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Lead Poisoning | Lead is a heavy metal and basic chemical element. Lead is also a poison. It can slow mental and physical growth and make you very sick. For these reasons, you should know where lead might show up in your environment so you can avoid contact with it!
Lead in paint was greatly reduced in the 1950's. And later, in 1978, t... | 1,200 | 5 | Science: Life Science | What is lead? | A. a heavy metal that's safe
B. a chemical element used to treat poisoning
C. a heavy metal that's a poison
D. a type of paint used in homes | C | What does the text list? | A. sources of lead poisoning
B. materials used in pipes and faucets that corrode
C. ways lead poisoning can be treated
D. basic chemical elements that make people sick | A | Lead can be very dangerous. What information from the text best supports this statement? | A. Before 1950, lead-based paint was used on the inside and outside of most homes.
B. Lead can slow mental and physical growth and make you very sick.
C. Lead can be found in different areas of our environment.
D. Soil near heavily-used streets and roads may contain lead because lead used to be used in gasoline. | B | Based on the text, who is most at risk of getting lead poisoning? | A. a kid growing up in a home built after 1980
B. a kid who drinks water from a river by the mountains
C. a kid growing up in a home built before 1950
D. a kid growing up in a home with new plumbing | C | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Before 1950, lead-based paint was used on the inside and outside of most homes.
B. Lead poisoning can be so subtle that people who have it may not show any clear physical signs.
C. Symptoms of lead poisoning can also be caused by many other common illnesses.
D. Lead is a poison that can be found in different parts o... | D | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Help Eliminate Waste | Waste, and how we choose to handle it, affects our world's environment—that's YOUR environment. The environment is everything around you including the air, water, land, plants, and man-made things. And since by now you probably know that you need a healthy environment for your own health and happiness, you can understa... | 930 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science | What is waste? | A. anything we get rid of that another person ends up reusing
B. anything we throw away or get rid of, that doesn’t get used
C. anything that we recycle or reuse
D. the process of turning our old food into plant food | B | What does the text list? | A. ways we are harming the health of the environment
B. different recycling missions people support
C. ways we can use materials that are better for the environment
D. the steps of vermicomposting | C | Animals can help us limit our waste. What information from the text best supports this statement? | A. Worms can turn our old food into plant food.
B. You can "reuse" materials in their original form instead of throwing them away
C. Saving energy means less greenhouse gases will get into the air.
D. The environment is everything around you including the air, water, land, plants, and man-made things. | A | How can the impact of waste on our environment's health best be described? | A. The more waste we produce, the more our environment's health is harmed.
B. The less waste we produce, the more our environment's health is harmed.
C. The more waste we produce, the less our environment's health is harmed.
D. The amount of waste we produce does not affect our environment's health. | A | What is the main idea of this text? | A. The environment is everything around you including the air, water, land, plants, and man-made things.
B. Worms can turn our old food into plant food in a process called vermicomposting. Vermicomposting can be fun, but it is also good for our planet.
C. We can limit our waste in different ways to help keep the enviro... | C | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Experimentation | The world of science is one of constant experimentation. But what does that word, experimentation, actually mean? Experimentation is the act or process of trying out a new procedure, idea, or activity. The scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences do a lot of "experimenting" to determine how... | 1,050 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Life Science | What is experimentation? | A. the act or process of using old procedures, ideas, or activities
B. the act or process of getting rid of old procedures, ideas, or activities
C. the act or process of trying out different things that make us healthy
D. the act or process of trying out a new procedure, idea, or activity | D | What does the text describe? | A. how the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences was formed
B. the experiments of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
C. environmental exposures that harm the health of people and animals
D. genetic structures that impact the health of humans | B | Read the following sentences from the text. " The scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences do a lot of "experimenting" to determine how things in our environment affect our bodies. Their experiments help us determine what role environmental exposures and/or our unique genetic structures pla... | A. Experiments are dangerous.
B. Experiments are expensive.
C. Experiments can be helpful.
D. Experiments are harmful. | C | Based on the text, what can be concluded about the impact of environmental exposures on human health? | A. Environmental exposures improve human health.
B. Environmental exposures may be harmful to human health.
C. Environmental exposures affect human health more than animal health.
D. Environmental exposures don't cause a change in human health. | B | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Experimentation is the act or process of trying out a new procedure, idea, or activity.
B. The scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences run experiments to learn how things in our environment affect our bodies.
C. Environmental exposures may be affecting human health in a variety of ways ... | B | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Science & Scientists | Science is a way of organizing what we already know and learning more by experiments.
Scientists use the scientific method to learn about the world.
There are a lot of different branches of science. Here are a few of the more common sciences:
The different kinds of scientists are named for what they study. Biologists s... | 680 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Technology & Engineering, Physical Science, Life Science | Which branch of science studies the chemistry of living things? | A. zoology
B. anthropology
C. biochemistry
D. physics | C | What does the text list? | A. the steps of the scientific method
B. famous scientists
C. different scientific discoveries
D. different branches of science | D | Scientists are curious. What information from the text best supports this statement? | A. Scientists want to know answers to different questions.
B. Different kinds of scientists are named for what they study.
C. There are a lot of different branches of science.
D. Chemistry is the study of the elements (like carbon) and their compounds (like carbon dioxide). | A | Based on the text, what is very important in every branch of science? | A. studying animals
B. gathering information
C. studying people
D. having fun | B | What is the main idea of the text? | A. Scientists of different branches of science work on getting answers to different questions about the world.
B. The different kinds of scientists are named for what they study.
C. Astronomy is the study of stars, planets, moons, and everything in space.
D. The scientific method helps scientists learn information abou... | A | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Reduce Waste | Reduce/Reduction: to make something smaller or use less, resulting in a smaller amount of waste.
"Source reduction" is reducing waste before you purchase it, or by purchasing products that are not wasteful in their packaging or use.
A key part of waste "reduction" is "conservation"—using natural resources wisely, and u... | 1,050 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science | According to the text, what is reduction? | A. the practice of using more of something, resulting in a greater amount of waste
B. the practice of growing your own food and making your own clothes
C. the practice of buying products that have flashy and fun packaging
D. the practice of using less of something, resulting in a smaller amount of waste | D | What argument does the author make in the text? | A. Reducing the amount of products and materials we use is hard but important.
B. It's best to practice reduction in order to limit the amount of waste we produce.
C. People should buy whatever products they want without worrying about how they are affecting the environment.
D. People produce more waste today than they... | B | People can reduce waste by making smarter buying decisions. What information from the text best supports this statement? | A. You can reduce waste by selecting products that are not wasteful in their packaging.
B. When you buy one or two items at a store, carry them out in your hands; or take a reusable bag with you to carry the items you buy.
C. Whenever possible, use the Internet to obtain (and pay) bills, news, catalogs, stock reports a... | A | Based on the text, why is growing your own food a good way to reduce waste? | A. This food needs to be packaged and transported, so more energy and materials are spent.
B. This food does not need to be packaged or transported, so less energy and fewer materials are spent.
C. This food does not require other ingredients to be cooked, so less energy and fewer materials are spent.
D. This food is m... | B | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Buying in "bulk" (a large amount that is not divided into separate containers) gives you the best "product to package" ratio.
B. There are a number of ways you can reduce the amount of products you use and the waste you create.
C. If all the other people on the Earth used as much "stuff" as we do in the United State... | B | Read the following sentences from the text. " Start a compost or vermiculture bin to transform your household garbage (food wastes, coffee grounds, etc.), into a rich earth-like material that can be added to a garden to help plants grow. Grass, leaves, paper, and some other types of food can naturally decay and turn in... | A. to reduce
B. to increase
C. to change
D. to eliminate | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. You can practice reduction by selecting products that do not have to be added to landfills or the waste stream in general. _______, you can carry water in a reusable sports bottle instead of buying bottled water. | A. However
B. In addition
C. On the other hand
D. For example | D |
Spelling Science the British Way | Have you seen some different spelling in books or web pages from different countries?
It may be wrong in the United States, but right in another country—even though it’s all English!
In the United States, people spell some words in the American way. In England, Scotland, and Wales, people spell it the British way. And ... | 710 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Physical Science, Life Science | What is the British spelling of the word "analyze"? | A. analyse
B. anaelyze
C. anaelyse
D. anelyse | A | What does the table in the text list? | A. the American and French spelling of different words
B. the American and British spelling of different words
C. the Spanish and British spelling of different words
D. the French and Italian spelling of different words | B | Read the following sentences from the text. " In the United States, people spell some words in the American way. In England, Scotland, and Wales, people spell it the British way. And in countries like Canada, they spell some words the British way and other words more like the American way. " What conclusion does this i... | A. The spelling of words is always the same across countries.
B. The American spelling of words is easier than the British spelling.
C. The British spelling of words is easier than the American spelling.
D. The spelling of certain words varies across countries. | D | Why does the author list the following words at the beginning of the text: caesium, colour, litre, oesophagus? | A. to introduce the idea that what might seem like unusual spelling to a British reader is normal in other countries
B. to introduce the idea that English words are always spelled the same no matter in what country they are used
C. to introduce the idea that what might seem like unusual spelling to an American reader i... | C | What is the main idea of the text? | A. Some English words are spelled differently in different countries.
B. In England, Scotland, and Wales, words are spelled in the British way.
C. Tables can be effective in showing the differences between groups.
D. Canada spells some words in the British way and others in the American way. | A | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Compact Fluorescent Lights | CFLs have a coiled tube instead of the round bulb you see in old-style light bulbs (incandescent bulbs). They are like the long fluorescent light tubes you see in ceiling lights, but shrunk down and coiled up so they can replace incandescent bulbs.
In a CFL, an electric current is driven through a tube containing argon... | 1,020 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science | What are CFLs? | A. an incandescent bulb
B. a flashlight
C. a type of car
D. a fluorescent light bulb | D | What does the text describe? | A. the structure of CFLs
B. how CFLs were first invented
C. different products that use mercury
D. how mercury vapor should be cleaned up and removed | A | Read the following sentences. " Safely using and disposing of CFLs is very important to protecting our health and environment. Recycle spent CFLs to prevent mercury getting into the environment." Which conclusion about mercury does this information best support? | A. Mercury helps keep us and our environment healthy.
B. Mercury may be harmful to our health and environment.
C. Mercury helps different species of wildlife survive and grow.
D. Mercury is the most dangerous chemical element. | B | Based on the text, why might it be better to use CFLs than incandescent bulbs in our homes? | A. CFLs use more energy than incandescent bulbs.
B. CFLs are cheaper to buy than incandescent bulbs.
C. CFLs use less energy than incandescent bulbs.
D. CFLs are easier to find in stores than incandescent bulbs. | C | What is the main idea of this text? | A. CFLs are fluorescent light bulbs that use less energy than incandescent bulbs and which need to be recycled to prevent mercury from getting into the environment.
B. When a CFL bulb breaks, it can release mercury vapor until it is cleaned up and removed.
C. CFLs are like the long fluorescent light tubes you see in ce... | A | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Scientific Method | A good scientist learns about the world by using the scientific method. The scientific method tests a hypothesis, which is an educated guess based on what information we already have.
All fields of science use the scientific method as a framework to make observations, gather data, and draw conclusions.
Here is a list o... | 900 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Physical Science, Life Science | What is a hypothesis? | A. an idea that has been proven through a series of tests
B. an educated guess based on what information we already have
C. the process of gathering information in a scientifi study
D. a guess made based on very little information | B | What does the text list? | A. the steps of the scientific method
B. steps used to run an experiment
C. important scientific theories
D. how the scientific method was formed | A | Read the following sentence from the text. " All fields of science use the scientific method as a framework to make observations, gather data, and draw conclusions." What can be concluded about the scientific method based on this information? | A. The scientific method is unimportant in science.
B. The scientific method has started to be used only recently.
C. The scientific method is filled with problems.
D. The scientific method is popular in science. | D | One of the steps of the scientific method is to state conclusions. What might these conclusions be about? | A. the scientific tools used in an experiment
B. the effectiveness of the scientific method
C. the lives of scientists
D. the hypothesis being tested | D | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Analyzing results is an important step in the scientifc method.
B. A hypothesis is an educated guess based on what information we already have.
C. Scientists use the scientific method to test hypotheses and learn about our world.
D. Scientists share results of their experiments with other scientists to help spread i... | C | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Caretaking Our World's Water | When you think of water, what comes to mind? We drink it, clean with it, and cook with it. We spray it on our yards, gardens, and crops. We get food from it, use it for transportation, and play in it. Animals and plants need water to survive and grow, and some live in it, too. Water is part of our weather. It’s a simpl... | 860 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Life Science | According to the text, what do animals and plants need to survive and grow? | A. soil
B. water
C. shelter
D. sunlight | B | What problem does the text describe? | A. Pollution has been damaging people's sources of food in different parts of the world.
B. The Earth is warming up at a very quick rate, disrupting ecosystems.
C. Enough clean fresh water is often not available when and where it is needed.
D. Farmers don't have enough water to grow crops in some places. | C | Read the following sentences from the text. " We can all take action every day to use less water and prevent water pollution. When we do that, we help ourselves, each other, and all the living things on Earth." What can be concluded about people's impact on the supply of clean fresh water on Earth? | A. People can help increase the supply of clean fresh water.
B. People only decrease the supply of clean fresh water.
C. People don't affect the supply of clean fresh water.
D. People have completely polluted the world's supply of clean fresh water. | A | What will decrease the supply of clean fresh water? | A. a lot of rain
B. people carelessly using water
C. people taking steps to clean water pollution
D. people growing fewer crops | B | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Fresh water evaporates from rivers and lakes, forming clouds in the sky, then falling as rain or snow.
B. Water from most homes flows to a water treatment plant where it is cleaned so we can use it again.
C. People can cause problems on Earth, but we are also very good at working individually and together to solve t... | D | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Recycle | Recycle—don’t just toss everything in the trash. Lots of things (like cans, bottles, paper, and cardboard) can be remade into either the same kind of thing or new products. Making new items from recycled ones also takes less energy and fewer resources than making products from brand new materials.
Just about anything i... | 850 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science | The text provides a list of things you may be able to recycle. What is one of the items on the list? | A. food
B. paper
C. furniture
D. clothing | B | What does the author try to persuade the reader to do? | A. The author tries to persuade the reader to throw out all objects that can be recycled.
B. The author tries to persuade the reader to clean up trash in local neighborhoods.
C. The author tries to persuade the reader to recycle all objects that can be recycled.
D. The author tries to persuade the reader to turn soda b... | C | Objects can be recycled to make other kinds of products. What information from the text best supports this statement? | A. A recycled soda bottle, can be made into T-shirts, combs, or hundreds of other plastic goods that can be used for many years.
B. Making new items from recycled ones also takes less energy and fewer resources than making products from brand new materials.
C. Peopl can ask their local recycling office (city, county, o... | A | Which product takes more energy to make? | A. a plastic comb made from a soda bottle
B. a notebook made from an old coloring book
C. a computer made from brand new materials
D. a glass cup made from a glass jar | C | What is the main idea of this text? | A. A recycled soda bottle, can be made into T-shirts, combs, or other plastic goods.
B. Lots of objects can be recycled to make either the same kind of thing or new products.
C. Recycling takes very little effort and time.
D. Local recycling offices are in charge of running recycling programs in cities and states. | B | null | null | null | null | null | null |
The Importance of Being Alaska | Alaska is a gigantic peninsula. It has more than 47,000 miles of coastline where habitats from temperate rain forest to tundra meet seawaters rich with life. Alaska’s fish-filled waters and plentiful coastal nesting areas host … some 75 million seabirds. Of all the seabirds that breed in the U.S., 87% of them do so in ... | 970 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Life Science | What is Alaska? | A. a gigantic country
B. a gigantic peninsula
C. a gigantic island
D. a gigantic ocean | B | What does the text describe? | A. different species of seabirds
B. how Alaskan habitats are being protected
C. Melanie Smith's work on an icebreaker ship
D. how Alaska's temperate rain forests differ from its tundra | C | Read the following sentences from the text. " Alaska is a gigantic peninsula. It has more than 47,000 miles of coastline where habitats from temperate rain forest to tundra meet seawaters rich with life. " What can be concluded about Alaska's land based on this information? | A. It is the same throughout the state.
B. It is very diverse.
C. It is completely frozen.
D. It doesn't have healthy soil. | B | Why might it be important that Melanie Smith maps out important areas for seabirds and other wildlife? | A. So people can protect these areas, helping their wildlife survive.
B. So people can sell these areas and make money.
C. So people can clear out these areas and build homes.
D. So people know where to hunt wildlife like seabirds. | A | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Melanie Smith will map out important areas for seabirds and other wildlife in Alaska.
B. Alaska's waters and coastline are important to the survival of millions of seabirds.
C. Alask has a coastline where habitats from temperate rain forest to tundra meet seawaters rich with life.
D. More seabirds breed in Alaska th... | B | null | null | null | null | null | null |
All About Autism | Autism is a group of conditions called autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The brains of people with ASDs develop differently from other people’s brains. ASDs are a broad range of conditions that affect how people communicate and behave. These disorders affect each person differently. Doctors do not know what causes ASDs... | 920 | 5 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | What are autism spectrum disorders? | A. organizations that helps students read and write better
B. a broad range of conditions that affect how people communicate and behave
C. inventions created by Temple Grandin that help other autistic people
D. methods that therapists use to help patients improve their listening skills | B | What does the author list in the second paragraph of the section, What Is Autism? | A. different names of the genes that are thought to cause autism
B. different types of behavioral therapy for autistic people
C. differences in how autistic people experience the world
D. different specialists studying autism at one research center | C | Read the following sentences from the text. “ Andy [who is autistic] has a great support system. He attends a school and sees therapists who help him communicate and listen. One therapist uses artwork to help him relax. Others are trained to help him learn social skills and ways to deal with frustration. At school, his... | A. Different forms of therapy can be helpful for some autistic people.
B. Everyone with ASDs has a similar experience with communication.
C. Students do not need to practice how to focus in class.
D. Teachers should teach everyone in class using the exact same methods. | A | Pamela Miller is a special education teacher who believes “autism comes in so many shapes, sizes, colors, and varieties.” Based on this quote, why might it be important for other teachers to observe how autistic students behave and learn in class? | A. It can help teachers figure out how to best support autistic students since each person is unique and may require specific types of help.
B. It can help teachers figure out which students should be getting the most homework that week.
C. It can help teachers figure out which students have special connections to anim... | A | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Not all autistic children require the same kind of help, as some children might only communicate using sign language while others communicate with their words.
B. Temple Grandin is a famous autistic person who became an animal activist, college professor, and author who has a TV movie about her life.
C. Autism spect... | C | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Seabirds: Feathered Ocean Travelers | Earth is a water-covered planet and all its oceans are home to seabirds. Seabirds come in different sizes and shapes, but all seabirds are especially equipped for oceanic life. Many have wings and feet that do double duty as fins and paddles. Waterproof feathers and salt-removing noses are adaptations to spending month... | 1,050 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Life Science | According to the text, all of the Earth's oceans are home to what kind of animal? | A. seabirds
B. dolphins
C. sharks
D. algae | A | What does the text describe? | A. differences among seabird species
B. where seabirds travel
C. what is threatening the lives of seabirds
D. different ways fish have adapted to living in the ocean | B | Read the following sentences from the text. " Many have wings and feet that do double duty as fins and paddles. Waterproof feathers and salt-removing noses are adaptations to spending months far from land. Some seabirds have bones that hold up to the pressure of deep-water dives and beaks that can snag the slipperiest ... | A. Seabirds have a hard time surviving in ocean areas.
B. Seabirds adapt more quickly to their environments than other kinds of birds.
C. Seabirds are at risk of dying out.
D. Seabirds are well-equipped for oceanic life. | D | Based on the text, what can be concluded about seabirds' nesting sites and the marine areas where they feed and spend most of their lives? | A. They face no threats.
B. They face threats.
C. They are extremely hot.
D. They are extremely cold. | B | What is the main idea of this text? | A. The cliffy coasts and rocky islands off Maine and eastern Canada are a summertime destination for many seabirds.
B. Some seabirds have bones that hold up to the pressure of deep-water dives and beaks that can snag the slipperiest of fish.
C. Seabirds travel long distances across land (where they nest) and oceans (wh... | C | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Snow Day Fever | Snow stuck to Ned’s window in bunches—like clumps of cotton in a washing machine’s lint trap. The sun was coming up slowly, and the sky had a strange reddish, purple tinge that could only mean one thing: a snow day. Ned eased open his window, coughing from the effort, and stuck a ruler into the powder.
“Four inches,” h... | 650 | 5 | null | What does Ned conclude when he hears cheers from downstairs at the beginning of the story? | A. At least four inches of snow has fallen.
B. School is canceled.
C. School is not canceled.
D. His mom will let him go outside. | B | What main problem does Ned face? | A. He can’t find enough warm clothes to play outside.
B. He has a temperature of 98.6 degrees.
C. He is sick with a fever, so his mother won’t let him play outside in the snow.
D. His soup is so hot it burns his tongue. | C | Ned is desperate to play outside in the snow. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? | A. “She sounded much more confident than he did, and he knew he couldn’t beat her.”
B. “Ned’s mother said they were being timid, but Ned knew better.”
C. “He wasn’t sweating. He wasn’t clammy. He was feeling pretty good!”
D. “Oh sweetheart, you must be the first kid ever who cheated to make his temperature lower.” | D | Why does Ned’s mother finally let him play outside? | A. He promises to eat more soup and take a rest afterwards.
B. She feels sorry for him.
C. His temperature finally falls to 98.6 degrees.
D. She takes him to the hospital, and he feels better. | B | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Ned is so sick that if he goes outside, his temperature could drop.
B. Ned wants to have a snowball fight outside rather than go to math class.
C. Ned tries to convince his mother he is well enough to play outside so that he won't miss the snow day.
D. Ned is so excited about the snow day that he forgets he is sick ... | C | Read these sentences from the text. He was angry. He was frustrated. He was... very, very tired. Why does the author include a pause in the last sentence? | A. to emphasize how tired Ned feels
B. to emphasize how angry Ned feels
C. to show how confused Ned is
D. to show how quietly Ned is speaking | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. _______ Ned’s fever is not completely gone, his mother lets him have a snowball fight outside. | A. On the contrary
B. Even though
C. Specifically
D. For example | B |
See, Feel, Grab, Stab! | Different wading birds have different techniques for getting food.
Herons and egrets find food by sight, grabbing and sometimes stabbing fish, frogs, snakes, or other prey.
Ibises use their sensitive curved bill to probe in the sand, mud, or grass until they touch prey. Then they grab it. Their diet includes crayfish, ... | 1,000 | 5 | Science: Life Science | According to the text, which bird has an unusually-shaped bill? | A. Wood Storks
B. Roseate Spoonbills
C. Ibises
D. Herons | B | What does the text list and describe? | A. the differences between herons and egrets
B. different techniques different fish use to get food
C. different techniques different wading birds use to get food
D. different areas where wading birds live | C | Read the following sentences. " Ibises use their sensitive curved bill to probe in the sand, mud, or grass until they touch prey. Then they grab it. Their diet includes crayfish, crabs, insects, worms, and snails." What can be concluded about the bill of ibises based on this information? | A. It only helps ibises find food.
B. It only helps ibises catch food.
C. It helps ibises build their nests.
D. It helps ibises both find and catch food. | D | Based on the text, Roseate Spoonills' way of getting food is most similar to which other wading bird? | A. herons
B. egrets
C. wood storks
D. jack snipes | C | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Different wading birds have different techniques for getting food.
B. Ibises use their sensitive curved bill to probe in the sand, mud, or grass until they touch prey.
C. Rooseate Spoonbills find food by holding their bill slightly open in the water and sweeping it from side to side.
D. Herons and egrets find food b... | A | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Wise, Not Wasteful | There would be no people, no animals of any kind, no plants. Water is not just for drinking. Lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water are also [habitats] for wildlife. How can we make sure there’s enough to go around for people and nature? Using water wisely, not wastefully, can help conserve it. This is especially imp... | 800 | 5 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | According to the text, what would be impossible without water? | A. weather on different planets
B. sunlight from the sun
C. life on Earth
D. creation of continents | C | What does the text describe? | A. ways water can be conserved and recycled
B. how lakes and rivers get polluted
C. cities that have run out of drinking water
D. why climate change increases the possibility of drought | A | Read the following sentences from the text. " Simply turning off the tap while brushing your teeth saves almost two gallons of water. Do the math for your family!" What conclusion does this information support? | A. Turning off the tap while brushing teeth can teach a family to do math.
B. Turning off the tap while brushing teeth is a very expensive thing for families to do.
C. Turning off the tap while brushing teeth saves more water than taking quick showers.
D. Turning off the tap while brushing teeth can be an effective way... | D | Why does clean water for wildlife, wetlands, and other habitats become even scarcer when cities and towns are running low on clean water? | A. The clean water is provided to the people in cities and towns.
B. The clean water evaporates more quickly.
C. The clean water is not taken to water treatment plants.
D. The clean water is thrown away. | A | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Water people use in their homes goes to a water treatment plant where it’s treated, cleaned, and released into a local river or lake.
B. When cities and towns are running low on clean water, clean water for wildlife, wetlands, and other habitats becomes even scarcer.
C. There are many actions people can do to save w... | D | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Using Fresh Water | Earth looks like a watery world from space. But most of Earth’s water is salty ocean water, not drinkable fresh water. If all Earth’s water fit into a gallon jug, about half a cup of it would be fresh water. And only six or so drops of it would come from rivers and lakes. The rest of the fresh water would be in ice cap... | 880 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Life Science | According to the text, what is most of the Earth's water? | A. polluted water
B. fresh water
C. salt ocean water
D. warm water | C | The text compares the use of water in the United States with which two other places? | A. Europe and Africa
B. Africa and Asia
C. Europe and Asia
D. Africa and Australia | A | Which statement does the first diagram of the Earth support? | A. Most of Earth’s water is salty ocean water, not drinkable fresh water.
B. Americans use more water than European and Africans.
C. Some of the Earth's fresh water is in rivers and lakes.
D. Some places around the world are experiencing severe drought. | A | In the second image, there are three pitchers of water labeled, "Africa," "Europe" and "United States." Why is the pitcher labeled "Europe" bigger than the one labeled "Africa" but smaller than the one labeled "United States"? | A. Europeans use more water than Africans but less water than Americans.
B. Europeans use more water than Americans but less water than Africans.
C. Europeans use the same amount of water as Americans and Africans.
D. Europeans use the same amount of water as Africans but less than Americans. | A | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Europeans use 45-65 gallons per person every day whereas Africans use only 3-13 gallons.
B. Some of the Earth's fresh water comes from rivers and lakes but most is in ice caps, glaciers, and the atmosphere.
C. Most of Earth's water is salty ocean water, not drinkable fresh water which Americans use more than Europea... | C | null | null | null | null | null | null |
What Are You Doing to Help Seabirds? | All seabirds depend on the ocean and coasts around the world, so anything that harms the ocean is a threat to seabirds. Here are two ways families everywhere—even ones who live far from the ocean—can help. | 1,040 | 5 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | According to the text, what animal depends on the ocean and coasts around the world? | A. polar bears
B. flamingos
C. crows
D. seabirds | D | What does the text describe? | A. ways people can help seabirds
B. how seabirds compare to other types of birds
C. pieces of art that show seabirds
D. groups of people that remove trash from rivers and creeks | A | Read the following sentences from the text. " Trash in rivers far inland can eventually end up in the ocean. The same is true for trash on beaches. Trash makes the ocean habitat unsafe for seabirds and other creatures that live there." Which conclusion does this information support? | A. Trash is a threat to seabirds.
B. The amount of trash in our oceans is decreasing.
C. Trash threatens other creatures more than seabirds.
D. Trash does not collect on land. | A | Based on the text, which of the following is an example of people helping to protect seabirds? | A. people creating stories about how the moon affects our oceans
B. people creating paintings showing seabirds in their habitat
C. people dumping trash in areas that are close to the ocean
D. people having parties and celebrations on beaches | B | What is the main idea of this text? | A. The more people know about seabirds, the more likely they are to protect the oceans and shores where seabirds live and nest.
B. Speaking up for seabirds through art—paintings, drawings, skits, stories, and poems—is a great way to tell the world about the world of seabirds.
C. People can help seabirds in different wa... | C | null | null | null | null | null | null |
The Quest for Spices | In the Middle Ages, spices were highly desired in Europe. But most of the most desirable spices came from the islands of present-day Indonesia. At the time, Europeans referred to these islands as the Spice Islands.
You might wonder why the Europeans didn’t just sail over to the Spice Islands and buy their spices. It wa... | 970 | 5 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture, World History | In the Middle Ages, where did most of the most desirable spices come from? | A. China
B. India
C. Spice Islands
D. Venice | C | Europeans wanted spices but could not get them. What was the problem they faced? | A. They did not have the technology to make boats that would travel long enough to reach the Spice Islands
B. Traders at the Spice Islands would only trade with Arabs because they were at war with Europe.
C. They could not travel to the Spice Islands because they did not know where they were and thought it was dangerou... | C | Read the following sentences from the text. “For hundreds of years, from around 1100 until 1400, the Arabs managed to keep the location of the Spice Islands a secret. They even made up stories about how dangerous it was to sail to these islands….They sold the spices to merchants from Venice and other parts of Italy. Th... | A. The Arabs and Venetians both tried to control who could sell spices so they could make more money.
B. Arab and Venetian traders refused to trade anything with each other because of competition.
C. Europeans preferred to buy spices from Venetian merchants because they offered better prices.
D. Traders from the Spice ... | A | According to the text, why were Europeans willing to pay high prices for spices? | A. They wanted to support Arab and Venetian traders.
B. They wanted them and could not get them on their own.
C. They knew that spices were difficult to grow and worth it.
D. They wanted to make sure their restaurants had tasty food. | B | What is the main idea of this text? | A. During the Middle Ages, people got nutmeg and cloves from the Spice Islands, ginger from China, and cinnamon from India.
B. During the Age of Exploration, Venetian merchants found the way to the Spice Islands and no longer had to deal with Arab traders for spices.
C. It was very dangerous to travel to the Spice Isla... | D | null | null | null | null | null | null |
The Eagle and the Cactus | Between the years of 1325 and 1521 CE, a great civilization arose and thrived. They were the Aztec people, who lived in what is today central Mexico.
According to legend, the Aztec were once a nomadic tribe. They wandered the land, setting up temporary homes here and there, fighting off attackers, and surviving on snak... | 890 | 5 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture, World History | What sign did the god of the sun tell the Aztec people to look for? | A. a prickly cactus standing alone on a hill
B. a large cluster of snakes and lizards in the desert
C. an eagle with a snake in its beak perched on a cactus
D. a swampy island in Lake Texcoco | C | What does this text describe? | A. This text describes the reason the Aztec people named their new home Tenochtitlán, or “the place of the prickly pear."
B. This text describes the way an eagle and serpent are displayed on the flag of Mexico.
C. This text describes the reason the Aztec people transitioned from being a nomadic tribe to being a great c... | C | The Aztec were once a nomadic tribe. What evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. The Aztec people called their new home Tenochtitlán (/tay*noch*tee*tlahn/), which means “the place of the prickly pear.”
B. The Aztec wandered the land, setting up temporary homes here and there, fighting off attackers, and surviving on snakes and lizards.
C. Between the years of 1325 and 1521 CE, a great civilizati... | B | Read these sentences from the text: The god told the Aztec people to look for a sign - an eagle with a snake in its beak perched on a cactus. On the spot where the eagle perched, the Aztec were to build a great city . . . Even today the eagle and serpent are shown on the flag of Mexico. Based on this information, what ... | A. The sign from the Aztec legend influenced the design of the flag of Mexico.
B. Mexico copied their flag design from a design that the Aztec used on their flag.
C. The flag of Mexico has nothing to do with the Aztec legend.
D. The flag was poorly designed because an eagle does not look good next to a serpent. | A | What is the main idea of this text? | A. The Aztec people were originally a tribe of nomads. They wandered the land and set up temporary homes here and there. They fought off attackers and survived on snakes and lizards. They lived like many of the other people during that time.
B. The Aztec were once a nomadic tribe. One day, however, the god of the sun t... | B | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Way to Go, Wading Birds! | Wading birds have some very special hunting and feeding skills!
The Reddish Egret sometimes shades the water with its wings as it wades to hunt for fish. This draws fish into the shadow and also helps the bird see better on a bright day, just as you see better when you shade your eyes with your hand.
Great Blue Herons ... | 1,160 | 5 | Science: Life Science | According to the text, what kind of skills do wading birds have? | A. dancing and singing
B. hunting and singing
C. feeding and dancing
D. hunting and feeding | D | What does the text list and describe? | A. differences among various wading birds
B. how wading birds have adapted to their environments
C. different ways wading birds hunt for food
D. habitats where wading birds live | C | Read the following sentences from the text. " The Reddish Egret sometimes shades the water with its wings as it wades to hunt for fish. This draws fish into the shadow...Green Herons stand very still or move slowly, stalking frogs and other prey. They have been observed dropping leaves, small twigs, berries, and even f... | A. Some wading birds use sneaky ways to catch their prey.
B. Wading birds are very strong.
C. Wading birds are very weak.
D. Wading birds are not very smart. | A | Snowy Egrets shake and swirl their bright yellow feet in shallow water, forcing fish, crayfish, worms, and other animals they eat out into the open. Why is this helpful for the Snowy Egrets? | A. They can run away to safety after seeing these animals out in the open.
B. They can entertain themselves by watching the animals moving out in the open.
C. They can more easily catch the animals that come out in the open.
D. They can let land animals know that the animals in the water are out in the open. | C | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Wading birds have some very special hunting and feeding skills.
B. Great Blue Herons and other wading birds swallow their food whole.
C. When a Wood Stork feels a fish with its bill, the bill automatically snaps shut.
D. Green Herons stand very still or move slowly, stalking frogs and other prey. | A | null | null | null | null | null | null |
This Is How Orbits Work! | Isaac Newton was a great scientist and mathematician who lived more than 300 years ago. He understood and wrote about many of the laws of motion that we see at work every day. To explain how one body can orbit another, he asked his readers to imagine a cannon on top of a very, VERY tall mountain. (Our cannon is on a ve... | 970 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Physical Science | What did the mathematician and scientist Isaac Newton write about? | A. the laws and government of the United States
B. the laws of motion that we see at work every day
C. the rainforest and other habitats
D. musical compositions and symphonies | B | Based on the table, what is the effect of adding more gunpowder to the cannonball? | A. The cannonball goes slower.
B. The cannonball always goes into orbit.
C. The cannonball goes faster.
D. The cannonball won’t launch. | C | If an object launched from Earth is going fast enough, it will fall into orbit around the Earth. What information from the passage supports this conclusion? | A. “2 bags of gunpowder: Cannonball goes faster and gets farther before gravity pulls it back to Earth.”
B. “The cannonball follows a curve, falling faster and faster as a result of Earth's gravity, and hits the Earth at some distance away.”
C. “Note that these amounts of gunpowder are just imaginary, not meant to be p... | D | What would a spacecraft need to do to break free of Earth’s gravity and go out into space? | A. The spacecraft would need to be really heavy.
B. The spacecraft would need to go really fast.
C. The spacecraft would need to be really small.
D. The spacecraft would need at least 10 people on board. | B | What is the main idea of this passage? | A. Isaac Newton lived more than 300 years ago, and he developed mathematical and scientific theories.
B. If a cannonball had five bags of gunpowder behind it, it would shoot out of orbit and head into space.
C. Isaac Newton’s theory of motion explains how gravity can cause a body to fall into an orbit.
D. When a satell... | C | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Harlem Renaissance: Visual Art | During the Harlem Renaissance, visual artists used artistic styles developed in Africa, such as African folk art, as creative inspiration. Ancient Egyptian art was especially influential. Artists often used imagery and iconography associated with this period. For example, mummies appeared in multiple artistic works dur... | 1,030 | 3-5 | Social Studies: World History, U.S. History | What was the Harlem Renaissance? | A. An Acient Egyptian visual art form that featured mummies.
B. An art movement that began in New York and expanded internationally.
C. A famous American painter that painted about racial pride.
D. An international art contest that artists could attend from around the world. | B | What does this text describe? | A. This text describes the life of Aaron Douglas and how most of his art was influenced by Ancient Egyptian geometric and two-dimensional human profiles.
B. This text describes the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance and how it stemmed from a new black cultural identity.
C. This text describes the way Selma Burke scupl... | D | The Harlem Renaissance was extremely widespread. What evidence in the text supports this conclusion? | A. "The most famous American artist was painter Aaron Douglas."
B. " During the Harlem Renaissance, visual artists used artistic styles developed in Africa, such as African folk art, as creative inspiration."
C. "There were also international art contests that facilitated dialogue between artists from all over the glob... | C | Based on the text, what can be concluded about the Harlem Renaissance? | A. People from all over the world knew about the Harlem Renaissance.
B. Only Americans knew about the Harlem Renaissance.
C. Famous art was not created during the Harlem Renaissance.
D. Artists did not communicate with each other during the Harlem Renaissance. | A | What is the main idea of this text? | A. The Harlem Renaissance's most famous American artist painter, Aaron Douglas, painted geometric and two-dimensional profiles of human figures.
B. There were many international art contests during the Harlem Renaissance that helped facilitate diologue between artists form all over the globe.
C. The Harlem Renaissance,... | C | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Earth's Atmosphere: The Mesosphere | The mesosphere lies between the thermosphere and the stratosphere. “Meso” means middle, and this is the highest layer of the atmosphere in which the gases are all mixed up rather than being layered by their mass.
The mesosphere is 22 miles (35 kilometers) thick. The air is still thin, so you wouldn’t be able to breathe... | 740 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science | What does the word “meso” mean? | A. below
B. middle
C. above
D. high | B | How does the text describe the gases in the mesosphere? | A. The gases are all layered by their mass and there is a lot more air in the mesosphere than the stratosphere.
B. The gases are mixed up rather than layered and there is more gas in the mesosphere than in the thermosphere.
C. The gases are very thick and heavy, which cause meteors to form in this layer of the atmosphe... | B | Read the following sentences from the text. "Have you ever seen a meteor shower, where meteors burn up and streak across the sky? Some people call them shooting stars. Those meteors are burning up in the mesosphere. The meteors make it through the exosphere and thermosphere without much trouble because those layers don... | A. The amount of air in the atmosphere has no effect on meteors.
B. All meteor showers happen at the same time each year.
C. Meteors look like they are burning up, but they actually do not change.
D. The mesosphere has more gases than the exosphere and thermosphere. | D | What can you infer about the levels of gases in the mesosphere? | A. The mesosphere is similar to the stratosphere because both layers of Earth’s atmosphere have enough air and other gases to support living organisms.
B. The mesosphere has very few gases and almost no air because when meteors enter this layer of Earth’s atmosphere, they are not affected at all.
C. The mesosphere does... | C | What is the main idea of this text? | A. The mesosphere is the layer of Earth’s atmosphere between the thermosphere and stratosphere which contains enough mixed gases to cause meteors to burn up.
B. There are many layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, including the mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere, and stratosphere that are all important for the survival of... | A | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Earth's Atmosphere: The Troposphere | Closest to the surface of Earth, we have the troposphere. “Tropos” means change. This layer gets its name from the weather that is constantly changing and mixing up the gases in this part of our atmosphere.
The troposphere is between 5 and 9 miles (8 and 14 kilometers) thick depending on where you are on Earth. It’s th... | 730 | 5 | Science: Earth & Space Science | What is the troposphere? | A. the layer of the atmosphere closest to the surface of Earth’s moon
B. the layer of the atmosphere out of reach from humans
C. the layer of the atmosphere closest to the surface of the Earth
D. the layer of the atmosphere farthest from the surface of the Earth | C | How does the text describe the weather in the troposphere? | A. below freezing all the time
B. constantly changing
C. raining and windy
D. never changing | B | Read the following sentences from the text. “This layer has the air we breathe and the clouds in the sky…The air here is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. The last 1% is made of argon, water vapor, and carbon dioxide. When you feel the wind on your face, see clouds in the sky, and watch a bird flap its wings in flight, you’... | A. The gases in the troposphere are part of what humans breathe.
B. Nitrogen is dangerous for humans because it is a toxic gas in the troposphere.
C. It is always windy in the troposphere because there are many clouds.
D. The most common gases in the troposphere are oxygen and water vapor. | A | What might happen if the Earth did not have the gases found in the troposphere? | A. Life on Earth would be different for humans and animals.
B. More birds would be born because there would be more space.
C. There would be more clouds in the sky so the sun would not shine.
D. There would be more plants and animals on the Earth. | A | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Nitrogen and argon are necessary gases found in many layers of the Earth, including the troposphere.
B. Weather on the surface of the Earth is constantly changing, which causes large storms to happen.
C. A small part, 1%, of the troposphere is made of argon, water vapor, and carbon dioxide.
D. The troposphere is the... | D | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Amy Beach | This text and image are provided courtesy of the New York Philharmonic.
Born: USA
Lifespan: 1867-1944
20th Century Composer
Amy Marcy Cheney Beach was the first American woman composer to write a symphony. She was trained as a pianist and made her debut with the Boston Symphony at 18. In 1892, the New Philharmonic and ... | 1,080 | 5 | Arts: Music & Performing Arts | Who was Amy Beach? | A. She was the first female pianist at the Boston Symphony
B. She was the founder of the Boston's Handel and Haydn Society.
C. She was an opera singer based in Europe.
D. She was the first American woman composer to write a symphony. | D | What does this text describe? | A. This text describes Amy Beach's relationship with her husband and her heartbreak after his death.
B. This text describes Amy Beach's career as a composer and the many things she accomplished.
C. This text describes the unique way Amy Beach's compositions did not follow European traditions.
D. This text describes the... | B | Amy Beach was the first women composer to accomplish many things. What evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. The New Philharmonic and Boston's Handel and Haydn Society both performed works by a woman composer for the first time in their history. Both works were by Amy Beach.
B. After her husband tragically died in 1910, Amy Beach resumed her performing career, playing her Piano Concerto and hearing her "Gaelic" Symphony pe... | A | Based on the information in this text, what can you conclude about Amy Beach? | A. She hated facing challenges.
B. She received most of her training in Europe.
C. She pushed many boundaries.
D. She stopped composing after her husband's death. | C | What is the main idea of this text? | A. There was a time during Amy Beach's life when she did not perform. She resumed her performing career only after her husband died in 1910.
B. Amy Beach was originally trained as a pianist. She expanded her training to continue as a composer. In her late age she both performed and composed.
C. Amy Beach was born in 18... | D | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Railroad Bridge, Argenteuil | This text and image are provided courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
A small sailboat drifts along the water in this tranquil scene. Warm, golden light brightens the bridge’s white pillars and the boat’s sail. Their reflections in the water add pink, yellow, and orange hues to the blue of the river. Along the t... | 1,070 | 6 | Arts: Visual Arts | Which artist painted The Bridge at Argentuil? | A. Mary Cassatt
B. Winslow Homer
C. Edouard Manet
D. Claude Monet | D | Which three topics does the text address? | A. The painting’s use of color, Impressionist brushstroke style, and the expansion of the railroad service
B. The history of the Seine River, the founding of Argenteuil, and city life in France
C. The founding of Impressionism, the popularity of sailing, and the personal life of Claude Monet
D. Famous Impressionist pai... | A | Read this sentence from the text. "A gentle wind pushes the boat across the calm river below." What evidence from the painting supports the author’s suggestion that there is a gentle wind? | A. The brushstrokes are short and quick.
B. The right side of the painting is full of shadows and varying shades of green.
C. The boat’s sail is full while the water remains calm.
D. The figures in the boat are far-off and tiny. | C | Based on the information in the text and the painting, how could the mood of the painting best be described? | A. Scary and threatening
B. Calm and peaceful
C. Wild and disturbing
D. Exciting and fun | B | What is the main idea of the text? | A. Claude Monet's appreciation of natural light and color is reflected in his painting of a calm outdoor scene near a river in Argenteuil.
B. Impressionist painters such as Claude Monet preferred depicting natural scenes over scenes of urban life.
C. The railroad bridge over the Seine River at Argenteuil inspired many ... | A | Read these sentences from the text. “…the railroad service was expanding, and it became easier for city dwellers to take weekend trips to the nearby countryside. Perhaps the tiny figures in the boat are enjoying time away from the faster pace of urban life.” Why might the author have included this suggestion that the f... | A. To highlight the importance of the Seine River to French industry
B. To highlight the sense of calm in the painting
C. To suggest that the growing railroad service negatively affected quality of life in France
D. To suggest that Monet preferred painting images of nature | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. Light and color change frequently throughout the day. ______, Monet had to work quickly to capture the color and light as he saw it. | A. Still
B. Because
C. Therefore
D. However | C |
The Big Break | Jeffrey had had his first starring role in kindergarten, playing a talking stone in a class play. From the moment that he heard the applause and took his bows, he knew he wanted to be an actor. He doodled his name as it would look on a marquee. In his mind, he rehearsed his acceptance speech to the Academy Awards.
“I w... | 680 | 6 | null | Which is not a conflict in this story? | A. Jeffrey very much wants the part he and Brad are auditioning for.
B. Brad may be more suitable for the part than Jeffrey.
C. In the past, Brad has discouraged Jeffrey’s acting ambitions.
D. Jeffrey played a talking stone in a kindergarten class play. | D | What is the suspense in this story? | A. Will Brad be willing to drive Jeffrey to the audition?
B. Will Jeffrey learn his lines quick enough?
C. Will Brad get the part that Jeffrey wants?
D. Has Brad been critical of Jeffrey? | C | Jeffrey seems to be the kind of person who | A. knows what he wants and works hard to get it.
B. doesn’t want to share his success with anyone else.
C. always wants to look older than his real age.
D. is too shy to just “be himself” with others. | A | Which plot details establish that acting is very important to Jeffrey? | A. From the moment in kindergarten when he heard the applause and took his bows, Jeffrey wanted to be an actor.
B. Jeffrey read the newspapers and magazines of the acting business.
C. Jeffrey liked everything about acting--except for his brother’s comments about it.
D. All of the above. | D | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Arms Race | Male animals are developing bigger weapons to fight for female attention.
Sawfish with frightening blades jutting from their faces. Stag beetles whose horns almost match the length of their bodies. Fiddler crabs with claws so grossly oversize they equal half their body weights.
Such strange features have fascinated Uni... | 950 | 6 | Science: Life Science | What weapons do stag beetles have? | A. claws
B. blades
C. tusks
D. horns | D | Male animals are developing bigger weapons. All of the following are effects of this occurrence EXCEPT | A. they are competing in fights with females
B. they pass their traits to the next generation
C. they are more likely to survive
D. they win more fights for female attention | A | Why did the author include the first paragraph (“Sawfish with frightening blades...”) in the passage? | A. to compare and contrast ocean animals and insects
B. to give examples of animals with exaggerated weapons
C. to describe the reason why male animals have weapons
D. to persuade kids to become biologists when they grow up | B | Read this sentence from the passage: “Over time, the offspring of victorious males evolve weapons that are more and more outrageous.” In this sentence, the word offspring means | A. a family member
B. an older competitor
C. a leap of joy
D. an animal’s young | D | The primary purpose of this passage is to describe | A. how natural selection is changing animal weaponry
B. why many male animals that are well fed have larger weapons
C. the interaction between the males and females of a species
D. the strange features of fiddler crabs, dung beetles, and sawfish | A | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Antlered flies are tiny insects that live in the tropical forests ______ New Guinea. | A. of
B. and
C. or
D. for | A | null | null | null |
Water from the Air: Cloud Forests | In the Americas, Asia, and Africa, there’s a special kind of forest. It’s rare, beautiful, and incredibly important to the animals and plants living there, and the humans who live nearby.
It’s called the cloud forest. Cloud forests, like the name implies, can be found in the clouds on the slopes of mountains. Because t... | 1,060 | 6 | Science: Earth & Space Science | What are cloud forests? | A. forests that are made out of clouds and float through the earth’s atmosphere
B. forests of oak and maple trees found in the northeastern United States
C. pine forests that live in cold climates without much animal life
D. humid forests that live among clouds on mountain slopes | D | What does this article try to persuade the reader of? | A. Governments should not interfere with businesses.
B. It is too late to save cloud forests.
C. Protecting cloud forests is important.
D. Commercial farming is more important than cloud forests. | C | The loss of cloud forests is harmful to the surrounding ecosystem. What evidence from the passage supports this statement? | A. When cloud forests are cleared away, the soil degrades and erodes. What is left behind is a dusty slope that is unable to support animals, plants, and people.
B. Cloud forests live among the clouds on the slopes of mountains. They are often surrounded by warm mist, which makes them very humid and wet places.
C. The ... | A | Why might providing economic support to people living near cloud forests help save the forests? | A. People living near cloud forests would be less likely to care about protecting animals like the Jocotoco Antpitta and the Scarlet-banded Barbet.
B. People living near cloud forests would be less likely to clear away parts of the forest to try to support themselves.
C. People living near cloud forests would be more l... | B | What is this passage mainly about? | A. how people in Tegucigalpa, Quito, Mexico City, and Dar es Salaam get their water
B. the history of the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala
C. the mining companies and commercial farms that threaten cloud forests around the world
D. cloud forests, the threats they face, and what can be done to save the... | D | Read the following sentences: “It is also effective to educate the local population on how cloud forests provide fresh water and what happens when they are cleared. For example, in the indigenous community of Loma Alta in Ecuador, once the people understood that the cloud forest is necessary to provide water for farms ... | A. shrinking slowly over a long period of time
B. turning out differently from what was expected
C. having to do with a particular place or area
D. causing people to feel extremely happy | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Cloud forests are home to unusual animals, _______ spectacled bears and barking deer. | A. previously
B. such as
C. as a result
D. third | B |
Music and Your Mind | New Orleans resident Ashton C., 13, likes to rock out. When he’s not practicing guitar or drums, he’s often listening to Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, or The Beatles. “I listen to the music over and over and just let it get into my system,” he says.
Ashton is more right than he may know. Music really does get into our systems. ... | 900 | 6 | null | What is something that only humans make? | A. sound
B. music
C. loud noise
D. soft noise | B | What is an effect of listening to gentle, slow music before bed? | A. getting a better night's sleep
B. falling asleep later than usual
C. waking up early the next morning
D. having pleasant, soothing dreams | A | Music has been around as long as humans have. What evidence in the article supports this statement? | A. "Scientists have discovered ancient flutes made of animal bones that date to prehistoric times."
B. "In general, all members of a given species make the same sounds."
C. "Studies have shown that even infants as young as eight months old can tell 'happy' music from 'sad' music."
D. "Music has the power to affect the ... | A | What is an example of music affecting people mentally? | A. Music can make a person's heart rate speed up.
B. Music can help people memorize information.
C. Music can harm people's ears.
D. Music can make a person's breathing rate slow down. | B | What is the main idea of this text? | A. All members of a given species make the same sounds.
B. Listening to fast songs can make a person’s heart rate speed up.
C. Music is connected to memory.
D. Music affects people physically and mentally. | D | Read these sentences from the text. "Why does music have such power over us? After all, it isn’t essential as food, water, and air are. We might enjoy it, but we don’t need music to live. Or do we?" Based on these sentences, what does the word "essential" mean? | A. strong
B. unimportant
C. necessary
D. enjoyable | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. There’s no one music center in our heads. __________, music activates many areas of the brain. | A. In particular
B. On the contrary
C. Previously
D. In the end | B |
Sugar Added | Try this challenge. Go to your local grocery store, and pick out a loaf of bread. It can be white, whole wheat, or nine grain. Check out the list of ingredients. It's likely that you'll find this ingredient listed: high-fructose corn syrup.
What's that? It's sugar!
Consumers may not be aware that sugar is in many foods... | 930 | 6 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | What is corn syrup? | A. a kind of bread
B. a kind of soft drink
C. a kind of sugar
D. a kind of salad dressing | C | How does the author describe processed foods? | A. Processed foods tend to be fresh and have no added ingredients.
B. Processed foods can be bought in a box, a bag, a bottle, or another container.
C. Processed foods tend to maintain most of their original nutrients.
D. Processed foods tend to have a short shelf life and taste bitter. | B | Read these sentences from the text. "The foods that tend to have the most added sugars are processed foods, which are manufactured to last a long time on the shelf. Processed foods tend to be foods you can buy in a box, a bag, a bottle, or another container. They have fewer nutrients and more calories than whole foods.... | A. Whole foods are often better for you than processed foods.
B. Processed foods are often better for you than whole foods.
C. Whole foods and processed foods are both always healthy.
D. Whole foods and processed foods are both always unhealthy. | A | What is one example of processed food described in this text? | A. vegetables
B. seeds
C. bread
D. eggs | C | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Eating only processed foods and drinks with added sugars every day can help you stay healthy.
B. Eating only whole foods and unprocessed drinks with no added sugar is the only way to stay healthy.
C. Ignoring how much sugar is in the food and drinks you consume can help you stay healthy.
D. Being aware of how much s... | D | Read these sentences from the text. "Be aware of where sugar lurks and how much of it you're taking in. Once you know to look for added sugars, you can become a super sleuth when it comes to healthy eating." Why might the author address the reader directly as "you" in this excerpt? | A. to encourage readers to follow his or her advice to look for added sugars
B. to scold readers for not being aware of where sugar lurks
C. to explain to readers that sugar is never easy to find
D. to highlight the author's own awareness of where sugar lurks | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. Sugars often hide behind unfamiliar names. When you're checking food labels, look for __________ in the ingredient list. That generally means sugar. | A. food labels
B. the ingredient list
C. sugars
D. the suffix - ose | D |
Why Do Things Look Darker When They Are Wet? | When light strikes an object, some of it penetrates the object, and some of it is reflected and reaches your eye. When an object is wet, more light penetrates the object, so less light is reflected. As a result, less light reaches your eye and so the wet object looks darker. Read on for a more detailed explanation.
Fac... | 1,170 | 6 | Science: Physical Science | When light strikes an object, what happens to some of the light? | A. Some of the light turns into sound.
B. Some of the light becomes brighter.
C. Some of the light is reflected.
D. Some of the light becomes less bright. | C | What is an effect of an object getting wet? | A. More light is reflected by the object.
B. Less light penetrates the object.
C. More light penetrates the object.
D. The object looks lighter. | C | Read Fact 1 and look at the image next to it. When light moves from air to water, some of the light reflects and some refracts. The reflected light 'bounces' off the water, and the refracted light bends at the air/water boundary and passes through the water. Based on this information, what can you conclude about the im... | A. The image shows light being refracted but not reflected by water.
B. The image shows light being reflected but not refracted by water.
C. The image shows light being reflected and refracted by water.
D. The image shows light striking water from different directions. | C | Read Fact 2 and look at the image next to it. When light strikes any object, some of the light is reflected and some is refracted and transmitted through or absorbed by the object. The relative amounts of which depend on the material properties of the object, its index of refraction. Based on this information and the i... | A. Jeans refract less light than a mirror does.
B. Jeans absorb less light than a mirror does.
C. Jeans refract more light than a mirror does.
D. Jeans reflect more light than a mirror does. | C | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Steel, glass, and plastic do not look darker when they are wet. ct.
B. If an object is wet, it reflects less light and looks darker.
C. When light strikes an object, some of it is reflected by the object.
D. When light strikes an object, some of it penetrates the object. | B | Read these sentences from the text. When light moves from air to water, some of the light reflects and some refracts. The reflected light 'bounces' off the water, and the refracted light bends at the air/water boundary and passes through the water. What is the meaning of the word "refracts" as it is used here? | A. bounces
B. reflects
C. moves
D. bends | D | Read these sentences from the text. When light strikes any object, some of the light is reflected and some is refracted and transmitted through or absorbed by the object. The relative amounts of which depend on the material properties of the object, its index of refraction. Which word does the pronoun "its" refer to? | A. material
B. properties
C. which
D. object | D |
Group Behavior | The word “social” means: “relating to society or its organization.” There is a special type of science that studies how human beings interact with each other and it is called “sociology.” Sociologists are scientists who study society and these complex interactions. One quality of our society that sociologists have l... | 1,020 | 6 | Science: Life Science | What is group behavior? | A. humankind’s desire to study sociology
B. humankind’s desire to be part of one group
C. humankind’s desire to not be part of different groups
D. humankind’s desire to be part of different groups | D | Being part of a group is an effect. What caused people to become part of a group a long time ago? | A. People wanted to get others to join their organized religion.
B. People wanted to be able to better survive and prosper.
C. People wanted to be alone and make their own decisions.
D. People wanted to have homes made of concrete to protect themselves. | B | Read the following sentences. “Values are the beliefs and principles that guide group behavior. Many early civilizations valued cooperation and respecting their elders. Many groups valued honesty and bravery. These values were very important in creating close-knit societies.” What can you conclude based on this eviden... | A. Shared values helped a group stay united.
B. Most groups did not have positive values.
C. Values were the same in every group.
D. Bravery was the most important value in all societies. | A | Based on the passage, what might the identity of a group be based on? | A. the group’s norms and values
B. the group’s location
C. the group’s “common enemy”
D. the group’s size | A | What is the passage mostly about? | A. how to use group behavior to better interact with other people
B. how to be accepted in a larger group
C. how different groups interact with other groups
D. how group behavior influences societies and people | D | Read the following sentences: “Eventually, people began traveling and working together to find more food. That way, they had access to more resources. They would also be able to more effectively battle animals that threatened them. Bigger quantities of food and a better sense of safety helped humans survive and prosper... | A. move
B. fight
C. die out
D. succeed | D | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Values are the beliefs and principles that guide group behavior. __________, some groups might value honesty and bravery. | A. Otherwise
B. Finally
C. However
D. For example | D |
Children in the Shadows | “Quiet, and never tell anyone you are Jewish.”
Renee Schwalb heard that a lot as a young girl. She heard it from her mother, who tried to keep Renee safe from the Nazi German soldiers who killed and enslaved European Jews during World War II (1939-1945).
She heard it from Madame DeGelas, who hid Renee's family in a sma... | 1,050 | 6 | Social Studies: World History | Leon was forced to move from Poland to the Ukraine before he | A. played hide and seek with the Nazis.
B. was separated from his family and put in a monastery.
C. lived with Madame DeGelas.
D. played toy soldiers with his brother in a basement. | B | Renee Schwalb heard the advice to “never tell anyone you’re Jewish” from people in this order: | A. Madame DeGelas, Catholic nuns, Protestand teachers, her mother
B. her mother, Catholic nuns, Madame DeGelas, Protestant teachers
C. her mother, Madame DeGelas, Catholic nuns, Protestant teachers
D. her mother, Madame DeGelas, Protestant teachers, Catholic nuns | C | Based on the text, the Jewish children who survived the Holocaust did so mostly because of the kindness of | A. Christian families.
B. nuns and monks.
C. Protestant teachers.
D. all of the above. | D | The exhibit “Life in Shadows: Hidden Children and the Holocaust” is no longer on display. But there is now an online exhibition featuring certain content from the exhibit “Life in Shadows: Hidden Children and the Holocaust.” What does this content include? | A. a transcript
B. photo of a sweater worn by Krystyna Chiger
C. photo of tiny “toy soldiers” made by Jurek Orlowski and his brother
D. all of the above | D | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Apples: The Health Benefits | You know that apples are juicy, sweet, and tasty. They are often thought of as a treat or dessert. But apples are an important part of your daily diet. Exciting research has shown that apples have the power to help keep you healthy! Scientists have also discovered that the more of them you eat, the healthier you can be... | 900 | 6 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | According to the text, what is a reason that apples are an important part of a healthy diet? | A. Apples contain vitamin K, which you can’t get from any other food.
B. Apples have enzymes that help break down food.
C. Apples clean your teeth so you never need to brush them.
D. Apples have all of the fiber that a person needs in a day. | B | What is a way that the author asks the reader to analyze the list of apple types? | A. See how many kinds of apples grow in the reader’s state.
B. See which kind of apples taste the best in homemade pie.
C. See how many kinds of apples the reader can find in the store.
D. See how many kinds of apples the reader can taste at school. | C | Apples can provide several different beneficial vitamins and minerals to the body when you eat them. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? | A. “Researchers in Finland studied more than 9,000 men for 28 years and found that those who ate lots of apples had a low risk of stroke.”
B. “Other studies showed that people who ate apples regularly had better lung function. Their risk of dying from a heart attack was lower too.”
C. “Apples alone can certainly pack a... | D | If given the choice between eating a whole apple and drinking a glass of apple juice, which would be healthier? | A. the apple juice, because it tastes better
B. the whole apple, because the skin contains fiber
C. the apple juice, because it has phytochemicals
D. the whole apple, because it is a fat-free food | B | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Apples are the best food in the world and should be eaten at every meal and snack.
B. Apples come in over 50 types, each with unique benefits to your health.
C. Apples keep doctors away, so people that eat them never worry about getting sick.
D. Apples are an important part of a healthy diet and can prevent some dis... | D | Read this sentence from the text. Other studies showed that people who ate apples regularly had better lung function . In the sentence, what does the word "function" mean? | A. sleep
B. event
C. food
D. activity | D | Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Apples are an important part of your daily diet, ________ they should not be the only food you eat! | A. because
B. when
C. so
D. but | D |
The Holocaust | The Holocaust refers to the horrific time period from 1933 to 1945 when throughout Europe over six million Jewish men, women, and children were systematically killed by the Nazi government of Germany. This period is one of the most tragic chapters in human history. The Nazi government perceived the Jewish people as an ... | 1,020 | 6 | Social Studies: World History | How many Jewish men, women, and children were killed during World War II? | A. about six hundred
B. over six million
C. over sixty million
D. less than six thousand | B | What does the text describe? | A. the cultural impact of the Jewish people throughout Europe
B. key events that led to World War II
C. Hitler’s rise to political power
D. the Nazi government’s efforts to exterminate the Jewish people | D | Hitler hated Jewish people. What evidence from the text best supports the conclusion? | A. Hitler believed that the Jewish people were not only a religious group but also a race.
B. Hitler claimed that the Jewish people were a disease to humanity.
C. Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933, representing the Nazi party.
D. People were horrified when they found out about the full scope of the Holocaust. | B | “The Jewish Question” referred to the question of the role of the Jewish people in society. What was the Nazi government’s answer to this question? | A. increase the role of the Jewish people in society
B. eliminate the Jewish people from society so that they have no role
C. limit the role of the Jewish people in society
D. expand the role of the Jewish people in different areas of society | B | What is this text mostly about? | A. World War II
B. Hitler's political power
C. the Holocaust
D. the Nazi government | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. Hitler thought that some groups of people were superior to other groups. ________, he wanted a country of only those people he considered superior. | A. Therefore
B. However
C. On the other hand
D. Initially | A | null | null | null |
Shock Waves | Beds shook suddenly across New York City the night of Dec. 16, 1811, rousing people from their sleep. The cause of the rude awakening was an earthquake whose epicenter (point of origin) was halfway across the country near New Madrid, MO.
The earthquake was one of a series in 1811 and 1812 that uprooted trees, triggered... | 960 | 6 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Technology & Engineering | What are tectonic plates? | A. enormous earthquakes that uprooted trees and triggered landslides in the Midwest from 1811 to 1812
B. enormous pieces of Earth's crust and upper mantle that fit together like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle
C. enormous shock waves caused by large cracks on the Earth moving together and snapping apart
D. enormous sensors w... | B | The formation of faults in Earth's crust is an effect. What causes faults to form in the crust? | A. Global Positioning System sensors
B. beds shaking across New York City
C. the movement of tectonic plates
D. landslides across the Midwest | C | The New Madrid earthquakes did not happen in a place that is earthquake-prone, or likely to have earthquakes. What evidence in the text supports this conclusion? | A. The New Madrid faults lie far from any plate boundary.
B. Faults are cracks in Earth's crust.
C. The ground on either side of a fault moves very gradually.
D. Tectonic plates fit together like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. | A | Read these sentences from the text. "Freed and his colleagues studied the New Madrid faults for 10 years. "They expected to see the ground slowly twisting and turning, causing stress to build up in the rocks." Why did Freed and his colleagues expect to see the ground slowly twisting and turning? | A. because tectonic plates fit together like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle
B. because most earthquakes happen at the boundaries of tectonic plates
C. because California lies atop a boundary where the Pacific Plate meets the North American Plate, and is a common site for earthquakes
D. because the movement of the ground on ... | D | What is the main idea of this passage? | A. Tectonic plates can cause large faults to appear in the crust near plate boundaries, and the movement of those plates is typically a cause of major earthquakes.
B. California lies atop a boundary where the Pacific Plate meets the North American Plate, which is why it is the United States' most earthquake-prone area.... | D | To organize this text, the author divides it into sections with subheadings. Why might have the author given the subheading "High-Risk Zones" to the final section? | A. to argue that Freed's theory does not have solid proof and is at risk of being proven false
B. to compare and contrast the earthquakes in the New Madrid area with the earthquakes in California
C. to introduce the idea that if Freed's theory is confirmed, other areas could be at risk of earthquakes
D. to show that pl... | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. Rifts under river valleys haven’t experienced earthquakes in recent history. __________, those faults may be lying quietly, getting ready to rock. | A. However
B. Instead
C. Namely
D. Primarily | A |
Cracking Up | A group of nomads got a shock several years ago in a desert in Ethiopia. A series of earthquakes rattled the ground one night, making a deafening noise. The next morning, the nomads discovered that a 3-foot cliff had risen from the ground behind them.
The event wasn’t just any earthquake. It was one step in a geologica... | 980 | 6 | Science: Earth & Space Science | According to the text, what created mountains, oceans, and continents in Earth's history? | A. a series of earthquakes
B. plates crashing together
C. plates pulling apart
D. the movements of plates | D | Based on the sequence of the geological process described in the text, when will the Great Rift Valley fill with water? | A. after 30 million years
B. after the area falls below sea level
C. after the area is flooded by rain
D. never | B | Read this paragraph from the text. A group of nomads got a shock several years ago in a desert in Ethiopia. A series of earthquakes rattled the ground one night, making a deafening noise. The next morning, the nomads discovered that a 3-foot cliff had risen from the ground behind them. What can you conclude about earth... | A. Earthquakes are always strong enough to create cracks or cliffs in the earth that weren’t there before.
B. Earthquakes can sometimes cause disruptions so big in earth that they form new cliffs.
C. Earthquakes typically only happen in the desert, so they rarely impact people in any serious way.
D. When an earthquake ... | B | Based on the text, how often are new oceans created? | A. whenever an earthquake happens
B. every year
C. very often, because tectonic plates move fast
D. not often, because it takes millions of years | D | What is this text mostly about? | A. tectonic plates creating a new African ocean
B. how nomads live in Ethiopia
C. continents and how they are created
D. how tectonic plates move under the ocean | A | Read this sentence from the text. A series of crevices , some as wide as 10 feet, opened along a 35-mile stretch of desert in Ethiopia. As used in the sentence, what are crevices? | A. liquid magma from volcanic eruptions
B. shaking during earthquakes
C. large cracks in the ground
D. open spaces in the desert | C | Choose the word that best completes the sentence. One day the Great Rift Valley will become an ocean, _________ it falls below sea level. | A. after
B. finally
C. although
D. before | A |
Instrumental Talent | When Ruby Jane Smith was a teen, she dreamed of becoming a full-time musician, but people who heard her perform said she already sounded like a pro. At the time, she played the fiddle, her specialty, and 10 other musical instruments. In 2005, she won the Mississippi State Fiddler title after wowing judges with her tale... | 760 | 6 | Arts: Music & Performing Arts | How many instruments does Ruby Jane play? | A. 13
B. 10
C. 11
D. 12 | C | In this passage, how does Ruby Jane describe bluegrass music? | A. loud and nervous
B. relaxing and quiet
C. slow and sad
D. upbeat and warm | D | After reading the passage, what can you conclude about Ruby Jane? | A. She wants to take a break from performing onstage.
B. She loves playing the fiddle and performing.
C. She likes playing music but doesn’t like performing.
D. She would rather play the violin than the fiddle. | B | Read this sentence from the passage: “The teen from Columbus, Mississippi plays the fiddle, her specialty, and 10 other musical instruments.” In this sentence, the word specialty means | A. an exciting activity
B. a special skill
C. a type of instrument
D. a special memory | B | Which statement supports the main idea of this passage? | A. Some people get nervous when being onstage.
B. Ruby Jane is a young fiddler with talent.
C. Music has the power to bring people together.
D. Ruby Jane is a teen from Columbus, Mississippi. | B | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Country music is a lot like bluegrass, ________ it’s slower. | A. for
B. but
C. and
D. or | B | null | null | null |
A Liger's Tale | What do you get when you cross a male lion with a female tiger? A liger, of course!
There are not a lot of ligers in the world, but one, named Hercules, made a big splash at Miami's Parrot Jungle Island in 2005.
"It's not something you see every day," the animal's owner, Bhagavan Antle, told New York's Daily News.
How ... | 830 | 6 | Science: Life Science | What two animals make a liger? | A. a male lion and a female lion
B. a male lion and a female tiger
C. a male tiger and a female tiger
D. a male leopard and a female tiger | B | The text describes the way a liger looks. According to the text, how does a liger look like both a tiger and a lion? | A. It has orange fur like a tiger and sharp claws like a lion.
B. It has a tail like a tiger and a thick mane like a lion.
C. It has stripes like a tiger and the fur color of a lion.
D. It has the size of a tiger and a thick mane like a lion. | C | Read the following sentences from the text. ‘We have a big free-roaming area at the preserve,’ Antle told the New York Post . ‘Sometimes lions and tigers are allowed to go out there and, lo and behold, one particular lion fell in love with one particular tiger and we had babies.’….Ligers are rare because tigers and lio... | A. Ligers are not common because there are very few lions left in the world.
B. Ligers are only born when a tiger likes a lion, but not the other way around.
C. The lion and tiger at Antle's preserve had a rare opportunity to get together.
D. Ligers are common anywhere that both lions and tigers live. | C | Ligers are strong and powerful animals. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? | A. "When Hercules was three years old, he consumed 100 pounds of raw meat a day. He was able to run as fast as 50 miles per hour."
B. "There are no ligers in the wild. Several have been born in captivity, including in a zoo in Russia. That liger's name is Zita."
C. "There are not a lot of ligers in the world, but one, ... | A | What is the main idea of this passage? | A. There is a big area at Antle's South Carolina animal preserve where lions and tigers sometimes roam together.
B. There is one liger in the United States that is named Hercules and one in Russia that is named Zita.
C. Since ligers are rare, people give interesting names to them like Hercules, Vulcan, Zeus, Sinbad, an... | D | Read the following sentence from the text. “When Hercules was three years old, he consumed 100 pounds of raw meat a day.” As used in this sentence, what does the word “consumed” most closely mean? | A. saw
B. ate
C. threw
D. cleaned | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Tigers and lions don’t usually get along, _______ there are no ligers in the wild. | A. but
B. so
C. because
D. finally | B |
Not-So-Loony Toons | What is your favorite newspaper cartoon? "Peanuts"? "Garfield"? "Dilbert"?
Although those cartoons might make you laugh, another kind of cartoon will make you laugh and think. It's called an editorial cartoon. Artists draw editorial cartoons to express their opinions about subjects in the news, such as elections or the... | 1,010 | 6 | Social Studies: Civics & Government | Why do artists draw editorial cartoons? | A. to make it seem easier for kids to read long stories
B. to teach readers about a new type of technology
C. to express their opinions about subjects in the news
D. to give directions on how to prepare a type of dessert | C | How does the text describe symbolism used in editorial cartoons? | A. Symbolism is when something is used to represent something else and its effectiveness depends on whether the audience understands it.
B. Symbolism is when an artist draws a subject of a cartoon and distorts something like their looks, behavior, or dress.
C. Symbolism is when there are a lot of thought bubbles for ea... | A | Read the following sentences from the text. “By being funny, a cartoonist can draw lighthearted attention to a serious problem. In 2004, the economy went up and down, although President George W. Bush said that things were improving. In one cartoon, artist Marshall Ramsey drew the president taxiing an airplane toward t... | A. Editorial cartoonists drew a lot of cartoons about President George W. Bush.
B. The plane in the cartoon represented a government plane named The Economy.
C. The president used the cartoon to show people that the economy was improving.
D. A cartoonist might use humor to get people to talk about something serious. | D | According to the text, how are exaggeration and caricature related? | A. Both are commonly used in advertisements to sell new products to people.
B. Both use the subject of the cartoon in the title to draw attention to it.
C. Both use only shapes so the audience has to guess the image and message.
D. Both distort parts of the cartoon and caricature is a type of exaggeration. | D | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Editorial cartoons use different techniques to express opinions about subjects in the news, such as symbolism, exaggeration, humor, and caricature.
B. Bill Clinton was once the President of the United States and his wife, Hillary Clinton, was once the senator of the state of New York.
C. Gary Markstein is an editori... | A | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Super Bowl | “Have you shot a 300?”
Among serious bowlers, that’s the question. Scoring a 300 in bowling is the ultimate dream—12 strikes in a row, the perfect game. It’s like pitching a no-hitter in baseball.
Michael and Darren Tang, brothers 13 and 16 years old from San Francisco, can each answer yes to the 300 question. Michael ... | 1,000 | 6 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | According to the text, what is the score of a perfect bowling game? | A. 300
B. 854
C. 40,000
D. 52,000 | A | What does the author describe in the section titled “Invisible Tech”? | A. how the construction of the bowling ball impacts the way it moves
B. how being able to hook the ball in bowling is important for getting a strike
C. how putting oil on bowling lanes has changed and impacted the sport of bowling
D. how reducing pores on the surface of a bowling ball impacts the way it rolls | C | Read these sentences from the text. Not long ago, the idea of a 10-year-old bowling a 300 game would have been laughable. A perfect bowling game used to be rare; in 1970, nonprofessional bowlers in the United States bowled 854 perfect games. Today, scores of 300 are much more common; last year, nonprofessionals bowled ... | A. There is no way to know why the number of perfect games bowled by nonprofessionals has increased since 1970.
B. Since 1970, the popularity of bowling among children aged 10 and older has increased significantly.
C. The number of bowling alleys built since 1970 has increased dramatically, allowing more and more peopl... | D | Based on the text, which of the following bowling balls would a professional bowler want to use for a better “hook”? | A. a less porous ball with a dense inner core
B. one made with light plastic
C. an extra porous ball with a dense inner core
D. an ordinary ball that doesn’t pick up oil | C | What is this text mostly about? | A. how to “hook” a bowling ball
B. what type of gear a person needs to wear for bowling
C. how technology has changed the game of bowling
D. the best kind of bowling ball to buy to ensure a high score | C | Read this sentence from the text. It encounters friction and begins to travel sideways, veering toward the pocket. As used in the text, what does the word "veering" mean? | A. stopping
B. slowing down
C. continuing
D. turning | D | Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence. Bowlers were able to better control the path of their bowling balls ________ machines began oiling lanes. | A. so
B. after
C. but
D. because | B |
Canine Courage | After airplanes destroyed the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, veterinarian Cindy Otto arrived in New York City, New York, with a small army—dozens of dogs trained to find missing people. The search-and-rescue canines quickly went to work, nosing their way through seemingly endless piles of steel and concrete.... | 1,060 | 6 | Science: Life Science | What are hypotheses? | A. workers
B. diseases
C. landfills
D. theories | D | In the passage, the author compares and contrasts rescue dogs with human workers. Which statement below is true? | A. Many human workers remain healthy after 9/11, but most rescue dogs became sick.
B. Both rescue dogs and human workers remain healthy after the 9/11 recovery efforts.
C. Many rescue dogs remained healthy after 9/11, but most human workers became sick.
D. Both rescue dogs and human workers became sick after the 9/11 r... | C | What can you conclude about veterinarian Cindy Otto after reading the passage? | A. She doesn’t like being a veterinarian or working with rescue dogs.
B. She cares about rescue dogs and appreciates their work.
C. She would rather be a medical doctor than a veterinarian.
D. She thinks training rescue dogs is a waste of time. | B | Read this sentence from the passage: “‘These animals are vital assets for state, local, and federal programs for disaster management,’ he told WR News. ” In this sentence, the word vital means | A. friendly
B. essential
C. harmful
D. unnecessary | B | Which statement supports the main idea of the passage? | A. German shepherds and Labrador retrievers are easy to train as rescue dogs.
B. A dog’s nose is superior to a human’s nose in filtering air that goes to the lungs.
C. Rescue dogs fared better than human workers after the 9/11 recovery efforts.
D. Asbestos exposure is hazardous and can cause cancer in people and animal... | C | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Many human rescue workers wore masks ______ they were searching for survivors at the site of the World Trade Center collapse. | A. although
B. and
C. while
D. until | C | null | null | null |
A Constitution for Kids | Sometimes reading the U.S. Constitution can be confusing. Most people can’t tell their habeas corpus from their ex post facto.
In 2003, Cathy Travis took the confusion out of the Constitution. Travis, who works as a congressional aide in Washington, D.C., wrote a book, Constitution Translated for Kids, that makes readi... | 970 | 6 | Social Studies: Civics & Government | According to the text, what book did Cathy Travis write? | A. Habeas Corpus
B. Ex Post Facto
C. Constitution Translated for Kids
D. Austin-American Statesman | C | Read these sentences from the text. Travis said she got the idea to write the book when Ross Perot ran for president in 1992 against George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. She became angry every time Perot made statements about the Constitution that she considered inaccurate. Which of the following describes the relations... | A. The second sentence is the solution to the first.
B. The sentences describe two steps in a process.
C. The sentences show two sides of an argument.
D. The first sentence gives the effect of the second. | D | Read these sentences from the text. For example, article 1, section 9, clause 3, of the Constitution reads: "No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed." Travis’s translation: "Criminal laws passed by Congress can be applied only from the time they are passed." What can you conclude about Travis’ transla... | A. The original Constitution should only be read by legal experts and scholars.
B. The language of Travis’s translation is much simpler than the language of the original Constitution.
C. Travis ignored parts of the original Constitution that she didn’t like in her translation.
D. Travis disagrees with article 1, sectio... | B | What was the author trying to say to the reader by stating, “Most people can’t tell their habeas corpus from their ex post facto”? | A. that the Constitution can be confusing
B. how English and Latin are so similar
C. why more people need to go back to school
D. that people should read more carefully | A | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Many sections of the Constitution are open to debate from either party.
B. Being a congressional aide is a job that requires hard work and dedication.
C. Cathy Travis wrote a book to make the Constitution easier to understand.
D. The U.S. Constitution is a very important document to read. | C | Read these sentences from the text. She became angry every time Perot made statements about the Constitution that she considered inaccurate . Travis said she took great care to make sure that her translation of the document was fair and accurate. As used in the text, what does the word "inaccurate" mean? | A. truthful
B. exact
C. not correct
D. disapproving | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. ______ hearing Ross Perot’s statements about the U.S. Constitution, Cathy Travis became angry at what she considered inaccurate information. | A. Although
B. Because
C. After
D. Before | C |
Killing Fields | Desire Dontego was a brutal killer. For years, Dontego prowled the jungles of Africa in search of elephants to hunt.
It was Dontego's job to kill two elephants on each trip to the forest. After slaying the beasts, Dontego and other poachers took the animals' meat and precious ivory, leaving only the skin.
"I was known ... | 1,040 | 6 | Science: Life Science | What do poachers do to elephants? | A. They help elephants find their family members in the wild.
B. They become friends with them and put them in zoos.
C. They protect them by making laws to stop ivory trading.
D. They kill them to take their meat and ivory. | D | What effect did the international ivory trade have on elephant poaching in Sudan and other nearby countries? | A. Ivory was a valuable material in other countries, so poachers kept killing elephants to get more ivory.
B. The international ivory trade disappeared in 1990, so poachers had to find new ways to sell their ivory.
C. Ivory became less valuable in China but more valuable in other countries after 1990, so poachers start... | A | Read the following sentences from the text. “In around 2006, police in Cameroon began raiding hotels, houses, and airports, hoping to stop the illegal ivory trade in that country. Some nations in the basin had also established protected areas for elephants and other endangered animals.” What can you conclude about gove... | A. Governments had to use a combination of methods that would both stop ivory trading and protect elephants from being killed.
B. Governments mostly focused on the issue of illegal hunting so that there wouldn’t be any new ivory to trade.
C. Governments wanted to crack down on the ivory trade, but they had no idea wher... | A | How would you describe the effects of Sudan’s law banning new ivory, or ivory from after 1990, from being carved? | A. The law did a good job of stopping the ivory trade but not of stopping poaching.
B. Even though the law existed, people were still carving new ivory, so nothing changed.
C. People in Sudan were very careful about only selling old ivory in public places.
D. Old ivory became much more valuable than new ivory so people... | B | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Desire Dontego was an elephant poacher for many years, which meant that he and other poachers would kill elephants for their meat and their ivory, but after learning more about conservation, Dontego decided to stop being a poacher.
B. The ivory trade in China was a large industry, and Chinese people living in Sudan ... | C | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Furry Friends | One afternoon last fall, Jacki, 11, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., was stressing out while studying for a big science test the next day. "I was so nervous that I wasn't getting much done. So I went over to Crookshanks and Hermione, my two long-haired Persian cats, and I started petting them," she says. "They are so soft, and t... | 1,020 | 6 | Social Studies: School & Family Life, Sports, Health & Safety | According to the text, how many pets are there in the U.S.? | A. too many to count
B. 360 million
C. 50 million
D. 10 million | B | What effect can pets have on people who are sad? | A. Pets can sometimes make people angry.
B. Pets can surprise people.
C. Pets can soothe and cheer people up.
D. Pets have no effect on people who are sad. | C | Having pets can be good for your emotional health. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? | A. “Unlike humans, pets listen to you without judging. That is why so many pet owners—grown-ups and kids alike—talk to their pets about their day, their problems, what to wear to school today . . . anything.”
B. “People with pets tend to move more too—and the benefits of exercise are well known. Physical activity helps... | A | What can be inferred from the text? | A. All people are allergic to pets.
B. There are lots of things to think about before getting a pet.
C. Pets are easy to take care of and do not require a lot of work.
D. Everyone is ready to own a pet. | B | What is this text mostly about? | A. the positive effects of having a pet
B. the best places to hike around in nature to see animals
C. how to attract birds to your home with a birdfeeder
D. types of pet allergies | A | Read these sentences from the text. Offer to help take care of a neighbor's pet. Many neighbors might be thrilled to know they can count on you when they're out of town, working late, or sick. As used in these sentences, what does the word "thrilled" mean? | A. worried
B. disappointed
C. very happy
D. not satisfied | C | Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Before you get a pet, you should make sure you have enough room in your house _________ dogs and cats need extra space to move around. | A. because
B. after
C. but
D. before | A |
A Drop's Journey | What would people learn if they could follow a drop of water wherever it went? They would discover that the water exists permanently, cycling through different states of matter as it travels on its adventure through so many different aspects of the earth. Its journey might not be measured in years but could be measured... | 1,220 | 6 | Science: Earth & Space Science | What is the water droplet made of? | A. oxygen and calcium
B. hydrogen and oxygen
C. lithium and oxygen
D. sodium and hydrogen | B | Which of the following states of water are described in the passage? | A. liquid, gas, and solid
B. liquid and gas only
C. liquid and solid only
D. gas only | A | The amount of heat energy in the water droplet determines whether the water droplet can transform from a liquid to a gas. Which evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. The water droplet loses its salt particles when it evaporates into the air.
B. The water droplet gains more and more energy as the liquid water is heated.
C. The water droplets bang against each other when they have a lot of heat energy.
D. The water droplet evaporates when it has gained enough heat to transform fro... | D | Where in the ocean does the water droplet need to be located in order to evaporate? | A. inside a deep-sea dweller
B. in the middle of the ocean
C. on the surface of the ocean
D. at the bottom of the ocean | C | What is this passage mainly about? | A. how water crystallizes
B. the different states of water
C. the way water evaporates
D. how water moves down a mountain | B | Read the following sentences: “And as it gets colder, the droplet of water loses more and more of its energy. It stops bouncing until it slows down dramatically and collides with other drops of water.” What does the word “dramatically” tell us about the way the water droplet slows down? | A. It takes a long time for the water droplet to slow down.
B. The water droplet doesn’t slow down at all.
C. The water droplet barely slows down.
D. The water droplet slows down a lot. | D | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. The crystallized water droplet must melt __________ it can trickle down the mountain. | A. although
B. after
C. before
D. never | C |
On the Prowl | Scientists have "spotted" a new jungle cat. The previously unknown species of clouded leopard has been roaming the rain forests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia. The secretive leopards are the latest of at least 52 new plant and animal species found in the rain forests on Borneo within the past fe... | 1,180 | 6 | Science: Life Science | In which habitat does the previously unknown species of clouded leopard live? | A. desert
B. grassland
C. rain forest
D. polar land | C | The author compares and contrasts two different clouded leopard species – the newly discovered leopard and the mainland leopard. Which statement below is true? | A. Both species of clouded leopards have the same dark-colored fur with spots.
B. The newly discovered leopard has darker fur than that of the mainland species.
C. The mainland species has darker fur than that of the newly discovered leopard.
D. Both species of clouded leopards have light-colored fur and double dorsal ... | B | Why does the author include the fourth paragraph (“There are about 5,000 to 11,000 Borneo clouded leopards…”) in the article? | A. to explain how long it took the scientists to count all of the leopards
B. to list all of the places where jungle cats live in the world
C. to describe the appearance of the newly discovered leopard
D. to give an estimate of the newly discovered leopard population | D | Read this sentence from the passage: “Unlike the mainland clouded leopard, the Borneo cat has a double dorsal (back) stripe and distinct spots within its small cloud markings.” In this sentence, the word distinct means | A. extremely thoughtless
B. the same as something else
C. a small improvement
D. different from all others | D | The primary purpose of this passage is to | A. explain why the newly discovered leopard is Borneo’s largest predator
B. describe how scientists plan to protect the rain forest on Borneo
C. describe a newly discovered leopard species in Indonesia
D. persuade people to visit the islands of Borneo and Sumatra | C | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Scientists soon learned, _________, that the newly discovered leopard was a completely different species. | A. although
B. but
C. because
D. however | D | null | null | null |
What Is Heat? | Imagine an eleven-year-old boy named Paul. Now imagine Paul inside a wood cabin. He is shivering. It is cold outside, and inside the cabin it isn’t much warmer. Paul can hear the rain beating down on the roof. Every few minutes there would be a loud boom, and thunder would shake the cabin walls. Paul is happy to be ins... | 910 | 6 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Physical Science | What do Paul and his father build in the cabin? | A. a radio
B. a clock
C. an engine
D. a fire | D | What does this text explain? | A. This text explains what a wood cabin is and how to build one.
B. This text explains what heat is and how it moves from one object to another.
C. This text explains what UV radiation is and why it can be harmful to people.
D. This text explains what oxygen is and how the human body uses it to survive. | B | Heat moves from warmer areas to cooler areas. What evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. Heat moves from the hot fire Paul and his father build to the cold air of the cabin.
B. A wood fire can reach temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
C. After Paul fetches firewood, his father carefully stacks it in the shape of a pyramid.
D. Ten million Kelvin is a temperature about 30,000 times as hot ... | A | What is an example of a heat source? | A. rubber
B. oxygen
C. thunder
D. the sun | D | What is this text mainly about? | A. a wood cabin
B. convection
C. heat
D. the relationship between a boy and his father | C | Read this sentence from the text. Heat can also be transferred from one object to another in a variety of ways. What does the word "transferred" mean? | A. broken
B. trapped
C. moved
D. planned | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Heat is transferred in three different ways, _________ conduction, convection, and radiation. | A. instead
B. namely
C. in conclusion
D. meanwhile | B |
All in a Day's Work | Ever think about what kind of work you’d like to do someday? If you think you would like helping people, health care is a terrific career to think about.
Here is a look at just a few of the many interesting jobs in the field.
Physical therapists help people manage and recover from all kinds of injuries and conditions. ... | 970 | 6 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | According to the text, who is health care a terrific career for? | A. those who are creative
B. those who like helping people
C. those who are athletic
D. those who like reading novels | B | What does the text provide a list of? | A. jobs at government agencies
B. jobs in health care
C. jobs at universities
D. jobs in technology | B | Read the following sentences from the text. " Blood service professionals are the link between blood donors and people who need blood to survive. They hold blood drives and then help get blood to where it is needed. -Education required: certificate -Where they work: blood centers… Medical scientists conduct the researc... | A. Most people make a lot of money in the health care field.
B. Jobs in health care have different requirements and responsibilities.
C. All professionals who work in health care work in hospitals.
D. Technology will replace workers in the health care field in the future. | B | Why might the author have highlighted health care professions other than doctors and nurses? | A. to persuade the reader that other health care careers are better than doctors and nurses
B. to demonstrate that the health care industry won't have doctors and nurses in the future
C. to show that there are too many doctors and nurses in the health care industry
D. to provide information about health care careers ab... | D | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Most health care careers require a M.D.
B. There are many opportunities in the health care industry.
C. Health care careers are in low demand.
D. Physical therapists help people recover from injuries. | B | Read the following sentence from the text. “Doctors and nurses are in high demand and are projected to be even more so in the coming years.” As used in this sentence, what does the word “projected” most closely mean? | A. predicted
B. analyzed
C. researched
D. recalled | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. There are many types of jobs in the health care industry, ________ physical therapists, physician assistants, blood collection specialists, and medical research scientists. | A. therefore
B. such as
C. as a result
D. although | B |
Taking Down the Green-Eyed Monster | Everyone feels twinges of jealousy sometimes. It can happen when a friend is wearing that really cool jacket you saw at the mall, sits with other friends at lunch, or gets picked for the all-star team and you don’t.
“Jealousy is feeling bad when a friend does better than you or has something you want,” says Sylvia Rimm... | 960 | 6 | Social Studies: School & Family Life | What is jealousy? | A. feeling good when a friend does worse than you or has something you don't want
B. feeling bad when a friend does worse than you or has something you don't want
C. feeling good when a friend does better than you or has something you want
D. feeling bad when a friend does better than you or has something you want | D | To organize this text, the author divides it into sections with subheadings. What does the author list in the section with the subheading "Why Do We Feel This Way?" | A. ways to feel better when you're jealous of a friend
B. ways to make your friends feel better if they are jealous of you
C. ways to avoid over-the-top bragging and showing off
D. ways to stay in touch with friends when you get busy | A | Read these sentences from the text. " When you're jealous about the time a friend spends with other people or other activities... Talk about it. Tell your friend how you feel. Let him or her know that you miss talking or spending time together." Based on this evidence, how can you handle feelings of jealousy? | A. by sharing possessions
B. by avoiding over-the-top bragging
C. by communicating
D. by being understanding | C | Trying to understand what your friend is feeling and going through may help you handle feelings of jealousy. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? | A. "Instead of trying to outperform your friend, simply focus on being the best you can be."
B. "Ask yourself, 'If the roles were reversed, what would I want a friend to do?'"
C. "Try keeping a gratitude journal or creating lists about the things in your life that you would never change."
D. "But don’t show off with co... | B | What is this text mostly about? | A. understanding jealous feelings and how to handle them
B. how to talk to friends when they spend time with other people or on other activities
C. the history of jealousy and why it is called the "green-eyed monster"
D. how to be a gracious winner and a good friend | A | Read these sentences from the text. "When you spend time with friends, make sure the conversation flows back and forth. Avoid getting stuck on the things happening in your life. Ask about what’s going on in your friends’ lives, and take note of their activities and accomplishments. Friendship should be a two-way street... | A. a road on which cars can go both directions
B. a relationship in which each person shares equally
C. a bad feeling when a friend does better than you or has something you want
D. a relationship in which only one person has an interest in the other | B | Read these sentences from the text. "It’s OK to be proud and happy when you win a class election, receive tickets to a big play-off game for your birthday, or get all A’s on your report card (again!). But it’s also a good idea to be aware that your successes can bring up feelings of jealousy in friends, classmates, bro... | A. Finally,
B. Particularly,
C. Instead,
D. However, | D |
Udderly Nutritious | “Milk is the best. It has so many vitamins and nutrients, and it comes in all shapes, flavors, and varieties,” says Josie D., seventeen. She ought to know a thing or two about it. She lives on a dairy farm where ice cream and other products are made and sold. She also holds a Dairy Princess title in Maryland, which she... | 1,035 | 6 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | How many essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients are found in milk? | A. twelve
B. nine
C. four
D. ten | B | What does the author try to persuade the reader of? | A. the nutritional benefits of milk
B. the health risks of a dairy-filled diet
C. the dangers of eating chocolate
D. the positive effects of volunteering | A | Read this sentence from the text. "Not all milk (and products that come from milk), however, is created equal." What evidence in the text supports this conclusion? | A. You should get about 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day.
B. Most lactose intolerant people can actually enjoy cheese.
C. Labneh is a thick Middle Eastern type of yogurt.
D. Skim milk has had most of the fat removed, or skimmed off. | D | Read this sentence from the text. " Because of the extra sugar and calories in chocolate milk, most dietitians will tell you that it’s better to drink plain milk." What can you infer about sugar and calories? | A. You should not have too much sugar and calories.
B. There is not enough sugar and calories in milk.
C. Most people need more sugar and calories.
D. Sugar and calories are only found in chocolate milk. | A | What is a main idea of this text? | A. Milk is a nutritional powerhouse with nine essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
B. Registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix is the author of Read It Before You Eat It.
C. Whole milk has more fat than skim milk.
D. People who are lactose intolerant lack the ability to digest lactose, a type of sugar found in milk... | A | Read this sentence from the text. " If you choose nondairy milks, make sure they are fortified with calcium and vitamin D so that you are getting those nutrients." What does the word "fortified" mean here? | A. increased the nutritional value of
B. separated from one another
C. reduced by a large amount
D. changed the taste of | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. You might think lactose intolerant people cannot enjoy cheese, __________ cheese is low in lactose and has only half a gram of it per slice. | A. yet
B. because
C. since
D. therefore | A |
The National Guard | In many ways, in the United States, governors are like the president of a state. They sign bills into law, appoint judges, and serve as the head of the Executive Branch of government in their state; the same way the president is in charge of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government. One power a governor and the pres... | 1,120 | 6-7 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture, Civics & Government, U.S. History | What makes the National Guard different from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines? | A. They can assist in times of war.
B. They can be called upon by the President of the United States.
C. They spend much less time in uniform.
D. They are prepared to help with natural disasters. | C | What does the author describe? | A. the history of the American Armed Forces
B. examples of when the National Guard has been used
C. the training National Guard soldiers receive
D. how the National Guard is organized during times of war | B | The men and women of the National Guard are well-trained. What evidence from the passage best supports this conclusion? | A. National Guardsmen can be sent overseas during times of war.
B. During wartime, the National Guard is under the President’s command.
C. The National Defense Act describes when the National Guard can be called upon.
D. The National Guard is made up of ordinary men and women. | A | The National Guard has always played an important role in America. What evidence from the text best supports this conclusion? | A. The first organized militia was founded on December 13, 1636.
B. National Guard units have served in every major American conflict.
C. Calling in the National Guard is an important decision for a governor.
D. The Great Mississippi Flood was the first time National Guard aircrafts were used. | B | What is this passage mainly about? | A. the difference between the National Guard and the national Armed Forces
B. the history of the National Guard
C. the importance of the National Guard to America’s safety and security
D. the duties of governors in their states | C | Read the following sentence: “Flying small planes, 60 National Guard pilots scoured the flooded area looking for survivors and distributing food, medicine, and supplies.” What does the word “scoured” most nearly mean? | A. searched
B. set on fire
C. left
D. cleaned | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. When the Revolutionary War ended, the country created loosely organized militias that could be called upon in times of need, _______ The Whiskey Rebellion of 1791. | A. above all
B. at last
C. consequently
D. such as | D |
Westward Expansion - Introduction to Westward Expansion | In 1803, Thomas Jefferson bought a huge portion of land west of the Mississippi. He bought this land from France. The territory he bought was called the Louisiana Purchase. It more than doubled the size of the United States! The Louisiana Purchase cost 15 million dollars total. That amounts to about three cents an acre... | 750 | 6 | Social Studies: U.S. History | Who did Thomas Jefferson buy the Louisiana Purchase from? | A. France
B. Spain
C. Native tribes
D. Mexico | A | How does the text describe the territory Thomas Jefferson bought west of the Mississippi? | A. a small portion of land where many white Americans lived
B. a huge portion of land where many French people lived
C. a huge portion of land where many different Native tribes lived
D. an empty portion of land that American adventurers avoided | C | Read the following sentences from the text. “ To these Americans, exploring and cultivating the territory was the destiny of the young country and its citizens. Soon, the phrase 'Manifest Destiny ' was echoing in newspapers and political speeches. At the time, the west was the embodiment of American optimism . Many Ame... | A. Most Americans wanted to keep the land bought in the Louisiana Purchase empty.
B. The ideas of “Manifest Destiny” became very popular among many Americans.
C. Politicians avoided speaking about Westward expansion since it was controversial.
D. During this time, newspapers dropped in popularity as more people moved w... | B | Based on the text, why was the west considered the embodiment of American optimism in the 1840s? | A. The west was already fully developed and had many cities where Americans could work.
B. The west did not have any dangers, making it a safe place for Americans to settle.
C. The west represented new opportunities and adventure for many white Americans.
D. The west had the same climate as the east, making it easy for... | C | What is the main idea of the text? | A. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States and began the era of Westward Expansion by white Americans who did not pay attention to the Native tribes already living there.
B. Thomas Jefferson was the United States president who bought 828,000 square miles of land from the French in the Louisiana Pur... | A | Read the following sentences. “ By the 1840s, Americans envisioned a nation that spread ‘ from sea to shining sea .’ They felt that it was their duty to spread out across the land. “ In this text, what does the phrase "from sea to shining sea" most closely mean? | A. across the continent
B. up and down one coast
C. along the bottom of the ocean
D. across the entire world | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Many American adventurers would go west ________ they could seek their fortune there. | A. but
B. although
C. so
D. once | C |
Louis Braille | Have you ever noticed when you step into an elevator that next to the buttons showing the floor numbers, there are small plates with a series of raised dots and bumps? Did you ever wonder what those bumps and dots mean and why they are there? When you run your fingers over those plates, you feel the ridges. When blind ... | 1,030 | 6 | Science: Technology & Engineering | What did Louis Braille invent? | A. “night writing,” a code that allows soldiers to communicate in the dark
B. the modern piano and the organ
C. the awl, a tool that is used to punch holes in leather
D. an alphabet that allows blind people to read with their fingers | D | What does the author describe in the passage? | A. the founding of the Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris
B. how Louis Braille overcame the challenges posed by his blindness
C. the history of blind people in France
D. how Valentin Hauy created the first book for the blind | B | Louis Braille did not let his blindness hold him back in life. What evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. “For Louis, going to the school meant leaving his family and the village he knew well, where he felt safe.”
B. “To help him navigate the village, his father made him canes.”
C. “Louis became an accomplished pianist and organist. He even got a paid job as an organist, playing in a small church near the institute.”
D.... | C | Based on the passage, what might be one reason that Louis proved to be a gifted musician? | A. Priests trained him to sing as a boy.
B. He inherited musical talent from his father, who was also a musician.
C. The Royal Institute for Blind Youth is a strong music school.
D. He had to rely on his hearing after going blind. | D | What is this passage mostly about? | A. the invention of braille
B. the use of the awl in leatherworking
C. the Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris
D. Captain Barbier and “night writing” | A | Read the following sentence: “Who invented this elaborate setup of bumps and dots that comprise an entire alphabet and numerical system that allows blind people to read with their fingers?” What does “elaborate” mean? | A. simple
B. decorated
C. complicated
D. educated | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. ________, Louis Braille’s alphabet for the blind was not widely accepted, but today braille is used around the world. | A. Even though
B. Initially
C. As a result
D. Certainly | B |
Urban Farms | Many people wrongly think that cities don’t have farms and that fruits and vegetables are only grown in the country. Believe it or not, there are more and more urban farms popping up in cities all over the world.
Alexandra Sullivan, a food systems researcher in New York City, studies urban agriculture. Urban agricultur... | 1,130 | 6 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture | What is urban agriculture? | A. farming and gardening in the country
B. a term for cities that have farms
C. farming and gardening in a city environment
D. a method of growing food indoors | C | What does the passage describe? | A. how to grow potatoes and beans on a roof
B. agriculture in urban environments
C. the history of urban agriculture
D. technology used in urban agriculture | B | Urban agriculture cannot serve as the only food source for a large city. What evidence from the passage supports this statement? | A. "This is because a city doesn’t have enough space to grow enough food for everyone living in it.”
B. “In New York City, urban farmers have come up with many different ways to grow their own produce, even though there isn’t a lot of room.”
C. “In small gardens, on rooftops and indoors, city residents grow fruits, veg... | A | Based on the text, what is a common challenge urban farmers face? | A. Growing produce during water shortages.
B. Keeping urban farms safe from city residents.
C. Fighting against cities’ laws that ban urban agriculture.
D. Finding the right space to grow their produce. | D | What is this passage mostly about? | A. farming in city environments
B. the advantages of urban agriculture
C. how people can begin their own urban farm
D. the rooftop gardens of Brooklyn Grange | A | Read the following sentence: “In New York City, urban farmers have come up with many different ways to grow their own produce , even though there isn’t a lot of room.” What does “produce” most nearly mean as used in this sentence? | A. foods grown in the country
B. foods made with sugar
C. fruits and vegetables
D. desserts and drinks | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. The number of people living in urban environments is increasing. ________, the number of people in cities who want to start urban farms and gardens is increasing. | A. As a result
B. In addition
C. Initially
D. However | B |
Marine Biology | Frank had surfed for as long as he could remember.
A tall and thin, but athletic guy, he grew up in the sleepy beach town of Montauk, New York, at the very tip of Long Island. His parents, who owned a popular seafood restaurant on Main Street, had first put him on a board at age three or four. Some of his first memorie... | 900 | 6 | null | What does Frank like to do? | A. Frank likes to study.
B. Frank likes going to seafood restaurants.
C. Frank likes to surf.
D. Frank likes taking the SAT. | C | What is the conflict that Frank has to deal with in college? | A. going surfing versus going to class
B. studying chemistry versus studying history
C. hanging out with his roommate versus hanging out with his friends
D. talking to his advisor versus talking to his parents | A | Frank enjoys surfing. What evidence from the passage supports this statement? | A. Frank’s parents own a popular seafood restaurant in New York.
B. Frank has an uncle named Jim who lives in a town north of L.A.
C. Frank is worried that he might flunk out of college in his first semester.
D. In his first month of college, Frank goes surfing every morning. | D | Why does the marine biology textbook seem full of possibility to Frank at the end of the story? | A. He realizes that a career in marine biology may allow him to spend his life around the ocean.
B. He is easily distracted from the hard, lonely work of studying the history of the Civil War.
C. He is a social, handsome guy who becomes popular in Malibu’s surfing community.
D. When applying to college, Frank looks onl... | A | What is this story mostly about? | A. what growing up in Montauk, New York is like
B. a trip a young man takes to California when he is 13
C. a young man who is obsessed with surfing
D. the steps involved in applying to college | C | Read the following sentence: “Needless to say, his obsession with surfing didn’t help his grades.” What does the word obsession mean? | A. homework
B. weakness
C. a very strong interest in something
D. a very strong dislike of something | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Frank keeps skipping class; ______, Professor Blankfein gives him a call. | A. for example
B. as a result
C. namely
D. even though | B |
Mayflower Myths | This article is provided courtesy of History.com
The Mayflower brought the group of English settlers now known as the Pilgrims to North America. Leaving England in the fall of 1620, the Pilgrims were attempting to land near the mouth of the Hudson River, but instead ended up in Cape Cod Harbor. Plymouth, the colony est... | 1,130 | 4-6 | Social Studies: U.S. History | Where did the Pilgrims land when they came to North America? | A. Canada
B. Virginia
C. The Hudson River
D. Cape Cod Harbor | D | What does the author list in this article? | A. the types of food at the first harvest feast
B. the colors of clothing that Pilgrims wore
C. the different cities where colonists settled
D. the ways in which the Indians helped the Pilgrims | B | The Plymouth colonists had strong religious beliefs. What evidence in the text supports this conclusion? | A. “To them, a thanksgiving was a religious holiday in which they would go to church and thank God for a specific event, such as the winning of a battle.”
B. "Gradually the custom prevailed in New England of annually celebrating thanksgiving after the harvest."
C. “The pilgrims had intended to go to the Hudson River re... | A | Based on the article as a whole, what is a myth? | A. something that people think is a lie, and that is a lie
B. something that people believe to be true, and that is true
C. something that people believe to be true, but that may not be true
D. something that people think is a lie, but that is actually true | C | Which sentence from the text best states the article's main idea? | A. “The feast was a secular celebration, so it never would have been considered a thanksgiving in the pilgrims’ minds.”
B. "The story of the Pilgrims and their harvest feast has since become one of best-known in American history, but you may not know it as well as you think.”
C. "Gradually the custom prevailed in New E... | B | Why might the author have chosen to use headings that start with “Myth:” throughout the entire article? | A. to hint that people today do not believe that Thanksgiving is important
B. to show that people today think of the Pilgrims as imaginary heroes
C. to help put the content of the article into groups based on the myth they address
D. to prove that the statements in the headings are all completely true | C | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. The pilgrims landed in Cape Cod instead of the Hudson River region ______ treacherous seas prevented them from venturing further south. | A. because
B. although
C. however
D. for example | A |
The Wonders of Flight | Maria gripped the handles of the airplane seat and squeezed her eyes shut. Engines fired up one by one, and the inside of the cabin soon filled with their powerful roar. Maria had put in earplugs to block out the noise, but some of it crept in anyway. She could sense the plane preparing for takeoff. Her mother, who sat... | 920 | 6 | Science: Earth & Space Science | Where does this story take place? | A. Montana
B. New York City
C. on an airplane
D. in a helicopter | C | What main problem does Maria face? | A. She does not want to go on vacation.
B. She is afraid of flying.
C. She does not like her brother.
D. She has never seen a rainbow. | B | Maria is trying to get over her fear of flying. Which details from the text support this statement? | A. Maria keeps her window shade open instead of closing it like she usually does.
B. Maria stays in her seat with her seatbelt fastened.
C. Maria wears earplugs to block out the noise.
D. Maria spots a rainbow. | A | How does Maria feel about discovering the rare circular rainbow? | A. bored and uninterested
B. jealous and annoyed
C. scared and doubtful
D. happy and excited | D | What is this passage mostly about? | A. Maria’s family vacation to Montana
B. the beautiful mountains and hot springs of Montana
C. how a rainbow helps Maria overcome her fear of flying
D. the scientific study of light waves | C | Read the following sentences: “It had been raining all night but seemed as though the sun would shine today. The sky now appeared as a beguiling mix of dark rainclouds and bright yellow light and little pockets of sky blue. Maria gazed in wonder at this close-up view of the skies.” What does “beguiling” mean? | A. fascinating or attractive
B. ugly or uninteresting
C. bright or colorful
D. strange or mysterious | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Rainbows are usually shaped like a semicircle, _______ the rainbow Maria saw in the sky was a full circle. | A. thus
B. also
C. finally
D. but | D |
Down With It | Breck Parkman digs what the hippies were into back in the 1960s. He digs it quite literally. Parkman spent more than 30 years collecting the charred remains from the Burdell mansion—“the White House of Hippiedom.” The 22-room estate located south of San Francisco burned to the ground on Feb. 2, 1969.
Broken plates, lo... | 1,020 | 6 | null | According to the passage, Breck Parkman’s archaeological dig is unusual for all of these reasons EXCEPT that | A. he has found popular music records
B. he is collecting artifacts
C. he is digging up things from only 50 years ago
D. he is studying America’s hippie movement | B | How does the author tell us about these two digs? | A. He provides background, then discusses the digs’ discoveries and meaning.
B. He talks about the digs’ problem, then explains how both of the archaeologists found solutions.
C. He goes step by step through every event in each dig.
D. He argues that this kind of ‘now archaeology’ is better than the regular kind. | A | Read the following sentence from the passage: “Both Fowles and Parkman hope their projects will cause people to reexamine their view of history.” What might you conclude from that sentence? | A. that both archaeologists think the present is much more interesting than the past
B. that both archaeologists do not like history
C. that both archaeologists believe that hippies were much more important than historians do
D. that both archaeologists think their findings uncovered new information | D | Read the following sentence: “It then describes many facets of hippie culture: a strict vegetarian diet, a strong opposition to the Vietnam War (1957–1975), and an ‘almost childish fascination in beads, blossoms and bells, blinding strobe lights and ear-shattering music.’” In this sentence, the word facets means | A. photographs
B. issues
C. sides
D. stories | C | The author’s purpose in writing this passage was to | A. describe the findings of an unusual kind of archaeological dig
B. discuss the Burdell mansion
C. compare and contrast the music of different periods
D. explain the hippie movement | A | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. The archaeologists are digging for artifacts from the 1960s and the hippie movement ________ they believe that sometimes artifacts can help us understand the recent past in ways that written documents cannot. | A. however
B. finally
C. because
D. despite | C | null | null | null |
Winter Workouts | Are you among the winter weary—the type for whom snow or ice or just plain cold spells an end to exercise and the start of a long hibernation? If so, you might want to listen to Gary Sforzo. He’s a professor of exercise and sports sciences at Ithaca College in upstate New York (where winter temperatures routinely drop ... | 980 | 6 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | According to the text, what can happen to you if you are a regular exerciser but choose not to exercise in cold weather? | A. You can shed layers of clothes if you get too hot.
B. You can try out snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
C. You can express yourself athletically and artistically.
D. You can potentially lose whatever benefits you gained. | D | Sometimes the cold can cause a problem by preventing people from exercising. What is a solution given in the text for this problem? | A. Go to a heated gym to workout.
B. Go skiing or snowboarding.
C. Go to Florida to exercise where it is warmer.
D. Go to sleep until the cold weather is over. | B | An exercise schedule must be consistent to be effective. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? | A. “'If you’re an otherwise regular exerciser,' he notes, 'and you choose not to exercise in cold weather, you’ll potentially lose whatever benefits you gained during the rest of the year.'”
B. “If you like using gravity to set you in motion, and you live in a snowy area, try snowboarding or skiing, two great sports fo... | A | What is common among all the winter sports described in the text? | A. They are only enjoyed outdoors when it's cold.
B. They are all enjoyed in the snow.
C. They are enjoyed in outdoor or indoor cold environments.
D. They can be enjoyed only with special equipment. | C | What is the main idea of the text? | A. The best winter sports are those that involve gravity, like downhill skiing or snowboarding.
B. Just because it is cold in the winter doesn’t mean you should stop being active, and there are plenty of activities to choose from.
C. Indoor skating rinks are a great place to get in shape during the summer because it do... | B | Read this sentence from the text. Are you among the winter weary—the type for whom snow or ice or just plain cold spells an end to exercise and the start of a long hibernation ? As used in the sentence, what does the word "hibernation" mean? | A. exercise indoors
B. training for the Olympics
C. pretending you are a bear
D. time being less active | D | Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence. You can have a great time in the cold, ________ you should remember to dress warmly in layers. | A. after
B. but
C. until
D. because | B |
Sun Burn? | You’ve heard the news: Earth is getting warmer. In the past century, the planet’s surface has warmed by 0.8 degrees Celsius (1.44 degrees Fahrenheit). Seventy-five percent of that rise in temperature has occurred during the past 35 years.
Most scientists believe that greenhouse gases released by the burning of coal and... | 1,010 | 6 | Science: Earth & Space Science | What are sunspots? | A. the total amount of sunlight that reaches the top of Earth's atmosphere
B. instruments that measure the sun's total solar irradiance
C. fierce magnetic storms that rage on the sun's surface
D. blemishes that dampen the sun's brightness | C | The text describes a debate that people are having about the cause of the rise in global temperature. Most scientists believe that global warming is largely caused by greenhouse gases released by the burning of coal and oil. According to the text, what do other people believe causes global warming? | A. carbon dioxide
B. the sun
C. methane
D. radiometers | B | The graphs at the end of the text show the changes in the number of sunspots, brightness, and global average temperature from 1880 to 2000. Based on this evidence, what conclusions can you draw about the relationship between the number of sunspots and the global average temperature? | A. A decrease in sunspot number causes a decrease in the global average temperature.
B. A decrease in sunspot number causes an increase in the global average temperature.
C. The number of sunspots has little to no effect on the global average temperature.
D. The number of sunspots has a direct and powerful effect on th... | C | The sun could have a small degree of influence on global warming, but it is not the main cause of the rapid rise in Earth's temperature. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? | A. The sun's brightness varies slightly and regularly over time. The main cause of that dimmer-switch effect is sunspot activity.
B. Since 1979, the sun's output has decreased while the Earth has warmed more rapidly than in any 30-year period for centuries.
C. Clouds have a cooling effect on climate because they reflec... | B | What is the main idea of this text? | A. In the debate on the cause of the rise in global temperature, evidence suggests that greenhouse gases are the cause of global warming.
B. In the debate on the cause of the rise in global temperature, evidence suggests that greenhouse gases are not the cause of global warming.
C. In the debate on the cause of the ris... | D | Read these sentences from the text. "From about 1880 to 1950, the number of sunspots observed per solar maximum nearly doubled, says Terry Sloan, an expert on cosmic rays at Lancaster University in England. Could that sunspot surge account for some of our century-long warming trend?" What does the phrase "account for" ... | A. be the cause of
B. create
C. confuse
D. break down | A | Read these sentences from the text. "Since 1979, the sun's output has slightly decreased, while Earth has warmed more rapidly than in any 30-year period for centuries or more. Hence, the sun can’t be blamed for that." What word or phrase could replace the word "Hence" in the final sentence without changing its meaning? | A. As an illustration
B. In contrast
C. Thus
D. Instead | C |
Bear Care | Lisa Stevens oversaw two of the Smithsonian zoo’s most popular residents: the giant pandas.
During her time there, no more than 2,000 giant pandas exist in the world. This made Lisa Steven's job one of the most specialized and critical in her field. She was the curator of pandas at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological... | 960 | 6 | Science: Life Science | What did Lisa Stevens study in college? | A. paleontology
B. entomology
C. geology
D. zoology | D | How does the author describe the job of curator of pandas at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C.? | A. as dangerous and difficult
B. as common, but interesting
C. as fun, but unimportant
D. as specialized and critical | D | Read the following sentences from the text. “ CS: What has been discovered about giant pandas at your zoo? Stevens: Giant pandas regularly experience false pregnancies. A false pregnancy is a state in which a female exhibits symptoms of pregnancy but is not pregnant. We looked at hormones in the urine, which showed tha... | A. They made it easier for other zoos to breed pandas in captivity.
B. They had Mei Xiang wear a microphone so they could hear her baby's vocalizations.
C. They studied the pandas at the zoo to learn more about them.
D. They discovered how to tell when a panda is experiencing a false pregnancy. | C | How did Stevens work help pandas all over the world? | A. Her work uncovered new things about pandas and helped protect their habitat.
B. She sent Tian Tian and Mei Xiang to other zoos to play with other pandas.
C. Over time, pandas from all over the world were sent to stay at the zoo.
D. She discovered how to help pandas grow pseudo-thumbs to eat bamboo more easily. | A | What's the main idea of this passage? | A. One thing that Stevens' team discovered at the zoo is that giant pandas regularly experience false pregnancies, which means that they have symptoms that may seem like they are pregnant when they aren't.
B. Tian Tian and Mei Xiang are giant pandas that were loaned to the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park in Wash... | D | Read the following sentence from the passage. “I was volunteering at the Smithsonian insect zoo and contemplating veterinary school or graduate studies in entomology [the scientific study of insects] when I heard about a panda keeper position at the zoo.” As used in this sentence, what does the word “contemplating” mos... | A. considering or thinking about
B. rushing and giving little thought
C. listening to a recording
D. studying for a test | A | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Giant pandas can’t hibernate throughout winter __________ they have to eat all year long. | A. although
B. until
C. before
D. because | D |
Fuels of the Future | For some schools, protecting the environment starts in the classroom.
Fifth graders at Carolina International School (CIS) have a goal this Earth Day [2007]—to throw away as little trash as possible during lunch. To get their message across, students will encourage their peers to recycle. "I celebrate Earth Day every d... | 1,040 | 6 | Social Studies: School & Family Life | The Carolina International School is more Earth-friendly than typical schools because | A. it celebrates Earth Day
B. the building will be reconstructed so it uses fewer resources.
C. the students participate in zero-waste lunch.
D. all of the above. | D | At green schools, the buildings use _____________ than typical schools. | A. more coal
B. more solar energy
C. more electricity
D. more oil | B | ____________ is a renewable resource that is providing electricity in over half of the United States. | A. Solar power
B. Wind power
C. Ethanol
D. Hydropower | B | ______________ is a better resource to use than _____________ because it will not run out. | A. Coal / hydropower
B. Oil / ethanol
C. Solar power / oil
D. Natural gas / wind power | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
The Allure of Gold | The Egyptians used it to create funeral masks for their pharaohs. The Incas called it the “sweat of the sun.” It is used to make medals for the best athletes in the world. It symbolizes wealth and riches. Over the centuries, gold has become important to humans. The heavy metal has cultural and economic meaning for hum... | 1,010 | 6 | Social Studies: World History | According to the passage, gold was used to make which item thousands of years ago? | A. baskets
B. seashells
C. jewelry
D. clothing | C | The cause of the gold rush was the discovery of gold in California in 1848. What was an effect of the gold rush? | A. Thousands of settlers moved west, leading to the growth of cities like San Francisco.
B. Thousands of Native Americans started business based on gold and became rich.
C. Some farmers started trading their bushels of corn for baskets of tomatoes as part of a barter system.
D. Societies in China, South Asia and parts ... | A | Read the following sentences: “Gold was used to make jewelry thousands of years ago. Some of the oldest pieces found date before 4000 B.C. Over the centuries, other cultures developed the ability to mine gold and began to use it to buy goods and services. The Ancient Greeks used gold as a form of currency and mined the... | A. Gold has been used for only one purpose throughout history.
B. Gold has had different uses throughout history.
C. Gold was primarily used only by ancient civilizations.
D. Gold was used more in ancient times than it has been used in modern times. | B | Based on the passage, what can be concluded about the earth’s supply of gold? | A. Humans have used up nearly all of the earth’s supply of gold.
B. Humans have used up half of the earth’s supply of gold.
C. The earth’s supply of gold increases gradually from year to year.
D. Humans have used up little of the earth’s supply of gold. | D | What is this passage mainly about? | A. jewelry making in ancient civilizations
B. the properties and use of gold
C. the use of gold throughout different time periods
D. the development of currency systems | B | Read the following sentences from the passage: “A single gram of gold can be hammered into a thin sheet that is one square meter. You can even hammer gold leaf until it is so thin, it becomes transparent .” As used in this passage, what does “transparent” most nearly mean? | A. see-through
B. cloudy
C. shiny
D. complex | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. _________ gold is very valuable, gold mining will not stop any time soon despite the fact that it is a lot of work and can lead to pollution. | A. However
B. Although
C. Because
D. Consequently | C |
Surprise Encounter | Grady slung his backpack over his shoulder and slammed the door of the car shut.
“This is going to be a really long week,” he said to no one in particular. He looked around at the campground. Blue-green fir trees, some as tall as church spires, covered the mountainside. It was nearly 8:30. The sun would be setting soon... | 740 | 6 | null | What does Grady’s brother collect? | A. stuffed animals
B. bearskin rugs
C. bug pictures
D. baseball cards | C | Grady goes to a nearby stream and encounters a black bear cub and its mother. What caused Grady to go to the stream? | A. He hoped that he would spot some frogs and insects.
B. He was checking to see whether he could go for a swim.
C. He wanted to see whether anyone was catching fish there.
D. He was trying to find his mother and younger brother. | B | What can you conclude about Grady at the end of the story? | A. He is safe near the cub.
B. He is in serious danger.
C. He will have a nice swim.
D. He will go closer to the cub. | B | Read this sentence from the passage: “Blue-green fir trees, some as tall as church spires, covered the mountainside.” In this sentence, the word spires means | A. building floors
B. hard surfaces
C. pointed roofs
D. amazing sights | C | The main purpose of this passage is to describe | A. how camping is a fun activity for families to do together
B. what happens when Grady goes camping
C. what Grady likes to do in his spare time
D. why Grady’s father likes cooking over an open fire | B | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. _______ his family was busy at the campsite, Grady went to check out a nearby stream. | A. During
B. While
C. Therefore
D. First | B | null | null | null |
Behind the Screen | Nowadays, almost every kind of cancer seems to have its own public awareness campaign urging people to get tested—even if they have no sign of disease. Catching cancer early saves lives, the campaigns tell us. So here’s a surprise: Those warnings might not be true. The benefits of early cancer screening are being overs... | 1,030 | 6 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | According to the text, what do most public awareness campaigns for cancer call for? | A. additional pamphlets on cancers
B. universal treatment to prevent cancers
C. universal tests for cancer
D. early cancer screening | D | What cause-and-effect relationship does the author describe in the section titled “Explaining the Drops”? | A. the effects of early screening for different types of cancer on the number of deaths caused by that cancer
B. the causes of lung cancer and skin cancer and the effects of those cancers on the human body
C. the effects of early screening for breast cancer on the number of deaths caused by breast cancer
D. the causes ... | A | Before getting screened for cancer, a healthy person should consider the negative aspects or downsides of getting screened. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? | A. “Evidence also shows that screening healthy people for breast cancer and colorectal cancer decreases the odds of dying of those diseases.”
B. “Studies show that screening has played a role in the declining rates of cervical cancer and colorectal cancer.”
C. “For one thing, the tests aren’t perfect. They often give f... | C | Based on the text, what would Kramer recommend to an older man who found out he has slow-growing cancer cells in his prostate? | A. He would recommend that the man use aggressive drugs to treat the cancer immediately.
B. He would recommend that the man think carefully about whether he wants to treat the cancer with aggressive treatments.
C. He would recommend many more screenings, like X-Rays, to figure out more about the cancer.
D. He would rec... | B | What is the main idea of the text? | A. Someone with symptoms of cancer should put off getting screened because of false positives.
B. Screening healthy people for some types of cancer can be unnecessary.
C. The likelihood of getting a false positive for cancer screenings is very low.
D. The benefits of early screening outweigh the costs for all types of ... | B | Read these sentences from the text. Catching cancer early saves lives, the campaigns tell us. So here’s a surprise: Those warnings might not be true. The benefits of early cancer screening are being oversold, say critics. As used in these sentences, what does the word "screening" mean? | A. testing for a disease
B. showing of a movie
C. treating an illness
D. guarding from germs | A | Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence. Unneeded cancer tests drive up medical costs. ________, health care becomes more expensive for everyone, including people who are truly sick. | A. Yet
B. Therefore
C. Beforehand
D. Although | B |
The Art of Singing | About six months ago, Alana finally started taking singing lessons. She’s wanted to sing ever since she was a young girl, and now she was finally realizing her dream. Today she auditioned for the lead role in her school’s production of Annie.
When Alana’s mother took her to see Annie, Alana became inspired to really tr... | 740 | 6 | null | What event inspired Alana to really try singing? | A. She learned that The Palace theater had a big pipe organ.
B. She saw Annie at The Palace theater.
C. She joined the glee club at school.
D. She listened to Aretha Franklin sing “Respect.” | B | What was the result of Alana’s efforts to practice singing? | A. She got to see Annie at The Palace.
B. Her mother gave her CDs of artists like Janis Joplin and Whitney Houston.
C. She saw Bjork perform live in Iceland.
D. She won the lead role in her school’s production of Annie . | D | Alana followed her mother’s advice to learn how to use her voice like an instrument. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? | A. Alana visited The Palace and saw Annie .
B. Alana recorded herself singing “Tomorrow” and listened back to it.
C. Alana joined a band and the glee club at school and learned to read sheet music and sing scales.
D. Alana learned some history about the pipe organ in The Palace. | C | Which of the following best describes Alana? | A. confused
B. discouraged
C. adventurous
D. motivated | D | What is the main idea of this story? | A. Alana decides to become a singer after becoming inspired by the beautiful Palace theater.
B. Inspired to become a better singer, Alana practices hard and wins the lead role in her school’s version of Annie .
C. Alana learns the different singing styles of artists like Aretha Franklin and Billie Holiday.
D. Alana dis... | B | Read these sentences from the text. “Alana watched her belly get bigger and smaller as she breathed. She pushed with a breathy cry: ‘we-aaaaather.’” Why did the author stretch out the word weather? | A. to imitate the sound Alana made when she sang
B. to emphasize how happy Alana felt when she sang
C. to show how hard it is to sing the word weather
D. to emphasize the importance of the word weather | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. After seeing Annie, Alana went home and recorded herself singing “Tomorrow.” ____________, the recording didn’t sound as good as she thought it would. | A. Including
B. Earlier
C. However
D. Such as | C |
Hidden Habitats | Deep inside a cave in eastern Oklahoma, a forestry manager stumbled upon a colony of Ozark big-eared bats. That was big news, because the bats are an endangered species. Scientists say that only 2,000 of the big-eared creatures are alive today. Until a couple years ago, scientists didn’t know about the colony, or group... | 1,010 | 6 | Science: Life Science | Who discovered a colony of Ozark big-eared bats? | A. a group of students
B. a forestry manager
C. a team of scientists
D. scientist Bruce Beehler | B | The author compares and contrasts two different habitats. What do the two habitats have in common? | A. Both habitats were discovered by the same team of researchers.
B. Both habitats were saved when plans to build a dam were stopped.
C. Both habitats contained animals that were recently discovered.
D. Both habitats were found in the mountains on the island of New Guinea. | C | Which of the following conclusions about Ozark big-eared bats is supported by the passage? | A. These bats are shy at first, but they like being around people.
B. If these bats didn’t have insects to eat, they would eat something else.
C. The number of Ozark big-eared bats is on the rise.
D. The bats could die off if disturbed by human intruders. | D | Read this sentence from the passage: “About 10 years ago, a plan was proposed to build a dam on a nearby river.” In this sentence, the word proposed means | A. rejected
B. suggested
C. improved
D. adopted | B | Which statement best describes the central idea of this passage? | A. Many newly found creatures are afraid of humans.
B. People recently discovered two hidden habitats.
C. Ozark big-eared bats are an endangered species.
D. The Foja Mountains are full of plants and animals. | B | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. If people go into the cave, they might either scare the bats _______ wake the bats up. | A. and
B. yet
C. or
D. for | C | null | null | null |
Habitat Loss | When people cut down forests, build cities, or make roads, they destroy habitats-the places where plants, animals, and other organisms live.
Deep in the ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest live some of the oldest and largest trees in the world. For centuries, Douglas firs and cedars have towered above the forest f... | 1,010 | 6 | Science: Life Science | What is a habitat? | A. a place where plants, animals, and other organisms live
B. one of the oldest and largest trees in the world
C. a forest where trees are replanted
D. a rich area in the Pacific Northwest | A | One effect of the disappearance of old-growth forests is the destruction of the habitats of hundreds of plant and animal species. What is one cause of the disappearance of old-growth forests? | A. replanting trees
B. buying wood from sustainable forests
C. logging
D. cedars towering above the forest floor | C | Read this sentence from the text: "When people cut down forests, build cities, or make roads, they destroy habitats..." Based on this evidence, what conclusion can be made? | A. People have learned to live peacefully with plant and animal species.
B. Plant and animal species do not often interact with people.
C. People's actions can have an affect on plant and animal species.
D. Plant and animal species benefit from people building cities and roads. | C | What might be happening to the animal and plant species that call old-growth forests home? | A. They are relocating to the Pacific Northwest.
B. They are finding new homes in Douglas firs and cedars.
C. Like the old-growth forests, they too are quickly disappearing.
D. These animals and plants are growing in large numbers. | C | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Douglas firs and cedars are some of the oldest and largest trees in the world.
B. Old-growth forests are habitats to hundreds of plant and animal species, but these habitats are quickly disappearing.
C. A sustainable forest is a forest where trees are replanted.
D. Logging is a popular practice in the Pacific Northw... | B | Read these sentences from the text: "[These] majestic trees are … part of the rich areas known as old-growth forests. They are home to hundreds of plant and animal species." As used in the passage, what does the word “rich” mean here? | A. having a great amount of money
B. having many things that help sustain life
C. having too much of something
D. having a very sweet taste | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. Old-growth forests used to extend across the Pacific Northwest. __________, these precious habitats are quickly disappearing. | A. However
B. Meanwhile
C. Consequently
D. Therefore | A |
The Penny Experiment | Paola is 12 years old. She lives in Seville, Spain. The streets of her city are lined with beautiful orange trees. The oranges that grow here are sometimes called Bitter Oranges, because they are sharp to the taste. Tourists often come to Seville to see the beauty of Spain. They like to see flamenco, a colorful style o... | 800 | 6 | Science: Physical Science | What do Paola and her mom perform an experiment on? | A. coal
B. salt
C. pennies
D. the Statue of Liberty | C | What is the order of events in this story? | A. Paola wonders why some copper is green; Paola experiments; Paola understands why some copper is green.
B. Paola experiments; Paola understands why some copper is green; Paola wonders why some copper is green.
C. Paola experiments; Paola wonders why some copper is green; Paola understands why some copper is green.
D.... | A | Acid causes copper to turn green. What evidence from the story supports this statement? | A. Paola brings home 30 pennies from her trip to the United States.
B. Paola lives in Seville, Spain, and the streets of her city are lined with orange trees.
C. Paola’s mother is going to make marmalade with oranges from the backyard.
D. Both vinegar and orange juice cause some of Paola’s pennies to turn green | D | Why does Paola’s mom suggest doing an experiment on pennies? | A. to make Paola appreciate the music of Beethoven
B. to explain why tourists like to see flamenco performances
C. to show Paola how copper changes color
D. to teach Paola the history of an old bell tower | C | What is this story mainly about? | A. the Statue of Liberty
B. why copper changes color
C. why people visit Spain
D. why people visit New York City | B | Read the following sentences: “This substance on copper is green. It is called verdigris . Paola said, ‘ In Spanish, the word for green is verde .’” Why does the author mention that the Spanish word for green is verde? | A. to show readers a connection between the word verdigris and the color green
B. to prove to readers that learning Spanish is more useful than learning English
C. to explain where the word “copper” comes from
D. to illustrate the difficulty of learning a new language | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Paola does experiments with pennies; ______, she learns why copper changes color. | A. as a result
B. however
C. previously
D. first | A |
Finders Keepers? | “I saw it first,” Amy said, as she ripped the old leather wallet out of Charlie’s hands.
Without saying a word, as if they both understood that this was a secret they didn’t want to share with anyone, they slipped into the alleyway, where no one could see them look inside.
“There’s got to be a million dollars here!” C... | 990 | 6 | null | How much money did Amy and Charlie find? | A. hundreds of dollars
B. a hundred dollars
C. more than a million dollars
D. thousands of dollars | D | What is the effect of Amy and Charlie finding the wallet? | A. They become angry at each other and argue about what to buy.
B. They feel excited and later worry about what to do.
C. They get scared that someone saw them pick up the wallet.
D. They are happy that they can return the wallet to the owner. | B | Which of the following conclusions about the wallet is supported by the passage? | A. Amy purposely hid a wallet in a flowerbed so that Charlie could find it.
B. Charlie knew the person who lost the wallet but didn’t want to tell Amy.
C. The wallet was filled with counterfeit money that looked like real money.
D. Amy and Charlie were originally planning to keep the wallet. | D | Read this sentence from the passage: “Amy, the more realistic of the two, did a quick estimate, thumbing through the wad of cash.” In this sentence, the word realistic means | A. seeing things as they really are
B. having an adventurous spirit
C. knowing how to hold a conversation
D. older and having more experience | A | Which statement best describes the main idea of this passage? | A. Two friends find a wallet and try to decide what to do next.
B. A sister and brother talk about their dreams for the future.
C. Two people have a secret and don’t want to share it with anyone.
D. Someone drops a wallet on the sidewalk and can’t find it. | A | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. _______ Amy saw all of the money, she did a quick estimate. | A. When
B. However
C. Neither
D. Whether | A | null | null | null |
Crunches Give You Six-Pack Abs—And Other Exercise Myths | Let science tweak your workout.
Want to get in shape? Don’t let out-dated advice hold you back. Too many teens (and adults) still believe hand-me-down advice that’s been repeated over and over but never proved by science. Here, two fitness pros help you separate exercise fact from fiction.
Myth #1: Crunches give you si... | 980 | 6 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | According to the passage, which of the following statements is true about lifting weights? | A. It must be done seven days a week to have any positive effect.
B. It will strengthen your muscles and bones.
C. It is only for weight lifters and body builders.
D. It will make you more appealing to the opposite sex. | B | The author of this passage lists five myths and explains something about each one. What is similar about all of the author’s explanations? | A. They show how exercise can be bad for you.
B. They discuss why no one should ever believe each saying.
C. They examine how much, if any, truth is in each myth.
D. They explain why each myth is true and why it should be followed. | C | What conclusion about exercise advice is supported by the passage? | A. If you exercise properly, you will become a great athlete.
B. The best exercise will cause pain.
C. You should never follow advice that doesn’t come from a doctor or scientist.
D. Some advice may sound good but could be incorrect. | D | Read the following sentence from the passage: “Girls, especially, are vulnerable to knee injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament tears (experts aren’t completely sure yet why girls are more susceptible), but strengthening the muscles around the knees and ankles increases your chances of staying in the game.” As use... | A. capable
B. at risk
C. intelligent
D. wiling to work hard | B | Which statement best describes the author’s purpose in writing this passage? | A. To solve readers’ weight lifting problems
B. To explain why weightlifting is the best exercise for everyone
C. To separate good advice from bad advice
D. To tell readers how to exercise | C | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Athletes who want to improve their skills will sometimes exercise harder _________ they have ever done before. | A. without
B. than
C. and
D. because | B | null | null | null |
What's Your Eye-Q? | Have you heard that you shouldn't cross your eyes because they can get stuck that way? In truth, that kind of thing happens only in cartoons. Yet the saying is repeated again and again.
What other eye-care "facts" are really fiction? Let's take a closer look at some common "eye-deas" about the eyes.
Fiction. The saying... | 900 | 6 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | According to the article, what kind of thing only happens in cartoons? | A. getting your eyes stuck from crossing them
B. blinking less often when watching TV
C. eating foods with artificial sweeteners
D. not being able to read after looking at the sun too long | A | Which of the following is listed in the passage? | A. foods that promote good eye health
B. tips for maintaining healthy eyes
C. reasons for visiting the ophthalmologist
D. medicines that can cause sensitive eyes | B | Common ideas about the eyes may not always be true.
What evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. The author suggests using the "20/20/20 Rule" when staring at the screen of a computer, cell phone, or MP3 player.
B. The author discusses four popular ideas about the eyes that people often think are true but are actually false.
C. The author lists the different parts of the eye as well as the role each part plays.... | B | Review the section under the header, "Find out how much you know about healthy eyes." After reading this section, how might the author want the reader to feel about "facts" he or she may have heard about eye care? | A. accepting
B. trusting
C. skeptical
D. indifferent | C | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Some “facts” about eye care are not actually true.
B. Eating a balanced diet helps keep eyes moist and healthy.
C. Artificial tears may only be used with a doctor’s OK.
D. Kids and teens should have an eye exam every two to four years. | A | Read this sentence from the text. "What other eye-care “facts” are really fiction?" Why might the author have put the word “facts” in quotation marks? | A. because it was a quote spoken by the author
B. to emphasize that these statements are not true
C. because the author is not sure of the meaning of the word
D. to remind the reader to look up the definition of the word | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. Wearing glasses does not weaken eyesight, __________ eyeglass wearers need stronger lenses over time. | A. Although
B. Because
C. Since
D. While | A |
The Inside Scoop | In New York City, one of the most popular brands of ice cream comes from a company called Mister Softee. Mister Softee sells ice cream to children and adults alike right out of a large blue-and-white truck. One particular Mister Softee truck driver is named Gus Elefantis. He has not only made Mister Softee ice cream hi... | 1,150 | 6 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture | What does Gus Elefantis do during the summer? | A. Gus Elefantis teaches Greek to tourists.
B. Gus Elefantis drives an ice cream truck.
C. Gus Elefantis works on a construction site.
D. Gus Elefantis waits tables at a restaurant. | B | What is the sequence of events in a summer day for Gus? | A. Gus gives away ice cream for free; Gus goes shopping for supplies; Gus drives around to sell ice cream.
B. Gus gives away ice cream for free; Gus drives around to sell ice cream; Gus goes shopping for supplies.
C. Gus goes shopping for supplies; Gus drives around to sell ice cream; Gus gives away ice cream for free.... | C | Many people in Astoria like Gus. What evidence from the passage supports this statement? | A. “However, the people of Astoria don’t go to his truck just for ice cream—whether it’s free or not—they also go to see their friend.”
B. “Gus’s morning duty is to ‘go shopping’ and purchase any new stock the truck needs for the day.”
C. “Gus Elefantis’s summer days begin at about 8 a.m. when he and his wife Lola wake... | A | What is one problem with Gus’s job? | A. Gus buys the items he needs for his truck from a friend.
B. Gus works in Astoria, New York.
C. Gus’s job causes pain in his legs.
D. Gus’s job allows him to interact with people. | C | What is this passage mostly about? | A. an ice cream company called Mister Softee
B. the neighborhood of Astoria, New York
C. different flavors of ice cream
D. the work of an ice cream truck driver | D | Read the following sentence: “Gus agrees, saying he won’t even need to glance inside the freezer as he fills orders for the long lines of customers waiting on the sidewalks.” What does the word customers mean? | A. people who get into trouble
B. people who work hard
C. people who are mean to others
D. people who buy things | D | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Gus likes some things about his job ______ not others. | A. in summary
B. above all
C. but
D. after | C |
Magnetic Fields and the Magnetic Compass | If you were in a forest, chances are there wouldn’t be any street signs to help direct you! That’s why you need a compass to help you find your way using the power of a magnetic field.
Magnets are objects that produce an area of magnetic force called a magnetic field. Magnetic fields by themselves are invisible to the ... | 840 | 5-6 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Physical Science | What is a magnetic field? | A. the geographic poles of the earth
B. the shape, strength, and size of a magnet
C. an area of magnetic force around a magnet
D. a street sign to help direct you | C | What does the author describe? | A. the characteristics of magnets and magnetic fields
B. the reasons why some materials are attracted to magnets
C. the different shapes, strengths, and sizes of magnets
D. the ways different compasses work to tell direction | A | Read these sentences from the text. Magnets are objects that produce an area of magnetic force called a magnetic field. Magnetic fields by themselves are invisible to the human eye. Magnets attract, or pull, objects made of materials that are very attracted to magnets. These materials include iron and nickel. A magnet ... | A. When the iron is farther from the magnet, the attraction is stronger.
B. When the iron is closer to the magnet, the attraction is stronger.
C. When the iron is closer to the magnet, the attraction is weaker.
D. When the iron is close to the magnet, there is no attraction. | B | Read these sentences from the text. The earth’s magnetic poles are in the general direction of the planet’s geographic poles. However, unlike the geographic poles, the magnetic poles are not always in the same place. They are moving slowly. [. . .] A magnetic compass is usually comprised of a magnetized needle and a ca... | A. the exact direction of the earth's geographic South Pole
B. the general direction of the earth's geographic South Pole
C. the exact direction of the earth's geographic North Pole
D. the general direction of the earth's geographic North Pole | D | What is the main idea of the text? | A. There are different shapes and sizes of magnets. Iron and nickel are some of the materials that are very attracted to magnets, so they can get pulled toward magnets.
B. The earth is like a big magnet. People can figure out directions by using a magnetic compass, which has a needle that is attracted to the earth's ma... | B | Read these sentences from the text. The earth’s magnetic poles are in the general direction of the planet’s geographic poles. However, unlike the geographic poles, the magnetic poles are not always in the same place. As used in the text, what does the phrase "general direction" mean? | A. different but the same exact way
B. similar but complete opposite way
C. similar but not the same exact way
D. different and complete opposite way | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. The earth has a magnetic field and magnetic North and South Poles, ________ it's like a magnet. | A. but
B. so
C. if
D. although | B |
Desert Racing | When South African runner Ryan Sandes showed up for his first race in the 4 Deserts series in 2008, he was not expected to win. The then 27-year-old had only been running for three years. He was fit and had won a few South African races, but he was an unknown in the global and competitive world of ultrarunning. In Marc... | 1,070 | 6 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture, Sports, Health & Safety | Where was Ryan Sandes’s first race in the 4 Deserts Series? | A. Gobi Desert
B. Sahara Desert
C. Atacama Desert
D. Antarctica | A | What does the author describe in the passage? | A. how Ryan Sandes trained for the Sahara Race
B. planning the racecourse for the Atacama Desert race
C. the grueling conditions runners experience in the 4 Deserts races
D. the ecosystem of the Gobi Desert | C | Temperatures in Antarctica can fall as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius. What evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. The Last Desert Race in Antarctica is the most extreme of the 4 Deserts series.
B. Sandes trained for Antarctic conditions by running in a freezer that could be set as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius.
C. The freezer had a fan to simulate the wind chill Sandes would experience in Antarctica.
D. Sandes won the Antarct... | B | Which quality should “ultrarunners” have in order to be successful? | A. stamina
B. humor
C. kindness
D. intelligence | A | What is this passage mostly about? | A. how the sport of “ultrarunning” is gaining in popularity
B. training regimes used by pro “ultrarunners” to prepare for the 4 Deserts races
C. the 4 Deserts “ultrarunning” racing series and the first runner to win all four
D. the weather and terrain conditions that make the Sahara Race particularly challenging | C | Read the following sentences: “The Antarctic race is the only staged event held on the ‘frozen continent.’ This race is staged on the Antarctic Peninsula and its surrounding islands. Weather conditions are erratic , so planning the racecourse is put off until the last moment.” As used in the passage, what does “erratic... | A. even
B. unpredictable
C. rugged
D. consistent | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. The races in the Gobi Desert, Sahara Desert, and Atacama Desert are open to all competitors, ______ the race in Antarctica requires an invitation to compete. | A. so
B. then
C. like
D. but | D |
Lunch around the World | What do you usually eat for lunch at school? Maybe you bring a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from home, or grab a cheeseburger or fish sticks in the cafeteria. But how about having some congee or mee siam, as kids in Singapore do? Have you ever brought a yummy stuffed paratha to school, as kids in Amritsar, India, o... | 1,020 | 6 | null | According to the text, which of the following cities does not allow students to bring their own lunch? | A. New York, United States
B. Nancy, France
C. Beirut, Lebanon
D. Amritsar, India | B | This text compares and contrasts lunches around the world. Which of these favorite foods is something both American kids and kids in Beirut have in common? | A. mankouche
B. bento boxes
C. paella
D. pizza | D | Read the section "Make Your Own Bento Lunch!" Based on this information, what can you conclude about lunches in Japan? | A. A typical lunch for a student in Japan includes french fries with fried chicken and ketchup.
B. Packed bento boxes in Japan are made to look delicious and have a variety of healthy ingredients.
C. Japanese parents make their child’s bento box by using only ingredients that are one color.
D. Bento boxes can only be m... | B | Read these sentences from the text. Most schools in Singapore don’t allow the sale of sweets, chocolate, or soft drinks. In fact, overweight kids are required to attend an extra PE session. Based on the text, what is most likely the reason why Singapore doesn’t allow sweets, chocolate, or soft drinks? | A. They may cause kids to be overweight.
B. They may cause kids to get cavities.
C. Some kids may be allergic to them.
D. Some kids might not have enough money to buy them. | A | What is this text mostly about? | A. healthy foods to eat for lunch
B. different lunches kids eat around the world
C. different sports kids play around the world
D. foods American kids like to eat | B | Read this sentence from the text. When making a bento, presentation of your food is very important to make your meal not only taste yummy but look delicious as well. As used in the text, what does the word "presentation" mean? | A. how it tastes
B. how it looks
C. speaking in front of people
D. a poster with information | B | Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Kids in France are not allowed to bring their own lunch from home, ________ they have a doctor’s prescription for a medical condition. | A. unless
B. but
C. after
D. so | A |
What's in a Name? | His name was Jack. Jack Russell. It was not easy going through life with the name of a terrier. A dog, for Pete’s sake! From about second grade on, kids had made fun of his name, some of them making barking sounds when he came into a room. He was actually Jack Russell IV – the fourth first son of a first son, named for... | 860 | 6 | null | Why does Jack think it isn’t easy going through life with the name Jack Russell? | A. because it is also the name of a president
B. because it is also the name of a famous actor
C. because it is also the name of a type of dog
D. because it is also the name of a video game | C | How did Jack Russell’s name make him feel about bizarre names of places? | A. confused, because none of them made sense
B. upset, because he would refuse to visit any of them
C. excited, because he would name his toys after them
D. interested, because he loved to learn about them | D | Read the following sentences from the text. “When the kids first started making fun of him, his parents tried to console him. His mother recalled going to school with a girl named Candy Cane. As if to invite ridicule, she wore red and white striped clothes. His dad, who hadn’t minded being Jack Russell III, had a diffe... | A. Candy Cane also didn’t like her name so she changed it.
B. As a boy, Jack’s dad also didn't like being named after a type of dog.
C. People can feel differently about having a unique name.
D. The main character felt that being named Jack Russell was important. | C | Why is it funny when Ciara says “Wow! That’s my dog’s name!”? | A. because Jack had changed his name to Harry so he would no longer have a dog’s name
B. because Ciara had a Jack Russell Terrier that she named Jack Russell, the same as the boy’s name
C. because Ciara did not have a dog but she said that because she wanted to make fun of Jack
D. because Harry is another type of dog a... | A | What is one theme of this text? | A. Don’t change based on what others think, because people have many different perspectives.
B. You should always judge people based on what they do, and never on what they say.
C. You should make sure to stay friends with the people who know how to make you laugh.
D. If something doesn’t work the first time, don’t giv... | A | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Rumpelstiltskin | Once there was a miller who was poor, but who had a beautiful daughter. Now it happened that he had to go and speak to the King, and in order to make himself appear important he said to him, “I have a daughter who can spin straw into gold.”
The King said to the miller, “That is an art which pleases me well. If your dau... | 1,090 | 6 | null | Who spun the straw into gold? | A. the miller
B. the miller's daughter
C. the king
D. the little man | D | What problem does the miller's daughter face at the beginning of the story? | A. She does not love the king, but her father has threatened to kill her if she does not marry the king.
B. She does not know how to spin straw into gold, but the king has threatened to kill her if she does not spin his straw into gold.
C. She wants her necklace and ring back, but she has already given them to the litt... | B | The little man is positive that nobody knows his name. What evidence from the text best supports this conclusion? | A. "'I will give you three days' time,' said he. 'If by that time you find out my name, then shall you keep your child.'"
B. "'Ha! glad am I that no one knew / That Rumpelstiltskin I am styled.'"
C. "'Perhaps your name is Shortribs, or Sheepshanks, or Laceleg?' but he always answered, 'That is not my name.'"
D. "And wh... | B | Why might Rumpelstiltskin have been jumping and shouting in his house? | A. He was panicking because he thought his house had caught on fire.
B. He was celebrating, thinking he was going to get the Queen's child.
C. He was performing a magical spell to get the Queen's child.
D. He was upset because he knew that the Queen knew his name. | B | What is a theme of this story? | A. It's important to keep one's promises.
B. One should not be greedy.
C. It's important to forgive others.
D. One should pity the less fortunate. | B | Read these sentences from the text: "[The manikin said,] 'What will you give me if I spin the straw for you this time also?' "'I have nothing left that I could give,' answered the girl. "'Then promise me, if you should become Queen, your first child.' "'Who knows whether that will ever happen?' thought the miller's dau... | A. not knowing how to act like a Queen
B. not knowing how to spin straw into gold
C. not knowing how to break a promise
D. not knowing how else to solve her problem | D | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence: The miller's daughter gave the manikin her necklace, __________ he spun the straw into gold. | A. but
B. yet
C. so
D. like | C |
How To Trick Your Sister | The plan was perfect. Rick had been working on it all week: in Math class, English class, and History class. He sat in the back of the room, deep in thought. To the teacher, it looked like he was taking notes. In fact, he was taking notes—but not on Algebra, To Kill a Mockingbird, or the Spanish-American War. Rick was ... | 670 | 6 | null | What trick does Rick play on his sister? | A. He hides her car keys and makes her two hours late for work.
B. He disconnects the oven and makes her think that Thanksgiving dinner will never be finished.
C. He sets off fireworks inside the cupcakes at her birthday party.
D. He attaches a string to her notebook and uses a motor to pull it into the fireplace. | C | What is the resolution at the end of the story? | A. Tears begin to slip from Emily’s eyes because the cupcake icing has gotten everywhere.
B. Emily keeps playing the party over in her mind instead of going to sleep.
C. Emily feels a firm grip on her elbow and tells Rachel that she is good with machines.
D. Emily takes revenge on her brother by pulling his journal int... | D | Emily is excited for her birthday party. What evidence from the passage supports this statement? | A. Emily cannot fall asleep the night before the party.
B. Emily helps her brother do the dishes and lets him sleep on long car trips.
C. Emily uses nine different pens to take notes in school.
D. Angela Beck wants to eat the red cupcake. | A | Why does Rick decide to ruin his sister’s birthday party? | A. He is a messy kid who likes his bedroom to be covered in dirty clothes.
B. His sister’s birthday party is a great opportunity for playing a trick.
C. He can fix washing machines, dishwashers, showers, and garage door openers.
D. He army-crawls around the house to the door that leads to the kitchen. | B | What is this story mostly about? | A. a girl who wants to eat all the cupcakes at someone else’s birthday party
B. a trick that a boy plays on his sister and the trick she plays in return
C. a mother who gets mad when her son plays a trick on her daughter
D. a journal that a boy uses to keep a record of the tricks he plays on people | B | Read the following sentences: “He sat in the back of the room, deep in thought . To the teacher, it looked like he was taking notes.” What does the phrase deep in thought mean? | A. It means that someone is sitting in a short chair very close to the floor.
B. It means that someone is sitting in a tall chair very far from the floor.
C. It means that someone is thinking a lot about something.
D. It means that someone is not thinking very much about something. | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Rick tricks Emily; _______ Emily tricks Rick. | A. in contrast
B. for instance
C. first
D. then | D |
Tiger Watch | Note: This text was first published in 2009.
Tigers rule! With their sharp claws and powerful bodies, the mighty cats run the jungle. However, the ferocious, or fierce, felines may not be large and in charge for long.
Wild tigers could soon become extinct, according to experts. Today there are only about 3,200 of the c... | 930 | 6 | Science: Life Science | About how many tigers are in the wild today? | A. 100,000 tigers
B. 50,000 tigers
C. 3,200 tigers
D. 300 tigers | C | The passage describes the problem of tigers being wiped out. What is one possible solution to this problem? | A. increasing the demand for tigers’ fur and meat
B. allowing hunters to enter national wildlife parks
C. making people more aware of the dangers that tigers face
D. increasing the use of tiger bones in medicine | C | One reason that tigers are going extinct is because they cannot get enough food to eat. What evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. "In Indonesia and Malaysia, [...] loggers are chopping down the jungles where tigers live to collect palm oil from plants."
B. "In China, poachers prowl the forests and national parks on the hunt for wild tigers."
C. "In Russia, loggers are cutting down trees to make paper. Less forest means less room for tigers to ... | C | Based on the information in the text, why might leaders be working to reduce the demand for tiger fur and bones? | A. Leaders hope that poachers would be more likely to kill tigers if people did not want tiger fur and bones.
B. Leaders hope that tigers poachers would be less likely to kill tigers if people did not want tiger fur and bones.
C. Leaders hope that they can keep all tiger fur and bones if other people do not want them.
... | B | What is the main idea of this passage? | A. Wild tigers are being wiped out by two major threats and could soon become extinct.
B. Officials plan to create a system to keep tiger hunters from entering national wildlife parks.
C. Wild tigers live in 14 countries today, but they once roamed across Asia and eastern Europe.
D. Tigers live in forests and jungles a... | A | The map at the end of the text shows where tigers can be found today compared to where they could be found in the past. Why might the author have included this map? | A. to show how large Asia and eastern Europe are
B. to show how much the number of tigers in Asia and eastern Europe has decreased
C. to convince readers that the number of tigers will increase in the future
D. to convince readers that official plans to save wild tigers are working | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. "Officials plan to create a system to keep poachers from entering national wildlife parks __________ poachers are a major threat to the tiger population." | A. instead
B. therefore
C. because
D. moreover | C |
Living on the Edge | Around the world, thousands of animals are in danger of becoming extinct, or dying out. Luckily, conservation programs, including one called EDGE of Existence, hope to prevent that from happening. Check out a few of the unusual endangered mammals that EDGE is working to save.
Threats: Habitat loss, hunting
Sifakas live... | 950 | 6 | Science: Life Science | Where do long-beaked echidnas live? | A. New Guinea
B. Russia
C. Asia
D. Madagascar | A | What does the text provide a list of? | A. animals that spend most of their time eating grass
B. extinct animals that live in cool mountain forests in the summer
C. animals that are distant cousins of the platypus
D. unusual endangered animals that are threatened by hunting | D | Read the following sentences from the text. “ Around the world, thousands of animals are in danger of becoming extinct, or dying out. Luckily, conservation programs, including one called EDGE of Existence, hope to prevent that from happening. ” What conclusion can you draw from this evidence about the animals in the te... | A. They may become extinct if nobody helps them.
B. They are not as endangered as people think they are.
C. They are in danger because of conservation programs.
D. They will soon be moved to a zoo in the United States. | A | According to the text, what might conservation programs try when working to save the animals? | A. They may bring red raccoons to Asia to mate with red pandas.
B. They may cut down trees so the animals have more space to move.
C. They may move long-beaked echidnas to live closer to platypuses.
D. They may work to stop or limit hunting where the animals live. | D | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Conservation programs are trying to save endangered animals.
B. There are thousands of unusual animals living around the world.
C. Red pandas are related to giant pandas, but they look like raccoons.
D. Golden-crowned sifakas are one of the rarest kinds of lemurs. | A | Read the following sentences from the text. “ Sifakas live in groups in the trees of Madagascar, where they eat fruit, seeds, and leaves. They are one of the rarest kinds of lemurs, primates that live only on Madagascar. ” As used in this excerpt, what does the word “rarest” most closely mean? | A. bright, colorful, and very beautiful
B. not common or found in many places
C. loud, noisy, and always energetic
D. good at camouflaging and hard to see | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. All of the animals in the text are threatened by hunting and most of them are _________ threatened by habitat loss. | A. therefore
B. also
C. instead
D. next | B |
Way-Out World | The detonation of a single nuclear bomb can do catastrophic damage. So imagine the power of more than one bomb—not just two or 10 or even 10 million, but 10 billion.
Astronomers have evidence that a collision with enough force to equal the explosion of 10 billion nuclear bombs once happened in the solar system. Out of ... | 980 | 6 | Science: Physical Science | According to the text, how much force was in the explosion that created Haumea? | A. the force of 2 million nuclear bombs
B. the force of 10 million nuclear bombs
C. the force of one nuclear bomb
D. the force of 10 billion nuclear bombs | D | The author organizes the text by dividing it into sections with subheadings. What is described in the section with the subheading “Blast Off”? | A. the effect that the detonation of 10 nuclear bombs would have on Earth
B. the reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet
C. a collision involving Haumea and another object
D. the similarities between Eris and Makemake | C | Read these sentences from the text. Astronomers believe that a Mars-sized object called Theia smashed into the young Earth some 4.5 billion years ago. The impact ejected chunks of rock into space that gradually accreted (fused) to form an orbiting satellite with enough gravity to acquire a round shape and become the mo... | A. Every time objects collide in space they create a new moon.
B. When objects and planets collide in space, the collision may help create a moon.
C. In order for a moon to be formed in the solar system, an asteroid must hit a planet.
D. When objects and planets collide in space they create a black hole. | B | Read this paragraph from the text. One example of that change in perspective is Pluto. For more than 70 years, astronomers considered it the ninth planet. Then, in 2007, the International Astronomical Union reclassified it as a dwarf planet. Like a planet, a dwarf planet orbits the sun. It also has enough mass, and the... | A. because its gravity was too strong for Pluto to qualify as a planet
B. because its gravity was not strong enough for Pluto to qualify as a planet
C. because the International Astronomical Union discovered a new feature on Pluto’s surface
D. because Pluto had too much mass to qualify as a planet | B | What is this text mainly about? | A. Earth
B. the International Astronomical Union
C. the Kuiper belt
D. Haumea | D | Read these sentences from the text. Haumea also has a distinctive spin and shape. It rotates once every four hours—six times faster than Earth does. That’s the fastest spin rate of any major object in the solar system When an object in space rotates that rapidly , it stretches the way pizza dough does when it’s tossed ... | A. randomly
B. in a pattern
C. slowly
D. quickly | D | Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Pluto was thought to be the ninth planet ______ scientists reclassified it as a dwarf planet. | A. after
B. because
C. before
D. so | C |
News Debate: Spouting Off | SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment faced a whale of a problem in January 2012 when a judge heard arguments from the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA claimed that SeaWorld’s treatment of killer whales, or orcas, violates the U.S. Constitution’s 13th Amendment, which bans slavery... | 1,020 | 6 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture | What did PETA claim about SeaWorld's treatment of orcas? | A. PETA claimed that SeaWorld’s treatment of orcas could create problems for industries that use work animals.
B. PETA claimed that SeaWorld’s treatment of orcas violates the U.S. Constitution’s 13th Amendment.
C. PETA claimed that SeaWorld’s treatment of orcas differs from SeaWorld's treatment of dolphins.
D. PETA cla... | B | What argument is presented in this text? | A. an argument about wearing school uniforms
B. an argument about the cost of education
C. an argument about animal rights
D. an argument about the death penalty | C | Animals should have the same protections from injustice that humans have.
What evidence in the text supports this claim? | A. Animals have thoughts, feelings, and fears, just like humans do.
B. In January 2012 a judge heard arguments from the animal rights group PETA.
C. As views change and the world progresses, the U.S. Constitution has evolved.
D. The U.S. Constitution begins with the words "We the People." | A | Read this sentence from the text. "In the end, the animal rights debate is more about from the views of humans than the wishes of animals." What evidence from the text supports this claim? | A. Animals don't have a way to communicate their thoughts and opinions, so we don't know how they truly feel.
B. Animals are a lot more intelligent than people give them credit for.
C. The orcas at SeaWorld were taken from their home, placed in a concrete box, and forced to do tricks for people.
D. Animals are living, ... | A | What is the main idea of this text? | A. As the world progresses and people's opinions change, the U.S. Constitution changes too.
B. Giving one animal species constitutional rights could cause an avalanche of court cases by animal rights activists.
C. Animal rights advocates argue that even though animals can’t speak, they experience pain and trauma.
D. A ... | D | Read these sentences from the text. "Finally, giving one animal species constitutional rights could cause an avalanche of court cases by animal rights activists. Can you hear the cries from other animals that don’t want to work? 'I don’t like being forced to give milk to anyone,' a cow might say. Oh, wait; animals can’... | A. sarcastic
B. surprised
C. friendly
D. furious | A | Read this sentence from the text. "In the end, the animal rights debate is more about the views of humans than the wishes of animals." What word or phrase could replace "in the end" without changing the sentence's meaning? | A. Instead
B. Ultimately
C. For instance
D. In particular | B |
Always Remember | Ask most adults, and they’ll tell you where they were on Sept. 11, 2001. The morning started like any other in New York City, as people crowded the sidewalks on their way to work. Suddenly, terrifying events began to unfold in the sky above.
At 8:46 a.m., a passenger jet slammed into one of the twin towers, the two 110... | 1,010 | 6 | Social Studies: U.S. History | What happened on September 11, 2001? | A. The National September 11 Memorial and Flight 93 National Memorial opened.
B. Lawmakers created the Department of Homeland Security.
C. U.S. forces invaded the nation of Afghanistan, searching for Osama bin Laden.
D. Terrorists hijacked airplanes and attacked the United States. | D | What does this passage describe? | A. This passage describes the reasons that Ashley Gilligan’s father was at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
B. This passage describes what being inside the World Trade Center was like before September 11, 2001.
C. This passage describes the events of September 11, 2001 and some of their effects.
D. This pa... | C | The passengers and crew on United Airlines Flight 93 were brave.
What evidence from the passage supports this statement? | A. About 50,000 people worked at the World Trade Center.
B. Michael Bloomberg called the September 11 Memorial “a powerful symbol of our grief.”
C. Members of the terrorist group Al Qaeda hijacked a plane and flew it into the Pentagon.
D. The passengers and crew on Flight 93 banded together to fight the terrorists. | D | The author writes that there is now stricter security at airports. What is the most likely reason for the stricter security? | A. The Department of Homeland Security is in charge of airports.
B. More international flights are taken today than on September 11.
C. The terrorists used airports to gain access to planes.
D. Americans are scared in public now. | C | What is this passage mostly about? | A. the heroism of United Airlines Flight 93 passengers
B. the increasing violence in the news
C. the tragic events of September 11 and the effects of the tragedy
D. the events that led up to the September 11 attacks | C | Read the sentence: “Panic soon gripped the country as word of a third attack spread .” What words would best replace gripped and spread as used in this sentence? | A. worried; took over
B. confused; increased
C. took over; was shared
D. held on to; swelled | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. U.S. forces invaded the nation of Afghanistan, searching for Osama bin Laden ________ he was the leader of the network that organized the attacks. | A. therefore
B. although
C. in contrast
D. because | D |
Fatty Foods Flunk Out Of School | Move over, french fries, extra-cheese pizza, and chocolate chip cookies. School cafeterias across the country are trimming the fat!
Dozens of states have passed nutrition laws to limit unhealthy foods in schools. Texas officials nixed deep-fried foods from school menus. Connecticut lawmakers banned the sale of high-fat... | 1,140 | 6 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | According to the passage, about how many children buy lunch at school each day? | A. 9 million
B. 26 million
C. 6 million
D. 19 million | B | The passage describes the problem of childhood obesity. How are legislators trying to solve the problem? | A. They are requiring that children exercise an hour each day.
B. They are making eating unhealthy food against the law.
C. They are passing laws to limit unhealthy foods in schools.
D. They are putting all overweight Americans on a healthy diet. | C | After reading the passage, what can you conclude about the new nutrition laws? | A. The new laws will have no effect on the nutrition of young people.
B. The new laws will convince all Americans to stop eating fatty foods.
C. The new laws will help reduce the number of overweight kids.
D. The new laws will increase the number of overweight parents. | C | Read this sentence from the passage: “School lunches aren’t entirely to blame for the obesity crisis, but many experts say the cafeteria menu is a good place to start.” In this sentence, the word crisis means | A. an easy accomplishment
B. a mysterious clue
C. a serious situation
D. a carefree moment | C | Which statement best describes the main idea of this passage? | A. Too many children in the United States buy their lunch at school.
B. Most Americans are overweight because they eat junk food.
C. Many foods sold in the United States are high in fat and sugar.
D. New nutrition laws were passed to fight childhood obesity. | D | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. In Connecticut, schools are not allowed to sell high-sugar _____ high-fat snacks. | A. and
B. but
C. from
D. for | A | null | null | null |
Excerpt from New York Times Article: Suffrage Wins in Senate; Now Goes to States | WASHINGTON, June 4 - After a long and persistent fight advocates of woman suffrage won a victory in the Senate today when that body, by a vote of 56 to 25, adopted the Susan Anthony amendment to the Constitution. The suffrage supporters had two more than the necessary two-thirds vote of Senators present. Had all the Se... | 1,420 | 6 | Social Studies: Civics & Government, U.S. History | On the day this article was written, who voted to adopt the Susan Anthony amendment? | A. the Senate
B. the House
C. the States
D. the National Woman's Party | A | What is described in the text? | A. the schedule of state legislatures when special sessions are held
B. the times when advocates of woman suffrage faced loss
C. the next step for ratification of the amendment at the state level
D. the importance of the National Woman's Party in U.S. history | C | Read these sentences from the text. After a long and persistent fight advocates of woman suffrage won a victory in the Senate today when that body, by a vote of 56 to 25, adopted the Susan Anthony amendment to the Constitution. . . . The amendment, having already been passed by the House, where the vote was 304 to 89, ... | A. Adopting an amendment is very easy to do.
B. Adopting an amendment takes several steps.
C. Adopting an amendment is impossible.
D. Adopting an amendment requires many people getting hurt. | B | Based on the text, how could the journey of woman suffrage in the United States best be described? | A. simple and instant
B. hopeless and never-ending
C. difficult and slow
D. unimportant and quick | C | What is the main idea of the text? | A. The New York Times article reports that the amendment giving women the right to vote had passed the Senate and would next go to the states for ratification.
B. Women deserve the right to vote, as granted by the Constitution and their human rights.
C. The National Woman’s Party predicted that women would have the vot... | A | Read this sentence from the text. Leaders of the National Woman's Party announced tonight that they would at once embark upon a campaign to obtain ratification of the amendment by the necessary three-fourths of the States so that women might have the vote in the next Presidential election. As used in the sentence, what... | A. board a vessel or aircraft
B. set out or start
C. invest money in a business
D. involve someone in a business | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. Suffragists had already gathered in the Senate galleries _______ the announcement of the Senate vote’s outcome. | A. prior to
B. during
C. after
D. initially | A |
The Sounds Spring Brings | Spring brings warmer weather. That weather melts any snow and ice left from winter. The melted water trickles through streams and rivers and into lakes and oceans. Trickling water is an important part of life for animals and plants.
Spring brings baby birds. Baby birds usually hatch during the spring. The birds chirp l... | 610 | 2 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Life Science | The main idea of this passage is | A. many senses are used while at a baseball game.
B. there are many sounds of spring.
C. there are many chicks born during spring.
D. spring is really beautiful. | B | This passage is | A. a song.
B. fiction.
C. nonfiction.
D. a letter. | C | The following sounds are weather related | A. chirp and buzz.
B. whoosh and trickle.
C. trickle and buzz.
D. chirp and whoosh. | B | The following sounds come from living things | A. chirp and buzz.
B. trickle and buzz.
C. chirp and whoosh.
D. whoosh and trickle. | A | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Dinosaur World | Dinosaurs roamed Earth millions of years ago. Some dinosaurs were as small as chickens. Others were larger than houses.
Scientists often group dinosaurs by the food they ate. Most dinosaurs ate plants. Those dinosaurs are called herbivores. They had flat teeth.
Some dinosaurs ate meat. Those dinosaurs are called carniv... | 470 | 2 | Science: Earth & Space Science | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Herbivores eat plants, _______ carnivores eat meat. | A. but
B. because
C. so | A | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
A Great Leader | Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader. He lived from 1929 to 1968. Americans honor him in January with a national holiday.
King grew up in the southern part of the United States. At that time, laws treated African American people differently from white people. African Americans were forced to sit in the back of buses. Th... | 900 | 2 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture, U.S. History | How do Americans honor Martin Luther King Jr. every January? | A. with a national holiday
B. by building a memorial
C. with a concert | A | Which of these events happened after Martin Luther King Jr. gave the “I Have a Dream” speech? | A. King became pastor of a church.
B. King received the Nobel Peace Prize.
C. King married Coretta Scott in Marion, Alabama. | B | Martin Luther King Jr. was recognized for his work towards equal rights. What evidence from the passage supports this conclusion? | A. King gave the “I Have a Dream” speech.
B. King became pastor of a church.
C. King received the Nobel Peace Prize. | C | A memorial in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. was built in 2011. What can you conclude from this information? | A. Martin Luther King Jr. was not important.
B. Martin Luther King Jr. is respected.
C. Martin Luther King Jr. was forgotten. | B | What is this passage mostly about? | A. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life
B. a memorial for Martin Luther King Jr.
C. a concert in memory of Martin Luther King Jr. | A | Read the following sentences: “[King] worked to change those laws. As a result, equal rights laws were passed. Those laws provide the same rights to all Americans.”
What does the word “provide” mean? | A. stop
B. help
C. give | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.
Americans celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. in January _______ he was an important person who fought for civil rights. | A. but
B. because
C. so | B |
Welcome to a Tropical Rain Forest | A tropical rain forest is a warm, rainy place. Many trees and plants grow there. Hidden in the thick forest are amazing animals. Here are just a few of them.
Toucans are birds with huge beaks. They live in the leafy tops of trees. They eat mostly fruit.
Have you ever wondered why a toucan’s beak is so large? Scientists... | 500 | 2 | Science: Life Science | What is a tropical rain forest? | A. a cool, dry place
B. a warm, rainy place
C. a hot, dry place | B | What does the author list in this text? | A. different animals that live in rain forests
B. different plants that grow in rain forests
C. different types of rain forests | A | Many animals that live in the rain forest get their food from trees. What information from the text supports this idea? | A. Toucans have a large beak.
B. Jaguars eat other animals for food.
C. Sloths and green iguanas eat leaves and fruit. | C | What is one thing that is similar between all the animals in this text? | A. They all spend some time in trees.
B. They all eat the same thing.
C. They all have large beaks. | A | What is this text mostly about? | A. different ways that animals get water
B. different animals that live in the ocean
C. different kinds of animals that live in rain forests | C | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Bald Eagles Are Back! | Good news for the bald eagle! The bird was taken off the U.S. endangered species list. That is a list of animals and plants that are in danger of dying out.
"It's exciting that the bald eagle is back and so healthy. It is a beautiful bird and the symbol of our nation," says Martha Nudel. She is a spokesperson for the N... | 690 | 2 | Science: Life Science | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Killing an eagle is illegal ______ they are protected by the law. | A. so
B. but
C. because | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf | A Shepherd Boy tended his master's Sheep near a dark forest not far from the village. Soon he found life in the pasture very dull. All he could do to amuse himself was to talk to his dog or play on his shepherd's pipe.
One day as he sat watching the Sheep and the quiet forest, and thinking what he would do should he se... | 430 | 2 | null | What animals does the Shepherd Boy tend near a dark forest? | A. cows
B. goats
C. sheep | C | Who is the main character in this story? | A. a villager
B. the Shepherd Boy
C. the Shepherd Boy's master | B | Read these sentences about the Shepherd Boy from the text. "One day as he sat watching the Sheep and the quiet forest, and thinking what he would do should he see a Wolf, he thought of a plan to amuse himself. "His Master had told him to call for help should a Wolf attack the flock, and the Villagers would drive it awa... | A. to trick the Villagers by pretending a Wolf has come
B. to trick the Sheep by pretending a Wolf has come
C. to trick a Wolf by pretending the Villagers have come | A | How do the Villagers feel about being tricked? | A. They enjoy being tricked.
B. They do not mind being tricked.
C. They dislike being tricked. | C | What is the theme of this story? | A. Sometimes telling a lie can be kinder than telling the truth.
B. The only time telling a lie is okay is when you are in danger.
C. If you tell lies, people will not believe you when you tell the truth. | C | Read this sentence from the text: "Then one evening as the sun was setting behind the forest and the shadows were creeping out over the pasture, a Wolf really did spring from the underbrush and fall upon the Sheep." What phrase in this sentence helps create a mood of fear? | A. "as the sun"
B. "shadows were creeping out"
C. "over the pasture" | B | Read these sentences from the text: "In terror the Boy ran toward the village shouting 'Wolf! Wolf!' But though the Villagers heard the cry, they did not run to help him as they had before. 'He cannot fool us again,' they said." What phrase could replace "But though" in the second sentence without changing the sentence... | A. "Even though"
B. "But so"
C. "But because" | A |
Earth Helpers | April 22 is Earth Day! That day reminds people to take care of our planet. Many kids and adults will take part in the Great American Cleanup. It is held each year from March 1 to May 31.
Weekly Reader spoke with Gail Cunningham. She is in charge of the Great American Cleanup. She says, "People should get into the habit... | 640 | 2-3 | Science: Earth & Space Science | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Earth Day happens once a year, _______ you can follow the three Rs every day. | A. but
B. because
C. so | A | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Protecting the Wetlands | Some places in nature hold so much water that the ground there is almost always wet. These special places are called wetlands.
The Everglades is an area of beautiful wetlands in southern Florida. Many kinds of waterbirds, such as wood storks, and mammals, such as bobcats, live in the Everglades. A number of reptiles li... | 810 | 2 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Life Science | What are wetlands? | A. places in nature that are protected so that homes and businesses cannot be built there
B. places in nature that hold so much water that the ground there is almost always wet
C. places in nature that people avoid moving to and building around because of how wet the ground there is | B | What does the article describe? | A. the life of a bobcat
B. the kinds of businesses that were built as more people moved to Florida
C. the Everglades | C | "The Everglades area is an ecosystem. Ecosystems are places where living things exist with nonliving things, such as water and soil." What information from the article supports the statement that the Everglades are an ecosystem? | A. Birds, mammals, reptiles, and water can all be found in the Everglades.
B. The Everglades is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles live side by side.
C. As more people moved to Florida, they created big problems in the Everglades. | A | Based on the information in the article, why is part of the Everglades protected as a national park? | A. to keep the Everglades from disappearing forever
B. to allow more homes to be built in the Everglades
C. to prevent the crocodiles in the Everglades from attacking humans | A | What is the main idea of the article? | A. Water and soil are nonliving things that can be found in ecosystems.
B. Bobcats, alligators, and crocodiles are all animals that can be found in the Everglades.
C. The Everglades are beautiful wetlands where humans once created big problems. | C | "Today, a portion of the Everglades is a national park. The law protects animals and plants there. Homes and businesses cannot be built inside Everglades National Park." What does the word "today" mean here? | A. now
B. until tomorrow
C. after yesterday | A | People thought the Everglades might be a good place to build, _______ the ground was too wet. | A. but
B. because
C. so | A |
Chirping Chirp | It was a bright and sunny morning. Daniel woke up and jumped out of bed, ready for a full day outside. He ran down the stairs and sat down at the kitchen table. His mom was making pancakes: Daniel's favorite. She made pancakes every Saturday morning.
"What do you want to do today?" she asked Daniel.
"I think I'm going ... | 450 | 2 | null | What does Daniel find in the leaves? | A. a bird’s egg
B. an injured bird
C. a mother bird | B | Daniel and his mom take the injured bird to the animal hospital. What motivates this action? | A. They want to hurt the bird.
B. They want to save the bird.
C. They want to help find the bird’s mother. | B | Daniel has explored the forest before. What evidence from the passage best supports this conclusion? | A. He thinks that it is perfect weather for hiking.
B. He uses a stick to clear a way through the forest.
C. He knows if he walked far enough, he would reach a creek. | C | Why does Daniel’s mom take a shoebox before she goes to take a look at the injured bird? | A. She wants to be prepared to carry the injured bird.
B. She wants to throw out the shoebox on her way out.
C. She wants to play a game with Daniel with the shoebox. | A | What is this story mostly about? | A. how Daniel and his mom save an injured bird
B. how Daniel explores his backyard
C. why birds can get injured | A | Read the following sentences: “He picked up a long stick and used it to clear a way through the forest. Suddenly, Daniel felt his stick hit something that wasn't a rock or a leaf. He knelt down to investigate . He found a small injured bird between the fallen leaves.” As used in this sentence, what does the word “inves... | A. run away from something
B. look into something
C. yell about something | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Daniel finds a bird that is hurt, ____ Daniel tells his mom. | A. so
B. like
C. also | A |
Shoot and Score! | Emily’s older sister, Morgan, plays soccer. Morgan started playing soccer when she was seven years old. Now, she is 15 years old. One day after school, Emily asks Morgan if they can play soccer together.
“Of course!” says Morgan. “I will teach you!”
The two girls go home and change into comfy clothes. Emily puts on pu... | 570 | 2 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | What sport does Morgan play? | A. basketball
B. baseball
C. soccer | C | A problem in the story is that the ball does not go to Morgan when Emily kicks it. How can Emily solve this problem? | A. Emily can solve this problem by kicking harder.
B. Emily can solve this problem by closing her eyes.
C. Emily can solve this problem by aiming. | C | Read these sentences: “Emily lifts her foot and kicks the ball. But instead of going to Morgan, the ball flies to the left, near the garage. Emily is sad. ‘Why didn’t the ball go straight to you?’ she asks her sister.” What can be concluded from this information? | A. Emily was trying to kick the ball straight to her sister.
B. Emily was trying to kick the ball straight to the garage.
C. Emily was trying to kick the ball straight up in the air. | A | How much time has Emily spent playing soccer before playing with Morgan? | A. little or no time
B. some time
C. a lot of time | A | What is the main idea of this story? | A. People can hurt themselves by playing soccer.
B. A girl starts learning soccer from her sister.
C. A mother worries a lot about her daughters. | B | Read these sentences from the story: “‘First, we can pass the ball to each other,’ Morgan says. She drops the ball on the soft, green grass. She lifts her right foot and kicks the ball towards Emily.” What does the phrase “pass the ball” mean above? | A. kick the ball straight up and watch it come down
B. take the ball away from another person
C. send the ball from one person to another | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Emily is sad _______ the ball does not go to Morgan when she kicks it. | A. because
B. before
C. but | A |
Voting and the Law | When people vote, they make a choice. For example, people voting for the U.S. Congress pick the men and women who pass laws that govern the country.
People who run for office are called candidates. During the weeks before an election is held, candidates describe what they plan to do if they are elected. The candidates ... | 730 | 2 | Social Studies: Civics & Government, U.S. History | What do people do when they vote? | A. They make a choice.
B. They run for office.
C. They have discussions with candidates. | A | What does this article describe? | A. what people who are too young to vote do on Election Day
B. the reasons that poor people were once not allowed to vote in the United States
C. what candidates do before an election | C | Read this paragraph from the article. "At the end of every Election Day, votes are counted. The winning candidates are announced. Soon, the winners will get their chance to do the things they promised to do." What can be concluded from this paragraph about the winning candidates? | A. The winning candidates are the candidates who made the most promises to voters.
B. The winning candidates are the candidates who get the most votes.
C. The winning candidates do not do the things they promised to do. | B | Based on the information in the article, what effect might a candidate's promises have on voters? | A. If voters listen to the promises that a candidate makes, they will probably be disappointed after Election Day.
B. If voters like the promises that a candidate makes, they will vote for him or her.
C. If voters do not like the promises that a candidate makes, they will not vote on Election Day. | B | What is the main idea of this article? | A. Once women, black people, and poor people were not allowed to vote in the United States.
B. Voting takes place by filling out a form or using a computer in a public building.
C. People vote to choose the men and women who pass laws that govern the United States. | C | Read this paragraph from the article "When people vote, they make a choice. For example, people voting for the U.S. Congress pick the men and women who pass laws that govern the country." Why might the author provide an example in the second sentence of the article? | A. to help readers decide which candidate to vote for
B. to show readers that voting can mean two different things
C. to help explain what the first sentence means | C | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. Once only a small number of people in the United States could vote, ________ now more people can vote. | A. so
B. because
C. but | C |
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