Transitions and conclusions
Grade 6 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Electric Buses for Maple City (invented city) (student draft)
Electric Buses for Maple City (invented city)
[1] Maple City has relied on diesel buses for decades, but the city council now has a chance to change that. [2] An electric bus produces no exhaust from its tailpipe, so streets with heavy bus traffic would have cleaner air. [3] Electric buses are also much quieter, which would help the people who live along busy routes.
[4] Cost is the biggest obstacle. [5] An electric bus costs more to buy than a diesel bus, and the city would need to build charging stations. [6] Electric buses are cheaper to run, because electricity costs less than diesel fuel and the motors need fewer repairs. [7] Over the life of a bus, these savings can make up much of the higher purchase price.
[8] The city does not need to replace every bus at once. [9] It could buy a few electric buses each year and use them on the busiest routes first. [10] Council members could then compare real costs before deciding how many more to buy. [11] A gradual switch would let Maple City test the plan while it protects the budget.
Sentence 8 opens paragraph 3 with no link to the cost concerns in paragraph 2. Which revision links the paragraphs and keeps the author's purpose, Ari?
- Therefore, the city should replace every single bus at once.
- Even so, a higher price does not mean replacing every bus at once.
- Likewise, the city does not need to replace every bus at once.
- In addition, the city does not need to replace every bus at the same time.
Two links were removed, one before sentence 6 and one before sentence 11. Which pair fits, Bo?
- For example, / For that reason,
- As a result, / Meanwhile,
- On the other hand, / In short,
- Similarly, / However,
Which revision of the last sentence ends the argument best, Esme?
- Maple City has relied on diesel buses for decades, but the council now has a chance to change.
- By starting small, Maple City can enjoy cleaner, quieter streets while it learns about costs.
- Electric buses will certainly pay for themselves within five years of being bought.
- Cleaner streets could also lower hospital costs for families across the entire state.
Native Plants for Our Schoolyard (student draft)
Native Plants for Our Schoolyard
[1] Our schoolyard is mostly mowed grass, which needs frequent watering and gives little to wildlife. [2] Replacing part of the lawn with native plants, which grow naturally in our region, would solve several problems at once. [3] Native plants are adapted to local weather, so after they are established they usually need far less water than a lawn.
[4] Native plants also support wildlife. [5] Local bees and butterflies have evolved alongside these plants and often depend on them for nectar and pollen. [6] A garden of native flowers can therefore become a small habitat right outside the classroom door.
[7] Some people worry that a native garden will look messy. [8] A planned garden with clear borders and a few signs can look neat, and it can teach students about local ecosystems. [9] Students could also help plant and care for the garden as part of science class.
[10] For all of these reasons, the school should plant a native garden in place of part of the lawn.
Two links were removed, one before sentence 5 and one before sentence 8. Which pair fits, Kira?
- As a result, / In addition,
- For instance, / However,
- Meanwhile, / Therefore,
- However, / For instance,
Which revision of sentence 10 ends the argument best, Luz?
- The school should also build a pond and a greenhouse beside the garden, with benches for visitors.
- Native plants grow naturally in our region, and they need far less water than a mowed lawn does.
- In conclusion, I believe that planting native plants would be a really good idea for our school and students.
- A native garden would save water, help wildlife and teach students, so the school should plant one.
How the Printing Press Changed Europe (student draft)
How the Printing Press Changed Europe
[1] Before the 1450s, nearly every book in Europe was copied by hand. [2] A single book could take a scribe months to finish, so books were rare and expensive. [3] Only wealthy people, churches and universities could afford to own them.
[4] Around 1450, Johannes Gutenberg, a metalworker in Mainz, built a printing press that used movable metal letters. [5] The letters could be arranged into a page, inked and pressed onto paper, and then rearranged for the next page. [6] A print shop could produce many copies of a book in the time a scribe needed to finish a few pages.
[7] Books became cheaper, and more people learned to read. [8] New ideas spread faster because printers could reproduce pamphlets and maps in large numbers. [9] Scientists could share their discoveries, and other scholars could check them. [10] Over time, printing helped make learning part of everyday life rather than a privilege of the few.
Sentence 7 begins paragraph 3 with no link. Which revision shows how the results follow from the invention, Milo?
- For example, books became cheaper in many towns, and more people learned to read.
- In contrast, books became cheaper, and more people learned to read in many towns.
- Meanwhile, at that same time, books became cheaper, and more people learned to read.
- As printing spread, books became cheaper, and more people learned to read.
Sentence 4 begins paragraph 2 with no link to the problem in paragraph 1. Which revision shows the press as the answer to that problem, Noah?
- For example, around 1450, a man named Johannes Gutenberg built a printing press that used movable metal letters.
- As a result, around 1450, a man named Johannes Gutenberg built a printing press that used movable metal letters.
- That began to change around 1450, when Johannes Gutenberg built a printing press that used movable metal letters.
- In addition, around 1450, a man named Johannes Gutenberg also built a printing press that used movable metal letters.
Which revision of sentence 10 ends the explanation best, Pia?
- Printing is the greatest invention in the whole of human history, without any doubt.
- Today, people read books, news and magazines on phones and tablets in many countries.
- Printing was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the German city of Mainz around 1450.
- By making books cheap and plentiful, printing helped make learning part of everyday life.
Why the Ocean Has Tides (student draft)
Why the Ocean Has Tides
[1] If you spend a day at the beach, you will notice that the water level rises and falls in a regular pattern. [2] These changes are called tides, and they are caused mainly by the Moon's gravity. [3] The Moon pulls on Earth, and the ocean water on the side facing the Moon bulges toward it.
[4] A second bulge forms on the opposite side of Earth. [5] Earth and the Moon orbit a shared center, and that motion makes the water on the far side bulge outward as well. [6] As Earth rotates, a coastline passes through both bulges each day, so most coasts have two high tides and two low tides daily.
[7] The Sun affects the tides, too. [8] Its gravity is strong, but it is much farther away than the Moon, so its pull on the ocean is weaker. [9] When the Sun, Moon and Earth line up, their pulls combine, and the tides are especially high and low. [10] These extra-strong tides are called spring tides, even though they have nothing to do with the season.
Sentence 8 says the Sun's gravity 'is strong, but it is much farther away,' so its pull is weaker. What do 'but' and 'so' do together, Tala?
- 'But' gives an example, and 'so' starts a new topic about the ocean's tides in general
- They show that the Sun's pull and the Moon's pull on the ocean are about equal
- 'But' admits the Sun's strong gravity, and 'so' gives the result: a weaker pull
- 'But' shows the Sun is closer than the Moon, and 'so' repeats that idea
The draft ends with a detail about spring tides. Which sentence would make the best closing for the whole explanation, Zee?
- Together, the Moon's pull, Earth's rotation and the Sun's smaller pull explain the daily tides.
- Next time you visit the beach, check the tide table so you can plan your day.
- The Moon is about 239,000 miles away from Earth, and it is slowly moving farther away each year.
- Tides are very interesting to people who live near the sea and watch them daily.