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
   • hard to find or catch sight of
   • easy to spot against the bare rock
   • impossible for anyone to ever see
3. 2.

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

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

   A classmate says impartial means “cold and unfriendly.” Pia looks for the detail that best shows that guess is wrong. Which is it?

   • She would trust the number after a second survey of the same ridges.
   • Researchers set up cameras along narrow ridges, where the cats leave tracks.
   • Their count of eleven individual cats was tentative, since photographs were partial.
   • She reports results that disappoint her sponsors as plainly as those that please them.
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.
   • The team gathered nine months of footage from forty cameras on ridges.
   • Their fur blends into rock so completely that biologists miss them for weeks.
   • Local herders have agreed to guard their animals with fences at night.

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.

   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.
   • Several classmates murmured, and one rolled her eyes.
   • 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.
8. 6.

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

   • Murmured suggests the classmates were angry and ready to leave the room.
   • 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.

9. 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.

10. 7.

    Kira combines the clues in sentences 3 and 6. What does intricate most likely mean in sentence 3?

    • so complicated that no one could ever fix it again
    • simple, made of a few large parts that anyone can see
    • very old, made a long time ago by hand
    • made of many tiny parts that fit
11. 8.

    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 writer thanks Ms. Alvarez for her offer, then says the decision was hard, so decline answers it.
    • The writer does not wish to sound ungrateful, so interest in the clock is fading.
    • The clock stopped for the first time in years, which shows it is growing weaker.
    • Mr. Pruett found a hair no thicker than a thread after an afternoon of looking.
12. 9.

    Noah asks why the writer says the attachment may be sentimental. Which choice explains the effect?

    • Sentimental admits the attachment comes from feelings and memories, with no apology.
    • It suggests the writer thinks the attachment is foolish and wants to change it.
    • It suggests the writer is being dishonest about what the clock is worth.
    • It means the same as practical, so the writer is agreeing with Ms. Alvarez about the sale.
13. 10.

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

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