What's Out There?

Read this excerpt from "Types of Volcanoes." The Hawaiian Islands are a string of shield volcanoes rising high above the ocean floor. One of those shield volcanoes, Mauna Loa, is the world's largest active volcano, rising 28,000 feet above the ocean floor and 13,677 feet above sea level. A shield volcano is built up over long periods of time as layers of lava flow down the sides and solidify on top of old layers. After reading this excerpt, Darren makes a text-to-text connection. Which example is a text-to-text connection? A) Darren remembers reading a book written in first person about a character named Hawika who flies helicopters around famous volcanoes. B) Darren remembers seeing a movie in which scientists warn a town to evacuate because a volcano is about to erupt for the first time in centuries. C) Darren remembers his mom telling him about how his great-grandparents lived in Hawaii during World War II. D) Darren remembers playing a video game in which his character goes on an adventure through the Hawaiian Islands.

A) Darren remembers reading a book written in first person about a character named Hawika who flies helicopters around famous volcanoes.

Read this excerpt from "Mars: Landscape of the Red Planet." Mars is known as the red planet. It is smaller than Earth, but it boasts as many dramatic landscapes. Since the invention of the telescope, people have been fascinated by the geological features of Mars, but given the limitations of their technology, these early scientists could only guess what it truly looked like. What has most likely allowed people to have a better understanding of the landscape of Mars in recent times? A) improved technology B) more limited methods C) increased interest in space D) movies and books about Mars

A) improved technology

Read this excerpt from "Types of Volcanoes." Cinder cones are formed when small pieces of lava, called cinders, fly out of a vent and land around it. The cinders then cool from molten rock into solid rock. According to the context clues, which term best defines the underlined word? A) liquid B) heavy C) black D) frozen

A) liquid

Read this excerpt from "Mars: Landscape of the Red Planet." The 1960s mark the beginning of modern-day space programs and the launching of the first missions to Mars. The first spacecraft to get closest to the planet was the American mission, Mariner 4. Since then, countries from around the globe have sent numerous spacecraft to examine the red planet. NASA and its European equivalent, ESA, currently have spacecraft orbiting Mars, delivering pictures and weather reports back to Earth. On January 3 and 24, 2004, NASA landed two robotic rovers named Spirit and Opportunity on the Martian surface. The twin rovers have spent the last nine years exploring Mars, taking pictures, video, and geological samples. Which question would best be answered by information provided in this excerpt? A) "What is the surface of Mars like?" B) "Why are people fascinated with the planet Mars?" C) "How have scientists been studying Mars in modern times?" D) "What are the main similarities and differences between Earth and Mars?"

C) "How have scientists been studying Mars in modern times?"

Read this excerpt from "Types of Volcanoes." Shield volcanoes can grow to be both several miles wide and several miles tall. The Hawaiian Islands are a string of shield volcanoes rising high above the ocean floor. One of those shield volcanoes, Mauna Loa, is the world's largest active volcano, rising 28,000 feet above the ocean floor and 13,677 feet above sea level. A shield volcano is built up over long periods of time as layers of lava flow down the sides and solidify on top of old layers. Lava escapes from the top of the volcano summit either through one vent or a group of vents. What is the best summary of this paragraph? A) Based on size and structure, there are basically four different kinds of volcanoes. B) A volcano is built up around a vent in the ground where magma from inside the Earth escapes above ground. C) Volcanoes that develop over a long time to be many miles wide and tall are called shield volcanoes. D) Hawaii is a US state built on volcanoes that rise out of the Pacific Ocean.

C) Volcanoes that develop over a long time to be many miles wide and tall are called shield volcanoes.

Read this excerpt from "The Big Shot." Instead, the mind sees things based on how the person feels at that moment. She has been testing this by asking athletes their impressions of key activities in their sports. In her most recent test, she asked golfers who had just finished playing to find on a chart a black circle that was the same size as a cup on the green. She says, "What we found was that the golfers who scored better selected larger circles," adding that this suggests "that they perceive the hole as bigger." Golfers who didn't score as well chose smaller circles. Which question would Jessica Witt most likely ask basketball players? A) How was the mood of the team at the beginning of the game? B) Who chose the plays and strategies that were used today? C) Which ring looks like the hoop while standing at the free-throw line? D) How fast did players on the other team run up and down the court?

C) Which ring looks like the hoop while standing at the free-throw line?

Read this excerpt from "The Big Shot." In her most recent test, she asked golfers who had just finished playing to find on a chart a black circle that was the same size as a cup on the green. She says, "What we found was that the golfers who scored better selected larger circles," adding that this suggests "that they perceive the hole as bigger." Golfers who didn't score as well chose smaller circles. Which type of image would best help readers understand the study being described and its conclusion? A) a photograph of a golf course with a bar graph over it showing the numbers of players who chose each black circle and the average scores of each group B) a drawing of the study's black circles, each labeled with the number of players who chose it, and the average score of that group of players C) a photograph of a golf ball and the black circles on the chart, each labeled with its size, next to a dot plot showing each player's score and chosen circle D) a drawing of a golf ball and a chart with different size black circles, each labeled with the number of players that chose it and the size of the circle

C) a photograph of a golf ball and the black circles on the chart, each labeled with its size, next to a dot plot showing each player's score and chosen circle

Read this excerpt from "Mars: Landscape of the Red Planet." Recent evidence may point to the existence of great bodies of water that once covered the planet. The discovery of water on Mars could aid scientists in determining whether life ever existed on the planet or whether it could exist in the future. For now, it remains clear that, given the inhospitable conditions of the planet's surface, no life currently exists there. What is the effect of the nonexistence of water on the planet Mars? A) Life has grown wildly there. B) Scientists have taken water samples from the planet. C) Research about the planet cannot be developed. D) Life cannot survive there.

D) Life cannot survive there.

Read this excerpt from "The Big Shot." Jessica Witt - a professor at Colorado State University - has spent her whole career studying the relationship between what the mind sees (perception) and action by the body. She doesn't think the mind is like a camera, seeing exactly what is actually there. "We don't think that perception is just this objective recapture of what's already out there," says Witt. Instead, the mind sees things based on how the person feels at that moment. She has been testing this by asking athletes their impressions of key activities in their sports. Which words from the excerpt would be most useful while writing a summary of this paragraph? A) relationship, objective B) spent, moment C) impressions, based D) perception, feelings

D) perception, feelings

Read this excerpt from "Why Are They Called Black Holes?" Scientists cannot see gravity, but they can see its effects. The gravity of a black hole will swallow matter and light that drift close enough to it. Some light passing by a black hole can be far enough away that it could avoid being sucked in, but the path of the light would still be bent by gravity. Astronomers can observe these effects. For example, when a black hole passes through a cloud of dust, it pulls the dust inside it like a big gravity-powered vacuum cleaner. When a star passes too close to a black hole, the black hole pulls it in and breaks up the star, spewing giant flashes of high energy called gamma-ray bursts. And when scientists see light bending even though there is no visible matter nearby, they have evidence that there is an invisible black hole. What must be present for scientists to detect black holes? A) a cloud of dust B) a gamma ray burst C) the loss of a star D) the force of gravity

D) the force of gravity