STAAR Context Clues #1

"Jordan Reeves was born with a disability. Hey left arm stops just above her elbow. She doesn't let this difference hold her back, and she is proud of being different. She found a way to help other kids feel the same way!"

The word difference in paragraph 1 means-

• Not the same

• A disagreement

• The answer to a subtraction problem

• Less in value

"Life isn't always easy for Jordan. People sometimes stare at her, and she finds some activities to be challenging. She sometimes uses a prosthetic arm to help do things like riding a bike."

In the paragraph above, the word prosthetic means-

• A special surgery

• An fake body part

• A special material

• plastic

"Scientists in Georgia recently studied the tongues of housecats and their wild cousins, including lions and tigers. They found that when cats are grooming, claw-shaped spines pop up on their tongues."

Which meaning of the word spines is used in the paragraph?

• A series of bones in the back

• Part of a book that covers the inner edges

• Sharp, pointy parts of an animal

• Mass of lava pouring from a volcano

"Scientist Alexis Noel says it makes sense that cats clean themselves so carefully. In the wild, they have to sneak up on their prey without being detected, or noticed."

Which word or words help the reader understand the meaning of the word detected.

• without

• Sneak up on

• Noticed

• Clean

"Most experts say the Colorado River began to carve out the Grand Canyon about 6 million years ago. The water slowly eroded, or wore away, the rocky ground.

• Wore away

• Rocky ground

• National Park

• Water slowly

"A volcano is a large opening in the ground. Hot melted rock from inside the Earth collects under the opening. During an eruption, the melted rock gushed out."

What does the word eruption mean in paragraph 1?

• A sudden outburst of noise

• A reddish mark on the skin

• Pouring of a substance

• A tooth breaking through the gums

"Lava wasn't the only problem. Dangerous gases were also coming out of the volcano. Thousands of people evacuated their homes. Many went to safer places on the island."

The word evacuated tells the reader that people were-

• Moving away from their homes

• Staying at home

• Running towards the volcano

• Watching the lava flow

"Scientists created a maze for an experiment with elephants in South Africa. When the elephants entered, they were able to sniff out the scents."

What does the word scents mean in paragraph 1?

• Money

• Knowledge

• Smells

• Perfume

"Fire tools have changed a lot since 1890. Some firefighters use high-tech tools like drones. They are like remote controlled helicopters. Firefighters use these machines to take pictures of fires."

Which word help the reader understand the meaning of the word drones?

• High-tech

• Tools

• Machines

• Controlled

"Smokejumpers work to put out fires by flying to a fire and parachuting down to the ground. The flames are not the only hazard they face."

Which word is a synonym for the word hazard used above?

• comfort

• danger

• safety

• job