GMAS BLAST OFF/4th grade

Multiple Choice

Earthquakes

Earthquakes start deep beneath the Earth's surface. The outer layer of the Earth is called the crust. It is made up of plates that are always slowly moving past one another, side to side and up and down. This causes the Earth's rocks to rub against and slide past each other, which creates a break in the crust called a fault. Faults can be deep below the Earth's surface, or they can be seen at the top. Some are short and others are very long. The San Andreas Fault, which caused a huge earthquake in San Francisco in 1906, is 600 miles long! As the movements of the plates travel away from the fault, they cause the rocks in the Earth to vibrate for many miles around. These vibrations make the ground split open, and this is what we call an earthquake. Some earthquakes are so small that we don't feel them. Others are very powerful and can cause a lot of destruction.

What is the main idea of this passage?

• how to prepare for an earthquake

• the different layers of the Earth

• how earthquakes start

Multiple Choice

Earthquakes

Earthquakes start deep beneath the Earth's surface. The outer layer of the Earth is called the crust. It is made up of plates that are always slowly moving past one another, side to side and up and down. This causes the Earth's rocks to rub against and slide past each other, which creates a break in the crust called a fault. Faults can be deep below the Earth's surface, or they can be seen at the top. Some are short and others are very long. The San Andreas Fault, which caused a huge earthquake in San Francisco in 1906, is 600 miles long! As the movements of the plates travel away from the fault, they cause the rocks in the Earth to vibrate for many miles around. These vibrations make the ground split open, and this is what we call an earthquake. Some earthquakes are so small that we don't feel them. Others are very powerful and can cause a lot of destruction.

The plates that make up the crust are always

• vibrating

• slowly moving past one another

• very short in length

Multiple Choice

Earthquakes

Earthquakes start deep beneath the Earth's surface. The outer layer of the Earth is called the crust. It is made up of plates that are always slowly moving past one another, side to side and up and down. This causes the Earth's rocks to rub against and slide past each other, which creates a break in the crust called a fault. Faults can be deep below the Earth's surface, or they can be seen at the top. Some are short and others are very long. The San Andreas Fault, which caused a huge earthquake in San Francisco in 1906, is 600 miles long! As the movements of the plates travel away from the fault, they cause the rocks in the Earth to vibrate for many miles around. These vibrations make the ground split open, and this is what we call an earthquake. Some earthquakes are so small that we don't feel them. Others are very powerful and can cause a lot of destruction.

A break in the crust is called ____

• a fault

• a plate

• an earthquake

Multiple Choice

Coins

Have you ever noticed that United States dimes, quarters, half-dollars, and silver dollars have ridges around their edges? Some people think this is just for decoration, but the ridges were actually designed for a very important reason. When coins were first being made, real gold or silver was used, and the coins did not move have ridges. The value of each coin depended on the amount of gold or silver in it. But some dishonest people played a trick on others to get more money for themselves. They filed off the edges of the coins so that they were no longer worth as much, but then sold them for their original value in gold or silver. To keep this from happening, the government started making the coins with ridges on the edges. If a coin had been filed, it would be easily noticed. Today, our coins are not made of pure gold or silver, but the ridged edges remain, since people are used to seeing them that way.

What is the main idea of this passage?

• why coins have ridges around their edges

• the value of different coins

• what coins are made of today

Multiple Choice

Coins

Have you ever noticed that United States dimes, quarters, half-dollars, and silver dollars have ridges around their edges? Some people think this is just for decoration, but the ridges were actually designed for a very important reason. When coins were first being made, real gold or silver was used, and the coins did not have ridges. The value of each coin depended on the amount of gold or silver in it. But some dishonest people played a trick on others to get more money for themselves. They filed off the edges of the coins so that they were no longer worth as much, but then sold them for their original value in gold or silver. To keep this from happening, the government started making the coins with ridges on the edges. If a coin had been filed, it would be easily noticed. Today, our coins are not made of pure gold or silver, but the ridged edges remain, since people are used to seeing them that way.

What dishonest trick did some people use to get money for themselves?

• They made ridges on the edges of the coins.

• They melted more gold or silver into the coins.

• They filed off the edges of the coins and sold them for their original value.

Multiple Choice

Coins

Have you ever noticed that United States dimes, quarters, half-dollars, and silver dollars have ridges around their edges? Some people think this is just for decoration, but the ridges were actually designed for a very important reason. When coins were first being made, real gold or silver was used, and the coins did not move have ridges. The value of each coin depended on the amount of gold or silver in it. But some dishonest people played a trick on others to get more money for themselves. They filed off the edges of the coins so that they were no longer worth as much, but then sold them for their original value in gold or silver. To keep this from happening, the government started making the coins with ridges on the edges. If a coin had been filed, it would be easily noticed. Today, our coins are not made of pure gold or silver, but the ridged edges remain, since people are used to seeing them that way.

To stop dishonest people, the government _______?

• started using more gold or silver to make each coin

• started making the coins with ridges on the edges

• stopped using gold and silver to make coins

Multiple Choice

Making Paper

Paper is usually made from wood. Wood from trees is taken to a paper mill and cut into chips. The chips are placed into huge vats. Then, they are boiled and stirred with chemicals until they become soggy and mushy. At this stage the paper is called "pulp." The pulp is washed and bleached to make the paper white, and clay or chalk is added. The paper is now called "stuff." Since writing paper needs to have a smooth finish, cotton and other fibers are added to the stuff as it goes through a stack of heavy polished rollers. These rollers weigh thirty tons! The stuff is emptied into a machine that has a screen to drain off the water. The fibers that are left are pushed together into a thin sheet. The sheet goes through a set of felt-covered rollers that press any leftover water out of the paper.

What is the main idea of this passage?

• what paper is used for

• the machines used to make paper

• how paper is made

Multiple Choice

Making Paper

Paper is usually made from wood. Wood from trees is taken to a paper mill and cut into chips. The chips are placed into huge vats. Then, they are boiled and stirred with chemicals until they become soggy and mushy. At this stage the paper is called "pulp." The pulp is washed and bleached to make the paper white, and clay or chalk is added. The paper is now called "stuff." Since writing paper needs to have a smooth finish, cotton and other fibers are added to the stuff as it goes through a stack of heavy polished rollers. These rollers weigh thirty tons! The stuff is emptied into a machine that has a screen to drain off the water. The fibers that are left are pushed together into a thin sheet. The sheet goes through a set of felt-covered rollers that press any leftover water out of the paper.

What happens to paper at the "pulp" stage?

• It is washed and bleached to make it white, and clay or chalk is added.

• Cotton and other fibers are added to it.

• It is emptied into a machine that has a screen to drain off the water.

Multiple Choice

Making Paper

Paper is usually made from wood. Wood from trees is taken to a paper mill and cut into chips. The chips are placed into huge vats. Then, they are boiled and stirred with chemicals until they become soggy and mushy. At this stage the paper is called "pulp." The pulp is washed and bleached to make the paper white, and clay or chalk is added. The paper is now called "stuff." Since writing paper needs to have a smooth finish, cotton and other fibers are added to the stuff as it goes through a stack of heavy polished rollers. These rollers weigh thirty tons! The stuff is emptied into a machine that has a screen to drain off the water. The fibers that are left are pushed together into a thin sheet. The sheet goes through a set of felt-covered rollers that press any leftover water out of the paper.

After wood chips are boiled and stirred with chemicals inside vats, they form a substance called _________

• stuff

• pulp

• paper

Multiple Choice

Sloths

Sloths are the slowest mammals on earth. It takes a full minute for a sloth to move 6 feet across the ground. You probably couldn’t move that slowly if you tried! The sloth’s body is about 2 feet long. It has long legs, and curved claws that are 3 to 4 inches long. Their claws and their long legs help them climb trees and hang from tree branches. They spend almost their entire lives hanging from tree branches. The life of a sloth is not very exciting.

Sloths have a round head, small ears, a stubby tail, and sad-looking eyes set in a dark-colored “mask.” The shape of a sloth’s mouth makes it look like it is always smiling. It has extra bones in its neck that make it possible for it to turn its head almost all the way around. Sloths are very cute to look at, but they don’t put on much of a show.

Sloths are home to other plants and creatures. Tiny plants grow on the sloth’s fur, making the animals appear to be green. This green color makes the sloths almost invisible against the green leaves of the trees they live in. Moths and insects also live in the sloth’s fur. Maybe the sloths move so little and so seldom that the small creatures that live on them don’t even know they are animals.

Giant sloths the size of elephants once lived in many places on earth, including North America. Today, sloths can be found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. They eat leaves and berries. A sloth can stick its tongue out 12 inches. Maybe they developed this skill so they wouldn’t have to move to reach the tasty leaves and berries around their resting spot. Their main enemies are jaguars, eagles, and snakes. Many tropical forests are disappearing, along with the sloths that live there. It would be a sad thing if these fascinating little animals became extinct.

What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

• Sloths are the slowest mammals on earth.

• It takes a full minute for a sloth to move 6 feet across the ground.

• The sloth’s body is about 2 feet long.

• The life of a sloth is not very exciting.

Multiple Choice

Sloths

Sloths are the slowest mammals on earth. It takes a full minute for a sloth to move 6 feet across the ground. You probably couldn’t move that slowly if you tried! The sloth’s body is about 2 feet long. It has long legs, and curved claws that are 3 to 4 inches long. Their claws and their long legs help them climb trees and hang from tree branches. They spend almost their entire lives hanging from tree branches. The life of a sloth is not very exciting.

Sloths have a round head, small ears, a stubby tail, and sad-looking eyes set in a dark-colored “mask.” The shape of a sloth’s mouth makes it look like it is always smiling. It has extra bones in its neck that make it possible for it to turn its head almost all the way around. Sloths are very cute to look at, but they don’t put on much of a show.

Sloths are home to other plants and creatures. Tiny plants grow on the sloth’s fur, making the animals appear to be green. This green color makes the sloths almost invisible against the green leaves of the trees they live in. Moths and insects also live in the sloth’s fur. Maybe the sloths move so little and so seldom that the small creatures that live on them don’t even know they are animals.

Giant sloths the size of elephants once lived in many places on earth, including North America. Today, sloths can be found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. They eat leaves and berries. A sloth can stick its tongue out 12 inches. Maybe they developed this skill so they wouldn’t have to move to reach the tasty leaves and berries around their resting spot. Their main enemies are jaguars, eagles, and snakes. Many tropical forests are disappearing, along with the sloths that live there. It would be a sad thing if these fascinating little animals became extinct.

What is the main idea of the second paragraph?

• Sloths have a round head, small ears, and sad-looking eyes.

• The shape of a sloth’s mouth make it look like it is always smiling.

• A sloth can turn its head almost all the way around.

• Sloths are very cute to look at.

Multiple Choice

Sloths

Sloths are the slowest mammals on earth. It takes a full minute for a sloth to move 6 feet across the ground. You probably couldn’t move that slowly if you tried! The sloth’s body is about 2 feet long. It has long legs, and curved claws that are 3 to 4 inches long. Their claws and their long legs help them climb trees and hang from tree branches. They spend almost their entire lives hanging from tree branches. The life of a sloth is not very exciting.

Sloths have a round head, small ears, a stubby tail, and sad-looking eyes set in a dark-colored “mask.” The shape of a sloth’s mouth makes it look like it is always smiling. It has extra bones in its neck that make it possible for it to turn its head almost all the way around. Sloths are very cute to look at, but they don’t put on much of a show.

Sloths are home to other plants and creatures. Tiny plants grow on the sloth’s fur, making the animals appear to be green. This green color makes the sloths almost invisible against the green leaves of the trees they live in. Moths and insects also live in the sloth’s fur. Maybe the sloths move so little and so seldom that the small creatures that live on them don’t even know they are animals.

Giant sloths the size of elephants once lived in many places on earth, including North America. Today, sloths can be found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. They eat leaves and berries. A sloth can stick its tongue out 12 inches. Maybe they developed this skill so they wouldn’t have to move to reach the tasty leaves and berries around their resting spot. Their main enemies are jaguars, eagles, and snakes. Many tropical forests are disappearing, along with the sloths that live there. It would be a sad thing if these fascinating little animals became extinct.

What is the main idea of the third paragraph?

• Sloths are home to other plants and creatures.

• Tiny plants grow on the sloth’s fur.

• The plants that grow on the sloth make the sloth green.

• Moths and insects live in the sloth’s fur.

Multiple Choice

Sloths

Sloths are the slowest mammals on earth. It takes a full minute for a sloth to move 6 feet across the ground. You probably couldn’t move that slowly if you tried! The sloth’s body is about 2 feet long. It has long legs, and curved claws that are 3 to 4 inches long. Their claws and their long legs help them climb trees and hang from tree branches. They spend almost their entire lives hanging from tree branches. The life of a sloth is not very exciting.

Sloths have a round head, small ears, a stubby tail, and sad-looking eyes set in a dark-colored “mask.” The shape of a sloth’s mouth makes it look like it is always smiling. It has extra bones in its neck that make it possible for it to turn its head almost all the way around. Sloths are very cute to look at, but they don’t put on much of a show.

Sloths are home to other plants and creatures. Tiny plants grow on the sloth’s fur, making the animals appear to be green. This green color makes the sloths almost invisible against the green leaves of the trees they live in. Moths and insects also live in the sloth’s fur. Maybe the sloths move so little and so seldom that the small creatures that live on them don’t even know they are animals.

Giant sloths the size of elephants once lived in many places on earth, including North America. Today, sloths can be found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. They eat leaves and berries. A sloth can stick its tongue out 12 inches. Maybe they developed this skill so they wouldn’t have to move to reach the tasty leaves and berries around their resting spot. Their main enemies are jaguars, eagles, and snakes. Many tropical forests are disappearing, along with the sloths that live there. It would be a sad thing if these fascinating little animals became extinct.

What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

• Sloths the size of elephants once lived on earth.

• Today, sloths live in the tropical forests of Central and South America.

• A sloth can stick its tongue out 12 inches.

• It would be sad if sloths became extinct.

Open Ended

Sloths

Sloths are the slowest mammals on earth. It takes a full minute for a sloth to move 6 feet across the ground. You probably couldn’t move that slowly if you tried! The sloth’s body is about 2 feet long. It has long legs, and curved claws that are 3 to 4 inches long. Their claws and their long legs help them climb trees and hang from tree branches. They spend almost their entire lives hanging from tree branches. The life of a sloth is not very exciting.

Sloths have a round head, small ears, a stubby tail, and sad-looking eyes set in a dark-colored “mask.” The shape of a sloth’s mouth makes it look like it is always smiling. It has extra bones in its neck that make it possible for it to turn its head almost all the way around. Sloths are very cute to look at, but they don’t put on much of a show.

Sloths are home to other plants and creatures. Tiny plants grow on the sloth’s fur, making the animals appear to be green. This green color makes the sloths almost invisible against the green leaves of the trees they live in. Moths and insects also live in the sloth’s fur. Maybe the sloths move so little and so seldom that the small creatures that live on them don’t even know they are animals.

Giant sloths the size of elephants once lived in many places on earth, including North America. Today, sloths can be found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. They eat leaves and berries. A sloth can stick its tongue out 12 inches. Maybe they developed this skill so they wouldn’t have to move to reach the tasty leaves and berries around their resting spot. Their main enemies are jaguars, eagles, and snakes. Many tropical forests are disappearing, along with the sloths that live there. It would be a sad thing if these fascinating little animals became extinct.

What is one interesting detail from the last paragraph?