Stars and Constellations

1.       Reread pages 8-11. What is the central idea of this chapter?

a.        Before starlight can travel to the earth, it passes through many clouds of gas and dust.

b.       Stars are huge clumps of hot dust and gas that are held together by gravity.

c.        Although the sun is almost 100 million miles away from Earth, it is our nearest star and provides energy to us.

d.       Different constellations can be seen at different times of night and during different seasons of the year.

• a

• b

• c

• d

2.       Which detail best supports the central idea of pages 8-11?

a.       Everything would freeze, and nothing would be able to survive.

b.       The earth is always moving through space, so every night we see a different part of the sky.

c.        Even though the sun is our nearest star, it is almost 100 million miles away.

d.       Stars do not actually go away in the daytime. The sky is just too bright to see them.

• a

• b

• c

• d

3.       According to the inset on page 17, what makes stars look as if they are twinkling?

a.       The planets are brighter than stars because they are closer to the earth.

b.       Before starlight can travel to the earth, it passes through many clouds of gas and dust.

c.        Meteors travel so fast through outer space that they catch fire when they get close to Earth.

d.       Our solar system is made up of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and meteors that all orbit the sun.

• a

• b

• c

• d

4.       According to the caption on page 15, what is an astronomer?

a.       An astronomer is a scientist who studies planets and stars.

b.       Astronomers once used constellations to map the night sky.

c.        Astronomers looked to the constellations to guide their ships across the oceans.

d.       Astronomers are tube-shaped devices that a person can look through to see things far away.

• a

• b

• c

• d

5.       What do the photographs on page 6 add to the text?

a.       The photographs show the reader that stars can be different colors.

b.       The photographs show the reader that some stars are close enough to be seen by people on a clear night.

c.        The photograph shows the reader that some glowing things in the sky are actually planets.

d.       The photographs show the reader that planets reflect the light of the sun and look a lot like stars.

• a

• b

• c

• d

6.       Which of the following text features would not help you find out what a meteor is?

a.       Table of Contents

b.       Index

c.        Glossary

d.       Bold Words

• a

• b

• c

• d

7.       What is the author’s purpose in writing “Stars and Constellations”?

a.       The author wrote to inform the reader what stars are and how they are important.

b.       The author wrote to compare stars and constellations.

c.       The author wrote to persuade the reader to become an astronomer.

d.       The author wrote to describe the brightness and temperature of stars.

• a

• b

• c

• d