Building Comprehension - Grade 6 [1 ed.] 9781773445182

Citation preview

EMP3390i

6

High-Interest Reading

Milliken Publishing Company

Grade 6 (Vocabulary Gr. 4)

HIGH INTEREST/ LOW VOCABULARY

Building Comprehension Grade 6 (Vocabulary Gr. 4)

The high-interest, low-vocabulary stories in this book feature diversified subject matter. The contents include:

• Famous figures • Sports personalities and events • Mysteries • Visual and performing arts • Disasters • Excerpts from legends and mythology • Amazing facts and wonders in science and nature

Authors Ellen M. Dolan Sue D. Royals Artists Lee Brubaker Jim Price Carol Tiernon Don O’ Connor Copyright © 1999, 2014 Milliken Publishing Company a Lorenz company P.O. Box 802 Dayton, OH 45401-0802 www.LorenzEducationalPress.com Printed in the USA. All rights reserved.

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The stories are written with a controlled vocabulary averaging two readability levels below the content. A male-female, ethnic, and geographic balance has been maintained in the selections. Follow-up questions reinforce key comprehension skills. These include: recognition of main idea, significant details, word meaning in context, inference, and drawing conclusions. Thoughtful discussions and on-going projects can be generated from many of the stories. Where space permits, a follow-through activity has been included to lead to self-motivated reading or to valuable discussion, also allowing the teacher opportunity to award extra credit. Questioning format varies to avoid predictability.

The purchase of this book entitles the individual teacher/purchaser to reproduce copies by any photocopy process for single classroom use. The reproduction of any part of this book for use by an entire school system or for any commercial use is strictly prohibited.

Table of Contents Children’s Museums........................................................ 1 Last Year......................................................................... 2 Hovering........................................................................ 3 Mary Shelley................................................................... 4 The Making of a Monster................................................. 5 Woodhenge.................................................................... 6 The Beach Party............................................................... 7 Please Touch the Animals................................................. 8 Statue of Liberty.............................................................. 9 The Old Woman of Carcassonne................................... 10 Joy Adamson................................................................ 11 The Mystery of Roanoke Island....................................... 13 Operation Noah........................................................... 15 Wikki the Weaver.......................................................... 17 John Elway.................................................................... 19 Carl and Will................................................................ 21 Irish Fairy Mounds......................................................... 22 Pegasus, the Winged Horse............................................ 23 A Detective Returns........................................................ 24 The Lake Monster.......................................................... 25 The Windsurfer Champ................................................. 26 Two Impossible Gifts...................................................... 27 Charles Richter and His Scale........................................ 29 Treasures of Amelia Island............................................. 31 Snow Queen................................................................. 32 The Golden Knights....................................................... 34 The Call of the Wild...................................................... 36 Strike Three................................................................... 38 Tara Lipinski.................................................................. 39 Jack London................................................................. 41 Motocross Racing.......................................................... 43

© Milliken Publishing Company

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Teaching Guide All categories are not necessarily represented at the conclusion of each story. Questioning format varies from book to book to avoid predictability. Where space permits, a followthrough activity has been included. These are expected to lead to self-motivated reading or to valuable discussion. The activity also gives the teacher an opportunity to award extra credit. Upon completion of each collection of stories and accompanying skill activities, students should show improvement in the areas practiced; i.e., the ability to locate, evaluate, and predict, as well as to conduct study and research.

Introduction

This book is one of six in a series designed to encourage the reading enjoyment of young students. Subject matter was carefully chosen to correspond to student interests. Skills were selected to reinforce understanding of the readings and to promote confidence in independent reading.

Content

The contents of each book have been drawn from seven specific categories: 1) biography, 2) amazing facts, 3) mystery and intrigue, 4) sports stars and events, 5) visual and performing arts, 6) wonders in science and nature, and 7) excerpts from mythology and literature. The popular biographies, sports figures, and artists give students an opportunity to identify with people who are familiar to them. Those figures who are unknown to the students’ experience give them clues to the wide diversity of society in many countries. A look behind the scenes of a famous life holds a never-ending fascination. In addition to spy stories and tales of ghostly encounters, the mystery selections often offer a puzzling situation to solve or the beginning of a story which must be completed by the reader. Science and nature selections are chosen to generate interest in new and untapped areas of the readers’ knowledge and to encourage them to explore further. Samples of a wide variety of stories from mythology and literature have been included. It is hoped that this brief encounter with some of the great story lines will motivate the student to seek out and read the entire selection.

Readability

The reading level of each book is essentially two years below the interest level. Readability levels were confirmed by the Spache formula for the lower grades and the Dale-Chall formula for the upper grades. Each book is suitable for a variety of students working at a range of reading levels. The lower readability allows older students with reading deficiencies to enjoy high-interest content with minimum frustration. The comprehension activities provide a growth opportunity for capable students as well. The highinterest content should help to motivate students at any level. The teacher should keep in mind that supplying easy-to-read content provides a good setting for learning new skills. Thus, comprehension development can best take place where vocabulary and sentence constraints ensure student understanding. It should be obvious that the concept of main idea, as well as the nature of an inference, can be seen best where the total content of a selection is well within a reader’s grasp. Finally, the material is dedicated to the principle that the more a student reads, the better he or she reads, and the greater is the appreciation of the printed word.

Skills

The skills employed in this series are drawn from traditional educational objectives. The five comprehension areas practiced in this series are: main idea, recognition of significant details, use of context clues for determining word meaning, inference, and drawing conclusions.

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Answer Key Page 1 1. b 2. a 3. c 4. No. It’s a museum for “doing.” 5. Yes. Accept reasonable answers. Page 3 1. b 2. passengers 3. a 4. c 5. a Page 4 1. c 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. b Page 5 1. c 2. a 3. c 4. a 5. c Page 6 1. b 2. Woodhenge 3. c 4. No. Thought sun would disappear. 5. Yes. Used nature for survival. Page 8 1. c 2. b 3. c 4. Yes. Sculptures are for children. 5. a

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Page 9 1. b 2. c 3. a 4. Yes. Accept dimensions. 5. c Page 10 1. b 2. b 3. c 4. b 5. c

Page 20 1. a 2. c 3. b 4. a 5. c 6. b Page 22 1. a 2. a 3. b 4. b

Page 12 1. Few people raise lions. 2. b 3. c 4. No. Accept reasonable answers. 5. a

Page 23 1. b 2. a 3. c 4. a 5. c Page 24 1. b 2. c 3. c 4. c 5. c

Page 14 1. b 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. c Page 16 1. a 2. b 3. c 4. a 5. hydroelectric dam Page 18 1. b 2. b 3. a 4. b 5. b

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Page 25 1. b 2. c 3. b 4. c Page 26 1. c 2. a 3. b 4. a 5. b

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Page 28 1. b 2. a 3. c 4. c 5. a 6. c Page 30 1. b 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. a 6. b Page 31 1. c 2. b 3. a 4. a Page 33 1. b 2. c 3. c 4. a 5. b 6. c 7. a 8. a

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Page 35 1. b 2. c 3. b 4. a 5. b 6. a 7. b

Page 40 1. b 2. c 3. a 4. a 5. b 6. Accept reasonable answers. 7. a

Page 37 1. c 2. b 3. c 4. a 5. b 6. c 7. a

Page 42 1. a 2. b 3. b 4. b 5. c Page 44 1. c 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. a 6. Accept reasonable answers. 7. Accept reasonable answers.

Page 38 1. b 2. c 3. a 4. b 5. c 6. a

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Children’s Museums Most museums are for “looking.” But children’s museums are for “doing.” There is a lot to do at these museums. Visitors hardly know where to begin! Let’s start at the National Children’s Museum near Washington, DC. This museum includes a small model of a town called My Town. Children can visit the pizza parlor and talk about town issues. They can run for a government office. There is even a fire truck where they can solve problems. Children explore the town, have fun, and learn all at the same time. Another area in the museum shows children the larger world. They can see homes from different areas of the world. A kitchen area has foods that people in other countries enjoy. Children can also see ways that other people talk and write. There are examples of writing in many languages. Hundreds of children’s museums like this can be found across the world. Many are in the United States. One of the largest children’s museums in the world is in Indianapolis, Indiana. Children can learn about trains, mummies, dinosaurs, and more in one place. There is even an exhibit about children who have made a difference in the world.

Because children’s museums are about handson learning, there are interactive exhibits. Visitors may be able to try on clothes from other countries or play musical instruments. They can build with blocks and sand. They can also make water and boats move wherever they want. Even though it is named for children, these museums are enjoyed by adults as well. The idea of the museums is that you learn by doing. Operating pulleys and levers, holding live animals, and programming computers are just a few of the other ways that visitors may learn and play. Adults and children can all learn something new this way.

Main Idea

Inference

1. Why are children’s museums for “doing”? a. Children can look at many exhibits. b. Children get to try activities at the exhibits. c. Workers at the museum do a lot of things.

4. Would a child get into trouble for touching an exhibit at the National Children’s Museum? Why or why not? __________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Significant Details

2. What can you learn in My Town? a. how to run for an office in government b. about other countries c. how to drive a fire truck

5. Would the National Children’s Museum be a good place for a class field trip? Why or why not? ____________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Context Clues

3. Because children’s museums are about handson learning, there are interactive exhibits. a. talks about different subjects b. things for visitors to view c. activities visitors can do

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Following Through

6. Design your own exhibit for a children’s museum. Tell how it would work and what visitors could learn from it. 1

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Last Year George was awake early on Saturday, the one morning he could sleep late. For some reason, he did not feel sleepy. He felt funny. Carefully, George looked around the room. The first thing he noticed was his large red wall calendar. Today was Saturday, November 14th. “That’s what is wrong,” he said. It had been just a year ago today. George shuddered and began to get dressed. He went down for breakfast. His mother had fixed pancakes, just as she had last year. He looked at his jeans, tennis shoes, and blue socks. Just what he had worn that day, too. George ate and ran outside to sit in the sun on his front steps. Down the street, the clock at city hall began to strike. A black cloud suddenly covered the sun. It was 9:00—the exact time! Would it happen again this year? Finish the story. If necessary, continue on another paper. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ © Milliken Publishing Company MP3390 2

Hovering Almost everybody has had the chance for an exciting ride at a fun park. Public transportation can give you an exciting ride, too. Air-cushion vehicles, or hovercrafts, glide across various surfaces. Imagine driving on dry land one minute and then being over the water the next minute without leaving the vehicle! In order for this to happen, air is pumped into the base of the vehicle. Engines drive the lift fans and propellers that make the hovercraft rise into the air. Hovercrafts can cruise or hover about ten feet above the surface. They can safely swoop over ice, mud, swamps, or water. They can go places where boats, planes, and other vehicles cannot. For thirty years after the hovercraft was invented, two were used regularly as ferries to cross the English Channel. They could carry 60 cars and more than 400 passengers. The

passenger part was shaped like a boat, but the seats were lined up as they would be on a plane. The crafts even had flight attendants just as an airplane would. Because they rode above the water, the waves could crash and splash without causing a bumpy ride. A ferryboat would take several hours to cross the channel. The hovercrafts could make it in about thirty minutes. They were fast, smooth, and fun! Now, hovercrafts are used in many ways. They can be used to rescue people when a boat gets stuck in mud or when a river floods. Ice fishermen have been picked up by hovercrafts when the ice breaks away from the shore. Hovercraft clubs race the vehicles on lakes, shores, and marshes. In 2013, an Ohio golf course started using hovercrafts as golf carts. What will be next?

Main Idea

Inference

1.

4. If air escaped from the base, the hovercraft would probably a. fly much faster. b. keep going without air. c. settle back onto the surface.

This story tells about a. a bumpy ride. b. a kind of transportation. c. the English Channel.

Significant Details

Drawing Conclusions

2. The hovercrafts used on the English Channel could hold 400 __________________________.

5. In the middle of winter, the hovercrafts would probably a. be used for rescues on ice. b. cause ice to break away. c. not run.

Context Clues

3. Hovercrafts can cruise or hover about ten feet about the surface. a. float b. jump c. crash

© Milliken Publishing Company

Following Through

6. Find the English Channel on a map. Trace the shortest route between England and France. Discover what other methods of crossing have been used or will be used in the future. 3

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Mary Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley, a famous poet of the times, was often a visitor at Mary’s home. He came to listen to her father, but he fell in love with Mary. The two eloped to Europe when Mary was only seventeen. Shelley was from a wealthy family and the two were able to live in a villa in Switzerland. The atmosphere of the Alps had an effect on Mary from the start. She found the mountains a bit scary and very cold. One week, the weather was so wet that it was hardly possible to go out. Mary and Percy invited their neighbor, Lord Byron, and his doctor for a visit. They began talking about ghosts and challenged each other to write a ghost story. The others quickly forgot, but Mary succeeded. One night, halfway between waking and sleeping, she “saw” her character, and it frightened her. Percy told her to write her story. So the world’s first science-fiction novel was not written by a scientist or a recluse. It was written by a young girl who was trying to explain her philosophy about good and evil. Mary’s story of a monster and the man who made him is Frankenstein.

Mary Shelley was born in England in the late 1700s. Because of her unusual parents and the interesting visitors to her home, Mary formed a mind of her own very early. Her mother was Mary Wollstonecraft, who fought long and hard for the rights of women. Her father, William Godwin, was a respected philosopher. So Mary grew up among people who were strong thinkers and good writers. One of her favorite games as a child was “scribbling” stories.

Main Idea 1.

Inference

The most important person in this story is a. a famous poet. b. a science fiction monster. c. a writer.

4. Percy and Lord Byron, both poets, a. preferred to sleep through the rainy days. b. were not as interested as Mary in writing a ghost story. c. helped Mary write.

Significant Details 2.

Drawing Conclusions

Mary’s mother was interested in a. women’s rights. b. Switzerland. c. wealthy poets.

5. When Mary went to Europe, she did not know that a. it would be cold. b. she would write a book. c. Percy was a writer, too.

Context Clues

3. The atmosphere in Switzerland played a part in Mary’s writing. a. the doctor’s medicine b. the height of the mountains c. the feeling and mood of the countryside

© Milliken Publishing Company

Following Through

6. Choose a character for a ghost story of your own. Decide in what country the story will be set. Write a full description of your ghost.

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The Making of a Monster (Adapted from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley) As a boy, Frankenstein had a happy life and a loving family. One of the first remarkable things he noticed as a youngster was an electrical storm. Lightning struck an oak tree near his home in Switzerland. The next morning when he went out to look, the tree was shattered. This was the first time Frankenstein found out about the laws of electricity. When he went away to school, he was very interested in the sciences. One of his teachers told him to study physical nature, chemistry, and math. Frankenstein did study these and decided he would like to create physical life himself. He forgot his family and friends. He forgot to eat. He grew thin and ill, but at last he was ready to put his studies to work. On a dreary night in November, he began. Frankenstein had laid the form of a human with head, hair, arms, and legs on a table. He gathered his instruments of life around him. Once more, he looked at the lifeless form. Then, using all his powers, Frankenstein infused life into the form. The rain beat against the windows

as Frankenstein waited. In the glimmer of the candlelight, suddenly he saw a yellow eye flicker and open. The creature breathed hard and a shudder ran through its limbs. Frankenstein had planned a handsome man but was surprised and frightened by what he had created. It was horrible. He wished he had never built the “thing.” He ran from the room and hid in his bed. The monster followed. It pulled aside the bed curtains and looked straight at Frankenstein. It muttered some sounds and gave a terrible grin. Frankenstein leaped from bed. What had he set loose on the world?

Main Idea

Inference

Significant Details

Drawing Conclusions

1. 2.

4.

The novel Frankenstein tells the story of a. an electrical storm. b. a happy family. c. the creation of a monster.

5. Frankenstein became so interested in his project that he a. did not sleep well every night. b. took an extra week’s vacation. c. did not take care of himself.

The monster was supposed to be a. handsome. b. horrible. c. quiet.

Context Clues

Following Through

3. Frankenstein infused life into the form. a. waved a candle over it b. breathed heavily c. gave it the necessary powers to breathe and move

© Milliken Publishing Company

While studying, Frankenstein learned a. things that other students did not know. b. about his family. c. that electricity was harmless.

6. Read Frankenstein. If you created a creature, what physical things would you need for just one arm (i.e., bones, fingernails)?

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Woodhenge When the first Indians settled around the Mississippi River long ago, they didn’t have many of the things we have today. One of the things they didn’t have was a calendar. Dr. Warren Wittry was working at Cahokia Mounds, a prehistoric Indian city in Illinois. As he explored, Wittry noticed something new. He saw that there had been oval-shaped pits dug into the ground. The pits were 27.4 feet apart and were placed in a big circle. Wittry studied these pits longer. He found that Indians had placed cedar posts in them. These posts could be times of the year. This was the Indian’s calendar! Dr. Wittry knew that other Indians had used this kind of horizon calendar called “henges.” He named the posts at Cahokia “Woodhenge.” The first three posts in the circle mark the first day of each season. On the first day of spring and fall, the sun rises at the same place, directly over the posts. Other posts were probably used to mark the position of the moon and stars.

Then, Wittry found something funny. There was a fire pit built near the winter posts. During the winter, the sun moves south. To the early Indians, it probably seemed that the sun would not come back. Wittry thought that the Indians probably built a fire to warm the sun so that it would move back north. Long ago, people didn’t know as much about some things as we do now. But Woodhenge proves that the Indians put the knowledge they did have to good use.

Main Idea

Inference

1.

How did some prehistoric Indians tell time? a. They watched the position of the planets. b. The watched the position of the sun. c. The watched the tide of the ocean.

4. Did prehistoric Indians understand about the rotation of the sun? Explain your answer. _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Significant Details

2. What did Dr. Wittry call his find at Cahokia? _________________________________________

Context Clues

3. Other posts marked the position of the moon and stars. a. time b. post c. place

Drawing Conclusions

5. Were prehistoric Indians resourceful? Explain your answer.

Following Through

6. Get a book on early Indians. Find out what tools they constructed out of materials around them. Find out other ways they used nature to help them. © Milliken Publishing Company

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The Beach Party Christy and Jim agreed that it had been a great beach party. Now, it was almost over. Everyone was picking up leftover hot dogs and soda. Jim poured a bucket of sand on the dying fire and watched it go out. Then, he turned to help Christy up the hill. “Look, Jim,” said Christy. “The fire is not out yet.” Jim turned back. The fire seemed to have caught again and was burning brighter than before. This time, Jim got a bucket of water from the ocean and poured it on the fire. Then, he added another bucket of sand. “That should do it,” he said. “There’s nothing left but a cold, wet smudge.” When Jim and Christy reached the top of the hill, they looked back at the beach. The fire was burning again. Flames were almost five feet high!

Finish the story. If necessary, continue on another paper. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ © Milliken Publishing Company

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Please Touch the Animals When Shay Rieger was a little girl, she visited her first museum. Shay was impressed with the beautiful marble statues. They looked so real that Shay wanted to touch them. But that wasn’t allowed. Museum guards stood all around the statues making sure that children didn’t get too close. When Shay grew up, she studied at the Art Students League in New York and became a sculptor. Many of Shay’s clay and stone animals were selected for displays in art galleries throughout New York. She was careful to put her statues on low stands so that children could reach them and touch them. This is all part of enjoying art.

But the sculptures that children enjoy most are the animals that Shay made for a city garden in Harlem. She made these statues out of bronze. Before starting her work, Shay visited the zoo and made quick sketches of the animals. Back in her studio, she made the animals out of clay. But in order to make them bronze, Shay needed special help. She took her clay molds to a foundry. The foundry made rubber molds of Shay’s statues and poured liquid bronze into them. When the bronze hardened, the statues were ready for their new home. The bronze camel, elephant, and hippopotamus were set in a permanent cement base. Children love to sit, climb, and play on the animals. Instead of “Don’t Touch!” as the museum guards warn, Shay Rieger created her statues saying, “Please touch!”

Main Idea

Inference

1.

This selection tells about Shay Rieger’s a. art galleries. b. playgrounds for children. c. art for children.

4. Do you think Shay likes children? Why or why not? _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Significant Details 2.

Shay’s animals in the Harlem park are made of a. clay. b. bronze. c. cement.

Drawing Conclusions

5. How would Shay teach children about sculpture? a. She would let them touch and feel the materials. b. She would show them pictures of her work. c. She would take them to an art museum.

Context Clues 3.

Shay Rieger is best known as a sculptor. a. person who works in a foundry b. person who sketches animals c. person who makes statues

© Milliken Publishing Company

Following Through

6. Get some clay. Create your own statues. Decide on a theme for your sculptures. Make a clay zoo, a clay city, or a farm. Be creative! 8

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Statue of Liberty Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, a young French sculptor, was sad as he sailed on his first trip to America. Bartholdi was on an important mission. The people of France wanted to give a gift to America. They wanted to show their friendship and admiration towards the new country. The gift was to be a beautiful statue. Bartholdi had made many statues in France. But he could not think of a good idea for this one. As the ship pulled into the harbor of New York, Auguste went on deck to have his first look at America. At the entrance to the harbor, tiny Bedloe’s Island stood. Suddenly, his sadness vanished! “That is where I want my statue!” he cried. “It will be a statue of a tall lady, like my mother. She will hold a torch in her hand to welcome people. I will call her ‘Liberty Enlightening the World!’” Today, the Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor just as Bartholdi imagined it over one hundred years ago. It took more than ten years for Bartholdi to complete the statue and, looking at it, one can see why.

The “Lady” weighs 225 tons. The torch is 305 feet above the base of the pedestal. Her hand is 16 feet long and her arm is 42 feet long. One finger alone is eight feet long, much taller than most men and women. Her skin is made of more than 300 copper sheets. Strong lamps light her torch. Through the years, this torch has burned brightly. It is a welcome symbol of liberty and freedom in America.

Main Idea

Inference

1. Why did France give America the Statue of Liberty? a. to welcome the people of France b. to show France’s admiration and friendship towards America c. because Bartholdi wanted to make a big statue

4. Is there enough room for people to walk inside the Statue of Liberty? Explain your answer. _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Significant Details 2.

The Statue of Liberty stands a. in the harbor of France. b. in downtown New York. c. in the harbor of New York.

Drawing Conclusions 5.

Context Clues 3.

It is a welcome symbol of liberty and freedom. a. a sign that stands for something b. a statue of a woman c. a French word

© Milliken Publishing Company

Why did France admire America? a. because America had a beautiful harbor b. because America had given a gift to France c. because America’s people lived in freedom

Following Through

6. Look up Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Find out what important part he had in building the Statue of Liberty. Find out what famous monument Eiffel built. 9

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The Old Woman of Carcassonne (Adapted from the French folktale) Once, long ago, an evil king and his army invaded the country of France. They decided to take over a town called Carcassonne. But the French people of Carcassonne locked the gates to their town before the enemy could enter. Weeks went by. The army still surrounded the town. People in the town began running out of food. They were in danger of starving. The mayor of Carcassonne called a town meeting. He announced that he would have to let in the enemy. At least then the people might be able to get some food. But an elderly woman in the town stopped him. “The king and his army must be starving, too,” she pointed out. “Bring me a cow, and I’ll show you how we can win.” After a careful search, a cow was found hiding in a farmer’s house. The woman then asked for grain. Everyone gave what little grain they could. “What are you doing?” demanded the mayor as he watched her feed the precious grain to the cow. “Just wait,” she told him. .

That night, she let the cow out of the town’s gate, and in the morning, it was discovered by the enemy. Since they were hungry themselves, the army killed the cow and found it had been fed grain. This surprised the evil king. He thought that the people in the town were out of food by now and ready to surrender. With well-fed cows like this wandering around, the people of Carcassonne could stay locked inside their gate for a long time. Hungry and weary, the king called his army together and retreated. The town of Carcassonne was free thanks to the clever thinking of the old woman.

Main Idea

Inference

1. How did the old woman save the town? a. She attacked the enemy. b. She tricked the enemy into thinking the town would not surrender. c. She convinced the mayor to surrender to the enemy.

4. Why was the mayor angry when the woman fed grain to the cow? a. He didn’t think the plan would work. b. His starving townspeople needed the grain. c. He didn’t like the old woman.

Drawing Conclusions

Significant Details 2.

5. Why did the woman’s plan work? a. The evil king only wanted a little food to eat. b. The king’s army was not very strong. c. The king believed the townspeople had enough food to last them a long time.

Why did the mayor want to surrender? a. He wanted to buy more cows. b. The town was in danger of starving. c. The enemy began attacking the town.

Context Clues 3.

The army surrounded the town. a. attacked the town b. broke inside the town c. stood all around the town

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Joy Adamson When Joy saw the three lion cubs, she was delighted. When the cubs were ten weeks old, George and Joy had to keep the animals outside. They were getting big and rough, and were playfully destroying the furniture. The cubs were quickly growing into lions, and Joy had to make a painful decision. She knew they couldn’t keep three grown lions, so two were sent to a zoo. They kept Elsa, the smallest. Without her sisters, Elsa began to go out and meet other wild animals. The Adamsons knew that one day, Elsa would return to the wild, so they began preparing her. They taught her to hunt and kill for her food. They taught her to live in the bush by herself. When Elsa made friends with a wild lion, Joy knew it was time to let Elsa go on her own. Joy and George were very sad when Elsa left. But one day, Elsa came swimming across the river with her three new baby cubs behind her. Joy and George were as proud as any grandparents would be! When her cubs were still small, Elsa became sick and died.

Joy Adamson had an unusual pet. Most people raise small puppies or kittens. Joy raised a baby lion! Joy and her husband, George, lived in Africa. George was a Senior Game Warden for North Africa. Part of his job was to control the wild animals. One day, George came home with three fuzzy lion cubs. Joy was not surprised by her unusual pets. Joy’s life was also unusual. As a young woman, Joy left her home in Austria to live in Kenya, Africa. She spent several years traveling across Africa, painting pictures of wild flowers and portraits of Kenyan tribes. Joy met George in Africa, and they were married. George’s work took them on many safaris. They climbed mountains and volcanoes. At night, they camped among wild buffalo and elephants. Once, George and Joy camped on an island where the only other inhabitants were hungry crocodiles. Their travels took them through deserts, swamps, and jungles. Through it all, Joy became familiar with the wild beasts that stalk Africa.

© Milliken Publishing Company

continued...

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Although Joy was disappointed, she had gained an understanding of animal behavior. Joy wrote a book about Elsa’s life. It is called Born Free. The money she made from this book went to Joy’s new project, The Elsa Wild Animal Appeal. This was a club to raise money for wild animals

around the world. The Elsa Appeal set up national parks and game reserves. It taught people about wildlife conservation. It gave money to researchers to study habits of wild animals. The club also gave people a way to remember Joy Adamson’s and Elsa’s life together.

Main Idea

Inference

1. What was unusual about Joy’s pet? _________________________________________

4. Would Joy like to live in New York City? Explain. _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Significant Details 2.

Joy and George lived in a. Austria. b. Africa. c. Alabama.

Drawing Conclusions

5. Why did Joy and George let Elsa go? a. They knew wild animals need to survive on their own. b. They thought Elsa might attack them someday. c. Elsa ran away from them.

Context Clues 3.

They went on many safaris. a. vacations b. shopping trips c. hunting trips

Following Through

6. Read one of Joy Adamson’s books. Born Free, Forever Free, Elsa, The Spotted Sphinx, and Pippa’s Challenge all tell about Joy’s fascinating life with wild animals. © Milliken Publishing Company

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The Mystery of Roanoke Island When he landed, there was nothing left on the island. Over 100 people had disappeared without a trace. White could find no graves to show that illness or war had killed the settlers. How did they leave the island? Where did they go? No one has ever been able to solve this mystery. There are a few clues though. The first was the word “Croatoan,” which John White found carved on a tree. The second clue came when the National Park Survey located the outlines of a large fort that stood on the island. Another clue was found more recently. A map drawn by John White had two patches on it. Under one of the patches, scientists discovered a symbol. The symbol may have located a fort or emergency location. Perhaps someday we will learn the answer to the mystery of the Lost Colony.

Sir Walter Raleigh was a favorite in the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England. In 1585, to please his queen, he gathered a group of Englishmen to form a settlement in the New World, America. Raleigh had named the region where he was sending the people Virginia, in honor of the “Virgin Queen.” The settlers landed on an island just off the shore of the large region of Virginia. For a while, Roanoke Island was a busy place. These first settlers stayed almost a year. Then, food ran out and trouble began with nearby natives, so they sailed back to England. Within a few days, however, another ship arrived with more men and supplies. Most of the second group also returned to England. But fifteen of the newly arrived men decided to stay to keep the English hold on the settlement. Two years later, Raleigh sent a very large group of more than 100 settlers to Virginia. When they landed on the island, they found that the fifteen men had disappeared. Even though this seemed strange, they continued with their settlement plans. After a time, supplies again ran out. John White, leader of the group, sailed back to England to get the necessary foods. It took him longer than he expected. It was 1590 when he returned.

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Inference

Main Idea

4. Supplies in the New World were a. grown by the natives. b. not plentiful enough to take care of the settlement. c. mostly corn and vegetables.

1. The most interesting “happening” in this story was a. the arrival of an English ship on Roanoke Island. b. the disappearance of more than 100 people. c. Sir Walter Raleigh became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I.

Drawing Conclusions 5.

Significant Details 2.

Raleigh named the new region in America a. Virginia. b. Roanoke. c. Elizabeth.

Following Through

6. Find out about John White’s grandchild, the first English child born on American soil. Was it a boy or girl? What was the grandchild’s name? __________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Context Clues 3.

The whole settlement disappeared. a. returned to England b. sailed to the mainland c. was gone without leaving a sign or trace behind

© Milliken Publishing Company

The sea trip to England from America took a. several days. b. over 10 years. c. many months.

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Operation Noah That is when Operation Noah began. Twelve Game Rangers from Zimbabwe and forty African helpers got together and made a plan to save the wild animals. They set up camp on the dry shore and went looking for endangered animals. It was hard work. Working under the hot African sun was tiring. At night, snakes and mosquitoes followed the Rangers to bed. The job was dangerous, too. Sometimes the animals trapped on the islands had been without food for so long that they were ready to eat the men who were trying to rescue them. But the Rangers never killed any animals, no matter how threatened they were. Their goal was to save as many animals as possible. Sometimes, the Rangers had to shoot the animals with drugs. The shot didn’t harm them, it just made them go to sleep. This was the only way to capture a huge, charging elephant. The men made flat boats and rafts to carry the animals. Imagine how big the rafts had to be to carry a 3,000 pound rhinoceros they found! It took twenty men to roll the big rhino onto the raft once it was asleep. Four more boats were used to tow the rhino to safety.

The mighty Zambezi River runs through Zimbabwe in Africa. The people of Zimbabwe found a way to put this dangerous river to work for them. They built a hydroelectric dam on the river. The dam would supply their country with hydroelectric power. The dam stopped the flow of the river. Water began backing up and spilling over the shores. The widening river soon became Lake Kariba. The lake became the hydroelectric plant’s water supply. The new dam was good for progress, but it had some bad effects. Parts of Africa are known for its beautiful wild animals. Until the dam was built, many animals lived along the shores of the Zambezi River. As the river rose, monkeys, elephants, deer, lions, and other animals found their homes underwater. Many became trapped on islands created by the rising water. Soon, many of the animals were in danger of starving or drowning.

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Once the animals reached the dry mainland, they were released. There, in the wilderness, a young animal that had just been rescued might be attacked or killed by a bigger animal. The Rangers knew this. This is the law of the wild. But when most of the animals had plenty of dry food to eat, they survived together for a long time. By the end of its fifth year, Operation Noah had saved over 6,000 animals. Lake Kariba is peaceful now. Many people come to visit or to fish. But no one in Zimbabwe will forget the brave Game Rangers of Operation Noah and how they worked to protect the animals of Zimbabwe.

Drawing Conclusions

Main Idea 1.

5. Give an example from this story of how man can sometimes harm his own environment. _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Operation Noah was set up to a. rescue wild animals in Zimbabwe. b. learn about animal habits. c. help widen the Zambezi River.

Significant Details

2. Why did the Rangers shoot some animals with drugs? a. to make it easier to kill them b. to make it easier to rescue them c. to make animals grow stronger

Context Clues 3.

Many animals were rescued. a. drowned b. attacked c. saved

Following Through

6. Get a book about Africa. Find out what types of animals live there. Compare your list to the types of animals that live in the United States. _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Inference

4. Why would the Game Rangers have to be strong men? a. They had to handle large animals. b. They had to be bigger than the animals. c. They had to be able to dam the Zambezi River.

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Wikki the Weaver (Adapted from an African folktale) Wikki went into the forest and cut some bush rope. Tying the ropes back and forth, he soon had a large net. But it was strangely shaped. His wife suggested that he go back to the spider and ask him how to build a better-shaped net. The spider showed Wikki how to weave the rope between two sticks. The shape of his nets improved, but bush rope was becoming hard to find. Wikki knew he couldn’t produce enough silken thread like the spider. Instead, he found some cotton plants and worked the cotton fiber into long threads. He wove the threads back and forth as the spider had shown him, and soon, Wikki had a piece of cloth. Wikki’s wife was delighted! She wouldn’t have to wear leaves and tree bark for clothing anymore. Village after village shared the technique of weaving until everyone in West Africa was able to make cloth for themselves. They say that is how weaving came to be.

Once there was a great hunter in West Africa named Wikki. He brought in much food from his hunting expeditions. The grateful villagers made Wikki their chief. One night, Wikki went into the valley to hunt. He heard the loud stampeding of a bull. Quickly, he crept into position and threw his spear into the large bull. But the spear didn’t kill the bull; it only angered him. The bull charged at Wikki. Its horns caught Wikki and threw him into the bushes. Wikki was badly injured. After that, he was no longer able to go on dangerous hunting expeditions. Wikki lay outside his hut to rest. A spider spinning a web nearby caught his interest. A black beetle landed on the web, and the spider quickly ate it. This gave Wikki an idea. If he could build a net like the spider’s web, he too could catch animals again. The net would do the hunting for him.

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Main Idea 1.

Drawing Conclusions

What did Wikki learn from the spider? a. how to catch black beetles b. how to weave c. how to throw a spear

5. Animals and man were made to live together on earth. Circle the sentence that shows this is true. a. Animals and man like the same things. b. Man and animals can learn from each other. c. Man is much bigger than an animal.

Significant Details 2.

What did Wikki use to make thread? a. nets and rope b. cotton fiber c. silk

Following Through

6. Get a book of African folktales. See how Africans used animals in their stories. Make a list of African folktale animals. _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Context Clues 3.

The spider showed Wikki how to weave. a. wrap threads back and forth b. tie strong ropes c. hunt wild buffalo

Inference

4. Why did Wikki’s wife wear tree bark and leaves for clothing? a. Everyone in the village wore that. b. Those were the only materials available. c. In those days, no one had sewing machines. © Milliken Publishing Company

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John Elway

Throughout his school years, John enjoyed many sports. He played baseball, swam, and ran track. In his first team football game, John scored four touchdowns. John’s parents helped him in many ways. They taught him to always be a good sport. They taught him to listen to his coaches. And they taught him to do his best. High school years were busy ones for John. He had lots of practices, but he always made As and Bs in his classes. Soon, John was ready to play college football. John wanted to do well for his new college team at Stanford University. But during his first game, John ran out onto the field, tripped, and fell. This wasn’t a very good way to start his college years. But John made a comeback and played well for Stanford.

John Elway earned the nickname the “Comeback Kid” of football. Elway was the quarterback for the Denver Broncos. If his team was losing, John “came back” into the game with speed and strength. This usually helped the team win the game. But John Elway’s comebacks haven’t just been in football. Elway has made comebacks all his life. When John was little, he liked many sports. One day, John played whiffle ball with kids in the neighborhood. A neighbor’s dog was asleep on the field. John didn’t see the dog and stepped right on him. The sleeping dog awoke and attacked John. He had to get stitches for his cuts. But soon, he came back to play sports again.

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After college, John was chosen to play football for the Denver Broncos. They made him the highest paid NFL (National Football League) player before he even played his first game for them. His start with the team wasn’t easy. But over the seasons, John made his comebacks and took his team to the Super Bowl. This is the game for the best teams in the league. It was John’s dream to win the Super Bowl. The Denver Broncos were good enough to go to the Super Bowl for three years. But the Broncos didn’t win the big games. Finally, John Elway made his big comeback. He helped his team win Super Bowl XXXII. John’s dream had come true. The next year, the Broncos won the Super Bowl again. John Elway was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP). Later that year though, John retired. Now, the “Comeback Kid” is in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Main Idea 1. 2.

4. 5.

John Elway a. played football. b. was a swimmer. c. is in college. After a bad start, John often a. gave up. b. switched sports or teams. c. came back to win.

Drawing Conclusions

Significant Details 3.

6.

John Elway was not a quarterback a. at Stanford University. b. for the Atlanta Braves. c. for the Denver Broncos.

© Milliken Publishing Company

John’s parents a. encouraged him. b. wanted him to play baseball. c. helped him with track. John’s dream was to a. be a quarterback. b. win the gold medal. c. win the Super Bowl.

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When things got hard for John, he a. got lucky. b. worked harder. c. slowed down.

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Carl and Will Each evening after chores, Carl went to see his friend Will. They met at the bridge near Carl’s family farm. Will was working in town that summer and rode home over the bridge. One evening, just as Carl began to feed the fish in the small stream, he heard hoofbeats on the road. It was Will on his horse, Sky. “Hi, Carl,” said Will. “I don’t think I can stop tonight. Sky is nervous, and it looks like rain. But I’ll stop tomorrow for sure. I have something to tell you.” “I’ll be here,” said Carl. Carl watched Will ride away. Will and Sky went over the bridge and down the road. Just as they disappeared around a corner, there was a terrible crash of thunder and a scary streak of lightning. Rain began to pour down. Carl went under the bridge for protection. Then, he heard an even louder crash of thunder and the gallop of a horse. Carl looked up, and there, charging back

across the bridge, was Will’s horse, Sky. Clinging to Sky’s back was a shriveled old man, just about Will’s size. His hair was white, and his face was wrinkled. His eyes were wide with fright. “Carl!” shouted the old man.

Finish the story. If necessary, continue on another paper. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ © Milliken Publishing Company MP3390 21

Irish Fairy Mounds The Irish people tell great stories. Many of their stories are about fairies. The Irish tell of two kinds of fairies. Solitary fairies live alone. They are mean and tricky. Trooping fairies live in groups. They are friendly but can also be tricky. Trooping fairies are said to live in raths. Raths are found in many parts of Ireland. They are small mounds of dirt. These mounds are surrounded by rocks or trees. Sometimes, they have a small ditch around them. Yellow shrubs and bushes often grow nearby. No one knows who built these mounds or why, but most Irish people say that fairies made the mounds. That is why they are called fairy mounds. Many stories are told about fairy mounds. Some say that music comes from the mounds on quiet nights. They believe that if one listens to that music too long, he or she will lose all common sense. It is also said that fairies kidnap babies and hide them in the mounds. Some say the fairies hide gold there, too. Another story says that if a person looks or falls into a fairy mound, he or she could be kept there for one hundred years.

Naturally, people in Ireland try to stay away from the mounds. But with thirty thousand raths scattered across the country, it is hard to do. Farmers plant crops around the mounds so they won’t disturb them. In 1969, the mounds caused work to stop on Shannon Airport for a short time. A workman came across a fairy mound. It lay in the construction site of the new airport. The man said he would not dig it up. So did all the other Irish workers. English workers had to be brought in to do the job. The English do not believe in fairy mounds. The mounds are quite a mystery. If you plan to visit Ireland, be careful where you walk. Take the wrong step, and you might not be seen for another hundred years!

Main Idea

Inference

1.

Fairy mounds are a. make-believe. b. places where solitary fairies work. c. places where trooping fairies live.

4. Why wouldn’t the Irish workers complete their job on the airport? a. They were probably lazy and looking for a good excuse to quit. b. Honoring old legends probably means a lot in the Irish culture. c. A spell would be put on them.

Significant Details 2.

Raths are a. mounds of dirt. b. pots of gold. c. mountaintop hideouts.

Following Through

5. It was thought that when a person sneezed, it was the trick of a fairy casting a spell. The Irish thought of a saying that would break the spell of a sneeze. We still use it today. Do you know what it is? Make a list of good luck symbols and sayings. Which ones do you use?

Context Clues 3.

Most people avoid fairy mounds. a. search for them b. stay away from them c. destroy them

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Pegasus, the Winged Horse (Adapted from Greek mythology) Pegasus was a magical horse in Greek mythology. He had large, beautiful wings. He was made by Poseidon, god of the sea and of horses. The early Greeks thought that when he made Pegasus, Poseidon drew inspiration from waves that looked like horses’ manes. Pegasus joined the gods on Mount Olympus. The goddess Athena saw the beautiful animal. She tamed him with her golden bridle. Bellerophon was the son of the king of Corinth. He decided to hunt a terrible monster. It was called Chimera. The front of its body was a lion. The middle was a goat. The back part was a hissing snake. Bellerophon knew it would take skill to kill this monster. He also knew he would need a good horse. Athena gave Pegasus to Bellerophon. She thought the winged horse would help him on the hunt. Bellerophon caught Pegasus with Athena’s golden bridle. Then, he rode off to fight the monster. Soon, Bellerophon met Chimera. While riding Pegasus, Bellerophon stabbed the monster until it was dead. Then, he rode on to attack enemies of Corinth. With Pegasus’s help, he killed many of his country’s enemies.

Then, Bellerophon made a mistake. He began to think that he deserved to live on Mount Olympus with the gods because he was such a good warrior. He rode Pegasus higher and higher into the sky toward Mount Olympus. But Zeus, ruler of all the gods, saw Bellerophon coming. Zeus was angry. He did not think Bellerophon deserved to live with the gods. Zeus sent a huge fly to sting Pegasus. The winged horse jerked suddenly, and Bellerophon fell to earth. Pegasus continued up into the sky. Zeus turned the horse into a constellation of stars. On autumn nights, the outline of Pegasus, the winged horse, can still be seen riding across the sky.

Main Idea

Context Clues

Significant Details

Drawing Conclusions

1. 2. 3.

4.

This story is mainly about a. a monster. b. a magic horse. c. a goat.

5.

Who tamed Pegasus? a. the goddess Athena b. Zeus c. Bellerophon Bellerophon killed a. Pegasus. b. Poseidon. c. Chimera.

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Inspiration is similar to a. an idea. b. an ocean. c. a monster. Why was Zeus angry? a. Zeus did not want the monster killed. b. Bellerophon was not treating Pegasus well. c. Bellerophon wished to become as powerful as the gods.

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A Detective Returns He began to plan the murder. It would be fast. After one push, the man would be over the cliff. He would never be seen again. Was this the plan of a gang leader? Was it a trap set by a spy? No, it was the work of an author. He was planning the end of his character Sherlock Holmes. In 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the first Sherlock Holmes mystery. Holmes is the most famous fictional detective in the world. Sherlock Holmes mysteries have been around for over one hundred years. But readers still enjoy the way Holmes solves mysteries. He finds clues that no one else finds. Then, he zeroes in on the criminal. Doyle wrote about Sherlock Holmes for many years. Then, he grew tired of it. He decided to end the stories and the life of Holmes. Doyle wrote a new story. In it, Holmes is pushed over a cliff and dies. Doyle’s fans missed reading about the detective. Doyle listened to them. He brought Holmes back in Return of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. There, he studied to become a physician. Later, he worked as a doctor on many ships. Then, he set up an office in Southsea, England. During England’s Boer War in South Africa, he

worked in a field hospital. He was the chief doctor there. King Edward VII knighted Doyle for serving England. Doyle led a full life. Many readers like to think that he and Sherlock Holmes were alike. Actually, Doyle was more like his character Dr. Watson, Holmes’s friend and helper. Doyle and Watson were both physicians and writers. They also served in the Boer War. Doyle’s most popular character was Sherlock Holmes. But Doyle also wrote science fiction, historical fiction, and a military history. Doyle liked his more serious works better than his detective stories. His readers disagree. Sherlock Holmes is a character who will never die—even though his author tried to kill him.

Main Idea

4. Holmes zeroes in on the criminal. a. leaves nothing b. arrests c. closes in

1.

This story is mainly about a. a detective from South Africa. b. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. c. the Boer War.

Drawing Conclusions

5. Many of the Sherlock Holmes stories include murders by poison and strange medicines. Why do you think this is so? a. Holmes could not solve any other murders. b. Poison was sold in all the English shops in the 1800s. c. Doyle was a doctor and knew about poison and medicines.

Significant Details 2.

Doyle’s most famous storybook character is a. a clever physician. b. King Edward VII. c. Sherlock Holmes.

Context Clues

3. A fictional character is a. a good detective. b. real. c. not real. © Milliken Publishing Company

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The Lake Monster In Port Henry, New York, people are used to hearing about sea monsters. In fact, images of a sea monster named Champ can be found around town. The people of Port Henry claim that Champ is their local sea monster. Port Henry is on the shore of Lake Champlain. This lake lies between New York and Vermont. Every year, hundreds of people come to the lake to look for Champ. Now, both states have passed resolutions that Champ, if found, must not be harmed. Shortly after 1600, a Frenchman, Samuel de Champlain, began exploring the lake area. Indians told him of a monster they had often seen in its waters. The creature was said to be ten feet long with sharp fangs in its huge jaws. Champlain himself recorded the sighting of a five-foot sea creature. More recently, there have been over 200 sightings. Most of them occur near Port Henry. Those who claim to have seen Champ say he is

about thirty feet long. They say he has a long neck and a small head. Interest in Champ grew when a visitor took a picture of something on the top of the lake. Scientists agreed that the picture was not a fake. However, they are still not sure if it is a picture of a monster. Scientists think that Lake Champlain could be a home for ancient creatures. The lake is deep, and its water is cold. Strange fish and other creatures from long ago are still found in the waters. It could be a perfect place for a sea monster to hide.

Main Idea

Inference 4.

1. What do some people think is in Lake Champlain? a. sunken boats b. a sea monster c. a lost painting

Following Through

Significant Details 2.

5. There have been sightings of other monsters in America and other countries. One of them is “Bigfoot.” Find a book about monsters, and make a list of creatures. 6. Use your imagination to picture a strange monster. Write a paragraph that describes exactly what your monster looks like.

Port Henry is a town a. in the state of Vermont. b. buried under the water. c. on the shore of the lake.

Context Clues 3.

When there is a monster sighting, someone a. kills the creature. b. sees the creature. c. photographs the creature.

© Milliken Publishing Company

It would seem that interest in Champ a. will not last. b. is over. c. gets stronger all the time.

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The Windsurfer Champ Windsurfing is a popular water sport. It is also called sailboarding. It combines surfboarding and sailing. Windsurfing is hard to learn. It may take a beginner hours just to learn to stand on the board. Stephane Peyron was no beginner when he set out on a daring adventure. He was the first man to sailboard alone across the Atlantic Ocean. Stephane started his trip in New York. He used a special sailboard. It was bigger than usual. It also had a tiny cabin on it. Stephane could sleep there. He also kept food, water, and a radio on board. Soon after leaving New York, Stephane had problems. The weather grew very bad. Stephane had to work hard to keep his sailboard afloat. Then, on his ninth day at sea, Stephane had a real scare. A large cargo ship crossed his path. Apparently, no one on the ship saw the sailboard. Stephane thought the big ship was going to run into him. Luckily, it missed him. But it passed only three feet in front of his sailboard. The big waves made by the ship were too much for the windsurfer. His sailboard overturned, and he was thrown into the water.

Stephane’s last problem developed as he neared the end of his trip. He had planned to land in his hometown, La Baule, France. But strong winds forced him to land at La Rochelle. It did not matter though. Stephane Peyron had still crossed the Atlantic, from New York to France. He had covered 3,300 miles in 46 days.

Main Idea

Context Clues

Significant Details

Inference

4. Stephane worked hard to keep his sailboard afloat. a. sailing correctly without sinking b. free of water c. sailing in the right direction

1. Stephane Peyron’s greatest accomplishment was to a. stand alone on a sailboard. b. win the surfboarding race in France. c. sailboard across the Atlantic. 2. 3.

5.

Sailboarding is a lot like a. surfing. b. scuba diving. c. swimming. Stephane’s voyage ended in a. New York. b. France. c. the ocean.

© Milliken Publishing Company

What kind of person is Stephane? a. reckless and wild b. strong and determined c. needs the help of others

Drawing Conclusions

6. Do you think Stephane would have enjoyed meeting the pilot Charles Lindbergh? Explain.

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Two Impossible Gifts (Adapted from a Japanese folktale) But the two wives happily prepared for the visit. They decided to worry about the gifts later. They spent two weeks with their families and then began to miss their life in Ling Li’s house. They were on their way back when they remembered the gifts. But how would they ever find such gifts? They asked everyone in the village and along the road, but no one knew. Then, the older wife decided to visit the Wise Man of the Mountain. When the sun set, the mountain seemed to be on fire. Surely, he would know about fire wrapped in paper. But he knew nothing. The younger wife went to ask the Wise Man of the Sea. The sails on his boat were always filled with wind. He should know about wind wrapped in paper. But he knew nothing. At last, they went to see the Wise Man of the Woods. They told him about the gifts. “You have a clever father-in-law,” said the Wise Man. “We must be just as clever. Watch carefully as I work.”

Long ago in Japan, there lived a man, Ling Li, who had two sons. When the sons married, their wives came to live in the father’s home. That was the custom in Japanese families. Everyone was happy for a time. But then, the two wives began to miss their own families, who lived far away. They asked Ling Li’s permission to visit their parents, but he refused. It was also a custom that the father-inlaw was the head of the house. He could say yes or no to anyone who lived there. The two wives asked to go again and again. Finally, Ling Li said, “You may go. But after your visit, I want you to bring me two special gifts. The older wife must bring me fire wrapped in paper. The younger one must bring wind wrapped in paper. If you do not do as I wish, you may never return here.” Ling Li did not want the wives to leave. He thought they would not come back. Since he did not think they would be able to find such gifts, Ling Li thought they would decide to stay.

continued...

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“They are very nice,” said the wives, “but they cannot hold fire and wind.” The Wise Man smiled. “Put a candle in the lantern and light it. That is fire inside paper,” he said. “Wonderful!” said the wives. “But what about the wind?” “Wave the folded paper in front of your face. It is a fan. Do you not feel the wind?” asked the Wise Man. “We do!” said the wives. “You are indeed a clever man. We have our gifts and may return home.” They thanked the Wise Man and hurried on their way. Ling Li was very pleased with his gifts. But he was even more pleased with his beautiful daughters because they had come back to his family. Ling Li heaped gold and silver into the wives’ laps. Then, he ordered a wonderful “welcome home” dinner to celebrate the family’s happiness.

The Wise Man pulled a sheet of paper from his bag. He folded it this way and that. Soon, it was in the shape of a lantern. He took another sheet of paper and drew a beautiful picture on it. Then, he folded the paper over and under, over and under. He glued sticks on each end of the folded paper. “Here are your gifts,” said the Wise Man.

Main Idea

5. When Ling Li heaped gold and silver onto them, the wives were given a a. large amount. b. small pile. c. magic treasure.

Significant Details

Drawing Conclusions

1. 2. 3.

What did Ling Li tell the wives to bring home? a. three wise men b. two unusual gifts c. gold and silver

6. Which do you think was most important to Ling Li? a. two wonderful gifts b. knowing a Wise Man’s secrets c. the return of the two wives

Their wives wished to visit a. their parents. b. a mountain. c. Ling Li. Ling Li’s gifts were to be wrapped a. with care. b. at the village. c. in paper.

Following Through

7. Lanterns and fans are often symbols of Japan. Origami, the art of paper folding, is also popular in Japan. Find a book on origami. Try to locate patterns of a lantern and fan that might be similar to ones the Wise Man created. Make one of the gifts from the story or a figure of your own choosing.

Context Clues 4.

A woman’s father-in-law is her a. husband’s brother. b. mother’s husband. c. husband’s father.

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Charles Richter and His Scale A low rumbling sound can be heard. Everything shakes. Buildings crack. Bricks crash to the street. Things fall from tables and shelves. Bridges sway. Pipes break. Electric lines fall. Fires break out. Is this a scene from a new horror movie? No, this is what can happen during an earthquake. More than a thousand earthquakes happen every day. Some earthquakes cause a great deal of damage. Others cannot even be felt. Seismologists study such movements of the earth. Thanks to a man named Charles Richter, they are able to tell just how strong an earthquake is. Charles Richter was a well-known seismologist. He spent many years studying the earth. In 1935, he and Beno Gutenberg developed a new scale. It measured the strength of earthquakes. This scale was called a seismograph. This measuring system is called the Richter scale. It is still used today. Charles was born near Hamilton, Ohio. There, he lived on a farm for nine years. Then, his family moved to California. In high school, he was in the natural history club. He enjoyed the club camping trips. He would relax in the woods for days or even weeks. At that time, there were no roads into the forest. Charles walked a lot. He learned about the earth as he walked. This learning helped him later in life.

© Milliken Publishing Company

In college, Charles studied physics. After college, he took a job at the California Institute of Technology. He worked in geology and geography. Studying earthquakes was not part of Charles’s job. But he wanted to know where they came from. He also wanted to know how big they were. He decided to find out. Gutenberg helped him. Richter and Gutenberg worked hard. They found out all they could about earthquakes. They learned that California had over two hundred earthquakes a year. Charles felt that this number would scare people. He wanted to show that some earthquakes are stronger than others. His scale helped him to do this. An earthquake that measures 1 on his scale is a small ripple. Most people would not even feel such an earthquake. An earthquake that measures 4.5 might cause a small amount of damage. One that measures 8 or 9 is dangerous. Some of the largest earthquakes ever reported measured over 9.0 on Richter’s scale. continued...

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Charles pointed out that few people are hurt or killed by earthquakes. He said that falling buildings and fires caused by the earthquakes hurt and kill people. Charles asked that decorations be removed from building tops. He said these could fall and hurt people during earthquakes. Some say that this saved many lived in Los Angeles’s 1971 earthquake.

Charles kept studying and teaching about earthquakes. He also kept hiking and camping. The subject “earth” kept Charles interested for the rest of his life.

Main Idea

Drawing Conclusions

Significant Details

Following Through

1.

This story is mainly about a. a California earthquake. b. a man who studied earthquakes. c. two friends who liked to camp.

6.

2. Charles Richter grew up on a. a farm. b. a mountain. c. an island. 3. Charles developed a scale that would a. weigh fish at the market. b. record the height of mountains. c. measure the strength of earthquakes.

7. Research the Richter scale. Write about how you think it works. Do you think it is a useful tool? Explain. ____________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ 8. Almost all of the world’s major earthquakes occur in two great belts. They are known as the circum-Pacific belt and the Alpide belt. Find out where these two belts are located. What areas are affected?

Context Clues

4. A ripple is something like a a. loud noise. b. small wave. c. large farm. 5. Charles relaxed in the woods. a. rested b. fished c. looked © Milliken Publishing Company

In order to invent a scale, Charles probably a. worked day and night for ten years. b. had to know a lot about science and math. c. knew how to find his way in the dark.

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Treasures of Amelia Island Amelia Island is beautiful and quiet. It is off the coast of Florida. Many vacationers visit its beaches. There, they relax and get away from civilization. Travel sites may say that Amelia Island is a world all its own. Because it is far from civilization, many travelers went to Amelia Island in the 1800s too. But these travelers were not vacationers. They were pirates. Some of the greatest pirates of the time went to Amelia Island. They would meet or hide there. They also buried stolen treasure

there. People who lived in Florida near the island were terrified. They did not want to meet such pirates as Captain Kidd, the Lafitte brothers, and Blackbeard. Buried treasure makes Amelia Island a mystery island. Pirates were seen burying chests there. These chests contained gold, silver, and jewels. But no one has ever found these treasures. Over the years, many legends have been told about treasure on the island. One legend tells of treasure buried beneath a tree with a chain hanging from it. Some people say they have seen this tree. But they say that when they return with shovels to start digging near it, the tree disappears! Today, vacationers can be seen on the beaches of Amelia Island. They dig for rocks and shells. Maybe if they dig deep enough, they will discover a real treasure!

Main Idea

Drawing Conclusions

Significant Details

Following Through

1.

2.

Amelia Island is a mystery island because a. no one knows where it is. b. pirates were never found there. c. people think buried treasure still lies there but no one can find it.

4. If Blackbeard were alive today, he would probably a. be wanted by the police. b. be a local hero. c. give his treasure to the poor.

Pirates liked Amelia Island because it a. had pretty beaches. b. was far away from the main cities. c. was a good place to relax.

5. Get a book about pirates and read some of their famous adventures. Find out the difference between a “pirate” and a “privateer.” 6. Write your own adventure story. You may use these real pirates in your story or make up some of your own.

Context Clues 3.

The island was far away from civilization. a. people and cities b. food and drink c. Florida

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Snow Queen Each year, a long, hard race is held in the United States. It is the Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race. This race is run in Alaska. It starts in Anchorage and ends in Nome. It is more than a thousand miles long. For days, dog sled teams and their drivers race over frozen land. They only stop for food and rest. In 1986, Susan Butcher of Eureka, Alaska became the second woman to win the race. She set a record for speed. In 1987, she won again. Her speed was even faster than the year before. She finished the trip in 11 days, 2 hours, 5 minutes, and 13 seconds. Susan said her team of Huskies caused her to win. Her lead dogs, Mattie and Granite, were most important. Susan’s care and training gave the dogs the will and strength to complete such a race. Eleven days, with few stops, is a long time

© Milliken Publishing Company

for dogs to run. On the trail, the wind chill can drop as low as one hundred degrees below zero. The frozen ground is hard on the dogs’ feet. The bottoms of their paws can crack and become sore. Many racers carry salve for the dogs’ paws. They keep it inside their jackets, next to their warm bodies, to keep it from freezing. At each stop during the 1987 race, Susan cared for her dogs. She fed them and talked to them. She also worked on their paws and checked each dog for signs of illness or fatigue. Only when her dogs were comfortable would she take time for food and rest. Susan slept only about twenty hours during the eleven days on the trail. continued...

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Susan was four hours ahead of the closest team when she neared Nome. Quickly, the message was sent to town that the first “musher” was coming. When Susan and her team crossed the finish line, school had been dismissed, sirens were blowing, and over two thousand people were waiting for her. That welcome was enough to warm Susan and her dogs all the way down to their toes—and paws. Susan came back to race again and again. She won a total of four Iditarod races.

Main Idea 1.

Inference

This story is mainly about a. the temperature in Alaska. b. a dog sled race. c. two famous Huskies.

7. Sled dogs must be strong and fast because a. they must pull heavy loads and withstand extreme cold. b. they must communicate with the “musher.” c. they are from the Arctic region.

Significant Details 2. 3.

Drawing Conclusions

How many days was Susan on the trail? a. 5 b. 13 c. 11 One of Susan’s dogs was a. sick. b. hurt. c. named Mattie.

8. Which statement do you think is true? a. Susan Butcher was in good physical condition. b. Nome is the most important city in Alaska. c. People are not interested in the Iditarod race.

Following Through

Context Clues

9. Find a detailed map of Alaska. Trace what you think would be the best route between the cities of Anchorage and Nome. List difficulties you might expect on that route. List any land features that might help a racer. 10. Pretend that you are Susan Butcher. Write a paragraph describing her feelings as she approached the finish line.

4. 5. 6.

Lead dogs a. run at the head of the team. b. cannot hear the driver’s commands. c. do not move very fast. Salve is a kind of a. race. b. medicine. c. food. If one of Susan’s dogs showed signs of fatigue, that means it was very a. lost. b. hungry. c. tired.

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The Golden Knights Free falling is moving through the air before the parachute opens. This is when most of the tricks are done. Free fallers can move backward and forward. They can also make patterns with their smoke trails. Sometimes, two parachutists jump together. They fly toward each other in the air. They push away just in time to open their parachutes. It is very exciting to see many paratroopers jump together. This is called relative work. Relative work takes a lot of practice. The parachutists join each other in the air and form patterns in the sky. This trick is a favorite with the crowds and the jumpers. Becoming a U.S. Army paratrooper is hard work. Students go through basic training first. Then, they go to jump school for three weeks. In jump school, students learn the right way to jump and fall. They also learn how to pack a parachute. Students practice jumping from a tower for many hours. After that, they do jumps called static-line jumps from a plane. A static-line cable runs from the plane to the parachute. The static line opens the parachute when the jumper leaves the plane. Jumpers are not allowed to dive without a static line until the instructor says they are ready.

It is fun to watch skydivers. First, they soar through the air. Then, they roll, twist, and turn. Suddenly, their parachutes snap open. They float slowly to the ground. Skydiving is an exciting sport. It may be a little too exciting for some people. Jumping from a plane at 3,000 feet is very dangerous. Many people would rather watch the sport than try it. The Golden Knights give people a chance to do just that. The Golden Knights are the United States Army paratrooping team. For over 50 years, they have been putting on a show in the sky. Many people come to see them when they come to town. Paratroopers jump from planes, high in the sky. They are often too high to be seen from the ground. The Golden Knights have a way to show where they are. They attach small smoke guns to their shoes. As they leave the plane, the paratroopers trigger their guns. This makes streams of colored smoke behind them. Then, people on the ground can see the Golden Knights as they free fall.

continued...

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Any Army paratrooper who has made at least 100 jumps can try out for the Golden Knights team. But the team is made up of only about 90 jumpers. Naturally, these paratroopers have to be the best. The Golden Knights’ record for team jumping is among the best in the world. Although they have won many awards, the Golden Knights have special pride for another reason. Not only are they representing their team, but also they are representing their country, the United States of America.

Main Idea 1.

Inference

The Golden Knights are a. pilots. b. paratroopers. c. knights.

6. The Golden Knights not only must be good paratroopers, but also must be good citizens. Why is this? a. They represent their country. b. Citizenship is required to skydive. c. A person must be a citizen to be on the team.

Significant Details

2. How can people on the ground see the Golden Knights in the air? a. Their golden uniforms stand out in the sky. b. They jump low enough to be seen. c. Streams of smoke follow their moves. 3. “Relative work” is a. work completed in jump school. b. tricks done by a group of skydivers. c. a professional jump. 4. To be on the Golden Knights team, a person must be a a. paratrooper in the U.S. Army. b. licensed skydiver. c. trained pilot.

Drawing Conclusions

7. Why are the skydivers’ first jumps made with a static line? a. Jumpers need this in order to do relative work. b. Beginning jumpers may forget when to pull open the parachute. c. Skydivers cannot do tricks without the static line.

Following Through

8. Both the Navy and Air Force have flying exhibition teams. Read about them, and compare them to the Golden Knights. 9. Write a paragraph to describe how a skydiver might feel right before his or her first jump without a static line.

Context Clues

5. The Knights have pride. a. collections of stunts performed in the past b. good feelings about themselves and their work c. licenses to skydive

© Milliken Publishing Company

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The Call of the Wild During the day, the team covered miles of trail. It was a very hard life. But Buck began to like the work. Then one day, he tangled with the lead dog. After a bad fight, Buck was the winner. The lead dog was dead. Buck had tasted his first blood. After that, he fought his way into the position of lead dog. From then on, Buck felt “the call of the wild.” At night, he would look into the campfire. There, he would see his ancestors and feel some of their primitive desires. He wanted to join them. One evening, Buck left camp for a short time. He met a wolf. It was his first move away from the trail life and toward the wild.

Buck is one of the best known sled dogs in fiction. He is the star of The Call of the Wild, a novel by Jack London. Buck started life on a California estate. There, he had everything he wanted. He was a happy, friendly dog. One day, Buck was stolen. The robbers thought that a large, healthy dog like Buck would be worth a lot of money as a sled dog up north. After a miserable train ride in a cage, Buck arrived in Seattle, Washington. On the way, he had been treated pretty badly. He had been choked with rope and beaten with sticks. He had changed. He was ready to attack anyone who came near him. In Seattle, a man came to look at Buck. The man carried messages by sled for the Canadian government. He saw that Buck was an unusual dog. He took a chance and bought the mean-looking animal. Buck became part of the man’s dog sled team. He learned much from the other dogs about living on the trail. The leader of the pack was a command dog. This dog would nip, shove, and snarl to keep the rest of the dogs in line. Buck stayed away from the command dog for a long time. But Buck wanted to be the leader someday. Buck learned how to burrow in the snow at night. This made a warm nest for sleeping. He also learned to snatch food and eat it quickly. This kept the other dogs from stealing his food.

© Milliken Publishing Company

continued...

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Sometime later, Buck’s owner lost his job. He sold the dog team. Buck was nearly beaten to death by his new owners. John Thornton, an explorer and gold seeker, saved his life. For the first time, Buck loved a human being. But in spite of his desire to be near John, Buck was drawn more and more toward life in the wild. Then one day, when Buck was away from camp, John was murdered. Buck found the murderers and killed them. Then, he joined his “brother” wolves for good. Sometimes, he would return to the place of John’s death. But more often, he could be found pointing his nose to the moon and howling an eerie “call of the wild.”

Context Clues

Main Idea 1.

5. 6.

This story is mainly about a. a real dog in the North. b. the gold rush of 1900. c. a storybook dog in Canada.

Significant Details 2. 3. 4.

The author of The Call of the Wild is a. Buck. b. Jack London. c. John Thornton. Buck was beaten with a. ropes. b. sleds. c. sticks. Buck wanted to be a. the lead dog. b. back in California. c. captured by villains.

© Milliken Publishing Company

To be miserable is to be a. joyous. b. very unhappy. c. strong and healthy. Something that is primitive existed a. only in Canada. b. under the snow. c. in ancient times.

Drawing Conclusions

7. Which do you think best describes the story of Buck? a. strong and powerful b. funny and silly c. happy

Following Through

8. Look up the story of Jack London’s life. Write three things about the author’s career that might have influenced actions or events in the book about Buck. 9. Another book that brought Jack London instant success was called White Fang. Read the story. How was this wolf like Buck? How was he different?

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Strike Three In the early years of baseball, the umpires started a tradition. It began because of a player named William Hoy. Hoy played in the major leagues in the early 1900s. During his four years of major league play, Hoy made over two thousand hits. He stole almost six hundred bases. Hoy was also a great outfielder. He was the first player to throw three men out at home plate from the outfield—all in the same game. William Hoy was a great player. But he could not talk to the other players. He could not hear the umpires’ calls either. Hoy was deaf. The umpires searched for a way to make the game easier for him. They began to use hand signals. The umpires’ signals were simple but useful. They let Hoy know whether a strike or ball had crossed the plate. An umpire’s right hand showed strikes. If he held up two fingers of the right hand, there were two strikes. An umpire kept track of the number of balls with his left hand. When Hoy was batting, he could just turn his head to see the calls. Hand signals also helped Hoy when he ran bases or played outfield. He no longer had to guess if a runner was safe. A jerk of an umpire’s thumb meant out. Both hands spread wide meant safe.

Hand signals are now a permanent part of baseball. They were an easy answer to one man’s needs. Now other deaf players have been helped by them. Hoy has not been forgotten. He was added to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2003. A play based on the early years of his career was produced in Chicago. It was a public tribute to one of baseball’s finest.

Main Idea

Context Clues

1.

The most important person in this story is a. a little league player. b. William Hoy. c. a deaf actor.

4. A deaf person a. can throw a ball several yards. b. cannot hear. c. is a good umpire. 5. When the umpire gives a signal, a. he calls the player’s name. b. it is the end of the game. c. he makes a sign.

Significant Details 2. 3.

William Hoy was a. a second baseman. b. a major league umpire. c. deaf. These are now part of the game of baseball. a. hand signals b. 600 umpires per game c. 2000 hits each inning

© Milliken Publishing Company

Drawing Conclusions 6.

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Today’s baseball fans probably a. do not know much about William Hoy. b. do not like an umpire’s hand signals. c. have all played in Little Leagues.

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Tara Lipinski When Tara Lipinski was a young girl, she knew she wanted to skate. In fact, it was her dream to win an Olympic medal for skating someday. Roller skating came easily to the tiny Tara. By the time she started school, Tara was winning ribbons for her roller-skating competitions. A friend suggested ice-skating, so her parents took her to the ice rink. At first, ice-skating seemed much different from roller-skating. Tara fell a lot. But by the end of the first day, Tara had taught herself to ice-skate. She remembered some of her tricks and spins from roller-skating and tried them on the ice. The people who watched her at the ice rink that first day thought that Tara had been ice-skating for a long time. Tara begged her parents to let her take iceskating lessons. Her parents agreed, but the nearest ice rink was an hour away. Tara’s mom made that hour drive several times a week. She knew how much Tara enjoyed skating. Tara’s skating skills got better and better each day. She learned a lot from her lessons. Then one day, her father got some news. His job was moving to Texas. That meant that the Lipinski family was moving to Texas, too. Tara missed her old friends, but was able to keep up with her iceskating. Soon, however, Tara knew she needed to go on. Tara’s dream was to skate and win in the Olympics. Her new town in Texas didn’t have many skaters. They couldn’t help her train for the Olympics. It was then that her parents gave Tara the best present of all—a chance at her dream. Her parents decided that Tara and her mom would move back to her old rink where Tara could train with professionals. The two moved into an apartment near the Delaware rink. This move was hard. Tara missed her dad who had to stay in Texas and work. Mr. Lipinski missed Tara, too. But Tara’s skating had really begun to improve. Her coaches entered her in contests, and she began to win. Tara was becoming known for her triple loops, spins, and jumps. Her wins gave her a place on the U.S. Olympic figure-skating team.

In 1998, at Nagano, Japan, Tara surprised the world. She became the youngest girl ever to win an Olympic gold medal for individual women’s figure skating. She had met her goal! Tara knew that her parents gave up a lot for her. The training and practice cost a lot of money. Hardest of all was the fact that her family had to live apart. Tara didn’t want her family to live apart anymore. She made a hard decision. Her coaches and fans wanted Tara to keep training for the next Olympics. They knew she could win another gold medal. Tara knew she could win another medal, too. Her jumps, loops, and spins were the best on ice. But Tara decided not to train for the next Olympic contest. Instead, she would skate in ice shows around the country. This would give Tara much more free time to be with her family and friends. It would also give her a chance to try new things. continued...

© Milliken Publishing Company

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Tara’s fans were sad at first. They wanted to see her win again. But soon they saw Tara on ice. She appeared on TV shows and specials. She had her gold medal. She had her family. All of this made Tara a very happy star on ice! Ice-skating continued to be a big part of Tara’s life. In 2006, she was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Tara returned to the Olympics in 2014. This time, she was a commentator on TV instead of an athlete. Tara will continue to be remembered as a great skater for many years to come.

Main Idea 1.

Drawing Conclusions

Tara was able to a. live without her family. b. meet her goal. c. be on TV.

6. What are three words you could use to describe Tara? Tell why each word is a good description. _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Significant Details 2. 3. 4.

Tara’s dad lived in Texas because a. he did not like skating. b. he liked the warmer climate. c. his job was there. Tara learned to ice-skate a. in just one day. b. after lots of hard work and practice. c. from her parents. Tara was known for her a. jumps and spins. b. TV shows. c. poor sportsmanship.

7.

Context Clues 5.

She made a hard decision. a. ice-skating trick b. choice c. demonstration

© Milliken Publishing Company

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What kinds of things are needed for success? a. goals and determination b. money and comfortable homes c. private teachers

MP3390

Jack London Jack London was an American writer who loved adventure. He was born in 1876 in San Francisco, California. Jack’s childhood was hard. His parents often neglected him and left him alone. Jack spent this time reading books and gathering ideas for his own stories. When Jack was 15, he decided he could take care of himself. He left his unhappy home and went in search of a job. Soon, he found himself working aboard an oyster ship far out at sea. Most of the men on board the ship were much older than Jack and taught him many things. Unfortunately, they taught him how to be a pirate and steal oysters from other fishermen. Jack didn’t become a thief, but he did learn that some men will do anything to survive. The experience gave him many ideas for later books. Jack published his first piece of writing, “Story of a Typhoon Off the Coast of Japan,” when he was only 17. This story, based on his sailing experiences, earned him $25.00. After his life at sea, Jack wandered alone around California. He took odd jobs to earn money, but nothing really appealed to him. Finally, news came of the Klondike Gold Rush. Men were hurrying north to the cold, harsh areas of Canada and Alaska. They all hoped to make their fortune by finding gold. In 1897, Jack London joined the rush for gold. The Klondike Territory was rough, bitter, and unsettled. All supplies, food, and clothing had to be carried by dog sled—nothing else could make it through the thick drifts of snow or across icy lakes. Jack loved this cold, wild life. He did not find gold, but he did find a wealth of ideas for his new books. He watched the strong, rough men in the Klondike. The only laws these men obeyed were the laws of survival. It was tough to survive in these harsh conditions. Jack wrote about these men in “An Odyssey of the North,” a collection of stories published in The Atlantic Monthly. Several more stories about Alaskan Indians were soon published. London’s classic novels, Call of the Wild and White Fang, are filled with his experiences of survival, sled dogs, and rough men.

© Milliken Publishing Company

Jack continued to write about his adventures. Within 20 years, Jack had published 20 novels and over 600 short stories and articles. His writing accomplishments were amazing, but Jack wasn’t happy. Perhaps he had seen too many sad things in the harsh Klondike. He stopped taking care of his health. Jack London died when he was only 40 years old. But his stories continue to provide excitement and adventure long after his death. continued...

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Inferences

Main Idea 1.

4. Jack probably admired the rough men of the Klondike. You might guess this because a. he always wanted to be rough. b. these men were the subjects of many of his stories. c. these men were lucky enough to find gold.

Jack London wrote about a. adventure. b. animal care. c. his childhood.

Significant Details 2.

Jack went to the Klondike to look for a. sled dogs. b. gold. c. friends.

Drawing Conclusions

5. Jack London would probably have enjoyed writing about a. the history of California. b. his parents. c. space travel and exploration.

Context Clues 3.

It was hard to survive in the harsh Klondike. a. make a fortune b. stay alive c. live with others

© Milliken Publishing Company

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Motocross Racing The rules for racing today require the riders to compete in two motos, or heats. The motos last about 40 minutes each, and the scores from both races are added together. Riders must be in top condition. The race is very demanding and requires strength and coordination. Each twist and turn requires the rider to concentrate. Quick thinking is necessary as the riders chase each other around the track. Competing in a motocross race isn’t for everyone. But most fans will agree that watching the spills and thrills of the sport can be almost as exciting as the actual ride.

Motocross racing is a form of motorcycle racing. It has been called the hardest and most exciting form. Motocross racing started in Europe in the early 20th century. Riders from many countries came to Europe to compete. Now, motocross races are held all over the world. Special bikes, often called MX cycles, are needed for motocross racing. They must be small but strong. They must be able to turn sharply and maneuver quickly. And they must be able to withstand all the bumps, jumps, and obstacles found along the race courses. These cycles are different from the large motorcycles driven on the street. The MX cycles are made to cover rough land, rocks, and mud. Tires on these cycles are big and heavy, with big knobs that can grip wet mud and loose gravel. In the early days of motocross racing, the courses often used natural landscape. Riders looked for steep hills and rocky land. Today, motocross courses are carefully designed, but they are just as rough. Obstacles like sharp corners and big ruts are part of the challenge.

© Milliken Publishing Company

continued...

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Main Idea 1.

Drawing Conclusions

Motocross racing is a. open to everyone. b. easier than riding a street motorcycle. c. a difficult sport.

5. What type of person might compete in a motocross race? a. a risk-taker b. a fast runner c. someone who does not want to take chances 6. Why do you think MX cycles are sometimes called dirt bikes? _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

Significant Details 2. 3.

Motocross cycles are driven a. on dirt courses. b. on paved roads. c. on circular tracks. Each race requires the driver to a. drive around the track twice. b. avoid all the rocks and ruts. c. drive in two separate motos.

Inference

4. Why must athletes be in good condition? a. They have to lift their own bikes. b. They have to grip and control a fast moving machine. c. The race lasts too long.

© Milliken Publishing Company

7. MX cycles do not have headlights and horns like large motorcycles. Why not? _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

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Build better reading skills with inspirational stories! These captivating stories feature topical and diversified subject matter including:

• Famous figures • Sports personalities & events • Mysteries • Visual & performing arts • Disasters • Excerpts from legends & mythology • Amazing facts & wonders in science & nature

A controlled vocabulary averaging two readability levels below content helps to ensure understanding and promotes confidence in reading. Follow-up questions reinforce key comprehension skills. MP3388 MP3389 MP3390 MP3391 MP3392 MP3393

Building Comprehension Grade 4 Building Comprehension Grade 5 Building Comprehension Grade 6 Building Comprehension Grade 7 Building Comprehension Grade 8 Building Comprehension Grade 9

ISBN: 978-1-4291-0907-9 Milliken Publishing Company, a Lorenz company, P.O. Box 802, Dayton, OH 45401-0802 www.LorenzEducationalPress.com