Assessment 2: Book 1

Read the passage. Then answer the questions that follow.

from The Secret Garden Excerpt from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett,

published by Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1911.

1 [Mary] went out into the garden as quickly as possible, and the first thing she did was to run round and round the fountain flower garden ten times. She counted the times carefully and when she had finished she felt in better spirits. The sunshine made the whole place look different. The high, deep, blue sky arched over Misselthwaite as well as over the moor, and she kept lifting her face and looking up into it, trying to imagine what it would be like to lie down on one of the little snow-white clouds and float about. She went into the first kitchen-garden and found Ben Weatherstaff working there with two other gardeners. The change in the weather seemed to have done him good. He spoke to her of his own accord.

2 "Springtime's com in'," he said. "Cannot tha' smell it?"

3 Mary sniffed and thought she could.

4 "I smell something nice and fresh and damp," she said.

5 "That's th' good rich earth," he answered, digging away. "It's in a good humor makin' ready to grow things. It's glad when plantin' time comes. It's dull in th' winter when it's got nowt to do. In th' flower gardens out there things will be stirrin' down below in th' dark. Th' sun's warmin' 'em. You'll see bits 0' green spikes stickin' out 0' th' black earth after a bit. ..."

6 ... Very soon she heard the soft rustling flight ofwings again and she knew at once that the robin had come again. He was very pert and lively, and hopped about so close to her feet, and put his head on one side and looked at her so slyly that she asked Ben Weatherstaff a question.

7 "Do you think he remembers me?" she said.

8 "Remembers thee!" said Weatherstaff indignantly. "He knows every cabbage stump in th' gardens, let alone th' people. He's never seen a little [girl] here before, an' he's bent on findin' out all about thee. Tha's no need to try to hide anything from him."

9 "Are things stirring down below in the dark in that garden where he lives?" Mary inquired.

10 "What garden?" grunted Weatherstaff, becoming surly again.

11 "The one where the old rose-trees are." She could not help asking, because she wanted so much to know. "Are all the flowers dead, or do some of them come again in the summer? Are there

.,,, ever any roses~

1 moor: an area ofland that is full of grasses

46 Assessment 2: Book 1

©Curriculum Associates, LLC

12 "Ask him," said Ben Weatherstaff, hunching his shoulders toward the robin. "He's the only one as knows. No one else has seen inside it for ten year'."

13 Ten years was a long time, Mary thought. She had been born ten years ago.

14 She heard a chirp and a twitter, and when she looked at the bare flower-bed at her left side there he was hopping about and pretending to peck things out of the earth to persuade her that he had not followed her. But she knew he had followed her and the surprise so filled her with delight that she almost trembled a little.

15 "You do remember me!" she cried out. "You do! You are prettier than anything else in the world!"

16 She chirped, and talked, and coaxed and he hopped, and flirted his tail and twittered. It was as ifhe were talking. His red waistcoat2 was like satin and he puffed his tiny breast out and was so fine and so grand and so pretty that it was really as if he were showing her how important and like a human person a robin could be.

17 Oh! to think that he should actually let her come as near to him as that! ... She was so happy that she scarcely dared to breathe.

18 The flower-bed was not quite bare. It was bare of flowers because the perennial plants had been cut down for their winter rest, but there were tall shrubs and low ones which grew together at the back of the bed, and as the robin hopped about under them she saw him hop over a small pile of freshly turned up earth. He stopped on it to look for a worm ....

19 Mary looked at it, not really knowing why the hole was there, and as she looked she saw something almost buried in the newly-turned soil. It was something like a ring of rusty iron or brass and when the robin flew up into a tree nearby she put out her hand and picked the ring up. It was more than a ring, however; it was an old key which looked as if it had been buried a long time.

20 Mistress Mary stood up and looked at it with an almost frightened face as it hung from her finger.

21 "Perhaps it has been buried for ten years," she said in a whisper. "Perhaps it is the key to the garden!"

2 waistcoat: vest

GoOn AS5eSSmen~ 2; Book

©Curriculurn Associates, LLC 47

1 How does the first paragraph contribute to the reader's understanding of the passage?

A It lets readers know that events will be presented in order of importance.

B It provides readers with a reason for why Mary searches for the lost key.

C It hints that Ben Weatherstaff is the person who has hidden the lost key.

D It sets up a joyful mood that will contrast with the thrilling mood at the end.

2 In paragraph 1, the text describes how the change in weather has been good for Ben. Which detail from the passage shows a similar response in Mary?

A Mary runs around the fountain flower garden ten times.

B Mary finds Ben digging in the first kitchen-garden.

C Mary sniffs the air and smells fresh, damp earth.

D Mary asks Ben about the garden where the robin lives.

3 Which sentence from the passage supports the idea that Mary is visiting the garden for the first time?

A "She went into the first kitchen-garden and found Ben Weatherstaff working there with two other gardeners. II

B "'In th' flower gardens out there things will be stirrin' down below in th' dark."'

C liVery soon she heard the soft rustling flight of wings again and she knew at once that the robin had come again."

D "'He's never seen a little [girl] here before, an' he's bent on findin' out all about thee."'

When Ben Weatherstaff says that the earth is "in a good humor," he means that

A it is full of fully-blooming flowers

B it is full of funny-looking insects

C it is bare after a long winter

D it is ready to make new plants

48 Assessment 2: Book 1

. ©Curricuium Associates, LLC

5 Which statement best expresses the theme of the passage?

A The beauty of nature lasts only for a short time.

B The outdoors can be a source of wonder and mystery.

C Humans and nature are almost always in conflict.

D The natural world is often a dark and unfamiliar place.

'6 Which sentence from the passage best supports the idea that Mary and the robin have met before?

A '"Springtime's comin',' he said."

B 'liDo you think he remembers me?' she said."

C "'Tha's no need to try to hide anything from him."'

D "'What garden?' grunted Weatherstaff, becoming surly again."

7 The narrator of the passage helps the reader understand Mary by

A revealing Ben Weatherstaff's thoughts of her

B describing how the robin looks at her

C describing her face and showing how it changes

D quoting her speech and revealing her thoughts

GoOn Assessment 2: Book t

©Curriculum Associates, LLC 49

Read the article. Then answer the questions that follow.

How Humpbacks Go Fishing by Linda Brown Anderson, Highlights

1 Humpback whales are known for feeding alone or in pairs. Most of the time, they plow through the ocean with their huge mouths open, scooping up thousands of tiny shrimplike creatures called krill. But humpbacks that live near the west coast ofNorth America have a surprising and spectacular way of catching fish. When they spot a school ofherring, the humpbacks dive into the depths and close in on the fish from below. A steady flow ofbubbles rises to the surface, forming a circle.

2 Suddenly, all of the whales explode out of the water at once, right in the middle of the bubble-circle. Their huge mouths are open and full of silver, wriggling fish.

3 Scientists wanted to know more about how the whales fed on schools of fish. Using underwater microphones, they listened to humpbacks as they fed. The whales made magnificent trumpetlike sounds as they swept up and ate the fish.

4 The researchers also used the Crittercam, a video camera that can be attached harmlessly to the back ofa whale. It showed that the whales waved their huge flippers back and forth as they fed.

5 Most researchers thought the humpbacks were fighting over the fish. Whales are known to use bubbles and loud calls when they try to chase away other whales. Maybe they also waved their flippers to shoo one another away.

A Deep Mystery

6 Dr. Fred Sharpe had a radical idea for the late 1980s, when he began his research. Maybe the whales were working together!

7 Dr. Sharpe led a team of researchers. They used sonar to «see" deeper into the water. A sonar device sends out sound waves, then catches the echoes of those waves after they bounce off objects, such as whales, fish, and bubbles. Using the echoes, the sonar creates pictures of the objects.

8 The sonar showed that, to a humpback, bubbles are tools. A Single whale swims below the fish, carefully releasing air from its blowhole to create a wall ofbubbles.

9 Also using sonar, the scientists saw other whales moving toward the herring, chasing the fish toward the bubble walL The herring were reluctant to try to escape through the bubbles. The bubble­blowing whale began to swim in a circle, making the wall of bubbles go all the way around the fish. The fish were trapped in a bubble net!

10 Using an underwater microphone, the research team recorded the sounds of the whales. The whales swam under the herring and began their trumpetlike calls. Then the whales swam upward all at once, waving their flippers, and gulped a large number of fish.

Assessment 2: Book 1

©Curriculum Associates, liC 50

11 The whales were working together!

12 How did the whales use their calls and flippers to help catch their food?

13 To find out, Dr. Sharpe and his team placed a school of herring into an aquarium. Then the researchers pumped in air to make a wall ofbubbles. The fish would not swim through the bubbles.

14 When the researchers played a recording of feeding calls by humpbacks, the herring dashed away from the sounds. The sounds make it easier to trap the fish in the bubble net.

15 The scientists also placed a model of a humpback flipper into the aquarium. Like a real humpback flipper, the model was dark on one side and white on the other. As the researchers turned the flipper and flashed the white underside at the school, the fish quickly swam away.

Working as a Team

16 Now Dr. Sharpe understood how humpbacks feed together. One whale forms a wall of bubbles around the fish. Other whales approach from the sides and from below. One of the whales, the leader, makes calls from below that send the fish toward the surface and into the ring ofbubbles. As the fish are squeezed into a tighter group, the bubble-blowing whale continues to swim in a circle, closing the net and trapping the fish in a bubble corral.

17 Finally, all of the whales swim up into the feast of fish, making trumpetlike calls and flashing the white sides of their flippers to keep the trapped fish from escaping between them.

18 Over the years, the research group has seen that humpback whales often live and hunt together for years. Each time they go fishing, the same whales play the same roles: bubble blower, first caller, and so on.

19 Thanks to Dr. Sharpe and his co-workers, we now know something about humpback intelligence. We also know that these famous "loners" actually can form lifelong relationships with others of their species.

Which sentence best supports the ideas that humpbacks work in groups and form lifelong relationships with other whales?

A "Humpback whales are known for feeding alone or in pairs."

B "When they spot a school of herring, the humpbacks dive into the depths and close in on the fish from below."

C "Maybe they also waved their flippers to shoo one another away. "

o "Over the years, the research group has seen that humpback whales often live and hunt together for years."

GoOn Assessment 2; Book 1

©Curriculum Associates, LLC 51

\ ~-.."­

I 9 Which sentence from the article shows why scientists at first thought the whales were ~, fighting each other for food?

A "Most of the time, they plow through the ocean with their huge mouths open, scooping up thousands of tiny shrimplike creatures called krill."

B "Suddenly, all of the whales explode out of the water at once, right in the middle of the bubble-circle."

C "Whales are known to use bubbles and loud calls when they try to chase away other whales./I

D /I A single whale swims below the fish, carefully releasing air from its blowhole to create a wall of bubbles."

Which best shows that herring are afraid of light-colored objects?

A Herring live in the dark depths of the ocean not near the lighter surface.

B Herring swim away from the white flipper model but not the dark one.

C Herring will not swim through the bubbles that the whales create.

D Herring behave differently in light-colored tanks than they do in dark ones.

How do herring react to the bubbles the whales blow?

A They swim toward them.

B They won't swim through them.

C They swim parallel to them.

D They generally ignore them.

According to paragraph 7, what do "sonar" devices use to "see" under water?

A sound

B science

C cameras

D temperature

Assessment 1,; Book 1

©Curriculum Associates. LLC 52

13! Which paragraph has evidence to support the claim, "The whales were worki ng together"?

A paragraph 4

B paragraph 5

C paragraph 9

D paragraph 13

Which of the following should be taken out of a summary of this article?

A Humpback whales hunt together to catch schools of herring.

B The Crittercam is a special video camera that attaches to a whale.

C Whales blow bubbles and wave their flippers to trap fish.

D Researchers used sonar to watch the whales at work.

GoOn Assessment 2: Book 1

©Curriculum Associates, LLC 53

Read the story. Then answer the questions that follow.

The Winner Is • • • by Trevor Jackson

1 Darius raised the dusty lid of the footlocker, but didn't know he was holding his breath. Once he realized no spiders or mice were hiding in the old locker, he exhaled. Although Darius had lived in the same house since he was three, he hardly ever went into the attic. There were no ceiling lights, and it was full of clutter. Darius turned and looked at the low-angled sunlight flitting through the window at the far end. Dust floated in the light like tiny, gloWing bugs dancing to a quiet song. The steaming attic was lit just enough to help Darius see inside the trunk. He was sure the ribbon and the picture were in there.

2 It had started with an argument while Darius was working on his college application. He was sitting across from his mom at the dining room table. The brown oak gleamed dully as the evening's sunset faded in the window. A small reflection from a dimmed overhead light lay between them. Darius looked up at his mom, Ruth, and smiled. He was trying to complete the "Honors and Awards" section. "Should I tell them about how I won the spelling bee in fifth grade?" He knew that really wasn't something colleges were interested in, but he was stressed about how few things he had to write down.

3 "What are you talking about?" Ruth set her book down and pulled the reading glasses from their perch on her nose. "You didn't win that bee. Dorian did." The house's furnace kicked on. The thermostat seemed baffled by the still-warm days of autumn and the chilly evenings.

4 Darius was confused. He had a clear memory of that spelling bee. His twin brother had made it to one of the last rounds. But Dorian had misspelled cauliflower. Darius didn't think about it often, but once in a while, that memory returned. He could remember family dinners, passing the tray around the table. If Dorian picked a few pieces of the white vegetable off for his plate, Darius would think: I bet now he can spell it. He wasn't proud of thinking ofhis brother's mistake, but he still remembered it. How could Darius be wrong about this? It had to be his mom's memory that was mistaken. He told her so.

S "No, sweetheart, Dorian won that bee. You came close. You had studied so hard! I was proud ofyou." Darius shook his head and explained about cauliflower, how he still thinks about it now and then. Ruth narrowed her eyes and looked out the window. ''I'm pretty sure." She trailed off, looking for the memory.

6 What Darius didn't tell his mom was that winning that bee had been important to him. By the time he and Dorian got to fifth grade, being a twin had become something that really got under his skin. The twins didn't wear the same clothes, but Darius had trouble showing the world that he was different from Dorian. The principal handed Darius the blue ribbon and his picture was taken. It was one of the first times Darius felt like he had shown the world that he was his own person. It had been a big deal.

Assessment 2: Book 154 ©Curriculum Associates, LLC

7 Darius lifted boxes and blankets out of the locker. There was a photo album from that year buried in there somewhere. The blue binder was snug between his and Dorian's fourth and sixth grade years. Ruth was good about keeping these kinds of things organized: art projects, prizes, tickets to a museum. So why can't she keep her memory organized? Dorian thought, and then immediately wished he hadn't. That wasn't very fair. People had been confusing him for his brother all his life, why shouldn't their mom get a detail or two wrong?

8 But what ifshes right? Darius was afraid of the thought. That spelling bee win had been one of his first steps away from being a twin and becoming Just Darius. It wasn't even that he had beaten Dorian. He didn't like seeing his brother lose. But it hadn't hurt. So, how could Darius be wrong? Were the later wins in sports or the good grades built on a bad memory? How much could it matter? Clearly, he had earned those other awards and wins, and ifhe got into this college, that would have been something else he earned.

9 Darius flipped through the album. He flipped past report cards, pencil drawings ofbirds he had done, pictures of a birthday cake with two sets of candles. There it was, the picture of the Lowell Elementary Spelling Bee champion. Darius looked closely at the blurry and faded snapshot. He tilted it toward the sunlight still baking the attic; he shrugged and shook his head, but he couldn't telL The photographer was too far away. It could have been Darius or Dorian. He thought about taking the picture downstairs. He could show Dorian or Ruth and see if either of them could telL Instead, he slipped the picture back into the album, and piled the blankets back on top. The lid to the footlocker closed easily. Darius didn't look back as he headed toward the stairs.

Which sentence from the story most clearly states why the outcome of the fifth-grade spelling bee is no longer important to Darius?

A "What Darius didn't tell his mom was that winning the bee had been important to him."

B "It was one of the first times Darius felt like he had shown the world that he was his own person."

C "Clearly, he had earned those other awards and wins, and if he got into this college, that would have been something else he earned."

D "He tilted it toward the sunlight still baking the attic; he shrugged and shook his head, but he couldn't telL"

GoOn Assessment 2: Book 1

©Curriculum Associates, LLC 55

I

i 16 J Read the following sentence from the story.

Dust floated in the air like tiny, glowing bugs dancing to a quiet song.

Why does the author compare dust to bugs?

A to show that the dust was making a buzzing sound

B to show that the dust was bothering Darius

e to show that the dust was landing on Darius's skin

D to show that the dust was sunlit and moving slowly

I : How are the settings of the attic and the dining room similar in terms of the mood~J they create?

A Both settings are hot, which creates a sleepy mood.

B Both settings are dimly lit, which creates a quiet mood.

e Both settings are small spaces, which creates an anxious mood.

D Both settings are lit by sunshine, which creates a cheerful mood.

181 Read these sentences from paragraph 3.

The house's furnace kicked on. The thermostat seemed baffled by the still-warm days of autumn and the chilly evenings.

Which word means almost the same thing as "baffled"?

A bothered

B disappointed

e comforted

D confused

Assessment 2: Book 1S6 ©Curriculum Associates, LLC

Which best describes how the point of view influences how the story is told?

A It lets readers know what Darius thinks and experiences.

B It lets readers know what Ruth thinks and experiences.

C It lets readers know the thoughts and feelings of all the characters.

D It lets readers know the actions of characters but not their thoughts.

20 I Which sentence from the story explains why winning the spelling bee had been important to Darius when he and Dorian competed in it?

A "He knew that really wasn't something colleges were interested in, but he was stressed about how few things he had to write down."

B "Darius didn't think about it often, but once in a while, that memory returned."

C "He wasn't proud of thinking of his brother's mistake, but he still remembered it."

D "By the time he and Dorian got to fifth grade, being a twin had become something that really got under his skin."

21 An important contrast in the story is between

A what Ruth remembers and what she says

B what Darius did and what Dorian and Ruth remember

C what Darius remembers and what Ruth remembers

D what Dorian did and what Darius thinks about it

Which of the following details should be included in a summary of the story?

A Darius feels bad when he remembers his brother's loss.

B Darius and Dorian dressed alike when they were kids.

C Darius wants to find a photograph of the spelling bee.

D Darius is not sure what to list under "Honors and Awards,"

GoOn Assessment 2: Book 1

©Curriculum Associates, LLC 57

Read the passage. Then answer the questions that follow.

Cursive Writing: A Soon-To-Be Lost Art? by James A. Bartlett

1 Today, many people write with a pen only when they have to fill out a form or sign their names. E-mails and texts have replaced letters and notes, so much of the time people communicate by using a keyboard. Because of this, some wonder why schools should bother teaching students how to write well using a pen and paper at alL In particular, they wonder how useful it is to teach-and to learn-how to write in cursive.

2 Schools have taught cursive writing for generations. Your guardians (and their guardians before them) might have learned how to make looping strokes that produce letters tied together. Using cursive writing was once considered very important for good handwriting. Ifyou turned in a paper with messy handwriting, the teacher would notice. You might even get a lower grade because of it.

3 In 2007, a study found that cursive was still widely taught in grades 1 through 3. But few states required that it be taught. Today, nearly all of the 50 states have adopted education standards that say nothing about teaching cursive.

4 Schools are not going to stop teaching kids how to make their letters by hand. But cursive writing has a certain style to it. The question is whether anyone still needs to learn that style of writing. You won't be surprised to learn that different people have different thoughts about that.

5 People who favor cursive have many reasons for doing so. One education expert says that if schools don't teach cursive in third grade, "they're dooming every child to write at a second-grade leveL" Other experts say that using cursive writing helps develop the small muscles of the hand in ways that printing letters or typing on keyboards do not. For very young children, it's often easier to move one pencil to write than it is to work ten fingers on a keyboard.

6 Those who favor cursive also remind us that it's a quick way to write. They say that

kids who don't learn it make up their own writing style. Because a private style doesn't have to follow a set of rules, it can be very hard

W 'W

1/A., X

1f tv (l

f 1/d'

to read. Older students with poor handwriting often get lower grades on tests even if their ideas are good. Those who favor cursive also worry that if students don't learn how to write in cursive, they won't learn how to read it, either. The family history contained in handwritten letters will be lost to them. So will the American and world history contained in handwritten documents.

Assessment 2: Book 1

©Curriculum Associates, LLC 58

7 The big argument against cursive is that we use keyboards for almost everything, anyway. But some arguments have nothing to do with typing at all. One is that it takes time to teach cursive. Teachers are under pressure to meet a lot of education standards, and some feel they just don't have time to teach a style ofhandwriting. Others think of cursive the same way they think of some extracurricular activities. It's a nice thing to have, but it's not as important as math and reading.

S But what do children think? Many see writing in cursive as a "grown-up" skill. For example, kids have been quoted as saying such things as "It's fancy writing" and "It looks better than normal writing." At one school in New Jersey, over half of the students in one classroom said learning cursive was the number-one thing they wanted to accomplish in third grade. Even when states don't require it, kids still want to learn it.

9 Some people say it's silly to worry about the death of cursive writing. Handwritten communication is always changing. Ancient peoples drew pictures to stand for words. Once they came up with the idea of making marks to stand for sounds, they connected those marks (letters), just like we do in cursive. Handwriting in all languages will probably continue to change over time whether kids are taught cursive in school or not.

10 For now, cursive writing is still a popular way to write out words .. , but for how long?

Which of the following sentences best shows that cursive writing has a long history?

A "Your guardians (and their guardians before them) might have learned how to make looping strokes that produce letters tied together."

B "If you turned in a paper with messy handwriting, the teacher would notice."

C "In 2007, a study found that cursive was still widely taught in grades 1 through 3,"

D "Those who favor cursive also worry that if students don't learn how to write in cursive, they won't learn how to read it, either."

Which sentence best supports the idea that learning cursive has a physical benefit~4i for students?

A "Schools are not going to stop teaching kids how to make their letters by hand."

B "One education expert says that if schools don't teach cursive in third grade, 'they're dooming every child to write at a second-grade level."'

C "Other experts say that using cursive writing helps develop the small muscles of the hand in ways that printing letters or typing on keyboards do not."

D "Older students with poor handwriting often get lower grades on tests even if their ideas are good."

GoOn Assessment 2: Book 1

©Curriculum Associates, LLC 59

5 I Which detail best supports the idea that teaching cursive writing in schools might be less important than it used to be?

A Students who don't learn cursive will develop their own writing style anyway.

B Students with good handwriting get better grades.

C Cursive is the quickest way for students to learn to make their letters.

D Very few educational standards mention cursive writing.

r26~1 According to the author, a student with handwriting that is hard to read ~-.~.

A is likely sharing unclear ideas, and so the handwriting is unclear, too

B might have made up a personal style with its own rules

C is probably using cursive writing to share ideas

D lives in a state with standards that say nothing about cursive writing

Read this sentence from paragraph 5.

One education expert says that if schools don't teach cursive in third grade, "they're dooming every child to write at a second-grade level."

Based on the sentence, what does "dooming" mean?

A asking

B wanting

C forcing

D helping

Assessment 2: Book 1

©Curriculum Associates, LLC 60

I 28 "

1 Look at the illustration. Which detail from the passage does the illustration L-._" make clear?

A Some people think of cursive as "grown-up" writing.

B It was once considered very important to write neatly in cursive.

C Cursive writing is a special style of writing out letters.

D Some people form their own private styles of writing.

29 Which detail would be most important to include in a summary of the passage?

A Whether to teach cursive is a big question facing schools today.

B Most people still use a pen and paper sometimes.

C Teachers often find they do not have time to teach cursive.

D Many historical documents were written in cursive writing.

GoOn Assessment 2: Book 1

©Curriculum Associates, LLC 61