All Common Core: 4th Grade English Language Arts Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #11 : Vocabulary In Context
I like your plan for our project, let's implement your ideas.
In this sentence, “implement” means:
Improve on
Carry out
Take apart
Instrument
Carry out
In this sentence, “implement” means to carry out or follow through on.
Example Question #12 : Vocabulary In Context
In this sentence, “resist” means keep away from or stay away from.
Keep away from
Touch
Eat
Throw away
Keep away from
In this sentence, “resist” means keep away from or stay away from.
Example Question #11 : Vocabulary In Context
Read the sentences and determine which part(s) help readers determine the underlined word’s meaning.
My stomach was tingling and twitching with anticipation as the roller coaster crept closer to the drop. I had been waiting to ride The Scream Machine for years and was finally tall enough to meet the height requirements. I had prepared for the ride of my life and was nervous that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations.
Which words or phrases from the passage best help you determine the meaning of the word anticipation?
Height requirements, the ride of my life, roller coaster
Stomach, roller coaster, The Scream Machine, tall enough
Tingling and twitching
Tingling, twitching, waiting to ride, finally, prepared, nervous, expectations
Tingling, twitching, waiting to ride, finally, prepared, nervous, expectations
The definition of anticipation is the action of anticipating something; expectation or prediction. The context clues lead readers to understand the build-up and wait that the character has experienced for years.
Example Question #291 : Common Core: 4th Grade English Language Arts
Read the following sentence and determine the underlined word’s meaning using context clues or your prior knowledge.
While measuring the square's sides and angles in his math class, Josh realized they were congruent.
What does the word congruent mean in the sentence above?
Identical in form
Unable to be calculated
Extremely uneven
Slightly different
Identical in form
One of the characteristics of a square that makes it a square is that the sides are all congruent, equal, and four congruent 90⁰ angles. Randy realized while measuring angles and side lengths, they are all equal to each other.
Example Question #291 : Common Core: 4th Grade English Language Arts
Paying Attention Pays Off
Jackson and his family were excited to be camping for the first time. They had never been to Yellowstone National Park, and they had been anticipating this trip all year. His father packed up the car, his mother made sure they had their maps, and he and his little sister Aly hopped in the back seat of their minivan ready to go. It only took about 15 minutes until Aly got on his nerves, so he put his earbuds in so he could watch videos on his phone. He must have fallen asleep because he woke up a few hours later and saw the large brown sign with white writing across the front, reading “Yellowstone National Park.” They had arrived.
They got all checked in and found their home for the next three days, campsite number 35. Dad set up the tents, and Mom consulted her itinerary for all of the upcoming activities and excursions. After they got settled in, it was time for a safety training class with the park ranger. The ranger went through what visitors should do if they encountered a dangerous wild animal, got lost, ran out of supplies, or fell into the fast-moving river. Jackson looked from side to side at his family and realized he was the only one paying attention! His mom was looking at her list, Aly was dozing off, and his father’s eyes were glazed over as he stared into the woods. He hoped they wouldn’t need to use any of these skills!
That night, after his mother and father were all tucked into their sleeping bags, Jackson and Aly snuck out of their tent to look at the stars. It was a quaint evening until Jackson heard grunting and banging coming from the campsite. He peeked around a tree with his flashlight and saw a juvenile bear pawing at the coolers and trash cans. Aly started to shout and tried to take off running. Jackson covered her mouth and reminded her that the ranger said not to scream or run away if confronted by bears. She nodded, and they stood still behind the tree and out of sight. The bear grew frustrated with the coolers and trash cans because Jackson had secured them with bungee cords, just as the ranger recommended. The bear padded off into the woods, and they snuck back to their tents exhausted. As Jackson laid in his sleeping bag, he smiled to himself, thinking about how lucky they were that he had paid attention in the ranger’s safety class.
Using context clues in the passage, what does the term itinerary mean?
A list of supplies and items packed for the trip
Instructions for setting up camping equipment, such as a tent
A map of destinations and important buildings near the campsite
A schedule of pre-determined outings, appointments, or ventures
A schedule of pre-determined outings, appointments, or ventures
The sentence containing the word itinerary “They got all checked in and found their home for the next three days, campsite number 35. Dad set up the tents, and Mom consulted her itinerary for all of the upcoming activities and excursions.” contains context clues that help us understand what the word means in this passage. “Upcoming activities and excursions” help the reader to realize that Mom is looking at a list of future events that the family can participate in.
Example Question #292 : Common Core: 4th Grade English Language Arts
Wanderlust
When I was seven, my father brought home from a business trip a wooden boomerang painted with the Australian flag's image. All summer long, I carried that gift with me. I was fascinated by this piece of a continent all the way on the other side of the world. Despite promises that if I threw it would immediately return, I had no intention of throwing it, only carrying and admiring it. What if it became stuck in a tree or carried away by a stiff wind? There would go my connection to the magical land of kangaroos, barrier reefs, and untold other pieces of wonder.
As I walk the shores of Bondi Beach or watch the tourists purchase kangaroo-themed apparel in my adopted hometown of Sydney, I often think back to that boomerang and the world to which it opened my eyes. As an airline pilot, I am fortunate to live out my childhood dream – inspired by that boomerang – of exploring faraway lands. Whenever I do, I bring home a trinket for my young daughter such that she might be similarly struck by wanderlust.
After reading the passage, based on the context, what does the word wanderlust mean?
An overwhelming wave of sadness
A strong desire to travel
An intense desire to be alone
A feeling of anger and resentment
A strong desire to travel
Based on the context around the word wanderlust and the passage's general tone, the word is travel-related. “Exploring faraway lands” and hoping that his/her daughter “might be similarly struck by” the emotion means that this was a feeling that the author also had. The passage makes it clear that the author dreamed of travel and faraway places.
Example Question #293 : Common Core: 4th Grade English Language Arts
Wanderlust
When I was seven, my father brought home from a business trip a wooden boomerang painted with the Australian flag's image. All summer long, I carried that gift with me. I was fascinated by this piece of a continent all the way on the other side of the world. Despite promises that if I threw it would immediately return, I had no intention of throwing it, only carrying and admiring it. What if it became stuck in a tree or carried away by a stiff wind? There would go my connection to the magical land of kangaroos, barrier reefs, and untold other pieces of wonder.
As I walk the shores of Bondi Beach or watch the tourists purchase kangaroo-themed apparel in my adopted hometown of Sydney, I often think back to that boomerang and the world to which it opened my eyes. As an airline pilot, I am fortunate to live out my childhood dream – inspired by that boomerang – of exploring faraway lands. Whenever I do, I bring home a trinket for my young daughter such that she might be similarly struck by wanderlust.
Which term could be used to replace the word stiff in paragraph 1?
Strong
Mild
Westerly
Inflexible
Strong
A “stiff” wind is a strong, harsh wind that could carry away the boomerang if it is thrown. A mild wind would be weaker, and the other choices are not supported by context.
Example Question #1 : Integration Of Knowledge And Ideas
Passage 1: Adapted from "The Busy Blue Jay" in True Bird Stories from My Notebooks by Olive Thorne Miller (1903).
The following passage is from a book in which the author talks about raising and releasing into the wild birds that had been captured and sold as pets.
One of the most interesting birds who ever lived in my Bird Room was a blue jay named Jakie. He was full of business from morning till night, scarcely ever a moment still.
Jays are very active birds, and being shut up in a room, my blue jay had to find things to do, to keep himself busy. If he had been allowed to grow up out of doors, he would have found plenty to do, planting acorns and nuts, nesting, and bringing up families. Sometimes the things he did in the house were what we call mischief because they annoy us, such as hammering the woodwork to pieces, tearing bits out of the leaves of books, working holes in chair seats, or pounding a cardboard box to pieces. But how is a poor little bird to know what is mischief?
One of Jakie’s amusements was dancing across the back of a tall chair, taking funny little steps, coming down hard, “jouncing” his body, and whistling as loud as he could. He would keep up this funny performance as long as anybody would stand before him and pretend to dance, too.
My jay was fond of a sensation. One of his dearest bits of fun was to drive the birds into a panic. This he did by flying furiously around the room, feathers rustling, and squawking as loud as he could. He usually managed to fly just over the head of each bird, and as he came like a catapult, every one flew before him, so that in a minute the room was full of birds flying madly about trying to get out of his way. This gave him great pleasure.
Wild blue jays, too, like to stir up their neighbors. A friend told me of a small party of blue jays that she saw playing this kind of a joke on a flock of birds of several kinds. These birds were gathering the cherries on the top branches of a big cherry tree. The jays sat quietly on another tree till the cherry-eaters were busy eating. Then suddenly the mischievous blue rogues would all rise together and fly at them, as my pet did at the birds in the room. It had the same effect on the wild birds; they all flew in a panic. Then the joking jays would return to their tree and wait till their victims forgot their fear and came straggling back to the cherries, when they repeated the fun.
- - - - - - - - - -
Passage 2: Adapted from "Cyanocitta cristata: Blue Jay" in Life Histories of North American Birds, From the Parrots to the Grackles, with Special Reference to Their Breeding Habits and Eggs by Charles Bendire (1895)
The beauty of few of our local birds compares to that of the Blue Jay. One can’t help admiring them for their amusing and interesting traits. Even their best friends can’t say much in their favor, though. They destroy many of the eggs and young of our smaller birds. A friend of mine writes, “The smaller species of birds are utterly at [the Blue Jay’s] mercy in nesting time. Few succeed in rearing a brood of young. It is common in the woods to hear Vireos lamenting for their young that the Jay has forcibly carried away. Vast numbers of eggs are eaten and the nests torn up.”
Still, I cannot help admiring Blue Jays, because they have good traits as well. They are cunning, inquisitive, good mimics, and full of mischief. It is difficult to paint them in their true colors. Some writers call them bullies and cowards. Perhaps they deserve these names at times, but they possess courage in the defense of their young. But it is unfortunate that they show so little consideration for the feelings of other birds.
It is astonishing how accurately the Blue Jay is able to imitate the various calls and cries of other birds. These will readily deceive anyone. They seem to delight in playing tricks on their unsuspecting neighbors in this manner, apparently out of pure mischief. They are especially fond of teasing owls, and occasionally hawks; however, sometimes this has disastrous results for the Blue Jays.
Based on the passages, we can tell for sure that __________ has/have had firsthand experience interacting with a real live blue jay.
the author of Passage 1 and the author of Passage 2
the author of Passage 1
the author of Passage 2
neither of the passages' authors
the author of Passage 1
To answer this question, we need to figure out which of the passages' authors have certainly had experience interacting with a real live blue jay.
The author of Passage 1 has certainly interacted with a real live blue jay. We can tell this from sentences found in the passage like "One of the most interesting birds who ever lived in my Bird Room was a blue jay named Jakie" and "Jays are very active birds, and being shut up in a room, my blue jay had to find things to do, to keep himself busy." In addition, throughout Passage 1, the author provides detailed observations of some of her pet blue jay's behaviors. This helps convey to the reader that she has worked with a live blue jay herself.
In contrast, the author of Passage 2 never claims to have interacted with a live blue jay. In the first paragraph, he gets information about blue jays from what a friend has written to him. All of his other claims about blue jays are general and do not rely on him actually having interacted with one firsthand.
Given these conclusions, the best answer choice is "the author of Passage 1."
Example Question #2 : Integration Of Knowledge And Ideas
Passage 1: Adapted from "The Busy Blue Jay" in True Bird Stories from My Notebooks by Olive Thorne Miller (1903).
The following passage is from a book in which the author talks about raising and releasing into the wild birds that had been captured and sold as pets.
One of the most interesting birds who ever lived in my Bird Room was a blue jay named Jakie. He was full of business from morning till night, scarcely ever a moment still.
Jays are very active birds, and being shut up in a room, my blue jay had to find things to do, to keep himself busy. If he had been allowed to grow up out of doors, he would have found plenty to do, planting acorns and nuts, nesting, and bringing up families. Sometimes the things he did in the house were what we call mischief because they annoy us, such as hammering the woodwork to pieces, tearing bits out of the leaves of books, working holes in chair seats, or pounding a cardboard box to pieces. But how is a poor little bird to know what is mischief?
One of Jakie’s amusements was dancing across the back of a tall chair, taking funny little steps, coming down hard, “jouncing” his body, and whistling as loud as he could. He would keep up this funny performance as long as anybody would stand before him and pretend to dance, too.
My jay was fond of a sensation. One of his dearest bits of fun was to drive the birds into a panic. This he did by flying furiously around the room, feathers rustling, and squawking as loud as he could. He usually managed to fly just over the head of each bird, and as he came like a catapult, every one flew before him, so that in a minute the room was full of birds flying madly about trying to get out of his way. This gave him great pleasure.
Wild blue jays, too, like to stir up their neighbors. A friend told me of a small party of blue jays that she saw playing this kind of a joke on a flock of birds of several kinds. These birds were gathering the cherries on the top branches of a big cherry tree. The jays sat quietly on another tree till the cherry-eaters were busy eating. Then suddenly the mischievous blue rogues would all rise together and fly at them, as my pet did at the birds in the room. It had the same effect on the wild birds; they all flew in a panic. Then the joking jays would return to their tree and wait till their victims forgot their fear and came straggling back to the cherries, when they repeated the fun.
- - - - - - - - - -
Passage 2: Adapted from "Cyanocitta cristata: Blue Jay" in Life Histories of North American Birds, From the Parrots to the Grackles, with Special Reference to Their Breeding Habits and Eggs by Charles Bendire (1895)
The beauty of few of our local birds compares to that of the Blue Jay. One can’t help admiring them for their amusing and interesting traits. Even their best friends can’t say much in their favor, though. They destroy many of the eggs and young of our smaller birds. A friend of mine writes, “The smaller species of birds are utterly at [the Blue Jay’s] mercy in nesting time. Few succeed in rearing a brood of young. It is common in the woods to hear Vireos lamenting for their young that the Jay has forcibly carried away. Vast numbers of eggs are eaten and the nests torn up.”
Still, I cannot help admiring Blue Jays, because they have good traits as well. They are cunning, inquisitive, good mimics, and full of mischief. It is difficult to paint them in their true colors. Some writers call them bullies and cowards. Perhaps they deserve these names at times, but they possess courage in the defense of their young. But it is unfortunate that they show so little consideration for the feelings of other birds.
It is astonishing how accurately the Blue Jay is able to imitate the various calls and cries of other birds. These will readily deceive anyone. They seem to delight in playing tricks on their unsuspecting neighbors in this manner, apparently out of pure mischief. They are especially fond of teasing owls, and occasionally hawks; however, sometimes this has disastrous results for the Blue Jays.
Both passages characterize blue jays as __________.
mischievious
friendly towards other birds
beautiful
shy
mischievious
Both passages characterize blue jays as "mischievous." They do this directly. In the last paragraph of Passage 1, the author refers to wild blue jays as "the mischievous blue rogues." Also, the second paragraph states, "Sometimes the things he did in the house were what we call mischief . . . But how is a poor little bird to know what is mischief?" This is more evidence that whether or not Jakie is doing it on purpose, he is acting in a mischievous way.
Passage 2 also characterizes blue jays as mischievous. In its second paragraph, it states that blue jays "are cunning, inquisitive, good mimics, and full of mischief." "Full of mischief" means "mischievous." The correct answer is "mischievous."
Example Question #1 : Integration Of Knowledge And Ideas
Passage 1: Adapted from "The Busy Blue Jay" in True Bird Stories from My Notebooks by Olive Thorne Miller (1903).
The following passage is from a book in which the author talks about raising and releasing into the wild birds that had been captured and sold as pets.
One of the most interesting birds who ever lived in my Bird Room was a blue jay named Jakie. He was full of business from morning till night, scarcely ever a moment still.
Jays are very active birds, and being shut up in a room, my blue jay had to find things to do, to keep himself busy. If he had been allowed to grow up out of doors, he would have found plenty to do, planting acorns and nuts, nesting, and bringing up families. Sometimes the things he did in the house were what we call mischief because they annoy us, such as hammering the woodwork to pieces, tearing bits out of the leaves of books, working holes in chair seats, or pounding a cardboard box to pieces. But how is a poor little bird to know what is mischief?
One of Jakie’s amusements was dancing across the back of a tall chair, taking funny little steps, coming down hard, “jouncing” his body, and whistling as loud as he could. He would keep up this funny performance as long as anybody would stand before him and pretend to dance, too.
My jay was fond of a sensation. One of his dearest bits of fun was to drive the birds into a panic. This he did by flying furiously around the room, feathers rustling, and squawking as loud as he could. He usually managed to fly just over the head of each bird, and as he came like a catapult, every one flew before him, so that in a minute the room was full of birds flying madly about trying to get out of his way. This gave him great pleasure.
Wild blue jays, too, like to stir up their neighbors. A friend told me of a small party of blue jays that she saw playing this kind of a joke on a flock of birds of several kinds. These birds were gathering the cherries on the top branches of a big cherry tree. The jays sat quietly on another tree till the cherry-eaters were busy eating. Then suddenly the mischievous blue rogues would all rise together and fly at them, as my pet did at the birds in the room. It had the same effect on the wild birds; they all flew in a panic. Then the joking jays would return to their tree and wait till their victims forgot their fear and came straggling back to the cherries, when they repeated the fun.
- - - - - - - - - -
Passage 2: Adapted from "Cyanocitta cristata: Blue Jay" in Life Histories of North American Birds, From the Parrots to the Grackles, with Special Reference to Their Breeding Habits and Eggs by Charles Bendire (1895)
The beauty of few of our local birds compares to that of the Blue Jay. One can’t help admiring them for their amusing and interesting traits. Even their best friends can’t say much in their favor, though. They destroy many of the eggs and young of our smaller birds. A friend of mine writes, “The smaller species of birds are utterly at [the Blue Jay’s] mercy in nesting time. Few succeed in rearing a brood of young. It is common in the woods to hear Vireos lamenting for their young that the Jay has forcibly carried away. Vast numbers of eggs are eaten and the nests torn up.”
Still, I cannot help admiring Blue Jays, because they have good traits as well. They are cunning, inquisitive, good mimics, and full of mischief. It is difficult to paint them in their true colors. Some writers call them bullies and cowards. Perhaps they deserve these names at times, but they possess courage in the defense of their young. But it is unfortunate that they show so little consideration for the feelings of other birds.
It is astonishing how accurately the Blue Jay is able to imitate the various calls and cries of other birds. These will readily deceive anyone. They seem to delight in playing tricks on their unsuspecting neighbors in this manner, apparently out of pure mischief. They are especially fond of teasing owls, and occasionally hawks; however, sometimes this has disastrous results for the Blue Jays.
Both passages provide examples of ways in which blue jays interact with other birds. What do these interactions have in common?
All of the interactions involve the blue jays stealing the other birds' food.
All of the interactions involve the blue jays helping the other birds get away from actual predators.
All of the interactions involve the blue jays wrecking other birds' nests.
All of the interactions involve the blue jays playing tricks on other birds.
All of the interactions involve the blue jays playing tricks on other birds.
Before we can answer this question, we need to figure out where each passage describes an interaction between wild blue jays and other birds. In Passage 1, the fourth paragraph describes how Jakie would stir up a commotion and scare the other birds in the bird room by flying around the room making a lot of noise when there wasn't anything to be scared of. "One of his dearest bits of fun was to drive the birds into a panic," the author writes. Later, she adds, "This gave him great pleasure." In the fifth paragraph, the author adds, "Wild blue jays, too, like to stir up their neighbors." She then goes on to describe how a friend told her about how wild blue jays behave in a similar way, "playing this kind of a joke" on a flock of other birds.
In Passage 2, the last paragraph states, "It is astonishing how accurately the Blue Jay is able to imitate the various calls and cries of other birds. These will readily deceive anyone. They seem to delight in playing tricks on their unsuspecting neighbors in this manner, apparently out of pure mischief."
Now we can answer this question. What do all of these behaviors have in common? Jakie scaring the other birds in the bird room over nothing, the wild blue jays scaring a flock of other birds when there's no danger, and blue jays imitating the calls of other birds can all be summarized by this sentence from Passage 2: "They delight in playing tricks on their unsuspecting neighbors . . . apparently out of pure mischief." We can't correctly claim that these interactions all involve food, nests, or helping birds get away from predators; however, we can state that "All the interactions involve the blue jays playing tricks on other birds." This is the correct answer.