School Improvement in Maryland

Sample Items: Reading Grade 4

 (1) Selected Response Sample
Look at the word with the underlined letters. The underlined letters stand for a sound. Decide which of the other three words has the same sound in it. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


castle

  1. quart
  2. manner
  3. palm

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_001.xml

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 (2) Selected Response Sample
Look at the word with the underlined letters. The underlined letters stand for a sound. Decide which of the other three words has the same sound in it. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


sprang

  1. sport
  2. respect
  3. spray

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_002.xml

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 (3) Selected Response Sample
Look at the word with the underlined letters. The underlined letters stand for a sound. Decide which of the other three words has the same sound in it. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


polar

  1. narrow
  2. powder
  3. afford

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_003.xml

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 (4) Selected Response Sample
Read this question and choose the best answer. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


telephone   television   telegram

The word part tele must have something to do with

  1. calling
  2. hearing
  3. sending

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_005.xml

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 (5) Selected Response Sample
Choose the word or group of words that means the same, or about the same, as the underlined word. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


The department store was advertising the newest clothes for fall. Advertising means _____.

  1. showing
  2. playing
  3. sending
  4. telling

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_007.xml

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 (6) Selected Response Sample
Choose the word or group of words that means the same, or about the same, as the underlined word. Then mark the space for the answer you have chosen.


Please hand the paper to the teacher.

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

  1. Can you hand me that book?
  2. The big hand points to the hour.
  3. They gave the clown a big hand.
  4. Jason caught the ball with his hand.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_008.xml

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 (7) Selected Response Sample
Read the story ''Summer Palace'' and answer the following question.


Why hadn’t Yeh Yeh told Sasha about the other artist in the family before?

  1. He didn’t want to bore her with old stories.
  2. He thought she was too young to understand.
  3. It made him sad to tell the story.
  4. He was embarrassed about the story.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_009.xml

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 (8) Selected Response Sample
Read the story ''Summer Palace'' and answer the following question.


Sasha’s drawings and Yeh Yeh’s books were alike because they both _____.

  1. were handmade
  2. reminded Yeh Yeh of his homeland
  3. were treasures to Yeh Yeh
  4. had been especially made for him

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_010.xml

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 (9) Selected Response Sample
Read the story ''Summer Palace'' and answer the following question.


The story is mainly about a _____.

  1. girl who likes to read
  2. grandfather who travels
  3. beautiful palace
  4. girl learning about her great-grandfather

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_011.xml

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 (10) Selected Response Sample
Read the story ''Summer Palace'' and answer the following question.


What do you think Sasha will do next?

  1. read a book to her grandfather
  2. sit at the kitchen table with her grandfather
  3. draw another picture for her grandfather
  4. go to the Summer Palace with her grandfather

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_012.xml

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 (11) Selected Response Sample
Read this story about two girls named Molly and Miracle, 'Root Beer and Banana'. Then answer the following.


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

  1. Mr. Mac owns a dog.
  2. Molly's nickname is Squirt.
  3. Miracle has older brothers.
  4. Granddaddy pays for both ice pops.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_042.xml

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 (12) Selected Response Sample
Read this story about two girls named Molly and Miracle, 'Root Beer and Banana'. Then answer the following.


Which of these details about the setting is most important to the events in the story?

  1. the ceiling fan
  2. the willow tree
  3. the summer heat
  4. the squeaky door

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_043.xml

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 (13) Selected Response Sample
Read this story about two girls named Molly and Miracle, 'Root Beer and Banana'. Then answer the following.


Which of these questions is NOT answered by details and events in the story?

  1. Where does Miracle live?
  2. What kind of friendship do Granddaddy and Mr. Mac have?
  3. What kind of dog does Mr. Mac own?
  4. Why does Miracle probably not know the cost of an ice pop?

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_044.xml

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 (14) Selected Response Sample
Read the story 'The River'. Then answer the following.


"The River" is a good title for this story mostly because the river is

  1. a part of the story problem
  2. close to the characters' home
  3. changing the mood of the story
  4. a favorite place of the characters

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_074.xml

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 (15) Selected Response Sample
Read the story 'The River'. Then answer the following.


Read this sentence from paragraph 9 of the story.

But she was secretly glad when Cory walked beside her until they reached the bridge.

What is the best paraphrase of this sentence?

  1. Cory walked with Elisa to the bridge which made her really happy.
  2. Elisa did not want Cory to know she was glad that he stayed beside her.
  3. Elisa kept her happiness to herself as she and Cory walked to the bridge.
  4. Cory stayed with Elisa on their walk but she did not show him how glad she was.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_075.xml

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 (16) Selected Response Sample
Read the story 'The River'. Then answer the following.


Which of these details is most important to the plot of this story?

  1. Cory takes his sister by the hand as they walk.
  2. Minnie likes to play hide and seek.
  3. Elisa removes her coat and places it on the ice.
  4. Cory tells his sister that she is smart.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_076.xml

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 (17) Selected Response Sample
Read the story 'The River'. Then answer the following.


An important idea in this story is about the importance of

  1. staying close to home
  2. knowing how to swim
  3. taking care of others
  4. wearing proper clothes

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_077.xml

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 (18) Selected Response Sample
Read the article titled 'Brainy Birds' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Which of these sentences from the article most clearly suggests that "Brainy Birds" is nonfiction?

  1. One sign of ravens' brain power is their adaptability.
  2. Ravens make lots of different sounds.
  3. They especially like to roll over in the air.
  4. Sometimes a raven can be too clever.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_078.xml

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 (19) Selected Response Sample
Read the article titled 'Brainy Birds' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Which of these ideas is most clearly supported by the illustrations?

  1. how fast ravens can fly
  2. how silly ravens can be
  3. how skillful ravens can be
  4. how well ravens can hide

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_079.xml

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 (20) Selected Response
Read the article titled 'Brainy Birds' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Which of these phrases from paragraphs 5 and 6 would make the best heading for these paragraphs?

  1. Most Other Birds
  2. A Sign of Intelligence
  3. Tons of Fun
  4. Rollercoaster Patterns

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_080.xml

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 (21) Selected Response Sample
Read the article titled 'Brainy Birds' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Which of these statements about ravens would the author of this article probably agree is true?

  1. Keeping a raven as a pet is a good idea.
  2. Ravens are healthiest in a wooded area.
  3. Watching ravens is an entertaining activity.
  4. Ravens are helpful birds for the environment.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_081.xml

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 (22) Selected Response Sample
Read the poems titled 'Roller Coaster' and 'Carousel' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


An important idea in this poem is about—

  1. the loud noises caused by a roller coaster
  2. the fun of riding roller coasters with friends
  3. the building excitement of a roller coaster ride
  4. the different motions caused by roller coaster tracks

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_083.xml

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 (23) Selected Response Sample
Read the poems titled 'Roller Coaster' and 'Carousel' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Read lines 11-13 of the poem.

turtling,
    turtling,
        turtling up,

Repeating the word "turtling" suggests that—

  1. riding to the top is the best part
  2. getting to the top takes a long time
  3. roller coaster riders must be patient
  4. a roller coaster has a hard outside shell

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_084.xml

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 (24) Selected Response Sample
Read the poems titled 'Roller Coaster' and 'Carousel' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Read lines 14 and 15 of the poem.

you know the drill
    of the thrill

Which of these sentences best explains the meaning of these lines?

  1. This roller coaster ride is the same each time.
  2. The reader knows how to get on a roller coaster.
  3. This roller coaster ride is different from others.
  4. The reader knows what to expect on a roller coaster.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_085.xml

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 (25) Selected Response Sample
Read the article titled 'Brainy Birds' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Read this sentence from paragraph 8 of the article.

A raven may look plain—but oh, what a brain!

Which of these statements is the best paraphrase of this sentence?

  1. A raven seems simple but can do many things.
  2. A raven appears ordinary but is actually smart.
  3. A raven is a regular bird but knows a lot of tricks.
  4. A raven is a normal bird but changes its mind quickly.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_086.xml

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 (26) Selected Response Sample
Read the article titled 'Brainy Birds' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Which of these text features would most help a reader understand the information in this article?

  1. a photograph of a brain
  2. a caption for the illustration
  3. a map showing places where ravens could live
  4. a boxed text that gives basic facts about ravens

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_087.xml

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 (27) Selected Response Sample
Read the article titled 'Brainy Birds' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


After reading this article, a reader can conclude that—

  1. that having a good memory can help a raven survive
  2. because a raven likes to swing, it needs a special perch
  3. imitating other bird sounds allows a raven to live anywhere
  4. because a raven eats many foods, it can be a household pest

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_088.xml

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 (28) Selected Response Sample
Read the article titled 'Brainy Birds' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Which of these sentences from this article states an opinion?

  1. Their foods include small animals, fruit, seeds, eggs, garbage, and dead meat.
  2. It has a large brain compared to its body size.
  3. For example, a chicken weighs twice as much as a raven.
  4. They seem to have tons of fun just flying around.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_089.xml

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 (29) Selected Response Sample
Read the article titled 'Brainy Birds' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


The information in this article would be most useful to a student who—

  1. lives close to the mountains
  2. is learning about the habits of common birds
  3. enjoys exciting wildlife stories
  4. is bird watching as a summer project

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_090.xml

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 (30) Selected Response Sample
Read the article titled 'Brainy Birds' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


After reading this article, a reader might still have a question about—

  1. where ravens can live
  2. how ravens like to play
  3. why ravens watch other ravens hide food
  4. how ravens are able to make different bird sounds

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_091.xml

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 (31) Selected Response Sample
Read the poems titled 'Roller Coaster' and 'Carousel' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Read lines 5 and 6 of the poem.

Jumper, Brown Beauty
Dark Thunder, Sir Snow

These words are written in italics probably to—
  1. point out the popularity of the horses
  2. describe special colors of the horses
  3. emphasize the names of the horses
  4. refer to the talent of the horses

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_092.xml

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 (32) Selected Response Sample
Read the poems titled 'Roller Coaster' and 'Carousel' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Read stanzas 5 and 6 of the poem.

Details in these stanzas suggest that the speaker of the poem—

  1. dreams while sleeping
  2. likes listening to music
  3. wants to ride in the evening
  4. enjoys using her imagination

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_093.xml

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 (33) Selected Response Sample
Read the poems titled 'Roller Coaster' and 'Carousel' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Details suggest that the setting of each poem is probably—

  1. a state fair
  2. a family picnic
  3. school celebration
  4. a neighborhood party

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_094.xml

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 (34) Selected Response Sample
Read the poems titled 'Roller Coaster' and 'Carousel' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Which pair of words best compares the moods in "Carousel" and "Roller Coaster"?

  1. joyful versus scary
  2. calm versus exciting
  3. sleepy versus amused
  4. gloomy versus playful

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_095.xml

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 (35) Selected Response Sample
Read the poems titled 'Roller Coaster' and 'Carousel' and answer the following questions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.


Which of these statements about the speaker in "Carousel" and the speaker in "Roller Coaster" is supported most by details in the poems?

  1. Each speaker gets on only one ride.
  2. Each speaker notices the noise of the ride.
  3. Each speaker has fun with a different kind of ride.
  4. Each speaker wants someone to ride with him or her.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_096.xml

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 (36) Brief Constructed Response Sample
Read the article 'Brainy Birds' and answer the following question.


What other title would show the main idea of this article? Explain how your title would show the main idea. In your response, use information from the article that supports your explanation.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_031.xml

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 (37) Brief Constructed Response Sample
Read the story 'The River' and answer the following question.


Explain how the author's use of words and phrases helps reader understand the setting. In your response, use words and phrases from the story that support your explanation. Write your answer on your answer document.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_032.xml

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 (38) Brief Constructed Response Sample
Read the story 'The River' and answer the following question.


Describe the relationship between Cory and Elisa and their dog, Minnie. In your response, use details and examples from the story that support your description. Write your answer on your answer document.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_033.xml

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 (39) Brief Constructed Response Sample
Read the article 'Vrooooom' and answer the following question.


Read this sentence from the introduction.

Margaret Mickelway writes about a wild new sport for girls and boys.

Explain whether the word wild is a good word to describe junior drag racing. In your response, use information from the passage that supports your answer. Write your answer on your answer document.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_034.xml

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 (40) Brief Constructed Response Sample
Read the article 'Vrooooom'. Then answer the following.


After reading "Vrooooom," what question might a reader still have about junior drag racing? In your response, use information from the article that explains why a reader might still have that question. Write your answer on your answer document.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_035.xml

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 (41) Brief Constructed Response Sample
Read the article 'Vrooooom'. Then answer the following.


Explain whether or not the words in this article make junior drag racing sound like a sport you would like to try. In your response, use information from the article that supports your explanation. Write your answer on your answer document.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_036.xml

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 (42) Brief Constructed Response Sample
Read the poem 'Carousel'. Then answer the following.


Explain how the speaker of the poem "Carousel" feels about riding a carousel. In your response, use details and examples from the poem that support your explanation. Write your answer on your answer document.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_037.xml

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 (43) Brief Constructed Response Sample
Read the poem 'Roller Coaster'. Then answer the following.


Explain how the shape of the poem "Roller Coaster" helps a reader understand the feeling of riding a roller coaster. In your response, use details and examples from the poem that support your explanation. Write your answer on your answer document.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_038.xml

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 (44) Brief Constructed Response Sample
Read this story about two girls named Molly and Miracle, 'Root Beer and Banana'. Then answer the following.


Does the illustration help a reader better understand important ideas in the story? In your response, use events and details from the story that support your ideas. Write your response on the lines below.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_039.xml

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 (45) Brief Constructed Response Sample
Read this story about two girls named Molly and Miracle, 'Root Beer and Banana'. Then answer the following.


How do Granddaddy and Molly feel about each other? In your response, use events and details from the story that show how Granddaddy and Molly feel about each other. Write your response on the lines below.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_040.xml

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 (46) Brief Constructed Response Sample
Read this story about two girls named Molly and Miracle, 'Root Beer and Banana'. Then answer the following.


Explain how the author makes the characters in this story seem like real people. In your response, use events and details from the story that make them seem real. Write your response on the lines below.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_ela_4_041.xml

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