Editorial Development: Bonnie Brook Communications

SKILL PRACTICE
Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.
 1. Why did the author write the passage?
A
to give information about softball history
B
to explain how softball games are played
C
to teach about living up to fans’ expectations
D
to persuade readers to join athletic leagues
 2. Why did the author mention that Laurie had hit 
25 home runs throughout the season?
A
to show that Laurie liked to brag
B
to explain why Laurie was being interviewed
C
to tell why Laurie played second base
D
to give details that support the author’s opinion
 3. Why did the author mention that people were 
whispering and pointing?
A
to explain why Laurie felt pressured
B
to describe the characters in the stands
C
to show how fans supported the team
D
to illustrate the opposing team’s scare tactics
 4. Why might the author have included the last two 
sentences of the passage?
A
to show that Laurie wanted to see the crowd
B
to explain why Laurie did not want to lose
C
to show that Laurie was still confident
D
to explain why Laurie bragged in the article
STRATEGY PRACTICE
 
Write a question that could be answered if the passage were continued.
 
 
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© Evan-Moor Corp. • EMC 3458 • Daily Reading Comprehension 
55
Name: 
WEEK 8
DAY 3
Evaluate Evidence
READ THE PASSAGE
Look for evidence that supports the author’s ideas or claims.
Should the United States Have a High-Speed Rail System?
In Europe, trains commonly blast from city to city at over 150 miles per hour. In the United States, the 
Acela train, which is currently our fastest, is designed to go up to 150 miles per hour, but it usually travels 
at about 80 miles per hour. A train ride on an Acela costs twice as much as it would on a regular train, and 
Acelas stop only at select cities between New York City and Washington, DC. Even so, Acela trains are 
profitable, and many people enjoy the safe, speedy rides. Unfortunately, high-speed trains are not a top 
priority in the United States. Although more Acela-type systems would be an obvious solution to pollution 
and traffic problems, these systems are not going to appear all over the country anytime soon.
In the United States, the costs of high-speed rail systems are enormous. Building a system that would 
link major cities in California alone is estimated to cost more than 70 billion dollars. When money is scarce, 
legislators are reluctant to spend so much money on a project that may not be completed for more than a 
decade. On top of that, the distances between major metropolitan regions in the United States are much 
greater than between cities across Europe. While a high-speed system might make sense to link Dallas 
and Houston, it would be very costly and difficult to build between cities that are over 1,000 miles apart.
However, even if the United States used high-speed rail systems only in some areas, there would still 
be immediate benefits. If high-speed rail systems were built in California and the popular Northeast 
corridor, more than one million construction jobs would be created. In the long run, because people would 
use the trains instead of driving or flying, the country could save millions of dollars on oil costs and vastly 
reduce carbon dioxide emissions.