Grade 3 Reading Test

1. Read the passage.

In 1996 scientists in the Amazon forest of Brazil discovered a new kind of
monkey. It is the sixth new species of marmoset to be discovered in South
America. Luckily, many people are working hard to help save these animals.
The orange-haired primate is about the size of a squirrel. The marmoset eats
fruit and insects. Sometimes it chews little holes in tree trunks, and when the
sap oozes out, it slurps it up.
Which sentence in the above passage does not belong?

a. Luckily, many people are working hard to help save these animals.

[Link] 1996 scientists in the Amazon forest of Brazil discovered a new kind of
monkey.

c. It is the sixth new species of marmoset to be discovered.

d. The orange-haired primate is about the size of a squirrel.

2. Read and answer the question.

Radio
Telephone
Microwave
Television
Which one is not a form of communication?

a. radio

b. microwave

c. telephone

d. television

3. Read and answer the question.

Soccer is my favorite sport. I like to play soccer with my friends at recess. You
have to kick the ball into the goal to score a point. Our goalie is really good. I
think we can win every time.
Which statement is a fact?
a. Our goalie is really good.

b. Soccer is my favorite sport.

c. I like to play soccer with my friends at recess.

d. You have to kick the ball into the goal to score a point.

4. Read the passage.

“In Idaho Falls live two awesome ladies. Several years ago it was the good
fortune of May and Phyllis to come into some unexpected money. Not only
theirs but also many others lives have been touched by that good fortune.”
– from The Idaho News mailbox
Copyright Info: Post Register, Letter to the Editor, 2002. P.O. Box 1800, Idaho
Falls, Idaho
83403.
Which word shows opinion in this passage?
a. awesome

b. money

c. fortune

d. unexpected

5. Read the story.

An eight-year old boy named Justin lived next door. He had brown hair, brown
eyes, and a few freckles. He was fairly short for his age. This summer, Justin
was learning to ride his skateboard. He practiced every day until he could
balance and stay on his board without falling off. He then tried to jump off the
curb and land on his board without crashing. He tried and tried, but each time,
he fell off. Finally, he picked up his skateboard, threw it on the ground, and
began to cry. At the same time, the neighbor across the street watching from
her window saw him throw his skateboard and decided that Justin had a
terrible temper. “Because he’s so small, he just can’t skate very well,” she said.
What wrong idea did Justin’s neighbor have?

a. small boys should not ride skateboards

b. boys with brown hair and brown eyes should not ride skateboards
c. children should not play outside in the road

d. Justin has a bad temper

6. Read the paragraph.

a. they are afraid of fires

b. they love kittens

c. they are often adopted

d. they prefer to live by themselves

7. Read the passage.

“And did you really have the three wishes granted?” asked Mrs. White. “I did,”
said the sergeant major, and his glass tapped against his strong teeth. “And
has anybody else wished?” inquired the old lady. “The first man had his three
wishes, yes,” was the reply. “I don’t know what the first two were, but the third
was for death. That’s how I got the paw.” His tones were so grave that a hush
fell upon the group.
Copyright Info: Jacobs, W.W., The Monkey’s Paw and Other Tales of Mystery
and the Macabre, Academy Chicago Publishers, Chicago, 1997.
Which statement best supports the conclusion that the Monkey’s Paw
will bring heartache?

a. The wishes didn’t work.

b. No one was able to make a wish.

c. The third wish was for death.

d. The first man had his three wishes.

8. This add makes you want to buy the garbage bags because:
a. They are cheap.

b. They are thick.

c. They are black.

d. They are made of plastic.

9. Read the passage.

“Each [leaf] was shaped like an inverted umbrella spiked on a massive
trunk…” from “the Pit of Wings” by Ramsey Campbell
Copyright Info: Not enough information. Campbell, Ramsey. The Pit of Wings,
page 60. (Teacher authors: Phillips, Blackman, Felts).
What can be inferred from this line?

a. The leaves are cup-shaped with thick stems.

b. The leaves protect against the rain.

c. The leaves are large and round.

d. The leaves are deciduous.

10. Read the following magazine article and answer the question.
Bats have always played an important part in human myths. Because bats are
nocturnal animals, people have even thought of them as evil spirits—friends of
witches, vampires, ghosts, and other creatures of the night. Today, we know
that bats are not evil spirits. Yet, so many unkind things have been said about
bats over the years that many people still have greatly exaggerated. It’s
important to know the truth about these interesting animals.
Copyright Info: Wood, Linda C and Rink, Deane. “Zoo Books,” May 1999.
What is the main idea of this magazine article?
a. Bats are friends of witches and vampires.

b. People have thought of bats as evil even though they are not.

c. Bats are myths.

d. Bats are nocturnal animals.

11. Read the story and answer the question.

The golden lion tamarin lives in a small area of Brazil. These small monkeys
are in danger of becoming extinct. The forest where they live is shrinking fast.
As more people move into this area, trees are cut down to make room for cities
and farms. The golden lion tamarin is also disappearing because they have
been captured by people. People think they are cute and want them as pets.
What is causing the golden lion tamaris to become endangered?
a. They eat the leaves on the trees that are being cut down.

b. They ate too many bananas.

c. The trees where they live are being cut down to make room for cities.

d. People are putting them in zoos.

12. Read the passage.

Jan and Todd were riding horses along the canal road, when suddenly, Jan’s
horse got spooked. Her horse started jumping and bucking, and Jan could
barely hold on. She started to scream for help, and Todd was frozen. He had
no idea what to do to help Jan out. She fell off the horse and broke her right leg.
The horse ran off down the road, and Todd started to cry.
How are Jan and Todd alike?

a. Neither of them was prepared for this situation.

b. Jan and Todd are both experienced horse riders.

c. They are both animal lovers.

d. They had medical and emergency training.

13. Read the passage and answer the question.

The football game started earlier last Saturday. The games usually start at
7:00 p.m. Now that it is getting closer to winter, it is nice that the games are
earlier in the day, so we don’t have to wear our heavy coats.
Why are the football games starting earlier?
a. It is getter warmer.
b. The players are on time.

c. It is getting colder.

d. We can cheer longer.

14. Read the passage and answer the question.

Janet looked out her bedroom window and saw the beautiful, new, white snow
covering the ground outside. She quickly got dressed and ran out the front
door to make the first snowman of the season. “Don’t forget your gloves! Your
fingers will freeze!” called her mother, as the door slammed. “Don’t need them!
No time!” yelled Janet as she jumped into the snow. After about 5 minutes of
working in the ice-cold snow with her bare hands to make the snowman, Janet
realized that her fingers were so cold they were starting to hurt.
What will Janet most likely do next?
a. Go back in the house for her coat.

b. Take off her coat and boots.

c. Go back in the house for her gloves.

d. Ask her mother to help her make the snowman.

15. Read the passage and answer the question.

Charlotte’s pretty, ruffled dress was becoming torn and ragged. She needed a
pair of pants to she could climb around on the ship without getting caught in
the ropes on the deck. She needed to get around more quickly, because she
could not keep up with the rest of the crew. She had to find something quick.
What is the best summary for this passage?
[Link]’s clothes would not allow her to work properly on the ship, and she
needed new ones.

b. The captain was angry because she tried to help the crew.

c. Charlotte’s clothes did not match the clothes of the rest of the crew.

d. Crew members were getting angry with Charlotte.

16. Girls and boys, ages 10 through 14, can train to become conflict
counselors in two-week sessions beginning May 12. In the first week, sessions
will start at 8:00a.m. and end at 4:00p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday. In the second week, sessions will run from 9:00a.m. to 3:00p.m.
on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. A maximum of 10 students will be
selected to participate.
How long will the training session last on Monday of the second week?
a. 8 hours

b. 6 hours

c. 12 hours

d. 16 hours

17. Study the recipe and then answer the question.

After beating with the wire whisk for 2 minutes, what comes next?

a. pour the milk into the bowl

b. gently stir in of the whipped topping

c. spoon 1 tbsp. of crushed cookies into cups

d. spoon the pudding into cups

18. Tara and Tanisha were planning a surprise party for Krystal. They invited a
few of Krystal’s friends. They began decorating the house. Tanisha hung
streamers along the ceiling while Tara blew up balloons. Next, they both
decided to serve punch and cake. Tara went to the store for punch while
Tanisha baked the cake. At last, they were ready for the party.
What did they do to prepare for the party?
a. made a cake and bought pop

b. hung streamers and posters

c. hung a piata from the ceiling

d. invited Krystal’s friends

19. Read the passage and answer the question.

Jordan clamped the handlebars tightly after he made sure his feet were steady
on the pegs. He pointed his motorcycle up the hill and increased his speed.
Just before he reached the highest part of the hill, he scooted forward to
balance his weight. This was going to be the best jump ever!
What did Jordan do right after he increased his speed?
a. clamped the bars tightly

b. pointed down the hill

c. pointed up the hill

d. turned around

20. Read the passage.

Billy has all the weapons and versatility to become a Grand Slam Champion.
He can out-slug his opponents from the baseline or suffocate them at the net.
But, the deciding factor could be his deceptively powerful serve!
You can tell the competitive nature of the above passage from the
writer’s use of:
a. word choice

b. humor

c. exaggeration

d. seriousness

21. Read the passage.

Sally was home alone. She could hear thunder and see lightning when she
looked out the window. All of a sudden, the lights went out. Sally stood rigidly
still as the tears filled her eyes.
Identify Sally’s problem and what resolution she should use.
a. The power is out, and Sally should go get the flashlight from the kitchen.

b. The power is out. Sally should go to bed.

c. The lights are out, and Sally should go to the kitchen to get a cookie.

d. The lights are out, and Sally should go to the store for more light bulbs.

22. Which word is the opposite of shrink?

a. disappear

b. grow

c. reduce

d. wash

23. As we were walking through the forest we saw many beautiful wildflowers.
We decided to pick some of them to take home so ourpleasure would continue.
What is the meaning of pleasure?
a. frustration

b. depression

c. blossom

d. enjoyment

24. An ad for hand cream claims the cream moisturizes and evens skin
tone. What does tone mean?
a. quality of color

b. musical sound

c. elegant style

d. interval on a musical scale

25. Read the definitions of the prefixes.

anti-against
con-with
pre-before
Given these prefixes, which word would mean unfriendly or not wanting
to be around others?
a. antisocial

b. context

c. predict

d. antidote

26. Read the passage.

Then here comes Mr. Pearson with his clipboard and his cards and pencils and
whistles and safety pins and fifty million other things he’s always dropping all
over the place with his clumsy self. He sticks out in a crowd because he’s on
stilts. We used to call him Jack and the Beanstalk to get him mad. But I’m the
only one that can outrun him and get away, and I’m too grown for that silliness
now.
Copyright Info: Bambarg, Toni Code. “Raymond’s Run.” Elements of
Literature (p.8). Holt,Reinhart and Winston, 1997.
Why does Mr. Pearson stand out in the crowd?

a. He has a clipboard.

b. He is always dropping things.

c. He is wearing a bright shirt.

d. He is on stilts.

27. Read the fable.

A fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine
trained along the branches of a tree. The grapes seemed ready to burst with
juice, and the Fox’s mouth watered as he gazed longingly at them.
The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump for it. The first
time he jumped he missed it by a long way. So he walked off a short distance
and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he
tried, but in vain. Now he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust. “What
a fool I am,” he said. “Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour
grapes that are not worth gaping for.” And off he walked very, very scornfully.
Copyright Info: Aesop. “The Fox and the Grapes.”Elements of Literature: First
Course. Holt,
Rinehart, Winston 1997.
Which inference can be made after reading the fable?
a. The fox does not like grapes.

b. The fox wants to make grape juice.

c. The fox broke his leg when he tried to jump.

[Link] fox pretended he did not like grapes after he saw that he couldn’t get
any.

28. Read the following label and answer the question.

What can happen if you do not take the vitamin with a full glass of water?

a. You may get sleepy.

b. You may get an upset stomach.

c. The vitamin will not work.

d. Children under 10 will get tired.

29. Read the sentence and choose the word that is not an antonym for
the underlined word.
Alice and Jack were very excited about getting a new car.
a. sad

b. miserable

c. thrilled

d. depressed

30. Read the passage.

Then he jumped. The head was lying a little clear of the water jar, under the
curve of it; and as his teeth met, Rikki braced his back against the bulge of the
red earthenware to hold down the head. This gave him just one second’s
purchase, and he made the most of it. Then he was battered to and fro as a rat
is shaken by a dog—to and fro on the floor, up and down, and round in great
circles, but his eyes were red and he held on as the body cartwhipped over the
floor, upsetting the tin dipper and the soap dish and the flesh brush, and
banged against the tin side of the bath.
Copyright Info: Not enough information. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Page 11. (Teacher
authors: Phillips, Blackman, Felts).

What does the word battered mean?

a. attacked

b. bread dough

c. baseball equipment

d. lathered