Circle the best answer

1.

A dog is bigger than a mouse, but smaller

than an elephant.
a. A dog is smaller than a mouse.
b. A dog is very big.
c. A dog is the biggest.
d. An elephant is bigger than a dog.

2. Sangay is English but Teresa isn't; she's

American.
a. Teresa is English.
b. Sangay isn't English.
c. Sangay isn't American.
d. Teresa and Sangay aren't English.
3. He is the oldest man in the world.
a. He is not as old as my grandmother.
b. Many men are older.
c. There are no older men anywhere.
d. He's older than some other men.
4. You can't come without a ticket.
a. You can come if you have a ticket.
b. You mustn't go with a ticket.
c. You don't need a ticket to come.
d. You cannot buy a ticket outside.
5. Andrea is looking after the children.
a. She can see the children.
b. She is taking care of the children.
c. She is looking at the children.
d. The children are in front of her.
6. They only have one car for the family.
a. They only like cars.
b. They do not like any other cars.
c. They do not have two cars.
d. They have a big family.
7. What does Vonica like?
a. What are her favourite things?
b. How is she?
c. Does she look like Vonica?
d. Does he like Vonica?
8. He hopes to go home, but he may go to
work.
a. He'll be at home before the office.
b. It is possible that he will go to work.
c. He's allowed to go to work.
d. He always goes home after work.
Reading 1

9. I want you to clean the car when you come

back.
a. You want to clean it.
b. We will clean it together.
c. I don't want you to forget to clean it.
d. I want to clean the car.
10. She used to smoke cigarettes.
a. She is used to cigarettes.
b. She smoked before, but she doesn't
now.
c. She usually smokes cigarettes.
d. She used two cigarettes.
11. Shall I take you to the station?
a. Would you like me to take you to the
station?
b. Must I take you?
c. Will it be necessary to take you there?
d. Did I take you before?
12. They should talk more slowly.
a. They talk too quickly.
b. They would like to talk more slowly.
c. They might have slower talks.
d. Talking is not fast.
13. Mirana remembered to phone the doctor.
a. She remembered phoning the doctor.
b. Mirana forgot to remember to phone.
c. She didn't forget to phone the doctor.
d. She remembered that she phoned her.
14. Madame Traiviey has lived nearly 115 years.
a. She was very old.
b. She is very old.
c. She died when she was nearly 115.
d. Madame Traiviey has many more years.
15. She can hardly see it.
a. She sees very hard.
b. She is hard with it.
c. She cannot see it very well.
d. It is hard to see her.

Page 1

16. Yeuk Yee had her house painted white

yesterday.
a. She had to paint her house white
yesterday.
b. Her house was not blue last week.
c. They painted her house white for her
yesterday.
d. She painted her house yesterday.
17. Either teacher knows the answer.
a. No teachers know the answer.
b. Both teachers know the answer.
c. All the teachers know the answer.
d. Any teacher can answer.

Reading 1

18. I'd rather be a millionaire.

a. I've been a millionaire.
b. I'd better be a millionaire.
c. I'd prefer to be a millionaire.
d. You have more millions than me.
19. You don't have to do this test.
a. You can choose not to do this test.
b. You mustn't do it.
c. You can't do this test.
d. You have no desire to do it.
20. If Muriel had come, she would have won.
a. If she hadn't won, she'd have come.
b. Muriel didn't win because she didn't
come.
c. When Muriel came she always won.
d. She didn't come, but she won anyway.

Page 2

Longmann Grade 1

Saturday with Grandpa

How They Grow

By Betsy Franco

By Judy Nayer

Saturday is our day to clean, but Grandpa turns

How does a butterfly grow? It starts out as

work into fun.

a tiny egg. It becomes a caterpillar. It eats

lots of leaves. It grows and grows. Then it

We like to sing when we dust. We like to dance when

goes inside a cocoon. At last, it comes out.

we mop. We clean the car together. We do the wash

Its a butterfly!

together. We both wear our caps.

How does a frog grow? It starts out as a
When we are done, we hurry to the store. We shop

tiny egg in the water. The egg grows into a

for food. Grandpa lets me pick the fruits that I like

tadpole. It keeps changing. It eats tiny

best. We carry the food home. Grandpa tells stories

plants. It grows and grows. At last, it hops

while we walk.

out of the pond. Its a frog!

At night, our work is done. Friends come over. We

How does a flower grow? It starts out as a

cook dinner. We sing and dance.

seed. Sun and rain help the seed grow. Roots

grow into the ground. The plant grows and

Saturday is our day to clean, but Grandpa turns work

grows. At last, a bud opens. Its a flower!

into fun!
Now you know how they grow!
Now answer Numbers 1 through 3. Base
your answers on the story "Saturday with
Grandpa."
1.

What happens in "Saturday with Grandpa"?

a. A boy and his grandpa eat hot dogs.
b. A boy and his grandpa clean together.
c. A boy and his grandpa ride in a car.
d. A boy and his grandpa go to the beach.

2. What do the boy and his grandpa both wear

while they clean?
a. mops
c. caps
b. aprons
d. Scarves

Now answer Numbers 4 through 6. Base

your answers on the story "How They Grow."
4. What do you think the butterfly will do
next?
a. fly away
b. turn into a frog
c. sing a song
d. swim in the water
5. Where does a tadpole live?
a. in a tree
b. under a rock
c. in the sky
d. in the water

3. Read this sentence from the story.

store.

When we are done, we hurry to the

What does hurry mean?

a. walk
c. Hop
b. skip
d. rush

Reading 1

6.

Read this sentence from the story.

At last, it hops out of the pond.

What does hops mean?

a. runs
c. falls
b. jumps
d. swims
Page 3

Longmann Grade 2

nce there was a young Inca boy. He had no family except for an old llama. Each day the boy
and his llama walked many miles, looking for a home. Each night they curled up together and
slept. But one starry evening, the old llama died. The boy buried his friend next to an icy stream.
Then he sat under a tree and cried. What would he do? He had no family and no home.
The boy cried for a very long time. But there was no one to comfort him. There were only the
stars in the sky.
Suddenly, the sky filled with bright light. The boy held his breath. He was afraid to move. One
bright star fell to the ground. Slowly, the star took the shape of the old llama. She bent her
head and drank from the stream. She looked at the boy and smiled. As she jumped back into the
sky, bits of llama wool fell.
As the Sun began to rise, the boy picked up the soft, warm wool. It glowed in his hands like
starlight. He carried the wool to the city and sold it. With the money, he bought a house. He
bought two young llamas. He never forgot the star llama. And he was never lonely again.

o you know how blueberries grow? They grow on bushes. Each blueberry is small and round.
Many blueberries can grow on one bush. At first, the blueberries are green. The green berries
are not ready to eat yet. They need a lot of sun and rain to help them become fat and sweet.
When the berries turn blue, they are ripe and ready to be picked.
Some farmers grow blueberries in big fields. The people who live nearby can earn money by
helping to pick the blueberries. Each one takes a pail out to the field and fills it with
blueberries. They work fast so that they can fill many pails. They want to earn as much money as
they can. When they are done picking, their fingers are blue from the juice of the berries!
After the blueberries are picked, they are put into boxes and sent to stores. People buy the
blueberries and take them home to eat. Some people like to wash the berries and eat them one
by one. Other people like to cook with blueberries. They make blueberry muffins and pancakes.
No matter how you eat them, blueberries taste great!

Reading 1

Page 4

Now answer Numbers 1 through 6. Base

your answers on the story "The Star Llama."
1.

Why does the boy cry when the old llama

dies?
a. because he is afraid of the dark
b. because he is always sad
c. because the old llama is his only family
d. because he is lost

2. What happened BEFORE the old llama

died?
a. The boy bought two new llamas.
b. The boy and the llama walked many
miles looking for a home.
c. The boy collected the wool and sold it
in the city.
d. The old llama fell to the ground in the
shape of a star.
3.

Read this sentence from the story.

One bright star fell to the ground.

What does bright mean?
a. Old
b. Shining

c. new
d. clean

4. What does the boy in the story want?

a. a cart
b. a horse
c. a new wool shirt
d. a home
5. What happens at the end of the story?
a. The boy buys a house and two
llamas.
b. The boy buries the llama next
to an icy stream.
c. The boy and his llama walk for
many miles.
d. The boy cries for a very long
time.
6.

Now answer Numbers 7 through 12. Base

your answers on the story "Blueberries."
7.

Read this sentence from the story.

The people who live nearby can earn

money by helping to pick the blueberries.
What does earn mean?
a. sell
b. get
c. lose
d. shareg

8. What color are the blueberries BEFORE

they are ready to be picked?
a. blue
b. red
c. green
d. brown
9. Where do
a.
b.
c.
d.

the blueberry pickers work?

in a barn
in a field
in a forest
near a stream

10. What happens to blueberries AFTER they

are picked?
a. They are put into boxes.
b. They need sun and rain.
c. Farmers plant them.
d. They become sweet and ripe.
11. Read this sentence from the story.

They need a lot of sun and rain to

help them become fat and sweet.
What does sweet mean?
a.
b.
c.
d.

juicy
sour tasting
dry
sugary tasting

Read this sentence from the story.

As the Sun began to rise, the boy

picked up the soft, warm wool.
What does rise mean?
a. grow darker
b. fall down
c. come up
d. take a step

Reading 1

12.

What could be another title for this

story?
a. "All About Blueberries"
b. "How to Cook with Blueberries"
c. "Eating Blueberries"
d. "All About Strawberries"

Page 5

grade 3

Julies Race
By Wanda Hann
The dogsled race was about to begin. Julies team of dogs was lined up at the starting gate. Julie
stood behind them. The air was so cold that she could see her breath. Other teams were lined up, too,
and the dogs were excited. Julie kept her eyes on the clock. At exactly ten oclock, she and the other
racers yelled, "Mush!" The dogs knew that meant "Go!" They leapt forward and the race began!
Julie had trained months for this race, and she hoped she and her dogs would win. Hour after hour,
day after day, Julies dogs pulled the sled in order to get in shape for the race.
Now, they ran over snowy hills and down into frozen valleys. They stopped only to rest and eat. They
wanted to stay ahead of the other teams. The racers had to go a thousand miles across Alaska. Alaska
is one of the coldest places on Earth. The dogs thick fur coats helped keep them warm in the cold
wind and weather. In many places along the route, the snow was deep. Pieces of ice were as sharp as a
knife. The ice could cut the dogs feet. To keep that from happening, Julie had put special booties on
their feet.
At first, the dogs seemed to pull the sled very slowly. They were still getting used to the race. But on
the third day out, they began to pull more quickly. They worked as a team and passed many of the
other racers. Once, one of the sleds runners slid into a hole and broke. Julie could have given up then,
but she didn't. She fixed it and they kept going.
When they finally reached the finish line, they found out that they had come in first place! It was a
great day for Julie and her dogs.

Reading 1

Page 6

Outer Space
By Meish Goldfish
From far out in space, Earth looks like a blue ball. Since water covers three-fourths of the Earths
surface, blue is the color we see most. The continents look brown, like small islands floating in the
huge, blue sea. White clouds wrap around the Earth like a light blanket. The Earth is shaped like a
sphere, or a ball. It is 25,000 miles around! It would take more than a year to walk around the whole
planet. A spaceship can fly around the widest part of the sphere in only 90 minutes.
Even though spaceships have traveled to the Moon, people cannot visit the Moon without special suits.
The Moon has no air or water. Plants and animals cant live there either. Astronauts first landed on the
Moon in 1969. After that, there were six more trips to the Moon. They brought back Moon rocks,
which scientists are still studying. There are holes, or craters, all over the Moons surface. Scientists
believe that meteorites smashed into the Moon millions of years ago and formed the craters.
The Sun is the closest star to Earth. A star is a hot ball of burning gas. The Sun looks very big
because it is so close. But the Sun is just a medium-sized star. Billions of far-away stars are much
bigger than our Sun. The burning gases from the Sun are so hot that they warm the Earth from 93
million miles away! Even though the Sun is always glowing, the night here on Earth is dark. Thats
because the Earth rotates, or turns around, every 24 hours. During the day, the Earth faces the Sun.
Then we see light. During the night, the Earth turns away from the Sun. Then it faces the darkness of
space.
Each day we learn more about the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun.

Reading 1

Page 7

Now answer Numbers 1 through 8. Base your answers on the story "Julies Race."
1.

The author of "Julies Race" wrote the story in order to

a. describe how dogs stay warm in cold weather.
b. tell about a dogsled race.
c. explain how cold it can be in winter.
d. entertain the reader with funny stories about dogs.

2. Where does the dogsled race take place?

a. in Antarctica
c. in Alaska
b. on a track
d. in a field

3. What happened BEFORE the dogs began running?

a. The dogs pulled the sled slowly.
b. Julie and the dogs lined up at the starting gate.
c. The runner on Julies sled broke.
d. The dogs pulled the sled over hills and into valleys.
4. Read this sentence from the story.

Julies team of dogs was lined up at the starting gate.

What does team mean?

a. friends and family

b. to join together
c. many dogs
d. a group working together

5. Why did Julie and her dogs win the race?

Use the story to explain your answer

6. Why dont the dogs freeze in the cold weather?

a. Julie puts special booties on their feet.
b. They sleep by the fire at night.
c. Their thick fur coats keep them warm.
d. It doesnt get very cold in Alaska.

7. Read this sentence from the story.

The dogs thick fur coats helped keep them warm in the cold wind and weather.
What does thick mean?
a. thin
b. hard

Reading 1

c. fat
d. skinny

Page 8

8. What kind of person is Julie?

Use the story to help explain your answer.

Now answer Numbers 9 through 16. Base your answers on the article "Outer Space."
9. Why is blue the color we see most when looking at Earth from outer space?
a. Because most of the Earth is covered in land.
b. Because the Suns rays make the Earth look blue.
c. Because most of the Earth is covered in water.
d. Because clouds wrap around the Earth.
10. Read this sentence from the story.

Scientists believe that meteorites smashed into the Moon millions of years ago and
formed the craters.
What does formed mean?
a.
b.
c.
d.

hit
made
broke
stopped

11. Write one fact and one opinion from the article that tells what the Earth looks like from outer
space.

12. What causes daylight on Earth?

a.
b.
c.
d.

The full Moon causes daylight.

Daylight is caused by the Earth facing away from the Sun.
The heat of the Suns rays causes daylight.
Daylight is caused by the Earth facing toward the Sun.

13. Which of the following sentences BEST describes the Sun?

a.
b.
c.
d.
Reading 1

The Sun looks small because it is so far from Earth.

The Sun is a ball of burning gases that gives the Earth heat and light.
The Sun is a small star.
The Sun is not as hot as it looks.
Page 9

14. Why did the astronauts bring rocks back from the Moon?
a. Because they didnt know if they would return to the Moon ever again.
b. Because they wanted to prove that they went to the Moon.
c. Because they wanted to remember how the Moon looked.
d. Because they wanted to study them and learn more about the Moon.
15. Describe some of the things we know about the moon.
Use the article to help support your answer.

16. What is the main idea of the article?

a. Plants and animals cant live on the Moon.
b. Without the Sun we would have no heat or light.
c. We know a lot about the Earth, Moon, and Sun, but there is still more to learn.
d. From outer space, the Earth looks tiny, even though it is thousands of miles around.

Reading 1

Page 10

Grade 4

ong ago, the Earth was covered in darkness. None of the creatures living there knew
what daylight looked like.
One day, all of the animals of the forest gathered together in a clearing. They wondered if it
would be better to remain in darkness, or if it would be better to also have light. Deer,
Chipmunk, Raccoon, Wolf, Bear, and many other creatures climbed to the top of the highest
mountain. The mountain stood so tall that there were no trees on its top, and it was covered
only with rocks. Millions of stars blinked in the dark sky overhead. The biggest and most
powerful animal in the forest was the bear, and he was the first to reach the mountaintop.
Bear stood on the highest peak, looked out over the forest below, and argued for remaining in
darkness. He said that the creatures of the forest would be able to sleep better in darkness
because there would be no light to keep them awake. Most of the other animals were afraid,
and they agreed with Bear. Raccoon said that he did not mind the darkness because he was so
smart that he could find plenty of food, even in the dark. Wolf was easy to please, too. She
didn't mind the darkness because she could howl in darkness or in light.
But one animal did stand up to Bear. Chipmunk, the smallest of the animals, argued that it would
be better to have both light and dark. Chipmunk was very clever. As Bear continued to argue
for darkness, she made many good arguments for light.
Slowly, the night passed. Bear grew tired of talking, but Chipmunk chattered on and on, as if
she had all of the energy in the world. As the other animals dropped off to sleep, one by one,
Chipmunk kept arguing. Finally, the first sunrise ever seen by the animals appeared over the
top of the mountain. They woke up and were amazed by what they saw.
Chipmunk began to dance from rock to rock. Bear became angry because he didn't get his way.
He roared loudly and ran after Chipmunk. He chased Chipmunk all the way down the mountain.
Bear was fast, and he reached out his giant paw to grab Chipmunk. Chipmunk got away, but not
before Bear managed to scratch her back with his long claws. And that is why, to this day, you
can see stripes on Chipmunk's back!

Reading 1

Page 11

How many things can you see in the night sky? A lot! On a clear night you might see the Moon,
some planets, and thousands of sparkling stars.
You can see even more with a telescope. You might see stars where before you only saw dark
space. You might see that many stars look larger than others. You might see that some stars that
look white are really red or blue. With bigger and bigger telescopes you can see more and more
objects in the sky. And you can see those objects in more and more detail.
But scientists believe there are some things in the sky that we will never see. We won't see them
with the biggest telescope in the world, on the clearest night of the year.
That's because they're invisible. They're the mysterious dead stars called black holes.
You might find it hard to imagine that stars die. After all, our Sun is a star. Year after year we
see it up in the sky, burning brightly, giving us heat and light. The Sun certainly doesn't seem to
be getting old or weak. But stars do burn out and die after billions of years.
As a star's gases burn, they give off light and heat. But when the gas runs out, the star stops
burning and begins to die.
As the star cools, the outer layers of the star pull in toward the center. The star squashes into a
smaller and smaller ball. If the star was very small, the star ends up as a cold, dark ball called a
black dwarf. If the star was very big, it keeps squashing inward until it's packed together tighter
than anything in the universe.
Imagine if the Earth were crushed until it was the size of a tiny marble. That's how tightly this
dead star, a black hole, is packed. What pulls the star in toward its center with such power? It's
the same force that pulls you down when you jump the force called gravity. A black hole is so
tightly packed that its gravity sucks in everything even light. The light from a black hole can
never come back to your eyes. That's why you see nothing but blackness.
So the next time you stare up at the night sky, remember: there's more in the sky than meets the
eye! Scattered in the silent darkness are black holes the great mystery of space.

Reading 1

Page 12

Now answer Numbers 1 through 8. Base your answers on the story "How the Chipmunk Got Its
Stripes."
1.

What is the theme of this story?

a. Stand up for what you believe in.
b. It is always better to go along with the crowd.
c. There is only one right way to do things.
d. Making decisions is easy.

2. What is Bear like?

a. He is a good listener.
b. He is used to getting his way.
c. He is unsure about what he wants.
d. He is well liked by the other animals.

3.

Read this sentence from the story.

Bear grew tired of talking, but Chipmunk chattered on and on, as if she had all the
energy in the world.
What does chattered mean?
a. moved slowly
b. laughed
c. spoke quickly
d. argued

4. According to the story, why do chipmunks have stripes on their backs?

Use details from the story to explain your answer. Enter a short answer in this empty space,
approximately 8 lines.

5. Where does the story take place?

a. in a barn
c. near a lake
b. on an island
d. on a mountaintop

6. What happened after Chipmunk's argument with Bear?

a. The animals saw their first sunrise ever.
b. Bear was happy that he got his way.
Reading 1

Page 13

c. The animals continued to live in darkness.

d. Chipmunk fell asleep.

7.

Read this sentence from the story.

Chipmunk, the smallest of animals, argued that it would be better to have both light and
darkness.
What is an antonym for the word argued?
a. whispered
b. agreed
c. jumped
d. yelled

8. In what ways is Chipmunk different from the other animals? How does this help Chipmunk to win
the argument with Bear? What lessons can we learn from Chipmunk?

Use details from the story to support your answer.

Now answer Numbers 9 through 16. Base your answers on the article "Amazing Black Holes."
9. According to the article, what causes a star to die?
a. As its gases run out, it cools down.
b. It collides with other stars.
c. It can only live for about a million years.
d. As it gets hotter and hotter, it explodes.
10. Read this sentence from the story.

They're the mysterious dead stars called black holes.

What is a synonym for the word mysterious?
a.
b.
c.
d.

ordinary
bright
strange
common

11. Which of the following statements is NOT a fact?

a. Black holes are dead stars.
b. Black holes have gravity.
c. Black holes are invisible.
d. There is nothing as mysterious as a black hole.
Reading 1

Page 14

12. In what ways is our Sun the same as other stars? How is it different from a dead star?
Use details from the article to support your answer. Enter a short answer in this empty space,
approximately 8 lines.

13. What happens AFTER a star dies?

a. It becomes invisible.
b. It falls to Earth.
c. It burns up all of its gases.
d. It becomes brighter and easier to see.

14. What might happen to our Sun billions of years from now?
Describe the process using details from the article.

15. Why can't you see light when you look at a black hole?
a. because most black holes are so far away
b. because the gravity of a black hole is so strong that it sucks the light inward
c. because as the star's gases burn, it stops giving off heat and light
d. because as a star cools, its outer layers pull in toward its center
16. Read this sentence from the story.

The Sun certainly doesn't seem to be getting old or weak.

What is an antonym for the word weak?
a.
b.
c.
d.

Reading 1

thin
tired
strong
big

Page 15

Longmann Grade 5

Its All Clear Now

It all started at the beginning of fifth grade. At first, Carmen wasnt really sure what was
happening. In class, she had to squint to see the blackboard clearly. She had to do the same
thing when she read street signs, or when she watched a movie. As the fuzziness got worse,
she became more and more worried. It was important for her to see the notes and homework
assignments the teacher put on the board.
It wasnt long before Carmen found herself squinting all the time, but she didnt want anyone to
know that she was having a problem seeing. In class, she asked for a desk that was closer to
the blackboard. One day, her teacher said, "Carmen, are you all right? Ive noticed you
squinting a lot. Are you having trouble seeing the board?"
Carmen shook her head. "Im fine, Mrs. Cruz," she said, but she knew she couldnt pretend much
longer.
At home, she had to sit closer and closer to the television in order to see the picture. Her
mother noticed her squinting as she watched her favorite shows, and she began to get
suspicious.
"Tomorrow Im calling the eye doctor to set up an appointment for you," she said firmly.
Carmen protested, but her mothers mind was made up.
Three days later, Carmen had new glasses and instructions from her doctor to wear them all
the time. Carmen frowned in the car the whole way home.
"All of the kids at school will think Im a nerd," she said. Her mother smiled and shook her
head.
"You look just as beautiful with those glasses on as you do without them," she said. But Carmen
didnt believe her.
The next day, Carmen kept the glasses in her pocket as she walked into the schoolyard. She
avoided her friends and stood alone, feeling miserable.
Suddenly, she heard her friend Theresa shout.
Carmen ran over to the other girls. "Whats wrong?" she asked.
"My silver ring is gone!" Theresa cried. "My sister sent it to me from California. Its very
special and I cant lose it!"
Carmen could tell that Theresa was very upset. They all looked for the ring in the grassy area
of the playground.
Carmen realized that she could search better if she could see better. She took the glasses out

Reading 1

Page 16

of her pocket and put them on. The objects and people around her came into sharp focus. She
caught her breath. Everything looked so different! So clear! She looked down at the ground
and a glimmer of silver caught her eye. It was the ring.
"Here it is," she shouted. "Ive found it!" She handed it to Theresa, and Theresa slipped the
ring back on her finger.
"Thanks Carmen," she said. "I never thought we'd find it." She paused. "Hey, I didnt know you
wore glasses. They look great!"
Carmen had forgotten that she was wearing the new glasses. "Thanks," she replied shyly.
As they walked back toward the school building, two more girls from her class complimented
her glasses. Carmen smiled. "Maybe wearing glasses wont be so bad after all," she thought.

Reading 1

Page 17

The Mistery of the Mayan

The Mayan Indians lived in Mexico for thousands of years before the Spanish arrived in the
1500s. The Maya were an intelligent, culturally rich people whose achievements were many. They
had farms, beautiful palaces, and cities with many buildings. The Mayan people knew a lot about
nature and the world around them. This knowledge helped them to live a better life than most
people of that time, because they could use it to make their lives more comfortable and
rewarding. Knowledge about tools and farming, for instance, made their work easier and more
productive.
In ancient Mexico there were many small clearings in the forest. In each clearing was a village
with fields of corn, beans, and other crops around it. To clear the land for farms, the Maya cut
down trees with stone axes. They planted seeds by digging holes in the ground with pointed sticks.
A farmer was able to grow crops that produced food for several people. But not every Maya had
to be a farmer. Some were cloth makers, builders, or priests.
The Maya believed in many gods, including rain gods, sun gods, and corn gods. The people built
large temples to honor the Mayan gods. Skillful workers built cities around these temples. It was
difficult for them to construct these cities, because they had no horses to carry the heavy stone
they used to build with. Workers had to carry all of the building materials themselves. Today,
many of these ancient Mayan cities and temples are still standing.
Although the cities that the Maya built were beautiful, and the people worked hard to build them,
very few of the people lived in them. Usually, only the priests lived in the cities.
The other people lived in small villages in the forests. Their houses were much simpler than the
elaborate structures in the cities. They lived in small huts with no windows. The walls were made
of poles covered with dried mud, and the roof was made of grass or leaves. Most Maya lived a
simple life close to nature.
Measuring time was important to the Maya, so they developed a system for measuring it
accurately. Farmers needed to know when to plant and harvest their crops. Mayan priests made a
system to keep track of time. They wrote numbers as dots (...) and bars (-). A dot was one and a
bar was five.
The Mayan priests studied the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets. They made a calendar from what
they learned. The year was divided into 18 months of 20 days each with five days left over. The
Mayan calendar was far more accurate than the European calendars of the time.
Around the year 800, the Maya left their villages and beautiful cities, never to return. No one
knows why this happened. They may have died from an infectious disease. They may have left
because the soil could no longer grow crops. Archaeologists are still trying to find the lost secrets
of the Maya. They are still one of our greatest mysteries.

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Now answer Numbers 1 through 8. Base your answers on the story "Its All Clear Now."
1.

BEFORE Carmen got glasses she

a. thought having glasses wouldnt be so bad.
b. wasnt able to see the blackboard clearly.
c. found Theresas missing ring.
d. sat far away from the television.

2. Based on the end of the story, what do you think Carmen will do next?
a. She wont tell her friends that she needs to wear glasses.
b. She will keep her glasses in her pocket where no one can see them.
c. She will wear her glasses all the time.
d. She will wear her glasses only when she is with her family.

3. What are some of the things that Carmen had to do in the beginning of the story in order to try
to see better?
Use examples from the story to support your answer.

4. Read this sentence from the story.

Her mother noticed her squinting as she watched her favorite shows, and she began to
get suspicious.
What is an antonym for the word suspicious?
Doubtful
Guilty

c. innocent
d. trusting

5. Which statement BEST describes Carmen?

a. She is willing to overcome her fears in order to help her friends.
b. She doesnt care how well she does in school.
c. She cares more about herself than her friends.
d. She doesnt worry about what other people think of her.

6. Read this sentence from the story.

In class, she had to squint to see the blackboard clearly.

What does squint mean?
a.
b.
c.
d.

Reading 1

to
to
to
to

look with eyes partly closed

move closer
try hard
concentrate

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7. Describe how Carmen changes her mind about wearing glasses.

Use details from the story to support your answer.

8.

The authors purpose in writing this story is to

a. explain how important it is to take care of your eyes at school.
b. show that sometimes we imagine things will be worse then they are.
c. describe what it feels like to have to squint.
d. warn people not to wear valuable jewelry to school.

Now answer Numbers 9 through 16. Base your answers on the article "The Mystery of the
Maya."
9.

Read this sentence from the story.

The Maya were an intelligent, culturally rich people whose achievements were many.
What is a synonym for the word achievements?
a. mistakes
b. successes

c. skills
d. roads

10. The Maya lived in Mexico

a. only after the Spanish arrived.
b. at the same time as the Spanish.
c. only for a few years.
d. thousands of years before the Spanish.
11. Many Mayan cities and temples are still standing today because
a. they were so well built.
b. they are not very old.
c. they have been rebuilt.
d. there is never any bad weather in Mexico.
12. How is the Mayan calendar the same as or different from our current calendar?
Use details from the article to support your answer.

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13. What is the main idea of this article?

a. The Mayan calendar was more accurate than the European calendar.
b. The Maya were excellent farmers.
c. The Maya were a culturally rich, advanced society.
d. The Mayan cities were difficult to build.
14. MOST Maya lived
a. in beautiful cities.
b. in huts made of poles, mud, and leaves.
c. in caves.
d. in stone temples.

15. How do we know that the Mayan civilization was an intelligent and cultured one?
Use details from the article to support your answer.

16. Read this sentence from the story.

Their houses were much simpler than the elaborate structures in the city.
What does elaborate mean?
a. small
b. plain

Reading 1

c. fancy
d. old

Page 21

Grade 6

Why the Sky is Far Away

Ramon looked at the food on his tray and made a face. "Macaroni and cheese again," he said to his
friend Brian. "They never serve anything good for lunch."
Brian gave his own lunch a critical look and frowned. "You think thats bad," he said, "Ive got peanut
butter and jelly again. Its the third time this week!"
They pushed the food aside. "We can get something at the burger place after school," Ramon said.
They concentrated on studying for their English test instead of eating. English was next period, and
Mr. Friedman had a reputation for giving difficult tests. When the bell rang, they dropped their
uneaten lunches into the garbage. Mr. Friedman was standing nearby. "Not hungry, guys?" he asked.
They shook their heads and hurried off to class.
When the test was over, there were still ten minutes left in the period. Mr. Friedman stood at the
front of the class.
"Before you leave today," he said, leaning against the desk, "Id like to share an old African folktale
with you. I think youll find this one interesting. Its called Why the Sky Is Far Away":
Long ago the sky was close to the Earth. Men and women did not have to plant their own food.
Instead, when they were hungry, they just reached up and broke off a piece of the sky to eat.
Sometimes the sky tasted like ripe bananas. Other times it tasted like roasted potatoes. The sky was
always delicious.
People spent their time making beautiful cloth. They painted beautiful pictures and sang songs at
night. The grand king, Oba, had a wonderful palace. His servants made beautiful shapes out of pieces
of sky.
Many people in the kingdom did not use the gift of the sky wisely. When they took more than they
could eat, the sky became angry. Some people threw the extra pieces into the garbage.
Early one morning the angry sky turned dark. Black clouds hung over the land, and a great sky voice
said to all the people, "You are wasting my gift of food. Do not take more than you can eat. I dont
want to see pieces of me in the garbage anymore or I will take my gift away."
The king and the people trembled with fear. King Oba said, "Lets be careful about how much food we
take." For a long time, all the people were careful.
But one man named Adami wasnt careful. At festival time, he took so many delicious pieces of sky that
he couldnt eat them all. He knew he must not throw them away.
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He tried to give the pieces to his wife. "Here, wife," Adami said. "You eat the rest."
"I cant," Adamis wife said. "Im too full."
Adami asked all his children to help him eat the delicious pieces of sky, but the children couldnt eat
one more bite. So Adami decided to try to hide the pieces at the bottom of the garbage pile.
Suddenly, the sky became angry and the clouds turned black. "You have wasted my gift of food again,"
yelled the sky. "This time I will go away so you cannot waste me anymore."
All of the people cried, "What will we eat? We might starve!"
The sky said, "You will have to learn how to plant crops in the ground and hunt in the forests. If you
work hard, you may learn not to waste the gifts of nature."
Everyone watched as the sky sailed away. From that time on, they worked hard to grow their food and
cook their meals. They always tried to remember not to waste the gifts of nature.
The bell rang for the next period. "Thats the end," Mr. Friedman said, smiling. He looked at Ramon
and Brian.
"What did you think of the story?" he asked. They slouched in their chairs and looked apologetic.
"We get the message," they said, smiling. "No more lunches in the garbage!"

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Popular Sports Around the World

By Kathy Mormile

For centuries, people have been playing kicking games with a ball. The game of soccer developed from
some of these early games. The English probably gave soccer its name and its first set of rules. In
European countries, soccer is called football or association football. Some people believe that the
name "soccer" came from "assoc.," an abbreviation for the word association. Others believe that the
name came from the high socks that the players wear.
Organized soccer games began in 1863. In soccer, two teams of eleven players try to kick or head the
ball into their opponents goal. The goalie, who tries to keep the ball out of the goal, is the only player
on the field who is allowed to touch the ball with his or her hands. The other players must use their
feet, heads, and bodies to control the ball.
Every four years, soccer teams around the world compete for the World Cup. The World Cup
competition started in 1930.
Brazil is the home of many great soccer players, including the most famous player of all, Pel. With his
fast footwork, dazzling speed, and great scoring ability, Pel played for many years in Brazil and then
later in New York. During his 22 years in soccer, he scored 1,281 goals and held every major record
for the sport.
People in more than 140 countries around the world play soccer. It is the national sport of most
European and Latin American countries. Soccer is definitely the worlds most popular sport!
James Naismith, a physical education teacher in Massachusetts, invented basketball in 1891.
Naismiths boss asked him to invent a game that students could play indoors during bad weather. He
wanted to find a game that wasnt as physically rough as soccer, football, or wrestling.
Naismith attached peach baskets to a railing ten feet above the floor at either end of the gym. The
players used a soccer ball.
A person sat on a ladder next to each basket at either end of the gym, and threw out the balls that
landed in the baskets. Naismith decided that having only five players on each team would keep the
game from getting too rough.
Two years later, metal hoops with net bags replaced the peach baskets. Officials pulled a string on
the nets to release the balls that went in. In 1894, Naismith added the backboard behind each net and
changed to a larger ball. In 1913, people began using the bottomless nets that are used today.

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During a basketball game, two teams of five players each throw the ball into two baskets at opposite
ends of a court. Players bounce, or dribble, the ball to the basket or pass the ball to teammates. A
team scores points by getting the ball into their teams basket. The team with the highest score wins.
By the 1900s, basketball was the most popular indoor sport. Athletes in approximately 130 countries
play the game. Basketball is especially popular in the United States, China, and Puerto Rico.
Baseball began in the United States in the early 1800s. Some people believe that Abner Doubleday
invented the game. Others think that baseball came from an old British sport called rounders. Baseball
and rounders are very similar. However, in rounders the field players throw the ball right at the
runner. If the ball hits the runner, he or she is out. In baseball, a field player just touches the ball to
the base or the running player to get the player out.
Todays baseball players use special equipment to help prevent injuries. Field players wear baseball
gloves to protect their hands. The catcher wears a metal mask, a chest protector, and shin guards.
Batters wear plastic helmets to protect their heads.
Every spring in the United States, people of all ages play baseball at local baseball fields. Its no
wonder that baseball is called the national pastime of the United States.

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Now answer Numbers 1 through 8. Base your answers on the story "Why the Sky Is Far Away."
1.

According to the folktale, Adami is

a. thankful
c. obedient
b. honest
d. greedy

2. According to the folktale, why does the sky become angry with the villagers? What lesson does he
want them to learn?
Use details from the story to support your answer.

3.

Read this sentence from the story.

Brian gave his own lunch a critical look and frowned.

What does critical mean?
a. judgmental
b. funny

c. quick
d. hungry

4. According to the folktale, what happens when Adami cannot finish all of the food he has taken?
a. He asks King Oba to help him finish eating the food.
b. He saves some of the pieces of food for his meal the next day.
c. He tries to hide the pieces of food at the bottom of the garbage pile.
d. His wife and children offer to eat the rest of the pieces for him.
5. The beginning of the story takes place
a. in Mr. Friedmans class.
b. in the school cafeteria.
c. in Africa.
d. in the school library.
6. Read this sentence from the story.

They slouched in their chairs and looked apologetic.

What is an antonym for the word slouched?
a. drooped
b. ran

c. leaned
d. straightened

7. Based on the end of the story, what do you think Ramon and Brian will do next?
a. stop bringing their lunches to school
b. be more careful not to waste food
c. eat lunch at the burger place more often
d. share their food with the other students
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8. Why do you think Mr. Friedman tells the class the African folktale?
Use details from the story to support your answer.

Now answer Numbers 9 through 16. Base your answers on the article "Popular Sports Around the
World."
9. Which of the following events happened first?
a. basketball was invented
b. World Cup competition was invented
c. baseball began in the U.S.
d. organized soccer games began
10. Pel is a famous
a. soccer player.
b. baseball coach.
c. basketball player.
d. baseball player.
11. Read this sentence from the story.
With his fast footwork, dazzling speed, and great scoring ability, Pel played for many years in
Brazil, and then later in New York.
What does dazzling mean?
a. amazing
b. funny
c. light
d. difficult

12. What conclusion can you draw from this article?

a. Sports are more popular in Brazil than in the U.S.
b. Most sports involve kicking a ball.
c. Sports can be very dangerous.
d. Sports are popular in many different countries.
13.

Reading 1

Write a brief summary of the article, using only the most important details.

Page 27

14.

Read this sentence from the story.

Field players wear baseball gloves to protect their hands.

What is an antonym for the word protect?
a.
b.
c.
d.

15.

16.

save
harm
cover
fit

Which
a.
b.
c.

of the following is an opinion?

The rules of soccer state that goalies are allowed to touch the ball with their hands.
Basketball was first played with peach baskets attached to railings.
Because it is popular in so many countries, soccer is the sport that is the most fun to
play.
d. In baseball, a player can touch the ball to the base or to the runner to get the runner
out.

Is the authors purpose in writing this article to entertain the reader, inform the reader, or
both?
Use details from the article to support your answer.

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Grade 7

A Letter from New York

Dear Aunt Julia,
I have so much to tell you, I dont know where to begin! Remember last summer when I told you that I
was planning to enter the TeenSay Magazine essay contest? Well, I entered, and my essay, "Improving
Community Safety," won! The prize was a weekend trip to New York City, with a visit to the TeenSay
offices to see how they publish the magazine each month. Three of us were chosen to go from Texas:
two other contest winners, and myself.
My mom took me to the airport for the flight to New York, and I have to admit I was nervous! Ive
flown before, but never without my parents. But when we got to the airport and met the other people
in our group, I relaxed. The group leader, Ms. Alvarez, was really friendly and easy to talk to. She is in
charge of marketing and special promotions at TeenSay Magazine. While we waited for our flight, she
described the activities wed be participating in that weekend. She also introduced me to the other
contest winners. Irene is from Arlington, and shes 13 years old like me. She won a prize for the series
of photographs she took when her family drove across the country last summer. The other winner is a
15-year-old boy named Eddie. Eddie won the TeenSay community spirit award for cleaning up and
improving the neighborhood parks in his town. Irene and Eddie both seemed like a lot of fun. Before
our plane even took off, we were laughing and telling jokes like wed known each other forever.
I was surprised at how quick the flight seemed. Since Ms. Alvarez and I were sitting next to each
other, she told me a lot about herself and how she had ended up working at TeenSay Magazine. She
said that as a young girl she had always enjoyed writing stories and interviewing people. She also loved
planning and organizing events. She was always in charge of planning her schools dances and
fundraisers, and even organized her familys big reunion party every year. After college, she got a job
as a reporter at TeenSay, and then she gradually moved into their marketing and special promotions
department. She said that she still occasionally writes an article for them, but she loves what she
does now. I told her that I was thinking about becoming a reporter someday, and she said that she
thought I could do it if I worked really hard.
Before I knew it, we were landing in New York. At the airport, we were picked up in a limousinejust
like celebrities! We drove to the TeenSay offices downtown. All during the ride, Irene and Eddie and
I were pressed up against the windows like little kids, staring at the buildings and the people we
passed. You wouldnt believe how different New York is from Texas! The colors, the smells, the
noiseseverything is different. We couldnt get over how crowded it was: all of the people and cars on
the streets and so much going on. We were excited to jump in and start seeing the sights.
When we arrived at the TeenSay offices, Ms. Alvarez took us on a tour. We got to see how a magazine
goes from a rough manuscript to a finished issue. I couldnt believe how much work and detail goes into
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each issue, and how many people it takes to do the work. My favorite part was seeing the bulletin
board where sketches, rough drafts, and outlines get pinned up in sequence. We also met many of the
employees, from illustrators and writers to photographers and editors, and they answered all of our
questions.
By the time the tour was over, Ms. Alvarez could tell that we were getting tired. She took us to her
favorite restaurant, and on the way there we had a chance to do some window-shopping and check out
some of the sights. All around us, people were speaking different languages. I told Ms. Alvarez that I
thought I could spend a whole year in New York and still not see everything!
When I see you at Moms birthday party next week, I will tell you all about the sightseeing we are
going to do tomorrow. I am enclosing a copy of my essay with this letter. So far, it has been a great
trip.
Love,
Yoshiko

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Gone Forever
By Barbara Reeves
A snow leopard roars in the high mountains of Asia. A black rhinoceros gallops across the plains of
Africa. A grizzly bear hunts for fish in a North American river. A mother blue whale and her calf glide
through the deep waters of the ocean.
All of these animals share the Earth with us. They fascinate us with their beauty, their grace, and
their speed. We love observing their behavior, and learning more about their habits. But just loving
them is not enough. All of these animals are endangered. Many of them have died, and without special
care, they may someday disappear from the Earth.
Why is it important to care for animals like these? One reason is to protect the balance of life on
Earth. Another reason is the beauty of the animals themselves. Each species of animal is special. Once
it is gone, it is gone forever.
Africa was once filled with an abundance of wild animals. But that is changing fast. One of these
animals, the black rhinoceros, lives on the plains of Africa. It has very poor eyesight and a very bad
temper! Even though the black rhino is powerful, and can be dangerous, its strength cant always help
it to escape hunters. Some people think that the rhinos horn has magical powers, and many hunters kill
rhinos for their valuable horns. This has caused the black rhino to be placed on the endangered
species list.
The elephant seems to represent all that is strong and wild in Africa. It once had no natural enemies,
but is now endangeredkilled for its ivory tusks.
The fastest land animal, the cheetah, also lives in Africa. It, too, is becoming extinct as people take
over more and more of the land that is the cheetah's natural habitat.
Imagine Africa without the powerful rhino, the gentle, intelligent elephant, or the lightning quick
cheetah. Once they are gone, they are gone forever.
Wherever people are careless about the land, there are endangered species.
Grizzly bears like to wander great distances. Each bear needs up to 1,500 square miles of territory to
call its homeland. Today, because forests have been cleared to make room for people, the grizzlys
habitat is shrinking and the grizzly is disappearing. It joins other endangered North American animals,
such as the red wolf and the American crocodile.
In South America, destruction of the rain forest threatens many animals. Unusual mammals, such as
the howler monkey and the three-toed sloth, are endangered. Beautiful birds like the great green
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macaw and the golden parakeet are also becoming extinct. Theyre losing their homes in the rain
forest, and thousands die when they are caught and shipped off to be sold as exotic pets.
The giant panda of Asia is a fascinating and unique animal. Yet there are only about 1,000 still living in
the wild. The giant pandas diet consists mainly of the bamboo plant, so when the bamboo forests die,
so does the panda. China is now making an effort to protect these special creatures from becoming
extinct.
Asias big cats are also in trouble. The exotic snow leopard lives high in the mountains. Even there, it
faces the loss of its natural habitat, and hunters who kill it for its fur. The tiger, the largest of all
the big cats, is hunted merely for sport.
Ocean-dwelling animals are in danger of extinction as well. The blue whale is the largest animal in the
world. It weighs up to 390,000 pounds. Whale hunting and pollution are this species greatest enemies.
Unfortunately, it is people who cause many of the problems that animals face. We alter and pollute
their habitats. We hunt them for skins, tusks, furs, and horns. We destroy animals that get in the way
of farming or building. And we remove them from their natural habitats and take them home as pets.
What can you do to help endangered animals? Learn as much as you can about them. The more you
know, the more you can help. Make an effort to support zoos and wildlife groups. Many zoos breed
endangered animals, helping to ensure that they will continue to live on. Contribute to groups, such as
the National Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club, that work hard to protect animals. You can also
be a smart shopper and never buy a pet that has been raised in the wilderness.
The world is made up of many living things, and each thing is dependent on the others to survive. If we
allow even one species on Earth to become extinct, it has an impact on other living things and changes
our world. When we mention any endangered wild animals, lets hope that we never again have to say,
"Gone forever."

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Now answer Numbers 1 through 8. Base your answers on the story "A Letter from New York."
1.

From whose point of view is this story told?

a. Ms. Alvarezs
b. Aunt Julias
c. Yoshikos
d. Eddies

2. Yoshiko is in New York City because

a. she won the trip in an essay contest.
b. she is visiting her Aunt Julia.
c. Ms. Alvarez invited her to visit TeenSay Magazine.
d. she wants to be a reporter someday.

3. How would you describe Ms. Alvarez?

Use details from the story to support your answer.

4. What conclusion can you draw about Yoshiko and Aunt Julia?
a. They do not have a very good relationship.
b. They are close and share their experiences with each other.
c. Yoshiko writes to her aunt because her mother wants her to.
d. Yoshiko and her aunt travel together frequently.

5. Where does Yoshikos adventure begin?

a. at the TeenSay offices
b. at home
c. in New York City
d. at the airport

6. Read this sentence from the story.

She also loved planning and organizing events.

What does organizing mean?
a.
b.
c.
d.

Reading 1

attending
taking part in
arranging
observing

Page 33

7. What are some of the differences between New York and Yoshikos hometown?
Use details from the story to support your answer.

8. Read this sentence from the story.

She said that she still occasionally writes an article for them, but she loves what she
does now.
What is a synonym for the word occasionally?
a.
b.
c.
d.

sometimes
frequently
never
always

Now answer Numbers 9 through 16. Base your answers on the article "Gone Forever."
9. Which of the following is NOT an opinion?
a. It is important for us to take care of endangered animals.
b. The black rhinoceros is the most frightening animal in Africa.
c. The fastest land animal, the cheetah, also lives in Africa.
d. If we dont protect endangered animals now, we will regret it in the future.
10.

Read this quote.

Why is it important to care for animals like these? One reason is to protect the balance of
life on Earth.
What does the author mean by the balance of life on Earth? Why is it important? Use details

from the article to support your answer.

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11. Read this sentence from the article.

Today, because forests have been cleared to make room for people, the grizzlys habitat
is shrinking and the grizzly is disappearing.
What does habitat mean?
a.
b.
c.
d.

an animals natural environment

a bears thick wool coat
a bears den
an animals vision

12. Is the author effective in persuading the reader that protecting endangered animals is important?
Why or why not?
Use details from the article to support your answer.

13. Which of the following does NOT support the main idea of the article?
a. Ocean-dwelling animals are in danger of extinction as well.
b. Beautiful birds like the great green macaw are also becoming extinct.
c. Wherever people are careless about the land, there are endangered species.
d. The elephant seems to represent all that is strong and wild in Africa.

14. Read this sentence from the article.

They fascinate us with their beauty, their grace, and their speed.
What is an antonym for the word fascinate
a. thrill
b. bore
c. scare
d. humor

15. What will happen to some animal species if current trends continue?
a. Their numbers will increase.
b. There will be no significant change.
c. They will become extinct.
d. They will move to other habitats.
16. How does the author feel about the fate of endangered animals?
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Page 35

a.
b.
c.
d.

Reading 1

disinterested
concerned
pleased
confused

Page 36

grade 8

Ready for Anything!

By Jean Lawler
Justin was always prepared. His motto was "Never throw anything out, you never know when it might
come in handy." His bedroom was so full of flat bicycle tires, bent tennis rackets, deflated
basketballs, and games with missing pieces that you could barely get in the door. His parents pleaded
with him to clean out his room.
"What use is a fish tank with a hole in the bottom?" his father asked. But Justin simply smiled and
repeated his motto, "Never throw anything out, you never know when it might come in handy."
When Justin was away from home, he always carried his blue backpack. He liked to think of it as a
smaller version of his bedrooma place to store the many objects that he collected. It was so worn
and stretched that it hardly resembled a backpack anymore. It was full of the kind of things that
seemed unimportant, but when used with a little imagination, might come in handy.
Justin had earned a reputation for figuring things out and getting people out of otherwise hopeless
situations. Many of his classmates and neighbors sought him out when they needed help with a
problem. On the first day of school, his friend Kenny, came looking for Justin.
"Do you think you have something in your bag that could help me remember my locker combination?" he
asked. "I lost the scrap of paper it was written on. I have science class in two minutes and if Im late
on the first day itll make me look bad for the rest of the year." Kenny looked genuinely worried.
"Relax," Justin said, taking his backpack off and unzipping the top. "Remember how you borrowed my
notebook in homeroom to write the combination down? Well, I know how we can recover what you
wrote."
He took the notebook and a soft lead pencil out of his bag. The page that Kenny had written on had
left faint indentations on another page in the notebook. Justin held the pencil on its side and rubbed
it lightly over the indentations. Slowly but surely the numbers of the locker combination appeared in
white, set off by the gray pencil rubbings.
"Thats amazing!" Kenny said. "I owe you one." And he dashed off to open his locker.
During science class, Mr. Tran was lecturing on the structure of the solar system using a model. He
made a sudden gesture and the model fell apart. Planets and rings and connector rods went
everywhere, rolling and clattering and disappearing under desks. The students scrambled around on
the floor for ten minutes and were finally able to recover every piece except onea connector rod
that was lodged in a crack between two lab stations.
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"If we had a magnet," said Mr. Tran, "we could easily coax it out that way. But I loaned all of the
magnet kits to the elementary school yesterday."
Justin was already searching through his backpack. "I have some materials that will work just as well,
I think," he told Mr. Tran. He pulled out a battery, an iron nail, and some electrical wire and tape,
while Mr. Tran and the other students looked on in amazement.
"Why do you have all of that stuff?" Louise Baxter asked. Justin just smiled and repeated his motto.
"Never throw anything out, you never know when it might come in handy."
By wrapping the wire around the nail and taping each end to a battery terminal, he was able to make a
magnet strong enough to lift the rod out of the crack.
"Bravo!" said Mr. Tran.
"No problem," said Justin.
After school, Justin rode the bus to the mall where he worked at a music store. His boss, Gail, was
taking inventory of all of the CDs and tapes in the classical music section. As he helped a customer at
the register, Justin heard her exclaim, "Oh, no! I forgot my glasses! Theres no way I can read this
list without them." Justin sighed, picked up his backpack, and walked over to Gail.
"I think I can help you out," he said, unzipping the bag. While Gail watched in surprise, he pulled out a
jar of petroleum jelly, a washer, a glass slide, and a small bottle of water. He put the jelly on the
bottom of the washer, placed it securely, jelly-side down, on the glass slide, and then put a drop of
water in the center of the washer.
He put the contraption on top of the inventory list and said to his boss, "See what happens when you
look through the water droplet." Gail looked and her eyes widened with delight.
"Wow!" she cried. "It enlarges the print that Im looking at, just like a magnifying glass!" She patted
Justin on the back. "Im all set now," she said. "Thanks."
Justin smiled. "No problem," he said, returning to the register.
It was just another day in the life of the boy whose motto was "Never throw anything out, you never
know when it might come in handy."

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Jane Goodall
From What a Life!
By Milada Broukal

Much of the information we have today about chimpanzees comes from the groundbreaking, long-term
research of the great conservationist, Jane Goodall.
Jane Goodall was born in London, England, on April 3, 1934. On her second birthday, her father gave
her a toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. Jubilee was named after a baby chimp in the London Zoo, and
seemed to foretell the course Janes life would take. To this day, Jubilee sits in a chair in Janes
London home. From an early age, Jane was fascinated by animals and animal stories. By the age of 10,
she was talking about going to Africa to live among the animals there. At the time, in the early 1940s,
this was a radical idea because women did not go to Africa by themselves.
As a young woman, Jane finished school in London, attended secretarial school, and then worked for a
documentary filmmaker for a while. When a school friend invited her to visit Kenya, she worked as a
waitress until she had earned the fare to travel there by boat. She was 23 years old.
Once in Kenya, she met Dr. Louis Leakey, a famous paleontologist and anthropologist. He was
impressed with her thorough knowledge of Africa and its wildlife, and hired her to assist him and his
wife on a fossil-hunting expedition to Olduvai Gorge. Dr. Leakey soon realized that Jane was the
perfect person to complete a study he had been planning for some time. She expressed her interest in
the idea of studying animals by living in the wild with them, rather than studying dead animals through
paleontology.
Dr. Leakey and Jane began planning a study of a group of chimpanzees who were living on the shores of
Lake Tanganyika in Kenya. At first, the British authorities would not approve their plan. At the time,
they thought it was too dangerous for a woman to live in the wilds of Africa alone. But Janes mother,
Vanne, agreed to join her so that she would not be alone. Finally, the authorities gave Jane the
clearance she needed in order to go to Africa and begin her study
In July of 1960, Jane and her mother arrived at Gombe National Park in what was then called
Tanganyika and is now called Tanzania. Jane faced many challenges as she began her work. The
chimpanzees did not accept her right away, and it took months for them to get used to her presence
in their territory. But she was very patient and remained focused on her goal. Little by little, she was
able to enter their world.
At first, she was able to watch the chimpanzees only from a great distance, using binoculars. As time
passed, she was able to move her observation point closer to them while still using camouflage.
Eventually, she was able to sit among them, touching, patting, and even feeding them. It was an
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amazing accomplishment for Jane, and a breakthrough in the study of animals in the wild. Jane named
all of the chimpanzees that she studied, stating in her journals that she felt they each had a unique
personality.
One of the first significant observations that Jane made during the study was that chimpanzees make
and use tools, much like humans do, to help them get food. It was previously thought that humans
alone used tools. Also thanks to Janes research, we now know that chimps eat meat as well as plants
and fruits. In many ways, she has helped us to see how chimpanzees and humans are similar. In doing
so, she has made us more sympathetic toward these creatures, while helping us to better understand
ourselves.
The study started by Jane Goodall in 1960 is now the longest field study of any animal species in their
natural habitat. Research continues to this day in Gombe and is conducted by a team of trained
Tanzanians.
Janes life has included much more than just her study of the chimps in Tanzania. She pursued a
graduate degree while still conducting her study, receiving her Ph.D. from Cambridge University in
1965. In 1984, she received the J. Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation Prize for "helping millions of
people understand the importance of wildlife conservation to life on this planet." She has been
married twice: first to a photographer and then to the director of National Parks. She has one son.
Dr. Jane Goodall is now the worlds most renowned authority on chimpanzees, having studied their
behavior for nearly 40 years. She has published many scientific articles, has written two books, and
has won numerous awards for her groundbreaking work. The Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife
Research, Education, and Conservation was founded in 1977 in California but moved to the Washington,
D.C., area in 1998. Its goal is to take the actions necessary to improve the environment for all living
things.
Dr. Goodall now travels extensively, giving lectures, visiting zoos and chimp sanctuaries, and talking to
young people involved in environmental education. She is truly a great conservationist and an amazing
human being.

"Jane Goodall" by Milada Broukal, from What A Life! Stories of Amazing People.Copyright 2000 by
Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. A Pearson Company.

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Now answer Numbers 1 through 8. Base your answers on the story "Ready for Anything!"
1.

Why is Justins room such a mess?

a. He always forgets to clean.
b. He never throws anything away.
c. He has no time to clean.
d. He shares a room with his brother.

2.

Read this sentence from the story.

Justin had earned a reputation for figuring things out and getting people out of otherwise
hopeless situations.
What does reputation mean?
a.
b.
c.
d.

ones personality
an award
how one is thought of by others
the support of others

3. What kind of a person is Justin? How do you know this?

Use details from the story to support your answer.

4. In what way is Justins backpack a smaller version of his bedroom?

a. He uses it as a place to store objects.
b. He uses it to carry his books and sports equipment.
c. His parents tell him to clean it all the time.
d. Hes had for as long as he can remember.

5. Read this sentence from the story.

His parents pleaded with him to clean out his room.

Which word is a synonym for pleaded?
a. ignored
b. asked
c. pushed
d. begged

6.

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How does Justin help his friends?

a. He offers them advice.
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b. He loans them his backpack

c. He listens to their problems.
d. He uses the objects in his backpack.

7.

Is the authors purpose in writing this story to inform, to entertain, or both? How does the
author achieve this purpose?
Use details and examples from the story to support your answer.

8.

How do most of the characters in the story feel toward Justin?

a. annoyed
b. grateful
c. disinterested
d. angry.

Now answer Numbers 9 through 16. Base your answers on the article "Jane Goodall."
9.

Read this sentence from the article.

But she was very patient and remained focused on her goal.
What is an antonym for the word focused?
a.
b.
c.
d.

bothered
tired
disinterested
concerned

10.

What is the authors purpose in writing this article?

a. to entertain the reader with stories about chimpanzees
b. to inform the reader of the importance of wildlife conservation
c. to warn the reader about the challenges of working in Africa
d. to describe the work and life of Jane Goodall.

11.

Write a brief summary of this article using only the main events.

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12.

Which
a.
b.
c.
d.

of the following is NOT one of the reasons Dr. Leakey chose Jane to work with him?
She knew a lot about Africa.
She knew a lot about African wildlife.
She earned the money to travel to Africa on her own.
She was interested in studying animals in the wild.

13.

Which
a.
b.
c.
d.

of the following is NOT true of chimpanzees?

Chimpanzees are often comfortable with strangers right away.
Chimpanzees eat meat as well as plants and fruit.
Chimpanzees use tools to help them get food.
Different chimpanzees have different personalities.

14.

Read this sentence from the article.

Jane Goodall is now the worlds most renowned authority on chimpanzees, having studied
their behavior for nearly forty years.
What does authority mean?
a.
b.
c.
d.

an intelligent person
one who studies animals
a scientist
an expert

15.

How has Jane Goodalls work helped us to better understand chimpanzees? What might happen
to them in the future due to her work?
Use examples from the article to support your answer.

16.

What is the main idea of this article?

a. Chimpanzees are amazing creatures with unique personalities.
b. Jane Goodall has taught us a great deal about animal behavior and wildlife
conservation.
c. Africa is full of wildlife that must be both preserved and studied.
d. Humans are very similar to chimpanzees and can learn a great deal by studying them.

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Japan's most famous dog

In front of the enormous Shibuya train station in Tokyo, there is a life-size bronze statue of a dog.
Even though the statue is very small when compared to the huge neon signs flashing, it isn't difficult
to find. It has been used as a meeting point since 1934 and today you will find hundreds of people
waiting there for their friends to arrive- just look for the crowds.
Hachiko, an Akita dog,was born in 1923 and brought to Tokyo in 1924. His owner, Professor Eisaburo
Uyeno and he were inseparable friends right from the start. Each day Hachiko would accompany his
owner, a professor at the Imperial University, to Shibuya train station when he left for work. When
he came back, the professor would always find the dog patiently waiting for him. Sadly, the professor
died suddenly at work in 1925 before he could return home.
Although Hachiko was still a young dog, the bond between him and his owner was very strong and he
continued to wait at the station every day. Sometimes, he would stay there for days at a time, though
some believe that he kept returning because of the food he was given by street vendors. He became a
familiar sight to commuters over time. In 1934, a statue of him was put outside the station. In 1935,
Hachiko died at the place he last saw his friend alive.

Q1 - The statue of Hachiko is small.

Q5 - The dog waited every day at the station.

Right

Right

Wrong

Wrong

Doesn't say

Doesn't say

Q2 - The statue isn't difficult to find because

there are so many people there.
Right
Wrong

Q6 - Nobody gave the dog any food.

Right
Wrong
Doesn't say

Doesn't say
Q3 - The professor worked in a school.
Right
Wrong
Doesn't say

Q7 - The dog died before the statue was put

outside the station.
Right
Wrong
Doesn't say

Q4 - The professor died at work.

Right
Wrong
Doesn't say

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Japanese tsunami dog and owner reunited

A dog that was rescued after spending three weeks floating at sea after a huge earthquake and
tsunami has been reunited with its owner, who recognised the dog when she saw a TV news report on
the rescue on Friday.
The dog was found by a Japan Coast Guard crew on a roof drifting some 1.8km off the coast of one of
the worst-hit areas along Japan's north-east coast. The roof that the dog was found on is believed to
have broken off the house and been washed out to sea by the retreating waters of the devastating
tsunami.
The two-year-old dog called Ban had an emotional reunion with its owner at an animal care centre
where it had been taken to be looked after. Local media reported that Ban immediately jumped up and
was very excited when the owner appeared. "We'll never let go of her," said the owner, who wished to
remain anonymous.

Q1 - The dog was rescued by helicopter.

Right
Wrong
Doesn't say
Q2 - The dog spent three weeks at sea.
Right
Wrong
Doesn't say
Q3 - The dog was rescued by the owner.
Right
Wrong
Doesn't say
Q4 - The dog was found by soldiers from
the army.

Q5 - The dog was found floating on a roof.

Right
Wrong
Doesn't say
Q6 - The dog showed no emotion when the
owner arrived.
Right
Wrong
Doesn't say
Q7 - The owner told people her name.
Right
Wrong
Doesn't say

Right
Wrong
Doesn't say

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Intelligence pills
Some scientists have predicted that healthy adults and children may one day take drugs to improve
their intelligence and intellectual performance. A research group has suggested that such drugs
might become as common as coffee or tea within the next couple of decades.
To counter this, students taking exams might have to take drugs tests like athletes. There are
already drugs that are known to improve mental performance, like Ritalin, which is given to children
with problems concentrating. A drug given to people with trouble sleeping also helps people remember
numbers.
These drugs raise serious legal and moral questions, but people already take vitamins to help them
remember things better, so it will not be a simple problem to solve. It will probably be very difficult
to decide at what point a food supplement becomes an unfair drug in an examination.

Q1 - Only children will take pills to

improve their intellectual performance.

Right
Wrong
Doesn't say
Q2 - Intelligence pills are already as
common as coffee or tea.
Right
Wrong
Doesn't say
Q3 - Coffee is as common as tea.
Right
Wrong
Doesn't say
Q4 - Students could have to take
intelligence drugs tests.

Q5 - A sleeping pill helps people

remember numbers.

Right
Wrong
Doesn't say
Q6 - Vitamins to help people study are
illegal.

Right
Wrong
Doesn't say
Q7 - Food supplements are unfair.
Right
Wrong
Doesn't say

Right
Wrong
Doesn't say

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Robot Birds
Liverpool city council want to clear the city of fat pigeons. They say that that people are feeding the
birds, which makes them fat. The pigeons get bigger because their normal diet would consist of seeds
and insects, not high-fat junk food they are eating in the city centre.
The council want people to know that everyone who feeds the pigeons is responsible for the streets
being so crowded with these birds. They hope to encourage the birds to move away from the city
centre and into parks and open spaces.
Ten robotic birds have been brought into the city centre to scare the pigeons away and visitors are
asked not to give the pigeons any food. The mechanical birds - known as 'robops' - will sit on the roofs
of buildings. They can be moved around to different locations. They look like a peregrine falcon, which
is a bird that kills pigeons. They even make noises and flap their wings to scare the pigeons. They hope
that the pigeons will go away before the city becomes the European Capital of Culture in two years.

Q1 - Pigeons are fatter in Liverpool than in

other cities.

Q5 - Visitors shouldn't feed the pigeons.

Right

Right

Wrong

Wrong

Doesn't say
Q2 - Pigeons get fat because they eat seeds
and insects.
Right
Wrong
Doesn't say
Q3 - According to the council, everyone is
to blame for the numbers of pigeons.
Right
Wrong
Doesn't say
Q4 - They want the pigeons to move out of
the city centre.

Doesn't say
Q6 - The robotic birds can move around the
city centre.

Right
Wrong
Doesn't say
Q7 - Liverpool is the European Capital of
Culture.

Right
Wrong
Doesn't say

Right
Wrong
Doesn't say

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Visit Angkor Wat

Siem Reap is a small town near the world famous temple of Angkor Wat. The town is charming and
worth exploring, with some fine examples of Khmer and French colonial architecture set among the
more modern developments. Nowadays, visitors are flocking in, using it as a base for visits to the
nearby temples.

A Carved City
From the 9th to the 14th centuries, when Europe was still struggling out of the Dark Ages, the
Cambodian Empire of Angkor covered most of present-day Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. The
heart of this empire during the 12th century was the ancient capital of Angkor Thom, near present
day Siem Reap, the site of the worlds largest temple complexes, which were rediscovered in 1861.This
spectacular city was built over 30 years under the reign of King Suryavarman II (1113-1150). The area
covers about 400 square kilometres and is full of the finest examples of Khmer art and architecture.
Tourists are always amazed at the scale of the place.
In Angkor Wat you will find more than 100 stone monuments and temple buildings, each of which
contains countless statues, sculptures and reliefs that have weathered extremely little over the last
800 years. To see the whole thing can take several days. The most important temples to visit in the
area are Angkor Wat, especially at sunrise or sunset; Angkor Thom, the remains of the capital; Ta
Prohm, a palace overgrown by jungle; and Bayon.

Getting a visa
Visas are required to enter Cambodia. You can obtain one on arrival at Siem Reap International Airport
for $20, and 1 passport photo is required per person. You will also need another passport photo for
the Angkor Temple Entrance Pass. Please ensure you take comfortable walking shoes, light clothing
and plenty of water to drink as it is very hot there. The most commonly accepted currency in
Cambodia is the US dollar.
True or False???
Q1 - Most people visit Siem Reap because of the temples in the area.
Q2 - In the 9th to the 14th centuries, Europe was more advanced than Cambodia.
Q3 - Angkor Wat was the capital of the Cambodian empire.
Q4 - It took many decades to build the capital.
Q5 - The stonework of Angkor Wat is in poor condition today.
Q6 - It'll take a couple of days to see everything.
Q7 - Dawn and dusk are particularly good times to visit Angkor Wat.
Q8 - You must get a visa before flying to Siem Reap.
Q9 - You will need a couple of passport photos.
Q10 - The US dollar is widely accepted in Cambodia.

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