Making Inferences
Read each passage. Consider which facts are clearly stated and which ideas are implied.
After each statement, write down "stated" or "inferred" to describe the sentence.
White House Lawn
During World War I, sheep roamed the White House lawn. The sheep were President Wilson's attempt to help the war effort. Since the sheep kept the grass short, the regular gardeners were not needed. They could be sent to the military. But not everyone liked the sheep. One reason was that the sheep ate the lawn's bushes and flowers. The president defended the use of the sheep. He said they also provided wool for blankets for the Red Cross.
A. The sheep provided wool.
B. President Wilson liked the sheep.
C. The gardeners could be sent to the military.
D. The sheep kept the grass short.
Planets
Planets in our solar system move in two different ways. They revolve, or circle, around the sun in a path we call an orbit. We call the amount of time it takes to make one orbit a year. Planets that are farther away from the sun have longer orbits and longer years. Earth takes 365 days to circle the sun. Mercury takes only 88 days. Jupiter, which is very far from the sun, has a year of more than 3,000 days. Planets also spin around by themselves like a top. We call this movement rotation. The time it takes a planet to rotate is called one day. Earth takes 24 hours to make one complete revolution. Venus, which moves more slowly, takes 240 Earth days to make a full rotation.
A. Planets move in two ways.
B. Mercury is closer to the sun than Earth is.
C. Each planet has its own orbit.
D. A day on Venus is as long as 240 days on Earth.
New York City
In the United States, New York is the city with the most people. More than seven million people live there. In fact, New York has had the country's highest population since 1800. In land size, though, New York is not big. The city covers only three hundred square miles.
A. New York City is in the United States.
B. The people in New York City live close together.
C. New York City's land size is not big.
D. More than seven million people live in New York City.
Hiram Revels
In 1870 Hiram Revels made history. That year he won a seat in the United States Senate. Revels was the first African American to become a senator. He served his state of Mississippi well. But he remained in the Senate just one year.
A. Revels was a United States senator.
B. Revels served the people of Mississippi.
C. Revels was honored to be a senator.
D. Revels won the election in 1870.
Answer Key
White House Lawn
A. S
B. I
C. S
D. S
Planets
A. S
B. I
C. I
D. S
New York City
A. S
B. I
C. S
D. S
Hiram Revels
A. S
B. S
C. I
D. S