Virginia SOL-style Practice Test 1 — Reading (Grade 3)
A free Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests practice paper for Grade 3 in the format of the real test: 40 questions in 90 minutes, covering Section A — Stories and a poem; Section B — Informational texts; Section C — Paired passages: Lighthouses; Section D — Word study. Suggested time 90 minutes (the real test is untimed). Read each passage carefully, then choose the best answer. You may look back at the passage. Answer every question. Attempt it online — every question is marked instantly and the correct answers are shown at the end.
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Mina had spent all Saturday morning building a toy sailboat with her older brother, Theo. They used a block of wood for the boat, a pencil for the mast, and a square of blue cloth for the sail. When they were finished, Mina held it up proudly. "It's the best boat in the whole town," she said.
That afternoon they carried the boat to the pond at Hilltop Park. Mina knelt at the edge of the water and set the boat down gently. A breeze filled the sail, and the boat began to glide. Then it leaned to one side and tipped over with a splash.
"Let's try again," said Theo.
They tried five more times. Each time, the boat wobbled, leaned, and flipped over. Mina's cheeks grew hot. She stomped her foot. "This boat is useless!" she cried. "I'm going home."
Theo sat down on the grass and looked at the boat carefully. "Wait," he said. "The sail is heavy, but the bottom of the boat is too light. We need some weight underneath to keep it steady."
Mina crossed her arms. She wanted to be angry for a little longer. But she also wanted to see the boat sail. Slowly, she pulled a lump of green clay out of her pocket. She had been saving it to make a dinosaur. She handed it to Theo, and he pressed it firmly onto the bottom of the boat.
This time, when Mina set the boat on the water, it sat up straight. It did not lean. It did not tip. It sailed all the way across the pond like a proud little swan.
Mina cheered and ran around the pond to meet it on the other side.
"I'm glad I didn't go home," she said.
Theo grinned. "Sometimes you just have to figure out what's wrong instead of giving up."
Q1. What is the main problem in the story?
Q2. Read this sentence from the story.
Each time, the boat wobbled, leaned, and flipped over.
What does the word wobbled mean?
Q3. Read this sentence from the story.
Mina's cheeks grew hot.
What does this sentence show about Mina?
Q4. Why does Mina give Theo the lump of clay?
Q5. How is the problem solved?
Q6. The author writes that the boat sailed across the pond like a proud little swan. What does this comparison show?
Q7. How do Mina's feelings change after Theo presses the clay onto the boat?
Q8. What lesson does Mina learn in the story?
The rain comes tapping on my roof,
A drummer soft and slow.
Tip-tap, tip-tap, it plays a tune
For all the world below.
It fills the puddles by the gate
Like tiny silver lakes,
And every thirsty flower drinks
As much as it can take.
The robin hides beneath the leaves,
The cat curls by the fire,
But I pull on my yellow boots.
I never, ever tire
Of splashing through the silver lakes
And singing with the rain,
Until the clouds roll far away
And sun comes out again.
Q9. Who is the speaker of the poem?
Q10. In the first stanza, the rain is compared to a drummer soft and slow. This shows that the rain
Q11. What are the silver lakes in the poem?
Q12. Which pair of words from the poem rhyme?
Q13. How is the speaker different from the robin and the cat?
Every Tuesday, my class visits the school library. Last Tuesday, I was supposed to return a book called The Moon Fox. But when I opened my backpack, the book wasn't there.
My heart began to pound. Ms. Alvarez, our librarian, always tells us that library books are like borrowed treasure. "Take good care of them," she says, "so the next reader can enjoy them too."
I didn't want to tell her. For a moment, I thought about saying nothing and hoping she would forget. Instead, I walked up to her desk, took a deep breath, and said, "I can't find The Moon Fox. I'm really sorry."
Ms. Alvarez smiled kindly. "Thank you for telling me, Jaden. Being honest is the first step. Where do you remember reading it last?"
I thought hard. I had read it on our front porch on Saturday. On Sunday, I had read it at my grandmother's apartment. After that, I couldn't remember.
That evening, I called Grandma. "Did I leave a book at your place?" I asked.
"A book about a fox?" she said. "It's sitting right here on my kitchen table. I've been reading it myself. It's wonderful!"
I laughed so hard that I nearly dropped the phone. The next Tuesday, I placed The Moon Fox on Ms. Alvarez's desk. Grandma had even tucked a note inside: Thank you for lending me this great story!
Q14. Who is telling this story?
Q15. Read this sentence from the story.
My heart began to pound.
This sentence shows that Jaden felt
Q16. Ms. Alvarez says that library books are like borrowed treasure. What does she mean?
Q17. What does Jaden's choice to tell Ms. Alvarez about the book show about him?
Q18. Where was the missing book?
Q19. Why does Jaden laugh so hard on the phone?
Beavers are large rodents that live in and near ponds, streams, and rivers across much of North America. An adult beaver can weigh as much as 60 pounds. That makes it one of the biggest rodents in the world.
Built for the Water
A beaver's body is made for swimming. Its back feet are webbed, like a duck's feet, which helps it paddle. Its flat, wide tail helps it steer through the water. A beaver can hold its breath underwater for up to 15 minutes.
Busy Builders
Beavers are famous for building dams. First, a beaver cuts down small trees with its strong front teeth. Next, it drags the branches into a stream. Then it packs mud and stones between the branches to hold them in place. Over time, the dam blocks the water, and a calm, deep pond forms behind it.
In the middle of the pond, beavers build a home called a lodge. The entrance to the lodge is underwater, so enemies such as wolves and coyotes cannot easily get inside. Above the water, the lodge has a dry room where the beaver family sleeps and stays warm.
Teeth That Never Stop Growing
A beaver's front teeth are orange because they contain iron, which makes them very strong. These teeth never stop growing. Chewing on wood wears the teeth down and keeps them from getting too long.
Helping Other Animals
When beavers build a pond, they create a new habitat, or home, for many other living things. Fish, frogs, ducks, and insects find food and shelter in the still water. Beavers are the most amazing animals in the forest.
Q20. What is the main idea of the whole passage?
Q21. Under which heading can the reader find out why beavers chew on wood?
Q22. When a beaver builds a dam, what does it do right after it cuts down small trees?
Q23. Why is the entrance to a beaver lodge underwater?
Q24. In the section "Helping Other Animals," what does the word habitat mean?
Q25. Which sentence from the passage is an opinion?
Q26. What is the author's main purpose for writing this passage?
In winter, it can be hard for birds to find enough food. You can help them by making a simple bird feeder from a pinecone. Ask an adult to help you.
What You Need
• one large pinecone
• a piece of string about 2 feet long
• a craft stick
• peanut butter or sunflower seed butter
• birdseed
• a paper plate
What to Do
1. Tie the string tightly around the top of the pinecone. Leave a long end so you can hang the feeder later.
2. Use the craft stick to spread peanut butter all over the pinecone. Push it into the spaces between the scales.
3. Pour birdseed onto the paper plate.
4. Roll the pinecone in the birdseed until it is completely covered.
5. Hang your feeder from a tree branch that you can see from a window.
Tips
Hang the feeder at least 5 feet off the ground so that cats cannot reach the birds while they eat. Check your feeder every few days. When the seeds are gone, take the feeder down and cover it again.
Q27. What is the author's main purpose for writing this passage?
Q28. How does the section called What You Need help the reader?
Q29. Read this sentence from the directions.
Push it into the spaces between the scales.
In this sentence, what does the word scales mean?
Q30. What should the reader do just before rolling the pinecone in the birdseed?
Q31. Why does the author say to hang the feeder at least 5 feet off the ground?
For hundreds of years, lighthouses have helped sailors find their way. A lighthouse is a tall tower with a bright light at the top. It is usually built on a rocky shore, on an island, or near the entrance to a harbor.
At night or in thick fog, sailors cannot always see dangerous rocks. The light from a lighthouse warns them to stay away. Each lighthouse flashes its light in its own pattern. For example, one lighthouse might flash once every five seconds, while another flashes twice and then goes dark. By watching the pattern, sailors can tell which lighthouse they are seeing and figure out where they are.
Long ago, a person called a lighthouse keeper lived at each lighthouse. Every evening, the keeper climbed the stairs to light the lamp and then kept it burning all night. Today, most lighthouses have electric lights that turn on by themselves, so keepers are no longer needed.
October 12, 1895
Tonight the fog rolled in as thick as wool. Father said the ships would need our light more than ever. At sunset, I helped him carry the oil up all 98 steps to the lamp room. My legs ached by the time we reached the top.
Father trimmed the wick and lit the lamp. The great glass lens around it made the small flame shine far out over the water. Then he wound up the machine that turns the lens, so our light flashes once every ten seconds.
Near midnight, we heard a ship's horn somewhere in the fog. I held my breath. After a while, the horn sounded again, farther away. Father smiled. "She saw our light," he said. "She is safely past the rocks."
I think being a lighthouse keeper is the most important job in the world.
Q32. According to Passage 1, why does each lighthouse flash its light in its own pattern?
Q33. Which sentence from Passage 1 best explains why there are few lighthouse keepers today?
Q34. In Passage 2, Nell writes that the fog rolled in as thick as wool. What does this tell the reader?
Q35. How is Passage 2 different from Passage 1?
Q36. Passage 1 says that long ago a keeper climbed the stairs every evening to light the lamp. Which detail from Passage 2 is an example of this?
Q37. Which idea is found in both passages?
Q38. Read this sentence.
After the storm, the family had to rebuild the fence.
What does the word rebuild mean?
Q39. Read this sentence.
The fearless puppy ran right up to the big dog.
What does the word fearless mean?
Q40. Which word would be found on a dictionary page with the guide words garden and goat?
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