Example: The dog was barking loudly, she was happy.
Example: The happy horse ate his hay, the bouncy baby with blue eyes.
Noun – A person, place or thing.
Example: The cat, Paris, computer.
Prepositions – Words typically used with a noun or pronoun to show the relationship of one thing to another.
Example: at, about under, with, over… Jimmy swam under the bridge
Pronoun – A word used instead of a noun. It is used to save the repetition of a noun.
Example: Kevin hit the ball. He hit it very hard.
Proverb – A short and often memorable saying for an everyday truth or advice.
Example: The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Quotation – A passage or information that is given in reference.
Example: He asked, “Who’s afraid of the big, bad wolf?”
Verb – A ‘doing’ or an action word.
Example: He ran home, we played tennis
Jet was a border collie. Border collies are a breed of working dogs. The breed was developed to help herd sheep. Jet worked, but he did not herd sheep. Jet worked at an airport. He worked ninety minutes every morning. He worked ninety minutes every evening. Jet’s work was very important. His work helped save the airport a lot of money. It helped stop planes from becoming damaged. It helped save lives. What was Jet’s job?
Jet worked at an airport in Sydney. The airport was close to swamps, marshes, and parks. The swamps, marshes, and parks were home to many large birds. In addition, thousands of migrating birds stopped at these places to rest. Often, the birds would wander or land on airport land. Their numbers were greatest in the cooler mornings and evenings when they were hunting for food.
The birds were at risk when they were on the runways. Planes were not safe either. Birds could be sucked into engines. They could damage plane parts. Jet was hired to clear the birds from the runways.
Jet was trained with a sheepherder’s whistle. Different whistles meant different commands. Some whistles commanded Jet to clear certain runways. One whistle commanded Jet to drop to the ground. This whistle was given when an airplane skimmed low overhead.
The fire is out. There is nothing left but a mess of soaked ashes, pieces of blackened walls, and scraps of charred floor. The fire investigator comes. The investigator thinks the fire was set on purpose. He thinks it was arson. Arson is a crime. How can the investigator know if the fire was set on purpose? How can he tell if the fire was an act of arson?
The fire investigator calls me! My name is Toby. I am a dog. I have been trained to detect certain smells. The smells belong to certain chemicals and substances. The chemicals and substances are used to start fires. Arsonists think these chemicals will burn up in the fire. What they don’t know is that tiny traces remain. I can smell even the tiniest trace.
When I smell something, I bark. I alert the investigator. The investigator takes a small piece of what I am barking at to the lab. He tests it. If he finds the chemicals, he can tell the police, “I think the fire was arson.”
One time, an old building caught on fire. I was called in. I got right to work. I detected gasoline. Where was the gasoline? It was on the building owner’s feet! The owner had used gasoline to set his old building on fire.
Answer the questions on “Jet’s Job” and “Who the Fire Investigator Called.”
You may look back at what you have read if you need to.
1. Jet worked
A at the airport for ninety minutes every week.
B in the swamps, marshes, and parks of Sydney.
C close to the ground when the birds were migrating.
D at the times when the number of birds was the greatest.
2. A trace is
A a lot.
B a smell.
C a tiny bit.
D a chemical.
3. What do both stories have in common?
A dogs and birds
B dogs with jobs
C how dogs smell
D how dogs are trained
4. By knowing different whistles, Jet
A could detect even tiny birds.
B could protect the airport from arson.
C could clear birds from a soon-to-be used runway.
D could herd the birds into a marsh off airport land.
5. A fiction story is made up. It is not true. You can tell the story about
A Toby is fiction because dogs cannot tell stories.
B Jet is fiction because dogs have not been bred to herd sheep.
C Toby is fiction because dogs are not used to investigate fires.
D Jet is fiction because migrating birds do not land on airport runways.
6. There was a problem in the story “Jet’s Job.” Use information from the story to answer the questions about the problem.
What was the problem? ____________________________________________
Where was the problem? ___________________________________________
When was the problem greatest? ___________________
Why was there a problem? __________________________
How was the problem fixed? _ _______________________________________
7. List in order how an arsonist might be found. Use the numbers 1 to 5. Put 1 by what happened first. Put 5 by what happened last.
____ burnt piece tested in lab
____ fire investigator comes with dog
____ firefighters put out fire
____ police told crime took place
____ dog detects chemical traces
Write two or more sentences that tell what each story is about.
8. “Jet’s Job”
9. “Who the Fire Investigator Called”
Fun Holiday: Come and Take It Day!
1 Melissa walked up to her friend Mark's garage. She took a sip of her root beer while leaning up against the wall near where Mark was sorting and boxing items.
2 "What are you doing with all that stuff?" Melissa asked.
3 "I'm getting ready for Come and Take It Day," Mark explained.
4 "What is Come and Take It Day?" Melissa asked.
5 "It's like a yard sale, but we are giving things away for free."
6 A puzzled look came over Melissa's face. "Why would you do that?"
7 Mark stopped packing a box and sat down. Melissa sat down next to him.
8 "We have so much stuff in our house," Mark explained. "I spend so much time keeping it organised, cleaned, and dusted."
9 "I understand that," Melissa said. "We have a lot of stuff at our house, too. It takes a lot of time."
10 "Exactly. So our family decided there was a lot of stuff we did not need. We know there are a lot of people who do need things. So instead of charging for stuff, we are doing a Come and Take It Day next Saturday."
11 "So, you are going to set everything up and let people just take it?" Melissa asked again.
12 "We sure are."
13 "I can't wait to see that," Melissa said.
14 Mark grinned. "I'm looking forward to living in more simplicity. It will be so much easier to keep the house picked up, dusted, and cleaned."
15 "Plus you will be helping other people who may need something and can't afford it." Melissa added.
16 "Exactly."
17 Melissa continued, "Can I be part of this, too?"
18 "Sure!" Mark answered with enthusiasm. "I'm almost done and won't need these extra boxes. Do
you want them?"
19 "Sure!"
20 "Well, come and get them!" Mark said with a laugh.
21 Melissa folded the boxes and left to go home. On the way, she thought about where she would start. She decided her bedroom closet was the place that had the most junk.
22 When Melissa got home, she asked her mum if she could give some things away. Mum liked the idea, so she went right upstairs to get started. She removed everything from the closet and put it on her bed. Then, item by item, she decided what to put in the "come and get it" box and which items she wanted to keep. She returned those neatly to the closet. Before long, the pile on her bed was gone, and she had two boxes of items to give away.
23 "That really feels good!" she decided, planning to continue the project over the next couple of days. She'd probably have quite a bit to contribute to Mark's "Come and Take It Day."
1. Mark was working in the: Garage Bedroom Living room Dining room
2. Melissa was drinking a: Lemonade Root beer Cola Iced tea
3. Mark was hoping to make some money off the stuff he was packing. False True
4. What area of her house did Melissa start in? Kitchen Garage Living room Bedroom closet
5. How would people get the stuff Melissa and Mark were preparing?
6. Why was Mark happy about getting rid of stuff?
7. Mark gave Melissa _________ he didn't need. Tape Boxes Labels Packing material
8. When would the Come and Take It Day happen? Next year In a month The next day The next Saturday
Directions: Read the poem and then answer the questions that follow.
A Poison Tree
by William Blake
What pent up anger can do to you.
I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow. And I watered it in fears, Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night, Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine.
And he knew that it was mine, And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
Answer the following questions:
1. The speaker feels like you should talk about your feelings. Support this claim with evidence from the text.
2. What is one form of personification in the poem?
3. What is one example of a metaphor in the poem?
4. According to the poem, how do you get anger to go away?
How Do Hot Air Balloons Work?
1 Caption: An early test flight of a Montgolfier brothers' balloon.
2 History of Hot Air Balloons
In 1783, two French brothers named Etienne and Joseph Montgolfier launched the first hot air balloon. It stayed in the air for about fifteen minutes before its passengers -a duck, a sheep, and a rooster - crashed to the ground. The first balloon carrying a person was launched on November 21st of that year.
3 How do hot air balloons work? The answer is a simple principle called buoyancy. Hot air rises in colder air because warm air is less dense than cooler air. Think of a cork, which is less dense than water, floating in a stream. This is much the same way a hot air balloon floats in the air.
4 Going Up
In order to launch a balloon, a burner is attached to the basket. This burner uses propane to create a flame, much like the gas grill on your back deck. The pilot controls the valve on the burner. The hot air is sent up into the envelope (fabric) of the balloon. It is trapped at the top, and the balloon is lifted up into the air. It takes about 65,000 cubic feet of hot air to lift one thousand pounds. That is why hot air balloons are so large.
5 Coming Down
There is a large flap of fabric at the top of the balloon called the parachute valve. A long rope is attached to this flap. In order to make the balloon go down, the pilot pulls on the rope to open the flap. Some of the hot air escapes; cooler air rushes in to fill the envelope. The balloon floats slowly downward.
6 Piloting a Balloon
The pilot can really only control the up and down motion. The wind does the rest of the work. The pilot can shift the balloon up or down to catch wind currents that help it glide along in the sky. The pilot never knows for sure where the balloon will land. That is why some of the crew stays on the ground in the chase vehicle. These people pick up the passengers and pack up the balloon. The passengers are then taken by car to their destination.
7 Uses for Hot Air Balloons
Because hot air balloons are at the mercy of the wind, they are not a very useful mode of transportation. They are mostly used for sports and fun. Many balloon rallies, races, and festivals are held throughout the year. Balloons are also used for advertising-some people fly balloons with special shapes or ads on them to promote their businesses. A peaceful ride in a hot air balloon is also a good way to do some sightseeing. Some people even get married in them!
1. When was the first manned hot air balloon flight?
November 21, 1783
November 21, 1873
September 19, 1738
September 19, 1783
2. Why do hot air balloons rise?
3. What part of the balloon heats the air?
The propane burner
The envelope
The cubic feet
The basket
4. When the pilot wants to go down, he opens ______.
The parachute valve
His jacket
The valve on the burner
The bottom of the basket
5. It takes 65,000 cubic feet of hot air to lift ______. A sheep, a duck, and a rooster
One hundred pounds
The empty basket of the balloon
One thousand pounds
6. When he takes off, the pilot knows exactly where he will land. False
True
7. Which of these motions can the pilot of the hot air balloon control?
Going up
Coming down
Side to side
Both A and B
GRAMMAR
Read the most suitable answer and write its number in the brackets provided.
1. The years have _____________________ Mr Lim to be a caring superior to his subordinates.
a.show
b. shown
c.shows
d. showing
2. Mary enthused after a hard day of cleaning,”________________________ invented the vacuum cleaner was genius!”
a. Whenever
b. Wherever
c. Whoever
d. However
3. Soon after the discovery of the robbery, the police were __________ the case immediately.
a. for
b. on
c. at
d.in
4. They were so proud of ___________________ for completing the marathon.
a. oneself
b. herself
c. themselves
d. ourselves
5. “If it ________________ been for his quick thinking, I wouldn’t be here right now,” said the man who almost drowned.
a. hadn’t
b. hasn’t
c. had
d. have
6. He smiled so rarely that no one could ____________________ what he looked like when he was happy.
a. remembered
b remembers
c. remembering
d remember
VOCABULARY
Read the passage carefully. Choose the correct word from the box and write its letter (A to Q) in each blank. The letters I and O have been omitted. Use each word only ONCE.
A.help B. reading C. precision D. gritting
E. burningF. ground G.churning H knowing
J. thoughtsD. bothering L.tree-top M. heaved
N. unsteadily P. branch Q.mind
Laura swayed 1 . _______________ on her feet. It did not 2. _________________ that the bridge was swaying precariously. It was made of rope after all and she was about fifty metres above the 3.__________________ “Why, oh, why did I agree to come for this 4.____________ walk?” she thought to herself miserably. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re wishing you had stayed home,” Tina called out from the other side of the bridge. “You’re good at 5.__________ minds,” said Laura sarcastically, even though her stomach was 29 _________________________ and her head was spinning. 6. _______ her teeth, Laura put one foot in front of the other with careful 7. ______________ Finally, she reached the platform Tina was on. Laura 8._________________ a sigh of relief and wiped perspiration from her brows.
Novel Study
The Trumpet of the Swan: Chapters 1-3
1. Who was the author referring to as "not a wild creature" at the end of the chapter?
2. What was the name of the pilot who flew Sam and his father to the camping area?
3. What question did Sam write in his diary in this chapter?
4. In which country did the story begin?
5. Where is Sam's home?
6. What did Sam do to protect the swans?
7. What feeling did Sam have while sitting in a wild place?
8. In the Spring, what is most important to a bird?
A man robbed a grocery store in Melbourne The thief took more than money from the store. He took some bites of cheese.
The thief was long gone by the time the police arrived and searched the store, but still, the police found something. They found a piece of cheese that the thief had taken a bite of.
The police used the cheese as evidence. They took the cheese to a forensic dentist. A forensic dentist is a special type of dentist. A forensic dentist identifies criminals and victims by their teeth or bite marks. The dentist matched the bite marks on the cheese to one of the police’s suspects. The thief was caught because of what the cheese told!
Another time, a piece of gum was found at a crime scene. The gum was chewed. The police did not know if the gum was evidence, but just in case, they took it to a forensic dentist. The dentist used the gum to make a mould. The mould showed what the gum chewer’s teeth looked like.
The police had picked up a suspect. The police compared the forensic dentist’s mould to the suspect’s teeth. It was a match! It proved that the suspect was at the crime scene. What did the suspect do when he was shown the evidence? He confessed to the crime.
Fiction
“We just got a phone call,” said the police captain. “Mr. Gem’s jewellery store is being robbed! Get down there!”
Police officers Diamond and Pearl raced to the store. Broken glass was everywhere. They heard a sound in the back. They followed the sound and found Mr. Gem. They had not seen him because he was lying on the floor behind the counter. He was all tied up.
After the police officers freed him, Mr. Gem cried out, “They have taken all my jewels!” Police officers Diamond and Pearl asked Mr. Gem to tell them exactly what happened.
Mr. Gem said, “Two men in gray suits came in. The biggest one ordered me to lie down behind the counter so I couldn’t see what was going on. As he was tying me up, I heard his partner smashing the glass on the display cases. I could tell his partner was enjoying himself because he was grinning widely, showing his giant white teeth. Oh, I hope you catch those horrible thieves!”
Officer Diamond said, “Mr. Gem, we will arrest you to start with.”
“Why would you arrest me?” cried Mr. Gem.
“If you were behind the counter and couldn’t see,” said Officer Pearl, “you would not have known the man was smiling and showing his teeth when he smashed the display cases.”
Answer the questions on “What the Cheese Told” and “The Jewellery Store Robbery.” You may look back at what you have read if you need to.
1. What might a forensic dentist find most useful?
A an apple a thief stole
B an apple a thief baked in a pie
C an apple a thief cut into slices
D an apple a thief took a bite out of
2.How did police officers Diamond and Pearl know where to find Mr. Gem?
A They followed the broken glass.
B They heard a sound in the back.
C They saw Mr. Gem behind the counter.
D They got a phone call from the captain.
3.Both stories are about
A teeth moulds.
B teeth and crimes.
C forensic dentists.
D bite marks and evidence.
4.A forensic dentist would not be able to identify criminals if
A people’s teeth were all the same.
B people did not confess to crimes.
C people left more evidence behind.
D people stopped chewing gum or eating cheese.
5.Mr. Gem became a ________ because of what he said he saw.
A victim
B dentist
C suspect
D evidence
6. Do the work of a forensic dentist. Match the bite marks to the teeth.
7. List in order what happens in the story. Use the numbers 1 to 5. Put 1 by what happened first. Put 5 by what happened last.
____ Mr. Gem is found.
_ Police officers go to jewellery store.
____ Police say they will arrest Mr. Gem.
____ Police are called.
____ Mr. Gem talks about thieves.
Write two or more sentences that tell what each story is about.
8. “What the Cheese Told”
9. “The Jewellery Store Robbery”
Manners at a Restaurant
1 "Eww. That's disgusting!" my sister Angela whispered to me. "Do you see that lady over there? She's talking with her mouth full."
2 I sneaked a glance to my right. A woman was eating with some friends. She was in the middle of an animated conversation. Sure enough, her mouth was open wide while she laughed and chatted.
3 I whispered back. "You are right. That is disgusting!"
4 Just then, our server came to the table to take our order. We each, in turn, told him what we wanted from the menu.
5 While we waited for our food, our mum began a conversation about manners.
6 "Kids," she began, "I see that you noticed that lady speaking with her mouth full. Did you like what you saw?"
7 "No way!" we answered.
8 "What is the proper way to eat?"
9 "We should keep our mouth closed and only speak after we've swallowed," I said.
10 "That's right. Can you think of any other proper ways to behave while at a restaurant?"
11 My sister and I thought for a moment. Then Angela spoke up. "I guess we could keep our voices down, so we don't interrupt others."
12 Just then, the lady laughed out loud, causing several people to look her way. I looked down and grinned at Angela's good timing.
13 "That's a good one," Mum said. "Anything else?"
14 "We can be sure to say kind things to the server, like 'please,' and 'thank you,'" I added.
15 "Yes," Angela continued, "and we can wipe our mouths with our napkin, and not reach across the table for food, and keep a napkin in our laps, and..."
16 "And not dominate a conversation," I interjected. Angela gave me a good-natured jab in the ribs.
17 Mum laughed. "It's important that in public places, we realise that we are sharing space. Others come to a restaurant to enjoy good food and good times with other people. They cannot do that as well if someone is too loud or has distracting eating habits. It's another way of thinking about others, and not just ourselves and what we want."
18 "We should be like that everywhere, not just in restaurants. Right, Mum?" Angela asked.
19 "That is correct. You see, if we follow the guideline of treating others like we want to be treated, we won't interrupt or eat in ways that would be difficult to look at."
20 The server brought us our food. We laid napkins in our laps, and then paused for grace. Then we enjoyed a quiet conversation, complete with "Please pass me the ketchup." A few minutes later, an older woman stopped by our table.
21 "I couldn't help noticing how well-mannered these children are," she said to Mum
22 "Thank you very much," Mum replied, "I am proud of them for making good choices."
23 Angela and I felt wonderful. Good manners had not just blessed someone else...they blessed us!
1. We should practice good eating habits at: Home Restaurants Receptions Parties All of the above.
2. How could you describe the behavior of the woman who was talking with her mouth full?
Inconsiderate Thoughtful Fun loving Kind
3. Mum encouraged the children to think of __ ______.
4. Angela mentioned a few guidelines for eating. Which of the following did she not mention?
Leaving a good tip for the server. Refrain from reaching across the table.
Wiping your mouth with your napkin. Keeping a napkin on your lap.
5. What type of food was probably on their table? How do you know?
6. The woman who complimented the children appeared to be older than /younger than/ the same age as their mother.
1. What exactly is in the narrator’s hands? Why does he have it?
2. How does the narrator build excitement through the poem?
3. What is the main idea of the poem?
4. Explain what the narrator means by “the world around me is flying by” in stanza four.
Metaphors
Many poets use metaphors when writing poems. When a writer uses a metaphor, he compares two things. If the comparison is made using the words “like” or “as,” then the comparison is special type of metaphor called a simile.
A metaphor usually compares things that are very different. An example of a metaphor is, “That boy is a pig.” The boy is not really a pig. It means that the boy does something that is very much like what a pig would do. Maybe the boy is very messy or he eats a lot. Either way, it’s just a metaphor. The boy has not actually turned into a pig!
Directions: Read each metaphor. On the lines provided, explain what you think each metaphor means.
1. She is a rose.
This may mean that she _______________________
2. She is a thorn in my side.
This may mean that she _____
3. He is a turkey.
This may mean that he ______
4. He is a walking encyclopedia.
This may mean that he ________
5. She is a vision.
This may mean that she _________________
6. She is a tornado.
This may mean that she ______________________________
Verb-Based Metaphor
Underline the verb that forms the metaphor in each sentence. Then tell what the metaphor means.
Example: Lisa smashed the competition. Lisa was much better than her competitors.
1. Carla's head was spinning with ideas.
2. Maria blossomed at her new school.
3. Andrew changed his mind again.
4. Tony marched to the front of the room.
5. Joanie threw herself into her work.
6. Sonya was crushed by the news.
7. Amber dropped all her old friends.
Write “S" if the sentence is a simile. Write “M" if it is a metaphor. Write “N" if the sentence is neither a simile or a metaphor.
Both similes and metaphors are used to compare two things that are not alike in most ways, but are similar in one important way. A simile uses the words "as" or "like" a metaphor does not use these words.
1. Talia's eyes were as bright as the sun.
2. Dad was like a big teddy bear.
3. Sandy is a silly monkey.
4. Kelly’s eyes are a beautiful shade of green.
5. The train station was a zoo!
6. _ The fire was as warm as a crackling fire.
7. The teacher's voice was like thunder.
8. The children were as quiet as mice.
9. The children were louder than the adults. 10. His feet were like blocks of ice.
11. My math book is as heavy as my history book.
12. Jake's bedroom is a disaster area.
13. The street was as hot as a stove.
14. That car is as red as a cherry.
15. The nail is hard and shiny.
16. Jessica's tears were a river flowing down her face.
17. The rainforest was a sauna.
18. The cat was like coal because they are both black.
19. Grandma's afghan was a rainbow.
20. Jody raced to the car as quick as lightning.
Punctuation
For each question from 1 to 3, choose the correct punctuation to complete the passage. Jack paused at the door. He was not sure whether he should enter ( 1 ) He fingered the key. “What should I do now (2) He knew that behind the door lay the answers to his questions. He wanted to know many things ( 3 ) who he actually was, where he was from, what he was doing there.
1. (a) [ . ] full stop
(b) [ , ] comma
(c) [ ! ] exclamation mark
(d) [ ? ] question mark
2. (a) [ .” ] full stop and closed inverted commas
(b) [ ,” ] comma and closed inverted
(c) [ ?” ] question mark and closed inverted commas
(d) [ !” ] exclamation mark and closed inverted commas
3. (a) [ . ] full stop
(b) [ , ] comma
(c) [ ? ] exclamation mark.
(d) [ : ] question mark
Vocabulary
For each question from 1 to 3, choose the word(s) closest in meaning to the underlined word(s).
Jackson shivered uncontrollably. He wondered if he was at the right place. The job seemed to be perfect for him during the interview. With the gloomy economic crisis, he had no choice but to take up a few odd jobs here and there. However, here in the dark (1) chateau, he was not too sure.
Suddenly Jackson felt a (2) cold gush of wind. Strange, there was not a door in sight. Where did the wind come from ? Jackson’s hair stood on end. He was (3) freaking out. Then, he heard the dragging of heavy chains. Jackson took to his heels and ran into the next room.
1 Birds fly, fish swim, and snakes crawl. While these represent the general impressions we have of animals and their ways of moving around, they are not always true. As we investigate the locomotion of each and every animal, we will find many exceptions. Here are some examples. 1 Birds fly, fish swim, and snakes crawl. While these represent the general impressions we have of animals and their ways of moving around, they are not always true. As we investigate the locomotion of each and every animal, we will find many exceptions. Here are some examples.
2 Ostriches and penguins are birds, but they cannot fly. Their wings are neither big enough nor strong enough to carry their heavy bodies airborne. To make up for this shortfall, ostriches opt to become excellent runners, and penguins choose to be superb divers. Ostriches have long, muscular legs. Their top speed of nearly 50 miles per hour makes them the fastest running birds on Earth! Penguins have short, webbed feet. When they travel on land, they wobble awkwardly from side to side. Yet, as soon as they enter the water, they lose all clumsiness. Their best diving record is 22 minutes underwater at a depth of 1,800 feet!
3 Mudskippers are fish. They like to hop on beaches and climb trees. Before they go ashore, they enlarge their gill chambers and fill them with water. Once on land, they rely on these special "oxygen tanks" to supply their blood with oxygen. Alternatively, they can also breathe through their moist skin. Mudskippers have a pair of muscular pectoral fins. When they want to move about on a muddy beach, they use these strong, arm-like fins as a means of support to thrust forward. They can cover up to 24 inches with one skip. Additionally, mudskippers fuse their two pelvic fins together to form a kind of sucker. When they want to climb rocks or mangrove roots, they pull themselves up with their pectoral fins and cling onto the vertical, slippery surface with their pelvic fins.
4 Flying snakes are snakes. Their favourite activity is to parachute. Before taking off, they hang like hooks on tree branches high above the ground. Then, all of a sudden, they seem to lose their grip and begin to fall rapidly. The freefall is not an accident, though. After dropping for a short distance, they spread their ribs outward. By making their bellies concave and parachute-like, they miraculously slow down both the speed and the angle of their descent. Since flying snakes are really parachuting, not flying, they can only move downward. Hence, they always land rather clumsily at places lower than their launching spots. As they undulate across the sky in an S-shaped position, they can glide over 300 feet!
2 Ostriches and penguins are birds, but they cannot fly. Their wings are neither big enough nor strong enough to carry their heavy bodies airborne. To make up for this shortfall, ostriches opt to become excellent runners, and penguins choose to be superb divers. Ostriches have long, muscular legs. Their top speed of nearly 50 miles per hour makes them the fastest running birds on Earth! Penguins have short, webbed feet. When they travel on land, they wobble awkwardly from side to side. Yet, as soon as they enter the water, they lose all clumsiness. Their best diving record is 22 minutes underwater at a depth of 1,800 feet!
3 Mudskippers are fish. They like to hop on beaches and climb trees. Before they go ashore, they enlarge their gill chambers and fill them with water. Once on land, they rely on these special "oxygen tanks" to supply their blood with oxygen. Alternatively, they can also breathe through their moist skin. Mudskippers have a pair of muscular pectoral fins. When they want to move about on a muddy beach, they use these strong, arm-like fins as a means of support to thrust forward. They can cover up to 24 inches with one skip. Additionally, mudskippers fuse their two pelvic fins together to form a kind of sucker. When they want to climb rocks or mangrove roots, they pull themselves up with their pectoral fins and cling onto the vertical, slippery surface with their pelvic fins.
4 Flying snakes are snakes. Their favourite activity is to parachute. Before taking off, they hang like hooks on tree branches high above the ground. Then, all of a sudden, they seem to lose their grip and begin to fall rapidly. The freefall is not an accident, though. After dropping for a short distance, they spread their ribs outward. By making their bellies concave and parachute-like, they miraculously slow down both the speed and the angle of their descent. Since flying snakes are really parachuting, not flying, they can only move downward. Hence, they always land rather clumsily at places lower than their launching spots. As they undulate across the sky in an S-shaped position, they can glide over 300 feet!
1. Which of the following birds cannot fly? Sparrow Emperor penguin Bald eagle Turkey
2. Flying snakes can cover up to 300 feet with just one leap False True
3. How far can a mudskipper jump? 24
4. What is the world's fastest running bird? Kiwi Roadrunner Penguin Ostrich
5. What do mudskippers use to cling onto a vertical, slippery surface? Their pectoral fins Their gill chambers Their teeth Their pelvic fins
6. What do flying snakes do when they glide across the sky? They pull their ribs inward. They stick their tongues out. They point their tails downward. They spread their ribs outward.
7. How long can a penguin dive?
Up to 22 days Up to 22 seconds
Up to 22 minutes
8. Why can't penguins fly?
Because they do not have wings
Up to 22 hours
Because they do not have feathers
Because they are too heavy All of the above
Chinese Inventions - Paper & Movable Type Printing
1 Invention is an interesting thing. Sometimes, an invention was developed to fulfill a specific need. Other times, it was simply a chance discovery. Looking back in history, there are two Chinese inventions that fell into the first category. They are paper and movable type printing.
2 Long before paper was invented, the ancient Chinese carved characters to record their thoughts on tortoise shells, animal bones, and stones. Since those "writing boards" were heavy and not easy to carry around, they switched to writing on bamboo, wooden strips, and silk. The new alternatives were clearly better, but they were either still heavy or very costly. Then, during the Western Han dynasty (202 B.C.8 A.D.), paper made its debut. Its inventor is unknown.
3 When paper first came out, it was not easy to produce in large quantities. And its quality was poor. Several decades later, a palace official named Tsai Lun (also spelled as Cai Lun) had a breakthrough in the papermaking process. He experimented with different materials and eventually settled on using tree bark, rags, and bits of rope to produce paper. He presented his first batch of paper to the emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in 105 A.D. Tsai Lun's technique of making paper became an instant hit! It was quickly introduced to Korea and other countries nearby. In 751 A.D., Arabs learned the technique from the Chinese soldiers they captured in a war. They passed it on to Europe and, eventually, other parts of the world.
982’
4 With the invention of paper, the ancient Chinese began to have books. But to have a book, they needed to manually copy the text onto sheets of paper word by word. The entire process was timeconsuming and prone to errors. To solve the problems, they first wrote the text on a piece of paper and glued it facedown onto a wooden board. Then they carved out the characters or even pictures, and made the board a printing plate. Each plate was a page of a book. Once they were done with all the pages, they brushed ink evenly on a printing plate and carefully laid a piece of paper on top of it. They lifted up the paper and let it dry. They repeated this step until they finished printing the entire book. This printing method was called block printing. It first appeared in China during the Sui dynasty (581 A.D. - 618 A.D.) Its inventor is unknown.
5 Without a doubt, the block printing technique helped the publishing industry thrive. But it had its drawbacks. First, it took time to carve out the entire text of a book. Second, it was impossible to correct a mistake without throwing away the whole plate and starting it all over again. Third, it was difficult to store printing plates, given that their wooden material was termites' favourite food. Seeing all these problems about block printing, a smart man named Bi Sheng (also spelled as Pi Sheng) of the Northern Song dynasty (960 A.D. - 1127 A.D.) came up with an idea in the 1040's. Instead of carving the entire book onto wooden plates, he carved one Chinese character at a time onto a small block of clay. After he made enough blocks bearing different Chinese characters, he burned them and turned them into durable ceramics. He assembled the characters on an iron plate with a kind of detachable glue. After he finished printing that page, he broke up the characters and re-assembled them to form the content of another page. The new approach was called movable type printing.
6 The printing techniques, both block printing and movable type printing, were first introduced to Korea, Japan, and other countries around China. Later on, they were brought to Central Asia, Persia, and Egypt. In 1455, a German named Johannes Gutenberg published the first book in Europe using movable type printing. The book he published was a Latin Bible. Because the Bible he made had forty-two lines in two columns on each page, it was also called the "Forty-Two-Line Bible."
7 Though Johannes Gutenberg might not have learned about the Chinese invention when he came up with movable type printing, it was evident that his creation was more than 400 years behind Bi Sheng's. So, to be fair, the true inventor of the movable type printing technique is really Bi Sheng, not Johannes Gutenberg.
8 Paper and the movable type printing technique are two crucial Chinese inventions. They represented two significant milestones in the development of civilisation. Together, they rocked the world literally!
1. Who invented paper?
Johannes Gutenberg Nobody knows. Bi Sheng Tsai Lun
2. Tsai Lun did not invent paper. He simply improved the way of making paper. False True
3. When was paper invented?
During the Sui dynasty
During the Western Zhou dynasty
During the Eastern Han dynasty
During the Western Han dynasty
4. The block printing technique used a more durable material than the movable type printing technique. False True
5. What year did Johannes Gutenberg publish the first book in Europe using movable type printing? 1455 1544 1546 1454
6. When was the movable type printing technique invented?
During the Northern Song dynasty During the Tang dynasty
During the Southern Song dynasty
During the Western Han dynasty
7. Who introduced the technique of making paper to Europe? Arabs Japanese Indians Mongols
8. What was Johannes Gutenberg's first publication also called?
The Forty-Five-Line Bible
The Forty-Four-Line Bible
The Forty-Two-Line Bible
The Forty-Three-Line Bible
Novel Study
The Trumpet of the Swan: Chapters 1-3
1. On what day did the female swan begin to build her nest?
2. How long were the swan's wings from tip to tip?
3. Birds don't like being ______ at.
4. How wide is a swan's nest?
5. The swans were completely white except at their ________ and _______.
6. Which bird is always delighted?
7. What did Sam enjoy most?
8. Why did Sam think eggs were special?
It is world famous. People flock to it. They come in part because of its beauty. Mostly they come because of a mistake. What do people flock to? What is the mistake?
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is in Italy. It is an elegant tower made of white marble. It has floors of alternating arches and columns. It is 193 feet (58 m) tall. It also looks as if it is about to fall over. This is because it leans. It does not lean a little. It leans a lot! It has a 17foot (5-m) lean!
The tower leans because of a mistake. The mistake occurred at the time of construction.
Construction on the tower began over 800 years ago. It began in 1173. The mistake was in the tower’s foundation. The foundation is the part at the bottom. It is the base. It supports the top of the building.
Workers dug ten feet (3 m) down for the tower’s foundation. They dug up buckets of moist, mucky clay. Knowing the ground was soft, they spread some gravel. They thought that would be enough to support the soft soil. They were wrong! As the tower was built up, it became heavier. One side began to sink into the soft ground more than the other, causing it to lean.
June 16
Dear Travel Journal,
Today I went to a city that is sinking. The bottom stories of many buildings are flooded. They are filled with water. So what do people do? They live in the upper stories! Where am I? I am in Venice, Italy.
Venice is over 1,500 years old. It was built on 118 tiny islets. Islets are very small islands. People cut thousands of tree trunks. They drove the tree trunks into the seafloor. They built their houses on the tree trunks. Venice is a city of canals. It has over 400 bridges. People use boats to get around. There aren’t any cars.
June 18
Dear Travel Journal,
Eyeglasses for people with poor vision were invented in Italy. Where were they first used? Venice! When were they first used? 1270. I’m glad I have my glasses because you would not believe what there is to see where I am now. Where am I? I am in the capital of Italy. I am in Rome.
I visited the Colosseum. The Colosseum is old. It is over 1,900 years old! It is huge. 50,000 people could sit in it! The people would watch fights. The fights were between people and animals. Gladiators, or soldiers, would fight to the death. They did not have a choice. I’m glad I’m a tourist, not a gladiator!
Answer the questions on “A Famous Mistake” and “The Sinking City.” You may look back at what you have read if you need to.
1.What is not true about the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
A It is made of white marble.
B It is 193 feet (58 m) tall.
C It has a 10-foot (3-m) lean.
D It has floors of alternating arches and columns.
2. How many people could watch the gladiator fights at one time?
A 5,000
B 50,000
C 500,000
D 5,000,000
3. What do both stories have in common?
A islets in Italy
B canals in Italy
C mistakes in Italy
D buildings in Italy
4. Which one is the oldest?
A the Colosseum
B the city of Venice
C the Leaning Tower of Pisa
D eyeglasses for people with poor vision
5. Most likely, the buildings in Venice are sinking because
A their foundations are sinking.
B the islets are getting bigger.
C so many people flock to see them.
D too many boats are using the canals.
6. List five facts about the Tower of Pisa.
7. Fill in the boxes with information about the journal entries.
Write two one or more sentences that tell what each story is about.
8. “A Famous Mistake”
9. “The Sinking City”
Campfire Safety
1 Caroline was camping for the first time with her Girl Scout troop. At a previous meeting, the girls and their leaders had discussed what to bring. Now that they had arrived at their actual destination, a campsite at a campground, they began pitching tents, unrolling sleeping bags, and setting up the general area.
2 The troop spent the afternoon hiking and fishing. For dinner, they ate their bagged meals. Then Caroline and the other girls grew very excited. They were about to prepare their first campfire together. Caroline couldn't wait. She knew the group would use the campfire to make s'mores tonight and then breakfast in the morning. The campfire would also keep them warm tonight and create quite the atmosphere for stories and a sing-along this evening.
3 Before the campfire was started, Mrs. Hansen gave the girls the safety rundown. "First of all," she began, "we checked the fire danger level when we entered the campground. We're fine tonight, but if the posted level were dangerous, we would not be having a campfire. We also wouldn't start a campfire on a windy day because sparks can travel far. We double-checked with the ranger because we wanted to make sure we didn't need a permit. Sometimes you do.
4 "Normally, the first thing we would need to do is to dig a pit. In a park like this, there's one here already. We would make sure the pit was already surrounded by rocks, but this site already has a metal fire ring. The ring is at least fifteen feet from our fire retardant tents; the pit is away from overhanging branches."
5 Mrs. Hansen continued, "Now, for the next few minutes, Melissa and Caitlyn should clear the leaves and twigs in the space about five feet around the pit. I need another two of you to go with Mrs. Kelly to fill that bucket of water and grab a shovel. The rest of you can go with Mrs. Swift to collect tinder such as dry needles or grass to start our fire; I've also brought some newspaper to crumple. We have firewood as well." The girls happily went about their tasks.
6 "Ok," Mrs. Hansen directed. "Good job, girls. Let's stack the extra firewood away from the fire. I'm going to light the fire with a match. No child here is to touch the matches. I have a cell phone handy (as well as a first aid kit) just in case of emergency. Once the fire is started, one of the adults will remain near it at all times. One adult will remain awake with it all night. We'll take turns. We'll also keep the fire going reasonably. We don't want our campfire to ever start a roaring forest fire. This fire will never be unattended, not for one single moment."
7 The campfire was everything Caroline had hoped it would be. The s'mores were delicious. The
stories brought both lots of giggles and screeches of horror as they turned to ghost stories. The campfire kept them nice and toasty. Only once did one of the girls need to be reminded not to fall because she could be seriously hurt. When it was time to sleep, the girls took turns with the adult to watch the campfire so it could keep them safe but warm.
8 The next morning the girls woke up and prepared breakfast. They took a quick hike while Mrs. Swift kept an eye on the campfire. When the girls returned, they packed up their belongings. Mrs. Hansen began to extinguish the fire. She slowly poured the bucket of water on the fire. Then she stirred the embers with the shovel. She even moved some stones around. She warned the girls not to touch the embers and ashes because they could be burned just as seriously by them as an active fire. When Mrs. Hansen was sure the fire was cool, she did her best to return it to its natural conditions. She completely covered it with dirt.
9 Before the Girl Scout troop left the site, Mrs. Hansen told the girls she was very proud of them. "You all were so careful around the fire. You allowed us to explore and have an adventure while still playing it safe. I'm so glad you could be trusted in the woods. Unfortunately, irresponsible people start wildfires that cause property damage, forest loss, and deaths just by being careless with campfires. I'm very proud to be your leader."
1. Caroline was camping with _____.
Her 4-H club Her family
Her Girl Scout troop Her school’ 2. Campfires can be used for _____.
Warmth
Atmosphere
3. If the fire danger is high, a camper _____.
Should sneak to start a campfire
Should not start a campfire
4. The fire ring should be _____ feet away from the tents.
Cooking
All of the above
Should openly start a campfire
None of the above
5 3 0 15
5. Sometimes a permit is necessary to start a campfire. False True
6. It is ok to leave a campfire burning alone for a short amount of time. False True
7. Campfires are an unusual cause of wildfires. False True
What is Personification
Circle the object that is being personified in each statement. Then underline the word or words that show the human quality that the object has been given.
1. The wilted flowers begged for water.
2. The nail waited in fear for the next blow.
3. The tired old shoes wanted only to rest in the closet.
4. The ripe, red strawberries smiled up at me from their bowl.
5. The earth felt she had nothing left to give.
6. The bells sang as our sled sped over the hills.
7. The cold snowflakes kissed our cheeks.
8. The old tree waited patiently for spring to return again.
9. The car raced triumphantly across the finish line.
10. The forest loved even the smallest of the animals.
11. The playful waves tickled our toes.
12. The lonely teddy bear sat on the shelf, wondering if anyone would buy him.
13. The crayons waited eagerly, hoping Jenny would use them again.
14. Each night my pillows welcome me into bed.
15. The cruel wind robbed the poor tree of its last few leaves.
16. The cookies called the hungry children to the table.
17. The angry ball was determined to knock down all ten pins.
18. The foolish pins taunted the ball as it rolled toward them.
Personification Practice
Circle “yes" if the sentence is an example of personification. Circle “no" if the sentence is not an example of personification.
1. The train waited patiently for the passengers to board. yes no
2. Maria gathered the beautiful flowers in the morning light. yes no
3. No one wanted to read the tired, old books. yes no
4. Arnold could hear the brownies calling his name. yes no
5. The party died soon after Jessica left. yes no
6. The chocolate cake was so good that Jason had two pieces. yes no
7 The shy moon hid behind the clouds. yes no
8. We all heard the crash as the plate fell to the floor. yes no
Fill in the blank with the correct word to personify the sentence.
1. The hot sun was down at us. a. glaring b. shining
2. The car raced down the road. a. quickly b. eagerly
3. Did you hear the thunder last night? a loud b angry
4. Time as James waited for his turn to play. a. crawled b. passed
5. The pencil sharpener the shrinking pencil. a. shiny b. hungry a. devoured b. sharpened
Hope
by Sri Chimnoy
Hope Knows no fear. Hope dares to blossom Even inside the abysmal abyss. Hope secretly feeds And strengthens Promise.
Answer the following questions:
1. How is the structure of this poem different than the structure of most poems?
2. The author of this poem believes that everyone must have hope. Support this claim with evidence from the poem.
3. How did the author use personification in this poem?
4. What does it mean that hope, “feeds and strengthens promise?”
How Does It Fly?
How does it fly?
As I spy it go by; Why, oh why, does a bird fly? It flaps its wings
As I spy it go by. Why, oh why does a bee fly? It flutters its wings,
As I spy it go by.
Why, oh why does an airplane fly? It glides its wings,
As I spy it go by. But....why?
2 To anyone born during the last one hundred years, seeing a "metal bird" glide through the sky is not unusual. In fact, it is hard to imagine a blue sky without airplanes and jets racing effortlessly to their destinations. So, what is the magic behind these fascinating machines? Mechanical energy and air are the main reasons airplanes and other airborne vehicles fill our skies. Let's look at the aerodynamic principles behind flight.
3 Aerodynamics focuses on the motion of air and other gases. Scientists who study aerodynamics use this information to design aircraft that travels efficiently in the air with very little air resistance. Air resistance is the force or friction that a vehicle experiences as it travels through the air. In aerodynamics there are three basic forces called thrust, drag, and lift that affect how an airplane travels through the air. Thrust is the force which moves the airplane forward. Drag is the force that holds the airplane back as it is flying through the air. Finally, lift is the upward force that opposes earth's gravitational pull. It is the lift that helps to keep the airplane in the air. To explain the science behind lift, we need to look at the work of Swiss mathematician Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782).
4 During the 1700's, Bernoulli discovered that when fluid and air move along a surface, they cause a force to be exerted or applied at a right angle to that surface. Bernoulli also discovered that faster flowing fluid and air causes less force than slower moving fluid and air. This amazing discovery is referred to as Bernoulli's principle. So what does this mean for airplanes? Well, the pressure of air decreases as its velocity increases and increases when the velocity decreases. Airplane wings are curved to use this principle to their advantage. As air flows over the curved upper surface of the wing, it moves faster than the air flowing across the flat under surface of the wing. The air flowing over the upper surface also has farther to travel than the air flowing across the under surface of the wing. The pressure of the air is applied in an upward direction, hence the term "lift." The airplane's wings intersect the air at an angle. This wing angle allows the air to be deflected or sent downward, which causes the airplane to be deflected upward (think about Newton's third law). The high air pressure under the wing is responsible for pushing the plane upward. This allows the lift to support the weight of the airplane while it is in flight.
5 An airplane's thrust is supplied by the airplane's engine. Most airplanes have gas-turbine engines
that move propellers. Propellers have blades that are in the shape of an airfoil. This means they have a leading edge (edge facing direction of motion) and a trailing edge (rear edge). The blades of the propeller are moved by a shaft that is attached to and driven by the engine. In jet engines, it is the force of the hot gases exiting the rear of the jet that causes the reaction or thrust of the jet.
6 Air resistance is the reason for drag on an airplane. As the thrust or forward motion of an airplane increases, the drag increases. The airplane's thrust needs to be greater than the drag in order for the airplane to move forward. This is why pilots need to know about weather conditions before they fly. Tailwinds or winds coming from behind the aircraft may help to increase the thrust of the airplane and speed up the airplane's movement. Headwinds, winds that come from the opposite direction of the aircraft, can add more resistance to the airplane's thrust and as a result slow down the aircraft. It is all three aerodynamic forces that help aircraft to achieve flight.
1. Thrust is the ______ of aircraft.
Vertical motion
Backward motion
Forward motion
None of the above
2. Bernoulli's principle states that air pressure stays the same regardless of its velocity.
False True
3. The three forces of aerodynamics are ________.
Drag, gravity, and motion
Lift, drag, and resistance
4. What is air resistance?
Thrust, lift, and drag
Thrust, lift, and airfoil
5. Gas-turbine engines provide the thrust on most aircraft. False True
6. Drag is the force that ______.
Holds the airplane back
Pushes the airplane forward
7. How do jet planes produce thrust?
Lifts the airplane upward
Pushes the airplane sideways
8. Why are Bernoulli's discoveries important to the field of aerodynamics?
Fire in the Kitchen!
1 You and your friends are hanging out, talking about nothing in particular. When the topic turns to fire, what image springs to mind? Does your mind's eye see the swaying flame at the tip of a candle? Do you think of logs crackling in a fireplace? Perhaps you smile and imagine a bonfire outdoors where you can roast hot dogs and marshmallows. You probably don't picture flames shooting up from a skillet in your kitchen.
2 Most house fires start in the kitchen. They often happen when someone is careless while cooking. Such a fire causes panic. Grease or electrical fires are fires that water can't put out. In fact, throwing water at it can cause it to spread! Many people get burned when they try to put out a cooking fire.
3 The most important rule to remember about a cooking fire is to get help. Children should never attempt to put out a fire. There are two other options. The first is to alert a responsible adult. If no one is available, children should call 9-1-1 for help. The operator will send firefighters to the rescue and will also tell the caller where to go and what to do.
4 Now you know how to stay safe if you have a fire in your kitchen. However, you should also know how to prevent such a fire from occurring. It's best not to have a cooking fire, wouldn't you agree? Here are some tips that help people avoid having a fire in the kitchen.
1.The cook should not leave the kitchen while food is on the stovetop or in the toaster oven.
2.The cook should not leave the house while food is baking in the oven.
3.The cook should make sure that the cooking surfaces are clean before turning on the heat.
4.The cook should clear the cooking area of anything that could catch on fire, such as pot holders, kitchen towels, dishcloths, curtains, or flammable liquids.
5.The cook should keep pan handles turned inward on the stove. When a pan's handle sticks out over the edge of the stove, it could be bumped and the pan's contents may be spilled on the burner. Hot contents may burn someone.
6.The cook should wear appropriate clothing. Long sleeves that are loose may touch a burner and catch fire. Close-fitting sleeves or short sleeves are better choices for the kitchen; sleeveless outfits are fine as well.
5 Having a smoke detector that works is also important. It won't prevent a kitchen fire, but it will alert the family if a fire starts. Smoke detectors save lives but only if the batteries inside them are working. It's a good idea for someone in the home to check the smoke detector on a regular basis.
6 Everyone needs to know how to prevent kitchen fires as well as what to do if one occurs. If you and your family members follow these tips, you may avoid the sight of a fearsome, flaming skillet in your kitchen. That's a sight none of us wants to see.
1. Many kitchen fires happen when someone is ______ while cooking.
Eating
Careful
Careless
Worried
2. If the food in a skillet bursts into flames, what should you do? Hide in the closet.
Alert an adult or the fire department. Throw water on it.
Grab a stick and a marshmallow.
3. What often happens to people who try to put out a cooking fire? They get arrested.
Nothing happens to them. They are awarded a medal. They get burned.
4. Cooking surfaces should be clean and ______. Cluttered Uncluttered Colourful Wet
5. What should all cooks do if they need to leave the house?
Stir the pots and make sure everything is cooking correctly
Check the batteries in the smoke detector
Turn off any stove or oven that is in use
Hose down the counter and cabinets, just in case
6. When is a smoke detector useless?
When the cook is baking a cake in the oven
When the batteries are missing or dead
When the fire has already started
When people are awake
7. What should cooks not wear?
Short sleeves
Shoes
Aprons
Long, loose sleeves
8. On the stove, ______ should point inward rather than outward.
Pan handles
Dish towels
Curtains
Pot holders
Read the paragraph and answer the questions.
1. Mum was knitting. She was sitting on the swing outside. When she heard the doorbell, she went to the front of the house to see who was there. To her surprise, as she came to the back, some of her yarn was gone. "I wonder what happened," she said. "Mum," Patrick said. "I think I know what happened. Look at the nest." Mum and Patrick smiled.
Why would the yarn be needed in this location? to build the nest as a gift to be eaten to knit with
What else can you conclude from the story? It was snowing outside. It was beautiful outside. It was raining outside. It was cold outside.
2. The yellow fairy flew to work with a red fairy. The orange fairy and the brown fairy were waiting for them. Each one put a lunch bag under a mushroom. Then they began painting the woodland leaves. The yellow fairy and the brown fairy worked together. Sometimes the orange fairy joined them, but the red fairy liked to work alone. He didn't want the others to mix their colours on his beautiful, red leaves. He was always very careful with his paint. By noon the green leaves had become many colours, and the yellow fairy's lunch had gone missing! Whoever took it left behind orange and red splatters on the mushroom.
"The red fairy took your lunch!" the orange fairy said, pointing a finger at the surprised red fairy. "I caught him red-handed!"
"I'm not the one who is red-handed," the red fairy said. "I know what you did with my paint."
QUESTIONS:
What clue tells you that the red fairy did not take the lunch?
The fairies were preparing for what season? spring summer fall winter
A Colonial Christmas
1 This is how I always pictured a colonial Christmas. It starts with a really big Christmas tree. A family goes out somewhere in the New England woods and cuts down a beautiful, tall, evergreen tree. Next, they load the tree onto their sleigh, and their horses carry it home through the snow.
2 In the days to come, the family prepares all kinds of homemade Christmas treats. The children make ornaments from materials at hand and hang them on the tree. Mother bakes cakes, cookies, and pies. Each member of the family creates a hand-made gift for everyone else. Candles burning in each window give a festive, but old-fashioned, glow to the season.
3 In the evening, the children go to bed early after listening to "The Night Before Christmas." They dream of Christmas morning when they will find their stockings filled with treats and hanging on the fireplace mantle.
4 There's only one small problem with my mental picture of a colonial Christmas. It never happened.
5 Later, I learned about the Christmas celebrations at Colonial Williamsburg. There, the whole town is lit up with candles for Christmas. Wreaths made of greens and decorated with fruits such as oranges and pineapples decorate each door. Garlands of more greenery and fruit continue the traditional Christmas theme. Visitors come from everywhere to enjoy the look of a colonial Christmas.
6 There's one small problem with this picture too, and the people of Colonial Williamsburg are the first to point it out. It isn't authentic either.
7 So, what was a colonial Christmas really like?
8 Some colonists didn't celebrate Christmas at all. Some of the religious groups, such as the Puritans, believed that it was wrong to celebrate Christmas. They felt that a celebration with feasting and fun was sinful. Some colonies even made Christmas celebrations illegal. In 1659, Massachusetts charged a fine of five shillings to anyone caught celebrating Christmas. Connecticut made specific Christmas-related activities illegal. It was illegal to perform Christmas music or to bake a mince pie.
9 Some colonists did celebrate Christmas. They decorated their churches and their homes with evergreens and maybe winter berries, but not with oranges and pineapples. These fruits were expensive and would have been a treat to eat, not used for decoration. The greenery brightened up the rooms and lent them a nice fresh smell.
10 They celebrated Christmas day with church services and a feast. The holiday table held plenty of fresh meats and maybe seafood. Since it was midwinter, there would have been few fresh fruits or vegetables, although a mincemeat pie with apples and raisins might have been served. Families took time to visit relatives and friends, and singing carols was a favourite holiday activity.
11 Colonists did not exchange gifts the way many people do today; however, the adults may have given small toys or treats to the children. Treats were also given to workers including indentured
servants and slaves at Christmas time. "The Night Before Christmas" hadn't even been written yet.
12 Some of the very wealthy families planned a more elaborate Christmas celebration. These festivities might last for twelve days, beginning with Christmas Day and continuing until Twelfth Night. The events planned might include fancy-dress balls and a fox-hunt - activities for adults, not children.
13 This was Christmas in colonial times. The "old-fashioned" Christmas that we like to imagine actually began much later.
1. In colonial times, every family had a real Christmas tree. False True
2. "The Night Before Christmas" was written in colonial times. False True
3 The Christmas celebration at Colonial Williamsburg can best be described as an authentic colonial Christmas. False True
4. In colonial times, churches and homes were decorated with evergreens. False True
5. Which would most likely be served at a colonial Christmas dinner?
Toll House cookies
Fresh fruits
Green beans
Turkey
6. Who most likely received a present on Christmas in colonial times?
Children
Bosses
Teachers
Parents
7. Who most likely attended a colonial Christmas ball?
Adults
Servants
Families
Children
8. A garland of Christmas greenery in a colonial house would most likely have been decorated with ______.
Strings of lights
Glass ornaments
Plastic flowers
Berries
Novel Study
The Trumpet of the Swan: Chapters 1-3
1. How old is the main character, Sam?
2. What problem did Sam have?
3. BHow many eggs did the mother swan try to lay per day?
4. Why was Sam described as "odd"?
5. What unique thing did Sam find while exploring?
6. What did Sam write in his diary in this chapter?
A lady went up to a keeper at a busy city zoo. The lady asked a question. “Why is it safe to let visitors’ pet cheetahs?” she asked. “Couldn’t that be a little dangerous?”
The keeper knew this was not a good question. This question meant a cheetah was loose! A big, wild cat had gotten out of its cage! The keeper kept calm. She asked the lady where exactly she saw the cheetah being petted. When the lady told her, the keeper said something on her radio. She did not say “We have a cheetah lose.” Instead, she used a code. Why?
Workers all over the zoo carried radios. If visitors heard on the radio that an animal was loose, they might panic. Everyone might start to run. They might start to scream. They might run wildly. Zookeepers had thought ahead. They had plans for when animals got lose. A code let zookeepers know to put the plan into action. The code stopped people from panicking.
The cheetah had jumped across a deep moat. It had jumped over 17 feet (5.2 m)! Once the cheetah was shown some raw chicken, it followed its keeper back to its cage. Zookeepers then made sure that never again would there be a cheetah for visitors to pet!
A tiger was loose! It had escaped from the zoo. The police were called. The fire department was called. The news was on the radio. The news was on the television.
Everyone was told, “Stay inside where it is safe! Do not go outside. Remain calm. Do not panic.”
Grandpa got up and ate his breakfast. He didn’t listen to the radio or watch television. He went for an early morning walk. Grandpa didn’t notice that the streets were empty. He didn’t notice that no one else was about. Then Grandpa saw the tiger!
The tiger, its tail twitching, was walking down the middle of the sidewalk! Grandpa didn’t slow down at all. He walked right up to the tiger. The tiger began to growl. Grandpa said, “Now, now, you big baby, just settle down.” Then Grandpa reached over and began to scratch the astonished tiger behind the ears. The tiger began to purr.
As Grandpa scratched and the tiger purred, a big truck with a cage silently pulled up. Grandpa said, “Now, get out of my way you big baby!” Then as fearful police officers and zookeepers stared in astonishment, Grandpa pushed the tiger right into the cage! “I need my hearing checked,” said Grandpa. “I just petted a big dog that purred like a big cat!”
Answer the questions on “A Code for a Cheetah” and “Grandpa and the Tiger.”
You may look back at what you have read if you need to.
1. From the story one can tell that zookeepers did not know a cheetah could jump
A 13 feet (4.0 m).
B 15 feet (4.6 m).
C 17 feet (5.2 m).
D 19 feet (5.8 m).
2. If Grandpa had known he was petting a tiger,
A he might have not been so calm.
B he might have had his eyes checked.
C he might have not been so astonished.
D he might have had his hearing checked.
3. Both stories are about
A animals that escaped.
B petting and scratching cheetahs.
C what type of cages big cats need.
D people who don’t know animals are dangerous.
4. From the stories, you can tell that
A no one cares if an animal escapes.
B it is dangerous to touch wild cats.
C one can pet wild cats if one panics.
D it is safer to pet a tiger than a cheetah.
5. Most likely, if Grandpa had listened to the radio he
A would not have known what it meant.
B would not have gone for a morning walk.
C would have taken some raw chicken with him.
D would have thought the tiger’s name was Ralph Ned.
6. One zoo used the code words “Ralph Ned” when an animal was loose. Fill in the box to show what each person would most likely think if they heard “We have a Ralph Ned bear,” on the radio.
7. Think about when things happened in the story. Fill in the boxes to show when they happened in the story.
Write two or more sentences that tell what each story is about.
8. “A Code for a Cheetah”
9. “Grandpa and the Tiger”
What Is A Fire Escape Plan?
1 Most home fires occur at night, many times while people are asleep. It can take less than 30 seconds for a flame to turn into a major fire. Within minutes, an entire home can be filled with smoke. Would you know what to do? It's important that you do.
2 Fire should be prevented in the first place if at all possible. All appliances and plugs should be checked for safety. Don't overload outlets. Cover unused outlets. Be wary of space heaters. Be careful when cooking since that's the leading cause of home fires in the United States. Fireplaces need to remain clean. Adults should never smoke in bed because that's the main cause of fire deaths in the United States. Of course, children should know better than to play with matches. That's the leading cause of fire death for children under five. Children should wear flame-retardant sleepwear. Finally, watch lit candles and dried out Christmas trees.
3 Fire safety equipment helps save lives, too. A smoke alarm is essential. Most deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms. Smoke alarms need to be on each level of the home and in all bedrooms. They should be tested one time each month. The batteries should be changed each year. Fire extinguishers should be handy.
4 Very important, though, is having two escape routes from every home in the house or apartment. These routes should be drawn out on a piece of paper. One way should be in black for the normal, easy way for each room, usually through a door. The other way should be drawn in red as the real emergency way in case you can't leave through the door. In the event of a fire, get out. Don't worry about carrying out any property. Time is your enemy in a fire. Choose a meeting place, such as a mailbox or driveway, for your whole family to gather after escaping from a fire. Get there as quickly as possible.
5 This fire escape plan should be carried out in a drill each month. Firefighters consider this so important that they have nicknamed this plan EDITH, Exit Drills in the Home. In a typical practice drill, one person, preferably an adult should be in charge. Everyone else should go to his or her bedroom. When the person in charge signals, everyone should practice getting out! A typical family should be able to complete the drill in three minutes.
6 Firefighters have proven time and time again that these practice drills reduce panic in the event of a real fire. In a real fire, a person can become dizzy and may have trouble seeing. A person who does not panic, but instead knows how to get out, has a better chance of surviving a real fire. Practicing helps people think more clearly in a real fire.
7 People should also know to sleep with their doors closed. Did you know that it takes ten to fifteen minutes for fire to burn through a wooden door? Think how helpful that time could be if one really needed time to escape.
8 Yell if you hear the smoke alarm. Always check a door for heat before opening it in a fire. Use the back of your hand and test the top of the door, the knob, and the space between the door and the frame. If the door feels hot, it's time to use the next escape route that you had planned out. If the door feels cool, it should be opened carefully while checking for smoke. If there's smoke, but it's still possible to get out, crawl. Crawl low with your mouth covered. Why? Smoke and heat rise. The fresher air will be lower.
9 Sometimes the only choice for an escape route is a window. Always make sure windows are accessible. Don't ever paint them shut. If the window is on an upper floor, have a collapsible ladder handy. Know how to release security bars on windows. Any security bars need to open from the inside with a quick release device. No special tool should be needed for an exit. If a window is jammed, break it with something while covering the glass with a blanket or towel.
10 If you live in an apartment building, an escape plan is just as important. Know where the fire escape is. Don't use an elevator in a fire. Follow the fire exit signs.
11 Include in your family's plans any special instructions for children or the sick or old. Teach young children in the home the fire escape plan as well. Tell them while they must get out quickly, most die from smoke not burns, so they need to be brave and try to get out. Children should know the stop, drop, and roll technique. They need to know not to hide from firefighters who may be trying to rescue them. Another useful thing to teach a child is his or her name and address if he or she is trying to call 911 for help.
12 If you are completely trapped in a home that's on fire, stay low and stay close to the window or door. Block the smoke at the bottom of the door with a blanket or pillow. If possible, put a sheet or towel out the window, or use a flashlight, to indicate to rescuers your location.
13 Once you are out of a burning building, stay out. Meet at the planned location. Count to see that everyone is there. Tell the firefighters if someone is missing. When you are out and have met, make sure 911 has been called.
14 Fire escape routes save lives. Follow fire prevention safety at all times. Have fire safety items in your home. Know what to do in an emergency. Taking a few minutes to plan ahead may save lives in the future.
1. EDITH stands for _____.
Everyone Down in the House Exit Doors in the Home Exit Drills in the Home Emergency Doors in the Hallway
2. Most deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms. False True
3. Firefighters consider practicing escape plans a waste of time. False True
4. In a real fire, if a door feels warm, _____. Cry Open it quickly Leave it closed Get back in bed
5. Which is fire safety smart?
Regularly test smoke alarms. Use security bars that won't open Paint windows shut. Burn candles without supervision.
6. In a burning home, call 911 before leaving. False True
7. The main cause of fire deaths in the U.S. is _____. Car wrecks Cooking Candles Smoking in bed
What is Hyperbole?
Read each statement. Write an “H" if the statement is a hyperbole. Write an “N" if the statement is not a hyperbole. Remember, if it could really happen it is not hyperbole.
1. My Dad's snoring is louder than a freight train.
2. Jessica's smile was a mile wide.
3. Jason stayed up all night reading his new book.
4. I have a million things to do today.
5. The grizzly bear was as big as a mountain.
6. It took me a hundred years to do my homework.
7. I could eat a million of grandma's chocolate chip cookies
8. He is the tallest man I have ever seen.
9. The movie was so sad that I cried an ocean of tears.
10. My cat is really fat.
Underline the hyperbolic statements in this paragraph. We went on a hike in the woods yesterday. We had to carry our lunch along with a lot of water, so my backpack weighed a ton! We walked for about a million miles before we got to the waterfall where we were eating lunch. My lunch was pretty good except that the bread in my sandwich was so stale I nearly broke my teeth biting into it. On the way back I got bitten by about a million mosquitoes. By the time we got home I was so tired that I slept for a week!
Finish the Hyperbole
Finish each hyperbole. Remember, if it could really happen, it is not hyperbole. Use your imagination!
1. I am so hungry! I could eat _
2. The bus was late again. We waited
3. The music was so loud that
4. The snow was so deep that
5. I hate spiders. Whenever I see one I
6. It was so cold that
7. His ears were so big! They
8. That man is so big he
Rewrite each statement using hyperbole. Remember, if it could really happen, it is not hyperbole. Use your imagination!
Examples: Even a baby could pass that test.
I've asked you to stop a million times!
1. The bag was very heavy.
2.The man was very mean.
3. It took me a long time to do my homework.
4. The line was really long.
5.Her feet were really big.
Read the poem and then answer the questions that follow.
Nothing Gold Can Stay by
Robert Frost
Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.
Answer the following questions:
1. What is the effect of the words, “subsides,” “sank,” and “down” in the poem?
2. Why do you think the poet decided to end the poem with the same line as the title?
3. What is the theme of the poem?
4. What is the format of the poem?
Read each source below.
Coming In with the Comet
Read each idea Which source gives you this information? Fill in the correct bubble for each source.
Fill in the bubble(s) next to the best answer(s) to each question.
5. How old was Mark Twain when he died?
A 65 B 75 C 74 D 64
6. Based on the information given in the sources, what is the meaning of the term pseudoscience?
A “scientific name”
C “science words”
B “false science”
D “comet science”
7. Which of these words from the sources means “clever intelligence”?
A wit
C regular
8. Which of the following are not homophones?
A rose (noun) and rows (noun)
B humour
D successful
B rose (verb) and rose (noun)
C rose (noun) and flower (noun) D flower (noun) and flour (noun)
Search “Coming In with the Comet” to find one example of each of the following Then write the number of the source in which you located this information.
9. a year from the 18th century Source #:
10. a title of a novel Source #:
Refer back to the sources, and use complete sentences to answer these questions.
11. Look at the timeline of years Halley’s Comet could be observed from Earth Within each time period, many events happened. For each time period, write one major event from your nation’s history that took place between those years.
12. What did Mark Twain mean when he said that he “came in” with Halley’s Comet and ‘expects to “go out” with it? Did he “go out” with it? Would he have been pleased or disappointed with the timing of these events? Use information from the sources to explain your answers.
Biomes and Ecosystems
1 Did you know that there are communities right in your backyard? Do you know that some communities don't have houses, but trees, plants, and shrubs? Well, these communities are part of ecosystems. They are also part of biomes.
2 Biomes are large areas that have similar plants, animals, and other organisms . Organisms are living things that can work independently. Some of these organisms we cannot see with our eyes. However, they are there. Ecosystems are smaller than biomes. They are a community of plants and animals that live in an environment.
3 There are many biomes on Earth. However, we will only talk about four. They are forests, grasslands, deserts, and tundras. The animals and plants in these biomes need to adapt to the environment. Each biome has different types of water, soil, and climate.
4 Forests are trees and other plants that cover a large area. These trees and plants grow in groups that are very dense. Depending on the climate, different types of trees and plants grow in the forest. There are tropical rainforests, tropical dry forests, cold climate forests, and temperate forests Temperate forests are found in the eastern United States. These forests have cold winters and warm summers. You can tell you are in a temperate forest if the leaves change colours in the fall. Cold climate forests have trees that have cones. You would find pine, fir, and spruce trees in these areas. These forests are found in the mountains.
5 Tropical forests are found in different areas of the world. Tropical dry forests are found in parts of Australia and Central America. They have high temperatures. They also have very little rainfall. Tropical rainforests are the opposite. They have a lot of rain. Some of these forests are found in Africa, South America, and Asia.
6 Grasslands are areas that are covered with grass and very few trees. You know them as prairies in the United States. There are very hot summers and very cold winters in grassland areas. Grasslands have some rain. However, the rain is not enough for trees to grow there.
7 Deserts are the driest places on Earth. They have very little rain during the year. The plants that are in the desert have to survive the low amount of rain. You may see cacti in deserts. The U.S. has a desert in California. It is called the Mojave Desert (Mo-ha-vee). The Sahara Desert in Africa is the largest desert on Earth.
8 The last biome is tundra. A tundra is a frozen prairie. If you were to visit Antarctica or Alaska, you would be visiting a tundra. Tundras have summers that are not very hot. The winters are extremely cold. There are plants that grow in the tundra. However, there are not any trees.
9 Animals that live in these different biomes need to adapt to the climate. Their feeding habits may depend on the climate. They may have layers of fur that help to keep them warm. They may also have very thin fur or covering for hot weather.
10 Ecosystems can be very small or very large. They can be as large as the Amazon Rainforest. They can also be the small log in your backyard. The ants in your backyard are part of an ecosystem. They depend on the water from the rain. They use the soil to make their homes. If we drop food in the backyard, it becomes their food. They live together with the other insects and animals.
11 So take a trip into your backyard or to the park in your neighbourhood. There is an ecosystem waiting for you to explore.
1. What are biomes?
2. What are ecosystems?
3. ______ have trees with cones.
Cold climate forests
Tropical rainforests
Tropical dry forests
Temperate forests
4. Plants in deserts have to survive large amounts of rain each year. False True
5. Complete the sentence: Grasslands are areas ____________________.
6. Describe tundras.
7. Where are some tropical rainforests found on Earth?
8. What are grasslands called in the United States?
Novel Study
The Trumpet of the Swan: Chapters 4-6
1. True or false: Sam's dad thought Trumpeter Swans had stopped migrating.
a.False
b.True
2. What colour was the first cygnet?
3. According to the father swan, flying is a matter of _____
4. What are the three parts of flying?
5. How many cygnets hatched?
6. What was the fifth cygnet's name?
7. What benefit could come from not being able to talk?
8. After Sam left camp, what did he write in his diary?
Diana Golden was never picked. Her name was always called last. All of her classmates were chosen for teams before her. Being picked last made Diana feel awful. It was a terrible feeling. Diana did something about it. She started to ski. Diana liked skiing. There was no picking in skiing. There was no being chosen last.
Diana was happy skiing. She liked racing down the slopes. Then something terrible happened. Diana got cancer. The cancer was in her leg. Diana’s leg was amputated. It was cut off. It had to be amputated, or the cancer would spread. Diana was only 12 years old.
A few months after losing her leg, Diana started skiing again. Having only one leg was not going to stop her from doing what she liked. She learned to balance on one ski. She raced down the slopes. She was glad to be alive.
A coach saw Diana skiing. He saw the way she balanced. He saw the way she would not give up. The coach invited Diana to train with a ski team. Diana took the coach up on his offer. She started to train. Soon, Diana was racing. She was winning, too. She began to win races all over the world. Diana went from the girl who was always picked last to the woman who came in first.
A daughter was born to the Empress. People came from all around to bring gifts. They stood in a long line. The Empress smiled broadly as she opened each carefully wrapped present. It seemed that each gift was bigger and more expensive than the one before. There were emerald rings in jade cups. There were pearl bracelets in silver boxes. There were diamond necklaces in gold chests.
At last, after many hours, only one little girl remained in line. The little girl was plainly dressed. Her clothes were clean, but one could see that they had been repaired many times.
As the little girl handed her tiny, wooden box to the Empress, people said, “Surely her plain gift is not worth picking or opening. Let us hope this tiny gift does not insult our Empress.”
When the Empress opened the tiny, plain box, she looked puzzled. She motioned for the little girl to come close. “Why did you give my daughter a bone fishhook?” she asked. “Why did you give such a small gift?”
The little girl said, “With a fishhook, your daughter will never go hungry. She will be able to catch food for herself and her people.”
The Empress said, “Your plain gift is small, but it can do big, wonderful, important things. Your gift is a real treasure.”
Answer the questions on “Last One Picked” and “The Real Treasure.” You may look back at what you have read if you need to.
1. One reason Diana started to ski was because
A she could ski alone.
B she could join a team.
C she could come in first.
D she could train with a coach.
2. What is not true about the little girl with the gift?
A She was dressed plainly.
B She insulted the Empress.
C She waited in line for many hours.
D She wore clothes that had been repaired many times.
3. Both stories are about
A small girls who didn’t do anything.
B a small person or gift that was not worth picking.
C a person or gift that ended up being great
D a gift that helped Diana and the empress’s daughter balance.
4. What would Diana most likely say to the little girl with the gift?
A “Do what other people do so they don’t talk about you.”
B “You can always tell if a gift is any good by its size.”
C “Don’t let other people’s words make you feel bad about your gift.”
D “Don’t give people small gifts because small gifts are always opened last.”
5. You can tell that the Empress thought
A it is important that people have food.
B fishing was more important than skiing.
C her daughter was too important to be last.
D important gifts should be carefully wrapped.
5. Think about when things happened in the story. Fill in the boxes to show what order they happened in the story.
7. Fill in the chart with answers about the gifts given to the Empress’s daughter.
Write two or more sentences that tell what each story is about.
8. “Last One Picked”
9. “The Real Treasure”
Surprising Shrimp at the Burgess Shale
1 What would you think if you found a fossil that looked like a shrimp? That is what happened to Charles Walcott in 1909. He was on a fossil hunt in Canada. He found a big rock with a surprising number of fossils in it! Many of the fossils were gigantic shrimp!
2 The rock was called the Burgess Shale. Charles was excited. He was a paleontologist, or someone who studies fossils. This was the best thing he had ever found! The Burgess Shale had fossils of odd sea animals in it. That might seem weird because the rock is not underwater any more! But long ago, the area was an ocean. Then something terrible happened. A huge whoosh shook the sea. It was an avalanche! The odd creatures were covered by soft mud. They became fossils. Too bad for them, but lucky for us!
3 The fossils in the Burgess Shale were from the Cambrian Period. That started about 540 million years ago! Earth was warm then. There was one big continent and several smaller ones. The sea flooded many spots. These places were like bathtubs full of life! One common animal was the giant shrimp.
4 These giant shrimp were named Anomalocaris. This big word means "unusual shrimp." They were not shrimpy, though! They were huge. They were bigger than any shrimp you have eaten. They were nearly two feet long. They had flaps along their sides. They swam by rippling the flaps. Their mouths were shaped like discs. Their mouths were on their bodies. They had two antennae poking out of the top of their heads.
5 Another strange creature was called a Trilobite. Trilobites were everywhere! One period from long ago has even been called the Age of Trilobites. Have you ever looked under a rock and found a wiggly gray bug? A Trilobite looked like those bugs, only bigger. His body had segments. He was an arthropod, like modern spiders and insects. He was between 8 inches and 3 feet long. He had long antennae. When he was scared, he rolled into a ball. Trilobites had good eyes.
6 What did a Trilobite see? One odd character was an Opabinia. He looked like a small, underwater elephant because he had a long snout. His snout had a claw on the end. He caught prey with it. He could look back at the Trilobites scurrying around because he had five eyes. But he didn't have legs. He just swam around using flaps on the side of his body.
7 The Opabinia was not the only creature with a snout. Under the soft mud lived a burrowing worm called an Ottoia. He was a soft-bodied animal, so fossils of this worm are rare. This worm was not too big. He was only 6 inches long. His little hole was shaped like a U. He fit in the hole snugly like a plug in the sink. When he was hungry, he still stayed in his hole. He just stuck his nose out of the hole to try to find something to eat. When he did, he swallowed it whole!
8 Another creature that didn't even look real was a Hallucigenia. He looked like a stick. He had sharp spikes sticking out of him. It would be painful to eat him. It would be like eating a living pin cushion. That animal didn't look like an animal at all!
9 The Cambrian world was full of odd creatures. Some hardly seemed real. We have learned a lot from Mr. Walcott's surprising shrimp from the Burgess Shale. Isn't it amazing that we can learn so much about the ancient world from a rock?
1. Where was the Burgess Shale?
In Germany
In the United States
In Canada
In Africa
2. What is the name of a scientist who studies fossils?
An archaeologist
A paleontologist
A biologist
A linguist
3. Why were so many fossils in the Burgess Shale?
An epidemic
An earthquake
An underwater avalanche
A meteor
4. Which of the following is a modern arthropod?
An insect
A cat
An elephant
A cow
5. Which creature was very common in the oceans during the Cambrian Era?
Brontosauruses
Mammoths
Trilobites
Pterodactyls
6. What might trilobites do if they were scared?
Bite
Roll into a ball
Eject ink into the water
Run away
7. One Cambrian animal looked like a long pin cushion.
True
False
8. What shape did the burrowing worm dig into the mud?
A
An O
An L
Noah Webster
1 When you want to know what a word means, you look it up in a dictionary. What do you think people did before there were dictionaries? Maybe they had to guess the right meanings of words they did not know. Noah Webster was a man who loved America. He wanted Americans to have their own form of the English language. To do that, he made the first American Dictionary.
2 Noah Webster was born in West Hartford, Connecticut on October 16, 1758. His father farmed and worked as a weaver. Noah and his two brothers helped with the farm work, but Noah loved learning about things most of all. When he was 16 he started attending Yale College. His time there was interrupted by the Revolutionary War. Noah finally graduated in 1778. He wanted to go on and study law, but his parents could not afford to send him. To earn the money he needed, he began teaching school.
3 In those days, American schools were not well supplied. There were sometimes 70 children in all the grades in one room, with one teacher. There were few books and very few desks for the children to work at. Noah knew this was no way for children to learn.
4 Over the next few years he began working on a book that could teach children grammar, spelling, and how to read. After A Grammatical Institute of the English Language was published in 1783, it became one of the best selling books produced in America. It was commonly referred to as the "Bluebacked Speller," because of its colour. It became so popular that the lists in the book were used as the basis of popular spelling bees.
5 When he was 31, Noah married Rebecca Greenleaf. Together they had eight children. They lived in New Haven before moving to Amherst, Massachusetts. While there, he helped establish Amherst College.
6 Webster was also very active politically. He believed in a centralized government. He also edited a newspaper in New York. As he began to sell a lot of books, he also began to speak to many of the state governments about protecting his copyright. The copyright laws were not the same from state to state, and some men would print copies of Webster's speller and keep the profits for themselves. Because of his efforts, the federal government passed a national copyright law in 1790.
7 His income from the "Blue-backed Speller" allowed him the time and money he needed to pursue a project he had been thinking about for a long time. When he was 43 years old, Noah began writing the first American dictionary. While traveling around, he noticed that people in different parts of the country pronounced words differently, and there was no consistent form of spelling or word definition either. He thought the people should be united in their language as Americans.
8 He chose simpler ways of spelling many words, like "colour" instead of "colour," and "music" instead of "musick". He also added American words like, "hickory," "skunk," and "squash." To be able to write the definitions of the words, and to find where they came from, he had to learn some of as many as 20 languages, including Anglo Saxon and Sanskrit. In 1806, he published a smaller version of his later dictionary called Compendius Dictionary of the English Language.
9 When his American Dictionary of the English Language was finally finished in 1828, after taking 27 years to finish it, he was 70 years old. His book had over 70,000 words in it. Of those, 12,000 words had
never been put in a dictionary before, and about 40,000 of those words had not appeared in earlier dictionaries. Soon he was busy revising the book, and that was completed in 1840.
10 Noah Webster died in 1843 and was buried in the cemetery adjoining the Yale campus. His strong personality made him remembered for more than just his lexicography. Many people consider him an American hero for all he did to make the language distinctive, and for his efforts in educating the nation's children.
1. What event interrupted Noah's education?
Boer War
Civil War
Revolutionary War War of 1812
2. How did he earn the money to attend law school?
3. How many children sometimes learned together in a one room school house?
4. What was Webster's first book was commonly called?
5. Why was the lack of a national copyright law such a problem for successful authors?
6. Which of these was not true?
Definitions were not consistent
Not all words were pronounced the same
Spelling of words was not consistent
Everyone could read
7. Webster changed the spelling on many words, name one.
8. How many languages was Webster familiar with by the time of his death?
9. How old was Webster when he finished his big dictionary?
What Is Onomatopoeia?
Underline the onomatopoeia in each sentence.
1. The dishes crashed to the floor. 4. We could hear the chicks peeping.
2. The motor was humming all night. 5. The door creaked as I opened it.
3. Jake sniffled all day long.
6. It is bad manners to slurp your soup.
Fill in each blank with an onomatopoeia from the box.
honking splash zip sizzling pop crunchy sloshed buzzing clapped rustling
1. The honey bees were around the hive.
2. If you your balloon, I will not buy you another one.
3. I eat a red apple every day with my lunch.
4. We all our hands in time to the music.
5. The big rock landed with a in the lake.
6. Can you hear the leaves in the wind?
7. There is bread in the toaster and bacon ________ on the stove.
8. The taxi driver would not stop his horn.
9. The coffee over the rim of the cup.
10. Remember to up your jacket before you go outside.
Directions: Read the poem and then answer the questions that follow.
Young and Old
by Charles Kingsley
When all the world is young lad, And all the trees are green; And every goose a swan, lad, And every lass a queen; Then hey for boot and horse, lad, And round the world away; Young blood must have its course, lad, And every dog his day.
When all the world is old, lad, And all the trees are brown; When all the sport is stale, lad, And all the wheels run down; Creep home, and take your place there, The spent and maimed among:
God grant you find one face there, You loved when all was young.
Answer the following questions:
1. How is the poem organised?
2. What did the author repeat in the poem?
3. What does the author mean that, “all the world is young lad?”
4. Explain the difference in the young and old.
Read each source below.
What’s in a Name?
Read each idea Which source gives you this information? Fill in the correct bubble for each source (Note: More than one bubble may be filled in for each idea )
Fill in the bubble(s) next to the best answer(s) to each question.
5. Which statement is true?
A The Kimi Twins were named after each other
B The kiwifruit was named after the kiwi bird
C The kiwi bird was named after the kiwifruit
D New England was named after New Zealand
6. The word exotic is used in Source 1 to describe a kiwifruit Which of these words is an antonym of exotic?
A unfamiliar B strange C regular D alien
7. In which of these places would you most likely find Source 2?
A online advertisement B online dictionary
C online encyclopedia D online thesaurus
8. From the information given in Source 1, you can infer that tofu and hummus
A do not taste good
C are exotic to Kentucky Kimi
B do not contain meat
D are exotic to the narrator
Search “What’s in a Name?” to find one example of each of the following Then write the number of the source in which you located this information
9. a possessive common noun________________________ Source #:______________
10. a possessive proper noun________________________ Source #:___________
Sickle Cell Anemia
1 What makes you you? You inherit genes from your parents. Genes determine your characteristics. Genes determine the colour of your eyes. Genes determine the colour of your hair. Genes are segments of DNA found on a chromosome. Genes tell your body how to grow. A mutation, or a gene that carries erroneous instructions, can cause disease or your chance of getting a disease.
2 Sickle cell anemia is one such disease. It is classified as a single-gene disease. It is the most common genetic disease among African Americans. It is caused by an error in a gene that tells your body how to make hemoglobin. You must inherit the defective gene from both parents in order to have it. If you inherit the gene from only one parent, you don't have the disease but you do carry the trait.
3 You know that sickle cell anemia affects the hemoglobin. Do you remember what hemoglobin does? Hemoglobin is a protein that carries oxygen to your cells. Hemoglobin is found in red blood cells.
4 When the hemoglobin is defective, molecules give up the oxygen but some cluster together. They form long, rod-like structures that cause the red blood cells to become stiff and form sickle shapes. What is a sickle shape? The cells take on the shape of a sickle, the farm tool with a curved, sharp edge used for cutting wheat. With this sickle shape, red blood cells can't squeeze through small blood vessels. What happens? They stack up, cause blockages, and deprive organs and tissues of oxygen. As a result, there is damage to organs as well as pain.
5 Normal red blood cells have a circular, biconcave shape. Normal blood cells last about 120 days. For those with sickle cell anemia, their red blood cells last only 10 to 20 days. The body can't replace these red blood cells quickly enough. Anemia results.
6 Those suffering from sickle cell anemia have chronic anemia and on and off episodes of pain. Some people have episodes of pain once a year; others suffer 15 or more times a year. These episodes can be short, such as a few hours, or long, such as several weeks
7 Symptoms of sickle-cell anemia include fatigue, paleness, shortness of breath, and pain. More than 40 states now require a simple blood test on all newborns for detection purposes. Hand-foot syndrome is often the first symptom in infants. When the small blood vessels in their little hands or feet are blocked, pain, swelling, and fever often results. The shortage of red blood cells can delay growth and puberty in children. Sometimes vision can deteriorate because of lack of nourishment. Sometimes the skin and eyes yellow because red blood cells break down rapidly. Pain is the principal symptom, though.
8 Those with sickle cell anemia are more prone to infections. Children, especially, can die from these infections. Strokes are common because of blocked blood vessels. Many patients suffer from acute chest syndrome. It is an infection in the lungs that is similar to pneumonia.
9 Can sickle cell anemia be cured? No, there is no cure. However, there are treatment options. Painkilling drugs and IV fluids are often given. So are blood transfusions. They serve several purposes such as increasing the number of normal red blood cells, treating spleen enlargement, and help prevent recurring strokes. Other treatments include preventive penicillin from 2 months old until 5 years old to help prevent the pneumococcal infection. Many other complications are treated as they arise such as the need for eye surgery.
10 Those suffering from sickle-cell anemia need proper nutrition, good hygiene, bed rest, less stress, protection from infections, and doctor care. While there is no cure, people receiving the right care can live into their fifties.
1. You inherit genes from your ______.
Friends Sisters Brothers Parents
2. What don't genes determine?
How you grow
How much you spend
The colour of your eyes
The colour of your hair
3. What is the most common genetic disease among African Americans?
Chicken pox
Multiple sclerosis
Cystic fibrosis
Sickle cell anemia
4. Which describes the shape of a normal red blood cell?
Rectangular
Circular biconcave shape
Sickle shape
5. Normal blood cells last about ______.
15 days
50 days
75 days
120 days
6. What is the principal symptom of sickle cell anemia?
Vision loss
Pain
Jaundice
Shortness of breath
7. There is a cure for sickle cell anemia.
False
True
Minerals - Building Blocks of Rocks
1 Minerals occur naturally - they are not man-made. They grow, but they do not have life. Each kind of mineral has a special colour, crystal shape, luster, hardness, and even its own way of splitting or breaking apart. A geologist - a scientist who studies the Earth and its rocks - will study all those things to determine what type of mineral they have found.
2 People do not make minerals. They are formed within the Earth's mantle, within the Earth's crust, or on the surface of the Earth. Strong heat and pressure form minerals in much the same way as rocks are formed.
3 Minerals make up rocks. Some rocks have only one mineral in them. Marble, from which statues are carved, has only one mineral called calcite [CAL-site]. Other rocks are made up of several different minerals.
4 You do not have to go into a cave or dig in the ground to find minerals. Your home is full of them! Your toothpaste contains a mineral called fluorite. Your bath powder contains talc. Your clock radio contains the minerals copper, gold, quartz, and cassiterite [kuh-SIT-uh-right] - the ore of tin. Your pencils contain graphite. The salt you use to season your food is a mineral!
1. Which of the following statements about minerals are not true? Minerals are alive.
Minerals are formed by heat and pressure. Minerals grow. Minerals are not man-made.
2. A person who studies the Earth and its rocks is called:
Rockologist
Mineralogist
Geologist Scientist
3 Minerals can be identified by their: Colour Crystal shape
Luster
All of the above
4. All rocks are made up of one mineral. True False
5. What kinds of common items contain minerals?
6. Nine minerals were named in this lesson. Name one.
Novel Study
The Trumpet of the Swan: Chapters 4- 6
1. What do swans do at the end of the summer?
2. Mother swan was worried about Louis. Why?
3. What did the fifth cygnet do to greet Sam?
4. How did Louis feel about not being able to talk?
5. What two things did little swans have that helped them break out of a shell?
6. How many days had the eggs sat?
Fly Like an Eagle
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free
Oh, Lord, through the revolution
Feed the babies
Who don't have enough to eat
Shoe the children
With no shoes on their feet
House the people
Livin' in the street
Oh, oh, there's a solution
I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free
Fly through the revolution
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future
I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free
Fly through the revolution
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
1. Circle the verse that talks about problems and solutions
2. Why does it say “house the people?”
3. What is another problem in that verse?
4. What is the rhyming pattern?
5. Why does Steve Miller repeat “Slippin” over and over?
6. What does it mean by “time keeps on slippin in the future?
7. Why does he want to fly like an eagle?
8. How does this song make you feel?
Valentina Tereshkova - First Woman In Space
1 The Soviet Union was winning the Space Race. They had launched the first artificial satellite into space. They had launched the first dog, Laika, into space. They had launched the first man into space, Yuri Gagarin. Their next goal was to put a woman into space for multiple orbits of Earth.
2 Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova was a factory worker in the Soviet Union. Her father had been a tractor driver. Her mother worked in a factory. Valentina had not finished school. She had gone to work in a factory herself. She took educational courses when she could by mail.
3 Valentina had a talent that the Soviet space program was interested in. She was an expert in parachuting. In 1961, Valentina decided to volunteer for the space project. She wrote a letter to the scientists running the program. She was accepted into the program. Her training began in December of 1961.
4 The training was intense. She was interviewed to evaluate her mental abilities. She was put through extensive tests to challenge her physical and mental skills. By May of 1963, she and another woman were chosen as finalists for the first flight by a female. Valentina was the final choice.
5 On June 16, 1963, Valentina Tereshkova left Earth on the Vostok 6 mission. She orbited Earth 48 times. She was in space just under three days. The scientists called her "Chaika" on the radio. Chaika is the Russian word for seagull.
6 When the spacecraft reentered Earth's atmosphere, Valentina parachuted to land. She was picked up by scientists in an area of Russia called Kazakhstan.
7 Valentina Tereshkova married a fellow cosmonaut that same year. His name was Andrian Nilolayev. He had also gone into space for the Soviets. The following year, the world's first space couple gave birth to a baby daughter. Her name was Elena. The Soviet scientists were just a bit anxious. They wanted to see if the child of a couple who had both been exposed to outer space would be normal. She was. She grew up to become a doctor.
8 Valentina Tereshkova spent the next few years as a mother and a student. She graduated from college in 1969. She later earned a degree in Technical Science in 1976.
9 The Soviet Union was firmly in first place in the race for space. Would they be able to continue their dominance and send a man to the moon? Valentina Tereshkova had earned her place as a hero of the Soviet Union. Her contribution to the program became famous in history.
1. Valentina Tereshkova was the first person in space. False True
2. What did Valentina do to earn a living?
She flew planes. She drove a tractor. She taught school. She worked in a factory.
3. What special talent did Valentina have? She was an expert parachutist. She flew planes. She was a scientist She knew about metals.
4. How did Valentina become part of the Soviet space program?
5. How long did Valentina stay in space?
Less than one day
More than a month
A little less than three days
More than a week
6. What kind of landing did Valentina have back on Earth?
She landed in the ocean. The capsule bumped along the ground. She landed in a tree. She parachuted to the ground.
7. Valentina Tereshkova married another cosmonaut. False True
8. Why do you think scientists were interested in Valentina's daughter?
Colonial Woodworkers
1 Take a walk through your neighbourhood, and you may see houses made of brick, wood, stone, vinyl siding, and other materials. In colonial days, houses were mostly made of wood.
2 Today we have furniture made of wood, metal, plastic, and other materials. The colonists had furniture made almost entirely of wood.
3 We use containers made of plastic, glass, metal, cardboard, and other materials. Many of the containers used by the colonists were made of wood.
4 Most of our vehicles have tires made of rubber over metal wheels. The colonists' vehicles had wheels made of wood.
5 Today, boats and ships are made of metal, fiberglass, or other materials. The colonists' ships were
made of wood.
6 It's no wonder that so many colonists were woodworkers. A young man in the colonies who wanted to work with wood had a choice of several good occupations. Colonial carpenters, cabinetmakers, coopers, wheelwrights, and shipbuilders all built things from wood. Colonial sawyers cut logs into boards that other woodworkers could use.
7 A carpenter built houses, barns, other outbuildings such as smokehouses, and public buildings. He used boards made from wood that was available in the area such as oak, locust, poplar, or pine. The carpenter would lay floors, raise rafters, nail walls, and hang doors. Apprentices and journeymen would do some of the jobs, and a master carpenter would be in charge.
8 A cabinetmaker built furniture - all kinds of furniture, not just cabinets. A master cabinetmaker might have his shop in town where colonists could buy finished pieces of furniture or order just what they wanted. Cabinetmakers built tables, chairs, desks, clothes presses, and even musical instruments like the harpsichord. Some furniture was carefully decorated with wood carvings.
9 Coopers built containers. They are best known now as barrel makers, but they also made a variety of wooden containers. Wooden containers held everything from flour to water to tobacco in colonial times.
10 Wheelwrights made wheels for colonial vehicles including carriages and wagons. Wheels were made of wood with a center hub surrounded by spokes like a bicycle wheel. The hub was turned on a lathe. Then, rectangular holes were made in the hub. Spokes, carved from wood, would be attached to the holes in the hub and then to wooden arches that made up the outer rim. Finally, a metal ring would circle the outside rim of the wheel. The metal ring would be heated to make it stretch just enough to be hammered onto the wheel. When the wheel was cool, the ring fit tightly.
11 Shipbuilders also provided transportation for the colonists. They set up their shipyards near an ocean or river so that their finished ships would be where they were needed. Shipbuilders built masts, spars, ribs, and planking; nearly all of the ship was made of wood.
12 Colonial woodworkers used only hand tools to create their products. There were no power tools at that time. Some of the tools used by colonial woodworkers include saws, planes, drills, chisels, vises, and mallets. They also used some tools with names that are less familiar now. A drawknife was a round tool used for the quick shaping of flat items like roofing shingles. A similar tool, the shave, was a round tool used for shaping chair seats. A bitstock and bits was a hand-operated drill. Augers and gimlets were small tools for drilling holes.
13 Colonial woodworkers took years to learn their trade, and they learned to make finished products that were useful, beautiful, and would last for a long time. Houses, furniture, ships, and other wooden objects made in colonial times are much admired today for the skill and care that went into their making.
1. A colonial carpenter built ______.
Ships Barrels Houses Furniture
2. A colonial cabinetmaker built ______. Barrels Furniture Houses Ships
3. A cooper built ______.
Ships Houses Furniture Barrels
4. Colonial woodworkers used ______. Saws Drills Shaves All of the above
5. Colonial woodworkers did not use ______. Saws Drills Power tools All of the above
6. A sawyer ______.
Made saws
Cut boards from logs
Built large houses
Made fine furniture
7. A bitstock and bits were used to do the job that a ______ is used for today
Power drill Sander Circular saw Power saw
8. In colonial times, ______ objects were made of wood than today.
Fewer Only a few more Many more Many fewer
The Man Who Made Animals Talk
1 "But, Charlotte," said Wilbur, "I'm not terrific." "That doesn't make a particle of difference," replied Charlotte. "Not a particle. People believe almost anything they see in print."
2 Do you think spiders can write? Do you think pigs can talk? Do you think that a mouse can build a canoe? After you read some of E. B. White's books, you just might believe all those things!
3 E. B. White was born on July 11, 1899, in Mount Vernon, New York. His full name is Elwyn Brooks White.
4 Mr. White always loved writing. He once told someone that he had started to write as soon as he learned to spell. He hated to speak in public, though. When he was in school he had to make some speeches. He always wrote them and had someone else read them for him!
5 He spent time in the Army and then went to Cornell University. While he was at Cornell, he wrote for the college newspaper. His friends at the newspaper called him "Andy." The nickname stuck, and many people called him "Andy" after he graduated.
6 In 1921 he graduated from Cornell and went to work for a newspaper. He moved to Seattle to be a reporter for the Seattle Times. He missed his home, though, and moved back to New York in 1924. He went to work for the New Yorker and met many other writers. He worked there until 1943 and became famous for his writing.
7 Mr. White married Katherine Angell in 1929. She was a writer, too. They had one son and, later, three grandchildren. When they had been married 10 years, the White family moved to a farm in North Brookline, Maine.
8 For several years his nieces and nephews had begged him to tell them stories. After he moved to the farm, he decided to try writing some children's books for them. He said the animals in the barn gave him ideas for stories. Sometimes he felt very sad, and the animals helped him feel better, too.
9 While he was at the farm, he wrote his three most famous books: Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web, and The Trumpet of the Swan. He said that he was not a fast worker and that writing was hard work. He started writing Stuart Little for a six-year-old niece, but by the time he finished it, she was grown up! It took him three years to write Charlotte's Web.
10 Mr. White received many prizes for his work. He is known best and loved for his children's books. In 1970 he was awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web.
11 E. B. White, the man who made animals talk, died in 1985.
12 Are you sure a mouse couldn't build a canoe?
1. What was E. B. White's first name? Elmo Edward Everett Elwyn
2. What was E. B. White's nickname? Andy Buddy
3. How many children did he have? Three Two One Four
4. He graduated from __________ University. Harvard Yale Cornell Duke
5. In what state did E.B. White live for most of his life? Minnesota Washington New York Maine
6. E.B. White won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web His essays A Subtreasury of American Humour His writings at the New Yorker
7. E.B. White is best-known as An essayist A reporter A writer of children's books A grandfather
8. For whom did E.B. White start writing children's stories? His wife His nieces and nephews His best friend His grandparents
Literary Elements: Characters
Pick the best character trait for the main character in the sentence.
1. Without complaining, Dad spent hours trying to teach my little brother how to ride a bike without training wheels. patient greedy honesty
2. Willie sat down and did his homework as soon as his father asked him to. rude determined obedient
3. Realising the young girl couldn't swim, the onlooker dove into the cold, dark water to save her. bravery deceitful pride
4. Hailey knew that her brother would take care of her during the week her parents were gone. trusting cautious obedient
5. The night before her birthday, Sheila begged her parents to let her open just one present. jolly trusting impatience
6. Philip has a notebook where he keeps all his ideas of what he would like to invent one day. courageous simple-minded imaginative
7. Larry couldn't wait to show his dad the ribbon he earned for the rocketry project. proud vengeful evil
8. Carrie's mum knew she would be able to count on Carrie to watch her younger brother. superstitious demanding dependable
9. Tara could see her neighbour was struggling, so she shoveled the driveway for her. evil kindness honesty
10. The Girl Scout always cleaned up the area around her, never wanting to leave a place messier than she had found it. bossy considerate imaginative
11. Even though Mike had a huge pile of blocks in front of him, he wouldn't share any of them with his little sister. selfish hard-working unselfish
Pick the best character trait for the main character in the sentence.
1. It wasn't enough for Christopher to just play with his toys; he always took them apart to see how they worked. joyful curious dishonest
3. Amanda made faces at her little cousin until her cousin giggled. vengeful scared silly
5. Even though Mike had a huge pile of blocks in front of him, he wouldn't share any of them with his little sister. selfish hard-working unselfish
7. Austin thanked the cashier for his change, and then he held open a door for a lady as he left the store. polite gloomy playful
9. Shari saw the duckling's foot was caught in the wire fence, so she ran to get some help. helpful cruel silly
11. Knowing the accusations must be false, Derek stood up for his friend during the ordeal. loyal shy dishonesty
2. Terry never wanted to do anything on her own so she always waited for her mum to do it for her. gentle lazy busy
4. Lindsay shouted at the others in anger when they didn't follow her directions. carefree neat unfriendly
6. No matter how bad the day is, Sally will find something to smile about. quiet hard-working happy
8. James had his multiplication tables memorised the first time he looked at them. brave smart dreamer
10. When Jack heard the homeless man's story, he volunteered to help him find shelter. cowardice caring deceitful
12. During the fight on the playground, Denise stayed by her best friend's side. easygoing loyal silly
Preposition
Write a preposition to complete each sentence.
1. After falling ____ the pride, the lone lioness was pounced on by a pack of hungry hyenas.
2. A baby bird gets its food ____ its mother until it can leave the nest and fly on its own.
3. I placed the new books ____ the shelf in the library.
4. I thought I saw your book ____ the garage sitting on top of the shelves.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Coal is formed by trees that were buried deep ____ the ground that were heated by the earth.
A flock of geese flew ____ the school today.
No one showed up for work today ____ me.
On the long bus ride home, Katherine sat ____ a cranky baby.
9. The bottom of the mantle of the earth is approximately 1,800 miles ____ the earth's surface.
10. Chuck Yeager was the first person to fly ____ the sound barrier at 1,650 miles per hour.
11. As I walked ____ the noise, I began to get an eerie feeling that something wasn't quite right.
12.
13.
Sarah has been running a fever ____ early yesterday.
Please put the cup ____ before you pour the coffee.
CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
Novel Study
The Trumpet of the Swan: Chapters 7-10
1. Which item did Sam NOT pack for camp?
a. Swim trunks
b. Tennis racquet
c. Fishing rod
d. Pad/pencils
2. How long had Louis been gone?
3. How much damage did the father swan cause at the store?
4. What did Louis decide to do?
5. What long word did Louis write?
6. How had Louis gotten a slate?
7. Who was Sam's teacher?
8. What did Sam say that Louis needed?
Beautiful Day
The heart is a bloom
Shoots up through the stony ground
There's no room
No space to rent in this town
You're out of luck
And the reason that you had to care
The traffic is stuck
And you're not moving anywhere
You thought you'd found a friend
To take you out of this place
Someone you could lend a hand
In return for grace
It's a beautiful day
Sky falls, you feel like
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
You're on the road
But you've got no destination
You're in the mud
In the maze of her imagination
You love this town
Even if that doesn't ring true
You've been all over
And it's been all over you
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
It's a beautiful day
Touch me. Take me to that other place
Teach me. I know I'm not a hopeless case
See the world in green and blue
See China right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colors came out
It was a beautiful day. Don't let it get away.
Beautiful day
Touch me. Take me to that other place
Reach me. I know I'm not a hopeless case
What you don't have you don't need it now
What you don't know you can feel it somehow
What you don't have you don't need it now
Don't need it now. Was a beautiful day.
1. Who would write these type of lyrics?
2. What is he comparing a heart to? What kind of figurative language is it?
3. What is the mood/tone of the song?
4. Does he really mean, “..the traffic is stuck?” Explain.
5. What message does the song convey?
6. What words are used to let us know that he believes in himself?
7. Explain the meaning of “touch me.”
8. Go to the stanza about seeing the world in green and blue. What are your thoughts about this stanza?
9. What do you think the following means, “And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth, after the flood all the colours came out.”
10. What is the rhyme scheme in verse 2?
11. What can you infer about the last verse?
Robert Frost
1 Have you ever read the poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening?" You probably have. You may remember these lines from the poem -
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep." If you do remember these lines, then you are familiar with Robert Frost, a famous American poet.
2 Robert Lee Frost was born on March 26, 1874, to his parents, Isabelle Moodie and William Prescott Frost, Jr. They named him after the famous Confederate General. The family was living in San Francisco at the time. From kindergarten to fifth grade, his mother taught him at home because he would get nervous pains in his stomach if he went to school. That changed, though, when his father, a journalist and local politician, died. When Robert was 11, the family moved east to Lawrence, Massachusetts, to be with his paternal grandfather. Robert's mother went back to teaching so she could support her family. Even though Robert had been a city boy until this point, his new life in New England certainly played a huge part in his later poetry.
3 Robert attended Lawrence High School. In 1890, he published a poem for the first time. It was called "La Noche Triste," and it appeared in the Lawrence High School Bulletin. Robert continued to write poetry and went on to become the chief editor of the Lawrence High School Bulletin
4 In 1892, Robert graduated from high school. He attended Dartmouth College, but left after only a few months. In 1893, he took over his mother's teaching of an eighth grade class. Over the next ten years he held several different jobs. Besides being a schoolteacher, Robert worked as a bobbin boy in a cotton mill, a cobbler, and a journalist.
5 In 1894, his poem "My Butterfly" was published in New York Independent, a New York literary journal. That earned him $15! He also had some poetry privately printed. In 1895, he married Elinor White, a former schoolmate of his. In fact, Robert had shared valedictorian honors with her in high school. They had six children together. He became a reporter for the Lawrence Daily American and Sentinel.
6 Robert's first son, Elliott, was born in 1896. From 1897 to 1899, Robert studied at Harvard University. Once again, though, he did not finish his college degree. Instead, he bought a farm in Derry, New Hampshire. He worked as a cobbler farmer and taught at Pinkerton Academy and at the state normal school in Plymouth. From 1900 to 1905, he had three more children but Elliott, his first child, died.
7 In 1912 Robert sold the farm. He moved his family to England so he could concentrate on writing. He found international success when he published A Boy's Will in 1913 and North Boston in 1914. He decided to move his family back to the United States. He settled on a farm near Franconia, New Hampshire, in 1915. In 1916, he became a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters. From 1916 to 1938, he taught at Amherst College and some of the universities in Michigan.
8 In 1920, Robert purchased a farm in South Shaftsbury, Vermont. In 1924, he won his first Pulitzer Prize for New Hampshire. In 1931, he won his second Pulitzer Prize for Collected Poems. In 1937, he won his third Pulitzer Prize for A Further Range.
9 Robert's wife died in 1938 of heart failure. He was so sad after her passing. In 1941, he moved to 35 Brewster Street in Cambridge. He suffered from depression. However, he continued to write. In 1943, he won his fourth Pulitzer Prize for A Witness Tree. Hence, he became the first person to ever receive four Pulitzer Prizes.
10 Robert continued to write volumes of poetry such as Steeple Bush in 1947. In 1961, he recited "The Gift Outright" at the inauguration of President Kennedy. He made several goodwill trips for the U.S. government to places such as the Soviet Union. Robert Frost died on January 29, 1963, in Boston.
11 Many experts consider Robert Frost the greatest American poet of the 20th century. He used the character, people, and landscape of New England. His voice was personal. He used down-to-earth subjects such as the woods, stars, and brooks. He used familiar objects to lead readers to deeper truths about human tragedies and fears, burdens, and the complexities of life. His work left him with many honors over the years. He said he would consider his life a success if he wrote a few good poems that would stick around. Do you think he succeeded?
12 Perhaps some lines of Robert's poem "The Road Not Taken" say it best -
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and II took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."
1. Robert Frost lived his entire life in New England. False True
2. Robert Frost completed his college education. False True
3. Based on the information on Robert Frost's life, what word might describe him? Creative Intelligent Emotional All of the above
4. Robert was named after ______. A war hero A storyteller His father A poet
5. In total, how many Pulitzer Prizes did Robert Frost win? Four Fourteen Two One
6. At whose inauguration did Robert Frost recite poetry?
George Bush
Abraham Lincoln
Bill Clinton
John F. Kennedy
Socrates
1 Ancient Greece had many famous philosophers. Among them, Socrates is perhaps the most famous, but the least understood. The reason for that is because Socrates never wrote anything down. After he died in 399 B.C., many of his supporters (such as Plato, Aristotle, and Xenophon) tried to preserve his memory, so they wrote books about him. In their work, they liked to portray him doing what he was known best for making conversation. They published his dialogues and kept his ideas floating. But since those sources were not first-hand and were often conflicting, it is impossible to tell if they truly reflected Socrates' views.
2 Socrates was born in Athens on June 4, 470 B.C. At the time of his birth, his home country, the Athenian Empire, was at the peak of its power. But that was about to change. In 431 B.C., Sparta invaded Athens and held the city under siege. The two sides were at a standoff for nearly thirty years. By the time the so-called Peloponnesian War was finally over in 404 B.C., Athens had lost most of its population, its prized navy, and much of its wealth. The defeat destroyed Athens completely. Never again could it rise up and reclaim its glory!
3 As a person who had seen both the good and the bad days of Athens, Socrates told his fellow citizens to think and question everything around them. For example, he would ask what the true meaning of justice was. He would wonder what the true meaning of wisdom was. Often times, he would throw out a question and let people answer it. When they responded, he would then ask more questions and press them to think deeper. As the dialogue continued, those who called themselves knowledgeable would suddenly find themselves not as wise. The discovery made many second-guess their beliefs. It also made many uncomfortable and even angry.
4 To the Athenians, Socrates was a controversial figure. On one extreme, there was Plato who openly praised the man. On the other extreme, there was Aristophanes who clearly disliked him. In 423 B.C., Aristophanes wrote a play called The Clouds. In it, he mocked Socrates and labeled him as a Sophist. (A Sophist in the fifth century B.C. meant a person who taught others, in exchange for fees, how to speak and what arguments to make during public debates. The notion carried a negative undertone.)
5 The plot of The Clouds began with Strepsiades lamenting about his son's gambling addiction and growing debts. Strepsiades loved his son, Pheidippides, dearly. He hated to see him spending all his time betting on horse races. He tried to reason with him several times. But nothing he said made any difference. One day, after another sleepless night, Strepsiades came to Socrates' school, the Phrontisterion or "Thinkery." He wanted to learn how he could talk his way out of paying debts. Socrates took the old man in and gave him some brief lessons. Impressed by what he had heard so far, Strepsiades told Pheidippides to study at the school with him. Both the father and the son were very good students. But how they applied their knowledge later on turned out to be completely different. In Strepsiades' case, he used smart arguments to fend off the creditors and avoid paying them altogether. In Pheidippides' case, he beat up his father and calmly explained why this horrific act of his was morally acceptable. At last, Strepsiades came to see what nonsense the Thinkery was teaching and burned the
school down.
6 Aristophanes' The Cloud was funny and cleverly written. While the entire story was made-up, many who had seen the show simply walked away with the distorted image of Socrates. They believed that Socrates was indeed what Aristophanes had painted in the play. They believed that he was a Sophist. They believed that he was a bad influence on the younger generations.
7 In 399 B.C., the authorities of Athens accused Socrates of impiety and corrupting the youth. They brought him to trial. At court, Socrates defended himself forcefully. He denied that he was a Sophist. He rejected the idea that he corrupted the youth. He said that a lot of people disliked him simply because he had pointed out their ignorance. Socrates always maintained that he was an ignorant man. The fact that he knew of his own ignorance actually made him wiser than those who refused to admit it. As passionate as this speech was, Socrates could not sway the jury. They found him guilty and sentenced him to death. The verdict did not shock Socrates. He took the bad news calmly. On May 7, 399 B.C., he swallowed some poison and died.
1. Where was Socrates from?
Athens Thebes Macedon Sparta
2. Which of the following about Socrates is true?
Socrates died of a natural cause. Socrates claimed himself the smartest person in Greece.
Socrates loved to ask questions. Socrates was born after the Peloponnesian War.
3. For how many years did the Peloponnesian War last, and who won?
35 years, Athens 27 years, Sparta 15 years, Athens 43 years, Sparta
4. Which of the following of Aristophanes' plays made fun of Socrates?
The Birds
The Clouds
The Wasps
5. What was the name of Socrates' school in Aristophanes' play debuted in 423 B.C.?
The Library
The Thinkery
6. What was the accusation against Socrates?
Burning down a school
Beating his own father
7. Which of the following is not a supporter of Socrates?
Xenophon
Aristophanes
8. Which of the following about Socrates is true?
Socrates penned all his work in the name of Plato.
Socrates admitted that he was a Sophist.
Socrates was set free after the trial in 399 B.C.
The Academy
Corrupting the youth
Evading gambling debts
The Knights
The University
Plato Aristotle
Socrates encouraged his fellow citizens to question everything around them.
Mickey Mouse's Birthday!
1 We all know who Mickey Mouse is. You might have toys or pictures of him. You have seen cartoons or movies that feature him. Do you know how he was created?
2 Mickey Mouse was invented by a man named Walt Disney. Walt liked to draw even as a boy. He practiced and learned more and more. When he was grown, he started drawing and making short cartoon movies. Early in 1927, Walt was returning to California from New York City on a business trip. In those days, there weren't any airlines like we have now. Walt and his wife traveled by train.
3 While they traveled, Walt began to draw a funny little mouse. He had been thinking about it for a long time. He planned to call the mouse Mortimer, but Mrs. Disney did not like that. She thought Mickey would be a better name.
4 As soon as Walt got back to his studio, he showed Mickey to his partner, Ub Iwerks. They started working on a Mickey cartoon right away. It was called "Plane Crazy," but no theatre wanted to show it. They did not give up. Walt made a second short Mickey Mouse cartoon called "Gallopin' Gaucho."
5 Up until then, movies had no sound. They were called "silent" movies. Then the first "talking" picture came out. Walt knew that people would want cartoons with sound as well. In 1928, he started a new Mickey Mouse cartoon called "Steamboat Willie." It had music, voices, and sound effects. People loved it. Mickey Mouse was soon the talk of the nation.
6 Walt added sound to the first two Mickey cartoons, so they could all be shown together. He knew that Mickey needed a voice, but none of the voices they tried seemed to work. Finally Walt did Mickey's voice himself. He kept doing it until 1946. In all of Mickey's 75 years, only three men have done his voice.
7 The short Mickey Mouse cartoons were soon so popular that movie theatres would put up signs to advertise them. Disney was soon very busy making many more of the Mickey Mouse cartoons. By the 1940's, 87 different mouse cartoons were being watched by millions of people.
8 During World War II, The Disney Studio worked on things to help support the war effort. Mickey's face appeared on posters selling war bonds. Once the war was over, he was back in cartoons.
9 It was not long before Mickey became the symbol for the Disney studio. You could not think of one without the other. Soon Mickey had his own TV program, the Mickey Mouse Club, and Disneyland was opened. Now today there is a Disney World not only in Florida, but also in France and Japan. Mickey is all over the world.
10 Mickey Mouse movies gave people something to laugh about during hard times. It is no wonder he is one of the most loved cartoon characters. Happy birthday, Mickey Mouse!
1. Who created Mickey Mouse?
2. What was he doing at the time?
3. What was Walt planning to call his little cartoon mouse?
4. Do you think people would have loved Mickey Mouse as much if his name had been Mortimer?
5. Which movie of Mickey's was the first cartoon with sound? "Steamboat Willie" "Fantasia" "Gallopin' Gaucho" "Plane Crazy"
6. How many people did Mickey's voice over the years?
7. How did Mickey Mouse help during World War II?
8. Why did Mickey Mouse become the symbol for the Disney Studio?
Use each of the following nouns once to complete each sentence: accident, hair, kind and date.
3. There was a tragic auto (noun) on the corner involving a large truck. 4. Lil needs to file these papers by (noun) .
5. I despise gossiping and lying of any (noun) . 6. After several trips to the beauty salon, she finally matched the natural hue of her (noun)
Read the paragraph and answer the questions.
7. For three years, Manny has been collecting stamps. As a Boy Scout, he can earn a badge for this hobby. Grandpa helped Manny get started. Grandpa knows a lot about collecting stamps. He has been doing it since he was a young boy. Manny began to love collecting stamps because of Grandpa's help. He can hardly wait for new stamps to arrive at the post office. Manny needed to do many things to earn his badge. He wrote about the post office. He used stampcollecting tools like a magnifying glass and stamp tongs. He even designed his own stamp. There was an award ceremony today. Manny received his merit badge. Grandpa was there. It was an exciting time for both of them.
When did Manny's start collecting stamps?
Literary Elements: Characters
Write one character trait for the main character in the sentence.
1. Knowing that other children needed them more than she did, Grace donated many of her toys to needy families.
One character trait:
3. Amanda made faces at her little cousin until her cousin giggled.
One character trait:
5. The night before her birthday, Sheila begged her parents to let her open just one present.
One character trait:
7. When Jack heard the homeless man's story, he volunteered to help him find shelter.
One character trait:
2. Hannah worked on the project every night after school, and she even passed up a trip to the city with friends, just so she could continue to work on her project.
One character trait:
4. Without complaining, Dad spent hours trying to teach my little brother how to ride a bike without training wheels.
One character trait:
6. Edward cleaned his room, mowed the lawn, and built a bookcase all in one day.
One character trait:
8. Without acknowledging any of his classmates' help, Jeremy repeatedly told everyone about the things he alone had accomplished.
2. Courtney ____ ran into the room to tell all of us that she had just heard about a celebrity coming to visit our school next week.
3. Our dog ____ ran after a squirrel that he saw in our backyard.
4. Jonathan's older brother ____ works every day after school, except on Fridays.
5. As soon as Megan is ready, we will ____ leave for the mall.
6. The wolf ____ smelled the dead animal and pounced on it.
7. Cody ____ improved his grades during the last semester.
8. I ____ understand your explanation.
9. Mum ____ told us that we are going to go visit our grandma this weekend.
10. The fire fighters responded ____ when they received the emergency call.
11. Timothy ____ plays with Jonathan.
12. ____ , Savannah saw a beautiful rainbow!
Fill in each blank with an adverb from the box.
approvingly badly exceptionally honestly immediately less much promptly regularly vastly weekly widely
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Isaac received a standing ovation for ____ portraying the character of Romeo in the school play.
Andrew gave me ____ lemonade this time.
As soon as Courtney is ready, we will ____ leave for the mall.
There is not ____ that we can do about the damage to the front fender.
Grace went home ____ !
Mrs. Dodson ____ allowed our class to discuss the Emancipation Proclamation instead of just reading about it.
Austin answered ____ when he was asked if he broke the window.
Timothy ____ improved his grades during the last semester.
Christina scored ____ on her math test.
10. Grace's mum shops ____ at the grocery store on the corner of Brown Street and 21st Avenue.
11. Jefferson High School ____ beats Monroe High School at basketball.
12
Jonathan's eyes opened ____ when he saw the snake.
Author's Purpose
1. The Sun is a star. It is at the centre of our solar system. It is also the largest thing in the solar system. What is amazing is that it is made up entirely of gas. The Sun is largely made up of hydrogen and helium. They are the two smallest elements in the universe. Despite this, the amount of matter that makes up the Sun is more than ninety-nine percent of all the mass of the solar system! What is the author's purpose of this writing? to express personal feelings to persuade to inform to entertain
The author wants to _______________________. compare the Sun to the Earth ask readers to think about their significance in the universe emphasise the Sun's size convince readers to do more to lower their own greenhouse gas emissions
2. Jeremy threw the rock into the water. He was hoping to make it skip across the surface like he had seen Eli do. Eli could make a rock skip seven or eight times before it fell in the water! Jeremy’s rock just hit the water with a loud plunk and then fell to the river bottom. It was just like everything else. Eli seemed to be good at everything. Jeremy was just the opposite. He felt that he had spent his whole life looking for just one thing that he was good at. After thirteen years, he still hadn’t found it. Little did he know, his search was almost over. What is the author's purpose of this writing? to express personal feelings to persuade to entertain to inform
In this paragraph, Jeremy feels ________________________. proud of Eli angry at his mother worried about what other people think disappointed in himself
3. I decided that I would be efficient this morning. I got up, ate breakfast quickly, and decided to take out to express personal feelings the trash. As I carried the trash to the front door to take it outside, I noticed that the plant on the hall table was dry. I put down my bag of trash and went to get some water for the plant. While getting water, I spilled it all over the floor. Then I mopped up the floor. When I put the mop away, I noticed an unpaid bill on the table. I decided to write a check and pay the bill. I could take the bill out to the mailbox when I took the trash. How efficient! Then, I couldn’t find my glasses when I tried to write the check! So I decided to do that later, but when I went back to the hallway to get the trash, I found a big mess. The dog had gotten into the trash! After I cleaned up the trash, I realised I was hungry again. As I made a snack, I thought about my decision to get a lot done this morning. Things did not seem to be working out! Maybe I will just go watch television and be efficient tomorrow. What is the author's purpose of this writing? to persuade to inform to entertain
FIRSTBORN FURY!
Novel Study
The Trumpet of the Swan: Chapters 7-10
1. Did the father swan think he had done anything wrong in taking the trumpet?
2. Why did the warden let Sam keep the swan?
3. Where did the father swan fly to? Why?
4. Where did the swans spend the winter?
5. For what was Louis admired?
6. Did Louis know that Sam had saved the life of Louis' mother?
7.What happened when Louis wrote the words?
8.Who did Louis decide to visit for help?
Hero
There's a hero
If you look inside your heart
You don't have to be afraid
Of what you are
There's an answer
If you reach into your soul
And the sorrow that you know
Will melt away
Chorus:
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you'll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you
It's a long road
When you face the world alone
No one reaches out a hand
For you to hold
You can find love
If you search within yourself
And the emptiness you felt
Will disappear
Chorus
Oh oooh
Lord knows
Dreams are hard to follow
But don't let anyone
Tear them away, hey yeah
Hold on
There will be tomorrow
In time
You'll find the way
Chorus
That a hero lies in you
That a hero lies in You
1. What is the mood/tone of the song? What words help you come to that conclusion?
2. What does it mean by “It’s a long road when you face the world alone?”
3. What does it mean by “look inside you and be strong?”
4. Who do you think she wrote this for?
5. How does the rhythm affect the mood?
6. Why do you think dreams would be hard to follow?
7. What word can you use to describe, “feel like hope is gone?”
8. How can you feel emptiness?
9. What message does the song convey?
Remember Me
1 Desirée Diamond found a dusty photo album on a bottom shelf in a cabinet in Granny Taylor's bedroom. It was a rainy afternoon, and there was nothing to watch on TV. Snooping in Granny's things was all Desirée could think of to do to pass the time.
2 She curled up on the side of the couch that wasn't sagging and opened the album. She saw black and white photographs with white edges all around. The woman in them looked familiar. Oh! That was Granny when her hair was still brown and her cheeks were still smooth! Seeing her grandmother as a young woman fascinated Desirée. There she was beside a car. In another picture she was hugging a big collie. Then she was dressed up in old-fashioned clothes with a corsage pinned to her shoulder. Oh, those clothes were probably not old-fashioned back then. Maybe Granny was going to the prom.
3 Turning the pages, Desirée came to a few color photos of Granny in a wedding dress. "You were so beautiful," Desirée whispered to her. Desirée's grandfather stood tall and thin beside his bride. It was one of the few pictures that Grandpa had not taken himself.
4 There were more photos of Granny. First she was standing beside a mailbox; then she stood on the steps of a small mill house. A few pages later she was wearing a dressy suit and standing sideways in the doorway; her belly was as big as a watermelon and almost touched the other side! "She must have been expecting my mama then," Desirée thought.
5 The baby photos were next. Oh, Mama was such a precious baby! Desirée lingered over each one, wondering whether she had been as cute a baby as that.
6 At that moment a car with a rattling engine pulled up outside. Granny was home! Desirée didn't know whether to hide the album or keep looking at it as if she hadn't found it by snooping. She really wanted Granny to look at the pictures with her. The album stayed in her lap as the door opened.
7 Granny shook out her umbrella and stood it against the wall. "Hello, Ray," she said, calling her granddaughter by her pet name. "What have you got there?" She pulled off her rain bonnet and raincoat and hung them over the back of a dining chair before approaching the couch.
8 "Look, Granny! There are pictures of Mama in here!" Desirée's hopeful look begged Granny not to be mad and begged her to tell Desirée stories about the beautiful mama the young girl could barely remember.
9 Granny was not angry. She sat down and pulled the album toward her. As she turned the pages, she shared memories about each picture. Sometimes she would laugh and say, "Oh, I had forgotten that!" The baby grew and grew until finally she was a giggling teenager.
10 They came to a page that had pressed flowers in it. They were small flowers with five bright blue petals and a little star shape in the center. The points were white, but the center of the tiny star was yellow.
11 "What are these?" Desirée asked.
12 Granny studied them quietly. "I'd almost forgotten," she said. "Your mother loved these little flowers. They are forget-me-nots. They grew in my flower bed at the mill house." She fell silent, reflecting on the past.
13 "I'm glad we have these pictures so that we can remember Mama," Desirée said. "Mama's flowers speak to my heart. I won't ever forget her."
14 "Neither will I, Ray," Granny replied softly. "Neither will I. Now let's see if there are any of your baby pictures in this album."
15 They looked at a few more pictures before Desirée voiced the thought that was on her mind. "Granny? Can I have a photo album with my favorite flowers in it, so that people will remember me after I'm gone?"
16 Granny slid an arm around her shoulders, gave her an encouraging squeeze and a soft kiss on her temple. "Yes, honey, we can do that."
1. What is the main idea in this story?
Photo albums preserve memories from times past
Everyone gets older
Finding something to do on a rainy day
Choosing a flower for a memory book
2. Which of these is a fact in the story?
Granny was upset that Desirée snooped in her cabinets. There were photos of forget-me-nots in the photo album.
Granny sold the mill house and moved into a trailer.
Granny came home with a wet umbrella.
3. Desirée said that her mother's flowers "spoke to her heart." What does that mean?
She fell in love with them. She was hearing things.
She did not like discovering the flowers.
She had a heartfelt emotional response to seeing the forget-me-nots
4. From the context of paragraph two, write a brief description of what Granny looks like now.
5. Why do you think Desirée asked for her own photo album?
She was jealous that her mother had one. She thought it would be fun to create one.
She wants to be sure her family remembers her like she can remember her mother.
She wants something else to look at on rainy afternoons.
6. What are some ways people remember their loved ones?
The Buddha in the Rice Field
1 Once upon an ancient time, a poor Chinese man farmed his rice fields. Ho Chi had heard about the teachings of the Buddha. He loved the Buddha, but he thought that a simple farmer could never reach inner peace by tending rice paddies under the hot sun.
2 Ho Chi thought about the Buddha's Eightfold Path as he chopped wood and carried water. The Buddha listed so many things to do correctly! How would Ho Chi do that unless he did more important work? He decided to follow the first rule of right thought while he worked. He imagined the golden, peaceful face of the Buddha smiling upon him. Ho Chi decided that right thought was not too hard.
3 One by one, he tried to live by the Buddha's eight rules. Some took more effort than others. A cranky neighbour shouted at him when Ho Chi's geese ate a few greens from the garden. The neighbour called the geese terrible things, like horrendous, horrible honkers! This made Ho Chi mad, but he did not shout back. Instead, he looked at the mountains in the distance and took a deep breath. Then he told his friend to calm down and to go sit in the shade. Right speech seemed possible!
4 Each day, Ho Chi chopped wood. He carried water. He tended his rice fields, and he tried to be kind to his little wife. He tried hard to think about the peaceful image of Buddha, and he gave a mantra as he weeded and hoed. He repeated the AUM over and over again. The sacred precepts of the Buddha's teachings echoed through his heart like a joyful song.
5 Weeks went by. Ho Chi discovered simple, beautiful things about his life. He loved to watch the white cranes spiral upward toward the sun and then shoot down to swoop a fish out of the pond. He watched the black clouds roll across the saffron moon at night. He loved the jewel of his wife's smile and the tinkling laughter of his children even more. After a while, he felt he could often follow the Buddha's steps...except one.
6 Ho Chi was concerned about the Buddha's rule that said one must have right livelihood. Right work must be important and elegant! If only he could form the slender, graceful strokes of calligraphy with a brush, or play sweet tunes on a flute, maybe then he could be a Buddha someday. Digging dirt did not seem like right work at all! Chasing geese did not seem very noble!
7 Then, on a hot day, in the middle of the afternoon, another terrible thing happened.
8 "Get those geese out of my garden!" shouted the neighbour, whose temper had risen with the temperature.
9 Ho Chi chased the flapping geese far into a rice field. He ran so fast that he tripped and fell with a plop into the soggy field. Instead of getting mad, Ho Chi felt something strange. He felt an oozing
bubble of joy burst in his heart like a ripe melon. He laughed and laughed until even the geese turned and stared.
10 As Ho Chi sat in the mud, a wonderful sight appeared to him. A golden Buddha in a lotus position hovered over the rice field! He floated gently above the tender rice shoots. The Buddha smiled at him. Ho Chi scrambled to bow, but the Buddha raised his hand and said, "If you want to see another Buddha, look into the water!"
11 Ho Chi obeyed. He looked down. The water formed a smooth sheet below him, with skinny rice shoots sticking out like green needles. He saw his own face reflected in the water.
12 The Buddha continued, "You are an excellent farmer. Your work is honorable and provides food for the village. You have followed my teachings while you do your simple chores. You have earned inner peace!"
13 Ho Chi was confused. How could this be? He was just a poor rice farmer!
14 The Buddha smiled as if he heard the man's thoughts.
15 "You don't have to do fancy work to obtain enlightenment. Before enlightenment, you chop wood and carry water. And after enlightenment, you chop wood and carry water! Inner peace doesn't depend on the kind of work you do," he said.
16 And with that, the golden Buddha disappeared!
17 Ho Chi went back to his chores. He chopped wood and carried water with a smile on his face. He tended his rice paddies. The villagers were amazed at his new wisdom, and they began to call him the Buddha in the rice field.
1. What was the name of the path the Buddha taught?
The Path of Nonreaction
The Simple Path
The Path of Peace
The Eightfold Path
2. What is a mantra?
A kind of fruit
A word or phrase repeated many times
A plan
A figure of speech
3. The phrase "horrendous, horrible honkers" is an example of which literary device?
Alliteration
Metaphor
Simile
Contraction
4. Place the following events in the order that they occurred in the story: ______, ______, ______, ______
a. Ho Chi learned about the Eightfold Path.
b. Ho Chi chased geese out of his neighbour's garden.
c. Ho Chi was called the Buddha in the rice field.
d. The golden Buddha appeared to Ho Chi.
5. Why did Ho Chi think that he couldn't achieve enlightenment? He thought there were too many rules. He was afraid.
He thought his work was not good enough. He thought it would mean he had to leave his family.
6. Which colour is closest to saffron? Green Red Yellow Blue
7. What is the lotus position?
Sitting cross-legged
Kneeling
Propping yourself up in a headstand
Laying down
8. What message did the Buddha leave with Ho Chi?
Enlightenment meant that Ho Chi would have to leave his family. Inner peace does not depend on what kind of work Ho Chi did. Ho Chi would become wealthy. Ho Chi would become a king.
Vladimir Salnikov
1 He was called "a monster in the waves." He broke the world record in swimming 12 times. He was an Olympic gold medalist in 1980 and 1988. He was the first man to swim 1500 meters in less than 15 minutes, and the first man to swim 400 meters in less than 4 minutes. His name is Vladimir Salnikov, and he is regarded as one of the greatest swimmers of all time.
2 Vladimir was born in 1960 in Leningrad, Russia. When he was seven years old, his mother took him to a swimming pool to join a swimming team. But after several practices he got a bad cold and had to quit. The next year, however, Vladimir decided he wanted to try it again. Since then, swimming has been a very important part of his life.
3 Swimming is a very tough sport. It requires not only physical strength but also a lot of moderation, willpower, and self-control. Imagine having to swim hundreds of meters over and over again, trying to be faster than others at the same time. Vladimir did it for many years before he achieved some outstanding results.
4 He first participated in the Olympic games in 1976 in Montreal. He was only 16. Nobody expected much of him then, but it was Salnikov's personal success. When he swam the 1,500-meter race, he broke the European record. But it only gave Salnikov fifth place in the Olympics because swimmers from the United States were so much better!
5 The 1978 World Championship in Berlin was the beginning of many of Salnikov's victories. He won the 400 and 1,500-meter freestyle. He established a new world record for 400 meters. One year later, there was another world record for the 800-meter freestyle. Salnikov swam that distance in less than eight minutes, becoming the first man to do so.
6 Another record at the time that many swimmers tried to break was 1,500 meters in less than 15 minutes. At the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Salnikov finally accomplished that goal. His time was 14 minutes and 58 seconds. He also won gold medals for his performances in the 800 and 500-meter freestyle.
7 Salnikov swam under the 15-minute mark three more times. He did it faster and faster every time. His last record of 14 minutes and 54 seconds stood for eight years. Only in 1991 did Jorg Hoffman of Germany beat that record. Hoffman swam it in 14 minutes and 50 seconds at the World Championships in Australia.
8 As you may know, careers in sports usually last only a few years. New athletes always come to compete. They are younger, stronger, and they want to win, too. At the 1986 World Championships, Salnikov finished only fourth. At the 1987 European Championships he did not even qualify for the finals.
9 Salnikov's career in sports seemed to be over. At the same time, he went through several traumas and serious illnesses. But he kept training, coached by his wife--a professional sports psychiatrist.
10 At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Salnikov came back. Just like Montreal in 1976, little was expected
of him. But in the 1,500-meter race he went into the lead and had a dramatic win! Later that day, he went to the cafeteria where more than 250 athletes and coaches of different nations and sports had gathered. When Salnikov came in, everybody stopped eating and gave him a standing ovation. He was 28 and was the oldest champion in swimming in 56 years!
1. Vladimir Salnikov was an athlete from _____. Russia Ukraine Poland
The Soviet Union
2. Vladimir Salnikov performed in what sport?
Swimming
Boxing
Running
Jumping
3. Salnikov never broke any records. False
True
4. At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal Salnikov won the gold medal. False True
5. What important record did Salnikov achieve?
Swimming 1,500 meters in less than an hour
Swimming 1,500 meters in less than 30 minutes
Swimming 1,500 meters in less than 45 minutes
Swimming 1,500 meters in less than 15 minutes
6. When did Salnikov win Olympic gold medals? 1980 and 1984 1980 and 1988 1932 and 1936 1896 and 1900
7. Where did the 1988 Olympic games take place?
Los Angeles
Seoul
Athens
Tokyo
8. What did many athletes do for Salnikov in 1988?
Gave him a standing ovation
Gave him a free meal at the cafeteria
Gave him a special award
Gave him all their medals
Apostrophes and Contractions
Rewrite each sentence. Add the correct punctuation to show individual ownership.
1. Ethans and Matthews lockers are always disorganised and smelly.
2. Johns and Bills dogs were both lost.
Circle the word that best completes the sentence.
3. The cow absently scratched (it's, its) back on the barn door frame.
4. The crowned crane has stiff feathers on (it's, its) head.
5. After the French and Indian War, France had to cede all (it's, its) forts to the British.
6. The swallowtail caterpillar can give off a bad smell that helps keep (it's, its) enemies away.
7. (Who's, Whose) going to make all the phone calls to get us the food we need for the banquet?
Write the contraction for the underlined words.
8. I was not going to buy anything for myself, but I just couldn't pass up the bargain.
9. As friendly as Casey is, she will always be everyone's favourite choice for our class president.
10. It will be a very long trip to San Antonio with two whining brothers in the car with me.
Rewrite each sentence. Add the correct punctuation to show possession.
11. Can you tell if anybodys car is in the driveway?
12. If this is no ones cake I will eat it.
Rewrite each sentence. Add apostrophes where necessary to show a possessive word.
13. Hawaiis volcanoes have been active in recent history.
14. An alligators brain is the size of a pea.
Add apostrophes where needed.
15.
He hadnt eaten for over 12 hours and was faint from hunger.
16.
Carl said that were like his second parents because weve always been there to help him. 17.
I havent seen my aunts in almost three years.
Circle the word that best completes the sentence.
18. I wonder (who's, whose) making all the loud noises in the other room.
19. Do you know (who's, whose) in charge of ordering office supplies for our department?
20. If you can find out (who's, whose) lunch this is, we can return it to him or her.
21. Do you know (who's, whose) car we are taking to the library tomorrow afternoon?
22. After the French and Indian War, France had to cede all (it's, its) forts to the British.
Rewrite each sentence. Add the correct punctuation to show joint ownership.
23. My brother and sisters teacher has been out sick for more than a week.
24. Justin and Connors house is green.
Write the contraction for the underlined words.
25. Has not your mother ever taught you that it's not nice to talk mean about other people?
26. "We did not do it," the twins said in unison.
27. If you will be the stage manager, I think the play will be a lot more productive.
Rewrite each sentence. Add the correct punctuation to show individual ownership.
28. Samanthas and Stephanies math classes are very difficult.
29. Hannahs and Beths diaries were both read by their little sisters without their permission.
Author's Purpose
1. The purple aliens landed with a crash and a boom. The residents of the small Iowa town ran in all directions as the multi-fingered creatures got off their spaceship. They landed right in front of the local cell phone store and appeared to be eager to check out Earth’s communication technology. Fortunately, the salesman kept his head and showed the aliens many kinds of cell phones. The friendly purple creatures soon discovered that cell phones were cool. And lo and behold, the salesman had never seen anyone learn how to text so quickly. Maybe friendly aliens would do well on Earth after all.
What is the author's purpose of this writing? to inform to entertain to express personal feelings to persuade What conclusion did the author come to at the end of the paragraph about aliens on Earth? Aliens would never make it on Earth. Aliens have no interest in Earth technology. Aliens might do well on Earth. none of the above
2. The damaged roof is flat and measures twenty feet by forty-five feet. It is made of metal beams covered by roofing tiles. The grey roofing tiles are ten years old and originally had a twenty year warranty. A section of the roof was broken by a falling tree. The damaged section measures approximately three feet by four feet. The accident left the interior of the building open to the elements. It has been covered temporarily with a plastic tarp.
What is the author's purpose of this writing? to express personal feeling to inspire to inform to persuade to entertain to describe
The author may have intended to send this information to _____. an insurance company a big city newspaper a children's book publisher an encyclopedia publisher
3. Zack had been watching a sci-fi movie before he went to sleep. Maybe that is why he thought, at first, that he was just dreaming. But soon, he had to admit that this was way more than just a dream. The disc of blinking lights was what first caught his eye. It seemed to hover in the mist over his backyard. Then there were the eerie sounds emanating from the disc. Zack couldn’t make out the words, but the otherworldly voices seemed to be saying something. And the weather had changed. Yesterday evening had been mildly cool, a typical fall evening. Now the icy chill reminded Zack of the coming of snow. What is the author's purpose of this writing? to describe to express emotion to persuade to entertain to inform to create a mysterious mood
The author wants to show that _____. Zack has awakened to a strange scene Zack watches too many sci-fi movies
Characters
Read the story below. Pay close attention to the main character(s) and then answer the questions.
1. "Get out of my way!" Freddy Ferrari thought as he sped through the streets of the little town. "I want to get to the beach!"
Freddy Ferrari zoomed past Terry Thunderbird. Terry was driven by Office Patrick. Officer Patrick and Terry Thunderbird didn't allow speeding in their town. Terry pulled out from the alley and floored it. Within a few minutes, Freddy Ferrari was pulled over. He was given a ticket.
"Guess I won't speed here ever again," Freddy muttered.
"Perhaps you'd better not speed at all," replied Terry.
Freddy nodded sheepishly and began a calmer drive to the beach.
Who is the story about?
Who are the supporting characters in the story?
What would be a good title for this story?
Who drove Terry Thunderbird?
Did Freddy get in trouble?
2. Jason walked slowly up to his teacher's desk after school. "How are my grades, Mrs. Samuels?"
"I'd like to say they were fine, Jason, but I can't."
"I was afraid you'd say that. My mum and dad are going to kill me."
"I'm fairly certain that's not going to happen," Mrs. Samuels said with a wry grin. "But they will probably be disappointed."
"What can I do to help my grade in your class?" Jason knew that progress reports would be sent home this week. He really didn't want his mum and dad to see the poor grade he was sure to receive.
"Jason, what do you need to do in order to earn a good grade in class?"
"I don't know. I guess get hundreds on my work," he answered glumly.
"Not necessarily. You don't have to have a perfect score on every paper. Tell me this, have you handed in every assignment?"
"Umm, no...I guess not."
"Do you realise that when you don't hand in work, it really hurts your average? Let's go back to my question. What do you need to do in order to earn a good grade in class? Let's set some goals and make a plan for this week, okay?"
Who is the story about?
Who are the supporting characters in the story?
What would be a good title for this story?
What does Jason need to do to improve his grade in Mrs. Samuels' class?
How is Mrs. Samuels going to help Jason improve his grade?
3. Aunt Zabel always looked forward to her niece's visit. Every month or so, Lily would drive 3 hours from college to visit her. Aunt Zabel, with her brown eyes twinkling and her hair pulled neatly into a bun, prepared Turkish coffee and sweet baklava for them to eat. Baklava, the flakey, honey-laden pastry, was Lily's favourite. Aunt Zabel, who was very careful about her baking, spent hours making this treat with an old family recipe. She always wanted everything done in a certain way. Today, Lily bounded up the stairs like an eager puppy after a bone. "Aunt!" she cried. "I have brought you a delicious cake from the bakery for us to share." Lily had a zest for life and an adventurous spirit. The cake had seven layers, with different flavors of ice cream in between. Lily thought it was the perfect delectable treat for her sweet-toothed aunt.
Aunt Zabel struggled for a moment. She felt a bit hurt that she had spent so much time making baklava. Her hesitation only lasted a moment, though, because her love for her niece and her desire for Lily's happiness was stronger than her desire for tradition. "I'd love a piece of your cake," she said, as she poured thick, strong teacups of Turkish coffee. Which of the following is a character trait for Aunt Zabel? rebellious sloppy traditional
Write a supporting detail from the story that is an example of this trait:
Write a different character trait for Aunt Zabel:
What does the character look like?
What is the character thinking?
Why does the character do what he does?
THE FIRST SPIDER
Unit
Novel Study
The Trumpet of the Swan: Chapters 11-15
1. What did Louis order from the waiter?
2. How much money did Louis earn from his first job?
3. What was Louis given for rescuing Applegate?
4. What city would Louis go to next?
5. People who dislike birds often _______.
It’s My Life
This ain't a song for the broken-hearted
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice
When I shout it out loud
[Chorus:]
It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life
This is for the ones who stood their ground
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down
Tomorrow's getting harder make no mistake
Luck ain't even lucky
Got to make your own breaks
[Chorus:] Better stand tall when they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down
[Chorus:]
[Chorus:]
'Cause it's my life!
1. What is the rhyme scheme in the first stanza?
2. What is the mood/tone of the song? What helps you reach that conclusion?
3. Who did he writing this song for?
4. Who is the song not meant for?
5. What does the simile in the chorus mean?
6. “Got to make your own breaks” means:
7. What message does this song convey?
8. How can you use the message from this song for your life in the future?
The Backwards Letters
1 Victor always liked school, except for one thing. Reading was so hard! He remembered sitting with his friends during circle time on a rug covered with letters and bright pictures. They sang the Alphabet Song, which was all right. Then, the teacher held up words on cards. His friends learned the words easily. Not Victor. He tried to keep his chocolate- brown eyes downcast so the teacher couldn't see his fear.
2 He could remember feeling sick to his stomach when it was his turn. His knuckles turned white as he clenched his knees.
3 "Try, Victor," the teacher said softly. "It is the same word you had last time!"
4 "I am trying!" said Victor. The class giggled. The teacher glared at the class.
5 "Try again, Victor," she said.
6 He squinted at the word. It seemed to wiggle on the card. First, the letters faced one way and then the other. Then, it seemed like the letters were floating in space! Victor felt his face turn red. He thought the word was cat, but then the word reversed. It said cat, then it said tac! Which was it? The minutes crept by.
7 "It's OK, Victor," the teacher finally said. "Brianna, why don't you try?"
8 "That is easy!" said Brianna in her bright, five-year-old voice. "That word is cat!"
9 "Very good, Brianna," said the teacher. She turned over the card to show a picture of a black cat.
10 Brianna beamed. Victor felt like crawling under the rug.
11 Victor managed to get through school, but he barely made passing grades. Somehow, no one could figure out why he couldn't read well. Concentrate, they said. Try harder, they said. Victor hated it. Why was he so different?
12 When Victor was in high school, a guidance counselor stopped him in the hallway. The counselor was a young guy, fresh from college, and he still liked to wear funky T-shirts and jeans. Victor had always liked him.
13 "Hey, buddy, talk with me!" Mr. Beis said. Mr. Beis liked to be called Jim. Victor went into his poster-covered office and flopped down on a lime-green beanbag chair. Victor wondered why Jim wanted to talk to him.
14 "I was just wondering how you were doing?" Jim asked gently.
15 "OK, I guess. Why?" said Victor. He didn't want to explain that school was a continual source of discouragement to him.
16 "I just wanted to tell you how school was for me. Do you have a minute?" Jim asked.
17 "Yeah, I guess so. I was on my way to the library," said Victor. Somehow, he felt that Jim already knew he had some free time.
18 "I liked school, but one thing was really hard for me. Reading! It was weird, but the words just never made sense. Sometimes, I thought I was going crazy because the letters even looked backwards!" said Jim.
19 "That is what happens to me!" said Victor. "How did you know?"
20 "I saw a note you wrote on that form I have all you kids fill out about college plans. You reversed the letter s. You also sounded like you didn't have a lot of confidence in yourself. I used to reverse letters, too. I never thought I could do much either. Then I found out I was dyslexic! I'm surprised that I am the first to ask you about this. I have a feeling you might be dyslexic, too! Don't worry. Many brilliant people were dyslexic, like Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, and Winston Churchill. Jay Leno is dyslexic, too," Jim said with a smile.
21 "Dys...what?" asked Victor. He felt a strange, new emotion. He thought it was hope!
22 "Dyslexia is a word that means ‘difficulty with words.' It means that letters can appear in different ways to you, and it has to do with how your brain processes information. It doesn't mean you aren't smart! It just means that sorting out words takes more effort. There are actually abilities that go along with dyslexia. You are probably more curious than average, and you can think in many dimensions. You are probably very intelligent. Look what Leonardo da Vinci accomplished! Most dyslexics are intuitive and imaginative! It can be a gift!" Jim said.
23 "What can I do about reading better? Is there any way I can fix that?" Victor said. His mind was racing with ideas! Maybe he could be normal after all!
24 "The first thing we should do is give you a diagnostic test to see if my suspicion is true. Then, if it is, there are many things we can do together to help you. It just takes a little work. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel!" said Jim.
25 "It's amazing that all those people were geniuses in spite of dyslexia!" said Victor.
26 "No, bud, you missed the point! They were geniuses because of it!" laughed Jim.
1. What does the word, "dyslexia" mean?
Delayed reader
Backwards letters
Imaginative
Difficulty with words
2. What happened to the letters when Victor tried to read them? They appeared backwards and seemed to float in space. They were all jumbled up. They looked larger than normal. They looked smaller than normal.
3. What are other characteristics of dyslexic people? They can think in many dimensions and are intelligent. They are not smart. They bump into things. They are musical.
4. How is dyslexia diagnosed?
By an eye test
By a blood test
By a diagnostic test
By a psychological evaluation
5. True or False. Dyslexic people can't accomplish much because of their condition.
6. What is one psychological effect of undiagnosed dyslexia?
Bad relationships with parents
Lack of self-confidence
Poor grades
Few friends
7. Which word best describes Jim's personality?
Strict
Easygoing
Serious
Critical
8. Which word best describes the emotion Victor felt when he tried to read in class?
Uneasy
Terrified
Confident
Ambivalent
Tsunami
1 Tsunami (pronounced "soo-NAHM-ee") is the Japanese word for harbour wave. There are many things that can cause tsunamis. Undersea earthquakes, undersea volcanic eruptions, and undersea landslides are among them.
2 Suppose there is a big earthquake (or quake) in the middle of an ocean. The ocean floor shakes and creates waves. These waves spread out from the center of the quake to all directions. They travel fast. They travel far. As these waves come near the land, they start to slow down, but they begin to grow higher. Once these big waves break or hit the land, they can cause serious damage. People get killed. Villages get washed away. Buildings get ruined.
3 Tsunamis are very scary. But, luckily, there is a way to know the danger in advance.
4 Scientists can use machines to test the sea level after an undersea disaster occurs. If they think there will be tsunamis, they will send out warnings to at-risk areas. With the "tsunami warning system", many lives can be saved.
5 The most recent tsunami was in Asia. On December 26, 2004, there was a big undersea earthquake outside of an island called Sumatra. Sumatra belongs to a country called Indonesia. The undersea quake pushed the entire island of Sumatra 100 feet southwest. It created huge harbour waves. These waves reached up to 50 feet high when they came ashore. Because there was no "tsunami warning system" in that region, people did not know about the danger in advance. They did not escape in time. Many people died. Many people lost their homes. The disaster is one of the worst ever recorded in history!
1. What can cause tsunamis?
Undersea quake Wind Fire All of the above
2. What does the word "tsunami" mean? High wave Earthquake wave Harbour wave Giant wave
3. Which of the following about tsunamis is true?
Tsunamis are higher when they are far from the land.
Tsunamis are higher when they are near the land.
Tsunamis travel faster when they are near the land.
Tsunamis are not dangerous.
4. Undersea landslides and undersea volcanic eruptions can cause tsunamis. False True
5. How far did Sumatra move after the earthquake on December 26, 2004?
100 feet northwest
100 feet southeast
6. Tsunami is a ____________ word.
100 feet northeast
100 feet southwest
Spanish Japanese English Chinese
Serfs Work the Land
1 Serfs were the all-important, but under-recognised, group of the Middle Ages. The economy of the Middle Ages was a farming economy. It was based on the land and the people who worked the land day in and day out - the serfs.
2 Serfs were the farmers of the Middle Ages. They got up at dawn and went to sleep at dusk; they spent the daylight hours working the land. Their day was the same as the Earth's day. Their year followed the natural seasons of the year too
3 One job that took up lots of the serfs' time was plowing. Their plows didn't run on gasoline; they were powered by humans or animals. Many peasants couldn't afford an ox to pull their plow, so they did much of the backbreaking work by hand. Fields were plowed whenever they were available. Some fields were allowed to lay fallow each year to replenish the soil, so these fields could be plowed during the growing season. Fields planted in crops were plowed after the fall harvest.
4 During the winter months, serfs caught up on chores that needed to be done. They made new tools and repaired old ones. Winter was also the time for slaughtering animals. Sometimes, their lords asked serfs to work on other projects too, such as building a dirt road.
5 Spring was the season for planting. The serfs carried their bag of seeds to the field and sprinkled the seeds into the plowed earth. Then they used their harrow, a tool something like a big rake, to cover the seeds with soil.
6 The summer months were the time for hay-making. Serfs used a long scythe to cut the tall grass. Then they let it dry to make hay, which had many uses including stuffing for their mattresses.
7 In the fall, the serfs harvested their crops of rye, oats, peas, and barley. If the weather had been good, the harvest would be good. It would provide enough to pay their lord and enough for themselves.
8 While they were tending to their lord's fields, serfs also had their own chores to do. They raised vegetables and herbs, and maybe fattened a pig, for their own meals.
9 Serfs provided for nearly all of their own daily needs. They made their own clothes from scratch, starting right from the sheep. First they had to shear the sheep to remove the wool. Then the wool had to be carded and spun into thread. The thread had to be woven into cloth. The cloth was sewn by hand into simple garments.
10 It is no wonder that the average serf owned only one outfit of clothes. He wore that same outfit for years, and when a piece of clothing started to wear out, it was cut down to make a smaller garment for a child in the family.
11 Every chore that the serfs did required manual work. Just taking a bath required the serf to carry the water, bucket by heavy bucket, heat it up on his hearth, and carry it again to a tub. This chore was done about once a month.
12 Cooking wasn't convenient for the medieval serfs either. They cooked their soups and porridges in a big, heavy pot on the hearth. At least, they didn't have to wash many dishes. The serfs ate their meal from a trencher, made of bread, instead of a plate. After they emptied their trencher, they ate it too.
13 Housekeeping was simpler then, because serfs' houses were small - just one main room. However, there weren't only the parents and kids to clean up after, there were also the animals. In cold weather, serfs brought their animals in to sleep at one end of the room.
14 Serfs had a simple and hard-working lifestyle. Everyone, from the lords and ladies in their manor house to the knights getting ready to ride off to battle, depended on the serfs. The work the serfs did was essential. They were the backbone of the Middle Ages' economy.
1. During the Middle Ages, ______.
There were few serfs There were no serfs
There were many serfs Everyone was a serf
2. The economy of the Middle Ages was based on ______.
Farming Consumerism Credit Industry
3. Serfs worked for a ______. Lord Knight Farmer King
4. Since serfs worked all day in the field, their own food was provided by other medieval workers. False True
5. The work done by serfs was essential to the medieval economy. False True
6. Serfs had no houses, so they lived outdoors. False True
7. The jobs done by a serf varied with seasons.
False True
Context Clues
1. The worshippers congregated, or gathered, for the church service.
Using the synonym clue, the word congregated in this sentence means gathered left went away dispersed
2. When Mother became ill and needed help, Grandma's visit turned out to be fortuitous.
Using the comparison clue, the word fortuitous in this sentence means unhelpful badly timed long well timed
3. Mark was pretty diffident when he was younger, but he's one of the most outgoing kids in class now.
Using the antonym clue, the word diffident in this sentence means dumb shy painful terrible
4. During the emergency, Don was so upset he was inarticulate, but Cathy remained clear enough to tell us what had happened.
Using the antonym clue, the word inarticulate in this sentence means easy to understand unclear easily comprehended clear
5. Many great orators such as Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, and James Madison laid the foundation for our constitution.
Using the example clue, the word orators in this sentence means writers critics poets speakers
6. A lass, such as my little sister, likes to play with dolls and have tea parties.
Using the example clue, the word lass in this sentence means young boy small dog young girl old lady
7. After being unable to get a good night's sleep for many days, Allyson became lethargic. She didn't have the energy to get out of bed.
Using the comparison clue, the word lethargic in this sentence means active lively exhausted bubbly
Commas
Rewrite each sentence using the correct punctuation.
1. Frank has not finished his reading assignment nor has he started working on his math problems.
2. Mary went to the amusement park and she rode a huge roller coaster.
3. Bob liked playing drums in the marching band and he also liked playing football.
Rewrite each sentence using the correct punctuation.
4. Pretzels my favourite snack make me thirsty.
5. 1988 fourteen years ago was the year in which I was born.
6. John Nash a Nobel Prize winner is a brilliant mathematician.
Rewrite each sentence using the correct punctuation.
7. "I can't throw a baseball" Kevin admitted.
8. "The Queen Mother died today" the journalist said sadly.
9. "One day" Dave said "I am going to take a cruise ship to Alaska."
Rewrite each sentence using the correct punctuation.
10. My favourite classes are Math English and History.
11. Please get a book sit quietly and read until the final bell rings.
12. Grandma sent me a card a pair of earrings and a necklace for my birthday.
Rewrite each sentence using the correct punctuation.
13. "Where did Jordan go?" Mrs. Lovell asked. "I don't see him anywhere."
14. Our teacher told us "Turn in your math work now."
15. Kevin replied "Things are just not like they were when my grandma was a little girl."
Rewrite each sentence using the correct punctuation.
16. The big shiny red truck was purchased to haul logs.
17. We looked at the long expensive pretty menu to decide what we wanted to eat.
Rewrite each sentence using the correct punctuation.
18. Brandon woke up his brother brushed his teeth and then left for school.
19. It's fun to visit my aunt in London my uncle in France and my grandma in Spain.
Rewrite each sentence using the correct punctuation.
20. Julia Thompson RN was very nice to my grandma while she was in the hospital.
21. Justin Brown Dean of Admissions interviews all of the students applying to his university.
22. Julia Jones M.D. has been our family's doctor for over fifteen years.
Author's Purpose
1. Idioms can be fun! An idiom is a common saying or expression that can’t be understood by the individual words. For example, have you ever heard the expression “to open a can of worms”? This phrase means that a person gets into a situation that is hard to figure out. The situation could be nasty in some way. This idiom is used in the United States and Great Britain. Aren’t you glad you don’t have to open up a can of wiggling, pink worms when you have a problem?
What is the author's purpose of this writing? to express personal feelings to inform to persuade to entertain
2. The flavour is sweet and chocolaty. It smells like chocolate, too. From the light brown colour, you can tell that it is milk chocolate, not semisweet or bitter chocolate. The shape is like a teardrop but flattened on the bottom. The candy is wrapped in shiny silver foil that is twisted at the top. A tiny white paper flag protrudes from the top of the foil wrap. In case you haven’t already guessed, it is a Hershey’s Kiss.
What is the author's purpose of this writing? to persuade to entertain to create a mysterious mood to inform to describe to express emotion
3. Did you know that smiling is actually easier than frowning? It takes many more facial muscles to frown than to smile. In fact, smiling is also better for your health. When you smile, you’re sending a message to your brain that you’re happy about something. When you frown, you’re sending a message to your brain that you’re sad about something. Our feelings are often contagious to those that surround us. So go ahead and smile! It’s worth it to everyone.
What is the author's purpose of this writing? to persuade to express personal feelings to entertain to inform
4. The Latin root word “oct” stands for eight. Therefore, an octagon is a polygon with eight sides. An octahedron is a polygon with eight faces. An octopus has eight legs. The octal numeral system is a base-8 number system that uses the digits 0 to 7 only. The month of October is the eighth month of the year on an old Roman calendar. The arc on an octant, a navigational measuring tool, is one eighth of a circle. You can even see the number eight in the sky when you see Octans, a faint star constellation. Oh, the powers of eight!
What is the author's purpose of this writing? to express personal feelings to persuade to entertain to inform
Novel Study
The Trumpet of the Swan: Chapters 11-15
1. Why did Louis say he wanted money?
2. What items did Louis now carry around his neck?
3. What were some of the things the boys learned at camp?
4. Camp Kookooskoos means:
They come from the cities
R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A
And they come from the smaller towns
Beat up cars with guitars and drummers
Goin crack boom bam
[Chorus:]
R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.
R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.
R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A., Yeah, Yeah!
Rockin' in the U.S.A.
Said goodbye to their families
Said goodbye to their friends
With pipe dreams in their heads
And very little money in their hands
Some are black and some are white
Ain't too proud to sleep on the floor tonight
With the blind faith of Jesus you know that they just might, be
Rockin' in the U.S.A.
Hey!
Voices from nowhere
And voices from the larger towns
Filled our head full of dreams
Turned the world upside down
There was Frankie Lyman-Bobby
FullerMitch Ryder
(They were Rockin')
Jackie Wilson-Shangra-las-Young
Rascals
(They were Rockin')
Spotlight on Martha Reeves
Let's don't forget James Brown
Rockin' in the U.S.A.
Rockin' in the U.S.A.
Hey
1. Who are “they” in the first stanza?
2. What onomatopoeia did he use?
3. In stanza 2, why did they have to say goodbye?
4. Why would they have to sleep on the floor?
5. What is the rhyme pattern in stanza 3?
6. Who are the voices from nowhere and larger towns?
7. Why did he say, “Let’s not forget James Brown?”
8. What is the tone of this song?
9. Make a text to world connection.
Young Alexander Graham Bell
1 Aleck Bell lay in his yard and stared at the night sky. "Tomorrow, I go to London," he said aloud. He was very excited. For a long time, he had dreamed about going to London. He wondered what it would be like in the big city. He would miss his home here in Scotland. He would miss his family. Yet, he could hardly wait to leave.
2 "Aleck," his mother called, "time for bed."
3 Aleck rose and took one last look around him, "Coming."
4 The next day Alexander Graham Bell boarded a train for London. It was a long trip. When he arrived, his grandfather met him at the station, "Are those the best clothes you have?"
5 "Yes, sir," Aleck answered.
6 "Well, they will not do at all. My tailor will have to make you a new suit," said his grandfather.
7 Aleck frowned. He didn't feel very excited anymore.
8 Aleck got a new suit. His grandfather threw his old clothes away. The stiff, tight outfit was awful, but now it was all he had. Aleck went to show his grandfather his suit.
9 "Ah, that's much better. What do you think, my boy?"
10 "It's a little stiff," Aleck said.
11 "You'll get used to it. Tomorrow we start your lessons. You are here to learn Greek and Latin. It will help you to teach speech like your father," his grandfather said.
12 "Do I really need to learn Greek and Latin, Grandfather? I want to be a musician," said Aleck.
13 "Nonsense, you are going to teach speech. Just as I did and as your father does now. We start your lessons in the morning."
14 Aleck sighed. "Yes, Grandfather."
15 Aleck worked hard at his lessons. His grandfather kept him very busy. Turning in his work one day, he signed the paper, ‘Alexander Graham Bell.'
16 "Where did ‘Graham' come from?" asked his grandfather.
17 "Mother let me take a middle name. That way I would be different from you and father," replied Aleck.
18 "Hmm," his grandfather replied with a twinkle in his eye, "Your father did the same thing when he took ‘Melville.' Where did you get ‘Graham'?"
19 "After our friend, Mr. Graham," said Aleck.
20 "Very well, I will call you ‘Graham'," said his grandfather.
21 Aleck smiled. He liked the sound of that.
22 When he was not studying, Aleck read books in his grandfather's library. Many of the books were about speech. Aleck started to like speech, but he kept it to himself. He was too proud to admit that he had changed his mind.
23 After a year, Aleck returned to Scotland. With his new love for speech, he decided to teach the deaf. Aleck's mother had lost most of her hearing. He loved his mother dearly and wanted to help others like her.
24 "I'm going to invent a machine to help people ‘see' speech," Aleck announced one day.
25 A year later, when he was sixteen, Aleck began to teach the deaf. He began to do tests on his machine to help the deaf ‘see' speech. These tests became the first telephone.
26 Aleck worked hard all of his life. He invented and improved many things. He worked on flight, the radio, and the phonograph. He is best known as the inventor of the telephone. But, the most important thing in his life was helping the deaf.
1. Where was Aleck's home?
2. Why did Aleck go to London?
To become a teacher
To go to school
3. What did Aleck's grandfather want him to be?
A musician
An inventor
To live with his grandfather
To get a new suit
A speech teacher
None of the above
4. What happened when Aleck began reading books in his grandfather's library?
5. Who did Aleck want to help?
6. How old was Aleck when he began to teach the deaf? Twenty Eighteen Thirteen Sixteen
7. Aleck always wanted to teach speech. False True
8. Aleck took the middle name ‘Graham' to be different from his father and grandfather. False True
Mother Teresa: "A Pencil in the Hand of God"
1 North of Greece lies a small mountain nation. It is the country of Macedonia. Skopje is its capital city. A girl named Agnes was born in this city in August of 1910.
2 As the girl grew, she showed a deep interest in spiritual things. At the age of 12, she felt an urging. She felt she had been given a special job. Her task was to spread the "message of the love of Christ." She felt she had a special calling to serve the poor. At eighteen, she left home. She went to Ireland to become a nun. Her convent sent some workers to India. Young Agnes went to Calcutta.
3 Soon the time came to take her vows, to officially become a nun. Agnes took the name "Teresa." Her new name showed her desire to be like another nun—Therese of Lisieux. Therese was a French girl who took her vows in the late 1800s. She died at the age of 24. She had lived only a short time, but she was loved by all who knew her.
4 The new Sister Teresa taught at St. Mary's school in Calcutta. The school was orderly and comfortable. The girls who attended were from middle class families. It was a quiet little world all to itself. The years passed quickly. Teresa became head of the school.
5 Just outside the school's pleasant walls lay a different world. A terrible poverty prowled the streets. Poor people died of sickness and starvation. Children roamed garbage dumps looking for scraps of food. They lived in filth, fighting to survive. Teresa saw the suffering just outside her window. The needs of the poor people were overwhelming. What could be done?
6 One day while riding on a train, she felt again the urging of God. She was reminded of her calling to help the poor. Teresa asked permission to leave the school. "I felt as though I were leaving behind me all beauty and all joys," she said. "[And yet]... it was a call from God." She went out into the streets. She
begged food and other things to give to people in need. She gathered groups of children off the street. She fed them and taught them. Most of all, she loved them.
7 Sister Teresa began her own order of nuns. As head of the order, she became known as Mother Teresa. The sect was set apart by a simple uniform. She and the sisters wore a white sari (SAH-ree) with a blue stripe. (A sari is a simple dress worn in India. It is made by wrapping cloth around the body.) One starving person at a time, the sisters went about the work of battling poverty. They studied nursing so they could help the sick.
8 Walking down a street one day, Teresa saw a horrible sight. A very sick woman lay on the street. Rats had chewed at the woman's feet. Even worse, the sores on her skin wriggled with maggots. Mother Teresa wanted to help the woman and others like her. She and the sisters opened a hospice. People dying of illness could stay there. They would have food and care. They wouldn't have to lie on the street with rats and maggots.
9 Teresa was always looking for funding to help the poor. Once she went to visit the pope. She asked him for a donation. The pope gave his Rolls Royce. The very classy car was sold for even more than it was worth. The money went to Teresa's projects.
10 The work continued to grow. Children were gathered into orphans' homes. Leper colonies were set up. These places gave homes and care to people with leprosy, a disease that rots the body. More and more people were helped. Now, the sisters' projects went on in several countries. There were great distances to travel. Mother Teresa would have to travel by plane. How could she pay for the costly tickets?
11 She thought and thought. Then she had an idea. Could she work for her tickets? She offered to serve meals on the flight to pay for her passage. The airline turned down the offer. They didn't think a small nun in a white and blue sari would make an ideal hostess. Instead, the company allowed Mother Teresa to fly for free.
12 Mother Teresa became known all over the world for her unselfish work. She was called the "saint of the gutters." Many famous people, including Princess Diana, went to meet her. Teresa received the Noble Peace Prize in 1979.
13 All over the world, people marveled. How could one little nun do so much for so many? Mother Teresa had an answer. She said: "I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God," she said. "[He] is sending a love letter to the world." Teresa died in 1997. Children still find homes in her orphanages. Sick people are still cared for in her clinics and hospices. Her sisters still help the poor. Mother Teresa's work lives on.
1. List three facts about the country where Mother Teresa was born.
2. Teresa first felt called to her work of helping the poor when she was: Born 18
Named head of St. Mary's school 12
3. When she became a nun, why did Agnes choose Teresa to be her new name?
4. Compare St. Mary's school to the streets of Calcutta. Why do you think there was such a big difference?
5. What prompted Teresa to go from the school out to the streets?
She was sent out by her order.
She was fired from her job.
She was reminded of her calling to help the poor.
She hated the school and longed to be on the streets among the poor.
6. Name three things Mother Teresa did to help the poor.
7. A hospice is:
A hospital
A place where dying people can stay and be cared for
A place where food is served to the poor
A place for homeless children
8. Why do you think famous people wanted to meet Mother Teresa? If you could have met her, what would you have said? What questions might you have asked?
Theatre for Readers
1 We did something interesting in class today. I'd never done it before. We took one of our favourite stories for the year and did a "reader's theatre" presentation.
2 You may be wondering what a "reader's theatre" is. Is it a special place? Is it a place where people go to read? Well, you are partially right! It is special, and it is a place to read.
3 Any location can be a "reader's theatre." It isn't an actual theatre. Instead, it is a place where a small group makes a story come alive by "acting it out" through their voices.
4 In our case, we had five stools in the front of the class room. There was a music stand in front of each stool. Five of us students each had a part to read in the story we selected as a class. There were four characters in the story, and one person served as a narrator. The narrator read all the sections that explained the setting or were not part of the conversations between characters.
5 My job was to read the part of Stanley, the main character in the story. Martha, Jessie, and Jack all read the other character's lines, and Melissa was the narrator.
6 To prepare for our presentation, the class first had to pick out a story. Mrs. Jones let us select from five stories that we had read that year. Then, she took volunteers to participate. Many kids would rather sit in the audience, so it wasn't too hard for those of us who like to perform to get a part.
7 Then, for about two weeks, Mrs. Jones worked with us after school. First, she gave us each a part and our own copy of the book. We were to take a highlighter and mark the lines that pertained to our character. I went home that night and marked Stanley's lines. By the time I was done, my book looked like striped sunshine!
8 The next day, we sat in a semi-circle and began reading. Melissa started by reading the description of the neighborhood in which the story took place. Then, as characters appeared and talked to each other, we would each say our lines. Sometimes we'd mess up and miss a line, but Mrs. Jones would point it out to us.
9 As we practiced each day, we became more and more comfortable with the story. Mrs. Jones encouraged us to use our imaginations and try to make the characters more interesting. We changed our voices, how we sat on the stools, and even used some gestures. She said we could do all those things, but we'd have to stay on the chairs.
10 By the time the day came for the performance, we were ready but a little nervous. However, we knew the story well and had enjoyed our practice time. Now it was time for us to do it so well that the class could imagine all the scenes in their minds.
11 We got up on our stools and soon were lost in the story. It helped that we did not have to memorise it. So, we weren't scared about forgetting our lines. We remembered that Mrs. Jones encouraged us to look up and make our faces look interesting. We changed our voices just like we practiced. The whole room seemed to become the setting for the story, all because we read it with energy and imagination.
12 At the end, the whole class clapped. We each looked at each other and then bowed. What fun it was to make the story come alive, even without using props or scenery!
1. Reader's theatre requires the use of a stage. False True
2. A successful reader's theatre presentation encourages the use of the reader's and listeners' ______. Minds Memory Imaginations Reading skills
3. The writer read the character of ______.
Stephanie Scott Stelly Stanley
4. In this article, which came first, highlighting the parts or reading through the story?
5. Mrs. Jones said the readers could not leave their _________________.
6. Who reads the parts that are not conversations between characters?
7. ______ read the narrator's parts.
Mrs. Jones
Jack Jessie Melissa Martha
8. Which of the following ways is not mentioned as a tool to help stories come alive?
Clothing Gestures
Facial expressions Voices
Pronouns
Circle the word that best completes each sentence.
1. Please meet the teacher (whose, who, who's) class won the award for perfect attendance.
2. Please find out (whose, who, who's) gloves these are.
3. (Whose, Who, Who's) left foot is smaller than his right one?
4. I want to make a genealogy chart because I am curious (whose, who, who's) my ancestors are.
5. (Whose, Who, Who's) in charge of athletics at your school?
Circle the correct word to complete each sentence.
6. (I, Me) was finally able to afford a new hat.
7. (I, Me) need one more nickel to buy a pencil.
8. Karen and Maria are nice to (I, me).
9. May (I, me) go to the show on Saturday?
10. Will you stand by (I, me) in the line?
Circle the word that best completes each sentence.
11. Countries like yours and (my, mine) should be able to get along better.
12. (My, Mine) cat has very long hair.
13. Whenever I've forgotten (my, mine, I, me), my friend lends me a pencil.
14. The last piece of cake is (my, mine, I, me).
15. (My, Mine, I, Me) mother can bake wonderful cakes and cookies.
Circle the correct word to complete each sentence.
16. My dog isn't very fond of cats and he chases (they, them) every chance he gets.
17. I do not like green beans, and I feel uneasy when I am made to eat (they, them)
18. We knew the two cars were going to impact when one of (they, them) ran the red light.
19. If lines are parallel, (they, them) never meet or cross each other.
20. When my brothers disappear, (they, them) are usually doing something wrong.
Circle the correct word to complete each sentence.
21. The tramp was cold, so my dad gave (he, him) a coat.
22. He ran to school so (he, him) wouldn't be late.
23. Jack said (he, him) fed his dog this morning.
24. The criminal began to boast about his crime to his friends and one of them turned (he, him) in to the police officer.
25. She had to seize his arm and turn (he, him) around to make him listen to her.
Circle the correct word to complete each sentence.
26. We watched the bird build a nest for (she, her) babies.
27. (She, Her) dance uniform had fringe hanging from the bottom ruffle.
28. Mum's day has been so crazy that (she, her) forgot to fix dinner.
29. We love to hear Grandma's stories about things that (she, her) did when she was young.
30. When can Nita do (she, her) math?
Circle the word that best completes each sentence.
31. Your birthday is on May 5th, isn't (it, its, it's)?
32. (It, Its, It's) is always good to keep your resume updated with your latest job experience.
33. I can't believe that (it, its, it's) already December.
34. The sailboat was safe and secure in (it, its, it's) berth.
35. (It, Its, It's) important to take accurate notes in class.
Circle the word that best completes each sentence.
36. Dan likes mushrooms and onions on (his, he) steak.
37. The athlete won the javelin competition because (his, he) threw it the farthest.
38. Jeff brings (his, he) lunch in a brown bag.
39. Johnny hung (his, he) picture on the wall.
40. (His, He) made a formal statement about running for mayor.
Circle the correct word to complete each sentence.
41. (We, Us) will utilise this trail to get us to the campsite quicker.
42. Will you let (we, us) play the game with you?
43. Mum and Dad expect (we, us) to follow the rules of the house.
44. My Aunt Carol loves to embrace me every time she comes to visit (we, us)
45. (We, Us) had ham and potato salad for Easter lunch.
Circle the word that best completes each sentence.
46. (Her, Hers, She) was the class that everyone loved.
47. She's going to Europe this summer with (her, hers, she) parents.
48. Betty's only problem is that she lacks confidence in (her, hers, she) ability to speak in public.
49. All of the fish in the aquarium are (her, hers, she).
50. Casey used (her, hers, she) blue crayon to colour the picture.
ELF BOY MEETS SUPERMAN®
Main Idea
Read the paragraph and then select the main idea for the paragraph.
1. My favourite food is macaroni and cheese. I really like macaroni and cheese that comes in a box. We boil water and drop the shells into it. After several minutes, the shells are soft. We drain the water out of the pot. Then, we mix milk, butter, and the cheese powder into the macaroni. Then, we eat it. It is so good!
The main idea in this passage is:
This is a recipe for macaroni and cheese.
The writer gives a list of his/her favourite foods.
Your favourite food should be macaroni and cheese.
You should cook macaroni shells for seven minutes.
2. Summer is my favourite time of year. For one thing, I don't have to go to school! For another, I love to swim. We get to swim a lot during the summer. Also, we go on vacation. I love having time with my family all to myself. Summer food is great too, like hamburgers and hot dogs! I love the freedom of sleeping in and visiting my friends. I enjoy not having homework. I wish summer lasted all year round!
The main idea in this passage is:
Summer is the writer's favourite time of year.
Hamburgers are summer food.
The writer swims a lot in the summer.
The writer wishes summer lasted all year.
3. Cinderella and Snow White aren't the only fairy tales ever told. The library has ethnic fairy tales from all around the world! There you can find fairy tales from other countries such as Russia, China, Sweden, and Africa. You won't believe all the different stories!
The main idea in this passage is:
CInderella and Snow White are the only fairy tales ever told. You shouldn't believe fairy tales.
The library has ethnic fairy tales from all around the world. Other countries have fairy tales.
Read the paragraph and then select the main idea for the paragraph.
1. Polar bears live in the Arctic. That is the area around the North Pole. They live in the coast and on islands. They also live on pack ice and in the water. Pack ice is their favorite place to live. That is because it is the perfect location for their favorite activity. It is the perfect place to hunt seals.
The main idea in this passage is: a polar bear's habitat what a polar bear looks like a polar bear's prey what a polar bear eats
2. Did you ever have one of those days? I just did. It was one of those frustrating days where nothing seems to go right. First of all, my new alarm clock did not go off. So, my dad had to wake me up so I could get ready for school. I had not assembled my school books and jacket, so I scurried to gather everything up. Then, I could not find a shirt that was not wrinkled. I finally threw on a golf shirt that was in halfway decent condition. I spilled a glass of milk all over the counter and rushed out the door only eating a toaster pastry. Dad and I zoomed to school, and at the first class, I had a pop quiz! When lunch time came, I realised I had forgotten my lunch. Then, for English, we had a substitute teacher who gave us a ton of work to do. By the time I got home, I felt like going to bed. But, I did not. Instead, I packed a lunch for tomorrow, put my clothes in the wash, and finished my homework. I guess I did learn something today.
The main idea in this passage is:
The writer learned something. The writer was almost late for school. We all have bad days. The writer was having a day where nothing seemed to go right.
3. Jon held the ball in his hands. He bounced it slowly on the ground. Once. Twice. He crouched low and then jumped. The ball flew into the air. Up, up, up, it went. Then down, down, down, into the basket. "Yes!" he yelled. "Nothing but net!"
The main idea in this passage is:
Jon liked basketball.
Jon makes a basket. How to throw a basketball. Jon could jump.
Novel Study
The Trumpet of the Swan: Chapters 16-21
1. Which of the following types of music did Louis play on Sundays?
a.Rock
b.Classical
c.Country
d. Jazz
2. Which animal listed did not have any ears?
3. What did Louis have to do in exchange for not being pinioned?
4. What song did Louis decide to play to impress Serena?
5. What trip did Louis and Serena take with their family every summer?
6. Did Louis enjoy his job at the night club? Why or why not?
7. How did Serena feel?
8. What was the name of the boy who testified?
9. What were the names of the other trumpet swans at the zoo?
