Developing and Supporting Arguments
Read the claim below.
Schools should focus on teaching practical math skills instead of abstract concepts.
Select the piece of evidence that best supports this claim.
-Research suggests that many adults lack real-world math skills, such as the ability to read an odometer.
-The branch of math known as algebra uses letters to stand for unknown values.
What is "Research suggests that many adults lack real-world math skills, such as the ability to read an odometer?"
Select the word that means combined into one.
In 1971, six small Middle Eastern states, or emirates, merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE now consists of seven emirates, and the country's first national elections were held in 2006. The UAE is a major oil producer and has become a popular destination for tourists.
What is merged?
What is the meaning of cost an arm and a leg?
I would love to go on that tropical vacation, but it costs an arm and a leg.
What is to be expensive?
Which sentence states a fact?
-Graduates of the Parisian cooking school Le Cordon Bleu make the most delicious meals.
-Dione Lucas was the first woman to graduate from the cooking school Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
What is "Dione Lucas was the first woman to graduate from the cooking school Le Cordon Bleu in Paris?"
Ms. Rojas assigned the project in class a month before it was due. It was an alphabet booklet that showed different examples of math with 26 required pages and it seemed easy enough at the time. Rachel’s best friend, Ayanna, immediately began working on it and completed one page a night. Rachel thought it was silly that Ayanna had already started working on it because the due date was weeks away. As the due date loomed closer, Ayanna tried to bring up the project but Rachel was very rude about it. Rachel finally began the project two days before it was due but quickly became overwhelmed with all the work she had to do. The next day Rachel stayed up until early in the morning finishing the project even though she skipped many of the required parts. When the projects were returned, Ayanna received an A while Rachel was unwilling to show her grade to anyone.
What is the theme of this passage?
What is don't put things off until the last minute?
Read the claim below.
Exercising outside is preferable to exercising in a gym.
Select the piece of evidence that best supports this claim.
-People often exercise outside by walking, jogging, or riding a bicycle.
-People who exercise outside breathe fresh air and enjoy natural light.
What is "People who exercise outside breathe fresh air and enjoy natural light?"
Select the word that means physical strength.
Members of U.S. Olympic teams go through demanding physical workouts with their coaches. However, they also work with psychologists on mental training. That's because athletes' chances of performing well improve if they utilize not just brawn, but also brains. Psychologists help team members face the stress of competition and perform their best.
What is brawn?
What is the meaning of back to square one?
I found a huge error in my math, so I had to go back to square one and try again.
What is to begin again?
Which sentence states a fact?
-Born blind, baby squirrels depend on their mothers for two to three months after birth.
-The American red squirrel, or Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, looks graceful as it leaps from tree to tree.
What is "Born blind, baby squirrels depend on their mothers for two to three months after birth?"
Devon had stayed up a little bit later the night before studying for the science quiz with the help of his mom. She had even helped him make flash cards to memorize the formulas. He hadn’t done that well on the previous quiz and he wanted to bring his grade back up. His mom was her usual supportive self and had even included a good luck note in his lunch bag that morning. His friend Nathan asked him if he had studied at the start of class. During the quiz, Nathan kept asking Devon for the answers. At first Devon tried to ignore him but eventually he slid his paper over so that Nathan could see. Their teacher noticed immediately and wrote a zero at the top of the paper right before he confiscated the quizzes from both boys.
What is the theme of this passage?
What is don't let other people take advantage of your hard work?
Read the claim below.
Smartphones have made it harder for people to think clearly.
Select the piece of evidence that best supports this claim.
-Smartphones have enabled people to access any information they want to know, at any time, almost anywhere in world.
-Since smartphones first became popular, the average person's attention span has fallen from twelve seconds to eight.
What is "Since smartphones first became popular, the average person's attention span has fallen from twelve seconds to eight?"
Select the word that means block or prevent.
Cerumen, or earwax, protects the sensitive inner ear from dirt and infection. If too much earwax collects, however, it can obstruct the ear canal, making it hard to hear. If that happens to you, don't stick anything into your ear canal. Ask a doctor or nurse how to remove the wax safely.
What is obstruct?
What is the meaning of put one's foot down?
Tammy put her foot down and told her sister to stop borrowing her clothes without asking.
What is to make a firm demand?
Which sentence states a fact?
-Certain insects help flowering plants reproduce by moving pollen between the plant's different parts.
-Tomato plants, with their bright colors and sturdy vines, make attractive additions to home gardens.
What is "Certain insects help flowering plants reproduce by moving pollen between the plant's different parts?"
Cameron had seen the new girl walking around with the school counselor earlier that day and couldn’t help but perceive how angry she looked. Maybe angry wasn’t the right word, but she definitely didn’t look like she was there to make friends. She was in his fourth period class and she refused to get out of her seat when the teacher tried to introduce her. It didn’t take very long for rumors to spread about how mean she was. Cameron wasn’t surprised to see her sitting by herself at lunch. He initially went to sit with his friends, but he couldn’t help but think about how awful it would be to eat by yourself on the first day at a new school, so he went to sit with her. His heart raced as he walked up to her because he didn’t want her to be mean to him. As soon as he sat down beside her, she began talking about how happy she was that she didn’t have to eat lunch alone and how nervous she was earlier in the day.
What is theme of this passage?
What is don't judge someone by their appearance?
Read the claim below.
The most important medical advance of all time was Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin in 1928.
Select the piece of evidence that best supports this claim.
-Due to the overuse of penicillin and other antibiotics, some bacterial infections have become harder to treat.
-Penicillin, the first widely used antibiotic, has saved millions of lives around the world.
What is "Penicillin, the first widely used antibiotic, has saved millions of lives around the world?"
Select the word that means the cause of a problem.
Epidemiologists are public health workers who investigate patterns of disease. When faced with a sudden outbreak of illness, epidemiologists study the situation to identify the culprit. It might be bacteria in food, a virus spread by insects, or dirty, contaminated water supplies. Working quickly to solve the mystery, epidemiologists can save many lives.
What is the culprit?
What is the meaning of have eyes in the back of one's head?
No one plays pranks on Mr. Bobbitt, because he has eyes in the back of his head.
What is to know everything that's going on?
Which sentence states an opinion?
-Even if most Americans say that they approve of NASA's missions, the organization receives too much public funding.
-Almost seventy percent of respondents to a 2011 Pew Research survey said that they value space exploration.
What is "Even if most Americans say that they approve of NASA's missions, the organization receives too much public funding?"
Evie did not want to go babysit. She had promised her neighbor last week that she could watch the twins today, but all she wanted to do was watch movies and chat with her friends. She contemplated telling her neighbor she was sick but didn’t because she didn’t want to cancel at the last minute. She was in a bad mood when she got to her neighbor’s house, but the kids were so excited to see Evie that she quickly perked up. Her neighbor had bought all of her favorite snacks and Evie really enjoyed getting to watch movies and play make believe with the twins. She couldn’t believe she had almost canceled because she was having such a great time. When her neighbor got home, she gave Evie a $40 bonus for babysitting on a Saturday night.
What is the theme of this passage?
What is doing the right thing pays off?
Read the claim below.
Public transportation should be free.
Select the piece of evidence that best supports this claim.
-Free public transportation would encourage more people to ride buses and trains, which cause less pollution than cars do.
-Several cities around the world have experimented with free public transportation but eventually had to bring back fares.
What is "Free public transportation would encourage more people to ride buses and trains, which cause less pollution than cars do?"
Select the word that means large.
Farmers can use science to improve their crops naturally. For example, growing crops such as peas and beans can add substantial amounts of nitrogen, a critical plant nutrient, to the soil. In fact, planting beans after harvesting corn can provide so much nitrogen that the soil is renewed without the need for chemical fertilizers.
What is substantial?
What is the meaning of full of hot air?
Vivian knew the salesperson was full of hot air when he claimed the bags would keep vegetables fresh for several months.
What is talking nonsense?
Which sentence states an opinion?
-The first national park in the United States, Yellowstone is now too busy to be enjoyable.
-President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act on March 1, 1872.
What is "The first national park in the United States, Yellowstone is now too busy to be enjoyable?"
Jason loved playing basketball, but he was actually pretty terrible at it. His twin brother, Thomas, loved it just as much and was naturally a star player. In gym class, Jason was always disheartened when he was picked last to play. Jason decided to get serious about improving his basketball skills the summer before he started middle school. His mom signed both boys up for a basketball camp, but Thomas decided he would rather stay home than practice skills he felt he’d already perfected. Jason was committed and never missed a practice while Thomas stopped going completely. Jason also practiced late in the evenings while Thomas was inside playing video games. When Thomas went to tryouts he was shocked to see how much better his brother had gotten but still felt confident about making the team. The day after tryouts, Jason was ecstatic to see his name on the list, while Thomas was shocked to see his name missing.
What is the theme of this passage?
What is hard work pays off?