4 L A 12 0 6 0 6 (6 5 8 0 19 7 fo u rth g rad e) Name:_____________________________________________

D ate:________________________

The Two Goats on the Mountain O n c e th ere w as a little g o at th at w an ted to c limb a b ig mo u n tain , b ec au s e th at's w h at g o ats lik e to d o . E v ery d ay , fro m th e b o tto m o f th e mo u n tain , h e w atc h ed th e o th er g o ats s tan d in g o n to p o f th e mo u n tain . H e w o n d ered w h at it w o u ld b e lik e to lo o k o v er th e v alley fro m s u c h a h ig h p lac e. H e th o u g h t it w o u ld b e v ery b eau tifu l. O n c e h e d ec id ed th at it w as h is d ay to c limb , h e w as in a h u rry to g et to th e to p . H e s tarted u p th e p ath an d c o n tin u ed to mak e h is w ay u p u n til h e reac h ed a rid g e w h ere h e c o u ld tak e a s h o rt res t. H e w as v ery c lo s e to th e to p an d c o u ld n o t w ait to jo in th e o th er g o ats th at h e c o u ld s ee fro m w h ere h e s to o d . H e n o tic ed th at th e mo u n tain w as v ery s teep th e res t o f th e w ay . H e c o u ld n o t s ee a p ath u p to th e to p o f th e mo u n tain fro m w h ere h e s to o d . " I w an t to b e at th e to p n o w ," h e s aid . " W ell," h e s aid to h ims elf, " I g u es s I w ill ju s t h av e to ju mp u p to th e to p ." S o h e g ath ered all o f h is s tren g th , an d h e ju mp ed as h ig h as h e c o u ld . H e ju mp ed o n ly a fo o t o ff th e g ro u n d . H e tried ag ain , o n ly to h av e th e s ame u n s u c c es s fu l res u lt. A g ain an d ag ain h e ju mp ed w ith all o f h is mig h t, b u t alw ay s lan d ed b ac k w h ere h e s tarted . " H o w ," h e s aid to h ims elf, " d id all th o s e o th er g o ats g et s o h ig h ? M ay b e th ey are b ig g er an d s tro n g er th an I am." J u s t th en an o th er little g o at c ame u p b eh in d h im o n th e rid g e. " W h at are y o u d o in g ? " s h e as k ed . " I am try in g to g et to th e to p o f th e mo u n tain ," h e an s w ered . " T h en fo llo w me," s h e to ld h im. T h e firs t little g o at fo llo w ed h is n ew frien d . H e w alk ed to th e far s id e o f th e rid g e an d s aw th ere w as a w in d in g p ath u p th e o th er s id e o f th e mo u n tain . It w as an eas y p ath to c limb , an d s o o n th ey w ere at th e to p . " S o metimes ," s aid th e s ec o n d little g o at, " th e fas tes t w ay to g et w h ere y o u w an t to g o is to tak e man y s mall s tep s in s tead o f o n e g ian t leap ."

1. A B C D

.H .H .H .H

2. A B C D

H o w d id th e firs t little g o at try to g et to th e to p b efo re th e s ec o n d g o at arriv ed ? e ran fas t w ith o u t s to p p in g . e to o k s ev eral d ifferen t p ath s . e ju mp ed s ev eral times . e as k ed fo r h elp . W h ere w as th e firs t little g o at at th e b eg in n in g o f th e p as s ag e?

. o n th e rid g e o f th e mo u n tain . at th e to p o f th e mo u n tain . at th e b o tto m o f th e mo u n tain . u p th e p ath o f th e mo u n tain

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4LA120606 (6580197fourthgrade) 3.

What did the second goat say to the first goat when they met?

A. "What are you doing?" B. "How did all of those other goats get so high?" C. "I want to be at the top now." D. "I am trying to get to the top of the mountain!" 4.

Which word describes the first goat?

A. mean B. determined C. clever D. sleepy 5.

Compared to the first goat, the second goat is

A. bigger. B. faster. C. wiser. D. older. 6.

What is the main idea of this passage?

A. G oats are not very smart animals. B. Winding roads are better than straight paths. C. Slow and steady wins the race. D. Smaller steps are better than one big giant leap.

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4LA120606 (6580197fourthgrade)

The Extraordinary Cat: A Chinese Tale by Pleasant De Spain

Once there was a Chinese mandarin who had a cat that he treasured above all other animals. He loved the cat so much and thought that it was so ex traordinary that he named it Sky. One day soon after, an advisor to the court spoke to the mandarin and ex plained, "There is something much more powerful than the sky, and that is the cloud. The cloud can darken and even hide the sky from view." "Q uite right," agreed the mandarin. "F rom this day forth my beautiful cat shall be called Cloud." Two weeks later the mandarin's wife said, "Dear husband, I don't think that Cloud is a proper name for your cat. There is something stronger than the cloud, and that is the wind that blows the cloud about." "Indeed! F rom now on my superior cat will be called Wind. Here Wind! Here Wind! Nice little Wind." During the nex t month the mandarin's brother came for a visit and agreed that the cat was the most ex traordinary animal he had ever seen. "But," he said, "Wind is not a suitable name for this superb creature. The wind is servant to that which it cannot penetrate. . . such as a wall. The wall is stronger than the wind." "I hadn't thought of that," replied the mandarin, "and you are to be congratulated, brother, for being so observant. F rom now on, my dearest cat, the most wonderful cat on earth, will be called Wall." The very nex t day the royal gardener heard the mandarin call his cat, "Wall," and said, "But sire, you are forgetting that a mouse is able to chew a hole in a wall. The mouse is the strongest." "How clever of you," said the mandarin. "F rom this day forth my lovely cat will be called Mouse. Come here Mouse!" But just then the mandarin's son skipped into the garden to play, and when he heard his father call the cat "Mouse," he started to laugh and laugh! "What causes you to laugh, my son?" asked the mandarin. "F ather" replied the boy, "everyone knows that there is something stronger than the mouse and that's the cat who catches him!" The mandarin smiled and then began to laugh with his son. "Of course! How foolish I've been. F rom now on my ex traordinary animal will be called by the name it most deserves, and that is Cat!" 7. Which of these shows that the mandarin thinks that his cat is ex traordinary? A. The mandarin makes the cat an advisor. B. The mandarin thinks of the cat like a son. C. The mandarin gives the cat special names. D. The mandarin builds the cat its own garden.

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4LA120606 (6580197fourthgrade) 8. The advisor to the court thinks that the cat's name should be changed to something more A. gentle B. powerful C. beautiful D. playful 9. Who tells the mandarin he could change the cat's name to "Mouse"? A. the son B. the brother C. the gardener D. the wife 10. Another good title for this passage could be A. The Wise R uler B. So Many Cats at the Court C. The Wind and the Clouds D. The Cat with Many Names

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4LA120606 (6580197fourthgrade)

Answer Key 1. C) He jumped several times. 2. C) at the bottom of the mountain 3. A) "What are you doing?" 4. B) determined 5. C) wiser. 6. D) Smaller steps are better than one big giant leap. 7. C) The mandarin gives the cat special names. 8. B) powerful 9. C) the gardener 10. D) The Cat with Many Names

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