Free printable ISEE practice test for Grade 3

Reading

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

1. Playing for Leo

   Mei had practiced her piano piece every day for a month. She could play it with her eyes closed. But on the morning of the spring recital, her hands felt like two cold fish.

   "What if I forget the notes?" she asked Grandpa as they drove to the music school. "What if everyone stares at me?"

   Grandpa smiled at her in the mirror. "When I was a boy, I sang in a choir," he said. "Before every concert, my knees shook like jelly. Then my teacher told me a secret. Don't sing for the whole room. Pick one person, and sing just for them."

   Mei thought about that. She looked at her little brother, Leo, who was kicking his feet in his car seat. Leo loved her piece. He called it "the butterfly song," because the notes went up and down like wings.

   At the music school, the hall was full of folding chairs and grown-ups holding programs. Mei's stomach did a flip. Six students played before her. Each time the clapping started, her heart beat faster.

   Then Mrs. Alvarez called her name.

   Mei walked to the piano and sat down. She did not look at the rows of faces. Instead, she found Leo in the third row, sitting on Grandpa's lap. He waved at her with both hands.

   Mei smiled. She put her fingers on the keys and played the butterfly song for Leo. She played it the way she did at home, when he danced around the living room. The notes went up and down, up and down.

   When she finished, the room filled with clapping. Mei had almost forgotten anyone else was there.

   Afterward, Leo ran to her and wrapped his arms around her legs. "You played my song!" he shouted.

   "I did," said Mei. She looked up at Grandpa, and he winked.

   1.

   What is the central message of this story?

   1. AIt is best to keep your eyes closed when you perform.
   2. BPracticing every day is not important.
   3. CThinking about someone you care about can help you be brave.
   4. DOnly grown-ups can play music well.
2. 2.

   Grandpa says his knees "shook like jelly." What does he mean?

   1. AHis knees were very cold.
   2. BHe had spilled jelly on his knees.
   3. CHe had hurt his knees at the concert.
   4. DHis knees shook because he was nervous.
3. 3.

   Why does Grandpa wink at Mei at the end of the story?

   1. AHe wants her to play the song again.
   2. BHe has something in his eye.
   3. CHe thinks Leo was too loud.
   4. DHe can tell she used his secret and it worked.
4. 4.

   In the story, what does the word "programs" mean in "grown-ups holding programs"?

   1. Aplans for saving money
   2. Bshows on television
   3. Cpapers that list what will happen at an event
   4. Dgames played on a computer
5. 5.

   I wrote a letter to my pen pal in Texas.

   Which meaning of letter is used in this sentence?

   1. Aa written message sent by mail
   2. Bone of the marks used to write words, such as A or B
   3. Ca short song
   4. Da kind of envelope
6. 6.

   My little brother can be as stubborn as a mule when it is time for bed.

   What does the phrase in bold mean?

   1. Anot willing to change his mind
   2. Bable to carry heavy loads
   3. Cquick to agree
   4. Dvery sleepy

7. Spiders and Their Silk

   Have you ever walked into a spider web and felt the threads stick to your face? That web was made of silk, one of the most amazing materials in nature.

   Where Silk Comes From

   Every kind of spider can make silk. The silk starts out as a liquid inside the spider's body. It comes out through tiny parts near the back end of the spider called spinnerets. As the spider pulls the silk out, it turns into a thin, strong thread.

   Strong and Stretchy

   Spider silk is very thin, but it is also very strong. For its weight, it is stronger than steel. It can stretch without breaking, too. When an insect flies into a web, the silk stretches and then holds on, like a net catching a ball.

   Many Uses

   Not all spiders build webs. But all spiders use silk in some way. Some spiders wrap their eggs in a soft silk sac to keep them safe. Many spiders leave a line of silk behind them as they walk, like a safety rope. Baby spiders sometimes let out long silk threads that catch the wind. Then they float away to new homes, a little like kites.

   Building a Web

   A spider that builds a round web starts with one thread. It lets the wind carry the thread to a nearby branch. Next, it adds threads that go out from the center, like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. Last, it spins a sticky thread that goes around and around in a spiral. The spider knows which threads are sticky, and it walks on the dry ones. Many of these spiders eat their old web each day and use the silk to build a new one.

   7.

   What is the main idea of this passage?

   1. ASpider silk stays a liquid and never hardens.
   2. BSpiders are stronger than steel.
   3. CSpiders make strong silk and use it in many ways.
   4. DAll spiders build round webs to catch insects.
8. 8.

   Why is the word "spinnerets" printed in bold?

   1. AIt is an important word that the passage explains.
   2. BIt is the name of one kind of spider.
   3. CIt is a word readers can skip.
   4. DIt is the title of the passage.
9. 9.

   Which section would help a reader learn how baby spiders travel to new homes?

   1. AMany Uses
   2. BStrong and Stretchy
   3. CBuilding a Web
   4. DSpider Eggs
10. 10.

    When a spider builds a round web, what does it do last?

    1. AIt lets the wind carry a thread to a branch.
    2. BIt wraps its eggs in a silk sac.
    3. CIt walks on the dry threads to rest.
    4. DIt spins a sticky thread in a spiral.