Reading Triumphs Grade 6 (PDFDrive)

A
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Printed in the United States of America
ISBN: 978-0-02-102936-5
MHID: 0-02-102936-9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 RJE 14 13 12 11 10
C O N T E N T S
Unit 1
Short /a/a, /e/e, ea, /i/i, /o/o, /u/u; Plot, Character, Setting................... 6
~ Out of Luck ............................................................................... 7
Missing on Mud Hill .................................................................. 8
Long /ā/a_e, /ē/e_e, / ī/i_e, /ō/o_e, /ū/u_e; Plot, Character, Setting......... 18
~ Being Safe ................................................................................ 19
A Trip to Seattle’s Past ............................................................ 20
Digraphs /f/ph, /sh/sh, /th/th, /hw/wh; Main Idea and Details .............. 30
~ A Cold Place ............................................................................. 31
Antarctica: A Trip to the South Pole .................................. 32
Long /ē/e, ee, ea, y, ey; Cause and Effect............................................ 42
~ A Meeting.................................................................................. 43
The Kingfisher’s Dream ............................................................ 44
Long /ā/ay, ai, aigh, eigh; Main Idea and Details ................................. 54
~ Butterflies Make Their Way ...................................................... 55
Hope Remains for the Butterflies ........................................ 56
Unit 2
Long /ī/i, igh, ie, y; Make Inferences ................................................... 66
~ Team Tryouts ............................................................................ 67
Kylee’s New Team ...................................................................... 68
Soft consonants /s/c, /j/g; Make Inferences ......................................... 78
~ Trip to Space ............................................................................. 79
Citizens of Space ....................................................................... 80
Digraphs /ch/ch, tch; Make Generalizations ........................................ 90
~ Hurricanes ................................................................................. 91
Hurricane Watch ......................................................................... 92
Long /ō/o, oa, ow, oe; Problem and Solution ....................................... 102
~ The Princess’s Goal ................................................................... 103
A Road to Happiness ................................................................ 104
Diphthong /ou/ow, ou; Sequence ........................................................ 114
~ How Do Dogs Help Us?............................................................. 115
Saint Bernards: Saving Lives in the Mountains ............. 116
3
Unit 3
Variant vowel /ü/oo, ue, ew; Plot, Character, Setting .......................... 126
~ Cloud Chaser’s Trip ................................................................... 127
A Gift for Moon Shadow.......................................................... 128
r-Controlled vowels /är/ar, /âr/air, are, ear, ere; Draw Conclusions ...... 138
~ Taking Charge ........................................................................... 139
A Smart Start .............................................................................. 140
r-Controlled vowel /ûr/er, ir, or, ur, ar; Cause and Effect ..................... 150
~ Seeking Energy ......................................................................... 151
A Need for Energy ..................................................................... 152
r-Controlled vowel /ôr/or, ore, oar; Summarize.................................... 162
~ Records of a Forgotten Past ..................................................... 163
Digging Up History .................................................................... 164
Silent consonants /n/gn, kn, /r/wr, /b/mb; Draw Conclusions ............... 174
~ Do You Know Your Lines?......................................................... 175
The Show Must Go On ............................................................. 176
Unit 4
Diphthong /oi/oi, oy; Author’s Purpose ................................................ 186
~ Team Sports .............................................................................. 187
Jackie Robinson and the Joy of Baseball ......................... 188
Final schwa /ә l/el, le, al; Fact and Opinion .......................................... 198
~ The Mysterious Sea .................................................................. 199
Jacques Cousteau: Scientist Below Sea Level ................ 200
Variant vowel /ô/au, aw, augh, ough, /ôl/al; Compare and Contrast .... 210
~ Fighting for Causes ................................................................... 211
Gandhi’s Causes ......................................................................... 212
Triple consonant blends spr, scr, str, spl, thr; Fact and Opinion ........... 222
~ Bicycling ................................................................................... 223
Extreme Sports ........................................................................... 224
Variant vowel /ů/oo, ou; Author’s Perspective ..................................... 234
~ A Good Show ............................................................................ 235
Hooked on Dancing................................................................... 236
4
Unit 5
Review short /a/, long /ā/; Author’s Purpose ........................................ 246

~ Louis Braille .............................................................................. 247
Anne Sullivan: A Valuable Teacher ..................................... 248
Review short /i/, long /ī/; Compare and Contrast................................. 258
~ Then and Now ........................................................................... 259
A Trip to Find Rain .................................................................... 260
Review short /e/, long /ē/; Persuasion .................................................. 270
~ Why Not Travel With Us?.......................................................... 271
The Weekend Treat.................................................................... 272
Review short /o/, long /ō/; Make Judgments ........................................ 282
~ My Comic Book Collection ....................................................... 283
A Collection of Thoughts ........................................................ 284
Review /ů/oo, ou, /ü/oo, ue, ew; Summarize........................................ 294
~ A Brief History of Skiing........................................................... 295
Candace Cable Zooms Forward ............................................ 296
Unit 6
Review schwa endings /ә l/, /ә n/, /ә r/; Make Generalizations .................. 306
~ The First Emperor...................................................................... 307
The Great Wall of China .......................................................... 308
Review diphthong /ou/ou, ow; Sequence ............................................ 318
~ Bellow and Blow....................................................................... 319
A Tough Act to Follow.............................................................. 320
Review digraphs; Problem and Solution .............................................. 330
~ Before the Alphabet ................................................................. 331
Writing from Drawings to Alphabets .................................. 332
Review short and long vowels; Description ......................................... 342
~ A History of Pens ...................................................................... 343
Updating the Printing Process .............................................. 344
Review short and long vowels; Theme ................................................ 354
~ Helping After a Disaster ........................................................... 355
A Signal of Smoke ..................................................................... 356
5
Skills and Strategies
Decoding
Decode these words. What do you notice
about the spellings?
snap spin crab dunk
cliff mess twig head
rock jump sped pick
Vocabulary
rashly nervous regretted
edge excitedly
Comprehension
PLOT, CHARACTER, AND SETTING Character
Story structure is made up of Setting
plot, character, and setting. The Problem
plot is the series of events in the Events
story. This includes the problem a

character has and the steps taken Solution
to solve it. The setting is where

and when the story takes place. The characters
are the people or animals in the story.
To help you find the story structure, use the

Story Map.
6
Read
Identify the plot, characters, and setting of the story.
Out of Luck
Sam acted rashly when he left the path to
see the view. To see better, Sam stepped up on
a big rock. Then the rock slid down the hill. Sam
slid with the rock. Sam went over the edge of the
hill. It happened so fast!
Sam fell to the bottom of the hill. He was

nervous. How can Sam get back up?
Sam yelled excitedly. He was lucky. A man

was on top of the hill. He pulled Sam up with a
rope. He did a good job. Sam regretted his rash
act.
Use the Story Map to help you

note the characters,
plot, and setting for
“Out of Luck”.
7
Missing
on
Mud Hill
by Leigh Fletcher
illustrated by Howard Post
Pam and Rob zigged past trees. They

zagged past big rocks. Then they went
up Mud Hill. Rob kept a grip on his bike.
It hit rocks and snapped twigs. The path
was bad.
“This is risky, Pam!” Rob yelled. He
regretted not going back to camp with
the rest of the kids.
8
“Jill told me a big rock is up on Mud Hill,” Pam
yelled back. “It looks just like a wild cat, Rob! It will
be a quick trip. We can still get back to camp before
the sun sets.”
Pam sped up and kept going up the next hill.
9
Out of Luck
Rob soon lost Pam. Then Pam yelled. But her yell
got cut off by a slam and a bang. Rob sped up the
hill and slid to a quick stop. Pam’s bike rested flat in
the dirt. Its tires were still spinning.
Rob was nervous. He did not move. Where was
Pam? On his left was a cliff.
10
He looked over the cliff. Pam had landed on a
flat bit of grass. Rob slid down, grabbing at plants
and big rocks.
Pam held her left arm. “I hit it on a rock as I fell.
I went over the edge. I grabbed at rocks and plants
but I could not stop. I did not hit my head. I just slid
and slid.”
11
“Your arm has to be kept still,” Rob told Pam.
He went up the cliff and came back down. He had a
bike part and a cloth from his pack. He fixed the part
to fit Pam’s arm.
The sun had dropped low, but Pam had to rest.
12
Act Quickly!
Back at camp, Mr. Lind asked Pam’s sister Jill
for help. “Pam and Rob are missing. They did not
get back with the others.”
Jill bet Pam had acted rashly and was lost. Jill sat
and clasped her hands. Where was Pam? “I did tell
Pam that Mud Hill is a fun trip, and the best spot on
Mud Hill is Wild Cat Rock.”
Mr. Lind said they would look on Mud Hill. They
acted fast. Jill got other kids to help.
13
Back on Mud Hill, Rob said, “The sun is setting.
Your arm and bike are messed up. You cannot get
back to camp. I think it is best if I stay with you.”
Rob did not look mad. But Pam felt bad. She got
them into this.
Rob made a fire. Her arm hurt, but Pam went
to get sticks to add to the fire.
14
Rob sat with Pam. She did not look well.
“The kids will find us,” said Rob.
Just then a bat zipped past. It made Pam jump.
It nabbed a bug and left. Next a skunk stopped on
a log. It sniffed and then crossed the grass. When it
kept going, Pam and Rob were glad.
15
Rob got up and added sticks to the fire. A twig
snapped. Pam and Rob held still. A bigger snap made
them jump.
“Pam! Rob!” Jill led the kids from camp onto the
grass. In back of them was Mr. Lind. “Are you OK?
What happened?” they asked excitedly.
16
Comprehension Check
Summarize 1VOÒQbSà
Read “Missing on Mud Hill” again. ASbbW\U
Fill in the Story Map. Then use it >`]PZS[
to summarize the structure of 3dS\ba
the story.
A]ZcbW]\
Think About It
1. How did Pam hurt her arm?
2. What did Rob do to help Pam before Mr. Lind
and Jill found them?
3. Using details from the story, describe how the
setting kept Rob and Pam from getting back to
camp.
4. What did Rob and Pam learn from their
experience? Use details from the story in your
answer.
Write About It
What can be learned from Pam’s accident? What
can be done to try to avoid bike accidents?
17
Decoding
Decode these words. What do you notice about
the spellings?
flame wake globe tide
stove brick beside update
wide safe became shed
Vocabulary
accident tourists blaze
basement flooding carried
Comprehension
PLOT, CHARACTER, AND Characters Setting Plot
SETTING Story structure

is made up of plot,
character, and setting.
The plot is the series of
events in the story. The setting is where and
when the story takes place. The characters are
the people or animals in the story.
Use a Characters, Setting, and Plot Chart to

help you note the people, places, and events as
you read the story.
18
Read
Identify the plot, characters, and setting.
Being Safe
The sun was still a blaze in the sky as Jane
came home. “So many tourists had been at the
game!” she was thinking. Jane was happy. Her
team had played well.
As she got close to home, she saw a fire

truck in the driveway. Oh no! Had she left the
stove on? Did she start a fire? But she could see
no smoke.
Mom came outside with a fireman. By the

door, a pump gushed water onto the driveway.
Mom carried a mop. So there was flooding! Mom
said a pipe in the basement broke. The fireman
added, “An accident can take place at any time.”
Use the Characters, Setting, and Plot Chart to help

you note particular people, places, and events as you
read “Being Safe.”
19
by Steve Mason
illustrated by Harold Henriksen
Last spring, my family went to a place named

Seattle. It had lots of sites to visit. A guide named Dan
led us. He runs trips and tells tourists about the city.
In the 1800s, Seattle was not yet big in size. It
is close to a river, and rising tides did bring lots of
flooding at times. Lots of trees ringed the town, and
this gave residents an idea to place homes on top of
big logs. It helped. Homes did not get as wet.
20
In time, men added uses for cut logs. They carried
logs to the river in wagons. They used logs to make
ships, and ships went out to net fish. People started to
sell logs, ships, and fish. The town expanded.
21
A Big Blaze
“Then one day in June 1889,” Dan instructed us,
“a man named John Back made homemade paste on a
stove. But John went to another place in the shop. He
left the paste pot untended on the fire.
“When John left the fire, the hot paste spilled over
the sides of the pot. It made the fire swell in size.”
22
“At last, John saw the fire. He tipped a bucket of
water on it, but it did not help. John felt panic and left
the shop fast.”
I asked what happened next. Dan told us that the
accident in John’s shop started a big fire. It jumped
from place to place. Shops and homes went up in
flames. Firemen stopped the blaze after a time, but it
had burned lots in the city.
23
Making a Safe Place
The fire showed that making homes and shops
from logs is not the best plan. People started making
homes of stone and brick. Stones and bricks will not
let flames travel as fast.
But a big problem had yet to get fixed. Water at
Seattle’s sides still flooded streets. It kept on making
a mess. To lift the city above water level, men piled
extra mud and sand on top of streets.
24
When they finished fixing streets, Seattle did not
get flooded like it had. But piled-up streets hid the
shops’ bottom levels.
“The shop doors had gotten hidden under the
ground!” Dan told us.
25
“Shopkeepers wanted to save their shops in
these places, but people did not like shopping in the
basement.
“It was difficult getting from new sidewalks down
to old shops. Shops had gotten dim and wet. They had
to close.”
26
Time passed, and people did not remember the
hidden shops. Old places got lost.
After many years, a man named Bill Speidel came
upon some shops in basements. He wanted to let
the public get a taste of Seattle as it used to be. Bill
started taking people to these old places.
27
At last, Dan smiled and stated, “Now you can go
under the street to visit old Seattle!” He led us down
a set of steps, and we got glimpses of old shops
underground. It was a thrilling trip back in time.
28
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “A Trip to Seattle’s Characters Setting Plot
Past” again. Fill in the

Characters, Setting, and
Plot Chart. Then use it to
summarize the selection.
Think About It
1. How did people in Seattle protect their homes
from flooding in the 1800s?
2. Who started the fire in 1889? How did it happen?
3. Use details from the story to tell why shops in
Seattle ended up in the basement.
4. What purpose do Seattle’s underground shops
have today? Use details from the story to
explain your answer.
Write About It
In what ways do people today prepare for fires
and floods? Explain your answer.
29
Decoding
same shape phone crash
when shelters month whales
while smile think shore
Vocabulary
rare ice mass
scientists extreme midnight
Comprehension
MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS The
main idea is the most important
point an author makes about ;OW\
7RSO
a topic. It can often be found
at the beginning of a passage
or text. To find the main idea,
think about the details and decide what they
have in common or how they are connected.
These details support the main idea.
Use the Web to help you identify the main idea

and details as you reread “A Cold Place.”
30
Read
Identify the main idea and details.
A Cold Place
Antarctica is a mass of land and ice at
the base of the globe. It is an odd, rare place.
The weather there is extreme. The coldest
temperatures on Earth have been recorded by
scientists in Antarctica.
The sun is odd in this spot. In summer,

it sets at midnight. But it sets for just an hour.
This hour-long phase is called the midnight sun. In
winter, the sun rises for only an hour, and the rest
of the day Antarctica is in the shade.
Use the Main Idea Web to help you

identify the main idea and details of
“A Cold Place.”
31
Antarctica:
A Trip to the South Pole
by Erin Roberts
Antarctica has
ice and snow.
A Very Cold Place!

A rare land sits at the bottom of the planet.
Antarctica is its name. Antarctica is a big land mass
with ice resting on its rock base. It is a cold, cold place!
The low temperature in Antarctica can be -126˚ F.
Winds can whip up to 200 miles an hour.
32
Penguins on the ice.
Antarctica has big ice caves.
Antarctica is an extreme land. It has no shrubs or

plants. Small spots of moss grow on rocks. Most of
the land is white from all the snow. But sometimes the
thick ice can be blue.
Antarctica has caves and lakes in odd shapes. The
caves and lakes are made from freezing and melting
ice.
33
Antarctica gets big in winter.
Summer
Winter
Ice Pack
Antarctica is not like other places.

In summer as the ice melts, Antarctica gets small.
In winter the land gets big as the sea around it freezes.
Antarctica can grow up to 10 million square miles in
winter.
34
Antarctica is a land of midnight sun. In summer the
sun shines all day. A late sunset takes place. The nights
can last less than an hour.
In winter, the sun can come up for an hour. Days are
dark in winter.
35
In 2000, a big iceberg broke off of Antarctica.
In summer the sun melts a top layer of ice. When a

big chunk of ice melts, it can slide in to the sea. These
chunks of ice are called icebergs.
Passing ships can crash into icebergs by accident.
The sudden crash can dent and even sink the ships.
36
Penguins do not get
cold in Antarctica’s
33˚F water.
Life on the Ice

There is some life in Antarctica. Birds, seals, and
whales all make a home here.
One bird, the penguin, can be found here. A
penguin cannot fly and it is not fast on its legs. But it
can slide and swim. It dives in the cold, cold water to
get fish.
37
There are more seals in Antarctica than anywhere in the world.
Seals and their pups spend a lot of time in water,

too. Seals have a lot of fat under their skin. Fat keeps
seals warm.
Long ago, men did hunt seals and whales. They
carried their skin and fat back to land to trade and to
make things. Now there is a limit to how many seals
can be hunted.
38
Whales live in the sea by Antarctica. Whales get
fish that live in the sea. Whales are big and eat a lot of
fish.
Whales like cold air. They swim north in winter
when more places ice up. Whales swim in big packs
named pods. The pods come back home in summer
when it gets warm.
Whales can eat a lot of fish.
39
People at a base on Antarctica.
Life on Ice
Antarctica is a land of ice, rocks, and caves, but not
many people. Some people come in summer. It is much
too cold in winter, but some scientists stay. They take
photos and make notes about the land. Shelters and
bases are made to keep them safe.
These brave men and women share their notes
about the land and animals at the South Pole.
40
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Antarctica: A Trip to the
South Pole” again. Fill in the Main
;OW\
Idea Web for the chapter “A 7RSO
Very Cold Place!” Then use it to

Think About It
1. Where is Antarctica found?
2. Explain what happens in Antarctica in the
summer.
3. Find the details and identify what they have in
common in the last part of the selection, Life
on Ice. What is the main idea of this part of
the selection?
4. Why do only a few animals, such as penguins
and seals, live in Antarctica? Use details from
the article in your answer.
Write About It
Why are people studying Antarctica? How do you
think what they learn about Antarctica could
help the world?
41
Decoding
the spellings?
white brush dream leap
clean happy queen honey
speed phone gleam thrill
Vocabulary
exists dusk tales
worry horizon peak
Comprehension
CAUSE AND EFFECT In a story, 1OcaS 3TTSQb
a cause is an event that makes
something happen. An effect is
something that happens because
of an event or action. As you
read, ask What happened? to
find the effect. Ask Why did it happen? to find
the cause. Clue words such as because and so
can help you find the cause.
A Cause and Effect Chart helps you figure out

what happens in a story and why it happens.
42
Read
Identify cause and effect relationships in the story.
A Meeting
A weekly meeting takes place at dusk in a
space between the trees. People meet because
they like to listen to the wise man’s tales. His tales
are about their history, the animals, and the land.
The people do not have to worry about hearing a
scary tale. This is because the wise man does not
tell that kind of tale.
The wise man’s best tale is about the Sky

Queen. She exists on the horizon. She hides behind
a mountain peak so people do not see her. She
dreams about people leading good lives.
Use the Cause and Effect Chart to record important

causes and effects as you read “A Meeting.”
43
The
Kingfisher’s
Dream
by Tommy Wu
illustrated by
Katherine Tillotson
Wide Awake
While his pals slept, Kip the kingfisher was
still wide awake. He did not want to sleep just yet.
Kip liked to hear a wise man tell tales as he sat near
a fire and watched the flames rise.
This time, the tale was of the Sky Queen.
She lived in a place miles up in the sky. From there,
she hung stars and lit the moon.
44
The Sky Queen liked to place the sun near the
horizon. She set it low, near land. As the sun rose, the
sleeping tribe would wake up to it. And the gleaming
sunset was like a prize at the end of each day.
45
That night Kip spent a lot of time thinking about
the tale because he was thrilled by it.
As his pals woke up at sunrise, Kip spoke to them
from the top of the trees. “Gaze up at the distant sun.
See how nice it is in the sky.”
Kip’s pals were thrilled. They did not suspect that
the sun was alive in the sky.
46
“The Sky Queen makes her home up there with
the sun, white clouds, and wet rain,” Kip said.
Kip’s pals began to feel that their land was not
nice. Unlike the Sky Queen’s clean space, it was hot
and dusty in a lot of places. Kip’s pals were unhappy
with the hot days of their land.
“Can we replace, or change, our homes with
homes in the sky?” Kangaroo asked.
“I will think of a plan,” Kip said. “Meet me under
my tree at dusk.”
47
After the sun set and the land became dark, Kip’s
pals each met him at his tree. One at a time they
came out into the starry night.
“We need a place in the sky with the Sky Queen.
We can see and do more things up there,” Kip said to
his team of pals.
48
A Real Dream
“We can make the dream real,” said Kip. “Let’s
pile up sticks to make a ladder a mile up. It will be
so big that its peak will reach the sky. Then we can
go up step by step and meet the real Sky Queen. We
will share the sun, rain, and clouds,” said Kip.
49
Kip’s pals seemed to think
that his plan was quite fine. They
went as a team to get sticks. They
carried a mass of sticks to the
huge heap. The pile still needed a
lot of sticks to reach their dream.
Time passed. At midnight the
team got weak, so they all fell into
a deep, deep sleep at the base of
the pile.
50
Not much time had passed when the Sky Queen
came down to visit Kip. She tapped Kip’s wing. Kip
thought it was a dream. It did not seem real.
“Rethink this pile. It is not needed,” the Sky
Queen said. “Why do you seek a place in the sky?
Why do you worry so much?”
“We like your home. Life seems happy up there,”
he said.
51
“I made space for Kangaroo, so she can leap,”
stated the Sky Queen. “Dog has wide land to run at
top speed. A big tree exists for you to sit and make a
nest.”
The Sky Queen had made a lot of things. In the
sky, Kip might reach a place where life was happy.
But he might miss neat things made just for him. Kip
looked at his land and was happy with what he had.
52
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “The Kingfisher’s Dream” 1OcaS 3TTSQb
again. Fill in the Cause and Effect

Chart. Then use it to summarize
the story.
Think About It
1. What kind of tale does Kip hear the wise man
tell?
2. Why did Kip and his pals want to build a tower
to reach the Sky Queen?
3. Using details from the story, describe how Kip
and his pals build the tower.
4. What did Kip and his pals learn after the Sky
Queen visited Kip? Use details from the story in
your answer.
Write About It
Think about where you live. What part of the
land or neighborhood makes you happy? Explain
why you chose those things.
53
Decoding
the vowel spellings?
main obtain stray weight
basic dainty delay drain
strain straight claim replay
Vocabulary
dainty maintain drain
attained migrate stray
Comprehension
MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS
The main idea is the most
important point an author ;OW\
7RSO
makes about a topic. Details
that support the main idea
usually have something in
common.
As you reread “Butterflies Make Their Way,” use

the Main Idea Web to help you identify details
that are connected. This will help you find the
main idea.
54
Read
Identify the main idea and details.
Butterflies Make Their Way

The dainty butterfly needs heat from the
sun to live. When cold comes to the north, the
butterfly must not delay flying south to a warmer
place. Some butterflies fly more than 2,000 miles
to seek sunshine.
Butterflies can migrate from 5 to 12 miles in

one hour. At these rates, the trip may take weeks
to complete. Butterflies will not stray from their
path. To maintain their progress, they must sleep
and eat on the way.
The monarch butterfly has attained a way

to stay safe on its trip. It will drain sweet sips of
nectar from milkweed plants. Milkweed is poison
to birds, so birds cannot eat monarch
butterflies. By eating milkweed, this
butterfly escapes being a tasty meal.
Make a Main Idea Web for each paragraph.

Then use those main ideas to help you identify
the main idea of “Butterflies Make Their Way.”
55
Hope Remains
for the
Butterflies
by Mandy Maison
W hat is dainty and green and hangs on a stem?

Not long ago, this green case was a caterpillar. But
how did it get like this?
When the caterpillar first came out of its egg case,
it began to eat. It quickly ate leaf after leaf. Next, the
caterpillar spun a small silk disc to hang from. Then,
it shed its striped skin. The green case is left on the
stem. The case contains a pupa. It will grow into a
monarch butterfly with big wings.
56
A monarch caterpillar
and butterfly share a
cone flower.
57
Details of a Butterfly’s Life
A monarch butterfly lays its eggs on a milkweed
leaf. It has a trick to keep the eggs safe. It lays them
beneath the leaf.
Soon, a caterpillar pokes its way out of the egg.
It is weak from working so hard. But it is standing on
its main food, the milkweed.
The caterpillar’s aim is to eat and eat. It gains
weight, but its skin remains the same size. The
caterpillar must shed its skin for a bigger one.
A milkweed leaf with eggs
A milkweed plant
58
Stages of a monarch’s life: caterpillar, pupa, butterfly
The monarch will not get to eat in its next stage as

a pupa. Inside its case, the pupa makes a shift. In less
than a week, a butterfly escapes from the case.
Its graceful wings hang in a blaze of color.
The butterfly has attained its final phase. It has
made its way from egg to butterfly.
59
This sky is full of wings.
Butterflies Will Not Delay

A monarch needs warm sunshine. It must migrate
south when winter gets close. It cannot delay its trip to
a warm land that is miles away. It will fly in daytime
and rest after dusk. The next day, the butterfly is back
on its way, sailing on. It will not stray from its trail in
the air.
60
Hundreds of butterflies can be seen sailing on the
horizon. At times, you may see clumps of them resting
in trees.
A butterfly’s path must be filled with plants. It
needs to eat as it migrates. It will stop and poke its
feeding tube into the plant and drain its sweet sap.
It needs to find plants at each stop on the trail. If it
cannot find nectar to sip, then its life may be at risk.
A monarch rests
while on its trip.
61
At last, hundreds and hundreds
of butterflies land in a winter home.
Butterflies will not migrate back
until it gets warm in the north.
Then they head straight back north.
On the way, females will lay eggs
on milkweed plants. In the fall, they
will replay their trip.
Monarchs resting on
a plant.
Monarch butterflies on
a tree in Mexico.
62
Monarchs escape cold places and fly south.
Risks
People think milkweed smells bad, and often they
will cut plants down. Farmers mistake milkweed for a
pest and chop plants down. Spray may be used to kill
the plants. This is an extreme problem for butterflies.
In Mexico, groves of the trees where monarchs live
are being cut and misused. Cutting the trees leaves
those monarchs homeless when they arrive next winter.
63
W hat Can We Do?
I t is amazing that monarchs make it through the
strains of a long, long trip.
People must help maintain the plants that
butterflies need. We need to keep lands safe so
butterflies can feed and make a home.
In some places, people can be fined for harming a
butterfly. But mistreating trees or plants is also unkind
to butterflies. If we fail in helping them, butterflies will
be at risk.
A sign in Mexico: “Take care of the

butterfly! Do not mistreat it.”
64
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Hope Remains for the
Butterflies” again. Fill in your
Main Idea Web. Use the web to ;OW\
7RSO
help you summarize the selection.
Think About It
1. What is the monarch caterpillar’s main food?
2. What are the four stages of the monarch
butterfly’s life?
3. What time of year do female monarchs lay their
eggs? What details from the selection did you
use to find your answer?
4. Use details from the selection to identify the
most important point the author is making on
pages 63 and 64.
Write About It
What other animal do you know that migrates?
How is it like the monarch butterfly?
65
Decoding
the spellings?
bright tried wait why
flight might away play
sighed cry delight night
Vocabulary
view guest concerns
fault explore
Comprehension
MAKE INFERENCES BSfb1ZcSaO\R
>`W]`9\]eZSRUS 7\TS`S\QS
As you read, ask yourself
what is happening in
the story. Sometimes a
writer does not tell you
everything. To make
inferences, you use clues
in the story plus your own knowledge to figure
out what the author does not state directly.
Use the Inferences Chart as you read

“Team Tryouts”.
66
Read
Generate questions and make inferences about
the passage.
Team Tryouts
I like the view from the stands as a guest
at school sporting events. But I like playing even
more. My friend Riley does, too. We tried out
for some teams. Coach Cline tested our skills to
decide what team would be right for us.
It concerns Riley that she might not make it

past tryouts. But Riley runs with long strides. She
tries with all of her might.
Riley likes to explore by trying new sports

such as running. She will not cry, sigh, or give up.
She knows that many sports might not be right
for her. If she does not find a spot on a team, she
knows it will not be her fault.
Fill out the Inferences Chart

as you read “Team Tryouts.”
67
Kylee’s
New Team
by Matthew Peters
illustrated by Sue Spellman
Leaving Home
Kylee sighed at the sight of her new home. This
place was unlike her old home in the city. Kylee had
lived in the same place for all ten years of her life.
Now Kylee’s home was close to her mom’s new job.
Kylee would miss the city’s bright lights. She did not
think she would find hobbies to pass the time in such
a dull place.
68
Kylee felt grim. She missed her friends back home.
She worried about spending a whole summer alone in
this new place. For the first time, she would not be going
to basketball camp. Kylee began to cry.
“Cheer up, Kylee, there is endless fun here,” said
Ms. Lopez. “You can explore the hills and land outside.
Wait until you see the view from your window!”
69
Kylee sat on her bed and looked at the view. She
had to admit, it was a nice sight. Then there was a tap
on the door.
Kylee rushed to greet the guest. It was Beth, a girl
who lived on a farm beside Kylee’s home. Beth was in
the same grade as Kylee, and she came to welcome
her. The kids began to chat. They liked a lot of the
same things. Kylee and Beth quickly became pals that
summer.
70
Then one day in the last week of summer, Beth
declared, “Class starts this Friday! I cannot wait for
school to begin, can you?”
“I cannot wait either. I want to try out for the
basketball team. I miss playing the game,” Kylee said.
“Our team is the Titans. We do not win a lot of
games,” said Beth. “We do not play well as a team.
Irene is the best player, but she hogs the ball all the
time. It concerns the whole team.”
71
Time for Teamwork
Making the team was easy. But Beth was right. Irene
passed to Kylee just twice in five games. The Titans lost
many times because of it. Kylee was mad at Irene.
“Kylee, try not to fight with Irene. She can be really
mean,” Beth said.
“I played basketball on a city lot with kids twice my
size,” said Kylee. “Irene does not frighten me.”
72
One night at a home game, the Titans could not
maintain the lead. Kylee tried to help the team win.
Three times, Kylee had a clear shot by the net. But
Irene did not pass to Kylee. When she had to pass,
Irene made a stray pass to a teammate. It was blocked.
With time running out in the game, Beth passed
the ball to Kylee. Kylee made the shot but the Titans
still lost. The girls were drained after the tough defeat.
73
The next day, Coach Cline met with Irene. After
they spoke, Irene ran out crying. “This is your fault,
city kid!” she cried as she yelled at Kylee. It shocked
the team.
Coach Cline said, “Kids who will not play as a team
will not play on this team.”
Kylee was glum. Irene might not play again, but it
was a mistake to keep Irene off the team. She had to
find a way to help Irene stay on the team.
74
At lunch the next day, Kylee asked Irene why
she bullied her. She needed to find out why Irene
disliked her.
“My best friend just moved away. You replaced her
on the team,” Irene said.
“I am sorry. I miss my old friends, too. But it is
crazy if we let that get in the way of winning games.
Will you try to play with me?”
Irene nodded. “OK. Do you want to practice
passing?”
75
Two weeks later, Coach Cline let Irene play the last
game. With ten seconds left on the clock, the Titans
were trailing by one point. Kylee stole the ball. She saw
Irene open by the net. Kylee passed the ball to Irene.
Swish! It slipped in the net just in time.
Both teams had played well. But with teamwork,
the Titans had played better.
“Nice game,” Kylee said.
“Nice teamwork!” Irene smiled at Kylee.
76
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Kylee’s New Team” BSfb1ZcSaO\R
>`W]`9\]eZSRUS 7\TS`S\QS
again. Fill in the Inferences
Chart. Then use it to
summarize the story.
Think About It
1. Why does Kylee have to
leave her home in the city?
2. How come the Titans do not win many games?
3. Use details from the story to explain why Kylee
felt it was a mistake to keep Irene off the team.
4. What did Irene and Kylee have in common? Use
details from the story in your answer.
Write About It
Write about a time when you were not getting
along with a classmate. Tell about the problem
you were having and how you solved it.
77
Decoding
the spellings?
right pilots strange why
reply price decide bridge
judge stance space glance
Vocabulary
device pack pilots
model hub citizen
Comprehension
MAKE INFERENCES Asking 3dWRS\QS 7\TS`S\QSa
questions as you read can

help you make an inference.
When you use clues from the
story plus your own knowledge to understand
something the author does not state directly,
you are making an inference.
Use the clues and your own knowledge to make

inferences about the characters and events in
the story. Record the clues and the inferences
you make on the Inference Diagram.
78
Read
Generate questions and make inferences.
Trip to Space
Cindy is a member of the space club. Her
friends Gene and Ginny are members, too.
The club spent all year learning about

devices that people use in space. Then they tried
to think of things people need that they do not
yet have.
The club chose to make a pack that helps

pilots and others breathe in space. The pack
would be lighter than the giant tanks people use
now. People can carry the pack while they work.
The model pack won first place in the

contest. Now the club gets to take a trip to a
Mars hub. Cindy wants to be a Mars citizen!
Fill out the Inference Diagram for “Trip to Space”

with evidence you have generated. Use the evidence
and your own prior knowledge to make an inference
about Cindy.
79
by Keisha Johnson
illustrated by Tom Leonard
Stage One: Blast Off in Space

The members of the Center City Science Club
are on their way to space! They got a free trip to
Mars for their Jet Pack 500 invention. The trip will
take months to complete.
Right now, their space ship is arriving at a space
stop called LF917. The stop at LF917 is brief. The
passengers will change to a shuttle. It will fly them
to the next space stop.
80
Cindy gave her friend Gene a shake to wake
him. “I’m still amazed that we’re going to Mars,” said
Cindy. The rocket engines shifted to slow the ship.
“Look at the LF917 center!” Gene said. “From
this view, it looks like a model.”
81
Stage Two: Hub to Deep Space
“I had fun at the LF917 stop,” said Cindy. “It was
neat that the pilots spent time with our science club.”
“The best thing was the map reading contest,”
added Gene. “We could all locate Mars on the space
map. But I was amazed that Ginny located the Hub
so quickly.”
“And right in front of us is the real Hub,” cried
Cindy. She had to remind Gene to snap his seat belt.
“I can’t wait to catch sight of our science club device
on display!”
82
Once the shuttle docked, people crossed a bridge
to the Hub’s lab. To be certain that visitors didn’t get
sick in space, they were tested.
“Right after the lab test, I’ll send a message
home,” Cindy told Gene. “I want to tell them about
this exciting trip!”
“We have to exercise at the gym, too,” replied
Gene. “In space, our muscles get less pull from
gravity. We need extra work to keep them strong.”
83
After sending her message home, Cindy played
space dodge ball with Gene. Next she went to the
shops.
There it was! The Jet Pack 500 device her club
had taken many tries to invent! It was on the back of
a spacesuit. The light Jet Pack 500 replaced the big
tanks people had once used.
The shop would open when they got closer to
Mars. “In the meantime, people can read the notice,”
thought Cindy. “It gives the names of club members,
and it tells about the prize.”
84
Now Cindy needed to be a good space citizen.
Like the rest of her club, she had to help maintain the
Hub. She had decided to work in the greenhouse. It
was time for her first daily shift.
Cindy would then spend time on her long-distance
classes. With so much to do, the months on the Hub
would pass quickly.
85
Stage Three: Mars Landing
Cindy and Gene were very excited. At last they
were landing on Mars.
“It is easy to see why Mars is called the Red
Planet. It’s all red dust and red rocks!” cried Cindy.
“It has ice caps like Earth,” stated Gene.
86
“I’d like to stay for a whole year to explore Mars,”
sighed Cindy.
“A Mars year or an Earth year?” asked Gene.
“I’d stay an Earth year. A year on Mars is twice as
long. Imagine a school year on Mars!” Cindy joked.
87
The space shuttle made a gentle landing on the
ledge of a big crater. Cindy got her Jet Pack on
before Gene and dashed out.
Cindy had to admit that the trip was grand. For
the next month, she was a guest of Mars! It truly was
the chance of a lifetime!
88
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Citizens of Space” again. Fill in the Inference
Diagram. Then use it to summarize the story.
Think About It
1. Why is the Center City 3dWRS\QS 7\TS`S\QSa
Science Club on their

way to space?
2. Why do Gene and Cindy
have to exercise at the gym?
3. How does Cindy keep busy on the Hub?
4. How will the Jet Pack 500 device make it easier
for Cindy and Gene to explore Mars? Use details
from the story to explain your answer.
Write About It
How would life on Mars be different from life
on Earth?
89
Decoding
the consonant spellings?
place races huge punch
patches fetch switch chance
lunch reach watch beaches
Vocabulary
protect prevent hurricane
calm shelter reporters
Comprehension
MAKE GENERALIZATIONS A 7[^]`bO\b
7\T]`[ObW]\ 5S\SÒZWhObW]\
generalization is a statement
made by combining facts
from the text with a reader’s
own knowledge. It can help
readers decide if information
they read applies in most, a
few, or all situations. Clue words such as none,
always, and usually can help a reader make a
generalization.
As you read, look for clue words and list the

information on a Generalizations Chart.
90
Read
Make generalizations about hurricanes and about
people living through them.
Hurricanes
Watch for changes in the weather! When the
winds cease and the birds go silent, a hurricane may
be on its way. All might seem calm, but soon wind
and rain will combine to make a damaging storm.
Hurricanes start at sea, but nothing can

prevent a hurricane from reaching land. People
must find shelter to protect them from high winds
and drenching rain. Reporters may go to beaches
when hurricanes hit. They film the scene so
people can see the danger.
After a storm passes, people make sure

families have food and clean water. They fetch
help as needed and work together to patch up
homes and other buildings.
Fill out the Generalizations Chart for

“Hurricanes.” Then look for clue
words and decide if the
generalizations are valid,
or true.
91
by Drew Swift
illustrated by Barbara M. Libby
Inches of rain drop from the sky. Rain fills homes

and highways. Wind rips at trees and homes. People
are often left homeless.
Each year, hurricanes slam into a stretch of east
coast beaches and cities. The wind is fast and races by
at a rate of 130 miles per hour.
92
This is what a
hurricane looks like But what makes it so
from space. strong? A hurricane is made up
of lesser storms that combine
to make a big storm. To take
shape, a hurricane needs heat.
Hurricane season is during
summer and fall.
Weather reporters track
storms that take shape
at sea. They do not know
which storms will switch into
hurricanes. They will watch a
distant storm and tell people
when it is a hurricane.
Then each person in a
risk zone is asked to leave the
state. This saves lives.
93
Merchants try to protect their homes and shops
before leaving them. Outside items, like bikes and
trash cans, are taken inside so they will not blow away.
Boards are nailed on each window so that the glass will
not be smashed.
After the home is finished, people must be quick
when they get set to leave. It is not safe to wait to
leave. Wind and rain can make it hard to drive when a
storm has reached land.
94
Workers put up boards to cover
windows.
When it is time to leave,

people pack up their pets. Pets
cannot protect themselves in such
a big storm. It can take days for a
storm to pass, and pets cannot be
left alone. Pets need help to stay
safe.
People must drive to safe
places. Hotels that are not close
to the storm will have many
visitors. Some people will stay
in a shelter. These hubs, or safe
places, are set up for people
to sleep in until the storm has
passed.
95
If there is not much time to leave, people
must always stay inside their homes. When the
storm hits, people and pets must stay away from
glass.
The wind can make the lights go out. It is a
fine plan to have a flashlight. A good idea is to
keep a first aid kit, food, water, and blankets on
hand.
7IND3PEEDS
MPH
#ATEGORY MPH

#ATEGORY

MPH
#ATEGORY

MPH
#ATEGORY

MPH
#ATEGORY

!GNES *UAN !LEX +ATRINA !NDREW

96
Rough waves from Hurricane Felix get close to homes on the beach.
When the storm hits, huge waves reach the beach.

Waves may rise over and drench the tops of shops and
homes. They can be 100 miles wide.
In an instant, wind and waves ram down things
in their paths. Many homes can be carried away by
flooded rivers. The wind can yank up a tree by its trunk
and drop patches of branches in many places.
97
Inches of rain can change into feet of
rain in no time at all. Beach homes catch a
lot of sea water.
As the storm reaches land, it gets
weaker. The storm can get so weak that
it stays in the same place for a long time.
When that happens, too much rain is
dumped in that place. Creeks swell until
they cannot hold all of the water. Then the
water reaches land and spills onto streets.
This is the aftermath of a hurricane in Miami, Florida.
98
After a hurricane has left, cities need help. People
who fled the storm can come home. But sometimes
homes cannot be lived in unless they are fixed. People
are glad to have help from many places.
Helpers find food and shelter for those in need.
They search for missing pets and calm them.
99
Volunteers are usually needed to help with a lot of
things. Fences need to be fixed and glass needs to be
replaced. Trees are replanted. Helpers find homes for
lost pets. Good citizens let friends stay as guests until
their homes are fixed.
There is no way to prevent a hurricane. People
can help by getting help before and after each storm
surfaces. When people work together, damaged places
can be fixed.
100
Comprehension Check
Summarize
7[^]`bO\b
Read “Hurricane Watch” again. 7\T]`[ObW]\ 5S\SÒZWhObW]\
Fill in the Generalizations Chart

as you read. Then use it to
summarize.
Think About It
1. When is hurricane season?
2. Why must people pack up their pets before a
hurricane hits?
3. What happens when a hurricane hits land? Use
details from the text in your answer.
4. Why is it important for people to both prepare
for and help after a hurricane? Use details from
the text to explain your answer.
Write About It
In your town or city, what are some ways
that people help one another every day? Explain
your answer.
101
Decoding
the spellings?
ditch foe snow cheek
groaned pillow go doe
floated roamed changed scold
Vocabulary
phase honor fetch
shepherd simple polite
Comprehension
PROBLEM AND SOLUTION >`]PZS[
Attempts that a character /bbS[^ba =cbQ][Sa
makes to solve a problem

often form the events of a
A]ZcbW]\
story’s plot. Identifying the
problem, and how the main
character solves it, can help you summarize a
story.
Use the Problem and Solution Chart to help you

find the problem, attempts made to solve it,
and the solution.
102
Read
Identify the problem and solution.
The Princess’s Goal

Joan was in a jam. Joan’s friend, the
princess, was sick of being solo at this phase in
her life. She asked Joan for help finding a man
to marry. Joan wanted to honor her friend’s wish,
but she did not know how.
One day, Joan went to fetch water at the

local well. As she loaded the bucket, Joan
met a shepherd. He noticed that Joan was upset
and asked if he could help. Joan told him the
problem.
The shepherd told Joan that,

with a kiss, a simple toad might
change into a prince. Joan
thanked the polite shepherd
and went to tell the princess.
Fill out the Problem and Solution Chart. Then use the
chart to identify the problem and solution in “The
Princess’s Goal.”
103
by Martha Fry
illustrated by Lori Osiecki
A long time ago, there lived a polite and kind

princess named Rose. When she was a child, her life
overflowed with happy times. Now she was grown
and waiting to be queen. But Rose couldn’t find love.
Each night before bed, she would have tea and
toast. Then she’d blow out the light and cry into her
pillow. So far, she had met no prince she liked.
104
Joan Tries to Help
When Rose was upset, her pal Joan felt upset, too.
But Joan had a plan to make Rose happy. “You haven’t
tried kissing a toad yet.” Joan lifted a bowl with a toad
inside.
“I don’t think so!” Rose croaked.
“Don’t you know the tale of the toad prince? A
rich prince became selfish and mean. People began to
say, ‘He is such a selfish toad!’ And he soon became a
toad!”
105
“Time passed,” Joan continued. “A kind princess
chose the toad as a pet project. She treated him well.
He slowly became a good toad. One day, the princess
kissed him lightly. The toad blinked twice and became
a prince again!”
Rose looked at Joan’s toad. Then she made a face.
“I just can’t make myself kiss a toad.”
“Rose, you must be grown-up about this,” said Joan.
“Think of your goal.”
“I’ll try,” sighed Rose. “First, go get my lip gloss. I
need an inch coating on my lips. And fetch me soap
and water.”
106
FP O
FPO
Joan brought lip gloss, soap, safety glasses, and

a clip for Rose’s nose. Rose approached the toad. He
stretched out from his glass globe and smiled.
“Okay,” thought Rose, “it’s show time.” She kissed the
toad. Rose sighed. It was still a toad. She and Joan went
to see the Queen.
The Queen said, “Don’t cry, Rose. This is just one
phase in your life. Someday you will meet the right
prince.”
107
Rose groaned, “I don’t want to wait. I must seek
my prince. I’ll travel the kingdom, looking high and
low. I’ll begin right away.”
Rose packed the most basic needs and loaded up
Patch. Before the rooster crowed the next day, Rose
hopped on Polo and left home.
108
The princess rode past local villages. For many days
and nights, she rode high up in the hills. She saw nice
sights.
A week later, she roamed into lowlands. She saw a
slow-flowing river, oak trees, and old homes.
“This seems like a nice place to rest,” she said.
109
A Kind Shepherd
Rose met a man tending sheep. He said, “Hello,
your highness. My name is Toby.
“You must be tired and hungry. Will you honor me
by eating lunch with me? I have roasted vegetables,
crisp toast, and iced tea.”
The princess didn’t think twice. “I have been on
the road a while. I am a bit hungry. You are kind,
Toby.”
Toby gave her a very big smile. They sat on a patch
of grass and ate.
110
The shepherd and the princess chatted. Toby
showed Rose the best way to herd sheep. “I like this
job. Thanks for showing it to me,” the princess said.
“You are kind, Toby,” she said for the second time. Toby
gave her a second big smile.
“My throat is a bit dry,” said Princess Rose. “Can
you lend me a cup to get stream water?”
Toby got his goatskin bag. He dunked it into the
stream and handed it to Rose. “That was kind of you,
Toby,” Rose said. Toby grinned a huge grin, and Rose
heard a big pop!
111
Toby was no longer a shepherd. He was now a
prince. He said, “Because I had been an unkind and
greedy prince, I was made to live a simple life and do
kind deeds. Once I did three kind acts in a single day,
I could be a prince again.”
“I have found a prince of a fellow!” cried Rose.
Rose led the way back home. She was thrilled to
tell Joan about the events. Soon wedding bells
rang, and Rose and Toby sat on thrones as
Queen and King of the land.
112
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “A Road To Happiness” >`]PZS[
again. Fill in the Problem and /bbS[^ba =cbQ][Sa
Solution Chart. Then use it to

A]ZcbW]\
Think About It
1. What problem did Princess Rose want to solve?
2. What was the first way that Rose tried to solve
her problem? Did it work? Explain.
3. What were the three kind things that Toby did
for Rose? What was his reaction each time Rose
thanked him?
4. How were the toad prince in Joan’s tale and
Toby the shepherd alike? Use details from the
story to support your answer.
Write About It
Think about a time when you had a simple problem
to solve. Describe the problem and the way or ways
you tried to solve it. Did you solve the problem on
your own, or did someone help you?
113
Decoding
the spellings?
town goat toast crown
outside toe ground proud
cloud plow pound brow
Vocabulary
scour result rescue
drift foundation famous
Comprehension
SEQUENCE A sequence of events is Event
the order in which things happen.
As you read, look for signal words,
such as first, next, then, and later
to help you identify the order of
events.
Use the Sequence Chart to place

the events in “How Do Dogs Help Us?” in order.
If signal words are not present, look for other
clues in the text to determine the sequence.
114
Read
Identify the sequence of events.
How Do Dogs Help Us?

Long ago, people found that dogs could
scour an area for lost people. When a dog found
someone by scent, it crouched down and howled
for help.
As a result, people began to train dogs.

Saint Bernards learned to rescue people trapped
in snow drifts. These dogs would dig holes and
use their mouths to grab victims and free them.
A foundation was begun

n to help Saint
Bernards. We should be proud
d of these famous
dogs.
Fill in the Sequence Chart for

n
“How Do Dogs Help Us?” Then
use those events to summarize
e
the story.
115
Saint Bernards
Saving Lives in the Mountains
j j
by Josephine Nolan
j j
An old path runs through Alpine hills, high up in
the clouds. It twists between trees and stones. This
is the path that leads to Saint Bernard’s Abbey. The
Abbey, founded in 980 A.D., is still home to dogs that
save lives.
116
Found
For hundreds of years, people have needed this
path to get to the next town. But storms happen all
year in the Alps. When they hit, the path becomes
slick and not safe to pass.
At times, big sheets of snow make it hard to see
the ground. Many people have strayed off the path or
were trapped in a drift after an avalanche. If they got
hurt, they had to wait helplessly to be located.
The Alps Mountains

stretch across seven
countries.
117
j
j
j jj
Saint Bernards have a keen sense of smell that helps them

find people.
But they didn’t have to wait long. There was hope.

Monks and their dogs made a home on that hill. It was
their job to help. After each storm, they’d go out to
find missing people. Starting in 1660, these dogs have
bravely tracked down lost people to rescue.
What makes them so good at tracking? These dogs,
mostly red, brown, and white, have wide chests that
act like plows. Their wide paws act like snow shoes,
keeping them on top of the drifts. The fat below their
skin and their thick fur trap in heat and let them stay
out in cold air.
118
j
How did they do it? Monks trained the dogs to work
in teams. First, one dog picked up the scent of someone
j
in trouble. Then that dog calmly sat close by to keep
the person warm. The other dog quickly ran to the
Abbey to alert the monks.
Today, Saint Bernard dogs still use their noses to
find lost people. The dogs’ fame has reached countless
places.
Monks trained Saint Bernards to sit beside trapped people.

The heat from the dogs would warm the people until the
monks came.
119
j Barry: A Top Dog jj
Barry is the most famous Saint Bernard. He lived
with the monks about 200 years ago. Barry showed
honor and skill as a rescue dog.
Barry had fine hearing. He could detect the sound
of a person’s breathing deep within a snow drift. Many
people were saved as a result.
Dogs never
carried anything
around their
necks in rescue
work. They pose
with the barrel for
tourists.
120
Saint Bernard dogs can carry and pull heavy
j
things—even people!
One time, Barry went out after an avalanche.

Ice and snow slid down the hillside. It fell
everywhere, making everything slippery. A moment
later, Barry sprinted off to a spot and began to dig.
Barry found a boy inside a big drift. The boy was
chilled to the bone, but he was alive. Barry had fetched
him just in time!
121
j
j
Some tales say that
Barry carried that boy on
his back. Others say that
he gripped the boy in his
mouth and dragged him to
safety. No matter how he
did it, Barry had saved a
child’s life. In his lifetime,
Barry saved 40 lives.
People who were
helped in the hills by the
monks and Saint Bernards
were thankful.
Barry was such a well-known

Saint Bernard that the breed
is sometimes called the “Barry
Hound.”
122
j
Now, a road runs down and around the hills where
the Saint Bernards lived. People can drive safely and
haven’t needed the dogs as much.
In recent times, the monks could not pay to keep
the dogs. They asked nearby towns to help out. People
gratefully gave money as a way to thank the dogs. “The
Barry Foundation” raised the funds needed so that the
monks could keep the dogs!
The hills. A snowstorm made it hard to see the

ground below Many people strayed off the.
Saint Bernards can cost more
than $1,000 because of the
high demand for the breed.
j
j
123
j
The dogs still scour the hills for people in trouble.
Beyond the hills, the Saint Bernards’ fame has grown.
They have been watched in films and on TV. Saint
Bernards are now in high demand as pets around the
globe.
Thanks to the Saint Bernards, thousands of lives
have been saved on those Alpine slopes. There is no
doubt about the impact these heroes have had.
Each year, people visit the Alps and see the

Saint Bernards.
j
124
j
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Saint Bernards: Saving Lives
Event
in the Mountains” again. Fill in the
Sequence Chart as you read. Use it
to summarize the selection.
Think About It
1. What makes Saint Bernards especially well-suited
to working in the snow? Use information from
the selection in your answer.
2. When rescuing someone in trouble, what
sequence of steps did a team of two dogs
perform?
3. Why was the dog named Barry so famous? Use
details from the selection to explain your
answer.
4. Which of the Saint Bernards’ traits do you think
makes them such popular pets?
Write About It
Why is traveling in a snowstorm so dangerous?
Describe several things that people can do to
lessen the risks of traveling in winter.
125
Decoding
the spellings?
smooth true proof flew
loose balloon outline grew
ground blooming brown shampoo
Vocabulary
provide recognized activity
approached details bestow
Comprehension
PLOT, CHARACTER, SETTING Character Setting Plot
The structure of a story is

made up of plot, character,
and setting. The setting is
where and when the story
takes place. The characters
are the people or animals in the story. The plot
is the series of events that occur, including the
problem and the steps characters take to solve it.
As you read, you can use a chart to help you keep

track of the people, places, and events in a story.
126
Read
Identify the plot, characters, and setting.
Cloud Chaser’s Trip

Moon Shadow and Cloud Chaser were best
friends in a small village. The village provided
them with a school, plenty of food, and
everything they needed. Moon Shadow and Cloud
Chaser played until noon and told tales beneath
the moonlight.
But one day, Cloud Chaser recognized

that he did the same activity each night. So he
decided to leave the village to boost his mood.
He approached Moon Shadow and told her the
details of the trip he had planned. Cloud Chaser
told Moon Shadow he would be home soon and
would bestow a gift upon her. He scooted down
the path and left the village.
Fill out the Character, Setting, and Plot Chart for

“Cloud Chaser’s Trip.”
127
A Gift for
Moon Shadow
written by Richard Cole
illustrated by Dorothy Sullivan
The Big Trip
A Native American
tale tells of an old
wedding custom. The tale
is about a woman named
Moon Shadow.
Moon Shadow lived
in a quiet village. She
spent each day with her
friend Cloud Chaser. They
played games and went
on hikes. Cloud Chaser
told nice tales, and Moon
Shadow liked to listen.
128
When Moon Shadow and Cloud Chaser grew
up, they chose to be married. In their village, a man
brings a woman a gift before their wedding. The gift
shows the richness of his love.
“I will leave tomorrow and fetch a gift for you.”
the groom-to-be told Moon Shadow. He planned to
bestow her with the sun as a gift.
Cloud Chaser hoped that
the sun in the blue sky would
be proof of his love.
Moon Shadow would
like its warm glow
and bright light.
129
“I will wait at the end of the road and watch for
you,” she said. “I know you will find what you are
seeking.” She waved to Cloud Chaser as he walked
away from the village. Moon Shadow hoped that
Cloud Chaser would be home soon.
Cloud Chaser’s mood picked up. He thought about
how glad Moon Shadow would be when he gave her
the sun. “It will warm her skin when she is cool. It will
provide light and keep her happy. She will value it.”
130
Moon Shadow kept her promise. She
watched the road each day until the moonlight
replaced the sunlight in the sky.
Days flew by and became years and Cloud
Chaser did not return. But Moon Shadow did not
give up hope that her groom would make it back
home safely. Her love for Cloud Chaser grew.
Villagers gave Moon
Shadow a coat when it got
cool. They gave her food and
tried to take her away from
the road. But Moon Shadow
wanted to be there when
Cloud Chaser came home.
131
Meanwhile Cloud Chaser scoured many lands for a
way to reach the sun. Nothing stopped him from his
goal. He thought about home and Moon Shadow each
day. But he could not go back until he had a nice gift
for his bride.
Like Moon Shadow,
Cloud Chaser was growing
old. But he did not stop.
The sun was proof of
his feelings. Often
when he reached
villages, he asked
elders for advice.
People were kind,
but no one could
help. They did not
have the tools to
catch the sun.
132
The Approach Home
Cloud Chaser went to many villages. One day he

drifted onto a road that led to a small village. Hoping
for a chance to rest, he approached a woman at a
bend in the road.
Cloud Chaser soon realized who the woman was.
Moon Shadow was watching the sun set and waiting
for him, as she had for many years.
Cloud Chaser had not, at first, recognized his old
love or the village. He was too old to run to Moon
Shadow. They walked toward each other.
133
Moon Shadow and Cloud Chaser had many tales
to tell each other. They watched the sun set as they
talked.
“I wanted to bring you the sun,” Cloud Chaser
told her. “I was hunting for a way to get to it so I
could bring it back for you. No one knew how to
help.”
But Moon Shadow
was not upset. Cloud
Chaser was back and
would not choose to
leave again. She was
glad that he was
home at last.
134
The villagers were glad to see Cloud Chaser too.
A crowd gathered around him and asked for details
about his trip. He told exciting tales and quickly
became a favorite storyteller.
Each night people met around a campfire to hear
Cloud Chaser’s tales. He told them about the people,
animals, and blooming plants he had seen. He told
of foods and a way of life that his people had never
imagined.
135
Moon Shadow liked to hear Cloud Chaser’s tales.
His tales made her think of when they were kids.
“Your trip did result in a wonderful gift,” she told
Cloud Chaser one day. “Listening to your tales is my
favorite activity. I will make a book of them. It will be
a perfect wedding gift.”
Cloud Chaser had found a gift! His tales melted
Moon Shadow’s heart. Cloud Chaser and Moon
Shadow were so happy to be with each other.
They chose to be married
that same day.
136
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “A Gift for Moon Character Setting Plot
Shadow” again. Fill in your

Character, Setting, and
Plot Chart. Then use it to
Think About It
1. Where do Cloud Chaser and Moon Shadow live?
2. What kind of gift does Cloud Chaser want to
bestow on Moon Shadow?
3. Why does Cloud Chaser not recognize Moon
Shadow when he drifts back to his village many
years later? Use details from the story in your
answer.
4. Why are Cloud Chaser’s tales a perfect gift for
Moon Shadow? Use details from the story to
support your answer.
Write About It
Do you think Cloud Chaser set a good goal in
trying to take the sun? Explain your answer.
137
Decoding
the spellings?
dark beware marks chair
where books harmed took
school good starlight wear
Vocabulary
several active target
perform research curiosity
Comprehension
DRAW CONCLUSIONS To EVOb7 BSfb
9\]e 3dWRS\QS 1]\QZcaW]\a
draw a conclusion you
think about two or more
pieces of information the
author gives you. Then
you use this information,
along with your own knowledge, to come to a
new understanding about characters or events.
A Conclusions Chart helps you organize evidence

from the text and what you know. This can help
you draw conclusions and keep track of them.
138
Read
Make conclusions about the passage.
Taking Charge
Marcy falls asleep in class several times each
day. She does not know why. Marcy’s teacher has
started to send her to the nurse’s office because
she cannot stay awake and active. Marcy tells her
teacher she does not mean to fall asleep.
Marcy falls asleep so much that the nurse

told Marcy to start keeping track of what she
does during the day. “This is a curiosity,” said the
nurse, “if you get enough sleep at night.” Marcy’s
target is to find a way to stay awake during class.
Marcy marks down everything that she does to
try to research why she cannot stay awake and
perform well in class.
Make a Conclusions Chart for each paragraph.

Then use the chart to draw conclusions for
“Taking Charge.”
139
by Chad Langston
illustrated by Whitney Sherman
From Starlight to Daylight

While she dozed, Marcy dreamed she was making
dinner for the President of the United States. She was
going to the market. A car stopped next to her front
yard to pick her up. She could not believe this was
happening!
Marcy’s long black car stopped in front of the
White House. She opened the door and stepped
out of the car.
“Marcy, wake up!” said her friend Carlos.
“What?” Marcy asked. A moment later she
was startled by her teacher’s hand on her
shoulder. She had been sleeping
in class again.
140
Marcy lifted her head off the desk.
“For Friday’s class I want you to research a topic
that will interest you,” the teacher explained. “Then
you will write a two-page paper explaining what
you learned.”
But Marcy hardly heard Mrs. Ricardo. She was
almost snoozing again.
“Marcy, please go see the nurse,” said Mrs. Ricardo.
“It seems as though something is not right.”
Marcy had been to the nurse’s office twice this
week. But she got up and left the room anyway.
141
“Hello again!” Ms. Garza said. “Still not
feeling well?”
“I am just so tired in the daytime,” Marcy
explained. “I did not sleep a wink last night.
My goal was to get a good start today. But I just
could not fall asleep. I have been sleepy all day.”
Marcy yawned. She felt her arms and legs
weaken. She really needed a nap soon.
142
“Well, why don’t you lie down for a while?”
said the nurse.
Marcy lay down on the couch on the far side
of the office. She did not know why she could only
sleep in the middle of the day.
Marcy could see the image of Mrs. Ricardo
in her mind. She would be upset with her if she
kept falling asleep in class. She did want to be
happier and get high marks on her report card.
She drifted off and slept past lunch.
143
Making Hard Changes
After school, Marcy ate snacks. She had
chips, several candy bars, marshmallows, and a
soda. She watched TV and then napped before
dinner.
At the table she did not eat any salad, and
she only drank sips of milk.
“Why aren’t you eating your food?” her mom
asked.
“I’m not starving today,” Marcy explained as
she got up from the table.
144
Marcy’s curiosity was growing. She wondered why
she felt sleepy all day but could not sleep at night. She
wanted to learn how to stay awake during the day.
That was what she could research.
After dinner, Marcy’s mom drove her to the library.
Marcy picked out books about sleep. The books gave
her a lot of details about what she was not doing
right. She read about the topic late into the night.
145
Marcy read about smarter ways to get to sleep.
She found proof that eating candy or large meals close
to bedtime were bad habits. If she was active during
the day, then her body would not want to be active at
night. And she should sleep in a dark room without TV.
Marcy hoped to make these goals a regular part of
her activities. Then it would not be hard to fall asleep
at night. She would not need naps. This would help
her stay awake and perform well in school.
146
Marcy lay awake in bed. She now recognized that
she had not made the smartest choices. She had
taken naps. She rode to the library when she could
have walked. She ate candy as a snack and then did
not eat meals.
As Marcy tossed and turned, she tried to think
about her target. She could start with a smart
breakfast, like oatmeal, and exercise during the day.
She could eat fruit as a snack and then eat all of her
meals. She would not need naps!
147
It was hard, but Marcy followed her new rules
for several days. She began to feel much better.
She could remember what she studied. Marcy was
the happiest she had been in weeks!
Marcy wrote about what she had learned. She
listed everything she knew about getting a full
night’s sleep. Marcy got a high grade on the paper.
And she slept well that night.
e ll
in gW
l eep
oS
r et t
Sec
The
148
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “A Smart Start” EVOb7 BSfb
9\]e 3dWRS\QS 1]\QZcaW]\a
again. Fill in your
Conclusions Chart.
Then use it to summarize
the story.
Think About It
1. Why does Mrs. Ricardo send Marcy to see the
school nurse?
2. What does Marcy eat when she gets home from
school?
3. What does Marcy learn from the books about
sleep that she gets from the library? Use details
from the story in your answer.
4. What new rules did Marcy make for herself?
How did these new rules help her? Use details
from the story to support your answer.
Write About It
Why should people care about their health?
Use details from the story in your answer.
149
Decoding
the spellings?
dirt curb firm pear
hair worm turbines lizard
mayor energy larger cellar
Vocabulary
energy sources renewable
environment pollute oxygen
Comprehension
CAUSE AND EFFECT Cause-and- 1OcaS 3TTSQb
effect relationships help readers
understand how one event or
action leads to another. A cause
makes something happen. An
effect is what happens as a result
of an event or action.
As you read “Seeking Energy,” use the Cause

and Effect Chart to record important actions
and the effects they cause.
150
Read
Identify the cause and effect.
Seeking Energ y
We are running out of energy. People need
oil to run their cars, but the oil will not last. And
people all over the globe are burning more fuels
than ever before to make electric power. When
coal and oil are burned, they pollute the air. So
we need to find new and better ways to generate
electric power.
Renewable energy sources are better for the

environment. These sources include wind, water,
and the sun. Using these doesn’t hurt the ozone
layer, and it won’t deplete our oxygen supply. The
growing need for electric power means we must
seek cleaner and longer-lasting sources of energy
in the future.
Use the Cause and Effect Chart to

help you identify causes and effects
in the article.
151
by Patrick McCarry
What do you know about the energy that keeps

our homes bright and cozy? We get energy from many
places. Let’s take a look at energy.
Fossil fuels are common energy sources. They are
made of plants and animals from millions of years ago.
After these plants and animals died, dirt covered them
in swamps, and their remains decomposed. Then the
land heated and pressure was added. As a result, coal,
natural gas, and oil were formed.
152
Cooling towers at a power plant.
Fossil fuels are found in different parts of the

globe. People drill and dig deep into the Earth’s crust
to get fossil fuels. When the fuels are burned at power
plants, electricity is made for homes. This is the most
common method Americans use to get power.
But power plants make the air unclean because
fossil fuels release harmful gases when they are
burned. As a result, these gases pollute the air, making
it harmful to breathe.
153
Effects of Fossil Fuels
These harmful gases can make the ozone layer thin.
This layer of oxygen atoms surrounds the Earth and
protects us from the sun’s unsafe rays. Harming the
ozone layer places humans at risk because it can make
people sick.
Oil can harm the environment, too. Gas that runs
cars is made from oil. It can spill when people fill their
cars’ tanks, and the spilled gas may find its way into
lakes and streams. Gas is harmful to us when it seeps
into the ground and pollutes our water supplies.
In Los Angeles, a mixture of pollutants called smog can lead to

lung, heart, and other health problems.
154
Leaking tankers and broken offshore oil rigs spill tons of oil,
harming fish, birds, and many other animals.
Oil is not found in every place where it is needed.

It must be shipped to cities that do not have enough.
Each year, tankers spill oil into the ocean and lakes. As
a result, oil kills fish, birds, and plants.
Some people are trying to help protect the water
and save the ozone layer. Decreasing the use of fossil
fuels helps. At this time, fossil fuels seem plentiful,
but they are not. If we use fewer fossil fuels, we also
protect the Earth.
155
A Better Way
Fossil fuels will run out soon. If we keep using them
at the same rate, we may run out in fifty years or less.
Renewable energy is energy that comes from
sources that don’t run out. It is not used widely now,
but it will be in the future. Sunlight, wind, and water are
types of renewable energy sources. These can be less
reliable than fossil fuels, but they are cleaner to use.
Turbines generate energy from wind.
Cars waste gasoline during a traffic jam.
156
Wind can be used to make energy. Wind turns the
huge blades on a turbine to make electricity. A turbine
can be described as a large fan. If wind from a fan can
push light things off a table, then just think how much
power a turbine would have.
There is a problem with this method, though. The
amount of wind varies each day. As a result, the same
amount of energy is not always made. Scientists are
studying better ways to gather the greatest amount of
wind energy.
INSIDE IS A WIND TURBINE
Some wind turbines have

The rotor brakes that slow down the
has blades spinning if the wind is too strong.
attached to
the shaft. Gears make the
shaft spin faster.
A generator produces
electric power.
157
Water is one of the first energy sources that people
used. With dams on rivers, people control how much
water energy is gathered. Water moves fast in a big river,
but a dam blocks the flow. As a result, dams can use the
rushing water to spin turbines that generate electricity.
Water power is used to light homes and keep
things running in a number of cities. However, this
source of power cannot be used by people who do not
live close to a major river.
The Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River is the largest
concrete structure in the United States.
158
Solar cells provide power for this low-energy house.
Light from the sun can also be a source of energy

for us. You may have seen big flat panels on the roof
of a building. These are solar panels. A solar panel
gathers and saves light from the sun. Then its cells
provide electricity.
But this method does not always work well as
a way to get power, because clouds can block out
light. As a result, there may not be enough power for
all users. Panels must be very big to gather enough
energy for everyone.
159
Workers test an oil rig.
Energy use is key to people’s daily lives. As fossil

fuels run out, we need to find a way to use wind, water,
and sunlight for power. Earth will not run out of these
energy sources.
Scientists recognize that making renewable energy
must cost less so that more people can use it in the
future. Scientists are also trying to find ways to help
these sources get used everywhere. For now, limiting
our use of power as much as possible is a good goal.
160
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “A Need for Energy” again. Fill 1OcaS 3TTSQb
in the Cause and Effect Chart. Then
use it to summarize the selection.
Think About It
1. Where are fossil fuels found? How
are they gathered by people?
2. What is the biggest advantage of using
renewable sources of energy? What is the
biggest drawback?
3. How are wind and water similar as sources of
energy? Use details from the article in your
answer.
4. Why is it important both to reduce our use of
fossil fuels and to use more renewable sources?
Use details from the article to support your
answer.
Write About It
What steps can people take to use less energy?
Tell why each is important.
161
Decoding
the spellings?
more turn horn roar
shirt porch pepper tore
fork score board restore
Vocabulary
history filters surrounded
occur prolong support
Comprehension
SUMMARIZE A summary is a short
statement that tells what an article
is about. When you summarize, you
retell the most important parts of
a selection in your own words. Ac[[O`g
A Summary Chart can help you

identify key information in the
selection. Use the chart as you read “Records of
a Forgotten Past.”
162
Read
Identify the most important ideas. Then use them to
write a summary.
Records of a Forgotten Past

Archaeology is the study of objects from
history. These objects are records of a distant time.
Archaeologists travel in search of historic

sites. They may explore caves or dig in the
ground. As they work, they may find that they are
surrounded by objects of high value.
At a site where people once lived, scientists

sift with a screen that filters out dirt to find forks,
clothes, tools, bones, and more. But unforeseen
problems can occur to prolong a dig.
Archaeologists also record what they find.

This can be a difficult and costly job. Support
comes from many sources to fund a dig.
Use the Summary Chart to summarize

“Records of a Forgotten Past.”
163
Digging
Up History
by Janine Murphy
Looking for Clues

Scientists can do their jobs in labs
or sometimes at home. But one type of scientist works
outside at dig sites, looking for the remains of history.
He or she studies artifacts to know more about the
past. This type of scientist is called an archaeologist.
An archaeologist looks for bones, artworks, and
everyday objects from days of long ago. The job is
hard, but it is exciting. At times, a team at a dig site
discovers things it did not expect.
164
Before digging, the archaeologists in charge must
explain their plans. They submit a report outlining
what they intend to look for. It is then up to the local
government to decide if the land can be dug up or
not. Archaeologists may also need the support of
the people living nearby. When the plan is approved,
archaeologists do not delay, and the digging starts.
Digs take place around the globe. Archaeologists
might be away from home for a long time. Bad weather
or complicated sites can prolong a dig.
An archaeological dig site at the Forum in Rome, Italy.
165
Archaeologists collect artifacts at the Forum in Rome, Italy.
Scientists use a number of different tools. They use

shovels to dig in the ground and take dirt away from
the objects. Next they use brushes to loosen dirt gently
from items.
Then archaeologists pile dirt on a screen with small
holes. Shaking the screen filters out any fine dirt. What
remains are small objects that were formerly invisible.
After an item is found, scientists try to figure out
what it is, who made it, and how it was used.
166
The archaeologists take photographs of each
object. If an object is broken, they place the parts
in order. Then a map of the dig site is made to show
where each object was found.
Linking items that were found close together helps
the scientists figure out more about their origins. If a
plate, spoon, and jug were found close by each other,
then the scientists can surmise that the spot was once
a kitchen. Each object helps them decode more about
a place or a time in history.
A worker frees a soapstone vessel at a dig site in Newfoundland,

Canada.
167
A Town Full of Finds
Many digs occur in the United
States. One place where scientists
have made many remarkable finds is
Jamestown, Virginia. Jamestown was
the first town in what later became the
United States. It was started in 1607,
years before the United States was a
country.
The digging at Jamestown has
been slow, but many objects have been
found. Scientists take their time so
they do not miss anything. The dig has
helped scientists find out many facts
about the people who lived in this
place.
Jamestown has been reconstructed to look like

it did back in colonial times.
168
Hundreds of finds have
been made at Jamestown.
Archaeologists have found the
remains of old houses, a well, and
even the first Jamestown church.
The church burned down in
1608, shortly after it was built.
It was rebuilt and renewed many
times in the past 400 years. In
1906, the church that still stands
today was made. Archaeologists
know that it looks a lot like the first
church because of their findings.
This church is at the Colonial National

Historic Park in Jamestown.
169
A handmade domino, checkers, and a playing card
were found at a dig site in Jamestown.
In early Jamestown, it was not just fires that put

buildings and people at risk. At times there was not
much food to eat. During winters, people struggled to
stay warm. Illness was a problem, too. People drank
from a bad water source that surrounded the town.
The water made them sick, but they did not know how
to cure this sickness.
Life was hard, but Jamestown’s people had fun,
too. Scientists have found dice, whistles, and other toys
and games.
170
Over the years, many other objects have been
found, including coins, glass beads, rings, pots, jugs,
tools, and more. These collectibles are displayed in
museums around the globe.
You can visit Jamestown today and see restored
parts of town. Jamestown looks much like it did in the
1600s. There are even people that work in the town
using old-style tools. There are blacksmiths, quilters,
and carpenters. These people help keep the history of
Jamestown alive.
Archaeologists found helmets, bowls, and other artifacts at dig

sites in Jamestown.
171
Archaeologists work at a dig site in England.
Today, archaeologists are still making new

discoveries. From their findings, they hope to learn
more about people from past times. They know that
many startling finds are yet to be made.
With each new find, scientists bring history to life.
But even more than that, the finds inform people about
the past. They also give scientists the will and the
energy to keep digging in the dirt for hidden history.
People all over the globe can learn from those who
came before us.
172
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Digging Up History” again. Fill
in the Summary Chart as you read.
Then use it to summarize parts of
the selection.
Ac[[O`g
Think About It
1. What are some of the tools
archaeologists use in their work?
2. What steps does an archaeologist take after an
object is found?
3. Summarize the process archaeologists must use
to get permission to dig at a site. Use details
from the article in your answer.
4. Why do you think Jamestown is such an
interesting dig site for archaeologists? Use
details from the article to support your answer.
Write About It
What kind of archaeological dig would you be
interested to take part in? Where would it be?
What would you look for?
173
Decoding
the spellings?
store comb know wrote
knock sign wrap more
limb knot forget gnaw
Vocabulary
character imagination memorize
audience relax doubts
Comprehension
DRAW CONCLUSIONS To BSfb1ZcSa 1]\QZcaW]\
draw a conclusion about a
character or event in a play,
combine information provided
by the author with your own
knowledge to arrive at a new
understanding about that
character or event.
To help you organize clues from the text, use

a Conclusions Chart as you read “Do You Know
Your Lines?”
174
Read
Identify text clues and make conclusions.
Do You Know Your Lines?

The students have practiced their lines. They
wrote the play on their own. They created each
character and designed all the costumes. This
class play took a lot of imagination.
It can be hard to memorize lines. The kids

feared they might get a line wrong. But now the
kids know their lines pretty well.
Soon, the audience will gather in the hall.

This is not the time to relax. The students hurry to
get into the costumes. They help each other get
ready. It will be an exciting night. There are no
doubts about that!
Fill in the Conclusions Chart

for “Do You Know Your Lines?”
Then use the chart to draw
conclusions.
175
by Josephine Sholski
illustrated by Jack E. Davis
Cast
Teacher Wright Nick
Patty Classmates
Act 1: Don’t Forget the Lines

[Setting: Sixth grade classroom. Students are rehearsing for
the class play.]
Teacher: Class, put down your knapsacks. Everyone

needs to pick out his or her props and costumes.
Wright: Nick, did you memorize your lines?
Nick: Yes, but I didn’t know memorizing

them would be so hard.
[picks up a vest] Picking out a

costume is much more fun!
Wright: That vest is

wrinkled, Nick! But it may
still be usable. Will you
wear the vest
on stage?
176
Nick: I think I will. This will be fun. I am excited to
be in a play that you wrote.
Teacher: [walking over to them] Remember, it is hard,

Nick. There are many lines to memorize.
Patty: [pouting] I want to be the main character! That

part was written for me. Nick doesn’t understand this
part. He will wreck the play.
Teacher: You have a good role too, Patty. And Nick

will practice his role and his lines. He will get it.
Right, Nick?
Nick: Of course I will!
177
[Setting: On the stage, the next day during class.
Students are practicing for the play.]
Nick: Um, um....
Patty: Nick, didn’t you study your lines? I practiced

last night, and I know mine. I know why my character
acts this way, too. It helps me. That’s why I know
my lines.
Nick: I practiced my lines last night, too! I don’t

know why I can’t remember them.
Teacher: It’s okay, Nick. Start from the

beginning and try again.
178
Nick: But, but, but.... I can’t stop shaking! My
hands are numb. My belly is gnarled like it is tied
up in knots. And I forgot my lines.
Teacher: Don’t strain yourself. Why don’t we try

another scene for now?
Patty: You really need to study your lines, Nick.

If you write them down first, it will help your
problem.
Nick: I did write them down. I practiced them in

the mirror. Wright even helped me last night. I
don’t know how studying more would help.
179
[Setting: On a sidewalk. Nick is walking home from school.]
Nick: [to himself] I know my lines. Wright has spent

time explaining why my character talks and acts the
way he does. I need to relax on stage. That is the best
way to remember my lines. And maybe a little luck.
[He sees a dollar blowing in the wind.]
What is that? Is that a dollar? [He jumps up.]

Got it! This is a lucky sign! Maybe my bad luck is
reversible! I will keep it in my pocket during the play.
Maybe it will keep me from getting nervous.
[Nick continues on his way home.]
180
Act 2: The Finished Play
[Later that night at Nick’s house. Nick falls asleep
on the couch and starts to dream. His classmates
surround him, as if on the stage at school.]
Patty: Why didn’t you study your lines,

Nick? I thought you said that you had.
Classmates: [teasing and laughing] Nick doesn’t

know his lines. He should resign.
Teacher: When you perform, you won’t

say a wrong line, will you? Or shall we pick
someone else to say the lines?
Nick: But I did study! Wright helped me.

Didn’t you?
Wright: No, I didn’t. What are you talking

about, Nick? You haven’t studied at all.
181
Nick: I studied the lines, but I can’t
remember them on stage. I don’t want to
wreck the play. I quit.
Teacher: Fine, we will assign someone else

to play the role.
[The students and teacher wander off the stage,

talking. Then Nick wakes up.]
Nick: [relieved] It didn’t really happen! That

scene was in my imagination! I am still in
the play.
182
[The next day, on the school stage. It is the last act of the
real play.]
Patty: [saying her character’s line] “What do you think?

Do you think we should plant a tree?”
Nick: Um, um...
Patty: [annoyed] “What do you think?”
Nick: Um... “Yes, I think so.”
Patty: [whispering to Nick] I knew this would occur.

That was the wrong line! Don’t wreck the show.
Wright: [offstage, whispering to Nick] Relax! I

will support you.
Nick: [feels his lucky dollar, saying to himself]

I must stay calm to remember this line.
183
Nick: [with confidence] “Of course. We should plant a
pine tree in her memory.”
Patty: [smiles] “Let’s do it now.”
Nick: “Nice idea.”
[Lights fade. Audience claps. Lights come back up, and Patty
and Nick bow on stage.]
Patty: [walking off stage] Good job, Nick. I had doubts

that you knew your lines! But you did a great job.
Nick: You too, Patty. I can’t wait to knock their socks

off in next year’s play!
THE END
184
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “The Show Must Go On” BSfb1ZcSa 1]\QZcaW]\
again. Fill in the Conclusions

Chart. Then use it to summarize
the play.
Think About It
1. How does Patty make sure she knows her lines?
2. During rehearsal, why does Nick say his belly
feels like it is tied in knots?
3. What method does Nick use to help himself
relax and remember his lines? Use details from
the play in your answer.
4. What conclusion can you draw from what
happens in Nick’s dream? Use details from the
play to support your answer.
Write About It
What other kinds of activities make people
nervous? How might they help themselves
prepare ahead of time?
185
Decoding
the spellings?
choice write enjoy lamb
knight destroy poise point
join voice spoil employ
Vocabulary
released avoid jeers
loyal retired poised
Comprehension
AUTHOR’S PURPOSE Authors /cbV]`¸a
1ZcSa >c`^]aS
write for three basic reasons: to
inform, persuade, or entertain.
To inform, writers present
information about a topic. To
persuade, they try to convince
readers of their opinions. To
entertain, they create a story for enjoyment.
As you read “Team Sports,” use the Author’s

Purpose Chart to record important clues that
can help you identify the author’s purpose.
186
Read
Identify the author’s purpose.
Team Sports
Some people avoid team sports at school.
They are afraid to play in front of an audience of
fellow students and their parents. But who cares
if you sometimes receive jeers from the stands?
The stress you may feel from schoolwork can be
released by playing sports, and you will improve
your skills as you continue to play. At the same
time, you can meet people who have the same
hobby as you. They could turn out to be very
loyal friends.
Players who have retired sometimes visit our

baseball team at school. They are often relaxed
and poised speakers who enjoy giving their point
of view. Some of them offer a sports tip to the
team that can help turn jeers into cheers!
Use the Author’s Purpose Chart for “Team Sports” to

record clues that will help you identify the author’s
purpose.
187
AC K I E RO B I N S O N
J and the
Joy of Baseball
by Tina Freeman
Baseball is one of America’s best-liked sports.

People enjoy being a part of the crowd. The noise of
a bat smacking a ball on contact makes the crowd go
wild. Each team has loyal fans that root for them to
win. A trip to the ballpark can be a joyful event!
Great players have made the sport enjoyable.
Jackie Robinson was one of those players. He was
a great leader and ball player. His move into major
league baseball was a choice that changed baseball
forever.
188
Jackie as a Boy
Jackie was born in Georgia in 1919. At that time,
black people and white people had to live apart. They
had to go to different schools, diners, and restrooms.
Jackie’s mom tried to find a way to avoid problems
connected to segregation. Her family was treated
poorly because they were African American. They did
not enjoy life in Georgia, so Jackie’s mom moved her
family to the west coast.
A man drinks at a segregated drinking fountain.
189
Jackie and his family went to California. His mom
found a good job and made more money.
But life was still hard. Jackie’s family was the first
black family on his block. Some people were mean
to them because they were different. It was hard for
Jackie to avoid his neighbors. But Jackie had faith in
himself, and he stayed poised. He smiled and helped
others. He tried to avoid fights. Jackie did not let
anyone spoil his happiness.
Jackie worked hard in his classes and joined sports
teams at school. He enjoyed soccer, golf, and baseball.
He played hard during each game. He was a tough boy
who liked to compete!
When he finished high school, Jackie went to
college. He joined more sports teams. He got awards
in baseball, football, basketball, and track. He even set
records at the college. But Jackie did not finish college
because World War II began.
190
Long jumper Jackie Robinson leaps through the air at a college
track meet in 1940.
Jackie Robinson playing football for UCLA in 1939.
191
Jackie Robinson is shown in his military uniform in 1945.
Jackie joined the Army in 1942. It was not an easy

time for him. He did not like it when people treated
him with little compassion. Just like on a city bus, black
people were not allowed to sit in the front of the Army
bus. He felt the rule was wrong and unfair.
One day, Jackie became angry and decided to
speak up for himself. He made a choice to take a seat
in the front of a bus.
Jackie was released from the Army because of this
action. He returned home and went back to playing sports.
192
A Great Experiment
In 1945, white players and black players did not
join the same leagues. So Jackie joined an African
American baseball team. Even the audiences were still
segregated. White fans watched white teams. Black
fans watched black teams.
The year 1946 was historic for baseball. Jackie was
the first black man to join a white team. He joined the
Brooklyn Dodgers.
He knew he would sometimes receive jeers and that
fans might yell at him. His mom had told him to stand
up for what was right. He knew it was right for African
Americans to be in major league baseball.
Jackie Robinson packs his baseball gear in the Dodger locker room
at Ebbets Field.
193
Jackie Robinson reaches home plate in 1947.
Jackie was an amazing baseball player. He hit the

ball hard and ran bases fast.
Still some fans and players did not want African
Americans in the major leagues. Fans made their point
by throwing things onto the field. Some of Jackie’s
teammates did not accept him at first either.
No matter what happened, Jackie did not let other
people spoil his games. He stayed strong and did not
react to the bad things that happened to him. He held
his temper. Jackie knew that he was a role model and
wanted to set a good example.
194
>ViÊ,LÃ½ÃÊ
>ÀiiÀÊ
ÜÌÊÌiÊ ÀÞÊ`}iÀÃ
GSO` 5O[Sa 6@ /D5
'"% # '%
'"& "% '$
'"' #$ $ !"
'# "" " ! &
'# #! ' !!&
'# "' ' !&
'#! !$ ! '
'#" " # !
'## # & #$
'#$ % %#
Jackie was an excellent player in his first season.

He won the Rookie of the Year award. Soon his
involvement in baseball led to a huge change. Over
time, Jackie’s teammates and fans began to support
him. People liked to see his exciting style of play.
Jackie played second base for the Dodgers for ten
years. During these years, many teams added African
Americans to their rosters. Jackie voiced his support
for teams with African American players. But it was
a slow process. He was retired for three years before
every team had African American players.
195
Jackie Robinson speaks at a 1966 rally in Albany, New York.
Jackie stopped playing baseball in 1956. He was

voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He stayed
loyal to his cause for African American rights. He
helped black men become employed as base coaches
and managers for the first time in the major leagues.
Jackie became famous because of his character
on the baseball field. He helped blacks and whites
come together to play. The result of Jackie Robinson’s
voice is still with us. People will always think about
the honorable way that he stood up for the rights of
African Americans.
196
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Jackie Robinson and /cbV]`¸a
1ZcSa >c`^]aS
the Joy of Baseball” again. Fill in
the Author’s Purpose Chart. Then
use it to summarize the article.
Think About It
1. Why did Jackie Robinson’s
mother move her family to the west coast?
2. Why was Jackie released from the Army after he
joined in 1942?
3. How did Jackie’s involvement in baseball lead to
a huge change in the sport? Use details from
4. What was the author’s purpose for writing this
article? Use details from the article to support
your answer.
Write About It
Write a letter to Jackie Robinson telling him how
his actions have affected our world today.
197
Decoding
the spellings?
total handle sample boy
point novel renewal model
travel medal coin gentle
Vocabulary
mysterious gear vessel
chemicals inventions
Comprehension
FACT AND OPINION A fact 4OQb =^W\W]\
is a statement that can be

proven true, such as The
ship sank in 1912. An opinion
is a statement that tells
what someone thinks or
believes, such as The ship is very nice. Look for
words and phrases such as I think, I feel, nice,
and mysterious to help you identify opinions.
Read “The Mysterious Sea” and then fill out the

Fact and Opinion Chart.
198
Read
Identify the facts and opinions in this article.
The Mysterious Sea

A big vessel full of oil travels across the
sea. It takes the oil to homes around the world.
Sometimes the ships leak or spill oil into the
ocean, and the chemicals in the oil hurt fish,
turtles, and other sea life.
Some people think that cleaning the spills is

a hassle. But many others don’t agree. It does not
take new inventions to stop this cycle of spills and
leaks. It doesn’t take a lot of fancy gear either. We
can take little steps, such as making sure ships are
safer, and that will make a big difference.
You can help by learning more about pollution

and how to stop it. Then you can teach others.
If we act as a team, we can get the job done!
Fill out the Fact and Opinion

Chart for “The Mysterious
Sea.” Then use it to
identify facts and
opinions in the selection.
199
Jacques
Cousteau:
Scientist Below Sea Level
by Mark Thalman
illustrated by Dan Clifford
A Simple Love of the Sea

The deep sea is a mysterious place. This might
be the reason it has been the subject of so many
photographs and films. One man who wrote novels and
made films about the sea is Jacques Cousteau. He was
a French scientist who studied the sea.
Cousteau liked to travel and study life undersea.
When he began his studies, people knew little about
life at sea. They pulled fish into boats, and they
watched whales breach, jumping out of the water. But
they had only viewed the sea from the surface.
200
Cousteau made inventions that opened up the huge
sea world to scientists and others. He led an exciting
life and made many discoveries.
When Cousteau was growing up, he liked to swim.
One day, a friend took him swimming in the sea. They
wore diving masks. They watched fish, turtles, and
plants as they swam in circles around them. Cousteau
was amazed. He liked the world under the sea. He later
said that day changed his simple life. He said, “My eyes
were opened to the sea.”
Jacques Cousteau prepares to dive wearing scuba gear and a

wetsuit.
201
Cousteau wanted to know more about sea life, but
he was not able to stay underwater long enough to
reach deep water levels. He could hold his breath for
only a little while.
When Cousteau grew up, he worked with a scientist
and invented a way to handle breathing underwater.
This invention was a scuba tank. It was full of oxygen.
He strapped the tank on his back while he was
swimming. Hoses released the air to his mouth. This
tank helped Cousteau breathe underwater for a long
time.
Jacques Cousteau drives his underwater electric scooter in the

film, “The Silent World.”
202
A diver in a wet suit looks at the Crescent Tail Big Eye fish in
Indonesia.
Cousteau and his partner also invented the wet suit

to keep divers warm in cold water. It covered the entire
body and had a thick lining. It was no longer a hassle
to find the right time to dive. Cousteau did not have to
cancel trips or wait for warm weather.
With his new gear, Cousteau felt like he was able to
fly. He could breathe underwater and feel like he was a
part of the sea life around him. Cousteau saw a whole
new world and wished to be a part of it.
203
Cousteau’s useful inventions helped him spend
twice as much time under the sea. So his team made
diving pods that looked like flying saucers. They made
a round, metal house and attempted to live beneath
the sea for weeks.
Cousteau never planned for people to live beneath
the sea forever. He knew most people would not be
able to handle the deep sea as a model home. Most
people would be too afraid to live in dark, cold water.
However, he loved the gentle world of the sea and liked
to spend many hours there.
Jacques Cousteau stands in his diving pod named “Bathyscope

Calypso.”
204
Smoke pollutes the sky in the United Kingdom.
A Little Hope for Sea Life

Cousteau and his team had seen places in the
middle of the sea that no one had seen before. These
voyages made Cousteau concerned about sea life. Sea
creatures’ lives were in danger. He saw that pollution
had killed fish and plants. He began to see that this
trouble was created by humans.
Many companies dumped chemicals in the sea
and did not think about what happened later. People
thought that chemicals vanished in water, but they did
not. Cousteau was worried about the level of damage.
205
Cousteau then thought of a way to show people
what was happening in the sea. When Cousteau was a
little boy, he had liked taking photographs. As an adult,
he wanted to make films about the sea. He knew that
he could show the world what was happening.
So Cousteau changed an army ship into a traveling
vessel where he made films. He showed people the first
true picture of the sea floor.
Films did not solve the problem. Companies did not
stop polluting. They felt it would cost too much money
to stop.
206
So Cousteau started a group to save the sea.
Many people joined him. Cousteau showed many wild
places in his films. He convinced people that they
had to help protect the sea. Cousteau found that the
problems could be solved with new laws. He contacted
governments for help. Soon new laws were made to
protect sea animals and plants.
For nine years, Cousteau had a TV show. It showed
what life was like underwater. It pointed out shipwrecks
and treasures. It revealed strange animals. The show
gave people a sample of an underwater landscape.
People were amazed.
Cousteau spent three weeks living in this submarine, 330 feet

below the sea.
207
In his lifetime, Cousteau wrote over fifty books.
Cousteau and his team enjoyed traveling around the
world. For forty years, they studied and filmed life
under the sea. His crew filmed over a hundred TV
programs. Cousteau was awarded many medals.
Cousteau once said, “The reason why I love the sea
I cannot explain... When you dive, you begin to feel like
you’re an angel.”
If you feel this way about swimming and diving,
then perhaps you will study the sea. There is a huge
world waiting under the sea for scientists to explore!
208
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Jacques Cousteau: 4OQb =^W\W]\
Scientist Below Sea Level”

again. Fill in the chart. Then
use it to summarize the article.
Think About It
1. Why did people know little about the sea before
Jacques Cousteau began his studies?
2. How did Jacques Cousteau first become
interested in the sea?
3. What inventions helped Cousteau stay
underwater for longer periods of time? Use
details from the article in your answer.
4. What steps did Cousteau take to help save the
sea from pollution? Use details from the article
to support your answer.
Write About It
Jacques Cousteau tried to stop people from
polluting by making movies. What are some
other ways to stop pollution? Use details from
209
Decoding
the spellings?
thought also brought taught
almost sparkle jaw halted
yawning paused local gravel
Vocabulary
freedoms protest respect
awe respond
Comprehension
COMPARE AND CONTRAST When Different
Alike
authors show how people, ideas,
events, or things are alike or
similar, they are comparing them.
When authors show how subjects
are different, they are contrasting
them. Signal words for comparing include both,
too, also, and like. Signal words for contrasting
include though, however, and but.
As you read the passage, use the Venn Diagram

to help you identify how people, ideas, events,
or things are alike or different.
210
Read
Identify how the ideas are compared and contrasted.
Fighting for Causes

Pause for a moment to think about those
who fight for just causes. Many leaders work to
gain key freedoms for people who have had them
taken away. Some leaders openly protest laws
that aren’t fair. People often stand in awe of the
brave leaders who have made the public aware of
problems in this way.
Other leaders, however, respond in a

different way to a need to expand freedoms. They
respect the legal system, so they try to make new
laws. Still others find no fault with the laws and
believe that everyone is already treated equally.
People may express different beliefs, but

few would disagree that freedom and
equality are important to all of us.
Fill in the Venn Diagram for

“Fighting for Causes.” Then use it
to explain how the ideas in the
passage are alike or different.
211
Gandhi’s
Causes
by Sally Osborn
illustrated by Stephen Marchesi
In 1869, a boy named Mohandas Gandhi was

born in India. As he was growing up, he was shy and
did not have many friends. He spent time drawing,
reading, and thinking about his homeland.
As a man, Gandhi would become a well-known
and beloved leader. He would put a halt to unjust
laws. Gandhi worked to gain equal rights for all, but
he used only peaceful ways to further his causes.
212
Starting as a Lawyer
Gandhi studied law in England. Then, in 1893, he
got a job as a lawyer in South Africa.
One day, Gandhi was told he could not travel first
class on a train because he had dark skin. He became
angry. His background in law led him to think that all
people should have the same basic freedoms.
Gandhi stayed in Africa for twenty years. And for
twenty years, he tried to make things right.
213
Returning to India
In 1915, Gandhi went back home to India. He
traveled all through the land. He always paused to
watch people and to talk with them.
Gandhi saw problems. One was the wide-ranging
power of the British, who had ruled India for a long
time. They made Indians speak and read in English.
And the British laws were often flawed and unfair.
India also had a class system. The upper classes
looked down on the lower classes. Gandhi felt he
needed to end British rule and the Indian class system.
214
Gandhi began speaking about making things
better. He told people that British rule needed to
end. Soon bigger and bigger crowds came to hear his
talks about freedom.
In spite of this, Gandhi was always kind, and he
did not want more than a simple and happy life.
People trusted him. He made friends far and wide.
People also supported his ideas. They were in awe
of Gandhi. He was called a “Great Soul.”
215
Forcing Peace
Gandhi insisted on making change without
launching armed conflict. He did not want India to
be hurt by a war. So he thought of a way to protest
without harming anyone.
Gandhi told people to refuse to obey British laws.
But he also told them to remain peaceful. He asked
them to respond nicely to the British army.
During some protests, Gandhi decided to fast.
Fasting means “not eating.” When he fasted for days
to protest the treatment of mill workers, the mill
owners soon agreed to increase workers’ pay.
Gandhi’s protests helped change British laws.
216
Gandhi also taught the poor of India a way to
benefit from an ordinary invention. He showed them
how to spin cotton with a spinning wheel. Soon they
were wearing caps and shirts made of the white cloth
they made.
People sold the cloth to others and could save
money. Now they didn’t have to buy the clothes made
by the British. People had new choices.
217
India is a hot place. For hundreds of years, people
had used salt to keep food from spoiling. Under
British law, however, salt was legal only if people
bought it from the government.
Gandhi objected. He saw flaws in that ruling.
Salt was important to Indian life. There was plenty
of salt. It was unjust to make it so hard to get or to
charge more money for it.
He led a protest march to the sea. When the
march started, 78 people were with him. By the end
of the 240-mile march, thousands had joined. They
stood side-by-side with Gandhi at the sea coast.
218
Then he took a pinch of salt in his hand. This
simple act was a clever protest of British law, and it
showed Gandhi’s power.
Even more Indians joined Gandhi in his protests.
They refrained from using British goods, and people
stopped following British laws. This style of protest
seemed to work over time.
Gandhi would also speak with British leaders and
lawmakers. He asked them to leave India. Soon, even
people outside India joined in asking the British to
leave.
219
In 1947, the British did leave India. After nearly
300 years of British rule, India was finally free to rule
itself. Gandhi had led the people of India to freedom
without having to fight the British.
Today, people around the world still deeply
respect Gandhi. Many have followed his example of
peaceful protest.
Gandhi’s cause had always been a battle of “Right
against Might.” His story shows how one person can
truly change the world.
220
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Different
Read “Gandhi’s Causes” Alike
again. Fill in a Venn diagram.
Then use it to summarize the
article.
Think About It
1. What problems did Gandhi identify when he
returned to India in 1915?
2. How did spinning cotton help poor people in
India?
3. What things did Gandhi do to gain the trust of
so many people? Use details from the selection
in your answer.
4. How were Gandhi’s protest against the mill
owners and his protest against the British salt
law different? How were they similar? Use
details from the text to support your answer.
Write About It
Describe a problem in today’s world that you think
might be solved with Gandhi’s ideas of peaceful
protest. Tell why his methods could be helpful.
221
Decoding
the spellings?
straw scratch splash scrap
crawl struck thrash sprint
scrape thread sprawl strive
Vocabulary
solo nature stunt
gearshift attach
Comprehension
FACT AND OPINION A fact 4OQb =^W\W]\
is a statement than can
be proved or checked in a
reference source. An opinion
is what someone thinks or
believes. An author’s use of
adjectives can sometimes be a clue that he or
she is expressing an opinion.
Use the Fact and Opinion Chart to record the

facts and opinions you identify in “Bicycling.”
222
Read
Identify the facts and opinions.
Bicycling
Bicycles are the best invention ever. The first
bike was made in Scotland in 1839. Today, a bike
is still a simple machine with two wheels that
attach to a strong frame. Later advancements
have included brakes for stopping and gears for
changing speeds. Riders change gears with a
gearshift to help them pedal up steep hills.
Some bikes ride better on the street, and

others can be used off-road for seeing nature
or for sport. Mountain bikes are the most fun
because they can be used to perform
stunts at extreme biking shows.
Whether you are riding solo,

or traveling in a group, bicycling
is truly the best sport.
Fill in the Fact and Opinion Chart.

Then use it to determine whether
the article is based more on facts or
opinions.
223
Extreme
Sports by Roger Nelso
Nelson
on
Riding on Wheels
Whether they are done for employment or
amusement, sports are awesome. There are team
sports and sports you play alone. There are also
extreme sports. Extreme sports are risky sports in
which stunts may be performed.
A well-known extreme sport is skateboarding.
It is done on a flat board with wheels attached.
Skateboarders ride on the board and push along the
ground with their feet.
If you are just starting out, you should go slow. It
is always smart to wear a helmet and kneepads while
skateboarding. Never skateboard on the street. There are
skateboard parks where riders can do stunts on ramps.
224
Another sport on wheels is in-line skating. In-line
skates are almost the same as roller skates, but the
wheels are attached in a straight line, not in two side-
by-side pairs. Kids like using in-line skates because they
can skate faster on them and even do tricks. Skating,
instead of riding in a car, also reduces pollution.
Doing tricks on in-line skates can be unsafe, however.
It is easy to fall, and you may get hurt. To avoid scrapes
and scratches, you should wear protective gear while
in-line skating. If you are careful, then in-line skating can
be a fun and safe extreme sport.
In-line skaters protect themselves by wearing helmets and kneepads.
225
In-line skating is a lot like ice skating. In fact, in-line
skates were invented so hockey players could practice
skating without ice. Like in-line skating, speed skating
on ice is an extreme sport.
In short track speed skating, skaters race each
other around a rink. Skaters bend down at an angle to
gain speed. Races are done in teams, and the final race
is between the winners from each team. This makes it a
team sport and a solo sport.
Short track speed skaters must quickly spring into
action. A lot of short track speed skaters crash and get
breaks and sprains.
A speed skater competes in a short track event at the U.S.
Championship.
226
Bikers from Greece, Mexico, and Japan compete in the second
stage of the 2004 World Cycling Cup.
Another racing sport is bike racing. In a bike race,

riders sprint up and down hills and across level land.
Racing bikes are built for speed. Even the clothing
bike racers wear helps them go fast. During a race, riders
can become very hot, so they must drink a lot of water.
In a bike race, the riders ride right next to each other.
Though they must be able to race fast, they must also
respect each other during the race.
As in short track speed skating, bike racers can
tumble into each other. Crashes have hurt a lot of riders.
If a rider is badly hurt, he or she has to leave the race.
227
BMX racing is an extreme kind of bike racing. A
BMX bike is light and made to go fast over hills. This
type of bike is also made without a gearshift.
BMX racing tracks are made of dirt and have many
bumps, ruts, holes, and skid marks. Audiences like to
watch the bikes screech over hills and jump through
the air.
BMX racers practice hard. They must be able to
race quickly and also take a lot of risks. BMX racers fall
and crash a lot, so they can get hurt. BMX racers must
wear helmets and masks to protect themselves.
A BMX racer jumps in the air during a competition.
228
A snowboarder glides
down a mountain.
A Focus on Nature
An extreme sport that is done in the wintertime
is snowboarding. Snowboarding is to snow as
skateboarding is to pavement. Snowboarders often use
the same trails that skiers do.
A snowboard is long, wide, and polished so
that it glides easily over the snow. It responds to
the movements of its rider. He or she can perform
jumps and spin in the air. There are contests in which
snowboarders’ tricks are judged.
Snowboarders wear helmets and goggles. They
also wear suits to keep warm in the cold air and snow.
229
In the summertime, people like to go hiking in the
mountains. Sometimes called “rambling,” hiking gives
people a chance to enjoy nature. On rambles, hikers
pause to look at many kinds of plants and animals.
Hiking is a good sport for getting exercise. There
are not a lot of fees to pay, and hikers also have the
freedom to choose the kind of trails they like.
Hikers hike alone or in groups. It is much safer to
hike in a group or with a buddy. Hikers should stay on
the hiking trail so they will not get lost.
A mother and daughter climb a brush-covered mountain.
230
A woman rock climbs in
Sequoia National Park
in California.
Good hikers can

become rock climbers.
Rock climbers climb
up the sides of
mountains using only
their hands and feet.
A climber has to be in
good shape to climb
up a big mountain!
Climbers attach themselves to a rope on the top of
the rock. This rope keeps them from falling if they lose
their grip. A rock climber doesn’t want to be stranded
without a rope. That would be awful.
Rock climbers wear helmets in case they fall. They
must also wear boots and gloves. These help them hold
on to the sides of the rocks.
231
A kayaker steers a kayak in the Kanaskis River in Canada.
There is even an extreme sport that can be done in

rivers. It is called kayaking. A kayak is a long, narrow
boat that is mostly closed up. The kayakers slip in
through a hole at the top, and their legs fit down the
front. They use a two-sided paddle to steer the kayak
past rocks in the rushing river.
Kayakers learn how to roll the boat upright again if
it tips over in the water. This is frightening, and kayakers
must wear a helmet and a life jacket at all times.
Extreme sports like all the ones described are risky
and thrilling. With practice, however, they can be both
fun and safe.
232
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Extreme Sports” again. Fill 4OQb =^W\W]\
in a Fact and Opinion Chart. Then

use the chart to summarize the
selection.
Think About It
1. What makes BMX bike racing different from
regular bike racing?
2. The author states that kids like using in-line
skates. What reasons does he give?
3. Which of the sports described involve the use of
wheels? Use details from the article in your
answer.
4. For which of the sports described is it necessary
to race against other athletes? Which sports can
be done at your own pace? Use details from the
article to explain your answer.
Write About It
Choose an extreme sport from the selection.
Write a letter to someone who wants to try the
sport, and describe how he or she can stay safe.
233
Decoding
the spellings?
looked goodness notebook would
scratch uncooked strive woolen
wooden should mistook splash
Vocabulary
recital opera event
lessen increase amused
Comprehension
AUTHOR’S PERSPECTIVE An author
often has an opinion about his or
her subject, and this perspective Author’s
Perspective
may be stated directly or implied.
To evaluate whether an author is
trying to persuade the reader to
accept a certain point of view, look for clues
that reveal the author’s perspective.
Use the Author’s Perspective Web to help you

record clues about the author’s point of view in
“A Good Show.”
234
Read
Identify the author’s perspective.
A Good Show
Ling was excited when she went to see her
first recital in China. Her father took her to see
the opera “Prince Chen.” This, like all opera in
China, was a big event.
Ling remembers entering a huge theater. The

chatter of the audience began to lessen as the
sound of the music began to increase. Then the
stage lights came on. The actors looked splendid
as they began singing and dancing. The opera
so amused the audience that the whole theater
shook with applause at the end.
After the show, Ling said, “I can’t wait to go

again. I wish I could meet the actors.”
Fill in the Author’s Perspective Web for “A Good

Show.” Then use the web to figure out the
general perspective of the author.
235
by Burt Graves
illustrated by Steve Cieslawski
L ing sat quietly as she waited for her dinner to

be cooked. She was looking forward to the evening’s
event. She mostly wanted to watch the dancers on
stage. Her father had told her how the dancers in this
show glide high above the sets,
which look like the roofs of
houses, flowing rivers, and
huge trees.
“It is not like you to
be this quiet,” said
Ling’s grandma.
“Are you thinking
about the last
recital you saw?”
236
Ling’s Childhood Dream
“Yes, I am thinking about the recital last year,”
nodded Ling. She had seen her first opera in China
with her father. Opera is a tradition in China. Everybody
knows the stories because they see them over and over.
Ling and her grandma had tickets for Lady White
Snake. This was to be the second opera Ling would see.
It employed the same style of dance as the first show
she saw. Grandma liked Lady White Snake and called it
“the best of all shows.”
Chinese operas have been performed for almost 1,000 years.
237
Grandma had seen Lady White Snake many times.
But each time, the face paint, dancing, and singing
were a bit different.
“Some operas are based on real events,” she told
Ling. “Others are made-up tales with a moral.”
At this performance, Grandma knew one of the
dancers. When she and Ling got to the theater, they
went backstage and stood quietly as the dancers
prepared for the show. Then Ling was allowed to try on
one of the costumes. As she struck poses in the mirror,
she looked like a fierce warrior.
238
Ling and her grandma spoke with Grandma’s
dancer pal in the dressing room. The female dancer
played the part of a male fighter. This happens often
in Chinese opera. In the past, women were never in
shows. Now they paint their faces to play the parts of
men.
The dancer was hurrying to get on stage and
motioned for Ling to take her seat. She did not need
Ling’s costume. Ling was thrilled to be wearing it.
239
In Chinese operas, the clown roles are named “Chou.”
Ling and Grandma sat in their seats as the lights

went down. All the actors came on stage. Each one had
a special way of singing and dancing. The fighters sang
in a high voice and seemed to float around the stage.
The dancers fought with swords. They twirled
around the stage in bright clothes. The crowd loved
their stunts.
Then clowns came on. They were funny and
amused the crowd. Ling enjoyed all the dazzling sights
and thrilling sounds of the opera.
240
The Path of a Dancer
The story ended, and the audience clapped and
cheered. The dancers bowed as the curtain came
down.
When everybody moved to the exit, Ling and
Grandma walked backstage. Ling was in awe of the
dancers and wanted to ask them questions about how
they trained. She also wanted to know more about the
history of Lady White Snake. If only she could dance in
a show like this when she grew up!
“Can you show me how to dance?” Ling asked a
dancer.
Colorful costumes and face paints are
used to show a character’s personality.
241
Ling looked and felt like a dancer in her blue
costume. She tried to move like the dancers.
One dancer handed Ling a spear used in the show
and modeled jumping high off the ground and landing
on one foot. Ling tried to do the same, but she only
jumped a part of the height the dancer did.
“How long has this opera been performed?” Ling
asked.
“This is an old story,” the dancer explained.
“Dancers have played these characters for hundreds of
years.”
242
“I am thrilled to have a part in this play,” said the
dancer. “It took me many years of training to be cast in
this opera.”
“It takes a lifetime of practice,” a different dancer
agreed. “We start at a young age. It is a huge honor
to be chosen. When you are picked for a show, it
becomes the sole focus of your dancing. There is also
little time to play or to spend with your pals. I take
dance lessons and read books to increase my skills. It is
a difficult profession.”
Performers fight to the beat of the music from the orchestra.
243
Female characters usually sing with high
and squeaky voices.
“Studying dance does lessen your free time,”

said Grandma. “And China is the only nation that has
teachers for this type of dance. You will need to move
there for lessons.”
“Maybe I should start with other kinds of dance
here,” Ling decided.
“I think that is a good choice,” said Grandma. “But I
am pleased that you value this historic art form.”
“I do. I will never tire of it!” Ling said. “And I agree
with you, Grandma. Lady White Snake is the best show!”
244
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Hooked on Dancing” again.
Fill in an Author’s Perspective Web as
Author’s
you read. Then use it to summarize Perspective
the story.
Think About It
1. Why was Ling so quiet at dinner?
2. Why don’t the dancers in the Chinese opera
have much free time?
3. In what ways is Ling’s second visit backstage
different from her first visit? Use details from
the story to explain your answer.
4. From the author’s perspective, is learning how to
dance in Chinese operas a worthwhile pursuit?
Use details from the story to support your
answer.
Write About It
Write about a time when you decided to try
learning something you really wanted to do.
Explain what prompted your decision.
245
Decoding
fact scrape paste small
actions maintain label took
afraid outlast stage spray
Vocabulary
venture damaged curious
texture entrance blind
Comprehension
AUTHOR’S PURPOSE Authors /cbV]`¸a
1ZcSa >c`^]aS
write for three basic reasons: to
inform, persuade, or entertain.
To inform, writers present
information about a topic. To
persuade, they try to convince
readers of their opinions. To
entertain, they create a story for enjoyment.
As you read “Louis Braille,” use the Author’s

Purpose Chart to record important clues that can
help you identify the author’s purpose for writing.
246
Read
Identify the author’s purpose for writing.
Louis Braille
Louis Braille was born in France in 1809. As
a boy, he used to watch his father make shoes.
Louis loved the texture of the materials his father
used and was curious about the work he did.
One day, when his father was not watching,
Louis picked up a pointed tool his father used. It
slipped and damaged his eyes. Not long after this,
Louis lost his sight and became blind.
At the age of 10, Louis passed an exam to

gain entrance to a school for blind children. It
was there that Louis began the greatest venture
of his life. He came up with a system of raised
dots that the blind could use to read and write
with their fingers. Today that system is called
Braille after Louis Braille.
Fill out the Author’s Purpose Chart. Use the chart to

find the author’s purpose in “Louis Braille.”
247
A nne
Sullivan:
A Valuable
Teacher
_
by Sherrie Goodman
illustrated by Jessica Clerk
Aid for Helen

In March 1887, a young woman named Anne
Sullivan arrived at a small farmhouse in Alabama.
Waiting to meet her was a little girl named Helen
Keller. Anne was going to be Helen’s teacher. She was
about to begin the most rewarding venture of her life.
Helen was both blind and deaf. She could not see
or hear. Back then, people thought blind children were
unable to do things. Blind children were often ignored.
248
_
The events of Helen’s life reminded Anne of her

own childhood. Anne went to an orphanage after her
mother died. Then she was sent to a home for blind
children even though Anne was not totally blind. The
special school was called Perkins School.
Anne had a fine home at the school. She asked the
teachers there to teach her how to read. Unlike many
blind children before her, she soon learned to read
and write.
Anne’s actions as a student helped her become a
good teacher. She could help other blind children learn
to read. She studied how to teach blind children. Now
it was her goal to help Helen.
_
249
_
Helen was born with both sight and hearing. At a

young age, the little girl became very sick. Her doctor
thought she might die.
Helen did not die, but the disease damaged her
eyes and ears. She could no longer see or hear. Her
parents knew that the failure of these two senses
would change her entire life.
Since Helen couldn’t hear, she couldn’t form words.
She had total blindness, so she couldn’t play in the
same way as other children. But she never lost her
curious nature. She explored the world by touching,
tasting, and smelling.
250
_
As she got older, Helen became angry and

frustrated. She couldn’t easily share her feelings.
Mrs. Keller knew that her daughter was smart. She
assured Helen that she would look for someone to help
her. She had read about the Perkins School where Anne
Sullivan lived. Mrs. Keller saw that children like Helen
could learn to read books and write. She asked the
school if they would send a teacher for Helen.
The people at Perkins School knew if anyone could
help Helen, it was Anne. They asked Anne Sullivan to
be Helen’s teacher, and Anne agreed.
_
251
_
Helen Learns from Books

At first, Anne found Helen hard to teach because
the little girl kicked her and screamed at her. But
Anne knew she had to earn Helen’s trust. Anne
withstood Helen’s actions and was calm and gentle
with her. Over time, Helen’s nature changed, and she
began to trust Anne. Then Anne began to teach Helen
how to read.
Anne put an object into Helen’s hand, letting
the girl feel its texture. Then she traced letters into
Helen’s palm with her finger, spelling out the name
of the object. For a long time, Helen struggled to
understand what Anne was trying to do. She thought
Anne was trying to amuse her.
_
252
_
One day, Anne took Helen out to a well on the

farm. Helen held her hand below the cold water, and
Anne traced letters into Helen’s palm. All at once,
Helen realized that the traced letters captured the
name of the cold, wet feeling. She got it! The motions
spelled water.
Helen worked hard to learn more words. She said,
“I did nothing but explore with my hands and learn
the name of every object that I touched.”
Anne took pleasure in the fact that her sessions
had reached her student. Reading and writing would
be a way for Helen to speak and listen to others.
_
253
_
At first, Anne used lessons designed by her old

teacher. But Anne saw that Helen was bored by these
lessons. She knew that this method would not work.
Helen had lots of energy and enjoyed being outside.
She liked nature. Helen wanted to be able to smell and
feel the world. Anne wanted Helen to like learning as
much as she liked the outdoors.
So Anne thought of a replacement for the
classroom to teach Helen. She allowed Helen to
explore the world. Then she fit the lessons—spelling
and counting—into Helen’s outdoor play. Now Helen
learned with increased speed.
254
_
After a while, Anne felt that Helen would learn

more in a school. Helen was eager to learn and
wanted to meet other students and teachers. So
Anne took Helen to her old school during the winter
months. Helen spent time with teachers other than
Anne. She also got to meet other blind students.
Helen took pleasure in her studies with other
children. She soon had a lot of pals. She fit into a
group. They even had their own culture. Helen could
read books made for blind students. Anne stayed with
her in class. When the teacher spoke, Anne gestured
the words of the lesson into Helen’s palm.
_
255
_ _
Helen wanted college in her future, so Anne

helped her apply. Helen did not want the college to
think she was different from other students. She took
a test to gain entrance just like everyone else. The
college accepted her. Anne was pleased and proud.
She stayed with Helen through college so she could
explain the lectures to Helen. Because of Anne’s help,
Helen finished with her class. She got good grades and
earned top honors.
Year after year, Anne watched Helen overcome
many problems. Helen always thought of Anne as a
close, dear friend. She called the day that she met
Anne her “soul’s birthday.”
_ _
256
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Anne Sullivan: A Valuable /cbV]`¸a
1ZcSa >c`^]aS
Teacher” again. Fill in the
Author’s Purpose Chart and use
it to summarize the selection
with a classmate or as a class.
Think About It
1. How did Helen Keller lose her sight and hearing?
2. How did Anne Sullivan first begin to teach Helen
how to read?
3. In what ways did Anne help Helen after she
went away to school and then college? Use
details from the selection in your answer.
4. Was the author’s purpose for writing to inform,
to entertain, or to persuade? Use details from
the selection to support your answer.
Write About It
What other difficulties do blind and deaf people
have? How can other people help them?
257
Decoding
the spellings?
mine brave trip did
high hills private climbed
sad satisfy face skies
Vocabulary
decades nutrition determination
survival villagers
Comprehension
COMPARE AND CONTRAST Different
Alike
When you compare, you tell
how things are alike. When
you contrast, you identify how
things are different. Signal
words such as both, also, but, and however show
similarities and differences. Comparing characters,
events, and settings can help you draw conclusions
and organize the information in a story.
As you read “Then and Now,” use the Venn

Diagram to compare and contrast characters.
258
Read
Compare and contrast Len and his great-grandfather.
Then and Now

Most of the villagers had faith that Len
would solve their water crisis. They needed water
to grow plants for good nutrition.
The villagers had also trusted Len’s great-

grandfather. He was a confident man who had
loved his family. He was also a great problem
solver. Decades earlier, the village had faith that
he would be able to find water when they needed
rain. This would insure their survival. He worked
with determination. The village respected him.
Len hadn’t earned their respect yet.

Tonight is Len’s big chance. Len is
frightened he will not succeed like his
great-grandfather. He wants to make
everyone proud.
Fill out a Venn Diagram for “Then and Now.”

Then compare what you know about Len and
his great-grandfather.
259
by Raymond Crash
illustrated by Louise Monjo
A fter a hot, dry summer, the villagers were scared.

Their land was too dry. The planting had neared
completion, but there was no rain yet. The crops were
dying under the scorching hot sun. Even the rivers
were almost dry.
The villagers feared they might not have enough
food to last the winter. They needed crops to grow for
nutrition and survival. Families needed to be careful
not to waste food. Winter would be coming soon, and
the food from last year’s harvest was running out.
260
A Trip
But after weeks passed with dry and sunny skies,
the villagers could not wait for rain any longer. Then
someone made a suggestion. One of the villagers had
to leave to search for rain. They made a decision that
night.
For this occasion, people in the village gathered
around a fire. They dressed in bright clothes and
danced to bring rain. The elders decided a boy
named Len was the chosen one. He was to leave and
find the cause of the drought. Len’s great-grandfather
had found rain for the village years before. He had
to find rain before returning home. The villagers
hoped Len would be able to bring rain like his great-
grandfather had years ago.
261
The village elders did not know how long it would
take Len to find rain. Len himself feared he might not
find an answer. But Len wanted to save his village.
He did not care how hard the trip would be.
To support Len on his harsh trip, his sister, Minya,
decided to go with him. Len and Minya took very
little with them. They would be traveling a
long way and did not want to carry much.
Before Len and Minya ventured off, the
village elders gave Len a feather for good
luck. The elders wished them a safe and
fruitful trip like their great-grandfather’s
trip had been years ago.
262
Len and Minya climbed hills and walked along
creeks for days and weeks. They had no direction.
They searched for rain or for a reason the rain had
stopped. Each night they tried to stay cheerful, even
if no end was in sight. There was no rain on their trip,
only sunny and starry skies. Len began to worry there
might never be rain. He felt hopeless.
Minya told Len to be brave and not to quit.
She believed in Len. She felt their great-grandfather
watching over them. She knew Len would soon feel
strong again.
263
A Sound in the Night
On one starry night, Len and Minya
sat in a small cave. They were tired and
sad. As Minya slept, Len wished they could
find the location of water or rain.
As the fire in their cave went out, Len
saw the smoke take the shape of a face.
Was this the spirit they danced for in
hope of rain? He heard a booming voice
say that winter would pass and the village
would be fine. For a moment, Len thought
it was a dream. He wondered if he had
earned a visit from a spirit.
264
The next morning, Len stood by the entrance
of the cave. The sun was not burning in the sky.
Surrounding them was a blanket of snow. It was a
strange sight. Winter shouldn’t start for three more
weeks! Len remembered what he had heard the night
before and knew the blinding snow was a sign.
Len shook Minya to wake her and told her that
they needed to go home. Minya did not know how
Len knew the village would be saved. But she trusted
Len and did not ask. Len and Minya could not wait to
return home. They hoped to find a happy village with
good crops.
265
They had a long trip ahead of them. It would take
them weeks of walking and climbing to return home.
Len and Minya were excited, but tired. They were
still curious about whether or not there had been an
increase in rain back home. Len wondered what his
great-grandfather had found on his trip.
Len and Minya hoped their hard work and
determination had been good enough. They looked
forward to finding out, seeing their family, and
enjoying a huge meal. There would be food for all.
And there would be no worries about last year’s
crops lasting until the next year.
266
A Fine Arrival Home
After a few weeks, Len and Minya
reached a mountain top near their village.
They saw a brook running with water. It
had been dry when they had left! The sun
was out, but they could not feel the dry,
dusty wind blowing like before.
Len and Minya walked further down
the road. They saw lush green fields full
of crops and puddles of water all around.
Winter had passed quickly, and it was
now spring. Len and Minya were so
happy that they ran the rest of the
way home.
When they reached their home,
the villagers welcomed Len and
Minya with cheers. Len and Minya
had brought rain and saved
the village.
267
That night, a big feast was
held for Len and Minya. The
celebration feast had food and
drink for the entire village to
enjoy. The crops had grown higher than ever before,
and the villagers were excited to have good land and
plenty of water.
The villagers asked what Len and Minya did to
bring the rain. Len replied that his great-grandfather
had spoken to him. It was then that Len learned his
great-grandfather had told the same tale decades
ago. Len knew that many years later his grandson
would do the same.
268
Comprehension Check
Summarize
2WTTS`S\b
Read “A Trip to Find Rain” /ZWYS
again. Fill in the Venn diagram
and use it to summarize the
story with a classmate.
Think About It
1. Why are the villagers afraid they may not have
enough food to last the winter?
2. Why did the villagers choose Len to find the
cause of the drought?
3. What happens after the fire goes out in the
small cave, and how does it convince Len that
he and Minya need to go home? Use details
from the story in your answer.
4. How does the village change after the rains
come? Compare and contrast the setting at the
beginning and end of the story. Use details from
the story to support your answer.
Write About It
Tell about a time when you had to be
courageous. What did you do to be brave?
269
Decoding
the spellings?
eager steady trip steep
fabrics climb increase delighted
donkey scene scents maybe
Vocabulary
actually dismayed occasion
deserve appealing
Comprehension
PERSUASION Techniques E]`R
]`>VÒaS BSQV\W_cS
of persuasion are used to
convince others to think
about a topic in a particular
way. Some frequently used
techniques of persuasion are
false generalizations, faulty
reasoning that links two statements that may or
may not be related, and loaded words.
As you read “Why Not Travel With Us?” use the

Persuasion Chart to help you identify techniques
of persuasion.
270
Read
Identify the techniques of persuasion.
Why Not Travel With Us?

I was dismayed when my friend Simon said
that he didn’t think he should go on the trip with
my family this summer. He said it would be too
expensive for him and that he didn’t feel right
about tagging along on this occasion.
But I know when I tell him my list of

reasons to go, Simon will find the trip much
more appealing. First, his family was kind enough
to take me on a trip with them last year, so he
totally deserves to go with us. Next, Simon won’t
actually need to spend any of his own money,
because the trip is already paid for. And my mom
will be making all our meals, so he will have the
most mouthwatering food to eat.
After Simon hears my list, he won’t be able

to think of a single reason not to come along!
Fill in the Persuasion Chart for each paragraph.

Then use it to tell how persuasion is
used in “Why Not Travel With Us?”
271
by Margie Hernandez
illustrated by Kristen Goeters
A Reason to Relax
Mom and I are going to the Seaside Inn!
Dad wanted Mom to take time off to relax. In fact,
he insisted because she had taken care of Granddad
Taylor while he was ill. He had been ill for many
weeks. Dad felt sympathy for Mom. “You deserve a
rest,” he said. “I will take over for the weekend.”
Dad showed Mom an ad for the Seaside Inn. It
was just a single bus ride from our home.
272
Mom had doubts that this was a good time for
her to go. But Dad came up with reasons why she
should. I eagerly helped.
Dad said, “If we had hired a full-time nurse for
Granddad, it would have cost much more than the
weekend trip. Even if you go with Kelly, we will still
have saved money.” Mom thought about Dad’s logic.
How could spending money on a trip save money?
Dad explained that we had an even better reason.
He said, “This is a special occasion. It’s your birthday
this weekend!” Mom agreed it was a great gift.
t Seaside Inn t
831 Rain drop Bay ~ Por t Brad y
555 -222-1111
~
~ The Ultimate in Charm. Cozy Rooms!
in minu tes.
Seas ide view. Reac h the beac h
muf fins and juice .
Beg in your day with free
PRE -SEA SON : Apri l 1-May 15
LOW ER RAT ES for
273
I couldn’t wait to go on the trip with Mom. I was
eager to see what I could buy at the beach shops
with my baby-sitting money.
When the bus reached Port Brady, I saw
motorbikes for rent. “Mom, this is perfect for us!
A bike will make our trip twice as much fun.”
“Renting a bike will cost us extra,” Mom said.
“But we won’t ever have to rent a car while we’re
here,” I said. “And we can get to more activities
during our short stay.” Both were good reasons,
I thought. Mom agreed!
274
Our first sight of the town and the inn was
from our motorbike. The town was so white that it
gleamed. I thought it was perfect.
But when we got to our room, I was dismayed.
I didn’t think cozy would mean “teeny!” Then Mom
went to our window. “The Inn really is charming. And
we do have a splendid view.”
I had to admit that she was right. “We’ll be in the
room only to sleep,” I added.
275
Time Well Spent
In the morning, we ate at a table outside. The
scene was pretty, and the food was yummy. Maybe
a sea breeze makes food taste better. Plus, it was
included in the price of the room!
While we ate, ocean waves splashed over the
rocks below us. Suddenly, I thought about what that
would mean. There would be no walking on a sandy
beach. There were a lot of rocks instead of sand.
Luckily, Mom had already solved that problem. Some
villagers had told her about Pearl Beach. “We can hop
on the bike and be there in a matter of minutes.”
276
At Pearl Beach, Mom said, “Kelly, let’s go to the
top of the hill. The view will amaze you. It’s cool
enough to climb this morning. And if we look for
seashells later, we won’t have to carry them all day.”
I hated to delay my beach fun, but it was Mom’s
birthday weekend. I agreed to go. It was a steep
climb, but we made it with no problem. At the top,
we looked out at the sea past the red tile roofs. Mom
sat for a while, took deep breaths, and looked very
relaxed.
When we got back to the beach, I found five
excellent seashells. They had shiny pearl colors.
277
On our last day, we ventured to an outdoor
market. I had my baby-sitting money with me.
There were many scents, sights, and sounds. Mom
suggested we get ice cream treats. “We can eat them
as we walk through the market to see what is here.
Then we’ll know the best places to spend our time.”
“And to spend our money!” I added.
There were smelly cheeses and fresh fruits.
There were handbags and baskets. I saw fabrics and
flowers. Although there wasn’t a big summer crowd
yet, there were plenty of people eager to buy.
278
Suddenly, I had the best idea of the weekend.
“Mom, you and Dad are artists. You could open a
booth in Port Brady’s market and become famous.”
Mom smiled and said, “We have jobs and enjoy
painting on the weekends. If we spent weekends
selling, we would have no time to paint.”
But I solved that problem easily. “You could create
art in the booth! Everyone would stop to watch you
and then buy. While you work, I could do the selling.
I’m the best in my math class, so I can take money,
calculate the tax, and give change.”
279
Mom was sure the beach would distract me from
actually working in the booth. She said she would think
about it and even let Dad react to the idea at home.
Just then, we came upon a shop with fun hats
and appealing clothes. I knew exactly how to spend
my money on this last day of our trip. I bought myself
a pretty summer dress, and I bought Mom a birthday
hat. She was delighted.
Later that day, we headed home with full
backpacks. We both felt it had been a relaxing and
fun weekend, just as we had hoped!
280
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “The Weekend Treat” E]`R
]`>VÒaS BSQV\W_cS
again. Fill in your Persuasion
Chart, and use it to summarize
the story.
Think About It
1. How do Kelly and her mom
travel to the Seaside Inn?
2. What reasons does Kelly give for renting a
motorbike?
3. What are two things that Mom persuades Kelly
to do during the weekend? Use details from the
story in your answer.
4. Does the information in the ad for the Seaside
Inn turn out to be truthful? Explain your answer
using details from the story.
Write About It
Write about a time you persuaded a friend or
family member to join you in an activity. How
did you do it? Explain whether it was difficult or
easy to convince the person.
281
Decoding
follow loaded notebook pond
boxes postcards holding jolt
tiptoe slept photo fleece
Vocabulary
collection illegible incapable
recall memories irresistible
Comprehension
MAKE JUDGMENTS /QbW]\ 8cRU[S\b
Judgments are opinions

about whether something
has value or is appropriate.
As you read a story, use
details stated by the author
and your own knowledge to
make temporary judgments about characters’
actions. Then look for further evidence to help
you decide if your judgments were correct.
As you read “My Comic Book Collection,” use the

Judgment Chart to help you make judgments.
282
Read
Make judgments about the passage.
My Comic Book Collection

I have a very big and valuable comic book
collection. I even lend my comic books to my
friends. When they borrow one, they leave me a
note so I know who has it. Sometimes their notes
are illegible, and I have to guess who has my
book. I don’t like that!
On Saturdays, I go to the local comic book

shop. I focus my collecting on the comic books
about superheroes. I like the plots of those the
best. My goal is to collect as many as I can. But I
am incapable of owning them all.
When I reread a comic book in my collection,

I recall happy memories of the first time I read it.
I find comic books irresistible!
Fill in the Judgment Chart for

“My Comic Book Collection.” Use
the chart to make judgments.
283
A
C ollection
of
Thoughts
by Cara Huffman
illustrated by Paul Casale
Anton’s Last Hours at Home

Right now, Anton feels incapable of smiling. The
school year will be over soon, and he has to move
to a new city. Anton stares out the window at his
backyard. He can recall all the summers he spent
playing there with friends. He worries about whether
or not he will like his new school. He finds it hard to
imagine being away from this town.
Anton must pack all his things. He would like to
take everything with him, but he will give away the
items he no longer uses.
284
Anton and his father have been packing for many
days. The truck is already loaded with some of the
boxes, but there is still much more to pack. Luckily,
Hector has come to help today.
Anton and Hector have known each other for
years. They are best friends. Hector is almost always
cheerful. Anton feels better whenever he is with him.
“Your dad has too many CDs,” pants Hector. “Tell
him to get a radio!”
Anton sees that Hector is smiling. “Stop whining,”
Anton replies. “Put that box on the truck, and come
with me to the shed. I need to find decent boxes for
these photo albums.”
285
“It will be impossible to find enough boxes!”
exclaims Hector as the boys enter the narrow shed.
Anton starts to look for spare boxes. He tries to
focus in the dark. Then he notices something strange
behind a broken chair.
“What is this?” Anton wonders out loud. “It looks
like an old chest.”
Anton motions for Hector to help him take the
wooden chest into the house.
“It looks like it has been around for decades,”
states Hector.
“What are you looking at, boys?” asks Anton’s
father as he comes into the room.
“Dad, can you tell us what this is?” Anton asks.
286
“Oh, you found my collection of things from the
past,” explains Anton’s father. “We kept moving from
place to place when I was a kid. Each time I started at
a new school, I had to make new friends.”
Anton’s father adds, “I missed my old friends. So
I began to collect things to help me remember them.
That way, even when I was in a new home, I had
those familiar things.”
Anton’s father pauses to think for a moment.
“There is a lot of my past in that old chest.”
287
Anton and Hector begin inspecting the contents
of the chest. They lift out old t-shirts, train tickets,
postcards, a jar filled with sand, and a red scarf with a
hole in it. Anton finds an old photo of his father. In it,
he and three other boys are smiling. The writing on the
back is illegible, but Anton’s father looks really happy.
“It must have been hard for my Dad to leave
them,” sighs Anton with dismay.
Hector nods. He knows that Anton is feeling just
as his father did. But he is already thinking of a good
way to help Anton.
288
A Good Motive
The evening before Anton leaves, Hector asks
their friends to meet at his home. Hector has planned
everything. He and the others will fill a bin with
tokens of friendship for Anton that will bring back
memories of their years playing together.
When they have finished adding items to the bin,
Anton’s father will hide it first on the moving truck
and later in Anton’s new room. Then, when Anton is
in his new home, he will find the bin in his room.
“Thanks for your help,” begins Hector. “Anton
deserves this. Our gift will be irresistible! These
things will help him think of us when he feels low.”
289
Sarah places a book about snakes in the bin.
“Anton likes this book a lot,” she explains.
David drops a sheet of paper in. “I wrote down a
joke that once made Anton laugh for days,” he says.
“He can read it again and think of me.”
Edith approaches the chest. She is Hector’s little
sister. “Anton says that this doll looks just like me,”
she explains. “This will help him remember the times
when we had fun playing card games.”
As more gifts fill the chest, Hector feels proud of
their thoughtful actions.
290
A Total Surprise
Three weeks later, Anton is in his new home. On
Sundays, he likes to call Hector on the phone and tell
him everything that is going on.
“I like it here,” admits Anton. “I hope you can visit
me some day. I will introduce you to my new friends.”
“I miss you all,” Anton continues. “I like to go
through your gifts. It was a total surprise when I
found the bin. It really helps me.”
Then Hector tells Anton about his summer.
It feels odd that Anton is not there, but
he knows he can call or email
Anton whenever he feels like it.
291
When Anton hangs up, he goes to his room and
opens the bin. He looks at the track medal he won
as team captain a year ago. The kids also included a
poem that says how Anton is their best friend.
Anton picks up a notebook. It is another gift from
Edith. In it, she describes how Anton and Hector became
friends. Whenever he looks in the bin, Anton feels better.
Anton looks at the collection of gifts. They are
part of his past. And now they are part of his present.
292
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “A Collection of Thoughts” /QbW]\ 8cRU[S\b
again. Fill in the Judgment Chart,

and use it to summarize the
story.
Think About It
1. What causes Anton and Hector to find the old
wooden chest?
2. Why did Anton’s father start to collect things in
the chest?
3. How are Anton’s bin and his father’s wooden
chest similar? How are they different? Use
details from the story in your answer.
4. In your judgment, had Anton been a good friend
to Hector, Sarah, David, and Edith? Explain your
answer using details from the story.
Write About It
If your best friend were moving away, what
kinds of things would you collect for his or her
bin filled with memories? Explain your choices.
293
Decoding
overdue knew school handbook
football zoom woods would
bloom understood could cookie
Vocabulary
injured example rookie
wheelchair burden
Comprehension
SUMMARIZE 0SUW\\W\U ;WRRZS 3\R
Summarizing helps
you understand a Ac[[O`g
text because, to
summarize well, you must identify the most
important ideas. Use the author’s main ideas
from the beginning, middle, and end of an
article to help you write a summary of the
entire text.
Use the Summary Chart to help you summarize

as you read “A Brief History of Skiing.”
294
Read
Summarize “A Brief History of Skiing.”
A Brief History of Skiing

People have used skis to get around on snow
for thousands of years. In fact, the oldest skis
found by archaeologists date from more than
4,000 years ago.
Skis have had many uses. People could hunt

animals more quickly on skis than on foot. For
soldiers known as “ski troops,” skiing was less
of a burden during winter than marching. And
downhill racing on skis has been a popular sport
since the middle 1800s.
A rookie learning to ski must be careful not

to get injured. Someone who has a serious skiing
accident may need to use a wheelchair. Advanced
skiers know they should set an example by skiing
safely.
Fill in the Summary

Chart for “A Brief
History of Skiing.”
295
by Lois Knight
Candace Cable was born in California. As a kid, she

always had things to do. Candace liked to swim at the
beach and hike in the hills near her house. Candace
had a busy life.
At first, Candace did not enjoy playing sports, but
she liked to keep busy. She would read lots of books,
and she liked school, too. The more sports Candace
tried, however, the more she enjoyed playing them. She
liked to shoot hoops. She ran track, surfed, biked, and
also joined sports teams. She dreamed of becoming an
even better athlete. Candace’s goal was to keep trying
new sports.
296
Candace Cable skiing in Lake Tahoe, California.
A Change in Mood
When she was 21, Candace moved to the hills in
California. She kept playing different sports. Candace
ran in the woods and swam in a brook. That winter she
began to ski. But soon her life would change.
One day, Candace got into a jeep with a friend.
While they were driving, another car hit them at a fast
speed. Candace was not wearing her seat belt and was
thrown into the woods. The accident injured Candace’s
spine. No surgery could help her. She would never walk
again. Candace was very upset. She had not known her
life could change so fast.
297
Candace’s injury did not get better. Her legs were
numb and could not move. Her joints were incapable of
bending. She had to do things sitting down. She would
never stand up again.
Candace was dismayed for a while. She couldn’t
do the things she had liked doing so much before the
crash. She couldn’t ski, walk, or run. She spent a lot of
time alone. She became angry, and this anger drove her
to action. Sports were irresistible to her. She would just
have to play sports without using her legs.
298
Candace has always enjoyed nature. She was glad
that her injury did not keep her from camping in
the mountains.
Shooting for the Stars

Candace started swimming. She
had to wear a special strap to keep her
legs straight in the water. She made her
arms strong so she could keep herself
from sinking. It took a lot of practice, but
Candace learned to swim without using
her legs.
Soon, Candace actually felt she could
swim in a race. Her first swimming race
was hard. Candace didn’t win, but the
swim meet was an important moment
for her. She now knew that she could
compete in sports again. She practiced
a lot and became a powerful swimmer.
Candace’s mood improved, and she felt
good.
299
Candace has won medals in several sports.
Candace’s swimming coach suggested that Candace

try racing with her wheelchair. Once Candace started
racing, she took off with a whoosh. And she never
looked back. She thought wheelchair races were cool.
Soon, Candace became extremely swift with her
wheelchair. She got first place and set records in many
races. It felt good to have such a big part of her life
back.
Candace decided she would like to help others by
teaching and training them how to play sports in a
wheelchair.
300
Making it Look Easy
Candace got first place in wheelchair races all over
the world. After doing a lot of wheelchair racing and
swimming, she took an interest in snow skiing. But this
time, it was unlike the sport she had loved before her
accident.
Instead of standing, Candace sat on skis when
she hit the slopes. She worked and trained hard. It
wasn’t easy being a rookie again, but she did not give
up. Soon, Candace joined a very active ski team. They
entered a lot of races and won many of them. Candace
did not let her accident spoil skiing.
Candace is known around the world as a competitive skier.
301
Candace once again enjoyed skiing in Lake Tahoe.
Besides racing down hills, Candace also zoomed

across level land as a cross-country skier. In cross-
country skiing, skiers weave in and out of trees, over
small bumps, and across long distances.
Candace raced across the snow using her special
wheelchair skis. The seat was mounted on two skis,
and she used poles to propel herself along the trail.
Candace took many lessons and trained hard to use her
skis. Her dedication to her new sport would make her a
winner many times.
A1O\ROQS1OPZS¸a;]`\W\UBÒW\W\UAQVSRcZS
Training Schedule Used By Candace Cable
Ac\ROg ;]\ROg BcSaROg ESR\SaROg BVcàROg 4`WROg AObc`ROg
1]`SbÒW\W\U 1]`S @Sab 1]`S 1]`S 1]`S 1]`S
^`]UÒ[ "[W\ "[W\ "[W\ "[W\ "[W\
"[W\
[WZS ![WZS /S`]PWQO`[ [WZS ![WZS #[WZS
PWYS`WRS 6O\RQgQZS SÙ][SbS` PWYS`WRS PWYS`WRS PWYS`WRS
&[W\ PWYS`WRS $[W\ &[W\ #[W\ ##[W\
[W\
[W\a^`W\ba
1]`S^`]UÒ[ab`S\UbVS\a[caQZSa
302
A Boost of Courage
Candace’s car accident caused a big problem in her
life, but it also gave her a chance to bloom. She never
gave up on playing the sports she loved. Playing sports
boosted her mood, and Candace didn’t let her injury
prevent her from seeking and finding joy.
Candace retired from competing in 2006. In all, she
competed in 10 Paralympics games and 84 marathons.
Candace also won 14 medals, nine of which were gold.
Her wins show that she trained hard in ways that she
could never have imagined when she was just starting
out in sports.
Candace’s many wins were a result of her hard work.
303
Candace makes
speeches to motivate
others to work through
challenges.
Candace has done much more than compete in

races. She writes books and articles, teaches, and
helps those in wheelchairs to play sports. She does not
want anyone to feel as if a wheelchair is a burden. She
teaches people how to work hard and have fun, too.
Candace also gives speeches at schools. She speaks
about her car accident and how it shook up her life.
She tells students that using a wheelchair doesn’t limit
her life.
Candace is an example for others. She is living
proof that anything is possible when you put your mind
to it and work hard.
304
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Candace Cable
0SUW\\W\U ;WRRZS 3\R
Zooms Forward” again.
Fill in the Summary
Ac[[O`g
Chart to summarize the
selection.
Think About It
1. Where did Candace grow up?
2. What caused Candace to try playing sports
again after the accident?
3. In which different sports did Candace compete
after the accident? Use details from the article
in your answer.
4. What about Candace’s personality and early life
made it easier for her to excel in sports after
the accident? Explain your answer using details
from the article.
Write About It
Do you think Candace would be a good teacher
to someone who is learning a new sport? Why or
why not?
305
Decoding
the spellings?
doctor apron winter overtook
goose cedar human travel
happen nibble signal brew
Vocabulary
frequent constructed defensive
purpose centuries commanded
Comprehension
MAKE GENERALIZATIONS Important
Information Generalization
A generalization is a broad
statement that uses words
such as none, always,
usually, few, many, and
some. When deciding
whether a generalization
is true in all or only certain situations, consider
facts from the text and your own knowledge.
As you read “The First Emperor,” record

important information and generalizations on a
Generalizations Chart.
306
Read
Identify important facts and generalizations.
The First Emperor

China is named after a powerful king who ruled
the Qin kingdom 2,000 years ago. After defeating
almost all nearby kingdoms, Qin Shi Huangdi
became the first emperor of a unified China.
During his rule, the Emperor commanded that

many new things be constructed. For example, he had
roads built to help traders with their frequent travels.
The Emperor also saw a need to protect the

country with one big defensive wall. Its purpose
was to defend the Chinese people from attack,
usually by nomads from the north. Because of the
wall’s size, everyone called the Emperor’s wall the
Great Wall. Even after many centuries, some parts
of the wall are still standing today.
Fill in a Generalizations Chart

for “The First Emperor.”
307
The Great Wall
of China
by Brian Levin
illustrated by Oki Han
The Great Wall of China is one of the human-made

wonders of the world. Located near China’s northern
border, this incredible wall was begun more than 2,000
years ago. It was constructed over hundreds of years.
The Great Wall was built on the crests of hills and
mountains in the Chinese countryside. It stretches
across the land as far as the eye can see. The Great
Wall is so big that some
people claim it can be
seen from the moon. This
is not true, but in special
photographs taken from
a low orbit in space,
parts of the wall can just
be made out.
308
A Wall Takes Shape
More than 2,000 years ago, China was actually
a number of small kingdoms. These kingdoms were
always fighting one another. King Zheng of the Qin
kingdom won most of the battles and took over many
of the small kingdoms.
King Zheng found himself ruling over a vast
unified empire. He told his subjects to call him Qin Shi
Huangdi. Huangdi means “imperial ruler,” and he was
hailed as the first emperor of China since the time of
the emperors in ancient legends.
From that point on, all Chinese people were made
to share the same laws, currency, and writing. Over
time, China grew into a big and rich empire.
309
It wasn’t long before nomads from the desert to the
north began raiding China. The nomads caused much
damage by invading farms and destroying crops. The
frequent raids also made traders afraid to bring goods
to China. The Emperor needed a way to protect China
from this burden. He had the idea of making a wall to
stop the enemy.
Many small walls already existed near China’s
borders. The Emperor gave orders to join those small
walls together by raising walls between them. As the
smaller walls were linked, one huge wall began to form.
This came to be known as the “Great Wall.”
310
The Great Wall was built by many thousands of
soldiers, common people, and prisoners. The Emperor
commanded that these people work long hours every
day, during which they were allowed no rest or meals.
Many died under such harsh conditions. Guards posted
atop the wall both oversaw the workers and protected
the empire from invasion.
During Emperor Qin’s reign, the wall was made by
packing dirt and stones between wooden frames. This
type of wall did not last long and had to be repaired
often. As a result, parts of the Great Wall were remade
or expanded several times over the centuries. The
biggest changes were ordered by emperors during
the Ming dynasty. Workers at that time used bricks to
strengthen the wall.
311
The Great Wall had lots of gates through which
traders and visitors were allowed to travel. Each gate had
a huge wooden door that the guards opened and closed.
Standing high atop the towers, guards could see if
an enemy was nearing the wall. Each tower had a moat
around it. A moat is a ditch that people dug and filled
with water. It helped make a tower more resistant to
attack.
The Great Wall also had special signal towers that
were located at the highest points. Whenever a guard
spotted an enemy, or in case of another danger, he
would send a beacon, or message. During the daytime,
the beacon was a smoke signal. At night, it was a flame.
312
The Great Wall protected China for many years.
As attacks from the north did not cease, the Chinese
worked hard to keep the wall in good repair. New
sections were added, and the wall grew ever larger.
The defensive strength of the wall was key to
China’s growing wealth. By keeping enemies out, the
wall kept farmers safe. It let traders safely buy and sell
their goods, too.
Several trade routes were protected because of the
Great Wall. China could sell silk, wool, gold, and silver
to nations in the West. Many ideas from China traveled
with these goods as well.
313
Decline of the Wall
But problems arose. During the Ming Dynasty, there
was growing tension between the ruling class and the
commoners. A guard named Wu Sangui wanted to help
overthrow the Ming rulers. So he opened a gate and
allowed nomads to invade the empire.
Once the nomads took over, the Great Wall lost its
purpose. There were no more invasions from the north,
and the nomads proved to be strong leaders. In fact,
the new rulers expanded China’s borders beyond the
Great Wall. For almost 300 years, there was peace and
prosperity. Repairs to the wall slowly ceased.
314
Over the years, many parts of the Great Wall
began to fall apart. Plants grew over it, and exposure
to weather took its toll. Sun, rain, wind, snow, and
earthquakes caused brick and stone to crack and break
apart. People also made cuts through the wall to make
room for roads. They even took bricks from the wall to
build their homes.
Today, nearly half of the Great Wall is in ruins, but
the Chinese government has set up projects to restore
it. Leaders have also written laws to help protect the
wall from being damaged further.
315
The Great Wall of China has always been an
important part of Chinese culture. It once stood to fend
off enemies. Now it stands as a symbol of the skill of
the Chinese people. As such, it is a significant part of
China’s story, both past and present.
Each year, thousands of tourists from all over the
world visit the Great Wall. As they stroll the steep
stone paths of the wall, many gaze out at the distant
hills and wonder how similar the view may have been
two thousand years ago. Few fail to marvel at the wall
itself and how resourceful its builders were!
316
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “The Great Wall of Important
Information Generalization
China” again. Fill in the
Generalizations Chart. Then
use it to summarize the
selection.
Think About It
1. Where in China is the Great Wall located?
2. What did workers use to make the Great Wall
during Emperor Qin’s reign? What did they use
during the Ming Dynasty?
3. What was the purpose of the wall’s gates? When
was a gate used for the wrong purpose? Explain
your answer using details from the selection.
4. How have the reasons for preserving the wall
changed over the centuries? Use details from
the selection to support your answer.
Write About It
Describe something large that people have
constructed, such as a bridge, tunnel, dam,
canal, pipeline, or road. Tell how it is similar to
the Great Wall and how it is different.
317
Decoding
the spellings?
follow gown proud around
surround football taken shook
browse threw flower untrue
Vocabulary
drowsy automatically serious
bellowed audible contract
Comprehension
SEQUENCE When you place the 3dS\b
events in a story in sequence, you
put them in the order in which
they took place. As you read, look
for signal words such as first, next,
after, then, and finally. These are
clues to the order of events. Understanding
the sequence of events in a story can help you
identify and remember key events.
As you read “Bellow and Blow,” use your

Sequence Chart to help you place the events in
the story in the order that they took place.
318
Read
Identify the sequence of events.
Bellow and Blow

Omar Jr. spent a lot of time around his dad’s
jazz band. One day Omar Jr. asked his dad, “How
did the Bebop Band start?”
“Well,” said Omar’s dad, “that’s a funny

story. I was in school one day feeling sleepy
and drowsy. Suddenly my teacher bellowed, and
I woke up quickly. ‘Omar!’ he shouted. ‘I think
you should join the school band. The music
might keep you awake!’ He was not serious, but
I thought, why not? After school I went to the
room where the band practiced. The music was
audible from behind the closed door. I could
already play the piano, so I automatically felt at
home with the members of the band.
Then, when school ended that year, Marty,

Stan, Rowan, and I got a contract to play at a
fair in town. The rest is history!”
Fill out the Sequence Chart for “Bellow

and Blow.” Use it to show the order of
events in the story.
319
by Percy Johnson
illustrated by Sandra Schaad
Dad’s Band
Omar was a jazz fan. His dad played piano in a
jazz band. Omar loved to stay up late and listen to his
dad and the band play. People came from all over to
listen to jazz in the Bebop Theater. Omar liked how
loudly the audience clapped when a song ended. His
dad’s pal Rowan promised to teach him how to play
the saxophone. Omar loved how his dad and the band
spoke in a kind of code.
“Wow,” said Omar’s dad. “That cat can blow!”
He meant that Rowan played the saxophone
very well.
320
Omar helped his dad and the band by drawing
flyers to hang around town. Every week he made a
new yellow flyer for the band. The purpose of the
flyers was to get a bigger audience. He liked to draw
with different colors and make unusual designs. Omar
walked around town and found places high and low to
post the flyers.
His dad and the rest of the band gave Omar some
money for being their assistant. After work, Omar was
allowed to sit at a table in the theater and listen to the
band. His goal was to own a theater someday.
321
A Huge Show
One day, the band’s manager, Mr. Powers, told the
band that their contract would soon end. They could
sign a new contract only if they packed the whole
theater with fans on Saturday. It would have to be the
biggest show they had ever held. The band worried
about this new burden.
“I don’t know what we can do,” said Stan, the
drummer.
“We’ll have to put on quite a show,” replied Marty,
who played the clarinet.
Omar made as many flyers as he could. His dad
tried out new songs and styles. Tuesday passed. Then
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday flew by. The band
was tired and overworked.
322
“I’m really tired,” said Omar’s dad. “I must have
worked too hard getting ready for Saturday. I need
some serious shut-eye.” That meant that he needed
to sleep.
“Man, I could sleep for days,” yawned Marty.
“I don’t think we can go on with the show.”
Omar looked at the band. They were sad and
exhausted. He knew there was no way the band
would be able to perform that night without rest.
“Why don’t you guys go home? There are a
few hours before the show. Get some rest, and
I’ll set up here.”
The band was hesitant, but they shuffled off and
Omar was left in the empty auditorium.
323
How Can It Be?
Omar closed his eyes, too. Then he heard a barely
audible growl.
“Who is that?” demanded Omar. “I thought
everyone was going home to sleep.”
“Oh, we’re here. We’re all still here.” A voice came
from the piano.
Omar looked up and saw a face on the piano. The
keys looked like teeth! Then a squeaky voice piped up,
“Yes. We are worried that the show will not go on.” It
was the clarinet.
“We’ve been practicing all week, and now our
musicians are too drowsy to play!” complained the
trumpet and trombone.
Omar could not believe his eyes or ears. The
instruments were talking to him!
324
“Come on, kid. You can be our audience. What song
do you want to hear?” asked the drums.
“Okay, how about Take Five?” said Omar.
“Hit it!” commanded the saxophone. Soon, a
symphony surrounded Omar. Every note was perfect!
Omar applauded once the instruments were
finished. “Great work. I bet the band practiced so much
that you just play automatically now. Wow! I think the
show can go on!”
“But I don’t want to play without Stan,” said the
drums, defensively.
“And I don’t want to play without
Marty,” said the clarinet.
“No, let them rest. You are going
on solo tonight,” cheered Omar.
Could the instruments do it?
325
A Grand Show
Before the show, Omar told everyone he
could find that the instruments were going
to play jazz all by themselves. A huge
crowd filled up the theater.
The instruments played well. But
they did not play the special parts, or
as Dad called them, “jams.” No one else
seemed to notice.
Afterward Mr. Powers bellowed, “Omar! I was just
on the telephone with a theater in another town. They
want this band to play there tomorrow night!”
Omar was thrilled. “Will you renew my dad’s contract?”
“No, Omar. This band is better. How much money
does your dad want for these instruments?” asked
Mr. Powers.
Omar thought his dad wouldn’t need a piano that
played by itself. He named a price.
326
Mr. Powers Leaves Town
Later, Omar found his dad and Howie, another
bandmate. They were groggy from so much sleep.
“Dad!” called Omar. “I sold the instruments, and
now you can get new ones!”
Howie said, “We don’t need instruments anymore.
We all slept through our big show.”
“It’s okay. The instruments played by themselves,
and Mr. Powers really liked them. He bought them!”
Omar showed his dad and Howie the cash.
“You know, that piano always did have a mind of
its own,” said Omar’s dad.
“My trumpet played wrong notes sometimes, and it
made a strange coughing sound,” sighed Howie.
“Let’s go wake the rest of the band. I bet they will
be thrilled to get new instruments!” said Omar.
327
Mr. Powers drove the instruments to another
town. On the way, they told him silly jokes and played
singing and counting games in the car. Mr. Powers
enjoyed their company. The instruments are probably
still roaming all around the world playing in theaters.
They don’t seem to get much better at playing music,
but they are always interesting to see.
Some people call them the best jazz band in the
world, but Omar knows better. He owns the Bebop
Theater now, and his daughter makes flyers for him.
The best jazz band in the world still plays there.
And now Omar is “a cat who can really blow!”
328
Comprehension Check
Summarize
&WFOU
Read “A Tough Act to Follow” again.
Fill in the Sequence Chart. Then use
it to summarize the events of the
story in order.
Think About It
1. Why does Omar make flyers for his dad’s band?
2. What happens after the band leaves and Omar
is left alone in the auditorium?
3. Why does Mr. Powers buy the band’s
instruments?
4. List the events that took place in the story, in
order, after Omar found that the instruments
could play themselves. Use details from the
story to support your answer.
Write About It
What musical instrument do you enjoy listening
to? Explain what you like about this instrument.
329
Decoding
the spellings?
splash smooth brush brittle
alphabet whisper athlete towel
sudden stretch microphone south
Vocabulary
vivid tablets produced
cautious communicated
Comprehension
PROBLEM AND SOLUTION To >`]PZS[
help you understand the /bbS[^ba =cbQ][Sa
structure of some nonfiction

articles, identify the way an
A]ZcbW]\
author explains a problem,
attempts to solve the
problem, and the outcomes of those attempts.
As you read “Before the Alphabet,” record on

a Problem and Solution Chart the problem,
attempts to solve it, and the solution.
330
Read
Identify the problem and solution.
Before the Alphabet

Finding a practical way to write has a long
and interesting history. People communicated
in a number of different ways before the first
alphabets were invented.
Early humans, for example, left important

messages for each other by painting vivid pictures
on the walls of caves. Many centuries later, sets
of reusable symbols began to be produced. These
could be scratched onto clay tablets and sent like
mail to people who lived far away.
Scientists who study forms of ancient writing

must be cautious when deciding what meanings
the markings had to the writers who made them.
The careful work of these scientists lets us read
what people had to say long ago.
Fill in a Problem and Solution

Chart as you read “Before the
Alphabet.”
331
from Drawings to Alphabets
by Gene Clancy
illustrated by Ron Himler
Origins of Writing
At any given moment, we may be reading street
signs that tell us where we are, newspapers and Web
sites that inform us about current events, or emails and
text messages from pals. And these are just some of
the ways people use the written word.
We know the symbols that make up the letters in
our alphabet. But did you know that many early kinds
of writing were drawings?
More than fifteen thousand years ago, people used
vivid drawings on cave walls to share information.
Archaeologists think these drawings were instructions
on such topics as where to hunt nearby for food.
332
Before the invention of writing, one of the ways
that people communicated was by telling stories. But
they could not always remember exactly what was said.
They had yet to find a good way to save the stories for
later by writing them down.
The Sumerians were a people who lived about
5,000 years ago in what is now the Middle East. As
Sumerian farms spread out to distant places, it became
clear how difficult it was to keep in contact with people
who lived far away. So, to send messages quickly and
easily, they invented what may be the earliest system
of writing.
The Sumerians wrote by carving lines onto clay
tablets with a sharp instrument. The lines stood for
numbers, sounds, and names of things. Over time,
people began sorting the lines in the same ways, which
meant everyone could understand them. This style of
writing is called cuneiform.
An example of Sumerian cuneiform.
333
Hieroglyphs in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt.
Not long after the Sumerians invented cuneiform, a

different type of writing was invented by people in Egypt.
Egyptian writing involved carving pictures called hieroglyphs
into stone or painting them on a kind of paper made from
river plants.
Hieroglyphs could represent different things. Some
resembled real objects, like a house, but others stood for
sounds, like the chirp of a bird. A third kind of hieroglyph
was used to express ideas. All were carefully organized to
help people read the messages.
Egyptians placed hieroglyphs on public buildings, inside
the graves of their kings, and on rolled-up scrolls. The
carvings and paintings mostly told about the lives of kings
and other important people. Archaeologists can study these
hieroglyphs to gather information about Egypt’s past.
334
A different kind of writing that used pictures was
invented by the Maya people who lived in North and
Central America. Mayan script was also a complex
system of symbols. Some pictures stood for objects,
but others were grouped in ways that stood for the
sounds of speech.
On the other side of the globe, the Chinese used
brushes and ink to make special markings called
characters. Each character stood for one syllable in a
word, but characters could also be changed slightly to
show different meanings. Over time, more characters
were added so that new words could be written. Today,
most Chinese people know how to read between 4,000
and 5,000 characters. But a Chinese dictionary that
includes both old and new words might use 50,000 to
100,000 characters!
A rubbing of the inscription on a bronze vessel made in China

during the Western Zhou dynasty.
335
Using an alphabet helped traders keep track of trades.
A Bridge Over Time

About 3,000 years ago, the Phoenician people
living in what is now the Middle East produced the first
alphabet, or set of standard letters. These people were
traders and needed an easy way to keep records of
what they bought and sold.
The first letter, A, looked like an ox’s head, so it was
called aleph, which means “ox.” The second letter, B,
was shaped like a house and was called bet, or “house.”
The name alphabet comes from these two letters.
Each letter in the Phoenician alphabet stood for
a sound. Placing letters side-by-side showed how the
sounds in a word blend together. Some time later,
people in Greece added letters to the alphabet. Before
long, people from many parts of the globe started
using an alphabet to write.
336
One reason why alphabets are helpful is that
people need to learn only 20 to 30 letters. This is
easier than memorizing thousands of characters, as in
Chinese writing. Alphabets also make writing easier.
Once alphabets became common, people started to
write down the famous stories of their lands. In time,
they wrote whole books.
At first, people known as scribes wrote out or
copied books by hand. Early books were made of clay,
wax, or animal hides, but soon different types of paper
were used. Books were gathered in libraries where
others could study them. Some places, like Egypt, had
famous libraries. Students traveled long distances in
order to read in the libraries and study the wisdom of
great thinkers.
A Roman man reads to his son from a scroll in a library.
337
Why do we care about early examples of writing?
They are the best sources of information about the
people who lived thousands of years ago. From the
writing of early peoples, we can learn about the ways
in which they lived and what they thought about.
When you read a story from many years ago, it is
like reading a letter from someone in the past. You can
read about the way of life in Egypt many centuries ago
or how the athletes in ancient Greece competed in the
earliest sports.
Sometimes it takes many years before we can
figure out the writing of people who lived long ago.
Many scholars have added their skills to the task of
making old works readable and understandable.
A Greek vase from about 500 B.C. tells the story of a hunt.
338
A Sumerian man writes on a clay tablet.
Written documents from the distant past can

give us snapshots of life at that time. We can see that
people who lived long ago may not have been so
different from us. For example, we know from a letter
written on a clay tablet that a Sumerian father told his
son that he was unhappy with the boy’s work at school.
He wrote, “Why do you idle about? Go to school, stand
before your headmaster, and write your homework.”
On another Sumerian tablet, a student who was
away at school wrote a cranky message to his parents.
He grumbled that they weren’t sending him money for
the new clothes he wanted. It seems that things have
not changed much in five thousand years!
339
Sending email is a fast and paperless way to write.
The Sumerians had to be cautious with their letters

on clay tablets, which were heavy and brittle. These
could be carried only short distances and could break
if dropped. Over the centuries, however, sending
messages and saving information has become easier.
As recently as 200 years ago, paper letters were
carried by riders on horseback. Pony Express riders, as
they were called, sometimes spent weeks in the saddle
before they could deliver the mail. But later, trains and
planes made mail delivery much faster.
These days, you can use a computer or phone
to send messages anywhere in the world with great
speed. When you do, think about how writing has
changed since early humans drew pictures on the walls
of caves. You are part of a long line of people wanting
to stay in touch!
340
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Writing from Drawings >`]PZS[
/bbS[^ba =cbQ][Sa
to Alphabets” again. Fill in the
Problem and Solution Chart. Then
use it to summarize the selection. A]ZcbW]\
Think About It
1. Which ancient people developed a style of
writing on clay?
2. What two methods did ancient Egyptians use to
write with their hieroglyphs?
3. Which ancient peoples used pictures to
represent sounds? Use details from the selection
in your answer.
4. How is a Chinese character different from a
letter in the Phoenician alphabet? Use details
from the selection to explain your answer.
Write About It
What are some of the reasons you need to write
something in a typical week? What can you
accomplish more easily as a result?
341
Decoding
comic create invent crowd
when cloud sheet paper
luckily phone locust shower
Vocabulary
authors manuscripts papyrus
information descriptions rotated
Comprehension
DESCRIPTION is one way authors
of nonfiction present information.
Authors who use description to 3dS\b
organize the information in a selection

often use signal words to tell readers
that a list of important facts, a
definition, or an explanation will soon follow.
Good readers look for signal words such as first,
next, such as, and for example as they read.
As you read “A History of Pens,” use your

Description Web to help you list important facts
and definitions in the selection.
342
Read
Identify the use of description.
A History of Pens
Writers and authors have used different
kinds of pens to write manuscripts and record
information for thousands of years.
Some of the first pens were made in India.

They were made out of objects such as feathers
and bamboo sticks. The ancient Egyptians used
thin brushes made out of reeds that grew in the
Nile River. They also invented a kind of paper that
they made from the stem of the papyrus plant.
Descriptions of pens that held their own ink

begin as early as two thousand years ago. The
ballpoint pen we use today, however, was invented
only a little over 120 years ago. In this kind of pen,
a tiny ball in the tip was free to turn in a socket.
As it moved on paper, the ball rotated, picking up
ink from inside the hollow pen.
Fill out the Description

Web as you read.
343
Updating
the
Printing
Process
by Sue Hicks
illustrated by
Kenneth Batelman
The First Writers

Books, newspapers, and magazines are all around
us! Every day we depend on them to know what
is going on in the world. We read books for a good
story or to learn new things. We read newspaper
articles to get news and descriptions of events. We
read the sports pages to review scores, and we read
comic strips to laugh. Although many people today
use the Internet to get their news, seven out of ten
people still read a newspaper at least once a week.
It has not always been simple, however, to
print things. There have been many changes to the
printing process. These changes help us make books,
newspapers, and magazines easily and quickly.
344
An Egyptian man
uses papyrus stems
to make paper.
Over four thousand years ago, people in ancient

Egypt made a kind of paper from the stem of a plant
called papyrus that grows along the Nile River.
First, the stems were cut into thin strips. Next,
the strips were soaked in water and laid on a hard
surface. Finally, they were hammered together,
mashing the layers into a single sheet. Then the sheet
was dried in the sun.
However, it took a long time to make papyrus.
Also, it was nearly impossible to make many copies of
a text. Each copy had to be made by hand.
345
The copies were called manuscripts. Making
a manuscript was difficult. Each word in every
book had to be written by hand. It took a long
time to write each page. Those who made a
manuscript also drew pictures on the pages.
These people were paid a lot to make the copies.
So books cost a lot to buy.
Books were uncommon because most
people were unable to pay for them. Most of
the printed books were given to people in the
church. Many people did not know
how to read because there were
few books around. Some people
lived and died without
ever seeing a book.
346
Gutenberg’s Printing Press
Luckily, this would not be a problem for long.
A man in Germany decided to find a way to make
books available to people everywhere. This man
was Johann Gutenberg. He grew up in a small
town in Germany. He was from a powerful family.
Gutenberg worked with his father as a coin maker.
Gutenberg worked at a machine that pressed
coins. He took metal and pressed a stamp into it.
The metal became coins. He also learned how to
turn gold, silver, and gems into pretty rings and
mirrors. He knew a lot about metal and presses.
Gutenberg began to think about how other
materials could be pressed to form things.
347
Gutenberg realized that a press could be
used on paper to make books. Ink could be
pressed onto the paper just like metal was
pressed into coins. He was curious and decided
to test out this idea. He used the same stamp
he used to make coins. With this, he printed
text on pieces of paper.
Gutenberg’s new invention was the printing
press. It was called a printing press because it
simply pressed ink onto a page.
Gutenberg’s printing process had a lot of
steps. First, each letter of the alphabet had to
be made into a stamp. He made a lot of stamps
for each letter so that many words could be
pressed at the same time. Gutenberg used
stamps he could rearrange.
348
Then the letter stamps were lined up in
plates to create stories. When all the rows were
lined up, ink was brushed across the letters.
Then a piece of paper was laid across the ink-
filled stamps and a large flat piece of metal
was placed on top of the paper. The strength
of the metal plate pressed the stamps into the
page, and the ink was printed.
Gutenberg had to replace stamps as they
got old, and he had to refill the ink many
times. He rotated letters to change what was
printed. Still, many pages could be printed
quickly with his method.
Suddenly newspapers,
advertisements, and
magazines developed.
The printing press
became one of the
most useful
and famous
inventions in
history.
349
Spreading the News
Gutenberg’s printing press changed the way
people communicated. For example, more people
could have copies of texts. Many issues of books
and newspapers could be printed at one time.
The printing press helped people get updated
information. News began to spread faster,
and it reached more people. As a result, many
people learned to read. Ideas began spreading
across the world quickly because of books and
newspapers.
Over time, newer printing presses were
easier to use. Reusable clay plates meant that
letters no longer had to be rotated to form
phrases. This method was much faster.
350
A.D. 500
(approx.)
People wrote on
papyrus paper, clay
and stone.
Computers have made printing even faster

and more readable. Documents are easier to
review. One keyboard replaced all of the clay
plates and letter stamps. The modern printing
press can automatically print hundreds of books,
newspapers, and magazines every day.
Today, many people work together to
produce a book or a newspaper. Authors write
articles and books. Proofreaders make sure there
are no misspellings or other errors. The texts
and pictures are entered into a computer. The
printer makes the colors and print vivid and
clear.
351
Information is then moved from the
computer to the modern printing press. The
printing press prints the text onto large rolls of
paper. The paper is then fed through another
machine. This machine cuts and folds the pages
to fit into books and other texts.
Hundreds of copies can be printed this way.
This makes books, magazines, and newspapers
much cheaper.
You can see how printing has changed
over the years. In the beginning, it took a long
time to make even one copy of a book. Now,
computers and the modern printing press have
made printing fast and easy.
Some people think that in the future, all
information will be completely paperless. What
do you think?
Modern printing
presses use
computers to
control the speed
and quality of the
printing.
352
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “Updating the Printing
Process” again. Fill in the
Description Web. Then use it to 3dS\b
Think About It
1. What did the ancient Egyptians use to make
paper?
2. Why were books uncommon hundreds of years
ago?
3. What led Gutenberg to invent the printing press?
Use details from the selection in your answer.
4. How did Gutenberg’s printing press change the
way people communicate? Use details from the
selection to support your answer.
Write About It
How has another invention improved
communication around the world?
353
Decoding
explain dream crackle catch
program might kitchen livestock
erupted since future wherever
Vocabulary
revive volcano flee
pressure eruption devour
Comprehension
THEME The theme of a story ASbbW\U
is the message about life EVObbVS1VOÒQbSàEO\b
that the author wants to >Z]b>`]PZS[
give readers. To find the =cbQ][S
theme, think about what the BVS[S
characters do and say, the

problem they must solve, and the outcome.
When you finish reading ask yourself, What
message does the author want to get across?
As you read “Helping After a Disaster,” use your

Theme Chart to help you figure out the overall
theme of the story.
354
Read
Identify the theme of the story.
Helping After a Disaster

Cathy saw a boy holding a bake sale outside
the supermarket.
“Please buy an item from my bake sale,” said

the boy. “There was a disaster in Asia. Pressure
built up inside a volcano. Then there was an
eruption. Thousands of people had to flee and
try to get away. The money I raise from this bake
sale will help revive their land.”
“But you’ll never make enough to help all

those people!” said Cathy.
“I know,” said the boy. “But if everyone raises

a little bit of money, we can help them a lot!”
“You’re right,” said Cathy. “I will buy one

strawberry shortcake. I may devour it on the way
home!”
Fill out the Theme Chart for “Helping After a

Disaster.” Then use the chart to figure out how parts
of the story relate to the theme.
355
by Jacqueline Moore
HISTORY REPEATS
“C louds of smoke at Mount St. Helens in

Washington. Many people are worried,” my mom read
out loud from the newspaper. “They are watching the
volcano closely. This is the first time the volcano has
erupted since 1980.”
My mom kept reading, but I could see that she
was worried. She did not know if the destruction of
1980 would happen again. She has has always lived
near Mount St. Helens. In fact, she was there when the
volcano erupted in 1980.
My mother kept a journal during the event. She
wrote a description of the eruption. I have read her
journal many times. So I know what happened at Mount
St. Helens when it erupted on May 18, 1980.
356
The area around Mount St. Helens has an
interesting past. Native Americans had lived in this
area long before the settlers came. The land is perfect
for raising livestock. The surroundings are beautiful.
The water in the lakes is so clear you can drink it.
I love it here.
After school, I like to lounge around on the
softness of our comfortable porch swing. I can
look out and see the lake and the mountains in the
distance. I just sit quietly and relax. At times I study
on the porch. That is also the best place to read my
mom’s journal. This is how I learned about the day
Mount St. Helens erupted. I want to share it with you.
So I’ve picked my favorite entries.
Forest regrowth at Mount

St. Helens in Washington.
357
An earthquake in March
may have triggered the
eruption of the mountain a
few months later.
MARCH 20th ,
1980
Today was a scary day. I was sitting in the kitchen.
All of a sudden the floor began to shake. It was
an overwhelming feeling. Then the dishes and the
windows began to rattle. The furniture rearranged
itself. It felt as though a boulder had rolled down from
the mountain and had hit my house. I dashed to the
phone. I tried to call Mrs. Rakoff, our neighbor, but the
phone lines were down.
Later, I found out what had happened. There
had been an earthquake at Mount St. Helens! This is
uncommon and frightening. Mount St. Helens has been
silent for over one hundred years. Now scientists on
TV say there might be a big eruption. It all seems like a
bad dream.
358
APRI L 3 rd, 1980
Since the earthquake on March 20th, Mount St.
Helens has been active. Scientists estimate that there
have been 79 earthquakes around the mountain. Then
on March 27, there was an explosion on the top of the
mountain. I heard a loud crackle. The air became thick
with ash. The next day I read that now there is a huge
crater on the mountain. It is 1,500 feet wide. That is the
length of over four football fields!
The mountain is grey. It is a fearful sight. My friends
and neighbors are scared, too. They are worried that
if the mountain erupts, lava and ash may devour their
homes. Many of them are going to transfer their cars,
pets, and important items to other places.
Explosive eruptions of ash and smoke occurred

hourly on Mount St. Helens on April 13, 1980.
359
In 1980, voluminous plumes of volcanic ash and
rock blasted from the side of Mount St. Helens.
MAY 19th , 1980

I can’t believe what happened! Yesterday started
out as a clear and sunny day. Then Mount St. Helens
erupted. We heard a blast, and the sky was filled with
smoke. We had just enough time to flee from our
home. I still feel shaken. We should have left earlier.
We spent the day at my sister’s house watching the
news. The reporters say there was an earthquake under
the mountain. Then the top of the mountain slid away.
Scientists called it a landslide. Lava poured out of the
mountain. The lava was so hot that ice on the mountain
turned to water. The volcanic eruption lasted for nine
hours. I still am so fearful, and I do not know when we
will be able to return home.
360
After th e Er u pti o n : May 21st, 1980
It has been three days since Mount St. Helens
erupted. Scientists said there was pressure on the walls
of the volcano. The pressure became unbearable. So
hot lava came out of the volcano. This is when the
eruption happened.
The eruption caused a lot of destruction on the
mountain. It also caused destruction on land nearby.
Many plants have been destroyed. Trees and bushes
have disappeared. Many animals have also been killed.
Hundreds of deer, elk, and bears were wiped out by
the blast. Millions of fish and small birds were also
destroyed. And Mount St. Helens is smaller now. The
destruction of the land is unbearable to see. Nothing
looks the same.
The worst thing is that 57 people were killed.
Ash covers what is left of a forest following

the eruption of Mount St. Helens.
361
SEPTEMBER 4th , 1980
I t has been almost four months since Mount St.
Helens erupted. We have all tried to return to our daily
lives, but the landscape has changed. Grey ash floats
in the air. The lake is much bigger and dirtier. The area
around us looks lonesome and empty. There are no
trees, plants, or animals. I hope they return one day.
Scientists have said that the erupting volcano can
be good for us. Minerals in volcanic ash can enrich
the soil. This is good for farmers who grow crops. The
eruption will also help scientists better understand why
volcanoes such as Mount St. Helens become active.
They may be able to find out when a volcano is going
to erupt and save many people.
Scientists studied the damage after the eruption

so that they could help predict future eruptions.
362
MOUNT ST. HELENS TODAY
My mom’s journal does not end there. She kept
writing in it for years. She talked about how fearful
people were. They did not know why the eruption took
place. Later scientists were able to explain to people
why the volcano erupted.
My mom also wrote about the plant and animal
life. She said that the area began to revive within a
few years. Plants and flowers began to pop up out of
the ground. Then some animals started to come back,
too. In 1990, my mom wrote, “I guess living near a
volcano is like living in an area where an earthquake
or a tornado can happen. You have to know about
the danger. You must also be ready to act quickly if
something happens.”
Despite the destruction caused by the 1980
eruption, plants and animals are surviving on
the land.
363
Mount St. Helens is
one of many active
volcanoes around
the world.
I have learned a lot about Mount St. Helens from

my mom’s journal. I have also learned a lot about the
mountain from my own experience. Just yesterday the
newspapers said that Mount St. Helens blew a cloud of
smoke into the air.
Scientists said the blast came from small
earthquakes in the mountain, just like in 1980. They
think that an eruption may happen again. Right now
the mountain looks like it did before the eruption.
I guess we need to be prepared.
I know scientists say after Mount St. Helens erupts,
the wildlife and plants come back. I keep my eye on
it though. You never know when you may have to
suddenly leave and take shelter.
364
Comprehension Check
Summarize
Read “A Signal of Smoke” ASbbW\U
again. Fill in the Theme Chart. EVObbVS1VOÒQbSàEO\b
Then use it to summarize the >Z]b>`]PZS[
selection. =cbQ][S
BVS[S
Think About It
1. When did Mount St. Helens erupt in Washington
State?
2. What kind of destruction did the eruption of
Mount St. Helens cause?
3. In what ways can an erupting volcano be good
for an area where it takes place? Use details
from the selection in your answer.
4. What is the theme of this selection? Use details
from the selection to support your answer.
Write About It
What can people do to prepare for a natural
disaster? Explain your answer.
365
TITLE DECODING VOCABULARY COMPREHENSION
Unit 1 pages 6–65
/a/a pack, /e/e, ea set,
6 Missing on Mud regretted, edge, rashly, Analyze Story Structure:
head /i/i spill, /o/o stop,
Hill nervous, excitedly Plot, Character, Setting
/u/u mud
/ā/a_e same, /ē/e_e accident, tourists, blaze,
18 A Trip to Analyze Story Structure:
these, / ī/i_e like, /ō/o_e basement, flooding,
Seattle’s Past Plot, Character, Setting
stove, /ū/u_e tune carried
30 Antarctica: A Trip /f/ph phone, /sh/sh brush, rare, ice, mass, extreme, Infer and Analyze:
to the South Pole /th/th with, /hw/wh when scientists, midnight Main Idea and Details
/ē/e she, /ē/ee seem,

42 Kingfisher’s tales, dusk, peak, worry, Infer and Analyze:
/ē/ea dream, /ē/y happy,
Dream exists, horizon Cause and Effect
/ē/ey key
/ā/ai main, /ā/ay stay,
54 Hope Remains for attained, dainty, stray, Infer and Analyze:
/ā/aigh straight, /ā/eigh
the Butterflies maintain, drain, migrate Main Idea and Details
weigh
Unit 2 pages 66–125
66 Kylee’s New /ī/i quiet, /ī/y try, view, fault, concerns, Generate Questions:
Team /ī/igh sight, /ī/ie pie guest, explore Make Inferences
model, pilots, hub, Generate Questions:

78 Citizens of Space /s/c space, /j/g page
device, citizen, pack Make Inferences
protect, reporters,
Generate Questions:
90 Hurricane Watch /ch/ch which, tch patch prevent, hurricane, calm,
Make Generalizations
shelter
102 A Road to /ō/o focus, oa boat, polite, phase, simple, Summarize:

Happiness /ō/oe toe shepherd, fetch, honor Problem and Solution
114 Saint Bernards:

scour, drift, famous, Summarize:
Saving Lives in /ou/ow brown, ou round
result, rescue, foundation Sequence
the Mountains
recognized, details,
126 A Gift For Moon /ü/oo boot, ue glue, Analyze Story Structure:
approached, provide,
Shadow ew new Plot, Character, Setting
activity, bestow
/är/ar start, /â/air hair,
several, target, research, Monitor Comprehension:
138 A Smart Start are stare, ear pear,
active, perform, curiosity Draw Conclusions
/â/ere there
/ûr/er infer, ir first, renewable, sources,
150 A Need for Analyze Text Structure:
ur surf, or mayor, environment, oxygen,
Energy Cause and Effect
ar polar pollute, energy
history, surrounded,
162 Digging up /ôr/or for , ore store, Monitor Comprehension:
occur, filters, prolong,
History oar boar Summarize
support
audience, relax, doubts,
174 The Show Must /n/kn know, gn gnat, Monitor Comprehension:
character, memorize,
Go On /r/wr write, /m/mb lamb Draw Conclusions
imagination
366
TITLE DECODING VOCABULARY COMPREHENSION
186 Jackie Robinson
loyal, jeers, poised, Evaluate:
and the Joy of /oi/oi soil, oy boy
avoid, retired, released Author’s Purpose
Baseball
198 Jacques Cousteau:
/ә l/el angel, le bubble, mysterious, chemicals, Evaluate:
Scientist Below
al legal vessel, gear, inventions Fact and Opinion
Sea Level
/ô/au pause, aw claw,
respect, respond, Infer and Analyze:
210 Gandhi’s Causes augh taught,
freedoms, awe, protest Compare and Contrast
ough bought, /ôl/al salt
spr spring, scr scream,
solo, stunt, gearshift, Infer and Analyze:
222 Extreme Sports str stretch, spl splash,
attach, nature Fact and Opinion
thr thread
234 Hooked on opera, event, recital, Evaluate:

/u/oo book, ou would
Dancing lessen, amused, increase Author’s Perspective

blind, venture, entrance,
246 Anne Sullivan: A Evaluate:
Review: /a/ and /ā/ damaged, curious,
Valuable Teacher Author’s Purpose
texture
survival, decades,
258 A Trip to Find Monitor Comprehension:
Review: /i/ and /ī/ nutrition, determination,
Rain Compare and Contrast
villagers
dismayed, appealing,
270 The Weekend Evaluate:
Review: /e/ and /ē/ actually, occasion,
Treat Persuasion
deserve
recall, memories,
282 A Collection of Evaluate:
Review: /o/ and /ō/ irresistible, illegible,
Thoughts Make Judgments
collection, incapable
294 Candace Cable rookie, burden, example, Monitor Comprehension:

Review: /ü/ and /u/
Zooms Forward injured, wheelchair Summarize

/ә r/er ever, /ә l/el tunnel, defensive, commanded,
306 The Great Wall of Generate Questions:
le ladle, /ә n/en wooden, frequent, centuries,
China Make Generalizations
on apron, an human constructed, purpose
audible, drowsy, contract,
318 A Tough Act to Generate Questions:
Review: /ou/ou, ow serious, bellowed,
Follow Sequence
automatically
330 Writing from vivid, tablets,
Review: /f/ph, /sh/sh, Summarize:
Drawings to communicated, cautious,
/th/th, /hw/wh Problem and Solution
Alphabets produced
rotated, authors,
342 Updating the Review: short vowels and Generate Questions:
manuscripts, papyrus,
Printing Process long vowels Description
descriptions, information
volcano, eruption,
354 A Signal of Review: short vowels and Summarize:
devour, pressure, flee,
Smoke long vowels Theme
revive
367
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ILLUSTRATIONS
Cover Illustration: Robert Giusti
7-16: Howard Post. 20-28: Harold Henriksen. 43-52: Katherine Tillotson. 67-76: Sue Spellman. 79-88: Tom
Leonard. 93-100: Barbara M. Libby. 103-112: Lori Osiecki. 127-136: Dorothy Sullivan. 139-148: Whitney Sherman.
175-184: Jack E. Davis. 206-208: Dan Clifford. 211-220: Stephen Marchesi. 236-242: Steve Cieslawski. 248-256:
Jessica Clerk. 259-268: Louise Monjo. 271-280: Kristen Goeters. 283-292: Paul Casale. 307-316: Oki Han. 319-
328: Sandra Schaad. 336-340: Ron Himler. 343-351: Kenneth Batelman.
PHOTOGRAPHY
All photographs are by Macmillan/McGraw-Hill (MMH) except as noted below.
3: (br) Klein/Peter Arnold, Inc.; (tr) Dynamic Graphics Group/Creatas/Alamy. 4: (tl) Brand X Pictures/
PunchStock; (bl) Bettmann/Corbis. 5: (tr) Candace Cable; (br) Bojan Brecelj/Corbis. 31: David Tipling/Alamy.
32: (t) Schafer & Hill/Getty Images; (inset) USGS/Photo Researchers. 33: (t) Altrendo Nature/Getty Images;
(inset) Bill Curtsinger/National Geographic/Getty Images. 34: (tl cl) NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Scientific Visualization Studio. 34-35: (t) Galen Rowell/Corbis. 36: Bryan & Cherry Alexander Photography/
Alamy. 37: Bill Curtsinger/National Geographic/Getty Images. 38: Galen Rowell/Corbis. 39: Norbert Wu/
Minden Pictures. 40: Galen Rowell/Corbis. 55: Dynamic Graphics Group/Creatas/Alamy. 56: Gary Vestal/
Getty Images. 57: Dynamic Graphics Group/Creatas/Alamy. 58: (b) Keith Kent/Photo Researchers; (inset)
Sally McCrae Kuyper/Bruce Coleman/Photoshot. 59: Scott Tysick/Masterfile. 60: George Lepp/Getty
Images. 61: Creatas/PunchStock. 62: (l) Danny Lehman/Corbis; (inset) James L. Amos/Corbis. 63: Dan
Guravich/Corbis. 64: Danny Lehman/Corbis. 91: Digital Vision/PunchStock. 92-93: Worldspec/NASA/Alamy.
94-95: Jeff Greenberg/Alamy. 97: Annie Griffiths Belt/Corbis. 99: Steve Starr/Index Stock. 115: Robert Cattan/
IndexStock. 116-117: (bkgd) Arne Hodalic/Corbis. 117: (inset) Felix Zaska/Corbis. 118: Ron Kimball/Kimball
Stock. 119: Mary Evans Picture Library/The Image Works. 120: Robert Cattan/IndexStock/Photolibrary.
121: Mary Evans Picture Library/The Image Works. 122: Tim Davis/Corbis. 123: Klein/Peter Arnold, Inc. 124:
Ashley Cooper/Alamy. 152: Bill Ross/Corbis. 153: Derek Croucher/Corbis. 154: Lester Lefkowitz/Corbis. 155:
Paul Hanna/Reuters/Corbis. 156: (b) Derek Trask; (inset) Cooperphoto/Corbis. 158: Bettmann/Corbis. 159:
Chinch Gryniewicz; Ecoscene/Corbis. 160: Stock Connection/Alamy. 163: Hemera Technologies/Alamy.
164: (tr) Adam Wolfitt/Corbis; (cr cl) Brand X Pictures/PunchStock. 165-166: Tony Kwan/Alamy.167: john
t. fowler/Alamy. 168-169: (bkgd) Richard T. Nowitz/Corbis; (inset) Todd Muskopf/Alamy. 170-171: Randall
Hyman. 172: Robert Harding Picture Library Ltd/Alamy. 187: Creatas/PunchStock. 188: J.R. Eyerman/Time
Life Pictures/Getty Images.189-195: Bettmann/Corbis. 196: Time Life Pictures/Pix Inc./Time Life Pictures/
Getty Images. 199: Malcolm Fife/Getty Images. 200: John Beatty/Getty Images. 201: Bettmann/Corbis. 202:
The Granger Collection, New York. 203: Reinhard Dirscherl/Alamy. 204: Popperfoto/Getty Images. 205:
Darren Matthews/Alamy. 223: Steven May/Alamy. 224: Michael Newman/PhotoEdit. 225: Myrleen Ferguson
Cate/PhotoEdit. 226: Lon C. Diehl/PhotoEdit. 227: AFP/Getty Images. 228: Steven May/Alamy. 229: Mike
Chew/Corbis. 230: Michael Newman/PhotoEdit. 231: Don Mason/Corbis. 232: Roy Ooms/Masterfile. 235
237: Kristi J. Black/Corbis. 240: Scott Kemper/Alamy. 241: Pat Behnke/Alamy. 243: Marc Garanger/Corbis.
244: Alain Evrard/AGEfotostock. 247: Scott T. Baxter/Getty Images. 296-300: Candace Cable. 301: Adam
Pretty/Getty Images. 302: Candace Cable. 303: AP Images/Janet Hostetter. 304: Mychal Watts/WireImage/
Getty Images. 331: Bojan Brecelj/Corbis. 332: Digital Vision/Getty Images. 333: Araldo de Luca/Corbis. 334:
Bojan Brecelj/Corbis. 335: Royal Ontario Museum/Corbis. 338: Leonid Bogdanov/SuperStock. 340: Michael
Newman/PhotoEdit. 345: Worldwide Picture Library/Alamy. 352: TNT Magazine /Alamy. 356-357: John
Warden/Index Stock Imagery. 358: Vince Streano/Corbis. 359: Gary Braasch/Corbis. 360: Bettman/Corbis.
361: Jim Sugar/Corbis. 362: Stephanie Konfal/USGS/Handout/Reuters/Corbis. 363: (bkgd) Carol Cohen/
Corbis; (inset) PhotoLink/Getty Images. 364: John & Lisa Merrill/Danita Delimont Stock Photography
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Published by Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, of McGraw-Hill Education, a division of

Printed in the United States of America

Review short /a/, long /ā/; Author’s Purpose ........................................ 246

Story structure is made up of Setting

plot, character, and setting. The Problem

plot is the series of events in the Events

story. This includes the problem a

to solve it. The setting is where

To help you find the story structure, use the

Sam fell to the bottom of the hill. He was

Sam yelled excitedly. He was lucky. A man

Use the Story Map to help you

Pam and Rob zigged past trees. They

Read “Missing on Mud Hill” again. ASbbW\U

Fill in the Story Map. Then use it >`]PZS[

to summarize the structure of 3dS\ba

SETTING Story structure

Use a Characters, Setting, and Plot Chart to

As she got close to home, she saw a fire

Mom came outside with a fireman. By the

Use the Characters, Setting, and Plot Chart to help

Last spring, my family went to a place named

Past” again. Fill in the

Use the Web to help you identify the main idea

The sun is odd in this spot. In summer,

Use the Main Idea Web to help you

A Very Cold Place!

Antarctica has big ice caves.

Antarctica is an extreme land. It has no shrubs or

Antarctica is not like other places.

In summer the sun melts a top layer of ice. When a

Life on the Ice

Seals and their pups spend a lot of time in water,

Whales can eat a lot of fish.

Very Cold Place!” Then use it to

A Cause and Effect Chart helps you figure out

The wise man’s best tale is about the Sky

Use the Cause and Effect Chart to record important

again. Fill in the Cause and Effect

As you reread “Butterflies Make Their Way,” use

Butterflies Make Their Way

Butterflies can migrate from 5 to 12 miles in

The monarch butterfly has attained a way

Make a Main Idea Web for each paragraph.

W hat is dainty and green and hangs on a stem?

A milkweed leaf with eggs

The monarch will not get to eat in its next stage as

Butterflies Will Not Delay

A sign in Mexico: “Take care of the

Use the Inferences Chart as you read

It concerns Riley that she might not make it

Riley likes to explore by trying new sports

Fill out the Inferences Chart

questions as you read can

Use the clues and your own knowledge to make

The club spent all year learning about

The club chose to make a pack that helps

The model pack won first place in the

Fill out the Inference Diagram for “Trip to Space”

Stage One: Blast Off in Space

Science Club on their

As you read, look for clue words and list the