Rusty Rescue Assessment
TEXAS READING ASSESSMENT CAMPUS GRADE 3 COMPREHENSION
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Realistic Fiction
Rusty's Rescue Route
Read the story before answering the ten questions that follow.
[1] Leo loved Saturday mornings, but today was completely different. While searching for his soccer ball behind the garden shed, he heard a soft, trembling whimper. He parted the tall weeds and gasped. Hiding in the dry dirt was a small golden puppy. The puppy’s fur was tangled with dried brown mud and sticky green burrs. It wore a faded red collar around its neck, but when Leo gently tilted it, there was no name tag.
[2] The puppy shivered, pulling its tail tight against its tummy. Leo knew he had to be extremely quiet and gentle. He slowly sat down on the grass a few feet away and whispered, "Hey there, buddy. It’s okay."
[3] Leo’s mom walked out to the backyard carrying a heavy basket of laundry. When Leo pointed silently to the shed, she dropped the basket and knelt down in the grass. "Oh, the poor thing," she whispered. "He looks exhausted. Let's get him some water and a little bit of food."
[4] Mom fetched a small plastic bowl of cool water and some leftover grilled chicken. Leo held the food bowl out, keeping his hand perfectly still. Smelling the chicken, the puppy took three cautious steps forward. He licked Leo’s hand with a warm, wet tongue, then devoured the chicken. Leo smiled as his heart did a little flip. He had always wanted a dog.
[5] They led the puppy inside and washed him in the bathtub. Underneath the thick layer of mud, his fur was bright gold and as soft as a cloud. Leo decided to call him Rusty. For the rest of the afternoon, Rusty followed Leo everywhere, his tail wagging like a happy pendulum.
[6] When bedtime arrived, Leo made Rusty a cozy bed out of warm blankets next to his own. As Leo watched Rusty sleep, a heavy feeling settled in his chest. He desperately wanted to keep Rusty. But he looked at the empty red collar resting on the desk. He imagined how sad he would feel if his own pet went missing. Rusty belonged to someone else who was probably searching for him right now.
[7] "We have to find his home, Mom," Leo said the next morning.
[8] Mom hugged him tightly. "I am very proud of you, Leo. Let's make some flyers."
[9] They printed brightly colored flyers with Rusty’s picture and the words: "FOUND: Golden Puppy near Oak Street." Leo and his mom walked around the neighborhood, taping them to wooden light poles and leaving them at the local park.
[10] On Monday afternoon, the phone rang. A shaking voice on the other end said she was looking for her lost puppy, Barnaby. Within an hour, an elderly woman named Mrs. Gable knocked on their front door. The moment she stepped inside, Rusty—or Barnaby—let out a joyful bark and leaped into her arms, licking her face. Mrs. Gable cried happy tears.
[11] "Thank you, Leo," Mrs. Gable said. "I cannot walk very fast, and he slipped out of the gate. You took such wonderful care of him." She looked at Leo's sad but proud face. "Since I cannot run with him, would you like to be Barnaby's official neighborhood dog-walker?"
[12] Leo’s face lit up with a giant grin. "I would love that!" he cheered. Rusty barked in agreement.
Active Reader Tip
Think about how Leo's feelings change from the beginning of the story to the end.
STOP GO ON TO QUESTIONS
Rusty's Rescue Route
Part I: Comprehension (Questions 1-5)
Q1 TEKS 3.8A (Conflict)
What is the main conflict or problem that Leo faces in the story?
A
He wants to keep the puppy but knows he should help find its real owner.
B
He wants to play soccer but has to help his mother with household laundry.
C
He cannot find a safe way to get the puppy out from behind the dirty garden shed.
D
He wants to wash the muddy puppy but his mother says they do not have enough time.
Q2 TEKS 3.8B (Character)
Read this sentence from paragraph 6:
"As Leo watched Rusty sleep, a heavy feeling settled in his chest."
Why does Leo have a "heavy feeling"?
A
He is extremely tired from washing the muddy puppy all afternoon.
B
He is worried that the puppy is sick because it spent too much time shivering.
C
He is sad because he realizes he should search for the puppy’s real family.
D
He is scared that the puppy will escape out of his bedroom window at night.
Q3 TEKS 3.8C (Resolution)
Which sentence from the story shows how the main problem is resolved?
A
"He slowly sat down on the grass a few feet away and whispered, 'Hey there, buddy.'"
B
"The moment she stepped inside, Rusty—or Barnaby—let out a joyful bark and leaped into her arms..."
C
"They printed brightly colored flyers with Rusty’s picture and the words: 'FOUND: Golden Puppy...'"
D
"Underneath the thick layer of mud, his fur was bright gold and as soft as a cloud."
Q4 TEKS 3.8D (Summary)
Which of the following is the best summary of the story?
A
Leo finds a muddy puppy behind his yard shed. He feeds him chicken and washes him in the bath. He names the puppy Rusty and lets him sleep on warm blankets.
B
Leo finds a lost puppy, takes care of him, and decides to look for his owner even though he wants to keep him. They find the owner, who hires Leo to walk him.
C
An elderly neighbor named Mrs. Gable loses her puppy when he slips out of the gate. She is sad because she cannot run fast enough to chase him down the street.
D
Leo and his mom create bright flyers with a picture of a puppy. They hand them out at the park and find an elderly woman who is missing a pet golden puppy.
Q5 TEKS 3.8C (Plot Events)
Why are the flyers that Leo and his mother distribute important to the plot?
A
They teach the neighborhood how to safely rescue lost dogs.
B
They help Mrs. Gable discover where her missing puppy is located.
C
They explain the reasons why the puppy ran away from home initially.
D
They advertise Leo’s official new dog-walking business in the neighborhood.
CAMPUS STAAR PREP SERIES Page 2 of 3
Rusty's Rescue Route
Part II: Comprehension (Questions 6-10)
Q6 TEKS 3.8A (Character Role)
How does Leo’s mother help move the plot of the story forward?
A
She calls the animal control shelter to remove the puppy.
B
She helps Leo feed, clean, and make flyers to search for the puppy's owner.
C
She surprises Leo by buying him a beautiful new red collar.
D
She runs around the local neighborhood looking for Mrs. Gable's house.
Q7 TEKS 3.8B (Inference)
Based on his actions in the story, what can the reader infer about Leo?
A
He cares more about his weekend soccer games than rescuing animals.
B
He is honest and deeply respects the feelings of other pet owners.
C
He gets very impatient and annoyed when training young puppies.
D
He prefers doing backyard house chores to playing outside with friends.
Q8 TEKS 3.8D (Main Idea)
What is the main idea of paragraph 4?
A
Leo and his mother work patiently to feed the puppy and earn his trust.
B
Leo is learning how to carry water bowls outside without spilling them.
C
The puppy is starving because it spent multiple days lost in the weeds.
D
Leo’s mom drops her laundry basket in excitement when she sees the dog.
Q9 TEKS 3.8A (Resolution Outcome)
How does the author show that Leo’s difficult choice has a positive outcome?
A
By showing Mrs. Gable offer Leo a fun role walking Barnaby every day.
B
By describing the shiny, clean appearance of the golden pup after his bath.
C
By explaining how easy it is to find a small puppy behind a garden shed.
D
By having Leo’s mother whisper to him that she is deeply proud of his honesty.
Q10 TEKS 3.8D (Title / Main Theme)
Which of the following is another fitting title for this story based on its plot?
A
The Muddy Bath Adventure
B
Mrs. Gable's Lost Dog
C
A Golden Friendship Found
D
The Secret Behind the Shed
Student Reflection
Rate your understanding of this story.
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Ready to turn in!
CAMPUS STAAR PREP SERIES Page 3 of 3
