homwork

It was a sunny afternoon in May, and Emily was searching her backyard for signs of spring. She ran to an old, dead tree where woodpeckers had made a nest hole. Sometimes other birds use old woodpecker holes for their nests, and she listened eagerly for the "peep peep" of baby birds. If she were lucky, she might even see a parent bird fly up with food for its hungry chicks. Just as Emily reached the old tree, she saw something moving in the grass under the woodpecker hole. It was a baby bird! It didn't fly away when Emily got closer. Maybe it was too young to fly. "I'll take you home, little bird," she said to the chick. "Mom will show me how to take care of you. Mom knows all about nature." Emily's mother did not seem thrilled when her daughter plopped a baby bird onto the kitchen table. "Emmie, it's perfectly normal for babies to jump out of the nest a few days before they can fly. Nests are dangerous places. They're easy for predators like squirrels and snakes to find, and after a couple of weeks a nest full of chicks can get pretty dirty. Most songbird chicks leave as soon as they're old enough to hop and climb, but before their feathers have grown enough to fly." "This is a bluebird chick, and it looks healthy to me," said Emily's mom. "Bluebirds eat bugs and worms. We can't take care of it nearly as well as its mother and father. They don't need our help, so let's put it back before the parents get too worried. Help me find a good, safe place." Emily followed her mother into the backyard, carrying the bluebird chick. Near the old tree, Emily saw a bush with lots of branches and leaves. "How about here, Mom?" she said. "That will be perfect, Emmie," said her mother. "The chick will be safer than on the ground, and the parents should find it quickly." With a boost from her mother, Emily put the chick on a small branch, out of reach of cats. As soon as they backed away, the hungry little bird began peeping. Emily's mother explained that chicks peep so their parents can keep track of them. Sure enough, an adult bluebird arrived a minute later with a juicy caterpillar, and poked it into the chick's mouth. Yum!

It was a sunny afternoon in May, and Emily was searching her backyard for signs of spring. She ran to an old, dead tree where woodpeckers had made a nest hole. Sometimes other birds use old woodpecker holes for their nests, and she listened eagerly for the "peep peep" of baby birds. If she were lucky, she might even see a parent bird fly up with food for its hungry chicks. Just as Emily reached the old tree, she saw something moving in the grass under the woodpecker hole. It was a baby bird! It didn't fly away when Emily got closer. Maybe it was too young to fly. "I'll take you home, little bird," she said to the chick. "Mom will show me how to take care of you. Mom knows all about nature." Emily's mother did not seem thrilled when her daughter plopped a baby bird onto the kitchen table. "Emmie, it's perfectly normal for babies to jump out of the nest a few days before they can fly. Nests are dangerous places. They're easy for predators like squirrels and snakes to find, and after a couple of weeks a nest full of chicks can get pretty dirty. Most songbird chicks leave as soon as they're old enough to hop and climb, but before their feathers have grown enough to fly." "This is a bluebird chick, and it looks healthy to me," said Emily's mom. "Bluebirds eat bugs and worms. We can't take care of it nearly as well as its mother and father. They don't need our help, so let's put it back before the parents get too worried. Help me find a good, safe place." Emily followed her mother into the backyard, carrying the bluebird chick. Near the old tree, Emily saw a bush with lots of branches and leaves. "How about here, Mom?" she said. "That will be perfect, Emmie," said her mother. "The chick will be safer than on the ground, and the parents should find it quickly." With a boost from her mother, Emily put the chick on a small branch, out of reach of cats. As soon as they backed away, the hungry little bird began peeping. Emily's mother explained that chicks peep so their parents can keep track of them. Sure enough, an adult bluebird arrived a minute later with a juicy caterpillar, and poked it into the chick's mouth. Yum!

My mother makes bread only about once a year, so I was excited the first time she asked me to help her. First, we gathered everything we needed. Then, she put some yeast in a bowl with warm water, and I stirred the water and yeast together. After that, she added flour, honey, and butter, and she mixed everything together. 2Next, she dipped her hand into a bag of flour and sprinkled a handful of it onto the counter. She grabbed my hands and stuck them into the flour bag. 3"Rub the flour over your hands," she said. 4I followed her directions, but I was not really sure what flour on my hands had to do with making bread. I was surprised when my mother used her hands to scoop the dough out of the bowl. She placed the dough on the flour-dusted counter. Before I could say anything, my mother took my hands and guided them toward the lump of dough. She told me to grab one end of the dough and fold it toward me. Then, she pushed my hands into the dough. It felt soft and smooth, and it didn't stick. Now I understood why we rubbed our hands with flour. We turned the lump of dough and folded and pushed it again. We folded and pushed the dough for nearly twenty minutes—my mother said that is called kneading—before the dough was ready. 5Together we rolled the dough into a ball, placed it in a fresh bowl, and covered the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. 6"Now, the dough must sit for several hours," my mother said. "No peeking!" 7"Okay," I agreed, wondering why I would want to look at a ball of dough in a bowl. 8After a few hours, my mother told me to check the dough. When I removed the towel from the bowl, I was surprised to see how much dough was in the bowl—it looked like a much larger lump than when we started. 9"Yeast makes dough rise," my mother said, coming up behind me. "That makes the bread light and airy when it is baked." 10Later, we put the bread in the oven. Just before it was done, my grandmother arrived on her annual visit from Spain. 11"That bread smells delicious!" she said, as she hugged me. "I can't wait to sit down and share it with all of my family." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sidebar: 12Samantha Feisel owns a bakery in Atlanta, Georgia, and enjoys writing about her childhood memories. Samantha fondly remembers the first time she baked bread with her mother, which she writes about in "Breaking Bread." Samantha has written other kitchen adventure stories to tell all about her grandmother's annual visits from Spain.

My mother makes bread only about once a year, so I was excited the first time she asked me to help her. First, we gathered everything we needed. Then, she put some yeast in a bowl with warm water, and I stirred the water and yeast together. After that, she added flour, honey, and butter, and she mixed everything together. 2Next, she dipped her hand into a bag of flour and sprinkled a handful of it onto the counter. She grabbed my hands and stuck them into the flour bag. 3"Rub the flour over your hands," she said. 4I followed her directions, but I was not really sure what flour on my hands had to do with making bread. I was surprised when my mother used her hands to scoop the dough out of the bowl. She placed the dough on the flour-dusted counter. Before I could say anything, my mother took my hands and guided them toward the lump of dough. She told me to grab one end of the dough and fold it toward me. Then, she pushed my hands into the dough. It felt soft and smooth, and it didn't stick. Now I understood why we rubbed our hands with flour. We turned the lump of dough and folded and pushed it again. We folded and pushed the dough for nearly twenty minutes—my mother said that is called kneading—before the dough was ready. 5Together we rolled the dough into a ball, placed it in a fresh bowl, and covered the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. 6"Now, the dough must sit for several hours," my mother said. "No peeking!" 7"Okay," I agreed, wondering why I would want to look at a ball of dough in a bowl. 8After a few hours, my mother told me to check the dough. When I removed the towel from the bowl, I was surprised to see how much dough was in the bowl—it looked like a much larger lump than when we started. 9"Yeast makes dough rise," my mother said, coming up behind me. "That makes the bread light and airy when it is baked." 10Later, we put the bread in the oven. Just before it was done, my grandmother arrived on her annual visit from Spain. 11"That bread smells delicious!" she said, as she hugged me. "I can't wait to sit down and share it with all of my family." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sidebar: 12Samantha Feisel owns a bakery in Atlanta, Georgia, and enjoys writing about her childhood memories. Samantha fondly remembers the first time she baked bread with her mother, which she writes about in "Breaking Bread." Samantha has written other kitchen adventure stories to tell all about her grandmother's annual visits from Spain.

Nikki was happy to visit the special park her mother had been telling her about. When they arrived, she could hardly believe her eyes. As she stood on the sidewalk in front of the entrance, she could barely see over the hedge that made a fence around the park. She could see the top of a red and white tent and the head of a dinosaur. She heard carousel music, the sounds of ducks, and children playing. Nikki could smell popcorn, hot dogs, flowers, and fresh straw. The most exciting sight of all, however, was the huge hot-air balloon that swayed gently in the breeze just outside the park. It was tied down to stakes that had been hammered into the ground. It was the biggest balloon Nikki had ever seen. She wanted to get closer to see inside the basket that hung from the balloon. It was tied to the balloon by large ropes. The man who sold balloon rides was reading his newspaper. Nikki's mother walked over to talk to the man. Nikki walked over to look at the basket. She had never seen a hot-air balloon up close. The basket had high sides. Ropes went up from the basket to the balloon above. She got up on her toes to peek inside. To get a better look she pulled herself up on the edge of the basket, but lost her balance and toppled into the basket head first. Nikki's mom continued to talk to the balloon ride operator as a breeze began to blow and the balloon began to rise into the air. Nikki was sitting on the floor of the basket, where she found a leather bag. It was filled with tools balloonists can use to help find their way. She found a map of the park, a compass, and a telescope. About that time, Nikki felt the balloon begin to wobble. She looked over the side of the basket, and was amazed to see the ground so far below. The ropes that were supposed to keep the balloon in one place had come untied and were dangling below the balloon. She could now see into the park. A boat drifted toward the bridge, a flag waved in the breeze, children rode the horses on the carousel as it circled round and round, farm animals gathered under the trees in the barnyard. The balloon continued to rise. Nikki was now directly over the park. She could no longer see the sides of the buildings. Instead, she saw the tops of the buildings. The red and white top of the carousel now looked like a fancy pie. She was seeing the ground the way the birds see it. Nikki noticed a rope which was dangling by itself from the balloon into the basket. She grabbed the rope to steady herself. This let the air out of the balloon and the balloon started to slowly descend toward the ground. She saw that the balloon was drifting towards a large fenced pasture, located within the park, where she finally landed. Nikki had a wonderful adventure but she was glad to be on the ground and see her mother again. Read the passage on the left to answer the following questions: 1) Q: A: Which sentence is not a supporting detail of the main idea of this passage? A) The man who sold balloon rides was reading his newspaper. B) Nikki was happy to visit the special park her mother had been telling her about. C) Nikki had a wonderful adventure but she was glad to be on the ground and see her mother again. D) The most exciting sight of all, however, was the huge hot-air balloon that swayed gently in the breeze just outside the park.

Nikki was happy to visit the special park her mother had been telling her about. When they arrived, she could hardly believe her eyes. As she stood on the sidewalk in front of the entrance, she could barely see over the hedge that made a fence around the park. She could see the top of a red and white tent and the head of a dinosaur. She heard carousel music, the sounds of ducks, and children playing. Nikki could smell popcorn, hot dogs, flowers, and fresh straw. The most exciting sight of all, however, was the huge hot-air balloon that swayed gently in the breeze just outside the park. It was tied down to stakes that had been hammered into the ground. It was the biggest balloon Nikki had ever seen. She wanted to get closer to see inside the basket that hung from the balloon. It was tied to the balloon by large ropes. The man who sold balloon rides was reading his newspaper. Nikki's mother walked over to talk to the man. Nikki walked over to look at the basket. She had never seen a hot-air balloon up close. The basket had high sides. Ropes went up from the basket to the balloon above. She got up on her toes to peek inside. To get a better look she pulled herself up on the edge of the basket, but lost her balance and toppled into the basket head first. Nikki's mom continued to talk to the balloon ride operator as a breeze began to blow and the balloon began to rise into the air. Nikki was sitting on the floor of the basket, where she found a leather bag. It was filled with tools balloonists can use to help find their way. She found a map of the park, a compass, and a telescope. About that time, Nikki felt the balloon begin to wobble. She looked over the side of the basket, and was amazed to see the ground so far below. The ropes that were supposed to keep the balloon in one place had come untied and were dangling below the balloon. She could now see into the park. A boat drifted toward the bridge, a flag waved in the breeze, children rode the horses on the carousel as it circled round and round, farm animals gathered under the trees in the barnyard. The balloon continued to rise. Nikki was now directly over the park. She could no longer see the sides of the buildings. Instead, she saw the tops of the buildings. The red and white top of the carousel now looked like a fancy pie. She was seeing the ground the way the birds see it. Nikki noticed a rope which was dangling by itself from the balloon into the basket. She grabbed the rope to steady herself. This let the air out of the balloon and the balloon started to slowly descend toward the ground. She saw that the balloon was drifting towards a large fenced pasture, located within the park, where she finally landed. Nikki had a wonderful adventure but she was glad to be on the ground and see her mother again. Read the passage on the left to answer the following questions: 1) Q: A: Which sentence is not a supporting detail of the main idea of this passage? A) The man who sold balloon rides was reading his newspaper. B) Nikki was happy to visit the special park her mother had been telling her about. C) Nikki had a wonderful adventure but she was glad to be on the ground and see her mother again. D) The most exciting sight of all, however, was the huge hot-air balloon that swayed gently in the breeze just outside the park.