2015 STAAR paired passage - 4th grade

Use “The Sandcastle” to answer the question

Lines 1 through 4 are important to the poem because they-

• introduce the speaker’s problem

• describe the setting

• ask the reader important questions

• identify the speaker’s friend

Use “The Sandcastle” to answer the question

Which line from the poem best helps the reader picture the speaker’s sandcastle?

• Let’s fill a bucket with water and pour it on the land.

• To make the sand muddy and damp, to work with it by hand.

• To start a mighty castle on the playground made of sand.

• Then make the sand like towers; form walls that stretch up high.

Use “The Sandcastle” to answer the question

Read lines 15 and 16 from the poem.

So let’s skip on home to dinner, looking back once more to say, “We built a mighty castle on the playground on this day.”

These lines emphasize that the speaker most likely feels —

• worried that the sandcastle is not finished

• confused about what will happen to the sandcastle

• surprised by the height of the sandcastle

• pleased to have spent the day working on a sandcastle

Use “The Sandcastle” to answer the question

In stanza 3, the reader can conclude that the speaker —

• has more important tasks than finishing the sandcastle

• would rather build the sandcastle alone

• is not yet satisfied with the sandcastle

• is unsure of how the completed sandcastle should look

Use “Building a Better Sandcastle” to answer the question

According to information in “Building a Better Sandcastle,” a tall sandcastle tower might fall if —

• its base is too small to support it

• it is not built by an expert sculptor

• too many details are carved into the sandcastle

• tools are not used when building the sandcastle

Use “Building a Better Sandcastle” to answer the question

 In paragraph 1, the prefix mis– helps the reader determine that the word misshapen means —

• badly shaped

• having many shapes

• before being shaped

• being shaped again

Use “Building a Better Sandcastle” to answer the question

The author wrote this selection mainly to —

• provide the history of sandcastle building

• explain how to construct a sandcastle successfully

• tell about some famous sandcastle builders

• describe different kinds of sandcastles

Use “Building a Better Sandcastle” to answer the question

 According to the selection, a paintbrush can be used when building a sandcastle in order to —

• correct errors

• pack the sand

• add decorations

• carve details

Use “The Sandcastle” and “Building a Better Sandcastle” to answer the question

The speaker in the poem and the author of the selection both emphasize the importance of —

• selecting the perfect location for building a sandcastle

• using items from nature to decorate a sandcastle

• mixing the sand just right before building a sandcastle

• finishing the details of a sandcastle in just one day

Use “The Sandcastle” and “Building a Better Sandcastle” to answer the question

With which statement would the poet and the author of the selection most likely agree?

• It is important to ask for help when building a sandcastle.

• The details of a sandcastle should be carved by hand.

• Children like building sandcastles more than adults do.

• A well-made sandcastle takes time to build.