Making Inferences

Water from California’s northern mountains is pumped south along a 400-mile canal through the farming communities of the Central Valley. Not only is this canal system a marvel of modern engineering, its water fuels the state’s economic engine. In 2006, these farms produced $31 billion-worth of food and fiber, more than any other state. By contrast, world-wide ticket sales of Hollywood movies, a more famous export of California, totaled $25 billion that year.

What inference can the reader make from this paragraph?

• The author thinks it is more important to eat than go to movies.

• Water is a precious resource and shouldn't be wasted on making movies.

• The movie industry is more important to California than farming.

• The writer thinks moving water to the Central Valley is a good investment.

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When I was ten years old, I had to arrive home by 8 o'clock in the evening. When I was thirteen years old, I had to arrive home by 8 o'clock in the evening. When I was sixteen years old, I had to arrive home by 8 o'clock in the evening. Shortly after my sixteenth birthday, I decided that I was going to ask my mom if I could get a car, but I never went through with it. Knowing how my mother would respond, I was reluctant to ask her such a question. So, rather than ask her if I could get a car, I decided to start out smaller and ask her why I had to be home so early in the evening. I built up my courage, walked into the living room, and asked her. She answered the same way she answered the majority of my questions, "rules are rules." From the point of view of a sixteen-year-old who grew up in a fairly sheltered environment, her logic was flawless. Things are the way they are because that's the way they are. As I grew older, her logic became less convincing, and "rules are rules" held less sway over me. Surely, my mom knew that it would happen, that I would break from her rules and strike out on my own. After all, she is the person who encouraged me to go to a college that's halfway across the country from my hometown. I'm certain that she knew that I would exercise my newfound freedom when I arrived there, but I don't think she could have imagined how far I would take that freedom.

Which of these is an inference that can be supported by the passage above

• The author of this passage got into trouble with the police.

• The author of this passage has graduated from college.

• The author of this passage was raised by a strict mother.

• The author of this passage does not like his or her mother.

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a preacher and a civil rights leader. He was born in 1929 and died in 1968. In 1963, he organized the March on Washington, which brought more than 200,000 people together. In 1964, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1968, he was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee, by an assassin's bullet on the balcony of the motel where he was staying. James Earl Ray was convicted of his murder.

Which of the following can you infer from the passage above?

• James Earl Ray was a racist man.

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great public speaker.

• Memphis, Tennessee is an extremely dangerous city.

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a major political figure in the 1960s.

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“I can’t believe Emily’s going to be here!” Maria squealed with glee as she jumped up and down in her room. Her favorite singer was performing at a local theater this weekend. The show will cost $15, and I really want to go with all my friends, she thought. But I don’t get paid until the Monday after the concert. Suddenly, Emily coming to town didn’t seem so exciting after all. Maria had been working as a cashier at the local supermarket on weekends and sometimes after school. The past few months she had been saving her paychecks to buy her father a good birthday present. Dad always complained that he never gets gifts as good as Mom’s on his birthday, Maria thought. She had asked him what he wanted and had saved up enough money to buy the cordless drill set. Maria couldn’t wait to see his face when he opened the gift on his birthday, which was also Monday. Maria decided to ask her mom for advice. “I could borrow money to pay for the concert from my savings, but then I won’t be able to buy Dad’s gift this weekend,” she said. “I could get him something else, but what if he doesn’t like it?” “Well, honey, what do you think you should do?” her mom responded after Maria told her the problem. “I’m not sure, Mom. Who knows when Emily will come back to town again?” she replied. “This could be my only opportunity to see her in mom said, “Looks like you have a tough decision to make, but think about what your father would do if the tables were turned.” She patted Maria on the shoulder before she walked out the room. A couple of months before her birthday every year, Maria’s father would always start asking questions to get an idea about what to get her. He always gets me exactly what I ask for on my birthday, she thought. Dad deserves the same special treatment. Maria grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

Which of these can be inferred from the last sentence in the passage?

• Maria is going to the concert and will tell her dad she forgot his birthday.

• Maria is going to ask her mom to buy her dad the drill.

• Maria is on her way to buy her dad's birthday present.

• Maria is on her way to buy her and her friends concert tickets.

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I love to go into my sister's room. On her shelf she has shiny trophies—gold and silver, tall and short, skinny and wide. All of the trophies have athletes on top swinging golf clubs. My favorite trophy is one that is as tall as my arm is long. "City Champion 2011" it says on its engraved front. It is beautiful and impressive!

What inference can the reader draw based on the information in the passage?

• The sister is a very good golfer.

• The sister is a professional golfer.

• The person relating the passage is a younger sister.

• The person relating the passage plays golf also.

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Braedon sat in the empty classroom and stared at the floor. It was 4:30pm and school had been over for half an hour, but he still had to sit there. He could over hear his teacher talking to the principal in the hallway about what had happened during class. He put his head in his hands and sighed.

What may the reader best infer from the passage?

• The principal and the teacher are making fun of Braedon.

• Braedon is in detention because he had acted out in class.

• The teacher is getting paid extra to oversee detention.

• Braedon is proud of his poor behavior.

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His mother understood then how Tyerell felt just by looking at him. She saw that he wanted to stay in the house forever because of all the memories he had at this old place. They still had to leave, but she wanted to help her son feel better about what was going to happen in a few days.

The author assumes the reader most likely knows-

• Tyerell is too sentimental and needs to get over it.

• Tyerell & his mom are moving.

• Tyerell's mom is making her son upset on purpose.

• Tyerell & his mom are going on vacation.

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What is an inference?

• In when you find the similarity between two or more things.

• Is when you compare two or more things using the words like or as.

• Is what the story is about.

• A conclusion or judgement based on evidences and our background knowledge.

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Which sentence from the selection provides evidence that the computer was not working properly?

• Rita took three hours to finish her homework.

• Ritaʼs homework was not finished.

• Rita had to write out her story instead of typing it.

• Ritaʼs homework was not done correctly.

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When making an inference, the most important thing is...

• The topic of the text

• Being able to prove your inference using evidence from the text.

• What you know about the topic

• Be able to identify the characters in the text

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