Name: Date: Period:

AUTHOR’S PURPOSE WARM-UP #2

Astronomy Facts

Asteroids Comets

Asteroids contain rock and metals like iron and  Comets are a mixture of ices (water and frozen gases) and nickel. dust.

They are mostly found orbiting Jupiter and Mars.  They are sometimes called "dirty snowballs" or "icy mud They are sometimes called minor planets. balls."

 Comets are invisible, except when they are close to the Asteroid is a Greek word meaning "star–like." Sun.

Due to their small size, asteroids do not have  When comets get close to the Sun, they develop enough gravity to pull themselves into the shape enormous tails of radiant material that extend for millions of a ball. of kilometers from the head, away from the Sun.

If material from all the asteroids were brought  Once a comet has passed the Sun more than 500 times, together to form a planet, the resulting object the comet loses most of its ice and gas, and it begins to would be smaller than our moon. resemble an asteroid.

1 What is the purpose of reading the above chart? .

A. to understand the meaning of patterns in the sky

B. to get directions to the best place to view comets

C. to learn the difference between comets and asteroids D. to enjoy a story about comets and asteroids

2 The purpose of a newspaper article on the front page would most likely be to .

A. narrate to the reader the opinions of the chief editor.

B. entertain the reader with exciting pictures and stories.

C. inform the reader about an important news story.

D. persuade the reader to subscribe to the newspaper.

A.

B.

C.

D.

4.

The main purpose for reading this map would be to 3. Pesky Fire Ants

Fire ants were introduced to North America in 1930. Cargo-ship sailors from Brazil carried ant colonies with their goods. Now, they are a big problem in the southern part of the United States. Although fire ants are less active during winter, they do not truly hibernate. They oftentimes invade homes looking for food, water, and warmth. Despite their hot name, fire ants are cold-blooded animals, so when the weather is cold, finding a toasty house is worth the effort. When trying to get rid of fire ants inside the home, avoid stomping them to death. Living ants are attracted to the smell of dead ants, and the living will want to carry the dead bodies away. There are many natural ways to get rid of fire ants. Planting mint in a flower box on a window sill is a good way because ants hate mint. They also avoid chili powder, black pepper, cloves, vinegar, and bay leaves. Additionally, ants will not walk through Vaseline or chalk lines, so these are good alternatives for outside use. These are cheap and safe alternatives to poisons.

People would be interested in the article above to

A. find out the costs of tickets and food at the theater in Green Acres, North Dakota.

B. learn about the different kinds of museums that are located in the book district.

C. find out where they are planning to build a theater in Green Acres, North Dakota.

D. be entertained by a map showing where they plan to build a theater in town.