R4 Inferences Practice

Inference Practice Questions 1

Using your best inference strategies, make an inference about the following statements. The first
two are done for you.

1. I wouldn't eat after that two-year-old if I were you.

Inference: The two-year-old probably did something gross to the food you were about to
eat or has a cold and you could catch it. Something bad will happen to you if you eat it!

2. For Valentine’s Day, my fantastic neighbor gave his wife a poem that took him about
two seconds to write. Sheesh.
Inference: My neighbor is not very considerate since he didn't take his time writing the
poem.

3. A man ran after a retreating bus, waving his briefcase frantically.

Inference:

4. If she died, I wouldn’t go to her funeral.

Inference:

5. Jake almost wished that he hadn’t listened to the radio. He went to the closet and
grabbed his umbrella even though he would feel silly carrying it to the bus stop on such a
sunny morning.
Inference:

6. Hey! What happened to all the school construction money taken from the taxpayers? It
paid for this toilet the money was flushed down.
Inference:

7. As you give a speech in front of a large audience, you realize that people are laughing
behind their hands and pointing to the region below your waist.
Inference:

8. No, Honey, I don’t want you to spend a lot of money on my birthday present. Just having
you for a husband is the only gift I need. In fact, I’ll just drive my old rusty bucket of
bolts down to the mall and buy myself a little present. And if the poor old car doesn't
break down, I’ll be back soon.
Inference:

9. A woman walks into a hospital clutching her abdomen and cursing out her husband, who
trails behind her carrying a large bag.
Inference:

10. You're driving on the highway, listening to the radio, and a police officer pulls you over.
Inference:
R4 Inferences Practice

Answers To Inference Practice Questions 1

Kelly Roell
http://testprep.about.com
1. I wouldn't eat after that two-year-old if I were you.
Inference: The two-year-old probably did something gross to the food you were about to eat or
has a
cold and you could catch it. Something bad will happen to you if you eat it!
2. For Valentine’s Day, my fantastic neighbor gave his wife a poem that took him about two
seconds
to write. Sheesh.
Inference: My neighbor is not very considerate since he didn't take his time writing the poem.
3. A man ran after a retreating bus, waving his briefcase frantically.
Inference: The man had to take that bus to work and he was running late. He wanted the bus
driver to
stop the bus so he could get on it.
4. If she died, I wouldn’t go to her funeral.
Inference: I'm extremely angry with this woman for some major reason, because one of the
worst
things a person could do is to hate someone after they have passed away.
5. Jake almost wished that he hadn’t listened to the radio. He went to the closet and grabbed his
umbrella even though he would feel silly carrying it to the bus stop on such a sunny morning.
Inference: Jake heard that it was going to rain later in the day.
6. Hey! What happened to all the school construction money taken from the taxpayers? It paid
for
this toilet the money was flushed down.
Inference: The school district is wasting tax payer's money.
7. As you give a speech in front of a large audience, you realize that people are laughing behind
their
hands and pointing to the region below your waist.
Inference: You forgot to zip up your fly or you have something on your pants.
8. No, Honey, I don’t want you to spend a lot of money on my birthday present. Just having you
for a
husband is the only gift I need. In fact, I’ll just drive my old rusty bucket of bolts down to the
mall
and buy myself a little present. And if the poor old car doesn't break down, I’ll be back soon.
Inference: The wife wants the husband to buy her a new car for her birthday.
9. A woman walks into a hospital clutching her abdomen and cursing out her husband, who trails
behind her carrying a large bag.
Inference: The woman is in labor.

Making Inferences Practice Exercises

Practice 1: Noticing Numbers
R4 Inferences Practice

Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow.

(1) My math teacher, Mr. Reyman, always comes up with really great ideas. Take for
example our assignment last weekend. We thought he'd ask us to study for the
upcoming test. Instead, on Friday he says, "Some of you have questioned our need
to study fractions and how often people really use them in everyday life. So to
answer your query, I want you to go on a fraction hunt this weekend!"
(2) Raquelita raises her hand and asks, "You mean bring in like part of a fraction, like
one shoe because it's half of a whole pair?"
(3)
"Or bring me," Paco laughs, "since I play baseball, I'm of a team?"
(4) "You've got it," Mr. Reyman agrees. "Actually bring things or just draw them.
Your families can help. Let's see who can find the most interesting!"
(5) At dinner that night, I tell Dad and Mom about the assignment. "Sounds like fun,"
Mom says. "I bought new shoes today. They're size ."
(6) "Great! I'm on my way!" I say as I draw a shoe with a label inside.
(7)
In the kitchen, I spot measuring cups with and on them and a measuring
spoon labeled . Dad brings in his toolbox and says, "Look in here. You'll find
lots of fractions!" I do, wrenches labeled and !
(8) Over the next two days, we find many other things. Dad asks, "Did you know hats
come in fractional sizes?"
(9) "No, I usually see them labeled small, medium, and large!" I reply.
(10) Dad laughs and shows me his hat with a tag inside labeled . "I used to wear a
," he chuckles. "My head must be getting smaller . . . or maybe I just had more
hair then!"
(11) In the Sunday paper, I notice ads for sales, where things are or off. And Sunday
night Dad shows me something special he has with a fraction written on it. "You
can take this to school, but just be very careful with it," he says as he wraps it
carefully in a soft cloth and puts it into a bag. "It's one of my favorites . . . and
kind of rare."
(12) Monday everyone brings bags of stuff and lots of pictures to class. Other kids
have wrenches, measuring utensils, and clothes. But no one else has the special
thing my Dad gave me. "Wow!" says Mr. Reyman when I take it carefully out of
the bag. "An old Beatles record!"
(13) He holds the record up for everyone to see. There, on the label, is the fraction and
some letters: 33 RPM. Mr. Reyman explains that the letters stand for Revolutions
Per Minute . . . the number of times the record spins around on a turntable each
minute. He adds that today, CDs spin at between 200 and 500 RPM and produce a
cleaner, clearer sound.
(14) We all agree that fractions are useful and people do use them a lot in everyday
life. I wonder what fun assignment Mr. Reyman will think up next?
R4 Inferences Practice

1. What can you infer from the first paragraph?

a. Mr. Reyman is a new teacher in the school.
b. The kids need to practice for the school musical.
c. There's an important math test coming up soon.
d. Most of the kids don't understand meteorology.
2. Why might you infer that the narrator's father is bald?
a. He likes to wear hats.
b. He said he used to have more hair.
c. The narrator said he had a shiny head.
d. The hat fit the narrator.
3. What can you infer about the fraction find?
a. Some kids couldn't find anything with a fraction on it.
b. Raquelita found the most interesting item.
c. Paco brought in his whole team.
d. The Beatles record was the most interesting thing.
4. From the story, what can you infer about the narrator's family?
a. They get along well together.
b. They argue a lot.
c. They live in a trailer.
d. They don't have time to do things together.

Practice 2: Ancient Animals

Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow
R4 Inferences Practice

(1) Dinosaurs are everywhere. You see them in movies, books, museums, and TV
documentaries. They show up as stuffed toys or on T-shirts. These prehistoric
beasts may be extinct—no longer living—but they're definitely not forgotten!
(2) It's been a long time since dinosaurs roamed and ruled Earth. Scientists say the last
ones died about 65 million years ago. We know the dinosaurs are gone, but no one
knows exactly why. After all, no one was here to witness what happened! Most
scientists believe dinosaurs died out after a gigantic meteorite hit Earth's surface
and drastically changed the planet's climate. Birds and mammals that were
protected by feathers and fur, were better able to adapt to the weather changes than
cold-blooded dinosaurs.
(3) Other scientists say dinosaurs aren't extinct, they just look different! These experts
believe the prehistoric beasts changed and developed into birds! Still other
scientists say that Earth's warmer weather caused more male than female dinosaurs
to develop. So, they say, dinosaurs died out because there were no more females to
increase the population!
(4) How do scientists know what dinosaurs looked like? There were no cameras
millions of years ago, so dinosaurs are the only ones who know . . . and they're not
talking! Scientists get clues from dinosaur fossils, and infer the rest.
(5) Bones, footprints, and other remains are evidence of how big dinosaurs were and
how they moved. To figure out how they looked with their skin on, scientists look
at animals that live today. Because dinosaurs were lizard-like, scientists can infer
that dinosaurs looked a lot like modern-day lizards. And since modern lizards are
brown, gray, or green, then dinosaurs probably were, too! That's why dinosaur
pictures and museum models have the same colors as today's lizard populations.
(6) Scientists are always discovering new things about dinosaurs. In recent years,
fossils were found in Antarctica, proving that dinosaurs lived on every continent.
Experts also figured out that Stegosaurus had only one spread-out row of plates
down its back, not two individual rows. And fossils of the smallest and the largest
dinosaurs have been found. What will scientists discover next?
5. From the first paragraph, you can infer that
a. you can see dinosaurs only in museums.
b. all dinosaurs were very tall.
c. the author doesn't like dinosaurs.
d. people of all ages are interested in dinosaurs.
6. Scientists found a rare blue lizard in Colombia, so you can infer that
a. the scientists were looking for missing people.
b. some dinosaurs might have been blue.
c. no dinosaurs had ever lived in Colombia.
d. the lizards built nests near the top of a volcano.
7. Since scientists are always discovering new things about dinosaurs, you can infer
that
a. they still might not have found the smallest or biggest dinosaurs.
R4 Inferences Practice

b. science is no longer interested in looking for fossils.

c. prehistoric people left written records with descriptions of dinosaurs.
d. when scientists make inferences, they are always right.
8. What can you infer from the fact that Stegosaurus has just one row of plates?
a. Stegosaurus wasn't as old as scientists thought.
b. Old pictures and museum models of Stegosaurus had to be changed.
c. Someone stole the other row of plates from a museum.
d. Stegosaurus means "roof lizard."
9. What can you infer about lizard eggs?
a. Cooler temperatures should produce more female lizards.
b. Hot weather should produce female lizards.
c. Cold temperatures will produce more male lizards.
d. Hot weather will produce more orange lizards.
10. What can you infer about scientists?
a. They never watch TV.
b. All scientists study about dinosaurs.
c. They don't always agree.
d. They never make mistakes.

Practice 3: Toadstool or Mushroom?

Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow.

(1) All toadstools are mushrooms, but not all mushrooms are toadstools! That's because
toadstools are mushrooms that are either poisonous or have a bad taste. There are
more than 2,000 mushroom species, and there's no simple test to tell the poisonous
ones from those safe to eat! You just have to learn to recognize which is which.
(2) Most toadstools aren't deadly if eaten, but they're likely to make you very sick. For
example, the Jack-o'-Lantern toadstool, whose bright orange cap glows in the dark,
might give you an upset stomach or diarrhea. But some toadstools have deadly
poison, and no amount of cooking can get rid of it. They damage the liver and
kidneys, and unless the eater gets immediate treatment, he or she will die. That's
why experts warn, never eat a mushroom you find growing anywhere unless you
know it's the safe kind.
(3) Some of the loveliest toadstools are deadly. For example, the fly agaric has a bright
yellow, orange, or red cap with white bumps on top. Some people cut up this
deadly beauty, sprinkle it with sugar, and tempt pesky flies to drop in for a meal. If
they do, they get the specialty of the house: instant death!
11. Which can you infer about mushrooms?
a. They are all poisonous.
b. They grow on soil.
R4 Inferences Practice

c. They are all yellow.

d. They are all toadstools.
12. After reading the article, what can you infer about blue mushrooms?
a. They are extremely poisonous.
b. They are always safe to eat.
c. They will upset your stomach.
d. I don't have enough information to infer anything.
13. Which can you infer about mushrooms?
a. They are very expensive.
b. They are all flat.
c. People cook them.
d. They only grow under the ocean.

Answers

1. c
2. b
3. d
4. a
5. d
6. b
7. a
8. b
9. a
10. c
11. b
12. d
13. c