School Improvement in Maryland

Sample Item
Selected Response Item for Grade 5

Standard 3.0 Comprehension of Literary Text

Topic A. Comprehension of Literary Text

Indicator 2. Analyze text features to facilitate understanding of literary texts

Objective a. Identify and explain how organizational aids such as the title of the book, story, poem, or play, titles of chapters, subtitles, subheadings contribute to meaning

Assessment limit: In the text or a portion of the text

Read this passage from 'Captain Kate', a novel that takes place during the Civil War. Kate and Seth must take the family canal boat to Washington City to sell a load of coal. Then answer the following.

Read these lines from paragraph 15.

"Stepbrother, Kate corrected silently, reaching for the plate."

The italicized word mostly shows Kate's

  1. desire to be in charge of the boat
  2. refusal to accept new family members
  3. concern that Seth shares family information
  4. anger that Seth receives more attention than she does

Correct Answer
B. refusal to accept new family members
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