Reading Practice

Inference

100

Mrs. Straus was taking attendance. "Gabby?" "Here." "Emma?" Two girls said "here" at the same time. Mrs. Straus continued. "Max?" There was no response. A few kids turned around and saw that Max's seat was empty. 

It is likely that: a) The class included two girls named Emma. b) No one in the class was named Max. c)Mrs. Straus did not know all her students' names.

What is A

200

The kids split into teams to play kickball. Jill was one team captain and Rich was the other. Hannah was up first. Sarah went next, then Jen. Soon the teams switched sides. Nate was the first kicker. Gary followed him, then Steve. At the end of the game, Rich and Jill shook hands. "Good game, Jill," Rich said. "Maybe next time, your Fantastic Females will finally beat my Magnificent Males." 

It is likely that: a) Tom never caught a ball. b) The kids would rather play baseball. c) The game was boys versus girls.

What is C

300

After bundling up, Vicki struggled to pull on her boots. "Need some help?" her mom asked as she looked at the school district's Website. "No thanks," Vicki said as she gazed out the window at the heavy snowfall. "Honey, I know you worked hard to get dressed for school," Vicki's mom said, pointing to the computer screen. "But you can take everything off." 

It is likely that: a)The snow turned to rain. b) Vicki's mom had to go to work. c) School was canceled because of the weather.

What is C

400

The school library was under construction. To prepare for it, many books were moved to one half of the gym. Some books were temporarily put in the basement. Wally went to the gym to look for the book about tiger attacks. He knew the school had one because Eddie borrowed it a few months ago. Wally could not find it on the shelf. The librarian said it was not checked out. 

It is likely that: a) Eddie forgot to return the book. b) The book was in the school basement. c) The library never had a book on tiger attacks.

What is B

500

"I realized this morning that I don't have any green clothes!" Bella told her friend Mark. It was St. Patrick's Day, when most kids wore green clothes to school. "But I did do something related to green," Bella said. "Can you figure it out?" Mark stared at Bella. "You washed your hair with green shampoo?" "No," Bella said, giggling. "I wore yellow and blue. When blended together, they make green." 

It is likely that: a) Bella has at least two sisters. b) All Bella's clothes were yellow or blue. c) Mark was not wearing green.

What is B

Main Idea 1

100

Honeybees travel up to four miles to find nectar for honey. When a bee finds nectar, it does a wiggle dance to tell the other bees where the nectar is. Other worker bees then head out to the source. All in all, a hive of bees can travel up to 55,000 miles and visit 2,000,000plants to produce one pound of honey. 

What is the the main idea? a) Honeybees are hard workers. b) Honey is made from nectar. c) Honeybees like to dance.

What is A

200

It was the end of May, and Li still hadn't made a real friend. Li was shy and self-conscious about his height. At his old school, he'd been on the basketball team and knew a few of the players, but when he enrolled at Dunbar, basketball season had ended. Li planned to go out for the team next year, but that didn't help his situation now. 

What is the main idea? a) Going out for sports helps you make friends. b) New students are usually lonely. c) Li is having a hard time making friends.

What is C

300

Can insects be trained? Researchers placed chemicals into bee feeders. The chemicals are often found in explosives, such as bombs. Within two days, the bees connected the smell of chemicals with food. They were then able to lead researchers to buried explosives by scent alone. Researchers hope to use honeybees to locate buried land mines, which are used as weapons of war. What is the main idea? a) Insects are very intelligent. b) It may be possible to change insect behavior. c) All insect behavior can be changed.

What is B

400

Robert Baden-Powell thought boys in England weren't tough enough. So in 1908, he started the Boy Scouts. By 1910, scouting had caught on in the United States. That same year, Baden-Powell started the Girl Guides, again in England. The Girl Guides, or Girl Scouts, came here in 1912. Scouting has been around for about 100 years. What is the main idea? a) Scouting started in England and then came to the United States. b) The United States often ends up doing what the British do. c) The Girl Scouts was first named the Girl Guides.

What is A

500

Dracula may not be real, but vampire bats are, and they feed on blood! Most vampire bats live in South America. They usually hunt small mammals and birds. But occasionally they travel in swarms and attack cattle--and even humans! One of the most amazing facts about vampire bats is that some have wingspans of 67 inches. That's a lot of bat! What is the main idea? a) South America is home to vampire bats. b) Vampire bats are very dangerous to humans. c) Vampire bats are real and can be frightening.

What is C

Main Idea 2

100

In July 1996, Subaru Takahashi left Japan in a 30-foot sailboat. He hoped to become the youngest person to sail across the Pacific. But in August, an engine failed, leaving him without lights. Then a violent storm hit. Even his two-way radio broke. But Takahashi didn't give up. Fifty-four days later, the 14-year-old sailed into San Francisco Bay, ending his 6,000-mile journey. What is the main idea? a) Subaru Takahashi did an amazing thing. b) Subaru Takahashi didn't know what he was doing. c) Subaru Takahashi took a dangerous risk.

What is A

200

Scotland's Loch Ness has been making headlines for more that 70 years. In 1933, two people reported seeing a huge animal swimming in the lake. Two more claimed they saw the same creature moving across land. Some people said it had a hump. Others said it had flippers and a long neck. Despite more than 4,000 sightings, no one knows for sure if "Nessie" exists. What is the main idea? a) Loch Ness is home to a strange creature. b) Rumors of a strange creature have made Loch Ness famous. c) Nessie has a hump.

What is B

300

Unicorns were once common in folktales. Unicorns resembled horses with a single horn on their foreheads. They lived deep in the forest and were rarely seen. The only way to capture one was to send a maiden alone into the forest. Upon seeing her, a unicorn would approach. It would then lie down beside her, allowing itself to be captured. What is the main idea? a) Unicorn means "one horn." b) Unicorns were magical. c) Imaginary creatures called unicorns were popular in folktales.

What is C

400

Tattos might be "in," but they can also be dangeous. Dirty needles are sometimes used to puncture the skin. These needles can spread deadly diseases. It is important for people to research tatto parlors for their cleanliness. Because, being "in" could just mean being in the hospital. What is the main idea? a) States should make tattooing illegal. b) Tattos come with health risks. c) People who are "in" have tattoos.

What is B

500

How are colds spread? Picture this: Jeremiah coughs and covers his mouth with his hand. Then Ming borrows his highlighter. Ming yawns and rubs her eyes. She forgets to return Jeremiah's highlighter. She gives it to Valerie,who will see Jeremiah next period. Valerie holds it in her teeth while opening her locker, and now, instead of one person with a cold, there are three! What is the main idea? a) People should be careful about who they lend their things to. b) Colds are spread by human contact. c) People should not cover their mouths with their hands when they cough.

What is B

Drawing Conclusions

100

A few days ago your hut was damaged by a storm and you had to go outside and fix the roof in the rain. When you woke up this morning, your throat was scratchy, and now you keep sneezing and coughing. It is likely that: a) You ate some bad fruit. b) You caught a cold. c) You have the chicken pox.

What is B

200

You were walking to a coconut tree to get your dinner, when suddenly a gust of wind came. A coconut fell off the tree you were walking under and hit you in the head. Now you have a headache, you feel dizzy, and all you want to do is take a nap. It is likely that: a) You should stay awake and rest. b) You should take a walk. c) You should go to sleep.

What is A

300

Your heart pumps blood to every part of your body to keep you alive. The harder you work, the faster your heart has to pump to keep the blood flowing. When you relax, your heart doesn't have to work as hard to keep the blood flowing through your body. It is likely that: a) When you relax, your heart pumps slower. b) When you relax, your heart pumps faster. c) Your heart always pumps at the same rate.

What is A

400

Fish, nuts, and seeds have protein. Protein helps your body build muscle and build up immunity to illnesses. It is important to get enough protein in your diet to keep you strong so that you can get all of your work done. It is likely that: a) You need to have protein once a month. b) You don't need to eat protein. c) You need to have protein every day.

What is C

500

It is hot and you have been working hard all day. You are sweating, you feel very thirsty and dizzy. You decide to take a break and drink some water. Soon you start to feel better and can get back to work. It is likely that: a) You are dehydrated. b) You were tired. c) You were hungry.

What is A

Context Clues

100

Most pirates stole coins to spend, not bury. One pirate who did bury treasure was Captain Kidd. In 1699, he hid gold and silver on an island near New York. People have dug up some loot, but more may still be "concealed." What does concealed mean? a) hidden b) illegal c) discovered

What is A

200

According to priate lore, priates who buried treasure would make a treasure map. On the map, they would mark an "X" to "designate" where they had put their treasure. In reality, pirates probably did not make treasure maps, let alone bury treasure. What does "designate" mean? a) show b) ignore c) trick

What is A

300

Pirates led dangerous lives. They knew they could be killed at any moment. Therefore, they often wasted little time in spending what they had "plundered." Burying treasure and going back for it would take too much time and effort! What does "plundered" mean? a) stolen b) borrowed c) earned

What is A

400

Treasure Island is a novel about the search for treasure a pirate named Flint buried. Other pirates return to the island but cannot find the riches. They do find Ben Gunn, a man Flint had "marooned" on the island. Before the searchers arrived, Gunn had found Flint's treasure and stashed it in his cave. What does "marooned" mean? a) encountered b) abandoned c) robbed

What is B

500

In the 1500's, Spanish explorers searched South America for a city that was "allegedly" made of gold. It was known as El Dorado. At times, people put El Dorado on maps of South America even though no explorer has ever found it. What does "allegedly" mean? a) positively b) partially c) supposedly

What is C