4. The Star Llama
by: Jan Mike
Once there was a young Inca boy. He had no family except for an old
llama. Each day the boy and his llama walked many miles, looking for a home.
Each night they curled up together and slept. But one starry evening, the old llama
died. The boy buried his friend next to an icy stream. Then he sat under a tree and
cried. What would he do? He had no family and no home.
The boy cried for a very long time. But there was no one to comfort him.
There were only the stars in the sky.
Suddenly, the sky filled with bright light. The boy held his breath. He was afraid to
move. One bright star fell to the ground. Slowly, the star took the shape of the old
llama. She bent her head and drank from the stream. She looked at the boy and
smiled. As she jumped back into the sky, bits of llama wool fell.
As the Sun began to rise, the boy picked up the soft, warm wool. It glowed
in his hands like starlight. He carried the wool to the city and sold it. With the
money, he bought a house. He bought two young llamas. He never forgot the star
llama. And he was never lonely again.
5. Multiple-Choice Questions
Now answer Numbers 1 through 6. Base your answers on the story "The Star Llama.”
1. Why does the boy cry when the old llama dies?
a. Because he is afraid of the dark.
b. Because he is always sad.
c. Because the old llama is his only family.
d. Because he is lost.
2. What happened BEFORE the old llama died?
a. The boy bought two new llamas.
b. The boy and the llama walked many miles looking for a home.
c. The boy collected the wool and sold it in the city.
d. The old llama fell to the ground in the shape of a star.
3. Read this sentence from the story.
One bright star fell to the ground.
What does bright mean?
a. Old.
b. Shining.
c. New.
d. Clean.
6. Multiple-Choice Questions
4. What does the boy in the story want?
a. A cart.
b. A horse.
c. A new wool shirt.
d. A home.
5. What happens at the end of the story?
a. The boy buys a house and two llamas.
b. The boy buries the llama next to an icy stream.
c. The boy and his llama walk for many miles.
d. The boy cries for a very long time.
6. Read this sentence from the story.
As the Sun began to rise, the boy picked up the soft, warm wool.
What does rise mean?
a. Grow darker.
b. Fall down.
c. Come up.
d. Take a step.
7. Short-Answer Questions
The short-answer questions have a
"Read, Think, and Explain"
Read the article "Outer Space“ and
then answer Numbers 1 through 3 in
the Answer Section.
8. Short-Answer Questions
Outer Space
by: Meish Goldfish
From far out in space, Earth looks like a blue ball. Since water covers three-
fourths of the Earth’s surface, blue is the color we see most. The continents look
brown, like small islands floating in the huge, blue sea. White clouds wrap
around the Earth like a light blanket. The Earth is shaped like a sphere, or a ball.
It is 25,000 miles around! It would take more than a year to walk around the
whole planet. A spaceship can fly around the widest part of the sphere in only 90
minutes.
Even though spaceships have traveled to the Moon, people cannot visit the
Moon without special suits. The Moon has no air or water. Plants and animals
can’t live there either. Astronauts first landed on the Moon in 1969. After that,
there were six more trips to the Moon. They brought back Moon rocks, which
scientists are still studying. There are holes, or craters, all over the Moon’s
surface. Scientists believe that meteorites smashed into the Moon millions of
years ago and formed the craters……………………….
9. Now answer Numbers 1 through 3. Base your
answers on the article "Outer Space."
1. Why is blue the color we see most when
looking at Earth from outer space?
2. What causes daylight on Earth?
3. Why did the astronauts bring rocks back
from the Moon?
10. Long-Answer Questions
Read the story "How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes" and then
answer Numbers 1 through 3.
How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes
Long ago, the Earth was covered in darkness. None of the creatures living there knew
what daylight looked like.
One day, all of the animals of the forest gathered together in a clearing. They wondered
if it would be better to remain in darkness, or if it would be better to also have light.
Deer, Chipmunk, Raccoon, Wolf, Bear, and many other creatures climbed to the top
of the highest mountain. The mountain stood so tall that there were no trees on its
top, and it was covered only with rocks. Millions of stars blinked in the dark sky
overhead. The biggest and most powerful animal in the forest was the bear, and he
was the first to reach the mountaintop. Bear stood on the highest peak, looked out
over the forest below, and argued for remaining in darkness. He said that the
creatures of the forest would be able to sleep better in darkness because there
would be no light to keep them awake…………….
11. Now answer Numbers 1 through 3. Base your answers
on the story "How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes.“
1. According to the story, why do chipmunks have stripes
on their backs?
(Use details from the story to explain your answer. Enter a
short answer in the box, approximately 8 lines)
2. In what ways is Chipmunk different from the other
animals?
(How does this help Chipmunk to win the argument with
Bear?)
3. What lessons can we learn from Chipmunk?
12. Scoring Techniques for Reading
Comprehension
• Multiple-Choice Questions.
Each multiple-choice question is
worth 1 point.