Read between the lines and prove it

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Saturdays at Rossi's

   [1] Every Saturday at five in the morning, Noah walked three blocks to Rossi's Bakery, where Grandpa Leo had baked bread for forty years. [2] Noah's job was to shape the rolls, and Grandpa Leo checked each tray before it went into the oven. [3] Lately, Grandpa Leo had started tapping each roll with a finger instead of looking at it. [4] "The light in here is poor," Grandpa Leo said when Noah asked, and then Grandpa Leo asked Noah to read the recipe card aloud. [5] The card was taped above the mixer, written in thin pencil that had faded over the years. [6] On Monday at school, a classmate named Ren asked what Noah did on weekends. [7] "Nothing much," Noah said, and quickly changed the subject to the science quiz. [8] The next Saturday, Noah carried a lamp from the storeroom to the counter, and Grandpa Leo said nothing about it. [9] The week after that, there were two lamps, and the recipe card had been copied in thick black marker and taped to the wall at eye level. [10] Grandpa Leo studied the new card for a long moment, then nodded once and handed Noah the flour scoop.

2. 1.

   Kira asks what the story suggests about how Noah feels about Grandpa Leo's problem. Which choice gives the best-supported inference and proof?

   • Noah is embarrassed by the bakery and by Grandpa Leo. Proof: [6] and [7].
   • Noah wants to help quietly without embarrassing Grandpa Leo. Proof: [8] and [9].
   • Noah moved a lamp and made a new card. Proof: [8] and [9].
   • Noah wants to help quietly without embarrassing Grandpa Leo. Proof: [1] and [6].
3. 2.

   Zee asks: “In [4], Grandpa Leo says the light is poor. What else might be going on?” Which choice is best supported?

   • The lamp in the storeroom is broken. Proof: [4] and [8].
   • Grandpa Leo wants Noah to learn the recipe by heart. Proof: [4] and [10].
   • The faded, small writing is hard for him to read, not only the light. Proof: [5] and [9].
   • The faded, small writing is hard for him to read, not only the light. Proof: [2] and [7].
4. 3.

   Tala asks what the reader can infer from [10]. Which choice gives the best-supported inference and its proof?

   • Grandpa Leo was angry that Noah changed things without asking. Proof: [8] and [10].
   • Grandpa Leo accepted the help and still trusts Noah with the work. Proof: [9] and [10].
   • Grandpa Leo plans to give the whole bakery to Noah in the near future. Proof: [9] and [10].
   • Grandpa Leo studied the new card for a long moment before nodding. Proof: [9] and [10].

5. Salt on Winter Roads

   [1] When snow falls, road crews often spread salt on the pavement to keep it from becoming dangerously icy. [2] Pure water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), but salty water must get colder before it freezes. [3] Salt dissolves into the thin layer of water on top of ice, and the salty mixture melts the ice around it. [4] This works well when the air is near freezing, but the effect weakens as the temperature drops. [5] Below about minus 9 degrees Celsius (15 degrees Fahrenheit), ordinary road salt melts ice very slowly. [6] On extremely cold days, crews often spread sand as well, because the gritty surface helps tires grip the road. [7] Sand does not melt ice at all; it only adds traction. [8] Some cities now spray a salty liquid called brine on roads before a storm begins. [9] Brine keeps ice from bonding tightly to the pavement, so plows can scrape the road clean more easily. [10] Salt has costs, though: it can damage plants near the road, and it can speed up rust on cars.

6. 4.

   Bo asks: “The air is minus 20 degrees Celsius during a storm. What will crews most likely do?” Which choice has the best-supported inference?

   • Add sand, because salt alone would melt the ice only very slowly. Proof: [5] and [6].
   • Spread salt, which melts ice by mixing with a thin layer of water. Proof: [1] and [3].
   • Stop using salt, because it no longer works at all. Proof: [4] and [5].
   • Spray brine instead, since brine works best in extreme cold. Proof: [8] and [9].
7. 5.

   Ren asks what happens if a city relies on sand alone to clear an icy road. Which choice is best supported?

   • Sand would make the road more dangerous than it was before. Proof: [6] and [7].
   • Sand would clear the ice faster than salt does in deep cold. Proof: [3] and [7].
   • Sand melts the ice slowly while it adds traction. Proof: [6] and [7].
   • Tires would grip better, but the ice would still be there. Proof: [6] and [7].
8. 6.

   Pia asks why the writer includes [2] about pure water and salty water. Which choice gives the best-supported inference?

   • Salty water freezes sooner than pure water, which is why roads ice up. Proof: [2] and [3].
   • Salt melts ice because salt is warmer than the ice it lands on. Proof: [3] and [5].
   • Pure water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius, or 32 degrees Fahrenheit, as the article says. Proof: [2] and [4].
   • Salty water stays liquid at temperatures where pure water would freeze. Proof: [2] and [3].

9. The Escape Artist

   [1] Octopuses have no bones, and that fact makes them some of the best escape artists in the ocean. [2] The only hard part of an octopus is its beak, which is shaped like a parrot's. [3] An octopus can squeeze through any opening that is larger than its beak. [4] In aquariums, keepers have sometimes found an octopus outside its tank. [5] Keepers often fasten lids with clips and cover the drains. [6] Octopuses are also curious and good at solving problems. [7] In studies, captive octopuses have learned to unscrew jar lids to reach the food inside. [8] They seem to learn by watching other octopuses and by trying things for themselves. [9] An octopus with nothing to explore may become restless, so many aquariums add toys and puzzles to the tank. [10] Because an octopus can slip through a small gap, keepers must check a tank carefully every day.

10. 7.

    Luz asks: “A gap in a tank lid is much narrower than an octopus's beak. What does the article suggest?” Which choice has the best proof?

    • An octopus can squeeze through any opening that is larger than its beak. Proof: [3] and [10].
    • The octopus will escape through the gap anyway, because octopuses are so curious. Proof: [3] and [6].
    • The octopus probably cannot squeeze through, since its beak is wider than the gap. Proof: [2] and [3].
    • The octopus can squeeze through the gap, because it has no bones. Proof: [1] and [3].
11. 8.

    Milo asks why many aquariums add toys and puzzles to octopus tanks. Which choice gives the best-supported inference?

    • Puzzles keep a curious octopus busy, so it is less likely to go exploring. Proof: [1] and [2].
    • Octopuses become dangerous to keepers if they are given no puzzles. Proof: [6] and [9].
    • Octopuses have learned to open jars to reach the food inside. Proof: [7] and [8].
    • Puzzles keep a curious octopus busy, so it is less likely to go exploring. Proof: [6] and [9].
12. 9.

    Ari asks what [7] and [8] together suggest about octopuses. Which choice is best supported?

    • Octopuses can learn new skills from experience and from each other. Proof: [7] and [8].
    • Octopuses learn to open jars after keepers carefully teach them how. Proof: [5] and [7].
    • Octopuses prefer food in jars to any other kind of food. Proof: [7] and [9].
    • Octopuses can learn new skills from experience and from each other. Proof: [1] and [10].
13. 10.

    Noah asks: “A tank has a clipped lid but an uncovered drain. What can the reader infer?” Which choice is best supported?

    • The drain could still be an escape route for an octopus. Proof: [3] and [5].
    • Keepers often fasten lids with clips and cover the drains. Proof: [5] and [10].
    • The tank is safe, because the lid is clipped shut. Proof: [4] and [5].
    • The octopus will certainly escape through the drain tonight. Proof: [3] and [5].