meaning of words RI.4
What is tone?
the author’s attitude toward the topic
What is text structure?
how text is organized
What does the word connotate mean?
how the word makes the reader feel (+/-)
Both Alice’s mother and grandfather were photographers, and as a child she developed an interest in the chemicals used in photography. She went to college in her hometown of Seattle and earned not one but two degrees, in pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacy. What an accomplishment for a young woman! At the time, most of the African American population in the city was employed in service professions—cleaning homes or making food, for example. But Alice defied expectations and her circumstances by seeking an education and a career in science.
How does the author support the claim in paragraph 1 that Ball’s graduation was “an accomplishment”?
A By pointing out how Ball’s family supported her
B By showing how much Ball cared about science
C By explaining how unusual it was for the period
D By providing the name of the university where it happened
C By explaining how unusual it was for the period
Why might an author use the cause-and-effect text structure?
to explain reasons why something happens
What is the definition of figurative language?
words that mean something different than their literal meaning
14 Some researchers speculate that wolves may have tamed themselves simply by hanging around Stone Age garbage dumps. Wolves that weren’t scared off by people had a better chance of getting food and surviving.
What does the author’s use of the word “speculate” in paragraph 14 suggest about the researchers?
A They are curious about the survival skills of wolves.
B They have thoughts about wolves’ body chemistry.
C They are curious about the food supply of wolves.
D They have ideas about how wolves became tame.
D They have ideas about how wolves became tame.
6 This spring, researchers from the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Mass., expect to complete a detailed scan of the entire set of DNA in a boxer named Tasha. They’ll be able to compare the boxer’s DNA to that of a poodle. A different group of scientists analyzed a poodle’s DNA last fall. Others are starting to work on DNA belonging to each of three other dogs: a mastiff, a bloodhound, and a greyhound.
How does paragraph 6 best fit into the overall structure of the text?
A It compares and contrasts different breeds of dogs.
B It describes the physical appearance of a variety of dogs.
C It explains some of the challenges in scanning dog DNA.
D It introduces research intended to understand dog DNA.
D It introduces research intended to understand dog DNA.
3 It wasn’t until the 1970s that historians unearthed the truth and worked to ensure that Alice got credit for her important discovery. On February 29, 2000, the University of Hawaii recognized her for her work and dedicated a plaque to her on the only chaulmoogra tree on the school’s campus. That day the lieutenant governor of Hawaii declared February 29 Alice Ball Day.
In paragraph 3, what does the phrase “unearthed the truth” suggest about the historians?
A They graduated at the same time as Alice Ball.
B The information they found was located in books.
C They had worked in the same department as Alice Ball.
D The information they found had been hidden for a long time.
D The information they found had been hidden for a long time.
2 At issue was whether Great Britain had a right to collect a tax on certain items coming into the Colonies. In this case, the taxable item was tea—specifically, tea owned by the British East India Company
The use of the word “right” in paragraph 2 suggests that the colonists were questioning Great Britain’s —
A legal authority
B moral correctness
C current plan
D chosen method
A legal authority
How does the narrative form used in the excerpt contribute to its meaning?
A It provides a justification to the reader for why a historical event happened the way that it did.
B It reveals details to the reader that explain what motivated men to participate in a historic event.
C It allows the reader to experience a historic event from the perspective of someone who participated in it.
D It presents the characters involved in a historic event in a way that encourages the reader to sympathize with them.
C It allows the reader to experience a historic event from the perspective of someone who participated in it.
2 In 1915, Alice became the first woman and the first African American to graduate with a master’s degree from the University of Hawaii. While working on her thesis, she developed what would become the leading treatment for leprosy, a serious, incurable disease. She found a way for oil from the seed of the chaulmoogra tree to be absorbed in the bloodstream. This treatment became the primary method that would be used until the 1940s, but for a long time no one knew Alice was the inventor. Less than two years after this discovery, Alice died, and the director of her program took credit for her findings. Alice’s method became known as the Dean Method.
Which phrase would best replace “primary method” as it is used in paragraph 2?
A easy system
B main process
C modern answer
D creative solution
B main process
5 He had noticed a stout boy . . . working near him. The boy looked familiar, but when he saw his white, fat hands, Johnny knew who he was and kept a sharp eye on him. It was Dove. He was . . . but a volunteer. He had on an enormous pair of breeches tied at each knee with rope. Even as Johnny upended a chest and helped get the tea over the rail, he kept an eye on Dove. The boy was secretly scooping tea into his breeches. This theft would come to several hundred dollars in value, but more important it would ruin the high moral tone of the party. Johnny whispered to Rab, who put down the axe he had been wielding with such passion and grabbed Dove. It wasn’t much of a scuffle. Soon Dove was whining and admitting that a little of the tea had happened to ‘splash’ into his breeches. Johnny got them off and kicked them and the many pounds of tea they held into the harbor.
Which detail helps the reader understand the meaning of the phrase “high moral tone” in paragraph 5?
A “. . . not one thing should be damaged on the ship except only the tea. . . .” (paragraph 1)
B “The ‘tea party’ was not unexpected.” (paragraph 2)
C “. . . others broke open the chests and flung the tea into the harbor.” (paragraph 4)
D “He had on an enormous pair of breeches tied at each knee. . . .” (paragraph 5)
A “. . . not one thing should be damaged on the ship except only the tea. . . .” (paragraph 1)
8 8 As the 20-day deadline approached, Boston’s Sons of Liberty mobilized. On the evening of December 16, 1773, a crowd of men dressed as Mohawk Indians (to keep their identities a secret) approached the wharf. They instructed the men guarding the ships to step aside and asked for the keys to the holds. Working quickly and efficiently for three hours, they threw all the tea overboard. Only the tea and the chests it was in were destroyed. No other damage was done, except for a padlock owned by one of the ship captains. And that was replaced the next day.
Which statement best compares the event represented in the illustration to its description in paragraph 8 of the passage?
A While both help readers to visualize the Boston Tea Party, the paragraph description provides more specific details about the event.
B While the paragraph explains to readers that the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves, the illustration better helps readers understand why.
C While the illustration helps readers better understand what the Sons of Liberty did, the paragraph helps readers better understand who they were.
D While both help readers to grasp the reason why the Boston Tea Party occurred, the illustration better displays how much tea the colonists dumped
A While both help readers to visualize the Boston Tea Party, the paragraph description provides more specific details about the event.
Read the sentence from paragraph 1. Dogs are like ice cream flavors: There’s one to satisfy nearly every taste. How does this simile impact the meaning of paragraph 1 in the passage?
A It suggests that dogs are pleasant pets.
B It suggests that many dogs behave similarly.
C It suggests that there are many kinds of dogs.
D It suggests that dogs act differently from other animals.
C It suggests that there are many kinds of dogs.