Summarize an article
Grade 6 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
From Flower to Honey Jar (article)
[1] Worker bees fly from flower to flower, sipping sweet nectar and storing it in a special stomach for the trip home. [2] A single bee may visit dozens of flowers before its stomach is full.
[3] Back at the hive, the returning bee passes the nectar to a house bee, which chews it for a while and spreads it into a wax cell. [4] At this point the nectar is still thin and watery, so it cannot be stored for long.
[5] Other bees fan their wings above the open cells, which makes the extra water evaporate and turns the nectar thick and sticky. [6] When the honey is finally ready, the bees seal each cell with a lid of fresh wax.
[7] Later, a beekeeper lifts out a frame of sealed cells, shaves off the wax lids, and spins the frame inside a large drum. [8] The spinning flings the honey out of the cells so that it can run into a jar, and the empty frame goes back to the hive. Paragraph gist ladder: P1: bees gather nectar | P2: a house bee spreads it into wax cells | P3: fanning thickens it and the cells are sealed | P4: a beekeeper spins the honey out of the frames
Ari reads the article and its paragraph ladder. Which summary tells the main steps in order, with no opinion added?
- Bees sip nectar from flowers and carry it home, where other bees fan it until it thickens and seal the cells with fresh wax. A beekeeper later shaves off the wax lids and spins the honey out of the frame.
- Bees sip nectar from flowers and carry it home, where other bees fan it until it thickens. A house bee then spreads it into wax cells, the bees seal the cells, and a beekeeper spins the honey out.
- Bees sip nectar from flowers and carry it home, where a house bee spreads it into wax cells. Other bees fan the nectar until it thickens and seal the cells, and a beekeeper spins the honey out, which looks like a gentle way to collect it.
- Bees sip nectar from flowers and carry it home, where a house bee spreads it into wax cells. Other bees fan the nectar until it thickens and seal the cells, and a beekeeper spins the honey out.
From Flower to Honey Jar (article)
[1] Worker bees fly from flower to flower, sipping sweet nectar and storing it in a special stomach for the trip home. [2] A single bee may visit dozens of flowers before its stomach is full.
[3] Back at the hive, the returning bee passes the nectar to a house bee, which chews it for a while and spreads it into a wax cell. [4] At this point the nectar is still thin and watery, so it cannot be stored for long.
[5] Other bees fan their wings above the open cells, which makes the extra water evaporate and turns the nectar thick and sticky. [6] When the honey is finally ready, the bees seal each cell with a lid of fresh wax.
[7] Later, a beekeeper lifts out a frame of sealed cells, shaves off the wax lids, and spins the frame inside a large drum. [8] The spinning flings the honey out of the cells so that it can run into a jar, and the empty frame goes back to the hive. Incomplete paragraph gist ladder: P1: bees gather nectar | P2: a house bee spreads it into wax cells | P3: ? | P4: a beekeeper spins the honey out of the frames
Bo is filling in the paragraph ladder. Which line is the main step for the empty rung?
- The bees feed the finished honey to the young bees that are growing up inside the hive.
- Spreading the nectar into wax cells seems like the most careful job in the hive.
- A single bee may visit dozens of flowers before its special stomach is finally full.
- Other bees fan the open cells until the nectar thickens, and they seal each cell with wax.
From Flower to Honey Jar (article)
[1] Worker bees fly from flower to flower, sipping sweet nectar and storing it in a special stomach for the trip home. [2] A single bee may visit dozens of flowers before its stomach is full.
[3] Back at the hive, the returning bee passes the nectar to a house bee, which chews it for a while and spreads it into a wax cell. [4] At this point the nectar is still thin and watery, so it cannot be stored for long.
[5] Other bees fan their wings above the open cells, which makes the extra water evaporate and turns the nectar thick and sticky. [6] When the honey is finally ready, the bees seal each cell with a lid of fresh wax.
[7] Later, a beekeeper lifts out a frame of sealed cells, shaves off the wax lids, and spins the frame inside a large drum. [8] The spinning flings the honey out of the cells so that it can run into a jar, and the empty frame goes back to the hive. Paragraph gist ladder: P1: bees gather nectar | P2: a house bee spreads it into wax cells | P3: fanning thickens it and the cells are sealed | P4: a beekeeper spins the honey out of the frames Summary with a blank: Bees sip nectar from flowers and carry it back to the hive. [blank] Other bees fan the cells until the nectar thickens and seal them, and a beekeeper later spins the honey out of the frames.
Esme's summary has one blank. Which sentence fits the blank?
- A house bee chews the nectar for a while and spreads it into a wax cell.
- Passing the nectar along must be the trickiest job in the whole hive.
- The bees seal each cell with a lid of fresh wax once the honey is ready.
- The nectar is thin and watery at first, so it cannot be stored for long.
How a Glacier Carves a Valley (article)
[1] High in the mountains, more snow falls each winter than melts in summer, so the snow piles up year after year. [2] The weight of the upper layers squeezes the lower layers into thick, heavy ice.
[3] Once the ice becomes deep enough, gravity slowly pulls the whole mass downhill as a frozen river called a glacier. [4] It may move only a few inches on some days, although over many years it travels a long way.
[5] As the glacier slides, rocks frozen into its bottom scrape against the valley walls and floor. [6] This grinding widens the valley and gives it a smooth, rounded shape like the letter U.
[7] When the climate warms, the glacier melts and shrinks back up the mountain. [8] It leaves behind a deep valley, scattered boulders, and sometimes a lake where the ice used to sit. Paragraph gist ladder: P1: snow piles up and turns to heavy ice | P2: gravity pulls the ice downhill as a glacier | P3: rocks in the ice scrape the valley into a U shape | P4: the glacier melts and leaves a deep valley
Jun is writing a summary of this article. Which summary follows the ladder from the first rung to the last, without adding an opinion?
- Snow piles up in the mountains and is squeezed into heavy ice, which gravity pulls downhill as a glacier. Rocks frozen into the ice scrape the valley walls and floor, and this grinding leaves the valley wide, smooth, and rounded.
- Snow piles up in the mountains and is squeezed into heavy ice, which gravity pulls downhill, moving just a few inches on some days. The glacier scrapes the valley as it slides, and when the climate warms, it melts and leaves a valley behind.
- Snow piles up in the mountains and is squeezed into heavy ice, which gravity pulls downhill as a glacier. Rocks in the ice scrape the valley into a U shape, and the melting glacier leaves a deep valley behind.
- Snow piles up in the mountains and is squeezed into heavy ice, which gravity pulls downhill as a glacier. Rocks in the ice scrape the valley into a U shape, and the melting glacier leaves a deep valley behind, which makes the glacier sound like a patient sculptor.
How a Glacier Carves a Valley (article)
[1] High in the mountains, more snow falls each winter than melts in summer, so the snow piles up year after year. [2] The weight of the upper layers squeezes the lower layers into thick, heavy ice.
[3] Once the ice becomes deep enough, gravity slowly pulls the whole mass downhill as a frozen river called a glacier. [4] It may move only a few inches on some days, although over many years it travels a long way.
[5] As the glacier slides, rocks frozen into its bottom scrape against the valley walls and floor. [6] This grinding widens the valley and gives it a smooth, rounded shape like the letter U.
[7] When the climate warms, the glacier melts and shrinks back up the mountain. [8] It leaves behind a deep valley, scattered boulders, and sometimes a lake where the ice used to sit. Incomplete paragraph gist ladder: P1: snow piles up and turns to heavy ice | P2: ? | P3: rocks in the ice scrape the valley into a U shape | P4: the glacier melts and leaves a deep valley
One rung of Kira's paragraph ladder is empty. Which line tells the main step of that paragraph?
- Gravity slowly pulls the heavy ice downhill, and the moving mass is called a glacier.
- Sometimes a lake is left in the spot where the ice used to sit.
- Scientists measure how fast the ice moves by placing long stakes into the glacier each year.
- Glaciers are the most impressive way that mountains change over thousands of years.
How a Glacier Carves a Valley (article)
[1] High in the mountains, more snow falls each winter than melts in summer, so the snow piles up year after year. [2] The weight of the upper layers squeezes the lower layers into thick, heavy ice.
[3] Once the ice becomes deep enough, gravity slowly pulls the whole mass downhill as a frozen river called a glacier. [4] It may move only a few inches on some days, although over many years it travels a long way.
[5] As the glacier slides, rocks frozen into its bottom scrape against the valley walls and floor. [6] This grinding widens the valley and gives it a smooth, rounded shape like the letter U.
[7] When the climate warms, the glacier melts and shrinks back up the mountain. [8] It leaves behind a deep valley, scattered boulders, and sometimes a lake where the ice used to sit. Paragraph gist ladder: P1: snow piles up and turns to heavy ice | P2: gravity pulls the ice downhill as a glacier | P3: rocks in the ice scrape the valley into a U shape | P4: the glacier melts and leaves a deep valley Summary with a blank: Snow piles up in the mountains and is squeezed into heavy ice, and gravity pulls the ice downhill as a glacier. [blank] When the climate warms, the glacier melts and leaves a deep valley behind.
Luz left a blank in the middle of a summary. Which sentence should fill it?
- Rocks frozen into the bottom of the glacier scrape the valley walls and floor into a rounded U shape.
- The weight of the upper layers of snow squeezes the lower layers into thick ice.
- Grinding a valley wider seems like slow, boring work for a glacier to do year after year.
- Some glaciers move just a few inches on certain days, though they travel far over many years.
Making Maple Syrup (article)
[1] In late winter, when nights are freezing but days are mild, sap begins to flow inside sugar maple trees. [2] Workers drill a small hole in each trunk and hang a bucket or attach a tube to catch the dripping liquid.
[3] The sap is clear and nearly as thin as water, with just a faint sweetness. [4] It takes about forty gallons of sap to make a single gallon of syrup.
[5] To thicken it, workers boil the sap in a long, shallow pan until most of the water has turned to steam. [6] The liquid slowly darkens and becomes sweeter as it simmers.
[7] When the syrup reaches the right thickness, it is poured through a filter that catches any tiny bits of grit. [8] Then it is poured into bottles while still hot and sealed. Paragraph gist ladder: P1: workers tap maple trees and collect sap | P2: the sap is thin, so a lot is needed | P3: boiling thickens the sap into syrup | P4: the syrup is filtered and bottled Summary with a blank: Workers drill holes in maple trunks and collect the sap that drips out. [blank] They boil the sap until the water steams away, then filter the syrup and bottle it.
A sentence is missing from Pia's summary. Which one belongs in the blank?
- Sap begins to flow inside the maple trees when nights are freezing but days are mild.
- Collecting that much sap looks like the hardest part of the whole job for the workers.
- The syrup is poured through a filter that catches any tiny bits of grit left in it.
- The sap is thin and watery, and about forty gallons are needed for one gallon of syrup.
A Monarch's Long Trip South (article)
[1] Monarch butterflies that hatch in late summer do something their parents never did by flying south for the winter. [2] Instead of mating right away, they feed on flower nectar and store fat for the long journey.
[3] Some of them travel more than two thousand miles to reach a few mountain forests in central Mexico. [4] They follow the sun's position during the day and rest on trees and flowers each night.
[5] In Mexico, thousands of monarchs cling together on fir branches, which keeps them out of the worst cold. [6] They hardly move all winter, saving their stored fat until the weather warms.
[7] In spring, the monarchs fly north and lay eggs on milkweed plants along the way. [8] Their offspring finish the trip north, and the cycle of southward flight begins again the next autumn. Paragraph gist ladder: P1: late-summer monarchs store fat for a long flight | P2: they fly south to mountain forests in Mexico | P3: they cluster on fir branches and rest all winter | P4: in spring they fly north and lay eggs on milkweed
Which of these summaries would Ren hand in? It must give the main steps in order and add no opinion.
- Monarchs that hatch in late summer store fat and fly a very long way to mountain forests in central Mexico. In spring they fly north and lay eggs on milkweed, and then they spend the winter clinging together on fir branches.
- Monarchs that hatch in late summer store fat and fly a very long way to mountain forests in central Mexico. They rest there all winter, clinging together on fir branches, and in spring they fly north and lay eggs on milkweed.
- Monarchs that hatch in late summer store fat and fly a very long way to mountain forests in central Mexico. When spring arrives, they fly north, lay eggs on milkweed plants along the way, and let their offspring finish the trip.
- Monarchs that hatch in late summer store fat, feeding on nectar and resting on trees and flowers each night before some of them fly more than two thousand miles to Mexico. They cling to fir branches all winter and fly north in spring to lay eggs.
A Monarch's Long Trip South (article)
[1] Monarch butterflies that hatch in late summer do something their parents never did by flying south for the winter. [2] Instead of mating right away, they feed on flower nectar and store fat for the long journey.
[3] Some of them travel more than two thousand miles to reach a few mountain forests in central Mexico. [4] They follow the sun's position during the day and rest on trees and flowers each night.
[5] In Mexico, thousands of monarchs cling together on fir branches, which keeps them out of the worst cold. [6] They hardly move all winter, saving their stored fat until the weather warms.
[7] In spring, the monarchs fly north and lay eggs on milkweed plants along the way. [8] Their offspring finish the trip north, and the cycle of southward flight begins again the next autumn. Incomplete paragraph gist ladder: P1: ? | P2: they fly south to mountain forests in Mexico | P3: they cluster on fir branches and rest all winter | P4: in spring they fly north and lay eggs on milkweed
Tala has not filled in the first rung. Which line is the main step of that paragraph?
- Monarchs that hatch in late summer feed on nectar and store fat for the trip south.
- Monarchs wait in warm fields until the first cold night arrives, and then they leave.
- The monarchs rest on trees and flowers each night as they travel toward Mexico.
- Flying so far south must be a very brave thing for a small butterfly to do.
A Monarch's Long Trip South (article)
[1] Monarch butterflies that hatch in late summer do something their parents never did by flying south for the winter. [2] Instead of mating right away, they feed on flower nectar and store fat for the long journey.
[3] Some of them travel more than two thousand miles to reach a few mountain forests in central Mexico. [4] They follow the sun's position during the day and rest on trees and flowers each night.
[5] In Mexico, thousands of monarchs cling together on fir branches, which keeps them out of the worst cold. [6] They hardly move all winter, saving their stored fat until the weather warms.
[7] In spring, the monarchs fly north and lay eggs on milkweed plants along the way. [8] Their offspring finish the trip north, and the cycle of southward flight begins again the next autumn. Paragraph gist ladder: P1: late-summer monarchs store fat for a long flight | P2: they fly south to mountain forests in Mexico | P3: they cluster on fir branches and rest all winter | P4: in spring they fly north and lay eggs on milkweed Summary with a blank: Monarchs that hatch in late summer store fat and fly south. They gather in mountain forests in central Mexico, where they cling together on fir branches and rest all winter. [blank]
Zee has not finished the summary. Which sentence ends it?
- In spring they fly north and lay eggs on milkweed, and their offspring finish the trip.
- The monarchs hardly move through the winter, saving their stored fat until the weather warms.
- It is amazing that the cycle begins again with the next group of monarchs.
- Monarchs that hatch in late summer feed on nectar and store fat for the long journey.