Main Idea
Evidence
Author's Purpose
Types of Text
Grammar and Vocab
100
What does "main idea" mean?
The main idea is what a paragraph or passage is mostly about.
100
What does "evidence" mean in ELA?
Details or examples that support the main idea.
100
What does "author's purpose" mean?
The reason an author writes a text (to inform, entertain, or persuade).
100
What type of text is A Wild Comet Like No Other?
Informational ...this was an easy one :)
100
What is the meaning of the word "cratered" in paragraph 3?
Having holes (craters) in its surface from space debris hitting it.
200
What is the main idea of paragraph 1?
Wild 2 is a comet new to the inner solar system named after Paul Wild, the scientist who discovered it.
200
What is a piece of evidence that supports the main idea of paragraph 3, that Wild 2 was the third comet ever seen up close, and scientists predicted it would be smooth like the first two?
"Only two other comets have been seen up close, both appearing fairly smooth and not very heavily cratered."
200
What is the author's purpose for writing "A Wild Comet Like No Other"? How do you know?
To inform - it is giving facts and information about real events (nonfiction).
200
Which sentence in the first paragraph seems like it might normally be in a literary text rather than an informational article?
"Although the comet has proven to be very different, in fact wild, it did not get its name because it is wild."
200
What does the word "jagged" mean in paragraph 5?
Rough or sharp; not smooth
300
What is the main idea of paragraph 5?
There are two different types of craters on Wild 2, one jagged and one flat.
300
What is a piece of evidence that supports the main idea of paragraph 2, that Wild 2 is closer to the sun now than it has since it came into existence billions of years ago?
"This new orbit carried it closer to the sun than ever. It now approaches the sun just inside the orbit of Mars."
300
What is one piece of evidence that demonstrates the author's purpose for writing this text?
[Answers will vary]
300
Create a first sentence for A Wild Comet Like No Other that would fit with it if it were a literary text instead of an informational one.
[Answers will vary]
300
A. What type of clause is "Although the comet has proven to be very different" in paragraph 1 - independent or dependent? B. How do you know?
A. dependent B. It starts with a subordinating conjunction and does not form a complete thought
400
What is the main idea of paragraph 7?
Wild 2 is special because it is new to the solar system and not much of its surface from billions of years ago has been burned off yet.
400
What is a piece of evidence that supports the following statement: "Wild 2 is like no comet we have ever seen before"?
"the comet has proven to be very different, in fact wild" OR "Scientists thought Wild 2 would be a dirty, black, fluffy ball. Were they ever surprised! Instead, results from the Stardust flyby show the Wild 2 to have a rigid surface that supports towering cliffs and peaks 328 feet tall" OR ". This comet has not had a chance to change very much from its original condition 4.5 billion years ago. It holds great interest for scientists."
400
What was the author's purpose for including the following information in paragraphs 3 and 4: "Only two other comets have been seen up close, both appearing fairly smooth and not very heavily cratered. Scientists were quite sure they knew what they would discover about this comet also. Scientists thought Wild 2 would be a dirty, black, fluffy ball."
The author gave this information to foreshadow that Wild 2 is different from other comets authors have seen and support the idea that Wild 2 is different and unique.
400
Why would the author choose to write an informational text about the comet Wild 2 rather than a literary one?
It is a recent scientific discovery, so it makes sense to give facts about it rather than to tell a story.
400
What is a correct way to combine the following two sentences from paragraph 2 (using correct punctuation and capitalization): "This new orbit carried it closer to the sun than ever. It now approaches the sun just inside the orbit of Mars."
This new orbit carried it closer to the sun than ever, and it now approaches the sun just inside the orbit of Mars. OR This new orbit carried it closer to the sun than ever; it now approaches the sun just inside the orbit of Mars. OR Since this new orbit carried it closer to the sun than ever, it now approaches the sun just inside the orbit of Mars.
500
What is the main idea of the passage as a whole?
Wild 2 is a comet that recently entered our solar system and is significant to scientists because it helps give them more information about the world outside our solar system.
500
What is a piece of evidence (one sentence) that best support the main idea of the passage as a whole? A.K.A. if you had to reduce the whole passage to only one sentence, which one would be the best choice?
"A new arrival to the inner solar system is the comet Wild 2." Yep, the very first sentence! :)
500
What is the author's purpose for including "which is considered a low speed" in paragraph 7?
To explain that, for a comet, 13,600 miles per hour is considered slow, which most people would not know - that would seem pretty fast to the average person!
500
A. What is the third type of text other than literary and informational? B. What might the intro sentence of this article be if it were this type of text?
A. Persuasive/Argumentative B. [Answers will vary]
500
A. What type of sentence is "Because Wild 2 has made only five trips around the sun, it is quite new to the solar system" - simple, compound, or complex? B. How do you know?
A. Complex B. One dependent clause (Because Wild 2 has made only five trips around the sun) + one independent clause (it is quite new to the solar system)
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