Theme
The theme of this text:
Julia wanted to become a doctor for as long as she could remember. In college when her friends were out at the mall or going out with friends, Julia spent all of her time studying. At graduation, Julia graduated with high honors and was offered a job shortly after.
A. Studying is important.
B. It is important to go to college.
C. Hard work pays off.
What is hard work pays off?
The Main Idea of this text:
Susan got a basket for a present. She uses it to carry many things. She puts food in the basket. She keeps toys in the basket. She even puts her kitten in the basket.
A. We need baskets.
B. Baskets should be big.
C. Susan uses her basket a lot.
D. Susan doesn't like to use the basket.
What is Susan uses her basket a lot?
The meaning of archaic:
Many people now feel that typewriters are archaic, or old-fashioned.
What is old-fashioned?
The boy thinks _______________.:
The boy rode his bike to his friend's house after dinner. When he got there, he rang the bell. He waited, but no one came to the door. He looked in the driveway. The car was not there. There were no lights on and the windows were all closed. The boy got back on his bike and went home.
What is no one was home?
Name the text structure:
Willow Creek is very different from New York City. There are no tall skyscrapers in Willow Creek. All you can see are fields and sky. Instead of taxicab horns and fire truck sirens, it is so quiet at night that you can hear the crickets chirping.
A. Problem and Solution
B. Compare and Contrast
C. Cause and Effect
D. Description
What is compare and contrast?
The theme of this text:
Growing up, Sally was always in the shadow of her older sister Mary. Mary always got better grades, was better at sports, and seemed to even be prettier. Sally spent a lot of time in the family's garden feeling sorry for herself. Then one day Mary needed help on a science project about plants. Due to all of her time in the garden, Sally knew a lot about plants and was able help Mary with the project. Sally was shocked that she was better at something than her sister.
A. Accept yourself for who you are.
B. Sports are not important
C. You can learn a lot from plants.
What is accept yourself for who you are?
The Main Idea of this text:
On Thanksgiving, Kara loved to hear the pans bang and clang as her mom cooked in the kitchen. She loved to start a checkers championship with her dad and set up the cardboard Pilgrim she’d made in school. She loved it when her cousins, aunts, uncles, grandma, and great- grandpa came for dinner.
A. Kara enjoys the holidays.
B. Kara makes Thanksgiving dinner.
C. Kara built a pilgrim at school.
D. Kara loves spending time with her family.
What is Kara loves spending time with her family?
The meaning of immutable:
The start time for classes is immutable, so they are unable to change.
What is being unable to change?
The cat’s favorite spot is _______________.:
The cat stretches and yawns. She strolls over to her favorite spot. The sun shines in and makes it very warm. She watches the birds and squirrels. Sometimes the fresh air blows in on her. She climbs up into her soft bed and looks at the animals for a while. Then she curls up and goes to sleep.
What is by the window?
Name the text structure:
The Olympic games began as athletic festivals to honor the Greek gods. The most important festival was held in the valley of Olympia to honor Zeus, the king of the gods. It was the festival that became the Olympic games in 776 B.C. These games were ended in 394 A.D. by the Roman emperor in Greece. No Olympic games were held for more than 1,500 years. Then the modern Olympics began is 1896. Almost 300 male athletes competed in the first modern Olympics. In the games held in 1900, female athletes were allowed to compete. The games have continued every four years since 1896, except during World War II and they will most likely continue for many years to come.
A. Cause and effect
B. Problem and Solution
C. Chronological
D. Compare and Contrast
What is chronological?
The theme of the text:
A monkey put his hand into the jar of cookies. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the cookie jar. Unwilling to lose the cookies, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and cried bitterly.
A. Eating cookies can be dangerous.
B. If you are greedy, you might get nothing.
C. Don't put your hand in a jar.
What is if you are greedy, you might get nothing?
The Main Idea of this text:
When some people think about Texas, they think of cowboys on the open range-herding cattle up a dusty trail. However, Texas has much more than open prairie with large herds of cows. There are the mountains of West Texas, the piney hills of east Texas, and the emerald waters off the coast of Padre Island. Texas also has large coastal harbors with numerous sailboats, powerboats, inland lakes, rivers, swamps of southeast Texas with alligators and other exotic wildlife.
A. There are a lot of cows in Texas.
B. There are many different, varied parts of Texas.
C. Texas is one of the biggest states in the United States
D. There are alligators in the swampland of southeast Texas.
What is there are many different, varied parts of Texas?
The meaning of egret:
The lovely egret is in danger of extinction because clothing makers use its long, beautiful tail feathers to make hats.
What is a type of bird?
The girl’s dream is _______________:
The girl saved all her money. It was exactly what she wanted. She imagined gliding down the road pedaling effortlessly. She finally had enough money to make her dream come true.
What is to buy a bike?
Name the text structure:
There are several reasons why so many people attend the Olympic games or watch them on television. One reason is tradition. The name Olympics and the torch and flame remind people of the ancient games. People can escape the ordinariness of daily life by attending or watching the Olympics. They like to identify with someone else’s individual sacrifice and accomplishment. National pride is another reason, and an athlete’s or a team’s hard earned victory becomes a nation’s victory. There are national medal counts and people keep track of how many medals their country’s athletes have won.
A. Sequence
B. Description
C. Problem and Solution
D. Cause and Effect
What is cause and effect?
Theme of the text:
Money Mark was born rich. He never had to work a day in his life and he got everything handed to him on a silver platter. When he was six, Money Mark wanted to go to a basketball game. His father paid the starting five of the Bulls and Celtics to play a private game of Nerf-ball in Money Mark's bedroom. When Money Mark turned thirteen, he wanted to start a band. His father hired the Rolling Stones to play with him every Saturday at the family's private concert hall, though his family was never there. By the time he was twenty-one, Money Mark was bored with life. He was surrounded by a bunch of possessions that he didn't appreciate and Money Mark could find nothing new or exciting in his life. Despite his vast wealth, Money Mark was never satisfied.
What is money can't buy happiness?
The Main Idea of this passage:
The owl and the crow prey on each other's weaknesses. At night, owls often make dinners of crows, which cannot see well in the dark. During the day it's a different story. Vengeful groups of crows attack and kill sleeping owls, which are resting for another night of hunting.
What is what owls and crows prey on each other's weaknesses?
The meaning of repress:
Rather than repress your feelings, you should let them out. Doing so will reduce your stress.
What is to hold in or to hold back?
The bear is getting ready to ____________:
The bear ate lots of nuts and fish. Her fur got thick. She prepared her den. The leaves fell from the trees and the days turned colder. What was the bear getting ready to do?
What is hibernate?
Name the text structure:
The Olympic symbol consists of five interlocking rings. The rings represent the five continents- Africa, Asia, North America, Europe, and South America- from which athletes come to compete in the games. The rings are colored black, blue, green, red, and yellow. At least one of those colors is found in the flag of every country sending athletes to compete in the Olympic games.
A. Sequence
B. Description
C. Compare and Contrast
D. Cause and Effect
What is description?
Theme of this text:
One winter, a monkey found a snake stiff and frozen. The monkey felt sorry for the snake and so he picked the snake up and held it to his chest to try to warm it. The snake was quickly revived by the warmth, and because of its instincts, bit the monkey with all its might.
What is even though you have good intentions, others may not?
Main Idea of this passage:
Native Americans were astonishing astronomers. They had no tools--no telescopes, no computers,not even any eyeglasses to improve their eyesight. Yet the Mayan people of Central America and the Yucatan made accurate observations of the skies and made predictions about the movements of Venus. These predictions rival our computer predictions today.
What is Native Americans were astonishing astronomers?
The meaning of boisterous:
The crowd was boisterous. They screamed, cheered, and yelled for their favorite team.
What is noisy or rowdy?
The woman is at _________________:
The young woman looked down at her long dress. She felt like a princess. She and the others stood in the hall. They listened to the music. Then she heard the cue. She walked down the aisle as she held her flowers.
What is her wedding?
Name the text structure:
To surprise her mother on her birthday, Samantha got up early and make coffee. First, she filled the pot with water. Then she cleaned and replaced the filter. Next, she got fresh coffee, measured just the right amount, and poured it into the filter. Finally, she pressed the "on" button and within seconds, the aroma of the fresh-brewed coffee filled the house.
A. Cause and effect
B. Problem and Solution
C. Chronological
D. Sequence
What is sequence?