Reading Process
Identify the main, or central, idea that ties the following details together:
- Helicopters are sometimes used to carry loads of water that help put out forest fires.
-Ships in the middle of the ocean often receive supplies from Helicopters.
-Helicopters can be used to rescue people in hard-to-reach areas.
Helicopters are used to complete tough jobs that benefit those in trouble.
What is the meaning of hasten as it is used in the passage?
During the winter, road crews often put salt on the roads after a snowstorm. They want to keep the roads safe by getting rid of the ice quickly. So they put the salt on the roads to hasten the melting of the ice. The salt works by lowering the temperature at which water will freeze. Pure water turns to ice at 32°F. Salty water doesn't freeze until it reaches a lower temperature. So even if it's 20°F outside, the salty water won't turn to road ice.
Speed up
Read the text below.
“Give a child the gift of your time! Volunteer as a tutor today.”
What is the text’s most likely purpose?
To persuade
In “The Pirate Queen,” how did the author mainly structure the information in the passage?
Text structure
What are the literary elements in a fiction text?
Characters, setting, conflict, resolution, theme
Identify the best evidence to support the statement that the first electric cars had several drawbacks.
In the late 1800s there was a race to invent the "horseless carriage." Coal was too heavy to use for fuel, so people tried other things, including natural gas, gunpowder, and something we now think of as modern: batteries. For a while, batteries seemed to be the answer—by 1897 New York City had a fleet of electric taxis, and in 1899 the world land-speed record of 68 miles per hour (109 kilometers per hour) was set in an electric car. But the batteries were heavy and cumbersome relative to the power they supplied, and they burned out if you tried to go too fast.
"But the batteries were heavy and cumbersome relative to the power they supplied, and they burned out if you tried to go too fast."
A helioscope is a tool that is used to observe the sun. The root scope means look at or observe. What does the root helio mean?
Sun
What is the effect of our bodies getting cold?
Our skin has three important jobs. Because skin is on the outside of the body, it serves as protection. Skin helps to keep things out that can make us sick. Skin also helps keep our bodies at a comfortable temperature. When we are cold, for example, blood vessels in the skin narrow to make us warmer. Skin also gives us our sense of touch. Our brains learn about the things we touch as a result of nerve endings in the skin. The nerve endings can tell our brains if we're touching something soft and fuzzy or hard and smooth.
The blood vessels in the skin narrow to make us warmer.
Using knowledge of word parts, what does unforeseeable mean?
Word parts, vocabulary in context
What change should be made to the following sentence?
Dale finded nothing that would be a wonderful gift for his favorite teacher.
Change finded to found.
Which text structure does the text use?
Mount Tambora is a volcano in Indonesia. Due to an enormous eruption in 1815, a huge amount of dust was sent into the air. The dust was incredibly thick, so it actually blocked the light from the sun. This led to several years of colder, rainier weather in the Northern Hemisphere. Crops died in China and Ireland because of the cold and rain. The cold also made crops freeze in the fields of New England.
Cause and effect
Studying the map, Diana traced her finger along the contour of the border between the United States and Mexico.
Dictionary: contour \kon-toor\ noun pl contours
an outline or shape of something: Mrs. Middleton loves the elegant contour of the new living room sofa.
the general structure of something: Many of Bach's compositions follow a complex contour.
a rising or falling tone used in speech: The contours of his voice indicated that he was excited about the trip.
from French
Select the definition of contour that the sentence uses.
Definition #1
Identify the simile in the passage.
If you could slice deep into the earth, you would find that it is arranged in layers. Geologists—earth scientists—believe that the topmost layer of rock, or crust, is between four and forty miles thick. Earth's crust is like an eggshell broken into ten enormous slabs and numerous smaller ones. These slabs, called plates, float on a layer of partially molten rock called the mantle—that is, the layer of rock between Earth's crust and core.
Earth's crust is like an eggshell broken into ten enormous slabs and numerous smaller ones.
Read the sentence from the passage.
We became inseparable almost immediately, spending every waking moment together.
What does the hyperbole suggest about the girls’ relationship?
Character INF
What are some characteristics of a poem?
Lines and stanzas instead of sentences and paragraphs, uses a lot of literary devices
What is the main, or central, idea of the passage?
The human brain can be thought of as having two different modes. Daniel Kahneman, an influential psychologist, labels one the "fast" mode of thinking and the other the "slow" mode. In the fast mode, according to Kahneman, we make decisions using our intuitions and emotions. The sight of a spider may activate the fast mode and lead a person to scream. The same person's slow mode might decide (after a moment) that the spider is not actually a threat. In the slow mode, we make decisions using reason and logic. The slow mode is helpful in complex situations where the right choice is not always clear. However, because the slow mode uses more mental resources than the fast mode, our brains can't rely on it all the time. The instincts that drive the fast mode of thinking save us a great deal of time and energy.
The "fast" mode of thinking is helpful for reacting quickly, while the "slow" mode is helpful for analyzing complex situations.
What is the meaning of “on the fence”?
I couldn’t decide whether to join the club or stay in my current activity, so I’ve been on the fence about it all week.
Not able to make a decision
What is the following text's main purpose?
I was dismayed on Friday when the Newberg City Council announced its intent to reduce library hours at all branches in an effort to cut costs. This reduction in services will negatively impact students in our community.
I have worked at the downtown branch for more than a decade, and I've seen just how important the library is. Every day, dozens of students come to the library after school to do homework. For many students, there are no other safe, supervised spaces available during the afternoons. To protect this space, contact your city council representatives and speak out against reducing library hours!
To persuade readers to fight against reducing library hours.
Which detail from “The Pirate Queen” best supports the idea that Grace O’Malley was a courageous leader?
Key Detail, Character INF
What figurative language is used in this passage?
Elisa was so exhausted. "I've been at school for a million years!" she exclaimed.
Hyperbole
Read the following passage.
The first artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched into space by the former Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. As momentous as this event was for science, it was a blow to the United States. Americans feared that the launch indicated a technological gap between the United States and the Soviet Union, America's rival in the Cold War at the time. With a technological edge, they worried, the Soviets could dominate the exploration of space or develop superior weapons. This widespread concern spurred the U.S. government to combine several separate organizations into a new, better-funded organization called the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA. NASA officially began operations on October 1, 1958. Four months later, the U.S. successfully launched its own satellite, Explorer 1.
How does the detail “With a technological edge, they worried, the Soviets could dominate the exploration of space or develop superior weapons” develop the main idea?
It details the motivation for creating NASA.
What is the meaning of ostracize as used in the passage?
In the late 1990s, a deposit of more than 150 broken pottery pieces was uncovered during an archeological excavation in Athens, Greece. The shards had been used as ballots in a special kind of election conducted in Athens during the fifth century BCE. When elections occurred, once a year, at most, citizens could vote to ostracize a leader whom they believed had become too powerful or potentially dangerous to democracy. Anyone receiving more than six thousand votes was forced to leave the city within ten days and was not permitted to return for ten years. Once their period of exile ended, these banished politicians could, and sometimes did, return to the city. The practice lasted about seventy years, ending after 417 BCE.
exclude or expel from a group
Identify the theme of the following story.
In his sophomore year of high school, Michael tried out for his varsity basketball team at Laney High. But at 5'11, the coach believed he was too short to play on their level. Michael didn't let this obstacle defeat him. In fact, he worked even harder. He trained vigorously and grew another four inches over the summer. When he finally made the varsity team, Michael averaged 25 points a game.
When at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Which statement best describes how the author feels about spiders?
Author's perspective
What are some characteristics of the historical fiction genre?
Setting is key, setting is a real historical event, characters are made up