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Following an Explanation is a free printable Grade 1 English worksheet on holding a multi-step explanation together while reading, aligned to Common Core standard RI.1.10. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 3 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Following an Explanation

RI.1.10

NameDate

Read the text, then answer the questions.

1.Read the text, then answer the questions.

What Roots Do

Roots grow down while the stem grows up. They do two jobs. First, roots hold the plant in the ground. A tall tree in a storm stays up because its roots spread wide under the soil. Second, roots drink. Tiny hairs on the roots take in water from the soil. The water travels up the stem to the leaves. A plant with damaged roots wilts, even if it is watered.

  1. 1. Where does the water go after the root hairs take it in?
  2. 2. How are roots connected to a tree staying up in a storm?
  3. 3. How is this text organised?
2.Read the text, then answer the questions.

How a Bridge Stands Up

A bridge has to hold its own weight and the weight of everything crossing it. The simplest bridge is a beam: a flat piece laid across a gap. A beam bridge cannot be very long, or it sags in the middle. An arch bridge is curved. The curve pushes the weight out to the ends, where the ground is solid. That is why arch bridges can cross wider gaps.

  1. 1. How is the curve of an arch connected to the width it can cross?
  2. 2. Which bridge does the text describe first?
  3. 3. How is this text organised?

LessonPrint · RI.1.10 · Set 3 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Following an Explanation

Set 3. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Up the stem to the leaves. 2. The roots spread wide under the soil and hold the tree in place. 3. It says roots do two jobs, then explains each one in turn.
  2. 2.1. The curve pushes weight out to the solid ground at the ends, so it can span a wider gap. 2. The beam bridge. 3. It starts with what every bridge must do, then compares two kinds.

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RI.1.10 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.