RI 5.2 Main Idea and Details

Trying to Top Eiffel

The year was 1891, and the people of Chicago had a problem. Their city had been chosen to host the World’s Fair, and they needed to build something new and amazing.

The 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, France had been exciting because of an extremely tall building. It was the Eiffel Tower. At 1050 feet, it was the tallest building in the world. The people of Chicago knew they needed something like the Eiffel Tower.

Ferris' Big Idea

Along came a man named George Ferris. He had an idea for a huge wheel with passenger cars. The wheel would be tall like the Eiffel Tower, but it would also move. The wheel would rotate, and the people sitting in the cars would have an incredible view of the Fair below.

The people of Chicago were scared by Ferris’ idea because it seemed dangerous. Eventually, though, they approved it, and the very first Ferris wheel was built. Unlike the Ferris wheels of today, its passenger cars were huge. Each car held up to sixty people. It also had its own conductor!

After the end of the World’s Fair, no one was quite sure what to do with Chicago’s Ferris wheel. In 1903, it was taken apart and shipped to St. Louis. Then, in 1906, it was blown up with dynamite. Despite this, the Ferris wheel would never be forgotten. It had helped make the Chicago World’s Fair a success.

“Each car held up to sixty people. It also had its own conductor!” shows that the first Ferris wheel was:

• enjoyed by both kids and adults.

• too dangerous for a World’s Fair.

• more expensive than the Eiffel Tower.

• different from today's Ferris wheels.

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A Challenge for the World’s Fair

Trying to Top Eiffel

The year was 1891, and the people of Chicago had a problem. Their city had been chosen to host the World’s Fair, and they needed to build something new and amazing.

The 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, France had been exciting because of an extremely tall building. It was the Eiffel Tower. At 1050 feet, it was the tallest building in the world. The people of Chicago knew they needed something like the Eiffel Tower.

Ferris' Big Idea

Along came a man named George Ferris. He had an idea for a huge wheel with passenger cars. The wheel would be tall like the Eiffel Tower, but it would also move. The wheel would rotate, and the people sitting in the cars would have an incredible view of the Fair below.

The people of Chicago were scared by Ferris’ idea because it seemed dangerous. Eventually, though, they approved it, and the very first Ferris wheel was built. Unlike the Ferris wheels of today, its passenger cars were huge. Each car held up to sixty people. It also had its own conductor!

After the end of the World’s Fair, no one was quite sure what to do with Chicago’s Ferris wheel. In 1903, it was taken apart and shipped to St. Louis. Then, in 1906, it was blown up with dynamite. Despite this, the Ferris wheel would never be forgotten. It had helped make the Chicago World’s Fair a success.

Including the height of the Eiffel Tower supports the idea that...

• most people agreed that the first Ferris Wheel was not as great as the Eiffel Tower.

• the people of Paris, France were not able to host the World's Fair two years in a row.

• no one in Chicago thought the Eiffel Tower was tall enough to attract attention.

• Chicago needed to build something huge like the Eiffel Tower, which debuted at Paris World's Fair.

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A Challenge for the World’s Fair

Trying to Top Eiffel

The year was 1891, and the people of Chicago had a problem. Their city had been chosen to host the World’s Fair, and they needed to build something new and amazing.

The 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, France had been exciting because of an extremely tall building. It was the Eiffel Tower. At 1050 feet, it was the tallest building in the world. The people of Chicago knew they needed something like the Eiffel Tower.

Ferris' Big Idea

Along came a man named George Ferris. He had an idea for a huge wheel with passenger cars. The wheel would be tall like the Eiffel Tower, but it would also move. The wheel would rotate, and the people sitting in the cars would have an incredible view of the Fair below.

The people of Chicago were scared by Ferris’ idea because it seemed dangerous. Eventually, though, they approved it, and the very first Ferris wheel was built. Unlike the Ferris wheels of today, its passenger cars were huge. Each car held up to sixty people. It also had its own conductor!

After the end of the World’s Fair, no one was quite sure what to do with Chicago’s Ferris wheel. In 1903, it was taken apart and shipped to St. Louis. Then, in 1906, it was blown up with dynamite. Despite this, the Ferris wheel would never be forgotten. It had helped make the Chicago World’s Fair a success.

Which of these headings, if added to the last paragraph, would reflect its main idea?

• Gone but Not Forgotten

• Ferris Goes Back to Chicago

• Better than the Eiffel Tower

• A Tall, Dangerous Wheel

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A Challenge for the World’s Fair

Trying to Top Eiffel

The year was 1891, and the people of Chicago had a problem. Their city had been chosen to host the World’s Fair, and they needed to build something new and amazing.

The 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, France had been exciting because of an extremely tall building. It was the Eiffel Tower. At 1050 feet, it was the tallest building in the world. The people of Chicago knew they needed something like the Eiffel Tower.

Ferris' Big Idea

Along came a man named George Ferris. He had an idea for a huge wheel with passenger cars. The wheel would be tall like the Eiffel Tower, but it would also move. The wheel would rotate, and the people sitting in the cars would have an incredible view of the Fair below.

The people of Chicago were scared by Ferris’ idea because it seemed dangerous. Eventually, though, they approved it, and the very first Ferris wheel was built. Unlike the Ferris wheels of today, its passenger cars were huge. Each car held up to sixty people. It also had its own conductor!

After the end of the World’s Fair, no one was quite sure what to do with Chicago’s Ferris wheel. In 1903, it was taken apart and shipped to St. Louis. Then, in 1906, it was blown up with dynamite. Despite this, the Ferris wheel would never be forgotten. It had helped make the Chicago World’s Fair a success.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• The Ferris wheel and the Eiffel Tower were built around the same time.

• The first Ferris wheel was too dangerous, so it had to be destroyed.

• George Ferris was the second best inventor at the Chicago World’s Fair.

• The first Ferris wheel was built for the Chicago World’s Fair.

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If the water that comes out of a drinking fountain could talk, it would probably say it was tired. Water travels a long distance from its source to a drinking fountain.

Take a look at the map of your hometown, and you may be able to guess where your drinking water comes from. It starts as rain or melting snow. Then, it enters a river or lake where it is directed into a reservoir. A reservoir is a man-made lake or storage area. Usually, water leaves the reservoir through underground pipes, where it heads toward cities and towns.

However, before water reaches a drinking fountain, it must be cleaned so it is safe to drink. First, large clumps of dirt are removed. Second, filters remove smaller particles. Finally, chemicals are used to prepare the water for drinking.

The last stop on water’s incredibly long journey is another storage place. Many modern cities and towns use water towers to store their drinking water. These towers are usually connected to hundreds or even thousands of miles of pipeline. The water travels through the pipeline toward homes and businesses. At last, it enters a drinking fountain. What a long journey!

Which detail from the passage supports the idea that water travels a long distance?

• Take a look at the map of your hometown, and you may be able to guess where your drinking water comes from.

• These towers are usually connected to hundreds or even thousands of miles of pipeline.

• However, before water reaches a drinking fountain, it must be cleaned so it is safe to drink.

• Usually, water leaves the reservoir through underground pipes, where it heads toward cities and towns.

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CCSS.RL.5.1

If the water that comes out of a drinking fountain could talk, it would probably say it was tired. Water travels a long distance from its source to a drinking fountain.

Take a look at the map of your hometown, and you may be able to guess where your drinking water comes from. It starts as rain or melting snow. Then, it enters a river or lake where it is directed into a reservoir. A reservoir is a manmade lake or storage area. Usually, water leaves the reservoir through underground pipes, where it heads toward cities and towns.

However, before water reaches a drinking fountain, it must be cleaned so it is safe to drink. First, large clumps of dirt are removed. Second, filters remove smaller particles. Finally, chemicals are used to prepare the water for drinking.

The last stop on water’s incredibly long journey is another storage place. Many modern cities and towns use water towers to store their drinking water. These towers are usually connected to hundreds or even thousands of miles of pipeline. The water travels through the pipeline toward homes and businesses. At last, it enters a drinking fountain. What a long journey!

What is the main idea of this passage?

• Rainfall and melting snow provide us with drinking water.

• Water travels far before it reaches a drinking fountain.

• Pipelines bring unclean water to water towers and reservoirs.

• Chemicals are used in order to make water safe for drinking.

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Imagine you are caught outside in a thunderstorm. As lightning flashes in the sky, you see something mysterious close to the ground. It looks like a white hot ball of electricity. It floats toward you, and then, suddenly, it shoots sparks of electricity at you!

If you were to see something like this, you would not be alone. About 1 in 150 people believe they have seen balls of lightning. They have been written about as many as 10,000 times. According to these reports, the size of the balls is between a tennis ball and a beach ball. The balls usually burn for 10 seconds or so before they disappear. They are also extremely hot and can burn people if touched.

For hundreds of years, no one could explain "ball lightning." Then, in 2007, a team of Brazilian scientists tried to figure it out. They decided that metal elements in soil can combine with lightning to make vapor. If lightning strikes the ground, it creates this vapor. The vapor then combines with oxygen and starts to burn.

To test this idea, the scientists used metals like the kind found in soil. They shocked the metals with electricity. Doing this, they were able to create balls of lightning that burned for as long as eight seconds! As a result, many scientists now agree that "ball lightning" is no longer a mystery.

Scientists "shocked the metals with electricity" because

• metals begin to melt when they combine with oxygen.

• the lightning balls do not burn when they are shocked.

• metals can combine with electricity to make vapor.

• shocking metal keeps the lab from getting too hot.

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Imagine you are caught outside in a thunderstorm. As lightning flashes in the sky, you see something mysterious close to the ground. It looks like a white hot ball of electricity. It floats toward you, and then, suddenly, it shoots sparks of electricity at you!

If you were to see something like this, you would not be alone. About 1 in 150 people believe they have seen balls of lightning. They have been written about as many as 10,000 times. According to these reports, the size of the balls is between a tennis ball and a beach ball. The balls usually burn for 10 seconds or so before they disappear. They are also extremely hot and can burn people if touched.

For hundreds of years, no one could explain "ball lightning." Then, in 2007, a team of Brazilian scientists tried to figure it out. They decided that metal elements in soil can combine with lightning to make vapor. If lightning strikes the ground, it creates this vapor. The vapor then combines with oxygen and starts to burn.

To test this idea, the scientists used metals like the kind found in soil. They shocked the metals with electricity. Doing this, they were able to create balls of lightning that burned for as long as eight seconds! As a result, many scientists now agree that "ball lightning" is no longer a mystery.

Which of these, if added to the fourth paragraph, would be the best heading?

• Finding Metals in the Soil

• Watching Balls of Lightning

• An Old Mystery Solved

• Burning for Eight Seconds

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No one can really say for sure who made the first skateboard. However, we do know that the idea came from surfers. They wanted to be able to surf on land during the colder months. Starting in 1950, people in California and other places started trying to make skateboards.

The First Skateboard

The early skateboards looked like short surfboards but with wheels. Some were made of wooden crates or a wooden board with wheels. The sport soon began to catch on. Companies such as Jack’s and Hobie started selling the boards.

The Modern Skateboard

The type of skateboard you see today was invented by Frank Nasworthy. In the 1970s, he started making them out of a different material. It was called polyurethane. This helped people skate faster. They could do fancy tricks and jumps more easily. More people were now able to enjoy the sport. So, skateboarding became the popular sport it is today.

Why is the year 1950 important to the history of skateboards?

• Companies started selling skateboards to people in 1950.

• Frank Nasworthy made his first skateboard in 1950.

• The material called polyurethane was invented in 1950.

• People first started making skateboards in 1950.

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No one can really say for sure who made the first skateboard. However, we do know that the idea came from surfers. They wanted to be able to surf on land during the colder months. Starting in 1950, people in California and other places started trying to make skateboards.

The First Skateboard

The early skateboards looked like short surfboards but with wheels. Some were made of wooden crates or a wooden board with wheels. The sport soon began to catch on. Companies such as Jack’s and Hobie started selling the boards.

The Modern Skateboard

The type of skateboard you see today was invented by Frank Nasworthy. In the 1970s, he started making them out of a different material. It was called polyurethane. This helped people skate faster. They could do fancy tricks and jumps more easily. More people were now able to enjoy the sport. So, skateboarding became the popular sport it is today.

The best title for this passage would be...

• Californians Invent the Skateboard.

• How to Do Fancy Skateboard Tricks.

• The History of the Skateboard.

• Polyurethane Improves Skateboards.

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