Mastering New Jersey s 15 Most Challenging Skills New Jersey Reading George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey STUDENT NAME
Table of Contents Context Clues... 4 Genres... 8 Author s Purpose... 12 Details... 16 Cause and Effect... 20 Summarizing... 24 Inferences... 28 Predictions... 32 Connect, Compare, and Contrast Texts... 36 Characters... 40 Plot... 44 Setting... 48 Theme... 52 Figurative Language... 56 Rhythm and Rhyme... 60 Acknowledgments... 64 3
NJ What does the word watch mean? A watch is something you wear on your wrist to tell time. When you watch a bird fly, you look at the bird making its way through the air. Both meanings of watch are correct. How do you know which meaning is right? When you read, you will encounter words that have more than one meaning. You will also encounter words you have never seen before. You can use a word s context to help you figure out its meaning. A word s context is the words and sentences around it. These words are clues to the meaning of a word you are unsure of. Clues are hints to help you learn a word s meaning. Read the following sentence: The chickens are kept in a pen. A pen is something you write with. It is also a fencedin place where animals are kept. Which meaning does pen have in the sentence you just read? The words around pen are clues to its meaning. In this sentence, a pen is an enclosure where chickens are kept. A 4 Context Clues WORD BANK context clues A build a bridge Read the following sentence. Maria was afraid to take the perilous journey down the wild river. What does the word perilous mean? A fun B dangerous C easy D short The word plain has more than one meaning. Use context to decide which meaning is being used in the following sentence. The southeast section of New Jersey is part of a coastal plain. level countryside common or ordinary
GUIDED PRACTICE Read the following selection. As you read, circle any words that are unfamiliar to you. Papyrus Papyrus is a paper-like material ancient Egyptians used to write on. Papyrus is also the name of the plant from which the material was made. This plant was cultivated in Egypt. Ancient Egyptians grew it near the Nile River. B 1 What does the word cultivated mean? Now continue reading the selection. Ancient Egyptians collected the papyrus plant. They used the center part of its stalk. This pith was cut into thin strips. The strips were pressed together. Then they were dried. Eventually, they formed a smooth writing surface. C 2 Complete this sentence: Pith is Now read the following sentences. The paper-like material made from papyrus was very thin and quite delicate. Ancient scribes had to handle it carefully when writing. B build a bridge Look at Number 1. Cultivated may be a word you are unfamiliar with. What does it mean? The words Egyptians grew it are context clues. They help you figure out that cultivated means grew as a crop. C build a bridge Reread the first two sentences. Underline the context clues that can help you figure out the meaning of the word pith. 3 Based on the context clues, what do you think a scribe is? Circle your answer. a pen used for writing a person who writes 5
Read the following selection. PRACTICE The Pyramids of Ancient Egypt Since ancient times, the pyramids of Egypt have captivated people. People want to know who built these huge structures. They also want to know how and why they were constructed. The pyramids were built to house the bodies of pharaohs after death. The Egyptians believed that the bodies of their kings had to be protected for the afterlife. Each pharaoh was mummified. The pharaohs were buried with things they thought they might need in the afterlife. Gold, furniture, and food were often placed in the burial chambers. A great architect named Imhotep is believed to have designed the earliest known pyramid. It is called the Step Pyramid. It is located where the ancient city of Memphis once stood. Use context clues to answer the following questions. The pyramids in Egypt were built to house the bodies of dead pharoahs. 4 Someone who is captivated by something A is very interested in it B feels upset about it C doesn t care about it D is caught by it 5 A pharaoh is A any ancient Egyptian B a king of ancient Egypt C a type of pyramid D a kind of mummy 6 An architect is someone who A designs buildings B writes history books C works for kings D makes bricks 6
Continue reading The Pyramids of Ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptians had no machinery. They used copper chisels and saws to cut large blocks from limestone. Some stones came from areas near the pyramids. Others were brought by boat from distant places. Large groups of workers dragged these stones. They pushed the first layer of stones into place either by hand or with ramps that slanted upward. Once in place, the stones were polished by hand. Tens of thousands of builders may have worked on the pyramids. These workers lived in nearby villages. Historians believe the villages were thriving places. The bakeries found in the pyramid villages could have made thousands of loaves of bread weekly. Although most of the workers were men, some researchers believe that women also did hard labor. 7 Circle the sentence that uses the underlined word from the selection in the same way. Word Use 1 Use 2 cut I cut a square out of Joelle has a cut a piece of paper. on her finger. blocks The fallen tree blocks cars The house was built out from driving on the road. of blocks of stone. hard The bike helmet is made It is hard to push this wagon from a hard plastic. up the steep hill. Write a definition for each word below. Use context clues in the passage above to help you. 8 chisels: 9 thriving: 10 researchers: New Jersey does not have pyramids built by humans. It does have Pyramid Mountain outside Boonton. Pyramid Mountain is a popular place for hikers in Morris County. 7