Cause and Effect

Mira wanted to make sure she made it to class on time. She searched for her bike lock, but she couldn't find it anywhere. Finally, she found it buried under a pile of laundry. "How did that get there?" she wondered. She grabbed the lock and headed for her bike. She knew she was already late for class, so she took a shortcut. The sidewalk there was broken, and Mira pedaled hard. She was making good time, but suddenly, she heard a pop and then a hiss. She got off her bike. Her tire was flat.

Which of the following correctly describes how the events in this story are connected?

• Because Mira was running late for class, she could not find her bike lock. Since she got a flat tire, she took a shortcut over broken sidewalk.

• After searching for her missing bike lock, Mira was running late for class. For that reason, she took a shortcut on her bike over broken sidewalk. That's how she got a flat tire.

• Mira took a shortcut over broken sidewalk, so she was late for class. Because of this, she got a flat tire. That's why she couldn't find her bike lock.

• Mira got a flat tire on her way to class. As a result, she was late and searched for her missing bike lock.

Branson looked around the dark and dusty basement. It would be a challenge to make such a threatening space look welcoming. He knew he had a lot of work to do. He reached for an old packet of balloons and blew one up...only to have it pop. He took another one out of the bag and blew into it. Again, pop! Branson grabbed the third balloon and blew into it.

Which of the following events will most likely happen next?

• The basement will flood.

• Branson will bake a cake.

• The balloon will pop.

• The balloon will lift Branson off the floor.

In the following sentence, what signal word or phrase points out the cause?

As a result of studying daily, Cynthia earned 100% on her next science test.

• daily

• next

• as a result of

• studying

Energy is everywhere. It's in the sunlight. It's in the wind. It's in the ocean.

The ocean has heat energy from soaking up the light energy of the Sun. And, like the wind, the ocean has energy of motion in the form of waves and currents. Another form of energy in the ocean is tidal energy. We can use tidal energy to supply electricity to our homes and businesses. We can use tidal energy in some places instead of burning coal and oil that contribute to global warming.

Tidal generators (or turbines) work like wind turbines, except it is ocean currents, not wind, that turns them. The spinning turbine is connected to another device that produces electricity. The electricity then travels through wires to a city where people need it.

Now the world's biggest tidal energy generator is being placed off the coast of Invergordon, Scotland. The new tidal generator in Scotland is huge. The turbine blades are 18 meters (59 feet) across. It weighs 143 tons (286,600 pounds) and stands 22.5 meters (almost 74 feet) high. It is capable of generating enough electricity to power more than 1,000 homes.

It is important to put tidal generators near where people actually live. That's another reason Scotland and other locations around the United Kingdom are ideal for capturing clean, renewable tidal energy. In the U.S., most of the tidal energy resources are along the coast of Alaska where populations are small. Still, tidal energy could power their small cities.

Unlike the wind, the tides are very predictable. So it's easy to decide where to put tidal turbines and figure out how much energy they will generate. Another plus, the turbines are usually completely under water, so no one can complain about them spoiling the view!

Why does the author mention the issue of global warming?

• To show why some people complain about the turbines

• To explain how the turbines burn coal and oil supplies

• To demonstrate one of the biggest benefits of tidal energy

• To point out why so many people need additional power

The seventh child born to Benjamin and Cynthia Baum came not trailing clouds of glory but clouds of gloom. In 1856, Frank Baum (author of The Wizard of Oz) was born. From an early age, he seems to have suffered from angina pectoris, a heart disease causing severe chest pain. Baum's delicate condition made him a sedentary, solitary child. He read constantly, mostly fairy tales. For most of his youth, he was schooled at home. While Frank was still very young, his father developed some oil fields in Pennsylvania and made a fortune. The Baums moved to a mansion, called Rose Lawn, where Frank flourished.

What inference can be drawn from the information about Baum's early childhood?

• Baum's health problems affected how he felt about his family.

• Baum's older siblings influenced his approach toward education.

• Baum's home education affected how he felt about other children.

• Baum's constant reading of fairy tales influenced his later writing.