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| TAKS Of The Week! |
Listen up 3rd to 5th grade students! Every week, there will be a set of reading, math, writing, and science TAKS test questions for you to practice. The FIRST student who can solve the problem correctly will receive prize rewards from Ms. Roberts, Ms. Johnson, Mrs. Jolly, Ms. Hagger, and Ms. Templeton.
Students, you may E-mail the answer to the teachers, or hand in a written work with your name, grade level, your teacher’s name, the date, the time, and the problem title on the piece of paper.
If you are doing the math problem, you MUST show your work. If you are doing the reading, writing, and science problem, you MUST be able to explain the answer to the teachers.
3rd grade students, please E-mail or hand in a hard copy of the reading and math answer to Ms. Roberts in room 201. Her E-mail address is shaunda.roberts@nfisd.org
4th grade students, please E-mail or hand in a hard copy of the reading, writing, and math answers to Ms. Johnson in room P301. Her E-mail address is belinda.johnson@nfisd.org
5th grade students, please E-mail or hand in a hard copy of the reading answer to Ms. Jolly in room P307. Her E-mail address is anupreet.jolly@nfisd.org
5th grade students, please E-mail or hand in a hard copy of the math answer to Ms. Templeton in room P311. Her E-mail address is cassandra.templeton@nfisd.org
5th grade students, please E-mail or hand in a hard copy of the science answer to Ms. Hagger in room P308. Her E-mail address is ruthie.hagger@nfisd.org
For every week, the competition starts every Monday at 8:00a.m. and ends at 3:00p.m. on Friday. Students who turn in their answers before 8:00a.m. on Monday or after 3:00p.m. on Friday will not be counted! Students who E-mail their answers to the teachers on the weekend will not be counted!
Good luck to all students!!!
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3rd Grade Reading Problem |
 DIRECTIONS:
Read each selection. Then read each question that follows that selection. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the space for the answer you have chosen.
Greta and the Cat
St. Martin's Day is a holiday in a country named Holland. The "St." in St. Martin stands for the word saint. St. Martin was a man who did kind things for many people in need. He was a soldier who spent his life helping others. The people of Holland remember him every year on November 11.
1 Greta rode her bicycle down the path with her classmates. In Holland this was the way most children traveled back and forth to school. They pedaled past the rivers and meadows of their little town. One by one, the children parted as they came to their houses.
2 "See you later!" Greta called to her friends. She turned into her yard. As she parked her bike, she heard a noise in the grass. She jumped back suddenly, dropping her books. At her feet was a small gray cat.
3 "That old cat keeps scaring me!" she complained as she walked in the door.
4 "It doesn't mean any harm," said her father.
5 "Why doesn't it just go home and stay out of our yard?" she grumbled. She frowned but could not stay angry for long. It was St. Martin's Day.
6 "We must eat before we celebrate," Mother said. She placed steaming bowls of stew called hutspot on the table.
7 Greta's younger brother Peter joined them. He was singing happily, "St. Martin walking home one day, St. Martin with his cape of gray." Then he stopped. "Who was St. Martin anyway?"
8 Greta laughed. "St. Martin was a man who lived long ago," she explained. "One chilly winter day he was walking home. He wore a cape to keep warm and had a small piece of bread to eat."
9 "Yes," said Mother. "Then he saw a stranger on the side of the road. The man sat on the ground, hugging his knees to keep warm. He was hungry and had no home."
10 Father finished the story. "St. Martin took his sword and cut his cape in two. He gave the man half of his warm cape. Then he gave the man half of his bread."
11 "So we celebrate St. Martin's Day," said Peter, "because he was kind to the man who didn't have anything?"
12 "Yes," answered Mother. "St. Martin had great sympathy for others, and we should be concerned about others, too."
13 As always on St. Martin's Day, Greta and her family enjoyed their dinner. Then they carried a lantern out into the dark night. Other families carrying lanterns joined them. Together they knocked on neighbors' doors. The visitors sang and were given sweet breads.
14 At the end of the evening, Greta's family walked back home. Just inside her yard, Greta heard a noise again. She dropped her bag of sweets as a gray shadow leaped across her feet.
15 "You wait a minute!" she called as she chased after the cat. She caught it and picked it up. "Why are you always frightening me?"
16 She noticed the cat's dirty paws and matted fur. The cat had probably never been brushed, and it didn't have a collar. "I don't think this cat has a home," Greta said.
17 Peter reached up and petted the cat gently. "I know what St. Martin would do," he said.
18 Greta looked at the cat that had frightened her. Suddenly it didn't look so scary. It didn't even struggle as she held it in her arms. She opened her bag of treats. Taking out a sweet roll, she offered half to the cat. The cat hungrily ate the roll.
19 "May we make a box for it to sleep in?" Greta asked her mother.
20 "I can tear my sweater in half to keep the cat warm," offered Peter.
21 Mother smiled. "I think an old towel would be better," she said.
22 They fixed up a box and put it in a safe place. Peter returned with a bowl of milk. The cat lapped it up. "Tomorrow I'll see whether it belongs to anyone," said Greta.
23 "If not, may we keep it?" asked Peter.
24 Mother and Father looked at each other. "We'll see," they said.
25 As everyone returned to the warm house, Greta stayed with the cat. She rearranged the towel. It was cold and dark outdoors, but Greta felt content.
26 "Good night, Martin," she said, suddenly deciding on the cat's name.
27 The little cat purred.
1 Why is it important that the story takes place on St. Martin's Day?
A. Greta gives the cat to a neighbor as a present.
B. Greta lends her brother a sweater to wear.
C. Greta remembers that she should help others.
D. Greta and her mother make sweet treats.
2 Which word best describes St. Martin?
A. Strong
B. Worried
C. Caring
D. Upset
3 How can Greta tell that the cat probably doesn't have a home?
A. It is not wearing a collar.
B. It looks sleepy.
C. It keeps frightening her.
D. It purrs softly.
4 What does Peter give the cat?
A. A bowl of milk
B. Half of his sweater
C. An old cape
D. Half of a sweet roll
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 Read the chart to the left. It shows the order of events in the story. Then answer the question that follows.
5 Which of these events belongs in the empty box?
A. Peter sang a song about St. Martin.
B. St. Martin saw a man who needed help.
C. The people of Holland celebrate St. Martin's Day.
D. St. Martin was a man who lived long ago.
6 Why did the author probably write this story?
A. To explain why some children ride bicycles to school
B. To give reasons why people should have holidays
C. To show how cats can sometimes scare people
D. To tell how a girl learned a lesson and helped a cat
7 In paragraph 16, the word matted means —
A. curled
B. long
C. tangled
D. soft
8 How does Greta get to school?
A. She walks to school.
B. She rides on a bus.
C. She is driven in a car.
D. She rides her bicycle.
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 Read the four signs to the left. Then answer the question that follows.
9 Which sign will Greta most likely make the next day?
A. Sign 1
B. Sign 2
C. Sign 3
D. Sign 4
10 Paragraph 13 mainly tells about —
A. how many houses are in the neighborhood
B. what kinds of treats people receive
C. how families celebrate St. Martin's Day
D. which songs Greta's family sings
11 What will Greta probably do the next time she sees the cat?
A. Jump suddenly
B. Chase it away
C. Call her mother
D. Hold it in her arms
12 How are Greta and St. Martin alike?
A. Both are helpful.
B. Both wear a long cape.
C. Both like cold weather.
D. Both find a lost cat.
13 How do Greta's feelings about the cat change by the end of the story?
A. She thinks it is scary.
B. She feels sorry for it.
C. She thinks it is a bother.
D. She wants to sell it.
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3rd Grade Math Problem |
 Helena has a box of colored toothpicks. The table on the left shows the number of toothpicks of each color in the box.
1 If Helena takes 1 toothpick out of the box without looking, which color will she most likely get?
A. Yellow
B. Blue
C. Green
D. Red
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4th Grade Reading Problem |
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1 What is a ruilla pais?
A. A market
B. A fruit
C. A vegetable
D. A boat
2 The reader can tell that Lamai’s family probably —
F. doesn’t have electricity
G. doesn’t like tomatoes
H. has many boats
J. eats only bread
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 Look at the chart to the left. Use it to answer the question.
3 Which idea belongs in the empty box?
A. Clean the fruit
B. Load the boat
C. Fry bananas
D. See tourists
4 Why do Lamai and her family start the day at 3:00 A.M.?
F. They must find boats to carry their fruit.
G. It’s safest to travel in the dark when the water is calm.
H. They must arrive at the market before anyone else.
J. They must get the food ready for the market.
5 What is this article mainly about?
A. How people get to a floating market
B. Why there are floating markets in Thailand
C. The people who sell the food at floating markets
D. A morning at a floating market
6 Why do Lamai and her mother go to the floating market?
F. To have breakfast
G. To make money
H. To visit with friends
J. To see tourists
7 Tourists most likely stay on the walkway to shop because —
A. the freshest fruits are near the walkway
B. they do not buy food from the boats
C. it is easier for them to see what they want to buy
D. they do not have their own boats
8 In paragraph 5, merchants are people who —
F. like to yell
G. sell something
H. live in a city
J. buy vegetables at the market
9 Why would tourists probably want to buy T-shirts at the floating market?
A. The T-shirts will help them remember their trip.
B. The best T-shirts are sold at the market.
C. Lamai’s family makes the T-shirts for tourists.
D. They would rather buy T-shirts than fruit.
10 What is paragraph 5 mainly about?
F. What people sell at the market
G. What Lamai’s favorite fruit is at the market
H. What Lamai’s mother sells at the market
J. Why people call out at the market
11 What will Lamai probably do when she gets home from the market?
A. Load the boat
B. Visit her friend Suki
C. Lie down to rest
D. Clean tomatoes
12 Why do Lamai and her mother use a boat to go to the market?
F. The market is in the city nearest their home.
G. The market floats on the water.
H. They like to spend time on the water.
J. Their fruit fits inside a boat better than inside a car.
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4th Grade Math Problem |
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DIRECTIONS:
Read each question. Then mark the circle next to the letter for the answer you have chosen. If a correct answer is not here, mark the circle next to the letter for "Not Here."
1 In which number sentence does 12 make the equation true?
A. 132/__=11
B. 115/__=5
C. 100/__=4
D. 120/__=12
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4th Grade Writing Problem |
 DIRECTIONS:
Read the introduction and the passage that follows. Then read each question and mark the circle next to the correct answer. |
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1 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 3?
A. Change grows to grow
B. Change natural to naturally
C. Change Carolina to carolina
D. Make no change
2 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 4?
F. Change has to have
G. Change verry to very
H. Change survive to survival
J. Make no change
3 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 9?
A. Change something to somthing
B. Change touches to touch
C. Insert a period after close
D. Make no change
4 What is the BEST way to revise sentence 10?
F. Pointed spikes are on the leaves. And lock together to form a trap.
G. Pointed spikes on the leaves lock together to form a trap.
H. Pointed spikes are on the leaves that lock together. To form a trap.
J. No revision is needed.
5 What is the BEST way to rewrite sentence 12?
A. This allows them to escape. The small insects.
B. This allows escaping. Of small insects.
C. This allows it, small insects can escape.
D. This allows small insects to escape.
6 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 15?
F. Change softens to softening
G. Delete so that
H. Change them to it
J. Make no change
7 Which sentence does NOT belong in this report?
A. Sentence 2
B. Sentence 5
C. Sentence 6
D. Sentence 11
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5th Grade Reading Problem |
 DIRECTIONS:
Read this selection. Then answer the questions that follow it.
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1 Why did Vinnie become frustrated as she began her work?
A. She was having a difficult time getting her sculpture the way she wanted it.
B. She didn’t think Lincoln was happy with her work.
C. She was too nervous to do her work.
D. She didn’t feel comfortable working with Lincoln.
2 According to the story, why did Clark Mills ask Vinnie to be his student helper?
F. He had seen her sculpture of the president.
G. He needed help on a sculpture of the president.
H. He had heard that Vinnie was a famous sculptor.
J. He saw that Vinnie had natural artistic ability.
3 Which words from the story help the reader know what the word reclining means in paragraph 3?
A. long legs
B. leaned back
C. rested his chin
D. sat as still
4 Based on information in the story, the reader can conclude that Lincoln —
F. never got to see his statue in the Rotunda
G. was upset that the sculpture took so long to finish
H. never liked the sculpture Vinnie made
J. was sad that Vinnie wasn’t coming to see him anymore
5 Why was Lincoln unhappy when he looked out the window of his office?
A. He was bored and wished Vinnie would hurry.
B. He was remembering his son, who had recently died.
C. He didn’t like the way his sculpture was turning out.
D. He wanted to be outside instead of posing for the sculpture.
6 What is the most likely reason why the author wrote this story?
F. To persuade the reader to go to the U.S. Capitol and see Vinnie’s sculpture
G. To tell a story about how a sculptor created a piece of history
H. To share information about Lincoln
J. To show how to become a famous sculptor
7 Which sentence from the story tells the reader that Vinnie was a talented sculptor?
A. The sculptures also captured their expressions and moods.
B. As she worked, Vinnie thought of the contrast between Lincoln and herself.
C. Vinnie had been working at an art studio in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
D. "How is my favorite sculptor doing today?"
8 Why was Vinnie sad when her sculpture was finished?
F. She wasn’t sure whether she would have another sculpting job.
G. She knew she would not be able to visit Lincoln anymore.
H. She wasn’t happy with the way the sculpture looked.
J. She knew Lincoln didn’t like her work.
9 What does the word melancholy mean in paragraph 11?
A. Frightened
B. Angered
C. Saddened
D. Concerned
10 What is paragraph 5 mainly about?
F. Why Vinnie and Lincoln became friends
G. How Vinnie came to sculpt Lincoln
H. How Vinnie and Lincoln were different
J. Why Vinnie dreamed of sculpting Lincoln’s likeness
11 The reader can conclude that Lincoln —
A. valued his relaxation time
B. collected many of Vinnie’s sculptures
C. liked having people in his office
D. knew Vinnie’s family well
12 Based on information about Vinnie, which of the following represents something she probably would not have done?
F. Continue to create sculptures
G. Become an art teacher
H. Sculpt other presidents
J. Ask for her sculpture back
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5th Grade Math Problem |
 DIRECTIONS:
Read each question. Then mark the circle next to the letter for the answer you have chosen. If a correct answer is not here, mark the circle next to the letter for "Not Here."
Look at the figure to the left.
1 Which statement about this figure is true?
A. The figure has exactly 6 faces.
B. The figure has exactly 6 edges.
C. The figure has exactly 7 vertices.
D. The figure has no parallel lines.
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5th Grade Science Problem |
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DIRECTIONS:
Read the question and choose the best answer. Then mark the circle next to the letter for the answer you have chosen.
1 Clearing a forest to build a shopping mall will most likely result in woodpeckers —
A. nesting on roofs
B. losing habitat
C. laying more eggs
D. flying slower
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