Inferences
Have you ever wondered how a submarine works? Submarines have large ballast tanks. When they are floating on the surface, the tanks are full of air. When sea water is pumped into the tanks, the submarine begins to sink. The more water that is pumped in, the deeper the submarine goes.
What do you think happens to make a submarine rise to the surface again? How do you know?
Water is pumped out, and air is pumped in. I know this because when water is added, the submarine sinks, and when the submarine is full of air it floats.
A Kid was perched up on the top of a house, and looking down saw a Wolf passing under him. Immediately, he began to revile and attack his enemy. "Murderer and thief," he cried, "what do you want here near honest folks' houses? How dare you make an appearance where your vile deeds are known?" "Curse away, my young friend," said the Wolf. "It is easy to be brave from a safe distance."
What theme is found in the Wolf's words?
a. It is good to try and stop those who are evil.
b. It is unwise to yell at someone who is stronger than you.
c. It is easy to be brave when you are in no danger.
d. It is brave to stand up for good.
C. It is easy to be brave when you are in no danger.
Almost half of all American kids aged 6 to 13 are home alone for part of the day. While being home alone can sometimes be scary, being prepared can make all the difference. First, discuss with your family what to do in case you have an emergency. What should you do if someone gets hurt, if a stranger calls or knocks on the door? Decide if any special rules that apply when you're home alone. Can you use the microwave? Do you have to finish homework before you watch TV? Finally, come up with ways to entertain yourself. Are there books or games you might enjoy alone? If you're prepared, being home alone can be fun or even relaxing.
What is the main idea of the passage?
Kids who are home alone should be prepared.
Name the parts of plot. (5)
exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution
We walked to the park, crossing Elm Street and heading up the hill.
Name all the PROPER nouns.
Elm Street
Your skeleton is made from over 200 strong bones. It has several important jobs. It gives your body support and structure. It also helps you to move because your muscles are attached to your skeleton. In addition, your skeleton protects important organs such as your brain and heart.
What would happen if your bones were soft instead of hard? How do you know?
You would not have body support and structure. Strong bones do this.
A Dog, to whom the butcher had thrown a bone, was hurrying home with his prize as fast he could go. As he crossed a narrow footbridge, he happened to look down and saw himself reflected in the quiet water as if in a mirror. But the greedy Dog thought he saw a real Dog carrying a bone much bigger than his own.
If he had stopped to think he would have known better. But instead of thinking, he dropped his bone and sprang at the Dog in the river, only to find himself swimming for dear life to reach the shore. At last, he managed to scramble out, and as he stood sadly thinking about the good bone he had lost, he realized what a stupid Dog he had been.
What is a theme of this fable?
It is foolish to be greedy.
Working dogs are amazing animals specially trained to protect people and to make life easier for them. Some working dogs act as eyes for blind people, ears for the hearing impaired, and helpers for the physically challenged. Others help ranchers protect and move sheep and cattle from place to place. Police dogs help officers catch criminals, find illegal drugs and weapons. Search dogs are trained to find disaster victims and missing people.
What is the main idea of the passage?
There are many types of working dogs.
Define plot.
The sequence of events that take place in a story.
My favorite poem is "The Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti.
Name ALL the COMMON nouns.
poem
Robert and his friends played as a group. On Saturday afternoons, they got together to practice for any upcoming events. They met in Robert's garage because it was the only place where they could play without the noise bothering all of Robert's family members and neighbors.
What type of group are Robert and his friends in?
Robert and his friends are in a band.
Blaine opened up the present and began pouting. He screamed in a high-pitched voice, "This is Captain Thunder! I wanted Captain Lightning!" His mother looked at him with dismay and handed him another present, which he greedily opened. "Why did you get me a red hat? You know I like blue more," Blaine whined as he threw the hat across the room. His mother straightened her expression and squinted at him. Earlier she had hoped to take some pictures of. this moment, but by now she had put away her camera. She sighed and handed him one more present in hopes that this year wouldn't be a total bust. Blaine huffed and opened it. "A Game Box 4000...wow. Where's the Game Box 5000 that I asked for?" His mother could bear his ingratitude no longer. The next time that Blaine returned from his father's house, he was shocked to find that all of these toys and gifts, along with many other of his things, had been generously donated to needy children.
What is a theme of this story?
Always be grateful for what you have.
Today, giant pandas are at risk of becoming extinct. Only about 1,000 giant pandas are left in the wild. All of these inhabit a small area in the bamboo forests of China. About 140 live in captivity. It is one of the most severely endangered species in the world.
What is the main idea of the passage?
Today, giant pandas are at risk of becoming extinct.
Define climax.
The most exciting/suspenseful part of the story.
Gia lent Matt her history notes.
Name the pronoun and its antecedent.
her - Gia
Please don't call on me. Please don't call on me, Tony thought to himself. Every student in his class was presenting their science projects this week. "Tony, it's your turn," his teacher called. Tony gathered his notes and his poster and slowly made his way to the front of the room. He could feel himself sweating. He tried to stop himself from shaking as he started presenting to the class.
How did Tony feel about giving his presentation?
Tony was nervous to give his presentation.
Sam had wanted to be a writer for as long as he could remember. He was always writing stories. In fifth grade, his school had a short story contest. Sam worked on his entry for weeks. When he won first prize, which came with a check for $100, his classmates kept saying how lucky he was.
Sam continued to write through middle school. In high school, he took every English and writing class that he could. He even took a special writing class over the summer. Sam applied for three writing scholarships for college and got two of them! His brother, who had not applied for any scholarships, said that he was really lucky.
Sam worked hard in college. He become the editor of the college newspaper and started posting his stories on the internet. Toward the end of his senior year, one of his writing instructors told his class about a well-known magazine that was looking to hire a junior writer. Hundreds of students applied for the job, including Sam. Sam worked for hours on his application letter. When he was selected for an interview, he spent days getting ready. Sam impressed the editors and got the job. "Man, how did you get so lucky?" asked one of his classmates.
What is a theme of this passage?
You make your own luck.
The Pterosaur was a flying reptile that lived millions of years ago. Often referred to as Pterodactyl or "wing finger, at least 60 different types existed. The wings of the Pterosaur were thin membranes of skin, similar to the wings of bats, and extended along the sides of the body. Some were no bigger than a sparrow while others were monsters with wingspans in excess of 40 feet!
What is the main idea?
Define rising action.
The events leading up to the climax.
Eddie's cat had kittens. He was surprised that they were so small.
Name the pronoun(s) and antecedent(s).
He - Eddie
They - kittens
As soon as the alarms sounded, we grabbed our supplies and headed down to the basement. We had been warned to stay below ground until it passed, and so that's what we did. Hours later, when it was safe to come back above ground, we saw the horrible destruction that it had caused. Entire trees had been uprooted and the roofs of many homes had blown off. Luckily, everyone was safe.
Why did they go down to the basement?
There was a tornado.
As Alice walked down the sidewalk to school, she noticed that Ryan dropped a twenty dollar bill without noticing it. As he continued walking to school, Alice bent down and picked up the twenty dollar bill. She imagined all the things she might spend it on and how fun it would be to go on a shopping trip with her friends. Then she thought about Ryan and how he would feel when he found the money missing. Sighing, Alice hurried to catch up to Ryan and to give him his money back.
What is a theme of this passage?
Always do what you know is right, even when it is hard.
Thunderstorms are dangerous. Every thunderstorm contains lightning, and lightning kills more people each year than tornadoes or hurricanes! Do you know what to do to remain safe during a thunderstorm? First, go inside a sturdy building or a vehicle and close the windows. Furthermore, the National Weather Service recommends that you stay inside for at least thirty minutes after the last rumble of thunder is heard. Do not use telephones or electrical equipment. Avoid taking showers or baths. If you are unable to get safely inside a building, avoid taking cover beneath tall, isolated trees. Also avoid water, high ground, and metal objects. Knowing what to do during a thunderstorm could save your life.
What is the main idea?
There are certain actions you need to take to stay safe in a thunderstorm.
What part of plot are characters and setting introduced?
exposition
Molly hammered the final nail.
Name the transitive verb and the direct object that receives its action.
hammered - nail