There are 30 questions in this activity. Practice your reading skills with one or two short stories at a time!

Read the story, then choose the answer that best answers the question.

1. Sharon has a dental appointment on Friday, so she will need to leave school early. Sharon's mother will sign her out of school 45 minutes before her appointment to allow for travel time. This is Sharon's Friday Schedule: 8:30-9:30 Seatwork in her classroom, Room 28 9:30-10:15 Reading with Mrs. Johnson, Room 29 10:15-11:00 Math with Mr. Welsh, Room 25 11:00-11:45 Language Arts with Mrs. Robinson, Room 28 11:45-12:45 Lunch & recess 12:45-1:30 Science with Mrs. Robinson, Room 28 1:30-2:15 Social Studies with Mrs. Fox, Room 27 2:15-3:00 Computers with Mrs. Oliver, Room 5

Sharon's dental appointment is at 2:30. Where will Sharon be on Friday when her mom picks her up from school for her appointment? _______

Mrs. Robinson's science class, Room 28 Mrs. Oliver's coputer class, Room 5 Mrs. Fox social studies class, Room 27

2. On Saturday, Brandon and Ed decided to go to the movies. They wanted to go to the local theater which by car, is only about 10 minutes from their house. Both boys really wanted to see the new space movie, so they looked in the paper to see when it was playing. They were excited to see tha the movie was playing at 3 different times. The movie stared at 11:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. Brandon's mom said she would give them a ride to the movie and pick them up, but she had a 3 hour appointment at 12:00.

Which of the movie times would be the best one for the boys to go to? _______

11:00 am 1:30 pm 4:00 pm

3. The new millennium, the year 2000, was celebrated all around the world. Many countries celebrated with big festivities and fireworks that lit up the skies over big cities. Along with all of the celebrations, the new millenium also brought concern regarding the "Y2K bug". People were frightened that the year 2000 would bring many glitches in the computer world. They feared 2000 would be read as "00". Fortunately, there were few problems in the computer systems because many people had replaced old computers and updated their software.

What caused the great convern for computers crashing at the beginning of the new millenium? _______

The fireworks caused damage to the copmuters. The "Y2K bug" was a virus that infected many computers and spread throughout the country. Early computers weren't capable of handling years with four digits; they could only use two digits.

4. Many presidents have made significant contributions to our country's progress. Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd president of the United States, is credited with the Louisiana Purchase. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, is best known for the Emancipation Proclamation. The 32nd president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, executed the New Deal, and four presidents later, Lyndon B. Johnson implemented the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Throughout history, all United States presidents have worked for the good of the nation.

What was the 16th president credited with? _______

the end of the Civil War the Emancipation Proclamation the New Deal

5. Jenna loves animals, and she earns extra money by taking care of pets in her neighborhood. This week is going to be especially busy for Jenna. On Monday, Jenna will give Mr. Smith's dog a bath. On Tuesday, Jenna will clean the rabbit cage and the hampster cage at Mrs. Clark's house. On Wednesday and

Thursday, Jenna will feed the 3 birds at her next-door neighbor's house because they will be out of town. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, she will taker her own dog for a walk.

What day will Jenna be cleaning cages? _______

Sunday Wednesday Tuesday

6. The first general-purpose computer was sold in the late 1940s. This electronic machine took up several rooms' worth of floor space. By the end of the 1960s, huge improvements were made, and the use of transistors enabled the size of computers to decrease. Computers today are much more compact than ever. Inventors from years past would be amazed to see how computers have changed. PDA computers can now fit conveniently in the palm of your hand and can be stored in a pocket.

According to the paragraph, what helped computers to come down in size? _______

big companies transistors PDAs

7. Billy had a baseball game on Friday night at 5:00. His little sister, Mary, couldn't wait to go. She was somewhat interested in the game, but she was really excited about helping her mom at the snack stand. Whenever Mary helps at the snack stand, her mom lets her buy candy to eat during the last inning. Sometimes Mary likes to buy licorice, but other times she likes to buy a lollipop or a candy bar. On Friday night, Mary's mom let her pick out a piece of candy for herself and one for her brother. Mary chose licorice and a candy bar. At the end of the game, Billy was happy to eat the candy bar his sister picked out for him.

What kind of candy did Mary eat at the game on Friday night? _______

licorice a lollipop

a candy bar

8. Many presidents are associated with nicknames, quotations, programs or important events. For example, President Martin Van Buren was known as the Little Magician. President John F. Kennedy is associated with saying, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Franklin D. Roosevelt stated "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." People associate the Fair Deal with President Harry S. Truman. President Abraham Lincoln is credited with the end of slavery.

Based on the information provided, which of the following presidents is associated with an important event? _______

Martin Van Buren John F. Kennedy Abraham Lincoln

9. Kent had been invited to a pool party at his friend's grandmother's house. His mom told him he could go but he need to get detailed directions since they were new to the rural area. Kent spoke to his friend's mom on the phone and took accurate notes.

Take route 73 east for 4 miles. Exit on Washington Ave. Go straight on Washington Ave. for 7 traffic lights; approximately 5 miles At the 7th traffic light, turn right. You'll be on Marsh Drive. Third driveway on the right with a blue mailbox Address: 57 Marsh Drive, Phone: 555-342-0789

According to the directions Kent wrote, how far down Washington Ave. do you travel? _______

7 traffic lights 4 miles

until you see the 3rd driveway with a blue mailbox

10. Cesar Chavez was a spokesman for Mexican Americans. Growing up as a son of migrant farm workers, he was aware of the terrible working conditions his parents faced. Chavez wanted better, safer working environments and better wages for farm workers. During the 1970s and 1980s, he organized boycotts that spread throughout the country. He asked consumers not to purchase some items grown on farms, such as lettuce and grapes for wine, until the working conditions for these farm workers had improved. Cesar Chavez helped to improve the work environment for those who labored on farms.

What was Cesar Chavez fighting for? _______

Improved work conditions and wages for farm laborers Benefits for consumers More boycotts

11. Sam was asked to write a research paper about an animal of his choice. Sam chose snakes because his parents had promised to get him one if he learned how to take care of it. He wanted to find information about snakes as pets. His first step in writing the paper was to write an outline. He went to the library and found many resources for learing about snakes. His teacher suggested inquiring at a pet shop and checking information on the computer.

The following list shows the topics he wanted to find information about.

- a snake's body - snakes likes and dislikes - what snakes eat - where snakes live - how snakes move - how to handle a snake

Which two ideas would belong in Sam's outline? _______

snakes in the wild & poisonous snakes different kinds of snakes & snakes as pets rattlesnakes & snakes in the rainforest

12. Sam wants to have his birthday party at a skate park. Sam's mom thought it was a good idea, so she made plans for the party and reserved 3 hours at the park. Sam helped her pick out the invitations, and then they filled them out. Each invitation had the following information:

Birthday Part For: Sam Date: November 19 Time: 12:00-3:00 Location: Valley Skate Park, 1155 Valley Blvd.

(Take Horizon Blvd. south to State St. Turn right on State St and proceed for 2 miles. Make a left on Mission and then make a quick left on Valley Blvd. The Park will be on your right.) Remember to bring your skateboard and protective gear!

What street will you make a quick left onto? _______

Horizon Blvd. Mission Valley Blvd.

13. In the United States, the government is divided into three branches. The judiciary branch consists of courts and judges. It decides what is lawful. The executive branch, headed by the president of the United States, executes and carries out the laws. Also in this branch are departments and agencies. The legislative branch makes the laws and is made up of members of the Senate and House of Representatives. All three branches work together for the welfare of our nation and to keep our citizens safe in the pursuit of life, liberty, and freedom for all.

According to the pararaph, which branch is responsible for making the laws? _______

legislative executive judiciary

14. Amber's dad is making chili for the party on Saturday. His recipe sounds really good. The following ingredients are needed:

16oz ground turkey 1 Cup onions, chopped 1 package chili seasoning mix 1/4 Cup water 1 teaspoon oregano (optional) 1/2 teaspoon Mexican seasonings 2 Cans, canned crushed tomatoes 1 Can kidney beans

Amber's dad wrote down all of the ingredients and went to the store on Friday.

According to the recipe, which ingredient is least important? _______

onion oregano kidney beans

15. Katie has decided to write a report on lizards. She wants to focus on 5 different types of lizards and where they live. In an effort to gather information, Katie went to the library and checked out 7 different books about lizards. Following is a list of the books Katie brought home:

Scaled Reptiles and Their Habitats Caring for Your Pet Lizard

A Home for Your Lizard Lenny the Lizard The Life of a Lizard Leo's Lizard

Which book will be most helpful in providing information that is relevant to katie's report? _______

A Home for Your Lizard Scaled Reptiles and Their Habitats Leo's Lizard

16.

Dear Parents,

Please note the following important dates on your calendar: November 24th - 1:00 dismissal for parentteacher conferences. January 25th - school closed for Teacher Professional Development Day. March 16th 1:00 dismissal for parent-teacher conferences. May 3rd-7th - 1:00 dismissal for standardized testing. Please contact the school with any questions. Sincerely, Mr. Smith, Principal

John's parents received the note from the principal regarding the updated calendar for the school year. His parents find it helpful to know when things are going to take place.

When can John's parents expect to have their first scheduled parent-teacher conference? _______

March 16th November 24th May 3rd

17. Stacy and her brother Jim had been waiting a long time for this special Saturday. Finally, they were going to go with their parents and pick out a new puppy. They both wanted a little golden retriever. On the way to the kennel, everyone in the family thought of names for the new puppy. When they arrived, there

were five puppies to choose from. Stacy and Jim were immediately attracted to the same little puppy, and they immediately called it Sandy. Their parents liked the one they chose and paid the owner, who would deliver the puppy to their house in 24 hours. Stacy and Jim could hardly wait to feed the puppy, walk the puppy and play with it.

On what day of the week was Sandy delivered to their house? _______

Saturday Sunday Monday

18. Madeline was doing research on people who made great contributions to earth and space sciences. She learned that many discoverers were ahead of their time with briliant research and findings. For example, Copernicus believed in a sun-centered universe. Galileo developed the first high-grade telescope, and Halley predicted the return dates of Halley's comet. Kepler proved that planets revolved around the sun in ellipses, and Hubble developed the key to calculating how quickly the universe is growing.

Who proved that planets revolved around the sun in ellipses? _______

Copernicus Halley Kepler

19. Kristin has always wanted to buy the school lunch in the cafeteria. Usually her mom makes her lunch every day, but Kristin's mom and dad will be out of town for a week. Kristin's parents told her she could buy her lunch while they were away. The school lunches only cost $2.25, including milk or juice. Kristin was given $11.25 to pay for her lunches for the entire week. Kristin's grandmother will be staying with her while her parents are away. Her grandmother will hold the money and give Kristin $2.25 every day before she leaves for school. Kristin can't wait to buy her lunch.

Why is Kristin going to buy school lunches next week? _______

She has always wanted to.

Her parents are going out of town. Lunch prices are so reasonable.

20. Jenny wants to play a sport after school. The soccer team meets for 2 hours per day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Practice is from 3:00 to 5:00 on those afternoons. The track team practices for 1 hour per day on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The track team's practice is from 4:30 to 5:30. Another option is for Jenny to join the basketball team. Those players meet for 1 1/2 hours per day on Mondays and Tuesdays. They practice from 3:00 to 4:30. Currently, Jenny's only commitment is her private tutoring, which is everyday from 2:30 to 3:30.

Which team can Jenny join if she wants to keep her tutoring schedule the same time? _______

Soccer Track Basketball

21. Two neighboring high schools had a huge sports rivalry. At the big football game Friday night, the Eastern Eagles were ahead in the first quarter. They had scored a touchdown and the Trenton Tigers had only scored a field goal. In the second quarter, both teams scored a field goal. The third quarter was fought by defense and there was no score for either team. Then came the most exciting quarter of all, the fourth quarter. The Tigers took the lead after scoring a touchdown. With one minute left in the game, the Eagles scored another field goal, and the game ended in a tie.

According to the recount of the game, which quarter was scoreless? _______

second quarter third quarter fourth quarter

22. Mary wanted to send her aunt a bottle of perfume for her birthday. Mary counted her money and was able to afford her aunt's favorite kind. After buying the perfume, Mary made a card and carefully wrapped everything together so that the perfume bottle would not break in the mail. The package was very heavy, but

Mary still was not sure how much postage to use. Mary's mom drove her to the post office and they found the following information.

1 oz - 8 oz = 37 cents 9 oz - 12 oz = 65 cents

How much postage does Mary's package need? _______

37 cents 65 cents Not enough information given

23. Megan was doing a book report on Walt Disney. For spring break, she spent 3 days at World Disney World and was motivated to write a report about his life. She began reading books about him. She opened the first book and glanced at the Table of Contents.

In the Beginning page 1 Life on the Farm page 19 A Young Artist page 38 Walt's First Job page 65 Artist/Actor page 114 Comic Drawing page 147 The Jelly Factory page 163 A Mouse is Born page 199 The Magic Kingdom page 283

She also used other books, magazine articles and the Internet to gather information about the very creative man.

Megan was particulary interested in discovering what inspired Walt Disney to create Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Which page should she turn to, to discover this information? _______

page 65 page 163 page 199

24. It was such a beautiful day that Joe decided to take the long way home from school. He wanted to walk through the park and enjoy the fall weather after a very long, hot summer. As he was walking along, kicking through piles of leaves in the path, he noticed $500 in large bills. He was very excited to come across the money and was tempted to keep it, but he knew it wasn't the right thing to do. So Joe gave the money to a nearby police officer. He later found out that the police traced the money to a bank robbery. Later that month, Joe's honesty was honored at a ceremony when the mayor gave him an award for helping to solve a crime.

What made Joe give the money to the police officer? _______

His conscience told him it was the right thing to do. He wanted to be on the news. His parents made him turn in the money.

25. For Mother's Day, Eric decided to make a special breakfast for his mom. Usually his mom eats cereal for breakfast, but he wanted to make her feel special. He made French toast and planned to serve it with fruit and a glass of orange juice. Unfortunately, there wasn't any juice in the refrigerator, so he asked his dad to go to the market and buy some. His dad agreed to help him. Upon returning home, he handed Eric a carton of apple juice. It wasn't exactly what Eric had in mind, but he knew his mom would like it. Sure enough, Eric's mom was overjoyed and touched by Eric's thoughtfulness. She thoroughly enjoyed her special breakfast.

What did Eric's mom have for breakfast on Mother's Day? _______

cereal and orange juice French toast, cereal and fruit French toast, fruit and apple juice.

26. Women did not always have the freedom and rights that they have today. During the struggle to gain freedom and rights, many women were involved in organizing conferences and giving speeches. Seneca Falls, New York was the site of the first women's rights convention, and Akron, Ohio was the site of the famous speech given by Sojourner Truth. Many other states are also known for their involvement with the women's rights movement. For example, the first college to accept women and men was in Overlin, Ohio, and the states of Texas and Arkansas were the first to allow women to vote.

Where was the site of the first women's rights convention? _______

Seneca Falls, New York Akron, Ohio Texas

27. Dinosaurs roamed the earth millions of years ago. The rise of the dinosaurs began during the Triassic Period. The Jurassic Period was known as the age of the ruling and huge dinosaurs. The Cretaceous Period was when there were more dinosaurs than ever before, including, Tyrannosaurus rex and triceratops. By the end of this period, dinosaurs became extinct. Then came the Tertiary Period, when mammals were present in great numbers.

According to the time line in this paragraph, when might you expect to see the most dinosaurs? _______

Triassic Period Cretaceous Period Tertiary Period

28. The fifth grade class at Monterey Elementary School has a cake decorating contest every Halloween. To be eligible for a prize, all directions must be followed. Each student who enters the contest must submit a picture of how they plan on decorating their cake. Once their picture is approved, the student is responsible for baking and decorating his/her own cake. Amy, Joey, and Jenny each got their pictures returned to them with a stamp of approval. They knew they were eligible for the prize. Amy baked a double-layer cake with a pumpkin on it. Joe baked a triple-layer caked with a monster on it, and Jenny's cake was orange and black. Sarah turned in a cake decorated with a spider on it.

Based on the rules and the information above, who is not eligible for the prize? _______

Amy Joe Sarah

29. In 1969 laws were passed to help keep the environment clean. Shortly afterwards, in 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established to enforce the laws. This was the same year that the first Earth Day occurred. Earth Day, April 22, is a day for Americans to help beautify their world and make the air better to breathe. On Earth Day, many people work on planting gardens and trees, cleaning up their yards and picking up debris around their community.

When is Earth Day? _______

September 22 August 22 April 22

30.

Recipe for Cheesecake

4 8-oz cream cheese 5 eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 Tbs. lemon juice 1 pint sour cream 1 Tbs. flour 1/2 tsp.vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat cream cheese and sour cream. While beating, add 1 egg at a time. Beat in remaining ingredients one at a time. Pour mixture into graham cracker crust. Put in oven and reduce heat to

350 degrees. Cook 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn off oven and leave it in the oven for 1 hour. Refrigerate and serve the following day.

Upon finalizing the ingredients and pouring themix into the graham cracker crust, one must remember to: _______

heat at 375 for 1 hour and 20 minutes reduce heat to 350 refrigerate and serve the following day