The book is designed to help students improve their vocabulary and comprehension skills and to achieve higher scores on state and national competency tests.

Please read the introduction section on page V for complete details of the instructional sequence of the book

You should begin with the pretests and do each lesson in order. Use the answer keys found in the back of the book to score your lessons.

Please feel free to contact us via e-mail, if you have any questions or comments about the book.

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LEVEL 3

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1. Forward

(A) Out

(B) Ahead

(C) Two

2. Dirt

(A) Dust

(B) Soap

(C) Garden

3. Smartest

(A) Easiest

(B) Hurt

(C) Most clever

4. Outer

(A) On the outside

(B) Push ahead

(C) Circle

5. Gases

(A) Not solids or liquids

(B) Milk

(C) Gallons

6. Seal

(A) A kind of horse

(B) A kind of sea animal

(C) A circus

7. Cricket

(A) A spider

(B) Hopping

(C) A black insect

8. Sweet

(A) Taste

(B) Sour

(C) Like sugar

9. Whole

(A) Dig

(B) All of a thing

(C) Under

10. Kernel

(A) A grain of corn

(B) Mustard

(C) Plant

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People have been making drums for many, many years. The drum is played by hitting or tapping it quickly. This makes the drumhead move up and down very fast. This moving up and down is what makes the sound.

Many years ago, cavemen used the drum to send messages through the air. They also used the beat of the drum for dancing. Indians used the drumbeat for their dances. They used another kind of drum, the tom-tom, to send news and stories.

Long ago people made different kinds of drums. Each drum had a certain sound for its special use. Just like long ago, drums of today have their special sizes, shapes, and sounds.

1. This story is mostly about

(A) Cavemen.

(B) Indians.

(C) drums.

2. What kind of drum did Indians use for sending news and stories?

(A) Bongo.

(B) Tom-tom.

(C) They did not use drums.

3. What causes the drumhead to move up and down?

(A) Shaking it.

(B) Heat from the sun.

(C) Hitting or tapping it quickly.

4. How long have people been making and using drums?

(A) For many, many years.

(B) For just a few years.

(C) For only ten years.

5. Why are drums made in different sizes and shapes?

(A) To give each drum a certain sound for its special use.

(B) To make them look nice.

(C) They are easier to make that way.

LEVEL 3 -- INSTRUCTIONAL LESSON No. 1

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Tom laughed because the TV show he was watching was so funny.

1. Choose the letter that marks the cause for Tom’s laughing.

(A) His friend told a joke.

(B) Someone else laughed too.

(C) He watched a funny TV show.

Do the following examples in the same way.

Since it had snowed, Tina wore boots to school.

2. Tina wore boots to school because

(A) it had snowed.

(B) it was muddy.

(C) the rain had stopped.

When the wind began blowing, the branches of the trees began to move up and down.

3. The tree branches began moving up and down because

(A) someone was shaking the tree.

(B) the wind began blowing.

(C) there was a squirrel on the branch.

4. Rusty could reach the top of the door because

(A) he stood on a chair.

(B) he was tall.

(C) the door was so low.

Rusty was tall, so he could reach the top of the door.

Sometimes there is more than one cause for something that happens. Read this paragraph and look for two reasons for the clothes to dry quickly.

Mrs. Murphy put the clothes she washed up on the clothesline. The sun was shining brightly, and the clothes moved back and forth in the breeze. When Mrs. Murphy checked the clothes a short time later, she found that they were already dry.

5. Why did Mrs. Murphy's clothes dry so quickly? Choose two reasons.

(A) It began to rain.

(B) The sun was shining brightly.

(C) She put them in the dryer.

(D) There was a breeze blowing.

Read this paragraph and answer the questions that follow.

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The Parker family went to a football game. When they left for the game, the day was sunny and warm. However, when the Parkers got to the game, it had become cloudy and cool. They found that their light jackets were not enough to keep them warm. The Parkers went home before the game was over because they were so uncomfortable.

6. Why did the Parkers have to leave the game early?

(A) It was time for bed.

(B) They wanted to beat the traffic.

(C) They were cold and uncomfortable.

7. Why were the Parkers cold? Choose two reasons.

(A) It turned cloudy and cool.

(B) It was winter.

(C) The car heater didn't work.

(D) Their light jackets didn't keep them warm.

Score_____

LEVEL 3 -- PRACTICE LESSON No. 4

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An insect is a small creature with three body parts and three pairs of legs.

A fly is an insect.

2. Cricket

A cricket is a black insect of the grasshopper family.

You can hear the crickets at night.

Wool is a cloth made of sheep hair or fur.

The coat was made of wool.

Cotton is a cloth made from the cotton plant.

The dress was made of cotton.

Paste is a mix used to stick things together.

They stuck the paper together with paste.

Read the following story and answer the questions by choosing the letter for the best answer. Each correct answer is worth 10 points.

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A cricket is a jumping insect. There are many kinds of crickets. They may be black or brown. Some kinds of crickets have wings. They can make a noise by rubbing one wing over another. On a summer evening, you may have heard this sound of chirruping, as it is called.

Crickets do not have ears like people but hear through their front legs. They like to hide in the daytime and come out at night to hunt for food. Crickets eat many kinds of food. Mostly they eat other insects, but they also eat cotton, wool, and even paper and paste. Some people believe that a cricket in the house means good luck.

(A) a noise.

(B) a spider.

(C) an insect.

(A) stick things together.

(B) eat.

(C) make a noise with.

3. This story is mainly about

(A) paper and paste.

(B) wool and cotton.

(C) crickets.

The story is mainly about crickets. Other details are used to tell more about this main idea.

4. Why do crickets like to come out at night?

(A) So people will not see them.

(B) To talk.

(C) To hunt for food.

The story tells us that they like to hide in the daytime and come out at night to hunt for food.

5. Crickets rub their wings together so that

(A) they can make a noise.

(B) they can get tired.

(C) they can fly.

The story tells us, "They can make a noise by rubbing one wing over another."

6. How do crickets hear?

(A) With ears like ours.

(B) Through their front legs.

(C) They cannot hear.

Crickets do not have ears like ours. Crickets hear through their front legs.

Score_____

LEVEL 3 -- VOCABULARY POST-TEST No. 2

Choose the letter for the answer that means the same or almost the same as each numbered word. Each correct answer is worth 10 points.

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(A) Never

(B) Almost always

(C) Use

(A) Go fast

(B) Slow up

(C) Push

(A) Easy

(B) In with

(C) Inside

(A) Make

(B) Hopeful

(C) Useful

(A) Fat

(B) Color

(C) Form

(A) Quickly

(B) Slowly

(C) Run

(A) Up

(B) With the back first

(C) Down

(A) Worth

(B) Fun

(C) Nothing

(A) Not safe

(B) Causing no harm

(C) Hurt

(A) Below

(B) Crawl

(C) To one side

LEVEL 3 -- COMPREHENSION POST-TEST No. 2

Read the following story and answer the questions by choosing the correct letter. Each correct answer is worth 10 points.

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Sometimes stories make things sound bigger than life or bigger than real. These kinds of stories are called tall tales. Many tall tales were told about

Paul Bunyan. Paul was the hero of American lumberjacks. In the early days, lumbermen would sit around the campfire and tell these tall tales.

These stories tell of Paul Bunyan's great size and strength. They tell of the mighty things he did. His helper was Babe, the blue ox. It was said that when Babe wanted a drink, he could drink a whole river dry. Together Paul and Babe made their way across America, with Paul swinging his mighty axe and Babe pulling his heavy loads. It was said they made valleys, mountains, and lakes as they went. Through the years, these stories have been told and retold.

1. This story is mainly about

(A) how to build a campfire.

(B) Paul Bunyan and Babe.

(C) the American mountains and lakes.

2. Stories like the ones about Paul Bunyan are called

(A) tall tales.

(B) short stories.

(C) fables.

3. What did the story say made the river dry?

(A) A long dry spell.

(B) Babe drank it dry.

(C) Paul splashed it out.

4. How long have the stories of Paul Bunyan been told?

(A) For a year and a half.

(B) For a very short time.

(C) Since the days of early America.

5. What job do you think Paul Bunyan had?

(A) Farmer.

(B) Boatman.

(C) Lumberjack.

Score_____

READ A BOOK IS NEXT

A CASE FOR JENNY ARCHER by ELLEN CONFORD

Answer these questions before you read the book. Each correct answer is worth 10 points. Look at the front and back covers, and read about the author.

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1. From the cover, do you think something mysterious is happening?

__________________________________________________________

2. What time of day is it? How can you tell?

__________________________________________________________

3. Do you like the pictures in the book? Who drew them?

__________________________________________________________

4. The back flap tells about the author. What does she enjoy?

__________________________________________________________

5. Are you ever suspicious about your neighborhood?

__________________________________________________________

If there are any words in this list that you do not know, look them up in the dictionary.

1. clues

2. criminals

3. crook

4. sidekick

5. disguise

6. carpenter

7. annoyed

8. confused

9. kidnap

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(A) hints.

(B) proof.

(A) Yes.

(B) No.

(A) cheats.

(B) breaks the law.

(C) tells lies.

(D) does all of the above.

(A) a kick in the side.

(B) a friend.

(A) Yes.

(B) No.

11. A carpenter works with

(A) metal.

(B) wood.

(C) cement.

(A) Yes.

(B) No.

(A) Yes.

(B) No.

(A) Yes.

(B) No.

(A) True.

(B) False.

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Would you say Jenny was a good detective? Why or why not?

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

17. MAIN-IDEA QUESTION

Although Jenny was a heroine, should she have called 911?

(A) Yes.

(B) No.

18. DETAILS QUESTION

How many Missy Martin books did Jenny read?

(A) Five.

(B) Six.

(C) Three.

4. Four.

Because Jenny wanted to be a detective like Miss Martin, she was suspicious about the new neighbors. What happened?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Do you think Jenny and Beth became friends?

(A) Yes.

(B) No.