Grade 8 Close Reading worksheet

1. Question 1

   What do the sea turtle hatchlings show about light pollution?

   Keeping the Night Sky

   On a clear night far from any town, thousands of stars are visible to the naked eye. In a large city, you may be able to count only a few dozen. The reason is light pollution: electric light that shines upward or spills where it isn't needed, making the sky glow.

   Light pollution is more than an inconvenience for stargazers. Many birds migrate at night and can become confused by bright buildings, sometimes flying into windows. Sea turtle hatchlings, which use moonlight on the water to find the ocean, may crawl toward streetlights instead. Researchers have also linked bright light at night to poorer sleep in people.

   Fortunately, the problem can be fixed. Shields that aim lamps downward, warmer-coloured bulbs and timers that dim lights after midnight all help. Several communities have adopted “dark sky” rules, and many report lower energy bills as a bonus. Protecting the night, it turns out, can be both practical and affordable.

   • Artificial light can mislead animals that rely on natural light.
   • Turtles cannot swim.
   • Moonlight is harmful.
   • Turtles prefer bright cities.
   Show answer

2. Question 2

   Which sentence best states the central idea of the passage?

   Keeping the Night Sky

   On a clear night far from any town, thousands of stars are visible to the naked eye. In a large city, you may be able to count only a few dozen. The reason is light pollution: electric light that shines upward or spills where it isn't needed, making the sky glow.

   Light pollution is more than an inconvenience for stargazers. Many birds migrate at night and can become confused by bright buildings, sometimes flying into windows. Sea turtle hatchlings, which use moonlight on the water to find the ocean, may crawl toward streetlights instead. Researchers have also linked bright light at night to poorer sleep in people.

   Fortunately, the problem can be fixed. Shields that aim lamps downward, warmer-coloured bulbs and timers that dim lights after midnight all help. Several communities have adopted “dark sky” rules, and many report lower energy bills as a bonus. Protecting the night, it turns out, can be both practical and affordable.

   • Stars are visible only in cities.
   • Light pollution affects wildlife and people, but practical steps can reduce it.
   • Birds migrate only in daylight.
   • Streetlights should be banned.
   Show answer

3. Question 3

   What is the author's main purpose?

   Keeping the Night Sky

   On a clear night far from any town, thousands of stars are visible to the naked eye. In a large city, you may be able to count only a few dozen. The reason is light pollution: electric light that shines upward or spills where it isn't needed, making the sky glow.

   Light pollution is more than an inconvenience for stargazers. Many birds migrate at night and can become confused by bright buildings, sometimes flying into windows. Sea turtle hatchlings, which use moonlight on the water to find the ocean, may crawl toward streetlights instead. Researchers have also linked bright light at night to poorer sleep in people.

   Fortunately, the problem can be fixed. Shields that aim lamps downward, warmer-coloured bulbs and timers that dim lights after midnight all help. Several communities have adopted “dark sky” rules, and many report lower energy bills as a bonus. Protecting the night, it turns out, can be both practical and affordable.

   • To describe one city's history
   • To entertain with a story
   • To advertise a product
   • To inform readers about a problem and encourage solutions
   Show answer

4. Question 4

   What does the word “Fortunately” signal at the start of the third paragraph?

   Keeping the Night Sky

   On a clear night far from any town, thousands of stars are visible to the naked eye. In a large city, you may be able to count only a few dozen. The reason is light pollution: electric light that shines upward or spills where it isn't needed, making the sky glow.

   Light pollution is more than an inconvenience for stargazers. Many birds migrate at night and can become confused by bright buildings, sometimes flying into windows. Sea turtle hatchlings, which use moonlight on the water to find the ocean, may crawl toward streetlights instead. Researchers have also linked bright light at night to poorer sleep in people.

   Fortunately, the problem can be fixed. Shields that aim lamps downward, warmer-coloured bulbs and timers that dim lights after midnight all help. Several communities have adopted “dark sky” rules, and many report lower energy bills as a bonus. Protecting the night, it turns out, can be both practical and affordable.

   • A return to the first idea
   • A funny story
   • A shift from describing problems to describing solutions
   • A new problem
   Show answer

5. Question 5

   According to the passage, why are cities good for pollinators?

   Why We Keep Bees

   When the Hartman family started keeping bees on their roof in the city, their neighbours were nervous. Bees, they said, belonged in the countryside, not beside the laundromat.

   But researchers have found that cities can be surprisingly good homes for pollinators. A city garden, balcony pot or park offers flowers from early spring to late autumn, while farms often have only one crop that blooms for a few weeks. Many cities also use fewer pesticides than large farms.

   Still, urban beekeeping is not a perfect solution. Honey bees are not native to North America, and when too many hives crowd a neighbourhood they can compete with wild bees for food. Experts suggest that city dwellers who want to help should also plant native flowers and leave small patches of bare soil, where many wild bees nest.

   • They have no flowers to compete over.
   • They use more pesticides.
   • They offer flowers over a longer part of the year.
   • They have fewer people.
   Show answer

6. Question 6

   Why does the author include the phrase “beside the laundromat” in the first paragraph?

   Why We Keep Bees

   When the Hartman family started keeping bees on their roof in the city, their neighbours were nervous. Bees, they said, belonged in the countryside, not beside the laundromat.

   But researchers have found that cities can be surprisingly good homes for pollinators. A city garden, balcony pot or park offers flowers from early spring to late autumn, while farms often have only one crop that blooms for a few weeks. Many cities also use fewer pesticides than large farms.

   Still, urban beekeeping is not a perfect solution. Honey bees are not native to North America, and when too many hives crowd a neighbourhood they can compete with wild bees for food. Experts suggest that city dwellers who want to help should also plant native flowers and leave small patches of bare soil, where many wild bees nest.

   • To prove that bees can swim
   • To advertise a business
   • To explain how honey is made
   • To show how unexpected bees seemed in a city
   Show answer

7. Question 7

   What does the author do in the final paragraph?

   Why We Keep Bees

   When the Hartman family started keeping bees on their roof in the city, their neighbours were nervous. Bees, they said, belonged in the countryside, not beside the laundromat.

   But researchers have found that cities can be surprisingly good homes for pollinators. A city garden, balcony pot or park offers flowers from early spring to late autumn, while farms often have only one crop that blooms for a few weeks. Many cities also use fewer pesticides than large farms.

   Still, urban beekeeping is not a perfect solution. Honey bees are not native to North America, and when too many hives crowd a neighbourhood they can compete with wild bees for food. Experts suggest that city dwellers who want to help should also plant native flowers and leave small patches of bare soil, where many wild bees nest.

   • Presents a limit to the idea and offers a suggestion
   • Compares two cities
   • Tells a personal story
   • Describes how to build a hive
   Show answer

8. Question 8

   Which word best describes the mood of the passage?

   The Red Mitten

   Every morning on his walk to school, Jay passed a small red mitten stuck on a fence post. Someone had placed it there so its owner could find it, but days turned into weeks and no one came for it.

   Snow dusted the mitten, melted off, then dusted it again. Jay began to feel sorry for it, which he knew was silly. It was only wool. Still, he found himself wondering about the child who had lost it, and whether their hand was cold.

   One Monday, the fence post was bare. Jay stopped, surprised by how empty the spot felt. Then a little girl in a bright pair of red mittens waved at him from across the street, and Jay found that he was waving back, grinning, all the way to school.

   • angry and bitter
   • gentle and quiet
   • tense and frightening
   • loud and exciting
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9. Question 9

   Why is Jay most likely grinning at the end?

   The Red Mitten

   Every morning on his walk to school, Jay passed a small red mitten stuck on a fence post. Someone had placed it there so its owner could find it, but days turned into weeks and no one came for it.

   Snow dusted the mitten, melted off, then dusted it again. Jay began to feel sorry for it, which he knew was silly. It was only wool. Still, he found himself wondering about the child who had lost it, and whether their hand was cold.

   One Monday, the fence post was bare. Jay stopped, surprised by how empty the spot felt. Then a little girl in a bright pair of red mittens waved at him from across the street, and Jay found that he was waving back, grinning, all the way to school.

   • He has won a race.
   • He is pleased that school is starting.
   • He is glad the mitten seems to have found its owner.
   • He found a new mitten.
   Show answer

10. Question 10

    How does Jay change over the passage?

    The Red Mitten

    Every morning on his walk to school, Jay passed a small red mitten stuck on a fence post. Someone had placed it there so its owner could find it, but days turned into weeks and no one came for it.

    Snow dusted the mitten, melted off, then dusted it again. Jay began to feel sorry for it, which he knew was silly. It was only wool. Still, he found himself wondering about the child who had lost it, and whether their hand was cold.

    One Monday, the fence post was bare. Jay stopped, surprised by how empty the spot felt. Then a little girl in a bright pair of red mittens waved at him from across the street, and Jay found that he was waving back, grinning, all the way to school.

    • He moves from caring to forgetting.
    • He moves from walking to running.
    • He moves from happiness to anger.
    • He moves from simply noticing the mitten to caring about its owner.
    Show answer

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