Show:
Text Evidence
Main Idea of 2 Passages
Combining Details
Written Response Practice
100
Read the passage that follows and then answer the question.

Filth was everywhere. The streets of many cities were covered in horse waste. This posed a major health problem as people trotted down busy streets in horse-drawn buggies and by foot. Henry Ford developed a vehicle that could function without horses or mules.

Why was traveling by horse a problem?

A. It took an extremely long time.
B. There was many people among the busy streets and it would get too crowded.
C. It created a health problem because of horse waste.
C.

If you got this answer wrong, go back and look at what you did!
100
Read BOTH passages and then find what they share in common.

TEXT 1: Filth was everywhere. The streets of many cities were covered in horse waste. This posed a major health problem as people trotted down busy streets in horse-drawn buggies and by foot. Henry Ford developed a vehicle that could function without horses or mules.

TEXT 2: After years of improving on his invention, Henry Ford created a vehicle, the Model T Ford, that was affordable enough for most Americans to purchase. For the first time, Americans could travel long distances by automobile without having to rely on slower methods such as the train or by horse-drawn buggies. Doctors were able to visit their patients at home quickly as well.

What did both passages discuss?

A. The process in which Henry Ford created the Model T Ford.
B. The mess created by horse-drawn buggies.
C. The advantages of traveling by automobile.
D. The pricing of horse vs. automobile transportation.
C is the correct answer.

Do NOT pick B because only Text 1 mentions the mess created by horses. Text 2 talks about how horses are slow, but does not mention the mess they make.
100
Read BOTH passages and then answer the question below.

TEXT 1: Filth was everywhere. The streets of many cities were covered in horse waste. This posed a major health problem as people trotted down busy streets in horse-drawn buggies and by foot. Henry Ford developed a vehicle that could function without horses or mules.

TEXT 2: After years of improving on his invention, Henry Ford created a vehicle, the Model T Ford, that was affordable enough for most Americans to purchase. For the first time, Americans could travel long distances by automobile without having to rely on slower methods such as the train or by horse-drawn buggies. Doctors were able to visit their patients at home quickly as well.

Think about the information that you read in BOTH texts. Why was the invention of the automobile important?

A. It allowed streets to become cleaner.
B. The automobile was more affordable than paying for a horse-drawn buggy everyday.
C. The automobile allowed Americans to become less tired because they no longer had to travel by foot everywhere.
D. The automobile allowed Americans to travel without relying on horses.
D.

Look at details:
Text 1: "Henry Ford developed a vehicle that could function without horses."
Text 2: "Americans could travel long distances without having to rely on slower methods such as by horse."
100
Read BOTH passages and then try to combine details from both texts.

TEXT 1: The first permanent settlement in the South was in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Several more colonies were established in this area. The long growing seasons were perfect for growing cotton which requires many months to grow. The rich soil was ideal for growing other crops which were then sent to England for sale. Great wealth was made during this time.

TEXT 2: The first permanent settlement in the South was in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Several more colonies were established in this area. The long growing seasons were perfect for growing cotton which requires many months to grow. The rich soil was ideal for growing other crops which were then sent to England for sale. Great wealth was made during this time.

Why were the Southern colonies more successful than the Northern colonies? (use RACE!)
The Southern colonies were more successful because they were able to grow crops and make their own money. In text 1, it says "rich soil was ideal for growing crops....great wealth was made". In text 2, it says "most of the soil was covered with rocks". This shows that the Northern colonies had trouble growing their own crops.
200
Read the passage that follows and then answer the question.

After years of improving on his invention, Henry Ford created a vehicle, the Model T Ford, that was affordable enough for most Americans to purchase. For the first time, Americans could travel long distances by automobile without having to rely on slower methods such as the train or by horse-drawn buggies. Doctors were able to visit their patients at home quickly as well.

Why were Americans ABLE to travel by automobile instead of by the train or horse?

A. The automobile is more widely used than the horse.
B. The automobile was affordable.
C. The automobile was a lot faster than the horse or train.
D. Henry Ford distributed free vehicles to many Americans to demonstrate.
B.

The key word in the question is ABLE. Yes, the car is definitely faster but that is a REASON why they WANT to travel by car, not WHY they can now get a car.
200
Read BOTH passages and then find what they share in common.

TEXT 1: The first permanent settlement in the South was in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Several more colonies were established in this area. The long growing seasons were perfect for growing cotton which requires many months to grow. The rich soil was ideal for growing other crops which were then sent to England for sale. Great wealth was made during this time.

TEXT 2: The first permanent settlement in the South was in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Several more colonies were established in this area. The long growing seasons were perfect for growing cotton which requires many months to grow. The rich soil was ideal for growing other crops which were then sent to England for sale. Great wealth was made during this time.

What did both passages discuss?

A. Trading with other colonies nearby.
B. Trading with England.
C. The way in which colonists made money.
The correct answer is C because in text 1, the southern colonists made money through crops whereas in text 2, the northern colonists made money through trading animal furs.

The answer is NOT B because it doesn't mention in the first text that the colonists actually traded. It just said they SOLD crops in England.
200
Read BOTH passages and then answer the question below.

TEXT 1: GMO's are genetically modified foods. These are foods that have been created in a laboratory by combining different living things. They can help prevent plant diseases and are resistant to different farming bugs that can destroy plants.

TEXT 2: Some people believe that GMO food should be outlawed. ONe of the greatest reasons given is because much is still unknown about the long-term effects of eating these laboratory-created, unnatural foods. Although several studies state the idea that these foods are safe, people believe we need to test them for years to find out if that is actually true.

Think about the information that you read in BOTH texts. Which sentence describes why people are concerned about GMO's?

A. GMO's haven't been tested.
B. GMO's have been created in the laboratory and might be unsafe.
C. We shouldn't eat foods that prevent plant diseases.
D. GMO food should be outlawed.
B.

Text 1 - "these are foods that have been created in a laboratory."
Text 2 - " long-term effects of eating these laboratory-created, unnatural foods"
200
Read BOTH passages and then answer the question below.

TEXT 1: Filth was everywhere. The streets of many cities were covered in horse waste. This posed a major health problem as people trotted down busy streets in horse-drawn buggies and by foot. Henry Ford developed a vehicle that could function without horses or mules.

TEXT 2: After years of improving on his invention, Henry Ford created a vehicle, the Model T Ford, that was affordable enough for most Americans to purchase. For the first time, Americans could travel long distances by automobile without having to rely on slower methods such as the train or by horse-drawn buggies. Doctors were able to visit their patients at home quickly as well.

Think about what you read in BOTH texts. Why did so many people like using the Model T Ford rather than other forms of transportation?
Many people liked using the Model T Ford because it was faster and more clean. In text 1 it says "filth...posed a major health problem" because of the horses. In text 2, it says "doctors were able to visit their patients at home quicker." This shows that it was a big improvement over horses because it prevented sickness and also allowed people to move over long distances.
300
Read the passage that follows and then answer the question.

The first permanent settlement in the South was in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Several more colonies were established in this area. The long growing seasons were perfect for growing cotton which requires many months to grow. The rich soil was ideal for growing other crops which were then sent to England for sale. Great wealth was made during this time.

Why was Jamestown an ideal settlement for colonists?

A. They were surrounded by several other colonies in the area, giving them the opportunity to trade.
B. England was able to help establish Jamestown and help colonists get settled.
C. Long growing seasons meant that the weather was nice enough for settlers to enjoy.
D. The weather and soil allowed colonists to grow many crops.
D.

Even though several more colonies are established here, it is NOT A because the text doesn't mention how that helps the colonists. A key detail was "The rich soil was ideal for growing crops...Great wealth was made."
300
Read BOTH passages and look for similar ideas.

TEXT 1: In just the push of a button, one can communicate instantly using a computer. Computers can be found all over the world and have made our planet smaller.

TEXT 2: Medical records and other important information are stored on computers. Large warehouses were once used to store paperwork and other important information.

What do both passages discuss?

A. The effect of computers on the world.
B. The impact computers have on being able to communicate with someone instantly.
C. How computers have limited paperwork
A.
300
Read BOTH passages and then answer the question below.

TEXT 1: GMO's are genetically modified foods. These are foods that have been created in a laboratory by combining different living things. They can help prevent plant diseases and are resistant to different farming bugs that can destroy plants.

TEXT 2: Some people believe that GMO food should be outlawed. ONe of the greatest reasons given is because much is still unknown about the long-term effects of eating these laboratory-created, unnatural foods. Although several studies state the idea that these foods are safe, people believe we need to test them for years to find out if that is actually true.

Think about the information that you read in BOTH texts. How does the first passage help you better understand the information presented in the second passage?

A. They both talk about GMO's being created in the lab.
B. The first passage gives us a history of GMO's while the second passage talks about the future of GMO's.
C. The second passage describes the dangers of GMO's while the first passage explains what GMO's are.
C.
300
Read BOTH passages and look for similar ideas.

TEXT 1: In just the push of a button, one can communicate instantly using a computer. Computers can be found all over the world and have made our planet smaller.

TEXT 2: Medical records and other important information are stored on computers. Large warehouses were once used to store paperwork and other important information.

Why is the computer an important invention? (Use RACE!)
The computer is an important invention because they help us connect and store information. In text 1 it says we can communicate instantly with the computer. In text 2 it says large warehouses were once used to store important information. This shows that computers have allowed us to talk to each other more easily and store information without taking up so much space.
400
Read the passage that follows and then answer the question.

The first permanent settlement in the South was in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Several more colonies were established in this area. The long growing seasons were perfect for growing cotton which requires many months to grow. The rich soil was ideal for growing other crops which were then sent to England for sale. Great wealth was made during this time.

A student said "Jamestown was a great place to live because the weather and soil helped the colonists." Which piece of text evidence supports this answer?
"Great wealth was made" supports this answer because it shows that the weather and soil allowed the colonists to grow plants, which helped them make money.

"The rich soil was ideal for growing crops" is also an acceptable answer, but not as strong at proving why it HELPED the colonists.
400
Read BOTH passages and look for similar ideas.

TEXT 1: Bioluminescent animals are creatures that produce their own light, such as fireflies. Fireflies use their lights in order to attract mates to one day produce offspring (babies). Some types of mushrooms glow as well. Additionally, the angler fish uses it glowing light to attract prey. When the prey comes closer to get a look, it is eaten.

TEXT 2: Many creatures that live in the deep ocean produce their own light. Some creatures flash their lights to frighten predators. When a harmful fish gets close, a bioluminescent fish produces a dazzling light show. This frightens the predator so much that it swims away.

What do both passages discuss?

A. How fish use their light to get their food.
B. How animals use their lights to survive.
C. How animals use their light to scare off others.
B.

Fireflies use lights to get husbands/wives.
Angler fish use lights to attract prey.
Other fish use it to frighten away predators.
400
Read BOTH passages and then answer the question below.

TEXT 1: During the end of the 1800s, China experienced a drought that resulted in food shortages and the deaths of thousands. After a period of an abudance of rain, drought hit farmers hard. The food storages that farmers relied on disappeared during this time. What made matters was the flooding that happened in Southern China.

TEXT 2: A jet stream is a current of strong wind. There are two parts to a jet stream - the area of high pressure and the area of low pressure. Whenever an area of high pressure remains over land for a long time, a drought occurs. There is nothing that scientists can do to prevent these from happening.

Think about the information that you read in BOTH texts. How does the second passage help you better understand the information presented in the first passage about the drought in China?

A. The second passage tells the reader about how scientists can prevent droughts.
B. The first passage gives information about a terrible drought and the second passage tells about what a jet stream is.
C. The first passage talks about a bad flood in China and the second passage talks about a bad drought in China.
D. The first passage describes a terrible drought in China and the second passage talks about what causes droughts.
D
500
Read the passage that follows and then answer the question.

In 1620, a group of pilgrims settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts to establish the first permanent northern colony. a short time later, other colonies were created in the same region. Winters there were rather long and had freezing temperatures. Most of the soil was covered with rocks and lacked the rich nutrients that were needed to grow a large number of crops. Looking for a way to earn money, the northern colonists traded goods from England in order to get animal furs from the Native Americans.

Why was living in the North a problem for colonists?

A. They had to deal with Native Americans around their area.
B. The North was too far away from England for colonists to successfully trade.
C. Colonists were not able to grow crops.
C.

Winters there were cold and soil didn't have rich nutrients.
500
Read BOTH passages and look for similar ideas.

TEXT 1: Since the beginning of time, humans have wanted to fly. Watching the majestic wings of gliding birds only increased this desire in humans. The first airplane in America was built by the Wright Brothers. Resembling a bird, airplanes have wings that make flying through the air possible.

TEXT 2: One day, George de Mestral decided to take a walk. By the end of his walk, he noticed plants were attached to his pants. Although leaves could be easily brushed off, Mestral noticed that these plants had to be PULLED off. In curiosity, he decided to look closer. This plant was called a cocklebur. The small hooks at the end of this plant attaches to objects. Mestral was then inspired by this plant to create a fastener that also had small spiky hooks. And that is how Velcro was invented!

What do both passages discuss? Use details from both texts to support your answer!

(Open-ended question!)
Both passages discuss how humans have learned or have been inspired by nature. For example, the Wright Brothers were inspired by birds to build a plane. Mestral was inspired by the cocklebur to invent Velcro.