Adelina s Whales Use this selection to answer questions 1 10. 1 Look at the chart below and answer the question that follows. Grandfather s boat was nudged by a huge gray whale; Grandfather and his partner got ready to be thrown into the water; For an hour the whale glided beside them; Which of the following belongs in the empty box? A Grandfather and his partner caught many fish. B The whale blew water at the men and then left. C Grandfather and his partner tried to catch the whale. D A team of scientists appeared in another boat. 2 Adelina goes to the beach every day after school in January to F collect shells G swim in the lagoon H watch whales J catch fish 3 The whales go to Laguna San Ignacio once a year to A hibernate for the winter B hide from people C eat mangroves D give birth to their babies Selection Test Grade 4 Unit 5 Week 5 99
4 A whale s flat tail is called a F fin G fluke H blowhole J hammerhead 6 How does Adelina feel about living in Laguna San Ignacio? F She feels lonely because so few people live there. G She gets bored because there are no malls or theaters. H She feels lucky because the gray whales come there. J She becomes confused because two worlds join there. 5 After Grandfather s encounter with the whale, what began to happen? A The whales moved to another lagoon. B People stopped fishing in the lagoon. C Scientists started coming to Laguna San Ignacio. D The gray whales stopped talking in rumbles and clicks. 7 Read this sentence. The whales raise their massive heads out of the water. What does the word massive mean? A Small B Friendly C Smart D Huge 100 Grade 4 Unit 5 Week 5 Selection Test
8 Read this sentence. Adelina s grandfather had an encounter with a whale. The word encounter means F hunt G meeting H struggle J conversation 9 Read this sentence. The whale dove below them and surfaced again on the opposite side of the boat. What meaning of dove best fits the way it is used in this sentence? A A bird related to the pigeon B A person who favors peace over war C Plunged downward into the water D Entered deeply into an activity Selection Test Grade 4 Unit 5 Week 5 101
10 What are some ways that the whales might remain part of Adelina s life in the future? Explain your answer and support it with details from the article. BE SURE YOU HAVE RECORDED ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS ON THE ANSWER DOCUMENT. 102 Grade 4 Unit 5 Week 5 Selection Test
Grade 4 Unit 5 Week 5 Student Name Date Weekly Assessment TESTED SKILLS AND STRATEGIES Reading Comprehension Vocabulary Strategies Spelling Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage
Read this selection. Then answer the questions that follow it. A Whale of a Creature 1 2 3 4 Many people are surprised when they learn that whales are not fish. Even though they live mainly in the water, whales are mammals, as are dogs, apes, and people. The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived. This massive creature can grow to 100 feet long and can weigh more than 150 tons. The ancestors of whales lived on land and, like many other mammals, had four legs. In fact, early whales looked like small dogs. Then, for some reason, they started going into the ocean. Perhaps they were looking for food or trying to escape from enemies. At some point, whales dove into the ocean and stayed there. After they moved into the sea, their bodies slowly changed. Over millions of years, their front legs became flippers and their back legs vanished. The whales we know today are unique sea creatures. One way in which they are different from many sea animals is that they do not lay eggs in the water. Instead, whales give birth to live young. Mothers feed their babies Page 2 318 Grade 4 Unit 5 Week 5
5 6 7 with milk from their bodies. Babies stay with their mothers for several months before they go off on their own. Whales also are warm-blooded; their body temperature is always about the same. Most sea creatures are cold-blooded, which means that their body temperature changes as the temperature of the water around them changes. In addition, whales have lungs and breathe air. They can stay underwater for a long time, but they must come to the surface to breathe. People have hunted whales since early times, when they killed them for their oil and meat. Whale oil was used for cooking and as fuel for lamps. Until the 1970s, whale oil and parts of whales were used to make glue, soap, cosmetics, and medicines. Enormous numbers of whales were killed during much of the 1900s. In fact, scientists began to think that some types of whales might be wiped off the planet. Finally, in the second half of the twentieth century, politicians heard the angry rumbling and open protests of people who wanted to save whales. Many countries now forbid the hunting of whales for commercial purposes. Even so, whales still face danger when they encounter people. Being around humans can be risky. They often become tangled in fishing nets meant for other sea creatures. Also, in some places, whales still are hunted for scientific research. Illegal hunting is yet another problem. So, while people are acting to help save whales, we also remain one of the biggest threats to these magnificent creatures. 1 Whales must come to the surface of the ocean to A get warm B find food C escape from enemies D breathe air Page 3 2 In paragraph 2, the word massive means F fast G ancient H huge J intelligent Grade 4 Unit 5 Week 5 319
3 Look at the chart of information from the story. Ancestors of whales lived on land. Early whales began going into the ocean, and stayed there. Which of these belongs in the empty box? A Whales looked like dogs. B Whales escaped from enemies. C Whales developed flippers. D Whales became fish. 4 What happens after a baby whale is born? F It stays with its mother for several months. G It goes off on its own right away. H It stays underwater for the first year. J It lays some eggs. 5 During the second half of the twentieth century A blue whales grew to be a 100 feet long and 150 tons B countries forbade hunting whales for commercial use C the whales back legs vanished from their bodies D politicians were getting tired of the angry protests Page 4 320 Grade 4 Unit 5 Week 5
6 Which definition of dove best fits the way it is used in paragraph 3? F Jumped into water G A small bird H Something that stands for peace J A person who wants peace 8 In paragraph 7, the word encounter means F help G hunt H meet J save 7 In paragraph 4, the word unique means A scary B friendly C unusual D uninteresting 9 What happened before the hunting of whales for commercial purposes was forbidden? Explain your answer and support it with details from the article. Page 5 Grade 4 Unit 5 Week 5 321
DIRECTIONS Read the introduction and the passage that follows. Then read each question and fill in the correct answer on your answer sheet. Tomas wrote this story. He wants you to help him revise and edit the story. Read the story and think about some changes that Tomas should make. Then answer the questions that follow. Out in the Canoe (1) Last week I went out in my uncle s canoe. (2) We put our little vessle in the back of Uncle Barney s truck and drove to the Mill River. (3) As we paddled up the river, we stayed away from the deep channal where the bigger boats go. (4) We were heading to an island. (5) The island was deserted. (6) We rested and ate our picnic lunch of sandwiches, apples, and brownies. (7) We rested in the warm sunlight. (8) It was the best afternoon I had all spring! Page 6 322 Grade 4 Unit 5 Week 5
10 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 2? F Change vessle to vessel G Insert a comma after truck H Change River to river J Make no change 13 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 8? A Change was to were B Change best to goodest C Change had to have D Make no change 11 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 3? A Change stayed to staying B Change channal to channel C Change bigger to more big D Make no change 12 What is the BEST way to combine sentences 4 and 5? F We were heading to an island, a deserted. G We were heading to a deserted island. H We were heading to an island deserted. J Make no change 14 What is the BEST way to combine sentences 6 and 7? F We rested in the sunlight, and the sunlight was warm, and ate our picnic lunch of sandwiches, apples, and brownies. G We rested and ate our picnic lunch of sandwiches, apples, and brownies in the warm sunlight. H We rested in the warm sunlight and ate our picnic lunch of sandwiches, apples, and brownies. J Make no change Page 7 BE SURE YOU HAVE RECORDED ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS ON THE ANSWER DOCUMENT. Grade 4 Unit 5 Week 5 323
Grade 4 Unit 5 Week 5 Student Evaluation Chart Tested Skills Reading Comprehension: Cause and Effect, 1; Sequence, 3, 4, 5 Number Correct Percent Correct /4 % Short answer: Sequence, 9 /3 % Vocabulary Strategies: Context Clues, 2, 7, 8; Homographs, 6 Spelling: Consonant + le Syllable, 10, 11 Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage: Combining Sentences, 12, 14; Comparing with Good and Bad, 13 /4 % /2 % /3 % Total Weekly Test Score /16 % 324 Grade 4 Unit 5 Week 5