The PIRLS 2001 passages and items below illustrate a range of
questions across the two PIRLS subscales - literary and
informational. For additional information, visit the
international IEA PIRLS international site. |Literary Subscale
Passage and Items The Upside-Down Mice Rabbit Raises the
Earthquake Alarm The reading passages formed the foundation of
the reading literacy test. In accordance with the framework,
four assessment blocks contained literary texts and four
contained informational texts. The passages were authentic texts
drawn from children's storybook and informational sources.
Submitted and reviewed by PIRLS 2001 participating countries,
the literary passages included realistic stories and traditional
tales. The informational texts included chronological and
nonchronological articles, a biographical article, and an
informational leaflet. Two item formats were used to assess
children's reading literacy: multiple choice and constructed-
response. Each type of item was used to assess both reading purp