Read and Comprehend Grade-Level Literature Practice Test

Read the story.

The library’s new “mystery box” sat on a table near the door, wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. A sign said: “Guess what’s inside by using clues!” Lina leaned closer and noticed a faint rattling sound when someone bumped the table.

Ms. Chen, the librarian, handed Lina a clue card. It read, “I travel far, but I never walk.” Lina frowned, thinking hard. She shook the box gently and heard a soft clink, like coins or keys. Another card said, “I help people find their way.”

Lina pictured a compass, but the clink didn’t sound right. Then she remembered her dad’s old keychain that jingled when he drove. “Travel far… never walk… help people find their way,” she murmured. “A map?” she guessed, but maps don’t clink.

Finally, Lina smiled. “It’s a set of keys for a vehicle,” she said, “because cars travel far and keys jingle.” Ms. Chen untied the string and revealed a toy bus with a small key ring attached. “Close enough,” Ms. Chen said. “You used the clues, not just a guess.”

Why did Lina change her mind about the compass?

Read the story.

On the day of the class talent share, Niko’s stomach fluttered like a small bird. He had practiced a short drum rhythm on his desk at home, but the classroom felt louder and brighter. “You don’t have to go first,” his teacher, Mr. Reyes, reminded him. Niko watched as Ava did a jump-rope trick and as Jordan told a funny joke. Each time someone finished, the class clapped, and the sound was warm, not sharp. Niko held his drumsticks, and his hands felt a little sweaty. When Mr. Reyes asked who was next, Niko surprised himself by raising his hand. He walked to the front and sat on a stool that wobbled once. “I made this rhythm for rainy days,” he said, because rain always helped him think. He tapped slowly at first, then faster, making a pattern like footsteps on a sidewalk. A few students nodded their heads to the beat. When he finished, the room was quiet for a second, and then the clapping burst out. Niko’s chest felt lighter, as if he had opened a window. Later, he told Mr. Reyes, “I thought I would freeze.” Mr. Reyes smiled and said, “Courage can be quiet, but it still counts.”

How did Niko probably feel when the class started clapping?