Unit 6 Reading Practice Assessment
Why the Buffalo has a Hump
1Long ago, the Buffalo didn't have any hump. In the summer he would race across the prairies for fun, and the Foxes would run in front of him and tell all the little animals to get out of the way because the Buffalo was coming. They didn't know that Master Tortoise was
watching them.
2So the Buffalo raced across the prairies. There were little birds nesting on the ground. Fox told Buffalo about these little birds. Large Buffalo there are tiny birds on the ground where you will run. What should we do? Buffalo and Fox thought long and hard about this dilemma.
Finally, Buffalo said, “I am the king of the prairie and the largest animal here. I can run where I please. Fox, who was afraid of Buffalo, agreed even though he knew it was wrong. So, the Buffalo raced over to where the nests were. The little birds cried out and told him not to go near their nests, but Buffalo didn't listen to them, and ran right over them.
3The birds were sad and kept crying about their spoiled nests. Master Tortoise heard them and he ran ahead of the Buffalo and Foxes and stopped them. Master Tortoise asked Fox and Buffalo to fix the nests. Buffalo, who was very full of himself, told Master Tortoise that he was the largest and most powerful animal on the prairie. He told Master Tortoise that he and fox didn’t want to.
This angered Master Tortoise. With a stick, Master Tortoise hit the Buffalo on the shoulders, and the Buffalo hung his head and humped up his shoulders. He was afraid that Master Tortoise would hit him with the stick again. But Master Tortoise just said, "You should be ashamed.” Master Tortoise told Buffalo, “Because of your actions, you will always have a hump on your shoulder, and always carry your head low because of your shame."
4The Foxes were also afraid of and ran away and dug holes in the ground where they hid. And Master Tortoise said to them "And you, Foxes, you will always live in the cold ground for hurting the birds and helping the buffalo."
5And that is why the Buffalo have humps, and why the Foxes have holes in the ground for their homes.
1. How did Fox and Buffalo decide if they should run over the birds’ nests? A. Buffalo told fox he was the biggest animal and could do as he pleases. B. Fox tricked Buffalo into doing it.
C. Buffalo didn’t know the nests were there. D. Fox scared Buffalo into running.
B. food C. nests D. problem
3. This question has two parts. Answer part A then answer part B.
Part A. According to the passage what causes the buffalo to have a hump? A. Fox tricked the buffalo to hit his back with a tree branch.
B. Buffalo ran over the little birds’ nests and didn’t fix them. C. Fox told Master Tortoise that he didn’t need to fix the nests. D. Buffalo blamed fox for himself running over the nests.
Part B. Which sentence from the story supports your answer for question number 3?
A. In the summer he would race across the prairies for fun, and the Foxes would run in front of him and tell all the little animals to get out of the way because the Buffalo was coming.
B. Buffalo, who was very full of himself, told Master Tortoise that he was the largest and most powerful animal
on the prairie
C. Master Tortoise told Buffalo, “Because of your actions, you will always have a hump on your shoulder, and
always carry your head low because of your shame."
D. The birds were sad and kept crying about their spoiled nests.
4. Which sentence from the passage supports the inference that fox is a weak animal?
A. . In the summer he would race across the prairies for fun, and the Foxes would run in front of him and tell all
the little animals to get out of the way because the Buffalo was coming.
B. And that is why the Buffalo have humps, and why the Foxes have holes in the ground for their homes.
C.This angered Master Tortoise.
D. Fox, who was afraid of Buffalo, agreed even though he knew it was wrong.
5. Which sentence from the pass supports the idea that Buffalo is a bully?
A. Finally, Buffalo said, “I am the king of the prairie and the largest animal here. I can run where I please.
B. So the Buffalo raced across the prairies.
C. With a stick, Master Tortoise hit the Buffalo on the shoulders, and the Buffalo hung his head and humped up
his shoulders.
D. Master Tortoise asked Fox and Buffalo to fix the nests.
6. How can you tell that this passage is a pourquoi tale?
A The story takes place in an authentic setting. B Buffalo’s actions are why all buffalo have a hump. C The story is long.
D Buffalo is bigger than fox.
7. Circle one choice below that describes how Buffalo and Fox are similar and one choice that describes how they are different.
A Master Tortoise changes something about each of the animals. B They both live in the wilderness.
C Buffalo is a bully and Fox is a follower.
D Buffalo doesn’t listen to Master Tortoise and Fox does.
1Long, long ago, the Porcupines had no quills. Many porcupines were eaten by other
animals, and there were fewer and fewer porcupines left in the forest. Porcupines were slow and didn’t have any way to protect themselves.
2One day, a Porcupine was out in the woods. A Bear came along and would have eaten Porcupine, but the porcupine managed to get up a tree where the Bear couldn't get him. “Whew, that was close!” said Porcupine. Porcupine thought he needed to find a way to be able to protect himself or he wouldn’t be around much longer.
3The next day Porcupine was out again and he went underneath a hawthorn tree, and he noticed how the thorns pricked him. He broke some branches off and put them on his back, and then he went into the woods. Along came Bear and he jumped on Porcupine, who just curled himself up in a ball. The thorns that Porcupine had placed on his back gouged into Bears paws. The Bear looked with disbelief at the Porcupine’s thorns and began to howl with pain. After that Bear just left Porcupine alone because the thorns pricked him and it hurt so terribly.
4Master Tortoise, the king of all, was watching them. He called to Porcupine and asked "How did you think of that trick?" Porcupine told him that he was in danger when Bear was around. Bear had always wanted to eat him. Then, Master Tortoise took some thorns and peeled the bark off of them until they were all white. Then he got some clay and put it all over
Porcupine's back and stuck the thorns in it. Master Tortoise used his magic to make it into a proper skin. He told Porcupine to come with him into the woods. When they got there, Master Tortoise hid behind a tree. To test our Porcupine’s quills, Master Tortoise had Wolf come along. Wolf saw Porcupine and jumped on him, but the new quills pricked at him and Wolf ran away screaming in pain. Now Wolf and Bear were afraid of the quills and Porcupine was now safe.
5After that day, all porcupines would be given quills for protection. That is why Porcupines have quills today.
8. Why were porcupines becoming less and less in the forest according to the passage?
A. There were more bears in the forest.
B. There were less trees for porcupine to hide in. C. Porcupine was becoming slower and slower.
D. Porcupines didn’t have any way to protect themselves.
9. This question has two parts. Answer part A then answer part B.
A. In “How Porcupines Got Their Quills,” what is one effect of Porcupine being chased up into the tree by Bear?
A. Bear came up with a plan to ear Porcupine. B. Porcupine came up with a plan to protect himself. C. Bear ate Porcupine.
D. Porcupine found a way to move faster thanks to Master Tortoise.
B. Which sentence from “How Porcupines Got Their Quills,” supports you answer from part A?
B. “Whew, that was close!” said Porcupine. Porcupine thought he needed to find a way to be able to protect myself.
C. Long, long ago, the Porcupines had no quills.
D. A Bear came along and would have eaten Porcupine, but the porcupine managed to get up a tree where the Bear couldn't get him.
10. How do you know that “How Porcupines Got Their Quills,” is a Pourquoi Tale ?
A. The setting is present day.
B. The animals speak and one animal changes. C. One animal is stronger than the other animal. D. None of the animals have flaws.
11. Which sentence from the passage supports the inference that Bear thought Porcupine was going to be easy to eat?
A. The Bear looked with disbelief at the Porcupine’s thorns and began to howl with pain.
B. A Bear came along and would have eaten Porcupine, but the porcupine managed to get up a tree where the Bear couldn't get him
C. After that day, all porcupines would be given quills for protection
D. Now Wolf and Bear were afraid of the quills and Porcupine was now safe.
12. In paragraph 3 what does the word gouged mean?
A. To poke B. To hit C. To twist D. To help
13. Think about the two passages you have read. What is similar about the Porcupine and the Buffalo in both passages?
A. They both live in the forest.
B. Both Buffalo and Porcupine disobey Master Tortoise.
C. Both Buffalo and Porcupine have something changed about how they look. D. Both obey Master Tortoise.
14. Think about the two passages you have read. What is different about the Porcupine and the Buffalo in both passages?
A. Buffalo has no best friend and Porcupine does in the passage. B. Buffalo disobeyed Master Tortoise, and Porcupines did obey him. C. Buffalo’s body change is helpful for protection and Porcupines is not. D. Buffalo obeys Master Tortoise and Porcupine does not.
15. How are the endings of these two stories different?
B In “Why the Buffalo Has a Hump,” the humps are given to the Buffalo by the fox, and in “How Porcupines Got Their Quills,” the Porcupine gets his quills from Master Tortoise.
C In “Why the Buffalo Has a Hump,” the humps are given to the Buffalo as a punishment, and in “How Porcupines Got Their Quills,” the Porcupine gets his quills as a reward.
D In “Why the Buffalo Has a Hump,” the humps are given to the Buffalo as a reward, and in “How Porcupines Got Their Quills,” the Porcupine gets his quills as a punishment.
16. What is explained in “Why the Buffalo Has a Hump?”
A Why Buffalo has a humped back. B Why Buffalo live on the prairie. C Why Fox and Buffalo are not friends. D Why Master Tortoise is a master.
17. What is explained in “How Porcupines Got Their Quills?”
A Why Bears are mean.
B Why Master Tortoise is a master. C How Porcupines got claws. D How Porcupines got Quills.
Answers 1. A 2. D 3A. B 3B. C 4. D 5. A 6. B 7. A,C 8. D 9A. B 9B. B
10. B
11. A
12. A
13. C
14. B
15. C
16. A
