Reading Standards for Informational Text > Stories Across Media (CCSS.RI.6.5) Practice Test

In many cities, vacant lots have been turned into community gardens. While the tomatoes and herbs are the most visible results, the deeper change is social. A garden gives neighbors a reason to meet, talk, and share. When people spend time caring for a shared space, they tend to care more about the surrounding block. This passage explains how community gardens can strengthen neighborhoods beyond the harvest.

On a typical week, for example, volunteers swap tools and advice across fences. Teenagers learn to compost food scraps and keep records of plant growth for science class. Some gardens host Saturday markets where residents trade zucchini for homemade salsa. Even the design matters: raised beds slow stormwater, and flowering borders invite bees and butterflies. These practical details add up to cleaner corners, friendlier sidewalks, and small moments of pride that ripple through a street.

A garden is not a magic solution. Plots can be scarce, schedules conflict, and access to water costs money. Yet many groups write clear rules, share harvests with food pantries, and partner with libraries or senior centers to keep the gates open. The results are modest, but steady. Over time, a once-empty lot becomes a place where people are known, and that, more than the tomatoes, is what helps a neighborhood grow.

Paragraph 1: Cities heat up faster than rural areas because dark roofs and roads soak in the sun. This urban heat island effect can raise summer temperatures by several degrees, increasing energy use and health risks.

Paragraph 2: Planting and caring for street trees is one proven solution. A broad tree canopy shades pavement, cools air through evaporation, and offers places to rest. Studies show that neighborhoods with more shade have lower temperatures and lower electricity bills during heat waves.

Section: Case Study: Riverton's Shade Map

Paragraph 3: To decide where to plant first, the city of Riverton made a shade map. Volunteers walked blocks with thermometers at 3 p.m. on a hot day and marked tree cover on a digital map. The hottest spots were wide, treeless avenues by bus stops and schools. Within a year, Riverton added 300 young trees along those routes and partnered with students to water them.

Paragraph 4: The map did not solve every problem, but it helped the city target limited funds where shade would help the most.