Find the sentence that proves your answer

Grade 6 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   The Rain Gauge (story)

   [1] Every morning before school, Esme checked the glass jar taped to the garden fence and wrote the number in a blue notebook. [2] The jar had a ruler glued to its side, and Esme had marked each line twice with a steady hand. [3] Mr. Tran next door watched from his porch and said the project looked like a lot of fuss for a little water. [4] On Monday the jar held half an inch of rain, and Esme circled the number twice. [5] On Tuesday a gust of wind knocked the jar into the flower bed, and the water soaked into the soil. [6] Esme did not guess at the amount; instead Esme drew a line through the page and wrote, "No reading: jar spilled." [7] By Friday the notebook had five tidy rows, and one of them was crossed out. [8] That afternoon Mr. Tran leaned over the fence and asked how much rain the yard had received that week. [9] Esme opened the notebook, read the four good readings aloud, and explained that Tuesday was missing. [10] Mr. Tran nodded slowly and said that most people would have filled in a number. [11] On Saturday Esme found a heavier jar with a wider base and wedged it into a bucket of stones. [12] On Sunday morning Mr. Tran dropped a flat rock into the bucket without saying a word.

2. 1.

   Kira reads the story. One sentence: "[10] Mr. Tran nodded slowly and said that most people would have filled in a number." Which claim does it best support?

   • Mr. Tran is worried that Esme left a gap in the notebook.
   • Mr. Tran respects how Esme handled the missing reading.
   • Mr. Tran wants to build a rain gauge of his own now.
   • Mr. Tran still thinks the project is a fuss over a little water.
3. 2.

   Luz reads the story. Which sentence best proves this claim: by the end of the week, Mr. Tran respects Esme's careful work?

   • [4] On Monday the jar held half an inch of rain, and Esme circled the number twice.
   • [3] Mr. Tran next door watched from his porch and said the project looked like a lot of fuss for a little water.
   • [8] That afternoon Mr. Tran leaned over the fence and asked how much rain the yard had received that week.
   • [10] Mr. Tran nodded slowly and said that most people would have filled in a number.
4. 3.

   Milo reads the story. Sentence [6] backs the claim that Esme values honest records. Which explanation best links the sentence to the claim?

   • The jar spilled because of the wind, which shows that the weather that week was rough and unpredictable.
   • Esme draws a line through the page that day, which shows Esme gave up on the project after the spill.
   • Esme labels the missing day instead of guessing, so the notebook shows what was and was not measured.
   • Esme writes in the notebook on the day of the spill, which shows Esme enjoys keeping neat records.
5. 4.

   Noah reads the story. Which sentence best proves this claim: Esme changes the setup after the spill?

   • [7] By Friday the notebook had five tidy rows, and one of them was crossed out.
   • [9] Esme opened the notebook, read the four good readings aloud, and explained that Tuesday was missing.
   • [5] On Tuesday a gust of wind knocked the jar into the flower bed, and the water soaked into the soil.
   • [11] On Saturday Esme found a heavier jar with a wider base and wedged it into a bucket of stones.
6. 5.

   Pia reads the story. Sentences [2] and [4] both show Esme doing something twice. Which claim do they best support?

   • Esme wants to impress Mr. Tran with a fancy science project.
   • Esme is sure the jar will fill up before the weekend is over.
   • Esme double-checks measurements to be sure they are right.
   • Esme is nervous that the marked jar might break in the wind.

7. Quiet Wings (article)

   [1] Most birds make a swishing sound when they flap, but an owl can glide past a listener almost without a whisper. [2] This silence is not an accident, because an owl's wings are built to break up noise. [3] The front edge of each large wing feather is lined with tiny fringes, like the teeth of a comb. [4] These fringes split the rushing air into many small streams instead of one loud rush.

   [5] Soft, fuzzy feathers cover the upper side of the wing, and they soak up much of the remaining sound. [6] The back edge of each wing also ends in a soft, frayed fringe that lets air slide away smoothly. [7] Because of these features, an owl's wing beats are much quieter than a pigeon's of about the same size.

   [8] Quiet flight matters to an owl for two reasons, and both have to do with finding food. [9] Many owls look for food in the dark, using hearing to find mice that rustle in leaves or grass. [10] A noisy wing would cover up the faint sounds of the prey the owl is trying to hear. [11] A silent approach also gives a mouse little warning before the owl arrives. [12] Scientists studying owl feathers have copied the fringed edge to design quieter fan blades and aircraft parts.

8. 6.

   Ren reads the article. Which sentence best proves this claim: quiet wings help an owl hear its prey?

   • [12] Scientists studying owl feathers have copied the fringed edge to design quieter fan blades and aircraft parts.
   • [9] Many owls look for food in the dark, using hearing to find mice that rustle in leaves or grass.
   • [11] A silent approach also gives a mouse little warning before the owl arrives.
   • [10] A noisy wing would cover up the faint sounds of the prey the owl is trying to hear.
9. 7.

   Zee reads the article. Which sentence best proves this claim: a pigeon's wing is not as well designed for silence as an owl's?

   • [1] Most birds make a swishing sound when they flap, but an owl can glide past a listener almost without a whisper.
   • [7] Because of these features, an owl's wing beats are much quieter than a pigeon's of about the same size.
   • [5] Soft, fuzzy feathers cover the upper side of the wing, and they soak up much of the remaining sound.
   • [9] Many owls look for food in the dark, using hearing to find mice that rustle in leaves or grass.
10. 8.

    Ari reads the article. Sentence [11] says a silent approach gives a mouse little warning. Which explanation links it to the claim that quiet flight helps owls catch food?

    • Owls give mice little warning, which shows that mice are poor at hearing nearby sounds in the dark.
    • Mice are active in the dark, which shows that owls and mice are alike in how they use their ears.
    • The sentence is about an owl, so any sentence about the owl shows that quiet flight helps it catch food.
    • A mouse that hears nothing cannot run before the owl arrives, so the owl is more likely to catch it.
11. 9.

    Bo reads the article. Which sentence best proves this claim: owls cut noise at the back of the wing as well as the front?

    • [6] The back edge of each wing also ends in a soft, frayed fringe that lets air slide away smoothly.
    • [7] Because of these features, an owl's wing beats are much quieter than a pigeon's of about the same size.
    • [3] The front edge of each large wing feather is lined with tiny fringes, like the teeth of a comb.
    • [4] These fringes split the rushing air into many small streams instead of one loud rush.
12. 10.

    Esme reads the article. One sentence: "[9] Many owls look for food in the dark, using hearing to find mice that rustle in leaves or grass." Which claim does it best support?

    • Owls cannot see well enough to find food in the dark and must rely on sound.
    • An owl's feathers are built to reduce noise.
    • Hearing is an important tool for many owls when they search for food.
    • Mice make noise on purpose to attract owls.