READY. Book. CURRICULUM ASSOCIATES, Inc. A Quick-Study Program TEST

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1 A Quick-Study Program TEST Book 7 READY LONGER READING PASSAGES READY Reviews Key Concepts in Reading Comprehension Provides Practice Answering a Variety of Comprehension Questions Develops Test-Taking Skills Improves Reading Comprehension Assessment Scores Name: CURRICULUM ASSOCIATES, Inc.

2 For the Student TEST READY Reading Longer Passages is a review program that provides practice in test-taking skills in reading, writing, and language arts. Your teacher will provide you with directions for doing the lessons and recording the answers. Your teacher will also tell you when to begin work on each lesson part and when to stop. It is important that you read and follow all directions. When the directions tell you to STOP, go no further. Wait for your teacher to tell you what to do. While you work on the TEST READY Reading Longer Passages lessons, use the Testing Tips below. Read these helpful tips carefully. They can make you a better test taker. After the Pretest, Lessons 1 through 6, and the Practice Test, correct and discuss your responses with your teacher. Then record your results on the Student Performance Chart on the inside back cover of this book. Your teacher will show you how to determine percentages if you need help. You will not record results for Question 16 in Lessons 1 through 6, the Pretest, and the Practice Test. Your teacher will record results on your Answer Form and the Teacher Assessment Chart on the inside back cover of this book. Testing Tips for Answering Multiple-Choice Questions Read each question carefully before you try to answer it. Be sure you know what the question is asking you to do. Cross out any answer choices that are not reasonable. Then make your choice from the remaining choices. Read the question again. Make sure your answer makes sense. Testing Tips for Answering Open-ended Questions Read each question carefully before you try to answer it. Be sure you know what the question is asking you to do. Read the question again. Make sure your answer makes sense. Write your answer clearly. Be sure your teacher will be able to read your work. Proofread your work. Make any necessary corrections. This TEST READY Reading Longer Passages book was prepared for students by Deborah Adcock. Illustrated by Pat Lucas Illustration Credits: Page 12; Golden Dollar Obverse 1999 The U.S. Mint. All rights reserved. Pages 26, 33; arttoday.com Reorder No. CA8696 Single ISBN Curriculum Associates, Inc. North Billerica, MA Phone: (U.S. & Canada) Fax: (U.S. & Canada) cainfo@curriculumassociates.com Web: No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without written permission from the publisher. All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA. Quick-Study and TEST READY Trademarks of CURRICULUM ASSOCIATES, Inc

3 LESSON 4 Here is a folktale from Japan. Read the folktale. Then do Numbers 1 through 15. Part One Reading and Comprehension The Stonecutter There lived long ago a stonecutter who left his home every morning to go to a huge mountain to cut out slabs of rock for gravestones or for houses. The stonecutter knew his trade well and understood the kinds of stones necessary for the different purposes. He was a skilled craftsman, with no shortage of customers. The stonecutter was quite happy and contented, and asked for nothing better than what he already had. Now, it was said that an ancient being dwelt in the mountain in which the stonecutter worked and that now and then the being helped people to become rich and prosperous. The stonecutter, however, had no time for such ridiculous thoughts and shook his head in disbelief whenever anyone spoke of such a creature. But a time was coming when the skeptical stonecutter would change his tune. One bright afternoon, the stonecutter carried a gravestone to the house of a rich man. The stonecutter saw there all sorts of beautiful and splendid things, of which he had never even dreamed of until that day. The stonecutter became so tormented with thoughts of wealth and splendor that his daily work seemed to grow harder and heavier. While working at the mountain one morning, the stonecutter wailed aloud, Oh, if only I were a rich man, and could sleep in a bed with silken curtains and golden tassels, how happy I should be! Suddenly, a voice answered. Your wish has been heard, and a rich man you shall be! The stonecutter looked around to see who was speaking to him, but he saw no one. He convinced himself that the voice was merely a product of his own fanciful thoughts, so he gathered his tools and headed home for he did not feel inclined to work any more that day. But when he reached the 16 Go on to next page

4 little house where he lived, his jaw dropped almost to his chest. Instead of his simple wooden hut, there was in its place a stately palace filled with splendid furniture and a most luxurious bed, in every respect like the one he had envied. He was nearly overcome with joy, and in his new life the old one was quickly forgotten. It was now the beginning of summer, and each day the sun s rays blazed more fiercely than the day before. One morning, the heat was so intense that the stonecutter could scarcely breathe. He decided that he would work in the evenings from then on, and so he went home. The stonecutter was a rather dull fellow, and he never had learned how to amuse himself. So he passed the time by peeping through the closed blinds to see what was going on in the street. He saw a small carriage pass by, drawn by servants dressed in blue and silver. In the carriage sat a prince, and over his head was held a golden umbrella to protect him from the sun s rays. Oh, if I were only a prince! exclaimed the stonecutter to himself as the carriage vanished around the corner. If I could go in such a carriage and have a golden umbrella held over me, how happy I should be! A voice answered, Your wish has been heard, and a prince you shall be. And so, the stonecutter became a prince. One company of men rode in front of his carriage and another company behind it. Servants dressed in scarlet and gold carried him along. The coveted umbrella was held over his head, and everything his heart could desire was his. And yet, all of this was not enough. The stonecutter looked around still for something to wish for. When he saw that, in spite of the water he poured on the grass, the rays of the sun scorched it, and that in spite of the umbrella held over his head each day, his face became sunburned, he cried out in anger. The sun is mightier than I! Oh, if I were only the sun! A voice answered, Your wish has been heard, and the sun you shall be. And so, the stonecutter became the sun, proud in his power. He shot his beams above and below, on the ground and in the sky. He burnt up the grass in the fields and scorched the faces of princes, as well as those of poorer folk. It wasn t long, however, before he began to tire of his might, for there 17 Go on to next page

5 seemed nothing left for him to do. Discontent filled his heart once more. To make matters even worse, a cloud covered his face and hid the earth from him. The stonecutter cried out in anger, Does the cloud shroud my rays, and is it mightier than I? Oh, that I were a cloud, and mightier than any! A voice answered, Your wish has been heard, and a cloud you shall be! And so the stonecutter became a cloud, and lay between the sun and the earth. He caught the sun s beams and held them, and, to his joy, the earth grew green again and flowers blossomed. But that was not enough for him, and for days and weeks he poured forth rain till the rivers overflowed their banks, and the crops of rice washed away. Towns and villages were destroyed by the power of the rain, and only the great rock on the mountainside remained unmoved. The cloud was amazed at this sight, and cried out, Is the rock, then, mightier than I? Oh, if I were only the rock! A voice answered, Your wish has been heard, and a rock you shall be! And so the stonecutter became a rock, and he basked in his power, as neither the heat of the sun or the force of the rain could move him. This is better than all! he said to himself. One day, the stonecutter heard a strange noise at his feet, and when he looked down to see what it could be, he saw a stonecutter driving tools into his surface. Even while he looked, a trembling feeling ran all through him, and a great block broke off and fell upon the ground with a deep, hollow thud. Then the stonecutter cried out in his wrath, Is a mere child of earth mightier than a rock? Oh, if I were only a man! A voice answered, Your wish has been heard, and a man once more you shall be! And so a man he became, and by the sweat of his brow, he toiled again at his trade. His bed was hard and his food scanty, but he had learned to be satisfied with these things. He no longer wanted to be something or somebody else. And as he never asked for things he did not have, or desired to be greater and mightier than other people, he was happy at last and never again heard the voice. 18 Go on to next page

6 1. Which of these happened last in the folktale? The stonecutter became the sun. The stonecutter heard a strange noise at his feet. The stonecutter peeped through closed blinds to see what was going on in the street. The stonecutter saw that his wooden hut had been replaced with a palace. 2. What is the main topic of the third paragraph? The stonecutter never dreamed of beautiful things. The stonecutter worked for a wealthy man. The stonecutter grew weary of his daily work. The stonecutter was envious of another man s wealth. 3. A person who is skeptical is someone who is unwilling to accept another s explanation. has heard stories about something unexplained. doubts the truthfulness of something. can see things that others cannot see. 4. Which idea from the folktale supports your answer to Number 3?... whenever anyone spoke of it.... shook his head in disbelief had never seen such a being... Now it was said The folktale says that the stonecutter s jaw dropped to his chest. This suggests that the stonecutter was offended. astonished. overjoyed. bewildered. 6. Which of these probably best explains why the stonecutter, as a cloud, poured forth the rain? He wanted the earth to grow green again. He wanted to show his power to the world. He was no longer content being a cloud. He wanted the flowers to blossom. 7. What did the rich man have that the stonecutter envied? splendor wealth a luxurious bed a stately palace 8. The phrase change his tune means misjudge something. have a new attitude. improve his conduct. choose not to believe something. 9. Which definition of the word dull is used to describe the stonecutter? not sharp or pointed physically sluggish or slow lacking spirit; not lively slow in thought; not intelligent 10. The stonecutter wanted to become a prince so that he could live in a palace and have servants. have command over others. sleep in a bed with silken curtains and golden tassels. travel in a carriage and have an umbrella held over him. 19 Go on to next page

7 11. Which word best describes the stonecutter? cultured impulsive cautious daring 12. The answer to which of these questions would help you better understand the kind of work a stonecutter does? What are most rocks used for? How is rock removed from a mountain? Where are the largest rocks found? Why are gravestones cut from rock? 13. The word umbrella is formed from the Latin word umbra. Which of these is probably the meaning of the Latin word umbra? watch over preserve shade absorb 14. In the folktale, the stonecutter learns a lesson. What lesson does he probably learn? You must use your power over others wisely. No one is ever satisfied with his or her life. There is always someone more powerful than you. Sometimes, we already possess what we wish for. 15. You know that the story is a folktale because it describes an actual event from history. it tells about things that never occurred. it uses an entertaining story to teach a lesson. it tells about creatures who can be heard but not seen. STOP Part Two Writing 16. Think about the folktale you have read. On the lines below, tell whether the stonecutter was better off before the ancient being came into his life, or after. Explain. STOP 20