4th GRADE: Unit 1 USA Review (passage 2&3)

Part A Read this sentence from paragraph 1. “I am ten years old, and I am pointing toward my future.”

How does the phrase pointing toward my future add meaning to the passage?

• It shows that the author is able to predict the future.

• It shows how much the experience of seeing the whales affected the author.

• It shows that the author knew that she was going to live near Puget Sound someday.

• It shows that the author made the same journey that the whales described in the passage did.

Part B Which sentence from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?

• “It’s a picture of me on the deck of a ferry crossing Puget Sound.” (paragraph 1)

• “The ferry continued on, and the whales were soon out of sight.” (paragraph 2)

• “Before long, I discovered the story of the whales I’d seen.” (paragraph 3)

• “That’s why I decided to become a marine scientist.” (paragraph 4)

Which two details could be used to create a summary of the passage?

• The author keeps her favorite photo on her desk.

• Whales can survive only in warm-water environments.

• The author continues to observe and perform research on whales.

• After first seeing whales, the author wanted to learn more about them.

• Pacific gray whales follow different migration patterns from other whales.

Select two phrases from the passage that show the author’s perspective on whales.

• “pointed excitedly” (paragraph 1)

• . “the size of my school bus” (paragraph 2)

• “migrates every year” (paragraph 3)

• “ready to live there” (paragraph 3)

• “beautiful creatures” (paragraph 4)

Part A What is the central idea of this passage?

• Each year, Pacific grey whales travel from Alaska to Mexico.

• The author has very fond memories of her childhood on Puget Sound.

• An experience from the author’s childhood led to a lifetime of curiosity.

• Whale watching is a popular activity for people in the Puget Sound area.

Part B Which sentence from the passage supports the answer to Part A?

• “It’s a picture of me on the deck of a ferry crossing Puget Sound.” (paragraph 1)

• “But my head was filled with questions about them.” (paragraph 2)

• “The whales’ round-trip journey is 12,500 miles long.” (paragraph 3)

• “People who live along the coast watch for glimpses of them as they travel by.” (paragraph 4)

Read this sentence from paragraph 2. “‘This is like looking for a needle in a haystack,’ Nina grumbled.”

How does the phrase like looking for a needle in a haystack add meaning to the passage?

• It shows that Nina feels they are unlikely to see a whale.

• It shows that Nina knows the whales are hiding but her sister does not.

• It shows that Nina knows the bay is not where whales ever swim.

• It shows that Nina is afraid of what will happen when they see a whale.

Choose two sentences that could be used to create a summary of the passage.

• The sisters had soup and sandwiches for lunch.

• Val and Nina were about to return to shore when Nina saw a whale spouting.

• Val and Nina were in a motorboat in the bay, searching for whales.

• The breaching whale made waves that rocked the sisters’ boat.

• Val saw a news story the day before.

Which two sentences reveal how Nina’s perspective about whales changes toward the end of the passage?

• “Nina nodded gratefully, and Val reached for the lunch she’d packed for the day—sandwiches and thermoses of hot soup.” (paragraph 6)

• “Val grabbed her binoculars and handed them to Nina.” (paragraph 7)

• “Nina breathlessly reported what she could see through the binoculars.” (paragraph 9)

• “As if to answer Nina’s question, the whale suddenly breached.” (paragraph 10)

• “With a laugh, Nina told Val she wasn’t in a hurry anymore to head back to shore.” (paragraph 11)