NamE Date rskills Progress Monitoring Test 4a Directions: This is a reading test. Follow the directions for each part of the test, and choose the best answer to each question. sample Questions Sample A. The barn was old but in good shape. The house was old, too. A well-kept garden was nearby. Cows stood in the field. Juana liked being here. Where does this story take place? A in a city B near a lake C on a farm D in a forest Sample B. The past tense form of go is A went. B going. C goes. D goed. See p. 290 for scoring. Go on to the next page to begin the test. 85
Test 4a, page 2 Comprehension Read this passage. Then answer questions 1 5 by filling in the circle next to the best answer. A Surprising Invader Cows may seem like harmless animals. They spend most of their time eating and walking around. Cows are helpful to humans. They provide us with milk and beef. In parts of the American West, however, cows are alien invaders. For many years, cows have grazed on public lands in the western United States. In some places, they drive out native animals like elk. Cows sometimes eat the same food as elk. So the elk must go elsewhere for food. Cows also destroy plants. Sometimes too many cows live in one place. They eat almost everything that grows there. After a while, few plants are left. Cows can even damage streams. As they walk to a stream to drink, cows trample its banks. Cows also eat plants that grow nearby. Without plants to hold the soil in place, the stream gets muddy when it rains. The muddy water can harm the fish that live there. 1. Which answer best summarizes this passage? A Elk eat the same food as cows. B Muddy water can affect the fish in a stream. C Cows often damage land on which they graze. D Cows are harmless animals. 86 READ 180 rskills Tests
Test 4a, page 3 2. What is one effect of cows grazing on public lands? A Plants grow more quickly. B Elk are driven away. C It rains more often. D Fish learn to live in muddy streams. 3. What can cause the problem of muddy streams? A Cows crowd together in one place. B Cows eat the same food as elk. C Cows trample stream banks and eat plants that hold soil in place. D Cows provide milk and beef. 4. How are cows and elk different? A Elk are native animals in the West, but cows are not. B Cows and elk eat different food. C Cows eat things elk don t like. D Elk like streams with muddy water, but cows do not. 5. Why do cows go to streams? A They like to cool off. B They like to eat fish. C They want to drink water. D They are hiding from elk. GO ON 87
Test 4a, page 4 Read this passage. Then answer questions 6 10 by filling in the circle next to the best answer. You Can t Stop These Teens Roderick Green and Jake Repp are amputees. They are also Paralympic athletes. The Paralympic Games are the second largest sporting event in the world. The Paralympics are similar to the Olympics, but only athletes who are also amputees may participate. Roderick grew up with 12 brothers and sisters. He never let his disability get in the way of his dreams of being an athlete. When he was a teenager, he played football and basketball for his high school team. Roderick was so good at basketball that he got a scholarship to play at college. Teenager Jake Repp saw Roderick playing basketball on TV one day. Jake was 15 when he found out he had cancer. His leg had to be amputated. He was an athlete before the surgery. Afterward, Jake still ran track and field at his high school. Jake went to meet Roderick and they made a deal. If Jake made his school s basketball team, Roderick would try track and field. Jake made the team, so Roderick tried track and field. A few months later, Roderick made the 2000 Summer Paralympics. Jake is now training for the Paralympics. Jake and Roderick have always believed in their dreams. 88 READ 180 rskills Tests
Test 4a, page 5 Paralympics Athletes, 1972 2004 4000 Number of Athletes 3000 2000 1000 0 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 Source: www.paralympic.org (accessed 1/12/05) 6. Why was Jake Repp s leg amputated? A He wanted to run track. B He had cancer. C He wanted to be in the Paralympics. D He wanted to meet Roderick Green. 7. What best explains why Roderick Green tried track and field? A He wanted to be in the Paralympics. B He wasn t very good at football. C He was tired of basketball. D He promised to try track and field if Jake made the basketball team. GO ON 89
Test 4a, page 6 8. What problem was solved by the creation of the Paralympics? A Amputee athletes could not participate at the Olympic level. B Amputee athletes could not run track and field. C Olympic athletes could not play basketball. D Professional athletes could not compete in the Olympics. 9. How are Roderick and Jake most similar? A They both got basketball scholarships. B They both ran track and field in high school. C They both have large families. D They both overcame disabilities to follow their dreams. 10. How does the number of Paralympic athletes competing in 1984 compare to the number competing in 1972? A The number of athletes is about 1,000. B The number of athletes has stayed the same. C The number of athletes has decreased. D The number of athletes has increased. 90 READ 180 rskills Tests
Test 4a, page 7 Vocabulary/Word Study Read each question and decide which is the best answer. Fill in the circle next to the answer you have chosen. 11. Which is the correct plural form of berry? A berries B berrys C berryes D berryss 12. Which word best completes this sentence? A stack of A dishess B dishs C dishss D dishes was on the table. 13. Evelyn liberated her spider from his cage so her friends could pet him. In this sentence, liberated means A put back. B set free. C fed. D changed. GO ON 91
Test 4a, page 8 14. Luis and his mother arranged the chairs neatly around the table. In this sentence, arranged means A painted again. B sat in. C put in order. D could not find. 15. What does the idiom wet blanket mean in this sentence? Pablo was a wet blanket at the party because he kept telling boring stories. A someone who takes the fun out of things B someone who doesn t know how to swim C someone who doesn t know when to be quiet D someone who speaks too quickly 16. What does the idiom in hot water mean in this sentence? You will be in hot water with the coach if you miss practice again. A in the swimming pool B in first place C in a meeting D in trouble 17. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. That fish is three A foot B foots C footes D feet long! 92 READ 180 rskills Tests
Test 4a, page 9 18. The government pays a bounty for every coyote or wolf that is caught. In this sentence, bounty means A reward. B meal. C worker. D uniform. 19. Miguel is a rookie this year, but he learns fast. In this sentence, rookie means A teacher. B player. C beginner. D hero. 20. Jan tried to keep a straight face as she told the joke. What does keep a straight face mean in this sentence? A sound funny B not laugh C change voices D look mean GO ON 93
Test 4a, page 10 Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Read each question and decide which is the best answer. Fill in the circle next to the answer you have chosen. 21. Which pronoun best fits the blank in this sentence? Dad saw Tomás and Nicole, so he invited A they B them C him D her to the party. 22. Which is the best way to correct this sentence? The motel didn t have no rooms for us. A No motel didn t have any rooms for us. B The motel didn t have none rooms for us. C The motel didn t have any rooms for us. D No motel didn t have no rooms for us. 23. Look at the underlined word(s) in each sentence. Choose the sentence with the correct form of adjective. A This is the more big tree in the forest. B This is the bigger tree in the forest. C This is the most big tree in the forest. D This is the biggest tree in the forest. 24. Choose the sentence that shows the correct use of quotation marks. A Kenisha said, Let s watch a movie tonight. B Kenisha said, Let s watch a movie tonight. C Kenisha said, let s watch a movie tonight. D Kenisha said, Let s watch a movie tonight. 94 READ 180 rskills Tests
Test 4a, page 11 25. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. I called Sonya s house, but A her B she C us D them did not answer. 26. Which sentence is written correctly? A The park ranger didn t see nothing. B The park ranger did not see nothing. C The park ranger didn t not see anything. D The park ranger didn t see anything. 27. Choose the word or words that best complete the sentence. Before the game, Lenny felt than his teammates. A most nervous B nervouser C more nervous D nervousest 28. Which sentence uses quotation marks correctly? A Naomi asked, Where did Ronald go? B Naomi asked, Where did Ronald go? C Naomi asked, Where did Ronald go? D Naomi asked, Where did Ronald go? GO ON 95
Test 4a, page 12 29. How should the underlined part of the sentence below be written to create a parallel structure? Hideo completed a slow, carefully, and quiet inspection of the room. A slow, careful, and quiet B slowly, careful, and quiet C slowly, carefully, and quietly D slowly, careful, and quietly 30. How can the sentence below best be rewritten? People visit the park for hiking and to camp. A People visit the park to hike and for camping. B People visit the park for hiking and camping. C People visit the park for camping and to hike. D People visit the park to camp and for to hike. 96 READ 180 rskills Tests
Test 4a, page 13 Open Response Go back to the passages on pages 2 and 4 to answer these questions. Write your answers in your own words. Use complete sentences. 31. Look at the passage A Surprising Invader. What effect do cows have on elk? 32. Look at the passage You Can t Stop These Teens. Write two sentences summarizing how Roderick and Jake overcame disabilities. GO ON 97
Test 4a, page 14 Writing Read the prompt. Write your essay on the lines below. If you need more space, continue writing on separate paper. Describe a place where you like to go. When you write your essay, remember to tell what you are describing, use details to make your description interesting, and use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. STOP 98 READ 180 rskills Tests