TELPAS Reading and Writing, Grade 3 Practice Tests

Part 1

Mia put on her coat, hat, and gloves because the air outside was ________.

1. Which word best completes the sentence? (A) sweet (B) loud (C) empty (D) cold

Part 2

The farmer ________ the seeds in long rows so each plant would have room to grow.

1. Which word best completes the sentence? (A) planted (B) cooked (C) folded (D) painted

Part 3

Please use a soft voice in the library so you do not ________ other readers.

1. Which word best completes the sentence? (A) borrow (B) bother (C) follow (D) answer

Part 4

Leo wanted to play soccer outside, ________ it started to rain, so he read a book instead.

1. Which word best completes the sentence? (A) but (B) because (C) or (D) if

Part 5

A cheetah can run faster than a horse or a lion. It is the ________ land animal in the world.

1. Which word best completes the sentence? (A) tallest (B) fastest (C) heaviest (D) oldest

Part 6

The people in a town who put out fires and help keep everyone safe are called ________.

1. Which word best completes the sentence? (A) farmers (B) mail carriers (C) firefighters (D) builders

Part 7

Ava cut the pizza into eight equal slices. She and her brother ate two slices, so ________ slices were left.

1. Which word best completes the sentence? (A) six (B) ten (C) four (D) eight

Part 8

The baby bird was too young to fly, so it stayed in its ________ high in the tree.

1. Which word best completes the sentence? (A) cave (B) pond (C) nest (D) shell

Part 9

Make a Paper-Plate Tiger Mask! First, ask an adult to help you cut two eye holes in a paper plate. Then paint the whole plate orange. Wait until the paint is dry. After that, use a black marker to draw stripes and a nose. Last, tape a craft stick to the bottom of the plate so you can hold the mask up to your face.

1. What should you do right after the paint is dry? (A) Cut two eye holes in the paper plate (B) Tape a craft stick to the bottom of the plate (C) Draw stripes and a nose with a black marker (D) Paint the whole paper plate orange

Part 16 — Read the story. Then answer the questions.

The Lemonade Stand

[1] On the first hot Saturday of summer, Ruby and her little brother Jack set up a lemonade stand in front of their house. They wanted to earn money to buy a new bird feeder for the backyard. Jack painted a sign with a big yellow lemon on it. Ruby filled a pitcher with lemon juice, water, sugar, and lots of ice.

[2] For the first hour, nobody stopped. A few cars drove past. A man walking his dog waved, but he did not buy a cup. Jack sat down on the curb and let out a long sigh. “Maybe nobody wants lemonade,” he said.

[3] Ruby looked up and down the street. Their house was at the end of a quiet road, and the sun was beating down on their little table. “I don’t think the lemonade is the problem,” she said. “I think people just can’t find us.”

[4] Then Ruby had an idea. There was a park at the corner, and every Saturday, families came there to watch soccer games. “Let’s move our stand to the park,” she said. “Soccer players get thirsty!”

[5] Mom helped them carry the table to a big shade tree next to the soccer field. Jack held up his sign and called out, “Ice-cold lemonade!” Soon a coach bought ten cups for her whole team. Then parents lined up, too. By noon, the pitcher was empty, and Ruby had to run home twice to make more.

[6] That evening, Ruby and Jack counted their coins on the kitchen table. They had enough money for the bird feeder, with a little left over. “Next Saturday, we’ll go straight to the park,” said Jack with a big grin.

[7] Ruby laughed. “And we’ll bring two pitchers!”

1. Why do Ruby and Jack set up a lemonade stand? (A) To make new friends on their street (B) To help a soccer team win a game (C) To earn money for a bird feeder (D) To use the lemons from their tree
2. How does Jack feel in paragraph 2? (A) Excited because a man with a dog waves at him (B) Sad because no one is buying lemonade (C) Angry because Ruby took his sign (D) Tired because he painted all morning
3. What does the phrase “the sun was beating down” mean in paragraph 3? (A) The sun was setting behind the houses (B) The sun was hiding behind clouds (C) The sun was making a loud noise (D) The sun was shining very hot
4. How do Ruby and Jack solve their problem? (A) They add more sugar and more ice to the lemonade (B) They sell each cup for less money (C) They ask Mom to buy all the cups (D) They move their stand to where people are

Part 18 — Read the article. Then answer the questions.

Tiny Flying Jewels

[1] Hummingbirds are some of the smallest birds in the world. They are found only in North and South America. Many hummingbirds have bright feathers that shine green, red, or purple in the sunlight. The smallest one, the bee hummingbird, is only about two inches long.

Amazing Wings

[2] A hummingbird’s wings move so fast that they look like a blur. Some hummingbirds beat their wings about 50 times every second! Their fast wings make a soft humming sound. That is how these birds got their name.

[3] Hummingbirds are also great fliers. They can hover, or stay in one place in the air, like a tiny helicopter. They can fly up, down, sideways, and even backward.

Always Hungry

[4] Flying like this uses a lot of energy, so hummingbirds must eat often. They drink a sweet liquid called nectar from flowers. A hummingbird has a long, thin beak and a long tongue that can reach deep inside a flower. It also catches tiny insects and spiders to eat. In one day, a hummingbird may visit hundreds of flowers.

[5] While it drinks, yellow dust called pollen sticks to the bird’s head and beak. When the hummingbird flies to the next flower, it carries the pollen along. This helps the flowers make seeds.

A Long Trip

[6] In Texas, many people see ruby-throated hummingbirds in the spring and fall. These birds spend the winter in Mexico and Central America. In the spring, many of them fly all the way across the sea to the United States without stopping. That is a long trip for a bird that weighs less than a nickel!

1. What is the section “Amazing Wings” mostly about? (A) What kinds of food hummingbirds like to eat (B) How fast hummingbirds’ wings move and how well they fly (C) Where hummingbirds go in the winter and how far they fly (D) Why hummingbirds have shiny feathers
2. What does the word “hover” mean in paragraph 3? (A) Fly far away over the trees (B) Sing a soft song to a friend (C) Stay in one place in the air (D) Land on a branch to rest
3. Why must hummingbirds eat often? (A) Their way of flying uses a lot of energy. (B) Flowers only open for a short time. (C) They cannot find food in Texas. (D) Their beaks are too short to drink a lot at once.
4. Why does the author say a hummingbird weighs less than a nickel? (A) To show that hummingbirds like to collect small shiny coins (B) To show how amazing its long trip is for such a tiny bird (C) To tell how much money it costs to feed a hummingbird (D) To explain why hummingbirds stop to rest on the trip
5. Which sentence from the article best matches the photo? (A) These birds spend the winter in Mexico and Central America. (B) It also catches tiny insects and spiders to eat. (C) In the spring, many of them fly all the way across the sea to the United States without stopping. (D) They can hover, or stay in one place in the air, like a tiny helicopter.

Part 20 — Read the story. Then answer the questions.

The King’s Lost Crown

[1] Owen had wanted to be in the third-grade play all year. When Mr. Grant hung the list of parts on the classroom door, Owen ran to read it. His name was at the very top: “Owen – the King.” He could hardly believe it.

[2] The play was called The King’s Lost Crown, and the king had more lines than anyone else. Every night, Owen practiced in front of the bathroom mirror. He practiced for his mom, his dad, and even his cat, Biscuit. By the end of two weeks, he knew every word by heart.

[3] On the night of the play, Owen peeked out from behind the curtain. The school gym was packed. Every chair was full, and some parents were standing at the back. Owen’s hands felt cold, and his stomach was full of butterflies.

[4] The play started well. Owen marched onto the stage in his gold paper crown and long red cape. Then it was time for his biggest line. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His mind was as empty as a blank page. The gym grew very quiet.

[5] His friend Lily was playing the royal cook. She saw Owen’s face and stepped closer. “Your Majesty,” she said in a loud, clear voice, “are you wondering where your crown went?” Then she gave him a tiny wink.

[6] That was all Owen needed. “Yes!” he cried. “Where is my crown? I have looked under every bed in this castle!” The words came back one after another. At the end, he patted his head and found the crown there all along. The audience laughed and clapped.

[7] After the play, Owen found Lily behind the stage. “Thanks for helping me,” he said. “I was so scared.” Lily grinned. “Everyone forgets sometimes. You kept going, and that’s what matters.”

[8] Owen’s grandma gave him a tight hug. “You were a wonderful king,” she said. Owen smiled. He was already thinking about next year’s play.

1. What does the phrase “knew every word by heart” mean in paragraph 2? (A) Could say all his lines without reading them (B) Loved the words of the play very much (C) Felt his heart beat fast when he read (D) Wrote all his lines on a small card
2. How does Owen feel in paragraph 3? (A) Cheerful (B) Nervous (C) Angry (D) Sleepy
3. Which sentence from paragraph 4 helps the reader understand that Owen forgot his line? (A) The play started well. (B) Then it was time for his biggest line. (C) His mind was as empty as a blank page. (D) Owen marched onto the stage in his crown.
4. Why does Lily ask Owen, “Are you wondering where your crown went?” (A) To make the audience laugh at Owen (B) Because she really lost his paper crown (C) Because the play was almost over (D) To help him remember what to say next
5. What happens right after Owen remembers his words? (A) He finishes his lines, and the audience claps. (B) He runs off the stage and hides behind the curtain. (C) Lily says the rest of his lines for him. (D) Mr. Grant stops the play and turns on the lights.
6. Which sentence best tells what the story is mostly about? (A) A boy practices his lines for a play in front of his pet cat. (B) A boy forgets his line in a school play, but a friend helps him keep going. (C) A girl plays a royal cook in the school play and wins a prize for her acting. (D) A class makes paper crowns and red capes for a school play.

Part 22 — Read the fable. Then answer the questions.

The Lion and the Mouse

[1] One warm afternoon, a great lion was sleeping in the shade at the edge of the forest. A little mouse was hurrying home, and she did not look where she was going. She ran right over the lion’s nose.

[2] The lion woke up with a loud roar. Quick as a flash, he trapped the mouse under his huge paw. “Who dares to wake the king of the forest?” he growled.

[3] The mouse shook with fear. “Please let me go, Mighty Lion,” she squeaked. “If you set me free, I promise I will help you one day.”

[4] The lion laughed so hard that his whole body shook. “You? Help me? You are smaller than one of my claws!” But the idea of a tiny mouse helping a great lion made him laugh so much that he lifted his paw and let her go.

[5] A few days later, the lion was walking through the forest when he stepped into a big rope net that was hidden on the path. The ropes wrapped around his legs and back. He struggled, pulling and twisting with all his strength, but the harder he pulled, the tighter the ropes became. The lion let out a roar that shook the trees.

[6] Far away, the little mouse heard the roar. She knew that voice at once. She ran as fast as her tiny legs could carry her. When she saw the lion in the net, she did not waste a second. She began to chew the ropes with her sharp little teeth.

[7] One by one, the ropes snapped. Soon there was a hole big enough for the lion to climb out. He was free!

[8] The lion looked down at the mouse with new respect. “I laughed at you,” he said softly, “but you kept your promise. Thank you, my friend.” From that day on, the lion and the mouse were the best of friends.

1. Why does the lion let the mouse go? (A) He is afraid of the mouse’s sharp teeth. (B) He thinks her promise to help him is funny. (C) He wants to go back to sleep in the shade. (D) Another animal tells him to be kind.
2. What does the word “struggled” mean in paragraph 5? (A) Lay very still on the ground (B) Called loudly for his friends (C) Pulled and twisted hard to get free (D) Walked slowly through the trees
3. How does the mouse save the lion? (A) She calls other animals to pull the net. (B) She pulls the net off with her paws. (C) She shows the lion a way to climb out. (D) She chews through the ropes of the net.
4. How does the lion’s feeling about the mouse change in the fable? (A) At first he is her friend, but later he is angry with her for waking him. (B) At first he is afraid of her, but later he laughs at her. (C) At first he wants to eat her, but later he forgets her. (D) At first he thinks she is too small to help, but later he respects her.
5. Which sentence best tells the lesson of the fable? (A) Big animals should stay out of the forest. (B) Even a small friend can be a big help. (C) It is never safe to sleep in the shade. (D) Friends should always be the same size.

Part 23 — Read the article. Then answer the questions.

Clara Barton: A Life of Helping

[1] Clara Barton was born on December 25, 1821, in Oxford, Massachusetts. She was the youngest of five children. As a little girl, Clara was very shy. She did not like to talk to people she did not know.

[2] When Clara was about ten years old, her brother David fell from the roof of a barn and was badly hurt. For two years, Clara stayed by his side. She gave him his medicine and cared for him every day. Clara found out that she was good at helping people who were sick or hurt.

[3] When she grew up, Clara became a teacher. Her students liked her very much. In New Jersey, she helped start a free public school. At that time, many children there could not go to school because their families could not pay. Soon, hundreds of children were coming to learn.

[4] In 1861, the Civil War began. Clara was living in Washington, D.C. She saw that hurt soldiers did not have enough food, bandages, or medicine. So she collected supplies and took them right to the battlefields. She cared for soldiers even when it was dangerous. The soldiers called her the “Angel of the Battlefield.”

[5] A few years after the war, Clara traveled to Europe. There she learned about the International Red Cross, a group that helped people who were hurt in wars. Clara wanted the United States to have a group like this, too. She worked for years to make it happen. In 1881, she started the American Red Cross. She led it for more than twenty years. Her group also helped people after floods, fires, and storms.

[6] Clara Barton died in 1912, when she was 90 years old. Today, the American Red Cross still helps people in need all across the country.

1. What is paragraph 2 mostly about? (A) How Clara’s brother built a new barn (B) How Clara became a teacher in New Jersey (C) How Clara took care of her hurt brother (D) How Clara learned about the Red Cross
2. Which phrase from paragraph 1 helps the reader understand the word “shy”? (A) was the youngest of five children (B) was born on December 25, 1821, in Oxford, Massachusetts (C) As a little girl (D) did not like to talk to people she did not know
3. Why did soldiers call Clara the “Angel of the Battlefield”? (A) She brought supplies and cared for them in dangerous places. (B) She was the first person to build a hospital. (C) She wrote letters to their families at home every single day. (D) She taught the soldiers how to read and write.
4. What did Clara do after the Civil War ended? (A) She went back to Oxford to take care of David. (B) She started a free school in New Jersey. (C) She became a teacher for the first time. (D) She traveled to Europe and learned about the Red Cross.
5. Which sentence best tells what the article is mostly about? (A) Clara Barton was a shy girl who lived in Massachusetts with her family. (B) Clara Barton helped start a free school so that more children could learn. (C) Clara Barton spent her life helping others and started the American Red Cross. (D) Clara Barton traveled to Europe to learn about the Civil War.

Part 10

1. Have you ever ________ a real owl at night? Which word correctly completes the sentence? (A) seen (B) see (C) saw (D) seeing

Part 11

1. This box is ________ than that one, so I can carry it by myself. Which word correctly completes the sentence? (A) lighter (B) light (C) lightest (D) more lighter

Part 12

1. The two child are playing tag on the playground. The underlined word is not correct. Which word should replace it? (A) childs (B) children (C) childrens (D) child's

Part 13

1. Owen and Sam likes to build tall towers with blocks. The underlined word is not correct. Which word should replace it? (A) like (B) liking (C) is like (D) to like

Part 14

1. After she caught the ball, Ella threw it to I.

Part 15

Yesterday we goed to the zoo and saw a elephant.

Part 17 — Writing: Describe the Picture

• where the children are
• what the children and the farmer are doing
• how you think the children feel and why

Part 19 — Writing: A Special Day

• who you were with and where you went
• what you did together
• why the day was special to you

Part 21 — Writing: Choose a Class Trip

• which trip you choose
• two reasons for your choice
• what you would most like to see or do there