Where the author stands, and how it differs from others
Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Blind as a Bat? (article)
[1] "Blind as a bat" is one of the most common sayings in English, and many people repeat it without stopping to wonder whether it is true. [2] They imagine a bat flapping through the dark with no idea where it is going, bumping into trees and walls.
[3] I disagree with that picture completely. [4] Every kind of bat can see, and some see quite well even when the light is dim. [5] Many small bats also use echolocation, which means they make high squeaks and listen to the echoes to find insects and avoid branches, even in total darkness. [6] Large fruit bats rely mostly on sight and smell to find ripe fruit, and their big eyes suit the evening light.
[7] None of this describes an animal that is blind. [8] The saying may be fun to repeat, but it gives a false idea of how bats live, and it makes a clever animal sound helpless. [9] People who care about animals should stop using it and learn what bats can really do. Section map: Other-views box: sentences [1]-[2] report what many people believe. Author box: sentences [3]-[9] give the author's own view.
Ari reads the article. What is the author's position on the saying 'blind as a bat'?
- Many small bats use echolocation, which helps them find insects and avoid branches.
- The saying describes bats correctly, since a bat flaps through the dark with no idea where it goes.
- Bats are more clever than any other animal, and people should learn from them.
- The saying gives a false idea of bats, so people should stop repeating it.
Bo fills the other-views box. Which belief does the author argue against?
- That bats cannot see in daylight or at dusk.
- That a bat flaps through the dark with no idea where it is going.
- That the saying is fun to repeat, even though it gives a false idea.
- That many small bats use echolocation to find insects and avoid branches.
Esme looks for the line between the two boxes. Which sentence first shows that the author does not share the common belief?
- [2] They imagine a bat flapping through the dark with no idea where it is going.
- [3] I disagree with that picture completely.
- [5] Many small bats also use echolocation, which means they make high squeaks and listen to the echoes to find insects and avoid branches, even in total darkness.
- [8] The saying may be fun to repeat, but it gives a false idea of how bats live.
Does Lightning Strike Twice? (article)
[1] Many people say that lightning never strikes the same place twice, and they repeat it as if it were a rule of nature. [2] They use the saying to comfort someone who has had bad luck, as if bad luck could not repeat.
[3] I do not accept it, and the facts are clear. [4] Lightning tends to strike tall, pointed objects that stand out from their surroundings, because they give the electricity a shorter path to the ground. [5] The Empire State Building in New York City is struck many times each year, sometimes more than once during a single storm. [6] Tall towers and trees are struck again and again.
[7] Lightning rods exist because a spot that has been struck once is likely to be struck again, and the rods give the electricity a safe path. [8] The saying may sound wise, but it can be dangerous when it makes people careless in a storm. [9] Everyone should treat a thunderstorm as a reason to go indoors. [10] A closed car or a building is a safer place to wait out lightning than an open field. Section map: Other-views box: sentences [1]-[2] report a saying many people use. Author box: sentences [3]-[9] give the author's own view.
Jun reads the article. What is the author's position on the saying about lightning?
- The saying is false, and believing it can make people careless in a storm.
- The Empire State Building is struck many times each year.
- People should stay indoors for a full day after a storm has passed.
- The saying is a kind way to comfort someone who has had bad luck.
Kira fills the other-views box. Which belief does the author argue against?
- That a spot that has been struck once is likely to be struck again.
- That lightning rods make a building safe in any kind of storm.
- That the saying can sound wise to people who hear it repeated.
- That a place struck by lightning will not be struck by it again.
Keep the Pool Open (article)
[1] Each year, the town pool closes on Labor Day weekend, even though September can bring weeks of summer heat that send families looking for a cool place to be. [2] The parks director says the pool must close because the lifeguards go back to school.
[3] I understand that problem, but it can be solved. [4] Some of the lifeguards are adults who could work weekends in September, and the town could post a sign-up sheet in July so that the shifts are covered well ahead of time. [5] Others point out that keeping the pool open costs money for water and electricity.
[6] That is true, but the pool also earns money from admission, and in a warm September it would earn more. [7] I believe the town should keep the pool open on weekends through the end of September. [8] A pool that sits empty during the hottest weeks wastes what the town already paid to build. [9] A few more weekends of swimming would cost the town little and give families a place to go. Section map: Other-views box: sentences [2] and [5] report reasons others give for closing. Author box: sentences [3], [4] and [6]-[8] give the author's answers and own view.
Noah fills the other-views box. Which reason for closing the pool does sentence [4] answer?
- That the town should sell the pool and use the land for a new park.
- That keeping the pool open costs money for water and electricity.
- That adults who work as lifeguards could sign up for weekend shifts.
- That the pool must close because the lifeguards go back to school.
Pia looks at the author box. Which sentence states the author's own recommendation, not a reason someone else gives?
- [7] I believe the town should keep the pool open on weekends through the end of September.
- [6] That is true, but the pool also earns money from admission, and in a warm September it would earn more.
- [5] Others point out that keeping the pool open costs money for water and electricity.
- [2] The parks director says the pool must close because the lifeguards go back to school.
Bike Lanes on Main Street (article)
[1] When the town of Cedar Falls painted bike lanes along Main Street, several shop owners were upset, and they spoke against the lanes at a town meeting. [2] They said the lanes would take away parking spaces and drive customers away.
[3] I think the owners were wrong, and the shop records show why. [4] In the six months after the lanes opened, sales rose at the bakery and the hardware store. [5] A survey of shoppers found that many arrived by bike or on foot and spent as much as drivers did.
[6] The owners are right that ten parking spaces disappeared. [7] But a parked car holds one or two shoppers, while a bike lane carries riders all day long. [8] Towns that want busy shops should make the street easy to reach in every way, including by bike. [9] A street that welcomes every kind of traveler gives each shop more chances to make a sale. Section map: Other-views box: sentences [1]-[2] report the shop owners' fear. Author box: sentences [3]-[8] give the author's own view.
Ren reads the article. What is the author's position on the bike lanes?
- The bike lanes help Main Street shops instead of hurting them.
- Ten parking spaces disappeared when the bike lanes opened on Main Street.
- The bike lanes drive customers away by taking parking spaces from the street.
- Towns should take the parking away from their downtown streets completely.
Tala fills the other-views box. Which claim does the author argue against in sentence [3]?
- That shoppers who arrive by bike spend more than shoppers who drive.
- That a bike lane carries riders to the shops throughout the day.
- That the lanes would take away parking and drive customers away.
- That ten parking spaces disappeared when the bike lanes opened.
Zee looks for the line between the two boxes. Which sentence first shows the author disagreeing with the shop owners?
- [2] They said the lanes would take away parking spaces and drive customers away.
- [6] The owners are right that ten parking spaces disappeared.
- [3] I think the owners were wrong, and the shop records show why.
- [4] In the six months after the lanes opened, sales rose at the bakery and the hardware store.