Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart was a little girl in the early 1900s. In those days, girls wore only dresses. They were told to walk slowly. They were told to sit still. Amelia was not like other girls. She wore pants. She played ball and climbed trees. Amelia even wanted to fly airplanes. So she went to flight school to learn to fly. In 1928, she flew across the Atlantic Ocean. She was the first woman to make that flight. In 1932, she made the same flight. This time she went alone. She was the first woman to do these things. In 1937, she tried to fly all the way around the world. Her plane disappeared in the Pacific Ocean. Amelia was a brave person. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. a brave woman ___ b. learning to fly ___ c. an airplane that disappeared 2. What did Amelia do before any other woman? ___ a. flew around the world ___ b. flew in an airplane ___ c. flew across the Atlantic Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 1 Level 2.0 Stories 3. What does the word alone mean in this story? ___ a. without others ___ b. with friends ___ c. in an airplane 4. How was Amelia different from most other girls? ___ a. She sat very still. ___ b. She went to school. ___ c. She wanted to fly. 5. What things did Amelia Earhart do that showed she was brave? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 2 Level 2.0 Stories Do They Die? Some trees look dead in the winter, but they are not. They look dead because they lose all their leaves. They lose their leaves to help themselves. It would not be good for trees to have leaves in the winter. A tree needs to keep water in its trunk, branches, and leaves all the time. A tree loses a lot of water into the air through the leaves. The roots bring water up from the ground. The roots cannot get enough water from the ground in the winter. In some places the ground freezes. In other places there is less rain. If the tree kept its leaves, it would lose too much water. So it is good that trees lose their leaves before winter comes. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. trees in the winter ___ b. dead trees ___ c. tree trunks 2. How does a tree lose water? ___ a. through its roots ___ b. through its branches ___ c. through its leaves 3. What does the word leaves mean in this story? ___ a. green parts on a tree ___ b. goes away from ___ c. gets cold or freezes Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 3 Level 2.0 Stories 4. Why do trees lose their leaves? ___ a. so they do not freeze ___ b. so they have enough water ___ c. so they look dead 5. Why is it hard for trees to get water in the winter? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 4 Level 2.0 Stories Dogs Dogs are animals that can do many things. They can take care of sheep and cattle. Dogs can guard a house at night. Some dogs help people hunt wild birds. Dogs can warn people of danger and help find people who are missing. Some dogs help blind people do things by being a seeing eye for them. In some cold countries, dogs help people by pulling sleds over the ice and snow. Dogs can learn to do tricks to make people smile and laugh. Dogs also are fun playmates for boys and girls. Dogs are helpful to people in so many ways. They are also good companions for people. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. people ___ b. friends ___ c. dogs 2. What do dogs in cold countries do in this story? ___ a. guard houses ___ b. pull sleds ___ c. warn people 3. What does the word blind mean in this story? ___ a. cannot see ___ b. cannot walk ___ c. cannot hear Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 5 Level 2.0 Stories 4. How are dogs good companions for people? ___ a. Dogs are fun playmates. ___ b. Dogs take care of cattle. ___ c. Dogs chase cats. 5. How do dogs help people? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 6 Level 2.0 Stories The Earth's Star Did you know that the sun is a star? It is a big ball of gas. It gives off light, heat, and other kinds of energy. The sun is only one of billions of stars in the universe. The sun is the star that is closest to the earth. That is why it looks so much bigger than other stars. But the sun is not really close to the earth. It is about 91 million miles away from the earth. The sun is very big. It is many times bigger than all of its planets, but it is not the biggest star. In fact, the sun is only a middle-sized star. It may look bigger than all other stars, but it is not. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. the earth ___ b. the universe ___ c. the sun 2. What is the sun? ___ a. a universe ___ b. a planet ___ c. a star 3. What does the word energy mean in this story? ___ a. power ___ b. stars ___ c. planets Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 7 Level 2.0 Stories 4. Which is the biggest? ___ a. the universe ___ b. the sun ___ c. the earth 5. How does the sun help us? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 8 Level 2.0 Stories Elizabeth Blackwell Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England in 1821. When she was little, people felt that girls could not do as much as boys. Her father did not agree. He told her that she could do anything she wanted. Elizabeth wanted to be a doctor. She knew she had to study hard. There were many books in her house. She read all of them. When she was in school, she wanted the teacher to give her more and more work. She always wanted to learn new things. Elizabeth was the first woman to become a medical doctor in the U.S. She helped many sick people. Some people didn't believe in her, but that didn't stop her. In 1857, she opened a hospital for poor women and children. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. a hospital for poor people ___ b. the first woman doctor ___ c. helping sick people 2. What did Elizabeth Blackwell's father tell her? ___ a. She should be a teacher. ___ b. She could do anything she wanted. ___ c. She could do only things girls did. 3. What does the word agree mean in this story? ___ a. to think the same as someone else ___ b. to want to do things that others do ___ c. to believe in someone Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 9 Level 2.0 Stories 4. Why was it surprising that Elizabeth became a doctor? ___ a. She had to study hard and read a lot of books. ___ b. People felt that girls could not do as much as boys. ___ c. Her father told her she could do anything she wanted. 5. What good things did Elizabeth Blackwell do in her lifetime? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 10 Level 2.0 Stories Frogs Frogs are a kind of animal called amphibians. Most amphibians live part of their lives in the water and part of their lives on land. Most frogs lay their eggs in the water. The eggs hatch as tadpoles. The tadpoles live in the water like fish until they are grown. The tadpole changes into a frog. When it is a grown frog, it can live on land. Most frogs always live near the water. There are many different kinds, sizes, and colors of frogs. But they all have the same body parts. Frogs even have many of the same organs as humans do. Some people like to eat frog legs. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. what amphibians are ___ b. how frogs live and grow ___ c. where frogs' eggs hatch 2. Where do most frogs lay their eggs? ___ a. in the water ___ b. on land ___ c. in the sand 3. What does the word land mean in this story? ___ a. ground or earth ___ b. lay an egg ___ c. come down Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 11 Level 2.0 Stories 4. Why are frogs amphibians? ___ a. They live part of their lives in water and part on land. ___ b. They have organs like humans. ___ c. They live near water and like to swim. 5. Why do most frogs live near water? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 12 Level 2.0 Stories George Washington Carver Do you like peanuts? Many things can be made with peanuts. Peanut butter is made with peanuts. Instant coffee, soap, and ink can be made with peanuts too. One man made more than 300 things with peanuts. His name was George Washington Carver. George was born in the mid-1800s. In those days, most people could not go to college. George worked very hard. He earned his way through college. George liked plants. He always wanted to know about plants, so he studied plants in college. He learned many things about plants. He used what he learned to make new things from plants. He made flour and candy from sweet potatoes. He made paper from cotton stalks. George won many awards for his work. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. sweet potatoes and cotton stalks ___ b. a man who made things from plants ___ c. making instant coffee from peanuts 2. What did George study in college? ___ a. soap ___ b. plants ___ c. ink 3. What does the word studied mean in this story? ___ a. took apart ___ b. learned about ___ c. grew Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 13 Level 2.0 Stories 4. Why did George win awards? ___ a. He went to college. ___ b. He liked peanut butter. ___ c. He made new things from plants. 5. What things can be made from plants? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 14 Level 2.0 Stories Leap Year Do you know how many days there are in one year? Most years have 365 days. Some years have 366 days. A year is the time it takes for the earth to go around the sun. It takes a little more than 365 days. It takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds. In each year of 365 days, there is time that doesn't get used. The extra 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds is saved. Every four years, the extra time is put together. It makes an extra day. The extra day is February 29. In most years, February has 28 days. But once every four years, it has 29 days. A year with an extra day is a leap year. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. 28 days in February ___ b. the year with an extra day ___ c. years with 365 days 2. How many days do most years have? ___ a. 366 ___ b. 365 ___ c. 29 3. What does the word seconds mean in this story? ___ a. short amounts of time ___ b. the spot that comes after first ___ c. pieces that are left over Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 15 Level 2.0 Stories 4. How often does a leap year happen? ___ a. every five years ___ b. every three years ___ c. every four years 5. Why is there a leap year? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 16 Level 2.0 Stories Polar Bear A polar bear looks white. But the fur of a polar bear is not white. It is clear and hollow. It is full of air. The air helps keep the bear warm. Polar bears need to stay warm because they live in the Arctic. The Arctic is cold. There is snow and ice in the Arctic. The fur of a polar bear makes the bear hard to see in the snow. A polar bear has fur all over, except on its nose. Polar bears are very large. They can be ten feet long. They can weigh more than 1,000 pounds! Polar bears kill seals for food. They can swim very well. The feet of a polar bear are padded with fur. This helps the bear walk on ice without slipping. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. large bears in the Arctic ___ b. the padded feet of polar bears ___ c. snow and ice in the Arctic 2. What is true about the fur of the polar bear? ___ a. It is hollow. ___ b. It is padded. ___ c. It is brown. 3. What does the word pounds mean in this story? ___ a. how heavy something is ___ b. hits or stomps hard ___ c. keeps something warm Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 17 Level 2.0 Stories 4. Why do the feet of polar bears have fur padding? ___ a. to make their feet feel soft ___ b. to keep the bears from slipping ___ c. to keep their feet clean and white 5. Why is the polar bear able to live in the very cold Arctic? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 18 Level 2.0 Stories Sailors in Space The word astronaut means a sailor in space. So people who go into space are called astronauts. Astronauts are people who work in spaceships. They go into space to learn about the earth and the moon. They do tests to learn about the sun and the stars. Astronauts need to be good thinkers. Their bodies have to be in good shape too. This is because space is not like the earth. There is gravity on the earth. It pulls people to the earth. There is not much gravity in space. This makes astronauts float when they are in space. So they have to be strapped down. They also have to work in very small spaces. Astronauts are people with special skills. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. astronauts ___ b. spaceships ___ c. gravity 2. What pulls people to the earth? ___ a. gravity ___ b. straps ___ c. space 3. What does the word astronaut mean in this story? ___ a. a person who works in space ___ b. a spaceship on the moon ___ c. tests done in space Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 19 Level 2.0 Stories 4. What do astronauts do in space that they cannot do on the earth? ___ a. think ___ b. float ___ c. work 5. What special skills do astronauts need? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 20 Level 2.0 Stories Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony was born in 1820. She was a Quaker. Quakers thought that men and women were equal. Susan thought so too. When Susan lived, women in America were not treated the same as men. Women could not vote. Married women could not own land. This made her angry. So she worked hard to help people see that women were equal to men. She fought hard for women's rights. Susan helped women get the right to vote, but she never could vote. She died in 1906. Women could not vote in America until 1920. A picture of Susan B. Anthony is on one -dollar coins. She was the first woman to have her picture on a U.S. coin. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. a woman's picture on a U.S. coin ___ b. a woman who owned land ___ c. a woman who fought for women's rights 2. What did Susan help women get the right to do? ___ a. vote ___ b. work hard ___ c. become Quakers 3. What does the word fought mean in this story? ___ a. hit or kicked ___ b. worked for ___ c. gave up Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 21 Level 2.0 Stories 4. What did Susan B. Anthony want? ___ a. to be the first woman to vote ___ b. to get equal rights for women ___ c. to be pictured on a U.S. coin 5. What can women do today that they could not do when Susan lived? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 22 Level 2.0 Stories What Is That on Your Head? Hair keeps your head warm in the winter. It protects your head from sunburn in the summer. You have about 100,000 hairs on your head. Some of those hairs are growing, but some of them have stopped growing. When a hair stops growing, it is ready to fall out. A new hair can grow in its place. Hair grows about one-half inch a month. It will only grow to its natural length. Some people's hair will grow to 6 inches in length. Other people's will grow to over 15 inches in length. Hair grows out of holes on your head. Those holes are called follicles. People with wavy hair have oval follicles. People with curly hair have flatter follicles. People with straight hair have rounder follicles. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. how hair protects people ___ b. hair and how it grows ___ c. why follicles have many shapes 2. What can happen when a hair stops growing? ___ a. It gets curly or wavy. ___ b. It gets thicker. ___ c. It falls out. Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 23 Level 2.0 Stories 3. What does the word follicles mean in this story? ___ a. the holes from which hairs grow ___ b. the natural length of hair ___ c. wavy, curly, or straight hair 4. Why can't all people have long hair? ___ a. Some hair is too curly. ___ b. Hair grows to its natural length. ___ c. Some follicles are very round. 5. How does hair help people? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 24 Level 2.0 Stories Dinosaur With a Beak People can learn about dinosaurs from bones. But did you know there are dinosaur mummies? People found bones of a dinosaur with a wide, flat beak. They named it the duck-billed dinosaur. From the bones, people thought it lived like a duck. They thought it lived in water. Then a mummy of a duck-billed dinosaur was found. A long time ago a dinosaur died. Its body dried up. Sand and mud stuck to its body. The body turned to stone. When the stone body was found, it was like a mummy. Later more duck-billed dinosaur mummies were found. People learned new things from the mummies. People learned more things than they could from bones. The mummies changed the way people thought. The mummies made people think this dinosaur lived on land. So, it did not live like a duck. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. bones of dinosaurs ___ b. beaks of dinosaurs ___ c. mummies of dinosaurs 2. What changed how people thought about the duck-billed dinosaur? ___ a. ducks ___ b. mummies ___ c. beaks Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 25 Level 2.0 Stories 3. What does the word turned mean in this story? ___ a. changed ___ b. stuck ___ c. spun 4. How was the duck-billed dinosaur like a duck? ___ a. It had a flat beak. ___ b. It lived on land. ___ c. Its body dried up. 5. How do people learn about dinosaurs? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 26 Level 2.0 Stories Dolphins Dolphins are mammals that live in water. A dolphin has a nose that looks like a beak. The blowhole in the top of its head helps the dolphin breathe. Dolphins are born alive. The mother dolphin is called a cow. The baby dolphin is called a calf. The calf drinks its mother's milk. Dolphins can see, hear, and taste, but they cannot smell things. Dolphins swim in groups called schools. If a dolphin gets sick, others will help it. People like to watch dolphins swim and do tricks. They can jump in the air and catch rings on their noses. Some scientists think dolphins talk to each other. They make a sound like a whistle. Maybe someday we will learn to talk to dolphins. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. the sounds dolphins make ___ b. dolphins and what they do ___ c. how dolphins swim in schools 2. What does the dolphin use the blowhole for? ___ a. to breathe ___ b. to drink ___ c. to hear Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 27 Level 2.0 Stories 3. What does the word calf mean in this story? ___ a. a mother dolphin ___ b. a baby dolphin ___ c. a baby cow 4. What can people do that dolphins cannot do? ___ a. see ___ b. hear ___ c. smell 5. How are dolphins like people? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 28 Level 2.0 Stories Fun on Ice The first skates were made of animal bones tied to boots. People ice-skated to get from place to place in the winter. Now people ice-skate for fun. It feels good to glide over the smooth ice. Some people ice-skate to get strong. Most of our muscles are used to ice-skate. Some people ice-skate for sport. They speed-skate, figure-skate, or play hockey. Speed-skating is racing on skates. Some skaters can move 30 miles an hour on skates. Figure-skating is like dancing on ice. The skaters spin, jump, and glide. Hockey is a game played on ice. The skaters try to put a puck in the net with a stick. Ice-skating is fun for people of all ages. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. playing hockey ___ b. racing on skates ___ c. skating on ice 2. What is hockey? ___ a. a game on ice ___ b. a puck and a stick ___ c. a race 3. What does the word smooth mean in this story? ___ a. bumpy ___ b. flat ___ c. cold Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 29 Level 2.0 Stories 4. How are hockey, speed-skating, and figure-skating alike? ___ a. The skaters spin and jump. ___ b. The skaters have sticks. ___ c. The skaters glide on ice. 5. What are three things people can do when they ice-skate? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 30 Level 2.0 Stories Gecko The gecko is a strange lizard. It is strange because it can walk on walls and windows. It can even walk on the ceiling. The gecko has hairs on its feet. These hairs help it to stick to things as it walks. The gecko is also strange because it can drop off its tail. If something catches the gecko by the tail, the tail falls off. Then the gecko runs away. A new tail grows back. In fact, the gecko may grow two tails. The gecko lives where it is warm. It sleeps in the daytime. It is awake at night. The gecko makes noise at night. But some people still like the gecko to live with them. This is because the gecko eats insects. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. why geckos are strange ___ b. how geckos grow tails ___ c. how geckos walk on ceilings 2. When does a gecko sleep? ___ a. at night ___ b. when it is warm ___ c. in the daytime 3. What does the word noise mean in this story? ___ a. something you can feel ___ b. something you can hear ___ c. something you can see Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 31 Level 2.0 Stories 4. Why does the gecko drop its tail? ___ a. so it can walk on the ceiling ___ b. so it can grow a new tail ___ c. so it can run away 5. What are three ways that geckos are strange? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 32 Level 2.0 Stories Gliding Over the Snow Would you like to glide over the snow on long strips of wood? Then you would like to ski. Many people ski down hills. This is called downhill skiing. Other people crosscountry ski. Cross-country skiing is hiking on skis over flat, snowy land. Some people speed down hills and then jump high in the air. Ski jumping is thrilling to do and fun to watch. The first skis were made from bones of large animals. The bones were strapped on the bottom of boots. These first skis were used on flat ground. The straps could not keep the skis on boots for downhill skiing. Now skis are made of plastic, wood, and metal. Now straps can keep skis on boots when skiers go down hills. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. hiking ___ b. skiing ___ c. jumping 2. What were the first skis made from? ___ a. plastic and metal ___ b. bones and straps ___ c. strips of wood 3. What does the word strips mean in this story? ___ a. long, flat pieces ___ b. different colors ___ c. bones of large animals Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 33 Level 2.0 Stories 4. What kind of skiing came first? ___ a. ski jumping ___ b. cross-country skiing ___ c. downhill skiing 5. How are the skis we use now better than the first skis? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 34 Level 2.0 Stories Hot Air Balloons Are you afraid of heights? Then a hot air balloon is not for you. A hot air balloon is a very big balloon. It floats high above the ground. A basket can be tied to a hot air balloon. People can ride in the basket. A burner is at the bottom of the balloon. It heats the air inside the balloon. The air in the balloon gets warm. Warm air is lighter than cold air. The warm air in the balloon is lighter than the cold air outside. This makes the hot air balloon rise. When the burner is turned off, the air cools. Then the balloon can land. Some hot air balloons are pretty. Some are brightly colored. They are fun to watch in the sky. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. floating in the sky ___ b. balloons that float ___ c. being afraid of heights 2. What warms the air in a hot air balloon? ___ a. baskets ___ b. a burner ___ c. heights 3. What does the word floats mean in this story? ___ a. stays up ___ b. lands ___ c. heats Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 35 Level 2.0 Stories 4. Why does a hot air balloon land? ___ a. The air inside the balloon cools. ___ b. The air inside the balloon warms. ___ c. The air outside the balloon warms. 5. Why does a hot air balloon rise? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 36 Level 2.0 Stories Night Flyers Bats are mammals. A mammal is an animal with hair whose babies are born alive. Bats are the only mammals that can fly. They have wings, but they do not have any feathers. Their wings are made of skin. Bats sleep in the day and stay awake at night. Some bats use their ears to "see" their food. First they make sounds. The sounds travel through the air and hit the food near the bat. The sounds bounce back to the bat. Then the bat knows where the food is. There are many kinds of bats. There are many sizes of bats too. The bumblebee bat weighs less than a penny. The biggest bats have wings that stretch six feet wide. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. many things about bats ___ b. the wings of a bat ___ c. how bats fly 2. What do some bats use to find their food? ___ a. their wings ___ b. their skin ___ c. their ears 3. What does the word hit mean in this story? ___ a. to be well liked ___ b. to bump into ___ c. to punch hard Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 37 Level 2.0 Stories 4. What do bats have that other mammals do not have? ___ a. wings ___ b. two ears ___ c. hair 5. How do some bats find their food? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 38 Level 2.0 Stories Piano What does 36b + 52w = 88k mean? It stands for the keys on a piano. A piano has 88 keys. There are 36 black keys and 52 white keys. The piano has parts you cannot see because they are on the inside. These parts are the hammers and the strings. The hammers are little pieces of wood. The strings are long pieces of metal. When you push a key on a piano, it moves one of the hammers. The hammer hits one of the strings. This makes the string move back and forth very fast. A sound is made. If the hammer hits a thin string, the sound is high. A thick string makes a low sound. The piano can make music with very high and very low sounds. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. pianos and how they work ___ b. what hammers are made from ___ c. how many keys are on a piano 2. Which strings make high sounds? ___ a. thick strings ___ b. long strings ___ c. thin strings 3. What does the word keys mean in this story? ___ a. the piano parts you push with your fingers ___ b. the hammers and strings in a piano ___ c. the inside parts of a piano Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 39 Level 2.0 Stories 4. What sounds do pianos make when the strings are not moving? ___ a. high sounds ___ b. no sounds ___ c. low sounds 5. Why do you hear a sound after you push a piano key? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 40 Level 2.0 Stories Pioneers A long time ago, most Americans lived near the East Coast. The pioneers changed that. They moved from the East to the Wild West. The first pioneers were explorers and fur traders. The next wave of pioneers cleared the woods. They grew just enough food to feed their families. The last group of pioneers cleared bigger spaces for farms. They raised crops and animals to sell. The pioneers did not have cars, planes, or trains to take them to the West. They went in wagons. The wagons were covered with cloth. They were pulled by horses. Many times pioneers went in groups. They went in their wagons all day. At night, the pioneers formed a circle with their wagons. This helped keep them safe. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. how explorers traded fur ___ b. how people cleared the woods ___ c. how people moved to the West 2. What did the first pioneers do? ___ a. raised crops ___ b. traded furs ___ c. cleared the woods 3. What does the word crops mean in this story? ___ a. woods ___ b. animals ___ c. plants Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 41 Level 2.0 Stories 4. How did the pioneers keep safe? ___ a. They went in groups. ___ b. They cleared the woods. ___ c. They had horses with them. 5. What are some things pioneers did as they moved to the Wild West? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 42 Level 2.0 Stories Race Cars Car racing is an exciting and dangerous sport. It tests the speed of cars and the skill of drivers. There are two kinds of car races. One kind is the track race. In the track race, the cars go on an oval track. They move around and around the track. Another kind of race is the road race. In the road race, the cars drive on roads with hills, curves, and corners. Track races are faster than road races. During a car race, cars stop in the pit. The cars get new tires in the pit. Cars get the engines checked in the pit. The pit workers are very fast at fixing cars. The first car to cross the finish line gets the checkered flag. The driver sometimes wins money. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. driving skills ___ b. car racing ___ c. fixing cars 2. Where do cars drive in a track race? ___ a. on roads with hills ___ b. on an oval track ___ c. on city streets 3. What does the word oval mean in this story? ___ a. square ___ b. egg-shaped ___ c. long and hilly Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 43 Level 2.0 Stories 4. Which car gets the checkered flag? ___ a. the car going too fast ___ b. the car going into the pit ___ c. the car that wins 5. How are road races and track races alike? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 44 Level 2.0 Stories Volcano A volcano is not a mountain. It is a crack in the earth. Hot, liquid rock can shoot out of the crack. The rock is called lava. Small rocks and gases come out of the crack too. That is called an eruption. It makes a lot of noise. The lava shoots and pours out of the crack. Then it cools and gets hard. The hard lava stays near the crack. Lava from many eruptions forms a mountain. It can take thousands of years to form a mountain. Some volcanoes shoot out gas and rocks a lot. Some do not erupt for years. A few stop erupting at all. A volcano can be powerful. It can blow up the whole mountain of rock and lava that it formed. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. hot, liquid rock called lava ___ b. the noise made by eruptions ___ c. volcanoes and eruptions 2. What is a volcano? ___ a. a crack in the earth ___ b. a mountain of rock ___ c. hot, liquid rock and gas 3. What does the word eruption mean in this story? ___ a. gas and rock shooting from a crack ___ b. forming mountains from lava ___ c. a crack in the earth Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 45 Level 2.0 Stories 4. What happens after thousands of years of eruptions? ___ a. A volcano is formed. ___ b. The volcano stops erupting. ___ c. A mountain is formed. 5. Why should you stay away from an erupting volcano? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 46 Level 2.0 Stories Wolf Many people fear wolves. They believe wolves attack people. The howl of a wolf frightens them. But wolves avoid people as much as possible. Most full-grown wolves weigh 75 to 120 pounds. They are five to six feet long. Wolves live in family groups called packs. The packs have 8 to 20 members. Members of a pack stay together. Some wolves leave the pack and become lone wolves. A lone wolf travels alone until it finds a mate. These two wolves may have pups and form their own pack. Wolves hunt any time of the day or night. When the members of a pack gather to begin a hunt, they greet each other with howls. Their howling may become very loud. It warns other wolves to stay out of the pack's territory. Quiz Questions 1. What is most of this story about? ___ a. when wolves hunt ___ b. why wolves howl ___ c. how wolves live 2. How do wolves greet each other? ___ a. by hunting ___ b. by howling ___ c. by attacking Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 47 Level 2.0 Stories 3. What does the word packs mean in this story? ___ a. groups of wolves ___ b. the howls of wolves ___ c. wolves' territories 4. What do most wolves do when they see people? ___ a. howl ___ b. attack ___ c. stay away 5. Why do so many people fear wolves? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2012 Read Naturally, Inc. Read Naturally Live 48 Level 2.0 Stories
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