Inferring STAAR Practice

When you use details or evidence in a text to draw a conclusion, you _____.

• a. summarize
• b. problem solve
• c. identify the main idea
• d. infer

4. Which statement about an inference is correct?

• a. an inference is not based on any evidence.
• b. an inference is based only on what a text says.
• c. an inference always turns out to be right.
• d. an inference requires that you use clues.

When making an inference, the most important thing is...

• What you know about the topic
• The topic of the text
• The characters in the text
• Being able to prove your inference using evidence from the text.

Macey's mom noticed that she was squinting as she read her book, which was only a few inches away from her face. She scheduled a doctor's appointment for the next week, and when the doctor said Macey needed glasses, she tried on every single pair in the office. After spending an hour looking at glasses, mom suggested that perhaps she should sleep on it and come back and decide in the morning. Macey agreed, but she kept talking about the pros and cons of each pair all night long. 
What can you infer about Macey?

• She likes to waste her mom's time. 
• She is picky because she doesn't want glasses. 
• She liked some of the glasses, but she has trouble making decisions. 
• She wants her mom to pick the glasses for her. 

As the teacher lectured the class about how important it was to pay attention, Brian found himself staring out the window again. Suddenly, a little boy came up to the window and peeked in. The boy blew a bubble with his gum and it exploded all over his face and the window. Brian began laughing so hard he fell out of his seat. The rest of the class silently stared at him as the teacher walked to his desk. 
What can you infer about how the teacher will react?

• She will help him up and give him a piece of gum. 
• She will scold him for not paying attention in class because she never saw the boy in the window. 
• She will think it is funny that he is on the ground and laugh at him.
• She will pretend she doesn't see him and ignore his behavior.

Dalton twisted the handlebars from side to side, trying to keep the bicycle upright. His feet pumped the pedals, and as the bike picked up speed he found he could steer it much more easily. “Look, I’m doing it!” he shouted.

What do you know based on the text?

• Dalton just learned to ride a bike.

• Dalton got a job delivering papers.

• Dalton just got a new bike.

• Dalton is very clumsy.

Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch.  Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat.  He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning.  On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed.  He would eat dinner with her after he was "presentable," as Alice had often said.  
Based on the text, how do you know Paul works in construction?

• He has tools
• He goes straight up the stairs to shower
• His boots are muddy and his overalls are dusty
• He wears a hat

For hopeful professional football players, the prospect of being drafted can seem overwhelming because the odds are often against them. One way for players to stand out is to be in top physical condition. Potential football players have to be able to show coaches their power and abilities. Athletes have to show how strong and fast they are and should be able to show coaches and scouts the ways they can take advantage of their size. Opportunities for athletes to showcase their abilities include the 40-yard dash and the vertical jump. The vertical jump requires players to jump from a standing position and some top athletes can jump over 40 inches.

What inference can be made about football players from this passage?

• Many hopeful athletes do not get drafted to play football.

• The vertical jump is a requirement.

• The 40-yard dash is a short race.

When the internet first became popular in the United States, Wi-Fi was not an option. Computers all across the country used phone lines to connect to the internet, which was known as dial-up internet. In hindsight, there were lots of problems with dial-up internet, but at the time it was the only option many people had to access the internet. Dial-up internet required an open phone line, so if someone’s parents were on the phone, then getting on the internet to do homework would have to wait. When someone called, the internet connection was often lost. Once internet service became popular, a lot of people had trouble connecting and would have to wait to log on to the internet. While there were many drawbacks to dial-up internet, the benefits outweighed them at the time.

What inference can be made about phone lines?

• You could not use the internet and make a call from the same phone line.

• The phone lines were not connected to the internet

• You could use the internet and make a call from the same phone line.

Polio, also known as poliomyelitis, is a devastating disease that terrified children and families before a vaccination was created. Polio is very contagious and incredibly dangerous in young children. Early symptoms of polio include sore throat, upset stomach and fever. In a small percentage of cases, the virus can attack the brain and spinal cord, which can lead to paralysis or even death. In the United States, polio outbreaks frightened families who felt helpless in protecting their children from the disease. The onset of the polio vaccine helped stop the spread of polio and the United States was declared polio free in 1994. Unfortunately, in some countries that do not have access to the vaccine, many children still have to suffer the effects of this disease.

What inference can be made from the passage?

• Polio is not much more serious than a cold.

• The polio vaccine cannot prevent the disease in all people.

• Many people who get Polio do recover because of the vaccine.