SKILL 2: IDENTIFYING SUPPORTING IDEAS Facts or details are important. By noticing and remembering them, you will know what the passage is about.
Do you think that the North Pole and the South Pole are alike? Most people do. But in fact the two areas are quite different. The North Pole is in the Arctic Ocean. The South Pole lies near the center of Antarctica. Antarctica is colder than the Arctic. In fact, Antarctica is by far the coldest region on earth.
One reason for Antarctica's very cold climate is that it has mountains high above sea level. Summers there rarely get above freezing. Ice and snow cover almost all of Antarctica throughout the entire year.
The Arctic region includes lands around the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic region is mostly at or near sea level. In parts of the Arctic, summers can be as warm as those in Boston. They just do not last as long. Most of the Arctic lands have no snow or ice in the summer.
1 The Arctic is mostly —
A in Boston. ,
B at sea level.
C above sea level.
D below sea level.
Hint: Look at paragraph 3.
Antarctica has —
F rivers.
G sand.
H mountains.
J jungles.
Hint: The fact is in the story.
The North Pole is —
A on land.
B on a mountain.
C in the Arctic Ocean.
D in Antarctica.
Hint: Look at sentence 4. Antarctica has most of the world's permanent ice. The ice rests on land. Its average thickness is 8,000 feet. But ice in the Arctic rests on water. Its thickness varies from 10 to 65 feet.
If you traveled to the Arctic, you would see reindeer, polar bears, seals, birds, and insects. If your stay lasted through all the seasons, you might see over a thousand types of plants. You might also meet some of the people who live there. These people have learned to live in the cold climate quite well. They have been able to use the plants and animals there. Most of the people live near the sea, where they catch fish.
If you visited Antarctica, you would see ice and more ice. Very few animals and plants can live there. Most animals live on the coast. The largest animal that can live on the mainland is a small fly. And you would not see people at all, unless you ran into an explorer or scientist.
4 What does the Arctic ice rest on?
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Hint: Look for the sentence about Arctic ice. Sometimes it is helpful to arrange events in the order they happened. This may help you to understand a passage better.
Giraffes are the tallest living animals. Most adult giraffes are tall enough to look into second¬ary windows. Their long necks help them get leaves and fruit that no other animal can reach. Let's see how a giraffe's life begins.
A female giraffe, or cow, gives birth to a baby 15 months after mating. The mother searches for a
safe place to give birth. Both the baby, or calf, and the mother are in a great deal of danger right after the birth. More than half of all baby giraffes are killed by lions, cheetahs, or hyenas minutes after they are born.
The new baby drops the 5 feet from its mother to the ground with a thud. It weighs about 130 pounds and is 6 feet tall. The baby can run and jump 10 hours after it is born, but it cannot outrun an enemy.
The mother hides the calf in tall grass. Then she goes to search for food. The baby is safe as long as it stays still. The cow returns to nurse the baby. The calf stays hidden for about a month.
After a month the mother and baby join a group of four or five other cows with their calves. The calves stay together while their mothers gather food. Sometimes one mother stays with them. The cows return at night to protect the calves. The calves stay in this group until they are about a Tar old.
By the time they are a year old, the giraffes are 10 to 12 feet tall. They can outrun all of their enemies except the cheetah. The giraffes rarely attack an animal larger than themselves. They continue to grow until they are 7 or 8 years old. Adults are between 14 and 18 feet tall. 5 Which happens first in the story?
F The mother joins a group.
G The mother hides the calf.
H The mother searches for a safe place.
] The mother searches for food.
Hint: Look at the beginning. 6 When does a female giraffe give birth?
A after she joins a group of other cows
B every 15 months
C_ 15 months after mating
D every year
Hint: Look at paragraph 2. 7 When are the mother and baby in greatest danger?
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Hint: Look at paragraph 2. 8 When do the cow and calf join a group?
F about a month after the baby is born
G when the calf is a year old
H when the calf is 7 or 8 years old
J 10 to 12 months after the baby is born
Hint: Look at paragraph 5. 9 When do giraffes stop growing?
A when they are 10 or 12 years old
B when they are 7 or 8 years old
C when they join a group of other giraffes
D when they are 14 to 18 years old
Hint: Look at the second to last sentence in the selection. Written directions tell you how to do something. To follow them means to do them in the same order in which they are given. Linda left a note for her daughter, because school was starting the next day. In the note she said, "Erin, take the list of supplies you need down to the stationery store. I left $20 on the kitchen counter for you. Put the money and your house key in your pocket. Please walk so you don't have to worry about your bicycle while you shop. Get as many of the items on the list as you can. We'll get the rest after I get home from work. If you have any money left over, you can get a soda at the luncheonette next door. Please be careful, and don't buy candy!" 10 What is Erin to do after she puts the $20 in her pocket?
F ride her bicycle
G leave a note for her mother
H walk to the store
J put her house key in her pocket
Hint: Find the part of the directions about putting the money in her pocket and read what comes after that. Peggy Johnson is a firefighter. When she arrived at midnight for her eight-hour shift, she found instructions from her new supervisor:
Sign in. Inspect engine 5 first. After making sure it is running "well, be sure that it has plenty of gas. Inspect the hats, coats, and other firefighting equipment. If you have time before your 4:00 A.M. meal break, inspect engine 1 and check the gas tank on that engine as well. I hope that you will not be called out on any fire and can use the rest of your shift to fill out next week's work schedules for the rest of the crew. See you at 8:00 A.M.! 11 When should Peggy inspect engine 5?
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Hint: Find the sentence that directs Peggy to inspect engine 5. The setting of a story lets you know when and where it is taking place. Chimney sweeps have been around for hundreds of years. Chimneys had to be cleaned or the fireplaces would not work properly. Dirty chimneys could cause fires. Many countries passed laws that required chimneys to be cleaned once or twice a year. Chimney sweeping became a regular profession.
Life was hard for chimney sweeps in England in the 1700s. Tall, narrow houses were built in the cities. Chimneys were designed to take up as little space as possible. They were too small for adults to climb into. So, many sweeps hired young boys as helpers, or apprentices. These boys were not treated well. They spent long hours climbing into dirty chimneys. Most of the time, they were not given enough warm food or warm clothing. In 1788 a law was passed that said sweeps could not be younger than eight. 12 What were houses like in English cities in the 1700s?
A They were dirty and rundown.
B They had no chimneys.
C They were tall and narrow with small chimneys.
D They were large with small chimneys. Hint: Find the description of the English houses. 13 What century is the passage about?
F 16th century
G 17th century
H 18th century
J 19th century
Hint: Look for a date. Would you like to step back in time? If so, you might enjoy a trip to Mesa Verde National Park. Mesa Verde is in southwestern Colorado. Spanish explorers gave this region its name. Mesa verde means "green plateau." It became a national park in 1906.
Scientists have studied the region and have learned a great deal about the people who lived there. They called them the Anasazi, or "old ones." We know that about the year 1200 the Anasazi built their homes in the caves of the canyon walls. They used stone blocks to build apartment-like dwellings. When you see them, it is easy to pretend you are one of the people who lived there centuries ago. 14 The Anasazi built their homes —
A about 1906.
B about 1200,
C about 1900.
D about 600 years ago.
Hint: Read paragraph 2, sentence 3. 15 Where does the story take place?
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Hint: Read sentence 3. Answers 1. B 2. H 3. C 4. The Arctic ice rests on the ocean. 5. H 6. C 7. They are in greatest danger right after the baby's birth. 8. F 9. B 10. J 11. Peggy should inspect engine 5 first, after she signs in. 12. C 13. H 14. B 15. The story takes place in southwestern Colorado.
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