Words in Context
In the sentence below, what does conserve most nearly mean?
To conserve water, Maya turned off the faucet while brushing her teeth.
To save or use carefully so it is not wasted.
Read this sentence:
After the school added recycling bins, fewer plastic bottles appeared in the trash cans.
What can you infer happened because of the recycling bins?
Students likely began recycling more plastic bottles instead of throwing them away.
Read this statement:
“Plastic pollution harms animals, clogs waterways, and can remain in the environment for hundreds of years.”
What is the author’s most likely purpose?
To inform readers about the harmful effects of plastic pollution.
An article explains first how plastic enters rivers, then how it travels to the ocean, and finally how it affects marine animals.
What text structure does the author primarily use?
Sequence or chronological order.
Text A says, “Turning off unused lights saves energy.”
Text B says, “Unplugging chargers when they are not in use prevents wasted electricity.”
What shared idea do both texts communicate?
People can help conserve energy by avoiding unnecessary electricity use.
What does scarce mean as it is used in this sentence?
During the drought, clean drinking water became scarce in several communities.
Limited, hard to find, or not available in enough quantity.
Read this sentence:
When the city announced a plan to build a new park, several residents attended the meeting carrying posters that read, “Save Our Trees.”
What can you infer about the residents’ concerns?
They are concerned that building the park may require cutting down trees or damaging the natural area.
Read this statement:
“If every student brought a reusable bottle just twice a week, our school could keep thousands of plastic bottles out of landfills.”
Who is the most likely intended audience?
Students at the school or people who regularly use disposable water bottles.
Read this excerpt:
Too much food is thrown away each year. One solution is for families to plan meals, save leftovers, and compost food scraps.
What text structure is used?
Problem and solution.
Text A encourages people to bring reusable bags when shopping.
Text B explains that plastic bags can harm animals when they end up in waterways.
How does Text B support the recommendation in Text A?
Text B explains why using reusable bags matters: plastic bags can harm animals and pollute waterways.
What does sustainable most nearly mean in this sentence?
The city invested in sustainable energy sources that could provide power without quickly using up natural resources
Able to continue long term without depleting resources or causing serious environmental harm.
Read this excerpt:
Carlos brought his reusable bottle to school every day, even when his friends teased him for refusing the free bottled water at lunch. By the end of the month, two of his friends had started bringing their own bottles.
What can you infer about Carlos?
Carlos is committed to reducing waste and/or his choices influenced others, even though he initially faced social pressure.
Read this excerpt:
“Protecting the planet does not require perfection. It requires people to make thoughtful choices whenever they can.”
What message is the author communicating?
Small, realistic actions can help protect the environment; people do not have to be perfect to make a positive difference.
Read this excerpt:
Both solar and wind power produce electricity without burning fossil fuels. However, solar panels rely on sunlight, while wind turbines rely on moving air.
What text structure is used, and what is one difference the author highlights?
The structure is compare and contrast. Solar power relies on sunlight, while wind power relies on wind/moving air.
Text A focuses on actions one person can take, such as recycling and using less water.
Text B argues that businesses and local governments should create policies that reduce waste.
What is one important difference between the texts’ approaches to environmental protection?
Text A emphasizes individual responsibility, while Text B emphasizes community, business, or government responsibility.
What does the word burden suggest in this sentence?
The writer argues that protecting the environment should not be viewed as a burden placed on a few people, but as a responsibility shared by everyone.
A difficult, unwanted duty or problem—something that feels heavy or inconvenient to carry.
Read this excerpt:
The article describes the overflowing landfill in detail but never directly tells readers what to do. It ends by explaining that the average household throws away hundreds of pounds of food each year.
What is the author most likely implying?
The author is implying that readers should reduce food waste and take responsibility for the waste their households create.
Read this excerpt:
“One aluminum can may seem insignificant, but imagine the effect if every household in the city threw away one can each day. Soon, the landfill would contain mountains of metal that could have been reused.”
How does the author’s comparison help achieve the purpose of the text?
It helps readers see that a small individual action can create a large collective problem. The comparison makes the consequences of waste more vivid and encourages readers to recycle.
An article begins by describing a town’s increase in trash. It then explains that a new recycling program reduced the amount of waste sent to the landfill.
What is the relationship between the two main ideas, and why is that structure effective?
The relationship is cause and effect: the recycling program caused the amount of landfill waste to decrease. This structure is effective because it shows readers that a specific action can lead to a positive environmental result.
Text A states that a community garden gives families access to fresh food.
Text B states that community gardens can reduce the distance food must travel before people buy it.
How do the texts develop a complementary idea?
Both show that community gardens are beneficial, but they emphasize different benefits: Text A focuses on access to fresh food, while Text B focuses on reducing transportation/environmental impact.
What does legacy mean in this sentence, and what feeling does the word create?
Every decision we make today becomes part of the legacy we leave for the people who will inherit the Earth tomorrow.
A legacy is what people leave behind for future generations.
Read this excerpt:
“I used to think one person could not make a difference,” Alana admitted. “Then our neighborhood cleanup filled twelve bags with trash in one morning. Seeing everyone work together made me realize that small actions can grow into something bigger.”
What implicit message does this excerpt communicate? Explain using one detail from the excerpt.
The implicit message is that individual actions matter, especially when people work together; small efforts can create meaningful change. The cleanup filling twelve bags—or the fact that the neighborhood worked together—supports that inference.
Read this excerpt:
“We borrow this planet from the generations who will come after us. The choices we make at the grocery store, at school, and at home will shape the world they inherit.”
What is the author’s message, and how does the use of the word borrow strengthen that message?
The message is that people have a responsibility to care for the Earth because today’s actions affect future generations. Calling the planet something we “borrow” suggests that we do not own it permanently and must return it in good condition; this creates a serious, responsible, future-focused tone.
An article arguing that schools should reduce single-use plastics includes these features:
A bold heading: “How Much Plastic Does Our School Use?"
A bar graph comparing the number of disposable bottles used before and after a reusable-bottle campaign.
A concluding list of three actions students can take.
How do these features help the author achieve the purpose of the article?
The heading focuses readers on the issue; the graph provides visual evidence that the campaign made a difference; and the action list tells readers what they can do. Together, the features help the author inform and persuade students to reduce single-use plastic.
Text A argues that individuals should make small daily changes, such as using reusable products.
Text B argues that large companies should reduce wasteful packaging and invest in sustainable materials.
Write a one- to two-sentence claim that explains how the texts would most likely agree or disagree about who is responsible for protecting the environment. Include one detail from each text.
The texts would likely agree that protecting the environment requires action, but they emphasize different groups. Text A focuses on individual choices such as using reusable products, while Text B focuses on companies changing packaging and materials.