Name: ______Date: ______
Grade 5 Unit 1 Reading Comprehension Practice
Use this table to score questions 1-5 after you have completed this reading comprehension practice exercise.
Question Number / Code / Standard / Student Mastery√= Answered correctly
X= Answered incorrectly
1 / RI 5.2 / Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
2 / RI 5.2 / Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
3 / RI 5.2 / Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
4 / RI 5.8 / Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text. Identify which reasons and evidence support which point(s).
5 / RI 5.5
W 5.8. / Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources. / Total points on question 5:
______/ 2 points
Famous Scientists & Mathematicians – Albert Einstein
Used with permission by ReadWorks.org
Read the passage. Then answer questions 1 and 2.
1 You probably recognize the man in this picture. Does his hair and mustache give him away? Have you ever heard of the theory of relativity or E=MC2? This is Albert Einstein, one of the most brilliant minds of the 20th Century.
2Einstein was originally from Germany. He was also Jewish. Being Jewish made living in Germany during the 1930s very dangerous. Luckily Einstein was able to escape. He left Germany and came to America before the Nazis officially took control of Europe and started exterminating[1]Jews. When he came to America, he settled in Princeton, New Jersey. He spent the rest of his life there after becoming a U.S. citizen.
3Albert Einstein is known as the father of the nuclear age. His theory of relativity helped inventors develop atomic energy, including the atomic bomb. He urged the United States government to invest[2] in the development of the atomic bomb. He believed that the Nazis were well on their way to creating such a bomb. He didn’t want them to have the upper hand during World War II.
4Throughout his life, Einstein greatly contributed to the scientific world and became famous. Almost anyone could recognize him with his sloppy hairstyle. He was so revered[3] in the world that Israel once asked him to become president of their state. He gracefully declined[4]. Although he passed away in 1955, Albert Einstein’s works are still cherished today and will be for some time to come.
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line next to each question.
______1.What is the main idea of this passage?
- Albert Einstein is one of the most important scientists in history.
- It is easy to recognize Albert Einstein because of his crazy hair.
- Albert Einstein could have been the president of Israel if he wanted to.
- Albert Einstein developed the atomic bomb.
______2.Which of the following best summarizes the text above?
- Albert Einstein was Jewish and had a distinct haircut and mustache. He invented the atomic bomb.
- Albert Einstein invented the theory of relativity. He lived in Princeton, New Jersey for most of his life. He declined when Israel asked him to be the president of their state.
- Albert Einstein was born in Germany, but he escaped to the United States from the Nazis. He is the father of the nuclear age and helped inventors develop the atomic bomb. His work is still important today.
- Albert Einstein moved to New Jersey from Germany. He is the father of the atomic bomb. He died in 1955.
Read the passage. Then answer questions 3 and 4.
Classical Music—Johann Sebastian Bach
1During his life, J.S. Bach was not as popular as Beethoven and Mozart were during their lifetimes. His music was considered hard to understand and even harder to play. Although Bach wrote more than 1,000 pieces of music, very few were published while he was alive. An employer originally rejected[5] one of Bach’s most famous works, the Brandenburg Concertos. Bach composed[6] the piece in 1721 as part of a job application. He never even got a response, let alone the job he wanted. More than 100 years later, the piece was finally published. Today, you can hear orchestras all over the world playing Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. The Concertos offer just one example of how public opinion of Bach has changed. Now the composer is considered one of the most brilliant minds of Western Civilization.
2Bach's music is very complex.[7] During his lifetime no one could imitate him. Instead of writing just one melody into his music, he often used two. The two melody lines are kept separate throughout the music, like two voices having a conversation. But they are also precise, like a mathematical equation set to sound. To the skilled listener, Bach’s complexity adds endless depth. His music has its own texture. Bach studied hard and expected his students to study with the same rigor. He once said, "I was obliged to be industrious;[8] whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well." Bach was a very patient and kind teacher.
3Unlike most composers of his time period, Bach wrote his music entirely from his mind. He did not sit and play an instrument while he was writing. He knew the sounds and subtleties[9] of every instrument by heart. For Bach, music was easy. He explained, "There is nothing to it. You only have to hit the right note at the right time, and the instrument plays itself."
4Bach combined the notes from different instruments in a new way. More than anything, he wanted to invent. He was always experimenting with new patterns of music. He did not worry that others did not like his music. He just said, "If you cannot please all by your art or your work, satisfy the few. To please many is bad." Bach had a great influence on many of the composers who came after him.
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line next to each question.
______3.What is this passage mainly about?
- Bach’s music and how he is remembered.
- the opinions of people who disliked Bach’s music.
- the methods that Bach used to teach his students.
- how Bach composed music on paper without playing it
______4.Why does the author describe how Bach’s music often had two melodies?
- to show how the music was deep and complex
- to explain why people today enjoy his music
- to illustrate why Bach was a good music teacher
- to teach the reader how to combine two songs
The following question refers to both of the previous passages. Reread them and answer question 5 in the space provided below.
ANSWER KEY
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line next to each question.
______1. What is the main idea of this passage?
- Albert Einstein is one of the most important scientists in history.
- It is easy to recognize Albert Einstein because of his crazy hair.
- Albert Einstein could have been the president of Israel if he wanted to.
- Albert Einstein developed the atomic bomb.
EXPLANATION: This question requires students to recognize that all of the information and details about Einstein in the passage work together to show that he is an important scientist. Students who did not choose this answer focused on details that support the main idea rather than the main idea. Students might have chosen B if they did not read the entire passage. They may have just skimmed the first paragraph. Students who chose C or D recognized that these choices show that Einstein is an important scientist, but were not able to draw a conclusion from these details. To help students understand this answer, point out that C and D support answer A. Ask students to identify other details in the passage that show that Einstein is an important scientist.
______2. Which of the following best summarizes the text above?
- Albert Einstein was Jewish and had a distinct haircut and mustache. He invented the atomic bomb.
- Albert Einstein invented the theory of relativity. He lived in Princeton, New Jersey for most of his life. He declined when Israel asked him to be the president of their state.
- Albert Einstein was born in Germany, but he escaped to the United States from the Nazis. He is the father of the nuclear age and helped inventors develop the atomic bomb. His work is still important today.
- Albert Einstein moved to New Jersey from Germany. He is the father of the atomic bomb. He died in 1955.
EXPLANATION: Students who answer this question correctly are able to identify the most important details of the text and understand that a summary should include these important details. Choices A, B, and D do summarize some information presented in the passage, but they do not include the most important information. Choices A, B, and D only offer select details, but leave out significant details that show who Einstein was. To help students understand the answer to this passage, revisit each paragraph with them. Ask students to summarize the most important point in each paragraph. Then redirect them to the answer choices, and explain that answer C best reflects the most important points in paragraphs 2-4.
______3. This passage is mainly about . . .
- Bach’s music and how he is remembered.
- the opinions of people who disliked Bach’s music.
- the methods that Bach used to teach his students.
- how Bach composed music on paper without playing it
EXPLANATION: This question requires students to recognize that all of the information and details about Bach in the passage work together to explain what Bach’s music was like and how people think of him today. Students who did not choose this answer focused on details that support the main idea rather than the main idea. To help students understand this answer, review choices B, C, and D with students and point out that these are all minor details that are only touched on once in the passage, while Bach and his music are present throughout the passage.
______4. Why does the author describe how Bach’s music often had two melodies?
- to show how the music was deep and complex
- to explain why people today enjoy his music
- to illustrate why Bach was a good music teacher
- to teach the reader how to combine two songs
EXPLANATION: Students who answer this question correctly are able to go back to the text and notice that the author first claims that Bach’s music is very complex in paragraph 2, and then supports this claim with an example about how Bach used two melodies in his music. In this same paragraph, the author also mentions that “Bach’s complexity adds endless depth.” To help students understand the answer to this question, go back to paragraph 2 and perform a close reading, focusing on these details.
The following question refers to both of the previous passages. Reread them and answer question 5 in the space provided below.
Score / Response Features
2 / • Valid inferences and/or claims from the text where required by
the prompt
• Evidence of analysis of the text where required by the prompt
• Relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the requirements of the prompt
• Sufficient number of facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text as required by the prompt
• Complete sentences where errors do not impact readability
1 / • A mostly literal recounting of events or details from the text as required by the prompt
• Some relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and/or other information from the text to develop response according to the requirements of the prompt
• Incomplete sentences or bullets
0 / • A response that does not address any of the requirements of the prompt or is totally inaccurate
• A response that is not written in English
• A response that is unintelligible or indecipherable
1
[1] Exterminate: killing; attempting to get rid of completely
[2] Invest: to put resources into; to spend money to develop
[3] Revere: to show devotion and honor to
[4] Decline: to refuse courteously; to be unwilling to accept
[5] Reject: to say no, to refuse
[6]Compose: to create
[7] Complex: complicated, having many parts
[8] Industrious: constantly or regularly active or occupied; hard-working
[9] Subtleties: small but important features of things that might be hard to notice