Yesenia waited at the stop for the streetcar. She expected it to come thundering up like a regular train. She expected it to have a loud, sad whistle. It didn't sound like this at all. It hissed quietly as it rolled up to the stop. Its horn beeped like a car horn.

Why does the author use the words "loud, sad whistle"?

Vermont is a great place to go on vacation. There are many things for visitors to do and see. We have more than fifty state parks that are great for camping. Two presidents were born in Vermont. Their homes are now open to visitors. Millions of people visit these and other places in Vermont each year.

How does the writer support the first statement?

Starfish of different sizes and colors live in the oceans. Starfish are often yellow, orange, or brown. But they can be bright colors, too. From point to point, a starfish can be as small as a paper clip or as long as a yardstick. Most starfish are shaped like stars, with five arms extending from their bodies. But some starfish, called sunstars, have a dozen arms. Other types have 25 arms.

From point to point, a starfish can be the size of a –

Seeing the sunshine put Erika in a cheerful mood today.

Which is a synonym for cheerful?

We are subject to the laws of our state.

In which sentence does subject have the same meaning as it does in the sentence

above?

Scientists have been studying how people talk to each other. In one study, the scientists asked people about their feelings. Do people talk more about sad and angry feelings? Or do they talk more about happy and proud feelings? Scientists found out that people talk about unhappy feelings twice as much as happy feelings.

The main idea of this passage is to explain-

Brayden was having an amazing dream. He was flying after a hawk that carried a golden box. Just as he reached to grasp the hawk, his alarm clock rang! Brayden still didn't know what was in the box. Then he had an idea. He immediately recorded all he could remember about the dream. Later, he wrote a story about his dream. It ended with discovering what was in the box.

How does Brayden solve the problem in this story?

Matthew moved the gate back and forth and listened to the loud squeaking. He saw strips of paint curling away from the wood. Matthew ran his hand against the deep, rough cracks in the boards. It was a wonder that the gate even held together.

Why does the author include all the details about the gate?

Becoming a hot-air balloon pilot takes a lot of preparation. People begin by riding in hot air balloons. Then they fly alongside other pilots. These experienced pilots teach them all about the balloons and how to fly them. When they are ready, they practice flying the balloons while the pilots watch. Finally, they take a test. If they pass, they become pilots!

How does the writer support the idea in the first sentence?

Lucía frowned at all the books scattered around her room. She picked them up, and then she arranged them on her shelf. "That's better," she said.

What does arranged mean?

Sasha wanted to enter a paper airplane contest. She made her first airplane from stiff card paper. It didn't fly the way she hoped, so she built another. Her second airplane, made out of printer paper, flew farther. She still wanted to do better, so she changed the design again. Sasha was pleased with how far the airplane flew and felt ready for the contest.

Which is the best summary of the selection?

Brenda watched the colorful jellyfish swim in their tank. They were so beautiful and graceful. They moved about like leaves caught in the wind, like dancers. Brenda enjoyed seeing all the animals at the aquarium. However, for her, the jellyfish were the most fun to watch.

What does it mean that the jellyfish moved "like leaves caught in the wind, like dancers"?

Tim was a little nervous. He had entered the story contest, but he hadn't actually expected to win. As the winner, he was asked to read his story to the entire school. The principal, Mrs. Chae, introduced him. Then she gave Tim the microphone. "Good afternoon, everyone," said Tim. As he began to read, his fear faded away.

What is the story's setting?

The last two steps in making toys are packaging and advertising them. Toy makers know that children like colorful objects. So they design bright packages for toys. Writers think of catchy names for the toys. They hope children remember the names when they shop. With these steps completed, the toys are sent to toy stores. There, children decide whether or not a toy becomes a big seller.

Toy makers know that colorful packages-

Do you like seeing funny movies with a friend? Many people think seeing movies

is more fun if someone can accompany you.

What does accompany mean?

We have a family photograph taken each year. This year, Mom chose an elegant dress for herself. Dad picked out a sports jacket. My little brother, Chester, chose a blue dress shirt. I decided on a pink sweater with gray pants.

Which is the best summary of the story?

Sara was thrilled to be at the wildlife park. She watched as a camel lay down for the park guide. The guide then let several children gather around the animal. When it was Sara's turn, she petted the camel's hair. Sara had never been so close to such a big animal before.

Why is the setting important to the story?

Paul Revere was an amazing silversmith. (He stood head and shoulders above most other silversmiths of his time.) His works are still praised today. They are seen as some of the most beautiful pieces of American artwork.

What does the sentence in the parenthesis mean?

Our sun is one hundred times larger than Earth. But it is only a medium-sized star. The brightest, hottest stars are twenty times larger than the sun. They are called blue giants. Red dwarfs are stars that are smaller than our sun. These stars are the most common in the sky.

Compared to Earth, the sun is-

Fingerprints were not used as records until about 100 years ago. The English government began to keep the prints of its workers and prisoners. Sir Francis Galton made the first large collection of fingerprints to track down criminals.

What is the main idea of this selection?

The professor talked to her class about Chinese history. The word professor means someone who _____.

The ocean is full of life. The shallow parts of the ocean, where the water is not deep, get sunlight. Seaweed, fish, and sea turtles live there. Sunlight doesn't reach the deep parts of the ocean. Some crabs, sea worms, and deep-sea fish live there though. Life can be found in all parts of the ocean.

How does the shallow part of the ocean differ from the deep

part of the ocean?

Each summer, Oliver's family spent a week with Grandpa at his cabin by the lake. Oliver got up late in the mornings. During the afternoons, he made sand castles and swam in the water. Evenings were special. Oliver and Grandpa sat on the dock and told adventure stories. The rest of the year, Oliver and Grandpa continued their stories on the phone.

Why is the setting of the cabin important to the story?

If I get up before seven o'clock in the morning, I grumble like a bear for hours.

What do the words grumble like a bear mean here?

The Statue of Liberty was shipped to New York in hundreds of pieces. It arrived packed in crates.

What are crates?

What do people and koalas have in common? Fingerprints! Both people and koalas have ridges on their fingers. These ridges make a one-of-a-kind fingerprint. The koala has ridges on its fingertips, and it has two thumbs on each hand. People have ridges on their fingers and palms, but only one thumb on each hand.

"What's this?" Anakin asked, as he uncovered a heavy metal machine.

Smiling, Aunt Sara replied, "A typewriter from my days as a reporter."

Anakin ran his finger across the typewriter. "How did you manage to do your job with this?" he asked. Then he tapped the keyboard and asked, "May I try? Maybe some of your writing skills will rub off on me!"

I listened to the clip-clop of the horse's hooves.

We couldn't believe our eyes when we saw the famous skater. What do the underlined words mean?

Genesis's dad was driving her to her friend's house. Suddenly, he realized he wasn't sure how to get there. Genesis studied the map and then told her dad where to turn next. They were very glad they had brought a map.

How does Genesis solve the problem?

Worms are helpful creatures. When a worm digs a tunnel, it helps the soil. The tunnel brings in more air, which improves the soil. The tunnel also breaks up the soil. This lets a plant's roots grow more easily.

What is the result of a worm's digging tunnels?

Uriel (felt) he was ready to read his story to the entire school.

What does felt mean in the sentence?

Juan's little brother, Alek, was making a tower out of blocks. Juan watched as Alek slowly slid a block into place. Juan gasped as the tower started to sway, but Alek put his hand out and steadied it.

Just then, their mother called to Juan from the kitchen. He quickly jumped up and stepped past the tower. He brushed against it by accident. The tower crashed, and the blocks scattered everywhere.

What causes the tower to fall?

Lennox went to the weight room almost every day after school. The trainer told him that frequent workouts would strengthen his muscles.

In this paragraph, the word strengthen means-