Name:
Inferences
Born in Massachusetts in 1775, Laura Ingersoll had a tough childhood. Her mother died when Laura was 9,
and her father soon remarried. Her father was a public official and an officer in the army. He spent most of his
time at work. As the oldest child, Laura would have been expected to help raise her younger brothers and
sisters.
In time, Laura’s father heard the Canadian government was offering land to settlers. Canada at that time
was still a part of the British Empire. After what must have been a difficult decision, her father moved the family
to Ontario. Two years later, at the age of 22, Laura met and married James Secord, a Canadian with strong
ties to the King of England. After the wedding, Laura and her new husband moved away to another town.
Unfortunately, arguments were growing between the United States and Great Britain. Eventually the
arguing led to war. In 1812, the United States army invaded Canada. Laura’s husband James joined the army,
yet was soon wounded in battle. He returned home to recover. While he rested, the Americans occupied
Laura's new town.
The American army forced Laura to quarter some soldiers in her home. One day, while serving a meal for
American officers, she overheard them discussing plans for an attack. The Americans expected to take the
British army by surprise and destroy it. This would allow them to drive the British from Canada, and possibly
cause Laura’s new country to lose the war. Laura felt she had to do something.
That night, she left her husband alone and snuck out to warn the British army. As she was leaving, an
American guard stopped Laura and demanded to know where she was going. Thinking quickly, Laura told the
guard that she was going to milk a cow. The American believed her, and she was able to slip away.
The journey was long and difficult. Laura had to avoid American scouts. She traveled many hours in the
dark before stumbling into a camp of Native warriors. Luckily, the Natives were friends of the British. They gave
Laura shelter then led her to the British camp. With the help of Laura and the Natives, the British ambushed
the Americans and defeated them. Laura’s new home was safe. Though she received little reward for her
devotion and bravery, Laura Secord still is considered a folk hero by many Canadians.
1. What is the best meaning of the sentence from the passage?
The American army forced Laura to quarter some soldiers in her home.
2. What is the most likely explanation for this sentence from the passage?
After what must have been a difficult decision, her father moved the family to Canada.
According to a survey conducted by Symantec, most parents are clueless about how much time their kids
spend online. On average, parents’ estimates on how much time their children spend online were 10 times too
small. Parents predicted that their children are online two hours a month. In actuality, they are spending about
20 hours a month online.
We asked one mother, Janine Mabel, how much time her son spends on the Internet. Her guess was 10
hours a month. A conversation with her son, Jamie, however, revealed that 100 hours a month is more likely.
When we asked him why his mother’s answer was so far off, he answered, “I have a computer in my room.
Just like I don’t watch what my mother does in her room, she doesn’t really watch what I do in my room.” He
also said that he sometimes logs on to the Internet late at night, when his mother is sleeping.
If parents are unaware of the amount of time their children spend online, they definitely aren’t aware of what
their children are doing online. A little less than half of U.S. teens agree that their parents do not know what
they do online. This lack of monitoring makes it simple for children to talk to strangers and get into trouble.
Parents say they are aware of the risks of the Internet. However, half of the parents surveyed have not
spoken to their children about online safety. Half of the parents also confessed that no parental controls are set
on the computer. In order to crack down on online crimes, it is essential that parents do their part. About 16%
of the children surveyed say that a stranger has chatted to them online. About 42% of teenagers have been
asked for their personal information. How will children know what to do in these situations if parents don't teach
them?
3. Which sentence from the story best shows that Janine and Jamie respect each other's privacy?
Before turning sixteen, most people think that driving is just fun and excitement. It certainly can be fun, but
driving a car is also a serious responsibility.
Most cars weigh between 3,000 and 4,000 pounds and can go over 100 miles per hour. If someone loses
control of something weighing that much and going that fast, it can cause a lot of damage and put people's
lives in danger. Driving requires a great deal of training and knowledge.
At the age of sixteen, many young people enter driver’s education classes. Some of these young people
already know much about driving. Some know almost nothing. All of them, however, will find these classes
useful. The classes cover a great deal. They are more than just driving lessons. Students learn the rules and
laws of driving on public roads. They learn how to operate different types of automobiles and how to properly
maintain a vehicle.
Being able to drive is fun, but everyone must remember to receive the proper training before giving driving a
try. Lots of practice and training make driving most cars, especially newer cars, safe and easy.
4. Based on the information in the passage, the reader can tell that the author thinks young people
5. The author included the detail that most cars "can go over 100 miles per hour" to show that
Greg Collins planned to study the night before the big social studies test, but things just seemed to get in
the way. First, he needed to take his dog Bones out for a walk. Then, he messaged his friends on his
computer. Soon, it was time for dinner. After that, he watched his favorite television show. Before he knew it, it
was time for bed.
"Lights out," said his mother, peeking in on him.
"Okay, Mom," he groaned. No more studying for him!
When he got to school the next day, he dragged his feet into Mr. Robertson's social studies class. The big
test would be first thing in the morning, and he just knew he was going to fail. Groaning, he opened the door
and discovered his classmates in a tizzy.
"We've got a sub," one boy whispered, pointing to the elderly woman with big glasses standing grumpily
behind Mr. Robertson's desk. "Now we can all copy off each other's papers during the big test."
Greg smiled for a moment, as his friends composed hasty cheat sheets and wrote notes on their desks. As
soon as the bell rang, the substitute handed out the tests, then waddled back to her desk and buried her nose
behind the morning paper.
Greg's smile disappeared when he saw his classmates whisper answers, use hand signals, and refer to tiny
cheat sheets. Greg began to fight an inner battle. He knew that he didn't deserve a good grade on the test just
because they had a sub who was more interested in the sports page than the class. It was tempting to just join
his friends and copy the answers, but Greg kept his eyes on his test. He knew whatever grade he got would be
the grade he earned.
6. From Greg's thoughts and actions, the reader can infer that he
Answers
1. The American army forced Laura to give shelter to soldiers.
2. Her father had served his country as a soldier and official.
3. " 'Just like I don't watch what my mother does in her room, she doesn't really watch what I do in my room.' "
4. Teens should take driver's education classes before driving.
5. People should be properly trained before driving.
6. wants to do the right thing.