PERFORMANCE: Informational Text Review Name: # RI4.1 RI4.2 RI4.3 RI4.4 RI4.5 RI4.7 RI4.8 RI4.10 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area. Describe the overall structure (e.g. chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text. Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g. in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears. Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text. By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. 3 5 6 8 24 SCORE: 1 2 3 1 7 13 15 23 26 SCORE: 1 2 3 9 14 22 SCORE: 1 2 3 2 4 16 17 19 27 SCORE: 1 2 3 10 18 28 SCORE: 1 2 3 11 20 21 29 SCORE: 1 2 3 12 25 30 SCORE: 1 2 3 All Questions SCORE: 1 2 3 Directions: The following article is about a tiny but deadly frog. Read this article. Then answer the questions. Some questions may ask you about certain paragraphs. The paragraphs are numbered on the left side. The Poison Dart Frog By: Jeanette Jenkins Deep in the lowland rainforest of Colombia, South America, lives a tiny, beautiful frog. Only two inches long and completely golden yellow in color, it looks almost like a toy. But don t touch. Touching this frog can kill you. In 1973, scientists discovered this frog. The Embera Choco people of this region have known this frog for generations as the poison dart frog. Before guns arrived in the rain forest, the Choco people hunted with blowguns made from palm wood. Darts used in the blowguns were dipped into a very strong poison. This poison comes from the poison dart frog. Small pores all over the frog s skin secrete this colorless, odorless poison. Many frogs secrete poisons to protect them from predators, but the poison of the poison dart frog is 20 times more deadly than any other frog. One poison dart can kill 20,000 mice. One drop (200 micrograms) is enough to kill a grown man. The poison itself is a chemical which causes muscle contractions that lead to heart failure. The poison this frog secretes is one of the most toxic poisons known. If the frog is lethal to the touch, how do the Choco hunters dip their darts? The hunter simply holds down a poison dart frog with a stick and rubs the dart across the frog s back. That s all it takes. When dry, the dart will be poison for a year. When the dart finds its target, often a bird, the hunter carefully removes the dart to use again. He then cuts away any part of the carcass the dart touched. Even that could be poisonous if eaten.
The poison dart frog has only two natural enemies, the Choco blowgunners and a frog-eating snake. Of all the rain forest creatures, only this snake is able to eat the frog and live to eat again. When approached by would-be predators, the poison dart frog does not try to escape or hide. This bold behavior is unusual in the animal world. Many predators sense danger and retreat when they can t scare this little frog. But if they go ahead and take a bite, it will be their last. The poison dart frog has been known to hop to within an inch of scientists studying the species. The scientists know to back away. Rifles are replacing blowguns in the Colombian rain forest. As years pass, the blowgunners skills will be forgotten. The tiny, golden poison dart frog will have one less enemy. 1. What is the central idea in this article? A) The frog s poison is powerful and useful B) Predators retreat when they meet the tiny and beautiful frog. C) The frog lives deep in the rain forest. D) Darts dipped in the frog s poison are used as weapons. 2. In paragraph 5, the word carcass means A) strong poison B) palm wood C) dead body D) dry stick 3. The Choco people use poison dart frogs to A) make medicine from darts B) study the effects of the frog s poison C) trap dangerous snakes D) hunt with darts dipped in the frog s poison 4. In paragraph 7, what does the word retreat mean? A) back away B) scream loudly C) hop up and down D) act surprised and confused 5. Based on the article, a Choco blowgunner most likely uses darts to A) kill animals for food B) scare away enemies C) capture frogs D) cut meat 6. Where is the frog s poison located? A) in its muscles B) on its skin C) in its mouth D) on its feet 7. Which question about the poison dart frog does this article answer? A) How long does the frog live? B) What does the frog eat? C) How does the frog make its poison? D) What enemies does the frog have? 8. If a predator comes near a poison dart frog, what will the frog most likely do? A) move toward the predator B) remain in the same spot C) jump away from the predator D) hide among the leaves 9. According to the passage, how do poison dart frogs protect themselves from predators? A) The frogs avoid the Choco hunters when they see them. B) The frogs hide in the rainforest. C) The frogs excrete darts when near the water. D) The frogs emit poison from small pores. 10. How is The Poison Dart Frog mainly organized? A) The text uses cause and effect to explain why the poison dart frog is endangered. B) The text uses chronological order to explain the growth of the Choco population over time. C) The text uses description to explain the physical features of the frogs and their interactions with predators. D) The text uses compare and contrast to compare the dart frogs to the Choco people.
11. What is the purpose of Integrating information from the text with the map of South America that is overlaying a map of the United States? A) to provide a reference for the size of the region in South America that the frog inhabits. B) to show that South America as a continent is much larger than the country of the United States. C) to show that the poison dart frog can be found in both the United States and South America. D) to show how Choco people have immigrated to the United States over time. 12. Poison dart frogs do not feel threatened when approached by predators. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? A)...the Choco people hunted with blowguns made from palm wood. B)...the poison dart frog does not try to escape or hide. C) One poison dart can kill 20,000 mice. D) The poison dart frog has only two natural enemies. You re a Poet, Now Let Them Know It, by Lee Pelham Cotton Your poems are a hit with your family and friends. What about taking the next step--sharing your work with a large audience? If you ve dreamed of having your poems appear in print or win a prize in a contest, read on To Market, to Market Your school s literary magazine, your hometown newspaper, and local contests for National Poetry Month are all great places to start submitting your work. Visiting the periodicals section of the library will reveal more markets. Check out writers guidelines on the web sites of promising magazines. Poet s Market lists over 1,500 magazines, books, and contests of interest to poets, including nearly 100 markets in its Poetry by Children section. It also offers great how-to publishing information, interviews, and articles. Entering contests prompts you to write about new subjects and try different poetic forms. The National Federation of State Poetry Societies sponsors dozens of contests annually, some just for students. Playing the Game If you want your manuscript to be considered seriously by editors and contest judges, take their rules seriously. Follow the rules and you ll be ahead of the game! Don t give up! And be patient. Editors often receive thousands of submissions a year. Don t stop writing. Don t stop submitting. Don t give up. Keep Good Records Start a loose-leaf notebook containing all your poems, with a Fate of sheet for each. Every time you submit a poem, note the date, the market, and the outcome of the submission. Neatness Counts Print a new copy of your manuscript for each submission, using white paper and a black font that s easy to read. Double-check for spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors. And always include an SASE so the editor can get back to you. If at First You Don t Succeed Rejection is a part of the publishing process, especially for beginning writers. Don t let rejection make a quitter out of you! Keep resubmitting your poems-you may be just one market or submission away from success. Some Useful Terms Editor The person who selects manuscripts for a publication Manuscript Your poem, whether in paper or electronic form Market A publication or contest that is interested in receiving submissions Rejection When your work is not chosen for a publication SASE A stamped, self-addressed envelope, usually a #10 business size Submission The writing you offer to an editor or contest Submit To offer your writing to an editor or contest Writer s guidelines Describe what kind of poems a publication is interested in seeing as well as the rules for submitting manuscripts.
13. Which statement summarizes the text? A) The library has a lot of good information to help people write poems. B) Be sure to follow all grammar rules when writing a poem. C) A person who writes poems should submit them for publishing. D) Many people write poems and never get published. 14. According to the selection, why is it important to visit the library? A) to find information about upcoming contests B) to find a quiet place to write poetry C) to learn what judges are looking for D) to publish a book of poetry 15. Which summarizes the section Playing the Game? A) checking for spelling errors B) never give up C) send gifts to the judges D) follow the rules 16. Based on paragraph 5, what does considered mean? A) stopped for B) left alone C) tested on D) thought about 17. Based on the selection, what are grammatical errors? A) Mistakes in libraries B) Mistakes in drawings C) Mistakes made in reading D) Mistakes made in writing 18. Why did the author include a list of useful terms at the end of this selection? A) to help the reader understand the meaning of unfamiliar words B) to explain the steps in submitting a poem to a magazine C) to give a summary of the steps for publishing a poem D) to tell how to pronounce unfamiliar words 19. In the selection, what is a publication? A) a tool used to send manuscripts B) an idea for poems that are edited separately C) a group of writings that are printed together D) an envelope used to hold written work 20. According to the chart, what is a submission? A) a group of people who read poems sent to a magazine B) a contest that is interested in receiving poems C) the writing that is sent to an editor D) a list of rules for entering a writing contest 21. According to the text and the chart, what is important to include with each poem sent to a publisher? A) a self-addressed, stamped envelope B) a list of dates that each poem was written C) an ink pen D) a notebook The Twilight of the Italian Social Club During the 1800s and 1900s, immigrants from all over the world began moving to New York City in large numbers. They were coming to seek a better life for their families. Often, immigrants of a certain ethnicity lived in the same neighborhood. In New York, many Italians lived in neighborhoods like Little Italy, in Manhattan. Many of the families lived in cramped apartment buildings, called tenements. Because the tenements were so small, people spent a lot of time outside. Some ethnic groups formed organizations called social clubs. These social clubs were housed in small clubhouses where people, particularly men, could hang out and talk.
The social clubs became the centers of many neighborhoods. They were places where men could gather after work and where families could gather on special occasions. During holidays, many of the social clubs threw parties. If a family in the neighborhood needed help, the social club might get together to help them. Membership in these clubs was a privilege. A member was required to pay dues to the club. When a neighborhood boy was allowed to join his local social club, it was like a rite of passage for him. It meant that he was one step closer to becoming a man. Perhaps the group of people with more social clubs than anyone was the Italians. Italians had social clubs not just in Little Italy, but in many other neighborhoods, like Bensonhurst and Carroll Gardens, in Brooklyn. The Italians saw these clubs as an important way of maintaining their native heritage. Sometimes, members of some of the clubs would be from the same region of Italy. While the members of the clubs were all Americans, they still celebrated certain Italian holidays. Many of the clubs would play Italian music and cook Italian food. Local politicians would often drop by the clubs at election time, to try and get votes. However, as New York has changed, many of these Italian clubs have disappeared. Italians have moved out of Manhattan and Brooklyn to other areas, such as the borough of Staten Island and the state of New Jersey. As other groups have moved into these ethnic neighborhoods, the membership of many of the clubs has declined. As members have gotten older or died, fewer younger Italians have taken their place. This has led to many of the social clubs closing. While New York used to have dozens of Italian social clubs, only a handful are now left. Today, however, some of these social clubs are still going strong. For example, the Van Westerhout Cittadini Molesi, in Brooklyn s Carroll Gardens neighborhood, still has several hundred members. The club was founded by men who had emigrated from a small town in Italy, Mola di Bari. Now, most of the members are from other places, but they are still of Italian descent. While many of them still live in Carroll Gardens, some live in other neighborhoods but still drop by the club to see their old friends and neighbors. The clubs that remain continue to be important parts of the neighborhoods. Every July 4, one of the clubs in Carroll Gardens holds a party to which everyone in the neighborhood, Italians and non-italians alike, is invited. The social club fills a pool in the parking lot and serves pasta and cannoli, an Italian dessert. This is a nice way for people in the neighborhood to get to know each other more over Italian food. The neighborhoods around the remaining Italian social clubs are more diverse now. You can find not just from Italy, but also from dozens of countries, each with different ideas and rituals. These clubs have evolved to help unite people from many different cultures, but they continue to preserve a specific ethnic tradition. 22. What is a social club? A) another name for a dance club B) a gathering place for Italians C) an organization formed by ethnic groups where people could gather D) a club for young socialites 23. What does the author describe in the passage? A) past and present Italian social clubs in New York City B) the trials immigrants faced on their journey to America C) a large party held by Van WEsterhout Cittadini Molesi D) the process by which young boys were allowed to join social clubs 24. What can be concluded from the following sentences? They were places where old men could gather after work and where families could gather on special occasions...when a neighborhood boy was allowed to join his local social club, it was like a rite of passage for him. It meant that he was one step closer to becoming a man. A) Both men and women could become members of social clubs. B) Membership at the social clubs was mostly for men. C) Boys were allowed to join social clubs at age eighteen. D) Women were never allowed in social clubs.
25. Italian social clubs were considered influential forces in the community. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? A) Italians had social clubs not just in little Italy, but in many other neighborhoods. B) A member was required to pay dues to the club. C) While the members of the clubs were all Americans, they still celebrated Italian holidays. D) Local politicians would often drop by the clubs at election time, to try and get votes. 26. What is this passage mainly about? A) the role of social clubs in New York City B) the creation of Little Italy in New York City C) the poor living conditions for immigrants in the 1800s and 1900s D) the diversification of former Italian neighborhoods in New York City 27. Read the following sentence: The neighborhoods around the remaining Italian social clubs are more diverse now. You can find people not just from Italy, but also from dozens of countries, each with different ideas and rituals. These clubs have evolved to help unite people from many different cultures What word best replaces evolved? A) mutated B) decided C) grown D) decreased 28. How is The Twilight of the Italian Social Club mainly organized? A) The text uses cause and effect to explain the extinction of Italian social clubs. B) The text uses chronological order to explain the growth, development, and changes to Italian clubs over time. C) The text uses problem and solution to explain how tenements helped provide housing for immigrants. D) The text uses compare and contrast to explain how Italian social clubs were related to social clubs in other cities. 29. Which sentence from the text would make the best caption for the photograph that accompanies the text? A) Many of the clubs would play Italian music and cook Italian food. B) A member was required to pay dues to the club. C) The Italians saw these clubs as an important way of maintaining their native heritage. D) Because the tenements were so small, people spent a lot of time outside. 30. The Italian social clubs are still active. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? A) Italians saw these clubs as an important way of maintaining their native heritage. B) Many of the clubs would play Italian music and cook Italian food. C) Every July 4, one of the clubs in Carroll Gardens holds a party to which everyone in the neighborhood is invited. D) As members have gotten older or died, fewer younger Italians have taken their place.