ELA 6th grade review

Midwestern Cheeses

A majority of the cheesemaking plants in the United States are located in the Midwest; Wisconsin alone boasts more than one hundred creameries. Some cheese experts claim the best cheese made in America comes from this region. Why are Midwestern cheeses so good? One reason is that grass grows well there, so cows can graze year-round. The milk of grass-fed cows has a distinctive, earthy flavor. In addition, limestone rock is prevalent in the Midwest. When water flows through limestone, the limestone filters iron out of the water, resulting in a sweeter taste. Cows drink this water and eat grass nourished by the water, so they produce sweeter milk.

What is the main idea of this passage?

• Because grass grows well in the Midwest, cows' milk from the region has a distinctive taste.

• Because of the conditions in the Midwest, cheeses produced there have a distinctive, sweet taste.

• When water is filtered through limestone, it has a sweet taste.

• There are more than 100 creameries in Wisconsin.

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CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

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CCSS.RL.7.2

Bee Stings: The Aftermath

You don't have to have a life-threatening allergy to have a negative response to bee stings. Many people experience uncomfortable itching and swelling when stung. But are such reactions merely an annoyance, or might they serve a purpose? Several years ago, researchers who study the immune system wanted to find out. To do this, they injected a group of mice with bee venom. Some of the mice had allergic reactions (such as swelling) to the venom, and others did not. Three weeks later, the researchers injected the same mice with venom for a second time—this time with a dose so large it could be deadly. They found that the mice who had previously had allergic reactions to the venom were much more likely to survive the potentially lethal dose.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• Researchers found that mild allergic reactions may help prevent severe reactions to the same allergen in the future.

• Researchers found that bee venom causes allergic reactions in some mice, but not in others.

• Researchers found that allergic reactions to bee venom can be as mild as swelling or as severe as death.

• Bee stings only hurt if you are allergic to bees.

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CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

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CCSS.RL.7.2

Read both texts:

Text 1: Lobsters at times have been considered both expensive delicacies and disgusting "poor man's protein." When settlers first arrived in North America, they saw lobsters washed onto shore in piles over two feet high in places. They were so plentiful that they were fed to prisoners and used as fertilizer. Then, in the 1800s, canned lobster became popular, making fresh lobster a gourmet food and driving lobster prices up. Today, lobster remains a luxury food item.

Text 2: In Norway, eating smalahove, or sheep's head, is a tradition that has changed over time. Centuries ago, salted and boiled sheep's head was a simple home-cooked food eaten so that no part of the animal would go to waste. It was often served the last Sunday before Christmas, with the more desirable parts of the sheep being saved for Christmas dinner. Nowadays, while some Norwegians still serve smalahove for special occasions, others just leave it for tourists who are looking for something authentically Norwegian.

• As cultures change, so can their views on foods, like lobster and smalahove.

• Smalahove and lobsters are traditional foods that are used primarily in holiday celebrations.

• Sheep's head is not as delicious as lobster.

• Tourists and prisoners will eat anything.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.7

CCSS.RI.6.7

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CCSS.RL.6.9

CCSS.RL.7.7

Read the two texts.

Text 1: During World War II, Britain suffered through the Blitz, a German bombing attack that lasted for eight straight months. In response to nighttime air raids, the government required citizens to turn off all outdoor lights and put blackout curtains on windows. This made it harder for German aircraft to target areas to drop their bombs. Air raid shelters were also set up in public places and assembled in backyards. When the air raid siren sounded, people hurried into shelters for safety.

Text 2: When German forces began bombing raids in Britain during World War II, the British quickly realized they would need to get creative in order to protect their cities. They set out decoy airfields on open land far from crowded cities. Fake aircraft, dummy fuel tanks, and old vehicles made the areas look like real airfields from the air. Large painted canvases were even laid out to resemble hangars. The goal was to encourage the Germans to drop their bombs on the decoy sites rather than on populated areas.

Which sentence best combines the main ideas of both texts?

• Germans blacked out cities and created decoy airfields to fool the British into attacking the wrong targets on bombing missions.

• Air raid sirens were a common occurrence in Britain during the Blitz, signaling people to head for shelter from German bombing attacks.

• The lights at British airfields were often turned off to protect citizens from the bombs dropped from German aircraft during the Blitz.

• During World War II, Britain responded to German bombings by enforcing nightly blackouts, setting up air raid shelters, and building decoy sites as fake targets.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.7

CCSS.RI.6.7

CCSS.RL.5.7

CCSS.RL.6.9

CCSS.RL.7.7

Read the two texts.

Text 1: Harold and Fayard Nicholas were a dynamic dance duo known as the Nicholas Brothers who became one of the greatest dance acts of all time. These African American brothers performed in theaters in Philadelphia in the 1920s while they were still children. In the 1930s and '40s, their dancing, which combined jazz, tap, ballet, and acrobatics, led them to perform in several movie musicals. Later, they used their skills to teach dance to other well-known performers, such as singer Michael Jackson.

Text 2: The Nicholas Brothers were dance legends of stage and screen. Of particular note was their performance in the musical film Stormy Weather. Their dazzling footwork and acrobatic stunts thrilled viewers. One of their signature moves was leapfrogging over each other down a staircase. Another famous move was both brothers landing in a synchronized split and rising up again—without using their hands. Their high energy and creativity led the famous dancer Fred Astaire to call their performance in Stormy Weather the best dance he had ever seen on film.

Which sentence best combines the main ideas of both texts?

• Although the Nicholas Brothers were known for their dazzling footwork and onstage acrobatics, they struggled to make the transition to movie musicals.

• The Nicholas Brothers made their first film appearance in the movie musical Stormy Weather, in which they leapfrogged down a staircase.

• To share their gift for jazz, tap, ballet, and acrobatics, the Nicholas Brothers taught dance moves to other entertainers, such as Michael Jackson.

• On stage and in films like Stormy Weather, the Nicholas Brothers thrilled audiences with their combination of different dance styles and exciting acrobatics.

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Select the quotation below that most strongly suggests that the theme is: Take care of your belongings or be prepared to lose them.

• After lots of hard work and saving, Anaya finally got a new phone.

• Every time she got up, she looked around to see what she had left behind.

• "I vacuumed your phone! It was on the floor in the living room," he said.

• She browsed on her phone for a minute before noticing that the battery was low.

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CCSS.RL.4.2

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CCSS.RL.7.2

Pride of Ownership

Anaya opened the door and stepped into the backyard, carrying a glass of water and her phone. She went to her favorite chair and found the book she had been reading. It lay on the seat.

She picked it up and groaned. It was soaking wet from the rain. Anaya knew, from experience, that it would become stiff and crinkly from being wet. She tossed it aside and sat down with a sigh.

She browsed on her phone for a minute before noticing that the battery was low.

"Dad? Do you know where my charger is?" Anaya called.

"No, Anaya," her dad replied from inside. "You need to keep track of your stuff."

Anaya went inside to look for the charger. She finally found it in the living room and plugged in her phone, leaving it under the coffee table.

Later, as Anaya was getting ready to go out, her brother knocked on her door. He held up her phone, an anguished look on his face.

"I vacuumed your phone! It was on the floor in the living room," he said. "I didn't see it."

Anaya took the phone and inspected it. The screen was cracked, and half the display was gone. Her dad said that she would have to use her own money to replace her phone if anything happened to it again.

Saving up for a new phone was hard for Anaya—so hard that she started a new system. Every time she got up, she looked around to see what she had left behind. Then she would put it away immediately. After lots of hard work and saving, Anaya finally got a new phone.

It was the last phone she got for a long time.

Which of the following best describes the main theme or lesson of the story?

• Be careful with other people's belongings.

• Take care of your belongings or be prepared to lose them.

• When you're upset, you make those around you upset as well.

• You can't count on other people to solve your problems.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

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CCSS.RL.8.2

The Injustice of It All

Oscar came home from school and threw his backpack on the floor. "I am quitting the play," he announced. He plopped onto the couch, fuming.

Lucas, his older brother, looked up from the kitchen table. "What happened?" Lucas asked.

"Ms. Terino. She just doesn't like me. Evan got the lead role! But of course he did. He's such a teacher's pet."

"Why don't you think the teacher likes you?"

"She made a whole big show of sighing and looking down at her watch when I walked in only, like, three minutes after the auditions started. And last week, I guess I was talking when she was talking. So she stopped talking and looked at me. And then everyone else looked at me. I was so embarrassed," Oscar ranted.

Lucas shook his head. "Well—"

"And Evan sang a really easy song for his audition," Oscar interrupted. "Anyone could have nailed that song. I picked a hard song. So what if I messed up the second verse and had to start over once or twice?"

Lucas stared at him, one eyebrow raised.

"But it was hard!" Oscar insisted, palms turned up as if in appeal to the heavens.

Lucas waited to make sure Oscar was done. "So you're saying you didn't get the part because you showed up late, disrupted class, and chose a song for your audition that you didn't learn well enough?"

Oscar threw his hands up. "What's your point?"

Which of the following best describes the main theme or lesson of the story?

• Good things often happen to people who don't deserve them.

• If something doesn't go your way, you deserve to know why.

• Complaining may feel good but doesn't actually change anything.

• People are tempted to blame their mistakes on others.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

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CCSS.RL.7.2

Members of Winchester Fire and Rescue freed eight young ducklings from a storm drain early Tuesday morning. The firefighters responded to an anonymous call that ducklings were trapped below a storm grate near the intersection of North Main and Garden Court. When the crew arrived, they noticed a mother duck circling the storm grate. Eight ducklings were then found trapped below it. The firefighters worked quickly to remove the grate, free the ducklings, and reunite the family.

Which author's purpose is suggested by the text?

• to explain the process of rescuing ducklings

• to inform readers about the location of the storm grate

• to inform readers about the duckling rescue

• to entertain readers with a funny story

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CCSS.RI.6.6

CCSS.RI.6.9

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SAME TEXT:

Members of Winchester Fire and Rescue freed eight young ducklings from a storm drain early Tuesday morning. The firefighters responded to an anonymous call that ducklings were trapped below a storm grate near the intersection of North Main and Garden Court. When the crew arrived, they noticed a mother duck circling the storm grate. Eight ducklings were then found trapped below it. The firefighters worked quickly to remove the grate, free the ducklings, and reunite the family.

Which best shows that the author's purpose is to inform readers about the duckling rescue?

• The author credits an anonymous caller with reporting the situation.

• The author provides details about when, where, and how the ducklings were rescued.

• The author mentions that the crew noticed a mother duck circling the storm grate.

• The author appeals to the reader's emotions with phrases like free the ducklings and reunite the family

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CCSS.RI.6.9

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6