Where the author stands, and how it differs from others
Grade 7 Reading Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
The Three-Second Goldfish (article)
[1] Ask almost anyone how long a goldfish remembers things, and the answer is three seconds. [2] That claim appears on posters, in cartoons, and in school hallways, and it is repeated so often that few people question it.
[3] Researchers who have actually tested goldfish tell a different story. [4] In one experiment, goldfish learned to push a lever to get food, a task that took practice and memory. [5] In another, fish trained to swim to a feeding spot when they heard a certain sound still responded to that sound months later.
[6] I am not claiming that goldfish are as clever as dogs, because they are not. [7] My point is smaller and sturdier: a creature that can recall a sound for months does not have a three-second memory. [8] The next time someone repeats the old claim, ask where it came from. [9] A popular claim should have to earn its place with evidence, the same as any other.
Luz compares the two boxes. On which point does the author disagree with people who repeat the claim?
- Whether goldfish are as clever as dogs are.
- Whether goldfish are smarter than most other kinds of fish.
- Whether the claim is repeated on posters and in cartoons.
- How long a goldfish can remember something.
Milo reads the author box. How does the author treat the people who repeat the three-second claim?
- Fairly: the author calls the claim common and answers it with tests, not insults.
- Warmly: the author agrees with most of what the claim says about goldfish.
- As experts: the author trusts the claim because it appears on posters and in cartoons.
- Harshly: the author says people who repeat the claim are careless and refuse to learn.
Trees for Harbor Street (article)
[1] Our city council is deciding whether to plant a tree in front of every block on Harbor Street, a busy road with almost no shade. [2] Opponents raise three worries: roots can crack sidewalks, falling leaves can clog drains, and new trees cost money to buy, plant, and water.
[3] These worries are real, and I do not dismiss them. [4] Still, I believe the benefits are larger than the costs. [5] On a hot afternoon, a street shaded by trees can be several degrees cooler than a bare street beside it, which makes walking and waiting for a bus far more pleasant. [6] Shade also protects the pavement, which cracks and wears down faster in full sun.
[7] The council can choose tree types with gentle roots and plant them away from drains. [8] The cost then spreads across many years of shade. [9] I urge the council to approve the planting plan. [10] Harbor Street has waited long enough for the shade that other streets already enjoy.
Noah asks how the author sets a position apart from the opponents. Which choice describes it best?
- By listing the three worries that opponents raise about sidewalks, drains, and cost.
- By repeating the opponents' worries until readers agree the planting costs too much and the trees are a bad idea.
- By promising that the trees will pay for themselves within a few years.
- By granting that the worries are real, then weighing them against benefits and ways to reduce them.
Pia compares the two boxes. What do the author and the opponents disagree about?
- Whether trees should be planted on streets across the whole city.
- Whether shade can make a street several degrees cooler.
- Whether roots can crack sidewalks and leaves can clog drains.
- Whether the benefits of the trees are larger than the costs.
Ren reads the author box. How does the author treat the opponents' worries?
- Seriously: the author accepts the worries as real and offers choices that reduce them.
- As the author's own view: the author expects the planting to fail because of drains.
- Completely: the author agrees the trees should wait until the costs have fallen.
- Dismissively: the author calls the worries silly and moves straight on to the benefits.
Comics on the Reading Shelf (article)
[1] When a student reads a comic book, some adults say that it does not count as real reading. [2] They believe only books made entirely of words can build a strong reader.
[3] I see it differently. [4] A comic asks the reader to follow a story across panels, notice what a character's face is saying, and work out what happened between two pictures. [5] Those skills are the same ones that readers use to understand any story. [6] Comics also use plenty of words, and many include difficult vocabulary.
[7] I do agree that a steady diet of comics is not enough, since readers also need long passages of prose to grow. [8] Still, a reader who enjoys comics is building the habit that makes every other kind of reading possible. [9] Adults should welcome comics on the reading shelf next to novels and nonfiction. [10] A reader who loves stories in any form will keep looking for the next one.
Tala asks how the author sets a position apart from the adults' claim. Which choice describes it best?
- By arguing that comics are a better way to learn than books made of words.
- By noting that some adults say a comic book does not count as real reading.
- By agreeing that comics alone are not enough, and then ending the argument.
- By naming the reading skills a comic uses and showing they are the skills any story needs.
Zee compares the two boxes. On which point does the author disagree with the adults?
- Whether reading comics helps a student build the skills of reading.
- Whether adults should decide what students read in their free time.
- Whether readers also need long passages of prose to grow.
- Whether students choose to read comic books.
Ari reads the author box. How does the author treat the adults' claim?
- Harshly: the author says adults who dislike comics do not care about student reading.
- Fairly: the author agrees comics alone are not enough, then explains what comics add.
- As mostly right: the author agrees comics belong on the shelf after the novels.
- As correct: the author accepts that comics do not count as real reading.
A Later Start for Teens (article)
[1] Many middle schools and high schools start classes before eight in the morning, which means many students must leave home very early. [2] Supporters of early starts say that students will learn to be on time, and that buses and sports practices fit better in a schedule that begins early.
[3] Those are fair points, but I believe starting later would serve students better. [4] Doctors say that teenagers need about eight to ten hours of sleep. [5] During the teen years, the body's clock shifts later, so many teens cannot fall asleep before eleven even when they try. [6] A student who wakes at six to catch an early bus may sleep far less than the doctors advise.
[7] Schools that moved their start times later have reported fewer students dozing in class. [8] Bus routes and practice schedules can be rearranged, but a student's need for sleep cannot be. [9] An extra hour of morning sleep is one of the simplest ways a school can help students learn.
Bo asks how the author sets a position apart from the supporters of early starts. Which choice describes it best?
- By agreeing that students learn to be on time when school begins early.
- By listing what supporters say about being on time, buses, and sports practices.
- By showing that later start times raise test scores in the schools that try them.
- By granting their points, then using doctors' advice on teen sleep to weigh against them.
Jun reads the author box. How does the author treat the supporters of early starts?
- As mostly right: the author agrees that early starts serve students well.
- Fairly: the author calls their points fair, then weighs them against what doctors say.
- Harshly: the author says the supporters of early starts do not care about students.
- As the author's own view: the author says buses and practices must come first.
