Making Inferences
Based on this passage, what is Iggy doing in the building?
Iggy squinted as he tried to see through the holes in the ski mask. He could make out the large bag on the counter. The frightened woman who put it there now had both hands raised. As he took the bag off of the counter, Iggy tipped an imaginary hat to the woman. The jest did not brighten her demeanor. Iggy exited the first set of doors but stopped in the vestibule. Soon the windows of the building pulsated with blue and red lights. Iggy hurriedly walked back into the building.
Iggy is robbing the building.
What type of organizational pattern is used in the following passage?
Hurricane Katrina began as Tropical Depression Twelve over the southeastern Bahamas on August 23, 2005. The depression later strengthened into a tropical storm on the morning of August 24 where the storm was also named Katrina. Katrina continued to move into Florida, and became a Category 1 hurricane only two hours before it made landfall around Hallandale Beach on the morning of August 25. The storm weakened over land, but became a hurricane again while entering the Gulf of Mexico.
Chronological Order.
Which sentence in the passage below contains the main idea?
Automation is the use of machines to reduce the need for human labor. In other words automation is when jobs done by people become jobs done by robots. Automation can be a good thing. Clothing, cars, and other manufactured products are available at good prices and in large supply because of automation. But automation can also be a bad thing. Because of automation there are over 700,000 robots in America that do jobs once performed by humans. The way of automation may not be best for humanity, but it is the course we are taking.
Automation is the use of machines to reduce the need for human labor. In other words automation is when jobs done by people become jobs done by robots. Automation can be a good thing. Clothing, cars, and other manufactured products are available at good prices and in large supply because of automation. But automation can also be a bad thing. Because of automation there are over 700,000 robots in America that do jobs once performed by humans. The way of automation may not be best for humanity, but it is the course we are taking.
"Related to small wildcats, felines were first domesticated for pest control."
What does domesticated mean as used in the above sentence?
Tamed; made to live in homes
What type of figurative language is used in the example below?
"They have watered the street, / It shines in the glare of lamps, / Cold, white lamps, And lies / Like a slow-moving river"
Simile
Based on the following passage, why is Miya relieved but still worried at the end of the text?
Miya came out of the bathroom with tears in her eyes. She ran down to the cafeteria and asked the staff if they had any rice. Fortunately for Miya, Ms. Lucille did. Ms. Lucille filled a red plastic cup about half way with white rice grains and handed it to Miya. Miya pulled a damp phone from out of her back pocket and pushed it into the dry rice grains inside of the plastic cup. She sincerely thanked Ms. Lucille and then went back to class. She felt relieved, but she was still a little worried.
She has dropped her phone in liquid and is worried it will not work despite putting it in rice.
What type of organizational pattern is used in the following text?
The twist is a dance inspired by rock and roll music. To do the Twist, first stand with your feet approximately shoulder width apart. The torso may be squared to the knees and hips, or turned at an angle so one foot is farther forward than the other. Then, hold your arms out from your body, bent at your elbow. Next, rotate your hips, torso, and legs as a single unit with your arms staying more or less stationary. Every so often lift one leg off of the floor for styling. Now you’re doing the twist!
Sequence
What is the main idea of the passage below?
It's hard to imagine what things were like before there was money, but such a time did exist. During these times people exchanged goods using the barter system. The word barter means to trade. People using the barter system traded things instead of buying and selling them. So if you were a rice farmer, you would trade your rice with many people to get all the things that you wanted or needed. Unfortunately, the people from whom you needed things might not want your rice. Isn't it nice to just go to the store and buy candy instead of having to trade rice for it?
Before money existed, people bartered for goods/services.
*Wordage may vary.
"Soon people gave the cats so much reverence that they were worshiped as gods."
Using context clues in the sentence, what does the word reverence mean in the above sentence?
To worship; to revere; to look up to
What type of figurative language is used in the example below?
"An old willow with hollow branches / slowly swayed his few high tendrils / and sang"
Personification
Based on the following passage, what does Mr. Johnson do for a living?
Mr. Johnson looked up at the sky. It was clear as far as the eye could see, except for the cruel sun. The insatiable sun drained the land of all moisture. He cursed the sun. Mr. Johnson ran his fingers through one of the rows of dirt and grabbed a handful. It was bone dry, almost powdery. He let the dirt sift through his fingers and it turned to dust in the wind. Mr. Johnson put his hands on his hips and surveyed the field. It was well seeded, that he knew. He had seeded it himself, yet nothing sprang from the dirt. "Well, there's only one thing left to do," he said to himself. Mr. Johnson headed to church.
Mr. Johnson is a farmer.
What is the organizational pattern of the following paragraph?
There are over a quarter of a millions plant species. Only 600 or so are carnivorous. We call them this because they attract, trap, and eat bugs. Like other plants, they get energy from the sun. But unlike other plants, they get their nutrients from their prey. Carnivorous plants live in bogs and places where the soil lacks nutrients. Most plants get nutrients from the soil. Carnivorous plants have turned to other sources.
Compare and Contrast
What is the implied main idea of the passage below?
As young Americans mature into adults, they are tempted by the allure of easy credit. Credit card companies attempt to ensnare young people by giving away "free" headphones or sports towels in return for completing credit applications. Many of these young people go on to accumulate debt through undisciplined spending. They pay much more than the original loan because they are charged a high rate of interest and it takes them years to repay their debts. It is best to avoid this debt prison altogether
Young people should avoid "easy credit" so they will not be tricked into going into debt.
*Wordage may vary.
"During the trip, my mother remained pensive; she was absorbed in her own world and barely spoke to me"
What does pensive mean as it is used in this sentence?
contemplative; thoughtful; lost in her own thoughts
TWO PART QUESTION. What type of figurative language is used in the example below and what does it mean?
"Don’t worry about the Alex / She’s all bark and no bite. "
Type: Idiom OR Metaphor
Meaning: She talks big game, but she won't actually do anything. *Wordage may vary.
Based on the passage below, who is Nico and why has Erin been "shouting similar expressions all day"?
"Nico!" Erin shouted at the top of her lungs as she bounded through the meadow, "Come back, Nico!" She was nearly out of breath but she kept running through the tall grass. "Nico, come on, boy! It's time to go home!" Erin continued shouting, her voice hoarse from shouting similar expressions all day. Then she stumbled over the leash that she was carrying, "Whoa… Come on Nico!" Erin shouted, regaining her balance.
Nico is her dog and she has been looking for him today.
What type of organizational pattern is used in the following text?
No one knows exactly what causes tornados, but some scientists believe that when warm air meets cold air, a tornado may form. The reason for this is that the warm air is lighter than the cold air, so it rises up fast and meets different winds moving different directions. Under the right conditions, this can cause a tornado. Though there is still much mystery surrounding tornados, many people believe that when warm moist air meets cool dry air, tornados can result.
Cause and Effect
Based on the passage below, what would be an appropriate heading for this if it were a section in an article?
It is estimated that over twenty million pounds of candy corn are sold in the US each year. Brach’s, the top manufacturer, sells enough candy corn to circle the earth 4.25 times if each piece were laid end to end. That’s a lot of candy corn, but that’s nothing compared to the production of Tootsie Rolls. Over 64 million Tootsie Rolls are produced every day! But even Tootsie Rolls have got nothing on the candy industry’s staple product: chocolate. Confectioners manufacture over twenty billion pounds of chocolate in the United States each year. Now that’s a mouthful!
Options: US Candy Production, Mounds of Candy
Which word carries a negative connotation in this sentence?
Peter's mother is assuming that when her son refrains from fraternizing so much, he will become more accomplished.
fraternizing
What type of figurative language is used below and what does it mean?
"All that we see or seem / Is but a dream within a dream."
Type: Metaphor
Meaning: Nothing is real. Life is a dream.
*Wordage may vary.
Based on the following passage, who is the man with Pam and what is he writing on his clipboard?
Pam clutched the steering wheel awkwardly. The man in the passenger seat looked at her from behind wireframe glasses and then looked back at his clipboard and made some checks. Pam attempted to pull out from the parking spot slowly, but her foot slipped and she pressed on the gas too hard. The car jerked back suddenly and she almost crashed into a parked van. The man scowled at her and made another check on his clipboard. He said dryly, "Turn right here." Sweat beads gathered on Pam's brow. She timidly exited the parking lot. Now she was on a thoroughfare and was travelling 15 MPH below the speed limit. Traffic accumulated behind her. The man made a few more checks on his clipboard and wrote a comment. "Turn left at this stop sign," he said. Pam slowly turned left, but she did not stop. Several cars honked, and then she ran over a curb and bumped into a newspaper vending machine. The man hurriedly made several more checks on his clipboard and said, "OK, we're done here. Please get in the passenger seat. I will drive back to the facility."
He is a driving instructor and he is recording his observations from the driving test. We can infer that she did not do well.
*Wordage may vary.
What type of organizational pattern is used in the text below?
If you're planning on dressing up for a wedding, dance, or other formal event, you'll need to wear some dress shoes. While your feet may look great in dress shoes, they will probably feel horrible. Wearing dress shoes for more than a few minutes can be extremely painful. This pain may prevent you from having a good time. One thing that you can do to protect yourself is to bring a box of band-aids with you. As the dress shoes tear up the skin on your feet, put those band-aids on the wounds to ease the pain and prevent further damage. The band-aids will create a protective layer that will reduce the amount of pain that your dress shoes may inflict. Don't let foot pain ruin your fun; come to the party prepared
Problem and Solution
Based on the passage below, what is the main idea and what title would you give the passage?
A penny for your thoughts? If it’s a 1943 copper penny, it could be worth as much as fifty thousand dollars. In 1943, most pennies were made out of steel since copper was needed for World War II, so the 1943 copper penny is ultra-rare. Another rarity is the 1955 double die penny. These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have overlapping dates and letters. If it’s uncirculated, it’d easily fetch $25,000 at an auction. Now that’s a pretty penny.
Main Idea: Rare pennies are worth a lot of money.
Title Options: "Penny For Your Thoughts", "Precious Pennies", "Rare Pennies"
*Wordage may vary
"Ryan was meticulous with his writing assignments, so the papers he turned in for English class received the highest grades for grammar because he never made any mistakes."
What does meticulous mean as it is used in this sentence?
Very detailed
What type of figurative language is used below and what does it mean?
Between the moss and stone/ The lonely lilies rise
Type: Personification/ Metaphor
Meaning: Even during dark/difficult times, you can prosper or succeed.