3rd Grade Reading Quiz: Read Grade Level Informational Texts

Volcanoes form when hot melted rock rises up from deep inside Earth. This melted rock is called magma. Deep down, heat and pressure melt the rock. When the pressure gets high, it pushes the magma up through cracks in the ground. Once the magma reaches the top, it is called lava. The lava can flow down the sides. As it cools, it turns into new rock.

Why does magma move through cracks in Earth's crust?

Camouflage helps animals stay safe by blending into their home. In winter, the Arctic fox has white fur that matches the snow. This makes it hard to spot. In spring, its fur turns brown to match the rocky ground after the snow melts. The walking stick insect looks like a twig, with a bumpy shape and brown color. Because of this, other animals may walk right past it.

What can you conclude from this passage?

Solar panels turn light into power. Each panel makes power from the sun. This power goes to a home. People add panels to save money.

According to the text, why do many people add solar panels to their homes?

Camouflage helps animals hide from danger. A fox changes fur color from winter to spring. An insect can look like a twig, and this helps it hide too.

What can you conclude from this passage?

Read the passage. Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity that can power homes and businesses. Each panel has photovoltaic cells made from silicon, a material that captures light energy. When sunlight hits these cells, it knocks electrons loose, and the moving electrons create an electric current. Wires carry this current to an inverter, which changes it into the type of electricity buildings use. Solar panels work best when they are positioned to get lots of sunlight during the day. How does an inverter work based on the passage?

Erosion shaped the Grand Canyon. For a long time, wind, water, and ice wore away rock. This left behind tall walls of colorful stone.

The passage explains that erosion shaped the canyon. What example does it give?

Deep under the ground, heat melts rock into a thick liquid. This liquid is called magma. Magma pushes up through cracks in the ground, and it flows out of a volcano. Once it flows out, magma gets a new name: lava. Lava moves down the sides of a volcano, and it slowly cools into hard rock.

Based on the passage, what new name does magma get once it flows out onto the surface?

Camouflage helps animals blend in to stay safe. The Arctic fox has white fur in winter, but it turns brown in the spring. A walking stick insect looks like a twig.

What is the main idea of this passage?

Read the passage. Metamorphosis is the remarkable change some animals undergo during their life cycle. In butterflies, the process begins when eggs are laid on a plant. A caterpillar, or larva, hatches and eats leaves for weeks as it grows. Next, it forms a chrysalis, which is a protective shell. Inside the chrysalis, the body reorganizes into new parts, including wings and antennae. About two weeks later, an adult butterfly emerges and can fly. What example does the passage give of metamorphosis?

Read the passage. Metamorphosis is a remarkable transformation some animals go through during their life cycle. A butterfly begins when a female lays eggs on a plant. A larva, called a caterpillar, hatches and spends weeks eating leaves and growing. When it is fully grown, it forms a protective shell called a chrysalis. Inside, its body reorganizes completely. After about two weeks, an adult butterfly emerges and can fly and reproduce. What does the word transformation mean in this passage?

Camouflage helps animals stay safe by blending into their surroundings. In winter, the fox has white fur that matches the snow. In spring, its fur turns brown to match the rocks. The walking stick insect looks just like a twig. It is brown with a bumpy shape. Other animals often walk right past it.

The passage explains camouflage. What example does it give?

Long ago, the Maya lived in Mexico. They built stone pyramids by hand. The Maya watched the sky, and they made calendars. Farmers grew corn and beans.

Which detail from the passage shows that the Maya were skilled thinkers?

Solar panels turn sunlight into power. Each panel has parts that catch light from the sun. When light hits these parts, tiny bits of energy start to move. This makes a current, and the current flows to power homes.

How does a solar panel make electricity, based on the passage?

Camouflage helps animals stay safe by blending into their surroundings. In winter, the fox has fur that matches the snow. This makes it hard for others to see it. In spring, its fur turns brown to match the rocks. The walking stick insect looks like a twig, with brown color and a bumpy shape. Other animals often walk right past it.

What is the main idea of this passage?

Volcanoes form when hot melted rock rises up from deep inside Earth. This melted rock is called magma. Deep down, heat and pressure melt rock into magma. When the pressure gets high, the magma pushes up through cracks in the ground. Once the magma reaches the top, it is called lava. The lava flows down the sides of the volcano. As the lava cools, it gets hard and turns into new rock. Bit by bit, this rock builds up the tall shape of the volcano. Some volcanoes shoot ash and rock into the air. Others let lava flow out slowly.

According to the text, what is magma called after it reaches the surface?

Deep under the ground, heat and pressure turn rock into a thick liquid called magma. Magma pushes up through cracks, and it flows out of a volcano. Once it flows out, magma is called lava. Lava can harm plants and homes as it flows.

Based on the passage, what can happen after lava flows out of a volcano?

The Grand Canyon is a huge place in Arizona. It is 277 miles long and more than a mile deep. A river cut the canyon over millions of years. Water, wind, and ice slowly wore away the rock. This made the deep canyon and its colorful walls. People can see rock near the bottom that is very old. Many people come each year to see it.

According to the text, what caused the Grand Canyon to form?

The Maya lived in Central America for a long time. The Maya built huge stone pyramids. They did this without any modern tools. They made their own writing system. It used small pictures called symbols. Maya sky watchers looked at the stars. They used what they saw to make good calendars. Maya farmers grew corn, beans, and squash. Long ago, the Maya cities got much smaller. Today, many Maya people still live in Mexico. They keep many of their old ways.

Which detail shows that the Maya were advanced thinkers?

Camouflage helps animals stay safe by blending in. The Arctic fox has white fur in winter that matches the snow. In spring, its fur turns brown to match the ground.

What is the main idea of this passage?

The sun makes light. Solar panels take in this light. Wires carry the light to a machine. The machine is called an inverter. The inverter changes the light into power. Homes can use this power. Many people put panels on their roofs.

How does an inverter work, based on the passage?