Inference and Central Idea

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 is the central idea of this passage?

• It is difficult to become a professional football player.

• The vertical jump is a challenging task that involves jumping after standing still.

• Hopeful football players have to be in peak physical shape.

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 is the central idea of the passage?

• Wireless internet is popular today.

• Dial-up internet had its flaws, but was still useful in its time.

• There were many downsides to dial-up internet.

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.

For anyone looking forward to sledding and playing in the snow, freezing rain can be a frustrating disappointment. Along with snow and sleet, freezing rain is a type of winter precipitation. Freezing rain occurs when liquid precipitation falls and freezes when it comes into contact with surfaces that are below freezing. Freezing rain happens when the air in the atmosphere is above freezing, which either melts precipitation that would have fallen as snow or sleet, or prevents it from freezing to begin with. The rain then falls through a colder layer of air, which acts to cool the rain down, allowing some of it to freeze as soon as it lands on a freezing surface. This can occur on trees, power lines, sidewalks and even roadways.

Freezing rain can cause significant damage and disruption to daily life when anything more than a glaze falls. Even a light glaze on sidewalks and roadways can make walking and driving anywhere incredibly dangerous. Freezing rain that accumulates to more than a quarter of an inch can cause downed trees, which can take weeks to clean up. The weight of the ice on trees and powerlines can also cause widespread power outages, which cause great inconveniences to people and can even cause safety hazards. Repairing a downed power line or restoring power can take days or longer.

What is the central idea of this passage?

• Fallen trees can cause power outages and take time to clean up.

• Freezing rain can occur on powerlines and sidewalks.

• Freezing rain falls as a liquid and can cause a lot of damage

For anyone looking forward to sledding and playing in the snow, freezing rain can be a frustrating disappointment. Along with snow and sleet, freezing rain is a type of winter precipitation. Freezing rain occurs when liquid precipitation falls and freezes when it comes into contact with surfaces that are below freezing. Freezing rain happens when the air in the atmosphere is above freezing, which either melts precipitation that would have fallen as snow or sleet, or prevents it from freezing to begin with. The rain then falls through a colder layer of air, which acts to cool the rain down, allowing some of it to freeze as soon as it lands on a freezing surface. This can occur on trees, power lines, sidewalks and even roadways.

Freezing rain can cause significant damage and disruption to daily life when anything more than a glaze falls. Even a light glaze on sidewalks and roadways can make walking and driving anywhere incredibly dangerous. Freezing rain that accumulates to more than a quarter of an inch can cause downed trees, which can take weeks to clean up. The weight of the ice on trees and powerlines can also cause widespread power outages, which cause great inconveniences to people and can even cause safety hazards. Repairing a downed power line or restoring power can take days or longer.

What inference can be made from today’s passage?

• Repairing fallen power lines can be a complicated process

• Warmer air temperatures in the atmosphere are uncommon

• Sleet is the most common type of winter precipitation

For anyone looking forward to sledding and playing in the snow, freezing rain can be a frustrating disappointment. Along with snow and sleet, freezing rain is a type of winter precipitation. Freezing rain occurs when liquid precipitation falls and freezes when it comes into contact with surfaces that are below freezing. Freezing rain happens when the air in the atmosphere is above freezing, which either melts precipitation that would have fallen as snow or sleet, or prevents it from freezing to begin with. The rain then falls through a colder layer of air, which acts to cool the rain down, allowing some of it to freeze as soon as it lands on a freezing surface. This can occur on trees, power lines, sidewalks and even roadways.

Freezing rain can cause significant damage and disruption to daily life when anything more than a glaze falls. Even a light glaze on sidewalks and roadways can make walking and driving anywhere incredibly dangerous. Freezing rain that accumulates to more than a quarter of an inch can cause downed trees, which can take weeks to clean up. The weight of the ice on trees and powerlines can also cause widespread power outages, which cause great inconveniences to people and can even cause safety hazards. Repairing a downed power line or restoring power can take days or longer.

What is the meaning of accumulates as it is used in the passage?

• falls

• deteriorates

• builds up

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 is the central idea of this passage?

• Polio is very contagious and can cause paralysis or even death.

• The polio vaccine has saved many lives

• Polio is very serious, but a vaccination now exists.

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.