Log inSign up for FREE
Library

Reading Unit 1 Test

Last updated about 7 years ago
19 questions
Note from the author:
Unit 1 Reading Test: 5th Grade

A Kid in a Candy Store

Adapted from W.M. Akers
1 It wasn't the candy he wanted. It was the skateboard. Tommy had been staring at it for weeks, every day on his way home from school, admiring it through the window of the skate shop on Market Street. It was a longboard‐a serious skateboard, not meant for tricks or speed, but for long rides down hills, on busy roads, or all the way across town. This skateboard could change Tommy's life forever. No longer would his parents have to pick him up after school, or at the movies, or the mall. The longboard would be able to take him home.

2 It was ocean blue, with chrome wheels, and an elaborate drawing of a rocket ship on the underside. Each time he pressed his face against the glass of the skate shop, he felt himself slip into that picture. His dreams of riding the longboard became mixed up with dreams of interstellar travel. He wasn't just going to the mall. He was going to Mars, to Alpha Centauri, to anywhere in the galaxy he felt like. He was going to conquer the stars.

3 As he returned to earth, thoughts swirled in his head. He could have it if his dad weren't such a cheapskate. There's something about fathers that makes it impossible for them to understand skateboards.

4 “Dad," Tommy said. "It's the world's finest skateboard. It could change my life forever."

5 "That's great," said Dad. "I'm all for kids having hobbies. But that's an expensive little toy, and…“

6 "It's not a toy!" Tommy felt himself about to lose his temper. However, he knew if he shouted, he would never come close to owning his board. Therefore, he calmed down. "It's a whole new way of life. When you were my age, what was the one thing you wanted more than anything else? The one thing you dreamed about? The one thing you promised yourself you would get, no matter what?"

7 "A Black Shadow."

8 "A what?"

9 "A Vincent Black Shadow‐the world's finest motorcycle. A more beautiful piece of machinery has never been designed."

10 "So,” Tommy thought carefully, “this board is like the Vincent Black Shadow for the 21st Century. Right? You can understand why I have to have it."

11 "You know what my dad told me when I asked for a Black Shadow?"

12 "What?"

13 "Nothing. I didn't ask him, because I knew he'd think it was nothing more than an expensive toy. I went out, got a job, and started saving."

14 “Man,” Tommy replied regretfully. “I was afraid you’d say something like that.”

15 The next day Tommy walked up and down Market Street eyeing somewhere to work. The pizzeria wasn’t hiring. The coffee shop said he was too young. The comic book store said he didn’t have enough experience.

16 “So, how can I get experience,” Tommy mumbled, “if nobody will give me a job?”

17 Then Tommy spied a “Help Wanted” sign, and hope began to stir inside of him. However, when he realized it was for Olson’s Confectionaries, the Candy Store, a sense of dread quickly replaced any feeling of hopefulness.

18 Whoever thinks that all kids love candy stores has never been to Olson's. It had been in the town since the dawn of time, and hadn't been updated much since. A dark, winding dungeon of a store, its shelves were filled with jars of weird, sticky gums and sucking candies so hard they could crack your teeth. Over all of it stood Mr. Olson, a hard‐eyed skeleton of a man whose long grey hair and baggy clothes made him look like an out‐ of‐work wizard.

19 Tommy didn't know how the confectionary stayed in business. He'd never seen a kid go in or out, and he'd never heard anyone talk about buying something there. How could that store turn a profit? And why would a store with no customers need an extra employee? Tommy didn't want to find out, but the skateboard demanded he try. He pushed on the creaky old door, sucked in his breath, and plunged in. He had no idea what Mr. Olson had hidden in the store.

20 "How may I help you?" said Mr. Olson. He sounded like a snake with a cold.

21 "I, uh, uh...I‐"

22 "You're looking for sweets?"

23 "No, well, uh‐"

24 "Some raspberry rope, perhaps?"

25 "No thank you. Actually, I‐"

26 "A chocolate lover, are we? Perhaps you'd prefer a chunk of Carlsberg Chew? It's the finest dark chocolate made in Germany. It has real hazelnuts inside!"

27 "That sounds good, but actually‐"

28 "I see," said Mr. Olson, and his eyes went wide. His mouth crinkled up like a dead leaf, and Tommy got the impression that he was either about to scream at him, or sneeze. "I understand completely now."

29 "Understand what? Tommy wondered how an old man could possible understand what he wanted.

30 "You are a boy...with a sour tooth." Mr. Olson said with a twinkle in his eye. He reached behind him, to the highest shelf on a rickety bookcase, and presented Tommy with a star‐shaped, tiny yellow candy. "Try this. A Sunburst Express‐a sour candy of my own design."

31 "Yeah?"

32 “That’s right. My own design and free of charge,” Mr. Olson smiled slightly.

33 Tommy did like sour candy, and he could never pass it up. A candy wasn’t any good unless it made you squeeze your face together, shut your eyes, and want to cry.

34 “Is it really sour?” Tommy questioned doubtfully. He wasn’t really sure about eating candy from this store.

35 “Well…see for yourself,” Mr. Olson replied with a big smile.

36 Tommy reached for the candy and popped it into his mouth. At first, he didn’t taste anything sour. He chomped down with a big chew, and the candy began spewing wildly in his mouth. It was like an oil tanker had spilled in his throat. His gums felt like they were blazing with fire. His tonsils were tap‐dancing to a fast beat. And his tongue…his tongue felt like it was about to turn itself inside out! His face began to burn and turn red.

37 Tommy gasped as he was trying to hide his shock, “Oh my, this is the tangiest candy I ever tasted!”
38 “Well, thank you!” Mr. Olson said grinning proudly. “Have a sip of Fizzberry Soda. It will ease the burning. Now, you’re looking for a job?”

39 Still recovering from the blaze of fire inside his mouth, Tommy collected himself. “Uh…how did you know?”

40 “I could just tell,” Mr. Olson replied with a chuckle. “I was once your age, too. Desperate for a new toy?”

41 “What?” Tommy uttered. I’m not interested in a new toy!” Quietly, Tommy added, “It’s not a toy.”

42 “The Sunburst was a test, young man. I don’t want anyone working here who doesn’t love my sour treats,” Mr. Olson replied with a broad smile on his wrinkled face.

43 “Oh, no worries then,” Tommy quickly responded as he remembered the skateboard.

44 “Good,” Mr. Olson confirmed as he handed Tommy an apron. “Let’s see how you work, young man. You should be getting your new toy very soon, indeed.”
1

Based on the story, Tommy's dad most likely thinks it is important to

1

From events in this story, what can the reader conclude about Tommy?

1

Read these sentences from paragraph 38:

"Well, thank you!” Mr. Olson said grinning proudly. “Have a sip of Fizzberry Soda. It will ease the burning. Now, you’re looking for a job?"
These sentences show that:

1

Which sentence best foreshadows what will happen at the end of the story?

1

Read this sentence:

"His tonsils were tap‐dancing."

The figurative language in this sentence is used to:

1

Mr. Olson contributes to solving Tommy’s problem by

1

Which sentence best reveals Tommy's viewpoint of the skateboard?

Learning to Skateboard

Adapted from Kyria Abrahams

1 The sound of the skateboard up and down the hallway is driving Ella insane. She sits at her desk, trying to read a book. All she hears is scraaaape, scraaaape, thud!

2 She pokes her head out of her bedroom door. "Mom said not to skateboard in the house!" she yells at her brother.

3 "It's Saturday afternoon, Nerd! Take a break!"

4 Ella slams her bedroom door. How dare he! Then, she slightly opens the bedroom door again and watches quietly. It
does seem like fun, actually. “Hey," she calls after him. "Let me try."

5 "No way, Nerd! Not after you just yelled at me to stop."

6 Ugh! Ella slams the door and goes back to her desk. She hears Joseph pick up the board and hurriedly runs down the stairs. Outside, his friends are waiting for him. They are laughing and snickering as they get on their skateboards.

7 Maybe I spend too much time indoors, Ella sulks. Closing the book on her desk, she puts on a jacket and goes outside to find her brother. He's skating up and down the block showing off for all his friends. She jogs up behind him, waving her hands. He sees her, but pretends he doesn’t.

8 "Hey, Joseph! Hey!"

9 "Get lost," he shouts.

10 "Can I skate with you?” Ella was begging now.

11 "What? I said get lost," he says. "Girls can't skate."

12 All his friends start giggling. "Yeah, girls can't skate," they repeat, sneering.
13 Ella feels tears well up in her eyes, but she would not dare let the boys see her cry. Um…girls can't skate? Well…maybe that's because you won't even let me try! She's about halfway up the block when she hears a voice call out after her.

14 "Hey Ella! Wait up!" It's one of Joseph's friends. He looks sheepish and a bit nervous.

15 She spins around angrily. "What do you want from me?"

16 "I...I... just thought..."

17 "You just thought that girls can't skate, so you wanted to come and make fun of me?"

18 The boy looks at the ground. "No, that’s not it at all. I just thought maybe you'd like to try out my board. I can show you
how to use it."

19 “Whoa…is this a trick?” Ella wondered. But…the boy seems so sincere.

20 Jake hands his board to her. "My name is Jake," he says. "Let me show you how to ride."

21 "What about my brother?" she asks.

22 They both turn to look for Joseph. At the end of the street, Joseph grabs one end of his board and flips around in the air.

23 "Come on," Jake says, “He’s busy impressing his friends. He can't notice anyone but himself right now." Jake takes her by the hand and leads her to a small patch of concrete next to the lawn. "This way if you fall, you'll fall on the grass," he explained.

24 "I'm afraid to fall," Ella admits.

25 "You can't learn if you're afraid to fall," Jake says.

26 "But what if I hurt myself?"

27 Jake hands her his helmet, covered with stickers from skater bands. “Here, put this on. If you do fall, you won't end up in the hospital with a concussion." He shows her how to stand on the board, how to place her feet in a comfortable position, and how to shove off with one foot.

28 Ella stands on the board and feels herself wobble back and forth. It looks so easy when Jake does it. She isn't sure what to do with her hands and waves them around wildly in the air. Suddenly, she feels the earth move from her feet to her head. WOAAAH! Her head hits the grass with a big clunk.

29 "Good thing you had that helmet on," Jake says. Ella is lying flat on the ground. She looks at her arm and gasps when she notices her elbow is bleeding. "Hey, we'd better stop now. You're hurt!" Jake remarks seeing the blood on her arm.

30 "I can take it," Ella tells him. "I can't learn if I'm afraid to fall, right?"

31 They keep practicing until it starts to get dark. They completely lose track of time. "Oh no! I missed dinner!" Jake declares in a panic, finally noticing the time.

32 "Oh no is right," Ella replied quietly. "Well, I guess you'd better take your board and go home." She is trying to disguise the hurt in her voice, but she cannot.

33 "You were better at hiding your pain when you fell on your elbow, Ella."

34 Ella laughs. "Yeah," she says, looking down at her feet. "I guess I'm kind of sad about skateboarding ending."

35 "Tell you what, Ella. Why don't you keep the board for a week?"

36 "Really? I promise to give it back in good condition!" Ella squealed with great delight.

37 The next day, Ella wakes up early and takes the board outside. She practices everything Jake has taught her and only falls a few times. The scrape on her elbow is healing, and she doesn’t fear falling at all.

38 When Saturday comes around again, she wakes up extra early. She wants to have as much time as possible with the board. She's even taught herself a new trick, one she learned herself by watching a video online. It's called an Ollie. After trying and falling many tries, she is finally successful.

39 When Jake comes around the corner, she's jumping in the air, the board flying right along with her. Then she sees Jake smiling at her and clapping his hands. Then before she knows it, she’s down in the grass again. THUD!

40 "That was amazing!" Jake says.

41 "Yeah, well, you didn't see me fall about 50 times before I actually did it!" she says.

42 In the distance, they hear someone calling Jake's name. It's her brother Joseph. He glides around the corner on his skateboard along with the rest of his friends. "Jake, we've been looking for you everywhere!" he pipes as he twirls around. Then he sees his sister lying in the grass, flat on her back with the skateboard sitting beside her.

43 “I told you!" he says, holding his sides and doubling over. "I told you girls can't skate!"
44 "I can!" Ella yells. "I'll prove it to you!"

45 Ella jumps up and starts to do the trick, but Jake runs over and stops her. "You don't owe anybody an explanation," he says.

46 "Are you crazy?" Ella screamed. “Joseph and his friends are speeding away right now, and they are still laughing at me and saying I can't skate.”

47 "You and I both know you can do it, and we know how hard you've been working. No matter what you do, they'll find a way to make fun of you."

48 "I guess you're right," Ella says. She puts the board down and executes a perfect Ollie.
1

In the first paragraph, the author uses onomatopoeia to help the reader understand

1

What is the best summary of this story?

1

The reader can infer from paragraph 23 that Jake

1

Which of the events in paragraph 13 advances the plot forward?

1

In paragraph 43, Joseph’s reaction to Ella falling shows that

1

Written Response:
What can the reader infer about Ella at the end of the story?
Use textual evidence from the story to support your answer.

Use “A Kid in a Candy Store and “Learning to Skateboard” to answer the following question.
1

How are Tommy in “A Kid in a Candy Store” and Ella in “Learning to Skate” similar?

The Swimmer's Chant

by Carol Spelius

Stroke. Stroke.
Time that turn.
Stroke. Stroke.
Eyes burn.
5 Save strength
for last length.
Tired body
keep that beat.
Don't dare
10 think defeat.
Ace this race.
Win this meet.
Stroke. Stroke.
Arms are dead
15 but he's ahead.
Go, leg, go.
Fly, arms, fly.
Pull. Pull.
Try, don't die.
20 Let him cry.
Stroke. Stroke.
Burn that turn.
Lean. Clean.
Fast last lap.
25 Stroke. Stroke.
Swim to win.
Mean it. Breathe it.
GO FOR BROKE!
Stroke! Stroke!
30 The race is over.
The race is done.
The team screams, "We've won! We've won!
I'd like to shout and jump about
but I'm...all...tuckered ...out.

Use “The Swimmer’s Chant” to answer questions 15 ‐ 19.

1

What is an important effect of the organization and rhyme scheme of the poem?

1

The poet uses capitalization in line 28 to

1

Read these lines from the poem.

"Ace this race.

Lean. Clean.
Fast last lap."

The internal rhyme in these lines emphasize

1

Based on the poem, what can the reader conclude about the speaker's attitude?

1

The reader can tell that the speaker is experienced in swimming races because