North Carolina Testing Program
EOG Reading Grade 3 Sample Items
Dogs once were wild. Have you ever wondered how dogs came to be tame? Read this selection to
find out and answer the questions that follow.
About Dogs
by Margaret Davidson
A long, long time ago, there were no
tame dogs. All the animals of the world were
wild.
One of those wild animals was the
wild dog. Wild dogs roamed through the
field and forests. From these wild dogs come
all the different dogs that are pets today.
How did this happen? It might have
begun like this. One day some people were
walking in the forest. They found a wild dog
that had died. Then they heard a soft
mewing sound coming from some thick brush
in the forest. Looking around, they saw a
wild dog pup curled up in a nest. They
picked it up and carried it home.
The pup grew into a full-grown wild
dog. The wild dog was now partly tame since
it had lived and played with people all its
life. Soon people began to raise and train
other wild dog pups. Little by little, after
many, many years, some of these animals
began to look less like wild dogs. These
tamer animals were the first dogs.
People found that dogs could help
them in many ways. Some dogs barked a lot.
The loud barking kept robbers and wild
animals away. Other dogs could run very
fast and help people chase down game. Some
dogs helped farmers herd sheep and goats.
Dogs helped herd cattle, too. People began to
realize that dogs could be useful in different
ways. Dogs were also fun to have around.
“About Dogs” by Margaret Davidson from Mystery Sneaker by Theodore Clymer and Richard L. Venezky. Copyright
1982. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1.
What is the main purpose of this
selection?
A
B
Page 1
to warn the reader about the
dangers of wild dogs
to encourage the reader to get a
dog
C
to give the reader some
information about dogs
D
to make the reader laugh at a
wild dog story
2.
What is the best way to describe dogs
from a very long time ago?
A
extremely large
B
good pets
C
not tame
D
loud and noisy
Published April 2005. May reproduce for instructional and
educational purposes only, not for personal or financial gain.
North Carolina Testing Program
3.
In paragraph 3, why does the author
ask, “How did this happen?”
A
B
to keep the reader interested in
reading the selection
to see if the reader knows the
answer to the question
C
to show the reader that the
author does not know the answer
D
to show the reader how to do
research on dogs
EOG Reading Grade 3 Sample Items
4.
How did the dogs help the farmers?
A
They helped plow.
B
They carried things.
C
They herded farm animals.
D
They hunted sheep and goats.
End of Set
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provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972, the Department of Public Instruction does not
discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color,
national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or military
service in its policies, programs, activities, admissions
or employment.
Page 2
Published April 2005. May reproduce for instructional and
educational purposes only, not for personal or financial gain.
Answers to
Grade 3 Reading Comprehension Sample Items
Selection Title
Question
Number
Correct
Answer
Category
Thinking Skill
Objective
Number
About Dogs
1
C
Cognition
Analyzing
2.04
About Dogs
2
C
Cognition
Knowledge
2.02
About Dogs
3
A
Critical Stance
Analyzing
2.04
About Dogs
4
C
Cognition
Knowledge
2.02
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
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