Directions: Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.
6TH GRADE NONFICTION ARTICLE
READTHEORY
•• Reading Comprehension 2 Level 8
Most importantly, though, the highway bypass would have disastrous effects on the area’s homeowners. As planned, the new road would cut directly through the middle of the Ellwood Acres subdivision. Not only would this send more cars through the neighborhood, but these cars would be traveling at much higher speeds, putting children at risk. What is more, homeowners would have to deal with the increased noise and pollution that would result from such
a heavily trafficked road. Finally, the new road would cause residential properties to depreciate. This means that families who chose to move away would have to sell their homes for far less than their current value.
Questions
1) This passage would most likely be found in
A. an editorial in a local newspaper
B. a brochure for prospective homeowners in Ellwood Acres
C. an encyclopedia article about the history of highways
D. a personal letter from a son to his father
2) Where in the full article is this paragraph most likely to appear?
A. near the beginning
B. near the end
C. in the middle
D. it could appear anywhere
3) As used in the passage, which is the best definition for depreciate?
A. to diminish in popularity
B. to decrease in value
C. to accumulate over time
D. to improve with age
4) Which of the following pieces of information, if included, would provide the best additional support for the author’s argument as presented in this passage?
A. In 2008, the author's youngest child was killed by a drunk driver.
B. Pollution is harmful to the environment.
C. According to a recent magazine study, white noise (similar to that produced by traffic) was rated the number one cause of daytime napping.
D. In 2011, homeowners who live near interstate traffic saw a 20% reduction in the value of their homes.
© Copyright Read Theory LLC, 2012. All rights reserved.
8TH GRADE NONFICTION ARTICLE
READ THEORY
•• Reading Comprehension 6 Level 9
For many people who live in cities, parks are an important part of the landscape. They provide a place for people to relax and play sports, as well as a refuge from the often harsh environment of a city. What people often overlook is that parks also provide considerable environmental benefits.
One benefit of parks is that plants absorb carbon dioxide—a key pollutant—and emit oxygen, which humans need to breathe. According to one study, an acre of trees can absorb the same amount of carbon dioxide that a typical car emits in 11,000 miles of driving. Parks also make cities cooler. Scientists have long noted what is called the Urban Heat Island Effect: building materials such as metal, concrete, and asphalt absorb much more of the sun’s heat and release it much more quickly than organic surfaces like trees and grass. Because city landscapes contain so much of these building materials, cities are usually warmer than surrounding rural areas. Parks and other green spaces help to mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect.
Unfortunately, many cities cannot easily create more parks because most land is already being used for buildings, roads, parking lots, and other essential parts of the urban environment. However, cities could benefit from many of the positive effects of parks by encouraging citizens to create another type of green space: rooftop gardens. While most people would not think of starting a garden on their roof, human beings have been planting gardens on rooftops for thousands of years. Some rooftop gardens are very complex and require complicated engineering, but others are simple container gardens that anyone can create with the investment of a few hundred dollars and a few hours of work.
Rooftop gardens provide many of the same benefits as other urban park and garden spaces, but without taking up the much-needed land. Like parks, rooftop gardens help to replace carbon dioxide in the air with nourishing oxygen. They also help to lessen the Urban Heat Island Effect, which can save people money. In the summer, rooftop gardens prevent buildings from absorbing heat from the sun, which can significantly reduce cooling bills. In the winter, gardens help hold in the heat that materials like brick and concrete radiate so quickly, leading to savings on heating bills. Rooftop vegetable and herb gardens can also provide fresh food for city dwellers, saving them money and making their diets healthier. Rooftop gardens are not only something everyone can enjoy, they are also a smart environmental investment.
Questions
1) Based on its use in paragraph 2, it can be inferred that mitigate belongs to which of the following word groups?
A. exacerbate, aggravate, intensify
B. obliterate, destroy, annihilate
C. allay, alleviate, reduce
D. absorb, intake, consume
2) Using information in paragraph 2 as a guide, it can be inferred that
A. cities with rooftop gardens are cooler than those without
B. some plants are not suitable for growth in rooftop gardens
C. most people prefer parks to rooftop gardens
D. most people prefer life in the country over life in the city
3) According to the passage, the Urban Heat Island Effect is caused by the fact(s) that
I. cities are warmer than nearby rural areas
II. building materials absorb more of the sun’s heat than organic surfaces
III. building materials release the sun’s heat more quickly than organic surfaces
A. I only
B. I and II only
C. II and III only
D. I, II, and III
4) Based on information in paragraph 3, which of the following best describes the main difference between parks and rooftop gardens?
A. Parks are expensive to create while rooftop gardens are not.
B. Parks are public while rooftop gardens are private.
C. Parks absorb heat while rooftop gardens do not.
D. Parks require much space while rooftop gardens do not.
5) The author claims all of the following to be benefits of rooftop gardens except
A. increased space for private relaxation
B. savings on heating and cooling costs
C. better food for city dwellers
D. improved air quality
6) According to the author, one advantage that rooftop gardens have over parks is that they
A. decrease the Urban Heat Island Effect
B. replenish the air with nourishing oxygen
C. do not require the use of valuable urban land
D. are less expensive than traditional park spaces
7) Which of the following pieces of information would, if true, most weaken the author's claim that rooftop gardens are good for the environment?
A. Parks have many benefits that rooftop gardens do not share.
B. More pollution is produced during rooftop garden construction than rooftop plants can remove from the air.
C. Extremely high winds atop tall city buildings can severely damage some plants.
D. The overall environmental benefits that result from driving less exceed those of planting a rooftop garden.
8) Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
A. A hypothesis is stated and then analyzed.
B. A proposal is evaluated and alternatives are explored.
C. A viewpoint is established and then defended.
D. A thesis is presented and then supported.
9) Based on information in the passage, it can be inferred that the author would most likely endorse a program that
A. permitted the construction of buildings in city park land provided they have rooftop gardens
B. extended discounts on plants to customers who use them to create rooftop gardens
C. offered free admission to schools willing to take their students on field trips to the city park
D. promised vacation getaways to cooler destinations for those trapped in the city at the peak of summer
© Copyright Read Theory LLC, 2012. All rights reserved.
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