- Based on the passage, what is the meaning of friction?
Answer: Friction means a force that makes moving objects slow down.
The passage says friction is a force that makes moving objects slow down. You can see this when a sliding book slows and stops, and when rubbing your hands makes them warm. So the force that makes moving objects slow down is the right answer. The choice about making objects speed up is the opposite of what the passage tells us. The choice about making objects float in the air is wrong because the passage says friction helps you walk without slipping, not lift or float. The choice about making objects change their color is wrong too, since friction affects movement and warmth, not color.
- Read the passage. Some energy sources can be used again and again. Solar and wind power are renewable because nature replaces them quickly. The sun rises each day, and wind keeps blowing in many places. Using renewable energy can help save fuels that are limited. In the passage, what does renewable mean?
Answer: Renewable means able to be refilled or made again by nature over time.
The passage says solar and wind power are renewable because nature replaces them quickly, and it gives examples like the sun rising each day and the wind blowing in many places. So renewable means something nature can refill or make again over time. That is why 'able to be refilled or made again by nature over time' is the best answer. 'Useful for only a single time before it runs out completely' is wrong because the passage says these energy sources can be used again and again, not just once. 'Formed slowly deep beneath the ground inside solid rock' is wrong because that describes limited fuels like coal or oil, not the sun and wind the passage talks about. 'Costly for most families to buy and put in their homes' is wrong because the passage never talks about price; it talks about how the source is replaced. Always look for the clue right around the word to check which meaning fits this passage.
- Read the passage. Wind and moving water can change Earth's surface over time. This process is called erosion, which means wearing away. For example, a river can carry away sediment, or tiny rock pieces, from its banks. Over many years, erosion can make a stream wider and create a valley. Based on the passage, what is the meaning of erosion?
Answer: Erosion means moving rock and soil away, little by little, over many years.
The passage says wind and moving water change Earth's surface, and it gives the example of a river carrying sediment away from its banks over many years. That tells you erosion is the slow moving-away of rock and soil, which is why the choice about moving rock and soil away little by little is correct. The choice about building up new land from cooling lava is the opposite of wearing away, so it does not fit. The choice about carrying water from clouds to the ground describes rain, not the wearing away of Earth's surface. The choice about splitting rocks by freezing and thawing is tricky because it also breaks rocks, but that just cracks rock in place without carrying it away, and the passage clearly shows that erosion moves the pieces to another spot.
- Based on the passage, what is the meaning of inertia?
Answer: Inertia means an object keeps doing what it is doing until something changes it.
The passage shows the ball staying still until it is kicked, then rolling until grass or a wall stops it. That matches the idea that an object keeps doing what it is doing until something changes it. The choice about a pull toward the ground describes gravity, which is a different idea from the passage. The choice about a rough or bumpy surface describes what slows the ball, not the ball's tendency to keep moving. The choice about how fast the ball travels describes speed, not the object's tendency to resist a change in its motion. Only the first choice explains what inertia means.
- Based on the passage, what is the meaning of evaporation?
Answer: Water turning into an invisible gas that rises upward
Evaporation is water turning into an invisible gas that rises upward. The passage says the sun warms the puddle and the water goes into the air, changing into a gas you cannot see. The choice about water vapor cooling and forming droplets on a cold surface is the opposite process—it describes gas turning back into liquid, not liquid turning into gas. The choice about water falling as rain or snow describes what happens later, after the gas is already in the sky, not evaporation itself. The choice about water hardening into solid ice describes a different change, where cold makes water freeze, not turn into gas. Only the first choice matches how the passage explains evaporation.
- Based on the passage, what does non-renewable mean?
Answer: Non-renewable means limited and able to run out.
The passage says coal and oil are non-renewable and will run out someday, so non-renewable means something that is limited and can run out. It does not mean able to be made new again every day, because that describes renewable energy like sunlight, not coal and oil. It does not mean coming only from the sun's light, because the passage says solar energy, not coal or oil, comes from the sun. It also does not mean always simple to save and store, because the passage talks about saving energy by turning off lights, but that is not what non-renewable means.
- Based on the passage, what does the word sediment mean?
Answer: Sediment means small bits of rock and dirt carried by wind or water.
The passage says sediment is the tiny pieces of rock and soil that wind and water move around, which matches small bits of rock and dirt carried by wind or water. The muddy water choice is wrong because sediment is the solid pieces being carried, not the water itself. The sandy shape choice mixes up sediment with a sandbar or beach, which is something sediment can build, not what the word means. The heavy rain choice confuses sediment with the rain that washes it into a creek. Only one choice tells what the pieces themselves are.
- Based on the passage, what is the meaning of evaporation?
Answer: Evaporation means water changing into a gas that spreads into the air.
The passage says evaporation happens when the sun heats water and it turns into something you cannot see that floats in the air. A gas spreading into the air matches this idea, so that choice is correct. Water falling from the sky as rain or snow describes a later step, when drops fall down, not the change into a gas. Water gathering in rivers, ponds, and lakes is another part of the water cycle, but the passage never links it to evaporation. Water cooling and forming into tiny drops in clouds is the opposite step, where vapor cools down again instead of heating up. Only one choice describes water heating and turning into an airy gas.
- Based on the passage, what does independence mean?
Answer: Independence means freedom from another group's control.
The passage says the colonists wanted independence, which it defines as the freedom to make their own laws instead of being ruled by a king far away. That matches the choice about freedom from another group's control. The choice about being welcomed as a guest by the king is wrong because the colonists did not want the king's rule at all. The choice about following Britain's laws is the opposite of independence, since they wanted their own laws, not Britain's. The choice about asking the king to make new laws is also wrong, because independence means making laws themselves, not depending on the king.
- Read the passage. Animals use special traits to stay safe in their habitats. Camouflage helps animals blend into their surroundings. For example, a snowshoe hare's white winter fur makes it nearly invisible in the snow. This makes it harder for other animals to spot it. In the passage, what does camouflage mean?
Answer: Camouflage means having colors that make an animal hard to see.
The passage gives you a clue right away: camouflage 'helps animals blend into their surroundings.' Then it gives an example—a snowshoe hare's white winter fur makes it 'nearly invisible in the snow.' Invisible means you cannot see it. So camouflage is about having colors that make an animal hard to see, which is why that choice is correct. Moving quickly to escape is a different survival trick—running away—not hiding by matching your surroundings. Making loud sounds to warn other animals is about noise, but camouflage works by sight, not sound, so it does not fit. Changing your home to a safer spot each season describes moving to a new place, but the hare in the passage stays put and simply blends in with its fur. When you figure out a word's meaning, look for the example the author gives and check which choice matches it best.
- What does adaptation mean as it is used in the passage?
Answer: a helpful trait that meets a need
The passage shows that an adaptation is a helpful trait that lets an animal or plant meet its needs. A duck's webbed feet help it swim, and a cactus's thick stem stores water in the desert. Both are body traits that solve a problem, so 'a helpful trait that meets a need' is the best answer. 'A warm place where an animal lives' describes a home or habitat, not a trait a living thing has. 'A sudden change in the weather' talks about the desert being dry, but the passage never says an adaptation is weather. 'A small tool for telling time' is an object that has nothing to do with how animals survive. Only one answer names a trait that helps a living thing meet its needs.
- Based on the passage, what does colonists mean?
Answer: people who made their homes and settled in the colonies
The passage tells you that colonists were the people settled in the 13 colonies who wrote letters and held meetings to share their ideas. That means colonists were the everyday people who made their homes there, so "people who made their homes and settled in the colonies" is the best answer. "Leaders in Britain who made the rules" is wrong because those were the rulers far away, not the people living in the colonies. "People who hoped to keep British rule" is wrong because the passage says the colonists wanted to be free from British rule, not to keep it. "Sailors who crossed the ocean to find new lands" describes explorers, but nothing in the passage says colonists were exploring or mapping — they were living in the colonies and sharing ideas.
- Read the passage. The water cycle moves water through Earth's air and land. When the sun heats water in a lake, evaporation occurs and the water turns into invisible water vapor in the air. Later, the vapor can cool and form clouds. Based on the passage, what is the meaning of evaporation?
Answer: Evaporation means liquid water changing into an invisible gas when it is heated.
The passage tells you that when the sun heats water in a lake, evaporation happens and the water 'turns into invisible water vapor in the air.' Water vapor is a gas, so the best answer is that liquid water changes into an invisible gas when it is heated. The choice about water cooling and falling as rain is wrong because that describes a later step in the cycle, when vapor forms clouds and drops down—not what heating does. The choice about water freezing into ice is wrong because freezing needs cold, but evaporation happens when the sun makes water hot. The choice about water gathering in rivers and lakes is wrong because that is water collecting, not water disappearing into the air as vapor. Use the sentence right around the word: the sun heats the water and it becomes invisible vapor. That clue points to only one meaning—a change from liquid into gas.
- Read the passage. Rocks change in more than one way. Weathering breaks rock into smaller pieces, but erosion moves those pieces away. For example, ice can crack a rock, and later a stream can carry the pieces downstream. Based on the passage, what does weathering mean?
Answer: Weathering means cracking a large rock apart into smaller pieces.
The passage says weathering breaks rock into smaller pieces, and gives the example of ice cracking a rock. So weathering means cracking a large rock apart into smaller pieces. That is the best answer.
The choice about carrying rock pieces away by wind or water is really the meaning of erosion. The passage uses the word 'but' to show weathering and erosion are different: erosion moves the pieces, weathering breaks them. So this choice describes the wrong word.
The choice about melting rock into liquid mud is wrong because the passage never says rock turns into liquid. Weathering breaks rock into solid pieces, not mud.
The choice about pushing rock together to build mountains is wrong because weathering breaks rock apart, it does not build anything up. It is the opposite of what the passage describes.
Tip: When two words are compared with 'but,' read carefully so you don't mix up their meanings.
- Read the passage. Energy can come from different resources people use every day. Unlike coal and oil, which are non-renewable and will eventually run out, solar energy can be used again and again. Coal and oil take millions of years to form. That is why they are limited in supply. Based on the passage, what is the meaning of non-renewable?
Answer: Non-renewable means having a supply that is limited.
The passage tells you that coal and oil are non-renewable and that they "are limited in supply." It also says they take millions of years to form, so once they are used up, they cannot easily come back. That is why the best answer is that non-renewable means having a supply that is limited. The choice saying it means able to be replaced quickly by nature is wrong because that describes the opposite kind of resource, like solar energy, which "can be used again and again." The choice saying it means clean and safe to use in any amount is wrong because the passage never talks about how safe or clean these resources are. The choice saying it means made only from sunlight and wind is wrong because sunlight and wind are renewable resources, not the coal and oil the passage calls non-renewable. To find the meaning, look for context clues in the sentences around the word.
- Read the passage. A force can change how an object moves. Friction is a force that slows down moving objects. When you rub your hands together, you can feel the friction creating heat. A bike also slows when its brakes press on the wheel. What does the word friction mean as it is used in the passage?
Answer: Friction means a force that slows objects down as their surfaces rub.
The passage tells you exactly what friction does: it 'slows down moving objects,' and you feel it when you rub your hands together or when a bike's brakes press on the wheel. So the best answer is that friction is a force that slows objects down as their surfaces rub. The choice saying friction speeds objects up is wrong because the passage says friction slows things, not the opposite. The choice about pulling objects down toward the ground describes gravity, not friction. The choice about letting objects float on water describes floating, which the passage never mentions. Cover the word friction and reread the sentences around it—the clues about slowing and rubbing point to only one meaning.
- In the passage, what does friction mean?
Answer: Friction means a force that slows down objects that are sliding.
The passage says friction is "a force that resists sliding motion," which is why the book slows down as it slides. That matches the choice saying friction is a force that slows down sliding objects. The choice about a force pulling objects toward the ground describes gravity, not friction, so it does not fit. The choice about heat staying inside a warm object mixes up friction with warmth—the passage says rubbing creates warmth, but friction is the force, not the heat itself. The choice about the speed an object gains is wrong because friction slows objects down, it does not speed them up. Only the first choice names a force that resists sliding, so it is the best answer.
- Read the passage. In the water cycle, clouds form when water vapor cools. This cooling causes condensation, which is when a gas changes into tiny liquid droplets. You can see condensation on the outside of a cold glass. Those drops come from water vapor in the air turning into liquid water. Based on the passage, what does condensation mean?
Answer: Condensation means a cooling gas turning into small drops of liquid.
The passage tells you condensation happens when water vapor cools and forms tiny drops of liquid. That matches the answer about a cooling gas turning into small drops of liquid. The answer about liquid water heating up and turning into gas is the opposite process, called evaporation, so it is wrong. The answer about rainwater soaking into the soil describes what happens after rain reaches the ground, not condensation forming in the air. The answer about frozen water falling as snow or icy rain describes precipitation, which is a different step in the water cycle. Only the choice about a gas cooling into liquid drops fits how the passage uses the word.
- Read the passage. In science class, Jamal slid a book across his desk. It slowed down because of friction, a force that makes moving objects slow down. When you rub your hands together, you can feel friction creating heat. Friction can be helpful, like keeping shoes from slipping. What is the best definition of friction as it is used in this text?
Answer: Friction means a force that slows down moving objects.
The passage tells you exactly what friction is: 'a force that makes moving objects slow down.' It even gives examples, like a book slowing on a desk and shoes not slipping. So the best definition is a force that slows down moving objects. The choice saying friction pushes objects faster is wrong because the passage shows friction slowing the book, not speeding it up. The choice about a force that lifts objects into the air describes something like floating, not the slowing force the text describes. The choice about a force pulling objects down toward Earth describes gravity, not friction. When a passage defines a word right after using it, use that definition to check each answer.
- Read the passage. A hawk and a mouse are part of a food chain. The hawk is a predator because it hunts other animals for food. The mouse is prey, meaning it can be hunted by predators. This relationship helps keep nature balanced. Based on the passage, what is the meaning of predator?
Answer: Predator means an animal that catches and eats other animals to survive.
The passage says the hawk is a predator because it hunts other animals for food. So a predator is an animal that catches and eats other animals to survive. That matches the hawk's role in the food chain. The choice saying a predator eats only plants and never hunts is wrong, because the passage clearly says a predator hunts other animals. The choice saying a predator is a safe place where animals live and find shelter is wrong, because a predator is an animal, not a place. The choice saying a predator is caught and eaten by stronger animals is wrong, because that describes prey, like the mouse—prey is hunted, but a predator does the hunting. Remember to read carefully to see which animal does the hunting and which one gets hunted.
