3rd Grade Reading

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3rd Grade Reading

• CATS Review

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The Horse Showby Bernice Bellouny      The
horse show was in two days. Emily was excited and
ready. Then something happened.     "Bad news,"
Mother said. "Spirit got sick. He will be
alright, but he will not be able to ride in the
show this weekend."     Emily was worried about
Spirit. Even though he was not her own, she had
grown to love him. She wondered how her friend,
Jessica, felt. Because the girls show in
different classes, they are lucky enough to be
able to ride the same horse. Both had trained on
Spirit for months and had ridden him in past
shows. Emily had even won several ribbons with
Spirit. Emily wondered now if Jessica would
ride.     "There is some good news," Mother
said. "Your trainer was able to borrow another
horse so you could still show. It is up to you,
though."     That was a tough decision. Everyone
would be disappointed if she did not ride. What
if she did ride and did not do well? That would
be disappointing, too. Emily wanted to win again
and ride the Victory Pass. That did not seem
likely now.  
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   The morning of the show, Emily had butterflies
in her stomach. She saw Jessica in the stable.
Jessica had had a chance to ride the borrowed
horse the day before. Emily had not.     "I do
not like this horse and since I cannot ride
Spirit, I am not showing," Jessica said. Emily
had made her decision that morning. She would
ride. She was not as sure now about winning a
blue ribbon. As long as she tried, though, she
would have the chance of winning something. If
she did not try, she would have no chance at
all.     In the ring, Emily worked hard to ride
her best, but the horse was difficult to control.
Emily won sixth place out of nine
riders.     Back at the stable, Emily saw the
smiles on her parents' and trainer's faces, and
she felt good.     "We are so proud of you," her
parents told her.     Emily may not have won a
blue ribbon or even placed second or third, but
she was happy. She was proud of herself, too.
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 Jessica got to ride the borrowed horse the day
before the show. When did Emily first ride that
horse?

• right before the show
• the summer before the show
• two days before the show
• the night before the show

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Which of the following is the most important to
the purpose of this story?

• Emily was upset she would not have a chance to
  win without riding Spirit.
• Emily worked hard to ride her best, even though
  the horse was difficult to control.
• Emily and Spirit had won several blue ribbons in
  other horse shows this summer.
• Jessica had a chance to ride the borrowed horse
  before the show, but Emily did not.

6
Which of the following describes Emily at the end
of this story?

• angry
• proud
• selfish
• strange

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When did Emily decide she was going to ride in
the show even without Spirit?

• when she heard Spirit was sick
• after she talked to Jessica
• the night before the show
• the morning of the show

8
Why did the author include the 5th paragraph in
this story?

• to show how hard people can judge
• to show how good a horse rider Emily is
• to show Emily was worried about the show
• to show why Emily's decision was difficult

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Both Emily and Jessica were upset when they
learned Spirit was sick. How did the girls'
feelings about the show differ?

• Emily was nervous about getting on a new horse to
  ride. Jessica thought the horse was not good
  enough.
• Emily decided to take a chance and ride in the
  show. Jessica quit because she could not ride
  Spirit.
• Emily's parents talked her into going on with the
  show. Jessica quit because her parents told her
  to.
• Emily was excited about getting to ride a new
  horse. Jessica liked the new horse better than
  Spirit.

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Most of the events in this passage take place at

• a horse show.
• the practice barn.
• Emily's house.
• a horse farm.

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How did Emily feel when she first learned Spirit
was sick?

• disappointed to miss the show
• worried about the horse
• angry that the horse was sick
• happy about riding another horse

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The Long Journey Homeby Bernice
Bellouny      If you do not find fish amazing,
take a look at the Pacific Northwest
salmon.     For one thing, these fish live in
both fresh and salt water. They are born in fresh
water streams and lakes where they spend their
early lives. Then they swim downstream to the
ocean, where they grow up.Stages of
Growth     Female salmon make nests, called
"redds," in fresh water stream beds. They lay
thousands of eggs at a time, but not all of them
make it. Those that do make it hatch and are
called "alevins." These baby salmon have food
sacs attached. When that food is used up, the
salmon have to leave their nests to find more.
This is the "fry" stage. Soon, the salmon's color
changes and they get spots, called "parr" spots,
which help them hide from other fish. Eventually,
the parr spots disappear and the fish turn a
silvery color. At this stage, they are called
"smolts." This is when the fish go through
changes that will let them live in salt water.
After the smolts grow for a while, they begin
their journey downstream to the ocean.
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The Upstream Journey     Salmon live in the
ocean between one and seven years. Then they
begin their journey back to the stream where they
were born. This is the amazing part. To get
there, they have to swim upstream. Sometimes they
swim for thousands of miles. They have to swim
against swift currents to make it back home. They
have to avoid bigger fish. They have to avoid
bears and other wild animals. They have to swim
up waterfalls! These are some of the natural
dangers they face. People have added to these
problems, too. Many spawning areas are polluted
or blocked by dams.     Many salmon never make
it back to the streams where they were born
because of all the problems they face. It is
amazing to see them try, though.
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"Eventually, the parr spots disappear and the
fish turn a silvery color.What does the prefix
dis- do to the word appear?

• The prefix dis- changes the meaning to appear
  before.
• The prefix dis- changes the meaning to not
  appear.
• The prefix dis- changes the meaning to appear
  again.
• The prefix dis- changes the meaning to like to
  appear.

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This passage can best be described as

• poetry.
• how-to.
• nonfiction.
• fiction.

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In this passage, the word fry refers to

• the best way to cook salmon.
• a stage of the salmon's growth.
• any small, fresh water type of fish.
• the food that young salmon eat.

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In this story, what do the words in bold do?

• They give more information about how salmon live.
  
• They add color to the words and make the story
  look better.
• They tell the reader where to find certain
  information.
• They let the reader know what the sections are
  about.

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How does the author most likely feel about
watching salmon journey home?

• The journey is something special to see.
• The journey is not necessary for salmon.
• The journey should be made much sooner.
• The journey is something people always see.

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What is the main idea of this selection?

• Salmon move through the five stages of growth and
  change very easily in the rivers.
• Salmon go through five stages of growth and a
  long journey to and from the ocean.
• People have kept salmon from returning to their
  birth streams because of dams and pollution.
• A salmon's skin changes color from spotted to
  silver during the most important growth stage.

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Why did the author of this story put the
following words in quotation marks "redds,"
"alevins," "parr," and "fry"?

• They are the different names for a salmon's
  family.
• They are the proper names for the rivers salmon
  live in.
• They are the exact names for a salmon's life
  stages.
• They are common words that all fishermen learn.

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Which of the following sentences from this
selection gives an opinion?

• "Then they swim downstream to the ocean, where
  they grow up."
• "This is the 'fry' stage."
• "To get there, they have to swim upstream."
• "It is amazing to see them try, though."

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Building a Plant Terrariumby Bernice
Bellouny      A terrarium is a group of plants
grown in a clear container. It is like a tiny
indoor garden. Building one is fun and easy. You
can create your own indoor container
garden.Materials Needed A container with lid
Gravel Charcoal Potting soil Plants
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• Now, follow these few simple steps.
• Choose a clear plastic or glass container. Even a
  large soda bottle would work. Tinted, or colored,
  containers can change the light your terrarium
  gets. You will also need a lid.
• Start with about an inch of gravel in the bottom
  of your container. This helps the water drain.
  Add a thin layer of charcoal on top. The charcoal
  helps keep the air inside your container clean.
  Finally, add three or four inches of potting
  soil.
• Be careful when choosing your plants. Look for
  small, slow-growing plants. Ferns, moss, and
  African violets are good choices. Do not use too
  many plants. Remember they will need room to
  grow. Use a spoon or sticks to dig small holes
  for each plant root. Be sure to lightly press
  down the soil around each plant to hold it in
  place.
• Now you are ready to water your garden. Use just
  enough water to lightly wet the soil. Put the lid
  on top. Make sure the lid has a few small holes
  in it. You want air to get into your terrarium,
  but you do not want water to get out. Remember,
  plants need air, water, and sunlight to grow.
• Direct sunlight can make your plants too hot.
  Choose a spot that gets lots of indirect
  sunlight.
•      The water in your terrarium will dry out
  from the soil and collect on the walls and lid.
  That water will then fall back down onto your
  plants. You will need to add water when the sides
  and lid look dry. If they are very wet, you have
  too much water. You can fix that by taking the
  lid off for a few hours to let some of the water
  dry up.

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If a person accidentally gives his or her indoor
garden too much water, he or she can fix that by

• taking off the lid for a few hours.
• adding more soil to the indoor garden.
• starting the indoor garden all over again.
• spilling the extra water out of the garden.

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Read this sentence from the passage."Now,
follow these few simple steps."What does the
word steps mean in this sentence?

• actions
• directions
• stages
• levels

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The plants in an indoor garden need

• lots of direct sunlight.
• lots of indirect sunlight.
• very little sunlight.
• to be watered very often.

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Three things needed to build an indoor garden are

• a cardboard container, gravel, and soil.
• a square container, gravel, and animals.
• a colored container, sand, and water.
• a clear container, soil, and plants.

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A person should choose which of the following to
help an indoor garden grow well?

• plants with different growing needs
• small, slow-growing plants
• very large, fast-growing plants
• plants found only in tropical areas

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 The information in this story would be helpful
to someone who

• likes to garden.
• has a farm.
• doesn't like plants.
• likes raising fish.

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Why did the author write this article?

• to describe different houseplants and what they
  need
• to explain how to build an indoor garden
• to show why gardens are so important to people
• to teach about planting a vegetable garden

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Heidi, the Therapy Dogby Bernice
Bellouny      There is a boy in my neighborhood
named Sam. He struggled with reading. When he had
to read out loud, it was even harder. He felt
people judged him, and they laughed at him when
he made mistakes and stumbled over words. "I hate
reading," he said. My friend, Meghan, thought I
could change his mind. I was not so
sure.     You see, I am a doga great big
Bernese mountain dog named Heidi. I am not just
any dog. I am a therapy dog. That means I help
people.     Therapy dogs have important work to
do. Sometimes we are called "visiting" dogs. I
like that better. It really describes what I do.
I visit people, usually in hospitals and nursing
homes. I do not do a lot of tricks. I just do
what comes naturallywalk up to people and let
them pet me. I really like being near people.
They say I make people feel better. I help them
relax, take their minds off their troubles, and
feel less lonely. I have never helped anyone
learn to read before.
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"I bet you can make Sam relax when he is reading.
That can help him learn," said Meghan. So, she
got an invitation for us to go to Sam's
school.     The first few times we met, Sam
would not read in front of us. Meghan pretended
to ignore us, and Sam and I would play. After
awhile, he opened his book. He read softly.
Meghan sat quietly off to the side. I lay next to
Sam, resting my head on his lap and wagging my
tail for support. He took his time, working out
the words for himself. He relaxed. After that, we
played less and he read more. He started to look
forward to reading!     We go to the school
twice a month now. "Heidi is here!" Sam and his
friends greet us. We play for a while. Then,
after we are all relaxed and comfortable, the
kids take turns reading to me. I cannot correct
them and I do not laugh, but I sure do enjoy a
good story!
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Which of the following helped Heidi to be such a
good therapy dog?

• the tricks she knew
• her sloppy dog kisses
• her large body size
• her love of people

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What is the main idea of this passage?

• Heidi, a therapy dog helped a boy to read.
• There are many tricks therapy dogs need to know.
• Bernese mountain dogs make great family pets.
• Taking your pet dog to school with you is fun.

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After several visits with Sam, Heidi most likely
felt

• angry that Sam did not want her help.
• bored with listening to Sam read.
• ready to help Sam learn something else.
• proud of how she helped Sam read.

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The root of the word invitation is

• invite.
• itation.
• invitat.
• vitati.

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According to this passage, where did Heidi do
most of her therapy work?

• at the dog kennel and animal shelter
• in daycare centers, parks, and schools
• in hospitals, nursing homes, and schools
• at Meghan's house and in her yard

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The dog, Heidi, is

• big and friendly.
• lazy and unfriendly.
• loud and scary.
• small and yappy.

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Heidi was able to help Sam read because she
offered him a chance to

• play and put off doing his reading.
• make up words he did not know.
• take a break from his regular class work.
• relax and sound out words for himself.