Free printable STAAR practice test for Grade 3

Reading Language Arts

Circle the letter of the best answer, or two letters where a question asks for two, and one letter in each row of a table and for each numbered blank. No time limit.

1. 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.

   1.

   What lesson does this folktale teach?

   1. AStones can be used to make delicious food.
   2. BWhen everyone shares a little, there can be plenty for all.
   3. CSoup tastes best when it is cooked over a fire.
   4. DTravelers should always carry their own food.
2. 2.

   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 to sell the soup in the square.
   3. CShe hopes the villagers will leave her alone.
   4. DShe wants the villagers to add food to the pot.
3. 3.

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

   Which TWO things did the villagers bring that did NOT go into the pot? Choose two answers.

   1. ABowls and spoons
   2. BAn apron full of potatoes
   3. CA smooth gray stone
   4. DA table
   5. EThree carrots

5. 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.

   5.

   Why is the word "spinnerets" printed in bold?

   1. AIt is a word readers can skip.
   2. BIt is the heading of a new section.
   3. CIt is an important word that the passage explains.
   4. DIt is the title of the passage.
6. 6.

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

   1. AIt walks on the dry threads to rest.
   2. BIt spins a sticky thread in a spiral.
   3. CIt adds threads like the spokes of a wheel.
   4. DIt lets the wind carry a thread to a branch.
7. 7.

   The screen door closed by (1) ______ in the wind.

   Which word best completes the sentence?

   (1)	Aitself	Bthemselves	Chimself	Dherself

8. 8.

   1. First, fill a tub with warm water.
   2. Next, put the dog in the tub and wet its fur.
   3. Rub dog shampoo into the wet fur, and then rinse it out.
   4. Giving a dog a bath is easier when you follow a few steps.

   In what order should these sentences go?

   1. A2, 1, 4, 3
   2. B3, 1, 2, 4
   3. C4, 1, 2, 3
   4. D4, 1, 3, 2
9. 9.

   Right now, the puppies ______ very hungry.

   Which word or words best complete the sentence?

   1. Aare
   2. Bwere
   3. Cwill be
   4. Dbeing
10. 10.

    Which book title uses capital letters correctly?

    1. ADanny goes to the moon
    2. BDanny Goes to the Moon
    3. CDanny goes to the Moon
    4. DDanny Goes to The Moon