Context Clues
There are small yellow flowers growing in the field by the school. Please be careful not to trample the flowers as you walk across the field. Watch each step you take so the school can keep these pretty flowers safe.
What does the word trample mean in this paragraph?
step on
Police officers are busy people with many jobs to do. They protect you and your neighbors. The police look into crimes. They also arrest people who have done crimes. They help look for people who are lost. They stop drivers who break traffic rules. They help with emergencies, too. They help people who are hurt. The police are caring people who work to make your neighborhood safer.
the different jobs police officers have.
The Park
1
Mr. Taylor sighed as he gazed at the park across the street from his building. It used to be a busy place where families enjoyed themselves. Now, the small park had overgrown grass, weed-covered benches, and piles of trash on the ground. No one wanted to gather there.
2
"It might take weeks for me to do it on my own, but I need to clean up this park," Mr. Taylor said to himself. He put on a pair of gloves, walked across the street, and got to work.
3
A few neighbors came to see what Mr. Taylor was doing. It wasn't long before they joined him. Mrs. Blum brought out her lawn mower to cut the grass. Mr. Sharma and his daughter picked up trash. The Mason family bought flowers and planted them next to the benches. By the end of the day, the park looked much better."
4
Mr. Taylor invited everyone to a picnic at the park so they could celebrate their hard work. He told his neighbors, "It took one person to start it, but it took a group of people to finish it. Thank you for making the park a place we can enjoy again."
People can do more when they work together.
What makes the wind blow? The sun does! The sun warms the earth and the air. Because the heat is not even, the air gets warmer in some places than in others. Warm air is lighter than cold air, so the warm air moves up. Due to this shift, cool air moves in where the warm air was. All that moving air is what causes the wind.
Which text structure does the text use?
cause and effect
The Key
by H. Torres
Jack went to Ben’s house to play video games. When Jack got there he realized he had left his key at home. Jack knew his mom would be leaving soon to go shopping. He would have no way of getting back into his house. This worried Jack. Jack knew that when his mom went shopping she would take forever. He also knew he did not have enough time to walk back home before his mom left. Jack immediately told Ben’s mom about forgetting his key at home.
Ben's mom said, "Jack, I would be happy to drive you back to your house so you can get your key. I will call your mom to let her know we are on the way so she can wait for us."
Jack replied, "Thank you, Ms. Stevens!"
They hopped into Ms. Stevens' blue mini-van and arrived at Jack's house just in time. He waved to his mom as he jumped out of the car. His mom handed the key to Jack and gave him a big hug.
What does the last paragraph show?
how Jack's problem was solved
Gavin loves to draw animals in his notebook. He hardly ever makes a blunder when he draws. However, when he does, he uses his eraser to fix the problem.
Using the context clues in the above paragraph, what is the meaning of the word blunder?
mistake
Jim Kirkland studies dinosaurs in Utah. He found a huge pocket of bones in the dirt. They all belonged to one dinosaur. This animal most likely ate meat. It also may have looked like a bird. This dinosaur is about 125 to 150 million years old. It is a new find. Scientists have not even named the animal yet.
The bones of about 100 other animals are in a hill in Utah. Kirkland says, "We guess there are 500 bones per square meter. That is a lot of bones."
His latest find is great. He found many bones in the hill. They are almost all in good shape. Kirkland will learn a lot about the new dinosaur. He thinks he will know more about it than any dinosaur ever found.
Jim Kirkland found the bones of a new dinosaur.
Kindergarten Helper
Every day after school, Mateo and his friends met at the playground. Then they walked home together. But Tyler, one of their classmates, never joined Mateo and his friends. Tyler always left the classroom 10 minutes before the bell rang. Mateo wondered what Tyler did every afternoon. One day, Mateo asked Tyler about it at lunch.
"I go to Ms. Chan's kindergarten class at the end of the day. I help her students get ready for dismissal. Sometimes I help organize the classroom," Tyler told Mateo.
"I thought you didn't like us," said Mateo.
Tyler replied, "I worried you'd think helping kindergarten students was silly."
The next afternoon, Mateo got permission to join Tyler in Ms. Chan's classroom. As he and Tyler helped the students, Mateo was glad he got to know his classmate better.
Things are not always as they appear.
Mail carriers start their day at the post office. They gather and sort the letters for their routes. The carriers arrange their mail in trays, in the order of the houses they'll visit. That takes an hour or two. Next, they load the letters, magazines, and packages into their mail trucks. Then, they spend the rest of the day taking the mail to the people on their routes. On city routes, they can park the truck and walk from house to house. In the country, they drive.
Which text structure does the text use?
Sequential
The Giant Panda
Only a few Giant pandas are left in the world. Many people love these animals. So, they are worried that one day Giant pandas will no longer be around. Most Giant pandas live in China and mostly eat bamboo. Many Giant pandas live on special land that has been set aside for them. This land helps protect Giant pandas from hunters. This land also has plenty of bamboo for them to eat. Different groups like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) try to raise money to help Giant pandas. They even help train people in China on how to help Giant pandas live longer. Groups like the WWF are helping save the lives of these animals.
According to the passage, what is one way the WWF has helped Giant pandas?
They raise money to try to help save the lives of Giant pandas.
Jaguars
Jaguars are a type of big cat. In fact, they are the largest cats found in South America. Jaguars are mostly found in South and Central America. Their territory includes swamps, rainforests, and sometimes deserts.
Jaguars and leopards look similar, and it is not always easy to recognize the differences between them. They both have the same yellow-brown skin, with patterns called 'rosettes' scattered all over their coats. The difference is that jaguars have spots inside these rosettes. Jaguars have shorter legs, but they can grow to a very large size. Jaguars are good swimmers, and they hunt for prey such as fish and turtles in rivers.
Today, the number of jaguars found in the wild has been greatly reduced. They are hunted mainly for their fur. They have been declared to be a "near threatened" species. This means that there are not many jaguars left. Steps must be taken to prevent this beautiful animal from disappearing completely.
spread
Staying Connected
The Internet is a fast and easy way for people to connect. People can talk to or write to one another with the help of a computer and the Internet. The Internet allows people to send messages right away through email. All a person has to do is write a letter to a friend, and that friend can receive it in a matter of seconds. This is different from how a person sends a letter through the post office. That letter can take up to a week to get to the friend. With the help of the Internet, people can stay in touch more often.
Read the following sentence from the passage.
All a person has to do is write a letter to a friend, and that friend can receive it in a matter of seconds.
How does the sentence support the main idea of the passage?
It gives an example of how people communicate through the Internet.
The Sliders
1
This season, the Sliders were everyone's favorite youth baseball team. It wasn't because their players could throw the farthest or run the fastest. It wasn't because they hardly struck out, either.
2
Last Saturday's game showed why people liked the Sliders. It was the final inning, and the Sliders had three players on base. They needed a home run to win the game. Macy stepped up to the plate. She wasn't a strong hitter, and her teammates knew it.
3
The pitcher threw the first pitch. Macy was nervous and whipped the bat around as hard as she could. Of course, she missed. The pitcher threw the ball a second time. Macy swung with all her might, but she missed again. Then Macy's teammates started calling to her, "Keep your eye on the ball! Keep your swing level!" Her teammates noticed a difference in Macy as she prepared for the third pitch. Her swing was much better. She was focused on the ball and almost hit it. Sadly, she struck out.
4
Even though they lost, the entire Sliders team cheered for Macy. They knew she tried as hard as she could. The Sliders' positive attitudes made everyone in the crowd cheer, too.
Doing your best is as important as winning.
When astronauts wear their spacesuits and helmets, they can't touch their faces. That means that a little itch can be a big difficulty. The astronaut can't reach an itchy nose to scratch it. Luckily, astronauts on the Apollo mission figured out how to take care of those pesky itches. They placed a piece of sticky, scratchy fabric inside the helmet. In the event of an itch, rubbing against the rough fabric patch could bring relief.
Which text structure does the text use?
Problem and Solution
The Giant Panda
Only a few Giant pandas are left in the world. Many people love these animals. So, they are worried that one day Giant pandas will no longer be around. Most Giant pandas live in China and mostly eat bamboo. Many Giant pandas live on special land that has been set aside for them. This land helps protect Giant pandas from hunters. This land also has plenty of bamboo for them to eat. Different groups like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) try to raise money to help Giant pandas. They even help train people in China on how to help Giant pandas live longer. Groups like the WWF are helping save the lives of these animals.
According to the passage, how has setting up special land for the Giant pandas to live on helped to solve their problem?
It has kept many Giant pandas from being hunted.
Jaguars
Jaguars are a type of big cat. In fact, they are the largest cats found in South America. Jaguars are mostly found in South and Central America. Their territory includes swamps, rainforests, and sometimes deserts.
Jaguars and leopards look similar, and it is not always easy to recognize the differences between them. They both have the same yellow-brown skin, with patterns called 'rosettes' scattered all over their coats. The difference is that jaguars have spots inside these rosettes. Jaguars have shorter legs, but they can grow to a very large size. Jaguars are good swimmers, and they hunt for prey such as fish and turtles in rivers.
Today, the number of jaguars found in the wild has been greatly reduced. They are hunted mainly for their fur. They have been declared to be a "near threatened" species. This means that there are not many jaguars left. Steps must be taken to prevent this beautiful animal from disappearing completely.
Based on the passage, what does prevent mean?
stop
Jacques Cousteau was a famous explorer. He studied the life at the bottom of the sea. He made photos of plants and animals. He could only stay underwater a short time. He wanted to stay down longer, so he and his friend built a new kind of diving machine. Cousteau wrote many books about the oceans. He also made films showing the bottom of the sea.
Jacques Cousteau was a famous underwater explorer.
adapted from The Milkmaid and Her Pail
A milkmaid had been out to milk the cows. She was returning from the field with the shining milk pail balanced nicely on her head. As she walked along with the pail of milk on her head, she made plans for the days to come.
She thought, This good, rich milk will give me plenty of cream to churn. The butter from the cream will be rich and fine. I shall sell the butter at the market and make a lot of money. With the money I get, I shall buy a lot of eggs for hatching. The yard will be full of chicks. Once they grow big and healthy, I shall sell all of them. With the money earned, I shall buy a new dress to wear to the fair. Everyone will admire my beautiful new dress.
As she thought of how she would send the young men away, she tossed her head proudly. The pail of milk that was balanced on her head fell to the ground. All the milk flowed out, and with it vanished the butter, eggs, chicks, new dress, and the milkmaid's pride.
Too much pride is a bad thing.
Venus and Jupiter are very different planets. Venus is much smaller. In fact, you could fit 1,400 planets the size of Venus inside Jupiter! Venus is made of rock and metals. Jupiter is made of gases instead. It's called a gas giant. Jupiter contains mostly the gases hydrogen and helium. Jupiter has more than sixty moons, but Venus has none. And Venus is much closer to the sun. It's the second-closest planet to the sun, while Jupiter is fifth from the sun. Earth is third.Which text structure does the text use?
Compare and Contrast
Water Does Your Body Good
A large part of a person's body is made up of water. People can live without water only for a few days. They need to drink plenty of water every day. A person who does not drink enough water every day could get really sick. The body has different ways it might tell a person that he or she needs more water. If someone feels thirsty, then he or she may need more water. If people do not drink enough water, they might feel dizzy. Their skin might also get really dry. Doctors say that women need to drink about eight glasses of water a day. Men need about 12 glasses of water each day. Drinking water everyday is very important.
If a person is thirsty, what should that person do?
drink more water
The Grays have nine children. Their house is always busy. Mr. Gray works in a bank, and Mrs. Gray stays home to take care of the family. Mrs. Gray loves her children, but sometimes she needs a little time for herself. So on Sunday afternoons, Mr. Gray takes all the kids to the park. Mrs. Gray sure does appreciate this time she gets alone! She goes to have lunch with her friends, does a little shopping, or sometimes just stays home to read a good book.
Based on the context clues in the passage, what is the meaning of appreciate?
Value
Football is an exciting team sport. It is played mostly in the United States and Canada. It is also called American football. The term “football” is used for other team sports around the world. For example, “football” in most countries is what the United States calls “soccer.”
In the United States, football is played by two teams. There are 11 players on the field for each team. Each team tries to score points by running or passing plays. The plays move an oval-shaped ball across the other team’s goal line. This scores a touchdown. During a game, the ball goes back and forth between the teams. The team with the ball is called the offense. The other team is the defense. The defense tries to keep the offense from scoring.
This passage is mainly about
American football
True Colors
Each year, the catfish in Aqua Lake looked forward to the summer swim race. This year, the Shines, a family of big and bright rainbow trout, joined the race. Some of the catfish were worried. They knew that rainbow trout could swim faster than catfish.
One catfish named Jasper practiced everyday with his friend Eddie. He wanted to make sure that no rainbow trout would win.
"They are supposed to be mean and fast, but the fishermen catch them all the time," Jasper said. "I heard they look pretty in pictures. They are so different from us."
"I'm so hungry that I think I could bite a hook right now," Eddie said.
"Hold on." Jasper swam one more lap. Suddenly, he heard Eddie shouting to him. A fisherman was putting Eddie into his boat. "You have to throw him back into the water," Jasper yelled.
Lala, a rainbow trout, had been watching nearby. She leaped into the air alongside the boat. The fisherman turned to look at her sparkling scales. Eddie wiggled from the fisherman's hands and fell into the water.
Jasper told all of the fish in Aqua Lake how Lala used her "rainbow" to save Eddie.
Jasper is thankful for Lala's bright colors.
One interesting event at the Olympics is dressage. Dressage looks a bit like "horse dancing." There are several different kinds of dressage events. With some, the horse and rider must do special steps in a certain order. In others, the horses "dance" to music. Either way, it's difficult to remember all the right steps. Dressage takes hours of practice for a horse and rider together. Done well, it looks easy and is beautiful to watch.
Which text structure does the text use?
descriptive
Just Desserts
My mom wants to take good care of us. So, she has started a different kind of dessert with our dinner. Instead of eating a sweet treat, my family helps clear the table. Then we play a game. It might be a board game or a game of chance or a game that takes planning and thinking. We are using our brains, and I am getting better at knowing my math facts. My little brother has not even noticed that there is no dessert. Mom places small bowls of grapes or blueberries on the table. We laugh and have a lot of fun with this new dessert. We are all sleeping better too!
The text organization in this passage is an example of
cause and effect