Key Idea

Read the following Story before answering the question below:

Each year, millions of people come visit the U.S. national parks. In 2014, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park had more visitors than any other. Over 10 million people came to witness its beautiful mountains. Not even the Grand Canyon was as popular as Great Smoky. Less than half as many came to see the giant canyon. Great Smoky has 800 miles of hiking trails that stretch across two states, North Carolina and Tennessee. The park also has over 10,000 species of plants and animals. It has 31 kinds of salamander alone! Bears are also plentiful in the park. Visitors must take care not to disturb them.

One reason the Great Smokies area is so popular is that it is very close to cities. The town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is just a five-minute drive from one of the park's three main entrances. This means visitors can easily take a hike in the park and drive back to the city in one day. However, the downside is that air pollution from the city can be a problem in the park. Even so, it has not stopped millions of people from enjoying the many wonders the park has to offer.

Question: Which key detail in the article supports the main idea?

• Due to the abundance of bears, visitors must be very careful.

• Great Smoky National Park has three main entrances for visitors.

• There are 31 species of salamander in the national park.

• The Grand Canyon only had half as many visitors as Great Smoky.^66

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

Read the following Story before answering the question below:

Each year, millions of people come visit the U.S. national parks. In 2014, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park had more visitors than any other. Over 10 million people came to witness its beautiful mountains. Not even the Grand Canyon was as popular as Great Smoky. Less than half as many came to see the giant canyon. Great Smoky has 800 miles of hiking trails that stretch across two states, North Carolina and Tennessee. The park also has over 10,000 species of plants and animals. It has 31 kinds of salamander alone! Bears are also plentiful in the park. Visitors must take care not to disturb them.

One reason the Great Smokies area is so popular is that it is very close to cities. The town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is just a five-minute drive from one of the park's three main entrances. This means visitors can easily take a hike in the park and drive back to the city in one day. However, the downside is that air pollution from the city can be a problem in the park. Even so, it has not stopped millions of people from enjoying the many wonders the park has to offer.

Question: What is the central idea of this passage?

• Visitors can easily reach Great Smoky National Park from a nearby city.

• Great Smoky National Park is the most popular national park in the country.

• Great Smoky National Park has many species of plants and animals.

• Pollution from nearby cities has a negative effect on Great Smoky park.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Read the following text and answer the following questions:

Carlsbad Caverns National Park has changed since Jim White first explored its caves with his homemade ladder. Today, a person can explore its caves in comfort or, if he or she chooses, do it the way old Jim did. Carlsbad Caverns is one of 118 caves that make up Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It is the most famous and the easiest to explore. Over the years, it has been paved, lit with electric lights, and made wheelchair-friendly. Today, a person can tour its many rooms without even breaking a sweat. Spider Cave is another of the 118 caves, but don’t mistake its level of difficulty. It’s not a leisurely stroll. People who explore Spider Cave will find no lights, no sidewalks, and no mercy. A trip through Spider Cave is a series of tight, dirty crawls followed by high, sweaty climbs. Spider Cave is a limestone maze that gives even experienced cavers trouble! If you’re planning a trip to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, be prepared. You never know what you might get yourself into.

Question:

What details in Paragraph 3 show that Spider Cave is difficult to walk in?

• It is one of the 118 caves in Carlsbad Caverns.

• Even experienced cave explorers have trouble with the cave.

• The space is very tight in the cave.

• There are no lights in the cave.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Read the following text and answer the following questions:

Carlsbad Caverns National Park has changed since Jim White first explored its caves with his homemade ladder. Today, a person can explore its caves in comfort or, if he or she chooses, do it the way old Jim did. Carlsbad Caverns is one of 118 caves that make up Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It is the most famous and the easiest to explore. Over the years, it has been paved, lit with electric lights, and made wheelchair-friendly. Today, a person can tour its many rooms without even breaking a sweat. Spider Cave is another of the 118 caves, but don’t mistake its level of difficulty. It’s not a leisurely stroll. People who explore Spider Cave will find no lights, no sidewalks, and no mercy. A trip through Spider Cave is a series of tight, dirty crawls followed by high, sweaty climbs. Spider Cave is a limestone maze that gives even experienced cavers trouble! If you’re planning a trip to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, be prepared. You never know what you might get yourself into.

Question:

What is the main idea of the article?

• Carlsbad Caverns National Park offers visitors different ways to experience the caves.

• Carlsbad Caverns is one of 118 different caves in Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

• The people who run Carlsbad Caverns do not want visitors to be lost in the dark.

• People who are in good shape are more likely to enjoy a visit to Spider Cave.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Read the following text first before answering the questions below:

Carlsbad Caverns National Park has changed since Jim White first explored its caves with his homemade ladder. Today, a person can explore its caves in comfort or, if he or she chooses, do it the way old Jim did. Carlsbad Caverns is one of 118 caves that make up Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It is the most famous and the easiest to explore. Over the years, it has been paved, lit with electric lights, and made wheelchair-friendly. Today, a person can tour its many rooms without even breaking a sweat. Spider Cave is another of the 118 caves, but don’t mistake its level of difficulty. It’s not a leisurely stroll. People who explore Spider Cave will find no lights, no sidewalks, and no mercy. A trip through Spider Cave is a series of tight, dirty crawls followed by high, sweaty climbs. Spider Cave is a limestone maze that gives even experienced cavers trouble!If you’re planning a trip to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, be prepared. You never know what you might get yourself into.

Question:

Which key details support the main idea of the passage?

• The fact that Carlsbad Caverns is wheelchair-friendly

• The way experienced cavers feel about Spider Cave

• The descriptions of trips through each cave

• The information about Jim White’s explorations

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2