summarizing non fiction and author's purpose

There is a place in the United States where a person can be in four states at once! It's called Four Corners Monument, and it's the places where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah all border each other. The borders are marked on the ground, so a visitor could put one foot in one state, the other foot in a second state, one hand in a third state, and the other hand in a fourth state. Four Corners is the only place in the United States where this is possible, and people have been visiting the monument to take pictures there since the early 1900s. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

• People have been taking pictures of themselves standing in four states since the 1900s.

• There is a monument in the United States where visitors can be in four states at once.

• Arizona shares a border with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.

• You have to lie down in order to be in four states at once.

The ancient Romans are known for their useful inventions. They had running water and public toilets, but instead of toilet paper as we know it, an ancient Roman would use a sea sponge on a stick, rinse it, and leave it for the next person to use. Ancient Rome had also newspapers, which were hand written and posted on walls. The ancient Romans even invented new ways to build; they made a form of concrete and put volcanic rocks into it to make it extra sturdy. It seems that the ancient Romans used a lot of things we use today, but there have been many changes and improvements to these items over the years. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

• Ancient Romans invented the concept of public toilets, toilet paper, newspapers, and even concrete.

• Ancient Romans were very intelligent, creating a lot of new and useful items for their society.

• Ancient Rome was a lot like modern cities, but it didn't have electricity.

• Ancient Romans invented many of the things that we use today, but the items have changed over time.

The Earth hasn't always looked the same as it does now. This is because the outer layer of the Earth's crust is made of tectonic plates, which move very slowly, taking the continents with them as they slide around. For example, because Hawaii and Japan are on different tectonic plates, they are moving toward each other at about ten centimeters per year. This movement is called continental drift. When the plates rub together or collide, the force can cause earthquakes. If the plates push against each other for a long period of time, a mountain range can slowly emerge. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

• The tectonic plates move too slowly for people to notice.

• The land on Earth moves very slowly because it is on tectonic plates.

• Earthquakes are one result of continental drift.

• The land on Earth used to look very different from the way it looks today.

The Grand Canyon in the state of Arizona is considered one of the natural wonders of the world, and is visited by millions of people each year. Tourists can hike or ride donkeys to the bottom of the canyon to see the Colorado River, and they can camp there over night. Some people like to raft on the river or just stand at the top and take in the breathtaking views. But, the canyon hasn't always been used for tourism. Indigenous people have lived in and around the Grand Canyon for thousands of years, hunting, farming the land, and conducting important cultural activities. Today, the descendants of some of the original inhabitants interact with tourists who come to visit. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

• The Grand Canyon is a great place for tourist to have fun

• The Grand Canyon is an important cultural ground for indigenous people.

• The Grand Canyon has a long history of being used by different people for many different activities.

• The Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon over time, and eventually it became a popular vacation spot.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, explores Mars with several different tools. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter circles the planet, taking photos from above. There are also other satellites circling Mars and collecting information about its atmosphere. Two exploration rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, drive over the surface of the planet, looking for evidence of water. Curiosity is a mobile science laboratory that is searching for evidence that Mars could support life. What of the following best summarizes this passage?

• Mars might be able to support life.

• Spirit and Opportunity are rovers that are looking for water on Mars.

• The tools NASA uses to explore Mars might one day allow us to build cities there.

• NASA uses several different tools to get information about Mars.

Modern appliances make housework easier, but people didn't always have electric dishwashers or machines for washing clothes. The first dishwasher was patented by Josephine Cochrane of Shelbyville, Illinois in 1887. It didn't use electricity, and the person using it had to pump the water into it by hand. The first clothes washer was patented in England in 1782 by Henry Sidgier, and it worked in much the same way as Cochrane's dishwasher, with the person loading the clothes into the drum and moving parts of the washing machine around by hand. These appliances were a lot of work to use, but were designed to make chores easier than washing each dish and each piece of clothing by hand. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

• Doing chores is a lot easier when you have a machine to do all the work.

• Henry Sidgier and Josephine Cochrane were great inventors who came up with ways to help with chores.

• Appliances were designed to make chores easier even before people used electricity.

• The first dishwasher required a lot of muscle power to run.

Coral reefs, like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, are living underwater structures that are usually found in tropical climates. Every coral reef starts out with tiny creatures called corals. To form a coral reef. corals must first product minerals that help them stick to rocks or other hard surfaces. As the corals grow, they form the reef. Over time, the reef becomes home to many species of fish and other sea creatures. Some people call coral reefs "rainforests of the sea" because they host so many interesting species. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

• Corals in the sea are like birds in the rainforest.

• Coral reefs start with individual corals and, over time, grow to host many forms of life.

• Corals stick to rocks for protection and food.

• Coral reefs are primarily found in tropical climates.

Your teacher, your pet cat, the frog you saw on your way to school, and the bird flying over your head are all vertebrates, which means they have backbones. Vertebrates can be warm-blooded (body temperature stays the same) or cold-blooded (body temperature changes depending on the temperature of the environment). We see vertebrates every day, but they only make up 3% of all animals on Earth. The rest are invertebrates, which have no backbones. This group includes animals such as worms, sea stars, spiders, jellies, and snails. All invertebrate animals are cold-blooded. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

• All animals are either vertebrates or cold-blooded

• All invertebrates are cold-blooded

• Most animals are invertebrates

• Not all vertebrates are warm-blooded, but all invertebrates are cold-blooded

A comet is a hunk of ice, dirt, and rocks that orbits the Sun. If you look into the sky in the year 2061, you might see Halley's Comet. It was named after Edmond Halley, who discovered that the comet had a periodic orbit. That means that it takes less than 200 years for it to go all the way around the Sun. Every 75-76 years, Halley's Comet goes close enough to the Earth to be seen without a telescope. The last time it was close to the Earth was in 1986. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

• Halley's Comet has a periodic orbit that comes close to Earth every 75-76 years.

• Halley's Comet is made of ice, dirt, and rocks.

• Edmond Halley discovered that Halley's Comet had a periodic orbit.

• The last time a comet was seen near Earth was in 1986, and it won't happen again until 2061.

There are many ancient cultures that modern people don't know much about, but anthropologists can put together the clues they have to get an idea of what an ancient culture was like. For example, the Mayans used to play a ball game that was very important to them. Anthropologists know this because thy have studied balls and playing fields that were left behind, as well as some sculptures and carvings Mayan artists made about the gem. Modern people in the area play a game that could be related to the ancient game, so anthropologists can use that to guess what the ancient game might have been like. The same kind of puzzle solving has been used to learn about Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt as well. Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

• The Mayans played a ball game that their descendants still play today

• Scientists can find out about the ancient Mayans by studying their art and sports equipment

• Anthropologists use clues such as ancient objects, art, and modern activities to learn about ancient cultures

• The ancient Mayans, Romans, and Egyptians left behind some objects that can tell us about them