What does it mean?

I'd give anything to draw horses the way Will Smith does. He draws them in the margins of spelling tests and on the back of his math homework. They're always running wild and free, their manes swirling over the paper like clouds across the sky.

What does the simile "like clouds across the sky" help the reader understand about the horses in Will's sketches?

• They are drawn sloppily.

• They look like they are in motion.

• They are getting tangled up with each other.

• They look like they are trotting through fog.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.4.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

If a new cook starts working in the cafeteria and serves chocolate-chip cookies on Tuesday, your law would be broken, and your hypothesis and theory would have to change, too. Scientists must always be willing to abandon their theories when new information comes along that contradicts those theories.

What is the meaning of the word "contradicts" as it is used in the sentence?

• to deny the truth about something

• to be at odds with someone

• to disagree with someone

• to go against something

Tags

CCSS.L.3.4D

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

"David, Todd, Amy!" Quiet voices could sound so much more menacing than shouting ones. "I need you to come to the kitchen. Now!" Amy put her book down then, and the three of them straggled into the kitchen. If they had tails like Wiggy, the tails would have been tucked between their legs.

What does the word "straggled" suggest about the children?

• They are determined to go to the kitchen.

• They want to try and keep their mother from seeing the kitchen.

• They want to keep close together in the kitchen.

• They want to avoid going into the kitchen.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RI.5.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Clara and her cousins explored the new farm thoroughly, learning the best spot to cross the streams and where to find the tastiest chestnuts. They played hide-and-seek near the millstream. Clara's parents were worried she might hurt herself. But it was a little to late to rein Clara in. She had already devised a plan to secretly skate at night.

What does the phrase "to rein Clara in" suggest?

• Clara was too old to play with her cousins.

• Clara was often outside after dark.

• Clara was determined and excited to learn new things.

• Clara was unable to ride horses.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5B

CCSS.L.5.5B

Human Ear

If a sound is loud enough, the damage can be permanent. A loud sound can shake the membrane on which the hair cells sit--like an earthquake. That vibration can break or even uproot hair cells.

What does the simile "like an earthquake" help the reader understand?

• that volume can strongly affect parts of the ear

• that hair cells are easily damaged

• how our body is unable to use the hair cells

• how much damage the ear can take

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.L.4.5A

CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.W.11-12.2D

"I used to love the old stories when I was your age, " said Billy Eylish. "I would pick up bits and pieces, do some digging, and fill in the holes myself, metaphorically speaking." "That is what I like to do too!" said Ellen.

What does the phrase "fill in the holes myself" mean?

• rely on memory to finish a true story

• find evidence for the most likely explanation for a story

• ask someone questions to figure out the whole story

• create details to complete an unfinished story

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RI.5.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

If you ever feel too tired to keep going, stop. "Don't push yourself when running becomes painful," Marshmallow says. "Warm up, stretch, and cool down. Check your posture and your form as you run. This will help you run safely and efficiently. "

What does it mean to run efficiently?

• to stop when running becomes to hard

• to use correct speed and form

• to train with another person

• to avoid danger

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.5.3

CCSS.RI.6.3

Across the creek, the gray wolf stopped at the bank. After stepping gingerly into the shallow ripples that edged the creek, it paused and looked around. It almost seemed to be considering whether to follow the deer and get wet, or to forget the whole adventure and stay dry.

Why did the author say the wolf stepped gingerly?

• to show the wolf was walking carefully

• to show the wolf was walking quickly

• to show the wolf was walking safely

• to show the wolf was walking correctly

Tags

CCSS.L.1.6

CCSS.L.3.6

CCSS.L.4.6

CCSS.RL.1.4

Although sharks visit the coral reef at dawn and dusk, they have such an effective array of 40 sensory devices that they can zero in on prey at any time. Their excellent sense of smell has earned sharks the nickname of “swimming noses.” Sharks’ lateral lines are especially sensitive to the low-frequency vibrations given off by struggling fishes.

What does the phrase "zero in on" mean?

• to smell

• to threaten

• to look

• to locate

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.4.10

CCSS.RI.5.10

CCSS.RI.8.4

The iceman, with a burlap or leather pad protecting his shoulder, would hoist a block weighing up to 100 pounds.

What does the word hoist mean?

• to lift

• to sell

• to carve

• to find

Tags

CCSS.L.3.4D

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C