Reading On Your Own

IndependentReading

& WritingActivities

Level D

On Your OwnREADING

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Reading On Your Own

…………… Independent Reading & Writing Activities Grade Levels 3-8 Students work independently to reinforce reading skills during summer vacation. Parts 1 & 2 Passages with Multiple-Choice Questions

• Higher-Level Comprehension Questions • Stamina Builder • Informational and Literary Text

Part 3 Passages with Open-Ended Questions • Higher-Level Short and Extended-Response Questions • Lengthy passages

Answer Key includes answers and scoring rubrics with possible answers for open-ended questions.

Level Grade (prefix: 978-1-4204)

Level 25-Pack 100-Pack C 3 7022-2 7023-9 D 4 7025-3 7026-0 E 5 7028-4 7029-1 F 6 7031-4 7032-1 G 7 7034-5 7035-2 H 8 7037-6 7038-3

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Level D

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Reading On Your Own • Level D

2 © RALLY! EDUCATION. NO PART OF THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER.

ISBN 978-1-4204-7024-6R 7024-6

Copyright ©2013 RALLY! EDUCATION. All rights reserved. No part of the material protected bythis copyright may be reproduced in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, includingphotocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permissionin writing from the copyright owner. Printed in the U.S.A.

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© RALLY! EDUCATION. NO PART OF THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER. 3

Contents

Reading On Your Own

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Part 1: Passages with Multiple-Choice Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Part 2: Passages with Multiple-Choice Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Part 3: Independent Persuasive Writing Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Part 4: Passages with Multiple-Choice and

Open-Ended Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Answer Key

RALLY!’s Reading Comprehension Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Part 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Part 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Rubrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Total Your Score. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

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Introduction

Reading On Your Own:Independent Reading and Writing Activities

Reading On Your Own gives you reading and writing activities to reinforce skills.

Parts 1 & 2: Passages with Multiple-Choice Questions

• Higher-Level Comprehension Questions• Informational and Literary Texts• Stamina Builder

Each multiple-choice question is worth 1 point.

Part 3: Independent Persuasive Writing Activity

• Persuasive Writing Prompt• Practice Pre-Writing and Planning Your Essay• Check Your Writing Using an Editorial Checklist

Part 4: Passages with Multiple-Choice and Open-Ended Questions

• Higher-Level Short and Extended-Response Questions• Lengthy Passages

Some open-ended questions are worth 2-points. Questions that require greater stamina are worth 4-points.

The answer key in the back of the book includes sample answers and scoring rubrics for open-ended questions.

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Reading On Your Own • Level D Part 1


Part 1Passages with Multiple-Choice Questions

DirectionsPart 1 asks only multiple-choice questions. Each question has only onecorrect answer.

Read the questions and answer choices very carefully. Be sure to mark theanswer you have selected.

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Part 1 Reading On Your Own • Level D


Sample Passage and QuestionsRead the sample passage and then answer the two questions.

The Ancient Game of GolfPeople have been playing the game of golf for thousands of years. The first

golfers used simple equipment like tree branches and round rocks. They alsomade up their own rules. Because of this, the game was a little different ineach country. Golf as we know it today started in Scotland, which has broadgreen fields full of rabbit holes. There, shepherds found out that golf was a lotmore fun when they tried to hit the stones into the rabbit holes. The rabbitsprobably weren’t pleased, though!

S1 Why was golf once different in each country?

A People made their own rules.

B Nobody bothered to make rules.

C Some countries had rabbit holes.

D Different kinds of equipment were used.

S2 Read this sentence from the passage.

Golf as we know it today started in Scotland, which has broad green fields full of rabbit holes.

Which word means the OPPOSITE of broad?

A big

B green

C narrow

D complete

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DirectionsRead the passages and answer the multiple-choice questions.

Quality QuiltingGrace stood in her bedroom and looked at the grass-colored carpet and the

sky-blue walls. The curtains on her windows had stripes that were the colorsof a rainbow. Everything in her room seemed to match except for the raggedybrown quilt on her bed. As Grace stared at the ugly quilt, she thought of theperfect person to help her solve the problem.

Grace found her grandmother sitting in the living room. “Grandma, canyou help me make a new quilt?” asked Grace.

Grace’s grandmother agreed to help, and the next day they visited thequilting store to purchase some supplies. Grace bought several yards of paleyellow fabric covered with rainbows. She also bought a large bed sheet, yarn,and sewing needles. She needed stuffing for the quilt, but it was too expensive.

“Well,” said her grandmother, “we will just have to cover the old quiltwith the new fabric.” Grace smiled. She hadn’t thought of that.

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When they returned home, Grace and her grandmother spread the bedsheet on the floor. Next, they placed the old brown quilt on top of the bedsheet and then spread the rainbow-printed fabric over the brown quilt. Thenthey pinned the three layers of the new quilt together. When they werefinished, Grace’s grandmother used a yardstick and chalk to draw straightlines on the fabric. She showed Grace how to thread a needle and how toloop the yarn through the fabric. First she pushed the needle through oneway and then brought it through the other way, forming a loop through thefabric. Then she tied the two ends of the yarn in a small knot.

Grace and her grandmother worked on the quilt for several weeks, chattingand laughing as they sewed. When it was finally finished, Grace was verypleased. Not only did she have a beautiful new quilt on her bed, but she hadlearned a lot while spending many enjoyable hours with her grandmother.

1 Read this sentence from the story.

Everything in her room seemed to match except for the raggedybrown quilt on her bed.

Which word is the OPPOSITE of raggedy?

A homemade

B tattered

C perfect

D dirty

2 This story is MAINLY about a girl who

A spends time with her grandma

B learns how to make a quilt

C asks for help with a problem

D likes things to match

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3 Which phrase BEST states the theme of this story?

A creating something new from something old

B learning the importance of family

C facing a difficult challenge

D practicing a skill until it has been perfected

4 Choose the word that BEST completes the sentence.

Mario __________ his bike to school yesterday.

A ride

B rode

C rided

D roded

5 Read this sentence.

Bart came over to congratulate me after my speech.

How should congratulate be divided into syllables?

A con • gratu • la • te

B cong • ratu • late

C co • n • grat • ula • te

D con • grat • u • late



Delicately Balanced Dinners:Nature’s Food Chain

All people need energy to live. So doplants and animals. Energy is the force thatallows living things to move or change.

The food chain allows energy to movebetween living things. Every living thingon the planet has a place in a food chain.None of us could live without being part of a food chain.

The bottom of the food chain beginswith plant life. These living things arevery important. They support theentire chain by creating their ownfood. These plants are calledproducers.

Living things that cannotmake their own food belongon the second level andabove. They are calledconsumers because theyeat food instead ofproducing it. A livingthing on the thirdlevel may eatsomething from thesecond level. Itmay also eatsomething fromthe bottomlevel.

Most people think that humans are atthe top of the chain. However, life formscalled decomposers sit at the very top.Decomposers, such as mold and tiny lifeforms with only one cell, eat animals thatwere once alive. Then they return thenutrients1 to the soil. These helpfulsubstances are used again by plants. Thisallows the food chain to continue.

There is a natural balance,which can sometimes

be upset. It isinteresting tothink about howdelicate foodchains are. Inthe one shownhere, if owlswere wiped out,then therewould be toomany chipmunks.This wouldupset the

balance of thisfood chain.

1nutrients: substances that provide energy and help growth

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6 Which statement from the article expresses an OPINION?

A “They support the entire chain by creating their own food.”

B “It is interesting to think about how delicate food chains are.”

C “The food chain allows energy to move between living things.”

D “Living things that cannot make their own food belong on the secondlevel and above.”

7 What will MOST LIKELY happen if the plants in the food chain example stopproducing berries?

A The decomposers will not be able to eat the owls.

B The chipmunks will eat the green part of the plant instead of the berries.

C The plants won’t be able to support the chipmunks or the owls.

D The energy from the plants would move to the top of the chain.

8 Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from this passage?

A Humans have the highest place on the food chain.

B Decomposers break down dead things so the chain can begin again.

C Decomposers can make their own food.

D Plants sometimes belong on the second level of the food chain.

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Use the following bibliography to answer Number 9.

9 Which author wrote a book that would be useful for learning how to raise a kitten?

A Hanover

B Wilkins

C Brett

D Mason

BibliographyBrett, Wilson C. World’s Most Amazing Cats. J. Johnson &Company, Detroit, 1999.

Hanover, Laura. Leaping Lizards!: Creatures of the Rainforest.Renner & Rainey, Inc., New York, 2005.

Mason, Barbara F. Caring for Cuddly Cats. Paw Prints Press,Philadelphia, 2003.

Wilkins, Emmet. Americans and Their Pets. Wild WondersPrinting, New York, 2005.

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Mount EverestMount Everest is the highest mountain

in the world. It rises to a height of morethan 29,000 feet. That’s almost five and ahalf miles high!

Mount Everest is part of a mountainrange in Asia. This giant mountainseparates the country of Nepal from Tibetin China. The people of Nepal call MountEverest by a name that means “goddess ofthe sky.” The people of Tibet call themountain a name that means “mother ofthe universe.”

Mount Everest is known for its freezingcold weather. The temperature at the peakhardly ever climbs above zero degrees.Winds at the top of the mountain blow atmore than 150 miles per hour. Stormsdevelop quickly and drop several inches ofsnow without warning. This icy weathermakes Mount Everest a very dangerousplace. Still, explorers from around the worldare drawn to the excitement of climbingthe highest mountain on the earth.

Many people have tried to climb to thetop of Mount Everest. Most attempts aremade during the months of April and May.The climb takes several weeks. Someclimbers have been successful in reachingthe peak. Even more have failed. Somehave died trying to conquer the mountain.

The first people to reach the top ofMount Everest were Sir Edmund Hillaryfrom New Zealand and a mountainclimber from Nepal. These two menreached Mount Everest’s peak on May 29,1953. They did what had once seemedimpossible. Since then, many others haveclimbed to the top of Mount Everest.Reaching the top of this huge mountain isstill considered a remarkable achievement.

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10 Which description BEST explains how the name for Mount Everest in Tibet andthe name for Mount Everest in Nepal are alike?

A They both tell how high the mountain is.

B They both make Everest sound big and grand.

C They both have the same meaning.

D They both describe how dangerous Everest is.

11 Read this sentence from “Mount Everest.”

Still, explorers from around the world are drawn to the excitementof climbing the highest mountain on the earth.

What is the definition of drawn in this sentence?

A tired

B pulled

C pictured

D closed

12 Why are so many people interested in Mount Everest?

A It is climbed more than any other mountain.

B It is colder than any other place on Earth.

C It is the highest mountain in the world.

D It is on the border of two countries.

13 Which of these would MOST LIKELY be a problem for climbers on Mount Everest?

A frostbite

B fever

C flu

D headache

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14 For Number 14, choose the BEST way to combine the following sentences.

I admired the lawn.

My father thought the grass was too long.

I pushed the lawnmower around the yard.

A Because I pushed the lawnmower around the yard, my father thoughtthe grass was too long, but I admired the lawn.

B I admired the lawn, but after I pushed the lawnmower around the yard,my father thought the grass was too long.

C My father thought the grass was too long, but because I admired thelawn, I pushed the lawnmower around the yard.

D Because my father thought the grass was too long, I pushed thelawnmower around the yard, and then I admired the lawn.

15 Choose the correct spelling of the missing word.

Cassie had fun _______________ at Marcus’s birthday party.

A danccing

B danncing

C dancing

D danceing

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A Bird Came Down the Walkby Emily Dickinson

A bird came down the walk:He did not know I saw;

He bit an angle-worm in halvesAnd ate the fellow, raw.

And then he drank a dewFrom a convenient grass,

And then hopped sidewise to the wallTo let a beetle pass.

He glanced with rapid eyesThat hurried all abroad, —

They looked like frightened beads, I thought;He stirred his velvet head

Like one in danger; cautious,I offered him a crumb,

And he unrolled his feathersAnd rowed him softer home

Than oars divide the ocean,Too silver for a seam,

Or butterflies, off banks of noon,Leap, splashless, as they swim.

16 Why does the bird in the poem “unroll his feathers” and fly away?

A He spotted a tasty beetle to eat.

B He took a worm to babies in a nest.

C He was frightened by the poet.

D He needed to get a drink.

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17 In the poem “A Bird Came Down the Walk,” the poet compares the bird’s eyes to

A a silver ocean

B beads

C a drop of dew

D butterflies

18 According to the poem, which of the following BEST describes the bird?

A careful

B greedy

C amazed

D selfish

For Numbers 19 and 20, choose the sentence that has correct punctuation.

19 A Cathys mother said that her sister’s were home.

B David went to his aunt’s house yesterday.

C My bike is older than my brothers bike.

D Petra wanted to taste the cheese’s before she bought one.

20 A Greg lent me the book The Grapes of Wrath.

B My favorite book is Catcher in the Rye.

C Susan read an article called Better Study Skills.

D The best article in the magazine was Fun Summer Foods.

STOP

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DirectionsPart 2 asks only multiple-choice questions. Each question has only onecorrect answer.

Read the questions and answer choices very carefully. Be sure to mark theanswer you have selected.

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Having Your Cake andMaking Your Butter, Too

Today, cooking and baking might seemlike difficult chores. Finding recipes,gathering ingredients, and then cookingthe food all take time and energy. But backin the early days of America, cooking was alot more difficult. For example, beforepeople could use butter to bake a cake,they had to make the butter.

First, farmers milked their cows andplaced the fresh, whole milk in a cool place,such as a cellar. They let the milk sit for awhile until the cream from the milk hadfloated to the top. Then they skimmed thecream off and poured it into a butter churn.Some churns looked like small woodenbarrels with lids. A wooden plunger went

through a hole in the lid and was moved upand down. Some churns had plungers thatcould be turned by using a handle. Otherchurns had paddles inside that stirred thecream as a handle was turned.

Farmers often allowed the cream to sitinside the churn overnight to get a littlebit sour. The next day, they churned thecream until the fat from the cream hadcollected to make butter. As thebutter separated from the rest of thecream, it left behind liquid calledbuttermilk. Farmers put the butterinto a bowl and pressed on it with awooden paddle to remove more ofthe buttermilk. Buttermilk wasoften used for baking. Then, theywashed the butter with cold water.They continued to wash and pressthe butter until the water that ranoff was clear. Finally, they added abit of salt to the butter for flavorand it was ready for cooking and baking.

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1 What is this article MOSTLY about?

A different types of butter churns

B cooking in early America

C a recipe for making butter

D how butter was made

2 The chart below lists events from the article in the order that they happen.

Which sentence belongs in the empty box?

A The cream is placed in the churn and sours overnight.

B Buttermilk is poured out of the churn and used for baking.

C Butter is washed several times with cool water.

D Salt is added to the cream to add flavor to the butter.

Fresh milk is stored in a cool place.

Farmer scoops cream from the top of the milk.

Fat from the cream collects to make butter.

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3 Read the following sentence from the article.

For example, before people could use butter to bake a cake, theyhad to make the butter.

Some of the words in this sentence are in italics (slanted letters) because they

A show what the author is thinking

B should be read with more force

C show how times have changed

D should be read out loud

4 Choose the word that BEST completes the sentence.

Yesterday, Frank and Marcie ____________ to walk to the park.

A decides

B deciding

C decided

D decide



Student Learning Center“Our goal is to help you reach your goals.”

NOW OPEN!Newton Public Library is pleased to announce that the brand new Student Learning

Center is now open. The Learning Center is equipped with the newest and besttechnology. Twenty-five high-speed computers are always connected to the Internet.The Learning Center receives nearly three thousand print magazines and newspaperseach month. Students will easily find the latest news and information from the state,the country, and the world. However, we consider our well-trained teachers to be themost important part of the new Learning Center.

Teachers at the Student Learning Center want to help students improve their gradesand become better students overall. Among the many volunteers at the Learning Centerare college professors, grade school teachers, and high school teachers. All our teachershave been trained to give students the help they need to succeed in school.

The Student Learning Center has classes for students in grades K–12. Classes include:

* Reading * Writing * Public Speaking * Math * Study Skills * Test Preparation

For more information about any of these classes, please call Penny Wall, Director. You can also get more information by visiting the Student Learning Center at theNewton Public Library.

Newton Public Library HoursMonday–Saturday, 9 A.M. to 9 P.M.

Student Learning Center HoursMonday–Friday, 1 P.M. to 9 P.M.

Saturday, 9 A.M. to 12 noon

Call today to set up an appointment.

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5 The MAIN reason for building the Student Learning Center is to

A get more people to visit the library

B make more space for books

C give students a place to go after school

D help students get better grades

6 Which statement from the article expresses an OPINION?

A “The Learning Center receives nearly three thousand print magazinesand newspapers each month.”

B “Students will easily find the latest news and information from the state,the country, and the world.”

C “All our teachers have been trained to give students the help they needto succeed in school.”

D “You can also get more information by visiting the Student LearningCenter at the Newton Public Library.”

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Use this timeline to answer Number 7.

7 According to the timeline, which of the following events happened LAST?

A One hundred colonists arrive at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

B British soldiers kill five colonists in Boston.

C Rhode Island is settled by William Blackstone.

D William Penn founds Pennsylvania.

1620 - The Mayflower lands at Plymouth, Massachusetts withone hundred colonists.

1634 - William Blackstone becomes the first person to settlein Rhode Island.

1681 - William Penn founds Pennsylvania.

1712 - Pennsylvania passes a law banning the import ofslaves into the colony.

1770 - Five American colonists are killed by British soldiers inthe Boston Massacre.

1789 - George Washington becomes the first President of theUnited States of America.

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Flavor Combination“Yuck!” said Rose. “I hate tuna.”

Rose’s mother was scooping tuna fishsalad onto a slice of bread. Then she putanother slice on top. She cut the sandwichin half and handed it to Rose. “Sorry, dear.You have to eat something.”

“But can’t I eat something besides this?”said Rose.

Rose’s mother could only shake her head.Rose had been very fussy about food lately.She only wanted a few things, like pizza,chips, and soda. Those foods didn’t make avery healthy meal. Her mother had to forceher to try new foods. Rose turned up hernose at vegetables. She groaned aboutsoups, which she said were too wet. Shemoaned about breads, which she said weretoo dry. She made a fuss about spaghetti,too. To her, it looked like worms.

“Oh well,” said Rose. She sat down withher tuna sandwich. She disliked it from thefirst bite. “Maybe it just needs some salt,”she said. Rose reached across the table andpicked up a shaker. Without paying muchattention, she shook the shaker over hersandwich.

Then she bit again. It tasted verydifferent. She could tell that she hadn’tgrabbed the salt. She’d grabbed the

cinnamon! The idea of a tuna sandwichwith cinnamon was gross at first. But shetook another bite and decided that itwasn’t so bad. She took another bite andloved the taste!

Rose’s mother noticed her eating up thesandwich. She said, “Rose, I thought youhated tuna.”

“Not this kind,” Rose said. “I call it cinnatuna!”

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Rose turned up her nose at vegetables.

What does the phrase “turned up her nose” mean in this sentence?

A turned away from

B tried not to look at

C did not like

D disliked the smell of

9 Who is the speaker in this story?

A Rose

B Rose’s mother

C Rose’s friend

D someone not in the story

10 Why does Rose dislike spaghetti?

A It is too wet.

B It is too dry.

C It needs more salt.

D It looks like worms.

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Use the following Index to answer Number 11.

11 On which page would you find information about seasoning foods?

A Page 5

B Page 23

C Page 19

D Page 62

INDEXappetizers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15beans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7dairy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32milk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

eggs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40fish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62poultry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

chicken, honey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59chicken, lemon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

rice Spanish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27yellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

soups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19spices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5meat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73vegetables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

mushrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10potatoes, new . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23potatoes, red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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Boring Sunday Chores“Try not to get water everywhere, Dirk. When you’re finished, you can wash

the towels in the bathroom hamper.” When his father saw that Dirk was aboutto protest, he added, “Or you can mow the lawn and I’ll wash the dishes. It’sreally up to you.”

Dirk glared and turned on the water in the sink. He hated Sundays more thanany other day of the week, even though he didn’t have to go to school. Hisparents thought that he should spend time doing chores while his friends wereriding bikes in the sunshine or watching movies. It wasn’t fair.

He started washing the dishes slowly at first, lightly brushing each plate witha sponge. But he knew that if they weren’t really clean, his father would makehim wash them again, so he picked up speed and started scrubbing harder.Before he knew it, all the dirty dishes were sparkling in the dish rack. Dirksighed at the thought of carrying the basket of towels from the bathroom downto the basement. It was two o’clock and he wanted to see what his friends weredoing, not lug heavy wet towels around. He smiled as he imagined lying on hisbed watching television movies, while his parents did all thechores. Dirk’s smile faded as he realized that this was a sillyidea. He certainly contributed to the general mess, so heprobably should help out around the house. And, besides,his parents would never let him get away with it.

“The faster I get this done, the faster I’ll be free,”he said to himself, grabbing thelaundry basket and carefullywalking down thebasement steps.

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12 How did Dirk feel at the start of the passage?

A thankful

B silly

C annoyed

D excited

13 Which sentence BEST summarizes the passage?

A A boy learns that hard work gets a job done fast.

B A boy learns how to use his family’s washer and dryer.

C A boy longs to play in the sunshine with his friends.

D A boy argues with his father about doing housework on Sunday.

14 This passage is an example of what kind of writing?

A article

B fiction

C myth

D legend

15 Read this sentence.

Roy wants to get into the entertainment business when he is older.

How should entertainment be divided into syllables?

A ent • ert • ainm • ent

B enter • tain • ment

C en • tert • ain • ment

D en • ter • tain • ment



Attention students of Cartersburg Elementary School!

Recently, I have noticed that people in Cartersburg seem to be too busy togive back to their community. Almost everyone will walk past litter withoutpicking it up. There is broken glass on the playground and that is verydangerous for anyone who goes there. The stands at the baseball field are sofilthy that no one will sit there. What is happening to our pretty little town?

We are so wrapped up in our lives that it is easy to see how this hashappened. Many people may not even notice the neglect of the town. Butthink about it, and then look around next time you leave the house. You’llsee that things aren’t as pleasant as they used to be. This must change,because the longer we ignore these problems, the bigger they will become.

One of the advantages of living in a small town is that most people know eachother. We spend a great deal of time together. We shop at the same stores, go tothe same schools, and attend the same sports events. We try to help our friendsand neighbors. But lately we have not been helping our hometown. I think thatwe students need to start taking care of our town. Let’s set a good example foreveryone in the community and maybe they will follow our example.

Community service is important. It shows respect for thespace that we all share. We need student volunteers who willgive back to the community by picking up trash and cleaningup the stands at the park. And there are so many other jobsthat need to be done. Please, volunteer for communityservice and help keep our town beautiful and safe!

Community Service:Our Town Deserves It!

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16 What will MOST LIKELY happen when students read this letter?

A Students will answer the letter.

B Students will look around for ways to help.

C Students will ignore the glass on the playground.

D Students will stop playing baseball.

17 From this letter, it is possible to conclude that

A students will continue to litter in the streets

B current community members want someone else to clean the town

C students are contributing to the problem more than anyone else

D past community members took better care of the town

18 According to the passage, what has caused the town to change?

A People do not like living in Cartersburg anymore.

B People from the other states have moved to the town.

C People are too busy to notice that the town is neglected.

D People are too tired to clean up the litter.

For Numbers 19 and 20, choose the sentence that is complete and written correctly.

19 A Terry went to get a haircut, but his barbers shop was closed.

B We watched a movie at Alyssa’s house and then went to Gregs’ house.

C Yasmine’s stomach felt full after eating spaghetti and ice cream.

D William went to his grandmothers house to mow her lawn.

20 A Hettie asked if Gemma had seen the movie the secret garden.

B “Did you ever read The New York Times?” asked Jeff.

C Jason said, when I get to your house, we will do our homework.

D Our teacher showed us Vincent van Gogh’s painting “Starry Night.” STOP

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Part 3Independent Persuasive WritingActivity

DirectionsIn Part 3, you will write an essay. Your writing will be scored on how clearlyyou write and how well you get your ideas across. Be sure to check yourwriting for correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.

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Extended School DayRead the writing prompt below and complete the writing activity.

Be sure to include

• your opinion on the topic

• reasons for this opinion

• persuasive details and arguments that will convince your principal to agree with your opinion

• a beginning, a middle, and an end to your essay

Your principal has noticed that students’ grades are falling. She thinksthat it may be because they are not getting enough help with theirhomework. She suggests extending the school day by two hours sothat students can get help with their homework before they go home.She wants to know how students feel about this suggestion.

Write an essay in which you try to persuade your principal that thisidea is a good one or a bad one. Explain to your principal why youfeel this way, and if appropriate, offer another solution to improvestudents’ grades.

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Use the Pre-Writing/Planning space or additional paper for notes, lists, webs,outlines, or anything else that might help you plan your writing. Then writeyour essay on the lined pages. Be sure to write neatly. Using the EditingChecklist on page 39, check your writing for correct grammar, spelling,punctuation, and capitalization.

Pre-Writing/Planning

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EssayTitle:

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Now check your writing using this Editing Checklist.

Editing Checklist1 Have you started each sentence with a capital letter?

2 Have you capitalized names of people and places?

3 Have you ended each sentence with the correct punctuation mark?

4 Have you spelled all words correctly?

5 Does the subject of your sentence agree with the action word (verb)?

6 Have you written complete sentences?

STOP

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Part 4Passages with Multiple-Choice andOpen-Ended Questions

DirectionsFor Part 4, you will read a story and two articles. You will answer questionsbased on each passage. Then you will do some writing on a related topic.

First you will read “The Little Door.” This is a story about a small, strangedoor in the attic of an old house. Read the story and do Numbers 1 through6. You may look back at the story as often as you like.



“Nothing scares me!” Freddie said. Hepicked a worm out of the dirt with hisbare fingers. His friend Maria steppedaway from him. She was scared oftouching worms. She thought they lookedlike moving pieces of slime.

“That’s gross, Freddie!” Maria said.“And what you said isn’t true, either …you are scared of something.”

“Am not,” said Freddie.However, he remembered thatthere was one thing he feared,and Maria knew what it was.

Freddie was afraid of the attic in his house. He had only beenthere once, on the day he andhis father had moved into thebig, old farmhouse. They hadcarried some boxes up to theattic. It was dark, cold, andcovered in dust. Freddie hatedthe attic from the first moment.

And when his father hadshined a flashlight around theattic, the beam of light fell on asmall door in the wall. Itseemed so out of place. Itseemed like it might hide aterrible secret about the house.

That door frightened Freddie like nothingelse ever had.

“Well, then, prove it, tough guy,” saidMaria. “Let’s go up to your attic and openthat door. You can find out what’s inside.”

The idea terrified Freddie. But he didn’twant to tell Maria he was scared. So he ledthe way to his house.


The Little Door

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1Underground Railroad - a path to freedom forslaves who escaped from their owners

Mr. Martin wasn’t home. He wasteaching his afternoon history classes atthe local college. The empty house feltlonely and chilly. Freddie and Maria wentupstairs and found the opening in theceiling that led to the attic. Freddiereached up and pulled on the rope. As hepulled, the attic door opened and a ladderunfolded. He stared into the darkness atthe top of the ladder. Now there wasnothing between him and his biggest fear.

Suddenly he couldn’t go on. “I’m tooscared,” he told Maria. “I keep thinkingsomething terrible happened in that littleroom. Maybe there are huge scary bugs inthere. Or maybe it’s a hideout for crooks.”

Maria felt sorry for her friend now, sincehe was finally being honest about his fear.She put her hand on his shoulder. “I’msure it’s nothing to be afraid of. Let’s bothgo up there and check it out together?”

Freddie agreed. The two slowly climbedthe ladder. Freddie turned on his flashlightand led Maria to the little door. It lookedvery odd and spooky. Now even Maria wasscared of what they might find inside.

It looked as though nobody had openedthe door in years. The handle was coveredin dust and there was a spider web nearthe corner. Maria gently took hold of theknob, gave a quick tug, and the dooropened. They saw a tiny room. It wascompletely empty. Bending over so theycould fit through the low door, they wentin and looked around. Then they noticed

something carved into one wall. Brushingaside the dirt and dust, Freddie saw thewords “Ben Days ‘60.”

When Freddie’s father came home theytold him what they had found. He lookedshocked and went up to check for himself.Maria and Freddie followed him up the stairs.

After examining the carving, Mr. Martinturned and smiled at them. “This is quite adiscovery. I knew that some places in thistown were part of the UndergroundRailroad1 in the 1860s. Slaves would stayin one of those houses until it was safe forthem to move on. And I’ve read about BenDays. He was one of the people who usedthe Underground Railroad on his way tofreedom. Our house was one of the safeplaces and he hid in this room,” he said.“You kids just found a piece of history!”

Freddie was now proud of the littleroom. It wasn’t a scary place. It was a placewhere something great happened.

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1 This story is MAINLY about a boy who

A is helped by a friend

B faces his worst fears

C learns about the history of his house

D builds a stronger friendship

2 The chart below lists events from the story in the order they happen.

Which sentence belongs in the empty box?

A Maria makes fun of Freddie.

B Maria tells Freddie she is afraid.

C Freddie refuses to climb the ladder.

D Freddie admits that he is afraid.

Maria dares Freddie to go into the attic.

Freddie prepares to climb to the attic.

Maria offers to go into the attic with Freddie.

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3 What do Freddie and Maria find when they open the little door?

What do Freddie and Maria learn about the history of the little room?

4 Using details from the story, complete the boxes with ONE way that Freddie andMaria are alike and ONE way they are different.

How Freddie and Maria are ALIKE

How Freddie and Maria are DIFFERENT

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5 Read the following sentences from the story.

“That’s gross, Freddie!” Maria said. “And what you said isn’t true, either … you are scared of something.”

Which word means the SAME as gross?

A foul

B great

C wrong

D brave


He picked a worm out of the dirt with his bare fingers.

Which word is the OPPOSITE of bare?

A small

B skinny

C powerful

D covered

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DirectionsDid you know that aside from snakes found in zoos and pet stores, Irelandhas no snakes? “The Missing Snakes of Ireland” and “The Power of Patrick”are articles explaining why Ireland has no snakes.

Read the first article and do numbers 7 through 9. Then read the secondarticle and do Numbers 10 through 13. You may look back at the articles asoften as you like.

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The Missing Snakesof Ireland

Snakes are often seen slipping silently through the grass. They slither uptrees, slide through soil, and surprise you in your garden. Unless, of course,you’re in Ireland. The only snakes you’ll find there are in pet stores or zoos.Science offers an explanation for that unusual situation.

Snakes are a type of lizard, just like dinosaurs or iguanas. Like other lizards,snakes are “cold-blooded.” This does not mean that they have cold blood. Itmeans that the temperature of their blood changes with the temperature ofthe air. For example, a snake in the shade will have cooler blood than a snakelying in the sun.

Scientists believe that snakes first showed up about a hundred million yearsago when dinosaurs still roamed the earth. At that time, Ireland wascompletely under water. Later, the earth dried out a bit and the level of waterin the ocean dropped. It is thought that land bridges to Ireland may haveformed at that time, and snakes could have traveled there. However, scientistssay that by about two million years ago the earth had entered into an ice age.Vast areas of ice blanketed the northern parts of the world, including Ireland.Snakes could not have lived in these icy areas. Snakes cannot survive anyplace where the ground stays frozen all year.Their blood becomes so cold that they freezeto death.

Since that time, the earth has gottenwarmer. Ireland has thawed out. It is nolonger covered with ice, but any landbridges that may have formed are gone.Today, Ireland is separated from the countryof Scotland by the North Channel. Thechannel is twelve miles wide and snakeswould not be able to survive crossing thisice-cold body of water.

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7 The author includes the information about snakes being cold-blooded MAINLY toshow that snakes

A could easily freeze to death

B are colder than people

C need to lay in the sun to stay warm

D are scary and mean

8 Describe TWO things that scientists believe made it hard for snakes to live inIreland in the past.

1)

2)

9 The MAIN reason snakes do not live in Ireland today is because

A much of Ireland is still under water

B the water they must cross to get there is too cold

C Ireland’s land stays frozen all year

D Ireland has not thawed enough from the last ice age

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The Power of PatrickMany hundreds of years ago, a man named Patrick was born in Britain.

When he was still a young boy, he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland. Hewas sold as a slave. His job was to herd pigs day after day. Nobody knew thenthat this young man would become famous. But he did, and today he isknown all over the world as Saint Patrick.

Patrick became a well-known leader in Ireland. He changed many thingsfor the Irish people. One legend says that he even drove the snakes out ofIreland. Today, the country has no snakes in the wild. Some people believethis was Patrick’s doing.

There are many stories about Patrick’s great deed. One tells of himstanding on a high hill. He took up a wooden staff and waved it in the air.This frightened all snakes away, and they slithered into the sea.

Another story says that Patrick made a special drum. This drum made anugly sound. When he walked through the streets of Ireland, people coveredtheir ears. Snakes had no hands to cover their ears. Theyhated the sound of the drum and had to leave thecountry.

Some stories tell of a wicked old snakewhich would not leave. Patrick had totrick the snake to get rid of it. He builta box for the snake and told it to goinside. The snake said the box was toosmall. Patrick said, “It is big enough.Why don’t you go inside? You can seefor yourself.” So, the snake went in.Patrick closed the box tightly andtossed it into the sea!

Patrick changed life in Irelandforever. Many people admire this manand all the things he did. That’s whyMarch 17 is Saint Patrick’s Day.

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10 According to “The Power of Patrick,” what were two tools Patrick made to dealwith the snakes?

What happened when he used those tools?

11 Read this sentence from “The Power of Patrick.”

When he was still a young boy, he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland.

What is the definition of kidnapped in this sentence?

A tricked

B chased

C captured

D harmed

12 Which fact is used in BOTH “The Missing Snakes of Ireland” and “The Power of Patrick”?

A Patrick was born in Britain.

B Snakes are cold-blooded.

C Ireland was once covered in ice.

D Ireland has no snakes in the wild today.

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13 If you had to pick a reason why there are no snakes in Ireland, would you choose the explanation in “The Missing Snakes of Ireland” or the explanation in “The Power of Patrick”?

Write an essay in which you explain which you would choose and why. Inyour essay, be sure to include at least TWO details from “The Missing Snakesof Ireland” and/or “The Power of Patrick” to support your response.

You may use the space below to plan your writing. Only your writing on the linedpages in this book will be scored. Using the Editing Checklist on page 63, checkyour writing for correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.Remember, your essay should be well organized and have a beginning, a middle,and an end.


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Essay

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Now check your writing using this Editing Checklist.

Editing Checklist1 Have you started each sentence with a capital letter?

2 Have you capitalized names of people and places?

3 Have you ended each sentence with the correct punctuation mark?

4 Have you spelled all words correctly?

5 Does the subject of your sentence agree with the action word (verb)?

6 Have you written complete sentences?

STOP

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Reading On Your Own • Level D Answer Key


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RALLY!’s Reading Comprehension Skills

Skill 1: Recall Facts and Details

Skill 2: Identify Main Idea

Skill 3: Identify Sequence

Skill 4: Analyze Language and Vocabulary

Skill 5: Analyze Character, Plot, & Setting

Skill 6: Recognize Cause & Effect

Skill 7: Compare & Contrast

Skill 8: Distinguish Fact from Opinion

Skill 9: Predict Outcomes

Skill 10: Draw Conclusions

Skill 11: Make Inferences

Skill 12: Analyze Point of View & Purpose

Skill 13: Identify Literary Forms & Sources of Information

Skill 14: Apply Prior Knowledge

Skill 15: Grammar

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Answer Key Reading On Your Own • Level D


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Answer Key – Part 1Passages with Multiple-Choice Questions

Question Correct RALLY!s Reading Comprehension SkillAnswer

S1 A 10 Draw Conclusions

S2 C 4 Analyze Language and Vocabulary

1 C 4 Analyze Language and Vocabulary

2 B 5 Analyze Character, Plot, & Setting

3 A 2 Identify Main Idea

4 B 15 Grammar

5 D 15 Grammar

6 B 8 Distinguish Fact from Opinion

7 C 9 Predict Outcomes

8 B 10 Draw Conclusions

9 D 13 Identify Literary Forms & Sources of Information

10 B 7 Compare & Contrast

11 B 4 Analyze Language and Vocabulary

12 C 1 Recall Facts and Details

13 A 9 Predict Outcomes

14 D 15 Grammar

15 C 15 Grammar

16 C 5 Analyze Character, Plot, & Setting

17 B 4 Analyze Language and Vocabulary

18 A 5 Analyze Character, Plot, & Setting

19 B 15 Grammar

20 A 15 Grammar

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Answer Key – Part 2Passages with Multiple-Choice Questions


1 D 2 Identify Main Idea

2 A 3 Identify Sequence

3 B 12 Analyze Point of View & Purpose

4 C 15 Grammar

5 D 1 Recall Facts and Details

6 B 8 Distinguish Fact from Opinion

7 B 3 Identify Sequence


9 D Not Applicable

10 D 5 Analyze Character, Plot, & Setting

11 A 13 Identify Literary Forms & Sources of Information

12 C 5 Analyze Character, Plot, & Setting

13 A 5 Analyze Character, Plot, & Setting

14 B 13 Identify Literary Forms & Sources of Information

15 D 15 Grammar

16 B 9 Predict Outcomes

17 D 10 Draw Conclusions

18 C 6 Recognize Cause & Effect

19 C 15 Grammar

20 B 15 Grammar

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Answer Key – Part 3Independent Persuasive Writing Prompt

Use the 4-point scoring rubric on page 62.

Sample answer:I do not think that our school day should be extended by two hours for several reasons. First,I think that a ten-hour school day is way too long. It is difficult enough to get through theusual eight-hour school day. By the time I leave school every day, I am tired of thinking andconcentrating, and I’m sure almost everyone else feels the same way. I doubt that muchwould get done if students had to stay and work for two more hours.

The extra school hours would also take away time needed for after school activities, such assports and playing outside with friends. Those activities give us the time we need to let ourbrains rest before it’s time to do homework.

Another reason I think extra school time is a bad idea is that not all students are havingtrouble with their grades. The students who have good grades should not have to stay inschool for two more hours just because some of their classmates are having trouble. Instead, Ithink the school should offer tutoring or homework sessions to students who need the extrahelp. That would be better than making everyone stay after school. It would be even better ifanyone who did need help could receive it during a special study time during the school day.Then there would be no problem with arranging for late buses.

Reading Skills 1–15

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Answer Key – Part 4Passages with Multiple-Choice and Open-Ended Questions


1 B 5 Analyze Character, Plot, & Setting

2 D 5 Analyze Character, Plot, & Setting

3 See p. 60 5 Analyze Character, Plot, & Setting

4 See p. 60 5 Analyze Character, Plot, & Setting

5 A 4 Analyze Language and Vocabulary

6 D 4 Analyze Language and Vocabulary

7 A 2 Identify Main Idea

8 See p. 60 6 Recognize Cause & Effect

9 B 6 Recognize Cause & Effect

10 See p. 60 1 Recall Facts and Details


12 D 7 Compare & Contrast

13 See p. 60 Skills 1–15

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Short Response answers:


3. When they open the door, Freddie and Maria found that the small room is completelyempty. A carving on the wall says “Ben Days ‘60.” They learn from Freddie’s father thatBen Days was a runaway slave. This room was a stop on the Underground Railroad andDays had hidden here.

4. ALIKEFreddie and Marie both have fears. Maria is afraid of worms and Freddie is afraid of his attic.

DIFFERENTFreddie tries to pretend that he’s not afraid of anything, even though this is untrue.Maria is honest and open about her fear of worms.

8. Two million years ago Ireland was covered in ice and snakes cannot survive in placeswhere the ground is frozen all year. A hundred million years ago Ireland wascompletely under water.

10. Saint Patrick made a special drum that made an ugly sound and a box that was just bigenough to hold a snake. When Saint Patrick beat the drum, the snakes hated the soundand left the country. He used the box to catch and get rid of a wicked old snake.

Extended Response answer:


13. Sample Answer:If I had to choose between the scientific explanation and the Saint Patrick story, I would choose the Saint Patrick story. The scientific explanation says that snakes could not have survived in Ireland because of an ice age. But if even a few snakes were able to find a sheltered area that was slightly warmer they could have survived.Then there would have been snakes in Ireland when Patrick arrived.

Saint Patrick was a clever and hardworking person. He proved that by becoming aleader even though he started as a slave. Saint Patrick thought of many ways to scareoff unwanted pests like snakes. Snakes would probably be scared by sticks and loudsounds, and they can be trapped in boxes, so the stories about what Patrick did makesense. This is why I think Saint Patrick probably chased the snakes away from Ireland.

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Rubrics

A rubric is a description of student performance that clearly articulates the requirements foreach of the score points.

Short-Response Rubric: 2, 1, or 0 points

Use the 2-point scoring rubric to score answers to short-response questions.

2-point answer

• Addresses all requirements.

• Demonstrates a clear understanding of the task.

• Uses text correctly.

• Support and/or pertinent examples from the text are included.

• Result is a comprehensive and insightful explanation and/or opinion.

• Writing mechanics are correct and appropriate.

1-point answer

• Addresses only some requirements.

• Demonstrates only a partial understanding of the task.

• Information provided may be correct, but is too general or too simplistic.

• Uses text incorrectly or with limited success.

• Support and/or examples based on the text are incomplete or omitted.

• Result is an inconsistent or flawed explanation and/or opinion.

• Writing mechanics are adequate.

0-point answer

• Response is irrelevant, inaccurate, or off-topic.

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Extended-Response Rubric: 4, 3, 2, 1, or 0 points

Use the 4-point scoring rubric to score answers to extended-response questions.

4-point answer


• Demonstrates a clear understand-ing of the task.

• Uses text correctly.

• Provides information that links to and/or extends aspects of the text.

• Result is a comprehensive and insightful explanation and/or opinion.

• Writing mechanics are correct and appropriate.

3-point answer


• Demonstrates an understanding of the task.

• Uses text to provide some explanation/opinion.

• May not include all the required supporting information.

• Result is an adequate explanation.

• Writing mechanics are acceptable.

2-point answer

• Does not address all requirements.

• Demonstrates a partial under-standing of the task.

• Uses text incorrectly or with limited success.

• Result is an inconsistent or flawed explanation that may be too general or too simplistic.

• Writing mechanics are limited.

1-point answer

• Addresses only a few requirements.

• Demonstrates a minimal understanding of the task.

• Use of text is omitted or there are only vague references.

• Result is a highly flawed explanation and/or opinion.

• Writing mechanics are poor.

0-point answer

• Response is irrelevant, inaccurate, or off-topic.

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Total Your Score


Question Correct Your PointsAnswer Score Possible

1 C 1

2 B 1

3 A 1

4 B 1

5 D 1

6 B 1

7 C 1

8 B 1

9 D 1

10 B 1

11 B 1

12 C 1

13 A 1

14 D 1

15 C 1

16 C 1

17 B 1

18 A 1

19 B 1

20 A 1

Your Total Score 20



1 D 1

2 A 1

3 B 1

4 C 1

5 D 1

6 B 1

7 B 1

8 C 1

9 D 1

10 D 1

11 A 1

12 C 1

13 A 1

14 B 1

15 D 1

16 B 1

17 D 1

18 C 1

19 C 1

20 B 1

Your Total Score 20

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Total Your Score

Part 3Independent PersuasiveWriting Activity


1 See p. 58 4

Your Total Score 4

Part 4Passages with Multiple-Choice and Open-Ended Questions


1 B 1

2 D 1

3 See p. 60 2

4 See p. 60 2

5 A 1

6 D 1

7 A 1

8 See p. 60 2

9 B 1

10 See p. 60 2

11 C 1

12 D 1

13 See p. 60 4

Your Total Score 20

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On Your OwnREADING

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Reading On Your Own gives you readingand writing activities to reinforce skills.

Parts 1 & 2: Passages with Multiple-Choice Questions

• Higher-Level Comprehension Questions• Informational and Literary Texts• Stamina Builder

Part 3: Independent Persuasive Writing Activity

• Persuasive Writing Prompt• Practice Pre-Writing and Planning Your Essay• Check Your Writing Using an Editorial Checklist

Part 4: Passages with Multiple-Choice and Open-Ended Questions

• Higher-Level Short and Extended-Response Questions• Lengthy Passages

The answer key in the back of the bookincludes sample answers and scoringrubrics for open-ended questions.

Documents

Reading On Your Own