What is the main idea?
When Americans think of earthquakes, they tend to think of California, a state known for its frequent seismic activity. In recent years, however, people in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas have been feeling the ground shake more often. An increase in oil and gas drilling in these states has led to "human-induced" earthquakes—those resulting from human activity. When wastewater is disposed of during gas and oil drilling, the water is forced deep underground. The resulting buildup of pressure can cause fault lines (cracks in the earth's crust) to shift. According to Mark Petersen, head of the U.S. Geological Survey's earthquake hazard mapping project, "In the past five years, the USGS has documented high shaking and damage in areas of these six states, mostly from induced earthquakes."
An increase in oil and gas drilling has caused a corresponding increase in earthquakes in six states.
A special type of vote called a "popular referendum" gives voters the opportunity to cancel a law passed by their legislature. It's available to voters in twenty-four states. After the state legislature approves a law, voters can circulate a referendum petition. They must collect a specified number of voters' signatures within a certain number of days—generally ninety—and deliver them to a designated state official, usually the secretary of state. The official then must review and verify that the petition contains a sufficient number of valid signatures of registered voters. Once the signatures are certified, the referendum is placed on the ballot in a statewide election. At that point, the voters decide whether to approve or disapprove the law. If they disapprove it, it never goes into effect.
What text structure is this passage?
1) Sequential 2) Compare and Contrast 3) Description 4) Cause and Effect 5) Problem and Solution
Sequential
chef is to knife as farmer is to
a) food
b) tractor
tractor
Ernest complained so much about the meeting that Irma finally told him to put a cork in it.
a) to accept unpleasant results of one's actions
b) to stop talking right now
to stop talking right now
Which is a sentence fragment?
Made pancakes and baked corn muffins for our breakfast on Sunday morning.
The restaurants in the vicinity are expensive Dan can't afford them.
Made pancakes and baked corn muffins for our breakfast on Sunday morning.
As Shane Loeffler, a geology student at the University of Minnesota, was flying home from Europe, he looked down at the landscape and began to wonder what he was flying over. He realized that a plane flight would be a good opportunity for people to learn about the geological features of the earth below them. As a result of this experience, with a grant from the National Science Foundation, he created a free app called Flyover Country. The app provides users with information on natural formations, man-made features like dams, and even where fossils can be found. The features are pinpointed on a map that corresponds to the landscape below the plane.
Shane Loeffler's experience in a plane led him to create an app that would provide information to flyers about the land below them.
People with asthma may experience difficulty breathing due to inflammation, or swelling, of the inner surfaces of their airways (the passageways by which air reaches the lungs). This inflammation makes the passageways sensitive to further irritation. Exposure to substances in the air such as pollen or smoke may then trigger an asthma attack. During an attack, the muscles around the airways contract, narrowing the space through which oxygen can pass. This can prevent oxygen from entering or exiting the lungs properly. Possible symptoms during an attack include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.
What text structure is this passage?
1) Sequential 2) Compare and Contrast 3) Description 4) Cause and Effect 5) Problem and Solution
Cause and Effect
Card is to deck, as flower is to ___.
Bouquet
Layla wished she could ignore the fact that she scratched her brother's car, but she knew she had to face the music.
a) to accept unpleasant results of one's actions
b) to turn to better hear a speaker or band
to accept unpleasant results of one's actions
Is this a run-on sentence?
Dominic and Riley both handle themselves well under pressure.
No
There are many good reasons to learn a second language. A second language can improve your understanding of your native language, open the door to new job opportunities, and help you learn about other cultures. Yet American students are less likely than European students to study foreign languages in school. To address this gap, several states have begun doing more to encourage biliteracy—the ability to read and write in two languages. California, New York, and Illinois are among the states that have passed laws establishing a state "Seal of Biliteracy." A Seal of Biliteracy shows that a student has achieved proficiency in a second language. Supporters of the seals say that they honor the importance of second-language learning. The seals also provide colleges and future employers with evidence of students' abilities.
Fewer American students than European students learn a second language, so some states are promoting the study of foreign languages.
The males of the Cervidae (deer) family, such as elk, moose, deer, and caribou, grow antlers on their heads. Caribou are the only species in which the females also have antlers. Antlers are branched structures made of bone. Most antlered animals shed them annually in the fall or winter and then grow new antlers in the spring. Horns, unlike antlers, don't fall off but continue to grow throughout the animal's life. Further, horns aren't branched, nor are they made entirely of bone. Horns contain a bony core that is covered with a sheath of keratin, similar to the material of fingernails. Horned animals, which include sheep, cows, bison, and goats, are in the Bovidae family. In many Bovidae species, both females and males have horns.
What text structure is this passage?
1) Sequential 2) Compare and Contrast 3) Description 4) Cause and Effect 5) Problem and Solution
Compare and Contrast
chess is to game as joy is to ___.
Emotion
I had to burn the candle at both ends to cook and clean for so many guests.
To do too much work/overwork yourself
Which is a run-on sentence?
Yeast breads rise slowly, but other types of breads can be made more quickly.Bella still corresponds with her pen pal in Austria they have been writing to each other since the third grade.
Is this a complete sentence? Fragment? Run-on?
Run On
In 2016, Vallecito Elementary School in San Rafael, California, became the first U.S. school to replace all of its ordinary desks with raised desks that students stand at. Speaking to a reporter from TIME for Kids magazine, one student at the school gave the standing desks high praise. "You feel happier, you're less tired, and you're more active," she said. According to several studies, children working at standing desks burn more calories and are more focused on tasks. However, some teachers and parents are opposed to the change. They are concerned that standing for long periods of time could cause fatigue, strain on the legs and feet, or posture problems. In addition, standing desks are more expensive than seated desks. Only time will tell whether standing desks will prove to be the next big trend or a failed experiment.
Some people say that standing desks promote good study habits, but others are wary about the new desks.
In the 1990s, a group of women in the African country of Gambia organized to take action on plastic bags. Lacking any recycling programs, people had been throwing their used plastic bags on the ground, along with other trash. Because plastic doesn't decompose the way other waste does, piles of bags accumulated. What could they do? The women came up with a novel answer for the plastic bag puzzle. They collected and cleaned old bags, then reused them by cutting them into strips and crocheting or knitting items such as purses from the plastic. Selling their handiwork at markets, the women raised money for additional recycling programs, which enabled them to further reduce plastic litter.
What text structure is this passage?
1) Sequential 2) Compare and Contrast 3) Description 4) Cause and Effect 5) Problem and Solution
cure is to heal as buy is to __
purchase
Let us know what you think, because our plans aren't carved in stone.
Unable to be changed
Which is a sentence fragment?
After the trial, new evidence emerged about the case.
Dairy products such as milk and cheese.
Christine put stars on the ceiling, they glow in the dark.
Dairy products such as milk and cheese.
Many books, papers, and television shows have created an image of the African wild dog as the ultimate predator. According to these sources, the dogs' coordinated teamwork and their unusual endurance help them catch about eighty percent of their prey. A 2012 study tested that notion. Researchers fit a pack of wild dogs with special collars that recorded the dogs' positions and speeds. The data that the collars recorded allowed the researchers to learn what the dogs did when they weren't being observed. The results provided a surprising contrast with the dogs' fierce reputation. The dogs never used teamwork in their hunts; they chased their prey over short distances as opposed to long runs; and instead of eighty percent, they brought down only about sixteen percent of their prey.
African wild dogs have a reputation as fierce hunters who work in teams, but new data suggests otherwise.
In 1969, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross identified certain stages of mourning that people go through when they experience a loss. In the first stage, the person denies what has happened. Next comes anger, and then bargaining: "If I promise to do this, then everything will be better." This is often followed by depression—sadness about the loss. The final stage of grief is acceptance. Acceptance isn't the same as happiness, but rather is an acknowledgement of the need to get on with living despite the loss. Kübler-Ross said that these feelings are all a natural part of mourning, but that each person grieves in his or her unique way.
What text structure is this passage?
1) Sequential 2) Compare and Contrast 3) Description 4) Cause and Effect 5) Problem and Solution
fisherman is to hook as gardener is to ___
shovel
I'll agree to go to the play, but I draw the line at going to the party afterward.
To set a limit on, to not go any further
Which is a run-on sentence?
City officials condemned that building, so now it's being torn down.
Maddie is an adept skier she has trained for many years.
Latin jazz singer Celia Cruz was born in Cuba, but she became a U.S. citizen in 1961.
Maddie is an adept skier she has trained for many years.