Combine Information From Sources

Grade 5 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the answer.

1. Read this first

   Two Texts About Machu Picchu

   Text 1: A City in the Clouds

   Machu Picchu sits on a narrow mountain ridge in Peru, nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. The Inca built it in the 1400s, probably as an estate for the ruler Pachacuti. Fewer than a thousand people likely lived there at one time.

   The Inca were skilled builders. They cut granite blocks so carefully that many fit together without mortar. In some walls, a thin knife blade cannot slide between the stones. Because the stones are not glued together, they can shift slightly during an earthquake and then settle back into place. Peru has many earthquakes, yet these walls still stand after more than 500 years.

   The builders also planned for heavy rain. The site gets about 75 inches of rain each year. Beneath the buildings and terraces, the Inca laid layers of stone chips and gravel. Rainwater drains down through these layers instead of washing the soil away. More than 120 stone channels carry extra water off the site. The terraces also served as farm fields, where the Inca grew corn and potatoes. Some engineers estimate that about 60 percent of the Inca's work there is hidden underground.

   The Inca left Machu Picchu about a hundred years after building it. Spanish explorers who arrived later never found it. For centuries, only local farmers knew it was there. In 1911, a farmer guided the explorer Hiram Bingham to the ruins, and the rest of the world soon learned about them.

   Text 2: Too Many Footsteps

   In 1983, Machu Picchu became a World Heritage Site, a place protected for its importance to all people. Since then, the number of visitors has grown quickly. In some recent years, more than a million people came. On busy days, crowds filled the narrow paths and stone stairways.

   All those footsteps cause harm. Feet slowly wear down stone steps that have lasted five centuries. Visitors sometimes climb on walls or touch carvings, which can loosen stones. Trash and buses on the mountain road add to the problem. Some experts also worry that heavy traffic on the steep road could loosen soil on the slopes.

   Peru's government has made new rules to protect the site. Before these rules, visitors could wander almost anywhere they liked. Visitors must now buy tickets for a set time. Each ticket allows entry along one of several fixed routes, and most visitors must go with a licensed guide. The number of people allowed in each day is limited. Hikers on the famous Inca Trail also need permits, and the trail closes every February for repairs.

   Not everyone agrees on the right limit. Many families in the nearby town of Aguas Calientes earn their living from tourism. They run hotels, restaurants and shops. When the daily limit is lowered, fewer visitors come and these families earn less. Leaders must balance protecting the ruins with supporting the people who live nearby.

2. 1.

   What is the main focus of Text 1?

   • how Peru limits the number of tourists
   • how visitors are harming Machu Picchu
   • how the Inca designed Machu Picchu to last
   • how the nearby town earns its money
3. 2.

   What is the central idea of Text 2?

   • Hiram Bingham found the ruins in 1911.
   • Machu Picchu has never been damaged.
   • Crowds harm the site, so visits must be limited.
   • The Inca planned carefully for heavy rain.
4. 3.

   Text 1 explains how the walls survive earthquakes. What does Text 2 add about threats to those same walls?

   • People climbing on walls can loosen stones.
   • Earthquakes have knocked down most walls.
   • Rain channels carry water off the site.
   • The granite blocks were cut with knives.
5. 4.

   Both texts describe the stones of Machu Picchu. How do their views differ?

   • Both texts say the stones need no protection.
   • Text 1 says earthquakes ruined them; Text 2 says they are unharmed.
   • Text 1 shows how well they lasted; Text 2 shows people wearing them down.
   • Text 1 describes new stones; Text 2 describes old ones.
6. 5.

   Which fact from Text 1 helps explain why the crowds in Text 2 are a special concern?

   • The site sits on a narrow mountain ridge.
   • Hiram Bingham arrived in 1911.
   • The Inca left about a hundred years later.
   • The ruler may have used it as an estate.
7. 6.

   Text 1 says only local farmers knew about the site for centuries. Which detail in Text 2 best shows how much this has changed?

   • Trash and buses add to the problem.
   • More than a million people came in some years.
   • The Inca Trail closes every February.
   • Most visitors must go with a guide.