Drawing Inferences

Samantha walked slowly up the steps leading to Mr. Santiago’s front door. Why do I have to be the one to do this? she wondered.

As she neared the front door, she stepped carefully around the broken glass on the porch. "What a mess!" she said quietly. "I hope Mr. Santiago isn’t too angry. Most of all, I hope he will give our baseball back."

Samantha looked behind her before she knocked on the door. She could see her friends hiding behind cars and in the bushes. Their eyes were fixed on her. They also looked ready to run at any moment.

Samantha rolled her eyes at them and turned back to the door. She thought of the time Mr. Santiago threw some pitches with her friends. She also remembered a time he brought juice and cookies to them on a hot day.

She raised her chin and firmly knocked on the door.

What did Samantha and her friends do in this story?

• They went to play at a friend's house

• They cleaned a neighbor's porch.

• They broke a window with a baseball.

• They brought cookies to Mr. Santiago.

Mt. McKinley is more than 20,000 ft. high. It is the highest mountain in North America. It is found in Alaska. Every year, many people try to climb to the top of the mountain. Only a few can make it to the top. The first Native American woman climbed it in 1971. Her name is Betty Menard. Some of the people who try to climb it are very young. Merrick Johnston was the youngest girl to climb the mountain. She was only 12 years old. She climbed it in 1995. Galen Johnston climbed it in 2001. He was only 11.

From the information given, the reader knows that even though they were young, Merrick Johnston and Galen Johnston

• worked best as a team.

• took on challenges.

• made good grades.

• wanted to be famous.

Andy and the New Neighbor

Andy was lonely. He had no brothers or sisters. There were no children in his neighborhood. Andy's parents sometimes played ball and rode bikes with him, but Andy wished that he had a boy his age to play with.

The people who lived in the house next door moved away. Andy heard that someone bought the empty house. He hoped the new family would have a boy—someone who would ride bikes and play ball with Andy.

Andy woke up early Saturday. He heard people talking on the street. He looked out and saw a big, white van. A man was opening the back of the truck. Another man got out of the van and walked around to the back.

After awhile, a white car drove up. First, a man got out. Then, a woman got out. They looked friendly, but Andy was worried they did not have a son.

Finally, the back door opened. A kid got out. It was a girl. The girl's mother said, "Carol, as soon as we get your bike unloaded, you can explore the neighborhood."

Later, Andy got on his bike and rode down the street. The new girl was coming toward him on her bike. She waved and smiled at Andy. Andy waved back half-heartedly. He did not stop to talk. He did not want to talk about dolls and clothes.

That afternoon, Andy saw Carol and her dad in their backyard. They were shooting basketball. Andy watched Carol shoot the ball through the hoop. Then, she did it again. Andy was impressed. Maybe tomorrow he would ask her if she wanted to ride around the neighborhood.

What are the two men in the van doing in this story?

• making breakfast

• playing with Andy

• buying a house

• moving furniture

Giant Pandas

The giant pandas are in danger. There are only 1,100 giant pandas left in the wild. Roads and buildings are being built in the pandas’ homes. Bamboo forests are being destroyed. Now, pandas don’t have as many places to live. The giant pandas once lived in parts of China and Vietnam in Asia. Today, most live in the bamboo forest in Southwest China. Their home continues to get smaller. Many zoos are trying to take care of the giant pandas for future generations. China’s government is trying to help the pandas, too. It has tried to stop people from cutting down bamboo forest so that the pandas will have a place to live.

According to the selection, which statement is true?

• Humans are hurting the giant pandas.

• Pandas are finding new places to live.

• China wants to get rid of the pandas.

• Pandas in the zoos are treated badly.

The Work-Filled Weekend

Daniel carefully scrubbed the front tire with a large sponge that was full of soap and water. He liked to watch the dirt and grime swirl around as it mixed with the soap. It reminded him of what the ocean waves looked like when he had gone to the beach four summers ago.

Suddenly, water squirted on his head as his dad sprayed him with the garden hose and laughed. “It is about time to rinse off, son,” he said.

“Dad, you got water on my glasses,” Daniel said, laughing. He tried to wipe his glasses dry, but his shirt was wet, too.

“Sorry, son,” his dad said, still laughing. “Here, catch.” He tossed Daniel a dry towel and asked, “Did you scrub the driver’s door and the passenger’s door on that side, too?”

“Yes, Sir,” Daniel said after he finished drying his glasses. Daniel liked how his dad looked on Saturdays. He did not wear a suit because he did not have to go to work, and he smiled a lot.

“Michael, your cell phone is ringing,” Daniel’s mom called to his dad from the front door. “Do you need me to answer it?” she asked.

“No, thanks, it can wait until later,” his dad called out. “Right now, I am spending time with Daniel.” He handed the garden hose to Daniel. “After you squirt your mother with that, how about we finish up here and then go clean the garage?” he asked.

Daniel laughed and replied, “Okay, but how about if you read to me from Lord of the Ringsafter that?”

His dad nodded and whispered, “It is a deal.”

What are Daniel and his dad doing in the story?

• They are washing an automobile.

• They are cleaning a lawnmower.

• They are cleaning out a pool.

• They are working in the garden.

Jason stood in the doorway to his bedroom. He didn’t like seeing it empty.

"Goodbye, room," he whispered. "I’ll probably never see you again."

Jason quickly looked behind him after he said the words. His face turned red. Luckily, his brother, Lance, was not standing near him. What would Lance think if he heard Jason talking to a room? Lance would flick my ear, Jason thought. He didn’t want his big brother to think that he was an idiot.

Jason closed the door and walked down the hall. His brother’s room was empty now, too. So was his parents’ room. He looked a long time in each room. He wanted to always remember what they looked like. He dragged his feet as he went downstairs.

What does the reader learn about Lance in this selection?

• He does not want to move.

• He shares a room with Jason.

• He picks on his little brother.

• He talks to empty bedrooms.

Wilma Rudolph

Wilma Rudolph was born on June 23, 1940, in Tennessee. She came from a very big family of 19 children. She was number 17.

At 4 years old, she had polio and scarlet fever. Those were very dangerous diseases for a little child. Because of the polio, she could not use one of her legs. The people in her family rubbed her bad leg every day. She needed to wear leg braces to walk. Eventually, she was able to walk with a special shoe. After about three years, she didn't need the special shoe anymore. At 11 years old, Wilma could finally walk correctly.

In high school, Wilma played basketball and ran track. She broke all the state basketball records. She also won all her track meets. Wilma went to college and started training for the Olympics. In July of 1960, Wilma went to the Olympics in Rome, Italy. She won three gold medals and was called the "World's Fastest Woman." She was later named Female Athlete of the Year.

Which sentence from the article shows that Wilma had a caring family?

• "The people in her family rubbed her bad leg every day."

• "She came from a very big family of 19 children."

• "She was later named Female Athlete of the Year."

• "Those were very dangerous diseases for a little child."

Jason stood in the doorway to his bedroom. He didn’t like seeing it empty.

"Goodbye, room," he whispered. "I’ll probably never see you again."

Jason quickly looked behind him after he said the words. His face turned red. Luckily, his brother, Lance, was not standing near him. What would Lance think if he heard Jason talking to a room? Lance would flick my ear, Jason thought. He didn’t want his big brother to think that he was an idiot.

Jason closed the door and walked down the hall. His brother’s room was empty now, too. So was his parents’ room. He looked a long time in each room. He wanted to always remember what they looked like. He dragged his feet as he went downstairs.

What is Jason doing in this story?

• He is cleaning all the rooms.

• He is getting a new brother.

• He is moving to a new house.

• He is sharing a room with Lance.

The Choir Discovery

Celia clutched her backpack. She was glad she did not have much homework that night. While she waited for her ride home, she decided to look at the bulletin board to see if she could find anything interesting. She noticed one flier that said choir tryouts would be next week in room 213. The flier explained that the choir would be preparing to sing songs from the movie The Sound of Music at the upcoming spring concert. Celia gasped and covered her mouth in excitement.

Her friend Annalise walked up and said, “Okay, I am ready to go home. What are you looking at over here?”

“The Sound of Music!” Celia exclaimed. “I know those songs. Oh, being part of the choir would be so much fun.”

“Are you going to try out?” Annalise asked as the girls walked down the hall past rows of lockers to the door. “I heard that the choir teacher can be very hard, and they usually practice at night.”

Celia laughed and said, “Oh, that would be okay, and my mom could probably pick me up after she gets off work.”

Annalise opened the door for Celia. “How much longer will she have to be working so late? The last time I saw her she looked so tired.”

Celia skipped all the way to Annalise’s parents’ car. “Only until Christmas, and then my brother will come home from college and get a job,” Celia said.

Which of the following sentences best describes Celia?

• She wants a job.

• She likes to sing.

• She likes homework.

• She works too hard.