First, rinse bottles and cans so they are clean. Next, sort paper, plastic, and metal into different bins. Keep a small box near the door to collect used batteries so they don't go in the trash. Another helpful idea is to check your town's website for pickup days. For example, some places collect yard waste on a different schedule. Also, you can reuse jars to store buttons or pasta. Finally, place the bins at the curb the night before pickup. This saves time in the morning and keeps your kitchen less cluttered.

Which sentence would be the best topic sentence to add at the beginning of this paragraph?

Beavers are busy builders that change streams into ponds. They use their strong teeth to cut small trees and drag branches to the water. They pile up sticks and pack mud between them to slow the flowing water. In their lodges, the walls are made of sticks, and the floor stays dry above the pond. Beavers slap their tails to warn others of danger. In the sentence, 'They gather stuff to build their dams,' the word stuff is vague and unclear.

Which word best replaces 'stuff' to make the meaning clearer?

Butterflies go through four stages in their life cycle. A butterfly lays eggs on a leaf. Tiny caterpillars hatch and begin to eat. They eat many leaves each day to grow bigger. [____] they attach to a twig and form a chrysalis. Inside, the body changes into wings, legs, and antennae. After about two weeks, an adult butterfly climbs out. It pumps fluid into its new wings and waits for them to dry. Then it can fly to find flowers.

Which word or phrase best completes the blank to link the ideas clearly?

Keeping an indoor plant healthy is simple when you pay attention. Place the plant where it gets bright, indirect light, not harsh sun through the window. Check the soil with your finger; water only when the top inch feels dry. Use a small pot with holes so extra water can drain. Wipe dust from the leaves so they can breathe better. Turn the pot each week so the plant grows evenly toward the light. So yeah, plants are neat.

Which sentence best replaces the last sentence to provide a stronger concluding statement?

First, I take the caps off the bottles and rinse them so there isn't sticky soda inside. Next, I squash each bottle to save space. Then I drop the bottles into the blue bin we keep by the back door. At the recycling center, workers sort plastics by type. Clean bottles can be melted and shaped into new items, like fiber for jackets or benches for parks. This keeps trash out of the landfill and uses fewer new materials. Sometimes I remind my family to bring their empty bottles home after picnics so we can recycle them.

Which sentence would be the best topic sentence for this paragraph?

Thunderstorms can form quickly on hot, humid days. Lightning is dangerous because it can strike tall objects and travel through metal. If you hear thunder, move away from trees and light poles. Another thing, get inside a sturdy building and stay away from windows. Do not use corded electronics, and avoid water, since pipes can carry electricity. If you are caught outside, crouch low, keeping only the balls of your feet on the ground. Wait until 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back outside. These steps help you stay safe when the sky rumbles.

Which phrase best replaces "Another thing" to make the ideas connect more clearly?

Bees help many plants by moving pollen from flower to flower. When a bee lands to sip nectar, it brushes against the flower's anthers. The bee picks up a yellow dust called stuff on its legs and fuzzy body. On the next flower, some of that dust rubs off, which helps the plant make seeds and fruit. Without bees, gardens and farms would grow far less food. Beekeepers also collect honey that bees make from nectar. If you plant native flowers and avoid harmful sprays, you can support bees in your neighborhood.

Which word best replaces "stuff" to make the meaning clearer?

Composting turns kitchen scraps and yard waste into soil your plants can use. Start by choosing a bin with small holes so air can get in. Add brown materials, like dry leaves and cardboard, and green materials, like fruit peels and vegetable ends. Mix the pile every week to give it oxygen. Keep it as damp as a wrung-out sponge, and chop big pieces so they break down faster. In a few months, the pile will look dark and crumbly, and it won't smell like food anymore.

Which sentence would be the best concluding statement for this paragraph?

First, rinse plastic bottles so there is no smell. Take off the caps, because many programs collect them separately. Next, squeeze the bottles to save space in the bin. Clear labels can stay on, but sticky food should not. Put the bottles in a container marked for recycling at home or school. Trucks carry the bottles to a center, where the plastic is sorted and washed. Machines chop the plastic into tiny flakes. Those flakes can be melted and spun into fiber for new items like jackets and backpacks. Doing these steps helps keep bottles out of landfills.

Which sentence would be the best topic sentence for this paragraph?

Honeybees work together to keep their hive running. Foragers leave to find flowers and bring back nectar and pollen. Inside, worker bees fan their wings to dry the nectar. The hive is made of wax cells called honeycombs, where bees store sweet stuff for later. Bees also use the cells to hold eggs and growing young. To share directions to flowers, a bee does a waggle dance. This dance tells other bees where to fly. Stingers protect the hive, so people should watch bees calmly from a distance and not disturb their busy work.

Which word best replaces "stuff" to make the meaning clearer?