English Language Arts

Grade 5
English Language Arts
Practice Test

Nebraska Department of Education 2016

2
 Directions:
On the following pages of your test booklet are passages and questions for the
Grade 5 Nebraska State Accountability–English Language Arts (NeSA–ELA).
Read these directions carefully before beginning the test.
This test will include several different types of questions. Some questions are
based on one or two passages. Other questions are independent and will be
answered based on the information provided in the question. Record all of your
answers in the answer document.
The test will include questions that will ask you to provide your answer in a
variety of ways.
• Some questions will ask you to select an answer from among four choices.
• Some questions will have two parts and require that you choose an answer
or answers to each part.
• Some questions will ask you to construct an answer by following the
directions given.
When you come to the word STOP at the end of the test, you have finished the
Grade 5 English Language Arts Test. You may review the test to check your
answers. Make sure you have marked all of your answers clearly and that you
have completely erased any marks you do not want. When you are finished, put
your answer sheet inside your test booklet and close your test booklet.

A 3 STOP.
ELA - Grade 5 Practice Test

1. A student is writing a research report about riding bikes. He wrote an opinion in the report. Read the
sentences from the student’s report and the directions that follow.

To go from one place to another, riding a bike is better than riding in a car. If there is a traffic jam
on the road, riders on the bike path next to the road can move faster. You do not have to put gas in a
bike like you do in a car. Sometimes it is easier to park your bike close to the place where you are
going.

The student took notes about riding bikes. Choose two notes that support the student’s opinion.
Choose two.

A. When riding a bike, you should always wear a bike helmet.

B. The hardest part of learning to ride a bike is keeping your balance.

C. Riding a bike is a lot faster than walking, especially if you need to go far.

D. When the weather is rainy, you should ride in a car so you do not get wet.

E. Riding your bike gives you exercise because your legs make the bike go.

F. You spend more time outdoors when you are on a bike, and this is good for you.

2. A student is writing a research report about the animals of Antarctica. Select one sentence that has
information the student can use to support the topic.

A. Antarctica is one of the most difficult places to live in the world.

B. Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth.

C. It is not surprising that very few people live there year-round.

D. Even though few people live there, many people take trips to Antarctica each year.

E. Some scientists go there to study the ice.

F. Because Antarctica is almost all ice, it has few plants. Only two types of flowering plants are
found there.

G. Many different types of penguins make their home in Antarctica.

A 4 Go on to the next page.

 ELA - Grade 5 Practice Test

3. Read the paragraph from a story.

Danya stood in the long line in the lunchroom and looked around curiously while she waited her
turn. The room was packed with students, but it looked like only those who had brought a lunch
from home were eating. There were no school lunches at the counter yet. Danya wondered what was
causing the delay. Then she saw a lunchroom worker come through the door from the kitchen,
pushing a large cart full of fresh, hot food. The room erupted with cheers.

Choose the BEST concluding sentence for the paragraph.

A. Danya was really hungry!

B. Finally the food was ready!
C. The other students in line were growing impatient.
D. Danya wondered what the excitement was all about.

A 5 Go on to the next page.

ELA - Grade 5 Practice Test

Seeing the Invisible

The Romans began investigating new uses for glass in about AD 100. They experimented with
different shapes and sizes of glass. They discovered that a piece of glass that was thick in the middle
and thin at the edges could make objects appear larger. These special pieces of glass were useful for
studying insects and therefore were called “flea glasses.” They were also called “magnifiers” and
“burning glasses”—because the glass could focus the rays of the Sun and start a fire. Eventually, this
specially shaped glass was called a lens because the glass was roughly the same shape as a lentil seed.

Invention of the Microscope

Lenses were not used much until the 1300s. Then people started wearing them to improve their
vision. In the 1590s, two spectacle makers named Zacharias and Hans Janssen experimented with
lenses. They put several lenses in a tube and looked through them at an object. The object appeared
much larger than it would have with only one lens. The Janssens had invented the compound
microscope.

3 News of the invention spread. Robert Hooke heard about the microscope and used it to study
plants. One day he wanted to understand why a cork floated on the water. With the microscope, he
discovered little chambers that he called “cells” because they resembled the kinds of rooms that monks
used in a monastery. We know today that cells are the building blocks of life. In 1665, Hooke wrote a
book about his discoveries titledMicrographia.

Discoveries Made Using the Microscope

Another person who became very excited about the microscope was Anton van Leeuwenhoek. He
used the microscope to look at everything. Then he wrote careful descriptions of what he observed.
Leeuwenhoek also did experiments with lenses. He learned how to grind and polish them. His lenses
had such great curvature they could magnify an object up to 270 times its normal size! Other early
microscopes could only magnify 20 to 30 times normal size.

Leeuwenhoek had an insatiable curiosity. He looked at pond scum and saw tiny “animalcules”
flitting about. He looked at scrapings from his own teeth and saw tiny, wriggling objects. He looked at
a drop of blood and saw thousands of tiny“corpuscles.” Leeuwenhoek had discovered protozoa,
bacteria, and blood cells.

How a Microscope Works

6 The simplest compound microscope has two lenses and a tube. The lens placed near the object is
called the objective lens. The lens placed near a person’s eye is called the eyepiece. The objective lens
sends a magnified image of the object to the eyepiece, which in turn directs the image to the eye.

Improvements to the Microscope

During the 1800s, major improvements were made to the microscope. Carl Zeiss, Ernst Abbe, and
Otto Schott studied optical design. Soon Zeiss lenses and microscopes were considered the best in the
world.

A 6 Go on to the next page.

 ELA - Grade 5 Practice Test

By 1933, Ernst Ruska had created an electron microscope that could magnify objects up to 10
times more than a compound microscope.

Lenses and microscopes have enabled people to see things that are invisible with just our eyes.

A Compound Microscope

eyepiece

objective
lens

light

4. Based on the prefix micro- and the root scope, what is a microscope used to observe?

A. distant objects
B. objects that are small
C. unusual objects
D. objects that are powerful

5. Which organizational pattern is used in the passage?

A. The development of the microscope is explained using a sequence of events.

B. The use of the microscope is compared to the use of other scientific tools.
C. A description of the people who invented the microscope is presented using specific details.
D. Questions and answers are presented explaining the use of the microscope for scientific
discovery.

A 7 Go on to the next page.

ELA - Grade 5 Practice Test

6. Select how each person contributed to the success of the microscope. Select whether the person
“Made Discoveries Using the Microscope,” “Contributed to the Development of the Microscope,” or
BOTH. Record the answers on the answer document.

1. Made Discoveries 2. Contributed to 3. BOTH

Using a the Development
Microscope of the Microscope
a. Carl Zeiss
b. Robert Hooke
c. Anton van
Leeuwenhoek

7. Which evidence supports the conclusion that early Romans were responsible for the invention of the
microscope?

A. They discovered that a piece of glass that was thick in the middle and thin at the edges could
make objects appear larger.
B. Lenses were not used much until the 1300s.
C. They put several lenses in a tube and look through them at an object.
D. During the 1800s, major improvements were made to the microscope.

8. Which statement BEST explains why this passage is nonfiction?

A. The passage includes directions on how to make a microscope using different types of lenses.
B. The author uses factual information about microscopes and presents this information in
chronological order.
C. The author tells stories about scientists from different time periods who worked with
microscopes and made discoveries.
D. The passage includes predictions about how future scientists will improve the microscope.

A 8 Go on to the next page.

 ELA - Grade 5 Practice Test

9. This question has two parts. Answer part A, and then answer part B.

Part A

What is the main idea of the passage?

A. The invention of the microscope was an accident.

B. The modern microscope is the result of many people’s efforts.

C. The greater the curvature of a microscope lens, the more it magnifies an object.

D. The invention of the microscope led to a scientist’s discovery of cells.

Part B

Which summary BEST supports the main idea of the passage?

A. Lenses are named after the lentil bean. One scientist chose to grind and polish the lenses so they
could magnify objects at a higher level. Then he used the lenses to make new discoveries from a
drop of blood.

B. There are two types of microscopes: compound and electron. Scientists have used these
microscopes to observe insects, a cork, and pond scum. A book was written about discoveries one
scientist made while using the microscope.

C. The Romans found that glass could magnify objects. Then people started to wear lenses for
vision. Two spectacle makers turned the lenses into a microscope. Scientists experimented with
the lenses and made important discoveries. These scientists also improved the microscope over
time.

D. A microscope is used to look at objects that are difficult to see. The microscope uses a
combination of lenses that have been improved over the years. The best lenses in the world were
created by people who studied optic design.

10. How does the illustration contribute to the passage?

A. It directly supports information in paragraph 3 about how the microscope was used to study plants.
B. It helps the reader locate definitions of microscope vocabulary used in the passage.
C. It directly supports the description of a microscope in paragraph 6.
D. It helps the reader understand how microscopes have improved over time.

A 9 Go on to the next page.

ELA - Grade 5 Practice Test

The next two passages are paired. Read the first passage and then read the second
passage.
Walking on the Moon

When I was in fifth grade, I took a trip to the Moon. I remember the day like it was yesterday. It
was one of the strangest experiences I’d ever had.

It all started when Ms. Jackson, our fifth-grade science teacher, was showing a video about the
solar system. I had been fascinated by space ever since I was a little girl, but now I was really
learning the facts. For example, there are eight planets orbiting our Sun, which is actually a star. Our
solar system has dwarf planets, asteroids, and comets. And moons, of course—146 official ones and
maybe another 27 more!

Just as the video began explaining why Earth’s moon is so important, I noticed a sparkling metal
disk about the size of a quarter lying on the floor. Despite my efforts to pay attention to the video, I
couldn’t stop looking at the shiny disk next to my desk. Finally, my curiosity convinced me to lean
over and pick it up.

As soon as I touched the disk, something strange happened. Somehow I left the classroom and
watched the ground slip away. I was hovering in the air, way above the school, floating like an airship
above the city. The streets below were arranged like a grid, and the city’s green parks dotted the town
like emeralds. I was amazingly calm as I soared above the rooftops. What was happening? How could
I be floating?

Then I remembered the metal disk I’d picked up from the classroom floor earlier. I opened my
palm and peered at the disk. I noticed the disk had a message written on it:

“Floating through the air like a helium-filled balloon, your travels will not stop until you reach
the Moon.”

The next thing I knew, I was soaring away from Earth into space, dodging satellites and asteroids.
Oddly enough, I wasn’t cold, and I was able to breathe just fine. How could that be? I discovered that
a space helmet was protecting my head, and I was wearing a spacesuit and a backpack. I could hear a
slight hiss as I breathed within the bubble of the helmet and realized the backpack was providing me
with oxygen. The spacesuit seemed to have many layers and was a little bulky. I felt awkward but not
uncomfortable. I was thankful for the protection as pieces of space dust appeared to zing past me.

Before I knew it, I had landed on the Moon. I gazed across its stark landscape. There were no
trees, schools, or houses. There wasn’t even any wind. From Earth, the Moon had looked to me as if it
were made of white sand, but its surface was actually rocky and solid. It seemed to be covered with a
film of dark gray dust, as if someone had crumbled bits of charcoal over it. It was dimpled with
craters of various sizes. I wondered if some of those dimples created the illusion we call “the man in
the Moon.”

I reached down and picked up a small rock with my gloved hands. Even though I knew it was
unbelievably cold on the Moon, my hands stayed warm. I’m pretty sure there were heaters in the
fingertips of the gloves!

A 10 Go on to the next page.

 ELA - Grade 5 Practice Test

With each step, I bounced along like a basketball. This bouncing made sense, since the Moon’s
gravity is much less than Earth’s gravity. My spacesuit boots left a trail of big footprints in the dust.
(At least I wouldn’t get lost . . . although I still had no idea how I got here or how I would return to
Earth!) Some of the craters were tiny, but others were huge. I was careful not to accidentally leap into
a deep crater because I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get out.

I bounded toward something vertical. It looked out of place in the endless gray landscape, and I
realized that it was a flag. On the flag were the words:

“To go to Earth, just close your eyes and think of what you’ve learned. In no time at all, you will
find that you will be returned.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back just yet, but I knew that it was getting late and that I didn’t
want my classmates to worry about me. I closed my eyes and thought about the thrill of flying and
what I’d learned about the Moon that day.

When I opened my eyes, I was back in the science classroom and Ms. Jackson was switching on
the lights because the video was over. I sat at my desk, dumbfounded. What had happened to me? I
felt in my pocket for the metal disk, but it was gone. Had I really taken a trip to the Moon, or was it
all just a dream? I took my hand out of my pocket and noticed that my fingers were covered with a
gray, powdery dust.

“Margaret, are you still with us?” I heard Ms. Jackson ask.

I looked up at her, unable to answer, my eyes as large and round as the Moon.

Now read the second passage.

Moon Landing
The air inside the spacecraft
is thick with anticipation.
The journey has taken
just under three days,
5 but for the astronaut,
it has spanned decades.
It began with a picture book
about Saturn’s rings,
which led to years
10 of fascination and study,
of training,
of dreaming,
and then,
to this very day.

A 11 Go on to the next page.

ELA - Grade 5 Practice Test

15 Part of the spacecraft detaches

and touches down.
Below it, the Moon
stretches out and out.
There are tests and checks—
20 so much waiting—
until finally,
a door opens.
The astronaut takes
his first step
25 and begins to drift away;
but the invisible
cord of gravity
keeps him tethered and safe.
His weightless body
30 drops gently back
to the surface of the Moon.
He lands
like an autumn leaf
on freshly fallen snow.

35 When he jumps,
his body rockets upward,
and his arms flail;
it seems again, for a moment,
that a giant tidal wave
40 is carrying him away.
He sees his footprint down below;
he watches it grow smaller at first,
then larger and larger
as he comes back down.
45 To his surprise,
his foot is perfectly
back into his footprint again.

He looks back at Earth,

the planet just dangling there,
50 a huge, bright bulb
in the black box of space.
Across the continents
long strands of clouds
are pulled, west to east,

A 12 Go on to the next page.

 ELA - Grade 5 Practice Test

55 like wisps of cotton candy.

The oceans sparkle a pure, deep blue,
a stark contrast to the endless gray
of the Moon.
The long tail of Alaskan islands
60 spreads out
like pebbles along a beach.
He sees the Great Lakes
and is reminded of his house,
a beloved home tucked into
65 a tiny corner of the universe
like a shining jewel lost
in a big, dark room.

11. Which word is a synonym for hovering?

A. hanging
B. hiding
C. following
D. jumping

12. Choose two details from “Walking on the Moon” that BEST explain why Margaret decides to leave
the Moon. Choose two.

A. . . . I still had no idea how I got here or how I would return . . .

B. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go home just yet . . .

C. . . . I knew that it was getting late . . .

D. . . . I didn’t want my classmates to worry about me.

E. I closed my eyes and thought about the thrill of flying . . .

A 13 Go on to the next page.

ELA - Grade 5 Practice Test

13. In the last sentence of “Walking on the Moon,” how does the author use a literary device?

A. The author uses personification to make the Moon seem more human.
B. The author uses onomatopoeia to add more rhythm to the words in the sentence.
C. The author uses an idiom to suggest that Margaret is having trouble seeing the teacher.
D. The author uses a simile to show that Margaret is still in shock from traveling to the Moon.

14. In line 28 of “Moon Landing,” what is the meaning of the word tethered?

A. amused
B. attached
C. comfortable
D. floating

15. What do lines 59–67 of “Moon Landing” suggest about the astronaut?

A. He is looking for something that he is still unable to find.

B. He is wishing he had not traveled so far away from home.
C. He is thinking about how small each place on Earth is compared to the giant size of the universe.
D. He is thinking about new places that he would like to visit once he is back home on Earth.

16. How does the poem “Moon Landing” show the poet’s perspective about space?

A. It supports the opinion that space is dangerous.

B. It provides evidence to support the idea that space is similar to Earth.
C. It supports the opinion that space exploration is interesting.
D. It encourages people to learn about traveling to space from Earth.

A 14 Go on to the next page.

 ELA - Grade 5 Practice Test

17. This question has two parts. Answer part A, and then answer part B.

Part A

What do the main characters in the story and poem have in common?

A. They both traveled for days in order to reach the Moon.

B. They both have been interested in space since a young age.

C. They both wondered how they would get back home from the Moon.

D. They both have spent many years getting ready to travel into space.

Part B

Select two pieces of evidence that support your answer in part A. Select two.

A. I had been fascinated by space ever since I was a little girl, but now I was really learning the
facts. (“Walking on the Moon”)

B. . . .your travels will not stop until you reach the Moon. (“Walking on the Moon”)

C. I was careful not to accidentally leap into a deep crater because I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get
out. (“Walking on the Moon”)

D. The journey has taken / just under three days, . . . (“Moon Landing”)

E. It began with a picture book / about Saturn’s rings, / which led to years / of fascination and study,
(“Moon Landing”)

F. He looks back at Earth, / the planet just dangling there, … (“Moon Landing”)

A 15 STOP.
ELA - Grade 5 Practice Test

18. “Walking on the Moon” and “Moon Landing” have similar themes. Analyze how both the story and
poem address the idea that space travel is fascinating. Write a well-organized, structured response
using specific evidence from BOTH passages to support your answer.

Writer’s Checklist for the

Text-Dependent Analysis Question

PLAN before you write

• Read the prompt carefully.
• Read the text(s) carefully.
• Think about how the prompt relates to the text(s).
• Organize your ideas on scratch paper. You may use a
thought map, outline, or other prewriting activity to plan
your response.

FOCUS while you write

• Analyze the information from the text(s) as you write.
• Use relevant and accurate evidence from the text(s)
to support your response.
• Organize your response with an introduction, body,
and conclusion.

PROOFREAD after you write

 I wrote my final draft in the response box.
 I wrote my response in English.
 I stayed focused on answering the question.
 I used/cited evidence from the text(s) to support my response.
 I corrected errors in capitalization, spelling,
sentence structure, punctuation, and word choice.

A 16 STOP.
 Grade 5
ELA Practice Test
Answer Key
1. E, F
2. G
3. B
4. B
5. A
6. a. 2, b. 1, c. 3
7. A
8. B
9. Part A: B
Part B: C
10. C
11. A
12. C, D
13. D
14. B
15. C
16. C
17. Part A: B
Part B: A, E
18. refer to TDA rubric
 Grade 5
English Language Arts Practice Test

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