Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information. That's why they use pictures. The pictures help them tell us about the weather without using too many words. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is. They need to know where the warm air is. They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area. Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short. The pictures help weather reporters get the information out in a fast way.



Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?

The peregrine falcon is a beautiful wild bird. It is also one of the fastest. In 1978, the peregrine falcon was placed on the endangered species list. The main reason the peregrine falcon was dying out was the use of pesticides.



Which of the following is NOT a supporting detail?

Soccer is known in some countries as football. It is a popular sport across the world, with over 200 countries playing the sport. It is estimated that over 250 million people, both men and women, play soccer. The sport has been part of the Olympic games from 1900 to 1928 and from 1936 to today.

What is the main idea?

Daughter: Mom, I'm going shopping with my friends at Chatuchak Weekend Market.

Mother: Beware of pickpockets. There are a lot of people there.

Daughter: Thank you, mom.

The mother says that because _____?

Opera refers to a dramatic art form, originating in Europe, in which the emotional content is conveyed to the audience as much through music, both vocal and instrumental, as it is through the lyrics. By contrast, in musical theater an actor's dramatic performance is primary, and the music plays a lesser role. The drama in opera is presented using the primary elements of theater such as scenery, costumes, and acting. However, the words of the opera, or libretto, are sung rather than spoken. The singers are accompanied by a musical ensemble ranging from a small instrumental ensemble to a full symphonic orchestra.

It is pointed out in the reading that opera ----.

Dolphins are regarded as the friendliest creatures in the sea and stories of them helping drowning sailors have been common since Roman times. The more we learn about dolphins, the more we realize that their society is more complex than people previously imagined. They look after other dolphins when they are ill, care for pregnant mothers and protect the weakest in the community, as we do. Some scientists have suggested that dolphins have a language but it is much more probable that they communicate with each other without needing words. Could any of these mammals be more intelligent than man? Certainly the most common argument in favor of man's superiority over them that we can kill them more easily than they can kill us is the least satisfactory. On the contrary, the more we discover about these remarkable creatures, the less we appear superior



It is clear from the passage that dolphins ----.

Naval architects never claim that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely should have never have happened. It was well designed and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It had been thoroughly inspected the day of its fatal voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so quickly that most of those on board, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, had no chance to save themselves: Of those who managed to scramble overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of hypothermia before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea. The final death toll amounted to 912 souls. However, there were an unpleasant number of questions about why the Estonia sank and why so many survivors were men in the prime of life, while most of the dead were women, children and the elderly.

One can understand from the reading that ---

Erosion of America's farmland by wind and water has been a problem since settlers first put the prairies and grasslands under the plow in the nineteenth century. By the 1930s, more than 282 million acres of farmland were damaged by erosion. After 40 years of conservation efforts, soil erosion has accelerated due to new demands placed on the land by heavy crop production. In the years ahead, soil erosion and the pollution problems it causes are likely to replace petroleum scarcity as the nation's most critical natural resource problem.

As we understand from the reading, today, soil erosion in America ----.

The wind blew through his hair as the boy watched the clouds roll in. As the waves grew bigger and bigger, he decided it was time to ride home.

What is the boy doing?

Lucy was furious about her spelling grade. She kicked her desk and ran out of the classroom.

Why does the author use the word furious instead of mad in the example above?

Do you enjoy kites? If you order right away, we will give you directions for making kites out of all kinds of materials-sticks, straws, socks, and more. All of this for only $10.95. Hurry! Time is limited.

What is this ad trying to get the reader to do?

My family went to the circus. We saw the funny clowns. We watched the lion act. We ate a lot of treats and popcorn.

This story is about __________.

It was raining outside. Sue got out of bed and got dressed for school. Then, she ate breakfast and grabbed her backpack.

Before Sue left the house, she probably ___________________.

Sam woke up and saw the sun shining in the sky. He packed his swimming suit, a towel, a beach ball, and his sandals in his bag. Then, he went to the kitchen and made a sack lunch.

Sam is most likely going to ___________________.

Amy opened the door to the bathroom. “What is that dripping sound? Why is the carpet wet and squishy all around the bathtub? The rest of the carpet is dry. Oh no!”

What is the problem?

What does non-fiction mean?

I could see Neal and Jefron from a block away. They walked in my direction. As they approached, I could see from the looks on their faces that they were happy.

The word "approached" means:

The peacock is the bird with the beautiful, giant fan of bright colors. When the peacock is young, both male and female birds look alike. At about two years of age, the male grows the long beautiful tail feathers. Because of their beauty, peacocks were often pets. They live about 20 or 30 years.

The main idea of this paragraph is:

In 1901, oil was discovered in Texas. Oil was in demand because it was used to heat homes and run trains. Suddenly oil companies sprang up all over the Southwest, as everyone wanted a piece of the pie. Some companies failed. But others, like Standard Oil, are still going strong today.

What does "a piece of the pie" mean in the paragraph above?

Kimberly, her parents, and her sister, Camille, were flying to visit Los Angeles. They were going to stay for a week with Kimberly and Camille's grandparents. Then they were going to drive down to San Diego to visit Stephanie, a girl Kimberly had met at summer camp in New Hampshire.

When would Kimberly's family go to San Diego?

Linda's school held a contest to design a new mascot. The old mascot was a tiger that the school began using 20 years earlier. Forty-five kids submitted a design. Both Linda and Tanesha suggested a toucan, and Linda's design won. The school put the toucan on T-shirts and mugs and sold them in the school store.

Where were the mugs sold sold?

You were walking under a coconut tree to get your dinner, when suddenly a gust of wind came. A coconut fell off the tree you were walking under and hit you in the head. Now you have a headache, you feel dizzy, and all you want to do is take a nap.

It is likely that:

Steel is a very important metal which is used for many things. In the United States, the automobile industry uses the most steel. Steel is used in putting up buildings, in making cans and containers, and in making farm and factory machines.

The main idea is:

Molly was in a hurry to get to the playground. She pulled up the zipper on her coat so fast that her sweater got stuck in it. She struggled to unzip it but she couldn't do it. Luckily, her mom was able to extricate the sweater.

What does the word "extricate" mean in the paragraph above?

The old man was walking down the street slowly. Since he was a pedestrian, he stayed along the outer edges of the lanes and was careful to keep to the crosswalks as he crossed to other streets.

What does the word "pedestrian" mean in the paragraph above?

Building a snowman is a fun winter activity. First, pack enough snow to make two large snowballs. One snowball should be a little smaller than the other. Stack the smaller one on top for the snowman's head. Then, place two lumps of coal for eyes, a carrot for a nose, and some sticks for arms on the top snowball. Last, put an old hat on top of its head and an old scarf around its neck.

Which definition of pack is used in this paragraph?

The North Pole is about more than Santa. It is the northernmost place on Earth. There is no land there, only a fat layer of ice about 8 feet thick. The closest land to the North Pole is actually 700 miles away. During the summer, the sun is always up. It rises in March and sets in September. The warmest it ever gets is in July, when the temperature might just get up to freezing level, or 0 degree Celsius.

Based on the information given, what conclusion can be drawn about summer at the North Pole?

Mistletoe is a kind of plant called a partial parasite. Most of the time, it attaches itself to other trees to steal their water and nutrients. It can also make its own food like other green plants. The kind of mistletoe most often used as a Christmas decoration grows in North America. This plant might have red, orange, yellow, or white berries.

How can mistletoe be compared to other green plants?

There are a number of differences between the North and South Poles. The North Pole is a layer of floating ice in the ocean. The South Pole is a land mass located on the continent of Antarctica. It is colder at the South Pole. Polar bears do roam within the Arctic Circle, but penguins are only found in the Southern Hemisphere. This means that polar bears and penguins never actually cross paths.

Which of the following statements is true?

Santa Claus is overweight, but always happy. He has white hair, along with a white beard and mustache. His red coat has a white collar and white cuffs. His pants are also red with white cuffs. He wears black leather boots and a black leather belt. He also has a red floppy hat shaped like a cone with a fluffy white ball at the end. He is often seen with a very large bag packed to the brim with all kinds of toys.

Based on the text, which of the following is most likely true?

Santa Claus is overweight, but always happy. He has white hair, along with a white beard and mustache. His red coat has a white collar and white cuffs. His pants are also red with white cuffs. He wears black leather boots and a black leather belt. He also has a red floppy hat shaped like a cone with a fluffy white ball at the end. He is often seen with a very large bag packed to the brim with all kinds of toys.

What is the text structure of this paragraph?

There are a number of differences between the North and South Poles. The North Pole is a layer of floating ice in the ocean. The South Pole is a land mass located on the continent of Antarctica. It is colder at the South Pole. Polar bears do roam within the Arctic Circle, but penguins are only found in the Southern Hemisphere. This means that polar bears and penguins never actually cross paths.

What text structure did the author use to write this paragraph?

Building a snowman is a fun winter activity. First, pack enough snow to make two large snowballs. One snowball should be a little smaller than the other. Stack the smaller one on top for the snowman's head. Then, place two lumps of coal for eyes, a carrot for a nose, and some sticks for arms on the top snowball.

What text structure did the author use to organize this paragraph?

Both Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer are huge holiday hits. Neither one started out as a Christmas tune. Jingle Bells was a fun song about sleigh races in the snow. Christmas was not even mentioned in the lyrics. Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer was a Christmas story and coloring book for a store. Many years later, it was turned into a song and cartoon.

What is the main idea of this paragraph?

Many countries around the world decorate Christmas trees. Families in both the United States and Germany use glass ornaments. On the other hand, Christmas trees in Japan are decorated using origami swans and paper lanterns. In Spain, children hit their trees. They try to knock out the treats that have been stuffed in the trunk.

Which of the following decorations are used on Japanese Christmas trees?

The first written record of a decorated Christmas tree was in the year 1510. In 1846, the British royal family put up a fancy tree in their castle. Since the royal family was liked so well, everyone wanted to have a tree like they did. After that, Christmas trees were seen everywhere. The first White House tree was in 1853.

When did Christmas trees show the biggest growth in popularity?

Andrew sat in the chair. The dentist looked in his mouth with a small mirror. With a sharp pointed tool, he picked at places around Andrew's teeth. Finally, the dentist spoke, and told the boy his teeth had cavities.

How did Andrew get cavities in his teeth?

Every student in class had to study the life cycle of an animal. Beth chose one she wanted to learn more about. She often saw it in the pond near her house. She was amazed, though, when she really followed one closely from it's beginning as an egg to a tadpole until its legs developed.

What animal did Beth study?

Today is a special day for Bob. He was waiting at the bus stop with his dad. He is a little scared. He is meeting his second grade teacher for the first time. He hopes he likes her. He hopes he makes new friends in his class, too.

What day do you think this is for Bob?