NAPLAN-style Practice Test 1 — Reading (Year 3)
A free NAPLAN (Years 3, 5, 7 and 9) practice paper for Year 3 in the format of the real test: 39 questions in 45 minutes, covering Section A — Texts 1 to 3; Section B — Texts 4 and 5; Section C — Texts 6 and 7. Read each text, then answer the questions. Try every question. Attempt it online — every question is marked instantly and the correct answers are shown at the end.
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Mia had saved her pocket money for six weeks to buy a red kite with a long yellow tail. On Saturday morning, she ran to the park with her little brother, Sam.
The wind was strong. Mia let out the string, and the kite rose higher and higher until it was a tiny red dot above the oval. "It's flying!" shouted Sam, jumping up and down.
Then a sudden gust tugged the string right out of Mia's hands. The kite swooped sideways and crashed into the top branches of a tall gum tree.
Mia's eyes filled with tears. "It's stuck forever," she whispered.
Sam looked up at the tree, then down at the ground. He picked up a long, fallen branch and handed it to his sister. "Try this," he said.
Mia stood on her tiptoes and stretched as far as she could. The branch just reached the kite's yellow tail. She gave it a gentle tug, and the kite fluttered down into her arms.
"You're the best brother ever," said Mia, grinning. Sam puffed out his chest proudly.
Q1. What colour was the kite's tail? Write one word from the text.
Q2. Where did Mia and Sam go to fly the kite?
Q3. What happened straight after the gust of wind tugged the string out of Mia's hands?
Q4. In the story, a gust is
Q5. Why did Mia's eyes fill with tears?
Q6. At the end of the story, Sam puffed out his chest. This shows that Sam felt
The short-beaked echidna is one of Australia's most unusual animals. It is a monotreme. This means it is a mammal that lays eggs.
Appearance
An echidna has a round body covered in sharp spines. Between the spines is short brown fur. It has a long, thin snout and short legs with strong claws for digging.
Habitat
Echidnas live all over Australia. They can be found in forests, deserts, grasslands and even near towns. During the day, they often rest in hollow logs, under bushes or in burrows.
Diet
Echidnas have no teeth. They eat ants and termites, which they catch with a long, sticky tongue. An echidna uses its snout to sniff out ant nests, then breaks them open with its claws.
Young
A female echidna lays one soft, leathery egg and keeps it in a pouch on her belly. After about ten days, a tiny baby called a puggle hatches.
Staying safe
When an echidna is frightened, it digs quickly into the soil or curls up into a tight, spiky ball.
Q7. What is a baby echidna called? Write one word from the text.
Q8. How does an echidna catch its food?
Q9. Which heading would help you find out where echidnas live?
Q10. Why is the word monotreme printed in bold?
Q11. What is the main purpose of this text?
Q12. Why would curling into a spiky ball help keep an echidna safe?
Watch a bean start to grow roots and a shoot!
You will need:
- a clear plastic cup
- cotton wool balls
- 2 dried beans
- water
- a marker
Steps:
1. Write your name on the cup with the marker.
2. Fill the cup with cotton wool balls. Push them down gently.
3. Push the beans between the cotton wool and the side of the cup so that you can see them.
4. Pour in a little water until the cotton wool is damp but not soaking.
5. Put the cup on a sunny windowsill.
6. Check your beans every day. Add a few drops of water if the cotton wool feels dry.
Tip: In about a week you should see tiny roots and a green shoot. Draw a picture each day to record how your bean changes.
Q13. What should you do first?
Q14. Step 5 says to put the cup on a sunny ______. Write the missing word.
Q15. Why do the instructions say to use a clear cup?
Q16. In Step 4, the word damp means
Q17. Why is there a list called You will need?
Pitter-patter on the tin,
Rain is drumming, "Let me in!"
Tapping softly, tapping loud,
Tumbling from a big grey cloud.
Puddles gather on the path,
Ducks are having such a bath!
Dad says, "Stay inside today,"
But I just want to splash and play.
When the sun peeks out at three,
Gumboots on – the world is free!
Q18. What is the rain falling on?
Q19. In the poem, the word tumbling means
Q20. How does the child feel about staying inside?
Q21. What does the child do when the sun comes out?
Q22. Which two words from the poem rhyme?
Dear Mr Ellis,
I am writing to ask if our school could have a vegetable garden. I think it would be a great idea for three reasons.
Firstly, students would learn how plants grow. We could plant seeds, water them and watch them change every week. This would help us in science lessons.
Secondly, a garden would help us eat healthy food. The canteen could use our carrots, lettuce and tomatoes in salads and wraps.
Finally, looking after a garden is good teamwork. Each class could take turns weeding and watering, and everyone would feel proud of what we grow.
There is a sunny, empty space next to the library that would be perfect. My parents have offered to help build the garden beds on a weekend.
Please think about my idea. I am sure our whole school would enjoy it.
Yours sincerely,
Priya (Year 3)
Q23. Why did Priya write this letter?
Q24. Where does Priya think the garden should go?
Q25. Priya uses the words Firstly, Secondly and Finally to
Q26. Who has offered to help build the garden beds?
Q27. Why does Priya point out that the empty space is sunny?
Q28. Which word best describes how Priya feels about her idea?
School Holiday Fun at Greenvale Library!
All activities are free. You must book for activities marked with a star (*).
What is on each day
Monday, 10:00 am: Story Time with Puppets (ages 3 to 6)
Tuesday, 2:00 pm: Build a Robot with Blocks * (ages 7 to 12)
Wednesday, 10:30 am: Comic Drawing Workshop * (ages 8 to 12)
Thursday, 11:00 am: Movie Morning (bring a cushion!) (all ages)
Friday, 1:00 pm: Bookmark Craft (ages 5 to 10)
To book, visit the front desk or phone the library.
Children under 8 must stay with an adult.
Q29. On which day is the Comic Drawing Workshop? Write one word.
Q30. Which activity do you need to book?
Q31. Why are people told to bring a cushion to Movie Morning?
Q32. Ruby is 11 years old. Which of these activities is not for her age?
Q33. What does the star (*) next to some activities tell you?
On Monday, a new girl stood at the front of the classroom. Her name was Ana, and she held her school bag tightly with both hands.
"Ana has just moved here from New Zealand," said Mrs Tran. "Who would like to show her around at lunchtime?"
Jack's hand shot up. At lunchtime, he showed Ana the canteen, the library and the big fig tree where Year 3 played handball.
"Do you want to play?" asked Jack.
Ana shook her head. "I don't know the rules," she said quietly, staring at her shoes.
"That's okay," said Jack. "I'll teach you. It's easy. You just hit the ball into another square with your hand."
Ana missed the first ball. She missed the second ball too. But on her third try, the ball bounced perfectly into Jack's square, and he couldn't reach it.
"You got me out!" laughed Jack.
Ana's face broke into a huge smile. "Can we play again tomorrow?" she asked.
"Every day," said Jack.
Q34. What game did Jack teach Ana? Write one word from the text.
Q35. Why did Ana hold her school bag tightly with both hands?
Q36. Which of these happened first?
Q37. Jack's hand shot up. This means that Jack
Q38. How did Ana's feelings change during the story?
Q39. What is this story mostly about?
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