4th Grade "The Ever-Living Tree" Comprehension Assessment

What does the timeline in the article show?

• all the events that occurred before the coast redwood grew

• major world events that were occurring while the coast redwood grew

• how the coast redwood compared to other trees over thousands of years

• only the important events that occurred in Europe while the dinosaurs were alive

Why does the author include icons in the article?

• to show different types of trees

• to compare the past with the present

• to show what plants need in order to grow

• to indicate human events and redwood events

How does the author organize the ideas in this sentence?

Time passed and the new tree grew quickly. It spread its shallow roots far out under the floor of the forest. Its bark grew thicker.

• by sequence of events

• by order of importance

• by problem and solution

• by comparison and contrast

Why does the author include a map in the article?

• to show Columbus' route to the New World

• to show where Alexander's ancient empire was

• to show where redwoods grow around the world

• to show where the African kingdom of Kanem was

What is an example of a simile?

• "They stretched their webs wherever they could."

• "The older sapwood became the heartwood of the tree."

• "The outside of the tree looked like an apartment house for spiders."

• "Dozens of trapping spiders looked for spaces up and down the thick, uneven bark of the tree."

What does the diagram in the article help the reader understand?

• the parts of a glacier

• the parts of a catapult

• the parts of a redwood tree

• the parts of a mountain range

Which of these phrases from the article does NOT help you understand the sequence of events?

• "Years went by"

• "Time went on"

• "until the late fifth century"

• "Almost nine thousand miles southeast"

Which sentence from the article contains a simile?

• "Its new rings of wood grew closer together like pages of a book."

• "Another, smaller fire swept through the forest, clearing away loose brush..."

• "Its twisted roots sent root crown sprouts up...encircling the tree in a fair circle."

• "Dense fibers in the trees snuffed out the flame again before there was any danger."

In the timeline and the text, what does the icon of a ship stand for?

• Europeans' movement to Asia for trade

• Christopher Columbus' voyage to North America

• the shipping of redwood lumber across the Pacific Ocean

• the transplanting of redwood saplings from Europe to North America

Which of these events in the life of the coast redwood happened LAST?

• The sapwood layer developed to carry water and nutrients.

• A new tree began to grow up near the redwood's broken trunk.

• The heartwood layer formed to help the tree stand straight and tall.

• The tree grew to a height of 250 feet and measured 50 feet around the bottom.