Is the evidence good enough?
Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
A Fountain for Ridge Park (argument)
[1] Ridge Park needs a drinking fountain, and the city should install one before next summer. [2] On hot summer days, hundreds of people visit the park, and many of them run out of water before the afternoon is over. [3] The nearest fountain is at the library, half a mile away, which is a long walk for a young child who is thirsty. [4] A fountain by the playground would let children refill their bottles without leaving the park.
[5] The park also has a pond where visitors like to sit on the grass and watch the ducks. [6] Last summer, the park's first-aid volunteers helped several people who felt dizzy from the heat, and some of them had to rest in the shade for an hour. [7] Fountains need little care once they are installed, and a yearly cleaning is enough to keep the water safe.
[8] A fountain would not solve every problem in the park, and the city would still need to keep the grass cut and the trash cans empty. [9] It would, however, make hot days safer for the families who come there. Claim and evidence matrix: claim in one box; each reason in its own row with two columns, 'relevant?' and 'enough?'; the reasons are in sentences [2] to [7].
Ari fills the claim box of the matrix. Which statement is the writer's claim?
- The nearest fountain to the park is half a mile away, at the library.
- The park has a pond that visitors enjoy, and many people watch the ducks.
- The city should add a drinking fountain to each of its parks.
- Ridge Park should have a drinking fountain.
Bo lists evidence under the claim. Which reason supports it?
- The heat makes most of the people who visit the park feel dizzy.
- A fountain would make the park a happier and prettier place to visit.
- Many visitors run out of water on hot days, and the nearest fountain is half a mile away.
- The park has a pond where visitors like to watch the ducks.
Helmets for Every Ride (argument)
[1] Everyone who rides a bike should wear a helmet, whether the ride is long or short. [2] A helmet cushions the head in a fall, which lowers the chance of a serious head injury. [3] Doctors who treat bike injuries often recommend helmets to young riders and to adults alike. [4] Many helmets now come in bright colors and bold patterns that riders can choose to match their bikes and their clothes.
[5] In one town, head injuries among young riders fell after a helmet rule began, according to the town's hospital. [6] Some riders say helmets feel hot in summer, but modern helmets have vents that let air flow through. [7] A helmet costs far less than a single visit to the hospital.
[8] The few minutes it takes to buckle up are worth the protection a helmet gives. [9] Adults can set the example by wearing helmets whenever they ride. Claim and evidence matrix: claim in one box; each reason in its own row with two columns, 'relevant?' and 'enough?'; the reasons are in sentences [2] to [7].
Jun fills the claim box of the matrix. Which statement is the writer's claim?
- Bike riders should wear helmets.
- A helmet lowers the chance of a serious head injury in a fall.
- Helmets now come in bright colors and bold patterns that riders like.
- A helmet means a rider cannot be hurt in a bike crash.
Kira lists evidence under the claim. Which reason supports it?
- A helmet rule would end head injuries among riders in any town.
- Many helmets come in bright colors and bold patterns that riders like.
- Head injuries among young riders fell in one town after a helmet rule began.
- Riding a bike is more fun when a rider looks safe and ready.
A Crosswalk on Pine Avenue (argument)
[1] Pine Avenue needs a crosswalk in front of Hillcrest Elementary, and the city should paint one this summer. [2] Cars pass the school at about 35 miles per hour, even though the posted speed limit on that stretch is 25. [3] Each morning, more than a hundred children cross the street at the corner, where no path is marked and no sign warns drivers. [4] Last spring, two children had to jump back from a speeding car while they were crossing with their parents.
[5] The street also has a bakery that opens at six o'clock and sells bread to people on their way to work. [6] A crosswalk with a painted stripe and a sign would tell drivers to slow down and watch for walkers. [7] Other streets near the school already have crosswalks, and drivers on those streets stop more often.
[8] The cost of paint and a sign is small compared with the cost of an accident. [9] Neighbors and parents have signed a petition asking for the change. Claim and evidence matrix: claim in one box; each reason in its own row with two columns, 'relevant?' and 'enough?'; the reasons are in sentences [2] to [8].
Milo fills the claim box of the matrix. Which statement is the writer's claim?
- More than a hundred children cross Pine Avenue each morning where no path is marked.
- A bakery on Pine Avenue opens at six o'clock each morning.
- Pine Avenue should have a crosswalk in front of the school.
- Drivers who pass the school on Pine Avenue should be fined heavily.
Noah lists evidence under the claim. Which reason supports it?
- A crosswalk would end speeding on Pine Avenue.
- The bakery near the school opens at six o'clock each morning.
- A crosswalk would make the street look much nicer for the neighbors and bring more visitors.
- Cars pass the school at about 35 miles per hour, where the speed limit is 25.
Pia fills the 'relevant?' and 'enough?' columns for sentence [4]. Which row is right?
- Relevant, and two near-misses are enough to support the claim by themselves.
- Relevant, and it is two cases, so it needs support from the other reasons.
- Relevant, and it shows that drivers on Pine Avenue do not care about children.
- Not relevant, because no child was actually hurt.
A Compost Bin for Our Building (argument)
[1] Our apartment building throws away a full bin of food scraps every day, and the trash room becomes unpleasant by the end of the week. [2] Scraps in the trash end up in a landfill, where they rot and give off a gas called methane. [3] Scraps in a compost bin turn into rich soil instead, because tiny organisms in the pile slowly break the food down. [4] A tenant who gardens says the soil in the yard is dry and thin, and the plants there grow poorly.
[5] The building's roof has a nice view of the river, and many tenants go up there on warm evenings. [6] Composting needs only a bin with a lid and a weekly turn of the pile with a shovel, which takes a volunteer about ten minutes. [7] A bin takes up a space about the size of a parking spot, and the yard has room for one.
[8] That is a small price for keeping food out of the landfill. [9] Our building should start a compost bin as soon as the spring planting season begins. Claim and evidence matrix: claim in one box (it comes last); each reason in its own row with two columns, 'relevant?' and 'enough?'; the reasons are in sentences [1] to [8].
Ren fills the claim box of the matrix. Which statement is the writer's claim?
- Food scraps in a landfill rot and give off a gas called methane.
- The city should require compost bins in apartment buildings across the city.
- The building should start a compost bin.
- The roof of the building has a nice view of the river.
Tala lists evidence under the claim. Which reason supports it?
- The roof of the building has a pleasant view of the river.
- A compost bin is a more interesting thing to have than a trash can.
- Food scraps in a compost bin turn into soil that could help the thin soil in the yard.
- Composting would solve the building's trash problem completely.
Zee fills the 'relevant?' and 'enough?' columns for sentence [4]. Which row is right?
- Not relevant, because the tenant is talking about soil and not about trash.
- Relevant, and one tenant's report shows the building needs compost.
- Relevant, and it shows the plants in the yard would fail without compost.
- Relevant, and it is one tenant's report, so it needs the other reasons.
