GMS Test Taking Strategy

IMPLORE

IMPLORE

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PREDICT• Before reading the passage

– Underline the title– Highlight any information in the title that I know

• If the title has words you are familiar with highlight those words in the title, and each time they appear in the passage

The Mysterious Medicine WheelOne of the most ancient archaeologic mysteries in the United States lies at the summit of a towering peak in Wyoming. Known as the Medicine Wheel, the relic is formed by rocks in a near-perfect circle. Observers—those willing to scale the ten thousand-foot mountain to its plateau—insist that the wheel is so symmetrical it could not be natural. The stones, they say, had to be placed there by some historic race. Was it a place of worship or sacrifice? If so, why at such an inaccessible site? Scholars can only guess. Despite the many theories advanced as to its origin and purpose, the background of the Medicine Wheel remains a mystery.

LOCATE• Look at pictures, maps, charts, or graphs

ORGANIZE• Number paragraphs• Circle

– Dates– Names– Places– Any unfamiliar words in the text

The Mysterious Medicine WheelOne of the most ancient archaeologic mysteries in the United States lies at the summit of a towering peak in Wyoming. Known as the Medicine Wheel, the relic is formed by rocks in a near-perfect circle. Observers—those willing to scale the ten thousand-foot mountain to its plateau—insist that the wheel is so symmetrical it could not be natural. The stones, they say, had to be placed there by some historic race. Was it a place of worship or sacrifice? If so, why at such an inaccessible site? Scholars can only guess. Despite the many theories advanced as to its origin and purpose, the background of the Medicine Wheel remains a mystery.

READ/REREAD• Put pencils down and read the entire article• Pick up pencils and label each paragraph

EVALUATE• Answer questions and locate answers in the text

The Mysterious Medicine WheelOne of the most ancient archaeologic mysteries in the United States lies at the summit of a towering peak in Wyoming. Known as the Medicine Wheel, the relic is formed by rocks in a near-perfect circle. Observers—those willing to scale the ten thousand-foot mountain to its plateau—insist that the wheel is so symmetrical it could not be natural. The stones, they say, had to be placed there by some historic race. Was it a place of worship or sacrifice? If so, why at such an inaccessible site? Scholars can only guess. Despite the many theories advanced as to its origin and purpose, the background of the Medicine Wheel remains a mystery.

1. The paragraph tells mainly—

a) Why the Medicine Wheel is atop a high mountain

b) How the Medicine Wheel was constructed

c) What the Medicine Wheel might be

d) Who constructed the Medicine Wheel

2. Observers of the Medicine Wheel

a) Believe it was a place of sacrifice

b) Can only guess at its purpose

c) Feel it is too symmetrical to be natural

d) Understand its true purpose

SHIFTING CONTINENTSRead the passage “Shifting Continents” and use the “IMPLORE” strategies to answer the questions.

PREDICT• Before reading the passage

– Underline the title– Highlight any information in the title that I know

• If the title has words you are familiar with highlight those words in the title, and each time they appear in the passage

Shifting ContinentsIf you look at a globe, you can see that some of the continents look like pieces of a big

jigsaw puzzle. Geologists, or earth scientists, think that millions of years ago all the continents were connected to make one big supercontinent.

For a long time, no one was able to explain how the continents had split apart, if they had once really been connected. Then a man named Alfred Wegener developed a theory called Continental Drift to explain why there are now seven continents instead of one. He said the inside of the earth is composed of magma, a thick liquid made up of melted rock. The top, or crust, of the earth is made up of large plates that float on top of the magma. At one time, the plates carrying the continents were joined together into a huge land mass, call Pangaea. The rest of the world was one great ocean. But some of the magma rose up through the ocean and formed some new crust. This caused pressure on the big land mass and broke it into two pieces. One piece was made up of the continents of what are now Europe, Asia, and North America. The other piece included present-day Africa, South America, Australia, and Antarctica. As more magma rose up, the two large pieces of land gradually broke up again into the continents we know today. The movement of the magma inside the earth carried the continents away from each other, much as a current in a river pushes a boat along.

What kind of evidence do geologists have that the continents were once connected? Certain rock structures in Africa and South America are so much alike that they must once have been part of the same formation. Also, scientists have found fossils of the same plants and animals on continents that are now far apart. But the best proof of the continental drift theory is that it is still happening today. Scientists say that fifty million years from now, the Atlantic Ocean will be much wider than it is now. Africa and Europe will touch each other, the Mediterranean Sea will almost disappear, and North and South America will not be connected to each other at all!

LOCATE• Look at pictures, maps, charts, or graphs

ORGANIZE• Number paragraphs• Circle

– Dates– Names– Places– Any unfamiliar words in the text

Shifting ContinentsIf you look at a globe, you can see that some of the continents look like pieces of a big

jigsaw puzzle. Geologists, or earth scientists, think that millions of years ago all the continents were connected to make one big supercontinent.

For a long time, no one was able to explain how the continents had split apart, if they had once really been connected. Then a man named Alfred Wegener developed a theory called Continental Drift to explain why there are now seven continents instead of one. He said the inside of the earth is composed of magma, a thick liquid made up of melted rock. The top, or crust, of the earth is made up of large plates that float on top of the magma. At one time, the plates carrying the continents were joined together into a huge land mass, call Pangaea. The rest of the world was one great ocean. But some of the magma rose up through the ocean and formed some new crust. This caused pressure on the big land mass and broke it into two pieces. One piece was made up of the continents of what are now Europe, Asia, and North America. The other piece included present-day Africa, South America, Australia, and Antarctica. As more magma rose up, the two large pieces of land gradually broke up again into the continents we know today. The movement of the magma inside the earth carried the continents away from each other, much as a current in a river pushes a boat along.

What kind of evidence do geologists have that the continents were once connected? Certain rock structures in Africa and South America are so much alike that they must once have been part of the same formation. Also, scientists have found fossils of the same plants and animals on continents that are now far apart. But the best proof of the continental drift theory is that it is still happening today. Scientists say that fifty million years from now, the Atlantic Ocean will be much wider than it is now. Africa and Europe will touch each other, the Mediterranean Sea will almost disappear, and North and South America will not be connected to each other at all!

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3

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READ/REREAD• Put pencils down and read the entire article• Pick up pencils and label each paragraph

Shifting ContinentsIf you look at a globe, you can see that some of the continents look like pieces of a big

jigsaw puzzle. Geologists, or earth scientists, think that millions of years ago all the continents were connected to make one big supercontinent.

For a long time, no one was able to explain how the continents had split apart, if they had once really been connected. Then a man named Alfred Wegener developed a theory called Continental Drift to explain why there are now seven continents instead of one. He said the inside of the earth is composed of magma, a thick liquid made up of melted rock. The top, or crust, of the earth is made up of large plates that float on top of the magma. At one time, the plates carrying the continents were joined together into a huge land mass, call Pangaea. The rest of the world was one great ocean. But some of the magma rose up through the ocean and formed some new crust. This caused pressure on the big land mass and broke it into two pieces. One piece was made up of the continents of what are now Europe, Asia, and North America. The other piece included present-day Africa, South America, Australia, and Antarctica. As more magma rose up, the two large pieces of land gradually broke up again into the continents we know today. The movement of the magma inside the earth carried the continents away from each other, much as a current in a river pushes a boat along.

What kind of evidence do geologists have that the continents were once connected? Certain rock structures in Africa and South America are so much alike that they must once have been part of the same formation. Also, scientists have found fossils of the same plants and animals on continents that are now far apart. But the best proof of the continental drift theory is that it is still happening today. Scientists say that fifty million years from now, the Atlantic Ocean will be much wider than it is now. Africa and Europe will touch each other, the Mediterranean Sea will almost disappear, and North and South America will not be connected to each other at all!

EVALUATE• Answer questions and locate answers in the text

Shifting ContinentsCheck your answers

1. Number the events below in the order that they happened______ The two large pieces gradually broke up.______ Africa and Europe will touch each other.______ The continents were joined into a huge land mass.______ Pangaea broke into two pieces

2. Match the word or words on the left with the phrase on the right that best fits by writing the correct letter in the blank._____ Pangaea a. Developed the Continental Drift Theory

_____ Alfred Wegener b. Ancient remains of plants and animals

_____ Fossils c. Name of a huge land mass formed by all continents

_____ Magma d. Thick liquid of melted rock

3. The story tells us that geologists believe the continents were once joined together in a huge land mass. What kind of evidence do geologists have that the continents were once connected?

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21

c

a

b

d

Rock structures in Africa and South America are alike and fossils of the same things plants and animals have

been found on different continents.

EVALUATE• Answer questions and locate answers in the text

When selecting your answers,

make sure to locate them in the text…

Shifting ContinentsIf you look at a globe, you can see that some of the continents look like pieces of a big

jigsaw puzzle. Geologists, or earth scientists, think that millions of years ago all the continents were connected to make one big supercontinent.

For a long time, no one was able to explain how the continents had split apart, if they had once really been connected. Then a man named Alfred Wegener developed a theory called Continental Drift to explain why there are now seven continents instead of one. He said the inside of the earth is composed of magma, a thick liquid made up of melted rock. The top, or crust, of the earth is made up of large plates that float on top of the magma. At one time, the plates carrying the continents were joined together into a huge land mass, call Pangaea. The rest of the world was one great ocean. But some of the magma rose up through the ocean and formed some new crust. This caused pressure on the big land mass and broke it into two pieces. One piece was made up of the continents of what are now Europe, Asia, and North America. The other piece included present-day Africa, South America, Australia, and Antarctica. As more magma rose up, the two large pieces of land gradually broke up again into the continents we know today. The movement of the magma inside the earth carried the continents away from each other, much as a current in a river pushes a boat along.

What kind of evidence do geologists have that the continents were once connected? Certain rock structures in Africa and South America are so much alike that they must once have been part of the same formation. Also, scientists have found fossils of the same plants and animals on continents that are now far apart. But the best proof of the continental drift theory is that it is still happening today. Scientists say that fifty million years from now, the Atlantic Ocean will be much wider than it is now. Africa and Europe will touch each other, the Mediterranean Sea will almost disappear, and North and South America will not be connected to each other at all!

IMPLORE

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