Main Idea
Point of View
Figurative Language
Text Structure
Vocabulary
100

The earth's surface is constantly changing.  All over the world everyday there are earthquakes, floods and volcanoes that quickly change our world. Some changes are too small to see.  Others cause tremendous damage and costs millions of dollars to clean up.
What is the main idea?

What is "The Earth's surface is always changing"?

100

The dew on the grass made my running shoes damp. It didn't bother me. The sound of my feet hitting the street formed a rhythm, a steady pattern of light thumps. I timed my breathing with the rhythm. These sounds filled my head. I thought of nothing other than the next step and keeping my tempo. I soared over the sidewalks like concrete clouds.

What is the point of view of this passage?

What is First Person?

100

What does it really mean: "I'm in a pickle!"

What is "I'm in trouble"?

100

To examine two or more things in order to show how they are alike or different.

What is Compare and Contrast?

100

The lost campers sweltered in the heat of the desert sun. 

What is the meaning of the word "sweltered"?

What is "burned"?

200

Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information. That's why they use pictures. The pictures help them tell us about the weather without using so many words. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is. They need to know where the warm air is. They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area. Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short. The pictures help weather reporters get the information out in a fast way. 

What is the main idea of the paragraph?

What is "Pictures help weather reporters get information out quickly"?

200

You have to find Homer. He's your friend. You enter the front yard through the old, rusty gate. You tiptoe around to the back of the house. You see a stone bench and an empty fish pond, but no Homer.

What is the point of view of this passage?

What is "Second Person"?

200

Whose horse is Hector happily riding?

What type of figurative language is shown in this sentence?

What is Alliteration?

200

Dr. Miller doesn’t want the tigers to vanish. These majestic beasts are disappearing at an alarming rate. Dr. Miller thinks that we should write to our congress people. If we let them know that we demand the preservation of this species, maybe we can make a difference. Dr. Miller also thinks that we should donate to Save the Tigers. Our donations will help to support and empower those who are fighting the hardest to preserve the tigers. We owe it to our grandchildren to do something.

This paragraph is an example of which text structure.

What is Problem and Solution?

200

In order to hunt for food, the animals usually traversed the rocky mountains.

What does "traversed" mean in this sentence?

What is "travel across"?

300

Seated on his throne, King Midas wore a golden crown. He had golden rings on each finger and held a golden scepter. His vest was embroidered with golden thread and even his shoes had golden ornaments. He had a golden box filled with gold coins. He named his daughter Marigold.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?

What is "King Midas loves gold"?

300

The birds were chirping and the sun was shining. Kevin and Juno were sitting on a park bench together. Neither of them was smiling. After a long period of silence, Kevin said, "This isn't going to work. I mean, you're a dog person and I'm a cat person." Juno nodded. A tear rolled down her face. Kevin went on, "If we got married and bought a house, what kind of pet would we get? Some kind of cat-dog? Somebody's going to be unhappy." Juno began sobbing and said, "Ok, let's just end it now. Have fun with your slobbery dogs." She jumped off the bench and ran into the woods.

What is the point of view of this passage?

What is Third Person?

300

The candle flamed danced from the breeze.

What type of figurative language is shown in this sentence?

What is Personification?

300

When I got home from school after a long boring day, I took out the peanut butter, jelly, and bread. After taking the lid off of the jars, I spread the peanut butter on one side of the bread and the jelly on the other, and then I put the two pieces of bread together. After that, I enjoyed it while watching “Cops” on the TV. I swear, that was the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich I ever ate.

This paragraph is an example of which text structure.

What is Chronological?

300

The scared rock climber balanced precariously on the edge of the cliff.

What does "precariously" mean in this sentence?

What is "dangerously"? 

400

If you are feeling sad, you can make yourself feel better by doing a few simple things. You can take a walk (or get another form of exercise), you can talk to a friend, or you can write down your feelings. Writing down the good things in your life will help too. Doing something good for someone else will also help you feel better. If you still feel a little sad, act happy. It works like magic to make you feel better!
What is the main idea?

What is "There are many ways you can make yourself feel better"?

400

"I hate the idea of having all those people out there watching me...I just don't like it when I'm around so many people. I wish I just could hide somewhere," whispered Violet.
What can you infer about Violet?

What is "She is shy"?

400

My voice was a cannon breaking the silence. 

What type of figurative language is shown in this sentence?

What is a Metaphor?

400

The dodo bird used to roam in large flocks across America.  Interestingly, the dodo wasn’t startled by gun shot.  Because of this, frontiersmen would kill entire flocks in one sitting.  Unable to sustain these attacks, the dodo was hunted to extinction. 

What type of text structure is used in this paragraph?

What is "Cause and Effect"?

400

Cold rain fell all day, making it a dismal Saturday afternoon. 

What does the word "dismal" mean in this sentence?

What is "gloomy"?

500

A Dog, to whom the butcher had thrown a bone, was hurrying home with his prize as fast as he could go. As he crossed a narrow bridge, he looked down and saw his reflection in the quiet water as if in a mirror. But the greedy Dog thought he saw a real Dog carrying a bone much bigger than his own. If he had stopped to think he would have known better. But instead of thinking, he dropped his bone and sprang at the Dog in the river, only to find himself swimming for dear life to reach the shore. At last he managed to scramble out, and as he stood sadly thinking about the good bone he had lost, he realized what a foolish Dog he had been. 

What is the theme?

What is "Not being greedy"?

500

Which pronoun in the sentence tells you this is written in third person.


Tina and Mai are helping their teacher.

What is "Their"?

500

After working for hours, Carol decided to call it a day and go inside for dinner.

What type of figurative language is shown in this sentence?

What is an Idiom?

500

Rachel was on her way to volunteer at the animal shelter.  She was very excited!  She really liked dogs.  Her brother was allergic to dogs, however, so she was rarely around them.  Rachel had a lot of fun playing with the puppies, but after her shift, itchy bumps appeared on her arms.
What can we infer about Rachel? 

What is "She is allergic to dogs"?

500

The thought of eating a rat is abhorrent to most people. 

What is the meaning of the word "abhorrent" in this sentence?

What is "horrible"?