5th Grade CRCT Assessment 2 - Ensuring Access and Equity

Reading-ELA
Fifth Grade Pre-CRCT Assessment
DIRECTIONS: Read the poem below and answer the questions.
His eyes were a soft gray,
Like the wool of his favorite sweater.
He was a very honest person.
My Neighbor
He began most of his sentences
The same way, with a long "Well..."
And chuckled just enough,
To make you feel welcome beside him.
I asked him if there was anything,
Anything at all that he wanted.
He said he could really use a good chair.
We found him a good plaid chair.
With a table by the side,
To rest his puzzle or his glasses.
Then he grew more quiet,
Less conversation day to day.
A large building went up across the street.
It was hard to hear people above the noise.
Soon my neighbor no longer sat up at his window,
Greeting everyone on the street.
Smiling, humming his songs,
Cracking his jokes,
And laughing with the Hailey brothers.
He used to watch out for us,
And would let us sneak a piece of candy.
He would offer us some lemonade,
And listen as we rattled on about school–
He listened very carefully.
We will miss him and his kind ways.
I wanted to give him a gift when he left.
But before I knew it he moved away.
I hope he is happy at his new place,
And that he will never forget us,
All of us back here on Glenwood Street.
1. What is the overall tone of the poem
A. factual
B. exciting
C. thoughtful
D. humorous
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Reading-ELA
Fifth Grade Pre-CRCT Assessment
2. Which sentence has the same meaning as "It was hard to hear people above the noise"
A. It was difficult hearing the people on the upper floors of the building.
B. The people in the upper floors of the building made a lot of noise.
C. People's voices were louder than the noise of the building going up.
D. The noise of the building going up made it hard to hear people talking.
3. Based on the poem's images, which activity did the neighbor enjoy MOST when he
lived on Glenwood Street
A. talking to people in the neighborhood
B. watching people on the street
C. working on puzzles
D. singing songs
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage below and answer the questions.
Journey to Freedom
by Jim Shively
While Jeb tried to sleep on his straw mattress on the dirt floor of his home in
Louisiana, he heard Ma, Pa, Aunt Beulah, and Uncle Noah talking about a better life.
Uncle Noah was a plantation clerk and could read most of the words on the flyer he had
seen posted in town. The poster promised free land, mules, a plow, and money to those
who could get to Kansas. Uncle Noah convinced the family to move.
The steamboat ride up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri, was exciting.
In St. Louis, they boarded a steamboat that carried them up the Missouri River. But as
they continued westward across Missouri, the family heard rumors that the Kansas
promises were untrue. Pa began to worry.
The weather turned wet and cold. Uncle Noah and Jeb got sick. At Wyandotte,
Kansas, Jeb heard officials say they could not land there with a boatload of sick people.
By the time they got to Leavenworth, twenty-one of one hundred thirty travelers were ill.
Jeb slowly recovered, but Uncle Noah continued to cough and said his chest hurt.
The ride to Ellis, Kansas, on the Kansas Pacific Railroad thrilled Jeb. But the last
leg of their journey required long days of walking many miles across Kansas, and Uncle
Noah needed to rest often.
One night, they camped along a creek. Jeb woke up coughing and listened for
Uncle Noah's hoarse breathing. Instead, he heard Aunt Belulah sobbing. Uncle Noah had
died. Jeb helped his father dig Uncle Noah's shallow grave. They had barely finished
covering it with rocks when it began to rain. It would be better to turn back than to
continue on this miserable journey, Jeb thought.
In the morning, the family continued to travel north. Along the way, Jeb spotted a
cow stuck in a thicket. He pulled her out. When he gently tugged on the worn rope
hanging around her neck, she willingly followed him.
Pa finally claimed land along a quiet stream. He and Jeb built a lean-to of willow
branches so the family would have temporary shelter from the weather. Then they dug a
hole into the side of a hill that was three feet deep, fourteen feet wide, and sixteen feet
high. With Aunt Beulah and Ma, Jeb built walls and plastered the inside with mud. Jeb
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Reading-ELA
Fifth Grade Pre-CRCT Assessment
cut into three-foot pieces the damp sod that his father had plowed to clear land for crops.
They piled sod over branches to roof their new house. Although the roof leaked and
snakes, rodents, and insects lived there with them, they finally had their first home in
Kansas!
In June, the corn and wheat they had managed to plant were knee-high. But then
swarms of grasshoppers appeared. Jeb hoped the wind would blow them away, but when
he went to the fields to hoe, he felt sick seeing hordes of the insects attacking the grain.
All their hard work would be destroyed, Jeb thought. Fortunately, Pa managed to plant
sorghum, which ripened in late fall.
During their first winter in Kansas, the blizzard winds howled. Jeb wondered if
the sod roof would hold the drifting snow. He worried about his cow and how she would
stay warm in the lean-to that was her shelter. Outside, Jeb thought he would freeze while
shoveling a path to feed her.
By early April, the family's stored food was almost gone. Pa calmed Jeb's inner
fear—he told him they would not butcher the cow. They burned buffalo chips for
warmth, and the cow ate nearly all the livestock food. Jeb dug through the snow to get
dried grass to twist for fuel and to feed his animal.
With the first warm days of spring, Pa and Jeb hurried to cut up more sod to make
room for new crops. They used some of the sod pieces to repair the house. Pa hoped the
melting snow would be enough water for the crops. Jeb came home from school every
day and worked on the farm with Pa. The seeds that they planted sprouted, but then
weeks without rain caused the crops to wither and die. Replanting would work only if the
rains came.
One day, while looking out the school window, Jeb saw a prairie fire in the
distance. The new teacher from the East did not know what to do, but Jeb did. He found a
rake with a broken handle and some croker sacks that were used to cover the windows in
cold weather. Jeb raked parched grass to make a bare area on the windward side to slow
the advance of the fire. He choked from smoke as the fire came closer. Job shouted to the
other children to carry water and beat out the flames with wet sacks. Sparks singed his
hair, but he kept working. Jeb almost cried with relief when he saw men and horses
pulling plows and rakes to attack the fire. When Jeb looked up, he could see rain clouds
beginning to form in the distance.
4. The MAIN REASON the author included the paragraphs about the family's journey to
Kansas was to show…
A. the hardships of such a trip.
B. how strong and brave Jeb was.
C. that for them the trip was a great adventure.
D. why Pa was worried about going to Kansas.
5. Jeb thought it would be better to turn back than to continue on to Kansas when
A. the weather turned wet and cold.
B. Uncle Noah died on the last part of their journey.
C. the family heard rumors that the Kansas promises were not true.
D. many people on their boat got very sick.
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Reading-ELA
Fifth Grade Pre-CRCT Assessment
6. What is sorghum
A. a grain crop
B. grasshopper food
C. a special way of planting crops
D. plants that grow only in the spring
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage below and answer the questions.
Sharks
There is no other fish or animal that uses its senses quite like the shark does. The
shark has a very keen sense of smell. It is able to smell odors from very far distances.
This helps lead the shark to its prey. A large part of the shark's brain is used for the sense
of smell.
The shark has another important sense called "distant touch." This sense helps it
to locate food. The shark is able to feel movement with its "lateral line." The lateral line
is a thin long line of nerves down each side of the shark's body. This lateral line of nerves
allows the shark to feel the vibrations of the moving prey. These vibrations lead the shark
to its next meal.
A shark also has good eyesight. Its eyes are able to see in dim light. It needs this
good eyesight to hunt for food. Scientists have learned that a shark is able to see up close.
This helps in catching smaller prey.
A shark also has excellent hearing. The shark is able to hear low-pitched sounds
that travel through the water.
All these senses help the shark to survive in the oceans of the world.
7. A shark's lateral line is
A. its thrashing tail.
B. its slotted gills.
C. helpful for feeling vibrations.
D. helpful for quick movement.
8. In paragraph 1, sentence 2, the word keen means
A. dull.
B. sharp.
C. loud.
D. small.
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage below and answer the questions.
The First Americans
During the most recent Ice Age, people who lived in many parts of the world
knew only an endless, bitter winter. Ice Age people depended on animals for most of the
things they needed to survive. They hunted animals for food. They dressed in fur
clothing. And they lived in shelters made from animal skins.
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Reading-ELA
Fifth Grade Pre-CRCT Assessment
As the Ice Age advanced and the animals fled, people followed. A few families,
perhaps a total of twenty people in each group, traveled together. Some of these small
bands of hunters followed animal herds from present-day Siberia to Alaska. These people
became the first Americans.
The hunters crossed from Asia to North America on a land bridge that appeared
during the Ice Age. This land bridge was as much as 1,000 miles wide. Much of the water
that would normally be in the oceans was frozen. So the water level was lower than it is
today. Land now covered by the rough waters of the Bering Strait was exposed for long
periods of time.
No one knows exactly when the first hunters came to Alaska. It may have been
25,000 years ago—or more. In North America, these people found a climate much like
the climate of Asia. Ice sheets covered most of the northern areas. Only a few plants grew
on rocky plains near the ice. Cold winds blew almost constantly.
As the glaciers melted, food became more plentiful. The population grew, and
some people moved on—heading south and farther east. Eventually, many of the hunters
settled in other parts of North America. Some went as far as Central and South America.
By the time Christopher Columbus "discovered" the New World, the descendents
of the Ice Age people had lived there for thousands of years.
9. Why is there no longer a land bridge between North America and Asia
A. It is now covered with water.
B. It was covered by a glacier.
C. It was destroyed when it was no longer needed.
D. It was destroyed by erosion.
10. Why did the Ice Age people follow the animals across the Bering Strait into North
America
A. They were curious to see what the North American continent was like.
B. They depended upon the animals for survival.
C. They knew the glaciers in North America had already melted.
D. They were driven out of Asia by fierce Siberian tribes.
DIRECTIONS: Read and answer the questions below.
11. Which is the best way to combine the sentences below
They spent an hour in the park. They saw three people riding bikes.
A. They spent an hour in the park with three people riding bikes.
B. They spent an hour in the park and saw three people riding bikes.
C. They spent an hour in the park, for they saw three people riding bikes.
D. They spent an hour in the park, but they saw three people riding bikes.
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Reading-ELA
Fifth Grade Pre-CRCT Assessment
12. Which is an example of a simple sentence
A. Everybody likes ice cream.
B. You can sit, and I will stand.
C. I was cold when I went outside.
D. His room was large, but it was not clean.
13. Before writing a paper, Molly has written an outline. Use the outline below to answer
this question.
Antarctic Seals
Southern Fur Seal
A. Member of sea lion family
B. Slide on stomachs
C. Diet
1. Krill
2. _________
3. Squid
Ross Seal
A. Discovered in 1840
B. Least sighted in groups
C. Size
1. _________
2. 400 pounds
Which words would BEST fill in the blanks in the outline above
A. Australia, discovered in 1840
B. fish, 6 feet long
C. pack ice, comblike teeth
D. breathing hole, trunklike nose
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Reading-ELA
Fifth Grade Pre-CRCT Assessment
14. Which sentence uses an apostrophe correctly
A. Antarctica contain's 70 percent of the worlds fresh water.
B. Antarctica contains' 70 percent of the worlds fresh water.
C. Antarctica contains 70 percent of the worlds' fresh water.
D. Antarctica contains 70 percent of the world's fresh water.
15. Which word in the sentence below does his refer to
Joey bought a new Braves windbreaker for his sister's birthday.
A. Joey
B. new
C. windbreaker
D. sister
16. Which choice BEST combines the sentences into one sentence
Sophie began riding her bicycle to school each day. She wanted to get more exercise.
A. Sophie began riding her bicycle to school each day because she wanted to get more
exercise.
B. Beginning to ride her bicycle to school each day, Sophie wanted to get more exercise.
C. Sophie began riding her bicycle to school each day, she wanted to get more exercise.
D. Sophie began riding her bicycle to school each day she wanted to get more exercise.
17. Which statement is true of the bibliography entry
Stone, R. A Soldier's Life, 1861–1865. Bell Publishers, Chicago. 2002.
A. Stone is the title.
B. Stone is the author.
C. Stone is the publisher.
D. Stone is the place of publication.
18. Deborah wants to know how far Tallulah Gorge is from Augusta, Georgia. Which of
the following sources should she use
A. an encyclopedia
B. a thesaurus
C. an atlas
D. an almanac
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Reading-ELA
Fifth Grade Pre-CRCT Assessment
19. Which is the BEST way to organize the sentences in the paragraph
1Painting a room can be easy if you follow these steps. 2Using a roller or paint brush,
apply the paint to the wall. 3Move all the furniture to the center of the room. 4Cover the
floor and furniture with protective cloth. 5Pour paint into a paint tray. 6Remove pictures
and decorations from the wall.
A. 1, 4, 3, 6, 2, 5
B. 1, 6, 2, 3, 5, 4
C. 1, 3, 6, 4, 5, 2
D. 1, 2, 4, 6, 3, 5
20. Which words BEST fill in the blanks in the sentences below
Mary gave Sally a book yesterday. Tom has ______ her another book today. I will
______ her a book tomorrow.
A. gave, given
B. given, give
C. give, gave
D. giving, gave
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