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Reading
Directions: Read the selection.
Waiting for Winter
Joan Ripley
By the end of November, Jeremy was ready for winter. He
couldn't wait to wear his snowsuit and his fur-lined boots. He couldn't
wait to try his new sled. But most of all, he just couldn't wait for snow.
Every day he asked, "Will it snow soon?"
"Not yet," answered Mom, packing away piles of short-sleeved
shirts. "There are still many leaves on the maple tree. Wait till they
fall off."
So Jeremy waited till the leaves dropped and settled like a calico
quilt upon the ground.
"Will it snow today?" he asked.
"Not yet," said Dad, stacking firewood on the porch. "The geese
are still on the pond. Wait till they fly south for the winter."
Again Jeremy waited. And one day the geese flapped their
wings and flew away in two straight lines, like the point of an arrow.
Their honking grew fainter as Jeremy watched them disappear.
It was getting close to Christmas. "Now will it snow?"
asked Jeremy.
"It's not cold enough yet," Grandpa pointed out, spreading a
blanket of mulch over the flower beds. "The chipmunk is still awake,
gathering acorns for its winter food."
Once more Jeremy waited. Soon the pond turned to ice, and the
chipmunk went to sleep in its underground nest. Everything was ready.
Why didn't it snow?
One night Grandma tucked Jeremy into bed. "Tomorrow you'll
have snow," she whispered.
"Are you sure?" Jeremy asked.
"You bet," said Grandma. "See that halo around the moon? That
means there's moisture in the air. And besides, I feel it in my bones."
Jeremy said, "Oh, Grandma, that's silly."
But sure enough, that night a cold front rolled down from the
north, herding a flock of black clouds that huddled overhead.
It began to snow.
Slowly, snow covered the leaves under the maple tree.
Snow covered the ice on the frozen pond.
And snow covered the chipmunk sleeping in its burrow.
It snowed and it snowed all night. Softly. Silently. Steadily.
When Jeremy woke up and saw the wonderful white world, he
jumped out of bed.
"Wow! Grandma's bones were right!" he shouted.
He gobbled down his oatmeal and toast. Then Jeremy zipped
himself into his snowsuit, tugged on his boots, grabbed his new sled,
and raced out the door.
The first snow of winter was waiting for him.
Word Bank
calico — having sections or patches colored differently and
usually brightly
mulch — straw or pieces of bark used to cover the ground
around plants
What event happens before the geese fly south?
O A. The leaves fall off the maple tree.
O B. The chipmunk goes to sleep.
O C. The pond turns to ice.
These sentences are from the selection.
"One night Grandma tucked Jeremy into bed. 'Tomorrow
you'll have snow,' she whispered."
Why does Grandma tell Jeremy that he will see
snow tomorrow?
le.
O A. She wants Jeremy to keep looking for signs of winter.
O B. She notices signs that snow is coming.
O C. She knows that it is already snowing.
$•
Describe two events from the selection that help Jeremy
understand that winter is coming.
Event #1:
Event #2:
This sentence is from the selection.
"Their honking grew fainter as Jeremy watched
them disappear."
Which word is a synonym for fainter?
O A. quieter
O B. slower
O C. longer
Authors want readers to use their senses when reading. These
sentences are from the selection.
"Slowly, snow covered the leaves under the maple tree."
"Snow covered the ice on the frozen pond."
"And snow covered the chipmunk sleeping in its burrow."
Which sense do readers use when reading these sentences?
O A. smell
O B. sight
O C. taste
. Complete the chart by filling in two ways the characters in this
selection prepare for winter. Then, fill in two ways the animals
prepare for winter.
Two ways the characters prepare for winter:
a.
b.
Two ways the animals prepare for winter:
a.
b.
When does the first snow fall?
O A. as Jeremy's grandmother tucks him into bed
O B. before the halo appears around the moon
O C. during the night when Jeremy is sleeping
•
•
This sentence is from the selection.
"He couldn't wait to wear his snowsuit and his fur-lined boots."
What does the compound word snowsuit mean?
O A. something made out of snow
O B. something that blends in with snow
O C. something worn when there is snow
R
Which sentence or sentences help the reader hear and feel
the snow falling?
O A. "Snow covered the ice on the frozen pond."
O B. "It snowed and it snowed all night. Softly.
Silently. Steadily."
O C. "The first snow of winter was waiting for him."
is
Read this selection from a Web site about how animals adapt
to the cold of winter.
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http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/animals.html
1,
Animals have different ways of surviving the cold of
winter. Rabbits can grow extra fur to stay warm in
the winter. Some animals, such as whales, migrate,
or move south for the winter. Bears and other
animals can sleep through the whole winter.
Which information from the Web site above is similar to
information in the selection?
O A. Geese sleep through the winter, like bears.
O B. Chipmunks grow extra fur, like rabbits.
O C. Whales migrate south, like geese.
Directions: Read the selection.
The Maori of New Zealand
by Phoebe Grant
New Zealand is a group of islands located to the southeast of
Asia. The island has a population of over three million people, The
majority of people that live on the island today are under the age
of thirty.
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The native inhabitants of New Zealand are the Maori
(may - OR - ee) people. The Maori people have a tradition of wearing
tattoos on their faces, which are called Moko. Only men are permitted
to have tattoos all over their bodies; women's tattoos are restricted to
their chins, upper lips, and nostrils.
New Zealand Maori men perform a war dance using weapons.
The Maori culture is passed down orally from generation to
generation. One of the favorite Maori's traditions is a war dance,
called the Haka. This dance was performed when the Maori people
went to war. Originally, New Zealand was a British colony. The people
of the island, however, fought for their independence and won it
in 1907.
Hangi is the name for the way the Maori people cook. A fire is
built inside a dug out pit and stones are placed in the fire. Cabbage
leaves are then used to cover the hot stones. Next, foods like pork,
chicken, potatoes, and sweet potatoes (called Kumera) are put into a
pot. The pot is then lowered into the pit for over three hours. The
cabbage leaves protect the food from being burned while it is
cooking. Tourists who have tasted the traditional cooking of the Maori
say that it has the flavorful taste of outdoor cooking.
.
1\•
What stops the Maori food from burning?
O A. the pot
O B. cabbage leaves
O C. stones placed in the fire
These sentences are from the selection.
"This dance was performed when the Maori people went to
war. Originally, New Zealand was a British colony. The people
of the island, however, fought for their independence and won
it in 1907."
Which question do these sentences answer?
O A. How many people live in New Zealand?
O B. What are the dance movements of the Haka?
O C. Whom did the Maori fight in order to gain their freedom?
This sentence is from the selection.
"Tourists who have tasted the traditional cooking of the Maori
say that it has the flavorful taste of outdoor cooking."
The suffix -ful changes the meaning of the root word flavor.
What does flavorful mean?
O A. having many flavors
O B. having a lot of flavor
O C. having less flavor than before
Which topic would be listed in an index for this selection?
O A. jewelry
O B. tattoos
O C. language
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Which word tells what the men are doing in the picture?
•
0 A. Kumera
O B. Moko
O C. Haka
1
"When the Maori people cook, they build a fire inside a dug out
pit. Describe the next four steps of the cooking process, using
details from the selection. Make sure your answers are written
in the order in which they happen in the selection.
1
STEP 2
1
STEP 3
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STEP 4
STEP 5
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