Informational Review

Informational Review

Multiple Choice

Friday and Saturday only! Buy our top lunchboxes today. It makes it easier to store containers and is extremely lightweight. More importantly, our lunchboxes are economical, practical and recyclable. You can get one now for only $19.99. Buy yours today! What is the author's purpose?

• To explain how their lunchbox is good for the environment.

• To emphasize the disadvantages of their lunchbox.

• To highlight the number of people who have purchased their product.

• To persuade customers to buy their product.

Multiple Choice

Did you know that smiling is actually easier than frowning? It takes many more facial muscles to frown than to smile. In fact, smiling is also better for your health. When you smile, your sending a message to your brain that you're happy. So, make sure to smile! :) What is the author's purpose?

• To  persuade the reader that frowning is easier than smiling.
• To describe how frowns create wrinkles.
• To encourage readers not to smile.
• To inform readers on the benefits of smiling.

Multiple Choice

Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs and fangs that inject venom. Spiders have primarily four pairs of eyes on the top-front area.  What is the author's purpose?

• To highlight how the venom spiders have can be dangerous.
• To inform readers on the habitat of a spider.
• To describe characteristics of a spider.
• To compare spiders with other insects.

Multiple Choice

Cobras typically live in hot, tropical areas but are also found in savannahs, grasslands, forests and farming areas in Africa and Southern Asia. They like to spend time underground, under rocks and in trees. You can also find cobras in the water. What is the author's purpose?

• To explain why cobras live in hot areas.
• To highlight the different places cobras can be found.
• To describe how cobras interact with other snakes.
• To warn readers to be aware and careful of cobras

Multiple Choice

Do you want to be an artist? Just enroll in "The Awesome Artists" program. Don't let this opportunity or your talent slip away. We guarantee you will be painting like the masters in two weeks for a low cost of $59.95.
What is the author's purpose?

• to entertain you with a story about artists
• to teach you how all artists become famous
• to convince you to attend an art program
• to explain how to paint a sunset

Multiple Choice

Rules are very important. They help keep things running smoothly. Rules let you know what you can and cannot do whether you are playing a game or explaining how to act in class. You should follow rules; they help people get along.
What is the author's purpose?

• to entertain with a story about people who follow the rules
• to inform about the rules of games
• to persuade people to follow the rules
• to explain the rules of chess

Multiple Choice

It's important to go to school. What you learn in school will help you later in life. It will also help you get a job. If you work hard in school and make good grades, you may be able to go to college and have a career.

What is the author's purpose?

• to entertain with a story about school

• to teach you how to get good grades

• to persuade you to work hard in school

• to explain the best colleges

Multiple Choice

Beth and her mom went to the circus. This was a special day because she had never been to a circus before. They bought peanuts and went to their seats. She saw clowns, jugglers, and people on trapezes. There were elephants, lions, and tigers. It was a very exciting day for Beth.

What is the author's purpose?

• to tell a story about a girl who enjoyed the circus

• to teach you about the animals in the circus

• to persuade you to visit the circus

• to explain how much it costs to attend the circus

Multiple Choice

Ted was anxious to try out for the basketball team. He had practiced and knew he was ready. Tryouts made him a little nervous, but when he found out he made the team he knew that all the work had paid off.

What is the author's purpose?

• to tell a story about a boy who worked hard

• to teach how to play basketball

• to persuade you to try out for the basketball team

• to explain the rules of basketball

Multiple Choice

The Food Group Pyramid tells how to eat healthy. It shows how food is divided into six groups. It is important to eat foods that belong to each group every day. The pyramid helps show how much of each you should eat.

What is the author's purpose?

• to tell a story about pyramids

• to inform you about the Food Group Pyramid

• to convince you to eat vegetables

• to explain how to go shopping for food

Multiple Choice

Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information. That's why they use pictures. The pictures help them tell us about the weather without using so many words. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is. They need to know where the warm air is. They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area. Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short. The pictures help weather reporters get the information out in a fast way.

Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?

• Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is.

• Pictures help weather reporters get information out in a fast way.

• Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short.

• They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area.

Multiple Choice

Niagra Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in North America. It is on the Niagra River halfway between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Niagra Falls is located on the American and Canadian border. The American Falls is 167 feet high. On the Canadian side, the Horseshoe Falls is 161 feet high.

What is the main idea?

• The American Falls is 167 feet high.

• The Horseshoe Falls is 161 feet high.

• Niagra Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in North America.

• It is located between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

Multiple Choice

Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal assistants. They will look and behave much like humans. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers. Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. They will be smart, strong, and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier.

What is the main idea?

• Someday we will all have robots to be our personal assistants.

• We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers.

• They will look and behave much like real humans.

• Robots of the future will be able to learn from experience.

Multiple Choice

Juan loves to play games. His favorite game is chess because it requires a great deal of thought. Juan also likes to play less demanding board games that are based mostly on luck. He prefers Monopoly because it requires luck and skill. If he's alone, Juan likes to play action video games as long as they aren't too violent.

What is the main idea?

• Juan dislikes violence.

• Juan likes to think.

• Juan enjoys Monopoly.

• Juan enjoys playing games.

Multiple Choice

Hummingbirds love pink or red flowers. They guard their favorite flowers and try to keep other birds away. They fight one another for food. Their wings make a whirring sound when they hover over flowers to sip nectar. The tiny birds fly long distances to go to a warmer climate for the winter. They make their tiny nests in shrubs or trees.

What is the main idea?

• Hummingbirds are interesting birds.

• They hover over flowers to sip nectar.

• They fly long distances to travel to warmer climates in the winter.

• They guard their favorite flowers.

Multiple Choice

Porpoises live in the earth's oceans and sometimes in bays and rivers near oceans. Porpoises are mammals. Their babies get their food from their mother's body. These animals live in the water, but they must come up for air. Porpoises are very interesting animals.

What is the main idea?

• Porpoises live in the ocean.

• Porpoises are mammals.

• Porpoises must come up for air.

• Porpoises are very interesting animals.

Multiple Choice

Eva wanted to surprise her sister Cindy for her birthday. She decided to plan a picnic for her sister. She made two sandwiches and put them in a bag. Then she put some cookies and bottles of water in the bag. When she told Cindy about the surprise, Cindy her sister a big hug. Then the girls walked to the park.

What is the main idea?

• The girls walked to the park.

• Eva planned a picnic to surprise her sister.

• Eva told Cindy about the surprise.

• Eva put some cookies and water in a bag.

Multiple Choice

The Statue of Liberty is visited by thousands of people every year. The Statue of Liberty is a 151 foot tall statue of a woman holding a book and a torch. It was a gift of friendship from the people of France. It has become the universal symbol for freedom.

What is the main idea?

• The Statue of Liberty is an amazing statue.

• The Statue of Liberty is 151 feet tall.

• Thousands of people visit the Statues of Liberty each year.

• It was a gift of friendship from France.

Multiple Choice

Keep your teeth happy. Brush your teeth twice a day. Make sure you floss your teeth every time you brush and after you eat. Avoid eating anything that sticks to your teeth, like candy and syrup. Eat vegetables and fruits that don't cause cavities.

What is the main idea?

• Keep your teeth happy.

• Brush your teeth twice a day.

• Avoid eating candy and syrup.

• Eat more vegetables.

Multiple Choice

A hurricane is a large storm with heavy winds and rain that begins in the ocean and builds up strength as it moves across the water. While some of the damage caused by hurricanes is from high winds, most of it is usually from tidal surge, flooding entire cities, and killing large numbers of people. A tornado is a storm that develops on land, with no warning, and moves in a circular motion with heavy winds with a funnel shape, picking up and carrying dirt, dust, and even objects. The damage caused by tornadoes is from the high velocity winds, which are extremely destructive and deadly. They can demolish entire neighborhoods in a matter of a few seconds to a few minutes. Tornadoes can form when hurricanes make landfall, as their winds at ground level slow down, while the winds near the top keep their momentum, but a hurricane cannot be created by a tornado.

The author organizes the passage by -

• listing the events of hurricanes

• explaining the reasons why tornadoes and hurricanes form

• showing the differences between hurricanes and tornadoes.

• describing the effects of tornadoes

Multiple Choice

Dr. Knapp doesn’t want people to sit back and let the toad vanish. He believes that everyone is responsible for restoring the toad species. Dr. Knapp thinks we could help restore the toad population if we stop mowing parts of our lawns and let the grass grow wild to reserve space for the toad. He also believes we need to stop using pesticides and fertilizers. The chemicals kill the insects that toads eat. If we preserve some spaces in our lawns and stop using fertilizers, Dr. Knapp believes we can save the toads.

The author organizes the passage by -

• listing the causes of the decline in the toad population

• describing various species of toads

• comparing the toad species to other animals

• explaining ways to restore the toad population

Multiple Choice

In recent decades, cities have grown so large that now about 50% of the Earth's population lives in urban areas. There are several reasons for this occurrence. First, the increasing industrialization of the nineteenth century resulted in the creation of many factory jobs, which tended to be located in cities. These jobs, with their promise of a better material life, attracted many people from rural areas. Second, there were many schools established to educate the children of the new factory laborers. The promise of a better education persuaded many families to leave farming communities and move to the cities. Finally, as the cities grew, people established places of leisure, entertainment, and culture, such as sports stadiums, theaters, and museums. For many people, these facilities made city life appear more interesting than life on the farm, and therefore drew them away from rural communities.

The author organizes the passage by -

• describing the increasing industrialization of the nineteenth century

• listing the reasons for the increase in population in urban areas

• describing the entertainment and places of leisure in urban areas

• showing how city life appears more interesting than life in rural communities

Multiple Choice

Tsunamis are very long waves in the ocean, sometimes hundreds of miles long. Tsunamis usually start suddenly. They may begin as normal waves and change to big waves very quickly. After this change, tsunami waves will travel at great speed across the ocean with little energy loss. Just before they hit land, the water will draw back off of the coast. If the slope of the coast is shallow, the water may pull back for many hundreds of feet. People who are unaware of the danger may be drawn by this strange site and remain on the shore. When the tsunami finally hits, it may remove sand from beaches, destroy trees, damage houses and even destroy whole towns. Tsunamis are tremendously powerful

The author organizes this passage by -

• describe the process in which a tsunami is formed and its effects

• list the causes of tsunamis

• explain possible solutions to tsunamis

• compare the effects of a tsunami to a hurricane

Multiple Choice

Cooking the perfect pizza at home can be quite a challenge. You may find that it’s difficult to get your oven to the right temperature. If the oven is too hot the crust will burn, become hard, and taste bad. If your oven isn’t hot enough, the crust may get soggy. Even at the perfect temperature, extra moisture from your ingredients may prevent the bottom of the crust from fully cooking, but don’t let oven temperature stop you from building the pizza of your dreams. Get yourself a pizza stone. A pizza stone will get very hot when preheated and will allow your crust to fully cook without burning it. Then you can pile the ingredients on your pizza and have a crispy crust that isn’t burned. That’s the way to go.

The author organizes this passage by -

• describing difficulties with cooking pizza at home and solutions to create the perfect pizza at home

• listing the causes of soggy pizza crust

• comparing at home pizza to delivery

• explain various techniques to a person can use to fully cook your pizza at home

Multiple Choice

The foundation of every pizza is the crust, and good crust comes from good dough. You might be surprised to learn that pizza dough is made from nothing more than flour, water, yeast, olive oil, salt, and sometimes sugar. Start by adding your yeast packet to a cup of warm water. Let the yeast activate, and then add two cups of flour, two tablespoons of olive oil, two teaspoons of sugar, and a teaspoon of salt. Mix all of that together and wait half an hour for the dough to rise. Now you’re ready to roll it out!

The author organizes this passage by -

• listing the steps involved in making pizza dough

• describing various types of pizza dough

• showing similarities in the process of making pizza dough

• explaining the reasons for good pizza crust

Context Clues

• A reader can use context clues to figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

• Context clues are hints in the surrounding text that a reader can use to infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

• Be sure to also read the sentences before and after a word to get an idea of what the unfamiliar word means.

Multiple Choice

"I wish I had brought my spectacles," the librarian remarked as she squinted and strained to read the text. The word SPECTACLES in this sentence means -

• eyeglasses

• shoes

• hairclip

• umbrella

Multiple Choice

Everyone else at the party ate salad except for Tim because he detested vegetables. The word DETESTED in this sentence means -

• to dislike intensely

• the prefer

• to appreciate

• to taste

Multiple Choice

Grandpa didn't know that Suzie was coming along on the fishing trip, and now he had to alter his plans. The word ALTER in this sentence means -

• change

• keep the same

• different

• equal

Multiple Choice

When everyone heard about how Charlene had won the baking contest, her email box was flooded with inquiries for her award winning muffin recipe. The word INQUIRIES in this sentence means -

• a request for information

• emails

• other recipes

• descriptions of the recipe

Multiple Choice

A dog whistle makes a high-pitched sound that is only audible to dogs. The word AUDIBLE in this sentence means -

• able to be heard

• able to be seen

• extreme volume

• irritating

Multiple Choice

I wanted to give the new kid a chance, but when he started telling me that he could ride his skateboard on top of the telephone wires, all I could do was stare at him with an incredulous smirk. The word INCREDULOUS in this sentence means -

• disbelieving, skeptical

• honest, trustworthy

• believable, trusting

• incredible, fascinating

Multiple Choice

Gordon wasn't sure that he cut out the shapes properly. He was afraid that he might have made them uneven, but his teacher assured him that his shapes were perfectly symmetrical. The word SYMMETRICAL in this sentence means -

• Well proportioned; balanced; the same on both sides

• unequal, not balanced

• round and uneven sides

• similar design

Multiple Choice

Kevin told me that there is no homework. Katie told me that we are supposed to study for a quiz. I'm going to check the teacher's website to ascertain the truth. The word ASCERTAIN in this sentence means -

• to find out

• don't believe

• forget

• search

Multiple Choice

Gordon wasn't sure that he cut out the shapes properly. He was afraid that he might have made them uneven, but his teacher assured him that his shapes were perfectly symmetrical. The word SYMMETRICAL in this sentence means -

• Well proportioned; balanced; the same on both sides

• unequal, not balanced

• round and uneven sides

• similar design

Multiple Choice

Some people think that my little brother is annoying because he asks so many questions, but I think that he just has an inquisitive nature.The word INQUISITIVE in this sentence means -

• curious

• uninterested

• frantic

• easygoing