Quarter 3 Skill Review

The Baseball's History

The modern baseball has come a long way from early baseballs. In the 1840s and 1850s, pitchers often made their own balls by hand. One of the most popular balls of the time was known as the "lemon peel" ball. The lemon peel ball was composed of a single piece of leather wrapped around a core with four lines of stitching. Today's Major League baseball must measure between 9 and 9.25 inches and weigh between 5 and 5.25 ounces. However, there were no standards for lemon peel balls, which were generally smaller and lighter than today's balls. While today's official ball must be white and stitched with waxed red thread, the lemon peel ball was often a dark brown leather and had a variety of stitching colors.

What is the main, or central, idea of the passage?

• The lemon peel ball was one of the most popular early baseballs.

• The lemon peel baseball was made of one piece of leather with four lines of stitching.

• Today's baseball is quite different from early balls such as the lemon peel.

Roach Robots to the Rescue

When buildings collapse, it is extremely difficult to safely locate and rescue people trapped inside. Victims may be wedged into small spaces, and unstable rubble could collapse on rescue workers. An alternative to human rescue workers may be robotic cockroaches. Real cockroaches are protected by strong yet flexible exoskeletons. They can also flatten their bodies through tiny cracks. A robotics researcher from Harvard University and a biomechanics expert from the University of California, Berkeley, were inspired to create mini robots that have the same features. The roach robots can squeeze through small spaces and skitter over unstable environments. Fitted with cameras and microphones, they could be used in disasters to locate victims.

What is the main, or central, idea of the passage?

• Inspired by the strength and quickness of cockroaches, researchers created robots with the same characteristics.

• It is dangerous to search inside collapsed buildings, but cockroach-like robots can go places where human searchers can't or shouldn't.

• Cockroach-like robots can fit through small cracks and move through unstable rubble.

Going the Distance

Riya spent the first week of high school trying to keep her head above water. She was overwhelmed by the huge building. She decided that she would memorize where her classes were and then pretend that the rest of the place didn't exist. All the different hallways and wings were too much to think about, let alone commit to memory.

In P.E., Coach Wallace sent her reeling when he announced that everyone had to run one mile around the track outside.

Riya searched the faces of her classmates for signs of panic. There was nothing she dreaded more than having to run a whole mile. To Riya, a mile was used to describe long distances. It was ten miles to her grandfather's house, and that always seemed like a long way, even in a car!

When Coach Wallace blew his whistle, Riya figured she would be left in the dust. However, while some of her classmates edged ahead, others actually lagged behind. It's just the beginning, she thought. I'll come in last for sure.

Riya started using a mind trick on herself. She stopped thinking about the word mile. Instead, she focused on reaching the shadow cast on the track by an oak tree up ahead. Then she concentrated on jogging to the spot where the track curved. After that, she tried to see if she could complete her first lap. One lap turned into two, then three, then four. When Coach Wallace gave her a high five and said, "Nice work," Riya was shocked. She never would have guessed that she had just run a whole mile.

As Riya walked back to the school building after P.E., she noticed that she felt less overwhelmed by its size. Maybe she would come to know the place, one lap at a time.

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

• Confidence can take you farther than your ability can.

• Try not to measure yourself against other people.

• Goals are easier to achieve in small steps.

Going the Distance

Riya spent the first week of high school trying to keep her head above water. She was overwhelmed by the huge building. She decided that she would memorize where her classes were and then pretend that the rest of the place didn't exist. All the different hallways and wings were too much to think about, let alone commit to memory.

In P.E., Coach Wallace sent her reeling when he announced that everyone had to run one mile around the track outside.

Riya searched the faces of her classmates for signs of panic. There was nothing she dreaded more than having to run a whole mile. To Riya, a mile was used to describe long distances. It was ten miles to her grandfather's house, and that always seemed like a long way, even in a car!

When Coach Wallace blew his whistle, Riya figured she would be left in the dust. However, while some of her classmates edged ahead, others actually lagged behind. It's just the beginning, she thought. I'll come in last for sure.

Riya started using a mind trick on herself. She stopped thinking about the word mile. Instead, she focused on reaching the shadow cast on the track by an oak tree up ahead. Then she concentrated on jogging to the spot where the track curved. After that, she tried to see if she could complete her first lap. One lap turned into two, then three, then four. When Coach Wallace gave her a high five and said, "Nice work," Riya was shocked. She never would have guessed that she had just run a whole mile.

As Riya walked back to the school building after P.E., she noticed that she felt less overwhelmed by its size. Maybe she would come to know the place, one lap at a time.

Select the quotation from the story that most strongly suggests that the theme is Goals are easier to achieve in small steps.

• She stopped thinking about the word mile. Instead she focused on reaching the shadow cast on the track by an oak tree up ahead.

• As Riya walked back to the school building after P.E., she noticed that she felt less overwhelmed by its size.

• There was nothing she dreaded more than having to run a whole mile. To Riya, a mile was used to describe long distances.

Use the text to compare and contrast DC and AC.

In the late 1880s, inventors Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison were competing with each other. Edison had developed direct current (DC), which is current that runs in a single direction. At that time, direct current was the standard form of electricity in the United States. Tesla, however, had developed alternating current (AC), which reverses direction. As opposed to DC, which cannot be easily converted to lower or higher voltages, AC can be converted to different voltages with a transformer. Edison didn't want to lose money on his DC patents, so he spread false information suggesting that AC was dangerous. Over the years, though, AC won out as the method of choice. Today, AC—not DC—provides the majority of our electricity.​

Which one was developed by Edison?

• DC

• AC

Use the text to compare and contrast DC and AC.

In the late 1880s, inventors Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison were competing with each other. Edison had developed direct current (DC), which is current that runs in a single direction. At that time, direct current was the standard form of electricity in the United States. Tesla, however, had developed alternating current (AC), which reverses direction. As opposed to DC, which cannot be easily converted to lower or higher voltages, AC can be converted to different voltages with a transformer. Edison didn't want to lose money on his DC patents, so he spread false information suggesting that AC was dangerous. Over the years, though, AC won out as the method of choice. Today, AC—not DC—provides the majority of our electricity.

Which one runs in a single direction.

• DC

• AC

Use the text to compare and contrast DC and AC.

In the late 1880s, inventors Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison were competing with each other. Edison had developed direct current (DC), which is current that runs in a single direction. At that time, direct current was the standard form of electricity in the United States. Tesla, however, had developed alternating current (AC), which reverses direction. As opposed to DC, which cannot be easily converted to lower or higher voltages, AC can be converted to different voltages with a transformer. Edison didn't want to lose money on his DC patents, so he spread false information suggesting that AC was dangerous. Over the years, though, AC won out as the method of choice. Today, AC—not DC—provides the majority of our electricity.

Which one can be easily converted to different voltages?

• DC

• AC

Use the text to compare and contrast DC and AC.

In the late 1880s, inventors Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison were competing with each other. Edison had developed direct current (DC), which is current that runs in a single direction. At that time, direct current was the standard form of electricity in the United States. Tesla, however, had developed alternating current (AC), which reverses direction. As opposed to DC, which cannot be easily converted to lower or higher voltages, AC can be converted to different voltages with a transformer. Edison didn't want to lose money on his DC patents, so he spread false information suggesting that AC was dangerous. Over the years, though, AC won out as the method of choice. Today, AC—not DC—provides the majority of our electricity.

Which one provides most electricity today?

• DC

• AC

Use the text to compare and contrast yogurt and sour cream.

For thousands of years, humans have been eating fermented foods, or foods that have undergone special chemical changes. Sour cream and yogurt are two well known fermented foods. Sour cream originates from Eastern Europe and appears in many traditional dishes there. By contrast, yogurt features prominently in Middle Eastern cuisine. Yogurt is high in protein compared to sour cream and contains lots of vitamins. Yogurt is often consumed by itself as a snack or even as a drink. Sour cream, however, is traditionally used to flavor other foods. It is made from cream, and it has a very high fat content. Its sourness comes from bacteria that are added to the cream. These bacteria give sour cream its tangy flavor and thickness. Bacteria are also responsible for yogurt's flavor and texture.

Which one(s) undergo fermentation or undergoes special chemical changes?

• Yogurt

• Sour Cream

Use the text to compare and contrast yogurt and sour cream.

For thousands of years, humans have been eating fermented foods, or foods that have undergone special chemical changes. Sour cream and yogurt are two well known fermented foods. Sour cream originates from Eastern Europe and appears in many traditional dishes there. By contrast, yogurt features prominently in Middle Eastern cuisine. Yogurt is high in protein compared to sour cream and contains lots of vitamins. Yogurt is often consumed by itself as a snack or even as a drink. Sour cream, however, is traditionally used to flavor other foods. It is made from cream, and it has a very high fat content. Its sourness comes from bacteria that are added to the cream. These bacteria give sour cream its tangy flavor and thickness. Bacteria are also responsible for yogurt's flavor and texture.

Which one is frequently used in Middle Eastern dishes?

• Yogurt

• Sour Cream