Table of Contents
Reading Comprehension
in Varied Subject Matter
Building Comprehension Skills Across the Content Areas
Grades 2–11
RTI
Reading Comprehension Book 2
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Reading
Comprehension
BOOK 2
in Varied Subject Matter
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
subject:
subject:combined
combined subjects
subjects
Selection
—Theme:
Theme:
World
of Then
and Now
Selection 11—
TheThe
World
of Then
and Now
MYSTERY
THE FIRST
LIVING
BEING .
. . . . . LINES
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
OF THE
ANCIENT
NAZCA
Selection
2
—
Theme:
Communication
Selection 2 — Theme: Communication
CONVERSATIONS
HOW WE COMMUNICATE
TODAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
WITH A GORILLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selection
—Theme:
Theme:
Transportation
Selection 33—
Transportation
THE
HOW
WEATHER
AFFECTS TRAVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
ONLY WAY TO TRAVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
subject:
subject:social
social studies
studies
Selection
4
—
Theme:
What
America
Means—Traditions
and Symbols
Selection 4 — Theme: What America Means—Traditions and Symbols
WILLIAMSBURG,
UNCLE SAM . . VIRGINIA
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
10
Selection
5
—
Theme:
The
Story
of
America
Selection 5 — Theme: Great Americans
JOHN
A WALL
OF NAMES . .
. . . . . . . . ADDRESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
F . KENNEDY’S
INAUGURAL
14
Selection
6
—
Theme:
Great
Americans
Selection 6 — Theme: Human Relations
JO’S
A TRULY
FIRST LADY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
SACRIFICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
Selection
7
—
Theme:
How
Others Live
Selection 7 — Theme: Human Feats
AN
ICELAND:
LAND
OF FIRE
AND ICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
INCREDIBLE
RECORD
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21
Selection
8
—
Theme:
Human
Relations
Selection 8 — Theme: Stories with Something to Say
JOAN
THEOF
WIND
AND THE SUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
ARC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25
Selection 9 — Theme: Human Feats
DISCOVERING THE SNOWFLAKE .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
subject: science
Selection
10
—
Theme:
Stories
with
Something
to
Say
Selection 9 — Theme: What is the Biggest?
THE
THE
FOX AND
THE GRAPES .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
BIGGEST
CARRIER
OF INFORMATION
28
Selection 10 — Theme: The World Around Us
subject:
science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
NATURE’S MISCHIEF MAKES
MIRAGES
Selection
11
—
Theme:
The
“How
To”
Series
Selection 11 — Theme: World of Animals, Insects and Reptiles
THE
HOW
TO MAKE
A SURVIVAL
THERMOMETER .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
STRUGGLE
FOR
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
34
Selection
12—
—Theme:
Theme:
What
Is the Biggest?
Selection 12
World
of Water,
Sea, and Fish
LIFE’S
THE MYSTERY
BIGGEST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LIVING LAND ANIMAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
37
Selection
13
—
Theme:
Getting
to
Know Yourself
Selection 13 — Theme: World in the Sky
WHERE’S
HOW OUR
REGULATES TEMPERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
THEBODY
MATTER? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40
Selection 14 — Theme: The World Around Us
OPPOSITE SEASONS .
. . . . . . . . . .logic,
. . . . and
. . . .math
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
subject: philosophy,
Selection
15
—
Theme:
World
of
Animals,
Insects,
and
Reptiles
Selection 14 — Theme: What Do You Think?
SYMBOLIC
HOW ANIMALS
ADAPT TO HOT AND COLD TEMPERATURES . . . . . . . . 46
LOGIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
44
Selection
16—
—Theme:
Theme:
of Water,
Selection 15
TheWorld
Why and
How ofSea,
It and Fish
A A
STRANGE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
PROBLEM
IN FISH . .
LOGIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
48
Selection
17
—
Theme:
World
in
the
Sky
Selection 16 — Theme: Life and Its Meaning
TWO
THEPASSAGES
OOKPIK . .FROM
. . . . .THE
. . . .BIBLE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
52
Selection 18 —
Selection 19 —
Selection 20 —
Selection 21 —
subject: philosophy, logic, and language
Theme: What Do You Think?
ALL FOR ONE COIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theme: The Why and How of It
CLIMATIC CLUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theme: Thinking About Life and Its Meaning
THE PINE TREE’S WISHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theme: Words, Words, Words
THE STORY OF ARACHNE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
55
58
62
65
subject: mathematics
Selection 22 — Theme: How About That?
MEASURING BY THUMB AND ATOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Selection 23 — Theme: Figuring the Facts
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN MEASURING SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Selection 24 — Theme: Seeing the Facts
READING A THERMOMETER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Selection 25 —
Selection 26 —
Selection 27 —
Selection 28 —
Selection 29 —
subject: literature
Theme: Myth, Folklore, and Fantasy
DEMETER AND PERSEPHONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theme: Rhythm, Repetition, and Sound
THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theme: How Others Have Said It
WHAT IS BLACK? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theme: How Others Have Described It—Houses and Homes
HOUSES FOR DIFFERENT CLIMATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theme: Different Literary Styles and Forms—Personification
SUMMER SUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
81
85
89
93
97
subject: the arts
Selection 30 — Theme: Saying It through the Arts
HOW A CARTOON CAN KEEP YOU WARM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Selection 31 — Theme: Personalities in the Arts
DAEDALUS—THE CUNNING ARTIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104