3rd Grade ELA EQT #2 Practice

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COMPREHENSION

Directions Read about an ant and a dove who help each other. Then answer the questions that

follow.

The Ant and the Dove

One day an ant was out for a morning stroll in his neighborhood park. Feeling a little

thirsty, he climbed up on the rim of a fountain and leaned toward the water to get a drink.

PLOP! SPLASH! He tumbled into the water. Sadly, ants can’t swim. He struggled in the

water, afraid that he might drown.

“Help!” he cried, as loudly as he could.

At that very minute, a dove was flying over the fountain and heard the ant’s faint cry

for help. She looked down to find the source of the sound. She saw the ant struggling in

the water. She knew that ants can’t swim.

“How can I help him?” she asked herself. “I can’t fly down and pick him up. I might

crush him.”

The dove thought hard for a minute. Then she flew over to a big oak tree and tore off

a large leaf. Holding the leaf in her beak, she flew back to the fountain and dropped the

leaf in the water, close to the ant.

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The ant looked puzzled until he realized that help had arrived. He quickly climbed up

on the leaf and sailed safely to the edge of the fountain. Waving his thanks to the dove, he

climbed down to the ground.

The next morning the ant was back in the park. It was a lovely day for a walk. The

ant was happily humming his favorite song.

All of a sudden, the ant saw the dove. She was walking along a path, looking for

food. The ant started to shout hello to his friend. Then he noticed a man sneaking up on

the dove. The man had a net in his hand. The ant guessed that the man wanted to capture

the dove in the net.

“How can I help the dove?” the ant thought. “She saved me, and now it’s my turn to

save her. But how can one little ant stop a big man?”

The ant thought hard for a minute. Then he scurried over to the man’s feet and

climbed up the man’s leg. When the ant got to bare skin, he bit the man as hard as he

could.

“Ouch!” yelled the man as he dropped the net. Alerted by the noise, the dove flew

away. As she went, she waved her thanks to the ant.

Moral: One good turn deserves another.

1 Which of these best describes the dove?

A dirty and hungry

B neat and eager

C tricky and mean

D clever and kind

2 Which part of the setting is most important to the events of the story?

F the fountain

G the ground

H the tree

J the sun

3 Which of these best describes the ant?

A big and strong

B smart and caring

C curious and puzzled

D silly and fun

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4 How were the ant and the dove alike?

F They were good at solving problems.

G They enjoyed swimming and other sports.

H They were proud of their good looks.

J They were quiet and patient.

5 In the selection, one way that the ant and the dove were different was

A the dove could walk, but the ant could not.

B the ant could talk, but the dove could not.

C the dove could fly, but the ant could not.

D the dove could swim, but the ant could not.

6 Why did the ant bite the man?

F to get the food he needed

G to stop the man from crushing the ant

H to show the dove how brave he was

J to repay the dove for helping the ant

7 What happened first in the story?

A The man tried to catch the dove.

B The ant fell into the water.

C The dove flew to the tree.

D The ant bit the man.

8 What is the theme of this selection?

F Don’t judge others by the way they look.

G Only say nice things about others.

H Treat others as you would like to be treated.

J Don’t attack others even if they attack you.

9 One way that the ant and the dove were the same was that both

A liked to play in the trees.

B acted without thinking.

C were willing to help others.

D tried to hurt people in the park.

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Directions The game of basketball was invented to solve a problem. Read about this

“invention.” Then answer the questions that follow.

James Naismith’s Problem

James Naismith was a gym teacher with a problem. He had a class of eighteen young

men who were hard to work with. They thought the usual gym exercises were boring.

They hated gym class, and so they misbehaved. Naismith’s boss told him to invent a new

game for the students.

Naismith was a very young teacher. The year before, he had been a student in the

same school. It was December of 1891. The Massachusetts winter was cold, so students

could not play outside. He would have to invent an indoor sport. The game needed to be

easy to learn so he could teach it to his class quickly. It had to be active and interesting.

Above all, it had to be safe–for both the students and the gym.

His boss, Dr. Luther Gulik, had given him fourteen days to come up with an idea that

worked. Naismith first tried to bring outdoor games such as soccer and football inside.

These games weren’t safe, though. Players got hurt on the hard floors. These games

damaged the gym walls and floors. Naismith tried lacrosse, but that led to more injuries.

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Naismith felt discouraged. Then he had the idea of looking at popular team games to

see what they shared. He realized that all the games had a ball. That meant a ball should be

part of his new game. He decided to use a soccer ball. To keep players from getting hurt,

he decided that the players should not tackle each other. The player holding the ball could

not run with it. He decided to put a goal at each end of the gym. Two old peach baskets

were used as goals. He placed these goals above the players’ heads. This meant that

players would throw the ball up in the air toward the goal.

Naismith sat at his desk and wrote thirteen rules for his new game. When the students

came in, Naismith showed them the rules and explained the game. The class formed two

teams, each with nine players. The young men liked the game as soon as they started

playing. When the class was over, Naismith went to Dr. Gulik’s office. He reported that

his problem had been solved. The solution was the new game he called “basket ball.”

10 The main idea of this selection is that James Naismith

F had students who were hard to work with.

G invented basketball to solve a problem.

H was a gym teacher in Massachusetts.

J didn’t want his students to get hurt in the gym.

11 What was Naismith’s problem in this selection?

A He needed a new game to keep his students under control.

B His boss was going to fire him if he couldn’t control his class.

C He didn’t like the cold winter weather.

D He would rather have been a student than a teacher.

12 The fourth paragraph is mostly about

F which outdoor games used a ball.

G how Naismith came up with a new game.

H why Naismith needed to invent a new game.

J how Naismith felt about his job.

13 What problem did Naismith find with playing lacrosse indoors?

A The students didn’t like it.

B Gym windows got broken.

C The equipment was too expensive.

D The players got hurt.

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14 How were all the sports James Naismith studied alike?

F They used a ball.

G They were boring to his students.

H They were played only in the winter.

J They had goals above the players’ heads.

15 Naismith did not allow tackling in his new game because

A Dr. Gulik was against tackling.

B most other games didn’t have tackling.

C he didn’t want players to get hurt.

D his students didn’t like rough games.

16 What did Naismith do first to solve his problem?

F He studied how other games were played.

G He tried indoor soccer and football.

H He talked to his students.

J He wrote the rules for a new game.

17 How did Naismith probably feel about his invention after his class played their first

game?

A surprised that the rules didn’t work

B a little discouraged

C determined to do better

D very pleased

18 What is the author’s main purpose in writing this selection?

F to entertain the reader with a funny basketball story

G to persuade the reader to try playing basketball

H to tell the reader about how basketball began

J to teach the reader how to play basketball

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Saving Hawaiian Monk Seals Marine animal experts are on a mission. They want to save Hawaiian monk seals from

becoming extinct. Extinct means "no longer existing."

Alfonso Romero / sxc.hu

A Monk Seal

Today, about 1,200 seals live near the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Experts fear that

the population will drop in the next five years. "The clock is ticking," says scientist Jen

Palmer.

Experts worry that the seals are not getting enough food. Many of the pups are thin and are

not living past their first few years. Scientists are trying to figure out why.

Other scientists are monitoring the monk seals’ habitat for pollution. A habitat is a place

in nature where an animal or a plant lives. "Every person takes a very tiny bit of the puz-

zle, and you hope at some point you...put it all together and it makes a pretty clear pic-

ture," says scientist Charles Littnan.

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“Saving Hawaiian Monk Seals” Questions

19. The main idea of this passage is:

a. Scientists are trying to find out what is causing the drop in the monk seal population.

b. Scientists are trying to end pollution in the waters around Hawaii.

c. Scientists are urging people to be more aware of the pollution they create.

d. Scientists are trying to learn about what the monk seal eats.

20. Which is not a detail from this passage?

a. Twelve hundred monk seals live near Hawaii.

b. The monk seal population is expected to drop in the next 5 years.

c. Monk seals eat fish and octopus.

d. Many seal pups are not surviving until adulthood.

21. Jen Palmer said, “The clock is ticking.” What does that mean?

a. Palmer is timing how long it takes for a habitat to become polluted.

b. Palmer is timing how long it takes for a monk seal to catch its food.

c. Palmer thinks that the monk seal is waiting for a good time to change their habitats.

d. Palmer is worried that we are running out of time to save the monk seal.

22. The author includes a quote from Charles Littnan, because

a. the author wants the readers to know how the scientists are working together.

b. the author wants to include scientific data from Littnan.

c. the author wants to include a scientist's perspective on the working conditions in

Hawaii.

d. all of the above.

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Explore Our Solar System

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune!

Eight planets orbit, or revolve around, the sun. The planets and the sun are parts of our

solar system.

nasa.gov

Which planet is shown here?

The sun is a star. It is a giant ball of hot gas.

nasa.gov

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Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. It has mountains, cliffs, and plains.

Venus is the hottest planet. It can reach up to 850 degrees. That is hot enough to melt a

rocket ship!

Earth is the planet pictured on the cover. It is our home. It is the only planet that has the

oxygen and water that people, animals, and plants need to live.

Mars is a cold planet. It is sometimes called the Red Planet because it has reddish soil.

Jupiter is the largest planet. It is made of thick gases. If you tried to land a rocket ship,

you would sink into the planet!

Saturn is the second-largest planet. Like Jupiter, it is made mostly of gases. Its rings are

made up of rock, ice, and dust.

Uranus is cold and windy. It was the first planet to be discovered with a telescope, in

1781.

Neptune is called the Blue Planet. It is the coldest planet because it is farthest from the

sun.

Stay Smart!

Ring Around the Planets

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are gas planets. They all have rings. Only Saturn’s

rings are thick enough to be seen easily from Earth.

• To remember the order and

names of the planets, repeat

this silly sentence: My very

excellent mother just served

us nachos.

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“Explore Our Solar System” Questions

23. What is the main idea of this passage?

a. Earth is the only planet in our solar system that has oxygen and water.

b. All of the gas planets in our solar system have rings.

c. Eight different planets and the sun are part of our solar system.

d. Some of the eight planets in our solar system do not have rings.

24. Which of the following details best supports the main idea of the passage?

a. Eight hundred fifty degrees is hot enough to melt a rocket ship.

b. Saturn is the only planet which has rings that are thick enough to be seen easily

from Earth.

c. The order and names of the planets can be remembered by repeating a silly sen-

tence.

d. Eight planets orbit, or move around, the sun in our solar system.

25. Which planets are gas planets?

a. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars

b. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

c. Mercury, Saturn, Earth and Neptune

d. Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Mars

26. Which of the following details best supports the main idea of the passage?

a. The eight planets in our solar system have different characteristics.

b. Neptune is the coldest planet because it is farthest from the sun.

c. Uranus is the first planet to be discovered with a telescope.

d. Four planets in our solar system do not have rings.

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Bringing Books To Life

By Rachelle Kreisman

How do children’s books make the leap to the movies?

Lights, camera, action! Charlotte’s Web is spinning from the page onto the big screen. The movie

hits theaters on December 20 [2006]. It is based on the popular children’s book by E. B. White.

The story is about the unlikely friendship between a pig and a spider.

Many children’s movies, from The Wizard of Oz to Stuart Little, were based on books. However,

bringing a book to life isn’t always easy. "The book is such a classic," Charlotte’s Web director

Gary Winick told WR News. "We had to make sure that all of the wonderful classic moments were

in the film." A classic is a book or another work that stays popular over a long period of time.

Although filmmakers stuck to the book’s plot, they made some changes for the movie. For exam-

ple, new characters—two crows—were added for laughs. "They [are] the comic relief," says Win-

ick.

Filmmakers sometimes have to cut long stories to fit a movie time frame. Turning a short tale, such

as The Cat in the Hat, into a full-length film can be just as hard. At the same time, moviemakers

have to figure out how to stay true to the book.

Timeless Tales

Children’s books continue to inspire filmmakers. That is because many of the stories teach im-

portant lessons about life. Referring to Charlotte’s Web, Winick says, "To learn what loyalty, trust,

and friendship mean is a great thing."

Author Spotlight

E. B. White (1899–1985) was born in Mount Vernon, New York. His full name was Elwyn Brooks

White. He worked as a reporter for several newspapers and magazines. In 1939, White and his

family moved to a farm in Maine. There, he was inspired to write children’s books about animals.

He wrote Stuart Little in 1945. That book was followed by Charlotte’s Web (1952) and The

Trumpet of the Swan (1970). All three books are classics.

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“Bringing Books to Life” Questions:

27. The title “Bringing Books to Life” refers to:

a.) characters from books coming alive.

b.) turning books into movies.

c.) making books popular again.

d.) making stories in books happen in real life.

28. A ‘classic’ is

a.) a very good book.

b.) a very long book.

c.) a very old book.

d.) a very popular book.

29. E.B. White was probably inspired to write Charlotte’s Web because he

a.) lived close to a zoo.

b.) had a lot of pets.

c.) lived on a farm.

d.) didn’t like people.

30. In order for filmmakers to stay “true to the book”, they have to

a.) know the book very well.

b.) have all the same characters in the movie.

c.) keep the movie very short.

d.) ask the author of the book to write the movie.

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Answers

1. d

2. f

3. b

4. f

5. c

6. j

7. b

8. h

9. c

10. g

11. a

12. g

13. d

14. f

15. c

16. g

17. d

18. h

19. a

20. c

21. d

22. a

23. c

24. d

25. b

26. a

27. b

28. d

29. c

30. a