★Author's Purpose and Point of View
Grade 5 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me
Circle the answer.
Read this first
Two Accounts of the Eclipse
Account 1: A Newspaper Report
Eclipse Draws Thousands to Harlan Park
On Monday afternoon, about 12,000 people gathered in Harlan Park to watch a total solar eclipse. It was the first total eclipse seen from the town in more than 100 years.
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun. The moon blocks the sun's bright surface, and its shadow sweeps across the land. Only people inside a narrow strip, called the path of totality, see the sun covered completely.
The eclipse began at 1:58 p.m., when the moon took its first small bite out of the sun. Totality arrived at 3:14 p.m. and lasted 3 minutes and 41 seconds. During that time, the sky turned a deep blue, and a few bright planets appeared. A weather station in the park recorded the temperature falling from 71 degrees to 63 degrees.
Officials had prepared for heavy traffic. Roads into town were crowded for hours, and parking lots were full by noon. The town handed out 8,000 free pairs of eclipse glasses. Doctors warn that looking at the sun without proper glasses can damage the eyes, even when most of the sun is covered.
The next total solar eclipse visible from Harlan is not expected until 2078.
Account 2: From the Journal of Mei Lin Zhao, Age 11
Monday. I can't believe what I saw today. Grandma and I spread our blanket on the hill at Harlan Park before lunch. There were people everywhere, with telescopes and lawn chairs and dogs.
For the first hour, nothing much seemed to happen. Through my eclipse glasses, the sun looked like an orange cookie with a bite missing. It slowly got thinner and thinner. Then the light turned strange, silvery and dim, like a photo with the color turned down. It felt chilly, so I pulled on my sweatshirt.
All at once, the last sliver of sun disappeared. Everyone on the hill gasped at the same time. Grandma said we could take off our glasses now. Where the sun had been was a black circle with a soft white glow around it, like silver hair floating in water. All around the edge of the sky, it looked like sunset in every direction. The birds in the trees went completely silent.
I forgot to take a single picture. I just stood there holding Grandma's hand. It felt like the whole world was holding its breath.
Then a bright flash burst from one edge, and people cheered and hugged strangers. Grandma wiped her eyes. She said she had waited her whole life to see that. I hope I see another one before I am as old as she is.
How is the purpose of Account 1 different from the purpose of Account 2?
- Both accounts try to persuade readers to buy their own eclipse glasses.
- Account 1 explains how to make glasses; Account 2 explains how eclipses work.
- Account 1 reports facts about the event; Account 2 shares how it felt to be there.
- Account 1 tells a personal story; Account 2 reports facts and exact numbers.
Which detail appears in both accounts?
- The birds in the trees went silent.
- The air grew cooler during the eclipse.
- The town handed out free eclipse glasses.
- A few bright planets appeared in the sky.
How do the two writers describe the drop in temperature differently?
- The reporter describes feeling chilly, while Mei Lin gives exact numbers.
- Only the reporter mentions any change in the temperature at all.
- Both writers give the exact temperature in degrees before and after.
- The reporter gives exact numbers, while Mei Lin tells how her body felt.
Why does the reporter explain what a total solar eclipse is?
- to argue that eclipses happen far too rarely
- to show that the reporter was confused by the event
- to explain why the traffic was heavy that day
- so readers who missed it can understand the event
What can a reader learn from Account 2 that Account 1 does not tell?
- when the next total eclipse will happen
- how long totality lasted that afternoon
- how many glasses the town handed out
- how the crowd reacted when the sun was fully covered
Why does Mei Lin compare the light to "a photo with the color turned down"?
- to show that her eclipse glasses were not working
- to explain that she was taking photos of the eclipse
- to help readers picture how dim and strange the light looked
- to describe the colors of the sunset around the sky
