Week 14 Author's Purpose PDF

Name: WEEK 14 Author’s Purpose DAY 1 READ THE PASSAGE Think about why the author chose t...

Name: WEEK 14 Author’s Purpose DAY 1 READ THE PASSAGE Think about why the author chose to write the passage. My Brother’s New Gig One evening a couple of years ago, my older brother Chris was listening to the blues on the radio. He had found a weekly blues music program he liked, and he had listened to it several times. I happened to be listening with him one night when they played a track by Albert Collins. Chris went nuts! He thought that the song was the greatest blues music he had ever heard! He liked Collins’s casual singing style, but it was his guitar playing that made the biggest impression. Chris decided then and there that he would learn to play the electric guitar like Albert Collins, “The Master of the Telecaster.” I figured Chris’s obsession with blues guitar music would blow over quickly. Chris was not the kind to put a whole lot of effort into things. This guitar-playing inspiration turned out to be lasting, though. Chris saved his money and bought a guitar and an amplifier. He took weekly lessons and practiced every day, no matter what. He even listened to Albert Collins’s recordings over and over to try to learn how to phrase the music, bend the notes, and create a tone just like his hero. I was impressed with how dedicated Chris was to his new hobby. He had never played an instrument before, but he took to the guitar like a natural. I could tell he had good rhythm and timing. He got pretty good pretty fast, too. He didn’t even complain about his sore fingers or how long it took to learn the scales and chords. When he tried to play the solo parts to a few songs, he stayed with it until he started to sound just like Collins. Last week, Chris spotted a used Telecaster guitar at his favorite music store. I hope he buys it. Then he will feel even more like his musical hero, and he will probably practice even harder. It has been amazing to watch Chris work so hard at learning how to play the guitar. He has been a really good example for me. SKILL PRACTICE Read the item. Write your response. 1. What is the author’s purpose for writing this text? 2. Why did the author mention Chris’s practicing of phrasing, bending notes, and creating a tone? 3. What does the author explain to the reader in the final paragraph? STRATEGY PRACTICE What information from the passage helps you best understand Chris’s motivations? © Evan-Moor Corp. EMC 3618 Daily Reading Comprehension 95 Name: WEEK 14 Author’s Purpose DAY 2 READ THE PASSAGE Think about the author’s purpose for writing about the brown pelican. The Pelicans Return Brown pelicans have few natural enemies. The biggest threat these birds face comes from humans. Brown pelicans had once thrived in the Gulf Coast region of the United States, but by the 1960s, human practices had caused them to nearly disappear from the area. In the 1940s, farmers in the United States started using toxic pesticides to kill insects. The widespread use of these pesticides, such as DDT, caused the brown pelican population to fall to almost zero. When the pelicans ate fish contaminated with DDT, the eggs they laid were so fragile that the thin shells broke during incubation. The number of brown pelicans decreased because the pelicans were not able to reproduce successfully. In the 1970s, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the brown pelican as endangered, a term that means the species is in danger of extinction throughout all or much of its range. At about that same time, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the use of DDT in the United States and restricted the use of other pesticides. Since then, there has been a reduction of chemicals contaminating the brown pelicans’ eggs. As a result of the DDT ban and additional conservation efforts, the brown pelican species has made a strong comeback. Nestlings were transplanted from Florida to Louisiana between 1968 and 1980. The birds have responded well, and they now number about 250,000 in the United States, according to 2010 estimates. The resurgence of the brown pelican is an encouraging success story. The brown pelican with its unique dip-net bill is a familiar sight once again along the Gulf Coast. SKILL PRACTICE Read the item. Write your response. 1. What is the author’s purpose for writing this text? 2. Why did the author include dates in the text? 3. What message does the author want the reader to get from the third paragraph? STRATEGY PRACTICE What is a question you had while you read the passage? What is the answer? 96 Daily Reading Comprehension EMC 3618 © Evan-Moor Corp. Name: WEEK 14 Evaluate Evidence DAY 3 READ THE PASSAGE Think about the facts the author presents and the evidence that is used to support them. In Your Own Backyard Even if you live in a city, you might be surprised at how much wildlife lives there with you. You have probably seen squirrels chasing wild birds in the daytime. Many species of birds live in your city year-round, plus there are migrating birds that travel through the area at certain times of the year. You will need to pay close attention to notice certain birds, such as woodpeckers, sapsuckers, hawks, and hummingbirds, but they are most likely there. Some birds shy away from human activity or move extremely quickly, so you have to stay focused as you walk or gaze out the window in order to see them. Many of your wildlife “neighbors” are nocturnal. They “work the night shift” while most people are sleeping. You would be surprised to discover just how many animals are up and about at night. For example, late in the evening or early in the morning before dawn, you might spot a raccoon or even a family of raccoons. They are shadow-like and hard to see in the dark, so you have to be alert. Nighttime is also when you are most likely to see a skunk or an opossum gently digging around in the yard or garden. Feral, or wild, cats are also known to prowl the streets at night in search of a good meal. Feral cats do not have to look far for a tasty treat at night since rats and mice are nocturnal as well. If you cannot see anything in the dark, you can listen for the sounds of wildlife. You may hear the pony-like “whinny” of a screech owl, and if you are lucky, you might hear the “whoo” of a great horned owl and locate its impressive silhouette on a nearby limb. You might even hear the squeaks of bats as they leave their nests—or hear their wings as they whoosh through the sky. If you pay close attention day and night, you will realize you have more “neighbors” than you thought! SKILL PRACTICE Read the item. Write your response. 1. Quote the sentence from the text that explains why urban dwellers may not see many birds in their city. 2. Name the animals included in the text as evidence of nocturnal “neighbors.” 3. What might a woman hear if she encounters a bat at night? STRATEGY PRACTICE What information from the passage would you use to locate animals where you live? © Evan-Moor Corp. EMC 3618 Daily Reading Comprehension 97 Name: WEEK 14 Evaluate Evidence DAY 4 READ THE PASSAGE Look for evidence that supports the information given in the passage. The Healing Power of Sleep Sleep is made up of different stages. The 10-minute period of light sleep (drifting off from wakefulness) is Stage One. Stage Two is deeper and lasts about 20 minutes. Stages Three and Four are types of deep sleep, the part of sleep that our body and brain need the most to recover from daytime activities. After about 90 minutes from the time you fall asleep, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep begins, which is when dreams occur. During a normal night, you usually cycle through the four sleep stages and REM sleep several times. Problems arise when the cycle is interrupted. Sleep is an important component to overall good health, and insufficient sleep can lead to health problems. Most people tend to think that we can get by without sleep or with just a little sleep and that there will be no consequences. But research indicates that lack of sleep can be very disruptive to our physiological functions, and chronic insomnia can lead to serious health problems. Most adults seem to need between seven and nine hours of sleep, and children need even more. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, at least 30% of people sleep less than seven hours. Studies suggest that a lack of sleep may put the body into a state of high alert, increasing the production of stress hormones, driving up blood pressure, and creating a state of inflammation in the body. It can also be dangerous if it causes you to fall asleep while driving. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, sleepiness behind the wheel causes over 100,000 crashes each year. Sleep and mood are linked in ways that are still not fully understood by scientists. Satisfying sleep, much like a satisfying meal, can leave you feeling happy and content. Although many people may feel like they are being lazy if they sleep in from time to time, extra sleep can be a dose of good, healthy medicine. SKILL PRACTICE Read the item. Write your response. 1. How does REM sleep differ from Stage 2 sleep? 2. What evidence does the author include to support the idea that inadequate sleep causes problems? 3. What evidence from the text would you use to encourage your town council to offer free coffee to motorists who drive through your town on Memorial Day weekend? STRATEGY PRACTICE Write a question that can be answered with information from the passage. Ask a partner to answer it. 98 Daily Reading Comprehension EMC 3618 © Evan-Moor Corp.