5th Grade End of Year Test

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Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

PART 1: COMPREHENSION

Directions

If you think that young people cannot make a difference in the world, read this selection. Then answer the questions that follow.

Working for the Future

Don’t tell Craig Kielburger that children don’t have the power to make a difference in the world today, because he knows that isn’t true. Kielburger grew up in Canada. When he was twelve years old, in 1995, Kielburger was searching for the comics page in the newspaper when he came upon an article about a twelve-year-old boy in Pakistan. This boy had been forced to work since he was four years old. Kielburger was affected by this stranger’s difficult life, and he felt that he had to do something to try to change unfair labor practices in the world. He talked to some of his classmates, and together they started an organization called Free the Children.
Free the Children has several goals. One goal is to free children from poverty and unfair labor practices. Another goal is to encourage children everywhere to believe that they can make a difference in the world. When Kielburger speaks to youth groups, he tells them that even the smallest action can have an impact. He explains to young people that they can become leaders and help improve the world.
Kielburger speaks with the voice of experience. He has traveled to more than forty countries around the world to visit children who are forced to work. He shares their stories, speaking out in defense of children’s rights. In addition, Kielburger has met with many world leaders, co-written four books, and appeared on popular television programs such as 60 Minutes and Oprah to discuss his work.
Kielburger believes that education is a critical way to break the cycle of poverty. The organization he founded, Free the Children, has built 350 schools around the world. The group Kielburger started in 1995 now has more than 100,000 youth representatives less than eighteen years of age, from thirty-five countries. Kielburger says his older brother Marc inspired him to work at making the world a better place. When Marc was twelve years old, he collected signatures for a petition to ban products that were harmful to the environment. Witnessing his brother Marc’s passion and involvement in an issue that was important to him showed Craig that it doesn’t matter how young a person is. Everyone has something to share, and each person can make a difference.
Despite the fact that Kielburger has met many famous people, he says his heroes are the children he has met during his travels, because they never give up hope. Kielburger himself has inspired hope in the many people whose lives he has touched through his tireless efforts to help.

According to the selection, what happened first?

a.	Kielburger formed Free the Children.
b.	Kielburger read about a child laborer.
c.	Kielburger traveled around the world.
d.	Kielburger co-authored four books.

Which word best describes Kielburger?

a.	humble
b.	wealthy
c.	lonely
d.	competitive

What first caused Kielburger to realize young people could help solve problems?

a.	meeting with world leaders
b.	the success of Free the Children
c.	reading about a boy working in Pakistan
d.	his brother's work trying to change things

Which of the following contains a statement of opinion?

a.	Kielburger grew up in Canada.
b.	He has traveled to more than forty countries.
c.	The organization he founded, Free the Children, has built 350 schools around the world.
d.	Kielburger believes that education is a beneficial way to break the cycle of poverty.

What is a likely reason that most active members of Free the Children are under the age of eighteen?

a.	Adults are not interested in the organization.
b.	Many young people want to get involved with the group.
c.	It is an organization of young people for young people.
d.	Only child laborers are allowed to join the group.

Based on this selection, which of the following statements is a valid generalization?

a.	Many of the children Craig has met have inspired him.
b.	Pakistan has the highest number of child laborers.
c.	Most of the members of Free the Children live in the United States.
d.	The leaders Craig talked to were not concerned about child labor.

The title of the selection is “Working for the Future.” Which of the following is the best alternative title?

a.	“Craig and Marc: Brothers and Friends”
b.	“Making a Difference”
c.	“The Importance of Schools”
d.	“Why You Should Read the Newspaper”

How are Craig and his brother Marc alike?

a.	They are good students.
b.	They want to be world leaders.
c.	They take action to change things.
d.	They think children are the best leaders.

What is the main idea of the selection?

a.	People make a lot of mistakes.
b.	Children should lead the world.
c.	Anyone can contribute to change.
d.	Work in other countries is very hard.

10.

Look at the map. Which of the following is true?

a.	Pakistan is part of Africa.
b.	Canada and Pakistan are neighbors.
c.	Pakistan is far away from Canada.
d.	Canada and Pakistan are about the same size.

11.

What was the author’s main purpose for writing the selection?

a.	to share the inspiring effects of one boy’s actions
b.	to convince readers to join Free the Children
c.	to entertain readers with an amusing story
d.	to express feelings of pride about Canada

Directions

People immigrating to the United States from Europe traveled through Ellis Island on the East Coast. Read this story about Angel Island, the entrance for Chinese immigrants on the West Coast. Then answer the questions that follow.

A Trip Back in Time

Winsie zipped her backpack and ran downstairs excitedly. She had never been to Angel Island before. Her parents had explained that Angel Island Immigration Station was a historic landmark. Like Ellis Island on the East Coast, Angel Island was a place where immigrants were questioned before entering the United States. However, in 1882, the United States passed a harsh and controversial law that made it difficult for Chinese immigrants to enter the country. As a result, they were kept for weeks, months, sometimes even years, in crowded buildings on Angel Island. Some of these people were not allowed to enter the new homeland they had dreamed of and were sent back to China.
Many of the people who were detained on Angel Island wrote and carved their thoughts and feelings on the walls, telling their stories of difficulty and confusion. The walls of the buildings became a journal of the immigrants’ frustration, sadness, boredom, and anger.
Although Winsie’s mother had never heard any stories about Angel Island directly from her grandparents, she had learned through research that her grandfather had been held at Angel Island for many weeks in 1930. She wanted to go and see where Pang Chen, her grandfather and Winsie’s great-grandfather, had been forced to wait, wondering if he would ever be allowed to enter the United States.
Winsie and her parents took a boat across San Francisco Bay to reach the island, where they joined a guided tour and learned that the Immigration Station operated from 1910 to 1940. Once the station was no longer in use, it was scheduled to be torn down. However, a park ranger found the poems and notes on the walls, and he organized a group of people who influenced the government to save the important buildings.
After the tour ended, Winsie and her parents wandered around inside one of the buildings. Suddenly, Winsie’s father yelled, “Come look at this!” Winsie and her mother hurried to where he stood pointing at the wall. Winsie did not recognize the Chinese characters, but her mother and father excitedly agreed that they spelled out “Pang Chen, 1930.” Suddenly, Winsie’s mother began to cry, thinking of the sadness her grandfather and so many others had experienced here. Winsie took off her backpack and unzipped it, pulling out a piece of white paper and a black crayon as her parents watched quietly. Winsie held the paper over the characters carved in the wall and rubbed the crayon gently back and forth until the characters showed up on the paper. After she had finished, she held the paper out for her mother, saying, “You should have Pang Chen’s words always. I am so happy he made a home here in the United States for himself, and for us.”

12.

Which of the following happened last?

a.	Winsie joined a guided tour.
b.	Winsie’s father found Pang Chen’s name.
c.	Winsie and her parents rode a boat to Angel Island.
d.	Winsie packed her backpack with things she might need.

13.

Which word best describes Winsie?

a.	mischievous
b.	talkative
c.	prepared
d.	strong

14.

What was the climax of the story?

a.	Winsie’s mother found out about Pang Chen.
b.	Pang Chen was held at Angel Island.
c.	Winsie’s father found Pang Chen’s name.
d.	Winsie learned the history of the island.

15.

Where does most of the action of the story take place?

a.	China
b.	Winsie’s house
c.	Ellis Island
d.	San Francisco Bay

16.

What is a theme of the story?

a.	Family trips are important.
b.	The past is powerful.
c.	Art comes in many forms.
d.	Laws are often unfair.

17.

How are Angel Island and Ellis Island alike?

a.	Immigrants were checked there before entering the United States.
b.	Immigrants named these islands based on their experiences there.
c.	They are both on the country’s West Coast.
d.	They were used only for Chinese immigrants.

18.

What was the main reason Winsie’s mother wanted to go to Angel Island?

a.	She had never been there before.
b.	She wanted to take her family on a picnic.
c.	She had grown up hearing stories about her grandfather’s stay there.
d.	She wanted to see where her grandfather had once been.

19.

How did Winsie’s mother probably feel when Winsie gave her the wall rubbing?

a.	grateful
b.	curious
c.	angry
d.	worried

20.

What is the most likely reason Pang Chen wrote in Chinese characters?

a.	He did not want anyone to read his writing.
b.	He knew his Chinese granddaughter would see his message.
c.	He probably did not yet know the English alphabet.
d.	He found the characters easier to carve than letters.

21.

Why did people want to save the buildings on Angel Island?

a.	The buildings had a unique design.
b.	A few immigrants were still living there.
c.	The buildings helped block storms from coming inland.
d.	The buildings contained firsthand accounts of a historic event.

22.

What is the author’s main purpose for writing this selection?

a.	to teach the importance of protecting historic buildings
b.	to describe the pain all immigrants experienced
c.	to entertain the reader with a heartwarming story
d.	to convince the readers to learn about their own families

Directions

Read about one way of communicating on the Internet. It’s called blogging. Then answer the questions that follow.

What’s New on the Internet?

What is the odd name for a very popular activity that has taken the Internet by storm? It is blogging! “Blog” is a shortened combination of the words “web” and “log.” A blog is a type of personal journal posted on the Internet.
Just how popular is blogging? There are millions of blogs today, and a new one is made every few seconds. Their popularity continues to grow, in part because the program needed to create a blog is either free or very cheap. It is also, as computer folks often say, “user-friendly.”
A blog is an easy-to-use Web site where a person can express his or her thoughts. It is also a way to communicate with others, since many blogs have links to e-mail. This way, a person who is reading a blog can write a note to the person who owns the blog. Some businesses support blogs at work because of their ability to create large amounts of information that can be shared among workers. These are called “k-logs” or knowledge logs. Blogs are also used by colleges. In this case, blogs allow students to interact with teachers and classmates without having to wait to get back to the classroom. Blogging is also a way to give instant news on events while they are happening.
Clearly, not all blogs are created equal. Some are simply a person’s thoughts, which may or may not hold any value for a reader. However, others are posted by well-known reporters and contain breaking news. Others can provide helpful information, such as the best way to grow African violets or where to find free outdoor events.
People can use blogs to let others know about goods and services that are for sale. People can also use blogs in an attempt to shape public opinion, or to change the way people feel about certain things. One weakness of blogs is the fact that the information they contain may not be true or accurate. Unlike formal news sites, there are generally no editors and no fact-checkers making corrections to individuals’ blogs. But no matter what might be good or bad about blogging, it looks as though it is here to stay.

23.

What would probably happen if the computer program needed to create blogs were expensive?

a.	Almost no one would use computers.
b.	People would read more books.
c.	Fewer people would create blogs.
d.	Everyone would be willing to spend more.

24.

Which is a likely reason someone might want to start a blog?

a.	to have a private journal
b.	to express his or her feelings
c.	to learn how to grow African violets
d.	to learn about computer programming

25.

The first sentence is “What is the odd name for a very popular activity that has taken the Internet by storm?” What does it mean to take something by storm?

a.	to remain mysterious
b.	to describe in great detail
c.	to become important suddenly
d.	to destroy violently

26.

Which of the following is a statement of opinion?

a.	There are more than eight million blogs.
b.	Some businesses support blogs at work.
c.	Many blogs have links to e-mail.
d.	Clearly, not all blogs are created equal.

27.

How do news sites and blogs differ?

a.	Blogs are often not accurate.
b.	News sites have a plain design.
c.	Blogs do not contain news.
d.	News sites are more interesting.

28.

Which is a valid generalization based on the selection?

a.	Everyone likes blogs.
b.	Most blogs contain false information.
c.	Most blogs belong to individuals.
d.	Many people enjoy creating blogs.

29.

Which would be an effective way to check the following statement of fact?

The computer program needed to create a blog is either free or very cheap.

a.	Consult an almanac.
b.	Look up ”blog” in a dictionary.
c.	Read the entry for “blog” in an encyclopedia.
d.	Interview a person who has created a blog.

30.

What is the third paragraph mostly about?

a.	the history of blogging
b.	how quickly the number of blogs is growing
c.	the purpose of a blog
d.	how to contact a blog’s owner

31.

Look at the graph. What will probably happen when information for the next month is added?

a.	The line will go up.
b.	The line will continue to be straight.
c.	The line will go down.
d.	The line will go all the way down to zero.

32.

The title is “What’s New on the Internet?” What is the best alternative title for the selection?

a.	“Eight Million and Counting”
b.	“The Basics of Blogging”
c.	“A New Kind of Fun”
d.	“Dear Diary”

33.

What was the author’s main purpose for writing the selection?

a.	to convince readers to blog
b.	to discuss uses of the Internet
c.	to entertain readers with excerpts from blogs
d.	to explain the popularity of blogging