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.
Kira asks how the author sets a position apart from the common claim. Which choice describes it best?
- By pointing out that the claim appears on posters, in cartoons, and in school hallways.
- By granting that goldfish are not as clever as dogs and stopping there.
- By citing tests on goldfish memory that the common claim cannot explain.
- By arguing that popular sayings about animals are usually wrong.
Luz compares the two boxes. On which point does the author disagree with people who repeat the claim?
- How long a goldfish can remember something.
- Whether goldfish are as clever as dogs are.
- Whether the claim is repeated on posters and in cartoons.
- Whether goldfish are smarter than most other kinds of fish.
Milo reads the author box. How does the author treat the people who repeat the three-second claim?
- 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.
- Fairly: the author calls the claim common and answers it with tests, not insults.
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 promising that the trees will pay for themselves within a few years.
- 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 granting that the worries are real, then weighing them against benefits and ways to reduce them.
Ren reads the author box. How does the author treat the opponents' worries?
- As the author's own view: the author expects the planting to fail because of drains.
- Seriously: the author accepts the worries as real and offers choices that reduce them.
- 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 agreeing that comics alone are not enough, and then ending the argument.
- By noting that some adults say a comic book does not count as real reading.
- By naming the reading skills a comic uses and showing they are the skills any story needs.
- By arguing that comics are a better way to learn than books made of words.
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 readers also need long passages of prose to grow.
- Whether students choose to read comic books.
- Whether adults should decide what students read in their free time.
Ari reads the author box. How does the author treat the adults' claim?
- As correct: the author accepts that comics do not count as real reading.
- As mostly right: the author agrees comics belong on the shelf after the novels.
- Fairly: the author agrees comics alone are not enough, then explains what comics add.
- Harshly: the author says adults who dislike comics do not care about student 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 granting their points, then using doctors' advice on teen sleep to weigh against them.
- By showing that later start times raise test scores in the schools that try them.
- By listing what supporters say about being on time, buses, and sports practices.
Jun reads the author box. How does the author treat the supporters of early starts?
- 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.
- As mostly right: the author agrees that early starts serve students well.