Scholarskills Oral Fluency and Reading Comprehension Assessments

Why do scientists believe dark matter exists even though they cannot see it?

• It glows faintly in space

• It was discovered using microscopes

• It affects the movement of visible matter

• It changes the color of stars

What can you infer about the importance of Vera Rubin’s research?

• It proved that galaxies are shrinking

• It showed that stars move randomly

• It gave strong evidence for dark matter’s influence

• It explained how stars are formed

Based on the passage, what role does dark matter play in the universe?

• It causes stars to explode

• It holds galaxies together and shapes their structure

• It makes planets spin faster

• It blocks light from reaching Earth

Why is dark matter considered a mystery, even though it makes up a large part of the universe?

• Scientists have already solved its origin

• It is made of water and gas

• No one has been able to detect its particles directly

• It is only found on Earth

What logical conclusion can be drawn from the fact that dark matter doesn’t emit, absorb, or reflect light?

• It is easy to photograph

• It can be seen with special glasses

• It must be made of ordinary matter

If dark matter didn’t exist, what would likely happen to galaxies?

• They would remain unchanged

• They might fall apart or behave differently

• They would become brighter

• They would stop rotating

What does the comparison between dark matter and ordinary matter suggest about our understanding of the universe?

• We understand everything about space

• Most of the universe is still unknown

• Ordinary matter is more important

• Dark matter is less common than stars

Which of these conclusions would NOT be supported by the passage?

• A. Dark matter cannot be directly observed because it does not interact with light.

• B. Dark matter is responsible for holding galaxies together.

• C. Dark matter is made of ordinary particles like protons and neutrons.

• D. Dark matter influences the movement of stars in galaxies.

Which of these conclusions would NOT be supported by the passage?

• Vera Rubin’s research provided evidence for the existence of dark matter.

• Fritz Zwicky was the first to propose the idea of dark matter.

• Dark matter is the same as dark energy and serves the same purpose.

• Dark matter’s gravitational effects can be observed on visible objects.

Which of these conclusions would NOT be supported by the passage?

• Dark matter makes up a significant portion of the universe.

• Scientists have conclusively identified the particles that make up dark matter.

• Dark matter plays a role in shaping the structure of the universe.

• Without dark matter, galaxies would behave differently.