STAAR review

Read the passage below and answer the question:

Maya and Lucas were best friends. One day, Maya realized she had lost her lunchbox. She was very upset, but Lucas offered to help her find it. They searched all over the school and finally found it in the playground. Maya was so relieved and thanked Lucas for his help.

What is the best summary of the story?

• Maya and Lucas eat lunch together every day.

• Maya loses her lunchbox, and Lucas helps her find it.

• Lucas forgets his sandwich, so Maya shares hers.

• Maya gets a new lunchbox from the lost and found.

Answer explanation

The best summary captures the main events of the story: Maya loses her lunchbox, and Lucas helps her find it. The other options do not accurately reflect the key actions and emotions in the passage.

Read the passage below and answer the question:

Maya was worried when she couldn't find her lunchbox. She searched everywhere but couldn't locate it. Just as she was about to give up, Lucas came over and handed her the lunchbox with a smile. Maya was relieved and grateful. What is the most likely reason Maya smiled at the end of the story?

• She was excited to ride the bus again.

• She remembered she had another lunchbox at home.

• She was happy Lucas helped her and found her lunchbox.

• She found a new sandwich in the classroom.

Answer explanation

Maya smiled because she was relieved and grateful that Lucas helped her find her lunchbox, which was the source of her worry.

Read the passage below and answer the question:

Maya was frantic. "It was right here this morning!" she exclaimed, looking around the playground. Lucas noticed her distress and approached her. "Don’t worry, Maya. Let’s retrace your steps," he suggested calmly. They walked back to the classroom and checked under her desk. "Thanks for helping me, Lucas," Maya said with a smile.

Which sentence from the passage shows that Lucas is a helpful friend?

• “It was right here this morning!”

• “Don’t worry, Maya. Let’s retrace your steps.”

• “Thanks for helping me, Lucas,” Maya said with a smile.

• They walked back to the classroom and checked under her desk.

Answer explanation

The sentence "Don’t worry, Maya. Let’s retrace your steps." shows Lucas's helpfulness as he offers to assist Maya in finding what she lost, demonstrating his supportive nature.

Read the following passage to answer the question:

Once upon a time, in a small village, there were two best friends, Tom and Jerry. One day, Tom forgot his lunch at home, and he was very hungry. Jerry noticed this and decided to share his lunch with Tom. This act of kindness made their friendship even stronger.

What lesson can the reader learn from this story?

• Always eat your lunch quickly.

• You should keep your backpack zipped.

• It's better to bring your lunch than buy it.

• Good friends help each other when there's a problem.

Answer explanation

The story illustrates that true friendship involves helping each other in times of need, as shown when Jerry shares his lunch with Tom. This highlights the importance of support among friends.

Read the following passage and answer the question below:

In the story, Sarah retraced her steps through the park, trying to find her lost keys. She remembered sitting on a bench and walking past the fountain. She hoped to find them before it got dark.

What does the word retraced mean in paragraph 3?

• Drew a picture

• Thought about lunch

• Went back to check places she had been

• Walked quickly to the cafeteria

Answer explanation

In the passage, 'retraced' means to go back and check the places Sarah had already been, like the bench and the fountain, in hopes of finding her lost keys.

Samantha spent the weekend with her grandma, who taught her how to plant a vegetable garden. They spent the day digging, planting seeds, and watering the garden. Samantha was excited to see how the vegetables would grow over time. What is the main idea of this passage?

• A. Samantha waters her plants every day.

• B. Samantha learns how to plant a vegetable garden with her grandma.

• C. Grandma shows Samantha how to grow flowers.

• D. Samantha visits her grandma every weekend.

Answer explanation

The passage focuses on Samantha learning to plant a vegetable garden with her grandma, making option B the main idea. The other choices either provide incorrect details or do not capture the essence of the passage.

Passage: Samantha was excited because her grandma was going to teach her how to plant vegetables. She had been looking forward to this Saturday for weeks. Why was this Saturday extra special to Samantha?

• She was going to bake cookies.

• She got a new shovel for gardening.

• Her grandma was going to teach her how to plant vegetables.

• She had never visited Grandma’s house before.

Answer explanation

This Saturday was extra special to Samantha because her grandma was going to teach her how to plant vegetables, which she had been looking forward to for weeks.

Read the following passage and answer the question below:

"In paragraph 5, the author describes a character who is waiting for a friend at a café. Despite the delay, the character remains calm and composed, showing no signs of frustration or annoyance. This behavior exemplifies the quality of being patient."

What does the word patient mean in paragraph 5?

• A. Fast and excited

• B. Able to wait without getting upset

• C. Loud and silly

• D. Happy and helpful

Answer explanation

In paragraph 5, the character's calmness while waiting shows they are able to wait without getting upset, which defines the word 'patient'. Therefore, the correct choice is B.

Read the passage below and answer the question:

Samantha loved spending time in her garden. She couldn’t wait to see the first green sprouts! Every morning, she would rush outside to check on her plants. They picked a sunny spot in the backyard and used a shovel to dig small holes. After planting the seeds, they gave them a little water and waited patiently.

Which sentence best shows Samantha is excited about gardening?

• A. “Samantha couldn’t wait to see the first green sprouts!”

• B. “They picked a sunny spot in the backyard.”

• C. “She used a shovel to dig small holes.”

• D. “They gave the seeds a little water.”

Answer explanation

The sentence "Samantha couldn’t wait to see the first green sprouts!" clearly expresses her excitement about gardening, indicating her eagerness and anticipation for the plants to grow.

Read the passage below and answer the question:

Learning something new, like gardening, takes time and patience. It is not something that happens overnight, and it is not limited to any specific age group. Anyone, not just grandmas, can learn how to plant and grow vegetables. It might seem hard at first, but with practice, it becomes easier.

What can the reader learn from this passage?

• Gardening is too hard for kids.

• Learning something new takes time and patience.

• Only grandmas know how to plant.

• Vegetables grow overnight.

Answer explanation

The passage emphasizes that learning something new, like gardening, requires time and patience, making the correct answer "Learning something new takes time and patience." The other options are incorrect.