Pick the quotes that prove it best
Grade 9 Reading Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
The Ditch That Moved a Nation's Goods (article)
[1] Before 1825, moving a ton of freight from Buffalo to New York City could cost about a hundred dollars and take weeks by wagon over rough roads. [2] In 1817, New York began digging a canal across the state, a project that many critics called foolish. [3] Few of the builders had formal engineering training, so surveyors and contractors learned their craft by trying it on the job, one mile at a time. [4] The Erie Canal opened in October 1825 and ran about 363 miles from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. [5] Within a few years, shipping a ton of freight along the canal cost closer to ten dollars.
[6] Farmers in the Great Lakes region could now sell grain in eastern markets, and manufactured goods traveled west at the same low cost. [7] Towns such as Rochester and Syracuse grew quickly along the route, as mills and warehouses opened beside the water. [8] New York City's harbor received much of the grain and flour, and the city gained a growing share of the nation's trade. [9] The canal cost about seven million dollars to build, and its tolls repaid the debt within about a dozen years.
[10] Wagon drivers and tavern keepers along the old roads lost business as freight moved onto boats. [11] Railroads soon competed for the same freight, yet the canal continued to carry cargo for generations. [12] Historians still cite the Erie Canal as an early case of a transportation project that reshaped an economy far beyond its route.
Bo reads this claim closely: “The article suggests that the canal's effects were uneven.” Which set of three sentences gives the strongest support?
- [6] Farmers in the Great Lakes region could now sell grain in eastern markets, and manufactured goods traveled west at the same low cost. [7] Towns such as Rochester and Syracuse grew quickly along the route, as mills and warehouses opened beside the water. [10] Wagon drivers and tavern keepers along the old roads lost business as freight moved onto boats.
- [5] Within a few years, shipping a ton of freight along the canal cost closer to ten dollars. [6] Farmers in the Great Lakes region could now sell grain in eastern markets, and manufactured goods traveled west at the same low cost. [9] The canal cost about seven million dollars to build, and its tolls repaid the debt within about a dozen years.
- [6] Farmers in the Great Lakes region could now sell grain in eastern markets, and manufactured goods traveled west at the same low cost. [7] Towns such as Rochester and Syracuse grew quickly along the route, as mills and warehouses opened beside the water. [8] New York City's harbor received much of the grain and flour, and the city gained a growing share of the nation's trade.
- [1] Before 1825, moving a ton of freight from Buffalo to New York City could cost about a hundred dollars and take weeks by wagon over rough roads. [4] The Erie Canal opened in October 1825 and ran about 363 miles from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. [10] Wagon drivers and tavern keepers along the old roads lost business as freight moved onto boats.
Less Homework, More Learning? (editorial)
[1] Last fall, I changed the homework policy in my three eighth-grade math classes at Brookfield Middle School, where I have taught for eleven years. [2] Before the change, students received about forty minutes of problems each night, usually twenty-five or thirty questions. [3] After the change, they received twenty minutes, and the problems were chosen to review the day's lesson rather than to introduce new skills. [4] At the end of the term, the three classes averaged 81 percent on the final exam, compared with 79 percent for my classes the year before. [5] Quiz scores stayed steady during the term, and fewer students turned in blank assignments. [6] In a short survey, 64 of my 88 students said they slept more, and several wrote that they felt less rushed at night.
[7] Some parents worry that less homework means less practice. [8] That concern deserves attention, since math skills do build through repetition and can fade without regular practice. [9] But the repetition in the shorter assignments was more focused, and the exam results suggest that students lost nothing by it. [10] I know that three classes taught by one teacher are a small sample, and a different group of students could have changed the numbers. [11] Still, several other teachers in the building tell me that their students seem calmer and more willing to participate in class. [12] I urge the school board to try a twenty-minute guideline in more classrooms next year and to track the results carefully.
Esme reads this claim closely: “The teacher's evidence suggests the shorter assignments did not hurt students and may have helped them.” Which set of three sentences gives the strongest support?
- [4] At the end of the term, the three classes averaged 81 percent on the final exam, compared with 79 percent for my classes the year before. [5] Quiz scores stayed steady during the term, and fewer students turned in blank assignments. [6] In a short survey, 64 of my 88 students said they slept more, and several wrote that they felt less rushed at night.
- [3] After the change, they received twenty minutes, and the problems were chosen to review the day's lesson rather than to introduce new skills. [4] At the end of the term, the three classes averaged 81 percent on the final exam, compared with 79 percent for my classes the year before. [5] Quiz scores stayed steady during the term, and fewer students turned in blank assignments.
- [7] Some parents worry that less homework means less practice. [8] That concern deserves attention, since math skills do build through repetition and can fade without regular practice. [10] I know that three classes taught by one teacher are a small sample, and a different group of students could have changed the numbers.
- [10] I know that three classes taught by one teacher are a small sample, and a different group of students could have changed the numbers. [11] Still, several other teachers in the building tell me that their students seem calmer and more willing to participate in class. [12] I urge the school board to try a twenty-minute guideline in more classrooms next year and to track the results carefully.
The Rain Gauge Mystery (story)
[1] The weather club kept two rain gauges on the school grounds, one beside the fence near the parking lot and one in the middle of the soccer field. [2] After the storm on Tuesday, Luz recorded the fence gauge at nearly two inches and the field gauge at barely one. [3] Luz announced that the field gauge must be defective and reached for the notebook to cross out the number. [4] Zee asked to examine both gauges before anything was crossed out, and Luz sighed loudly but agreed. [5] The gauges were the same model, and both stood level on their posts. [6] Zee turned to Esme and asked which direction the wind had blown during the storm. [7] Esme checked the club's weather log and reported that the wind had come from the west throughout the afternoon. [8] Zee walked around the field gauge, looked west, and noticed a tall oak whose branches stretched directly over it. [9] Mr. Brandt, the club adviser, had been listening from the doorway, and he remarked that this was an interesting problem while keeping his hands in his pockets. [10] The next day, the club moved the field gauge to the open roof of the gym, away from the tree, and left the fence gauge where it stood. [11] After the next rainstorm, the two readings differed by less than a tenth of an inch. [12] Luz copied the new numbers into the notebook, then drew a small oak beside the old ones with an arrow pointing to the field gauge.
Jun reads this claim closely: “The story contrasts a hasty reaction to the odd readings with a careful one.” Which set of three sentences gives the strongest support?
- [1] The weather club kept two rain gauges on the school grounds, one beside the fence near the parking lot and one in the middle of the soccer field. [2] After the storm on Tuesday, Luz recorded the fence gauge at nearly two inches and the field gauge at barely one. [12] Luz copied the new numbers into the notebook, then drew a small oak beside the old ones with an arrow pointing to the field gauge.
- [8] Zee walked around the field gauge, looked west, and noticed a tall oak whose branches stretched directly over it. [10] The next day, the club moved the field gauge to the open roof of the gym, away from the tree, and left the fence gauge where it stood. [11] After the next rainstorm, the two readings differed by less than a tenth of an inch.
- [3] Luz announced that the field gauge must be defective and reached for the notebook to cross out the number. [4] Zee asked to examine both gauges before anything was crossed out, and Luz sighed loudly but agreed. [6] Zee turned to Esme and asked which direction the wind had blown during the storm.
- [2] After the storm on Tuesday, Luz recorded the fence gauge at nearly two inches and the field gauge at barely one. [3] Luz announced that the field gauge must be defective and reached for the notebook to cross out the number. [4] Zee asked to examine both gauges before anything was crossed out, and Luz sighed loudly but agreed.
The Watch That Solved the Sea (article)
[1] Sailors in the early 1700s could find their latitude by measuring the height of the sun or the stars, but longitude was a much harder problem. [2] Finding it required knowing the exact time at a fixed home port while the ship was far away. [3] Pendulum clocks, which worked well on land, lost or gained minutes when waves rocked a ship. [4] Mistakes in position were costly: in 1707, four British warships ran aground on the Isles of Scilly after misjudging where they were, a disaster that pushed the government to act. [5] In 1714, Parliament passed the Longitude Act and offered a reward of up to 20,000 pounds to anyone who could find a reliable method.
[6] John Harrison, a carpenter and clockmaker from Yorkshire, spent decades building a series of marine clocks to win it. [7] His fourth model, a watch about five inches across, was tested on a voyage to Jamaica in 1761 and 1762. [8] After eighty-one days at sea, it had lost about five seconds, an error that corresponded to a little over a mile at the equator. [9] The Board of Longitude, however, doubted that one good trip showed the watch was reliable, and it demanded a second test. [10] A second voyage, to Barbados in 1764, gave similar results, yet the board still withheld the full prize. [11] Harrison finally received a payment from Parliament in 1773, after he appealed to King George III. [12] Within a few decades, marine chronometers based on his ideas became standard equipment on long voyages.
Kira reads this claim closely: “The text portrays Harrison's watch as accurate but slow to win acceptance.” Which set of three sentences gives the strongest support?
- [4] Mistakes in position were costly: in 1707, four British warships ran aground on the Isles of Scilly after misjudging where they were, a disaster that pushed the government to act. [5] In 1714, Parliament passed the Longitude Act and offered a reward of up to 20,000 pounds to anyone who could find a reliable method. [6] John Harrison, a carpenter and clockmaker from Yorkshire, spent decades building a series of marine clocks to win it.
- [1] Sailors in the early 1700s could find their latitude by measuring the height of the sun or the stars, but longitude was a much harder problem. [2] Finding it required knowing the exact time at a fixed home port while the ship was far away. [11] Harrison finally received a payment from Parliament in 1773, after he appealed to King George III.
- [8] After eighty-one days at sea, it had lost about five seconds, an error that corresponded to a little over a mile at the equator. [9] The Board of Longitude, however, doubted that one good trip showed the watch was reliable, and it demanded a second test. [11] Harrison finally received a payment from Parliament in 1773, after he appealed to King George III.
- [7] His fourth model, a watch about five inches across, was tested on a voyage to Jamaica in 1761 and 1762. [8] After eighty-one days at sea, it had lost about five seconds, an error that corresponded to a little over a mile at the equator. [12] Within a few decades, marine chronometers based on his ideas became standard equipment on long voyages.
The Ditch That Moved a Nation's Goods (article)
[1] Before 1825, moving a ton of freight from Buffalo to New York City could cost about a hundred dollars and take weeks by wagon over rough roads. [2] In 1817, New York began digging a canal across the state, a project that many critics called foolish. [3] Few of the builders had formal engineering training, so surveyors and contractors learned their craft by trying it on the job, one mile at a time. [4] The Erie Canal opened in October 1825 and ran about 363 miles from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. [5] Within a few years, shipping a ton of freight along the canal cost closer to ten dollars.
[6] Farmers in the Great Lakes region could now sell grain in eastern markets, and manufactured goods traveled west at the same low cost. [7] Towns such as Rochester and Syracuse grew quickly along the route, as mills and warehouses opened beside the water. [8] New York City's harbor received much of the grain and flour, and the city gained a growing share of the nation's trade. [9] The canal cost about seven million dollars to build, and its tolls repaid the debt within about a dozen years.
[10] Wagon drivers and tavern keepers along the old roads lost business as freight moved onto boats. [11] Railroads soon competed for the same freight, yet the canal continued to carry cargo for generations. [12] Historians still cite the Erie Canal as an early case of a transportation project that reshaped an economy far beyond its route.
Luz follows the links in this text. Claim: “The article explains how the canal helped link Great Lakes farmland to eastern markets.” Which set of three sentences supports it best?
- [7] Towns such as Rochester and Syracuse grew quickly along the route, as mills and warehouses opened beside the water. [8] New York City's harbor received much of the grain and flour, and the city gained a growing share of the nation's trade. [9] The canal cost about seven million dollars to build, and its tolls repaid the debt within about a dozen years.
- [1] Before 1825, moving a ton of freight from Buffalo to New York City could cost about a hundred dollars and take weeks by wagon over rough roads. [5] Within a few years, shipping a ton of freight along the canal cost closer to ten dollars. [7] Towns such as Rochester and Syracuse grew quickly along the route, as mills and warehouses opened beside the water.
- [4] The Erie Canal opened in October 1825 and ran about 363 miles from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. [5] Within a few years, shipping a ton of freight along the canal cost closer to ten dollars. [6] Farmers in the Great Lakes region could now sell grain in eastern markets, and manufactured goods traveled west at the same low cost.
- [2] In 1817, New York began digging a canal across the state, a project that many critics called foolish. [3] Few of the builders had formal engineering training, so surveyors and contractors learned their craft by trying it on the job, one mile at a time. [4] The Erie Canal opened in October 1825 and ran about 363 miles from the Hudson River to Lake Erie.
Less Homework, More Learning? (editorial)
[1] Last fall, I changed the homework policy in my three eighth-grade math classes at Brookfield Middle School, where I have taught for eleven years. [2] Before the change, students received about forty minutes of problems each night, usually twenty-five or thirty questions. [3] After the change, they received twenty minutes, and the problems were chosen to review the day's lesson rather than to introduce new skills. [4] At the end of the term, the three classes averaged 81 percent on the final exam, compared with 79 percent for my classes the year before. [5] Quiz scores stayed steady during the term, and fewer students turned in blank assignments. [6] In a short survey, 64 of my 88 students said they slept more, and several wrote that they felt less rushed at night.
[7] Some parents worry that less homework means less practice. [8] That concern deserves attention, since math skills do build through repetition and can fade without regular practice. [9] But the repetition in the shorter assignments was more focused, and the exam results suggest that students lost nothing by it. [10] I know that three classes taught by one teacher are a small sample, and a different group of students could have changed the numbers. [11] Still, several other teachers in the building tell me that their students seem calmer and more willing to participate in class. [12] I urge the school board to try a twenty-minute guideline in more classrooms next year and to track the results carefully.
Milo follows the links in this text. Claim: “The teacher offers a reason why shorter homework did not cost students any learning.” Which set of three sentences supports it best?
- [2] Before the change, students received about forty minutes of problems each night, usually twenty-five or thirty questions. [3] After the change, they received twenty minutes, and the problems were chosen to review the day's lesson rather than to introduce new skills. [4] At the end of the term, the three classes averaged 81 percent on the final exam, compared with 79 percent for my classes the year before.
- [3] After the change, they received twenty minutes, and the problems were chosen to review the day's lesson rather than to introduce new skills. [4] At the end of the term, the three classes averaged 81 percent on the final exam, compared with 79 percent for my classes the year before. [9] But the repetition in the shorter assignments was more focused, and the exam results suggest that students lost nothing by it.
- [7] Some parents worry that less homework means less practice. [8] That concern deserves attention, since math skills do build through repetition and can fade without regular practice. [10] I know that three classes taught by one teacher are a small sample, and a different group of students could have changed the numbers.
- [5] Quiz scores stayed steady during the term, and fewer students turned in blank assignments. [6] In a short survey, 64 of my 88 students said they slept more, and several wrote that they felt less rushed at night. [11] Still, several other teachers in the building tell me that their students seem calmer and more willing to participate in class.
The Rain Gauge Mystery (story)
[1] The weather club kept two rain gauges on the school grounds, one beside the fence near the parking lot and one in the middle of the soccer field. [2] After the storm on Tuesday, Luz recorded the fence gauge at nearly two inches and the field gauge at barely one. [3] Luz announced that the field gauge must be defective and reached for the notebook to cross out the number. [4] Zee asked to examine both gauges before anything was crossed out, and Luz sighed loudly but agreed. [5] The gauges were the same model, and both stood level on their posts. [6] Zee turned to Esme and asked which direction the wind had blown during the storm. [7] Esme checked the club's weather log and reported that the wind had come from the west throughout the afternoon. [8] Zee walked around the field gauge, looked west, and noticed a tall oak whose branches stretched directly over it. [9] Mr. Brandt, the club adviser, had been listening from the doorway, and he remarked that this was an interesting problem while keeping his hands in his pockets. [10] The next day, the club moved the field gauge to the open roof of the gym, away from the tree, and left the fence gauge where it stood. [11] After the next rainstorm, the two readings differed by less than a tenth of an inch. [12] Luz copied the new numbers into the notebook, then drew a small oak beside the old ones with an arrow pointing to the field gauge.
Noah follows the links in this text. Claim: “The story shows why the field gauge collected less rain than the fence gauge.” Which set of three sentences supports it best?
- [7] Esme checked the club's weather log and reported that the wind had come from the west throughout the afternoon. [8] Zee walked around the field gauge, looked west, and noticed a tall oak whose branches stretched directly over it. [11] After the next rainstorm, the two readings differed by less than a tenth of an inch.
- [5] The gauges were the same model, and both stood level on their posts. [6] Zee turned to Esme and asked which direction the wind had blown during the storm. [8] Zee walked around the field gauge, looked west, and noticed a tall oak whose branches stretched directly over it.
- [1] The weather club kept two rain gauges on the school grounds, one beside the fence near the parking lot and one in the middle of the soccer field. [10] The next day, the club moved the field gauge to the open roof of the gym, away from the tree, and left the fence gauge where it stood. [12] Luz copied the new numbers into the notebook, then drew a small oak beside the old ones with an arrow pointing to the field gauge.
- [2] After the storm on Tuesday, Luz recorded the fence gauge at nearly two inches and the field gauge at barely one. [3] Luz announced that the field gauge must be defective and reached for the notebook to cross out the number. [4] Zee asked to examine both gauges before anything was crossed out, and Luz sighed loudly but agreed.
The Ditch That Moved a Nation's Goods (article)
[1] Before 1825, moving a ton of freight from Buffalo to New York City could cost about a hundred dollars and take weeks by wagon over rough roads. [2] In 1817, New York began digging a canal across the state, a project that many critics called foolish. [3] Few of the builders had formal engineering training, so surveyors and contractors learned their craft by trying it on the job, one mile at a time. [4] The Erie Canal opened in October 1825 and ran about 363 miles from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. [5] Within a few years, shipping a ton of freight along the canal cost closer to ten dollars.
[6] Farmers in the Great Lakes region could now sell grain in eastern markets, and manufactured goods traveled west at the same low cost. [7] Towns such as Rochester and Syracuse grew quickly along the route, as mills and warehouses opened beside the water. [8] New York City's harbor received much of the grain and flour, and the city gained a growing share of the nation's trade. [9] The canal cost about seven million dollars to build, and its tolls repaid the debt within about a dozen years.
[10] Wagon drivers and tavern keepers along the old roads lost business as freight moved onto boats. [11] Railroads soon competed for the same freight, yet the canal continued to carry cargo for generations. [12] Historians still cite the Erie Canal as an early case of a transportation project that reshaped an economy far beyond its route.
Ren checks the order of events or moves. Claim: “The article shows the canal being doubted at first and then justified by results.” Which set of three sentences supports it best?
- [6] Farmers in the Great Lakes region could now sell grain in eastern markets, and manufactured goods traveled west at the same low cost. [7] Towns such as Rochester and Syracuse grew quickly along the route, as mills and warehouses opened beside the water. [8] New York City's harbor received much of the grain and flour, and the city gained a growing share of the nation's trade.
- [2] In 1817, New York began digging a canal across the state, a project that many critics called foolish. [5] Within a few years, shipping a ton of freight along the canal cost closer to ten dollars. [9] The canal cost about seven million dollars to build, and its tolls repaid the debt within about a dozen years.
- [3] Few of the builders had formal engineering training, so surveyors and contractors learned their craft by trying it on the job, one mile at a time. [11] Railroads soon competed for the same freight, yet the canal continued to carry cargo for generations. [12] Historians still cite the Erie Canal as an early case of a transportation project that reshaped an economy far beyond its route.
- [1] Before 1825, moving a ton of freight from Buffalo to New York City could cost about a hundred dollars and take weeks by wagon over rough roads. [2] In 1817, New York began digging a canal across the state, a project that many critics called foolish. [4] The Erie Canal opened in October 1825 and ran about 363 miles from the Hudson River to Lake Erie.
Less Homework, More Learning? (editorial)
[1] Last fall, I changed the homework policy in my three eighth-grade math classes at Brookfield Middle School, where I have taught for eleven years. [2] Before the change, students received about forty minutes of problems each night, usually twenty-five or thirty questions. [3] After the change, they received twenty minutes, and the problems were chosen to review the day's lesson rather than to introduce new skills. [4] At the end of the term, the three classes averaged 81 percent on the final exam, compared with 79 percent for my classes the year before. [5] Quiz scores stayed steady during the term, and fewer students turned in blank assignments. [6] In a short survey, 64 of my 88 students said they slept more, and several wrote that they felt less rushed at night.
[7] Some parents worry that less homework means less practice. [8] That concern deserves attention, since math skills do build through repetition and can fade without regular practice. [9] But the repetition in the shorter assignments was more focused, and the exam results suggest that students lost nothing by it. [10] I know that three classes taught by one teacher are a small sample, and a different group of students could have changed the numbers. [11] Still, several other teachers in the building tell me that their students seem calmer and more willing to participate in class. [12] I urge the school board to try a twenty-minute guideline in more classrooms next year and to track the results carefully.
Tala checks the order of events or moves. Claim: “The teacher's editorial moves from a finding, through an admission, to a call for action.” Which set of three sentences supports it best?
- [10] I know that three classes taught by one teacher are a small sample, and a different group of students could have changed the numbers. [11] Still, several other teachers in the building tell me that their students seem calmer and more willing to participate in class. [12] I urge the school board to try a twenty-minute guideline in more classrooms next year and to track the results carefully.
- [4] At the end of the term, the three classes averaged 81 percent on the final exam, compared with 79 percent for my classes the year before. [5] Quiz scores stayed steady during the term, and fewer students turned in blank assignments. [10] I know that three classes taught by one teacher are a small sample, and a different group of students could have changed the numbers.
- [7] Some parents worry that less homework means less practice. [8] That concern deserves attention, since math skills do build through repetition and can fade without regular practice. [9] But the repetition in the shorter assignments was more focused, and the exam results suggest that students lost nothing by it.
- [4] At the end of the term, the three classes averaged 81 percent on the final exam, compared with 79 percent for my classes the year before. [10] I know that three classes taught by one teacher are a small sample, and a different group of students could have changed the numbers. [12] I urge the school board to try a twenty-minute guideline in more classrooms next year and to track the results carefully.
The Rain Gauge Mystery (story)
[1] The weather club kept two rain gauges on the school grounds, one beside the fence near the parking lot and one in the middle of the soccer field. [2] After the storm on Tuesday, Luz recorded the fence gauge at nearly two inches and the field gauge at barely one. [3] Luz announced that the field gauge must be defective and reached for the notebook to cross out the number. [4] Zee asked to examine both gauges before anything was crossed out, and Luz sighed loudly but agreed. [5] The gauges were the same model, and both stood level on their posts. [6] Zee turned to Esme and asked which direction the wind had blown during the storm. [7] Esme checked the club's weather log and reported that the wind had come from the west throughout the afternoon. [8] Zee walked around the field gauge, looked west, and noticed a tall oak whose branches stretched directly over it. [9] Mr. Brandt, the club adviser, had been listening from the doorway, and he remarked that this was an interesting problem while keeping his hands in his pockets. [10] The next day, the club moved the field gauge to the open roof of the gym, away from the tree, and left the fence gauge where it stood. [11] After the next rainstorm, the two readings differed by less than a tenth of an inch. [12] Luz copied the new numbers into the notebook, then drew a small oak beside the old ones with an arrow pointing to the field gauge.
Ari checks the order of events or moves. Claim: “Zee narrowed the problem down step by step before anyone moved a gauge.” Which set of three sentences supports it best?
- [8] Zee walked around the field gauge, looked west, and noticed a tall oak whose branches stretched directly over it. [10] The next day, the club moved the field gauge to the open roof of the gym, away from the tree, and left the fence gauge where it stood. [11] After the next rainstorm, the two readings differed by less than a tenth of an inch.
- [4] Zee asked to examine both gauges before anything was crossed out, and Luz sighed loudly but agreed. [5] The gauges were the same model, and both stood level on their posts. [6] Zee turned to Esme and asked which direction the wind had blown during the storm.
- [1] The weather club kept two rain gauges on the school grounds, one beside the fence near the parking lot and one in the middle of the soccer field. [3] Luz announced that the field gauge must be defective and reached for the notebook to cross out the number. [12] Luz copied the new numbers into the notebook, then drew a small oak beside the old ones with an arrow pointing to the field gauge.
- [5] The gauges were the same model, and both stood level on their posts. [7] Esme checked the club's weather log and reported that the wind had come from the west throughout the afternoon. [8] Zee walked around the field gauge, looked west, and noticed a tall oak whose branches stretched directly over it.