Homework: Adding Sentences
Name:
Date:
Class:
DIRECTIONS: Read the following passage. Jot a short summary next to each paragraph. Underline each key
word in the question stem and identify it (intro, conclude, add detail, transition). Answer the questions.
Fort Dearborn
By most accounts, the haunting of Chicago began in the
summer of 1812. At that time, Chicago was not yet named
Chicago. It was just a small settlement and military post
called Fort Dearborn. Fort Dearborn was home to
Chicago’s first white settlers.
The fort stood near the mouth of the Chicago River.
That is where the river joins Lake Michigan and where the
Michigan Avenue bridge is today. In fact, if you travel
downtown to the bridge, you can see the outline of the
fort in the sidewalk. Pieces of the metal in the cement
mark where the fort once stood.
1
1. The writer wants to give more detail about
the Michigan Avenue bridge in relation to Fort
Dearborn. Which of the following sentences, if
added here, will do that best?
A. There are many expensive stores along
Michigan Avenue, which is sometimes
called the Magnificent Mile.
B. When I saw these pieces of metal, I could
totally imagine what the fort must have
looked like.
C. In the side of the bridge next to these
metal markers are sculptures of scenes
from Fort Dearborn’s history.
D. You can take a bus or a train to get down
town.
When the fort was built in 1803, Native Americans were
living in the area. The arrival of white soldiers and settlers
greatly disrupted the Native Americans’ way of life.
Although the two groups didn’t always get along, they kept
things peaceful for the most part. 2
In 1812, fighting began between the United states and
Great Britain. Some groups of Native Americans sided
with the British. The settlers and soldiers living at Fort
Dearborn were ordered to leave the settlement in case it
was attacked. Nearly 150 of them began the long trip east
on foot toward Fort Wayne, Indiana. There they could
safely live until the fighting ended. However, they never
made it.
When the group reached the sand dunes along the
shore of Lake Michigan, near what is now 16th Street and
Indiana Avenue, a band of Native Americans loyal to the
British attacked. The Native Americans killed most of the
settlers and took the rest prisoner. This was known as the
Fort Dearborn Massacre. After killing the settlers, the
Indians returned to Fort Dearborn and burned it to the
ground.
3
2. The writer wishes to end paragraph 2 with a
sentence that provides a transition to
paragraph 3. Which of the following would be
the best choice?
A. Some Native Americans even became
friends with the white soldiers.
B. That is, until war broke out.
C. Native Americans’ way of life was never
the same after 1803.
D. The peace between these groups seemed
like it would last no matter what
happened.
3. At this point, the writer is considering adding
the following sentence:
Some soldiers who had remained behind
burned with the fort.
Would this be a relevant addition to make
here?
A. No, because the essay focuses on the
Native Americans.
B. No, because the paragraph is only talking
about Fort Wayne, Indiana.
C. Yes, because the writer wants to add a
dramatic detail about the Fort Dearborn
Massacre.
D. Yes, because this explains why the soldiers
stayed behind.
Homework: Adding Sentences
DIRECTIONS: This practice tests both adding sentences and logical order of sentences in a paragraph. Read
the following passage. Highlight clue words for the sequencing paragraphs questions. Jot a short summary
next to each paragraph. Underline each key word in the question stem and identify it (intro, conclude, add
detail, transition). Answer the questions.
4
The first people known to have made
chocolate were the Aztecs, who used cacao seeds
to make a bitter but tasty drink. However, it was
not until Hernan Cortez’s exploration of Mexico in
1519 that Europeans first learned of chocolate.
(1) Cortez came to the New World in search of
gold, but his interest was also fired by the Aztec’s
4. The writer wishes to add a sentence at the beginning of
this paragraph to introduce the essay. Which of the following
sentences would be the best choice?
A. Europeans and Aztecs were among the first people
to make chocolate.
B. Chocolate is one of the most popular snack foods in
the world today.
C. Cacao beans were first brought to Europe from
Mexico in the sixteenth century.
D. The word “chocolate” is used to describe a variety of
foods made from the beans of the cacao tree.
strange drink. (2) When Cortez returned to Spain,
his ship’s cargo held three chests of cacao beans.
(3) It was from these beans that Europe
experienced its first taste of what seemed to be a
very unusual beverage. (4) The drink soon became
popular among those people wealthy enough to
afford it. (5) Over the next century, cafes
specializing in chocolate drinks began to appear
5
throughout Europe.
(1) Of course, chocolate is very popular
today. (2) People all over the world enjoy
chocolate bars, chocolate sprinkles, and even
chocolate soda. (3) The chocolate ant
phenomenon has yet to take over America, but
Americans do enjoy their chocolate nonetheless.
5. Upon reviewing paragraph 2, the writer realizes some
information has been left out and composes the following
sentence:
One of the first European cafes to serve a chocolate drink was
in Belgium, which is now a country famous for its chocolate.
The most logical placement for the sentence would be after
sentence
A. 2
B. 3
C. 4
D. 5
6. For the sake of unity and coherence, sentence 4 should be
placed:
A. where it is now
B. before sentence 1
C. before sentence 2
D. before sentence 3
(4) In fact, Asia has cultivated the delicacy of
chocolate covered ants!
6
Many chocolate lovers around the world
were ecstatic to hear that chocolate may actually
be good for you. Researchers say chocolate
contains a chemical that could prevent cancer and
heart disease. New research measures the
amount of catechins, the chemical thought to be
behind the benefits, in different types of
chocolate. The studies show that chocolate is very
high in catechins.
7
7. Which of the following concluding sentences would most
effectively end this paragraph?
A. There are also other ways to prevent cancer and
heart disease, such as through regular exercise and a
healthy diet.
B. The research is likely to be welcomed by those with
a sweet tooth, although dentists may be less
pleased.
C. Chocolate is also very high in sugar, so don’t give
children too much chocolate or they may become
hyper.
D. You can find chocolate in almost any place around
the world.