Central Ideas

Chances are very good that you’ve watched a video on YouTube®. It is one of the most popular websites in the world and is the default site to go to when someone wants to share a video. YouTube was founded in 2005 by three men who worked for a different web company. The very first video showed one of the founders at the zoo. YouTube grew quickly throughout the following year and was purchased by Google® for $1.65 billion in stock in 2006. Since then, YouTube has continued to grow. Now, many people create their own unique content for YouTube. People can actually become quite famous on YouTube and some can even make a career out of it. The impact that YouTube has had on the world is remarkable considering that it was only established in 2005.

What is the central idea of this passage?

• YouTube is a very popular

  website.

• was founded in

  2005 and has grown

  significantly since.

• YouTube was founded in

  2005 and has grown

  significantly since.

Tags

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CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Chances are very good that you’ve watched a video on YouTube®. It is one of the most popular websites in the world and is the default site to go to when someone wants to share a video. YouTube was founded in 2005 by three men who worked for a different web company. The very first video showed one of the founders at the zoo. YouTube grew quickly throughout the following year and was purchased by Google® for $1.65 billion in stock in 2006. Since then, YouTube has continued to grow. Now, many people create their own unique content for YouTube. People can actually become quite famous on YouTube and some can even make a career out of it. The impact that YouTube has had on the world is remarkable considering that it was only established in 2005.

What inference can be made from this passage?

• Many actors post their work

  on YouTube.

• There was a need for a

  video website when

  YouTube was created.

• People have a hard time making money through YouTube.

Tags

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The first ukuleles were developed in Hawaii in the 1800s, as a result of Portuguese influence. Native Hawaiians enjoyed music from a Portuguese instrument called the machete and adapted it to suit Hawaiian tastes. The ukulele soon spread to mainland America during the 1910s, where it became an immediate sensation. They quickly became very popular because they could be quickly and cheaply made from a small amount of wood. After the World Wars, plastic ukuleles revitalized the declining ukulele fad by making them even more affordable to the average American. Today, ukuleles are still enjoyed by many enthusiasts and come in a wide variety of shapes and sounds.

What is the central idea of today’s passage?

• Plastic ukuleles are

  important classical

  instruments.

• Ukuleles developed in

  Hawaii and are still popular

  today.

• Portuguese instruments

  inspired the ukulele.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

The first ukuleles were developed in Hawaii in the 1800s, as a result of Portuguese influence. Native Hawaiians enjoyed music from a Portuguese instrument called the machete and adapted it to suit Hawaiian tastes. The ukulele soon spread to mainland America during the 1910s, where it became an immediate sensation. They quickly became very popular because they could be quickly and cheaply made from a small amount of wood. After the World Wars, plastic ukuleles revitalized the declining ukulele fad by making them even more affordable to the average American. Today, ukuleles are still enjoyed by many enthusiasts and come in a wide variety of shapes and sounds.

What inference can be made about ukuleles?

• Ukuleles are less expensive

  than many other

  instruments

• Ukuleles are made of very

  durable materials.

• Portuguese instruments are

  very popular.

Tags

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CCSS.RI.7.1

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CCSS.RI.8.1

Advances in technology and meteorology have led to more accurate forecasting of hurricanes days in advance of landfall. Those forecasts have likely saved countless lives, as people are able to prepare or evacuate. Unfortunately, those forecasts were not available to the victims of the 1900 Galveston Hurricane. Four days before the storm hit Galveston, Texas, the National Weather Service sent out an alert that a tropical storm had hit Cuba, but there were no real concerns about it making landfall in Galveston. There were isolated warnings that the hurricane was headed for Texas, but the warnings were ignored because of the calm weather at the time. The storm made landfall on September 8, and in addition to strong winds, a high storm surge covered the island in seawater, which destroyed thousands of buildings and caused many deaths.

What is the central idea of today’s passage?

• A better warning system

  could have saved lives

  during the 1900 Galveston

  Hurricane.

• People ignored the warnings in 1900.

• The Galveston Hurricane

  was the deadliest storm.

Tags

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CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

Advances in technology and meteorology have led to more accurate forecasting of hurricanes days in advance of landfall. Those forecasts have likely saved countless lives, as people are able to prepare or evacuate. Unfortunately, those forecasts were not available to the victims of the 1900 Galveston Hurricane. Four days before the storm hit Galveston, Texas, the National Weather Service sent out an alert that a tropical storm had hit Cuba, but there were no real concerns about it making landfall in Galveston. There were isolated warnings that the hurricane was headed for Texas, but the warnings were ignored because of the calm weather at the time. The storm made landfall on September 8, and in addition to strong winds, a high storm surge covered the island in seawater, which destroyed thousands of buildings and caused many deaths.

What inference can be

made about Galveston,

Texas?

• Galveston was an

  important city in the 1800s.

• Galveston is many miles

  away from the coast.

• The elevation of Galveston

  is not far above sea level.

Tags

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CCSS.RL.8.1

It may be difficult to tell when a story took place, unless an author explicitly states it, but the presence or absence of technology can help a reader make an approximate guess as to when the story was set. Only novels and short stories that were written very recently will include references to smartphones and apps. Story lines that include references to the internet were written within the past 25 years. If a story makes mention of a television, then it probably took place during or after the 1950s.

The modes of transportation that people take are more examples of technology that can help the reader determine roughly when the story took place.

If a character takes a plane ride, then the story very likely took place after World War II because commercial air travel became popular after the war. A character

riding in a car wouldn’t happen before the 1900s. Of course, if the story mentions more recent advances like power windows or a driverless car, then it is far more

recent. Train travel would put the setting within the past 200 years. The absence of technology doesn’t always mean that the story took place hundreds of years ago, it

could just mean that mentioning technology was not necessary to tell the story.

What is a central idea of today’s passage?

• Technology such as driverless cars and smartphones are recent inventions.

• Mentions of technology can help a reader determine when the story took

  place.

• References to technology can help the reader determine where the story

  took place.

Tags

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CCSS.RL.6.2

It may be difficult to tell when a story took place, unless an author explicitly states it, but the presence or absence of technology can help a reader make an approximate guess as to when the story was set. Only novels and short stories that were written very recently will include references to smartphones and apps. Story lines that include references to the internet were written within the past 25 years. If a story makes mention of a television, then it probably took place during or after the 1950s.

The modes of transportation that people take are more examples of technology that can help the reader determine roughly when the story took place.

If a character takes a plane ride, then the story very likely took place after World War II because commercial air travel became popular after the war. A character

riding in a car wouldn’t happen before the 1900s. Of course, if the story mentions more recent advances like power windows or a driverless car, then it is far more

recent. Train travel would put the setting within the past 200 years. The absence of technology doesn’t always mean that the story took place hundreds of years ago, it

could just mean that mentioning technology was not necessary to tell the story.

What inference can be made about today’s passage?

• The use of planes in World War II helped create the commercial air travel

  industry.

• Authors always include references to technology when they are writing

  about recent events.

• Stories that mention smartphones are not very popular.

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It may be difficult to tell when a story took place, unless an author explicitly states it, but the presence or absence of technology can help a reader make an approximate guess as to when the story was set. Only novels and short stories that were written very recently will include references to smartphones and apps. Story lines that include references to the internet were written within the past 25 years. If a story makes mention of a television, then it probably took place during or after the 1950s.

The modes of transportation that people take are more examples of technology that can help the reader determine roughly when the story took place.

If a character takes a plane ride, then the story very likely took place after World War II because commercial air travel became popular after the war. A character

riding in a car wouldn’t happen before the 1900s. Of course, if the story mentions more recent advances like power windows or a driverless car, then it is far more

recent. Train travel would put the setting within the past 200 years. The absence of technology doesn’t always mean that the story took place hundreds of years ago, it

could just mean that mentioning technology was not necessary to tell the story.

What inference can be made about today’s passage?

• The use of planes in World War II helped create the commercial air travel industry.

• Authors always include references to technology when they are writing

  about recent events.

• Stories that mention smartphones are not very popular.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

It may be difficult to tell when a story took place, unless an author explicitly states it, but the presence or absence of technology can help a reader make an approximate guess as to when the story was set. Only novels and short stories that were written very recently will include references to smartphones and apps. Story lines that include references to the internet were written within the past 25 years. If a story makes mention of a television, then it probably took place during or after the 1950s.

The modes of transportation that people take are more examples of technology that can help the reader determine roughly when the story took place.

If a character takes a plane ride, then the story very likely took place after World War II because commercial air travel became popular after the war. A character

riding in a car wouldn’t happen before the 1900s. Of course, if the story mentions more recent advances like power windows or a driverless car, then it is far more

recent. Train travel would put the setting within the past 200 years. The absence of technology doesn’t always mean that the story took place hundreds of years ago, it

could just mean that mentioning technology was not necessary to tell the story.

What is the meaning of approximate as it is used in the passage?

• exact

• suggested

• estimated

Tags

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