Work out a word from its sentence

Grade 6 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   The Snow Leopard Survey (article)

   [1] Snow leopards are among the most elusive animals on Earth. [2] Their gray-and-white fur blends into rock so well that biologists can spend weeks in the mountains without seeing one. [3] Instead of looking for the cats themselves, researchers set up cameras along narrow ridges, where the animals leave scratch marks and tracks.

   [4] Last winter, one team gathered nine months of footage from forty cameras. [5] Their count of eleven cats was tentative, since a few photographs showed only part of the spot pattern, and two cats might have been counted twice. [6] The leader, Dr. Fennimore, said she would trust the number only after a second survey. [7] She is known as an impartial scientist who reports results that disappoint her sponsors as plainly as those that please them.

   [8] The cats' habitat is harsh, but the animals are resilient. [9] They survive temperatures far below freezing, climb steep slopes with ease, and recover quickly from injuries. [10] The greater danger is human activity, which has shrunk the territory where the cats can roam freely. [11] Local herders have agreed to guard their animals with fences at night, which has reduced conflicts. [12] Researchers hope these agreements will give the cats room to thrive.

2. 1.

   Milo combines the clues in sentences 1 to 3. What does elusive most likely mean in sentence 1?

   • rare, with very few left in the wild
   • impossible for anyone to ever see
   • easy to spot against the bare rock
   • hard to find or catch sight of
3. 2.

   Noah combines the clues in sentences 5 and 6. What does tentative most likely mean in sentence 5?

   • wrong, because two cats were counted twice
   • dishonest, meant to fool the sponsors
   • not yet certain and open to change
   • final and ready to be published as fact
4. 3.

   Ren asks why the author calls the cats resilient instead of strong. Which choice explains the effect?

   • Resilient suggests the cats cannot be hurt by anything in the mountains where they live.
   • Resilient shows they bounce back from cold and injury, while strong shows power.
   • The two words mean the same thing, so the choice does not affect the sentence in any way.
   • Resilient suggests the cats are delicate and need protection from the cold.
5. 4.

   A classmate says roam in sentence 10 means “stay hidden in one spot.” Tala looks for the detail that best shows that guess is wrong. Which is it?

   • Human activity has shrunk the territory where cats roam freely.
   • Local herders have agreed to guard their animals with fences at night.
   • Their fur blends into rock so completely that biologists miss them for weeks.
   • The team gathered nine months of footage from forty cameras on ridges.

6. The Class Election (story)

   [1] When Mr. Hale announced that the class would elect a treasurer, Wren and Oswin were the only two who raised their hands. [2] Wren was candid about her plan: she told the class she wanted to raise money for a new set of science kits and would not pretend to have bigger goals. [3] Oswin, by contrast, spoke in vague phrases about “making school better for everyone” and never mentioned a specific project.

   [4] During questions, a student asked Oswin how he would spend the money. [5] He hesitated, glanced at the ceiling, and answered that he would “look into some options.” [6] Several classmates murmured, and one rolled her eyes. [7] Wren stayed composed when a boy challenged her budget as too small. [8] She replied that a small goal reached was better than a grand goal missed, and she offered to show her calculations.

   [9] The votes were counted after lunch. [10] Wren won by a comfortable margin, and Oswin congratulated her at once. [11] Mr. Hale later told the class that both candidates had shown courage, though in different ways. [12] He noted that being candid, unlike flattering people, takes more nerve than skill.

7. 5.

   Zee combines the clues in sentences 2 and 12. What does candid most likely mean?

   • blunt and rude toward the audience
   • honest and direct, even about plain goals
   • modest and unwilling to speak about herself
   • secretive about her plans for the money in the account
8. 6.

   A classmate says composed in sentence 7 means “wrote something.” Bo looks for the reason that best shows that guess is wrong. Which is it?

   • Wren won by a comfortable margin after lunch, so she must have written well.
   • Wren “stayed composed” while a boy challenged her, so the word names a calm state.
   • Wren offered to show her calculations, which means she writes things down.
   • Several classmates murmured, and one rolled her eyes.
9. 7.

   Esme asks why the author writes that Oswin hesitated instead of paused. Which choice explains the effect?

   • The two words mean the same thing, so either one gives the reader the same picture.
   • Hesitated suggests Oswin was lying to the class about his plan.
   • Hesitated suggests Oswin was calmly choosing his words before he spoke.
   • Hesitated suggests doubt and no ready answer, while paused would mean a short stop.
10. 8.

    Jun asks why the author writes that classmates murmured instead of said something. Which choice explains the effect?

    • The two words mean the same thing, so either one gives the same picture to a reader.
    • Murmured suggests the classmates were pleased and cheering for Oswin's answer to the question.
    • Murmured suggests low, doubtful talk, a reaction without open protest.
    • Murmured suggests the classmates were angry and ready to leave the room.

11. A Letter About a Clock (letter)

    [1] Dear Ms. Alvarez, thank you for the generous offer to buy my grandfather's clock. [2] I must decline, though I admit the decision was not easy. [3] The mechanism is intricate: more than two hundred tiny gears, each cut by hand, mesh so precisely that a single speck of dust can stop the pendulum. [4] My grandfather spent a winter assembling it by lamplight, and he was persistent even when three attempts failed.

    [5] Last week the clock stopped for the first time in years, and I feared the worst. [6] Mr. Pruett, the repairman, spent an afternoon with a magnifying glass and a brush before he found the culprit: a hair no thicker than a thread. [7] He lifted it out, the gears resumed their quiet work, and the clock began to chime as if nothing had happened.

    [8] I do not wish to sound ungrateful. [9] You may think my attachment is sentimental, and perhaps it is. [10] Yet the clock reminds me that careful, patient work can outlast the people who did it. [11] I would be glad, however, to arrange a visit so that you may see it for yourself. [12] Please reply at your convenience.

12. 9.

    A classmate says decline in sentence 2 means “become weaker or smaller.” Milo looks for the reason that best shows that guess is wrong. Which is it?

    • The clock stopped for the first time in years, which shows it is growing weaker.
    • The writer does not wish to sound ungrateful, so interest in the clock is fading.
    • The writer thanks Ms. Alvarez for her offer, then says the decision was hard, so decline answers it.
    • Mr. Pruett found a hair no thicker than a thread after an afternoon of looking.
13. 10.

    Pia asks why the writer calls the hair the culprit instead of the cause. Which choice explains the effect?

    • Culprit and cause mean the same thing, so the tone of the sentence stays exactly the same.
    • Culprit shows that someone broke the clock on purpose to cause trouble.
    • Culprit shows the writer is angry at Mr. Pruett for the slow repair.
    • Culprit makes the hair sound like a guilty party, giving the repair a playful tone.