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MARSS LOC DIST DATA
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` INV ` NE
TEST CODES
` Male
` Home Schooled
` New-to-Country
` Significant Gap in Enrollment
` Female
GENDER
FORM 1
Spring
2012
Item
Sampler
SCHOOL USE ONLY
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BIRTH DATE
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This document is secure
and MUST be returned to
Data Recognition Corporation
after testing.
MONTH
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Grade 3 Reading Test/Answer Document
Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments—
Series II
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STUDENT'S LAST NAME
Student Information page reflects the actual
test. This Item Sampler may be reproduced.
READING
ITEM SAMPLER
ALIGN TOP OF LABEL HERE
State of Minnesota
© Copyright Minnesota Department of Education
Roseville, MN 55113-4266
Reading Test
General Directions to the Student
• This test contains four segments. You will be told when to begin each
segment.
• Read each story, article, or poem and answer the questions.
• This test has multiple-choice questions.
Answer each multiple-choice question by filling in the circle next to the
answer you think is best. The circle must be filled in completely for your
answer to be scored. Look at the sample question that shows how to do
this.
Sample Question:
In the article, what does the word sprout mean?
A
To dig
B
To weed
C
To grow
D
To watch
• When you finish a segment of the test, stop and check your answers. You
may not work on a different segment of the test. You will be told when
to begin the next segment.
READING ITEM SAMPLER
Directions listed here reflect the actual test.
This Item Sampler may be reproduced.
3
4
Segment 1
You will be told when to begin this
segment.
5
Segment 1
Reading Test — Segment 1
Read this story to find out what happens at the Hopkins family reunion.
Then answer questions 1–10.
Fish Fry and Apple Pie
by Mary Jane Hopkins
WELCOME TO THE HOPKINS
FAMILY REUNION!
FOOD! FUN! GAMES!
Henry Hopkins and his big sister, Becky, hung their sign on a tree near the
riverbank.
“I can't wait,” Becky said. “I love to play with our cousins.”
Go on to the next page.
6
Segment 1
“I hope they let me play games with them this year,” Henry said. “They
always say I’m too little.”
“I hope Aunt Bessie brings her double-triple-chocolate brownies.” Becky
licked her lips.
“I like Grandma’s apple pie best,” said Henry.
“Look!” Becky pointed across the park. “Here they come!”
Across the park trooped Grandma, Grandpa, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
“Let’s play baseball,” big Cousin Billy said. “And I’ll choose sides.”
Henry was picked last. By the time it was his turn to bat, the game was over.
Henry sighed, but he said nothing.
“Let’s play tag. This time Henry can be It.” Cousin Billy laughed. “Catch us if
you can!”
Henry tried, but he didn’t tag even one cousin. Henry bit his lip, but he said
nothing.
“Let’s race to the other side of the park!” shouted Cousin Billy.
Henry was tired, but he ran as fast as he could. He came in last. Henry felt
like crying. But he didn’t. He just went to the river to fish.
Grandpa and Uncle John watched him as they stood near the riverbank.
“He’s a smart one, that Henry,” Grandpa said.
Henry dropped his fishing line into the water. He soon pulled a fat, floppy
fish from the river.
The cousins ran over to look at the squiggly fish. “I know a better spot,”
Cousin Billy said. “Follow me.”
Go on to the next page.
7
Segment 1
The other cousins followed—except Becky. She looked at her little brother
sitting alone by the riverbank. “I’ll stay with you, Henry,” she said.
Henry grinned. “I’ll let you have some of my apple pie.”
The cousins plopped down by Cousin Billy near the bend in the river. They
giggled and laughed. They poked and shouted. “If Henry can catch one fish,
we can catch two! If Henry can catch five fish, we can catch ten! We can
catch twice as many fish as Henry,” they shouted.
Henry said nothing. He just kept fishing. He caught one, two, three more
fish. Soon he caught four, five, six more fish.
The cousins caught tree twigs, lily pads, and a muddy sneaker.
Finally, Cousin Billy clomped over and said, “Hmph! Henry, how did you
catch all those fish?”
“I don’t know,” said Henry. “I know you don’t have to be big or fast. You
just have to keep fishing. And you have to be quiet.”
Soon the cousins settled down beside Henry—even Cousin Billy. They were
very still. They were very quiet. Fish began to bite.
“My goodness!” Henry’s father said when he saw the big basket of fish. “We
have enough fish for a fish fry!”
“Thanks to Henry!” the cousins shouted. Even Cousin Billy gave Henry a
high-five.
So that evening the Hopkins family had double-triple-chocolate brownies,
yummy apple pie, and all the fried fish they could eat.
Go on to the next page.
8
Segment 1
1. The story takes place near a
A zoo.
B farm.
C park.
D fair.
2. What is the main idea of this story?
A Everyone has a special talent.
B Some people are good at sports.
C Family reunions are fun for families.
D Some games are more fun than others.
Go on to the next page.
9
Segment 1
3. When Henry played baseball, he was
A picked last.
B the pitcher.
C too slow.
D laughed at.
4. How did Henry feel after racing his cousins?
A Surprised
B Happy
C Hungry
D Sad
Go on to the next page.
10
Segment 1
5. Who said Henry was smart?
A Grandma
B Aunt Bessie
C Uncle John
D Grandpa
6. What did Becky do when the others followed Billy to his fishing
spot?
A Sat next to Henry
B Asked Henry to play
C Went to visit Grandpa
D Caught more fish
Go on to the next page.
11
Segment 1
7. What did the cousins think after Henry caught his first fish?
A Henry was trying to trick them.
B Grandpa helped him.
C They could catch more than Henry.
D Henry knew how to fish.
8. Henry was able to catch fish because he
A used special bait.
B was very quiet.
C got Grandpa’s help.
D tried different spots.
Go on to the next page.
12
Segment 1
9. How are Henry and Billy different from each other?
A Henry is better at tag.
B Henry is loud and noisy.
C Billy is a faster runner.
D Billy is better at fishing.
10. What will the cousins probably do after dinner?
A Be nicer to Henry
B Leave Henry with Grandpa
C Bake pie with Grandma
D Fish with Uncle John
Go on to the next page.
13
Segment 1
The children in this poem plant tulips and watch them grow. Read the poem.
Then answer questions 11–19. Some questions may ask you about certain
lines in this poem. The numbers are found on the left side of the poem.
Tulips on Parade
by Jeanene Engelhardt
1
5
We had a planting party,
Hoping for a bumper crop.
After digging holes
We placed each bulb,
Then patted dirt on top.
10
We watered, watched, and weeded,
Quickly seeing what was new—
When slim, green shoots
Began to sprout,
“Look!” we yelled. “They grew!”
15
Each day we hurried over,
Giving them our loving care.
Soon leaves and stems
And swollen buds
Popped up into the air.
20
In great anticipation,
We went peeking where we played.
Each springtime gift
Unwrapped, uncurled—
Our tulips on parade!
Go on to the next page.
14
Segment 1
11. Which is the main activity described in the poem?
A Growing tulips
B Digging holes
C Weeding plants
D Patting dirt
12. Which step is done before placing each bulb?
A Weeding
B Watering
C Digging
D Patting
Go on to the next page.
15
Segment 1
13. What happened after the holes were dug?
A The bulbs were placed.
B Buds were popped.
C The bulbs were watered.
D Stems were watched.
14. The main idea of the poem is that tulips
A uncurl to show the flower.
B must be watered to grow.
C sprout in the spring.
D grow if you care for them.
Go on to the next page.
16
Segment 1
15. In line 17, the word peeking means
A hurrying.
B planting.
C skipping.
D looking.
16. When do tulips bloom?
A Midsummer
B Spring
C Late summer
D Autumn
Go on to the next page.
17
Segment 1
17. The children feel that growing tulips is
A exciting.
B silly.
C tiring.
D boring.
18. In line 20, what does the phrase “Our tulips on parade!” mean?
A The tulips got loving care.
B A garden has been planted.
C The planters won a gardening contest.
D Tulips stood in brightly-colored groups.
Go on to the next page.
18
Segment 1
19. What will the children probably do next spring?
A Sit quietly in the house
B Spend more time playing
C Grow another flower garden
D Plan a springtime party
Go on to the next page.
19
This is the end of Segment 1 .
Check your work.
20
Segment 2
You will be told when to begin this
segment.
21
Segment 2
Reading Test — Segment 2
This article gives information about recycling trucks. Read the article. Then
answer questions 20–27. Some questions may ask you about certain
paragraphs. The numbers are found on the left side of the paragraphs.
Here Comes the Recycling Truck
Story and photograph by Meyer Seltzer
1
All over this country, in houses and apartments and factories and offices,
there are people just like you.
2
They throw away soup cans and milk cartons, newspapers and broken toys,
peanut butter jars, dead batteries, cardboard boxes and plastic cups, food
wrappings and food scraps—all kinds of things.
3
Then the garbage trucks come to take everything away. They carry the
garbage to the dump, day after day, week after week, and year after year.
4
The piles of garbage are growing higher and higher and higher—we’re
running out of room!
5
But now we’re finding ways to reuse some of the stuff we throw out. What
we’re doing is called recycling.
Go on to the next page.
22
Segment 2
6
Here comes the recycling truck!
7
Elisa is the driver. Her truck is named Uncle Bud. Uncle Bud is specially made
for recycling. It has different bins for the paper, cardboard, cans, and glass
that Elisa picks up all over town.
8
Elisa picks up bags of paper and puts them in the paper bin.
9
She picks up glass bottles and puts them in the glass bins. There are separate
bins for clear, green, and brown glass.
10
Cardboard goes into the cardboard bin. Cans go into the metal bin.
11
Elisa steers very carefully. The truck is long and wide, so it’s extra hard to
drive.
12
The people on the route know Elisa. They feel good about helping the town
recycle. They know that the things they recycle are being used over again
and are not taking up space at the town dump.
13
The cab of the truck is open so that Elisa can jump out easily at each stop.
The work is cold in the winter and hot in the summer and wet when it rains
or snows, but Elisa likes being outdoors.
14
Sometimes Elisa stops to say hello to the crew of the regular garbage truck.
The more people give to Elisa to recycle, the less the garbage truck has to
take to the dump.
15
Elisa unloads her truck at the recycling center.
16
She dumps her glass, bin by bin, into the hopper. She wears work gloves to
protect her hands, safety glasses to protect her eyes, and special earmuffs to
protect her ears from the noise of the breaking glass. A machine empties the
glass from the hopper onto a conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt carries
the glass to a dumpster. The glass will be sold to companies that melt it
down and make new bottles.
Go on to the next page.
23
Segment 2
17
Elisa dumps the cans she collected into the same hopper. The cans fall from
the hopper into a machine with magnets. The machine separates the steel
cans from the aluminum cans and crushes them all flat. Then the cans are
dumped into trucks that will take them to be melted down. The steel and
aluminum will be used again.
18
The paper is tied into huge bales that will be sold to a paper company. The
company will use it to make fresh sheets of paper.
19
Elisa unloads the cardboard last. She uses a forklift truck to move this bin
out of Uncle Bud. The old cardboard will be used to make new cardboard.
20
The truck is empty. Elisa cleans Uncle Bud and fills the gas tank. It’s time to
go home. “Goodnight, Uncle Bud,” she says. “We did a good day’s work. I’ll
see you tomorrow.”
Go on to the next page.
24
Segment 2
20. Based on the article, it is important to recycle because
A dumps are getting full.
B people need to work.
C laws say we should.
D paper supplies are low.
21. In paragraph 5, the word recycling means to
A break into pieces.
B make use of again.
C cover up completely.
D keep for protection.
22. The main purpose of the article is to explain the
A job of a recycling truck driver.
B containers of a recycling truck.
C need for more garbage space.
D importance of safety gear.
Go on to the next page.
25
Segment 2
23. According to the article, which will probably happen if people
stop recycling?
A Elisa will have more work.
B Garbage dumps will fill up.
C People will not be as friendly.
D Bigger trucks will be needed.
24. In paragraph 11, the word steers means
A sits.
B drives.
C works.
D unloads.
25. The recycling truck is hard to drive mainly because it is
A heavy.
B short.
C light.
D long.
Go on to the next page.
26
Segment 2
26. Elisa wears protective gear when she
A drives trucks.
B unloads glass.
C sorts cans.
D moves paper.
27. Which is unloaded last at the recycling center?
A Cardboard
B Glass
C Cans
D Paper
Go on to the next page.
27
This is the end of Segment 2 .
Check your work.
28
Segment 3
You will be told when to begin this
segment.
29
Segment 3
Reading Test — Segment 3
Read the story below to find out how a third-grade student felt about her
old neighborhood and the new neighborhood where she and her family
moved. Then answer questions 28–33. Some questions may ask you about
certain paragraphs. The numbers are found on the left side of the
paragraphs.
Moving to Adams Street
by Denise Wilson
1
My best day ever was the day we moved to Adams Street. Before we moved,
we lived on Pine Street, the quietest street in the world. There were no
children—not one! If there had ever been any children on Pine Street, they
had grown up and left before I was born. I was the only person on the
whole block who went to elementary school. Both of my brothers, Andy and
James, were in middle school. There was no one on our street who went to
their school, either.
2
It was not that everyone on our street was the same age. There were people
of various ages on our block. Some were our parents’ age, some were
college students and some were grandparents whose grandchildren would
visit. For a few weeks every summer, our block was alive with the sounds of
games like tag and hide-and-seek. But then summer would end and all
would be quiet again.
3
Even though our street was a bit dull, I liked our neighbors. I used to help
Mr. Marcotte in the garden. His whole backyard was filled with neat rows of
corn, beans, lettuce, and carrots. Last summer we tried using different kinds
of soil and different amounts of water to grow three kinds of tomatoes. It
was just like science. Some plants needed light and little water and some
plants needed shade and a lot of water. I didn’t know there was so much
science in a garden.
4
But even though we had many nice neighbors, like Mr. Marcotte, I always
wanted a friend on my street. I hoped that one or two families would move
in, but that never happened. If I wanted to visit a friend, I had to ask my
mom or dad to drive me to my friend’s house. I could never just run to a
friend’s house to say hello without making plans first.
Go on to the next page.
30
Segment 3
5
There were other good things about Pine Street. My brothers and I had to
get along really well because there was no one else to help build a tree
house or a snowman. Even though I was younger, my brothers let me follow
them around, and I learned a lot from them. My brother Andy taught me
how to fix my bike. We took it apart and then put it back together. My bike
was better than new. My brother James is a great cook. He let me help
create special meals for our parents as a surprise. I even melted chocolate to
make a cake. If I’d had friends on my street, I would have been riding bikes
or playing at the park and might not have learned how to grow a tomato,
fix a bike, or bake a cake.
6
When our parents first told us we were moving, I was a little sad. I hoped we
would move to a neighborhood with kids, but I did not like to leave all my
Pine Street neighbors behind. Mr. Marcotte gave me seeds from the garden
and said he would come to our new house to help me plant them next
summer.
7
When we turned onto Adams Street, my father drove very slowly. There was
a sign that said: PLEASE DRIVE CAREFULLY. CHILDREN AT PLAY. I saw tire
swings on trees, a tree house, and a swing set. One house had a basketball
hoop nailed high on the wall of the garage. There were children riding bikes
and jumping rope. I could tell that I would like living here.
Go on to the next page.
31
Segment 3
28. In paragraph 5, the word create means
A to eat.
B to watch.
C to make.
D to serve.
29. What is the main problem of this story?
A The Pine Street neighbors were cranky.
B There were too many children on Adams Street.
C The Pine Street area was not safe.
D There were no other children on Pine Street.
Go on to the next page.
32
Segment 3
30. In paragraph 2, the word various means
A different.
B plain.
C older.
D steady.
31. The diagram below shows events in the story.
Box 1
Pine Street Life
Kids
visited in
the
summer
Worked
in Mr.
Marcotte’s
garden
Box 2
Box 3
Box 4
Which story event best fits into Box 4 on the diagram?
A Heard the sounds of games all day
B Classmates on the same street
C Learned how to bake a cake
D Saw swings and tree houses
Go on to the next page.
33
Segment 3
32. Why does the third grader say that growing tomatoes was “just
like science”?
A They used different kinds of soil and amounts of water to
grow different tomatoes.
B There were corn, beans, lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes all
growing in the same garden.
C Each of the five different types of tomatoes required a
different type of soil.
D They used different seeds at different times of the year to
grow tomatoes.
Go on to the next page.
34
Segment 3
33. The third grader says that the day she moved was the best ever
because
A Adams Street is prettier than Pine Street.
B Mr. Marcotte lives on Adams Street.
C Adams Street is just like Pine Street.
D Adams Street is home to many children.
Go on to the next page.
35
This is the end of Segment 3 .
Check your work.
36
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Reproduction of these passages was granted by permission from the following:
“Fish Fry and Apple Pie” by Mary Jane Hopkins. Illustration by Jane
Dippold. Copyright © 2001 by Highlights for Children, Inc. Columbus,
Ohio.
“Tulips on Parade” by Jeanene Engelhardt. from Humpty Dumpty’s
Magazine, copyright © 2001 by Children’s Better Health Institute,
Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana.
Used by permission.
“HERE COMES THE RECYCLING TRUCK” by Meyer Seltzer. Text and
photographs © 1992 by Meyer Seltzer. Excerpt reprinted by permission of
Albert Whitman & Company.
“Moving to Adams Street” by Denise Wilson, text. Used by permission of
the Minnesota Department of Education.
Grade 3 Teacher’s Guide
MCA-II Item Sampler
Teacher’s Guide
mde.testing@state.mn.us
An Introduction to the MCA-IIs
The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments are reading, mathematics
and science tests that help schools and districts measure student
progress toward the state’s academic standards. In 2006, the reading
and mathematics tests were aligned to the 2003 Minnesota Academic
Standards and were named the Minnesota Comprehensive AssessmentSeries II (MCA-II). The Science MCA-IIs became operational in 2008
and are aligned to the 2003 Minnesota Academic Standards. The grades
3-8 mathematics assessments will be operational in 2011 as the
Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments-Series III (MCA-III) and are
aligned to the 2007 Minnesota Academic Standards.
The Purpose of the MCA-II Item Samplers
An item sampler is not a complete test. It contains a smaller number of
the items that students will see on a full-length test in the spring. The
MCA-II Item Samplers were developed to familiarize students and
teachers with the format of the MCA-IIs and the kinds of items that will
appear on them.
This MCA-II Item Sampler is not a real test. It should not be used to
predict how well students will do on the tests. However, students may
feel more comfortable with the tests if they have reviewed the Item
Samplers prior to the test.
How the MCA-II Item Samplers Were Created
The Item Samplers mirror the format of the MCA-IIs. The
student directions, segment layouts, and answer sheet
each reflect the way the test will look in the spring,
except that the Item Sampler is shorter than the actual
test. As with all MCA-IIs, the reading passages and the
math and reading questions have been thoroughly
reviewed by Minnesota teachers prior to testing.
Minnesota students have answered these questions on
previous tests.
1
1a
Grade 3 Teacher’s Guide
The distribution of question types and their aligned content selected for
the Item Sampler generally reflects a range of items from each strand in
the Minnesota Academic Standards. Whenever possible, the Item
Samplers have the following designs:
Reading:
• Three segments
o The actual MCA-II has four segments.
• Four passages
o Fiction, nonfiction and poetry will be used if available and
aligned to the test specifications for that grade level.
• Eight to ten multiple-choice items per passage
• Appropriate Degree of Reading Power (DRP) and word length of
passages for the test specifications of the grade
The Contents of This Teacher’s Guide
The Answer Key identifies the answers and solutions to the questions. It
also identifies the strand/sub-strand/benchmark from the Minnesota
Academic Standards for the question.
State Standards & Test Specifications
The Item Samplers are primarily intended to familiarize teachers and
students with the format of the MCA-IIs. The best preparation for the
content of the MCA-IIs is done as a part of your curriculum planning.
When doing that, reference the Minnesota Academic Standards and the
test specifications for the MCA-IIs. For further questions about the
MCA-IIs, email us at mde.testing@state.mn.us.
2a
Grade 3 Teacher’s Guide
MCA-II Item Sampler Answer Key
Grade 3 Reading
Item #
Correct Answer
Item
Type
Strand
SubStrand
Benchmark
Cognitive
Level
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
C
A
A
D
D
A
C
B
C
A
A
C
A
D
D
B
A
D
C
A
B
A
B
B
D
B
A
C
D
A
C
A
D
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
MC
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
D
C
C
D
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
B
C
D
D
D
C
B
C
C
B
C
C
C
B
C
B
C
C
C
2
5
3
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
5
7
7
3
3
5
2
6
8
5
3
5
3
3
5
5
7
3
3
3
4
3
3
A
B
A
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
A
B
A
B
B
A
B
B
B
B
A
A
B
B
A
B
B
A
A
B
B
A
B
Type
DRP
Word Count
F
P
NF
F
44
NA
51
49
491
84
552
655
Passage Characteristics
Segment
1
1
2
3
Title
Fish Fry and Apple Pie
Tulips on Parade
Here Comes the Recycling Truck
Moving to Adams Street
3a
Grade 3 Teacher’s Guide
Legend:
Item # — The number of the question in the Item Sampler.
Correct Answer — Answers to multiple-choice items are listed.
Item Type — Multiple Choice (MC).
Strand — In reading, the entire MCA-II measures Strand I: Reading and
Literature.
Sub-strand — A segment of a strand. The sub-strands for Reading and Literature
are the following:
A: Word Recognition, Analysis, and Fluency (not assessed on MCA-IIs)
B: Vocabulary Expansion
C: Comprehension
D: Literature
Benchmark — A segment of a sub-strand. See the test specifications for an
explanation of a specific number.
Cognitive Level — A classification of the complexity of an item type based on
Bloom’s Taxonomy. See the test specifications for an explanation of
cognitive levels. The cognitive levels for items on the MCA-IIs are the
following:
Level A: Knowledge
Level B: Understanding
Level C: Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation
Passage Characteristics — Each passage has several characteristics that are
used when constructing the MCA-IIs.
Type: The reading MCA-IIs use fiction, nonfiction and poetry texts.
DRP: The Degree of Reading Power is a readability measure used on the
MCA-IIs to determine text difficulty. (The DRP formula is not applied
to poems.)
Word Count: This is the total number of words in the passage, not including
the introduction contained before the title.
4a