Write a clear thesis statement

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Keep the Bag Fee (draft essay)

   [1] When the town of Marlow began charging ten cents for each plastic shopping bag two years ago, the number of bags found along Mill Creek fell sharply. [2] Now the council is considering ending the fee after complaints from shoppers and some store owners. [3] The Marlow bag fee is good for the town, and the council should not end it.

   [4] Opponents argue that the fee hurts low-income families and that stores keep the money. [5] Yet a household that forgets its bags pays about two dollars a month, and the town's reports show that most shoppers now bring their own. [6] The council's accounts also show that the fee money pays for creek cleanup rather than going to stores.

   [7] The creek volunteers counted 410 bags along one mile in the spring before the fee and 96 in the spring after. [8] Another benefit is that stores have saved money on bags, which one grocery owner confirmed in a letter. [9] Ending the fee would erase these gains.

2. 1.

   Ari wants thesis [3] to grant the opponents' worry in [4] and still take a position. Which revision does?

   • Although the Marlow bag fee costs some households a little, it should stay because it has cut litter in Mill Creek.
   • The Marlow bag fee should stay because it has cut litter in Mill Creek and the creek is beautiful again for walkers.
   • The Marlow bag fee hurts some households, so the council may be right to end it, even though litter in the creek fell.
   • Although some households pay more, Marlow stores should be allowed to keep the bag fee money instead of paying for creek cleanup.
3. 2.

   Bo checks thesis [3] against the evidence. Which thesis claims what the evidence supports and no more?

   • Marlow should ban plastic bags in stores entirely and give each shopper a reusable bag at the door of the store.
   • The Marlow bag fee should stay, because bag litter in Mill Creek fell after it began and most shoppers pay little.
   • The Marlow bag fee costs a household that forgets its bags about two dollars in a month, according to the town.
   • The bag fee has solved Marlow's litter problem and shows that fees are the way to protect the environment.
4. 3.

   Jun revises thesis [3] to be clearer and keeps the writer's purpose: to keep the fee. Which revision does?

   • The Marlow bag fee should stay, because it has cut litter in Mill Creek and costs most households little each year.
   • The Marlow bag fee has many benefits for the town, and the council should keep thinking about it carefully.
   • The council should replace the bag fee with a ban on plastic bags, since the fee has cut litter in Mill Creek already.
   • The Marlow bag fee should stay, and the town should also add a fee on paper cups and bottles in the shops.

5. Standing Desks for Every Class (draft essay)

   [1] Last year, Mr. Boyd's seventh-grade science class tried six standing desks for one semester. [2] The principal is now deciding whether to buy a standing desk for every classroom in the school. [3] Standing desks will improve students' grades, health and behavior in every class.

   [4] In the pilot, 19 of 24 students said they felt more awake in the afternoon, when lessons are usually hardest to follow. [5] Mr. Boyd reported that students at the standing desks fidgeted less during long lessons, such as lab days. [6] A magazine article about office workers says that standing for an hour burns about eight more calories than sitting. [7] Several students said they were more tired by the end of the day. [8] Test scores were not compared because the semester was short and the classes took different tests.

   [9] The school could buy six more desks for the cost of one new projector.

6. 4.

   Kira wants thesis [3] to grant the tired students in [7] and still take a position. Which revision does?

   • Some students felt tired at standing desks, so the school should not buy any more of them for now.
   • Although some students felt tired, standing desks are worth a trial because many felt more awake.
   • Standing desks are worth a trial in more classrooms because students felt more awake and fidgeted less.
   • Although some students felt tired, the school should buy a new projector instead of more standing desks.
7. 5.

   Luz checks thesis [3] against the evidence. Which thesis claims what the evidence supports and no more?

   • Six standing desks were used in Mr. Boyd's seventh-grade science class for one semester last year at the school.
   • Standing desks will raise students' grades and fix health problems across the whole school within a single year.
   • Standing desks are worth a wider trial, because many pilot students felt more awake and fidgeted less.
   • The school should buy a standing desk for each teacher so that teachers burn more calories during the day.
8. 6.

   Noah revises thesis [3] to match the evidence and keeps the writer's purpose: to get more standing desks. Which revision does?

   • The principal should buy standing desks and also shorten each class by five minutes so students can stretch and walk around.
   • Standing desks may help some students, and the principal should consider many options for the school and its classrooms.
   • The principal should reject standing desks because the pilot did not compare test scores or measure any health benefits.
   • A full purchase is premature, but the principal should buy desks for classes that ask, since the pilot showed alertness.

9. A Library That Lends Tools (draft essay)

   [1] At the Ashford Public Library, patrons can borrow books, movies and, through a new pilot program, a few power tools. [2] The program began with a donated drill and a set of wrenches, and the library board will vote next month on whether to expand it. [3] The library should expand its tool-lending program, because it saves residents money and encourages people to share.

   [4] A survey of borrowers found that 83 of 100 would otherwise have bought or rented the tool they borrowed. [5] A single drill rental at the hardware store costs about thirty dollars for a day. [6] A librarian told the board that the tools help neighbors learn to repair things together.

   [7] Critics worry that tools might be damaged or misused. [8] The pilot loaned 140 items, and only three were returned broken, and each borrower signed a safety card. [9] The pilot also drew 40 patrons who had not held a library card before.

10. 7.

    Pia wants thesis [3] to grant the critics' worry in [7] and still take a position. Which revision does?

    • Because tools may be damaged, the library should end the tool program and lend books and movies again.
    • Although tools could be damaged, hardware stores should lower their prices for rented drills in town this year.
    • Although tools could be damaged, the library should expand its tool program, since it saves residents money.
    • The library should expand its tool program because it saves residents money and builds a spirit of sharing in town.
11. 8.

    Ren checks thesis [3] against the evidence. Which thesis claims what the evidence supports and no more?

    • The library lent out 140 items in its pilot program, and three were returned broken by borrowers last year.
    • The library should expand its tool program, because most borrowers said it saved money and few tools were returned broken.
    • The tool program will make hardware stores unnecessary and solve Ashford's cost-of-living problems within a few years.
    • The library should hire a repair expert to teach classes in the evenings for adults who borrow tools.
12. 9.

    Tala needs the strongest evidence that the program saves residents money. Which note is strongest?

    • Sharing tools is simply a smarter way for a town to live and spend its money each year and in the future.
    • [4] A survey of borrowers found that 83 of 100 would otherwise have bought or rented the tool they borrowed.
    • [6] A librarian told the board that the tools help neighbors learn to repair things together at the library.
    • [9] The pilot also drew 40 patrons who had not held a library card before, which widened its reach.
13. 10.

    Zee revises thesis [3] to name one reason for each body topic and keeps the writer's purpose: to expand the program. Which revision does?

    • The library should expand its tool program, and the town should open a second branch in the east end next year.
    • The library should expand its tool program, because it saves residents money, teaches repair skills and draws patrons.
    • The library should keep its tool program small, because it saves some residents money and teaches repair skills.
    • The library should expand its tool program, because it has many good effects on the town as a whole and its families.