2024 FAST Punky Dunk and The Little Thief

What type of poem is Passage 1?

• haiku

• limerick

• free verse

• rhymed verse

Answer explanation

The poem "Punky Dunk and the Mouse" is clearly a rhymed verse poem. It has a consistent rhyme scheme throughout, with each stanza following an AABB pattern.

For example, in the first stanza:

"Punky Dunk, very sly, with a wink of his eye (A)
Strolled lazily all through the house; (B)
To the cellar he went and the morning he spent (A)
On a hunt for a fat little mouse." (B)

This pattern of rhyming couplets continues throughout the entire poem, making it a clear example of rhymed verse. It is not a haiku (which is a short, unrhymed Japanese form), a limerick (which has a specific AABBA rhyme scheme and is typically humorous), or free verse (which does not have a regular rhyme scheme or meter).

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ELA.3.R.1.4

Select two lines from Passage 1 that show how Punky Dunk changes throughout the poem.

• "To the cellar he went and the morning he spent" (line 3)

• "I will just let him play in his own foolish way" (line 15)

• "Well, Mouse, you may run if you please," (line 22)

• "Punky ran up the stairs and he knocked over chairs" (line 29)

• "Strolled lazily all through the house;" (line 2)

Answer explanation

These lines show Punky Dunk's change because:

1. In line 15, Punky Dunk is confident and relaxed, thinking he has the upper hand over the mouse. He's allowing the mouse to play, believing he can catch it whenever he wants.

3. In line 29, Punky Dunk's attitude has completely changed. He's now panicked and frantic, running up the stairs and knocking over chairs after getting caught in the trap himself.

These two lines effectively demonstrate how Punky Dunk goes from being a calm, confident cat to a frightened, chaotic one, illustrating the change in his character throughout the poem.

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ELA.3.R.1.1

How does Passage 1 support the theme of outsmarting others?

• by explaining why Punky Dunk seems so bold

• by showing that the mouse was scared of Punky Dunk

• by explaining how Punky Dunk came up with a successful plan

• by describing how the mouse gets away from Punky Dunk in the end

Answer explanation

The right answer is D because the mouse outsmarted Punky Dunk by escaping at the end.

Remember, the mouse ran into a secret hole that Punky Dunk didn't know about.

This shows the mouse was smarter than Punky Dunk thought. The mouse tricked the cat and got away safely.

That's what "outsmarting" means - being clever enough to fool someone else. The mouse did exactly that to Punky Dunk!

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ELA.3.R.1.2

Part A: What is the Mouse's view of Punky Dunk in Passage 1?

• He is not afraid of Punky Dunk.

• He is curious about Punky Dunk.

• He is confused by what Punky Dunk does.

• He is not happy about what happens to Punky Dunk.

Answer explanation

The mouse isn't scared of Punky Dunk at all! In the story, we see that the mouse is smart enough to escape and even finds Punky Dunk's troubles funny.

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ELA.3.R.1.3

Part B: Which line from Passage 1 supports the answer in Part A?

• "Snip-snap! went the trap—Wasn't that a mishap!" (line 25)

• "Punky's black little paw was inside." (line 26)

• "He leaped and he jumped and he ran and he bumped—" (line 27)

• "And the Mouse sat and laughed till he cried." (line 28)

Answer explanation

We know the mouse isn't afraid because the poem says, "And the Mouse sat and laughed till he cried." If the mouse was scared, he wouldn't sit there laughing so hard! This shows that the mouse feels safe and thinks Punky Dunk's situation is really silly.

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ELA.3.R.1.3

Read this sentence from Passage 2.

"Oh! how quickly he ran home to his mother . . . and then she made him promise never to disobey her again, and you may be sure he never did." (paragraph 13)

What is the meaning of disobey as it is used in this sentence?

• to get help with a task

• to not do what you are told

• to do something without thinking

• to think about what could happen

Answer explanation

The word "disobey" means not listening to what someone tells you to do. In this story, the little mouse didn't listen to his mother when she told him not to go out alone. He got into trouble because he didn't follow her rules. When he promises never to disobey again, he's saying he'll always listen to what his mother tells him to do from now on. It's like when your parents tell you not to do something, but you do it anyway - that's disobeying.

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ELA.3.V.1.3

Which two events in Passage 2 show that Greywhiskers changes in the passage?

• • He enjoys the company of humans who live in the house with him.

• • He feels sorry when Ethel releases him and he returns to his mother.

• • He acts sneaky and goes into the pantry without his mother's permission.

• • He gives up searching for food once he cannot find any cheese that he likes.

• • He forgets to save some of Ethel's birthday cake for his mother.

Answer explanation

At first, Greywhiskers doesn't listen to his mom and sneaks into the pantry. He thinks he knows better and can take care of himself. But after he gets caught in the trap and Ethel lets him go, he changes. He feels sorry for what he did and runs back to his mom. He learns that it's important to listen to his mother and not disobey her. It's like when you do something you're not supposed to, but then you realize it was wrong and feel sorry about it.

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ELA.3.R.1.1

Read this sentence from Passage 2:

“Greywhiskers twitched his tail with scorn; he was quite sure he knew how to take care of himself, and he didn’t mean to trot meekly after his mother’s tail all his life.” (paragraph 4)

What does this sentence show about how Greywhiskers feels?

• He wants to please his mother.

• He wants to move to a new house.

• He wants to make his own decisions.

• He wants to make others afraid of him.

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ELA.3.R.1.3

Complete the table to show the different viewpoints of the characters in Passage 2.

Answer explanation

1. Greywhiskers:

   • enjoys exploring alone: Greywhiskers sneaks away to explore the pantry while his mother is napping, showing his desire for independence. (Paragraph 4)

   • thinks it is important to help those in need: He does not consider helping others and focuses on getting food for himself. The text states, "he did not know that he was nibbling at little Miss Ethel's birthday cake." (Paragraph 4)

   • is careful about living with others in the house: He disobeys his mother's warning to stay safe, indicating a lack of caution. His mother tells him, "I have absolutely forbidden you to put your nose above the ground unless I am with you." (Paragraph 2)

2. Mother:

   • enjoys exploring alone: The mother prefers to stay safe and wants Greywhiskers to do the same, as shown by her protective behavior. (Paragraph 2)

   • thinks it is important to help those in need: She cares for Greywhiskers and worries about him, saying, "I shouldn't be at all surprised if they tried to catch you." (Paragraph 2)

   • is careful about living with others in the house: She emphasizes safety to Greywhiskers, showing her concern for living safely in the house. (Paragraph 2)

3. Ethel:

   • enjoys exploring alone: Ethel shows kindness by freeing Greywhiskers when she finds him in the trap, indicating her willingness to act independently. (Paragraph 4)

   • thinks it is important to help those in need: She helps Greywhiskers because she feels sorry for him, as she says, "You didn't know it was stealing, did you, mousie dear?" (Paragraph 4)

   • is careful about living with others in the house: Ethel demonstrates care when she helps Greywhiskers escape from the trap, illustrating her understanding of the importance of being gentle and considerate. (Paragraph 4)

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ELA.3.R.1.1

Select two details that belong in a summary of Passage 2:

• • Greywhiskers regrets not listening to his mother.

• • Greywhiskers enjoys the smell of toasted cheese.

• • Greywhiskers sees pink icing on Ethel’s birthday cake.

• • Greywhiskers becomes trapped when looking for food.

• • Greywhiskers’s mother rubs her eyes after taking a nap.

Answer explanation

1. Greywhiskers regrets not listening to his mother: This detail is important because it shows how Greywhiskers learns a lesson. His mother warned him to stay safe, and when he got into trouble, he realized he should have listened to her. You can find this in Paragraph 4, where it mentions his feelings after getting caught.

3. Greywhiskers becomes trapped when looking for food: This detail is also key for the summary because it explains what happens to Greywhiskers. He goes out to find food and ends up getting caught in a trap. This is a big part of the story that shows the consequences of not following his mother’s advice. This information is found in Paragraph 4 as well, when it describes how he got stuck in the trap.

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ELA.3.R.3.2