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Machines Can Move! | Machines are everywhere. We use them to play and to work. Without machines to help us, our lives would not be the same. Keep reading to learn more about machines!
Machines help people. They make work easier. Simple machines have either one moving part or no moving parts. Below, read about the six simple machines.
Pulley
A pulley is a wheel with a rope or a belt around it. A pulley helps a person lift or move something up, down, or across an area.
Screw
A screw is an object that spirals around itself. A screw is often used to hold things together.
Inclined plane
An inclined plane, or a ramp, is a flat surface that is higher at one end. It helps a person move something up or down from one place to another.
Wheel and axle
A wheel and axle move at the same time. The axle is the rod that fits through the center of the wheel. Both parts turn to help a person move something.
Wedge
A wedge is an object with a sharp edge. A wedge helps a person spread or cut apart something.
Lever
A lever is a flat bar that rests on a support called a fulcrum. A lever helps a person move or lift something.
Many of the machines we use today are not simple. They are complex machines. These machines are made up of one or more simple machines. For example, a computer has a disk drive. That is a type of wheel and axle. | 580 | 2 | Science: Technology & Engineering | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. A wedge would be a useful machine for cutting vegetables _______ it has a sharp edge. | A. because
B. but
C. so | A | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Whale Watch! | Whales are big ocean mammals.
Mammals are animals that drink milk from their mothers. Whales live in oceans. There are many kinds of whales. Whales are some of the biggest animals alive.
Some whales, like a humpback, eat tiny animals that look like shrimp, also known as krill. The humpback opens its mouth and takes in water and krill. Grooves in the whale's throat stretch to help it hold a lot of water and food. Then it pushes the water out and eats the krill.
All whales, like blue whales, breathe air through blowholes, which are openings on top of a whale's head. The blowhole is closed when the whale is under the water. When the whale comes to the top, its blowhole opens. The whale breathes out, making water spray into the air. Then the whale breathes in and goes under the water again.
Most whales, like killer whales, breach. A breaching whale jumps up out of the water. Then it comes down and makes a huge splash!
No one is sure why whales breach. Some people say that they do it just for fun!
Some whales, like belugas, communicate. Whales communicate to talk to one another. Scientists think that a whale communicates by making sounds from its blowhole and from its mouth. Some whales can communicate with one another over hundreds of miles of ocean water! | 680 | 2 | Science: Life Science | What does the word “breach” mean as it used in the text? | A. leap out of water
B. lose someone's trust
C. breathe air through a blowhole
D. make a big splash | A | Read the following sentences: “Some whales, like belugas, communicate with one another. Scientists think that a whale talks to other whales by making sounds from its blowhole and from its mouth." What does the word “communicate” mean as it is used in the text? | A. speak to on the phone
B. hurt
C. get away from
D. talk to | D | According to the text, what are blowholes? | A. long narrow channels in a surface
B. ways whales jump out of the water
C. openings on top of a whale’s head
D. leap out of the water. | C | What would happen if a whale’s blowhole was covered? | A. The whale would not be able to breach.
B. The whale would not be able to eat krill.
C. The whale would not be able to hear.
D. The whale would not be able breathe. | D | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
The Silk Mystery | If you think spider webs are weak, think again! Spider webs are made of silk. That is one of the strongest materials. In fact, silk is stronger than the same amount of steel!
A spider squeezes a sticky liquid from its body. That liquid hardens into a strong silk thread. Scientists are working to make silk that is as strong as a spider's. They are getting closer to learning how.
"We use lots of different machines to see how spiders make their silk," says scientist Chris Holland. "The machines can show us how strong the silk is and what it is made of."
Holland says, "We recently discovered that to make silk like a spider's, we have to start with the right material. We have been using a material that was too runny. In spiders, it is thick like mayonnaise [MAY-uh-nayz]."
Scientists hope their work will help produce, or make, a stronger silk. It may be used to make clothes that are strong but light in weight. The clothes may one day protect soldiers and astronauts.
A grass spider uses silk to make a shelter. A shelter is a place where an animal lives.
An orb weaver spider makes a sticky web to trap prey. A spider's prey is any animal that it eats.
A female candy-stripe spider wraps silk around her eggs to protect them. | 720 | 2 | Science: Technology & Engineering, Life Science | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Scientists use machines to look at spider silk, _______ they can figure out how strong the silk is and what it is made of. | A. so
B. because
C. but | A | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Tour the White House | What is the most famous address in the country? It is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.! That is where the White House is located. The president lives and works in the White House. Come and explore some of the White House’s most famous rooms. | 640 | 2-3 | Social Studies: Civics & Government, U.S. History | Which of the following rooms of the White House is not used for parties? | A. the State Dining Room.
B. the Red Room.
C. the East Room.
D. the Oval Office | D | This passage could appear in all the following except | A. a magazine.
B. a story book.
C. a book about Washington, DC.
D. a book about famous buildings. | B | We know that this passage is an informational text because it | A. mentions George Washington.
B. takes place in Washington, D.C.
C. has many facts about the White House.
D. is about the White House. | C | The Green Room is called The Green Room because | A. the walls of the room are green.
B. it cost a lot of money to build.
C. Presidents often feel sick in that room.
D. the windows overlook a grassy lawn | A | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
An American Leader | Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. Each January, Americans honor him with a holiday. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday in January.
When King was growing up, the laws in some places were unfair. Those laws treated African American people differently from white people. African Americans were not allowed to go to the same schools as white students. Many were also forced to sit in the back of buses.
In the 1950s and 1960s, King worked to change unfair laws. He led peaceful marches and gave many speeches. In 1963, King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
As a result of King’s hard work, equal rights laws were passed. Those laws make sure that all Americans are treated fairly and equally. | 810 | 2 | Social Studies: U.S. History | During which month do Americans celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day? | A. January
B. February
C. March | A | Martin Luther King Jr.’s work to change unfair laws was caused by a desire for people to be treated fairly. What was an effect of King’s work? | A. Martin Luther King Jr. led marches and gave speeches.
B. Equal rights laws were passed, so Americans are treated fairly.
C. African Americans and whites went to separate schools. | B | African Americans were treated unfairly. What evidence from the passage best supports this conclusion? | A. African Americans were forced to sit in the back of buses.
B. Martin Luther King Jr. led marches and gave speeches.
C. Americans honor Martin Luther King Jr. with a holiday. | A | Read the following sentence from King’s speech: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” How did Martin Luther King Jr. feel about the future of America? | A. scared
B. angry
C. hopeful | C | What is this passage mostly about? | A. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech
B. why African Americans were treated differently than white people
C. how Martin Luther King Jr. helped change unfair laws. | C | Read the following sentences: “Each January, Americans honor him with a holiday. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday in January. " Why does the author begin the passage this way? | A. to tell the reader about Martin Luther King Jr.’s life
B. to tell the reader why we honor Martin Luther King Jr.
C. to tell the reader about Martin Luther King Jr. Day | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. _______ laws in some parts of the United States were unfair, African Americans had to sit in the back of buses. | A. So
B. Because
C. But | B |
Oceans, Rivers, and Lakes | We live on a wet planet. In fact, most of the surface of Earth is covered with water.
Oceans are the largest bodies of water on Earth. A body of water is a part of Earth’s surface covered with water. You probably know that ocean water is salty. Do you know why? It is mainly because rain brings salt from the land and into the ocean! Here is how that happens: Rain falls onto rocks. The rainwater breaks down salt and minerals from the rocks. The water mixes with the salt and minerals. Then it flows into the oceans.
Scientists have discovered two other sources of salty ocean water. Some salt comes from underwater volcanoes. Other salt spurts from heated vents on the ocean floor. Most ocean salt, however, starts on land.
Lakes are large bodies of water. They are surrounded by land. Lakes usually have fresh water, but some lakes have salt water. The Great Salt Lake in Utah is a saltwater lake. Lake water does not move from place to place.
Rivers are filled with fresh water that moves from one place to another. The water in rivers comes mostly from rain. Rivers usually flow into oceans.
Streams and creeks are also bodies of moving fresh water. They are smaller than rivers. Streams and creeks can come together and form larger streams or rivers. | 580 | 2 | Science: Earth & Space Science | What is most of the surface of Earth covered with? | A. land
B. air
C. water | C | The article lists examples of bodies of water. What is the first example it lists? | A. creeks
B. rivers
C. oceans | C | "Some salt comes from underwater volcanoes. Other salt spurts from heated vents on the ocean floor." What does this information tell us about oceans? | A. Some of the water in oceans comes from rain.
B. Oceans are salty.
C. Oceans are the largest bodies of water on Earth. | B | Which body of water is most like a river? | A. a stream
B. a lake
C. an ocean | A | What is the main idea of this article? | A. Different bodies of water cover most of the earth.
B. Rivers are bodies of fresh water that usually flow into oceans.
C. Rainwater mixes with the salt and minerals of rocks. | A | "You probably know that ocean water is salty. Do you know why? It is mainly because rain brings salt from the land and into the ocean!" Why might the author ask, "Do you know why?" | A. to prove that most people do not know much about ocean water
B. to give readers a question to think about after they finish the article
C. to prepare readers for information that she is about to give them | C | Oceans have salt water, _______ rivers have fresh water. | A. so
B. because
C. but | C |
Stuck in the Icy Ocean | Ernest Shackleton was an explorer. In 1914, he led an expedition to Antarctica. Things went wrong, however. As Shackleton and twenty-seven men sailed toward the South Pole, their ship became stuck in ice.
The ice would not melt until spring. Shackleton wondered whether he and his shipmates should spend the freezing winter months on the ship. They knew the ice had damaged their ship and that it would sink in the spring.
Shackleton finally decided that he and his men had to leave the ship. They ended up camping on a sheet of ice. They watched their ship sink, safe for the moment. But Shackleton knew they were still in danger. Soon, the sheet of ice they were living on started to melt. Shackleton ordered his men onto the small lifeboats the big ship carried. They all sailed to a nearby island. The men could not find shelter or life there. They could not stay.
Shackleton met his new problem with courage. He and five men sailed in a small lifeboat to another island. They found people there. Shackleton sent a ship to bring back the twenty-two other men. The rescue was successful! After two years at sea, every crewman had been saved.
Ernest Shackleton solved the problems his men faced. He took a dangerous trip to save his crew. Today, many people consider him a hero. | 520 | 2 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture, Sports, Health & Safety | To where did Ernest Shackleton and his men sail? | A. Antarctica
B. Europe
C. North America | A | What main problem did Shackleton and his crew face? | A. They weren't good at steering their ship.
B. They ran out of food and supplies.
C. Their ship got stuck in the ice. | C | “Ernest Shackleton solved the problems his men faced.” Which piece of evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. “Ernest Shackleton was an explorer. In 1914, he led an expedition to Antarctica.”
B. “As Shackleton and twenty-seven men sailed toward the South Pole, their ship became stuck in ice.”
C. “Soon, the sheet of ice they were living on started to melt. Shackleton ordered his men onto the small lifeboats the big ship carried.” | C | Why was the spring in Antarctica especially dangerous to Shackleton and his crew? | A. because the ice would melt in the spring, which would cause the crew to die
B. because dangerous animals come out in the spring that could eat or hurt the crew
C. because the warmer spring weather could cause damage to the supplies Shackleton and his crew had brought | A | What is the main idea of this article? | A. Shackleton faced many dangers during his expedition but was able to save his entire crew.
B. Shackleton and his crew sailed to Antarctica without facing any major problems.
C. Shackleton was a talented explorer, but his crew saved his life during their journey to Antarctica. | A | Read these sentences from the text. "They ended up camping on a sheet of ice. They watched their ship sink, safe for the moment. But Shackleton knew they were still in danger. Soon, the sheet of ice they were living on started to melt." Based on these sentences, what does the word “danger” mean? | A. a cold and wet area
B. an unsafe situation
C. a safe place | B | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. Shackleton ordered his crew into lifeboats ______ the ice they were living on was starting to melt. | A. so
B. because
C. but | B |
Squanto and the Pilgrims | The Wampanoag are a Native American tribe. They have lived in what is today the northeastern United States for thousands of years. In the 1600s, the Pilgrims came to North America from England. They arrived on the land where the Wampanoag lived.
Life was very hard for the Pilgrims in North America. The land was new to them. They did not know how to find food. Some of the Wampanoag wanted to have a good relationship with the Pilgrims. They decided to help the Pilgrims.
One Wampanoag man named Tisquantum could speak English. He became known by the name Squanto. He could talk to the Pilgrims. Squanto had been enslaved by English explorers. They had brought him to Europe. He had learned English in Europe. Eventually, Squanto had escaped back to his homeland.
Squanto helped the Pilgrims a lot. Squanto knew the land well. He showed the Pilgrims where to catch fish. He taught them how to plant corn. He helped them find berries to eat. Squanto also helped the Pilgrims talk to different Native American tribes.
Squanto worked hard to help Pilgrims and the Wampanoag with the skills he had. | 490 | K-2 | Social Studies: U.S. History | What language did Squanto know that helped him speak to the Pilgrims? | A. English
B. Spanish | A | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
How Rocks Are Like Dessert | Celia likes to dig in the backyard. She calls this game “Treasure Hunt.” When she plays Treasure Hunt, she puts on a tan explorer hat and a jacket with big pockets for collecting things. She is Celia the Brave, the greatest treasure hunter in the world.
She digs with the shovel and pours the dirt into the sieve. Then, Celia—the greatest treasure hunter in the world—shakes the sieve all around. She shakes it very gently, up and down, then side to side. Shaking dirt around is one of her favorite things to do. When she does this, all the big rocks stay on top of the sieve. They are too big to fall through the holes.
She finds rocks with beautiful stripes and patterns in them. The sun catches the edges of the rocks, and some of them shine like gemstones. The rocks she finds in her yard look different from the rocks she finds at her grandmother’s house. She wonders why. For example, one rock she finds in her yard is broken in half, and she can see the inside of it. It has stripes and dots in it. It is grey and white. But the rocks from her grandmother’s yard are orange.
Celia puts her rocks in a special box and writes TREASURE on the top with a marker. She asks herself why the rocks are striped with different colors and patterns.
She walks into the kitchen. Her father is making dessert. He is a pastry chef at a fancy restaurant. His job is to make sweets all day.
“Are these jewels?” she asks her father.
“Those are rocks,” he says.
But to her, they are still jewels. “Why do they have stripes in them?” Celia asks.
“I think you should do research at the library,” her father says.
“You always say that!” says Celia.
“I always say that because it’s always a good idea,” says her father.
The next day, Celia puts her favorite rock in her lunchbox and brings it to school. All day, she feels like she has a secret. After school, she goes to see the librarian. She brings her secret rock with her.
“Hello Celia,” says Mr. Beakman the librarian.
“I’m Celia the Treasure Hunter today,” Celia explains. She shows him her favorite rock.
“I see,” says the librarian. “And I guess you want to know more about it.”
Mr. Beakman takes Celia to the computer. He types in “Geology.” Geology is the study of the physical earth, including rocks and minerals.
He shows Celia where to find books on geology. But the books are for older, high school students, and there are many words she doesn’t know yet. So she just looks at the pictures, instead. Celia sees pictures of fossils and dinosaur bones. In the next picture, a volcano erupts and a layer of lava pours over the dinosaur. That lava dries and traps the bones inside. The next series of photos shows a big piece of ice called a glacier. The glacier melts and runs down over the rocks. It pushes different rocks with it. It makes patterns on the rock called striations.
Celia is confused. She understands how the water makes grooves in the top of the rock. But how would this make stripes inside of a rock?
She goes home after school and finds her father in the kitchen. She shows him the book.
“Can you help me understand how stripes get inside of a rock?” she asks.
Her father looks at the book and nods.
“Do you see the dessert I’m making?” he asks. “It’s called tiramisu. Watch how I make it. It might help you understand.”
First, he puts down a layer of tiny cakes called “lady fingers.” Celia giggles at the name. Of course, they aren’t actually fingers!
After he has one layer of cake, he spreads a layer of sugary cheese on top. This is followed by another layer of cake, another layer of delicious sweet cheese, and so on.
The tiramisu is in a deep glass bowl, and you can see the layers through the glass.
There is one layer of cake, and then there is one layer of cheese; it repeats all the way up to the top.
“It looks like a pattern,” she says. “It looks like stripes through the glass.”
“Well, I’m no geologist,” says Dad. “I’m just a pastry chef. But I think your rock was made in a similar way to my dessert. One layer at a time.”
He cuts a slice of cake and puts it on a plate.
“Now imagine that instead of cake, these layers were made of different types of rocks.”
“I understand now!” says Celia. Then she says, “Good thing there are no dinosaur bones in my dessert.”
Celia and her father decide to eat some of the lesson. You can't eat rocks, but these layers are delicious! | 610 | 2 | Science: Earth & Space Science | What does Celia dig for in her backyard? | A. rocks
B. desserts
C. books | A | What is compared to a rock in this story? | A. water
B. tiramisu
C. a volcano | B | Celia’s father thinks it is important for Celia to learn things by reading about them on her own. What information from the story supports this statement? | A. Celia’s father is a pastry chef at a fancy restaurant. When Celia walks into the kitchen, he is making dessert.
B. Celia’s father thinks that the rock Celia found was made in a way similar to the dessert he is making. The dessert is called tiramisu.
C. When Celia first asks her father why her rocks have stripes in them, he says, “I think you should do research at the library.” | C | How are rocks and the cake that Celia’s dad makes alike? | A. They both have cheese in them.
B. They are both found in the backyard.
C. They are both made up of layers. | C | What is the main idea of this story? | A. how to choose a job
B. how a rock is like tiramisu
C. how to make tiramisu and other desserts | B | Read these sentences from the passage: “Her father is making dessert. He is a pastry chef at a fancy restaurant. His job is to make sweets all day.” | A. sweet food
B. lots of money
C. big trouble | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Celia wants to know why there are stripes in her rocks, _______ she goes to the library. | A. because
B. but
C. so | C |
Great Ideas! | What would life be like without inventions? It’s hard to imagine. An invention is a new thing or idea. It can change the way people live. Some inventions solve problems and make life easier. Other inventions make life more fun (or tastier!). Read about some great inventions.
The next time you stick on a Band-Aid, you can thank Earle Dickson. He invented the ready-made bandage in 1920. He wanted to help his wife who often cut her fingers while cooking.
At the time, people had to cut pieces of gauze and tape to make bandages. They were hard to use. Dickson’s simple idea was a big success. Today, ready-made bandages come in many shapes, sizes, and colors.
Did you know that chocolate chip cookies were a mistake? Ruth Graves Wakefield created them in the 1930s. She was mixing a batch of chocolate cookies and was out of baking chocolate. She decided to chop up a bar of semisweet chocolate instead. When the cookies were done, the pieces of chocolate had not melted! They had kept their chip form in each cookie.
Before the 1920s, people often got into traffic accidents. One day, Garrett Morgan saw a bad accident between a car and a horse-drawn carriage. He decided to solve the problem by inventing a traffic signal. It was a pole with signs saying when to stop and go. Today’s red, yellow, and green traffic lights are based on Morgan’s idea. | 610 | 2 | Science: Technology & Engineering | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Mrs. Earle Dickson often cut her fingers, _______ her husband invented the Band-Aid to help her. | A. because
B. so
C. but | B | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
This Is North America | Earth is divided into seven large bodies of land called continents. The continents are Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, and Australia.
North America is the third-largest continent in the world. Twenty-three countries are part of this continent. The largest are Canada, the United States, and Mexico. North America also includes the world’s largest island, Greenland.
Look at a map of North America. Does the map have a compass rose? The compass rose shows where north, south, east, and west are. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east of North America. Off the west coast is the Pacific Ocean. The Arctic Ocean is north of the continent. The Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea are southeast of the continent.
North America has many rivers. One of the biggest is the Mississippi. The Mississippi River flows down the middle of the United States from north to south. Many ships travel up and down this very long river.
The highest mountaintop in North America is Mount Denali in Alaska. Imagine piling 14 Empire State Buildings on top of each other. Even if you could, you still would not be as high as the top of Mount Denali! | 650 | 2 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture | What is the third-largest continent in the world? | A. Europe
B. North America
C. Asia | B | The article lists the oceans that are next to North America. One of these oceans is the Atlantic Ocean. What are the other two oceans? | A. the Arctic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea
B. the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea
C. the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic Ocean | C | Mount Denali is very high. What information from the text supports this conclusion? | A. "North America is the third-largest continent in the world. Twenty-three countries are part of this continent. The largest are Canada, the United States, and Mexico."
B. "Imagine piling 14 Empire State Buildings on top of each other. Even if you could, you still would not be as high as the top of Mount Denali!"
C. "The Mississippi River flows down the middle of the United States from north to south. Many ships travel up and down this very long river." | B | Based on the information in the article, which ocean is the Gulf of Mexico probably closest to? | A. the Atlantic Ocean
B. the Arctic Ocean
C. the Pacific Ocean | A | What is the main idea of this article? | A. A compass rose is a part of a map that shows where north, south, east, and west are.
B. Earth is divided into seven large bodies of land, including Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America.
C. North America is a continent with oceans on its sides, many rivers, and a high mountain. | C | Read this paragraph from the article. "The highest mountaintop in North America is Mount Denali in Alaska. Imagine piling 14 Empire State Buildings on top of each other. Even if you could, you still would not be as high as the top of Mount Denali!" Why might the author tell readers to imagine piling 14 Empire State Buildings on top of each other? | A. to help readers understand how high Mount Denali is
B. to warn readers about the danger of climbing tall mountains
C. to persuade readers that Alaska is a great place to live | A | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. The Empire State Building is tall, _______ it is not as tall as Mount Denali. | A. so
B. because
C. but | C |
Jody Naranjo, A Native American Potter | Weekly Reader interviewed a Native American artist. Jody Naranjo (nah-RON-hoh) is a potter. She makes pots out of clay. Her mother, grandmother, and aunts make pottery too. Naranjo is Native American. She is part of the Santa Clara Pueblo tribe. Pottery is a big part of the Santa Clara Pueblo. Many adults in the tribe are potters. Naranjo lives in New Mexico. Her work can be seen in museums across the country.
How does Jody Naranjo make her pottery? She digs three different clays out of the ground and mixes them together. "That makes a very strong clay," says Naranjo. She uses the coil method to make the pots. "It's like rolling snakes out of clay and joining them," she says. Then she rubs the pots with a stone to make them shiny. She puts the pots over a fire to make them hard. Afterward, she carves designs into them.
Naranjo enjoys being a potter. "It's a fun job," she says. She plans to teach pottery to her daughters, ages 4, 11, and 17. "I want to keep the tradition going," she adds. A tradition is an idea or a way of life handed down from the past. | 500 | 2 | Social Studies: U.S. History | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Jody puts her pots over a fire ______ they become hard. | A. but
B. so
C. because | B | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Sarah the Gull | Sarah the gull and her mom lived in New York by the sea.
Every day Sarah and her mom would fly over the waves, diving in to eat the small fish and crabs that swam in the shallow water. Sometimes they would feed on food people threw away by the beach. They always had a lot to eat.
At night, Sarah and her mother would rest under the roof of a nearby building. They were warm, and they had a nice life.
But one day it started to get colder. The little fish that were always swimming in the waves were a lot harder to find. There were no more people coming to the beach, so there was no more food from people, too.
“It is time to fly south for the winter,” said Sarah’s mom.
“Why?” asked Sarah.
“Because it has gotten too cold here,” explained Sarah’s mom. “Too cold for us to live here right now. There is no food, and it will soon get even colder.”
“But this is our home,” said Sarah.
“Don’t worry,” said Sarah’s mom. “We will come back when it is warm again. We can have more than one home.”
So Sarah and her mom said goodbye to the beach and flew away. They flew and they flew, until they were out of the cold and back into the warm weather. They flew all the way to Miami, Florida.
There, they found a new beach. It was filled with fish, and there were lots of people throwing food away. Sarah’s mom even found a new roof for them to sleep under.
“I like this other home,” said Sarah. “It is warm, and we have food. This is a nice place, too.”
“I told you it would be nice,” said Sarah’s mom. “And when it gets warmer in New York again, we will go back. That is the nice part about being a bird. We can fly to places whenever we want.” | 710 | 2 | Science: Life Science | Why do Sarah and her mom fly south? | A. because there are too many fish where they live
B. because they are tired of living in New York
C. because the weather gets colder | C | Where does the beginning of the story take place? | A. a very cold place
B. Florida
C. New York | C | Where does the end of the story take place? | A. a very cold place
B. Florida
C. New York | B | The weather in New York is getting too cold for Sarah and her mom to live in. There is not enough food for them to eat. What do these two sentences explain? | A. why Sarah and her mom fly to Florida
B. why Sarah does not like living in New York
C. why Sarah likes to eat small fish and crabs | A | What is this story mainly about? | A. a gull, her mother, and why they fly south for the winter
B. the places different birds travel to throughout the year
C. the weather in Florida and New York during the winter months | A | Read the following sentences: “There, they found a new beach. It was filled with fish, and there were lots of people throwing food away.” What does the word beach mean? | A. land far away from water
B. land next to water
C. the deepest part of the sea | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Sarah likes her new home _______it is warm and has food. | A. but
B. before
C. because | C |
At the Lake | Layla and her family were driving to the town park. It was a hot day. She wanted to swim in the lake. As they got out of the car, Layla saw her friends.
“Let’s go into the water!” she called.
Layla always had fun at the park in the summer. Families had picnics. The kids played and went swimming in the lake.
In the spring, Layla’s dad took her fishing at the lake. They went early in the morning. The lake water was still. It was different from the river, which had water that rushed by.
One morning in the fall, the lake had fog over it. Layla’s dad told her how fog formed. He said hot summer days had warmed the water. Then cooler fall air moved over the lake’s warm water. The water vapor, or the gas form of water, in the air became cool. That caused condensation. It changed the gas into tiny drops of water. We can see those drops of water hang in the air as fog.
Layla loved winter at the park, too. The cold temperatures made the lake freeze. When the ice was thick and safe, people went ice skating.
The lake changed from season to season. But it was always a place to have fun! | 450 | 2 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | Where does this story take place? | A. at a river near the town
B. at the lake in the town park
C. in Layla's family’s car | B | During what season does this story begin? | A. winter
B. fall
C. summer | C | Layla likes swimming in the lake during the summer because it’s hot outside. What evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. “Layla and her family were driving to the town park. It was a hot day. She wanted to swim in the lake.”
B. “As they got out of the car, Layla saw her friends. ‘Let’s go into the water!’ she called.”
C. “In the spring, Layla’s dad took her fishing at the lake. They went early in the morning. The lake water was still.” | A | Why might Layla have only seen fog over the lake in the fall? | A. because fog only forms on one day a year, and that day is in the fall
B. because Layla only goes to the lake during the fall, not during other seasons
C. because the air is cool and the water is still warm in the fall, which helps fog form | C | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Although the lake changes every season, Layla always enjoys spending time there.
B. Layla has the most fun at the lake during the summer, when she can go swimming.
C. Layla enjoys spending time at the lake, but she likes the river even better. | A | Read these sentences from the text. "Layla and her family were driving to the town park. It was a hot day. She wanted to swim in the lake. As they got out of the car, Layla saw her friends. "'Let’s go into the water!' she called." Why might the author have started the story in this way? | A. to introduce the reader to the lake
B. to show why hot days are the most fun
C. to make the reader want to go swimming | A | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. Layla loves summer at the park, _____ she loves winter at the park too. | A. so
B. because
C. but | C |
The Great Lakes | Ms. Vasquez stood in front of her second-grade class. She pointed at a map of the continent of North America.
“Do you see these big blue areas in the middle of the continent?” she asked. “They are known as the Great Lakes. There are five of them.” She went on to say, “These big bodies of water are called Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie.” As she said each name, Ms. Vasquez touched a different blue place on the map.
Their teacher then pointed below and above the Great Lakes. “These lakes are on the border between two big countries. Who can tell me which countries they are?”
“The United States!” said Jennifer.
“And Canada,” added Eli.
“You are both correct,” said Ms. Vasquez. “And these big lakes are filled with fresh water. The water in them is not salty.”
Alejandro raised his hand. “Are there fish in the Great Lakes, Ms. Vasquez?”
“Yes,” she replied. “About three hundred and fifty kinds of fish live there. And the lakes give fresh water to more than forty million people.”
“Wow!” said Mina. “I can see why they are called the Great Lakes.” | 540 | 2 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture | Where can the Great Lakes be found? | A. in the middle of North America
B. in the middle of South America
C. in the middle of Europe | A | What does Ms. Vasquez list in the second paragraph of the story? | A. the names of the countries in North America
B. the names of the Great Lakes
C. the names of the continents | B | “'These big bodies of water are called Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie.' As she said each name, Ms. Vasquez touched a different blue place on the map." What can you conclude based on this evidence? | A. On this map, blue places show where water is.
B. These five lakes all have very clean, blue water.
C. These five lakes are all the exact same size. | A | Based on the story, where are the United States and Canada located? | A. to the left and right of the Great Lakes
B. above and below the Great Lakes
C. on the other side of the world from the Great Lakes | B | What is the main idea of this story? | A. Ms. Vasquez’s class learns about the Great Lakes, five big lakes in North America.
B. Ms. Vasquez’s class learns about different saltwater and freshwater lakes.
C. Ms. Vasquez’s class learns about the different countries in North America. | A | Read these sentences from the text. “'And these big lakes are filled with fresh water. The water in them is not salty.'” Based on these sentences, what is “fresh water?” | A. water that is not salty
B. water from any lake
C. water that is salty | A | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. The water in the Great Lakes is not salty, _____ they can give fresh water to many people. | A. so
B. because
C. but | A |
Give Thanks! | Thanksgiving is a time when people give thanks. Many people eat turkey on Thanksgiving. Long ago, the Pilgrims and Native Americans gave thanks.
Joseph Bruchac (JB) is a Native writer and storyteller. He is a proud member of the Nulhegan Abenaki tribe. Weekly Reader (WR) asked him to share his thoughts about Thanksgiving.
WR: How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?
JB: My family gathers for a big meal. We say a few words in our Native language of Abenaki around the table to express our thanks.
WR: What does Thanksgiving mean to Native Americans?
JB: Native people give thanks for all things. Different groups have many thanksgiving festivals during the year.
In 1620, the Pilgrims landed in what is now Massachusetts. They struggled to survive. The Wampanoag, Native Americans who had lived on the land for thousands of years, saw the Pilgrims' struggle. They believed having a good relationship with the Pilgrims would keep their people safe from harm. So Squanto, a Wampanoag man who spoke English, showed the Pilgrims which crops to grow, such as corn, beans, and squash. He showed them which animals to hunt and where to fish.
The Pilgrims had a good fall harvest. A harvest is a gathering of food that has been grown. They celebrated their harvest with a feast. Squanto and other Wampanoag tribe members joined the feast. This feast was not an annual tradition, and it was just one of many times and ways that people gave thanks. Still, many people today think of this as meal as connected to today's Thanksgiving holiday. | 650 | 2-3 | Social Studies: U.S. History | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. The Pilgrims were able to survive in a new land _______ Squanto and the Wampanoag helped them. | A. because
B. so
C. but | A | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Mr. Whiskers's Whiskers | “Stop poking the cat,” Consuela’s mother told her. Every time Consuela poked the cat, Mr. Whiskers, the cat would bat at her with its paw. It was great fun. “You are going to get scratched.”
Consuela stopped poking. Mr. Whiskers stopped batting. They looked at each other. Mr. Whiskers was mostly black, but had white fur on his belly and paws. He was named Mr. Whiskers because his whiskers were long. Consuela reached out and touched one of them. Mr. Whiskers blinked. She touched another one. Mr. Whiskers blinked again. Then he yawned.
“Why does Mr. Whiskers blink when I touch his whisker?” Consuela asked her mother.
“Cats have very sensitive whiskers. They help them feel what’s around them.”
“Why does Mr. Whiskers bat at me when I poke him?”
“He’s practicing hunting. Cats use their paws to catch birds and mice and fish to eat. Sometimes they get excited and forget it’s only practice. That’s when they can scratch you. Cats are very good at hunting.”
“I’ve never seen Mr. Whiskers hunt anything. If I don’t play with him, all he does is sleep.”
Mr. Whiskers was now stretched out on the rug asleep. Consuela thought Mr. Whiskers was too lazy to hunt anything. Every time she played with him, he usually got tired and went to sleep pretty quickly. He was an old cat.
“That’s because Mr. Whiskers has an easier way of getting food.” Consuela’s mother got up and went into the kitchen. She opened the bag of cat food and poured it into his dish.
Mr. Whiskers heard the rustle. He woke right up. His ears perked up and pointed forward. Then he ran into the kitchen. Mr. Whiskers’s favorite thing to do was eat. He liked it even more than sleeping.
“How can Mr. Whiskers always tell when it’s dinner?” Consuela asked.
“The same way you can tell it’s dinner. He uses his ears and his nose. You smell food just like Mr. Whiskers smells food. You hear me call ‘dinner’ the same way Mr. Whiskers hears me pour cat food into his bowl. All animals have to eat if they want to stay alive. Just like you. So it’s pretty important they figure out how to get food one way or another. It’s so important that even though there’s nothing for Mr. Whiskers to hunt, he still practices.” | 490 | 2 | Science: Life Science | What is Mr. Whiskers? | A. a bird
B. a cat
C. a dog | B | Consuela poking Mr. Whiskers is a cause. What is its effect? | A. Mr. Whiskers goes to sleep on the rug.
B. Mr. Whiskers wakes up and runs to the kitchen.
C. Mr. Whiskers bats at Consuela with his paw. | C | Read this sentence. “Mr. Whiskers’s favorite thing to do was eat.” What information from the story supports this statement? | A. When Mr. Whiskers hears the sound of cat food being poured in the kitchen, he wakes up and runs to the kitchen.
B. Consuela says that if she does not play with Mr. Whiskers, all he does is sleep. She also says that she has never seen him hunt.
C. When Consuela pokes Mr. Whiskers, he bats at her with his paw. Consuela’s mother tells her to stop poking Mr. Whiskers. | A | What is one thing that Mr. Whiskers and Consuela have in common? | A. They both have long whiskers.
B. They are both very good at hunting.
C. They both have to eat to stay alive. | C | What is the main idea of this story? | A. Food is important to cats.
B. Cats are not safe to have as pets.
C. A girl has a cat that blinks when she touches its whiskers. | A | Read this sentence from the story: “Every time Consuela poked the cat, Mr. Whiskers, the cat would bat at her with its paw .” What does the author mean by writing that “the cat would bat at her with its paw”? | A. The cat would lie down on the rug and go to sleep.
B. The cat would swing its paw at Consuela.
C. The cat would jump on Consuela and scratch her. | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Mr. Whiskers bats at Consuela when he is poked _______ he is practicing hunting. | A. after
B. before
C. because | C |
The Power of the Earth | Rumble, rumble! Sometimes the earth shakes beneath people’s feet. That shaking is called an earthquake. An earthquake can happen on land or in the ocean. Earthquakes can rattle walls, cause giant waves, and even bring down buildings.
Here is why earthquakes happen.
The earth is not one solid rock. If you could drill deep into our planet, you would find four layers. The top layer is the crust. Below the crust is the mantle. Under that is the outer core. The deepest layer of the earth is the inner core.
The crust and the top part of the mantle are broken into giant pieces of rock called tectonic plates. These plates float on top of the rest of the mantle like icebergs floating on the ocean. The plates move so slowly, however, that people cannot feel them moving.
The plates sometimes move apart or slide past each other. One plate can even sink beneath another. But occasionally the edges of the plates get stuck. When that happens, pressure builds. Eventually, the pressure releases enough energy for the plates to break loose.
A relatively small amount of energy is usually required for the plates to break loose, and the nearby ground shakes just a little. Sometimes, however, a lot of energy is needed. And the result is a big and dangerous earthquake! | 670 | 2 | Science: Earth & Space Science | What is an earthquake? | A. when the earth shakes beneath people’s feet
B. when a building falls down
C. when the ocean is extremely rough | A | The text lists four layers of the earth. What is the top layer called? | A. crust
B. mantle
C. outer core | A | Usually, tectonic plates move so slowly that people can’t feel them moving beneath their feet. But during earthquakes, people can feel the ground shaking beneath their feet. Based on this evidence, what can you conclude? | A. During earthquakes, tectonic plates move in a different way than usual.
B. During earthquakes, tectonic plates move more slowly than usual.
C. During earthquakes, tectonic plates move twice as quickly as usual. | A | Where is an earthquake most likely to happen? | A. far away from the edge of a plate
B. where two plates are moving away from each other
C. where two plates are sliding past each other | C | What is the main idea of this article? | A. Earthquakes can happen on land or in the ocean.
B. Earthquakes happen because of the movement of tectonic plates.
C. Tectonic plates move very slowly over Earth’s mantle. | B | Read these sentences from the text. “The crust and the top part of the mantle are broken into giant pieces of rock called tectonic plates. These plates float on top of the rest of the mantle like icebergs floating on the ocean.” Why does the author compare tectonic plates to icebergs here? | A. to help the reader understand how tectonic plates move
B. to hint to the reader that tectonic plates are very cold
C. to distract the reader from the topic of tectonic plates | A | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. Some earthquakes just cause the ground to shake a little, _____ other earthquakes are bigger and more dangerous. | A. so
B. because
C. but | C |
President of the United States | Every four years, the people of the United States vote for the country’s leader. The winner of that election becomes the nation’s president.
The president may be a man or a woman. He or she will live and work in the White House in Washington, D.C. What does the president do? Here are some examples.
The president is the leader of the American government. The president suggests laws he thinks the country needs. The president may work with the members of the U.S. Congress to get his ideas turned into laws.
The president appoints people to help run the government. These people include judges and leaders of government departments. Often, the president’s choices have to be approved by the U.S. Congress.
The president is commander-in-chief of the country’s military. That means the president is responsible for the actions of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard.
During any one day, an American president can do many things. The president can speak with advisers, give a speech, or sign a bill into law. The president may meet with leaders of other countries. In the evening, the president sometimes attends special events.
Being president of the United States is a difficult, complicated job. | 630 | 2-3 | Social Studies: Civics & Government | Who is the leader of the American government? | A. a member of the U.S. Congress
B. the president
C. a judge appointed by the president | B | What does the article describe? | A. The article describes what the president of the United States does.
B. The article describes some of the laws that have been suggested by American presidents.
C. The article describes the special events that the president of the United States sometimes attends in the evening. | A | Read this paragraph from the article. "The president is the leader of the American government. The president suggests laws he or she thinks the country needs. The president may work with the members of the U.S. Congress to get those ideas turned into laws." What can you infer from this paragraph about the president's ideas for laws? | A. The president has more control over the law than the U.S. Congress does.
B. The president's ideas for laws may not actually become laws.
C. The president and the U.S. Congress often disagree about what laws there should be. | B | Presidents are not able to run the government on their own. What evidence from the article supports this statement? | A. During one day, the president can do many things.
B. The president appoints judges to help run the government.
C. The president is commander-in-chief of the American military. | B | What is the main idea of this article? | A. The American president has a lot to do.
B. The American president can speak with advisors, give speeches, and sign bills into law.
C. Every four years, the people of the United States vote for a president. | A | Read this paragraph from the article. "The president appoints people to help run the government. These people include judges and leaders of government departments. Often, the president’s choices have to be approved by the U.S. Congress." What does the word "appoints" mean here? | A. fights
B. chooses
C. avoids | B | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. The president is commander-in-chief of the military, _______ the president is responsible for the military's actions. | A. but
B. because
C. so | C |
Three Great Countries | North America is a continent. The continent is made up of more than twenty countries. Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico are the three largest countries in North America.
Canada covers more land than any other North American country. Over 35 million people live there. Canada is made up of ten provinces. A province is like a state. Most Canadians speak English. Many Canadians in the province of Quebec also speak French.
The United States of America, or the U.S., is the North American country with the largest population. More than 316 million people live in the United States. The U.S. is made up of fifty states. Most Americans speak English. Many Americans speak Spanish, too.
Mexico is the country south of the U.S. About 122 million people live there. Mexico is made up of thirty-one states. The country shares a border with the United States, Belize, and Guatemala. Most Mexicans speak Spanish. Some Mexicans speak Mexico’s native languages. Those are the languages of the first people to live in what is now Mexico.
Oceans surround North America. To the north is the Arctic Ocean. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west, the Pacific Ocean. | 530 | 2 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture | How many countries make up the continent of North America? | A. fewer than 20
B. 20
C. more than 20 | C | The article lists and describes the three largest countries in North America. Two of them are Canada and the United States. What is the third? | A. Mexico
B. Guatemala
C. Belize | A | Canada is one of the largest countries in North America. What evidence from the text best supports this statement? | A. Most Canadians speak English.
B. Canada is made up of ten provinces.
C. Canada covers more land than any other North American country. | C | Based on the information in the article, what languages are people in North America most likely to speak? | A. French and Spanish
B. English and French
C. English and Spanish | C | Which sentence best states the main idea of the article? | A. "The United States of America, or the U.S., is the North American country with the largest population."
B. "Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico are the three largest countries in North America."
C. "Mexico is the country south of the U.S." | B | Read these sentences from the text. "Mexico is the country south of the U.S. About 122 million people live there. Mexico is made up of thirty-one states." To which country does the word "there" refer? | A. Mexico
B. the United States
C. Canada | A | Read these sentences from the text. "Most Americans speak English. Many Americans speak Spanish, too." How could these sentences be combined? | A. Many Americans speak English because they speak Spanish.
B. Most Americans speak English but not Spanish.
C. Many Americans speak English and Spanish. | C |
Sister Problems | Maria’s little sisters were fighting. She could hear them from her room. Maria was supposed to be babysitting. She knew that she should go in and check on them. She put her book on the bed, and went down the hall to Anna and Olivia’s room.
“What is going on here?” Maria asked.
Her sisters stared angrily at each other. There were clothes all over the floor.
“Tell Anna she is wrong,” shouted Olivia.
“Tell Olivia she is wrong,” shouted Anna.
Maria shook her head. “Let’s slow down,” she said. “First, I need to have all the information and understand the problem. Then, when I know what is going on, I can tell you what I think. Why are you fighting?”
Olivia took a deep breath. “Well, Anna borrowed my shirt,” she said. “My green shirt. It is my favorite one. She took it without asking, and then she got it stained.”
Olivia held out a green T-shirt with a brown stain on it.
“It isn’t my fault,” said Anna. “My friend Greg dropped his chocolate pudding on me. And then Olivia started yelling at me, and she threw all of my clothes out of my closet.”
“Okay,” said Maria. “Now I know what you are fighting about. I can tell you how we solve this problem.”
She sat the girls down on the bed. “Anna,” said Maria, “you took Olivia’s shirt without asking, right?”
“I guess so,” said Anna.
“You did. And then you got it stained at school,” said Maria. “You didn’t stain the shirt, but it is your responsibility because you took it.”
Anna nodded.
“And Olivia,” said Maria, “yelling at your sister and throwing her clothes won’t help. The best way for you to speak to your sister is to be calm and talk about what is wrong.”
Olivia nodded.
“So go ahead, and talk to each other calmly,” Maria said.
Olivia turned to Anna. “I am sorry I threw your clothes around,” she said. “I was mad because of the shirt. I don’t like it when you take my things without asking. I’ll help you put it all away.”
“And I am sorry that I took the shirt,” said Anna. “I like it, but I should have asked you.”
“See?” said Maria. “Isn’t it better that you spoke about it?”
The girls nodded.
Maria smiled. “Okay, so I’ll put this shirt into the washing machine. Let’s see if we can get this stain out. The three of us can eat some ice cream while we wait.”
“Thank you, Maria,” said Olivia. “We love it when you babysit!” | 420 | 2 | Social Studies: School & Family Life | Which sisters are fighting? | A. Anna and Olivia
B. Olivia and Maria
C. Maria and Anna | A | The fight that Anna and Olivia have is a problem. How does Maria help solve this problem? | A. Maria tells Olivia that she should be mad at Greg, not Anna.
B. Maria tells Anna that she should buy Olivia a new shirt.
C. Maria has Anna and Olivia talk calmly to each other. | C | Speaking calmly is a better way for Anna and Olivia to solve their problem than fighting with each other. What information from the story supports this statement? | A. Maria is babysitting her little sisters, Anna and Olivia. While reading in her room, she can hear them fighting with each other.
B. Anna and Olivia’s problem is not solved when they fight. Their problem is solved when they speak calmly to each other.
C. Olivia is mad that Anna took her shirt without asking and got it stained. Anna is mad that Olivia yelled at her and threw her clothes on the floor. | B | Which sister has not done anything wrong? | A. Anna
B. Olivia
C. Maria | C | What is the main idea of this story? | A. Sisters should never let each other borrow their clothing.
B. Sisters should always let each other borrow their clothing.
C. People should solve their problems by talking, not fighting. | C | Read this sentence from the story: “Olivia held out a green T-shirt with a brown stain on it.” What does the word “stain” mean? | A. piece of clothing
B. dirty spot or mark
C. big hole or opening | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Olivia is mad at Anna, _______ she throws Anna’s clothes on the floor. | A. so
B. because
C. but | A |
Amazing Animals | These animals can do amazing things.
A reptile is an animal that has hard, dry skin. Reptiles are cold-blooded. Their body temperature changes as the temperature of the air or water they live in changes.
Amazing facts: Chameleons can move their eyes separately and look in two different directions at the same time! Chameleons can also change colors. They might be green one moment and brown 20 seconds later.
A mammal is an animal that has hair on its body. Mammals are warm-blooded. Their bodies stay about the same warm temperature in both hot and cold weather.
Amazing facts: Cheetahs are the world’s fastest land animals. They can run as fast as 70 miles per hour. That is faster than most cars driving on a highway! Cheetahs can reach highway speeds in just a few seconds. However, they can run fast for only a short time.
An amphibian is an animal that lives part of its life in water and part on land. Amphibians are cold-blooded. Most have smooth, wet skin.
Amazing facts: The American bullfrog is the largest frog in North America. It can grow up to eight inches long. How did this frog get its name? The frog’s call sounds like a cow. A bull is a male cow. | 590 | 2 | Science: Life Science | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. The largest frog in North America is called a bullfrog _______ it sounds like a male cow. | A. but
B. so
C. because | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
My Favorite Alley Cat | Rosie knows not to feed stray cats. Even if they are cute, she isn't supposed to. She can't give them tuna. She can't give them milk. She can't give them even a little cat food. Her mother says, “No!” So when a cat slinks by Rosie's front porch, she waves hello, but that is all. When a cat creeps under her window at night, Rosie says, “Good night, Mr. Kitty,” but that is all. When a cat approaches her on the playground at school, she shows it her math homework, but that is all.
There is one exception. His name is Frankie. It's okay to feed Frankie, because he isn't a stray. Nobody knows it, but Frankie is Rosie's cat.
They met on the Fourth of July. Rosie was at the park with her family watching the fireworks. Rosie was bored. Each firework was the same. One was green, and one was red, but they were all just loud noises to her. As the whole town looked to the sky, Rosie looked at the ground. Frankie was waiting for her.
Like everyone else in town, Frankie was watching the fireworks. A skinny little tabby cat with a tail that went swoosh-swoosh-swoosh, he liked the orange fireworks the best. Rosie whistled—she had just learned to whistle—and the cat came to say hello.
“Hello,” said Rosie. “What is your name?”
The cat didn’t say anything. Rosie would have to name him herself. She thought about the Fourth of July. She thought about the founding fathers. She remembered her favorite: Benjamin Franklin.
“I'll call you Frankie,” she said.
While her family watched the fireworks, Rosie held out the end of a hotdog bun. Frankie ate it right up. She offered a potato chip, and Frankie ate that too. Finally, for dessert, she gave the cat half of her hotdog. Frankie meowed to say thanks, and Rosie knew they would always be pals.
That summer, she fed Frankie every day. He came each day at three o'clock. She would take him whatever she could find—anything her mother wouldn't notice. Frankie was not picky. He ate cheese straws, tater tots, and corners of grilled cheese sandwiches. Once, on a very hot day, she let him eat the end of her Popsicle. As always, he meow-meow-meowed to say thank you. She did not know where he went after lunch, but she knew he would always come back the next day.
When the weather changed, so did their routine. The first cold month, Frankie only came five times a week. Next month, he only appeared every third day. By the time her school let out for winter break, Rosie hadn't seen her cat in two weeks. She prepared a special treat for him on Christmas—sardines, right from the can—but Frankie did not come.
Rosie was scared. It's dangerous being a stray cat. What if something happened to Frankie? Each day of her vacation, from three o'clock to three fifteen, she stared out the window. When no cat appeared, she got gloomier. By New Year's, she was so gloomy that she couldn't hide it any more.
“What's wrong?” asked her mother. “You look pretty sad for a girl on winter break.”
Rosie couldn't help it. She told her mother everything: about the fireworks, the meowing, and even the Popsicle! She was afraid her mother would be angry, but Mom just smiled.
“I think,” said Mom, “that your friend Frankie is a snowbird.”
“A snowbird?” said Rosie. “No way, Mom. Frankie is a cat.”
“A snowbird is a person or animal that goes south for the winter. When it gets cold, they go to a warmer state like Florida. I think Frankie will come home when it warms up.”
“Yeah?”
“And when he does, I think you should invite him to move inside.”
Rosie waited until the first warm day to get her hopes up. When spring came, she asked her mom to fix her a hotdog. She ate most of it, and then she took the last few bites outside on a plate. She shut her eyes and hoped. At three o'clock sharp, she heard a meow. The hotdog was gone, but Frankie was there. His tail swooshed against her arm.
“Hello,” she said. “Tell me about your trip.” | 540 | 2 | null | Who is Frankie? | A. Rosie’s mother
B. a friend Rosie meets on winter break
C. a cat Rosie feeds | C | Who are the main characters in this story? | A. Frankie and Rosie
B. Rosie’s mom and Frankie
C. Frankie’s mom and Rosie | A | What happens last in the story? | A. Frankie returns on the first warm day of spring.
B. Frankie goes away during the winter.
C. Rosie sees Frankie on the Fourth of July. | A | Frankie likes the food that Rosie gives him. What information from the story proves this is true? | A. Frankie meows and comes back for more.
B. Frankie watches the fireworks with Rosie and likes the orange fireworks best.
C. Frankie goes away for more than two weeks and makes Rosie worry. | A | What is this story about? | A. the friendship between a girl and a cat
B. the dangers of feeding stray cats
C. a fight between a girl and her mother | A | Read the following sentences: “It's okay to feed Frankie because he isn't a stray . Nobody knows it, but Frankie is Rosie's cat.” What does the word stray mean above? | A. an animal that will hurt anyone who touches it
B. an animal that does not belong to anyone
C. a person who does not own any pets | B | Select the word that best completes the sentence. Rosie is worried, ___________ she tells her mother about Frankie. | A. but
B. because
C. so | C |
Finding Places with a Map | Maps help people understand the world. A world map shows where places are on Earth. That map helps us see how close or far one country is from another. A road map includes streets and highways. It helps travelers figure out how to get where they want to go.
Maps use symbols. A dot may stand for a city. A swing may represent a park. Maps include a key, or legend, listing those symbols. The legend tells what each symbol means.
Finding places on a map is not always simple. That is why maps use numbers, letters, and lists to make the search easier.
Here is an example. Most maps use a grid, which is like a checkerboard. Along one side of the grid, small letters are spaced evenly. Along another side, numbers are spaced evenly.
Maps with a grid include a list of places. Next to the name of each place will be a letter and a number—such as “A7.” To find that place on the map, you look for “A” on the letter side of the grid, and “7” on the number side. Finally, you locate the area that lines up with both the letter and the number. Nearby, you should find the place you’re looking for! | 620 | 2 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture | What do maps help people do? | A. Maps help people understand the world.
B. Maps help people print numbers on a grid.
C. Maps help people make checkerboards. | A | What does the author compare to a grid on a map? | A. a legend
B. a highway
C. a checkerboard | C | Read these sentences from the text. "Maps use symbols. A dot may stand for a city. A swing may represent a park. Maps include a key, or legend, listing those symbols. The legend tells what each symbol means." What can you conclude from this paragraph about dots and swings on a map? | A. Dots and swings are examples of keys on a map.
B. Dots and swings are examples of legends on a map.
C. Dots and swings are examples of symbols on a map. | C | If you wanted to know how far the country of the United States is from the country of China, what kind of map should you use? | A. a map with a lot of symbols
B. a world map
C. a road map | B | What is the main idea of this article? | A. A road map helps travelers because it includes streets and highways.
B. Most maps use a grid that is similar to a checkerboard.
C. Maps help people understand the world, and use symbols, grids, and lists to share information. | C | Why might the author include an example of finding a place on a map? | A. to show how maps can be used to figure out the distance between two countries
B. to compare the symbol for a city with the symbol for a park
C. to help readers understand how to find a place on a map | C | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. Maps can help people understand the world ______ they show people where different parts of the world are. | A. so
B. because
C. but | B |
A Hero in Disguise | A young woman wearing a big hat walked down the road carrying chickens. When she recognized a man coming toward her, she pulled a string tied to one chicken’s leg. The chickens started squawking. Because of the noise, the man avoided her.
The woman was named Harriet Tubman. She was wearing a disguise. In fact, Harriet was an African American woman who was an escaped slave. The man who avoided her was a slaveholder who had once owned her. If he had recognized her, he would have tried to capture her again.
Two hundred years ago, many African Americans were held as slaves. Most slaves were in the southern United States. Tubman helped the slaves escape to the North and on to Canada. Many other people also helped. They hid escaping slaves in houses and churches along the way. The group of people who worked to help slaves escape by using different places and secret routes was known as the Underground Railroad.
Facing danger, Harriet Tubman showed courage every day. Slaveholders knew who she was, and the police wanted to arrest her, but she kept on helping slaves to escape. Today, Harriet Tubman is remembered as a brave leader who made the world a better place. | 730 | 2 | Social Studies: U.S. History | Who was Harriet Tubman? | A. a chicken farmer
B. a slaveholder
C. an escaped slave | C | What caused the slaveholder to avoid Harriet when he was walking toward her on the road? | A. the fear of being recognized
B. the size of Harriet’s hat
C. the noise of her chickens squawking | C | "Tubman helped the slaves escape to the North and on to Canada. Many other people also helped. They hid escaping slaves in houses and churches along the way. The group of people who worked to help slaves escape by using different places and secret routes was known as the Underground Railroad." What can you conclude based on this evidence? | A. Without Harriet Tubman, no slaves would have escaped.
B. The Underground Railroad helped slaves get to the North safely.
C. Harriet Tubman was braver than other escaped slaves. | B | What did Harriet Tubman most likely have in common with the people who were part of the Underground Railroad? | A. They were all escaped slaves.
B. They were all very brave.
C. They were all wearing disguises. | B | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Harriet Tubman was a brave leader who helped slaves to escape.
B. Harriet Tubman was very good at hiding herself from slaveholders.
C. Disguises were a very important part of the Underground Railroad. | A | Read these sentences from the text. "Facing danger, Harriet Tubman showed courage every day. Slaveholders knew who she was, and the police wanted to arrest her, but she kept on helping slaves to escape. Today, Harriet Tubman is remembered as a brave leader who made the world a better place." What does the word “courage” mean in these sentences? | A. bravery
B. fear
C. intelligence | A | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. Many slaves were able to escape to the North _______ the Underground Railroad helped to hide them along the way. | A. so
B. because
C. but | B |
Making a Storyboard | My aunt Carolina is an author who writes children’s books. She works with an illustrator named Joe. Joe draws pictures for the books.
Carolina’s books are thirty-two pages long. After she finishes writing a story, my aunt makes a storyboard. A storyboard is like a map to help the people who are putting the book together.
My aunt draws her storyboard on one big piece of paper. The paper is covered with little boxes that stand for pages in the book. Under each box is a page number. Inside the boxes are small drawings. Each drawing shows what Carolina wants to see on that page.
Aunt Carolina gives her storyboard to Joe. The sketches help communicate her ideas. After Joe looks at the storyboard, he talks to Carolina about the story. If they agree to change something, they can. They add those changes to the storyboard.
When the storyboard is done, Carolina and Joe put the book together. Joe draws pictures based on the sketches. He also adds color. Sometimes Carolina has to add or subtract words on a page.
When the book is finished, it is printed. My aunt always gives me a copy. I love her books! | 570 | 2 | Arts: Visual Arts | What does Carolina make after she finishes writing a story? | A. a treasure map
B. a storyboard
C. a wooden box | B | Making a storyboard is a process. What is the first step of the process? | A. drawing the storyboard on a big piece of paper
B. adding changes to the storyboard
C. giving the storyboard to an illustrator who looks it over | A | The story that Carolina first draws on the storyboard may be different from the story in the finished book. What evidence in the text supports this statement? | A. "My aunt draws her storyboard on one big piece of paper. The paper is covered with little boxes that stand for pages in the book."
B. "After Joe looks at the storyboard, he talks to Carolina about the story. If they agree to change something, they can. They add those changes to the storyboard."
C. "My aunt Carolina is an author who writes children’s books. She works with an illustrator named Joe. Joe draws pictures for the books." | B | Why might it be important for Carolina to communicate her ideas about a story to Joe? | A. because not as many people would want to read her story if there were no pictures in it
B. because Joe does not understand stories when he reads them on his own
C. because they are working together to make the story into a book | C | What is the main idea of this story? | A. Storyboards and maps have a lot in common.
B. An illustrator is someone who draws pictures that go along with a story.
C. Using a storyboard helps a writer and an illustrator make a book together. | C | Read these sentences from the text. "Aunt Carolina gives her storyboard to Joe. The sketches help communicate her ideas. After Joe looks at the storyboard, he talks to Carolina about the story." What does the word "communicate" mean here? | A. change
B. think about
C. share | C | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. Carolina and Joe put a book together _______ the storyboard is done. | A. after
B. then
C. before | A |
Animals of the Rain Forest | Tropical rain forests are warm, rainy places. The toucan lives in the leafy trees of some tropical rain forests. Its beak can be different colors. Keep reading to learn about other animals that live in rain forests.
Tropical rain forests are home to more kinds of plants and animals than any other place in the world. A rain forest has four layers. Read about the layers of the rain forest and some animals that live there.
The tops of the tallest trees in the rain forest make up the emergent layer. Macaws live in this part of the rain forest. Macaws are birds with long tails and strong beaks. They belong to the parrot family.
The tops of most of the trees in the rain forest make up the canopy. The canopy blocks sunlight from reaching the areas of the rain forest below. Spider monkeys live here. Spider monkeys eat fruits, seeds, and other plants. These monkeys hang from trees by their tails and swing from branch to branch.
The understory of the rain forest is a cool, shady place. Plants that grow here have large leaves. Some anacondas live in the understory. Anacondas are one of the largest snakes in the world, reaching more than 15 feet long. They are nocturnal. That means they are most active at night.
The forest floor is very dark and wet. Few plants grow on the floor. Many large animals live in this part of the rain forest, such as jaguars. Jaguars are wild cats that live in the rain forests of Central and South America. | 720 | 2 | Science: Life Science | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. In a rainforest, jaguars live on the forest floor, _______ macaws inhabit the emergent layer. | A. so
B. but
C. because | B | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Lily's Time Line | Lily wanted to do a project. “What about making a time line?” her father asked. “That is a list of important events in your life.”
“Sure!” Lily replied. “Can you show me how?”
Lily’s dad gave her a piece of paper, a pencil, and a ruler. She held the pencil and used the ruler to draw a straight line. Then her father marked a small line across the longer line at the left end. Above the small line, he wrote, Lily is born.
“Why did you make that small line at the left end, Dad?” Lily asked.
“On a time line, events are ordered from left to right. The first event is placed on the left end and the last event is placed on the right end.”
Lily then wrote the month, day, and year of her birthday under the first small line.
Next, her dad marked another small line to the right of the first small line. He wrote, Lily learns to walk above that line. Then he marked another small line to the right of the second small line. Above this line he wrote, Lily starts school.
“What about when I learned to ride my bike?” asked Lily.
“Right! We should add that,” her dad said.
“I want to add pictures,” Lily told her dad. She made a drawing of herself riding a bike and taped it to the paper. Her dad put a photo of Lily’s first day of school on the time line, too.
Now their work was done. Lily said, “That time line is a picture of my life.” “It is a picture of your life so far,” her dad added. “There is a lot more to come!” | 600 | 2 | Social Studies: School & Family Life | What is a time line? | A. a list of important events in your life
B. a list of important times in the day
C. a list of important people in your life | A | Who is the main character of this story? | A. Lily
B. Mom
C. Dad | A | Read these sentences from the text. "Then her father marked a small line across the longer line at the left end. Above the small line, he wrote, Lily is born. “'Why did you make that small line at the left end, Dad?' Lily asked. “'On a time line, events are ordered from left to right. The first event is placed on the left end and the last event is placed on the right end.'” What can you conclude from this evidence? | A. Being born is the event in her life that Lily remembers best.
B. Being born was the first event in Lily's life.
C. Being born was the most important event in Lily's life. | B | If Lily’s dad made a time line of his life, how might it compare with Lily’s time line? | A. It might have better pictures.
B. It might be shorter in length.
C. It might have more events on it. | C | What is the main idea of this story? | A. Lily and her dad make drawings of their bikes.
B. Lily and her dad make a time line of her dad’s life.
C. Lily and her dad make a time line of her life so far. | C | Read these sentences from the text. “On a time line, events are ordered from left to right. The first event is placed on the left end and the last event is placed on the right end.” What does the word “ordered” most nearly mean here? | A. moved around
B. placed in a certain spot
C. told to do something | B | Read these sentences from the text. "Then he marked another small line to the right of the second small line. Above this line he wrote, Lily starts school." What does the phrase “this line” refer to in these sentences? | A. “another small line”
B. “the second small line”
C. “to the right” | A |
Alyssa Wears a Bow Tie | Alyssa is excited for her first day of school. Summer was fun, but she always likes it when school starts again in September. There will probably be new kids in her class. Alyssa likes making new friends.
Alyssa thinks a lot about what she wants to wear on the first day of school. Her mom and dad say first impressions are important, so Alyssa wants to look nice.
Alyssa and her mom go to the department store to get her new clothes. They walk past the boys’ section. Alyssa sees a bow tie. It has blue and pink stripes, and ties around the neck. Alyssa likes it. No, she loves it!
“Mom, may I have that?” Alyssa says, pointing to the bow tie.
“But that’s for boys,” Alyssa’s mom says.
“Why?” Alyssa asks. “It’s a bow. And it’s pretty.”
“Well…” Alyssa’s mom says. She is thinking. Alyssa crosses her fingers. “O.K., I guess we can get it.”
Alyssa jumps up and down in excitement. “Yay!”
They pick up the bow tie. Alyssa and her mom also pick out a white dress with a collar with buttons down the front. It’s sort of like a boy’s shirt, but a dress. Alyssa thinks it will look cool with the bow tie.
On the morning of the first day of school, Alyssa is very, very excited. She hardly eats any of her breakfast, even though her dad made waffles. Her dad shows her how to tie the bow tie. It’s harder than tying your shoe!
Alyssa’s dad walks her to the bus stop. When they get there, Alyssa’s friend Aveed is waiting there already with her mom.
“Hi Aveed!” Alyssa says. She’s happy to see her friend.
“Is that your dad’s?” Aveed says, pointing to Alyssa’s new bow tie.
“Um, no,” Alyssa says. “It’s mine!”
“But bow ties are for boys!” Aveed says.
Alyssa is embarrassed. That is what her mom said, too! Maybe she shouldn’t wear the bow tie. But she also doesn’t want to take it off in front of her dad. So she just shrugs and says nothing.
The bus comes, and Alyssa and Aveed get on. They sit together. Another classmate Tommy gets on at the next stop.
“Bow ties are for boys!” Tommy says. “Don’t you know that?”
“Yes,” Alyssa mumbles.
Now she is really embarrassed. All the new kids will think she’s dumb for wearing a bow tie. She will ask the teacher when she gets to school to help her take it off.
When they get to school, Alyssa and Aveed walk across the parking lot toward the front doors. Alyssa has her head down.
Suddenly, Alyssa hears, “A bow tie! That’s so cool.” Alyssa looks up, and sees a 7th grader looking at her.
“What?” Alyssa says.
“I like your bow tie!” the older girl says. “It is very cool. You must be very creative.”
Alyssa doesn’t feel embarrassed anymore. She likes being creative. She can’t wait to show her bow tie to her art teacher.
When one of her classmates says, “Bow ties are for boys,” Alyssa says, “Bow ties are for everyone. Especially if you are creative, like me!” | 460 | 2 | null | What does Alyssa get at the department store? | A. art supplies
B. a bow tie
C. a pair of shoes | B | Alyssa is embarrassed by her bow tie for the first time when she meets her friend Aveed at the bus stop. Why does Alyssa become embarrassed by her bow tie? | A. Aveed says that bow ties are for boys.
B. Alyssa’s mom said that bow ties are for boys.
C. Aveed won’t speak to Alyssa when he sees her bow tie. | A | Alyssa does not feel embarrassed by her bow tie after she speaks with the 7th grader. Which evidence from the story supports this statement? | A. The older girl says to Alyssa, “I like your bow tie!”
B. One of Alyssa’s classmates says, “Bow ties are for boys.”
C. Alyssa can’t wait to show her bow tie to her art teacher. | C | What does Alyssa end up thinking about her bow tie? | A. The bow tie shows that she is creative.
B. The bow tie does not show how creative she is.
C. She should not have worn the bow tie to school. | A | What is a theme of this story? | A. You shouldn’t be embarrassed for being creative.
B. Only boys should wear bow ties to school.
C. Your parents know what is best for you. | A | Read the following sentences. “‘Yes,’ Alyssa mumbles. Now she is really embarrassed. All the new kids will think she’s dumb for wearing a bow tie. She will ask the teacher when she gets to school to help her take it off. “When they get to school, Alyssa and Aveed walk across the parking lot toward the front doors. Alyssa has her head down." Why does the author describe that “Alyssa has her head down”? | A. in order to show that Alyssa is lost
B. in order to show that Alyssa is proud
C. in order to show that Alyssa is embarrassed | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Alyssa’s classmates tell her that bow ties are for boys, _________ she feels embarrassed. | A. because
B. so
C. but | B |
The United States Constitution | The United States Constitution is the highest law in the nation. It is the set of rules that Americans live by.
In 1787, a group of Americans did not like how their new country’s government worked. They sat down to write new rules for the government. Among those men were Ben Franklin and George Washington.
The men met at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during a hot summer. Sometimes they had disagreements. They had to work hard to solve those disagreements. When they finished, they had written the country’s Constitution. Next, the Constitution had to be approved by the states. After a few years, the states voted in favor of the Constitution. It was now the law of the land.
According to the Constitution, an election for president must be held every four years. The Constitution also says that the United States must have a Congress and a Supreme Court. Congress makes laws. The Supreme Court decides if laws are correctly written and followed.
The Constitution promises important rights to the American people. These include the right to believe what you wish and the right to say what you believe. These promises are listed in the part of the Constitution known as the Bill of Rights. | 660 | 2 | Social Studies: Civics & Government, U.S. History | What is the United States Constitution? | A. the set of rules that Americans live by
B. a list of problems with the American government
C. a list of promises about Americans’ rights | A | Part of the text describes the sequence of events that ended with the Constitution becoming the law of the land. After men met at Independence Hall and wrote the Constitution, what happened next? | A. The Constitution became the law of the land.
B. The states voted to approve the Constitution.
C. The men solved their disagreements. | B | Read these sentences from the text. "The men met at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during a hot summer. Sometimes they had disagreements. They had to work hard to solve those disagreements. When they finished, they had written the country’s Constitution. Next, the Constitution had to be approved by the states. After a few years, the states voted in favor of the Constitution. It was now the law of the land." What can you conclude based on this evidence? | A. It took a lot of effort to create the new rules for the government and to put them in place.
B. It was not very difficult for people to agree on the new rules for the government.
C. The states liked the old government more than the new one described by the Constitution. | A | The states had to vote for the Constitution to become the law of the land. The Constitution says that people must vote for a president every four years. What can you infer based on this evidence? | A. The government that existed before the Constitution was based on voting.
B. Most Americans at the time did not think voting was very useful.
C. Americans at the time felt that voting was an important part of a good government. | C | What is the main idea of this article? | A. The U.S. Constitution is the law of the land, and it lays out rules for the government and rights for the American people.
B. The U.S. Constitution says that the country must have a Congress, a Supreme Court, and a president.
C. The U.S. Constitution was written by a group of men that included Ben Franklin and George Washington. | A | Read these sentences from the text. "The Constitution promises important rights to the American people. These include the right to believe what you wish and the right to say what you believe. These promises are listed in the part of the Constitution known as the Bill of Rights." What does the word “rights” mean in this paragraph? | A. things that people should always be able to do
B. things that people should never be allowed to do
C. gifts for people who follow the rules | A | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. The Constitution is the highest law in the nation, ____ Americans and the U.S. government have to live and work by its rules. | A. so
B. because
C. but | A |
Thawing the Iceman | In 1991, the frozen body of a man who lived 5,000 years ago was found in the Ötztal (oet-sahl) Alps. Those are mountains on the continent of Europe.
Scientists named the "iceman" Ötzi (oet-see). Recently, scientists thawed Ötzi so they could study his body.
Ötzi is the world's oldest frozen mummy. Scientists want to learn more about Ötzi. So they thawed and examined his body. Scientists took samples of Ötzi's bones and skin. The samples might help scientists figure out more about Ötzi's life.
Samples from Ötzi's stomach and teeth may tell scientists what kind of food he ate. Some foods grew only in certain areas. Knowing about Ötzi's diet will help scientists figure out where he lived.
Ötzi lived thousands of years ago. Knowing about Ötzi's life will tell scientists more about life on Earth long ago.
Here's what scientists know about Ötzi.
Some tools and objects were found near Ötzi. Ötzi's ax helped scientists figure out how long he had been frozen. The blade on his ax was made of a reddish brown metal called copper. Copper was used in tools thousands of years ago. Scientists figured out that Ötzi had been frozen for about 5,300 years! | 670 | 2 | Science: Life Science | What is Ötzi? | A. the name scientists gave to the world’s oldest frozen mummy
B. the name of the mountain where the frozen body of a man was discovered
C. the name of the tool scientists use to study frozen mummies
D. the name of a group of people who lived in the Ötzal Alps thousands of years ago | A | Read the following sentences: “Ötzi is the world's oldest frozen mummy. Scientists want to learn more about Ötzi. So they thawed and examined his body. Scientists took samples of Ötzi's bones and skin. The samples might help scientists figure out more about Ötzi's life.” Based on the text, what does the word “examined” mean? | A. threw away without care
B. kept secret for a long time
C. inspected very closely and carefully
D. set on fire very quickly | C | Based on the text, what does the word “sample” most nearly mean? | A. the way a person looks and behaves
B. a weapon used by people who live in mountains
C. a part of something used for investigation
D. an object found near a frozen mummy | C | Read the following sentences: “Samples from Ötzi's stomach and teeth may tell scientists what kind of food he ate. Some foods grew only in certain areas. Knowing about Ötzi's diet will help scientists figure out where he lived.” Based on the text, what does the word “diet” most nearly mean? | A. type of food someone eats
B. to limit how much someone eats
C. to eat
D. to freeze | A | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
A Brush with History | You know it is important to brush your teeth with a toothbrush to keep them healthy. But how did people clean their choppers before toothbrushes were invented?
The first tooth cleaners were thin twigs called chew sticks. The sticks were fuzzy at one end. A person rubbed the chew stick against his or her teeth to keep them clean.
About two hundred years ago, William Addis invented something closer to today’s toothbrush. He collected thick animal hairs called bristles. He attached the hairs to a handle made from animal bone. Addis found that lots of customers wanted his invention.
People still wanted to improve the tooth cleaner, however. Animal hairs did not feel great against human teeth! Finally, man-made bristles were created. They were made out of nylon. Then plastic was used for handles. Now toothbrushes could be made quickly and cheaply. Millions were sold.
About fifty years ago, the electric toothbrush was invented. It does a great job of cleaning teeth. Today, we have toothbrushes with soft or hard bristles. There are sizes for adults, children, and babies.
Tooth cleaners have come a long way since chew sticks. Who knows what kind of tooth cleaner will be invented in the future? | 700 | 2 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | Why is it important to brush your teeth with a toothbrush? | A. to keep your teeth from growing too fast
B. to make your teeth grow quickly
C. to keep your teeth healthy | C | The article describes different items people have used to clean their teeth. What is one of these items? | A. a thin twig with plastic bristles on it
B. an animal bone with hairs attached to it
C. choppers made out of wood and nylon | B | Read these sentences from the text. "You know it is important to brush your teeth with a toothbrush to keep them healthy. But how did people clean their choppers before toothbrushes were invented?" Based on these sentences, what can you conclude about the word "choppers"? | A. The word "choppers" means healthy people.
B. The word "choppers" means teeth.
C. The word "choppers" means toothbrushes. | B | Read the third and fourth paragraphs of the article. Based on those paragraphs, what can you conclude about how quickly the tooth cleaners invented by William Addis could be made? | A. The tooth cleaners invented by William Addis could be made very quickly.
B. The tooth cleaners invented by William Addis could not be made quickly.
C. The tooth cleaners invented by William Addis could be made in two weeks. | B | What is the main idea of this article? | A. People used to clean their teeth by using twigs called chew sticks.
B. William Addis collected animal hairs and attached them to a handle made from bone.
C. The way people clean their teeth has changed over time. | C | Read these sentences from the text. "Tooth cleaners have come a long way since chew sticks. Who knows what kind of tooth cleaner will be invented in the future?" What does the phrase "come a long way" mean here? | A. changed a lot
B. learned a lot
C. traveled a great distance | A | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. People wanted to improve the tooth cleaner that had animal hairs on it _______ animal hairs did not feel good against human teeth. | A. so
B. because
C. but | B |
Be a Poet | It is time to celebrate poetry. Poetry is a type of writing that lets people express, or show, their emotions. Some poems rhyme, and some do not.
This month, everyone can take part in the fun. Many people will go to poetry readings to hear poets read their work. Kids will read and write poems in school too.
In this issue, you will learn about three types of poems. Then write a poem of your own!
A couplet is a poem that has only two lines. The last words in each line rhyme.
Spring Blossoms When rain comes down in drippity drops, Umbrellas go up with poppity pops. —Marie E. Cecchini
In an acrostic poem, each line describes a topic word. Each letter of the word starts a new line. This poem about spring uses the letters in the word spring to begin each line.
Spring
Sunny days are coming. Pretty birds chirp early in the morning. Rain falls from the sky. Insects buzz and crawl. New baby animals take their first steps. Green grass grows, and flowers bloom! —Nicole Diaz
A quatrain is a poem that has four lines. The last words in the second and fourth lines must rhyme. Write the two words in the poem that rhyme.
Sunflower
Leaves of green, Petals so bright, It grows quite tall. A beautiful sight! —Rachelle Kreisman | 560 | 2 | Arts | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. A couplet has two lines, _______ a quatrain has four. | A. because
B. but
C. so | B | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
April Showers | Note: This article was first published in the spring of 2009.
Grab your raincoat and boots! Spring is here. That means warmer, rainy weather in some parts of the United States. Read the answers to some questions about wet weather.
A few wet drops land on your head. It’s raining! Rain falls from clouds. Clouds are made of tiny bits of water and ice. The bits grow bigger as they join together. Some get so heavy that they fall to the ground. The ice melts if the air is warmer along the way. The raindrops reach the ground as water.
Some clouds bring thunderstorms. Those are storms with heavy rain, lightning, and thunder. As lightning strikes, it heats the air around it. That causes the air to expand, or get bigger. When that happens, you hear a loud sound called thunder.
When it rains, you may see a rainbow. It appears when sunlight passes through drops of water in the air. The drops break up the sunlight into seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Why? Sunlight is always made up of those colors. They look white when they are together. The drops of water separate each color. | 460 | 2 | Science: Earth & Space Science | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Lightning heats the air around it, _______ the air expands and causes thunder. | A. because
B. but
C. so | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Insects on the Move | A grasshopper can jump a distance of more than 20 times the length of its body! That means a 2-inch grasshopper can jump more than 3 feet!
These insects take the prize for their athletic abilities. Some are expert runners, swimmers, or fliers. Others can jump very far or even do acrobatics. They can really move!
The dragonfly is one of the fastest flying insects. Some dragonflies can reach 35 miles per hour. This insect is also acrobatic. It can fly backward and turn around quickly. It can also hover, or hang, in the air.
The record for longest insect flight goes to the monarch butterfly. Each fall, millions of monarch butterflies from North America spread their wings and fly more than 2,000 miles to forests in Mexico.
The diving beetle is an expert swimmer. When it is above water, the bubble on its back fills with air. That lets the beetle breathe underwater. As it swims, the bubble refills with oxygen taken from the water.
A favorite to win the long jump contest is the flea. This tiny insect (the size of a pinhead) can jump a distance of 150 times the length of its body. When a flea bends its legs, its rubbery knees spring back, and off it goes!
The Australian tiger beetle is one of the fastest running insects. This long-legged beetle can reach speeds of 5 ½ miles per hour. The beetle's speed comes in handy when it is chasing other insects to eat. | 800 | 2 | Science: Life Science | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. The diving beetle fills the bubble on its back with air, ______ the beetle can breathe underwater. | A. because
B. but
C. so | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Firefighters Fight Fires | Firefighters are ready to fight fires every day. They work hard to keep people and pets safe. When they get a call about a fire, they have to be ready to spring to action. What do firefighters need to do their job well?
Firefighters wear special clothes called turnout gear. Before firefighters can put out a fire, they have to put on their turnout gear. It keeps them safe from flames, heat, and smoke. Turnout gear includes a helmet, a mask, a jacket, pants, and boots.
Firefighters need fire trucks to get to a fire quickly. They use ladders, hoses, and other tools to put out fires and to save lives. In this picture, two firefighters are in a bucket at the top of the ladder. They are spraying water on fire that is at the top of the building.
Fire experts say that most fires start in the kitchen. Using a stove carelessly is the number-one cause of house fires. | 750 | 2 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Firefighters need turnout gear _______ it protects them from flames, heat, and smoke. | A. because
B. but
C. so | A | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Buying Paint Supplies | Alison couldn’t believe she forgot her phone at home. Now she was lost.
She was supposed to meet Molly at Circle Art Supply at 6 a.m. Molly was in college, studying to become a painter. Today, she was going to teach Alison how to paint as well. In order to do that, they needed to buy some art supplies. They needed paint, brushes, and a canvas.
Alison liked to plan ahead. She wanted to pick an aisle to meet in, but Molly refused.
“Can’t we have an alternate plan?” Alison begged. “Just in case?”
“No way! I have my phone, and you have your phone. Just text me when you get to Circle’s. It will be easier that way.”
Alison had to admit, using the phone to find each other did sound like the easier idea at first. But when Alison reached into her backpack to pull out her phone, there was nothing in the pocket but an old piece of gum. Now she was stuck, and not just to the gum!
Alison knew Molly had to be somewhere in the store, but where? She sat down to brainstorm.
“If I were a painter, what would I need? What aisle would I go to?” she asked herself. “Well, the first thing I would need, I guess, is paint!”
On the first floor of Circle Art Supply was a directory of what items you could find on each floor. Circle was located in New York City, and it was four stories tall. It was easy for someone to get lost inside of it, with the twists and turns of the hallways and stairwells.
Alison carefully studied the directory.
From the first floor, she could take the stairs to the second. But she couldn’t get to the third floor from the second. Instead, she’d have to take an elevator to the fourth, and walk back down a flight of stairs. That meant the third floor was only accessible by the fourth floor.
Alison’s head started to spin. Paint was on the third floor, but she was on the first. This was going to be confusing!
She went upstairs, then back down again. But she got lost! Alison walked down an extra flight of stairs and ended up on the second floor. Then she had to start all over again.
When Alison finally got to the third floor, she saw Molly standing in the paint aisle trying to call her.
“Where have you been?” Molly asked, flustered. “I have been trying to call your phone for twenty minutes!”
“Well,” said Alison, “I guess you could say I’ve been walking around in circles.” | 580 | 2 | null | Where is Alison supposed to meet Molly? | A. college
B. Circle Art Supply
C. the subway | B | What main problem does Alison face? | A. she cannot contact Molly
B. Molly is late
C. she doesn’t want to paint | A | Molly does not like to make plans. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? | A. “Molly is in college, studying to become a painter.”
B. “Today, she was going to teach Alison how to paint as well.”
C. “Alison liked to plan ahead. She wanted to pick an aisle to meet in, but Molly refused.” | C | Why is it easy to get lost in Circle Art Supply? | A. because the building has twists and turns
B. because the building is old
C. because the building is in New York City | A | What is this passage mostly about? | A. a girl buying paint
B. a girl lost in an art store
C. a girl who studies art | B | Read the following sentences: “’Where have you been?’ Molly asked, flustered . ‘I have been trying to call your phone for twenty minutes!’” What does “flustered” mean? | A. upset
B. calm
C. quiet | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Alison reached into her backpack to grab her phone, _____ she found only a piece of gum. | A. so
B. after
C. but | C |
African Animals | Much of the continent of Africa is a savanna. A savanna is an open grassland with few trees. Africa's savanna is home to many different types of animals.
The savanna is a habitat. A habitat is a place where an animal lives. Here are some animals that live in the African savanna.
Lions are big cats with gold-colored fur. Lions are carnivores (KARneh-vawrz). Carnivores are meat eaters. Lions live together in a group called a pride.
Elephants are animals with trunks and tusks. Elephants are herbivores (ER-beh-vawrz). Herbivores are plant eaters. Elephants live together in a group called a herd.
Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world. They are plant eaters. Their height helps them reach leaves on tall trees. Giraffes live in a herd of about 10 animals.
Warthogs are a type of wild hog. Warthogs are omnivores (AHM-nehvawrz). Omnivores eat both plants and meat. Female and baby warthogs live in a small group called a sounder. Males live alone.
Hippopotamuses are animals that live partly on land and partly in water. They are herbivores that eat mainly grasses. Hippos live in a herd of up to 15 members. | 520 | 2 | Science: Life Science | What is a savanna? | A. a forest with many trees
B. a lake with many animals
C. an open grassland with few trees | C | What does this text list and describe? | A. animals that live in the African savanna
B. animals that live in the Arctic
C. animals that live in the rain forest | A | Elephants, giraffes, and hippopotamuses all live in herds. What do you know about life on a savanna based on this information? | A. It's better to be alone for all animals.
B. Most animals that live in groups don't like it.
C. It can be safer for some animals to live in groups. | C | What do you know about the diets of animals that live in the African savanna? | A. Some animals eat meat and some eat plants.
B. All the animals eat only meat.
C. All the animals eat plants and animals. | A | What is this text mostly about? | A. the different kinds of animals that live in North America
B. the different kinds of plants that grow in savannas
C. the different kinds of animals that live in the African savanna | C | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Oh Nuts! | Chestnut and Daisy were two young squirrels. They were born in the same spring month. They had been best friends ever since.
The two friends had fun all summer. They raced each other along the top of the long fence around the park. They climbed to the tops of the tallest trees. They took naps under the raspberry bush. They ate delicious scraps of food that people left behind in the park.
Then fall came. Chestnut didn’t want to play anymore. He spent every day collecting the nuts that fell from the trees. Then he buried them all over the park. “Nuts, nuts, nuts,” said Daisy. “Can’t you think about anything else?”
“But winter is coming soon,” Chestnut warned her. “We’ll need something to eat then.”
“We can eat scraps that people leave behind, like we always do,” Daisy said. “Maybe we can,” Chestnut said. “But I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
So Chestnut kept collecting nuts. But Daisy ran along the top of the fence by herself. She climbed the tops of the tallest trees. She took lots of naps.
Then winter came. People stopped coming to the park. There were no scraps of food to eat. Daisy became very hungry. But Chestnut had plenty of nuts to eat. “Chestnut, can I please have some of your nuts?” Daisy asked.
“Of course you can,” Chestnut said. “Just promise you’ll help me collect nuts next fall.”
“I will!” Daisy promised. “You were right all along!” | 440 | 2 | null | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Chestnut had plenty to eat during the winter _______ he collected so many nuts in the fall. | A. but
B. so
C. because | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Invaders of the Ecosystem | Think of a pond with water, rocks, and mud. Animals live there. Plants grow all around it. Rain falls into the pond, or the sun shines above it.
A pond is an ecosystem. Ecosystems are places where living things—animals and plants—exist with nonliving things, such as water and soil. Everything in an ecosystem affects everything else.
Sometimes, outside plants or animals are brought into an ecosystem. These outsiders are called invaders. They can cause real trouble.
Here is an example. Nutria (NOO-tree-uh) are small, furry water animals. They look like beavers. Nutria live in South America, but some people brought a group of them to the U.S. These people wanted to use nutria fur to make coats.
The nutria were kept on animal farms, but some escaped. They had so many babies that soon there were millions of nutria! In the wetlands of Louisiana and Maryland, these giant groups of nutria gobbled up plants that other animals in the ecosystem had left alone. They chewed up bulrush plants, including the roots. By doing that, nutria ruined the soil, making it very difficult for some new plants to grow. Partly as a result, thousands of acres of marshland in Maryland are now damaged.
U.S. wildlife experts have tried to reduce the number of nutria. In some areas, their plans have worked. Some areas have even gotten rid of all the nutria there. But where the nutria still remain, they continue eating up parts of the wetlands. | 670 | 2 | Science: Life Science | What are nutria? | A. small, furry water animals
B. wetland ecosystems
C. plants that live near ponds | A | This text describes a topic using the nutria as an example. What does this article use the nutria as an example of? | A. an invader of an ecosystem
B. an ecosystem that exists in the U.S.
C. an animal that looks like a beaver | A | Nutria are able to survive well in wetland ecosystems. Which piece of evidence best supports this statement? | A. Experts are having trouble reducing the number of nutria in some wetlands.
B. Nutria were first kept on animal farms, but some of them escaped.
C. Nutria ruined the soil in the wetlands of Louisiana and Maryland. | A | Read this paragraph from the article. "U.S. wildlife experts have tried to reduce the number of nutria. In some areas, their plans have worked. Some areas have even gotten rid of all the nutria there. But where the nutria still remain, they continue eating up parts of the wetlands." Based on this evidence, what can you infer? | A. If there were more nutria, the wetlands in the U.S. would be a lot healthier.
B. If there were only a few nutria, they would still be a big problem to wetlands in the U.S.
C. If there were only a few nutria, they wouldn’t be as big of a problem to wetlands in the U.S. | C | What is the main idea of this article? | A. Nutria are furry water animals that are able to survive in many different ecosystems.
B. When outside plants or animals are brought into an ecosystem, they can cause a lot of damage.
C. Ecosystems are places where living things exist with nonliving things. | B | Read these sentences from the text. "In the wetlands of Louisiana and Maryland, these giant groups of nutria gobbled up plants that other animals in the ecosystem had left alone. They chewed up bulrush plants, including the roots. By doing that, nutria ruined the soil, making it very difficult for some new plants to grow." What does the word “ruined” mean here? | A. created
B. helped
C. messed up | C | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. The wetlands in Maryland are damaged _______ nutria ruined the soil in those areas. | A. so
B. because
C. but | B |
Splash into Summer! | Summer is just around the corner. It is a time when many kids swim and play outdoors. Follow these simple steps to stay safe and have fun this summer.
Pools, lakes, and oceans are great places to beat the summer heat. While you swim and play, make sure to follow water-safety rules.
Being outside in warm, fresh air is fun during the summer. Although the sun feels nice, it can be harmful. Sun can burn your skin even in a short time.
In-line skating, biking, and riding a scooter are good ways to stay fit. It is important to follow road rules and be wheel-safe. | 660 | 2 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. _______ sunlight can damage your skin, you should put on sunscreen before playing outside in the summer. | A. So
B. Because
C. But | B | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Painting a Bus | Last week, Kaitlyn’s refrigerator stopped working. When Kaitlyn and her sister Lydia came home from school, they found pink water all over the floor.
“Why on earth is this water pink?” Kaitlyn asked.
“Because it’s not water!” Lydia said. “It’s strawberry ice cream!”
“Oh no!” Kaitlyn cried. Everything in the freezer had melted.
Kaitlyn and Lydia always had ice cream or a Popsicle for dessert. Now dessert was liquid. This was a disaster!
Quietly, Kaitlyn opened a Popsicle and dumped orange liquid into a cup. When no one was looking, she drank it.
“I won’t tell on you,” Lydia said. Then, she secretly drank a Popsicle, too.
A week later, the new refrigerator arrived. It was big and silver. One of the doors had a special compartment to dispense ice.
The best part about the new refrigerator wasn’t the ice. It was the box it came in. The box was the size of a mansion.
Later, Kaitlyn’s friends Lainey and Michael came by to see the box. Lydia was there, too.
“Let’s make a house out of it,” said Lainey.
“No, let’s make a fort,” suggested Michael.
“Wait!” said Kaitlyn. “It’s my refrigerator box. We should make a spaceship.”
“Hey! It’s my box, too!” said little sister Lydia. “Just because I’m only six doesn’t mean I don’t get a vote!”
Everyone stared at Lydia. They waited. What would her vote be?
“Well, vote then!”
“I vote…” she paused. “I vote…”
“Come on, Lydia!” Everyone was getting impatient.
Lydia stared at the ceiling. She got nervous when people stared at her. Finally, she made up her mind.
“I vote…to make a bus!” she said.
When Michael and Lainey heard this, they changed their minds.
“Yeah, we want a bus too!”
Now they had three votes for a bus but only one vote for a spaceship. The bus had the majority vote.
“Fine. How should we make this bus, smarty pants?” asked Kaitlyn.
“We could cut holes in the box for windows,” said Michael.
“I’m not allowed to use sharp scissors by myself,” said Kaitlyn.
“We could use stickers,” said Lydia.
“Where would we get enough stickers from?” Kaitlyn asked.
“I have five stickers,” Lydia said.
“No way! The box is huge. We’ll need hundreds!” said Kaitlyn. “Sometimes you’re so…six years old!”
Lydia felt angry. Just because she was six didn’t mean her ideas were bad!
“Wait!” Lydia said. “Let’s paint the box instead.”
“That’s a great idea!” said Michael and Lainey.
Kaitlyn didn’t want to admit this was a good idea.
“Fine! Everybody go get some paint,” she said. Kaitlyn always wanted to get her way.
Michael came back with finger paint. Lydia came back with watercolor paint. Lainey brought a box of acrylic craft paint. Poor Kaitlyn could only find crayons.
“What do we do now?” Lainey asked. “We’ve got so many different kinds of paint.”
“And crayons,” said Kaitlyn, depressed that she couldn’t find paint.
“Which will work the best?” Michael asked.
“I think we just have to experiment,” Lydia suggested.
Kaitlyn didn’t want to admit her sister had a good idea.
“I don’t know about that,” Kaitlyn said.
“But that’s the best idea,” said Michael.
“Yes,” Lainey agreed. “We need to try each kind of paint. Then we can see what works best.”
“Whatever,” said Kaitlyn. “She’s only six.”
Dad helped bring the refrigerator box into the backyard. Then he spread a large piece of plastic on the grass. This kind of plastic is called a tarp. Dad said it would stop them from getting paint on the grass.
“The grass is already green,” he said. “We don’t need to paint it purple, too.”
Each friend chose a section of the box. They painted on it for the next 15 minutes.
When they finished painting, they looked at all the sections. Together, they decided which paint worked best.
Here’s what they saw:
The watercolor paint was too light. The crayons were too thick. The finger paint was too messy.
“The acrylic paint worked the best,” Kaitlyn said.
“Sure did!” everyone agreed.
The four friends painted the refrigerator box to look like a bus. It took them all afternoon. They painted windows and doors. They even painted some kids inside the bus.
“It's so colorful!” said Lydia.
“It's beautiful!” Kaitlyn agreed
When they finished, Lydia looked to see what her sister had painted.
On the back of the bus, Kaitlyn had painted a heart. It said: “I love you, little sister.”
Lydia couldn’t believe her eyes. “I love you, too!” she said.
“For a six-year-old, you’re not so bad.”
“All aboard the Lydia Express!” everyone said. “It was her idea to make a bus!”
They all climbed into the colorful bus. They drove wherever they felt like going. When they returned home, they had ice cream from the brand new refrigerator. | 380 | 2 | Science: Technology & Engineering | What is the best part about the new refrigerator? | A. its big silver doors
B. the box it came in
C. the special compartment that dispenses ice | B | What is a conflict in this story? | A. Kaitlyn wants to make a spaceship with the box. Lydia, Michael, and Lainey want to make a bus with the box.
B. Kaitlyn wants to make a fort with the box. Lydia, Michael, and Lainey want to make a spaceship with the box.
C. Kaitlyn wants to make a house with the box. Lydia, Michael, and Lainey want to make a fort with the box. | A | Lydia, Michael, and Lainey all vote to make a bus out of the box. Then Kaitlyn says, “Fine. How should we make this bus, smarty pants?” What can be concluded from this information? | A. Kaitlyn would rather eat ice cream than make something out of a box.
B. Kaitlyn, Michael, and Lainey do not like Lydia.
C. Kaitlyn is not happy about making a bus out of the box. | C | How does Kaitlyn probably feel about the bus at the end of the story? | A. Kaitlyn wishes the bus were more colorful.
B. Kaitlyn likes the bus.
C. Kaitlyn does not like the bus. | B | What is the main idea of this story? | A. Two sisters have popsicles when they come home from school even though the popsicles have melted.
B. Acrylic paint is better than watercolor paint, finger paint, and crayons.
C. A girl does not like her sister’s idea at first but later decides that it was a good one. | C | Read these sentences from the story: “Lydia stared at the ceiling. She got nervous when people stared at her. Finally, she made up her mind . ‘I vote...to make a bus!’ she said.” What does the phrase “she made up her mind” mean? | A. She decided on something.
B. She could not decide on anything.
C. She got mad about something. | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Lydia wants to make a bus out of the box, _______ Kaitlyn wants to make a spaceship. | A. but
B. because
C. so | A |
World Wonders | Our world has many famous landmarks. A landmark is a building or place that is special to an area. Some landmarks are built by people. Other landmarks are things in nature, such as a volcano or a waterfall. In this issue, you will learn about six famous landmarks built by people.
South Dakota, United States
Mount Rushmore is a rock sculpture. It was carved into a mountain from 1927 to 1941. The sculpture shows the faces of four presidents—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Each face is as tall as a six-story building.
Andes Mountains, Peru
Machu Picchu (MAH-choo PEE-choo) was once a city located high in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Its name means “old peak.” The city was built nearly 600 years ago. The remains of about 200 stone buildings are found there. They include palaces, temples, and homes.
Giza, Egypt
The Great Sphinx is a huge statue. It has the head of a person and the body of a lion. It was built more than 4,000 years ago. No one knows for sure why it was built. Some say it honors an ancient king.
Pisa, Italy
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a bell tower. It was built on soft soil. That caused the tower to tilt to one side soon after workers began building it more than 800 years ago. Visitors can climb about 300 steps inside to see a great view of the city.
China
The Great Wall of China is the longest structure ever built. It twists and turns through China for about 4,000 miles. The wall was built to keep out invaders. Parts of the wall are more than 2,000 years old.
Sydney, Australia
The Sydney Opera House was built from 1957 to 1973. This performing arts center looks like a ship with sails. It is located on a piece of land inside a harbor. A harbor is a part of a body of water where ships can stay safe from storms. | 680 | 2 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. The Great Wall of China was built, ______ the Chinese could keep invaders out. | A. but
B. because
C. so | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Discover the Rain Forest! | Many animals live in a tropical rain forest. Some of them have bright colors. The red-eyed tree frog is one of those animals.
What are some others?
A tropical rain forest is a warm, wet place. It is a home for many animals. Many kinds of plants grow there too. Read about the layers of a rain forest.
The emergent layer is the top layer. It is made up of the tops of the very tallest trees. It is home to many birds and insects. Macaws fly up in the trees here. They like to call loudly to each other. These birds eat fruits, nuts, and flowers.
The canopy is made up of the tops of most other rain forest trees. It is home to many animals. Sloths hang upside down from tree branches here. Big, strong claws on the sloth's feet help it grab a branch. The furry sloth does not move much.
The understory is a dark, cool layer under the leaves of many trees. Emerald tree boas wrap around branches of trees here. The boa hunts at night to catch birds and other small animals. This snake can open its jaws wide enough to swallow a bird whole!
The forest floor is dark and damp. Not much sunlight reaches it. Leaf-cutter ants work hard here, using their sharp jaws to cut pieces of leaves. This ant carries leaves that are 20 times its weight. That is like a person carrying a 1-ton load! | 600 | 2 | Science: Earth & Space Science | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Sloths live in the canopy of the rain forest, _______ jaguars live in the understory. | A. because
B. so
C. but | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Should You Be Afraid of Sharks? | Many people are afraid of sharks. They think sharks are monsters. But one scientist thinks people should not be scared of sharks.
Sharks do not like the taste of people. That's what Dr. Peter Klimley says. Klimley is a scientist who studies sharks. He says sharks would rather eat seals and sea lions than people. Seals and sea lions have a thick layer of fat on them. Eating that fat gives sharks energy. Klimley says people's bodies do not have enough fat to fill up a shark.
Klimley thinks that sharks should be afraid of people. Each year, people kill about 100 million sharks. Some people like to eat shark meat. And some sharks die because they live in water that is polluted.
Klimley says that at least seven kinds of sharks are endangered. The number of those sharks has dropped in the past ten years. Klimley hopes that people will help protect sharks.
Weekly Reader talked to Dr. Peter Klimley about his work. Here's what he had to say.
Weekly Reader (WR): Why did you decide to study sharks?
Peter Klimley (PK): I wanted to study how sharks behave. I wanted to get into their world and learn everything about them.
WR: Why is it important to study sharks?
PK: To me, sharks are a mystery that I wanted to learn more about.
WR: Should we be afraid of sharks?
PK: No. Many kinds of sharks are not dangerous. I think sharks bite people by mistake.
WR: Which kind of shark is your favorite?
PK: The hammerhead shark. I have studied the hammerhead for most of my life. I am often called "Dr. Hammerhead"! | 600 | 2 | Science: Life Science | According to the passage, why don’t sharks sink in the water? | A. Sharks don’t sink because they eat seals and sea lions.
B. Sharks don’t sink because their liver is filled with oil.
C. Sharks don’t sink because the water is polluted.
D. Sharks don’t sink because they are very light weight. | B | Which of the following does the author describe first in the passage? | A. The author describes different interesting facts about sharks.
B. The author describes the work of Dr. Peter Klimley.
C. The author describes reasons why sharks are not as dangerous as people think.
D. The author describes how sharks lose their teeth and replace them quickly. | C | The passage implies that | A. sharks are endangered and need protection
B. sharks are misunderstood creatures
C. sharks are extremely dangerous to people
D. sharks only eat seals and sea lions | B | Read the following sentence: “Klimley thinks that sharks should be afraid of people. Each year, people kill about 100 million sharks. Some people like to eat shark meat. And some sharks die because they live in water that is polluted.” In this sentence the word polluted most nearly means | A. blue-colored
B. cold
C. very dirty
D. pure | C | This passage is mostly about | A. sharks and why they eat seals and sea lions
B. sharks and why they grow new teeth quickly
C. sharks and why they bite people
D. sharks and why they may not be as dangerous as people think | D | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. Dr. Klimley says that sharks should be afraid of people ________ people kill 100 million sharks a year | A. so
B. although
C. but
D. since | D | null | null | null |
Symbols of the United States | A symbol is an object or sign that stands for something else. Read about some famous U.S. symbols that stand for our freedom.
The Statue of Liberty is located on an island in New York Harbor. The statue is made of copper. That is one of the metals used to make the penny. The Statue of Liberty is also known as “Lady Liberty.”
The Liberty Bell hangs in a museum in Pennsylvania. Soon after the bell was made, it cracked. People tried to fix the bell, but it cracked again. Many people visit the bell to see the crack that made it famous.
The bald eagle is our national bird. It is a living symbol of our country. The bald eagle is a symbol of strength and freedom. The bird is not actually bald. Long ago, the word bald meant “white.”
This red, white, and blue symbol is well-known. It is the American flag. The 50 stars stand for the 50 states. The 13 stripes stand for the 13 original colonies. The flag is also known as “Old Glory.” | 550 | 2 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture, U.S. History | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. The number of stars on the American flag is fifty _______ that is how many states there are in the US. | A. but
B. because
C. so | B | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Too Much Chocolate | "They should have never left me alone with you," said Keira. "That was a bad mistake."
Keira was speaking to a bag of chocolate. It was under her brother's bed. It was a green bag, and it was almost full. Tyler had not eaten much of his Halloween candy. Now he would never get the chance.
Halloween was three days ago. Keira had dressed as a bumblebee. Her brother had gone as a clown. They walked up and down their street and the two next to it. Every house they went to gave them candy. Some gave them lollipops. Some gave them caramel. But Keira's favorite was the houses that gave them chocolate.
Keira loved chocolate. She liked milk chocolate and dark chocolate. She liked white chocolate and coffee-flavored chocolate. She liked chocolate drops, chocolate bars, chocolate oranges and chocolate eggs. She liked chocolate so much that, by the day after Halloween, she had no chocolate left.
Tyler ate more slowly. He saved his candy. He ate just one or two pieces at a time. Last year, he made his Halloween candy last all the way to Thanksgiving. That made Keira mad. It was not fair that he could have candy for weeks and weeks, and she had none. That wouldn't happen this year.
Tyler had a friend over. Keira had been watching them. When they went to the backyard to play, she sneaked up the stairs. She opened Tyler's door. She crept over to his bed. And now she was going to eat his chocolate.
"You're all mine," she said, and laughed a sneaky laugh.
She unwrapped the first piece. It was a chocolate-covered cherry. She ate it.
"Mmmm," she said. "Mmmmmm."
The next piece was a chocolate egg with marshmallow goo inside. She bit into it, and some of the marshmallow got onto her chin. She ate the rest of it.
"Marshmallow goo is the best," she said.
Next she ate a chocolate shaped like a flower. Then she ate a chocolate shaped like a bunny rabbit. She ate chocolates with raisins inside, and chocolates with pink fluff, and some chocolates that had nothing inside them at all. Finally, she was going to eat all the chocolate she wanted.
After a few minutes of eating, she heard footsteps on the stairs. She tried to get away, but her stomach was too full. Tyler came into the room. He looked mad.
"Hey!" he said. "What are you doing with my candy?!"
Keira tried to speak but she was too full. She stood up, and fell back down again.
"Oooooof," she groaned. Her face was covered with chocolate. Her hands were sticky. She even had chocolate in her hair. "I don't feel so good," she said. "I think I ate too much chocolate."
Tyler started laughing. He laughed until he fell down too.
"Well!" he said. "I think you learned your lesson!"
Keira's stomach felt like it was going to burst. She felt terrible. She would never steal Tyler's candy again. | 390 | 2 | null | What kind of candy does Keira love? | A. chocolate
B. caramel
C. lollipops | A | When in the story does Tyler come back to his room? | A. the beginning of the story
B. the middle of the story
C. the end of the story | C | Read this sentence about Keira: “She liked chocolate so much that, by the day after Halloween, she had no chocolate left.” What can be concluded from this information? | A. Keira got caramel on Halloween. She ate it slowly.
B. Keira got chocolate on Halloween. She ate all of it by the next day.
C. Keira did not get any chocolate on Halloween. She ate her brother’s chocolate the next day. | B | Why might Tyler eat his candy slowly? | A. Tyler likes making his candy last a long time.
B. Tyler likes eating a lot of candy at once.
C. Tyler does not like chocolate, caramel, or lollipops. | A | What is a main idea of the story? | A. A boy does something good and gets a reward.
B. A girl does something bad and learns a lesson.
C. Two children are mean to each other and get hurt. | B | Read these sentences: “Keira's stomach felt like it was going to burst. She felt terrible . She would never steal Tyler's candy again.” What does the word “terrible “mean? | A. very sleepy
B. very good
C. very bad | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Keira eats her brother’s chocolate _______ she eats her own. | A. before
B. after
C. last | B |
Happy Holidays! | Christmas is a Christian holiday. It lasts for one day. People decorate trees with ornaments and lights. Some people string lights on the outside of their homes.
Diwali is a Hindu holiday. It lasts for up to five days. People light oil lamps and candles. They put them near windows and doors and outside their homes.
Eid al-Fitr (EED al-FIH-tuhr) is a Muslim holiday. It lasts for one to three days. Family and friends gather together to eat a special meal.
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday. It lasts for eight days. Boys and girls play a game with a dreidel (DRAY-del). It is a spinning top with four sides.
Kwanzaa is an African American holiday. It lasts for seven days. Adults give kids gifts. One of the gifts is usually a book.
Las Posadas is a Latin American holiday. It lasts for nine days. It ends on Christmas. Each night, people walk through their towns. They stop at homes to sing. | 470 | 2 | null | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Christmas lasts only one day, _______ Las Posadas goes on for nine days. | A. so
B. but
C. because | B | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Jenny's Move | Sarah was mad. Her best friend Jenny was moving. She knew she would never see her again. Jenny had promised to write, but she knew how that went. Last year Mary had moved, and she wrote three letters. But she never heard back from her. She must have made new friends. Sarah knew the same thing would happen with Jenny. So she was getting back at her. She wasn’t going to speak to her at school. That would show her.
On Monday, Jenny asked Sarah if she wanted to play jump rope at recess. Sarah said she couldn’t because she had to play with Magda, a real friend who wouldn’t move on her.
“Fine,” said Jenny, “be that way.”
On Tuesday Jenny asked Sarah if she wanted to split her bag of M&M’s. Sarah wanted to but said, “No thanks, I’m going to split Anna’s Cheetos. I’m going to get used to someone else’s snacks since you won’t be here.” The only problem was that Sarah didn’t like Cheetos; she liked M&M’s. “Fine,” Jenny said, and sighed. She didn’t know what to do.
On Wednesday Jenny asked if Sarah wanted to sit next to her at the school play. Sarah said no. Jenny sat by herself and looked sad.
Thursday was Sarah’s birthday. Her mom hadn’t had time to get her the special outfit she wanted. Her dad had to leave early for a meeting. It seemed like no-one cared it was her birthday. But when Sarah got to school, Jenny was sitting outside with a box wrapped in the prettiest silver paper with a big bow. Jenny gave Sarah the present and Sarah opened it silently, thinking about how mean she had been. It was a stationery set, shiny pen, and a book of stamps. Sarah realized that even though Jenny was moving they would keep in touch and be friends forever. | 560 | 2 | null | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Jenny is moving away, _______ Sarah thinks that she will never see her friend again. | A. because
B. but
C. so | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
The Mighty Mississippi | The Mississippi River is one of the longest rivers in the world. It flows from north to south through the United States.
The Mississippi begins in the northern U.S. state of Minnesota. The river then goes south for more than two thousand miles to the state of Louisiana. There, the mighty Mississippi empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
Before the United States was a country, different Native peoples had depended on the Mississippi for thousands of years. Some of these peoples were the Anishinaabe people, Dakota people, and Natchez people. Many Native people traveled on the river by boat. They also ate fish that lived in the water. The name Mississippi came from the Anishinaabe people. They called the river Misi-ziibi, which means “long river.”
Today, some Native people continue to use the Mississippi River. Many other people use the Mississippi, too. Boats bring important items up and down the river daily. But it is more than just a highway for boats. The Mississippi also supports millions of people. At least fifty cities rely on the river for their daily water supply. The Mississippi is even home to all kinds of animals. More than 250 types of fish and at least 50 kinds of mammals live along the river.
This long river is a very important river! | 670 | 2 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture, U.S. History | According to the text, where does the Mississippi River flow? | A. through the United States
B. through only Louisiana
C. through the Gulf of Mexico | A | What does the author describe in the second paragraph? | A. the way people today use the Mississippi River
B. the path of the Mississippi River
C. the way Native peoples used the Mississippi River | B | Read this sentence from the text. Before the United States was a country, different Native peoples had depended on the Mississippi for thousands of years. What evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. “Today, some Native people continue to use the Mississippi River. Many other people use the Mississippi, too.”
B. “The name Mississippi came from the Anishinaabe people. They called the river Misi-ziibi , which means ‘long river.’”
C. “Many Native people traveled on the river by boat. They also ate fish that lived in the water.” | C | Based on the text, what do Native people from before the U.S. was a country and people today who live near the Mississippi River have in common? | A. use of the Mississippi River to get fish for eating
B. dependence on the Mississippi River in more than one way
C. building of large cities around the Mississippi River | B | What is the main idea of the text? | A. Native people depended on the Mississippi River for thousands of years.
B. The Mississippi River has been a very important river for a long time, and still is today.
C. The Mississippi River is mostly important because it begins in the state of Minnesota. | B | Read these sentences from the text. The Mississippi also supports millions of people. At least fifty cities rely on the river for their daily water supply. What does the sentence “The Mississippi also supports millions of people” mean? | A. The Mississippi is not important to millions of people.
B. The Mississippi helps millions of people live.
C. The Mississippi causes trouble for millions of people. | B | Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. Different Native peoples used the Mississippi River to get food _______ cities used the Mississippi River to get drinking water. | A. when
B. after
C. before | C |
It's Raining, It's Pouring! | Rain is a type of weather. Weather is the condition outside at a certain time and place. There are many different types of weather.
Different types of weather can happen in March. What is the weather like near you?
Sunlight comes from the sun. The sun is a huge, hot ball of gas. It sends warmth to Earth. How warm or cold it is outside depends on how much sunlight reaches Earth.
Clouds are groups of tiny drops of water floating in the air. Clouds can be puffy and white or flat and dark. They can block the sun from shining in places.
Snow is made up of tiny pieces of ice that fall to Earth. The pieces of ice stick together to form snowflakes. Each snowflake has a different shape.
Rain is made up of drops of water that fall to Earth from clouds. Rain gives fresh water to people and animals for drinking. Plants also need water to grow.
Wind is air moving on Earth's surface. Wind carries things such as plant seeds from one place to another. It can also carry a kite high into the sky!
Sometimes weather can be dangerous. Check out three types of wild weather.
are twisting, strong winds. They are often caused by thunderstorms.
happen when it rains a lot. Water pours from rivers and streams onto streets.
are snowstorms with strong winds. The snow can pile up very fast! | 530 | 2 | Science: Earth & Space Science | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Rain is important to people and animals _______ it provides them fresh water for drinking. | A. but
B. so
C. because | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Dive into a Coral Reef! | Coral reefs are home to many ocean animals. They are busy underwater places. Coral reefs are found near the surface of some oceans.
A coral reef is home sweet home to many creatures. It is a safe place to live and a great place to find food.
Green sea turtles can weigh more than 300 pounds and grow to about 3 feet long. They can live for a long time—up to 100 years! Most green sea turtles eat plants.
Clown fish have trouble hiding because they are so bright. To stay safe, clown fish live near poisonous sea animals. Those animals look like plants.
Dugongs are plant-eating sea animals. They live near some coral reefs. Dugongs have whiskers and round faces. They are sometimes called sea cows.
Moray eels are ocean fish that have long, slim, snakelike bodies. They hide in tiny holes throughout coral reefs. Moray eels eat small fish and octopuses.
Hammerhead sharks have wide, flat heads. They grow to more than 10 feet long. Hammerheads have triangle-shaped teeth with sharp bumps for chewing food.
Regal angelfish live near safe caves of coral reefs. They are brightly striped fish. Angelfish usually swim in pairs. They eat sea sponges or tiny coral reef animals.
Coral reefs are formed by tiny ocean animals called polyps (PAH-lips). When polyps die, their shells are left behind. More polyps grow on top of the shells. In time, the reef gets bigger. Corals come in many shapes, colors, and sizes. | 610 | 2 | Science: Life Science | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Dugongs eat plants, _______ Moray eels eat other animals. | A. because
B. so
C. but | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Let the Games Begin! | Shaun White slid down a snowy hill on a long, flat board. He jumped and twisted through the air. He is a snowboarder. He started when he was 6 years old. He became one of the best snowboarders in the world.
White was getting ready for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. They were held in Russia from February 7 to 23. Athletes from around the world were there. An athlete is a person who plays a sport. The athletes all tried to win medals. A gold medal is the top prize.
The Winter Games are fast and exciting. All the sports are played on snow or ice. Read about some of those sports.
Figure skaters spin, jump, and dance across the ice. They skate to music. Judges give the skaters points for how well they skate.
Ice hockey is a team sport. It is played on ice. Players use long, curved sticks to hit a puck. A puck is a hard disk made of rubber. A player scores a goal if the puck goes into the net.
Alpine ski racers go down big hills. They move fast. They can reach speeds of up to 80 miles an hour. That is faster than a car on a highway! Racers must pass through gates as they go. The fastest racer wins. | 470 | 2 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Basketball does not take place at the Winter Olympics _______ it is not a sport played on snow or ice. | A. but
B. so
C. because | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Let's Explore Caves! | Caves are home to many different animals. Like any home, a cave suits the creatures that live in it. Some animals can survive only in a cave’s unique ecosystem. An ecosystem is an environment in which certain plants and animals depend on each other to live. So, just what lives in caves?
You might see blind salamanders in caves, but they won’t see you! Blind salamanders do not need sight. They live in the darkest parts of caves—in water or on land. They are able to catch food by feeling the movements of other animals.
When water mixes with calcium and drips inside caves, it hardens and builds up over time. That creates cone-shaped objects called stalactites and stalagmites. Stalactites hang from the ceiling. Stalagmites rise from the ground. Sometimes they meet and form columns.
Many bats sleep in cave doorways. They fly out to find food. Some bats hibernate in caves during the winter.
Millipedes like to chill out in the cool, damp middle sections of caves. They can have anywhere from 80 to 400 legs! Having so many legs helps them dig their way underground.
Rat snakes do not live in caves, but they sure do like to visit! Rat snakes slither through cave openings to look for food. | 700 | 2 | Science: Earth & Space Science, Life Science | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. _______ stalactites descend from above and stalagmites rise from the ground, they sometimes meet in the middle. | A. Because
B. So
C. But | A | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Happy Birthday! | Americans honor a great leader.
February 12, 2009 was the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. He was the 16th president of our country.
A big birthday event takes place on February 12 at the Lincoln Memorial. A memorial is something that keeps a memory alive. The Lincoln Memorial is a building in Washington, D.C., that honors Lincoln. There, Americans will gather to hear speeches about Lincoln.
Events honoring Lincoln’s birthday actually began in 2008. A giant birthday party was held at the Lincoln Museum in Kentucky. That is the state where Lincoln was born.
Since then, many other events have taken place across the United States. They have included poetry readings, plays, dances, and tours of places where Lincoln lived. Events will continue until February 2010.
Why is the country having such a big celebration? It isn’t just because Lincoln was a great president, says David Early. Early is a spokesperson for the group that has been planning the celebration. “Lincoln’s story could be anybody’s story,” he explains. “He grew up poor on a farm and rose to become president of the United States.”
When Lincoln was president, some people enslaved other people. He worked to help end slavery. “One of the things that makes Lincoln great is that he believed everyone should be treated the same,” says Early. | 710 | 2 | Social Studies: U.S. History | The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. A giant birthday party was held at the Lincoln Museum in Kentucky _______ it is the state where Lincoln was born. | A. so
B. but
C. because | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Washington Rides Again | Third grader Erin Doherty turned the corner and gasped. A full-color statue of George Washington (1732—1799) on a horse towered over her. "He looked real," Erin told WR News.
Erin was on a field trip with her class to Mount Vernon, in Virginia. Mount Vernon was once Washington's home. Today, it includes a new museum about his life.
The museum features three life-size wax statues of the country's first president. One statue depicts, or shows, Washington at age 19. Another shows him as a military leader at age 45. At that time, he led the American army that fought the British for our nation's independence, or freedom. The third statue shows Washington, at age 57, being sworn in as the first U.S. president.
A team of experts used evidence, or proof, from history to make the statues look real. They made a computer model of Washington using earlier statues and paintings. That helped the team show Washington at different ages.
The statues are among the many exhibits at the new museum. Visitors can also watch a high-tech movie about Washington's life. Snow seems to fall inside the theater, and the seats shake with cannon fire. "You feel that you are part of Washington's battles in the Revolutionary War," Mount Vernon education expert Ann Bay told WR News.
George Washington isn't the only famous U.S. president to come to life recently. The people who created the new museum at Mount Vernon were inspired by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. It is located in Springfield, Illinois. The Lincoln museum is home to a "ghost library." There, the use of special effects makes Lincoln (1809—1865), the 16th president, seem to appear in the room. | 830 | 3 | Social Studies: U.S. History | Which of the following sentences is an opinion? | A. Erin Doherty thought the statue looked real.
B. The statue is made of wax.
C. The statue looks real.
D. The statue portrays Washington at 19. | C | Which of the following is a fact? | A. The new theater is exciting.
B. The seats shake.
C. The snow is beautiful falling from the ceiling.
D. You feel part of the battles. | B | First Washington_____________ then he ________________. | A. fought in the Revolutionary War / was sworn in as president.
B. was sworn in as president / fought against the British.
C. fought against the British / became a military leader.
D. was sworn in as president / became a military leader. | A | Washington's home was in | A. Britain.
B. Illinois.
C. Washington D.C.
D. Virginia. | D | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Portrait of an Artist | Phong Chung* has been a painter since age five. He was born in Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia. He moved to New York in his teens and went to college at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. He now works as the publisher of a magazine in Brooklyn, New York. In all this time, he has done one thing every day: paint.
“I’ve always loved to paint,” Chung says. “It relaxes me. It gives my life a sense of meaning. I don’t know why, but I enjoy putting colors and shapes onto large pieces of canvas.”
“To some people, it seems strange,” he adds. “To me, it seems perfectly natural.”
Chung’s parents worked regular jobs. His uncle, however, took an interest in the arts. When Chung was little, his uncle read him books out loud. He encouraged Chung to live a creative life and to build his imagination. He gave Chung comic books to read and took him to museums. It was because of his uncle, Chung says, that he became a painter.
But painting for a living is hard. Chung realized this when he moved back to New York after graduating from college. He rented a cheap studio and painted all day. But no one wanted to buy his paintings.
To make money, he found a job as a construction worker. He built walls in people’s apartments. He installed wood floors in clothing stores. At times, he even painted houses. It was not the same as painting pictures. But he liked working with paint all the same.
“The more time I could spend with paint, the better,” he says with a laugh.
When he finished work for the day at 5 p.m., Chung returned to his studio in Brooklyn. After eating dinner, he often painted until 2 or 3 in the morning. He often got only a few hours of sleep a night. Yet he was never tired during the day.
Most people need between seven and eight hours of sleep each night. I asked how he managed to stay awake after getting only three or four hours of sleep.
“For me, painting was sort of like sleeping,” he says. “After I paint, I feel rested. I feel relaxed. It’s as if I just took a long nap. Even though I move around a lot when I paint, I don’t feel tired. Because I enjoy painting so much, it doesn’t feel like work.”
He compared himself to the famous poet named William Carlos Williams, who also worked as a doctor in New Jersey. Williams considered himself a poet first, a doctor second. But he claimed that treating patients left him feeling relaxed and rested. He liked it so much that it never felt like work.
“William Carlos Williams would deliver a baby in the middle of the night, and come back home and write poems,” Chung says. “He said that being a doctor calmed him, and he did not need much sleep because of it.”
Still, working as a construction worker was not easy. After a few years, Chung began to look for another job, one that required less physical activity. He loved spending time with other artists and talking with them about their work. By the time he was 30, he knew hundreds of other artists in New York.
One day, a group of his artist friends told him they were starting an art magazine. The magazine would feature interviews with other artists and articles about art shows happening in the city. They asked if he would like to help them put it out every month.
Chung was overjoyed. By working for an art magazine, he could spend all day learning about art. He could talk to artists about their paintings, sculptures, films and performances. It seemed like the perfect job.
Today, Chung is the publisher of the magazine. That means he makes sure the magazine comes out every month. He checks in with the editors, the writers and the people who deliver the magazine to locations across the city. He also makes sure the magazine makes enough money to keep making new issues.
Every issue of the magazine includes a long interview with Chung and another artist. Chung asks the artist all about their lives. “Who are your heroes?” he asks. “How do you find the time to paint?”
“Being an artist myself, I’m curious to hear what other artists say about the job,” Chung says. “Talking with other artists can be as much fun as making art.”
*Mr. Chung’s real name has been changed in this story. | 720 | 3 | Arts: Visual Arts | What does Phong Chung do every day? | A. He studies.
B. He writes.
C. He paints.
D. He cooks. | C | This passage describes a sequence of events in the life of Phong Chung. Which event is part of the sequence of Phong Chung’s life? | A. He moved from Vietnam to New York while in his teens.
B. He worked at a restaurant to make money in New York.
C. He considered pursuing a career as a doctor in New Jersey.
D. He became a social studies teacher at a school in Philadelphia. | A | Phong Chung is a hard-working man. What evidence from the text best supports this conclusion? | A. Chung used to work as construction worker during the day to make money. Then, he would go back to his studio and paint until 2 or 3 in the morning.
B. When Chung was little, his uncle read him books out loud. He encouraged Chung to live a creative life and to build his imagination.
C. Chung loved spending time with other artists and talking with them about their work. By the time he was 30, he knew hundreds of other artists in New York.
D. Chung moved to New York in his teens and went to college at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. He now works as the publisher of a magazine in Brooklyn, New York. | A | In the passage, Phong Chung compares himself to the poet William Carlos Williams. Why does Chung believe that they are similar? | A. Like Chung, Williams only enjoyed the artistic work that he did.
B. Like Chung, Williams spent his life pursuing his love for painting.
C. Like Chung, Williams worked in construction to earn money.
D. Like Chung, Williams enjoyed his work so much that it didn’t feel like work. | D | What is this passage mainly about? | A. the experiences of Vietnamese immigrants in America
B. the difficulties all artists face when they move to New York
C. the story of one person who tries hard to live a creative life
D. the daily routines of art magazine publishers in New York | C | Read the following sentences: “Most people need between seven and eight hours of sleep each night. I asked how he managed to stay awake after getting only three or four hours of sleep.” As used in the passage, would does the word “managed” most nearly mean? | A. was controlling
B. was able to
C. was in charge of
D. was likely to fail | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Chung was a construction worker ______ he became the publisher of an art magazine. | A. after
B. before
C. including
D. because | B |
How 'Bout Them Apples? | “What do you mean we’re going apple picking?” asked Janie.
“Well, just that,” said her mother. “We’re going out into the country to an orchard.”
“That’s an apple field,” said Janie’s sister, Theresa.
“I know what an orchard is,” said Janie.
“Just making sure.”
“And once we get there,” continued Mom, “we’re going to walk around and pick apples off the trees.”
“All day?”
“All day. It’ll be great fun. You love apples.”
“I do not. I love applesauce. It’s different.”
“Maybe this will convince you that you love apples.”
“Once we pick them off the trees…they’re free?”
“No. We pay the farmer for them before we leave.”
“Mom, maybe nobody told you: They sell apples at the grocery store.”
“Not like these apples.”
Janie didn’t believe it.
The air at the apple orchard was crisp and cool. The sky was bright. The leaves on the trees were orange and yellow and rust red. It was a lovely day, but Janie wished she was back at home.
“I could be having fun in the backyard,” she grumbled. Because she was shorter than the shortest branches of most of the trees, Janie did no apple picking. Her mother and sister reached up, plucked the fruit from the branches, and handed them to her. Janie’s job was to drag the basket with the apples. The farther they walked, the heavier it got, and the harder Janie frowned.
“This farmer must be a genius,” she said.
“Why?” asked Theresa.
“Because he tricked all these people into coming here and doing his work for him. I bet he’s sitting back in his farmhouse right now, rocking in a rocking chair beside the fire. I bet he’s drinking hot chocolate!”
“He’s right up there, silly, helping that family with their apples.”
“He still doesn’t look like he’s working very hard. He should be paying us!”
But the farmer didn’t pay Janie any money, and her family didn’t pay her any attention.
They came home with more than 10 pounds of apples. Janie’s mom made apple pies, apple tarts, apple crisps, and apple cider. She made turnovers and candy apples and apple cake, and six kinds of applesauce. Janie ate all of it, scowling the whole time.
But then, one afternoon, Janie opened the refrigerator. There were no apples anywhere. There were no pies, turnovers, tarts—nothing! As her stomach growled, she remembered how good all the cooked apples tasted, and how nice the weather had been that day at the orchard. There was only one thing to do.
“Mom!” she yelled. “We have to go apple picking!” | 570 | 3 | null | What do Janie, Theresa, and their mom do at an orchard? | A. They climb trees.
B. They pick apples.
C. They make apple cider.
D. They make apple pie. | B | Who is the main character in this story? | A. Janie's mom
B. Janie
C. a farmer who owns an orchard
D. Theresa | B | Read this paragraph describing Janie at the apple orchard. I could be having fun in the backyard,' she grumbled. Because she was shorter than the shortest branches of most of the trees, Janie did no apple picking. Her mother and sister reached up, plucked the fruit from the branches, and handed them to her. Janie’s job was to drag the basket with the apples. The farther they walked, the heavier it got, and the harder Janie frowned. Based on this paragraph, what can you conclude about how Janie feels at the orchard? | A. Janie feels brave.
B. Janie feels cheerful.
C. Janie feels annoyed.
D. Janie feels afraid. | C | Read this dialogue between Mom and Janie from the text. And once we get there,' continued Mom, 'we’re going to walk around and pick apples off the trees.' 'All day?' 'All day. It’ll be great fun. You love apples.' Based on this dialogue, how does Janie's mom probably feel about going apple picking? | A. Janie's mom is hesitant and unsure she wants to go apple picking.
B. Janie's mom is enthusiastic and excited to go apple picking.
C. Janie's mom is annoyed and upset about going apple picking.
D. Janie's mom is exhausted and would rather not go apple picking. | B | What is a theme of this story? | A. You should be kind to others if you want them to be kind to you.
B. If you have a problem with someone, the best way to resolve it is to talk to that person about the problem.
C. You may not realize you like something until it is gone.
D. You should not judge other people by the way they look. | C | Read these sentences from the text. The air at the apple orchard was crisp and cool. The sky was bright. The leaves on the trees were orange and yellow and rust red. It was a lovely day, but Janie wished she was back at home. What does the word "crisp" mean here? | A. dry and crunchy
B. hot and windy
C. fresh and pleasant
D. firm but easy to break | C | Read these sentences from the text. Her mother and sister reached up, plucked the fruit from the branches, and handed them to her. Janie’s job was to drag the basket with the apples. The farther they walked, the heavier it got, and the harder Janie frowned. What does the word "it" in the last of these sentences refer to? | A. the basket
B. the branches
C. the apples
D. plucking the fruit | A |
Whoop It Up! | Whooping Crane
Scientists have been teaching whooping cranes to fly south.
Dressed in a white costume, scientist Joe Duff pretended to be a whooping crane. He might have looked silly, but he had an important job to do. Duff trained a flock of whooping crane chicks in Wisconsin to think he was their mother. "It's like becoming a bird yourself," he told Weekly Reader.
Joe Duff is the team leader of a group called Operation Migration. Members have been teaching "whoopers" to migrate to Florida since 2001. When animals migrate, they move from one place to another.
Operation Migration workers train young whoopers to follow ultralight aircraft, or very lightweight airplanes. Each aircraft is flown by a pilot in a whooping crane costume. In six months, the birds would be ready to follow the aircraft and migrate to Florida for the winter.
The whooping crane is an endangered bird. In 1941, only one flock of whooping cranes lived naturally in the wild. Those birds migrated between Canada and Texas. The Canadian and United States governments have protected these birds to help save them. The population increased slowly, but scientists decided that having more than one flock would keep the whooping cranes from dying out.
Whooping cranes trained by Operation Migration in the past have remembered the route. They return to Wisconsin each spring and fly back to Florida in the fall.
"We want our birds to pay attention to us for the first year, until we get them down to Florida," said Duff. "After that, we hope they communicate with wild birds and become wild birds themselves."
Every October since 2001, pilots have been leading the new flock of whoopers south for the winter. The migration route takes them over seven states: Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and finally, Florida. | 900 | 3 | Science: Technology & Engineering, Life Science | What are scientists teaching whooping cranes to do? | A. fly north
B. dig holes in the ground
C. fly west
D. fly south | D | How does the author describe the whooping crane? | A. as an endangered bird
B. as a healthy bird
C. as a bird that gets angry
D. as an extinct bird | A | Read the following sentences from the text. "Operation Migration workers train young whoopers to follow ultralight aircraft, or very lightweight airplanes. Each aircraft is flown by a pilot in a whooping crane costume. In six months, the birds would be ready to follow the aircraft and migrate to Florida for the winter." What do you know about Operation Migration based on this information? | A. Their pilots fly to California every summer.
B. They try to protect many bird species.
C. They use trains, cars, and buses to protect whooping cranes.
D. Their pilots fly to Florida in the winter. | D | Read the following sentences. "Whooping cranes trained by Operation Migration in the past have remembered the route. They return to Wisconsin each spring and fly back to Florida in the fall." What can you guess about Operation Migration from this information? | A. They keep track of the cranes they train to make sure they stay safe in the future.
B. They don't know much about the cranes they train.
C. They make all the cranes stay in one place by putting them in cages.
D. They are always looking for new birds to train. | A | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Whooping cranes are being trained to fly north to Canada because they like colder weather.
B. Whooping cranes, an endangered bird, are being trained to migrate to Florida by Operation Migration so that their population can grow.
C. Operation Migration uses very light aircrafts, and their pilots dress up as whooping cranes.
D. Some animals are endangered, which means that there are not very many of them left in the wild. | B | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Surprise Message | Since she can remember, Lisa has been asking Mom and Dad for a baby sister. She wants to be like her friend Bethany, who has a baby sister she can play with all the time. When Lisa comes home from school, she only has her dad to play with, while Mom is away at work. Dad is fun, and they do a lot of gardening together in the backyard. But it's not the same as having a little sister to play with. She likes to garden with Dad, and on special days, the tomato plant has shiny red tomatoes on them. She plucks them with Dad, and they wash them and have them for dinner. Dad always gets to teach Lisa things in the garden, about the caterpillars and their life cycles. And Mom gets to help her with her homework. Whom does Lisa get to help?
One day, Mom comes home from work with a big smile on her face. "Lisa," she says, "I have a surprise for you."
"Is it cupcakes?" Lisa asks. She loves the red velvet cupcakes that Mom brings home; the red and white colors are so pretty together.
"No, it's better than cupcakes," Mom says.
Lisa can't imagine what this present might be. She knows baby sisters don't come in boxes, and Mom is holding a big striped box wrapped in pink ribbon.
"Go on, open it," Mom says.
Lisa carefully unties the ribbon and lifts the lid off the box. Inside is a yellow t-shirt—her favorite color—neatly folded, just the way Mom folds her clothes at home. Lisa pulls out the t-shirt and holds it open. There are lots of blue letters written across the front of the t-shirt. "It's a t-shirt, with something written on it," Lisa says.
"What does it say?" Dad asks.
Lisa looks at Mom and waits for Mom to tell her. She is learning to read at school, but it still takes her a while to get through all the letters and sound out the words.
"I'm not going to tell you," Mom says. "This is your present, your t-shirt. The words are for you to read!"
Lisa looks at Dad but he isn't going to help her either. The first letters are “I” and “M.”
“I…im…I'm," Lisa says.
"Good," her parents say.
The next word is easy. "A." And then, "Buh…bi…big."
"You're doing great," Dad says, with his arm around Mom.
This is a long word, Lisa thinks to herself. "Suh…si…s…sis…tuh…sist…err…wait a minute!" Lisa looks at her parents, who are grinning at her.
"Sister?" she guesses.
"Yes," they laugh.
"I'm a big sister? Is that what the t-shirt says?"
"You're going to be a big sister," Mom repeats.
"How do you know?" Lisa asks.
"I went to the doctor on my way home from work, who told me that I'm going to have a baby!" | 750 | 3 | null | What has Lisa been asking her mom and dad for? | A. cupcakes
B. a puppy
C. a baby sister
D. a t-shirt | C | What problem does Lisa face at the beginning of the story? | A. She does not have a sister to play with.
B. She is fighting with her friend Bethany.
C. She does not like to garden.
D. Her dad is not home after school. | A | Lisa’s mom is happy about the surprise for Lisa. Which sentence from the passage supports this statement? | A. “She knows baby sisters don't come in boxes, and Mom is holding a big striped box wrapped in pink ribbon.”
B. “One day, Mom comes home from work with a big smile on her face. ‘Lisa,’ she says, ‘I have a surprise for you.’”
C. “Lisa carefully unties the ribbon and lifts the lid off the box. Inside is a yellow t-shirt—her favorite color—neatly folded, just the way Mom folds her clothes at home.”
D. "’I'm not going to tell you,’ Mom says. ‘This is your present, your t-shirt. The words are for you to read!’” | B | Why won’t Lisa’s parents tell her what the t-shirt says? | A. because they don’t know what the t-shirt says
B. because they are mean
C. because they are testing Lisa
D. because they want Lisa to figure out the message on her own | D | What is this story mainly about? | A. a girl who likes to garden
B. a girl who wants a baby sister
C. a girl who wants to be an only child
D. a girl who wants a baby brother | B | Read the following sentences: “She likes to garden with Dad, and on special days, the tomato plant has shiny red tomatoes on them. She plucks them with Dad, and they wash them and have them for dinner.” As used in the passage, what does the word “pluck” mean? | A. to water a plant
B. to cut up a vegetable
C. to plant a vegetable
D. to pick from a plant | D | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Bethany has a little sister to play with; ______ Lisa does not. | A. specifically
B. therefore
C. however
D. especially | C |
U.S. Presidents: George Washington | George Washington is a central figure in the history of the United States. He guided the U.S. and helped it evolve into the nation that it is today. Before becoming President, Washington led the Continental Army to victory, winning American independence from Britain during the Revolutionary War. After the war ended, he was a key player at the convention that drafted the United States Constitution. Finally, as President, Washington’s leadership solved many problems. It showed people that the Constitution could work to govern a new nation.
America was a very different place back in Washington’s time. The nation was small and weak. There were only 13 states in the U.S. when Washington took office. When he left after two terms there were 16. The country only stretched as far as the Mississippi River. Slavery was legal and widespread throughout the nation. Most people farmed and struggled to make a living. Many children never went to school. Most adults could not read or write. Communication and transportation were slow and difficult. It took days for Washington to travel the distance covered in a couple of hours by car today.
Many Americans loved Washington for the way he handled hardship. As a general, he lost many battles and suffered greatly. Washington never gave up, even during the bitter winters when he and his troops had barely enough food or supplies to survive. Washington’s officers admired his loyalty and strength.
When it came time for the state delegates at the Constitutional Convention to vote for the nation's first president, Washington was unanimously elected. Washington wanted to strengthen the democratic government in the U.S. He did not want the U.S. to have kings who were rulers for life. He showed this when he resigned from the Presidency. He resigned after being President for two terms. By stepping away from all the power of the Presidency, he set an example for future Presidents. He also strengthened the new democratic government in the U.S.
There are some parts of Washington’s legacy today that are more complicated. Washington owned a plantation called Mount Vernon. Many enslaved people worked at Mount Vernon. But after the American Revolution, Washington started to think that slavery was wrong. Washington was not public about his thoughts. But we know that his view on slavery changed because he freed all of the enslaved workers at Mount Vernon when he died. Washington also was involved with taking land from Native American tribes living in North America. Washington wanted to make fair ways to deal with tribal land. But more than that, he wanted to expand the U.S. So, if a tribe would not agree to his terms, he took their land violently from them. Washington is admired today by many Americans, but these harmful actions are also part of his legacy.
Today, George Washington is honored in many ways. His face adorns America’s dollar bill and its quarter. Both Washington state and our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., are named after the first President. The bridge that stretches across the Hudson River from New Jersey to New York is named the George Washington Bridge. It is located exactly where Washington crossed the Hudson with his troops to defeat British forces. Mount Vernon now has a museum and education center. There, historians teach people today about all sides of Washington’s complicated legacy. | 780 | 3-4 | Social Studies: U.S. History | George Washington led soldiers in which war? | A. World War I
B. the Civil War
C. the Revolutionary War
D. World War II | C | What does the author describe in the second paragraph? | A. how George Washington became president
B. how America was different during Washington’s time
C. how George Washington is honored today
D. how Washington helped win the Revolutionary War | B | Read the following sentences from the text. "When it came time for the state delegates at the Constitutional Convention to vote for the nation's first president, Washington was unanimously elected. Washington wanted to strengthen the democratic government in the U.S. He did not want the U.S. to have kings who were rulers for life. He resigned after being President for two terms. By stepping away from all the power of the Presidency, he set an example for future Presidents. He also strengthened the new democratic government in the U.S. " What can you conclude about Washington based on this information? | A. Washington cared more about the country's government than about personal power.
B. Washington was forced to step down from the Presidency by his friends.
C. Washington mostly cared about military victories, not government strength.
D. Washington decided to build a new home while he was President. | A | How can America’s feelings about George Washington best be described? | A. scared
B. sad
C. appalled
D. complicated | D | What is this passage mostly about? | A. how the United States was different during the time of George Washington
B. George Washington, the first President of the United States
C. why George Washington’s face is on the dollar bill and the quarter
D. how George Washington helped defeat the British in the Revolutionary War | B | Read the following sentence: “[George Washington’s] face adorns America’s dollar bill and its quarter.” What does the word “adorns” mean as used in this sentence? | A. loves
B. peels
C. shocks
D. decorates | D | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. As a general, Washington never gave up, _____ he faced hardship and loss. | A. finally
B. namely
C. however
D. even though | D |
'It's Just Part of Who I Am': A Teen Learns to Live With Chronic Illness | Actress Halle Barry, musician Nick Jonas, and tennis legend Billie Jean King all have something in common. They all have a disease called diabetes.
Diabetes (die-uh-BEE-teez) keeps the body's tissues from absorbing glucose, or sugar, from the bloodstream. The body uses glucose as a source of energy, and much of the body’s glucose comes from food. When food is digested, glucose goes into the bloodstream to be absorbed by the body’s tissues. For diabetic people, the glucose stays in the blood, causing high blood sugar levels. Some symptoms of high blood sugar levels include fatigue, hunger, a lot of thirst, and blurry vision.
According to the American Diabetes Association, about two million Americans learn that they have diabetes each year. Jessica Pray became one of those people at age 13.
At that time, Jessica was a typical teenager. Her life changed forever, though, when she found out about her disease. She made plans to go to college and study medical research. She wanted to help people with diabetes.
There are several treatment options and lifestyle adjustments for people with diabetes. How did Jessica learn to cope with having diabetes? Here is the story in her own words.
I was told I had diabetes when I was 13. It all began when I got the flu. It went on for weeks. I was still thirsty all of the time. I felt really tired. The symptoms were odd.
My mom and I thought about going to the doctor, but then we'd put it off. We thought that I had some kind of virus, but I kept getting worse.
We finally went to the doctor. I was told I had diabetes right before Halloween. I'll never forget it. I was told I would have to inject myself twice a day with a chemical called insulin. I would have to test my blood and watch my diet.
My doctor showed me how to inject the insulin. I also had to learn a lot about nutrition because of my disease. There were lots of foods I could no longer eat. I was really unhappy. I knew the diabetes was going to be there forever.
I learned to test my blood to see how much insulin I needed. I had to prick my finger with a needle and squeeze a drop of blood onto a strip of paper. Then I'd put the paper into a machine to get a reading. Soon, I got the hang of knowing how much insulin I needed.
I had a lot of trouble adjusting to my diabetes the first year. I had to wake up by 9 o'clock every morning to inject myself.
Slowly, my internal clock began to wake me in time for my injection. I didn't like this routine. But it was something I had to do.
After I learned I had diabetes, I talked to my class about it. No one was upset or anything. I didn't want them to think I was contagious and be afraid to be around me.
Diabetes can be overwhelming. Sometimes, I break down and cry. Sometimes, I take my anger out on my family, but I don't mean to. If I start dwelling on my illness, I get upset and have a hard time.
In some ways, diabetes has made me a more responsible person. It keeps me in line. It teaches me about life. If a cure for diabetes is found, that would be great. But in the meantime, I'm doing OK. It's just part of who I am. I've adapted.
What would I say to other people with chronic illnesses? Follow your treatment and stay positive. Having a chronic illness will just blend in, like learning to walk and everything else new in life. | 630 | 3 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | According to the text, what do about two million Americans learn they have each year? | A. the flu
B. diabetes
C. fatigue
D. insulin | B | What does the author describe in the text? | A. how Halle Barry and Nick Jonas were diagnosed with diabetes
B. how different chronic illnesses impact people
C. how having diabetes impacts a person's body
D. how different people have had to cope with having diabetes | C | Read these sentences from the text. It all began when I got the flu. It went on for weeks. I was still thirsty all of the time. I felt really tired. The symptoms were odd. My mom and I thought about going to the doctor, but then we'd put it off. We thought that I had some kind of virus, but I kept getting worse. We finally went to the doctor. I was told I had diabetes right before Halloween. What can you conclude based on this information? | A. Diabetes can be treated with typical cold and flu medication.
B. More people are diagnosed with diabetes in October than any other month.
C. People who have diabetes get viruses more often than people who don’t.
D. The symptoms of diabetes can be similar to other illnesses. | D | Based on the text, how might diabetes impact people’s lives? | A. It might make people more careless about what they eat.
B. It might make people more careful about what they eat.
C. It might make people less able to participate in physical activities.
D. It might make people have a more active social life. | B | What is this text mostly about? | A. how a teenager adjusted to having diabetes
B. why people with diabetes need to inject insulin every day
C. how Halle Berry, Nick Jonas, and Billie Jean King all got diabetes
D. why diabetes makes people more responsible and positive | A | Read these sentences from the text. Diabetes can be overwhelming . Sometimes, I break down and cry. As used in these sentences, what does the word "overwhelming" mean? | A. very easy to take care of
B. very disappointing
C. not able to deal with
D. unexciting | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. Jessica's symptoms included being thirsty and tired all the time, ______ she finally went to see the doctor. | A. after
B. so
C. if
D. since | B |
The Tornado Drill | The alarm went off again. Jonas knew what to do this time. They all had to go out in the hall, sit next to each other, and curl up into a ball. This was in case there was a tornado. Jonas hadn’t understood how in the world going into the hall and curling up into a ball would help you if you got hit by a tornado. Then his teacher had told him that they went into the hall to be away from windows that might break during a tornado. Curling up was in case something fell on you. That’s why they put their hands over their neck, to protect it in case something sharp fell.
Molly had just joined the class, and she sat next to Jonas. When the alarm went off, Molly hid under her desk. Jonas had to tell her to get out from under there and follow the class in the hall.
It turned out to be a drill, just like last time. After a few minutes, all the students went back into their classroom and sat back down at their desks. After school, Jonas teased Molly about hiding under her desk when the alarm went off. “Scaredy cat!” he said. Molly laughed at him. “I wasn’t scared,” she replied. Molly explained. She had moved to Oklahoma from California last week. In school in California, when the alarm went off, it was an earthquake drill, not a tornado drill. During the earthquake drill, you were supposed to hide under your desk.
Kanisha overheard them. She told them she had just visited her cousins in Florida, and there they are more likely to face a hurricane instead of a tornado or an earthquake. One time the weather forecaster on the nightly news said that a hurricane had formed near Florida, and that the hurricane would probably impact the area. So school was closed completely the next day.
There are other storms that can be predicted at least a day before they hit, and schools might close if severe weather were likely to impact the areas near the schools. Jonas had cousins in Minnesota. They told him that they had three days in a row with no school because it wouldn’t stop snowing. They had known about the snowstorm from a prediction by the weather forecaster the day before it started to snow.
“Any storm is scary, but I think earthquakes and tornadoes are the scariest,” Molly said. “The weather forecaster can probably tell you if a hurricane or snowstorm will come. With earthquakes and tornadoes, you never know.” | 770 | 3 | Social Studies: School & Family Life | What do students do during a tornado drill? | A. go into the basement
B. go into the hall and curl up in a ball
C. hide under their desks
D. stay home from school | B | What is the setting of this story? | A. a classroom in Oklahoma
B. a classroom in California
C. a classroom in Florida
D. a classroom in Minnesota | A | Read the following sentences: “Molly had just joined the class, and sat next to Jonas. When the alarm went off, Molly hid under her desk. Jonas had to tell her to get out from under there and follow the class in the hall.” Based on the evidence above, what conclusion can be made? | A. Molly did not know it was a tornado drill at first.
B. Jonas didn’t know what to do in a tornado drill.
C. Molly was hiding from Jonas because she felt shy.
D. The teacher forgot about Molly during the drill. | A | Based on the story, what conclusion can be made about emergency drills? | A. Emergency drills are different depending on the different weather.
B. All emergency drills are the same.
C. Emergency drills are different depending on the different school districts.
D. Emergency drills are different depending on the different countries. | A | What is this story mainly about? | A. the proper procedures for tornado drills
B. the differences between Oklahoma and California culture
C. the best way to make new students feel welcome at school
D. the different ways people respond to weather across the US | D | Read the following sentences: “Jonas had cousins in Minnesota. They told him that they had three days in a row with no school because it wouldn’t stop snowing, but they had known about the snowstorm from a prediction by the weather forecaster the day before it started to snow.“ As used in the passage, what does the word “forecaster” mean? | A. someone who reports breaking news stories on TV
B. someone who makes predictions of the future
C. someone who gives people instructions for drills
D. someone who is an expert on snow | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. The weather forecaster can probably tell you if a tornado or hurricane will come. ________, with earthquakes you never know. | A. Actually
B. On the other hand
C. Finally
D. For example | B |
The Curious Situation of Foxes | Gina looks around her new bedroom. Her family bought this old hotel last week. She’s still getting used to living here. The sun is rising, and Gina pulls the covers over her head.
On her dresser, there’s a porcelain doll in the shape of a fox. It’s musical. It plays “Peter and the Wolf” when you wind a key in the back. It came with the hotel.
Gina dresses herself in jeans and her favorite sweatshirt. The hotel is quiet. Father is already out back. He’s working on fixing the hotel so that guests can stay there soon. It’s time to head to school.
As she leaves, she notices an old bicycle she’s never seen before lying in the driveway. Gina shrugs and figures she’ll get to school quicker this way. She puts her schoolbooks in the basket and hops on.
The hill is steep and rocky. Her bicycle quickly starts wavering. The front tire is moving back and forth. Suddenly, the bike veers off the road. It’s as if someone else is steering the bike. And then, a tumble! Back tire over front tire, her books fly up in the air. Everything goes flying.
Thud! Her English book hits her right on top of the head. Thud! Thud! Down comes Math and then Biology. (Thankfully, those last two are softcover books! )
“Wooooahhh ohhhhh,” she cries, her eyes rolling back up into her head. Everything gets dark and dizzy and feels like she’s spinning around on a carousel. Perhaps she is.
Gina lies down in the grass and falls asleep for a while. It’s starting to get dark when she lifts her head. The book that hit her on the temple is now lying below her like a pillow. She reads the title: The Curious Situation of Foxes.
That’s funny, Gina thinks. I don’t remember taking this book out of the library.
She’s surely missed school now, and the bicycle is nowhere to be seen. Must be lying in a heap in the brambles. She stands and looks around, dusting off her jeans. There’s a big hole in the sleeve of her favorite sweatshirt!
She’s far behind the hotel, surrounded by blackberry bushes. There’s a stone wall covered in moss and a heavy green door with a copper handle in the shape of a fox. She touches the fox head, and the door opens.
She walks through the door and sees the front of the hotel. And there’s the bicycle! But this can’t be the entrance to the hotel, can it?
She peers down a long hallway. It’s longer than she remembers. Her head still hurts from being hit so hard. In her hand, she carries the book that attacked her from the air. She touches her forehead and winces.
“Ugh, I’ve got a lump on my head like a horn!”
At the end of the hallway is a room she has never seen before. She hears laughter and clinking glasses, and sees the flicker of a roaring fireplace.
In a strange room with oak walls and tapestries, three people are playing a board game. One man is wearing a tweed jacket and a monocle. One woman has a feather in her hair. The other woman wears a long string of pearls around her neck. They look like ghosts. They drink hot apple cider and white tea, and pass around cherries on a silver platter.
“Hello, my dear,” says the woman in the necklace of pearls. “Join our party. Don’t look so scared.”
“Who are you, and how did you get into the hotel?” Gina asks.
“I am Marilyn,” she says. “And the young woman with the feather in her hair is Melinda. We have always lived here.”
"Festive outfit!" Melinda quips.
Marilyn takes Gina by the hand and leads her to a chair. Now, Gina sees that her clothes have changed. She is no longer wearing the jeans and sweatshirt she put on earlier. She is wearing a red and green party dress with a black velvet bow in her hair.
"And finally, our guest is in matching holiday attire!" jokes Melinda.
The man stands and introduces himself. He places one hand in front of his stomach and bows. “Madame Gina, allow me to introduce myself. I am the fox hunter known as Gerard.”
"Look here, Mr. Fox Hunter," Gina says. “We do not hunt or hurt foxes in my family!”
“I don’t hurt them! I stuff them and hang them on my wall as art!” he bellows. “The foxes are ripe for the picking!"
Before Gina can scold him for this terrible comment, the old, oak library shelf begins to stir.
"What moves behind the leather-bound almanac?" asks the Fox Hunter.
The almanac begins to quiver. Gina moves closer to the bookcase to inspect the fluttering. At this moment, the book pops out of the shelf like a toy on a spring! And what appears in its place? None other than a fox!
The fox will not remain still, however. He is wriggling himself free. Frantic movements: a hard bearing-down on his front paws, and an occasional grunting.
Suddenly, the fox comes flying out of the hole and shoots like an arrow across the room. He lands on a bearskin rug and falls into a deep sleep.
Another fox appears! The animals plug the round hole perfectly, like a soft, red cork!
“But how can this be?” Gina rubs her eyes with her fist. “From a library shelf?”
When that fox jumps out, yet another fox appears. And again. Faster and faster. The hole becomes a momentous blur of orange and brown. Foxes are bubbling forth in a stream, like a faucet that won’t turn off. All of them landing on the rug in a pile.
"The hole,” Marilyn gasps. “It’s a portal! A portal to foxes!"
Although you may imagine our group to be in the midst of a commotion, the foxes are actually quite docile. First, they jump from the hole and run around the room. Quickly, though, their eyes close gently, and they settle down as if for a long winter’s nap.
The floor, however, is now nowhere to be seen. Foxes are sleeping and snoring everywhere, without any regard for manners.
"Help! Help!" cries Melinda. She is trapped beneath a fuzzy pile of small, baby foxes sleeping all around her shoulders and head.
“Tragedy! What can we do?” they cry.
Just now, Gina remembers the book in her hand: The Curious Situation of Foxes. She opens to the first page and begins to read: “Chapter One: In Case Of Emergency. What to do when a fox portal is opened.”
Melinda throws her arms in the air. “MRRPHN!” She pulls a sleeping baby fox out of her mouth. “Read it!”
“Well, it says here,” Gina reads, “that the un-foxing spell must be chanted in unison. Now, everyone, try your best to grab each other’s hand!”
“I can’t reach!” Marilyn cries.
“Yes, you can!” says the Fox Hunter. He begins swimming around the room. He does the backstroke through foxes, gathering Marilyn and Melinda in each arm.
Marilyn's dainty fingers wrap around Gina’s hand. They chant.
“Foxes of Nature, we beg for your forgiveness and beseech thee to return to the forest. This hotel is not where you should hibernate!”
Gina pauses for a second, and then says: “FOXEN BEGONEN BENEDICTEN FOXNOMORE!”
There is a lightning crash outside and all the windows rattle. And then, backwards, the way they came, the foxes are sucked back into the portal. One by one, tails first and heads last. They are sucked back into the hole, still sleeping soundly, to return to only the devil knows where.
When the last fox disappears, the book in Gina’s hand begins to flutter. It’s being pulled uncontrollably toward the portal now. She cannot control her arm, if she doesn’t let go, she’ll go flying across the room. And she does!
“AHHHH!” Gina screams, being pulled toward the hole. It feels like her arm will tear right off.
“Let go of the book!” Gina hears a voice cry. And she does that, too. The force pulling her is released and her body stops mid-air. She falls to the floor with a thud. Just like the foxes, she falls asleep.
“Gina, let go of the book,” she hears. She opens her eyes, and her mother and father are standing above her. She’s back in the bramble, the bicycle a twisted mess beside her. “Let go of the book, Gina. We’re going to take you inside and clean up all these scrapes and bruises.
“What happened?”
“You’ve fallen off this bike, dear. And it’s no wonder; it had a completely rusted chain! Now, let go of the book.”
She is clutching a book to her chest. The cover reads: The Curious Situation of Boxes: How to Build a Box for Any Occasion.
“What are you doing with this strange book, anyway? Planning to make a box?”
“I… don’t really remember,” Gina says, rubbing a painful lump on her forehead.
“Oh, will you look at that!” her mother says, pointing at the woods. “How sweet!”
On the dirt path behind her, a family of foxes is making their way into the woods. Gina squints and swears she sees Marilyn and Melinda, dressed in feathers and fineries, leading them home. | 570 | 3 | null | Where does Gina’s family live? | A. in the forest
B. in an old hotel
C. in an old school
D. in a fox den | B | How does Gina deal with the problem of the fox portal? | A. swimming through the foxes
B. running out of the hotel
C. chanting a spell from a book
D. calling her parents for help | C | The hotel that Gina visits after falling off her bike is magical. What evidence from the story supports this conclusion? | A. Foxes appear from a hole in the bookcase.
B. The hallway is longer than Gina remembers.
C. Gina walks through a door with a fox-shaped handle.
D. Marilyn and Melinda drink hot cider and white tea. | A | What can be inferred about Gina’s experience with Marilyn, Melinda, and the Fox Hunter? | A. Gina’s experience with Marilyn, Melinda, and the Fox Hunter taught her to be careful around strangers.
B. Gina does not want to see Marilyn, Melinda, and the Fox Hunter again.
C. Gina experience with Marilyn, Melinda, and the Fox Hunter took place in reality.
D. Gina imagined or dreamt her experience with Marilyn, Melinda, and the Fox Hunter. | D | What is this story mostly about? | A. a mysterious hotel with a portal to foxes
B. a family that moves to an old hotel
C. a girl who crashes her bike and is late to school
D. a book called The Curious Situation of Foxes | A | Read the following sentences: “The hill is steep and rocky. Her bicycle quickly starts wavering . The front tire is moving back and forth. Suddenly, the bike veers off the road.” What does “wavering” mean as used in this sentence? | A. moving in a straight line
B. jumping up and down
C. going off the road
D. moving in different directions | D | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. There are many foxes in this story, _________ the porcelain fox doll, the fox-shaped door handle, and the foxes that come from the portal. | A. on the other hand
B. including
C. therefore
D. initially | B |
Apple the Cat Calls a Meeting to Order | It’s a sunny morning in the one-room apartment, and the girl is sleeping peacefully in her bed.
Under the table across the room, someone is not asleep but awake and alert. Apple the Cat has an important mission, but she’s going to need some help. She’s already tried everything she could do on her own, but she’s beginning to realize this mission is not so simple. She will have to call in reinforcements.
She tried meows and playful taps of the paw, but nothing could wake the sleeping girl.
Apple calls a meeting to order. A few of her trusty friends are in attendance. She has summoned Fur Toy, Feather Stick, Bear Bear, and Shoe.
“We have an important subject to debate,” says Apple.
Bear Bear is grumpy because he doesn’t know what could possibly be important enough to call a meeting to order so early in the morning.
“This couldn’t wait until later?” he grunts.
Apple ignores the cranky bear and continues addressing the crowd.
“I need to wake the human!” Apple declares.
“Have you tried meowing?” asks Feather Stick.
“I already tried that,” says Apple impatiently.
“What about playful taps?” Feather Stick persists.
“No,” says Apple. “Today we need a new plan. Nothing seems to wake her.”
“I have an idea!” shouts Fur Toy. He’s new in the room and always trying to prove himself with the others.
“What about walking by her and gently rubbing her with your whiskers?” he proposes.
Shoe rolls her eyes.
“Something new, Fur Toy,” she says. “We all know that’s the oldest trick in the book.”
“How about you just pounce on her?” says Bear Bear, growing annoyed. All he wants to do is go back to sleep.
The rest shoo him out of the meeting. Everyone knows pouncing is no longer allowed.
“Okay, I’ve got it,” announces Feather Stick proudly, primping his few feathers. “It has to be something loud enough, right?”
“Go on,” says Apple.
“What about all those new plates she just bought? What if we broke one?”
“She would be so mad,” says Apple, dismissing the plan. “There’s no way we can get away with that. We would be in trouble forever, and anyway, she would probably blame it all on me.”
“I promise to take some responsibility,” says Fur Toy, puffing up his chest.
“Not me,” huffs Bear Bear from across the room.
“Nobody asked you, Bear Bear,” says Shoe. She begins tying up her laces.
“Wait—Shoe, you think this is a good idea?” asks Apple. When Shoe ties up her laces, everyone knows she means business.
“I don’t know, it could work,” she admits. “Plus, what does she need all those dishes for?”
Apple thinks about it. She doesn’t want to upset the girl, but she really needs to wake her.
“Wait just a minute, here,” says Bear Bear from a few feet away. “What is SO important you can’t possibly wait for her to wake up?”
Apple pretends not to hear him, but the others begin to nod in agreement. Only Feather Stick seems unconcerned as he continues to preen his feathers and play in the patches of streaming sunlight from the window.
“Yeah, I mean, what is so important?” demands Shoe.
“Fine,” says Apple. “I’ll admit—it’s about time I got a treat. The girl has been so busy lately, it’s been days since my last treat! I’m going crazy here. I love those things!”
“So what do we get out of this?” asks Fur Toy.
“How does my undying appreciation sound?” replies Apple.
There is some hesitation among the others, but everyone knows Apple is most loved by the human, so it doesn’t take much convincing.
“Now we just need a plan,” she says.
“Well, I’ve got one,” interjects Fur Toy. “If we all climb to the top of the counter and jump at the same time, surely that will be enough force to break the top plate!”
Apple is hesitant; she really does not want to upset the girl, but she couldn’t be more desperate for a treat. She finally agrees to the plan. What could go wrong? Plates are replaceable, and surely the girl won’t mind. On the other hand, despite being the most loved, she is also likely to be the first blamed for the mishap.
Apple, Shoe, and the toys, with the exclusion of Bear Bear, who watches from afar, climb together to the top of the shelf.
“On my count,” says Shoe, grumbling something about how she’s too old to be doing this.
“1….2…..3!” They all jump, but their timing isn’t quite right, and Fur Toy and Feather Stick miss the plate altogether. They hardly make a peep and the plate remains unbroken.
“Let’s try that again with more force and better timing,” says Fur Toy, blushing a bit.
They climb the counter, and Apple takes charge.
“Okay, everyone,” she says. “We have to hold onto each other and jump together toward the middle of the top plate. Otherwise, we’ll never make it.”
On the count of three they jump again, and again nothing happens.
“Wait, wait, wait,” says Bear Bear from where he’s watching. “That’s never going to work. You have to shove the darn thing on the floor.”
“You know, he’s right,” agrees Shoe, reluctantly.
The rest nod in solemn agreement.
“Okay,” says Apple. “I can probably handle this one on my own, but I have to know you guys have my back.”
They nod again, furiously.
Apple creeps to the top of the shelf and then slowly down to the stack of plates. She presses her nose firmly against the stack and nudges the top plate. With a few more nudges it begins to move. She gives it one final nudge and with a loud crash it smashes into the floor. Feather Stick and Fur Toy jump out of sight. Bear Bear is long gone. Shoe is too shocked to move.
The girl leaps out of bed and comes stomping into the kitchen.
“What is going on in here?” she demands, angrily.
Apple can only think of one thing to do in this situation. She rolls onto her back and offers up her soft, patterned underbelly to the girl. She flicks her paws in the air and meows as gently as she can.
“Aww,” the girl coos. “How could I ever be mad at you?”
She pulls a bag down from the cabinet and offers Apple a treat. | 710 | 3 | null | Why does Apple the cat call a meeting? | A. to help Bear Bear and Feather Stick become friends
B. to find a way of getting into the cabinet where the treats are
C. to discuss why pouncing on the human is no longer allowed
D. to come up with a plan for waking the human | D | The problem Apple faces in this story is how to wake the human. How does Apple solve this problem? | A. by gently rubbing the human with her whiskers
B. by pouncing on the human
C. by pushing a plate off a shelf
D. by jumping on top of the counter | C | At first Apple does not like the plan of breaking a plate to wake the girl. What evidence from the passage supports this statement? | A. “‘She would be so mad,’ says Apple, dismissing the plan. ‘There’s no way we can get away with that.’”
B. “Apple creeps to the top of the shelf and then slowly down to the stack of plates. She presses her nose firmly against the stack and nudges the top plate.”
C. “Apple can only think of one thing to do in this situation. She rolls onto her back and offers up her soft, patterned underbelly to the girl.”
D. “Apple calls a meeting to order. A few of her trusty friends are in attendance.” | A | Why does Apple change her mind and accept the plan to break a plate? | A. Apple is worried that the girl will get mad.
B. Apple really, really wants a treat.
C. Apple flicks her paws in the air and meows gently.
D. Apple is getting annoyed with Bear Bear. | B | What is this story mostly about? | A. a grumpy bear that does not want to be at a meeting called by Apple the cat
B. a girl who is sleeping peacefully during a sunny morning in her one-room apartment
C. why Apple the cat is no longer allowed to pounce on the human to wake her up
D. a cat that makes a plan with her friends to wake the human and get herself a treat | D | Read the following sentences: “‘Aww,’ the girl coos . ‘How could I ever be mad at you?’” What does the word “coos” mean? | A. speaks gently and lovingly
B. screams in fear and terror
C. coughs loudly
D. complains in a very angry voice | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. The plate does not break when Apple and her friends jump; _______, Apple decides to nudge the plate off the shelf. | A. especially
B. for instance
C. first
D. therefore | D |
China: The Giant Panda | Deep in a forest, a black-and-white bear sits peacefully. It chews the green leaves of a plant. The bear is alone, but there are others not too far away. Later, it might amble over to find them. They may play together. This is the giant panda in nature.
The giant panda is a bear native to China. It is unusual for a bear to be found only in one place. For over a hundred years, scientists thought that giant pandas might belong to the raccoon family. Then research in the 1980s showed that giant pandas are bears after all. These bears are black and white, with black patches of fur around their eyes.
Giant pandas live in bamboo forests, high in the mountains in the western part of China. This is their habitat. Here they eat bamboo. Bamboo is a grass that can grow 100 feet high. It has hollow green stalks. Giant pandas peel off the leaves and stems to eat. Their paws are well adapted to this task. They have a special thumb that helps them grasp the bamboo. Giant pandas spend about 10-15 hours a day eating this plant.
Giant pandas are at risk of becoming extinct in the wild. Based on a survey completed in the mid-1980s, researchers determined there were only 1,000 giant pandas left in the wild. This was the lowest number ever recorded. One reason the population of giant pandas had declined is that they had less bamboo to eat. A lot of the bamboo forests where giant pandas lived had been wiped out by logging. Logging is the practice of cutting down trees for lumber. Loggers had cut down the forests for fire wood, and the cleared land was used for farming.
In 1998, the Chinese government banned logging in the giant panda habitats in order to protect giant pandas. However, there are still some threats to giant pandas, and giant pandas are killed each year. China has more people than any country in the world, and these people need food, clothing, and homes. People still illegally log in the giant panda habitats. In addition, sometimes giant pandas get killed by getting caught in traps that people set to hunt other animals, such as deer and takins.
Conservationists and the Chinese government have tried to eliminate the threats to giant pandas. Thanks to their efforts, the giant panda population overall has been increasing. In 2004, the giant panda population reached 1,600, and it has continued to grow. Many people are working hard to strengthen the protection of giant panda habitats, learn more about the bears, and end the remaining threats. Thus, the future looks hopeful for giant pandas. | 870 | 3 | Science: Life Science | According to the text, what do giant pandas eat? | A. raccoons
B. deer
C. takins
D. bamboo | D | What best describes the structure of the first paragraph? | A. The author introduces the topic by describing a giant panda.
B. The author discusses the cause of giant pandas dying out.
C. The author explains why bamboo is so important to giant pandas.
D. The author argues that giant pandas actually belong to the raccoon family. | A | Pandas cannot adapt their diets to eat anything other than bamboo. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion? | A. “Giant pandas live in bamboo forests, high in the mountains in the western part of China.”
B. “Loggers had cut down the forests for firewood, and the cleared land was used for farming.”
C. “One reason the population of giant pandas had declined is that they had less bamboo to eat.”
D. “Conservationists and the Chinese government have tried to eliminate the threats to giant pandas.” | C | In the mid-1980s, researchers determined there were only 1,000 giant pandas left in the wild. In 2004, the giant panda population reached 1,600. Based on the text, what is one thing that might have caused this increase in the giant panda population? | A. a decrease in the population of people in China
B. an increase in the population of people in China
C. increased logging in the bamboo forests of western China
D. the Chinese government’s ban on logging | D | What is the main idea of the text? | A. Giant pandas eat so much bamboo that they are destroying their own habitat by eating bamboo before it can grow back.
B. Even though some dangers still exist for giant pandas, the Chinese government has made progress in saving the giant panda population.
C. Logging continues to be the greatest threat to the giant panda population, putting them at risk for extinction.
D. The giant panda’s population is growing so fast that the Chinese government is having a hard time controlling it. | B | Read these sentences from the text. Giant pandas live in bamboo forests, high in the mountains in the western part of China. This is their habitat . Here they eat bamboo. As used in these sentences, what does the word “habitat” mean? | A. mountain in western China
B. activity or behavior done over and over
C. natural home of an animal
D. daily life | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. A lot of the bamboo forests where giant pandas lived had been wiped out by logging. ________, the giant panda population decreased. | A. However
B. As a result
C. Although
D. In contrast | B |
A New Tail | Meet Winter. Winter is a 4-year-old dolphin. She lives at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida. Unlike other dolphins, Winter has a prosthetic tail that was made just for her. A prosthetic body part is a fake part that is used in place of a real one.
Why did Winter need a new tail? In 2005, she got caught in a crab trapline and needed to be rescued. A crab trapline is a cord used to lift a crab trap out of the ocean. The cord damaged Winter’s tail and made it fall off. She was only 3 months old. Many people thought she would not survive. Dolphins need to move their tails up and down to swim.
Scientist Kevin Carroll heard about Winter. He makes prosthetic parts for humans. “I thought to myself, ‘That poor dolphin,’ ” says Carroll. “Then I thought, ‘That’s what we do. We replace missing body parts. Why not a dolphin?’ ”
Carroll and his team tried many ideas. Finally, they made a tail that worked. It is made of a special material that works well with Winter’s sensitive skin. The tail is placed over a gel-like material that helps hold it in place. The new tail lets Winter move quickly through the water. She is now able to swim like a dolphin again! | 560 | 3 | Science: Technology & Engineering, Life Science | What is a prosthetic body part? | A. a fake body part that is used in place of a real one
B. a real body part that is used in place of a fake one
C. a fake body part that is used along with another fake one
D. a real body part that is used along with another real one | A | In 2005, Winter's tail was damaged and fell off. What was the effect of Winter losing her tail? | A. Winter could swim faster.
B. Winter could not swim at all and had to stay still.
C. Winter had to swim differently.
D. Winter could swim better. | C | Read these sentences from the text. "In 2005, [Winter] got caught in a crab trapline and needed to be rescued. [...] The cord damaged Winter’s tail and made it fall off. [...] Many people thought she would not survive. Dolphins need to move their tails up and down to swim." Based on this information, what can you infer about the importance of a dolphin's tail? | A. A dolphin's tail is not important to its ability to survive.
B. A dolphin's tail is important to its ability to survive.
C. A dolphin's tail is not important to its ability to swim.
D. A dolphin's tail is important to its ability to be rescued. | B | Read these sentences from the text. "Carroll and his team tried many ideas. Finally, they made a tail that worked. It is made of a special material that works well with Winter’s sensitive skin. The tail is placed over a gel-like material that helps hold it in place. The new tail lets Winter move quickly through the water." Based on this information, what can you infer about the ideas Carroll and his team tried before they made a tail that worked? | A. These ideas probably allowed Winter to swim like a dolphin again.
B. These ideas probably held Winter's new tail in place.
C. These ideas probably did not let Winter move quickly through the water.
D. These ideas probably worked well with Winter's skin. | C | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Scientists made a new tail for a dolphin that had lost her tail.
B. Scientists proved that prosthetic body parts are better than real ones.
C. Crab traplines are dangerous to dolphins.
D. Dolphins need to move their tails up and down to swim. | A | At the end of the passage, there is an illustration of Winter's prosthetic tail. Why might the author have included this illustration? | A. to show readers how Winter's prosthetic tail is better than a real tail
B. to show readers how a real tail is better than Winter's prosthetic tail
C. to show readers what Winter's prosthetic tail looks like
D. to show readers what all prosthetic tails look like | C | Read these sentences from the text. "When making Winter's tail, Carroll and his team tried many ideas. Finally, they made a tail that worked." What word or phrase could replace the word "Finally" without changing the meaning of the sentence? | A. Before
B. Initially
C. Even though
D. At last | D |
Pre-History - The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World | Have you heard of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? These are seven impressive objects built between the years 3000 B.C.E. and 200 B.C.E. The ancient Greeks were the first to make a list of these wonders. They were known for making lists of things they thought were impressive. From the Greeks, this list has been passed down through the centuries.
Starting with the oldest, here are the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and some facts about each one.
The Great Pyramid is located in Giza, Egypt.
It was built around 2600 B.C.E.
The Great Pyramid stands at 450 feet high. The base covers 13 acres. This is the only one of the ancient wonders that is still standing. You could visit it today!
The Hanging Gardens were located in Babylon, an ancient city in what is now Iraq.
They were built around 600 B.C.E.
The Hanging Gardens are the only ancient wonder on this list that might not have been real. It is said that the gardens were built by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia. The story is that he built them to comfort his wife. The gardens hung in the air from an elaborate stone building. Some parts might have been 75 feet high. Unfortunately, no trace of the gardens exists today.
The Temple of Artemis was located in Ephesus, which is now a part of Turkey.
It was built in 550 B.C.E.
This temple, dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis, was one of the biggest temples of the ancient world. It was made out of marble. It had over 100 columns. It was destroyed once by fire and then rebuilt around 350 B.C.E. The temple was destroyed again in 262 C.E.
The Statue of Zeus was located in Olympia, Greece.
It was built around 457 B.C.E.
Zeus was the Greek ruler of the gods. This statue of him was one of the most famous statues in the ancient world. Made out of ivory and gold, it was an impressive 40 feet high. A fire destroyed the statue around 450 C.E.
The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was located in what is now the country of Turkey.
It was built around 353 B.C.E.
The word "mausoleum" comes from this huge white marble tomb. The tomb held the remains of Mausolus, a ruler of the Persian Empire. It stood 135 feet high. Its base had 36 columns. Today, some ruins from the mausoleum are in the British Museum.
The Colossus of Rhodes was located in Rhodes, an island in what is now Greece.
It was built sometime between 292 and 280 B.C.E.
The Colossus was a statue of the Greek sun god Helios. It stood at the entrance to the harbor at Rhodes. The statue was made of bronze, and it took 12 years to build. It stood 100 feet tall, about as big as the Statue of Liberty. An earthquake destroyed the Colossus in 226 B.C.E.
The Pharos Lighthouse was located in Alexandria, Egypt.
It was built around 280 B.C.E.
This lighthouse stood around 400 feet tall in Alexandria’s harbor. The light that guided ships at night was actually a huge fire burning at the very top. An earthquake destroyed the lighthouse over 500 years ago. Then, in 1994, divers found what they believed were the remains of the lighthouse in Alexandria’s harbor. | 830 | 3 | Social Studies: World History | According to the text, what are the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? | A. impressive objects built between the years 3000 B.C.E. and 200 B.C.E.
B. pyramids that are still standing and located in Giza, Egypt
C. gardens located in Babylon, an ancient city in what is now Iraq
D. lighthouses that guided ships at night with a huge fire burning at the very top | A | How does the author present the information about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? | A. in a paragraph
B. as a graph
C. as a list
D. in an illustration | C | Read these sentences from the text. Have you heard of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? These are seven impressive objects built between the years 3000 B.C.E. and 200 B.C.E. The ancient Greeks were the first to make a list of these wonders. They were known for making lists of things they thought were impressive. From the Greeks, this list has been passed down through the centuries. Based on this information, what can you conclude about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? | A. These Seven Wonders are impressive because of the ancient Greeks.
B. These Seven Wonders were impressive until the year 200 B.C.E.
C. These Seven Wonders continue to be impressive today.
D. These Seven Wonders were built by the ancient Greeks. | C | Based on the text, what do all Seven Wonders of the Ancient World have in common? | A. They were all built by people in the era C.E.
B. They were all destroyed by people in the era B.C.E.
C. They were all located in Greece in the era B.C.E.
D. They were all built by people in the era B.C.E. | D | What is this text mostly about? | A. seven things in nature that ancient people could not explain
B. the seven questions that all scientists ask about the ancient world
C. impressive objects built by ancient people
D. the most impressive buildings in Egypt | C | Read these sentences from the text. The Hanging Gardens are the only ancient wonder on this list that might not have been real. . . . Unfortunately, no trace of the gardens exists today. As used in the text, what does the word “trace” mean? | A. a piece of something that has been left behind
B. to copy something by following the lines or letters in it
C. to destroy what has been created
D. large buildings made of stone | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. First, the Great Pyramids were built, then the Temple of Artemis, and _______ the Colossus of Rhodes. | A. before
B. also
C. including
D. finally | D |
Native Americans - Traditional Native American Homes | Many different Native peoples have lived in what is now the United States for a very long time. A lot of people all around the world have heard of cone-shaped tepees. Tepees are probably one of the most well-recognized traditional Native homes. Many Plains peoples have built tepees. One of these peoples is the Comanche people. However, tepees aren’t the only kind of traditional Native house. Traditional Native homes come in different shapes and sizes.
Some Native peoples lived in plankhouses. These were built out of cedar planks. The houses were huge – around 40 feet wide and 10 feet high. On the Northwest coast, the Chinook people are one of the Native peoples who have built plankhouses.
Longhouses are another kind of large traditional Native home. The longhouse was especially important for the Haudenosaunee. The Haudenosaunee are a group of six Native peoples, including the Mohawk, Seneca, and Oneida peoples. The Haudenosaunee have been living in what is now upper New York and Canada for hundreds of years. Haudenosaunee longhouses were about 100 feet long. There was enough room in them for a large extended family. Parents, children, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins all lived together. Longhouses are still an important symbol of Haudenosaunee culture today.
Some Native peoples built houses that were below ground level. One of these peoples is known as the Chilula people. They used planks of wood from fallen trees to build their houses. They lived in a part of what is now the state of California.
Some Native peoples have been living in pueblos for hundreds of years. Pueblos are flat-roofed buildings made out of stone or adobe. Adobe is a clay mixture. It is usually made into bricks and dried in the sun. These Native peoples are also known as Pueblo people. Many Pueblo people are in the Southwest.
One more traditional Native home is the wigwam. Some Native peoples call it the wetu. Wigwams were often round-shaped with frames made of wooden poles. In some Native peoples of the Midwest, around the Great Lakes, women were in charge of building wigwams. A lot of these Native peoples, like the Ojibwe people, moved from place to place. When they moved, all they left behind were the frames of their wigwams. Today, wigwams are no longer used as homes, but some Native peoples still use wigwams for ceremonies. | 590 | 3 | Social Studies: U.S. History | According to the text, what come in different shapes and sizes? | A. cone-shaped tepees
B. traditional Native homes
C. plankhouses
D. Haudenosaunee longhouses | B | What does the text describe? | A. the way the Comanche people build tepees
B. different kinds of traditional Native homes
C. important symbols of different Native cultures
D. the materials used build traditional Native homes | B | Read these sentences from the text. Some Native peoples built houses that were below ground level. One of these peoples is known as the Chilula people. They used planks of wood from fallen trees to build their houses. . . . Some Native peoples have been living in pueblos for hundreds of years. Pueblos are flat-roofed buildings made out of stone or adobe. Adobe is a clay mixture. . . . One more traditional Native home is the wigwam. Some Native peoples call it the wetu. Wigwams were often round-shaped with frames made of wooden poles. What conclusion can you draw from this evidence? | A. All Native peoples lived in places where wood was available, so they used it to build their homes.
B. A common material used to build traditional Native homes is wood from fallen trees.
C. Wigwams, also known as wetus, were the traditional home of all Native peoples.
D. Traditional Native homes use different materials and, sometimes, the same materials in different ways. | D | Based on the text, what can you tell about different Native peoples by learning about some traditional Native homes? | A. Native peoples all farmed for their food in the past.
B. Native peoples have large ceremonies together.
C. Native peoples have different ways of living.
D. Native peoples all practice the same religion. | C | What is the main idea of the text? | A. Different Native peoples traditionally built different kinds of houses.
B. Native peoples traditionally lived in the same kind of house.
C. Some traditional Native homes were built by women.
D. Many traditional Native houses were very large in the past. | A | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Gold Rush | Terry Herbert is one lucky guy. He recently struck it rich! He discovered a huge hoard of buried treasure. A hoard is a hidden collection of something valuable.
Herbert uncovered loads of gold and silver artifacts—about 1,350 items in all. An artifact is an old, human-made object. He found the treasure on a farm in England. That is a country in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is in Europe. Experts say the hoard could be worth millions of dollars.
Herbert discovered the treasure using a metal detector. That is a handheld piece of equipment. It beeps when it is waved near metal. After finding the hoard, Herbert says, “I was going to bed, and in my sleep I was seeing gold.”
Some of those flashy finds include gold plates and weapon parts covered in jewels. Experts say the treasure most likely belonged to the Anglo-Saxons. That is a group of people who ruled what is now England. They ruled more than a thousand years ago. The Anglo-Saxons originally came from what are now Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. Those are countries in Europe.
Researchers are working to finish what Herbert started. They are searching the farm where the hoard was found. They want to make sure all the treasure has been collected. Then they will place the items in a museum.
Experts such as Kevin Leahy are most excited about some of the more unusual items in the hoard. “The things that we can’t identify are the ones that are going to teach us something new,” he says.
The Anglo-Saxons’ gold may be old, but it could be worth millions. Check out some of the finds Terry Herbert’s treasure hunt turned up.
Helmet Piece This helmet part covered the wearer’s cheek. Anglo-Saxon helmets had several pieces that soldiers could close to protect their faces.
Sword Hilt This jewel-covered gold treasure may look like a bracelet. It is actually the hilt, or handle, of a sword. Many Anglo-Saxon weapons had hilts.
Gold Horse Several objects that look like horses were uncovered. They might have been used to decorate other items. | 670 | 3 | Social Studies: World History | Where did Terry Herbert find treasure? | A. in a forest in Germany
B. in the basement of a museum
C. in the ocean
D. on a farm in England | D | How does the author describe the treasure that Terry Herbert found? | A. The author describes the treasure as shiny.
B. The author describes the treasure as new.
C. The author describes the treasure as valuable.
D. The author describes the treasure as lucky. | C | Read these sentences from the text. Experts say the treasure most likely belonged to the Anglo-Saxons. That is a group of people who ruled what is now England. They ruled more than a thousand years ago. The Anglo-Saxons originally came from what are now Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. Those are countries in Europe. Based on this evidence, what can you conclude about the Anglo-Saxons? | A. The people who live in England now stole the treasure from the Anglo-Saxons.
B. The Anglo-Saxons moved away from their homes in another area to live in England.
C. The Anglo-Saxons did not like Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.
D. The Anglo-Saxons threw away their treasure because they did not want it anymore. | B | What can be inferred from the text? | A. Some objects in the treasure find are items that experts don’t recognize.
B. A few objects in the treasure are from Denmark.
C. Many of the objects in the treasure find are animals made of gold and silver.
D. All of the objects in the treasure are made of gold. | A | What would be another good title for this text? | A. All About England
B. Buried Treasure Found in England
C. Anglo-Saxons and Their Weapons
D. Terry Herbert, a Lucky Guy | B | Read this sentence from the text. A hoard is a hidden collection of something valuable. What does the word collection most nearly mean in this sentence? | A. trunk
B. equipment
C. item
D. group | D | Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Researchers are searching the farm where the hoard was found ________ they want to be sure all the treasure has been collected. | A. if
B. but
C. because
D. although | C |
Shave Like Daddy | When Crystal’s father got a new job, he had to shave his beard. Crystal did not mind. Daddy’s beard was scratchy. Daddy’s beard was ugly. It was time for Daddy’s beard to go.
She stared as he filled the sink with water. He smeared white suds over his scratchy brown beard. He picked up his razor. He dragged it slowly down his cheeks. In just a few minutes, his face was clean. He rinsed off and looked at Crystal.
“Wow!” she said. “I have a whole new daddy!”
“Do you like how your new daddy looks?”
She kissed his cheek. It was as smooth as can be.
“I sure do!”
While Daddy was at work, Crystal thought about his shave. She had never seen him do it before, but it came so naturally to him. He knew just what to do, and in the end, he looked perfect.
Crystal wanted to shave like Daddy, but she knew that girls didn’t need to shave, especially not eight-year-old girls. And she also knew that if Daddy caught her fooling with his razor, he would not be pleased. But she wanted to know what it felt like to shave. It looked like so much fun!
Since she didn’t have a beard, she didn’t need a blade. But she would need something to “shave” with. A spoon was the wrong shape. A pencil was too pointy. Her mother’s cell phone looked just like an electric razor, but Crystal knew Mommy didn’t want shaving cream all over it.
“Maybe I can just use my hands!”
Crystal dragged her favorite stool in front of Daddy’s sink. She pulled her hair back. She put on a very serious, fatherly face. She turned on the faucet.
The water spilled into the sink, too hot to touch. “Ow!” Crystal turned down the heat. She flicked it with her finger until it felt nice to touch. She pulled the stopper, and the sink began to fill.
Crystal gripped the can of shaving cream tightly. Just like Daddy had, she squirted it into her hand. Only she pushed a little too hard and her aim wasn’t that good. Shaving cream squirted out in a stream, covering the counter and mirror, and, well, the whole bathroom.
“Oopsie,” said Crystal. She picked up a glob of the cream and rubbed it onto her face. Putting her serious face back on, she massaged it into her cheeks. She felt just like a man in a shaving commercial, right until some of it got into her mouth. It tasted like sour goo.
“Yuck!” she spit it out, but the taste lingered. “Shaving is gross.”
Once she had a nice frothy beard, she was ready to shave. She crooked her finger and dragged it down her cheek, just like Daddy. She was about to rinse her finger in the sink when she realized she’d made another mistake.
She hadn’t turned off the water!
Some sinks have a little hole at the top for water to escape into when it gets too full. This sink did not.
While Crystal had been getting ready to shave, the bathroom had flooded. There was an inch of water on the floor and more spilling out by the second. Crystal turned off the sink. She rinsed off her face. She backed out of the bathroom on tiptoes.
“Shaving is harder than it looks,” she said. She wondered what Mom would do when she found the mess. A smile crossed her face. “Maybe she’ll blame Daddy!” | 550 | 3 | null | What does Crystal want to do? | A. Crystal wants to cook.
B. Crystal wants to sew.
C. Crystal wants to shave.
D. Crystal wants to play baseball. | C | When in the story does Crystal’s father shave? | A. at the beginning of the story
B. in the middle of the story
C. at the end of the story
D. at the beginning and the end of the story | A | Crystal likes the way her father looks without a beard more than the way he looks with a beard. What evidence from the story supports this statement? | A. Crystal stares as her father starts to fill the sink with water.
B. Crystal kisses her father’s cheek after he shaves off his beard.
C. Crystal knows that her mother does not want shaving cream all over her cell phone.
D. Crystal spits out shaving cream after some cream gets into her mouth. | B | Why is there a mess in the bathroom at the end of the story? | A. Crystal has squirted shaving cream all over the place and gotten water on the floor.
B. Crystal got shaving cream in her mouth while spreading it over her cheeks.
C. Crystal’s father filled the sink with water and smeared white suds over his scratchy brown beard.
D. Crystal’s father dragged a razor down his cheeks and then rinsed his face off. | A | Which sentence states a main idea of this story? | A. “‘Do you like how your new daddy looks?’”
B. “‘Maybe I can just use my hands!”
C. “Crystal gripped the can of shaving cream tightly.”
D. “‘Shaving is harder than it looks.’” | D | Read the following sentences about Crystal’s father shaving his beard: “In just a few minutes, his face was clean. He rinsed off and looked at Crystal. ‘Wow!’ she said. ‘I have a whole new daddy !’” What does Crystal mean when she says that she has a whole new daddy? | A. Crystal means that the man she thought was her daddy is actually someone else’s daddy.
B. Crystal means that her daddy will probably not like his new job.
C. Crystal means that her daddy looks different without a beard.
D. Crystal means that her daddy looks the same without a beard. | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Shaving looks like fun to Crystal, _______she tries it herself. | A. so
B. but
C. because
D. otherwise | A |
U.S. Presidents: Abraham Lincoln | Abraham Lincoln was America’s 16th president. He is considered to be one of the greatest leaders in the nation’s history. He helped guide the United States through the U.S. Civil War. Lincoln also helped to end slavery in the country. Sadly, Lincoln was assassinated near the end of the Civil War in 1865. He became the first U.S. president to be killed in office.
Lincoln was elected president in 1860. Before the election, most people did not know much about Lincoln or his humble background. He was born on February 12, 1809, in a Kentucky log cabin. In 1816, his family moved to the wild Indiana frontier. Lincoln helped his father farm and work the fields. He barely had time for school. He spent no more than one year in a classroom. In 1818, Lincoln’s mother died.
Even though Lincoln had very little schooling, he learned how to read and write. Books were scarce on the frontier, but he closely read the books he got his hands on. Lincoln pored over the family Bible. He would walk for miles to borrow books. Some books he read were Aesop’s Fables and Pilgrim’s Progress.
As a young man, Lincoln worked many jobs to earn a living. He was tall and strong. He split logs and fence rails for farmers. He helped take a flatboat down a river to New Orleans. Eventually, he started a general store with a friend. When the store went into debt, he paid those debts off working other jobs. By 1834, a friend encouraged Lincoln to become a lawyer. Instead of learning at a law school, Lincoln taught himself law. “Your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing,” he would later say.
Among Lincoln’s many skills, he was a great writer and speaker. In one of his most famous speeches, known as the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln’s words reassured a suffering people at war that democracy would survive.
As president, Abraham Lincoln was most proud of the Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued during the Civil War. It declared that the enslaved people in the southern states rebelling against the U.S. government were free. The proclamation paved the way for the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which ended slavery in the U.S.
Lincoln’s stand against slavery caused him to make many enemies. Even so, his assassination was felt all over the nation from the North to the South. Millions of people admired his spirit and service to his country. A train carried Lincoln’s body to Springfield, Illinois, making stops at some major cities. Mourners crowded near the tracks to try and see the train. To this day, people visit Lincoln’s tomb to pay their respects. | 770 | 3-4 | Social Studies: U.S. History | What did Abraham Lincoln help to end in the United States? | A. slavery
B. war
C. democracy
D. discrimination | A | Which of the following describes the correct sequence of events in Lincoln’s life? | A. He became a lawyer; he started a general store; his mother died.
B. He became President; he issued the Emancipation Proclamation; he moved to Indiana.
C. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation; his mother died; he moved to Indiana.
D. He moved to Indiana; he became President; he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. | D | Abraham Lincoln was a man of integrity. What evidence from the passage best supports this statement? | A. “A friend encouraged Lincoln to become a lawyer.”
B. “As a young man, Lincoln worked many jobs to earn a living.”
C. “When the store went into debt, he paid those debts off working other jobs.”
D. “He split logs and fence rails for farmers. He helped take a flatboat down a river to New Orleans.” | C | Which of the following was probably least important in Lincoln being a successful president? | A. He was persuasive.
B. He was tall and strong.
C. He had political skill.
D. He was a great writer. | B | What is the main idea of this passage? | A. Lincoln was the first U.S. president to be killed in office.
B. Lincoln’s most famous speech, the Gettysburg Address, reassured people.
C. Millions of people admired Lincoln’s spirit and service to his country.
D. Lincoln was one of America's greatest leaders. | D | Read the following sentences: “Before the election, most people did not know much about Lincoln or his humble background. He was born on February 12, 1809, in a Kentucky log cabin. In 1816, his family moved to the wild Indiana frontier. Lincoln helped his father farm and work the fields. He barely had time for school. He spent no more than one year in a classroom.” What does the word “humble” most nearly mean based on the text? | A. not proud
B. simple and modest
C. humiliating
D. unknown | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. __________ Lincoln had many enemies, he was mourned by millions of people across the country. | A. Ultimately
B. Therefore
C. Although
D. Meanwhile | C |
U.S. Presidents: William H. Harrison and John Tyler | William H. Harrison and John Tyler are two presidents who made history. Harrison died only 30 days after he took office. The day of his inauguration, Harrison got a bad cold that developed into pneumonia. Harrison became the first U.S. president to die in office. Harrison’s vice president, John Tyler, stepped up and became president. This was the first time a vice president had become president because of the death of a chief executive.
Americans were greatly disappointed by Harrison’s death. They expected great things from their new leader. Harrison wanted to make government run more efficiently. Even in his bad health, he paid surprise visits at government meetings. He wanted to make sure people weren’t wasting any time.
John Tyler’s transition into the presidency wasn’t easy. Tyler was a Southern Democrat during most of his early political career. While running for office with Harrison, he left the Democrats. He became part of the Whig party instead. But when he became President, he disagreed with the Whigs on many issues. The Whigs wanted to create a national bank and new taxes. Tyler didn’t think the federal government should have that kind of power. Tyler vetoed, or refused to sign into law, several Whig bills that had been passed by Congress. Angry Whigs stormed the White House. They threw rocks at the windows. They burned a likeness of Tyler in protest. They even tried to impeach him as president. But the soft-spoken Tyler stood firm in his beliefs.
As president, Tyler had many accomplishments. He signed a bill admitting Florida into the union. He created a bill to give settlers land if they built a cabin on the western frontier. The law got more people to settle in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. He also signed a treaty with China. It opened Asia to American traders for the first time.
Tyler was born in Charles City County, Virginia, in 1790. His father was governor of Virginia. After attending William and Mary College in Virginia, Tyler became a lawyer and began his political career. At 21, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. Later, he became governor of Virginia and served Congress as a senator and representative before becoming president. John Tyler died on January 18, 1862. | 690 | 3-4 | Social Studies: U.S. History | Why did John Tyler become president? | A. People voted for him in an election.
B. President Harrison asked him to take over.
C. President Harrison died in office.
D. He impeached President Harrison and stole his job. | C | The passage explains the sequence of events in Tyler’s career. Which came last in Tyler’s political career? | A. serving in the Senate
B. serving as Vice President
C. serving as governor to Virginia
D. serving as President | D | The Whigs were unhappy with decisions Tyler made as president. What evidence from the passage best supports this statement? | A. Angry Whigs stormed the White House and threw rocks at the windows.
B. Tyler became part of the Whig party when he ran for office with Harrison.
C. The Whig party wanted to create a national bank and new taxes.
D. Tyler was a Southern Democrat during most of his early political career. | A | Based on the passage, what can you conclude about Tyler’s presidency? | A. Tyler avoided expansions in American trade and settlement during his presidency.
B. Tyler received strong support from the Democrats during his presidency.
C. The American people expected a lot from Tyler’s presidency, but he did not deliver.
D. Despite his accomplishments, Tyler’s presidency was politically contentious. | D | What is this passage mostly about? | A. the many ways people can become president.
B. the differences between Democrats and Whigs.
C. two presidents of the United States.
D. the mysterious death of President Harrison. | C | Read the following sentences: “Harrison wanted to make government run more efficiently. Even in his bad health, he paid surprise visits at government meetings. He wanted to make sure people weren’t wasting any time.” As used in this sentence, what does the word “efficiently” most nearly mean? | A. difficultly
B. slowly
C. quietly
D. productively | D | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. John Tyler became president _______ William Harrison died of pneumonia. | A. including
B. while
C. before
D. after | D |
American Government - The Mayflower Compact | You might have heard about the Pilgrims. They landed on Wampanoag land. The Wampanoag helped them farm the land, and they later celebrated a feast that inspired the modern Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. But, did you know the Pilgrims left the United States another important legacy as well?
It all began in November 1620. The Pilgrims were on board their ship, the Mayflower. After many days at sea, they finally saw land. Even though everyone was happy to see land, some of the families on the ship were arguing. They disagreed on how to do things.
The Pilgrims were landing in an area that was not controlled by England. To survive, the Pilgrims would have to work together and create a colony. They would have to build houses, find food, and take care of themselves. Everyone would need to get along and help.
Before they landed, the Pilgrims found a way that they would be able to work together. The 41 men aboard the Mayflower met and signed the Mayflower Compact. The compact organized the Pilgrims into a “body politic.” This political body, or government, would act with one purpose. It would work to create “just and equal laws” for all the Pilgrims to obey.
The Mayflower Compact helped the Pilgrims organize themselves. They were able to sign a treaty with the local Wampanoag people, who helped them survive. The Pilgrims also worked together to build houses. And the Compact’s legacy continues to this day. The Mayflower Compact was written by the Pilgrims and meant to be for them as well. This principle of government being “by, of, and for the people” is one of the main ideas of democracy. Later, this principle would become a cornerstone of American government and the United States Constitution. | 760 | 3-4 | Social Studies: Civics & Government, U.S. History | According to the text, what was the name of the ship the Pilgrims were on board? | A. the Mayflower Compact
B. the Mayflower
C. the Wampanoag
D. the United States Constitution | B | The author explains what the Mayflower Compact did. What does the author do after that? | A. explains why the Mayflower Compact is similar to the U.S. Constitution
B. discusses constitutions that came before the Mayflower Compact
C. explains why the colony could not survive without the Mayflower Compact
D. describes the men who wrote the Mayflower Compact | A | Read this paragraph from the text. Before they landed, the Pilgrims found a way that they would be able to work together. The 41 men aboard the Mayflower met and signed the Mayflower Compact. The compact organized the Pilgrims into a “body politic.” This political body, or government, would act with one purpose. It would work to create “just and equal laws” for everyone to obey. What can you conclude about the Pilgrims from this information? | A. There were many different versions of the Mayflower Compact, so the Pilgrims combined all the versions together.
B. The Pilgrims felt that having everyone follow the same just laws would help them work together.
C. After they landed, the Pilgrims had a lot of trouble following the laws that they agreed to.
D. There were 50 men on board, but only 41 men worked on creating the compact. | B | Based on the text, what might have happened to the Pilgrims without the Mayflower Compact? | A. They would have won independence from England sooner.
B. Their ship would have never reached the Americas.
C. They would have never set sail from England.
D. They might have fought too much to be a successful colony. | D | What is this text mostly about? | A. how the Mayflower Compact is important in United States history
B. how the Pilgrims decided where to start a colony
C. the man who came up with the idea for a constitution
D. why the Mayflower Compact was better than the U.S. Constitution | A | Read these sentences from the text. The Mayflower Compact was written by the Pilgrims and meant to be for them as well. This principle of government being “by, of, and for the people” is one of the main ideas of democracy. As used in the text, what does the word "principle" mean? | A. argument against something
B. first of a kind
C. belief, an idea
D. government employee | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. At first, the Pilgrims were arguing, but _________ they had a document they agreed on. | A. before
B. as a result
C. never
D. soon | D |
Trouble at Reading Railroad | “Those aren’t the rules!” said Mario.
“This is my house! I’ll tell you what the rules are!” said Nicky.
The two cousins stared at each other, both refusing to blink. They were warriors about to leap at each other’s throats and settle their argument with violence. The battlefield lay between them, their armies strewn across it. It was not an ordinary battlefield covered with tanks and cannons and soldiers. It was a square, covered in colorful rectangles, some guarded by green and red plastic fortresses. But although the war wasn’t real, the fight between Nicky and Mario was. They were playing Monopoly and prepared to do anything to win.
It had started that afternoon when Mario’s mom dropped him off at Nicky’s house. They were cousins, nearly the same age, and had been playing together since they were born. They had played pirates and action figures, video games and tag, and had always had a good time. But whenever they had made the mistake of playing Monopoly, the same thing always had happened.
It always started with an argument over who got to be which piece. Obviously, both of them wanted to be the car.
“This is my house,” Nicky would say. “I get to be the car.”
“You were the car last time.”
“This is my house,” Nicky would repeat, not quite shouting yet. The shouting would come later.
They would always argue about who would be the banker and who the realtor. Managing the properties was preferable, of course, because it involved less counting. Counting is never fun.
“I’m the realtor,” Mario would say.
“No,” Nicky would reply.
“I called it.”
“My house.”
“I called it,” Mario would repeat, a little bit closer to shouting this time.
“Fine.”
And so, the Monopoly war always started quietly, but it would get a little bit louder after each turn around the board. For the first few rolls, there would be little conflict. Mario would buy Vermont Avenue; Nicky would buy St. Charles. But then one of them would get a property the other wanted.
“You can’t buy Connecticut Avenue,” Mario would say. “I need that one for my monopoly.”
“Well, I don’t want you to get a monopoly,” Nicky would say, “but I’ll sell it to you.”
“Okay.”
“Ten thousand dollars.”
“There aren’t even ten thousand dollars in the game,” Mario would say, very nearly shouting.
“Okay. How about twenty thousand?”
“No deal.”
No trades would ever be made. The game would stalemate and go on forever, unless one of them got a monopoly by sheer chance. Then the taunting would begin.
“Oh wow,” Mario would say. “You have Baltic Avenue, Connecticut, and St. Charles. Those are really great properties.”
“Oh, so what? So you’ve got all the yellows. Everyone knows the yellows are the worst. Who is a Marvin Gardens, anyway?”
“I don’t know, but as soon as I get a hotel on him, it’s gonna cost you $1,200 to find out.”
Their voices would get louder. Their sentences would get shorter. Their faces would get red as they counted out each move, slamming their pieces down with greater and greater fury. But they would not yell, no matter who landed on Free Parking, no matter how many hotels were built, no matter what monopolies were acquired. They would not yell…until one of them drew The Card.
Every time they landed on Chance, the room would grow quiet. They would lift the flimsy red cards slowly, knowing it could be the match that lit the flame.
And finally, as it always eventually did, The Card had appeared.
“Take a ride on the Reading Railroad,” Mario had read. “If you pass Go, collect $200.”
They both had looked at the board. Mario’s piece—the hat, the stupid, boring, awful hat—had been on the Chance space two spots past Reading Railroad. If he went forward around the board, he would pass Go. He would get $200. He would be able to afford the railroad—one of his favorite properties—and the game would shift in his favor. But he had known Nicky wouldn’t let that happen.
Nicky had picked up Mario’s piece.
“Put that down,” Mario had said.
Nicky had then moved it back two rectangles and put it on Reading Railroad.
“You know it goes forward,” Mario had said. “You know it does!”
“The card doesn’t say anything about that.”
“The pieces always go forward. Always.”
“Only on the cards that say ‘Advance.’ This doesn’t say anything about it, so you take the most direct route. That means you go backwards. That means you don’t get $200. My turn.”
“Those aren’t the rules!”
“This is my house! I’ll tell you what the rules are!”
Now they were shouting. Now Mario didn’t care about Reading Railroad anymore. Now all he wanted was to be right.
Nicky stood up, sore from so many hours sitting cross-legged. “Give me the dice,” he said. “It’s my turn.”
“I move forward. I get $200.”
“Give me the dice!”
Mario dropped the dice on the board, and Nicky bent down to pick them up. Mario bent down too, but he didn’t reach for the dice. Without shouting at all, he slipped one finger under the board and flipped it as high as it would go. Money fluttered down from the ceiling like a very colorful snowstorm, as houses and hotels fell with all the clatter of plastic hail.
Nicky opened his mouth like he wanted to scream, but no words came out.
“I don’t think this game works with two people,” Mario said softly.
Nicky nodded. They cleaned up the game together, silently. | 600 | 3 | null | What game do Mario and Nicky play in the story? | A. tag
B. pirates
C. a video game
D. Monopoly | D | What is the climax of the action in the story? | A. Nicky agrees that Mario can be the realtor.
B. Nicky buys St. Charles.
C. Mario flips the board into the air.
D. Mario’s mom drops him off at Nicky’s house. | C | Mario and Nicky are angry at each other. What evidence from the passage supports this statement? | A. “They were cousins, nearly the same age, and had been playing together since they were born.”
B. “Their faces would get red as they counted out each move, slamming their pieces down with greater and greater fury.”
C. “Mario’s piece—the hat, the stupid, boring, awful hat—had been on the Chance space two spots past Reading Railroad. If he went forward around the board, he would pass Go.”
D. “They had played pirates and action figures, video games and tag, and had always had a good time.” | B | What does Nicky believe about the rules of Monopoly? | A. Nicky believes that the rules of Monopoly are too complicated for anyone to understand completely.
B. Nicky believes that even though the card Mario draws does not say “Advance,” Mario should still move his piece forward.
C. Nicky believes that he gets to decide what the rules are because the game of Monopoly is being played at his house.
D. Nicky believes that the rules of Monopoly are always the same, no matter where the game is being played. | C | What is this passage mostly about? | A. how much fun playing pirates can be
B. the reasons that some people dislike counting
C. buying hotels and riding a railroad
D. two boys fighting over a game | D | Read this sentence about Nicky and Mario: “They were warriors about to leap at each other’s throats and settle their argument with violence.” Why does the author write that Nicky and Mario are “warriors about to leap at each other’s throats”? | A. to help the reader understand how angry at each other Nicky and Mario are
B. to explain to the reader why Nicky and Mario have decided to play Monopoly instead of tag
C. to persuade the reader that playing Monopoly is more fun than playing video games
D. to prove that Mario is right about the direction in which his piece should move | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Mario wants to move forward to Reading Railroad; ________, Nicky wants him to move backward. | A. earlier
B. consequently
C. in contrast
D. for instance | C |
Rachel Meets Harry | Rachel Spider lived in a garage. She was very happy there. She spun a web in the corner of the garage every morning. Then she waited. Sometimes a juicy fly flew into her web. Moths and gnats got caught in her web, too. Rachel liked to eat them all.
The garage was always very dark and quiet. Tools hung on the walls. There was an old motorcycle there, too. It was very dusty. Humans hardly ever came into the garage. There was a dirty window on the wall near Rachel’s web. Rachel never looked outside. She had everything she wanted in her little corner.
One morning there was a terrible storm outside. The wind blew open the garage window. The strong wind reached Rachel’s corner. She tried to cling to her web, but it was no use. The wind carried her away. The wind dropped Rachel on a piece of dusty ground. She was very scared. She didn’t know where she was. Cold raindrops began to fall.
“Over here!” someone called out. The voice came from a hairy spider. He was sticking his head out of the ground. “You’ll be safe from the rain!” said the spider. Rachel wasn’t sure what to do. But she didn’t like the rain at all. She hurried to the spider. He lived in a strange hole in the ground. A lid of dirt covered the hole.
“Hi,” Rachel said. “I’m Rachel.” “I’m Harry,” said the spider. Rachel looked around. Harry’s hole was dark and quiet. The wall and floor was made of dirt. But Rachel didn’t see a web anywhere.
“Where is your web?” Rachel asked. “I don’t need a web,” Harry said. “I’m a trapdoor spider. I trap bugs in my hole here. The hole keeps me nice and safe, too.” “That’s very interesting,” Rachel said. She had never met a spider like Harry before! | 310 | 3 | Science: Life Science | This passage is | A. historical fiction.
B. realistic fiction.
C. science fiction.
D. fantasy. | D | The author describes the garage with a lot of detail. Which of the following is true about the garage? | A. The garage is bright and loud.
B. The garage has a window.
C. Humans constantly enter the garage.
D. Tools are scattered on the garage floor. | B | Which statement accurately describes Harry’s hole? | A. The hole is large and cold.
B. The hole is wet and dark.
C. The hole is bright and loud.
D. The hole is dark and quiet. | D | Harry seems | A. very hungry.
B. dangerous.
C. kind.
D. lazy. | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Survive! | At any moment, you can find yourself in a crisis. Knowing what to do beforehand can determine how things turn out.
Here are tips that safety experts say could help you survive some tight spots.
You and your mom are driving along a slick road. The rain beats against the windshield. Your mom takes her eyes off the road and reaches for the radio. Suddenly, you hit a puddle that sends you skidding off the road. You see a lake ahead. You're going in. What do you do?
A car will not float for long. Roll down your window as soon as you see the water. You can also try to break the glass with your feet or a heavy object.
If you cannot open your window, wait for the car to fill with water. Unbuckle your seat belt. Take a deep breath when the water level reaches your head. Once the car is filled with water, you should be able to open the door.
Do not waste time taking anything with you. Delay your escape only if you are trying to help someone else in the car.
Each year, snakes bite about 45,000 people in the United States. About 7,000 of those are poisonous bites. Ten to 20 people die of poisonous bites. The chances of being bitten are slim. Still, it's good to know what to do just in case.
First, stay calm. You must think clearly. Act as if the bite were poisonous and let a doctor be the judge.
Have someone call for medical help.
Next, remove jewelry and clothing from around the bite. Keep the wound below your heart. That will help to slow the poison.
Your work is now done. You should keep still until help arrives. If it is going to be an hour or longer before help arrives, you may want to wash the bite with water. However, do not submerge the bite underwater.
Knowing how to handle fear can help you survive if you're lost in the wild. First, stay calm but yell for help. This will make it easier for other people to find you.
Next, check your supplies. Build a fire if you know how to keep it going safely. A fire will keep you warm and dry and make you easier to locate. Seek out a cave or fallen tree for shelter.
If you are stranded for a while, move to the highest point you can find. You may be able to spot rescuers. They will also be able to see you.
While in the woods, you should watch for bears. Like most wild animals, bears avoid human contact. However, there are times when people and bears cross paths.
When hiking in bear country, make plenty of noise. If you do come upon a bear, walk away. Never run from a bear. A bear moves as fast as a horse.
If a bear attacks, you should lie still and be quiet. If a bear thinks you are not a threat, it may leave.
If a bear continues to attack, fight back. Aim for its eyes. Most bears are good climbers, so do not climb a tree.
You never know when you might face a disaster. Here are some basic safety tips: | 560 | 3 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | The author begins the article by asking what question? | A. "Do you know what to do if disaster strikes?"
B. "Do you know how to escape from a sinking car?"
C. "Do you know how to survive a snakebite?"
D. "Do you know what to do if you cross paths with a bear?" | A | The text is divided into sections with subheadings. What do the sections "Escape from a Sinking Car," "Surviving a Snakebite," "Lost and Found," and "The Bear Facts" describe? | A. a crisis event and supplies you won't need to survive the crisis
B. a crisis event and tips to get yourself into a crisis
C. a crisis event and supplies you might need to survive the crisis
D. a crisis event and tips for helping you to survive the crisis | D | Read this sentence from the text. "Knowing what to do beforehand can determine how things turn out." What evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. "Each year, snakes bite about 45,000 people in the United States."
B. "Knowing how to handle fear can help you survive if you're lost in the wild."
C. "Your mom takes her eyes off the road and reaches for the radio."
D. "Suddenly, you hit a puddle that sends you skidding off the road." | B | The sections with the subheadings "Surviving a Snakebite!" and "Lost and Found!" both describe a crisis event and tips for surviving the crisis. What else do these two sections have in common? | A. The first tip of surviving the crisis event in both sections is to stay calm.
B. Both sections describe the supplies you should have to survive the crisis event.
C. The first tip of surviving the crisis event in both sections is to call for medical help.
D. Both sections describe crisis events that involve wild animals. | A | What is the main idea of this text? | A. Calling for medical help is always the first step in any crisis.
B. People have different ways of handling fear during a crisis.
C. Being prepared for a crisis can help you survive it.
D. Bringing supplies with you will help prevent any crisis. | C | Read this sentence from the text. "Here are tips that safety experts say could help you survive some tight spots." What does the phrase "tight spots" mean here? | A. areas without a lot of space
B. cars that are sinking underwater
C. crisis events
D. wilderness areas | C | Read these sentences from the text. "The chances of being bitten are slim. Still, it's good to know what to do just in case." What word could replace "Still" in the second sentence without changing the meaning of the sentence? | A. However
B. Thus
C. Particularly
D. Third | A |
U.S. Presidents: Thomas Jefferson | Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States. His tombstone reads, “Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, & Father of the University of Virginia.” Notice anything odd about this inscription? There is no mention of him being president. This is because Jefferson did not see his presidency as one of his greater accomplishments. Politics was only one of Jefferson’s many interests. His peers pressured him to run for office. They respected Jefferson for his practical thinking and breadth of knowledge. He was a patron of the arts, an architect, a mathematician, an inventor, and a family man. Jefferson’s peers also admired his genius for writing and his ideals.
Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, on his family’s estate in Virginia. He was only 14 when his father died. At 16 he entered the College of William and Mary in nearby Williamsburg. He would later say that his studies and the cultured people he met during college greatly stimulated his mind. During these years, he also trained to be a lawyer. He listened to patriots like Patrick Henry protest Britain’s unfair treatment of and taxes on the colonists and formed many of his ideas about people’s “natural rights.”
Jefferson strongly believed in people’s ability to manage their own affairs. He wanted to keep government small and out of the public’s life as much as possible. This ideal of self-government became known as Jeffersonian Democracy. Jefferson worked tirelessly for freedom of speech, press, religion, and other civil liberties. He helped write the Declaration of Independence and pushed hard for the addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution. However, Jefferson’s belief in civil liberties only applied to some people. Part of Jefferson’s legacy is his status as a slave owner. Even as he wrote that “all men are created equal,” he enslaved more than 600 Black people in his lifetime. This is part of what makes Jefferson’s legacy so complicated today. He helped make many of the laws that protect people’s rights today, like the Bill of Rights. However, his ideas of whose rights should be protected were shaped by racism.
Another complicated part of Jefferson’s legacy is the Louisiana Purchase and Jefferson’s relationship with Native American tribes. During Jefferson’s presidency, the U.S. purchased a vast region of land between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains from France. However, this purchase assumed that the land was France’s to sell—which it wasn’t. There were already many Native American tribes who had been living on this land for generations. This deal, known as the Louisiana Purchase, nearly doubled the size of the nation. This purchase was part of Jefferson’s larger desire to get land from Native Americans. He encouraged sneaky tactics to trick Native Americans into having to sell their land to the U.S. government. Through these tactics, he nearly doubled the size of the United States.
In his later years, Jefferson designed the Virginia Capitol and his famous home, Monticello. He founded the prestigious University of Virginia. He also sold his library, 6,400 volumes in all, to Congress. In short, he began the Library of Congress. Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. He left a complicated but important legacy as a thinker, president, architect, and writer. | 840 | 3-4 | Social Studies: U.S. History | According to the text, what about Jefferson is there no mention of on his tombstone? | A. Jefferson being the author of the Declaration of American Independence
B. Jefferson being president of the United States
C. Jefferson being the author of the Statue of Virginia for religious freedom
D. Jefferson being the father of the University of Virginia | B | What does the author describe in the text? | A. Thomas Jefferson's family and the family's role in American society
B. different people who followed Jeffersonian Democracy
C. the importance of different civil liberties in the U.S.
D. Thomas Jefferson's ideals and his contributions to the U.S. | D | Read this paragraph from the text. Politics was only one of Jefferson’s many interests. His peers pressured him to run for office. They respected Jefferson for his practical thinking and breadth of knowledge. He was a patron of the arts, an architect, a mathematician, an inventor, and a family man. Jefferson’s peers also admired his genius for writing and his ideals. What can you conclude based on this evidence? | A. Thomas Jefferson did not have any interest in politics or running or office.
B. Thomas Jefferson might not have gotten involved with politics if it hadn’t been for his friends.
C. Thomas Jefferson once had a job designing and building homes.
D. Thomas Jefferson’s favorite pastime was to watch live plays and concerts. | B | Based on the text, what word best describes Jefferson’s interests? | A. political
B. unusual
C. numerous
D. narrow | C | What is the main idea of the text? | A. Thomas Jefferson has a complicated legacy and made a big impact on the U.S.
B. Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States.
C. Thomas Jefferson was the founder of the University of Virginia.
D. Thomas Jefferson began the Library of Congress with his own books. | A | Read these sentences from the text. At 16 he entered the College of William and Mary in nearby Williamsburg. He would later say that his studies and the cultured people he met during college greatly stimulated his mind. As used in these sentences, what does the word “stimulated” mean? | A. distracted
B. measured
C. energized
D. deadened | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. Thomas Jefferson claimed to want to liberty and rights for everyone, ____ he did not apply these rights to Black people. | A. though
B. but
C. so
D. without | B |
Forgetting the Words | Andy is frightened when he sees the pirates. They have eye patches and big swords, and they do not look happy to see him. But the pirates are not the reason why Andy feels scared. The pirates are supposed to be there, because Andy is starring in the school play. He had been excited when Mrs. Roberts, his teacher, chose him to star in Treasure Island. The play is based on a famous novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, and it is one of Andy’s favorites. He has been looking forward to this for weeks. But now that he’s up on stage, with his family and friends watching from the audience, something terrible has happened. Andy does not remember what he’s supposed to say.
It’s the big scene at the end of the play, when Andy fights the pirates. When they were practicing the play, this was his favorite scene, because he got to run and jump and fight with his sword. Andy loves pretending to be a pirate. He and his friends spend every recess imagining the jungle gym is a ship. They run back and forth across it, having sword fights and yelling about buried treasure. Sometimes they jump off the side and pretend to be eaten by sharks. During recess, they pretend to fight with swords, and hold them like pirates.
But before the fight can happen, there’s something Andy has to say to Long John Silver, the leader of the pirates. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t remember his line.
Is he supposed to say, “This is the end for you, Long John Silver!” ? Is he supposed to say, “Get your hands off my treasure!” ? Maybe he’s supposed to say, “En garde!” That’s what people say in pirate movies. But Andy doesn’t want to just make up the words. If he says something wrong, he might confuse the other actors. He might get in trouble.
Andy’s mother was very proud of him when he got picked to star in the play. He can’t see her in the audience, but he knows she’s out there somewhere, waiting for his big scene. Andy is worried about letting her down. The other actors are waiting for him to say something. They look angry. He isn’t sure if their anger is pretend. He waves his sword at them, but they don’t do anything. Nothing can happen until he says his line. Andy is beginning to sweat.
From somewhere out in the audience, he hears a voice yell, “Get ‘em, Andy!” It’s his mom! Suddenly, Andy knows just what he has to do. He still can’t remember his line, but it doesn’t matter. Andy raises his sword above his head and roars like a lion. He runs at the pirates, and they begin to fight. | 780 | 3 | Arts: Music & Performing Arts | How is Andy involved in the school play? | A. Andy is watching his friends act in the play.
B. Andy is starring in the school play.
C. Andy is writing the play.
D. Andy is directing the play. | B | What problem does Andy have when he stands up to perform? | A. He cannot remember his lines.
B. He says the wrong word.
C. He moves to the wrong spot.
D. He speaks too fast. | A | Read the following sentences: “From somewhere out in the audience, he hears a voice yell, ‘Get ‘em, Andy!’ It’s his mom! Suddenly, Andy knows just what he has to do.” Based on this evidence, how might Andy's mom be described? | A. playful
B. angry
C. annoying
D. supportive | D | Which sentence provides a clue that Andy is no longer frightened by being on stage in the play? | A. “Andy is worried about letting her down.”
B. “He has been looking forward to this for weeks.”
C. “He still can’t remember his line, but it doesn’t matter.”
D. “Andy loves pretending to be a pirate.” | C | The main idea of this story is that | A. Andy is not able to perform in the play because he is so nervous
B. Andy is able to get over his nerves and feel confident with encouragement
C. Andy says the wrong thing, his mother sees, and the whole play is ruined
D. People sometimes do not know what to do when on stage and don’t say anything | B | Read the following sentence from the story: “Andy raises his sword above his head and roars like a lion.” The author uses the phrase “roars like a lion” to describe how Andy | A. yells loudly
B. speaks quietly
C. pretends to be a lion
D. talks normally | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Andy had been looking forward to starring in the play for weeks __________ didn’t remember what he was supposed to say when he was up on stage. | A. because
B. for example
C. so
D. but | D |
Summer Surprise | “Well, do you or don’t you?” asked Sally.
“Do I or don’t I what?” asked Angelica quickly, annoyed.
“Do you or don’t you believe in the tooth fairy?”
“Of course I don’t!” Angelica snapped back, quickly. “That’s kids’ stuff.”
“No it’s not. I’ve seen the tooth fairy with my own two eyes.”
“Yeah, right,” said Angelica. The two girls were sitting on Sally’s front porch, the hot summer sun making them sweat. Sally’s mother had offered them lemonade, but what they really wanted was popsicles.
“You don’t believe me?” asked Sally. “I’ll show you!”
Sally jumped up and started running out into the front lawn.
“Wait!” said Angelica.
“Don’t go too far, girls!” shouted Sally’s mother through the open kitchen window.
“We won’t!” said Sally and Angelica in unison.
Angelica could barely keep up, Sally was running really fast. Where could she possibly be taking me? wondered Angelica.
Sally was half skipping, half running around the large, white two-story house to the backyard. Her ponytail swayed this way and that, and Angelica wished that her hair was just as long. As it was now, Angelica’s hair barely reached below her ears, and she couldn’t put it up at all anymore because she’d just gotten a haircut.
“Hey, where are we going! ?” asked Angelica, running out of breath.
“Right over here!” said Sally, who stopped suddenly in the middle of a patch of dandelions. “Look at this!”
Angelica knelt down as Sally had, and peered into the grass and flowers.
"What are we looking at?” Angelica asked, almost frightened.
“See those white things?” said Sally, pointing into the dirt.
“No, I don’t see anything,” Angelica said. She remembered when she was much younger, one of her teeth felt loose. She started playing with the tooth with her tongue, and all of a sudden whoops! It fell out. Her mother told her to put the tooth underneath her pillow for the tooth fairy. The next day, two quarters were in its place, a present from a fairy she had never even seen!
Angelica was older now, almost nine, and she’d long since stopped believing in things like fairies.
Sally must have been pulling her leg.
“Just below the dirt, that’s where all my baby teeth are. I swear!” said Sally.
“You’re crazy!” said Angelica, starting to get frightened. She could see that the ground was tousled, as if something had recently been buried there or some of the dirt had been unearthed.
“Why would I lie?” asked Sally.
“Because you like to play mean jokes,” said Angelica.
“Girls!” shouted Sally’s mother from the back screened-in porch. “It’s getting late. Time to come inside!”
“Look, something’s moving!” screamed Sally, jumping back.
Angelica looked down, and up from the ground came a little brown field mouse, its eyes pinched and its little feet scurrying quickly beneath it.
“EEEEEK!” screamed Angelica, as Sally laughed and laughed, rolling around on the grass and holding her belly.
“That wasn’t very nice,” said Angelica, pursing her lips into a grimace.
“Ha, I had no idea the mouse was going to be there,” said Sally, between chuckles. “And you never know; maybe the tooth fairy has a pet mouse and they’re friends.”
“Yeah, yeah. And maybe you have a wild imagination,” said Angelica.
Sally then grabbed her friend’s hand and led her back to the house. Once inside, Sally’s mother had a surprise.
“Popsicles, anyone?”
Sally and Angelica washed their hands and sat at the kitchen table as Sally’s mother pulled out one grape popsicle and one strawberry popsicle from the freezer. Soon, the two girls had forgotten their differences; their faces were covered in red and purple juice, their bellies now full of one of summer’s splendors.
“What were you two doing out there?” asked Sally’s mother. “Your knees are covered in dirt!”
“We…” said Angelica, but she paused and looked at Sally, whose eyes grew large. “We were…”
“We were investigating,” said Sally.
“Investigating what?” asked her mother.
Angelica decided to go along with the ruse, though she wasn’t sure why. For some reason, she could tell that Sally didn’t want her mother to know that she had played a joke on her friend.
“Someone once told us that if you were to dig a hole into the earth, straight down, you would end up in Australia,” said Angelica.
“Oh, is that so?” asked Sally’s mother, handing the girls some napkins.
“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t,” said Sally, smiling at her friend. “But one day, perhaps we’ll find out.”
And she and Angelica laughed, winked at each other, and finished their popsicles in silence. | 690 | 3 | null | At the beginning of the story, where are Angelica and Sally sitting? | A. in Sally’s kitchen
B. on Sally’s front porch
C. on the lawn of Sally’s house
D. with Sally’s mother | B | How does the story conclude, or end? | A. Sally laughs at Angelica.
B. Sally and Angelica run into the yard.
C. Sally and Angelica eat popsicles.
D. Sally’s mother tells the girls not to go too far away. | C | Angelica gets frightened by a mouse. What evidence from the story shows this is true? | A. Angelica couldn’t keep up with Sally.
B. Angelica screams, “EEEEEK!”
C. Angelica washes her hands with Sally in the kitchen.
D. Angelica couldn’t see Sally’s teeth in the grass. | B | Which sentence shows that Sally probably isn’t frightened of the mouse? | A. Sally says, “Why would I lie?”
B. Sally didn’t know the mouse was going to be there.
C. Sally laughed and rolled on the ground when Angelica screamed in fright.
D. Sally suggests the tooth fairy has a pet mouse. | C | What is this story mainly about? | A. Angelica and Sally losing their teeth
B. Angelica wishing she had long hair
C. the friendship between Angelica and Sally
D. Sally’s mother making popsicles for Angelica and Sally | C | Read the following sentence from the story: “She could see that the ground was tousled , as if something had recently been buried there or some dirt had been unearthed.” What does the word “tousled” mean in this sentence? | A. messed up
B. smoothed over
C. made hard
D. made flat | A | Sally and Angelica are friends, ___________ the two girls have many differences. | A. such as
B. therefore
C. even though
D. instead | C |
The Hiking Trip | Devon Miller hoisted the backpack onto his back.
“Did you pack your water bottle?” his dad asked.
Devon nodded. “Yes.”
“How about the sandwiches? And the trail map?” Mr. Miller asked.
“I’ve got everything, Dad,” Devon said. “Come on. Let’s hit the trail!”
“Okay,” Mr. Miller said. He sounded a little nervous. He locked the doors of the car. “Let’s go.”
Devon couldn’t wait to start the hike. He had been waiting all winter to go. Now spring had finally come, and all of the snow had melted on the trails. Devon was ready for a good, long hike. Devon’s dad had never been hiking before. His mom usually took him. But she had to work today, and Devon really wanted to go. He had begged and begged until his dad agreed.
“Where do we start?” his dad asked.
“See that tree with the yellow paint mark?” Devon asked, pointing. “That’s the start of the trail. We just follow the trail marks. The trail goes in a big circle. We’ll end up back here in a few hours.”
Mr. Miller tried to smile. “Sounds like fun!”
Devon and his dad began their hike. It was a beautiful day. The weather was cool, but not too cold. Small green plants were peeking up through the dirt. Birds chirped all around them, busy building nests.
They walked and walked. Then they stopped and ate their sandwiches next to a bubbling stream.
Mr. Miller seemed a lot more relaxed. “This is actually fun,” he said. “I’ll go hiking with you again anytime.”
They strapped on their backpacks. They started to walk back to the trail. They stopped. None of the trees had yellow marks on them.
Devon ran up and down the trail. He didn’t see any trail marks anywhere. “Uh, Dad,” he said. “I think we’re lost!” | 280 | 3 | null | Which of the following is an example of the climax in the passage? | A. They made sure they had water, their map and sandwiches.
B. Devon could not find any trail marks.
C. They got in the car and drove to the trail.
D. They ate lunch by the stream. | B | In the sentence, "he sounded a little nervous," he refers to | A. Devon's dad.
B. Devon's grandfather.
C. Devon's friend.
D. Devon. | A | Devon's dad seems | A. mad about having to go hiking.
B. scared something will happen to their car.
C. worried about Mrs. Miller.
D. to feel uncomfortable in the woods. | D | The conflict in this passage is | A. Devon's dad was scared to go hiking.
B. Devon's dad did not want to go hiking.
C. Devon and his dad got lost.
D. Devon lost their trail map. | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Should School Be Year-Round? | Many students say that June is the best time of year. In most places, school lets out as summer begins. Some students don't spend summers at home or at camp, though. They are in school instead. That is because they go to year-round schools.
Students in some year-round schools go to school the same number of days as students in regular schools. But they get mini-breaks throughout the year instead of one long summer vacation. The mini-breaks are a few weeks long. For example, students at some year-round schools often get a few weeks off at Thanksgiving instead of just a few days.
More and more schools are becoming year-round places of learning. The National Association for Year-Round Education states that the number of students in year-round schools has tripled in the last ten years. By 2001, there were about 3,000 year-round schools.
Could your school be next? Would you want your school to be year-round? Read the arguments that follow. Then decide.
Year-round schools are better than regular schools. Students in year-round schools have more breaks. They get to enjoy time off in every season.
Year-round schools allow families to plan vacations in times other than summer. Students in year-round schools are less likely to have to miss school for a trip.
Frequent breaks are good for students. They have less stress when they go back to school after a break. They become more eager to learn. One student said, "I love it. Just about the time I'm really tired, I get a break."
Breaks also give teachers time to plan better lessons. Teachers in regular schools are so busy teaching that they have less time to plan lessons for their classes. Students in year-round schools tend to remember what they learn. That is because their breaks aren't too long. Teachers don't have to spend time going over things that students have forgotten over the summer. All schools should be year-round.
Year-round schools are a bad idea. Summer is a great season. Students should be able to enjoy their summers.
Some families plan vacations over the summer. Year-round schools restrict family vacations. They also don't allow students to go away to camp or take on summer jobs to earn money.
Too many breaks disrupt learning. The breaks allow teachers to focus on a topic for only a few weeks. During mini-breaks, students are away from school long enough to forget what they learned.
In regular schools, lessons are not broken up by frequent breaks. Teachers can spend more time on one topic. Teachers also don't have to plan around as many breaks. Summer can also be very hot. Many schools don't have air conditioning. How can students learn in a hot classroom?
Christopher Newland, a researcher at Auburn University, said that year-round schools do not help students learn. Newland said, "The evidence is that it would be as useful as changing the color of the school buses."
Regular schools work just fine. There is no need to change to year-round schools. | 650 | 3 | Social Studies: School & Family Life | According to the passage, why might students have trouble learning in school during the summer? | A. Many students would rather be at the beach than inside a classroom.
B. Many schools do not have air conditioning, and students would be too hot to learn.
C. Year-round schools make students more tired than schools with a long summer break.
D. Many students are more likely to daydream when the weather outside is hot. | B | How does the author organize the information in this passage? | A. The author describes a problem and several possible solutions.
B. The author defines several different terms.
C. The author describes an argument and then presents evidence to support both sides.
D. The author gives evidence to support his opinion but ignores other opinions. | C | Read this statement: “Students feel like they need frequent breaks.” Which piece of evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. the information from the National Association for Year-Round Education
B. the quote from a student
C. the quote from the researchers
D. the information about air conditioners | B | It can be inferred from the passage that | A. students do not read during breaks
B. teachers do not teach well enough during the school sessions
C. all teachers prefer having more breaks throughout the year
D. students do not remember material after breaks | D | This passage is mostly about | A. reasons why year-round schools are or are not a good idea
B. reasons why all schools should be year-round schools
C. reasons why nine-month schools should offer longer vacations
D. reasons why teachers would prefer to teach in year-round schools | A | Read these sentences from the introduction: “Is your school year-round? If not, would you want it to be? Read the arguments that follow.” In these sentences the author is | A. summarizing their arguments
B. stating their opinion and supporting it with evidence
C. speaking directly to readers to increase their interest
D. creating a mood of anger within the passage | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Students at a year-round school might get several weeks off at Thanksgiving _________ a year-round schedule includes mini-breaks throughout the year rather than one long summer break. | A. because
B. however
C. but
D. although | A |
Hide and Go Hide | “I don’t think they’re going to find us,” said Lisa.
“Nope,” said Krisi. “That’s the whole point.”
“But what if they never find us?”
“Then we win!”
It was recess, on a cold day in November. The class was playing a raging game of hide-and-go-seek. On the jungle gym and in the playhouse, children screamed as loud as they could. Hiding kids were found quickly. The game passed in a blur. None of the players were being very sneaky, except for Lisa and Krisi. They knew just where to hide.
The playground sloped toward a hill. A few feet past the jungle gym, the hill fell sharply down to the football field. Lisa and Krisi were hiding just beyond the hill’s lip. No one on the playground could see them. Technically, they were in bounds, but it didn’t feel like they would ever be found.
Lisa clenched her fists in her mittens as her teeth began to chatter.
“Did you hear that?” she said.
“No.”
“It sounded like Andy shouting, ‘Got you! You’re it!’”
“That sounds like something he’d shout.”
“It means the round is over. We can go back now.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s how the game works?”
“Don’t be crazy! Just because the round is done doesn’t mean we have to give up this hiding spot. Nobody found us. We can use it again.”
“I want to find a different hiding spot. I’m cold here.”
“It’s cold everywhere.”
“But it’s windy here. We’re out in the open.”
“That’s the best part! A normal hide-and-go-seek spot is behind a tree or under the slide. You’re huddled like a mouse in a trap. You can’t see anything. You get caught fast. But look at this!”
Lisa rolled on her back and looked. From the top of the hill they could see across the football field and out into the neighborhood beyond. Because it was winter, and the trees were bare, they could see all the way to downtown.
“Isn’t that awesome? !” asked Krisi.
“I feel like we’re not playing the game anymore. We’re not hiding or seeking or running or screaming. We’re just lying on a hill.” As Krisi nodded, Lisa realized that had been the point all along. “Fine. But just one more round.”
Krisi rolled over too, and the two girls lay on their backs, hiding in plain sight, as a soft November snow began to fall. | 450 | 3 | null | What game is the class playing? | A. flag football
B. tag
C. hide-and-go-seek
D. Duck, Duck, Goose | C | What is the main conflict in this story? | A. Krisi wants to stay in the hiding spot, but Lisa wants to leave.
B. Krisi and Lisa are hiding out in the open, but snow begins to fall.
C. Krisi thinks the view from the hiding spot is awesome, but Lisa feels like they're not playing the game anymore.
D. Lisa and Krisi are not found, but other kids in the class are found quickly. | A | Lisa is cold. What evidence from the story supports this statement? | A. "Lisa rolled on her back and looked. From the top of the hill they could see across the football field and out into the neighborhood beyond."
B. "Lisa clenched her fists in her mittens as her teeth began to chatter."
C. "None of the players were being very sneaky, except for Lisa and Krisi. They knew just where to hide."
D. "Lisa and Krisi were hiding just beyond the hill’s lip. No one on the playground could see them." | B | Krisi wants to stay in the hiding spot where she and Lisa are. What is something Krisi says that supports this conclusion? | A. “That sounds like something he’d shout.”
B. “Don’t be crazy! Just because the round is done doesn’t mean we have to give up this hiding spot. Nobody found us. We can use it again.”
C. “It’s cold everywhere.”
D. "A normal hide-and-go-seek spot is behind a tree or under the slide. You’re huddled like a mouse in a trap. You can’t see anything. You get caught fast." | B | What is the main idea of this story? | A. Two girls have a great hiding spot, but one of them wants to leave it.
B. From the top of a hill, two girls can see across a football field and all the way to downtown.
C. A class plays a game of hide-and-go-seek at recess.
D. Soft snow begins to fall during a day in November. | A | Read these sentences from the text. The class was playing a raging game of hide-and-go-seek. On the jungle gym and in the playhouse, children screamed as loud as they could. Hiding kids were found quickly. The game passed in a blur. What does the author mean when he writes that "the game passed in a blur"? | A. The game was hard to see.
B. The game went by very fast.
C. The game made kids dizzy.
D. The game took a long time. | B | Read these sentences from the text. Hiding kids were found quickly. The game passed in a blur. How could these two sentences be combined without changing their meaning? | A. Hiding kids were found quickly, but the game passed in a blur.
B. Hiding kids were found quickly because the game passed in a blur.
C. Hiding kids were found quickly after the game passed in a blur.
D. Hiding kids were found quickly, and the game passed in a blur. | D |
Moosewood Restaurant | Many restaurants open and then close very quickly. But Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, N.Y. has been around for more than 40 years.
Many restaurants are owned by one person. That person pays the chefs and waiters and other staff to come work for him or her. But Moosewood is different. At Moosewood, many of the people who work and have worked there own the restaurant together. They are members of the Moosewood Collective.
Andi Gladstone has been part of the collective since soon after it started. She says the workers started the collective because they wanted to share the responsibility for the business and also share the money it made.
“They didn’t want to have a boss and workers under the boss,” she says. “They wanted everybody to be in it together.”
Moosewood Restaurant serves vegetarian food, except fish on occasion. Food is vegetarian when it doesn’t have any meat or fish in it.
“We loved animals, and we thought it was healthier for us and for the planet to eat vegetarian,” Ms. Gladstone says.
There are different dishes on the menu every day. Mushrooms go into a quiche—an egg and vegetable dish baked in a pie crust. Zucchinis are stuffed with rice and nuts to make zuccanoes. Spinach is layered with pastry and cheese to make a dish called spanakopita.
All the members of the collective work together to make the restaurant run smoothly. One person works as the menu planner. That person decides which dishes go on the menu and orders the ingredients from local farms and other sellers.
Someone else works as the prep cook. That person chops vegetables and prepares all the ingredients for each dish. Another person is the chef. The chef puts all the ingredients together to cook the food.
Other members of the collective work as waiters. Each waiter takes customers’ orders and tells the chef what the customers want.
Bussers take away the dishes when diners are finished eating. They clean the tables and get them ready for the next customers.
The dishwasher washes all the pots and pans, and cleans the kitchen. The dishwasher is always the last person to leave the restaurant at night.
Running the restaurant is a lot of work. When it is her turn to cook, Ms. Gladstone has to get all of the food ready in time for opening. But she has to be careful she doesn’t finish too early, or else some of the dishes would get mushy.
At the end of a day of waiting tables, Ms. Gladstone’s feet hurt from climbing up and down the stairs carrying dishes of food. She has to do a lot of running back and forth to make sure the customers don’t wait too long for their meals. But Ms. Gladstone enjoys her job. It is satisfying to see people enjoying delicious, healthy food that she helped prepare.
People like the restaurant so much that one of the collective members published a cookbook. At first, the cookbook was just a handwritten binder of recipes. But it became so popular the collective had to print thousands of copies. All across the United States, people bought the cookbook and began making some vegetarian dishes at home. | 850 | 3 | Social Studies: Geography, Societies & Culture | What is Moosewood Restaurant? | A. an egg and vegetable dish baked in a pie crust
B. the job of deciding what dishes go on a menu
C. a vegetarian restaurant owned by many of the people who work there
D. a cookbook with vegetarian recipes that became popular in the United States | C | What does this passage describe? | A. This passage describes Moosewood Restaurant, especially the food and jobs there.
B. This passage describes the town of Ithaca, N.Y., especially the schools and banks there.
C. This passage describes the local farms from which Moosewood Restaurant buys ingredients.
D. This passage describes the favorite dishes of people who eat at Moosewood Restaurant. | A | Moosewood Restaurant has been around for over 40 years, and a cookbook of its recipes became popular. What can be concluded from this information? | A. Moosewood Restaurant should serve meat in addition to vegetarian food and fish.
B. Moosewood Restaurant will probably go out of business soon.
C. Most people do not like quiche, zuccanoes, or spanakopita.
D. Many people like Moosewood Restaurant’s food. | D | Why is it important for people at Moosewood Restaurant to work together? | A. Because Moosewood Restaurant is in the state of New York, it is hard for the restaurant to find enough people to work there.
B. Because there is no single person in charge of the restaurant, people must work together in order to make sure everything gets done.
C. Because the restaurant does not serve chicken or steak, many customers get upset when they see the menu and complain to the workers there.
D. Because the job of waiting tables can make a person’s feet hurt, people who work at the restaurant must make sure they have comfortable shoes. | B | What is this passage mainly about? | A. the work of a prep cook
B. the life of Andi Gladstone
C. zuccanoes and spanakopita
D. Moosewood Restaurant | D | Read the following sentence: “She says the workers started the collective because they wanted to share the responsibility for the business and also share the money it made.” What does the word collective mean above? | A. a healthy egg and vegetable dish baked in a pie crust
B. a healthy egg and vegetable dish baked in a pie crust
C. a collection of vegetarian recipes that people can buy
D. a group of people working together for a common purpose | D | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. People at Moosewood Restaurant wanted to work together without a boss, _______ they decided to share ownership of the restaurant. | A. but
B. so
C. although
D. previously | B |
Colonization & Revolutionary War - Valley Forge | One of the hardest battles George Washington and his troops fought was not against the British. It was against the winter. In the fall of 1777, the British Redcoats occupied Philadelphia, a very important city where the Second Continental Congress had adopted the Declaration of Independence. Many congressmen wanted General Washington to reclaim the city. But Washington knew the Continental Army was not ready. Instead of attacking Philadelphia, Washington took his army to a plateau nearby, above the town of Valley Forge. There, he waited out the winter months.
The winter was bitterly cold. Colonists had hidden supplies for the army, but the British had raided their goods. The months from December 1777 to February 1778 were the hardest three months of the war. The troops had little food beyond the squirrels and small animals they could hunt in the forest. Many did not have uniforms, and many more lacked boots. A soldier's feet would get so cold from walking on the snow and ice that his entire leg might turn black from frostbite. Sometimes, the frostbite was so severe that the soldier's leg would have to be amputated.
The men lived in wooden huts. Each hut was one room and had a small fireplace. Twelve men shared a hut. They had just enough space to lie down, but they did not have blankets. The temperatures often fell below freezing. Many men became sick, and some died. Diseases such as smallpox, dysentery, and typhus killed as many as 2,000 men. The winter tested the loyalty of American troops. Some soldiers abandoned the army.
Washington did what he could to help his troops. A new man was put in charge of sending supplies to the soldiers. He built bridges and improved roads so that food could reach the army. Another man helped Washington train the soldiers to fight the British more effectively. By spring, things began to improve rapidly for the troops.
The nation would never forget the sacrifices of the Continental Army at Valley Forge. Washington's men grew to recognize him as a strong, caring leader. He led the army until the end of the Revolutionary War when Great Britain surrendered. Washington was looking forward to retiring to his home at Mount Vernon. But because he was so respected, the American people called him to duty. He became the first president of the United States. | 750 | 3-4 | Social Studies: U.S. History | According to the text, what was one of the hardest battles George Washington and his troops fought? | A. against the British
B. against living in wooden huts
C. against the winter
D. against loyalty to the army | C | What does the author describe in the second and third paragraphs of the text? | A. The author describes the conditions of the winter of 1777-1778, and lists the effects of these conditions on George Washington’s troops.
B. The author describes the landscape of Valley Forge and its natural resources, and explains how the soldiers used these natural resources.
C. The author describes the attitudes of the soldiers in the winter of 1777-1778, and explains George Washington’s reaction to his troops.
D. The author describes the food that the troops ate in the winter of 1777-1778, and lists the diseases the troops caught from rotten food. | A | Read these sentences from the text. The winter was bitterly cold. Colonists had hidden supplies for the army, but the British had raided their goods. The months from December 1777 to February 1778 were the hardest three months of the war. The troops had little food beyond the squirrels and small animals they could hunt in the forest. Many did not have uniforms, and many more lacked boots. What can you conclude based on this evidence? | A. The British also did not have uniforms or adequate food during the winter months.
B. The Continental Army grew to love eating squirrels and continued to do so throughout the year.
C. George Washington made his army fight during the winter to toughen them up.
D. The Continental Army had fewer supplies for the winter than they expected to have. | D | Based on the text, if the British soldiers had not stolen the Continental Army’s supplies, how might the winter from 1777-1778 in Valley Forge have been different? | A. Fewer Continental Army soldiers would have suffered as greatly during the winter from 1777 to 1778.
B. The Continental Army would have suffered just as much as they did without supplies.
C. The Continental Army would not have suffered from frostbite during the winter from 1777 to 1778.
D. The British Army would have won the war against the Continental Army. | A | What is this text mainly about? | A. the Continental Army’s hardships during the winter of 1777-1778 in Valley Forge and George Washington’s leadership
B. how George Washington saved his troops and gave the troops all the supplies that they needed
C. how Continental Army was completely destroyed and unable to recover after the winter of 1777-1778 in Valley Forge
D. the ways that the British Troops made the Continental Army weaker during the Revolutionary War | A | Read these sentences from the text. The winter tested the loyalty of American troops. Some soldiers abandoned the army. As used in these sentences, what does the word "loyalty" most nearly mean? | A. focus
B. commitment
C. distraction
D. strength | B | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. George Washington knew his troops were not ready to attack Philadelphia, ____ he took his army to Valley Forge. | A. though
B. because
C. so
D. but | C |
You're Out | Boys and girls all over the United States play baseball. Many parents attend their children's games to cheer their kids on.
Some parents, however, are not good sports. They shout at their kids. Others make fun of umpires and kids on the field. A few even run onto the field during games. Those parents are spoiling the game.
Mike Blackwell decided to do something about the problem. He is a city official in New Brunswick, New Jersey. About one year ago [2001], city officials got together and came up with a solution—baseball fields that separate parents from the players.
Kids in New Brunswick now have three new baseball fields. Two of the fields are built on mounds that are 6 feet high. Parents cannot see over the mounds. "The only location for parents to watch their kids play is in the bleachers," said Blackwell. The bleachers separate parents from the dugouts. There are also fences that keep parents off the fields.
The fields are part of a new sports center for kids. The center cost more than 2 million dollars to build! The grand opening is planned for October 19, [2002].
Blackwell is very excited about the new sports center. He told Weekly Reader, "We have more kids that want to play now.
We have more volunteer coaches now."
Why does Mike Blackwell care so much about baseball? He used to play when he was a kid. "When I was a kid in New York state, we lived for baseball. I want kids to enjoy the game," he said.
Both parents and kids need to be good sports. Here are some tips from Mike Blackwell to keep the game fun: | 600 | 3 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | The following is a fact: | A. some parents shout at their kids.
B. no one should play baseball.
C. parents do not go to their kid’s game.
D. parents are scared of coaches. | A | Benefits of the new Sports Center are | A. more kids want to play.
B. more people are interested in coaching.
C. parents cannot spoil the game.
D. all of the above. | D | The following is an opinion: | A. the center was too expensive.
B. a new sports center was built.
C. Blackwell is excited about the center.
D. parents have to watch their kids play from the bleachers. | A | The author added quotes from Mike Blackwell | A. because he is a city official with an opinion.
B. because Blackwell’s son used to play baseball.
C. because he is an expert at baseball.
D. because Blackwell used to play baseball in New York. | A | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Becoming an Artist | Mario and his brother Jose owned an art store in San Francisco, which they were very proud of. They sold the best paints, the best sketch pads, the best stationery, and the best easels. Artists from all over the world came to their store to buy their supplies. Whether they were world-famous artists, or art students, they knew that Mario and Jose sold the best art products for the best prices. Not only that, but Mario and Jose were very helpful and kind people. They helped their customers find whatever they needed. It didn't matter if you didn't know exactly what you wanted: Mario or Jose would walk with you through the store, point out all the different art supplies you could think of, and help you figure out what would be useful to you.
One day a young man came into their store. He had messy brown hair, a long beard, and tiny, beady eyes. He seemed to be searching for something.
"Can I help you?" Mario asked the man.
"I'm not sure. I don't know. You see, I… well, I actually don't have… The thing is, I'd like to buy some… But maybe I should just… I think I'll come back another time." The man spoke so quickly that he stumbled over his words, and then left almost immediately.
Mario looked at Jose. "Was it something I said?" he asked his business partner.
"No," Jose replied. "I don't think that man was ready to become an artist yet."
Mario and Jose forgot about the man and went back to their other customers, making sure that they had enough of their special watercolor paints, their oil paints, and their extra sharp charcoal pencils. You never knew what artists might need for their work!
A week later, the man was back. Mario stayed at the cash register and let Jose try this time.
"Hello, you're back," Jose said with a smile on his face, to make the man feel welcome. "Please feel free to look around our store, and let me know if you have any questions."
Jose let the man walk around on his own, so that he wouldn't feel nervous. Mario and Jose stayed by the cash register, but kept an eye on the man as he went up and down each aisle of the store. Fifteen minutes later, the man came to the front of the store with a sketch pad and some charcoal pencils.
"I'd like to buy these, but I don't have any money. I'm sorry, I don't know what to do."
"That's no problem," Mario said. "Since it's your first time here, consider these two items a gift. It's always scary to start out as an artist. We wish you luck!"
The man looked up at Mario and Jose and smiled. "Thank you so much for your kindness," he said. "I won't forget this."
***
Two years later, an enormous package was delivered to Mario and Jose's store. What could it be? They hadn't ordered anything this large. They opened it, and inside was a beautiful painting of their store—the entrance, Mario and Jose inside it, the sculpture outside the store! Attached to the painting was a note, which read, "You helped me start my journey as an artist. Please accept this payment as thanks!"
Mario and Jose looked up the artist's name, and sure enough, it was the man who had come into their store without being able to pay for supplies. He was now a successful artist, living in Italy, and selling his work all over the world!
Mario and Jose framed the painting and proudly put it at the front of their store. | 810 | 3 | Arts: Visual Arts | Who are Mario and Jose? | A. brothers who work at an art museum
B. brothers who travel to Italy
C. brothers who are artists
D. brothers who own an art store | D | What is the setting of this story? | A. Italy
B. an art school
C. an art store
D. an art museum | C | Read this statement from the story. Mario and Jose were very helpful and kind people. What evidence from the story supports this statement? | A. "Two years later, an enormous package was delivered to Mario and Jose's store. What could it be? They hadn't ordered anything this large. They opened it, and inside was a beautiful painting of their store!"
B. "Mario and his brother Jose owned an art store in San Francisco, which they were very proud of. They sold the best paints, the best sketch pads, the best stationery, and the best easels. Artists from all over the world came to their store to buy their supplies."
C. "They helped their customers find whatever they needed. It didn't matter if you didn't know exactly what you wanted: Mario or Jose would walk with you through the store, point out all the different art supplies you could think of, and help you figure out what would be useful to you."
D. "One day a young man came into their store. He had messy brown hair, a long beard, and tiny, beady eyes. He seemed to be searching for something." | C | Read these sentences from the text. Jose let the man walk around on his own, so that he wouldn't feel nervous. Mario and Jose stayed by the cash register, but kept an eye on the man as he went up and down each aisle of the store. Fifteen minutes later, the man came to the front of the store with a sketch pad and some charcoal pencils. 'I'd like to buy these, but I don't have any money. I'm sorry, I don't know what to do.' 'That's no problem,' Mario said. 'Since it's your first time here, consider these two items a gift. It's always scary to start out as an artist. We wish you luck!' The man looked up at Mario and Jose and smiled. 'Thank you so much for your kindness,' he said. 'I won't forget this.' Based on the information in these sentences, why might Mario and Jose have given the sketch pad and pencils to the man as a gift? | A. because they had more sketch pads and pencils than they needed
B. because they were worried that the man might steal the sketch pad and pencils
C. because they wanted the man to send them a painting of their store
D. because they wanted to help the man become an artist | D | What is a theme of this story? | A. Being kind and helpful to other people makes them want to repay that help and kindness.
B. Being mean and rude to other people makes them want to be mean and rude in return.
C. If you want to be an artist, it is important to have a lot of money and know exactly what art supplies you will use.
D. If you want to be an artist, it is important to first try another job, such as working in a store. | A | Read these sentences from the text. One day a young man came into their store. He had messy brown hair, a long beard, and tiny, beady eyes. He seemed to be searching for something. 'Can I help you?' Mario asked the man. 'I'm not sure. I don't know. You see, I… well, I actually don't have… The thing is, I'd like to buy some… But maybe I should just… I think I'll come back another time.' The man spoke so quickly that he stumbled over his words, and then left almost immediately. Based on these sentences, what does the phrase "he stumbled over his words" mean? | A. He spoke softly.
B. He had trouble walking.
C. He had trouble talking.
D. He tripped while he was talking. | C | Read these sentences from the text. Mario and his brother Jose owned an art store in San Francisco, which they were very proud of. They sold the best paints, the best sketch pads, the best stationery, and the best easels. Artists from all over the world came to their store to buy their supplies. Whom or what does the word "their" refer to here? | A. sketch pads
B. San Francisco
C. artists from all over the world
D. Mario and Jose | D |
The Campanile | Every evening in Berkeley, California, at six o’clock, the bells in the Campanile ring long, loud and clear. The Campanile, also known as the Sather Tower, is a bell tower and clock tower at the University of California in Berkeley (UC Berkeley). Standing at 307 feet, it is the third-tallest bell tower in the world and is visible throughout Berkeley—and beyond.
A bell tower contains one or more bells. The Campanile in Berkeley is named after the Italian word “campana,” meaning bell. Another English word for a bell tower is a “belfry,” but in Berkeley everyone refers to the tower as the Campanile. The tallest bell tower in the world is in the United Kingdom, also at a university. It is called the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower at the University of Birmingham.
While many people know about the Campanile, for a long time few people knew who actually rang the bells. Many stories floated about the town. Was it a blind lady who rang the bells? UC Berkeley students? A group of squirrels, fat and strong? Ghosts from all over California?
Tourists like to visit the Campanile, but not people in Berkeley! When asked how many bells there are in the Campanile, the answer is different each time. Some think there is only one bell; others think there are two. Still others believe there are lots of bells—big, little, high-pitched, and low-pitched—that sing across town every night.
At last Mr. Duncan, known all over town as the quiet, old librarian, came forward and shared a secret. He was the bell-ringer and had been ringing the bells in the Campanile for decades. Not only that, but he had been training students at UC Berkeley to take over when he is no longer able to get to the very top of the tower and ring the bells.
“Depending on my mood each day, I choose a song to play for the town,” Mr. Duncan said in an interview. “The fog and the sunshine in Berkeley make me feel different things on different days. I will play a happy, or serious or mournful song, accordingly.”
When Mr. Duncan was asked how many songs he knew, he said, “probably five-hundred songs.”
Where did Mr. Duncan learn to play the bells?
“When I was a college student I studied abroad, spending time at Oxford University. The bell towers were my favorite part of the old architecture. I would spend lots of time with my friends, or reading my textbooks, leaning against the tall structures. One evening I heard the bells come alive and my heart began to race. I had never heard such beautiful music before. I could feel the sound vibrating through my body. It was through the evening sky and reaching as far as the setting sun. I knew immediately that I had to get closer to those bells.”
Mr. Duncan spent a year learning how to play the bells from one of Oxford University’s bell-ringing experts, Mr. Cacophonix. “He was very patient with me,” Mr. Duncan said.
After returning to Berkeley, Mr. Duncan continued to work on his technique by practicing in the Campanile. He even wrote his own compositions.
“After a quiet day at the library,” he said, “it makes me happy to break the silence with such powerful music.” | 910 | 3 | null | What is the Campanile? | A. a song played on a high-pitched bell
B. an expert on bell ringing
C. a bell tower at UC Berkeley
D. a clock tower at the University of Birmingham | C | One effect in this passage is the sound of bells from the Campanile. What is the cause? | A. The sound of bells comes from a radio in the Campanile.
B. The sound of bells comes from wind chimes hanging in the Campanile.
C. The bells are being rung by Mr. Duncan, a librarian.
D. The bells are being rung by UC Berkeley students who have climbed up the Campanile. | C | Mr. Duncan spent a year learning to play bells at Oxford University. At Berkeley he continued to practice what he had learned. Now he performs his own music. What can be concluded from this information? | A. Mr. Duncan likes Oxford University more than UC Berkeley.
B. Mr. Duncan has a strong interest in music.
C. Learning to play bells is boring but easy.
D. People who play bells make a lot of money. | B | What is probably true about the sound of the Campanile’s bells? | A. People who live in Berkeley are tired of the sound of the Campanile’s bells.
B. The sound of the bells carries far beyond the Campanile.
C. The sound of the Campanile’s bells is too soft for most people to hear.
D. The sound of the Campanile’s bells brings people bad luck. | B | What is this passage mostly about? | A. the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower at the University of Birmingham
B. the Campanile at UC Berkeley and the person who rings its bells
C. words in English that come from other languages, such as Italian
D. the musical compositions that Mr. Duncan has written | B | Read the following sentence: “Standing at 307 feet, it is the third-tallest bell tower in the world and is visible throughout Berkeley—and beyond.” What does the word tower mean above? | A. a tall, narrow building
B. a large, low-pitched bell
C. a university with many students
D. a piece of music that is played in public | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. For now, Mr. Duncan rings the Campanile’s bells; _______,the UC Berkeley students he has been training will take over. | A. for example
B. most importantly
C. earlier
D. later on | D |
Cold Feet | When someone says they have “cold feet,” it means they are afraid to do something they’re supposed to do. That wasn’t Louis’ problem. Louis actually had cold feet. They felt like icicles. Icicles on top of ice cubes. Inside of ice water.
It was very cold in his bedroom.
“I wonder if this is what Antarctica is like,” Louis said. “I’m glad I’m not a penguin.”
Louis lay in his cowboy pajamas, curled into as tight a ball as he could. He was supposed to go to sleep, but to go to sleep meant he had to stretch out his legs. And even though he was supposed to do that, he was afraid. So maybe he had both kinds of cold feet, after all.
That afternoon, it had snowed for the first time all year. Louis and his friends spent the whole day outside. They built snowmen. They sledded down the hill behind the school. They had snowball fights with Louis’ neighbor. All day long, they had so much fun that Louis didn’t notice how cold his feet were.
After a while, in fact, he didn’t notice his feet at all. They were totally numb!
When he got home, Louis kicked the snow off his boots, unzipped them, and yanked them off his feet. He peeled off his socks, and was shocked by what he saw. His feet were as white as the snow outside! He poked his left foot. He poked his right foot. He didn’t feel them at all.
“Uh…Mom!” he said.
Louis’ mom told him to run a hot bath. He stuck his feet in the steaming water and gradually, feeling returned. The feeling that returned was hot.
“Too hot!” said Louis, and yanked his feet out of the tub. He dried them as well as he could, but he must not have done such a good job. By the time he climbed into bed, his feet were still a little damp. It was cold in his room—very cold—and cold air, plus wet feet, can only mean one thing.
His feet had frozen again.
“Brrrr!” said Louis. “Brrrrrrrrrr!”
He thought if he “brrrr-ed” loud enough, his mother would hear him. If she knew how cold his feet were, she would bring warm socks. She would bring extra blankets. She would bring hot water bottles. Louis trembled at the thought of how wonderful a hot water bottle would be.
He “brrrr-ed” as loud as he could, but Mom didn’t hear.
Louis looked across his room at the closet. There were no hot water bottles in there, but there were socks. There were blankets. If he could get to his closet, he could save himself. But he couldn’t get out of bed. He wasn’t sure his feet were any good to walk on anymore. And the hardwood floor, shiny in the moonlight, looked as cold as the inside of a freezer. It was too cold to sleep, and too cold to walk across the floor.
“This is a pickle,” said Louis. “Brrrr,” he added, just to himself.
A shiver hit him. A bad one, that went down his spine like lightning across the night sky. He straightened his legs all the way, sending his feet right down to the coldest part of the bed, and then curled back up into his ball.
“Yikes!”
It was cold down there. Cold like the deepest, darkest part of a cave. Cold like the bottom of the ocean. Cold like outer space. And he was going to have to stick his feet down there. There was no question of getting up and getting a blanket. Socks were not coming to help. Louis was not getting out from under his blanket, and that meant he’d have to warm the bottom of the bed up himself.
He kicked his legs out. He kicked them around, running in place. He tried to rub the cold sheets as much as possible to make them warm. This, he had learned in science class, is called friction. Friction makes heat, and he needed as much heat as he could get.
He ran in place until his legs were tired, and then he stopped. He paused. Would his feet freeze again?
It was cold down there. Not as cold as it was before—not very cold—but still chilly. He felt the warmth fade. About to panic, he looked around for something to help. Beside the bed, just within arm’s reach, were the clothes he had been wearing that afternoon. He grabbed his pants, shirt, long underwear and big winter coat. He piled them on top of his feet. They locked in the heat, and he knew his feet would eventually get cozy under there.
Now, Louis could sleep. He was feeling warmer already. | 550 | 3 | null | What is wrong with Louis? | A. He is scared.
B. His hands are cold.
C. He misses his mom.
D. His feet are cold. | D | How does Louis first try to solve the problem of cold feet? | A. He says, “Brrrr!” and hopes Mom will hear.
B. He puts his feet in a hot bath.
C. He rubbed the cold sheets with his feet.
D. He piles clothes on top of his feet. | B | Putting his feet in a hot bath helps Louis warm up his feet. Which details from the story support this conclusion? | A. “Louis’ mom told him to run a hot bath.”
B. “By the time he climbed into bed, his feet were still a little damp.”
C. “He stuck his feet in the steaming water and gradually, feeling returned.”
D. “He poked his left foot. He poked his right foot. He didn’t feel them at all.” | C | How could Louis have prevented cold feet in bed? | A. He could have dried his feet better.
B. He could have worn snow boots outside.
C. He could have stretched out his legs.
D. He could have curled up in a ball. | A | What is this story mostly about? | A. how Louis gets cold feet from playing outside
B. why saying “Brrrrr!” doesn’t solve anything
C. how Louis solves the problem of cold feet
D. why taking a bath is the best way to warm up | C | Read the following sentences: “It was cold down there. Not as cold as it was before—not very cold—but still chilly. He felt the warmth fade . About to panic, he looked around for something to help. Beside the bed, just within arm’s reach, were the clothes he had been wearing that afternoon. He grabbed his pants, shirt, long underwear and big winter coat.” What does “fade” mean as used in this sentence? | A. become noticeable
B. become stronger
C. quickly come back
D. slowly go away | D | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Louis played outside in the snow all day. __________, his feet are numb and frozen. | A. As a result
B. On the other hand
C. Before
D. Particularly | A |
The Disappearing Room | “Where’d you go?” asked Alejandro, with a tremble in his voice.
June coughed. She could taste dust in her mouth and felt a stinging on her knees. She could barely breathe after falling down the steps and onto the cold concrete.
“June, where are you?” called out Alejandro. The room was pitch black. He could hear his friend at the bottom of the steps, but in the darkness he could not see a thing. He turned around and pulled on the doorknob. The heavy, wooden door wouldn’t budge.
“I’m ok,” answered June. “I think I scraped my knees. Ouch! OK, I’m sure I scraped my knees. But everything else feels OK.” June felt a tear in her eye, but tried very hard to hold it back. She worried about how frightened Alejandro was.
“I can’t see anything in here!” exclaimed Alejandro, trying hard not to panic.
“I know. Me neither. Come down the steps, but don’t hold onto the rail! That’s why I fell. The rail stops halfway down.”
As Alejandro slowly descended into the basement, June looked in every direction. She wondered why she couldn’t make out any shapes. Even when her parents turned out every light in the apartment after bedtime, she could always make out the picture frames on her dresser. In this place, it was like her eyes were shut.
“I’m here,” said Alejandro, interrupting her thoughts. He clasped June’s hand and asked, “What now?”
June squinted and sighed. Then she noticed a bright speck in the corner of the room. A thin beam of light shot out from the speck. It pointed down to the floor and disappeared into the darkness.
“Do you see it?” asked Alejandro. Most of the room was still in darkness, but near that one spot of light, he could see what looked like chairs.
“Yeah!” confirmed June. She reached up towards the light. There was a curtain, covering a window. She opened it.
Alejandro and June covered their eyes. Their corner of the basement was flooded with light! Then, everything in the room became visible: the steps, the broken rail, the chairs, an old billiards table, and boxes and boxes of old newspapers.
“No luck with that door?” asked June.
Alejandro shook his head. June clambered onto a nearby chair and pushed at the window. It opened with a creak, and she pulled herself towards the opening.
“Let’s get back to the party,” she said with a smirk. | 530 | 3-4 | null | Where are June and Alejandro? | A. in a very large bathroom
B. in a very small closet
C. in a very dark room
D. in a very hot attic | C | June and Alejandro have a problem. The room they are in is too dark for them to see well. How do they solve this problem? | A. They knock on a wooden door until somebody lets them out.
B. They scream for help until somebody hears them.
C. They climb up a staircase, holding tightly to the railing.
D. They notice a little bit of light, and June opens a curtain. | D | June and Alejandro are scared. What evidence from the story supports this statement? | A. “Alejandro shook his head. June clambered onto a nearby chair and pushed at the window.”
B. “June felt a tear in her eye, but tried very hard to hold it back. She worried about how frightened Alejandro was.”
C. “‘Do you see it?’ asked Alejandro. Most of the room was still in darkness, but near that one spot of light, he could see what looked like chairs.”
D. “As Alejandro slowly descended into the basement, June looked in every direction. She wondered why she couldn’t make out any shapes.” | B | Why does June push at the window and pull herself toward its opening? | A. She wants to get out of the room.
B. She wants to stay in the room.
C. She wants to make the room dark again.
D. She wants Alejandro to try opening the door. | A | What is a theme of this story? | A. Discovering a new place is lots of fun and can make your life better.
B. Getting into a fight with a friend can help you work out your differences.
C. Children in a dangerous situation should turn to an adult for help.
D. People can get out of a scary situation if they do not give in to their fear. | D | Read the following sentences: “The room was pitch black . He could hear his friend at the bottom of the steps, but in the darkness he could not see a thing.” What does the phrase pitch black mean? | A. completely black
B. more gray than black
C. mostly black with a few rays of light
D. a black surface with lots of light shining on it | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. June and Alejandro do not give up looking for a way out of the room ______ they are scared. | A. finally
B. moreover
C. although
D. specifically | C |
An Unexpected Guest | Nobody moved and neither did the bear. The crows cawed in the trees. The trees rustled in the wind. The wind carried our scent to the bear. The bear took a step toward us.
We had been sitting on the deck when the bear came. It climbed over the rock wall that separates our backyard from the woods. It growled. Slobber dripped from its mouth. On the deck were me, my mom, my dad, and my little sister. When the bear growled, we gasped, and we became very still.
The bear took a step toward us, but we didn't move. It was only one step, we thought to ourselves. No need to panic. We didn’t want to spook the bear. We didn’t want the bear to charge.
The bear took another step. Okay, we thought, perhaps we should move. But we didn't move.
The bear took a third step. We grabbed each other. I grabbed my dad, my dad grabbed my mom, my mom grabbed my sister.
The bear roared. My mom said, “Nobody move,” which I thought was unnecessary. Slowly, very slowly, she backed away from the bear, away from us. She backed across the deck all the way to the door. Without turning around, she pulled the handle. Locked.
“I forget which one you're supposed to do,” my little sister whispered. “Are you supposed to play dead, or are you supposed to try and scare the bear?”
“Play dead,” said my father. “Scare the bear,” said my mother.
The bear raised itself on its hind legs and roared even louder. It was eight feet tall. It had teeth the length of my fingers. It had eyes without fear or pity.
“Let's cover all our bases,” I said. “Mom, you scare the bear. Dad, you play dead. Sis, you play bear. I'll scare the dead.”
It was settled. The bear took one step closer, and we sprang into action. Dad collapsed in a heap. Mom raised her arms and jumped up and down. My sister got down on all fours and started growling. I ran over to my dad and at the top of my lungs I screamed, “BOO!”
It worked like a charm. The bear stopped growling. Mom says I'm making this up, but I swear I saw it raise one eyebrow in surprise. It almost seemed to shrug, and then it turned and lumbered off. I think bears are like people: they don't like surprises. | 420 | 3 | null | What are the narrator and the narrator's family doing when a bear comes? | A. climbing a tree
B. walking through the woods
C. sitting on the deck
D. climbing a rock wall | C | To solve the problem of the bear coming over, what does the narrator's mother do? | A. She raises her arms and jumps up and down.
B. She gets down on all fours and starts growling.
C. She collapses in a heap.
D. She runs up to the bear and screams, "BOO!" | A | The narrator and the narrator's family are scared of the bear. What evidence from the text supports this statement? | A. "The wind carried our scent to the bear."
B. "The bear raised itself on its hind legs and roared even louder."
C. "When the bear growled, we gasped, and we became very still."
D. "The bear took a step toward us." | C | Read these sentences from the text. The bear roared. My mom said, 'Nobody move,' which I thought was unnecessary. Based on the information in the story, why might the narrator think the mother's words are unnecessary? | A. The narrator thinks that doing something would be more helpful than saying something.
B. The wind is too loud for anybody to hear the mother's words.
C. Nobody is moving when the mother says, "Nobody move."
D. The narrator thinks the mother's words will anger the bear. | C | What is a theme of this story? | A. People should spend more time in nature and less time indoors.
B. Neither bears nor humans like surprises.
C. Grown-ups always know what to do in an emergency.
D. People should treat animals with respect and kindness. | B | Read these sentences from the text. The bear took one step closer, and we sprang into action. Dad collapsed in a heap. Mom raised her arms and jumped up and down. My sister got down on all fours and started growling. I ran over to my dad and at the top of my lungs I screamed, 'BOO!' It worked like a charm. The bear stopped growling. Mom says I'm making this up, but I swear I saw it raise one eyebrow in surprise. It almost seemed to shrug, and then it turned and lumbered off. Based on these sentences, what is the meaning of the phrase "it worked like a charm"? | A. It worked very hard.
B. It worked really well.
C. It did not work at all.
D. It did not work well. | B | Read these sentences from the text. The bear took a third step. We grabbed each other. I grabbed my dad, my dad grabbed my mom, my mom grabbed my sister. In the last sentence, what conjunction could be added after the second comma without changing the meaning of the sentence? | A. and
B. because
C. or
D. nor | A |
Lost Treasure | “Land, ho, Captain!” Captain Redbeard looked out over the ship’s bow. A small island could be seen over the horizon. He looked down at the faded and wrinkled map in his hands. If the map was right, then he and his crew were just hours away from acquiring a treasure beyond their wildest dreams.
“Stay on course!” the captain called out. Every member of the crew was alert and eager to reach the destination. When there was treasure at stake, pirates paid attention. Of course, if the map was wrong, Redbeard knew he’d have an unhappy crew on his hands.
They sailed across the sparkling blue water until they were a few hundred yards away from shore. According to the map, the treasure was hidden in a cave on the island’s east coast. Redbeard barked out directions. “Steer her starboard, lads! We’ll anchor outside the inlet and lower the boats!”
The pirates sprang into action. They sailed around the coast of the island. Redbeard saw an inlet cove tucked inside the island’s shore, just as the map showed. They anchored the boat and lowered three rowboats. Captain Redbeard climbed into the first one, along with three other pirates. The pirates rowed the boat, leading the way into the inlet. The water narrowed and led into a cave carved inside the island’s rocky shore.
“The treasure awaits us! It will be a fine sight to see!” Redbeard said. The cave was cold and dark. A few feet away Redbeard could make out something glittering on a rocky shelf—the treasure! “Let’s grab it, lads!” he cried.
Then the water around them began to churn. A giant octopus rose up in front of them, thrashing its tentacles. The boat nearly tipped over. Redbeard quickly tried to think of a plan. The map hadn’t said anything about a giant octopus! | 680 | 3 | null | Where do Captain Redbeard and the pirates find the treasure? | A. on a cliff
B. on the island's west coast
C. on the shore
D. in the cave | D | What does it mean when the author says that the “pirates sprang into action,”? | A. The pirates moved quickly to sail around the island.
B. The pirates got ready to attack the octopus.
C. The pirates quickly prepared the ship.
D. The pirates jumped up and down to scare the octopus. | A | What motivates the actions of Captain Redbeard and his crew in the story? | A. the desire to become famous
B. the hope of finding treasure
C. the hope of finding an octopus
D. the fear of getting lost | B | What is a major conflict in the story? | A. Captain Redbeard gives directions to the crew.
B. The ship sails across the water towards the island’s inlet.
C. The giant octopus appears in the cave.
D. The crew anchors the boat and lowers three rowboats. | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
A School Trip to the Aquarium | Erica was very excited. Today her teacher, Ms. Lane, was taking the entire class on a field trip to the aquarium. Erica had been to the zoo with her family, but she had never been to the aquarium.
On the bus ride to the aquarium Erica and her best friend Samantha talked about what they wanted to see the most.
“I want to see the penguins,” said Samantha.
“I want to see the fish,” said Erica.
When they got to the aquarium Ms. Lane lined the class up.
“We have to stay together,” Ms. Lane said. “This way no one will get lost.”
Erica listened to Ms. Lane and grabbed Samantha’s hand, and the class moved forward in one big group.
Their first stop in the aquarium was to see the penguins. Samantha was so excited that she ran right up to the glass.
Erica thought the penguins were cute, even though they smelled pretty bad. They walked funny outside of the water, but were graceful when they were swimming. As the class watched the penguins move around the rocks, Erica noticed that some of them walked together. Others had little baby penguins by their side.
“How come some of those penguins stay together?” Erica asked Ms. Lane.
“Well, some kinds of penguins stay together for a long time,” said Ms. Lane. “They keep each other warm, and they protect their babies. King penguins live in colonies with hundreds of other penguins.”
“Do they talk to each other?” asked Samantha.
“They do,” Ms. Lane said. “They use vocal signals. Or they use visual signals.”
“Like you do when you hold up your hand for us to be quiet,” Erica said.
“Yes, it’s like that,” said Ms. Lane. “You see my signal and you know to be quiet because I have something important to tell you. Penguins use signals to let other penguins know if there is danger.”
Ms. Lane pointed at a little baby penguin. “By staying in a group the older penguins are also able to keep their baby penguins fed,” she said. “Without the group the babies would get lost or go hungry.”
“I am glad they help each other,” said Samantha. Erica agreed.
Ms. Lane asked the class to line back up and to find their partners.
“Look, we are like the penguins,” said Samantha as she waddled next to Erica. That made Erica laugh.
The class moved as a group to the next room where there was a big tank full of fish. There were fish of all different shapes and sizes. Some were bright colors and some were darker colors. Most of the fish swam around on their own but there was also a group of little fish all swimming together.
“Why are all those little fish swimming together?” asked a boy in Erica’s class.
“Sometimes fish swim in a group for protection,” said Ms. Lane.
“What kind of protection?” Erica asked.
“Well, since they are small, if they were on their own other bigger fish could eat them,” said Ms. Lane. “But when they all swim together, they look like a bigger fish.”
The class looked into the tank at the group of little fish. Ms. Lane was right; when they all swam together they looked a lot like a big fish.
“This way when a bigger fish sees them, it doesn’t realize that they are a whole bunch of small fish,” said Ms. Lane. “A group of fish that swim together is called a school.”
“Like us,” said Samantha. “We are a school because we all stay together, and no one gets lost.”
“Some schools of fish stick together in order to survive in their environment,” said Ms. Lane. “For instance, if it is cold, some fish will move together to warmer water.”
Erica watched the fish swim together. She liked that the fish and the penguins helped each other by staying in a group. Animals were smarter than she thought. | 720 | 3 | Science: Life Science | What kinds of animals does Ms. Lane’s class see at the aquarium? | A. lions and insects
B. lions and fish
C. penguins and fish
D. penguins and insects | C | Where does most of the story take place? | A. in a classroom
B. at an aquarium
C. on a school bus
D. in the ocean | B | Penguins and humans are similar in some ways. What evidence from the story supports this statement? | A. Penguins and humans both use visual signals.
B. Samantha is excited about seeing the penguins at the aquarium.
C. Sometimes small fish swim in a group for protection.
D. Ms. Lane’s class watches the penguins move around the rocks. | A | What is something that fish, penguins, and the students in Ms. Lane’s class have in common? | A. They take a class trip to the aquarium.
B. They walk funny outside the water but are graceful when swimming.
C. They live in colonies and smell bad.
D. They help each other by staying in a group. | D | What is a theme of this story? | A. the fun that people can have as a family
B. the dangers of getting lost on a class field trip
C. the fear that people have of things they do not understand
D. the importance of staying together in a group | D | Read the following sentences: “Their first stop in the aquarium was to see the penguins. Samantha was so excited that she ran right up to the glass.” What does aquarium mean? | A. a place where children go after school and wait for their parents to pick them up
B. a place where people go to hear musicians sing and play instruments
C. a building where people can go to see animals that live in and around water
D. a building where people go for help when they are hurt or sick | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Samantha is excited to see the penguins; _______ Erica is excited to see the fish. | A. on the other hand
B. therefore
C. as an illustration
D. before | A |
Miss Johnson's Plant Experiment | Miss Johnson, a second grade teacher, reached deep into her canvas bag and pulled out two plants. She placed the plants on a table at the front of the room. She asked her class to gather around the table to look at the plants and describe what they saw.
“They look the same,” Helena said.
“The leaves are green,” Aaron added.
“They’re standing straight up,” Lee noted.
Miss Johnson asked them to touch the soil and tell her about it.
“The soil is moist, and it’s dark brown,” Mia observed.
“The soil is getting stuck under my fingernails,” Teresa said.
Miss Johnson placed one plant in a sunny spot on the windowsill and the other on the floor in a dark corner of the classroom. She asked for four volunteers. Each volunteer was responsible for watering the plant on the windowsill once a week. Miss Johnson promised her class the plants would be part of an important lesson the following month.
* * *
Four weeks later, Miss Johnson brought the plants back to the table and invited the class to describe them again.
“They don’t look like each other anymore!” Helena said excitedly.
“One plant is green and has some new bright green leaves, and the other plant has more yellow and brown leaves than green leaves,” Nina explained.
“One plant is standing straight up, and the other one is bent over,” Lenny added.
Miss Johnson then asked the students to touch the soil and tell her about it.
“It’s moist and dark brown around this plant,” Grace said.
“It’s very dry and light brown around this plant,” Max described.
Miss Johnson explained, “Plants are alive. They respond to where they live. What are the differences between where I put the plants and how we cared for them?”
“You put one in a dark corner and the other one on the windowsill where there’s a lot of light,” Ellie replied.
“We watered the plant on the windowsill, but we didn’t water the plant in the corner of the room,” Aaron said.
“That’s right. Which plant is growing and healthy?” Miss Johnson asked. Several students replied that the plant on the windowsill they watered was the one which was growing and healthy.
“You’re right!” Miss Johnson exclaimed, proud of her students. Then she continued, “I wanted you to see for yourselves that plants depend on light and water to grow and to be healthy. Did you know that plants breathe? They have little openings on their leaves that look like tiny mouths, but they are too small to see without a microscope. When we breathe, we breathe in oxygen. Plants breathe in carbon dioxide.
“Plants take in carbon dioxide from the air and use it to build their leaves, stems and roots. Plants also take in water. This is why we need to water plants—so they will grow. They use their roots to suck water up into their bodies, and the little openings on their leaves to breathe in carbon dioxide.
“Once they have water and carbon dioxide, plants need light. Leaves are made up of a bunch of tiny cells. Inside the cells are very little things called chloroplasts. Chloroplasts are what make leaves green, and they are also what turn the carbon dioxide, water, and light into sugar and oxygen. The sugar is food for the plants. The plants release the oxygen into the air, which humans and many animals breathe in.”
“What do plants need to grow and be healthy?” Miss Johnson asked her class.
“They need light and water!” the class replied.
“Let’s place both plants on the windowsill where they will get lots of light and grow. Who would like to volunteer to water the plants?”
All of Miss Johnson’s students raised their hands. | 700 | 3-4 | Science: Life Science | What does Miss Johnson ask her class to look at and describe? | A. two plants
B. three plants
C. four plants
D. five plants | A | What is compared and contrasted with the plant on the windowsill? | A. the plant on Miss Johnson’s desk
B. the plant in a dark corner
C. another plant on the windowsill
D. a plant that one of Miss Johnson’s students has at home | B | Plants need light and water to be healthy. What evidence from the story supports this statement? | A. Miss Johnson asks for four volunteers to water the plant on the windowsill.
B. When Miss Johnson takes two plants out of her canvas bag, they both have green leaves.
C. When Miss Johnson takes two plants out of her canvas bag, they are both standing straight up.
D. The plant on the windowsill that Miss Johnson’s students watered is healthy. | D | What happens to the plant in the dark corner? | A. The plant in the dark corner grows poorly and does not stay healthy.
B. The plant in the dark corner stands straight up and has only green leaves.
C. The plant in the dark corner grows bright green and red leaves.
D. The plant in the dark corner is watered once a week by Miss Johnson’s students. | A | What is this passage mainly about? | A. different types of trees and where they grow
B. what plants need to grow and be healthy
C. what second graders do for fun after school
D. what working in a science lab is like | B | Read the following sentences: “Miss Johnson then asked the students to touch the soil and tell her about it. Grace: It’s moist and dark brown around this plant. Max: It’s very dry and light brown around this plant.” What is the meaning of the word “soil” above? | A. tree
B. flower
C. dirt
D. water | C | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. The plant on the windowsill has bright green leaves; _______, the plant in the dark corner has brown and yellow leaves. | A. in contrast
B. in conclusion
C. in particular
D. as a result | A |
A Fire Safety Checklist | It didn't seem like a fire hazard at the time, but when 11-year-old Erin plugged her new computer into the extension cord, she heard a pop and saw a spark come from the outlet. She quickly unplugged her computer, and ran and got her mom.
Luckily for Erin and her family, there was no fire.
Fires are scary and dangerous. They hurt and destroy things in your home. And they spread quickly. That's why it's so important for you and your family to know what to do in a fire. It's even more important that you know how to prevent them. You and your family can help to make your home safer from fire by identifying and correcting potential fire hazards in your home.
What can you do to make sure that you and your family are less likely to be harmed by fire? The first thing is to perform a room-by-room search with your family, looking for possible fire hazards.
What would you do if there were a fire in your home? Even though you're careful to watch for trouble spots and your family practices fire prevention, it is still possible for a fire to break out. In that case, you need to know how to get out fast! Fires can be loud and burn very fast. Their smoke can make a room very dark. What you need is a fire escape plan that helps you to get out of your home quickly. You can help your family make an escape plan. Here's how:
If you find yourself in a fire, get out as fast as you can. Don't stop for toys or pets. Here's how:
Call 9-1-1 if there is a phone in the room. Tell them you are trapped, and tell them exactly where you are in the building. Open a window and stay near it but close to the floor. The air will be fresher there. Try to attract attention to yourself. Wave something bright out the window-clothing, a towel, a flashlight. Yell or blow a loud whistle.
If the door is not hot, open it slowly. There may be smoke in the hallway. Try to cover your mouth and nose. A wet towel is best, but a T-shirt or anything within reach can help protect your lungs from dangerous smoke and fumes.
Time is important when a fire starts in the home. Everyone should be taught about the dangers of fire and what to expect so that each person can act quickly. That's why it's important to drill, drill, and drill every six months. By making sure your home is free of potential fire hazards and by having a fire escape plan, you and your family will have a better chance at staying safe. | 670 | 3 | Social Studies: Sports, Health & Safety | How can you and your family help to make your home safer from fire? | A. by buying a new computer and plugging an extension cord into it
B. by reading comic books that feature characters who get trapped in a fire
C. by using a computer to do work instead of using paper and pencil
D. by identifying and correcting potential fire hazards in your home | D | What does the author list in the “Get Out Fast” section of the article? | A. tips for getting out of a fire quickly
B. tips for getting out of a car quickly
C. tips for getting out of a cave quickly
D. tips for getting out of a fight quickly | A | Read these paragraphs from the text. “It didn't seem like a fire hazard at the time, but when 11-year-old Erin plugged her new computer into the extension cord, she heard a pop and saw a spark come from the outlet. She quickly unplugged her computer, and ran and got her mom. “Luckily for Erin and her family, there was no fire.” What can you conclude about fires from these paragraphs? | A. Fires are always caused by sparks from outlets.
B. Fires are sometimes caused by sparks from outlets.
C. Fires are never caused by sparks from outlets.
D. More fires are caused by adults than by children. | B | Based on the information in the text, why should you have a fire escape plan? | A. Having an escape plan means you will not need to call 9-1-1 for help during a fire.
B. Having an escape plan will make saving your toys and pets easier during a fire.
C. Having an escape plan will help you get out of your home quickly during a fire.
D. Having an escape plan means you will not be upset or scared during a fire. | C | What is this text mostly about? | A. how to safely plug an extension cord into a new computer
B. what you can do to make sure that you and your family are less likely to be harmed by fire
C. how to pick a safe place outside your home where you and your family can meet during a fire
D. when to call 9-1-1 and what to say | B | Read this sentence from the text. “Even though you're careful to watch for trouble spots and your family practices fire prevention, it is still possible for a fire to break out.” Based on this sentence, what does the word "prevention" probably mean? | A. action taken to help young people who are in trouble
B. action taken to help people who have an injury or disease
C. action taken to make sure that something will happen
D. action taken to keep something from happening | D | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. If you identify two ways out of every room, _______ you will still have an escape if one way is blocked by fire. | A. last
B. although
C. then
D. but | C |
African American Newsmakers | Jazz legend Wynton Marsalis was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1961. He started playing the trumpet when he was a child. Over the years, he has won many awards for his music. In 2005, Marsalis organized a concert to help the people of his hometown who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. The concert raised more than $2 million!
Artist Bryan Collier uses pictures to bring history to life. His latest artwork can be seen in Rosa, a children’s book that tells the story of Rosa Parks. Collier also illustrated Martin’s Big Words, about Martin Luther King Jr., and Visiting Langston, about poet Langston Hughes.
Condoleezza Rice was the U.S. secretary of state. She is the first African American woman to hold that job. Rice gave President George W. Bush advice on working with other countries. She also worked with world leaders on important issues. "[The job is on] a 24-hour schedule, because while we’re asleep, the rest of the world is awake," Rice told Weekly Reader.
Oprah Winfrey is the first woman to own and produce her own television talk show. She uses her star power to help others. She recently received an award in honor of the work she does with her talk show and charity. Her charity helps children and families around the world. In 2011, Oprah started her own television network, OWN.
Boxing champion Muhammad Ali received 2005’s Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is the highest award the government can give a person not in the military. President Bush praised Ali for his sports successes and goodwill toward others. Ali travels more than 100 days a year to help charities around the world. | 880 | 3 | Social Studies: U.S. History | Wynton Marsalis organized a concert to help hurricane victims. This shows that he is | A. a good musician.
B. a giving person.
C. smart.
D. rich. | B | Condoleezza Rice advised the president. This shows that she is | A. athletic.
B. beautiful.
C. friendly.
D. knowledgeable. | D | Who illustrated the book Martin’s Big Words? | A. Muhammad Ali
B. Bryan Collier
C. Condoleezza Rice.
D. Oprah Winfrey | B | Muhammad Ali was a boxing champion. To be good at boxing you need to be | A. friendly.
B. in good shape.
C. wealthy.
D. famous. | B | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Musical Instruments: The Didgeridoo | Long ago, at the beginning of time, there was nothing but darkness. Then the world was created. There was a great noise. The noise directed the grass, trees, earth, and water to form in their place. This noise was the didgeridoo (pronounced dij-er-ee-doo). At least, this is the story passed down by Indigenous Australians. This story is part of what they call the Dreaming, their understanding of how the universe and the things living in it came to be.
The didgeridoo is very important in Australian traditions. It has been around for over 1,000 years. The didgeridoo is used during ceremonies and dances. Children learn to play the instrument when they are young. The best didgeridoo players are highly respected in the community. Today, it is still the most famous Australian instrument. In Northern Australia there are over 40 names for this famous instrument!
Can you tell from the picture that didgeridoos are made of wood? Sometimes, they are made from tree trunks or branches that termites have hollowed out. Other times, people hollow out the log themselves by using hot coals or long, hot sticks. Do you see how one end of the didgeridoo is smaller than the other? The smaller end is the mouthpiece. It is between one and two inches wide and covered with beeswax to make it smooth. Most didgeridoos are about 4 feet long, though some are as long as 8 feet!
The didgeridoo works sort of like a trumpet or horn. To play the didgeridoo, musicians blow into the mouthpiece. This makes a drone that sounds like a long buzz. The drone is beautiful and haunting. Some musicians can even breathe in their nose and out their mouth at the same time! This lets them keep blowing air into the mouthpiece to make continuous noise. They do not have to stop to take a breath. | 680 | 3 | null | According to the text, what is a didgeridoo? | A. a story passed down by Indigenous Australians
B. an Australian instrument used during ceremonies and dances
C. a long, hot stick used to hollow out logs
D. a mouthpiece between one and two inches wide | B | What does the author compare the didgeridoo to? | A. a hollowed-out log
B. a termite
C. a hot coal
D. a trumpet or a horn | A | Read these sentences from the text. Can you tell from the picture that didgeridoos are made of wood? Sometimes, they are made from tree trunks or branches that termites have hollowed out. Other times, people hollow out the log themselves by using hot coals or long, hot sticks. Do you see how one end of the didgeridoo is smaller than the other? The smaller end is the mouthpiece. It is between one and two inches wide and covered with beeswax to make it smooth. What can you conclude based on this information? | A. Didgeridoos can be made entirely with things found in nature.
B. The best didgeridoos are made from wood hollowed out by termites.
C. People have to cut down trees to make didgeridoos.
D. Didgeridoos can only be made in Australia. | A | Based on the text, what best describes the didgeridoo? | A. The didgeridoo is probably an easy instrument to learn and play.
B. The didgeridoo is probably an important important in many Australian communities.
C. The didgeridoo is probably one of the smallest instruments in the world.
D. The didgeridoo is probably a rare instrument for Australian musicians to play. | B | What is the main idea of the text? | A. Didgeridoos are made out of wood and beeswax.
B. The only instrument that is played in Australia is the didgeridoo.
C. The didgeridoo is an important instrument for Indigenous Australians.
D. One creation story claims that didgeridoos are responsible for creating life. | C | Read these sentences from the text. Some musicians can even breathe in their nose and out their mouth at the same time! This lets them keep blowing air into the mouthpiece to make continuous noise. They do not have to stop to take a breath. What does the word “continuous” mean in the text? | A. exciting and loud
B. long and boring
C. quick speed
D. keeping going without stopping | D | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. Some musicians can breathe in their nose and out their mouth at the same time, __________ they do not have to stop to take a breath while playing the didgeridoo. | A. after
B. by
C. so
D. because | C |
The Flower Girl | Kendra’s sister, Sasha, is getting married. Kendra’s going to be a flower girl. Today, they’re going dress shopping.
All the popular girls in Kendra’s class have been flower girls this year. Lana and Sophia wore pretty dresses and danced with the bride.
This made Kendra sad.
Lana would say things like, “Look at my pretty dress, Kendra!”
“Oh, that’s nice,” Kendra would say. But the truth is she was jealous. It was all she could do not to burst into tears.
“I’ll be in a wedding one day,” Kendra would say.
“Sure you will. We’ll believe it when we see it!”
Today, Kendra’s mom and sister are taking her dress shopping. They’re letting her choose the dress she likes the best. The dress she chooses is pink with pearls running up and down the sleeves.
“Wait ‘til Lana and Sophia see this!” she thinks. Kendra goes home with her dress. She’s dreaming more about impressing her classmates than the wedding itself.
“Now, whatever you do, don’t put on that dress!” says Kendra’s mother when they get home.
“I won’t!” Kendra promises.
“You can’t play in it and get it dirty before the wedding.”
“Of course not!” Kendra says.
Her mother leaves the room. Immediately, Kendra calls Lana and Sophia to come over and look at her new dress.
“I told you I would be in a wedding,” Kendra says.
“Whatever. Put the dress on so we can play in it!” says Sophia.
“I promised I wouldn’t!” says Kendra.
“What if I tried it on instead?” Lana says. “You wouldn’t have to break your promise.”
“I don’t know,” Kendra says. “It doesn’t seem like that would be right either.”
Sophia laughs and makes fun of Kendra. “What are you, chicken?”
“You’re being selfish!” says Lana. “I might not like you anymore!”
Kendra really wants these girls to like her. She’s afraid of being unpopular. But before Kendra can even say yes, Lana has already unwrapped the dress and thrown it onto the floor.
“Wait!” Kendra yells. But Lana won’t stop. Lana is stepping on the dress. She’s trying to put it on, but she hasn’t even unzipped it. She pulls it over her head.
“Lana, you’re being clumsy!” Kendra says.
And then: RRRRRRRRIP!
“How do I look?” Lana asks, laughing.
The girls stare at her. They can’t believe what they see. The pink dress is covered in black shoeprints. It has dirt all over it from the floor. And it’s got a hole in the back.
“Get out!” Kendra yells. “Look what you did!”
“You’re so mean.” Lana says. She pulls the dress off fast.
RRRRRRRRIP!
Lana has torn another hole in the dress. She’s out of control!
Kendra falls to the floor crying. What is she going to do? She promised her mother she wouldn’t play in the dress, and now it’s ruined.
Lana doesn’t even apologize.
“You can’t take a joke!” Lana says. The two girls laugh at Kendra.
Kendra takes the dress into the bathroom. She tries to scrub it clean with soap. It only makes it worse. Then, she gets some tape and tries to tape up the holes. That doesn’t work, either. She knows she will have to tell her mother the truth.
Finally, she takes the dress in her arms and carries it down the stairs. In the kitchen, her mom is putting away plates.
“Mom…?”
Her mother turns around slowly. Her arms fall open and the plates fall to the floor.
“The dress!” she cries. “What on earth?”
“I just wanted to be liked.” Kendra says. She bursts into tears.
Mom gives her a big hug. She says, “You just wanted to be liked? Well, what about your sister? She asked you to be in her wedding!”
“I guess my sister likes me, doesn’t she?” Kendra says, sniffling.
“I think we can get this dress fixed, but you’re going to have to do some chores.” Mom says.
Kendra looks at her hands. She’s probably going to be grounded now. Or have to wash the dishes every day for a month!
“Kendra, the next time someone wants to take something of yours, and you don’t want them to take it, I want you to say no and stand up for yourself. And remember that we love you. A real friend won’t want to ruin your things! A real friend would have said she was sorry!”
“I’m not grounded?” Kendra asks.
“No, you’re not grounded. I just want you to learn for next time. Real friends won’t take your things without your permission. We can always get the dress fixed. The most important thing is that I see you smile!”
So Kendra smiles. She dries her tears and gives her mother a big hug. Next time, she won’t try to impress friends who don’t respect her things. | 410 | 3 | null | What does Kendra buy with her mom and sister? | A. a new shirt
B. a new dress
C. a pair of pants
D. sunglasses | B | What causes Kendra to invite Lana and Sophie over to see her new dress? | A. She wants to show off her dress to them.
B. She wants to have them try on her dress.
C. She wants them to help her try on the dress.
D. She wants to give them her dress. | A | Read the following sentences from the text. "Kendra falls to the floor crying. What is she going to do? She promised her mother she wouldn’t play in the dress, and now it’s ruined... Kendra takes the dress into the bathroom. She tries to scrub it clean with soap. It only makes it worse. Then, she gets some tape and tries to tape up the holes. That doesn’t work, either. She knows she will have to tell her mother the truth." What can you conclude based on this information? | A. The dress is fine, even though Lara wasn't supposed to wear it.
B. Kendra knows her mom won't be mad at her for ruining the dress.
C. The dress is so ripped that Lara needs her mom's help.
D. Lara and Kendra always work together to solve problems. | C | Read the following sentences from the text. "'A real friend won’t want to ruin your things! A real friend would have said she was sorry!'" What kind of friend is Lara to Kendra, based on this information? | A. She is not a real friend to Kendra.
B. She is a great friend to Kendra.
C. She is a real friend to Kendra.
D. She is Kendra's best friend. | A | What is one main theme of this text? | A. Making friends is more important than keeping your promises to other people.
B. Standing up for yourself is important, even if you're worried people won't like you for it.
C. It is important to be able to laugh at yourself when you make a mistake.
D. Being creative can make life feel more fun and adventurous. | B | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Buttons and the Blue Glove | Buttons the cat is flying through the air. She cannot fly on her own, of course. After all, she is a cat, not a bird. But here she is, flying in the clouds.
Buttons is hanging on tight to a wing of an airplane, with a blue glove in her mouth. This glove is her favorite thing in the whole world. It’s why she is on the airplane.
Inside the plane, a pretty woman in a red hat waves at Buttons and smiles.
How did Buttons get on the airplane? Where is she going, and why?
Well, it all started about a year ago. Buttons was walking along in a very nice alley, searching the trash for food. Quite suddenly, she was caught up in a net and put into a box with holes. These kidnappers took Buttons to a shelter and locked her in a cage with food, water, and toys.
Buttons was there for a very long time. People would come and go. They would peer into her cage and smile. Buttons did not want to be kidnapped again, so she would hiss at them.
“HISSSSS!” she would say.
People would shake their heads and walk away. This happened day after day, and Buttons felt safe inside the cage.
One day, a woman named Maggie came to the shelter. She wore a red hat and a red sweater with a cat on it. She had bright blue gloves, and she put her face right up to the bars.
“Hello, kitty cat!” Maggie said.
“HISSSSS!” said Buttons.
Maggie didn’t seem scared. She chuckled and took off her blue gloves. “Poor kitty,” she said.
But all Buttons saw were those gloves. So blue. So soft. Yes, Buttons wanted those gloves, so she took one.
And that is how Buttons came to live in the house of a human named Maggie.
“PURRRRR!” Buttons said. Anything to get closer to the gloves!
Maggie came and went, and she never asked Buttons for anything. She always left fresh food and toys. And one day, she left her blue gloves on the kitchen table.
“I’m going on vacation,” Maggie told Buttons, kissing the top of her head. “I’ll see you when I get home!”
The kiss was nice, but all Buttons saw were gloves.
As soon as Maggie shut the door, Buttons was on the move! She grabbed one of the gloves in her mouth and held it there! She threw it up in the air and caught it again in her paw. This became a game. Up went the glove, and up went Buttons. Down went the glove, and down went Buttons.
Finally, the glove went up and landed on a windowsill. Buttons went up onto the windowsill. Crash! The window opened right up. The glove went tumbling out, caught by a strong gust of wind.
Buttons leapt into the air but the glove was always one step in front of her. Behind her, the house was getting smaller and smaller. All she saw was the glove.
Blue glove. Must get that blue glove, Buttons thought.
Buttons always stopped and looked both ways before crossing the street. The glove, being a glove, didn’t know how to stay safe. The glove ran into the street, right in front of a bus.
BAM! The glove was caught in the grill of the bus. Buttons chased the bus!
The bus stopped at a red light, and that was where she caught it. The doors opened, and the bus driver tipped his hat.
“Do you have a bus ticket?” he asked.
Buttons did not have a bus ticket because cats normally do not ride the bus.
“Get out, freeloader!” he said as the bus screeched off.
The bus drove away so fast the blue glove went flying off the bus. Buttons jumped into the air to catch it in her mouth, but just as she did…
WHOOSH! A strong gust of wind opened the glove up like a balloon. Buttons was holding on with her teeth, but she was no match for this wind. Up into the sky they went!
That’s when a flock of geese flying south for the winter saw the beautiful blue glove starting to fall.
“Is that a flying cat?” one of the geese asked.
“I think it is,” the other goose replied. “And such a pretty color blue on that glove.”
“A cat cannot fly very far like that,” the first goose said.
“Indeed. Let's help her.”
And so the geese decided to help Buttons fly. They lifted her onto their wings and flew her up, up, and away into the clouds until they reached an airplane.
The geese set Buttons down on one of the airplane’s wings.
“You're welcome!” they said, in a huff. “This rude cat didn't even thank us!”
Inside the plane, Maggie was on her way to visit her mother. At this moment, she remembered she forgot her favorite gloves on the table!
She looked out the window and saw the glove. Then she saw Buttons.
Buttons looked in the window and waved at Maggie. Thanks to the pretty blue glove, they were going on an adventure together! | 550 | 3 | null | What is Buttons’ favorite thing in the whole world? | A. an airplane
B. a button
C. a blue glove
D. a bird | C | The story explains the sequence of events which led to Buttons flying on the airplane. What happens immediately after Buttons jumps out of the window of her house? | A. Buttons chases the blue glove into the street.
B. Maggie leaves her blue gloves on the kitchen table.
C. The wind blows Buttons and the glove up into the air.
D. Buttons lands on a wing of an airplane. | A | At the shelter, Buttons is not adopted for a long time because she hisses at people. What evidence from the passage supports this statement? | A. “Buttons was there for a very long time. People would come and go. They would peer into her cage and smile.”
B. “Buttons did not want to be kidnapped again, so she would hiss at them… People would shake their heads and walk away.”
C. “‘HISSSSS!’ said Buttons. Maggie didn’t seem scared. She chuckled and took off her blue gloves. ‘Poor kitty,’ she said.”
D. “One day, a woman named Maggie came to the shelter. She wore a red hat and a red sweater with a cat on it. She had bright blue gloves, and she put her face right up to the bars.” | B | Read the following sentences: “Behind her, the house was getting smaller and smaller. All she saw was the glove. Blue glove. Must get that blue glove , Buttons thought.” What can you infer about Buttons as she chases the glove? | A. Buttons is worried about being far from home.
B. Buttons is focused on the house.
C. Buttons does not care about catching the glove.
D. Buttons is not aware of her surroundings. | D | What is this passage mostly about? | A. a cat that learns to fly
B. a woman who adopts a stray cat
C. a cat that chases a blue glove
D. a woman who goes on vacation | C | Read the following sentences: “Buttons was there for a very long time. People would come and go. They would peer into her cage and smile.” As used in this sentence, what does “peer” mean? | A. look closely
B. shout
C. reach into
D. take pictures | A | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Buttons chases the glove across the street, _______ she chases the bus to a red light. | A. but
B. so
C. and
D. then | D |
John Wesley Powell Maps the Grand Canyon | On May 24, 1869, 10 men left Green River Station, Wyoming Territory, for uncharted waters. The men were a tough bunch. They considered themselves adventurers, fighters, hunters, and guides. Most of them had served in the Civil War.
Their leader was a natural historian named John Wesley Powell. Powell had also served in the army. (His right arm was amputated after taking a musket shot at the Battle of Shiloh.) After the war he taught geology at Illinois Wesleyan University.
Powell was an explorer and a scientist. He wanted to understand the natural conditions that formed the landscape of the American West. Powell had recruited nine other men, four of whom had explored the Rocky Mountains with him the year before. He needed the men to help him with an important expedition. He was leading the first exploration of the Colorado River by white men. The Colorado River is the largest and most important river of the American West. It starts in the Rocky Mountains and flows south and west across Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, and along the edges of Nevada and California. In the 19th century it regularly flooded and jumped its banks.
On the day of their departure, the 10 men piled their four boats with ammunition, traps, food, and scientific instruments. Getting to the Colorado River would take time. They started on the Green River and spent over a month exploring the river and its tributaries. They named a canyon Gray Canyon after its gray sandstone walls. Later they entered an area called “Land of the Standing Rock” by Native Americans. This area was marked by red rock and many distinctive buttes.
On July 16, Powell’s team arrived at the start of the Colorado River. A few days later, they began their journey down the Colorado. On August 5, the men came into a canyon with very high walls. Powell named it Marble Canyon. The rock was hard, and Powell expected to encounter rough rapids. For three days the canyon walls got higher and higher.
Powell’s party had entered the Grand Canyon. No one had ever mapped the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. For three days Powell’s expedition floated through the Marble Canyon. On August 8, the team camped in Redwall Cavern. The cavern was a rock overhang that had been cut by the river. Powell wrote in his diary that the cavern could seat 50,000 people.
The men pushed on. For weeks they traveled downriver. They rowed when the river became narrow and shallow. They clung for their lives when the river fell into steep rapids. Some days they had no trouble; the river was wide and calm. On those days they climbed the canyon walls to survey the area and collect specimens or supplies. The wind swept across the arid landscape. Sandstone rocks appeared in the shapes of anvils, arches, and steeples.
On August 29, they arrived at the Grand Wash. The Powell Geographic Expedition had traveled 277 miles of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Along the way they lost one boat and much of their food. Four of the men had abandoned the expedition. | 780 | 3 | Social Studies: U.S. History | What did Powell’s team set out to explore? | A. the Colorado River
B. the Green River
C. Redwall Cavern
D. Marble Canyon | A | The passage describes a sequence of events in John Wesley Powell’s exploration of the Colorado River. What did Powell and his men do after they entered the Grand Canyon? | A. They entered “Land of the Standing Rock.”
B. They explored the Green River.
C. They explored a canyon they named Gray Canyon.
D. They camped in Redwall Cavern. | D | Exploring the Colorado River was sometimes dangerous for Powell and his men. What evidence from the passage supports this statement? | A. “Sandstone rocks appeared in the shapes of anvils, arches and steeples.”
B. “They clung for their lives when the river fell into steep rapids.”
C. “The cavern was a rock overhang that had been cut by the river.”
D. “For three days the canyon walls got higher and higher.” | B | Why may four men have abandoned the expedition? | A. The men were bored of exploring rocky landscapes.
B. The men on the expedition ran out of money.
C. Exploring the Colorado River was often difficult.
D. The weather during the expedition was too hot. | C | What is this passage mostly about? | A. Powell’s expedition to explore and map the Colorado River
B. the four men who abandoned Powell’s expedition
C. how the Grand Canyon got its name
D. the dangerous whitewater rapids along the Colorado River | A | Read the following sentences: “Some days they had no trouble; the river was wide and calm. On those days they climbed the canyon walls to survey the area and collect specimens or supplies. The wind swept across the arid landscape. Sandstone rocks appeared in the shapes of anvils, arches and steeples.” What does the word “survey” mean as used in this sentence? | A. to damage or destroy something
B. to move far away from something
C. to ignore or pay no attention to something
D. to look at or study something closely | D | Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Powell’s team of explorers had to pack many things in their boats, _________ ammunition, traps, food, and scientific instruments. | A. on the other hand
B. including
C. finally
D. in closing | B |
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