Word Study
In the word spectacle, what does the root spect mean?
to see
Read the following passage.
Ellen felt the warm sunlight hit her face. She rolled over in bed, feeling unusually well-rested. But she knew it was a weekday. When she blinked her eyes and saw “9:00 am” on the clock, she shouted, “Oh nooooooo!” So she jumped out of bed, dressed as fast as she could, brushed her teeth in a flash and grabbed her backpack on the way out of the house.
What can you infer about the passage?
Ellen is late for school.
Read the following story: (DON'T PANIC...we will use the same story for the entire category)
It was my first day walking the tightrope at the circus. As I stood on the platform, high above the audience’s heads, I felt a slight, cold breeze from the open flap of the circus tent. Up that high, I could only faintly smell the popcorn and cotton candy for sale down below. I heard the crowd chanting for me to begin, and I stuck one toe out to feel the thin tightrope wire. I swallowed--it felt like I could almost taste my nervousness. I took a deep breath and let the air fill my lungs. I stepped out on to the wire.
What is the setting?
a circus
The cat padded into the room. She looked so carefree, ignoring our loud conversation as she settled into the fireplace, purring happily.
What does the word carefree mean?
relaxed, not worried
Aaron was really tired, so he fell asleep on the train.
What is the effect?
He fell asleep on the train.
What does auditorium mean?
a large room for public meetings
Read the following passage.
Julio looked down, regarding his shadow, which was long under the high noon sun. Squinting, he wondered where everyone was. He looked around but saw only a group of prickly cacti standing at attention. His mind began to race. Sweat trickled in small streams down his neck. Was the temperature rising? How much hotter could it possibly get? “Water,” thought Julio. “I’ll try to find some water.” Clearing his throat, he began to walk east, clouds of dust swirling around his feet.
What can we infer about the setting of the story?
It is in a desert.
Read the following story: (DON'T PANIC...we will use the same story for the entire category)
It was my first day walking the tightrope at the circus. As I stood on the platform, high above the audience’s heads, I felt a slight, cold breeze from the open flap of the circus tent. Up that high, I could only faintly smell the popcorn and cotton candy for sale down below. I heard the crowd chanting for me to begin, and I stuck one toe out to feel the thin tightrope wire. I swallowed--it felt like I could almost taste my nervousness. I took a deep breath and let the air fill my lungs. I stepped out on to the wire.
Who is the main character?
a tightrope walker
Although plants don't talk, they do communicate with each other by sending messages. The details of how the communication works are still obscure, so further research is needed to better understand the process.
What does obscure mean?
not clearly understood
Read this statement:
As settlers continued to push westward, grizzlies were hunted and pushed out. Therefore, the majority of grizzlies in the American west have disappeared.
What caused a majority of grizzlies in the American west to disappear?
They were hunted and pushed out.
Read the following sentence:
The meeting was brief. It only last 5 minutes.
What is a synonym for brief?
short
Imagine that you look out the window and see people wearing heavy coats, hats and gloves. These people are shivering and sipping hot coffee, too. Based on these details, what is the best conclusion to draw?
It is cold outside.
Read the following story: (DON'T PANIC...we will use the same story for the entire category)
It was my first day walking the tightrope at the circus. As I stood on the platform, high above the audience’s heads, I felt a slight, cold breeze from the open flap of the circus tent. Up that high, I could only faintly smell the popcorn and cotton candy for sale down below. I heard the crowd chanting for me to begin, and I stuck one toe out to feel the thin tightrope wire. I swallowed--it felt like I could almost taste my nervousness. I took a deep breath and let the air fill my lungs. I stepped out on to the wire.
What is the main conflict? Is it internal or external?
The tightrope walker is nervous. It is internal.
Today, selling ivory is against the law. People in many countries are cooperating to stop the sales. If government officials catch people trying to sell elephant ivory, they confiscate it. By seizing the ivory, the officials can destroy the tusks so they can't be sold.
What does confiscate mean?
to take away
Air pressure is the pressure in a given area caused by the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on that area. The column of air that extends above an area contains the weight of all of the molecules above that area. (This invisible column extends up through all the levels of the atmosphere.) For this reason, altitude affects air pressure. The column of air that extends from the bottom of the ocean (sea level) is very tall, with the weight of the whole atmosphere pressing on it. Consequently, the air pressure at sea level is high. The opposite is true at a high altitude, such as at the top of Mount Everest. There, the column of air pressing down is shorter, so air pressure is lower.
What is the effect of higher altitude, such as at the top of Mount Everest?
lower air pressure
Read the following sentence:
I was too hasty when I responded to the test question. I didn't take my time, so I got it wrong.
What is a synonym for hasty?
impatient
Read the following passage.
A new report came out about teens and cell phones. Teens use cell phones mostly to access the internet, share photos and send messages. Teens spend the most time sending messages. They send more messages to friends than to family members.
What can be inferred based on this passage?
Teens spend less time on cell phones sharing photos than they do sending messages.
Read the following story: (DON'T PANIC...we will use the same story for the entire category)
It was my first day walking the tightrope at the circus. As I stood on the platform, high above the audience’s heads, I felt a slight, cold breeze from the open flap of the circus tent. Up that high, I could only faintly smell the popcorn and cotton candy for sale down below. I heard the crowd chanting for me to begin, and I stuck one toe out to feel the thin tightrope wire. I swallowed--it felt like I could almost taste my nervousness. I took a deep breath and let the air fill my lungs. I stepped out on to the wire.
What do we find out in the exposition of the story?
setting- circus, character- tightrope walker
These colonists brought many things with them from Europe, introducing new plants and animals to North America. They also brought several European maladies. The natives of North America had never before been exposed to these strange new diseases. As a result, many became very ill and died.
What are maladies?
sicknesses
Read the following statement:
A perceived threat to a black mamba will result in several reactions meant to warn a potential victim. First, the black mamba raises its head, spreads out its neck-flap, opens its black mouth, and hisses. A threat that continues will lead to a more dangerous reaction: the mamba will bite its victim repeatedly, injecting its poisonous venom.
What are TWO possible effects of a threat to a black mamba?
1. the black mamba raises its head
2. the black mamba spreads out its neck-flap
3. the black mamba opens its black mouth
4. the black mamba hisses
5. the black mamba bites its victim
The root -grat- means pleasing; thankful; favorable.
Using that definition, what is an ingrate?
someone who is not thankful
It is snowing. Your friend Justina is coming to sleep over. She texts you that she's on her way but will be late. What is the best inference you could make?
Traffic is slow because of the weather.
Read the following story: (DON'T PANIC...we will use the same story for the entire category)
It was my first day walking the tightrope at the circus. As I stood on the platform, high above the audience’s heads, I felt a slight, cold breeze from the open flap of the circus tent. Up that high, I could only faintly smell the popcorn and cotton candy for sale down below. I heard the crowd chanting for me to begin, and I stuck one toe out to feel the thin tightrope wire. I swallowed--it felt like I could almost taste my nervousness. I took a deep breath and let the air fill my lungs. I stepped out on to the wire.
What is the theme?
It is important to overcome nervousness.
The Supreme Court chooses carefully which cases to hear. Those cases usually involve important issues. The Supreme Court may also take a case if something egregious happened in the lower courts. For example, the court might consider a case where someone was denied a fair trial. The Supreme Court hears less than one percent of the cases brought to it.
What does egregarious mean?
very bad and easily noticed
Read the following statement:
If a caterpillar infestation occurs, the turnip plant decrease its floral scent using special scent signals in its leaves. A decrease in floral fragrance results in the plant becoming more attractive to parasitic wasps. These wasps kill the caterpillars, helping the plant to survive.
What are TWO effects of a caterpillar infestation?
1. the turnip plant decreases its floral fragrance
2. the plant becomes more attractive to wasps
3. the wasps kill the caterpillars