FL FAST 4th Grade Reading Practice Test 3

PASSAGE SET 1 - The Compass on the Counter [1] The brass compass fit perfectly in Mira's palm. Its glass face was scratched, and the needle trembled toward north as if it were eager to begin an adventure. Mira turned it over and read the tiny words carved on the back: To Grandpa Eli, Explorer of Ordinary Places. [2] Mira had found it on the counter of Harbor Books, tucked beside a stack of nature journals. She had come in to buy a birthday card for her mother, but the compass seemed to call to her. For weeks, Mira had wanted a compass for the outdoor club at school. The club's hike was Friday, and everyone else had useful gear. Mira had only a water bottle with faded stickers. [3] Ms. Alvarez, the store owner, was in the storage room unpacking boxes. No one stood near the counter. Mira could easily slip the compass into her pocket. It probably belonged in the old-items basket, she told herself. Maybe someone had donated it and forgotten about it. [4] Then the bell above the door jingled. A boy about Mira's age hurried in with a worried man behind him. The man asked Ms. Alvarez whether anyone had seen a compass. His voice shook a little. The boy stared at the floor. [5] Mira's fingers closed around the compass. She imagined the outdoor club following her as she held it proudly. She also imagined the words on the back, which made the compass feel less like an object and more like a memory. [6] Ms. Alvarez shook her head. The man sighed. I promised my father I would keep it safe, he said. We stopped here after the memorial, and I must have set it down. [7] Mira's cheeks burned. She stepped forward, her sneakers squeaking on the wooden floor. I found it, she said, placing the compass gently on the counter. I was just looking at it. [8] The man held the compass with both hands. Thank you, he said. My father used this on walks with me when I was young. He said a person could be lost even on familiar streets if they forgot what mattered. [9] On Friday, Mira went to the hike without a compass. When the trail split, another student offered his. Mira took a turn guiding the group. She noticed moss on one side of a tree and the position of the sun. At lunch, her teacher praised her careful thinking. [10] That afternoon, Mira passed Harbor Books. In the window was a small notebook with a card beside it. For Mira, the card read. For knowing the right direction before holding any compass. Question 1: What moral dilemma does Mira face in the passage?

(Use the passage from Question 1 to answer this question.) Question 2: Which sentence best explains why the compass is important to the man?

(Use the passage from Question 1 to answer this question.) Question 3: How does Mira change from the beginning to the end of the passage?

(Use the passage from Question 1 to answer this question.) Question 4: Part A: Which character trait best describes Mira after she hears the man explain why he needs the compass?

(Use the passage from Question 1 to answer this question.) Question 5: Part B: Which detail from the passage best supports your answer to Part A? a) The brass compass fit perfectly in Mira's palm. b) Mira had wanted a compass for the outdoor club at school. c) She stepped forward, her sneakers squeaking on the wooden floor. d) I found it, she said, placing the compass gently on the counter.

(Use the passage from Question 1 to answer this question.) Question 6: What does the word familiar mean in paragraph 8?

(Use the passage from Question 1 to answer this question.) Question 7: What is the point of view of the passage?

(Use the passage from Question 1 to answer this question.) Question 8: Which event happens first in the passage?

(Use the passage from Question 1 to answer this question.) Question 9: What theme is best supported by the passage?

(Use the passage from Question 1 to answer this question.) Question 10: Why is the note in the store window important to the story?

PASSAGE SET 2 - Living with Water: Florida's Barrier Islands [1] A barrier island is a long, narrow strip of sand that lies parallel to the coast. Florida has many barrier islands along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. These islands are popular places for homes, hotels, fishing piers, and beach parks. They also protect the mainland from waves and storm surge. [2] Barrier islands are always changing. Wind pushes sand into dunes. Waves carry sand down the shoreline. During storms, water can wash over the island and move sand from the beach to the bay side. This process may sound destructive, but it is part of how barrier islands survive. When sand moves naturally, the island can adjust to rising seas and strong weather. [3] People, however, often want barrier islands to stay exactly where they are. Roads, seawalls, and buildings can interrupt the natural movement of sand. A seawall may protect one building for a while, but it can also cause waves to dig sand away from the beach in front of it. When beaches shrink, sea turtles have fewer places to nest, and shorebirds lose feeding areas. [4] Communities face difficult choices. Tourism brings jobs and money to coastal towns. Families enjoy visiting clean beaches, and some people have lived on barrier islands for generations. At the same time, storms can damage property and create expensive repairs. After a major storm, leaders may decide whether to rebuild in the same place, restore dunes with native plants, or move some structures farther from the water. [5] Scientists and planners study maps, tides, plant life, and storm history to make recommendations. One helpful method is dune restoration. Workers plant sea oats and other native grasses because their roots hold sand in place. Signs and fences keep visitors from walking on fragile dunes. Another method is beach nourishment, which adds sand to an eroded beach. This can help for a time, but it is costly and may need to be repeated. [6] There is no single solution for every island. A wise plan balances safety, nature, and community needs. Understanding how barrier islands work helps people make responsible decisions about where and how to build. Question 11: What is the main idea of the passage?

(Use the passage from Question 11 to answer this question.) Question 12: According to the passage, how do barrier islands help the mainland?

(Use the passage from Question 11 to answer this question.) Question 13: How is the passage mainly organized?

(Use the passage from Question 11 to answer this question.) Question 14: Part A: What can the reader infer about building on barrier islands?

(Use the passage from Question 11 to answer this question.) Question 15: Part B: Which detail from the passage best supports your answer to Part A? a) Florida has many barrier islands along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. b) Roads, seawalls, and buildings can interrupt the natural movement of sand. c) Families enjoy visiting clean beaches. d) Workers plant sea oats and other native grasses because their roots hold sand in place.

(Use the passage from Question 11 to answer this question.) Question 16: What does the word restore mean in paragraph 4?

(Use the passage from Question 11 to answer this question.) Question 17: Which statement from the passage is an opinion?

(Use the passage from Question 11 to answer this question.) Question 18: What is the author's purpose for writing the passage?

(Use the passage from Question 11 to answer this question.) Question 19: How does paragraph 5 support the main idea of the passage?

(Use the passage from Question 11 to answer this question.) Question 20: The word recommendations in paragraph 5 comes from the root commend, meaning to advise or praise, and the suffix -ation, meaning an action or result. What does recommendations mean in the passage?

PASSAGE SET 3 - The Moon Is a Lantern The moon is a lantern hung over the bay, Polished by waves at the end of the day. It pours silver ribbons across the dark tide, A path for shy minnows with nowhere to hide. Clouds are slow curtains that drift through the light, Opening softly, then closing the night. Palm trees stand whispering, tall and awake, Their shadows like paintbrushes sweeping the lake. The dock gives a creak, like an old wooden chair, While salt-scented breezes tiptoe through air. The stars are small campfires, steady and bright, Keeping the sky warm through velvet-blue night. I hold up my hands, but the moon will not stay; It spills through my fingers and shimmers away. Still, it follows me home on the puddles I pass, A lantern reflected in windows and glass. Tomorrow the sunlight will fold up the sea, But tonight the moon keeps a watch over me. Question 21: What extended metaphor is developed throughout the poem?

(Use the passage from Question 21 to answer this question.) Question 22: What mood does the poem create?

(Use the passage from Question 21 to answer this question.) Question 23: Which line contains personification?

(Use the passage from Question 21 to answer this question.) Question 24: How do the rhyming words affect the poem?

(Use the passage from Question 21 to answer this question.) Question 25: Part A: What is the speaker's attitude toward the moon?

(Use the passage from Question 21 to answer this question.) Question 26: Part B: Which detail from the poem best supports your answer to Part A? a) The moon is a lantern hung over the bay, b) Clouds are slow curtains that drift through the light, c) Still, it follows me home on the puddles I pass, d) But tonight the moon keeps a watch over me.

(Use the passage from Question 21 to answer this question.) Question 27: What does the phrase velvet-blue night suggest about the night?

PASSAGE SET 4 - PAIRED TEXTS Text 1: The Quiet Clicks Nico pressed his forehead to the aquarium glass and watched the dolphin trainer lower a floating ball into the pool. The dolphin, a gray female named Luna, tapped it with her nose. Click-click-click. The sound was quick and bright, like pebbles dropped into a jar. Nico was visiting the marine rescue center with his science club. He had expected dolphins to leap and splash. Instead, Luna seemed to be listening to invisible music. She turned, clicked again, and swam straight to a ring hidden near the bottom of the pool. How did she know where it was? Nico asked. Echoes, said Dr. Sato, the rescue center's veterinarian. Luna sends out clicks. When the clicks bounce off an object, she hears information about its size, shape, and distance. Nico thought about his little sister, Maya, who was learning to ride a bike. Yesterday she had crashed into the bushes because she stared at her feet instead of looking ahead. Nico had laughed before helping her up. She had not laughed. Dr. Sato gave the students a challenge. One person would wear a blindfold and locate a plastic bucket while a partner tapped two blocks together near it. Nico volunteered to be the guide, and his friend Andre wore the blindfold. Tap. Tap. Tap. Andre turned toward the sound and found the bucket. Your signals helped, Andre said, lifting the blindfold. On the bus ride home, Nico looked out the window at the bright sidewalk. Maybe people needed signals too, not clicks exactly, but patient clues. When Maya practiced biking that afternoon, Nico jogged beside her. Look toward the mailbox, he called. Keep your hands steady. You're getting it. Maya wobbled, then rolled forward without falling. Her smile flashed like sunlight on water. Nico clicked his tongue softly, and Maya giggled. For once, he had used what he learned to guide instead of tease. Text 2: Dolphin Echolocation Dolphins live in water that can be cloudy, dark, or full of moving fish. Sight is useful, but it is not always enough. To find food and explore their surroundings, many dolphins use echolocation, a natural system that works with sound. A dolphin makes a series of clicking sounds inside its head. The clicks travel through the water in sound waves. When those waves hit an object, such as a fish, rock, or floating toy, they bounce back as echoes. The dolphin receives the echoes through fatty tissue in its lower jaw. Then the information travels to the brain, where the dolphin can identify details about the object. Echolocation can help a dolphin judge distance, size, shape, speed, and even the material of an object. For example, a dolphin may tell the difference between a metal ball and a plastic ball. Scientists have learned about this ability through careful observations and experiments. Trainers may ask dolphins to find objects underwater, but responsible programs avoid tricks that harm or stress the animals. Dolphins are not the only animals that use echolocation. Bats use a similar system in the air to locate insects. Some whales, shrews, and swiftlets also use echoes to gather information. Human technology, including sonar on boats, works in a related way, but dolphin echolocation is part of the animal's body and behavior. Studying echolocation helps people understand animal senses and design better tools. It also reminds us that animals may experience the world in ways very different from our own. Question 28: In Text 1, why is Nico surprised by Luna's behavior?

(Use the passage from Question 28 to answer this question.) Question 29: In Text 1, what lesson does Nico apply when helping Maya ride her bike?

(Use the passage from Question 28 to answer this question.) Question 30: What does the phrase invisible music suggest in Text 1?

(Use the passage from Question 28 to answer this question.) Question 31: What is the main idea of Text 2?

(Use the passage from Question 28 to answer this question.) Question 32: According to Text 2, how does a dolphin receive echoes?

(Use the passage from Question 28 to answer this question.) Question 33: How is Text 2 mainly organized?

(Use the passage from Question 28 to answer this question.) Question 34: What is one important difference between Text 1 and Text 2?

(Use the passage from Question 28 to answer this question.) Question 35: What idea appears in both Text 1 and Text 2?

(Use the passage from Question 28 to answer this question.) Question 36: What does the word identify mean in Text 2?

(Use the passage from Question 28 to answer this question.) Question 37: Part A: Which statement best compares the purposes of the two texts?

(Use the passage from Question 28 to answer this question.) Question 38: Part B: Which detail from the passages best supports your answer to Part A? a) Nico pressed his forehead to the aquarium glass and watched the dolphin trainer lower a floating ball into the pool. b) For once, he had used what he learned to guide instead of tease. c) A dolphin makes a series of clicking sounds inside its head. d) Studying echolocation helps people understand animal senses and design better tools.

(Use the passage from Question 28 to answer this question.) Question 39: How does the information in Text 2 help the reader better understand Luna's actions in Text 1?

(Use the passage from Question 28 to answer this question.) Question 40: The root phon means sound, and the prefix echo- relates to reflected sound. How do these word parts help explain the meaning of echolocation?