Before turning sixteen, most people think that driving is just fun and excitement. It certainly can be fun, but driving a car is also a serious responsibility.     

Most cars weigh between 3,000 and 4,000 pounds and can go over 100 miles per hour. If someone loses control of something weighing that much and going that fast, it can cause a lot of damage and put people's lives in danger. Driving requires a great deal of training and knowledge.     

At the age of sixteen, many young people enter driver’s education classes. Some of these young people already know much about driving. Some know almost nothing. All of them, however, will find these classes useful. The classes cover a great deal. They are more than just driving lessons. Students learn the rules and laws of driving on public roads. They learn how to operate different types of automobiles and how to properly maintain a vehicle.     

Being able to drive is fun, but everyone must remember to receive the proper training before giving driving a try. Lots of practice and training make driving most cars, especially newer cars, safe and easy.

What does the author suggest in this passage?

The life story of a person written by himself/herself

a written account of another person's life, written by somebody else

a brief story that leads to a moral or lesson, often using animals

a story set in a world of magic and enchantment; happy endings

a story that is usually passed down orally and becomes part of a tradition

fiction; based on real historical events

a suspenseful story about a puzzling event that is not solved until the end of the story

texts that provide facts about a variety of topics

a story using made-up characters that could happen in real life

a story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that explain natural events, such as earthquakes, creation of planets, floods, etc

14. "Bronze Star" by Irwin Keene World War II has been hard for Mama Conner. Her husband and three sons have been away at war and Mama Conner was left to keep the house together, raise money, and provide for Baby Maple. The mood in the town darkens suddenly when her neighbor Betsy loses one of her loved ones in battle. At Mama Conner’s ladies club, several upstanding ladies of the town are on edge after hearing a garbled news report announcing that a man from their town was lost in battle, but as the man’s name went unheard, the women are left to speculate as to whom will be the most affected. This novel ends in a surprising twist. What type of genre?

"The Rising" by Lindsay Logan: When Sheila moves to a new school in California, she has some trouble fitting in with the other kids.She cannot afford the expensive clothing that the other kids wear and she does not have the newest cellphone, but she does have a good heart. Will a chance run-in with a celebrity whom Sheila admires give Sheila the confidence she needs to adapt to her new environment. What type of genre?

Once upon a time there lived a poor girl named Cinderella. Cinderella lived with her step mother and two ugly step sisters. She had to do all the house work for everyone.

Inference: I was aghast when I found out my neighbor had robbed the jewelry store and stolen $100,000 in diamonds!

What is the best meaning of the word aghast?

Example: Nutritious foods, such as fruits and vegetables, help our bodies grow.

What is the best meaning of the word nutritious?

Definition: In order to become law, all 13 colonies had to ratify, or approve, the Constitution.

What is the best meaning of the word ratify?

Synonym: There was pandemonium, or chaos among the fans when their team won the Super Bowl.

What is the best meaning for the word pandemonium?

The monkey's vociferous chatter made me with I had earplugs.

What type of context clue is used to help determine the meaning of the underlined word?

Lucia snatched up the dirty clothes that were strewn across the floor and haphazardly tossed them into the laundry basket her mother had placed outside the door. Then, she organized her desk, cramming markers, glue sticks, and other tools of the learning trade wherever they would fit inside the drawers. She jammed trash into the wastebasket until not one more piece could fit and pulled the bag out to take downstairs. Finally, she made her bed and summoned for her mother to come do her white-glove inspection.

Read this sentence from the story.

Finally, she made her bed and summoned for her mother to come do her white-glove inspection.

Based on this sentence, the reader can conclude that Lucia’s mother —

Jose desperately wanted to finish his homework before he arrived home. His gaming system had patiently waited the entire day for his return. He couldn’t disappoint it. Just thinking about the fun they would have together was distracting enough, but the noise generated by the other kids talking and laughing around him made it nearly impossible to concentrate. With the decibel level of the engine and the squeaking of the brakes at every stop added in, there was no way he could finish his homework here. Jose conceded that he would indeed have to let his faithful companion down.

Jose’s thoughts in this paragraph help the reader understand that he —

Cami was just beginning to understand why her best friend, Julia, loved riding horses so much. When Julia had first asked her to join her for a Saturday ride through the canyon, Cami was hesitant. She had never been on a horse before, and they were such large, powerful creatures. An hour into the ride, she was having a blast. Smokey, the painted stallion she was riding, was so passive and minded her every command with ease. That was until without warning he reared up on its hind legs, pawed at the air and neighed loudly. Cami tightened her legs around Smokey’s body and pulled back firmly on the reins.

Based on the horse’s actions at the end of the paragraph, the reader can conclude that —

As she stood in the line with her mother, Sanjy heard the people around her talking. They were claiming that this was the most important election in the past 50 years. She didn’t quite understand why, but she knew it must be true. Her mother had brought her along to “witness history in the making” and had said they would wait in the line all night long if they had to. She had even brought a bag of snacks and a blanket, just in case Sanjy got hungry and tired. The little girl stretched her neck from side to side to look at the line in front of and behind them. The line of voters seemed to be growing by the second, and no one appeared to mind the long wait. It looked like they really would be spending the night with strangers.

Read this sentence from the story.

Her mother had brought her along to “witness history in the making” and had said they would wait in the line all night long if they had to.

What can the reader infer about Lucia’s mother based on this sentence?

As she stood in the line with her mother, Sanjy heard the people around her talking. They were claiming that this was the most important election in the past 50 years. She didn’t quite understand why, but she knew it must be true. Her mother had brought her along to “witness history in the making” and had said they would wait in the line all night long if they had to. She had even brought a bag of snacks and a blanket, just in case Sanjy got hungry and tired. The little girl stretched her neck from side to side to look at the line in front of and behind them. The line of voters seemed to be growing by the second, and no one appeared to mind the long wait. It looked like they really would be spending the night with strangers.

Read this sentence from the story.

The line of voters seemed to be growing by the second, and no one appeared to mind the long wait.

Why does the author include this description of the line?