Vocabulary
Making Inferences
Author's Purpose
Main Idea
Context Clues
100
These diving mammals eat many different underwater animals, including sea urchins. Any large urchins that venture into nearshore waters where the sea otters dive are quickly eaten. What is the meaning of the word venture as used in the sentences above? A. to swim lazily B. to float noisily C. to enter with risk D. to continue with energy
C. to enter with risk
100
Sara walked into the large room. The woman behind the desk smiled at her. Sara looked around. There were hundreds of magazines in the room. There were thousands of books! Other children were in the room, sitting and reading books. Sara walked up to the woman. "Can you help me find a book?" she asked. Make an inference about where Sara is.
Sara is in the library
100
Did you know that the largest ice cream sundae ever made weighed 54,914 pounds? It as made by Palm Dairies in Alberta, Canada on July 24, 1988. It had 44,689 pounds of ice cream, 9,688 pounds of syrup, and 537 pounds of topping! Yummy! What is the author's purpose of this selection? A. inform B. persuade C. entertain D.explain
A. inform
100
Define main idea.
What the story is mostly about.
100
Cliffs are not the only way waterfalls are formed. Waterfalls may also appear where the river flows over ground containing a hard bed of rock. The river WEARS away the softer rock on both sides of the hard bed. Once the hard rock is exposed, it forms a ledge over which the water plunges. The word WEARS means___________. A. to have on the body B. scrapes or rubs C. clothing D. to last a long time
B. scrapes or rubs
200
"I am going to become malnourished," Dad said. "My body is crying out for a tender tomato or some crisp green beans. and all I get is zucchini." The origin of the word malnourished is the Latin root -nourish, meaning to feed. What does malnourished mean? A. to be underfed B. to eat until full C. to eat rich foods D. to be fed too much
A. to be underfed
200
Pete called Ted Tuesday afternoon and invited him to come to his house after dinner to watch a movie. After a long, boring day, Ted was excited to have something to do. After dinner, he hopped on his bike and rode over to Pete's house. The house was dark, and when he rang the bell, there was no answer. Ted turned around, hopped back on his bike, and rode home. Make an inference about why Ted rode home.
Nobody was home
200
Daniel, his mom, his dad, and his younger sister, Carina, lived in a faraway town called Tumbler Ridge in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. In the summer they would go exploring together. They looked for new caves and waterfalls and hiked to the tops of mountains. In the winter, they would go cross-country skiing together up frozen creeks and through beautiful canyons. One day they skied to a spot where they found an old abandoned wooden cabin. Daniel said "Wouldn't it be fun to see what this place looks like in the summer? What is the author's purpose to this selection? A. inform B. persuade C. explain D. entertain
D. entertain
200
Truman grabbed his fishing pole and tackle box and hurried down to the pond. Sitting down on the dock that jutted into the pond, he opened his tackle box and chose a blue plastic worm. Carefully, Truman worked the hook through the water and began working the fishing line. After five casts, a fish hit the line. Carefully Truman pulled back to set the hook, and began reeling in his catch. Truman pulled in the biggest fish he had ever seen in his life. He could hardly wait to run home and show it to his family. What is this passage mostly about? A. A day at the pond B. Fishing at the pond C. Baiting a hook D. Sitting on the dock
B. Fishing at the pond
200
Hiking is an activity that can be enjoyed by almost anyone. Many people ENROLL in hiking clubs or groups. They join these clubs so they can be around other hikers and learn from their experiences. A hiker does not have to spend much money on equipment. In this passage, the word ENROLL means________. A. quit B. travel C. become a part of D. stay away from.
C. become a part of
300
After we got settled, our first shopping trip was to the Big Valley Hardware Store to pick out our garden seeds. Mom and Dad rummaged through the racks of seeds like kids in a toy store. Which word has almost the same meaning as the word rummaged as used in the sentence above? A. jumped B. ran C. saw D. searched
D. searched
300
Nina held the glass jar very carefully. The teacher told the students to be careful because the experiment could explode. Slowly, Nina poured the green liquid into a glass jar. She wiped the edge of the jar and set it on the table. Next, she picked up the tube of red liquid. She measured one drop of it. Nina then carefully added the red drop to the green liquid. Make an inference about the class Nina is in.
Nina is in Science class
300
Baiting a hook is a messy process. First, you have to dig the worm out of the ground or out of a cup of worms and dirt. Next, slide the worm on the hook, covering the hook so the fish can’t see it. Finally, toss the hook and worm into the water. Good luck! What is the author's purpose? A. inform B. entertain C. explain D. persuade
C. explain
300
Minerals are substances in rocks that industries use to manufacture products. Unlike plants and animals, minerals are not alive. Most minerals are hard, and many of them have to be dug from under the ground. A practice known as mining is used to bring the minerals from beneath the earth's surface. Some minerals, such as coal, can be used in the form in which they are found. However, most minerals have to be changed in some way before they can be used. Oil is broken down into many valuable products, such as gasoline and natural gas. Which sentence tells the main idea of the story? A. Minerals used in industries are mined from beneath the earth. B. Minerals are found in rocks. C. Oil is broken down into gasoline and natural gas. D. Mining is the practice of bringing minerals up from underground.
A. Minerals used in industries are mined from beneath the earth.
300
Heart attacks can be brought on by the pressures of everyday life. Stress and strain at work, eating an UNBALANCED diet, smoking, drinking, alcohol, and taking drugs all lead to bad health. In this passage, the word UNBALANCED means__________ A. healthy B. heavy C. not healthy D. difficult
C. not healthy
400
Dad looked at the picture on the front of the seed package. "I don't like zucchini much," he said. Which sentence uses the word determined as used in the sentences above? A. The short straw determined the winner. B. The map determined the correct route to follow. C. The determined runner crawled across the finish line. D. He determined the amount of money needed for the game.
C. The determined runner crawled across the finish line.
400
There are many different ways of going to school. Some children go to school by radio. The teacher talks to the children over the radio. The children can talk back to the teacher. In some desert countries, children go to school in tents. The people move across the desert, carrying the tent school with them. In some hot countries, children go to school outside all year long. They do not sit in buildings. They sit on the grass. Make an inference about why children in hot countries go to school outside all year long.
It would be too hot to have school inside a building
400
Do you ever wonder how an e-mail gets from a friend’s computer to yours? When your friend sends the message, his computer changes it into a series of electronic blips. These will travel over phone lines. First, the message goes to your friend’s service provider. The service provider directs all messages to a routing station, or hub computer. The hub examines the e-mail address and decides on the quickest way to get the message to your computer. The e-mail travels to another hub, either by satellite or over a superfast cable connection. Then, the message travels to your service provider and along your phone line to your computer. Your computer translates the electronic blips into your message. Now, you have e-mail. What is the author's purpose? A. inform B. explain C. persuade D. entertain
B. explain
400
A mother rabbit is gentle when she cares for her offspring. Before they are born, she builds a soft padded nest in a hollow scraped under the grass or in a burrow between the large roots of a tree. She carefully shreds leaves and collects grass to line the nest. Then she pulls bits of fur from her coat to make a warm bed. When baby rabbits are born, they have no fur and they cannot see. Because of this, the mother rabbit never leaves the nest without covering it with more leaves and grass to protect her offspring. What is the main idea of this story? A. Rabbits live in nests or burrows B. The mother rabbit uses her own fur to make a warm bed C. Rabbits are gentle D. A mother rabbit carefully cares for her babies
D. A mother rabbit carefully cares for her babies
400
Frank was ALL EYES as he watched Coco the Clown perform his juggling act. Five, six, then seven multicolored balls spun in a circle around Coco's head. How was he able to keep so many balls in the air without any of them falling to the ground? In this passage, the phrase ALL EYES means Frank_______________ A. has more than one pair of eyes B. didn't pay attention C. wears glasses D. watched carefully
D. watched carefully
500
"Don't know what I'll feed my pigs until I can find some corn for sale." He walked away, muttering to himself. How would the effect of these sentences be different if the author had used the word "talking" instead of muttering? A. Mr. Ballard would seem less friendly. B. Mr. Ballard would seem less troubled. C. Mr. Ballard would seem to walk away more quickly. D. Mr. Ballard would seem more certain about what to do.
B. Mr. Ballard would seem less troubled.
500
Sparta and Athens were Greek cities. Long ago, the people of both cities sent their children to school. In Sparta, the children went to school outdoors. They learned how to jump, run, and dance. They also learned how to play many different games. In Athens, only boys went to school. They learned how to read, write, count, and speak correctly. Make an inference about schooling for girls in Sparta and Athens.
Girls went to school in Sparta but not in Athens
500
Sally: Hey, come to the mall with me! Tammy: But I have homework. Sally: There is a sale at our favorite store. Tammy: Can we stop at the candy store really quick if I go? Sally: If you come to the mall with me, I promise we will! What is the author's purpose of the selection above? A. inform B. persuade C. entertain D. explain
B. persuade
500
Sand is made when rocks break into smaller pieces. Over a long period of time, wind, frost, and rain work against mountain cliffs and break off pieces of rock which fall down the mountainside. As the rock bounces down, it breaks off other pieces of rock it hits, and also breaks into smaller pieces itself. The water of rivers and oceans ruch against rocks, abreaking them into smaller and smaller pieces. The heavy ice of glaciers scrapes and grinds the rocks it moves along. the ice carries the sand it has made and dumps it in other places. All over the world, the ocean waves tear at the rocks along the shore, wearing them down until finally the rocks are so small they become what we call sand. What is this story mainly about? A. wind, frost, and rain B. Making sand C. Journey of a rock D. Beaches around the world
B. Making sand
500
Now that the oil wells had run dry, Michael's life had certainly changed. He was no longer able to LIVE LIKE A KING. He had to do his own work on the ranch, prepare his own meals, and take care of the house. It took him a lot of time to adjust. In this passage, the phrase LIVE LIKE A KING means_____________ A. married to a queen B. sit on a throne C. have someone else do all his work D. ruling a country
C. have someone else do all his work
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