6e Lang1 Web 0609

Grade 6
Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Junior Division
Student Booklet
Language
SPRING 2009
1
RELEASED SELECTIONS AND
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
Please note: The format of

these booklets is slightly
different from that used for
the assessment. The items
themselves remain the same.
Reading Grade 6, Spring 2009
Digging for Gold

“What are you doing?” Jessica asked her older brother when she 1
saw him kneeling in Grandma and Grandpa’s yard.
“I’m digging dandelions out of Grandpa’s lawn, and I’m earning 2
money at the same time,” replied Brandon.
When their grandfather had heard that Brandon was saving 3
money to buy an official-type soccer ball to practise with at
home, Grandpa had made him an offer. If Brandon helped
remove the weeds, Grandpa would pay him a dollar for every
25 dandelions he dug up. But they must have most of the root
still attached.
“Can you show me how to do that?” asked Jessica. 4
“It’s not too hard, once you know how,” said Brandon. “You shove the weed-digging tool 5
into the grass beside the dandelion, and then bend it so the root snaps off below the
ground. Then the whole dandelion can be pulled up, root and all.” He found a big
dandelion and demonstrated the weeding method for his sister.
“Grandpa says that you have to get the root, or else the dandelion will grow back, maybe 6
double,” Brandon explained. “Grandpa also says that you have to get the dandelions
before the yellow flowers turn into those white pompoms or fluff-balls. Each one of
those has hundreds of seeds that can blow back into the lawn and start more dandelions.”
By the end of the day, Grandpa’s lawn didn’t have a dandelion left in it. Grandpa and 7
Brandon counted out the pulled dandelions with roots, and Grandpa paid him $8.50.
“Cool!” said Brandon. “When I add this to my own money, I can buy a new soccer ball 8
and have some left over.”
Two weeks later, Grandma was surprised to see Jessica dancing 9
in the yard with an armful of white dandelion pompoms. She
was blowing and shaking them all over the grass. “Where did
you get those?” Grandma asked. “And why are you doing that?”
“I picked them in the field down the street,” replied Jessica. “And 10
I’ll probably want to buy something next summer!”
“Well, Jessica,” said Grandpa, “you’ll have to find another job, because you’ll be picking 11
the dandelions that you’re planting for free.”
“Oh!” said Jessica, as she began to race around the yard trying to collect all the seeds. 12
© EQAO, 2006
2 Student Booklet: Language 1

Grade 6, Spring 2009 Reading
 Paragraph 4 is a new paragraph because EQRE21162.094
a the time changes.

b a person is speaking. *
c a character is introduced.
d the setting is introduced.
 Which word would best replace the word “method” as used in paragraph 5? EQRE21167.094
a root
b order
c procedure *
d experiment
 Paragraph 6 states that the dandelions’ yellow flowers EQRE21157.094
a look very nice.

b turn into seeds. *
c are difficult to dig.
d are worth one dollar.
 In paragraph 9, Jessica is “blowing and shaking” dandelions because EQRE21158.094
a she wants them to grow back. *

b they look like white pompoms.
c her grandfather asks her to pick them.
d she likes the way the yellow flowers look.
Student Booklet: Language 1 3

 How is Jessica influenced by the work Brandon does? Use specific details from the text and your own
ideas to support your answer. EQRE21160.094
 Is the title “Digging for Gold” an appropriate choice for this text? Use specific details from the text to
support your answer. EQRE21165.094

Canadian Pump Brings Water to the World

Millions of people in dry countries around 1
the world have fresh water because of two
Canadian inventors.
The Canadian government wanted someone 2
to invent a hand-operated water pump for use
in arid lands.
Professor Alan Plumtree and Professor Alfred 3
Rudin of the University of Waterloo began to
work on their design in the late 1970s.
Their challenge was to make a pump that 4
didn’t cost very much. It also had to be light and easy to move, install and repair.
The problem: Standard water pumps used in villages in places such as Africa and Malaysia 5
were very heavy. They were made of iron or steel. The pumps were difficult to repair. Spare
parts were expensive and hard to find. As a result, many old pumps broke down. Sometimes
they were never repaired.
The professors designed a simple pump. It was able to draw the water from deep in the 6
ground. It was made out of plastic so it could be glued together and wouldn’t rust.
“We made the pump as simple as possible, so it would be easily understood and easily 7
repaired by anyone,” Professor Plumtree said.
Some of the parts that need replacing can be made from plastic pipe, rope or carved from 8
a piece of wood. This has allowed local people to look after their own water supply.
It is now called the Unimade pump and is being used around the world. The pump supplies 9
clean water to more than one million people in about 15 countries.
In one country, Malawi, part of the pump was made of white coloured plastic instead of the 10
usual blue. It had to be changed because the plastic was being eaten by hyenas who thought
it was a large bone.
Now, people are saying, “Thank you, Canada!” when they take a drink of pure, cold water. 11
© 2006, EQAO

 The main idea of this text is that two Canadians developed a pump that EQRE21272.104
a is easy to use and fix. *

b is made of heavy steel.
c holds up in wet weather.
d uses a coloured plastic tube.
 Which paragraph in this text describes the challenge facing Professors Plumtree and Rudin?EQRE21278.104
a Paragraph 1
b Paragraph 3
c Paragraph 5 *
d Paragraph 7
 Which word is closest in meaning to “draw” as used in paragraph 6 of this text? EQRE21281.104
a tie
b pull *
c sketch
d attract
 The purpose of this text is to EQRE21271.104
a tell a story about an inventor.

b celebrate a Canadian invention. *
c create interest in the country of Malawi.
d persuade people to use the Unimade pump.

 Explain how the characteristics of the Unimade pump make it an important invention. Use specific
details from the text and your own ideas to support your answer. EQRE21274.104
 Explain whether this project is a good one for Canada to support. Use specific details from the text
and your own ideas to support your answer. EQRE21275.104

Writing Grade 6, Spring 2009
 You have been named principal for the day. Describe what you would do during your day as the
principal. EQWE20315
Ideas for My Description
Remember:
• Check over your work.
• Check your spelling,
grammar and punctuation.

Grade 6, Spring 2009 Writing
Write your description here.

Writing Grade 6, Spring 2009
 Write an announcement that you would read at a school assembly to convince everyone in your school
that recycling is important. EQWE20304
Ideas for My Announcement
Remember:
• Check over your work.
• Check your spelling,
grammar and punctuation.

Grade 6, Spring 2009 Writing
Write your announcement here.

2 Carlton Street, Suite 1200, Toronto ON M5B 2M9
Telephone: 1-888-327-7377 Web site: www.eqao.com
© 2009 Queen’s Printer for Ontario

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Grade 6

Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Junior Division

Please note: The format of

Digging for Gold

2 Student Booklet: Language 1

 Paragraph 4 is a new paragraph because EQRE21162.094

a the time changes.

 Paragraph 6 states that the dandelions’ yellow flowers EQRE21157.094

a look very nice.

 In paragraph 9, Jessica is “blowing and shaking” dandelions because EQRE21158.094

a she wants them to grow back. *

Student Booklet: Language 1 3

4 Student Booklet: Language 1

Canadian Pump Brings Water to the World

Student Booklet: Language 1 5

a is easy to use and fix. *

 The purpose of this text is to EQRE21271.104

a tell a story about an inventor.

6 Student Booklet: Language 1

Student Booklet: Language 1 7

Ideas for My Description

8 Student Booklet: Language 1

Write your description here.

Student Booklet: Language 1 9

Ideas for My Announcement

10 Student Booklet: Language 1

Write your announcement here.

Student Booklet: Language 1 11

Telephone: 1-888-327-7377 Web site: www.eqao.com

© 2009 Queen’s Printer for Ontario

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