TAKS 2003 G6 Reading Online Test

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Read this selection. Then answer the questions that follow it.

The End of the Storm

Thi Liên watched from the window as the rain poured

down. In the distance beyond the dark clouds, she could see

Sam Mountain at the edge of her village. Thi Liên had

always thought Sam was a silly name. The shape of the

mountain resembled a gigantic king crab, so people called it

Sam, which means “king crab” in Vietnamese.

“The floodwaters have risen so high that I might as well

be living by the sea with the king crabs,” Thi Liên mumbled.

Heavy rains were a part of life in Vietnam. Each year

seasonal winds brought seemingly endless downpours. The

rainy season, called the monsoon, usually lasted from May

through September. Though the rains were torrential, they

weren’t always destructive. The rain washing down from the

hillsides carried silt that was rich in nutrients. The

floodwaters made the land along the Mekong River fertile

for growing rice.

Suddenly a gust of wind and rain swept through the

doorway as Thi Liên’s father returned from their neighbor’s

home. He was drenched and shivering. “News from upriver

is not encouraging,” he said, trying not to upset them. “This

season’s rains have overflowed the river’s banks. Surging

floodwaters are claiming almost everything in their path.

Families have had to move to safer locations, and there are

reports that some houses have been swept away.”

	Thi Liên stared out the window. She tried to focus on
the bountiful rice harvest that the floodwaters would bring, but fear rose within her like the rising river.

Grandfather came over and put his hand on her

shoulder. “The floodwaters have visited our village before,

but they have never knocked on our door,” he said softly.

Thi Liên thought about what her grandfather said. Yet

he could not deny that this year’s rains were unusually

heavy. Days had gone by without even a ray of sunlight.

Father paced back and forth, shooting nervous glances

in Grandfather’s direction. Grandfather remained standing

near the window, watching the rain as it continued to fall.

Later, while several neighbors waded through the

flooded streets, her parents made a decision. “It’s time to

evacuate,” Father announced. “We can go to the community

center. It’s on higher ground, so we should be safe there.”

“No!” Grandfather said firmly. “It’s wrong to drag your

family out of their home in fear.”

“We’re leaving with thoughts of safety, not fear,” Father

replied forcefully.

Thi Liên shuddered. She had never heard her father

raise his voice to his own father. Though Father was an

adult, arguing with Grandfather was considered

disrespectful.

Father and Grandfather faced each other, neither

speaking another word. Their long, uneasy silence seemed

as if it would last forever. Suddenly a loud clap of thunder

sounded, breaking the silence. Father walked boldly to the

door and opened it. Thi Liên, her mother, and her

grandfather followed obediently.

They waded knee-deep through the drowning streets.

Holding on to one another, they struggled against the

currents. Thi Liên kicked off her sandals, hoping she would

have better footing in her bare feet. She had no choice but to

watch as her sandals were quickly swept away.

Finally they reached the crowded community center. It

was filled with other families looking for refuge from the

rising water. Exhausted from the struggle, Thi Liên lay

down on a mat and tried to sleep, but all she could think

about was Grandfather’s expression as Father opened the

door. Thi Liên turned to face the wall. The rain pounding on

the metal roof muffled her sobs.

Early the next morning Thi Liên was awakened by a

gentle touch on her shoulder. Turning, she saw her

grandfather. He brushed her long dark hair away from her

face. “I’ve been a foolish man,” he said softly. “Because of my

pride, I have refused to speak to your father when I should

be thankful.”

Thi Liên could not think of any reason that they should

be thankful. Their home was probably full of water by now.

They were living in cramped conditions with many other

families. And the rain was still falling!

“I don’t understand,” she said slowly.

“Here we have shelter from the rain and more than

enough food,” Grandfather explained. “Others are living in

rescue camps or sleeping in makeshift shelters quickly built

from whatever they can find to protect them from the

weather. Some people’s homes have been completely washed

away. We don’t know whether our home is still standing, but

it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we are safe and

together.”

Thi Liên studied her grandfather’s expression. In his

eyes she could see his profound sense of gratitude.

“Will you ever speak to Father again?” she asked.

“Of course I will,” he assured her. “In fact, I think I’ll go

over right now and tell him how foolish I’ve been.”

Thi Liên watched as Grandfather walked to the table

where Father was seated. After exchanging a few words,

Grandfather sat down across from his son.

Off in the distance, a ray of sunlight broke through the

clouds.

1	Grandfather's tone in paragraph 16 can best be described as —

		A	regretful
		B	confused
		C	hopeful
		D	nervous

7	In paragraph 13, why is the clap of thunder important?

		A	It signals Father's defiance of Grandfather's wishes.
		B	It shows Thi Liên respect for Vietnamese traditions.
		C	It symbolizes Father's nervousness as he paces back and forth.
		D	It represents Grandfather's wisdom in difficult situations.

2	The conflict of the story begins when —

		F	Grandfather speaks to Father again
		G	Father disagrees with Grandfather
		H	Thi Liên's sandals are swept away
		J	the ray of sunlight breaks through the clouds

8	In paragraph 3 what does the word torrential mean?

		F	Intense
		G	Unexpected
		H	Brief
		J	Refreshing

3	In paragraph 19, which phrase helps the reader know what the word makeshift means?

		A	more than enough food
		B	built from whatever they can find
		C	protect them from the weather
		D	our home is still standing

9	In paragraph 6, Grandfather walks over to Thi Liên at the window in order to —

		A	avoid arguing about going to the community center
		B	tell the others how close the floodwaters are to house
		C	assure Thi Liên that there is no cause for alarm
		D	watch the neighbors wading through the flooded streets

4	In paragraph 8, why does Father pace and look at Grandfather nervously?

		F	He is worried because Grandfather does not want to move to higher ground.
		G	He remembers that the house once flooded when Grandfather was young.
		H	He is concerned that the news from upriver has frightened Grandfather.
		J	He thinks Grandfather can tell that he has exaggerated the bad news.

10	In paragraph 24, the ray of sunlight symbolizes —

		F	the challenges faced by the Vietnamese people
		G	the renewed relationship between Father and Grandfather
		H	the determination of the Vietnamese people
		J	the difference of opinion between Father and Grandfather

5	Which sentence in the story shows that Grandfather remains calm while floodwaters are rising?

		A	"The floodwaters have visited our village before, but they have never knocked on our door," he said softly.
		B	Thi Liên watched as Grandfather walked to the table where Father was seated.
		C	... but all she could think about was Grandfather's expression as Father opened the door.
		D	Though Father was an adult, arguing with Grandfather was considered disrespectful.

11	What can readers conclude about flooding along the Mekong River?

		A	The Mekong River delta averages more rainfall per year than any other area.
		B	Limited flooding along the Mekong River is normal and beneficial.
		C	The Mekong River delta is the only area of Vietnam that floods.
		D	The rice crops are always damaged when the Mekong River floods.

6	Why does Thi Liên take off her sandals as she walks through the water?

		F	She is curious about the swiftness of the current.
		G	She does not want the water to ruin them.
		H	She wants to feel the mud between her toes.
		J	She will be less likely to lose her balance.

Read this selection. Then answer the questions that follow it.

12	Which of these conclusions about Douglas's book can the reader draw from this article?

		F	The booked convinced President Truman to help save the Everglades.
		G	The book described her meeting with President Clinton.
		H	The book has sold more than two million copies since it was published.
		J	The book helped people appreciate the Everglades.

14	According to the article, how was Douglas's career as a journalist similar to her attending college?

		F	Both represented four years of her life.
		G	Both were encouraged by her mother.
		H	Both were more common for men than women at that time.
		J	Both required her to write for a newspaper in Miami.

13	What is this article mainly about?

		A	Some areas of the Everglades have not been preserved as a park.
		B	Douglas has spent much of her life helping to save the Everglades.
		C	Douglas's book about the Everglades was successful.
		D	The Everglades is actually a river of grass rather than a swamp.

15	In paragraph 12, the word attributed means —

		A	misunderstood
		B	announced
		C	credited
		D	explained

16	Read the four protest signs below.



	Which of these signs would most likely have been carried by a member of the Friends of the Everglades?

		F	Sign 1
		G	Sign 2
		H	Sign 3
		J	Sign 4

17	According to the map, the area shown with diagonal lines represents —

		A	Everglades National Park
		B	the Gulf of Mexico
		C	Lake Okeechobee
		D	the Florida Bay

18	Which sentence in the article implies that interfering with the Everglades can be harmful to people as well as plants and animals?

		F	The Everglades supplied freshwater to the people of South Florida.
		G	By the early 1940s, support for preserving the Everglades was growing.
		H	The waters flowed south and emptied into the Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
		J	It had taken 25 long years to finally persuade the government to take this step.

19	The following diagram shows ideas in the article.



	Which of these main ideas belongs in the empty box?

		A	Awards reserved for those who are not in the military
		B	Ceremonies Douglas attended at the White House
		C	Organizations that want to help save the environment
		D	Ways that Douglas's efforts have been recognized

20	In paragraph 11, what is meant by the author's statement "The victory, however, was only partial"?

		F	Few people attended the ceremony to celebrate the opening of the park.
		G	The government might have changed its mind about preserving the land.
		H	There was still cause for concern, so people did not feel very triumphant.
		J	The government had taken too much time in making its decision.

21	Why did Douglas visit Miami after graduating from college?

		A	She had lost her job in Massachusetts.
		B	Her father persuaded her to go there.
		C	She was interested in the Everglades.
		D	Her father wanted her to go to college there.

Read the next two selections. Then answer the questions that follow them.

On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 launched toward the moon with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins aboard. Four days later Armstrong and Aldrin reached the moon’s surface in the Eagle landing craft while Collins stayed aboard Apollo 11 in orbit around the moon.

One Giant Leap

Neil Armstrong studied the Eagle’s gauges. The

spacecraft was working perfectly. If things continued to go

well, he and Buzz Aldrin would soon become the first men to

land on the moon. From 60 miles away the moon didn’t look

much like the small, flat white circle he had seen all his life.

Mountains and craters dotted its dusty gray surface. As he

waited to begin the final descent, Armstrong marveled at

what he was about to do. For centuries people had dreamed

of this moment, and now he and Aldrin were on the brink of

making history.

As the Eagle slowly circled the moon, Armstrong

thought back to the mission’s beginning. Just four days

earlier the astronauts had been on Earth, anxiously waiting

for a rocket to propel them into orbit. Thousands of people

had gathered to witness the launch, and millions more

around the world had watched on television. As the powerful

rocket lifted off, Armstrong had wondered what the next

eight days would bring. Much about the moon remained a

mystery. Armstrong couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. He

understood why people around the world were focused on

this flight. Landing on the moon wasn’t just his dream; it

was everyone’s. This journey was for people everywhere.

Now, as he prepared to land, Armstrong shook his head

in amazement. When Apollo 11 had been launched, the moon

had been thousands of miles from where it was now. Yet

scientists had been able to chart a course to this precise

location, knowing the moon would be there to meet

Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins. Armstrong thought of the

thousands of people who had made his mission possible.

Without them he wouldn’t be minutes away from doing what

had never been done before.

Finally the command came to begin landing. As

Armstrong ignited a small rocket engine to slow the

spacecraft, he remembered his training. Safety came first. If

anything went wrong, he was supposed to cancel the

landing. Suddenly, just 5,000 feet from the surface, a caution

light blinked on—a computer alarm! Armstrong’s heart

sank. Would they have to turn back when they were so

close? After a few tense seconds, mission control said to

continue. The computer had just needed more time to

complete its operations.

Then Armstrong saw another problem. There was a

large crater in the landing area. Could he land there safely?

The surface was only 500 feet below, but he decided to fly

past the crater. Landing was one of the most dangerous

parts of the mission, but Armstrong calmly worked the

controls. He was only 40 feet away now. Exhaust from the

engines created a cloud of dust. Armstrong strained to see.

Then mission control informed him that only 30 seconds of

fuel remained in the landing engine. Finally the craft shook

slightly; the Eagle had landed!

Standing on the ladder outside the Eagle later,

Armstrong remembered that everyone was watching and

listening back home. In a few seconds he would become the

first person to set foot on any place other than Earth. His

heart raced as he stepped down onto the moon’s surface and

said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for

mankind.”

One Small Step

Andy tried again to force his leg to move. It only

quivered, shooting pain up his back. “I’ll never walk again,”

he said bitterly. “Who am I kidding?”

“Let’s try a couple of steps,” Nurse Parker suggested

cheerfully. Andy liked her, but today her good mood made

him feel worse.

“Leave me alone,” he said, frowning.

“Bad day?” she asked, pushing his wheelchair toward

the walking bars.

	“Bad year,” he sighed, closing his eyes. It hadn’t started
that way. He remembered Coach Sanders telling him that he had made the gymnastics team. He had been strong and agile then, he thought, picturing the moves he had performed on the two horizontal bars five feet off the ground. Coach Sanders had said Andy might even compete for the city championship. That was before the accident.

“Okay, on your feet,” Nurse Parker said, parking Andy’s

chair in front of the bars.

“I won’t do it,” he said. “I’m tired, and it’ll hurt. Besides,

what’s the use?”

“Andy,” Nurse Parker said, “you are making progress.

These exercises are important to your rehabilitation. We

have to teach your legs to walk again. It takes time.”

“Easy for you to say,” Andy said. “When’s the last time

your legs forgot how to walk?” With her help he pulled

himself upright. His legs screamed with pain. They were on

fire, and he was hardly putting any weight on them. Sweat

rolled down his cheeks as he stood there, supporting himself

with his arms. “I can’t do it,” he said, grimacing.

“Yes, you can. Try!” Nurse Parker said. At that moment

he hated her. Did she think it was easy? What did she know?

Couldn’t she just leave him alone?

Gripping the cold metal bars, Andy thought back to the

gymnastics competition. “Andrew Farnsworth on the

parallel bars,” the announcer’s voice echoed through his

memory. He had mounted the bars with grace and

confidence, pushing his body into a perfect handstand. Then

he had swung below the bars and back up as he started his

routine. Suddenly his hand had slipped, and he had crashed

to the floor. With pain exploding through his body, he had

fought back tears, unable to move.

He had fractured a vertebra and sustained a minor

spinal cord injury. It would take time, but he would recover.

He was lucky, the doctor had said.

“Yeah, lucky Andy,” he thought, wincing as he tried to

move his leg. Pain shot through him. Then, just as he was

about to give up, his foot rose ever so slightly. Andy couldn’t

believe it. Ignoring the pain, he strained to move the leg

forward. Finally it inched ahead just a little.

“There you go!” Nurse Parker said.

Andy exhaled. It was just one small step, but it felt like

a giant leap. There would be no more thoughts of quitting.

Use "One Giant Leap" to answer questions 22-26.

22	Read this chart of details from the story.



	Which main idea belongs in the empty box?

		F	Features of the moon's surface
		G	Difficulties during moon landing
		H	Problems with the Eagle landing craft
		J	Messages from mission control

25	From Armstrong's thoughts and actions, the reader can infer that he —

		A	was the commander of the Eagle
		B	thought the mission to the moon was too dangerous
		C	could not do things well when he was under pressure
		D	was not in very good physical condition

23	In paragraph 1 of the story, why did Armstrong marvel at what he was about to do?

		A	He couldn't believe that the moon mission was going so well.
		B	He was amazed to be doing what so many had dreamed of doing.
		C	He was surprised that the spacecraft was working so perfectly after the alarm.
		D	He thought the moon was the most incredible thing he had ever seen.

26	Paragraphs 4 and 5 are mainly about —

		F	the computer alarm that almost caused Armstrong to cancel the landing
		G	Armstrong landing the Eagle on the surface of the moon
		H	the large crater Armstrong saw in the Eagle's original landing area
		J	the clouds of dust created by the engine exhaust as the Eagle landed

24	In paragraph 2, Armstrong was a little anxious because he —

		F	wasn't sure what lay ahead and he knew that people were counting on him
		G	thought the spacecraft might have been too heavy for the rocket to carry into space
		H	had been in space for a long time and wanted to return to Earth
		J	wasn't sure that he would be able to remember everything he needed to do

Use "One Small Step" to answer questions 27-31.

27	What is paragraph 11 mainly about?

		A	Andy's former athletic ability
		B	How Andy felt after he fell
		C	Why Andy's hand slipped
		D	How Andy's injury occurred

30	In paragraph 13, Andy finally ignores his pain because —

		F	it really hurts only a little
		G	he doesn't think the pain is real
		H	it probably won't last long
		J	he sees his foot moving

28	Which of these statements best describes Andy's attitude at the end of the story?

		F	Andy thinks that physical therapy is a waste of time.
		G	Andy accepts that he will never compete in gymnastics again.
		H	Andy is determined to recover from his injury.
		J	Andy realizes that his physical therapy isn't really very painful.

31	In paragraph 8, the word rehabilitation means the —

		A	process of getting back to a former condition
		B	ability to concentrate for long periods of time
		C	desire to succeed or accomplish something
		D	act of escaping from possible danger

29	What can the reader conclude from information about Andy's injury in the story?

		A	Most back injuries occur during athletic competitions.
		B	Physical therapy usually does not help very much.
		C	Spinal cord injuries sometimes result in a loss of movement.
		D	Most people eventually recover from spinal cord injuries.

Use "One Giant Leap" and "One Small Step" to answer questions 32-34.

32	In both selections, a small step represents —

		F	the exploration of a new world
		G	a large accomplishment
		H	recovery from an injury
		J	the courage to try again

34	Which of these is a theme in both selections?

		F	People should always remember where they started.
		G	Great progress is the result of many small steps.
		H	Planning ahead ensures success.
		J	There can be no progress without pain.

33	How do Andy's and Armstrong's attitudes differ at the beginning of each story?

		A	Andy is filled with negative thoughts about his recovery, but Armstrong has a positive outlook about his mission.
		B	Andy is excited that he will be able to walk again, but Armstrong is afraid that his mission will fail.
		C	Andy is worried that he will fall and injure himself, but Armstrong doesn't worry about his personal safety.
		D	Andy is looking forward to doing the exercises on the walking bars, but Armstrong is nervous about landing on the moon.

Read this selection. Then answer the questions that follow it.

35	This article is mainly about —

		A	a program to save the endangered California condor
		B	an exhibit where several California condors live
		C	the San Diego Wild Animal Park's condor-breeding program
		D	the ways in which California condors help the environment

39	Scientists try to limit their contact with baby condors because —

		A	condors can easily be harmed by human diseases
		B	the chemicals the scientists use are deadly to condors
		C	condors occasionally attack while trying to escape
		D	human contact could make it harder for the condors to live in the wild

36	Scientists captured the last nine wild condors to —

		F	put the condors in an exhibit for people to see
		G	move the condors to a safer area in another state
		H	train the condors to stay away from human activity
		J	start a breeding program to save the condors

40	Which sentence from this newspaper article supports the idea that condors are useful to humans?

		F	It is a sight that until now very few people have witnessed.
		G	They help keep the environment clean by eating the remains of dead animals.
		H	Scientists think the number of condors began to shrink because people started moving into the birds' nesting areas.
		J	The naturally curious birds were drawn to human activity.

37	Why wasn't the Condor Recovery Program started sooner?

		A	Until 1985 there were still many condors living in the wild.
		B	Scientists could not agree on the best way to help the condor.
		C	Condors living in the wild are very difficult to capture.
		D	Scientists did not think it was important to save the condor.

41	What is paragraph 6 mainly about?

		A	Condors being harmed by chemicals used by farmers
		B	A large number of condors being killed by hunters
		C	The small area in California where condors now live
		D	The reasons that condors started to die out

38	What can the reader conclude from information about the San Diego Wild Animal Park provided in this newspaper article?

		F	Visitors are allowed to view exhibits at the park only once each year.
		G	The park tries to keep its animals in areas that are like their natural environments.
		H	All the animals in the park can be found on the government's endangered species list.
		J	The park is one of the largest wild animal parks in the United States.

42	The author wrote this newspaper article probably to —

		F	encourage readers to become scientists at the San Diego Wild Animal Park
		G	persuade readers not to give food to any condors they might see
		H	inform readers of the many animals that are endangered
		J	describe a program that is working to save the condor

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