Nonfiction Practice

Gasping for Air:
 A study says that kids living in areas with air pollution1 are more likely to develop asthma than kids who live in other areas. Asthma is an illness that makes breathing difficult. Over 5 million children in the United States suffer from asthma. More than 3,500 kids, ages 9 to 16, who lived in California took part in the study. About half of those kids lived in areas that had lots of air pollution. The other half lived in areas that had clean air. All the children played outdoor sports. After studying the kids for five years, doctors found that about 260 of them developed asthma. Most of the kids who developed asthma lived in towns that had lots of air pollution. Doctors say that breathing too much polluted air caused the asthma cases. A California health official said the study shows the need to do more to prevent air pollution. Doctors say that children should still play outside but only on days when air pollution isn't bad. 
The main idea of this passage is...

• people need to help stop air pollution. 
• air pollution happens in both towns and cities. 
• a study shows asthma can be caused by air pollution. 
• children with asthma should not play outside. 

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

Gasping for Air:
 A study says that kids living in areas with air pollution1 are more likely to develop asthma than kids who live in other areas. Asthma is an illness that makes breathing difficult. Over 5 million children in the United States suffer from asthma. More than 3,500 kids, ages 9 to 16, who lived in California took part in the study. About half of those kids lived in areas that had lots of air pollution. The other half lived in areas that had clean air. All the children played outdoor sports. After studying the kids for five years, doctors found that about 260 of them developed asthma. Most of the kids who developed asthma lived in towns that had lots of air pollution. Doctors say that breathing too much polluted air caused the asthma cases. A California health official said the study shows the need to do more to prevent air pollution. Doctors say that children should still play outside but only on days when air pollution isn't bad. 
Which detail best supports the main idea? 

• Asthma is an illness that makes breathing difficult. 
• Most of the kids who developed asthma during the study lived in towns that had lots of air pollution. 
• Over 5 million children in the United States suffer from asthma.
• More than 3,500 kids, ages 9 to 16, who lived in California took part in the study. 

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.2

Gasping for Air:
 A study says that kids living in areas with air pollution1 are more likely to develop asthma than kids who live in other areas. Asthma is an illness that makes breathing difficult. Over 5 million children in the United States suffer from asthma. More than 3,500 kids, ages 9 to 16, who lived in California took part in the study. About half of those kids lived in areas that had lots of air pollution. The other half lived in areas that had clean air. All the children played outdoor sports. After studying the kids for five years, doctors found that about 260 of them developed asthma. Most of the kids who developed asthma lived in towns that had lots of air pollution. Doctors say that breathing too much polluted air caused the asthma cases. A California health official said the study shows the need to do more to prevent air pollution. Doctors say that children should still play outside but only on days when air pollution isn't bad. 
What portion of the kids who took part in the study lived in areas that had lots of air pollution? 

• about one fourth of the kids 
• about one tenth of the kids 
• about half of the kids 
• about one third of the kids 

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.1

Leading Lady:
 The past few months have been busy for Democrat Nancy Pelosi. In January [2007], she became the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives. The House and the Senate are the two chambers that make up the U.S. Congress. That branch of government makes the country's laws. "This is a historic moment for the Congress and for the women of this country," says Pelosi. Pelosi has said that she wants to be judged by her abilities, not by her gender. "Becoming the first woman Speaker will send a message to young girls and women across the country that anything is possible for them," she adds. Pelosi leads the 435 members of the House. She is third in line for the presidency, after the vice president. 
The main idea of this passage is...

• More women are getting involved in politics.
• Nancy Pelosi recently became the first female Speaker of the House.
• Nancy Pelosi is a Democrat.
•  It is important to be judged by one's abilities, not by one’s gender.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

Leading Lady:
 The past few months have been busy for Democrat Nancy Pelosi. In January [2007], she became the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives. The House and the Senate are the two chambers that make up the U.S. Congress. That branch of government makes the country's laws. "This is a historic moment for the Congress and for the women of this country," says Pelosi. Pelosi has said that she wants to be judged by her abilities, not by her gender. "Becoming the first woman Speaker will send a message to young girls and women across the country that anything is possible for them," she adds. Pelosi leads the 435 members of the House. She is third in line for the presidency, after the vice president. 
he following statement does not support the main idea:

• Having a female Speaker of the House sends a positive message to women and girls.
• Pelosi is third in line for the presidency.
• The U.S. Congress makes up the country's laws.
• Nancy Pelosi’s becoming the first female Speaker of the House is a historic moment for Congress.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.8

CCSS.RL.4.1

Leading Lady:
 The past few months have been busy for Democrat Nancy Pelosi. In January [2007], she became the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives. The House and the Senate are the two chambers that make up the U.S. Congress. That branch of government makes the country's laws. "This is a historic moment for the Congress and for the women of this country," says Pelosi. Pelosi has said that she wants to be judged by her abilities, not by her gender. "Becoming the first woman Speaker will send a message to young girls and women across the country that anything is possible for them," she adds. Pelosi leads the 435 members of the House. She is third in line for the presidency, after the vice president. 
Pelosi leads the 

• House of Representatives
• Senate
• Supreme Court
• President

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.3

Now That's a Big Bird:
A teenager recently discovered the skull of a huge prehistoric1 bird in Argentina, a country in South America. Scientists say the 10-foot-tall bird had a sharp, hooked beak and thin legs. They think that the bird probably ate animals as large as sheep and ran fast. The big bird belonged to a group of birds called "terror birds" that once lived on Earth. "It is an unbelievable creature. This is the largest known bird, with a skull bigger than a horse’s head," says Luis Chiappe, director of the Dinosaur Institute, a part of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, California. 
The main idea of this passage is...

• there were many kinds of large prehistoric birds.
• the skull of a large prehistoric bird was recently discovered.
• terror birds had skulls larger than a horse's head.
• prehistoric birds used to eat sheep.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.2

Now That's a Big Bird:
A teenager recently discovered the skull of a huge prehistoric1 bird in Argentina, a country in South America. Scientists say the 10-foot-tall bird had a sharp, hooked beak and thin legs. They think that the bird probably ate animals as large as sheep and ran fast. The big bird belonged to a group of birds called "terror birds" that once lived on Earth. "It is an unbelievable creature. This is the largest known bird, with a skull bigger than a horse’s head," says Luis Chiappe, director of the Dinosaur Institute, a part of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, California. 
Which of the following is not a detail from this passage?

• The skull was found in Argentina.
• These birds ran very fast.
• These birds were very large.
• These birds could fly for long distances. 

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.2

Now That's a Big Bird:
A teenager recently discovered the skull of a huge prehistoric1 bird in Argentina, a country in South America. Scientists say the 10-foot-tall bird had a sharp, hooked beak and thin legs. They think that the bird probably ate animals as large as sheep and ran fast. The big bird belonged to a group of birds called "terror birds" that once lived on Earth. "It is an unbelievable creature. This is the largest known bird, with a skull bigger than a horse’s head," says Luis Chiappe, director of the Dinosaur Institute, a part of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, California. 
It is an opinion that...

• “It is an unbelievable creature”.
• Luis Chiappe said, “It is an unbelievable creature”.
• The bird had a “skull bigger than a horse's head”.
• All of the above

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RL.4.1

Birth of a Mighty River:
 The Amazon River is the longest river in South America. It flows for 4,000 miles across the continent. The location of the river's source, or beginning, was a mystery for centuries. A team of explorers and geography experts recently found the tiny stream where the mighty river begins. Birth of a Mighty River High on the Nevado Mismi, an 18,363-foot-high mountain in Peru, a stream trickles from the melting snow. A team of 22 explorers and geography experts recently announced that this small stream is the source of the mighty Amazon River. The stream flows into the Apurimac (Ah-poo-REE-mahk) River, which is one of the many rivers that combine to form the Amazon. Andrew Pietowski, a high school math teacher in New York, led the team in search of the river's source. The team searched the Andes, a range of mountains that stretches the whole western length of South America. "Since the Amazon River has an end, there must be a beginning. I wanted to know where it was," Pietowski said. The River of Life On its way across South America, the Amazon River flows through the largest rain forest in the world. A rain forest is a dense1 forest that has a lot of rainfall and warm temperatures all year round. The Amazon rain forest is almost as big as the continent of Australia. Scientists say about 80,000 different types of trees and plants can be found in the Amazon rain forest. More kinds of fish live in the Amazon River than in the Atlantic Ocean. The river flows through forests that are home to jaguars, armadillos, snakes, monkeys, crocodiles, and anteaters. Along the river live about 170 different groups of native people. 
The source of the river was a mystery for so long because...

• the source kept changing.
• the river was too dangerous to follow.
• no one thought to look for the source before.
• the source was hard to get to.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.3