Name:_________________________________
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Directions: Read each passage and complete each question. Be sure to read all questions
completely and answer all parts of each question.
Black Beauty
by Ann Sewell
The passage is narrated by a horse named Black Beauty
1
When I was four years old Master Gordon came to look at me. He examined my eyes,
my mouth and my legs; he felt them all down; and then I had to walk and trot and gallop before
him. He seemed to like me, and said, “WHen he has been well broken in he will do very well.”
My master said he would break me in himself, as he should not like me to be frightened or hurt,
and he lost no time about it, for the next day he began.
2
Everyone may not know what breaking in is, therefore I will describe it. It means to
teach a horse to wear a saddle and a bridle, and to carry on his back a man, women or child; to
go just what way they wish, and to go quietly. Besides this, he has to learn to wear a collar, and
to stand still while they are put on, then to have a cart or a chaise fixed behind him, so that he
cannot walk or trot without digging it after him, and he must go fast or slow , just as hid driver
wishes. He must never start at what he sees, nor speak to other horses, nor bite, nor kick, nor
have any will of his own, but always do his master's will, even though he may be very tired or
hungry; but the worst of all is, when his harness is once on, he may neither jump for joy nor lied
down for wariness. So you see this breaking in is a great thing.
3
I had of course long been used to a halter and a headstall, and to be led about in the
fields and lanes quietly, but now, I was to have a bit and a bridle; my master gave me some
oast as usual, and after a good deal of coaxing he got the bit into my mouth, and the bridle
fixed, but it was a nasty thing! Those who have never had a bit in their mouths cannot think how
bad it feels; a great piece of cold hard steel as think as a man’s finger to be pushed don't one’s
mouth, between one’s teeth, and over one’s tongue, with ends coming out at the corner of your
mouth, and held fast there byu straps over your head, under your throat, round your nose, and
under your chin; so that no way in the world can you get rid of the nasty hard thing; it is very
bad! Yes, very bad! At least I thought so; but I knew my mother always wore one when she went
out, and all horses did when they were grown up; and so, what with the nice oast, and what with
my master’s pats, kind words, and gentle ways, I got to wear my bit and bridle.
4
Next, came the saddle, but that was not half so bad; my master put it on my back very
gently. while old Daniel held my head; he then made the girths fast under my body, patting and
talking to me all the time; then I had a few oats, then a little leading about; and this he this he
did every day ‘til I began to look for the oats and the saddle. At length, one morning, my master
got on my back and rode me round the meadow on the soft grass. It certainly did feel strange,
but I must say I felt rather proud to carry my master, and as he continued to ride me a little
every day I soon became accustomed to it.
Directions: Respond to the questions for the passage “Black Beauty”
(RL. 5.1, 3 points)
1. In the passage, how does the master treat Black Beauty? Use two details from the text to
support your answer. (write your answer in complete sentences)
(RL. 5.2, 4 points)
2. Describe the challenges that Black Beauty faces in the story and how he responds. Use two
details from the text to support your answer. (write your answer in complete sentences)
The Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
This passage takes place in a garden. Colin is a young boy who was sickly and wheelchair bound, but is
beginning to recover and be able to walk. mary is his cousin, and Dickon is a friend to both of them.
1
At first the robin watched Mary and Colin with sharp anxiety. For some mysterious
reason he knew he need not watch Dickon. The first moment he set his dew-bright black eye
on Dickon he knew he was not a stranger but a sor tof robin without beak or feathers. He could
speak robin (which is quite a distinct language not to be mistaken for any other). To speak robin
to a robin is like speaking French to a Frenchman. Dickon always spoke it to the robin himself,
so the strange gibberish he used when he spoke to humans did no matter in the least. THe
robin thought he spoke this gibberish to them because they were not intelligent enough to
understand feathered speech. His movements also were robin. They never startled one by
being sudden enough to seem dangerous or threatening. Any robin could understand Dickon,
so his presence was not even disturbing.
2
But at the outset, it seemed necessary to be on guard against the other two. In the first
place the boy creature did not come into the garden on his legs. He was pushed in on a thing
with wheels and the skins of wild animals were thrown over him. That in itself was doubtful.
Then when he began to stand up and move about he did it in a strange unaccustomed wday
and the others seemed to have to help him. The robin used to secrete himself in a bush and
watch this anxiously, his head tilted first on one side and then on the other. He thought that the
slow movements might mean that he was preparing t pounce, as cats do. When cats are
preparing to pounce they creep over the ground very slowly. The robin talked this over with his
mate a great deal for a few days but after that he decided not to speak of the subject because
her terror was so great that he was afraid it might be injurious to the Eggs.
3
When the boy began to walk by himself and even to move more quickly it was an
immense relief. But for a long time-or it seemed a long time to the robin-he was a source of
anxiety. He did not act as the other humans did. He seemed very fond of walking but he had a
way of sitting or lying down for a while and then getting up in a disconcerting manner to begin
again.
4
One day the robin remembered that when he himself had been made to learn to fly by
his parents he had done much the same sort of thing. he had taken short flights of a few yards
and then had been obliged to rest. So it occurred to him that this boy was learning to fly-or
rather to walk. He mentioned this to his mate and after they were fledged she was quite
comforted and even became eagerly interested and derived great pleasure from watching the
boy over the edge of her nest- though she always thought that the Eggs would be much cleverer
to learn more quickly. But then she said indulgently that humans were always more clumsy and
slower that Eggs and most of them never seemed really to real to fly at all. You never met them
in the air or on tree-tops.
Directions: Respond to the questions for the passage “The Secret Garden”
(RL. 5.3, 3 points)
3. How do the Robin’s feelings change toward Colin from the beginning of the story to the end?
Use two details from the text to support your answer.
Directions: Respond to the question for the passages “Black Beauty” and “The Secret Garden”
(RL. 5.6 and W.5.2, 5 points)
4. Both stories are told from the perspective of an animal. How does this perspective affect how
the stories are told? Compare and contrast how Black Beauty and the robin view their
surroundings. Using details from both passages, describe how the animals’ perspective
influence how events are described.
In your response, be sure to:
describe the perspective of Black Beauty from “Black Beauty”
describe the perspective of the robin from “The Secret Garden”
Explain how each author uses these perspectives to help the reader understand the events as
they unfold.
use details from both stories
“Life in the Limbs”
By Heather Kaufman-Peters
1
Imagine stepping out your front door to find yourself forty feet above the ground
overlooking a dense forest and a winding sterea. Instead of hopping on your bike, you grab the
handles of your very own zipline and fly 1,00 yards over a pond, landing safely on the far bank.
2
Sound crazy? Not to Jonathan fairoaks, who love in a four-story tree house that he
designed and built! In fact, as a tree house architect, Jonathan has built more than 380 custom
tree houses across the United States.
3
Jonathan’s love of tree-house living began when he was a kid. He started climbing trees
when he was ten year old, and he became an arborist (a person who cares for trees) in high
school. He built his first treehouse and live in it while he was in college.
4
“It was delightful-like being on a ship because it moved with the wind,” Jonathan says. “It
was the most fun I ever had.”
5
Designing unique tree house may sound tough, but Jonathan says it’s no sweat. “I let
the trees decide the designs,” he says. “Hardwood such as oak, maple, or hickory make the
best trees for houses- but I did once build a wonderful tree house in a crabapple tree.
6
“If you want a bigger tree house than the tree can support, “he adds, “you can use
braces. My tree house is in two trees- an oak tree and a fir tree-and has three posts to support
the weight.”
7
As a certified arborist, Jonathan tries to never harm the trees.
8
“I build tree houses so it helps the tree,” he says. “The tree’s center of gravity is at the
top and the ends of its branches, so I build a house down at the center of the tree, which shifts
the center of gravity and makes the tree more balanced.
9
Using a special drill bit, he attaches artificial limbs to the tree to support the tree house.
10
“The tree grows over the artificial limbs, and they become part of the tree,” Jonathan
says. “I suspend the house on the artificial limbs so it actually floats.
11
The tree house is not the only thing suspended in Jonathan's designs. His tree houses
always have swings. “Swings are a great way to enjoy the tree,” he explains. For live-in tree
houses he installs porch swings, and for kids’ tree houses he puts up monkey swings (a rope
with a round seat).
12
Jonathan also likes tree houses that overlook streams or rivers and include stainedglass windows to catch the sun’s rays. But the most fun tree house designs he ever
constructed were inspired by a galaxy far, far away.
13
“I’ve done several Ewok Villages,” he says, “with ziplines and bridges to other trees and
rope swings. Those were fun to build!”
14
When designing a tree house, the sky’s the limit according to Jonathan.
15
“Let your imagination run wild,” he says. “Walk in the woods and learn the different
trees. Spend time climbing and learn how to do it safely.”
16
Jonathan also encourages his clients to give their tree houses names. One of his
favorite names is “Ups and Downs.”
Here’s some more about living in the limbs! Read this interview with tree house expert
Pete Nelson.
Welcome to the Tree House School
17
Hey kids! Jack here. Feeling inspired to design your own tree house? Here’s some
advice from Pete Nelson, who runs TreeHouse Workshop, a tree house building school. He’s
built tree houses across the United States - and in far-away countries such as Japan and
Morocco, too!
18
Jack: What would you include in your dream tree house?
19
Pete: It would have windows everywhere but enough wall space for a favorite painting or
two and a shelf for books. It would have a comfortable bed with lots of pillows,a writing desk,
and a comfortable reading chair with a good light. Maybe a coffee maker and a tiny sink. And
maybe a tiny bathroom too!
20
Jack: Do books or movies ever give your customers ideas?
21
Pete: We often get asked to create the tree house from The Swiss Family Robinson.
22
Jack: How do you determine the shape of the tree house?
23
Pete:The trees will dictate how a floor plan lays out. Often these are unusual shapes.
My tree houses tend to be square because it is less expensive to build square. If someone has
all the time in the world to design a tree house, then I would make it wacky and fun!
24
Jack: Any crazy extras included?
25
Pete:I have added fun stuff like water balloon launchers!
26
Jack: Do you name your tree houses?
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Pete: We name them all the time: “Babylon,” “The Temple of the Blue Moon,” “Trillium,” “
Solace,” “Uppermost,” and many more.
28
Now get busy and draw up plans for your own tree house!
Directions: Answer the following questions based on “Life in the Limbs” by Heather KaufmanPeters.
(RI.5.4, 2 points)
5. Part A: What is the meaning of the word dictate as it is used in paragraph 23?
a. hint
b. fix
c. understand
d. decide
Part B: Which phrase helps the reader to understand the meaning of dictate?
a. “recreate the tree house”
b. “determine the shape”
c. “is less expensive to build”
d. “has all the time in the world”
(RI.5.2, RI.5., 4 points total)
6. Choose two main ideas from the passage and copy them into the empty box labeled “Main
Ideas” Then chose one detail that best supports each main idea and copy it into the empty box
labeled “Supporting Details”
Main Ideas
Supporting Details
(RI.5.8 and RI.5.1, 3 points)
7. Part A:What is the purpose of the braces described in paragraph 6 of the article?
a. They fix broken tree limbs, so a tree house will not fall down.
b. They lock several trees together, so almost any kind of tree can be used.
c. They join two trees into one unit, so a tree house looks secure.
d. They help trees hold up a tree house , so the trees will not break.
Part B: Which two details from the article to support your answer to Part A?
a. “Designing unique tree houses may sound tough, but Jonathan says it’s no sweat.”
b. “‘Hardwoods such as oak,maple or hickory make the best trees for houses- but I did once
build a wonderful tree house in a crabapple tree.”
c. “‘My tree house is in two trees-an oak and a fir- and has three posts to support the weight.”’
d. “As a certified arborist, Jonathan tries to never harm the trees.”
e. “The tree’s center of gravity is at the top and the end of its branches, so I build a house down
at the center of the tree…”
f. “The tree grows over the artificial limbs, and they become part of the tree,...”
(RI.5.9 and RI.5.1, 3 points)
8. Part A: Which idea is found in both the article about Fairoaks and the interview with Nelson?
a. Each tree house should be special for its owner.
b. People should climb trees for practice before building a tree house.
c. Having a tree house is good for people.
d. Going to a tree house school can be helpful in getting started.
Part B: Select a detail from each passage to support the idea selected in Part A.
Supporting Detail from Article
Supporting Detail from Interview