Reading a Grade 2 Fact Text
RI.2.10
Read the text, then answer the questions.
Volcanoes
A volcano is an opening in the Earth's crust where hot rock reaches the surface. Deep underground, rock is so hot that it melts. Melted rock is called magma. Magma is lighter than the solid rock around it, so it rises. When magma reaches the surface it is called lava. Lava can pour out slowly in rivers, or it can burst out in an explosion, depending on how thick it is. As lava cools it hardens into new rock. Layer after layer, this new rock builds the mountain we call a volcano.
- 1. What is it called once it reaches the surface?
- 2. What is "magma"?
- 3. What does "crust" mean in this text?
- 4. What is melted rock called underground?
Earthquakes
The Earth's crust is not one piece. It is broken into huge slabs called plates, and the plates are always moving — about as fast as your fingernails grow. Where two plates meet, they can catch on each other. Pressure builds up for years while they are stuck. When they finally slip, all that stored energy is released at once. The ground shakes. That shaking is an earthquake. Most earthquakes are too small to feel. A few are strong enough to bring down buildings, which is why new buildings in some places are made to sway.
- 1. What are the huge slabs of crust called?
- 2. What is a "plate" in this text?
- 3. How fast do the plates move?
- 4. What is the main topic of this text?
LessonPrint · RI.2.10 · Set 2 · free to copy for classroom use