4th Grade ELA Screener

1. What is the author's purpose?

To persuade you to go fishing

To give an opinion

To tell a story that has a message

To give you facts about fishing

The author's purpose is to tell a story that has a message. This can be inferred from the options provided, as the other options such as persuading the reader to go fishing, giving an opinion, or providing facts about fishing do not accurately capture the main purpose of telling a story with a message.

Explanation

The author's purpose is to tell a story that has a message. This can be inferred from the options provided, as the other options such as persuading the reader to go fishing, giving an opinion, or providing facts about fishing do not accurately capture the main purpose of telling a story with a message.

2. Which detail supports the main idea?

Smoke from the pits would guide the fishermen home.

The boats were kept at the docks.

The men faced a long day at sea.

The wives and daughters prepared the haddock the fishermen had caught.

The detail that supports the main idea is that the wives and daughters prepared the haddock the fishermen had caught. This detail shows that the fishermen were successful in their fishing expedition and that their catch was being taken care of by their family members. It also implies that the main idea of the passage is likely about the close-knit community and the roles that different members play in supporting each other's livelihoods.

Explanation

The detail that supports the main idea is that the wives and daughters prepared the haddock the fishermen had caught. This detail shows that the fishermen were successful in their fishing expedition and that their catch was being taken care of by their family members. It also implies that the main idea of the passage is likely about the close-knit community and the roles that different members play in supporting each other's livelihoods.

3. What is the main idea of this text?

The wives of Scottish fishermen carried their husbands to work and back.

Smoked haddock was a family affair.

The main idea of the text is that the wives and daughters of Scottish fishermen played a crucial role in the fishing business.

Explanation

The main idea of the text is that the wives and daughters of Scottish fishermen played a crucial role in the fishing business.

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 magic fish tries to find the river where it came from.

A kind fisherman helps a magic fish.

A fisherman learns the value of what he already has.

Three men get wishes.

The main theme of this passage is that a fisherman learns the value of what he already has. The story shows how the first fisherman, despite being offered three wishes by a magic fish, realizes that he is content with his life and does not need anything more. The second fisherman also learns to appreciate the simple things in life as he asks for basic necessities like lunch, bait, and new boots. The passage emphasizes the idea that true happiness can be found by appreciating and being grateful for what one already possesses.

Explanation

The main theme of this passage is that a fisherman learns the value of what he already has. The story shows how the first fisherman, despite being offered three wishes by a magic fish, realizes that he is content with his life and does not need anything more. The second fisherman also learns to appreciate the simple things in life as he asks for basic necessities like lunch, bait, and new boots. The passage emphasizes the idea that true happiness can be found by appreciating and being grateful for what one already possesses.

5. 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?

The characters are too extraordinary to be real.

The passage has the qualities of a legend.

Scottish fishing villages are fictional.

Actual places, practices, and people are described.

The correct answer is "Actual places, practices, and people are described." This is evident from the passage as it provides specific details about Scottish fishing villages in the nineteenth century, the production of smoked haddock, the role of fishwives, the process of smoking fish, and the selling of smoked fish at markets. These details suggest that the passage is describing real places, practices, and people, making it a nonfiction text.

Explanation

The correct answer is "Actual places, practices, and people are described." This is evident from the passage as it provides specific details about Scottish fishing villages in the nineteenth century, the production of smoked haddock, the role of fishwives, the process of smoking fish, and the selling of smoked fish at markets. These details suggest that the passage is describing real places, practices, and people, making it a nonfiction text.

6. Choose the best title for this story.

A Huge Fish

The Three Fishermen

The Man Who Waited So Long

The Magic Fish

The correct title for this story is "A Huge Fish" because the story is likely about an encounter or adventure involving a massive fish. The other options, such as "The Three Fishermen," "The Man Who Waited So Long," and "The Magic Fish," do not specifically indicate the presence of a large fish in the story.

Explanation

The correct title for this story is "A Huge Fish" because the story is likely about an encounter or adventure involving a massive fish. The other options, such as "The Three Fishermen," "The Man Who Waited So Long," and "The Magic Fish," do not specifically indicate the presence of a large fish in the story.