Reading Grade 5 - 2011 Released Test

READING PASSAGES

Directions: Read the story and answer the questions that follow.
Foolish Choice, Wise Lesson
1 Once there was a tailor named Nicholas who was known far and wide for making fine clothing. Nicholas took great pride in everything he made, which is why his shop was often busy. Every night Nicholas would retire to the small cottage behind his shop that he shared with his daughter, Tanya.
2 Tanya was a bright girl, but she was vain and spoiled. She wasted her days admiring herself in the mirror and brushing her long, beautiful hair. Her father’s shop was the busiest in the village, but she would not pick up a needle to help him. When customers sang the praises of his well-made clothes, she snorted, “They are too plain.”
3 Nicholas loved his daughter, but he hoped to find a way to help her realize that beauty lies within. He worried that she did not value the things that were important. He became puzzled over the problem. One day help arrived in the form of the village peddler. Every Saturday the peddler drove his wagon past the shops and cottages in the village. He sold all kinds of goods, and people crowded around him to buy everything from kitchen pots to silk dresses.
4 One Saturday while looking at the peddler’s goods, Nicholas was struck with an idea that could help Tanya. He purchased two small boxes. One was bright gold and covered with sparkling stones. The other was made of dark wood with worn edges and corners. At the end of the day, Nicholas found Tanya in the cottage. He showed her the two boxes. “You may have only one,” he told her. “Be careful how you choose.”
5 Tanya paid no attention to his warning because she was too drawn to the sparkling box. “Oh, Papa, there is no need to be careful! The wooden box is old and ugly, and I would be too embarrassed to own it.” She quickly seized the other box, but she gasped when she saw the truth. “Papa!” she cried. “I thought this box was covered with diamonds, but they are just pieces of glass!” Then she raised the lid. “This box is empty! Why would you want to trick me?”
6 “Tanya,” Nicholas replied, “I care for you very much. I only want to teach you a valuable lesson. Look at the boxes closely, my dear. You will find that appearances are not always what they seem to be.”
7 As Tanya closed the box, she saw it as though with new eyes. Looking carefully at the edges of the box, she could see where the cheap golden paint was beginning to chip. Tanya picked away a flake of paint from the tin box. Thoughtfully, she glanced from her soft fingers to the strong, creased hands of her father that looked worn from many years of hard work. Tanya looked at the box he held in his own hands. It could have been more than one hundred years old. Its former owner had loved it well. The wood was well oiled and had a dark, pleasing shine. Despite the small bumps and scratches, it appeared capable of lasting one hundred years more.
8 “Perhaps you should have made a more careful choice,” her father said. He took the glittering box from her hands and replaced it with the old, worn box. The smooth wood felt cool against her palms, and inside was a beautiful carved bird resting on rich velvet. Tanya stared at the little bird and felt ashamed as she realized her father’s intention. She looked at him with sadness in her eyes and handed the box back to him.
9 “Papa, I understand what you wish to tell me. I have been very foolish. Something that has a shiny and beautiful appearance is not always valuable. That which is inside makes an object beautiful.”
10 Nicholas smiled at his daughter. “You have learned a great lesson today from one small box. I hope that you will always remember that the worth of an item is often found on the inside.”


Directions: Read the article and answer the questions that follow.
Let It Snow!
1 Many people greet winter snow with a smile. They love skiing, sledding, or just throwing snowballs. They know that the snow will provide needed moisture when it melts. For these and other reasons, people often celebrate when the weather forecast calls for snow. Sometimes, though, snow fails to appear even when meteorologists predict it on the evening news. What conditions are needed to produce this frosty, white wonder?
2 When warm, moist air rises and then begins to cool, clouds will form. If the inside of a cloud is cold enough, water will come into contact with bits of dirt and other materials to form snow crystals. Snow crystals also form when water vapor, which is the gas phase of water, turns to ice. Eventually a collection of these snow crystals may join together to form a snowflake. The many sides of these crystals reflect the sun’s visible white light. As a result, the crystals appear to have a white color. As snowflakes grow heavy, they begin to fall toward the ground. Much can happen to a snowflake as it drifts earthward. Pieces of the crystals may become damaged or even melt as the crystals fall.
3 Conditions must be right for snow to reach the ground without melting. First, the air must be at or near freezing. Meteorologists use special instruments to determine whether the air is cold enough for snow. Other factors besides temperature are important too. For one thing, the air must contain moisture. If the air is dry, there is no water to freeze and make snow. Also, the air must be moving in order to allow the rising and cooling action to take place.
4 If conditions are right, snow can fall in some surprising places. Even deserts may sometimes experience a light dusting of snow across the land. Ordinarily, though, snow falls at higher altitudes because of the colder temperatures there. This fact explains why ski resorts are built high in the mountains. In the towns below, less snow falls. For example, when the temperature is in the low forties in a city like Seattle, Washington, the temperature is in the low thirties in the nearby mountains, making it cold enough for snow.

5 The chart gives information about locations in the United States with the greatest amount of snowfall. Imagine how many snowflakes must exist in that much snow!
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Directions: Read the story and answer the questions that follow.
Grandma Etta’s Wild Rice Soup
1 In 1888, the year that Leroy turned 10, he was told that he would be spending the summer with his Grandma Etta on her farm in central Texas. Before he left for his grandmother’s house, his mother had a few words to say to him: “Now Leroy, you are not going to stay with Grandma just to let her cook for you all summer. You need to help her out too.”
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2 Leroy had to admit that the first week he was at Grandma Etta’s, he did just what his mother feared. He defended his actions by telling himself that Grandma seemed to love cooking for him. In fact, she did not seem to mind at all. When his parents visited, however, he heard his mother’s voice from the kitchen.
3 “You teach him to work the way you taught me to work, Mama. I don’t want you to let him sit here with his feet up while you cook and clean for him. That type of behavior will just spoil him!”
4 After Leroy’s parents left, he watched Grandma Etta to see if she changed her treatment of him, but she didn’t. Then one day she sighed, “I would sure like to make you some of my special soup, Leroy, but I can’t do it alone. It is the most difficult soup in the world to make.”
5 Leroy thought of last summer when he had that delicious broth, the sliced pieces of okra, the chopped tomato, and the wild rice. His mouth began watering just thinking about that tasty soup. “I’ll be glad to help make it,” Leroy said.
6 Grandma Etta smiled after hearing Leroy’s words. “First, we need some wild rice,” Grandma Etta said.
7 Leroy turned to the cabinet and began rifling through its contents.
8 “Oh, it’s not in there,” she said. “It’s out there,” Grandma Etta replied as she pointed out the window.
9 “Where?” Leroy asked, a bit confused. He could not imagine what Grandma Etta was going to say.
10 “On the river,” Grandma answered.
11 Leroy soon found himself pulling the old canoe out of the chicken shed. It took him three days to clean the canoe. Leroy thought about quitting, but he remembered that soup. He also thought about what his mother had said.
12 Finally, Grandma Etta and Leroy glided onto the river to where the grain poked above the water. He used sticks to knock the ripe grain heads into their canoe. Then they had to wash the rice and let it dry in the sun for several days.
13 “Next, we need some tomatoes and okra.”
14 “No problem,” Leroy replied. He then picked enough tomatoes and okra from the garden to make a barrel of soup. Proudly walking into the kitchen, he tumbled the vegetables onto the table.
15 “Are we ready to cook now?” Leroy asked impatiently.
16 “Oh, yes,” she said, “just as soon as we chop wood for the fire.” After that, Leroy had to draw water from the spring and bring down the old iron pot from the chicken shed. Finally, the special soup began bubbling, and its sweet smell filled the air.
17 That day Leroy’s parents came to visit. He joked with Grandma Etta that they must have smelled the cooking. She just laughed and served a bowl of the hot, steaming soup for everyone.
18 Leroy learned how to make soup that summer, but he also learned a few other lessons as well. Watching Grandma Etta stir the big pot of soup and scoop out a hearty portion for everyone made Leroy realize how much hard work and love went into making Grandma Etta’s soup. He was proud when his father asked for a second helping, but Leroy was even prouder when Grandma Etta told his father that she and Leroy had made the soup together.
19 Grandma Etta was right. The soup was difficult to make, but it was worth it. With each spoonful of broth, Leroy forgot about how difficult it was to gather the ingredients. He could only think of Grandma Etta’s love and the next time he would have the opportunity to share this task with his grandmother.




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Working as a Glendale City Parks Ranger
On the first day that volunteers report to their work assignments, they will receive T-shirts, gloves, and caps. These items are green and have “Glendale City Parks Ranger”
printed on them. Volunteers will also receive name tags to be worn on their T-shirts at all times. Since volunteers have special permission to be in all areas of the park, the Park
Ranger T-shirts, caps, and name tags let visitors know who is a volunteer.
When you arrive to work at the park, you should:
1. Report to the front office
2. Enter the time you start work and sign your name on the Volunteer Time Sheet
3. Obtain your work assignment
4. Receive the tools you will need, such as a rake, trash bags, a paintbrush, or plastic work gloves
All volunteers will complete park duties in groups of five. Each group will have one to two adults with it at all times. When you have completed your assignment, do not forget to
report back to the front office to enter the time you left on the Volunteer Time Sheet.
Park Ranger Badges
Volunteers earn badges for each hour of work completed.
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Badges should be attached to the left front of your T-shirt and worn proudly.
Thank you for donating your time to make sure the parks in Glendale City remain safe places to play. Glendale City Parks Ranger Club appreciates its volunteers and cannot wait to make you a member!