Marbles: Plenty of Fun for Everyone

Which sentence from the selection is an opinion?

• Long ago, people played games that are similar to marble games played today. (paragraph 2)

• Different types of marbles have been found in places all around the world. (paragraph 2)

• They were beautiful, and each one was unique. (paragraph 4)

• Others had swirls of one color or many different colors. (paragraph 4)

Answer explanation

The idea that the types of marble games played by people have not changed much over the years can be proven, making the sentence a fact, not an opinion.

The idea that marbles have been found in different areas of the world can be proven, making the sentence a fact, not an opinion.

The idea that some marbles contained swirls of one color, while others contained swirls of many colors can be proven, making it a fact, not an opinion.

Which phrase in paragraph 11 helps the reader understand the meaning of annual?

• fun of it

• very seriously

• This competition

• Each year

Answer explanation

The phrase “fun of it” is used by the author to describe why “Most people enjoy playing marbles.”

The author uses the phrase “very seriously” to describe how some players approach the competition, not to describe how often the competition takes place.

The author uses “This competition” to describe what the National Marbles Tournament is, while “annual” is used to describe how often it happens.

Based on information in this sentence, the reader can conclude that early marbles were —

• difficult to find

• made by children

• much smaller in size than marbles are today

• created from a variety of available materials

Answer explanation

Early marbles were made of common items that would not be difficult to find, so this is not the correct conclusion.

Although children play with marbles, there is no context in this sentence to support the conclusion that the marbles were made by children.

The author does not mention the size of the marbles in this sentence, so this is not the correct conclusion.

Paragraphs 5 and 6 are mainly about how —

• inventions lowered the cost of marbles

• glassmakers figured out how to cut marbles easily

• glass is melted in order to make a marble

• the shape of marbles has improved over time

Answer explanation

Although the author describes “special scissors that could cut melted glass,” this is only a supporting detail from paragraph 5. The author describes “rollers” in paragraph 6, not “special scissors.”

The inventions described in paragraphs 5 and 6 do involve melting glass to make marbles. However, the author does not describe how the glass was melted.

The “marble-making machine” has the ability to roll glass “into a perfect sphere.” However, the author does not discuss in paragraphs 5 and 6 how the shape of marbles “improved over time.”

Which sentence in the selection is best supported by the photographs between paragraphs 9 and 10?

• No one really knows where and exactly when they were invented. (paragraph 2)

• Now, more people could buy them. (paragraph 5)

• Marbles are placed inside a circle that is drawn on the ground. (paragraph 9)

• Players may lose some of their favorite marbles. (paragraph 10)

Answer explanation

Boys shooting marbles into a circle drawn in the dirt are shown in the photograph on the left. A close up of marbles within a circle on the ground is shown in the photograph on the right.

Where and when marbles were invented is not supported by the photographs.

People are shown playing marbles, not buying them, in the photographs.

The idea that some players may lose some of their favorite marbles is not conveyed in the photographs.

In which part of the selection would the reader find information about the history of marbles?

• The introductory paragraph

• The section titled "Marbles Through Time"

• The caption under the first photograph

• The section titled "Marble Games"

Answer explanation

In the introductory section, the author describes a scene at the beach to introduce the topic of marbles, so this is not where the reader would find information about the history of marbles.

The caption under the first photograph, “Kids Playing Marbles in the Sand,” is used to describe what the reader sees in the photograph. It does not include information about the history of marbles.

The reader can infer from the word “Games” in the subheading that the author will describe different methods of playing with marbles in this section, not provide information about the history of marbles.