Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________
Grade 3 Reading Comprehension Practice Set 3
Question Code
Number
1
RI.3.1.
W.3.8.
2
RL.3.3.
W.3.8.
Standard
Score
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate
understanding of a text, referring explicitly to
the text as the basis for the answers.
Gather information from print sources; take
brief notes on sources and sort evidence into
provided categories.
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits,
motivations, or feelings) and explain how their
actions contribute to the sequence of events.
Gather information from print sources; take
brief notes on sources and sort evidence into
provided categories.
1
_________/ 2 points
_________/ 2 points
The World’s Oceans
Used with permission by ReadWorks.org
Read the passage. Then answer question 1 in the space provided.
1
The Earth’s oceans cover about 70% of the planet. There is an incredible
amount of life in the oceans. Most life on Earth exists in the ocean. There are
thousands and possibly millions of animal and plant species living in the
world’s oceans.
2
The five oceans hold 97% of the Earth’s water supply. In the Western
Hemisphere there are the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. In the Eastern
Hemisphere there are the Indian and the Arctic Oceans. The Southern Ocean
surrounds Antarctica and the South Pole. These five oceans make up one large
“world ocean.”
3
The world ocean provides so much for us. It helps keep the climate and
weather balanced and provides us with food and water. Some important
medicines are made from marine1 plant and animal sources. We need oceans
to maintain balance on Earth. We need to do our best to take good care of
them. There are many big companies that pollute the oceans. They dump
garbage and oil in the ocean's water. This kills thousands of animals and
makes the water unusable. The world ocean supports our lives. We should
support the ocean.
1
marine- related to the sea
2
Answer question 1 in the space provided below.
1. Based on the passage, why are the oceans important? Use at least two details
from the text in your answer.
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Score
2
1
0
Response Features
• Valid inferences and/or claims from the text where required by the prompt
• Evidence of analysis of the text where required by the prompt
• Relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the
requirements of the prompt
• Sufficient number of facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text as required by the prompt
• Complete sentences where errors do not impact readability
• A mostly literal recounting of events or details from the text as required by the prompt
• Some relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the
requirements of the prompt
• Incomplete sentences or bullets
• A response that does not address any of the requirements of the prompt or is totally inaccurate
• A response that is not written in English
• A response that is unintelligible or indecipherable
3
The Pool
by Gabrielle Sierra
Used with permission by ReadWorks.org
Read the passage. Then answer question 2 in the space provided.
1
Alex and Karen were sitting in their backyard on a hot summer day. All they wanted to do was go
swimming, but the local public pool was under construction, and all of the adults were too busy to
give them a ride to the beach.
2
“I just want to sit in the cool water,” said Alex, imagining how nice it would feel.
3
The two sat quietly as they thought about how else they could cool off.
4
“Let’s blow up that kiddie pool that we have in the garage,” suggested Karen. “We can fill that with
water, and it will help us cool off.”
5
The two ran to the garage and found the inflatable pool stuck in a box. They dragged it out to the
lawn and looked at it.
6
“It needs to be blown up,” said Karen.
7
Alex sat down and started blowing air into the pool through the nozzle, but after a while he
realized it wasn’t doing very much. He was exhausted and out of breath from all the blowing. The
pool was too big for just one person to inflate, and at this rate it would take Alex all night.
8
He sat back, defeated. “Okay, so how are we going to get it inflated then?”
9
Karen thought it over. Alex went back to the garage and got a bicycle pump, but the ends didn’t
match up. Then Alex came back with an old vacuum, but that sucked air instead of pumping it.
10
Karen thought and thought, and eventually she realized something.
11
“Did we check the pool box and see if there is a pump at the bottom?” she asked.
12
They ran into the garage and tipped the box over. Out fell a pump. They laughed.
13
“That was a very good idea,” said Alex, as they went back to the yard and connected the pump to
the pool. “We were so excited to find the pool that we didn’t gather all of the pieces first.”
14
Finally the pool was blown up. But as Karen and Alex looked at it they realized that it was slowly
deflating.
15
“There must be a hole somewhere,” said Karen. “We’ll have to find it.”
16
They each took a side and examined the pool, but couldn’t find anything.
17
“The hole may be too small to see,” said Alex. “How can we find it if it is too small to see?”
4
18
“Maybe we can feel it,” suggested Karen.
19
She traced her finger along the pool, only to find that she couldn’t feel anything.
20
“I know,” said Alex, “let’s listen and maybe we will hear the air escaping.”
21
They placed their ears next to the pool and listened. Sure enough, Karen heard a soft sound as air
escaped through a hole.
22
“I found it!” she said. “That was a good idea. The hole was too small to see, but we could hear it.
Now we have to patch it.”
23
Alex ran into the house and grabbed a bunch of different things to try and patch the pool. First he
suggested glue, but that didn’t seem to make sense to Karen. It would have to dry, and they
wouldn’t be able to swim until it did. Then he suggested a Band-Aid, but that wouldn’t stick
around the hole. Last he pulled out a roll of gray, heavy-duty tape.
24
“That should do it,” said Karen, cutting a piece and placing it over the hole.
25
They refilled the pool with air, and this time it stayed full.
26
“Now we have to fill the pool,” said Alex.
27
But how would they get the water into the pool? Karen suggested filling buckets up from the
kitchen and carrying them outside. At first this seemed to work but they soon realized that it
would take them forever to fill up the pool. Then Alex suggested filling it from the spout in the
backyard.
28
“That makes a lot more sense,” said Karen. “Let’s drag it over to the spout.”
29
They did, and Alex turned on the water. The pool was soon full.
30
Alex and Karen went inside and put their bathing suits on. Then they ran back outside and sat in
the pool.
31
“Well, we can’t swim, but at least we found a way to stay cool,” said Alex. “And we worked
together.”
5
Answer question 2 in the space provided below.
2. Are Alex and Karen good at solving problems? Explain why or why not. Use at least
two details from the text to support your answer.
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Score
2
1
0
Response Features
• Valid inferences and/or claims from the text where required by the prompt
• Evidence of analysis of the text where required by the prompt
• Relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the
requirements of the prompt
• Sufficient number of facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text as required by the prompt
• Complete sentences where errors do not impact readability
• A mostly literal recounting of events or details from the text as required by the prompt
• Some relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the
requirements of the prompt
• Incomplete sentences or bullets
• A response that does not address any of the requirements of the prompt or is totally inaccurate
• A response that is not written in English
• A response that is unintelligible or indecipherable
6
ANSWER KEY
1. Based on the passage, why are the oceans important? Use at least two details from the text
in your answer.
Answers will vary. Use the enclosed rubric as a guideline for scoring.
Example of a 2-level answer:
The oceans are important because they help us “maintain balance on Earth.” They help
balance the climate and weather. They also provide humans with food and water. We need the
oceans.
Suggestions for class review:
This question requires students to identify textual details that show why the oceans are important.
Students might struggle with this question if they are not able to infer that paragraph 3 shows why
the oceans are important without ever directly stating it. Ask a few students to read their
responses. Revisit paragraph 3 as a class and model annotating the paragraph for details that show
why the oceans are important. Point out to students that they have to infer from the information
presented that oceans are important.
7
2. Are Alex and Karen good at solving problems? Explain why or why not. Use at least two details
from the text to support your answer.
Answers will vary. Use the enclosed rubric as a guideline for scoring.
Example of a 2-level answer:
Alex and Karen are good problem solvers. In the story “The Pool,” they face several
problems and are able to solve all of them. For example, they try to blow up their pool, but it will
not blow up. They solve this problem by searching for a hole in the pool and covering it with duct
tape. Another problem they face is that they are hot but the public pool is closed. They solve this
problem by filling a kiddie pool with water. Because Alex and Karen solve the problems, they are
good at solving problems.
Suggestions for class review:
This question requires students to determine whether or not Alex and Karen are good problem
solvers. Students need to use information from the text to draw a conclusion. There are several
examples students can use to show that Alex and Karen are good problem solvers. Students might
struggle with this question if they do not understand that they will have to identify particular
problems and solutions in the story to support their answer. First ask students to identify several
problems and solutions in the text. After identifying all of the problems and solutions, ask a few
students to read their responses. Point out to students that this question requires them to go back
over the entire text carefully to find supporting details.
8
Score
2
1
0
Response Features
• Valid inferences and/or claims from the text where required by
the prompt
• Evidence of analysis of the text where required by the prompt
• Relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop
response according to the requirements of the prompt
• Sufficient number of facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text
as required by the prompt
• Complete sentences where errors do not impact readability
• A mostly literal recounting of events or details from the text as required by the prompt
• Some relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to
develop response according to the requirements of the prompt
• Incomplete sentences or bullets
• A response that does not address any of the requirements of the prompt or is totally inaccurate
• A response that is not written in English
• A response that is unintelligible or indecipherable
9