School Improvement in Maryland

Public Release Items: Reading Grade 4

 (1) Selected Response Public Release
Read the sentence in the box. Then choose the answer in which the underlined word is used in the same way. Mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


We ran out of gas on the way to the theater, so we were late for the start of the show.

In which sentence does the word show mean the same as in the sentence above?

  1. Our coach did not show up for practice.
  2. I always like to have something for show and tell.
  3. Would you like me to buy tickets for the new show?
  4. He wanted to show my grandparents where he goes to school.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_045.xml

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 (2) Selected Response Public Release
Read the sentence in the box. Then choose the answer in which the underlined word is used in the same way. Mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


Kim was excited to hit a home run with her brand new baseball bat.

In which sentence does the word bat mean the same as in the sentence above?

  1. Mike tried to bat the insect away from his face.
  2. The dark cave was a great place for a bat to live.
  3. Shelly went to bat for me when my sister said I had told a lie.
  4. Would you rather have a bat made of plastic or of wood?

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_046.xml

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 (3) Selected Response Public Release
Read the sentence in the box. Then choose the answer in which the underlined word is used in the same way. Mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


She went upstairs to pack her bags for a trip to the beach.

In which sentence does the word pack mean the same as in the sentence above?

  1. The hunter saw the pack of wolves in the woods.
  2. Before Timmy could pack, he had to find his suitcase.
  3. Mom opened a pack of cards to teach me a new game.
  4. After his walk, my brother took his water bottle out of his pack.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_047.xml

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 (4) Selected Response Public Release
Read the sentence in the box. Then choose the answer in which the underlined word is used in the same way. Mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


Kara's mother told her to check under the bed for her lost shoes.

In which sentence does the word check mean the same as in the sentence above?

  1. The city built a dam to check the flow of water on the river.
  2. After eating at the restaurant, Sam offered to pay the check.
  3. I always check my work before I turn in my math tests.
  4. I will check to see if you left your jacket at my house.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_048.xml

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 (5) Selected Response Public Release
As you read each sentence, use the other words in the sentence to help you figure out what the underlined word means. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


After struggling for days to reach the summit of the mountain, the climbers planted an American flag to prove that they had been there.

What does summit mean?

  1. peak
  2. scale
  3. side
  4. slope

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_049.xml

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 (6) Selected Response Public Release
As you read each sentence, use the other words in the sentence to help you figure out what the underlined word means. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


The garden was a complete mess after two large dogs ran through the fence and trampled the flowers.

Trampled means —

  1. bothered
  2. crushed
  3. picked
  4. watched

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_050.xml

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 (7) Selected Response Public Release
As you read each sentence, use the other words in the sentence to help you figure out what the underlined word means. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


The old house had a barren yard with no trees or shrubs growing anywhere.

What does barren mean?

  1. large
  2. empty
  3. colorful
  4. dangerous

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_051.xml

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 (8) Selected Response Public Release
As you read each sentence, use the other words in the sentence to help you figure out what the underlined word means. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


People often confuse a frog with a toad because the two animals resemble each other.

What does resemble mean?

  1. avoid
  2. attack
  3. wait for
  4. look like

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_052.xml

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 (9) Selected Response Public Release
Read each question and choose the best answer. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


Read these three words.

misuse    miscount    misbehave

In these three words, mis means —

  1. badly
  2. less
  3. never

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_053.xml

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 (10) Selected Response Public Release
Read each question and choose the best answer. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


Read these three words.

darkness    softness    kindness

In these three words, ness means —

  1. compared to another
  2. done in a special way
  3. having a certain quality

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_054.xml

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 (11) Selected Response Public Release
Read each question and choose the best answer. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


The er in teacher means the same as the er in —

  1. her
  2. lower
  3. speaker

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_055.xml

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 (12) Selected Response Public Release
Read each question and choose the best answer. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


In which word does in mean not?

  1. invite
  2. incorrect
  3. instead

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_056.xml

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 (13) Selected Response Public Release
Read each question and choose the best answer. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


The y in healthy means the same as the y in —

  1. lucky
  2. library
  3. nobody

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_057.xml

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 (14) Selected Response Public Release
Read this article titled "The First Freeze-Dried Food." Then answer the question below.


The purpose of this article is to —

  1. provide information about cooking potatoes
  2. give the history of the Aymara people
  3. persuade people to eat freeze-dried potatoes
  4. explain how the Aymara people freeze-dry potatoes

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_058.xml

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 (15) Selected Response Public Release
Read this article titled "The First Freeze-Dried Food." Then answer the question below.


The questions in paragraph 1 most help a reader to —

  1. find freeze-dried potatoes
  2. locate mountains on a map
  3. predict what the article is about
  4. understand facts about the author's life

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_059.xml

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 (16) Brief Constructed Response Public Release
Read this article titled "The First Freeze-Dried Food." Then answer the question below.


What other title would help a reader understand the main idea of this article? In your response, use information from the article that supports your answer. Write your answer in the box below.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_060.xml

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 (17) Selected Response Public Release
Read this article titled "The First Freeze-Dried Food." Then answer the question below.


Which of these sentences would be most important to include in a summary of this article?

  1. The people of Peru farm more than 200 different kinds of potatoes.
  2. The Aymara Indians were the first people to learn how to freeze-dry potatoes.
  3. Most of the potato pieces produced during the drying process are the size of limes.
  4. The vegetable section of the grocery store has different kinds of freeze-dried potatoes.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_061.xml

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 (18) Selected Response Public Release
Read this article titled "The First Freeze-Dried Food." Then answer the question below.


From the information in this article, a reader can tell that —

  1. limes are a lot like freeze-dried potatoes
  2. the best tasting potatoes are freeze-dried
  3. the best way to keep potatoes is to freeze-dry them
  4. people must follow many steps to freeze-dry potatoes

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_062.xml

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 (19) Brief Constructed Response Public Release
Read this article titled "The First Freeze-Dried Food." Then answer the question below.


What could be added to help a reader better understand the information in this article? In your response, use information from the article that supports your answer. Write your answer in the box below.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_063.xml

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 (20) Selected Response Public Release
Read this article titled "The First Freeze-Dried Food." Then answer the question below.


The map helps a reader understand this article because it shows —

  1. where the Aymara Indians live
  2. where South America is located
  3. why the Aymara Indians came to Peru
  4. why Peru has warm days and cold nights

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_064.xml

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 (21) Selected Response Public Release
Read this play titled "The King and the Cleaner." Then answer the question below.


Read this line from the play.

King: I know! You can sit on my throne!

Which of these phrases best describes how the king says this line?

  1. in a quiet voice
  2. in an angry voice
  3. in a teasing voice
  4. in an excited voice

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_065.xml

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 (22) Brief Constructed Response Public Release
Read this play titled "The King and the Cleaner." Then answer the question below.


Explain what the Cleaner's words and actions suggest about him. In your response, use details from the play that support your explanation. Write your answer in the box below.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_066.xml

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 (23) Selected Response Public Release
Read this play titled "The King and the Cleaner." Then answer the question below.


What is the purpose of the stage directions in this play?

  1. to describe the setting
  2. to describe the narrator
  3. to explain what the characters do
  4. to explain how the characters speak

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_067.xml

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 (24) Selected Response Public Release
Read this play titled "The King and the Cleaner." Then answer the question below.


The King could best be described as —

  1. brave
  2. cruel
  3. foolish
  4. intelligent

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_068.xml

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 (25) Brief Constructed Response Public Release
Read this play titled "The King and the Cleaner." Then answer the question below.


Explain how the King changes from the beginning of this play to the end. In your response, use details from the play that help to explain how the King changes. Write your answer in the box below.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_069.xml

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 (26) Selected Response Public Release
Read this play titled "The King and the Cleaner." Then answer the question below.


What does the King learn about the Cleaner's job?

  1. Being a cleaner is more difficult than it seems.
  2. Cleaning is best done at the same time each day.
  3. Learning to be a good cleaner takes lots of practice.
  4. Cleaning is more important than people think it is.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_070.xml

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 (27) Selected Response Public Release
Read this play titled "The King and the Cleaner." Then answer the question below.


Which of these statements best explains why the king hates being king?

  1. He feels very uncomfortable.
  2. He has too much work to do.
  3. He would rather be dusting.
  4. He has no one to talk to.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_071.xml

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 (28) Brief Constructed Response Public Release
Read this play titled "The King and the Cleaner." Then answer the question below.


What other title would help a reader understand an important idea in this play? In your response, use details from the play that support your answer. Write your answer in the box below.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_072.xml

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 (29) Selected Response Public Release
Read this play titled "The King and the Cleaner." Then answer the question below.


What is a lesson that could be learned from this play?

  1. Work hard to be successful.
  2. Be satisfied with who you are.
  3. Never take advice from others.
  4. Never avoid doing your chores.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_073.xml

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