Wednesday - Homerrom Activities

WEDNESDAY

Practice Activity 2

1.      The Underground Railroad was a secret organization which helped slaves escape to freedom. Many slaves were able to escape because of the conductors and station masters. The northern states were free states and slaves were free once they arrived in the north. Secret codes and signals were used to identify the conductors and station masters.

What is the author's purpose of this writing? _______________________

2.      Most people think that gorillas are mean, but actually they are shy. It seems that such a huge animal with very large teeth would be aggressive. Hollywood movies help convey this image of the scary, ferocious gorilla. In fact, gorillas only attack if they are provoked. However, gorillas usually don't have to fight other animals because of their impressive size.

The author believes that

a)     Gorillas are misunderstood as vicious animals.

b)     Gorillas are mean animals.

c)      Gorillas don't like other animals.

d)     Gorillas communicate well with other animals.

3.      In some parts of the world, food shortages cause many people to starve. Somehow people must increase the world’s food crop. To do this, governments should grant more money to scientists who are studying little-known, edible plants. There are about 20,000 kinds of edible plants; although only about 100 of them are grown as food crops. Spending money to end hunger in this way should be a goal for all governments.

      The author’s purpose in writing this selection is to—

a)     persuade people to eat more plants

b)     describe the work of scientists

c)      explain the causes of world hunger

d)     propose a possible solution to food shortages.

4.      A visitor to a city in Bolivia such as La Paz might find the following recommendations in a brochure in the hotel room:

a.      If it is your first day here in our lovely city, you must take it easy and rest. We recommend that you not walk for even short distances. You must not climb stairs.

b.      These recommendations are posted in hotel rooms to help warn visitors of the potential hazards of being at a high altitude. You see, La Paz is located at a high altitude in the Andes Mountains. People who are not used to living at such altitudes can contract sorojche, or altitude sickness. Nausea, headaches, and tired muscles are some of the symptoms of this illness. These symptoms are caused by lack of oxygen from the thin air at high altitudes.

c.      People who rent cars in La Paz are given containers of water to take with them. Car radiators quickly boil over in high altitudes because water boils at a lower temperature in high altitudes than in low altitudes. Water needs to be replaced often in radiators of cars driven at high altitudes.

This article was mainly written to—

a)     explain the hazards of a place in a high altitude

b)     describe the things to see and do in La Paz

c)      welcome visitors to Bolivia

d)     train people how to take care of cars in foreign countries