Reciprocal Teaching

What is it?
Reciprocal Teaching is an interactive reading strategy designed to enhance the students comprehension of expository text by integrating the processes of predicting, clarifying, visualizing, questioning, and summarizing during reading. These strategies may be done in any order, hence the term reciprocal. Reciprocal Teaching starts as an oral dialogue between teacher, student, and text. It moves to an automatic conversation between reader and text. Reciprocal Teaching as a reading comprehension strategy is based on research done by Palinscar and Brown in 1985. It was originally used with junior high school students. (Support Materials Section)

Why do it?
Students often experience frustration when trying to gain information from their textbooks. They recognize and pronounce words but have poor reading comprehension. Students who have been taught to practice Reciprocal Teaching strategies have made dramatic improvement in comprehension following twenty sessions of instruction using these strategies. Students gain confidence in their abilities to comprehend text and show improvement in reading for information during independent reading and testtaking. Students who are proficient readers often do not like Reciprocal Teaching because they have already internalized the strategies that good readers use most often when they read. However, it will help the struggling students gain concrete methods to help them stay focused and make meaning as they read any kind of text. Reciprocal Teaching encourages re-reading and metacognition, which also lead to greater comprehension.

How to do it?
The Reciprocal Teaching strategies are introduced to students and modeled by the teacher in a whole-class situation. Then, as students practice these strategies, the teacher becomes a coach who slowly withdraws support as the students are empowered to read with increased comprehension, both in groups and independently. Remember, research has shown that students must practice this strategy at least 20 times before they automatically incorporate the strategies as they read.

RECIPROCAL TEACHING
Model Lesson Plan
BEFORE TEACHING THE FIRST LESSON: Choose a short lesson that can be divided into 4 - 6 logical parts such as paragraphs, chapter subheadings, etc. Make a poster using the cartoon icons to post in the room. You can refer to the poster as you explain the five strategies of Reciprocal Teaching. (Support Materials Section) Also give each student a Reciprocal Teaching Train Your Brain bookmark to use as a guide during your explanation. (Support Materials Section)

ON THE DAY OF THE FIRST LESSON: 1. Tell the students that you are going to introduce them to Reciprocal Teaching, a way of helping them improve their reading comprehension. Tell them that Reciprocal Teaching has five strategies: Predicting, Visualizing, Clarifying, Questioning, and Summarizing. 2. Draw a circular diagram on the board which shows these strategies.
VISUALIZING

PREDICTING

CLARIFYING

SUMMARIZING

QUESTIONING

3. Explain and define each of the five parts. Ideas for introducing the students to the strategies follow. Explain that reciprocal means back and forth, therefore these strategies may be used in any order. Until the students have internalized the strategies, however, they will practice them in a prescribed order.

INTRODUCTION TO PREDICTING Ask the students, What does it mean to predict? Read and discuss this paragraph with the students: The weather forecasters on television look at clouds on the radar and try to predict what the weather will be like today, tomorrow, and a few days ahead. They dont just guess, they find clues that tell them what the weather will be like. They also combine those clues with what they already know to make those predictions. Just like those weather forecasters, we are going to learn how to predict from the passages that we hear or read. We are going to look and listen for clues and combine them with what we already know to tell us what will happen next. Predicting can help us become better readers and writers. As we read, we can see if our predictions come true. Ask the students to think of what they already know and to respond to these questions: 1. What do you predict you will see when you visit a pet store? How do you know? 2. What kinds of shows do you predict will be on Saturday morning television? How do you know? 3. Your friend asks you to go to a movie called Monsters of the Deep. What do you predict the movie will be about? How do you know? Ask: Where can you make predictions in a story or a chapter in a textbook?

Remind the students that the most important prediction should come as they read the title or a headline. Other predictions may happen when they read chapter headings or subtitles, the author of the story asks a question, or the next thing a character might do in a story.

INTRODUCTION TO CLARIFYING: Ask: What do you do when you come across a word you dont know while you are reading? What do you do when you dont understand what the text is trying to tell you? (Students respond) Sometimes you have to stop reading in order to get a clear picture in your mind about the ideas the writer is trying to communicate. Good readers are not always fast readers. Sometimes you have to slow down and even stop to clarify or make clear what you are reading. When watching a video, you can hit the PAUSE button and

REWIND if you miss something. If you miss something while reading, you have to hit the PAUSE button in your brain, go back, and REREAD until it makes sense. Ask: Does anyone know what the word clarify means? (Students respond) Tell students that there are four strategies that they can use to help them clarify words as they read. Remind them that they will not always have a dictionary or that many words have more than one definition. (Support Materials Section)

Clarifying 4 Understanding Look for little words inside big words. Look for word parts such as bases (roots), prefixes, and suffixes. Look for commas that follow unfamiliar words. Sometimes when a writer uses a word that may not be understood by many people, it will be explained within the context of the sentence. Look for the clues that the writer gives to help you figure out the words so that you can keep reading. One of the most important clues are the commas that follow unfamiliar words. That comma is a signal that the author is going to define the word in the sentence. Keep reading. The word that is confusing you may not be the word that gives meaning to the sentence. As you read, you may also get a general idea of the meaning, even though it would not be a dictionary definition. MAKE A PICTURE

IN YOUR MIND (VISUALIZATION)

Tell students that good readers visualize as they read. Sometimes they must stop to make a mental picture of what they are reading in order to comprehend what the writer is trying to communicate. Have students draw pictures as they read, adding to the picture as they gain new information. Have students read specific words that help them form mental images.

INTRODUCTION TO ASKING Ask:

TEACHER-LIKE QUESTIONS:

Why do good readers ask themselves questions about what they have just read? (Students respond)

Read and discuss the following with students: After you have predicted, visualized, and clarified, you should ask good questions about what you have read for at least two reasons. One reason is to test yourself to see if you really understand what you have read. The other reason is to identify what is important to remember in the story or the passage. Now lets talk about what makes a good teacher-like question. You have already asked clarifying questions about parts you dont understand. Now you should ask questions to help you understand the larger meanings of the lesson.

Remember: Teacher-Like Questions are questions that can be answered from what you have read. You must be able to find the answer in the text. Read this passage:

Many years ago, in the days when people lived outdoors or in caves, there were no tame dogs. In fact, all the animals of the world were wild. One of those wild animals was the wolf. Wolves roamed through the field and forest shy and suspicious of humans. Yet from these wild wolves (and maybe from jackals and foxes too) have come all the different dogs that are pets today. Ask: What kinds of questions can you think of to test your understanding of this passage? (Students respond)

Remind students that good questions ask who, what, when, where, why, and how. They also may ask you for a comparison of two or more things, to tell why something is important, or to give the order in which things happen. Good teacher-like questions are based on the information given in the text.

INTRODUCTION TO SUMMARIZING Call on a few students to give the title of their favorite television show and one sentence that tells what it is about. Explain that they have just made a summary. Ask: From what you have said, can you come up with a definition for a summary?

Tell student that a summary tells the most important ideas in one or two sentences. A good summary does not include details or information that is not important. Practice these exercises with students: Listen to this list of words: A German shepherd, a poodle, and a collie. What one word describes this list? (dogs) Now listen to this list: rabbit, dog, cat, horse, and cow What one word describes this list? (animals) Heres another list: cars, buses, trains, ships, planes What one word describes this list? (transportation) If students need more practice, have them come up with their own lists.

PHASE I of Reciprocal Teaching:

Teacher Models the Strategies with the Whole Class
THE MODEL LESSON During Phase I, the teacher will model the entire lesson with the entire class until the students understand the procedure that is used with the Reciprocal Teaching strategies. Reciprocal Teaching research shows that students must practice the strategies at least 20 times before the strategies are internalized and students respond automatically. Make sure that all students have Reciprocal Teaching bookmarks. Remind them to refer to the bookmarks throughout the lesson to help them form predictions, questions, clarify words, visualize, or summarize. Pass out highlighters. Ask students to highlight any word that they do not understand. If you do not have highlighters, have students underline or circle the words with which they are unfamiliar. If you are using a textbook, have students keep a sheet of paper next to the book and jot down the words that need clarification. Write the title or subject of the lesson on the board. From this title or subject, ask the students what they think this lesson will be about or what they know about the subject. Give the students no more that 1 - 2 minutes to write their predictions. Write predictions on overhead or chalkboard. Pass out handouts of the lesson. REMEMBER: It is important to choose a short lesson . If possible, copy the lessons on handouts for the first time so that students can highlight and write on the sheet. Remind students that the strategies may be done in any order when they read independently, but for now, the strategies will be done in this order until they are comfortable with the procedure.

MODEL LESSON PLAN Tell the students to take out a sheet of paper and a pen or pencil. Have them look at the title (and pictures, if any) and write down anything they already know about the subject, or what they predict this story or passage will be about. Give them one minute to write. Then tell them to highlight or underline their most important piece of knowledge or prediction. Go around the room and have every student share one piece of information or prediction. This will help establish background knowledge, give students a purpose for reading, and will also help all students focus on the topic. Read aloud the first part of the passage. Remind students that they are to highlight any word or idea they do not understand as you read the first part of the lesson. Stop after one or two paragraphs. Model these strategies with the students: CLARIFYING: Ask students to raise their hands if they found a word in this part of the lesson that was confusing. Clarify one word at a time. Guide the students to an understanding of the definitions of the words by helping them see the context clues. If there are no context clues or the clues are obscure, tell them what the word means. Have them write these words and definitions on their papers. MAKE A PICTURE IN YOUR MIND Ask the students to tell what image came to their minds as this part of the lesson was read. An option is to have the students read and highlight for clarification the first time, and then close their eyes and try to visualize during a second reading. Ask them to tell which words or phrases helped them see the passage. ASK TEACHER-LIKE QUESTIONS Ask students to form simple comprehension questions. Use the question stems on their bookmarks as a guide. Gradually increase the thinking level as students begin to internalize this process. Remind them that good teacher-like questions can be answered from the text.

SUMMARIZING

After reading each portion of the text as students to tell what happened in one or two sentences. The goal is to get them to synthesize information and help them understand how to form main ideas. PREDICTING Ask students to predict what the next part of the passage will be about. Read aloud the next part of the lesson and repeat the process. Continue to model these strategies until you are sure the students understand them.

PHASE II of Reciprocal Teaching:

Turning the Strategies over to the Students
When students understand the strategies and are comfortable using them, they are ready to move to Phase IIturning Reciprocal Teaching over to the students. This phase has two parts: Whole group instruction led by student Teacher/Leaders Cooperative Groups.

Student Teacher/Leaders assume the roles of teachers for the entire class as they are monitored and coached. When the students are ready, then they can move into cooperative groups as they read lessons from assigned texts.

Part I: Scaffolding Teacher-Leaders

Divide the lesson into 3 parts. Choose 3 of your best readers to be the TeacherLeaders for Phase II of Reciprocal Teaching. Place each Student Script inside a separate file folder. These scripts will help students model the lesson just as they have seen you do. Give each of the Teacher-Leaders a script and tell them which part of the lesson they will read. Use the Task Card Masters to make cards. Glue the Task Cards on construction paper. Number the cards in sets of 1, 2 and 3. Glue all the Prediction cards on one color of construction paper, all Clarification cards on another color, and so on. (Support Materials Section) Pass out the task cards to the students. Make sure you have enough cards so that each student has one. Some students may be partners if you dont have enough cards. If you have too many cards, give some students more than one card.

Remind the students that they may consult their bookmarks at any time for information about Reciprocal Teaching strategies or for question stems. Prepare another short passage or use a section of the textbook. If students can mark on the passage, pass out highlighters. If they are using the textbook, have them write on a separate paper. Supervise and coach as the Teacher-Leaders read their parts of the passage and lead the class discussion. Teacher-Leader #1 will have 5 students who have task cards marked with a #1. Teacher-Leader #2 will have 5 students with task cards marked #2, etc. Each of the students will respond with the appropriate strategy response as the Teacher-Leader teaches the lesson.

STUDENT SCRIPT STUDENT TEACHER #1 1. SAY: Who has Prediction Card #1? Please tell us what you think the next part of the lesson will be about. Please highlight any word or phrase that you do not understand as I read this part of the lesson.

2. SAY:

3. READ:

4. ASK: 5. ASK: clarify 6. SAY:

Was the prediction correct? Who has Clarifying Card #1? Is there a word or phrase that you didnt understand? If there is more than one word, we will one at a time. Please read the sentence that contains that word. Has anyone ever heard of ______? Look at your bookmark. Can any of those context clues help define this word?

7. ASK:

Who has Make a Picture in Your Mind Card #1? Please tell us what words helped you form a visual image of this part of the lesson. Who has Teacher-Like Question Card #1? Please ask a TeacherLike Question. Remember, a Teacher-Like Question is one that can be answered from the text. Who has Summary Card #1? In one sentence, please tell us what has happened so far.

8. ASK:

9. ASK:

10. ASK:

Who has Prediction Card #2? Please tell us what you think will happen in the next part of this lesson.

STUDENT SCRIPT STUDENT TEACHER #2

1. SAY:

Please highlight any word or phrase that you do not understand as I read this part of the lesson.

2. READ:

3. ASK:
4. ASK: clarify 5. SAY:

Was the prediction correct? Who has Clarifying Card #2? Is there a word or phrase that you didnt understand? If there is more than one word, we will one at a time. Please read the sentence that contains that word. Has anyone ever heard of ______? Look at your bookmark. Can any of those context clues help define this word?

6. ASK:

Who has Make a Picture in Your Mind Card #2? Please tell us what words helped you form a visual image of this part of the lesson. Who has Teacher-Like Question Card #2? Please ask a TeacherLike Question. Remember, a Teacher-Like Question is one that can be answered from the text. Who has Summary Card #2? In one sentence, please tell us what has happened so far. Who has Prediction Card #3? Please tell us what you think will happen in the next part of this lesson.

7. ASK:

8. ASK:

9. ASK:

STUDENT SCRIPT STUDENT TEACHER #3

1. SAY:

Please highlight any word or phrase that you do not understand as I read this part of the lesson.

2. READ:

3. ASK: 4. ASK: clarify 5. SAY:

Was the prediction correct? Who has Clarifying Card #3? Is there a word or phrase that you didnt understand? If there is more than one word, we will one at a time. Has anyone ever heard of ______? Look at your bookmark. Can any of those context clues help define this word?

6. ASK:

Who has Make a Picture in Your Mind Card #3? Please tell us what words helped you form a visual image of this part of the lesson. Who has Teacher-Like Question Card #3? Please ask a TeacherLike Question. Remember, a Teacher-Like Question is one that can be answered from the text. Who has Summary Card #3? In one sentence, please tell us what has happened so far.

7. ASK:

8. ASK:

Part II: Cooperative Groups

The second part of PHASE II is to move students from whole-class modeling to cooperative groups. Remember, this also counts as part of the 20 times students need to practice the strategies of Reciprocal Teaching. Review the strategies with the students. Remind them that these strategies may be done in any order, but for this lesson they are going through the process step by step. As they become better readers or train their brains, they will do these steps automatically in their heads. Give each of the students one of the task cards. Make sure that each student in the group has a different task card. Since the cards already have numbers, pass the cards out to the class. Tell all the students with cards labeled #1 to form a group, #2 to form another group, etc. This will ensure that each group has one student who is responsible for each strategy. The Teacher-Leader card should be given to the student who is the best reader in the group. The Teacher-Leader will tell them to highlight any word or phrase that they do not understand and write it in the appropriate place. As a group, they will try to define the words. Have the students read the passage or selection you have chosen in groups and complete the Group Response Sheet (Support Materials Section) as you walk from group to group, monitoring the progress and helping to clarify words that the students cannot define on their own. Everyone in the group should help fill in the parts of the Group Response Sheet, although the person with the particular task card is responsible for making sure that his/her task is completed on the sheet. After students have finished the Group Response Sheets, ask each group to share with the whole class. On the overhead or the chalkboard, have the class participate in completing this framed sentence for the entire lesson: This story about begins with ________________, discusses the idea that __________________________________________________________, and ends with ______________________________________________________.

PHASE III
The Student Reads Independently!

RECIPROCAL TEACHING SUPPORT MATERIALS

Bookmark Master
Copy these bookmarks on card stock and cut apart. They may also be copied on paper and laminated. It is important that each student has a bookmark when reading.

Task Card Masters

Copy these task card in sets of six. Make sure that there are enough so that every student in the class has one. Glue the cards on to six colors of construction paper, one task for each color. Number the cards in sets: #1, #2, #3, #4, etc.

Clarifying 4 Understanding
Put this on the bulletin board for reference, or copy enough to give each student one for a reminder.

Group Work Sheet Twenty Passages and Quizzes

Aunty Misery by Judith Ortiz Cofer This is a story about an old, very old woman who lived alone in her little hut with no other company than a beautiful pear tree that grew at her door. She spent all her time taking care of her pear tree. But the neighborhood children drove the old woman crazy by stealing her fruit. They would climb her tree, shake its delicate limbs, and run away with armloads of golden pears, yelling insults at Aunty Misery, as they called her. One day a pilgrim stopped at the old womans hut and asked her permission to spend the night under her roof. Aunty Misery saw that he had an honest face and bade the traveler come in. She fed him and made a bed for him in front of her hearth. In the morning, while he was getting ready to leave, the stranger told her that he would show his gratitude for her hospitality by granting her one wish. There is only one thing that I desire, said Aunty Misery. Ask, and it shall be yours, replied the stranger, who was a sorcerer in disguise. I wish that anyone who climbs up my pear tree should not be able to come back down until I permit it. Your wish is granted, said the stranger, touching the pear tree as he left Aunty Miserys house. And so it happened that when the children came back to taunt the old woman and to steal her fruit, she stood at her window watching them. Several of them shimmied up the trunk of the pear tree and immediately go stuck to it as if with glue. She let them cry and beg her for a long time before she gave the tree permission to let them go, on the condition that they never again steal her fruit or bother her.

Time passed and both Aunty Misery and her tree grew bent and gnarled with age. One day another traveler stopped at her door. This one looked suffocated and exhausted, so the old woman asked him what he wanted in her village. He answered her in a voice that was dry and hoarse, as if he had swallowed a desert: I am Death, and I have come to take you with me. Thinking fast, Aunty Misery said, All right, but before I go, I would like to pluck some pears from my beloved pear tree, to remember how much pleasure it brought me in this life. But, I am a very old woman and cannot climb to the tallest branches where the best fruit is; will you be so kind as to do it for me? With a heavy sigh like wind through a catacomb, Death climbed the pear tree. Immediately he became stuck to it as if with glue. And no matter how much he cursed and threatened, Aunty Misery would not give the tree permission to release Death. Many years passed, and there were no deaths in the world. The people who make their living from death began to protest loudly. The doctors claimed no one bothered to come in for examinations or treatments anymore because they did not fear dying; the pharmacists business suffered, too, because medicines are, like magic potions, bought to prevent or postpone the inevitable; the priests and undertakers were unhappy with the situation also, for obvious reasons. There were also many old folks tired of life who wanted to pass on to the next world to rest from the miseries of this one. Aunty Misery realized all this, and not wishing to be unfair, she made a deal with her prisoner, Death: if he promised not ever to come for her again, she would give him his freedom. He agreed. And that is why so long as the world is the world, Aunty Misery will always live.

Aunty Misery Quiz 1. Aunty Misery probably felt glad that she A. had given the little children all her pears. B. had turned the pilgrim away from her door. C. had taunted the children when they had climbed her tree. D. had allowed the stranger to spend the night in her hut. 2. What was the authors purpose for writing this story? A. to explain why people die at an old age B. to teach children to respect their elders C. to explain why there is so much misery in the world D. to show children why they must not speak to strangers 3. Which event happened FIRST in the story? A. Death came to Aunty Misery. B. The children got stuck in the pear tree. C. The children stole Aunty Miserys pears. D. The stranger granted Aunty Miserys wish. 4. Which word is NOT a synonym for gnarled in this sentence? Time passed, and both Aunty Misery and her tree grew bent and gnarled with age. A. crooked B. straight C. twisted D. tortured 5. How does Aunty Miserys character change from the beginning to the end of this story? Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the story.

Bacon Bedlam in Berlin

Since the Berlin Wall fell in 1991, West Berlin has been overrun by wild pigs. These pigs have rediscovered ancient routes linking the rich forests of Berlin with the rural areas outside the city. The pigs have torn up yards, gardens, and public parks. They have bitten dogs and people, and have caused major traffic jams in their search for food. One morning, it took police several hours to unsnarl traffic during the height of the morning rush hour in Berlin. Since the pigs are usually active at night, however, it has been very difficult to count how many there actually are. Even though over one thousand pigs were killed in hunts recently, several thousand are still estimated to be in the town. Mild winters and the tendency of the people of Berlin to feed the wild pigs has caused the numbers to multiply. The pigs are pure opportunists when it comes to food. Some of them have even learned to congregate outside restaurants, begging for leftovers and handouts from diners. The only solution offered by the head of the forestry service was for those who dont like the pigs to build stronger fences to keep them out. The pigs have lost their natural fear of humans and it is feared that they will pass that lack of fear on to their offspring. The forestry service official remarked, We just cant go around shooting up the streets to get these pigs. Wheres a big bad wolf when you need one?

The Miami Herald, March 13, 1996.

Bacon Bedlam in Berlin Quiz

1.

According to the passage, what was one effect of the end of the Berlin Wall? A. The Communists have ceased to be a powerful force in the world. B. Pigs have rediscovered a way to go through the city of Berlin. C. Many wild pigs are being bitten by dogs near restaurants. D. Pork has become a popular dish in many Berlin restaurants. Which of the following statements BEST expresses the main idea of the passage? A. The people of Berlin enjoy feeding the wild pigs. B. Police had to spend many hours clearing up traffic jams. C. Over one thousand pigs were killed in hunts recently. D. Wild pigs are creating a problem for the city of Berlin. According to this passage, one may conclude that A. pigs make good pets. B. pigs are less active at night. C. pigs can adapt to life in a big city. D. pigs are more active in daylight. What is the meaning of unsnarl in the following sentence? One morning, it took police several hours to unsnarl traffic at the height of the morning rush hour in Berlin. A. unexite B. unsink C. untangle D. uninspire After reading this passage, use this frame to write a summary: This passage about _____________________________ begins with ___________ _____________________________________________, discusses the idea that _________________________________________________________________, and ends with ______________________________________________________.

2.

3.

4.

5.

The American Bison

Once, herds of bison over fifteen miles long lived in the prairies, or grasslands, of the United States. In the 1880s, after the herds of bison, or buffalo, had been hunted to the brink of extinction, a few hundred of the animals were found living in the mountains of Yellowstone National Park, the oldest national park in the United States. The Army stepped up patrols against poachers, and park authorities created a ranch in the park to raise the bison. The restoration project was so successful that it became a symbol for the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service, which have an image of a buffalo on their badges. In the early spring of 1997, however, the Park Service reluctantly began a new chapter in the management of its famous herd of shaggy-headed bison. It captured several dozen bison bulls that appeared to be headed across Yellowstone National Parks northern border and shipped them to slaughterhouses. Officials say that many more, perhaps hundreds, could be sent to slaughter as well. The meat was donated to Indian tribes and charitable organizations. We really didnt have many options, said the deputy director of the Yellowstone Center for Resources. Its a temporary solution. We sure hope it isnt a permanent one. The reason that these bison were sent to slaughterhouses was because of a lawsuit by the state of Montana, which borders the national park. The bison could have entered private land which includes many cattle ranches. The bison may carry a disease called brucellosis which could possibly infect the cattle, although it is not harmful to humans. There are about 3,500 bison in Yellowstone, and thousands elsewhere in the country. The animal is not an endangered species anymore. Still, the prospect of killing an animal that delights millions of tourists and is a strong symbol, first of wanton destruction, then of conservation success, does not thrill national park officials. Killing these animals is very controversial. Environmentalists fear that this plan could become a model for managing other endangered animals, and because it also diminishes the parks naturalness. Biologists are trying to find a vaccine that will kill the disease that some bison carry. The rangers set up a large site where the animals were taken after they were captured. There they were sorted and taken to one of the five slaughterhouses in Montana. There is a different policy for any bison who leave Yellowstone National Park. If they cross the line into Montana, they are tested for the disease. If they test negative, they are freed. If they are pregnant or test positive for brucellosis, they are shot. Environmentalists say that neighbors of the park should be aware that they live in a wild area and should be more tolerant of these animals. Robbins, Jim. The Miami Herald, December 29, 1996, p. 10A.

Bison Quiz
1. Another good title for this passage would be A. Hunted to Near-Extinction, Bison Are Hunted Again. B. Environmentalists Want Montana to Kill Bison. C. Ranchers Find a Home on the Range for Bison. D. Bison: A Good Source of Meat for Charity. According to this article, environmentalists A. approve of the slaughter bison. B. want to help park rangers trap the bison. C. think that the cattle rangers are being unfair. D. think that the bison should not be allowed in Montana.

2.

3. What is a synonym for wanton in the following sentence? Still, the prospect of killing an animal that delights millions of tourists and is a strong symbol, first of wanton destruction, then of conservation success, does not thrill national park officials. A. B. C. D. 4. wonderful merciless welcome realistic

The reader may infer that A. there are no fences around Yellowstone National Park. B. ranchers and environmentalists usually agree on park policies. C. Yellowstone National Park is a great vacation spot for tourists. D. American Indians welcome the meat from the slaughterhouses.

5. How are the attitudes of the ranchers and the environmentalists DIFFERENT concerning the bison in Yellowstone National Park? Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the passage?

Thats a Cracker, Jack! 1 Take me out to the Ball Game, the anthem of Americas favorite pastime, may mention Cracker Jack by name. But in 1993, Happy Birthday was the song to sing. In that year, the popular candy-coated combination of popcorn and peanuts celebrated its 100th anniversary. The confection first became a rage at the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Since then, enough Cracker Jack has been sold to stack end to end more than 63 times around the globe. Cracker Jack has become a taste tradition with a prize inside. While the ingredients in Cracker Jack are basic enough, the history of the snack food is a quaint mix of anecdotes and slick business acumen. It all started in Chicago, shortly after the Great Fire of 1871. With only $200 in his pocket, F. W. Rueckheim, a German immigrant, opened a one-popper popcorn stand on a street with his partner, William Brinkmeyer. Sales were brisk. A year later, Brinkmeyer sold his interest in the business to Rueckheims brother, Louis, fresh from Germany. Together, the brothers began to add marshmallows and other sweets to the popcorn. In 1893, 21 million people flocked to Chicagos Columbian Exposition. For the occasion, the brothers mixed up a new concoction of popcorn, peanuts, and molasses. Demand for their creation continued after the fair, so much so that the brothers had to expand their plant. No matter how we try to plan for it, F. W. said, the orders always exceed our production. Back then, the product was shipped to retailers in large wooden tubs. But the candy-coated popcorn kept sticking together. Then Louis went to work refining a process to keep the molasses-covered morsels separatea secret formula that is still in use today. In 1896, a salesman snacking on a batch of the Rueckheims special treat supposedly said, Thats a cracker, Jack! F. W. took that turn-of-the-century slang expression and made it a brand name. Another satisfied customer provided an additional slogan, The more you eat, the more you want. By 1899, Cracker Jack was being sold nationwide in special wax-sealed packages. An additional enticement for the product began in 1910. Consumers were offered a coupon in every box, redeemable for over 300 desirable articles offered in an illustrated catalog. These catalogs are very rare today and are valuable to collectors. This catalog had 116 pages and offered clothing, sporting goods, and toys. So many people sent in coupons that F. W. decided to make the process more efficient by putting a small toy in each box. The idea was a big success. Children eagerly searched boxes for the free treasures. Since 1912, more than 17 billion toys and small items have been stashed in boxes of Cracker Jack. Despite the fact that they were born in Germany, the brothers were very patriotic. During World War I (when the United States was at war with Germany), they added red, white, and blue stripes to the box. They also added Sailor Jack and his dog, Bingo. The sailor boy was modeled after a grandson who died shortly after the design was put on the boxes. During the 1930s, the brothers introduced many variations of Cracker Jack. Most were popular only briefly. During World War II, the brothers supplied Cracker Jack to American soldiers and sailors. By 1948, Cracker Jack was registered for sale in every country in the world.
Hurlburt, Roger, The Miami Herald, 1993.

Thats a Cracker, Jack! Quiz

1. What is the authors purpose for writing this passage? A. to explain the origin of the song Take Me Out to the Ball Game B. to tell about the origin of a favorite snack on its 100th anniversary C. to illustrate the origin of Sailor Jack and his dog, Bingo, on the box D. to show the origin of the Chicago Columbian Exposition in 1893

2. What does the word quaint mean in the following sentence? While the ingredients in Cracker Jack are basic enough, the history of the snack food is a quaint mixture of anecdotes and slick business acumen. A. old-fashioned B. modern C. delicious D. secret 3. The fifth paragraph is mainly about A. creating a secret formula. B. molding molasses-covered morsels. C. marketing the snack with coupons and prizes. D. telling about how the founders grandson died. The Rueckheim brothers showed their patriotism by A. including toys and coupons in the packages. B. inventing wax-sealed boxes to sell nationwide. C. putting red, white, and blue stripes on the box. D. refining a secret process for keeping the morsels separate.

4.

5. Complete the following summary using relevant facts, details, and other information from the passage. This passage about ______________________________ begins with _________ ________________________________________________________________, discusses the idea that ______________________________________________ ______________________________________, and ends with ______________ ________________________________________________________________.

Dark Forces by Sarah Boxer

The best measure of meanness, Gilovich and Frank (two researchers) decided, is the number of penalty minutes or yards assessed. So Gilovich and Frank looked into the histories of the NFL and NHL and tallied up the penalties that were meted out between 1970 and 1986. As predicted, the authors wrote in their study, teams with black uniforms in the NFL are uncommonly aggressive. In all but one of the last 17 years, [the black-clad teams] were penalized more yards than one would expect. In hockey the findings were similar. Two possible explanations are that the aggressive acts of black-uniformed teams caused them to be penalized, or that the perception of aggression had the whistles blowing. Penalties come from referees, and referees can be biased. As Gilovich and Frank put it, They may view any given action as more malevolent if it is performed by a player in a black uniform. One of the experiments that Gilovich and Frank devised to test that hunch that referees are biased against players wearing black involved two separate videos of two football plays. The action was staged as identically as possible in both tapes, but in one version the defensive team wore white, in the other it wore black. Twenty college and high school referees watched the black version of the video and 20 watched the white version. Then, the referees were asked how likely they would be to penalize the defensive teams, and their impression of the teams dirtiness. Sure enough, the referees were more inclined to penalize the defensive team if they saw the black versionthan if they saw the white version. The researchers concluded: Teams that wear black uniforms receive harsher treatement from the referees. That prejudice, of course, doesnt mean that players wearing black uniforms play more aggressively, any more than a highway troopers bias against red cars means that red cars speed more. But real aggression is a tricky thing to test. Its hard to put a black shirt on someone and then figure out if he has become meaner. Nonetheless, this, in effect, is what the researchers tried to do. To cover up their real intentions, Gilovich and Frank told the subjects of another experiment that they were participating in a study on the psychology of competition and that they could choose which events they would compete in by picking five activities from a list of twelve. The choice of games ranged from very aggressive activitiessuch as dart-gun duelsto basically nonaggressive games such as shooting baskets. Once the subjects had made their choices, they were each given either black or white jerseys and split into two teams. Each team, while wearing white or black uniforms, had to decide as a group what game it would play. The two teams never did actually play, because by then the researchers already had the data they were after. The study found that the two groups were indistinguishable in their appetites for aggressive games before they put on the uniforms, but that there was a huge difference afterward. The team with the black shirts wanted to play more violent games. If wearing of a black uniform can have such an effect in the laboratory, Gilovich and Frank reasoned, there is reason to believe that it would have even stronger effects on the playing field (or rink).

Dark Forces Quiz

1. Another good title for this passage would be A. Violent Videos. B. Referees and Hockey. C. The NFL and the NHL. D. Uniforms and Aggression. What did Gilovich and Frank study? A. highway troopers bias against red cars B. twenty college and high school referees C. penalties given to teams with black uniforms D. nonaggressive games such as shooting baskets

2.

3. What does the word malevolent mean in the following sentence?

They may view any given action as more malevolent if it is performed by a player in a black uniform.

A. B. C. D. 4.

bad good mall violent

What clues helped the researchers come to their conclusions? A. Referees called more penalties on teams with white uniforms. B. Referees called more penalties on teams with black uniforms. C. There was no pattern in calling penalties in any organized sport. D. There was no pattern in calling penalties in hockey or football.

5. Gilovich and Frank set up another experiment on the psychology of competition that is described in the last two paragraphs of this passage. What evidence led them to their conclusion? Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.

Inventor Pursued the Uses of Rubber

A gigantic multicolumned ficus tree, covering nearly an acre, grows outside the old, dimly lit laboratory at the EdisonFord Winter Estates museum in Fort Myers, Florida. Visitors remark about its enormity as they park their cars beneath its gloomy boughs which are weeping with tendrils. The tree is a remarkable specimen, but it isnt here for show. It is a laboratory specimen gone berserk, a remarkable living relic of Thomas Edisons final years when he became obsessed with the search for a new source of rubber. Asked late in life what his favorite flowers were, Edison replied by telegram: HELIOTROPE AND DAHLIA BUT GOLDENROD AS A BUSINESS PROPOSITION BECAUSE IT HAS RUBBER. Edison is renowned for his invention of the light bulb, the phonograph and the kinetoscope, which led to the motion picture. Thousands of other patents bear his name. He developed new methods of smelting iron ore and making concrete, and manufactured a successful line of baby furniture. But toward the end of his life, Edison set his mind to work on a new problem, rubber. Cars couldnt roll without rubber tires. Germany had lost World War I partly because it was starved of rubber. By 1923, the United States was consuming 75 percent of all the worlds rubber, yet produced no rubber at all. The British Rubber Restriction Act of that year, limiting exports of raw rubber from Malaysia, lent an urgency to Edisons quest. Edison began studying everything he could find. He was 80 years old, but went after the solution to the problem like a young man. He bought an encyclopedia called Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture which consisted of 3 volumes and 3,639 pages. Edison read it three times, marking every entry that mentioned a plant with milky juice or sap, and filled 530 notebooks with information on rubber studies. He became friends with the staff of the New York Botanical Garden, especially John Kunkel Small. Small told him to pay special attention to three types of plants which might contain ingredients for making rubber. Besides directing his employees to collect plants, Edison asked railroad workers to send him plants from along the railroads. Soon he had plants from 40 states, which he kept in a specially built herbarium in New Jersey. Here, more than 13,000 cuttings are still preserved in a large concrete vault and represent the largest group of plant samples ever collected and tested for rubber. Edison took camping trips to the Everglades with automobile king Henry Ford and naturalist John Burroughs, searching for sappy plants. By trial and error, Edison discovered that goldenrod was the most promising source of native rubber in the United States. A hundred pounds of goldenrod would make twelve pounds of rubber. The inventor concentrated on goldenrod from 1927 until his death in 1931. The rubber from goldenrod proved to be too soft for tires. Edisons friend, Harvey Firestone, did make four tires for the inventor from goldenrod and one of these is on display in the museum today. After Edison died, the U. S. government continued to research goldenrod as a source for rubber, but during World War II, the research stopped. It was discovered that hard synthetic rubber could be made from petroleum. Today, cars are dependent on oil, both for tires and for fuel. Edison never got to realize his dream of making rubber from goldenrod. However, as oil gets more scarce and prices go higher, the lowly goldenrod may be a source of rubber in the future.
Browning, Michael. Inventor Pursued the Uses of Rubber, The Miami Herald, December 29, 1996, p. 6B.

Inventor Pursues the Use of Rubber Quiz 1. The main idea of this passage is concerned with Thomas Edisons A. invention of the electric light bulb. B. love of plants along railroad tracks. C. invention of the kinetoscope. D. search for a new source of rubber. According to the author, what caused Germany to lose World War I? A. The weather in Germany is cold and rainy. B. Germany couldnt get enough rubber. C. Germany was exporting rubber to Malaysia. D. The automobile and airplane had not been invented.

2.

3. What is the meaning of the word herbarium in the following sentence? Soon he had plants from 40 states, which he kept in a specially built herbarium in New Jersey. A. a place for keeping plants B. an animal that eats only plants C. a railroad museum in New Jersey D. a place for keeping plants and animals 4. After reading the passage, we may conclude that A. there will always be enough rubber in the world. B. Edison did very detailed and thorough research. C. Edison liked to walk in a garden of heliotrope and dahlias. D. There is a giant ficus tree in the parking lot in Fort Myers, Florida.

5. According to this passage, why might scientists of the future want to look at Edisons research with goldenrods? Explain your answer on the lines below.

Food for Thought: Fun Facts about Fave Eats

1 2 Youve just finished the last of your Halloween stash. Ever wonder how they came up with some of your favorite snacks? Heres the scoop! Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors makes a lot more than 31 flavors. In its fifty one year history, it has come out with more than 700 flavors! It doesnt take a genius to figure out that all these flavors didnt pass the Pink Spoon Test. Here are some of the flavors that flopped: 3 Waffles N Cream made customers scream. Brandied Fruitcake sat on the shelf. Ice cream lovers felt Casper Red, White N Boo was ghastly.

Fifty-nine years ago, Beatrice Foods set out to make a perfectly round chocolate-and-caramel piece of candy. They tried and tried and failed and failed, producing dud after dudMilk Duds, that is! With M & Ms, the first M is for the Mars family. The second M is for Murray, the last name of the candys co-creator. Another candy classic was named for the Mars familys horse, Snickers. Where on Earth do Cheetos come from? Cheetos are made by putting a cornmeal mixture under mega heat, which causes an explosion. Not the kind of explosion youd see in Independence Day, but massive enough to give Cheetos their unmistakable shape and crunch. When these snacks-to-be are cool, they are coated with a crossingguard orange cheese seasoning. Does chugging a Slurpee give you a headache? Does chomping an ice cream cone start your noggin throbbin? Youve got brain freeze. Brain freeze is triggered when a really cold substance enters your mouth. The radical change in temperature causes the blood vessels in your mouth to suddenly tighten up, shooting insta-chilled blood to your brain. This brain pain lasts for just a few short (but memorable) seconds. If the discomfort persists, simply drinking something warm will thaw your brain out in no time.

The Miami Herald, November, 1996.

Food for Thought Quiz

1. After Beatrice Foods failed to produce a perfectly round candy, they called the new product A. Baskin-Robbins. B. Cheetos. C. Milk Duds. D. Snickers. 2. What is the main idea of the fifth paragraph? A. why snacks are named B. when snacks are cooled C. an explosion on Independence Day D. how Cheetos are made

3. What does the word radical mean in the following sentence? The radical change in temperature causes the blood vessels in your mouth and throat to suddenly tighten up, shooting insta-chilled blood to your brain. A. shoot. B. tighten. C. extreme. D. persists. 4. A Slurpee may cause A. headaches. B. toothaches. C. colds and flu. D. brain damage. 5. According to the information given in this passage, what is a Pink Spoon Test?

Is Anyone Out There? Is there intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? Some people would answer that question with a loud Yes! In fact, some people would say that space travelers from other worlds visit us all the time. As proof, these people would point to UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects). There are thousands of UFO sightings every year. Believers say UFOs are really spaceships from other planets. They are sure someone else is out there and, in fact, is watching us all the time. Yet despite all the sightings, most scientists do not believe in UFOs. There are a couple of reasons for this. For one thing, how would creatures from some other planet know about us? We have been sending radio signals to outer space for only a few years. These signals have not had time to reach any distant planets. Our nearest neighbors may be hundreds of light-years away. (A light-year measures how far light travels in one year. The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second). So if we do have neighbors, they wont get our radio signals for years to come. Some people think aliens could have noticed us even without radio signals. If thats the case, they say, couldnt these aliens drop by for a visit from time to time? Its not likely. Certainly humans have not figured out a way to whiz from one solar system to another. Again, its a distance problem. The nearest star is more than four light-years away. It would take our best spaceship one hundred thousand years to get there! Most stars are much, much farther away. If aliens were going to visit us, theyd have to be a lot smarter than we are, and they would have to figure out how to fly close to the speed of light. Some distant civilization might have the skills to do that. But, again, most scientists doubt it. Compared to them, humans would seem

pretty simple-minded. If aliens were going to zip off to some other planet, chances are it wouldnt be ours. Given all this, it seems safe to conclude that UFOs are not for real. Does that mean that there is no intelligent life anywhere else in the universe? Not at all! Most scientists believe there is lots of intelligent life out there. Just look at the facts. In our galaxy alonethe Milky Waythere are about 400 billion stars. There is a strong chance that many of these stars have planets that can support life. Scientists have made a rough guess about how many. They figure that there may be as many as ten thousand civilizations in the Milky Way. Now consider that there are at least 400 billion galaxies! Surely these other galaxies also contain planets that can support life. Its frustrating to think that we might never see the life forms that inhabit other planets. But couldnt we at least talk to them? Scientists say that is possible. It could be done using radio waves. These waves travel at the speed of light. Even here, though, there are some problems. Imagine radio signals coming from a planet ten thousand light-years away. By the time we get these signals, lots of things could happen on Earth. By the time they would receive our signals, we might be long gone. Theres one more thing to keep in mind. The life that exits on another planet might not look anything like human life. In truth, we have no idea how other forms of intelligent life might look. Like us, they would probably be made up of atoms and molecules, but beyond that, they could be as different from us as we are from alligators. Also, the idea of flying saucers is ours, not theirs. If aliens could visit us, their technology would be far beyond anything we could imagine. Billings, H. and Billings, M. (1996). The Wild Side, Weird Science, Jamestown Publishers, pp. 81-81.

Is Anyone Out There? Quiz

1. What is the main idea of this passage? A. Space travel to the nearest star would take humans 100,000 years. B. Many people believe that there is intelligent life on other planets. C. Scientists have no real evidence of intelligent life on other planets. D. Radio signals are being sent into outer space to communicate with aliens. People on Earth have been sending radio signals into outer space for A. only a few years. B. centuries. C. most of human history. D. thousands of years. Radio waves travel A. slower than the speed of light. B. faster than the speed of light. C. a varying speeds. D. travel at the speed of light.

2.

3.

4. What is the meaning of the underlined word in this sentence? By the time we get these signals, the creatures who sent them might no longer exist. A. listen B. live C. annoy D. evade 5. Explain why the author of this passage doubts that there is life on other planets. Support your answer with relevant facts, details, or other information from the text.

Its All in Your Head

You are what you eat. Have you ever been told that as you pop potato chips into your mouth? Everyone agrees that eating healthy foods will help make a healthy body. But now scientists are also discovering that you are what you think. That doesnt mean you can think your way into the Olympics. And it doesnt mean that you can close your eyes and heal a broken leg. But your thoughts, or brain waves, can do some remarkable things. They can cure headaches. They can help lower your blood pressure. Your thoughts can even direct messages to certain nerve cells in your body. This ability can restore the use of muscles lost through accident or disease. This new form of mind control is called biofeedback. In truth, it isnt really new. People in Asia have been using biofeedback for centuries. In the United States, however, use of biofeedback is new. It began during the 1960s. Some young people began studying the religions of Asia. They learned about biofeedback and began to practice it. These people used it to help them meditate, or focus their thinking. At first, Western scientists laughed at biofeedback. They thought it was just a fad. Slowly, however, the practice took hold. One study after another showed that it really worked. Maybe, scientists thought, biofeedback wasnt so crazy after all. Clearly, your brain can control certain things. For example, it can command your legs to run. It can direct your hand to write a letter. And it can tell your mouth to speak. Those are called voluntary actions. You make up your mind to do something. But your body does other things that are very hard to control. How, for instance, can you control your heartbeat? Or the circulation of your blood? Or your bodys temperature? Those bodily functions are called involuntary. They just happen. You have no control over themor do you? The goal of biofeedback is to help you control those involuntary actions. Here is how it works. You sit in a chair in front of a computer monitor. Special wires are taped to your head, neck, back, and fingers. The wires can detect tiny changes in your bodys involuntary actions. The other ends of the wires are hooked up to a biofeedback machine. Lets say that you are trying to reduce your heart rate. Soft music begins to play. You try to relax. You might try deep breathing or you might

concentrate on thinking pleasant thoughts. The machine measures your heart rate and feeds back information about how well you are doing. You can see your progress on the monitor. A line or series of beeps records your heart rate. By watching that line, you can learn what thoughts slow down your heart. You might find that an image of a sunny beach lowers your heart rate, but imagining that same beach bathed in moonlight does not. Slowly, you learn how to reduce your heart rate. Once this is done, you no longer need the machine. You have learned to control your bodys involuntary actions. But biofeedback can work even greater wonders. Since the 1970s, it has been used to help epileptics control seizures, which cause epileptics to shake without control and sometimes faint. These attacks are caused by electrical charges in the brain. By using biofeedback, many epileptics have learned to control their seizures. In a sense, biofeedback can show epileptics how to rewire their brains. Biofeedback can even help badly hurt people. In the 1980s, a car accident left Tammy DeMichael with a broken neck and a crushed spinal cord. She had no feeling in her arms or legs. It looked as if she would have to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Luckily, she still had a few good nerves reaching her arm muscles. They were not enough to let Tammy move her arm, but they gave her some hope. Could her brain be taught to use those remaining nerves? Dr. Bernard Brucker hooked her up to a biofeedback machine. The monitor showed a blue line. That line represented impulses moving from her brain though her spine to her arm muscles. DeMichael concentrated as hard as she could. Slowly she got the line on the monitor to move up. One day, Tammy DeMichael got the arm to move. Everyone in the room cheered. She did the same thing with her legs. It took several years, but biofeedback worked. Tammy learned to walk using just a cane. Western scientists no longer scoff at biofeedback. They see it as a hot new medical tool. Billings, H. & Billings M. (1996) The Wild Side, Weird Science, Jamestown, pp. 87-88.

Its All in Your Head Quiz

1. What is the main idea of this passage? A. Eating healthy foods will help make a healthy body. B. Biofeedback is helping more people take control of their bodies. C. Scientists are eager to find new ways to treat diseases and other physical problems. D. Until a few years ago, biofeedback was not taken seriously by Western scientists. Body actions which are hard to control are called A. mechanical. B. electrical. C. voluntary. D. involuntary.

2.

3.

In biofeedback, wires attached to your body A. control body functions. B. give you small electrical charges. C. detect tiny changes in your body. D. shock your brain with electrical charges. Epileptic seizures are caused by A. improper eating habits. B. electrical charges in the brain. C. too many chemicals in the brain. D. drugs and alcohol effects on the brain. What is the meaning of scoff in this sentence? Western scientists no longer scoff at biofeedback. A. scare B. honor C. point to D. make fun of

4.

5.

Joseph Priestley
The eighteenth-century English chemist, Joseph Priestley, has a special place in the Error Hall of Fame because he invented the eraser. This invention came to Priestley when he studied the sap of a South American tree newly introduced to Europe. He discovered that the sticky substance from the tree, which the Indians called caoutchouc, or weeping wood, could be used to remove writing. He described this material as excellently adapted to the purpose of wiping from paper the marks of black lead pencils. Priestley even gave it the name rubber because the removal of a pencil mark resulted from rubbing the hardened sap against the page. Actually, Priestley, whose work broke new ground in chemistry, has several more reasons to be classed as a hero in the history of error. He made some of his more important scientific discoveries through error. For instance, he was treating oil of vitriol to find out its properties but learned nothing. Then he accidentally dropped some mercury into the liquid, whereupon vitriolic acid air, as he called it, evolved. This gas is now called sulfur dioxide. Priestley also is given credit for the discovery of a colorless gas new to the world, oxygen. He didnt name it that. He misunderstood the basis of its properties, and did not realize the importance of what he had found. He called the gas dephlogicticated air because he supported the then-current mistaken theory of phlogiston, the hypothetical principal that regarded fire as a material substance. Lavoisier, another chemist, later showed the theory to be incorrect and also gave the name oxygen to the gas Priestley had discovered but had misunderstood. Sometimes, however, Priestley could be very right. He was the son of a nonconformist preacher and was a Unitarian minister himself. He felt that the American colonists were right to rebel against the King of England, opposed the slave trade, and spoke out against religious prejudice. He was in favor of the French Revolution and for that, a mob burned down his church and looted his home. Priestley was a friend of Benjamin Franklin and left England to settle in the United States in 1794. He soon became a friend of Thomas Jefferson as well. He lived the last ten years of his life peacefully in Pennsylvania. Priestley also is famous for another accident. When he dissolved carbon dioxide in water, he stumbled across a surprising development. The gas added a delightful taste to water. He was awarded the Royal Societys Copley Medal for this discovery. Today, Priestleys combination of carbon dioxide and water is called seltzer. Interestingly enough, one of the uses of seltzer is to take stains out of cloth. Therefore, Joseph Priestley was the father of the eraser and seltzer, two aids for correcting errors.
Goldberg, M. H. The Blunder Book (1984). New York: Quill/William Morrow, pp. 249-250.

Joseph Priestley Quiz 1. According to the passage, what did Dr. Priestley do BEFORE he came to America? A. He invented the eraser which came from his discovery of rubber. B. He became a friend of Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. C. He settled peacefully in the state of Pennsylvania. D. He became a citizen of the United States of America. 2. What is the authors purpose for writing this passage? A. to inform the reader of serious scientific research B. to present a humorous view of scientific research C. to warn humanity about danger in the environment D. to explain the invention of the rubber eraser 3. Who gave oxygen its name? A. Franklin B. Priestley C. Lavoisier D. Jefferson 4. The main idea of the passage is A. Priestley was an inventive scientist and social activist. B. Priestley was a fool who was a detriment to scientific research. C. Priestley was asked to leave his country because of social unrest. D. Priestley lived in England, France, and Pennsylvania.

5. According to the information given in the passage, why should Dr. Priestley be in the Error Hall of Fame?

Nations of the Plains

Many different Native American nations lived on the Great Plains. Some nations, such as the Arikaras, had lived on the Plains for hundreds of years. Others, such as the Lakotas, moved to the Plains from surrounding areas in the 1700s. Plains Indians had rich and varied cultures. They had well-organized religions, made fine handicrafts, and created much poetry. Each nation had its own language. People from different nations used sign language to talk to each other. Little Raven, an Arapaho chief, explained: I have met Comanches, Kiowas, Apaches, Caddos, Gros Ventres, Snakes, Crows, Pawnees, Osages...and other tribes whose vocal languages...we did not understand, but we communicated freely in sign language. At one time, most Plains Indians were farmers who lived in semipermanent villages. They sent out hunting parties that pursued buffalo and other animals on foot. Agriculture, however, was their main source of food. During the 1600s, the Plains Indians way of life changed. The Indians captured and tamed wild horses which had descended from animal herds the Spanish had brought to the Americas. On horseback, the Indians could travel further and faster. By the 1700s, hunting replaced farming as the basis of life for many Plains people. These Indians moved often, following the huge herds of buffalo that roamed the Plains. They began to live in tepees made of poles and buffalo skins. The tepees could easily be carried on a travois, along with other belongings. The routine of the Plains Indians closely mirrored the movement of the buffalo. In winter, small groups of buffalo moved off the plains to protected valleys and forests. In summer, when grass grew high on the Plains, buffalo gathered there in huge herds of as many as 4 million head. Plains Indians followed the same pattern. They spent the winter in small bands and gathered in large groups during the summer. Small bands of about 100 people often lived together during the winter. Sometimes, a band included Native Americans from several nations, such as Cheyennes, Lakotas, and Blackfeet. People in each group shared chores and owned many things in common. Native Americans also gathered for buffalo drives. During a drive, the Indians built a corral, or enclosure, at the bottom of a steep hill. Then, shouting and waving colored robes, hunters drove a herd of buffalo into the corral. There, they killed the trapped buffalo. Women cut up the buffalo meat and dried it into a food called jerky. Plains Indians depended on the buffalo for food, clothing, and shelter. Buffalo meat, rich in protein, was a main item in the Indians diet. Plains Indian women tanned buffalo hides to make leather. They also wove buffalo fur into a coarse, warm cloth. Buffalo horns and bones were carved into tools and toys, such as a rib sled. The sinews of the buffalo could be used as thread or bowstrings. Women oversaw life in the village and in the home. The home was the center of family life. There, children learned from their elders the customs and traditions of their people. Lakota Chief Standing Bear explained that, in the home, children learned duty to parents, to lodge, to tribe, and to self. Women were skilled in many crafts. They made clothing, tepees, tools--everything but weapons. In some tribes, women hunted with the men. A Blackfoot woman, Running Eagle, led many hunting parties herself. In other bands, a woman respected for her wisdom made the final decisions about important matters.
Davidson, J. and Stoff, M. (1995). The American Nation. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Publishing Company, pp. 512-513.

Nations of the Plains Quiz 1. The main idea of this passage is A. to describe the role of Native American women within their tribes. B. to show how Native Americans depended upon the Plains buffalo. C. to illustrate the lifestyle of the Plains Indians in North America. D. to educate others about the use of sign language by Native Americans. According to the passage, what caused the Plains Indians way of life to change? A. taming the wild buffalo B. taming the wild horse C. sharing chores with other nations D. tanning buffalo hides into leather

2.

3. What does the word band mean in the following sentence? They spent the winters in small bands and gathered in large groups during the summer. A. a group B. a thin strip C. musicians D. outlawed 4. After reading the passage, we may conclude that A. men and women shared household tasks equally. B. women were equal to men in all the tribes. C. only men could use weapons. D. only men could make weapons.

5. According to the author, why did the Plains Indians begin to live in tepees? Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.

New Directions
by Maya Angelou In 1903, the late Mrs. Annie Johnson of Arkansas found herself with two toddling sons, very little money, a slight ability to read and add simple numbers. To this picture add a disastrous marriage and the burdensome fact that Mrs. Johnson was a Negro. When she told her husband Mr. William Johnson, of her dissatisfaction with their marriage, he conceded that he too found it to be less than he expected, and had been secretly hoping to leave and study religion. He added that he thought God was calling him not only to preach but to do so in Enid, Oklahoma. He did not tell her that he knew a minister in Enid with whom he could study and who had a friendly, unmarried daughter. They parted amicably, Annie keeping the one-room house and William taking most of the cash to carry himself to Oklahoma. Annie, over six feet tall, big-boned, decided that she would not go to work as a domestic and leave her precious babies to anyone elses care. There was no possibility of being hired at the towns cotton gin or lumber mill, but maybe there was a way to make the two factories work for her. In her words, I looked up the road I was going and back the way I come, and since I wasnt satisfied, I decided to step off the road and cut me a new path. She told herself that she wasnt a fancy cook, but that she could mix groceries well enough to scare hungry away from a starving man. She made her plans meticulously and in secret. One early evening to see if she was ready, she placed stones in two five-gallon pails and carried them three miles to the cotton gin. She rested a little, and then, discarding some rocks, she walked in the darkness to the saw mill five miles farther along the dirt road. On her way back to her little house and her babies, she dumped the remaining rocks along the path. That same night she worked into the early hours boiling chicken and frying ham. She made dough and filled the rolled-out pastry with meat. At last she went to sleep. The next morning she left her house carrying the meat pies, lard, an iron brazier, and coals for a fire. Just before lunch she appeared in an empty lot behind the cotton gin. As the noon dinner bell rang, she dropped the savories into boiling fat and the aroma rose and floated

over to the workers who spilled out of the gin, covered with white lint, looking like specters. Most workers had brought their lunches of pinto beans and biscuits or crackers, onions and cans of sardines, but they were tempted by the hot meat pies which Annie ladled out of the fat. She wrapped them in newspapers, which soaked up the grease, and offered them for sale at a nickel each. Although business was slow, those first days Annie was determined. She balanced her appearances between the two hours of activity. So, on Monday if she offered hot fresh pies at the cotton gin and sold the remaining cooled-down pies at the lumber mill for three cents, then on Tuesday she went first to the lumber mill presenting fresh, just-cooked pies as the lumbermen covered in sawdust emerged from the mill. For the next few years, on balmy days, blistering summer noons, and cold, wet, and wintry middays, Annie never disappointed her customers, who could count on seeing the tall, brown-skin woman bent over her brazier, carefully turning the meat pies. When she felt certain that the workers had become dependent on her, she built a stall between the two hives of industry and let the men run to her for their lunchtime provisions. She had indeed stepped from the road which seemed to have been chosen for her and cut herself a brand-new path. In years that stall became a store where customers could buy cheese, meal, syrup, cookies, candy, writing tablets, pickles, canned goods, fresh fruit, soft drinks, coal, oil, and leather soles for worn-out shoes. Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the roads which lie ahead, and those over which we have traveled, and if the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and, carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction. If the new choice is also unpalatable, without embarrassment, we must be ready to change that as well. Angelou, Maya. Wouldnt Take Nothing for My Journey Now (1995). New York: Bantam Books, p. 21.

New Directions Quiz

1. What is the meaning of provisions in the phrase she let the men run to her for lunchtime provisions.? A. arrangements B. nourishing food C. energy D. design What is main idea of the fourth paragraph? A. how Annie placed stones in a pail B. how Annie tested her secret plan C. why Annie tested her secret plan D. where Annie rested along a path On Mondays, what did Annie offer her customers at the cotton gin? A. hot fresh pies B. cooled-down pies C. just-cooked pies D. canned goods The author implies that A. workers should eat pinto beans and biscuits for lunch. B. workers must become dependent on others for survival. C. each person must assess his or her own past and future goals. D. each person has equal rights and responsibilities. their

2.

3.

4.

5. Complete the following summary. This passage about ______________________________ begins with _________ ________________________________________________________________, discusses the idea that ______________________________________________ ______________________________________, and ends with ______________ ________________________________________________________________.

Reptiles
Although alligators and crocodiles may look very similar to the casual observer, they have many differences as well. Alligators can swim and float so that only their eyes and nostrils are above the water. They catch live food through stealth and will eat anything when hungry, even other alligators, yet turtles and alligators often sunbathe in each others company. It is unwise to feed alligators anything because they can lose their fear of people and become extremely dangerous. Alligators are considered the Keepers of the Everglades because of their unique contributions to the balance of nature. Alligators use their massive tails to dig holes in the limestone bedrock at the bottom of the swamp. During dry seasons, the holes retain water as the rest of the swamp dries up. As a result, other plants and animals are drawn to the life-sustaining water in the holes. These holes become homes for water creatures, which in turn provide food for the alligator. Also, land animals come to the holes for drinking water. There are only about 50,000 alligators in the Everglades today. In recent years, there have been increasing demands on the land and water of the Everglades as the population of Miami has grown and more building has taken place. As the alligator population decreases, there are fewer holes to keep the other Everglades creatures alive. Mother alligators build a nest mound from vegetation, lay three to five dozen eggs in it, and guard the eggs until they hatch, which takes about sixty days. The mounds are made warm by the decaying plants. If the temperature of the eggs rises above ninety degrees, the alligators will be males. If the temperature stays below eighty-seven degrees, they will be females. Moving the eggs is risky. Air sacs at the top of the egg keep the baby alligators from drowning before they hatch. Sometimes turtles also lay eggs in alligator mounds. Chances are that you will see an alligator if you visit the Everglades, but your chances of seeing a crocodile are very slim. Less than five hundred American crocodiles live in the very southern part of the Florida mainland and in the Florida Keys. Crocodiles, olive gray with narrow tapering snouts, prefer salt water. Alligators, black with broad snouts, live in fresh water. Both have large and small teeth on each side of the lower jaw, but the alligators teeth fit inside the upper jaw. Crocodile eggs are deposited in a foot-deep hole in sand or dirt and then are covered. The mother does not guard the nest, but at hatching time about ninety days later, she is there to carry the babies in her mouth to the water. Both alligators and crocodiles grow to a length of twelve feet. A century ago, alligators might have been eighteen feet in length. Both species are protected by state law. Unlike the alligator, the American crocodile is still an endangered species.

Reptiles Quiz 1. According to the passage, alligators are called Keepers of the Everglades because A. they kill off the more harmful crocodiles. B. they produce more males than crocodiles. C. they dig holes which help the other animals survive. D. they live in swamps and build mounds from vegetation. 2. According to the passage, what is the cause of the decline of the alligator? A. People have hunted the alligator almost to extinction. B. Turtles use the alligator nests and crowding them out. C. All the babies that hatch are either all males or all females. D. The population of Miami is causing the Everglades to become drier. 3. What is the meaning of life-sustaining in the following sentence? As a result, other plants and animals are drawn to the life-sustaining water in the holes. A. birth B. death C. unnecessary for life D. necessary for life 4. What would be another good title for this passage? A. Life in the Everglades B. Alligators and Crocodiles C. The Everglades of South Florida D. Overpopulation Endangers Wildlife 5. On the bottom of this page, draw a chart which shows how the reptiles which are described in this passage are alike and different. Be sure to include information from the text in your chart.

Respect
Respect means showing regard for the worth and dignity of someone or something, being courteous and polite, and judging all people on their merits. Respect takes three major forms: respect for oneself, respect for other people, and respect for all forms of life and the environment. One person who illustrates the meaning of respect if Bishop Desmond Tutu. To understand Desmond Tutu, it is important to understand something of the history of South Africa and its system of Apartheid that existed for 350 years. In 1652, a group of Dutch settlers established a permanent settlement at the very tip of Africa. Initially, the Dutch settlers and native Africans coexisted peacefully, but as the European population grew, they became hostile toward the natives. Eventually, all the black people of South Africa were conquered and forced to live in ghettos. This was the world into which Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born on October 7, 1931 in a poor black township near Johannesburg. Like millions of other black families in South Africa, the Tutu home had no electricity or running water. In 1950, Desmond graduated from high school and was one of the few Blacks to enter a university. He decided to become a teacher. In 1955 he married Leah Shenxane, also a teacher, and they had four children together. That same year, the government introduced the Bantu Education Act, which severely limited the types of lessons that could be taught to Black students. Knowing that he could not tolerate teaching under this Act, Desmond turned to his faith. He decided to enter a theological college and become a priest. As he moved up within the ranks of the Anglican Church, Tutu gained international prominence for his activism. Unfortunately, Tutu was frequently misquoted and misrepresented by the government-regulated South African press. He often expressed anger over injustice, but never showed hatred for white people. In fact, he has consistently preached a message of love, peace, and reconciliation. He has strictly adhered to the non-violent protest methods of Dr. Martin Luther King. Tutus dedication to non-violent protest was recognized in 1984 when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Schorr, Margaret, The Miami Herald, December, 1996.

Respect Quiz 1. Which sentence BEST expresses the main idea of this passage? A. Bishop Desmond Tutu was misquoted by the government. B. Bishop Desmond Tutu is a role model of respect. C. Bishop Desmond Tutu was a teacher of black students. D. Bishop Desmond Tutu won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. 2. According to this passage, which event came LAST? A. Bishop Tutu married Leah Shenxane. B. Bishop Tutu decided to become a teacher. C. Bishop Tutu entered a theological college. D. Bishop Tutu graduated from high school. 3. What is the meaning of initially in the following phrase? Initially, the Dutch settlers and native Africans coexisted peacefully A. first B. last C. abbreviation D. letter which stand for a name 4. What caused Bishop Tutu to stop teaching in South Africa? A. the Anglican Church B. the Dutch settlers C. the Bantu Education Act D. the Nobel Peace Prize 5. According to the information given in this passage, how did the events in Bishop Tutus early life shape his actions as a national leader in his later life? Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.

That Girl
by Gary Soto My maps were half-colored, History a stab in the dark, And fractions the inside Of a pocket watch Spilled on my desk. I was no good. And who do I Blame? That girl. When she scribbled a pink Eraser and her pony Tails bounced like skirts, I looked up, gazed for what My mother and sister could not Offer, then returned to The same sentence: The Nile Is the longest river in the world. A pencil rolled from the Table when she clicked open Her binder. I looked up, Gazed, looked back down: The Nile is the longest river...

The public library was saying things In so many books, And I, Catholic boy In a green sweater, Was reading the same page A hundred times. A girl was in my way, Protestant or Jew. And she was at the other end Of the oak table, Her hands like doves On the encyclopedia, E - G. England, I thought, Germany before the war? Shell copy from that book, Cursive like waves Riding to the shore, And tomorrow walk across lawns In a public school dress With no guilt pulling at an ear. And me? Ill kick My Catholic shoes through Leaves, stand in the Cloakroom and eat A friends lunch. My work Was never finished.

Soto, Gary. A Fire in My Hands, New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1990, p. 15 - 16.

That Girl Quiz

1. Another good title for this poem is A. Libraries are Fun. B. Being Shy. C. The Nile. D. My Catholic Shoes. Why couldnt the boy concentrate on his work? A. He couldnt read very well. B. His watch broke and fell apart. C. He wanted to speak to the girl. D. He couldnt find the right book. At the end of this poem, we can conclude that A. the boy speaks to the girl. B. the boy teases the girl. C. the boy walks home with the girl. D. the boy does not speak to the girl.

2.

3.

4. What is the meaning of cloakroom in the following phrase? stand in the Cloakroom and eat A friends lunch. A. a big closet B. a hooded cape C. a room with a clock D. an apartment 5. The author uses several comparisons such as the one below in this poem. Find two other comparisons and explain how they show how the author feels about the girl in the library. Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text. Shell copy from that book Cursive like waves Riding to the shore...

Division of Language Arts/Reading

The Environment As you know, the earth has limited natural resources. Mismanaging these natural resources can harm, or even destroy, our global environment. Many natural resources are being used up at an alarming rate. Experts estimate, for example, that the world will run out of such mineral fuels as coal and oil within a few decades. Wood also is becoming scarce as people clear forests for farmland and fuel. Without tree cover, soils erode and many plant and animal species are threatened. Of particular concern to the medical community is the widespread destruction of the earths tropical rain forests. Some 25 to 50 percent of prescription drugs used today contain ingredients made from wild plants found in the rain forests. Some of these plants may become extinct before their possible potential as a cure is discovered. Another danger to the global environment is the polluting of existing water, soil, and air. Spills of oils and chemicals have damaged waterways and beaches around the world. Industrial wastes and toxic dumps have devastated some areas of land for centuries to come. Exhaust from automobiles and factories has created smog and acid rain. It also has contributed to a gradual warming of earths temperatures by creating a kind of chemical, blanket in the air. Scientists call this warming trend the greenhouse effect. Some believe that the greenhouse effect could eventually lead to droughts and rising sea levels as glaciers melt. Air pollution also has interfered with the earths upperatmosphere ozone layer. Some scientists fear that, without the protective ozone, we will see an increase in skin cancer because of the harmful rays from the sun. The environmental crisis is not hopeless, however, if acted upon now. There are many ways to protect and restore our global environment. One way is through conservation, the preservation and protection of a natural resource. Using less of any resource will help preserve it for future generations. Governments themselves have set up agencies to see that the soil, forests, and water resources of the world are managed wisely. In the United States, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets standards for pollution control. Laws passed by Congress, state legislatures, and local city councils also work to support this effort. Recycling helps to preserve our environment. Recycling is the process of turning waste into a reusable form. Aluminum, glass, and paper are only a few of the products that, once used, can be recycled and used again. In the meantime, experts are searching for new, less environmentally harmful resources. Solar energy, hydroelectric power, wind power, and other replenishable resources are being explored as alternatives to those now being used. As American citizens, and citizens of the world, it is important for us to stay informed about our environment. We can make a difference. All nations of the world must take immediate and collective action to seek answers and solutions to these problems. Only by working together can we hope to face the challenges of the future. Civics: Citizens in Action, Merrill Publishing, 1990, pp. 542-543.

Division of Language Arts/Reading

The Environment Quiz

1. Which sentence BEST expresses the main idea of this passage? A. People must work together to protect the rain forest. B. People must work together to protect the environment. C. The greenhouse effect is destroying the earths ozone layer. D. Experts are constantly searching for new and safe resources. 2. Some scientists believe that skin cancer will increase in the future because A. there will be many more people. B. people will stop using sunscreen. C. the rays of the sun will be stronger. D. there will be less smog and acid rain. 3. The author of this passage feels that A. life on this planet will soon die. B. we must search for ways to live in space. C. we must all start recycling at once. D. we can work together to save our resources. 4. What is the meaning of replenishable in the following phrase? Solar energy, hydroelectric power, wind power, and other replenishable resources A. recyclable B. discardable C. replaceable D. redeemable 5. According to the author of this passage, why are doctors particularly concerned about the destruction of our environment? Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.

Division of Language Arts/Reading

The Pursuit Of Excellence

When pursuing excellence, you do the best with the talents you have. You work hard toward goals you have set for yourself and dont give up when the going gets rough. Thomas Jefferson was a true Renaissance Man who pursued excellence. He attended William and Mary College, but after two years studying the arts, philosophy, languages, and the classics, he felt he had learned all he could learn there. Jefferson continued his studies, though, and five years later received his license to practice law. In 1769, Jefferson was elected to Virginias governing body. He was shy and seldom spoke at the meetings, but his skill in writing laws and drafting bills was extraordinary. Jefferson was invited to become a member of the First Continental Congress. He composed our Declaration of Independence. Jefferson held many positions with the United States government including service as a U. S. Congressman, as Ambassador to France, as the first U. S. Secretary of State under president George Washington, and as vice president. In 1800, Thomas Jefferson became the third President of the United States. Jefferson accomplished much during his two terms in office. He passed laws that guaranteed greater freedom of speech and lower taxes. He made the Louisiana Purchase and ensured funding for Lewis and Clarks expedition across the continent. Jefferson was also an outstanding writer, an accomplished violinist, and a prolific inventor. He created a copy machine, the dumbwaiter, automatic doors, an apple picker, a rotating clothes rack and numerous gadgets. He also installed the White Houses first running water system. Jefferson was an avid collector of books and he donated his vast collection to start a new Library of Congress after the first one was destroyed by the British in 1812. In 1819, Thomas Jefferson established the University of Virginia, which he considered to be his greatest achievement. You can see Thomas Jeffersons likeness on the front of any nickel; on the back is a picture of his family estate, Monticello. Schorr, Margaret, Focus on Values, The Miami Herald, December 18, 1996, p. 7D.

Division of Language Arts/Reading

Pursuit of Excellence Quiz

1.

What is the authors purpose for writing this passage? A. to describe Thomas Jeffersons years in the White House B. to show how Thomas Jeffersons likeness was printed on the nickel C. to explain Thomas Jeffersons many and varied interests D. to describe Thomas Jeffersons skill as a lawyer and writer Which one of the following was NOT mentioned in this passage about Thomas Jefferson? A. He played the violin. B. He collected many books. C. He studied philosophy and the classics. D. He invented the washing machine.

2.

3. What is the meaning of ensured in the following sentence? He made the Louisiana Purchase and ensured funding for Lewis and Clarks expedition across the continent. A. to make certain B. a plan which pays for medical bills C. a plan which pays when someone dies D. a canned milk drink 4. What did Thomas Jefferson consider as his greatest achievement? A. being on the nickel B. being U. S. President twice C. establishing the University of Virginia D. composing the Declaration of Independence

5. How does the author use the story of Thomas Jefferson to illustrate the title of this passage The Pursuit of Excellence? Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.

Division of Language Arts/Reading

The Three Wishes by Recardo E. Alegria

Many years ago, in the days when the saints walked on earth, there lived a woodsman and his wife. They were very poor but very happy in their little house in the forest. Poor as they were, they were always ready to share what little they had with anyone who came to their life together. Each evening, before eating, they gave thanks to God for their happiness. One day, while the husband was working far off in the woods, an old man came to the little house and said that he had lost his way in the forest and had eaten nothing for many days. The woodsmans wife had little to eat herself, but, as was her custom, she gave a large portion of it to the old man. After he had eaten everything she gave him, he told the woman that he had been sent by God to test her and that as a reward for the kindness she and her husband showed to all who came to their house, they would be granted a special grace. The old man answered, Beginning immediately, any three wishes you or your husband may wish will come true. When she heard these words, the woman was overjoyed and exclaimed, Oh, if my husband were only here to hear what you say! The last word had scarcely left her lips when the woodsman appeared in the little house with the ax still in his hands. The first wish had come true. The woodsman couldnt understand it at all. How did it happen that he, who had been cutting wood in the forest, found himself here in his house? His wife explained it all as she embraced him. The woodsman just stood there, thinking over what his wife had said. He looked at the old man who stood quietly too, saying nothing. Suddenly he realized that his wife, without stopping to think, had used one of the three wishes, and he became very annoyed when he remembered all of the useful things she might have asked for with the first wish. For the first time, he became angry with his wife. The desire for riches had turned his head, and he scolded his wife, shouting at her, among other things, It doesnt seem possible that you could be so stupid! Youve wasted one of our wishes, and now we have only two left! May you grow the ears of a donkey! He had no sooner said the words than his wifes ears began to grow, and they continued to grow until they changed into the pointed, furry ears of a donkey. When the woman put her hand up and felt them, she knew what had happened and began to cry. Her husband was very ashamed and sorry, indeed, for what he had done in his temper, and he went to his wife to comfort her. The old man, who had stood by silently, now came to them and said, Until now, you have known happiness together and have never quarreled with each other. Nevertheless, the mere knowledge that you could have riches and power has changed you both. Remember, you have only one wish left. What do you want? Riches? Beautiful clothes? Servants? Power? The woodsman tightened his arm about his wife, looked at the old man, and said, We want only the happiness and joy we knew before my wife grew donkeys ears. No soon had he said these words than the donkey ears disappeared. The woodsman and his wife fell upon their knees to ask Gods forgiveness for having acted, if only for a moment, out of covetousness and greed. Then they gave thanks for all the happiness God had given them. The old man left, but before going, he told them that they had undergone this test in order to learn that there can be happiness in poverty just as there can be unhappiness in riches. As a reward for their repentance, the old man said that he would bestow upon them the greatest happiness a married couple can know. Months later, a son was born to them. The family lived happily all the rest of their lives.

Division of Language Arts/Reading

The Three Wishes Quiz

1. What is the main idea of this story? A. Dont wish for money. B. Be careful what you wish for. C. Be kind to strangers. D. Dont talk to strangers. Because the man was angry, A. his wife had a son. B. he lost all his money. C. his wife grew donkey ears. D. the old man punished him.

2.

3. What is the meaning of the word covetousness in the following phrase? for having acted, if only for a moment, out of covetousness and greed. A. a small group of birds B. wishing someone evil C. wishing someone good fortune D. being greedy 4. From the story, you may infer that A. the old man was evil. B. the man truly loved his wife. C. the man wanted vast riches. D. the wife wanted a castle and servants.

5. What is the authors purpose for writing this story? Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.

Division of Language Arts/Reading

Waterford Crystal You may have seen the beautiful glass football that was given to this years winner of the National College Championship. A similar glass trophy is given to the winner of the Super Bowl each year. Did you ever wonder who made those trophies? They, and many more beautiful crystal pieces are made in Waterford, Ireland. Each year, a quarter of a million people observe the exacting standards associated with exquisite crystal at the Waterford Crystal Factory in southeast Ireland. Using tools and techniques that have changed little over two centuries, skilled craftspersons meticulously blow, shape, cut or engrave each piece. They work as teams, and precise timing is essential. Each piece must pass through six quality-control stations, and tour participants are invited to help destroy the rejects. They toss the flawed piece down a chute and try to break it against the other pieces that have already been tossed. Most workers begin honing their skills at age 16. A five-year apprenticeship is required. Achieving master craftsman status takes another three years for glass blowers and cutters and five more years for engravers. Its an Irish tradition whose roots date to the 8th century, when glass was used in making beautiful designs along with gold or other metals. By the end of the 16th century, licenses were granted to set up glass factories. When George and William Pembroke began their crystal manufacturing business in 1783 in downtown Waterford, they employed 50 to 70 workers. Now, more than 1,600 craftspersons toil at the plant which opened twenty-five years ago. Some

Waterford products are made in England (Waterford also owns Wedgwood China), but most of the crystal including those elaborate football trophiesoriginate in Ireland. No two pieces are exactly alike. There is no computer at Waterford, their craftspeople produce every piece from scratch. The process begins when the crystal mixsilica sand, potash, and lithargeis transformed into molten crystal in huge furnaces. Glass blowers, working near the furnaces, use their breath and traditional tools like hollow iron rods and handmade wooden molds to transform glowing balls of crystal into elegant shapes. The type of pattern that eventually will be cut on the crystal determines the thickness needed. But the volume of air blown through the rod makes each piece slightly different. Once the shape and thickness are right, the crystal is blown and twisted into a mold. It is kept in the mold until it has set. The blown crystal shape then is transferred to another oven and allowed to cool slowly, a process that can take two hours for a wine glass or as long as 16 hours for one of those football trophies. Other workers then create the deeply cut patterns distinct to Waterford. Some items require hours of work. There is also another area that engraves names and dates on some of the pieces. Three months of work and over $40,000 is required for one Super Bowl trophy. The next time you watch the winners of the Super Bowl receive that beautiful crystal trophy, you will appreciate all the hard work and time that went into creating it.
Shattuck, H. Waterford Tour Showcases Ancient Art, The Miami Herald, December 29, 1996.

Division of Language Arts/Reading

Waterford Crystal Quiz

1. What does the word meticulously mean in the following sentence? Using tools and techniques that have changed little over two centuries, skilled craftspersons meticulously blow, shape, cut or engrave each piece. A. beautifully B. carefully C. carelessly D. quickly 2. The crystal-making process occurs when silica sand, potash, and litharge are A. transformed into molten crystal. B. determined by a computer. C. associated with exquisite crystal. D. blown into shape. By the end of which century were licenses granted to set up glass factories? A. 16th B. 17th C. 18th D. 19th The authors purpose in this passage was to explain A. how some football trophies are won. B. how college football teams compete. C. how Super Bowl rings are made. D. how some football trophies are made.

3.

4.

5. What does the author mean by saying There is no computer at Waterford, their craftspeople produce every piece from scratch. Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.

Division of Language Arts/Reading

Zoo
by Edward Hoch The children were always good during the month of August, especially when it began to get near the twenty-third. It was on this day that the great silver spaceship carrying Professor Hugos Interplanetary Zoo settled down for its annual six-hour visit to the Chicago area. Before daybreak the crowds would form, long lines of children and adults both, each one clutching his or her dollar and waiting with wonderment to see what race of strange creatures the Professor had brought this year. In the past they had sometimes been treated to three-legged creatures from Venus, or tall, thin men from Mars, or even snakelike horrors from somewhere more distant. This year, as the great round ship settled slowly to earth in the huge tricity parking area just outside of Chicago, they watched with awe as the sides slowly slid up to reveal the familiar barred cages. In them were some wild breed of nightmaresmall, horselike animals that moved with quick, jerking motions and constantly chattered in a high-pitched tongue. The citizens of Earth clustered around as Professor Hugos crew quickly collected the waiting dollars, and soon the good professor himself made an appearance, wearing his many-colored rainbow cape and top hat. Peoples of Earth, he called into his microphone. The crowds noise died down and he continued. Peoples of Earth, this year you see a real treat for your single dollarthe little-known horse-spider people of Kaan brought to you across a million miles of space at great expense. Gather around, see them, study them, listen to them, tell your friends about them. But hurry! My ship can remain here only six hours! And the crowds slowly filed by, at once horrified and fascinated by these strange creatures that looked like horses but ran up the walls of their cages like spiders.

This is certainly worth a dollar, one man remarked, hurrying away. Im going home to get the wife. All day long it went like that, until ten thousand people had filed by the barred cages set into the side of the spaceship. Then, as the six-hour limit ran out, Professor Hugo once more took microphone in hand. We must go now, but we will return next year on this date. And if you enjoyed our zoo this year, phone your friends in other cities about it. We will land in New York tomorrow, and next week on to London, Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. Then on to other worlds! He waved farewell to them, and as the ship rose from the ground the Earth peoples agreed that this had been the very best Zoo yet. Some two months and three planets later, the silver ship of Professor settled at last onto the familiar jagged rocks of Kaan, and the queer horse-spider creatures filed quickly out of their cages. Professor Hugo was there to say a few parting words, and then they scurried away in a hundred different directions, seeking their homes among the rocks. In one, the she-creature was happy to see the return of her mate and offspring. She babbled a greeting in the strange tongue and hurried to embrace them. It was a long time you were gone. Was it good? And the he-creature nodded. The little one enjoyed it especially. We visited eight worlds and saw many things. The little one ran up the wall of the cave. On the place called Earth it was the best. The creatures there wear garments over their skins, and they walk on two legs. But isnt it dangerous? asked the she-creature? No, her mate answered. There are bars to protect us from them. We remain right in the ship. Next time you must come with us. It is well worth the nineteen commocs it costs. And the little one nodded. It was the very best Zoo ever.

Division of Language Arts/Reading

Zoo Quiz
1. Which of the following statements BEST expresses the main idea of the story? A. There are many clever ways for people to make money. B. Someday we will interchange life-forms in our universe. C. There are living creatures in other parts of the universe. D. Curiosity about other life-forms is limited to human beings. 2. Professor Hugo exhibits his Interplanetary Zoo A. only on Earth. B. only on Earth and Kaan. C. on many planets. D. only in Chicago. 3. According to the story, the cages are barred to A. make the exhibited creatures more visible. B. separate the exhibition from the audience. C. protect the viewing audience from an attack. D. protect the exhibited creatures from an attack. 4. What is the meaning of tricity in the following phrase? This year, as the great round ship settled slowly to earth in the huge tricity parking area A. a very large parking garage B. an area that serves three cities C. an abbreviation for electricity D. a place for parking tricycles 5. This story is told from more than one point of view. How do each of the points of view help to explain the title? Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics or other information from the text.

Division of Language Arts/Reading

Answer Key
Passage #1 Aunty Misery 1. D 2. C 3. C 4. B 5. AMV Passage #6 Inventor Pursues the Use of Rubber 1. D 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. AMV Passage #7 Food for Thought 1. C 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. AMV Passage #11 Nations of the Plains 1. C 2. B 3. A 4. C 5. AMV Passage #16 The Environment 1. B 2. C 3. D 4. C 5. AMV Passage #17 The Pursuit of Excellence 1. C 2. D 3. A 4. C 5. AMV Passage #18 The Three Wishes 1. B 2. C 3. D 4. B 5. AMV Passage #19 Waterford Crystal 1. B 2. A 3. A 4. D 5. AMV Passage #20 Zoo 1. A 2. C 3. B 4. B 5. AMV

Passage #2 Bacon Bedlam in Berlin 1. B 2. D 3. C 4. C 5. AMV Passage #3 The American Bison 1. A 2. C 3. B 4. A 5. AMV

Passage #12 New Directions 1. B 2. B 3. A 4. C 5. AMV

Passage #8 Is Anyone Out There? 1. C 2. A 3. A 4. B 5. AMV Passage #9 Its All in Your Head 1. B 2. D 3. C 4. B 5. D Passage #10 Joseph Priestley 1. A 2. B 3. C 4. A 5. AMV

Passage #13 Reptiles 1. C 2. D 3. D 4. B 5. AMV

Passage #4 Thats a Cracker, Jack 1. B 2. A 3. C 4. C 5. AMV Passage #5 Dark Forces 1. D 2. C 3. A 4. B 5. AMV

Passage #14 Respect 1. B 2. C 3. A 4. C 5. AMV Passage #15 That Girl 1. B 2. C 3. D 4. A 5. AMV

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Spiders Bargain with God a folktale from Ghana

Kwaku Ananse, the spider, went to Sky God Nana Nyamee and asked whether he could buy the stories told about him so they would be told about Ananse instead. Nana Nyamee said, Yes, provided you bring me the following things in payment. Ananse said, I am willing. Just name them. Nana Nyamee said, Bring me a live leopard, a pot full of live bees, and a live python. Ananse was afraid, but nevertheless he agreed to provide them. He went home and sat down and thought and thought. At last he took a needle and thread, and set out toward the forest where the leopard lived. When he got to the stream where Leopard got his water, he sat down, took out the needle and thread, and sewed his eyelids together. He waited. When he heard the footsteps of Leopard coming to fetch water, he began to sing to himself: Hmm. Nana Nyamee is wonderful. He sewed my eyes and took me to his palace. Then I began to see wonderful things, and I have been singing of them ever since. Beautiful women, palaces, rich and delicious food, and a wonderful life. Leopard came up to him and asked Ananse, What were you singing about? He replied, Hmm. Nana Nyamee is wonderful. He sewed my eyes and took me to his palace. Then I began to see wonderful things, and I have been singing of them ever since. Beautiful women, palaces, rich and delicious food, and a wonderful life. Leopard said, Eh, Ananse, what is it, are you dreaming? No, said Ananse, there is a beautiful woman there. Leopard said, Please Ananse, sew my eyes shut, too, and lead me to Nana Nyamee so that I, too, may see all the wonderful things. No, I know you, Leopard, when you see her and all those other beautiful creatures you will kill them and eat them up. No, no, no, Leopard growled. I shall not. Rather, I shall thank you. Ananse took his needle and thread and sewed Leopards eyes and led him to Nana

Nyamees palace. He said, Nana Nyamee, here is the first installment. Keep it. Next day Ananse took an earthenware pot and went to a place where he knew there were honey bees. As he came near the place he sang, Oh bees! Oh bees! The bees said, Ananse, what is all this murmuring about? Ananse replied, I have had an argument with Nana Nyamee. He says all of you together wont fill this pot, but I say you will, and so I came to find out. They said, Oho, that is easy, and they flew into the pot, buzz, buzz, buzz, until the pot was full, and every bee had flown into it. Then Ananse quickly sealed the pot and carried it off to Nana Nyamee as his second installment. For two days he could not think how to get the thirda live python. But at last he hit on a plan. He went to the forest and cut a long stick, a stick as long as a tree. He carried this off to the forest, singing to himself, I am right, he is wrong! He is wrong, I am right. When Python saw him he said, Ananse, what are you grumbling about? He answered, How lucky I am to meet you here. I have had a long and bitter argument with Nana Nyamee. I have known you for a long time, and I know your measurements both when you are coiled, and when you are fully stretched out. Nana Nyamee thinks very little of you. He thinks you are only a little longer than the green mamba, and no longer than the cobra. I strongly disagree with him, and to prove my point I brought this pole to measure you. Python was very angry, and he began stretching himself out to his greatest length along the stick. And Ananse said, You are moving! You are moving! Let me tie you to the stick so I can get the measurement exactly right. And Python agreed. As Ananse tied Python up he sang a little song, and when he had Python securely fastened to the stick, Ananse carried him off to Nana Nyamee. Nana Nyamee was very pleased with Ananse and forthwith beat the gong throughout the world that all stories should be told about Ananse. This is how Ananse became the leading figure in all Ananse stories. African American Literature, Austin, TX: Holt Rinehart, & Winston, pp. 99-100.

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