Reading Comprehension Assessment 2
Section 1 | Fluency
Directions: Read fluently to your teacher.
What makes a place extreme? Sometimes it’s the weather that makes a place unique. Other times it is the location’s geographic features that make it like no other on Earth, or, in some cases, the universe.
You might already know the names of some of Earth’s most extreme places, such as Mt. Everest or Antarctica. But do you know how these extreme places affect the people who live or work at these locations? Journey with us as we explore the most extreme places of our world to answer this question.
Mt. Everest is the highest mountain in the world. It is more than five miles high. Millions of years ago, huge slabs of rock beneath Earth’s surface crashed into each other and pushed the land high into the air. Mt. Everest, which is in Asia, is covered year-round in snow and ice. In the summer, the average temperature at the peak is 2° below zero F. Climbers flock to the mountain, even though falling ice, howling winds, and avalanches make it a dangerous place. The people who live around the mountain have admired it for years as a sacred home of the gods.
The lowest place on planet Earth lies almost seven miles below the ocean.
STOP Stop! Wait for your teacher to tell you to move on to the next page.
Section 2 | Show What You Know
Directions: In this module, you have been learning about extreme settings and how they affect people. Use your vocabulary knowledge and your knowledge from module texts to answer the following questions.
1. Choose the correct answer to complete the sentence.
Extreme settings are environments where it is difficult for people to .
a. escape
b. survive
c. meet others
d. find food
2. Part A: What is claustrophobia?
a. the fear of looking down from above
b. the fear of getting lost in water
c. the fear of being in small spaces
d. the fear of extreme environments
Part B: Which answer describes a place that is likely to give a person feelings of claustrophobia?
a. a sky-high cliff
b. a rushing river
c. a deep pool
d. a narrow tunnel
3. Which word is a synonym for treacherous?
a. shocking
b. dangerous
c. flooded
d. hopeless
4. What makes something lethal?
a. It causes death.
b. It is hard to reach.
c. It makes you afraid.
d. It is difficult to live in.
Section 3 | Grow What You Know
Directions: In this module, you have been learning about what makes a setting extreme and how extreme settings can affect people. Now imagine that your teacher has asked you to learn more about some of the most extreme places on Earth. To do this, you will read a new text, “Going to Extremes.” You will also reread an excerpt from All Thirteen and compare the excerpt to the new text. After you read, answer the following questions.
From “Going to Extremes” by Mike Weinstein
1 What makes a place extreme? Sometimes it’s the weather that makes a place unique. Other times it is the location’s geographic features that make it like no other on Earth, or, in some cases, the universe.
2 You might already know the names of some of Earth’s most extreme places, such as Mt. Everest or Antarctica. But do you know how these extreme places affect the people who live or work at these locations? Journey with us as we explore the most extreme places of our world to answer this question.
3 Mt. Everest is the highest mountain in the world. It is more than five miles high. Millions of years ago, huge slabs of rock beneath Earth’s surface crashed into each other and pushed the land high into the air. Mt. Everest, which is in Asia, is covered year-round in snow and ice. In the summer, the average temperature at the peak is 2° below zero F. Climbers flock to the mountain, even though falling ice, howling winds, and avalanches make it a dangerous place. The people who live around the mountain have admired it for years as a sacred home of the gods.
4 The lowest place on planet Earth lies almost seven miles below the ocean. Like the land we see above the ocean, the ocean floor has valleys, mountains, and plains. The valleys are called trenches. The deepest trench is in the Pacific Ocean near Asia and is named the Mariana Trench. Its deepest point is called Challenger Deep. If you put Mt. Everest at the bottom of Challenger Deep, its peak would not even reach the surface of the ocean. There is no light, the water is icy cold, and the weight of all the water is very heavy.
5 The Atacama Desert in Chile in South America is often called the driest place in the world. The average rainfall each year is too small to measure. A few years ago, American scientists experimented with a remote-controlled robot to gather scientific information about the desert. Scientists in the United States used satellites to move the robot around the Atacama. (It was good practice because they hope to use robot technology to explore other planets). Despite its appearance, the Atacama is not barren. It is rich in minerals such as copper. The minerals are so important that, about 100 years ago, Chile fought a war with other South American countries over control of the desert. More recently, the Atacama has proven useful to scientists studying inhospitable climates.
6 Mount Waialeale in Hawaii is often called the wettest place on Earth. It rains there almost every day. The average rainfall for a whole year is about 460 inches—more than one inch each day. (The average rainfall for a whole year in New York City is about 44 inches.) Wet air blowing in from the ocean drops its moisture as rain over Mount Waialeale. The heavy rainfall produces a lush growth of plants. Then the water runs down the hillsides and wears away the rocks. This makes a landscape of deep and colorful canyons.
1. What do you notice and wonder about “Going to Extremes”? Write two things you notice, and then write two questions you have.
2. Which statements about geographic features are true? Choose two answers.
a. Heavy rain in Hawaii has formed deep canyons that are filled with plants.
b. The Mariana Trench is an underwater mountain whose peak formed on the ocean floor.
c. The wind on Mount Everest has formed a peak that is the coldest in the world.
d. Small amounts of rain in the Atacama Desert have helped minerals such as copper to form.
e. Mount Everest formed when giant rocks slammed together under Earth’s surface.
3. How do some people interact with extreme environments? Choose two answers.
a. Adventurers climb extreme mountains.
b. Scientists build laboratories in extreme trenches.
c. Divers reach valleys in extreme parts of the ocean.
d. Researchers use robots to study extreme deserts.
e. People remove rocks from extreme wetlands.
4. Part A: Read the following sentence from paragraph 5 of “Going to Extremes.”
“More recently, the Atacama has proven useful to scientists studying inhospitable climates.”
What does the phrase inhospitable climates mean in the sentence? Use the word part meanings to support your answer.
in-: not hospitable: kind to guests
a. places where the people are not friendly or cheerful
b. places that have customs that may be unusual or confusing
c. environments that are full of unexpected surprises
d. environments that are difficult to visit or live in
Part B: What makes the Atacama Desert an inhospitable climate?
a. its dryness and little rainfall
b. its history of war and conflict
c. its use of robot technology
d. its mineral-rich environment
5. Part A: Which two answers are central ideas of “Going to Extremes”?
a. Many extreme places are popular and easy for people to visit.
b. Different kinds of weather or geographic features can make a place extreme.
c. Extreme places on Earth can also be beautiful and important to people.
d. More scientists should use technology to learn about extreme places.
e. Extreme places that are too dry or too wet can be dangerous for people.
Part B: Which two pieces of textual evidence support your answer from Part A?
a. “Sometimes it’s the weather that makes a place unique.” (paragraph 1)
b. “You might already know the names of some of Earth’s most extreme places.” (paragraph 2)
c. “The people who live around the mountain have admired it for years as a sacred home of the gods.” (paragraph 3)
d. “Scientists in the United States used satellites to move the robot around the Atacama.” (paragraph 5)
e. “Wet air blowing in from the ocean drops its moisture as rain over Mount Waialeale.” (paragraph 6)
f. “The average rainfall for a whole year in New York City is about 44 inches.” (paragraph 6)
6. Read the paragraphs from pages 15 and 17 of All Thirteen.
The first 2,000 feet (600 meters) of the Tham Luang cave system are made up of big, air y rooms like the entrance chamber. Beyond this point, the cave narrows. Some sections force visitors into a crouch and then a crawl, where the ceiling drops to just a few feet high. Here, cavers are well beyond the “twilight zone,” the part of the cave where light from the outside world still reaches. Without a flashlight, the darkness is complete. If you are claustrophobic, this is where you turn around.
Even without claustrophobia, you might get uneasy when the walls close in tight enough to force you to slither forward on your belly. You might feel out of your element here, thinking of all the miles of rock both above and beneath. Maybe you imagine getting trapped, being buried under millions of tons of stone. It’s not a pleasant feeling when you still have miles of passage between you and the exit.
How is the structure of All Thirteen similar to the structure of “Going to Extremes”?
a. Both texts have a list of several locations around the world.
b. Both texts explain events in the order that they happened.
c. Both texts have descriptions of a place and its features.
d. Both texts use thoughts and feelings to show what’s inside a person’s mind.
7. Part A: How is the author’s point of view in All Thirteen different from the author’s point of view in “Going to Extremes”?
a. The author uses the word you to describe what the reader might feel.
b. The author uses first-person point of view to give a firsthand account.
c. The author uses third-person point of view to describe new places.
d. The author includes quotes from people who survived in an extreme setting.
Part B: What does the point of view of All Thirteen help the reader understand?
a. where the “twilight zone” is
b. what claustrophobia feels like
c. how the author feels about cave diving
d. how people prepare to explore caves
8. Draw a line from each question to the text that can be used to answer it.
All Thirteen
“Going
to Extremes”
How do people react when they are in a narrow space? How much light can reach the deepest trenches? What are the dangers of exploring caves? Why is it dangerous to climb icy mountains?
9. How do people respond to extreme environments? Write at least four sentences. Include details from both “Going to Extremes” and All Thirteen to support your answer.