but it does not summarize the the number of kinds does not indicate large
whole section. numbers of each kind.
B This is the main idea of the last paragraph B The length of a jellyfish’s life does not
in this part, but it does not summarize the support the idea that the overall popu-
whole section. lation is increasing.
D This is an inaccurate detail drawn from this D The fact that people eat jellyfish does
part of the passage; jellyfish do have a way not indicate that the number of jellyfish is
to defend themselves. increasing; more likely, it would mean
the opposite.

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77
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 2 Answer Key

1. B 8. A 15. B 22. B 29. B

2. D 9. C 16. B 23. B 30. C

3. A 10. B 17. D 24. A 31. B

4. D 11. C 18. C 25. D 32. B

5. C 12. D 19. A 26. C 33. A

6. C 13. A 20. A 27. B 34. B

7. D 14. A 21. C 28. D 35. A

Answer Key Explanations


The Garden 2. (continued)
Incorrect choices:
1. Correct response: B A They helped Mrs. Wilson spread the
(Identify cause and effect) compost on the first day.
The passage says that Mrs. Wilson offered
them some lemonade. The boys nodded and B Mrs. Wilson gave them vegetables when
“thought this new neighbor was really nice.” they returned to visit her in the summer.
C The boys played with the dog on their
Incorrect choices: first visit.
A The boys helped Mrs. Wilson with the
garden after they had lemonade. 3. Correct response: A
C The boys rode their bikes before they (Use context clues to determine meaning of
visited Mrs. Wilson. unfamiliar words)
Mrs. Wilson explains that compost is made
D The boys played hide-and-seek before from things like leaves and peels from fruits and
they visited Mrs. Wilson. vegetables, mixed with soil. “After everything
rots, it turns into this nice, rich compost.”
2. Correct response: D
(Identify sequence of events)
When the boys visited Mrs. Wilson over the
next two days, they helped her plant vegetable
seeds and seedlings.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
79
3. (continued) What’s the Most Important Bone?
Incorrect choices:
B Mrs. Wilson planted small plants, or 6. Correct response: C
seedlings, in the garden, but these were (Identify main idea and details)
not compost. The first and last paragraphs state the main
idea: that the human body has many bones, and
C Mrs. Wilson did not add weeds to the garden. they are all important.
D Mrs. Wilson planted seeds and watered
them, but this mixture is not compost. Incorrect choices:
A This is the main idea of the part called
4. Correct response: D The Spine, but not of the whole passage.
(Identify literary genres and their characteristics) B This is the main idea of the part called
The characters in this story act like real The Ribs, but not of the whole passage.
people act and do things that real people
might do. D This is a supporting detail from the first
paragraph but not the main idea.
Incorrect choices:
A This story has a puppy in it, but no animals 7. Correct response: D
that talk. (Use graphic features: diagram)
The fibula and tibia are the only leg bones
B The story does give some information below the knee.
about gardening, but that does not best
describe what kind of passage it is. Incorrect choices:
C The story takes place in a realistic setting, A B, and C are incorrect. The spine and
not in a different kind of world. the sternum, the ribs and the skull, and
the femur and the coccyx are all above
5. Correct response: C the knee.
(Analyze characters)
The boys are respectful to Mrs. Wilson, they 8. Correct response: A
act politely by introducing themselves and ask- (Use prefixes to determine word meaning)
ing if they can play with the dog, and they help The prefix im- means “not,” so impossible
her in the garden. means “not possible.”

Incorrect choices: Incorrect choices:


A The boys don’t make any loud noises, B The prefix re-, not im-, means “again.”
and they don’t do anything to annoy
C The prefix im- does not mean “very.”
Mrs. Wilson.
D The prefix pre-, not im-, means “before.”
B The boys stay busy when they help Mrs.
Wilson, but they are not bothersome.
D The boys may have been bored before they
first went to Mrs. Wilson’s, but not after
that, and they never acted grumpy.

80 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
9. Correct response: C 12. Correct response: D
(Compare and contrast) (Analyze characters)
The skull protects the brain, and the ribs The second paragraph says that Hen is
protect the heart and lungs. careful, and she always locks her front door. In
the last paragraph, Fox says that Hen is clever;
Incorrect choices: she has escaped from him and fooled him again.
A The spine enables the body to stand up-
right, not the skull and ribs. Incorrect choices:
B These bones work together with the spine A Big Red Hen might be considered “foxy”
but are not part of it. for her cleverness, but she never does
anything silly.
D The skull is above the shoulders, but the
ribs are not. B Hen might be shy of Fox, but she is not sly.
C Hen is smart enough to escape from Fox,
10. Correct response: B and she may be proud of her success, but
(Use text features to find information) these words do not best describe her.
The skull bones, which include the jawbone,
are located in the head. 13. Correct response: A
(Interpret figurative language, including idioms)
Incorrect choices: Going “back to square one” is an idiom that
A The Spine tells about the backbone, not means going back to the beginning and starting
the head. over, as you would in a board game, for example.
The last sentence in the story notes that Fox will
C The Ribs tells about the rib bones and the
try to catch Hen again the next day.
sternum, not the head.
D The Hand Bones tells about the hands, Incorrect choices:
not the head.
B, C, and D are all possible explanations of
Fox’s statement, but none of them correctly
interprets the phrase “back to square one.”
Fox and Big Red Hen
14. Correct response: A
11. Correct response: C
(Identify cause and effect)
(Analyze literary elements: plot)
The story says that Hen was so plump and fat
The main problem, or conflict, in this story
that Fox had to sit down and rest after carrying
is that Fox wants to eat Hen for dinner.
her for a long way.
Incorrect choices:
Incorrect choices:
A Hen does need wood from the woodpile,
B The story does not mention that Fox might
but this is not the main problem.
not have slept the night before.
B Locking the door is a solution for Hen,
C Fox went to Hen’s house without need-
rather than a problem.
ing to rest; he had to rest on the way back
D The splash causes a minor problem for because he was carrying Hen.
Fox and his mother, but it is not the main
D The story does not mention that Fox hurt
problem in the story.
himself while catching Hen.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
81
15. Correct response: B 18. Correct response: C
(Identify sequence of events) (Use reference aids to clarify meaning: dictionary)
When Fox falls asleep and starts snoring, In this context, the word suspected means
Hen begins cutting her way out of the bag. the scientists thought it was likely that bugs and
other creatures were once very large.
Incorrect choices:
A Hen puts rocks in the bag after she cuts her Incorrect choices:
way out. A This definition refers to a belief about a
C Fox calls out to his mother when he gets person, not creatures.
home, after Hen cuts her way out of the bag. B This definition would apply if the scientists
D Fox sneaks into Hen’s house long before she started to doubt that bugs were once very
cuts her way out of the bag, not “just before.” large, but they actually believed the opposite.
D This definition refers to a feeling about a
16. Correct response: B person, not creatures.
(Evaluate author’s purpose)
This story was meant to be read for fun and 19. Correct response: A
to entertain the reader. (Identify cause and effect)
The sixth paragraph implies that giant sea
Incorrect choices: scorpions lived for many years because they had
A This story does not try to persuade people no enemies, but this changed when fish began
to cook or eat hens. to grow large teeth.
C This story is fiction and does not give any
Incorrect choices:
factual information.
B Sea scorpions did live long before the
D The story might suggest a lesson about be-
dinosaurs, but this is not why the scorpions
ing careful, but this is not the author’s main
lived a long time.
purpose for writing the passage.
C They were huge bugs, but other creatures
were larger (such as the fish that eventually
started eating them).
Scientists Discover the World’s
Largest Bug D Giant scorpions started to die out when
fish began catching and eating them.
17. Correct response: D
(Identify main idea and details) 20. Correct response: A
According to this passage, scientists in (Identify text structure and organization)
Germany discovered a fossil of the world’s The author describes the creature as “the
largest bug, a giant sea scorpion. size of a small car” and “bigger than the tallest
of men.”
Incorrect choices:
A Other scientists found the remains of large Incorrect choices:
cockroaches and dragonflies years before. B The author does not describe how the scor-
B The scientists in Germany did not discover pion grew, just how large it was in relation
this fact; it was known earlier. to a car or a man.
C The scientists in Germany did not discover C Scientists figured out how large it was but
where bugs lived long ago; they already did not explain how it got that big.
knew where bugs lived. D The author relates some events in chrono-
logical order, but not for the purpose of
describing the size of the scorpion.

82 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
21. Correct response: C 23. (continued)
(Use details or evidence from the text to support Incorrect choices:
ideas) A A maharaja is a king or ruler, not an
The sixth paragraph states that fish with large entertainer.
teeth ate the sea scorpions, and there are still
C A fool or jester may tell a joke, but this is
fish with large teeth that would eat them today.
not the meaning of the word.
Incorrect choices: D A fool might be hired by a king, but a fool
A This statement is inaccurate because there is not considered a servant.
are still swamps on Earth, even though
the one where the sea scorpion lived is no 24. Correct response: A
longer a swamp. (Draw conclusions)
In the fourth paragraph, Gopal’s wife wonders
B The amount of water on Earth has probably
why they are so poor that they have to live in a
not changed much and is still enough to
mud hut with straw for a roof.
support giant sea scorpions.
D The passage does not say what the sea Incorrect choices:
scorpions ate, but they could likely find
B Gopal seems to work hard at his job every
food if they were alive today.
day, so he was not lazy.
C The story does not suggest that Gopal liked
22. Correct response: B
his mud hut; he was open to change when
(Summarize)
his wife suggested it.
This sentence best summarizes the content
of the passage as a whole because it mentions D Gopal didn’t spend money on anything in
the scientists’ discovery and some of the history. this story.

Incorrect choices: 25. Correct response: D


A This sentence gives one detail from the first (Make inferences)
paragraph but does not summarize the The first paragraph says that the maharaja
passage as a whole. had serious problems to solve, so he hired
Gopal to make him laugh.
C This sentence gives one detail from the
third paragraph but does not summarize
Incorrect choices:
the passage as a whole.
A Gopal planned a dinner for the king, but
D This sentence gives one detail from the
this was not his job.
sixth paragraph but does not summarize
the passage as a whole. B Gopal was a jester to the maharaja, not his
servant.
C The maharaja solved the problems himself,
The Maharaja’s Jester but he sometimes needed someone to take
his mind off his problems.
23. Correct response: B
(Identify synonyms) 26. Correct response: C
Jester and fool are similar in meaning; they (Analyze literary elements: plot)
both refer to a person whose job is to entertain The roof of Gopal’s house is leaking and
a king or queen by making him or her laugh. has to be fixed again. His wife wants to live in
a better house, but Gopal is too poor to build
a better house.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
83
26. (continued) Animal Smarts
Incorrect choices:
A Gopal and his wife prepare a large dinner, 29. Correct response: B
so he must have enough money. (Identify antonyms)
The fifth paragraph says that monkeys stayed
B The king still employs the jester and is fond in a place that was safe, but they moved away
of him. from a place if it was dangerous. Dangerous is
D Gopal and his wife may argue, but they the opposite of safe.
seem to get along otherwise.
Incorrect choices:
27. Correct response: B A The word nearby fits in the sentence but is
(Analyze literary elements: plot) not the opposite of safe.
The maharaja tells Gopal that he will send C Feeling scared might result from not being
workers to build a house for him. safe, but these words are not opposites.
Incorrect choices: D The word amazing might describe a place,
but it is not the opposite of safe.
A Gopal does get the ladder, but this does not
solve the problem of needing a new house.
30. Correct response: C
C and D are incorrect. Gopal’s wife makes a (Make inferences)
fine meal, but the problem has been solved Both leopards and eagles will catch and eat
before anyone can eat. a monkey, so the male monkeys make sounds
to warn the females of different dangers.
28. Correct response: D
(Use details or evidence from the text to Incorrect choices:
support ideas) A Many animals live in the jungle, but the
Gopal knows the king well enough to know monkeys would not need specific sounds
that if he is amused and becomes aware of for those that were not dangerous.
Gopal’s situation, then he will offer to build
a house for Gopal and his wife. If he just told B Monkeys do live near these animals,
the maharaja about his problem, it would only but that is not a reason to have sounds
add to his worries. for them.
D Monkeys flee from leopards and eagles;
Incorrect choices: they don’t try to catch and eat them.
A This might show that he is wise or fair-
minded, but it does not show how clever 31. Correct response: B
he is. (Compare and contrast)
B He puts a mattress on the roof of his hut The passage says that parrots can learn to
to pretend it is a throne, but this is not the speak and understand words, and dogs can
main point. understand a human’s commands.

C Gopal sets up the situation so the king can


figure it out himself.

84 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
31. (continued) 34. Correct response: B
Incorrect choices: (Use prefixes and base words to determine word
A The passage says that Alex the parrot could meaning)
count to six and knew what the numbers This word consists of the prefix un- and the
meant, but it does not say that dogs can base word tangle.
understand math.
Incorrect choices:
C Crows can use tools to reach food, but
A Un- is a prefix, not a base word.
dogs and parrots don’t do this.
C Angle is a word, but its meaning is not
D They both understand words, but only
related to untangling a knot.
parrots can speak them.
D Tang is also a word, but its meaning is
32. Correct response: B not related to untangle.
(Identify main idea and details)
This sentence tells what the whole passage 35. Correct response: A
is mainly about. (Make inferences)
Being able to correct other birds means that
Incorrect choices: Alex knows the correct pronunciation of words.
A The passage mentions examples of animals
Incorrect choices:
that are intelligent but does not say that all
animals are. B Alex has a large vocabulary (for a bird), but
you cannot tell this from the fact that he
C Apes and dolphins are mentioned in the
corrects other birds.
next-to-last paragraph, but they are not
the main focus of the passage. C Being able to correct other birds does not
suggest that Alex can communicate with
D This is a supporting detail but not the
other animals.
main idea.
D Alex is correcting other birds, so you could
33. Correct response: A conclude the opposite—that he wants
(Evaluate author’s purpose) them to know what he knows.
Describing Alex’s intelligence gives a
good example to illustrate the main idea
of the passage.

Incorrect choices:
B The author does not explain how parrots
learn language, only that they do.
C The author describes some remarkable
parrots but does not try to persuade any-
one to get a parrot.
D The author shows that some birds are
special, but does not suggest that all birds
are alike.

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85
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 3 Answer Key

1. D 8. D 15. D 22. D 29. A

2. A 9. A 16. D 23. B 30. B

3. C 10. A 17. C 24. B 31. C

4. B 11. B 18. A 25. A 32. D

5. C 12. C 19. B 26. C 33. D

6. C 13. B 20. B 27. D 34. A

7. A 14. A 21. D 28. C 35. C

Answer Key Explanations


A Special Pet 2. Correct response: A
(Identify cause and effect)
1. Correct response: D When Grandpa returned, he said he had a
(Analyze literary elements: plot) little trouble remembering where he had put the
At the beginning of the story, the boys are pet rock.
unhappy because they want a pet, but their
parents have said no. Incorrect choices:
B He knew the boys were waiting for him.
Incorrect choices:
C Grandpa said he might have a solution to
A The boys have not heard of a pet rock until the pet problem but did not say anything
Grandpa shows them one. about taking medicine.
B The boys looked at Grandpa as if he had D The boys looked at his glass animal
“gone around the bend,” but this is not collection, but this was not the reason
presented as a problem. he was gone so long.
C The boys’ allergy to fur is the reason they
can’t have a cat or a dog, but their real 3. Correct response: C
problem is the need for a pet. (Interpret figurative language)
This sentence contains a simile. The light shin-
ing through the glass animals made spots of color
on the floor that looked like candy fruit drops.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
87
3. (continued) Nature’s Helicopters
Incorrect choices:
A There is no mention of a colored rug on 6. Correct response: C
the floor. (Identify main idea and details)
The first paragraph presents the idea
B Light shining through the animals looked that maple trees produce fruits that resemble
like candies, not the animals themselves. helicopters. This is the main idea of the passage
D The colored spots of light looked like can- as a whole.
dies, but there were no candies melting on
the floor. Incorrect choices:
A, B, and D are factual details from the
4. Correct response: B passage but not the main idea.
(Identify sequence of events)
When the boys first see the pet rock, 7. Correct response: A
Christopher says, “That’s dumb.” (Use text features)
You can find the meaning of the word samara
Incorrect choices: by going back to the passage and looking for the
A The boys see the manual after Grandpa word in italics. The second paragraph says that a
tells them about the pet rock. maple fruit is made up of two parts called samaras.
C Grandpa says that he will take the boys to
look for rocks on Saturday. Incorrect choices:
D Grandpa tells the boys about Cheever’s B, C, and D all refer to specific things
tricks after Christopher says, “That’s dumb.” mentioned in the passage, but they do not
give the meaning of samara.
5. Correct response: C
(Analyze characters) 8. Correct response: D
Grandpa seems to enjoy their company (Use graphic features: diagram)
because he helps the boys without being asked, The pictures show the winglike structure of
encourages them to stick around, and offers to maple tree fruits from two kinds of maples.
spend more time with them on Saturday.
Incorrect choices:
Incorrect choices: A The pictures do not contrast maple trees
A He takes their problem seriously enough to with other kinds of trees.
find a solution. B The pictures show maple tree fruits, not
B He responds positively to the boys and flowers.
does not seem to regard their words as C The pictures show a difference in the fruits
complaining. but do not explain why they are different.
D Grandpa helps the boys, not the other way
around.

88 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
9. Correct response: A 12. Correct response: C
(Make connections) (Identify cause and effect)
Since the third paragraph refers to “leaves like The second paragraph says that Edmund
the one on the Canadian flag” but gives no pic- landed on his instrument bag when he fell, and
ture, a picture of the maple leaf on the flag would “the bow had snapped in two.”
be the most useful piece of information to include.
Incorrect choices:
Incorrect choices: A It had just started raining and the fiddle
B The Canadian Forest Service is not relevant was in the bag, so it did not get wet.
to this passage. B The story says that Edmund looked inside
C This passage is about maple tree fruits, not the bag, but it does not say that the bag
other kinds of trees in Canada. opened.
D How to make maple syrup may be related D Edmund put on his red leggings after he
to maple trees, but this information is less fell in the mud, so they did not get dirty.
useful than a picture of the Canadian flag. The story does not say what he was wearing
before that.
10. Correct response: A
(Use prefixes, suffixes, roots, and base words to 13. Correct response: B
determine word meaning) (Analyze characters)
If hundreds of mini-aircraft are hanging from Inventing a new routine at the last minute
trees, then they must be very small. The word shows that Edmund is “quick-witted,” or clever.
part mini- means “small.”
Incorrect choices:
Incorrect choices: A This shows that he is careful or prudent,
B The word fast fits in the context of the not quick-witted.
sentence, but mini- does not mean “fast.” C This shows that he is skillful with his hands,
C The word special fits in the context of the but not quick-witted.
sentence, but mini- does not mean “special.” D Any performer would collect the coins
D The word pretty fits in the context of the offered to him, but this does not show
sentence, but mini- does not mean “pretty.” that he is quick-witted.

14. Correct response: A


Edmund’s Lucky Break (Identify antonyms)
The first paragraph says that the people at the
11. Correct response: B last place were “quite tightfisted,” and Edmund
(Analyze literary elements: setting) hopes that these people would be “more gener-
The best clue to the time of the story is the ous.” These words have opposite meanings.
fact that it takes place in a castle.
Incorrect choices:
Incorrect choices:
B Edmund slipped in the mud and landed
A, C, and D are incorrect. People still play the on his bag, but these words do not have
fiddle and juggle, entertainers may still opposite meanings.
wear red leggings, and people who enter-
C These words describe things that happened,
tain may still eat in the servants’ kitchen.
but they are not opposites.
None of these details indicates that the
story took place long ago. D Play and song are related words but
not opposites.

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89
15. Correct response: D “I’ll Go and Do More”: Annie Dodge
(Summarize) Wanneka (1910–1997)
This answer best summarizes the key ele-
ments of the plot: Edmund runs into a problem 17. Correct response: C
(breaking his bow), solves it, and puts on a (Summarize)
show. This answer best summarizes the key elements
of the passage: Annie Wauneka worked hard to
Incorrect choices: help her people and received many honors for
A This suggests that the lord knew about her work.
Edmund’s broken instrument.
Incorrect choices:
B This does not tell what happened to
Edmund before the show or why he A This answer is vague about what Wauneka
had to try out new tricks. did, and it includes the unnecessary detail
of her date of death.
C Edmund did have problems, but everyone
enjoyed his performance. B This does not describe what Wauneka did
or the honors she received.
16. Correct response: D D This choice describes her childhood but
(Make predictions) not her adult leadership roles and honors.
Edmund needs a job, he has no plans for the
winter, and he seems to like the steward’s offer 18. Correct response: A
because the story says that things “had turned (Use context clues to determine meaning of
out very well after all.” For these reasons, he is unfamiliar words)
likely to stay. The third paragraph says that the flu swept
through the school and some of the students
Incorrect choices: died, so it must have been terrible.
A The show is already over, so he has no
reason to perform a new trick. Incorrect choices:
B He has probably changed out of his B The flu was strong enough to cause
costume already, and he has no reason students’ deaths.
to change into a new one. C The flu may have been painful to people
C He was not very successful at the last place, who got it, but that is not the meaning of
so he is not likely to go back there. dreadful.
D The flu “swept through the school” and some
students died, so it was not slow-acting.

90 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
19. Correct response: B 22. Correct response: D
(Evaluate author’s point of view) (Use details or evidence from the text to
The tone of the passage is positive, and the support ideas)
writer seems to admire Wauneka for what she did. Being reelected many times supports the
idea that people thought she was doing a good
Incorrect choices: job.
A The passage does not suggest that Wauneka
got too much attention; if anything, she Incorrect choices:
may not have gotten enough. A This answer is possible because no one
C Wauneka worked with her father for years, would listen to her radio show if they didn’t
but there is no suggestion that she did not like what she was doing, but it is not the
spend enough time with the rest of her family. best reason.
D Wauneka was clearly respected and ad- B She could work with groups throughout
mired, but is not described as “lovable.” the country regardless of what the Navajo
people thought of her.
20. Correct response: B C Helping people get better homes might be
(Identify cause and effect) part of her work, but it is not evidence that
The second paragraph says that homes on the Navajo people thought she was doing a
the reservation were “too spread out to build good job.
schools near where people lived.”

Incorrect choices: Wind and Music


A This was an effect of having no schools
nearby, not a cause. 23. Correct response: B
(Identify literary genres and their characteristics)
C Some people had money to send their
You can tell that this is a folktale because it
children away to school, so this does not
starts with “Once upon a time,” it takes place
explain why schools were not built nearby.
long ago, two of the main characters have to
D The council knew where the children lived pass a test, and it has a happy ending.
because they determined that they lived
too far apart. Incorrect choices:
A A biography gives factual information
21. Correct response: D about a real person.
(Compare and contrast)
C A news article gives factual information
The passage states that Wauneka was the
about an event that actually happened.
first Native American to receive the Presidential
Medal of Freedom; it does not mention that her D This is similar to a fairy tale in some ways,
father ever received one. but it does not have fairy-tale characters,
such as princesses, talking animals, or ogres.
Incorrect choices:
A Both Henry Chee and his daughter were
tribal leaders.
B Both thought that education was important.
C Both worked on the reservation.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
91
24. Correct response: B 27. Correct response: D
(Analyze literary elements: plot) (Analyze characters)
In the second paragraph, Ming Li tells the two The sixth paragraph suggests that Cheng Wa
women that she wants to see how clever they are. helped the two women because she had been
through a similar situation when she was young.
Incorrect choices:
A Ming Li’s sons were already married Incorrect choices:
to them. A She may have enjoyed their company, but
C Ming Li had a specific purpose for the tasks, this was not the reason she helped them.
not just to get the women out of the house. B She lived in a distant village and did not
D Ming Li was “not an easy person to satisfy,” know Ming Li.
and she showed no signs that she believed C She invited them to her house and to stay
the two women would succeed. the night, so she did not want them to leave
quickly.
25. Correct response: A
(Make inferences) 28. Correct response: C
The daughters-in-law tried to please their (Identify text structure and organization)
mother-in-law by doing what she asked. They The events in the story are presented in
bowed to her and left the next day without chronological order, or the order in which they
argument. happened.

Incorrect choices: Incorrect choices:


B The two women cried because of the diffi- A The story does not have a surprise ending.
culty of the task and their worries that they B The characters could be compared with
might not succeed. one another, but this is not how the author
C They lived in her home because Ming organized the story.
Li’s sons brought them home, as was D The story describes a problem and then
the custom. tells how the women solved it, not what
D They did meet an old woman, but not by caused it.
plan, and meeting her does not show the
women wanted to please Ming Li.
What’s for Breakfast?
26. Correct response: C
(Identify sequence of events) 29. Correct response: A
The story says that she took the women (Identify main idea and details)
to her home and made them tea. The second paragraph gives the main idea,
that people eat different foods for breakfast.
Incorrect choices:
Incorrect choices:
A She gave them the flute and the fan after
she made tea for them. B This sentence is a supporting detail, not the
main idea.
B The women told her their story before she
took them to her home. C This is a detail stated in the passage, but it
is not the main idea.
D They stayed overnight after they had tea
and after they got the flute and the fan. D This statement may be inferred from the
passage, but it is not the main idea.

92 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
30. Correct response: B 33. Correct response: D
(Use context clues to determine meaning of (Evaluate author’s purpose)
unfamiliar or multiple-meaning words) This answer tells the author’s purpose for
This sentence comes from the seventh para- writing the passage as a whole.
graph, which encourages children to eat break-
fast, not miss it on purpose. Incorrect choices:
A and C both reflect some of the factual de-
Incorrect choices: tails given in the passage, but neither one
A, C, and D are all other meanings of the word gives the author’s main reason for writing
skip, but none fits the context of this sentence. the passage as a whole.
B In the last paragraph, the author warns
31. Correct response: C against eating too much for breakfast, but
(Draw conclusions) this is not the author’s main purpose.
The paragraph says that the Welsh love to eat
shellfish and cakes made from seaweed, which 34. Correct response: A
are both products from the ocean, so many (Make inferences)
Welsh people probably live near the ocean. The fifth paragraph says that we got dough-
nuts from the Dutch, and Dutch settlers prob-
Incorrect choices:
ably kept making them after they moved here.
A The paragraph mentions only one food
eaten in Ecuador, not “many kinds of food.” Incorrect choices:
B The paragraph describes a typical Chinese B This detail does not explain why Americans
breakfast, but this does not give any sug- eat doughnuts in particular.
gestion of what else might be sold in C This detail refers to the Dutch, but it does
Chinese stores. not explain why Americans have eaten
D The paragraph says that Russian breakfast doughnuts since the 1600s.
foods sound pretty familiar, except the D This detail does not explain why Americans
pickles, but that does not mean the foods eat doughnuts in particular.
are American.
35. Correct response: C
32. Correct response: D (Use reference aids to clarify meaning: dictionary)
(Use details or evidence from the text to support The dictionary entry for grits says that they are
ideas) made from coarsely ground grain, especially corn.
The passage states that children who eat
breakfast do better in school. Children in very Incorrect choices:
poor countries are not as likely to eat a good
A and B both are based on the first dictionary
breakfast, so they may have trouble learning.
entry, grit.
Incorrect choices: D The word grits came from a Middle English
word meaning “coarse meal,” but this does
A This detail does not relate to learning or
not mean that grits made of corn were first
children going to school.
eaten in England.
B This detail is related to breakfast on a farm,
but not to children and learning.
C This detail is related to breakfast, but not to
children and learning.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
93
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading
Student Scoring Chart Grade 3
Student Name
Teacher Name

No. Correct/
Test 1 Item Numbers Percent (%)
Total
“The Pot of Milk” (folktale) 1–5 /5
“Cuts and How They Heal” (informational) 6–10 /5
“Shelter” (realistic fiction) 11–16 /6
“Bloomers” (informational) 17–22 /6
“A New Day-Care Center” (realistic fiction) 23–28 /6
“Meet the Jelly” (informational) 29–35 /7
Total 1–35 /35

No. Correct/
Test 2 Item Numbers Percent (%)
Total
“The Garden” (realistic fiction) 1–5 /5
“What’s the Most Important Bone?”
6–10 /5
(informational)
“Fox and Big Red Hen” (folktale) 11–16 /6
“Scientists Discover the World’s Largest
17–22 /6
Bug” (informational)
“The Maharaja’s Jester” (folktale) 23–28 /6
“Animal Smarts” (informational) 29–35 /7
Total 1–35 /35

No. Correct/
Test 3 Item Numbers Percent (%)
Total
“A Special Pet” (realistic fiction) 1–5 /5
“Nature’s Helicopters” (informational) 6–10 /5
“Edmund’s Lucky Break” (historical fiction) 11–16 /6
“I’ll Go and Do More” (biography) 17–22 /6
“Wind and Music” (folktale) 23–28 /6
“What’s for Breakfast?” (informational) 29–35 /7
Total 1–35 /35

94 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading
Classroom Scoring Chart Grade 3
Teacher Name

Student Name Test 1 Test 2 Test 3

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
95
Notes:

96 Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources

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