Unit 1: 4.R.2.A.a Test Review

Reorder the following in the correct order of a summary.

• wanted

• then

• but

• somebody

• so

Cathy was sleepy. She had stayed up too late watching television, and then she had to get up early to pick up her friend for school. She could barely keep her eyes open during computer class. At one point, she even dozed off in the middle of playing the Splat game! It was her favorite game, but even the cars buzzing off of the computer screen couldn't keep her eyes open. Poor Cathy! She didn't want to get in trouble for sleeping in class.

   Cathy remembered a comic book she once read. A boy in the comic pasted pictures of eyeballs over his eyelids. That way, he could sleep, but it looked like his eyes were open! She decided to try it. She drew some eyes on a scrap of paper and taped them to her eyelids, then she fell asleep. It worked for a few minutes, but then Mr. Chalmers caught her. He said, "Nice try, Cathy! Wake up!"

Which line best shows an idea that is important to include in a summary of this story?

• ...but then Mr. Chalmers caught her.

• . . . she had to get up early to pick up her friend . . .

• It was her favorite game . . .

• Poor Cathy!

Cathy was sleepy. She had stayed up too late watching television, and then she had to get up early to pick up her friend for school. She could barely keep her eyes open during computer class. At one point, she even dozed off in the middle of playing the Splat game! It was her favorite game, but even the cars buzzing off of the computer screen couldn't keep her eyes open. Poor Cathy! She didn't want to get in trouble for sleeping in class.

   Cathy remembered a comic book she once read. A boy in the comic pasted pictures of eyeballs over his eyelids. That way, he could sleep, but it looked like his eyes were open! She decided to try it. She drew some eyes on a scrap of paper and taped them to her eyelids, then she fell asleep. It worked for a few minutes, but then Mr. Chalmers caught her. He said, "Nice try, Cathy! Wake up!"

Which is the best summary of this story?

• Cathy stayed up too late watching television so she was too sleepy for school. She could not keep her eyes open. She put fake eyes on her face, and she pretended to be asleep.

• Cathy loved playing Splat!, but she was sleepy because she stayed up too late. So, she decided to tape pictures of eyeballs on her eyelids, so she could sleep without anyone knowing. Then Mr. Chalmers caught her.

• Cathy knew she had to get up early, but she decided to stay up late and was tired. So, she decided to play a trick on her teacher, Mr. Chalmers. She drew eyeballs on a scrap of paper and taped them to her eyelids. Then Mr. Chalmers did not believe her.

• Cathy wanted to play the Splat game on her computer, but she was too sleepy to play. She had to get to school early. So, she fell asleep in class. Then Mr. Chalmers caught her.

Nature's Water Park

by Audge Podge

"Rain, Rain, go away. Come back another day!" whined Melana and her sister, Kelly, as they stared at their soaked backyard. "You two should go outside and play," said Mom. "Mom, the weather is awful. Look! The rain is pouring," Melana said. "So," said Mom. "So?" the girls asked." The weather is warm, so you will not catch a cold. There is not any thunder or lightning to worry about," Mom explained. "This is the perfect time for both of you to play in the rain." "Play in the rain?" Melana asked. "Sure," said Mom. "Think of it as nature's water park. I especially like it because admission is free." Kelly and Melana stared at Mom to make sure she was serious, and Mom finally asked, "Well, what are you two waiting for?"

With that, Melana and Kelly scooted out the door. They danced around in the rain and splashed in puddles all afternoon. The rain made playing on the backyard swing even more fun. They never thought that a rainy day could be so exciting.

What is the best way to describe the plot of this story?

• 1. Melana and Kelly are upset about the rain. Mom tells them to play outside anyway, and

     they have fun.

• 1. Melana and Kelly whine about the rain, but Mom promises to take them to a water park when the rain stops.

• 1. Mom forces Melana and Kelly to go outside. Because the weather is rainy, the girls end up catching colds.

• 1. Kelly and Melana play in the rain. They have fun, but Mom is upset that they get so wet and dirty.

Nature's Water Park

by Audge Podge

"Rain, Rain, go away. Come back another day!" whined Melana and her sister, Kelly, as they stared at their soaked backyard. "You two should go outside and play," said Mom. "Mom, the weather is awful. Look! The rain is pouring," Melana said. "So," said Mom. "So?" the girls asked." The weather is warm, so you will not catch a cold. There is not any thunder or lightning to worry about," Mom explained. "This is the perfect time for both of you to play in the rain." "Play in the rain?" Melana asked. "Sure," said Mom. "Think of it as nature's water park. I especially like it because admission is free." Kelly and Melana stared at Mom to make sure she was serious, and Mom finally asked, "Well, what are you two waiting for?"

With that, Melana and Kelly scooted out the door. They danced around in the rain and splashed in puddles all afternoon. The rain made playing on the backyard swing even more fun. They never thought that a rainy day could be so exciting.

What is the solution to the girls' problem?

• 1. Their mother suggests that the girls wear their raincoats.

• 1. The girls play outside in the rain as their mother suggests.

• 1. Their mother suggests that the girls put on dry clothes.

• 1. The girls play indoor games as their mother suggests.

Nature's Water Park

by Audge Podge

"Rain, Rain, go away. Come back another day!" whined Melana and her sister, Kelly, as they stared at their soaked backyard. "You two should go outside and play," said Mom. "Mom, the weather is awful. Look! The rain is pouring," Melana said. "So," said Mom. "So?" the girls asked." The weather is warm, so you will not catch a cold. There is not any thunder or lightning to worry about," Mom explained. "This is the perfect time for both of you to play in the rain." "Play in the rain?" Melana asked. "Sure," said Mom. "Think of it as nature's water park. I especially like it because admission is free." Kelly and Melana stared at Mom to make sure she was serious, and Mom finally asked, "Well, what are you two waiting for?"

With that, Melana and Kelly scooted out the door. They danced around in the rain and splashed in puddles all afternoon. The rain made playing on the backyard swing even more fun. They never thought that a rainy day could be so exciting.

What is one lesson of the story?

• Parents must give permission for activities.

• 1. Bad weather always ruins plans.

• Fun can happen in unexpected ways.

• Water parks are fun to visit in the rain.

Not Taco Chico
by Tirzah Tyler 

After work, Mrs. Garza was hungry. She decided to go to Taco Chico to buy dinner for herself and her family. Since she felt too tired to cook dinner, she was excited about her decision. She called her husband to tell him that she would bring dinner home. She drove her car to the Taco Chico drive through and said to the speaker, "I would like 14 tacos, please." "That will be $15.24," said a man's voice through the speaker.
     Mrs. Garza drove her car to the drive-through window and realized that she did not have any money with her. Her excitement became sadness. "I am sorry," she told the man. "I will not be able to buy food here after all." She drove home and began to cook dinner like she usually did.
     While Mrs. Garza was frying corn tortillas in oil, Mr. Garza walked into the kitchen. "What is for dinner?" he asked with a smile. "Not Taco Chico," Mrs. Garza replied grumpily. She did not like to cook. "What is wrong?" Mr. Garza asked with a frown. "I did not have any money with me, so I could not buy dinner at Taco Chico," Mrs. Garza replied. "I am sorry to hear that," Mr. Garza said. "You are usually in a bad mood whenever you have to cook." "I know," Mrs. Garza said. "I will probably feel better after I eat." "I have always liked your cooking," Mr. Garza said cheerfully. Mrs. Garza smiled. She did not feel tired anymore.

Drag the events into the correct order (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)

• Mrs. Garza drives to Taco Chico.

• Mrs. Garza talks to Mr. Garza in the kitchen.

• Mrs. Garza orders dinner for her family.

• Mrs. Garza sees that she does not have any money.

• Mrs. Garza smiles and no longer feels tired.

Reorder the following the elements of plot.

• exposition

• resolution

• climax

• falling action

• rising action

The Boy and the Peanuts

A boy put his hand into a pitcher full of peanuts. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold. Then, he tried to pull out his hand, but he could not get his fist out of the pitcher. He was unwilling to let go of his peanuts, but at the same time was unable to take out his hand. He burst into tears and bitterly cried about his disappointment. An old man saw the boy and said to him, "Be satisfied with half the quantity, and you will be able to remove your hand."

adapted from "The Boy and the Peanuts" by Aesop

What is the theme of this selection?

• 1. Children should eat healthy foods.

• 1. Old men do not have good ideas.

• 1. Peanuts will make you hungry.

• 1. Greed can get you into trouble.

The Surprise
by Barbara Paulsen

     Emma and Stacey were like two peas in a pod. They had done everything together since the day they met in first grade, and that's why Emma was especially upset when Stacey started acting mysterious. "What are you doing?" Emma would ask when she would happen upon Stacey writing something after school. Stacey would quickly shuffle her papers and grin innocently at Emma. "Nothing," she would say.

After a week of secrets, Emma found herself walking home alone for the first time since first grade. Kicking a stone moodily, she was just deciding that Stacey didn't want to be her friend anymore when she heard footsteps behind her and turned to find Stacey running to catch up. "Can you stop by my house?" Stacey asked breathlessly, pushing a backpack that looked heavier than usual back on her shoulder. "What do you have in there?" Emma asked. "It's a surprise," Stacey said. "I wish I knew what was going on," Emma said, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Just come with me," Stacey said. Reluctantly, Emma agreed.

As they walked in the front door of Stacey's house, Stacey pulled something large and bulky out of her backpack and handed it to Emma. Emma looked down at a photo album with a picture of the two of them, arms slung over each other's shoulders, on the cover. "Friends" the album cover said. Inside were carefully labeled photos from their years together. "I've been working on this all week," Stacey said. Emma grinned, happy to know that her best friend had been hiding such a wonderful surprise.

Which is NOT an effect of Stacey giving Emma the picture album?

• Emma gets angry at Stacey for keeping it a secret.

• Emma is surprised by the gift.

• Emma is happy to know Stacey is still her best friend.

• She learns what the surprise is.