Name:______Date:______
1. What is inference?
Read the paragraphs below and answer the following questions.
We have become the society that seems unable to function without the credit card. It is such a convenient yet potentially dangerous little piece of plastic. Whether at a gas station, in a store, in a restaurant, or at the theater, many people just whip out a wallet full of credit cards and select one to pay for the goods or services they just received. It’s so easy—and somehow, paying with plastic gives the illusion that there isn’t the same whole in your wallet that paying with cash produces. Maybe the hole isn’t there initially, but eventually it’s the same size, or bigger if you have to pay interest. Developing a buy-now-and-pay-later mentality is dangerous, as many Americans who don’t control their spending discover when they end up in debt and burdened with huge interest payments.
2. What does the author of this paragraph imply when he describes a credit card as “such a convenient yet potentially dangerous little pieces of plastic?”
a. Credit cards are better than cash in every way because they are so convenient.
b. There are drawbacks to credit cards when they are not used in a controlled way.
c. Credit cards are convenient, but would be less dangerous if they weren’t made of plastic.
3. Which word in the question above tells you that the question requires inference?
What does the author of this paragraph imply when he describes a credit cards as “such convenient yet potentially dangerous little pieces of plastic?”
- author
- imply
- describes
4. What two pieces of information from the passage could help you make a correct inference for the following question?
What does the author of this paragraph imply when he describes a credit cards as “such convenient yet potentially dangerous little pieces of plastic?”
a. the idea that credit cards are so easy and convenient to use
- the statement that people who don’t control their spending end up in debt and burdened with huge payments
- the statement that we have become a society that can’t function without the credit card
5. Which words in the phrase below implies that Evan was happy about winning the spelling bee?
Evan O'Dorney stood grinning on center stage as the crowd erupted in applause and photographers snapped his picture.
- “the crowd erupted”
- “stood grinning”
- “photographers snapped his picture”
6. What point of view is the story being told from?
a. first person
b. third person limited
c. third person omniscient
7. How do we know that this is the correct point of view?
8. Which words in the following paragraph show that Samir felt self-remorseful about not winning the competition?
"If I had been slow and cautious like I always am, I would have got it right," said the 13-year-old Texan. "But I just outsmarted myself. It was an easy word. I just made a stupid mistake."
9. Summarize the main idea of this article in 1-2 complete sentences.
______
10. List the five most important supporting details for this article, in your own words and in complete sentences.
Star Speller
Evan O'Dorney stood grinning on center stage as the crowd erupted in applause and photographers snapped his picture. But the 13-year-old hardly acted like someone who had just won the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
"My favorite things to do are math and music—the spelling is just a bunch of memorization," said Evan, who remained remarkably calm after being declared the national champ Thursday night in Washington, D.C.
Stiff Competition
A black belt in tae kwon do, Evan muscled his way through the two-day competition. Day one featured a record 286 spellers from around the world. By day two, the field had been narrowed to 59 contestants. After nine rounds, just two teens were still standing—Evan and 13-year-old Nate Gartke of Canada.
The pair dueled it out for the next two rounds, both looking like champs. Nate's time finally ran out in the 12th round, however, when he got tripped up on the word “coryza,” which is a medical term describing a serious disease.
With the title on the line, Evan returned to the podium for the 13th and final time. The second he heard pronouncer Jacques Bailly say the word, he knew he had won.
“S-E-R-R-E-F-I-N-E,” said the eighth-grader from Danville, California, who is homeschooled by his mother.
Evan won't soon forget the winning word, which is a noun that means small forceps. Not only did it secure his place in the history books, it also earned him $35,000 in cash, a $5,000 scholarship, and a $2,500 savings bond. That's quite a goodie bag of prizes for a kid who tied for 14th place in last year's competition.
A Favorite Stumbles
This year's competition wasn't without controversy. Samir Patel, making his fifth and final appearance at the spelling bee, was one of the favorites to win it all. However, he botched the word “clevis” (a type of fastening device), instead spelling it "clevice."
His mother protested Samir's early exit from the competition because of the different ways the word's final syllable could be pronounced. The judges disagreed, and it was a disappointing end to a colorful spelling-bee career for Samir.
"If I had been slow and cautious like I always am, I would have got it right," said the 13-year-old Texan. "But I just outsmarted myself. It was an easy word. I just made a stupid mistake."
Evan turned in a mistake-free performance and was crowned the champ. Throughout the competition, he exhibited nerves of steel. Even as he prepared for the national title, he remained one cool customer—so cool, he squeezed in time for another one of his favorite hobbies.
"I walk around the room juggling while my mom asks me words," said Evan.