grade 4 • unit 6 • week 1 weekly assessment name · grade 4 • unit 6 • week 1 weekly...

Grade 4 • Unit 6 • Week 1Weekly Assessment Name

Read the story “Charlie and Maude’s New Home” and then answer Numbers 1 through 3.

Charlie and Maude’s New Home

1 Saturday morning finally came. Elena cleared the desk in

her room. She was ready to start building a new cage for the

class hamsters. Earlier that week, the students in Elena’s class

had volunteered for different assignments that would make

the classroom nicer. Elena knew that it was hard for Charlie

and Maude to see out of their cardboard box. She volunteered

to build a cage for them.

2 Last night, she spent an hour drawing plans for the cage.

Today, she spent lots of time studying the plans. Finally, it

was time to start the work. She marked the lengths of wood

and screen she would need. Next, she would go outside and

cut all the pieces she would need for the cage. She looked

at the lines and realized she had a big problem. She was

unable to cut the round openings she wanted for a door.

394 — 394 —CA Progress MonitoringWeekly Assessment • Grade 4Unit 6/Week 1

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Grade 4 – Unit 6, Week 1

Her large saw would not work. How could she carry out her

project without the right tools? It simply wasn’t realistic to

even try.

3 She studied the wood. She was trying to figure out how

to solve her problem. Suddenly, she thought of her neighbor,

Mr. Tomaso. He had all kinds of tools in his workshop. He

was also very generous. Elena was sure he would help her if

she asked. The sensible thing to do was to go to see him.

4 Elena gathered her plans and materials and walked to

Mr. Tomaso’s house at the end of the street. As soon as Mr.

Tomaso heard her problem, he agreed to help her. Pushing a

button on the arm of his electric wheelchair, he led the way to

his workshop.

5 A few minutes later, they were working side by side. First,

Mr. Tomaso showed Elena how to use the jigsaw safely. They

worked together to cut out a door for Charlie and Maude’s

new cage. Then, Elena and Mr. Tomaso used a sanding tool

to smooth the edges of the wood. Next, Elena used nails

to attach the screen sides to the floor of the cage. Before

Elena knew it, the cage was completed. She was looking at a

comfortable new home for Charlie and Maude.

6 “We certainly make a good team,” said Elena. “But now

I have another problem. How will I haul this big cage

back home?”

— 395 — 395CA Progress Monitoring

Weekly Assessment • Grade 4Unit 6/Week 1

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7 “That’s easy,” said Mr. Tomaso, smiling. “I’ll balance it

across the arms of my wheel chair. Then we’ll roll it down the

street to your house!”


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1 Read this sentence from the story.

The sensiblesensible thing to do was to go to see him.

In this sentence, the word sensiblesensible means

A healthy.

B nice.

C polite.

D wise.

2 What is Elena’s main problem?

A She does not know how to

build the cage.

B She does not have enough time

to build the cage.

C She does not have the right

tools to build the cage.

D She does not know where to get

help to build the cage.

3 How does Elena solve her problem?

A She goes to a hardware store.

B She gets help from a neighbor.

C She finds the right tool in

her workshop.

D She makes a cage out of a

cardboard box.



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Read the story “A Golden Moment” and then answer Numbers 4 through 6.

A Golden Moment

1 Big Bob Benton was well known among the prospectors.

They said that where Big Bob went, gold followed. When he

heard that, Bob got annoyed. Any real prospector knew that

gold did not follow you. You had to hunt for it, and it took a

lot of hard work to find it. It also took a lot of luck.

2 Sure, he had struck it rich three times. But he did not give

up at the first disappointment, like a lot of other prospectors.

And he worked tirelessly on all of his gold claims. Other

prospectors would start out with big plans to strike it rich,

then quit when they didn’t find gold in a few days. Bob was

always prepared to work hard when he started a claim.


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3 Now he was going out a fourth time, and there were

murmurings among the prospectors of following him.

People wanted to set up diggings next to his new claim.

Bob knew this, so he took an exhausting circular route high

into the mountains to avoid other prospectors. He steered

his horse every which way for hours. Finally he decided

it was time to head for the mountain slope that was his

real destination.

4 He had just started to cross a stream when he heard a twig

snap. And there was Jokin’ Joe, the one prospector Big Bob

respected and admired.

5 “Howdy,” Joe said, greeting him with an outstretched

hand. “Find gold yet?”

6 “Nope,” Bob answered, wondering what Joe was

doing there.

7 “Too bad. I figured that if I followed you, you would lead

me right to it,” said Joe.

8 “I thought you were a better man than that,” Bob replied.

9 “Just jokin’,” Joe assured him. “That’s just the talk going

around town. We both know what people are saying about

following you. I am a better man than that. I’m going to try

my luck on the other side of the mountain and leave this side

to you. Good hunting!”

10 Big Bob remained still until Jokin’ Joe had vanished

around a curve up the mountain. When he was sure he was

alone again, he got back on his horse. He was about to



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continue when something caught his eye. Next to the stream,

a flash of yellow glinted in the sun. He got off his horse,

scooped up what appeared to be a pebble, and found himself

holding a shiny gold nugget.


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4 Read these sentences from the story.

They said that where Big Bob went, gold followed. When he heard that, Bob got annoyedannoyed.

In the second sentence, the word annoyedannoyed means

A amused.

B confused.

C bothered.

D frightened.

5 When other prospectors say that gold follows him, Bob becomes annoyed. This is Bob’s biggest problem because

A it makes him sound greedy.

B they are ignoring all his

hard work.

C it means they will try to steal

his gold.

D they are hinting that he will not

find gold again.

6 Why doesn’t Bob continue up the mountain after Joe leaves?

A His horse needs to eat and rest.

B He is waiting for Joe to

come back.

C He sees something shiny near

the stream.

D His friends are supposed to

meet him at the stream.



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Matt wrote this story. It contains errors. Read the story and then answer Numbers 7 through 9.

The Writing Race

(1) Tony is a good writer. (2) Sandra writes good, too.

(3) They are not as good as Brad, however. (4) The three writers

had a race to see who could write the best. (5) The race began.

(6) Sandra finished first. (7) She sat quietly and read a good

book until the others finished writing. (8) When everyone was

finished, they read one another’s writing. (9) They all agreed.

(10) Sandra was the most good writer of all!


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7 Read these sentences from the story.

Tony is a good writer. Sandra writes good, too.

What is the correct way to write the sentences?

A Tony is a well writer. Sandra

writes well, too.

B Tony is a good writer. Sandra

writes well, too.

C Tony is a well writer. Sandra

writes good, too.

D Tony is a good writer. Sandra

writes gooder, too.


She sat quietlyquietly and read a goodgood book untiluntil the others finished writingwriting.

Which of the underlined words in the sentence is an adverb?

A quietly

B good

C until

D writing


Sandra was the most good writer of all!

What is the correct way to write the sentence?

A Sandra was the goodest writer

of all!

B Sandra was the best writer

of all!

C Sandra was the wellest writer

of all!

D Sandra was the most well

writer of all!



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10 Which word is not spelled correctly?

A button

B penguin

C proven

D reasun


A common

B elevin

C robin

D wooden

12 Read this sentence.

Before she goes to work, my cousincousin oftenoften eats a rasinrasin muffinmuffin with the rest of her breakfast.

Which underlined word from the sentence is not spelled correctly?

A cousin

B often

C rasin

D muffin

The following questions are not about a passage. Read and answer each question.


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Unit 6 • Week 1Student Evaluation Chart

Tested Skills NumberCorrect

PercentCorrect

Word Analysis

Context clues 1, 4 /2 %

Reading Comprehension

Cause and effect 6 /1 %

Literary Response and Analysis

Problem and solution 2, 3, 5 /3 %

Written Conventions

Spelling 10, 11, 12 Usage 7, 8, 9 /6 %

Total Weekly Test Score /12 %

Next Steps

CA Progress MonitoringWeekly Assessment • Grade 4


Read the story “Stage Secrets” and then answer Numbers 1 through 3.

Stage Secrets

1 The children clapped wildly as the curtain fell at the end

of Dr. Davis’s Code. The play had a happy ending. Quick-

thinking Dr. Davis had solved the mystery. This white-haired

doctor was a very smart person! The children were immedi-

ately impressed by the character and the play.

2 Ms. Sanchez shook her head in wonder. Her students, who

were often noisy and wiggly, had been glued to their seats.

Even Jasmine and Pedro had sat still this time! Toward the

end of the play, Lisa tried to say something to Pedro. He

quickly shook his head, waved her away, and kept his eyes on

the stage. Ms. Sanchez had never seen him do anything like

that before.

3 As a special treat, the class was invited backstage to meet

Dr. Davis. A stagehand named Joe, followed closely by Pedro

and Jasmine, led the way to the costume room.


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4 In the cluttered costume room, there seemed to be clothing

and props everywhere. The children first met Mrs. Elton,

who was fixing a ripped pocket. Behind Mrs. Elton, a brown-

haired young woman was hanging up Dr. Davis’s clothes.

Pedro’s dark eyes opened wide. “You’re not Dr. Davis, are

you?” he asked. He just couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

5 The young woman gave Pedro a friendly smile. “No, my

name is Jenny Webb. I play the part of Dr. Davis.”

6 Jasmine was full of questions. She asked, “How do you

make yourself look like someone else?”

7 “I’ll show you how I do it,” Jenny said. The class gathered

around and watched Ms. Webb grow old. First she sat down

at a table in front of a huge mirror. Then she took tubes and

bottles out of a box. Next she covered her face with pale

makeup and drew wrinkle lines over the makeup. Finally

she covered her hair with a white wig. Her disguise was

complete. In only a few minutes, she looked 40 years older.

8 “That’s amazing!” Pedro shouted. “You look exactly like

Dr. Davis!”

9 “Yes, I’m in costume now,” said Ms. Webb.

10 All the students started asking questions. They wanted to

know everything about putting on a play. Ms. Webb patiently

answered every question they had. Finally it was time to leave.

The children said good-bye to Jenny Webb, thanked Mrs. Elton

and Joe, the stagehand, and filed out of the costume room.



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11 As they started back to school, the children were all talking

at once. They wanted to put on their own play, and everyone

was shouting out their ideas.

12 “Hold on a minute,” said a smiling Ms. Sanchez. “Please,

just tell me one idea at a time.”


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Read this sentence fromthe story.

Which of the followingphrases from paragraph 7 helpyou figure out the meaningof disguise?

A In only a few minutes

B “I’ll show you how I do it,”

C she covered her hair with a

white wig

D The class gathered around

and watched

Which reason best explains whyPedro asked Jenny Webb if shewas Dr. Davis?

A She was in the costume.

B She was repairing Dr. Davis’s

clothes.

C She was wearing Dr. Davis’s

makeup.

D She was hanging up Dr. Davis’s

clothes.

The author’s purpose forwriting “Stage Secrets” wasmainly to

A describe an exciting play.

B entertain readers with a

good story.

C explain what makes

children restless.

D persuade teachers to put on

school plays.



Read the passage “Ballooning” and then answer Numbers 4 through 6.

Ballooning

1 The first balloon was made

in 1709. This balloon was filled

with hot air. But it rose only a few

feet off the ground. Later, two

French brothers, Jacques and

Joseph Montgolfier, made some

balloons out of paper and cloth.

In 1783 they sent up a duck, a

rooster, and a sheep in the balloon

they made. The balloon stayed in

the air! This gave the two brothers

an idea. Why not send up a man?

They were careful, though. They

tied the balloon to a tree with a long

rope. The man floated 80 feet in the

balloon. Then the brothers sent the

man up without the rope. This time,

the balloon rose 300 feet.

2 During the same year, Jacques

Charles and Nicholas Robert

made a balloon of silk. They

filled it with a light gas called

hydrogen. It rose nearly 3,000

feet. Then it descended and

landed in a field. Some French

farmers saw the balloon land.

They had never seen a balloon

before. They were frightened by

it. They cut the balloon to pieces.

After that, Jacques and Nicholas

built another silk balloon.

They rode up in it themselves.

They went up 2,000 feet. Then

the balloon landed. Jacques

wondered what would happen

with just one man in the balloon.


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So Nicholas stepped out. The

balloon shot up over 9,000 feet in

the air.

3 People started getting bolder.

In 1785 Jean-Pierre Blanchard

and John Jeffries flew across the

English Channel in a balloon.

Much later, in 1859, John Wise,

an American, flew from St. Louis,

Missouri, to Henderson, New

York. This was a distance of over

1,000 miles.

4 Balloons have also been used in

war. In 1794 France used balloons

to look for enemy soldiers. During

the Civil War in the United States,

the Union Army used balloons

to fire at Confederate targets. In

1870 France used balloons to send

mail out of Paris over the heads of

enemy German soldiers. During

World Wars I and II, England hung

cables from balloons as an obstacle

to enemy planes. And finally,

during World War II, the Japanese

filled thousands of balloons with

bombs and let them drift toward

the United States. They did little

damage, however. Most of them

sank in the Pacific Ocean before

reaching the California coast.

5 Today, people use balloons

for several purposes. Scientists

use them to study weather. The

army uses them to test new types

of parachutes. And of course,

people use balloons for racing

and sometimes for just plain fun.



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Read this sentence fromthe passage.

Based on its use in this sentence,an obstacle is

A a firm warning.

B an important choice.

C something that can attack.

D something that gets in the way.

What happened when JacquesCharles and Nicholas Robert’sfirst balloon landed in aFrench field?

A French farmers greeted them.

B French farmers shot at

the balloon.

C French farmers attacked

the balloon.

D French farmers warned

their neighbors.

Which best describes theprimary organization ofthe passage?

A cause and effect

B chronological order

C comparison and contrast

D proposition and support



Frieda wrote this story. It contains errors. Read the story and then answer Numbers 7 through 9.

Speedy Roy

(1) Roy spoke more faster than anyone else in class.

(2) He said a lot all at once, but he was not very good at giving

speeches. (3) Ms. Kamaguchi challenged him to speak slowest

than everyone else. (4) When he gave his next report, he spoke the

slowest of everyone in class. (5) That was the best speech he had

ever given. (6) Roy kept practicing. (7) By the end of the year, he

spoke the most clearly than anyone.



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Roy spoke more fastermore faster than anyone else in class.

What is the correct way to write the underlined words in the sentence?

A faster

B fastest

C more fast

D more fastest


Ms. Kamaguchi challenged him to speak slowestslowest than everyone else.

What is the correct way to write the underlined word in the sentence?

A more slow

B more slowly

C more slowest

D slow


By the end of the year, he spoke the most clearly than anyone.


A By the end of the year, he spoke

most clear than anyone.

B By the end of the year, he spoke

more clearest than anyone.

C By the end of the year, he spoke

more clearly than anyone.

D By the end of the year,

he spoke the most clearer

than anyone.


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A bolder

B bowlder

C root

D route


This is a taletale about a doedoe who got her tailtail stuck in cookie doghdogh.


A tale

B doe

C tail

D dogh


A prince

B prints

C whos

D whose




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PercentCorrect

Word Analysis



Author’s purpose 3 Cause and effect 2, 5 Passage structure 6 /4 %

Written Conventions

Spelling 10, 11, 12 Usage 7, 8, 9 /6 %


Next Steps



Read the passage “Water from the Sky” and then answer Numbers 1 through 3.

Water from the Sky

1 There are several kinds of

precipitation. Two well-known

forms are rain and snow. Rain

is precipitation made of drops

of water. These drops start out

very small. You would need

to magnify these drops with a

microscope to see them. In the

clouds, they get bigger until you

can see them without any help.

2 Rain is part of a cycle. This

cycle begins when water from

the surface of Earth begins to

evaporate. This water usually

comes from oceans, rivers, and

lakes. Then the water turns into

vapor. It rises into the sky and

forms clouds of liquid drops.

Eventually, the drops fall back

to the surface as rain. Much of

the rain falls in oceans, rivers,

and lakes. Then the process

begins again.

3 In the clouds, some of the

water vapor may freeze. This

freezing water forms tiny snow

crystals. The crystals may stick

together and form snowflakes.

A snowflake consists of up to

100 snow crystals stuck together.

If the temperature is right,

this precipitation falls as snow



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instead of rain. Snow is a major

source of water in many places.

In mountain areas, melting snow

feeds rivers and streams.

4 Precipitation provides us with

water. It also cleans the air. Too

much precipitation, however, can

have a negative effect. It poses

many kinds of problems. Too

much rain can cause floods. These

floods can destroy property and

put lives at risk. Towns and cities

that experience bad flooding

often have big problems. People

cannot drive on roads or walk on

streets. These problems usually

are solved after the water drains

away. Outside of cities, however,

the problems may last a lot longer.

Heavy rainfall can damage crops.

It can also speed up the loss of

soil. These problems are not

always solved when the water

drains away.

5 Snow can be a pretty sight.

Too much snow, however, can

be a serious problem. Heavy

snow can block roads and bring

cities to a complete stop. One

technique that helps people walk

in deep snow is using snowshoes.

Most people who live in cities,

however, do not have snowshoes.

6 Heavy snow and strong winds

can combine to create a blizzard.

In a blizzard, roads close, schools

shut down, and airports cancel

flights. Anyone who has seen a

blizzard in person or on television

knows just how powerful these

storms are. In fact, going out in a

blizzard can be a dangerous thing

to do.


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1 Read this sentence from the passage.

You would need to magnifymagnify these drops with a microscope to see them.

In this sentence, what does the word magnifymagnify mean?

A make wet

B make large

C make small

D make smooth

2 Based on information in paragraph 2, what generalization can be made about rain?

A Rain happens only when the

temperature is right.

B Our rain rarely falls in oceans,

rivers, and lakes.

C Rain is created by a cycle that

keeps repeating itself.

D Most rain starts as ice cold

water from oceans, rivers, and

lakes.

3 What is the main idea of paragraph 5?

A Heavy snow can block roads.

B Too much snow can cause

big problems.

C Snowshoes can help people

walk in snow.

D Heavy snow brings entire cities

to a complete stop.



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Read the passage “The Real McCoy” and then answer Numbers 4 through 6.

The Real McCoy

1 Have you ever heard anyone

say that something is “the real

McCoy”? That means it is the

“real thing.” When you want “the

real McCoy,” you are saying that

you want something good. This

saying came about because of

an African American inventor

named Elijah McCoy.

2 Elijah McCoy was born in

Canada in 1843. His parents

were former slaves. They had

fled Kentucky for Canada.

3 When Elijah was three years

old, his family moved back to

the United States. They lived

in Michigan. Elijah’s parents

knew that he was very smart.

He liked working with engines.

They wanted him to get a good

education. He was able to study

engineering in Scotland. He was

15 years old at the time.

4 He returned to the United

States to look for a job in his

field. He knew he was ready.


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He had learned much. He had

dreamed of being in charge of

a powerful train. Unfortunately,

the only job he could get was

feeding wood into train furnaces.

He also oiled the engine, the

wheels, and many other train

parts. He didn’t mind performing

these tasks. He just loved

working around trains.

5 Like all machines, train

parts have to be oiled to prevent

overheating. In the middle of the

1800s, trains had to be stopped

whenever their parts needed

oiling. This oiling had to be done

by hand. And it had to take place

several times a day. A lot of time

and money was wasted because

of all these “oil stops.” Moreover,

if too much oil was used, the

machine would stall. McCoy

knew there had to be a way to

feed oil to a machine while it was

still running.

6 McCoy began thinking about

this problem. He made the most

of his training. After a few years,

he was able to identify and solve

the problems of engine lubrica-

tion and overheating. He invented

the first locomotive lubricator.

It was ready in June 1872.

McCoy’s invention was fairly

simple. He made a small cup

with a valve attached to it. Oil

slipped slowly from the cup onto

the surface of moving parts. He

showed railroad workers how to

use the cups. McCoy’s invention

proved to be very useful. The

cups were used on many parts in

many places. When a worker saw

a new piece of machinery, the

worker would ask if it was a “real

McCoy.” Soon, people every-

where were using these words.

7 Elijah McCoy went on to

invent many other things. His

first invention, however, proved

to be his most famous. McCoy

didn’t think he was special in

any way. Until his death in 1929,

he encouraged young people to

use their imagination to solve

problems. The world of rail-

roading in particular is grateful

for the work of Elijah McCoy.




Based on information inparagraph 6, the wordlubrication means

A a cool surface.

B a moving surface.

C act of moving parts.

D act of making smooth.

What caused train partsto overheat?

A The parts were old.

B The parts were not well made.

C The parts rubbed against

each other.

D The parts were used for too

many hours.

What problem didMcCoy solve?

A how to use oil cups

B how to oil a running machine

C how to become a train engineer

D how to avoid overheating

train parts



Ralph wrote this story. It contains errors. Read the story and then answer Numbers 7 through 9.

When Ling Left

(1) When Ling left, she did not say anything to none of us.

(2) The day before she moved, she didn’t say a word in class.

(3) She just silently sat at her desk. (4) Her friends hadn’t never

seen her so quiet. (5) They didn’t know what to say. (6) None of

them believed that she would not be in school with them the next

day. (7) The day after Ling moved, everyone in class was quiet.

(8) They were too sad to say nothing.

— 423 — 423

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Unit 6/Week 3



When Ling left, she did not say anything to none of usnone of us.


A anybody

B nobody

C none of we

D anybody of us


Her friends hadn’t neverhadn’t never seen her so quiet.


A hasn’t ever

B had never

C hasn’t never

D had not never


They were too sad to say nothing.


A They was too sad to

say nothing.

B They was too sad to

say anything.

C They were too sad to

say anything.

D Leave as is.


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I am oncomfortableoncomfortable with the preapprovedpreapproved loan, but I do not want to misleadmislead you or discouragediscourage you.


A oncomfortable

B preapproved

C mislead

D discourage


A distrust

B mistep

C nonstop

D uncertain


A dysappoint

B nonfat

C unable

D unplug




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PercentCorrect

Word Analysis



Cause and effect 5Generalization 2, 3Problem 6 /4 %

Written Conventions

Spelling 10, 11, 12Usage 7, 8, 9 /6 %


Next Steps



Read the story “The Missing Statue” and then answer Numbers 1 through 3.

The Missing Statue

1 “I am exhausted and my feet are soaking wet!” shouted

Mr. Jones. “I do not want to be questioned by a suspicious

know-it-all!”

2 Mr. Green and Mrs. Smith also were upset. Simon Wise

had awakened them early in the morning on one of his

first assignments as a detective. Meanwhile, a huge storm

raged outside.

3 Five minutes earlier, Mrs. Majors had said to Simon, “The

statue in the living room is gone. Please help me. But please

take into consideration that these people are my guests. I do

not want anyone to feel insulted.”

4 Now Simon turned to Mr. Green. “Why did you go down-

stairs?” he asked.

Simon Wise watched the guests carefully as he talked to them.



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5 “The storm woke me,” Mr. Green answered. “I was hungry,

and so I went to the kitchen to eat a piece of cake.”

6 “And you, Mrs. Smith?” asked Simon.

7 “The storm woke me, too,” said Mrs. Smith. “Then I

remembered that I had forgotten to take my allergy pill.

I came downstairs to get a glass of water.”

8 “And you, Mr. Jones?”

9 “I heard a noise,” Mr. Jones replied. “I came downstairs

to see what it was. Then I thought I heard someone outside,

so I opened the door to see if anyone was there. That’s how I

got wet.”

10 Simon studied their faces. “One of you is not telling the

truth, and guilt will consume the liar.”

11 “I am not a liar!” cried Mrs. Smith. As she stood, a small

piece of silver foil tumbled out of her pocket.

12 “I know who took the statue,” Simon told them.

13 He walked over to Mrs. Smith and picked up the foil.

“This is the wrapper from your pill. You are telling the truth.”

14 Simon turned to Mr. Green and asked, “Did you enjoy your

carrot cake?”

15 Mr. Green’s eyes opened wide. “How did you know it was

carrot cake?”


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16 Simon pointed to the brown crumbs that were still on

Mr. Green’s robe. Then he turned to Mr. Jones. “You took

the statue.”

17 “What a ridiculous statement! You cannot be serious,

sir. You cannot accuse me of anything without sufficient

evidence!” Mr. Jones roared.

18 “Then tell me, how did you get wet?” Simon asked.

19 “I already told you! When I opened the door to look

outside, the wind blew rain on me.”

20 Simon shook his head and pointed to Mr. Jones’s soaked

slippers. “If you had merely opened the door, your slippers

would not be wet. They are wet because you were walking

outside, looking for a place to hide the statue.”

It did not take Simon long to uncover the thief.


Weekly Assessment • Grade Unit 6/Week 4

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“ ... You cannot accuseaccuse me of anything without sufficient evidence!” Mr. Jones roared.

What does the word accuseaccuse mean?

A obey

B bring

C blame

D ignore

2 What is Simon Wise’s main problem?

A He must figure out who took

the statue.

B He must figure out who

went downstairs.

C He must figure out who ate the

carrot cake.

D He must figure out who opened

the front door.

3 What evidence best led to Simon’s conclusion about the identity of the thief?

A a huge, raging storm

B a silver-foil wrapper

C a robe with cake crumbs

D a pair of soaked slippers


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Read the passage “How Animals Use Tools” and then answer Numbers 4 through 6.

How Animals Use Tools

1 Many animals use tools. Like

people, animals use tools to solve

problems. Tools help animals

find food and water.

2 Animals use tools in different

ways. The chimpanzee is one

animal that uses tools. It uses

grass sticks to catch termites.

This smart animal knows where

the insects live. It pokes a stick

into the termites’ nest. Then

it waits. Inside the nest, the

termites crawl all over the stick.

Then the chimpanzee pulls out

the stick and licks it clean. That

is a good meal for a chimpanzee.

3 When a chimpanzee has

trouble reaching water, it uses

leaves as a tool. The chimpanzee

places leaves in spots that it can’t

easily reach. The leaves soak

up the water from these areas.

Then the chimpanzee chews on

the leaves. The chimpanzee has

also been known to use sticks as

digging tools for finding roots.



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4 The woodpecker finch is

another animal that uses tools. It

uses small sticks to pick insects

out of tree bark. Yet another

animal that uses tools is the

California sea otter. This smart

animal uses a rock as a tool if it

has trouble opening a shellfish. It

will dive for a rock and place the

rock on its chest. Then the otter

will use the rock to crack open

the shell.

5 The green heron uses bait to

catch fish. It does this by picking

up a small object in its beak.

Then it flies over water and

drops the object onto the water.

Beneath the water, a fish sees the

object and swims toward it. The

heron waits for the fish to swim

to the surface. Then the heron

snaps it up.

6 Some animals have other

uses for tools besides gathering

food and water. Some use leaves

for dabbing at wounds and for

cleaning purposes. Some use

twigs as toothpicks.

7 A scientist once learned that

crows are very good at solving

problems. A crow lived in the

scientist’s lab. The bird ate dry

food moistened with a little

water. When people forgot to

add water to the bird’s food, the

clever animal used a cup and

added its own water!

8 These are a few of the animals

that use tools. As scientists

continue to study animals, they

may discover other ways that

animals use tools.


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4 Read these sentences from the passage.

The heron waits for the fish to swim to the surface. Then the heron snapssnaps it up.

In which sentence does the word snapssnaps have the same meaning that it has in the second sentence above?

A In an instant a fish snaps at

the bait.

B A tree limb often snaps during

a storm.

C He snaps each button into place

before folding the shirt.

D The store clerk seldom snaps at

customers even if she is tired.

5 What conclusion can you draw about chimpanzees and woodpecker finches?

A They both dig.

B They both use sticks.

C They both use rocks.

D They both crack shells open.

6 Which statement gives the correct sequence of events?

A The California sea otter dives

for a rock, places the rock

on its chest, and cracks open

a shell.

B The California sea otter cracks

open a shell, places the rock on

its chest, and dives for a rock.

C The California sea otter places

the rock on its chest, dives for a

rock, and cracks open a shell.

D The California sea otter dives

for a rock, cracks open a shell,

and places the shell on its chest.



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Olive wrote this story. It contains errors. Read the story and then answer Numbers 7 through 9.

Another Day, Another Book

(1) Reading is Norman’s favorite activity. (2) He loves

reading books for school, and he loves reading books on his

own. (3) When he wakes up at the morning, he selects a book

for the day.

(4) Each day, “his father greets him with a smile and asks

“What are you doing today, Norman?” (5) He knows what the

answer will be.

(6) “Oh, Dad, you know what I’m going to do,” Norman

answers. (7) “Read a book!”

(8) During the day, he reads as much of the book as he can.

(9) After school each Friday, he meets his friends by the play-

ground. (10) They walk at the library, and Norman selects more

books. (11) At home, he decides which books he will read during

the next week.


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When he wakes up at the at the morningmorning, he selects a book for the day.


A on the morning

B to the morning

C in the morning

D under the morning


They walk at the libraryat the library, and Norman selects more books.


A on the library

B to the library

C out the library

D under the library


Each day, “his father greets him with a smile and asks “What are you doing today, Norman?”

What is the correct way to punctuate the sentence?

A Each day, his father greets him,

“with a smile and asks What

are you doing today, Norman?”

B Each day, his father greets him,

with a smile, and asks, “What


C Each day, his father greets him

with a smile, “and asks “What


D Each day, his father greets him

with a smile and asks, “What




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A certainly

B hairy

C hopefulley

D lifeless


A furry

B goodness

C joyfully

D pureley


Pablo was not sorrowfulsorrowful; he was just so breathlessbreathless with happineshappines that we could barelybarely hear him laughing.


A sorrrowful

B breathless

C happines

D barely



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Student Name

4G R A D E


Tested Skills Number Correct

Percent Correct

Word Analysis

Context clues 1Multiple meanings 4 /2 %


Conclusions 3, 5Sequence 6 /3

%

Literary Response and Analysis

Problem 2 /1 %

Written Conventions

Punctuation 8Spelling 10, 11, 12Usage 7, 9 /6 %


Next Steps



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Read the story “Stopped in Space” and then answer Numbers 1 through 3.

Stopped in Space

1 They were three weeks into their mission when it

happened. A loud crash shook the spaceship. The entire ship

went dark as they lost power. Minutes before, they were

gliding smoothly forward. Now their speed was getting

slower and slower. Soon the sleek spaceship was little more

than a hulk of metal floating in endless space.

2 Trevino called a meeting to talk about the situation.

“We’ve been hit by a meteor,” he told Nuyiko. “It punched a

hole in our main fuel tank. We’ve lost all the fuel from that

tank. We cannot operate the ship. We’re paralyzed.”

3 “That’s not our only problem,” Ahmed reported. “We

also have an electrical short. That’s why we lost power. I’ve

restored power, but we have no communications. We can’t

call for help.”

4 “We haven’t lost the fuel in our spare tank,” said Trevino.

“Let’s try to get to the nearest base. The spare tank doesn’t

have a lot of fuel, but I think we have enough to make it.”


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5 “I don’t think we should do that,” protested Ahmed. “The

electrical short might have affected the spare tank. If there’s

still a short, turning on the engine could cause an explosion.”

6 “I’m not sure we have much of a choice,” Trevino answered.

“We can’t just sit here.”

7 “No, we can’t,” Ahmed agreed. “But we need to be sensible

about this. Starting the engine is risky. When we don’t report

in, they’ll send a rescue ship. Let’s wait.”

8 “We do have to be sensible,” replied Trevino. “But we also

need to be realistic. We’re floating in space. We’re off course.

Let’s say they do send a rescue ship. By the time it gets to our

last location, we could be halfway to the end of the universe.

We’ll test for an electrical short before we turn on the engine.”

9 “What if we don’t find the short because our equipment

isn’t working?” said Ahmed. “We’ll think it’s safe to turn on

the engine. If it isn’t, we’ll have a much bigger problem than

being off course.”

10 Trevino thought it over. “I’ve made my decision. We’re

going to use the spare tank.”

11 An hour later, each astronaut waited anxiously as Trevino

turned on the engine. There was a loud hum and a crackle.

Then fuel started flowing from the spare tank. They turned the

ship and headed for the base.



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Which definition best reflects themeaning of operate as it is usedin the sentence above?

A direct a project

B perform surgery

C make something work

D produce a desired effect

What is Trevino’smain problem?

A figuring out how to get his crew

to obey him

B figuring out how to restore

power to the ship

C figuring out how to tell his

crew his decision

D figuring out how to correct the

ship’s problems

Why can’t Trevino and Ahmedcall for help?

A They are too busy arguing

about what to do.

B There is an electrical short.

C The rescue ship wouldn’t help

them.

D They want to solve their own

problem.



Read the passage “Lee Brody Remembered” and then answer Numbers 4 through 6.

Lee Brody Remembered

1 One day, Lee Brody took a

hike in the woods. He fell on

some slippery, wet rocks. He was

hurt badly from the fall.

2 When he finally arrived home

several hours later, he was in

a great deal of pain. Neither

he nor his wife could call the

doctor. They were hearing

impaired. One time, Lee heard

about a hearing impaired man

who had a heart attack. That

man was unable to get help for

the same reason.

3 These two incidents made Lee

Brody think about the problem

hearing-impaired people face

when events like this take place.

He did some more thinking.

Then he found some machines

that were used by the telephone

company for sending telegrams.

4 Mr. Brody and a group of 20

other people learned to rebuild

these machines. He sold them to

other hearing-impaired people.

He also started a weekly news

service that used machines like

these. People could call in to

receive news about events taking

place from coast to coast. The

idea spread like greased lightning

all over the country.

5 The old machines have

since been replaced by smaller

machines. These smaller

machines can be carried from

place to place. They are called

Telecommunication Devices for

the Deaf (TDDs).

6 Lee Brody did a lot of work to

help people who could not hear.

He will always be remembered for

his quick thinking and hard work.



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The idea spread like greased lightning all over the country.

The author says that Brody’s idea spread “like greased lightning.” What is the meaning of this expression?

A brightly

B very rapidly

C in a light way

D in a slippery way

5 Brody’s biggest problem is figuring out how to

A set up a weekly news service.

B get deaf people to hike in

safe places.

C get machines from

telephone companies.

D help deaf people communicate

in emergency situations.

6 What conclusion can you draw about Lee Brody?

A He is a great hiker.

B He is a caring person.

C He is a good businessperson.

D He is a worker at a

telephone company.


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Matt wrote this story. It contains errors. Read the story and then answer Numbers 7 through 9.

On the Slopes

(1) When the bus stopped, Jamie walked to the ski lodge

faster than her brother Anton. (2) Jamie was excited. (3) She had

read an article about the ski lodge in the magazine Ski lodges of the west. (4) She liked almost any sport, but she had never

tried skiing before. (5) She was so eager to ski for the first time

that the next day she woke up very early at the morning. (6) She

listened carefully to her instructor. (7) She stayed to the slopes

until the sun went down. (8) Anton went back to the lodge, but it

was dark by the time Jamie stopped skiing.



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She had read an article about the ski lodge in the magazine Ski lodges of the west.

What is the correct way to capitalize the name of the magazine in the sentence?

A ski lodges of the westski lodges of the west

B ski Lodges of the Westski Lodges of the West

C Ski Lodges of the WestSki Lodges of the West

D Ski Lodges of The westSki Lodges of The west


She was so eager to ski for the first time that the next day she woke up very early at early at thethe morningmorning.


A early in the morning

B early to the morning

C early on the morning

D early about the morning


She stayed to the slopesto the slopes until the sun went down.


A in the slopes

B on the slopes

C for the slopes

D under the slopes


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Which word is notspelled correctly?

A descourage

B misfortune

C reappear

D unsuspecting

Which word is notspelled correctly?

A glorious

B leadersship

C persistence

D scornful

Read this sentence.

Which underlined word from thesentence is not spelled correctly?

A actor

B hopeless

C recreate

D performence





PercentCorrect

Word Analysis

Idioms 4Multiple meanings 1 /2 %


Draw conclusions 3, 6Problem and solution 2, 5 /4 %

Written Conventions

Capitalization 7Spelling 10, 11, 12Usage 8, 9 /6 %


Next Steps


grade 4 • unit 6 • week 1 weekly assessment name · grade 4 • unit 6 • week 1 weekly...

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