CAASPP Success - Grade 4 Reading Comprehension - Narrative #1

Read the passage and answer the questions.

Source 1

The Blind Men and the Elephant

[1] THERE were once six blind men who stood by the roadside every day, and begged from the people who passed. They had often heard of elephants, but they had never seen one; for, being blind, how could they?

[2] It so happened one morning that an elephant was driven down the road where they stood. When they were told that the great beast was before them, they asked the driver to let him stop so that they might see him.

[3] Of course they could not see him with their eyes; but they thought that by touching him they could learn just what kind of animal he was.

[4] The first one happened to put his hand on the elephant’s side. “Well, well!” he said, “now I know all about this beast. He is exactly like a wall.”

[5] The second felt only of the elephant’s tusk. “My brother,” he said, “you are mistaken. He is not at all like a wall. He is round and smooth and sharp. He is more like a spear than anything else.”

[6] The third happened to take hold of the elephant’s trunk. “Both of you are wrong,” he said. “Anybody who knows anything can see that this elephant is like a snake.”

[7] The fourth reached out his arms, and grasped one of the elephant’s legs. “Oh, how blind you are!” he said. “It is very plain to me that he is round and tall like a tree.”

[8] The fifth was a very tall man, and he chanced to take hold of the elephant’s ear. “The blindest man ought to know that this beast is not like any of the things that you name,” he said. “He is exactly like a huge fan.”

[9] The sixth was very blind indeed, and it was some time before he could find the elephant at all. At last he seized the animal’s tail. “Oh foolish fellows!” he cried. “You surely have lost your senses. This elephant is not like a wall, or a spear, or a snake, or a tree; neither is he like a fan. But any man with a particle of sense can see that he is exactly like a rope.”

[10] Then the elephant moved on, and the six blind men sat by the roadside all day, and quarreled about him. Each believed that he knew just how the animal looked; and each called the others hard names because they did not agree with him. People who have eyes sometimes act as foolishly.

James Baldwin

Question 1

Multiple choice

Which detail from the passage best explains what the blind men are trying to learn about the elephant?

They want to hear the elephant's sound.
They wish to understand the size of the elephant.
They want to find out what the elephant feels like.
They are interested in how the elephant looks.

Question 2

Multiple choice

How does the first blind man describe the elephant?

Like a wall
Like a spear
Like a snake
Like a tree

Question 3

Multiple choice

What does the word "chanced" most likely mean in paragraph 8?

Wanted
Tried
Happened
Began

Question 4

Multiple choice

Why do the blind men begin to argue?

Because they all felt different parts of the elephant
Because they did not like the driver
Because they did not actually touch the elephant
Because the elephant moved

Question 5

Multiple choice

What is the main idea of the story?

Elephants are very large animals.
People often argue over their own perspectives.
Each part of an elephant is different to feel.
Blind men can understand animals by touching them.

Question 6

Multiple choice

Which action explain why the blind men had different descriptions of the elephant?

They misunderstood what the driver told them.
They only touched the elephant briefly.
They used their own experiences to interpret what they felt.
They thought different parts of the elephant were the whole animal.

Question 7

Multiple choice

Which sentence from the passage shows what the second blind man thinks the elephant feels like?

"He is exactly like a wall."
"He is more like a spear than anything else."
"Anybody who knows anything can see that this elephant is like a snake."
"It is very plain to me that he is round and tall like a tree."

Question 8a

Multiple choice

Part A: What can we infer about the sixth blind man's character based on his actions?

He is very patient.
He is very wise.
He is very slow.
He is very critical.

Question 8b

Multiple choice

Part B: Which sentence from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?

"The sixth was very blind indeed, and it was some time before he could find the elephant at all."
"At last he seized the animal’s tail."
"But any man with a particle of sense can see that he is exactly like a rope."
"You surely have lost your senses."

Question 9

Multiple choice

Why does the author most likely include the final sentence in the passage?

To show that the blind men are wise
To show that the author's point of view
To imply that people often argue over small things
To show that the elephant had moved on

Question 10

Multiple choice

Which sentence best describes why the blind men are confused about the elephant?

They all felt different parts and drew their own conclusions.
They could not speak to each other clearly.
The driver played a trick on them.
They did not know what an elephant was.

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