Reading Standards for Informational Text: Fiction and History: Comparing Perspectives (CCSS.RI.6.6) Practice Test

When people hear the word wildfire, they often imagine a wall of flames racing through a forest. But not every fire in a forest is an emergency. A controlled burn is a carefully planned fire set by trained crews under the right weather conditions. The goal is to remove dry leaves, dead branches, and thick brush that can feed larger, more dangerous fires later. Before a controlled burn begins, experts study wind, humidity, and the types of plants in the area. They create firebreaks—clear paths that stop flames from spreading—and keep water and tools ready. During the burn, crews monitor the fire's behavior and adjust their plan if conditions change. Afterward, the burned area is checked to make sure hidden embers are out. Controlled burns can help certain plants sprout, return nutrients to the soil, and create open spaces where new growth can thrive. By explaining what controlled burns are, how they work, and why they are used, this passage helps readers understand how fire can be a tool for keeping forests healthier and communities safer.

Every weekday, we ask teenagers to sit up straight at 7:30 a.m., even though their bodies are still begging for sleep. Doctors at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that teens get 8 to 10 hours each night, and research shows their internal clocks run later than adults'. When schools push start times earlier, students drag through the day, yawning through first-period math and stumbling through after-school practices. When districts move the first bell to 8:30 or later, attendance improves, grades rise, and car crashes involving teen drivers drop. That is not a coincidence; it is biology.

Some people worry that later starts will complicate bus schedules or sports, but communities that have tried the change report that the benefits outweigh the hassles. If we claim to care about learning and health, why are we ignoring what the science says? A school day that begins later is a simple, evidence-based step that helps nearly every student. It is time for districts to stop treating sleep like a luxury and start respecting it as a learning tool.