Whose view is this, and what is left out?
Grade 9 Reading Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Morning Dog Hours a Success at Easton Beach (press release)
[1] The Easton Parks Department announced on Monday that its first summer of off-leash dog hours at Easton Beach has been a success. [2] Since June 1, dogs have been allowed to run without leashes on the north end of the beach from six to nine each morning. [3] The department sold 1,240 dog beach permits this summer, nearly twice the 650 it expected to sell when the plan was approved. [4] “Our goal was to give dogs and their owners room to play, and the permit numbers show that people love it,” said parks director Alan Whitcomb.
[5] Permit holder Sandra Lee said her dog now sleeps through the afternoon after a morning of chasing waves. [6] The permits cost $25 each, and the money paid for two new waste stations and a rinse shower near the north stairs. [7] Lifeguards begin their shifts at nine, when the dogs must be back on leashes and off the sand. [8] Before the plan, the north end was used in the early morning mainly by walkers, swimmers and people watching the sunrise.
[9] Over the summer the department’s office received calls and letters about the dog hours, which staff kept in a log at the front desk. [10] A survey of permit holders in August found that 94 percent want the morning hours to continue next year. [11] The department plans to keep the same hours next summer and may add evening hours in September. [12] Owners who want a permit for next year can apply online starting in April.
The press release claims that the dog hours have been a success. Ari marks the flaw column. Which missing fact does a reader most need to judge that claim?
- What the calls and letters in the front-desk log said about the dog hours.
- How many dog beach permits the department sold over the summer.
- How many permit holders came to the beach more than once a week during the summer.
- What time the lifeguards’ shifts end on summer evenings at the beach.
Bo asks what this press release is built on. Which value does it put first, and what in the text shows it?
- Dog beach permits in Easton: sentences 3 and 6 give the permit numbers and the price.
- Play space for dogs over quiet mornings for others: it judges by permits and owners’ wishes.
- Safety for swimmers: sentence 7 says dogs leave the sand when lifeguards arrive.
- Quiet mornings for walkers and swimmers: sentence 8 says they used the north end before the plan.
Foxley’s New Roundabout Keeps Traffic Moving (feature story)
[1] Six months after the four-way stop at Garner Road and Fifth Street was replaced by a roundabout, drivers in Foxley are getting where they are going faster. [2] At rush hour, the average wait to get through the crossing has fallen from about ninety seconds to under twenty, according to the county’s traffic cameras. [3] “The traffic just flows now, and I save ten minutes a day on my way to work,” said commuter Dana Price, who drives through twice a day. [4] Engineer Tom Varga, whose firm designed and built the roundabout, said circles like it are among the safest crossings a town can choose.
[5] The project cost $1.8 million, which was paid for by a state road grant and the county’s road budget. [6] The roundabout has a single lane, a raised center planted with grasses, and crosswalks set back from each entrance. [7] Because cars no longer stop, the crosswalks have no lights, and walkers must wait for a gap in traffic or for a driver to yield. [8] Students at Garner Road Middle School, which stands on one corner of the crossing, walk across it on their way to and from school.
[9] Delivery trucks, which are too long to take the circle in one turn, may drive over a low brick apron around the center. [10] The county plans to build two more roundabouts on Fifth Street within the next three years. [11] Several drivers said the circle took a week or two to get used to, but that they would not want to go back. [12] For a town that hates waiting, Foxley’s new circle has been a quick and welcome fix.
The feature story claims that the roundabout works well for the people who use the crossing. Jun marks the flaw column. Which missing fact does a reader most need to judge that claim?
- How many minutes other commuters save on their drive each day.
- How long drivers now wait at rush hour to get through the crossing.
- How long walkers, including the students, now wait for a gap before they can cross.
- Which kinds of grasses are planted on the raised center of the new circle at Garner Road.
Kira asks what this feature story is built on. Which value does it put first, and what in the text shows it?
- Traffic on Fifth Street: sentences 1 and 10 describe the crossing and the new circles planned.
- Green space: sentence 6 says the raised center of the circle is planted with grasses.
- Safety for walkers: sentence 7 says walkers must now wait for a gap in traffic.
- Speed for drivers over ease for walkers: it measures the circle by how fast cars get through.
Luz weighs the claim that circles like this one are among the safest crossings a town can choose. Which detail most affects how far to trust that claim, and why?
- Sentence 4: the engineer’s firm built this roundabout, so the safety claim is false and should be ignored.
- Sentence 4: the engineer’s firm built this roundabout, so the safety claim needs an outside check.
- Sentence 4: the speaker is a trained engineer, so the safety claim can be taken as settled.
- Sentence 11: drivers needed a week or two to get used to it, so the story admits a drawback.
Why Islington Roofs Should Go Solar (opinion column)
[1] Rooftop solar panels pay for themselves in about six years, and after that the power they make is free for as long as they last. [2] A typical home system in Islington costs about $9,000, and it cuts a family’s electric bill by about $1,500 a year. [3] Until this January, a state rebate paid part of the cost of each new system, and many of my customers used it. [4] Panels also make a home less dependent on the power company, so a family is protected when rates go up.
[5] “We have not paid a full electric bill since the panels went up,” said Ruth Akers, whose system was installed three years ago. [6] Panels work best on roofs that face south and are not shaded by tall trees or by nearby buildings. [7] Most systems come with a twenty-five-year warranty on the panels themselves. [8] Some older roofs need to be replaced before panels can go on, because the panels are hard to remove once they are installed.
[9] Islington gets about two hundred sunny days a year, which is more than many towns in the state. [10] Waiting another year only means another year of paying full price for power that the sun would give you for nothing. [11] Every homeowner in Islington who has a sunny roof should call an installer this month. [12] The writer owns Halden Solar Works, which has installed panels on more than three hundred homes in Islington.
The opinion column claims that rooftop panels pay for themselves in about six years. Milo marks the flaw column. Which missing fact does a reader most need to judge that claim?
- How much a family’s electric bill drops each year with panels.
- How many other customers have stopped paying full electric bills.
- How many sunny days the towns near Islington get each year, compared with Islington.
- Whether the system price in sentence 2 counts the state rebate that ended in January.
Noah asks what this opinion column is built on. Which value does it put first, and what in the text shows it?
- Solar panels on Islington roofs: sentences 6 and 9 describe the roofs they suit.
- Long-lasting quality: sentence 7 says the panels come with a twenty-five-year warranty.
- Saving money over the years: it judges panels by bill savings and how soon they pay back.
- Keeping costs low today: sentence 8 says some roofs must be replaced first.
Birchfield Library Plans One Larger Main Building (news report)
[1] The Birchfield Library Board voted on Thursday to close the small Kettle Road branch next June and use the savings to enlarge the main library downtown. [2] Board chair Nora Lindgren said the larger main library will add a teen room, twelve study rooms and a workshop with 3D printers. [3] “One strong library serves a town better than two tired ones,” Ms. Lindgren said after the vote. [4] Closing the branch will save about $210,000 a year in rent, heating and staff costs, according to the board’s budget.
[5] A survey taken at the main library this spring found that 81 percent of those who answered wanted more study space. [6] The Kettle Road branch, which opened in 1974, is on the east side of town, about four miles from downtown. [7] The branch is open five days a week and offers story hours, a computer lab and a small collection of books in Spanish. [8] The main library is on Center Street, beside the town hall and across from the farmers market.
[9] Branch staff will move to the main library, and no jobs will be lost, the board said. [10] Building work on the main library is planned to begin in August and to take about eighteen months, with the new rooms opening in stages as each floor is finished. [11] During the work, the main library will stay open with shorter hours, and its study tables will move to the community room on the ground floor. [12] The board will hold a public meeting on the design of the new rooms on May 9, and residents may also send written comments to the board before that date.
The news report claims that one larger library will serve Birchfield better than two. Ren marks the flaw column. Which missing fact does a reader most need to judge that claim?
- Which company will do the building work on the main library.
- How much money closing the branch will save each year.
- How many main-library users want a teen room as well as study rooms.
- How many people use the Kettle Road branch each week.
Tala asks what this news report is built on. Which value does it put first, and what in the text shows it?
- A library close to home: sentence 6 says the branch serves the east side of town.
- Keeping workers’ jobs: sentence 9 says no branch jobs will be lost after the closing.
- Library buildings in Birchfield: sentences 6 and 8 say where the two libraries stand.
- One large library with more rooms over a library near each neighborhood: it praises rooms and savings.
Zee weighs the claim that library users want more study space. Which detail most affects how far to trust that claim, and why?
- Sentence 4: the board wants the savings, so its survey results are false.
- Sentence 5: the survey was taken at the main library, so branch users were not asked.
- Sentence 2: the plan comes from the board chair, so it has the board’s authority behind it.
- Sentence 8: the main library sits beside the town hall, so the report seems official.