3rd Grade Reading Comprehension

Surfing- 848 words THE SPORT OF KINGS People have been surfing for hundred, perhaps thousands, of years. The first surfers may have been Polynesian fisherfolk who rode boards to help them move quickly through the waves. When Polynesians first settled in Hawaii around 1200 CE, they brought their love of surfing with them. They called it he'e nalu (HAY-ay NAHL-oo), which means "wave sliding." Surfing was more than a sport to the early Hawaiians. It was an important part of their culture. Hawaiians carved surfboards from the wood of special trees. Surfers prayed to their gods to protect them and bring them great waves. Hawaiian chiefs showed their skill and courage by riding huge wooden boards. The best beaches were kept only for royalty. SURFING U.S.A.- AND BEYOND Europeans learned about surfing in the late 1700's. That's when British explorer Captain Cook and his crew spotted surfers around Tahiti and Hawaii. In 1885, three Hawaiian princes visited Santa Cruz, California. They rode surfboards off the beach. Soon, local boys were trying to copy them. Jack London, a world-famous author, visited Hawaii in 1907 and wrote stories about the surfers he saw there. One of those surfers, George Freeth, helped spread surfing across the mainland when he traveled to California and showed off his skills. He became known as "the father of modern surfing." Duke Kahanamoku (kah-hah-nh-MOH-koo) was a Hawaiian-born champion swimmer who won medals at the 1912 and 1920 Olympic Games. he learned to surf as a boy in Hawaii and loved to share the sport. Kahanamoku traveled around the United States and became one of surfing's most important early stars. He took part in Australia's first surfing shows using a board he built himself. By the 1960's, surfing was hugely popular in California, Hawaii, and Australia. Hit songs, movies, magazines, and TV shows celebrated the fun and freedom of surfing. Even people who had never seen the sport in real life knew about the surfing lifestyle. BOARDS Up until the early twentieth century surfboards were still made of solid wood. They were heavy and difficult to steep. In 1926, surfer Tom Blake invented a hollow board that was much lighter and faster. He was also the first person to add fins to make boards easier to control. By the 1940's, surfboards were made of a light wood known as balsa. Modern materials, such as fiberglass, have helped make today's surfboards light, strong, and buoyant. Surfboards come in many different styles, including shortboards, longboards, and funboards. Each has a nose and tail to make the board faster, and fins on the bottom to help with steering. Shortboards measure about 2 meters (6.5 ft.), while longboards can be up to 4 meters (13.1 ft.). Funboards are slightly longer and wider than shortboards and are a good choice for beginners. Today's surfboards have a leach, or leg rope, to keep them from getting swept away. Leashes keep boards from smacking into other people in the water when a surfer wipes out. COMPETITION The first-ever World Surfing Championship was held in 1964 at Manly Beach, Australia. Competitors from Hawaii, the continental US, Peru, and Australia surfed in front of more than sixty-five thousand people. Australians Bernard Farrelly and Phyllis O'Donnel became the first world champions. Today's top male and female surfers compete in the World Championship Tour held by the World Surf League. In each heat, surfers have up to thirty minutes to catch waves. Judges award each wave a score from one to ten. Surfers are allowed to catch as many waves as they can during a heat. Judges count each surfer's top two waves for a possible high score of twenty. Few surfers ever get a perfect score! Surfers receive points based on how well they perform at competitions. The male and female surfers with the highest points each year become the Word Surf League champions. SAFETY Surfing is challenging, and surfers need to take care to keep from hurting themselves- and those around them. Surfers need to be strong swimmers. They should also do the following: Check the weather and tides before going near the water. Check to make sure their board is in good shape. Always use a safety leash. Never surf alone. Keep control of their board at all times. Wear sunblock and a swim shirt to protect their skin from sun damage and rashes. Wear a wet suit to keep out the cold. SURFING STARS Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer who is famous for his skill and style. He has been crowned World Surf League champion a record eleven times. He is both the youngest and oldest person to ever become champion. When Lisa Andersen began the sport at thirteen, she was the only girl surfing in her hometown in Florida. That didn't stop her from winning the world championship four times in a row from 1994 to 1997. She became the first superstar of women's professional surfing, paving the way for many other top athletes. CONCLUSION From its beginning in Polynesia, surfing has spread to every continent, including Antarctica! People all over the world have discovered just how fun, healthy, and exciting surfing can be. Surf's up!

2. Which of the following statements form the text show that surfing was an important part of early Hawaiian culture? A. Surfers prayed to their gods to protect them and bring them great waves. B. Europeans learned about surfing in the late 1700's. C. The first surfers may have been Polynesian fisherfolk. D. In 1926, surfer Tom Blake invented a hollow board that was much lighter and faster.

Surfing- 848 words THE SPORT OF KINGS People have been surfing for hundred, perhaps thousands, of years. The first surfers may have been Polynesian fisherfolk who rode boards to help them move quickly through the waves. When Polynesians first settled in Hawaii around 1200 CE, they brought their love of surfing with them. They called it he'e nalu (HAY-ay NAHL-oo), which means "wave sliding." Surfing was more than a sport to the early Hawaiians. It was an important part of their culture. Hawaiians carved surfboards from the wood of special trees. Surfers prayed to their gods to protect them and bring them great waves. Hawaiian chiefs showed their skill and courage by riding huge wooden boards. The best beaches were kept only for royalty. SURFING U.S.A.- AND BEYOND Europeans learned about surfing in the late 1700's. That's when British explorer Captain Cook and his crew spotted surfers around Tahiti and Hawaii. In 1885, three Hawaiian princes visited Santa Cruz, California. They rode surfboards off the beach. Soon, local boys were trying to copy them. Jack London, a world-famous author, visited Hawaii in 1907 and wrote stories about the surfers he saw there. One of those surfers, George Freeth, helped spread surfing across the mainland when he traveled to California and showed off his skills. He became known as "the father of modern surfing." Duke Kahanamoku (kah-hah-nh-MOH-koo) was a Hawaiian-born champion swimmer who won medals at the 1912 and 1920 Olympic Games. he learned to surf as a boy in Hawaii and loved to share the sport. Kahanamoku traveled around the United States and became one of surfing's most important early stars. He took part in Australia's first surfing shows using a board he built himself. By the 1960's, surfing was hugely popular in California, Hawaii, and Australia. Hit songs, movies, magazines, and TV shows celebrated the fun and freedom of surfing. Even people who had never seen the sport in real life knew about the surfing lifestyle. BOARDS Up until the early twentieth century surfboards were still made of solid wood. They were heavy and difficult to steep. In 1926, surfer Tom Blake invented a hollow board that was much lighter and faster. He was also the first person to add fins to make boards easier to control. By the 1940's, surfboards were made of a light wood known as balsa. Modern materials, such as fiberglass, have helped make today's surfboards light, strong, and buoyant. Surfboards come in many different styles, including shortboards, longboards, and funboards. Each has a nose and tail to make the board faster, and fins on the bottom to help with steering. Shortboards measure about 2 meters (6.5 ft.), while longboards can be up to 4 meters (13.1 ft.). Funboards are slightly longer and wider than shortboards and are a good choice for beginners. Today's surfboards have a leach, or leg rope, to keep them from getting swept away. Leashes keep boards from smacking into other people in the water when a surfer wipes out. COMPETITION The first-ever World Surfing Championship was held in 1964 at Manly Beach, Australia. Competitors from Hawaii, the continental US, Peru, and Australia surfed in front of more than sixty-five thousand people. Australians Bernard Farrelly and Phyllis O'Donnel became the first world champions. Today's top male and female surfers compete in the World Championship Tour held by the World Surf League. In each heat, surfers have up to thirty minutes to catch waves. Judges award each wave a score from one to ten. Surfers are allowed to catch as many waves as they can during a heat. Judges count each surfer's top two waves for a possible high score of twenty. Few surfers ever get a perfect score! Surfers receive points based on how well they perform at competitions. The male and female surfers with the highest points each year become the Word Surf League champions. SAFETY Surfing is challenging, and surfers need to take care to keep from hurting themselves- and those around them. Surfers need to be strong swimmers. They should also do the following: Check the weather and tides before going near the water. Check to make sure their board is in good shape. Always use a safety leash. Never surf alone. Keep control of their board at all times. Wear sunblock and a swim shirt to protect their skin from sun damage and rashes. Wear a wet suit to keep out the cold. SURFING STARS Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer who is famous for his skill and style. He has been crowned World Surf League champion a record eleven times. He is both the youngest and oldest person to ever become champion. When Lisa Andersen began the sport at thirteen, she was the only girl surfing in her hometown in Florida. That didn't stop her from winning the world championship four times in a row from 1994 to 1997. She became the first superstar of women's professional surfing, paving the way for many other top athletes. CONCLUSION From its beginning in Polynesia, surfing has spread to every continent, including Antarctica! People all over the world have discovered just how fun, healthy, and exciting surfing can be. Surf's up!

3. Surfing was first brought to California by ________. A. Captain Cook B. Hawaiian princes C. Jack London D. George Freeth

His Biggest Fan- 888 words "Shoulders square, knees high, pump hard!" Kenny's coach recited each part of their race strategy as the moments ticked off till the starting gun. "Remember- don't run to the finish line, run through the finish line!" Kenny heard every word from Coach Fisher, but he was having trouble staying focused. He tried to tell himself to concentrate. After all, this was the finals! It was the most important race of the year, the one he'd worked so hard to qualify for. It was an honor just to be here to represent his school against the very best in the state. He had to do well. Kenny's mind was somewhere else, though. He sat on the infield, pulling the toes of his track shoes to stretch out his calf muscles. Kenny was surrounded by all of his teammates, by race officials and assistants, and by the fans up in the stands. Still, Kenny felt alone. Kenny thought back to the argument he'd had with his dad the night before. His dad had been giving him advice, as usual. "Get plenty of sleep," his dad had said. "Eat light in the morning. Run two laps and three sprints before the race." Kenny knew his dad meant well. He's just trying to help, Kenny told himself. He tried to be patient, but then his dad asked the question Kenny didn't want to answer. "What time's your race?" "Uh, I'm not sure," Kenny lied. "Not sure?" his dad asked. "Then how are you going to be on time?" "Oh, I, uh... I'm going on the bus," Kenny said. "They'll get me there okay." "Well, actually, Kenny," his dad explained, "I wanted to know about your race time so I can get there." Kenny's heart sank. This was the discussion he didn't want to have. He paused for a moment. "Uh, Dad?" Kenny began. "Do you have to go?" Now it was his dad's turn to hesitate. "Well," his dad said slowly, "it's not that I have to. It's that I want to." "Yeah, I know, but..." Kenny swallowed hard. "It's just that you make me nervous, Dad. I think I'll do better... on my own." Kenny's dad turned away. Kenny caught a glimpse of his face and knew he'd made a mistake. He'd never seen his dad look that way. "Sure. I get it," his dad said, walking away and leaving Kenny with his thoughts. Kenny and the other runners moved into their lanes for his event: the 100-meter dash. Kenny shook his legs to keep them loos as he did a mental check on his condition. He'd gone to bed early, so he felt rested. He'd had a light breakfast, and he ran his two laps and three sprints, just as his dad had suggested. Something still weighed on him. When he had boarded the bus earlier that morning, he felt a nagging regret about what he had said to his father. Now that he was settling into his starting blocks, about to run the race he'd asked his father not to watch, it felt wrong. "Runners, on your marks!" the timekeeper said. "Set!" BANG! Kenny had a good start with the gun and drove his stride hard as he accelerated. He didn't hear the cheers of the fans or the steps of the runners around him. His mind was a blur as he pushed his body to the limit. Go, go, go! he thought, in time with the rhythm of his stride. Left, right, left, right- the spikes on his shoes clawed into the track beneath him. Harder, harder. Kenny's knees and elbows pumped like pistons. Every muscle strained. His feet pounded the track with so much force that it felt as if his heart would shake loose. Now Kenny could see the tape stretched in front of him at the finish line. He felt as though he was flying. Push, push, push. Was he winning? He leaned forward Don't fun to it, run through it. Three final strides and he felt the tape snap across his chest. He'd done it! He'd won! The other runners shook Kenny's hand as he took some long breaths and checked the timer's board. When his time finally went up, he let out a long sigh. It was a personal record- the best he'd ever fun. It didn't feel as good as he hoped. Kenny changed his shoes and shirt. At the award ceremony, an official handed him his first place medal. The round fold disk felt heavy and cool in his hand. He wanted to show it to someone... but that someone wasn't there. The sun was setting behind the stadium as his team packed up their gear and headed to the bus. Coach Fisher came over and shook Kenny's hand. "Nice race, Kenny," the coach said. "Oh, by the way, I left our team bag up in our section on the bleachers. Would you go grab it?" Coach Fisher pointed up to the last bag. Kenny climbed the bleachers to collect it. Then he stopped. There, at the top of the stadium,. taped to the bar above the last row, was a small handwritten sign. The sign said simply, "I was here. Nice job." Kenny smiled. He knew that handwriting.

3. What does Kenny do right after the race? A. changes his shoes and shirt B. talks to his coach C. gets a medal D. goes home

Strange Plants - 788 Words When we think about plants, we often think of trees, flowers, bushes, and grass. We think about organisms that have stems, leaves, roots, and sometimes flowers. Most plants, such as the ones in this photograph, have roots that grow into the ground. While most plants have these four basic components, some plants are different. This book is about some of these strange plants. Plants called air plants live in trees high above the ground near ponds, streams, rivers, and swamps in North and South America. Their roots are not buried in dirt. Instead, the plants grow on tree branches. They take all their nutrients and moisture from the air, through their leaves. They do not live in soil as most plants do. Can you imagine carnivorous, or meat-eating, plants? Well, there are such plants. They eat insects, spiders, and even some other small animals. Like all plants, they use sunlight and water to make their own food. The animals they "eat" help them grow better because these plants live in places where the soil doesn't supply enough nutrients. One well-known meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap, which lives in moist environments. Its leaves look like traps. The traps have small trigger hairs on the inside. When a critter walks inside a leaf and brushes against the trigger hairs, the leaf snaps shut. The critter is then trapped. The Sundew, another meat-eating plant that lives in moist environments, catches its food in a different way. It has many sticky hairs on its surface that smell sweet. Insects attracted to the smell land and get stuck. Then the plant digests the insects. The giant Sundew plant of Australia, which can grow to 1 meter (3.28 ft.) tall, even eats small frogs! Some plants steal food from other plants. The dodder plant lives on many continents but is most common in North and South America. It sends slender root-like stems into another plant. These stems are pale green, yellow, or bright orange and are easy to see against the host plant. The dodder sucks food and water from the plant. It is a parasite- a living thing that lives off another living thing. When a dodder plant attaches to a host plant, its connection to the soil dies. Many flowers have bad smells that attract insects. The stapelia flower, also called the "carrion flower," emits an odor of rotting meat. On hot days, the odor is noticeable from about 1.6 kilometers (1 mi.) away. The flower has a pattern that looks like dead animals. Flies are attracted to the pattern and the smell, so they fly into the flower. Special powder called "pollen" gets on their bodies. They carry the powder to other flowers. The flowers use the powder to make seeds and grow new plants. Some plants look like rocks. These plants are called "stone plants" or "living stones." They live in very hot, dry places such as South Africa. They hold water very well because the biggest part of each plant lives underground. They rarely grow more than 2.5 centimeters (1 in.) above the ground and have only 2 leaves. Once each year, these plants usually grow white or yellow flower. Their shape helps to hide them so animals do not eat them. Some cactus plants are covered with wool-like hairs. These plants come from Bolivia and Peru, high in the Andes Mountains of South America. The "wool" protects them from daytime heat and nighttime cold. the "wool" also helps the cactus plants hold moisture. Some trees and shrubs grow out of solid rock. They grow up high where the wind blows strong. The wind can blow seeds into small cracks in the rock. When rain gets into the cracks, the seeds start to grow. Their roots reach down into small cracks for moisture. Once the roots are stable, the plants grow leaves to absorb sunlight and are then able to keep growing. As the roots grow, they split the rock. Some plants have animals living inside them. Ant colonies live within ant plants. The ants use the natural cavities, or spaces, in the plant's stem as houses. Some spaces are used for raising young ants. Other spaces are used for garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage for food and to spread its seeds. There are many more kinds of strange plants. Bamboo makes noise when it grows. Some Australian orchids grow and flower completely underground. Bat plants have fruit that looks like bats hanging upside down from the flowers. Some ghost plants have white flowers that seem to appear out of nowhere. There are many amazing plants in the world.

3. What is the main idea of this book? A. Some flowers smell bad. B. There are many strange plants. C. Some plants eat meat. D. Bamboo makes a noise when it grows.

Building Tunnels- 788 words GOING PLACES For much of history, when travelers came across obstacles like mountains, they had a decision to make. Should they go around or over? Both options were difficult- until someone decided to go through! Today, tunnels allow safe and speedy passage through hills and mountains. They also allow people and goods to pass under cities, rivers, and seas. The largest tunnels are amazing examples of the work modern engineers can do. THE HISTORY OF TUNNELS People have been building tunnels for thousands of years. However, for much of that time, tunneling was dangerous and could take many years of hard work. In the 1860's, tunnel building became much easier when Alfred Nobel created dynamite. Easy to use and safer than other explosives at the time, dynamite allowed people to blast through rock in moments. Since then, technology has continued to advance and tunnels have grown larger and more amazing. BUILDING TUNNELS Today, workers have carved tunnels through rock mountains, under large bodies of water, and below busy cities. Before building a tunnel, engineers look at soil and rock samples. They drill test holes to discover the type of rock they will need to dig through. Once they have this information, they can design a tunnel that will not collapse. Tunneling usually follows three basic steps: dig, support, and line. First, workers dig part of the tunnel. They may use tools, machines, or explosives. Once part of the tunnel has been cleared, it is time to start step two: support. Any unstable ground must be made stronger to prevent a collapse. How they do this depends on the material the tunnel has to go through. Once the tunnel has been made stable, workers build the lining, or inside, of the tunnel. Using these three basic steps, people have built amazing tunnels all over the world. TUNNELS THROUGH ROCK The Seikan Tunnel connects Honshu, the main island of Japan, with Hokkaido. It's 54 kilometers (34 mi.) long, making it the second-longest tunnel in the world. To build the tunnel, workers had to blast through tons of hard rock. To blast through rock, workers first drill small holes. The type of rock determines how deep and how far apart the holes need to be. Then, workers pack the holes tightly with explosives. After they set off the explosives, workers cart away the pieces of rock created by the blast- called muck. Tunnels of solid rock often don't need extra support because they are already sturdy. However, areas with broken rock still need to be secured. Workers may install long bolts or spray the area with concrete. They need to make sure that the rocks won't move as they continue to work on the tunnel. For some tunnels through rock, workers use huge tunnel-boring machines At the front of the machine is a plate in the shape of a circle that contains disk cutters. The plate rotates, carving and grinding into the rock. The muck is scooped onto a belt that moves back toward the tunnel entrance. While these machines make building tunnels easier and faster, they cost millions of dollars. If they break down, they can sometimes take months or even years to repair. TUNNELS THROUGH SOFT EARTH Building tunnels through soft ground, such as sand or gravel, can be dangerous. The earth can easily collapse. To stop this from happening, workers push a steel cylinder called a shield into the earth for support. They then dig out the material within the shield. Next, they install a liner, which is often made of steel or concrete. With that complete, they push the shield deeper ahead and repeat the process. Marc Brunel invented the method in order to build the Thames Tunnel in the 1840's. TUNNELS UNDER WATER Building tunnels under bodies of water presents additional challenges. In many instances, workers make a trench while building sections of the tunnel above ground. When the trench is complete, the sections of tunnel are sunk and connected together. When everything is sealed, the water is pumped out of the tunnel. The Marmaray Tunnel, which connects the European and Asian sides of Instanbul, Turkey, was build using the trench method. The Channel Tunnel, which crosses under the English Channel between England and France, was built using another method. Eleven tunnel-boring machines began work on either side of the tunnel. They met in the middle two years later, and the tunnel was finally opened four years later, in 1994. CONCLUSION These amazing tunnels help millions of people and tons of goods move each day all around the globe. As people continue to create newer, faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, new tunnels will need to be built. Fortunately, technology allows for the construction of longer, deeper, and wider structures more easily and safely than ever before. Who knows what amazing tunnel will be built next?

3. What must happen before a tunnel is built? A. Samples of the rocks and soil are collected. B. All the trees in the area are cleared away. C. A giant hole is dug into the surface. D. The rock is blown up into small parts.

Jackie Robinson- 927 words INTRODUCTION The Ebbets Field stands were full on April 15, 1947. Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson picked up his baseball bat. The crowd watches as the only Africa American in Major League Baseball (MLB) walked to the plate. Insults rang out form the other team's dugout. The Dodgers' general manager, Branch Rickey, had warned him this would happen. The words hurt, but Robinson had promised not to respond. He would play ball and let his bat do the talking. Many people took note of the great courage Jackie Robinson showed that day. His courage would make him a baseball legend and a champion for equal rights. THE EARLY YEARS Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, the youngest of five children in a poor Georgia family. The Robinson family moved to California when Jackie was a boy. There, he became known as a talented athlete in not one but several sports. Jackie Robinson attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He was a star on the school's football, track, basketball and baseball teams. Robinson was the first student in the school's history to win special awards in four sports in a single year. In spite of the success, Robinson did not graduate from UCLA. The Robinsons had little money. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. TAKING A STAND Robinson played semiprofessional football after college. Then, in December 1941, the United States entered World War II. Like many young men at the time, Robinson was called up to serve in the U.S. Army. Robinson served at Fort Hood, Texas. One day, in 1944, he and a group of soldiers got on an army bus. The bus was segregated- white soldiers sat in the front and black soldiers in the back. Yet Robinson knew he was no less a soldier than the white men. He refused an order to move to the back of the bus. For this, he was arrested. The army wanted to punish Robinson, but many people defended him. He was a good soldier who had only stood up for what was right. In the end, he was found not guilty. YOU'RE HIRED After his time in the army, Robinson worked at a Texas college coaching basketball. In 1945, he received a letter from the Kansas City Monarchs, a professional baseball team. They offered Robinson a contract to play with them for four hundred dollars a month. The Monarchs were part of the Negro Leagues. At that time, baseball was segregated. White and black athletes played in separate leagues. Robinson signed on to play for the Monarchs, thinking it might be a way to someday get into the all-white major leagues. Robinson showed everyone he was a skilled player. He caught the eye of Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ricky felt that there should not be separate baseball leagues based on race. Instead, as he put, professional baseball should be "color-blind." He wanted the Dodgers to sign a player from the Negro Leagues, a first attempt to integrate major league baseball. Rickey knew that this player would not only have to be a great athlete. He would also have to show strong character in the face of abuse. In 1945, Rickey met with Robinson. Rickey offered to hire him on one condition: Robinson could not respond to any prejudice against him because of his race. Robinson was at first very surprised. How could this man expect him to not fight back against prejudice? Rickey explained that the best way to fight back would be to play well. Robinson would show just how good he was. NUMBER 42 TAKES THE FIELD On October 23, 1945, Jackie Robinson signed on to play for the Dodgers' minor league team. Spring training for the team was held in Florida. There, Robinson had a taste of what he would face as MLB's first African American player. He could not stay in the same hotels as the rest of the team. Other minor league teams refused to play because of Robinson. Opposing pitchers threw the ball at him. Even some of his teammates didn't want to play with him. None of the abuse stopped Robinson. He played well enough to move up to the Dodgers the next year. Wearing number 42, Jackie Robinson rook the field on April 15, 1947, before a crowd of more than twenty-six spectators. The Dodgers earned a victory that day, not only over the Boston Braves but also over prejudice against African Americans. Robinson also went on to have a great career. He was chosen Rookie of the Year in 1947. In 1949, he was voted Most Valuable Player in the league. Robinson was a fast runner who led the league in stolen bases. He helped the Dodgers win six league championships and a World Series victory. In 1962, he became the first African American to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. BEYOND BASEBALL After retiring from baseball in 1957, Robinson joined the coffee maker and fast-food chain Chock Full o' Nuts. In doing so, he became the first black vice president of a U.S. national company. In 1964, he co-founded the Freedom National Bank, which grew to become one of the largest black-owned banks in the United States. Six years later, he launched a construction company. Robinson also became a civil rights leader who continued to work for equality for all people. He died in 1972 from heart problems and diabetes complications. Today in the United States, people of color have more opportunities the world of sports than ever before. We all have Number 42 to thank for that.

3. Which word best describes Jackie Robinson? A. shy B. artistic C. selfish D. brave

His Biggest Fan- 888 words "Shoulders square, knees high, pump hard!" Kenny's coach recited each part of their race strategy as the moments ticked off till the starting gun. "Remember- don't run to the finish line, run through the finish line!" Kenny heard every word from Coach Fisher, but he was having trouble staying focused. He tried to tell himself to concentrate. After all, this was the finals! It was the most important race of the year, the one he'd worked so hard to qualify for. It was an honor just to be here to represent his school against the very best in the state. He had to do well. Kenny's mind was somewhere else, though. He sat on the infield, pulling the toes of his track shoes to stretch out his calf muscles. Kenny was surrounded by all of his teammates, by race officials and assistants, and by the fans up in the stands. Still, Kenny felt alone. Kenny thought back to the argument he'd had with his dad the night before. His dad had been giving him advice, as usual. "Get plenty of sleep," his dad had said. "Eat light in the morning. Run two laps and three sprints before the race." Kenny knew his dad meant well. He's just trying to help, Kenny told himself. He tried to be patient, but then his dad asked the question Kenny didn't want to answer. "What time's your race?" "Uh, I'm not sure," Kenny lied. "Not sure?" his dad asked. "Then how are you going to be on time?" "Oh, I, uh... I'm going on the bus," Kenny said. "They'll get me there okay." "Well, actually, Kenny," his dad explained, "I wanted to know about your race time so I can get there." Kenny's heart sank. This was the discussion he didn't want to have. He paused for a moment. "Uh, Dad?" Kenny began. "Do you have to go?" Now it was his dad's turn to hesitate. "Well," his dad said slowly, "it's not that I have to. It's that I want to." "Yeah, I know, but..." Kenny swallowed hard. "It's just that you make me nervous, Dad. I think I'll do better... on my own." Kenny's dad turned away. Kenny caught a glimpse of his face and knew he'd made a mistake. He'd never seen his dad look that way. "Sure. I get it," his dad said, walking away and leaving Kenny with his thoughts. Kenny and the other runners moved into their lanes for his event: the 100-meter dash. Kenny shook his legs to keep them loos as he did a mental check on his condition. He'd gone to bed early, so he felt rested. He'd had a light breakfast, and he ran his two laps and three sprints, just as his dad had suggested. Something still weighed on him. When he had boarded the bus earlier that morning, he felt a nagging regret about what he had said to his father. Now that he was settling into his starting blocks, about to run the race he'd asked his father not to watch, it felt wrong. "Runners, on your marks!" the timekeeper said. "Set!" BANG! Kenny had a good start with the gun and drove his stride hard as he accelerated. He didn't hear the cheers of the fans or the steps of the runners around him. His mind was a blur as he pushed his body to the limit. Go, go, go! he thought, in time with the rhythm of his stride. Left, right, left, right- the spikes on his shoes clawed into the track beneath him. Harder, harder. Kenny's knees and elbows pumped like pistons. Every muscle strained. His feet pounded the track with so much force that it felt as if his heart would shake loose. Now Kenny could see the tape stretched in front of him at the finish line. He felt as though he was flying. Push, push, push. Was he winning? He leaned forward Don't fun to it, run through it. Three final strides and he felt the tape snap across his chest. He'd done it! He'd won! The other runners shook Kenny's hand as he took some long breaths and checked the timer's board. When his time finally went up, he let out a long sigh. It was a personal record- the best he'd ever fun. It didn't feel as good as he hoped. Kenny changed his shoes and shirt. At the award ceremony, an official handed him his first place medal. The round fold disk felt heavy and cool in his hand. He wanted to show it to someone... but that someone wasn't there. The sun was setting behind the stadium as his team packed up their gear and headed to the bus. Coach Fisher came over and shook Kenny's hand. "Nice race, Kenny," the coach said. "Oh, by the way, I left our team bag up in our section on the bleachers. Would you go grab it?" Coach Fisher pointed up to the last bag. Kenny climbed the bleachers to collect it. Then he stopped. There, at the top of the stadium,. taped to the bar above the last row, was a small handwritten sign. The sign said simply, "I was here. Nice job." Kenny smiled. He knew that handwriting.

4. Kenny was feeling regret about telling his dad not to come to the race. What does regret mean? A. to feel happy about something you did B. to feel guilty about something you did C. to feel mad about something you did D. to feel nervous about something you did

Strange Plants - 788 Words When we think about plants, we often think of trees, flowers, bushes, and grass. We think about organisms that have stems, leaves, roots, and sometimes flowers. Most plants, such as the ones in this photograph, have roots that grow into the ground. While most plants have these four basic components, some plants are different. This book is about some of these strange plants. Plants called air plants live in trees high above the ground near ponds, streams, rivers, and swamps in North and South America. Their roots are not buried in dirt. Instead, the plants grow on tree branches. They take all their nutrients and moisture from the air, through their leaves. They do not live in soil as most plants do. Can you imagine carnivorous, or meat-eating, plants? Well, there are such plants. They eat insects, spiders, and even some other small animals. Like all plants, they use sunlight and water to make their own food. The animals they "eat" help them grow better because these plants live in places where the soil doesn't supply enough nutrients. One well-known meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap, which lives in moist environments. Its leaves look like traps. The traps have small trigger hairs on the inside. When a critter walks inside a leaf and brushes against the trigger hairs, the leaf snaps shut. The critter is then trapped. The Sundew, another meat-eating plant that lives in moist environments, catches its food in a different way. It has many sticky hairs on its surface that smell sweet. Insects attracted to the smell land and get stuck. Then the plant digests the insects. The giant Sundew plant of Australia, which can grow to 1 meter (3.28 ft.) tall, even eats small frogs! Some plants steal food from other plants. The dodder plant lives on many continents but is most common in North and South America. It sends slender root-like stems into another plant. These stems are pale green, yellow, or bright orange and are easy to see against the host plant. The dodder sucks food and water from the plant. It is a parasite- a living thing that lives off another living thing. When a dodder plant attaches to a host plant, its connection to the soil dies. Many flowers have bad smells that attract insects. The stapelia flower, also called the "carrion flower," emits an odor of rotting meat. On hot days, the odor is noticeable from about 1.6 kilometers (1 mi.) away. The flower has a pattern that looks like dead animals. Flies are attracted to the pattern and the smell, so they fly into the flower. Special powder called "pollen" gets on their bodies. They carry the powder to other flowers. The flowers use the powder to make seeds and grow new plants. Some plants look like rocks. These plants are called "stone plants" or "living stones." They live in very hot, dry places such as South Africa. They hold water very well because the biggest part of each plant lives underground. They rarely grow more than 2.5 centimeters (1 in.) above the ground and have only 2 leaves. Once each year, these plants usually grow white or yellow flower. Their shape helps to hide them so animals do not eat them. Some cactus plants are covered with wool-like hairs. These plants come from Bolivia and Peru, high in the Andes Mountains of South America. The "wool" protects them from daytime heat and nighttime cold. the "wool" also helps the cactus plants hold moisture. Some trees and shrubs grow out of solid rock. They grow up high where the wind blows strong. The wind can blow seeds into small cracks in the rock. When rain gets into the cracks, the seeds start to grow. Their roots reach down into small cracks for moisture. Once the roots are stable, the plants grow leaves to absorb sunlight and are then able to keep growing. As the roots grow, they split the rock. Some plants have animals living inside them. Ant colonies live within ant plants. The ants use the natural cavities, or spaces, in the plant's stem as houses. Some spaces are used for raising young ants. Other spaces are used for garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage for food and to spread its seeds. There are many more kinds of strange plants. Bamboo makes noise when it grows. Some Australian orchids grow and flower completely underground. Bat plants have fruit that looks like bats hanging upside down from the flowers. Some ghost plants have white flowers that seem to appear out of nowhere. There are many amazing plants in the world.

4. What can you conclude about many insects? A. They like sweet smells. B. They hate sweet smells. C. They are afraid of strange plants. D. They are parasites.

Jackie Robinson- 927 words INTRODUCTION The Ebbets Field stands were full on April 15, 1947. Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson picked up his baseball bat. The crowd watches as the only Africa American in Major League Baseball (MLB) walked to the plate. Insults rang out form the other team's dugout. The Dodgers' general manager, Branch Rickey, had warned him this would happen. The words hurt, but Robinson had promised not to respond. He would play ball and let his bat do the talking. Many people took note of the great courage Jackie Robinson showed that day. His courage would make him a baseball legend and a champion for equal rights. THE EARLY YEARS Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, the youngest of five children in a poor Georgia family. The Robinson family moved to California when Jackie was a boy. There, he became known as a talented athlete in not one but several sports. Jackie Robinson attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He was a star on the school's football, track, basketball and baseball teams. Robinson was the first student in the school's history to win special awards in four sports in a single year. In spite of the success, Robinson did not graduate from UCLA. The Robinsons had little money. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. TAKING A STAND Robinson played semiprofessional football after college. Then, in December 1941, the United States entered World War II. Like many young men at the time, Robinson was called up to serve in the U.S. Army. Robinson served at Fort Hood, Texas. One day, in 1944, he and a group of soldiers got on an army bus. The bus was segregated- white soldiers sat in the front and black soldiers in the back. Yet Robinson knew he was no less a soldier than the white men. He refused an order to move to the back of the bus. For this, he was arrested. The army wanted to punish Robinson, but many people defended him. He was a good soldier who had only stood up for what was right. In the end, he was found not guilty. YOU'RE HIRED After his time in the army, Robinson worked at a Texas college coaching basketball. In 1945, he received a letter from the Kansas City Monarchs, a professional baseball team. They offered Robinson a contract to play with them for four hundred dollars a month. The Monarchs were part of the Negro Leagues. At that time, baseball was segregated. White and black athletes played in separate leagues. Robinson signed on to play for the Monarchs, thinking it might be a way to someday get into the all-white major leagues. Robinson showed everyone he was a skilled player. He caught the eye of Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ricky felt that there should not be separate baseball leagues based on race. Instead, as he put, professional baseball should be "color-blind." He wanted the Dodgers to sign a player from the Negro Leagues, a first attempt to integrate major league baseball. Rickey knew that this player would not only have to be a great athlete. He would also have to show strong character in the face of abuse. In 1945, Rickey met with Robinson. Rickey offered to hire him on one condition: Robinson could not respond to any prejudice against him because of his race. Robinson was at first very surprised. How could this man expect him to not fight back against prejudice? Rickey explained that the best way to fight back would be to play well. Robinson would show just how good he was. NUMBER 42 TAKES THE FIELD On October 23, 1945, Jackie Robinson signed on to play for the Dodgers' minor league team. Spring training for the team was held in Florida. There, Robinson had a taste of what he would face as MLB's first African American player. He could not stay in the same hotels as the rest of the team. Other minor league teams refused to play because of Robinson. Opposing pitchers threw the ball at him. Even some of his teammates didn't want to play with him. None of the abuse stopped Robinson. He played well enough to move up to the Dodgers the next year. Wearing number 42, Jackie Robinson rook the field on April 15, 1947, before a crowd of more than twenty-six spectators. The Dodgers earned a victory that day, not only over the Boston Braves but also over prejudice against African Americans. Robinson also went on to have a great career. He was chosen Rookie of the Year in 1947. In 1949, he was voted Most Valuable Player in the league. Robinson was a fast runner who led the league in stolen bases. He helped the Dodgers win six league championships and a World Series victory. In 1962, he became the first African American to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. BEYOND BASEBALL After retiring from baseball in 1957, Robinson joined the coffee maker and fast-food chain Chock Full o' Nuts. In doing so, he became the first black vice president of a U.S. national company. In 1964, he co-founded the Freedom National Bank, which grew to become one of the largest black-owned banks in the United States. Six years later, he launched a construction company. Robinson also became a civil rights leader who continued to work for equality for all people. He died in 1972 from heart problems and diabetes complications. Today in the United States, people of color have more opportunities the world of sports than ever before. We all have Number 42 to thank for that.

4. What did Jackie Robinson do after he left baseball in 1957? A. He went into business and became the first black vice president of a US national company. B. He became the coach of the Brooklyn Dodgers and continued to recruit African American baseball players. C. He retired with his wife and children to a small town in Georgia. D. He became a baseball commentator and traveled the country watching different games.

Building Tunnels- 788 words GOING PLACES For much of history, when travelers came across obstacles like mountains, they had a decision to make. Should they go around or over? Both options were difficult- until someone decided to go through! Today, tunnels allow safe and speedy passage through hills and mountains. They also allow people and goods to pass under cities, rivers, and seas. The largest tunnels are amazing examples of the work modern engineers can do. THE HISTORY OF TUNNELS People have been building tunnels for thousands of years. However, for much of that time, tunneling was dangerous and could take many years of hard work. In the 1860's, tunnel building became much easier when Alfred Nobel created dynamite. Easy to use and safer than other explosives at the time, dynamite allowed people to blast through rock in moments. Since then, technology has continued to advance and tunnels have grown larger and more amazing. BUILDING TUNNELS Today, workers have carved tunnels through rock mountains, under large bodies of water, and below busy cities. Before building a tunnel, engineers look at soil and rock samples. They drill test holes to discover the type of rock they will need to dig through. Once they have this information, they can design a tunnel that will not collapse. Tunneling usually follows three basic steps: dig, support, and line. First, workers dig part of the tunnel. They may use tools, machines, or explosives. Once part of the tunnel has been cleared, it is time to start step two: support. Any unstable ground must be made stronger to prevent a collapse. How they do this depends on the material the tunnel has to go through. Once the tunnel has been made stable, workers build the lining, or inside, of the tunnel. Using these three basic steps, people have built amazing tunnels all over the world. TUNNELS THROUGH ROCK The Seikan Tunnel connects Honshu, the main island of Japan, with Hokkaido. It's 54 kilometers (34 mi.) long, making it the second-longest tunnel in the world. To build the tunnel, workers had to blast through tons of hard rock. To blast through rock, workers first drill small holes. The type of rock determines how deep and how far apart the holes need to be. Then, workers pack the holes tightly with explosives. After they set off the explosives, workers cart away the pieces of rock created by the blast- called muck. Tunnels of solid rock often don't need extra support because they are already sturdy. However, areas with broken rock still need to be secured. Workers may install long bolts or spray the area with concrete. They need to make sure that the rocks won't move as they continue to work on the tunnel. For some tunnels through rock, workers use huge tunnel-boring machines At the front of the machine is a plate in the shape of a circle that contains disk cutters. The plate rotates, carving and grinding into the rock. The muck is scooped onto a belt that moves back toward the tunnel entrance. While these machines make building tunnels easier and faster, they cost millions of dollars. If they break down, they can sometimes take months or even years to repair. TUNNELS THROUGH SOFT EARTH Building tunnels through soft ground, such as sand or gravel, can be dangerous. The earth can easily collapse. To stop this from happening, workers push a steel cylinder called a shield into the earth for support. They then dig out the material within the shield. Next, they install a liner, which is often made of steel or concrete. With that complete, they push the shield deeper ahead and repeat the process. Marc Brunel invented the method in order to build the Thames Tunnel in the 1840's. TUNNELS UNDER WATER Building tunnels under bodies of water presents additional challenges. In many instances, workers make a trench while building sections of the tunnel above ground. When the trench is complete, the sections of tunnel are sunk and connected together. When everything is sealed, the water is pumped out of the tunnel. The Marmaray Tunnel, which connects the European and Asian sides of Instanbul, Turkey, was build using the trench method. The Channel Tunnel, which crosses under the English Channel between England and France, was built using another method. Eleven tunnel-boring machines began work on either side of the tunnel. They met in the middle two years later, and the tunnel was finally opened four years later, in 1994. CONCLUSION These amazing tunnels help millions of people and tons of goods move each day all around the globe. As people continue to create newer, faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, new tunnels will need to be built. Fortunately, technology allows for the construction of longer, deeper, and wider structures more easily and safely than ever before. Who knows what amazing tunnel will be built next?

4. When a tunnel is stable, it ________. A. is under water B. is safe for workers C. is made out of soft earth D. is dangerous for workers

Surfing- 848 words THE SPORT OF KINGS People have been surfing for hundred, perhaps thousands, of years. The first surfers may have been Polynesian fisherfolk who rode boards to help them move quickly through the waves. When Polynesians first settled in Hawaii around 1200 CE, they brought their love of surfing with them. They called it he'e nalu (HAY-ay NAHL-oo), which means "wave sliding." Surfing was more than a sport to the early Hawaiians. It was an important part of their culture. Hawaiians carved surfboards from the wood of special trees. Surfers prayed to their gods to protect them and bring them great waves. Hawaiian chiefs showed their skill and courage by riding huge wooden boards. The best beaches were kept only for royalty. SURFING U.S.A.- AND BEYOND Europeans learned about surfing in the late 1700's. That's when British explorer Captain Cook and his crew spotted surfers around Tahiti and Hawaii. In 1885, three Hawaiian princes visited Santa Cruz, California. They rode surfboards off the beach. Soon, local boys were trying to copy them. Jack London, a world-famous author, visited Hawaii in 1907 and wrote stories about the surfers he saw there. One of those surfers, George Freeth, helped spread surfing across the mainland when he traveled to California and showed off his skills. He became known as "the father of modern surfing." Duke Kahanamoku (kah-hah-nh-MOH-koo) was a Hawaiian-born champion swimmer who won medals at the 1912 and 1920 Olympic Games. he learned to surf as a boy in Hawaii and loved to share the sport. Kahanamoku traveled around the United States and became one of surfing's most important early stars. He took part in Australia's first surfing shows using a board he built himself. By the 1960's, surfing was hugely popular in California, Hawaii, and Australia. Hit songs, movies, magazines, and TV shows celebrated the fun and freedom of surfing. Even people who had never seen the sport in real life knew about the surfing lifestyle. BOARDS Up until the early twentieth century surfboards were still made of solid wood. They were heavy and difficult to steep. In 1926, surfer Tom Blake invented a hollow board that was much lighter and faster. He was also the first person to add fins to make boards easier to control. By the 1940's, surfboards were made of a light wood known as balsa. Modern materials, such as fiberglass, have helped make today's surfboards light, strong, and buoyant. Surfboards come in many different styles, including shortboards, longboards, and funboards. Each has a nose and tail to make the board faster, and fins on the bottom to help with steering. Shortboards measure about 2 meters (6.5 ft.), while longboards can be up to 4 meters (13.1 ft.). Funboards are slightly longer and wider than shortboards and are a good choice for beginners. Today's surfboards have a leach, or leg rope, to keep them from getting swept away. Leashes keep boards from smacking into other people in the water when a surfer wipes out. COMPETITION The first-ever World Surfing Championship was held in 1964 at Manly Beach, Australia. Competitors from Hawaii, the continental US, Peru, and Australia surfed in front of more than sixty-five thousand people. Australians Bernard Farrelly and Phyllis O'Donnel became the first world champions. Today's top male and female surfers compete in the World Championship Tour held by the World Surf League. In each heat, surfers have up to thirty minutes to catch waves. Judges award each wave a score from one to ten. Surfers are allowed to catch as many waves as they can during a heat. Judges count each surfer's top two waves for a possible high score of twenty. Few surfers ever get a perfect score! Surfers receive points based on how well they perform at competitions. The male and female surfers with the highest points each year become the Word Surf League champions. SAFETY Surfing is challenging, and surfers need to take care to keep from hurting themselves- and those around them. Surfers need to be strong swimmers. They should also do the following: Check the weather and tides before going near the water. Check to make sure their board is in good shape. Always use a safety leash. Never surf alone. Keep control of their board at all times. Wear sunblock and a swim shirt to protect their skin from sun damage and rashes. Wear a wet suit to keep out the cold. SURFING STARS Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer who is famous for his skill and style. He has been crowned World Surf League champion a record eleven times. He is both the youngest and oldest person to ever become champion. When Lisa Andersen began the sport at thirteen, she was the only girl surfing in her hometown in Florida. That didn't stop her from winning the world championship four times in a row from 1994 to 1997. She became the first superstar of women's professional surfing, paving the way for many other top athletes. CONCLUSION From its beginning in Polynesia, surfing has spread to every continent, including Antarctica! People all over the world have discovered just how fun, healthy, and exciting surfing can be. Surf's up!

4. Who is considered the "father of modern surfing"? A. Jack London B. George Freeth C. Duke Kahanamoku D. Tom Blake

Jackie Robinson- 927 words INTRODUCTION The Ebbets Field stands were full on April 15, 1947. Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson picked up his baseball bat. The crowd watches as the only Africa American in Major League Baseball (MLB) walked to the plate. Insults rang out form the other team's dugout. The Dodgers' general manager, Branch Rickey, had warned him this would happen. The words hurt, but Robinson had promised not to respond. He would play ball and let his bat do the talking. Many people took note of the great courage Jackie Robinson showed that day. His courage would make him a baseball legend and a champion for equal rights. THE EARLY YEARS Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, the youngest of five children in a poor Georgia family. The Robinson family moved to California when Jackie was a boy. There, he became known as a talented athlete in not one but several sports. Jackie Robinson attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He was a star on the school's football, track, basketball and baseball teams. Robinson was the first student in the school's history to win special awards in four sports in a single year. In spite of the success, Robinson did not graduate from UCLA. The Robinsons had little money. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. TAKING A STAND Robinson played semiprofessional football after college. Then, in December 1941, the United States entered World War II. Like many young men at the time, Robinson was called up to serve in the U.S. Army. Robinson served at Fort Hood, Texas. One day, in 1944, he and a group of soldiers got on an army bus. The bus was segregated- white soldiers sat in the front and black soldiers in the back. Yet Robinson knew he was no less a soldier than the white men. He refused an order to move to the back of the bus. For this, he was arrested. The army wanted to punish Robinson, but many people defended him. He was a good soldier who had only stood up for what was right. In the end, he was found not guilty. YOU'RE HIRED After his time in the army, Robinson worked at a Texas college coaching basketball. In 1945, he received a letter from the Kansas City Monarchs, a professional baseball team. They offered Robinson a contract to play with them for four hundred dollars a month. The Monarchs were part of the Negro Leagues. At that time, baseball was segregated. White and black athletes played in separate leagues. Robinson signed on to play for the Monarchs, thinking it might be a way to someday get into the all-white major leagues. Robinson showed everyone he was a skilled player. He caught the eye of Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ricky felt that there should not be separate baseball leagues based on race. Instead, as he put, professional baseball should be "color-blind." He wanted the Dodgers to sign a player from the Negro Leagues, a first attempt to integrate major league baseball. Rickey knew that this player would not only have to be a great athlete. He would also have to show strong character in the face of abuse. In 1945, Rickey met with Robinson. Rickey offered to hire him on one condition: Robinson could not respond to any prejudice against him because of his race. Robinson was at first very surprised. How could this man expect him to not fight back against prejudice? Rickey explained that the best way to fight back would be to play well. Robinson would show just how good he was. NUMBER 42 TAKES THE FIELD On October 23, 1945, Jackie Robinson signed on to play for the Dodgers' minor league team. Spring training for the team was held in Florida. There, Robinson had a taste of what he would face as MLB's first African American player. He could not stay in the same hotels as the rest of the team. Other minor league teams refused to play because of Robinson. Opposing pitchers threw the ball at him. Even some of his teammates didn't want to play with him. None of the abuse stopped Robinson. He played well enough to move up to the Dodgers the next year. Wearing number 42, Jackie Robinson rook the field on April 15, 1947, before a crowd of more than twenty-six spectators. The Dodgers earned a victory that day, not only over the Boston Braves but also over prejudice against African Americans. Robinson also went on to have a great career. He was chosen Rookie of the Year in 1947. In 1949, he was voted Most Valuable Player in the league. Robinson was a fast runner who led the league in stolen bases. He helped the Dodgers win six league championships and a World Series victory. In 1962, he became the first African American to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. BEYOND BASEBALL After retiring from baseball in 1957, Robinson joined the coffee maker and fast-food chain Chock Full o' Nuts. In doing so, he became the first black vice president of a U.S. national company. In 1964, he co-founded the Freedom National Bank, which grew to become one of the largest black-owned banks in the United States. Six years later, he launched a construction company. Robinson also became a civil rights leader who continued to work for equality for all people. He died in 1972 from heart problems and diabetes complications. Today in the United States, people of color have more opportunities the world of sports than ever before. We all have Number 42 to thank for that.

5. The word prejudice means __________. A. freedoms or powers that people can justly claim B. a negative opinion that is formed without an understanding of a certain person, group, or sunject C. people trained in sports, games, or other activities that require strength, speed, and skill D. a circumstance that must happen before something else can happen

Surfing- 848 words THE SPORT OF KINGS People have been surfing for hundred, perhaps thousands, of years. The first surfers may have been Polynesian fisherfolk who rode boards to help them move quickly through the waves. When Polynesians first settled in Hawaii around 1200 CE, they brought their love of surfing with them. They called it he'e nalu (HAY-ay NAHL-oo), which means "wave sliding." Surfing was more than a sport to the early Hawaiians. It was an important part of their culture. Hawaiians carved surfboards from the wood of special trees. Surfers prayed to their gods to protect them and bring them great waves. Hawaiian chiefs showed their skill and courage by riding huge wooden boards. The best beaches were kept only for royalty. SURFING U.S.A.- AND BEYOND Europeans learned about surfing in the late 1700's. That's when British explorer Captain Cook and his crew spotted surfers around Tahiti and Hawaii. In 1885, three Hawaiian princes visited Santa Cruz, California. They rode surfboards off the beach. Soon, local boys were trying to copy them. Jack London, a world-famous author, visited Hawaii in 1907 and wrote stories about the surfers he saw there. One of those surfers, George Freeth, helped spread surfing across the mainland when he traveled to California and showed off his skills. He became known as "the father of modern surfing." Duke Kahanamoku (kah-hah-nh-MOH-koo) was a Hawaiian-born champion swimmer who won medals at the 1912 and 1920 Olympic Games. he learned to surf as a boy in Hawaii and loved to share the sport. Kahanamoku traveled around the United States and became one of surfing's most important early stars. He took part in Australia's first surfing shows using a board he built himself. By the 1960's, surfing was hugely popular in California, Hawaii, and Australia. Hit songs, movies, magazines, and TV shows celebrated the fun and freedom of surfing. Even people who had never seen the sport in real life knew about the surfing lifestyle. BOARDS Up until the early twentieth century surfboards were still made of solid wood. They were heavy and difficult to steep. In 1926, surfer Tom Blake invented a hollow board that was much lighter and faster. He was also the first person to add fins to make boards easier to control. By the 1940's, surfboards were made of a light wood known as balsa. Modern materials, such as fiberglass, have helped make today's surfboards light, strong, and buoyant. Surfboards come in many different styles, including shortboards, longboards, and funboards. Each has a nose and tail to make the board faster, and fins on the bottom to help with steering. Shortboards measure about 2 meters (6.5 ft.), while longboards can be up to 4 meters (13.1 ft.). Funboards are slightly longer and wider than shortboards and are a good choice for beginners. Today's surfboards have a leach, or leg rope, to keep them from getting swept away. Leashes keep boards from smacking into other people in the water when a surfer wipes out. COMPETITION The first-ever World Surfing Championship was held in 1964 at Manly Beach, Australia. Competitors from Hawaii, the continental US, Peru, and Australia surfed in front of more than sixty-five thousand people. Australians Bernard Farrelly and Phyllis O'Donnel became the first world champions. Today's top male and female surfers compete in the World Championship Tour held by the World Surf League. In each heat, surfers have up to thirty minutes to catch waves. Judges award each wave a score from one to ten. Surfers are allowed to catch as many waves as they can during a heat. Judges count each surfer's top two waves for a possible high score of twenty. Few surfers ever get a perfect score! Surfers receive points based on how well they perform at competitions. The male and female surfers with the highest points each year become the Word Surf League champions. SAFETY Surfing is challenging, and surfers need to take care to keep from hurting themselves- and those around them. Surfers need to be strong swimmers. They should also do the following: Check the weather and tides before going near the water. Check to make sure their board is in good shape. Always use a safety leash. Never surf alone. Keep control of their board at all times. Wear sunblock and a swim shirt to protect their skin from sun damage and rashes. Wear a wet suit to keep out the cold. SURFING STARS Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer who is famous for his skill and style. He has been crowned World Surf League champion a record eleven times. He is both the youngest and oldest person to ever become champion. When Lisa Andersen began the sport at thirteen, she was the only girl surfing in her hometown in Florida. That didn't stop her from winning the world championship four times in a row from 1994 to 1997. She became the first superstar of women's professional surfing, paving the way for many other top athletes. CONCLUSION From its beginning in Polynesia, surfing has spread to every continent, including Antarctica! People all over the world have discovered just how fun, healthy, and exciting surfing can be. Surf's up!

5. What was added to surfboards in 1926 to help make them easier to control? A. leg leashes B. noses C. fins D. tails

His Biggest Fan- 888 words "Shoulders square, knees high, pump hard!" Kenny's coach recited each part of their race strategy as the moments ticked off till the starting gun. "Remember- don't run to the finish line, run through the finish line!" Kenny heard every word from Coach Fisher, but he was having trouble staying focused. He tried to tell himself to concentrate. After all, this was the finals! It was the most important race of the year, the one he'd worked so hard to qualify for. It was an honor just to be here to represent his school against the very best in the state. He had to do well. Kenny's mind was somewhere else, though. He sat on the infield, pulling the toes of his track shoes to stretch out his calf muscles. Kenny was surrounded by all of his teammates, by race officials and assistants, and by the fans up in the stands. Still, Kenny felt alone. Kenny thought back to the argument he'd had with his dad the night before. His dad had been giving him advice, as usual. "Get plenty of sleep," his dad had said. "Eat light in the morning. Run two laps and three sprints before the race." Kenny knew his dad meant well. He's just trying to help, Kenny told himself. He tried to be patient, but then his dad asked the question Kenny didn't want to answer. "What time's your race?" "Uh, I'm not sure," Kenny lied. "Not sure?" his dad asked. "Then how are you going to be on time?" "Oh, I, uh... I'm going on the bus," Kenny said. "They'll get me there okay." "Well, actually, Kenny," his dad explained, "I wanted to know about your race time so I can get there." Kenny's heart sank. This was the discussion he didn't want to have. He paused for a moment. "Uh, Dad?" Kenny began. "Do you have to go?" Now it was his dad's turn to hesitate. "Well," his dad said slowly, "it's not that I have to. It's that I want to." "Yeah, I know, but..." Kenny swallowed hard. "It's just that you make me nervous, Dad. I think I'll do better... on my own." Kenny's dad turned away. Kenny caught a glimpse of his face and knew he'd made a mistake. He'd never seen his dad look that way. "Sure. I get it," his dad said, walking away and leaving Kenny with his thoughts. Kenny and the other runners moved into their lanes for his event: the 100-meter dash. Kenny shook his legs to keep them loos as he did a mental check on his condition. He'd gone to bed early, so he felt rested. He'd had a light breakfast, and he ran his two laps and three sprints, just as his dad had suggested. Something still weighed on him. When he had boarded the bus earlier that morning, he felt a nagging regret about what he had said to his father. Now that he was settling into his starting blocks, about to run the race he'd asked his father not to watch, it felt wrong. "Runners, on your marks!" the timekeeper said. "Set!" BANG! Kenny had a good start with the gun and drove his stride hard as he accelerated. He didn't hear the cheers of the fans or the steps of the runners around him. His mind was a blur as he pushed his body to the limit. Go, go, go! he thought, in time with the rhythm of his stride. Left, right, left, right- the spikes on his shoes clawed into the track beneath him. Harder, harder. Kenny's knees and elbows pumped like pistons. Every muscle strained. His feet pounded the track with so much force that it felt as if his heart would shake loose. Now Kenny could see the tape stretched in front of him at the finish line. He felt as though he was flying. Push, push, push. Was he winning? He leaned forward Don't fun to it, run through it. Three final strides and he felt the tape snap across his chest. He'd done it! He'd won! The other runners shook Kenny's hand as he took some long breaths and checked the timer's board. When his time finally went up, he let out a long sigh. It was a personal record- the best he'd ever fun. It didn't feel as good as he hoped. Kenny changed his shoes and shirt. At the award ceremony, an official handed him his first place medal. The round fold disk felt heavy and cool in his hand. He wanted to show it to someone... but that someone wasn't there. The sun was setting behind the stadium as his team packed up their gear and headed to the bus. Coach Fisher came over and shook Kenny's hand. "Nice race, Kenny," the coach said. "Oh, by the way, I left our team bag up in our section on the bleachers. Would you go grab it?" Coach Fisher pointed up to the last bag. Kenny climbed the bleachers to collect it. Then he stopped. There, at the top of the stadium,. taped to the bar above the last row, was a small handwritten sign. The sign said simply, "I was here. Nice job." Kenny smiled. He knew that handwriting.

5. Which of the following is a fact from the story? A. Kenny got second place. B. Coach Fisher was proud of Kenny C. Kenny's dad went to the race D. Kenny's dad was proud of Kenny

Strange Plants - 788 Words When we think about plants, we often think of trees, flowers, bushes, and grass. We think about organisms that have stems, leaves, roots, and sometimes flowers. Most plants, such as the ones in this photograph, have roots that grow into the ground. While most plants have these four basic components, some plants are different. This book is about some of these strange plants. Plants called air plants live in trees high above the ground near ponds, streams, rivers, and swamps in North and South America. Their roots are not buried in dirt. Instead, the plants grow on tree branches. They take all their nutrients and moisture from the air, through their leaves. They do not live in soil as most plants do. Can you imagine carnivorous, or meat-eating, plants? Well, there are such plants. They eat insects, spiders, and even some other small animals. Like all plants, they use sunlight and water to make their own food. The animals they "eat" help them grow better because these plants live in places where the soil doesn't supply enough nutrients. One well-known meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap, which lives in moist environments. Its leaves look like traps. The traps have small trigger hairs on the inside. When a critter walks inside a leaf and brushes against the trigger hairs, the leaf snaps shut. The critter is then trapped. The Sundew, another meat-eating plant that lives in moist environments, catches its food in a different way. It has many sticky hairs on its surface that smell sweet. Insects attracted to the smell land and get stuck. Then the plant digests the insects. The giant Sundew plant of Australia, which can grow to 1 meter (3.28 ft.) tall, even eats small frogs! Some plants steal food from other plants. The dodder plant lives on many continents but is most common in North and South America. It sends slender root-like stems into another plant. These stems are pale green, yellow, or bright orange and are easy to see against the host plant. The dodder sucks food and water from the plant. It is a parasite- a living thing that lives off another living thing. When a dodder plant attaches to a host plant, its connection to the soil dies. Many flowers have bad smells that attract insects. The stapelia flower, also called the "carrion flower," emits an odor of rotting meat. On hot days, the odor is noticeable from about 1.6 kilometers (1 mi.) away. The flower has a pattern that looks like dead animals. Flies are attracted to the pattern and the smell, so they fly into the flower. Special powder called "pollen" gets on their bodies. They carry the powder to other flowers. The flowers use the powder to make seeds and grow new plants. Some plants look like rocks. These plants are called "stone plants" or "living stones." They live in very hot, dry places such as South Africa. They hold water very well because the biggest part of each plant lives underground. They rarely grow more than 2.5 centimeters (1 in.) above the ground and have only 2 leaves. Once each year, these plants usually grow white or yellow flower. Their shape helps to hide them so animals do not eat them. Some cactus plants are covered with wool-like hairs. These plants come from Bolivia and Peru, high in the Andes Mountains of South America. The "wool" protects them from daytime heat and nighttime cold. the "wool" also helps the cactus plants hold moisture. Some trees and shrubs grow out of solid rock. They grow up high where the wind blows strong. The wind can blow seeds into small cracks in the rock. When rain gets into the cracks, the seeds start to grow. Their roots reach down into small cracks for moisture. Once the roots are stable, the plants grow leaves to absorb sunlight and are then able to keep growing. As the roots grow, they split the rock. Some plants have animals living inside them. Ant colonies live within ant plants. The ants use the natural cavities, or spaces, in the plant's stem as houses. Some spaces are used for raising young ants. Other spaces are used for garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage for food and to spread its seeds. There are many more kinds of strange plants. Bamboo makes noise when it grows. Some Australian orchids grow and flower completely underground. Bat plants have fruit that looks like bats hanging upside down from the flowers. Some ghost plants have white flowers that seem to appear out of nowhere. There are many amazing plants in the world.

5. Which of the following is an opinion? A. Some plants steal food from other plants. B. Some plants look like rocks. C. Some ghost plants have white flowers that seem to appear out of nowhere. D. There are many amazing plants in the world.

Building Tunnels GOING PLACES For much of history, when travelers came across obstacles like mountains, they had a decision to make. Should they go around or over? Both options were difficult- until someone decided to go through! Today, tunnels allow safe and speedy passage through hills and mountains. They also allow people and goods to pass under cities, rivers, and seas. The largest tunnels are amazing examples of the work modern engineers can do. THE HISTORY OF TUNNELS People have been building tunnels for thousands of years. However, for much of that time, tunneling was dangerous and could take many years of hard work. In the 1860's, tunnel building became much easier when Alfred Nobel created dynamite. Easy to use and safer than other explosives at the time, dynamite allowed people to blast through rock in moments. Since then, technology has continued to advance and tunnels have grown larger and more amazing. BUILDING TUNNELS Today, workers have carved tunnels through rock mountains, under large bodies of water, and below busy cities. Before building a tunnel, engineers look at soil and rock samples. They drill test holes to discover the type of rock they will need to dig through. Once they have this information, they can design a tunnel that will not collapse. Tunneling usually follows three basic steps: dig, support, and line. First, workers dig part of the tunnel. They may use tools, machines, or explosives. Once part of the tunnel has been cleared, it is time to start step two: support. Any unstable ground must be made stronger to prevent a collapse. How they do this depends on the material the tunnel has to go through. Once the tunnel has been made stable, workers build the lining, or inside, of the tunnel. Using these three basic steps, people have built amazing tunnels all over the world. TUNNELS THROUGH ROCK The Seikan Tunnel connects Honshu, the main island of Japan, with Hokkaido. It's 54 kilometers (34 mi.) long, making it the second-longest tunnel in the world. To build the tunnel, workers had to blast through tons of hard rock. To blast through rock, workers first drill small holes. The type of rock determines how deep and how far apart the holes need to be. Then, workers pack the holes tightly with explosives. After they set off the explosives, workers cart away the pieces of rock created by the blast- called muck. Tunnels of solid rock often don't need extra support because they are already sturdy. However, areas with broken rock still need to be secured. Workers may install long bolts or spray the area with concrete. They need to make sure that the rocks won't move as they continue to work on the tunnel. For some tunnels through rock, workers use huge tunnel-boring machines At the front of the machine is a plate in the shape of a circle that contains disk cutters. The plate rotates, carving and grinding into the rock. The muck is scooped onto a belt that moves back toward the tunnel entrance. While these machines make building tunnels easier and faster, they cost millions of dollars. If they break down, they can sometimes take months or even years to repair. TUNNELS THROUGH SOFT EARTH Building tunnels through soft ground, such as sand or gravel, can be dangerous. The earth can easily collapse. To stop this from happening, workers push a steel cylinder called a shield into the earth for support. They then dig out the material within the shield. Next, they install a liner, which is often made of steel or concrete. With that complete, they push the shield deeper ahead and repeat the process. Marc Brunel invented the method in order to build the Thames Tunnel in the 1840's. TUNNELS UNDER WATER Building tunnels under bodies of water presents additional challenges. In many instances, workers make a trench while building sections of the tunnel above ground. When the trench is complete, the sections of tunnel are sunk and connected together. When everything is sealed, the water is pumped out of the tunnel. The Marmaray Tunnel, which connects the European and Asian sides of Instanbul, Turkey, was build using the trench method. The Channel Tunnel, which crosses under the English Channel between England and France, was built using another method. Eleven tunnel-boring machines began work on either side of the tunnel. They met in the middle two years later, and the tunnel was finally opened four years later, in 1994. CONCLUSION These amazing tunnels help millions of people and tons of goods move each day all around the globe. As people continue to create newer, faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, new tunnels will need to be built. Fortunately, technology allows for the construction of longer, deeper, and wider structures more easily and safely than ever before. Who knows what amazing tunnel will be built next?

5. Why might workers need to use bolts or concrete in a tunnel of solid rock? A. to find out what type of rock they will dig through B. to pump water out C. to determine where to place the tunnel D. to make sure the rocks don't move

His Biggest Fan- 888 words "Shoulders square, knees high, pump hard!" Kenny's coach recited each part of their race strategy as the moments ticked off till the starting gun. "Remember- don't run to the finish line, run through the finish line!" Kenny heard every word from Coach Fisher, but he was having trouble staying focused. He tried to tell himself to concentrate. After all, this was the finals! It was the most important race of the year, the one he'd worked so hard to qualify for. It was an honor just to be here to represent his school against the very best in the state. He had to do well. Kenny's mind was somewhere else, though. He sat on the infield, pulling the toes of his track shoes to stretch out his calf muscles. Kenny was surrounded by all of his teammates, by race officials and assistants, and by the fans up in the stands. Still, Kenny felt alone. Kenny thought back to the argument he'd had with his dad the night before. His dad had been giving him advice, as usual. "Get plenty of sleep," his dad had said. "Eat light in the morning. Run two laps and three sprints before the race." Kenny knew his dad meant well. He's just trying to help, Kenny told himself. He tried to be patient, but then his dad asked the question Kenny didn't want to answer. "What time's your race?" "Uh, I'm not sure," Kenny lied. "Not sure?" his dad asked. "Then how are you going to be on time?" "Oh, I, uh... I'm going on the bus," Kenny said. "They'll get me there okay." "Well, actually, Kenny," his dad explained, "I wanted to know about your race time so I can get there." Kenny's heart sank. This was the discussion he didn't want to have. He paused for a moment. "Uh, Dad?" Kenny began. "Do you have to go?" Now it was his dad's turn to hesitate. "Well," his dad said slowly, "it's not that I have to. It's that I want to." "Yeah, I know, but..." Kenny swallowed hard. "It's just that you make me nervous, Dad. I think I'll do better... on my own." Kenny's dad turned away. Kenny caught a glimpse of his face and knew he'd made a mistake. He'd never seen his dad look that way. "Sure. I get it," his dad said, walking away and leaving Kenny with his thoughts. Kenny and the other runners moved into their lanes for his event: the 100-meter dash. Kenny shook his legs to keep them loos as he did a mental check on his condition. He'd gone to bed early, so he felt rested. He'd had a light breakfast, and he ran his two laps and three sprints, just as his dad had suggested. Something still weighed on him. When he had boarded the bus earlier that morning, he felt a nagging regret about what he had said to his father. Now that he was settling into his starting blocks, about to run the race he'd asked his father not to watch, it felt wrong. "Runners, on your marks!" the timekeeper said. "Set!" BANG! Kenny had a good start with the gun and drove his stride hard as he accelerated. He didn't hear the cheers of the fans or the steps of the runners around him. His mind was a blur as he pushed his body to the limit. Go, go, go! he thought, in time with the rhythm of his stride. Left, right, left, right- the spikes on his shoes clawed into the track beneath him. Harder, harder. Kenny's knees and elbows pumped like pistons. Every muscle strained. His feet pounded the track with so much force that it felt as if his heart would shake loose. Now Kenny could see the tape stretched in front of him at the finish line. He felt as though he was flying. Push, push, push. Was he winning? He leaned forward Don't fun to it, run through it. Three final strides and he felt the tape snap across his chest. He'd done it! He'd won! The other runners shook Kenny's hand as he took some long breaths and checked the timer's board. When his time finally went up, he let out a long sigh. It was a personal record- the best he'd ever fun. It didn't feel as good as he hoped. Kenny changed his shoes and shirt. At the award ceremony, an official handed him his first place medal. The round fold disk felt heavy and cool in his hand. He wanted to show it to someone... but that someone wasn't there. The sun was setting behind the stadium as his team packed up their gear and headed to the bus. Coach Fisher came over and shook Kenny's hand. "Nice race, Kenny," the coach said. "Oh, by the way, I left our team bag up in our section on the bleachers. Would you go grab it?" Coach Fisher pointed up to the last bag. Kenny climbed the bleachers to collect it. Then he stopped. There, at the top of the stadium,. taped to the bar above the last row, was a small handwritten sign. The sign said simply, "I was here. Nice job." Kenny smiled. He knew that handwriting.

6. How did Kenny feel when he saw the sign from his dad? A. sad B. happy C. nervous D. regretful

Surfing- 848 words THE SPORT OF KINGS People have been surfing for hundred, perhaps thousands, of years. The first surfers may have been Polynesian fisherfolk who rode boards to help them move quickly through the waves. When Polynesians first settled in Hawaii around 1200 CE, they brought their love of surfing with them. They called it he'e nalu (HAY-ay NAHL-oo), which means "wave sliding." Surfing was more than a sport to the early Hawaiians. It was an important part of their culture. Hawaiians carved surfboards from the wood of special trees. Surfers prayed to their gods to protect them and bring them great waves. Hawaiian chiefs showed their skill and courage by riding huge wooden boards. The best beaches were kept only for royalty. SURFING U.S.A.- AND BEYOND Europeans learned about surfing in the late 1700's. That's when British explorer Captain Cook and his crew spotted surfers around Tahiti and Hawaii. In 1885, three Hawaiian princes visited Santa Cruz, California. They rode surfboards off the beach. Soon, local boys were trying to copy them. Jack London, a world-famous author, visited Hawaii in 1907 and wrote stories about the surfers he saw there. One of those surfers, George Freeth, helped spread surfing across the mainland when he traveled to California and showed off his skills. He became known as "the father of modern surfing." Duke Kahanamoku (kah-hah-nh-MOH-koo) was a Hawaiian-born champion swimmer who won medals at the 1912 and 1920 Olympic Games. he learned to surf as a boy in Hawaii and loved to share the sport. Kahanamoku traveled around the United States and became one of surfing's most important early stars. He took part in Australia's first surfing shows using a board he built himself. By the 1960's, surfing was hugely popular in California, Hawaii, and Australia. Hit songs, movies, magazines, and TV shows celebrated the fun and freedom of surfing. Even people who had never seen the sport in real life knew about the surfing lifestyle. BOARDS Up until the early twentieth century surfboards were still made of solid wood. They were heavy and difficult to steep. In 1926, surfer Tom Blake invented a hollow board that was much lighter and faster. He was also the first person to add fins to make boards easier to control. By the 1940's, surfboards were made of a light wood known as balsa. Modern materials, such as fiberglass, have helped make today's surfboards light, strong, and buoyant. Surfboards come in many different styles, including shortboards, longboards, and funboards. Each has a nose and tail to make the board faster, and fins on the bottom to help with steering. Shortboards measure about 2 meters (6.5 ft.), while longboards can be up to 4 meters (13.1 ft.). Funboards are slightly longer and wider than shortboards and are a good choice for beginners. Today's surfboards have a leach, or leg rope, to keep them from getting swept away. Leashes keep boards from smacking into other people in the water when a surfer wipes out. COMPETITION The first-ever World Surfing Championship was held in 1964 at Manly Beach, Australia. Competitors from Hawaii, the continental US, Peru, and Australia surfed in front of more than sixty-five thousand people. Australians Bernard Farrelly and Phyllis O'Donnel became the first world champions. Today's top male and female surfers compete in the World Championship Tour held by the World Surf League. In each heat, surfers have up to thirty minutes to catch waves. Judges award each wave a score from one to ten. Surfers are allowed to catch as many waves as they can during a heat. Judges count each surfer's top two waves for a possible high score of twenty. Few surfers ever get a perfect score! Surfers receive points based on how well they perform at competitions. The male and female surfers with the highest points each year become the Word Surf League champions. SAFETY Surfing is challenging, and surfers need to take care to keep from hurting themselves- and those around them. Surfers need to be strong swimmers. They should also do the following: Check the weather and tides before going near the water. Check to make sure their board is in good shape. Always use a safety leash. Never surf alone. Keep control of their board at all times. Wear sunblock and a swim shirt to protect their skin from sun damage and rashes. Wear a wet suit to keep out the cold. SURFING STARS Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer who is famous for his skill and style. He has been crowned World Surf League champion a record eleven times. He is both the youngest and oldest person to ever become champion. When Lisa Andersen began the sport at thirteen, she was the only girl surfing in her hometown in Florida. That didn't stop her from winning the world championship four times in a row from 1994 to 1997. She became the first superstar of women's professional surfing, paving the way for many other top athletes. CONCLUSION From its beginning in Polynesia, surfing has spread to every continent, including Antarctica! People all over the world have discovered just how fun, healthy, and exciting surfing can be. Surf's up!

6. How did Tom Blake's surfboards compare to earlier boards? A. They were slower and heavier. B. They were slower and lighter. C. They were faster and lighter. D. They were faster and heavier.

Jackie Robinson- 927 words INTRODUCTION The Ebbets Field stands were full on April 15, 1947. Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson picked up his baseball bat. The crowd watches as the only Africa American in Major League Baseball (MLB) walked to the plate. Insults rang out form the other team's dugout. The Dodgers' general manager, Branch Rickey, had warned him this would happen. The words hurt, but Robinson had promised not to respond. He would play ball and let his bat do the talking. Many people took note of the great courage Jackie Robinson showed that day. His courage would make him a baseball legend and a champion for equal rights. THE EARLY YEARS Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, the youngest of five children in a poor Georgia family. The Robinson family moved to California when Jackie was a boy. There, he became known as a talented athlete in not one but several sports. Jackie Robinson attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He was a star on the school's football, track, basketball and baseball teams. Robinson was the first student in the school's history to win special awards in four sports in a single year. In spite of the success, Robinson did not graduate from UCLA. The Robinsons had little money. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. TAKING A STAND Robinson played semiprofessional football after college. Then, in December 1941, the United States entered World War II. Like many young men at the time, Robinson was called up to serve in the U.S. Army. Robinson served at Fort Hood, Texas. One day, in 1944, he and a group of soldiers got on an army bus. The bus was segregated- white soldiers sat in the front and black soldiers in the back. Yet Robinson knew he was no less a soldier than the white men. He refused an order to move to the back of the bus. For this, he was arrested. The army wanted to punish Robinson, but many people defended him. He was a good soldier who had only stood up for what was right. In the end, he was found not guilty. YOU'RE HIRED After his time in the army, Robinson worked at a Texas college coaching basketball. In 1945, he received a letter from the Kansas City Monarchs, a professional baseball team. They offered Robinson a contract to play with them for four hundred dollars a month. The Monarchs were part of the Negro Leagues. At that time, baseball was segregated. White and black athletes played in separate leagues. Robinson signed on to play for the Monarchs, thinking it might be a way to someday get into the all-white major leagues. Robinson showed everyone he was a skilled player. He caught the eye of Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ricky felt that there should not be separate baseball leagues based on race. Instead, as he put, professional baseball should be "color-blind." He wanted the Dodgers to sign a player from the Negro Leagues, a first attempt to integrate major league baseball. Rickey knew that this player would not only have to be a great athlete. He would also have to show strong character in the face of abuse. In 1945, Rickey met with Robinson. Rickey offered to hire him on one condition: Robinson could not respond to any prejudice against him because of his race. Robinson was at first very surprised. How could this man expect him to not fight back against prejudice? Rickey explained that the best way to fight back would be to play well. Robinson would show just how good he was. NUMBER 42 TAKES THE FIELD On October 23, 1945, Jackie Robinson signed on to play for the Dodgers' minor league team. Spring training for the team was held in Florida. There, Robinson had a taste of what he would face as MLB's first African American player. He could not stay in the same hotels as the rest of the team. Other minor league teams refused to play because of Robinson. Opposing pitchers threw the ball at him. Even some of his teammates didn't want to play with him. None of the abuse stopped Robinson. He played well enough to move up to the Dodgers the next year. Wearing number 42, Jackie Robinson rook the field on April 15, 1947, before a crowd of more than twenty-six spectators. The Dodgers earned a victory that day, not only over the Boston Braves but also over prejudice against African Americans. Robinson also went on to have a great career. He was chosen Rookie of the Year in 1947. In 1949, he was voted Most Valuable Player in the league. Robinson was a fast runner who led the league in stolen bases. He helped the Dodgers win six league championships and a World Series victory. In 1962, he became the first African American to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. BEYOND BASEBALL After retiring from baseball in 1957, Robinson joined the coffee maker and fast-food chain Chock Full o' Nuts. In doing so, he became the first black vice president of a U.S. national company. In 1964, he co-founded the Freedom National Bank, which grew to become one of the largest black-owned banks in the United States. Six years later, he launched a construction company. Robinson also became a civil rights leader who continued to work for equality for all people. He died in 1972 from heart problems and diabetes complications. Today in the United States, people of color have more opportunities the world of sports than ever before. We all have Number 42 to thank for that.

6. How was Jackie Robinson different from the other baseball players of his time in the MLB? A. He never learned how to read or write B. He was the only player to have children C. He was the oldest baseball player D. He was African American

Building Tunnels GOING PLACES For much of history, when travelers came across obstacles like mountains, they had a decision to make. Should they go around or over? Both options were difficult- until someone decided to go through! Today, tunnels allow safe and speedy passage through hills and mountains. They also allow people and goods to pass under cities, rivers, and seas. The largest tunnels are amazing examples of the work modern engineers can do. THE HISTORY OF TUNNELS People have been building tunnels for thousands of years. However, for much of that time, tunneling was dangerous and could take many years of hard work. In the 1860's, tunnel building became much easier when Alfred Nobel created dynamite. Easy to use and safer than other explosives at the time, dynamite allowed people to blast through rock in moments. Since then, technology has continued to advance and tunnels have grown larger and more amazing. BUILDING TUNNELS Today, workers have carved tunnels through rock mountains, under large bodies of water, and below busy cities. Before building a tunnel, engineers look at soil and rock samples. They drill test holes to discover the type of rock they will need to dig through. Once they have this information, they can design a tunnel that will not collapse. Tunneling usually follows three basic steps: dig, support, and line. First, workers dig part of the tunnel. They may use tools, machines, or explosives. Once part of the tunnel has been cleared, it is time to start step two: support. Any unstable ground must be made stronger to prevent a collapse. How they do this depends on the material the tunnel has to go through. Once the tunnel has been made stable, workers build the lining, or inside, of the tunnel. Using these three basic steps, people have built amazing tunnels all over the world. TUNNELS THROUGH ROCK The Seikan Tunnel connects Honshu, the main island of Japan, with Hokkaido. It's 54 kilometers (34 mi.) long, making it the second-longest tunnel in the world. To build the tunnel, workers had to blast through tons of hard rock. To blast through rock, workers first drill small holes. The type of rock determines how deep and how far apart the holes need to be. Then, workers pack the holes tightly with explosives. After they set off the explosives, workers cart away the pieces of rock created by the blast- called muck. Tunnels of solid rock often don't need extra support because they are already sturdy. However, areas with broken rock still need to be secured. Workers may install long bolts or spray the area with concrete. They need to make sure that the rocks won't move as they continue to work on the tunnel. For some tunnels through rock, workers use huge tunnel-boring machines At the front of the machine is a plate in the shape of a circle that contains disk cutters. The plate rotates, carving and grinding into the rock. The muck is scooped onto a belt that moves back toward the tunnel entrance. While these machines make building tunnels easier and faster, they cost millions of dollars. If they break down, they can sometimes take months or even years to repair. TUNNELS THROUGH SOFT EARTH Building tunnels through soft ground, such as sand or gravel, can be dangerous. The earth can easily collapse. To stop this from happening, workers push a steel cylinder called a shield into the earth for support. They then dig out the material within the shield. Next, they install a liner, which is often made of steel or concrete. With that complete, they push the shield deeper ahead and repeat the process. Marc Brunel invented the method in order to build the Thames Tunnel in the 1840's. TUNNELS UNDER WATER Building tunnels under bodies of water presents additional challenges. In many instances, workers make a trench while building sections of the tunnel above ground. When the trench is complete, the sections of tunnel are sunk and connected together. When everything is sealed, the water is pumped out of the tunnel. The Marmaray Tunnel, which connects the European and Asian sides of Instanbul, Turkey, was build using the trench method. The Channel Tunnel, which crosses under the English Channel between England and France, was built using another method. Eleven tunnel-boring machines began work on either side of the tunnel. They met in the middle two years later, and the tunnel was finally opened four years later, in 1994. CONCLUSION These amazing tunnels help millions of people and tons of goods move each day all around the globe. As people continue to create newer, faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, new tunnels will need to be built. Fortunately, technology allows for the construction of longer, deeper, and wider structures more easily and safely than ever before. Who knows what amazing tunnel will be built next?

6. What is the effect of a tunnel-boring machine breaking? A. It can take months or years to fix. B. Parts can fly off and hit someone. C. The machine cannot be fixed. D. Workers can lose their jobs.

Strange Plants - 788 Words When we think about plants, we often think of trees, flowers, bushes, and grass. We think about organisms that have stems, leaves, roots, and sometimes flowers. Most plants, such as the ones in this photograph, have roots that grow into the ground. While most plants have these four basic components, some plants are different. This book is about some of these strange plants. Plants called air plants live in trees high above the ground near ponds, streams, rivers, and swamps in North and South America. Their roots are not buried in dirt. Instead, the plants grow on tree branches. They take all their nutrients and moisture from the air, through their leaves. They do not live in soil as most plants do. Can you imagine carnivorous, or meat-eating, plants? Well, there are such plants. They eat insects, spiders, and even some other small animals. Like all plants, they use sunlight and water to make their own food. The animals they "eat" help them grow better because these plants live in places where the soil doesn't supply enough nutrients. One well-known meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap, which lives in moist environments. Its leaves look like traps. The traps have small trigger hairs on the inside. When a critter walks inside a leaf and brushes against the trigger hairs, the leaf snaps shut. The critter is then trapped. The Sundew, another meat-eating plant that lives in moist environments, catches its food in a different way. It has many sticky hairs on its surface that smell sweet. Insects attracted to the smell land and get stuck. Then the plant digests the insects. The giant Sundew plant of Australia, which can grow to 1 meter (3.28 ft.) tall, even eats small frogs! Some plants steal food from other plants. The dodder plant lives on many continents but is most common in North and South America. It sends slender root-like stems into another plant. These stems are pale green, yellow, or bright orange and are easy to see against the host plant. The dodder sucks food and water from the plant. It is a parasite- a living thing that lives off another living thing. When a dodder plant attaches to a host plant, its connection to the soil dies. Many flowers have bad smells that attract insects. The stapelia flower, also called the "carrion flower," emits an odor of rotting meat. On hot days, the odor is noticeable from about 1.6 kilometers (1 mi.) away. The flower has a pattern that looks like dead animals. Flies are attracted to the pattern and the smell, so they fly into the flower. Special powder called "pollen" gets on their bodies. They carry the powder to other flowers. The flowers use the powder to make seeds and grow new plants. Some plants look like rocks. These plants are called "stone plants" or "living stones." They live in very hot, dry places such as South Africa. They hold water very well because the biggest part of each plant lives underground. They rarely grow more than 2.5 centimeters (1 in.) above the ground and have only 2 leaves. Once each year, these plants usually grow white or yellow flower. Their shape helps to hide them so animals do not eat them. Some cactus plants are covered with wool-like hairs. These plants come from Bolivia and Peru, high in the Andes Mountains of South America. The "wool" protects them from daytime heat and nighttime cold. the "wool" also helps the cactus plants hold moisture. Some trees and shrubs grow out of solid rock. They grow up high where the wind blows strong. The wind can blow seeds into small cracks in the rock. When rain gets into the cracks, the seeds start to grow. Their roots reach down into small cracks for moisture. Once the roots are stable, the plants grow leaves to absorb sunlight and are then able to keep growing. As the roots grow, they split the rock. Some plants have animals living inside them. Ant colonies live within ant plants. The ants use the natural cavities, or spaces, in the plant's stem as houses. Some spaces are used for raising young ants. Other spaces are used for garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage for food and to spread its seeds. There are many more kinds of strange plants. Bamboo makes noise when it grows. Some Australian orchids grow and flower completely underground. Bat plants have fruit that looks like bats hanging upside down from the flowers. Some ghost plants have white flowers that seem to appear out of nowhere. There are many amazing plants in the world.

6. What step comes after a plant's roots are stable in a rock? A. The plant grows leaves to absorb sunlight. B. Wind blows seeds into small cracks in a rock. C. Rain gets in the crack of a rock. D. Roots reach down for moisture.

Building Tunnels GOING PLACES For much of history, when travelers came across obstacles like mountains, they had a decision to make. Should they go around or over? Both options were difficult- until someone decided to go through! Today, tunnels allow safe and speedy passage through hills and mountains. They also allow people and goods to pass under cities, rivers, and seas. The largest tunnels are amazing examples of the work modern engineers can do. THE HISTORY OF TUNNELS People have been building tunnels for thousands of years. However, for much of that time, tunneling was dangerous and could take many years of hard work. In the 1860's, tunnel building became much easier when Alfred Nobel created dynamite. Easy to use and safer than other explosives at the time, dynamite allowed people to blast through rock in moments. Since then, technology has continued to advance and tunnels have grown larger and more amazing. BUILDING TUNNELS Today, workers have carved tunnels through rock mountains, under large bodies of water, and below busy cities. Before building a tunnel, engineers look at soil and rock samples. They drill test holes to discover the type of rock they will need to dig through. Once they have this information, they can design a tunnel that will not collapse. Tunneling usually follows three basic steps: dig, support, and line. First, workers dig part of the tunnel. They may use tools, machines, or explosives. Once part of the tunnel has been cleared, it is time to start step two: support. Any unstable ground must be made stronger to prevent a collapse. How they do this depends on the material the tunnel has to go through. Once the tunnel has been made stable, workers build the lining, or inside, of the tunnel. Using these three basic steps, people have built amazing tunnels all over the world. TUNNELS THROUGH ROCK The Seikan Tunnel connects Honshu, the main island of Japan, with Hokkaido. It's 54 kilometers (34 mi.) long, making it the second-longest tunnel in the world. To build the tunnel, workers had to blast through tons of hard rock. To blast through rock, workers first drill small holes. The type of rock determines how deep and how far apart the holes need to be. Then, workers pack the holes tightly with explosives. After they set off the explosives, workers cart away the pieces of rock created by the blast- called muck. Tunnels of solid rock often don't need extra support because they are already sturdy. However, areas with broken rock still need to be secured. Workers may install long bolts or spray the area with concrete. They need to make sure that the rocks won't move as they continue to work on the tunnel. For some tunnels through rock, workers use huge tunnel-boring machines At the front of the machine is a plate in the shape of a circle that contains disk cutters. The plate rotates, carving and grinding into the rock. The muck is scooped onto a belt that moves back toward the tunnel entrance. While these machines make building tunnels easier and faster, they cost millions of dollars. If they break down, they can sometimes take months or even years to repair. TUNNELS THROUGH SOFT EARTH Building tunnels through soft ground, such as sand or gravel, can be dangerous. The earth can easily collapse. To stop this from happening, workers push a steel cylinder called a shield into the earth for support. They then dig out the material within the shield. Next, they install a liner, which is often made of steel or concrete. With that complete, they push the shield deeper ahead and repeat the process. Marc Brunel invented the method in order to build the Thames Tunnel in the 1840's. TUNNELS UNDER WATER Building tunnels under bodies of water presents additional challenges. In many instances, workers make a trench while building sections of the tunnel above ground. When the trench is complete, the sections of tunnel are sunk and connected together. When everything is sealed, the water is pumped out of the tunnel. The Marmaray Tunnel, which connects the European and Asian sides of Instanbul, Turkey, was build using the trench method. The Channel Tunnel, which crosses under the English Channel between England and France, was built using another method. Eleven tunnel-boring machines began work on either side of the tunnel. They met in the middle two years later, and the tunnel was finally opened four years later, in 1994. CONCLUSION These amazing tunnels help millions of people and tons of goods move each day all around the globe. As people continue to create newer, faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, new tunnels will need to be built. Fortunately, technology allows for the construction of longer, deeper, and wider structures more easily and safely than ever before. Who knows what amazing tunnel will be built next?

7. How is building tunnels in hard earth different from building tunnels in soft earth? A. When digging in soft earth, workers dig, then line the tunnel. B. When digging in hard earth, workers support, then dig the tunnel. C. When digging in soft earth, workers add support, then dig the tunnel. D. When digging in hard earth, workers dig without supporting the tunnel.

Jackie Robinson- 927 words INTRODUCTION The Ebbets Field stands were full on April 15, 1947. Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson picked up his baseball bat. The crowd watches as the only Africa American in Major League Baseball (MLB) walked to the plate. Insults rang out form the other team's dugout. The Dodgers' general manager, Branch Rickey, had warned him this would happen. The words hurt, but Robinson had promised not to respond. He would play ball and let his bat do the talking. Many people took note of the great courage Jackie Robinson showed that day. His courage would make him a baseball legend and a champion for equal rights. THE EARLY YEARS Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, the youngest of five children in a poor Georgia family. The Robinson family moved to California when Jackie was a boy. There, he became known as a talented athlete in not one but several sports. Jackie Robinson attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He was a star on the school's football, track, basketball and baseball teams. Robinson was the first student in the school's history to win special awards in four sports in a single year. In spite of the success, Robinson did not graduate from UCLA. The Robinsons had little money. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. TAKING A STAND Robinson played semiprofessional football after college. Then, in December 1941, the United States entered World War II. Like many young men at the time, Robinson was called up to serve in the U.S. Army. Robinson served at Fort Hood, Texas. One day, in 1944, he and a group of soldiers got on an army bus. The bus was segregated- white soldiers sat in the front and black soldiers in the back. Yet Robinson knew he was no less a soldier than the white men. He refused an order to move to the back of the bus. For this, he was arrested. The army wanted to punish Robinson, but many people defended him. He was a good soldier who had only stood up for what was right. In the end, he was found not guilty. YOU'RE HIRED After his time in the army, Robinson worked at a Texas college coaching basketball. In 1945, he received a letter from the Kansas City Monarchs, a professional baseball team. They offered Robinson a contract to play with them for four hundred dollars a month. The Monarchs were part of the Negro Leagues. At that time, baseball was segregated. White and black athletes played in separate leagues. Robinson signed on to play for the Monarchs, thinking it might be a way to someday get into the all-white major leagues. Robinson showed everyone he was a skilled player. He caught the eye of Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ricky felt that there should not be separate baseball leagues based on race. Instead, as he put, professional baseball should be "color-blind." He wanted the Dodgers to sign a player from the Negro Leagues, a first attempt to integrate major league baseball. Rickey knew that this player would not only have to be a great athlete. He would also have to show strong character in the face of abuse. In 1945, Rickey met with Robinson. Rickey offered to hire him on one condition: Robinson could not respond to any prejudice against him because of his race. Robinson was at first very surprised. How could this man expect him to not fight back against prejudice? Rickey explained that the best way to fight back would be to play well. Robinson would show just how good he was. NUMBER 42 TAKES THE FIELD On October 23, 1945, Jackie Robinson signed on to play for the Dodgers' minor league team. Spring training for the team was held in Florida. There, Robinson had a taste of what he would face as MLB's first African American player. He could not stay in the same hotels as the rest of the team. Other minor league teams refused to play because of Robinson. Opposing pitchers threw the ball at him. Even some of his teammates didn't want to play with him. None of the abuse stopped Robinson. He played well enough to move up to the Dodgers the next year. Wearing number 42, Jackie Robinson rook the field on April 15, 1947, before a crowd of more than twenty-six spectators. The Dodgers earned a victory that day, not only over the Boston Braves but also over prejudice against African Americans. Robinson also went on to have a great career. He was chosen Rookie of the Year in 1947. In 1949, he was voted Most Valuable Player in the league. Robinson was a fast runner who led the league in stolen bases. He helped the Dodgers win six league championships and a World Series victory. In 1962, he became the first African American to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. BEYOND BASEBALL After retiring from baseball in 1957, Robinson joined the coffee maker and fast-food chain Chock Full o' Nuts. In doing so, he became the first black vice president of a U.S. national company. In 1964, he co-founded the Freedom National Bank, which grew to become one of the largest black-owned banks in the United States. Six years later, he launched a construction company. Robinson also became a civil rights leader who continued to work for equality for all people. He died in 1972 from heart problems and diabetes complications. Today in the United States, people of color have more opportunities the world of sports than ever before. We all have Number 42 to thank for that.

7. Jackie Robinson believed that __________. A. only rich people could play sports in college B. serving n the army would help his baseball career C. white athletes should play separately from black athletes D. there should not be separate baseball leagues based on color

Strange Plants - 788 Words When we think about plants, we often think of trees, flowers, bushes, and grass. We think about organisms that have stems, leaves, roots, and sometimes flowers. Most plants, such as the ones in this photograph, have roots that grow into the ground. While most plants have these four basic components, some plants are different. This book is about some of these strange plants. Plants called air plants live in trees high above the ground near ponds, streams, rivers, and swamps in North and South America. Their roots are not buried in dirt. Instead, the plants grow on tree branches. They take all their nutrients and moisture from the air, through their leaves. They do not live in soil as most plants do. Can you imagine carnivorous, or meat-eating, plants? Well, there are such plants. They eat insects, spiders, and even some other small animals. Like all plants, they use sunlight and water to make their own food. The animals they "eat" help them grow better because these plants live in places where the soil doesn't supply enough nutrients. One well-known meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap, which lives in moist environments. Its leaves look like traps. The traps have small trigger hairs on the inside. When a critter walks inside a leaf and brushes against the trigger hairs, the leaf snaps shut. The critter is then trapped. The Sundew, another meat-eating plant that lives in moist environments, catches its food in a different way. It has many sticky hairs on its surface that smell sweet. Insects attracted to the smell land and get stuck. Then the plant digests the insects. The giant Sundew plant of Australia, which can grow to 1 meter (3.28 ft.) tall, even eats small frogs! Some plants steal food from other plants. The dodder plant lives on many continents but is most common in North and South America. It sends slender root-like stems into another plant. These stems are pale green, yellow, or bright orange and are easy to see against the host plant. The dodder sucks food and water from the plant. It is a parasite- a living thing that lives off another living thing. When a dodder plant attaches to a host plant, its connection to the soil dies. Many flowers have bad smells that attract insects. The stapelia flower, also called the "carrion flower," emits an odor of rotting meat. On hot days, the odor is noticeable from about 1.6 kilometers (1 mi.) away. The flower has a pattern that looks like dead animals. Flies are attracted to the pattern and the smell, so they fly into the flower. Special powder called "pollen" gets on their bodies. They carry the powder to other flowers. The flowers use the powder to make seeds and grow new plants. Some plants look like rocks. These plants are called "stone plants" or "living stones." They live in very hot, dry places such as South Africa. They hold water very well because the biggest part of each plant lives underground. They rarely grow more than 2.5 centimeters (1 in.) above the ground and have only 2 leaves. Once each year, these plants usually grow white or yellow flower. Their shape helps to hide them so animals do not eat them. Some cactus plants are covered with wool-like hairs. These plants come from Bolivia and Peru, high in the Andes Mountains of South America. The "wool" protects them from daytime heat and nighttime cold. the "wool" also helps the cactus plants hold moisture. Some trees and shrubs grow out of solid rock. They grow up high where the wind blows strong. The wind can blow seeds into small cracks in the rock. When rain gets into the cracks, the seeds start to grow. Their roots reach down into small cracks for moisture. Once the roots are stable, the plants grow leaves to absorb sunlight and are then able to keep growing. As the roots grow, they split the rock. Some plants have animals living inside them. Ant colonies live within ant plants. The ants use the natural cavities, or spaces, in the plant's stem as houses. Some spaces are used for raising young ants. Other spaces are used for garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage for food and to spread its seeds. There are many more kinds of strange plants. Bamboo makes noise when it grows. Some Australian orchids grow and flower completely underground. Bat plants have fruit that looks like bats hanging upside down from the flowers. Some ghost plants have white flowers that seem to appear out of nowhere. There are many amazing plants in the world.

7. The author of the book believes that ______. A. plants are all the same B. plants find special ways to survive C. all plants are strange D. plants survive better with "wool"

Surfing- 848 words THE SPORT OF KINGS People have been surfing for hundred, perhaps thousands, of years. The first surfers may have been Polynesian fisherfolk who rode boards to help them move quickly through the waves. When Polynesians first settled in Hawaii around 1200 CE, they brought their love of surfing with them. They called it he'e nalu (HAY-ay NAHL-oo), which means "wave sliding." Surfing was more than a sport to the early Hawaiians. It was an important part of their culture. Hawaiians carved surfboards from the wood of special trees. Surfers prayed to their gods to protect them and bring them great waves. Hawaiian chiefs showed their skill and courage by riding huge wooden boards. The best beaches were kept only for royalty. SURFING U.S.A.- AND BEYOND Europeans learned about surfing in the late 1700's. That's when British explorer Captain Cook and his crew spotted surfers around Tahiti and Hawaii. In 1885, three Hawaiian princes visited Santa Cruz, California. They rode surfboards off the beach. Soon, local boys were trying to copy them. Jack London, a world-famous author, visited Hawaii in 1907 and wrote stories about the surfers he saw there. One of those surfers, George Freeth, helped spread surfing across the mainland when he traveled to California and showed off his skills. He became known as "the father of modern surfing." Duke Kahanamoku (kah-hah-nh-MOH-koo) was a Hawaiian-born champion swimmer who won medals at the 1912 and 1920 Olympic Games. he learned to surf as a boy in Hawaii and loved to share the sport. Kahanamoku traveled around the United States and became one of surfing's most important early stars. He took part in Australia's first surfing shows using a board he built himself. By the 1960's, surfing was hugely popular in California, Hawaii, and Australia. Hit songs, movies, magazines, and TV shows celebrated the fun and freedom of surfing. Even people who had never seen the sport in real life knew about the surfing lifestyle. BOARDS Up until the early twentieth century surfboards were still made of solid wood. They were heavy and difficult to steep. In 1926, surfer Tom Blake invented a hollow board that was much lighter and faster. He was also the first person to add fins to make boards easier to control. By the 1940's, surfboards were made of a light wood known as balsa. Modern materials, such as fiberglass, have helped make today's surfboards light, strong, and buoyant. Surfboards come in many different styles, including shortboards, longboards, and funboards. Each has a nose and tail to make the board faster, and fins on the bottom to help with steering. Shortboards measure about 2 meters (6.5 ft.), while longboards can be up to 4 meters (13.1 ft.). Funboards are slightly longer and wider than shortboards and are a good choice for beginners. Today's surfboards have a leach, or leg rope, to keep them from getting swept away. Leashes keep boards from smacking into other people in the water when a surfer wipes out. COMPETITION The first-ever World Surfing Championship was held in 1964 at Manly Beach, Australia. Competitors from Hawaii, the continental US, Peru, and Australia surfed in front of more than sixty-five thousand people. Australians Bernard Farrelly and Phyllis O'Donnel became the first world champions. Today's top male and female surfers compete in the World Championship Tour held by the World Surf League. In each heat, surfers have up to thirty minutes to catch waves. Judges award each wave a score from one to ten. Surfers are allowed to catch as many waves as they can during a heat. Judges count each surfer's top two waves for a possible high score of twenty. Few surfers ever get a perfect score! Surfers receive points based on how well they perform at competitions. The male and female surfers with the highest points each year become the Word Surf League champions. SAFETY Surfing is challenging, and surfers need to take care to keep from hurting themselves- and those around them. Surfers need to be strong swimmers. They should also do the following: Check the weather and tides before going near the water. Check to make sure their board is in good shape. Always use a safety leash. Never surf alone. Keep control of their board at all times. Wear sunblock and a swim shirt to protect their skin from sun damage and rashes. Wear a wet suit to keep out the cold. SURFING STARS Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer who is famous for his skill and style. He has been crowned World Surf League champion a record eleven times. He is both the youngest and oldest person to ever become champion. When Lisa Andersen began the sport at thirteen, she was the only girl surfing in her hometown in Florida. That didn't stop her from winning the world championship four times in a row from 1994 to 1997. She became the first superstar of women's professional surfing, paving the way for many other top athletes. CONCLUSION From its beginning in Polynesia, surfing has spread to every continent, including Antarctica! People all over the world have discovered just how fun, healthy, and exciting surfing can be. Surf's up!

7. Which type of surfboard would be best for a beginner? A. shortboard B. funboard C. longboard D. fishboard

His Biggest Fan- 888 words "Shoulders square, knees high, pump hard!" Kenny's coach recited each part of their race strategy as the moments ticked off till the starting gun. "Remember- don't run to the finish line, run through the finish line!" Kenny heard every word from Coach Fisher, but he was having trouble staying focused. He tried to tell himself to concentrate. After all, this was the finals! It was the most important race of the year, the one he'd worked so hard to qualify for. It was an honor just to be here to represent his school against the very best in the state. He had to do well. Kenny's mind was somewhere else, though. He sat on the infield, pulling the toes of his track shoes to stretch out his calf muscles. Kenny was surrounded by all of his teammates, by race officials and assistants, and by the fans up in the stands. Still, Kenny felt alone. Kenny thought back to the argument he'd had with his dad the night before. His dad had been giving him advice, as usual. "Get plenty of sleep," his dad had said. "Eat light in the morning. Run two laps and three sprints before the race." Kenny knew his dad meant well. He's just trying to help, Kenny told himself. He tried to be patient, but then his dad asked the question Kenny didn't want to answer. "What time's your race?" "Uh, I'm not sure," Kenny lied. "Not sure?" his dad asked. "Then how are you going to be on time?" "Oh, I, uh... I'm going on the bus," Kenny said. "They'll get me there okay." "Well, actually, Kenny," his dad explained, "I wanted to know about your race time so I can get there." Kenny's heart sank. This was the discussion he didn't want to have. He paused for a moment. "Uh, Dad?" Kenny began. "Do you have to go?" Now it was his dad's turn to hesitate. "Well," his dad said slowly, "it's not that I have to. It's that I want to." "Yeah, I know, but..." Kenny swallowed hard. "It's just that you make me nervous, Dad. I think I'll do better... on my own." Kenny's dad turned away. Kenny caught a glimpse of his face and knew he'd made a mistake. He'd never seen his dad look that way. "Sure. I get it," his dad said, walking away and leaving Kenny with his thoughts. Kenny and the other runners moved into their lanes for his event: the 100-meter dash. Kenny shook his legs to keep them loos as he did a mental check on his condition. He'd gone to bed early, so he felt rested. He'd had a light breakfast, and he ran his two laps and three sprints, just as his dad had suggested. Something still weighed on him. When he had boarded the bus earlier that morning, he felt a nagging regret about what he had said to his father. Now that he was settling into his starting blocks, about to run the race he'd asked his father not to watch, it felt wrong. "Runners, on your marks!" the timekeeper said. "Set!" BANG! Kenny had a good start with the gun and drove his stride hard as he accelerated. He didn't hear the cheers of the fans or the steps of the runners around him. His mind was a blur as he pushed his body to the limit. Go, go, go! he thought, in time with the rhythm of his stride. Left, right, left, right- the spikes on his shoes clawed into the track beneath him. Harder, harder. Kenny's knees and elbows pumped like pistons. Every muscle strained. His feet pounded the track with so much force that it felt as if his heart would shake loose. Now Kenny could see the tape stretched in front of him at the finish line. He felt as though he was flying. Push, push, push. Was he winning? He leaned forward Don't fun to it, run through it. Three final strides and he felt the tape snap across his chest. He'd done it! He'd won! The other runners shook Kenny's hand as he took some long breaths and checked the timer's board. When his time finally went up, he let out a long sigh. It was a personal record- the best he'd ever fun. It didn't feel as good as he hoped. Kenny changed his shoes and shirt. At the award ceremony, an official handed him his first place medal. The round fold disk felt heavy and cool in his hand. He wanted to show it to someone... but that someone wasn't there. The sun was setting behind the stadium as his team packed up their gear and headed to the bus. Coach Fisher came over and shook Kenny's hand. "Nice race, Kenny," the coach said. "Oh, by the way, I left our team bag up in our section on the bleachers. Would you go grab it?" Coach Fisher pointed up to the last bag. Kenny climbed the bleachers to collect it. Then he stopped. There, at the top of the stadium,. taped to the bar above the last row, was a small handwritten sign. The sign said simply, "I was here. Nice job." Kenny smiled. He knew that handwriting.

7. Which word means the same as went faster? A. accepted B. accessed C. accelerator D. accelerated

Surfing- 848 words THE SPORT OF KINGS People have been surfing for hundred, perhaps thousands, of years. The first surfers may have been Polynesian fisherfolk who rode boards to help them move quickly through the waves. When Polynesians first settled in Hawaii around 1200 CE, they brought their love of surfing with them. They called it he'e nalu (HAY-ay NAHL-oo), which means "wave sliding." Surfing was more than a sport to the early Hawaiians. It was an important part of their culture. Hawaiians carved surfboards from the wood of special trees. Surfers prayed to their gods to protect them and bring them great waves. Hawaiian chiefs showed their skill and courage by riding huge wooden boards. The best beaches were kept only for royalty. SURFING U.S.A.- AND BEYOND Europeans learned about surfing in the late 1700's. That's when British explorer Captain Cook and his crew spotted surfers around Tahiti and Hawaii. In 1885, three Hawaiian princes visited Santa Cruz, California. They rode surfboards off the beach. Soon, local boys were trying to copy them. Jack London, a world-famous author, visited Hawaii in 1907 and wrote stories about the surfers he saw there. One of those surfers, George Freeth, helped spread surfing across the mainland when he traveled to California and showed off his skills. He became known as "the father of modern surfing." Duke Kahanamoku (kah-hah-nh-MOH-koo) was a Hawaiian-born champion swimmer who won medals at the 1912 and 1920 Olympic Games. he learned to surf as a boy in Hawaii and loved to share the sport. Kahanamoku traveled around the United States and became one of surfing's most important early stars. He took part in Australia's first surfing shows using a board he built himself. By the 1960's, surfing was hugely popular in California, Hawaii, and Australia. Hit songs, movies, magazines, and TV shows celebrated the fun and freedom of surfing. Even people who had never seen the sport in real life knew about the surfing lifestyle. BOARDS Up until the early twentieth century surfboards were still made of solid wood. They were heavy and difficult to steep. In 1926, surfer Tom Blake invented a hollow board that was much lighter and faster. He was also the first person to add fins to make boards easier to control. By the 1940's, surfboards were made of a light wood known as balsa. Modern materials, such as fiberglass, have helped make today's surfboards light, strong, and buoyant. Surfboards come in many different styles, including shortboards, longboards, and funboards. Each has a nose and tail to make the board faster, and fins on the bottom to help with steering. Shortboards measure about 2 meters (6.5 ft.), while longboards can be up to 4 meters (13.1 ft.). Funboards are slightly longer and wider than shortboards and are a good choice for beginners. Today's surfboards have a leach, or leg rope, to keep them from getting swept away. Leashes keep boards from smacking into other people in the water when a surfer wipes out. COMPETITION The first-ever World Surfing Championship was held in 1964 at Manly Beach, Australia. Competitors from Hawaii, the continental US, Peru, and Australia surfed in front of more than sixty-five thousand people. Australians Bernard Farrelly and Phyllis O'Donnel became the first world champions. Today's top male and female surfers compete in the World Championship Tour held by the World Surf League. In each heat, surfers have up to thirty minutes to catch waves. Judges award each wave a score from one to ten. Surfers are allowed to catch as many waves as they can during a heat. Judges count each surfer's top two waves for a possible high score of twenty. Few surfers ever get a perfect score! Surfers receive points based on how well they perform at competitions. The male and female surfers with the highest points each year become the Word Surf League champions. SAFETY Surfing is challenging, and surfers need to take care to keep from hurting themselves- and those around them. Surfers need to be strong swimmers. They should also do the following: Check the weather and tides before going near the water. Check to make sure their board is in good shape. Always use a safety leash. Never surf alone. Keep control of their board at all times. Wear sunblock and a swim shirt to protect their skin from sun damage and rashes. Wear a wet suit to keep out the cold. SURFING STARS Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer who is famous for his skill and style. He has been crowned World Surf League champion a record eleven times. He is both the youngest and oldest person to ever become champion. When Lisa Andersen began the sport at thirteen, she was the only girl surfing in her hometown in Florida. That didn't stop her from winning the world championship four times in a row from 1994 to 1997. She became the first superstar of women's professional surfing, paving the way for many other top athletes. CONCLUSION From its beginning in Polynesia, surfing has spread to every continent, including Antarctica! People all over the world have discovered just how fun, healthy, and exciting surfing can be. Surf's up!

8. What can happen as a result of a surfer wiping out? A. His or her board can hit other surfers. B. He or she can rider very far out. C. His or her board will be easier to steer. D. He or she will win competitions

Jackie Robinson- 927 words INTRODUCTION The Ebbets Field stands were full on April 15, 1947. Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson picked up his baseball bat. The crowd watches as the only Africa American in Major League Baseball (MLB) walked to the plate. Insults rang out form the other team's dugout. The Dodgers' general manager, Branch Rickey, had warned him this would happen. The words hurt, but Robinson had promised not to respond. He would play ball and let his bat do the talking. Many people took note of the great courage Jackie Robinson showed that day. His courage would make him a baseball legend and a champion for equal rights. THE EARLY YEARS Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, the youngest of five children in a poor Georgia family. The Robinson family moved to California when Jackie was a boy. There, he became known as a talented athlete in not one but several sports. Jackie Robinson attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He was a star on the school's football, track, basketball and baseball teams. Robinson was the first student in the school's history to win special awards in four sports in a single year. In spite of the success, Robinson did not graduate from UCLA. The Robinsons had little money. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. TAKING A STAND Robinson played semiprofessional football after college. Then, in December 1941, the United States entered World War II. Like many young men at the time, Robinson was called up to serve in the U.S. Army. Robinson served at Fort Hood, Texas. One day, in 1944, he and a group of soldiers got on an army bus. The bus was segregated- white soldiers sat in the front and black soldiers in the back. Yet Robinson knew he was no less a soldier than the white men. He refused an order to move to the back of the bus. For this, he was arrested. The army wanted to punish Robinson, but many people defended him. He was a good soldier who had only stood up for what was right. In the end, he was found not guilty. YOU'RE HIRED After his time in the army, Robinson worked at a Texas college coaching basketball. In 1945, he received a letter from the Kansas City Monarchs, a professional baseball team. They offered Robinson a contract to play with them for four hundred dollars a month. The Monarchs were part of the Negro Leagues. At that time, baseball was segregated. White and black athletes played in separate leagues. Robinson signed on to play for the Monarchs, thinking it might be a way to someday get into the all-white major leagues. Robinson showed everyone he was a skilled player. He caught the eye of Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ricky felt that there should not be separate baseball leagues based on race. Instead, as he put, professional baseball should be "color-blind." He wanted the Dodgers to sign a player from the Negro Leagues, a first attempt to integrate major league baseball. Rickey knew that this player would not only have to be a great athlete. He would also have to show strong character in the face of abuse. In 1945, Rickey met with Robinson. Rickey offered to hire him on one condition: Robinson could not respond to any prejudice against him because of his race. Robinson was at first very surprised. How could this man expect him to not fight back against prejudice? Rickey explained that the best way to fight back would be to play well. Robinson would show just how good he was. NUMBER 42 TAKES THE FIELD On October 23, 1945, Jackie Robinson signed on to play for the Dodgers' minor league team. Spring training for the team was held in Florida. There, Robinson had a taste of what he would face as MLB's first African American player. He could not stay in the same hotels as the rest of the team. Other minor league teams refused to play because of Robinson. Opposing pitchers threw the ball at him. Even some of his teammates didn't want to play with him. None of the abuse stopped Robinson. He played well enough to move up to the Dodgers the next year. Wearing number 42, Jackie Robinson rook the field on April 15, 1947, before a crowd of more than twenty-six spectators. The Dodgers earned a victory that day, not only over the Boston Braves but also over prejudice against African Americans. Robinson also went on to have a great career. He was chosen Rookie of the Year in 1947. In 1949, he was voted Most Valuable Player in the league. Robinson was a fast runner who led the league in stolen bases. He helped the Dodgers win six league championships and a World Series victory. In 1962, he became the first African American to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. BEYOND BASEBALL After retiring from baseball in 1957, Robinson joined the coffee maker and fast-food chain Chock Full o' Nuts. In doing so, he became the first black vice president of a U.S. national company. In 1964, he co-founded the Freedom National Bank, which grew to become one of the largest black-owned banks in the United States. Six years later, he launched a construction company. Robinson also became a civil rights leader who continued to work for equality for all people. He died in 1972 from heart problems and diabetes complications. Today in the United States, people of color have more opportunities the world of sports than ever before. We all have Number 42 to thank for that.

8. What caused Jackie Robinson to get arrested? A. he broke the law when he joined a professional baseball team B. he was involved in violent protests for equal rights C. he refused to sit in the back of the army bus D. He started a fight with a white baseball player

Strange Plants - 788 Words When we think about plants, we often think of trees, flowers, bushes, and grass. We think about organisms that have stems, leaves, roots, and sometimes flowers. Most plants, such as the ones in this photograph, have roots that grow into the ground. While most plants have these four basic components, some plants are different. This book is about some of these strange plants. Plants called air plants live in trees high above the ground near ponds, streams, rivers, and swamps in North and South America. Their roots are not buried in dirt. Instead, the plants grow on tree branches. They take all their nutrients and moisture from the air, through their leaves. They do not live in soil as most plants do. Can you imagine carnivorous, or meat-eating, plants? Well, there are such plants. They eat insects, spiders, and even some other small animals. Like all plants, they use sunlight and water to make their own food. The animals they "eat" help them grow better because these plants live in places where the soil doesn't supply enough nutrients. One well-known meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap, which lives in moist environments. Its leaves look like traps. The traps have small trigger hairs on the inside. When a critter walks inside a leaf and brushes against the trigger hairs, the leaf snaps shut. The critter is then trapped. The Sundew, another meat-eating plant that lives in moist environments, catches its food in a different way. It has many sticky hairs on its surface that smell sweet. Insects attracted to the smell land and get stuck. Then the plant digests the insects. The giant Sundew plant of Australia, which can grow to 1 meter (3.28 ft.) tall, even eats small frogs! Some plants steal food from other plants. The dodder plant lives on many continents but is most common in North and South America. It sends slender root-like stems into another plant. These stems are pale green, yellow, or bright orange and are easy to see against the host plant. The dodder sucks food and water from the plant. It is a parasite- a living thing that lives off another living thing. When a dodder plant attaches to a host plant, its connection to the soil dies. Many flowers have bad smells that attract insects. The stapelia flower, also called the "carrion flower," emits an odor of rotting meat. On hot days, the odor is noticeable from about 1.6 kilometers (1 mi.) away. The flower has a pattern that looks like dead animals. Flies are attracted to the pattern and the smell, so they fly into the flower. Special powder called "pollen" gets on their bodies. They carry the powder to other flowers. The flowers use the powder to make seeds and grow new plants. Some plants look like rocks. These plants are called "stone plants" or "living stones." They live in very hot, dry places such as South Africa. They hold water very well because the biggest part of each plant lives underground. They rarely grow more than 2.5 centimeters (1 in.) above the ground and have only 2 leaves. Once each year, these plants usually grow white or yellow flower. Their shape helps to hide them so animals do not eat them. Some cactus plants are covered with wool-like hairs. These plants come from Bolivia and Peru, high in the Andes Mountains of South America. The "wool" protects them from daytime heat and nighttime cold. the "wool" also helps the cactus plants hold moisture. Some trees and shrubs grow out of solid rock. They grow up high where the wind blows strong. The wind can blow seeds into small cracks in the rock. When rain gets into the cracks, the seeds start to grow. Their roots reach down into small cracks for moisture. Once the roots are stable, the plants grow leaves to absorb sunlight and are then able to keep growing. As the roots grow, they split the rock. Some plants have animals living inside them. Ant colonies live within ant plants. The ants use the natural cavities, or spaces, in the plant's stem as houses. Some spaces are used for raising young ants. Other spaces are used for garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage for food and to spread its seeds. There are many more kinds of strange plants. Bamboo makes noise when it grows. Some Australian orchids grow and flower completely underground. Bat plants have fruit that looks like bats hanging upside down from the flowers. Some ghost plants have white flowers that seem to appear out of nowhere. There are many amazing plants in the world.

8. What detail supports the idea that plant roots are powerful? A. Other spaces are used for garbage. B. Their roots are not buried in the dirt. C. The dodder sucks food and water from the plant. D. AS the roots grow, they split the rock.

His Biggest Fan- 888 words "Shoulders square, knees high, pump hard!" Kenny's coach recited each part of their race strategy as the moments ticked off till the starting gun. "Remember- don't run to the finish line, run through the finish line!" Kenny heard every word from Coach Fisher, but he was having trouble staying focused. He tried to tell himself to concentrate. After all, this was the finals! It was the most important race of the year, the one he'd worked so hard to qualify for. It was an honor just to be here to represent his school against the very best in the state. He had to do well. Kenny's mind was somewhere else, though. He sat on the infield, pulling the toes of his track shoes to stretch out his calf muscles. Kenny was surrounded by all of his teammates, by race officials and assistants, and by the fans up in the stands. Still, Kenny felt alone. Kenny thought back to the argument he'd had with his dad the night before. His dad had been giving him advice, as usual. "Get plenty of sleep," his dad had said. "Eat light in the morning. Run two laps and three sprints before the race." Kenny knew his dad meant well. He's just trying to help, Kenny told himself. He tried to be patient, but then his dad asked the question Kenny didn't want to answer. "What time's your race?" "Uh, I'm not sure," Kenny lied. "Not sure?" his dad asked. "Then how are you going to be on time?" "Oh, I, uh... I'm going on the bus," Kenny said. "They'll get me there okay." "Well, actually, Kenny," his dad explained, "I wanted to know about your race time so I can get there." Kenny's heart sank. This was the discussion he didn't want to have. He paused for a moment. "Uh, Dad?" Kenny began. "Do you have to go?" Now it was his dad's turn to hesitate. "Well," his dad said slowly, "it's not that I have to. It's that I want to." "Yeah, I know, but..." Kenny swallowed hard. "It's just that you make me nervous, Dad. I think I'll do better... on my own." Kenny's dad turned away. Kenny caught a glimpse of his face and knew he'd made a mistake. He'd never seen his dad look that way. "Sure. I get it," his dad said, walking away and leaving Kenny with his thoughts. Kenny and the other runners moved into their lanes for his event: the 100-meter dash. Kenny shook his legs to keep them loos as he did a mental check on his condition. He'd gone to bed early, so he felt rested. He'd had a light breakfast, and he ran his two laps and three sprints, just as his dad had suggested. Something still weighed on him. When he had boarded the bus earlier that morning, he felt a nagging regret about what he had said to his father. Now that he was settling into his starting blocks, about to run the race he'd asked his father not to watch, it felt wrong. "Runners, on your marks!" the timekeeper said. "Set!" BANG! Kenny had a good start with the gun and drove his stride hard as he accelerated. He didn't hear the cheers of the fans or the steps of the runners around him. His mind was a blur as he pushed his body to the limit. Go, go, go! he thought, in time with the rhythm of his stride. Left, right, left, right- the spikes on his shoes clawed into the track beneath him. Harder, harder. Kenny's knees and elbows pumped like pistons. Every muscle strained. His feet pounded the track with so much force that it felt as if his heart would shake loose. Now Kenny could see the tape stretched in front of him at the finish line. He felt as though he was flying. Push, push, push. Was he winning? He leaned forward Don't fun to it, run through it. Three final strides and he felt the tape snap across his chest. He'd done it! He'd won! The other runners shook Kenny's hand as he took some long breaths and checked the timer's board. When his time finally went up, he let out a long sigh. It was a personal record- the best he'd ever fun. It didn't feel as good as he hoped. Kenny changed his shoes and shirt. At the award ceremony, an official handed him his first place medal. The round fold disk felt heavy and cool in his hand. He wanted to show it to someone... but that someone wasn't there. The sun was setting behind the stadium as his team packed up their gear and headed to the bus. Coach Fisher came over and shook Kenny's hand. "Nice race, Kenny," the coach said. "Oh, by the way, I left our team bag up in our section on the bleachers. Would you go grab it?" Coach Fisher pointed up to the last bag. Kenny climbed the bleachers to collect it. Then he stopped. There, at the top of the stadium,. taped to the bar above the last row, was a small handwritten sign. The sign said simply, "I was here. Nice job." Kenny smiled. He knew that handwriting.

8. What is the problem in the story? A. Kenny is nervous about his big race. B. Kenny and his dad have an argument. C. Kenny regrets telling his dad not to come to his race. D. Kenny's dad come to his race

Building Tunnels GOING PLACES For much of history, when travelers came across obstacles like mountains, they had a decision to make. Should they go around or over? Both options were difficult- until someone decided to go through! Today, tunnels allow safe and speedy passage through hills and mountains. They also allow people and goods to pass under cities, rivers, and seas. The largest tunnels are amazing examples of the work modern engineers can do. THE HISTORY OF TUNNELS People have been building tunnels for thousands of years. However, for much of that time, tunneling was dangerous and could take many years of hard work. In the 1860's, tunnel building became much easier when Alfred Nobel created dynamite. Easy to use and safer than other explosives at the time, dynamite allowed people to blast through rock in moments. Since then, technology has continued to advance and tunnels have grown larger and more amazing. BUILDING TUNNELS Today, workers have carved tunnels through rock mountains, under large bodies of water, and below busy cities. Before building a tunnel, engineers look at soil and rock samples. They drill test holes to discover the type of rock they will need to dig through. Once they have this information, they can design a tunnel that will not collapse. Tunneling usually follows three basic steps: dig, support, and line. First, workers dig part of the tunnel. They may use tools, machines, or explosives. Once part of the tunnel has been cleared, it is time to start step two: support. Any unstable ground must be made stronger to prevent a collapse. How they do this depends on the material the tunnel has to go through. Once the tunnel has been made stable, workers build the lining, or inside, of the tunnel. Using these three basic steps, people have built amazing tunnels all over the world. TUNNELS THROUGH ROCK The Seikan Tunnel connects Honshu, the main island of Japan, with Hokkaido. It's 54 kilometers (34 mi.) long, making it the second-longest tunnel in the world. To build the tunnel, workers had to blast through tons of hard rock. To blast through rock, workers first drill small holes. The type of rock determines how deep and how far apart the holes need to be. Then, workers pack the holes tightly with explosives. After they set off the explosives, workers cart away the pieces of rock created by the blast- called muck. Tunnels of solid rock often don't need extra support because they are already sturdy. However, areas with broken rock still need to be secured. Workers may install long bolts or spray the area with concrete. They need to make sure that the rocks won't move as they continue to work on the tunnel. For some tunnels through rock, workers use huge tunnel-boring machines At the front of the machine is a plate in the shape of a circle that contains disk cutters. The plate rotates, carving and grinding into the rock. The muck is scooped onto a belt that moves back toward the tunnel entrance. While these machines make building tunnels easier and faster, they cost millions of dollars. If they break down, they can sometimes take months or even years to repair. TUNNELS THROUGH SOFT EARTH Building tunnels through soft ground, such as sand or gravel, can be dangerous. The earth can easily collapse. To stop this from happening, workers push a steel cylinder called a shield into the earth for support. They then dig out the material within the shield. Next, they install a liner, which is often made of steel or concrete. With that complete, they push the shield deeper ahead and repeat the process. Marc Brunel invented the method in order to build the Thames Tunnel in the 1840's. TUNNELS UNDER WATER Building tunnels under bodies of water presents additional challenges. In many instances, workers make a trench while building sections of the tunnel above ground. When the trench is complete, the sections of tunnel are sunk and connected together. When everything is sealed, the water is pumped out of the tunnel. The Marmaray Tunnel, which connects the European and Asian sides of Instanbul, Turkey, was build using the trench method. The Channel Tunnel, which crosses under the English Channel between England and France, was built using another method. Eleven tunnel-boring machines began work on either side of the tunnel. They met in the middle two years later, and the tunnel was finally opened four years later, in 1994. CONCLUSION These amazing tunnels help millions of people and tons of goods move each day all around the globe. As people continue to create newer, faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, new tunnels will need to be built. Fortunately, technology allows for the construction of longer, deeper, and wider structures more easily and safely than ever before. Who knows what amazing tunnel will be built next?

8. ___________ is an example of an underwater tunnel. A. The Stad Ship Tunnel B. The Seikan Tunnel C. The Brenner Base Tunnel D. The Marmaray Tunnel

Strange Plants - 788 Words When we think about plants, we often think of trees, flowers, bushes, and grass. We think about organisms that have stems, leaves, roots, and sometimes flowers. Most plants, such as the ones in this photograph, have roots that grow into the ground. While most plants have these four basic components, some plants are different. This book is about some of these strange plants. Plants called air plants live in trees high above the ground near ponds, streams, rivers, and swamps in North and South America. Their roots are not buried in dirt. Instead, the plants grow on tree branches. They take all their nutrients and moisture from the air, through their leaves. They do not live in soil as most plants do. Can you imagine carnivorous, or meat-eating, plants? Well, there are such plants. They eat insects, spiders, and even some other small animals. Like all plants, they use sunlight and water to make their own food. The animals they "eat" help them grow better because these plants live in places where the soil doesn't supply enough nutrients. One well-known meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap, which lives in moist environments. Its leaves look like traps. The traps have small trigger hairs on the inside. When a critter walks inside a leaf and brushes against the trigger hairs, the leaf snaps shut. The critter is then trapped. The Sundew, another meat-eating plant that lives in moist environments, catches its food in a different way. It has many sticky hairs on its surface that smell sweet. Insects attracted to the smell land and get stuck. Then the plant digests the insects. The giant Sundew plant of Australia, which can grow to 1 meter (3.28 ft.) tall, even eats small frogs! Some plants steal food from other plants. The dodder plant lives on many continents but is most common in North and South America. It sends slender root-like stems into another plant. These stems are pale green, yellow, or bright orange and are easy to see against the host plant. The dodder sucks food and water from the plant. It is a parasite- a living thing that lives off another living thing. When a dodder plant attaches to a host plant, its connection to the soil dies. Many flowers have bad smells that attract insects. The stapelia flower, also called the "carrion flower," emits an odor of rotting meat. On hot days, the odor is noticeable from about 1.6 kilometers (1 mi.) away. The flower has a pattern that looks like dead animals. Flies are attracted to the pattern and the smell, so they fly into the flower. Special powder called "pollen" gets on their bodies. They carry the powder to other flowers. The flowers use the powder to make seeds and grow new plants. Some plants look like rocks. These plants are called "stone plants" or "living stones." They live in very hot, dry places such as South Africa. They hold water very well because the biggest part of each plant lives underground. They rarely grow more than 2.5 centimeters (1 in.) above the ground and have only 2 leaves. Once each year, these plants usually grow white or yellow flower. Their shape helps to hide them so animals do not eat them. Some cactus plants are covered with wool-like hairs. These plants come from Bolivia and Peru, high in the Andes Mountains of South America. The "wool" protects them from daytime heat and nighttime cold. the "wool" also helps the cactus plants hold moisture. Some trees and shrubs grow out of solid rock. They grow up high where the wind blows strong. The wind can blow seeds into small cracks in the rock. When rain gets into the cracks, the seeds start to grow. Their roots reach down into small cracks for moisture. Once the roots are stable, the plants grow leaves to absorb sunlight and are then able to keep growing. As the roots grow, they split the rock. Some plants have animals living inside them. Ant colonies live within ant plants. The ants use the natural cavities, or spaces, in the plant's stem as houses. Some spaces are used for raising young ants. Other spaces are used for garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage for food and to spread its seeds. There are many more kinds of strange plants. Bamboo makes noise when it grows. Some Australian orchids grow and flower completely underground. Bat plants have fruit that looks like bats hanging upside down from the flowers. Some ghost plants have white flowers that seem to appear out of nowhere. There are many amazing plants in the world.

9. What are nutrients? A. substances that keep living things healthy B. processes food in the body and turns it into energy C. a plant or animal of which a parasite feeds D. living things that make their own food from sunlight

Surfing- 848 words THE SPORT OF KINGS People have been surfing for hundred, perhaps thousands, of years. The first surfers may have been Polynesian fisherfolk who rode boards to help them move quickly through the waves. When Polynesians first settled in Hawaii around 1200 CE, they brought their love of surfing with them. They called it he'e nalu (HAY-ay NAHL-oo), which means "wave sliding." Surfing was more than a sport to the early Hawaiians. It was an important part of their culture. Hawaiians carved surfboards from the wood of special trees. Surfers prayed to their gods to protect them and bring them great waves. Hawaiian chiefs showed their skill and courage by riding huge wooden boards. The best beaches were kept only for royalty. SURFING U.S.A.- AND BEYOND Europeans learned about surfing in the late 1700's. That's when British explorer Captain Cook and his crew spotted surfers around Tahiti and Hawaii. In 1885, three Hawaiian princes visited Santa Cruz, California. They rode surfboards off the beach. Soon, local boys were trying to copy them. Jack London, a world-famous author, visited Hawaii in 1907 and wrote stories about the surfers he saw there. One of those surfers, George Freeth, helped spread surfing across the mainland when he traveled to California and showed off his skills. He became known as "the father of modern surfing." Duke Kahanamoku (kah-hah-nh-MOH-koo) was a Hawaiian-born champion swimmer who won medals at the 1912 and 1920 Olympic Games. he learned to surf as a boy in Hawaii and loved to share the sport. Kahanamoku traveled around the United States and became one of surfing's most important early stars. He took part in Australia's first surfing shows using a board he built himself. By the 1960's, surfing was hugely popular in California, Hawaii, and Australia. Hit songs, movies, magazines, and TV shows celebrated the fun and freedom of surfing. Even people who had never seen the sport in real life knew about the surfing lifestyle. BOARDS Up until the early twentieth century surfboards were still made of solid wood. They were heavy and difficult to steep. In 1926, surfer Tom Blake invented a hollow board that was much lighter and faster. He was also the first person to add fins to make boards easier to control. By the 1940's, surfboards were made of a light wood known as balsa. Modern materials, such as fiberglass, have helped make today's surfboards light, strong, and buoyant. Surfboards come in many different styles, including shortboards, longboards, and funboards. Each has a nose and tail to make the board faster, and fins on the bottom to help with steering. Shortboards measure about 2 meters (6.5 ft.), while longboards can be up to 4 meters (13.1 ft.). Funboards are slightly longer and wider than shortboards and are a good choice for beginners. Today's surfboards have a leach, or leg rope, to keep them from getting swept away. Leashes keep boards from smacking into other people in the water when a surfer wipes out. COMPETITION The first-ever World Surfing Championship was held in 1964 at Manly Beach, Australia. Competitors from Hawaii, the continental US, Peru, and Australia surfed in front of more than sixty-five thousand people. Australians Bernard Farrelly and Phyllis O'Donnel became the first world champions. Today's top male and female surfers compete in the World Championship Tour held by the World Surf League. In each heat, surfers have up to thirty minutes to catch waves. Judges award each wave a score from one to ten. Surfers are allowed to catch as many waves as they can during a heat. Judges count each surfer's top two waves for a possible high score of twenty. Few surfers ever get a perfect score! Surfers receive points based on how well they perform at competitions. The male and female surfers with the highest points each year become the Word Surf League champions. SAFETY Surfing is challenging, and surfers need to take care to keep from hurting themselves- and those around them. Surfers need to be strong swimmers. They should also do the following: Check the weather and tides before going near the water. Check to make sure their board is in good shape. Always use a safety leash. Never surf alone. Keep control of their board at all times. Wear sunblock and a swim shirt to protect their skin from sun damage and rashes. Wear a wet suit to keep out the cold. SURFING STARS Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer who is famous for his skill and style. He has been crowned World Surf League champion a record eleven times. He is both the youngest and oldest person to ever become champion. When Lisa Andersen began the sport at thirteen, she was the only girl surfing in her hometown in Florida. That didn't stop her from winning the world championship four times in a row from 1994 to 1997. She became the first superstar of women's professional surfing, paving the way for many other top athletes. CONCLUSION From its beginning in Polynesia, surfing has spread to every continent, including Antarctica! People all over the world have discovered just how fun, healthy, and exciting surfing can be. Surf's up!

9. What is one way surfers can stay safe? A. Always use a new board. B. Always check the weather and tides. C. Always surf alone. D. Always use a longboard.

His Biggest Fan- 888 words "Shoulders square, knees high, pump hard!" Kenny's coach recited each part of their race strategy as the moments ticked off till the starting gun. "Remember- don't run to the finish line, run through the finish line!" Kenny heard every word from Coach Fisher, but he was having trouble staying focused. He tried to tell himself to concentrate. After all, this was the finals! It was the most important race of the year, the one he'd worked so hard to qualify for. It was an honor just to be here to represent his school against the very best in the state. He had to do well. Kenny's mind was somewhere else, though. He sat on the infield, pulling the toes of his track shoes to stretch out his calf muscles. Kenny was surrounded by all of his teammates, by race officials and assistants, and by the fans up in the stands. Still, Kenny felt alone. Kenny thought back to the argument he'd had with his dad the night before. His dad had been giving him advice, as usual. "Get plenty of sleep," his dad had said. "Eat light in the morning. Run two laps and three sprints before the race." Kenny knew his dad meant well. He's just trying to help, Kenny told himself. He tried to be patient, but then his dad asked the question Kenny didn't want to answer. "What time's your race?" "Uh, I'm not sure," Kenny lied. "Not sure?" his dad asked. "Then how are you going to be on time?" "Oh, I, uh... I'm going on the bus," Kenny said. "They'll get me there okay." "Well, actually, Kenny," his dad explained, "I wanted to know about your race time so I can get there." Kenny's heart sank. This was the discussion he didn't want to have. He paused for a moment. "Uh, Dad?" Kenny began. "Do you have to go?" Now it was his dad's turn to hesitate. "Well," his dad said slowly, "it's not that I have to. It's that I want to." "Yeah, I know, but..." Kenny swallowed hard. "It's just that you make me nervous, Dad. I think I'll do better... on my own." Kenny's dad turned away. Kenny caught a glimpse of his face and knew he'd made a mistake. He'd never seen his dad look that way. "Sure. I get it," his dad said, walking away and leaving Kenny with his thoughts. Kenny and the other runners moved into their lanes for his event: the 100-meter dash. Kenny shook his legs to keep them loos as he did a mental check on his condition. He'd gone to bed early, so he felt rested. He'd had a light breakfast, and he ran his two laps and three sprints, just as his dad had suggested. Something still weighed on him. When he had boarded the bus earlier that morning, he felt a nagging regret about what he had said to his father. Now that he was settling into his starting blocks, about to run the race he'd asked his father not to watch, it felt wrong. "Runners, on your marks!" the timekeeper said. "Set!" BANG! Kenny had a good start with the gun and drove his stride hard as he accelerated. He didn't hear the cheers of the fans or the steps of the runners around him. His mind was a blur as he pushed his body to the limit. Go, go, go! he thought, in time with the rhythm of his stride. Left, right, left, right- the spikes on his shoes clawed into the track beneath him. Harder, harder. Kenny's knees and elbows pumped like pistons. Every muscle strained. His feet pounded the track with so much force that it felt as if his heart would shake loose. Now Kenny could see the tape stretched in front of him at the finish line. He felt as though he was flying. Push, push, push. Was he winning? He leaned forward Don't fun to it, run through it. Three final strides and he felt the tape snap across his chest. He'd done it! He'd won! The other runners shook Kenny's hand as he took some long breaths and checked the timer's board. When his time finally went up, he let out a long sigh. It was a personal record- the best he'd ever fun. It didn't feel as good as he hoped. Kenny changed his shoes and shirt. At the award ceremony, an official handed him his first place medal. The round fold disk felt heavy and cool in his hand. He wanted to show it to someone... but that someone wasn't there. The sun was setting behind the stadium as his team packed up their gear and headed to the bus. Coach Fisher came over and shook Kenny's hand. "Nice race, Kenny," the coach said. "Oh, by the way, I left our team bag up in our section on the bleachers. Would you go grab it?" Coach Fisher pointed up to the last bag. Kenny climbed the bleachers to collect it. Then he stopped. There, at the top of the stadium,. taped to the bar above the last row, was a small handwritten sign. The sign said simply, "I was here. Nice job." Kenny smiled. He knew that handwriting.

9. What type of writing is His Biggest Fan an example of? A. a tall tale story B. informational text C. persuasive writing D. a realistic fictional story

Building Tunnels GOING PLACES For much of history, when travelers came across obstacles like mountains, they had a decision to make. Should they go around or over? Both options were difficult- until someone decided to go through! Today, tunnels allow safe and speedy passage through hills and mountains. They also allow people and goods to pass under cities, rivers, and seas. The largest tunnels are amazing examples of the work modern engineers can do. THE HISTORY OF TUNNELS People have been building tunnels for thousands of years. However, for much of that time, tunneling was dangerous and could take many years of hard work. In the 1860's, tunnel building became much easier when Alfred Nobel created dynamite. Easy to use and safer than other explosives at the time, dynamite allowed people to blast through rock in moments. Since then, technology has continued to advance and tunnels have grown larger and more amazing. BUILDING TUNNELS Today, workers have carved tunnels through rock mountains, under large bodies of water, and below busy cities. Before building a tunnel, engineers look at soil and rock samples. They drill test holes to discover the type of rock they will need to dig through. Once they have this information, they can design a tunnel that will not collapse. Tunneling usually follows three basic steps: dig, support, and line. First, workers dig part of the tunnel. They may use tools, machines, or explosives. Once part of the tunnel has been cleared, it is time to start step two: support. Any unstable ground must be made stronger to prevent a collapse. How they do this depends on the material the tunnel has to go through. Once the tunnel has been made stable, workers build the lining, or inside, of the tunnel. Using these three basic steps, people have built amazing tunnels all over the world. TUNNELS THROUGH ROCK The Seikan Tunnel connects Honshu, the main island of Japan, with Hokkaido. It's 54 kilometers (34 mi.) long, making it the second-longest tunnel in the world. To build the tunnel, workers had to blast through tons of hard rock. To blast through rock, workers first drill small holes. The type of rock determines how deep and how far apart the holes need to be. Then, workers pack the holes tightly with explosives. After they set off the explosives, workers cart away the pieces of rock created by the blast- called muck. Tunnels of solid rock often don't need extra support because they are already sturdy. However, areas with broken rock still need to be secured. Workers may install long bolts or spray the area with concrete. They need to make sure that the rocks won't move as they continue to work on the tunnel. For some tunnels through rock, workers use huge tunnel-boring machines At the front of the machine is a plate in the shape of a circle that contains disk cutters. The plate rotates, carving and grinding into the rock. The muck is scooped onto a belt that moves back toward the tunnel entrance. While these machines make building tunnels easier and faster, they cost millions of dollars. If they break down, they can sometimes take months or even years to repair. TUNNELS THROUGH SOFT EARTH Building tunnels through soft ground, such as sand or gravel, can be dangerous. The earth can easily collapse. To stop this from happening, workers push a steel cylinder called a shield into the earth for support. They then dig out the material within the shield. Next, they install a liner, which is often made of steel or concrete. With that complete, they push the shield deeper ahead and repeat the process. Marc Brunel invented the method in order to build the Thames Tunnel in the 1840's. TUNNELS UNDER WATER Building tunnels under bodies of water presents additional challenges. In many instances, workers make a trench while building sections of the tunnel above ground. When the trench is complete, the sections of tunnel are sunk and connected together. When everything is sealed, the water is pumped out of the tunnel. The Marmaray Tunnel, which connects the European and Asian sides of Instanbul, Turkey, was build using the trench method. The Channel Tunnel, which crosses under the English Channel between England and France, was built using another method. Eleven tunnel-boring machines began work on either side of the tunnel. They met in the middle two years later, and the tunnel was finally opened four years later, in 1994. CONCLUSION These amazing tunnels help millions of people and tons of goods move each day all around the globe. As people continue to create newer, faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, new tunnels will need to be built. Fortunately, technology allows for the construction of longer, deeper, and wider structures more easily and safely than ever before. Who knows what amazing tunnel will be built next?

9. When building some underwater tunnels, workers dig ______ and then lower down sections of the tunnel. A. Explosives B. Obstacles C. Trenches D. Muck

Surfing- 848 words THE SPORT OF KINGS People have been surfing for hundred, perhaps thousands, of years. The first surfers may have been Polynesian fisherfolk who rode boards to help them move quickly through the waves. When Polynesians first settled in Hawaii around 1200 CE, they brought their love of surfing with them. They called it he'e nalu (HAY-ay NAHL-oo), which means "wave sliding." Surfing was more than a sport to the early Hawaiians. It was an important part of their culture. Hawaiians carved surfboards from the wood of special trees. Surfers prayed to their gods to protect them and bring them great waves. Hawaiian chiefs showed their skill and courage by riding huge wooden boards. The best beaches were kept only for royalty. SURFING U.S.A.- AND BEYOND Europeans learned about surfing in the late 1700's. That's when British explorer Captain Cook and his crew spotted surfers around Tahiti and Hawaii. In 1885, three Hawaiian princes visited Santa Cruz, California. They rode surfboards off the beach. Soon, local boys were trying to copy them. Jack London, a world-famous author, visited Hawaii in 1907 and wrote stories about the surfers he saw there. One of those surfers, George Freeth, helped spread surfing across the mainland when he traveled to California and showed off his skills. He became known as "the father of modern surfing." Duke Kahanamoku (kah-hah-nh-MOH-koo) was a Hawaiian-born champion swimmer who won medals at the 1912 and 1920 Olympic Games. he learned to surf as a boy in Hawaii and loved to share the sport. Kahanamoku traveled around the United States and became one of surfing's most important early stars. He took part in Australia's first surfing shows using a board he built himself. By the 1960's, surfing was hugely popular in California, Hawaii, and Australia. Hit songs, movies, magazines, and TV shows celebrated the fun and freedom of surfing. Even people who had never seen the sport in real life knew about the surfing lifestyle. BOARDS Up until the early twentieth century surfboards were still made of solid wood. They were heavy and difficult to steep. In 1926, surfer Tom Blake invented a hollow board that was much lighter and faster. He was also the first person to add fins to make boards easier to control. By the 1940's, surfboards were made of a light wood known as balsa. Modern materials, such as fiberglass, have helped make today's surfboards light, strong, and buoyant. Surfboards come in many different styles, including shortboards, longboards, and funboards. Each has a nose and tail to make the board faster, and fins on the bottom to help with steering. Shortboards measure about 2 meters (6.5 ft.), while longboards can be up to 4 meters (13.1 ft.). Funboards are slightly longer and wider than shortboards and are a good choice for beginners. Today's surfboards have a leach, or leg rope, to keep them from getting swept away. Leashes keep boards from smacking into other people in the water when a surfer wipes out. COMPETITION The first-ever World Surfing Championship was held in 1964 at Manly Beach, Australia. Competitors from Hawaii, the continental US, Peru, and Australia surfed in front of more than sixty-five thousand people. Australians Bernard Farrelly and Phyllis O'Donnel became the first world champions. Today's top male and female surfers compete in the World Championship Tour held by the World Surf League. In each heat, surfers have up to thirty minutes to catch waves. Judges award each wave a score from one to ten. Surfers are allowed to catch as many waves as they can during a heat. Judges count each surfer's top two waves for a possible high score of twenty. Few surfers ever get a perfect score! Surfers receive points based on how well they perform at competitions. The male and female surfers with the highest points each year become the Word Surf League champions. SAFETY Surfing is challenging, and surfers need to take care to keep from hurting themselves- and those around them. Surfers need to be strong swimmers. They should also do the following: Check the weather and tides before going near the water. Check to make sure their board is in good shape. Always use a safety leash. Never surf alone. Keep control of their board at all times. Wear sunblock and a swim shirt to protect their skin from sun damage and rashes. Wear a wet suit to keep out the cold. SURFING STARS Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer who is famous for his skill and style. He has been crowned World Surf League champion a record eleven times. He is both the youngest and oldest person to ever become champion. When Lisa Andersen began the sport at thirteen, she was the only girl surfing in her hometown in Florida. That didn't stop her from winning the world championship four times in a row from 1994 to 1997. She became the first superstar of women's professional surfing, paving the way for many other top athletes. CONCLUSION From its beginning in Polynesia, surfing has spread to every continent, including Antarctica! People all over the world have discovered just how fun, healthy, and exciting surfing can be. Surf's up!

1. According to the text, ________ were most likely the first surfers. A. Australians B. Europeans C. Californians D. Polynesians

Building Tunnels- 788 words GOING PLACES For much of history, when travelers came across obstacles like mountains, they had a decision to make. Should they go around or over? Both options were difficult- until someone decided to go through! Today, tunnels allow safe and speedy passage through hills and mountains. They also allow people and goods to pass under cities, rivers, and seas. The largest tunnels are amazing examples of the work modern engineers can do. THE HISTORY OF TUNNELS People have been building tunnels for thousands of years. However, for much of that time, tunneling was dangerous and could take many years of hard work. In the 1860's, tunnel building became much easier when Alfred Nobel created dynamite. Easy to use and safer than other explosives at the time, dynamite allowed people to blast through rock in moments. Since then, technology has continued to advance and tunnels have grown larger and more amazing. BUILDING TUNNELS Today, workers have carved tunnels through rock mountains, under large bodies of water, and below busy cities. Before building a tunnel, engineers look at soil and rock samples. They drill test holes to discover the type of rock they will need to dig through. Once they have this information, they can design a tunnel that will not collapse. Tunneling usually follows three basic steps: dig, support, and line. First, workers dig part of the tunnel. They may use tools, machines, or explosives. Once part of the tunnel has been cleared, it is time to start step two: support. Any unstable ground must be made stronger to prevent a collapse. How they do this depends on the material the tunnel has to go through. Once the tunnel has been made stable, workers build the lining, or inside, of the tunnel. Using these three basic steps, people have built amazing tunnels all over the world. TUNNELS THROUGH ROCK The Seikan Tunnel connects Honshu, the main island of Japan, with Hokkaido. It's 54 kilometers (34 mi.) long, making it the second-longest tunnel in the world. To build the tunnel, workers had to blast through tons of hard rock. To blast through rock, workers first drill small holes. The type of rock determines how deep and how far apart the holes need to be. Then, workers pack the holes tightly with explosives. After they set off the explosives, workers cart away the pieces of rock created by the blast- called muck. Tunnels of solid rock often don't need extra support because they are already sturdy. However, areas with broken rock still need to be secured. Workers may install long bolts or spray the area with concrete. They need to make sure that the rocks won't move as they continue to work on the tunnel. For some tunnels through rock, workers use huge tunnel-boring machines At the front of the machine is a plate in the shape of a circle that contains disk cutters. The plate rotates, carving and grinding into the rock. The muck is scooped onto a belt that moves back toward the tunnel entrance. While these machines make building tunnels easier and faster, they cost millions of dollars. If they break down, they can sometimes take months or even years to repair. TUNNELS THROUGH SOFT EARTH Building tunnels through soft ground, such as sand or gravel, can be dangerous. The earth can easily collapse. To stop this from happening, workers push a steel cylinder called a shield into the earth for support. They then dig out the material within the shield. Next, they install a liner, which is often made of steel or concrete. With that complete, they push the shield deeper ahead and repeat the process. Marc Brunel invented the method in order to build the Thames Tunnel in the 1840's. TUNNELS UNDER WATER Building tunnels under bodies of water presents additional challenges. In many instances, workers make a trench while building sections of the tunnel above ground. When the trench is complete, the sections of tunnel are sunk and connected together. When everything is sealed, the water is pumped out of the tunnel. The Marmaray Tunnel, which connects the European and Asian sides of Instanbul, Turkey, was build using the trench method. The Channel Tunnel, which crosses under the English Channel between England and France, was built using another method. Eleven tunnel-boring machines began work on either side of the tunnel. They met in the middle two years later, and the tunnel was finally opened four years later, in 1994. CONCLUSION These amazing tunnels help millions of people and tons of goods move each day all around the globe. As people continue to create newer, faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, new tunnels will need to be built. Fortunately, technology allows for the construction of longer, deeper, and wider structures more easily and safely than ever before. Who knows what amazing tunnel will be built next?

1. Tunnels are built to _______. A. test how powerful explosives are B. connect different waterways C. allow people and goods to get places quickly D. check the soil and how strong it is

Strange Plants - 788 Words When we think about plants, we often think of trees, flowers, bushes, and grass. We think about organisms that have stems, leaves, roots, and sometimes flowers. Most plants, such as the ones in this photograph, have roots that grow into the ground. While most plants have these four basic components, some plants are different. This book is about some of these strange plants. Plants called air plants live in trees high above the ground near ponds, streams, rivers, and swamps in North and South America. Their roots are not buried in dirt. Instead, the plants grow on tree branches. They take all their nutrients and moisture from the air, through their leaves. They do not live in soil as most plants do. Can you imagine carnivorous, or meat-eating, plants? Well, there are such plants. They eat insects, spiders, and even some other small animals. Like all plants, they use sunlight and water to make their own food. The animals they "eat" help them grow better because these plants live in places where the soil doesn't supply enough nutrients. One well-known meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap, which lives in moist environments. Its leaves look like traps. The traps have small trigger hairs on the inside. When a critter walks inside a leaf and brushes against the trigger hairs, the leaf snaps shut. The critter is then trapped. The Sundew, another meat-eating plant that lives in moist environments, catches its food in a different way. It has many sticky hairs on its surface that smell sweet. Insects attracted to the smell land and get stuck. Then the plant digests the insects. The giant Sundew plant of Australia, which can grow to 1 meter (3.28 ft.) tall, even eats small frogs! Some plants steal food from other plants. The dodder plant lives on many continents but is most common in North and South America. It sends slender root-like stems into another plant. These stems are pale green, yellow, or bright orange and are easy to see against the host plant. The dodder sucks food and water from the plant. It is a parasite- a living thing that lives off another living thing. When a dodder plant attaches to a host plant, its connection to the soil dies. Many flowers have bad smells that attract insects. The stapelia flower, also called the "carrion flower," emits an odor of rotting meat. On hot days, the odor is noticeable from about 1.6 kilometers (1 mi.) away. The flower has a pattern that looks like dead animals. Flies are attracted to the pattern and the smell, so they fly into the flower. Special powder called "pollen" gets on their bodies. They carry the powder to other flowers. The flowers use the powder to make seeds and grow new plants. Some plants look like rocks. These plants are called "stone plants" or "living stones." They live in very hot, dry places such as South Africa. They hold water very well because the biggest part of each plant lives underground. They rarely grow more than 2.5 centimeters (1 in.) above the ground and have only 2 leaves. Once each year, these plants usually grow white or yellow flower. Their shape helps to hide them so animals do not eat them. Some cactus plants are covered with wool-like hairs. These plants come from Bolivia and Peru, high in the Andes Mountains of South America. The "wool" protects them from daytime heat and nighttime cold. the "wool" also helps the cactus plants hold moisture. Some trees and shrubs grow out of solid rock. They grow up high where the wind blows strong. The wind can blow seeds into small cracks in the rock. When rain gets into the cracks, the seeds start to grow. Their roots reach down into small cracks for moisture. Once the roots are stable, the plants grow leaves to absorb sunlight and are then able to keep growing. As the roots grow, they split the rock. Some plants have animals living inside them. Ant colonies live within ant plants. The ants use the natural cavities, or spaces, in the plant's stem as houses. Some spaces are used for raising young ants. Other spaces are used for garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage for food and to spread its seeds. There are many more kinds of strange plants. Bamboo makes noise when it grows. Some Australian orchids grow and flower completely underground. Bat plants have fruit that looks like bats hanging upside down from the flowers. Some ghost plants have white flowers that seem to appear out of nowhere. There are many amazing plants in the world.

1. What detail supports the idea that plants attract insects to grow new plants? A. The critter is then trapped. B. Their shape helps them hide so animals do not eat them. C. Some cactus plants are covered with wool-like hairs. D. Special powder called "pollen" gets on their bodies.

His Biggest Fan- 888 words "Shoulders square, knees high, pump hard!" Kenny's coach recited each part of their race strategy as the moments ticked off till the starting gun. "Remember- don't run to the finish line, run through the finish line!" Kenny heard every word from Coach Fisher, but he was having trouble staying focused. He tried to tell himself to concentrate. After all, this was the finals! It was the most important race of the year, the one he'd worked so hard to qualify for. It was an honor just to be here to represent his school against the very best in the state. He had to do well. Kenny's mind was somewhere else, though. He sat on the infield, pulling the toes of his track shoes to stretch out his calf muscles. Kenny was surrounded by all of his teammates, by race officials and assistants, and by the fans up in the stands. Still, Kenny felt alone. Kenny thought back to the argument he'd had with his dad the night before. His dad had been giving him advice, as usual. "Get plenty of sleep," his dad had said. "Eat light in the morning. Run two laps and three sprints before the race." Kenny knew his dad meant well. He's just trying to help, Kenny told himself. He tried to be patient, but then his dad asked the question Kenny didn't want to answer. "What time's your race?" "Uh, I'm not sure," Kenny lied. "Not sure?" his dad asked. "Then how are you going to be on time?" "Oh, I, uh... I'm going on the bus," Kenny said. "They'll get me there okay." "Well, actually, Kenny," his dad explained, "I wanted to know about your race time so I can get there." Kenny's heart sank. This was the discussion he didn't want to have. He paused for a moment. "Uh, Dad?" Kenny began. "Do you have to go?" Now it was his dad's turn to hesitate. "Well," his dad said slowly, "it's not that I have to. It's that I want to." "Yeah, I know, but..." Kenny swallowed hard. "It's just that you make me nervous, Dad. I think I'll do better... on my own." Kenny's dad turned away. Kenny caught a glimpse of his face and knew he'd made a mistake. He'd never seen his dad look that way. "Sure. I get it," his dad said, walking away and leaving Kenny with his thoughts. Kenny and the other runners moved into their lanes for his event: the 100-meter dash. Kenny shook his legs to keep them loos as he did a mental check on his condition. He'd gone to bed early, so he felt rested. He'd had a light breakfast, and he ran his two laps and three sprints, just as his dad had suggested. Something still weighed on him. When he had boarded the bus earlier that morning, he felt a nagging regret about what he had said to his father. Now that he was settling into his starting blocks, about to run the race he'd asked his father not to watch, it felt wrong. "Runners, on your marks!" the timekeeper said. "Set!" BANG! Kenny had a good start with the gun and drove his stride hard as he accelerated. He didn't hear the cheers of the fans or the steps of the runners around him. His mind was a blur as he pushed his body to the limit. Go, go, go! he thought, in time with the rhythm of his stride. Left, right, left, right- the spikes on his shoes clawed into the track beneath him. Harder, harder. Kenny's knees and elbows pumped like pistons. Every muscle strained. His feet pounded the track with so much force that it felt as if his heart would shake loose. Now Kenny could see the tape stretched in front of him at the finish line. He felt as though he was flying. Push, push, push. Was he winning? He leaned forward Don't fun to it, run through it. Three final strides and he felt the tape snap across his chest. He'd done it! He'd won! The other runners shook Kenny's hand as he took some long breaths and checked the timer's board. When his time finally went up, he let out a long sigh. It was a personal record- the best he'd ever fun. It didn't feel as good as he hoped. Kenny changed his shoes and shirt. At the award ceremony, an official handed him his first place medal. The round fold disk felt heavy and cool in his hand. He wanted to show it to someone... but that someone wasn't there. The sun was setting behind the stadium as his team packed up their gear and headed to the bus. Coach Fisher came over and shook Kenny's hand. "Nice race, Kenny," the coach said. "Oh, by the way, I left our team bag up in our section on the bleachers. Would you go grab it?" Coach Fisher pointed up to the last bag. Kenny climbed the bleachers to collect it. Then he stopped. There, at the top of the stadium,. taped to the bar above the last row, was a small handwritten sign. The sign said simply, "I was here. Nice job." Kenny smiled. He knew that handwriting.

1. What happens before Kenny begins stretching on the infield? A. Kenny reflects on the argument he had with his dad. B. Coach Fisher tells Kenny to try his best. C. Kenny goofs around with his teammates. D. Coach Fisher goes over the race strategy with Kenny.

Jackie Robinson- 927 words INTRODUCTION The Ebbets Field stands were full on April 15, 1947. Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson picked up his baseball bat. The crowd watches as the only Africa American in Major League Baseball (MLB) walked to the plate. Insults rang out form the other team's dugout. The Dodgers' general manager, Branch Rickey, had warned him this would happen. The words hurt, but Robinson had promised not to respond. He would play ball and let his bat do the talking. Many people took note of the great courage Jackie Robinson showed that day. His courage would make him a baseball legend and a champion for equal rights. THE EARLY YEARS Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, the youngest of five children in a poor Georgia family. The Robinson family moved to California when Jackie was a boy. There, he became known as a talented athlete in not one but several sports. Jackie Robinson attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He was a star on the school's football, track, basketball and baseball teams. Robinson was the first student in the school's history to win special awards in four sports in a single year. In spite of the success, Robinson did not graduate from UCLA. The Robinsons had little money. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. TAKING A STAND Robinson played semiprofessional football after college. Then, in December 1941, the United States entered World War II. Like many young men at the time, Robinson was called up to serve in the U.S. Army. Robinson served at Fort Hood, Texas. One day, in 1944, he and a group of soldiers got on an army bus. The bus was segregated- white soldiers sat in the front and black soldiers in the back. Yet Robinson knew he was no less a soldier than the white men. He refused an order to move to the back of the bus. For this, he was arrested. The army wanted to punish Robinson, but many people defended him. He was a good soldier who had only stood up for what was right. In the end, he was found not guilty. YOU'RE HIRED After his time in the army, Robinson worked at a Texas college coaching basketball. In 1945, he received a letter from the Kansas City Monarchs, a professional baseball team. They offered Robinson a contract to play with them for four hundred dollars a month. The Monarchs were part of the Negro Leagues. At that time, baseball was segregated. White and black athletes played in separate leagues. Robinson signed on to play for the Monarchs, thinking it might be a way to someday get into the all-white major leagues. Robinson showed everyone he was a skilled player. He caught the eye of Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ricky felt that there should not be separate baseball leagues based on race. Instead, as he put, professional baseball should be "color-blind." He wanted the Dodgers to sign a player from the Negro Leagues, a first attempt to integrate major league baseball. Rickey knew that this player would not only have to be a great athlete. He would also have to show strong character in the face of abuse. In 1945, Rickey met with Robinson. Rickey offered to hire him on one condition: Robinson could not respond to any prejudice against him because of his race. Robinson was at first very surprised. How could this man expect him to not fight back against prejudice? Rickey explained that the best way to fight back would be to play well. Robinson would show just how good he was. NUMBER 42 TAKES THE FIELD On October 23, 1945, Jackie Robinson signed on to play for the Dodgers' minor league team. Spring training for the team was held in Florida. There, Robinson had a taste of what he would face as MLB's first African American player. He could not stay in the same hotels as the rest of the team. Other minor league teams refused to play because of Robinson. Opposing pitchers threw the ball at him. Even some of his teammates didn't want to play with him. None of the abuse stopped Robinson. He played well enough to move up to the Dodgers the next year. Wearing number 42, Jackie Robinson rook the field on April 15, 1947, before a crowd of more than twenty-six spectators. The Dodgers earned a victory that day, not only over the Boston Braves but also over prejudice against African Americans. Robinson also went on to have a great career. He was chosen Rookie of the Year in 1947. In 1949, he was voted Most Valuable Player in the league. Robinson was a fast runner who led the league in stolen bases. He helped the Dodgers win six league championships and a World Series victory. In 1962, he became the first African American to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. BEYOND BASEBALL After retiring from baseball in 1957, Robinson joined the coffee maker and fast-food chain Chock Full o' Nuts. In doing so, he became the first black vice president of a U.S. national company. In 1964, he co-founded the Freedom National Bank, which grew to become one of the largest black-owned banks in the United States. Six years later, he launched a construction company. Robinson also became a civil rights leader who continued to work for equality for all people. He died in 1972 from heart problems and diabetes complications. Today in the United States, people of color have more opportunities the world of sports than ever before. We all have Number 42 to thank for that.

1. Why is this book an example of a biography? A. It is a fictional story about a real person. B. It is a true story about a real person's life. C. It is a true story about a the history of baseball. D. It is written by the subject of the book.

Building Tunnels GOING PLACES For much of history, when travelers came across obstacles like mountains, they had a decision to make. Should they go around or over? Both options were difficult- until someone decided to go through! Today, tunnels allow safe and speedy passage through hills and mountains. They also allow people and goods to pass under cities, rivers, and seas. The largest tunnels are amazing examples of the work modern engineers can do. THE HISTORY OF TUNNELS People have been building tunnels for thousands of years. However, for much of that time, tunneling was dangerous and could take many years of hard work. In the 1860's, tunnel building became much easier when Alfred Nobel created dynamite. Easy to use and safer than other explosives at the time, dynamite allowed people to blast through rock in moments. Since then, technology has continued to advance and tunnels have grown larger and more amazing. BUILDING TUNNELS Today, workers have carved tunnels through rock mountains, under large bodies of water, and below busy cities. Before building a tunnel, engineers look at soil and rock samples. They drill test holes to discover the type of rock they will need to dig through. Once they have this information, they can design a tunnel that will not collapse. Tunneling usually follows three basic steps: dig, support, and line. First, workers dig part of the tunnel. They may use tools, machines, or explosives. Once part of the tunnel has been cleared, it is time to start step two: support. Any unstable ground must be made stronger to prevent a collapse. How they do this depends on the material the tunnel has to go through. Once the tunnel has been made stable, workers build the lining, or inside, of the tunnel. Using these three basic steps, people have built amazing tunnels all over the world. TUNNELS THROUGH ROCK The Seikan Tunnel connects Honshu, the main island of Japan, with Hokkaido. It's 54 kilometers (34 mi.) long, making it the second-longest tunnel in the world. To build the tunnel, workers had to blast through tons of hard rock. To blast through rock, workers first drill small holes. The type of rock determines how deep and how far apart the holes need to be. Then, workers pack the holes tightly with explosives. After they set off the explosives, workers cart away the pieces of rock created by the blast- called muck. Tunnels of solid rock often don't need extra support because they are already sturdy. However, areas with broken rock still need to be secured. Workers may install long bolts or spray the area with concrete. They need to make sure that the rocks won't move as they continue to work on the tunnel. For some tunnels through rock, workers use huge tunnel-boring machines At the front of the machine is a plate in the shape of a circle that contains disk cutters. The plate rotates, carving and grinding into the rock. The muck is scooped onto a belt that moves back toward the tunnel entrance. While these machines make building tunnels easier and faster, they cost millions of dollars. If they break down, they can sometimes take months or even years to repair. TUNNELS THROUGH SOFT EARTH Building tunnels through soft ground, such as sand or gravel, can be dangerous. The earth can easily collapse. To stop this from happening, workers push a steel cylinder called a shield into the earth for support. They then dig out the material within the shield. Next, they install a liner, which is often made of steel or concrete. With that complete, they push the shield deeper ahead and repeat the process. Marc Brunel invented the method in order to build the Thames Tunnel in the 1840's. TUNNELS UNDER WATER Building tunnels under bodies of water presents additional challenges. In many instances, workers make a trench while building sections of the tunnel above ground. When the trench is complete, the sections of tunnel are sunk and connected together. When everything is sealed, the water is pumped out of the tunnel. The Marmaray Tunnel, which connects the European and Asian sides of Instanbul, Turkey, was build using the trench method. The Channel Tunnel, which crosses under the English Channel between England and France, was built using another method. Eleven tunnel-boring machines began work on either side of the tunnel. They met in the middle two years later, and the tunnel was finally opened four years later, in 1994. CONCLUSION These amazing tunnels help millions of people and tons of goods move each day all around the globe. As people continue to create newer, faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, new tunnels will need to be built. Fortunately, technology allows for the construction of longer, deeper, and wider structures more easily and safely than ever before. Who knows what amazing tunnel will be built next?

10. How is the Channel Tunnel different from the Marmaray Tunnel? A. The Channel Tunnel was made by lowering tunnel parts into the water. B. The Channel Tunnel was made with many tunnel-boring machines. C. The Channel Tunnel is much longer and taller. D. The Channel Tunnel was made by blowing up large rocks into small pieces.

Strange Plants - 788 Words When we think about plants, we often think of trees, flowers, bushes, and grass. We think about organisms that have stems, leaves, roots, and sometimes flowers. Most plants, such as the ones in this photograph, have roots that grow into the ground. While most plants have these four basic components, some plants are different. This book is about some of these strange plants. Plants called air plants live in trees high above the ground near ponds, streams, rivers, and swamps in North and South America. Their roots are not buried in dirt. Instead, the plants grow on tree branches. They take all their nutrients and moisture from the air, through their leaves. They do not live in soil as most plants do. Can you imagine carnivorous, or meat-eating, plants? Well, there are such plants. They eat insects, spiders, and even some other small animals. Like all plants, they use sunlight and water to make their own food. The animals they "eat" help them grow better because these plants live in places where the soil doesn't supply enough nutrients. One well-known meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap, which lives in moist environments. Its leaves look like traps. The traps have small trigger hairs on the inside. When a critter walks inside a leaf and brushes against the trigger hairs, the leaf snaps shut. The critter is then trapped. The Sundew, another meat-eating plant that lives in moist environments, catches its food in a different way. It has many sticky hairs on its surface that smell sweet. Insects attracted to the smell land and get stuck. Then the plant digests the insects. The giant Sundew plant of Australia, which can grow to 1 meter (3.28 ft.) tall, even eats small frogs! Some plants steal food from other plants. The dodder plant lives on many continents but is most common in North and South America. It sends slender root-like stems into another plant. These stems are pale green, yellow, or bright orange and are easy to see against the host plant. The dodder sucks food and water from the plant. It is a parasite- a living thing that lives off another living thing. When a dodder plant attaches to a host plant, its connection to the soil dies. Many flowers have bad smells that attract insects. The stapelia flower, also called the "carrion flower," emits an odor of rotting meat. On hot days, the odor is noticeable from about 1.6 kilometers (1 mi.) away. The flower has a pattern that looks like dead animals. Flies are attracted to the pattern and the smell, so they fly into the flower. Special powder called "pollen" gets on their bodies. They carry the powder to other flowers. The flowers use the powder to make seeds and grow new plants. Some plants look like rocks. These plants are called "stone plants" or "living stones." They live in very hot, dry places such as South Africa. They hold water very well because the biggest part of each plant lives underground. They rarely grow more than 2.5 centimeters (1 in.) above the ground and have only 2 leaves. Once each year, these plants usually grow white or yellow flower. Their shape helps to hide them so animals do not eat them. Some cactus plants are covered with wool-like hairs. These plants come from Bolivia and Peru, high in the Andes Mountains of South America. The "wool" protects them from daytime heat and nighttime cold. the "wool" also helps the cactus plants hold moisture. Some trees and shrubs grow out of solid rock. They grow up high where the wind blows strong. The wind can blow seeds into small cracks in the rock. When rain gets into the cracks, the seeds start to grow. Their roots reach down into small cracks for moisture. Once the roots are stable, the plants grow leaves to absorb sunlight and are then able to keep growing. As the roots grow, they split the rock. Some plants have animals living inside them. Ant colonies live within ant plants. The ants use the natural cavities, or spaces, in the plant's stem as houses. Some spaces are used for raising young ants. Other spaces are used for garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage for food and to spread its seeds. There are many more kinds of strange plants. Bamboo makes noise when it grows. Some Australian orchids grow and flower completely underground. Bat plants have fruit that looks like bats hanging upside down from the flowers. Some ghost plants have white flowers that seem to appear out of nowhere. There are many amazing plants in the world.

10. What caused the Venus flytrap's leaves to snap shut? A. An insect got stuck on the hairs. B. A critter brushed the trigger hairs. C. The Venus flytrap smelled the critter. D. An insect ate the leaf.

His Biggest Fan- 888 words "Shoulders square, knees high, pump hard!" Kenny's coach recited each part of their race strategy as the moments ticked off till the starting gun. "Remember- don't run to the finish line, run through the finish line!" Kenny heard every word from Coach Fisher, but he was having trouble staying focused. He tried to tell himself to concentrate. After all, this was the finals! It was the most important race of the year, the one he'd worked so hard to qualify for. It was an honor just to be here to represent his school against the very best in the state. He had to do well. Kenny's mind was somewhere else, though. He sat on the infield, pulling the toes of his track shoes to stretch out his calf muscles. Kenny was surrounded by all of his teammates, by race officials and assistants, and by the fans up in the stands. Still, Kenny felt alone. Kenny thought back to the argument he'd had with his dad the night before. His dad had been giving him advice, as usual. "Get plenty of sleep," his dad had said. "Eat light in the morning. Run two laps and three sprints before the race." Kenny knew his dad meant well. He's just trying to help, Kenny told himself. He tried to be patient, but then his dad asked the question Kenny didn't want to answer. "What time's your race?" "Uh, I'm not sure," Kenny lied. "Not sure?" his dad asked. "Then how are you going to be on time?" "Oh, I, uh... I'm going on the bus," Kenny said. "They'll get me there okay." "Well, actually, Kenny," his dad explained, "I wanted to know about your race time so I can get there." Kenny's heart sank. This was the discussion he didn't want to have. He paused for a moment. "Uh, Dad?" Kenny began. "Do you have to go?" Now it was his dad's turn to hesitate. "Well," his dad said slowly, "it's not that I have to. It's that I want to." "Yeah, I know, but..." Kenny swallowed hard. "It's just that you make me nervous, Dad. I think I'll do better... on my own." Kenny's dad turned away. Kenny caught a glimpse of his face and knew he'd made a mistake. He'd never seen his dad look that way. "Sure. I get it," his dad said, walking away and leaving Kenny with his thoughts. Kenny and the other runners moved into their lanes for his event: the 100-meter dash. Kenny shook his legs to keep them loos as he did a mental check on his condition. He'd gone to bed early, so he felt rested. He'd had a light breakfast, and he ran his two laps and three sprints, just as his dad had suggested. Something still weighed on him. When he had boarded the bus earlier that morning, he felt a nagging regret about what he had said to his father. Now that he was settling into his starting blocks, about to run the race he'd asked his father not to watch, it felt wrong. "Runners, on your marks!" the timekeeper said. "Set!" BANG! Kenny had a good start with the gun and drove his stride hard as he accelerated. He didn't hear the cheers of the fans or the steps of the runners around him. His mind was a blur as he pushed his body to the limit. Go, go, go! he thought, in time with the rhythm of his stride. Left, right, left, right- the spikes on his shoes clawed into the track beneath him. Harder, harder. Kenny's knees and elbows pumped like pistons. Every muscle strained. His feet pounded the track with so much force that it felt as if his heart would shake loose. Now Kenny could see the tape stretched in front of him at the finish line. He felt as though he was flying. Push, push, push. Was he winning? He leaned forward Don't fun to it, run through it. Three final strides and he felt the tape snap across his chest. He'd done it! He'd won! The other runners shook Kenny's hand as he took some long breaths and checked the timer's board. When his time finally went up, he let out a long sigh. It was a personal record- the best he'd ever fun. It didn't feel as good as he hoped. Kenny changed his shoes and shirt. At the award ceremony, an official handed him his first place medal. The round fold disk felt heavy and cool in his hand. He wanted to show it to someone... but that someone wasn't there. The sun was setting behind the stadium as his team packed up their gear and headed to the bus. Coach Fisher came over and shook Kenny's hand. "Nice race, Kenny," the coach said. "Oh, by the way, I left our team bag up in our section on the bleachers. Would you go grab it?" Coach Fisher pointed up to the last bag. Kenny climbed the bleachers to collect it. Then he stopped. There, at the top of the stadium,. taped to the bar above the last row, was a small handwritten sign. The sign said simply, "I was here. Nice job." Kenny smiled. He knew that handwriting.

10. What causes Kenny to smile at the very end of the book? A. winning the race B. seeing his dad in the bleachers C. the sign his dad left in the bleachers D. receiving his first place medal

Surfing- 848 words THE SPORT OF KINGS People have been surfing for hundred, perhaps thousands, of years. The first surfers may have been Polynesian fisherfolk who rode boards to help them move quickly through the waves. When Polynesians first settled in Hawaii around 1200 CE, they brought their love of surfing with them. They called it he'e nalu (HAY-ay NAHL-oo), which means "wave sliding." Surfing was more than a sport to the early Hawaiians. It was an important part of their culture. Hawaiians carved surfboards from the wood of special trees. Surfers prayed to their gods to protect them and bring them great waves. Hawaiian chiefs showed their skill and courage by riding huge wooden boards. The best beaches were kept only for royalty. SURFING U.S.A.- AND BEYOND Europeans learned about surfing in the late 1700's. That's when British explorer Captain Cook and his crew spotted surfers around Tahiti and Hawaii. In 1885, three Hawaiian princes visited Santa Cruz, California. They rode surfboards off the beach. Soon, local boys were trying to copy them. Jack London, a world-famous author, visited Hawaii in 1907 and wrote stories about the surfers he saw there. One of those surfers, George Freeth, helped spread surfing across the mainland when he traveled to California and showed off his skills. He became known as "the father of modern surfing." Duke Kahanamoku (kah-hah-nh-MOH-koo) was a Hawaiian-born champion swimmer who won medals at the 1912 and 1920 Olympic Games. he learned to surf as a boy in Hawaii and loved to share the sport. Kahanamoku traveled around the United States and became one of surfing's most important early stars. He took part in Australia's first surfing shows using a board he built himself. By the 1960's, surfing was hugely popular in California, Hawaii, and Australia. Hit songs, movies, magazines, and TV shows celebrated the fun and freedom of surfing. Even people who had never seen the sport in real life knew about the surfing lifestyle. BOARDS Up until the early twentieth century surfboards were still made of solid wood. They were heavy and difficult to steep. In 1926, surfer Tom Blake invented a hollow board that was much lighter and faster. He was also the first person to add fins to make boards easier to control. By the 1940's, surfboards were made of a light wood known as balsa. Modern materials, such as fiberglass, have helped make today's surfboards light, strong, and buoyant. Surfboards come in many different styles, including shortboards, longboards, and funboards. Each has a nose and tail to make the board faster, and fins on the bottom to help with steering. Shortboards measure about 2 meters (6.5 ft.), while longboards can be up to 4 meters (13.1 ft.). Funboards are slightly longer and wider than shortboards and are a good choice for beginners. Today's surfboards have a leach, or leg rope, to keep them from getting swept away. Leashes keep boards from smacking into other people in the water when a surfer wipes out. COMPETITION The first-ever World Surfing Championship was held in 1964 at Manly Beach, Australia. Competitors from Hawaii, the continental US, Peru, and Australia surfed in front of more than sixty-five thousand people. Australians Bernard Farrelly and Phyllis O'Donnel became the first world champions. Today's top male and female surfers compete in the World Championship Tour held by the World Surf League. In each heat, surfers have up to thirty minutes to catch waves. Judges award each wave a score from one to ten. Surfers are allowed to catch as many waves as they can during a heat. Judges count each surfer's top two waves for a possible high score of twenty. Few surfers ever get a perfect score! Surfers receive points based on how well they perform at competitions. The male and female surfers with the highest points each year become the Word Surf League champions. SAFETY Surfing is challenging, and surfers need to take care to keep from hurting themselves- and those around them. Surfers need to be strong swimmers. They should also do the following: Check the weather and tides before going near the water. Check to make sure their board is in good shape. Always use a safety leash. Never surf alone. Keep control of their board at all times. Wear sunblock and a swim shirt to protect their skin from sun damage and rashes. Wear a wet suit to keep out the cold. SURFING STARS Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer who is famous for his skill and style. He has been crowned World Surf League champion a record eleven times. He is both the youngest and oldest person to ever become champion. When Lisa Andersen began the sport at thirteen, she was the only girl surfing in her hometown in Florida. That didn't stop her from winning the world championship four times in a row from 1994 to 1997. She became the first superstar of women's professional surfing, paving the way for many other top athletes. CONCLUSION From its beginning in Polynesia, surfing has spread to every continent, including Antarctica! People all over the world have discovered just how fun, healthy, and exciting surfing can be. Surf's up!

10. What makes surfer Robert Kelly unique? A. He was the first American to win a surfing competition. B. He won the first- ever World Surfing Championship in 1964. C. He has been crowned World Surf League champion eleven times. D. He helped invent skateboarding, originally known as "sidewalk surfing".

Strange Plants - 788 Words When we think about plants, we often think of trees, flowers, bushes, and grass. We think about organisms that have stems, leaves, roots, and sometimes flowers. Most plants, such as the ones in this photograph, have roots that grow into the ground. While most plants have these four basic components, some plants are different. This book is about some of these strange plants. Plants called air plants live in trees high above the ground near ponds, streams, rivers, and swamps in North and South America. Their roots are not buried in dirt. Instead, the plants grow on tree branches. They take all their nutrients and moisture from the air, through their leaves. They do not live in soil as most plants do. Can you imagine carnivorous, or meat-eating, plants? Well, there are such plants. They eat insects, spiders, and even some other small animals. Like all plants, they use sunlight and water to make their own food. The animals they "eat" help them grow better because these plants live in places where the soil doesn't supply enough nutrients. One well-known meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap, which lives in moist environments. Its leaves look like traps. The traps have small trigger hairs on the inside. When a critter walks inside a leaf and brushes against the trigger hairs, the leaf snaps shut. The critter is then trapped. The Sundew, another meat-eating plant that lives in moist environments, catches its food in a different way. It has many sticky hairs on its surface that smell sweet. Insects attracted to the smell land and get stuck. Then the plant digests the insects. The giant Sundew plant of Australia, which can grow to 1 meter (3.28 ft.) tall, even eats small frogs! Some plants steal food from other plants. The dodder plant lives on many continents but is most common in North and South America. It sends slender root-like stems into another plant. These stems are pale green, yellow, or bright orange and are easy to see against the host plant. The dodder sucks food and water from the plant. It is a parasite- a living thing that lives off another living thing. When a dodder plant attaches to a host plant, its connection to the soil dies. Many flowers have bad smells that attract insects. The stapelia flower, also called the "carrion flower," emits an odor of rotting meat. On hot days, the odor is noticeable from about 1.6 kilometers (1 mi.) away. The flower has a pattern that looks like dead animals. Flies are attracted to the pattern and the smell, so they fly into the flower. Special powder called "pollen" gets on their bodies. They carry the powder to other flowers. The flowers use the powder to make seeds and grow new plants. Some plants look like rocks. These plants are called "stone plants" or "living stones." They live in very hot, dry places such as South Africa. They hold water very well because the biggest part of each plant lives underground. They rarely grow more than 2.5 centimeters (1 in.) above the ground and have only 2 leaves. Once each year, these plants usually grow white or yellow flower. Their shape helps to hide them so animals do not eat them. Some cactus plants are covered with wool-like hairs. These plants come from Bolivia and Peru, high in the Andes Mountains of South America. The "wool" protects them from daytime heat and nighttime cold. the "wool" also helps the cactus plants hold moisture. Some trees and shrubs grow out of solid rock. They grow up high where the wind blows strong. The wind can blow seeds into small cracks in the rock. When rain gets into the cracks, the seeds start to grow. Their roots reach down into small cracks for moisture. Once the roots are stable, the plants grow leaves to absorb sunlight and are then able to keep growing. As the roots grow, they split the rock. Some plants have animals living inside them. Ant colonies live within ant plants. The ants use the natural cavities, or spaces, in the plant's stem as houses. Some spaces are used for raising young ants. Other spaces are used for garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage. The ant plant uses some of this garbage for food and to spread its seeds. There are many more kinds of strange plants. Bamboo makes noise when it grows. Some Australian orchids grow and flower completely underground. Bat plants have fruit that looks like bats hanging upside down from the flowers. Some ghost plants have white flowers that seem to appear out of nowhere. There are many amazing plants in the world.

2. What does the word carnivorous mean? A. Drawn to something B. Living things C. Only eats meat D. Sends out from

His Biggest Fan- 888 words "Shoulders square, knees high, pump hard!" Kenny's coach recited each part of their race strategy as the moments ticked off till the starting gun. "Remember- don't run to the finish line, run through the finish line!" Kenny heard every word from Coach Fisher, but he was having trouble staying focused. He tried to tell himself to concentrate. After all, this was the finals! It was the most important race of the year, the one he'd worked so hard to qualify for. It was an honor just to be here to represent his school against the very best in the state. He had to do well. Kenny's mind was somewhere else, though. He sat on the infield, pulling the toes of his track shoes to stretch out his calf muscles. Kenny was surrounded by all of his teammates, by race officials and assistants, and by the fans up in the stands. Still, Kenny felt alone. Kenny thought back to the argument he'd had with his dad the night before. His dad had been giving him advice, as usual. "Get plenty of sleep," his dad had said. "Eat light in the morning. Run two laps and three sprints before the race." Kenny knew his dad meant well. He's just trying to help, Kenny told himself. He tried to be patient, but then his dad asked the question Kenny didn't want to answer. "What time's your race?" "Uh, I'm not sure," Kenny lied. "Not sure?" his dad asked. "Then how are you going to be on time?" "Oh, I, uh... I'm going on the bus," Kenny said. "They'll get me there okay." "Well, actually, Kenny," his dad explained, "I wanted to know about your race time so I can get there." Kenny's heart sank. This was the discussion he didn't want to have. He paused for a moment. "Uh, Dad?" Kenny began. "Do you have to go?" Now it was his dad's turn to hesitate. "Well," his dad said slowly, "it's not that I have to. It's that I want to." "Yeah, I know, but..." Kenny swallowed hard. "It's just that you make me nervous, Dad. I think I'll do better... on my own." Kenny's dad turned away. Kenny caught a glimpse of his face and knew he'd made a mistake. He'd never seen his dad look that way. "Sure. I get it," his dad said, walking away and leaving Kenny with his thoughts. Kenny and the other runners moved into their lanes for his event: the 100-meter dash. Kenny shook his legs to keep them loos as he did a mental check on his condition. He'd gone to bed early, so he felt rested. He'd had a light breakfast, and he ran his two laps and three sprints, just as his dad had suggested. Something still weighed on him. When he had boarded the bus earlier that morning, he felt a nagging regret about what he had said to his father. Now that he was settling into his starting blocks, about to run the race he'd asked his father not to watch, it felt wrong. "Runners, on your marks!" the timekeeper said. "Set!" BANG! Kenny had a good start with the gun and drove his stride hard as he accelerated. He didn't hear the cheers of the fans or the steps of the runners around him. His mind was a blur as he pushed his body to the limit. Go, go, go! he thought, in time with the rhythm of his stride. Left, right, left, right- the spikes on his shoes clawed into the track beneath him. Harder, harder. Kenny's knees and elbows pumped like pistons. Every muscle strained. His feet pounded the track with so much force that it felt as if his heart would shake loose. Now Kenny could see the tape stretched in front of him at the finish line. He felt as though he was flying. Push, push, push. Was he winning? He leaned forward Don't fun to it, run through it. Three final strides and he felt the tape snap across his chest. He'd done it! He'd won! The other runners shook Kenny's hand as he took some long breaths and checked the timer's board. When his time finally went up, he let out a long sigh. It was a personal record- the best he'd ever fun. It didn't feel as good as he hoped. Kenny changed his shoes and shirt. At the award ceremony, an official handed him his first place medal. The round fold disk felt heavy and cool in his hand. He wanted to show it to someone... but that someone wasn't there. The sun was setting behind the stadium as his team packed up their gear and headed to the bus. Coach Fisher came over and shook Kenny's hand. "Nice race, Kenny," the coach said. "Oh, by the way, I left our team bag up in our section on the bleachers. Would you go grab it?" Coach Fisher pointed up to the last bag. Kenny climbed the bleachers to collect it. Then he stopped. There, at the top of the stadium,. taped to the bar above the last row, was a small handwritten sign. The sign said simply, "I was here. Nice job." Kenny smiled. He knew that handwriting.

2. What effect does Kenny's argument with his dad have on him at the race the next day? A. He can't concentrate before the race. B. He loses the race. C. He is crying before the race. D. He is happy before the race.

Jackie Robinson- 927 words INTRODUCTION The Ebbets Field stands were full on April 15, 1947. Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson picked up his baseball bat. The crowd watches as the only Africa American in Major League Baseball (MLB) walked to the plate. Insults rang out form the other team's dugout. The Dodgers' general manager, Branch Rickey, had warned him this would happen. The words hurt, but Robinson had promised not to respond. He would play ball and let his bat do the talking. Many people took note of the great courage Jackie Robinson showed that day. His courage would make him a baseball legend and a champion for equal rights. THE EARLY YEARS Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, the youngest of five children in a poor Georgia family. The Robinson family moved to California when Jackie was a boy. There, he became known as a talented athlete in not one but several sports. Jackie Robinson attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He was a star on the school's football, track, basketball and baseball teams. Robinson was the first student in the school's history to win special awards in four sports in a single year. In spite of the success, Robinson did not graduate from UCLA. The Robinsons had little money. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. He left school in 1941 to help support his family. TAKING A STAND Robinson played semiprofessional football after college. Then, in December 1941, the United States entered World War II. Like many young men at the time, Robinson was called up to serve in the U.S. Army. Robinson served at Fort Hood, Texas. One day, in 1944, he and a group of soldiers got on an army bus. The bus was segregated- white soldiers sat in the front and black soldiers in the back. Yet Robinson knew he was no less a soldier than the white men. He refused an order to move to the back of the bus. For this, he was arrested. The army wanted to punish Robinson, but many people defended him. He was a good soldier who had only stood up for what was right. In the end, he was found not guilty. YOU'RE HIRED After his time in the army, Robinson worked at a Texas college coaching basketball. In 1945, he received a letter from the Kansas City Monarchs, a professional baseball team. They offered Robinson a contract to play with them for four hundred dollars a month. The Monarchs were part of the Negro Leagues. At that time, baseball was segregated. White and black athletes played in separate leagues. Robinson signed on to play for the Monarchs, thinking it might be a way to someday get into the all-white major leagues. Robinson showed everyone he was a skilled player. He caught the eye of Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ricky felt that there should not be separate baseball leagues based on race. Instead, as he put, professional baseball should be "color-blind." He wanted the Dodgers to sign a player from the Negro Leagues, a first attempt to integrate major league baseball. Rickey knew that this player would not only have to be a great athlete. He would also have to show strong character in the face of abuse. In 1945, Rickey met with Robinson. Rickey offered to hire him on one condition: Robinson could not respond to any prejudice against him because of his race. Robinson was at first very surprised. How could this man expect him to not fight back against prejudice? Rickey explained that the best way to fight back would be to play well. Robinson would show just how good he was. NUMBER 42 TAKES THE FIELD On October 23, 1945, Jackie Robinson signed on to play for the Dodgers' minor league team. Spring training for the team was held in Florida. There, Robinson had a taste of what he would face as MLB's first African American player. He could not stay in the same hotels as the rest of the team. Other minor league teams refused to play because of Robinson. Opposing pitchers threw the ball at him. Even some of his teammates didn't want to play with him. None of the abuse stopped Robinson. He played well enough to move up to the Dodgers the next year. Wearing number 42, Jackie Robinson rook the field on April 15, 1947, before a crowd of more than twenty-six spectators. The Dodgers earned a victory that day, not only over the Boston Braves but also over prejudice against African Americans. Robinson also went on to have a great career. He was chosen Rookie of the Year in 1947. In 1949, he was voted Most Valuable Player in the league. Robinson was a fast runner who led the league in stolen bases. He helped the Dodgers win six league championships and a World Series victory. In 1962, he became the first African American to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. BEYOND BASEBALL After retiring from baseball in 1957, Robinson joined the coffee maker and fast-food chain Chock Full o' Nuts. In doing so, he became the first black vice president of a U.S. national company. In 1964, he co-founded the Freedom National Bank, which grew to become one of the largest black-owned banks in the United States. Six years later, he launched a construction company. Robinson also became a civil rights leader who continued to work for equality for all people. He died in 1972 from heart problems and diabetes complications. Today in the United States, people of color have more opportunities the world of sports than ever before. We all have Number 42 to thank for that.

2. What is the author's main purpose for writing this book? A. to inform the reader about the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson B. to persuade the reader to research more about the history of baseball C. to entertain the reader with stories from Jackie Robinson's childhood D. to inform the reader about the role of Jackie Robinson in World War II

Building Tunnels- 788 words GOING PLACES For much of history, when travelers came across obstacles like mountains, they had a decision to make. Should they go around or over? Both options were difficult- until someone decided to go through! Today, tunnels allow safe and speedy passage through hills and mountains. They also allow people and goods to pass under cities, rivers, and seas. The largest tunnels are amazing examples of the work modern engineers can do. THE HISTORY OF TUNNELS People have been building tunnels for thousands of years. However, for much of that time, tunneling was dangerous and could take many years of hard work. In the 1860's, tunnel building became much easier when Alfred Nobel created dynamite. Easy to use and safer than other explosives at the time, dynamite allowed people to blast through rock in moments. Since then, technology has continued to advance and tunnels have grown larger and more amazing. BUILDING TUNNELS Today, workers have carved tunnels through rock mountains, under large bodies of water, and below busy cities. Before building a tunnel, engineers look at soil and rock samples. They drill test holes to discover the type of rock they will need to dig through. Once they have this information, they can design a tunnel that will not collapse. Tunneling usually follows three basic steps: dig, support, and line. First, workers dig part of the tunnel. They may use tools, machines, or explosives. Once part of the tunnel has been cleared, it is time to start step two: support. Any unstable ground must be made stronger to prevent a collapse. How they do this depends on the material the tunnel has to go through. Once the tunnel has been made stable, workers build the lining, or inside, of the tunnel. Using these three basic steps, people have built amazing tunnels all over the world. TUNNELS THROUGH ROCK The Seikan Tunnel connects Honshu, the main island of Japan, with Hokkaido. It's 54 kilometers (34 mi.) long, making it the second-longest tunnel in the world. To build the tunnel, workers had to blast through tons of hard rock. To blast through rock, workers first drill small holes. The type of rock determines how deep and how far apart the holes need to be. Then, workers pack the holes tightly with explosives. After they set off the explosives, workers cart away the pieces of rock created by the blast- called muck. Tunnels of solid rock often don't need extra support because they are already sturdy. However, areas with broken rock still need to be secured. Workers may install long bolts or spray the area with concrete. They need to make sure that the rocks won't move as they continue to work on the tunnel. For some tunnels through rock, workers use huge tunnel-boring machines At the front of the machine is a plate in the shape of a circle that contains disk cutters. The plate rotates, carving and grinding into the rock. The muck is scooped onto a belt that moves back toward the tunnel entrance. While these machines make building tunnels easier and faster, they cost millions of dollars. If they break down, they can sometimes take months or even years to repair. TUNNELS THROUGH SOFT EARTH Building tunnels through soft ground, such as sand or gravel, can be dangerous. The earth can easily collapse. To stop this from happening, workers push a steel cylinder called a shield into the earth for support. They then dig out the material within the shield. Next, they install a liner, which is often made of steel or concrete. With that complete, they push the shield deeper ahead and repeat the process. Marc Brunel invented the method in order to build the Thames Tunnel in the 1840's. TUNNELS UNDER WATER Building tunnels under bodies of water presents additional challenges. In many instances, workers make a trench while building sections of the tunnel above ground. When the trench is complete, the sections of tunnel are sunk and connected together. When everything is sealed, the water is pumped out of the tunnel. The Marmaray Tunnel, which connects the European and Asian sides of Instanbul, Turkey, was build using the trench method. The Channel Tunnel, which crosses under the English Channel between England and France, was built using another method. Eleven tunnel-boring machines began work on either side of the tunnel. They met in the middle two years later, and the tunnel was finally opened four years later, in 1994. CONCLUSION These amazing tunnels help millions of people and tons of goods move each day all around the globe. As people continue to create newer, faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, and better modes of transportation, they still come across the same obstacles. To get people where they're going faster, new tunnels will need to be built. Fortunately, technology allows for the construction of longer, deeper, and wider structures more easily and safely than ever before. Who knows what amazing tunnel will be built next?

2. Which of the following happened in the 1860's? A. The first tunnel was built. B. The largest tunnel in the world was built . C. The Channel Tunnel was opened. D. Dynamite was used to make tunnels easier to build.