Technical and figurative words in an article
Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me
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How Sea Ice Forms (article)
[1] When the surface of the ocean cools to about minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, a little colder than the freezing point of fresh water, sea ice begins to form. [2] The salt in seawater lowers its freezing point, so the ocean must grow colder than a lake before ice appears. [3] The first ice is a scatter of tiny needles and plates called frazil, which drift restlessly just below the surface. [4] As more crystals gather, they thicken the water into a soupy layer that sailors call grease ice, because it gives the sea a dull, oily shine. [5] Where waves keep the water moving, the slush clumps into round pancakes of ice that jostle and bump against one another, building raised rims at their edges. [6] In calmer water, the crystals join into a smooth, thin sheet that grows downward from below as the winter deepens.
[7] As seawater freezes, most of its salt is squeezed out of the ice crystals and trickles away as cold, very salty brine. [8] This heavy brine sinks toward the sea floor, and the sinking helps drive slow currents that carry water through the deep ocean.
[9] Sea ice is never truly still, since winds and currents push the floating sheets, crack them apart and press them together into ridges. [10] The ice groans and creaks as it shifts, and long, narrow cracks of open water split it again and again. [11] Ship captains in polar seas watch for these leads, because a ship that follows one can travel far more easily than one forcing its way through solid ice. [12] Seals and whales depend on the leads as well, rising to breathe in the open water that the restless ice provides.
Glossary entry (written by PencilGo): lead (noun, rhymes with need). 1. the first or front place, as in a race. 2. a piece of information that may help solve a problem; a tip. 3. (polar seas) a long, narrow channel of open water that cuts through sea ice.
Ari guesses that leads in sentence [11] means tips, because a ship follows one. Using sentences [10] and [11] and the entry, which sense fits?
- a long, narrow channel of open water that cuts through sea ice
- a piece of information that may help a ship find its way
- the first or front place, ahead of the other ships
- a raised ridge where floating sheets of ice are pressed together
How Sea Ice Forms (article)
[1] When the surface of the ocean cools to about minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, a little colder than the freezing point of fresh water, sea ice begins to form. [2] The salt in seawater lowers its freezing point, so the ocean must grow colder than a lake before ice appears. [3] The first ice is a scatter of tiny needles and plates called frazil, which drift restlessly just below the surface. [4] As more crystals gather, they thicken the water into a soupy layer that sailors call grease ice, because it gives the sea a dull, oily shine. [5] Where waves keep the water moving, the slush clumps into round pancakes of ice that jostle and bump against one another, building raised rims at their edges. [6] In calmer water, the crystals join into a smooth, thin sheet that grows downward from below as the winter deepens.
[7] As seawater freezes, most of its salt is squeezed out of the ice crystals and trickles away as cold, very salty brine. [8] This heavy brine sinks toward the sea floor, and the sinking helps drive slow currents that carry water through the deep ocean.
[9] Sea ice is never truly still, since winds and currents push the floating sheets, crack them apart and press them together into ridges. [10] The ice groans and creaks as it shifts, and long, narrow cracks of open water split it again and again. [11] Ship captains in polar seas watch for these leads, because a ship that follows one can travel far more easily than one forcing its way through solid ice. [12] Seals and whales depend on the leads as well, rising to breathe in the open water that the restless ice provides.
A science report says: “Brine rejection during ice growth raises the density of surface water and contributes to deep-water formation.”
Compare the report's sentence with sentences [7] and [8]. Which statement explains how the word choices differ?
- The report uses exact terms such as density for experts; the article's “squeezed” and “trickles” picture it for any reader.
- The report and the article use the same kind of words for the same readers, so they leave the same effect.
- The report shows that the brine rises to the surface, while the article claims that the brine sinks.
- The report paints a picture of the brine for general readers, while the article packs the process into exact terms for experts.
How Sea Ice Forms (article)
[1] When the surface of the ocean cools to about minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, a little colder than the freezing point of fresh water, sea ice begins to form. [2] The salt in seawater lowers its freezing point, so the ocean must grow colder than a lake before ice appears. [3] The first ice is a scatter of tiny needles and plates called frazil, which drift restlessly just below the surface. [4] As more crystals gather, they thicken the water into a soupy layer that sailors call grease ice, because it gives the sea a dull, oily shine. [5] Where waves keep the water moving, the slush clumps into round pancakes of ice that jostle and bump against one another, building raised rims at their edges. [6] In calmer water, the crystals join into a smooth, thin sheet that grows downward from below as the winter deepens.
[7] As seawater freezes, most of its salt is squeezed out of the ice crystals and trickles away as cold, very salty brine. [8] This heavy brine sinks toward the sea floor, and the sinking helps drive slow currents that carry water through the deep ocean.
[9] Sea ice is never truly still, since winds and currents push the floating sheets, crack them apart and press them together into ridges. [10] The ice groans and creaks as it shifts, and long, narrow cracks of open water split it again and again. [11] Ship captains in polar seas watch for these leads, because a ship that follows one can travel far more easily than one forcing its way through solid ice. [12] Seals and whales depend on the leads as well, rising to breathe in the open water that the restless ice provides.
How does the article's word choice in sentences [3], [5], [10] and [12] shape the reader's view of sea ice?
- The article explains in order how frazil, grease ice and pancakes form and then thicken into sheets.
- The word “groans” alone makes the ice seem to be in pain, and the other words add nothing to it.
- Words like “restlessly,” “jostle” and “groans” make the ice seem alive and always on the move.
- Words like “restlessly,” “jostle” and “groans” make the ice seem cruel and eager to trap passing ships.
How a Printer Makes Every Color from Four Inks (article)
[1] Look closely at a color photograph in a magazine, and you will find that it is not made of solid colors at all. [2] Under a magnifying glass, the picture breaks apart into thousands of tiny dots in four colors of ink: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. [3] Printers call this system CMYK, and the K stands for key. [4] The key is often called the most important plate, because it carries the black ink that draws the sharp lines and dark edges of the picture. [5] The other three plates are lined up exactly with the key, so that each color lands in the right place.
[6] The four inks work by subtraction, since each one absorbs some colors of white light and lets the rest bounce back from the paper. [7] Cyan ink, for example, soaks up red light, so the paper beneath it reflects green and blue light, which our eyes read as a blue-green color. [8] Where cyan and yellow dots overlap or sit side by side, the eye is fooled into seeing green, although no green ink was ever used. [9] The clever trick depends on size, because the dots are far too small for the eye to see one at a time. [10] Larger dots crowd together to make dark, rich areas, while smaller dots leave more white paper showing and create pale tints.
[11] In theory, cyan, magenta and yellow together should make black, but in practice they produce a muddy brown, which is why black ink is added. [12] Every printed page is an illusion of this kind, a quiet deception that lets four inks pass themselves off as millions of colors.
Glossary entry (written by PencilGo): key. 1. (noun) a shaped piece of metal that opens a lock. 2. (adjective) most important, as in “a key idea.” 3. (noun, printing) the plate, usually black, that carries the fine lines and dark edges and that the other color plates are lined up with.
Jun guesses that key in sentence [3] means most important, because sentence [4] calls it the most important plate. Using sentences [3] to [5] and the entry, which sense fits?
- most important, more important than any of the other plates
- a shaped piece of metal that opens a lock on the printing press
- the black plate that carries the fine lines and that the other plates are lined up with
- the tiny dots of cyan, magenta and yellow ink on the page
How a Printer Makes Every Color from Four Inks (article)
[1] Look closely at a color photograph in a magazine, and you will find that it is not made of solid colors at all. [2] Under a magnifying glass, the picture breaks apart into thousands of tiny dots in four colors of ink: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. [3] Printers call this system CMYK, and the K stands for key. [4] The key is often called the most important plate, because it carries the black ink that draws the sharp lines and dark edges of the picture. [5] The other three plates are lined up exactly with the key, so that each color lands in the right place.
[6] The four inks work by subtraction, since each one absorbs some colors of white light and lets the rest bounce back from the paper. [7] Cyan ink, for example, soaks up red light, so the paper beneath it reflects green and blue light, which our eyes read as a blue-green color. [8] Where cyan and yellow dots overlap or sit side by side, the eye is fooled into seeing green, although no green ink was ever used. [9] The clever trick depends on size, because the dots are far too small for the eye to see one at a time. [10] Larger dots crowd together to make dark, rich areas, while smaller dots leave more white paper showing and create pale tints.
[11] In theory, cyan, magenta and yellow together should make black, but in practice they produce a muddy brown, which is why black ink is added. [12] Every printed page is an illusion of this kind, a quiet deception that lets four inks pass themselves off as millions of colors.
A store ad for a home printer says: “Brilliant, true-to-life color that makes every photo pop!”
Compare the ad with sentences [6] to [8] of the article. Which statement explains how the word choices differ?
- The ad and the article both describe printed color in plain, exact words, so they give readers the same impression.
- The ad's “brilliant” and “pop” praise the result to sell a printer; the article's “absorbs” and “reflects” explain the process.
- The ad explains exactly how the inks absorb and reflect light, while the article praises the colors in order to sell a printer.
- The ad shows that home printers use a green ink, which the article says printers do not need.
How a Printer Makes Every Color from Four Inks (article)
[1] Look closely at a color photograph in a magazine, and you will find that it is not made of solid colors at all. [2] Under a magnifying glass, the picture breaks apart into thousands of tiny dots in four colors of ink: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. [3] Printers call this system CMYK, and the K stands for key. [4] The key is often called the most important plate, because it carries the black ink that draws the sharp lines and dark edges of the picture. [5] The other three plates are lined up exactly with the key, so that each color lands in the right place.
[6] The four inks work by subtraction, since each one absorbs some colors of white light and lets the rest bounce back from the paper. [7] Cyan ink, for example, soaks up red light, so the paper beneath it reflects green and blue light, which our eyes read as a blue-green color. [8] Where cyan and yellow dots overlap or sit side by side, the eye is fooled into seeing green, although no green ink was ever used. [9] The clever trick depends on size, because the dots are far too small for the eye to see one at a time. [10] Larger dots crowd together to make dark, rich areas, while smaller dots leave more white paper showing and create pale tints.
[11] In theory, cyan, magenta and yellow together should make black, but in practice they produce a muddy brown, which is why black ink is added. [12] Every printed page is an illusion of this kind, a quiet deception that lets four inks pass themselves off as millions of colors.
How does the article's word choice in sentences [8], [9] and [12] shape the reader's view of color printing?
- The article explains that the four inks absorb some colors of light and reflect the rest back.
- Words like “fooled,” “trick” and “illusion” warn readers that printed photos are dishonest and should not be trusted.
- Words like “fooled,” “trick” and “illusion” present printing as a clever deception played on the eye.
- The word “muddy” alone makes printing seem messy and careless, and the other words add nothing.
The Brake That Made Tall Buildings Possible (article)
[1] In the early 1800s, buildings rarely rose higher than five or six stories, partly because few people wanted to climb more stairs than that. [2] Hoists that lifted goods on a platform already existed, but they hung from a single rope, and if the rope broke, the platform fell to the bottom of the shaft. [3] In 1854, at a large exhibition in New York, a mechanic named Elisha Otis staged a daring demonstration of a solution. [4] Standing on a raised platform high above the crowd, he ordered the rope holding it to be cut. [5] The crowd gasped, but the platform dropped only slightly and stopped, held fast by the bold invention beneath his feet.
[6] Otis's safety brake worked without any help from the operator. [7] A strong steel spring sat above the platform, held flat by the pull of the rope. [8] When the rope went slack, the spring sprang open and pushed hooks outward into notched iron rails that ran up both sides of the shaft. [9] The hooks caught in the notches, and the platform hung safely in place. [10] Three years later, the first passenger elevator with a safety brake opened in a store in New York, and the idea's triumph spread quickly.
[11] Modern elevators rely on a governor, which keeps watch over how fast the car is moving. [12] When the governor senses too much speed, it triggers clamps that grip the rails, a modern version of Otis's hooks. [13] Without his daring idea, the skyscrapers that crowd modern city skylines could not have risen so high.
Glossary entry (written by PencilGo): governor (noun). 1. the elected head of a state's government. 2. a member of a board that runs an institution, such as a school or a hospital. 3. (machines) a device that senses how fast a machine is moving and acts to keep the speed in check.
Milo guesses that governor in sentence [11] means a person in charge, because it keeps watch. Using sentences [11] and [12] and the entry, which sense fits?
- a device that senses how fast the car moves and acts when it goes too fast
- the clamps that grip the rails and stop the elevator car
- the elected leader of a state's government
- a member of a board who is in charge of running the building
The Brake That Made Tall Buildings Possible (article)
[1] In the early 1800s, buildings rarely rose higher than five or six stories, partly because few people wanted to climb more stairs than that. [2] Hoists that lifted goods on a platform already existed, but they hung from a single rope, and if the rope broke, the platform fell to the bottom of the shaft. [3] In 1854, at a large exhibition in New York, a mechanic named Elisha Otis staged a daring demonstration of a solution. [4] Standing on a raised platform high above the crowd, he ordered the rope holding it to be cut. [5] The crowd gasped, but the platform dropped only slightly and stopped, held fast by the bold invention beneath his feet.
[6] Otis's safety brake worked without any help from the operator. [7] A strong steel spring sat above the platform, held flat by the pull of the rope. [8] When the rope went slack, the spring sprang open and pushed hooks outward into notched iron rails that ran up both sides of the shaft. [9] The hooks caught in the notches, and the platform hung safely in place. [10] Three years later, the first passenger elevator with a safety brake opened in a store in New York, and the idea's triumph spread quickly.
[11] Modern elevators rely on a governor, which keeps watch over how fast the car is moving. [12] When the governor senses too much speed, it triggers clamps that grip the rails, a modern version of Otis's hooks. [13] Without his daring idea, the skyscrapers that crowd modern city skylines could not have risen so high.
An elevator inspection manual says: “If the car exceeds rated speed, the governor actuates the safety gear, which engages the guide rails.”
Compare the manual with sentence [12] of the article. Which statement explains how the word choices differ?
- The manual and the article use the same kind of words for the very same readers, so they leave the reader with the same effect.
- The manual helps general readers picture the brake, while the article uses exact, neutral terms meant for mechanics.
- The manual's “actuates” and “engages” are exact terms for mechanics; the article's “senses” and “grip” help readers picture it.
- The manual describes a different safety system, one that stops the car without touching the rails.
One Plant, Many Teas (article)
[1] Green tea, black tea and oolong taste very different, yet all three come from the leaves of the same shrub, Camellia sinensis. [2] The difference lies in how the leaves are treated after they are picked, and above all in how much they are allowed to react with the air. [3] Freshly picked leaves contain natural chemicals that turn the leaves darker and change their flavor when they meet oxygen, a process called oxidation. [4] Tea makers sometimes call this process fermentation, but no yeast is involved, so oxidation is the more accurate name.
[5] For black tea, workers first let the leaves wilt patiently for many hours until they are soft enough to roll. [6] Rolling breaks the cells inside the leaves, and the leaves are then spread out and left to darken slowly in warm, moist air. [7] For green tea, the makers move quickly instead, because their goal is to keep the leaves from changing color at all. [8] Within hours of picking, they fix the leaves, heating them in hot pans or with steam. [9] Fixing stops the oxidation, so the leaves keep their fresh green color and grassy taste. [10] Oolong falls between the two, since its leaves are gently bruised and allowed to oxidize only partway before they are fixed.
[11] Each step requires careful timing, and skilled makers judge readiness by the smell and feel of the leaves as much as by the clock. [12] Drinks made from other plants, such as chamomile or mint, are often called tea, but tea experts call them herbal infusions, since they contain no leaves of the tea plant.
Dictionary entry (written by PencilGo): fix (verb). 1. to repair something that is broken. 2. to set or decide on a time, a date or a price. 3. to make something stable so that it stops changing; in tea making, to heat fresh leaves so that their color and flavor stop changing.
Ren guesses that fix in sentence [8] means repair, because sentence [6] says rolling breaks the cells. Using sentences [8] and [9] and the entry, which sense fits?
- to set the time or the price at which the tea will be sold
- to repair leaves whose cells were broken during rolling
- to heat fresh leaves so that their color and flavor stop changing
- to let the leaves darken slowly in warm, moist air
One Plant, Many Teas (article)
[1] Green tea, black tea and oolong taste very different, yet all three come from the leaves of the same shrub, Camellia sinensis. [2] The difference lies in how the leaves are treated after they are picked, and above all in how much they are allowed to react with the air. [3] Freshly picked leaves contain natural chemicals that turn the leaves darker and change their flavor when they meet oxygen, a process called oxidation. [4] Tea makers sometimes call this process fermentation, but no yeast is involved, so oxidation is the more accurate name.
[5] For black tea, workers first let the leaves wilt patiently for many hours until they are soft enough to roll. [6] Rolling breaks the cells inside the leaves, and the leaves are then spread out and left to darken slowly in warm, moist air. [7] For green tea, the makers move quickly instead, because their goal is to keep the leaves from changing color at all. [8] Within hours of picking, they fix the leaves, heating them in hot pans or with steam. [9] Fixing stops the oxidation, so the leaves keep their fresh green color and grassy taste. [10] Oolong falls between the two, since its leaves are gently bruised and allowed to oxidize only partway before they are fixed.
[11] Each step requires careful timing, and skilled makers judge readiness by the smell and feel of the leaves as much as by the clock. [12] Drinks made from other plants, such as chamomile or mint, are often called tea, but tea experts call them herbal infusions, since they contain no leaves of the tea plant.
How does the article's word choice in sentences [5], [6], [10] and [11] shape the reader's view of tea making?
- Words like “patiently,” “gently” and “careful” present tea making as a slow and skilled craft.
- The word “bruised” alone makes tea making seem rough and harsh, and the other words add nothing.
- Words like “patiently,” “gently” and “careful” suggest that tea making is dull work that wastes time.
- The article explains that black, green and oolong teas differ in how much their leaves oxidize.