Text Structure
Which phrase from paragraph 2 shows that the author used sequence (or chronological order) to organize his writing?
He yanked on the cord that signaled to the men in the boat to pull him to the surface. Minutes later he surfaced carrying a bronze arm. He had discovered a shipwreck with a cargo of statues.
A signaled to the men
B Minutes later
C discovered a shipwreck
B Minutes later
Read paragraph 5.
This strange object was thought to be some kind of mechanism, perhaps an instrument or a machine. At the time, no one paid much attention to it. But years later the Antikythera Mechanism would change our understanding of technology in the ancient world.
What does mechanism mean as it is used above?
A a tool used by native people
B a system of parts working together
C a device once used on trading ships
D a group of letters in a foreign language
B a system of parts working together
In paragraph 4, the object is described as a “curious object.” Using curious here is figurative language that helps the reader understand that the object was:
A. able to ask questions.
B. strange and mysterious.
C. dangerous to touch.
D. impossible to lift.
B strange and mysterious.
What were two effects of removing minerals from the Antikythera Mechanism?
A A science historian was able to read 800 Greek letters on the device.
B The mechanism was destroyed.
C The gears became clearly visible.
D The writing on the device proved it was 2,000 years old.
E Divers were able to find an underwater shipwreck with a cargo of statues.
A A science historian was able to read 800 Greek letters on the device.
D The writing on the device proved it was 2,000 years old.
Read paragraph 6.
The statues and other objects were brought to the National Museum in Athens, Greece. Archaeologists at the museum compared the marble statues with other ancient statues. As a result, they could tell that the statues from the shipwreck were made in Greece more than 2,000 years ago.
Think about the suffix -logist. What does archaeologists mean as it is used above?
A people who have lived in Athens, Greece, for a long time
B people who can find shipwrecks using advanced technology
C people who study human history by examining ancient objects
D people who study statues to learn about the artists who made them
C people who study human history by examining ancient objects
In paragraph 1, the author writes that Elias “was lowered into the sea in his bulky diving suit. When he reached the bottom, his eyes widened.” What does the phrase “his eyes widened” suggest?
A. His eyes grew bigger because of the water.
B. He was shocked by what he saw underwater.
C. He wanted to see more clearly.
D. He needed to protect his eyes from the saltwater.
B. He was shocked by what he saw underwater.
Based on the section “Ancient Computer,” what caused scientists to be able to determine what the Antikythera Mechanism was?
sample response:
Because of advances in technology, scientists were able to discover that the Antikythera Mechanism was an ancient computer. X-rays and 3-D technology resulted in scientists being able to see inside and study the inner workings of the mechanism. Based on these studies, they understood how the mechanism’s gears worked and determined that it predicted the movements of the sun and moon.
Read the sentences from paragraph 4.
The object was covered with minerals deposited by small sea animals and plants. It was the size of a shoebox and had a rotten wooden frame. The object itself was composed of pieces of connected metal.
Think about the prefix com-. What does composed mean in the sentence above?
A made up
B taken off
C falling short
D placed inside
A made up
In paragraph 9, Derek de Solla Price called the Antikythera Mechanism an “ancient Greek computer.” Why is this an example of figurative language?
A. Computers did not exist in ancient Greece, but the mechanism worked in a similar way.
B. The mechanism was actually a broken modern computer.
C. The Greeks wrote computer programs on it.
D. The word computer is the real Greek word for mechanism.
A. Computers did not exist in ancient Greece, but the mechanism worked in a similar way.
How does the photograph help the reader understand the passage?
A It shows how the Antikythera Mechanism could track the movements of the sun and moon.
B It supports the findings that the back section of the Antikythera Mechanism had dials and gears on it.
C It shows how the Antikythera Mechanism helped to determine the age of the Greek statues found near it in the ocean.
D It supports the idea that the purpose of the Antikythera Mechanism could not easily be determined because of its age and condition.
D It supports the idea that the purpose of the Antikythera Mechanism could not easily be determined because of its age and condition.