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Ms. Underwood’s Reading Class – Comprehensive Exam Review 2

SWBAT…

1. Comprehend non-fiction text by answering text-dependent questions with 80% accuracy.

Name: __________________________

HR: ____________________________

Date:______________________________

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Guided Practice – Reading Comp Review (Surf Watch)

I usually hate getting up early. But during a recent surfing trip to Mexico, I was up with the sun. I couldn’t wait to get to the beach.

Even so, I didn’t plunge into the water right away. I watched the waves and studied surfers in action. I tried to figure out how big the swells(1) were, which way the wind was blowing, and where the waves were breaking.

I soon learned that every day was different. Conditions changed constantly. Tides came and went. Winds shifted. No two waves were alike. How, I wondered, do surfers know what to expect?

“It’s 100-percent science,” says Vic DeJesus, a meteorologist and surf forecaster for WaveWatch. Wave predictions have become so reliable, he says, that many surfers check Web sites such as WaveWatch several times a day. And, as scientists continue to analyze the movement of water around the globe, predictions keep improving.

The research is helping make life safer and more fun for surfers, to be sure, but they aren’t the only ones who care about wave forecasts. Accurate information is also useful for lifeguards, boaters, biologists, engineers, and other people who need to know what the ocean is doing.

Predicting waves

Predicting waves, for the most part, depends on reading winds. To see why, fill a tub with water. Wait until the liquid becomes still. Then, blow across its surface and watch the ripples.

Like your breath, winds create ripples in the ocean. With enough wind, ripples form waves that crash when they hit the shore or a shallow reef. Near the shore, the ground causes the bottom of the wave to slow down, which makes the top curl over and break.

The stronger the wind, the bigger the waves, says Jerome Aucan, a surfer and oceanography at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.

“There are three factors in surf forecasting: wind speed, area over which the winds blows, and how long it blows,” says Aucan.

Winds are most powerful when storms are brewing, Aucan says, and waves can travel a long way. Swells that hit the west coast of Mexico often start as squalls(2) as far ways as New Zealand, thousands of miles away. The best waves in France often begin as major storms called nor’easters, which sweep across the coasts of New York and New England.

Better forecasting

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Wave forecasting began during World War II, when the U.S. military was planning attacks from the sea and needed to know the size of the surf, Aucan says. Oceanographers started by creating wind maps and observing the connection between wind patterns and swell size.

Now, more than 50 years later, computer programs do most of the work. These models rely on data that come from ocean buoys(3) and space satellites, both operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Floating buoys measure the height of wave surges, the distances between waves, and wind speed. Satellites use altimeters and other tools to calculate wave height from above. Ocean depth and topography (the shape of the ground underwater) also affect waves.

Scientists plug in as much data as possible into the models, which spit out charts that show where the waves are going and how they will probably change as they move. Professional wave forecasters such as DeJesus use these charts in combination with other methods.

“I get up between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m.,” DeJesus says, “I call friends, people I hire. They tell me if it’s windy, good, bad, ugly, whatever. The rest of the day, I go through weather charts, wave models, and I prepare forecasts for the next 48 to 96 hours and up to a week later.”

Oceanographers are still tweaking the models, but the short-term formulas already work pretty well. “Within 24 to 36 hours, you can usually hit anywhere between 90- and 100-percent accuracy,” DeJesus says. After that, the accuracy of forecasts drops rapidly.

Weather conditions

Better long-term forecasts will depend on better predictions of the wind’s behavior and closer attention to geographical details, Aucan says. Scientists are working on these questions. Ultimately, though, forecasting will never be perfect, because weather conditions can always change without warning.

Still, surfers would rather rip it up(4) on smooth, clean waves than fight 50 mile-per-hour winds. To that end, wave forecasts help determine whether or not it’s worth waxing up the board(5). In the meantime, surfers often become experts of the ocean.

“I think surfers end up being kind of like scientists,” says Julie Cox, a 26-year-old competitive surfer and surf instructor from Santa Cruz, Calif. “Surfing involves wave prediction, meteorology, astronomy, the sun, the moon, tides, seasons, geography, and topography. You learn about the chemistry of the water, temperature, salinity(6), and animals, like stingrays, seals, otters, and whales.”

Surfing is more than a sport. It’s a scientific education. After a week of “fieldwork” in Mexico, I realized how much more I have to learn. And because

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catching waves is such a rush, it’s a class I’ll get up early for any day.(1) swells: waves, before they break(2) squalls: sudden winds(3) buoys: floating objects that are anchored in place(4) Rip it up: Slang term for surfing(5) Waxing up the board: slang term for preparing a surfboard for use(6) Salinity: Salt content of water

“Surf Watch” by Emily Sohn. Copyright 2015 by Society for Science & The Public. Reprinted by permission of Society fro Science & The Public via Copyright Clearance Center. Photograph by NOAA in the public domain.

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1. Select the sentence that supports the claim that predicting waves is “100-percent science” (paragraph 4).

A. “The stronger the wind, the bigger the waves, says Jerome Aucan, a surfer and oceanographer at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.”

B. “There are three main factors in surf forecasting: wind speed, area over which the wind blows, and how long it blows,” says Aucan.

C. “Winds are most powerful when storms are brewing, Aucan says, and waves can travel a long way. Swells that hit the west coast of Mexico often start as squalls

2. Read this sentence from paragraph 16.

“After that, the accuracy of forecasts drops rapidly.”

What is another way of saying the accuracy of forecasts?

A. The correctness of the predictionsB. The level of interest in predictionsC. The things that influence predictionsD. The time it takes to prepare predictions

3. Which detail from the passage supports the idea that wave conditions constantly change?

A. “…many surfers check Wed sites such as WaveWatch several times a day.” (paragraph 4)

B. “…creating wind maps and observing the connection between wind patterns and swell size.” (paragraph 11)

C. “They tell me if it’s windy, go, bad, ugly, whatever.” (paragraph 15)D. “Better long-term forecasts will depend on better predictions of the winds’

behavior…” (paragraph 17)

4. How does the Predicting waves section contribute to the development of key ideas of the passage?

A. It describes why waves have particular shape.B. It explains why certain areas have bigger waves.C. It suggests that forecasting waves is a simple process.D. It emphasizes the connection between wind and waves.

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5. Which sentence from the passage supports the idea that it is important for scientists to understand global weather patterns?

A. “The stronger the wind, the bigger the waves, says Jerome Aucan, a surfer and oceanography at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.” (paragraph 8)

B. “Swells that hit the west coast of Mexico often start as squalls as far away as New Zealand, thousands of miles away.” (paragraph 10)

C. “’I think surfers end up being kind of like scientists,’ says Julie Cox, a 26 year-old competitive surfer and surf instructor from Santa Cruz, Calif.” (paragraph 19)

D. “After a week of ‘fieldwork’ in Mexico, I realize how much more I leave to learn.” (paragraph 20)

6. This question has two parts. First, answer Part A then Part B.

Part A: What is a central idea of the passage?

A. Scientists are limited in their ability to accurately predict waves.B. Surfers are able to make more accurate wave predictions than scientists.C. Many surfers rely on scientific data to increase their enjoyment of the sport.D. The methods used in wave forecasting have not changed much over the

years.

Part B: Which sentence from the passage supports the answer in Part A?

A. “Oceanographers started by creating wind maps and observing the connection between wind patterns and swell size.” (paragraph 11)

B. “Professional wave forecasters such as DeJesus use these charts in combination with other methods.” (paragraph 14)

C. “Ultimately, though, forecasting will never be perfect, because weather conditions can always change without warning.” (paragraph 17)

D. “To that end, wave forecasts help determine whether or not it’s worth waxing up the board.” (paragraph 18)

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Independent Practice – Reading Comp (Freedom’s Road)By Ariel Chang, Grade 5, Lincoln Street Elementary School Northborough, Mass.

On July 7, 1937, Chinese and Japanese troops clashed in northern China. A few months later, the Japanese invaded China, throwing the entire country into turmoil(1). Ariel Chang interviewed her grandfather, Andy Chang, who had to flee the Japanese.

"Tell me a story, please," I pleaded to my grandpa.

"Fine, which one?"

"A new one," I replied.

He thought for a minute with his eyes closed. Then he began to weave his tale of woe.

"In July 1937, the Japanese used an incident to provoke a war. They invaded China and, after a while, occupied a major portion [of China].

"During that time, I was 12, a seventh grader. My family lived near the south bank of the Yangtze [or Chang] River, the longest river in China. Before the Japanese were able to attack, we escaped to the northern part of the river. My family stayed in a shrine(2). that [served] as a refuge. Unfortunately, we had to move once more to escape from the aggressive attack launched by the enemy. One of my uncles died from the...attack. His body was thrown into the Yangtze River and was never found again."

I could see tears forming in those sad old eyes. Taking a deep breath, Grandpa continued. "There were millions of other good people who were shot to death.”

"One year later, my family moved to the British Concession, located in the city of Shanghai." The British Concession was a part of Shanghai that was under British control. In 1941, the Japanese took control of all British territory in China.

"The British Concession became our family's home, at least for a short while," Grandpa added. "When the Japanese took over Shanghai, I was a 10th grader. I felt I could not live under the control of the Japanese emperor. At the age of 17, I bade(3) farewell to Shanghai and headed toward the province of Anhui, which was still controlled by the Chinese government."

“All alone?”

"Definitely not. I traveled [walked] in a group of 10, all the same age as me. We were looking for a provisional high school that would accept students who had retreated from a Japanese-occupied area."

“Why walking? Why not horses, or trains, or cars?”

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"Transportation was hard to find," Grandpa said, sighing. "No one complained. We were walking away from the enemy." Grandpa said that he wanted to visit his older brother, who had fled the Japanese earlier. "It took two long months to get there."

After the Japanese lost the war, the Chinese Communists took over China. Grandpa fled to the non-Communist island of Taiwan.

"Lucky for me, I met your grandma and got married four years after arriving in Taiwan," he said.

1 turmoil: a disturbance 2 shrine: a place considered sacred; a place where devotion is paid to a saint or deity3 bade: expressed, said (past tense of “to bid”)

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1. Where did Andy Chang grow up?

A. Taiwan B. Japan C. Germany D. China

2. Japanese troops invaded China in 1937. What was the effect on Andy Chang’s life?

A. He joined the Chinese army and fought the Japanese. B. He fled from Japanese-occupied areas of China. C. He moved to a non-Communist city in Great Britain. D. He had to drop out of school and take care of his siblings.

3. What can you conclude about how Andy Chang felt while telling his story?

A. He was sad. B. He was happy. C. He was angry. D. He was bored.

4. Read this sentence from the passage:

“Unfortunately, we had to move once more to escape from the aggressive attack launched by the enemy.”

In this sentence, the word aggressive means

A. mysterious B. forceful C. innocent D. easygoing

5. The primary purpose of this passage is to

A. teach about the hardships of war B. explain how Andy Chang met his wife C. compare and contrast Japan and China D. share Andy Chang’s story of survival

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6. What is the longest river in China?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

7. Andy Chang left Shanghai at the age of 17. How did Andy avoid being captured, and what does this tell us about him as a person?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Andy had to walk to get away from the enemy _________ transportation was hard to find.

A. because B. although C. yet D. but

9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below. After the Japanese invaded China, Andy Chang had to flee his home near the Yangtze River to escape attack.

Who? ______________________________________________________________________________

(did) What? had to flee his home

Where? ____________________________________________________________________________

Why? ______________________________________________________________________________

When? ____________________________________________________________________________

10. Vocabulary Word: turmoil: a disturbance.

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Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: __________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

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** Extra copies of homework can be found at Ms. Underwood’s class website: ccaunderwood.weebly.com

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Name: _________________________

HR: ___________________________

Date: __________________________** BRING HOME NOTES!! Always use your notes first, but if you get stuck, I am happy to help .

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ccaunderwood.weebly.comccaunderwood.weebly.com/.../reading_comp_review_2.d… · Web viewEven so, I didn’t plunge into the water right away. I watched the waves and studied surfers