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As the airplane began to descend from 35,000 feet, after a bumpy four hour flight, Eric felt relieved that he would soon be on the ground.
Why is Eric relieved that the plane will land soon?
Eric is relieved that the plane will land soon. You can infer this based on the clue:
"after a bumpy four hour flight"
If the flight was bumpy AND he's relieved, you can conclude that he does not like flying and will be glad to get off the plane soon.
Note: Some of the other answers seem reasonable, but remember to only use the information given when making an inference.
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Max had not eaten all day and was feeling ravenous! He decided to go to the store to buy ingredients to make a delicious dinner. His shopping list was wheat buns, beef patties, American cheese, lettuce, and a tomato. When Max got home he got straight to work on his dinner and then gobbled it up!
What will Max make for his dinner?
Using the sentence below, we can find the answer.
"His shopping list was: wheat buns, beef patties, American cheese, lettuce, and tomato."
You can inferthat he is going to make a cheeseburger for dinner.
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Adapted from Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Edward Eggleston (1896)
Daniel Webster was a great statesman. As a little boy he was called "Little Black Dan." When he grew larger, he was thin and sickly-looking, but he had large, dark eyes. People called him "All Eyes."
He was very fond of his brother Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a little older than Daniel. Both the boys had fine minds. They wanted to go to college, but their father was poor.
Daniel had not much strength for work on the farm, so little "All Eyes" was sent to school and then to college. Ezekiel stayed at home and worked on the farm.
While Daniel was at school, he was unhappy to think that Ezekiel could not go to college also. He went home on a visit. He talked to Ezekiel about going to college. The brothers talked about it all night. The next day Daniel talked to his father about it. The father said he was too poor to send both of his sons to college. He said he would lose all his little property if he tried to send Ezekiel to college, but if their mother and sisters were willing to be poor, he would send the other son to college.
The mother and sisters were asked. It seemed hard to risk the loss of all they had. It seemed hard not to give Ezekiel a chance. They all shed tears over it.
The boys promised to take care of their mother and sisters if the property should be lost. Then they all agreed that Ezekiel should go to college too.
Daniel taught school while he was studying to help pay the expenses. After Daniel was through his studies in college, he taught school in order to help his brother. When his school closed, he went home. On his way, he went round to the college to see his brother. Finding that Ezekiel needed money, he gave him a hundred dollars. He kept but three dollars to get home with.
The father's property was not sold. The two boys helped the family. Daniel soon began to make money as a lawyer. He knew that his father was in debt. He went home to see him. He said, "Father, I am going to pay your debts."
The father said, "You cannot do it, Daniel. You have not money enough."
"I can do it," said Daniel, "and I will do it before Monday evening."
When Monday evening came round, the father's debts were all paid.
Which of the following words best describes Daniel?
Throughout the passage, there are numerous instances in which Daniel displays generosity. When he found out that his brother, Ezekiel, needed money, "\[Daniel\] gave him a hundred dollars. He kept but three dollars to get home with." Also, Daniel paid off all of his father's debt at the end of the story. The correct answer choice is "generous," meaning being willing to give more than explicitly asked for.
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Adapted from Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (1871)
One thing was certain, that the white kitten had had nothing to do with it—it was the black kitten's fault entirely. For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it COULDN'T have had any hand in the mischief.
The way Dinah washed her children's faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
'Oh, you wicked little thing!' cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and giving it a little kiss to make it understand that it was in disgrace. 'Really, Dinah ought to have taught you better manners! You OUGHT, Dinah, you know you ought!' she added, looking reproachfully at the old cat, and speaking in as cross a voice as she could manage—and then she scrambled back into the arm-chair, taking the kitten and the worsted with her, and began winding up the ball again. But she didn't get on very fast, as she was talking all the time, sometimes to the kitten, and sometimes to herself. Kitty sat very demurely on her knee, pretending to watch the progress of the winding, and now and then putting out one paw and gently touching the ball, as if it would be glad to help, if it might.
Where in Alice’s house can we infer this passage takes place?
Considering the furniture mentioned in this passage can help you figure out the correct answer. Alice falls asleep in “a corner of the great arm-chair,” and later, the unwound ball of worsted is described in the clause “and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles.” So, we need to pick out a room in which one is likely to find an armchair and a hearth-rug. (A “hearth” is another word for a fireplace, so a hearth-rug is a rug one puts in front of the fireplace.) Given this evidence, only one answer choice makes sense: the living room.
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Eric just got a new puppy last weekend! When Eric’s mom agreed to let him get the dog, she said he will be responsible for taking care of her at all times. Yesterday, Eric came home from school to find his dog had made a huge mess in the kitchen! He forgot to put his cereal box away and Gracie, his yellow lab, had spilled the little round puffs all over the floor. After noticing the mess, he went straight to his room and started watching TV.
Make a prediction about what happens when Eric’s mom comes home to find the mess.
Since Eric's mom said he would be responsible for taking care of the dog, you can predict that his mom would be upset to find the mess in the kitchen. She is most likely going to ask him to clean up the mess immediately.
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Read the passage below and make a prediction.
Sara is a very good student. She works very hard in class and takes excellent notes when Mrs. Green is teaching. When she gets home, she always does her homework first thing. She works twice as hard on something that seems difficult to learn because she doesn’t want to get behind. Tomorrow is a big day for Sara because she has a very important math test. Math is not her best subject, but she has worked very hard to master the skills on the test.
Make a prediction about how Sara will do on her math test.
Since math is NOTSara's best subject, she has studied really hard for this test. She is most likely to miss a few questions but do well overall.
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Use the following passage to make an inference.
Matt was in a hurry! He needed to finish packing for a seven-day vacation to Hawaii, take out the trash, and turn off all the lights and TV’s in the house. His ride was already on its way to pick him up! He doesn’t want to be late!
Why is Matt in a hurry?
Matt is packing for a trip to Hawaii. The best way to get to Hawaii is to fly. You would infer that Matt is rushing to the airport to catch his flight to Hawaii.
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Use the passage below to make an inference.
Today is a special day for Olivia. She helped her mom clean the house, bake the cake, and decorate with balloons. She invited all of her friends from school and her neighborhood to come over at 2 o’clock.
Why is today a special day for Olivia?
Today is a special day for Olivia because it's her birthday party. You could infer that cleaning the house, baking a cake, decorating with balloons, and inviting her friends from her school/neighborhood means she's getting ready for her own birthday party.
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Adapted from "The Box of Robbers" in American Fairy Tales by L. Frank Baum (1901)
No one intended to leave Martha alone that afternoon, but it happened that everyone was called away, for one reason or another. Mrs. McFarland was attending the weekly card party held by the Women's Anti-Gambling League. Sister Nell's boyfriend had called quite unexpectedly to take her for a long drive. Papa was at the office, as usual. It was Mary Ann's day out. As for Emeline, the maid, she certainly should have stayed in the house and looked after the little girl, but Emeline had a restless nature.
"Would you mind, miss, if I just crossed the alley to talk to Mrs. Carleton's girl?" she asked Martha.
"'Course not," replied the child. "You'd better lock the back door, though, and take the key, for I shall be upstairs."
"Oh, I'll do that, of course, miss," said the delighted maid, and ran away to spend the afternoon with her friend, leaving Martha quite alone in the big house, and locked in, into the bargain.
What can you infer from the statement “Papa was at the office, as usual”?
The inclusion of the clause “as usual” suggests it is very normal for Martha’s father to be working at the office. It can therefore be inferred that he works a lot.
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Adapted from The Luckiest Girl in the School by Angela Brazil (1916)
December and January were scarcely good months for taking pictures, but Winona attempted some time exposures, with varying results. It was difficult to make the children realize the necessity of keeping absolutely still, and they ruined several of her pictures by grinning or moving. She secured quite a nice photo of the house, however, and several of the village, and promised herself better luck with family portraits when the summer came round again. She turned a large cupboard in the attic into her dark-room, and spent many hours experimenting with chemicals. She had urgent offers of help, but rejected them steadfastly, greatly to the disappointment of her would-be assistants. In the summer she meant to try all kinds of experiments. She had visions of rigging up a shelter made of leaves and branches, and taking a series of magnificent snap-shots of wild birds and animals, and she certainly intended to secure records of the sports at school. In the meantime she must content herself with landscape and still life.
Based on this whole passage, which of these months can you infer would be best for Winona’s photography?
The author suggests that winter is a worse time for taking pictures than the summer. June is the only one of these five months that is a summer month, so it can be reasonably inferred that Winona could capture the best photography in June.
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Adapted from "The Lion’s Share" in The Fables of Aesop by Aesop (trans. Jacobs 1902)
The Lion once went hunting with the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf. They hunted and they hunted till at last they surprised a Stag, and soon took its life. Then came the question of how the spoil should be divided. "Quarter me this Stag," roared the Lion; so the other animals skinned it and cut it into four parts. Then the Lion took his stand in front of the carcass and pronounced judgment: "The first quarter is for me in my capacity as King of Beasts; the second is mine as arbiter; another share comes to me for my part in the chase; and as for the fourth quarter, well, as for that, I should like to see which of you will dare to lay a paw upon it." "Humph," grumbled the Fox as he walked away with his tail between his legs; but he spoke in a low growl. “You may share the labors of the great, but you will not share the spoil."
Who is referred to as “King of Beasts"?
You have probably heard a lion referred to as “King of the Jungle” before. Throughout literature, lions are often associated with royalty or primacy. In this story, the phrase “King of Beasts” appears during the lion’s own description of how to divide the meat. The lion is talking about himself as “King of Beasts.”
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Adapted from "The Lion’s Share" in The Fables of Aesop by Aesop (trans. Jacobs 1902)
The Lion once went hunting with the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf. They hunted and they hunted till at last they surprised a Stag, and soon took its life. Then came the question of how the spoil should be divided. "Quarter me this Stag," roared the Lion; so the other animals skinned it and cut it into four parts. Then the Lion took his stand in front of the carcass and pronounced judgment: "The first quarter is for me in my capacity as King of Beasts; the second is mine as arbiter; another share comes to me for my part in the chase; and as for the fourth quarter, well, as for that, I should like to see which of you will dare to lay a paw upon it." "Humph," grumbled the Fox as he walked away with his tail between his legs; but he spoke in a low growl. “You may share the labors of the great, but you will not share the spoil."
Why does the lion think he can easily claim the fourth piece of meat?
The lion lists reasons for why he should receive each portion of meat. His reason for claiming the fourth piece is expressed as “and as for the fourth quarter, well, as for that, I should like to see which of you will dare to lay a paw upon it.”
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Adapted from The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde (1888)
Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the Giant's garden.
It was a large, lovely garden, with soft green grass. Here and there over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, and there were twelve peach-trees that in the springtime broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the autumn bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their games in order to listen to them. "How happy we are here!" they cried to each other.
One day the Giant came back. He had been to visit his friend the Ogre and had stayed with him for seven years. After the seven years were over he had said all that he had to say, for his conversation was limited, and he determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived, he saw the children playing in the garden.
"What are you doing here?" he cried in a very gruff voice, and the children ran away.
"My own garden is my own garden," said the Giant. "Any one can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself." So he built a high wall all round it, and put up a notice-board.
TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED
He was a very selfish Giant.
The poor children had now nowhere to play. They tried to play on the road, but the road was very dusty and full of hard stones, and they did not like it. They used to wander round the high wall when their lessons were over, and talk about the beautiful garden inside. "How happy we were there," they said to each other.
How did the children probably feel when the Giant yelled at them?
When the Giant arrived home and saw the children playing in his garden, he was angry. So, he cried out at the children in his intimidating voice, which made the children run away in fear. Thus, the best answer choice is "scared," since the children ran away when the Giant yelled at them.
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Adapted from The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde (1888)
Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the Giant's garden.
It was a large, lovely garden, with soft green grass. Here and there over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, and there were twelve peach-trees that in the springtime broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the autumn bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their games in order to listen to them. "How happy we are here!" they cried to each other.
One day the Giant came back. He had been to visit his friend the Ogre and had stayed with him for seven years. After the seven years were over he had said all that he had to say, for his conversation was limited, and he determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived, he saw the children playing in the garden.
"What are you doing here?" he cried in a very gruff voice, and the children ran away.
"My own garden is my own garden," said the Giant. "Any one can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself." So he built a high wall all round it, and put up a notice-board.
TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED
He was a very selfish Giant.
The poor children had now nowhere to play. They tried to play on the road, but the road was very dusty and full of hard stones, and they did not like it. They used to wander round the high wall when their lessons were over, and talk about the beautiful garden inside. "How happy we were there," they said to each other.
How do you think the children feel at the end of the passage?
In the last paragraph of the passage, the children talk about how much fun they used to have in the Giant's garden. They try to find new places to play, but these new places are nowhere near as fun as the Giant's garden, which makes them sad. Thus, the best answer choice is "gloomy."
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Adapted from "The Lion and the Mouse" by Aesop (trans. Jacobs 1909)
Once when a Lion was asleep a little Mouse began running up and down on top of him; this soon woke up the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon the mouse, and opened his big jaws to swallow him. "Pardon, O King," cried the little Mouse: "forgive me this time, I shall never forget it: who knows but maybe I shall be able to assist you one of these days?" The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him that he lifted up his paw and let him go. Sometime after the Lion was caught in a trap, and the hunters who desired to carry him alive to the King, tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on. Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was in, went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts. "Was I not right?" said the little Mouse. “Little friends may prove great friends and a small mercy can go a long way.”
From the whole of this story, what can you infer about the mouse?
Because the mouse promises to help the lion and then actually follows through with that promise by saving the lion’s life, it can be inferred that the mouse is loyal. To help you, "regal" means associated with royalty.
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Adapted from Humphry Davy and the Safety-Lamp by George C. Towle (1912)
Few boys have ever led a happier, busier, or more varied existence than did Humphry Davy. He was the son of a poor wood-carver, who lived in the pretty seaside town of Penzance, in England, where Humphry was born in 1778. Lowly, however, as was his birth, in his earliest years Humphry gave many proofs that nature had endowed him with rare talents.
Some of the stories told of his childish brightness are hard to believe. They relate, for instance, that before he was two years old he could talk almost as plainly and clearly as a grown person; that he could repeat many passages of Pilgrim's Progress, from having heard them, before he could read; and that at five years old he could read very rapidly, and remembered almost everything he read.
His father, the wood-carver, had died while Humphry was still very young, and had left his family poor. But by good-fortune a kind neighbor and friend, a Mr. Tonkine, took care of the widow and her children, and obtained a place for Humphry as an apprentice with an apothecary of the town. Humphry proved, indeed, a rather troublesome inmate of the apothecary's house. He set up a chemical laboratory in his little room upstairs, and there devoted himself to all sorts of experiments. Every now and then an explosion would be heard, which made the members of the apothecary's household quake with terror.
Why does the author talk about Humphry Davy being able to repeat many passages from Pilgrim’s Progress?
The detail about Davy being able to repeat many passages from Pilgrim’s Progress is included in the paragraph that begins, “Some of the stories told of his childish brightness are hard to believe.” So, the author sets up the paragraph with that statement about Davy’s unusual talents, and then offers several pieces of evidence, such as the anecdote about him being able to repeat passages of Pilgrim’s Progress, to help show that Davy was talented for his age.
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Adapted from Wonderwings and other Fairy Stories by Edith Howes (1900)
Little Fairy Tenderheart was weeping. She sat on a ledge that overlooked the world, and her tears fell fast. In twos and threes her sisters flew from Fairyland to put their arms about her, but none could comfort her. "Come, dance and sing with us and forget your grief," they said. She shook her head. "The terrible fighting!" she said. "See where far below men rage, killing each other. Rivers run red with blood, and the sorrow of weeping women rises through the air to where I sit. How can I dance and sing?"
"It is the world at war," said an older fairy sadly. "I too have wept in earlier days when men have fought. But our tears are wasted, little sister. Come away."
Fairy Tenderheart looked eagerly at her. "You who have observed the world so many years," she said, "tell me why such dreadful deeds are done down there."
The older fairy bent her eyes on the blackened plains of earth. "I cannot tell you that," she slowly said. "We watch and pity, but we cannot know what works in the hearts of men that they should gather in their millions to destroy their brothers and themselves. No other creature turns on its own kind and kills so terribly as man."
Why does the older fairy tell Little Fairy Tenderheart that her tears are wasted?
At first Fairy Tenderheart is optimistic that the fairies can do something about the situation on Earth, but one of the older fairies answers her by saying, "We watch and pity, but we cannot know what works in the hearts of men that they should gather in their millions to destroy their brothers and themselves. No other creature turns on its own kind and kills so terribly as man."’ This tells us that the fairies are powerless to stop the fighting.
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Addison is having a bad day. In the morning, she lost her lunch money on the way to school. Her mom told her to put it in the zipper pocket of her backpack, but she didn’t listen and put it in her pants pocket instead. In the afternoon, her class went to the library. When she went to her backpack to retrieve her library book, it was not there! She could not check out a new book this week. After school, she was talking to her friends on the playground and lost track of time. When she walked out to the front of the school, she realized that the bus had already left!! Her house is over 4 miles away and she is not allowed to walk home alone.
Make a prediction about what Addison will do next.
To make a good prediction, you must use the information that the story gives you and what you already know (your life experiences) to tell what is most likely to happen next. Since Addision missed the bus and she is not allowed to walk home, she will most likely call her mom/parents to come get her.
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Adapted from "The Box of Robbers" in American Fairy Tales by L. Frank Baum (1901)
No one intended to leave Martha alone that afternoon, but it happened that everyone was called away, for one reason or another. Mrs. McFarland was attending the weekly card party held by the Women's Anti-Gambling League. Sister Nell's boyfriend had called quite unexpectedly to take her for a long drive. Papa was at the office, as usual. It was Mary Ann's day out. As for Emeline, the maid, she certainly should have stayed in the house and looked after the little girl, but Emeline had a restless nature.
"Would you mind, miss, if I just crossed the alley to talk to Mrs. Carleton's girl?" she asked Martha.
"'Course not," replied the child. "You'd better lock the back door, though, and take the key, for I shall be upstairs."
"Oh, I'll do that, of course, miss," said the delighted maid, and ran away to spend the afternoon with her friend, leaving Martha quite alone in the big house, and locked in, into the bargain.
From the whole of this passage, what can you predict will happen when Martha is home alone?
The passage begins by describing how Martha has been accidently left alone. The fact that it is an accident suggests that Martha should not be left alone. The passage ends by restating that Martha is alone and indicating that should she get in trouble if she is locked into the house as well. The author is clearly suggesting that something will go wrong for Martha as a result of her being alone.
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Adapted from "Belling the Cat" by Aesop (trans. Jacobs 1909)
Long ago, the mice had a general council to consider what measures they could take to outwit their common enemy, the Cat. Some said this and some said that; but at last a young mouse got up and said he had a proposal to make, which he thought would meet the case. "You will all agree," said he, "that our chief danger consists in the sly and treacherous manner in which the enemy approaches us. Now, if we could receive some signal of her approach, we could easily escape from her. I venture, therefore, to propose that a small bell be procured, and attached by a ribbon round the neck of the Cat. By this means we should always know when she was about, and could easily hide while she was in the neighborhood." This proposal met with general applause, until an old mouse got up and said: "That is all very well, but who is to bell the Cat?" The mice looked at one another and nobody spoke. Then the old mouse said: "It is easy to propose impossible remedies."
Based on this passage, who do you think is most likely to bell the cat?
It might be reasonable to assume that the young mouse is most likely to bell the cat. And that is certainly the case at the start of the story; however, by the end of the story, the author indicates that no one feels inclined to bell the cat: after the old mouse says "That is all very well, but who is to bell the Cat?" the story says, "The mice looked at one another and nobody spoke.” The fact that nobody spoke suggests no one is willing to step up to the challenge.
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