4th Grade STAAR READING Passage: 2024
Reading Answer Key
Reading Item Rationale
Reading Student Expectations Tested
Here is a glossary of selected Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words from the STAAR Grade 4 Reading passage, with example sentences from the passage:
dike (Tier 3) - A mound of earth that is built to control water. "In winter, we walked across the river to touch Minnesota." (The river was frozen so they could walk across the dike.)
fascination (Tier 2) - A strong interest or excitement about something. "I studied for this test like I had a fascination with this “shun” sensation!"
genre (Tier 3) - A category or type of literature or art. The passages include different genres such as poems, stories, articles, and plays.
inferences (Tier 2) - Conclusions reached based on reasoning and evidence. "Based on details in the poem, which statement best describes how the speaker most likely feels about Max?" (Making an inference about the speaker's feelings based on evidence in the poem.)
perspective (Tier 3) - A point of view. "Which sentence best helps the reader understand that the story is told from the first-person point of view?" (Identifying the narrative perspective.)
phonetics (Tier 3) - The study of speech sounds and pronunciation. "When you hear a word that ends with the “shun” sound, you just have to write t-i-o-n at the end of it." (Referring to recognizing a phonetic spelling pattern.)
plot (Tier 2) - The events that form a story. "The playwright includes the stage directions at the beginning of each scene mainly to explain the characters’ feelings and actions." (The stage directions help convey the plot.)
stanza (Tier 3) - A group of lines in a poem. The poem is divided into four stanzas.
summarize (Tier 2) - To express the main idea clearly and concisely. "What is the best summary of the selection “Bouncing Around”?" (Summarizing the main ideas of the passage.)
syntax (Tier 3) - The arrangement of words and phrases to create sentences. The syntax of the poem includes short lines and phrases.
theme (Tier 2) - The underlying message or main idea of a text. "’The Gift of Rhyme’ has a common theme." (Identifying the theme of the play.)
Passage: Sea Turtles
Sea turtles are reptiles that live in tropical and subtropical oceans around the world. There are seven species of sea turtle, including the green turtle, loggerhead turtle, and leatherback turtle. Sea turtles cannot retract their head and limbs into their shell like land turtles can. Their streamlined bodies and large flippers make them excellent swimmers adapted to life in the ocean.
Sea turtles migrate long distances between feeding and nesting grounds. They may swim more than 1,000 miles each way on their migration routes. Female sea turtles return to the same beach where they hatched to lay their eggs. The female drags her heavy body up the beach, digs a nest in the sand, and deposits around 100 rubbery eggs. She then covers the nest and returns to the ocean. The eggs incubate for 50-60 days before hatching.
Baby sea turtles are called hatchlings. They emerge from the nest at night and instinctively head toward the brightest horizon which reflects off the ocean. This enables them to reach the water while avoiding land predators. Once hatchlings reach the ocean, they swim continuously for 24 hours to reach deeper water. Less than 1% of hatchlings survive to adulthood. Despite the odds, sea turtles live long lives, up to 80 years.
Although sea turtles have survived for over 100 million years, today their populations are under threat. Pollution, habitat loss, hunting, and entanglement all endanger sea turtles. However, conservation efforts aim to protect key nesting beaches and promote sustainable fishing methods to ensure sea turtles survive for future generations.
Questions:
1. One-Part Hot Text: How do hatchling sea turtles instinctively navigate to the ocean after hatching?
A. They head toward the brightest horizon which reflects off the water.
2. Multiple Choice: Approximately how many eggs does a female sea turtle lay in one nest?
A. 20
B. 50
C. 100
D. 150
3. Open Response: Describe two threats to sea turtle populations mentioned in the passage. Use details from the passage in your response.
Sample answer: Two threats to sea turtles mentioned in the passage are pollution and habitat loss. The passage states that pollution endangers sea turtles. Also, the loss of nesting beaches is a threat because female sea turtles rely on those same beaches to lay their eggs.
4. Multi-Select: Which of the following are true about sea turtle migration? Select all that apply.
A. They swim more than 1,000 miles between nesting and feeding grounds.
B. Males and females both return to their hatching beach to nest.
C. Migration occurs between tropical and subtropical oceans.
5. Evidence-Based Selected Response: Which quote from the passage best supports the idea that sea turtle hatchlings are vulnerable?
A. "Less than 1% of hatchlings survive to adulthood."
B. "Once hatchlings reach the ocean, they swim continuously for 24 hours to reach deeper water."
C. "They emerge from the nest at night and instinctively head toward the brightest horizon."
6. Editing Task: There is one spelling error in this sentence from the passage:
Pollution, habitat lose, hunting, and entanglement all endanger sea turtles.
What is the correct spelling of the underlined word in the sentence?
A. loss
7. Prose Constructed Response: Explain how a sea turtle's physical adaptations help it survive in the marine environment. Use details from the passage to support your response.
Sample answer: A sea turtle's streamlined body and large flippers make it an excellent swimmer, adapted for life in the ocean. Its flippers enable it to swim long migrations of over 1,000 miles. Its hydrodynamic body allows it to swim continuously for long periods. These physical adaptations help the sea turtle survive in the marine environment where it needs to migrate long distances and find food.
It was the first day of summer vacation. Maya woke up excited for the adventures ahead. She ate a quick breakfast and packed a bag with sunscreen, a swimsuit, and a towel. Her best friend Kai lived next door, and they had planned to spend the day at the community pool.
When Maya got to the pool, she saw Kai waiting by the entrance. "I'm so glad summer is finally here!" said Kai. The pool was packed with kids already splashing and playing. Maya and Kai found lounge chairs and laid out their towels. They rubbed sunscreen on their arms and legs so they wouldn't get burnt.
For the rest of the morning, Maya and Kai went down the twisty slides, played volleyball in the pool, and swam laps. They got hungry around noon, so they bought hot dogs and chips from the snack bar.
After lunch, Maya and Kai decided to cool off under the shade. "This is the best start to summer ever," said Maya. She couldn't wait to see what fun adventures the rest of the vacation would bring.
Reading Comprehension Questions Questions:
1. One-Part Hot Text: What did Maya and Kai do right after they arrived at the pool?
2. Multiple Choice: What did Maya bring in her bag to the pool?
A. A swimsuit and towel
B. Sunscreen and goggles
C. A swimsuit, towel, and sunscreen
D. A towel, sunscreen, and snacks
3. Open Response: Describe two activities Maya and Kai did at the pool. Use details from the passage in your response.
4. Multi-Select: Which of the following happened first in the passage? Select all that apply.
A. Maya ate breakfast
B. Maya met Kai at the pool entrance
C. Maya and Kai played volleyball
5. Evidence-Based Selected Response: Which quote from the passage best shows how Maya felt about the start of summer vacation?
A. "She couldn't wait to see what fun adventures the rest of the vacation would bring."
B. "They got hungry around noon, so they bought hot dogs and chips from the snack bar."
C. "For the rest of the morning, Maya and Kai went down the twisty slides, played volleyball in the pool, and swam laps."
6. Editing Task: There is one spelling mistake in this sentence from the passage:
They rubbed sunscreen on their arms and leges so they wouldn't get burnt.
What is the correct spelling of the underlined word in the sentence?
7. Prose Constructed Response: What events in the passage show that Maya and Kai enjoyed their day at the pool? Use details from the passage to support your response.
Here is a sample nonfiction passage and questions that could appear on a 4th-grade STAAR reading test:
Passage:
Komodo Dragons
The Komodo dragon is a type of monitor lizard that lives on several Indonesian islands. It is the largest lizard species in the world. An adult Komodo dragon can grow over 10 feet long and weigh up to 150 pounds.
Komodo dragons are carnivores that will eat almost any type of meat. They use their long, yellow forked tongues to detect smells and locate prey. When hunting, Komodo dragons rely on their keen sense of smell. They can locate an animal carcass over 6 miles away.
Once a Komodo dragon finds its prey, it attacks with stealth. The lizard lunges forward and uses its strong jaws and sharp teeth to kill the animal. Komodo dragons have venom in their saliva that causes blood loss and shock in prey. Even if the initial attack does not kill the prey, the venom disables the victim so the Komodo dragon can easily track it down.
After eating, Komodo dragons relax and digest for several days. Their jaws can swallow up to 80 percent of their own body weight in one meal. The digestive process takes so long because their metabolism is very slow.
Komodo dragons are powerful predators and the top of the food chain in their island habitats. Their hunting skills and venom make them perfectly adapted to thrive in the wild.
Questions:
1. One-Part Hot Text: How does a Komodo dragon locate prey from far away?
2. Multiple Choice: Based on the passage, an adult Komodo dragon can weigh up to ____ pounds.
A. 50
B. 100
C. 150
D. 200
3. Open Response: Describe two ways Komodo dragons are well-adapted as predators. Use details from the passage in your response.
4. Multi-Select: Which of the following are true about Komodo dragons? Choose all that apply.
A. They have venom that helps them disable prey.
B. They can eat more than their own body weight in one meal.
C. They rely on speed rather than stealth when hunting.
5. Evidence-Based Selected Response: Which statement from the passage best supports the idea that Komodo dragons are skilled hunters?
A. "Komodo dragons rely on their keen sense of smell."
B. "They can locate an animal carcass over 6 miles away."
C. "Once a Komodo dragon finds its prey, it attacks with stealth."
6. Editing Task: There is one spelling error in this sentence from the passage:
The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard species in the world.
What is the correct spelling of the underlined word in the sentence above?
7. Prose Constructed Response: Explain how a Komodo dragon's physical characteristics and hunting behaviors help it survive in the wild. Use details from the passage to support your response.
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