Practice - Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

Name
Description is a way nonfiction text can be organized or
structured. Signal words such as first, next, then, or finally will
alert you to descriptive facts in a text.
Read the paragraph. Then answer the questions below.
Practice
Comprehension:
Description
Hurricane Andrew was one of the worst hurricanes to hit the United
States. Andrew fi rst formed in the warm waters of the southern Atlantic
Ocean in August 1992. The storm had winds of only 40 miles per hour. As
the storm continued to move over the warm ocean, it gained energy and grew
stronger. When the wind speed reached 74 miles per hour, the storm was
offi cially a hurricane and was named Andrew. Then Andrew’s winds climbed
to 155 miles per hour! Next heavy rain moved onshore as Andrew made
landfall in southern Florida. Seven inches of rain fell, and storm tides were as
high as 17 feet. Hurricane Andrew caused signifi cant destruction to property
in the United States. Final damages eventually totaled $25 billion.
1. What was the fi rst fact the author gives about the storm that became
Hurricane Andrew?
2. What was the initial wind speed of the storm?
3. What signal word does the author use when describing Andrew’s high
wind speed?
4. The author uses next to alert you to what descriptive fact?
5. What were the fi nal damage costs?
134
Hurricanes • Grade 5/Unit 4
At Home: Write a brief story about a hurricane. Use signal
words to alert readers to descriptive facts.
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