1st grade:
1.Playing with Friends
John went for a bike ride. He rode around the block. Then he met some
girls he knew from school. They all rode to the eld to play. John had a
great me playing games with his friends.
2.A Birthday Party
Lisa went to a birthday party on Saturday. There were many girls
there. They played a lot of great games at the party. Then they had
dessert. All of the girls got balloons as party favors. Lisa loved her red
balloon.
3.Making Pizza
We are making a pizza. First we make the dough with our
and eggs. We a en the dough into a round shape. Then we put tomato
sauce and cheese on top. The pizza goes into the oven. In a few minutes,
it is ready to eat.
4.Playground
We are going to the playground. First, I swing on the swings. Then I take
two turns at the slide. We climb on the new climbing wall. My friends
and I play hide and seek. We build a sand castle in the sandbox. I drink
water from the
water fountain. Time to go home.
5.The Ocean
The ocean has bright blue water lled with waves. Many types of sh live
in the ocean. Seagulls love ying over the ocean to look for sh. There is
so sand along the shore, and there are pre y seashells in the sand. The
ocean is a great place to visit.
2nd grade:
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1.Susy Brown
Susy Brown is a good girl.
2.One of Aesop’s Fables
An old cat wanted to catch all the mice in the barn.
One day, the mice met to talk about the great harm that cat was doing to
them.
Each mouse tried to think of a plan by which to keep out of the cat’s way.
“Do as I say,” said an old gray mouse that was thought to be very wise.
“Do as I say. Hang a bell
on the cat's neck. Then,
when we hear it ring, we will know that she is coming and can scamper
out of her way.”
3.The Bee
“Come here, Lucy, and listen! What is in this ower?”
“Oh Mother! It is a bee. I wonder how it got caught inside the ower?”
“It went into the ower for some honey, and maybe it went to sleep.
Then the ower closed it in.”
“The bee likes honey as we do, but it does not like to be closed in the
ower.”
“Shall we let it out, Lucy?”
“Yes, then it can go to other owers and get honey.”
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4.Time for Everything
There’s a me to run and a me to walk.
There’s a me for silence and a me for talk.
There’s a me for work and a me for play.
There’s a me for sleep at the end of the day.
There’s a me for everything you do,
For children and for grown-ups too.
A me to stand up and a me to sit,
But see that the me and ac ons t.
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Some of her friends were going to the woods to pick berries, and Susy
wanted to go with them. However, when Susy came home from school,
she found her mother red and worn out from her work.
Susy took the baby and said she would stay at home and let her mother
rest.
When the girls came home with their berries, they all gave Susy some.
Everybody loves Susy.
3rd grade:
1.Two friends and the Bear
Once there were two friends who were crossing the jungle. A er some
me they saw a bear coming towards them.
Then, one of the friends quickly climbed the nearby tree and the other
one did not know how to climb the tree. So he lays down on the ground
holding his breath.
The bear reaches near him and sni s him in the ear. A er some me
bear le the place, thinking the man is dead.
Now the other friend climbs down and asked his friend, what did bear
said to him in his ear? He replied,” to be safe from the fake friends.”
2.The Crow and the Peacock – Who is Happy?
Once there was a crow who wishes to be colorful and beau ful like other
birds. He then went to the parrot and shared his thoughts.
But parrot said peacock is most beau ful bird so talk to him. Then the
crow went to the peacock and told him about his looks.
Then the peacock replied,” You are the luckiest bird that has been never
caged in life and we because of our beauty stay caged, and you are
always free.”
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A er listening to this, crow realized his mistake and thanked God for
making him like this and he ew away happily.
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5.Here Ponto
“Here Ponto! Here Ponto!” Kate called to her dog. “Come, and get the
dolls out of the pond.”
The dolls were named Rose and Bess. They were oa ng on the top of
the water.
Ponto came with a bound and jumped into the pond. He swam around
and got Bess in his mouth and brought her to the shore.
Ponto then found Rose and brought her out too.
Kate said, “Good, old Ponto! Brave old dog!
3.The Lion and the Rabbit
Once there was a Lion in the jungle who used to kill 2-3 animals daily for
his meal. All animals went to him to tell, that daily one of them will come
to him for his meal.
So, the Lion agreed and this started going for many days. One day, it was
Rabbit’s turn. When he was on his way he saw a well.
Now he plans to kill the lion and save himself. He went to the lion and
told him that, there is another lion who claims to be more powerful than
him.
Then the lion asks the rabbit to take him to that lion. The rabbit takes
him to the well and said he lives here. When the lion looked in the well
he saw his own re ec on and jumped in the well and dies.
4.The Ant and The Grasshopper Story
Once on a bright summer’s sunny day, a Grasshopper was singing then
he saw an Ant working hard to collect food, the grasshopper said, “Why
do you work so hard in summers? Summers are for fun, relaxa on and
enjoyment. Come let us sing and enjoy”.
But Ant said, “I am collec ng food for the winters and I recommend you
to do the same.”
Grasshopper said, “We have got plenty of food at present. Why bother
about winter now?”.
The Ant ignored him and went on its way.
When the winter came grasshopper had no food to eat.
He saw that Ant and begged for food, but she said, “When I worked
hard, you enjoyed”.
Then grasshopper learned his lesson the hard way.
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5.The Ugly Duckling
A long me ago, a farmer had a duck, which laid 4 eggs. A er a few days,
all eggs hatched.
Three ducklings looked like their mom and the fourth one looked
di erent. It was big and grey.
All other ducklings started making fun of him, as they started calling him
ugly.
A er some days the sad duckling ran away to a river nearby. There he
saw a beau ful white swans.
A er seeing their beauty he wanted to drown in the river. But when he
looked at his re ec on in the river, he realized he was not an ugly
duckling but a beau ful Swan!
4th grade:
1.Four Happy Penguins
Molly stops at a gas sta on to ll up.
A man who works there sees four penguins in the back seat and asks,
"Why do you have four penguins in your car?"
Molly says, "I stopped at a red light and they climbed in! What should I
do with them?"
The man thinks for a second and says, "Maybe you should take them to
the zoo."
"That's a good idea. I'll do that," says Molly.
A few days later Molly returns to the gas sta on. The man sees the same
four penguins in the car. But now they're wearing sunglasses!
"What's going on?" asks the man. "I thought you were taking those
penguins to the zoo."
"I did take them to the zoo!" answered Molly. "We had such a great me,
that today I thought I'd take them to the beach!"
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2. Magic Zoo
The rst thing you see at the zoo is a wizard on a camel. The wizard takes
you to the elephants.
Here you nd a bag of nuts on the ground. There is a big sign that says,
"Do NOT feed the elephants!" But that doesn't stop you. The elephants
eat all the nuts.
A er a minute, the elephants grow smaller and smaller un l they are the
size of rats. They are so small that they walk through gaps in the fence.
Soon there are ny elephants running all over the zoo.
The wizard nds you and says, "You fed the elephants! Can you not read?
I'll have to do a magic spell to make the elephants big again! You will stay
at the zoo un l every last elephant is in its place!"
3.Snowmen Save the Day
In the town of Pineville, it snowed non-stop for ve days. Snow covered
the roads, the houses and the trees.
On the sixth day, everything changed. The weather report said, "Very
warm air is on the way. The snow is going to melt very fast. Get ready for
oods!"
The families on Pine Lane got together and came up with a plan. They
would build snowmen! The snow would melt much more slowly if it was
put in piles or big round balls.
Everyone joined in. Soon every house on Pine Lane had at least one huge
snowman.
The warm air came the next day. All the streets in Pineville were ooded.
But not Pine Lane. The houses there stayed dry as the snowmen slowly
got smaller and smaller. The snowmen took seven days to completely
melt. They saved the day!
4.Stop Pulling My Hair!
Camila is 5 years old. She loves going to the park with Bruno, her father.
They play ball and spend hours in the playground. On a good day, Bruno
lets Camila buy a treat from the snack truck.
One day, a er playing ball all a ernoon, Bruno and Camila stop at the
truck for a treat. Bruno buys an apple for himself. Camila gets a granola
bar and some bubble gum.
When they nish their snacks, they begin to walk home.
"I'm really red," says Camila. "Can you carry me?"
"You're pre y big to be carried! Let's try this," says Bruno as he li s
Camila and puts her on his shoulders.
A er a few minutes, Camila starts to pull her father's hair. She pulls and
pulls.
"Ouch!" says Bruno. "What's going on? Stop pulling my hair. It hurts!"
"But Dad," she says, "I'm only trying to get out my bubble gum."
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5.Why Owls Stare
Once upon a me Owl and Pigeon met and talked.
"There are more owls than pigeons," said Owl.
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It takes you ve long days to get all the elephants back to where they
belong. Now you always read signs.
"No way,” said Pigeon, "There are many more pigeons."
"Let's count!" answered Owl, "We will meet in the big woods a week
from today."
On that day, the owls came rst. The trees were full of them. The owls
laughed and said, "Oowah-wah-wah!"
Soon they heard a loud roar from sky. Pigeons were coming from
everywhere! The owls could not believe there could be so many pigeons.
They sat there moving their heads back and forth staring with wide eyes.
The owls stared so long and hard at the pigeons that their eyes just
stayed that way.
5th grade:
1.The Sun ower
Cly e was a sea creature who wore beau ful green gowns made of
seaweed. Her long golden hair oated above her as she swam in the sea.
One day Cly e heard a mermaid singing a song about a golden light
above the water. Cly e wanted to see it.
She swam to the surface and climbed out of the water onto the shore.
She saw the golden light described in the song. It was the sun! She gazed
at it all day.
When she nally turned towards the water, she saw her re ec on. Her
golden hair had become yellow petals. Her green gown had become
leaves. Her small feet had become roots. She had become a sun ower.
To this day, sun owers turn to face the sun so that they can look at it all
day as it travels across the sky.
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2.The Turtle That Tries to Fly
A young turtle lives by a big tree in the forest. Every day, the turtle climbs
up the tree and crawls along the branches.
One day, the li le turtle crawls out to the end of a low branch. The turtle
stops, looks down, and jumps. With her legs apping around, the turtle
lands on the ground with a thump.
The turtle is a li le dazed, but she gets up and starts climbing the tree
again. The turtle crawls along a higher branch. Once again, she pauses
and looks down. Then she jumps o the branch, waves around her legs
and crashes into the ground.
This me the turtle is very shaken up, but that doesn't stop her. She
climbs all the way up to the highest branch on the tree. When the turtle
reaches the end of the branch, she looks over and waves at two birds
watching her.
The birds look at one another and one of them says, "I think it's me
that we told her that she is adopted!"
3.Camping Under the Stars
It was a very special weekend camping trip for Carlos and his daughter
Emma. They packed up all their gear and headed out to the woods.
They arrived at the campsite just as it got dark.
As they lay down for the night, Emma said, "Dad, look up at the sky and
tell me what you see."
Carlos answered, "I see thousands and thousands of stars."
"And what does that tell you?" asked Emma.
"It tells me that there are lots stars and planets out there. It tells me that
we are just a small part of this gigan c universe."
"It also tells me that there is a lot more s ll to discover. It tells me that
the weather tomorrow will be very nice."
Carlos went on and on about the beau ful night sky. Finally he said,
"Emma, what does this sight of millions of stars tell you?"
"It tells me that you forgot to pack the tent!"
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4. Playing Catch
Kate and her brother Jake like to play catch. They play with so balls,
footballs and tennis balls. They toss the balls back and forth in the yard
all the me.
Some mes they go to the park to have more space for throwing the balls
farther. When it is raining out, they play catch in the basement. They use
a tennis ball because it bounces o of the basement walls.
Jake is going to soccer camp for a week this summer. Kate is sad because
she won’t have anyone to play catch with while he is gone.
The week before Jake leaves, they go to the park together.
There is a girl tossing a ball in the air by herself. Kate and Jake invite her
to play with them. Her name is Brooke. Kate is happy now that she has a
new friend to play catch with while her brother is at camp.
5.The Boy Who Swallowed a Monster
Henry, a seven-year-old boy, thought that he had swallowed a monster.
Nothing his friends, family or doctor said would make him change his
mind.
Finally, his doctor came up with a plan. She told Henry she would do a
simple opera on and remove the monster.
The doctor put Henry into a deep sleep. Then she went out to the
Monster Store and bought the biggest monster she could carry.
When Henry woke up, the doctor was standing beside his bed with a big
green monster by her side.
"Nothing more to worry about," she said. "We operated on you and took
it out."
"Who are you trying to fool?" said Henry. "The monster I swallowed was
blue!"
6th grade:
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1.It's Raining Cats!
One day Stella's ki en runs out of the house and climbs up a tree.
The ki en is afraid to come down. Stella tries everything. She makes
purring sounds and puts out warm milk and the ki en's favorite toy.
Nothing works.
The tree is much too weak to climb, but Stella has an idea. She es a
rope to the tree branch. She pulls on the rope very slowly to make the
branch bend down low enough for her to grab the ki en.
Stella pulls just a li le bit at a me. Suddenly, the rope breaks. The tree
goes "Boing!" and the cat goes ying through the air, out of sight.
Stella feels terrible. She looks and looks, but can't nd the cat anywhere.
The next day, Stella sees her neighbor Sam in the supermarket. Sam does
not like cats, but has a cart full of cat food.
"You hate cats. Why are you buying cat food?" asks Stella. Sam answers,
"You'll never believe this. My daughter has been asking for a cat for a
long me. I always told her that a cat would have to fall from the sky,
because I wasn't going to get one!"
Stella doesn't have the heart to ask for her cat back.
2.Raccoon Dance Party
Ava lived alone in an old house in the city. During the day, Ava worked
very hard at the car factory. At night she looked forward to a nice quiet
sleep in her big so bed.
One night Ava heard noises coming from the a c. Thump, thump, tap,
tap. It went on and on. She climbed up to the a c and saw three
raccoons jumping around. They looked like they were dancing!
She tried to chase the raccoons outside, but they hid before she could
shoo them away. By the me she got downstairs, the raccoon dance
party was back.
Ava tried everything to get rid of the raccoons, but they wouldn't leave.
Every night it was raccoon party me!
Ava was very red. A er a few days of no sleep, she thought to herself,
"If the raccoons can disturb my sleep, I can disturb theirs!"
Ava looked for the loudest, noisiest rock music. She found the biggest
most powerful speakers. When the sun came up and all was quiet in the
a c, she knew that the raccoons were sleeping.
Ava put the music on full blast. It was so noisy! She wore ear plugs and
le the music on for 2 hours. "That should do it!" thought Ava.
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She was right! The raccoons couldn't stand the loud music. They le the
a c and never returned.
3.Race Cars
Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! The race cars were all prac cing for the big race
tomorrow. Around and around and around the track they went. They
prac ced weaving in and out of cones, going around the curves, and
star ng right when the green light went on. Blue Race car and Red Race
car were best friends, so they prac ced together all day.
That night, they were in the garage res ng up for the big race tomorrow.
Red Race car couldn’t sleep, though.
“Blue Race car? Are you asleep?” Red Race car asked.
“No. I’m feeling nervous for the race tomorrow. How are you feeling?”
Blue Race car answered.
“I’m feeling nervous, too. What can we do? We need to feel rested for
the race tomorrow!” said Red Race car.
“Hmmm... we could try taking deep breaths. Ready? We’ll breathe in and
count to three. Then we’ll keep the breath in for three seconds. Last,
4. Guitar or Ballet
Emma loves to listen to her brother Jake play his guitar. He is 15 years old
and has been playing since he was 5 years old. He prac ces every day,
and he is really good. He plays country music and rock and roll.
Emma likes the country songs best. She really likes watching Jake strum
the chords and hearing the country sounds that he creates. Emma wants
to take lessons so she can play as well
as Jake does. “Mom, can I take guitar lessons?” Emma asks.
Her mom replies, “It takes a lot of hard work to play the songs that Jake
plays; are you sure you have enough me to put into prac cing?”
Thinking about all of her favorite ac vi es, Emma isn’t sure. She loves
her ballet classes, her art classes and her chess club. Emma realizes that
if she wants to play guitar, she will probably have to give up another
ac vity to make me for prac cing. She does not know which ac vity
she would give up because they all mean so much to her.
Emma decides that she will just keep enjoying her brother’s guitar
playing for now.
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5.The Clean Park
Tyler asked his mom if he could ride his bike to the park. “As long as you
wear your helmet when you are riding,” she said.
When Tyler got to the park it was lled with people holding garbage
bags. A lot of his friends were there and so were some of his teachers.
His friend Bella said, “Everyone is pitching in and cleaning the park
today.” She asked Tyler if he would help. Tyler said, “Sure,” and asked for
a garbage bag.
There was garbage everywhere. Tyler picked up candy wrappers, juice
pouches, newspapers and apple cores. It was really gross.
A er an hour, he had lled
three garbage bags. His friends lled a lot of garbage bags too.
When everyone was nished, one of the teachers loaded the lled
garbage bags into his pick-up truck to take them to the dump. The park
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we’ll slowly let all of our breath out. We might have to do that a lot of
mes before we feel be er. Let’s try!” Blue Race car said.
They took some slow, deep breaths together. A er a few minutes, both
race cars started to feel calm, and dri ed o to sleep. They both
dreamed about all the fun they’d have at the race.
7th grade:
1. How the Turtle got its shell
A long, long me ago, a Turtle and a Snail lived together in the deep
ocean.
The Turtle and the Snail were opposites. The Snail was very proud of her
shell. She was always boas ng to the Turtle about it. The Turtle was calm
and quiet. She never boasted about anything.
The Snail and the Turtle had one thing in common. They were both very
afraid of the Big Shark.
One day when the Snail was busy admiring her shell, the Big Shark snuck
up on her and pounced.
"Help!" screamed the Snail. "I need help!"
The Turtle heard the cry and quickly went to help the Snail who was in
big trouble.
Just as the Big Shark was about to bite the Snail's head, the Turtle kicked
the Big Shark in the nose. The Shark made a loud noise, then went
immediately to sleep and oated away. That is what happens when a Big
Shark is kicked in the nose.
"Thank you!" cried the Snail. "You saved me! But my shell went a li le
at when the Big Shark tried to eat me. Here - you can have it. I don't
want it anymore. I can get a new one."
"That's great," said the Turtle. "I've always wanted a beau ful shell like
yours. That shape will t me perfectly."
From that day on, the Turtle always had her dome shaped shell. She
always loved it but never boasted about it like the Snail did.
And that's how the Turtle got its shell.
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2.Global Warming
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looked great. They put up signs around the park that read, “Please place
garbage in garbage cans and help keep the park clean.”
The teachers bought pizza and lemonade for everyone who helped clean
the park. A er they ate, Tyler and his friends made sure to put their
garbage into the garbage cans.
Global warming refers to the increase of the earth's average
temperature due to increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas
emissions.
Scien sts agree that the burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal causes
greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide to escape into the air and act
like a warm blanket over the earth.
There are already some changes happening because of global warming.
Sea level is rising and some animals are moving to new homes because
their natural habitat is disappearing.
If the warming gets worse, as scien sts expect, there may be some kinds
of plants and animals that become ex nct. Heat waves and droughts will
increase, leading to wild res, and some areas may become too dry for
farming.
Warmer ocean temperatures lead to more big storms which damage
homes and cause oods. Sea levels may rise so much that people have to
move away from the coasts.
All humans contribute to global warming by burning fossil fuels when
they drive a car, y in an airplane, heat or cool their houses and cut
down trees to clear land.
One way to reduce greenhouse gases is to reduce deforesta on, the
cu ng down of trees. Trees soak up carbon dioxide from the air, so
having lots of trees around is good for the atmosphere. We can also
plant more trees.
The best way to help slow down global warming is to put less carbon into
the air by using less fossil fuel - something that is easy to say, but hard to
do! But by driving less, turning down the heat and air condi oning, and
using more solar, wind and hydroelectric power, we can all reduce
greenhouse gases and help ght global warming.
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3.Why Bear Has a Short Tail
Back in the old days, Bear had a long tail like Fox. Since Fox likes to fool
others, he decided to play a trick on Bear.
One day Fox was carrying a long string of sh that he had stolen. When
Bear saw Fox, he asked, "Where did you get those ne sh? They look
delicious."
"I went shing and caught them," said Fox. "Do you want me to show
you how to sh?"
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4. The Life Cycle
When you plant a seed, does it stay a seed forever? No! Plants and
animals grow and change throughout their lives.
Many plants begin as seeds. As the seed gets what it needs (water,
sunlight, and nutrients from the soil), it begins to grow. The seed turns
into a li le sprout. It keeps growing un l it is a full-grown plant. Then the
plant makes new seeds, so that new plants can grow even a er the plant
grows old and dies. Those seeds will then go through their growth
process. Because seeds go through this process over and over again, it is
called a life cycle.
Animals also have life cycles. A frog begins as an egg. When the egg
hatches, it turns into a tadpole. The tadpoles grow legs and arms, and
eventually grow into adult frogs. The adult frogs lay eggs, so that new
frogs can live even a er the frog grows old and dies.
A dog’s life cycle is a li le di erent than a frog’s, because a dog does not
start out as an egg. It is born from its mother’s belly. The puppy keeps
growing and is eventually an adult dog. Then the adult dog might have
puppies to con nue the life cycle!
Insects like caterpillars go through life cycles, too. Caterpillars begin as
eggs. When they hatch, they are larva. The caterpillar becomes a pupa,
and inside of the pupa it turns into an adult. The adult is not a
caterpillar; it is a bu er y! Then the bu er y lays eggs, so that new
caterpillars and bu er ies can live even a er the bu er y grows old and
dies.
Plants and animals don’t stay the same throughout their lives, they grow
and change through their life cycle.
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Bear had never shed before. He had only had sh that others had given
him. He loved sh and wanted to learn how to catch them.
Fox took Bear to the cold icy lake and said, "Cut a hole in the ice and s ck
your tail in the hole. Soon the sh will begin to bite. When you can't
stand the cold any longer, pull out your tail and it will be covered with
sh. The longer you leave your tail in the water, the more sh you will
catch."
Bear did exactly what Fox told him to do. He le his tail in the freezing
lake a very, very long me. It was a long enough me for the ice to freeze
around Bear's tail. When he nally pulled his tail out, most of it stayed
stuck in the ice. And that is why bears today have short tails.
8th grade:
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1.The Shoemaker and the Elves
A shoemaker and his wife lived in a li le house on the edge of the
woods. They were very, very poor, and each day they grew poorer
and poorer.
At last there was nothing le in the house but leather for one pair of
shoes. “I will cut out this last pair of shoes,” the shoemaker said to his
wife. “Tomorrow I will sew them and peg them.” So he cut out the
leather and le it on his bench.
The next morning, he went into his shop to make the shoes. What did
he see?
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5.Helping Hally
Sam was si ng on the couch, watching television. His mom walked in
the door with Hally, their dog. Hally walked right over to Sam and licked
him hello.
“Hi Hally! How was your checkup?” Sam asked. Hally just looked at Sam.
“We have to help Hally,” said Mom.
“Help her how?” asked Sam.
“Do you remember when we went to pick up Hally from her li er? We
picked her because she looked like her mom. She is brown with spots,
with long ears, and she was energe c, so we thought she’d be strong,
like her mom. But how does she look now?” Mom asked.
“Well,” thought Sam, “She’s s ll brown with spots and long ears, but
she’s not very energe c or strong anymore.”
“That’s what the vet said, too. We haven’t been le ng her exercise as
much, and we’ve been feeding her a lot. She would probably look just
like her mom now if we had walked her more. We have to start
walking her more o en, so that she’ll stay healthy for a long me.
Will you help?”
“Sure!” said Sam. He decided that he could play fetch with her every day
in the yard, because then she could run and run and run un l she was
red. The rst day, they only played fetch for about 10 minutes before
Hally was red. But Sam kept playing with her every day. Soon, they
could play for an en re half an hour! Hally looked stronger every day,
just like her mom. Sam felt great about helping Hally get strong again.
A pair of shoes all nicely made and ready to be sold. The s tches
were so neat, and the shoes so well made that they were quickly
sold.
With the money, the poor shoemaker bought leather for two pairs of
shoes. Then he said to his wife, “I will cut out the leather for two
pairs of shoes. Tomorrow I will sew them and peg them.”
So he cut out the leather for the shoes and le it on his bench.
The next morning when he went into his shop to make the shoes,
what did he nd? Yes, there were two pairs of shoes already
made. The work was so well done that those shoes were also sold
very quickly.
With the money, the poor shoemaker bought enough leather for
four pairs of shoes. Those he also cut out and le upon his bench.
The next morning, he found four pairs of beau ful shoes, all well
made.
And so it went on and on. Instead of being a very poor shoemaker,
he became a very rich shoemaker.
His shoes were so well made that even the queen herself wore them.
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2.Why Does the Ocean Have Waves?
The ocean is never s ll. Whether observing from the beach or a boat, we
expect to see waves on the horizon. Waves are created by energy
passing through water, causing it to move in a circular mo on. However,
water does not actually travel in waves. Waves transmit energy, not
water, across the ocean and if not obstructed by anything, they have the
poten al to travel across an en re ocean basin.
Waves are most commonly caused by wind. Wind-driven waves, or
surface waves, are created by the fric on between wind and surface
water. As wind blows across the surface of the ocean or a lake, the
con nual disturbance creates a wave
crest. These types of waves are found globally across the open ocean
and along the coast.
More poten ally hazardous waves can be caused by
severe weather, like a hurricane. The strong winds and pressure from this
type of severe storm causes storm surge, a series of long waves that are
created far from shore in deeper water and intensify as they move closer
to land.
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3.Why Cats Chase Rats.
Thousands of years ago, the Jade Emperor of China organized a
race for animals.
The first 12 animals to finish were to be given a place in the
Chinese Zodiac, and have a year named after them.
The cat and the rat, both late-risers asked the ox to wake them
at dawn on the day of the race. Came the day.
The ox tried to wake the cat and the rat, but without success.
They would open their eyes, turn to the other side and go back
to sleep. The race was about to start.
Unwilling to leave them, the ox coaxed them onto his back and
started running. The rat woke up just as the ox was crossing the
last hurdle, a river.
The sly rat knew that he could never beat the cat in the race. He
took the chance fate offered him and pushed the cat off the ox’s
back.
When the ox reached the other side, the rat jumped off and
scampered to victory, just ahead of the ox.
The tiger came third, but he cheated. He crossed the river by
using the backs of the animals swimming across as stepping
stones, leaping from one to another.
So the 12-year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac begins with the rat.
After him comes the ox who is followed by the tiger. After them
come the rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster,
dog and pig, in that order.
The cat, it must be noted, has no place in the zodiac. She wasn't
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Other hazardous waves can be caused by underwater disturbances that
displace large amounts of water quickly such as earthquakes, landslides,
or volcanic erup ons. These very long waves are called tsunamis. Storm
surge and tsunamis are not the types of waves you imagine crashing
down on the shore. These waves roll upon the shore like a massive sea
level rise and can reach far distances inland.
The gravita onal pull of the sun and moon on the earth also causes
waves. These waves are des or, in other words, dal waves. It is a
common misconcep on that a dal wave is also a tsunami. The cause of
tsunamis are not related to de informa on at all but can occur in any
dal state.
among the first twelve. In fact she was lucky to finish, having
almost drowned in the river.
So is it any wonder that cats chase rats? They can never forget
the humiliation heaped on their ancestor by a tricky rodent!
4.Winter me
Winter is cold in some places. Many plants do not grow during winter.
Some plants die. Snow and ice may cover the ground. It can be hard
for animals to nd food during winter. Animals get through this me
in many ways.
Birds and bu er ies can y. Many of them do not s ck around for the
winter. They leave. They go to a place with nice weather. Then they
come home in the spring. We call this migra on. Migra ng is a good
way to avoid the cold.
Another good way to avoid the cold is to sleep through it. Many
animals hide during the winter. Their bodies slow down. They save
their energy. They do not eat. They live o of their fat. They do this
un l food returns. We call this hiberna on. Snakes, frogs, and bears
hibernate.
Some animals store food in their homes. They do not sleep all winter,
but they do much less. They live on what they saved in the summer
and fall. This is what squirrels, beavers, and raccoons do. Skunks do
this too.
Other animals tough it out. They do not leave. They do not hide. They
must survive. Some mes nature helps them out. Some animals grow
thicker coats in the winter. Other animals change color. The arc c fox
is brown in the summer. His coat turns white in the winter.
Winter may be pre y. It is nice to see snow on the trees. But it is
dangerous too. People are also at risk. You can get frost bi en or worse.
How do you beat the winter? Do you wear a thick coat? Do you stay
inside? Or do you live somewhere warm?
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5.Chess
Chess is called the game of kings. It has been around for a long me.
People have been playing it for over 500 years. Chess is based on an
even older game from India. The chess we play today is from Europe.
Chess is a two-player game. One player uses the white pieces. The other
uses the black pieces. Each piece moves in a special way. One piece is
called the king. Each player has one. The players take turns moving their
pieces. If a player lands on a piece, he or she takes it. The game ends
when a player loses his or her king. There are a few more rules, but
those are the basics.
Some people think that chess is more than a game. They think that it
makes the mind stronger. Good chess players use their brains. They take
their me. They think about what will happen next. These skills are
useful in life and in chess. Chess is kind of like a work out for the mind.
You don't always have lots of me to think when playing chess. There is a
type of chess with short me limits. It's called blitz chess. In blitz chess,
each player gets ten minutes to use for the whole game. Your clock runs
during your turn. You hit the me clock a er your move. This stops your
clock. It also starts the other player's clock. If you run out of me, you
lose. Games of blitz chess are fast-paced.
Chess is not just for people. Computers have been playing chess since
the 1970s. At rst they did not play well. They made mistakes. As me
went on they grew stronger. In 1997, a computer beat the best player in
the world for the rst me. It was a computer called Deep Blue. Deep
Blue was big. It took up a whole room. By 2006 a cell phone could beat
the best players in the world. Chess sure has come a long way. Don't you
think so?
9th grade:
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1.Survival in the Wild
Plants and animals have the hard job of surviving in a very wild world.
How do they do it? There are many ways plants and animals have
adapted in order to survive.
Camou age is one way animals adapt to survive. For some animals,
this means that their fur, scales, or skin are a similar color to the land
around them. Deer, for example, have brown fur that blends in with
the trees, so it’s harder for predators to see them. This saves them
from becoming prey to a larger animal. Some animals can actually
change colors to match their environment. Many people think of
chameleons when they think of this type of camou age, but rabbits
are a great example as well. Some rabbits’ fur will change colors
depending on the season. Their fur might be brown in the spring,
summer, and fall to match the trees, but the brown fur will fall out
and white fur will grow in the winter to blend in
with the snow. This way the rabbit is safer from predators year-round.
Some insects, instead of blending in
with their environment, look like
something else that will deter animals from
ea ng them. A walking s ck looks just like a s ck so that predators will
pass it by without no cing it. Katydids mimic leaves. Some moths and
bu er ies have designs on their wings that make them look like snakes
or owls, to scare away their predators.
For some plants, however, they don’t want to blend in; they want to
stand out to survive! Many plants grow owers with colorful petals to
a ract bees. The bees help pollinate the owers so that they can
produce new owers.
Instead of hiding, some plants and animals develop structures that
aim to hurt anything that tries to hurt them. Some plants develop
thorns so that animals will not eat them. Some animals have
extremely sharp teeth and claws so they can ght o other animals.
Porcupines and hedgehogs even have spikes, called quills or spines,
covering their backs so animals won’t want to eat them!
There are many ways plants and animals have adapted to survive in the
wild. Do you know of any other ways?
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2.The Three Runners
In the days when whites ruled South Africa and apartheid was the law of
the land, two middle-aged blacks met in a whites only sec on of
Johannesburg.
One of them had a permit to work in the area, the other did not. This
meant he could be put behind bars for trespassing into an exclusive
zone.
Suddenly they saw a policeman coming towards them, and froze. "Run!"
whispered the man with the permit to his friend. "I'll follow."
They started running and the policeman shou ng "Stop, stop," began
chasing them.
Finally he caught the second man.
"Did you think you could outrun me!" he snarled. "Show me your
permit!"
The man, playing for me, began fumbling in his pocket and nally
produced his permit.
The policeman was taken aback. He realized that he had been tricked.
The man without the permit was now too far away to be caught.
"When you had a permit why did you run!" he bawled.
"Doctor's orders," said the man. "He has asked me to run a mile every
evening."
"Oh, yes?" sneered the policeman. "Then why was your friend running?"
"His doctor too has ordered him to run," said the man.
The policeman became red with anger.
"You think you're very smart, don't you?" he snarled. "But tell me, if you
were only running for your health why didn't you stop when you saw me
running a er you? And don't tell me you didn't see me chasing you... I
know you did!"
"Of course I knew you were running a er me," said the man.
"Then why didn't you stop?" asked the policeman, triumphantly.
"It was stupid of me," said the man, "but I thought you too had been
ordered to run by your doctor."
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3.The Secret of the Casket
On her 75th birthday, Mary distributed her wealth among her four sons
and announced that she would spend three months of the year with
each son, in turn.
The arrangement worked well for a while and then the old woman found
that the welcome she received at each son's house was becoming less
and less cordial.
Finally she began to feel posi vely unwanted. Now she saw her sons in
their true colors. Money meant everything to them, people came
second.
One day, Mary’s friend, Jane, came to see her. Jane was distressed to nd
her friend in such an unhappy state and advised her on what she should
do. A erwards, Jane tearfully embraced her friend, and le .
A few days later, towards sundown, Mary went out without telling
anyone where she was going and returned an hour later, her clothes
covered in mud.
"Where did you go?" asked her son, and then seeing that she was
holding a small ornamental chest, hurried to her, his gaze riveted on the
casket.
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"What is that?"
"Something that could change all our lives for the be er, in di erent
ways," said his mother.
"What does it contain?"
"You'll nd out when I'm dead and gone."
The young man lost no me in informing his brothers about the casket.
All wanted to know the secret of casket.
"It is obvious she has not given us all her wealth," said the eldest. "She
must have kept back some of her more valuable gems. God alone knows
how many caskets the wily woman has buried."
They ques oned their mother but she refused to tell what the casket
contained, or even if there were more caskets hidden elsewhere. Many a
me, the brothers tried to open the casket in her absence but it was
securely locked and they could never nd the key.
But now Mary no longer felt unwanted. Her sons and daughters-in-law
fussed over her and went out of their way to make her feel welcome.
In fact, now each son tried to persuade her to stay longer than the three
months, but she never extended her stay, not wishing to show a
preference for any son.
She passed away in her sleep, a few days before her 84th birthday. Her
friend, Jane, came for the funeral rites and before depar ng handed over
a key to the dead woman's eldest son in the presence of his brothers.
"This is the key to the casket," she said and le .
All were eager to know the secret of casket.
The sons and their wives hurried to the old woman's chamber in great
excitement. This was the day they had been wai ng for, for weeks and
months and years. They bolted the door from the inside and huddled
around the casket. With trembling hands, the oldest brother ed the
key into the lock and turned it.
It opened with a click. The man icked open the lid and then they all
stared with disbelief at the contents: ordinary pebbles.
"The gems might be below," said the oldest brother and fran cally
overturned the contents. All they found was a note from their mother. It
read:
"Great disappointment awaits all those whose lives center around
money. It is a sad thing when an old woman has to resort to trickery to
get her sons to look a er her. It shows lack of character not only in her
sons but in the mother too. You at least have me to change yourselves
and my last message to you is: try to do so".
That was the secret of casket.
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4.Mosquitos
When we are young, we learn that gers and sharks are dangerous
animals. We might be scared of them because they are big and
powerful. As we get older, however, we learn that some mes the
most dangerous animals are also the smallest animals. In fact, the
animal that kills the most people every year is one that you have
probably killed yourself many mes: the mosquito.
While it may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, this is not actually
the case. Male mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand,
female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They need this blood to live
and produce eggs. When a female mosquito bites a human being, it
transmits a small amount of saliva into the blood. This saliva may or
may not contain a deadly disease. The result of the bite can be as
minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death.
Because a mosquito can bite many people in the course of its life, it
can carry diseases from one person to another very easily. Two of the
most deadly diseases carried by mosquitoes are malaria and yellow
fever. More than 700 million people become sick from these diseases
every year. At least 2 million of these people will die from these
diseases.
Many scien sts are working on safer and be er ways to kill
mosquitoes, but so far, there is no sure way to protect everyone in
the world from their deadly bites. Mosquito nets can be placed over
beds to protect people against being bi en. These nets help people
stay safe at night, but they do not kill any mosquitoes. Mosquitoes
have many natural enemies like bats, birds, dragon ies, and certain
kinds of sh. Bringing more of these animals into places where
mosquitoes live might help to cut down the amount of mosquitoes in
that area. This is a natural solu on, but it does not always work very
well. Mosquitoes can also be killed with poisons or sprays. Even
though these sprays kill mosquitoes, they may also harm other plants
or animals.
Although mosquitoes may not seem as scary as larger, more powerful
animals, they are far more dangerous to human beings. But things are
changing. It is highly likely that one day scien sts will nd a way to keep
everyone safe from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.
10th grade:
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2.Fast Food Commercials
It is easy to make a delicious-looking hamburger at home. But would
this hamburger s ll look delicious a er it sat on your kitchen table
under very bright lights for six or seven hours? If someone took a
picture or made a video of this hamburger a er the seventh hour,
would anyone want to eat it? More importantly, do you think you
could get millions of people to pay money for this hamburger?
These are the ques ons that fast food companies worry about when
they produce commercials or print ads for their products. Video and
photo shoots o en last many hours. The lights that the
photographers use can be extremely hot. These condi ons can cause
the food to look quite unappealing to poten al consumers. Because
of this, the menu items that you see in fast food commercials are
probably not actually edible.
Let’s use the hamburger as an example. The rst step towards
building the perfect commercial hamburger is the bun. The food
stylist—a person employed by the company to make sure the
products look perfect—sorts through hundreds of buns un l he or
she nds one with no wrinkles. Next, the stylist carefully rearranges
the sesame seeds on the bun using glue and tweezers for maximum
visual appeal. The bun is then sprayed with a waterproo ng solu on
so that it will not get soggy from contact with other ingredients, the
lights, or the humidity in the room.
Next, the food stylist shapes a meat pa y into a perfect circle. Only
the outside of the meat gets cooked—the inside is le raw so that the
meat remains moist. The food stylist then paints the outside of the
meat pa y with a mixture of oil, molasses, and brown food coloring.
Grill marks are either painted on or seared into the meat using hot
metal skewers.
Finally, the food stylist searches through dozens of tomatoes and
heads of le uce to nd the best-looking produce. One leaf of the
crispest le uce and one center slice of the reddest tomato are
selected and then sprayed with glycerin to keep them looking fresh.
So the next me you see a delectable hamburger in a fast food
commercial, remember: you’re actually looking at glue, paint, raw meat,
and glycerin! Are you s ll hungry?
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3.The Naming Game
The ambassador of Nippon presented a beau ful cat to the Emperor of
China.
The emperor became fond of the animal and took it with him wherever
he went. People kept asking for the cat’s name and were surprised when
told that it had none.
Eventually the emperor decided that the cat should have a name. He
called his ministers, the seven wisest men in the empire, and
commanded them to nd a suitable name for his pet within seven days.
At the end of this period they were summoned to the palace again, and
asked for their sugges ons. The youngest of the group thought he had
found the perfect name.
“TIGER!” he announced proudly.
“Good name,” said the emperor, a er a moment’s re ec on. “The ger
is a noble and powerful beast.”
“Noble, perhaps,” said the second minister, “but it is not as powerful as
the dragon. Can a ger soar into the sky? No, but a dragon can! I think
DRAGON would be a more suitable name for the cat.”
“Clouds can go higher than dragons,” observed a third minister. “A cloud
is more powerful than a dragon. Let’s call it CLOUD.”
“Let’s not be hasty,” advised the fourth wise man. “Clouds may y high
but they are pushed around by winds. Winds are more powerful than
clouds. WIND would be the most appropriate name for a great
emperor’s pet.”
“WIND?” said the emperor, doub ully. “Isn't there anything be er?”
“There certainly is!” rasped the h wise man. “BRICK WALL!”
“BRICK WALL?”
“A brick wall can stop a wind, however powerful,” explained the minister.
“A brick wall is more powerful than the wind!”
“Oh, I see, “said the emperor. “ Well, BRICK WALL is not a bad name. But
isn't it somewhat long?”
“I have a shorter name,” said the sixth minister. “RAT.”
“RAT!”
“Yes, Your Majesty, RAT! A rat can eat through a brick wall, which makes
it more powerful than the wall, more powerful than the wind, more
powerful than…”
“I get your point,” interrupted the emperor, “but can you call a cat,
RAT?”
“Indeed you can’t!” piped up the seventh wise man. “A
cat is a cat is a cat. And if a rat is more powerful than the others the cat
is even more so because it is migh er than the rat.”
So the royal pet remained nameless in a way because from then on it
was simply called CAT. The Naming Game came to the end.
4.The Shortsighted Brothers
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Three elderly brothers, all very short-sighted, lived in a large
house on the outskirts of a city, in China.
One day the youngest brother suggested that he should take
charge of the finances. “Elder brother’s sight is so bad, he
cannot see how much money he’s receiving or giving,” he said,
“and people take advantage of his disability.”
“As if you can see better,” sneered the second-youngest brother.
“If you’re saying our finances should be handled by the one who
has the best sight, then it is I who should be given charge. I can
see better than either of you.”
“I have my doubts about that,” said the eldest brother. “Let’s
settle this once and for all. I've heard the monastery is putting
up a tablet inscribed with a saying, above the main doorway,
tonight. Let’s go there tomorrow and test our vision. Whoever
can read the inscription with the least strain will get charge of
our money. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” said his brothers in unison.
“Good! Now go away and let me get a few winks.”
As soon as they had gone, the eldest brother sneaked out of the
house and went to the monastery where he met a monk.
“I've heard you’re putting up an inscription over the doorway,”
he said. “Can you tell me what the inscription reads?”
“Certainly. It’s a quotation from Confucius. It reads: Be Honest
At All Times."
The brother went away chuckling at his cleverness. A little later
the second brother arrived there.
“Can you tell me what the inscription you are going to put up
over the doorway reads?” he said to the monk.
“Everybody seems to want to know,” said the man. "It reads:
Be Honest At All Times.”
“Is there any decoration around it?”
“The tablet has a flowery border.”The second brother went away
very pleased with himself. Hardly had he gone when the third
brother arrived there. He too enquired about the inscription and
on being told what it was, asked if there was any other writing
on it.”
“Only the donor’s name, Wang Lee, at the bottom,” said the
monk.
The next morning the three short-sighted brothers made their
way to the monastery.
“There’s the inscription,” said the oldest when they drew near
the entrance. “I can clearly make out the writing. It reads: Be
Honest At All Times.”
“Your sight is better than I
thought,” said the second brother. “But definitely not better
than mine. Can you see the decoration around the inscription?”
“Decoration? What decoration?”
“There’s a floral decoration all around the tablet,” said the
brother, triumphantly.
“Very good, very good,” applauded the youngest brother. “But
can either of you see any other writing on the tablet besides the
inscription?”
“Other writing?” intoned the second brother, his face falling.
“What other writing is there?”
“The name of the donor, Wang Lee,” said the youngest brother,
pointing. “Can’t you see it? It’s at that corner.”
The monk they had talked to the previous evening came out of
the monastery just then and walked towards the short-sighted
brothers.
“Oh, you've come to see the inscription,” he said. “So sorry. We
couldn't put it up yesterday evening. We are going to put it up
today.”
The short-sighted brothers realized their foolishness.
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5.The Fool of the King
Long ago there lived a king.
Writers, poets and musicians came from many places to see him.
The king liked to hear their stories, poems and music. But there was one
man whom the king liked be er than the others. His name was Mat.
He knew many tricks, sang funny songs and danced well. He could make
the king laugh and the people called Mat the Fool of The King.
There was one thing that the king did not like in Mat. He ate very much.
This li le man ate from morning ll night.
The king thought, "My poor Mat will die soon if he eats so much."
Then he called together all his ministers and servants and said, "Listen to
me. For one day you must not give Mat anything to eat.
Do not give him wine, nor fruit, nor meat. Do not give him even a piece
of bread! He must not sit at my table. He must not have anything to eat
the whole day."
"Oh, yes, my King, that's right. He is too fat," said one of the ministers.
So the next day there was no place for Mat at the king's table.
He went to the wall and stood there. He thought, "I shall wait. Soon the
servants will bring me food and drink."
But the servants did not bring him anything. He did not ask for food,
because he was afraid of the king.
"If a man makes the king angry, that man will die," he thought.
Poor Mat was very hungry. Then one of the servants dropped a li le
piece of bread.
Mat quickly picked it up. Now I have something to eat," he thought. 'I
shall eat it when the king is not looking at me."
When dinner was over, the poets read their poems, the musicians played
and began their beau ful dances.
"Now the king is watching the dancing" thought Mat, "I shall eat my
piece of bread." But the king was watching Mat all the me.
He asked the musicians to stop, called Mat to come to him and asked, "I
hear that you have a donkey. Where did you get It?"
"I bought it in Tripoli, my King!" answered Mat. "Oh, I see," said the king.
So the musicians were playing and dancing. Then Mat wanted to eat his
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piece of bread. But the king asked him to come nearer and said.
"How much did you pay for your donkey in Tripoli?"
Mat put the bread in his pocket quickly and answered. "Sixteen gold
coins, my King." The king went on like this all the a ernoon.
When Mat tried to eat his piece of bread, the king always asked him a
ques on. At last evening came. Mat could not stand. He was so hungry
and red.
When the feast was over,
Mat ran to the kitchen, but the kitchen was locked and Mat had only his
small piece of bread to eat.
He ate it up and went to his room. But he could not sleep. He was very
hungry.
Then he ran to the king's room. He knocked at the door. The king asked
angrily, "Who is knocking at my door so late?"
"Oh, my King," said Mat. "I am sorry, but I must tell you that I did not buy
my donkey in Tripoli, but in Benghazi."
The king thanked him and told him to go away.
A few minutes later Mat knocked at the door again. "Oh, my King, but I
told you a lie this a ernoon. I did not pay sixteen gold coins for the
donkey. I paid twenty gold coins for it."
"Oh, you fool," cried the angry king. "I shall cut o your head for your
silly tales about the donkey and give your body to the jackals!"
Mat listened to the king and smiled: "Oh, yes, I know that. But before I
die may I say my last wish? Only one wish!"
"What is your last wish?" asked the king.
"My last wish is to have a good supper."
The king understood everything. He laughed and told his servants to
bring the best food to his room. He sat down at the table with Mat.
They ate and laughed un l morning came. A er that Mat was never
without food. And he was always happy.