Context Clues
Read the passage and then answer the question.
Popcorn is a wholesome snack because it's a whole grain and low in fat. It's also delicious and fun to make. That big bag of popcorn starts out as a little pile of seeds. Each popcorn seed is covered with a hard shell. Inside that shell is a little water. As the popcorn is heated, the water turns to steam. Finally, the steam cracks the shell and turns the seed inside out. The soft part of the seed puffs up, and the popcorn is ready to eat.
What is the meaning of wholesome as used in the passage?
A. sweet
B. healthy
C. messy
D. unsafe
B. healthy
What is the structure of the text below?
There is hardly any rain in the desert. Plants need water to grow, so it's hard for them to live in the dry desert. Cactus plants, however, have clever ways of solving this issue. They have special roots and stems to help them grow without much water. Cactus roots are close to the surface to allow the plant to catch the rain quickly. Cactus stems get bigger to store water when the roots bring water in. The bigger stem lets the plant store water for a long time.
Problem/Solution
The rain began early in the morning. It fell as hard drops, one after another. The sky was full of dark purple clouds. Thunder began as a soft rumble and became louder and louder. Lightning crashed every few minutes, making the sky a brilliant white.
What is the main idea?
A. The farms needed the rain.
B. The thunder hurt the people’s ears.
C. Lightning made the sky bright.
D. The storm was very strong
D. The storm was very strong
Read the passage and then answer the question.
As the moon orbits the earth, our view of the moon changes. This view is based on how much of the moon we can see. In ancient times, people saw that the moon's changes weren't random but repeated in a regular cycle. They used the moon's changes to measure time. This was the early basis for the months of a calendar. It takes about 29.5 days for the moon to go through all of its changes.
What is the meaning of random as used in the passage?
A. easy to explain
B. interesting
C. fortunate
D. without a pattern
D. without a pattern
What is the structure of the text below?
You might find it surprising, but a whale and a mouse have a lot in common. Like a mouse, a whale has lungs and uses them to breathe air. Whales and mice are both warm-blooded. That means that they can control how warm their bodies are. When you look at a mouse, you can see that it has hair on its body. Whales actually have hair, too, although many of them lose their hair as babies. Plus, both baby mice and baby whales get milk from their mothers.
Compare and Contrast
Spots was a large grey and white cat. Spots lived in a barn on a farm. Spots liked living in the barn. It was warm in the winter and cool in the summer. There were many mice for Spots to chase. Best of all, Spots had a soft place to sleep in the corner of the barn.
What is the main idea?
A. The barn was dirty.
B. Spots was grey and white.
C. The barn was a good place for Spots to live.
D. Spots often slept outside when it rained.
C. The barn was a good place for Spots to live.
Read the passage and then answer the question.
Coral reefs are home to a variety of animals. For instance, more than four thousand kinds of fish, sea stars, crabs, and sharks can be found around reefs. Many people depend on these sea creatures for food. People also depend on reefs to block waves from hitting the land during large storms. If a reef is damaged, it can rebuild over time. However, it can take hundreds of years for a reef to come back to life. Because of this, we should do all that we can to protect our reefs.
What is the meaning of variety as used in the passage?
A. a collection of different things
B. a group of things that are all alike
C. a small family
D. a large cage
A. a collection of different things
Have you ever looked closely at an earthworm? These tiny creatures are more interesting than you might think. For instance, earthworms don't have noses or lungs. Instead, they breathe through their skin. In fact, earthworms don't have eyes, either. They can sense light and dark, but not much more. Even so, you won't see earthworms above the ground during the day. Some people call them "night crawlers."
Boxes and Bullets
James and his sister, Anna, went to the carnival on Saturday. They rode the merry-go-round, the roller coaster and the Ferris wheel. James ate popcorn and a hot dog. Anna drank lemonade and ate an apple. They saw many exciting shows. They were tired when they went home
What is the main idea?
A. James and Anna were hungry.
B. James and Anna did many things at the carnival.
C. The merry-go-round was broken.
D. The carnival was on Saturday
B. James and Anna did many things at the carnival.
What does the word parted mean in the selection below?
Bruce and his friend Paul loved Star Wars movies. They decided to have a light saber battle today. The boys went out into the backyard and built a couple of hideouts from cardboard boxes and other items that were lying around the house. Then, the battle began. Bruce wore a Darth Vader mask and had a red light sabre. Paul pretended to be Luke Skywalker and had a blue sword. The boys ran around the yard battling all day. Paul's mother finally had to call and ask him to come home for dinner. The boys parted ways and agreed to meet again for another battle sometime later in the week.
A. separated by a part of something
B. divided into parts
C. leaving someone's company
D. no longer exists
C. leaving someone's company
Many experts say that spending more time outdoors can make you feel better. Green space is healthy for you! As a result of playing outside, kids have an easier time paying attention. Experts also believe that kids who play outside learn important skills. Because you can run around outside, you also get more exercise playing outside. One study even showed that playing outside improves your eyesight. You have to look at far-off things when you play outside. So, playing outside helps you see far-off things better.
Cause and Effect
Meerkats in Africa live in large groups of 20 to 50 members. The group works together to survive. All members of the group care for the baby meerkats. They take turns babysitting and will protect the young ones from danger. Members of the group also take turns watching out for threats from other animals while the group fi nds food. If any dangerous animal comes towards the group, the meerkat will bark a warning.
What is the main idea?
Meerkats live in groups to help eachother.
Which words from the sentences below help the reader know the meaning of the word stable ?
The old buildings were scheduled to be torn down on Tuesday, but Bob thought they were sturdy enough for us to explore. Luckily for us, the buildings were stable enough that they did not collapse with us inside.
A. sturdy enough
B. on Tuesday
C. us to explore
D. old buildings
A. sturdy enough
Stories about vampires have been around for hundreds of years. There are many spooky stories about them. One of the myths says that if a vampire is exposed to sunlight, he will disintegrate into dust. An interesting thing that you can do to protect yourself is sprinkle mustard seeds on the roof of your house, and they will not be able to come inside.
Cause==> mustard seeds are on the roof
Effect==> ?
What is the effect?
A. The vampire will turn into dust
B. The mustard seeds will grow and keep creatures away
C. The mustard seeds will keep vampires from coming inside
D. Vampires will sprinkle mustard seeds on the roof
C. The mustard seeds will keep vampires from coming inside.
There are eight planets in the Solar System,
and each one is very different. Some planets,
like Jupiter and Saturn are very large. Others,
like Mercury and Mars are smaller. Jupiter has
moons that are larger than Mercury. The planets
also have different atmospheres. Uranus, Jupiter
and Saturn have atmospheres of hydrogen and
helium. The atmosphere on Venus is made up
of carbon dioxide. Earth has a nitrogen and
oxygen atmosphere. Neptune’s atmosphere is
mostly hydrogen. The planets also have different
temperatures. Uranus is the coldest and Venus
is the hottest.
In your own words, what is the main idea?
The planets are different.