Explain a topic in a few paragraphs
Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
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Inside a Honeybee Hive (informative draft)
[1] A honeybee hive can hold tens of thousands of bees living together in one warm wax home. [2] Even with so many bees in such a small space, the hive stays busy and well organized throughout the year. [3] Bees are interesting, and there is a lot to say about them.
[4] The workers do most of the daily jobs that keep the hive running smoothly through every season of the year. [5] Honey is a sweet golden food that people spread on toast and stir into their tea. [6] Workers also build new wax comb, which gives the colony a place to store food and raise young bees.
[7] There is another group of bees in the hive that we should talk about as well. [8] The queen lays the eggs that become new bees, sometimes as many as a thousand eggs in a single day. [9] Drones, the male bees, do not gather food, and their main job is to mate with a queen from another hive.
Ari sees that sentence [3] is too vague. Which sentence should replace it so readers know what the essay will explain?
- Honeybees are the most fascinating insects found anywhere on Earth, and people should learn about them.
- A hive stays organized because the workers, the queen, and the drones each have a different job.
- Honeybees travel long distances, and their dances show other bees where the flowers are.
- Honeybees are insects that live in many parts of the world and have lived there for ages.
Bo needs a topic sentence for the last paragraph. Which sentence should replace [7] so it tells the paragraph's main idea?
- The queen and the drones have jobs that keep the colony growing and the hive full of bees.
- A queen bee is larger than the worker bees and lives much longer than they do.
- The workers clean, feed, guard, and build to keep the hive running smoothly.
- A hive has many bees, and they do many different things throughout the year.
Sentence [5] drifts away from the workers' jobs. Esme wants a replacement that belongs in the paragraph. Which sentence works?
- Young workers clean the wax cells and feed the larvae, while older workers guard the entrance and gather nectar.
- A beekeeper wears a veil and gloves and uses a smoker when checking a hive for the season.
- The workers are so busy, and they look like they are having so much fun in the hive.
- Workers do a lot of different things throughout the day in many places around the hive.
From Seed to Seedling (informative draft)
[1] A tiny seed can grow into a tall sunflower or a giant tree that stands for a hundred years. [2] Every seed contains a baby plant and a store of food that powers the first stages of its growth. [3] Seeds are fascinating, and many people enjoy planting them in the spring.
[4] The first stage begins when a seed absorbs water and swells until its hard outer coat splits open. [5] Some seeds, like apple seeds, are found inside fruit that people like to eat at lunch. [6] Once the root is anchored, the water it absorbs from the soil helps the shoot rise through the dirt.
[7] There is more to the story of how a small seed becomes a plant. [8] Leaves capture light, and the plant uses that light, water, and a gas from the air to produce sugar. [9] With enough sunlight and water, the seedling continues growing taller and stronger every week.
Kira is fixing the seed essay's last paragraph. Which sentence should replace [7] so it tells the paragraph's main idea?
- First, a seed absorbs water and splits its coat so a root and a shoot can come out.
- The leaves of many plants are green because they contain a pigment called chlorophyll.
- In the second stage, the young plant grows leaves that make food from the sunlight it receives.
- Plants need many things to grow, and they get those things in a number of different ways during their whole lives.
Sentence [5] drifts away from how a seed sprouts. Luz wants a replacement that belongs in the paragraph. Which sentence works?
- Watching a seed sprout is one of the most exciting things that a person can ever do.
- The first root grows down into the soil, and then the shoot bends upward toward the light.
- Different things happen inside the seed when it starts to change into a young plant.
- Many gardeners buy packets of seeds at a store and keep them in a cool, dry drawer at home.
Why Leaves Change Color (informative draft)
[1] Every autumn, the green leaves on many trees turn bright yellow, orange, and red before they fall. [2] The change seems sudden to people, but it happens slowly as the days get shorter and cooler. [3] Leaves are pretty, and many families like to visit places where the colors are brightest.
[4] Leaves look green in spring and summer because they hold a large amount of a green pigment called chlorophyll. [5] Rakes with wide metal teeth work well for gathering fallen leaves into big piles. [6] The yellow and orange colors were in the leaf all along, but the green chlorophyll hid them.
[7] Some other things also happen to leaves in the autumn, and they are worth noticing. [8] These red pigments form in the leaf when bright days follow cool nights, so the shade can differ from year to year. [9] Because of this, a tree can look redder in one autumn than it did in the autumn before.
Milo wants the leaf essay to promise what it will explain. Which sentence should replace [3] as the focus?
- Trees drop their leaves in autumn so that they can save water during the long winter.
- Leaf colors change in two ways: green fades to show yellow and orange, and some trees make new red.
- Autumn leaves are the prettiest sight of the year and make this a lovely season for walks.
- Trees are living things that change in many ways as the seasons go by and the year ends.
Noah is fixing the leaf essay's last paragraph. Which sentence should replace [7] so it tells the paragraph's main idea?
- The green chlorophyll fades first, which lets the hidden yellow and orange colors show.
- Leaves can change in many ways during the long autumn months before the winter comes.
- Red leaves have a different cause, because some trees make new red pigments in autumn.
- Sugar maples are famous for turning a deep, bright red when the weather cools down.
Sentence [5] drifts away from why leaves look green. Pia wants a replacement that belongs in the paragraph. Which sentence works?
- Fallen leaves can be turned into compost that feeds a garden the next spring and summer.
- It is lovely to watch the green fade out of the leaves in a park in the evening.
- In autumn, trees stop making chlorophyll, so the green slowly fades from the leaves.
- Many things change in a leaf at about the same time when the autumn begins to start.
Two Kinds of Bridges (informative draft)
[1] People have built bridges for thousands of years to cross wide rivers, deep canyons, and busy roads. [2] Different bridges carry weight in different ways, and engineers choose the type that fits each place. [3] Bridges are useful, and almost every town in the country has at least one of them.
[4] A beam bridge is a strong, flat beam that rests on a support at each end, much like a plank laid over a ditch. [5] Many cities hold a fireworks show near their largest bridge on holidays and on special evenings. [6] That is why beam bridges are common over short rivers, small streams, and busy roads.
[7] Next, there is another type of bridge that works in a very different way from the first. [8] The curve pushes the weight outward and down into the solid ground at both ends of the bridge. [9] Because the curve carries weight so well, an arch bridge can stand for hundreds of years.
Tala is fixing the bridge essay's last paragraph. Which sentence should replace [7] so it tells the paragraph's main idea?
- Bridges come in many shapes and sizes around the world, and each one has its own design.
- Stone arches built by the ancient Romans are still standing in some places today.
- A beam bridge holds weight by resting a flat beam on supports at each end.
- An arch bridge holds weight with a curved shape, and that shape works very differently.
Sentence [5] drifts away from how beam bridges work. Zee wants a replacement that belongs in the paragraph. Which sentence works?
- Painters use special paint on steel bridges to keep the metal from rusting over many years.
- Weight pushes down on the beam, so a long beam bridge needs extra supports in the middle.
- There are many facts about beams that people find interesting to learn about and discuss.
- A long bridge at sunset is one of the most beautiful sights that a city can offer.