CORNELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SCHOOL YEAR: 2024-2025 GRADE 4

LA ASSESSMENT Name: SEMESTER II-GRADE 5 Date:
BENCHMARK 2
NAME:..................................
Read the article “Mighty Krakatoa” before answering
Numbers 21 through 30.

Mighty Krakatoa
One of the largest and most destructive volcanoes the world
has ever known exploded on the island of Rakata in 1883. Rakata
lies in Indonesia, a large Asian country made up of many
thousands of islands.
On May 20, 1883, the volcano known as Krakatoa became
active. Ash rose from the volcano and filled the air. Explosions
could be heard 100 miles away. By the end of the month, the
volcano was quieting down. The people living on nearby islands
thought the danger had passed.
Over the summer, Krakatoa began grumbling again. On
August 27, a huge eruption took place. Two-thirds of the island
exploded with a force greater than that of any bomb.
The noise was so loud that people heard it 2,000 miles away
in Australia and 4,000 miles away in India! Black smoke shot
50 miles high into the air above the volcano. A ship 50 miles away
reported being tossed around by sudden high winds. They felt like
they were in a hurricane.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Indonesia

CHINA

INDIA
Pacific Ocean

Sumatra
N
Indian
Ocean
INDONESIA
Krakatoa
Key
Rakata
Indonesia 0 400 mi Java
City
0 400 km
AUSTRALIA
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Luckily, no one lived on Rakata Island at the time. The

powerful explosion triggered tsunamis, or giant waves that are up
to 120 feet tall. Many people perished when these waves slammed
into the islands of Java and Sumatra.
The effects of Krakatoa lasted long after the eruption. The
explosion did not just produce flames and smoke. It threw so
much dirt into the air that the area around the volcano was
plunged into complete darkness for two and a half days. It must
have felt as if the world had come to an end!
Material from the volcano landed in the sea. In some places,
the layer of debris was so thick that ships had to wait for the stuff
to float away or sink just so they could get by!
Breezes carried dust from Krakatoa around the globe. When
sunlight struck the dust, it was reflected. This had two effects.
First, less sunlight reached the earth, so temperatures dropped
around the globe. Second, the reflections created beautiful colors.
For over a year after the eruption, people far away marveled at the
dramatic red and orange sunsets!
The islands around the volcano were completely covered in
a thick layer of ash. For many years, nothing lived there—not even
plants. However, over time, life gradually returned to the region.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

In 1927, the underwater volcano that had created Rakata and
Krakatoa began acting up again. Eventually, it produced a new island,
called Anak Krakatoa, or “child of Krakatoa.” In 2007, this lively
youngster began erupting. Experts are keeping a close eye on this
dangerous location, as is everyone living on nearby islands.

Major Volcanic Eruptions Since 1800

(Source: World Almanac 2011)
1815 1883 1902 1919 1985

Mt. Tambora Krakatoa Mt. Pelée Mt. Kelut Nevado del Ruiz
(Indonesia) (Indonesia) (Martinique) (Java, Indonesia) (Colombia)

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70 Grade 4 Benchmark Assessment • Benchmark 2
 Name: Date:

Now answer Numbers 21 through 30. Base your answers

on “Mighty Krakatoa.”

21 Read these sentences from the article.

Over the summer, Krakatoa began grumbling again.
On August 27, a huge eruption took place. Two-thirds
of the island exploded with a force greater than that
of any bomb.

What does the word eruption mean in the sentence above?

a battle c explosion
b explanation d mystery

22 Read this sentence from the article.

Experts are keeping a close eye on this dangerous
location, as is everyone living on nearby islands.

What is the base word for dangerous?

f an h danger
g anger i us

23 Read these sentences from the article.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Eventually, it produced a new island, called Anak

Krakatoa, or “child of Krakatoa.” In 2007, this lively
youngster began erupting.

How does comparing Anak Krakatoa to a “lively

youngster” change the view of this event?
a It makes the island sound playful.
b It makes the event seem scary.
c It makes the reader feel sad.
d It makes the reader excited.

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Name: Date:

24 Which of these things happened for years after

Krakatoa exploded?
f Giant waves covered nearby islands.
g People heard loud noises very far away.
h Sunsets were unusually bright around the world.
i Material from the volcano stopped ships from traveling.

25 Why did temperatures drop after Krakatoa exploded?

a The fire inside Krakatoa stopped burning.
b Large waves caused by the volcano resulted in flooding.
c Material from Krakatoa made a thick layer on the ocean.
d Dust from Krakatoa kept sunlight from reaching Earth.

26 What evidence from the text BEST supports the idea

that Krakatoa was one of the most destructive
volcanoes ever?
f Krakatoa triggered giant waves that hit nearby islands.
g Krakatoa could be heard for thousands of miles.
h Krakatoa took place on an island in Indonesia.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

i Krakatoa made the sky dark.

27 What text evidence shows something lucky

about Krakatoa?
a Nobody was living on Rakata.
b People heard the noise in Australia.
c Light reflected off the dust from Krakatoa.
d Krakatoa rumbled for months before exploding.

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28 How is Anak Krakatoa different from Krakatoa?

f Anak Krakatoa is more dangerous.
g Anak Krakatoa is not active.
h Anak Krakatoa is smaller.
i Anak Krakatoa is hidden.

29 Read this sentence from the article.

Experts are keeping a close eye on this dangerous
location, as is everyone living on nearby islands.

This sentence suggests that the experts are

a paying careful attention to it.
b refusing to worry about it.
c often talking about it.
d staying very near it.

30 Why does the author include the timeline?

f to explain the causes of volcanoes
g to predict when Krakatoa will erupt again
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

h to show the dates of other big volcanic eruptions

i to tell how long it took dust from Krakatoa to circle
the earth

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Benchmark Assessment • Benchmark 2 Grade 4 73
GRADE 4
BName:
ENCHMARK 2 Date:

Read the passage “House Raising” before answering

Numbers 31 through 40.

House Raising
When Lara Chung was in fourth grade, her best friend was
James Olsen. Lara loved to play at James’s house because his
mother was an architect and his father was a builder. His mother
had designed a wonderful house with a tall tower and a living
room that was round instead of square. Mr. Olsen had built James
a playground. He kept adding to it until it ate up the whole
backyard like a hungry dragon!
Sometimes James asked Lara if they could play at her house
for a change, but she always said, “There’s not enough room!”
Ever since her twin brothers had come along, she shared a bedroom
with her sister. Her father had an office in the basement, and her
mother raised Shetland sheepdogs. The house was very crowded!
“Maybe my mom could design an addition to your house,”
said James. “That’s what she does for families. She’s really smart!”
One day, Lara’s mother asked Mrs. Olsen how much a small
addition would cost.
“Well,” said James’s mother, “I have always wanted one of

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

those beautiful sheepdogs. We could barter my design work for
a puppy. You can also save money by having an old-fashioned
house raising.”
“What do you mean?” asked Lara’s mother.
“You ask all of your friends to come over one weekend and
build the basic frame of the house. You would be surprised how
many people can saw wood and hammer nails. I can make the plan
very simple and easy to build. My husband would be happy to
help out and answer questions.”

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“Would he really do that for us?” asked Lara’s mother.

“Sure! That’s what neighbors are for!”
Mrs. Olsen designed a two-story addition. It would make
the Chungs’ living room twice as big and add a bedroom and a
small bathroom upstairs. There were no towers or fancy shapes
because Mrs. Olsen promised to keep the plan uncomplicated.
The Chungs hired a company to pour the concrete foundation
because that required heavy machinery. Then they ordered the wood
and other supplies that Mr. Olsen said they would need.
The first weekend in June, friends of the Chungs came from
all over the state to raise the house. Some stayed with neighbors.
Others camped in tents in the backyard. A lot of them had done
some building when they were younger. Those who didn’t feel
comfortable hammering and sawing made sandwiches and passed
out iced tea to the workers. Lara’s job was to keep her little
brothers out of sight.
On Saturday morning, the workers began by laying long
pieces of wood, called floor joists, the length of the foundation.
Then they nailed big, flat pieces of plywood to the joists to make
the floor.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Next, they placed pieces of wood on the floor in the shape

of large rectangles. They nailed the pieces of wood together as a
frame to make one side of the house. Then workers covered the
wall frame with plywood, carefully measuring and cutting holes
for windows. The wall was then heaved into place. One by one,
the other walls were built and raised until the shell of a room sat on
the foundation. Then the workers began to build the second story.

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BName:
ENCHMARK 2 Date:

By the end of the weekend, the addition was ready for a

roof. “Wow,” said Mrs. Chung’s friend, Sally, “this is going to be
the hard part. It’s so high up!”
Friends stood around nervously. Mr. Chung studied the
house plans with a frown on his face.
Then Mr. Olsen spoke, “I’ll bring my crew here tomorrow
morning. We can put the roof up for you. It won’t take long.”
Lara’s parents spent the rest of the summer working on the
addition in every spare moment. They installed windows and
doors. They painted walls and rolled out carpeting. They had to
hire professionals to do the electrical wiring and the plumbing, but
they saved money by doing many tasks themselves.
The last weekend of August, Lara called James. “Do you
want to come over and play at my house?” she asked. “There’s
plenty of room now!”

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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76 Grade 4 Benchmark Assessment • Benchmark 2
 Name: Date:

Now answer Numbers 31 through 40. Base your answers

on the passage “House Raising.”

31 Read these sentences from the passage.

Mr. Olsen had built James a playground. He kept
adding to it until it ate up the whole backyard like
a hungry dragon!

Why does the author compare the playground to a dragon?

a to show how big it is
b to show that James dislikes it
c to show that there are wild animals living nearby
d to show how hungry Mr. Olsen was when he finished

32 In the beginning, why doesn’t Lara want James to play

at her house?
f She doesn’t want him to play with her brothers.
g She wants to spend time with another friend.
h She knows that he wants one of her puppies.
i She thinks that her house is too small.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

33 How do the Chungs pay Mrs. Olsen for her design work?
a They take her on a camping trip.
b They build her son a playground.
c They buy her some supplies.
d They give her a sheepdog.

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34 What is the FIRST step of the house raising?

f make holes for windows
g put down floor joists
h frame the first wall
i pour a foundation

35 Read this sentence from the passage.

Lara’s job was to keep her little brothers out
of sight.

This sentence means it was Lara’s job to keep

a her brothers looking neat and clean.
b her brothers out of the way.
c her brothers outside.
d her brothers calm.

36 Who is the narrator of the story?

f Lara
g James

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

h a narrator
i Mrs. Chung

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37 How is the problem of building the roof solved?

a The Chungs hire a crew to build the roof.
b Mr. Olsen has his workers build the roof.
c Mr. and Mrs. Olsen build it themselves.
d Mrs. Olsen designs a new roof.

38 Read this sentence from the passage.

There were no towers or fancy shapes because
Mrs. Olsen promised to keep the plan uncomplicated.

Which word has the OPPOSITE meaning of

uncomplicated in the sentence above?
f difficult
g easy
h important
i slow

39 Which sentence BEST describes Mr. Olsen?

a funny
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

b generous
c mysterious
d tired

40 What is the theme of this story?

f Children need to enjoy the summer.
g Children need to obey their parents.
h People need to appreciate what they have.
i People can help each other in many ways.

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Benchmark Assessment • Benchmark 2 Grade 4 79
GRADE 4
BName:
ENCHMARK 2 Date:

Read the article “Cook Stoves and More” before answering

Numbers 41 through 50.

Cook Stoves and More

In many parts of the world, people do not have electricity.
This causes many problems. Streets are dark and dangerous at
night. Food cannot be kept cool in hot weather. Doctors lack
lifesaving equipment. Schools lack computers.
It is estimated that three billion people cook their food over
open wood fires or using wood-burning stoves. These methods of
cooking cause many problems. First, entire forests are being cut
down to provide fuel for cooking. Second, people—usually
women—have to walk long distances to collect wood. In many
poor countries, women and girls spend up to 20 hours every week
in search of fuel. Third, wood fires produce pollution. Fourth,
when wood stoves are used inside homes, the inhabitants get sick
from breathing the smoke.
For years, experts have been trying to come up with answers
to this problem. Many simple, inexpensive, and efficient cook
stoves have been devised. Some still burn wood, but they use less
fuel to produce heat. Others use gas and burn with a clean flame.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

This means there is very little to no smoke created. Still others use
the power of the sun. Solar cook stoves are especially useful in
parts of Asia and Africa where there is little electricity.
However, it is not enough to invent new technology.
People need to have access to the equipment so they can use it.
Sometimes a new invention that seems like a good idea has hidden
problems. For example, a man named Josh Ruxin invented a clay
stove for use in Africa. Ruxin’s invention used much less wood
than a traditional stove. However, this stove was too small to hold
a traditional cooking pot. So his clay stove never caught on.

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BENCHMARK 2

It isn’t enough to just give people better stoves; they have to

learn to how to operate these new technologies as well. In 1972, a
man named Sanjit Bunker Roy founded a school in India called
the Barefoot College. There, Roy taught women to operate
solar-powered cook stoves. These women also learned how to
install solar lighting and water heaters.
Roy’s original goal was to provide electricity to poor, rural
parts of India. Instead of focusing on young, well educated people,
Roy trained older women, most of whom could not read. Roy
reasoned that younger students would use their new knowledge to
find jobs in cities. Older women were more likely to remain in
their villages and share what they had learned.
At first people laughed at Roy. But his idea soon paid off.
His students have installed electricity in over 600 villages in
remote parts of India. Some of them stayed at the school to
become teachers.
Then Roy hatched an even bigger plan. In 2005, he invited
poor women from rural areas all over Africa to attend the Barefoot
College. These women faced big challenges. They had to get on
planes, travel thousands of miles, and learn solar engineering.
They could not read. They did not speak the same language as the
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

teachers at the school. They had little confidence.

Roy and his staff used sign language and pictures to get
their ideas across. The system worked. African women attending
the college quickly learned how to install and take care of solar
lighting systems and solar cook stoves. Then they went home.

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ENCHMARK 2 Date:

In poor, remote parts of Africa, villages that were once

dark at night now glow like fireflies. Graduates of the Barefoot
College have installed electricity in thousands of houses. They
have electrified schools and lit up streets. Now, doctors can see
at night to help their patients. They have provided refrigerators for
food and medicine. And they have set up cook stoves that are safer
for the people who use them and better for the environment.
Soon, there will be a new Barefoot College. Roy has been
invited to build a Barefoot College in Sierra Leone, a country
in Africa.
Barefoot Engineers African Countries
Barefoot
Schools Homes People
Country Solar
Electrified Electrified Served
Engineers
Mali 3 227 2,000 5
Gambia 2 189 2,424 2
Tanzania 0 702 5,648 11
Ethiopia 13 1,700 16,920 21
Source: barefootcollege.org

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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82 Grade 4 Benchmark Assessment • Benchmark 2
 Name: Date:

Now answer Numbers 41 through 50. Base your answers

on “Cook Stoves and More.”

41 Read these sentences from the article.

However, this stove was too small to hold a traditional
cooking pot. So his clay stove never caught on.

This sentence shows that the clay stove never

a fell over.
b made heat.
c was invented.
d became popular.

42 Read this sentence from the article.

At first people laughed at Roy. But his idea soon
paid off.

This means that Roy’s idea

f cost too much.
g was a secret.
h worked well.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

i was silly.

43 Read this sentence from the article.

Many simple, inexpensive, and efficient cook stoves
have been devised.

Which word has almost the SAME meaning as devised?

a broken c invented
b forgotten d sold

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Benchmark Assessment • Benchmark 2 Grade 4 83
Name: Date:

44 What happens when people cook food over open

wood fires inside their homes?
f The food does not get hot enough.
g People get sick from the smoke.
h The pots and pans always burn.
i People refuse to eat the food.

45 How did the author organize this article?

a by showing how the Barefoot College solved the
problem of a lack of electricity
b by sequencing the development of the clay stove and
cooking pot
c by comparing and contrasting clay and solar-powered
cook stoves
d by examining the cause and effect of clay stoves

46 Sanjit Bunker Roy trained older women instead of

younger people because he believed the older women
f were smarter.
g knew how to cook.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

h would stay in their villages.
i had already learned how to read.

47 What text evidence suggests that the author thinks the

Barefoot College has been a success?
a At first people laughed at Roy’s idea.
b The Barefoot College was founded in 1972.
c Roy invited women from Africa to attend his college.
d Graduates of the college have provided refrigerators
for medicines.

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84 Grade 4 Benchmark Assessment • Benchmark 2
GRADE 4
BName:
ENCHMARK 2 Date:

Read the passage below. Choose the word or words that

47 through
correctly complete questions 39 through5244.

The Potato Famine

(47)
Potatoes are not native to Europe, yet (39) been an
important source of food there for many years. Spanish explorers,
(48)
who went to (40) in the 1500s, brought potatoes to Spain.
From Spain, the potato traveled to many other countries.
By the 1800s, the people of Ireland depended on the potato.
(49)
(41) practically their only source of food. Then, in 1845,
disaster struck. A disease called the potato blight began to destroy
Ireland’s potato crop. Farmers could no longer feed (50) (42)
and their families. It was the beginning of a long famine, a time
when food was extremely scarce. Thousands of people left
Ireland. Many came to America on dirty, overcrowded ships. The
people on those ships suffered greatly, but those who stayed
(51)
behind suffered even (43) . In six years of famine, more than
a million people starved to death or died of disease. That famine
(52)
was one of the (44) disasters in Irish history.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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106 Grade 4 Benchmark Assessment • Benchmark 2
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47
39 Which answer should go in blank (39)?
a they
b theyve
c they’ve
48
40 Which answer should go in blank (40)?
f the Andes Mountains of Peru
g the andes mountains of Peru
h the Andes mountains of Peru
49
41 Which answer should go in blank (41)?
a It was
b They were
c He was
50
42 Which answer should go in blank (42)?
f they
g them
h themselves
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

51
43 Which answer should go in blank (43)?
a badlier
b more
c most
52
44 Which answer should go in blank (44)?
f worse
g worst
h more bad
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