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Grade 6 Sample Questions
Spring 2006
LANGUAGE
GRA DE 6 A S S E S S ME NT OF RE A DI NG, WRI T I NG A ND MAT HE MAT I C S , S P RI NG 2 0 0 6
Grade 6 Sample Questions, Spring 2006: Language
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Reading 1 Reading 1
Blondin Walks the Falls
It was August 19, 1859, and a great crowd had gathered
on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. The brass bands
fell silent, the crowd hushed and only the roar of water
could be heard. Everyone stared along 300 metres of rope
that stretched high across the gorge. Nearby, the rope was
thick as a mans wrist, but as it dipped and rose to the
opposite bank, it seemed as thin as spider silk.
Hurrahs broke out on the American side as a man
stepped onto the rope, balancing with a long pole.
Everyone knew it was the Great Blondin, the tightrope
walker from France. Earlier in the year, hed announced
his plans to cross the gorge on
a rope, and everyone had
laughed. But hed stretched his
rope, braced it with cables (guy
ropes) and walked across in
front of ve thousand people.
Since then he had crossed the
falls more than a dozen times.
Once he had pushed a
wheelbarrow; another time
hed taken a tiny stove, and
cooked and eaten an omelette
in the middle of the rope.
Why, then, had the huge crowd come this day? Because
Blondin had promised he would cross carrying a man on
his back! The foolhardy passenger was his manager and
agent, Harry Colcord.
It was too far to see if Blondin had kept his promise, but
he was coming closer, stepping lightly and condently,
high above the roaring waters. Near one of the guy ropes
he stopped. Those with eld glasses whispered excitedly
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls are spectacular
waterfalls on the Niagara River in
southern Ontario, on the border
with the United States. They are
one of the greatest waterfalls in
the world, measured by the
volume of water. Just above the
falls, the Niagara River is split in
two by Goat Island, creating two
waterfalls: the American Falls
(which are 59 m high and 326 m
wide) and the Horseshoe Falls on
the Canadian side (57 m high and
670 m wide). About 90% of the
ow of the Niagara River goes
over the Horseshoe Falls.
In 1885, Queen Victoria Park was
created to preserve an open space
around the falls. It was Canadas
rst provincial park.
Daredevils have deed the Falls in
barrels, boats and rubber balls
and on tightropes. The most
famous of these was the Great
Blondin, who walked a rope
across the gorge in 1859. Another
time, he carried a terried man on
his back! Stunting at the Falls
was outlawed in 1912.
Niagara Falls remains one of the
great tourist attractions in the
world, with over 12 million
visitors each year.
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they could see another face beside Blondins. The crowd held its breath as the rider clambered
off and stood on the rope with his hands on Blondins shoulders. After Blondin had rested,
Harry clambered up again, and the intrepid pair advanced. Four more times they rested,
standing together on the rope.
They hit trouble as they began to climb toward the Canadian
shore. The great rope swayed more and more, and the pole
wavered as Blondin struggled to keep his balance. Suddenly he
ran toward the rst pair of guy ropes on the Canadian side. As
he reached them, one guy rope broke and fell, while the
opposite one pulled the great rope sideways. Blondin teetered,
and the watchers whispered that they could see fear on Harrys
face. Blondin ran forward again, to the next pair of guy ropes,
and halted. After a brief hesitation, Harry climbed once again off
Blondins back. After a few long minutes, Harry climbed up and
they continued.
As Blondin slowly approached the safety of the Canadian bank,
the crowd could see sweat on his brow and Harrys eyes rmly
shut. When they reached land and Blondin stepped off the rope,
the cheer was enormous. The crowd was so excited, it lunged
forward trying to touch the daredevil; both Blondin and his
passenger almost ended up being
shoved back over the edge of the gorge. Luckily, they pushed
through the crowd onto the safety of land.
The Great Blondin had crossed the falls again,
but just barely!
Jean Franois Gravelet (The Great Blondin)
Professionally known as the Great Blondin, Gravelet was the rst of many tightrope walkers to
appear at Niagara Falls. He was a professional artist and showperson trained in the great
tradition of the European circus. At age 31, he came to America to cross the gorge of the
Niagara River on a tightrope. He continued performing for many years. He died in England at
the age of 73.
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Guy Rope
The Canadian Encyclopedia Historica Foundationof Canada
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1. Which choice best describes the main problem to be solved in Blondin Walks the Falls?
A The guy rope needed to be xed.
B The rope needed to be braced with cables (guy ropes).
C Colcord needed to stay on Blondins back all the way across.
D Blondin and Colcord needed to cross the Falls successfully, without falling.
2. Blondin chose to perform his stunt at Niagara Falls. Which of the following statements
gives the best reason for Blondins choice of Niagara Falls?
F Blondin was a famous daredevil.
G Niagara Falls is one of the greatest waterfalls in the world.
H Niagara Falls is visited by over 12 million people each year.
J Queen Victoria Park in Niagara Falls was Canadas rst provincial park.
3. The author includes detailed information about Niagara Falls in the box on page 2 most
likely to
A make the story more interesting.
B tell the reader about a popular tourist attraction.
C help the reader understand the danger of Blondins stunt.
D let the reader know that Niagara Falls was Canadas rst provincial park.
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4. Blondin Walks the Falls is in some ways like a newspaper report and in some ways like
a narrative (story).
Describe some ways in which Blondin Walks the Falls is like a newspaper report.
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5. Your school is holding its 50th anniversary. As part of the celebration, you have been
given the task of selecting items for a time capsule that will be sealed and then opened
for the 100th anniversary. The capsule is the size of a backpack, and the items you select
must t inside.
Write a report for your principal that includes at least 5 items for the time capsule and
includes a reason for each.
Ideas for My Report
T
i
m
e

C
a
p
s
u
l
e
Writing 1
Remember:
Check over your work.
Check your spelling,
grammar and
punctuation.
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Reading 1 Reading 2
An Ant Dreams
Hello, little ant, hello.
So busy in your busyness.
I was wondering
Are there any moments of calm?
And do you ever take the time to dream?
What are your dreams, little one?
What are the things you imagine?
Do you marvel at your own existence?
Do you hold the universe in awe?
Is that why the sea beckons?
The distant, unknown sea,
Where waves, like stars,
Twinkle with possibilities.
The size of the dreamer does not matter.
It is the size of the dream.
Perhaps we are meant
To think about what might be.
To imagine the shimmering unknown,
The brilliant jingling glories
Just over the horizon.
Perhaps without dreams,
Our lives would be empty,
And the world lost.
It takes courage to dream big dreams.
The courage of ants.
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Is it beauty that inspires you?
Is it the perfection of life?
Or the grand variety of things?
Is it the innity of the sea,
or its eternity,
that draws you restless to its shores?
Dreams are the souls desire spoken,
To be heard and acted upon.
Little one, you are born to dream.
So dream on, friend, dream on.
Fill your life with wild imaginings.
Unleash your gifts of inspiration and desire.
The world needs them.
We are waiting.
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6. What is the main idea of the poem?
F Ants work hard.
G Even ants have dreams.
H No matter how small you are, you are never too little to have big dreams.
J Ants can inspire you to work hard in life to make your dreams come true.
7. Read the sentence below.
Fill your life with wild imaginings.
In this sentence, the word wild is
A a verb.
B a noun.
C an adverb.
D an adjective.
8. The author states that without dreams our lives would be
F empty.
G boring.
H less tiring.
J unknown.
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The size of the dreamer does not matter.
What does this sentence mean? Use your own ideas and information from the poem
in your answer.
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10. Chris receives the following letter:
Write a story that this letter has helped you imagine.
Ideas for My Story
D
e
ar C
h
ris,

C
ongratulations! Y
ou
h
ave
just w
on 2
0
0
0
e
arth
w
orm
s. T
h
e
y w
ill b
e
d
e
live
re
d
to your h
ouse
on F
rid
ay.

B
e
st w
ish
e
s,

S
ally M
and
e
r
Writing 2
Remember:
Check over your work.
Check your spelling,
grammar and
punctuation.
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Reading 1
Ready for Takeoff!
Jim made the rst fold, creasing it sharply with his thumbnail.
Then he squinted at the sketch he and Amrita had made and
tried to decide where to fold.
Here? he asked her.
Maybe a little smaller? she suggested.
How are we going to go to the science fair, Jim complained,
if we cant even make a paper airplane that ies, when we
need one that can stay in the air the longest, go the farthest and y accurately!
Jim and Amrita had been best friends ever since Amrita moved in next door.
Their class was studying how planes y. As part of the unit, pairs of students were designing
paper airplanes. One pair of students was to be chosen to represent the school in a regional
science fair. Both Jim and Amrita were really
excited about the possibility of going to the fair
and meeting students from many different schools.
This isnt working at all, moaned Jim as
he kicked at the mountain of crumpled airplanes
littering the oor.
Narrower wings? he suggested.
Amrita nodded. Weve tried that, but we can try it again. She bent over the stack of fresh
paper and started folding again, a little half-heartedly.
Jims grandmother walked into the room just as the new plane ipped and spun to the
ground.
Reading 3
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Oh dear, she said as she handed them some juice. She pulled an old-looking book from her
pocket and handed it to Jim. I thought you kids might need a little inspiration, she said. It
belonged to my uncle.
Thanks, mumbled Jim. He looked at the book, titled Walter Bells Journal, then put it
down.
What is it? Amrita strained to look.
Some journal, Jim answered.
But its not some journal, Jims grandmother smiled. Why dont
you take a look at the page I marked? She winked at Amrita and
left.
Okay, Jim said grudgingly. He started reading.
Hammondsport, New York: July 3, 1908
I cant believe were here! Im so excited that Mom let us come to see Uncle Alexs new invention!
His telephone is pretty incredible, but nowhere near as exciting as a ying machine! Uncle Alex,
Mr. McCurdy and Mr. Baldwin are very nervoustheyve put so much work into their machine,
and they really want this one to y ....
Jim looked up. Fly? he repeated, interested all of a sudden. He looked back at the date.
1908? Thats only ve years after the Wright brothers rst ight! They didnt have real
airplanes then!
Amrita looked excited. Bell, Alex, telephoneis he talking about Alexander Graham Bell?
Jims jaw dropped. Forget the telephone! I didnt know he made an airplane! You mean I
might be related to one of the pioneers of ight?
Keep reading, Amrita encouraged.
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Amrita thought of their airplane and sighed.
She was determined to nd a design that would win the competition. She was already
imagining herself and Jim accepting the rst-place plaque for their school. Standing up, Jim
announced he was taking a break. Im going to talk to my grandmother, he said. I want to
know if Im really related to Alexander Graham Bell.
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Amrita kept folding and making test ightsbut not getting anywhere. Finally she leaned
back, crossed her arms and sighed. Then she straightened up and got back to work thinking,
He can just go y a kite.
Suddenly she exclaimed, Kite! Thats it! A kite!
Right at that moment, Jim ran back into the room.
Ive got it, they blurted out at the same time.
You go rst, Amrita said.
Listen to this!
July 8, 1908
Last year, when Mom told me that the Red Wing hadnt worked, I was really afraid that Uncle
Alex would give up. I should have known that he isnt like that. He always keeps trying until
he gets it right!
Jim looked a little embarrassed. Theres more, he said.
Mr. Curtiss used to be a bicycle mechanic and a motorcycle racer, and they used some ideas
from both those machines. Then they thought about how birds y and how ...
Amrita interrupted. And how kites y!
Jim was nodding enthusiastically. Bigger wings! he exclaimed.
Lighter paper! Amrita offered.
Jim cheered, Lets get folding.
Ready for Takeoff! 2003 EQAO. Photos Library of Congress.
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11. Which statement best describes the main idea of this story?
A Flight is interesting.
B Science projects can be difcult.
C Never giving up can lead to success.
D Alexander Graham Bell was an amazing inventor.
12. In paragraph 7, which word is the most appropriate synonym for the word moaned?
F cried
G yelled
H shouted
J groaned
Jims grandmother walked into the room just as the new plane ipped and spun to
the ground.
Which word best describes how Jim and Amrita are feeling when Jims grandmother
comes in with the journal?
A angry
B resourceful
C discouraged
D disappointed
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14. Jims grandmother gives him a journal that was written by his relative.
How could learning about the past help Jim, and other people, in todays world? Use
information from the story as well as your own ideas in your answer.
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Reading 1 Reading 4
Western Swamp Tortoise
Pseudemydura umbrina
Life is tough for the western swamp tortoise. It is the smallest freshwater tortoise in Australia
and it is only found in seasonal swamps in the Swan River Valley near Perth.
The western swamp tortoises rst year of life is
hazardous, and many hatchlings do not make it
beyond their rst summer. They need to avoid
animals that eat baby tortoises, such as the heron,
raven and tiger snake. They must also eat well and
grow during winter and spring, if they are to survive
the summer.
Those that reach adulthood are protected by their
hard shell from other native animals but not from
introduced animals such as foxes, dogs and cats.
Most of the western swamp tortoises habitat has
been lost. Almost all the areas that the western
swamp tortoise lived in 200 years ago have been
cleared and drained. Also, clay from some tortoise
swamps has been mined to make bricks and tiles.
By 1987 the western swamp tortoise was on the brink of extinction. With only 50 individuals
left it became the rarest tortoise on earth.
Luckily, programs have been set in place to try to save the western swamp tortoise. Areas
where it used to live have been added to nature reserves. Fox-proof fences have been built
around two nature reserves, and western swamp tortoises bred in captivity have begun to be
reintroduced into the wild.
Through these and other efforts, the number of western swamp tortoises has increased to over
150 in just seven years, although the number of breeding adults is still critically low.
Adaptation from Western Swamp Tortoise: Pseudemydura umbrina from Yakkinn the Swamp Tortoise: The most dangerous year, by Gerald and
Guunie Kuchling, published by Chelonia Enterprises. Reprinted with permission. Photo by Reg Morrison. Reprinted with permission from Auscape
International Photo Library.
Western Swamp Tortoise called Yakkinn by
the Nyungar, the local Aboriginals.
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The western swamp tortoises rst year of life is harzardous, and many hatchlings do not
make it beyond their rst summer.
In this sentence, what does harzardous mean?
A brief
B unsafe
C certain
D irregular
16. Why was clay taken from the tortoise swamps?
F to make bricks and tiles
G to create a nature reserve
H to give the tortoise a place to live
J to save the tortoise from extinction
17. Paragraph 4 describes
A places where the western swamp tortoise used to live.
B methods used to help the western swamp tortoise survive.
C how the western swamp tortoises natural habitat was lost.
D natural and introduced predators of the western swamp tortoise.
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18. The western swamp tortoise needs help to survive.
Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Use information from the selection and
your own ideas to support your answer.
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Reading 1 Reading 5
Watches and clocks help us keep track of every
minute of the day, telling us when its time to eat,
sleep or go to school. But how did people tell time
before watches and clocks were invented? They
probably just checked out some natural timekeepers
An eighteenth-century botanist named Carl Linnaeus (LINN-
ee-us) discovered that some plants open and close their owers
at the same time every day. He planted his own oral clock,
where marigolds opened at 6:00 a.m. and chicory closed at
noon.
If youre an early riser, you may know that morning glories, which are often found at
roadsides, open their white, trumpetlike owers at 5:30 a.m. Dandelions and pumpkin
owers spread their petals at 8:30 a.m., and dayowers open at dawn. The blooms of
sunowers follow the sun closelyat noon sharp, youll nd them all facing skyward.
If you ever stay up past dark, youll see moonowers open at 10:00 p.m.
Why is the rooster famous? For its cock-a-doodle-
doo, of course, which heralds the coming of the
day. Another sound you hear before sunrise is the
singing of robins. And have you ever noticed that
crickets start to chirp just before dark? These
animals are all in tune with the sun. They have an
internal clock called a circadian (sir-KAY-dee-
ehn) rhythm. This means they repeat the same
activitiesfeeding, sleeping and travellingat the
same time every day.
Keeping Time, Naturally
Here are some wild ways to become a natural timekeeper.
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19. A botanist is a person who studies
A birds.
B plants.
C clocks.
D insects.
20. Read the sentence from the article.
They have an internal clock called a circadian (sir-KAY-dee-ehn) rhythm.
The letters in brackets help the reader to
F spell circadian.
G pronounce the word circadian.
H explain what circadian means.
J know that circadian is someones name.
21. The main idea of this article is that animals and plants
A have tidal clocks.
B are up early every day.
C can tell time without clocks.
D communicate with each other.
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22. What can be learned about the sun from this article? Use information from the text to
explain your answer.
23. Read the sentences below.
I like soccer. I scored three goals in my
last game. Do you like soccer.
What is the best way to punctuate these
sentences?
A ? . !
B ! , ?
C . ? !
D . ! ?
24. Read the phrase below.
Morag asked Liam, _________________.
Which of the following best completes
the sentence?
F Be quiet!
G Stop that noise!
H Choose one of the prizes.
J Are you going to the store?
Sara carefully ________ her story before
she __________ her nal copy.
Which pair of words correctly complete
the sentence?
A edits, writes
B edit, written
C edited, writes
D editing, wrote
Even before the recess bell ________
rung, the students _______ cleaning up.
Which pair of words correctly
completes the sentence?
F has, was
G had, was
H has, were
J had, were
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Writing 3
The information in this booklet is being collected under authority of clause 4 (1) (b) and
subsection 9 (6) of the Education Quality and Accountability Ofce Act, 1996, for the
purposes of administering and marking tests of pupils in elementary schools and evaluating
the quality and effectiveness of elementary education, in accordance with section 3 of the
Act. Inquiries regarding this collection should be directed to the Senior Policy Analyst, EQAO,
1-888-327-7377.
Student responses in this booklet may be used as examples for the marking of the
assessment, and may be included without attribution in public reports.
2006 Queens Printer for Ontario.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise,
without the prior express written permission of the Education Quality and Accountability
Ofces Department of External Relations.
Printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based inks.

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Grade 6 Sample Questions

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