Grade Practice Test | Lumos Learning

Read the story and answer the question.

Long ago, in a country far away from here, there lived a man who was very dissatisfied with the size of his house. He felt crowded and cramped, elbow to elbow with his wife and their five children. At last, he could stand it no longer and went to see his rabbi.

“It’s miserable in my house. There is no room to turn around! What shall I do?”

“I have just the solution for you,” the rabbi said. “You must move the cow into the house with you.”

“What? That will make a dreadful situation even worse!”

The rabbi shrugged. “Do you want my advice or don’t you?”

“I do want your advice!” said the unhappy man.

“Then you must do exactly as I tell you. Come back next week and let me know what happened.”

In a week, the man returned to the rabbi’s office. “My life is even more miserable than before. My house is so crowded that none of us can turn around. We are stumbling over each other! Please help me!”

“Well,” said the rabbi, “I know the solution, but you must do exactly as I say.”

“Anything!” said the man.

“You must move the pig into the house along with the cow.”

“Surely you’re joking,” said the man. “There is no room for the cow, let alone the pig!”

“You asked for my advice,” said the rabbi. “And now you must do as I tell you.”

The man sighed “All right.”

The next week, the man returned. “Rabbi, my house is unbearable. No one could endure the mooing of the cow, the pig’s oinks, the complaining of my wife and the squabbling of the children!”

“Then there is one more thing to do,” said the rabbi. “Move the goat into the house with you.”

The man did not answer, but sighed as he walked out the door. “I know, I know. I’ll be back next week.”

When the man returned the next week, the rabbi asked if there had been any improvement in his living situation. “You must be joking!” the man said. “No one has ever lived in as much misery as I am experiencing with the bleating of the goat, the oinking of the pig, the mooing of the cow, the squabbling of the children, and the complaining of my wife! It’s beyond human endurance.”

“Then there is only one thing left for you to do,” said the rabbi. “You must bring the chickens into the house with you.”

As the man slumped wearily out the door, the rabbi thought he detected tears in the poor man’s eyes.

The next week, when the householder came to the rabbi’s door, the rabbi asked how things were going at the house. “It’s a madhouse,” replied the man. The chickens squawk, the goat bleats, the pig oinks, the cow moos, my children squabble, and my wife complains.”

“Then you must move all of those animals out of the house and back into the barnyard where they belong!” said the rabbi. “Come back to see me next week.”

When the next week rolled around, the man was whistling as he approached the rabbi’s door. “Well?” asked the rabbi. “How is your living situation now?”

The man smiled. “It is like heaven, Rabbi. Just my wife and our children in our cozy cottage! It is wonderful to have such peace! I am perfectly content.”

What is the lesson, or moral of this story?

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Read the story and answer the question.

A thirsty crow found a pitcher with just a little water in the bottom. His long, slender beak could just touch the water, but he could not get a drink. Looking around, the crow noticed many small stones lying nearby. Patiently, he picked up the stones one by one, and filled the pitcher until the water was high enough for him to get a drink.

What is the moral of this fable?

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Read the story and answer the question.

Eight-year-old Tess heard her parents talking about her little brother Andrew. She realized something was wrong. Andrew was very sick, and they did not have enough money for his treatment. Tess heard her daddy say, “Only a miracle can save him now.”
Tess went to her bedroom and retrieved a jar from its hiding place. There were a few coins in it. She counted them carefully. She then made her way to the drug store. The pharmacist was too busy to pay attention to her. “And what do you want?” he asked, annoyed at her persistence. “Can’t you see that I am talking to my brother? He is here from Chicago.”
Tess persisted, “My brother’s really sick …….. and I want to buy a miracle. His name is Andrew. He has something bad growing inside of his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So, how much does a miracle cost?” Tess rambled.
The pharmacist’s brother, a well-dressed man, stooped down and asked the girl. “What kind of miracle does your brother need?”
“Don’t know,” replied Tess, eyes welling up with tears. “I just know Mommy says he needs an operation.But my daddy can’t pay for it. So, I want to use my money.”
The man from Chicago asked, “How much money do you have?”
“One dollar and eleven cents,” said Tess.
“Well, what a coincidence,” smiled the man.
“One dollar and eleven cents is the exact price of a miracle for your little brother.” He took her money in one hand and grasped Tess’s hand in the other. “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”
The well-dressed man was Carlton Armstrong, a neurosurgeon. He operated on Andrew without charging any money. It wasn’t long until Andrew was home and well again. “I wonder how much the surgery cost?” said Mother.
Tess smiled to herself. She knew exactly how much the miracle cost— one dollar and eleven cents…. plus the immense faith of a little child.


What is the message of this story?

Reading: Literature (RL.3.2)