Grade 4 Module 1: What Makes Us Who

We Are?
Essential Question: How do your experiences help shape your
identity?
“Experience is the teacher of all things.” –Julius Ceasar

The Story of You &

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

Vocabulary Questions
Select the correct vocabulary word from the word bank for the sentences
below. Each word is used twice; meaning sentence and context sentence.

Word Bank

identity mundane cynic profound inadvertent

ly

considered defiance experience obliged

pursuit disdain consumed wisdom descended

1. When Sam refused to join the others, he was acting in

______________________ of the rules.

2. The squirrels ________________________ a pile of peanuts as we

watched.

3. The glider gently ______________________________ to Earth.

4. If you ___________________________, you did what you were asked or

expected to do.

5. Teresa treats everyone with __________________________ until she

 gets to know them.

6. A _______________________________ thought is one that is deep and

meaningful.

7. Jorge __________________________ the suggestion but decided to write

on a different topic.

8. If you act in ____________________________, you know something is

not allowed, but you do it anyway.

9. Someone who is _______________________________ is ordinary and

often dull.

10.My sister is a _____________________________, while I never worry.

11.A ______________________________ is someone who always expects

bad things to happen.

12.Glynn didn’t want to rake the leaves, but he

_____________________________.

13.If you ________________________________ something, you thought

about it carefully.

14.She is too ________________________________ to appreciate the joys of

mountain climbing.

15.If something ______________________________, it came down or spread

around.

16.If you ____________________________ something, you ate it.

17.Kayla had her most _________________________________ thoughts at

night.

18.If you treat someone with _________________________, you act as if he

 or she is unimportant or not as good as you are.

19.Although he had acted ________________________________, he still had

to pay for the damage.

20.If you act ______________________________________, you do something

by mistake or without realizing it.

Reading Comprehension Questions

The Story of You
1. What is the topic of this selection?
a. how to tell a story about one’s life
b. how to analyze a biography
c. how to read a photo essay
d. how to highlight Big Idea Words

2. What is the central, or main, idea?

a. Photo essays are written to tell about one’s life.
b. You can write a story about your own life by including the main
events, people and places in your life.
c. Biographies are written in a photo essay format.
d. One could write photo essay to tell their life stories.

3. What details about the characters support the central, or main, idea?
a. Your family members and friends could be some of the main
characters in your life story.
b. Your neighbors can be heroes in your life story.
c. Your pet should have a part in your life story.
d. All of the above.

4. What details about settings support the central, or main, idea?

a. The place where you live is a key part of your life story.
 b. The place where you go, for example your school, is a key part of
your life story.
c. The place where you visit is a key part of your life story.
d. All of the above.

5. How did the author organize the text to support the central, or main,
idea? Select all correct statements.
a. The author uses the features of a photo essay, like events,
characters, and setting, in different sections of the text, along with
numerous photos.
b. The author introduces the main characters, setting and photos to
tell an exciting story.
c. The author uses the information in the photo essay to relate
them to a person’s life and shows how it can be used to tell one’s
life story.
d. The information in the photo essays are a fun way to illustrate a
person’s life.

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

1. Do you think Donald’s wife is excited about her birthday present? Select
a statement with the correct text evidence.
a. Yes, she goes right to cleaning.
b. No, she goes right back to reading her book after he explains
what her present is.
c. Yes, she loves technology and looks forward to using it.
d. No, she has no interest in her birthday present and could care
less about what it does.
2. What do you learn through the words and images on pages 22-23?
① The words and images and to the point.
② The words help the reader know that the characters are surprised
by the vacuum’s power.
③ The images show just how powerful and out of control the vacuum
 appears to be.
④ The images depict the technological advancement in a comical way.
a. 1 & 3
b. 2 & 3
c. 2 & 4
d. 1, 2 & 3

3. The author’s purpose for writing Flora & Ulysses is to entertain the
reader. Select the correct text evidence that supports this statement.
a. It is very funny when Donald says the vacuum is “multi-terrain”
and can be used outside
b. It is silly to see a picture of Donald being scared of the vacuum.
c. The reader can laugh at the comical tone of the illustration.
d. All of the above

4. Why is Flora ignoring her mother?

a. Flora’s mother wants her to stop reading comic books.
b. Flora’s mother had Flora sign a contract about comic books.
c. Flora’s mother wants her to spend more time reading literature.
d. All of the above.

5. Why do you think Flora likes to imagine words floating above her head?
Select all possible answers.
a. She wants to be the main character just as if she were actually in
the comic.
b. She likes reading comics, so she imagines the words are in a
“comic-stop bubble” above her head.
c. She has said that the words give her comfort, and she likes the
way they sound.
d. She thinks that’s the best way to express her thoughts; unstated
and in a bubble.
6. What do you think Flora means when she describes Mrs. Tickham as
being “a few bolts of a load”?
a. Flora means that Mrs. Tickham isn’t very smart. Flora says that
“it didn’t look like Mrs. Tickham knew what she was doing.”
b. Flora meant to return Mrs. Tickham’s tools. She is referring to
how Mrs. Tickham can use a screw driver to tighten that bolt.
c. Flora is referring to the jet plane and not Mrs. Tickham. In the
texts she says “It sounded as if a jet plane had landed in the
Tickham’s backyard.”
d. Flora wants to comment on Mrs. Tickham’s brightness. She is
saying it in a roundabout way.

7. Flora repeats Alfred T. Slipper’s words “This malfeasance must be

stopped.” What does it mean?
a. malfeasance means misconduct or wrongdoing
b. malfeasance means that Alfred T. Slipper is a superhero
c. malfeasance means that Icandesto who is really the janitor is not
conducting himself in the right way
d. none of the above

8. Figurative language often includes words that help them visualize what
is happening. It can also help them hear what is happening with special
sound words. How do the words “poof” and “fwump” add to the story?
a. They are sound-effect words and can help the reader imagine
what it would sound like when the squirrel gets vacuumed up.
b. They are simile and can help the reader compare the sound of a
squirrel getting vacuumed up to “poof” and “fwump”.
c. They are onomatopoeia and can help the reader with the sounds
Flora is making.
d. They are implied metaphors and the reader can understand the
sounds of the vacuum.

9. Which part of paragraph 41 shows exaggeration through the use of a

hyperbole?
 This “thought” is then repeated with small variations (e.g.,
Where’s the food? Man, I sure am hungry. Is that a piece of food?
And Are there more pieces of food?) some six or seven thousand
times a day.
a. The beginning when “thought” appears in the sentence. Squirrels
don’t have “thoughts”.
b. The middle when an example is stated; (e.g., Where’s the food?
Man, I sure am hungry…)
c. The last part of the paragraph that says an average squirrel’s
thought is repeated “some six or seven thousand times a day”.
d. All of the above.

10. How does exaggeration help to describe the squirrel’s personality?

a. It shows that all squirrels think about is getting food to eat.
b. It shows that squirrels think throughout the day.
c. It shows what times of the day thoughts are running through a
squirrel’s head.
d. It shows that squirrels are interested in thinking.

11. An aha moment is when a character realizes something significant

about himself or herself or the world around them. This causes a change
in their actions and their understanding about themselves. Identify the
aha moment on page 29?
a. Flora ran from her room. She ran down the stairs.
b. As she ran, she thought, For a cynic, I am a surprisingly helpful
person.
c. Her mother called to her. She said, “Where are you going, Flora
Belle?”
d. Sometimes she didn’t answer her mother when she called her
Flora, either.

12. What words on page 30 appear in special type? Select all possible
answers.
a. “The Illuminated Adventures of Amazing Incandesto!”
b. “Move out of the way,”
c. “Terrible Things Can Happen to You!”
d. plop

13. Why did the author use special type for these words?
a. The author wants to draw the reader’s attention to the comic
titles.
b. The author wants to draw the reader’s attention to the new
vocabulary words.
c. The author wants to highlight the key ideas and/or conversations
on the page.
d. The author wants to show the difference between the two titles.

14. Flora uses what Terrible Things Can Happen to You! says about
administering CPR on a human and apply it to helping the squirrel. What is
Mrs. Tickham’s reaction?
a. If she were forced to describe it, she would say that it tasted
exactly like squirrel: fuzzy, damp, slightly nutty.
b. “Have you lost your mind?” said Mrs. Tickham.
c. Breathed into the squirrel’s mouth. She pushed down on his small
chest. She started to count.
d. Breathe!

15. When Flora gives the squirrel CPR, what does it tell you about Flora’s
personality?
a. It shows that she is a helpful, caring person.
b. It shows that she ignores Mrs. Tickham.
c. It shows that she has done CPR on a squirrel before.
d. It shows that she likes to read comic books.
16. How does the squirrel show Flora and Mrs. Tickham that he is anything
but mundane?
a. By coming back alive, he shows them that he can come back
from the dead.
b. By picking up the vacuum cleaner, he shows them that he is not
ordinary.
c. By thanking them, he shows that he is a gracious squirrel.
d. By running away, he shows that he is an ordinary squirrel.

17. Does the squirrel’s personality change after finding he has these
amazing powers?
a. His personality doesn’t change. He is still focused on the dull
things in live, like finding food.
b. Although he has super strength, he only thinks about being
hungry.
c. According to the text, “The squirrel was still a squirrel.”
d. All of the above.

18. How does the text on page 36 reinforce Flora’s concept about herself
as being a cynic? Select the correct statement with text evidence.
a. She thinks that a tragedy, like Mrs. Tickham’s having a brain
tumor, would be a very likely possibility. According to her book,
tragedy is always sitting there waiting for a person, and a person
would have no idea that it was coming.
b. She thinks that a tragedy like the squirrel getting sucked up can
happen at any time. Just like the comic books, bad things happen
all the time.
c. She thinks that tragedies are too common. From her book,
tragedy is always around and only thing that is uncertain is when it
will strike.
d. She thinks that tragedies only happen in the books. The comic
reading is just a fun way to spend her free time. She decides not to
 think too hard about it.

19. What does the squirrel have in common with other superheroes that
Flora has read about in her comics?
a. They are both born to be superheroes from the beginning.
b. Squirrel became a superhero because of a ridiculous and unlikely
circumstance: being sucked up into a Ulysses 2000X.
c. Superheroes were born of ridiculous and unlikely circumstances:
spider bites, chemical spills, planetary dislocation, and in the case
of Alfred T. Slipper, from accidental submersion in an industrial size
vat of cleaning solution called Incadensto!
d. Both Squirrel and Alfred T. Slipper have brain tumor.

20. What is the aha moment on page 38?

a. Could he be a superhero, too?
b. They had no idea of the astonishing acts of heroism, the blinding
light, contained within his outward, humdrum disguise. Flora
realizes the squirrel is a superhero.
c. After Mrs. Tickham refers to the vacuum as “the Ulysses,” Flora
realizes that this would be the perfect name for the squirrel with
super powers.
d. Flora felt a shiver run from the back of her head to the base of
her spine. The squirrel was Alfred T. Slipper!

21. How has the squirrel changed on page 39?

a. He suddenly sees things that are beautiful.
b. He understands what Flora is saying to him.
c. He notices things that he has never noticed before.
d. All of the above.

22. What message does the author want to share?

a. She wants the readers to know that small animals such as
 squirrels can be superheroes too.
b. She wants readers to realize that they may have gifts or abilities
that have yet to be uncovered.
c. She wants the readers to know that reading comic books are not
bad.
d. She wants the readers to know how to care about their neighbors
even when they might not like them as a person.

Yes! We Are Latinos & The Year of the Rat

Vocabulary Questions

1. When you are relying on someone,

a. you ask them for a favor

b. you are trusting or depending on that person

c. you ask them to do your job

d. you don’t trust them to do what you ask

2. If you have doubts,

a. you do not worry about your immediate needs

b. you are carefree

c. you aren’t sure about something

d. you are self assured

3. In an awkward situation,

a. things are incomprehensible

b. things feel tense and uncomfortable

c. things are relaxed and comfortable

d. things are functioning as normal

4. A person’s heritage is

a. arts, culture and traditions

b. holidays and traditions observed by one’s choice

c. oral history; told from one generation to the next

d. the beliefs and traditions passed down from the people who lived
before him or her

5. If action is clumsy

a. it happens in a careless way

b. it happens in a thought out manner

c. it happens in a methodological order

d. it always leads to mistakes

6. If something is ancient

a. it is very, very old

b. it is dug out from archeologists

c. it is found by historians

d. it is passed down as tradition.

7. Resolutions are

a. solutions to a question posed

b. promises to do or not do something

c. means to an end

d. theoretical and not practiced

Reading Comprehension Questions

Yes! We Are Latinos
1. Why did the authors use Spanish words?
 a. The Spanish words are to show that he is from Mexico.
b. The Spanish words show that the boy is bilingual through the
conversation with his grandfather.
c. The Spanish is spoken in Tampa, Florida, Nicaragua, and Cuba.
d. The Spanish is shown to show his heritage and current location.

2. Why do you think the authors chose to write this selection in first
person?
a. The author wants the story to be told by Jose Miguel.
b. First person allows the authors to show what the characters are
feeling in their own words.
c. First person is used so that the author can use Spanish.
d. All of the above.

3. How does José Miguel feel about his experience with Roger? Select a
statement with the correct text evidence.
a. He feels annoyed by Roger because Roger only pretends to be
friendly, slaps him too hard, and makes fun of his name.
b. He feels awkward with gestures that are foreign to him. He
doesn’t know Roger well.
c. He likes the attention he gets from Roger despite the fact that he
is getting slapped too hard.
d. He feels misunderstood. He doesn’t like Roger at all and would
just like to go unnoticed.

4. Why would José Miguel rather be soaked than have Roger catch up to
him?
a. He would rather get soaked because he likes the rain.
b. He would rather be soaked because he would wait until someone
else comes to go in with him.
c. He would prefer to get soaked because Roger is not nice to him
and slaps him on the back too hard.
 d. He wouldn’t mind getting soaked because his clothes are already
dirty from a game of soccer.

5. Why do students tease José Miguel about tacos?

a. Tacos are considered a Spanish meal, so they are relating
Miguel’s heritage to the tacos.
b. They think it will be funny to call him Taco because he looks like
a taco.
c. Tacos are their favorite lunch meal and they think it will be a
good name for their new classmate.
d. Tacos are eaten only by people who are of Mexican heritage and
they want to tease him for it.

6. What advice does Mr. Tate have for José Miguel?

a. Mr. Tate suggest that José Miguel call himself Taco for now.
b. Mr. Tate suggest that José just ignores his classmates.
c. Mr. Tate suggest that José Miguel call himself Joe or Mike in order
to blend in.
d. Mr. Tate suggest that José keep quiet until the teasing stops.

7. How do the authors show how José Miguel feels about his cultural
identity?
a. The authors use a conversation with Mr. Tate to demonstrate how
José Miguel responds when it is suggested he let kids call him Joe or
Mike.
b. José Miguel sticks up for himself: “Do you know who Cervantes is,
Mr. Tate?” I ask him politely. “Don Miguele de Cervates? Or Miguel
de Unamuno, or Miguel Hernández? Look them up, Mr. Tate.”
c. José understands that blending in is not being true to his cultural
identity.
d. All of the above.
8. How are the authors using the callout box to help communicate their
purpose for the story?
a. The authors call out the cultural backgrounds of the two
characters to make it easier for the reader to compare the two girls’
heritage and to see what they have in common.
b. The authors call out the cultural backgrounds of other students in
the class to show that José is not the only student of a minority
group.
c. The authors call out the cultural backgrounds of other students to
showcase multiculturalism.
d. All of the above.

9. Why does Lili get tired of explaining why she speaks Spanish?
a. Lili has Guatemalan and Chinese heritage and it is tiring for her
to have to keep explaining why she speaks Spanish.
b. Lili is not from Mexico and everyone thinks just because she
speaks Spanish, she is from Mexico.
c. Lili looks different from other students and she doesn’t want to
explain to other students why she looks different.
d. Lili learned to speak Spanish at a young age. She is annoyed as
to why she has to explain why she can speak another language
besides English.

10. How are Lili’s feelings similar to José Miguel’s?

a. They are both new to the school and find it hard to adjust.
b. They are both being made fun of for being different.
c. They are both being told to blend in by their teacher.
d. They are both tired of explaining their cultural background to
others.

11. Why do Lili and Michiko have in common?

a. They are both girls and loves to play hopscotch during recess.
 b. They are both new to the school, in a Spanish bilingual class,
have Asian heritage, and are Latina.
c. They are both of a minority group and feel pressured to stay
quiet during Spanish class.
d. They both excel in class and now want to spend their free time
together.

12. Why do Lili and Michiko have a special bond?

a. They are both able to understand each other without having to
explain why they look and speak the way they do.
b. They are both girls and they have many things in common. They
always eat lunch together because their lunches aren’t sandwiches,
chips and juice.
c. They are both new immigrants and have difficulty blending in.
They were being made fun of before and now they stick together.
d. They are both teachers’ pets and others pick on them. They
know what that feels like.

13. What does the word heritage mean to the two girls? Select all
statements that apply.
a. The two girls are proud of their heritage.
b. Their heritage gives them their sense of cultural identity.
c. The two girls want to blend in despite their heritage.
d. Their heritage doesn’t define who they are as individuals.

14. What do the three main characters have in common?

a. All three children are all uncertain of which heritage they want to
keep.
b. All three children have a mixed cultural heritage and are
bilingual.
c. All three children feel lost when people ask them questions.
d. All three children are pressured to blend in at school.
15. What is the author’s purpose in writing the poem on page 53-54?
a. The author wants to reaffirm to the readers that Michiko if from
Peru but now a Peruvian American.
b. The author wants the reader to inform the reader that Michiko is
from Peru but does not have a Peruvian name.
c. The author wants to suggest that Michiko has a rich cultural
heritage and other students in her class should learn about her
culture.
d. The author wants to persuade readers to respect others’ cultures
and to learn more about different cultures.

The Year of the Rat

1. From pages 60-61, what point of view is this part of the story told?
a. This introductory part of the story is being told from the third-
person point of view.
b. The narrator uses the characters’ names instead of the pronouns
I, me we, etc.
c. When describing what happens to Pacy as well as her feelings
and thoughts, the narrator uses the pronouns she and her,
indicating third-person point of view.
d. All of the above.

2. Re-read paragraphs 2-4, what kind of a day is it? Select the best
statement(s) with text evidence.
a. It is the month of January.
b. It is a record-breaking, freezing cold, snowy day.
c. The radio announced that it is a snow day, and there will be no
school.
d. It is a snowing day in China and California.

3. Why do you think the author tells the story from first person point of
view on page 63?
 a. The first page was an introduction, so the story was told in third
person. Now it is told in first person to give readers a more personal
look at the main character, Pacy and how she thinks and feels
firsthand.
b. The author wants to change the tone of the story with the
change of pronoun.
c. The author wants to introduce the story and change the
pronouns to show depth of Pacy’s story.
d. The author wants to analyze the different perspectives of the
story by using different point of views; third person and first person.

4. Pacy had the goal of becoming and author and illustrator for two years.
Why is she second guessing herself on page 63?
a. She is having second thoughts after facing a rejection.
b. Her Dad’s comment about the cold door reminded her about the
other comment he had made in the past about her career choice.
She questions whether it is a dream or something that could
actually become reality.
c. She is becoming more realistic about her career choice. She
wants to make a safe choice rather than to follow her dreams.
d. She is giving other career choices a second thought. She is
beginning to realize there are other careers available for her to
choose.

5. What is Pacy’s conflict at this point in the story and how does Dad try to
help her? Select statements using text evidence.
① Pacy is struggling with how to decide between things you fish for
and things you actually try to do.
② Pacy asks Dad to help her understand the difference between these
goals.
③ Pacy’s Dad tells her that every person has to determine it on their
own; no one else can tell them.
 ④ Pacy will have to figure this out on her own by understanding her
own self.
a. 1, 2 & 3
b. 1, 2 & 4
c. 1, 3 & 4
d. 1, 2, 3 & 4

6. What does Dad tell Pacy to help further understand his message?
a. He tells her his own life story.
b. He lets her know what other career choices and life choices are
available for her.
c. He tells her the short story “Knowing the Fish”
d. All of the above.

7. What is “Knowing the Fish” about? Put the summary in the correct
order.
① It is about two philosophers who watch a fish swim in the water.
② The first philosopher teaches the other one a lesson by saying that
only he can know what he is thinking, no one else.
③ One philosopher says the fish is happy, while the other asks how he
knows.
a. 1->2->3
b. 1->3->2
c. 2->1->3
d. 2->3->1

8. What is Dad trying to teach Pacy through his story?

a. He wants her to understand that by making her own decision and
truly knowing who she is.
b. Pacy can successfully reach her goals.
c. Pacy’s Dad is also trying to help her become more independent.
d. All of the above.
9. Aha moment is when a character realizes something significant that
changes or shifts his or her actions. Identify the aha moment on page 66
and select a sentence that is NOT true.
a. Pacy realizes that only she and no one else can change the
things she doesn’t like. This realization, or aha moment, is a bit
scary.
b. Pacy realizes that there isn’t anything she can do to change her
future
c. Pacy goes outside to enjoy the snow and decides to give up on
her dreams. She has a realization that everything is hopeless.
d. Pacy decides that what her Dad and her friends have been telling
her is true. She should take a new career path.

10. How does an aha moment shift Pacy’s understanding of herself?

① Although her aha moment is scary at first, she gains her strength
and knows that she can be brave like a tiger.
② Pacy’s Dad helps Pacy realize that only she can change the things
in her life that she doesn’t like.
③ Pacy finds out that her friend Melody is coming to visit her around
the time of Chinese New Year. The girls are very excited about
Melody’s visit.
a. 1 & 2
b. 1 & 3
c. 2 & 3
d. 1, 2 & 3

11. Re-read paragraphs 28-32. What reason does Pacy give for wanting to
work alone?
a. She said she needs to give up trying to become an author and
illustrator.
b. She said she needs to practice being an author and an illustrator.
 c. She said that she thinks she could get hired this year as an
author and illustrator.
d. She said that she knows she can make it as the one of the best
author and illustrator.

12. What does the reader learn about Pacy when she says she will be an
author and illustrator “no matter what”?
a. The reader learns that when Pacy puts her mind to something,
she puts her mind to something. She seems to work hard to make it
happen.
b. The reader learns that Pacy will finally listen to her Dad and take
his advice.
c. The reader learns that when Pacy meets up with her friend, she
speaks of her goals.
d. The reader learns that Pacy tells Melody that she has a new
internship to practice being an author.

13. What does it mean when Pacy says “What did I care about cold doors
when I had fur that was thick and warm?”
a. It means that she is now coming into her own. She has overcome
her fears.
b. Pacy’s bravery will help her del with the “cold doors” she will
face in her future.
c. A tiger has warm, think fur to protect itself, and now she has
ways to protect herself, too.
d. All above statements apply to Pacy’s statement.

14. Take a look at the aha moment on page 70. What does she realize?
① Previously, Pacy had thought her conflict with her friends was their
fault, but for the first time she realizes that it was really hers
because she has changed.
② After Becky makes her comment about not seeing Pacy while
 Melody is in town, Pacy realizes why she has felt uncomfortable
around Becky and Charlotte lately.
③ Pacy realizes that she has not been a good friend when Melody was
around and had “probably hurt their feelings.”
④ After Becky makes her comment about not seeing Pacy while
Melody is in town, Pacy realizes why she has felt uncomfortable
around Becky and Charlotte lately.
a. 1, 2 & 3
b. 1, 2 & 4
c. 2, 3 & 4
d. 1, 2, 3 & 4

15. Re-read paragraphs 36-40, looking for details that support a change in
Pacy’s character. How do Pacy’s thoughts about Becky and Charlotte show
that she has changed? Select all statements that apply.
a. Pacy stands up for Dun-Wei by defending him after Becky calls
him a rude name.
b. Pacy realizes that to improve her relationship with the girls, she
must let them know that she has changed and that their actions
bother her.
c. Pacy doesn’t want to be friends with Becky because she is now
very different from her.
d. Pacy lets Dun-Wei call Becky a rude name and just watches in
distance.

Kitoto the Mighty

Vocabulary Question
1. She crept _________________________ up the old stairs, afraid they might
fall apart.
a. restlessly
b. casually
c. flawlessly
 d. cautiously

2. We were treated to a _________________________ meal with five courses.

a. summative
b. generous
c. sumptuous
d. surreal

3. The sea is a _________________________ force of nature.

a. mighty
b. slightly
c. blue
d. nightly

4. The king _________________________ that every year there would be a

great feast in the town square.
a. precaution
b. persuaded
c. prepared
d. proclaimed

5. I _________________________ at the sight of wild horses running through a

field.
a. marveled
b. marbled
c. murmured
d. muted

6. She checked the safe every day to make sure the

_________________________ of gold was still there.
a. herd
b. block
 c. hoard
d. gourd

7. I couldn’t sleep because of that _________________________ of water

coming off the roof.
a. tickling
b. trickle
c. trifle
d. tackle

8. Last year my best friend moved to a _________________________ city.

a. distant
b. distilled
c. disdained
d. disillusioned

9. The _________________________ mountains in the distance were topped

with snow.
a. malicious
b. majestic
c. hoard
d. sumptuous

Reading Comprehension
1. The author uses figurative language “swift as an arrow” on page 78
in the first paragraph. What is the comparison that is being made
and why?
a. The author compares the hawk to an arrow being shot out of a
bow to show how quickly he can drop to the ground to try to catch
the mouse.
b. The author uses a simile in the first paragraph and it is to
compare a bird to a rodent. The comparison is to show the food
 chain in the animal kingdom.
c. The author uses how quickly a hawk can move. This is to
foreshadow the ending of the story.
d. The author compares the movement of a hawk and a mouse to
make a point.

2. What words and phrases tell what Kitoto is like at the beginning of
the story?
a. He calls himself, “Kitoto the Mouse, small and weak.”
b. Kitoto thinks as he approaches the riverbank, “How powerful the
river is!”
c. Kitoto says “I wish to make friends with you. With a friend friend
like you to protect me, I won’t have to go hungry for fear of the
hawk, You must be the most powerful of all brings.”
d. The river states, “The sun can protect you better for he is far
more powerful than I. He burns me to a trickle in the dry season.”

3. Why does Kitoto speak to the river?

a. He wants the river to protect him.
b. He wants to find out who can protect him.
c. He wants the Sun to protect him.
d. He wants the angry powerful natural force to protect him.

4. Identify an aha moment on page 79. How does this moment shift
the mouse’s actions by giving him an idea?
a. Kitoto compliments the river by saying that it “must be the most
powerful of all beings.”
b. Kitoto realizes the power and strength of the river, so he decides
to ask the river for both friendship and protection from the hawk so
that he won’t have to go hungry anymore.
c. Kitoto realizes that Sun is the most powerful and decides to go
find something more powerful.
 d. Kitoto makes a shift in his thought in asking whom to ask to
make sure that he won’t have to go hungry.

5. How does the mouse get to the sun’s home?

a. The hawk carries him there.
b. The hawk and the river work together to make sure he gets there
safely.
c. The river makes him a nest out of steam and blows the nest
gently into the sunlight.
d. The hawk brings rest of the flying creatures to carry him across
the sky to the sun.

6. How does the mouse introduce himself to the sun and how is this
different from when he met the river?
a. The mouse goes from being a weak, small mouse to “Kitoto the
Mighty. Master of the Savannah.” This is quite a change as he starts
to come into his own power.
b. The mouse goes from “Kitoto the Weak” to “Kitoto the Mighty.”
The change is from the help of the river.
c. The mouse goes from a weak mouse who asks the river for help
to a mighty mouse who boasts his title “Master of the Savannah.”
d. The mouse is the same, but changes his title to appeal to the
Sun.

7. How has the author crafted the story structure on pages 77-80?
a. The main character keeps introducing himself to a more powerful
being, and that being says there is something that is even more
powerful than they are.
b. The main character keeps on asking for help, but no one has the
power to help him.
c. The main character seeks to find the most powerful being but
comes to a road block one after another because he is looking at
 the wrong place.
d. The main character is searching for the most powerful being.
There is no such thing as the most powerful being.

8. To whom does the sun send the mouse and why?

a. The sun keeps on telling Kitoto to go back to the river for more
help. If he got to the Sun with the river’s help, the river can be
more of a help than the Sun.
b. The sun tells Kitoto that he has to go out of this world to find
what he needs. The Sun, River, and Wind is all share equality of
power.
c. The sun tells Kitoto that the wind is more powerful than he is
because she can hide his view of the Savannah with the clouds that
she gathers with her strength.
d. The sun tells to bring other creatures from the Savannah to hear
him out. If he is “Master of the Savannah”, he should bring others
to support his title.

9. How does the author use imagery in this folktale? Select a correct
example from the text.
a. The wind is seen as a person on page 83, making it seem as if
the wind is indeed very powerful.
b. The sun comes across very brightly and strong.
c. The sun uses its power to send Kitoto across the wind.
d. All of the above.

10.What details help describe the cultural setting of the folktale?

a. The author describes things using sensory details. For example,
the author describes the view of the Savannah below with a simile,
“small as a nut,” to help us visualize how high in the sky the mouse
is.
b. The author describes things using compare and contrast. For
 example, the author brings different characters to set the Greek
cultural setting.
c. The author describes the things by introducing different
characters on Earth. It is used to describe the natural powers on
Earth.
d. The author describes the things using metaphors. Each character
has a metaphoric symbol in the story.

11.On page 84, the mouse tells the mountain that he is “Kitoto the
Magnificient. Emperor of the Savannah.” What have you noticed so
far about the way he describe himself throughout the story?
a. He started out by introducing himself as someone who is
powerless and weak. Each time he meets someone new, he gives
himself a more powerful name, just as every being he is sent to
becomes more powerful.
b. He starts as a weak mouse but as the story builds, he gains more
strength.
c. The mouse has many names. He is given these names by each
character he meets in the story. He gains more power as he meets
new characters.
d. The mouse doesn’t have much power. He exaggerates to show
that he can find someone more powerful if he brags about himself.

12.Why is Kitoto so sure that the most powerful being must be a giant?
a. Kitoto believes that a giant must be the most powerful because
he had already met the river, sun and wind.
b. Kitoto believes that anything powerful enough to carve such a
world inside the mountain must be a giant. However, Kitoto learns
that even the smallest creature can be seen as more powerful than
a mountain because of its hard work and creativity.
c. Kitoto changes his mind after he has heard what the river, sun
and wind had to say about their power. He thinks whomever has
 more control over themselves are more powerful than something
that is just grand in size.
d. None of the above; Kioto will just keep on searching but will not
find a creature that is the most powerful on Earth.

13.What is it like once Kitoto enters the mountain? Select the

statement with the correct evidence from the text.
a. There are “dark pathways” that lead to “a huge maze of tunnels,
archways, halls and chambers” at the mountain’s root.
b. Little pebbles light the inside.
c. The pleasant-smelling walls are smooth and cool.
d. All of the above.

14.How does Kitoto’s character change again when faced with the
“giant”? Select all statements that apply.
a. Kitoto introduces himself as “Kitoto the Mouse, small and weak.”
b. Kitoto was so frightened to meet this new being that he forgot to
try to show his strength and power.
c. Kitoto introduces himself as “Kitoto the Mouse, King of the
Savannah”.
d. Kitoto wants to appear most powerful as possible and tells how
he has already met the River, Wind, Sun and Mountain.

15. Who is the mysterious figure? Select a correct statement with the
correct text evidence.
① The mysterious figure used her teeth to carve it out.
② Kigego, the mountain mouse is the mysterious figure.
③ The mystery figure built her home by doing a lot of hard work.
④ The mysterious figure welcomes Kitoto in to her home.
a. 1, 2 & 3
b. 1, 3 & 4
c. 2, 3 & 4
 d. 1, 2, 3 & 4

16. What did Kitoto learn from Kigego?

a. There is no such thing as the most powerful being on Earth.
b. The most powerful creature is the mountain mouse.
c. Instead of looking for a powerful being for protection, one needs
to work hard to protect him/herself.
d. The River, Sun, Mountain and Wind was wrong in identifying the
most powerful being on Earth.

17. What is the author’s message or lesson to be learned from this

folktale?
a. Even though a person may be small in size and weak in strength,
they can still be very strong individuals if they work hard.
b. It is good to have friends who help you along the journey of life.
c. It takes great powerful characters to help you learn a life lesson.
d. All of the above.