Unit 4 Assessment

Read this stanza from the passage.

Mouse:

I'm rooting for Hare,

who is flashy and bright.

I'm betting he'll win,

and I'm sure I'll be right.

What does the word rooting mean as it is used in the passage?

• checking

• cheering

• waiting

• watching

Reporter:

A crowd of spectators is gathering here.

They're ready to watch, and they're eager to cheer,

For today is the day of a special road race.

Here come the two runners who'll try for first place.

These two competitors make a strange pair—

A slow, plodding Tortoise and a fast, frisky Hare.

In his colorful outfit, Hare is looking the part.

Wearing only his shell, Tortoise plods toward the start.

Tortoise:

I'll just keep going; it's all I can do.

I know I am slow, but I'm steady, too.

Hare:

Oh, ho—look at me!

I'm as fast as can be!

Today I'm sure to shine,

Victory will be mine.

Mouse:

I'm rooting for Hare,

who is flashy and bright.

I'm betting he'll win,

and I'm sure I'll be right.

I like Tortoise, too—

he's a nice enough guy,

but he can't win the race,

even though he will try.

Reporter:

With a "ready, set, go!" the race has begun.

Hare hops off in a flash—just look at him run!

As everyone knows, Hare is charming and fast,

But his mind often wanders, so his speed may not last.

Tortoise starts slowly; step-by-step he takes off.

He's falling behind, so some people may scoff.

But he sticks to a task, on that you can depend,

His patience may help him to win in the end.

Hare:

Oh, ho—look at me!

I'm as fast as can be!

Today I'm sure to shine,

Victory will be mine.

For me this race will be over in a snap;

I'd still win even if I took a nap.

I can't even see him, he's so far behind.

I'll stop for a snack—the spectators won't mind.

Mmm, look at those carrots, and look at those peas!

I'll eat from this garden as long as I please,

and after I've eaten, I'll lie down to rest.

When I'm feeling tired, I can't run my best.

Reporter:

Hare has fallen asleep, which may not be smart.

When you don't pay attention, your plan falls apart.

And here comes the Tortoise! He's not flashy or fast,

but he seems unwilling to end this race last.

Tortoise:

Oh, me, oh, my, I've traveled a mile,

and I see that Hare has paused for a while.

I'll just keep going; it's all I can do.

I know I'm slow, but I'm steady, too.

Hare:

I've enjoyed a nice rest,

but I'd better get going.

Tortoise might have gone by

without my knowing.

Oh, ho—look at me!

I'm as fast as can be!

Today I'm sure to shine,

Victory will be mine.

Reporter:

Now the great road race is nearing its end.

Here comes the Hare, speeding 'round the bend,

but Tortoise has just stepped over the line—

he got there first! It's his turn to shine!

Mouse:

Wow! Look at Tortoise!

His chances seemed zero,

but he's won the race,

so now he's my hero!

Reporter:

Well, that's it, folks; the race is done.

Hare was favored, but Tortoise won.

Fast and flashy is not always the way;

Sometimes slow and steady wins the day.

Which character in the passage speaks using the third-person point of view?

• Hare

• Mouse

• Reporter

• Tortoise

Reporter:

A crowd of spectators is gathering here.

They're ready to watch, and they're eager to cheer,

For today is the day of a special road race.

Here come the two runners who'll try for first place.

These two competitors make a strange pair—

A slow, plodding Tortoise and a fast, frisky Hare.

In his colorful outfit, Hare is looking the part.

Wearing only his shell, Tortoise plods toward the start.

Tortoise:

I'll just keep going; it's all I can do.

I know I am slow, but I'm steady, too.

Hare:

Oh, ho—look at me!

I'm as fast as can be!

Today I'm sure to shine,

Victory will be mine.

Mouse:

I'm rooting for Hare,

who is flashy and bright.

I'm betting he'll win,

and I'm sure I'll be right.

I like Tortoise, too—

he's a nice enough guy,

but he can't win the race,

even though he will try.

Reporter:

With a "ready, set, go!" the race has begun.

Hare hops off in a flash—just look at him run!

As everyone knows, Hare is charming and fast,

But his mind often wanders, so his speed may not last.

Tortoise starts slowly; step-by-step he takes off.

He's falling behind, so some people may scoff.

But he sticks to a task, on that you can depend,

His patience may help him to win in the end.

Hare:

Oh, ho—look at me!

I'm as fast as can be!

Today I'm sure to shine,

Victory will be mine.

For me this race will be over in a snap;

I'd still win even if I took a nap.

I can't even see him, he's so far behind.

I'll stop for a snack—the spectators won't mind.

Mmm, look at those carrots, and look at those peas!

I'll eat from this garden as long as I please,

and after I've eaten, I'll lie down to rest.

When I'm feeling tired, I can't run my best.

Reporter:

Hare has fallen asleep, which may not be smart.

When you don't pay attention, your plan falls apart.

And here comes the Tortoise! He's not flashy or fast,

but he seems unwilling to end this race last.

Tortoise:

Oh, me, oh, my, I've traveled a mile,

and I see that Hare has paused for a while.

I'll just keep going; it's all I can do.

I know I'm slow, but I'm steady, too.

Hare:

I've enjoyed a nice rest,

but I'd better get going.

Tortoise might have gone by

without my knowing.

Oh, ho—look at me!

I'm as fast as can be!

Today I'm sure to shine,

Victory will be mine.

Reporter:

Now the great road race is nearing its end.

Here comes the Hare, speeding 'round the bend,

but Tortoise has just stepped over the line—

he got there first! It's his turn to shine!

Mouse:

Wow! Look at Tortoise!

His chances seemed zero,

but he's won the race,

so now he's my hero!

Reporter:

Well, that's it, folks; the race is done.

Hare was favored, but Tortoise won.

Fast and flashy is not always the way;

Sometimes slow and steady wins the day.

Which sentence best tells the theme of the passage?

• Winners do not stop trying.

• It is important to learn from mistakes.

• Do not put all your eggs in one basket.

• It is foolish to bite off more than you can chew.

Read these sentences from the passage.

While Doyle may have been delighted to move on, his fans were anything but happy. In fact, they were furious!

Which words are synonyms of furious? Choose two choices to match the word furious.

• frightened

• tired

• angry

• mad

• noisy

Read this sentence from the passage.

Abruptly, the public's favorite crime-fighting duo was gone.

What does the Latin root rupt probably mean in the word abruptly?

• break

• close

• join

• mend

As 1893 drew to a close, the author admitted he had finally had enough. He was weary of writing about the same characters over and over again. He was tired of meeting deadlines. Since he had invented his characters, he knew he could also bring them to a dramatic end whenever he wanted. With the touch of his pen, Arthur Conan Doyle decided to write his last story about the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes.

The End of Sherlock

In the story “The Final Problem,” Sherlock Holmes figured out the last clue, solved the last mystery, and fought his old enemy, Professor Moriarty, for the last time. This time, however, the clever man did not win. Instead he fell over the side of a Swiss waterfall with his enemy. At last, Holmes was gone. Doyle could get back to the style of writing he liked more, historical fiction.

While Doyle may have been delighted to move on, his fans were anything but happy. In fact, they were furious! For years, mysteries about Sherlock Holmes and his faithful sidekick, Dr. John Watson, had been printed in England’s The Strand Magazine. Each issue contained another story. Readers loved discovering the new adventures of Holmes and Watson each month. Thousands of people subscribed to the magazine to read the newest Sherlock adventure as soon as possible. In 1890, the second Sherlock novel penned by Doyle, The Sign of the Four, thrilled readers. Story after story followed with a new adventure every few months. By 1893, everyone was talking about Holmes and Watson. Libraries lost track of the number of readers coming to get copies of the detective tales. Printing presses struggled to keep up with the demand.

Against the Tide of Public Opinion

Abruptly, the public’s favorite crime-fighting duo was gone. Angry readers stood outside the offices of The Strand in protest. Some wore black arm bands as a symbol of their sadness. Others wrote letters to Doyle pleading with him to bring Sherlock back. Hundreds of people cancelled their subscriptions to The Strand. The public outcry came to be known as “the dreadful event.”

The protest by Doyle’s fans was not enough to get him to change his mind. He was firm about leaving Holmes and Watson behind. He was determined to focus his writing on historical events. He wanted to be thought of as a serious writer, not a popular one. Doyle was stubborn, and he did not give in when his friends, and even his mother, begged him to return to the tales of Sherlock Holmes.

Triumphant Return

Finally, however, in 1902, an American publisher made Doyle an offer he could not refuse. He offered the author $5,000 to bring back the beloved detective for one single story. That was an incredible amount of money at the time (it would be worth approximately $135,000 today). Doyle could not resist such a remarkable offer. He wrote the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. He kept writing, too. By the time he finally finished writing about Sherlock Holmes, he had written 56 stories and four novels about Holmes and Watson.

Doyle passed away in 1930. Even at the end, he still was not pleased with his fame as the inventor of one of literature’s most well-known detectives. Many people have wondered what the author would have thought if he had known how he would be viewed over time. Over a century later, his characters and their incredible mystery-solving skills are still popular. In fact, they have been featured in countless short stories, novels, movies, and even television shows. Perhaps he would have been pleased that instead of simply writing about history, his imagination and talent ended up becoming a part of literary history.

Which is most likely the reason that Arthur Conan Doyle stopped writing about Sherlock Holmes?

• Doyle was hoping to write less frequently.

• Doyle wanted to write about other detectives.

• Doyle wanted to write a different type of fiction.

• Doyle was unhappy about the fame he had achieved.

As 1893 drew to a close, the author admitted he had finally had enough. He was weary of writing about the same characters over and over again. He was tired of meeting deadlines. Since he had invented his characters, he knew he could also bring them to a dramatic end whenever he wanted. With the touch of his pen, Arthur Conan Doyle decided to write his last story about the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes.The End of Sherlock

In the story “The Final Problem,” Sherlock Holmes figured out the last clue, solved the last mystery, and fought his old enemy, Professor Moriarty, for the last time. This time, however, the clever man did not win. Instead he fell over the side of a Swiss waterfall with his enemy. At last, Holmes was gone. Doyle could get back to the style of writing he liked more, historical fiction.

While Doyle may have been delighted to move on, his fans were anything but happy. In fact, they were furious! For years, mysteries about Sherlock Holmes and his faithful sidekick, Dr. John Watson, had been printed in England’s The Strand Magazine. Each issue contained another story. Readers loved discovering the new adventures of Holmes and Watson each month. Thousands of people subscribed to the magazine to read the newest Sherlock adventure as soon as possible. In 1890, the second Sherlock novel penned by Doyle, The Sign of the Four, thrilled readers. Story after story followed with a new adventure every few months. By 1893, everyone was talking about Holmes and Watson. Libraries lost track of the number of readers coming to get copies of the detective tales. Printing presses struggled to keep up with the demand.

Against the Tide of Public Opinion

Abruptly, the public’s favorite crime-fighting duo was gone. Angry readers stood outside the offices of The Strand in protest. Some wore black arm bands as a symbol of their sadness. Others wrote letters to Doyle pleading with him to bring Sherlock back. Hundreds of people cancelled their subscriptions to The Strand. The public outcry came to be known as “the dreadful event.”

The protest by Doyle’s fans was not enough to get him to change his mind. He was firm about leaving Holmes and Watson behind. He was determined to focus his writing on historical events. He wanted to be thought of as a serious writer, not a popular one. Doyle was stubborn, and he did not give in when his friends, and even his mother, begged him to return to the tales of Sherlock Holmes.

Triumphant Return

Finally, however, in 1902, an American publisher made Doyle an offer he could not refuse. He offered the author $5,000 to bring back the beloved detective for one single story. That was an incredible amount of money at the time (it would be worth approximately $135,000 today). Doyle could not resist such a remarkable offer. He wrote the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. He kept writing, too. By the time he finally finished writing about Sherlock Holmes, he had written 56 stories and four novels about Holmes and Watson.

Doyle passed away in 1930. Even at the end, he still was not pleased with his fame as the inventor of one of literature’s most well-known detectives. Many people have wondered what the author would have thought if he had known how he would be viewed over time. Over a century later, his characters and their incredible mystery-solving skills are still popular. In fact, they have been featured in countless short stories, novels, movies, and even television shows. Perhaps he would have been pleased that instead of simply writing about history, his imagination and talent ended up becoming a part of literary history.

• The author wants to use these words as a heading for the next section.

• The author wants to explain why Doyle stopped writing about Sherlock Holmes.

• The author wants to tell the reader about why a different style of writing is better.

• The author wants to show the reader Doyle's indecision about writing about Sherlock Holmes.

• The author wants to give the reader a clue about what is coming next for Doyle and Sherlock Holmes.

Read the sentence from the passage.

Thousands of people subscribed to the magazine to read the newest Sherlock adventure as soon as possible.

Which best matches the meaning of “subscribed to”?

• paid extra money for

• bought their friends copies of

• rushed to the library to look for

• signed up to get future issues of

Read this sentence from the passage "Bessie Coleman and Me."

Many people paid me compliments on my performance, including my brother Jeremy.

Which word from the sentence has a positive connotation?

• paid

• compliments

• performance

• brother

Read this sentence from the passage.

Bessie's popularity grew, and she became a local hero. She was even nicknamed "Queen Bess."

What is the meaning of the root in the word popularity?

• loved by many

• in charge of a lot

• given many names

• known in a small area