Transitions and conclusions
Grade 6 Reading Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Why Libraries Still Matter (student draft)
Why Libraries Still Matter
[1] Some people believe public libraries are no longer needed because books and articles are now online. [2] This view overlooks what libraries actually provide. [3] Libraries lend books, but they also offer free internet, quiet study rooms and help from trained librarians.
[4] Many families rely on those services every week. [5] Last year, the library added a quiet room for homework. [6] More students now finish their assignments there. [7] A job seeker can also use a library computer to write a resume.
[8] Libraries teach as well. [9] Many offer free classes on topics such as reading, using computers and learning English. [10] These programs help people of all ages. [11] Public libraries remain valuable because they give every community access to information and opportunity.
Ari wants a link at the start of sentence 4 that shows it supports sentence 3. Which revision is best?
- Meanwhile, many families rely on those services every week.
- On the other hand, many families rely on those services every week.
- Many families rely on those services every week, but libraries are old-fashioned.
- In fact, many families rely on those services every week.
Bo wants to combine sentences 5 and 6 to show how they relate. Which sentence keeps the meaning?
- Although the library added a quiet room for homework last year, more students now finish their assignments there.
- More students now finish their assignments there because the library will add a quiet room for homework next year.
- Since the library added a quiet room for homework last year, more students now finish their assignments there.
- Before the library added a quiet room for homework last year, more students now finish their assignments there.
How Emperor Penguins Survive Winter (student draft)
How Emperor Penguins Survive Winter
[1] Emperor penguins live in Antarctica, where winter temperatures can drop far below freezing and the winds blow fiercely. [2] Their bodies have several features that hold in heat. [3] Thick layers of fat under the skin act as insulation, and tightly packed feathers keep cold air away from the skin.
[4] Even with these features, a single penguin standing alone would lose heat quickly. [5] To save energy, thousands of penguins huddle together in a tight group. [6] The penguins on the outer edge face the wind, so they slowly shuffle toward the middle while others take their place. [7] This constant turning means that no one bird stays in the coldest spot for long. [8] Scientists who study huddles have found that the center can be much warmer than the edge.
[9] Their parenting is also unusual. [10] After the female lays one egg, the male balances it on his feet under a warm flap of skin for about two months while the female feeds at sea. [11] The males do not eat during this time, yet they stay on the ice through the coldest weeks.
Paragraph 3 begins with sentence 9, which does not link to the huddling paragraph. Which revision works best, Jun?
- As a result, their parenting is also unusual, and it comes from huddling in the cold.
- Another thing about emperor penguins that scientists find interesting is their parenting.
- Parenting adds another cold-weather challenge, and the penguins meet it in an unusual way.
- Emperor penguins are unique among birds in having such unusual parenting habits anywhere.
Which version of sentence 8 joins it to sentence 7 best, Kira?
- Therefore, scientists who study huddles have found that the center can be much warmer than the edge.
- In contrast, scientists who study huddles have found that the center can be much warmer than the edge.
- Meanwhile, scientists who study huddles have found that the center can be much warmer than the edge.
- As evidence, scientists who study huddles have found that the center can be much warmer than the edge.
The draft needs a closing sentence. Which one fits best, Luz?
- Next winter, scientists will count the emperor penguins using photographs from satellites.
- Fat, feathers, huddling and shared parenting give emperor penguins several ways to survive winter.
- Emperor penguins live in Antarctica, where winter is very cold and the winds blow hard.
- Penguins are fascinating animals that people should try to see in person at least once.
Should School Start Later? (student draft)
Should School Start Later?
[1] Many middle schools begin classes before 8:00 in the morning, but students may be better off starting later. [2] During the teen years, sleep patterns shift, so many young people naturally fall asleep later at night. [3] A student who must wake at 6:00 may get far less sleep than the body needs.
[4] Medical groups have reached the same conclusion. [5] The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. [6] Some schools that moved their start times have reported fewer students falling asleep in class.
[7] Critics point out that later starts can cause problems. [8] Buses may need new schedules, and after-school sports may end after dark. [9] These concerns are real, but they can be solved. [10] Districts can stagger bus routes and adjust practice times. [11] The health and learning benefits of more sleep justify these changes.
Sentence 7 starts paragraph 3 without a link. Which revision connects it to paragraph 2 and keeps the author's purpose, Milo?
- Still, critics point out that later starts can cause problems.
- Critics are right that later starts cause too many problems.
- Next, critics point out that later starts can cause problems.
- As a result, critics point out that later starts can cause problems.
Sentence 9 says, 'These concerns are real, but they can be solved.' What does 'but' do, Noah?
- It shows the concerns will arise after the solutions have been tried
- It shows the concerns are an example of the earlier evidence from medical groups
- It admits the critics' point and then turns back to the author's claim
- It adds a second concern to the critics' list of problems with later starts
Which revision of sentence 11 gives the strongest ending for the argument, Pia?
- Many districts have also moved start times to save money on buses and fuel.
- Because more sleep improves health and learning, districts should adopt later start times.
- Later start times will solve the biggest problems that students and teachers have at school.
- Later start times are good for many students and for the schools they attend.
How Glass Is Recycled (student draft)
How Glass Is Recycled
[1] Glass is one of the easiest materials to recycle. [2] A glass bottle can be melted and made into a new bottle again and again without losing quality. [3] That makes glass different from some other materials, which weaken each time they are recycled.
[4] The process begins at a recycling center, where workers sort glass by color. [5] The glass is then crushed into small pieces called cullet. [6] Cullet melts at a lower temperature than the raw materials used to make new glass, so factories burn less fuel when they add it.
[7] Recycling glass also keeps it out of landfills. [8] Glass does not break down quickly, so a bottle thrown away can stay buried for a very long time. [9] Using recycled glass also reduces the need to dig up sand, the main ingredient in new glass. [10] Families can help by rinsing bottles and placing them in the right bin.
Ren wants a smoother link from paragraph 1 to paragraph 2. Which new first sentence of paragraph 2 works best?
- As a result of this, glass is sorted by color at a recycling center before it is crushed.
- Meanwhile, at a recycling center in the city, workers sort glass by color as it arrives.
- To see why glass recycles so well, follow a bottle to a center where workers sort it by color.
- In contrast to other materials, a recycling center sorts glass by its color first.
Sentence 10 gives advice. Which closing sentence ties the advice back to the main point, Zee?
- Glass is one of the easiest materials to recycle, and that is how this draft began.
- Recycling is good for the planet, and people should try to do more of it each week.
- By rinsing bottles and using the right bin, families keep reusable glass out of the trash.
- Some towns also recycle plastic, paper and aluminum cans as well as glass.
