Winter Holiday Math & Reading — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. A toy drive collected 8 boxes with 7 toys each. Then 15 more toys were donated. How many toys are there in all?
A) 56 toys
B) 71 toys
C) 63 toys
D) 78 toys
First multiply: 8 × 7 = 56 toys in boxes. Then add: 56 + 15 = 71 toys.
2. Read: "The icy wind howled through the empty streets like a hungry wolf." What type of figurative language is used?
A) Personification
B) Metaphor
C) Simile
D) Alliteration
The sentence uses the word 'like' to compare the wind to a hungry wolf. That is the clue for a simile.
3. Which fraction is greater: 34 or 24?
A) 24
B) They are equal
C) 34
D) Cannot tell
When denominators match, the bigger numerator means the bigger fraction. 3 is greater than 2, so 34 > 24.
4. A passage says polar bears have thick fur and a layer of fat to survive freezing temperatures. What is the main idea?
A) Polar bears live in the Arctic.
B) Polar bears have body features that help them stay warm.
C) Fat keeps animals warm in winter.
D) Thick fur is white to blend with snow.
Both clues — thick fur and fat — are body features that keep polar bears warm. The other choices are true but do not cover the whole passage.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. 9 children each made 5 paper snowflakes, so 45 snowflakes were made in all.
9 × 5 = 45. Skip-counting by 5 nine times gives 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45.
2. One yard equals 3 feet.
1 yard = 3 feet. This is a standard length conversion.
3. If 56 of the ornaments are red, then 1 sixth is not red.
The whole is 66. If 56 are red, then 6 - 5 = 1 sixth is not red.
4. The lesson or message of a story is called its theme.
The theme is the big idea or life lesson the story teaches, such as 'kindness matters'. It is different from the plot, which is what happens.
5. 6 times 8 candy canes equals 48 candy canes.
6 × 8 = 48. Double three times: 6 doubled is 12, 12 doubled is 24, 24 doubled is 48.