Compare and Contrast

Question 1 .

Passage 1 The Ship      Lily looked at the broken down, grounded ship at the edge of the beach with fascination. It looked about a 100 years old. Lily walked toward the ship, and every now and then turned to check if her parents were still visible at the window in the distance. Her parents were busy unpacking, and Lily had felt like exploring the beach, so with her parent's permission, she decided to go for a walk. She had been feeling bored, so she had begun to run toward the ship. Now, she wondered whether she should have asked her mom or dad to tag along.      The closer she got to the ship, the scarier it looked. There was a large hole in the side of the ship, and Lily looked inside through it. It was dark and cold, and she could barely see anything. Lily began to wish that she had not gone there alone.      Suddenly, she felt a movement inside the ship and noticed a glowing object in the corner. A terrified Lily jumped in fear and ran back to the hotel to her parents. She should never have tried to play the little daredevil!

Passage 2 The Basement      Michael and Eli carefully walked down the stairs to the basement of their house. Michael could barely remember the time he had last gone down there. But earlier that day, as the two brothers were playing in the living room, they had begun to hear strange noises coming from the basement. After a while, they had decided to go and find out the source of the noise.      Michael knew he should have asked his dad to come along, but he was busy upstairs in his study. Michael also had to make sure his brother Eli did not get too excited in the dark basement.      Suddenly, there was a loud crash and the two saw a bunch of metal cans rolling on the floor. Eli screamed in fear and grabbed Michael's sleeve. It could simply be a rat, Michael thought nervously. It was too dark to see, and Eli began tugging on Michael's sleeve to get him out of the basement. Michael thought it would be best to wait till their dad finished his work and then go find out what was happening in the basement. It would not be safe to uncover the strange mystery of the basement without being prepared.

How are the topics of the stories alike?

• Both stories have a sense of adventure and are about children misbehaving when they are alone

• Both stories have a sense of mystery and describe a child going to explore a mysterious place.

• Both stories have a sense of mystery and are about children setting out on a long journey.

• Both stories have a sense of adventure and describe a child stumbling upon an old object.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.9

CCSS.RI.5.7

CCSS.RL.4.7

CCSS.RL.5.7

CCSS.RL.6.9

Question 2 .

Passage 1

adapted from The Dog by Francis C. Woodworth

     The family sailed down the river in their boat, along with their dog, Nero. Everyone was happy and excited. Little Ellen stretched her hand out to reach for a lily. Suddenly, she lost her balance and fell into the river! No one was watching except for Nero. As soon as he saw her fall, he jumped into the water. He went right to the bottom of the river and found little Ellen. Taking hold of her clothes with his teeth, he pulled her up to the surface. Much to the family’s joy, Nero had saved Ellen!

Passage 2

adapted from Stories About Animals by Francis C. Woodworth

     One day, a girl was playing with a child on Carlisle Bridge in Dublin. As they were playing, the child suddenly jumped from the girl’s arms and fell into the river. The nurse who had come with the children screamed in horror. Everyone who saw what happened believed that the child had drowned. A Newfoundland dog was passing by with his master at that same moment. When he saw the child fall, he jumped into the river. The child sunk below the water and the dog swam around the same spot. As soon as the child rose to the surface again, the dog grabbed him gently and brought him to land.

Select all the correct answers.

Which two ideas are found in both stories?

• Most accidents happen near water.

• Little children can be careless.

• Dogs are obedient and only act as directed.

• Dogs are faithful to their human owners.

• Dogs are intelligent animals and helpful in times of danger.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.9

CCSS.RI.5.7

CCSS.RL.4.7

CCSS.RL.5.7

CCSS.RL.6.9

Question 3 .

Passage 1 a retelling of King Solomon and the Bee      King Solomon was believed to be one of the wisest kings in the world. The king knew so much about animals, plants, and trees that it seemed as if he understood them just like he understood his subjects.      The Queen of Sheba came to hear about his amazing wisdom and said, "I am going to test his knowledge to see if he is really wise."      She chose some clover blossoms and asked an artist to make them in wax. When the wax flowers were created, they seemed so real that even the queen could not tell the difference. She then took the real flowers, as well as the wax flowers, to the king.       She asked, "Oh king, please tell me which flowers are real without touching them."      The king was unsure at first. He then saw a bee buzzing outside the window, and he felt that the bee had come to help him. He asked the courtier to open the window. Very soon the bee landed on the real flowers. The queen was speechless and bowed to the king for his wisdom.

Passage 2 a retelling of King Solomon and the Anthill      King Solomon was traveling with the Queen of Sheba back to her kingdom along with his courtiers. The courtiers, dressed in silver and gold, looked beautiful riding their white horses. As they were traveling, the king saw an anthill in their path. King Solomon turned his horse and ordered his courtiers to avoid the anthill and keep them from harm.      The king said, "Every form of nature is precious, and we need to take care of them."      The anthill remained safe, and they rode on. The queen was impressed by King Solomon's modesty, as she expected him to be proud and unconcerned. She did not expect him to care for the tiny ants.      She stated, "Your people are fortunate that they have such a wise and caring king. A person who cares for the helpless is truly noble. I shall remember this event forever."

How are the passages different?

• "King Solomon and the Bee" is about King Solomon showing his love for animals, while "King Solomon and the Anthill" is about King Solomon showing his love for ants.

• "King Solomon and the Bee" is about King Solomon showing his knowledge about trees, while "King Solomon and the Anthill" is about King Solomon showing his interest in traveling.

• "King Solomon and the Bee" is about King Solomon seeking help from a bee, while "King Solomon and the Anthill" is about King Solomon saving a colony of ants from being destroyed.

• "King Solomon and the Bee" is about King Solomon showing his knowledge about wax flowers, while "King Solomon and the Anthill" is about King Solomon showing his understanding about horses.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.9

CCSS.RI.5.7

CCSS.RL.4.7

CCSS.RL.5.7

CCSS.RL.6.9

Question 4 .

Passage 1 The Race      Jimmy was nervous about his upcoming school race. Every boy in his class was good at running races, while he was a scrawny little fellow. One day, he told his mother sadly, "I am not good at running races. I lost the race last year." At this, Jimmy's mother said kindly, "We will try something different this year then. How about I help you train for the race?" Jimmy accepted this offer.      From that day, Jimmy and his mother trained for two hours every evening. Apart from running, Jimmy's mother also made him do many exercises. These training exercises made him very tired, but he worked hard. Jimmy hoped that he would make his mother proud by winning the race.      Finally the day of the race dawned, and Jimmy ran at the speed of light! He easily won the race. He was thankful that his mother had pushed him hard and helped him to give his best.

Passage 2 The Test      Maria was from Cuba, and her dream was to go to Canada to study architecture. She had scored well on her exams. However, to study in Canada, Maria needed to pass a test on English grammar.      She could understand English, but she was not sure if she knew English grammar well. She told her father about her fears. "Dad, I'm afraid I'm going to lose my chance to go to Canada because of my poor English."      Maria's father encouraged her, and told her to not lose hope. He got Maria English language beginners' books and CDs to read and listen to the language. Maria spent hours every day and night trying to understand the basics of English grammar. When she finally passed the test, she thought, All those sleepless nights were totally worth it.

How are the stories different?

• The first story highlights the importance of helping others, while the second story highlights the importance of taking care of oneself

• The first story describes how children struggle to play sports, while the second story describes how children struggle to score good grades.

• The first story focuses on an argument between a mother and son, while the second story focuses on a meeting between a father and daughter.

• The first story is about a boy who trains hard to win a race, while the second story is about a Cuban girl who studies hard to pass an English test.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.9

CCSS.RI.5.7

CCSS.RL.4.7

CCSS.RL.5.7

CCSS.RL.6.9

Question 5 .

Passage 1      Daniel heard a lion cub crying.      “What’s wrong?” he said.      The lion showed Daniel his paw. A thorn was stuck in it. Daniel grabbed the thorn and pulled it from the lion’s paw. The cub licked Daniel.      Years later, Daniel got in trouble with some men. They locked Daniel in a prison. They decided to feed him to a lion.      Daniel was frightened. He tried to be brave. The guards threw him into the lion’s cage. The lion walked to Daniel and licked him.      It was the lion that Daniel helped before. The guards were amazed. They freed Daniel.

Passage 2      Chester Mouse wanted cheese. He went to visit Henry Mouse.      He saw Henry storing food for the winter. Chester saw a piece of cheese in the corner!      “Let me help you,” Chester said.      “Thanks,” said Henry. They worked together.      “How can I thank you?” Henry asked after they finished.      “Will you share that cheese with me?” Chester asked.      “No, I cannot,” Henry said. “It is on a trap!”      Chester ran for the cheese.      Snap! That was the end of Chester.

What is the main difference between Daniel and Chester Mouse?

• Both of them lose their lives at the end of the story.

• Neither one is a very good friend.

• Chester has no food for anyone, and Daniel has plenty to eat.

• Daniel does a good deed out of kindness, but Chester does a good deed out of selfishness.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.9

CCSS.RI.5.7

CCSS.RI.6.7

CCSS.RL.4.7

CCSS.RL.5.7