NUEVO GIMNASIO SCHOOL

LEVELING
EVALUANDO MEJORAMOS

Teacher: Gilberto Silva Hernandez Language Arts Fifth A-B Second Term
Date: Student: A:

CRITERION A. READING

I. Read the text and choose the correct answer to each question.

Mark Harris is a research scientist at Rothera Research Station, on Adelaide Island in the Antarctic. We asked Mark what were
the best and the worst things about living in the Antarctic.

‘The best thing about being here is the wonderful view,’ Mark said. ‘On my first day, I was unlucky because I was sick and had to
spend a few days in bed. The station’s doctor thought I’d eaten something bad at home, or in the station canteen, but I didn’t
even go to the canteen. I think it was some food I had on the journey across – it didn’t taste right to me. And so I was pretty bad
at the beginning. But then I lay in bed during those first days and watched icebergs drifting past my window. It was amazing! In
summer, I like to be outside as much as possible. One of my jobs is to fly around with other scientists in a helicopter making
observations and checking on experiments. We fly over the most fantastic places. Our pilots are really skilled. They can land
anywhere – even on glaciers!’
‘I try not to think about the bad things, but there are some, of course. I like the food – it’s actually really good – but we don’t have
fresh fruit and vegetables. I often think about the countryside: the green grass, the trees, and the flowers. I always look forward to
seeing it again. But Rothera is great because there’s always someone to talk to if you’re feeling unhappy, and someone will
always help you with a difficult task. But at the same time people understand when you want to be alone.’
‘There’s always plenty to do as well. You might think that living in the middle of so much snow is boring, but it isn’t at all. On
good days I like to ski and snowboard, and watch the wildlife. I play badminton and table tennis at the station, and some nights I
go to the gym, so fitness isn’t a problem. We have video nights and games nights, and we even have cookery and woodwork
lessons. I’ve actually learned some great new skills since I’ve been here. I’ve also had two holidays, camping. Of course, I’d like
to have may friends and family with me, and I always think about that, but that can’t happen for a while. I have to be patient. All in
all, being at Rothera is a great experience.’
B. have a holiday on the island.
1. Mark thinks he ate something bad … C. learn some new skills.
A. a few days after he arrived at the station. D. have more opportunity to get fit.
B. during his trip to the station. 5. The purpose of the article is to …
C. before he left home. A. advertise jobs for scientists in the Antarctic.
D. on the day he arrived at the station. B. make people aware of the problems in the
2. During the summer months, Mark … Antarctic.
A. files a small plane. C. explain how to become a scientist in the
B. travels across the island. Antarctic.
C. works alone. D. describe everyday life for a scientist in the
D. spends his time inside the station. Antarctic.
3. Mark sometimes feels bad because he …
A. dislikes the meals at the station.
B. never has time alone.
C. misses the countryside.
D. finds the work difficult.
4. Mark would like to …
A. see his family more often.
 “I am!” volunteered Mei. “Last year when we were learning
map skills, Never Eat Soggy Waffles stood for the directions
North, East, South and West.”
II. Read the story “Tricking your memory”. What is “Absolutely,” said Mrs. Jackson. “when I was in school I
the central idea of the story. Mention 2 memorized the order of the planets using the phrase My
evidences from the story to support the central Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies.”
idea. “Oh, I get it,” said Mei. “My is Mercury. Very is Venus.
TRICKING YOUR MEMORY Educated is Earth. Mother is Mars. Just is Jupiter. Served is
During study time, Gina looked at her science notes and Saturn. Us is Uranus. Nine is Neptune and Pies is Pluto.”
shook her head. “How am I going to memorize the order of “But wait,2 said Raul. “We can’t use that one. Pluto isn’t
the planets in the solar system for Friday’s quiz? I always classified as a planet anymore.”
get confused. “No problem,” said Gina, confidently. “We can come up with
“Don’t ask me. I can’t even remember my gym locker a mnemonic device of your own!”
combination, and it’s only three number,” Edward
complained. 1. What’s the central idea of the text?
“My older sister said she uses pneumonia devices to help ____________________________________________
her study,” said Raul.
____________________________________________
“What’s a pneumonia a disease?” asked Mei.
____________________________________________
“Isn’t pneumonia a disease? How that can help?” asked
Gina. ____________________________________________
“I don’t know. My sister got a cellphone call and was on it all
____________________________________________
night, so I never got to ask her,” explained Raul.
2. Write 2 evidences that support the central idea.
“I think Raul means mnemonic, not pneumonia,! Offered
____________________________________________
Mrs. Jackson, the school librarian. She’d been shelving
books nearby and had overheard their conversation. ____________________________________________
“Nemonic devices are memory tricks that help you
____________________________________________
remember information.”
____________________________________________
“Yeah, but we’re only fourth-graders. Not in high school like
Raul’s sister. Mnemonic devices are probably too hard for ____________________________________________
kids our age,” sighed Edward.
Mrs. Jackson smiled. “Actually, I bet you’ve been using
____________________________________________
mnemonics since you were toddlers. Didn’t you sing the
ABC Song to help you learn the alphabet?” ____________________________________________
“The ABC Song is a mnemonic device?” asked Gina,
____________________________________________
surprised.
____________________________________________
Mrs. Jackson nodded. “Mnemonics don’t have to be
complicated. They can be anything that helps you ____________________________________________
remember something. Songs, rhymes, catchy phrases. I Taken from
imagine all of you know this one: Thirty days hath
https://berryhillbears.weebly.com/uploads/8/9/4/4/89441496/4t
September… April, June and November… All the rest have
h_grade_work_packet.pdf
thirty-one, except for February.”
“We learned that in first grade,” said Gina.
“I know a rhyming one!” Raul interjected. “In 1492,
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”
“Yes, that is a mnemonic,” said Mrs. Jackson. “They can
also be phrases where the first letter of each word stands
for something. Are you familiar with any of those?”