Jeopardy:

TCAP Reading Practice

Created by Brittany Ensminger
 TN State Standards- Grade 4

• 0401.8.7 Author’s Purpose

• 0401.8.6 Similes and Metaphors

• 0401.6.2 Main Idea

• 0401.5.3 Fact and Opinions

• 0401.1.14 Meaning Within Context

Author’s Fact & Context Figurative
Main Idea
Purpose Opinion Clues Language

100 100 100 100 100

200 200 200 200 200

300 300 300 300 300

400 400 400 400 400

500 500 500 500 500
100
One of the best-known cartoonists in
the world was Walt Disney. As a boy, Disney
liked to draw. He moved to Hollywood and there
he made cartoons. He was responsible for
creating the characters of Mickey Mouse,
Donald Duck, Pluto the dog, and others.

What is the author’s purpose for writing this passage?

A. to inform the readers that drawing cartoons can make

you famous
B. to inform the readers Disney made well-known cartoon
characters
C. to inform you Pluto is Disney’s best known cartoon
character.
D. to persuade you to follow your dreams
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200
The grapefruit gets its name because the fruit
grows in clumps likes grapes. Years ago, people
grew grapefruit trees for decoration only. Now
the grapefruit is a popular fruit because it
contains vitamins and it’s good for us. It can be
served as juice or eaten raw.

What is the author’s purpose for writing this passage?

A. to persuade readers to pack a grapefruit in their

lunchboxes
B. to inform the readers grapefruits can be yellow or pink
C. to persuade you to grow grapefruit as decoration for
spring time
D. to inform readers grapefruit is a healthy food

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300
The largest bird is the ostrich. This bird is
unable to fly. It can run as fast as a horse. The
ostrich makes use of its feet and legs to
protect itself. It kicks its enemies. Ostriches
eat insects, mice, and snakes.

What is the author’s purpose for writing this passage?

A. to describe the reason why an ostrich can’t fly

B. to describe the smallest bird

C. to describe the habitat of an ostrich

D. to describe the largest bird

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400
Did you know that there are two kinds of
pandas? Both types of pandas live in the high
mountain forests of Asia. The better known of
the two is the giant panda. The giant panda has
a white coat with black legs and ears. The
smaller panda looks like a cat and weighs about
10 pounds.
What is the author’s purpose for writing this passage?

A. to persuade readers to try to save pandas from poachers

B. to inform readers the two kinds of pandas are very
similar
C. to compare and contrast two kinds of pandas
D. to inform readers of the habitats and locations of the
two kinds of pandas

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500
Most surfers find their waves in the ocean, but
in Brazil, surfers find them in the Amazon River.
Each March and April, when the river waters are
highest, strong tides from the Atlantic Ocean
push into the Amazon basin. Surfing for miles up
the river is much more fun that a short ocean
ride. All surfers should try this unique challenge.
What is the author’s purpose for writing this passage?

A. to give details about another way to surf instead of the

ocean
B. to persuade surfers to travel to the Amazon River
C. to give reasons why the Amazon River is the best place to
surf
D. to explain how to surf on the Amazon River

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100
How lucky we are when snow begins to fall!
Something beautiful is coming our way because
the geometry of a snowflake is spectacular.
Snowflakes form when water vapor condenses
into crystals. Although snowflakes are never
identical, they all have six pointed symmetry in
common. Each snowflake is a work of art.
Which sentence from the passage contains an opinion?
A. Although snowflakes are never identical, they all have a
six pointed symmetry in common.
B. Snowflakes form when water vapor condenses into
crystals.
C. Each snowflake is a work of art.
D. How lucky we are when snow begins to fall!

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200
Isaac Asimov was the finest American author. He
was born in Russia in 1920 but came to the United
States with his family when he was three. Asimov
became a professor of biochemistry and a writer.
Most of his books were about science fiction.
Fantastic Voyage was definitely his best book. He
was the most interesting author of his time.
Which of the sentences contain a fact?

A. Isaac Asimov was the finest American author.

B. Asimov became a professor of biochemistry and a writer.
C. Fantastic Voyage was definitely his best book.
D. He was the most interesting author of his time.

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300
One of the most wonderful dogs is the Saint
Bernard. This large, strong animal has a thick
coat and a good sense of direction. In the Alps of
Switzerland, Saint Bernards have been used as
guides to help travelers through mountain passes.
As the dogs pass through thick snow, their deep
chests form tracks that people can follow.
Which of the sentences contain an opinion?

A. Their deep chests form tracks that people can follow.

B. This large, strong animal has a thick coat and a good
sense of direction.
C. Saint Bernards have been used as guides to help
travelers through mountain passes.
D. One of the most wonderful dogs is the Saint Bernard.

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400
Millions of people in Japan write poetry. That is
such a great thing! Everyone should write poems.
Everyone should be passionate about poetry.
Japan has regular radio and television programs
about poetry. It also has more than 2,000 poetry
magazines and newsletters. The country’s national
newspapers carry poetry columns on a daily basis.
Which of the sentences contain a fact?

A. Millions of people in Japan write poetry.

B. That is such a great thing!

C. Everyone should write poems.

D. Everyone should be passionate about poetry.

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 Have you every noticed that the print in comic

500 strips is in capital letters? I find this really

annoying. One reason given is that comic strips
are reduced when printed in newspapers. When print is
reduced, small letters tend to blob up more than big ones.
Another reason is that by using letters that are the same
height, an artist can fit them in the space more easily. I think
that artists probably find using lowercase letters too much of
a challenge. Maybe they don’t know which words to capitalize!
Which of the sentences contain an opinion?
A. Have you ever noticed that the print in comic strips is in
capital letters?
B. When print is reduced, small letters tend to blob up more
than big ones.
C. Maybe they don’t know which words to capitalize!
D. An artist can fit them in the space more easily.
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100
Crows are the robbers of the bird world. Crows
especially like to steal food from other birds.
Sometimes they are bold about taking things.
They might chase another bird, cackle at it, or
even bump into it. At other times crows are
sneaky. They get close and then snatch food
away when the other bird isn’t looking.

What is the main idea of the paragraph?

A. why crows like to take food

B. the kind of food that crows eat

C. how crows act like thieves

Game D. how crows don’t fit in with other birds

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200
The year was 1850. The place was New York
City. A gentleman was on his way to a wedding.
He was all dressed up. However, it had just
rained and the streets were muddy. The man
turned up the bottoms of his pants to keep
them clean. At the wedding, he forgot to turn
them down. That is how the fashion for cuffs
on pants got started.
What is the main idea of the paragraph?

A. what New York City was like in 1850

B. the story behind cuffs on pants

C. how to keep pants clean in the mud

Game D. why you must dress fancy for a wedding

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300
It takes a lot of trucks to get an airplane ready
to fly. Fuel trucks are very important. They fill
the fuel tanks of planes. Baggage trucks carry
people’s suitcases to and from plane. Still other
trucks deliver food. You might also see mail
trucks and cargo trucks. Also standing by at
airports are repair trucks.

What is the main idea of the paragraph?

A. trucks are better than airplanes

B. some trucks carry food

C. airplanes are like trucks

Game D. how trucks help airplanes

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400
The Holland Tunnel is a roadway under the
Hudson River. At one end of the tunnel is New
York City. At the other end is the state of New
Jersey. Almost 50,000 cars and trucks go
through the Holland Tunnel each day. The
distance is just over one and a half miles.
Depending on the time of day, it can be a long
or short trip.
What is the main idea of the paragraph?

A. where the Hudson River is located

B. what the Holland Tunnel is

C. the length of the Holland Tunnel

Game D. what the Hudson River is like

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500
Can you name the planets in our solar system?
Mercury is one of them. Like the other planets,
Mercury moves in a path around the sun.
Mercury travels faster than the other planets.
It speeds along at about 107,000 miles an hour.
Mercury is the planet closest to the sun. Its
days are very hot, and its nights are very cold.
There is no water on Mercury.
What is the main idea of the paragraph?

A. the lack of water on Mercury

B. no one could live on Mercury

C. the planets in the solar system

Game D. what the planet Mercury is like

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100
Leopards hunt for their food at night. These
animals are carnivores and eat only meat. Their
excellent eyesight helps them discover and capture their
prey even in the dark. Because it is a good climber, a
leopard will often drag its dinner into a tree where other
animals cannot reach it. There, the leopard can devour
its meal alone. Unlike lions, leopards are solitary and
antisocial animals.
In this paragraph, the word antisocial must mean

A. Friendly and likable

B. Enjoying groups

C. Extremely hungry

Game D. Not sociable

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 200
The earliest museums were really cabinets of
“curiosities.” They contained various things
assembled by people of wealth. The first of these
museums opened to the public in 1683 in Oxford, England. It was
called the Ashmolean Museum. Its collection included such
curiosities as a stuffed dodo bird and a set of medieval armor.
Visitors paid a fee upon leaving the museum. This fee was
determined by the duration of the visitor’s stay in the museum
admiring the exhibits.

In this paragraph, the word duration must mean

A. other guests C. length of time

B. amount of fun D. kind of place

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 300
The sloth lives in the trees of tropical forests in
Central America. It spends much of its time
hanging upside down from branches. A sloth moves
very slowly, feeding on leaves and fruit as it goes. During the
rainy season, a sloth has a greenish ________. Tiny plants called
green algae live in the sloth’s fur where they capture moisture
from the rain. The algae provide camouflage for the sloth in the
green treetops. Being able to blend in is very helpful because a
sloth could never move quickly enough to escape its enemies.

The best word for the blank in this paragraph is

A. experience C. offspring

B. tinge D. nutrition

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 Watch out for cyclones! These violent tropical

400 storms can cause enormous destruction. Other

names for cyclones are hurricanes and typhoons.
They usually begin in areas of low pressure near the equator
where the sea is especially warm. Warm air rushes toward these
areas and swirls upward in circles over the sea. Within the
center of this spinning mass is the eye of the storm. Around the
eye rage fierce winds and torrential rains. When cyclones hit
land, they can flatten buildings, rip off roofs, and wash away
roads.

In this paragraph, the word torrential must mean

A. soft and gentle C. slow and steady

B. very heavy D. really warm

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 500
President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1883-1945) loved
trees. As a boy, he took great interest in his
family’s land in Hyde Park, New York. He learned
the importance of ________ the land. Later, as president, he
created job programs for unemployed people in the field of
conservation. During the early 1930s, catastrophic dust storms
had stripped away valuable soil in the Great Plains. Roosevelt’s
programs taught farmers how to protect the soil and how to
plant trees as windbreaks to keep the soil from blowing away.

The best word for the blank in the paragraph is

A. destroying C. rather mild

B. preserving D. greatly welcomed

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 The Chinese New Year lasts for 15 days and is

100 observed by Chinese communities the world

over. During this time, many special traditions are
followed. One is the popular Dragon Dance, when people in a
dragon costume twist and prance through the streets. On the
last day of the New Year, when the full moon rises, the Chinese
celebrate the Lantern Festival. Thousands of paper and silk
lanterns twinkle in the dark like magic stars. This happy night
embraces the New Year.

The underlined words in this paragraph are an example of

figurative language called

A. metaphor C. simile

B. personification D. hyperbole
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200
For many people, August is a day in the sun. It is a time
to go to the beach, mountains, or woods. With its warm, sunny
weather, August invites people to play and relax. Some people
also think that August is a good time to smile. No frowning
faces are allowed!

The underlined words in this paragraph are an example of

figurative language called

A. metaphor C. simile

B. personification D. hyperbole
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300 Do you like a little salt on your food? Many
people think food without salt is like eating
cardboard. But throughout history, salt has been important
not for its flavor but as a way to preserve food. Before there
were freezers and refrigerators, meat and fish quickly
became rotten. So people soaked or rubbed these foods in salt
to keep them from going bad. As a result, salt became as
valuable as gold.

The underlined words in this paragraph are an example of

figurative language called

A. metaphor C. simile

B. personification D. hyperbole
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 Standing in front of a tornado is as risky as

400 jumping off a cliff. But scientists have been

trying to do something like this so they can find
out how these storms work. In 1981, researchers designed a
container called TOTO (Totable Tornado Observatory). Inside
TOTO were hundreds of pounds of weather equipment. The
idea was to place TOTO in the path of a tornado so its
equipment could pick up information. However, scientists
decided the experiment was as unsafe as a leaky boat and
dropped the project.
The underlined words in this paragraph are an example of
figurative language called

A. metaphor C. simile

B. personification D. hyperbole
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 A shoe by the roadside is an untold story. Where

500 is the mate? How did it get there? Many people

are curious about shoes lying on the sides of
roads. They have come up with several explanations. One idea is
that the shoes were tossed out of cars by children during
arguments. Another idea is that hikers accidentally dropped a
shoe. A third theory is that the shoes fell out of garbage
trucks. No one knows for sure. The single roadside shoes don’t
tell their secrets.

The underlined words in this paragraph are an example of

figurative language called

A. metaphor C. simile

B. personification D. hyperbole
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