Grade 6: Reading Standard RI.6.2 and RL.6.

2 Assessment
Name: ________________________________________Date: _____________
Directions: Read the passages and answer questions 1 through 10.

Native Americans dried strips of meat, pounded it into a paste, and then mixed it with fat.
Sometimes they added berries and sugar. Then they pressed it into small cakes. They called
these cakes pemmican. Pemmican didn't spoil, and it provided lots of energy for people
traveling or going hunting. Today explorers still carry and eat this food.

1 This passage is mainly about...

A who uses pemmican today.
B what can be put into pemmican.
C how pemmican was prepared by
Native Americans.
D why people eat pemmican today.

Because lambs are sometimes eaten by coyotes, ranchers may hunt or trap the coyotes.
However, killing coyotes may upset nature's balance. Scientists have found a way to protect
sheep without killing coyotes. Coyotes are fed lamb meat treated with a drug. When they eat
the meat, they get sick. Later, coyotes won't even go near lambs. They'll hunt rabbits instead.

2 This story mainly tells...

A why coyotes prefer rabbits to lambs.
B why killing coyotes upsets nature's
balance.
C how scientists help protect sheep and
coyotes.
D what kinds of people don't like
coyotes.

Can you imagine playing the game of checkers with pieces made out of lead? Every move would be a
slow one because the pieces would weigh too much to move very quickly. If you happened to be a part
of a very unusual checkers tournament held each year in the country of Estonia, however, moving the
pieces would be slow, but not really heavy. Why? It is because these people are playing the game at the
bottom of a public swimming pool. The checkers board is strapped to the bottom, and the pieces are
made of lead so that they will not float away.

For the last three years, this odd checkers contest has brought dozens of players of all ages and skill
levels to the city of Janeda in Estonia. They put on bathing suits, and then pull on masks, flippers and air
tanks. Finally, they dive into the water, kick down to the game board and decide which move to make.

Each person is allowed to play seven games and whoever wins the most is named champion. Each game
 lasts for six minutes. That might now seem like much time, but when you have to spend it focusing on a
board and staying in the same position underwater, it can feel like an extremely long time. Some divers
wear weighted belts. It helps them stay in the right spot while they decide which checker to move next.

How did such a unique checkers contest get started? Estonia's winters are quite cold. When the
temperatures dropped, so did most people's interest in swimming. A local diving company came up with
the idea of creating an underwater game to attract divers. It was a success. Now if players can just figure
out how to say "crowned" from the bottom of a pool!

3 What would make the best title for this

4 What is the main idea of this
passage? passage?
A The Fast and Easy Way to Win at A Checkers is such an easy game, it
Checkers? can be played anywhere.
B Surviving the Harsh Estonia Winters B The winters in the city of Janeda,
C Have Mask, Will Play Checkers Estonia are extraordinarily cold.
D Life at the Bottom of the Swimming C Some Checkers games actually have
Pool pieces made out of lead.
D Estonia is the home of an extremely
unusual checkers game.

The people of ancient Egypt created an advanced civilization. More than 6,000 years ago, they
developed a calendar with 360 days divided into 12 months. The people made paper and
learned how to write. They also built huge monuments with machines they invented.

5
What is this story mainly about?
A How people in Egypt made paper.
B The creation of an advanced
civilization in Egypt.
C How the people in Egypt built huge
monuments.
D Where an ancient calendar was
developed.

If someone invited you to go to Europe for a vacation, you might decide to pack some clothes, a
few pair of shoes, your toothbrush, and a comb. If you plan to stop by the town of Ivrea in
northern Italy in February, however, you might want to bring some extra soap and shampoo.
Every year, thousands of people come to this small town to witness one of the oddest and
messiest battles in the world. It is known as "Battaglia delle Arancee". That means the Battle of
the Oranges.

The Battle of the Oranges is a three-day long festival. People travel from all over the world to
 watch it. No one seems to agree on exactly how this food fight got started. Some believe it is
based on a battle between the locals and the nobility in 12th century Italy. Others think it was
inspired by an argument between the commoners and the ruling lords in the 19th century.
Regardless of how it began, the tradition is being carried on today in very sticky ways.

To prepare for the battle, 57,000 crates of rotten oranges are ordered from Sicily. These
oranges were scheduled to be thrown away. Now they have a new purpose. People divide up
into teams. Each team wears their own type of wild and colorful uniform. Those wandering
around with red hats on are there just to watch, so no one throws fruit at them.

During the battle, one team rides in a horse-drawn carriage. It is filled with oranges. The other
team is on the ground. When the signal is given, the teams begin tossing the stinky, sticky fruit
at each other. When the throwing is done, judges decide who had the best aim, who wore the
most unusual uniforms, and who managed to avoid running into the horses.

Once the battle is over, the city celebrates with a big parade. Then, visitors go home and the
real work begins. More than 100 people come into the city. They are there to clean up the
incredible mess left behind. Soon, all traces of the battle are over-until February returns again
next year.

6 7
What would make the best title for this Which detail would fit best with the
passage? main idea of paragraph three?
A An Ancient Argument A Where Sicily is located on the
B A Trip to Europe B How the team members are chosen
C A Mess to Clean up C Why oranges are used instead of other
D An Italian Sticky Battle fruit
D What the visitors, red hats look like

8 What is the main idea of the first

paragraph?
A An unusual battle that takes place in
Italy
B What to pack when going on a long trip
C The legend behind the fruity festival
D Where all the rotten oranges come
from
 The tortoise and the hare were going to have a race. The hare knew he was faster than the
tortoise. After the race had begun, the hare decided he was fast enough he could take a break
and catch up to the tortoise later. The tortoise, even though he was slow, kept trying his
hardest to win the race. When the hare tried to catch up and beat the tortoise it was too late.
He had waited too long to try to win the race and the tortoise beat him.

9 Which statement provides the best moral

for this story?
A Being fast means you always win.
B Slow and steady wins the race.
C You should give up if you are the
slowest.
D Winning isn't everything.

Lisa knew all of the seven dwarfs except one. She remembered Grumpy, Sleepy and Bashful.
And of course she couldn't forget Doc and Dopey. Dopey was her favorite. But there was one
she just could not remember. Let's see. There's also Sneezy, and that's six. But she could not
remember that last one. What was his name?

10 What is the main idea of the passage?

A Dopey was Lisa's favorite dwarf.
B Lisa could not remember the name of
one of the dwarfs
C There were seven dwarfs in all.
D Lisa had a good memory
Answer Key:
1. C RI.6.2: Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details;
provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

2. C RI.6.2: Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details;
provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

3. C RI.6.2: Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details;
provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

4. D RI.6.2: Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details;
provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

5. B RI.6.2: Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details;
provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

6. D RL.6.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development;
summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

7. B RL.6.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development;
summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

8. A RL.6.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development;
summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

9. B RL.6.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development;
summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

10. B RL.6.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development;
summarize the key supporting details and ideas.