Text Structures
Summarizing
Theme
Main Idea
Sentences
100
Getting into a saddle can be difficult if you have never been on a horse. First, stand on the left side of the horse. While holding the reins, place your hands on the horn of the saddle. Then, put your left foot into the stirrup with your toes facing toward the front of the horse. Next, use your right foot to push your body off the ground to shift your weight into the left stirrup. Then, swing your right leg over the horse's saddle. Put your right foot into the stirrup on the right side of the horse. The structure of the selection above can best be described as A. cause/effect. B. comparison/contrast. C. question/answer. D. sequence.
D. sequence.
100
Class Project Each student should work with a partner. The topic is "Fingerprinting." Choose an interesting way to report on the topic: • research a famous police case • write a report on the history of fingerprinting • design a Wanted poster • compare fingerprinting and DNA testing Reports are due in one week. Prepare to present your report to the class on Monday. 1. Which detail of the project is important and should be included in the summary? A. Reports are due in one week. B. Compare fingerprinting and DNA testing. C. Design a wanted poster. D. Research a famous police case.
A. Reports are due in one week.
100
The Cat-Maiden The gods were once arguing whether it was possible for a living being to change the way it acts. Jupiter said yes, but Venus said no. So, to try to answer the question, Jupiter turned a cat into a maiden and gave her to a young man for a wife. The wedding was performed, and the young couple sat down to the wedding feast. “See,” said Jupiter to Venus, “how nicely she behaves. Who could tell that yesterday she was but a cat? Do you agree that she has changed the way that she acts?” “Wait a minute,” replied Venus, and she let loose a mouse into the room. The bride saw it, and just like a cat, she jumped up from her seat and tried to pounce upon the mouse. “Ah, you see,” said Venus. adapted from "The Cat-Maiden" by Aesop 36. Venus teaches Jupiter a lesson at the end of the story. What will Venus most likely say to sum up her lesson? A. "You are always right, so I will trust your judgment." B. "Cats are very difficult creatures to train." C. "A living being will never change the way it acts." D. "You should never marry a woman who used to be a cat."
C. "A living being will never change the way it acts."
100
Jim Kirkland studies dinosaurs in Utah. He found a huge pocket of bones in the dirt. They all belonged to one dinosaur. This animal most likely ate meat. It also may have looked like a bird. This dinosaur is about 125 to 150 million years old. It is a new find. Scientists have not even named the animal yet. The bones of about 100 other animals are in a hill in Utah. Kirkland says, "We guess there are 500 bones per square meter. That is a lot of bones." His latest find is great. He found many bones in the hill. They are almost all in good shape. Kirkland will learn a lot about the new dinosaur. He thinks he will know more about it than any dinosaur ever found. What is this story mostly about? A. Jim Kirkland learns about dinosaurs in Utah. B. Utah is home to a lot of good dinosaur bones. C. Scientists will name the dinosaur after Kirkland. D. Jim Kirkland found the bones of a new dinosaur.
D. Jim Kirkland found the bones of a new dinosaur.
100
Which is a sentence fragment? A. A small child won the contest. B. Clay and Micah liked running. C. Tim wrote and played a new song. D. Regina and her younger sisters.
D. Regina and her younger sisters.
200
Place a dull penny in a cup. Squeeze lemon juice into the cup, completely covering the penny. Let the penny sit in the cup for about 5-7 minutes. Then, remove the penny from the cup. Use a paper towel to rub the penny. Which of the following best describes the structure of the above paragraph? A. sequence B. question/answer C. problem/solution D. comparison/contrast
A. sequence
200
Geologists are scientists who study the Earth. They search through rivers, mountains, and caves for clues about how and when the Earth was formed. Some of these clues are millions of years old. Geologists study clues like caves and fossils to find out more about the Earth. Caves are natural holes or tunnels that go underground. A geologist would study a cave to find out several things. First, what made the tunnel? Some caves are made by water or lava. Second, what kind of rock is the cave made of? Caves can be made out of many different types of rock. Sometimes, geologists find fossils buried under the ground. A fossil is a bone, shell, or footprint left from ancient animals or people. Fossils are good clues for geologists to study. If a geologist finds the fossil of an ancient fish in a rock, he or she can guess that a river or ocean used to flow nearby. 5. In a short summary of this passage, which idea would be important to include? A. what a geologist studies B. why fossils are important C. where caves are located D. how the Earth was formed
A. what a geologist studies
200
The Astronomer An astronomer used to go out at night to look at the stars. He would walk through the town with his whole attention fixed on the sky. One evening, he fell accidentally into a deep well because he did not see it on the ground. He cried about his sores and bruises and yelled loudly for help. A neighbor ran to the well and learned what had happened. The neighbor said, "Astronomer, why, in looking up to see into heaven, did you not manage to see what is on earth?" adapted from "The Astronomer" by Aesop 33. What is one theme found in the story? A. Pay attention to your surroundings. B. Use a telescope to look at the stars. C. Be sure to have only safe hobbies. D. Avoid talking to your neighbors.
A. Pay attention to your surroundings.
200
People do not usually think about spiders when they think about endangered species. Endangered species are animals that are in danger of dying out. Spiders are small and have lots of babies. People think that this means that they cannot die out. This is not true. One endangered spider is the Kauai cave wolf spider. It is only found in a few caves on an island of Hawaii. This spider's main kind of food is hard to find. This is one of the reasons why there are so few of these spiders. Another reason is that the female might lay as few as fifteen eggs at a time. Most female wolf spiders lay many more eggs at a time. Many other spiders are endangered for the same reason. What is the main idea of this paragraph? A. Unlike the Kauai cave wolf spider, most female wolf spiders lay dozens of eggs at one time. B. Many people believe that because spiders are small they cannot be endangered species. C. Some spiders are endangered because they do not have enough food or lay enough eggs. D. The Kauai cave wolf spider is found in only in a few caves located a on the island of Kauai.
C. Some spiders are endangered because they do not have enough food or lay enough eggs.
200
Which is a sentence fragment? A. After walking, Ivy took a nap. B. Jason completed all of his chores. C. Before he could go to the park. D. Lupo barked loudly at the door.
C. Before he could go to the park.
300
The clap of thunder you hear after a lightning flash is created by rapidly heated air that expands as the lightning passes through it. The distant rumbling is caused by the thunder's sound waves bouncing back and forth within clouds or between mountains. The structure of the selection above can best be described as A. comparison/contrast. B. question/answer. C. sequence of events. D. cause/effect.
D. cause/effect.
300
It was the habit of Mr. Rolles, every afternoon, to walk for a while in Raeburn's garden. This afternoon, as he wandered, suddenly he saw something. It was half-buried in the soil. His fingers reached down to dig up a small, fancy box. Mr. Rolles opened it. He drew a breath in surprise: here, in a cradle of green velvet, was a diamond as large as the egg of a duck. As the sun shone on it, it was as bright as electricity. It seemed almost to burn his hand. The famous Rajah's Diamond! Without thinking, Mr. Rolles looked around in a hurry. He saw no one: nothing but the sunny garden and the tall treetops. In a second, he shut the case. He thrust it in his pocket and hurried to his office. adapted from The Rajah's Diamond by Robert Louis Stevenson 14. A student wants to highlight important details in the passage. Which of the following would be the least important to highlight? A. He found the Rajah's Diamond. B. The sun was shining brightly. C. Rolles thrust it in his pocket. D. It was half-buried in the soil.
B. The sun was shining brightly.
300
The Boy and the Peanuts A boy put his hand into a pitcher full of peanuts. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold. Then, he tried to pull out his hand, but he could not get his fist out of the pitcher. He was unwilling to let go of his peanuts, but at the same time was unable to take out his hand. He burst into tears and bitterly cried about his disappointment. An old man saw the boy and said to him, "Be satisfied with half the quantity, and you will be able to remove your hand." adapted from "The Boy and the Peanuts" by Aesop 32. What is the theme of this selection? A. Greed can get you into trouble. B. Children should eat healthy foods. C. Old men do not have good ideas. D. Peanuts will make you hungry.
A. Greed can get you into trouble.
300
The tea plant comes from Asia. Tea is made from the dried leaves of this plant. It has been drunk in China for thousands of years. The Dutch brought tea to Europe in the early 1600s. England became a country of tea drinkers. Other countries in Europe drank coffee. Tea was brought to North America by early settlers. Then, it was taxed by the British. The tax was fought in 1773. This is when the Boston Tea Party took place. Today, tea is drunk by about half of the world's people. China, Japan, and India are some of the main makers of tea. This passage is mainly about A. the Boston Tea Party. B. the history of tea. C. why tea tastes good. D. tea from China.
B. the history of tea.
300
. (1) On the bus ride to school. (2) Daniel was carrying grasshoppers, beetles, and crickets in his hat. (3) Carmen took Daniel's hat. (4) When she put it on her head, all the kids started to laugh. (5) All the insects fell into her hair and on her shirt. Which sentence is a fragment sentence? A. 1 B. 5 C. 4 D. 2
A. 1
400
The Chiang family drove to Florida. They were going to spend spring vacation at Disney World. They spent over six hours in the car driving. Travel was slow because many cars and trucks crowded the highway. Spring Break traffic always interferes with making a quick trip to the theme parks in the Orlando area at this time of year. Which best describes the structure of this paragraph? A. sequence of events B. cause/effect C. comparison/contrast D. question/answer
B. cause/effect
400
Summertime Swimming by Alicia Skelton Charlotte and her friend Leah love to go swimming at their neighborhood park pool. It was their favorite thing to do in the summertime. They brought their goggles and flippers and loved to pretend that they were mermaids swimming around the ocean. Sometimes, Charlotte’s older brother would also come and pretend to be a shark chasing after the two mermaids. There was only one more week of summer, so Charlotte wanted to spend every single day at the pool with Leah. On Monday, Charlotte woke up really early and heard raindrops against her bedroom window. Charlotte groaned because she and Leah would have to find something else to do today. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday it was the same thing. The rain would not stop. They would have to wait to go swimming another day. On Friday, the sun finally started to peek out from behind the clouds. There was sunlight for about 20 minutes. Then the rain started again. Charlotte’s mom could tell that the girls were pretty upset. Charlotte’s mom decided to surprise the girls. She told them to grab their swimsuits, flippers, and goggles and meet her in the car. Confused, Charlotte and Leah did what she asked and jumped into the car. Charlotte’s mom drove to a parking lot next to a huge building. Outside the building there was a sign that read, “Indoor Swimming Pool Now Open”. Charlotte and Leah cheered. They would get to swim after all! 9. Which is the best summary of the last paragraph? A. On Friday, there is still rain. The girls are confused when Charlotte's mom tells them to get their swim stuff. Charlotte's mom drives them to a big building. B. On Friday, it is still raining. Charlotte's mom knows the girls are really upset. So, she makes the girls happy when she takes them to an indoor pool to swim. C. On Friday, the girls still cannot go swimming. Charlotte's mom wants to surprise the girls. She tells them to get all of their swim stuff together. D. On Friday, the sun comes out from behind the clouds. There is some sunshine. The girls still cannot go swimming because it starts to rain again.
B. On Friday, it is still raining. Charlotte's mom knows the girls are really upset. So, she makes the girls happy when she takes them to an indoor pool to swim.
400
The Wind and the Sun The Wind and the Sun were arguing about who was stronger. Suddenly, they saw a traveler coming down the road, and the Sun said, “I see a way to decide our argument. Whichever of us can cause that traveler to take off his cloak shall be the winner. You begin.” So the Sun hid behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveler. He blew cold, rough, and powerful winds. But the harder he blew, the more closely the traveler wrapped his cloak around him. The Wind gave up in despair. Then the Sun came out and shone happily in all his glory upon the traveler. The traveler felt warmed by the gentle Sun and took off his cloak. adapted from "The Wind and the Sun" by Aesop 31. What is the theme of this story? A. Being gentle works better than being rough. B. The Sun is more powerful than the Wind. C. People like warm weather more than cold weather. D. A person should always travel with a cloak.
A. Being gentle works better than being rough.
400
Willie Mays was one of the greatest baseball players in history. He came from a sports background. Both of his parents were athletes. His mom was a fast runner in school. His dad played baseball. Willie learned how to catch a ball before he could walk. He played good baseball as a teenager. Willie started playing for the Giants in 1951. He was only 20 years old. He played centerfield for the team. He did not get a hit his first 12 times at bat. He quickly made up for that. Willie was a terrific outfielder and hitter. Other players admired him. He won the Most Valuable Player award twice. He quit playing in 1973 and was welcomed into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979. He still works for the Giants today. adapted from http://achievement.org/autodoc/page/may0bio-1 10. What is this paragraph mainly about? A. Willie Mays was named the Most Valuable Player twice. B. Willie Mays did not start off well with the Giants baseball team. C. Willie Mays was one of the greatest baseball players in history. D. Willie Mays learned how to play baseball from his father.
C. Willie Mays was one of the greatest baseball players in history.
400
Which punctuation mark best ends the following sentence? Have you ever been to Europe A. ? B. ! C. . D. " B. ! C. . D. "
A. ?
500
Back in the Old West, it could take over a month to get a letter from the east out to the West Coast. People got tired of waiting. So two businessmen decided to set up the Pony Express, a kind of relay race on horseback from Missouri to California. With the Pony Express, the mail got all the way to California in only ten days! The structure of the selection above can best be described as A. cause/effect. B. comparison/contrast. C. question/answer. D. sequence of events.
A. cause/effect.
500
During the War of 1812, the British set fire to the U.S. Capitol. They also burned the 3,000 books in the Library of Congress. Thomas Jefferson helped create the library when he was president. He chose books and hired the first two librarians. By the time the war started, he was retired. He had a library of books at his home. It was known as the finest private library in the country. He offered to sell Congress his 6,487 books for $23,950. He hoped to build a new Library of Congress. Congress was excited to get the books for such a low price. His books covered many topics. The library once had books on only history or law. Jefferson's books covered art, science, and more. He also had books in French, Spanish, and Latin. He thought Congress should read about all subjects. http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/presidents/jefferson/library_1 11. Which line best shows an idea that is important to include in a summary of this passage? A. By the time the war started, he was retired. B. He hoped to build a new Library of Congress. C. He thought Congress should read about all subjects. D. The library once had books on only history or law.
B. He hoped to build a new Library of Congress.
500
The Wolf and the Crane A Wolf who had a bone stuck in his throat hired a Crane, for a large sum, to put her head into his mouth and pull out the bone. When the Crane had taken out the bone, she demanded the promised payment. The Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, said, "Why, you have already had a great payment. I allowed you to pull your head out of the mouth and jaws of a wolf." adapted from "The Wolf and the Crane" by Aesop 30. What lesson should Crane have learned from her experience with Wolf? A. Chew food twelve times before swallowing. B. Only help others when they offer a large reward. C. Do not expect a reward when helping an enemy. D. Do not allow Wolf to put his head in her mouth.
C. Do not expect a reward when helping an enemy.
500
Coconuts are very delicious to eat. Are they fruits or nuts? The name makes people think it might be a nut. Shoppers can find them in grocery stores next to all the fruits. However, the coconut is neither a fruit nor a nut. It is actually a seed. Coconuts grow on tall coconut palm trees. If a coconut has not been picked from the tree, it will drop to the ground. The coconut’s hard shell does not crack very easily. Sometimes, a coconut will sit under the tree for months. It might look dry and brown, but something is happening inside the shell. One day, a green shoot will push its way out of the shell. This shoot feeds off the juice and white part of the coconut while sitting under the tree. The baby plant then sprouts out of the shell and becomes a young coconut seedling. Roots start to come out of the shell and pull the plant into the ground. It then begins to grow into a beautiful coconut palm tree. The tree grows taller and taller. After five to seven years, it can make its own coconuts. The coconut palm tree can live 70 to 80 years. 12. This passage is mainly about A. how coconuts are seeds that grow into new trees. B. how coconuts grow on tall coconut palm trees. C. how coconuts can sit under a tree for months. D. how coconut trees can live for 70 to 80 years.
A. how coconuts are seeds that grow into new trees.
500
Which punctuation mark best ends the following sentence? Look out A. ? B. . C. ! D. ,
C. !
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