Grade Five Reading Comprehension

Direction: Read the text and then answer the questions

Ever since he was six years old, Nick had wanted to get a puppy. His parents always refused. They said he wasn’t capable of taking care of a puppy. “You have no idea how much work a puppy is,” Dad said. “You would have to housebreak the puppy, train the puppy to obey you, and groom it, too.”

“And then there’s taking the puppy to the vet, playing with it, and feeding it,” Mom added. “It’s not that I’m against having a puppy. But a puppy takes up a lot of time.”

Nick couldn’t think of a way that he could convince his parents that he was ready for a puppy. Then, he got an idea. “If I volunteer at the animal shelter,” he thought, “I’ll bet Mom and Dad will see that I’m ready to take care of a puppy!”

A person who volunteers is someone who

• studies for tests.

• does no work at all.

• gets a raise.

• does work without being paid.

Direction: Read the text and then answer the questions

Ever since he was six years old, Nick had wanted to get a puppy. His parents always refused. They said he wasn’t capable of taking care of a puppy. “You have no idea how much work a puppy is,” Dad said. “You would have to housebreak the puppy, train the puppy to obey you, and groom it, too.”

“And then there’s taking the puppy to the vet, playing with it, and feeding it,” Mom added. “It’s not that I’m against having a puppy. But a puppy takes up a lot of time.”

Nick couldn’t think of a way that he could convince his parents that he was ready for a puppy. Then, he got an idea. “If I volunteer at the animal shelter,” he thought, “I’ll bet Mom and Dad will see that I’m ready to take care of a puppy!”

What does the phrase have no idea mean?

• do not understand

• can’t think

• ran out of ideas

• have an active imagination

Direction: Read the text and then answer the questions

Ever since he was six years old, Nick had wanted to get a puppy. His parents always refused. They said he wasn’t capable of taking care of a puppy. “You have no idea how much work a puppy is,” Dad said. “You would have to housebreak the puppy, train the puppy to obey you, and groom it, too.”

“And then there’s taking the puppy to the vet, playing with it, and feeding it,” Mom added. “It’s not that I’m against having a puppy. But a puppy takes up a lot of time.”

Nick couldn’t think of a way that he could convince his parents that he was ready for a puppy. Then, he got an idea. “If I volunteer at the animal shelter,” he thought, “I’ll bet Mom and Dad will see that I’m ready to take care of a puppy!”

What is the problem in the text?

• Nick’s parents think that he is not capable of taking care of a puppy

• Nick is allergic to puppies.

• Nick’s parents think that puppies are not a lot of work.

• Nick’s parents think that the family should get a puppy right away.

Direction: Read the text and then answer the questions

Ever since he was six years old, Nick had wanted to get a puppy. His parents always refused. They said he wasn’t capable of taking care of a puppy. “You have no idea how much work a puppy is,” Dad said. “You would have to housebreak the puppy, train the puppy to obey you, and groom it, too.”

“And then there’s taking the puppy to the vet, playing with it, and feeding it,” Mom added. “It’s not that I’m against having a puppy. But a puppy takes up a lot of time.”

Nick couldn’t think of a way that he could convince his parents that he was ready for a puppy. Then, he got an idea. “If I volunteer at the animal shelter,” he thought, “I’ll bet Mom and Dad will see that I’m ready to take care of a puppy!”

Nick’s parents say he isn’t capable of taking care of a puppy. Which word or phrase means capable?

• interested

• angry about

• afraid of

• able to

Direction: Read the text and then answer the questions

Ever since he was six years old, Nick had wanted to get a puppy. His parents always refused. They said he wasn’t capable of taking care of a puppy. “You have no idea how much work a puppy is,” Dad said. “You would have to housebreak the puppy, train the puppy to obey you, and groom it, too.”

“And then there’s taking the puppy to the vet, playing with it, and feeding it,” Mom added. “It’s not that I’m against having a puppy. But a puppy takes up a lot of time.”

Nick couldn’t think of a way that he could convince his parents that he was ready for a puppy. Then, he got an idea. “If I volunteer at the animal shelter,” he thought, “I’ll bet Mom and Dad will see that I’m ready to take care of a puppy!”

Which word tells a reader most about the text while previewing it?

• obey

• groom

• idea

• puppy

Paragraph Two

Nick wanted a puppy, so he decided to become a volunteer at the animal shelter. He was hoping to convince his parents that he was ready to take care of a puppy. He volunteered at the shelter twice each week, on Tuesdays after school and on Saturdays.

While he was there, Nick did several things. He walked the dogs and washed and brushed them. Grooming the long-haired dogs took a long time! He cleaned up the dogs’ kennels, too. He also played with the puppies to help get them used to people. Sometimes he gave them baths as well. Once in a while, Nick spent time with the kittens and cats, but he preferred working with the dogs. There was always plenty to do at the shelter, so Nick was never bored.

What does the first sentence in this paragraph tell us about this text?

• This text is about volunteering at an animal shelter.

• This text is about taking shelter during a storm.

• This text is about adopting an animal.

• This text is about different animals.

Paragraph Two

Nick wanted a puppy, so he decided to become a volunteer at the animal shelter. He was hoping to convince his parents that he was ready to take care of a puppy. He volunteered at the shelter twice each week, on Tuesdays after school and on Saturdays.

While he was there, Nick did several things. He walked the dogs and washed and brushed them. Grooming the long-haired dogs took a long time! He cleaned up the dogs’ kennels, too. He also played with the puppies to help get them used to people. Sometimes he gave them baths as well. Once in a while, Nick spent time with the kittens and cats, but he preferred working with the dogs. There was always plenty to do at the shelter, so Nick was never bored.

What detail does the author include to explain why Nick plays with the puppies?

• to help them learn to eat and drink

• so he can stop being afraid of dogs

• to help them get used to people

• so he can learn about the different breeds of dog

To which word can the suffix –ing be added?

• also

• dogs

• care

• plenty

Paragraph Two

Nick wanted a puppy, so he decided to become a volunteer at the animal shelter. He was hoping to convince his parents that he was ready to take care of a puppy. He volunteered at the shelter twice each week, on Tuesdays after school and on Saturdays.

While he was there, Nick did several things. He walked the dogs and washed and brushed them. Grooming the long-haired dogs took a long time! He cleaned up the dogs’ kennels, too. He also played with the puppies to help get them used to people. Sometimes he gave them baths as well. Once in a while, Nick spent time with the kittens and cats, but he preferred working with the dogs. There was always plenty to do at the shelter, so Nick was never bored.

Which word means once in a while?

• often

• never

• occasionally

• daily

Paragraph Three

Nick volunteered at the animal shelter for three months. He learned a great deal about raising puppies and training them. Every time he learned something new, he practiced it. He also told his parents about what he was learning. He wanted to persuade them that he could be trusted with a puppy of his own. One afternoon, Dad picked Nick up from volunteering and asked him how the day went.

“Oh, it went great,” Nick answered enthusiastically. “They even let me help introduce the dogs to people who want to adopt them!”

“That’s terrific!” Dad answered with a grin. “I’m so glad you’re getting this experience. You’ll need it for our new puppy!”

“We’re getting a puppy?” Nick practically shouted. “That’s awesome! I can’t wait!”

Which question would help readers monitor their reading and understand the text?

• Does Nick have a sister?

• What do cats eat?

• Will Nick get to have a puppy of his own?

• What is the weather outside?