READTHEORY Passages and Questions

READTHEORY Passages and Questions Reading Comprehension Assessment Directions: Read the passage. Then answer the questions below. Name Date Sometimes Dangerous The sun does incredible things. It keeps us warm. It gives us light. It helps things grow. But you have to be smart about the sun. Although the sun mostly helps us, it can sometimes be dangerous. There's nothing like being out in the sun on a hot summer day. It feels so good to stop everything and take a moment to bask in its warmth. But sometimes, if you're not careful, the sun can make you too hot. This is especially true when you are doing work or playing hard on a hot day. If you're body reaches a temperature of 104 degrees or more, you'll have a heatstroke. If you start to experience heavy sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, or feeling faint, then you should go to a cool, shady place immediately. In addition to heatstroke, there is another dangerous effect of the sun: dehydration. When you spend time in the hot sun, you sweat. When you sweat, your body loses fluid, or water. If your body loses too much fluid, then you can become dehydrated. This means your body doesn't have enough fluid in it to function properly. This can result in a feeling of exhaustion. If you feel so tired that you can no longer move, then you might be dehydrated. So, be sure to drink plenty of water while playing or working out in the hot summer sun. Aside from heat stroke and dehydration, there is yet another dangerous effect of the sun. This is the common sunburn. Many of us already know what this is and have actually experienced it before. And if you have, you know that it's no fun. Sunburns happen when your skin gets too much exposure to the sun. If you sit out on a sunny beach for hours with no sun protection, then you'll likely get a sunburn. The effects of most sunburns are an itching, burning sensation and peeling skin. But while most sunburns make you itch and peel, a bad sunburn may have even worse effects. If you get a very bad sunburn, you may increase your risk of getting skin cancer. So, to avoid getting a sunburn, it is important to protect yourself in the sun. Wearing a hat or long sleeves, seeking shade under an umbrella, and applying sun screen are all good ways to do this. Like sunburn, the final danger resulting from the sun comes in the form of rays. The sun gives us light to see. Without it, we d be in the dark! But sometimes the sun s light is so bright that it can hurt your eyes. This is why some people like to wear sunglasses. Sunglasses are dark glasses that give some shade to your eyes. They make it easier to see when the sun is very bright. But even with sunglasses, you should never look right at the sun. Looking right at the sun can hurt your eyes very badly. It can even make you go blind. The sun does some incredible things. Without the sun, we'd be lost! We should be thankful for all that it gives us. But while we enjoy the sun, we must also remember that it can sometimes be dangerous. 1) As used in paragraph 2, the word bask most nearly means A. relax B. work C. play D. sweat

READTHEORY Questions 2) According to the passage, you'll have a heatstroke when your body reaches a temperature of A. 101 degrees B. 102 degrees C. 103 degrees D. 104 degrees 3) As used in paragraph 3, what is the opposite of exhaustion? A. weakness B. energy C. health D. shade 4) Imagine the author wanted to add the following sentence to this passage: "A person's risk of getting skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns." Where would it fit best? A. paragraph 2 B. paragraph 3 C. paragraph 4 D. paragraph 5 5) James is spending the day at the hot, sunny beach. To ensure that he has a safe and enjoyable time, it would be helpful for him to I. bring sunglasses II. put on sunscreen III. drink lots of water A. I only B. I and II only C. II and III only D. I, II, and III 6) The author suggests ways to avoid each of the following sun dangers EXCEPT A. blindness B. heatstroke C. sunburn D. dehydration 7) What is the main purpose of this passage? A. to show why we should be thankful for the sun B. to explain how the sun can make you go blind C. to warn us about the harmful effects of the sun D. to argue why we should stay inside on hot days 8) This passage discusses many of the dangers of getting too much sun exposure. In your own words, compare and contrast the risks that the author describes in the passage. For example, which ones cause permanent damage? Which ones are less serious? How do the different conditions feel? Explain.

READTHEORY Questions 9) Imagine you were about to participate in a summer activity, such as a sports camp or a long beach vacation, that would put you in the sunlight for several hours a day, several days in a row. What risks would you face? In what ways would you choose to protect yourself? 10) People nowadays prepare more before going into the sun than they used to. Why do you think this is so?

READTHEORY Answers and Explanations 1) A Question Type: Vocabulary bask (verb): to lie in or be exposed to, especially in a pleasant warmth or situation. In paragraph 2, we read: It feels so good to stop everything and take a moment to bask in its warmth. In order to answer this vocabulary question correctly, we need to say which word is most nearly the same in meaning as the word bask, as it is used in this sentence. We can use context clues hints from known words or phrases around the unknown word or phrase to help us figure out what the word bask most nearly means. From this sentence, we can tell that to bask must be to do something that feels good. We can also tell that it must be something that you do when you stop everything and take a moment. And we can also tell that it is something you can do in the warmth of the sun on a hot summer day. What is a word that means to stop everything and take a moment in a way that feels good? When you relax, you stop all of your hard work, and you take a moment, and it feels very good. You can also relax in the warmth of the sun. This is what many people do at the beach. From all of this we can tell that the word bask, as it is used in paragraph 2, must nearly mean relax. Therefore (A) is correct. Using the above information, we can tell that the word bask, as it is used in paragraph 2, must mean something that has to do with stopping everything and taking a moment. The word work does not mean stopping everything and taking a moment. In fact, when you work you are especially not stopping everything or taking a moment. From this we can tell that the word bask, as it is used in paragraph 2, does not nearly mean work. Therefore (B) is incorrect. Using the above information, we can tell that the word bask, as it is used in paragraph 2, must mean something that has to do with stopping everything and taking a moment. The word play does not mean stopping everything and taking a moment. In fact, playing can be just as active as working. But the word bask must mean something that is specifically not active, since it has to do with stopping everything. From this we can tell that the word bask, as it is used in paragraph 2, does not nearly mean play. Therefore (C) is incorrect. Using the above information, we can tell that the word bask, as it is used in paragraph 2, must mean something that has to do with stopping everything and taking a moment. Although paragraph 2 does talk about sweating, and although someone who is sweating may wish to stop everything and take a moment, the word sweat does not actually mean something to do with stopping everything or taking a moment. From this we can tell that the word bask, as it is used in paragraph 2, does not nearly mean sweat. Therefore (D) is incorrect. 2) D Question Type: Detail To answer this detail question correctly, we need to find where in the text the passage talks about heatstroke. To do this, it is helpful to look at the topic sentence (the first sentence) of each paragraph, since this sentence will likely tell us what the rest of that paragraph is going to talk about. The topic sentence of paragraph 2 reads: There s nothing like being out in the sun on a hot summer day. This lets us know that paragraph 2 will likely talk about what it is like to be out in the sun on a hot summer day. Does that mean it may talk about heatstroke? It is possible. But if we look at the topic sentence of paragraph 3, we can be more sure of this. The topic sentence of paragraph 3 reads: In addition to heatstroke, there is another dangerous effect of the sun: dehydration. From this we can tell that the passage has already talked about heat stroke. This lets us know that it most likely talked about heatstroke in paragraph 2. In paragraph 2, we read: If you're body reaches a temperature of 104 degrees or more, you'll have a heatstroke. From this we can tell that you will have a heatstroke when your body reaches a temperature of 104 degrees. Therefore (D) is correct. The passage does not provide information to support choices (A), (B), or (C). Therefore they are incorrect. 3) B Question Type: Vocabulary exhaustion (noun): extreme weakness or fatigue; tiredness. In paragraph 3, we read: This can result in a feeling of exhaustion. In order to answer this vocabulary question correctly, we need to say which word means the opposite of exhaustion, as it is used in this sentence. We can use context clues hints from known words of phrases around an unknown word of phrase to help us first figure out what the word exhaustion means. The first thing we should figure out is what it is that is causing the feeling of exhaustion. In the previous sentences of the paragraph, we find out that spending lots of time in the hot sun can sometimes cause your body to lose too much fluid through sweating. We also find out that this is called dehydration, and that this means your body doesn t have enough fluid in it to function properly. We then read the sentence, This can result in a feeling of exhaustion. All of this lets us know that it is dehydration that can result in a feeling of exhaustion. But what, again, is exhaustion? In the next sentence, we read: If you feel so tired that you can no longer move, then you might be dehydrated. From this sentence we can tell that dehydration can cause you to feel so tired that you can no longer move. Since we have just learned that dehydration can cause you to feel exhausted, we can now tell that the word exhaustion must have something to do with feeling so tired that you can no longer move. From this we can tell that the word exhaustion must nearly mean extreme tiredness. But this is not yet the answer to our question. We now have to say which word means the opposite of exhaustion, or extreme tiredness. The word energy means the opposite of extreme tiredness. From this we can tell that the opposite of the word exhaustion, as it is used in paragraph 3, is energy. Therefore (B) is correct. Using the above information, we can tell that the word exhaustion must mean extreme tiredness. The word weakness does not mean the opposite of extreme tiredness. From this we can tell that the opposite of the word exhaustion, as it is used in paragraph 3, is not weakness. Therefore (A) is incorrect. Using the above information, we can tell that the word exhaustion must mean extreme tiredness. The word health does not mean the opposite of extreme tiredness. From this we can tell that the opposite of the word exhaustion, as it is used in paragraph 3, is not health. Therefore (C) is incorrect. Using the above information, we can tell that the word exhaustion must mean extreme tiredness. The word shade does not mean the opposite of extreme tiredness. From this we can tell that the opposite of the word exhaustion, as it is used in paragraph 3, is not shade. Therefore (D) is incorrect. 4) C Question Type: Global In order to answer this question correctly, we need to find where the passage discusses sunburns, since this would probably be the best place to add a further sentence about sunburns. In paragraph 1, we are told that the sun does incredible things, that it keeps us warm, gives us light, and helps things grow, but that it also can sometimes be dangerous. In paragraph 2, we learn about heatstroke and what happens when the sun makes you too hot. In paragraph 3, we learn about dehydration and what happens when the sun causes you to lose too much fluid. In paragraph 4, we learn about sunburn and what can happen when the sun

READTHEORY Answers and Explanations burns your skin. In paragraph 5, we learn about the dangers of the sun s rays to your eyes and what happens if you look right at the sun. In the final paragraph, we are told that we should still be thankful for the sun, but that we also need to remember that it can sometimes be dangerous. From all this we can tell that only paragraph 4 talks about sunburns and what happens when the sun burns your skin. If we look closer at paragraph 4, we can also tell that it talks about your risk of getting skin cancer being increased from getting bad sunburns. This lets us know that if the author wanted to add a sentence about how a person s risk of getting skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns, this sentence would most likely fit best in paragraph 4. Therefore (C) is correct. In paragraph 2, we learn about heatstroke and what happens when the sun makes you too hot. We do not learn anything about skin cancer or sunburns. If the author wanted to add a sentence about skin cancer and sunburns, he or she would most likely want to add it to a paragraph that is about sunburns. This lets us know that if the author wanted to add a sentence about how a person s risk of getting skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns, this sentence would most likely not fit well in paragraph 2, which is about heatstroke. Therefore (A) is incorrect. In paragraph 3, we learn about dehydration and what happens when the sun causes you to lose too much fluid. We do not learn anything about skin cancer or sunburns. If the author wanted to add a sentence about skin cancer and sunburns, he or she would most likely want to add it to a paragraph that is about sunburns. This lets us know that if the author wanted to add a sentence about how a person s risk of getting skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns, this sentence would most likely not fit well in paragraph 3, which is about dehydration. Therefore (B) is incorrect. In paragraph 5, we learn about the dangers of the sun s rays to your eyes and what happens if you look right at the sun. We do not learn anything about skin cancer or sunburns. If the author wanted to add a sentence about skin cancer and sunburns, he or she would most likely want to add it to a paragraph that is about sunburns. This lets us know that if he author wanted to add a sentence about how a person s risk of getting skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns, this sentence would most likely not fit well in paragraph 5, which is about blindness from the sun. Therefore (D) is incorrect. 5) D Question Type: Inference In paragraph 5, we read about the danger that comes from the sun s rays, and about why many people wear sunglasses on very bright and sunny days. We read: But sometimes the sun s light is so bright that it can hurt your eyes. This is why some people like to wear sunglasses. This lets us know that sometimes the sunlight can be so bright that it can hurt your eyes, and that when it is that bright many people like to wear sunglasses. We also read that sunglasses give some shade to your eyes, and that they make it easier to see when the sun is very bright. This lets us know, again, that most people would like to wear sunglasses in situations where the sun is very bright. If James is spending the day at the hot, sunny beach, then the sun is most likely going to be very bright. From this we can tell that, to ensure that he has a safe and enjoyable time, it would be helpful for him to bring sunglasses. This supports option (I). In paragraph 4, we read about the dangers of sunburn. We read: If you sit out on a sunny beach for hours with no sun protection, then you'll likely get a sunburn. This lets us know that anyone who is going to a sunny beach will most likely want to have sun protection. From this we can tell that James, who is spending the day at the hot, sunny beach, will most likely also want to have sun protection. Later in the paragraph, we read about how you can protect yourself from sunburn. We read: Wearing a hat or long sleeves, seeking shade under an umbrella, and applying sun screen are all good ways to avoid sunburn. This lets us know that you can protect yourself from sunburn with hats, long sleeves, the shade of an umbrella, and sun screen. From all of this, we can tell that James can protect himself from sunburn with sunscreen. We can now understand that James, who is spending the day at the hot, sunny beach, can ensure that he has a safe and enjoyable time by putting on sunscreen. This supports option (II). In paragraph 3, we read about the danger of dehydration from being out in the hot sun. We read that when you spend time in the hot sun, you can lose fluid and become dehydrated. We also read that we have to protect ourselves from dehydration from the hot sun by being sure to drink plenty of water while playing or working out in the hot summer sun. This lets us know that anyone who is planning to spend time out in the hot sun should protect himself from dehydration by drinking lots of water. James is spending the day at the hot, sunny beach. From this we can tell that he is going to spend a lot of time out in the hot sun. Because we know that anyone who is going to spend time out in the hot sun should protect himself from dehydration by drinking lots of water, we can now understand that James, in order to ensure that he has a safe and enjoyable time at the beach, should probably bring lots of water. This supports option (III). Therefore (D) is correct. 6) A Question Type: Detail In order to answer this detail question correctly, we need to find where the passage discusses each of the sun dangers and figure out which one the author does not suggest ways to avoid. A good way to do this is to use the process of elimination. In paragraph 5, the author discusses the danger of blindness. We read that sometimes the sun s light is so bright that it can hurt your eyes. We also read that looking right at the sun can even make you go blind. In this paragraph, we learn that we can wear sunglasses in order to give some shade to your eyes, and that even with sunglasses we should be careful to never look right at the sun. From this we can understand that if we wear sunglasses and never look right at the sun, then we can avoid the danger of blindness from the sun. This lets us know that the author does suggest ways to avoid the danger of blindness from the sun. This eliminates (A). In paragraph 4, the author discusses sunburn. We read that to avoid sunburn, it is important to protect yourself in the sun. We also read: Wearing a hat or long sleeves, seeking shade under an umbrella, and applying sun screen are all good ways to do this. From this we can understand that if we wear a hat or long sleeves, use an umbrella, and apply sun screen, then we can avoid the danger of sunburn. This lets us know that the author does suggest ways to avoid the danger of sunburn. This eliminates (C). In paragraph 3, the author discusses dehydration. We read that when we spend time in the hot sun, we can lose a lot of fluid and become dehydrated and exhausted. We also read: So, be sure to drink plenty of water while playing or working out in the hot summer sun. From this we can tell that if we drink plenty of water while playing out in the hot sun, then we can avoid the danger of dehydration. This lets us know that the author does suggest a way to avoid the danger of dehydration. This eliminates (D). We have now eliminated 3 of the 4 choices. In paragraph 2, the author discusses heatstroke. We read that sometimes, if you re not careful, the sun can make you too hot. We are told that, if the body reaches a temperature of 104 degrees or more, you ll have heatstroke. We are then told that if you start to experience heavy sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, or feeling faint, then you should go to a cool, shady place immediately. This lets us know that if we get heatstroke, we need to go to a cool and shady place. But it does not tell us how to avoid heat stroke. It only tells us what to do if we get it. From this we can tell that the author does not suggest ways to avoid the danger of heat stroke. Therefore (B) is correct.

READTHEORY Answers and Explanations 7) C Question Type: Global In this passage, we read about the possible dangers of the sun. We read about the danger of heat stroke in paragraph 2. We read about the danger of dehydration in paragraph 3. We read about the danger of sunburn in paragraph 4. And we read about the danger of blindness from the sun in paragraph 5. In the final paragraph, the passage concludes by reminding us that we need to remember that that sun can be dangerous. From all of this we can understand that the main purpose of this passage is to warn us about the harmful effects of the sun. Therefore (C) is correct. In paragraph 1, the passage tells us that [a]lthough the sun mostly helps us, it can sometimes be dangerous. This lets us know that there are things about the sun that are harmful and that we therefore do not need to be thankful for. In paragraph 2, we read about the danger of heat stroke from the sun. In paragraph 3, we read about the danger of dehydration from the sun. In paragraph 4, we read about the danger of sunburn from the sun. In paragraph 5, we read about the danger of blindness from the sun. In the final paragraph, the passage concludes by reminding us that we need to remember that the sun can be dangerous. All of this lets us know that there are many things about the sun that are harmful and that we do not need to be thankful for. From all of this we can understand that the main purpose of this passage is not to show why we should be thankful for the sun. Therefore (A) is incorrect. Although this passage does talk about how the sun can make you go blind, it also talks about many other dangers of the sun. For example, it talks about how the sun can burn your skin, and how the sun can dehydrate you. This lets us know that the main purpose of this passage is not just to explain how the sun can make you go blind. Therefore (B) is incorrect. Although this passage does warn us about a number of dangers from the sun, it also tells us how we can avoid or treat them. It tells us how to avoid sunburn. It tells us how to avoid blindness from the sun. It tells us how to avoid dehydration. And it tells us how to treat heat stroke. It never tells us that we should simply stay inside on hot days. It only tells us that we need to be careful when we go outside. From this we can tell that the main purpose of this passage is not to argue why we should stay inside on hot days. Therefore (D) is incorrect.