Reading Standards for Informational Text > Reading and Comprehending Informational Texts Independently at Grade Level (CCSS.RI.5.10) Practice Test

For more than a century, lighthouse keepers guarded rocky coasts. They climbed narrow stairs in storms to keep the light burning. Each night they trimmed the wick, refilled fuel, and checked the glass lens for salt. Their work was meticulous (careful and exact) because ships depended on that beam to avoid danger. In the early 1900s, new technology began to change this routine. First came brighter electric bulbs and motors that could rotate the lens without a person turning it. Later, sensors and timers switched lights on at dusk and off at dawn. By the 1970s, many lighthouses were fully automated, meaning they ran by themselves. Some people worried that machines could not replace a keeper's watchful eyes. Yet records showed that automated lights were reliable, even during bad weather, and they needed less fuel and fewer repairs. Communities repurposed the old keeper's houses as museums, where visitors can see logbooks and tools and hear stories of stormy nights. Today, while a few lighthouses still have staff for maintenance or tourism, most stand as guiding towers that quietly work on their own.

In many cities, summer feels hotter than in nearby countryside. This urban heat island happens when dark roofs and pavement soak up sunlight during the day and release heat slowly at night. As a result, nights stay warm, and air conditioners work longer, using more electricity. That extra energy use can strain power grids and raise bills for families. City planners are testing straightforward ways to cool neighborhoods. One approach is planting street trees that cast shade. Shade lowers surface temperature the way a beach umbrella cools the sand beneath it. Another strategy is installing cool roofs, materials with higher albedo (reflectivity) so they bounce away more sunlight. Some cities paint bus stop shelters a lighter color or add small parks, called pocket parks, on empty lots. These steps do not remove all heat, but they can mitigate (reduce) it. When cities combine several methods, the difference is noticeable: sidewalks are cooler to touch, and people report more comfortable evenings.