3-RI-10. Name: Class: Date: Version A. Read the following story and answer the questions that follow.

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1 3-RI-10 Name: Class: Date: Version A Read the following story and answer the questions that follow. "Fall is my favorite season of the year," Kelly said with a smile. "You just like to play in the leaves when we rake them into piles," her brother Jason said. "No, she likes to get dressed up in her warm clothes," Dad said. "No, my favorite part of fall is carving pumpkins. It's the only time Mom lets me make a huge mess. I can create either a monster face or a friendly face. I wish I could carve pumpkins all year long." "I wish we could eat the pumpkin seeds all year long," Jason and Dad said in perfect harmony. "Well, if you planted some of the pumpkin seeds we could have several pumpkins each October. Then, Kelly could carve several pumpkins, and Jason and Dad could eat pumpkin seeds until they're sick of them!" Mom said. "Great idea!" said Kelly. "I think we should try it this year," said Jason. "Come on!" said Dad. "What are we waiting for? Let's go to the store right now and buy a pumpkin." 1. What did Mom say would be the result of planting pumpkin seeds? A. They could have a vegetable stand. B. They could open a pumpkin patch. C. They could grow several pumpkins. D. They could make home-made pumpkin pie. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow. One day I went for a walk and found a tiny egg in the grass. The egg had little blue dots on it. "What kind of egg could this be?" I wondered, "Is it a bird egg or a snake egg?" I picked the egg up off of the ground, remembering that my older sister was taking a science class at her high school. I figured that she could tell me what kind of egg it was. My mother called me in for lunch. As she set the table and prepared the meal she asked, "What do you have in your hand, Tom?" "I don't know, but I know a mother is sad somewhere because she lost an egg." We ate lunch and I closely watched the tiny egg. My mother handed me a huge helping of spaghetti and meatballs, which happens to be my favorite. I held the egg in my lap, careful not to crush the fragile shell. Tap tap tap! The sound came from the egg as a tiny brown beak peeked out from the shell. "It's a bird!" I yelled. I did not have to wait for my sister's opinion after all. "I bet it came from that robin's nest in the front yard," my mother said. I hurried to the front yard as the baby bird pecked and pecked. I could see its head peeking out of the tiny hole its beak had created. My mother took the egg from my hand, "If we return it to the nest now, the mother will take care of it when it hatches." "But I want to keep it as a pet," I argued. It had been a long time since my last pet. My mother said, "You know the baby bird needs its mother. That is where it belongs, with a mother who can nurture it and teach it how to survive. If we keep the bird in the house it certainly will not survive very long, no matter how hard we try." Printed: 1/22/14 7:37 a.m. Page 1 of 6

2 I was upset all afternoon, wondering why I could not keep the baby bird. I decided my mother was right. Did I really think I could predict how a mother bird would tend to her baby? One morning, not too long after discovering the baby bird, my mother called me out to the yard. "Remember the baby bird you wanted to take care of last week?" she asked. "Of course!" I said. My mother pointed to the bird's nest, "Look!" I stood on my toes. There was the baby bird. Its mother was feeding it, and the baby looked strong, happy, and content. I knew at that moment that we had made the right decision. "Aren't you glad we found the bird's home?" my mother asked. "Yes," I answered, glad that I had given the baby bird back to its mother. 2. What do you think Tom would do if he found another bird egg? A. Smash it on the ground. B. Keep it in his house. C. Put it back in its nest. D. Hide it from his mother. Glow-in-the-Dark Worms Version A Here's a riddle. What insect does not need a light-bulb to see in the dark? The answer is the glow-worm. In fact, glow-worms act just like little light-bulbs. They produce their own light from within their bodies. The next time the electricity goes out in your home, you may just wish you had a group of glow-worms hanging around. The light they make is so powerful that you could read a book or a map by their glow! Glow-worms can turn their lights on and off. They look like twinkling stars in the night. Glow-worms are not really worms, though. They are insects because they are the babies of flies and beetles. Glow-worms go through four stages during their short lives, including egg, larva, pupa, and adult. They live for about 11 months. Glow-worms can be found in damp, shady areas with some type of overhanging wall. One group of glow-worms lives in dark caves in New Zealand. These glow-worms produce a blue-green light. When they are young, these glow-worms live in groups and use their glowing lights to attract other insects for food. Their lights glow brightest when they are hungry. The glow-worms dangle long sticky tubes, like spaghetti, from the ceilings of the caves in which they live. When an insect comes along to enjoy the glowing light, it is trapped in the stringy nest and eaten. After a meal, these glow-worms turn their lights off. Printed: 1/22/14 7:37 a.m. Page 2 of 6

3 Version A 3. When do glow-worms burn brightest? A. after they have eaten B. when they are hungry C. when they grow up D. during daylight hours 4. Which of the following is a question a reader may have after reading the passage? A. Can glow-worms control their lights? B. What do glow-worms eat? C. How do glow-worms find food? D. What other countries have glow-worms? Read the passage carefully and answer the question(s) below. Did you ever notice how the moon seems to change? On some nights, the moon looks very big and round. This is called a full moon. On other nights, it may look smaller. The moon may be shaped like a smile. This is called a crescent moon. Sometimes only half of the moon, which looks like it has been divided right down the middle, will appear in the night sky. At other times the moon cannot be seen at all. The moon seems to change in size and shape, but really it does not. Instead it travels around the earth. As it travels, we can see either more or less of it. If more of it is in view over several nights, it is a waxing moon. If less of it is in sight each night, it is a waning moon. When the moon circles the earth, different sizes of its lighted side can be seen. These changes in size are called phases of the moon, and there are six moon phases altogether. The phases are called the new moon, the crescent moon, the first quarter moon, the full moon, the third quarter moon, and another crescent moon. The first and third quarter moons only allow half of the moon to be seen. When the new moon phase occurs, the moon is barely visible at all. The moon takes about one month to go around the earth. As it travels, the sun always lights half of it. The sun is a star. The other half of the moon is always in darkness. The moon's appearance changes often. Take a look at the moon tonight. Can you tell which phase of the moon you see? 5. The moon is sometimes called a full moon because. A. it has lots of cheese inside of it B. it has a big smile C. it has too many people living on it D. it is big and round 6. What will happen if there is a waxing moon? A. Less of the moon will be seen each night. B. More of the moon will be seen each night. C. No one will be able to see the moon. D. It will look like a bright smile. Printed: 1/22/14 7:37 a.m. Page 3 of 6

4 Version A 7. Which of the following is not a phase of the moon? A. a new moon B. a waning moon C. a quarter moon D. a full moon Read the story and then answer the questions that follow. Have you ever seen a flying fish? They soar several feet above the water. Some fish can go as high as 36 feet above the water. An interesting thing about these fish is that they don't really fly. Instead, they use the wind to glide through the air. The fish swim as fast as they can to the surface of the water. When they break the surface they spread their fins like wings. The wind can carry these fish several yards. The fish "fly" above the water to get away from an enemy. There are 50 different kinds of flying fish. The biggest kind is the California flying fish, which is 18 inches long. The Atlantic flying fish is a kind that lives in the Atlantic Ocean. 8. What happens right before the fish breaks the surface of the water? A. It dives to the bottom of the ocean. B. It spreads its fins like wings. C. It swims really fast. D. It jumps several feet. 9. How far can the wind carry a flying fish? A. several yards B. several feet C. several miles D. several inches 10. There are different kinds of flying fish. A. 18 B. 36 C. 5 D The biggest kind is the flying fish. A. California B. Atlantic C. Rainbow D. Pacific 12. What is the highest a flying fish can go above the water? A. 18 inches B. 50 feet C. 36 feet D. 36 inches Printed: 1/22/14 7:37 a.m. Page 4 of 6

5 Version A 13. What is special about a flying fish? A. it swims quickly B. it can swim to the surface of the water C. the fins are used as wings D. it lives in the water 14. What do the fish do when they break the surface of the water? A. They flap their fins like wings. B. They spread their fins like wings. C. They jump really high. D. They dive to the bottom of the ocean. 15. How high can a flying fish soar above the water? A. several meters B. several inches C. several miles D. several feet 16. How do you think the flying fish got its name? A. Because the fish look like they're flying in the air. B. Because the fish looks so much like a bird. C. Because the fish can soar like an airplane. D. Because the fish can dive very deep. 17. What causes a fish to feel the need to "fly?" A. when it wants to dry off in the sunlight B. when it wants to impress another fish C. when it is tired of swimming through the ocean D. when it is threatened by a predator 18. Flying fish "fly". A. to catch food B. to escape from an enemy C. to go places faster D. to catch other fish Autumn is the season of the year when many leaves change colors. Green leaves change to yellow, orange, and red. September, October, and November are the autumn months. Another name for autumn is fall. This is because the leaves "fall" to the ground. The temperature starts to get colder during these months. The colder weather is one reason the leaves change colors. The leaves soon die and fall from the trees. Autumn is also a time when animals prepare for winter. They collect food and store it. Animals need to have enough food for the winter. Bears look for dens to take a long nap in during the winter. Many types of birds start to fly south. They can find food more easily in warmer places. Printed: 1/22/14 7:37 a.m. Page 5 of 6

6 Farms are very busy during autumn. The crops that grew all summer are picked. Apples, corn, and pumpkins ripen and are ready to be eaten. Fruit that falls to the ground is left for animals and insects to eat. Soon the weather starts to get even colder. There are fewer daylight hours. Winter is on its way. 19. Why do the leaves fall to the ground during autumn? A. because autumn is also called "fall" B. because it gets colder and the leaves die C. because new leaves begin to grow D. because autumn comes after summer Version A 20. Why do animals gather food or look for dens in autumn? A. to raise their families B. to get ready to go south C. to prepare for the long winter D. to find mates Printed: 1/22/14 7:37 a.m. Page 6 of 6