Show:
Context Clues
Foreshadowing and Predictions
Characters
Main Idea and Details
Inferencing and Text Evidence
100
Derrick loved the annual mud run. Every summer, he ran in the event to benefit the Red Cross. What does the word annual mean as it is used in the passage? A. Each day B. Each week C. Each month D. Each year
D. Each year
100
Vince Thunder waved to the crowd one more time before he put on his motorcycle helmet. The crowd cheered uproariously. Vince looked down the ramp and across the 17 school busses that he was about to attempt to jump. It was a difficult trick, and everything would need to go right for him to nail it. His cape blew in the wind. As Vince hopped on his motorcycle and started down the ramp, he noticed something that he had not seen before. There was large oil slick at the end of the ramp. He attempted to stop the bike, but it was too late. He had already built up too much momentum... What is likely to happen next?
Vince will crash
100
Anna volunteered to help Kylie clean her house. When Anna washed the mirrors, Kylie asked her if she used paper towels instead of newspapers. When Anna admitted that she had, Kylie asked her to redo them. Then, while Anna was sweeping, Kylie corrected her on her technique. "Don't just push the dirt around, Anna. SWEEP it," Kylie told Anna. What can you tell about Kylie?
She's bossy!
100
Being a clown isn't all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform. When cowboys dismount or are bucked off of bulls at riding competitions, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention. In this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider. So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business. What is the main idea of this passage (5 words or less)?
group responses
100
Crack! Thunder struck and rain poured. Max stared blankly out the window, trying to contain his emotions that raged like the weather. He was beginning to lose it. Dropping the kite from his hand, Max broke out into full sob. His mother comforted him, "There, there, Max. We'll just find something else to do." She began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter and offered him a sandwich. Max snapped, "I don't wanna sand-mich!" A flash from the sky lit up the living room. Boom! Mom sighed. Why is Max upset? How do you know?
He's mad he can't fly his kite because of the rain
200
Richard was racing down the road. Just then, he struck a pothole. His car jolted off course, and he spun off the shoulder. He was going so fast that he plowed all the way through the ditch and halfway up a bank. What does the word bank mean as it is used in this passage? A. sideways tilt of an airplane B. place that handles money C. slope or mound D. supply
C. slope or mound
200
Rex sat at the mouth of the alley and chewed the bone that he had found by the dumpster. It was a meaty bone that had belonged to a larger animal, perhaps a state fair prize winning pig. Rex was attracted to the bone by its strong scent. Apparently, he was not the only one who could smell it. He heard the jangle of tags behind him and turned to see a larger dog. Rex released the bone and began growling at the other dog. The other dog began growling at Rex. The two dogs inched toward one another, maintaining eye contact. Each began growling louder as the other approached within striking distance... What is likely to happen next?
The dogs will fight
200
Kelvin found a wallet on the ground. He opened up the wallet and saw an old woman's ID card. Kelvin took the money out of the wallet and threw the wallet in a ditch. What can you tell about the type of person Kelvin is?
Kelvin is not honest or nice!
200
Ninjas used many different tools and weapons to get the job done: throwing stars, bows, acid-spurting tubes to name a few, but the favorite weapon of most ninjas was probably the katana. The katana is a long, curved sword with a single blade and a long grip to accommodate two hands. This sword was often carried in a sheath or scabbard on the ninja's back. Though the sword was primarily used for fighting and killing, the scabbard served a number of purposes too. The ninja could remove the sword, angle the scabbard against a wall, and use it to climb to a higher place. Or, while stealthy negotiating their way through a dark place (such as an enemy's residence at night), ninjas may have used the scabbard as a walking stick, feeling or probing their way around objects so as not to knock into anything and alert the enemy. Perhaps the ninja's most sinister use of the scabbard was to put a mixture of red pepper, dirt, and iron shavings at the top of the scabbard, so that when the ninja drew his sword, his opponent would be blinded. I wonder what a ninja could have done with a Swiss Army knife. What is the main idea of this passage (5 words or less)?
group responses
200
Anastasia sat by the fountain in the park with her head in her palms. She was weeping mournfully and wearing all black. In between gasps and sobs, Anastasia cried out a name: "Oh... John..." And then her cell phone beeped. Her hand ran into her purse and her heart fluttered. The text message was from John. She opened up the message and read the few bare words, "I need to get my jacket back from you." Anastasia threw her head into her arms and continued sobbing. Why is Anastasia upset?
She got dumped by John
300
The first review on the Harry Potter movie was favorable. Many people attended and enjoyed the movie. Some people even saw the movie three times! What is the meaning of favorable? A. negative B. uncertain C. positive D. clear
C. positive
300
John sat in the classroom and drew pictures of the Tatakai Fighting Warriors in his notebook while his teacher lectured about biology or something. He didn't really know for sure. The last thing he remembered her saying was that there would be a test tomorrow. His heart jumped. He went home to study for the test, but he was soon drawn to his Game Box. He played Tatakai Fighting Warriors long into the night. When his alarm clock rang the next day, he was too tired to hit the snooze button, so he let it beep for about 20 minutes before he got up and went to school. As she had promised, the teacher has prepared a test. She reviewed the testing procedures and directions with the class and then passed out the test. John looked at his test and scratched his head... What is likely to happen next?
John will fail the test.
300
Jason is an excellent accountant who works full-time for his best friend's company. A larger accounting firm contacts Jason and offers to pay him double if he will work for them. Jason thanks the company for their offer but declines. He doesn't even tell his friend that he received the offer. This shows that Jason is what kind of person?
Loyal or Good friend
300
Sometime in December of 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a gym teacher at the YMCA College in Springfield, Massachusetts was trying to keep his gym class active on a rainy day. He wanted a vigorous game that would keep his students moving. After rejecting a few other ideas because they were too rough or not suited for the walled-in gym, Naismith wrote out the rules for a game with peach baskets fixed to ten-foot elevated tracks. Naismith's students played against one another, passing the ball around and shooting it into the peach baskets. Dribbling wasn't a part of the original game, and it took a while to realize that the game would run more smoothly if the bottoms of the baskets were removed, but this game grew to be one of the most popular sports in America today. Can you guess which one? What is the main idea (5 words or less)?
group response
300
Ryan was looking forward to sleeping over at his friend Robert's house. Though they had been classmates for a while, the two had only recently become good friends. Ryan packed up his sleeping bag, a pillow, and a few of his favorite toys and games, and then his mom dropped him off at Robert's. Robert met Ryan on the porch and the two did their secret handshake and started playing right away. First they played pirates in Robert's tree fort. Next they played ninjas in the driveway. Then it started getting dark and they went inside of Robert's house. As soon as they walked in the house, Ryan's eyes starting getting red and itchy. He saw a big orange cat sitting on the couch. Then he started sneezing uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, Robert. It's been a lot of fun, but I have to call my mom." Why does Ryan want to call his mom? How do you know?
he's allergic to cats
400
He was found running down the street after curfew, and his parents were penalized. The ticket read: "Illegally in the streets at 1:00A.M." They told him he would have to earn the money to pay them back. What does penalized mean? A. crooked B. fined C. delicate D. informed
B. fined
400
Kenya was pumped about the dance competition. She was driving there in her mom's car and taking her teammates Dana and Jenna. It was a four-hour car ride. They were listening to the new Mountain Boys' album and the girls were singing along to all of choruses, replaying the songs that they liked multiple times. They were having so much fun cruising down the highway and singing that Kenya didn't even notice the needle on her fuel gauge drop below the E line. Dana pressed the back button to replay their favorite song, My Heart Takes off Its Cowboy Hat for You. As the song began playing, the car's engine began sputtering... What is likely to happen next?
They will run out of gas and may miss the dance competition.
400
The teacher told the students that they were not to start testing until everyone received all of the testing materials. He went on to explain that the test booklet was to remain sealed until he had read through all of the directions. Immediately after receiving the test booklet, Chris raised his hand and asked if he could start testing. What can you tell about Chris from this?
He is not listening!
400
What's that humming sound? Could it be hummingbird, the only bird capable of backward flight? Hummingbirds have many unique flight habits that distinguish them from other birds. Most birds flap their wings up and down to fly, but the hummingbird moves its wings forward and backward very rapidly in a figure eight pattern. This allows the hummingbird to hover in position, fly upside down, and move about very rapidly. And while other birds have to push off with their feet to begin flying, and work their ways up to their top speeds, the hummingbird can both start flying at maximum speed and stop flying instantaneously. After you've seen a hummingbird in flight, it's unlikely that you'll mistake them for another bird. What is the main idea (5 words or less)?
group response
400
As the teacher brought the class back from the washroom, he noticed that Alvin and Elijah were nowhere to be seen. He asked the class, "Has anyone seen Alvin or Elijah?" Most of the students confirmed that they had not seen them, except for Rodney, who remained silent while tapping his foot on the floor anxiously. The teacher noticed this. "Rodney, do you happen to know where your best buddies Alvin and Elijah went?" Rodney looked away and said, "Nah, I haven't seen them." The teacher notified the office of the missing students. An announcement was made over the PA system and a few minutes later, Alvin and Elijah returned to class. Both of them were very sweaty and Elijah was carrying a basketball. "Sorry we took so long. We had to use the bathroom," said Elijah. "Yeah," Rodney chimed in. Where were Alvin and Elijah? How do you know?
they were playing basketball.
500
The woman crossed her fingers as her daughter did the cheer. She was hoping that everything would work out for her daughter as she vied for a position on the squad. Her daughter wanted to be a cheerleader. What is the meaning of vied? A. competed B. shouted C. expanded D. enclosed
A. Competed
500
"Yeah, I go horseback riding all of the time. My uncle has a horse," Brian told Shannon. Brian's uncle did not have a horse and he had never gone horseback riding in his life. Shannon stared deeply into his eyes and said, "I like you, Brian. Will you come horseback riding with me tomorrow?" Brian agreed without hesitation. He was so excited to spend more time with Shannon that he had forgotten his lie entirely. He showed up at Shannon's house and she asked him why he didn't wear his riding gear. He lied again, telling her that his gear was at the cleaners. Shannon lent him some of her brother's gear and they went to the stables. "This one's called Black Scarlet. He's my brother's horse and he's by far the fastest. Since you're an experienced rider, I'm going to let you take him out." Brian gulped. He figured that horseback riding looked pretty easy in the movies. "Ok," he replied, and then he attempted to mount Black Scarlet... What is likely to happen next?
Brian is about to fall off or make a fool of himself on a horse he can't control!
500
Orson sat on the couch. He wanted to change the television station, but the controller was all the way at the end of the couch by his feet. Orson sort of scooted toward it and attempted to grab it with his feet. The controller fell and landed several feet away from him. Orson gave up on changing the television station and just watched whatever was playing. What can you tell about Orson?
He is being laaaaaaaaaaazy!
500
There are many types of lethal venom in the animal kingdom, but perhaps no stranger carrier than the platypus. The platypus is one of few venomous mammals. Males carry a venom cocktail in their ankle spurs that incapacitates victims with excruciating pain. Stranger still, the platypus is the only mammal that uses electroreception. What this means is that the platypus uses its bill to sense the electricity produced by the muscular movements of its prey. The platypus neither sees, hears, nor smells its prey while hunting but, rather, pursues it through electroreception. Perhaps most odd, the platypus is one of only two mammals that lay eggs rather than giving birth to live young. The platypus is an odd creature indeed. What is the main idea (5 words or less)?
group answer
500
Tony walked out of the shopping mall with his arms full of bags and the sun shining on him. As he approached his car, he started awkwardly feeling around his pockets with his arm full of bags. He did not find what he was looking for so he transferred the bags on one arm to the other arm, which already had bags. Tony had a lot of bags on one arm. He still couldn't find what he was looking for. Now he dropped the bags and plunged both hands desperately into all of the pockets on his jeans. With a look of despair, Tony ran to his car. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. Then he saw something on the passenger seat of the car. He stopped looking and pulled his phone out of his pocket. What does Tony see on the passenger seat?
his keys