Comprehension Worksheet

Comprehension Worksheet

Unit 1 Week 4: narrative nonfiction

Read the narrative nonfiction

make connections with it as you read then answer the questions.

Cause and Effect

A cause is why something happens.

An effect is what happens.

BIG HINTS: Signal words such as because, due to, so, and as a result to find causes and effects in a text.

Multiple Choice

I woke up late for school and I ran as fast as possible, but I was marked late. What is the cause of getting marked late?

• The cause was running as fast as possible.

• The cause was waking up late for school.

• The cause was getting marked late.

Multiple Choice

I woke up late for school and I ran as fast as possible, but I was marked late. What is the effect of waking up late?

• The effect was getting marked late for school.

• The effect was waking up late.

Remember! Cause and Effect

A cause is why something happens.

An effect is what happens.

BIG HINTS: Signal words such as because, due to, so, and as a result to find causes and effects in a text.

A Firehouse Lesson

Julie sat at a large table in the firehouse, struggling with her homework. Her older brother Charlie, a firefighter, sat watching television nearby.

“Why do I have to be here anyway? It’s so noisy,” Julie said.

“Mom isn’t home, so it’s better for you to be here with me,” Charlie responded. “What are you working on?”

“Mrs. Krandle’s science lesson, and it’s very difficult,” she said.

Charlie walked over to Julie and took a peek at her notebook. “I remember this!” he said smiling. “Maybe I can help.” 

The Pull of Gravity

Charlie walked over to the fire pole, a metal pole which ran through a hole in the floor and connected the two levels of the firehouse.

“Using this pole allows us to get downstairs and to a fire faster than a staircase would,” Charlie explained as he grabbed onto the pole and slid down to the first floor. Julie jumped up from her chair and looked down the hole at him.

“Gravity pulled me down here quickly,” he yelled up to her. He walked back upstairs. “Gravity is the force that pulls objects toward each other.”

“But how did you stop?” Julie asked.

“Friction,” he answered. “Friction is a force that resists the sliding of one object over another. I pressed my hands, legs, and feet against the pole as I descended, creating friction and slowing me down enough to stop.”

A Ball in Motion

Charlie took another look in Julie’s notebook. He called out to the firehouse’s energetic dog named Wheels. Wheels came running.

“How cute!” Julie exclaimed.

Charlie took a ball from a table drawer and placed it on the floor. “Let’s try an experiment,” Charlie said. “Take a look at this ball. Inertia means that an object at rest tends to stay at rest.”

Seeing the ball was thrilling for Wheels. Charlie held up his hand to signal Wheels to stay in place.

“A force is something that moves, stops, or changes the motion of an object” he said. “Look what happens when I use force to move the ball.”

Charlie pushed the ball with his hand, and it rolled across the floor. 

“The ball keeps rolling. That’s inertia again. It says an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.”

Charlie called out to Wheels again. “Wheels, fetch the ball!”

Wheels eagerly ran to the ball and picked it up with his mouth. 

“Did you see how quickly Wheels got to the ball?” Charlie asked. “That’s called speed. Speed is the distance an object moves in a certain amount of time.”

“Wheels definitely has a lot of speed,” Julie said laughing.

“Thanks for your help, Charlie. There is a lot to learn in a firehouse. Maybe I’ll even come back tomorrow.”

“Mom is home tomorrow, you don’t have to be here,” Charlie said.

“Yes, I know, but I don’t want you and Wheels to get too lonely,” she said with a laugh.

Open Ended

What is the cause in the following sentence from the passage?

"Charlie pushed the ball with his hand, and it rolled across the floor"

Open Ended

What is the effect in the following sentence from the passage?

Charlie pushed the ball with his hand, and it rolled across the floor

Open Ended

What is one example of an effect in the section “The Pull of Gravity”? What is the cause of this effect?