Free printable ISEE practice test for Grade 3

Reading

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 11 minutes.

1. 1.

   Please select one book from the shelf to take home.

   What does the word select mean in this sentence?

   1. Achoose something carefully
   2. Bcount something up
   3. Cthrow something away
   4. Dbreak something apart

2. Stone Soup

   A folktale told in many parts of Europe

   Long ago, a hungry traveler walked into a small village at suppertime. She knocked on door after door and asked for something to eat. But every family said the same thing: "We barely have enough for ourselves."

   So the traveler set down her pack in the village square. She took out a large iron pot, filled it with water from the well, and built a small fire under it. Then she reached into her pocket, pulled out a smooth gray stone, and dropped it into the pot.

   A curious boy wandered over. "What are you making?" he asked.

   "Stone soup," said the traveler. "It is the most delicious soup in the world. Of course, it would taste even better with a carrot or two."

   The boy ran home and came back with three carrots. In they went.

   Soon a woman came to see what was going on. The traveler stirred the pot and sniffed. "Stone soup," she said. "It is nearly perfect. A few potatoes would make it just right."

   The woman hurried away and came back with an apron full of potatoes. In they went.

   One by one, more people came. A farmer brought onions. A baker brought a loaf of bread. An old man brought salt and a handful of herbs from his garden. Someone carried out a table, and someone else brought bowls and spoons.

   At last, the traveler tasted the soup and smiled. "It is ready."

   The whole village sat down together. They ate and talked and laughed until the moon came up. Everyone agreed it was the best soup they had ever eaten.

   "And to think," said the boy, "it was made from a stone."

   The traveler only smiled. The next morning, she fished the stone out of the pot, put it back in her pocket, and went on her way.

   2.

   What lesson does this folktale teach?

   1. ATravelers should always carry their own food.
   2. BIt is rude to knock on doors at suppertime.
   3. CWhen everyone shares a little, there can be plenty for all.
   4. DStones can be used to make delicious food.
3. 3.

   Which word best describes the traveler?

   1. AClever
   2. BCareless
   3. CLazy
   4. DGreedy
4. 4.

   Why does the traveler keep saying the soup would taste better with one more thing?

   1. AShe does not know how to cook.
   2. BShe wants the villagers to add food to the pot.
   3. CShe wants to sell the soup in the square.
   4. DShe hopes the villagers will leave her alone.
5. 5.

   At the end, the boy says, "And to think, it was made from a stone." What does the reader understand that the boy does not?

   1. AThe traveler had cooked the soup before she came.
   2. BThe soup was really made from the food the villagers shared.
   3. CThe stone was made of gold.
   4. DThe traveler did not like the soup.
6. 6.

   The class party had a budget of fifty dollars.

   This sentence is from a social studies book. What does budget mean?

   1. Aa list of chores
   2. Ba big shopping trip
   3. Ca kind of bank
   4. Da plan for how to spend and save money

7. The Real Johnny Appleseed

   You may have heard stories about Johnny Appleseed. In the stories, he wanders across America planting apple trees. Some of those stories are tall tales. But Johnny Appleseed was a real person. His name was John Chapman.

   John Chapman was born in 1774 in Leominster, Massachusetts. As a young man, he headed west to Pennsylvania. At that time, many families were moving west to start farms on new land. Chapman had an idea. Settlers would need apple trees. Apples could be eaten fresh, dried for the winter, or pressed into cider.

   Chapman got apple seeds from cider mills. The mills threw the leftover seeds away, so he took them. He carried the seeds west in bags. Then he cleared small patches of land and planted the seeds in rows. These patches were called nurseries. He built fences around them to keep out deer.

   When settlers came, Chapman sold them young apple trees. Sometimes he traded the trees for food or clothes. If a family could not pay, he often gave them trees anyway. For almost fifty years, he planted nurseries in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.

   People remembered Chapman for his kindness. He was gentle with animals and friendly to everyone he met. He often walked barefoot, even when it was cold. His clothes were plain and worn out. Some stories say he wore a cooking pot on his head as a hat. That part may not be true. But it shows how unusual people thought he was.

   Today, some towns where Chapman planted trees hold Johnny Appleseed festivals each fall. People eat apple pie, press cider, and tell stories about the man who spent his life planting for others.

   7.

   What is this passage mostly about?

   1. AThe real life of John Chapman, who planted apple trees for settlers
   2. BTall tales about a man with a pot on his head
   3. CHow cider is made at a cider mill
   4. DWhy settlers moved to Pennsylvania
8. 8.

   What does the author think about the story that Chapman wore a cooking pot as a hat?

   1. AIt proves that Chapman was a good cook.
   2. BIt may not be true, but it shows people thought he was unusual.
   3. CIt should never be told again.
   4. DIt is the most important fact about Chapman.
9. 9.

   Why did Chapman think settlers would want apple trees?

   1. AApple trees grew faster than any other tree.
   2. BApple seeds were very hard to find.
   3. CDeer would not eat apple trees.
   4. DApples could be eaten fresh, dried for winter, or made into cider.
10. 10.

    In the passage, what does the word "nurseries" mean in "These patches were called nurseries"?

    1. Arooms where babies sleep
    2. Bfences that keep out deer
    3. Cplaces where young plants are grown
    4. Dstores that sell clothing