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Practice FCAT Reading Section

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This is the Practice FCAT Reading Section.

Here is a list with pictures to help you locate the story and article in the Reading Sectionand Answer Section.

How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes. . . . . . . . . Page 4-2

Amazing Black Holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4-4

Directions: It should take about 30–45 minutes to read the passages in this book andanswer the 16 questions in the Answer Section. Read each passage, then refer back to itas needed when answering the questions in the Answer Section.

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Read the story “How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes” and then answer Numbers 1 through 8 in the Answer Section.

How the Chipmunk Got Its StripesA Legend of the Iroquois

Retold by Wanda Haan

Long ago, the Earth was covered in darkness. None of thecreatures living there knew what daylight looked like.

One day, all of the animals of the forest gathered together. They had adecision to make. They wondered if it would be better to remain indarkness, or if it would be better to also have light. Deer, Chipmunk,Raccoon, Wolf, Bear, and many other creatures climbed to the top of thehighest mountain. The mountain stood so tall that there were no trees onits top, and it was covered only with rocks. Millions of stars blinked inthe dark sky overhead. The biggest and most powerful animal in theforest was the bear, and he was the first to reach the mountaintop. Bearstood on the highest peak, looked out over the forest below, and arguedfor remaining in darkness. He said that the creatures of the forest wouldbe able to sleep better in darkness because there would be no light tokeep them awake. Most of the other animals were afraid to challengeBear, so they agreed with him. Raccoon said that he did not mind thedarkness because he was so intelligent that he could find plenty of food,even in the dark. Wolf was easy to please, too. She didn’t mind thedarkness because she could howl in darkness or in light.

But one animal did stand up to Bear. Chipmunk, the smallest of theanimals, argued that it would be better to have both light anddarkness. Chipmunk was very clever and very determined. Bearcontinued to argue for darkness, but Chipmunk made many goodarguments for light.

Slowly, the night passed. Bear grew tired of talking, but Chipmunkchattered on and on, full of energy. As the other animals dropped off tosleep, one by one, Chipmunk kept arguing long into the night.

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Now turn to page 4-5 in the Answer Section.

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Finally, Chipmunk’s efforts were rewarded. The first sunrise ever seenby the animals appeared over the top of the mountain. Radiant, goldenlight spread across the sky. The clouds surrounding the mountaintopturned a delicate pink. The animals woke up and were amazed by whatthey saw.

Chipmunk began to dance from rock to rock. Bear was furiousbecause he didn’t get his way. He roared loudly and ran at Chipmunk.He chased Chipmunk all the way down the mountain. Bear was quick,and he reached out to grab Chipmunk. Chipmunk dodged his giantpaw, but not before Bear managed to scratch her back with his longclaws. Chipmunk escaped, but that is why, to this day, you can seestripes on Chipmunk’s back!

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How many objects can you see inthe night sky? A lot! On a clearnight you can see the Moon, someplanets, and thousands of brilliantstars.

You can see even more with atelescope. More stars will becomeapparent. Some stars will appearlarger than others.You mightnotice that some stars that lookedwhite are really red or blue.Withbigger and better telescopes youcan see more and more objects in

the sky. And you can see thoseobjects in more and more detail.

But scientists believe there aresome things in the sky that we willnever see.We won’t see them withthe biggest telescope in the world,on the clearest night of the year.

That’s because they’re invisible.They’re the mysterious dead starscalled black holes.

You might find it difficult toimagine that stars die. After all,our Sun is a star.Year after year wesee it up in the sky, burningbrightly, giving us heat and light.The Sun certainly doesn’t seem tobe getting old or weak. But starsdo burn out and die after billionsof years.

As a star’s gases burn, they giveoff light and heat. But when thegas runs out, the star stopsburning and begins to die.

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1Read the article “Amazing Black Holes” and then answer Numbers 9 through 16 in the Answer Section.

Amazing Black Holesby Billy Aronson

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As the star cools, the outer layersof the star pull in toward thecenter.The star squashes into asmaller and smaller ball. If the starwas very small, the star ends up asa cold, dark ball called a blackdwarf. If the star was very big, itkeeps squashing inward until it’spacked together tighter than anyother object in the universe.

Imagine if the Earth were crusheduntil it was the size of a tinymarble.That’s how tightly this deadstar, a black hole, is packed.Whatpulls the star in toward its centerwith such power? It’s the sameforce that pulls you down when youjump––gravity. A black hole is sotightly packed that its gravity sucksin everything––even light.The lightfrom a black hole is not reflected

back to your eyes.That’s why yousee nothing but blackness.

If black holes are impossible tosee, how do scientists know theyexist? Scientists think black holescan move stars, just as the air canmove grass. Stars often swirlaround one another, andsometimes scientists see a star thatappears to swirl around nothing!When they see a star that seems toswirl around nothing, they thinkthat star might be moving arounda black hole.

So the next time you stare up atthe night sky, remember: there’smore in the sky than meets theeye! Scattered in the silentdarkness are black holes––thegreat mystery of space. �

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Now turn to page 4-10 in the Answer Section.

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Practice FCAT Reading Answer Section

This is the Practice FCAT Reading Answer Section.

The questions in this section are based on the story and article in your Practice FCATReading Section. You may go back to the Reading Section to help you answer thequestions.

How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes

Now answer Numbers 1 through 8. Base your answers on the story “How theChipmunk Got Its Stripes.”

What is the theme of this story?

� Stand up for what you believe in.

� It is always better to go along with the crowd.

� There is only one right way to do things.

� Making decisions is easy.

What is Bear like?

� He is a good listener.

� He is used to getting his way.

� He is unsure about what he wants.

He is well liked by the other animals.

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Read this sentence from the story.

Bear grew tired of talking, but Chipmunk chattered on and on,full of energy.

What does chattered mean?

� moved slowly

� laughed

� spoke quickly

� argued

According to the story, why do chipmunks have stripes on their backs? Use details from the story to support your answer.

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Where does the story take place?

� in a barn

� on an island

� near a lake

on a mountaintop

What happened after Chipmunk’s argument with Bear?

� The animals saw their first sunrise ever.

� Bear was happy that he got his way.

� The animals continued to live in darkness.

� Chipmunk fell asleep.

Read this sentence from the story.

Chipmunk, the smallest of the animals, argued that it would bebetter to have both light and darkness.

What is an antonym for the word argued?

� whispered

� agreed

� jumped

yelled

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In what ways is Chipmunk different from the other animals? How does thishelp Chipmunk to win the argument with Bear? What lessons can we learnfrom Chipmunk? Use details from the story to support your answer.

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ReadThinkExplain

Now turn to page 4-4 in the Reading Section.

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Now answer Numbers 9 through 16. Base your answers on the article “AmazingBlack Holes.”

According to the article, what causes a star to die?

� As its gases run out, it cools down.

� It collides with other stars.

� It can only live for about a million years.

� As it gets hotter and hotter, it explodes.

Read this sentence from the article.

They’re the mysterious dead stars called black holes.

What is a synonym for the word mysterious?

� ordinary

� bright

� strange

common

In what ways is our Sun the same as other stars? How is it different from adead star? Use details from the article to support your answer.

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Which of the following statements is NOT a fact?

� Black holes are dead stars.

� Black holes have gravity.

� Black holes are invisible.

� There is nothing as mysterious as a black hole.

What happens AFTER a star dies?

� It becomes invisible.

� It falls to Earth.

� It burns up all of its gases.

It becomes brighter and easier to see.

What might happen to our Sun billions of years from now? Describe theprocess using details from the article.

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Why can’t you see light when you look at a black hole?

� because most black holes are so far away

� because the gravity of a black hole is so strong that it sucks the lightinward

� because as the star’s gases burn, it stops giving off heat and light

� because as a star cools, its outer layers pull in toward its center

Read this sentence from the story.

The Sun certainly doesn’t seem to be getting old or weak.

What is an antonym for the word weak?

� thin

� tired

� strong

big

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This is the end of the Practice Test.Go back and check your work until time is called. Turn your answers

over when you are finished.

STOP

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