Teen Develops Water-Saving Pods for Seeds

Multiple Choice

How does the illustration help the reader understand paragraph 3?

• A by clarifying the process of how seeds develop into seedlings

• B by illustrating the relationship between water and plant growth

• C by revealing the steps Cynthia followed in her project

• D by showing the different types of seeds that Cynthia planted

Multiple Choice

2. 2. What does the word potential mean in the first sentence of paragraph 3?

• A proven

• B possible

• C expensive

• D complicated

Multiple Choice

3. Read the sentence from paragraph 3 about germination.

It's also a stage that often requires a lot of water - and where, Cynthia notes, a lot of water gets wasted.

Which quotation from the text supports Cynthia's claim?

• A "The problem with that is that in between the seeds there's a lot of soil. The water lays on the soil and is unable to reach the seeds." (paragraph 4)

• B "The teen looked for a way to reduce that water waste and designed a pod made for a seed. Each seed sits in a bed of soil inside a small cup." (paragraph 5)

• C "The first group received 5 milliliters (about 0.2 fluid ounces) of water every two days. The second received 10 mL (0.33 fl. oz.) of water per day and the third received 15 mL (0.5 fl. oz.) of water per day." (paragraph 8)

• D "She found that her capsule allowed seeds to sprout faster than seeds in only soil. Beans sprouted 1.7 days faster, corn 0.9 day faster, and squash 1.4 days faster." (paragraph 8)

Multiple Choice

4. 4. Read the sentence from paragraph 5.

The whole capsule can break down slowly into the soil over two to three weeks.

What does the author mean by the phrase "break down"?

• A the capsule becomes absorbed

• B The capsule stops working

• C The capsule cracks into pieces

• D The capsule rots if neglected.

Multiple Choice

5 Read the sentence from paragraph 8.

"Those one to two days make a huge difference in farming because each day millions and millions of gallons of water are wasted," Cynthia notes.

Howdoes the sentence contribute to the development of ideas about Cynthia's project?

• A by asserting that the best way to reduce water waste is to put restrictions on farming

• B by implying that conserving water calls for drastic agricultural changes

• C by emphasizing that small differences over time add up to significant savings in water amounts

• D by suggesting that farmers do not care about the impact of how much water they use

Multiple Select

6 Which two statements provide a summary of the text?

• A Cynthia won second place in science at the Broadcom MASTERS science competion.

• B For her project, Cynthia purchased online a variety of seeds like kidney beans and squash.

• C Cynthia designed small capsules to conserve the amount of water used to grow plants.

• D The plants that Cynthia placed in small capsules grew faster than those placed in soil.

• E Because of Cynthia, California no longer has to worry about drought conditions.

Multiple Choice

Part A

7. 7. How does the author illustrate the impact of Cynthia's project on agriculture?

• A by explaining how Cynthia's project repurposed coffee pods

• B by explaining how Cynthia's project earned a second place prize

• C by explaining how Cynthia's project included a variety of plant seeds

• D by explaining how Cynthia's project reduced water waste

Multiple Choice

Part B

8. 8. Which quotation from the text supports the answer in Part A?

• A "Cynthia gave her seeds a few weeks to germinate and grow." (paragraph 7)

• B "Beans sprouted 1.7 days faster, corn 0.9 day faster, and squash 1.4 days faster." (paragraph 8)

• C "Her capsules also saved water." (paragraph 9)

• D "But if it works, she would like to continue to use capsules made of used coffee pods." (paragraph 10)

Multiple Choice

9. 9. What is the author's purpose for writing this text?

• A to encourage an interest in science in other high school students

• B to persuade readers to consider ways they can conserve water

• C to explain how a teenager developed a solution to a significant agricultural problem

• D to describe the process of germination where a seed develops into a seedling