Name: ……………………………………
Class: ………………
Date: …………………….........................
Elements of a Story
12345-
Theme: the main message the reader can take away from the story
Plot: the sequence of related events in a story...its basic structure
Characters: the actors in the story...can be people, animals, etc.
Setting: the time and place of the story's actions
Conflict: the main problem or struggle in the story; it can be internal or external.
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Date: …………………….........................
Five Elements of a Story - Lyrics
"Five Things"
______________, that's like where it's going down,
Could be the train compartment, a castle or a town,
Could be the Arctic winter - like To Build a Fire,
The temperature's dropping, excitement is getting higher,
Setting sets the ______________ so the scene seems set,
Could be the Italian restaurant where we met,
Setting gives us the where and the when,
Could be modern day, the future, or way back when.
Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting. (x2)
______________ is the ______________, the quest for satisfaction,
What's going down, what's going to happen.
Four men at sea in an open boat,
Rowing and hoping that they can stay afloat. The plot:
They have to make it to the beach,
But the waves are big, and the shore seems out of reach,
Plot is a series of ______________... like Lemoney Snicket,
It could be crazy, wild or straight wicked.
Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting. (x2)
Knock knock, who's there? Oh, it's the ______________,
The people in the story who carry out the action.
Characters can be pretty, tiny or clean,
Characters can be silly, whiney or mean,
Juliet is a character, and so is Romeo,
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Date: …………………….........................
Pokemon has characters and so does Yu-gi-oh,
Characters could be dogs, lions, or hippos,
JK Rowling chose Harry Potter. "Why?" Who knows!
Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting. (x2)
Uh-uh! Put your snack back in your backpack we're not finished!
Something gone wrong! That's the ______________ kids,
A ______________ in the plot, now who's on top,
Could be a fight for money, like some robbers and cops,
Could be an ______________ conflict - a struggle inside,
Like I don't want to tell the truth but I don't ever want to lie,
Flick something in your eye, now you're conflicted,
What created ______________? The conflict did.
Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting. (x2)
The ______________ of the story is the ____________________,
The central belief or the topic that's in there,
It's usually something ______________ like sacrifice,
Isolation or resurrection: we're back to life,
Like don't lie, don't practice libel,
The theme of To Build a Fire is survival,
Survival on your own like Fievel Moskowitz,
Flocabulary's something that you HAVE TO GET...
Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting. (x2)
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Date: …………………….........................
Plot Mountain
1- Exposition: The exposition is the introduction to a story, including the primary characters'
names, setting, mood, and time.
2- Conflict: The conflict is the primary problem that drives the plot of the story, often a main
goal for the protagonist to achieve or overcome.
3- Rising Action: The rising action of the story is all of the events that lead to the eventual
climax, including character development and events that create suspense.
4- Climax: The climax is the most exciting point of the story, and is a turning point for the plot
or goals of the main character.
5- Falling Action: The falling action is everything that happens as a result of the climax,
including wrapping-up of plot points, questions being answered, and character
development.
6- Resolution: The resolution is not always happy, but it does complete the story. It can leave
a reader with questions, answers, frustration, or satisfaction.
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Date: …………………….........................
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Date: …………………….........................
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Date: …………………….........................
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Date: …………………….........................
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Date: …………………….........................
Seventh Grade
Word
Part of
Definition
Speech
Contemporary Adjective From the present time
Element
Noun
A needed or basic part of
something
Identify
Verb
To point out or recognize
something
Quiver
Verb
To shake with a slight, rapid
movement
Influence
Verb
The power of a person or
thing to affect others
Structure
Noun
Portly
Something made of parts
put together or the way
something is put together
Noun
A plantation of grapevines,
typically producing grapes
used in winemaking
Adjective Stout or overweight
Sign up
Verb
Join or register
Scowl
Verb
Make a frowning or
unhappy expression
Ferocity
Noun
Wildness or intensity
Weird
Adjective Strange
Vineyards
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Example
Date: …………………….........................
Linger
Verb
To be slow to leave a place
Stare at
Verb
Look closely with wide eyes
Catch her eye
Idiom
Attract her attention
Blush
Verb
Cheeks get red
Unison
Noun
Together at the same time
or together
Giggle
Verb
Laugh lightly and
repeatedly in a silly way
Look at
Verb
Look towards
Look for
Verb
Search for
Whisper
Verb
Speak in a low voice
Bloom
Verb
Produce flowers
Mumble
Verb
Say something quietly
Sheepishly
Adverb
In an embarrassed way
Awkward
Adjective Causing or feeling uneasy
embarrassment
Mow your
lawn
Idiom
Cut the grass in the yard
11
Date: …………………….........................
Directions: Answer the following questions:
1- What is the major conflict of the story?
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2- How do you make a good impression?
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Directions: read the following text and then match the underlined words with their definitions
His mother warned him not to take too long in the shower. “Don’t linger,” she said, “or
you will be late for your first day of school.”
Sure enough, a little while later he was running for the bus, legs and arms pumping
vigorously, from behind fences, the ferocity of barking dogs announced their desire to rip him
apart as he raced by. He leaped onto the bus. As he walked to his seat, he grinned sheepishly at
other students, ashamed to be making a spectacle of himself so early in the year. Even after he
sat down, his legs continued to quiver, trembling from the unexpected early-morning exercise.
Gradually, he recovered, only to feel nervous flutters again as the bus pulled into the school
parking lot.
The portly principal waited at the entrance to greet each bus. A large man, he presented
an impressive appearance to the new seventh graders. “Good morning, students,” he boomed.
“Good morning,” they all shouted back in unison. A new school year had begun.
_______________ 1. With a bashful or embarrassed look
_______________ 2. To shake with a slight, rapid movement
_______________ 3. Harmony or agreement, as with one voice
_______________ 4. To continue to stay, to delay leaving
_______________ 5. Extreme fierceness, intensity
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Date: …………………….........................
Replace the underlined definitions with words you’ve studied in Adapted Interactive Reader:
1.
2.
3.
4.
He said the wrong answer and sat in an embarrassed way. (……………………………)
I don’t want to be overweight. It is bad for my sick heart. (……………………………)
Don’t look for a long time me .I didn’t do anything wrong. (……………………………)
We laugh in a silly way because you are amused for a long time after we understand his
joke. (……………………………)
5. She became red in the face because you are embarrassed when he told her that he loved
her. (……………………………)
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Date: …………………….........................
A Sudden Slice of Summer
The snow began to fall early this year, in November, before Susannah even had a chance to bring her
puffed-up purple winter coat out of the closet. It did not stop. Cold white confetti came down on the
city of Montreal morning, noon, and night, and already Susannah was wondering when the party
would end. The other kids in her class loved the snow. They loved that sometimes, when the winds
picked up and the roads turned icy, school was cancelled.
They liked to build towering forts and snowmen, whose noses were the carrot sticks they found
packed in their lunchboxes.
Susannah despised the snow. More than that, she hated everything about wintertime. Her family had
taken a trip to Florida two winters ago, and she wished that they could live there all year round. She
had bobbed up and down in the ocean waves, sometimes floating on her back and other times, with
goggles on, searching for colored fish in the water. In the mornings, her mother had squeezed fresh
juice from the Florida-grown oranges that the hotel left in a basket at the front desk. With her
brother and sister, Susannah had constructed a magnificent castle on the beach, with a moat and a
long, looping flight of stairs. She liked feeling the sand between her fingers. It stuck together every bit
as well as snow did, and it didn't make your teeth chatter.
At the end of this week, Susannah's family was going to drive an hour north to the ski hill. They would
spend Saturday there, riding chairlifts to the top of a frosted mountain and following the slopes back
down. Susannah refused to go with them. She wanted nothing to do with that thick, white, powdery
stuff. It was bad enough that she had to trudge through it every day on her way to Sunnydale
Elementary. Arrangements had been made: Grandma was coming to the house to look after her. She
was determined to stay warm and dry. There were packets of hot cocoa in the pantry.
Susannah's parents finished packing up the car. Her siblings, who had been throwing snowballs into
the air and at each other, piled into the backseat. Soon the station wagon disappeared from view,
and Grandma settled into an armchair in front of the television. In a few quick minutes, she was
asleep. Susannah glanced outside and gave a sigh. Her hot chocolate was just about gone. She was
about to turn towards the sink to rinse her mug when out of the corner of her eye she caught
something green. Something green? In her blank, white backyard? She pressed her face up against
the kitchen window.
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Date: …………………….........................
There, in the corner of the yard closest to the sliding back door, the snow had melted away. In its
place, a small tree with low-hanging fruit was growing. Susannah immediately ran out to it.
Elsewhere, the snowy flakes continued to swirl, but not a single one landed on this bright patch of
ground, which was covered in sand. The sun beamed down on Susannah-so hard,
in fact, that she was hot! Sweating hot! Half-buried by her feet were a plastic shovel and pail. She
couldn't believe it. A small slice of the tropical holiday she had been missing had landed right behind
her house. She ran inside for her bathing suit.
For the next few hours, while Grandma lay dozing, Susannah sprawled out on her own little beach.
At first, she could not stop smiling. She giddily stretched out her limbs and moved them back and
forth, making a snow angel-no, a sand angel! She read a bit of a book. She picked a few oranges and
unpeeled them one by one. She dug holes and then filled them in again. After that, she didn't quite
know what to do. Apparently, the pleasures of the warm sand beach were a lot less fun when there
was no one around to share them with. Susannah would have woken her grandmother, but she
remembered that Grandma didn't much care for the sun. She had spent the family's entire Florida
vacation under both an umbrella and a huge-brimmed hat. Besides, the sunny space wasn't big
enough for two.
By late afternoon, Susannah wasn't feeling very well. Her mother hadn't been around to lather her
in suntan lotion and her skin had turned a very dark shade of pink. She had eaten so many sickly
sweet oranges that she now had a stomachache. She had gotten some sand in her eye and had to
blink furiously to get it out. The sun was strong and unrelenting. She glanced over to the other side
of the yard. She was reluctant to admit it, even to herself, but the snow looked sort of...refreshing.
She imagined racing her siblings to the bottom of that frosted mountain. Perhaps skiing with her
family wouldn't have been so terrible? She was flushed and bored, but most of all she missed
them.
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Date: …………………….........................
She trudged inside, showered the sweat and the sand off of her body and then joined her Grandma,
who had finally awoken, at the table. "My dear! However did you manage to get that awful
sunburn?" her grandmother wailed. Susannah just shrugged. She wasn't very hungry, but she
managed to pack in some forkfuls of spaghetti and three meatballs. Before bed, she crept over to
the backdoor and peered out. The sand, the tree, the bucket-all were gone. Susannah began to
think that she had imagined it. She wasn't that disappointed. Her brother and sister would be back
in the morning and she badly wanted to play with them.
Even if it meant being chilly.
The car pulled into the driveway. Susannah was up with a start, and she charged downstairs. She
welcomed both of her parents’ home with hugs and gave one to her grandmother, too, who was
preparing to leave. Then, as her mother began to ready breakfast, she pulled on her snowsuit and
joined her siblings in the back. They were sculpting animals-a caterpillar with snowy lumps for a body;
a fish with a three-dimensional fin-and they were surprised to see her there. She dropped to her
knees, without explanation, and began to work. Her hat was pulled low over her ears, her mittens
were lined with wool, and suddenly her sister's hand was over hers, helping to smooth out the fish's
curved tail. She could wait for summer. She was warm enough.
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Date: …………………….........................
1. What season does Susannah dislike at the beginning of the story?
A. spring
B. summer
C. fall
D. winter
2. Where do the main events of this story take place?
A. in Susannah's home and yard in Montreal
B. at Susannah's school in Montreal
C. in Florida on a vacation that Susannah's family takes
D. at a ski hill that Susannah's family visits
3. Susannah does not like being outside in the snow.
What evidence from the story supports this statement?
A. Susannah built a sandcastle on the beach in Florida.
B. Susannah refuses to go skiing with her family.
C. Susannah decides not to wake up her grandmother.
D. Susannah helps her sister make a fish out of snow.
4. Why does Susannah like spending the winter in Florida more than in Montreal?
A. Florida is colder than Montreal and gets more snow.
B. Florida is warmer than Montreal and gets less snow.
C. The orange juice in Florida is better than the hot chocolate in Montreal.
D. Susannah gets along better with her siblings in Florida than she does in Montreal.
5. What is this story mainly about?
A. a girl whose favorite time of year changes from winter to summer
B. a girl who has always loved winter because of the snow and ski trips she takes with her family
C. a girl who wants to move to Florida to get away from her family because she does not enjoy
playing with her siblings
D. a girl who realizes that being with her siblings in the cold snow is better than being alone in warm
weather
17
Date: …………………….........................
6. Read the following sentences: "The snow began to fall early this year, in November,
before Susannah even had a chance to bring her puffed-up purple winter coat out of the
closet. It did not stop. Cold white confetti came down on the city of Montreal morning,
noon, and night. . . ."
What does the phrase cold white confetti refer to?
A. paper that Susannah is tearing into pieces
B. the stuffing inside Susannah's winter coat
C. the city of Montreal
D. the falling snow
7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.
One corner of Susannah's yard is green and hot
the rest of the yard is covered
in snow.
A. also
B. because
C. although
D. therefore
8. Describe how Susannah feels about winter and snow by the end of the story.
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9. In the story it says Susannah realized that the pleasures of the warm sand beach were a lot
less fun when there was no one around to share them with.
Explain the reasons why Susannah loved her vacation in Florida so much.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Date: …………………….........................
10. Read the following sentences about Susannah from the end of the story:
"Her hat was pulled low over her ears, her mittens were lined with wool, and suddenly her
sister's hand was over hers, helping to smooth out the fish's curved tail. She could wait for
summer. She was warm enough."
Explain why Susannah would feel "warm enough" even though she was still playing in the cold
snow.
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Identify the type of conflict in the story; and cite evidence for your answer.
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Identify the climax of the plot; and cite evidence for your answer.
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19
Date: …………………….........................
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Date: …………………….........................
The Last Dog
Word
Dome
Part of
Definition
Speech
Noun
A round roof with a
circular base
Deviant
Adj.
Blink
verb
Curious
Example
Derivatives
Different from what
people consider to be
normal and
acceptable
Shut and open your
eyes quickly
Deviance
(n)
Adj.
To have a strong
desire to know about
something
Curiosity (n)
Ruin
Verb
To damage sth. so
badly
In ruins
(phrase)
Lonely
Adj.
Loneliness
Brook
Noun
Unhappy because
you have no friends
or people to talk to
A small river
Pellet
Noun
A small hard ball of
any substance
Inspection Noun
Looking closely at
something to check
or examine it
21
Inspect (v)
Date: …………………….........................
Heal
Verb
To become healthy
again
Healing (n)/
healer
(person)
Clone
Verb
Produce an exact
copy of an animal or
plant from its cells
A clone (n)
Phrasal verb
Check in ≠ check out
Meaning
To inform that you have arrived/ are leaving
You should check in at the reception desk.
Pull off
To succeed in doing sth. difficult
We pulled off the deal.
Watch over sth./sb.
To take care/look after
Will you watch over my dog when I am away?
Click through (to sth.)
To visit a website by clicking on a link.
Idiom
Meaning
Full of the joys of spring
Very cheerful
In the blink of an eye
Very fast
22
Date: …………………….........................
Directions: Replace the following definitions with their words and then use them in a
sentence properly
1- Different from what people consider to be normal and acceptable
Word:
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2- A small hard ball of any substance
Word: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3- Produce an exact copy of an animal or plant from its cells
Word: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4- To visit a website by clicking on a link
Word: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5- To have a strong desire to know about something
Word: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Replace the underlined definitions with words you’ve studied in Adapted Interactive
Reader:
1. You looked so tired; you sometimes open and shut your eyes quickly.
(……………………………)
2. Yesterday I bought some food small hard ball of any substance for my dog.
(……………………………)
3. I could hear the sound of babbling small river. (……………………………)
4. Scientists have already produced an exact copy of an animal a sheep.
(……………………………)
5. We need a closer looking closely at something to check it to solve this problem in our
factory. (……………………………)
23
Date: …………………….........................
DIRECTIONS Read this selection and answer the questions that follow.
Papa’sParrot
1 Though his father was fat and merely owned a candy and nut shop, Henry
Tillian liked his papa. Harry stopped liking candy and nuts when he was
around seven, but, in spite of this, he and Mr. Tillian had remained friends and
were still friends in the year Harry turned twelve.
2 For years, after school, Harry had always stopped in to see his father at work.
Many of Harry’s friends stopped there, too, to spend a few cents choosing
penny candy from the giant bins or to sample Mr. Tillian’s latest batch of roasted
peanuts. Mr. Tillian looked forward to seeing his son and his son’s friends every
day. He liked the company.
3 When Harry entered junior high school, though, he didn’t come by the candy
and nut shop as often. Nor did his friends. They were older and they had more
spending money. They went to a burger place. They played video games. They
shopped for records. None of them were much interested in candy and nuts
anymore.
4 A new group of children came to Mr. Tillian’s shop now. But not Harry Tillian
and his friends.
5 The year Harry turned twelve was also the year Mr. Tillian got a parrot. He went
to a pet store one day and bought one for more money than he could really afford.
He brought the parrot to his shop, set its cage near a sign for maple clusters and
named it Rocky.
6 Harry thought this was the strangest thing his father had ever done, and he told
him so, but Mr. Tillian just ignored him.
7 Rocky was good company for Mr. Tillian. When business was slow, Mr. Tillian
would turn on a small color television he had sitting in a corner, and he and Rocky
would watch the soap operas. Rocky liked to scream when the romantic music
came on, and Mr. Tillian would yell at him to shut up, but they seemed to enjoy
themselves.
8
The more Mr. Tillian grew to like his parrot, and the more he talked to it
instead of to people, the more embarrassed Harry became. Harry would stroll past
the shop, on his way somewhere else, and he’d take a quick look inside to see what
his dad was doing. Mr. Tillian was always talking to the bird. So Harry kept walking.
9 At home things were different. Harry and his father joked with each other at
the dinner table as they always had—Mr. Tillian teasing Harry about his smelly
socks; Harry teasing Mr. Tillian about his blubbery stomach. At home things
24
Date: …………………….........................
seemed all right.
10
But one day, Mr. Tillian became ill. He had been at work, unpacking boxes of
caramels, when he had grabbed his chest and fallen over on top of the candy. A
customer had found him, and he was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
11
Mr. Tillian couldn’t leave the hospital. He lay in bed, tubes in his arms, and he
worried about his shop. New shipments of candy and nuts would be arriving. Rocky
would be hungry. Who would take care of things?
12
Harry said he would. Harry told his father that he would go to the store every
day after school and unpack boxes. He would sort out all the candy and nuts. He
would even feed Rocky.
13
So, the next morning, while Mr. Tillian lay in his hospital bed, Harry took the
shop key to school with him. After school he left his friends and walked to the
empty shop alone. In all the days of his life, Harry had never seen the shop closed
after school. Harry didn’t even remember what the CLOSED sign looked like. The
key stuck in the lock three times, and inside he had to search all the walls for the
light switch.
14
The shop was as his father had left it. Even the caramels were still spilled on the
floor. Harry bent down and picked them up one by one, dropping them back in the
boxes. The bird in its cage watched him silently.
15
Harry opened the new boxes his father hadn’t gotten to. Peppermints.
Jawbreakers. Toffee creams. Strawberry kisses. Harry traveled from bin to bin,
putting the candies where they belonged.
16 “Hello!”
17 Harry jumped, spilled a box of jawbreakers.
18 “Hello, Rocky!”
19
Harry stared at the parrot. He had forgotten it was there. The bird had been so
quiet, and Harry had been thinking only of the candy.
20 “Hello,” Harry said.
21 “Hello, Rocky!” answered the parrot.
22
Harry walked slowly over to the cage. The parrot’s food cup was empty. It’s
water was dirty. The bottom of the cage was a mess.
23 Harry carried the cage into the back room.
24 “Hello, Rocky!”
25
“Is that all you can say, you dumb bird?” Harry mumbled. The bird said
nothing else.
26
Harry cleaned the bottom of the cage, refilled the
food and water cups, then put the cage back in its place
and resumed sorting the candy.
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Date: …………………….........................
27 “Where’s Harry?”
28 Harry looked up.
29 “Where’s Harry?”
30 Harry stared at the parrot.
31 “Where’s Harry?”
32
Chills ran down Harry’s back. What could the bird
mean? It was like something from The Twilight Zone.
33 “Where’s Harry?”
34 Harry swallowed and said, “I’m here. I’m here, you stupid bird.”
35 “You stupid bird!” said the parrot.
36 Well, at least he’s got one thing straight, thought Harry.
37 “Miss him! Miss him! Where’s Harry? You stupid bird!”
38 Harry stood with a handful of peppermints.
39 “What?” he asked.
40 “Where’s Harry?” said the parrot.
41
“I’m here, you stupid bird! I’m here!” Harry yelled.
He threw the peppermints at the cage, and the bird
screamed and clung to its perch.
42 Harry sobbed, “I’m here.” The tears were coming.
43 Harry leaned over the glass counter.
44 “Papa.” Harry buried his face in his arms.
45 “Where’s Harry?” repeated the bird.
46
Harry signed and wiped his face on his sleeve. He
watched the parrot. He understood now: someone had
been saying, for a long time, “Where’s Harry? Miss him.”
47
Harry finished his unpacking, then swept the floor
of the shop. He checked the furnace so the bird wouldn’t
get cold. Then he left to go visit his papa.
26
Date: …………………….........................
Directions: Answer the following questions:
1. Most of the story takes place at the —
A. Tillian home C. hospital
B. candy shop D. pet store
C.
2. When does the conflict in the story begin?
A. Harry’s father buys a parrot.
B. Rocky screams at the television.
C. Harry turns twelve years old.
D. Rocky says, “Where’s Harry?”
3. The author probably starts the story when Harry is seven to show that —
A. Harry liked visiting his father at the shop for many years
B. Mr. Tillian became less talkative at that time
C. Harry’s friends did not like the shop
D. Rocky changed Harry’s feelings about the shop
4. Mr. Tillian’s conflict is that —
A. his parrot argues with him
B. he does not like birds
C. his store is losing money
D. he misses his son’s company
5. When does Mr. Tillian buy the parrot?
A. When Harry and his school friends visit the nut shop
B. When he first buys the candy and nut shop
C. After he gets sick and has to go to the hospital
D. After Harry stops visiting the shop every day
6. Harry’s conflict is caused by his —
A. embarrassment about his father
B. dislike of candy
C. unhappiness with his friends
D. desire to work after school
27
Date: …………………….........................
7. The climax of the story occurs when —
A. Harry and his friends stop visiting the store
B. Mr. Tillian buys a parrot to keep himself company
C. the parrot watches television with Mr. Tillian
D. Harry realizes that his father has been lonely
SHORT RESPONSE
Write two or three sentences to answer each question.
8. Why are Harry’s friends less interested in the shop after they turn
twelve?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9. Why can Harry and his father joke together at home but not at the
store?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Write a paragraph to answer this question.
10. Discuss how the parrot brings about the climax of the story. What does
Harry learn about his father when he takes care of the shop and Rocky?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------28
Date: …………………….........................
29
Date: …………………….........................
A Wall of Remembrance
Word
Part of
Definition
speech
Communism Noun
A system characterized by the
absence of social classes and by
common owner ship of production
means
Excerpt
Noun
A passage selected from a book.
Veterans
Noun
A person who has been a solider,
sailor, etc. in a war.
Example
Directions: Replace the following definitions with their words and then use them in a
sentence properly
1- A passage selected from a book.
Word: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Sentence:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………........................................................................
2- A system characterized by the absence of social classes and by common owner ship of
production means
Word: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Sentence:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………........................................................................
3- A person who has been a solider, sailor, etc. in a war.
Word: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sentence:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………........................................................................
30
Date: …………………….........................
Worst Game Ever?
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the text to check
your answers when appropriate.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a video game that came out for the Atari 2600 game system in 1982. It was
based on a very popular film of the same name. It cost over 125 million dollars to make. Star
programmer Howard Scott Warshaw created it with consultation from Steven Spielberg. And it is
widely considered to be one of the worst video games ever created. The massive failure of E.T. and its
effects on Atari is an often-mentioned reason for the video game industry crash of 1983.
It was July 27th, 1982. Howard Scott Warshaw was hot off the success of his most recent game, Raiders
of the Lost Ark. He received a call from Atari C.E.O. Ray Kassar. Atari had bought the rights to make a
video game version of Spielberg's movie, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which had just been released in
June. Kassar told Warshaw that Spielberg had specifically asked for Warshaw to make the game.
Warshaw was honored, but there was one huge problem. Atari needed the game finished by September
1st in order to start selling it during the Christmas season.
It had taken Warshaw six months to create Raiders of the Lost Ark. The game he made prior to that took
him seven months. He was expected to create E.T. in around five weeks. Warshaw just did not have
enough time to program the game properly, but he accepted the challenge anyway and production
began. Spielberg wanted Warshaw to create a simple maze game, similar to Pac-Man, but Warshaw had
a bigger vision. He wanted players to explore different environments in a 3D world. Warshaw followed
his vision.
Atari anticipated that the game would be a huge success. Usually companies like Atari have people test
games before releasing them. If there is something that testers really dislike, programmers can fix it
before the public gets a chance to play. Atari decided to skip testing due to time limitations. They
wanted the game released during the holiday season. It was: E.T. was released in December of 1982.
The game sold very well at first. It was a hot holiday item. Unfortunately, Atari overestimated how
many they would sell. They made 5 million copies and they only sold 1.5 million. Most people who
played the game hated it. The graphics were bad. Game play was awkward. Players got stuck in holes
that they couldn't escape. A short time limit made the game difficult to explore and frustrating to play.
Some people who stuck with the game grew to like it, but it wasn't the mainstream success that Atari
had hoped it would be.
Too many copies of the game sat on store shelves. One employee remembers the game being
discounted five times, from $49.95 to less than a dollar. Many people returned the game. Atari was left
with millions of unsold copies. In September of 1983, a newspaper in New Mexico reported that
between 10 and 20 semitrailer truckloads of Atari products were crushed and buried at a landfill in
Alamogordo. Perhaps a million or more copies of E.T. were buried in the desert. When word got out,
the drop site had to be covered with cement to prevent scavenging.
Atari lost over $100 million on E.T. The game was so bad that it was said to have affected Atari's
reputation. The video game industry soon fell into a deep depression. In 1983 the industry made $3.2
billion. By 1985 profit fell to just over $100 million. This was almost a 97% drop. Many critics believe
that Atari's blunder on E.T. was one of the causes leading to this depression. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
will long be remembered as one of the worst video games ever made, if not one of the causes of the
decline of the entire video game industry.
1. Which of the following is not a reason for the failure of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial?
31
Date: …………………….........................
a. The programmer was not given enough time to finish the game properly.
b. Atari did not test the game before its release.
c. Atari made too many copies of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
d. The game was released on a new system that only a small number of people owned.
2. Which of the following were effects of the failure of E.T the Extra-Terrestrial?
a. Perhaps a million or more copies of the game were buried in the desert.
b. Atari lost over $100 million.
c. The video game industry sunk into a deep depression.
d. All of the above
3. Which of the following was not listed as a reason why E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was considered one of the
worst games ever?
a. The soundtrack was annoying.
b. The graphics were bad.
c. A short time limit made the game frustrating.
d. Players would get stuck in holes.
4. Which of the following events happened first?
a. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial video game was released to the public.
b. The entire video game industry sank into a deep decline.
c. Steven Spielberg suggested that the E.T. video game should be like Pac-Man.
d. Atari buried millions of cartridges and game consoles in the New Mexico desert.
5. Who programmed E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial?
a. Steven Spielberg
c. Howard Scott Warshaw
b. Ray Kassar
d. Elliot Thomas
6. Why did Atari decide to skip testing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial?
a. Testing was too expensive.
b. Spielberg would not allow testing.
c. They were in a hurry to release the game for the holiday season.
d. Testing video games was not common until after E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was released.
7. When was the game E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial released?
a. June 1982
b. September 1982
c. December 1982
d. September 1983
8. According to the text, which group of people would like playing E.T.?
a. People who really enjoyed watching the movie
b. People who liked playing fast, fun games
c. People who stuck with the game despite its flaws
d. People who enjoyed playing Raiders of the Lost Ark
9. Which of the following statements is true?
a. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was one of the worst selling games of all time.
b. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial sold a lot fewer copies than Atari was hoping it would.
c. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was one of the best selling video games of all time despite its flaws.
d. Every copy of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ever sold was eventually returned.
10. Which is not a reason cited in the article why E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial should have been successful?
a. It was based on an extremely popular movie.
b. The gameplay was smooth and enjoyable.
c. Atari spent over $125 million on its production.
d. Howard Scott Warshaw programmed the game.
32
Date: …………………….........................
33
Date: …………………….........................
The Scholarship Jacket
Word
Scholarship
Award
Part
Definition
of
Spee
ch
n.
An amount of money,
study, or gift from an
organization to the top
students for their efforts
n.
A gift for someone for their
excellent effort
Argue
v.
to give reasons for or
against something
Resign
v.
To stop working for a place
Grab
v.
to take by a sudden
motion
Cruel
Adj.
causing pain or suffering to
others
Clear his
throat
Idiom to make a noise in the
throat for attention or to
be able to speak more
clearly
v.
to rely on someone for
support
Lean on
Hoe
n.
Bitter
Adj.
a tool with a thin flat
blade on a long handle
used especially for
cultivating and in planting
Bad and painful taste
34
Sentence
Date: …………………….........................
Directions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences:
1- What is the point of view in the story? Cite evidence for you answer and identify the
reason behind its usage.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2- What stood in Martha’s way of her dreams?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3- Make inference, could Martha’s grandpa afford the fifteen dollar? Explain.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4- Identify the type of conflict in the story; and cite evidence for your answer.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
35
Date: …………………….........................
Directions: Read the following text and match the underlined words with their definitions
The girl was neither agile nor quick enough to catch the test tube as it crashed to the
ground. She watched with dismay as the results of her hard work spilled on the floor. Upset,
she thought or a moment about how much easier it would be to just invent the
measurements she needed to complete the experiment. In her heart, however, she knew
that she could never falsify a lab report. It would be better to take a lower grade than
compromise her integrity.
She tried not to despair. Instead of giving up hope, she began the process over again.
She mixed the vile and unpleasant chemicals as speedily as possible. Just then, she heard
voices in the hall. She did not mean to eavesdrop, but two science teachers were talking
loudly. “I cannot believe the chemicals for the ninth-grader’ final lab experiments are
impure,” one said. “The students will be disappointed to learn they must start over,” said
the other. The girl was speechless but returned to her work.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Distress caused by trouble or something unexpected
To listen secretly to a private conversation
Quick and light in movement
To lose hope
To make false by adding to or changing
Distinguishing; unpleasant
36
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
Date: …………………….........................
Directions: Read the following selections. Then answer the questions that
follow:
Banner in the Sky
There was the sky. There was rock and ice. There was a mountain thrusting upward into blue
emptiness-and at the foot of the mountain a tiny speck. This speck was the only thing that
lived or moved in all that world of silent majesty.
Rudi climbed the white slope of the upper glacier. He did not hurry. He looked neither up at
the peak nor down at the valley, but only at the ice flowing slowly past beneath his feet. In
the ice were the marks of their boot nails from the previous day, and it was easy to follow
the route. When the slope steepened, there were the steps cut by winter and Saxo with
their axes.
He had only to step up, balance briefly, step up again-and again.
With the step-cutting, it had required two hours to reach the bergschrund. Today it took him
perhaps a third of that time. Coming out on the rim of the great crevasse, he approached
the snow-bridge, tested it, and crossed without mishap. Then, still following the trail of the
day before, he threaded his way through the steep maze of the icefall.
The seracs rose around him in frozen stillness. And Rudi's mind seemed frozen too. What he
was doing was not a result of conscious choice or decision; it was simply what he had to do.
He had not lost his senses. He knew that alone, and without food or a tent, there was no
chance on earth of his reaching the top of the Citadel. And it was not hope for the top that
pushed him on. It was simply-well, he wasn't sure-perhaps simply the hope to set foot on
the mountain. Or more than the hope. The need. The need of his body, his mind, his heart,
to come at last to the place of which he had dreamed so long; to stand on the southeast
ridge; to follow where his father had led; to climb, perhaps, even as high as the Fortress,
which was as high as any man had gone. That was what he wanted; what he had to have.
That much. Before it all ended. Before descending to the village; to his uncle's anger, his
mother's tears, Klaus Wesselhoft's laughter; to the soap and mops and dishpans of the Beau
Site Hotel.
He climbed on. The seracs slid past like tall hooded ghosts. And then they dropped away
behind him and he came out at the base of the snowslope. Above him he could see a trail of
zigzagging footprints, extending perhaps halfway to the ridge and disappearing into smooth
drifts where the avalanche had erased them. The drifts were huge, billowing, dazzling in the
sunlight; but he knew that they had frozen overnight and that the sun was not yet strong
enough to dislodge them. He shuffled his boots in the snow, and it was firm and dry. As
Winter had said, the slope was safe in the morning.
37
Date: …………………….........................
Even so, he was cautious as he climbed upward, testing every step before trusting his weight
to it. And when he came to the avalanche area he detoured to the left and kept as close as
possible to the bordering rock-wall, so that he would have something to cling to, just in case
.... But nothing happened. The snow stayed as motionless as the rock. In all that spreading
wilderness there was no movement except that of his own two legs plodding slowly on
through the· drifts.
And then-he stopped-then there was a movement. He felt it rather than saw it: the merest
flicker or shadow, not on the slope, but on the cliff high above. He tensed, peering upward
.... A stone fall? ... No. There was no sound. And then again there was the flicker: a moving
speck of reddish brown against the tall grayness of the rock. Suddenly it leapt into focus. It
was a chamois. For an instant it stood outlined on a crag, motionless, staring down at him;
and Rudi, motionless too, stared back. Then the animal moved again-wheeled-vanished. It
was as if the cl if had opened and swale lowed it. And the stillness closed in again, even
more absolute than before.
Rudi moved on. Through the stillness. Up the white slope. Kick-step, he went. Kick-step.
Kick-step. And though the going through the deep drifts was slow, it was neither steep nor
slippery, and his progress was steady. He looked back-and the icefall was far below; aheadand the ridge loomed nearer. ... Nearer. ... And then at last the great moment came, and the
slope was beneath him. There was no longer snow under his feet, but solid rock. He took a
step up-a second-a third ... and stood on the southeast ridge of the Citadel.
Directions: Answer the following questions about the excerpt from Banner in
the Sky:
1. The setting is a ……………………………..
A. cave
B. desert
C. river
D. mountain
2. Based on lines 1-4, you can make the inference that the speck is a ……………………………
A. rock
C. chamois
B. person
D. snow drift
3. Which of the following words in the 3rd paragraph is a sequence clue?
A. required
B. Coming
38
Date: …………………….........................
C. without
D. Then
4. Rudi's conflict described in the 4th paragraph is …………………………
A. rising
C. external
B. internal
D. falling
5. Based on the last 3 lines in the 4th paragraph, you can make the inference that Rudi works
as a …………………………..
A. repairman
C. bellhop
B. hiking guide
D. cleaner
6. When Rudi reaches the Citadel, it is the story's ………………………….
A. falling action
C. exposition
B. conflict
D. climax
SHORT RESPONSE
Directions: Write two or three sentences to answer the question:
Identify the setting of the text and provide two details from the text to support your answer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
39
Date: …………………….........................
EXTENDED RESPONSE
Directions: Answer the following question. In a paragraph form:
Identify the plot mountain stages in the story while providing an example of each plot stage
from the text.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40
Date: …………………….........................
41
Date: …………………….........................
Eleanor Roosevelt
Word
Part of
Speech
Definition
Example
Stroke
Verb
Gentle touch
Cripple
Verb
Refugees
Noun
To damage someone's body
so that they are no longer
able to walk or move
normally
People who have been
forced to leave their country
Devote
Verb
To give most of your time,
energy, attention… etc to
someone or something
Lodge
Noun
A small house in the country
where people stay when
they want to take some
types of outdoor sports
Withdrawn
Adjectiv Not wanting to talk to other
e
people, extremely quiet and
shy
Think for
oneself
Phrasal
verb
To form your own opinion
and make decisions without
depending on others
Grow up
into
Phrasal
verb
Gradually develop into a
particular type of person
over a period of time
42
Date: …………………….........................
Directions: Replace the following definitions with their words and then use them in a
sentence properly
1- To give most of your time, energy, attention… etc to someone or something
Word: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Sentence:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………........................................................................
2- Gentle touch
Word: …………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Sentence:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………….......................................................................
3- Not wanting to talk to other people, extremely quiet and shy
Word: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sentence:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………........................................................................
4- A small house in the country where people stay when they want to take some types of
outdoor sports
Word: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Sentence:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………........................................................................
5- To form your own opinion and make decisions without depending on others
Word: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Sentence:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………........................................................................
6- Gradually develop into a particular type of person over a period of time
Word: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Sentence:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………..................................................................
43
Date: …………………….........................
Black Friday
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer
to the text to check your answers when appropriate.
The day after Thanksgiving is the start of
the holiday shopping season. Thanksgiving
is always on a Thursday, so the day after is a
Friday. This day has come to be known as
Black Friday. It has been the busiest
shopping day of the year since 2005.
Most stores offer great deals on Black
Friday. They open their doors in the wee
hours of the morning. They try to attract
shoppers with big discounts. Some items
like TVs are much cheaper than usual.
Stores may even lose money on these items.
They hope that shoppers will buy gifts for
other people while they are in the store.
Black Friday is a great time to get good
deals. The problem is that there are not
enough low-priced items to go around. Each
store may only have a few. These items are
in high demand. People stand in long lines
to get such great deals. They may line up
hours before a store opens. They may be
hoping to get a low price on a TV or laptop,
but not everyone who wants one will get
one. Some people leave disappointed.
So where does the name "Black Friday"
come from? It was first used in Philadelphia
in the 1950s. The police called this day
Black Friday because of the heavy traffic it
drew. In the 1960s, stores tried to rename
the day "Big Friday." It did not stick. The
name "Black Friday" continued to spread
across the country. It seems that it is here to
stay.
Now people all over the country take part in
the event known as Black Friday. It is even
The situation can be tense. Some Black
spreading to other parts of the world. Stores
Friday events have been violent. Large,
have held Black Friday events in the U.K.,
eager crowds have trampled workers.
Australia, and Brazil since 2012. In Costa
Fights have broken out over toys or people
cutting in line. People have shot one another Rica Black Friday is known as "Viernes
Negro." And in Mexico, stores offer an
over parking spots. But most Black Friday
annual weekend of discounts. They call it
events are safe and fun. Still, if you plan on
"El Buen Fin," which means "the good
going, expect large crowds and a bit of
weekend" in Spanish. I guess the language
shoving.
of savings is universal.
44
Date: …………………….........................
1. According to the text, why do stores set prices so low on some items that they lose money?
a. They want people to enjoy the holidays.
b. They hope people will buy other gifts while they are in the store.
c. They are in a giving mood because the holiday season is just beginning.
d. They are trying to get rid of old items from last year to make room for new items.
2. Which is not true about Black Friday?
a. Black Friday is always the day after Thanksgiving.
b. Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year.
c. Black Friday is a national holiday.
d. Black Friday is the start of the holiday shopping season.
3. Where does the name Black Friday come from?
a. The police called this day Black Friday because there is a lot of traffic.
b. The stores called this day Black Friday because it is a serious shopping day.
c. The police called this day Black Friday to remember the victims of violence.
d. The stores called this day Black Friday because they make a lot of money.
4. Which best explains the main idea of the third paragraph?
a. People stand in long lines on Black Friday.
b. Black Friday is the best time of the year to get good deals.
c. Black Friday is a really disappointing time of the year.
d. Black Friday deals are limited and not everyone will get one.
5. Which country does not participate in Black Friday?
a. France
b. Costa Rica
c. Brazil
d. United Kingdom
6. Which happened first?
a. Stores tried to rename the day after Thanksgiving "Big Friday."
b. Black Friday events began happening in Australia.
c. Police began calling the day after Thanksgiving "Black Friday."
d. Black Friday became the busiest shopping day of the year.
7. Which title best expresses the author's purpose in writing this text?
a. Black Friday: Stories from the Parking Lot
b. Black Friday: Why You Should Go This Year
c. Black Friday: The Stuff That You Should Know
d. Black Friday: How to Save Money on the Big Day
8. Which best describes the overall structure of the fifth paragraph?
a. chronological order
b. problem and solution
c. compare and contrast
d. order of importance
45
Date: …………………….........................
9. Which was not cited as one of the downsides of Black Friday?
a. Stores run out of high demand items quickly.
b. Nobody really saves any money on Black Friday.
c. There are large crowds and lots of shoving.
d. Sometimes violence occurs at Black Friday events.
10. Which best explains why Costa Ricans call Black Friday "Viernes Negro"?
a. Costa Rican stores don't want the shopping day associated with American violence.
b. Viernes Negro sounds more exotic and exciting than Black Friday.
c. Costa Ricans want to establish their own shopping tradition.
d. This is how you say "Black Friday" in Spanish, the language of Costa Rica.
Long Response Questions
How do stores try to lure shoppers during Black Friday events? Use the text to support your
response.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Why is Black Friday a frustrating experience for some people? Refer to the text in your answer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------46
Date: …………………….........................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Why is violence more likely to occur in a store on Black Friday? Use evidence from the text to
support your response.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
47
Date: …………………….........................
48
Date: …………………….........................
General Revision
Directions: Read the following text and then respond to the question below:
Fanhood
Sam Martinez knew baseball. He couldn’t count the number of Los Angeles Dodgers games
he had been to: his Uncle Gabriel had season tickets and had been taking Sam to games ever
since he was three years old. When spring turned into baseball season, he got so excited
that his parents practically had to bolt him to his desk after school so that he would do his
homework before the night games. His little sisters knew that if they bothered him when he
was either watching or listening to the game, they would get yelled at. Even Sam’s friends
tended to steer clear and tread softly when baseball season began.
Sam couldn’t help it: he was obsessed. The smell of freshly cut grass, the feel of the hard and
perfectly aerodynamic ball, the ping of the bat as it made contact, the crunch of peanut
shells as you made your way down the aisles to the seats, the groans and shouts of the
crowd—what could be better than all of this?
Sam had turned his bedroom into a Dodgers shrine, complete with pennants, framed
newspaper articles, glass-encased fly balls, and a few autographed headshots. He didn’t like
other people to come into his room, though—sometimes he was worried it was a bit too
much. He had once made the mistake of bringing a friend to a Dodgers game when Uncle
Gabriel couldn’t go, and it had been a disaster. Jordan had wanted to talk the entire time
and barely paid attention to the game. He had then gotten annoyed at Sam for not wanting
to talk: it was awful. Sam had felt too embarrassed to take notes and jot down the stats for
the game, which had really messed up the seasonal scorecard he and Uncle Gabriel usually
kept.
The first game of this year’s season found the Dodgers pitted against the Chicago Cubs,
those eternal underdogs. Sam and Uncle Gabriel handed their tickets to the collector and
made their way to the section they had sat in for the last ten years.
“Think Puig will be as awesome as he was last year, Uncle G?” Sam asked, pulling his blue
baseball hat down over his eyes to guard against the sun.
Uncle Gabriel, his pinstriped Dodgers jersey stretched across his heavyset belly, stepped
gingerly aside as a family of six rushed past holding containers of popcorn and cotton candy.
“Puig is the gift that keeps on giving,” he said, looking back at Sam. “Don’t worry—he’ll make
us proud.”
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They finally reached their section and headed to their seats. Uncle Gabriel took small steps
down the row, shouting out greetings as they passed by old friends and fellow season-ticket
holders. These guys had been sitting in the same row and section for years together and
shared Sam and Uncle Gabriel’s passion for the game.
Sam plopped down and took a sip from his Coke, taking in the scene of the half-full stadium
in front of him, the brown mountains beyond, and the beautiful bright lights that made
Dodger Stadium visible from airplanes. Uncle Gabriel leaned forward to talk to Mr. and Mrs.
Salvatore, and Sam closed his eyes and smiled. He felt like he was home.
“Ehem… Pardon me… Excuse me… Sorry… Just need to get in here.”
Sam looked up. Jessica Alder, from Sam’s eighth grade math class, was leading her dad down
the row of seats, looking glum. She sat right next to Sam and made a production of setting
her purse down on her feet so that it didn’t touch the ground.
“Hi Jessica,” Sam said.
She looked up in fake surprise. “Oh hi, Sam. How are you?”
“Pretty good. I didn’t know you liked baseball,” he said.
She twitched her head toward her dad, who was looking around at the stadium with the
same rapturous expression that had been on Sam’s face just a few moments before. “He
loves it. He just bought season tickets, and my brother couldn’t go tonight, so my mom
decided we needed some father-daughter time.” She rolled her eyes. “I don’t even
understand how baseball works.”
Sam smiled. “Want me to teach you?”
Jessica smiled back and nodded.
It was the first time Sam barely paid attention to a baseball game without being overly
upset. He liked talking to Jessica: despite her initial negativity, she actually seemed to get
into the game and had even heckled a player or two by the top of the seventh. She didn’t
laugh at Uncle Gabriel, who was watching with extreme concentration, a small pencil
pressed to a pad of notebook paper filled with numbers and notes about the individual
players. During the seventh-inning stretch, she sang the baseball fan’s pledge of allegiance
with gusto, and let her dad hug her when the Dodgers won. Sam couldn’t help wondering if
maybe, at some game in the future, he himself would hug her if the Dodgers won.
“Maybe I’ll come to the next game with my dad,” Jessica said, as she, Sam, her dad, and
Uncle Gabriel made their way down the stairs, following the slow-moving crowds to the
parking lots.
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“That’d be cool,” Sam said. “See you in school.” He waved briefly and followed Uncle Gabriel
to their car in the first lot.
Sam was quiet as they got into the car and waited in a long line of traffic to exit the stadium.
“Good game, huh?” Uncle Gabriel asked, looking at him out of the corner of his eye.
Sam felt conflicted: he had really liked watching the game with Jessica, but he had barely
paid attention to the action itself. He didn’t regret talking with Jessica, but he definitely
regretted missing the game. “Yeah, I guess so,” he said.
Uncle Gabriel laughed. “Will that young lady be at many games this season?”
“Probably,” Sam said, feeling sick—how many games would he miss?
“Don’t worry about it, Sammy!” Uncle Gabriel said. “Baseball games should be fun in all
sorts of different ways. Don’t be too hard on yourself.” He chuckled and patted Sam’s
shoulder. “You can always stay home and watch on TV!”
Sam punched his shoulder and grinned.
Directions: Choose the correct answer:
1. With whom does Sam go to baseball games?
a- his dad
b- his little sisters
c- his mom
d-his uncle
2. How does Jessica's attitude toward baseball change in the story?
a- Jessica likes baseball a little bit at the beginning of the story and loves it by the end.
b- Jessica slightly dislikes baseball at the beginning of the story and hates it by the end.
c- Jessica is interested in baseball at first but loses her interest later on.
d-Jessica is not interested in baseball at first but then becomes interested.
3. Read these sentences from the text.
Sam had turned his bedroom into a Dodgers shrine, complete with pennants, framed
newspaper articles, glass-encased fly balls, and a few autographed headshots. He didn’t like
other people to come into his room, though—sometimes he was worried it was a bit too
much. He had once made the mistake of bringing a friend to a Dodgers game when Uncle
Gabriel couldn’t go, and it had been a disaster. Jordan had wanted to talk the entire time
and barely paid attention to the game. He had then gotten annoyed at Sam for not wanting
to talk: it was awful. Sam had felt too embarrassed to take notes and jot down the stats for
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the game, which had really messed up the seasonal scorecard he and Uncle Gabriel usually
kept.
Based on this evidence, why might Sam not have wanted to talk during the game?
a- He wanted to give his full attention to the game.
b- He missed his uncle.
c- He did not like Jordan.
d- He was upset that the Dodgers were losing.
4. Read these sentences from the text.
It was the first time Sam barely paid attention to a baseball game without being overly
upset. He liked talking to Jessica: despite her initial negativity, she actually seemed to get
into the game and had even heckled a player or two by the top of the seventh. She didn’t
laugh at Uncle Gabriel, who was watching with extreme concentration, a small pencil
pressed to a pad of notebook paper filled with numbers and notes about the individual
players. During the seventh-inning stretch, she sang the baseball fan’s pledge of allegiance
with gusto, and let her dad hug her when the Dodgers won. Sam couldn’t help wondering if
maybe, at some game in the future, he himself would hug her if the Dodgers won.
What can you infer about Sam's feelings toward Jessica from these sentences?
a- Sam is developing a crush on Jessica.
b- Sam is getting sick of being around Jessica.
c- Sam is starting to feel uncomfortable around Jessica.
d- Sam is becoming suspicious of Jessica.
5. What is the main idea of this story?
a- A girl goes to a baseball game without understanding how baseball works.
b- A boy is torn between his interest in baseball and his interest in a girl.
c- A man has been taking his nephew to Los Angeles Dodgers games for years.
d-A boy gets annoyed at a friend of his for wanting to talk throughout a baseball game.
6. Read these sentences from the text.
"Sam Martinez knew baseball. He couldn’t count the number of Los Angeles Dodgers games
he had been to: his Uncle Gabriel had season tickets and had been taking Sam to games ever
since he was three years old. When spring turned into baseball season, he got so excited
that his parents practically had to bolt him to his desk after school so that he would do his
homework before the night games. His little sisters knew that if they bothered him when he
was either watching or listening to the game, they would get yelled at. Even Sam’s friends
tended to steer clear and tread softly when baseball season began."
Why might the author have italicized the word "knew" in the first sentence?
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abcd-
to provide an example of something Sam knows about baseball
to imply that Sam knows too much about baseball
to question how well Sam knows baseball
to emphasize how well Sam knows baseball
7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence.
Sam liked talking with Jessica during the baseball game. _______, he did not like missing out
on a lot of the game.
a- On the other hand
b- For instance
c- In conclusion
d- Most importantly
Short Response
Directions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences:
8. Sam enjoys watching baseball with Jessica more than he enjoyed watching it with Jordan.
Support this conclusion with evidence from the text.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. What is Sam's conflict at the end of the story? Support your answer with evidence from
the text.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
10. How might Sam's conflict be resolved? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Directions: Read the following text and then respond to the questions below:
Thanksgiving: Fact or Fiction
“The reason that we have so many myths associated with Thanksgiving is that it is an
invented tradition. It doesn’t originate in any one event. It is based on the New England
puritan Thanksgiving, which is a religious Thanksgiving, and the traditional harvest
celebrations of England and New England and maybe other ideas like commemorating the
pilgrims. All of these have been gathered together and transformed into something different
from the original parts.”–James W. Baker, Senior Historian at Plimoth Plantation
1. FACT OR FICTION: THANKSGIVING IS HELD ON THE FINAL THURSDAY OF NOVEMBER
EACH YEAR.
Fiction. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln designated the last Thursday in November as a
national day of thanksgiving. However, in 1939, after a request from the National Retail Dry
Goods Association, President Franklin Roosevelt decreed that the holiday should always be
celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month(and never the occasional fifth, as occurred
in 1939) in order to extend the holiday shopping season by a week. The decision sparked
great controversy, and was still unresolved two years later, when the House of
Representatives passed a resolution making the last Thursday in November a legal national
holiday. The Senate amended the resolution, setting the date as the fourth Thursday, and
the House eventually agreed.
DID YOU KNOW?
In 2009, President Obama pardoned a turkey named Courage.
2. FACT OR FICTION: ONE OF AMERICA’S FOUNDING FATHERS THOUGHT THE TURKEY
SHOULD BE THE NATIONAL BIRD OF THE UNITED STATES.
Fact. In a letter to his daughter sent in 1784, Benjamin Franklin suggested that the wild
turkey would be a more appropriate national symbol for the newly independent United
States than the bald eagle (which had earlier been chosen by the Continental Congress). He
argued that the turkey was “a much more respectable Bird,” “a true original Native of
America,” and “though a little vain and silly, a Bird of Courage.”
3. FACT OR FICTION: IN 1863, ABRAHAM LINCOLN BECAME THE FIRST AMERICAN
PRESIDENT TO PROCLAIM A NATIONAL DAY OF THANKSGIVING.
Fiction. George Washington, John Adams and James Madison all issued proclamations
urging Americans to observe days of thanksgiving, both for general good fortune and for
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particularly momentous events (the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, in Washington’s case;
the end of the War of 1812, in Madison’s).
4. FACT OR FICTION: MACY’S WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN DEPARTMENT STORE TO
SPONSOR A PARADE IN CELEBRATION OF THANKSGIVING.
Fiction. The Philadelphia department store Gimbel’s had sponsored a parade in 1920, but
the Macy’s parade, launched four years later, soon became a Thanksgiving tradition and the
standard kickoff to the holiday shopping season. The parade became ever more well-known
after it featured prominently in the hit film Miracle on 34th Street (1947), which shows
actual footage of the 1946 parade. In addition to its famous giant balloons and floats, the
Macy’s parade features live music and other performances, including by the Radio City
Music Hall Rockettes and cast members of well-known Broadway shows.
5. FACT OR FICTION: TURKEYS ARE SLOW-MOVING BIRDS THAT LACK THE ABILITY TO FLY.
Fiction (kind of). Domesticated turkeys (the type eaten on Thanksgiving) cannot fly, and
their pace is limited to a slow walk. Female domestic turkeys, which are typically smaller and
lighter than males, can move somewhat faster. Wild turkeys, on the other hand, are much
smaller and more agile. They can reach speeds of up to 20-25 miles per hour on the ground
and fly for short distances at speeds approaching 55 miles per hour. They also have better
eyesight and hearing than their domestic counterparts.
6. FACT OR FICTION: NATIVE AMERICANS USED CRANBERRIES, NOW A STAPLE OF MANY
THANKSGIVING DINNERS, FOR COOKING AS WELL AS MEDICINAL PURPOSES.
Fact. According to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association, one of the country’s oldest
farmers’ organizations, Native Americans used cranberries in a variety of foods, including
“pemmican” (a nourishing, high-protein combination of crushed berries, dried deer meat
and melted fat). They also used it as a medicine to treat arrow punctures and other wounds
and as a dye for fabric. The Pilgrims adopted these uses for the fruit and gave it a name—
”craneberry”—because its drooping pink blossoms in the spring reminded them of a crane.
7. FACT OR FICTION: THE MOVEMENT OF THE TURKEY INSPIRED A BALLROOM DANCE.
Fact. The turkey trot, modeled on that bird’s characteristic short, jerky steps, was one of a
number of popular dance styles that emerged during the late 19th and early 20th century in
the United States. The two-step, a simple dance that required little to no instruction, was
quickly followed by such dances as the one-step, the turkey trot, the fox trot and the bunny
hug, which could all be performed to the ragtime and jazz music popular at the time. The
popularity of such dances spread like wildfire, helped along by the teachings and
performances of exhibition dancers like the famous husband-and-wife team Vernon and
Irene Castle.
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8. FACT OR FICTION: ON THANKSGIVING DAY IN 2007, TWO TURKEYS EARNED A TRIP TO
DISNEY WORLD.
Fact. On November 20, 2007, President George W. Bush granted a “pardon” to two turkeys,
named May and Flower, at the 60th annual National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation, held
in the Rose Garden at the White House. The two turkeys were flown to Orlando, Florida,
where they served as honorary grand marshals for the Disney World Thanksgiving Parade.
The current tradition of presidential turkey pardons began in 1947, under Harry Truman, but
the practice is said to have informally begun with Abraham Lincoln, who granted a pardon to
his son Tad’s pet turkey.
9. FACT OR FICTION: TURKEY CONTAINS AN AMINO ACID THAT MAKES YOU SLEEPY.
Fact. Turkey does contain the essential amino acid tryptophan, which is a natural sedative,
but so do a lot of other foods, including chicken, beef, pork, beans and cheese. Though many
people believe turkey’s tryptophan content is what makes many people feel sleepy after a
big Thanksgiving meal, it is more likely the combination of fats and carbohydrates most
people eat with the turkey, as well as the large amount of food (not to mention alcohol, in
some cases) consumed, that makes most people feel like following their meal up with a nap.
10. FACT OR FICTION: THE TRADITION OF PLAYING OR WATCHING FOOTBALL ON
THANKSGIVING STARTED WITH THE FIRST NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE GAME ON THE
HOLIDAY IN 1934.
Fiction. The American tradition of college football on Thanksgiving is pretty much as old as
the sport itself. The newly formed American Intercollegiate Football Association held its first
championship game on Thanksgiving Day in 1876. At the time, the sport resembled
something between rugby and what we think of as football today. By the 1890s, more than
5,000 club, college and high school football games were taking place on Thanksgiving, and
championship match-ups between schools like Princeton and Yale could draw up to 40,000
fans. The NFL took up the tradition in 1934, when the Detroit Lions (recently arrived in the
city and renamed) played the Chicago Bears at the University of Detroit stadium in front of
26,000 fans. Since then, the Lions game on Thanksgiving has become an annual event, taking
place every year except during the World War II years (1939–1944).
Directions: Choose the correct answer:
1. When is Thanksgiving held today?
a- the first Thursday of November
b- the last Thursday of November
c- the fourth Thursday of November
e- after any particularly important event
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2. This article is structured in a list format. What does the article list?
a- myths that people associate with Thanksgiving and turkeys
b- reasons why Thanksgiving was first created
c- ways in which the turkey is important to Thanksgiving
d-arguments for moving Thanksgiving to a different date
3. Some leaders of the United States have had a major impact on the way Americans
celebrate Thanksgiving today.
What evidence from the text best supports this conclusion?
a- Two turkeys pardoned by George W. Bush were flown to Disney World in Orlando,
Florida.
b- Franklin Roosevelt decreed that the Thanksgiving holiday should be celebrated on the
fourth Thursday in November every year.
c- Benjamin Franklin felt that the turkey would be a better national symbol for the United
States than the bald eagle.
d- George Washington issued a proclamation urging Americans of the time to observe a day
of thanksgiving for the adoption of the U.S. Constitution.
4. Based on the information in the text, what effect might Abraham Lincoln’s setting an
annual day of Thanksgiving have had?
a- The turkey became the national bird of the United States.
b- Holiday shopping was hurt, and continues to suffer.
c- The decision caused controversy among many Americans.
d-New traditions grew around the annual Thanksgiving celebration.
5. What is this article mostly about?
a- the role of the turkey in the U.S. and during Thanksgiving
b- traditions, little-known facts, and myths about Thanksgiving
c- the way Thanksgiving has affected shopping patterns
d-U.S. Presidents’ and Founding Fathers’ contributions to Thanksgiving
6. Why might the author include the phrase “fact or fiction” in every heading throughout the
article?
a- to suggest that some of the statements in the headings are fact, but some are fiction
b- to convince the reader that all of the statements in the headings are factual
c- to force the reader to decide whether the information in the article is factual or fictional
d-to show that the author is not sure if the information in the article is true or not
57
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7. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln designated the last Thursday in November as a
national day of Thanksgiving, _____ in 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt decreed that the
holiday should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month.
a- for example
b- therefore
c- but
d-so
Short Response
Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences:
8. How has the holiday shopping season affected Thanksgiving traditions?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
9. How have U.S. Presidents contributed to Thanksgiving traditions over time? Use evidence
from the text to support your answer.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Extended Response
Directions: Answer the following question in a paragraph form:
10. James W. Baker, the Senior Historian at Plimoth Plantation, says that Thanksgiving is an
invented tradition. What evidence from the text supports the idea that today’s Thanksgiving
is an invented tradition?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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Read the sentences below and replace the underlined definitions with vocabulary youu’ve
studied in Adapted Interactive Reader:
1. Instead of giving a direct answer, he was trying to avoid answering. (……………………………)
2. The new Suez Canal project can be useful for the people in the future.
(……………………………)
3. Not having enough money to pay the bill, he turned his face away in an embarrassed
way. (……………………………)
4. The team needs wildness or intensity to win. (……………………………)
5. All the singers sing at the same time or together. (……………………………)
6. She loved to stay and slow to leave a place. (……………………………)
7. He cut grass in his garden ever two weeks. (……………………………)
8. Drivers had to make sudden trying to avoid maneuvers. (……………………………)
9. I bought separated from the body voice for my computer. (……………………………)
10.He is an athlete. He must be able to move quickly. (……………………………)
11.She wants to have control over her husband. (……………………………)
12.Mohamed Salah is a well-known footballer. (……………………………)
13.She is a moving from a place to another, she came to find work. (……………………………)
14.He felt Feeling of worry before exams (……………………………)
15.He makes untrue the records to get money. (……………………………)
16.She Listen secretly to someone’s private conversation to know what is going on.
(………..…………………)
Fill in the gaps with the suitable words of the academic vocabulary:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Identify - element - contemporary influence
I like ……………………..music.
At the time she was under the ………………………….of her father.
The ………………of this protein is particularly complex.
The police officer …………..himself and asked for our help.
List the ……………….that make up a perfect party.
59
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Date: …………………….........................
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Amigo Brothers
Word
Compete
Part of
Speech
Verb
Tournament Noun
Definition
Example
Try to be successful or
better than someone else
who is trying to do the
same as you.
A sports competition
involving a number of
teams or players who take
part in different games and
must leave the competition
if they lose.
A person who takes part in
a sport or another activity
for enjoyment, not as a job.
Amateur
Noun
Opponent
Noun
A person that you are
playing or fighting against
in a game, competition, or
argument.
Slug
Verb
To hit someone hard,
especially with your closed
hand.
Slug it out
Idiom
To fight or compete until it
is clear who has won.
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Directions: Read the following text and then match the underlined words with
their definitions
Karima and Jennifer had been friends since first grade. When Karima’s family moved
across town, the girls were afraid it would be devastating to their friendship. However, they
stayed in close touch through perpetual use of the telephone and e-mail. They shared
unbridled love for basketball, and now their teams were competing for the city
championship.
Karima sat pensively by the window thinking about what it would be like to face her
best friend on the court. She saw with sudden clarity that it might be difficult to play in her
usual tough style. She didn’t want to ruin their friendship, but she wanted to win.
At last, the day of the big game arrived. As soon as Karima walked onto the court and
heard the bedlam of noisy fans, she forgot everything except trying to play her best. The
way Jennifer jumped for the tip-off showed her that her friend felt the same way. In fact, the
fierceness of their play was enough to dispel any doubts that friendship might cause them to
hold back. When Jennifer would set up to shoot, Karima would flail her arms in front of
Jennifer’s face to distract her. Karima was charged with a foul and all the fans from her
school quickly shouted a barrage of protests.
When Jennifer scored the winning basket her team’s fans let loose a torrent of cheers.
As the teams lined up to shake hands, Karima felt truly happy to congratulate her friend. She
knew she had played her best.
______________________ 1- a rapid, heavy attack
______________________ 2- very effective in causing pain of destruction
______________________ 3- thoughtfully
______________________ 4- a violent, rushing stream
______________________ 5- continual, unending
______________________ 6- lacking restraint or control
______________________ 7- to get rid of
______________________ 8- a noisy confusion
______________________ 9- to wave wildly
______________________ 10- clearness of mind
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Replace the underlined definitions with words you’ve studied in Adapted Interactive
Reader:
1. The competitors kept fighting until he fight or compete until it’s clear who has won.
(………………………………)
2. Students try to be successful or better than someone else to be the top students.
(………………………………)
3. In boxing, fighters have to hit someone hard especially with your closed hand their
opponents to win the match. (………………………………)
4. Nour El Sherbiny is a person who takes part in a sport or another activity for
enjoyment, not as a job in squash. (………………………………)
5. The team just registered in the sport competition involving a number of teams or
players although they know they might lose because they didn’t practice at all.
(………………………………)
6. You have to respect the person you’re playing or fighting against in a game,
competition or argument even if you hate them. (………………………………)
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Cabin in the Woods
"Hurry!" Jessica called back as Felicia pulled the knot tight on one of her shoes. Felicia had
carefully double-knotted them before they started walking, but the laces had come
undone, as if of their own volition. They always did that. It seemed she couldn't go an
hour without having to retie them, and yet she tied them just the same as everyone else.
"Coming! Is the sky falling? Jeez!"
Jessica was Felicia's best friend, but she could be incredibly bossy. Felicia was trying to
take her mom's advice and "calmly assert herself," but wasn't so sure she had a handle
on the calm part just yet.
They turned off the street and started up the narrow path into the woods. Felicia felt
herself relax instantly as she breathed in the fresh air and looked at the blanket of leaves
overhead. This was her favorite time of year, when the leaves turned to tones of
crimson, yellow, and orange.
The leaves crunched beneath her feet, and the birds sang their happy songs. The
squirrels, chipmunks, and who knows what else zigzagged their way through the forest.
The path wound to the right until they came to the river, which followed it to the left,
wandering upstream along the dirt.
"Long or short?" Jessica asked when they came to a fork in the path. Left was the longer
loop; right was the shorter one.
"Hmmm... I choose left," said Felicia. It was crisp and sunny outside, the kind of day where
the longer she stayed out, the better. Plus, heading home would mean heading back to
the science report that had been sitting all weekend on her desk.
The girls walked in silence for a few minutes, and then they started singing their usual
mash-up: a little bit of Grease, a little bit of Disney, and a little bit of the latest trending
pop star. They were right in the middle of "Under the Sea" when Jessica stopped singing,
leaving Felicia all on her own to belt out, "Life is the bubbles!"
"Check it out, Leesh," said Jessica, pointing at the bushes
beside them. "Check what out?"
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"Look! Right past those bushes!"
The girls had been certain they knew every inch of the woods, yet neither of them had
ever noticed this path before. There was no clear route to get to it from where they
were, but only ten feet of bushes stood between them and the new path.
"Well, we can't just let it go unexplored. Let's see where it leads," Felicia said, scanning
the bushes for the least intimidating way through.
"How about here?" Jessica called up from the ground, where she lay on her belly. "If we
crawl, it's almost like a little tunnel.”
Felicia crouched down and peered into the brush. "Whoa! It's like a beaver tunnel or
something, but in the bushes. Let's do it."
Felicia felt the tingle of adventure on her spine. It was the same tingle she felt when she
jumped off the high diving board in swim class or neared the top of a giant rollercoaster
drop.
They crawled their way through the tunnel, the bushes grazing their backs. When they
made it through to the other side, Felicia stood up and brushed off her arms and legs. She
smiled at Jessica, who giggled in return.
"Here you go, Mother Nature," said Jessica, pulling a big twig and a handful of leaves out
of Felicia's long, curly hair.
The path dipped down a little hill and into a grove of pine trees. A flash of yellow stood
out from the clearing behind the pines.
"A house all the way out here? Let's go!" Felicia said, the tingle rising.
Their pace quickened from walking to jogging to full-on sprinting. Up close, Felicia saw
that the house was a cabin. The cabin's walls, which she imagined were once a bright,
sunny yellow, looked dull and stained. A crumbling chimney peeked out from the roof.
Chips in the door's green paint revealed dark wood beneath. The windows were grimy,
their corners covered in cobwebs.
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"This has to be it, Leesh," Jessica whispered, her eyes widening with excitement and
concern. "Be what?"
"The cabin Joey told us about over the summer. Don't you remember?"
Felicia had pushed it to the back of her mind, but now she remembered. Jessica's brother
Joey was full of stories, mostly the kind you didn't want to hear because they'd keep you up
all night, worrying they'd make their way into your dreams.
They walked up to a cabin window and peered through the window, shoulder to shoulder.
Inside, a rocking chair sat in front of a wood-burning stove with a tall pot on it. Cartons,
bottles, and pieces of paper covered a table and a chair beside it. There was a sack draped
over the back of the chair.
Below their noses was a twin mattress, and a large trunk sat across the room from the window.
Felicia's elbows and knees began to ache. Her stomach felt heavy, and her throat filled
with fear. "What do you think is in the trunk?"
"Let's find out. Come on. Joey showed me how to pick a lock with my bobby pin if we ever
needed to."
They didn't need to. The door wasn't locked, and it opened with a simple twist of the knob.
Felicia stood, stuck in the doorway until Jessica grabbed her hand and tugged her forward.
They stared at the trunk, both wondering what could be inside. Jessica knelt beside it and
lifted the heavy top. It was filled to the brim with yellowing copies of the Tintown Gazette.
"They're all the same," Felicia noted, flipping through a stack. Each one was from 1964, and the
cover story was headlined "Good Samaritan Cleans Streets."
And then there were footsteps-loud, right-next-to-them footsteps. Felicia dropped the
stack and fought for air. Jessica screamed. They turned to see who, or what, was in the
doorway.
Jessica recognized the woman. "Margie?" It was Jessica's mom's friend.
"I see you found my uncle's old stomping grounds. It needs some work, but I just couldn't ever
bring myself to clean through it after he passed. Insomniac Sam, they'd call him. It's funny. He
was so messy at home, and yet he never could pass a piece of litter on the sidewalk without
doing something about it.”
67
Date: …………………….........................
Directions: Respond to the following questions:
1. Where do Jessica and Felicia go walking?
A. in the woods
B. in a city
C. in a field
D. down a dark alley
2. How many main characters are there in this story?
A. three
B. two
C. one
D. zero
3. Read these sentences from the text.
"How about here?” Jessica called up from the ground, where she lay on her belly. 'If we crawl,
it's almost like a little tunnel.'
"Felicia crouched down and peered into the brush. 'Whoa! It's like a beaver tunnel or
something, but in the bushes. Let's do it.'
"Felicia felt the tingle of adventure on her spine. It was the same tingle she felt when she
jumped off the high diving board in swim class or neared the top of a giant rollercoaster
drop."
Based on this evidence, how does Felicia probably feel about crawling under the bushes?
A. depressed
B. indifferent
C. terrified
D. excited
68
Date: …………………….........................
4. What is the mood of this story?
A. suspenseful
B. peaceful
C. hopeful
D. gloomy
5. What is a theme of this story?
A. deception
B. loyalty
C. adventure
D. disappointment
6. Read these sentences from the text.
"The girls had been certain they knew every inch of the woods, yet neither of them had
ever noticed this path before. There was no clear route to get to it from where they were,
but only ten feet of bushes stood between them and the new path."
What does the word "route" most nearly mean as used in the text?
A. destination
B. map
C. path
D. highway
69
Date: …………………….........................
7. Read these sentences from the text.
"They stared at the trunk; both wondering what could be inside. Jessica knelt beside it and
lifted the heavy top. It was filled to the brim with yellowing copies of the Tintown Gazette."
The last of these three sentences is written in the passive voice. How could it be rewritten in
the active voice?
A. The trunk was filled to the brim with yellowing copies of the Tintown Gazette.
B. Yellowing copies of the Tintown Gazette were filling it to the brim.
C. Yellowing copies of the Tintown Gazette filled it to the brim.
D. It was brimming with yellowing copies of the Tintown Gazette.’
Short Response
Directions: Respond to the following questions in 2-3 sentences:
8. Read these sentences from the text.
"'This has to be it, Leesh,' Jessica whispered, her eyes widening with excitement and concern.
"'Be what?'
"'The cabin Joey told us about over the summer. Don't you remember?'
"Felicia had pushed it to the back of her mind, but now she remembered. Jessica's brother
Joey was full of stories, mostly the kind you didn't want to hear because they'd keep you up
all night, worrying they'd make their way into your dreams."
Based on this information, what can you conclude about what Joey told Jessica and Felicia
about the cabin?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------70
Date: …………………….........................
9. What words does the author use to describe the footsteps that Jessica and Felicia
hear near the end of the story?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extended Response
Directions: Respond to the following question in a paragraph form:
10. Explain how the author creates suspense in this story. Support your answer with
evidence from the text.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11.
Identify the climax of the story; and cite evidence for your answer.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
71
Date: …………………….........................
72
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Great White Sharks
Word
Part of
Speech
Definition
Example
Derivatives
Reliable
Adjective
That can be trusted to
do something well
Predator
Noun
An animal that kills
and eats other animals
Vicious
Adjective
Violent and cruel
Biased
Adjective
Bias (n)
Distorting
Verb
Having a tendency to
show favor towards or
against a group of
people or one opinion
for personal reasons;
making unfair
judgments
You report a fact or an
idea in an untrue way
Grace
Noun
Smooth and elegant
Graceful
(adj)
73
Rely on (v)
Distorted
(adj)
Date: …………………….........................
Fall from
grace
Idiom
Sudden loss of power,
fame or influence as a
result of a big mistake
that they have made
or something bad that
they have done.
Replace the underlined definitions with words you’ve studied from Adapted Interactive
Reader:
1. My mother is a person that can be trusted to do something well. We always count on her.
(………………………………)
2. People keep reporting facts or ideas in untrue ways news to make a dramatic scene.
(………………………………)
3. A person shouldn’t be having tendency to show favor towards or against person for
personal reasons to their friends when they do something wrong. (………………………………)
4. Michelle accepted her firing letter with with smooth and elegance. (………………………………)
5. He has been violent and cruel since he started boxing. He thinks he’s unbeatable now.
(………………………………)
6. The news about John’s crime caused his sudden loss of power or fame as a result of a big
mistake. (………………………………)
7. Cheetahs are considered animals that kill and eat other animals. (………………………………)
74
Date: …………………….........................
The Coliseum
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to
the text to check your answers when appropriate.
The Coliseum is an ancient stadium in
the center of Rome. It is the largest of
its kind. It is very old. They started
building it in the year 70. It took ten
years to build. It is still around today.
The Coliseum has been used in many
ways. In ancient Rome, men fought
each other in it. They fought against
lions, tigers, and bears. Oh my! It was
dreadful. But most of the people loved
it. As many as 80,000 Romans would
pack inside to watch. These gruesome
events went on until 523.
A sketch of the Coliseum
The Coliseum has been damaged many
times over the years. It was struck by
lightning in the year 217. This started a
fire. Much of the Coliseum is made of
stone. But the fire damaged the upper
levels. They were made of wood. This
damage took many years to repair. It
was not finished until the year 240.
The Romans of those days were not
connected to the Coliseum. It had last
been used as a castle. Before that it was
a graveyard. It has been hundreds of
years since the games. The damage to
the Coliseum was never repaired. It's a
good thing the outer wall of it still
stands strong.
The worst damage happened in 1349. A
mighty earthquake shook Rome and
the Coliseum. The south side of the
building collapsed. Pieces of the arena
were all over the ground. Many people
took the fallen stones. Others took
stones from the seating areas. They
used them to repair houses and
churches.
Today the Coliseum is one of Rome's
most popular attractions. People from
all over the world come to Italy to see
it. The Pope leads a big march around it
every Good Friday. It is a symbol that
many know. It has even appeared on
the back of a coin. I guess that makes it
a symbol that many people want too.
75
Date: …………………….........................
1. Which happened first?
a. An earthquake damaged the Coliseum.
b. The Coliseum was struck by lightning.
c. The Coliseum appeared on the back of a coin.
d. The Coliseum was used as a castle.
2. When did the Romans finish building the Coliseum?
a. The year 70
b. The year 523
c. The year 80
d. The year 240
3. What caused the fire that damaged the upper levels of the Coliseum?
a. A bolt of lightning
b. Rowdy people who came to watch the events
c. An attacking army
d. An angry mob
4. For which purpose was the Coliseum not used?
a. People fought other people in it.
b. It was a private castle.
c. People fought animals in it.
d. It was a meeting place for the government.
5. Which caused the most damage to the Coliseum?
a. Fires
b. Earthquakes
c. Wars
d. Hurricanes
6. What did the people do with the stones that they took from the Coliseum?
a. They repaired buildings.
b. They sold them.
c. They used them as weapons.
d. They used them as tombstones.
A
7. Which best defines the word gruesome as it is used in the second paragraph?
a. Exciting
b. Funny
c. Horrifying
d. Boring
8. Which best describes the main idea in the last paragraph?
a. This is about all the things the Coliseum has been used for throughout history.
b. This is about how the Coliseum is a popular place to visit today.
c. This is about how the Coliseum is a symbol that many people know.
d. This is about how the Coliseum is used today.
9. Which was not a way in which the Coliseum was damaged over the years?
a. Earthquake
b. Tornado
c. Lightning
d. Fire
10. Which statement would the author most likely agree with?
a. The Coliseum should be replaced with a building that is not damaged.
b. The Coliseum has its place in history but it is not useful today.
c. The Coliseum should be used for fighting once again.
d. The Coliseum is very old and has been used for many purposes.
76
Date: …………………….........................
Why was the Coliseum repaired after the fire but not after the earthquake? Use the text in your answer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Why did the fire only damage the upper levels of the Coliseum? Refer to the text in your answer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Why is the Coliseum still important today? Use the text in your answer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------77
Date: …………………….........................
78
Date: …………………….........................
A Retrieved Reformation
Word
retrieve
Part of Definition
Example
Speech
Verb
to bring back to a
former and better state
Derivative
Retrieve
reformation Noun
The act
of improvement
Reform
reformed
saunter
Verb
to walk in a relaxed way
= v. stroll
Sauntered
Warden
Noun
the officer
in charge of a prison
wardenship
genially
Adverb warmly and pleasantly
cheerful
prison
sentence
Genial
Punished by spending
time in prison
Locate
Verb
To identify or discover
the place or location of
Location
Located
community
Noun
Group sharing common
characteristics or
Interests
Communica
tion
79
Date: …………………….........................
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Replace the underlined definitions with words you’ve studied from Adapted Interactive
Reader:
The Western group of people sharing the common characteristics has its own traditions.
(………………………………)
They need to bring back to a better state their financial level. (………………………………)
He had to spend his punishment time in prison for 5 years for his theft. (………………………………)
The officer in charge of the prison fired his gun at the prisoners because they were escaping.
(………………………………)
Her educational act of improvement is going well so far. (………………………………)
They have to identify the location of something the hotel they’re holding the meeting at.
(………………………………)
The teacher did her job warmly and pleasantly cheerful. (………………………………)
80
Date: …………………….........................
Directions: Read the following text and then respond to the questions below
Brothers
Joseph had run away.
Philip could tell his mother was worried by the way she paced up and down the kitchen floor,
twisting her hair into knots, while speaking softly into the telephone. "I don't know where he
went," she whispered. She shot Philip a sidelong look that seemed to say, "Don't worry," then
smiled as if this was just a normal, routine phone call. "No, we didn't get into a fight. There
wasn't..." She left the kitchen, glancing quickly at the clock. Philip was going to be late for
school.
Philip pushed his cereal around the bowl with his spoon. Joseph hated living at home. "I'm an
old soul," he would sing to their mother whenever she asked him to clean the dishes or put
away his laundry. "I can't be tethered," he'd sing, until their mother would laugh. "Joseph,"
she'd say, exasperated.
Joseph was nearly six years older than Philip and was what their mother called "a
troublemaker." Philip had a loose understanding of what it meant to be a "troublemaker." It
was someone who stayed out past curfew, lied, ran away, and hung around with "a bad
crowd." Philip had met this crowd, and he didn't think they were bad at all. In fact, he liked
Joseph's friends. Whenever they saw him, they shook his hand like he was a grown man and
not somebody's kid brother.
Last summer, Philip broke his arm playing baseball. That wasn't exactly true, when Philip came
to think of it, but it was what he had told Joseph's friends when they saw the cast on his arm.
They had given him the nickname "Captain" after that, and Laura, Joseph's girlfriend, always
asked him, "Have you been drafted yet?"
Philip hadn't wanted to play baseball at all that summer. He had wanted to join the swim
team, but his father said swimming wasn't a sport. Philip knew better than to argue with his
dad and so he agreed. He hadn't realized that his baseball coach had stuck him in the outfield
because he was a bad player, and that the coach didn't expect anyone to hit a ball that far into
the field.
81
Date: …………………….........................
After dinner one night, Philip heard his dad explain it to his mother. "Philip's the worst
player on the team. They put him in the outfield so he doesn't mess it up for the rest of the
team," he'd said. He didn't know Philip could hear him. Joseph, who was sitting next to
Philip, had nudged him, and then squeezed his shoulder. "Don't sweat it, kid," he had said.
"There's always something better out there."
Philip had broken his arm the day a fly ball-the only one of the game-soared into the sky right
above his head. Philip hadn't been paying attention to the game, but suddenly he heard
everyone calling his name. He saw the small black dot blot out the sun, and he raised his left
hand high into the air and shut his eyes. He felt the ball land heavily in his glove. He was
surprised by its weight. His hand was sore.
He ran back toward the mound, proud for the first time all season that he had helped his
team. He wasn't looking where he was going and didn't notice the small rock hidden in the
green of the outfield until his foot caught against it. Suddenly, he was soaring into the air. And
then, just as quickly, he came crashing down, his arm outstretched, snapping as it hit the
ground.
He had cried, knowing that his father would be disappointed and that he wouldn't be able
to swim again until next summer.
Joseph had taken him out for ice cream.
"You know, there's a lot more to life than baseball," Joseph had said. "Take me. I wasn't
meant for some crummy two-star town."
Philip had smiled, agreeing. He wasn't sure what Joseph meant by "two-star," but he knew
that Joseph wanted life to move fast and hard.
82
Date: …………………….........................
"Someday, I'm going to wipe the stain of this town from my boots, and really make it. You
know, see the world, get famous, and make money. And I'm going to do it my way."
Philip sat quietly. "You'll say goodbye before you go, right?" he asked.
Joseph laughed. "You're really something, you know that?"
When Philip thought about it, he realized that Joseph had never really answered him. They'd
left the ice cream store and walked home, and Joseph had never mentioned leaving again.
By now, Philip's cereal had gone soft. It was inedible. His mother was organizing the cabinets.
"You know, your brother's really done it this time," she said. She ran her fingers through her
hair, sighing deeply.
"I'm an old soul," Philip sang. "I can't be tethered."
His mother smiled. She looked at the clock
.
83
Date: …………………….........................
Directions: Choose the correct answer:
1. What has caused Philip's mother to worry at the beginning of the text?
A. Joseph has fought with his mother.
B. Philip has broken his arm.
C. Joseph has run away.
D. Joseph has stayed out past curfew.
2. What main problem does Joseph face in this story?
A. Joseph breaks his arm.
B. Joseph hates living at home.
C. Joseph disappoints his father.
D. Joseph does not want to play baseball.
3. Joseph thinks his family's town is holding him back from achieving his dreams and
goals. What evidence from the text best supports this conclusion?
A. "Philip had smiled, agreeing. He wasn't sure what Joseph meant by 'two-star' but
he knew that Joseph wanted life to move fast and hard."
B. "Someday, I'm going to wipe the stain of this town from my boots, and really
make it. You know, see the world, get famous, and make money."
C. "Joseph...had nudged him, then squeezed his shoulder. “Don't sweat it, kid,” he
had said. 'There's always something better out there.'"
D. "'I'm an old soul,' he would sing to their mother whenever she asked him to clean
the dishes or put away his laundry. “I can't be tethered.”
4. Based on the information in the text, how does Philip feel about his brother Joseph?
A. Philip is annoyed by Joseph's behavior.
B. Philip is disappointed in Joseph.
C. Philip thinks that Joseph is a troublemaker.
D. Philip cares for Joseph and looks up to him.
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Date: …………………….........................
5. What is the main idea of the text?
A. Philip wants to join the swim team but is forced to play baseball.
B. Philip's "troublemaker" brother Joseph has run away.
C. Philip's father is disappointed that he is not good at baseball.
D. Philip catches a fly ball during a baseball game.
6. The author of the text first writes that Joseph has run away. Then the
author goes back in time to the previous summer and writes about the day
Philip broke his arm, and the conversation the two brothers had. Then the
author returns to the day Joseph has run away from home.
Why might the author have included the part of the story about the day Philip
broke his arm and the conversation the two brothers had?
A. to show the reader that Philip does not want to disappoint his brother
Joseph
B. to make the plot more confusing by jumping between time periods
C. to explain why Joseph's mother thought he was a troublemaker
D. to show the reader how Philip may feel about Joseph running away
7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence.
Philip asks his brother if he will say goodbye before he leaves town;
simply laughs and does not answer the question.
A. however
B. therefore
C. for instance
D. especially
, Joseph
Date: ………………………………………
Short Response
Directions: Respond to the following questions in 2-3 sentences:
8. When Joseph tells Philip he plans to leave town someday, what does Philip
ask?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9. How does Joseph help his brother Philip? Give at least one example from
the text to support your answer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extended Response
Directions: Respond to the following question in a paragraph form:
10. Is Joseph a good older brother to Philip? Support your argument with
evidence from the text.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11. Predict what will happen next in the story. Cite evidence for your answer.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
86
Date: ………………………………………
87
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Like Black Smoke
Word
Part of
Definition
Speech
Contagious Adjective Spread from one
person or organism
to another, typically
by direct contact
Famine
Noun
Extreme lack of food
= Hunger
Route
Noun
Road or path
Pilgrim
Noun
A person who
journeys to a sacred
place for religious
reasons
Abandoned Adjective Having been left
Peasant
Noun
A poor agricultural
worker
88
Example
Derivative
Pilgrim (v)
Abandonment
Date: ………………………………………
Replace the underlined definitions with words you’’ve studied from Adapted
Interactive Reader:
1. Nigeria has suffered from extreme lack of food in the last century.
(………………………………)
2. The most dangerous trait in Plague is that it is spread from one person to
another, usually by direct contact. (………………………………)
3. People who journey to a sacred place for religious reasons are the happiest
on their religious journeys. (………………………………)
4. The poor agricultural workers had stopped burning ashes when they knew
they cause huge air pollution. (………………………………)
89
Date: ………………………………………
Garbage
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that
follow. Refer to the text to check your answers when appropriate.
Garbage cans are not magical portals.
Trash does not disappear when you toss
it in a can. Yet, the average American
throws away an estimated 1,600 pounds
of waste each year. If there are no magic
garbage fairies, where does all that trash
go? There are four methods to managing
waste: recycling, landfilling, composting,
and incinerating. Each method has its
strengths and weaknesses. Let's take a
quick look at each.
Recycling is the process of turning waste
into new materials. For example, used
paper can be turned into paperboard,
which can be used to make book covers.
Recycling can reduce pollution, save
materials, and lower energy use. Yet,
some argue that recycling wastes energy.
They believe that collecting, processing,
and converting waste uses more energy
than it saves. Still, most people agree that
recycling is better for the planet than
landfilling.
Landfilling is the oldest method of
managing waste. In its simplest form,
landfilling is when people bury garbage
in a hole. Over time the practice of
landfilling has advanced. Garbage is
compacted before it is thrown into the
hole. In this way more garbage can fit in
each landfill. Large liners are placed in
the bottom of landfills so that toxic
garbage juice doesn't get into the ground
water. Sadly, these liners don't always
As landfill space increases, interest in
composting grows. Compositing is when
people pile up organic matter, such as
food waste, and allow it to decompose.
The product of this decomposition is
compost. Compost can be added to the
soil to make the soil richer and better for
growing crops. While composting is easy
to do onsite somewhere, like home or
school, it's hard to do after the garbage
gets all mixed up. This is because plastic
and other inorganic materials must be
removed from the compost pile or they
will pollute the soil. There's a lot of
plastic in garbage, which makes it hard
to compost on a large scale.
One thing that is easier to do is burning
garbage. There are two main ways to
incinerate waste. The first is to create or
harvest a fuel from the waste, such as
methane gas, and burn the fuel. The
second is to burn the waste directly. The
heat from the incineration process can
boil water, which can power steam
generators. Unfortunately, burning
garbage pollutes the air. Also, some
critics worry that incinerators destroy
valuable resources that could be
recycled.
Usually, the community in which you
live manages waste. Once you put your
garbage in that can, what happens to it is
beyond your control. But you can make
choices while it is still in your
90
Date: ………………………………………
work. Landfills may pollute the local
water supply. Not to mention that all of
that garbage stinks. Nobody wants to live
next to a landfill. This makes it hard to
find new locations for landfills.
possession. You can choose to recycle,
you can choose to compost, or you can
choose to let someone else deal with it.
The choice is yours.
1. Which best explains why the author begins the text by talking about magical
garbage fairies?
a. He is putting a common misconception to rest.
b. He is trying to get the reader's attention.
c. He is addressing his concern in a serious way.
d. He is supporting his argument with evidence.
2. Which best defines the meaning of incineration as it is used in the text?
a. To bury waste materials in a large hole
b. To allow waste products to decompose and become fertilizer
c. To burn waste materials and harvest the energy
d. To turn waste materials into products like book covers
3. Which was not cited in the third paragraph as an issue with landfilling?
a. Landfills are smelly.
landfills.
b. Usable materials are wasted in
c. Landfills may pollute the water supply.
landfills.
d. It is difficult to find locations for
4. Which conclusion could best be supported with text from the passage?
a. Each method of waste management has its drawbacks.
b. Recycling is without a doubt the best way to handle waste.
c. Incineration is the best way to process waste.
d. All large cities should create massive compost piles.
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Date: ………………………………………
5. Which best expresses the main idea of the fourth paragraph?
a. Landfills take up a lot of space.
b. Composting is good for the soil but it can be hard to do.
c. The process of composting is very complicated and scientific.
d. There is a lot of plastic garbage in landfills.
6. Which best expresses the meaning of the word compacted as it is used in the third
paragraph?
a. Garbage is burned before it is thrown in a hole.
b. Garbage is put in trucks before it is thrown in a hole.
c. Garbage is crushed smaller before it is thrown in a hole.
d. Garbage is put in a can before it is thrown in a hole.
7. Which best expresses the author's main purpose in writing this?
a. To convince readers to recycle and compost
b. To persuade readers that recycling is a waste of resources
c. To compare and contrast recycling and landfilling
d. To inform readers of methods of waste management
8. Which is not included in this text?
a. A description of how trash is collected
b. A description of the uses of compost
c. A description of the two methods of incinerating trash
d. A description of how landfills have advanced over time
9. Which best explains why composting is not feasible on a large scale?
a. People wouldn't want to touch all of that gross rotting food.
b. It would smell too bad in densely populated cities.
c. It would attract rodents that would spread disease.
d. Plastic would get into the compost and turn it into a pollutant.
10. Which title best expresses the main idea of this text?
a. The Magic of Recycling: Bringing Back What Was Once Lost
b. Methods of Waste Management: Pros and Cons
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Date: ………………………………………
c. Recycling, Landfilling, or Composting: Which is Best For You?
d. Do Your Part: How to Save the Earth by Recycling and Composting
1. Which two methods of waste management do you believe are best for society?
Support your argument with text.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Which two methods of waste management do you believe are worst for society?
Refer to the text in your argument.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3. Summarize the article. Be sure to cover the pros and cons of the four methods of
waste management.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------93
Date: ………………………………………
94
Date: ………………………………………
General Revision
Directions: Read the following text and then respond to the questions
below:
The Art of Singing
About six months ago, Alana finally started taking singing lessons. She’s wanted to
sing ever since she was a young girl, and now she was finally realizing her dream.
Today she auditioned for the lead role in her school’s production of Annie.
When Alana’s mother took her to see Annie, Alana became inspired to really try
singing. Annie was performed at an old theater called The Palace. The Palace isn’t
like the big multiplex movie theater downtown. For one thing, it was built in 1922
and is considered a historical building. For another, it only has one screen.
The stage at The Palace is decorated in an ornate fashion with red velvet curtains
as tall as an oak tree. The Palace only has a lobby and one room with a stage. The
room is very big and the sound echoes through the whole venue. If you were a
loud opera singer, you could perform here and would not need a microphone.
Alana’s favorite thing about The Palace was a series of giant brass pipes high up
on the wall. To her, they looked like a row of teeth. Alana later learned some
history about them. As it turned out, they were part of a great big pipe organ.
Back when the theater was first built, movies didn’t have sound. So someone
would sit at the edge of the stage and play songs on the organ. That way, there
would be music to go with the movie. These were silent movies, but they didn’t
call them “silent” back then. Many people didn’t think there would be a kind of
movie with sound. When movies with sound came out, they called them
“Talkies.” Only then did the once regular movies become known as “Silent Films.”
Alana found out that the organ stopped functioning in the 1960s. Now it’s just a
decoration because the music comes from the movie itself.
When Alana first saw Annie, she knew she wanted to audition for the lead role at
some time in her life. She went home and sang “Tomorrow.” She recorded herself
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singing and listened back to it, but it didn’t sound as good as she thought it had in
her head.
Her mother explained that singing is a musical talent, like playing any instrument.
“You can’t just pick up a trombone or a guitar and start playing it, can you?”
“No, of course not!”
“Well, your voice is also an instrument. You need to learn how to use it.”
At school, Alana joined a band and the glee club. She learned how to read sheet
music and sing scales. She also learned how to sing harmony and improvise with
other students.
As Alana learned how to be a better singer, she learned different techniques. If
she held her mouth open in certain ways, she could make different sounds. She
could open her mouth wide and create an open, bright note. Or, she could push
her bottom jaw out and make her voice sound higher. Sometimes, she would
scrunch up her face and create a nasal sound. She loved to experiment with
different sounds.
One day her music teacher gave her an assignment to write down her five favorite
female singers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Alana realized she didn’t actually
know a lot of singers, so she went to the local library and took out some CDs to
listen to. She wanted to take full advantage of the library’s extensive CD
collection.
These were the five artists she took out of the library:
Aretha Franklin
Janis Joplin
Billie Holiday
Whitney Houston
Bjork
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Each of these women has a very different style of singing. They are all from
different times and eras. Billie Holiday was popular in the 1940s, whereas Janis
Joplin was popular in the 1960s. Janis performed at the famous Woodstock music
festival. Whitney Houston had her first radio hit in the 1980s. Bjork is from Iceland
and became popular in the early 2000s.
First, Alana put on Aretha Franklin. Aretha is affectionately known as the Queen
of Soul. The song “Respect” came on. She belted out the letters, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T.”
Her voice was high pitched and clear. Alana tried to emulate it, but she couldn’t
do it. It just sounded like she was screaming. This is because her range wasn’t high
enough.
A “range” represented a certain amount of tones. It is the distance between the
lowest note and the highest note a person can sing. Most people cannot sing as
high and as powerfully as Aretha Franklin can.
When Alana tried to hit these high notes, it didn’t sound the same. She lost a lot
of power in her voice. Aretha sings high notes very loudly, but Alana sounded soft
and operatic. She realized that there is a very good reason for which Aretha is
known as the Queen of Soul. “She’s amazing!” Alana thought.
Then, Alana put on some Billie Holiday. An old jazz song called “Stormy Weather”
played. When she began, her voice sounded high pitched and a little scratchy, but
then she hit the word “weather” and suddenly it was really low. It resonated in
her chest. Alana tried to recreate this. She loosened her neck and shoulders and
then breathed in from above her belly with the diaphragm.
Alana watched her belly get bigger and smaller as she breathed. She pushed with
a breathy cry: “we-aaaaather.” She thought that it sounded pretty good.
Alana ran through the other female artists, doing the same thing. She listened to
their voices and tried to copy them. Alana thought that Bjork sounded kind of
silly, whispering and screeching like a child. Janis Joplin screamed from her heart
and soul. Whitney Houston sang powerfully and clearly, like the echoes of a
church choir.
Each singer has a different voice because they form the notes in a different way.
The human voice is amazing and elastic. It can stretch in so many different ways.
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In fact, a person can make different sounds just by choosing where to push the
sound. In singing, this is called “placement.” People can make a note through
their nose, their chest, or various locations throughout their upper body.
As Alana experimented with different ways of singing, she got more comfortable
with what her own voice naturally sounded like. And around this time, it was
announced that her school would in fact be producing their own performance of
Annie. Alana wanted the lead!
When she auditioned for Annie, she sang very powerfully. She let all the notes
resonate from her vocal chords and echo around in her head.
“The sun will come out… tomorrow!” she belted out. “You’re only… a dayyy… a…
wayyyyy!”
Her music teacher applauded.
“Alana, you’ve been working hard to become a better singer, and it shows.
Congratulations. You’ve got the lead role! You’re our new Annie!”
When Alana heard this, her dream came true. But she knew her dream didn’t just
happen because she wished and hoped it would. She’d been taking lessons and
working hard. Finally, the hard work had paid off. She walked home whistling a
happy little song.
Directions: Choose the correct answer:
1. What event inspired Alana to really try singing?
A- She learned that The Palace Theater had a big pipe organ.
B- She saw Annie at The Palace Theater.
C- She joined the glee club at school.
D- She listened to Aretha Franklin sing “Respect.”
2. What was the result of Alana’s efforts to practice singing?
A- She got to see Annie at The Palace.
B- Her mother gave her CDs of artists like Janis Joplin and Whitney Houston.
C- She saw Bjork perform live in Iceland.
D- She won the lead role in her school’s production of Annie.
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3. Alana followed her mother’s advice to learn how to use her voice like an
instrument. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion?
A- Alana visited The Palace and saw Annie.
B- Alana recorded herself singing “Tomorrow” and listened back to it.
C- Alana joined a band and the glee club at school and learned to read sheet
music and sing scales.
D- Alana learned some history about the pipe organ in The Palace.
4. Which of the following best describes Alana?
A- Confused
B- Discouraged
C- Adventurous
D- Motivated
5. What is the main idea of this story?
A- Alana decides to become a singer after becoming inspired by the beautiful
Palace Theater.
B- Inspired to become a better singer, Alana practices hard and wins the lead role
in her school’s version of Annie.
C- Alana learns the different singing styles of artists like Aretha Franklin and Billie
Holiday.
D- Alana discovers how to control her voice’s pitch, range, and placement as she
listens to different female artists.
6. Read these sentences from the text.
“Alana watched her belly get bigger and smaller as she breathed. She pushed with
a breathy cry: ‘we-aaaaather.’”
Why did the author stretch out the word weather?
A- to imitate the sound Alana made when she sang
B- to emphasize how happy Alana felt when she sang
C- to show how hard it is to sing the word weather
D- to emphasize the importance of the word weather
7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence.
After seeing Annie, Alana went home and recorded herself singing “Tomorrow.”
____________, the recording didn’t sound as good as she thought it would.
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ABCD-
Including
Earlier
However
Such as
Short Response
Directions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences:
8. What assignment did Alana’s music teacher give her?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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9. What did Alana do to help her with the assignment?
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Extended Response
Directions: Answer the following question in a paragraph form:
10. Explain how her music teacher’s assignment helped Alana win the lead in
Annie.
Support your answer with evidence from the text.
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Directions: Read the following text and then respond to the questions
below:
Predicting the Future
Garry Golden sits in a small cafe in Brooklyn, New York. In front of him, sheets of
paper with diagrams litter the table. He rapidly sketches trains, cars and highways
as he explains his ideas. Garry Golden has one passion: transportation. The
science of how to move people from place to place fascinates him. He spends his
days studying the relationships between cars, subways, and trains. But he’s most
excited about imagining the way these relationships will change in the next 20
years.
Golden is a futurist. Futurists are scientists who analyze the way the world is
today and use that information to make predictions about what the world will be
like in the future. In this way, they are the opposite of historians, who try to
better understand the present through studying the past. Futurists hope that by
making scientific predictions about the future, we can make better decisions
today.
Some futurists study the environment. Some study human society. Golden
focuses on the study of transportation. He earned his graduate degree in Future
Studies from the University of Houston. Living in Houston for those two years
changed the way he viewed transportation in the United States.
Many public transportation advocates dislike Houston. They argue the city is too
sprawling (it can take more than three hours to drive from one side of the city to
the other during rush hour) and that there aren’t enough buses and subways.
However, Houston was a source of inspiration for Golden.
“Houston is a really interesting place, and their transportation is a fascinating
story—it’s worth watching. When you think about it, what is the U.S. like? It’s
more like Houston. So you need to understand how Houston approaches things to
understand the country as a whole. New York City is the exception,” said Golden
in an interview with The New York Times.
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Golden points out that people in New York City own fewer cars and walk much
more than anywhere else in the United States. “It’s a unique environment,” says
Golden. “Very different from the rest of the country.”
However, Golden believes American cities will become more similar to New York
City in several ways over the next 20 years. He sees a trend toward fewer cars in
the future. He explains, “Cities have a cost of car ownership that is a challenge. All
these vehicles cost the city: in services, in having to repair roads and all of the
other things.” Cars also take up a lot of space. Houston, for example, has 30
parking spaces for every resident. That’s 64.8 million parking spaces in only one
city.
Golden points out that having so many parking spaces is inefficient. Much of the
time the parking spaces sit empty. At high-use times—for example, Saturday
afternoon when everyone is running errands—every parking space at a shopping
center is full. But at 3 a.m. on a Monday, no one is at the shopping center. What is
the solution? “I think cities are going to start to legislate cars in very new ways,”
says Golden. He explains that cities will make new laws to limit the number of cars
people can have within city limits. Instead, people will use taxis, subways and
buses. New technology, like smartphones, can make these forms of public
transportation even better.
Buses have the same problem of inefficiency as parking spaces, explains Golden.
Sometimes they are full, and sometimes they are empty. But imagine if everyone
had a smartphone and used them to signal when they wanted to ride the bus.
Buses could change their route, depending on who wanted to ride.
How soon would these changes come? Golden admits that it will take several
years. Cities can be slow to change. Also, new systems of transportation can be
expensive. “But it’s coming,” he says. “The trend of the empowered city will be
here soon.”
The other trend that excites Golden is electric cars. “We need to reduce the
amount of fuel we consume,” says Golden. “Everyone agrees on this. The
question is how to do it.” Golden especially believes in the future of electric cars
that have sensors to understand the world around them. “If we have cars that can
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communicate with one another, they can adjust speeds to eliminate traffic jams,”
he says. Rush hour in Houston would suddenly be much less painful.
One challenge related to the production of electric cars is that it is hard to cheaply
produce batteries that are strong enough for these cars. This is partially because
cars are so heavy. But Golden argues you could also make cars out of strong
plastic composites. The cars would then be much lighter and much cheaper to
make. “This could revolutionize the highways,” he says. When could electric smart
cars become the norm? Golden argues as soon as 2030.
As a futurist, Golden shares his predictions with other scholars at conferences
across the country. He also provides advice to companies that want to know what
the future will be like so that they can make better strategies. Golden remains
optimistic about the future. “There are so many exciting developments,” he says.
“In thirty years we will live a very different world.”
Directions: Choose the correct answer:
1. What is Gary Golden’s one passion?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Houston, Texas
The environment
Human society
Transportation
2. One problem with electric cars is that they require very strong batteries. Part of
the reason the batteries have to be so strong is that cars are so heavy. What
solution does Golden propose for this problem?
a.
b.
c.
d.
To build cars out of strong plastic composites so that they are lighter
To find an easier and faster way to produce strong batteries for cars
To build cars out of lighter weight metals so they don’t need as many batteries
To create a way for cars to communicate with each other and adjust their
speeds
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3. Cars require a lot of space in cities. What evidence from the passage best
supports this conclusion?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Cities have to build parking spaces and repair roads for cars.
Cities may limit the number of cars people can have within the city.
In Houston, there are 30 parking spaces for every resident.
Parking lots at shopping centers are not full all of the time.
4. Based on Garry Golden’s predictions, how can transportation systems of the
future best be described?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Expensive and complicated
High-tech and efficient
High-tech yet impractical
Inexpensive yet outdated
5. What is this passage mostly about?
a.
b.
c.
d.
How one futurist thinks transportation will change in the coming years
Reasons why cars cost the city money and are an inefficient use of resources
How to improve electric cars so that they are more widely used and available
A comparison of public transportation systems across the United States
6. Read the following sentences: “Houston, for example, has 30 parking spaces for
every resident. That’s 64.8 million parking spaces in only one city. Golden points
out that having so many parking spaces is inefficient. Much of the time the
parking spaces sit empty. At high-use times—for example, Saturday afternoon
when everyone is running errands—every parking space at a shopping center is
full. But at 3 a.m. on a Monday, no one is at the shopping center.”
As used in this sentence, what does the word “inefficient” most nearly mean?
a. Productive without wasting time and materials
b. Successful and effective
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c. Imaginative and creative
d. Wasteful of space and materials
7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.
Historians study the past in order to better understand the present. ___________,
futurists analyze the present in order to make scientific predictions about the
future.
a.
b.
c.
d.
In particular
Such as
In contrast
Ultimately
Short Response
Directions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences:
8. What does Garry Golden spend most of his days studying?
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9. Buses are currently inefficient. According to Golden, how could this type of
transportation be improved?
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Extended Response
Answer the following question in a paragraph form:
10. Explain how communications technology (such as smartphones and sensors)
could help improve transportation in the future. Support your answer using
information from the passage.
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Directions: Replace the following underlined definitions with words you’ve
studied in Adapted Interactive Reader:
1- My brother used to unfairly treat someone as evil while they’re not all dogs
until he realized that most of them are actually nice. (………………………………)
2- Scientists need clearness of mind when they are working on a difficult
project. (………………………………)
3- Everyone hates when others see their problems with a treatment that
makes a serious thing seem ridiculous. (………………………………)
4- We have without control or restraint love towards our parents.
(………………………………)
5- When he has free time, he walks in a slow and relaxed way by the sea.
(………………………………)
6- He documented the record of events in the order in which they took place
of the thefts that took place in the same area to track the thief.
(………………………………)
7- The two young boys used to wave wildly every time they had a fight. Now
they don’t. (………………………………)
8- The thief ran very fast and no one was able to get him. He was very difficult
to catch. (………………………………)
9- The government provides the prisoners jobs once they get out of prison to
help them restore to useful life. (………………………………)
10- Try not to get yourself into a course of wild or dangerous action.
(………………………………)
11- The noisy confusion was broken when the police fired their guns.
(………………………………)
12- Mohamed Salah is one of the most famous and respected figures
nowadays. (………………………………)
13- When we move to Netherland, we will have to struggle but manage with
some success with the new cultures there. (………………………………)
14- Assuming that cats are stupid is very based on observation rather than on
scientific analysis. (………………………………)
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 What is poetry?
As defined by William Wordsworth, poetry is “the spontaneous overflow of
powerful feelings, recollected in tranquility.”
 Forms of poetry: refers to the poem’s structure (how the poem is written
and organized).
 A poem is made up of a series of lines, grouped into stanzas (each stanza
represents an idea or an emotion, similar to paragraphs in prose).
Elements of Poetry
1- Theme
The theme is the overriding and most important idea. It answers the
question “what is the poem about?”
2- Denotation/Connotation
- Denotation refers to the dictionary meaning of the word.
- Connotation refers to another indirect meaning expressed by the same
word.
Example: An apple
Denotation  is a fruit, round in shape, red, yellow or green in color,
tastes sweet.
Connotation  a symbolism of knowledge (related to Newton), a symbol
of Human fall (Adam and Eve’s expel from Heaven)
Examples:
A dove (a bird similar to a pigeon) implies peace and gentility.
Home (a place where you live) implies family, comfort and security.
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3- Imagery
- Images are word pictures related to the five senses: touch, smell, taste,
sound and sight.
- Images make readers experience things vividly.
4- Tone
It’s the speaker’s or the poet’s attitude towards his/her subject matter:
- Is the poet involved or detached?
- Is the speaker: joking – ironic – condemning – depressed – angry – loving
– nostalgic?
5- Figurative language (figures of speech)
a- Simile: clear and direct comparison between two things that basically
different using comparison words like: as, like, as though, as if, seems,
similar to… etc.
Examples:
Playing the piano is like
A bird soaring in the sky
He’s white
As spilled milk
b- Metaphor: an indirect comparison between two unlike things without
using comparison words like: as, like, as if… etc.
Example:
Fame is a bee
It has a song
It has a sting
Ah, too, it has a wing
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c- Personification: a device in which a non-human object or thing is given
human characteristics.
Examples:
Wind yells while blowing
 This is an example of personification because wind cannot yell.
Look out how you use proud words
When you let proud words go, it is not easy to call them back
They wear long boots, hard boots; they walk off proud; they can’t hear
you calling
Look out how you use proud words.
 This is personification because words were given human appearance
and characteristics
d- Paradox: occurs when two things that should not be able to exist at the
same time are said because human beings might experience two or more
emotions at the same time or see things from two different points of
view.
Example:
Dark knows daylight
 Dark and light are opposites, yet they have something in common.
e- Repetition: when there is a word or a phrase used more than once for
emphasis or stressing an idea or feeling.
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Example:
How thin and sharp is the moon tonight!
How thin and sharp and ghostly white
Is the slim curved crook of the moon tonight!
f- Hyperbole: intentionally exaggerated figure of speech
Example:
He’s dying out of hunger
Her bag weighs like a ton
g- Symbolism: using one thing (a symbol) to stand for or represent
something else
Example:
Flowers symbolize beauty and nature
Eagles symbolize strength
Pigeons symbolize peace
h- Idioms: an expression that means something other than the literal
meanings of its individual words.
Example:
It’s a piece of cake  it’s easy
Actions speak louder than words  actions are better than ideas
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6- Musical Devices:
a- Alliteration: a structure in which two or more words in a line begine with
the same sound.
Example: rabbits running over roses
b- Assonance: the repetition of vowel sounds anywhere in a word
Example: mad as a hatter – blackjack – picnic
c- Consonance: the repetition of consonant sounds
Example: shelly sells shells by the seashore
d- Onomatopoeia: the use of a word whose sound imitates its meaning
Examples:
- Ugh! I need to work on the weekend!
- “Phew!” said John with relief when he found the watch he had lost.
- “Quack, quack, quack,” laughed the ducks as they sat on the pond.
- Around dinner time, you could hear the cat meow for food.
- “Beep, beep!” the driver honked her horn to warn the inattentive driver.
e- Rhyme:
- End rhyme: in which the words at the end of the lines have similar sounds
Example:
We make life a work of art
A
If we progress from careful start
A
But only if the bare and tragic
B
Are transformed by touch of magic
B
- Rhyme scheme: using letters to represent the end rhyme (AABB)
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Figurative Language Poem 1
City Autumn
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
The air breathes frost. A thin wind beats
Old dust and papers down gray streets
And blows brown leaves with curled‐up edges
At frightened sparrows on window ledges.
5
A snowflake falls like an errant feather:
A vagabond draws his cloak together,
And an old man totters past with a cane
Wondering if he’ll see spring again.
Comprehension Questions
1. What does the old man in this poem wonder?
1. whether the streets need to be cleaned
2. whether the sparrows are frightened
3. whether he’ll see spring again
4. whether he should help the vagabond
2. In which part of the year is the scene in this poem set?
1. late autumn
2. early spring
3. late summer
4. early winter
3. Read these lines from the poem:
And an old man totters past with a cane
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Wondering if he’ll see spring again.
Based on these lines, what can you conclude about how the old man feels about autumn and
winter?
1. He probably likes autumn and winter better than he likes spring.
2. He probably feels equally as positive about autumn and winter as he does about
spring.
3. He probably feels uncertain that he will live through the autumn and winter.
4. He probably feels excited about the autumn and winter.
4. Where does this poem take place?
1. on a farm
2. in a small town
3. inside a house
4. in a city
5. What is this poem mainly about?
1. a cold autumn day in a city
2. an old man who lives in a city
3. a vagabond who lives on a city street
4. the way dry, fallen leaves look
6. The poem begins with the sentence “The air breathes frost.” Why might the poet have
begun the poem with this sentence?
1. to introduce the reader to a human character with the name “Air”
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2. to establish the importance of the cold temperature in the scene
3. to help the reader ease into the poem with an unimportant detail
4. to set up a contrast between the weather at the start of the poem and at the end of
the poem
7. Read these lines from the poem:
A snowflake falls like an errant feather:
A vagabond draws his cloak together,
Why might the poet have used a colon (:) at the end of the first line?
1. to show that there is a connection between the snowflake falling and the vagabond
drawing his cloak together
2. to show that the vagabond drawing his cloak together caused the snowflake to fall
like an errant feather
3. to make clear that the snowflake falling and the vagabond drawing his cloak together
are events happening at different times
4. to contrast the falling snowflake and the vagabond drawing his cloak together
8. Describe the way the city in this poem looks, using details from the text.
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9. What is the overall mood of the poem? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
10. How does the city setting of this poem contribute to the mood of the poem? Use evidence
from the text to support your answer.
11.Paraphrase the poem in your own words.
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12.
Provide 3 different examples for figurative language used in the poem.
Explain your examples.
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13. Provide 3 different examples for sound devices used in the poem.
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Figurative Language Poem 2
Daffodils
By William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales (1) and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee: (2)
A poet could not be but gay, (3)
In such a jocund company:
I gazed — and gazed — but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
(1) Vales = valleys
(2) Glee = happiness
(3) Gay = happy
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Directions: Respond to the following questions:
1- Identify and example of personification and explain what is being
personified and how.
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2- Identify an example of hyperbole; and explain how it is exaggerated.
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3- Identify an example of metaphor; and explain which two things are being
compared.
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4- Find two separate examples of alliteration. List the alliterative words.
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5- Where is repetition used in this poem? Why do you think it’s used this way?
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6- What action is described in the third stanza of the poem?
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7- How is imagery used in this poem? What is described?
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8- What is the mood of this poem? How does it make you feel?
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9- Paraphrase the poem in your own words.
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Figurative Poem 3
“The Dawn’s Awake”
By Otto Leland Bohanan
The Dawn’s awake!
A flash of smoldering flame and fire
Ignites the East. Then, higher, higher,
O’er all the sky so gray, forlorn (1),
The torch of gold is borne.
The Dawn’s awake!
The dawn of a thousand dreams and thrills.
And music singing in the hills
A paean (2) of eternal spring
Voices the new awakening.
The Dawn’s awake!
Whispers of pent-up harmonies,
With the mingled fragrance of the trees;
Fain snatches of half-forgotten song—
Fathers! Torn and numb, -The boon of light we craved, awaited long,
Has come, has come!
(1) Forlorn: pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely
(2) Paean: a song or praise or triumph
Review Questions: Respond to the following questions:
1- Identify two examples of personification; and explain what is being
personified and how in each example.
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2- Identify an example of hyperbole; and explain how it is exaggerated.
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3- Identify an example of metaphor; and explain which two things are being
compared.
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4- Find three examples of imagery in the poem that access three different
senses. Explain which senses are called on by the speaker for each example.
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5- Contrast the tone of this line “fathers! Torn and numb,” with the tone of
the rest of the poem. How is this line different and why do you think so?
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Figurative Language Poem 4
“To a Butterfly”
By William Wordsworth
STAY near me--do not take thy flight!
A little longer stay in sight!
Much converse do I find in thee,
Historian of my infancy!
Float near me; do not yet depart!
Dead times revive in thee:
Thou bring'st, gay creature as thou art!
A solemn image to my heart,
My father's family!
Oh! pleasant, pleasant were the days,
The time, when, in our childish plays,
My sister Emmeline and I
Together chased the butterfly!
A very hunter did I rush
Upon the prey:--with leaps and springs
I followed on from brake to bush;
But she, God love her, feared to brush
The dust from off its wings.
1- Complete:
- The poem consists of _______________ stanzas.
- Examples of personifications are:
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- Examples of repetition are:
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- “A little longer” is an example of _______________________________
- Can you find other examples?
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- “ Upon the prey: -- with leaps and spring” is an example of ____________
- Can you find other examples?
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- The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is ___________________________
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- The rhyme scheme of the second stanza is _________________________
2- What does Wordsworth mean by “historian of my infancy”?
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3- What is the tone of the poem?
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4- How does the poet feel towards his childhood? Support your answer with
evidence from the poem.
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5- What does the poet ask the butterfly to do? Why?
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6- “A very hunter did I rush…Upon the prey” is a ___________________
describing
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Figurative Language Poem 5
The Echoing Green
The sun does arise,
And make happy the skies;
The merry bells ring
To welcome the Spring;
The skylark and thrush,
The birds of the bush,
Sing louder around
To the bells' cheerful sound;
While our sports shall be seen
On the echoing Green.
Old John, with white hair,
Does laugh away care,
Sitting under the oak,
Among the old folk.
They laugh at our play,
And soon they all say,
"Such, such were the joys
When we all--girls and boys-In our youth-time were seen
On the echoing Green."
Till the little ones, weary,
No more can be merry:
The sun does descend,
And our sports have an end.
Round the laps of their mothers
Many sisters and brothers,
Like birds in their nest,
Are ready for rest,
And sport no more seen
On the darkening green.
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Comprehension Questions
1. What arises at the beginning of the poem and descends at the end?
1. the sun
2. a bell
3. a bird
4. an oak tree
2. What is the setting of this poem?
1. the nest of a bird
2. a bush where birds live
3. the echoing Green
4. the home of Old John
3. Reread the second stanza of the poem:
Old John, with white hair,
Does laugh away care,
Sitting under the oak,
Among the old folk.
They laugh at our play,
And soon they all say,
"Such, such were the joys
When we all--girls and boys-In our youth-time were seen
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On the echoing Green."
What can you infer from this stanza about Old John?
1. Old John spends most of his time worrying.
2. Old John used to play on the echoing Green.
3. Old John likes being an old man more than he liked being a boy.
4. Old John does not get along well with the other old folk.
4. Who or what are “the little ones” in line 21?
1. young birds
2. boys and girls
3. mothers
4. old folk
5. What is the theme of this poem?
1. the disappointments of old age
2. the importance of hard work
3. the power of dreams
4. the joy of playing outdoors
6. What is the effect of using personification in lines 2 and 4?
1. Personification suggests that nature can be dangerous.
2. Personification contrasts birds with human beings.
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3. Personification explains the difference between skylarks and thrushes.
4. Personification creates a mood of happiness.
7. Whom does “our” refer to in line 15?
1. the old folks sitting together under an oak tree
2. the people who ring merry bells to welcome the spring
3. the boys and girls playing on the echoing Green
4. the mothers around whose laps many sisters and brothers gather
8. What “shall be seen” on the echoing Green?
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9. Define the word “sports” as it is used in the poem. Support your definition with evidence
from the text.
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10. What is the echoing Green? Be sure to explain what the echoing Green actually is, not what
takes place there. Support your answer with evidence from the poem.
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11. Provide 3 examples for figurative language. Explain your examples.
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12. Provide 3 examples for sound devices used in the poem.
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Elements of a Play:
123456-
Theme: the main message the reader can take away from the story
Plot: the sequence of related events in a story...its basic structure
Characters: the actors in the story...can be people, animals, etc.
Setting: the time and place of the story's actions
Dialogue: the lines that the actors say
Stage Directions: lines written between the dialogues to guide the actors
how they should act or where they should stand on the stage
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General Revision 1
I. Directions: Answer the following questions:
1. A story written to be performed is_____________.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
A. A novel
B. A drama
C. An act
D. A manuscript
Conversations between characters are called presentation of_____________.
A. Monologue B. Dialogue
C. Manuscript
D. Dramatic interpretation
Which would be included in stage directions?
A. How an actor should act as he says his line
B. Special effects
C. How the set should look
D. The way the characters should look and move
E. All of the above
When Marley tells Scrooge, "You have labored on it, since. It is a ponderous chain.", what
does he mean by ponderous?
A. Unethical
B. Weighty
C. Difficult
D. Bold
What does the old Scrooge value most (so far in the play)?
A. His health
B. His money
C. His relatives
D. His friends
How does Scrooge treat his clerk, Bob Cratchit?
A. Harshly
B. Kindly
C. Fearfully
What do the scenes revisited with the Ghost of Christmas Past show about the young
Scrooge?
A. He was happy. B. He was lonely. C. He was wealthy.
8. What does the old Scrooge value most (so far in the play)?
A. His health
B. His money
C. His relatives
D. His friends .
9. How does Scrooge treat his clerk, Bob Cratchit?
A. Harshly
B. Kindly
C. Fearfully
10. What do the scenes revisited with the Ghost of Christmas Past show about the young
Scrooge?
A. He was happy. B. He was lonely . C. He was wealthy .
11. Mr. Scrooge's first name is _____________.
A. Bob
B. Fred
C. Ebenezer
D. Marley
12. Mr. Scrooge's famous saying is _____________.
A. Fezziwig
B. Bah! Humbug C. Cratchit
D. Christmas
13. Mr. Scrooge's dead partner was _____________.
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A. Jacob Marley B. Bob Cratchit
C. Belle
D. Fezziwig
14. The first spirit that visited Scrooge was the _____________.
A. Ghost of Christmas Past
B. Ghost of Christmas Present
C. Ghost of Christmas Future
D.Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
15. Fezziwig was _____________.
A. the name of the Ghost of Christmas Present
B. the merchant Scrooge apprenticed with as a young man
C. Scrooge's old school teacher when he was a child
D. Belle's father who did not approve of Scrooge
II. Directions: Written Response
Short response
1. From the beginning of the play ‘Scrooge appeared to be a Cruel, hard-hearted person’ Cite text
evidence to show this.
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2. Money and greed are two important themes in the play. Explain giving evidence to show the
themes as highlighted in the play.
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3. Quotation ‘If they’d rather die, let them die. At least they will decrease the surplus population’
make inference
– Who said this? To whom?
– What was the situation? Analyze.
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4. What are the character traits of the main characters in the play? Cite evidence for your
answer.
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5. Predict what will happen next in the play. Cite evidence for your answer.
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6. How does Scrooge’s past affect him? Cite evidence for your answer.
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7. Compare and contrast Scrooge in the past to Scrooge in the present. Cite evidence
for your answer.
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8. Why did Marley pay a visit to Scrooge?
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General Revision 2
Read each of the following questions. Then choose the better of the best answer:
1- Which word best describes Scrooge at the beginning of the play ?
A. shy
B. happy
C. poor
D. mean
2- In the sequence of events, what happens before Scrooge sees his childhood ?
A. Scrooge sees Fezziwi.
B. Marley's ghost visits Scrooge
C. Cratchit and Tiny Tim go to church
D. Scrooge gives money to the poor
3- What theme does the Spirit of Christmas Past reveal ?
A. You cannot change the past
B. The past makes you what you are
C. Everyone makes mistakes
D. It is best to forget the past
4- At the end of the play, Scrooge buys the Cratchits
A. a prize turkey
B. crutches for Tiny Tim
C. a new home
D. a basket of fruit
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5- The theme in this play concerns
A. courage
B. children
C. money
D. England
Vocabulary
Choose the answer that best explains the meaning of each underlined word:
6- I sign my donation checks using "anonymous." An anonymous person is not …………
A. named
B. happy
C. important
D. alive
7- Euro is the official currency of France. What is currency?
A. metal
B. water
C. news
D. money
8- She gets infuriated by his attitude. What does infuriated mean?
A. hungry
B. angry
C. lonely
D. careful
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9- Sometimes they get incoherent when it comes to choosing food. Someone who is incoherent is
A. missing
B. glad
C. confused
D. gentle
Written Response
Short Response Answer the following questions based on your knowledge of the story.
1- What does Scrooge learn from the Ghost of Christmas Future?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2- What is one lesson Scrooge learns from the Ghost of Christmas Present?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3- Identify the climax of the play. Cite evidence for your answer.
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Extended Response
Answer the following questions based on your knowledge of the story. Write one or two paragraphs.
1- Explain how Scrooge changes from the beginning of the play to the end. Give one example from
the play to support your answer.
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2. Identify 3 of the main themes of the play; and cite evidence from the play that highlight these
themes.
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Directions: Read the following text and the questions below:
Field Trip
Jeremy couldn't believe his luck. The morning of his 6th grade field trip to the
Rose Center for Earth and Space at the Museum of Natural History, he fell ill.
“This can't be,” he thought. “Science is my favorite subject, and I'm not going to
be able to go to the Museum with Mr. Connolly and my friends?” He pleaded with
his parents to let him go to school anyway, but they were firm in their refusal.
"The sooner you rest at home, the sooner you'll get better," his mother said.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, champ," his father said. "We can always go another
time."
"I won't be with Mr. Connolly and my science class if I go another time," Jeremy
protested. "It won't be the same."
"It won't be the same if you're feeling ill at the museum either," his mother said,
trying to reason with him. "Now take this medicine and go lie back down."
Jeremy closed his eyes as he swallowed the white tablet with a gulp of water.
"What if I feel better before the field trip begins?"
"We'll decide then," his mother said, while his father nodded.
Jeremy returned to his bed, fuming. Even though it was sunny outside, he felt a
black cloud hovering over his head, threatening stormy weather inside his brain
and making him angry. But soon after he lay in bed, the medicine his mother had
given him began working, and he fell asleep almost right away.
When Jeremy awoke, his room was bathed in darkness. Outside his window it was
dark, too. What time was it? Had he slept through the day? Was it the next day?
Was it the middle of the night? Jeremy was completely confused. "Mom!" he
called out.
Jeremy's dad walked into his room with a smile on his face, and wearing his hiking
shoes. "Champ! You're awake," he said.
"What time is it? Did I miss everything?"
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Jeremy's dad put a hand on his forehead and checked for a temperature. Nothing.
"Not at all, in fact, you're just in time for your field trip. If you're feeling better,
that is."
Jeremy jumped out of bed, stretched, and did a little dance. His energy was back.
"I'm feeling fine," he said.
"Great. Now put on a sweater and lace up your shoes and follow me."
Jeremy checked the time as he was getting dressed. 8:05 p.m. It didn't make any
sense. Where could he possibly be going with his father so late in the day? Surely
the museum was closed, and Mr. Connolly had gone home. But Jeremy didn't
slow down. He dressed and met his father in the living room, where he was sitting
with a man he had never met before, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, his
favorite.
"I have a surprise for you," his father said. "Jeremy, meet Professor Helfand. He is
a professor of astronomy at Columbia University, where they have an
observatory. Do you know what an observatory is?"
Jeremy nodded. "Mr. Connolly described them to us in class when we began the
chapter on planetary science. It's a viewing tower from where you can observe
the planets and galaxies through high-powered telescopes, track their
movements, and study their behavior." Jeremy was talking so fast, he could barely
chew on his sandwich.
"That's absolutely right," Professor Helfand said, impressed. "And because you
missed your field trip this morning, we're going to pay a little visit to the
observatory tonight so that you can have a field trip of your own."
Jeremy couldn't believe his ears. "I'm ready!" he shouted at his dad.
"Not so fast, champ. Finish your sandwich, and then we'll go. You haven't eaten
anything all day, remember?"
"I can't believe I slept all day—but this is the best night of my life!" Jeremy said
with a laugh.
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Jeremy, his dad, and Professor Helfand took the subway to Columbia University,
where they walked to the Physics Building and took the elevator to the top floor.
There were many rooms with all kinds of computers, some big and others small,
some that looked like really old machines and others that looked brand new.
Most had notebooks next to them, which were filled with charts, numbers, even
little drawings of orbits. Professor Helfand explained that each computer was
connected to a specific telescope, and that there was one person in charge of
each telescope, and observing the movement of one planet, or star.
Jeremy noticed that some of the charts showed patterns: numbers that repeated,
timings separated by exactly one hour. The professor showed him that the
repeating numbers were distances between planets, or between planets and their
moons, or distances between stars, and showed him how the orbits of these
planetary bodies created patterns of collective behavior. "Because of gravitational
forces," he said, "the planets and their moons have fixed orbits, and so they end
up being the same distance from each other every so often. Once we have
enough of these numbers written down, and have been tracking these planets'
trajectories for enough time, we can create models that predict where these
planets, and their moons, are going to be one month from now, or one year from
now—how far from each other, how far from planet Earth, our moon and our
sun."
"I keep forgetting that there is more than one sun in the universe," Jeremy said
after a pause. "How many suns are there?"
"That's a great question, and not one that we have the answer to," Professor
Helfand replied. "What we know so far is that planet Earth, and the seven other
planets in our solar system, are part of the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of
many galaxies in the universe. The farther we can see with our telescopes, and
the more patterns and behaviors we can predict and detect of all the celestial
bodies we know so far, the more galaxies we can discover, and the more suns we
can identify. But it's going to take a lot of work to get there."
"How exciting," Jeremy said, marveling at the possibilities of discovery in front of
them.
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Jeremy's father called Jeremy over to the central observation deck, where an
enormous telescope had been set up and positioned on a specific constellation in
the sky. "Can you identify it?" his father asked him.
"I think so. The Big Dipper?"
"Absolutely right!" Professor Helfand said. "It's part of one of the brightest
constellations we can see, called Ursa Major. Here's a little trick about Ursa Major
and the North Star. See the two stars on the extreme right, at the bottom of the
constellation?"
Jeremy looked carefully into the telescope and trained his eyes slowly to the right,
where the handle of Big Dipper sank downwards and turned into a trapezoid.
"Yes, I see the base of the constellation," he said.
"Perfect. Now, imagine a line connecting those two stars—they're called Merak
and Dubhe—and extend it all the way up into the top of the lens."
Jeremy imagined a bright white line connecting the two stars, and stretching past
them. It felt like he was connecting the dots in an art book from 2nd grade, only
this was way cooler. "O-k-a-y,' he said slowly. He could feel his father's hands on
his shoulders, keeping him steady.
"What do you see, champ?" his father asked.
Jeremy stared into the lens, trying to stay focused. "Oh!" he shouted. "I think I see
another star, but it looks bigger than all the others! Is it really a star?" Jeremy
squirmed with excitement.
"Well done," Professor Helfand said. "You just located the North Star in our
humongous sky. You know, Jeremy, maybe when you're older, you can join our
team and help us look for more constellations and galaxies in the sky. There's so
much out there that we have no idea about. Would you be interested?"
Jeremy thought about Mr. Connolly and his friends walking around the Rose
Center and playing with the kiddie exhibits, while he stood here at the top of the
world, looking deep into the sky. "I can't wait," he said, with a smile on his face as
bright as a hundred suns.
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Directions: Choose the correct answer:
1. Why does Jeremy miss the field trip with his science class?
a- Because his dad wants him to stay home
b- Because science is his least favorite subject
c- Because he is sick
d- Because he wanted to go to an observatory instead
2. One problem is that Jeremy is upset that he’s missing his field trip. How does
his father solve this problem?
a- He shows Jeremy how to use a telescope at home.
b- He arranges a night visit to an observatory at Columbia University.
c- He asks Mr. Connolly to postpone the trip.
d- He drives Jeremy to the Rose Center later in the day to meet his class.
3. Which of the following statements best supports the conclusion that Jeremy
thinks discovery is an exciting part of science?
a- Jeremy asks Professor Helfand “‘how many suns are there?’”
b- Jeremy refers to the night as the best night of his life.
c- He is angry that he cannot go to the Rose Center.
d- Jeremy was “marveling at the possibilities of discovery in front of them.”
4. At the end of the story Jeremy refers to the exhibits on the field trip as “kiddie”
exhibits. What does this suggest he feels?
a- He is only interested in astronomy if he can use a telescope.
b- He feels that science is a subject for little kids.
c- He’s lost his interest in space because he missed the field trip to the museum
and ended up at the conservatory.
d- He has learned something he considers more grown up and useful at the
conservatory than he would have on his field trip.
5. What is the story mostly about?
a- The many things Jeremy learns on his trip to the observatory
b- The day Jeremy stays out home because he is sick
c- How Professor Helfand became interested in astronomy
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d- Jeremy’s field trip to the Rose Center
6. “Not so fast champ. Finish your sandwich, and then we’ll go. You haven’t eaten
anything all day, remember?”
Why might the author have included the above sentence?
a- to point out how difficult it is to eat when you feel sick
b- to show how strict Jeremy’s dad is
c- to show the reader what kind of food Jeremy likes
d- to illustrate how excited Jeremy is
7. Jeremy gets too sick for his field trip and __________ learns what it might be
like to be a real scientist.
a- consequently
b- previously
c- on the other hand
d- in particular
Short Response
Directions: Respond to the following questions in 2-3 sentences:
8. Jeremy wants to be a scientist when he gets older.
Use evidence from the text to support this statement.
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9. What does Jeremy learn about the stars and universe from Professor Helfand?
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Extended Response
Directions: Respond to the following question in a paragraph form:
10. What does Jeremy learn about the subject of science and how it could apply
to his future?
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Google
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the
text to check your answers when appropriate.
You know that you're doing something big
when your company name becomes a verb.
Ask Xerox. In 1959 they created the first
plain paper copy machine. It was one of the
most successful products ever. The company
name Xerox grew into a verb that means "to
copy," as in "Bob, can you Xerox this for
me?" Around 50 years later, the same thing
happened to Google. Their company name
grew into a verb that means "to do an
internet search." Now everyone and their
grandma knows what it means to Google it.
Unlike Xerox, Google wasn't the first
company to invent their product, not by a
long shot. Lycos released their search
engine in 1993. Yahoo! came out in 1994.
AltaVista began serving results in 1995.
Google did not come out until years later, in
1998. Though a few years difference may
not seem like much, this is a major head
start in the fast moving world of tech. So
how did Google do it? How did they
overtake their competitors who had such
huge leads in time and money? Maybe one
good idea made all the difference.
There are millions and millions of sites on
the internet. How does a search engine
know which ones are relevant to your
search? This is a question that great minds
have been working on for decades. To
understand how Google changed the game,
you need to know how search engines
worked in 1998. Back then most websites
looked at the words in your query. They
counted how many times those words
appeared on each page. Then they might
return pages where the words in your query
appeared the most. This system did not
Google was the first search engine that
began considering links. Links are those
blue underlined words that take you to
other pages when you click on them. Larry
Page, cofounder of Google, believed that
meaningful data could be drawn from how
those links connect. Page figured that
websites with many links pointing at them
were more important than those that had
few. He was right. Google's search results
were much better than their rivals. They
would soon become the world's most used
search engine.
It wasn't just the great search results that
led to Google becoming so well liked. It also
had to do with the way that they presented
their product. Most of the other search
engines were cluttered. Their home pages
were filled with everything from news
stories to stock quotes. But Google's
homepage was, and still is, clean. There's
nothing on it but the logo, the search box,
and a few links. It almost appears empty. In
fact, when they were first testing it, users
would wait at the home page and not do
anything. When asked why, they said that
they were, "waiting for the rest of the page
to load." People couldn't imagine such a
clean and open page as being complete. But
the fresh design grew on people once they
got used to it.
These days Google has its hands in
everything from self-driving cars to helping
humans live longer. Though they have many
other popular products, they will always be
best known for their search engine. The
Google search engine has changed our lives
and our language. Not only is it a fantastic
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work well and people often had to click
through pages and pages of results to find
what they wanted.
product, it is a standing example that one
good idea (and a lot of hard work) can
change the world.
1. Which event happened last?
a. Lycos released their search engine.
engine.
b. Yahoo! released their search
c. Google released their search engine.
d. Xerox released their copy machine.
2. Which statement would the author of this text most likely disagree with?
a. Part of Google's success is due to the design of their homepage.
b. Google succeeded by following examples of others in their field.
c. Google wasn't the first search engine, but it was the best.
d. Google's success may not have been possible without Larry Page.
3. Which best expresses the main idea of the third paragraph?
a. There are lots and lots of websites connected to the internet.
b. Google created a better way to organize search results.
c. Many smart people have worked on search engines over the years.
d. Older search engines used unreliable methods to order results.
4. What is the author's main purpose in writing this article?
a. To explain how Google overtook its rivals
b. To compare and contrast Google and Xerox
c. To persuade readers to use Google for internet searches
d. To discuss how companies can influence language over time
5. Which statement would the author most likely agree with?
a. Google became successful because its founders were well-connected.
b. Google was the world's first and best search engine.
c. Google changed the world by solving an old problem in a new way.
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d. Google's other products are now more important to its success than search.
6. Which best expresses the main idea of the fourth paragraph?
a. Links allow people to surf from one website to the next.
b. Larry Page's ideas about links helped Google get to the top.
c. Larry Page contributed to the internet by inventing the link.
d. Google is a website that serves important links to users.
7. Which best explains why the author discusses Xerox in this text?
a. He is discussing big companies that came before Google.
b. He is explaining how companies must change with the times.
c. He is showing how companies can affect our language.
d. He is comparing and contrasting Google and Xerox.
8. How did Google improve search quality in 1998?
a. They counted how many times queries appeared on each page.
b. They looked more closely at the words in search queries.
c. They linked to more pages.
d. They studied the relationships of links.
9. Which was cited as a reason why Google became so popular?
a. Google's homepage was clean.
b. Google provided catchy news stories on their homepage.
c. Google homepage loaded quickly.
d. Google provided useful stock quotes on their homepage.
10. Which title best expresses the author's main purpose in writing this text?
a. Xerox Vs. Google: Battle of the Titans
b. Search Engines: How They Work and Why They're Important
c. A Better Way: How Google Rose to the Top
d. Search Engines: A Short History of Important Tools
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Long Response
1. What can readers learn about Google's approach to doing business based on reading this
article? Use information from the text to support your response.
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2. Explain how Google was able to overcome its competitors. Cite information from the text
to support your response.
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3. What do Google and Xerox have in common? Support your answer with information from
the text.
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Directions: Read the following text and the questions below:
Temporary Employment
What I speak is the truth—the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You can
believe what you’d like.
I was working at a restaurant—a regular Italian restaurant, nothing too fancy.
They hired me as a busboy, and I intended to work my way up. I had just set out
on my own, and I was full of plans, big plans, plans that all ended up in the same
place: a swimming pool full of money—metaphorically speaking, of course.
They had me doing all kinds of work, none of it pretty. There were the standard
busboy duties: clearing plates off tables, taking out the trash, and hauling the
dirty dishes back to be washed. But I think they noticed my zeal and desire to
please and decided to take advantage of it. Because whenever a job popped up
that was too difficult, too boring, too gross, or just “plain beneath the other
employees,” well, they gave it me.
And you know what I said? “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
Franco was the manager. He was nice enough, but he was terrified of Debra, who
owned the place. Debra only popped in once in a while, but when she was
coming, we'd know. First Franco's eyes would get really wide. He'd start to
tremble, and then he'd start yipping like a Chihuahua, except instead of barks he
would yip orders. “Wash the bathroom!” he'd say, even though it was spotless.
“Double-check the menus! Clean the sinks! Polish the table bases! Polish the
silverware! Polish the countertops and the tabletops and the tops of the heads of
the bald men!”
Maybe I made that last one up.
But the rest is true. He'd work himself up into a frenzy. Debra was intimidating, I
give her that. Her eyes were like lasers, and her voice was sharp.
It was even worse when she didn't speak. Franco would say something dumb and
she'd just glare, which made him so nervous he'd say something even dumber,
and the situation would continue like this until she spun around on her heels and
strode through the double doors, pushing both open at once like some frontier
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desperado. She made people cower. Except for me, but as a busboy it wasn't hard
to stay out of her path.
That is, except for this one time, the time I'm trying to tell you about. Like I said, I
was the designated dirty work go-to guy. Someone threw up in the bathroom? I'm
on it. Garbage is piling up in the basement? Boxes and boxes of inventory need
counting and restocking? Those boxes are infested with spiders? I'm your man.
On the fateful afternoon in question, I was on something of a cleaning spree.
Franco had asked me to clean the staff toilets, which were tucked away in a damp
corner of the basement, out of the customers' sight, and for good reason. The
situation called for a wagon full of cleaning supplies. I went to the supply closet
only to find cleaning supplies so grimy and full of spider webs that they couldn't
even be used without a good scour and scrub.
I needed cleaning supplies for my cleaning supplies.
I left the restaurant, just for a minute, to buy what I considered necessary. I was
gung-ho about the whole cleaning enterprise. I was ready to give that basement
the makeover of its long and foul-smelling life. Was I overly enthusiastic? Was I
overly passionate?
It wasn't as though I stormed wild-eyed through the doors, frothing at the mouth.
I didn't yell out a war cry or start spraying all-purpose cleaner with bleach above
my head like some sort of lunatic. There was no chanting, no war dance.
I filled a shopping cart with cleaning supplies. Thinking the lunch hour was over, I
used that shopping cart to barrel through the doors, and that shopping cart
crashed into someone eating lunch, and that person—seated with her back to me,
whose face I couldn't see until she rose from the carpeted floor with penne a la
vodka in her lap and a nightmare from the depths of the inferno in her eye—was
Debra.
She said nothing at first, but rose with dignity and fury to her feet. She didn't wipe
the pasta from her blouse, but let it fall of its own accord. It did, with a splatter.
She stared into my eyes. I could feel my mouth opening and closing. I couldn't
stop it—open, close, open, close. Without thinking I said something. I said, “How
fortunate, I have cleaning supplies.” And I whirled around and grabbed a spray-on
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fabric cleaner from the cart's heaping bounty and whirled back around to see
Debra’s shoulders rising as she inhaled, falling as she exhaled. She breathed
heavily, and the rise and fall of her shoulders reminded me of the engine
movements of an old-fashioned steam locomotive, one that would shortly flatten
me.
Debra raised one trembling finger and pointed it between my eyes, looking as
though she wished it were the barrel of a gun. She opened her mouth but I cut
her off with a raised finger of my own. “Hold that thought,” I said. And without so
much as a sidelong glance, I strode past her to Franco, who thought he could hide
behind a large bushy ficus plant. I threw down my apron and simply said, in the
angriest voice I could muster, “I quit.”
Respond to the following questions:
1. Where does the narrator of the story work?
a- A supermarket
b- An office
c- An Italian restaurant
d- An ice cream parlor
2. After filling a shopping cart with cleaning supplies, the narrator barrels through
the restaurant doors with the shopping cart. What is the result of the narrator’s
actions?
a- The narrator crashes into the restaurant owner, Debra.
b- The narrator is fired for making a mess.
c- The narrator breaks the doors down and gets in trouble.
d- The narrator is able to clean the basement.
3. The narrator’s job is dirty and unpleasant. What evidence from the passage
best supports this conclusion?
a- He counts and restocks boxes of inventory.
b- He cleans up vomit and takes out the trash.
c- He polishes silverware and countertops.
d- He is assigned the boring duties.
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4. Read the following sentences: “I had just set out on my own and I was full of
plans, big plans, plans that all ended up in the same place: a swimming pool full of
money—metaphorically speaking, of course.”
Based on this information, what can you conclude about the narrator?
a-He is cheerful.
b- He is practical.
c- He is loyal.
d- He is ambitious.
5. What is this story mostly about?
a- Debra, the owner of the Italian restaurant
b- the relationship between Debra and Franco
c- the life of a busboy at an Italian restaurant
d- how to get rich while working in a restaurant
6. Read the following sentences: “But I think they noticed my zeal and desire to
please and decided to take advantage of it. Because whenever a job popped up
that was too difficult, too boring, too gross, or just ‘plain beneath the other
employees,’ well, they gave it me. And you know what I said? “Yes, sir. Thank you,
sir.”
As used in this sentence, what does the word “zeal” most nearly mean?
a-Hesitation
b- Enthusiasm
c- Anger
d-Laziness
7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.
__________ the narrator has to do the dirty work in the restaurant, he does his
job with zeal.
a-Even though
b- Moreover
c- As a result
d- Particularly
Short Response
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Directions: Answer the following question in 2-3 sentences:
8. What does the narrator tell his manager at the end of the story?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Extended Response:
Directions: Answer the following question in a paragraph form:
9. What motivates the narrator to do his job as busboy with “zeal and desire to
please”?
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Honey Badgers
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer
to the text to check your answers when appropriate.
What's fiercer than a lion but smaller
than a beagle? The honey badger, one of
the toughest mammals in Africa and
western Asia. Honey badgers stand less
than a foot high. They are only a couple
feet long. They weigh just over 20
pounds. Yet they have a reputation for
toughness that is far greater than their
size. Some honey badgers will chase
away lions and take their kills. I guess
that goes to show you that size isn't the
only thing that matters in a fight.
So what makes the honey badger so
tough? They have speed, stamina, and
agility, but so do many animals. They
aren't stronger than lions, so how do
they stop them? The thing that sets the
honey badger apart is their skin. Their
skin is thick and tough. Arrows, spears,
and bites from other animals can rarely
pierce it. Small bullets can't even
penetrate it. Not only is their skin thick
and tough, it is also loose. This allows
them to twist and turn to attack while
another animal is gripping them. The
only safe grip one can get on a honey
badger is on the back of their necks.
Honey badgers have long, sharp claws.
These claws are good for attacking and
even better for digging. Honey badgers
are some of nature's most skilled
diggers. They can dig a nine-foot tunnel
into hard ground in about 10 minutes.
They love to catch a meal by digging up
You don't get a reputation like the honey
badger by running from danger. The
honey badger is fearless and a tireless
fighter. They will attack any creature
that threatens them, man included.
Because of the honey badger's
reputation, most predators avoid them.
Some animals use the honey badger's
rep to their advantage. Adult cheetahs
have spotted coats, but their kittens have
silver manes and look like honey
badgers. Some scientists believe that
their coloring tricks predators into
avoiding them. Wouldn't you walk the
other way if you saw a honey badger?
You might be wondering: "If honey
badgers are so tough, how did they get a
name that makes them sound like a piece
of candy?" The answer makes sense.
Since honey badgers have such thick
skin, bee stings rarely harm them. So
honey badgers love to raid beehives. I
can't blame them. Who doesn't like free
honey? Honey badgers chase after honey
aggressively. So much so that beekeepers
in Africa have to use electric fencing to
hold them back. There's nothing sweet
about that.
Beekeepers aren't the only people who
have grown to hate honey badgers.
Honey badgers may be fun to read about,
but they are nasty neighbors. They
attack chickens, livestock, and some say
children, though they usually leave
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the burrows of frogs, rodents, and
cobras. They also use their digging skills
to create their homes. They live in small
chambers in the ground and defend
them fiercely. They will attack horses,
cows, and even water buffalo if they are
foolish enough to poke around a honey
badger's den.
people alone. But if a honey badger
moves in your backyard, there's not a
whole lot that you can do about it. I
mean, are you going to go and tangle
with an animal that eats the bones of its
prey? An animal with teeth strong
enough to crunch through turtle shells?
An animal that never tires, gives up, or
backs down? Yeah, I wouldn't either...
1. Which best expresses the main idea of the third paragraph?
a. Honey badgers have sharp claws that they use for fighting.
b. Honey badgers digging skills assist them in many ways.
c. Honey badgers use their claws to defend their homes.
d. Honey badgers will defend their homes to the death against any animal.
2. Which statement would the author most likely agree with?
a. What makes the honey badger so tough is their speed and strength.
b. Honey badgers are large in size and tireless in fighting spirit.
c. What makes honey badgers so tough is their thick, loose skin.
d. Honey badgers got their name from the sweet taste of their meat.
3. Which best defines the meaning of the word burrows as it is used in the third paragraph?
a. Lily pads or other seaweeds in which animals hide
b. Holes or tunnels in which animals live
c. A nest or animal dwelling in a tree or bush
d. A water supply where small animals come to drink
4. Which best expresses the main idea of the last paragraph?
a. Honey badgers are a nuisance to the neighborhood.
b. Beekeepers and honey badgers do not get along well.
c. Honey badgers have very strong jaws and teeth.
d. Honey badgers eat chicken and livestock.
5. Which best describes one of the author's main purposes in writing this text?
a. To persuade readers to join the efforts to protect honey badgers
b. To compare and contrast honey badgers with beagles and lions
c. To describe how honey badgers select their partners
d. To explain why honey badgers are so tough
6. Which statement would the author most likely disagree with?
a. Honey badgers like to raid beehives to eat honey.
b. Honey badgers are not the biggest animals, but they may be the toughest.
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c. Honey badgers disguise their young to look like cheetah kittens.
d. Honey badgers are not afraid to fight with humans.
7. Which person is most likely to be disturbed by a honey badger moving in next door?
a. A beekeeper
b. A biologist
c. A bus driver
d. A salesman
8. Which animal is the honey badger afraid to attack?
a. Lion
b. Water buffalo
c. Poisonous snake
d. None of these
9. Which is not one of the honey badger's strengths?
a. Thick skin
b. Powerful jaws and strong teeth
c. Poisonous claws
d. Tireless fighting spirit
10. Which title best expresses the main idea of this text?
a. Battle on the Savannah: Honey Badgers Vs. Lions
b. Little Badger, Big Fight: One of Nature's Toughest Scrappers
c. Ace in the Hole: How Honey Badgers Build and Protect Their Homes
d. Little Game: Interesting Animals That Live in Africa
1. How do cheetah kittens' silver manes help them to survive? Quote evidence from the text
to support your response and explain your answer completely.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. What would be the safest thing to do if you encountered a honey badger? Cite evidence
from the text to support your argument.
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3. What is the honey badger's greatest asset or quality? Quote evidence from the text to
support your response and explain what the text that you are quoting shows.
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Directions: Read the following text and the questions below:
Finders Keepers
Directions: Read the following text and answer the following questions:
It was the middle of the day on a bright sunny Saturday, and Jay and his friends
Mike and Tony were riding their dirt bikes on one of their favorite off-road trails.
They usually didn’t ride early in the day or in the evening because hikers and
runners liked the trail too, but hikers and runners generally used the trail in the
mornings and evenings.
The trail twisted and turned through some incredible foliage. Occasionally, Jay
and his friends would stop to climb a tree and find a comfortable branch to sit on
so they could a take a break from riding in the heat. They also like to observe the
newer bikers as they rode over of the unpredictable bumps on the trail and wiped
out. Jay, Mike and Tony did have their mischievous sides.
On this particular day, Jay and the boys were perched in one of their preferred
trees when Jay spotted something shiny on the ground. “What do you think that
could be?” he asked Mike and Tony as he pointed out the object reflecting the
sun.
They all hopped down from their individual branches and went to take a closer
look. What they found was incomprehensible to them. It was a gold money clip
holding five hundred dollars.
Mike immediately exclaimed. “Awesome! We can split up the money, and we will
each be much closer to being able to buy the new bikes we want.”
“Not so fast,” said Tony. “Jay was the one who spotted the cash. To be fair, he
should get more than us. He should het three hundred dollars, and we should
each get one hundred dollars.”
“What are you guys, crazy?” asked Jay. “We can’t keep the money. It isn’t ours.
Aren’t we more mature than to play finders keepers like we did when we were
kids?”
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“Stop being such an advocate for honesty,” groaned Mike and Tony.
“Whoever lost the money wasn’t very responsible and should learn a lesson about
walking around with that much cash on them anyhow,” added Mike.
“Let’s all go home and think about this,” said Jay, knowing that he could have
made the call because he was the one who spotted the money clip in the first
place.
Mike and Tony agreed to Jay’s suggestion. Jay kept the money, and they all rode
their bikes home. They decided to meet up after dinner at the head of the offroad trail.
Mike and Tony lived on the same street so they rode home most of the way
together. They were able to talk a bit more without Jay’s input. The more they
talked; they came to see Jay’s point. They also thought about how upset they
would be if they accidently dropped and lost something that was important to
them.
When Jay, Mike and Tony met back up after dinner, Mike and Tony conceded that
Jay was right. They all rode their bikes to the police station together to turn the
money clip and its holdings. The police officer who took the report about the
found money clip told them that he was impressed with their honesty. He also
said that if no one claimed the lost item, it would rightfully be theirs. He took Jay’s
phone number just in case.
Jay left knowing he did the right thing. Mike and Tony even felt better about the
situation.
The next morning, a man called the police station to report his lost money chip.
When he found out it had been turned in, he was thrilled. He asked who returned
it in and learned about Jay and his friends.
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Shortly thereafter, Jay received a phone call asking him to go to the police station.
He was a bit nervous, but when he got there, he learned that the money clip had
been claimed, and the owner wanted to reward the individuals who turned it in.
When Jay got to the station, the police officer handed him a gift certificate from
the local bicycle shop for one hundred dollars.
Jay met up with Mike and Tony later that day and told them what happened.
Mike and Tony thought about their initial reactions to the find and realized that it
is far better to not be a keeper. Neither of them had even thought that there
would be a reward, so it was a happy ending for all involved.
I-
Choose the correct answer:
1- A synonym for the underlined word “incomprehensible” is
……………………………………….
a- Easy
b- mysterious
c- known
d- clear
2- When a person is an advocate for something, it means they
……………………………………… it.
a- Support
b- oppose
c- dislike
d- clarify
3- How do you think sitting in a tree would provide a break from the heat
for Jay and his friends?
a- They would have sit in the tree’s shadow
b- They would laugh at people who pass by
c- They would sleep
d- They would forget about biking and sit together
4- If the boys split the money up evenly, each boy would receive around
………………….. dollars.
a- 300
b- 100
c- 150
d- 200
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5- A synonym for the underlined word “mischievous” is
…………………………………….
a- Kind
b- fair
c- evil
II-
d- liar
Short Responses
Directions: Respond to the following questions in 2-3 sentences:
1- What is the type of narration in the text? Cite evidence for you answer
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2- Why would watch new bikers wipe out indicate that the boys have
mischievous sides?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3- Why was the ending happy for all involved?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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III-
Extended Responses
Directions: Respond to the following question in a paragraph form:
1- If you were one of the Jay’s friends, would you support his point or not?
Illustrate.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2- Identify the plot mountain stations and cite evidence for you answer
from the text.
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Metal Detectors
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Refer to the text to check your answers when appropriate.
Have you ever been to the beach? Did
you see a man with a headset pointing
a long pole at the ground? If so you
might have seen a person using a
metal detector. People use these
devices to find metal.
Metal detectors make magnetic
waves. These waves go through the
ground. The waves change when they
hit metal. Then the device beeps. This
lets the person with the device know
that metal is close.
The first metal detectors were meant
to help miners. They were big. They
cost a lot of money. They used a lot of
power. And worst of all, they didn't
work well. People kept trying to make
them better.
Metal detectors got smaller. Now they
are light and cheap. They also work
better. That is why people bring them
to the beach. They can look for rings
in the water. They can look for phones
in the sand. Metal detectors help them
find these things. They usually just
find junk though.
Metal detectors also protect people.
They help to keep guns out of some
places. They are in airports. They are
in courthouses. Some schools use
These devices save lives in other ways
too. During wars, people plant bombs in
the ground. When the war ends, they
don't clean up their messes. This is
unsafe for the people who live in those
places. Others use metal detectors to
find bombs. They remove them and help
the people.
These devices also make clothes safer. It
sounds funny, but it's true. Most clothes
are made in big factories. There are lots
of needles in these places. Needles break
from time to time. They get stuck in the
clothes. They would poke people trying
them on. They don't though. That's
because our clothes are scanned for
metal. Isn't that nice? Let's hear it for
metal detectors. They make the world a
safer place.
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them. They help guards look for
weapons. Guards use special wands to
find metal on a person.
1. Which was not one of the problems with the first metal detectors?
a. They were too big.
b. They were too expensive.
c. They didn't work well.
d. They were unsafe.
2. Which best describes the main idea of the second paragraph?
a. It describes the sounds of a metal detector. b. It explains how metal detectors work.
c. It warns about the effects of metal detectors. d. It explains how magnetic waves
move.
3. How do metal detectors make clothing safer?
a. Metal detectors make sure factory machines are working the right way.
b. Metal detectors make sure workers don't bring weapons into factories.
c. Metal detectors make sure that broken needles don't get into clothing.
d. Metal detectors help people recover lost clothing at the beach.
4. Why were metal detectors first used?
a. To help miners
c. To help doctors
b. To help security guards
d. To help soldiers
5. According to the text, metal detectors have been used in all of the following except
which?
a. schools
b. churches
c. courthouses
d. airports
6. How do metal detectors help soldiers?
a. They warn soldiers when bullets are coming. b. They help soldiers find hidden bombs.
c. They find weaknesses in their armor.
d. They create a relaxing beeping noise.
7. Why do people bring metal detectors to the beach?
a. Metal detectors help people keep the sand clean and safe.
b. Metal detectors look cool.
c. Metal detectors help people find valuable items.
d. Metal detectors help guards keep weapons away from the beach.
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8. Which happens first?
a. The metal detector beeps alarmingly.
b. The magnetic waves hit metal and change.
c. The magnetic waves go through the ground.
d. The metal detector creates magnetic waves.
9. How did metal detectors get better over time?
a. They became cheaper.
c. They began working better
b. They became lighter.
d. All of these
10. Which title would best describe the purpose of this text?
a. A Day at the Beach: Using Your Metal Detector to Find Things
b. Metal Detectors: a Complete the Story of Their Invention
c. Magnetism and More: How a Metal Detector Works
d. Metal Detectors: What They Do and How We Use Them
1. How do metal detectors make save lives? Explain your answer using the text.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Why would buying an early metal detector have been disappointing? Refer to the text
in your answer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------174
Date: ………………………………………
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3. In your own words, explain how metal detectors make buying clothes a safer
experience.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Date: ………………………………………
Directions: Read the following text and then respond to the questions below:
The Run
Dennis and Mac had been driving for almost a week, and they hadn’t seen a single
soul. They were worried. When they’d left the ranch, they’d thought maybe
they’d run into someone, another survivor. But there was no one. The roads were
almost empty. There was the occasional abandoned car, but that was it. They
drove mostly on highways, to make better time. Mac wondered if they might not
have better luck on the smaller country roads, but Dennis wouldn’t have it. Those
roads had curves and were thick with trees. There was no way of seeing danger
coming. If someone wanted to spring a surprise on you, you wouldn’t know it
until it was too late.
When the plague came, Dennis and Mac had been working as ranch hands on a
cattle farm. Both had just finished their first year of college. Dennis went to
school on the East Coast, Mac on the West. They found that they were very
similar people. They both studied hard and read a lot of books. But they also both
liked being outdoors. At the end of a good day, they came home smelling of sweat
and dirt. They quickly became friends.
The ranch was a small, family-run operation, with only about 50 head of cattle.
The family that ran it, the Greersons, would advertise in college newspapers in
the spring. There were plenty of ranch hands in the area who needed work, but
Bucky Greerson felt city kids could benefit from an exposure to country life.
Young men would apply, and then the Greersons would hire about a half-dozen
hands every spring to help them run cattle. It was tough work, but Dennis and
Mac felt lucky to be picked.
The farm didn’t have a TV or the Internet or a telephone. As a result, the first they
heard of the plague was on the radio. Every night, the ranch hands liked to gather
in the mess hall and play cards. While they played, they listened to the radio. The
ranch was so far up in the hills that the radio only got one station. At night they
listened to the station’s best DJ, Petey “The Muskrat” Coltrain, who spun old
bluegrass records. Sometimes, between records, The Muskrat told stories. Dennis
and Mac thought he was hilarious.
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One night, though, The Muskrat’s radio show was very different. It couldn’t have
been more than six months ago, but to Dennis and Mac, thinking back on it now,
it felt like another lifetime. The Muskrat had been playing a cheery Bill Monroe
song, “Footprints In The Snow,” when he cut out the record halfway through the
chorus. The ranch hands stopped their game of Gin Rummy. They turned and
looked at the radio. The Muskrat always played a record all the way through.
What could be wrong?
“Folks,” said the Muskrat. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’m going to ask
you to stay very calm. The manager of my station has just passed me a note. It
seems that the local health authorities are asking us radio folks to tell you, our
listeners, that… well, a disease is spreading.”
The ranch hands put down their cards. Dennis and Mac exchanged a glance.
“Now,” The Muskrat said, his rich voice sounding uncharacteristically shaky, “they
don’t quite know what this disease is, but it’s real bad. It’s very contagious, and
people who get it don’t have a lot of luck recovering. Now, doctors are trying to
figure out a cure, but there’s been no luck yet. So, in the meantime, we’re asking
that you stay in your homes as much as possible and avoid public places until the
disease dies down.”
One of the ranch hands, a big, cocky boy named T.J., laughed. “Like heck I’m not
going into town,” T.J. chuckled. “I got a date.” The other ranch hands stared at
him. T.J. stopped laughing.
“Please, folks, do what the doctors say,” The Muskrat pleaded. “I’m sure it’ll just
be for a few days.” He was quiet for a moment. Then the ranch hands heard the
sound of a turntable needle hitting the record, and an old Earl Scruggs song came
on.
That was the beginning of it. For the next few days, the ranch went about its
business. The Greersons told the boys not to worry, that this would all be over
soon. They had enough food on the ranch to last months. In the meantime, there
were plenty of new calves that needed branding. At night, everyone gathered
around the radio and listened to updates. The news seemed only to get worse.
More and more people were getting sick. The symptoms were strange. People
would become violently ill, and then fall into a long, deep sleep. The big cities —
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Date: ………………………………………
New York, Los Angeles, Chicago — had become like ghost towns. No one would go
out into the street for fear of catching the disease.
The news kept getting worse until, finally, the radio station stopped transmitting.
The Greersons called a meeting in the dining room of the main house. Everyone
sat around the big dining room table where Ann Greerson served Sunday supper.
After everyone was seated, Bucky Greerson stood up. He was a short, plump man
with a droopy handlebar mustache. You wouldn’t think it looking at him, but his
voice boomed.
“Now,” he said, “I know you’re worried about your families, and I don’t feel right
chaining you here while you don’t know what’s become of your people. So,
anyone who wants to leave is free to go. Ann and I will make do.”
Dennis and Mac looked at each other. They’d talked about leaving but had tried
to pretend they wouldn’t need to. They had hoped the plague would be over
soon, that the world would return to the way it was, that it had all been a strange
hallucination. Now that they had the option to venture out into the world, to see
how bad things really were, they weren’t sure they wanted to know.
“By a show of hands,” Bucky Greerson asked, “how many of you want to leave?”
Mac and Dennis looked around. They were the only two with their hands up.
The Greersons gave them enough food to last a couple weeks — corn bread and
apples and cured ham and syrupy peaches in mason jars. Mac and Dennis packed
up their things and loaded everything into Mac’s truck, a sputtering old pickup.
The Greersons and the ranch hands gathered around to see them off.
“Be safe, boys,” said Ann Greerson, kissing them each on the cheeks and hugging
them hard. “And remember your manners.” As Mac and Dennis pulled away, they
saw her husband holding her, her body shaking with sobs.
A week later, Mac and Dennis had zigzagged through dozens of small towns and a
few larger cities. What they found frightened them: every place was empty. Not a
person was out. Sometimes, they would stop and knock on doors. No one would
answer. If they went inside, they wouldn’t find a single soul home. Sometimes
they’d find the dinner table set; plates piled high with molding food. Every time
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Date: ………………………………………
they entered a new room, they both winced, thinking they’d find a dead body. But
they never did. It was indescribably eerie.
Sometimes, if the place still got electricity, they’d try to use the phone. Every
time, no matter what number they dialed, the same recorded message came on:
“The number is not in service. Please check the number and try again.”
Finally, the young men decided to make tracks to the nearest big city. It would be
a full day of driving, but there had to be someone there. You can’t abandon a
whole city.
Dusk had come, and Mac was at the wheel. Dennis had been driving for the last
eight hours and was taking a nap in the passenger seat. They were passing
through a long, flat piece of pastureland when Mac saw a flicker of movement in
the distance. He stopped the car, turned off the engine and shook Dennis awake.
“Look,” Mac said excitedly. “I think someone’s coming.”
Dennis squinted his eyes. The flicker of movement was becoming larger. What
had been a dot of motion became a long line, stretching across the horizon. Mac
and Dennis strained to see.
“I think it’s some people,” said Dennis. “Let me get my binoculars.”
He rustled in his backpack and pulled out his pair. Dennis put them to his eyes and
looked through them. Mac heard him gasp.
“My gosh,” whispered Dennis.
What he saw was people. Thousands of people. Hundreds of thousands, maybe a
million. A swarm of people like the world had never seen. And the people were all
running. They were running as fast as they could go, like something was chasing
them, or like they were chasing something. As they grew closer, Dennis could just
make out the people’s faces. Their eyes were wild.
“Start the car,” said Dennis.
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Date: ………………………………………
Directions: Choose the correct answer:
1. What news do Dennis and Mac hear on the radio while at the ranch?
a- There is a cattle farm that hires young men to work over the summer.
b-Thousands of people are running as fast as they can across the country.
c-There is a bad disease spreading among people.
d-Food is getting moldy on dinner plates because people are not staying at home.
2. What is the sequence of events at the beginning of this story?
a-The story begins after the disease has struck and then takes the reader back in
time to a point before the disease.
b-The story begins before the disease has struck and then takes the reader
forward in time to a point after the disease has ended.
c-The story begins as the disease is striking and then takes the reader back in time
to a point before the disease.
d-The story begins as the disease is striking and then takes the reader two years
into the future.
3. The Muskrat says that the disease is “real bad.”
What evidence in the story supports his statement?
a-T.J. wants to go into town even though The Muskrat has advised people to stay
in their homes.
b-After The Muskrat warns people about the disease, an old Earl Scruggs song
comes on the radio.
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Date: ………………………………………
c-The Greersons tell the boys not to worry, saying that the disease will end soon.
d-The disease is very contagious, and doctors have not been able to figure out a
cure.
4. Why do Dennis and Mac decide to drive to the nearest big city?
a-They want to find a person.
b-They are running out of food and need more.
c-They see thousands of people running.
d-They both like being outdoors.
5. What is this story mainly about?
a-a married couple who own a ranch, the young men they hire to work for them
one summer, and the music they listen to together
b-two young men, a mysterious disease, and what happens when they go out to
explore after the disease hits
c-a radio DJ, the music he likes to play, and the effect that his song choices have
on the people who listen to them
d-a long line of people running through a flat piece of pastureland and what
happens when two young men see them
6. Read the following sentence: “More and more people were getting sick. The
symptoms were strange. People would become violently ill, then fall into a long,
deep sleep.”
What does the word symptoms mean?
a-fears of getting sick
b-signs of a disease
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c-serious injuries
d-suggestions that doctors give to patients
7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.
Dennis and Mac are frightened after leaving the ranch ________ the towns and
cities they visit have no people in them.
a-although
b-as a result
c-because
d-however
Short Response
Directions: Respond to the following questions in 2-3 sentences:
8. What happens to people when they get sick with the disease described in the
story?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9. What are the people Dennis and Mac see at the end of the story doing?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Date: ………………………………………
Extended Response
Directions: Respond to the following question in a paragraph form:
10. Is there a connection between the disease and the people Dennis and Mac see
at the end of the story? Explain why or why not, using evidence from the story.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Date: ………………………………………
The Pony Express
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that
follow. Refer to the text to check your answers when appropriate.
In this age of texts and tweets, it is easy
to send messages. You just press a few
buttons, and boom! Your message is
sent. The person to whom you sent it
will get it in just a few seconds. Distance
is no longer an issue. But things weren't
always so easy.
The Pony Express had 184 stations along
the trail. The stations were around ten
miles apart. This is about how far a horse
could run at a gallop before tiring. The
rider would switch to a new horse at
each station. He would only take his mail
In 1848 gold was found in California.
Thousands of people rushed there to get pouch with him. Every 75-100 miles, the
some. Many people liked living there and rider would get to a home station. At
decided to stay. But there wasn't a whole each home station, riders would rest.
Before resting, he would give his mail
lot between California and Missouri,
pouch to a new rider. The mail never
where the nearest trains ran. The train
stopped moving, even while the horses
line to California wasn't finished until
and riders rested.
1869. It took a long time to ride a horse
to Missouri.
It was tough to ride for the Pony Express.
Each rider had to weigh less than 125
Imagine that it is the year 1860. You
have moved to California to open a shop. pounds. Speed was the key. Most of the
riders were teenage boys. They rode at a
Most of your family stayed back East.
fast pace for up to 100 miles a day. If
Your shop is doing well and now you
there were an emergency, one might
want to your family to join you. How do
you get news to them? There's no phone, have to ride 200 miles in a day. The ride
could be rough and dangerous. Attacks
no train, and you can't leave your shop
by Native Americans were common. But
for too long. What do you do? Well, you
in its time running, the Pony Express
could use the Pony Express.
only lost one mail pouch.
In 1860 and 1861, the Pony Express was
The Pony Express filled an important
the fastest way to get news to and from
role for a time, but it did not last. The
the West. The trail that they rode was
Civil War started in April of 1861. This
around 2000 miles long. It took most
people weeks or months to ride that far. was bad news for the owners. The worst
The Pony Express could make the trip in for them was yet to come. On October
24th, 1861, the first telegraph line to
just ten days. Those speeds were
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Date: ………………………………………
unheard of at the time. So how did they
do it? Well, they had a good system.
California was finished. This linked them
to the rest of the country. People could
send messages in an instant. Two days
later the Pony Express closed. But the
lore of the brave riders lives on even
today.
1. Which happened first?
a. Settlers rushed to California to find gold.
b. The Pony Express was started.
c. The train line to California was finished.
d. The first telegraph line to California was finished.
2. Which best explains why Pony Express riders had to weigh less than 125 pounds?
a. Heavier men were more expensive.
b. Horses were scared of heavier men.
c. Heavier men scared customers.
d. Horses could move quicker with lighter men.
3. How fast could the Pony Express take a letter from California to Missouri?
a. 24 hours
b. ten days
c. twenty days
d. one month
4. Why were the Pony Express stations about ten miles apart?
a. This was about as far as a man could walk in a single day.
b. This was as far as a man could ride on a horse in a day.
c. This was so the riders wouldn't get so lonely at night.
d. This was as far as a horse could run without getting tired.
5. Which was probably not a requirement to be a rider for the Pony Express?
a. You had to be light.
b. You had to be an expert horse
rider.
c. You had to be able to read and write.
d. You had to be brave in the face of
danger.
6. Which best describes that main idea of the fifth paragraph?
a. It is about how many Pony Express stations there were.
b. It is about how the Pony Express carried mail so quickly.
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Date: ………………………………………
c. It is about how the Pony Express riders slept in the stations.
d. It is about how far the Pony Express riders would go in a day.
7. Which of these ended the Pony Express?
a. The telegraph
c. Wars with Native Americans
b. The Civil War
d. The train line
8. About how far did Pony Express riders travel on a usual day?
a. 10 miles
b. 200 miles
c. 100 miles
d. 2000 miles
9. How many mail pouches did the Pony Express lose?
a. The Pony Express never lost a mail pouch.
b. One
c. Two
d. Too many to keep track
10. Which title best describes the author's purpose in writing this?
a. Out of Touch: Why Phones are Faster Than Horses
b. The Pony Express: Stories of Their Bravery in Battle
c. Back in Touch: Why We Should Use Horses to Deliver the Mail
d. The Pony Express: About the 1860's Fastest Mail Service
1. How was the Pony Express able to move letters across the country so quickly? Refer to
the text in your answer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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2. How did the California Gold Rush help to create a need for the Pony Express? Use the text
to support your response.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3. Why was the Pony Express no longer needed? Refer to the text in your answer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
187