4th Grade Reading Proficient Practice Test 10

Name:

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Read the story.
It was a beautiful, sunny day, and Sara wanted to go swimming. She got up early in the morning to ask her mother if it would be okay to take her friend, Jenny, with them to the local swimming pool. Her mother was busy getting breakfast ready, and she told Sara that would be fine, but she had to do all her chores and eat a good breakfast first. Sara was delighted, and she hurried to make her bed, clean up her room and straighten her clothes in the closet. Once she was finished, she heard her mother calling her for breakfast. It was a wonderful breakfast, but she barely tasted it, because she was so excited to go swimming. She immediately called Jenny to invite her, and they had a wonderful time at the pool that day.
What kind of passage is this?

a.	folk tale	c.	realistic fiction
b.	historical fiction	d.	fable

Read the definition and short passage.
Onomatopoeia—is defined as a formation of words by imitating sounds (Ex. Buzz). The old copper tea kettle perched on the stove like a bird on a branch. Steam whistled from the top. Grandma came bustling in the room to make tea for us.
Which of the above word(s) represents onomatopoeia?

a.	perched on the stove like a bird on a branch	c.	old copper tea kettle
b.	bustling	d.	whistled

Read the passage.
Friday was going to be a big day! It was the championship game of the season in soccer, and Joe was the team captain. He wanted to lead his team to their first district championship in the history of their school. They only had enough players to use 3 substitutes, so they always had to be in excellent shape in order to play almost the entire games and run at their fastest speeds the whole time. Alex was one of their fastest players, and Joe knew that without Alex, it was be
difficult to win on Friday. The school held a huge pep rally to encourage the team and cheer them on that morning. The cheerleaders were planning a special presentation during half time, and it seemed that the entire community was going to be at the game to witness the historic victory. The game was supposed to start at 5:00 that evening, so Joe asked all the players to meet in the locker rooms at 3:30 to suit up and have a quick warm up before the game. Excitement and tension were in the in air, and Joe was feeling both confident and nervous. He didn’t want to let everyone down. As he walked up to the locker rooms to get ready for all the other players to arrive, he saw the coach standing at the door. He looked very upset and told Joe that three of the players had come down with the flu, and they would be unable to play in the game today. They didn’t have to forfeit the game as long as the rest of the players were still willing to play, but this would mean they would have to stay in the whole time and have no substitutes.
What would be the best solution?
A. They should play the game and do their best.
B. They should just forfeit the game.
C. Joe should ask the coach to make the sick players play, even if they are really ill.
D. Joe should quit the soccer team.

a.	They should play the game and do their best.	c.	Joe should ask the coach to make the sick players play, even if they are really ill.
b.	They should just forfeit the game.	d.	Joe should quit the soccer team.

Read the passage.
Alice and Frank were very hard workers, and they had lived on the same property for many years. They had four children, Beth, Frances, Peter and Paul. Every morning, the entire family would wake up with the sunrise and the roosters. Alice would start breakfast, Frank and the boys would clean the stalls and feed the livestock and Beth and Frances milked the cows. After all the chores were finished, they would all come back to the house for a nice, warm breakfast,
compliments of Alice.
What is the setting of this passage?

a.	a city	c.	a farm
b.	a park	d.	a small neighborhood

Read the passage.
There was a big test in science that morning, and Peyton forgot to study. The class had known about the upcoming exam for weeks, but Peyton wanted to spend his time watching television and playing touch football with his cousins after school. He was planning to study the night before, but he completely forgot, because he got so wrapped up in an educational movie on television. That morning, as he entered the classroom, he felt sick. What was he going to do?
He looked across the room at his friend, Shelly. She had a delightful smile on her face and looked completed confident. Peyton knew she had been studying for this test for weeks, and she was going to do very well.
What is the main theme of this passage?

a.	Playing football is a good past time.	c.	Watching television is a waist of time.
b.	Preparation is the key to confidence.	d.	Everyone can be forgetful at times.

Read the passage.
Doug was five years old and just learning to ride his bike. He was off to a great start, but then he lost his balance and crashed onto the grass. He was not hurt, but he started to cry, because it scared him. His father ran to his side and checked to make sure he was okay. Then, his father laughed and said, “It’s a good thing you didn’t hurt my grass!”
Why did Doug’s father make this joke?

a.	to make Doug laugh and feel better	c.	to remind Doug to be more careful
b.	to make Doug cry more	d.	to be mean

Read the non-fiction passage.
One difference between insects and all other animals is the number of legs they have. Only insects have six legs in the entire animal kingdom. Adult insects have four wings and two antennae on their heads.
If this is true, you can conclude that:

a.	Spiders have wings; therefore, they are insects.	c.	Insects are only found in North America
b.	All animals are insects.	d.	A grasshopper is an insect.

Literary Response and Analysis—Literary--RIT 201 – 210
Read the passage.
Billy has all the weapons and versatility to become a Grand Slam Champion. He can out-slug his opponents from the baseline or suffocate them at the net. But, the deciding factor could be his deceptively powerful serve!
You can tell the competitive nature of the above passage from the writer’s use of:

a.	word choice	c.	exaggeration
b.	humor	d.	seriousness

Read the passage.
The ball flew into the air with the force of a lightening bolt. The crowd sat riveted by the tension in the air. If the home team caught the ball and returned it, they would have a chance at winning the championship game! You could almost hear the hopefulness as the ball began to descend to the icy field in slow motion. What did the future hold for the Bobcats—glorious victory or unbearable defeat?
The passage is made more vivid by the author’s use of:

a.	humor	c.	comparison
b.	descriptors	d.	syntax

10.

Read the passage.
It is always possible to find fish and shellfish along the waters edge in the early morning, and we walked with heightened awareness to find our quota for the morning, so we could return to more important things, like playing in the trees and building our fort. Ron walked behind me, and he was very distracted, “What do you think will happen to the dolphins if they forget to come up for air?” he asked as he meandered along in my footprints, not really helping with the task at hand. “They don’t forget, now get back to work and help me,” I said in an irritated tone. Ron was only six years old, so I could hardly blame him for his distraction, but I really was getting tired of being the older sister in charge all the time. “Anna, he said, are you mad at me?” This made me feel guilty for snapping at him, and I replied, “No I am not upset with you, I just want to get back to the camp and help father and Tina with the rest of the daily chores, so I have some time for myself later.” Just then I saw Brandon walking toward us with a basket full of shellfish.
Who is telling this story?

a.	Anna	c.	Narrator
b.	Ron	d.	father

11.

Read the passage.
Why did I raise my hand? He asked himself, but in his heart, he knew exactly why he had bolted his hand in the air so fast. He longed for the spotlight and the attention. What would I do in the talent show, John thought. I could sing, but Jake was a much better singer. I could play the piano, but Carla would surely play her masterpiece and amaze everyone. I have no idea what I am even thinking!
What can you infer about John?

a.	He is not a very good singer.	c.	He needs to think before raising his hand so quickly.
b.	He is not a very good piano player.	d.	He doesn’t have very much self-confidence.

12.

Read the list.
Setting
Characters
Problem
Plot
Resolution
What literary device do these elements describe?

a.	story descriptions	c.	genres
b.	story structure	d.	fiction

13.

Select the best option.
What is the purpose of using dialogue in a story?

a.	to make a story longer	c.	to demonstrate how to properly punctuation dialogue
b.	to add vivid details and descriptions	d.	to bring characters to life and communicate emotions

14.

Read the passage.
Rangers in Yellowstone National Park might be getting more protection this winter from snowmobile noise and pollution. Respirators were handed out last winter to some rangers who experienced headaches, sore throats, burning eyes and other symptoms from exposure to snowmobile exhaust. “Safety is a top priority,” park spokesperson said. “Everyone’s pitching in to find something better.”Copyright Info: Poster Register Newspaper, November 8, 2002. Page C4.
Which of the following best describes the above passage?

a.	Newspaper Writing	c.	personal note
b.	short story	d.	Newspaper Ad

15.

Read the passage.
It was the middle of World War II, and we all sat around the fire in fear for what would come next. Our uncle, Sam, had been fighting in the war, and we knew exactly what it meant when the officers came knocking at the door. We had experienced this before with our father. War was a truly awful thing.
Select the appropriate genre for this passage.

a.	fiction	c.	historical fiction
b.	non fiction	d.	fable

16.

Read the passage.
Abraham Lincoln wasn’t the sort of man who could lose himself in a crowd. After all, he stood six feet four inches tall, and to top it off, he wore a high silk hat. His height was mostly in his long, bony legs. When he sat in a chair, he seemed no taller than anyone else. It was only when he stood up that he towered above other men. At first glance most people thought he was homely. Lincoln thought so too, referring once to his, “poor, lean, lank face.” As a young man he was sensitive about his gawky looks, but in time, he learned to laugh at himself. When a
rival called him “two-faced” during a political debate, Lincoln replied: “I leave it to my audience. If I had another face, do you think I’d wear this one?” According to those who knew him, Lincoln was a man of many faces. In repose he often seemed sad and gloomy. But when he began to speak, his expression changed.
Copyright Info: Freedman, Russell. “The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln,” Elements of Literature, Introductory Course. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1997.
Select the appropriate genre for this passage.

a.	non fiction	c.	personal note
b.	fiction	d.	journal

17.

Read the passage.
The fires were burning in the New York streets, as people from all over the city ran around in complete chaos, rioting and fighting among one another. Stores were being broken into and the police seemed to have no control over the huge crowd of people. Everyone was in fear for their life, and I saw a small girl sitting in the middle of the street, crying. She couldn’t have been more than six years old, and she appeared to be all alone. Someone should help that poor child, I thought to myself. I looked around at the dark, smoky night and realized, that someone should be me.
Select the appropriate genre for this passage.

a.	non fiction	c.	poetry
b.	realistic fiction	d.	tall tale

18.

Read the passage.
On a warm, summer day, the tall green giant of the hills looked down upon the village below and cried. He wanted more than anything to become friends with them, but he knew from past experiences that they would were too afraid of him because of his horrible appearance. The people of the village were small in stature and plain looking. The giant was a horrible sight, with orange warts covering his face, yellow eyes, blue hair and standing almost 50 feet tall and
weights several tons. The earth seemed to shake when he walked, and he knew that the people of the village thought he was a monster. They had run him out of the village years ago with fire torches, chanting and waiving him out forever. His thoughts were interrupted by the sobbing sounds coming from nearby. He went to investigate and found a small child, lost in the hills. She was blind and could not find her way back home. The giant spoke to her in a soft voice, and because she couldn’t see his appearance, she was not afraid. He invited her in to his house for cookies and milk, and then he led her back to the gates of the village. They both promised to keep in touch and be great friends. The little girl skipped away happily and the giant’s heart felt lighter.
What is the pupose of this passage?

a.	to warn people away from giants	c.	to keep people away from monsters
b.	to describe what giants are supposed to look like	d.	to show that you can’t always judge people based on their appearance

19.

Read the poem.
It falls down,
Like sheets of ice.
Blanketing the ground,
With a freezing slice.
Melting to water,
As it touches the ground,
WET!
What is the author referring to in this poem?

a.	snow	c.	wind
b.	rain	d.	clouds

20.

Read the passage.
There was once a very wise man. He lived on a high mountain and was called Pundabi. With him lived a young boy. The boy’s name was Ali. Each morning Ali would come down the mountain. He would sit in the shade of a fig tree. Many people would come to him. They brought him loaves of bread. In the bread were pieces of fine linen. There would be questions on the linen for the wise Pundabi to answer. They would be questions of life and death, or about the search for happiness. Each evening Ali would climb the mountain and give the loaves
of bread to Pundabi. Pundabi would answer all the questions. Then they would eat the bread.Copyright Info: Myers, Walter Dean. “The Golden Serpent.” Elements of Literature, Introductory Course. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Harcourt Brace and Company, 1997.
This passage is an example of what genre?

a.	non-fiction	c.	fable
b.	fairy tale	d.	poetry