Common Core: 1st Grade English Language Arts : Common Core: 1st Grade English Language Arts
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Common Core: 1st Grade English Language Arts
All Common Core: 1st Grade English Language Arts Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #4 : Identify Key Details
Passage 1: Wolves
A wolf is a wild dog. They do not live in houses like a dog does, but they look alike.
Body
Like a dog, a wolf walks on four legs and has a lot of fur. The fur keeps the wolves warm. Some wolves live in cold weather and need a lot of fur. The Arctic is a very cold place and many wolves live there.
Food
A wolf does not eat the same food as a dog. A wolf eats other animals. One animal that a wolf eats is called a deer. A wolf can run very fast, so it is able to catch a deer.
Family
A wolf does not live alone. Wolves live in groups called packs. A pack is like a family. There can be as many as 20 wolves in a pack.
Passage 2: Gray Wolves
Gray Wolves used to live all over America. Now, they only live in some parts of America. They form groups, or packs, of 7 to 8 wolves. They live and look for food together.
There are two leaders in every pack. One leader is a girl wolf and one leader is a boy wolf. The leaders pick where the pack lives and what they eat.
Do not let the name trick you. Gray Wolves are not just gray. Their fur can be black, white, or gray.
How many leaders are in a pack?
Three
One
Two
Four
Two
The answer to this question will be in the text about the Gray Wolves, which is Passage 2.
There are two leaders in every pack. One leader is a girl wolf and one leader is a boy wolf. The leaders pick where the pack lives and what they eat.
The correct answer is "Two".
Example Question #1 : Identify Key Details
The Cats
Pam and Tom are two cats. They live in the park and watch as the days go by.
Tom likes to watch the birds fly around the park. He watches them fly up in the tree tops and down to the ground. Tom’s favorite bird is the Blue Jay because he loves the color blue.
Pam likes to watch the kids play in the park. She watches as a boy goes down the slide and a girl swings on the swing set. Pam’s favorite part about the park is the slide. She is too scared to slide down the slide, but she likes to watch the kids slide down.
Where do the cats live?
The park
The swing
The slide
The tree
The park
The answer to this question can be found in the story. The second sentence of the story, "The Cats", tells us that Pam and Tom live in the park.
Pam and Tom are two cats. They live in the park and watch as the days go by.
Example Question #6 : Identify Key Details
The Cats
Pam and Tom are two cats. They live in the park and watch as the days go by.
Tom likes to watch the birds fly around the park. He watches them fly up in the tree tops and down to the ground. Tom’s favorite bird is the Blue Jay because he loves the color blue.
Pam likes to watch the kids play in the park. She watches as a boy goes down the slide and a girl swings on the swing set. Pam’s favorite part about the park is the slide. She is too scared to slide down the slide, but she likes to watch the kids slide down.
What does Pam like to do in the park?
Watch for Blue Jays in the park
Slide down the slide
Swing on the swings
Watch the kids play in the park
Watch the kids play in the park
The answer to this question can be found in the story. The third paragraph in the story, "The Cats", starts by telling us that Pam likes to watch the kids play in the park.
Pam likes to watch the kids play in the park. She watches as a boy goes down the slide and a girl swings on the swing set. Pam’s favorite part about the park is the slide. She is too scared to slide down the slide, but she likes to watch the kids slide down.
Example Question #2 : Identify Key Details
The Cats
Pam and Tom are two cats. They live in the park and watch as the days go by.
Tom likes to watch the birds fly around the park. He watches them fly up in the tree tops and down to the ground. Tom’s favorite bird is the Blue Jay because he loves the color blue.
Pam likes to watch the kids play in the park. She watches as a boy goes down the slide and a girl swings on the swing set. Pam’s favorite part about the park is the slide. She is too scared to slide down the slide, but she likes to watch the kids slide down.
What does Tom like to do in the park?
Watch the birds fly around the park
Slide down the slide
Swing on the swings
Watch the swings
Watch the birds fly around the park
The answer to this question can be found in the story. The second paragraph in the story, "The Cats", starts by telling us that Tom likes to watch the birds fly around the park.
Tom likes to watch the birds fly around the park. He watches them fly up in the tree tops and down to the ground. Tom’s favorite bird is the Blue Jay because he loves the color blue.
Example Question #8 : Identify Key Details
The Best Pet
Dogs are the Best Pet
Dogs are the best pets!
Dogs are fun. Dogs love to play with you. Dogs love to play catch, fetch, tug-of-war, and chase. Dogs are so much fun to play with.
Dogs keep you healthy. Dogs love to go for walks. When you walk your dog you get exercise and fresh air.
Dogs keep you safe. Dogs will bark when they hear a strange noise or if they sense danger.
Dogs are smart. Dogs know their names and follow directions. Dogs can even learn how to do tricks.
Dogs are helpful. Some dogs work on farms. Other dogs are used to help people who cannot hear or see.
Dogs keep you company. Dogs love to cuddle and be with you. Dogs love you and want to make you happy.
Cats are the Best Pet
Cats are the best pets!
Cats love to play. Cats love to chase their toys around the house. Cats take care of their toys and do not chew them up.
Cats take care of themselves. You do not need to take your cat out for walks or give them a bath. Cats lick themselves clean and go to the bathroom in a litter box.
Cats are quiet. They do not bark. Cats make quiet purr sounds when they are happy or meow when they need something.
Cats love to cuddle. Happy cats will cuddle with you or rub against your legs. When cats purr they are happy.
Which of the following supports the author’s opinion that dogs are the best pet?
Dogs keep you safe
Dogs are quiet.
Dogs chew up their toys
Dogs take care of themselves
Dogs keep you safe
The article talks about ways dogs keep you safe – they bark when they hear a strange noise or sense danger. Cats are quiet and take care of themselves, not people. Chewing up toys is not a reason dogs are good pets.
Example Question #8 : Identify Key Details
The Best Pet
Dogs are the Best Pet
Dogs are the best pets!
Dogs are fun. Dogs love to play with you. Dogs love to play catch, fetch, tug-of-war, and chase. Dogs are so much fun to play with.
Dogs keep you healthy. Dogs love to go for walks. When you walk your dog you get exercise and fresh air.
Dogs keep you safe. Dogs will bark when they hear a strange noise or if they sense danger.
Dogs are smart. Dogs know their names and follow directions. Dogs can even learn how to do tricks.
Dogs are helpful. Some dogs work on farms. Other dogs are used to help people who cannot hear or see.
Dogs keep you company. Dogs love to cuddle and be with you. Dogs love you and want to make you happy.
Cats are the Best Pet
Cats are the best pets!
Cats love to play. Cats love to chase their toys around the house. Cats take care of their toys and do not chew them up.
Cats take care of themselves. You do not need to take your cat out for walks or give them a bath. Cats lick themselves clean and go to the bathroom in a litter box.
Cats are quiet. They do not bark. Cats make quiet purr sounds when they are happy or meow when they need something.
Cats love to cuddle. Happy cats will cuddle with you or rub against your legs. When cats purr they are happy.
Which of the following supports the author’s opinion that cats are the best pet?
Cats take care of themselves
Cats chew up their toys
Cats keep you safe
Cats keep you healthy
Cats take care of themselves
The article talks about ways cats take care of themselves– they do not need to go on walks and they clean themselves. Dogs keep you safe and keep you healthy, not cats. Cats do not chew up their toys.
Example Question #5 : Identify Key Details
The Best Pet
Dogs are the Best Pet
Dogs are the best pets!
Dogs are fun. Dogs love to play with you. Dogs love to play catch, fetch, tug-of-war, and chase. Dogs are so much fun to play with.
Dogs keep you healthy. Dogs love to go for walks. When you walk your dog you get exercise and fresh air.
Dogs keep you safe. Dogs will bark when they hear a strange noise or if they sense danger.
Dogs are smart. Dogs know their names and follow directions. Dogs can even learn how to do tricks.
Dogs are helpful. Some dogs work on farms. Other dogs are used to help people who cannot hear or see.
Dogs keep you company. Dogs love to cuddle and be with you. Dogs love you and want to make you happy.
Cats are the Best Pet
Cats are the best pets!
Cats love to play. Cats love to chase their toys around the house. Cats take care of their toys and do not chew them up.
Cats take care of themselves. You do not need to take your cat out for walks or give them a bath. Cats lick themselves clean and go to the bathroom in a litter box.
Cats are quiet. They do not bark. Cats make quiet purr sounds when they are happy or meow when they need something.
Cats love to cuddle. Happy cats will cuddle with you or rub against your legs. When cats purr they are happy.
Which of the following is not a reason the author gives to support their opinion that dogs are the best pet?
Dogs are fun to play with
Dogs keep you healthy
Dogs protect you
Dogs are clean
Dogs are clean
The article explains that dogs keep people healthy because when you walk your dog you get fresh air. Dogs protect you by barking at a strange noise or stranger. Dogs are fun to play with because they love to play games like tug-of-war and chase. The text does not explain that dogs are clean. In “Cats are the Best Pet” the author states that cats are clean because they lick themselves to give themselves a bath.
Example Question #21 : Key Ideas And Details
The Best Pet
Dogs are the Best Pet
Dogs are the best pets!
Dogs are fun. Dogs love to play with you. Dogs love to play catch, fetch, tug-of-war, and chase. Dogs are so much fun to play with.
Dogs keep you healthy. Dogs love to go for walks. When you walk your dog you get exercise and fresh air.
Dogs keep you safe. Dogs will bark when they hear a strange noise or if they sense danger.
Dogs are smart. Dogs know their names and follow directions. Dogs can even learn how to do tricks.
Dogs are helpful. Some dogs work on farms. Other dogs are used to help people who cannot hear or see.
Dogs keep you company. Dogs love to cuddle and be with you. Dogs love you and want to make you happy.
Cats are the Best Pet
Cats are the best pets!
Cats love to play. Cats love to chase their toys around the house. Cats take care of their toys and do not chew them up.
Cats take care of themselves. You do not need to take your cat out for walks or give them a bath. Cats lick themselves clean and go to the bathroom in a litter box.
Cats are quiet. They do not bark. Cats make quiet purr sounds when they are happy or meow when they need something.
Cats love to cuddle. Happy cats will cuddle with you or rub against your legs. When cats purr they are happy.
Which of the following is not a reason the author gives to support their opinion that cats are the best pet?
Cats love to play
Cats keep you safe
Cats are quiet
Cats take care of themselves
Cats keep you safe
The article explains that cats are quiet – they make soft purring sounds. Cats take care of themselves – they give themselves a bath and do not need to go on walks. Cats love to play – they like to chase toys. The author does not talk about cats keeping you safe. In “Dogs are the Best Pet” the author states that dogs keep you safe by barking at strange sounds or danger.
Example Question #12 : Identify Key Details
African Elephants
Elephants are the biggest animals living on land. An adult male elephant can weigh as much as 11,000 pounds and be more than 13 feet tall. The biggest elephants live in Africa.
Trunk
Elephants have a long trunk. An elephant uses its trunk in many ways.
An elephant’s trunk is its nose. It uses its trunk to smell and breathe. Elephants also use their trunks like a hand. An elephant can pick up grass and branches with its trunk. It uses its trunk to reach high up and grab food from trees. Elephants eat fruit, leaves and plants.
Elephants suck up water in their trunks and spray it onto themselves to stay clean.
Elephants use their trunks to make sounds. Elephants roar, rumble and growl. When there is danger, elephants use their trunks make a loud horn noise to warn others and scare away predators.
Tusks
African elephants have 2 tusks on either side of their trunk. Elephants use their tusks to dig holes and find food and water. They also use their tusks to carry things and even rest their trunks on their tusks. An elephant’s tusks also help it stay safe. Elephants can use their tusks to battle and protect themselves from enemies.
Ears
Elephants have big ears. Elephants use their ears to stay cool on hot days. Elephants flap their ears to cool off and keep insects away.
Wrinkled Skin
Elephants have wrinkled skin. Elephants cover their skin in mud and dirt to protect themselves from sunburn and bug bites.
Feet
Elephants have big feet. Elephants have pads on the bottom of their feet to help them walk quietly.
What has a long trunk, two big tusks, big ears and wrinkled skin? It’s an African elephant!
According to the text, how does an elephant protect itself from predators?
It makes a loud horn noise to scare predators away
It uses its long trunk to fight predators
It covers itself in mud and dirt to hide from predators
It walks away quietly so predators do not hear it
It makes a loud horn noise to scare predators away
The text says “Elephants use their trunks to make sounds. Elephants roar, rumble and growl. When there is danger, elephants use their trunks make a loud horn noise to warn others and scare away predators.”
Example Question #13 : Identify Key Details
African Elephants
Elephants are the biggest animals living on land. An adult male elephant can weigh as much as 11,000 pounds and be more than 13 feet tall. The biggest elephants live in Africa.
Trunk
Elephants have a long trunk. An elephant uses its trunk in many ways.
An elephant’s trunk is its nose. It uses its trunk to smell and breathe. Elephants also use their trunks like a hand. An elephant can pick up grass and branches with its trunk. It uses its trunk to reach high up and grab food from trees. Elephants eat fruit, leaves and plants.
Elephants suck up water in their trunks and spray it onto themselves to stay clean.
Elephants use their trunks to make sounds. Elephants roar, rumble and growl. When there is danger, elephants use their trunks to make a loud horn noise to warn others and scare away predators.
Tusks
African elephants have 2 tusks on either side of their trunk. Elephants use their tusks to dig holes and find food and water. They also use their tusks to carry things and even rest their trunks on their tusks. An elephant’s tusks also help it stay safe. Elephants can use their tusks to battle and protect themselves from enemies.
Ears
Elephants have big ears. Elephants use their ears to stay cool on hot days. Elephants flap their ears to cool off and keep insects away.
Wrinkled Skin
Elephants have wrinkled skin. Elephants cover their skin in mud and dirt to protect themselves from sunburn and bug bites.
Feet
Elephants have big feet. Elephants have pads on the bottom of their feet to help them walk quietly.
What has a long trunk, two big tusks, big ears and wrinkled skin? It’s an African elephant!
According to the text, how does an elephant use its trunk?
to talk to other elephants
to swat away bugs
to hold hands with other elephants
to wave hello to other elephants
to talk to other elephants
The text says “Elephants use their trunks to make sounds. Elephants roar, rumble and growl. When there is danger, elephants use their trunks make a loud horn noise to warn others and scare away predators.”
All Common Core: 1st Grade English Language Arts Resources
