Egypt

Molly Kubik, 2016

Egypt is a country in northern Africa. Egypt is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. The capital of Egypt is Cairo. Cairo is the largest city in Africa, and has been a very important place throughout Egypt's history. Cairo is a modern city. If you visit, you will see large buildings and many cars. Egypt has a very rich history. Long ago, the ancient Egyptians were a very advanced civilization. They were very intelligent people who built pyramids, invented ways to farm in the desert, invented a way of writing, and set up many schools. Ancient Egyptian writing was very advanced. Ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics to write, which are small pictures that tell a written story. Although is very difficult to live in the desert, the ancient Egyptians were very resourceful and were able to create a prosperous civilization. Like the ancient Egyptians and modern day Egyptians mainly live near the Nile River. Modern day Egypt sometimes has problems. Over 82 million people live in Egypt. Some people live in poverty. Many poor people need jobs, homes, and education. There have been problems with wars. Egypt is working very hard to solve these problems. They are working hard to make their schools better, and are helping students to learn more. Egypt has a wonderful history, and it will have a great future too because people are working hard to make Egypt a great place.

Which statement best explains the main idea of the passage?

"The Dangers of Sugar" by Daniel Morrison (2014)

Sugar is a highly addictive substance that plays a dangerous role in the health and well-being of people around the world. It is particularly threatening to American health, as it is placed in everything from carbonated sodas to beef jerky and vegetable juice. The average American consumes seventy-five pounds of sugar every year—that is roughly the weight of a elementary school child. Many health experts believe that sugar is the number one contributing factor in the high rates of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes that can be found in the contemporary United States.

Why does the author believe that sugar is “particularly threatening to American health”?

Egypt

Molly Kubik, 2016

Egypt is a country in northern Africa. Egypt is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. The capital of Egypt is Cairo. Cairo is the largest city in Africa, and has been a very important place throughout Egypt's history. Cairo is a modern city. If you visit, you will see large buildings and many cars. Egypt has a very rich history. Long ago, the ancient Egyptians were a very advanced civilization. They were very intelligent people who built pyramids, invented ways to farm in the desert, invented a way of writing, and set up many schools. Ancient Egyptian writing was very advanced. Ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics to write, which are small pictures that tell a written story. Although is very difficult to live in the desert, the ancient Egyptians were very resourceful and were able to create a prosperous civilization. Like the ancient Egyptians and modern day Egyptians mainly live near the Nile River. Modern day Egypt sometimes has problems. Over 82 million people live in Egypt. Some people live in poverty. Many poor people need jobs, homes, and education. There have been problems with wars. Egypt is working very hard to solve these problems. They are working hard to make their schools better, and are helping students to learn more. Egypt has a wonderful history, and it will have a great future too because people are working hard to make Egypt a great place.

Which statement best explains the main idea of the passage?

"The Dangers of Sugar" by Daniel Morrison (2014)

Sugar is a highly addictive substance that plays a dangerous role in the health and well-being of people around the world. It is particularly threatening to American health, as it is placed in everything from carbonated sodas to beef jerky and vegetable juice. The average American consumes seventy-five pounds of sugar every year—that is roughly the weight of a elementary school child. Many health experts believe that sugar is the number one contributing factor in the high rates of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes that can be found in the contemporary United States.

Why does the author believe that sugar is “particularly threatening to American health”?

Adapted from A Catechism of Familiar Things: Their History and the Events Which Led to Their Discovery by the Benziger Brothers (1881)

The olive tree was a great favorite with the ancient Greeks, and scarcely an ancient custom existed with which the olive was not in some way associated: at their marriages and festivals, all parts of their dwellings, especially the doors, were ornamented with them, and the same custom prevails at the present day, both in public and private rejoicings. It was also scarcely less a favorite with the Romans, although it was not held in the same sacred light as amongst the Greeks. The olive-branch has likewise been universally considered the emblem of plenty, and as such, is found on the coins of those countries of which it is not a native.

According to the author, what does the olive-branch signify?

Brandi Chastain - A Soccer Champion

Molly Kubik, 2016

The year 1999 was a big year for women's soccer. The United States Women's Soccer team played the Chinese Women's Soccer in the finals of the Women's World Cup. They were tied 4-4 in the final game. The whole world watched this game to see would be the World Champion. Over 90,000 people came to the game, which was hosted at the Rose Bowl in California, and over forty million people across the world watched the game on television. Because the game was tied, the winner had to be decided with penalty kicks. Everyone watched as United States player Brandi Chastain lined up to take her penalty kick, which would decide the game. She lined up, ran, and shot the ball! The ball flew into the upper right corner of the net. The Chinese goalie couldn't reach it. Brandi Chastain had scored! The United States won the game 5-4. They were the World Champions! Many people say that this was the most important moment of Brandi Chastain's whole soccer career. Brandi had always been a standout soccer player since she was very young. She played soccer in high school and college. She even played on the champion World Cup soccer team in 1991 and went to the 1996 Olympic games, where she won a gold medal. Soccer had always been a very important part of Brandi's life. In 1993, Brandi played professional soccer in Japan because there was no professional women's team in the United States for her to join. While she played there, she was voted to be the most valuable player. When she returned to the United States, she could not play professional soccer because there was still no professional women's team! Finally, in the spring of 2000, the United States formed a professional women's soccer league. Brandi Chastain played for San Francisco. As usual, Brandi remained in the spotlight. She was never afraid to play against tough teams and win. Brandi Chastain is truly a soccer champion.

What was important about Brandi Chastain's soccer goal in the 1999 Women's World Cup?

Adapted from A Catechism of Familiar Things: Their History and the Events Which Led to Their Discovery by the Benziger Brothers (1881)

The olive tree was a great favorite with the ancient Greeks, and scarcely an ancient custom existed with which the olive was not in some way associated: at their marriages and festivals, all parts of their dwellings, especially the doors, were ornamented with them, and the same custom prevails at the present day, both in public and private rejoicings. It was also scarcely less a favorite with the Romans, although it was not held in the same sacred light as amongst the Greeks. The olive-branch has likewise been universally considered the emblem of plenty, and as such, is found on the coins of those countries of which it is not a native.

According to the author, what does the olive-branch signify?

Brandi Chastain - A Soccer Champion

Molly Kubik, 2016

The year 1999 was a big year for women's soccer. The United States Women's Soccer team played the Chinese Women's Soccer in the finals of the Women's World Cup. They were tied 4-4 in the final game. The whole world watched this game to see would be the World Champion. Over 90,000 people came to the game, which was hosted at the Rose Bowl in California, and over forty million people across the world watched the game on television. Because the game was tied, the winner had to be decided with penalty kicks. Everyone watched as United States player Brandi Chastain lined up to take her penalty kick, which would decide the game. She lined up, ran, and shot the ball! The ball flew into the upper right corner of the net. The Chinese goalie couldn't reach it. Brandi Chastain had scored! The United States won the game 5-4. They were the World Champions! Many people say that this was the most important moment of Brandi Chastain's whole soccer career. Brandi had always been a standout soccer player since she was very young. She played soccer in high school and college. She even played on the champion World Cup soccer team in 1991 and went to the 1996 Olympic games, where she won a gold medal. Soccer had always been a very important part of Brandi's life. In 1993, Brandi played professional soccer in Japan because there was no professional women's team in the United States for her to join. While she played there, she was voted to be the most valuable player. When she returned to the United States, she could not play professional soccer because there was still no professional women's team! Finally, in the spring of 2000, the United States formed a professional women's soccer league. Brandi Chastain played for San Francisco. As usual, Brandi remained in the spotlight. She was never afraid to play against tough teams and win. Brandi Chastain is truly a soccer champion.

What was important about Brandi Chastain's soccer goal in the 1999 Women's World Cup?

Adapted from The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Van Loon (1921)

The Phoenicians were a Semitic tribe that at a very early age had settled along the shores of the Mediterranean. They had built themselves two well-fortified towns, Tyre and Sidon, and within a short time they had gained a monopoly of the trade of the western seas. Their ships went regularly to Greece and Italy and Spain and they even ventured beyond the straits of Gibraltar to visit the Scilly islands where they could buy tin. Wherever they went, they built themselves small trading stations, which they called colonies. Many of these were the origin of modern cities, such as Cadiz and Marseilles.

They bought and sold whatever promised to bring them a good profit and regarded a well-filled treasure chest the highest ideal of all good citizens. Notably, they rendered future generations one service of the greatest possible value: they helped develop the alphabet used in modern English.

The Phoenicians had been familiar with the art of writing, invented by the Sumerians. But they regarded the Sumerian method as a clumsy waste of time. They were practical business men and could not spend hours engraving two or three letters. They set to work and invented a new system of writing which was greatly superior to the old one. They borrowed a few pictures from the Egyptians and they simplified a number of the wedge-shaped figures of the Sumerians. They sacrificed the pretty looks of the older system for the advantage of speed and they reduced the thousands of different images to a short and handy alphabet of twenty-two letters.

In due course of time, this alphabet travelled across the Aegean Sea and entered Greece. The Greeks added a few letters of their own and carried the improved system to Italy. The Romans modified the figures somewhat and in turn taught them to the barbarians of western Europe. That is the reason why this is written in characters that are of Phoenician origin and not in the hieroglyphics of the Egyptians or in the nail-script of the Sumerians.

The author claims that the Phoenician alphabet first traveled to where after its development?

Adapted from The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Van Loon (1921)

The Phoenicians were a Semitic tribe that at a very early age had settled along the shores of the Mediterranean. They had built themselves two well-fortified towns, Tyre and Sidon, and within a short time they had gained a monopoly of the trade of the western seas. Their ships went regularly to Greece and Italy and Spain and they even ventured beyond the straits of Gibraltar to visit the Scilly islands where they could buy tin. Wherever they went, they built themselves small trading stations, which they called colonies. Many of these were the origin of modern cities, such as Cadiz and Marseilles.

They bought and sold whatever promised to bring them a good profit and regarded a well-filled treasure chest the highest ideal of all good citizens. Notably, they rendered future generations one service of the greatest possible value: they helped develop the alphabet used in modern English.

The Phoenicians had been familiar with the art of writing, invented by the Sumerians. But they regarded the Sumerian method as a clumsy waste of time. They were practical business men and could not spend hours engraving two or three letters. They set to work and invented a new system of writing which was greatly superior to the old one. They borrowed a few pictures from the Egyptians and they simplified a number of the wedge-shaped figures of the Sumerians. They sacrificed the pretty looks of the older system for the advantage of speed and they reduced the thousands of different images to a short and handy alphabet of twenty-two letters.

In due course of time, this alphabet travelled across the Aegean Sea and entered Greece. The Greeks added a few letters of their own and carried the improved system to Italy. The Romans modified the figures somewhat and in turn taught them to the barbarians of western Europe. That is the reason why this is written in characters that are of Phoenician origin and not in the hieroglyphics of the Egyptians or in the nail-script of the Sumerians.

The author claims that the Phoenician alphabet first traveled to where after its development?