Unit 2 Study Guide (Informational Standards)

Read these sentences from the passage.

The sun bounced along behind the chariot like a basketball. It grazed the stars and skidded along mountaintops, leaving charred remains behind.

Which two words explain the meaning of charred as it is used in sentence?

• A burnt, blackened

• B dangerous, bold

• C filthy, dirty

• D colorful, vibrant

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

The inner bark would be pounded with a stone until it was soft and fluffy. It would also be shredded, using tools made of whale or deer bone. Women worked on pieces of inner bark until they were soft enough to make diapers and crib padding. Before taking bark, women said special prayers of thanks to the tree. They knew how much bark they could take without harming the cedar. Bark was also used to make masks, skirts, headbands, blankets, ropes, and more.

Wood

The Indians used cedar wood to build their longhouses. These buildings were large enough to be home to 20 people. Whole trees were cut down to provide the large logs needed for house beams. One method the Indians used to cut down a tree was to set the bottom of the tree on fire. Above the fire, wet clay was packed on the tree to keep the fire from spreading upward. After burning for a while, the fire was put out and burnt wood was scraped away. The whole process was repeated several times until the tree fell.

What is the central idea of the passage?

• A. The influence of the environment on a native people’s lifestyle

• B. The discovery of an ancient settlement built by native people

• C. The migration of a native people across the United States

• D. The development of a native people’s arts and crafts

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

The inner bark would be pounded with a stone until it was soft and fluffy. It would also be shredded, using tools made of whale or deer bone. Women worked on pieces of inner bark until they were soft enough to make diapers and crib padding. Before taking bark, women said special prayers of thanks to the tree. They knew how much bark they could take without harming the cedar. Bark was also used to make masks, skirts, headbands, blankets, ropes, and more.

Wood

The Indians used cedar wood to build their longhouses. These buildings were large enough to be home to 20 people. Whole trees were cut down to provide the large logs needed for house beams. One method the Indians used to cut down a tree was to set the bottom of the tree on fire. Above the fire, wet clay was packed on the tree to keep the fire from spreading upward. After burning for a while, the fire was put out and burnt wood was scraped away. The whole process was repeated several times until the tree fell.

Which sentence from the passage BEST shows how the Indians showed “care and respect” for the cedar trees?

• A. Northwest Coast Indian tribes have always lived along the western shores of Canada and the northwestern coast of the United States

• B. It was so important to them that they called it the Tree of Life.

• C. Large pieces of the cedar’s outer bark were cut into strips to make boxes and other kinds of containers

• D. The Indians used cedar wood to build their longhouses

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

The inner bark would be pounded with a stone until it was soft and fluffy. It would also be shredded, using tools made of whale or deer bone. Women worked on pieces of inner bark until they were soft enough to make diapers and crib padding. Before taking bark, women said special prayers of thanks to the tree. They knew how much bark they could take without harming the cedar. Bark was also used to make masks, skirts, headbands, blankets, ropes, and more.

Wood

The Indians used cedar wood to build their longhouses. These buildings were large enough to be home to 20 people. Whole trees were cut down to provide the large logs needed for house beams. One method the Indians used to cut down a tree was to set the bottom of the tree on fire. Above the fire, wet clay was packed on the tree to keep the fire from spreading upward. After burning for a while, the fire was put out and burnt wood was scraped away. The whole process was repeated several times until the tree fell.

Read the following sentences from the selection.

Hundreds of years ago, babies born to the Northwest Coast Indians slept in cradles made of cedar wood. They snuggled under blankets and wore diapers made from cedar bark.

What kind of feeling is suggested by the author’s use of the word snuggled?

• A. health

• B. comfort

• C. creativity

• D. restlessness

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.6

CCSS.RI.7.6

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

The inner bark would be pounded with a stone until it was soft and fluffy. It would also be shredded, using tools made of whale or deer bone. Women worked on pieces of inner bark until they were soft enough to make diapers and crib padding. Before taking bark, women said special prayers of thanks to the tree. They knew how much bark they could take without harming the cedar. Bark was also used to make masks, skirts, headbands, blankets, ropes, and more.

Wood

The Indians used cedar wood to build their longhouses. These buildings were large enough to be home to 20 people. Whole trees were cut down to provide the large logs needed for house beams. One method the Indians used to cut down a tree was to set the bottom of the tree on fire. Above the fire, wet clay was packed on the tree to keep the fire from spreading upward. After burning for a while, the fire was put out and burnt wood was scraped away. The whole process was repeated several times until the tree fell.

*The author’s primary intent for this selection

• A. to describe.

• B. to narrate a story.

• C. to explain.

• D. persuade

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.9

CCSS.RI.7.6

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

Before Julia Child was a world-famous chef and the star of TV shows, she did top-secret work for the U.S. government. Child wanted to join the Women’s Army Corps during World War II, but couldn’t because she was too tall. She instead joined the OSS. The OSS was a government group that eventually became the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.).

Child began her OSS career as a typist in Washington, D.C. Her education and experience soon got her a job as a top-secret researcher who worked for the head of the OSS. His name was William J. Donavon.

She went on to work for a group that was working on a way to keep sharks away from torpedoes that were aimed at enemy submarines. She then worked for the OSS in Sri Lanka and China before marrying Paul Cushing Child, who introduced her to fine food, putting her on the path that led her to fame.

Which sentence BEST supports the central idea of the passage?

• A. Julia Child was a typist for the OSS before she became a top-secret researcher

• B. Julia Child worked as a top-secret researcher before becoming a famous chef.

• C. Julia Child's husband, Paul Cushing Child, encouraged her to become a chef.

• D. Julia Child worked in different countries when she was a top-secret researcher.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Before Julia Child was a world-famous chef and the star of TV shows, she did top-secret work for the U.S. government. Child wanted to join the Women’s Army Corps during World War II, but couldn’t because she was too tall. She instead joined the OSS. The OSS was a government group that eventually became the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.).

Child began her OSS career as a typist in Washington, D.C. Her education and experience soon got her a job as a top-secret researcher who worked for the head of the OSS. His name was William J. Donavon.

She went on to work for a group that was working on a way to keep sharks away from torpedoes that were aimed at enemy submarines. She then worked for the OSS in Sri Lanka and China before marrying Paul Cushing Child, who introduced her to fine food, putting her on the path that led her to fame.

How does the author develop the central idea of this passage?

• A. By mentioning that Julia Child started on television shows

• B. By explaining how Julia Child became interested in cooking

• C. By saying that William J. Donavon was the head of the OSS.

• By describing the kinds of work Julia Child did for the OSS.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Humans have been eating strawberries for over 2,000 years. The word “strawberry” has been part of the English language for over 1,000 years. A popular belief is that strawberries got their name because people grew them on beds of straw. However, humans did not grow strawberries on purpose until the 1300s.

That was after the name already existed. Some people think strawberries first got their name because their seeds look like tiny pieces of straw. Others say that strawberries got their name because the plants tend to stray all over the ground, and that “stray” eventually became “straw.” The truth is that nobody really knows how strawberries got their name.

Which statement BEST explains the author's intentions for writing this text?

• A. To entertain the reader with a story about growing strawberries.

• B. To express his or her opinions about the history of strawberries.

• C. To explain that nobody knows how strawberries got their name.

• D. To persuade the reader to attempt to grow strawberries at home.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.6

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

By the time children are 12 or 13 years old, they should be able to do a lot of things for themselves. That doesn’t mean that they should be working at a job. It does, however, mean that they should be doing their own laundry, cooking some of their own meals, and doing other simple but important tasks.

Many people say that children don’t do these things because they are lazy, but that’s not true. Very few children could be described as truly lazy. Children don’t do these things because many of them don’t know how.

Children are capable of doing these things on their own, but they need guidance and trust. If parents want their children to wash their own clothes or cook their own food, that parent should show them how to do it, and then get out of the way. Sure, they are likely to mess up, but children learn more from mistakes than they learn from having everything done for them.

Which statement BEST describes the author’s viewpoint on teaching children to do simple household tasks?

• A. Parents must punish children who make mistakes when they first begin o do tasks on their own.

• B. Parents should teach their children to do simple household tasks by constantly doing the tasks for them.

• C. Parents should teach children how to do a task, and then let them do it, even if they make a mistake.

• D. Parents must require their children to do household tasks, and reward them when they do not ask.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.6

CCSS.RI.6.9

CCSS.RI.7.6

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RL.7.6

By the time children are 12 or 13 years old, they should be able to do a lot of things for themselves. That doesn’t mean that they should be working at a job. It does, however, mean that they should be doing their own laundry, cooking some of their own meals, and doing other simple but important tasks.

Many people say that children don’t do these things because they are lazy, but that’s not true. Very few children could be described as truly lazy. Children don’t do these things because many of them don’t know how.

Children are capable of doing these things on their own, but they need guidance and trust. If parents want their children to wash their own clothes or cook their own food, that parent should show them how to do it, and then get out of the way. Sure, they are likely to mess up, but children learn more from mistakes than they learn from having everything done for them.

How does the author distinguish his/her position from that of others?

• A. By proving that parents are lazy when compared to their children.

• By. By claiming that people who say children are lazy do not guide them.

• C. By presenting research that proves children are not truly lazy people.

• By claiming that people who say children are lazy are wrong.