Editorial Development: Bonnie Brook Communications

SKILL PRACTICE
Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.
 1. Why did the narrator start riding the bus?
A 
His mother no longer had time to drive
him places.
B 
The bus stop was close to his apartment.
C 
He bought a summer bus pass.
D 
He went to a clean-air rally.
 2. How does public transit affect air quality?
A 
It improves hybrid technology.
B 
It reduces the amount of smog.
C 
It increases the amount of hydrocarbons.
D 
It encourages development of cleaner fuels.
 3. Why is public transit more economical than 
owning a car?
A 
There is less traffic on the road.
B 
Buses use cleaner technologies than cars.
C 
Riders do not need insurance.
D 
Buses do not use as much fuel as cars.
 4. What effect did having a bus pass have on
the narrator?
A 
He spent less money on gas.
B 
He was able to go wherever he wanted.
C 
He decided that he will get a car when he
is older.
D 
He realized he preferred the bus to hiking
and biking.
STRATEGY PRACTICE
What types of public transit do you have in your area? How are they helpful to citizens?
 
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© Evan-Moor Corp. • EMC 3458 • Daily Reading Comprehension 
73
Name: 
WEEK 11
DAY 3
Prediction
READ THE PASSAGE
Pause briefly after each paragraph to predict what you will learn next.
High Tech to Go
A laptop is a portable personal computer that is small enough to set on one’s lap while using it, but it 
did not always look like the notebook-style laptops we are used to seeing today. Most historians consider 
the Osborne 1, first produced by Adam Osborne in 1981, to be the first truly successful portable computer. 
It was quite expensive and weighed almost 24 pounds, which made it difficult to carry and, therefore, not 
really all that “portable.” The first notebook-style computer was created in 1988. The NEC UltraLite weighed 
under five pounds and cost roughly $3000. That was a lot of money in the late 1980s, as it still is today.
The 1990s saw the release of portable computers that were sleek, fast, and light. The flip-form 
notebook style became popular because the design protects the screen and keyboard when the unit is 
closed. As laptops became increasingly popular, the computers came with improved displays and memory. 
They also became more and more affordable, and laptop computers began flying off shelves in stores. 
No longer were they considered to be suitable for only a small, specialized market, as was originally 
thought. Portable laptop computers were beginning to appeal to just about everyone.
These days, people of all ages carry their laptop computers with them to offices, schools, coffee 
shops, airplanes, and many other public places. Laptop computers have rapidly become full-fledged 
alternatives to desktop computers. Today, more laptop computers are sold than desktop models. This is 
probably because the laptops are affordable, and they offer virtually all the features and power of a 
desktop computer. But, as with all technology, today’s laptop computers will continue to change, and one 
day, people will wonder how we ever used such strange machines.