Reading Informational Text
Garbage cans are not magical portals. Trash does not disappear when you toss it in a can. Yet, the average American throws away an estimated 1,600 pounds of waste each year. If there are no magic garbage fairies, where does all that trash go? There are four methods to managing waste: recycling, landfilling, composting, and incinerating. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses. Let's take a quick look at each.Recycling is the process of turning waste into new materials. For example, used paper can be turned into paperboard, which can be used to make book covers. Recycling can reduce pollution, save materials, and lower energy use. Yet, some argue that recycling wastes energy. They believe that collecting, processing, and converting waste uses more energy than it saves. Still, most people agree that recycling is better for the planet than landfilling.
Landfilling is the oldest method of managing waste. In its simplest form, landfilling is when people bury garbage in a hole. Over time the practice of landfilling has advanced. Garbage is compacted before it is thrown into the hole. In this way more garbage can fit in each landfill. Large liners are placed in the bottom of landfills so that toxic garbage juice doesn't get into the ground water. Sadly, these liners don't always work. Landfills may pollute the local water supply. Not to mention that all of that garbage stinks. Nobody wants to live next to a landfill. This makes it hard to find new locations for landfills. / As landfill space increases, interest in composting grows. Compositing is when people pile up organic matter, such as food waste, and allow it to decompose. The product of this decomposition is compost. Compost can be added to the soil to make the soil richer and better for growing crops. While composting is easy to do onsite somewhere, like home or school, it's hard to do after the garbage gets all mixed up. This is because plastic and other inorganic materials must be removed from the compost pile or they will pollute the soil. There's a lot of plastic in garbage, which makes it hard to compost on a large scale.
One thing that is easier to do is burning garbage. There are two main ways to incinerate waste. The first is to create or harvest a fuel from the waste, such as methane gas, and burn the fuel. The second is to burn the waste directly. The heat from the incineration process can boil water, which can power steam generators. Unfortunately, burning garbage pollutes the air. Also, some critics worry that incinerators destroy valuable resources that could be recycled.
Usually, the community in which you live manages waste. Once you put your garbage in that can, what happens to it is beyond your control. But you can make choices while it is still in your possession. You can choose to recycle, you can choose to compost, or you can choose to let someone else deal with it. The choice is yours.
1. Which best explains why the author begins the text by talking about magical garbage fairies? RI7.3
A. He is putting a common misconception to rest.
B. He is trying to get the reader's attention.
C. He is addressing his concern in a serious way.
D. He is supporting his argument with evidence.
2. Which was not cited in the third paragraph as an issue with landfilling? RI7.1
A. Landfills are smelly. B. Usable materials are wasted in landfills.
C. Landfills may pollute the water supply. D. It is difficult to find locations for landfills.
3. Which conclusion could best be supported with text from the passage? RI7.2
A. Each method of waste management has its drawbacks.
B. Recycling is without a doubt the best way to handle waste.
C. Incineration is the best way to process waste.
D. All large cities should create massive compost piles.
4. Which best expresses the main idea of the fourth paragraph? RI7.2
A. Landfills take up a lot of space.
B. Composting is good for the soil but it can be hard to do.
C. The process of composting is very complicated and scientific.
D. There is a lot of plastic garbage in landfills.
5. Which best expresses the author's main purpose in writing this? RI7.6
A. To convince readers to recycle and compost
B. To persuade readers that recycling is a waste of resources
C. To compare and contrast recycling and landfilling
D. To inform readers of methods of waste management
6. Which is not included in this text? RI7.1
A. A description of how trash is collected
B. A description of the uses of compost
C. A description of the two methods of incinerating trash
D. A description of how landfills have advanced over time
Reading Litererary Text
When Dad chopped down the pear tree in our backyard, I cried. I loved its short gnarly branches and its pretty white flowers. I was sure I would miss seeing it from my bedroom window. Dad explained to me that the roots were too close to the house and could eventually cause damage, but I didn’t care. Then Dad transplanted some bushes, and I got upset again. I guess I don’t like change very much.
All winter long, I moped about the changes. Every time I looked out of my window, I expected to see the tree there. I remembered when my mom and I picked pears from the tree and made a special pear-apple tart for my dad’s birthday. Although I had burned it, Dad said it was delicious. I especially missed seeing my little tree covered in snow. I had even painted a picture of my winter pear tree for watercolor class, detailing the brown bark against the white snow and the blue sky behind it.
But a funny thing happened in the spring. When I looked out my window, I realized I would see wetlands in the distance and some rolling hills beyond that. Dad had opened up an amazing view!
Now I spend hours looking through my binoculars. I watch beavers and turtles swim in the water. Sometimes I see a large bird with long, slender legs and a long beak fly back and forth. I see mother ducks with their babies trailing behind in a row. It is amazing how much time my family now spends outside together while bird watching.
7. What is a theme of this passage?
A. It is wrong to chop down trees. C. Change can be hard, but it can sometimes be good.
B. Springtime is a time to celebrate. D. Spending time together as a family is important.
8. How is the theme developed in the thoughts/actions of the narrator?
A. She can’t forgive her father for chopping down her tree.
B. She decides spring is better than winter.
C. She realizes that there is a positive side to the loss of her tree.
D. She decides to plant a new tree where the old one had been.
9. Which would most likely be included in a summary of the story?
A. Dad chopped down the pear tree. C. The narrator burned dessert.
B. The tree had short branches and white flowers. D. The mother ducks have baby ducklings.
10. Which paragraph includes specific details that show us the narrator’s feelings about the tree?
A. Paragraph 1 C. Paragraph 3
B. Paragraph 2 D. Paragraph 4
11. Which line best shows the different points of view between the narrator and her father?
A. Dad explained to me that the roots were too close to the house and could eventually cause damage,
but I didn’t care.
B. I remembered when my mom and I picked pears from the tree and made a special pear-apple tart for
my dad’s birthday.
C. Although I had burned it, Dad said it was delicious.
D. Dad had opened up an amazing view!
12.. Which line best shows the change in attitude of the narrator?
A. I loved its short gnarly branches and its pretty white flowers.
B. All winter long, I moped about the changes.
C. Dad had opened up an amazing view!
D. Sometimes I see a large bird with long, slender legs and a long beak fly back and forth.
Language
A PHRASE is a group of words that does NOT have a subject and a verb. Ex. - in the beginning, the large, gray wolf
A CLAUSE is a group of words that DOES have a subject and a verb. Ex. - The large, gray wolf howled at the moon
A CLAUSE may be INDEPENDENT or DEPENDENT
⇓ ⇓
can stand by itself as a sentence not a sentence on its own, needs help to be complete
⇓ ⇓
The student was five minutes late to class Because the student was five minutes late to class
13. Is this group of words a phrase or clause? Before the next light L7.1b
A. Phrase B. Clause
14. Is this group of words a phrase or clause? Because it's the right thing to do L7.1b
A. Phrase B. Clause
15. Is this group of words a phrase or clause? As quickly as possible L7.1b
A. Phrase B. Clause
16. Is this group of words a phrase or clause? This car's not working L7.1b
A. Phrase B. Clause
17. Is this clause independent or dependent? After the movie is over. L7.1b
A. Independent B. Dependent
18. Is this clause independent or dependent? If he ever calls. L7.1b
A. Independent B. Dependent
19. Is this clause independent or dependent? Whenever I have the time. L7.1b
A. Independent B. Dependent
20. Is this clause independent or dependent? There could be a problem. L7.1b
A. Independent B. Dependent
Subject - Verb Agreement
· 1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the background of the concept. Ex: The dog growls when he is angry. The dogs growl when they are angry.
· 2. Don’t get confused by the words that come between the subject and verb; they do not affect agreement. Ex: The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.
· 3. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement. Ex:The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.
· 4. When sentences start with “there” or “here,” the subject will always be placed after the verb, so care needs to be taken to identify it correctly. Ex: There is a problem with the balance sheet. Here are the papers you requested.
· 5. Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions. Make sure you accurately identify the subject before deciding on the proper verb form to use. Ex: Does Lefty usually eat grass? Where are the pieces of this puzzle.
· 6. If two subjects are joined by and, they typically require a plural verb form. Ex: The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.
Circle the correct answers:
21. The sisters of my friend (look-looks) good on skis.
22. My friend and his brother (was-were) asked to remain quiet.
23. The men, who are always late, (is-are) not here yet.
24. (Is-Are) the girls ready to leave?
25. Here (is-are) my three books.
Grammar conventions
· Capitalize the beginning of a sentence. (The pep rally was loud.)
· Capitalize all proper nouns. (Tony but not boy, Central Park but not park)
Don’t capitalize common nouns. (Christmas but not holiday, September but not month)
· Capital the first and last words in titles, and all other important words (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs)
· Write out all numbers less than 10, and NEVER begin a sentence with a numeral.
· Underline or italicize titles of books, magazines, newspapers, plays… THE LONGER THINGS
(To Kill a Mockingbird, National Geographic)
· Use “quotation marks” for titles of chapters, short stories, poems, articles, songs… THE SHORTER THINGS (“RIkki Tikki Tavi,” “Uptown Funk”)
· Use ‘s (for singular nouns) or s’ (for plural nouns) to indicate ownership
(the girl’s book, Haley’s brother, the dog’s bowl) (five cats’ tails)
DO NOT USE ‘S JUST TO MAKE A PLURAL WORD - book becomes books and not book’s
· Use commas to separate items in a series (Jerry’s sweater was green, purple, white, and brown.)
· Use commas for introductory phrases or clauses (For example, a shrimp is also known as a prawn.)
· For goodness sake, all sentences should end with end punctuation!.?
Read each sentence carefully, looking for errors in grammar. Choose the letter which shows the ERROR in the sentence. If there is no error, choose D. No error.
A B C D
26. The movie Central intelligence stars Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. No error
A B C D
27. Savannah’s sister, who lives in Montana, owns three dogs a cat and two parrots. No error
A B C D
28. Did Alex read the short story “Seventh Grade” while in seventh grade No error
A B C D
29. My mom’s cousin climbed Mount Everest, then wrote a book called Mountain’s Peak. No error