Review Themes and inferences

A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep that were protected by the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been shaved and thrown aside, so it put in on over its own fur and strolled down among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing. So, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, and for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep and enjoying hearty meals.

What possible theme does this text convey?

• A. Wolves are very creative and sneaky.

• B. Good cannot always overcome evil.

• C. Hunger can drive animals to do crazy things.

• D. Appearances can be deceptive.

King Midas wants more and more gold and is finally granted his wish: Everything he touches will turn to gold. The Midas touch! He is ecstatic, as even the flowers become gold under his powerful touch. Unfortunately, when King Midas touches his daughter, she turns into a gold statue, and it is at that moment he realizes that all the gold in the world does not compare to his daughter or her love.

What is the theme of this passage?

• A. Gold is worth more than love.

• B. Golden statues are expensive.

• C. Be careful what you wish for.

• Mr. White found a gold nugget in his backyard, that's why he buy's McDonalds sometimes.

Tina was not in the mood to be helping her Mom paint her bedroom.However, her mom told her that if she wanted hot pink bedroom walls, she

would have to help. The main problem was that Tina’s mom was such a perfectionist that it would take forever! Tina asked if they could split the room in half, with each of them painting two walls. To her surprise, her Mom agreed!

Tina didn’t waste any time with her two walls. Except for a couple of mistakes where her roller of paint hit the ceiling, she was pleased with how nice her two walls of wet paint looked. Her mom, who was just finishing her first wall, told her she could go to a movie with her friend as promised.

After the movie, Tina invited her friend to see her new hot pink colored room. When she walked in, she couldn’t believe what she saw. In front of her were two

walls that looked just as she had imagined they would; those were the two walls her mom had painted. The two walls she had painted, though, didn’t look so hot. Instead

of being a bright solid pink, she saw a lot of areas where she did not use enough paint, so bits of the previous white wall color showed through. Tina couldn’t deny the fact that she would have to apply another coat of paint to the walls she had done.

What is a theme of this passage?

• A. Splitting the room in half can be a good way to tackle a painting job.

• B. It’s better to do things right the first time.

• C. If you have a good suggestion, adults will agree with it.

• D. Painting a room can be a time-consuming task.

It was still dark when the school bus pulled out of the school parking lot. Most of the students inside rested their heads against the windows, trying to fall asleep. The students had an hour ride ahead of them, and they weren't used to getting up that early.

When they pulled into the parking lot of their destination, the Washington Natural History Museum, the sun was above the trees, revealing a beautiful spring morning. The students looked out at the enormous building they were about to enter. Energy flowed through their bodies and took away the last traces of sleepiness.

Joel and Manuel headed together into the prehistoric portion of the museum. Here, the fossilized skeleton of a gigantic Tyrannosaurus rex towered overhead. Manuel felt how the beast could have eaten him in one bite. A large, winged pterodactyl hung from the ceiling. It could have swooped down and carried him off as easily as he carried his notebook.

The sun was beating down when the students left the museum. The temperature had climbed, warming up the day considerably. The energy the students received by being in such an exciting and interesting place slowly began to leak away. Each student climbed back onto the bus, ready again to sleep during the return trip home.

Which of these statements best describes the way the setting makes Manuel feel when he and Joel are in the prehistoric portion of the museum?

• A. It makes him feel important.

• B. It makes him feel angry.

• C. It makes him feel bored.

• D. It makes him feel small.

Bryan lay in bed, very sick, with a thermometer extending from his mouth and a cool, wet rag resting on his forehead. The curtains were drawn shut, but because they were thin, sunlight still streamed into the room. Bryan's eyes ached from the glare. His mother was running a humidifier in the room, causing the air to be thick and wet. Bryan was sure this air was much harder to breathe than normal air, but his mom insisted. She had rubbed mentholated gel under his nose and on his chest, and the vapors made him nauseous. I can't take it, Bryan thought to himself. I'm going to have to do something!

Bryan's mother walked into the room and withdrew the thermometer from his mouth. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Better," Bryan replied, trying to smile. "Think I'll be ready to go to school after lunch!"

Based on information in the selection, the reader can tell that the story takes place

• A. at midnight.

• B. in the morning.

• C. after lunch.

• D. in the evening.

Every four years, February has an extra day.  When this happens, it is called Leap Year.  But even with the extra day, February is still the shortest month of the year.  Some months, like June and November, have 30 days.  Other months like March and August, have 31 days. It is likely that:

• February has longer days

• February has less than 30 days

• February has more than 31 days

• February stinks it's too cold

Q. Amy opened the door to the bathroom. “What is that dripping sound? Why is the carpet wet and squishy all around the bathtub? The rest of the carpet is dry. Oh no!” What is the problem?

• The TV is broken.

• The bathtub is overflowing.

• There is no soap in the bathroom.

• The stove was left turned on.

Which of these is an inference that can be supported by the passage above? Tony was delighted to see the pavement disappearing under the attack of the bulldozers. The more park, the better, he thought. His delight gradually turned to concern, however, when it became clear that the construction workers were also laying the forms for new pavement, much more pavement than had been there before.  Which of the following can you infer from the passage above?   

• Tony was in the construction business.

   

• Tony enjoyed spending time in the park.

• Tony was an avid environmentalist.

• Tony was in the construction business.