Understanding Author’s Craft #1

If you like to have fun, join the Special Events Club. This club plans the special days at our school. Will we celebrate Crazy Hat Day, Riddle Day, or Explorer Day? Join the Special Events Club, and you will help decide. Come to our next meeting because planning is half the fun!

 

What does the writer want the reader to believe?

• This club is better than any other club.

• Crazy hat Day is the best special event

• It is fun to be in the Special Events Club

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RI.3.2

The morning sun cast a soft glow over the opening in the forest. Marta rested a tree stump and breathed in the fresh air. It was full of the scent of pine needles and flower blossoms. She heard two mockingbirds singing together and saw a butterfly flutter past. Marta wished every morning could be exactly like this one.

 

What best describes the mood of the passage?

• spooky

• peacful

• exciting

There is a fun way to keep your written thoughts private. You can make a secret language. The writer Beatrix Potter had a secret way of writing. She used the alphabet to make her own language. This kind of language is called a code. She used this code to keep her thoughts and feelings private. Anyone can make a secret language.

Which shows why a person might want a secret way to write?

• It will help keep a person’s written words private.

• Some famous writers wrote in a secret way

• A person’s new way of writing will become famous.

The two boys and their father trudged along the mountain path. Their feet ached and the sun felt hot on their backs. They still had over two miles to go. They felt they were moving like turtles.

 

What does the author mean by They felt they were moving like turtles?

• They are pretending to be turtles.

• They are walking very slowly.

• They are limping in the sun.

Tags

CCSS.L.3.4A

CCSS.L.3.5A

CCSS.RL.3.4

Airplanes are one of the world’s greatest inventions. Before airplanes, it was much harder for people to travel long distances. When people traveled far, it could take weeks by car or even months by ship. Airplanes changed that. Travelers can now get to where they’re going in a matter of hours.

What idea does the writer want readers to agree with?

• traveling is easier now

• it is fun to visit new places

• ships are uncomfortable

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.3.1

Thunder rolled across the sky, shaking the house as if it were made of cards. The wind howled and moaned. The children tiptoed down the stairs holding tightly to the railing. The sounds of the storm had made it impossible for them to stay upstairs. They decided they wanted to be downstairs with their parents.

Which describes the mood of the passage?

• hopeless

• calm

• alarming

The real path to getting and staying fit is to exercise you heart, lungs, muscles, and joints every day. Choose exercise that is fun for you. Ride a bike or take a walk. If you prefer the encouragement of a group, then why not start some sort of ball game? Many fun exercise options cost little or nothing. A rubber ball, a pair of sneakers and a jump rope can keep you moving for hours.

What is the purpose of this article?

• To entertain people with funny stories about exercising

• To inform people about expensive exercise equipment

• To persuade people that exercise can be easy and fun

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.3.1

Ricky and Noah read the sign on the bulletin board. There was going to be a neighborhood park clean-up day on Saturday afternoon. Noah wanted to take part in the cleanup. Ricky said he would rather do something else.

“But Ricky,” Noah explained, “track season is over so we don’t have to practice. There’s nothing good on TV on Saturday afternoon. Besides, we use the park a lot, so we should help keep it clean.”

Which is the best reason for Ricky to help?

• There is nothing good on television on Saturday afternoon.

• Track season is over so they don’t have to go to practice.

• They use the park a lot, so they should help keep it clean.

Tree squirrels are very clever animals. I once watched a squirrel steal someone’s lunch. A family had put their picnic basket on a table and walked away. The squirrel watched the family leave, and then climbed onto the table. It opened the basket and removed a treat. Then it quickly scampered to a nearby tree and ate the food.        

 

How does the author support the claim that tree squirrels are clever?

• By describing how a tree squirrel stole a lunch

• By showing how a tree squirrel scamper up a tree.

• By explaining how families eat picnic lunches in the park

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CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.3.1

Snakes have very interesting skin. When a snake grows too large for its skin, it will shed the outer layer by wiggling out of it. The new skin is beneath the old layer. Young snakes shed more than older snakes. However, snakes keep growing their whole lives.

What does the writer think about snakes?

• Snakes are interesting creatures.

• Only some snakes can shed skin.

• Older snakes are more interesting.

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CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.3.6

CCSS.RL.3.1