Reading Standards for Informational Text > Determining Multiple Main Ideas and Summarizing Texts (CCSS.RI.5.2) Practice Test

Many people think recycling is just about sorting cans and bottles, but it brings real benefits to a community. When families recycle paper, plastic, glass, and metal, less waste goes to the landfill. That saves space and reduces the cost of hauling trash. Recycling also turns old items into useful products. Shredded office paper can become cardboard boxes, and melted aluminum cans can come back as new cans in just weeks. These processes use less energy than making products from raw materials. Local recycling centers provide jobs, from drivers who collect bins to workers who sort materials. Some towns use money saved from recycling programs to improve parks or buy library books. Schools even hold recycling drives that raise funds for field trips. In these ways, recycling helps communities save money, protect resources, and create opportunities.

Bees do more than make honey. As they fly from flower to flower collecting nectar, they carry pollen. This pollen helps plants make fruits, nuts, and seeds. Many foods people eat depend on bees, including apples, blueberries, cucumbers, and almonds. Farmers often rent beehives and place them near their fields during blooming season so crops will be pollinated. Without enough bees, harvests would be smaller and some foods would become costly or hard to find. Bees are facing problems, such as loss of wildflower habitats and exposure to certain pesticides. Communities can help by planting bee-friendly gardens and leaving patches of native plants. Even a few pots of flowers on a balcony can provide food for bees. When bees are healthy and plentiful, our food supply is stronger.