Key Ideas
The term “Emerald Isle” is synonymous with Ireland and its rolling hills and valleys of green. But how did Ireland come to be known as the Emerald Isle? Ireland’s greenery certainly had a lot to do with it, but there's more to the story and it began with a poet. Ireland was first called the “Emerald Isle” in William Drennan’s poem, "When Erin First Rose". Which key idea is being developed with this excerpt?
a. Ireland is known has the “Emerald Isle”.
b. William Drennan wrote a poem about Ireland.
c. William Drennan’s poem about Ireland was called, “When Erin First Rose.”
d. Ireland became known as the “Emerald Isle” through its greenery, and an Irish poem.
D. Ireland became known as the “Emerald Isle” through its greenery, and an Irish poem.
(1) Pet ownership may not be for everyone. (2) Yes, owning a pet can bring you great joy. (3) Also, it teaches owners to be more responsible. (4) However, owners sometimes find that they simply do not have enough time to take care of a pet.
Which sentence contains a negative detail of pet ownership?
(4) However, owners sometimes find that they simply do not have enough time to take care of a pet.
If a word is in bold, italics, or underlined, it might be _____. (select 2 answers)
a) an unimportant detail
b) a very important detail
c) a new term to learn
d) spelled incorrectly
b) a very important detail
c) a new term to learn
Lightly smack each orange on the counter. Cut each one in half. Squeeze into a glass. You may also use a citrus reamer to do this. If you want less pulp, use a hand juicer with a strainer.
What is the text structure?
chronological order (sequence)
problem and solution
compare and contrast
cause and effect
description
Chronological order or sequence
Every year, the crime rate in our town goes up. We write letters to the politicians, but they go unanswered. If you hear them speak on the radio or television, you would think our town was crime-free. They just don’t want to hear the truth.
What is the main issue?
A. Crime rate is difficult to determine.
B. The crime rate is bad, but politicians aren’t listening.
C. Crime rates are increasing in all major towns.
D. Many politicians speak on the radio and television.
B. The crime rate is bad, but politicians aren’t listening.
Hands Across America was a public event on Sunday, May 25, 1986, in which approximately 6.5 million people held hands for fifteen minutes in an attempt to form a continuous human chain across the United States. Many participants donated ten dollars to reserve their place in line.
What is the central idea of this excerpt?
a. Hands Across America was fun.
b. Hands Across America was very inexpensive.
c. Hands Across America was an attempted show of unity.
d. Hands Across America occurred on May 25, 1986.
C. Hands Across America was an attempted show of unity.
1) Touching a snail holds no danger because they aren't poisonous. (2) If you like to eat them, however, you can't just pick up a garden snail and cook it. (3) Snails ingest dangerous chemicals, such as pesticides and snail bait, as they move through flower beds looking for food. (4) This is why they aren’t always good to eat.
Which sentence contains details about why you should be careful about eating snails?
(3) Snails ingest dangerous chemicals, such as pesticides and snail bait, as they move through flower beds looking for food.
Automation is the use of machines to reduce the need for human labor. Automation can be a good thing. Because of automation, clothing, cars, and other manufactured products are available at low prices and in large supply. However, automation can also be a bad thing. Because of automation, there are over 700,000 robots in America alone that do jobs once performed by humans.
What would be the best heading for this section of text?
a) The Benefits of Automation
b) Automation is a Bad Thing
c) The Pros and Cons of Automation
d) What is Automation?
c) The Pros and Cons of Automation
Birchwood School offers two spring sports. They are baseball and track. Baseball requires the ability to hit a ball, run to the bases, throw a ball, and catch a ball. Track requires short sprints and long-distance running. Both sports will keep students in good shape.
What is the structure of this excerpt?
chronological order (sequence)
problem and solution
compare and contrast
cause and effect
description
compare and contrast
Jasper thinks it is bad to cheat on tests. He would rather get a low grade than cheat. On Thursday, he saw his friend, Frederick, cheating on the math test. Jasper values their friendship, but also feels that his teacher needs to know that Frederick cheated. He just doesn’t want to be the one to tell her.
What is the main issue?
A. Children cheat on math tests.
B. Jasper doesn’t want to be friends with Frederick anymore.
C. Frederick is angry that Jasper is going to tell on him for cheating.
D. Jasper wants his teacher to know that Frederick cheated, but he doesn’t want to be the one to tell her.
D. Jasper wants his teacher to know that Frederick cheated, but he doesn’t want to be the one to tell her.
Educational volunteers work without pay in elementary, middle and high school classrooms. Their work is difficult, but very rewarding. Teachers are very grateful for their volunteers. Most schools have openings for this type of work.
Which is the BEST summary of this excerpt?
a. Volunteering for schools is fun.
b. Volunteers are needed at every school.
c. Educational volunteers work in elementary school classrooms.
d. Educational volunteers work hard and are greatly appreciated.
D. Educational volunteers work hard and are greatly appreciated.
1) Jenna has been a good friend to Maxine for two years. (2) They sat next to each other in lunch and walked to all of their classes together. (3) Maxine, however, has been very rude to Jenna lately. (4) She doesn’t sit or walk with her anymore. (5) In fact, she completely ignores her.
During which sentence does the focus of the excerpt begin to change?
B. Sentence 3: Maxine, however, has been very rude to Jenna lately.
In the 12th century, the samurai warrior class took control in Japan. The rigorous training for these warriors began in childhood. Trainees studied self- discipline, martial arts, and poetry. They were also expected to follow a guiding code of conduct called Bushido, which translates to "the way of the warrior." Additionally, young warriors spent hours perfecting their skills in horseback riding and archery. After years of preparation, the warriors were ready for battle.
Which text feature would best clarify the information?
a. an illustrated and labeled diagram of a samurai in full battle gear
b. a chart showing the time samurai spent in training
c. a timeline with dates and events leading to the rise of the samurai
d. a bulleted list of the samurai's code of conduct
b. a chart showing the time samurai spent in training
It was Ben’s birthday, and he couldn’t wait to open his present from his best friend, Dave. It was a Yankees jersey! The name of his favorite player was on the back. When he tried it on, it was much too small for him. Dave noticed his disappointment. Fortunately he save the receipt, and exchanged it for a larger size. Ben was delighted!
Which is the BEST way to define this text structure?
chronological order (sequence)
problem and solution
compare and contrast
cause and effect
description
Problem and solution
(1) Basketball is a good sport. (2) It teaches children good sportsmanship. (3) It also keeps them in shape. (4) Most children who play basketball don’t like to run. (5) Many schools have basketball teams.
Which sentence has a claim that doesn’t make sense?
(4) Most children who play basketball don’t like to run.
In three studies, we provided a test of how rudeness affects performance at the workplace. The results were all the same. They showed that rudeness reduced performance on routine tasks, as well as creative tasks.
What does this excerpt imply?
A. Rudeness should be against the law.
B. Rudeness can result in profit loss at the workplace.
C. Rudeness happens at every workplace.
D. Rudeness doesn’t really decrease routine performance tasks.
B. Rudeness can result in profit loss at the workplace.
An inference is an educated guess. You can infer profit losses will come if performance tasks are down due to rudeness.
(1) Jello is easy to make. (2) Simply whisk together 1 cup of hot water with 1 packet of jello in a large bowl. (3) Then add 1 cup of cold water to the mixture and whisk it in. (4) Most people prefer cherry jello over blueberry. (5) Pour the mixture into a jello mold. (6) Let the jello set in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, and then serve.
Which sentence from the excerpt is unnecessary, and should be omitted?
(4) Most people prefer cherry jello over blueberry.
In conflicts, samurai were covered head to toe. They wore heavy iron breastplates to protect their chests, and leather armor to shield their arms shoulders, thighs, and shins. They wore bulky metal helmets that protected their heads and necks. High-ranking warriors sometimes added feathers, horns, or other decorations to their helmets
Which text feature would best clarify the information?
a. an illustrated and labeled diagram of a samurai in full battle gear
b. a chart showing the time samurai spent in training
c. a timeline with dates and events leading to the rise of the samurai
d. a bulleted list of the samurai's code of conduct
a. an illustrated and labeled diagram of a samurai in full battle gear
"The old lighthouse stood on a craggy cliff, its weathered stone kissed by the salty spray of the ocean, a beacon of hope in the stormy night."
What is the text structure?
chronological order (sequence)
problem and solution
compare and contrast
cause and effect
description
Description
1) Sarah takes piano lessons on Thursday afternoons. (2) She learns three new songs per week. (3) She practices these songs for 45 minutes per day. (4) Playing the piano exposes Sarah to classical music. (5) It also keeps her legs in good shape.
Which sentence has a claim that doesn’t make sense?
(5) It also keeps her legs in good shape.
“It is a matter of shame that in the morning the birds should be awake earlier than you.”
Which idea is being introduced with this quotation?
A. Birds wake up too early.
B. Don’t waste the day.
C. Birds wake people up in the morning.
D. Don’t criticize others.
1) So you just purchased a new computer? (2) Remember to follow all of the directions for setting it up. (3) Most computers come with step by step directions. (4) It is also important to install antivirus software. (5) Without it, your computer can slow down, crash, or become exposed to spammers. (6) Various antivirus software is available online.
Which sentence explains the reason why people use antivirus software?
(5) Without it, your computer can slow down, crash, or become exposed to spammers.
If you are reading a book about space, how could you figure out what the word "atmosphere" meant? Choose the TWO best answers.
a) look in the glossary at the end of the book to see if the word "atmosphere is defined"
b) look in the index at the end of the book and see what page the word "atmosphere" is on, then skim that page for the word and see if it is determined in the text
c) look in the table of contents to see if there are any chapters about atmospheres
d) flip through the book and read all of the picture captions to see if the word "atmosphere" is mentioned
a) look in the glossary at the end of the book to see if the word "atmosphere is defined"
b) look in the index at the end of the book and see what page the word "atmosphere" is on, then skim that page for the word and see if it is determined in the text
The surface of the Earth is divided into pieces called “tectonic plates.” These plates move. When the plates rub against each other, they do not move smoothly. When the plates do not move smoothly, earthquakes result.
What is the text structure of the passage?
chronological order (sequence)
problem and solution
compare and contrast
cause and effect
description
cause and effect
(1) Tanya asked her mother about their ancestry. (2) She was creating her family tree for a history assignment. (3) Tanya’s mother advised her to speak with her grandmother. (4) Tanya’s grandmother is known as the family historian.
Which sentence from the excerpt explains why Tanya needs the information?
(2) She was creating her family tree for a history assignment.