Making Inferences and Finding Evidence

Jenna was shocked when she opened the door to her apartment. There were long rips in the couch, as though someone had run knives down the front of it. A lamp was shattered on the floor. Some picture frames were hanging crookedly, some of them had fallen off the wall and the door to her cat's travel cage was open. Not only that, but the door to the birdcage was swinging back and forth and there were feathers on the floor. She could have sworn that she had locked her cat in the travel cage before she left for work. At first Jenna thought it might have been burglars. Oh no, she thought. Someone broke into my apartment, trashed the place, and stole my cat! Then she heard the cat meowing in her bedroom. She ran to the bedroom and saw the cat patting one of Jenna's favorite shoes with its claws. "That's it!" Jenna yelled. "I'm done with this." She threw the cat back into its travel cage and tried to shut the door, but the lock wouldn't catch. Jenna huffed and then grabbed some duct tape.

What happened to Jenna's apartment?

• Someone broke into Jenna's apartment

• Someone stole Jenna's cat

• Jenna's cat escaped its cage and destroyed her apartment

• Jenna's bird escaped its cage and destroyed her apartment

Jenna was shocked when she opened the door to her apartment. There were long rips in the couch, as though someone had run knives down the front of it. A lamp was shattered on the floor. Some picture frames were hanging crookedly, some of them had fallen off the wall and the door to her cat's travel cage was open. Not only that, but the door to the birdcage was swinging back and forth and there were feathers on the floor. She could have sworn that she had locked her cat in the travel cage before she left for work. At first Jenna thought it might have been burglars. Oh no, she thought. Someone broke into my apartment, trashed the place, and stole my cat! Then she heard the cat meowing in her bedroom. She ran to the bedroom and saw the cat patting one of Jenna's favorite shoes with its claws. "That's it!" Jenna yelled. "I'm done with this." She threw the cat back into its travel cage and tried to shut the door, but the lock wouldn't catch. Jenna huffed and then grabbed some duct tape.

What is the best text evidence to support the inference that Jenna's cat ate her bird?

• Not only that, but the door to the birdcage was swinging back and forth and there were feathers on the floor.

• Someone broke into my apartment, trashed the place, and stole my cat!

• She ran to the bedroom and saw the cat patting one of Jenna's favorite shoes with its claws.

• She could have sworn that she had locked her cat in the travel cage before she left for work.

"I'm home!" Earl shouted as he walked in the door. His wife Gail came bounding down the stairs. She hadn't seen him since he had left to go on his silly fishing trip two weeks ago. "I missed you, Husband. Did you catch anything?" Gail reluctantly asked, knowing that Earl was not a very good fisherman. Earl scratched his head and responded, "You're not going to believe what I'm bringing home." Earl unzipped a cooler and pulled out several perfectly filleted salmon steaks. "Wow, Earl, I didn't know that you could fillet a fish like that." Earl looked around the room a little bit and scratched his head, "Uh, yeah, Jeff taught me how." Gail looked at him suspiciously. "Well, let me help you unpack." As Gail was helping Earl unpack his truck, she found a receipt from the grocery store. It was dated from that morning.Gail just shook her head and laughed, not surprised at all by what she saw on the receipt.

What did Gail find on the receipt?

• The receipt was for a new fishing pole and bait.

• The receipt was for flowers for Gail.

• The receipt was for store bought Salmon.

• The receipt was for milk and bread.

"I'm home!" Earl shouted as he walked in the door. His wife Gail came bounding down the stairs. She hadn't seen him since he had left to go on his silly fishing trip two weeks ago. "I missed you, Husband. Did you catch anything?" Gail reluctantly asked, knowing that Earl was not a very good fisherman. Earl scratched his head and responded, "You're not going to believe what I'm bringing home." Earl unzipped a cooler and pulled out several perfectly filleted salmon steaks. "Wow, Earl, I didn't know that you could fillet a fish like that." Earl looked around the room a little bit and scratched his head, "Uh, yeah, Jeff taught me how." Gail looked at him suspiciously. "Well, let me help you unpack." As Gail was helping Earl unpack his truck, she found a receipt from the grocery store. It was dated from that morning. Gail just shook her head and laughed, but was surprised at all by what she saw on the receipt.

What is the best text evidence to support that Gail was not surprised by what she saw on the receipt?

• She hadn't seen him since he had left to go on his silly fishing trip two weeks ago.

• "I missed you, Husband. Did you catch anything?" Gail reluctantly asked, knowing that Earl was not a very good fisherman.

• As Gail was helping Earl unpack his truck, she found a receipt from the grocery store.

• Earl looked around the room a little bit and scratched his head, "Uh, yeah, Jeff taught me how." Gail looked at him suspiciously.

"Gus, I need to see you in my office," said Mr. Matthews. Gus nervously shut the door to Mr. Matthews' office behind him and took a seat. Mr. Matthews' office was on the very top floor of the building, so Gus had to angle his chair awkwardly so that he couldn't see out of the window. Mr. Matthews pointed his finger at Gus and began talking, "You have been fitting in great over here, and that's one of the most important things you can do in this company." Gus let out a sigh of relief. Mr. Matthews continued speaking. "Gus, I want to invite you on a company trip. We will be taking a private jet to Colorado." Gus's eyes widened and his heart began thumping rapidly. "Wow, Mr. Matthews! I don't know what to say," Gus replied honestly. Mr. Matthews continued, "Then we will be climbing up a mountain to a private cabin." Gus loosened his tie a bit a gulped. He was hoping that it would be over but Mr. Matthews continued, "After completing some team building activities, we will take a hot air balloon ride over the mountains!" Gus's heart was now pounding so hard that he was worried that Mr. Matthews might see it thumping through his shirt. He was sweating excessively. Mr. Matthews slapped him on the shoulder, "So what do you say Gus?" Gus did not know what to say.

Why doesn't Gus seem to be excited about the trip that his boss is inviting him on?

• Gus doesn't like to travel.

• Gus is afraid of heights.

• Gus is afraid of his boss.

• Gus thinks he is being fired.

"Gus, I need to see you in my office," said Mr. Matthews. Gus nervously shut the door to Mr. Matthews' office behind him and took a seat. Mr. Matthews' office was so high up that Gus had to angle his chair awkwardly so that he couldn't see out of the window. Mr. Matthews pointed his finger at Gus and began talking, "You have been fitting in great over here, and that's one of the most important things you can do in this company." Gus let out a sigh of relief. Mr. Matthews continued speaking. "Gus, I want to invite you on a company trip. We will be taking a private jet to Colorado." Gus's eyes widened and his heart began thumping rapidly. "Wow, Mr. Matthews! I don't know what to say," Gus replied honestly. Mr. Matthews continued, "Then we will be climbing up a mountain to a private cabin." Gus loosened his tie a bit a gulped. He was hoping that it would be over but Mr. Matthews continued, "After completing some team building activities, we will take a hot air balloon ride over the mountains!" Gus's heart was now pounding so hard that he was worried that Mr. Matthews might see it thumping through his shirt. He was sweating excessively. Mr. Matthews slapped him on the shoulder, "So what do you say Gus?" Gus did not know what to say.

What is the best text evidence to support the inference that Gus is afraid of heights?

• Mr. Matthews slapped him on the shoulder, "So what do you say Gus?"

• "Then we will be climbing up a mountain to a private cabin." Gus loosened his tie a bit a gulped.

• Gus nervously shut the door to Mr. Matthews' office behind him and took a seat.

• Gus's heart was now pounding so hard that he was worried that Mr. Matthews might see it thumping through his shirt. He was sweating excessively.

Miya came out of the bathroom with tears in her eyes. She ran down to the cafeteria and asked the staff if they had any rice. Fortunately for Miya, Ms. Lucille did. Ms. Lucille filled a red plastic cup about half way with white rice grains and handed it to Miya. Miya pulled a damp phone from out of her back pocket and pushed it into the dry rice grains inside of the plastic cup. She sincerely thanked Ms. Lucille and then went back to class. She felt relieved, but she was still a little worried.

Based on the entire passage, why is Miya upset at the beginning of the passage?

• Miya was upset because her boyfriend broke up with her.

• Miya was upset because she had left her lunch at home.

• Miya was upset because her cell phone had gotten wet.

• Miya was upset because she lost her cell phone.

Shawn sat in his seat as the morning bell rang and released a big yawn. He rubbed his eyes and could feel how baggy they were. He stretched as the teacher went to the front of the class and began talking, "Good morning, students! I'll take attendance while you start working on that test that I promised you." The class let out a collective groan, but Shawn's eyes widened. He began rummaging through his backpack and pulled out a crumpled notebook with part of the cover torn off it. He frantically rifled through the pages, many of which were filled with just a few words or doodles. The teacher looked directly at Shawn as he said, "OK, class, put your notes away and clear off your desks. It's test time." Shawn began looking around the room frantically. He saw Cassie sitting next to him. Shawn whispered, "Psst... Cassie." She turned to him with a scowl. His eyes pleaded with hers. "Not gonna happen, Shawn," Cassie said loudly. This startled Shawn and he jumped in his seat. The teacher looked at Shawn again, "No more talking class."

Which choice below is a good inference that you can make about Shawn based on the passage?

• Shawn was tired that morning because he had been up all night studying for the test.

• Shawn was a good student that took lots of notes in class.

• Shawn was not prepared for the test because he doesn't pay attention in class.

• Shawn sits by Cassie to help her with her work.

Shawn sat in his seat as the morning bell rang and released a big yawn. He rubbed his eyes and could feel how baggy they were. He stretched as the teacher went to the front of the class and began talking, "Good morning, students! I'll take attendance while you start working on that test that I promised you." The class let out a collective groan, but Shawn's eyes widened. He began rummaging through his backpack and pulled out a crumpled notebook with part of the cover torn off it. He frantically rifled through the pages, many of which were filled with just a few words or doodles. The teacher looked directly at Shawn as he said, "OK, class, put your notes away and clear off your desks. It's test time." Shawn began looking around the room frantically. He saw Cassie sitting next to him. Shawn whispered, "Psst... Cassie." She turned to him with a scowl. His eyes pleaded with hers. "Not gonna happen, Shawn," Cassie said loudly. This startled Shawn and he jumped in his seat. The teacher looked at Shawn again, "No more talking class."

What is the best text evidence to support the inference that Shawn wants to cheat off of Cassie during the test?

• He frantically rifled through the pages, many of which were filled with just a few words or doodles.

• He saw Cassie sitting next to him.

• His eyes pleaded with hers. "Not gonna happen, Shawn," Cassie said loudly.

• The teacher looked directly at Shawn as he said, "OK, class, put your notes away and clear off your desks. It's test time." Shawn began looking around the room frantically.