TELPAS Reading and Writing, Grades 4–5 Practice Tests

Part 1

A thermometer is a tool that scientists use to ________ temperature.

1. Which word best completes the sentence? (A) measure (B) borrow (C) protect (D) collect

Part 2

To find the ________ of a rectangle, multiply its length by its width.

1. Which word best completes the sentence? (A) weight (B) area (C) perimeter (D) speed

Part 3

Austin is the ________ of Texas, so the state's leaders meet there to make laws.

1. Which word best completes the sentence? (A) coastline (B) capital (C) harbor (D) border

Part 4

Jack was so ________ after the long hike that he fell asleep in the car on the way home.

1. Which word best completes the sentence? (A) curious (B) noisy (C) careful (D) tired

Part 5

Ella wanted to play outside after lunch. ________, it was raining too hard, so she stayed inside and read.

1. Which word best completes the sentences? (A) However (B) Because (C) Also (D) Finally

Part 6 — Fire Drill Steps

When the fire alarm rings, stop what you are doing right away. Leave your backpack and other things behind. Walk quickly and quietly to the door and line up behind your teacher. Then follow your teacher outside to the meeting spot by the flagpole. Stay in line so your teacher can count every student. Do not go back inside until an adult says it is safe.

1. What should students do first when the fire alarm rings? (A) Line up by the flagpole (B) Pick up their backpacks (C) Count the other students (D) Stop what they are doing

Part 7 — The Bean Plant Experiment

Mr. Hill's class did an experiment with three bean plants. At the start, all three plants were the same height, and every plant got the same amount of water. The class put Plant 1 on a sunny windowsill, Plant 2 on a shelf near the door, and Plant 3 inside a dark closet. Every Friday, the students measured each plant and wrote the height in a table.

1. Which conclusion is best supported by the paragraph and the table? (A) Bean plants grow faster when they get more water. (B) Bean plants stop growing after two weeks. (C) Bean plants grow faster when they get more sunlight. (D) Bean plants grow best inside a dark closet.

Part 14 — Read the story. Then answer the questions.

The Grease Spot

[1] Lily found the recipe card in the back of Mom's recipe box. The card was soft and yellow, and the corners were bent. At the top, in Grandma June's curly handwriting, it said "Peach Cobbler." Lily smiled. Grandma was coming for Sunday dinner, and Lily wanted to surprise her with her own famous dessert.

[2] On Sunday morning, Lily and her mom lined up everything on the counter: peaches, flour, butter, milk, and a bag of sugar. Lily read the card carefully. Then she frowned. A brown grease spot covered the line about the sugar. She could see the word "cups," but the number was hidden under the spot.

[3] "Is it one cup or two?" Lily asked. Mom held the card up to the window, but the light did not help. "I'm not sure, sweetie," she said. "We could call Grandma." Lily shook her head. "Then it won't be a surprise."

[4] Lily decided to use half a cup. "Peaches are already sweet," she said, trying to sound sure. The cobbler baked for almost an hour. When Mom opened the oven, the kitchen filled with a warm, buttery smell, and the top was golden brown.

[5] That evening, Grandma June took the first bite. She chewed slowly. Then her eyes began to water, and she reached for her glass. Lily's cheeks turned hot. "It's sour, isn't it?" she whispered.

[6] Grandma laughed so hard that her shoulders shook. "It's a little sour," she admitted, "but you made it with love, and that's the most important part." She tapped the grease spot. "That spot has been there for thirty years! I spilled butter on this card the day I wrote it. It says one cup. I never noticed, because I know the recipe by heart."

[7] After dessert, Grandma found a clean card and a pen. "Let's write a new one together," she said. This time Lily did the writing, and Grandma told her every step. At the bottom, Lily added a note: "Be careful — one cup of sugar!"

[8] Lily kept the old card, too. She liked the grease spot now. It was part of the story.

1. What problem does Lily have in paragraph 2? (A) She cannot read how much sugar to use. (B) She does not have any peaches to use. (C) She cannot find Grandma's recipe card. (D) She does not know how to use the oven.
2. In paragraph 6, what does the phrase "by heart" mean? (A) with a lot of love and care (B) from memory, without reading (C) very quickly and easily (D) with help from a friend or a teacher
3. How does Lily feel when she says, "It's sour, isn't it?" (A) proud that Grandma likes the cobbler (B) angry that Mom chose the wrong recipe (C) sleepy after a long day of baking (D) embarrassed that the cobbler is not right
4. Why does Lily like the grease spot at the end of the story? (A) It shows her the right amount of sugar to use. (B) It makes the old card much easier to read. (C) It is now part of a happy memory with Grandma. (D) It reminds her to call Grandma before baking.

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

The Crossed-Out Line

[1] The night before the science fair, Ethan sat at the kitchen table and admired his poster. In big green letters it said, "Which Paper Towel Soaks Up the Most Water?" He had tested three kinds of paper towels, called Towel A, Towel B, and Towel C. His chart showed that Towel A was the winner.

[2] Ethan was reading his notebook one last time when his stomach dropped. Next to Towel A, he had written "1 cup of water." Next to Towels B and C, he had written "½ cup of water." He had not given every towel the same amount of water! Maybe Towel A had soaked up the most water only because it had been given the most water.

[3] "Dad," Ethan called, "my whole project is wrong." Dad came in and read the notebook. Ethan waited for him to look disappointed, but Dad only nodded. "Every scientist makes mistakes," he said. "What matters is what you do next."

[4] Ethan thought about it. He could hide the notebook and hope no one noticed. Or he could fix the experiment. It was already eight o'clock, but he pulled three bowls and a measuring cup out of the cupboard. This time, he poured exactly half a cup of water into each bowl. He dipped one sheet of each towel into a bowl for ten seconds, and then he measured how much water was left.

[5] The new results surprised him. Towel C soaked up the most water, not Towel A. Ethan did not have time to make a new poster, so he drew a neat line through his old conclusion. Under it, he stuck a yellow note: "New test: Towel C wins! I made a mistake and fixed it. See my notebook."

[6] At the fair the next day, Ethan's hands felt cold and sweaty. His poster looked messy next to the others, which had shiny letters and perfect charts. When the judge, Ms. Brooks, stopped at his table, she pointed straight at the crossed-out line. "What happened here?" she asked.

[7] Ethan took a deep breath and told her the whole story. He explained that a fair test should change only one thing at a time. In his first test, he had changed two things: the kind of towel and the amount of water. Ms. Brooks listened carefully and wrote something on her clipboard.

[8] That afternoon, the winners were announced. Ethan did not win first place, but Ms. Brooks gave him a special ribbon for "Best Scientific Thinking." "Anyone can make a pretty poster," she told the crowd. "Ethan showed us how real scientists work. They check their work, and they are honest about what they find."

[9] On the bus home, Ethan held the ribbon in his lap. He decided that the crossed-out line was the best part of his poster.

1. What question did Ethan's science project try to answer? (A) Which kind of ball bounces the highest on soft grass? (B) Which paper towel soaks up the most water? (C) How much water does a bean plant need? (D) How fast does water freeze in a bowl?
2. In paragraph 2, what does the phrase "his stomach dropped" mean? (A) He suddenly felt very hungry. (B) He fell down from his chair. (C) He suddenly felt worried. (D) He dropped his notebook.
3. What mistake did Ethan make in his first test? (A) He used towels that were all the same kind. (B) He forgot to write down any of his results in his notebook. (C) He left the towels in the water all night. (D) He gave the towels different amounts of water.
4. What does Dad mean when he says, "What matters is what you do next"? (A) Ethan should go to bed early before the fair. (B) Fixing a mistake is more important than making it. (C) Ethan needs to make a much prettier poster. (D) Mistakes are not allowed at a science fair.
5. Which sentence from the story shows that Ethan chose to be honest? (A) He could hide the notebook and hope no one noticed. (B) His poster looked messy next to the others, which had shiny letters and perfect charts. (C) Ethan did not win first place, but Ms. Brooks gave him a special ribbon for "Best Scientific Thinking." (D) Under it, he stuck a yellow note: "New test: Towel C wins! I made a mistake and fixed it. See my notebook."
6. How does Ethan feel when the judge stops at his table? (A) bored (B) angry (C) relaxed (D) nervous
7. Which sentence best tells what the story is mostly about? (A) A boy wins first place at the science fair because his poster has the prettiest letters. (B) A boy and his dad go to the store the night before the fair to buy new paper towels. (C) A boy finds a mistake in his science project, fixes it, and is praised for being honest. (D) A judge teaches a group of students how to make charts for their science fair posters.

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

Sea Otters: Furry Tool Users

[1] Along the rocky coasts of California and Alaska, a furry animal floats on its back in the cold ocean water. It looks like it is relaxing in a swimming pool. Its belly is its table, and it is about to eat lunch. This animal is a sea otter.

A Coat Instead of Blubber

[2] Many ocean mammals, such as whales and seals, have a thick layer of fat called blubber that keeps them warm. Sea otters do not. Instead, they have the thickest fur of any animal on Earth. One square inch of a sea otter's coat can have up to a million hairs. That is more hair than most people have on their whole head!

[3] To stay warm, a sea otter must keep its fur clean. It spends hours every day grooming, or cleaning, its coat. It rubs, licks, and combs its fur with its paws. It also blows air into the fur. Tiny bubbles of air trapped in the fur keep the cold water away from its skin.

Clever Tool Users

[4] Staying warm takes a lot of energy, so sea otters are almost always hungry. An adult eats about one-fourth of its body weight in food every day. Sea otters dive to the bottom of the sea to find crabs, clams, and spiny sea urchins.

[5] Many of these animals have hard shells, but sea otters have a clever trick. An otter floats on its back, places a flat rock on its chest, and bangs the shell against the rock until it cracks open. Some otters even keep a favorite rock in a loose pocket of skin under a front leg, so they can use it again and again. Sea otters are one of the few mammals besides humans that use tools.

Guardians of the Kelp Forest

[6] Many sea otters live in kelp forests. Kelp is a kind of giant seaweed that grows in tall, waving "trees" under the water. When otters rest, they sometimes wrap themselves in kelp so the waves do not carry them away while they sleep.

[7] Sea otters also help keep kelp forests healthy. Sea urchins eat kelp. If there are too many urchins, they can destroy a whole forest. Because sea otters eat so many urchins, they keep the urchins under control. Fish, crabs, and many other creatures need the kelp forest for food and shelter, so the otters help them, too.

[8] More than a hundred years ago, so many sea otters were hunted for their fur that they almost disappeared. Laws now protect them, and their numbers have grown in many places. Today, visitors to the Pacific coast can sometimes spot these furry tool users cracking open their lunch in the waves.

1. According to paragraph 2, how are sea otters different from whales and seals? (A) They stay warm with thick fur, not blubber. (B) They live only in warm ocean water. (C) They have a thick layer of fat called blubber. (D) They never swim in the cold ocean.
2. What is the section "Clever Tool Users" mostly about? (A) how sea otters keep their fur clean (B) how sea otters wrap themselves in kelp to sleep (C) how sea otters find and open their food (D) why people once hunted sea otters
3. Why do some sea otters keep a rock in a pocket of skin under a front leg? (A) so they can use the same rock again and again (B) so they can stay warm in the cold water (C) so the waves do not carry them away (D) so they can sink to the bottom of the sea more quickly
4. Look at the photo. Which sentence from the article best matches the photo? (A) When otters rest, they sometimes wrap themselves in kelp so the waves do not carry them away while they sleep. (B) Many ocean mammals, such as whales and seals, have a thick layer of fat called blubber that keeps them warm. (C) Sea otters dive to the bottom of the sea to find crabs, clams, and spiny sea urchins. (D) An otter floats on its back, places a flat rock on its chest, and bangs the shell against the rock until it cracks open.
5. In paragraph 7, what does the phrase "keep the urchins under control" mean? (A) teach the urchins how to find food (B) stop the urchins from becoming too many (C) help the urchins grow bigger and stronger (D) move the urchins to a new forest
6. Based on the article, what would most likely happen to a kelp forest if all the sea otters left? (A) The kelp would grow taller than ever before. (B) More sea otters would come to eat the kelp. (C) Fish would start eating all the sea urchins. (D) Sea urchins would eat too much of the kelp.

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

Tryout Day

[1] Noah had circled the date on the calendar weeks ago: Saturday, tryouts for the Lone Star Rockets. The Rockets were the best under-11 soccer team in town, and Noah had wanted to play for them since he was seven.

[2] Every afternoon, he and his best friend, Carter, practiced in Carter's backyard. They dribbled around lawn chairs, passed the ball against the fence, and took turns shooting at a goal made from two flowerpots. "We're going to make it together," Carter said every day.

[3] On Saturday morning, the field was crowded with players in bright shirts. Noah's legs felt as wobbly as jelly. Coach Morgan blew her whistle and explained the first drill. Each player had to dribble through a line of orange cones, turn around, and pass the ball to a teammate.

[4] Noah went third. He started well, but at the fourth cone the ball bounced off his shin and rolled away. He had to chase it all the way to the sideline. His face burned. "Shake it off," Carter whispered when Noah came back to the line.

[5] In the next drill, the players split into two small teams for a practice game. Halfway through, a boy named Wyatt bumped into another player and fell hard. Wyatt sat on the grass, holding his ankle. The game was still going, and the ball was rolling toward Noah. He had a clear path to the goal.

[6] Noah looked at the goal. Then he looked at Wyatt. He kicked the ball out of bounds so the game would stop, and he jogged over to Wyatt. "Are you okay?" he asked, holding out his hand. Coach Morgan hurried over, too. Wyatt's ankle was only twisted a little, and after a few minutes he was able to stand and walk carefully.

[7] At the end of the day, Coach Morgan read the list of players who had made the team. Noah held his breath. "Noah Bennett," she said. Noah could hardly believe it. Then he listened for Carter's name, but it was not called.

[8] Later, Coach Morgan came over to Noah. "You had a rough start," she said, "but I watched how you played the rest of the day. Kicking that ball out so a teammate could get help — that's the kind of player I want on the Rockets."

[9] Noah found Carter sitting alone on the bleachers. He wanted to celebrate, but he also felt a heavy weight in his chest. "I'm sorry, Carter," he said. Carter shrugged and gave a small smile. "You earned it," he said. "Besides, tryouts come around again next year. And now I have a real Rocket to practice with."

[10] Noah grinned. That afternoon, the two friends were back in the backyard, shooting at the flowerpot goal.

1. Why did Noah and Carter practice every afternoon? (A) They wanted to make the Rockets team. (B) They wanted to fix Carter's backyard fence. (C) Their coach told them to practice every day. (D) They wanted to build a goal with flowerpots.
2. What happened to Noah during the first drill? (A) He scored a goal right away. (B) He lost control of the ball. (C) He hurt his ankle on a cone. (D) He passed the ball to Carter.
3. In paragraph 4, what does Carter mean when he says, "Shake it off"? (A) Brush the dirt off your clothes. (B) Forget the mistake and keep trying. (C) Kick the ball as hard as you can. (D) Stop playing and rest on the bench for a while.
4. Why did Noah kick the ball out of bounds in paragraph 6? (A) He was trying to score a goal but missed it. (B) He wanted to show the coach how hard he can kick. (C) He did not know which goal belonged to his team. (D) He wanted the game to stop so Wyatt could get help.
5. What does Coach Morgan most likely think about Noah? (A) He cares about his teammates. (B) He is the fastest runner on the field. (C) He needs a whole year of more practice. (D) He should not play in real games yet.
6. How does Noah feel when he finds Carter on the bleachers? (A) happy for himself but sad for his friend (B) angry at the coach and at Carter (C) bored because the tryouts took such a long time (D) scared that Wyatt is still hurt
7. Which sentence best tells what the story is mostly about? (A) Two friends build a soccer goal out of flowerpots in a backyard and practice shooting all summer. (B) A boy makes a soccer team after he stops to help a hurt player, and his friend supports him. (C) A soccer coach sets up orange cones and teaches a group of new players how to pass the ball. (D) A boy twists his ankle at soccer tryouts and has to sit on the bleachers for the rest of the day.

Part 21 — Read the article. Then answer the questions.

Before the Eraser

[1] Almost every pencil you use has a small pink eraser on the end. It seems like a simple idea. But for a long time, people who wrote with pencils had no easy way to fix their mistakes.

Bread Before Rubber

[2] People in Europe were writing with pencils hundreds of years ago. When they made a mistake, they rubbed the pencil marks with bread! They pressed a ball of soft bread against the paper, and the bread picked up some of the gray marks. Bread worked, but not very well. It left crumbs everywhere, and old bread became hard and moldy.

A Lucky Discovery

[3] In 1770, an English scientist named Joseph Priestley wrote that a material from South America could rub pencil marks off paper. This material was the dried sap of the rubber tree. Around the same time, an English engineer named Edward Nairne began selling small pieces of it for erasing. One story says that Nairne picked up the tree sap by mistake when he reached for his bread, and he was surprised to see that it worked better. Because this material could rub out marks, English speakers began to call it "rubber."

[4] Early erasers had a problem, though. Natural rubber became soft and sticky when it was hot, and it cracked when it was cold. In 1839, an American inventor named Charles Goodyear found a way to heat rubber with sulfur so that it stayed firm and strong. Now erasers could last much longer.

Putting It All Together

[5] For many years, people carried their pencils and erasers separately, and small erasers were easy to lose. In 1858, an American named Hymen Lipman received a patent for a pencil with an eraser attached to one end. A patent is a paper from the government that says an invention belongs to the inventor. Years later, a court canceled the patent. The judges decided that putting two old inventions together did not make a new invention. Still, the idea stuck, and today most pencils in the United States have an eraser on top.

[6] So the next time you erase a mistake, remember that people once used their breakfast instead!

1. According to paragraph 2, how did people erase pencil marks before they had rubber erasers? (A) They scraped the marks with a knife. (B) They washed the marks with water. (C) They rubbed the marks with bread. (D) They covered the marks with paint.
2. Which phrase from paragraph 5 helps the reader understand the word "patent"? (A) a paper from the government that says an invention belongs to the inventor (B) people carried their pencils and erasers separately, and small erasers were easy to lose (C) a pencil with an eraser attached to one end (D) most pencils in the United States have an eraser on top
3. What problem did Charles Goodyear solve? (A) Rubber got soft in the heat and cracked in the cold. (B) Pencils broke easily when people wrote hard. (C) Bread left crumbs all over people's papers. (D) Erasers kept falling off the ends of people's pencils.
4. Why did a court cancel Hymen Lipman's patent? (A) The judges said he stole the idea from Nairne. (B) The judges said his pencil erasers did not really work. (C) The judges said he only joined two old inventions. (D) The judges said pencils should not have erasers.
5. How does the author organize the information in the article? (A) by comparing pencils from two different countries (B) by listing the steps for making an eraser at home (C) by telling the history of the eraser in time order (D) by describing a problem that no one has solved yet

Part 8

1. Last night, Owen ________ a story about a brave pilot. Which word correctly completes the sentence? (A) writes (B) writing (C) written (D) wrote

Part 9

1. My new backpack is ________ than my old one, so it is easier to carry. Which word correctly completes the sentence? (A) lightest (B) lighter (C) more light (D) lightly

Part 10

1. Mom bought two box of crayons for our art project. The underlined word is not correct. Which word should replace it? (A) boxs (B) boxies (C) boxes (D) boxen

Part 11

1. Grace and me finished the science poster before lunch. The underlined word is not correct. Which word should replace it? (A) us (B) my (C) I (D) mine

Part 12

1. My cousin live near the river and visits us every summer.

Part 13

Sam can plays soccer with us in Saturday morning.

Part 15 — Writing: Describe the Picture

• where the people are
• what the people in the picture are doing
• what you think the class will do next and why

Part 17 — Writing: A Time You Tried a New Food

• what the food was and where you tried it
• how the food looked, smelled, and tasted
• if you would eat it again and why or why not

Part 19 — Writing: Should Every Classroom Have a Class Pet?

• tell your opinion
• give at least two reasons for your opinion
• include an example or detail that supports each reason