Rising Water

Select two pieces of evidence from the passage that best support the claim that 2008 was 'an unusual year.'

• Rainfall in the region was typically moderate and the city was protected by a system of dams and levees.

• Rainfall exceeded record levels for the month in Iowa and throughout the region.

• Cedar Rapids, the second largest city in Iowa, sits on the Cedar River.

• Volunteers worked quickly to reinforce parts of an earthen levee by building it up with sand bags.

• Some regional rivers, like Cedar River, reported water levels that broke 150-year records.

What is the meaning of the word 'exceeded' as it is used in paragraph 1 of Passage 1?

• put in place

• took part in

• went beyond

• caused changes

Read this sentence from paragraph 3 of 'Rising Water': 'About 10,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes.' Which phrase from the passage helps the reader understand the meaning of evacuate?

• ordered people to leave

• carried away a bridge

• experienced serious destruction

• suffered huge losses

In Passage 2, what evidence does the author provide to support the claim that removing the dams has brought the river area back to life? Select two answers.

• A. "The Elwha and Glines Canyon dams created reservoirs and promoted growth in the area." (paragraph 8)

• B. "The teal-green color and clarity of the Elwha River are returning to normal." (paragraph 10)

• C. "Over 320,000 plants and 6,000 pounds of seed have been planted to revegetate the area." (paragraph 10)

• D. "More birds and elk are moving into the area." (paragraph 10)

• E. "A ban on fishing was extended from 2017 to 2019." (paragraph 11)

Read this sentence from paragraph 10 of "A Wild River": "New trails are open, and visitors can relish views of the changing river." What is the meaning of relish?

• A. taste

• B. enjoy

• C. describe

• D. improve

In Passage 2, which sentence supports the claim that removing two dams changed the Elwha River area?

• A. "As the United States grew and expanded westward in the mid-1800s, the region began to change." (paragraph 8)

• B. "In 1978, the Elwha Dam failed a safety inspection." (paragraph 9)

• C. "The largest dam removal project in U.S. history finally began on September 17, 2011." (paragraph 9)

• D. "Young forests are rising on former lake beds, where the reservoirs used to be." (paragraph 10)

Based on these two passages, what two central ideas can the reader infer about rivers in the United States? Select two answers.

• A. Damming a river is the best way to produce economic growth.

• B. The government should build more dams to control rivers and protect crops, buildings, and people from floods.

• C. Rivers can sometimes cause flooding and damage to cities, towns, and farmland.

• D. The government should remove dams from all rivers in the United States.

• E. People benefit from the resources a river can bring to an area, such as fish, scenic landscapes, and wildlife.

How does Duck contribute to the plot of Passage 3?

• He refuses to go to the world below.

• He comforts Old Woman when she is alone.

• He fails to make the people in the sky happy.

• He succeeds in his task by carrying soil on his feet.

Read this sentence from paragraph 2 of Passage 3: "The rest of the land was submerged under the water and no longer visible." Using knowledge of the root word vis and the context, what is the meaning of the word visible?

• can be heard

• able to be seen

• possessing definite shape

• going further away in the distance

Read this sentence from paragraph 3: "Eager to help, Otter went quickly to perform his task, but the floodwaters were like a pool with no bottom, so Otter failed." What does the simile like a pool with no bottom in this sentence suggest?

• The water was too deep for Otter.

• Otter did not like swimming pools.

• The water had very steep sides.

• Otter could not get into the water.