DeSoto County Schools
Third Grade Reading Assessment 2
(RI 3.1, RI 3.2, MLAF 2c2, RF 3.9)
Read the passage below. Then answer questions 1 – 4.
Titanic
In the spring of 1912, a luxury ship called the Titanic set off from England
on its first journey. The Titanic was headed for New York City, but on the night of
April 14, its journey was cut short. Around midnight, the ship hit an iceberg, and
in less than three hours the ship had sunk. Although over 700 people survived
the disaster, more than 1, 500 lives were lost in the icy waters of the Atlantic
Ocean.
Because of the way the Titanic was built, everyone thought it was
impossible for the ship to sink. This certainly led to several of the causes of the
disaster. We now know that the ship’s captain, Edward Smith, had ignored
warnings of ice and pushed the Titanic too fast through dangerous waters.
Lifeboats are smaller boats that sit on the deck of the ship. They are used in
cases of an emergency. There were not enough lifeboats on the deck because
the Captain Smith thought the ship looked better without them.
Because of the Titanic disaster, new rules were set. Now people know
that every ship can sink. Therefore, there must be a space in a lifeboat for every
person on board a ship. If there were enough lifeboats on the Titanic, then
everyone may have been able to survive the disaster.
1.
Which of the following does not correctly identify a cause of the disaster?
A.
There were not enough lifeboats on the ship.
B.
Captain Smith ignored warnings of ice.
C.
The captain pushed the Titanic too fast through dangerous waters.
D.
Over 700 people survived the disaster.
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2.
3.
After reading this passage, what
can the reader infer about why
there are new rules set for ships?
F.
Because everyone knew the
Titanic would sink.
G.
Because boats will always
sink without rules.
H.
Because new rules may
prevent another disaster like
the one on the Titanic.
J.
Rules keep lifeboats off the
ships.
4.
The article states “We now know
that the captain, Edward Smith, had
ignored warnings of ice and pushed
the Titanic too fast through dangerous
waters.” What other evidence from
the article shows that the captain was
responsible for the disaster of the
Titanic?
A.
Because of the Titanic
disaster, new rules were set.
B.
There were not enough
lifeboats on the deck
because the captain thought
the ship looked better
without them.
C.
Because of the way the
Titanic was built, everyone
thought it was impossible for
the ship to sink.
D.
Although over 700 people
survived the disaster, more
than 1,500 lives were lost in
the icy waters of the Atlantic
Ocean.
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Which of the following best
summarizes the passage?
F.
The Titanic was headed for
New York City, but its journey
was cut short.
G.
The Titanic was a terrible
tragedy, but new rules were
set after the Titanic to help
more people survive disasters
at sea.
H.
We now know that the
captain had ignored
warnings of ice.
J.
Many people died in the
Titanic disaster, and it was
very sad.
GO ON
Read the passage below. Then answer questions 5 – 9.
Antarctic Shipwreck!
When Ernest Shackleton packed for his trip in 1914, he seemed ready for
anything. He and his 27-man crew filled their ship with food, tents, warm clothes,
and sled dogs. The ship was called the Endurance. They hoped to be the first
people to travel across Antarctica.
But the men did not make it. Instead, they made history in a story of survival.
The Endurance was just 100 miles from Antarctica when ice suddenly closed
around it. It would be months before the ice melted and the ship could sail.
The ship drifted with the ice. The sailors tried to keep warm. They passed the
time by playing cards. They built “dogloos” for their sled dogs.
After ten months, the ice began to crush the ship. Shackleton ordered the men
to leave the ship. The sailors were stranded on an island. So Shackleton set out
to sea with five strong men. He left the others behind. They sailed and rowed
800 miles in a tiny boat.
Four months later, Shackleton returned to rescue his crew. They laughed and
hugged. All 28 men of the Endurance trip survived. How? Perhaps because
Shackleton was a true hero. As the explorer said, “If you’re a leader, you’ve got
to keep going.”
5.
Which of the following best summarizes the passage “Antarctic
Shipwreck!”
A.
Ernest Shackleton packed for his trip in 1914, but he didn’t survive
the shipwreck.
B.
Ernest Shackleton and his crew were stranded for more than ten
months at sea, but they never gave up their hope for survival until
every man was rescued alive.
C.
They build “dogloos” for their dogs to help keep them warm.
D.
The Endurance was the name of the ship that Shackleton and his
men sailed on their journey.
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6.
F.
G.
H.
J.
7.
8.
Using the two passages, contrast
Captain Smith from the Titanic to
Ernest Shackleton from the
Endurance. How are the two
leaders different?
Both men are leaders of their
ships.
While Edward Smith made
several mistakes that led to
the deaths of many people,
Ernest Shackleton didn’t give
up until every man was safely
rescued.
The Titanic carried people,
but the Endurance had both
people and sled dogs on
board.
9.
Both captains did an
excellent job of keeping their
passengers safe.
F.
Both ships were unable to
reach the places they
wanted to visit.
G.
Both ships were led by men
who made big mistakes.
H.
Both ships were loaded with
28 men and supplies.
J.
Both ships lost many
passengers in their disasters.
Choose one detail from the story
that supports the main idea and
summary for “Antarctic Shipwreck!”
Write your answer on the lines
below. (You may refer to the story
and your answer to Question #5 to
help.)
____________________________
What was the goal for the men on
board the Endurance?
A.
Compare the voyage of the Titanic
to the Endurance. Which of the
following statements is true?
____________________________
____________________________
They wanted to make it to
New York.
____________________________
____________________________
B.
C.
D.
They wanted to live ten
months on a deserted island.
____________________________
____________________________
They wanted to be the first
people to travel across
Antarctica.
____________________________
They were sailing with the first
dogs to go out to sea.
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
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____________________________
____________________________
Read each paragraph below and complete the questions that follow.
There are many fun things to do at the beach. Swimming is one thing that
can be done at the beach. Snorkeling is another thing that can be enjoyed.
Playing beach volleyball can be a lot of fun. It is also fun to look for shells.
Some people simply like to sunbathe.
10. Citing evidence from the passage above, write a brief summary of your
own on the lines below.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
It is estimated that over twenty million pounds of candy corn are sold in the
US each year. Brach’s, the top manufacturer, sells enough candy corn to
circle the earth 4.25 times if each piece were laid end to end. That’s a lot of
candy corn, but that’s nothing compared to Tootsie Roll production. Over
64 million Tootsie Rolls are produced every day! But even Tootsie Rolls have
got nothing on the candy industry’s staple product, chocolate.
Confectioners manufacture over twenty billion pounds of chocolate in the
United States each year. Now that’s a mouthful!
11.
Which of the following best summarizes this passage?
A.
Tootsie Rolls are the most popular candy in the United States.
B.
Everyone in the U.S. loves candy corn.
C.
Candy corn and Tootsie Rolls are popular candies, but
chocolate is more popular than any other candy in the United
States.
D.
Brach’s is the top candy manufacturer.
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