Author's Purpose
Author's Claim
Text Structures
Text Features
100
Today computers are part of everyday life. We use them to research, to talk to friends, and even to order food. We have this ability because of the important work done by scientists and inventors. Grace Hopper was a scientist who made advances in computer technology possible.
The author's purpose is to explain that computers are part of everyday life. Which sentence from the passage best develops this purpose?
A. We have this ability because of the important work done by scientists and inventors.
B. Grace Hopper was a scientist who made advances in computer technology possible.
C. We use them to research, to talk to friends, and even to order food.
C. We use them to research, to talk to friends, and even to order food.
100
Artificial reefs are objects that people place on the seafloor to create new habitats for ocean life. They are especially important right now. Why? Because natural coral reefs are in danger. Coral reefs are home to thousands of species of sea life. But experts say that 30 to 50 percent of the of these natural ocean habitats have been destroyed.
What claim does the author make about artificial reefs in this passage?
A. they are unnecessary for ocean life
B. they make new habitats for ocean life
C. they are beneficial for ocean life
C. they are beneficial for ocean life
100
George Washington Carver was born around 1864 in Missouri. As a young boy, he loved learning about plants and nature. In 1890, he went to college to study agriculture. Later, in 1896, he began teaching at Tuskegee Institute, where he helped farmers learn better ways to grow crops. During the early 1900s, Carver created many new uses for peanuts and sweet potatoes. In 1943, George Washington Carver passed away, but his ideas still help farmers today.
What text structure does the author use in this passage?
A. chronology
B. comparison
C. cause/effect
A. chronology
100
What information does the photo of the airplanes provide?
A. It shows that airplanes have been around for 100 years.
B. It shows that airplanes have changed and developed drastically.
C. It shows that airplanes used to be dangerous and now they aren't.
B. It shows that airplanes have changed and developed drastically.
200
As a child, Grace Hopper showed an early interest in science and engineering. She would take apart household items and then put them back together to explore how they worked. Concepts in mathematics also interested Grace. She studied mathematics at college and then taught it after graduation.
Which sentence describes the author's purpose in this text?
A. to argue that Hopper's interest in science and mathematics was minimal
B. to tell about Hopper’s early interest in science and mathematics
C. to explain why Hopper became interested in science and engineering
B. to tell about Hopper’s early interest in science and mathematics
200
Thomas Edison was an inventor born in 1847. He was an intelligent and gifted inventor. When Edison was young, he had to be pulled from school because he struggled. But, he created a system to teach himself. He soon began developing inventions. His first invention, the voting machine did not sell well. He started making many more inventions that were useful. He developed a light bulb that lasted over 1,500 hours!
Select the reason the author gives to support the claim that Edison was "an intelligent and gifted inventor."
A. Thomas Edison was an inventor born in 1847.
B. He developed a light bulb that lasted over 1,500 hours!
C. His first invention, the voting machine did not sell well.
B. He developed a light bulb that lasted over 1,500 hours!
200
Garrett Morgan saw a serious problem on busy city streets. At the time, cars, bikes, and people all tried to cross the road at the same time. Many accidents happened as a result of unclear rules to control traffic. One day, Garrett Morgan saw a bad crash at an intersection, and it worried him. He wanted to help keep people safe. Because of this, he decided to invent a traffic light to tell people when to stop and go. His invention helped reduce accidents and made roads safer for everyone.
What text structure does the author use in this passage?
A. chronology
B. comparison
C. cause and effect
C. cause and effect
200
What information does the timeline provide? 
A. When the first telephone was invented.
B. Who created the first touchscreen smartphone.
C. When Alexander Graham Bell started to think about creating the telephone.
A. When the first telephone was invented.
300
One of Grace Hopper's greatest innovations was her work on COBOL, one of the earliest computer languages. The name stands for “common business-oriented language.” This computer language allowed computers to respond to letters and words instead of numbers and symbols. This meant that more people could learn how to program, or tell a computer what to do.
Which sentence describes the author's purpose in this text?
A. to explain how COBOL helped more people learn how to program
B. to argue that Hopper's work on COBOL was the most recent advancement in computer language
C. to list all of Hopper's computer innovations
A. to explain how COBOL helped more people learn how to program
300
Anna Du, a sixth grader, discovered something scary at the beach. There were tiny, micro pieces of plastic everywhere! The plastic was coming from litter in the ocean and they do not break down like other trash. Anna wanted to do something to make a change and help. She developed a remote-operated vehicle, or ROV. It was designed to move through the ocean water and locate tiny pieces of plastic on the ocean floor. When a special light is transmitted from the ROV, microplastics can be found and then cleaned up. Anna Du is a special inventor.
Select a reason the author gives to support the claim that Anna Du is a "special inventor."
A. The plastic was coming from litter in the ocean and they do not break down like other trash.
B. Anna Du, a sixth grader, discovered something scary at the beach.
C. Anna wanted to do something to make a change and help.
C. Anna wanted to do something to make a change and help.
300
Alexander Miles noticed a dangerous issue with elevators. In the late 1880s, elevator doors had to be closed by hand. Many people were hurt because someone forgot to shut the doors. One day, Alexander Miles almost fell down an open elevator shaft. This happened due to the doors being left open. He wanted to keep people safe, so he decided to invent automatic elevator doors. His invention helped elevators become much safer for everyone.
Which sentence shows this text is cause and effect?
A. Alexander Miles noticed a dangerous issue with elevators.
B. In the late 1880s, elevator doors had to be closed by hand.
C. He wanted to keep people safe, so he decided to invent automatic elevator doors.
C. He wanted to keep people safe, so he decided to invent automatic elevator doors.
300
What information does the caption provide?
A. How far away Earth is from the Sun.
B. How Earth got it's name.
C. Exactly how much water is on Earth.
A. How far away Earth is from the Sun.