Combining information from two texts

English · Reading Comprehension · ages 9-10

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Text A: Sunflowers turn their young heads to follow the sun across the sky. Text B: Sunflowers can grow taller than a grown-up. Their seeds are food for birds. Which fact comes from Text B only?
- Sunflower heads follow the sun
- Sunflowers are yellow
- Sunflower seeds are food for birds
Text A: Camels store fat in their humps. They can go many days without drinking. Text B: A camel's hump is full of fat, not water. Camels have long eyelashes that keep sand out of their eyes. Which fact do both texts give you?
- Camels have long eyelashes
- A camel's hump holds fat
- Camels can go days without drinking
Text A about penguins says they cannot fly. Text B about penguins also says they cannot fly. This fact is...
- found in both texts
- only in Text A
- only in Text B
Text A says whales are mammals, but Text B never mentions this. This fact is unique to Text A.
Circle one: True False
Text A: Ladybugs eat aphids. Aphids are small insects that harm garden plants. Text B: Many gardeners are glad when they see ladybugs on their plants. Using both texts, why are gardeners glad?
- Because ladybugs are pretty to look at
- Because ladybugs eat the insects that harm plants
- Because ladybugs are easy to count
Text A: The tallest tree in our park is the old oak by the gate. Text B: The tallest tree in the park is the pine near the pond. These two texts disagree about which tree is tallest.
Circle one: True False
Text A says an old bridge was built 200 years ago. Text B says it was built 300 years ago. What should you notice?
- The two texts contradict each other
- The two texts fully agree
- One text gives no information at all
Text A gives 5 facts about owls. Text B gives 4 facts about owls, and 2 of them are also in Text A. How many different facts do the two texts give you altogether?
Answer: ______________
Text A: A blue whale's heart is about the size of a small car. Text B: Blue whales eat tiny sea animals called krill. Which question do these two texts leave unanswered?
- What a blue whale eats
- How big a blue whale's heart is
- How long a blue whale lives
Text A: Monarch butterflies fly south in autumn to get away from the cold. Text B: Huge groups of monarch butterflies spend the whole winter in the fir forests of Mexico. Using both texts, where do these monarchs go when autumn comes?
- North, to look for snow
- South, to the fir forests of Mexico
- Nowhere, they stay on the same plant

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

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Sunflower seeds are food for birds · Only Text B mentions the seeds. Following the sun belongs to Text A, and neither text says anything about the color yellow.
A camel's hump holds fat · Text A says camels store fat in their humps, and Text B says the hump is full of fat. That is the one fact that shows up twice.
found in both texts · When two texts state the same fact, that fact appears in both, so you can be more confident it is true.
True · Since only Text A gives this fact, it is unique to that text.
Because ladybugs eat the insects that harm plants · Text B tells you gardeners are glad but never says why. The reason sits in Text A, where ladybugs eat the aphids that harm garden plants.
True · Both texts answer the same question and name different trees, so they disagree and the statement is true.
The two texts contradict each other · Different years for the same event is a contradiction worth pointing out.
7 · Text A's 5 facts all count. Text B brings only 2 facts that Text A did not already have, so 5 plus 2 makes 7 different facts.
How long a blue whale lives · Food comes from Text B and heart size comes from Text A, but neither text says a word about how long a blue whale lives.
South, to the fir forests of Mexico · Text A gives the direction and the season. Text B gives the place. Neither text says south to Mexico on its own, so you only get the whole answer by joining them.