UNIT 6 WEEK 3 Read the article Don t Drink the Water before answering Numbers 1 through 5. Don t Drink the Water Cholera is a swift and terrible disease that infects the intestines. It is caused by bacteria. In healthy people, the intestines take in nutrients and water. But in a cholera victim, the intestines are unable to absorb water and salt. As a result, the victims of cholera do not have sufficient moisture in their bodies. They become severely dehydrated. Their blood pressures drop, their eyes look sunken, their pulses race, and their dry skin wrinkles. While some parts of the world experience few outbreaks, in other areas cholera reaches epidemic levels. Treatment for the disease is quite simple, and people can recover quickly if they receive it immediately. Doctors treat cholera with antibiotics. They also replace fluids that were lost due to dehydration. During the 1800s, cholera outbreaks appeared in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Doctors at that time believed that the illness was spread by bad air, but one English doctor disagreed. Dr. John Snow had treated cholera patients, breathing the same air that they breathed. But he was never infected with the disease himself. Dr. Snow believed that cholera was caused by drinking dirty water, but his theory was unpopular. 288 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 3
UNIT 6 WEEK 3 In 1854, an outbreak of cholera struck London, and more than 600 people in a single neighborhood were infected in just a few days. Many others left their homes because they were afraid of breathing bad air. Dr. Snow saw an opportunity to test his idea. He didn t need a complex experiment to prove his theory. Instead, Dr. Snow had a simple plan: he interviewed people affected by the disease and marked all the cases on a map. His map showed that instead of being spread out across the city, the disease was concentrated near the public water pump at Broad Street. The well did not provide pure, clean drinking water, but rather it was contaminated with sewage and garbage. People who did not drink water from the Broad Street pump did not become ill. Dr. Snow demanded that the polluted pump be shut down, and when the source of polluted water was shut off, the spread of the disease ended. Dr. Snow had discovered the cause of cholera. Dr. Snow s maps and interviews were scientific innovations because they were a sharp change from the kind of research that had been done previously. No one had ever collected this kind of data before. Dr. Snow s work not only helped stop the spread of cholera, but it also altered the course of medicine and science. Since then, maps and statistics have become important tools that help doctors and scientists understand how diseases start and spread. Dr. Snow is remembered as an early champion of public health. Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 3 Grade 6 289
Now answer Numbers 1 through 5. Base your answers on Don t Drink the Water. 1 Read the paragraph from the text. Cholera is a swift and terrible disease that infects the intestines. It is caused by bacteria. In healthy people, the intestines take in nutrients and water. But in a cholera victim, the intestines are unable to absorb water and salt. As a result, the victims of cholera do not have sufficient moisture in their bodies. They become severely dehydrated. Their blood pressures drop, their eyes look sunken, their pulses race, and their dry skin wrinkles. What is the main idea of the paragraph? A Cholera is dangerous. B Cholera infects intestines. C People with cholera lose blood pressure. D People with cholera become dehydrated. 2 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the sentence from the text. While some parts of the world experience few outbreaks, in other areas cholera reaches epidemic levels. What does epidemic mean? A simple B very high C enjoyable D not known Part B: Which phrase from the sentence shows the opposite of epidemic? A some parts B world experience C few outbreaks D other areas 290 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 3
3 Complete the chart with events from the text that show a chain of causes and effects. Write the events from the list below. Cause or Effect Event Cause Effect/Cause Effect/Cause Events: Effect The spread of the disease is stopped. An outbreak of cholera strikes London. Dr. Snow determines that the source of the disease is a single well. Dr. Snow interviews people with cholera and maps where they live. Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 3 Grade 6 291
4 Read the sentence from the text. The well did not provide pure, clean drinking water, but rather it was contaminated with sewage and garbage. What does contaminated mean? A cooled B heated C improved D poisoned 5 Read the paragraph from the text. Dr. Snow s maps and interviews were scientific innovations because they were a sharp change from the kind of research that had been done previously. No one had ever collected this kind of data before. Dr. Snow s work not only helped stop the spread of cholera, but it also altered the course of medicine and science. Since then, maps and statistics have become important tools that help doctors and scientists understand how diseases start and spread. Dr. Snow is remembered as an early champion of public health. Dr. Snow s new ideas changed how doctors and scientists work. Which sentence from the paragraph best states this main idea? A No one had ever collected this kind of data before. B Dr. Snow s work not only helped stop the spread of cholera, it also altered the course of medicine and science. C Since then, maps and statistics have become important tools that help doctors and scientists understand how diseases start and spread. D Dr. Snow is remembered as an early champion of public health. 292 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 3
UNIT 6 WEEK 3 Read the article Ocean Adventures before answering Numbers 6 through 10. Ocean Adventures The oceans are the last frontier on Earth. We know that there are mountain ranges and volcanoes on the ocean floor, but much of the deep ocean is a mystery. Diving In Exploring the deep ocean is hazardous because the average depth of the ocean is more than 4,000 meters. Below 200 meters, there is very little sunlight. At these levels, the water is bone-chillingly cold. The high pressure caused by the weight of the water can be deadly. Deep-sea divers must be protected against these lifethreatening conditions, so scientists have developed technologies for deep-ocean exploration. Specialized diving suits and submersible vehicles allow modern-day explorers to visit the unknown, uncharted depths of the sea. As a result, divers are able go deeper and stay underwater longer so they can discover and map more regions of the oceans. Early deep-sea divers had to wear heavy diving suits and metal helmets. Air was pumped into the helmet through a long hose. The air hose tethered divers, limiting the depth and distances they could travel. That changed in the early 1940s. An oceanographer, or scientist who studies the oceans, named Jacques Cousteau invented the first underwater breathing system. It freed divers to stay underwater while breathing from a tank they carried. Today, Cousteau s invention is known as scuba gear. Underwater Vehicles One of the earliest underwater observation vehicles, or submersibles, was developed in 1928. It was a round, steel diving bell called a bathysphere. The steel chamber was attached to a ship by a metal cable. It had a porthole through which divers inside could view the ocean. A deeper diving vehicle called the bathyscaphe was developed in the late 1940s. The most famous bathyscaphe was the Trieste. In 1960, this vehicle became the first to submerge in the deepest part of the ocean, known as the Mariana Trench, plunging two scientists to a depth of more than 10,000 meters! Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 3 Grade 6 293
UNIT 6 WEEK 3 A Walk on the Ocean Floor Scientists have also developed special pressurized diving outfits, including the JIM suit, which was first developed and tested in the 1970s. It s a bulky suit that looks like a large robot. It protects the diver from the effects of water pressure at massive depths. Divers can reach depths of 600 meters in these specialized suits. In 1979, a scientist named Sylvia Earle used the JIM suit to make the deepest dive in history. With Earle inside, the JIM suit was attached to a submersible vehicle. When the submersible reached the ocean bottom, Earle separated herself. Safe in the JIM suit, she was able to walk on the ocean floor for two hours at a depth of more than 1,000 meters. All of these deep-sea adventures have led to a greater understanding of the oceans. By going deeper, scientists can learn more about the wonders that exist there. 294 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 3
Now answer Numbers 6 through 10. Base your answers on Ocean Adventures. 6 Which sentence states the main idea of the text? A The deepest parts of the oceans are unknown. B Diving equipment and underwater vehicles are amazing. C Scientists have developed tools to explore the depths of the oceans. D Scientists used an underwater vehicle to go into the Mariana Trench. 7 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the sentences from the text. Specialized diving suits and submersible vehicles allow modern-day explorers to visit the unknown, uncharted depths of the sea. As a result, divers are able go deeper and stay underwater longer so they can discover and map more regions of the oceans. What does the word uncharted mean in the sentences? A imaginary B invisible C unexplored D unreachable Part B: Which word from the sentences best shows what uncharted means? A diving B unknown C longer D regions Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 3 Grade 6 295
8 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the paragraph from the text. Early deep-sea divers had to wear heavy diving suits and metal helmets. Air was pumped into the helmet through a long hose. The air hose tethered divers, limiting the depth and distances they could travel. That changed in the early 1940s. An oceanographer, or scientist who studies the oceans, named Jacques Cousteau invented the first underwater breathing system. It freed divers to stay underwater while breathing from a tank they carried. Today, Cousteau s invention is known as scuba gear. What is the main idea of the paragraph? A Deep-sea divers must wear scuba gear to swim underwater. B Jacques Cousteau was an oceanographer who invented scuba gear. C The invention of scuba gear opened up new opportunities for divers. D Diving suits used to be heavy and included metal helmets with long hoses. Part B: Which new detail would best support the paragraph? A Most of Earth s volcanoes are on the ocean floor. B Cousteau was born in 1910 in a small town in France. C The deepest spot in the oceans is about seven miles deep. D Cousteau s invention allowed divers to explore new places. 296 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 3
9 Read the sentence from the text. The author uses submerge to mean go under water. Circle two words in the sentence that help to show what submerge means. In 1960, this vehicle became the first to submerge in the deepest part of the ocean, known as the Mariana Trench, plunging two scientists to a depth of more than 10,000 meters! 10 What is the main idea of the section titled A Walk on the Ocean Floor? A Divers have used the JIM suit to explore the bottom of the ocean. B Divers can use the JIM suit to protect themselves from water pressure. C The JIM suit allows divers to walk under the water for about two hours. D The JIM suit was developed so that Sylvia Earle could walk on the ocean floor. STOP Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 3 Grade 6 297