Link ideas with the right transition

Grade 8 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Green Roofs in Crowded Cities (student draft: informative)

   [1] In dense cities, roofs of tar and gravel absorb sunlight all afternoon, and the heat they store raises temperatures in the streets below. [2] A green roof, which consists of a waterproof membrane covered with soil and living plants, behaves very differently. [3] Its plants shade the soil, and the moisture they release into the air carries heat away as it evaporates. [4] As a result, measurements on a university library in the Midwest showed that the planted part of its roof stayed far cooler than the black part on summer afternoons.

   [5] Rainfall is affected as well. [6] Soil and roots soak up much of the water that would otherwise rush off a hard surface into storm drains, and the plants return part of it to the air. [7] For example, planners in cities with older combined sewers, which carry rainwater and household waste through the same pipes, value this effect since heavy storms can overwhelm the pipes. [8] Fewer sudden surges in the drains mean fewer overflows into rivers and harbors.

   [9] Green roofs are not a perfect solution, however. [10] The soil adds considerable weight, so many older buildings would need structural reinforcement before they could support one. [11] Installation costs more than a conventional roof, and the plants need occasional watering and weeding. [12] A green roof usually lasts longer than a bare membrane because the soil shields it from sunlight and sharp swings in temperature. [13] Over several decades, that longer life can offset part of the added cost.

2. 1.

   Bo reads [10] and [11]. Which note best tells how [11] relates to [10]?

   • [11] answers the weight problem in [10] with a benefit.
   • [11] gives an example of the structural reinforcement in [10].
   • [11] adds a second drawback to the weight problem in [10].
   • [11] explains why the weight in [10] is a problem for older buildings.
3. 2.

   Esme thinks the link at the start of [4] sets up the wrong relationship. Which revision fixes it without changing the facts?

   • In one test, measurements on a university library in the Midwest showed that the planted part of its roof stayed far cooler than the black part on summer afternoons.
   • In one test, measurements on a university library in the Midwest showed that the planted part of its roof stayed slightly cooler than the black part on summer evenings.
   • Also, measurements on a university library in the Midwest showed that the planted part of its roof stayed far cooler than the black part on summer afternoons.
   • Therefore, measurements on a university library in the Midwest showed that the planted part of its roof stayed far cooler than the black part on summer afternoons.
4. 3.

   Jun wants to open [12] with a transition. Which version shows how [12] relates to the costs in [10] and [11]?

   • Therefore, a green roof usually lasts longer than a bare membrane because the soil shields it from sunlight and sharp swings in temperature.
   • Even so, a green roof usually lasts longer than a bare membrane because the soil shields it from sunlight and sharp swings in temperature.
   • Similarly, a green roof usually lasts longer than a bare membrane because the soil shields it from sunlight and sharp swings in temperature.
   • For example, a green roof usually lasts longer than a bare membrane because the soil shields it from sunlight and sharp swings in temperature.
5. 4.

   Kira reads [2] and [3]. Which note best tells how [3] relates to [2]?

   • [3] contrasts the green roof with the black roof in [2].
   • [3] explains how the green roof described in [2] behaves differently.
   • [3] gives the final result after the steps described in [2].
   • [3] adds a separate benefit to the one described in [2], which the draft treats as a second advantage.
6. 5.

   Luz thinks the link at the start of [7] sets up the wrong relationship. Which revision fixes it without changing the facts?

   • Meanwhile, planners in cities with older combined sewers, which carry rainwater and household waste through the same pipes, value this effect since heavy storms can overwhelm the pipes.
   • In particular, planners in cities with older combined sewers, which carry rainwater and household waste through the same pipes, value this effect since heavy storms can overwhelm the pipes.
   • Also, planners in cities with older combined sewers, which carry rainwater and household waste through the same pipes, value this effect since heavy storms can overwhelm the pipes.
   • In particular, planners in cities with newer separate sewers, which carry just rainwater through their pipes, value this effect since heavy storms can overwhelm the pipes.

7. Should Ridgeview Start Later? (letter to the principal) (student draft: opinion letter)

   [1] During puberty, the body clock of most teenagers shifts later, so falling asleep before eleven becomes hard even for students who try. [2] Ridgeview Middle School begins classes at 7:35 a.m., so many students wake before six, especially those who ride the bus for forty minutes. [3] A survey of 220 Ridgeview eighth graders found that about two thirds slept fewer than eight hours on school nights, which is less than doctors advise for teens. [4] Those same students most often reported dozing off in first-period classes.

   [5] Some districts that moved their start times later have reported benefits, although the results vary from place to place. [6] Consequently, after Seattle moved its high school start times about an hour later in 2016, University of Washington researchers studied the change. [7] They found that students slept about half an hour longer and that their grades rose slightly. [8] Critics point out that later schedules can interfere with after-school sports and with parents' work hours. [9] Those concerns are real, but several districts managed them by adjusting bus routes and shifting practice times.

   [10] Ridgeview could test the change step by step before it commits to anything. [11] A one-semester pilot with an 8:30 start would give the school its own data on sleep, attendance and grades before a permanent decision. [12] Meanwhile, if the results were disappointing, the school could return to the old schedule at little cost. [13] A pilot would therefore ask the community to accept a modest risk, not a permanent one.

8. 6.

   Milo wants to open [4] with a transition. Which version shows how [4] relates to the survey result in [3]?

   • In addition, those same students most often reported dozing off in first-period classes.
   • Afterward, those same students most often reported dozing off in first-period classes.
   • For example, those same students most often reported dozing off in first-period classes.
   • As a result, those same students most often reported dozing off in first-period classes.
9. 7.

   Noah reads [8] and [9]. Which note best tells how [9] relates to [8]?

   • [9] explains what caused the concern raised in [8].
   • [9] tells what happened after the concern raised in [8] was settled by the districts.
   • [9] adds a second concern to the one raised in [8].
   • [9] grants the critics' concern in [8] and then answers it.
10. 8.

    Pia thinks the link at the start of [6] sets up the wrong relationship. Which revision fixes it without changing the facts?

    • For example, after Seattle moved its high school start times about an hour later in 2016, University of Washington researchers studied the change.
    • For example, after Seattle moved its high school start times about two hours later in 2016, University of Washington researchers studied the change.
    • Therefore, after Seattle moved its high school start times about an hour later in 2016, University of Washington researchers studied the change.
    • Also, after Seattle moved its high school start times about an hour later in 2016, University of Washington researchers studied the change.
11. 9.

    Ren wants to open [10] with a transition. Which version shows how [10] relates to the concerns in [8] and [9]?

    • For instance, Ridgeview could test the change step by step before it commits to anything.
    • Afterward, Ridgeview could test the change step by step before it commits to anything.
    • Similarly, Ridgeview could test the change step by step before it commits to anything.
    • Given these concerns, Ridgeview could test the change step by step before it commits to anything.
12. 10.

    Tala reads [3] and [4]. Which note best tells how [4] relates to [3]?

    • [4] gives an example of the survey method in [3].
    • [4] shows that the short sleep in [3] caused the dozing, since the same students are involved.
    • [4] contradicts the survey result in [3].
    • [4] reports a second finding that goes with [3] but does not prove a cause.