4th Grade ELA Screener
- 1.In some Scottish fishing villages in the nineteenth century, the production of smoked haddock, a popular fish, was a family affair.Before the fishermen went out for the day's catch, their wives carried the men on their shoulders from the docks to the boats. This way, the men wouldn't get wet before they faced a long day at sea.While the men fished for haddock, the second job of the fishwives, as they were called, was to prepare hundreds of hooks for the next trip. The women and their daughters would bait the hooks while a previous catch was being prepared. The haddock were prepared by a process called smoking. The fish were hung on poles across pits that were dug into the beaches or the sides of cliffs. The women built fires in the pits and placed empty sacks over the pits to capture the smoke. Sometimes, the smoke from the pits would guide the fishermen home from sea.Often, the wives sold the smoked fish at markets. They had to get to the markets on foot, sometimes walking as many as twenty miles. When the fishing was done and the men had followed the trail of smoke home, the wives would show their appreciation for the new catch by meeting the boats and carrying their husbands back to shore. 1. How do you know this is a nonfiction text?
- A.
The characters are too extraordinary to be real.
- B.
The passage has the qualities of a legend.
- C.
Scottish fishing villages are fictional.
- D.
Actual places, practices, and people are described.
- 2.What is the main idea of this text?
- A.
The second job of the fishwives was to prepare hundreds of hooks for the next trip.
- B.
The wives and daughters of Scottish fishermen had a very important role in the fishing business.
- C.
The wives of Scottish fishermen carried their husbands to work and back.
- D.
Smoked haddock was a family affair.
- 3.Which detail supports the main idea?
- A.
Smoke from the pits would guide the fishermen home.
- B.
The boats were kept at the docks.
- C.
The men faced a long day at sea.
- D.
The wives and daughters prepared the haddock the fishermen had caught.
- 4.The Magic Fish Everyone knows the story of the fisherman who one day pulled a magic fish from the river. Not only was the fish huge, but it could also talk. It said in a small voice, "Fisherman, throw me back into the river, and I'll grant you three wishes.""I don't need any wishes," the man said. "My life is great just the way it is." And he threw the fish back into the river.The next day another fisherman came along. Again, the magic fish was caught. "Fisherman," said the huge fish in a small voice, "throw me back into the river and I'll grant you three wishes.""Hmm, let's see," said the man. "How about some lunch, fresh bait for my hook, and a new pair of boots without holes in them?" The fish granted the man his wishes and leapt back into the river.The next day yet another fisherman came along. News of the magic fish had spread throughout the village. All day he fished, and he caught lots of huge fish to feed his hungry family. But not a single one of them could talk.After a while, he started getting hungry too. Finally, he decided not to wait any longer. He would just have to choose -- eat well tonight or go hungry wishing for things he didn't have? When he thought about it that way, he decided to go home to his family. 4. What is the main theme of this passage?
- A.
A magic fish tries to find the river where it came from.
- B.
A kind fisherman helps a magic fish.
- C.
A fisherman learns the value of what he already has.
- D.
Three men get wishes.
- 5.Choose the best title for this story.
- A.
A Huge Fish
- B.
The Three Fishermen
- C.
The Man Who Waited So Long
- D.
The Magic Fish
- 6.What is the author’s purpose?
- A.
To persuade you to go fishing
- B.
To give an opinion
- C.
To tell a story that has a message
- D.
To give you facts about fishing
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