English

Language Arts Test

Book 1

Grade
4
April 26–28, 2010
21612
 Tips for taking the test
Here are some suggestions to help you do your best:
• Be sure to read carefully all the directions in the test book.
• Plan your time.
• Read each question carefully and think about the answer before choosing
your response.

Acknowledgments CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC is indebted to the following for permission to use material in this book:

“Belly Flops and Gutter Balls” by JoLynne Ricker Whalen, illustrated by Rocky Fuller from Highlights for Children Magazine’s
April 2005 issue, copyright © 2005 by Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio. Used by permission.

“The Dragon Hunter” by Keith Wilson from National Geographic Explorer Magazine’s September 2005 issue, copyright © 2005
by the National Geographic Society. Used by permission.

Photograph of dragonfly (Image No. AX001048), copyright © by William Dow/Corbis. Used by permission.

“About Abigail” by Gail Manning, from Jack and Jill Magazine’s April 2002 issue, copyright © 2002 by Children’s Better Health
Institute, Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana. Used by permission.

“Naming Our Puppy” by Mark G. Merfeld, copyright © 2004 by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC.

“Where Does the Water Go?” by Jacqueline J. Christensen, illustration by Michael Palan, from Turtle Magazine’s July/August
2006 issue, copyright © 2006 by Children’s Better Health Institute, Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, Inc.,
Indianapolis, Indiana. Used by permission.

Developed and published by CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 20 Ryan Ranch Road, Monterey, California 93940-5703.
Copyright © 2010 by the New York State Education Department. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or
by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the New York State Education Department.
 Book 1
Reading

D irections
In this part of the test, you are going to do some reading. Then you will answer
questions about what you have read.

Go On
■ Secure material ■
Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule. Book 1 Page 
D irections
Read this story. Then answer questions 1 through 6.

Belly Flops and Gutter Balls

by JoLynne Ricker Whalen
illustrated by Rocky Fuller

Lewis loved sports. He watched them on TV. He listened to them on the

radio. He read about them in the newspaper.
One day, Lewis decided that he wanted to be an athlete. “I want to find a
sport that I’m good at,” he said.
“I will help you find one,” said his friend Kirby.
They went to the golf course. Lewis picked up a golf club and placed the
ball on the tee. He swung the club hard, but he missed the ball entirely. A
clump of grass flew into the air and landed on Kirby’s head.
“Golf is not for me,” said Lewis.
They went to the swimming pool. Lewis climbed the ladder and stood on
the diving board. He took five running steps and sprang into the air. He hit
the water with a stinging smack!
Kirby got soaked.
“Diving is not for me,” said Lewis.
They went to the bowling alley. Lewis held the bowling ball and faced the
pins. He hopped and skipped, then let the ball go. It bounced into the next
lane and rolled into the gutter.
“Bowling is not for me,” said Lewis.

■ Secure material ■
Page  Book 1 Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule.
 They went to the tennis courts. Lewis tossed the ball into the air and hit it
with the racket. The tennis ball flew right into the net.
“Tennis is not for me,” said Lewis.
Lewis loved sports. He wanted to learn the basics. He wanted to feel the
excitement. He wanted to enjoy the thrill of winning. Lewis did not give up.
They went to the beach. Lewis hopped on a surfboard and caught the
waves. He swerved to the left, leaned to the right, and tumbled off the board.
“Surfing is not for me,” said Lewis.
Lewis tried volleyball, hockey, skiing, and soccer. He tried boxing, fishing,
football, and wrestling. He tried track, basketball, table tennis, and archery.
Who would have thought that finding a sport would be so difficult?
Lewis sighed. “I’ve tried everything,” he said. “And I’m not good at
anything.”
Kirby agreed. Lewis had made every possible mistake in every sport!
“But, Lewis, you’ve only tried each sport once,” said Kirby. “A good
athlete needs practice.”
“Practice?” asked Lewis. “You mean I won’t be good right away?”
“That’s right,” answered Kirby.
Lewis smiled. “Well, I’d better start practicing!”

Go On
■ Secure material ■
Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule. Book 1 Page 
 1 This story is mostly about how
A being good at sports takes practice
B playing sports with a friend can be fun
C being an athlete means trying many sports
D playing sports is better than watching sports

2 Read this chart about the story.

Sport Lewis Tries What Happens

Golfing He misses the ball entirely.

Diving ?
Bowling He throws the ball into the wrong lane.

Which statement best completes the chart?

A He falls on the board and breaks it.
B He slips off the wet ladder.
C He hits the water with a smack.
D He climbs the ladder but just stands there.

3 What brings Lewis closest to his goal in the story?

A trying sports with a friend
B listening to sports on the radio
C reading about sports in the newspaper
D watching sports programs on television

■ Secure material ■
Page  Book 1 Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule.
 4 Which statement about Lewis best tells what this story is about?
A Lewis reads the newspaper.
B Lewis tries different sports.
C Lewis makes a diving mistake.
D Lewis holds a bowling ball.

5 Why does the author most likely include Kirby in the story?
A to show Lewis how to follow rules
B to explain to Lewis the importance of exercise
C to help Lewis become an athlete
D to tell Lewis what sports mistakes to avoid

6 Read these sentences from the story.

Lewis hopped on a surfboard and caught the waves. He swerved to the left,
leaned to the right, and tumbled off the board.
The word “tumbled” in the second sentence most likely means
A fell
B jumped
C stepped
D turned

Go On
■ Secure material ■
Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule. Book 1 Page 
D irections
Read this article. Then answer questions 7 through 12.

The
Dragon
Hunter
by Keith Wilson

I am a dragon hunter. Dragonflies, that is! My name is Keith Wilson.

I’m an odonatologist. That’s a scientist who studies dragonflies. I don’t hunt
to kill. I hunt to discover. So far, I have helped to find many new species,
or kinds, of dragonflies.
Flying Colors
About 5,500 dragonfly species buzz around the world. Hunting them is
not easy. Many of them live deep in rain forests. To find them, I have to walk
through thick bushes. I have to put up with leeches. They are worms that
drink blood. I even have to watch out for hungry crocodiles.
So why do I look for dragonflies? The answer is simple.
I love them! They can speed by. They can make sharp turns
hover = stay still
and sudden stops. They can hover. They can even fly backward. in the air
Best of all, dragonflies are beautiful. They come in many
colors and patterns. Who doesn’t like looking at these amazing insects?
***
Super Sizes
Dragonflies come in many sizes. The smallest one is the size of your
thumbnail. The largest one would cover your face.
I recently looked for the heaviest dragonfly in the world—the giant
petaltail. It lives in Australia.
You might think such a large bug would be hard to miss. The petaltail,
however, is very rare. Few people have ever seen it. After looking for a week,
I spotted several of them zooming around.

■ Secure material ■
Page  Book 1 Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule.
 Built to Hunt
The hungry petaltails were hunting. Dragonflies are built to hunt. They
have two compound eyes. Each eye is made of 30,000 smaller eyes.
All those eyes help a dragonfly see everything. A dragonfly can spot a
tasty meal from up to 18 feet away.
Dragonflies have six legs. The insect cannot walk on its legs, however.
It uses its four wings to get around. It soars through the sky at 30 miles
an hour, looking for prey.
From Water to Air
A dragonfly begins its life underwater. It hatches from an egg and
becomes a larva. A larva is a young dragonfly. It can swim, but it cannot fly.
A larva lives in a lake or stream. It can grow for several years. Then it
crawls out of the water. It sheds its hard skin and becomes an adult.
An adult dragonfly doesn’t have much flying time. Some adults live for
only a few weeks. Others are around for several months. During that time,
a dragonfly is very busy. It flies. It hunts. It eats. If the dragonfly is female,
it also lays eggs. Soon there will be more young dragonflies.
Dragonflies in Danger
I worry about dragonflies. People are cutting down forests where the bugs
live. That could cause some species to die out. I want to protect these tiny
dragons for others to see and enjoy.

7 What is this article mostly about? 8 According to the article, what can
an adult dragonfly do?
A the life of dragonflies
B how to protect dragonflies A live for years
C how to photograph dragonflies B fly backward
D the colors of dragonflies C walk on legs
D swim in water

Go On
■ Secure material ■
Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule. Book 1 Page 
 9 Which fact from the article best describes how dragonflies are different from
each other?
A A dragonfly is built to hunt.
B The larva of a dragonfly lives in water.
C A dragonfly can fly up to thirty miles per hour.
D The smallest dragonfly is the size of a thumbnail.

10 According to the article, what is the best way to keep dragonflies from disappearing?
A Teach young dragonflies how to fly.
B Find an easier way to track dragonflies.
C Raise dragonflies that can walk on their legs.
D Stop cutting down forests where dragonflies live.

11 Which detail from the article best supports the idea that dragonflies are built to hunt?
A They have six legs.
B They have compound eyes.
C They begin life underwater.
D They are colorful.

12 After reading this article, what could the reader conclude about dragonflies?
A Some dragonflies are in danger.
B Dragonflies are easy to find.
C Dragonflies look like tiny dragons.
D Some dragonflies can be pests.

■ Secure material ■
Page  Book 1 Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule.
D irections
Read this story. Then answer questions 13 through 17.

Naming Our
Puppy
by Mark Merfeld

“This is a lot harder than

I thought it would be,” I said.
“We’ve been trying to find a
name for No-name for a week
now.”
“Why is it so hard, Brian?” asked Mom. “You and Tanya have probably
suggested a hundred names.”
“It has to be the right name,” said my little sister, Tanya. “We don’t want
No-name stuck with a bad name his whole life.”
“All I know is you can’t keep calling him No-name,” Mom said. “So
today’s the day. You have to agree on a name for the puppy today. Now let’s
go outside and play with him. Maybe he’ll name himself.”
As we stepped outside, Tanya screamed, “Look out!”
The small, black puppy dashed across the wooden deck and slid into
my feet. He stood on his back legs and scratched excitedly at my shins. As
soon as I reached down to pet him, he gave me a dozen quick licks with his
tongue. Then he was off to jump on my mom.
“Boy, you sure are a little bundle of energy,” Mom said. “Maybe we should
call you Tornado.”
“How about Hurricane?” Tanya asked. “We could call him Hurry for
short.”
The puppy’s timing was perfect. As soon as Tanya finished her sentence,
he hurried off the deck into the tall grass in the back yard. Suddenly, he
stopped. Something had caught his eye. He charged into the flowerbed and
pounced on some purple pansies. A butterfly escaped and fluttered above
his nose.
Go On
■ Secure material ■
Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule. Book 1 Page 
 The puppy chased after it, yapping as he made clumsy little leaps into the
air. As he scrambled up the steps, he tripped on the last one and landed on
his chin. He shook his head and continued his chase across the deck. When
the butterfly flew off to the side, the puppy tried to turn. The deck was like
a wooden ice rink to No-name, and his furry, oversized feet slid out from
under him. He skidded and flipped over on his side.
We were all laughing so hard that we couldn’t grab him as he got up and
ran into the yard again.
“There he goes again,” Tanya said with a giggle. No-name was hopping
through the tall grass after two more butterflies. “He sure likes those
butterflies.”
“That’s it!” I shouted. I ran into the house to get the book I had been
reading for school. It was about the Hopi, a Native American tribe in
Arizona. In the back of the book was a list of Hopi names and their
meanings.
“Look, Mom,” I said, pointing at the list. “We’ve got to call him Nova.”
“Why? What does it mean?” she asked.
“It means chases butterflies,” I laughed. “Isn’t that perfect?”
Mom and Tanya both nodded and laughed, just as Nova made another
leap into the flowerbed.

13 What is this story mostly about? 14 Why is it taking Tanya and Brian
so long to name their puppy?
A a brother and sister who argue
over a puppy’s name A They like the name he
B a family trying to think of a already has.
name for their puppy B They cannot think of any names.
C a brother who wants to rename C They want their mother to name
the family’s puppy the puppy.
D a family looking through books D They want the puppy to have the
for puppy names right name.

■ Secure material ■
Page 10 Book 1 Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule.
 15 Why does Brian run inside to get a book?
A He remembers something he read.
B He wants to learn more about butterflies.
C He is going to read a story to his sister.
D He needs to finish his homework.

16 Why does the author describe the deck as a “wooden ice rink”?
A It is covered with ice.
B It is large like a rink.
C The puppy skates on it.
D The puppy slips on it.

17 What will Tanya and Brian most likely do the next time they need to name a pet?
A They will watch the pet for ideas.
B They will look in a book of names.
C They will ask their mother for help.
D They will choose a name quickly.

Go On
■ Secure material ■
Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule. Book 1 Page 11
D irections
Read this poem. Then answer questions 18 through 22.

About
Abigail
by Gail Manning

Once a little brownish snail

(Her name, I think, was Abigail)
Set out to roam the round world through.
(She took her little brown home, too
As every small brown snail must do.)
Alas! A jay swooped to the grass.
First she crossed the garden wall Oh, would he let one brown snail pass?
In hardly any time at all— Alarmed, our friend slid in her shell
An hour at most or was it more, And was unharmed till all was well!
Twenty-nine or thirty-four?
(Well, with snails, who keeps the score?) And then,
AND THEN,
How wide the world! Now, where was I?
Would courage fail? Oh, yes, the grass below, the sky
Was she afraid? Beyond, adventure calls.
Not Abigail! And so our bold explorer crawls
She spied a stone and reached the spot And crawls and crawls
Within a week (although she hurried (A yawn)
quite a lot). And slowly creeps
But now a bush sat in her way; (More yawns and a stretch)
Around she crept all night, all day. While I am falling
It was so nice she circled twice! Fast asleep.

■ Secure material ■
Page 12 Book 1 Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule.
 18 Which event happens first in the 21 What will most likely happen if
poem? Abigail decides to go back to the
garden?
A Abigail sees a jay.
B Abigail spies a stone. A She will get stuck in the bush.
C Abigail crosses the garden wall. B She will take a long time to get
D Abigail creeps around a bush. there.
C She will leave her shell behind
because it is heavy.
D She will move fast because
she knows the way.
19 Why does Abigail have to carry her
home with her?
A She is a brown snail.
B She is an explorer. 22 Which event from the poem
C She travels at night. could not really happen?
D She hides from birds.
A A snail hides from a jay.
B A snail circles a bush.
C A snail crawls across
a garden wall.
20 In the poem, what is Abigail most
D A snail plans to roam
afraid of ?
the world.
A the bush
B the jay
C the garden wall
D the wide world

Go On
■ Secure material ■
Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule. Book 1 Page 13
D irections
Read this article. Then answer questions 23 through 28.

Where Does the

Water Go?
by Jacqueline J. Christensen
illustrated by Michael Palan

Have you ever watered a garden and watched the water disappear into the
soil? This fun experiment shows how plants take water from the ground to
grow. Ask an adult to help you.

You Will Need:

• Medium-sized glass
• Water
• Red food coloring
• Spoon
• 1 celery stalk with leaves
You Will Do:
1. Fill the glass halfway with water.
2. Stir in enough food coloring to make the water dark red.
3. Ask Mom or Dad to cut 1 inch off the bottom of the celery stalk. Place
the stalk in the water and let it stand overnight.

What Will Happen:

The leaves will turn red, as well as the tiny tubes running up through the
stalk. Break the stalk in half, and you will see red dots in each piece.

■ Secure material ■
Page 14 Book 1 Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule.
 Why?
As a plant grows, its roots act like straws, sucking water up into the stem
or stalk. Tiny tubes inside the stalk carry water farther up into the leaves. (By
coloring the water red, this is easier to see.) The red dots show a cross-section
of the tiny tubes through which the water traveled.

23 What is this article mostly about?

A how water protects plants
B how water can change colors
C how celery stalks grow in water
D how plants get water from the ground

24 What should you do right after filling the glass halfway with water?
A Break the stalk in half.
B Place the stalk in the water.
C Stir in food coloring.
D Let the celery stand overnight.

25 Which of these items is needed for Step 1 of the experiment?

A water
B spoon
C celery stalk
D food coloring

Go On
■ Secure material ■
Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule. Book 1 Page 15
 26 What should you do right before letting the stalk stand overnight?
A Place the stalk in the water.
B Make the water dark red.
C Ask an adult to help you.
D Break the stalk in half.

27 In which section of the article can you find how the water moves through plants?
A “You Will Need”
B “You Will Do”
C “What Will Happen”
D “Why”

28 After reading the article, a reader could conclude that

A plants grow faster in red food coloring
B water travels upward through plants
C most experiments require adult help
D many materials are needed for experiments

STOP
■ Secure material ■
Page 16 Book 1 Do not reproduce. Do not discuss contents
until end of designated makeup schedule.
Grade 4
English Language Arts Test
Book 1
April 26–28, 2010