English Language: Elementary School: Grades 3, 4 and 5 Quiz - Grade 3 Reading Literature - Characters, Settings and Events (Questions)

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Characterization is an important skill in many grade levels. Third graders should be able to determine the main character's traits and motivations. They should also figure out how the main character interacts with the other characters. Their actions also contribute to the sequence of events. In this quiz, the students will read a short story and answer questions about the characters and events.

Nina the Bird

Nina looks at the birds on her window sill. She wishes she could fly like those birds. When Nina is in conflict with people, she wishes she could just fly away. She hates when people get mad at her. She runs away or she gives in.

One day, Nina is walking along the road to school. As she walks, she kicks an old soda can down the side of the road. With one odd kick, the can bounces end over end off the side of the road. It clinks and lands in a patch of wild strawberries. These strawberries are growing on the side of the road. Nina looks at the strawberries. They look good. She bends down and picks one up. Nina eats it quickly. Her body feels warm. Nina feels different, but she shakes it off. She continues to walk to school.

After school, Nina is walking back home. A group of dogs are walking closely behind Nina. Nina gets scared. She walks faster. The dogs start to run and growl. Nina runs faster. Then Nina flaps her arms like a bird. Nina’s feet lift off the ground. Her body moves further away from the ground. The dogs are biting at the bottom of her feet. Nina flaps her arms faster. She flies up and away from the dogs and the ground. Nina has learned to fly.

1.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
What do you know about Nina?

[ ]	She has birds as pets.
[ ]	She gets mad at people a lot.
[ ]	She hates when people get mad at her.
[ ]	She usually rides the bus to school.

2.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
Why do you think Nina is kicking a can?

[ ]	She is bored.
[ ]	She just drank a can of soda.
[ ]	She must kick the can.
[ ]	She wants to kick it into the strawberry patch.

3.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
Why does Nina eat the strawberry?

[ ]	The strawberries have chocolate on them.
[ ]	Nina didn't have breakfast.
[ ]	The strawberries look good.
[ ]	Nina is very hungry.

4.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
How does Nina feel after eating the strawberry?

[ ]	Tired.
[ ]	Warm.
[ ]	Full.
[ ]	Sick.

5.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
What happens while Nina is walking back home?

[ ]	A pack of dogs chase her.
[ ]	Her friends' dogs walk up to her.
[ ]	She pets some dogs.
[ ]	She sees some dogs sitting on the road.

6.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
How does Nina actually get away from the dogs?

[ ]	She runs to school.
[ ]	She runs faster than the dogs.
[ ]	She flies away.
[ ]	She gets inside her house.

7.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
Would the dogs have caught Nina if she didn't escape?

[ ]	There is no way to know that.
[ ]	Most likely.
[ ]	No, Nina would have been able to run away from the dogs.
[ ]	No, Nina would have run up a tree.

8.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
How do the dogs act as characters in the story?

[ ]	They are the problem in the story.
[ ]	They help the main character in the story.
[ ]	They are friends with the main character.
[ ]	They know the main character.

9.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
How did you first know Nina liked birds?

[ ]	When she was kicking strawberries.
[ ]	When she began flapping her arms.
[ ]	When she looked at the birds on her window sill.
[ ]	When the dogs started to chase her.

10.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
Why was Nina actually able to fly?

[ ]	Because she flapped her arms.
[ ]	Because she ate the strawberries.
[ ]	Because she liked birds.
[ ]	Because she kicked a can of soda.

English Language: Elementary School: Grades 3, 4 and 5 Quiz - Grade 3 Reading Literature - Characters, Settings and Events (Answers)

1.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
What do you know about Nina?

[ ]	She has birds as pets.
[ ]	She gets mad at people a lot.
[x]	She hates when people get mad at her.
[ ]	She usually rides the bus to school.

At the beginning of the story, Nina is described as hating when people get mad at her.

2.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
Why do you think Nina is kicking a can?

[x]	She is bored.
[ ]	She just drank a can of soda.
[ ]	She must kick the can.
[ ]	She wants to kick it into the strawberry patch.

Nina is probably bored while walking to school.

3.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
Why does Nina eat the strawberry?

[ ]	The strawberries have chocolate on them.
[ ]	Nina didn't have breakfast.
[x]	The strawberries look good.
[ ]	Nina is very hungry.

The strawberries look good, so Nina eats one.

4.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
How does Nina feel after eating the strawberry?

[ ]	Tired.
[x]	Warm.
[ ]	Full.
[ ]	Sick.

Nina feels different and her body feels warm when she eats the strawberry.

5.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
What happens while Nina is walking back home?

[x]	A pack of dogs chase her.
[ ]	Her friends' dogs walk up to her.
[ ]	She pets some dogs.
[ ]	She sees some dogs sitting on the road.

The dogs chase Nina.

6.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
How does Nina actually get away from the dogs?

[ ]	She runs to school.
[ ]	She runs faster than the dogs.
[x]	She flies away.
[ ]	She gets inside her house.

Nina is able to fly away.

7.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
Would the dogs have caught Nina if she didn't escape?

[ ]	There is no way to know that.
[x]	Most likely.
[ ]	No, Nina would have been able to run away from the dogs.
[ ]	No, Nina would have run up a tree.

Most likely, the dogs would have caught Nina since they were biting at the bottom of her feet.

8.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
How do the dogs act as characters in the story?

[x]	They are the problem in the story.
[ ]	They help the main character in the story.
[ ]	They are friends with the main character.
[ ]	They know the main character.

The dogs are the protagonists in the story because they present a problem for the main character.

9.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
How did you first know Nina liked birds?

[ ]	When she was kicking strawberries.
[ ]	When she began flapping her arms.
[x]	When she looked at the birds on her window sill.
[ ]	When the dogs started to chase her.

At the very beginning of the story, the reader should learn that Nina likes birds when she looks at them on her window sill.

10.

Read the story - Nina the Bird.
Why was Nina actually able to fly?

[ ]	Because she flapped her arms.
[x]	Because she ate the strawberries.
[ ]	Because she liked birds.
[ ]	Because she kicked a can of soda.

The strawberries caused Nina to be able to fly.