Comprehension Strategies and Constructing Meaning #9

Cho opened the can an stirred the thick paint.  She dipped her brush into the an and began painting the wood.  She painted the back, sides, and each shelf.  After it was dry, she would put her books on the shelves.

What is Cho doing?

• reading a book

• painting a bookcase

• moving her chair

Kyle and Joy wanted to buy their mom a present.  Each one had different ideas about what Mom would like.  Later, Mom entered the kitchen and said, “Oh no!  There is a hole in one of my garden gloves.”  Kyle and Joy grinned at each other.  They would buy Mom new garden gloves.

How do Kyle and Joy solve their problem?

• they try to think of new ideas

• they listen to what mom says

• they ask mom for her help

Mary watched the penguins slide across the Antarctic ice.  She laughed as two of the birds dove into the cold water.  Her amusement took her back to when she was five years old laughing at penguins in the zoo.  Back then, Mary had no idea she would someday be observing penguins in their natural environment.  She turned her attention to writing observation notes in her research journal.

What is an example of flashback in this story?

• Mary remembers being five years old.

• Mary is writing in her research journal.

• Mary is studying penguins in Antartica.

Rafael is doing research for a school report.  He is looking for information about the ancient Mayan people.

Which choice is a trusted source for the information needed?

• A magazine article called “Empires of the Past:  the Mayans”

• A web page titled “The Mayans” by a sixth-grade class

• A story cousin told him about the Mayans

Kayo’s mom wants to get ready to run in a marathon.  To help, Kayo looked for information on how to train safely.  She found three different sources with the same title, “Training for a Marathon.”

Which would probably be the most reliable?

• an article in a respected fitness magazine

• an advertisement for running shoes

• an interview with a movie star who runs

The bongo is a large antelope that lives in African rain forests.  Both male and female bongos have two spiral-shaped horns on their heads.  The bongo’s body is chestnut-colored with about twelve vertical white stripes.  The bongo has a line of coarse black-and-white hairs that stick up along its spine.  The bongo eats leaves, bushes, and grasses in the thick undergrowth where it lives.

What color is the bongo’s body?

• black-and-white

• solid white

• chestnut

Phil first read all of the facts about each model plane in the show.  Then he looked for the model of the Voyager.  It was the first plane to fly around the world without stopping.  Phil was eager to examine the model.

Who is telling this story?

• someone not in the story

• the pilot of the voyager

• Phil in his own voice

Summers are warmer than winters in the Northern Hemisphere because of the angle of the sunlight.  The Earth tilts on an axis, and the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere leans toward the Sun in the summer.  This makes summer sunlight hit the Northern Hemisphere more directly than winter sunlight.  The Earth’s atmosphere interferes less with this direct summer sunlight, so the Sun’s energy doesn’t scatter.  That energy concentrates on one location throughout a long summer day, making the temperature rise.

What makes summers warmer than winters in the Northern Hemisphere?

• Summer sunlight contains more energy than winter sunlight.

• The Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun in the Summer.

• Long Summer days make sunlight strike the Northern Hemisphere.

Angie dragged the canoe onto the gravel shore of the island and helped her granddaughter disembark.

Angie’s own grandmother had first taken Angie to stay at the cottage here decades ago.  The two had spent flawless days, picnicking and exploring the forested areas.  Angie’s grandmother had identified every wildflower, and with her coaching, Angie had memorized their names too.

Now, I’m holding her granddaughter’s small hand in her own, Angie pointed out a particularly beautiful orchid.  “This is called a pink lady’s slipper,” Angie told her.

What is the effect of the flashback in this passage?

• It creates a sense of foreboding about what might happen on the island.

• It adds emotional depth to Angie’s interactions with her granddaughter.

• It provides details about the challenges Angie has overcome in the past.

If you hope to compete in the City Summer Games, review the entry requirements.  Start by visiting the organization’s website.  Scan the list of events and locate the one in which you excel.  Read the basic guidelines, particularly the minimum age requirements.  Next, follow the link to the rules about required achievement levels and read them carefully.  If you qualify, complete the registration form and submit it electronically.

Why is the information on age restrictions presented before the information on minimum achievement levels?

• Achievement levels are listed next to emphasize their importance.

• Participants must meet minimum age requirements to proceed.

• Presenting the age information first makes it easier to find.