standardized test tutor reading grade 3

GRADE
3
READING
Test Tutor
Standardized
Michael Priestley
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Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this mini-book
for classroom use. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission,
write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
Editor: Maria L. Chang
Cover design: Brian LaRossa
Interior design: Creative Pages, Inc.
Interior illustrations: Wilkinson Studios, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-09601-0
ISBN-10: 0-545-09601-4
Copyright © 2009 by Michael Priestley
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 40 15 14 13 12 11 10 09
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Contents

Welcome to
Test Tutor
4
Test 1 8
Test 2 30
Test 3 49
Answer Sheet 69
Answer Keys
Test 1 71
Test 2 79
Test 3 87
Scoring Charts
Student Scoring Chart 94
Classroom Scoring Chart 95
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Welcome to Test Tutor!
Students in schools today take a lot of tests, especially in reading and math. Some
students naturally perform well on tests, and some do not. But just about everyone
can get better at taking tests by learning more about what’s on the test and how to
answer the questions. How many students do you know who could benefit from
working with a tutor? How many would love to have someone sit beside them and
help them work their way through the tests they have to take?
That’s where Test Tutor comes in. The main purpose of Test Tutor is to help students
learn what they need to know in order to do better on tests. Along the way, Test
Tutor will help students feel more confident as they come to understand the content
and learn some of the secrets of success for multiple-choice tests.
The Test Tutor series includes books for reading and books for math in a range of
grades. Each Test Tutor book in reading has three full-length practice tests designed
specifically to resemble the state tests that students take each year. The reading
skills measured on these practice tests have been selected from an analysis of the

skills tested in ten major states, and the questions have been written to match
the multiple-choice format used in most states.
The most important feature of this book is the friendly Test Tutor. He will
help students work through the tests and achieve the kind of success
they are looking for. This program is designed so students may work
through the tests independently by reading the Test Tutor’s helpful hints.
Or you may work with the student as a tutor yourself, helping him or her
understand each question and test-taking strategy along the way. You can
do this most effectively by following the Test Tutor’s guidelines included in
the pages of this book.
Three Different Tests
ere are three practice tests in this book: Test 1, Test 2, and Test 3. Each test has
35 multiple-choice items with four answer choices (A, B, C, D). All three tests
measure the same skills, but they provide dierent levels of tutoring help.
Test 1 provides step-by-step guidance to help students nd the answer to each
question, as in the sample on the next page. e tips in Test 1 are detailed and
thorough. Some of the tips are designed to help students read through and under-
stand the passage, and others are written specically for each reading question
to help students gure out the answers.
4
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Sample 1
Directions: Read this story about a girl and her mother.
Then answer questions 1–5.
The Pot of Milk
Once upon a time in India, a young girl named Gheta
lived in a small house with her mother. The mother worked
hard to make enough money to support herself and her
daughter. Every day, she milked their one cow. Then she
took the milk to the market and sold it for a few rupees.

One day after the mother milked the cow, the cow fell
ill. The mother could not leave the sick cow alone, for the
animal was the most valuable thing she owned. So she
handed her daughter a clay pot full of milk and said, “Take
this to the market and sell it.”
Take a quick look at the
questions before you
begin reading so you
know what to look for.
Think about why Gheta
has to go to the market.
2. Why does the mother send Gheta to the market?

e mother does not feel well.

e mother has to care for the cow.

e mother is angry with Gheta.

e mother thinks Gheta can get more money.
Go back to the passage to
see why Gheta had to go
to the market.
5
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
6
Test 2 provides a test-taking tip for each item, as in the sample below, but the tips
are less detailed than in Test 1. ey help guide the student toward the answers
without giving away too much. Students must take a little more initiative.
Sample 2

1. Why did Colby and Logan think Mrs. Wilson was nice?

She let them help her with the compost and the garden.

She brought them lemonade when they were tired and
thirsty.

She let them ride their bikes in her driveway.

She played hide-and-seek and other games with them.
Read each answer choice
before you pick one.
Directions: Read this passage about two boys on a vacation.
Then answer questions 1–5.
The Garden
By the second day of spring vacation, Colby and
Logan were at loose ends. Their grandmother was in the
house baking pies for a local store and couldn’t take them
anywhere. They had ridden their bikes, played hide-and-
seek, and built a fort in the woods. Now they were bored.
Logan suggested they visit their grandmother’s new
neighbor, Mrs. Wilson, because she had a puppy. Their
grandmother said, “Now don’t bother her. Be respectful
and don’t be pests.”
When the boys got to the house, Mrs. Wilson was working
outside in the yard. The dog bounded up to them, and the
boys introduced themselves.
“Can we play with your dog?” the boys asked.
“Sure,” said the woman with a smile.
The boys chased the dog around the yard. Then the dog

chased the boys around and around. Finally, the boys were
tired, but the puppy was not!
“Do you boys want some lemonade?” Mrs. Wilson asked.
Logan and Colby nodded. They thought this new neighbor
was really nice.
Take a quick look at the
questions before reading
the passage.
Think about what the
characters say and do
throughout the story.
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Test 3 does not provide test-taking tips. It assesses the progress students have made. After
working through Tests 1 and 2 with the help of the Test Tutor, students should be more
than ready to score well on Test 3 without too much assistance. Success on this test will
help students feel condent and prepared for taking real tests.
Other Helpful Features
In addition to the tests, this book provides some other helpful features. First, on page 69,
you will nd an answer sheet. When students take the tests, they may mark their answers
by lling in bubbles on the test pages, or they may mark their answers on a copy of the
answer sheet instead, as they will be required to do in most standardized tests.
Second, beginning on page 71, you will nd a detailed answer key for each test. e answer
key lists the correct response and explains the answer for each question. It also identies the
skill tested by each question, as in the sample below.
Answer Key for Sample 1
Correct response: B
( Analyze characters)
The mother sends Gheta to the market because the cow is sick and she has to stay
home to care for the cow.
Incorrect choices:

A The cow is sick, not the mother.
C The mother becomes angry with Gheta after she goes to the market.
D The mother just tells Gheta to sell the milk. The story does not suggest that Gheta
will get more money for the milk than the mother would.
As the sample indicates, this question measures the student’s ability to analyze characters.
is information can help you determine which skills the student has mastered and which
ones still cause diculty.
Finally, the answer key explains why each incorrect answer choice, or “distractor,” is incorrect.
is explanation can help reveal what error the student might have made. For example, a ques-
tion about an eect might have a distractor that describes a cause instead. Knowing this could
help the student improve his or her understanding of the text.
At the back of this book, you will nd two scoring charts. e Student Scoring Chart
can help you keep track of each student’s scores on all three tests and on each passage
(literary or informational). e Classroom Scoring Chart can be used to record the scores
for all students on all three tests, illustrating the progress they have made from Test 1 to Test 3.
Keep in mind that students get a lot of tutoring help on Test 1, some help on Test 2, and no
help on Test 3. So if a student’s scores on all three tests are fairly similar, that could still be a
very positive sign that the student is better able to read passages and answer comprehension
questions independently and will achieve even greater success on future tests.
7
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
8
Name
Test
1
Date
Test
Tutor
says:
Directions: Read this story about a girl and her mother.

Then answer questions 1–5.
The Pot of Milk
Once upon a time in India, a young girl named Gheta
lived in a small house with her mother. The mother worked
hard to make enough money to support herself and her
daughter. Every day, she milked their one cow. Then she
took the milk to the market and sold it for a few rupees.
One day after the mother milked the cow, the cow fell
ill. The mother could not leave the sick cow alone, for the
animal was the most valuable thing she owned. So she
handed her daughter a clay pot full of milk and said, “Take
this to the market and sell it.”
Gheta grumbled, for she was used to lying in the shade
and dreaming while her mother worked. But she understood
that if she did not sell the milk, there would be no food for
dinner.
On the way to the market, Gheta got hot. She sat down
to rest in the shade of a big banyan tree. As she rested, she
dreamed about her future.
Take a quick look at the
questions before you
begin reading so you
know what to look for.
Think about why Gheta
has to go to the market.
Where is Gheta while she
is dreaming?
Read each passage and the questions that follow. Look at the
Test Tutor’s tips for understanding the passages and answering
the questions. Then choose the best answer to each question.

Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
9
Test
Tutor
says:
Name
Test
1
“When I sell the milk,” she said to herself, “I will use the
money to buy some eggs.
“When the eggs hatch, I will have chickens.
“I will sell the chickens and buy a young goat.
“When the goat is fully grown, I will sell it for some fruit trees.
“I will plant the trees, and then I will gather the fruit to sell.
“With the money from the fruit, I will buy lots of land. I
will plant rice in the fields. When I harvest the rice, I will sell
it and use the money to build a fine house!
“One day I will be cooking a big meal in my new kitchen.
The food will smell so good that flies will come in the
window. I will be angry, and I will kick the flies—just
like this!”
Gheta gave a big kick and knocked over the pot of milk! The
clay pot did not break, but all the milk spilled out. There was
nothing she could do except turn around and go home.
When Gheta walked into the house, her mother told her
that the cow was fine. Then she asked, “Where are the rupees?”
Gheta told her what had happened, and her mother got
very upset. But Gheta said, “It was a good thing I did not take
our cow to the market. If I had kicked her instead of the pot
of milk, she would have run away! We lost a little milk, but

we still have the cow, so we can get more.”
The mother said that was so, and her anger slowly faded.
After that, Gheta stopped dreaming and started working.
She often took milk to the market, but she never again
stopped to rest.
Questions 1–5: Choose the best answer to each question.
1. Which words from the story have almost the same meaning?

angry and alone

walked and kicked

ill and sick

ne and valuable
Think about the lesson
Gheta learns.
Read every answer choice
before you pick one. Think
about the meaning of
both words.
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
10
Test
Tutor
says:
2. Why does the mother send Gheta to the market?

e mother does not feel well.


e mother has to care for the cow.

e mother is angry with Gheta.

e mother thinks Gheta can get more money.
3. Where is Gheta when she kicks over the pot of milk?

at home

under a tree

at the market

in a eld of rice
4. How does Gheta keep her mother from being too angry?

She explains that things could be worse.

She helps the cow get better.

She tells her she will have a ne house someday.

She says someone took the milk from her.
5. The lesson in this story would be most helpful to a
person who—

plans to travel to India.

does chores at home.


doesn’t like milk.

often daydreams.
Go back to the passage to
see why Gheta had to go
to the market.
Go back to the passage
to see where Gheta stops
to rest.
Look at the ending
to see what Gheta said
or did.
Think about the lesson in
the story and why Gheta
had to learn it.
Name
Test
1
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
11
Test
Tutor
says:
Directions: Read this passage about how the body heals cuts.
Then answer questions 6–10.
Cuts and How They Heal
Your skin is a covering that protects your body. When
you get a cut, it makes a hole in that covering. Have you ever
wondered how your body repairs cuts? A team of workers
does the job. You can’t see the workers because they are

microscopic, but this is what they do.
As soon as you get a cut, an alarm goes out and special
cells rush to the scene. The first step is to stop the bleeding.
This job is done by cells called platelets. When platelets
touch the rough edges of a cut, they get sticky, like glue. In a
minute or two, they close the cut. The bleeding stops.
Next, little threads begin to form in the blood just below
the platelet plug. The threads form a kind of net and harden.
This is a scab. Scabs may not be pretty, but they are very
useful! They protect your skin while it heals.
Your body’s next task is to kill any germs that have
entered through the hole in your skin. This is a task for white
blood cells. They swim to the cut and eat up the germs! The
white blood cells keep the cut from getting infected.
Once the bleeding has stopped, the scab has formed, and
the white blood cells have killed any germs, your body has
one last important job to do. It must replace the skin cells
that were damaged.
Have you ever seen a big hole in a wall? Have you
watched someone repair the wall? First, they fill the hole
with plaster or joint compound. Then, they use a special tool
to smooth out the filling. Last, they paint over the repair so
you can’t tell where the hole was.
Your body does something similar with the hole from
a cut. Cells called fibroblasts make a tough substance
called collagen to fill the hole. Then, skin cells grow over
the collagen and cover it up. In most cases, after a week or
two, the surface of the skin will look just as it did before the
accident. However, if the cut was deep or ragged, sometimes
a scar will remain. The scar is the collagen.

What is this passage
mainly about?
Notice the sequence of
steps: first . . . next . . .
Name
Test
1
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
12
Test
Tutor
says:
Questions 6–10: Choose the best answer to each question.
6. Read the dictionary entry below.
cell (sel) noun 1. a small room in a jail. 2. the smallest part of
a living being. 3. an object that produces electric energy. 4. a
small group of people who work together for a secret cause.
Which meaning of cell is used in this passage?

denition 1

denition 2

denition 3

denition 4
7. In this passage, the author compares the platelets, white blood
cells, and fibroblasts to—

threads.


workers.

tools.

animals.
Go back to the second
paragraph to see how the
word
cell
is used.
Read the first paragraph
again to find the answer.
Steps in Healing
Platelets stop the
bleeding.
A scab forms.
White blood cells
prevent infection.
Skin cells are
replaced.
How can this diagram
help you?
Name
Test
1
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
13
Test
Tutor

says:
8. This chart shows some of the steps in healing a cut.
A cut opens in your skin.
Platelets rush to the cut.
A scab forms.
Collagen fills the cut.
Which sentence goes in the blank?

White blood cells kill germs.

reads form in the blood.

Platelets form a plug.

A scar appears.
9. Read this sentence from the passage.
You can’t see the workers because they are microscopic, but
this is what they do.
In the word microscopic, the prefix micro- means—

“special.”

“close.”

“small.”

“shy.”
10. Which of these fight germs?

platelets


scabs

broblasts

white blood cells
Use the diagram to help
identify the steps.
Look for clues in the
sentence to help you
find the meaning.
Check each answer by
looking for the words in
the passage.
Name
Test
1
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
14
Test
Tutor
says:
Directions: Read this story about a boy named Justin. Then
answer questions 11–16.
Shelter
Justin was a city kid. He didn’t know much about nature.
When he was little, his mom read him a book about a
boy who went camping with his dad. The woods were dark.
There were no people or streetlights or buildings. It sounded
scary.

One day when Justin was 8, he came home from school.
He let himself into the apartment and almost tripped over
a muddy backpack.
Then Justin heard a familiar laugh from the kitchen.
Justin ran in to say hi to his Uncle Moses.
“Justin!” said Uncle Moses, “I was just telling your mother
about my latest hike in the mountains. You should come
camping with me.”
“No, thanks,” said Justin.
“Hey, man, don’t be lazy!” said Uncle Moses. “If you sit
around the apartment playing video games all day, you’ll
turn into a mushball.”
“He’s not lazy,” said Justin’s mother. “He swims and plays
soccer. He could keep up with you just fine!”
“Great,” said Uncle Moses. “I’ll take him camping this
weekend.”
Justin sat there with his mouth open.
His mother smiled. “What do you think, Justin?”
“Okay,” Justin croaked.
The next day at school, Justin asked his friend Manny if
he had ever gone camping.
“Sure,” said Manny. “It was great! We rented a camper.
It had beds and a little kitchen and a TV. We went to a big
campground where there was a lake and millions of kids.
It had bathrooms and hot showers and everything.”
But when Uncle Moses picked up Justin on Saturday, he
was not in a camper and they did not drive to a campground
with showers and electricity. They parked at the edge of a
forest and started hiking. Uncle Moses knew a lot about the
Before you read the

passage, take a quick look
at the questions so you
know what to look for.
How does Justin feel
about camping?
Compare Justin’s ideas
about camping with Uncle
Moses’s ideas.
Name
Test
1
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
15
Test
Tutor
says:
woods. He told Justin the names of trees, and he showed
him animal tracks. It was kind of fun.
After a while he said, “Well, I think this looks like a good
place to spend the night.”
To Justin, it looked like every other place they had been—
trees, rocks, dead leaves.
“We’re nice and high up,” explained Uncle Moses. “That
means if it starts to rain tonight, the water will drain past us.
Also, that cliff will shelter us from the north wind.”
“Okay,” said Justin, “where’s the tent?”
“Oh, there’s no tent,” smiled Uncle Moses. “I’m going to
show you how to build a shelter. Once you know how to do
this, you never have to be afraid in the woods. You’ll know
how to make yourself a safe, warm spot to spend the night,

no matter what!”
Justin almost told his uncle he would never be going into
the woods again, but he decided against it.
“First, we find a nice, healthy tree,” said Uncle Moses.
“What, some trees will give us diseases?” asked Justin.
“No, but trees get old and sick, and then their branches
can fall off. We don’t want a big branch to fall on our heads
in the middle of the night. We also want to make sure we
don’t build our shelter on top of poisonous plants or an
insect nest, right?”
“Right!”
After they found a strong tree, they looked on the ground
for a big, fallen branch. They stuck one end of the branch in
a fork of the tree. The other end rested on the ground.
“This is our ridgepole,” said Uncle Moses. “Now we need
some big ribs.”
“Animal bones?” asked Justin.
“No, more branches. We’ll rest them against the
ridgepole to make the sides of our shelter. We need long
ones for the high end, and short ones for the low end.”
As Justin looked for branches, the air got colder. After
he and his uncle had placed all of the ribs, they covered the
frame with dead leaves, ferns, and grass. Then they balanced
some more branches against the debris to keep the wind
from blowing it off.
Look for signal words
to identify the steps in
making a shelter.
Name
Test

1
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
16
Test
Tutor
says:
“Try it out while I make our campfire,” Uncle Moses said
to Justin. So Justin crawled into the shelter. Inside, it was
warm and cozy. The dead leaves smelled good.
A while later, Uncle Moses said, “Time for dinner, Justin.”
But he got no answer. Justin was already sound asleep.
Questions 11–16: Choose the best answer to each question.
11. Which is the best summary of this story?

A boy’s uncle comes to the city for a visit.

A boy from the city gets lost in the woods.

An uncle takes his nephew camping and shows him how to
build a shelter.

An uncle takes his nephew hiking in the forest and teaches
him all about trees.
12. What is the most important lesson Justin learns in this story?

It is important to stay warm at night.

Kids need to get exercise.

You can learn a lot from books.


New experiences can be fun.
13. Uncle Moses says, “Now we need some big ribs.” What does the
word rib mean in this sentence?

a curved bone in a person’s chest

a cut of meat

a raised line in a piece of cloth

a supporting part of a wall or building
Notice how Justin’s
feelings about the shelter
change.
Think about what happens
in the
whole
story.
Think of what Justin
himself might say about
the trip.
In the passage, look for
clues in the sentences
before and after this
sentence.
Name
Test
1
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources

17
Test
Tutor
says:
14. What is the first thing Uncle Moses and Justin have to find to
make their shelter?

a ridgepole

lots of debris

a healthy tree

lots of small branches
15. When Uncle Moses first asks Justin to go camping, why does
Justin say, “No, thanks”?

He does not know what camping is.

He does not like Uncle Moses.

He likes to sit quietly at home.

He thinks the woods will be scary.
16. How does Justin probably feel when he crawls inside the
shelter at the end of the story?

lonely

safe


hungry

bored
Go back to the passage to
see what they do first.
Read the second
paragraph again to
find the answer.
Look at the last paragraph
to see what Justin does.
Name
Test
1
Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
18
Test
Tutor
says:
Directions: Read this passage about a few women who
changed many lives. Then answer questions 17–22.
Bloomers
In the 1850s, American
women did not wear pants.
They did not wear short skirts,
either. They wore dresses that
touched the ground. In those
days, women’s dresses were
very full as well as long. They
had to be full because women

wore many layers underneath
them.
To get dressed, a woman
first put on a corset. A corset
was a kind of underwear that
was very stiff and tight, and it
had laces. Women pulled the
laces tight to make their waists look small. Wearing a tight
corset made breathing a little difficult for women, and they
could not move easily either.
Over the corset, a woman wore at least four petticoats.
Over the petticoats, she wore a dress. The petticoats made
her skirt stick out.
Women’s clothes were heavy. They made climbing and
running difficult. Even walking through a narrow doorway
was hard to do. These heavy clothes were hot in the
summer, too.
One young woman hated long dresses. Her name
was Libby Miller. When she got married, she and her
husband took a trip to Switzerland. Libby wanted to
hike in the mountains. She found a special hiking outfit
for sale. It was a short dress over long, loose pants.
Libby loved her new outfit. She wore it back home in
America. People could not believe their eyes! Many people
looked down on her for wearing such a strange outfit.
Take a quick look at the
questions before reading
the passage.
Look at the pictures to
help you understand

the text.
What was wrong with the
women’s clothes?
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19
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says:
In 1851, Libby visited her cousin Elizabeth Stanton.
Like Libby, Elizabeth was a strong woman. She was also
independent. She worked for women’s rights. When she saw
Libby’s outfit, Elizabeth made one for herself. She loved the
way she felt when she wore it. She told her friend Amelia
Bloomer about it.
Amelia Bloomer made the outfit famous. Bloomer owned
a newspaper called The Lily. It was a newspaper for women.
Bloomer wrote that all women should get a good education.
They should have the right to work. They should have the
right to vote. Bloomer also thought women should be able to
dress sensibly. She put a picture of the pants for women in
her newspaper. Women wrote in to learn how to make them.
People across the country started calling them “bloomers.”
Many women agreed that bloomers were comfortable.
Bloomers made walking, running, climbing stairs, and even
breathing easier. However, there was a problem. When a
woman wore bloomers in public, some people pointed at
her. Others laughed. Reporters made fun of bloomers. Sadly,

bloomers became a joke. By 1859, the fad was over. Even
Amelia Bloomer stopped wearing them.
Still, bloomers were important. They showed women a
new way to dress. They also helped some women become
more independent. Today, women in America have the right
to dress the way they want.
Where did this new outfit
come from?
Think about how people
reacted to bloomers.
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20
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says:
Questions 17–22: Choose the best answer to each question.
17. What is the main idea of this passage?

Amelia Bloomer made bloomers famous.

Bloomers were invented in Switzerland.

Bloomers made it easier for women to walk and run.

Bloomers were an important fashion for women.
18. Why did women stop wearing bloomers?


ey were hot.

Bloomers were dicult to make.

ey were tight.

People laughed at them.
19. What can you tell about women’s clothes in the 1850s?

ey cost a lot.

ey were beautiful.

ey were uncomfortable.

ey were well-made.
20. Which detail shows that Libby Miller and Elizabeth Stanton
were strong and independent?

ey both enjoyed hiking.

ey both wore unusual clothes.

ey both owned newspapers.

ey both traveled to other countries.
The main idea can
appear in the first or last
paragraph of an article.
Look for the reason

toward the end of the
passage.
Look for details that
describe women’s clothes.
Find something that both
of these women did.
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21
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says:
21. The author of this passage probably does NOT agree with—

the reporters who made fun of bloomers.

the people who made bloomers for women to wear when
hiking.

the women who wrote in to e Lily to copy bloomers for
themselves.

women today who think they can dress the way they want.
22. Read the sentence from the article.
Many people looked down on her for wearing such a
strange outfit.
What does this sentence mean?


Many people could not see her outt clearly.

Many people looked at her outt again and again.

Many people closed their eyes when she walked past in
her outt.

Many people had a bad opinion of her because of
her outt.
Think about how the
author describes different
people in this passage.
How did people feel
about women who wore
bloomers?
Name
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Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources
22
Test
Tutor
says:
Directions: Read this passage about a family that starts a day-
care center. Then answer questions 23–28.
A New Day-Care Center
The year Dinah turned 8, her mother opened a day-care
center in their house. She said she was tired of driving an
hour to and from work each day and getting home so late.
So she would start her own business at home.

She explained to Dinah that they would have to keep
the house very neat. They couldn’t leave small objects lying
around. They would have to close cupboard doors tight and
put special covers on the electrical outlets. Dinah didn’t
mind. She liked the new arrangement.
Every morning before Dinah got on the school bus,
parents dropped off their kids.
Mrs. Rashid always arrived first. She would carry in
her baby, Rose, and Rose’s huge bag of stuff. Then she and
Dinah’s mom would have a cup of coffee together. They
talked about how Rose had slept the night before and what
she had eaten for breakfast and what her mood was like that
morning.
Dinah couldn’t understand. Rose always looked and
acted exactly the same! She was a baby! She couldn’t talk,
she couldn’t walk, and she wasn’t very interesting.
Mr. McKenna usually arrived next. He jogged to their
house, pushing his son, Ethan, in a special stroller. Mr.
McKenna wore sweatpants and sneakers. So did Ethan.
Dinah thought this was silly. Ethan wasn’t jogging; he
was sitting!
“Bye, Sport,” Mr. McKenna said to Ethan every day, giving
him a high five.
“Bye, Dad,” said Ethan, who was 3.
Mrs. Kim usually arrived last. It took her a long time to get
from her car to Dinah’s house. She had twins. She had to get
both of them out of their car seats, get both of their bags, and
walk them to the house by holding tight to their hands.
Mrs. Kim always looked very tired, but the twins were
never tired! They were 2 years old and never stopped

Think about what has
changed in Dinah’s life.
How are these parents
alike, and how are they
different?
Name
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23
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says:
running, yelling, and getting into things. Dinah felt sorry for
Mrs. Kim. She did not stay and have coffee with her mom
like Mrs. Rashid did. She did not tell what the twins had for
breakfast or how they had slept. She just said, “Good luck!”
to Dinah’s mom and hurried out the door. Dinah was glad
her mom didn’t have twins.
Today was the first day of February vacation. Last year,
Dinah and her mom went to Florida to visit her grandma.
This year they would have to stay home. Dinah was very
unhappy. She wanted to see her grandmother and go to the
beach. Instead, she had to stay home with a bunch of babies.
On the first day of vacation, Dinah stayed up in her room
all morning. She kept the door closed so the twins would not
get in and break her stuff.
She came out of her room for lunch.
Rose was eating applesauce in her high chair. Ethan was
wearing a baseball cap and eating a hot dog.

“This is just like the hot dogs you get at baseball,” he said
proudly.
“Not really,” said Dinah. “At a baseball game, they don’t
cut up your hot dog.”
Ethan looked sad, and Dinah’s mom made a face at her.
“Actually, I forgot,” Dinah said. “If you’re lucky, they will cut
it up!”
Dinah’s mom smiled at her effort.
Philip and Douglas Kim were eating macaroni and
cheese so fast that Dinah got dizzy watching them. As soon
as they finished, they asked, “Now can we run some more?”
They went into the family room and ran around in a
circle. They laughed and laughed. They thought it was
hilarious! Dinah was amazed. When she was 2, had she
thought it was funny just to run in a circle? She tried to
remember. Had she been proud to eat a cut-up hot dog and
wear a baseball cap? She couldn’t remember that either. She
felt so old!
Just then Philip tripped over Douglas’s foot, and they
both began to cry.
Why did Dinah stay in
her room?
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24
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says:

“Nap time!” called Mom. “Dinah, can you keep an eye on
Rose while I put the boys in the guest room for their naps?
Don’t let her out of her chair. I’ll be right back.”
Rose got very excited when Dinah sat down beside her.
She gave a big smile. Then she waved her spoon, and a glob
of applesauce hit Dinah’s shirt.
“That’s okay,” Dinah told her, even though it really wasn’t.
“Di-Di!” she cried.
Dinah’s jaw dropped as she looked at Rose. Then she
laughed and yelled, “Mom!” Her mother came running into
the kitchen with a terrible look on her face.
“Rose just said my name!” Dinah exclaimed.
“That’s impossible,” said her mother, collapsing into a
chair. “She probably said ‘Dada.’ Her mother just told me
that she said ‘Dada’ for the first time last night.”
“Nope,” said Dinah. “She definitely said Di-Di—for
Dinah.” She and Rose smiled at each other.
Dinah couldn’t remember what it had felt like to learn how
to talk, but she bet it felt good. Maybe this week wouldn’t be so
boring after all.
Questions 23–28: Choose the best answer to each question.
23. Read these sentences from the story.
Dinah didn’t mind. She liked the new arrangement.
This means that Dinah liked the new—

house.

job.

plan.


day.
24. Why does Dinah’s mother decide to open a day-care center?

She wants to work at home.

She wants to take more vacations.

She wants Dinah to help her.

She wants to meet other mothers.
What happened to make
Dinah feel better?
Read the second
paragraph again to
find the answer.
Go back to the first
paragraph.
Name
Test
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Standardized Test Tutor: Reading, Grade 3 © Michael Priestley, Scholastic Teaching Resources