3 LESSON PRACTICE

Use the Reading Guide to help you understand the passage.

Reading Guide
The Sources of Our Power
Today’s world depends on energy to meet the needs of its
Summarize the first two
paragraphs. Based on your fast-paced society. For years, people have been burning fossil
summary, what do you fuels, such as coal, natural gas, and petroleum, to obtain this
think will be the central energy. Fossil fuels, however, are nonrenewable resources. This
idea of this passage?
means that once the resources are used up, other energy sources
Look at the subhead and must be found. Fortunately, there are several types of renewable
run-in heads. How do the resources that can help meet the energy needs of the future.
headings connect ideas?
Renewable Energy
A renewable energy source is one that can easily be replaced
as it is used. Energy from these sources powers generators to
produce electricity and heat.
Solar Power Solar energy comes from the sun and arrives
as visible light, along with other kinds of energy in the form of
radio waves, X-rays, and gamma rays.
The basics of solar energy involve solar cells, also called
photovoltaic (PV) cells. PV cells convert sunlight directly
into electricity, using silicon, an element found in sand. The
discovery that silicon created an electric charge when exposed
to sunlight made it possible to power space satellites and
smaller devices, such as calculators and watches.
This technology powers homes and businesses. Solar panels
made up of several solar cells convert sunlight directly into
Duplicating any part of this book is prohibited by law. © 2015 Triumph Learning, LLC

usable energy without waste or air emissions. The panels can be

mounted at a fixed angle or on a device that follows the sun.
Large groups of panels, called arrays, make up solar farms.
The energy from solar farms is tied into an electrical grid to
contribute to the energy supply of consumers.
Wind Power People have been using the wind for hundreds
of years. Just as sailing vessels use the wind to move boats
across the water, windmills and wind turbines use the wind to
produce electricity. As the wind blows, it turns the blades of the
windmill or wind turbine. The spinning blades turn a shaft that
runs a generator to produce energy.
A large number of wind turbines together are called a wind
plant or a wind farm. The energy generated from wind farms
can be tied into an electrical grid. The drawback of wind power
is that the constant wind needed isn’t available in all locations.

Lesson 9: Analyze Informational Texts 131

Reading Guide Geothermal Power Geothermal power makes use of Earth’s
internal high temperatures to create energy. However, geothermal
Which two types of energy is found only in areas where Earth’s crust has openings
renewable energy
resources derive energy in its plates,1 such as in the places where volcanoes and geysers2
from the sun? occur. Here, water is heated by magma, or melted rock, from deep
inside Earth’s core.
What type of text
structure does the
Geothermal energy uses the steam from the hot water to
author use to organize generate electricity. Some geothermal plants use the steam
information? directly, while others convert the hot water to make steam for
turning a generator.
What is the author’s
point of view? How does Biomass Biomass is produced from plant matter, such
the point of view affect as crops and trees. Biomass contains stored energy from the
the way that the text sun—the same energy that plants absorb during the process of
is structured? photosynthesis. Since plants pass along this energy to the animals
that eat them, biomass can also be produced from animal wastes.
One way in which biomass energy is released is through
burning, just as burning wood generates heat. Biomass can also
be converted into other forms of energy, such as transportation
fuels. Biomass is considered a renewable resource because trees
and crops can be grown and waste is constantly generated.
Hydropower Hydropower uses water to generate electricity.
The key to hydropower is flowing water. The moving water
provides mechanical energy that powers a generator.
Hydropower was used thousands of years ago to turn
paddle wheels for grinding grain. The first hydroelectric power
plants were located near waterfalls and swiftly flowing waters.
Later, dams were built to collect the water needed to generate

Duplicating any part of this book is prohibited by law. © 2015 Triumph Learning, LLC
electricity. Water stored behind dams in reservoirs is released to
increase electricity production when needed.
Looking to the Future
The major source of energy usage today comes from
nonrenewable resources. In fact, only 9 percent of U.S. energy
consumption comes from renewable resources. As technology
improves, many people hope that renewable resources will
become more instrumental in meeting our energy needs.
1 plates:
sections of Earth’s crust that are constantly moving.
Weak spots along the boundaries of the plates allow melted rock
to reach Earth’s surface.
2 geyser: aspring that is heated by magma and in which the water
intermittently boils, sending a tall column of water and steam
into the air

132 Strand 2: Working with Informational Texts

 Answer the
🎯 CCRI 6.5 following
- SCENE questions.
ANALYSIS

1
2 Read all parts of the question before responding.
Part A
Read the sentences from the passage.
People have been using the wind for hundreds of years. Just as sailing vessels
use the wind to move boats across the water, windmills and wind turbines use
the wind to produce electricity.
Which
Which technique does use
does the author the to
author use
set the in these
tone sentences?
of these sentences?
A. anecdote
B. example
C. definition
D. word choice
Part B
Underline a different sentence from the passage that uses the same technique as your
answer to Part A.

🎯 CCRI 6.4 - VOCABULARY

2 The following question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.
Part A
Read the sentence from the passage and the question that follows.
Solar panels made up of several solar cells convert sunlight directly into usable
Duplicating any part of this book is prohibited by law. © 2015 Triumph Learning, LLC

energy without waste or air emissions.

Which word is the best explanation of convert as it is used in the sentence?
A. to change into another form—water into ice
B. to adapt to a different purpose—meadow into farmland
C. to exchange for something of equal value—coins to bills
D. to express a quantity in alternative units—feet into meters
Part B
Write a sentence using the word convert.

Lesson 9: Analyze Informational Texts 133

Answer the- AUTHOR'S
🎯 CCRI 6.6 following questions about both passages in this lesson.
PURPOSE/POV

3
2 B.
Compare and contrast the author’s purpose and point of view in the speech and in “The
Sources
the of Our
article. UsePower.”
words from the word bank.
Persuade

In the speech, the author’s purpose was to

Inform/explain

His point of view was

Describe/entertain

In the article, the author’s purpose was to Objective/neutral

His point of view was Subjective/not neutral

🎯 CCRI 6.9 - COMPARE/CONTRAST TEXTS

4
2 What fact do you learn about solar power in the speech that is not presented in “The
Sources of Our Power”?
A. Solar panels are placed so that they face the sun.
B. Solar panels are made up of PV solar cells.
C. Solar panels can be expensive to install.
D. Solar power is energy derived from the sun’s light.
🎯 CCRI 6.8 - ARGUMENT

5
2 Which three sentences from “The Sources of Our Power” have claims or reasons that agree
with those in the speech?
A. Today’s world depends on energy to meet the needs of its fast-paced society.

Duplicating any part of this book is prohibited by law. © 2015 Triumph Learning, LLC
B. Fortunately, there are several types of renewable resources that can help meet the
energy needs of the future.
C. Solar panels made up of several solar cells convert sunlight directly into usable energy
without waste or air emissions.
D. As technology improves, many people hope that renewable resources will become more
instrumental in meeting our energy needs for the future.
E. Like solar energy, the energy generated from wind farms can be tied into
an electrical grid.

134 Strand 2: Working with Informational Texts

 🎯 CCRI 6.9 - COMPARE/CONTRAST TEXTS

6
2 two paragraphs that compare and contrast the speech to the school board with
Write three
“The Sources of Our Power.” Include a discussion of each author’s purpose, the reasons and
evidence presented in each one, the way it is presented, and the conclusion each author
draws. Remember to use textual evidence to support your ideas.
Write your response on the lines below.

In the speech, the author’s purpose is to .

The author presents his information using

For example, the author says “

”.

The author’s conclusion is that the school district should

In the article, the author’s purpose is to .

The author presents his information using

For example, the author says “

Duplicating any part of this book is prohibited by law. © 2015 Triumph Learning, LLC

”.

The author’s conclusion is that in the future,

Lesson 9: Analyze Informational Texts 135

 2 COACHED EXAMPLE

Read the passage.

Good evening, Members of the School Board.
Thank you for allowing me to speak this evening. I come before you as a student
concerned about our environment. We must reduce the emissions and amount of
carbon dioxide we add to the air, and we need to start now. This school and other
school buildings in our district use large amounts of energy every day. The time
has come to make some changes. We have a duty as individuals concerned about
our environment to start exploring alternate power sources. I have read about and
researched solar power, and I believe that it is a good fit for our school.
Solar power directly converts sunlight into electricity. The photovoltaic cells
use a silicon coating that photons found in sunlight hit. This contact produces an
electrical charge. Scientists refer to photovoltaic cells as PV cells. About forty PV
cells are aligned in glass-faced solar panels. These panels are installed on roofs or
areas that face sunlight for many hours each day. The solar panel arrays harness the
energy from the sunlight and power the building.
The power from solar energy would not change how the school uses electricity. Air
We will have heat as though we were still burning oil, and electricity and electrical
outlets will work the same—but without the pollution.
Solar energy is clean and renewable. Traditional fossil fuels—which we use the
most—rely on drilling, digging, or pumping. Because of our current dependency
on oil, we are forced to rely on foreign countries for much of our fossil fuels and on
their goodwill toward our country for price and availability. Yet these kinds of fuels
give off emissions, which increase the greenhouse effect and contribute to global
warming. Solar power is emission-free, clean, and inexpensive once the panels
are installed.
While technology in solar power is improving every day, traditional PV cells
Duplicating any part of this book is prohibited by law. © 2015 Triumph Learning, LLC

are still the most cost effective and efficient. Currently, PV cells make up almost
90 percent of all solar-powered systems. Photovoltaic research at the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is studying ways to make solar cells even
more efficient. They want to lower the cost of the cells and solar-powered systems,
along with improving the materials used in panels.

• #
Lesson 9: Analyze Informational Texts 127