All Common Core: 6th Grade English Language Arts Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Integration Of Knowledge And Ideas
Passage 1: Adapted from “In Cowboy Land” in An Autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt (1913)
Though I had previously made a trip into the then Territory of Dakota, beyond the Red River, it was not until 1883 that I went to the Little Missouri, and there took hold of two cattle ranches, the Chimney Butte and the Elkhorn.
It was still the Wild West in those days, the Far West, the West of Owen Wister's stories and Frederic Remington's drawings. That land of the West has gone now, "gone, gone with lost Atlantis," gone to the isle of ghosts and of strange dead memories. It was a land of vast silent spaces, of lonely rivers, and of plains where the wild game stared at the passing horseman. It was a land of scattered ranches, of herds of long-horned cattle, and of reckless riders who unmoved looked in the eyes of life or of death. In that land we led a free and hardy life, with horse and with rifle. We knew toil and hardship and hunger and thirst; and we saw men die violent deaths as they worked among the horses and cattle, or fought in evil feuds with one another; but we felt the beat of hardy life in our veins, and ours was the glory of work and the joy of living.
I first reached the Little Missouri on a Northern Pacific train about three in the morning of a cool September day in 1883. Next day I walked over to the abandoned army post, and, after some hours among the gray log shacks, a ranchman who had driven into the station agreed to take me out to his ranch, the Chimney Butte ranch, where he was living with his brother and their partner.
The ranch was a log structure with a dirt roof, a corral for the horses near by, and a chicken-house jabbed against the rear of the ranch house. Inside there was only one room, with a table, three or four chairs, a cooking-stove, and three bunks. The owners were Sylvane and Joe Ferris and William J. Merrifield. There was a fourth man, George Meyer, who also worked for me later. That evening we all played old sledge round the table, and at one period the game was interrupted by a frightful squawking outside which told us that a bobcat had made a raid on the chicken-house.
After a buffalo hunt with my original friend, Joe Ferris, I entered into partnership with Merrifield and Sylvane Ferris, and we started a cow ranch, with the maltese cross brand—always known as "maltee cross," by the way, as the general impression along the Little Missouri was that "maltese" must be a plural. Twenty-nine years later my four friends of that night were delegates to the First Progressive National Convention at Chicago. They were among my most constant companions for the few years next succeeding the evening when the bobcat interrupted the game of old sledge. I lived and worked with them on the ranch, and with them and many others like them on the round-up.
I do not believe there ever was any life more attractive to a vigorous young fellow than life on a cattle ranch in those days. It was a fine, healthy life, too; it taught a man self-reliance, hardihood, and the value of instant decision—in short, the virtues that ought to come from life in the open country. I enjoyed the life to the full.
Passage 2: Adapted from “Theodore Roosevelt the Rancher.” National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 1 July 2016. <https://www.nps.gov/thro/learn/historyculture/theodore-roosevelt-the-rancher.htm>.
Theodore Roosevelt originally came to Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison. The locals showed little interest in helping this eastern tenderfoot. The promise of quick cash, however, convinced Joe Ferris—a 25-year-old Canadian living in the Badlands—to act as Roosevelt's hunting guide.
Through terrible weather and awful luck, Roosevelt showed a determination which surprised his exasperated hunting guide. Finding a bison proved difficult; most of the herds had been slaughtered in recent years by commercial hunters. When they were not sleeping outdoors, Roosevelt and Ferris used the small ranch cabin of Gregor Lang as a base camp. Evenings at Lang's ranch saw an exhausted Ferris falling asleep to conversations between Roosevelt and their host. Spirited debates on politics gave way to discussions about ranching, and Roosevelt became interested in raising cattle in the Badlands.
Cattle ranching in Dakota was a boom business in the 1880s. With the northern plains recently devoid of bison, cattle were being driven north from Texas to feed on the nutritious grasses. The Northern Pacific Railroad offered a quick route to eastern markets without long drives that reduced the quality of the meat. Entrepreneurs like the Marquis de Morès were bringing money and infrastructure to the region. The opportunity struck Roosevelt as a sound business opportunity.
With Roosevelt's interest sparked, he entered into business with his guide's brother, Sylvane Ferris, and Bill Merrifield, another Dakota cattleman. Roosevelt put down an initial investment of $14,000—significantly more than his annual salary. Roosevelt returned to New York with instructions for Ferris and Merrifield to build the Maltese Cross Cabin. His investment was not purely for business; Roosevelt saw it as a chance to immerse himself in a western lifestyle he had long romanticized.
In which of the following excerpts from Passage 1, Roosevelt’s autobiography, does he discuss the events that Passage 2, “Theodore Roosevelt the Rancher,” describes in its first two paragraphs?
“Twenty-nine years later my four friends of that night were delegates to the First Progressive National Convention at Chicago.”
“I do not believe there ever was any life more attractive to a vigorous young fellow than life on a cattle ranch in those days.”
"I lived and worked with them on the ranch, and with them and many others like them on the round-up."
“After a buffalo hunt with my original friend, Joe Ferris, . . .”
“That evening we all played old sledge round the table, and at one period the game was interrupted by a frightful squawking outside which told us that a bobcat had made a raid on the chicken-house.”
“After a buffalo hunt with my original friend, Joe Ferris, . . .”
This is a complex question. To answer it correctly, let's begin by figuring out what Passage 2, "Theodore Roosevelt the Rancher," discusses in its first two paragraphs. Then, we can consider the answer choices and see which one addresses the same topic(s).
The first two paragraphs of Passage 2 describe Roosevelt's first visit to the Dakota Territory. He traveled there to hunt bison. The passage describes how he was able to do this, and the people with whom he interacted while he was there. The second paragraph concludes by relating how Roosevelt was inspired to invest in a cattle ranch.
Looking over the answer choices, only one of them discusses going on a bison hunt with Joe Ferris, which is one of the events described in the first two paragraphs of Passage 2. That answer choice is “After a buffalo hunt with my original friend, Joe Ferris, . . .” Roosevelt doesn't spend much time in his autobiography describing the buffalo hunt on which the biography passage focuses two paragraphs.
Example Question #2 : Reading To Compare And Contrast Texts
Passage 1: Adapted from “In Cowboy Land” in An Autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt (1913)
Though I had previously made a trip into the then Territory of Dakota, beyond the Red River, it was not until 1883 that I went to the Little Missouri, and there took hold of two cattle ranches, the Chimney Butte and the Elkhorn.
It was still the Wild West in those days, the Far West, the West of Owen Wister's stories and Frederic Remington's drawings. That land of the West has gone now, "gone, gone with lost Atlantis," gone to the isle of ghosts and of strange dead memories. It was a land of vast silent spaces, of lonely rivers, and of plains where the wild game stared at the passing horseman. It was a land of scattered ranches, of herds of long-horned cattle, and of reckless riders who unmoved looked in the eyes of life or of death. In that land we led a free and hardy life, with horse and with rifle. We knew toil and hardship and hunger and thirst; and we saw men die violent deaths as they worked among the horses and cattle, or fought in evil feuds with one another; but we felt the beat of hardy life in our veins, and ours was the glory of work and the joy of living.
I first reached the Little Missouri on a Northern Pacific train about three in the morning of a cool September day in 1883. Next day I walked over to the abandoned army post, and, after some hours among the gray log shacks, a ranchman who had driven into the station agreed to take me out to his ranch, the Chimney Butte ranch, where he was living with his brother and their partner.
The ranch was a log structure with a dirt roof, a corral for the horses near by, and a chicken-house jabbed against the rear of the ranch house. Inside there was only one room, with a table, three or four chairs, a cooking-stove, and three bunks. The owners were Sylvane and Joe Ferris and William J. Merrifield. There was a fourth man, George Meyer, who also worked for me later. That evening we all played old sledge round the table, and at one period the game was interrupted by a frightful squawking outside which told us that a bobcat had made a raid on the chicken-house.
After a buffalo hunt with my original friend, Joe Ferris, I entered into partnership with Merrifield and Sylvane Ferris, and we started a cow ranch, with the maltese cross brand—always known as "maltee cross," by the way, as the general impression along the Little Missouri was that "maltese" must be a plural. Twenty-nine years later my four friends of that night were delegates to the First Progressive National Convention at Chicago. They were among my most constant companions for the few years next succeeding the evening when the bobcat interrupted the game of old sledge. I lived and worked with them on the ranch, and with them and many others like them on the round-up.
I do not believe there ever was any life more attractive to a vigorous young fellow than life on a cattle ranch in those days. It was a fine, healthy life, too; it taught a man self-reliance, hardihood, and the value of instant decision—in short, the virtues that ought to come from life in the open country. I enjoyed the life to the full.
Passage 2: Adapted from “Theodore Roosevelt the Rancher.” National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 1 July 2016. <https://www.nps.gov/thro/learn/historyculture/theodore-roosevelt-the-rancher.htm>.
Theodore Roosevelt originally came to Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison. The locals showed little interest in helping this eastern tenderfoot. The promise of quick cash, however, convinced Joe Ferris—a 25-year-old Canadian living in the Badlands—to act as Roosevelt's hunting guide.
Through terrible weather and awful luck, Roosevelt showed a determination which surprised his exasperated hunting guide. Finding a bison proved difficult; most of the herds had been slaughtered in recent years by commercial hunters. When they were not sleeping outdoors, Roosevelt and Ferris used the small ranch cabin of Gregor Lang as a base camp. Evenings at Lang's ranch saw an exhausted Ferris falling asleep to conversations between Roosevelt and their host. Spirited debates on politics gave way to discussions about ranching, and Roosevelt became interested in raising cattle in the Badlands.
Cattle ranching in Dakota was a boom business in the 1880s. With the northern plains recently devoid of bison, cattle were being driven north from Texas to feed on the nutritious grasses. The Northern Pacific Railroad offered a quick route to eastern markets without long drives that reduced the quality of the meat. Entrepreneurs like the Marquis de Morès were bringing money and infrastructure to the region. The opportunity struck Roosevelt as a sound business opportunity.
With Roosevelt's interest sparked, he entered into business with his guide's brother, Sylvane Ferris, and Bill Merrifield, another Dakota cattleman. Roosevelt put down an initial investment of $14,000—significantly more than his annual salary. Roosevelt returned to New York with instructions for Ferris and Merrifield to build the Maltese Cross Cabin. His investment was not purely for business; Roosevelt saw it as a chance to immerse himself in a western lifestyle he had long romanticized.
The last line of Passage 2 states, “Roosevelt saw [his investment] as a chance to immerse himself in a western lifestyle he had long romanticized.” When you “romanticize” something, you see it in terms of ideals and make it seem almost too good to be true. You might describe it poetically, using lots of literary techniques, and your description might sound like fiction.
Which of the paragraphs in Passage 1 provides the best evidence that Roosevelt romanticized the West?
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 2
To answer this question, we need to figure out in which paragraph of Passage 1 Roosevelt is "romanticizing" the West. The question states that when you "romanticize" something, you see it idealistically, focusing on its good points and describing it in a poetic way that might sound like fiction. Let's consider each of the listed answer choices' paragraphs to figure out which one best fits this description. In Paragraph 1, Roosevelt talks about his arrival in the West, but doesn't describe the West much. Paragraphs 3, 4, and 5 describe Roosevelt's first days in the West, but he doesn't use that much literary description in this section of the passage. The best answer is Paragraph 2. In it, Roosevelt describes the West using lots of poetic and literary descriptions, such as "That land of the West has gone now, 'gone, gone with lost Atlantis,' gone to the isle of ghosts and of strange dead memories" and "but we felt the beat of hardy life in our veins, and ours was the glory of work and the joy of living." Such description makes this paragraph the one most accurately described as "romanticized."
Example Question #3 : Reading To Compare And Contrast Texts
Passage 1: Adapted from “In Cowboy Land” in An Autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt (1913)
Though I had previously made a trip into the then Territory of Dakota, beyond the Red River, it was not until 1883 that I went to the Little Missouri, and there took hold of two cattle ranches, the Chimney Butte and the Elkhorn.
It was still the Wild West in those days, the Far West, the West of Owen Wister's stories and Frederic Remington's drawings. That land of the West has gone now, "gone, gone with lost Atlantis," gone to the isle of ghosts and of strange dead memories. It was a land of vast silent spaces, of lonely rivers, and of plains where the wild game stared at the passing horseman. It was a land of scattered ranches, of herds of long-horned cattle, and of reckless riders who unmoved looked in the eyes of life or of death. In that land we led a free and hardy life, with horse and with rifle. We knew toil and hardship and hunger and thirst; and we saw men die violent deaths as they worked among the horses and cattle, or fought in evil feuds with one another; but we felt the beat of hardy life in our veins, and ours was the glory of work and the joy of living.
I first reached the Little Missouri on a Northern Pacific train about three in the morning of a cool September day in 1883. Next day I walked over to the abandoned army post, and, after some hours among the gray log shacks, a ranchman who had driven into the station agreed to take me out to his ranch, the Chimney Butte ranch, where he was living with his brother and their partner.
The ranch was a log structure with a dirt roof, a corral for the horses near by, and a chicken-house jabbed against the rear of the ranch house. Inside there was only one room, with a table, three or four chairs, a cooking-stove, and three bunks. The owners were Sylvane and Joe Ferris and William J. Merrifield. There was a fourth man, George Meyer, who also worked for me later. That evening we all played old sledge round the table, and at one period the game was interrupted by a frightful squawking outside which told us that a bobcat had made a raid on the chicken-house.
After a buffalo hunt with my original friend, Joe Ferris, I entered into partnership with Merrifield and Sylvane Ferris, and we started a cow ranch, with the maltese cross brand—always known as "maltee cross," by the way, as the general impression along the Little Missouri was that "maltese" must be a plural. Twenty-nine years later my four friends of that night were delegates to the First Progressive National Convention at Chicago. They were among my most constant companions for the few years next succeeding the evening when the bobcat interrupted the game of old sledge. I lived and worked with them on the ranch, and with them and many others like them on the round-up.
I do not believe there ever was any life more attractive to a vigorous young fellow than life on a cattle ranch in those days. It was a fine, healthy life, too; it taught a man self-reliance, hardihood, and the value of instant decision—in short, the virtues that ought to come from life in the open country. I enjoyed the life to the full.
Passage 2: Adapted from “Theodore Roosevelt the Rancher.” National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 1 July 2016. <https://www.nps.gov/thro/learn/historyculture/theodore-roosevelt-the-rancher.htm>.
Theodore Roosevelt originally came to Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison. The locals showed little interest in helping this eastern tenderfoot. The promise of quick cash, however, convinced Joe Ferris—a 25-year-old Canadian living in the Badlands—to act as Roosevelt's hunting guide.
Through terrible weather and awful luck, Roosevelt showed a determination which surprised his exasperated hunting guide. Finding a bison proved difficult; most of the herds had been slaughtered in recent years by commercial hunters. When they were not sleeping outdoors, Roosevelt and Ferris used the small ranch cabin of Gregor Lang as a base camp. Evenings at Lang's ranch saw an exhausted Ferris falling asleep to conversations between Roosevelt and their host. Spirited debates on politics gave way to discussions about ranching, and Roosevelt became interested in raising cattle in the Badlands.
Cattle ranching in Dakota was a boom business in the 1880s. With the northern plains recently devoid of bison, cattle were being driven north from Texas to feed on the nutritious grasses. The Northern Pacific Railroad offered a quick route to eastern markets without long drives that reduced the quality of the meat. Entrepreneurs like the Marquis de Morès were bringing money and infrastructure to the region. The opportunity struck Roosevelt as a sound business opportunity.
With Roosevelt's interest sparked, he entered into business with his guide's brother, Sylvane Ferris, and Bill (William J.) Merrifield, another Dakota cattleman. Roosevelt put down an initial investment of $14,000—significantly more than his annual salary. Roosevelt returned to New York with instructions for Ferris and Merrifield to build the Maltese Cross Cabin. His investment was not purely for business; Roosevelt saw it as a chance to immerse himself in a western lifestyle he had long romanticized.
This autobiography and his biography overlap and describe some of the same events; however, they describe them from different perspectives. As a result, each passage mentions some people that the other passage does not.
Which of the following people are mentioned in BOTH of the passages?
Joe Harris, Sylvane Ferris, William Merrifield, and Gregor Lang
Joe Harris, Sylvane Ferris, William Merrifield, Owen Wister, and Frederick Remington
Joe Harris, Sylvane Ferris, William Merrifield, George Meyer, and the Marquis de Morès
Joe Harris, Sylvane Ferris, William Merrifield, and George Meyer
Joe Harris, Sylvane Ferris, and William Merrifield
Joe Harris, Sylvane Ferris, and William Merrifield
To answer this question correctly, you need to carefully distinguish between the passages and figure out which people are mentioned in both of them. Let's tally up the names mentioned in each passage and compare the lists we compile.
Passage 1: Adapted from "In Cowboy Land" from Theodore Roosevelt's autobiography: Owen Wister and Frederic Remington (Paragraph 2); Sylvane Ferris, Joe Ferris, William J. Merrifield, and George Meyer (Paragraph 4)
Passage 2: Adapted from "Theodore Roosevelt the Rancher": Joe Ferris (Paragraph 1); Gregor Lang (Paragraph 2); the Marquis de Morès (Paragraph 3); Sylvane Ferris and Bill (William J.) Merrifield (Paragraph 4)
Now all we have to do is identify which names appear in both lists. Those names are "Sylvane Ferris, Joe Ferris, and William Merrifield."
Example Question #4 : Reading To Compare And Contrast Texts
Nearly all the workers of the Lowell textile mills of Massachusetts were unmarried daughters from farm families. Some of the workers were as young as 10. Many people in the 1820s were upset by the idea of working females. The company provided well-kept dormitories for the women to live in. The meals were decent and church attendance was mandatory. Compared to other factories of the time, the Lowell mills were clean and safe. There was even a journal, The Lowell Offering, which contained poems and other material written by the workers, and which became known beyond New England. Ironically, it was at the Lowell mills that dissatisfaction with working conditions brought about the first organization of working women.
The work was difficult. When wages were cut, the workers organized the Factory Girls Association. 15,000 women decided to “turn out,” or walk off the job. The Offering, meant as a pleasant creative outlet, gave the women a voice that could be heard elsewhere in the country, and even in Europe. However, the ability of women to demand changes was limited. The women could not go for long without wages with which to support themselves and families. This same limitation hampered the effectiveness of the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association (LFLRA), organized in 1844.
No specific changes can be directly credited to the Lowell workers, but their legacy is unquestionable. The LFLRA’s founder, Sarah Bagley, became a national figure, speaking before the Massachusetts House of Representatives. When the New England Labor Reform League was formed, three of the eight board members were women. Other mill workers took note of the Lowell strikes and were successful in getting better pay, shorter hours, and safer working conditions. Even some existing child labor laws can be traced back to efforts first set in motion by the Lowell mills women.
Where in the text do you find evidence to support the claim that the women of LFLRA were important in the labor reform movement?
There is no evidence to support the claim.
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
The claim the author makes is that the women of the LFLRA were contributors to the labor reform movement. “No specific changes can be directly credited to the Lowell workers, but their legacy is unquestionable...Other mill workers took note of the Lowell strikes and were successful in getting better pay, shorter hours, and safer working conditions. Even some existing child labor laws can be traced back to efforts first set in motion by the Lowell mills women.”
Example Question #5 : Reading To Compare And Contrast Texts
Text 1:
Adapted from The Ants and the Grasshopper by Aesop (620-560 BCE)
One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants was bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
"Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
Text 2:
Adapted from Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse (620-560 BCE)
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across Lion's nose. Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.
"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go and someday I will surely repay you."
The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion."
How do the ants and Mouse react differently from each other when given the chance to help someone in need?
The ants help the Grasshopper when he needs food and the Mouse leaves the Lion in the trap.
The ants decide to play a trick on the Grasshopper to teach him a lesson while the Mouse decides he will not play a trick on the Lion.
The ants do not help the Grasshopper and leave him to fend for himself while the Mouse repays the favor and saves the Lion.
The ants do not get a chance to help someone in need so their actions cannot be compared.
The ants do not help the Grasshopper and leave him to fend for himself while the Mouse repays the favor and saves the Lion.
The ants decide that they will not help the Grasshopper because he has been wasting his time instead of collecting food whereas Mouse is repaying a favor to Lion and saves him. The creatures behave differently when faced with the opportunity of helping someone else.
Example Question #6 : Reading To Compare And Contrast Texts
Text 1:
Adapted from The Ants and the Grasshopper by Aesop (620-560 BCE)
One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants was bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
"Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
Text 2:
Adapted from Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse (620-560 BCE)
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across Lion's nose. Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.
"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go and someday I will surely repay you."
The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion."
How are the ants in the first story and Mouse in the second story similar to each other?
The ants and Mouse are nothing alike and there are no similarities.
The ants and Mouse are both selfish creatures who refuse to assist anyone else.
The ants and Mouse both encounter trouble and need someone to help them.
The ants and Mouse are both small creatures who have the chance to help someone bigger than themselves.
The ants and Mouse are both small creatures who have the chance to help someone bigger than themselves.
The ants have an opportunity to assist the Grasshopper who is without food and the Mouse saves the Lion from the hunter’s trap. They are both smaller creatures who help others.
Example Question #7 : Reading To Compare And Contrast Texts
Text 1:
Adapted from The Ants and the Grasshopper by Aesop (620-560 BCE)
One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants was bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
"Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
Text 2:
Adapted from Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse (620-560 BCE)
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across Lion's nose. Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.
"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go and someday I will surely repay you."
The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion."
The themes of these passages are different but the author chose a similar genre to tell the story. Why would an author choose a fable to explore this theme instead of a different genre?
These passages are not the same genre so they cannot be compared.
Fables are persuasive so readers believe them.
Fables are characterized by their moral lessons.
Fables are informational text so they can teach the theme to readers.
Fables are characterized by their moral lessons.
Fables often use animals with human-like characteristics as the main characters to depict situations raiders can learn something from. Fables were passed down from generation to generation and retold to teach life lessons so they are a genre frequently used to express a theme.
Example Question #8 : Reading To Compare And Contrast Texts
Text 1:
Adapted from The Ants and the Grasshopper by Aesop (620-560 BCE)
One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants was bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
"Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
Text 2:
Adapted from Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse (620-560 BCE)
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across Lion's nose. Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.
"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go and someday I will surely repay you."
The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion."
How does the author's purpose compare in these works?
The purpose of these works cannot be compared because they have totally different intentions for writing them.
The purpose of these works is to share a lesson or moral that can be learned.
The purpose of these works is to inform the readers about wild animals.
The purpose of these works is to persuade the reader to be angry with Lion and Grasshopper.
The purpose of these works is to share a lesson or moral that can be learned.
These texts are meant to teach the reader a lesson that can be applied to their own lives in a meaningful way.
Example Question #9 : Reading To Compare And Contrast Texts
Text 1:
One clear advantage of selling goods online is that smaller markets can be served without the seller needing to invest in high inventory costs. Recordings of classical music, for example, are increasingly hard to find at the larger music chains. Now the classical music lover can locate nearly any classical CD in print on the Internet.
In addition, forward-thinking artists without national followings have made their music available on personal sites or through services that provide the musicians with a more generous share of profits than that offered by the large record labels. For some, this has resulted in increased sales volume, greater return on investment, greater control of the product, and a more direct connection with their fan base.
Major orchestras and record labels have taken note, and have created websites where one can purchase individual tracks, full CDs, archival recordings, and even music exclusively made available for online downloads. Some symphony orchestras now include, with the price of admission to a concert, the right to download a recording of the concert afterward. Other services allow the listener unlimited streaming or downloading for a monthly fee.
Text 2:
One disadvantage of selling goods online is that smaller retailers can be crushed by large online retailers. Big corporations that sell online have access to more goods so that brings the cost of each item down exponentially. They place larger orders and can carry more varieties of products so they may be able to satisfy more customers.
Just about anything can be found online so it takes away the fun of the hunt. Digging through vintage record bins, combing through racks of clothing, or spending a day out shopping with friends is reduced to a few clicks online and waiting 3-5 business days for the package to arrive. Small businesses are losing foot traffic to their stores and facing declining sales when a big box store can beat their price with a cheaper imported good.
Musicians, for example, may have CDs to sell after a performance but when people can download the single song they like or it can be listened to on a streaming service the artist can lose out on those sales. Many artists don’t produce a tangible good anymore and just make their goods available for digital download or purchase.
How do the authors' ideas compare to each other?
The author of text 1 focuses on the advantages of online sales whereas the author of text 2 focuses on the disadvantages of selling goods online.
The authors of texts 1 and 2 do not make their ideas clear and they cannot be compared to each other.
The author of text 2 focuses on the advantages of online sales whereas the author of text 1 focuses on the disadvantages of selling goods online.
Both the authors of texts 1 and 2 are in alignment with their viewpoints on online sales of goods.
The author of text 1 focuses on the advantages of online sales whereas the author of text 2 focuses on the disadvantages of selling goods online.
Text 1 provides evidence of the benefits to small businesses and individuals such as musicians to selling online where the author of text 2 focuses on the negative side of online business. The authors are writing about the same topics but do not share the same point of view.
Example Question #10 : Reading To Compare And Contrast Texts
Text 1:
One clear advantage of selling goods online is that smaller markets can be served without the seller needing to invest in high inventory costs. Recordings of classical music, for example, are increasingly hard to find at the larger music chains. Now the classical music lover can locate nearly any classical CD in print on the Internet.
In addition, forward-thinking artists without national followings have made their music available on personal sites or through services that provide the musicians with a more generous share of profits than that offered by the large record labels. For some, this has resulted in increased sales volume, greater return on investment, greater control of the product, and a more direct connection with their fan base.
Major orchestras and record labels have taken note, and have created websites where one can purchase individual tracks, full CDs, archival recordings, and even music exclusively made available for online downloads. Some symphony orchestras now include, with the price of admission to a concert, the right to download a recording of the concert afterward. Other services allow the listener unlimited streaming or downloading for a monthly fee.
Text 2:
One disadvantage of selling goods online is that smaller retailers can be crushed by large online retailers. Big corporations that sell online have access to more goods so that brings the cost of each item down exponentially. They place larger orders and can carry more varieties of products so they may be able to satisfy more customers.
Just about anything can be found online so it takes away the fun of the hunt. Digging through vintage record bins, combing through racks of clothing, or spending a day out shopping with friends is reduced to a few clicks online and waiting 3-5 business days for the package to arrive. Small businesses are losing foot traffic to their stores and facing declining sales when a big box store can beat their price with a cheaper imported good.
Musicians, for example, may have CDs to sell after a performance but when people can download the single song they like or it can be listened to on a streaming service the artist can lose out on those sales. Many artists don’t produce a tangible good anymore and just make their goods available for digital download or purchase.
Do the authors’ present facts or opinions in their texts?
Text 2 provides opinions while text 1 only provides factual information.
Text 1 and 2 both present opinions but there are no verifiable facts provided.
Text 1 provides opinions while text 2 only provides factual information.
Text 1 and 2 both present opinions and facts in the form of data.
Text 1 and 2 both present opinions but there are no verifiable facts provided.
The authors of both passages give clear opinions and information about their viewpoints on online sales but there is no data or verifiable information provided. As a reader, we can compare and contrast their opinions but would need data to make a clear decision about which side is stronger.
All Common Core: 6th Grade English Language Arts Resources
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