In the winter months, many people visit the mountains in states like Colorado, Virginia, and New Mexico to participate in winter sports such as downhill or cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and sledding. Of coarse, these activities require snow, and if there hasn't been enough snow in the mountains, the mountain resorts have to make their own. They use giant machines called snow guns to shoot a mixture of air and water into the air. Then the mixture freezes, it falls to the ground as snow. Machine-made snow is different from natural snow. Machine-made snow is different from natural snow. Snow made with a snow gun is shaped like tiny round balls rather than delicate flakes, but it works just fine for winter sports. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

Mountain resorts sometimes make their own snow for winter activities.

Cross-country skiing and sledding are fun activities to do if there is enough snow in the mountains.

It takes a mixture of air and water to make snow with a snow gun.

Snow guns make lots of tiny snow balls rather than snowflakes.

Modern appliances make housework easier, but people didn't always have electric dishwashers or machines for washing clothes. The first dishwasher was patented by Josephine Cochrane of Shelbyville, Illinois in 1887. It didn't use electricity, and the person using it had to pump the water into it by hand. The first clothes washer was patented in England in 1782 by Henry Sidgier, and it worked in much the same way as Cochrane's dishwasher, with the person loading the clothes into the drum and moving parts of the washing machine around by hand. These appliances were a lot of work to use, but were designed to make chores easier than washing each dish and each piece of clothing by hand. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

Appliances were designed to make chores easier even before people used electricity.

Doing chores is a lot easier when you have a machine to do all the work.

Henry Sidgier and Josephine Cochrane were great inventors who came up with ways to help with chores.

The first dishwasher required a lot of muscle power to run.

Yellowstone National Park was America's first national park, and it was created to protect the geysers that are there. One of those geysers is Old Faithful, so named because it erupts every 35 to 120 minutes, shooting boiling water over a hundred feet into the air. When people first discovered Old Faithful, some of them tried putting dirty clothes on it to see if they would get clean when the boiling water erupted from the ground. The clothes did get clean, but because the water was so strong and hot, some of the clothes were destroyed. Today, Old Faithful is famous tourist attraction, but nobody is allowed to wash clothes on it anymore because it is too dangerous to get too close to. Which of the following bes summarizes this passage?

Old Faithful is a powerful gayser in Yellowstone National Park that frequently shoots boiling water into the air.

Yellowstone National Park was created to protect geysers like Old Faithful.

Washing clothes in geysers was a popular activity among tourists in the early days of Yellowstone National Park.

Old Faithful can destroy items that are placed on it because it is so hot.

Coral reefs, like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, are living underwater structures that are usually found in tropical climates. Every coral reef starts out with tiny creatures called corals. To form a coral reef. corals must first product minerals that help them stick to rocks or other hard surfaces. As the corals grow, they form the reef. Over time, the reef becomes home to many species of fish and other sea creatures. Some people call coral reefs "rainforests of the sea" because they host so many interesting species. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

Coral reefs start with individual corals and, over time, grow to host many forms of life.

Corals in the sea are like birds in the rainforest.

Corals stick to rocks for protection and food.

Coral reefs are primarily found in tropical climates.

One way to learn about a foreign language and culture is to visit a foreign country. A high school or college student might choose to participate in a study-abroad program, which would allow that student to live a foreign country for a few weeks or a few months. The foreign country is called the host country. While in a host country, a student stays with a family, attends school, and participates in the same activities as the students who live there. That way, the student learns all about the culture of the host country while learning the language. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

A study-abroad program is a way to learn a new language and see how people in a foreign country live.

Countries that host students in study-abroad programs are called host countries.

Learning a language is easier when you live with people who speak that language

Study-abroad programs last from a few weeks to a few months, depending on one's preferences.

Your teacher, your pet cat, the frog you saw on your way to school, and the bird flying over your head are all vertebrates, which means they have backbones. Vertebrates can be warm-blooded (body temperature stays the same) or cold-blooded (body temperature changes depending on the temperature of the environment). We see vertebrates every day, but they only make up 3% of all animals on Earth. The rest are invertebrates, which have no backbones. This group includes animals such as worms, sea stars, spiders, jellies, and snails. All invertebrate animals are cold-blooded. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

Not all vertebrates are warm-blooded, but all invertebrates are cold-blooded

All animals are either vertebrates or cold-blooded

All invertebrates are cold-blooded

A comet is a hunk of ice, dirt, and rocks that orbits the Sun. If you look into the sky in the year 2061, you might see Halley's Comet. It was named after Edmond Halley, who discovered that the comet had a periodic orbit. That means that it takes less than 200 years for it to go all the way around the Sun. Every 75-76 years, Halley's Comet goes close enough to the Earth to be seen without a telescope. The last time it was close to the Earth was in 1986. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

Halley's Comet has a periodic orbit that comes close to Earth every 75-76 years.

Halley's Comet is made of ice, dirt, and rocks.

Edmond Halley discovered that Halley's Comet had a periodic orbit.

The last time a comet was seen near Earth was in 1986, and it won't happen again until 2061.

There are many ancient cultures that modern people don't know much about, but anthropologists can put together the clues they have to get an idea of what an ancient culture was like. For example, the Mayans used to play a ball game that was very important to them. Anthropologists know this because thy have studied balls and playing fields that were left behind, as well as some sculptures and carvings Mayan artists made about the gem. Modern people in the area play a game that could be related to the ancient game, so anthropologists can use that to guess what the ancient game might have been like. The same kind of puzzle solving has been used to learn about Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt as well. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

Anthropologists use clues such as ancient objects, art, and modern activities to learn about ancient cultures

The Mayans played a ball game that their descendants still play today

Scientists can find out about the ancient Mayans by studying their art and sports equipment

The ancient Mayans, Romans, and Egyptians left behind some objects that can tell us about them

Baby koalas, called joeys, have a unique diet that changes as they grow. They start out drinking their mothers' milk, and eventually move on to eating solid food, such as eucalyptus leaves, so the joey eats the leaves that have already been digested by its mother. Eventually, when the joey grows up a little, it can eat fresh eucalyptus leaves. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

A koala joey's diet changes as its digestive and immune systems grow

Eucalyptus leaves are too big for a baby koala to eat.

There are always humans who are trying to save animals, but sometimes animals do the same for humans. In New Zealand, a lifeguard named Rob Howes was swimming with his daughter and her friends when some dolphins came and surrounded them. When Howes looked around, he saw a shark coming in their direction. The dolphins kept the people surrounded, protecting them from the shark until the shark swam away. In California, some dolphins saved a surfer named Todd Endris after a shark bit him. Todd swam away, but was too tired and hurt to swim quickly, so a pod of dolphins surrounded him to protect him until he could get back to shore. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

Dolphins have saved humans from shark attacks on multiple occasions

When swimming in the ocean, it is safest to surround yourself with dolphins

People are always trying to save dolphins, but sometimes they can't

Dolphins will always stand up to sharks when they see a shark threatening a human

English and Spanish share some words, like animal, patio, piano, and color. Words that look similar in tow different languages are called cognates. Some works are false cognates, which means the words look similar,l but they mean different things. In English, pie is a dessert, but pie means foot in Spanish. People who are learning a new language often have trouble with false cognates. An English speaker learning Spanish might accidentally make strange mistakes, like saying "I baked my potato a foot" when the speaker means "I baked my dad a pie." Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

There are cognates and false cognates between different languages

Learning Spanish is hard because many people get confused by the false cognates

Some languages share words with other languages

Papa is a word that means something different in English than it does in Spanish

Cats usually use a litter box to do their bathroom business, but some cat owner have been able to teach their cats to use a toilet, instead. Lisa Owen of Houston, Texas, trained her cat Nate to sit on the toilet seat and let his waste fall into the bowl. First, she put a litter box on top of the toilet seat for several days. Then, she moved the litter into a special training seat that sat in the toilet. Finally, after the cat was used to using the toilet with the training seat, she removed the training seat and litter, and Nate was able to use the toilet. He never learned to flush, though. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

By taking small steps one at a time, Lisa was able to train Nate to use a toilet instead of a litter box

All cats are smart enough to use toilets, but they must be given the proper training for how to do so

Toilets and litter boxes are both good places for cats to do their bathroom business

Cats can learn anything if you give them enough time and practice

New York City has many activities for visitors. Over 50 million people visit the city each year. There is so much to do there from morning to night. A visitor can take a tour of the city, visit art museums, and look at the city from the top of the Empire State Building. Another great thing to do there is to see Central Park, where there are fields to play in, paths to walk on, sculptures to look at, and a zoo to visit. At night, many people wee a play in a Broadway theater or go out to look at the lights in the busy and chaotic Times Square. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

New York City has a variety of things to do both during the day and at night

Central Park is a popular place in New York City because there are many activities there

New York City is known for its Broadway theaters and Times Square

There is a lot to do in New York City during daylight hours

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3rd Grade

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MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

Although winning a medal in the Olympics is a goal for many athletes, some athletes have won multiple medals. United States swimmer Michael Phelps won 22 medal, Soviet Union gymnast Larisa Latynina won 18 medals, and Soviet Union gymnast Niholai Andrianov won 15 medals. Some athletes have even won multiple medals by competing in different sports. Eddie Eagan of the United States won a gold medal in boxing in 1924 and a silver medal in sailing in 1936. There are many other athletes who have achieved multiple medals in a single sport or in more than one sport. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

Olympic athletes don't have to compete in only one event if they are good at several events.

Some Olympic medalists have won multiple medals, often in one sport, but sometimes in more than one sport.

The Soviet Union has had many medals in gymnastics.

Some athletes dream of winning an Olympic medal, but other athletes wish they could win many medals.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.9

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

There is a place in the United States where a person can be i four states at once! It's called Four Corners Monument, and it's the places where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah all border each other. The borders are marked on the ground, so a visitor could put one foot in one state, the other foot in a second state, one hand in a third state, and the other hand in a fourth state. Four Corners is the only place in the United States where this is possible, and people have been visiting the monument to take pictures there since the early 1900s. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

People have been taking pictures of themselves standing in four states since the 1900s.

There is a monument in the United States where visitors can be in four states at once.

Arizona shares a border with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.

You have to lie down in order to be in four states at once.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.9

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

The ancient Romans are known for their useful inventions. They had running water and public toilets, but instead of toilet paper as we know it, an ancient Roman would use a sea sponge on a stick, rinse it, and leave it for the next person to use. Ancient Rome had also newspapers, which were hand written and posted on walls. The ancient Romans even invented new ways to build; they made a form of concrete and put volcanic rocks into it to make it extra sturdy. It seems that the ancient Romans used a lot of things we use today, but there have been many changes and improvements to these items over the years. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

Ancient Romans invented the concept of public toilets, toilet paper, newspapers, and even concrete.

Ancient Romans were very intelligent, creating a lot of new and useful items for their society.

Ancient Rome was a lot like modern cities, but it didn't have electricity.

Ancient Romans invented many of the things that we use today, but the items have changed over time.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.9

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

When people use a skating rink for playing hockey or figure skating, their ice skates damage the surface of the ice, leaving little grooves all over it. Over time, these grooves can make the ice bumpy and hard to skate on, and the ice needs to be resurfaced. The machine that does this is called an ice resurfacer. The ice resurfacer first shaves the top layer of ice and gathers the shavings in a container. Then, the ice resurfacer washes the ice with water. After the ice is washed, the ice resurfacer puts water into the cracks on the skating surface. The water freezes and forms a smooth surface for the skaters to skate on. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

The ice resurfacer goes through several steps to repair and smooth the ice for skating.

An ice resurfacer is needed to clean the ice after skating or ice hockey session.

Shaving the ice is the first step in smoothing it.

Too many people skating in a skating ring can damage the ice, which makes it difficult to continue skating.

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.3

CCSS.RI.3.3

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RI.4.3

CCSS.RI.4.5

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

The Earth hasn't always looked the same as it does now. This is because the outer layer of the Earth's crust is made of tectonic plates, which move very slowly, taking the continents with them as they slide around. For example, because Hawaii and Japan are on different tectonic plates, they are moving toward each other at about ten centimeters per year. This movement is called continental drift. When the plates rub together or collide, the force can cause earthquakes. If the plates push against each other for a long period of time, a mountain range can slowly emerge. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

The tectonic plates move too slowly for people to notice.

The land on Earth moves very slowly because it is on tectonic plates.

Earthquakes are one result of continental drift.

The land on Earth used to look very different from the way it looks today.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.9

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

The Grand Canyon in the state of Arizona is considered one of the natural wonders of the world, and is visited by millions of people each year. Tourists can hike or ride donkeys to the bottom of the canyon to see the Colorado River, and they can camp there over night. Some people like to raft on the river or just stand at the top and take in the breathtaking views. But, the canyon hasn't always been used for tourism. Indigenous people have lived in and around the Grand Canyon for thousands of years, hunting, farming the land, and conducting important cultural activities. Today, the descendants of some of the original inhabitants interact with tourists who come to visit. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

The Grand Canyon is a great place for tourist to have fun

The Grand Canyon is an important cultural ground for indigenous people.

The Grand Canyon has a long history of being used by different people for many different activities.

The Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon over time, and eventually it became a popular vacation spot.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.9

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, explores Mars with several different tools. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter circles the planet, taking photos from above. There are also other satellites circling Mars and collecting information about its atmosphere. Two exploration rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, drive over the surface of the planet, looking for evidence of water. Curiosity is a mobile science laboratory that is searching for evidence that Mars could support life. What of the following best summarizes this passage?

Mars might be able to support life.

Spirit and Opportunity are rovers that are looking for water on Mars.

The tools NASA uses to explore Mars might one day allow us to build cities there.

NASA uses several different tools to get information about Mars.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.9

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

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