Context Clues
Making Inferences
Main Idea
Drawing Conclusions
Finding the Sequence
100
Years and years ago, before people even existed, dinosaurs walked the earth. We are not quite sure what ever (1)______ to these large (2)______. Maybe, as the earth was changing, they could not adjust. It is possible that they were killed by earthquakes, volcanoes, and the Ice Age.

1. a. happened b. hopping c. turning d. write
2. a. seated b. animals c. buttons d. angriliy
What is (1) a. happened (2) b. animals
100
Had He Lived...
You've probably heard about the so-called "race to the moon" during the 1960's between the U.S. and what was then the U.S.S.R. In 1911 there was a similar race, this one to the South Pole. The loser of this race became even more famous than the winner. A team of explorers from Norway, led by Roald Amundsen, reached the Pole on December 14, 1911. A group from England, commanded by Robert F. Scott, got there three weeks later. "The Norwegians are the first to reach the Pole," the disappointed Scott wrote in his diary. He then began a march toward the Antarctic coast, where his ship was waiting. But the route was blocked by snow and ice and raging blizzards. Food ran short; men and dogs died. One man, Scott wrote, let the tent "to take a look outside," walked into a blizzard, and was never seen again. Scott never reached the ship. "Had I lived," reads the last entry in his diary, "I would have had a tale to tell."

The race to the South Pole was between
a. the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.
b. the U.S. and England
C. England and Norway
What is C, England and Norway
100
Porcelain
Porcelain is one of three kinds of pottery. It is usually coated with a hard, shiny material called glaze. When porcelain is broken it has a glassy look, when it is tapped there is a clear ringing sound, and it is not harmed by fire or water. It is often called china because that is the country where it was invented. The two other kinds of pottery are stoneware and earthenware. They are less glossy and more heavy then porcelain. Also, they do not let light shine through as porcelain does.

The coating on porcelain is
a. soft and shiny
b. hard and shiny
c. called stoneware
What is b, hard and shiny.
100
Saving Timber
Would you believe that every person in the United States throws away about 600 pounds of paper each year? It is really true. Most of this paper is never recycled. Because of this, our supply of trees is disappearing very quickly. Much of this valuable natural resource could be saved if more used paper were recycled. Almost every city has recycling centers, but very little of our used paper is ever returned to be recycled. Most of it is wasted. Old newspapers, particularly, are discarded needlessly. Millions of newspapers are thrown away each day. This paper could be recycled and used again very easily. One ton of newspapers is equal to about 18 trees. If fewer old newspapers were squandered, fewer trees would have to be cut down to make paper for "new" newspapers. Thousands of acres of valuable timber could be saved this way, if we would only try.

How could cities help to save our tree resource?
a. use more trees
b. use more recycling centers
c. sell more newspapers
What is b, use more recycling centers.
100
Gumballs
Gumballs are deliciously sweet. They are one of the real gum greats. Today, white, blue, pink, red, green, yellow, orange, and black gumballs roll off the production lines by the millions. First the gum is shaped into balls. Then the balls are stored overnight in a cold room until they are hard enough to coat. At the next step, the gumballs are put into large, drum-like kettles. Here they are coated with brightly colored sugar syrup. After this, the newly colored gumballs are died with hot air. This is done to dry off the moisture and recrystallize the sugar. At the last step, the gumballs are polished with beeswax until they are very smooth; then they are glazed. When the glaze is dry, the brightly colored balls of gum are ready to go. Today you can put in a coin, turn the handle, and get a gumball almost anywhere except the moon.

What is the first step in making gumballs?
a. They are put into large, drum-like kettles.
b. They are polished and glazed.
c. The gum is shaped into balls.
What is c, the gum is shaped into balls.
200
As with all famous men, many tales have been (1)______ about George Washington. Some are true; some are not. Almost everyone has heard the story that, while a child, he chopped down the cherry tree on his father's property. When his father questioned him about it, young George is said to have replied: "I cannot tell a lie; I chopped down the cherry tree." It is disappointing to discover that this story is not true. It is true, however, that he did (2)_______ ivory dentures.

1. a. talk b. trunk c. told d. easy
2. a. wear b. anyone's c. week d. rain
What is 1. c. told and 2. a. wear
200
Had He Lived...
You've probably heard about the so-called "race to the moon" during the 1960's between the U.S. and what was then the U.S.S.R. In 1911 there was a similar race, this one to the South Pole. The loser of this race became even more famous than the winner. A team of explorers from Norway, led by Roald Amundsen, reached the Pole on December 14, 1911. A group from England, commanded by Robert F. Scott, got there three weeks later. "The Norwegians are the first to reach the Pole," the disappointed Scott wrote in his diary. He then began a march toward the Antarctic coast, where his ship was waiting. But the route was blocked by snow and ice and raging blizzards. Food ran short; men and dogs died. One man, Scott wrote, let the tent "to take a look outside," walked into a blizzard, and was never seen again. Scott never reached the ship. "Had I lived," reads the last entry in his diary, "I would have had a tale to tell."

Scott's diary was
a. a fake
b. found by a later group of explorers
c. sent on ahead by plane
What is b, found by a later group of explorers.
200
Porcelain
Porcelain is one of three kinds of pottery. It is usually coated with a hard, shiny material called glaze. When porcelain is broken it has a glassy look, when it is tapped there is a clear ringing sound, and it is not harmed by fire or water. It is often called china because that is the country where it was invented. The two other kinds of pottery are stoneware and earthenware. They are less glossy and more heavy then porcelain. Also, they do not let light shine through as porcelain does.

This story could also be called
a. Pottery
b. India
c. Don't Break Your Dishes
What is a, Pottery.
200
Saving Timber
Would you believe that every person in the United States throws away about 600 pounds of paper each year? It is really true. Most of this paper is never recycled. Because of this, our supply of trees is disappearing very quickly. Much of this valuable natural resource could be saved if more used paper were recycled. Almost every city has recycling centers, but very little of our used paper is ever returned to be recycled. Most of it is wasted. Old newspapers, particularly, are discarded needlessly. Millions of newspapers are thrown away each day. This paper could be recycled and used again very easily. One ton of newspapers is equal to about 18 trees. If fewer old newspapers were squandered, fewer trees would have to be cut down to make paper for "new" newspapers. Thousands of acres of valuable timber could be saved this way, if we would only try.

What else could be done to save our timber resource?
a. use more things made from timber
b. use more things that could be thrown away easily
c. use fewer things made from valuable paper
What is c, use fewer things made from valuable paper.
200
Gumballs
Gumballs are deliciously sweet. They are one of the real gum greats. Today, white, blue, pink, red, green, yellow, orange, and black gumballs roll off the production lines by the millions. First the gum is shaped into balls. Then the balls are stored overnight in a cold room until they are hard enough to coat. At the next step, the gumballs are put into large, drum-like kettles. Here they are coated with brightly colored sugar syrup. After this, the newly colored gumballs are died with hot air. This is done to dry off the moisture and recrystallize the sugar. At the last step, the gumballs are polished with beeswax until they are very smooth; then they are glazed. When the glaze is dry, the brightly colored balls of gum are ready to go. Today you can put in a coin, turn the handle, and get a gumball almost anywhere except the moon.

What happens next, after the gumballs are coated?
a. They are colored with sugar.
b. They are dried with hot air.
c. They are polished with beeswax.
What is b, they are dried with hot air.
300
People had only dreamed of going to the moon. Much effort and money were spent to get there. But (1)________ extra came witht he lunar landing because scientists had to watch the health of the astronauts while they were out in space. Doctors are able to use a lot of the resulting discoveries to save lives today. These discoveries also keep (2)________ healthy.

1. a. friendly b. bake c. toward d. something
2. a. people b. ranch c. popper d. cupped
What is 1. d. something, 2. a. people
300
Mr. Darrow's Real-Estate Fortune
During the Great Depression, Charles Darrow, like millions of other people, was out of a job and had no money. Darrow, however, did not remain idle. To keep his family entertained, he invented a board game. It was a real-estate trading game in which players bought and sold imaginary pieces of property. Recalling the days when the family used to spend vacations at Atlantic City, he named the properties after streets in that city. The Darrows played the game at their kitchen table on a board drawn on a piece of oilcloth. Friends and neighbors like the game and asked Darrow to make them sets, too. By selling them, Darrow was able to feed his family during the worst years of the Depression. The game became so popular that in 1935 the Parker Brothers game company paid Darrow for the right to produce it. It's still so successful that more play-money is printed for Darrow's game each year than all the real paper money printed by all the nations of the world. The name of Darrow's game is, of course, "Monopoly."

For Darrow, making the game
a. was a way to keep busy when he had no job
b. was a waste of time
c. was a way of making a fortune in real estate
What is a, was a way to keep busy when he had no job.
300
The Birds Have It
How often have you heard that birds help people? You've probably heard of their value as food. Eggs and meat of poultry provide food for millions and millions of people. The droppings of seabirds provide fertilizer for many farmers. Birds that feed on flower nectar provide the main means of pollinating many important plants. Insect-eating birds keep many pests under control. Hawks and owls feed on rodents and prevent much destruction of food crops. Some birds even eat seeds of difficult weeds. All of these are practical benefits. There are also less practical, but also real benefits in the pleasure birds provide to people because of their beauty and their songs. However, the other side of the story is that there are negative aspects to birds. They spread weed seeds as well as certain cattle diseases. They spread some plant diseases and bore holes in trees, buildings and telephone poles. All in all, however, birds' benefits to people far exceed their detriments.

Some things that birds provide are
a. food and fertilizer
b. food and shelter
c. songs and telephone poles
What is a, food and fertilizer.
300
An Ancient Sport
Two knights in heavy armor raise their lances. They spur their horses to a gallop and charge each other. Is this the 14th century? No! People still hold jousting exhibitions in England from time to time as a way of remembering the days when tournaments were a way of life in Europe. At first they were a necessary activity, a part of every knight's training for warfare. But by the 1300's, a tournament dad become a sporting event. It would go on for days, with much feasting and entertainment between the knightly competitions. Knights in the 1300's wore such heavy armor that they had to be lifted onto their horses by a crane. They would charge each other at top speed, each trying to knock the other off his horse. If both men were knocked off their horses, they would often go at each other with swords or sticks until the nobleman who was staging the tournament ordered them to stop. Some fights would be mock battles, with large teams of knights competing against each other.

By about 1550, tournaments had gone out of fashion.
A tournament in the 1300s
a. usually turned into a real war
b. sometimes resulted in people being killed
c. usually bored most of the people who took part
What is b, sometimes resulted in people being killed.
300
Homemade Root Beer
Homemade root beer is one of the best-tasting drinks. Many think it has the best flavor of all. To make a gallon of homemade root beer, you need to combine two tablespoons of root beer extract, two and a half cups of sugar, a teaspoon of yeast, and a gallon of warm water. After the ingredients have been mixed, the root beer should be allowed to stand at room temperature. It should stand a t least twelve to fifteen hours. If you want the root beer to have fizz, you will need to bottle it. This should be done as soon as the root beer has set for the required number of hours. You will need a few glass soft drink bottles, a bottle capper, and bottle caps. After the root beer has been bottled and allowed to stand, it should be cooled in the refrigerator. You can serve your homemade root beer as soon as it has cooled, but it will taste better if it is allowed to stand for a few days. This will give the yeast a chance to work, and the root beer will be more flavorful.

What should you do after you mix the root beer ingredients?
a. Cool it in the refrigerator
b. Allow it to stand at room temperature
c. Bottle it right away
What is b, allow it to stand at room temperature.
400
While the Declaration of Independence was being signed, the Camino Real, or Royal Road, was being built to connect the new California missions by road. Travel and communications were made (1)______ all up and down the California coast. Today automobiles and trucks travel much the same road as horses and (2)______ once did.

1. a. easiest b. easier c. brothers d. cherry
2. a. fire b. cars c. had d. carts
What is 1. b. easier, 2. d. carts
400
Mr. Darrow's Real-Estate Fortune
During the Great Depression, Charles Darrow, like millions of other people, was out of a job and had no money. Darrow, however, did not remain idle. To keep his family entertained, he invented a board game. It was a real-estate trading game in which players bought and sold imaginary pieces of property. Recalling the days when the family used to spend vacations at Atlantic City, he named the properties after streets in that city. The Darrows played the game at their kitchen table on a board drawn on a piece of oilcloth. Friends and neighbors like the game and asked Darrow to make them sets, too. By selling them, Darrow was able to feed his family during the worst years of the Depression. The game became so popular that in 1935 the Parker Brothers game company paid Darrow for the right to produce it. It's still so successful that more play-money is printed for Darrow's game each year than all the real paper money printed by all the nations of the world. The name of Darrow's game is, of course, "Monopoly."

One reason the game was so immediately successful might have been that
a. Darrow's friends wanted to help him out
b. it gave people the feeling they were "rich" at a time when many were poor
c. people needed a way to make money during the Depression
What is b, it gave people the feeling they were "rich" at a time when many were poor.
400
The Birds Have It
How often have you heard that birds help people? You've probably heard of their value as food. Eggs and meat of poultry provide food for millions and millions of people. The droppings of seabirds provide fertilizer for many farmers. Birds that feed on flower nectar provide the main means of pollinating many important plants. Insect-eating birds keep many pests under control. Hawks and owls feed on rodents and prevent much destruction of food crops. Some birds even eat seeds of difficult weeds. All of these are practical benefits. There are also less practical, but also real benefits in the pleasure birds provide to people because of their beauty and their songs. However, the other side of the story is that there are negative aspects to birds. They spread weed seeds as well as certain cattle diseases. They spread some plant diseases and bore holes in trees, buildings and telephone poles. All in all, however, birds' benefits to people far exceed their detriments.

This story could also be called
a. Hawks and Owls
b. Bird Control
c. About Birds
What is c, About Birds.
400
An Ancient Sport
Two knights in heavy armor raise their lances. They spur their horses to a gallop and charge each other. Is this the 14th century? No! People still hold jousting exhibitions in England from time to time as a way of remembering the days when tournaments were a way of life in Europe. At first they were a necessary activity, a part of every knight's training for warfare. But by the 1300's, a tournament dad become a sporting event. It would go on for days, with much feasting and entertainment between the knightly competitions. Knights in the 1300's wore such heavy armor that they had to be lifted onto their horses by a crane. They would charge each other at top speed, each trying to knock the other off his horse. If both men were knocked off their horses, they would often go at each other with swords or sticks until the nobleman who was staging the tournament ordered them to stop. Some fights would be mock battles, with large teams of knights competing against each other. By about 1550, tournaments had gone out of fashion.

When a knight in armor was knocked off his horse
a. he climbed back on as quickly as he could
b. the fall usually killed him
c. he couldn't get back on without help
What is c, he couldn't get back on without help.
400
Homemade Root Beer
Homemade root beer is one of the best-tasting drinks. Many think it has the best flavor of all. To make a gallon of homemade root beer, you need to combine two tablespoons of root beer extract, two and a half cups of sugar, a teaspoon of yeast, and a gallon of warm water. After the ingredients have been mixed, the root beer should be allowed to stand at room temperature. It should stand a t least twelve to fifteen hours. If you want the root beer to have fizz, you will need to bottle it. This should be done as soon as the root beer has set for the required number of hours. You will need a few glass soft drink bottles, a bottle capper, and bottle caps. After the root beer has been bottled and allowed to stand, it should be cooled in the refrigerator. You can serve your homemade root beer as soon as it has cooled, but it will taste better if it is allowed to stand for a few days. This will give the yeast a chance to work, and the root beer will be more flavorful.

What should you do for a more flavorful root beer?
a. Allow it to cool for twelve hours
b. Give the yeast a chance to work
c. Allow it to stand at room temperature
What is b, give the yeast a chance to work.
500
The pineapple, originally from South America, is practically a symbol of Hawaii. It is a member of the Bromelia (1)______, like Spanish moss. The pineapple has very shallow roots and can grow in shallow soil. Because the leaves lose water slowly and can catch dew, the plant can (2)_______ in areas of low rainfall if there are heavy dews. This is why it grows so well in Hawaii.

1. a. grounds b. family c. hop d. fairly
2. a. beds b. care c. grow d. yards
What is 1. b. family, 2. c. grow
500
The Vampire Moth
In the rain forests of Southeast Asia lives a moth that might be Dracula's cousin. It's called 'Calpe', and it's the only moth in the world that feeds on blood. Like the vampire bat, Calpe hunts by night. It dives at its prey from a height of about 20 feet and uses its proboscis to penetrate the skin. It then may feed for an hour or more. Antelopes and water buffalo are its usual prey, but sometimes it attacks people as well. The modern-day scientist who discovered Calpe learned this through painful personal experience.

Calpe
a. has been known since ancient times
b. was discovered in modern times
c. is only a legendary creature, like Dracula
What is b, was discovered in modern times.
500
The Birds Have It
How often have you heard that birds help people? You've probably heard of their value as food. Eggs and meat of poultry provide food for millions and millions of people. The droppings of seabirds provide fertilizer for many farmers. Birds that feed on flower nectar provide the main means of pollinating many important plants. Insect-eating birds keep many pests under control. Hawks and owls feed on rodents and prevent much destruction of food crops. Some birds even eat seeds of difficult weeds. All of these are practical benefits. There are also less practical, but also real benefits in the pleasure birds provide to people because of their beauty and their songs. However, the other side of the story is that there are negative aspects to birds. They spread weed seeds as well as certain cattle diseases. They spread some plant diseases and bore holes in trees, buildings and telephone poles. All in all, however, birds' benefits to people far exceed their detriments.

Birds help people
a. but hurt them too
b. and other birds
c. once in a while
What is a, but hurt them too.
500
The Amazing Chameleon
The true chameleon is an amazing lizard. It has large, independently movable eyes, a quick tongue, and the ability to change its color. Its quick versatility is startling to watch, especially when the chameleon is trying to snare a meal. It can look straight ahead with one eye and backward with the other at the same time. Spotting its prey, its tongue can suddenly reach out to a distance of seven to eight inches. The chameleon moves with such great speed that the insect is taken totally by surprise.

How do independently movable eyes help the chameleon?
a. They frighten an insect very easily
b. They let the chameleon see a greater distance
c. The chameleon can keep an eye on everything without moving
What is c, the chameleon can keep an eye on everything without moving.
500
Hot Weather Ice
Hailstones are sometimes called "hot weather ice." It is quite rare for these icy stones to fall during a violent summer thunderstorm. Hailstones are formed when raindrops are caught by the uprushing winds of a thundercloud. The raindrops are carried high into the cloud to a freezing level. Here the raindrops are frozen. They become cloudy pellets of ice. As the icy pellets more through the upper and middle regions of the thundercloud, they pick up more cooled water droplets and begin to grow in size. Many Hailstones grow to be quite large. Records show that in some parts of the world, hailstones have grown to be as big as baseballs.

How do the ice pellets grow into large hailstones?
a. They pick up more raindrops in the lower regions of a cloud.
b. They pick up warmed water droplets in the upper cloud level.
c. They pick up cooled water droplets int he upper cloud level.
What is c, they pick up cooled water droplets int he upper cloud level.
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