Worksheet

Pick the quotes that prove it best

Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Ferry or Bridge? (letters and a town report)

    Letter from Dana Ortiz, ferry captain: [1] For ninety years, the Marlow ferry has carried cars, bikes and walkers across the Tern River in eleven minutes. [2] A bridge would take years to build, while the ferry sails today. [3] The town's traffic count for 2023 found about 1,400 vehicles a day on the ferry in summer and about 600 in winter. [4] A bridge sized for summer crowds would stand half empty for much of the year, yet the town would still pay to maintain it. [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not.

    Letter from Omar Reyes, bakery owner: [6] My bakery sits at the ferry landing, so I watch the line of waiting cars grow each summer weekend. [7] The line stretches past the school, and drivers can wait forty minutes to board. [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight.

    Town report, 2024: [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate. [12] State inspectors report that the ferry's main engine, installed in 1998, will need replacement within five years at a cost of about $2 million. [13] A survey of Marlow households found that 58 percent favor keeping the ferry and 31 percent favor a bridge, with the rest undecided.

  2. Esme looks for clues the text only suggests. Claim: “Reyes's letter suggests he is thinking about people other than his own customers.” Which set of three sentences gives the strongest support?

    • [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight. [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate. [12] State inspectors report that the ferry's main engine, installed in 1998, will need replacement within five years at a cost of about $2 million.
    • [2] A bridge would take years to build, while the ferry sails today. [4] A bridge sized for summer crowds would stand half empty for much of the year, yet the town would still pay to maintain it. [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not.
    • [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight.
    • [6] My bakery sits at the ferry landing, so I watch the line of waiting cars grow each summer weekend. [7] The line stretches past the school, and drivers can wait forty minutes to board. [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business.

  3. Why Pluto Lost Its Planet Status (article and data note)

    [1] When Clyde Tombaugh found Pluto in 1930, astronomers believed they had discovered a ninth planet, and early estimates made it about as large as Earth. [2] Better measurements steadily shrank it. [3] In 1978, the discovery of its moon Charon allowed astronomers to calculate Pluto's mass, which turned out to be less than one percent of Earth's. [4] Pluto is also smaller than Earth's own moon. [5] In the 1990s, telescopes began to reveal many icy bodies beyond Neptune in a region called the Kuiper belt, and Pluto's orbit placed it among them.

    [6] The turning point came in 2005, when a team led by Mike Brown announced Eris, an object in the same region that seemed at first to be larger than Pluto. [7] If Pluto was a planet, astronomers reasoned, Eris deserved the same title, and others like it would follow. [8] The International Astronomical Union took up the question at its 2006 meeting in Prague. [9] It defined a planet as a body that orbits the Sun, is nearly round, and has cleared its orbit of other objects of comparable size. [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet. [11] Some astronomers objected, noting that the vote was taken by a small fraction of the union's members who were still at the meeting. [12] In 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto and returned images of glaciers, mountains and a hazy atmosphere, which made the world look far more active than anyone had expected.

    Data note: [13] Pluto is about 2,377 kilometers across, Eris about 2,326 kilometers, and Earth's moon about 3,474 kilometers.

  4. Bo looks for clues the text only suggests. Claim: “The 2006 definition of a planet was a response to a wave of new discoveries, not a judgment on Pluto alone.” Which set of three sentences gives the strongest support?

    • [1] When Clyde Tombaugh found Pluto in 1930, astronomers believed they had discovered a ninth planet, and early estimates made it about as large as Earth. [8] The International Astronomical Union took up the question at its 2006 meeting in Prague. [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet.
    • [5] In the 1990s, telescopes began to reveal many icy bodies beyond Neptune in a region called the Kuiper belt, and Pluto's orbit placed it among them. [6] The turning point came in 2005, when a team led by Mike Brown announced Eris, an object in the same region that seemed at first to be larger than Pluto. [9] It defined a planet as a body that orbits the Sun, is nearly round, and has cleared its orbit of other objects of comparable size.
    • [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet. [11] Some astronomers objected, noting that the vote was taken by a small fraction of the union's members who were still at the meeting. [12] In 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto and returned images of glaciers, mountains and a hazy atmosphere, which made the world look far more active than anyone had expected.
    • [2] Better measurements steadily shrank it. [3] In 1978, the discovery of its moon Charon allowed astronomers to calculate Pluto's mass, which turned out to be less than one percent of Earth's. [4] Pluto is also smaller than Earth's own moon.

  5. The Closet Telescope (story)

    [1] When Noah and Jun were sent to the supply closet to retrieve extension cords for the science fair, they discovered a brass telescope beneath a stack of folding chairs. [2] A card taped to its tube read "Property of Marlow School, 1961," in handwriting so faded that Noah had to tilt the card toward the light. [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust. [4] Jun suggested they ask Mr. Ferreira, the custodian, who had worked at the school longer than any teacher. [5] Mr. Ferreira looked at the telescope for a long moment and then said it had been in that closet since before he arrived. [6] He did not ask what they planned to do with it, but he went back to his cart and returned with a screwdriver and a cloth.

    [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [8] Neither of them had said a word about the foot to Mr. Ferreira. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube. [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [11] Noah ran down to the cafeteria entrance, where Mr. Ferreira was locking up, and asked whether he wanted to look. [12] Mr. Ferreira said he had trash to finish first, but he stayed on the roof for ten minutes after the work was done. [13] The next Monday, a note was taped inside the closet door: "Telescope on loan to anyone who asks. R.F."

  6. Kira looks for clues the text only suggests. Claim: “Mr. Ferreira repaired the telescope on his own initiative and wanted it used.” Which set of three sentences gives the strongest support?

    • [6] He did not ask what they planned to do with it, but he went back to his cart and returned with a screwdriver and a cloth. [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [13] The next Monday, a note was taped inside the closet door: "Telescope on loan to anyone who asks. R.F."
    • [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust. [4] Jun suggested they ask Mr. Ferreira, the custodian, who had worked at the school longer than any teacher. [5] Mr. Ferreira looked at the telescope for a long moment and then said it had been in that closet since before he arrived.
    • [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube. [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat.
    • [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [11] Noah ran down to the cafeteria entrance, where Mr. Ferreira was locking up, and asked whether he wanted to look. [12] Mr. Ferreira said he had trash to finish first, but he stayed on the roof for ten minutes after the work was done.

  7. Ferry or Bridge? (letters and a town report)

    Letter from Dana Ortiz, ferry captain: [1] For ninety years, the Marlow ferry has carried cars, bikes and walkers across the Tern River in eleven minutes. [2] A bridge would take years to build, while the ferry sails today. [3] The town's traffic count for 2023 found about 1,400 vehicles a day on the ferry in summer and about 600 in winter. [4] A bridge sized for summer crowds would stand half empty for much of the year, yet the town would still pay to maintain it. [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not.

    Letter from Omar Reyes, bakery owner: [6] My bakery sits at the ferry landing, so I watch the line of waiting cars grow each summer weekend. [7] The line stretches past the school, and drivers can wait forty minutes to board. [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight.

    Town report, 2024: [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate. [12] State inspectors report that the ferry's main engine, installed in 1998, will need replacement within five years at a cost of about $2 million. [13] A survey of Marlow households found that 58 percent favor keeping the ferry and 31 percent favor a bridge, with the rest undecided.

  8. Jun tests a claim that carries a limit. Claim: “The ferry's limits are real, yet the evidence stops short of showing that a bridge is the answer.” Which set supports the claim as worded, limit included?

    • [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business. [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight. [13] A survey of Marlow households found that 58 percent favor keeping the ferry and 31 percent favor a bridge, with the rest undecided.
    • [7] The line stretches past the school, and drivers can wait forty minutes to board. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate.
    • [7] The line stretches past the school, and drivers can wait forty minutes to board. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [12] State inspectors report that the ferry's main engine, installed in 1998, will need replacement within five years at a cost of about $2 million.
    • [3] The town's traffic count for 2023 found about 1,400 vehicles a day on the ferry in summer and about 600 in winter. [4] A bridge sized for summer crowds would stand half empty for much of the year, yet the town would still pay to maintain it. [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not.

  9. Why Pluto Lost Its Planet Status (article and data note)

    [1] When Clyde Tombaugh found Pluto in 1930, astronomers believed they had discovered a ninth planet, and early estimates made it about as large as Earth. [2] Better measurements steadily shrank it. [3] In 1978, the discovery of its moon Charon allowed astronomers to calculate Pluto's mass, which turned out to be less than one percent of Earth's. [4] Pluto is also smaller than Earth's own moon. [5] In the 1990s, telescopes began to reveal many icy bodies beyond Neptune in a region called the Kuiper belt, and Pluto's orbit placed it among them.

    [6] The turning point came in 2005, when a team led by Mike Brown announced Eris, an object in the same region that seemed at first to be larger than Pluto. [7] If Pluto was a planet, astronomers reasoned, Eris deserved the same title, and others like it would follow. [8] The International Astronomical Union took up the question at its 2006 meeting in Prague. [9] It defined a planet as a body that orbits the Sun, is nearly round, and has cleared its orbit of other objects of comparable size. [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet. [11] Some astronomers objected, noting that the vote was taken by a small fraction of the union's members who were still at the meeting. [12] In 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto and returned images of glaciers, mountains and a hazy atmosphere, which made the world look far more active than anyone had expected.

    Data note: [13] Pluto is about 2,377 kilometers across, Eris about 2,326 kilometers, and Earth's moon about 3,474 kilometers.

  10. Milo tests a claim that carries a limit. Claim: “The decision to call Pluto a dwarf planet followed a reasoned test, but it did not settle the matter among astronomers.” Which set supports the claim as worded, limit included?

    • [8] The International Astronomical Union took up the question at its 2006 meeting in Prague. [9] It defined a planet as a body that orbits the Sun, is nearly round, and has cleared its orbit of other objects of comparable size. [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet.
    • [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet. [11] Some astronomers objected, noting that the vote was taken by a small fraction of the union's members who were still at the meeting. [12] In 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto and returned images of glaciers, mountains and a hazy atmosphere, which made the world look far more active than anyone had expected.
    • [9] It defined a planet as a body that orbits the Sun, is nearly round, and has cleared its orbit of other objects of comparable size. [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet. [11] Some astronomers objected, noting that the vote was taken by a small fraction of the union's members who were still at the meeting.
    • [3] In 1978, the discovery of its moon Charon allowed astronomers to calculate Pluto's mass, which turned out to be less than one percent of Earth's. [5] In the 1990s, telescopes began to reveal many icy bodies beyond Neptune in a region called the Kuiper belt, and Pluto's orbit placed it among them. [6] The turning point came in 2005, when a team led by Mike Brown announced Eris, an object in the same region that seemed at first to be larger than Pluto.

  11. The Closet Telescope (story)

    [1] When Noah and Jun were sent to the supply closet to retrieve extension cords for the science fair, they discovered a brass telescope beneath a stack of folding chairs. [2] A card taped to its tube read "Property of Marlow School, 1961," in handwriting so faded that Noah had to tilt the card toward the light. [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust. [4] Jun suggested they ask Mr. Ferreira, the custodian, who had worked at the school longer than any teacher. [5] Mr. Ferreira looked at the telescope for a long moment and then said it had been in that closet since before he arrived. [6] He did not ask what they planned to do with it, but he went back to his cart and returned with a screwdriver and a cloth.

    [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [8] Neither of them had said a word about the foot to Mr. Ferreira. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube. [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [11] Noah ran down to the cafeteria entrance, where Mr. Ferreira was locking up, and asked whether he wanted to look. [12] Mr. Ferreira said he had trash to finish first, but he stayed on the roof for ten minutes after the work was done. [13] The next Monday, a note was taped inside the closet door: "Telescope on loan to anyone who asks. R.F."

  12. Pia tests a claim that carries a limit. Claim: “Mr. Ferreira did most of the work of reviving the telescope, though the boys' curiosity began it.” Which set supports the claim as worded, limit included?

    • [1] When Noah and Jun were sent to the supply closet to retrieve extension cords for the science fair, they discovered a brass telescope beneath a stack of folding chairs. [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [11] Noah ran down to the cafeteria entrance, where Mr. Ferreira was locking up, and asked whether he wanted to look.
    • [2] A card taped to its tube read "Property of Marlow School, 1961," in handwriting so faded that Noah had to tilt the card toward the light. [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust. [5] Mr. Ferreira looked at the telescope for a long moment and then said it had been in that closet since before he arrived.
    • [1] When Noah and Jun were sent to the supply closet to retrieve extension cords for the science fair, they discovered a brass telescope beneath a stack of folding chairs. [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube.
    • [6] He did not ask what they planned to do with it, but he went back to his cart and returned with a screwdriver and a cloth. [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube.

  13. Should First Bell Move Later? (editorial)

    [1] For three years, the Calloway school district has debated moving the high school bell from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., and the argument has grown more heated each spring. [2] Supporters cite research showing that teenagers' body clocks shift later during adolescence, which makes early mornings harder to handle. [3] A national pediatric group recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30. [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights. [5] Opponents respond that a later bell would push practices and jobs into the evening. [6] They point out that Lakeview, a neighboring district, moved its bell in 2019 and saw no change in attendance. [7] Supporters answer that attendance is a blunt measure, and that Lakeview's students reported getting about forty minutes more sleep. [8] The bus company adds that a later start would require new routes and might raise transportation costs by 9 percent.

    [9] Some of this evidence is stronger than the rest. [10] The sleep data and the Lakeview report describe real students, while the cost figure is an estimate that depends on choices the district has not yet made. [11] A fair decision would also weigh how much sleep matters to learning and to health, which is harder to measure than bus routes. [12] A pilot year at one school would give the district its own numbers before it commits to a change at the district's other high schools and middle schools.

  14. Ren tests a claim that carries a limit. Claim: “The survey and the Lakeview report support trying a later bell, though they stop short of settling the question.” Which set supports the claim as worded, limit included?

    • [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights. [7] Supporters answer that attendance is a blunt measure, and that Lakeview's students reported getting about forty minutes more sleep. [10] The sleep data and the Lakeview report describe real students, while the cost figure is an estimate that depends on choices the district has not yet made.
    • [5] Opponents respond that a later bell would push practices and jobs into the evening. [6] They point out that Lakeview, a neighboring district, moved its bell in 2019 and saw no change in attendance. [8] The bus company adds that a later start would require new routes and might raise transportation costs by 9 percent.
    • [2] Supporters cite research showing that teenagers' body clocks shift later during adolescence, which makes early mornings harder to handle. [3] A national pediatric group recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30. [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights.
    • [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights. [7] Supporters answer that attendance is a blunt measure, and that Lakeview's students reported getting about forty minutes more sleep. [12] A pilot year at one school would give the district its own numbers before it commits to a change at the district's other high schools and middle schools.

  15. Ferry or Bridge? (letters and a town report)

    Letter from Dana Ortiz, ferry captain: [1] For ninety years, the Marlow ferry has carried cars, bikes and walkers across the Tern River in eleven minutes. [2] A bridge would take years to build, while the ferry sails today. [3] The town's traffic count for 2023 found about 1,400 vehicles a day on the ferry in summer and about 600 in winter. [4] A bridge sized for summer crowds would stand half empty for much of the year, yet the town would still pay to maintain it. [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not.

    Letter from Omar Reyes, bakery owner: [6] My bakery sits at the ferry landing, so I watch the line of waiting cars grow each summer weekend. [7] The line stretches past the school, and drivers can wait forty minutes to board. [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight.

    Town report, 2024: [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate. [12] State inspectors report that the ferry's main engine, installed in 1998, will need replacement within five years at a cost of about $2 million. [13] A survey of Marlow households found that 58 percent favor keeping the ferry and 31 percent favor a bridge, with the rest undecided.

  16. Tala combines evidence from more than one part of the text. Claim: “Between them, the letters and the town report suggest the ferry is cheap to run now but may soon cost the town more.” Which set supports it best?

    • [3] The town's traffic count for 2023 found about 1,400 vehicles a day on the ferry in summer and about 600 in winter. [4] A bridge sized for summer crowds would stand half empty for much of the year, yet the town would still pay to maintain it. [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not.
    • [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight.
    • [1] For ninety years, the Marlow ferry has carried cars, bikes and walkers across the Tern River in eleven minutes. [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate. [13] A survey of Marlow households found that 58 percent favor keeping the ferry and 31 percent favor a bridge, with the rest undecided.
    • [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not. [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate. [12] State inspectors report that the ferry's main engine, installed in 1998, will need replacement within five years at a cost of about $2 million.

  17. The Closet Telescope (story)

    [1] When Noah and Jun were sent to the supply closet to retrieve extension cords for the science fair, they discovered a brass telescope beneath a stack of folding chairs. [2] A card taped to its tube read "Property of Marlow School, 1961," in handwriting so faded that Noah had to tilt the card toward the light. [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust. [4] Jun suggested they ask Mr. Ferreira, the custodian, who had worked at the school longer than any teacher. [5] Mr. Ferreira looked at the telescope for a long moment and then said it had been in that closet since before he arrived. [6] He did not ask what they planned to do with it, but he went back to his cart and returned with a screwdriver and a cloth.

    [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [8] Neither of them had said a word about the foot to Mr. Ferreira. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube. [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [11] Noah ran down to the cafeteria entrance, where Mr. Ferreira was locking up, and asked whether he wanted to look. [12] Mr. Ferreira said he had trash to finish first, but he stayed on the roof for ten minutes after the work was done. [13] The next Monday, a note was taped inside the closet door: "Telescope on loan to anyone who asks. R.F."

  18. Ari combines evidence from more than one part of the text. Claim: “By the end of the story, a forgotten object had become something shared.” Which set supports it best?

    • [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [8] Neither of them had said a word about the foot to Mr. Ferreira. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube.
    • [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust. [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [13] The next Monday, a note was taped inside the closet door: "Telescope on loan to anyone who asks. R.F."
    • [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [11] Noah ran down to the cafeteria entrance, where Mr. Ferreira was locking up, and asked whether he wanted to look. [12] Mr. Ferreira said he had trash to finish first, but he stayed on the roof for ten minutes after the work was done.
    • [1] When Noah and Jun were sent to the supply closet to retrieve extension cords for the science fair, they discovered a brass telescope beneath a stack of folding chairs. [2] A card taped to its tube read "Property of Marlow School, 1961," in handwriting so faded that Noah had to tilt the card toward the light. [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust.

  19. Should First Bell Move Later? (editorial)

    [1] For three years, the Calloway school district has debated moving the high school bell from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., and the argument has grown more heated each spring. [2] Supporters cite research showing that teenagers' body clocks shift later during adolescence, which makes early mornings harder to handle. [3] A national pediatric group recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30. [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights. [5] Opponents respond that a later bell would push practices and jobs into the evening. [6] They point out that Lakeview, a neighboring district, moved its bell in 2019 and saw no change in attendance. [7] Supporters answer that attendance is a blunt measure, and that Lakeview's students reported getting about forty minutes more sleep. [8] The bus company adds that a later start would require new routes and might raise transportation costs by 9 percent.

    [9] Some of this evidence is stronger than the rest. [10] The sleep data and the Lakeview report describe real students, while the cost figure is an estimate that depends on choices the district has not yet made. [11] A fair decision would also weigh how much sleep matters to learning and to health, which is harder to measure than bus routes. [12] A pilot year at one school would give the district its own numbers before it commits to a change at the district's other high schools and middle schools.

  20. Noah combines evidence from more than one part of the text. Claim: “The editorial gives evidence for both a sleep problem and a possible remedy.” Which set supports it best?

    • [3] A national pediatric group recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30. [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights. [7] Supporters answer that attendance is a blunt measure, and that Lakeview's students reported getting about forty minutes more sleep.
    • [2] Supporters cite research showing that teenagers' body clocks shift later during adolescence, which makes early mornings harder to handle. [3] A national pediatric group recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30. [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights.
    • [9] Some of this evidence is stronger than the rest. [10] The sleep data and the Lakeview report describe real students, while the cost figure is an estimate that depends on choices the district has not yet made. [12] A pilot year at one school would give the district its own numbers before it commits to a change at the district's other high schools and middle schools.
    • [5] Opponents respond that a later bell would push practices and jobs into the evening. [6] They point out that Lakeview, a neighboring district, moved its bell in 2019 and saw no change in attendance. [8] The bus company adds that a later start would require new routes and might raise transportation costs by 9 percent.
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Answer Key - Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Ferry or Bridge? (letters and a town report)

    Letter from Dana Ortiz, ferry captain: [1] For ninety years, the Marlow ferry has carried cars, bikes and walkers across the Tern River in eleven minutes. [2] A bridge would take years to build, while the ferry sails today. [3] The town's traffic count for 2023 found about 1,400 vehicles a day on the ferry in summer and about 600 in winter. [4] A bridge sized for summer crowds would stand half empty for much of the year, yet the town would still pay to maintain it. [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not.

    Letter from Omar Reyes, bakery owner: [6] My bakery sits at the ferry landing, so I watch the line of waiting cars grow each summer weekend. [7] The line stretches past the school, and drivers can wait forty minutes to board. [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight.

    Town report, 2024: [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate. [12] State inspectors report that the ferry's main engine, installed in 1998, will need replacement within five years at a cost of about $2 million. [13] A survey of Marlow households found that 58 percent favor keeping the ferry and 31 percent favor a bridge, with the rest undecided.

  2. Esme looks for clues the text only suggests. Claim: “Reyes's letter suggests he is thinking about people other than his own customers.” Which set of three sentences gives the strongest support?

    • [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight. [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate. [12] State inspectors report that the ferry's main engine, installed in 1998, will need replacement within five years at a cost of about $2 million.
    • [2] A bridge would take years to build, while the ferry sails today. [4] A bridge sized for summer crowds would stand half empty for much of the year, yet the town would still pay to maintain it. [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not.
    • [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight.
    • [6] My bakery sits at the ferry landing, so I watch the line of waiting cars grow each summer weekend. [7] The line stretches past the school, and drivers can wait forty minutes to board. [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business.

  3. Why Pluto Lost Its Planet Status (article and data note)

    [1] When Clyde Tombaugh found Pluto in 1930, astronomers believed they had discovered a ninth planet, and early estimates made it about as large as Earth. [2] Better measurements steadily shrank it. [3] In 1978, the discovery of its moon Charon allowed astronomers to calculate Pluto's mass, which turned out to be less than one percent of Earth's. [4] Pluto is also smaller than Earth's own moon. [5] In the 1990s, telescopes began to reveal many icy bodies beyond Neptune in a region called the Kuiper belt, and Pluto's orbit placed it among them.

    [6] The turning point came in 2005, when a team led by Mike Brown announced Eris, an object in the same region that seemed at first to be larger than Pluto. [7] If Pluto was a planet, astronomers reasoned, Eris deserved the same title, and others like it would follow. [8] The International Astronomical Union took up the question at its 2006 meeting in Prague. [9] It defined a planet as a body that orbits the Sun, is nearly round, and has cleared its orbit of other objects of comparable size. [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet. [11] Some astronomers objected, noting that the vote was taken by a small fraction of the union's members who were still at the meeting. [12] In 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto and returned images of glaciers, mountains and a hazy atmosphere, which made the world look far more active than anyone had expected.

    Data note: [13] Pluto is about 2,377 kilometers across, Eris about 2,326 kilometers, and Earth's moon about 3,474 kilometers.

  4. Bo looks for clues the text only suggests. Claim: “The 2006 definition of a planet was a response to a wave of new discoveries, not a judgment on Pluto alone.” Which set of three sentences gives the strongest support?

    • [1] When Clyde Tombaugh found Pluto in 1930, astronomers believed they had discovered a ninth planet, and early estimates made it about as large as Earth. [8] The International Astronomical Union took up the question at its 2006 meeting in Prague. [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet.
    • [5] In the 1990s, telescopes began to reveal many icy bodies beyond Neptune in a region called the Kuiper belt, and Pluto's orbit placed it among them. [6] The turning point came in 2005, when a team led by Mike Brown announced Eris, an object in the same region that seemed at first to be larger than Pluto. [9] It defined a planet as a body that orbits the Sun, is nearly round, and has cleared its orbit of other objects of comparable size.
    • [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet. [11] Some astronomers objected, noting that the vote was taken by a small fraction of the union's members who were still at the meeting. [12] In 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto and returned images of glaciers, mountains and a hazy atmosphere, which made the world look far more active than anyone had expected.
    • [2] Better measurements steadily shrank it. [3] In 1978, the discovery of its moon Charon allowed astronomers to calculate Pluto's mass, which turned out to be less than one percent of Earth's. [4] Pluto is also smaller than Earth's own moon.

  5. The Closet Telescope (story)

    [1] When Noah and Jun were sent to the supply closet to retrieve extension cords for the science fair, they discovered a brass telescope beneath a stack of folding chairs. [2] A card taped to its tube read "Property of Marlow School, 1961," in handwriting so faded that Noah had to tilt the card toward the light. [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust. [4] Jun suggested they ask Mr. Ferreira, the custodian, who had worked at the school longer than any teacher. [5] Mr. Ferreira looked at the telescope for a long moment and then said it had been in that closet since before he arrived. [6] He did not ask what they planned to do with it, but he went back to his cart and returned with a screwdriver and a cloth.

    [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [8] Neither of them had said a word about the foot to Mr. Ferreira. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube. [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [11] Noah ran down to the cafeteria entrance, where Mr. Ferreira was locking up, and asked whether he wanted to look. [12] Mr. Ferreira said he had trash to finish first, but he stayed on the roof for ten minutes after the work was done. [13] The next Monday, a note was taped inside the closet door: "Telescope on loan to anyone who asks. R.F."

  6. Kira looks for clues the text only suggests. Claim: “Mr. Ferreira repaired the telescope on his own initiative and wanted it used.” Which set of three sentences gives the strongest support?

    • [6] He did not ask what they planned to do with it, but he went back to his cart and returned with a screwdriver and a cloth. [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [13] The next Monday, a note was taped inside the closet door: "Telescope on loan to anyone who asks. R.F."
    • [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust. [4] Jun suggested they ask Mr. Ferreira, the custodian, who had worked at the school longer than any teacher. [5] Mr. Ferreira looked at the telescope for a long moment and then said it had been in that closet since before he arrived.
    • [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube. [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat.
    • [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [11] Noah ran down to the cafeteria entrance, where Mr. Ferreira was locking up, and asked whether he wanted to look. [12] Mr. Ferreira said he had trash to finish first, but he stayed on the roof for ten minutes after the work was done.

  7. Ferry or Bridge? (letters and a town report)

    Letter from Dana Ortiz, ferry captain: [1] For ninety years, the Marlow ferry has carried cars, bikes and walkers across the Tern River in eleven minutes. [2] A bridge would take years to build, while the ferry sails today. [3] The town's traffic count for 2023 found about 1,400 vehicles a day on the ferry in summer and about 600 in winter. [4] A bridge sized for summer crowds would stand half empty for much of the year, yet the town would still pay to maintain it. [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not.

    Letter from Omar Reyes, bakery owner: [6] My bakery sits at the ferry landing, so I watch the line of waiting cars grow each summer weekend. [7] The line stretches past the school, and drivers can wait forty minutes to board. [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight.

    Town report, 2024: [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate. [12] State inspectors report that the ferry's main engine, installed in 1998, will need replacement within five years at a cost of about $2 million. [13] A survey of Marlow households found that 58 percent favor keeping the ferry and 31 percent favor a bridge, with the rest undecided.

  8. Jun tests a claim that carries a limit. Claim: “The ferry's limits are real, yet the evidence stops short of showing that a bridge is the answer.” Which set supports the claim as worded, limit included?

    • [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business. [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight. [13] A survey of Marlow households found that 58 percent favor keeping the ferry and 31 percent favor a bridge, with the rest undecided.
    • [7] The line stretches past the school, and drivers can wait forty minutes to board. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate.
    • [7] The line stretches past the school, and drivers can wait forty minutes to board. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [12] State inspectors report that the ferry's main engine, installed in 1998, will need replacement within five years at a cost of about $2 million.
    • [3] The town's traffic count for 2023 found about 1,400 vehicles a day on the ferry in summer and about 600 in winter. [4] A bridge sized for summer crowds would stand half empty for much of the year, yet the town would still pay to maintain it. [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not.

  9. Why Pluto Lost Its Planet Status (article and data note)

    [1] When Clyde Tombaugh found Pluto in 1930, astronomers believed they had discovered a ninth planet, and early estimates made it about as large as Earth. [2] Better measurements steadily shrank it. [3] In 1978, the discovery of its moon Charon allowed astronomers to calculate Pluto's mass, which turned out to be less than one percent of Earth's. [4] Pluto is also smaller than Earth's own moon. [5] In the 1990s, telescopes began to reveal many icy bodies beyond Neptune in a region called the Kuiper belt, and Pluto's orbit placed it among them.

    [6] The turning point came in 2005, when a team led by Mike Brown announced Eris, an object in the same region that seemed at first to be larger than Pluto. [7] If Pluto was a planet, astronomers reasoned, Eris deserved the same title, and others like it would follow. [8] The International Astronomical Union took up the question at its 2006 meeting in Prague. [9] It defined a planet as a body that orbits the Sun, is nearly round, and has cleared its orbit of other objects of comparable size. [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet. [11] Some astronomers objected, noting that the vote was taken by a small fraction of the union's members who were still at the meeting. [12] In 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto and returned images of glaciers, mountains and a hazy atmosphere, which made the world look far more active than anyone had expected.

    Data note: [13] Pluto is about 2,377 kilometers across, Eris about 2,326 kilometers, and Earth's moon about 3,474 kilometers.

  10. Milo tests a claim that carries a limit. Claim: “The decision to call Pluto a dwarf planet followed a reasoned test, but it did not settle the matter among astronomers.” Which set supports the claim as worded, limit included?

    • [8] The International Astronomical Union took up the question at its 2006 meeting in Prague. [9] It defined a planet as a body that orbits the Sun, is nearly round, and has cleared its orbit of other objects of comparable size. [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet.
    • [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet. [11] Some astronomers objected, noting that the vote was taken by a small fraction of the union's members who were still at the meeting. [12] In 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto and returned images of glaciers, mountains and a hazy atmosphere, which made the world look far more active than anyone had expected.
    • [9] It defined a planet as a body that orbits the Sun, is nearly round, and has cleared its orbit of other objects of comparable size. [10] Pluto meets the first two tests but not the third, so it was classed as a dwarf planet. [11] Some astronomers objected, noting that the vote was taken by a small fraction of the union's members who were still at the meeting.
    • [3] In 1978, the discovery of its moon Charon allowed astronomers to calculate Pluto's mass, which turned out to be less than one percent of Earth's. [5] In the 1990s, telescopes began to reveal many icy bodies beyond Neptune in a region called the Kuiper belt, and Pluto's orbit placed it among them. [6] The turning point came in 2005, when a team led by Mike Brown announced Eris, an object in the same region that seemed at first to be larger than Pluto.

  11. The Closet Telescope (story)

    [1] When Noah and Jun were sent to the supply closet to retrieve extension cords for the science fair, they discovered a brass telescope beneath a stack of folding chairs. [2] A card taped to its tube read "Property of Marlow School, 1961," in handwriting so faded that Noah had to tilt the card toward the light. [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust. [4] Jun suggested they ask Mr. Ferreira, the custodian, who had worked at the school longer than any teacher. [5] Mr. Ferreira looked at the telescope for a long moment and then said it had been in that closet since before he arrived. [6] He did not ask what they planned to do with it, but he went back to his cart and returned with a screwdriver and a cloth.

    [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [8] Neither of them had said a word about the foot to Mr. Ferreira. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube. [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [11] Noah ran down to the cafeteria entrance, where Mr. Ferreira was locking up, and asked whether he wanted to look. [12] Mr. Ferreira said he had trash to finish first, but he stayed on the roof for ten minutes after the work was done. [13] The next Monday, a note was taped inside the closet door: "Telescope on loan to anyone who asks. R.F."

  12. Pia tests a claim that carries a limit. Claim: “Mr. Ferreira did most of the work of reviving the telescope, though the boys' curiosity began it.” Which set supports the claim as worded, limit included?

    • [1] When Noah and Jun were sent to the supply closet to retrieve extension cords for the science fair, they discovered a brass telescope beneath a stack of folding chairs. [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [11] Noah ran down to the cafeteria entrance, where Mr. Ferreira was locking up, and asked whether he wanted to look.
    • [2] A card taped to its tube read "Property of Marlow School, 1961," in handwriting so faded that Noah had to tilt the card toward the light. [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust. [5] Mr. Ferreira looked at the telescope for a long moment and then said it had been in that closet since before he arrived.
    • [1] When Noah and Jun were sent to the supply closet to retrieve extension cords for the science fair, they discovered a brass telescope beneath a stack of folding chairs. [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube.
    • [6] He did not ask what they planned to do with it, but he went back to his cart and returned with a screwdriver and a cloth. [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube.

  13. Should First Bell Move Later? (editorial)

    [1] For three years, the Calloway school district has debated moving the high school bell from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., and the argument has grown more heated each spring. [2] Supporters cite research showing that teenagers' body clocks shift later during adolescence, which makes early mornings harder to handle. [3] A national pediatric group recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30. [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights. [5] Opponents respond that a later bell would push practices and jobs into the evening. [6] They point out that Lakeview, a neighboring district, moved its bell in 2019 and saw no change in attendance. [7] Supporters answer that attendance is a blunt measure, and that Lakeview's students reported getting about forty minutes more sleep. [8] The bus company adds that a later start would require new routes and might raise transportation costs by 9 percent.

    [9] Some of this evidence is stronger than the rest. [10] The sleep data and the Lakeview report describe real students, while the cost figure is an estimate that depends on choices the district has not yet made. [11] A fair decision would also weigh how much sleep matters to learning and to health, which is harder to measure than bus routes. [12] A pilot year at one school would give the district its own numbers before it commits to a change at the district's other high schools and middle schools.

  14. Ren tests a claim that carries a limit. Claim: “The survey and the Lakeview report support trying a later bell, though they stop short of settling the question.” Which set supports the claim as worded, limit included?

    • [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights. [7] Supporters answer that attendance is a blunt measure, and that Lakeview's students reported getting about forty minutes more sleep. [10] The sleep data and the Lakeview report describe real students, while the cost figure is an estimate that depends on choices the district has not yet made.
    • [5] Opponents respond that a later bell would push practices and jobs into the evening. [6] They point out that Lakeview, a neighboring district, moved its bell in 2019 and saw no change in attendance. [8] The bus company adds that a later start would require new routes and might raise transportation costs by 9 percent.
    • [2] Supporters cite research showing that teenagers' body clocks shift later during adolescence, which makes early mornings harder to handle. [3] A national pediatric group recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30. [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights.
    • [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights. [7] Supporters answer that attendance is a blunt measure, and that Lakeview's students reported getting about forty minutes more sleep. [12] A pilot year at one school would give the district its own numbers before it commits to a change at the district's other high schools and middle schools.

  15. Ferry or Bridge? (letters and a town report)

    Letter from Dana Ortiz, ferry captain: [1] For ninety years, the Marlow ferry has carried cars, bikes and walkers across the Tern River in eleven minutes. [2] A bridge would take years to build, while the ferry sails today. [3] The town's traffic count for 2023 found about 1,400 vehicles a day on the ferry in summer and about 600 in winter. [4] A bridge sized for summer crowds would stand half empty for much of the year, yet the town would still pay to maintain it. [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not.

    Letter from Omar Reyes, bakery owner: [6] My bakery sits at the ferry landing, so I watch the line of waiting cars grow each summer weekend. [7] The line stretches past the school, and drivers can wait forty minutes to board. [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight.

    Town report, 2024: [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate. [12] State inspectors report that the ferry's main engine, installed in 1998, will need replacement within five years at a cost of about $2 million. [13] A survey of Marlow households found that 58 percent favor keeping the ferry and 31 percent favor a bridge, with the rest undecided.

  16. Tala combines evidence from more than one part of the text. Claim: “Between them, the letters and the town report suggest the ferry is cheap to run now but may soon cost the town more.” Which set supports it best?

    • [3] The town's traffic count for 2023 found about 1,400 vehicles a day on the ferry in summer and about 600 in winter. [4] A bridge sized for summer crowds would stand half empty for much of the year, yet the town would still pay to maintain it. [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not.
    • [8] Some give up and drive twenty miles north to the highway bridge, and I lose their business. [9] The ferry also stops running at 9 p.m., so night-shift nurses at Tern County Hospital must take the long way home. [10] I like the ferry's charm, but charm is no help to a nurse finishing a shift at midnight.
    • [1] For ninety years, the Marlow ferry has carried cars, bikes and walkers across the Tern River in eleven minutes. [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate. [13] A survey of Marlow households found that 58 percent favor keeping the ferry and 31 percent favor a bridge, with the rest undecided.
    • [5] The ferry's costs rise and fall with its riders, and a bridge's costs would not. [11] A bridge would cost about $38 million to build, and the ferry costs about $1.2 million a year to operate. [12] State inspectors report that the ferry's main engine, installed in 1998, will need replacement within five years at a cost of about $2 million.

  17. The Closet Telescope (story)

    [1] When Noah and Jun were sent to the supply closet to retrieve extension cords for the science fair, they discovered a brass telescope beneath a stack of folding chairs. [2] A card taped to its tube read "Property of Marlow School, 1961," in handwriting so faded that Noah had to tilt the card toward the light. [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust. [4] Jun suggested they ask Mr. Ferreira, the custodian, who had worked at the school longer than any teacher. [5] Mr. Ferreira looked at the telescope for a long moment and then said it had been in that closet since before he arrived. [6] He did not ask what they planned to do with it, but he went back to his cart and returned with a screwdriver and a cloth.

    [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [8] Neither of them had said a word about the foot to Mr. Ferreira. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube. [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [11] Noah ran down to the cafeteria entrance, where Mr. Ferreira was locking up, and asked whether he wanted to look. [12] Mr. Ferreira said he had trash to finish first, but he stayed on the roof for ten minutes after the work was done. [13] The next Monday, a note was taped inside the closet door: "Telescope on loan to anyone who asks. R.F."

  18. Ari combines evidence from more than one part of the text. Claim: “By the end of the story, a forgotten object had become something shared.” Which set supports it best?

    • [7] On Friday afternoon, Noah and Jun found the tripod fitted with a new foot cut from a piece of hardwood and sanded smooth. [8] Neither of them had said a word about the foot to Mr. Ferreira. [9] The lens had been carefully wiped clean, and a cap made from a rubber stopper sat on the tube.
    • [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust. [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [13] The next Monday, a note was taped inside the closet door: "Telescope on loan to anyone who asks. R.F."
    • [10] That night, the two of them set up the telescope on the roof of the parking garage and located Saturn, its rings tilted like a thin silver hat. [11] Noah ran down to the cafeteria entrance, where Mr. Ferreira was locking up, and asked whether he wanted to look. [12] Mr. Ferreira said he had trash to finish first, but he stayed on the roof for ten minutes after the work was done.
    • [1] When Noah and Jun were sent to the supply closet to retrieve extension cords for the science fair, they discovered a brass telescope beneath a stack of folding chairs. [2] A card taped to its tube read "Property of Marlow School, 1961," in handwriting so faded that Noah had to tilt the card toward the light. [3] The lens cap was missing, the tripod had lost one foot, and the tube was thick with dust.

  19. Should First Bell Move Later? (editorial)

    [1] For three years, the Calloway school district has debated moving the high school bell from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., and the argument has grown more heated each spring. [2] Supporters cite research showing that teenagers' body clocks shift later during adolescence, which makes early mornings harder to handle. [3] A national pediatric group recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30. [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights. [5] Opponents respond that a later bell would push practices and jobs into the evening. [6] They point out that Lakeview, a neighboring district, moved its bell in 2019 and saw no change in attendance. [7] Supporters answer that attendance is a blunt measure, and that Lakeview's students reported getting about forty minutes more sleep. [8] The bus company adds that a later start would require new routes and might raise transportation costs by 9 percent.

    [9] Some of this evidence is stronger than the rest. [10] The sleep data and the Lakeview report describe real students, while the cost figure is an estimate that depends on choices the district has not yet made. [11] A fair decision would also weigh how much sleep matters to learning and to health, which is harder to measure than bus routes. [12] A pilot year at one school would give the district its own numbers before it commits to a change at the district's other high schools and middle schools.

  20. Noah combines evidence from more than one part of the text. Claim: “The editorial gives evidence for both a sleep problem and a possible remedy.” Which set supports it best?

    • [3] A national pediatric group recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30. [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights. [7] Supporters answer that attendance is a blunt measure, and that Lakeview's students reported getting about forty minutes more sleep.
    • [2] Supporters cite research showing that teenagers' body clocks shift later during adolescence, which makes early mornings harder to handle. [3] A national pediatric group recommends that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30. [4] Calloway's own sleep survey of 600 students found that 71 percent got fewer than eight hours on school nights.
    • [9] Some of this evidence is stronger than the rest. [10] The sleep data and the Lakeview report describe real students, while the cost figure is an estimate that depends on choices the district has not yet made. [12] A pilot year at one school would give the district its own numbers before it commits to a change at the district's other high schools and middle schools.
    • [5] Opponents respond that a later bell would push practices and jobs into the evening. [6] They point out that Lakeview, a neighboring district, moved its bell in 2019 and saw no change in attendance. [8] The bus company adds that a later start would require new routes and might raise transportation costs by 9 percent.