Master Detective
Maya stared at the blank screen of her laptop as the digital clock in the corner flashed 11:45 PM. Her history paper was due at midnight, but her outline was completely empty. She chugged the last drop of her lukewarm coffee, rubbed her bloodshot eyes, and began frantically typing as fast as her fingers could move.
Infer what kind of situation Maya is in, and state 2 pieces of text evidence to support your answer.
Target Answer: She is procrastinating / under severe stress to meet a tight deadline.
Evidence: Laptop clock shows 11:45 PM for a midnight deadline, drinking coffee late at night, rubbing bloodshot eyes, or typing frantically.
Honeybees are essential pollinators that support human food crops across the globe. Interestingly, bees communicate the location of flowers to their hive mates using an intricate movement pattern called the "waggle dance." While some people find bees scary because of their yellow stripes, their pollination contributes to over one-third of the food we eat daily.
Identify the 1 most salient (key) point and 1 non-relevant/extraneous detail from this passage.
Target Answer:
Salient Point: Honeybees are vital pollinators that support human food crops / 1/3 of our food.
Extraneous Detail: Some people find bees scary because of yellow stripes.
"Marcus spent 20 minutes looking for his uniform, but it wasn't in his closet. He noticed the washing machine was humming in the laundry room. He opened the door, and a cloud of warm steam filled his face. Marcus sighed, realizing he wouldn't be wearing his lucky jersey to practice."
Question: How did the uniform feel when Marcus found it, and how do you know?
It was wet/damp (or fresh out of the wash).
Evidence: The washing machine was humming, and warm steam came out when he opened it.
"Yesterday, the whole team go to the pizza place to celebrate our big win."
"Yesterday, the whole team went to the pizza place to celebrate our big win."
"After playing in the mud all afternoon, the dog was so filthy that we had to give him a bath immediately."
Question: What does filthy mean, and what clue helped you know?
Answer: Very dirty.
Context Clue: Playing in the mud and needing a bath immediately.
The afternoon sun beat down relentlessly on the dry, cracked dirt of the hiking trail. Liam tapped his plastic water canteen against his palm, listening to the hollow echo that meant it was completely empty. Looking up at the steep, rocky incline ahead, he let out a heavy sigh and wiped sweat from his brow. The trail sign indicated the summit was still three miles away.
Predict what decision Liam will make next, and provide 2-3 pieces of evidence to support your prediction.
Target Answer: He will turn back or stop to rest.
Evidence: Empty canteen/no water, relentless sun/dry trail, steep incline ahead, wiped sweat, or summit is still 3 miles away.
The CEO's ruthless strategy allowed the company to eliminate all local competitors within six months.
Does the word "ruthless" have a positive or negative connotation? Explain your reasoning and define the word in your own words.
Negative connotation. Reasoning: It implies showing no pity, compassion, or fairness to others just to win. Definition: Having no mercy or caring about hurting others to get what you want.
"The hallway was dead silent as Maya walked toward the main office. Every classroom door was shut tightly, and no other students were at their lockers. She glanced at her watch and winced when she saw it was 8:15 AM. She reached into her backpack to grab her signed late slip."
Question: Why was the hallway empty, and what detail tells you this?
School had already started / she was late.
Evidence: The clock said 8:15 AM, classroom doors were shut, and she grabbed a late slip.
"The group were talking loudly in the cafeteria during lunch."
"The group was talking loudly in the cafeteria during lunch."
"Unlike his outgoing and talkative sister, Jordan was extremely reserved and preferred to read quietly by himself."
Question: What does reserved mean, and what clue helped you know?
Answer: Quiet, shy, or kept to oneself.
Context Clue: The contrast clue "Unlike his outgoing and talkative sister" and "preferred to read quietly."
When the final whistle blew, the stadium exploded into deafening cheers. Off to the side, Coach Ramirez sat alone on the bench, staring silently at his clipboard. He slowly unclipped his headset, folded his hands over his face, and shook his head while the opposing team hoisted the trophy in the center of the field.
How is Coach Ramirez feeling, and what 3 text details support your inference?
Target Answer: He feels devastated, defeated, or disappointed. Evidence: Sitting alone on the bench, unclipped headset slowly, folded hands over face, shook his head, or opposing team won the trophy.
Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, generate electricity without emitting harmful greenhouse gases. Solar panels are typically made of silicon cells and are often installed on residential rooftops or vast desert land. Transitioning to these clean energy systems is critical to slowing down global climate change.
State the 2 main salient points of this passage
Renewable energy generates electricity without greenhouse gases.
Switching to clean energy is critical to slowing climate change.
(Extraneous: Solar panels being made of silicon/installed on rooftops or deserts).
"Leo stared down at the blank piece of paper on his desk for ten minutes. He tapped his pencil repeatedly until the eraser popped off and rolled under his chair. Outside, he could hear his friends shouting and laughing as they tossed a football. He chewed his lip, wishing he hadn't put off his English essay until Sunday night."
Question: How is Leo feeling right now, and what details show his emotion?
Stressed, frustrated, or distracted.
Evidence: He stared at a blank paper, tapped his pencil until it broke, chewed his lip, and wished he hadn't procrastinated.
"Because he didn't study for the science test at all last night."
Question: Turn this incomplete fragment into a full, grammatically correct sentence.
"Because he didn't study for the science test at all last night, he struggled on the first few questions."
"The storm was so ferocious—with howling winds, heavy rain, and snapping tree branches—that everyone hid in the basement."
Question: What does ferocious mean, and what clues support your answer?
Answer: Wild, fierce, intense, or dangerous.
Context Clue: Examples of the storm ("howling winds, heavy rain, snapping tree branches") and the reaction ("hid in the basement").
Elena walked through the front door, kicked off her muddy boots, and ignored her dog who ran up wagging his tail. She walked straight to her bedroom, shut the door firmly, and tossed her returned science exam onto her desk. A large red "58%" was stamped across the top page next to a handwritten note that read, "Please see me after class tomorrow."
Why did Elena head straight to her room without greeting her dog? Provide 2-3 text-based details in your written or verbal response.
Target Answer: She was upset or embarrassed about failing her test. Evidence: Kicked off boots, ignored her dog, shut her door firmly, or received a 58% failing grade with a teacher note.
"The boy read a lot of books because he was inquisitive."
Define "inquisitive" in your own words, state whether it carries a positive, negative, or neutral connotation, and use it correctly in a complex original sentence.
Definition: Curious, asking questions, or eager to learn new things.
Connotation: Positive (or neutral).
Original Sentence Example: "The inquisitive student stayed after class to ask the professor deeper questions about space exploration."
"Sam wrapped her jacket tightly around her shoulders as the dark clouds rolled over the soccer field. Sudden gusts of wind kicked up dust across the bleachers. The referee blew his whistle twice and pointed toward the parking lot. Parents quickly began folding up their lawn chairs."
Question: Why did the referee stop the game, and what evidence supports your answer?
A bad storm was coming.
Evidence: Dark clouds rolled in, sudden strong winds picked up, and parents rushed to pack up their chairs.
"My friends ain't going to the basketball game."
My friends aren't going to the basketball game.
"The teacher gave us an ambiguous assignment; because the instructions were unclear and vague, no one knew what to do."
Question: What does ambiguous mean, and what clue helped you figure it out?
Answer: Unclear, having more than one meaning, or hard to understand.
Context Clue: The direct definition clue right after the word ("because the instructions were unclear and vague").
The atmospheric pressure inside the deep-sea research vessel began to drop steadily as the outer hull creaked under the immense weight of the ocean. Red warning lights flickered along the control panel, and an alarm chimed every five seconds. Captain Vance immediately ordered the crew to vent the ballast tanks and flip the primary ascent switches.
Infer what emergency is happening and what outcome Captain Vance is trying to prevent. Cite 3 pieces of evidence.
Target Answer: The vessel is in danger of imploding or sinking too deep, and Vance is trying to surface safely.
Evidence: Dropping atmospheric pressure, creaking hull, red warning lights/alarm, or flipping ascent switches/venting tanks.
Although electric scooters provide a convenient way to travel short distances in cities, they often cause significant friction between pedestrians and riders on busy sidewalks. Additionally, scooters come in various colors like neon green and silver black.
Separate the salient main idea from the extraneous detail.
Define "friction" as used in this context and use it in your own original sentence.
Salient: Scooters are convenient but cause conflict with pedestrians. Extraneous: Scooters come in neon green and silver black.
Definition/Connotation: Negative; means conflict, disagreement, or tension between groups.
Sentence: "The new rule caused a lot of friction between the players and the coach."
"Julian put the last stack of books into his cardboard box and taped the top shut. His bedroom walls were completely bare where his sports posters used to hang. Downstairs, he heard a large truck backup into the driveway with a loud beep. He took one last look around the empty room before turning off the light."
Question: What is happening in Julian's life today, and what clues tell you that?
He is moving to a new home.
Evidence: He packed his room into boxes, took down his posters, the room was empty, and a moving truck backed into the driveway.
"After we finishes our project, we was going to present it to the class, but the bell ringed."
"After we finished our project, we were going to present it to the class, but the bell rang."
"Instead of buying new supplies, the art teacher asked us to salvage old cardboard, plastic bottles, and scraps of paper to reuse for our sculptures."
Question: What does salvage mean, and what clue reveals its meaning?
Answer: To rescue, save, or recover items to use again.
Context Clue: "Instead of buying new supplies" and the explanation to "reuse" old items.