PARCC Grade 5 ELA Practice Test Questions

Questions 1-8 pertain to the following passage:

Living on a Ranch

Marcus Morgan lives in Laramie, Wyoming, with his family. Laramie is between the Snowy Mountain Range and the Laramie Mountain Range, west of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Marcus and his family own a large cattle ranch outside of the city along U.S. Route 287. The Bar M Bar Ranch raises both beef and dairy cattle, along with a small herd of sheep. Mrs. Morgan keeps chickens and raises a small garden to feed the family. Marcus and his two brothers, James and Robert, have to help with chores and taking care of the animals.

Life starts early on the ranch. Mrs. Morgan rings the bell to bring everyone in for breakfast at 4:30 am. The family eats breakfast with the ranch hands, and then the boys do their morning chores before heading off to school. When the boys return from school, they have more chores to complete before dinner and time for homework.

Everyone has a job on a ranch. Mr. Morgan supervises the ranch hands, oversees repairs, and takes care of all the vehicles on the ranch. Mrs. Morgan is in charge of paying the bills and making sure everyone is fed. Marcus, at 15 years old, is the oldest child and has the most responsibility. He has to let the sheep out every morning and bring them back in every evening. He helps in the milking barn or with branding beef cattle when needed. He also takes care of the working dogs used all over the ranch. James gathers eggs, brings in a fresh pail of milk every morning, and cleans out horse stalls in the evenings. Robert, the baby of the family, helps his mom around the house and in the garden.

Marcus especially likes working with the sheep. In the mornings, he and his favorite working dog, Shep, run the sheep out of their corral into the big pasture so they can graze. Marcus uses whistles and calls to tell Shep where he wants the sheep to go, and Shep herds them. In the evenings, Marcus and Shep round up the sheep from the pasture and return them to the corral. Then Marcus must feed the sheep and check them all for injuries. In the spring, Marcus and Shep help Mr. Morgan bring the sheep into the shearing shed one at a time to have their wool sheared.

Prepare with our PARCC Study Guide and Practice Questions. Print or eBook. Guaranteed to raise your score. Get started today!

1. Where is the Bar M Bar Ranch?

1. Cheyenne, Wyoming
2. The Snowy Mountains
3. Laramie, Wyoming
4. The Laramie Mountains

2. How does Marcus tell Shep what to do?

1. Marcus uses a clicker in his hand.
2. Marcus uses a leash. 
3. Marcus lets Shep do all the work alone. 
4. Marcus uses whistles and calls.

3. Which of the following choices best summarizes the fifth paragraph?

1. Marcus and Shep take care of the sheep.
2. Marcus enjoys working with the sheep. 
3. Shep is a good sheep dog. 
4. Mr. Morgan sheers the sheep in the spring.

4. From this passage, you can tell that:

1. Everyone has a job on a ranch. 
2. Children work much harder than adults on the ranch. 
3. Living on a ranch is no fun. 
4. Marcus does not enjoy his chores.

5. Mr. Morgan supervises the ranch hands and the outside chores. Which of the following choices best describes Mrs. Morgan’s chores?

1. She is in charge of the sheep. 
2. She is in charge of the chickens. 
3. She is in charge of the household and bills. 
4. She is in charge of the children.

6. From the passage, the reader can tell:

1. Ten ranch hands work on the Bar M Bar Ranch. 
2. Working and living on a ranch is a full time job. 
3. A ranch in Wyoming is a lonely place. 
4. Mr. Morgan doesn’t like sheep.

7. From this passage, the phrase “ranch hands” most likely means:

1. The hands of people who work on the ranch. 
2. People who work on a ranch owned by someone else. 
3. The machines used to milk dairy cattle.
4. A way to repair a fence.

8. Marcus, James, and Robert are different ages, but they have something in common in this passage. Which sentence best describes what they have in common?

1. They all help with chores on the ranch. 
2. They all take care of the working dogs. 
3. They all have brown hair. 
4. They all have to shear sheep.

Answers

1. C – The Bar M Bar Ranch is in Laramie, Wyoming

PARCC Flashcards. Proven PARCC test flashcards raise your score on the PARCC test. Guaranteed.

2. D – Marcus uses whistles and calls.

3. B – Marcus enjoys working with the sheep.

4. A – Everyone has a job on a ranch.

5. C – She is in charge of the household and bills.

6. B – Working and living on a ranch is a full time job.

7. B – People who work on a ranch owned by someone else.

8. A – They all help with chores on the ranch.